Burn: Book 3 (The Heat Series)

by MJ Masucci

  “No. I don’t want you to go. I need you.”

  “I think we should stop talking about this. We have plenty of time to discuss everything.”

  “I’m tired. I’d like to sleep. Will you hold my hand?”

  He sat in the chair next to her bedside and took her hand. In a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep. He watched her and thought how close they had come to losing their lives. How brave she was to do what she did and how foolish of him to doubt her love.

  “Fucking stupid bastard!” Papi was screaming into the phone. Alfredo had just called him to let him know the news; Liam was dead. He held the phone away from his ear as the tirade continued.

  “Who did it? Who killed Alto?”

  “It was the girl. She shot him with his own gun.”

  Another tirade of curses in both Portuguese and English came from Papi.

  “I told that asshole not to go, but he didn’t listen. Now, what the fuck are we going to do with all this cash? He didn’t even fully set the investment program. I knew he was up to something when he asked to take a few days to go to Rio. And you, why the fuck didn’t you call me immediately when he showed up?”

  “He told me you said it was fine. I rented a van for him in my name. They might trace it back to me.”

  “Get the fuck out of there. You and your idiot brother need to hide. I don’t want any of this shit traced to me. Go as soon as I hang up with you. I’m sending a couple of guys to watch that bitch. She ain’t going to get away with it. What was her name?”

  “Ava Keene.”

  Papi hung up the phone, and as soon as he did, Alfredo began packing, throwing whatever he could grab in a black garbage bag. For now, they would be on the run. He wasn’t sure if Papi would make good on his threat to the girl, but he didn’t want any part of it.

  Ava woke up groggy and had no idea of the time. Xander was still by her bedside, clutching her hand. His head was lolled to the side and resting on his shoulder as he slept. It gave her time to examine his face without him seeing her look of pity.

  He beautiful features were distorted by swelling, and the bruises were all the colors of the rainbow. The lips that she loved to kiss, were riddled with cuts and the skin was abraded in spots. His straight patrician nose was splinted and swollen; who knew what it would look like when the splint came off. But it didn’t matter to her. He was alive, and that was all that counted.

  She ran her thumbnail against the back of his hand, and he opened his eyes, smiling at her as best he could due to the circumstances.

  “There’s my pretty girl. Did you sleep?”

  “A little. Why am I so tired?”

  “You did go through a horrible ordeal. Plus I think your pregnancy has something to do with it.”

  “I’m hungry.”

  “Really?”

  “I am eating for three. It’s not like this drip is nourishing me.” She gestured to the tube attached to the bag above her.

  “Let me go talk to the nurse and see what we can get you.”

  She watched as he left the room and she heard him talking to someone in the hall. A few seconds later, Samantha rushed into her room.

  “I can’t believe I introduced you to that dick.” She hugged Ava hard.

  “Sam, I’m okay. Have you seen Xander? He got the worst of it.”

  “I feel so guilty.”

  “You couldn’t have known. Even Justin didn’t know, and he lived with Liam.”

  Sam looked at her sheepishly, “I have some good news, or maybe I shouldn’t tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  She whispered, “I’m pregnant. I hope this one sticks.”

  “So am I.”

  “So are you what? Pregnant?”

  Ava nodded.

  “You’re pregnant!” She yelled.

  “Shh, we aren’t telling anyone. Don’t say anything. Twins.”

  “Twins?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m so happy for you.”

  Xander entered the room with a white Styrofoam box container and large Styrofoam cup, followed by Robert, who gave Ava a kiss on the cheek.

  “The nurse said I could get you cafeteria food. I hope it’s edible.”

  He handed her the container, and she popped it open.

  “Really? Fruit salad and a turkey wrap? I need a burger or something.”

  “I got you this, too.” He held out the cup. “Sip it.”

  She sipped at the straw and tasted the most delicious taste ever, probably because she was starving and not because she hadn’t had better. The vanilla milkshake was thick and creamy. She much preferred it to the salad and turkey wrap which she devoured anyway.

  “I wish you would eat like this all the time. You need to gain weight.”

  Robert scowled at her, “I noticed you lost weight. How much are you now?”

  “I don’t want to say. You’ll get mad.”

  “Tell me.”

  “One hundred two.”

  “Shit, Ava. You can’t do that when you are pregnant.”

  “You told him?” She accused Xander.

  “Well, I can see from Sam’s reaction or lack thereof that she knows, too.”

  “You can’t tell anyone, either of you. My father would have a fit if he found out I didn’t tell him first. I don’t think that Brooke would be too happy, either.”

  After everyone had left for the day, it was just her and Xander. The hospital had strict rules about visiting hours, but the nurses overlooked it for them. In the middle of the evening, Xander took off his shoes and slipped into bed with Ava, holding her tight.

  Two hours later, the new shift started, and the floor nurse came upon the couple peacefully sleeping. Though she didn’t want to disturb them, she needed to. She quickly took Ava’s vitals and left the room so they could settle back to sleep. It was one of the most comforting sleeps either one of them had in a long time. In fact, it was the first time they had shared a bed in over three weeks.

  Xander nuzzled her face and softly kissed her. She stirred but didn’t wake up. He possessively put his hand over her womb and smiled; she was carrying his babies. Then it hit him, in a few months he was going to be a father. They had so much to do, but at least they would do it together.

  They slept through the night and in the morning Xander slipped off the bed to use the bathroom. She woke shortly after. Did he leave me?

  “Hey, sweetheart.” She was startled by him.

  “I thought you left.”

  “Ava, I’m never going to leave you again,” he said sternly.

  “Do you know when they’re going to discharge me?”

  “The doctor said maybe today depending on how you feel.”

  “I want to go home.”

  “We have to make a four-hour trip. Are you going to be able to handle that?”

  “I want to be in my own bed.”

  “I’ll go speak to the nurse and ask.”

  She began to pick at her nails while he spoke to the nurse. Staying in the hospital another day was not what she wanted. She was restless and wanted to go home. The doctor entered her room.

  “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “I’m still tired, but I feel okay.”

  “Let me check you.”

  He examined her, and she waited, hoping he would let her go.

  “I think we can let you go. You need to rest for the next few days and follow up with your physician at home next week. I’ll sign your discharge papers.”

  Xander came back to the room right after the doctor left.

  “So? Did he say he was going to discharge you?”

  “Yes. What clothes am I going to wear?”

  “I had Rachel bring clothes for you from your apartment. And you’re coming back to our apartment, aren’t you?”

  “Of course. Why would you think different?”

  “No reason.”

  “Xander?”

  “We haven’t resolved anything. Does this change what
happened before this?”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “What does it change?”

  “Our relationship. We almost died. Does the trivial bullshit that we argued about matter anymore? I want to go back to what we had before the arguments and the anger. We have our children’s future to consider.”

  Their conversation was halted when the nurse came in with her discharge papers. She was given instructions on home care and allowed privacy to change. Xander helped her and noticed terrible bruises on her back. He disguised his gasp as a cough, but he was horrified.

  “Take me home,” she said after she was dressed.

  “Let me call your family and let them know that you’re being discharged.”

  “Are they… Are they at the house?”

  “No, it’s a crime scene for the time being. They stayed in a hotel.”

  He wanted to bring up the discussion about what to do with the place after the police finished. He wasn’t sure she would want to ever go there again with all the bad memories. It was a discussion for later.

  “Let me make the call while you wait for the wheelchair.”

  He left the room, and all she could think about was their lake house. The house where they had spent their first romantic weekend, and he made love to her. Could she ever go back there again without having nightmares? What of the shed? Xander never told her what had happened in the shed after she blacked out.

  They waited for twenty minutes before an aide came to take them downstairs. Xander went ahead so he could pull the car to the front of the building. He wished that he had taken the Infiniti. It was more comfortable.

  He helped her into the car, buckled her belt and went around to his side. On the drive home, he drove just under the speed limit. It made the trip longer, but she and the babies were precious cargo. He wasn’t going to jeopardize their lives by speeding. Halfway home and she asked the question he was hoping to avoid until they got home.

  “Xander, what happened after I hit my head?”

  “Sweetheart, you don’t need to upset yourself with the details. I promise to tell you, but can it wait?”

  Ava wanted to argue, but he was right. The upsetting details of what happened after she passed out could wait. She snuggled against the bucket seats of the Corvette and fell asleep. Even though she had spent the last two days in bed, she was exhausted. She awoke when they were on the local streets near their apartment.

  “How long was I asleep?”

  “Almost three and a half hours.”

  “I’m still tired. I hope this isn’t going to be how my entire pregnancy will be.”

  “Ava, it’s not just your pregnancy. You had a traumatic experience. That alone would exhaust anyone, let alone someone carrying twins.”

  He pulled up to their building and was able to park in front. He helped her out and walked her to the lobby.

  “I can take you upstairs.”

  “I’ll be alright. Move the car before you get a ticket.”

  He kissed her forehead and handed her his keycard from his wallet.

  Ava pressed the elevator button, and while she waited, she started to feel anxious. It got worse when she got into their empty apartment. She wasn’t comfortable being alone. A rush of exhaustion hit her, and she sat on the couch then started sobbing. It’s where Xander found her as he came in the door. He dropped everything in the foyer and ran to her.

  “What is it? Is it the babies? Are you okay.”

  She couldn’t stop to tell him, and he took her in his arms as she fell apart. The sheer weight of what had happened just three days ago finally gripped her. He tried to soothe her with comforting words, but as the crying continued, he grew alarmed.

  “Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

  She managed to choke out the word, “No.” He held her until her sobs became whimpers than finally subsided completely.

  “Sweetheart, what was that?”

  “I just, it all finally hit me. What happened in the shed? I need to know.”

  He was hesitant to tell her after what he just saw, but maybe it was going to give her some peace. So he began.

  “I knew what you were doing when you told him to release me. I didn’t want you to do it. You shot him in the shoulder, and he went after you. Though I was not in the best shape, I started to move the minute you aimed the gun at him. Once I heard the shot, I tried to get to you before he did, but I was too late. He slammed into you pushing you back against the table. I saw your head and back hit against it, and the gun went off a second time. He landed on top of you, and neither of you was moving. For a minute I thought you were both dead.”

  Ava heard him sniffle and wipe at his eyes. He was tearing up.

  “I pulled him off you, and his legs were soaked in blood. When you went down, your second shot was in the leg and must have hit a major artery. He bled out pretty quickly. You were covered in blood, too, and I started checking you for wounds, but I couldn’t find any. You were slumped against the leg of the table, and I moved you carefully hoping that nothing was broken. Then I started fishing around his pockets for my cell phone, which I found. I called nine one one, and they sent the police and an ambulance.”

  His voice started to waver, and she waited while he composed himself.

  “I thought you were going to die. Again. The police questioned me quickly and then let me go in the ambulance with you. They wanted to put me on a gurney because of my face, but I said you were more important. They separated us in the emergency room but not before I told them you were pregnant.”

  “What were those iron rings for in the back of the shed?”

  “In the early years, my father had a flimsy door. One summer we came up, and a couple of the kayaks and several of the life jackets were stolen. My father put the rings in so we could chain everything to them. That year we put a thick plywood door on with a hardened steel lock. We’ve never had a problem since. But we never removed the rings. I wish we had.”

  She reached up and gently ran her fingers over his face, kissing all the bruises and cuts. She moved her head against his chest, and he flinched making her look at him bewildered.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “I want to see what nothing is. Pull your shirt off.”

  He removed his sweater and hesitated before pulling off his t-shirt. Underneath were angry bruises on his chest and stomach. Tears erupted from her eyes.

  “Oh my God.”

  “Nothing is broken. I was lucky. We both were.”

  “I want to take a bath. I want you to take a bath with me.”

  “Come.” He held his hand out to her and led her slowly to the bathroom.

  He cradled her against his body in the warm water and tenderly cleaned her with a washcloth. She, in turn, did the same, gently running the cloth over his bruises. When they were finished, he stepped out of the tub and dried himself, then lifted her. He wrapped her in his terry robe and carried her to their bed.

  “My father said we should take off until Monday. I will be home to care for you.”

  He went to his dresser and pulled out a t-shirt for her to wear. She slipped the robe off her shoulders, and she was naked before him. His arousal was apparent, and she reached for him.

  “No, you need to rest. There will be plenty of time for that.”

  “But it’s been over a month since we made love,” she whined.

  “What kind of asshole would I be expecting sex after the ordeal you just went through, and you have a concussion? Don’t get me wrong; I want you in the worst way, but not tonight.”

  She rubbed at her eyes with her fingers. A sharp pain stabbed through her head.

  “You’re hurting?”

  “Yes, the doctor said I might have headaches.”

  He slipped the t-shirt on her and pulled back the covers.

  “Into bed.”

  “Will you sleep with me?”

  “Of course. Why would you ask such a question?”

  “Because the l
ast time we shared this apartment, you slept in your office.”

  “That’s over. This is the only place I want to sleep.”

  He dropped the towel from his waist and slipped on a pair of boxers. She hungrily ogled his backside and closed her eyes when he turned around.

  “Were you looking at me, Mrs. Wilder?”

  “Maybe.”

  Chapter 38

  The next Monday, they went back to work. Ava was on a limited schedule only working half days. She still had some residual headaches, but the dizziness was no longer there. Xander’s face had started to heal, and his doctor said he would remove the nasal splint the following week. She missed kissing his lips and hoped they would heal soon.

  It was now almost a month and a half since they made love. She was getting restless and desired him very much. With pregnancy, her hormones were raging like a teenager. She wanted him all the time, but he was still treating her like a china doll. It was getting so that she might have to resort to her vibrator.

  That night, she got ready for bed as he was in his home office finishing up some work. She had just finished bathing and opened her dresser drawer to choose something. When she was finished, it was just after nine. Xander was still in his office when she padded down the hall in bare feet to check on him. He looked up when she entered, and she heard him draw a deep breath.

  “No t-shirt?”

  “I thought I would wear something different.”

  She saw the look on his face as he surveyed her in the champagne satin nightgown; it said desire.

  “Different or seductive?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I think you do.”

  He closed his laptop and went to her. His arms embraced her, and he kissed her gently on the lips.

  “Xander, I want you so much.”

  “A few more days. I promise this weekend.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Ava, you’re still are having headaches, and I know that you’ve been throwing up a lot.”

  “The throwing up is from my pregnancy, not the concussion.”

  “I know. But what kind of husband would I be if I wasn’t patient of your condition? Not a very good one.”

  “I feel fine.”