by Jani Kay
“I don’t know the details yet. A friend of mine—a trainee medic—he’s trying to find out exactly what happened. As soon as I know more, I’ll call you back.”
“How could you let that happen? My God, Rebecca...”
I rubbed at my heart. The ache that settled there was gnawing at me.
Flopping down on the couch, I closed my eyes for a moment and recalled the last few hours. If I had known something like this would happen, I'd have tied Lily down to the damn bed until Kurt could accompany her out, or squeezed my feet back into shoes and gone with her.
“I’m sorry, Mum. I’ll let you know as soon as I have more news.” I heard another voice in the background. “Is Chloe there with you?”
Before she could reply, my sister’s voice sounded in my ear. “Becca, what’s going on?”
I repeated everything I’d told my mother, which wasn’t a hell of a lot of information to begin with. Chloe’s reaction was worse than my mother’s. She yelled into the phone. “Fuck, Rebecca! She could be dead somewhere.”
“I know. Don’t you think that thought has crossed my mind? The cops are on it. And Kurt is at the hospital getting information.”
“Kurt? Who the hell is Kurt?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tried to stay calm. “He’s my friend and a doctor. He had a call about a girl who was brought in and fitted Lily’s description.”
“Shit. Does Kurt know Lily? How will he know if it’s her?”
“Yes, they’re friends. Kurt has been showing Lily around when he’s had time off work.”
“Jesus, Becca, I can't believe you’d let Lily go out by herself. How stupid can you be?” Her voice was hard and unforgiving.
“Chloe, I don’t need your crap right now. I called to let you know what happened and as soon as I have more info, I’ll call again. I need to get off the phone in case someone tries to call.”
I ended the call before she could sling more abuse at me.
Please God, let Lily be safe. I couldn’t face my family if something terrible happened to her on my watch. I didn’t think I’d even be able to face myself.
Conflicted by wanting to know that we’d found Lily, I also didn’t want the woman in the hospital to be her.
Please, God, let Lily be alive.
Chapter 20 — Rebecca
Exhausted from worry, I'd fallen asleep on the couch, blissfully slipping into oblivion for a while. I woke to a soft touch tugging my arm and Kurt calling my name.
“What?” I bolted upright as the memories of the past few hours came flooding back to my consciousness. Kurt’s face was drawn tight. Solemn. Dark rings under his eyes from lack of sleep brought a pang of guilt to my heart that I'd drifted off while he’d had to go back to the hospital.
“Lily? Is it her...is she okay? Please tell me.” I held my breath, waiting for his reply.
Kurt sank back in the chair, sad eyes trained on me. “The girl in the hospital...is your sister. She’s alive, thank God.” He closed his eyes for a beat.
“What happened?” I couldn’t hide the hysteria in my voice.
“Lily was attacked by a man. He dragged her from the street into an alleyway. He had...a knife to her throat.” His voice broke on the last few words.
My hand covered my mouth as I rocked forward and wailed, “No. God, no, not Lily—”
“Thank God, she wasn’t raped or killed. He’d ripped her clothes to shreds, and forced her onto her knees. She’s badly bruised from where he kicked her repeatedly and has a slash across her cheek and hand from fighting him.”
“Oh, my poor baby,” I sobbed. Kurt moved closer and took both my hands in his, rubbing the knuckles with his thumbs to soothe me.
“She was unconscious when a man brought her to the hospital. He and his wife saw some of it and he and a friend ran to help her.” Kurt shivered. “The attacker ran away, but not before threatening to return to finish the job. The man who saved her said it sounded as if the attacker knew her.”
“What?” I gasped for air. “How is that even possible? She’s only been here for a few days.”
Kurt shrugged, exhaustion etched on his face. “He called her a bitch and said she had to pay for what she’d done.”
My mouth went dry. “Did...did Lily tell you all this?”
“No. It's what they’d overheard him scream at her as he left her lying there.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “They heard him say that?”
“Yes. The wife is French.” Kurt paused and stared at me, a deep frown between his brows. “The attacker...he spoke in French.”
Tears brimmed at the edge of my lashes, threatening to spill over again. I couldn’t begin to comprehend why someone would want to do something like that. “Oh, my God, what could it mean? Do you think he mistook Lily for someone else? It's insane.” As it sank in, fear gripped my heart. If it wasn’t a random attack and he meant to come back, Lily was still in grave danger.
“The man and his wife wrapped her in the woman’s jacket and brought her to the hospital. She’s in an induced coma so she can sleep and forget the trauma.”
I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and twisted it. “Kurt, we can't leave her there unprotected. What if he goes to the hospital to carry out his threat? We’ve got to get her to safety until we can figure out what in hell is going on.”
“The cops are there watching her. They opened an attempted murder case. She’ll be fine.”
“Attempted murder? Who would want to kill my beautiful Lily?” Tears spilled down my cheeks, turning Kurt’s face into a haze.
“The German police are very thorough. They won’t leave a stone unturned to find the attacker. Especially as Lily is a foreigner. If necessary, they will call Interpol to help with the investigation.”
I had to trust that Kurt knew what he was talking about.
He took both my hands in his and rubbed over my knuckles. “The police have called your mother to tell her the news. I said I wanted to tell you myself.”
“Oh God, my mother and Chloe will be in a state and hating that they’re so far away. I wish I could’ve spared them this.” My shoulders slumped as I curled my body into the corner of the seat and hugged my knees to my chest.
A vein in his jaw ticked. “It's not your fault, Rebecca. I overreacted and said some things...you couldn’t have known this would happen, so please don’t blame yourself.”
My breath hitched. I cast my eyes down as I processed it all. After a few moments, I raised my gaze to his.
“When can I see Lily?”
He shook his head. “Not for a while. She’s in a coma right now, so she won’t know you’re there anyway. The doctors need to do tests and take...samples. It's better if you stay here until they have done their work. They will tell me when it's okay for you to go.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Rest assured I’ll be with her every day. They won’t kick me out, so you have nothing to worry about.”
I leaned forward, took his hand in mine, and squeezed. “Thank you, Kurt. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without you. You’ve been such a great help.”
“I care about you, and about Lily. I want her to be okay.” The pain in his eyes was impossible to hide and the way the corners of his mouth turned down, made me want to comfort him. Dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep added years to his face. He looked so much older than his twenty-five years.
“You’re so tired. Come lie on the bed and sleep for a while.” I pulled him to the bedroom. He followed without protest. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he removed his shoes and placed them neatly under the window. Dawn had made way for a gloomy day, dark clouds hanging pregnant with rain. I drew the curtains and pushed him back against the pillow, covering him with a blanket.
“Lie down with me, please,” he said softly. “You need the rest too.”
I crawled onto the bed and lay beside him, my body still aching although the fever had broken. Kurt turned on his side, staring at me for a long mom
ent. He reached out and brushed my cheek with his thumb, then laced his fingers with mine and closed his eyes. Moments later, he was breathing deeply and steadily, fast asleep. Brushing lightly over his brow with my fingertips, I tried to rub the lingering frown away. After a while, his face softened and he started snoring.
Kurt was a godsend—I’d be completely lost without his friendship. I’d come to understand that when the universe removed someone significant in my life, somehow, I was always given someone special to make up for it. When my father died, I got Julian. When I had to let Alain go, I got Kurt. I squeezed my eyes shut, anguish twisting my heart.
Please, please, God—I’m not ready to say goodbye to Lily.
It ripped my heart to shreds that she was in hospital, unconscious. That someone invaded her person, violated her and wanted her dead. It didn’t make sense. Dread crept up my spine. Some sick bastard was out there and meant her harm. My mind raced, trying to figure it out, but ran into a dead end every time.
Thank God, for the man who saved her. I needed to thank him and his wife for taking her to the hospital. I shuddered as the alternative played out in my mind.
I swallowed hard. The lump in my throat burned until I just let go and felt the warm tears run down my cheek onto the pillow.
My poor, poor Lily.
The ordeal would scar her gentle soul for life—shit like that couldn’t be undone. Healing her body would take time, but the aftermath of the attack had far reaching consequences beyond the physical. I didn’t want Lily to live in fear for the rest of her life, to be afraid and suspicious of strangers.
The bastard who attacked her had to be found. He had to pay for the damage and suffering to an innocent young woman. Anger seethed through my veins, as well as a sense of hopelessness that there was nothing I could do to change it. If I could turn back the clock, or take her place—if those were real options—I’d do it in a heartbeat.
I turned away from Kurt, muffling my sobs into the pillow. His arm came around me and held me to him. Even in his sleep, he was shielding me. I drifted off to sleep, exhaustion taking over my body and mind, freeing me for a while from pain and regret eating at me.
Chapter 21 — Maxwell
Between New York and London, somewhere over the inky Atlantic Ocean, Grant Industries’ private company jet had hardly taken off when my phone buzzed. Irritated, I grabbed the phone and snarled at it. I found it impossible to sleep on a flight, and just when I’d managed to doze off, some idiot was calling. I didn’t recognize the number on my screen, but the country code was from Germany. Frowning, I contemplated ignoring the call, but a little voice told me to answer it. What if it had something to do with Rebecca?
My heartbeat picked up as I realized it was indeed a very real possibility. I hit the green button, hoping she was okay.
“Mr. Grant?” The German male voice sounded tired and anxious. I heard the sounds of a car engine in the background. A pang speared my heart as I answered him. “Yes. Can I help you?” I asked curtly.
“It’s about Rebecca Clarke. She said you were her boss.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “Yes. Is anything wrong? Where is Rebecca?”
“First off, Rebecca...she is...okay.” The slight hesitation suggested otherwise. And okay could mean anything. I sucked in a breath, waiting for him to continue. “It’s her sister, Lily, who is in an induced coma. I just wanted to let you know...Rebecca is taking it badly.”
He chose his words carefully, diplomatically even, keeping his tone neutral as if he had training in doing so.
“Who are you?” I barked.
“I’m a friend of Rebecca’s and I found your number on her phone. My name is Kurt Muller, and I am an intern at the hospital. Lily was attacked and is in a coma. I’m on my way there now to see her. That’s why I’m calling you. I'm worried about Rebecca.”
I cut him short and peppered the young medic with questions. “So Rebecca’s not hurt? Only her sister? What happened?” Rubbing the stubble on my chin, I pursed my lips together as I waited for his reply. With trembling fingers, I loosened my tie before it throttled me.
Kurt blew out a long breath before answering. “Rebecca is messed up. She’s not taking it well and needs support. I had to leave her alone at her place because I didn’t want her to see Lily yet. Her sister is battered and bruised. Possibly raped. She was left for dead in an alleyway.”
“Jesus. How did that happen?” I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to form an image of what he’d just told me. I unbuttoned my shirt around the collar, feeling as if there was no air getting to my lungs.
“Listen, I’m just stopping at the hospital. I need to go. Please call Rebecca and talk to her...calm her. I’ll let you know more details soon.”
Before I could say anything more, everything went quiet. I sat like that for a minute, thinking about my options. Fuck the meeting I was on my way to; this was much more important.
Rebecca. She was the most important thing in my life.
With my mind made up, I called the flight attendant. “Two things,” I said to her as I held my fingers up in a V, “tell the captain we are going to Munich instead of London, and bring me a triple scotch.”
She blinked a few times, looking at me as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. But where Rebecca was concerned, rational logic did not apply. She nodded and scurried off to do as she was told.
“Thanks,” I murmured absently when she brought the drink. I threw it down my throat, grimaced, then held the glass to her and nodded. Her eyes were bugging out of her head. In all the years Anita had worked for me, she’d never witnessed me downing a drink like that. Usually I took my time, enjoying the taste.
“I’m okay. Just some bad news about...a friend,” I assured her. She nodded and went to get a refill.
Dialing Rebecca’s number, I wondered how she’d react if I showed up on her doorstep. If she’d be pissed off at me because I’d broken our agreement not to contact her for two weeks. But I couldn’t stay away. The week that had already passed was hell enough. I couldn’t let her go through this ordeal alone. For a brief moment uneasiness settled in my gut about the German doctor. If Rebecca hooked up with him... I hope to God not. I didn’t know if I could handle her having yet another man in her life. It was wearing me down.
Within two rings, she answered her phone. She must’ve been holding it in her hand, maybe waiting for the German to call her. Jealousy spiked through my body.
“Hello. Kurt?” Her voice was barely above a whisper when she answered, thick with crying. My heart squeezed in my chest. If only I could hold her in my arms this minute and tell her everything would be all right.
“Rebecca, it’s me.” I lowered my voice, trying to sound calm and soothing, hiding the anxious edge in it as much as I could. She didn’t need to know how worried I was about her.
“M-Max?”
The way she said my name without any fight or animosity worried me more than if she had yelled at me and been her usual feisty self. I wiped my brow and hummed softly into the phone.
“Mmmm...I’m calling to hear how you are doing. Your friend, Kurt, told me what happened. I'm on my way to Munich. I’ll be there in approximately eight hours.”
She sucked in a long breath. “You’re coming here? I thought you were in London.”
“The flight was delayed. Bad weather. I changed course to Munich. We’re just waiting for airport clearance to allow us to land when we get there, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“No. Don’t do that. Don’t change your plans on my behalf. I...we will be fine.”
“We?” I couldn’t help it. The jealousy monster lurking in my mind was showing itself.
“Kurt is helping me...I'm just waiting for his call. In fact, I should get off the phone so he can get through when he rings. Thanks for your concern. I’ll let you know when I have more information.”
Fuck. Stubborn as always. Even in times of crisis she pushed me away. I wasn’t having it any l
onger. It was time she understood that. As for the young doctor, he’d best stay out of my way if he knew what was good for him.
“I’ll be at your place soon after we land. No arguments. I want to be there, Rebecca. Don’t you get it? Is it that difficult for you to understand that I care about you?”
Silence.
“Rebecca?”
“Okay,” she whispered. Fuck me. It was the first time she’d given in so easily. Things were worse than I thought.
“Hold on, okay? I will call in favors and resources to help find your sister’s attacker. The first forty-eight hours are crucial. We’ll do everything we can. I promise.”
Her breath hitched. “What if Lily doesn’t survive this?”
“One step at a time. Don’t overthink this. We’ll handle it as we learn more.” My heart was racing, but I kept my voice even and calm.
“Yeah, I guess you are right. It's killing me waiting...not being able to see her.”
“I know, sweetheart. Stay positive. I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
“Good girl.”
“Max? Thank you,” she whispered on a shaky breath.
A smile twisted my lips. Good God, what lengths I had to go to for her to thank me, to give in and accept my help.
“Get some rest. See you soon.” I hung up, sat back in the seat, and closed my eyes.
The time had finally come to act on the next step in the charade that was my life. This was suicide, but there was no other way. I had one more call to make.
The phone rang out. Fuck. I dialed again. Pick up, dammit.
A sleepy voice answered, “Maxwell. Do you know what fucking time it is?”
“Yes. But this can't wait. Pull the plug. It's time to come clean.”
Chapter 22 — Rebecca
When I woke, Kurt was gone and I was once again alone. He’d covered me with a blanket and left a note by my side.
Rebecca,
Thank you for letting me sleep. I have gone home for a shower then back to the hospital. I will call when I know more. Eat something nutritious.