Surviving Doctor Vincent: The Good Doctor Trilogy Book 2

by Renea Mason

  He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, placing his mouth close to my ear. “Bella, I’m so sorry. I’ll make it my personal goal to never see that look on your face again. Never.” He pressed hard against me while grunting and pulling me tight. “I’ll make it up to you. Do whatever you want. Anything to erase the fear from your mind.” The anguish in his voice was tangible.

  I was angry, but realized I wasn’t the only victim in Xavier’s game.

  He rocked his hips against me, chanting words of reassurance.

  “Since I’m supposed to be a pent up sex offender I’m going to have to wrap this up to be believable. But I don’t want to leave you here alone.” He kissed my temple. “Please, forgive me.”

  I didn’t want him to leave either. I sniffled.

  He increased the rhythm of his hips and slammed against me in finale, arching his back, while pushing me into the bed. He stretched over me and kissed my cheek. “I don’t want to leave, but they’ll get suspicious.” He climbed off the bed, stood, adjusted his hood and walked to the door.

  I pulled down my skirt. With the closing of the door, I took a deep breath. My relief at hearing Marco’s voice complicated by my confusion about Xavier, and mixed with the anxiety of the whole experience, sent tears spilling from my eyes again. I laid my head on the stark white sheet and cried myself delirious.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Consequence

  Several hours later, the door opened. Xavier stood adjusting the sleeves of his jacket. “Come on. They are done with me. We’re leaving.” Even though I could rationalize why he did what he did, the logic didn’t take away from the emotion of the experience. Thinking I was about to be raped wasn’t something I could brush aside.

  I propped myself up on my hands and glared at him.

  He crossed his arms across his chest. “I know you’re angry, but this insolence will need to be punished. I told you to come here.”

  The snake bitch appeared behind him. “I’d sleep with one eye open, Xavier. Wouldn’t be the first time a subject killed their keeper.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I have this under control.” He pointed to the ground at his feet. His words—cold and distant. “Now, Elaine.”

  I scooted to the edge of the bed and rested my feet on the floor. I looked up with a glare and skulked toward him.

  He grabbed me by the arm.

  Dr. England smiled.

  My stomach heaved. What a sick, demented bitch. “Welcome to the Society. Xavier really doesn’t give a fuck about you. He laughed the entire time.”

  “Fuck you.”

  She smiled even wider, She straightened and narrowed her eyes at me, but addressed Xavier. “You might want to consider a cage. But it’s your head, not mine.” She sauntered past him, brushing his shoulder with hers. The click of her heels echoed in the hallway with each step. She paused. “Do try to keep your head, Xavier. You’re never going to secure a seat on the council if you’re dead, and I’m so looking forward to the competition.”

  I took a step to walk away. He squeezed my arm and pulled me to him. “Wrong direction. Don’t say a word until we get to the car.” He led me down the corridor to the lobby. Sebastian sat in a chair, waiting.

  The host unlocked the door and handed Xavier his keys.

  Sebastian opened the rear car door for me and slid in on the other side. Xavier started the car. “Not a word until we arrive.”

  The numbness of shock still plagued me, and I wondered where Marco was. I stared at my hands, vacillating between being thankful for Marco’s appearance and angry with Xavier for not trusting me enough with the plan.

  Sebastian scooted over and wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

  * * *

  The next morning, I woke up in bed alone in a hotel room—dark, except for the ribbons of sunlight streaming through thin openings in the drapes. I sat up and looked around. On the floor beside the bed lay Xavier. A glance to the small sofa by the door revealed Sebastian and Marco slumped over the edge on either side, sound asleep.

  I tiptoed over Xavier’s sleeping form and headed to the restroom.

  I splashed water on my face. I looked like hell, my eyes still puffy from crying. Had all of that really happened? Who knew Xavier had such a cold streak in him. Could I ever look at him again and not see last night? The way he’d discarded me so easily for power and control.

  When I opened the door, he sat with his back against the mattress, legs extended in front. I stepped over his feet and didn’t acknowledge him.

  “Elaine...”

  Silence.

  “I love you.”

  I sat on the opposite side of the bed. “Don’t.”

  “I do. I know you don’t believe me. But I told you before; your safety is the only thing I won’t compromise. They won’t bother you now.”

  “I want to go home.”

  “Elaine...”

  “No, I can’t do this.”

  “I knew that if they decided to test me, Marco would be there to intervene. I’ve been working out these details for weeks.”

  The bed shifted. He scooted behind me, but didn’t touch me.

  “You could have told me,” I whispered

  “I thought I did. Why do you think I kept asking you to trust me?”

  “You didn’t trust me.” I linked my fingers and stretched them. I didn’t want to forgive him. I didn’t want him to make sense. Didn’t want to care that he was doing this for me.

  “Elaine... Can I touch you?”

  I laughed. “Don’t you own me now? You can send me off to be raped, without a second thought, and now you ask permission? What choice do I have?”

  “I’ll never take anything you aren’t willing to give me. That wasn’t real. If I thought you were in any danger, I would have never gone through with the plan.”

  I twisted and glared at him. “You know what? It sure felt real to me. What if there had been a mistake? What if your carefully executed plan had failed and Marco got delayed? What if for one moment you weren’t the smartest person in the room? It would have been me that paid the price. Your arrogance is astounding. Not to mention what a splendid actor you are, Doctor.”

  “Doctor? We’re back to that?”

  “Oh, wait...” I tipped my head in his direction. With exaggerated frustration, I corrected myself, “My king.”

  “Don’t, Elaine, please.”

  I stood. “That person in the council room last night, the one who bartered me away for power, who was he? Whoever he was, I never want to see him again. He’s in you, he is you, and I can’t... I can’t...do this.”

  I found my purse by the door and looped it over my shoulder.

  He grabbed my arm. “Don’t leave me. That’s not who I am.”

  “But it’s who you could be?”

  “Without you...yes.” The tears that formed in the corners of his eyes almost caused me to waver.

  I pulled my arm out of his grip. “I’m going downstairs for some coffee and to book another room. I can’t stay here. I need to breathe.”

  * * *

  For three days, I managed to avoid the three men. The isolation wasn’t helping. I needed someone to talk to, even if I could never tell him or her about my bat-shit crazy life. I knew Gretchen would be home from class, so I dialed her number.

  After pressing nine and then my sister’s number on the hotel desk phone, I listened to the shrill ring.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, you. How are you, Sis?”

  Even through a phone you could hear the smile in her voice. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear from you. I’m doing great. James took a quick trip to be with his parents, so I’ve been busy planning the wedding. How are you? I tried to call you last week.”

  “Yeah... Sorry about that. I kept forgetting to take my phone with me.” Truth was I did hear her message, but there really hadn’t been a moment to stop and return her call. “Things have been insane here. So tell me about the wedding.”
<
br />   She inhaled. “Well, I decided on white roses for the centerpieces, and the colors will be Tiffany blue and white. Since it will be winter, I figured I’d work snowflakes into the theme. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s wonderful. I’m so excited for you. I can’t wait to be part of it.”

  “Good. Because I’m coming into town tomorrow and figured we could go look at bridesmaid dresses during lunch. How about I pick you up at your apartment around eleven-thirty? I’ll bring Prince.”

  “Ahhh...”

  “What’s wrong? If you have plans, I understand.”

  “That’s part of it, but...” I slumped in my chair.

  “What’s wrong, Elaine?”

  “I sort of moved.”

  “You moved? I thought you were just traveling. You moved and didn’t tell me.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

  “I’m staying with Xavier. Actually, we’re out of town.”

  “Wait... What? You mean Dr. Xavier Vincent? The same Dr. Vincent that tossed you into a tailspin with the leggy blonde?”

  I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “Yes. That one.”

  “You live with him?”

  “It’s a really long story, but yes.”

  She cleared her throat. Any note of the sunshine tone in her voice was gone. “What was up with the blonde and not calling?”

  “It was all a misunderstanding. He stopped by to explain. We worked through our issues, and he felt it was best that we spend more time together. But we’re in the middle of another...misunderstanding.”

  “Oh Elaine, I’m so happy for you. That’s a pretty impulsive thing for you. You must really love him.”

  I did, but many times, I didn’t want to. It would be easier if I could walk away from the good doctor, but I didn’t know if I ever could. Not only because of our attraction, but because I feared who he might become if I wasn’t there to ground him. “I do.”

  “We might both be married soon.”

  “Not so fast. I didn’t say anything about marriage.”

  “So tell me, what’s he like? I can’t even imagine. Shaking his hand that day was beyond belief and you...” She giggled. “You’ve done more than shake his hand, I’m sure.”

  “Very funny. Xavier is...complicated. Brilliance has its price. He doesn’t always think like I expect, and I often find myself confused.” My fingers mindlessly drew circles on the hotel notepad.

  “Has he said it?”

  I wrinkled my brow. “Said what?”

  “That he loves you.”

  I cleared my throat. “Yes.”

  “Oh, Elaine. That’s so exciting. Seems like he moves fast. Maybe we will have a double wedding.”

  “No. Absolutely not.” I didn’t mean to sound so emphatic, but I’d been on the verge of strangling him just two days ago, I didn’t want to think about marriage. “Gretchen, you deserve your day. Without any media attention and crazy doctors upstaging you.”

  “OK. But when you see the Tiffany blue invitations I picked out, you might change your mind.”

  “I’m not getting married, Gretchen.”

  There was a knock in the background over the phone. “Oh, I forgot. I’d been checking on Mrs. Stevenson’s apartment, while she was away. That’s her at the door, looking for her mail.”

  “No problem. I love you.”

  “Prince misses you, by the way. Speaking of him, does Dr. Vincent like cats? Will you be taking him with you?”

  “Call him Xavier and...I think he likes cats.” Just another reminder of how little I knew about him.

  “Well, if he doesn’t, Prince can stay here. He’s been keeping me company at night.”

  I smiled for the first time in days. “I’m glad.”

  “Love you. Call me back when you can go dress shopping. And tell your boyfriend, hi, for me.”

  “Ahhh... Sure.”

  She laughed. “Bye.”

  “Bye.” I sat the phone back on its cradle and stared into my reflection in the glass of the abstract print that hung on the wall. Boyfriend? The idea felt ridiculous even thinking it. Did that mean I owed his explanation some consideration? Relationships were work. They required patience and were filled with compromise, which was why I mostly avoided them. Being involved with Xavier Vincent apparently tested the limits of each virtue. Before I could even think about hearing him out, coffee was in order.

  * * *

  This wasn’t one of the fancy five-star hotels Xavier usually picked, which explained the pile of men on the sofa in the room that first night. I grabbed a paper cup, placed it under the coffee dispenser, and eyed the limited options in the continental breakfast spread, deciding against indulging. I gathered my coffee and sat on a bench near the window.

  The bitter elixir provided the spark that started to clear the numbness of the past few days. Why couldn’t he have just told me? Could that maniacal side really be part of him? Was I only a pawn in his game? Perhaps being his subject wasn’t a role. Maybe I was an experiment? How did these fucked-up people get away with their antics?

  I glanced up from the dark spot I stared at on the faux marble tabletop.

  Marco’s tortured eyes stared back.

  I returned my sights to the swirling pattern on the fake stone surface. I wanted to be alone.

  “Can I join you?” He didn’t wait for my answer before taking the seat across from me.

  I didn’t answer.

  “So, you just tell me when you want me to kick his ass, and I’ll make sure you have a front row seat.”

  Time to cut the bullshit. “Why did you and Sebastian agree to Xavier’s plan?”

  He leaned back and raked his hands through his hair. “First, we didn’t think for a moment that he wouldn’t have told you what he had planned. Sebastian said you seemed to be prepared, confident even, that the way you responded to Xavier before entering the council chamber left him with little doubt. When you tried to knee me in the balls, I got the picture. Then I saw how frightened you were. I’m so sorry, Elaine. I wouldn’t have ever agreed to terrify you. But I went along because those people need to be stopped, I thought you knew, and I didn’t have a better plan.”

  “Well, that’s good to know that you weren’t complicit.”

  “Not that I’m defending him, but I can only guess in his own warped way of seeing the world, he thought your faith in him was enough.”

  I laughed. “Faith might allow me to trust him enough to do a tandem skydive, or try some new crazy sex move, but Marco, those people are scary. Real ‘Hannibal Lector’ demented. My mind can only process so much. And you know what was the scariest of all?”

  He reached across the table and slipped my hand in his. “What, Bella?”

  “There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s crazier and more powerful than all of them combined, except for maybe his mother.”

  Marco laughed. “Yes, you’re probably right, which is why he needs you.”

  “I can’t control him.”

  “Exactly. No one can, but you remind him every moment of what’s important. Why we’re all really here. You are what will help him maintain his compassion. As much as I despised Lydia for her methods, the one thing she did was keep him focused. You do that without trying. I know his tactics from the other night left room for improvement, but in his mind, he’s trying to protect you.”

  “Well...his mind is fucked up.”

  Marco shook his head and chuckled. “Simply put... Yes.”

  I sipped my coffee.

  “He loves you, Elaine. Don’t shut him out. Beyond you, he’s had a lot to process, too. Don’t forget that he’s not exactly operating in a normal situation. I don’t know that I’d be making the best decisions either. He’s angry with them, desperately frightened for you, and overcompensating for his insecurities. The fact that he hurt you the other night is destroying him. He hasn’t eaten since you moved into the other room.”

  “Is it wrong that I’m happy he’s suffering too?”
r />   “Wrong, no. Just means you’re human.”

  I stared at the floor beyond him as I spoke. “Thank you for not...you know.”

  “For not what?”

  “I mean... There was nothing stopping you.”

  His eyes grew wide, his brow furrowed, and he leaned across the table. His intense stare grew laced with anger. “Did you just thank me for not raping you?”

  “That sounds ridiculous when you say it like that.”

  He stood and slid onto the bench beside me and tucked me in his arms. “Elaine, I will make you this promise here and now. I’ll never take something from you that you don’t want to give me.” He lowered his voice. “And I’d kill anyone who would be dumb enough try.”

  “I didn’t mean that you would, I mean... I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “I know.” He kissed the top of my head. “I asked Xavier, while you were sleeping that first night, why he thought you would have been OK with everything. He said that before you went to meet the council, he asked you if you’d willingly give yourself to me and he said your response was ‘yes.’ Of course, he foolishly believed that a pledge of trust was strong enough to overcome the encounter.”

  I remembered his words, their intensity. That explained why he was so deliberate, so careful, so clarifying. He did try to prepare me in his own way. I let out a long sigh.

  “Elaine, I’ve known Xavier for a long time. He is anything but malicious. I think what you saw at the mansion was the side of him that will succeed at protecting you at all costs. He needs you.” He squeezed me. “Hell, I need you. I haven’t even had a chance to tell you how much I’ve missed you. Did you know, I stood outside your door to your apartment one night after Paris, debating on whether or not to tell you what an idiot X was being, and beg you to come smack some sense into him? He really needs to stop doing what he thinks is best and ask you.”

  I chuckled. “That would solve a lot.”

  “He spends so much time wrapped up in his own head, that he forgets to think. Does that make sense?”

  “With Xavier, in some weird way, it does.”

  “When you’re done with your coffee, why don’t you go talk to him?”

  “I’ll think about it.” I toyed with the brown paper that encircled the cup.