Rick pulled me back while holding up his phone. He had the video feed they’d set up months earlier still running inside the place. We were able to watch Cain’s every move on the screen and listen to his words from the hallway. I was never more thankful to have Rick and Derrick on our side than at this moment. This would give us the edge we needed.
Cain’s eyes looked like two crazed windows with a direct view into the pits of hell. His actions were jerky, and his words were laden with evil intent. “You two were so in love with one another. Declan had always had everything he wanted – our parents, the perfect career, the perfect life, and you.”
He continued to walk in circles around her as he further explained. “I’m not Declan; I’m Cain, his twin.” Her gasp was audible as she took in what he was saying. I could see the wheels in her mind putting everything together.
“I didn’t think and act as perfect as my brother, so my parents disowned me, putting me in a juvenile facility for difficult kids and leaving me there to rot. Sure they’d visit, but they’d always praise how amazing my brother was and rub all his accomplishments in my face as though I was nothing more than an afterthought. He was so precious in their eyes that I was never allowed to see him, never allowed to taint him with my views on life.”
He leaned forward, running his hand down the side of her face and making her cringe. “Even when we were born he was treated more lovingly. He got the simple birth, whereas my mother tried to choke the life out of me from within the womb.” He hit his hand against his head a couple of times for emphasis, “You see, my head is supposedly a bit fucked up, so I can’t control my aggression toward people – all thanks to that damn umbilical cord trying to strangle me. So I figured I’d wait, play by everyone else’s rules, and then play by my own – allowing me to take over my dearly departed brother’s life, which included you until you tried to run from me.”
Robin kept him talking by asking questions. “Why did you track down my dad that time? How did you know I was alive?”
He smiled and sat down on the poor excuse for a coffee table in front of her. “I’d fully believed I’d killed you when I pushed you down the stairs. I hadn’t meant for that to happen because I’d come to care about you. Somehow your body became my addiction. The only time I felt some semblance of normalcy was when I was deep inside you. You were my drug.
“Declan had introduced us numerous times at the club – you just couldn’t see me, and I wasn’t allowed to do more than kiss you and caress you.”
Realization dawned on her. “That was you!” She was definitely pissed.
“You mean you’re just now figuring that out. For someone so bright, you certainly are slow and naïve, but then again my brother had taught you about submission. By the way, who did you think taught him about dominance?”
He leaned back laughing and shaking his head. “He was so proud of you. He even wanted to marry you. I was surprised to find an engagement ring on him the night he’d taken you to the club – the night I took over his life.”
Robin started shaking as she cried. “He loved me?”
“He did, but he’s nothing to you now. They finally found him a little over a month ago when a sinkhole opened up in the parking lot he was buried in. So fitting that his final building project became his final resting place.”
Robin spat at Cain. “You maniacal bastard. I hope you die and rot in hell.”
Rick and I flinched as he slapped her again. “You bitch, don’t you know I’ve been in hell since the day I was born. That’s why I had to pay everyone back; what’s shocking is how easy it was.”
She shook her head. “What do you mean?” I wondered the same thing myself.
He crossed one leg over the other and smiled. “Let me enlighten you, sweetheart. Your father moved down here and took a job with Devlin Ridge Construction, the company owned and operated out of Texas by my uncle and father.”
She gasped at the realization.
“Your dad managed to cover his tracks by removing you as the beneficiary of the life insurance policy through our company, but he failed to change the contact information for the hospital. I had eyes and ears on him at work waiting for him to slip up about you, but he never did. It wasn’t until you stopped by the worksite to drop off his lunch that I realized you were alive. That’s when I came to town and knocked on his door. If he’d been honest with me, I would’ve left him alone. You were mine to have, and he was denying me what I wanted. So, I began the process of making him sick. We lucked out that it looked like he’d died of cancer, when in actuality his death had been brought about by the lead we’d lined his gloves with. It was pure luck that some of the asbestos in his mask made it into his lungs, causing him further anguish.”
I watched the video feed as her shoulders slumped into the couch. She was giving up. I mentally sent up a plea for Gabi to somehow help us.
“You paid those guys to kill him.” It wasn’t a question, but a realization.
“I did, only they got greedy and a bit sloppy, so I killed them this morning. They were threatening to expose our plan.”
She looked up with defeated eyes. “You caused the problems with the insurance, too. Didn’t you?”
He nodded as amusement spreading across his face. He was one sick devil. “I did.” He admitted. “I wanted you both to suffer. If I could’ve found your brother, I would’ve gone after him too. I guess the military does look after their own.”
She shook her head. “Does anyone know who you are? What you’ve done?”
He reached forward, lifting her chin up so she could see his smile. “But of course, dear one. Everyone figured out my secret over a month ago when they discovered Declan. I couldn’t hide who I was anymore, so I began tracking your movements and waiting for the right moment to once again take what was mine before sending you to wherever my dear brother ended up.”
I looked over at Rick in full-blown panic mode. He was intent on fucking her and then killing her. I couldn’t let either one happen. One would destroy her, and the other would devastate me. He mouthed the words, “Not going to happen,” and I nodded in agreement. I’d rather die than to let that monster touch her.
Robin slumped into the sofa even further, looking dejected and accepting her fate. He heard her mumble, “Just when I find happiness, it’s gone. What’s left to live for?”
I wanted to reach out to her, to let her know we were here, but I couldn’t give our position away and risk our chance to save her.
We watched as Cain walked over to the kitchen counter and pulled out a rag and the bottle of chloroform, causing Robin to ask, “What are you doing?” Her voice was full of panic.
“I’d love nothing more than to hear you scream as I fuck you out of my system, but I don’t want the authorities called to ruin our special time together. They would taint the precious memories we’re about to create of our last encounter.”
She started bargaining and pleading. “Please, don’t kill me. I’ll do anything you want, just don’t shoot me.”
He laughed hard, grabbing his stomach, before settling enough to drench the rag in liquid. “You are a true delight, darling. I think I might miss keeping you around, but too many of those goody two-shoes are snooping around and trying to keep you away from me.”
One of the tenants came out of his apartment, yelling, “What the hell are you doing out in the hallway?” Damn, he’d just given us away!
I watched with dread as Cain quickly pressed the rag to her mouth. I didn’t care anymore – I rushed in pushing him out of the way as I shielded Robin with my body. I heard the sound of gunfire; then, the pain ripped through me. My only thoughts were of Gabi and Robin before everything went black.
MY EYES FLEW OPEN and I realized I was either dreaming or having an out of body experience. I looked over to see Robin’s eyes closed and several bruises beginning to form around her face where Cain had slapped her. Her head wound had been dressed, and she was hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor. She
looked to be resting, but I couldn’t really tell... I was mesmerized by her face, when a flash of people rushed into the room and over to my bed.
“What’s going on?” I asked aloud to no one in particular – I’d thought, until I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. I turned around, “Gabi? Is that you?”
She nodded but stepped out of reach. My heart was breaking that she was so close, yet I couldn’t touch her. “Why are you here?”
Her eyes filled with sadness as she looked over my shoulder at the scene behind me. That’s when it dawned on me that we were in a hospital room with activity buzzing all around us. I turned back to see the hospital staff doing chest compressions on me and noted the large bandage over the left side of my torso. I’d been shot.
Why was Gabi so sad? I heard someone yell out, “Clear!” and felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. I turned to Gabi, “Am I dead? Can we finally be together again?” It all started coming back to me ; I took a bullet shielding Robin’s body before Rick got off the fatal hit finally ending that bastard Cain’s life.
I started to panic looking back and forth between Gabi and the doctors and nurses trying to work on me to bring me back to life. Gabi went over and laid her hand on my body’s shoulder while speaking softly to me, “Your body is in between that of living and dead. The decision is yours to make, Jax.”
I felt conflicted. I had another chance at being with Gabi for an eternity, but at the same time I felt pulled toward Robin and the life we could have. I whispered, “I want to be with you, my love, but I’m also in love with Robin and don’t want to leave her or Nicola. I don’t know what to do.”
Gabi smiled, her face was filled with love and encouragement – exactly the same as when she was alive. She had her father’s soft brown hair, her mother’s caramel colored eyes, and a beauty that belonged to no one but her. “Do what your heart tells you, my love.”
The background of the hospital fell away as I told her, “I’ve been lost without you for the longest time. I should’ve never let you leave that night. I love Nicola more than anything and want to be a part of her life, but she’ll have our families to care for her and to ensure she grows up right, and then I’ll have you. ” I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and began to pace around in a small circle. “You don’t know how guilty I’ve felt over our fight that night. If I could take back my words…”
Stopping me in my tracks, Gabi stepped closer to me and placed her hand over my heart. “Jax, I’m not supposed to say anything, but I think it’s best that you know. The accident actually saved Nicola. I’ve seen what my life was supposed to be like had I not left that night. I would’ve been asleep when the aneurysm burst, and you wouldn’t have found me until after it was too late to save Niki.”
My eyes grew wide. “I could’ve lost her too?”
She nodded. “The events of that night were triggered as soon as Tom decided to hurt Ethan and Nate. Ethan would’ve been in the accident no matter what. That was part of his fate.
“There were certain destinies that were set in motion long before they came to fruition. The timelines might have been altered, but I was supposed to die within a couple of weeks of that night. Dane and Marissa were to fall in love, thereby bringing Nate into the picture for the accounting issues. He fell in love with Gianna and brought Ethan in to help trap the culprits, which in turn led to his job and the attraction between Marjorie and him. And thanks to Dane wanting to be there for Marissa’s graduation, my little brother Rafe found love.”
I looked at her like she was crazy. “How can you be so sure?”
“It’s a whirlwind of confusion, I’ll admit. But I’ve seen what was supposed to happen and how things were pushed up a bit as a result of circumstances and the influences of evil. Just know everything that has transpired has been for a reason. Call it fate, divine intervention, or whatever term you’d like to use.”
I felt another jolt of electricity work through me. I turned to see that the doctors were still working to bring me back to life. “Can’t I go with you?”
She shook her head. “The decision is ultimately yours, but wouldn’t you like to stay here for our daughter so she knows who her father is? Don’t you want your twin boys to grow up knowing their father and be able to be a part of their lives as well?”
I looked at her dumbfounded. “Twin boys?”
She motioned towards Robin. “She doesn’t know this yet, but she’s carrying your twins. If you don’t stick around and fight for her to wake up, she’ll think she has nothing to live for and give up. Do you want that just so we can be together?”
I now understood the expression of feeling torn in half over my decision. On one hand, I wanted so badly to re-unite with the love of my life, my first love. However, Robin was carrying our future, and I love her too. How do I choose?
I felt her ghostly hands wrap around me from behind as she pressed her body against mine, much like she’d done when she was alive. “My life was never intended to be long, yet the friendship and love you showed me during my time was more than enough to make it fulfilling.”
Gabi turned me to face her. “I have no regrets with my life, although, I wish I could still be a part of yours and Nicola’s. But we can wish all we want to, it doesn’t change the outcome of things. You have a full life ahead of you with our daughter and your family-to-be, but it’ll only happen if you choose to live. You should know that our goodbye isn’t forever; we will meet again.”
I couldn’t understand how I could feel tearful and emotional when I was in between life and death, but my heart felt like it was ripping out of my chest. “But…”
Gabi’s hand patted my chest. “I know I’ll always be a part of your heart and your mind. I know the memories we created will be cherished and loved for eternity. I know you were already thinking about a future with Robin and that she already fills a part of you. It’s okay to love more than one woman in your life. Now go and live a life full of enough adventures for the both of us.”
I felt myself drifting away, so I reached out and tried to hold on to her. “Will I ever see you again?” I cried.
She nodded, her eyes full of tears as well. “I’ll hold on to the love we shared and will be waiting for the day we are reunited in another form. Until then, know that my love for you is unending. Te amo, mi amore. Now go live the life you’re fated to have. ”
“Te amo, mi amore, mi esposa. I’ll always hold you within my heart, and our daughter will always know the wonderful person her mother was.”
She took my hand and guided me to the hospital bed where my ghostly self laid down into darkness. I felt the jolt of electricity hit harder this time, taking my breath away as I heard the whispered words, “Always and forever, my love.” It was Gabi saying goodbye to me.
I could feel the tears slip from my eyes as they shot open, and I gasped for breath. A cheer went up in the room, “We’ve got him. His heart rate is strong and his breathing steady.”
One of the doctors leaned down, a smile upon his face, and asked. “How are you feeling, Mr. Lombardi? You gave us quite a scare there. We thought we’d lost you.”
My voice cracked, but I managed to squeak out, “I feel like I’ve been hit by a runaway train, but I’m not planning on checking out anytime soon. How’s Robin?”
I watched as the doctor’s expression changed. “She’s in the bed next to yours. Your family, along with the Prescotts, insisted upon it. She’s lost some blood because the bullet that nicked your heart pierced her lung, but there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be waking up; however, for some reason she won’t come out of her sleep. It’s like she’s given up.”
“And the babies?” The room was quiet - everyone looked at me as though I had grown another head. Did I imagine that I’d talked with Gabi? Was I dreaming that Robin was pregnant with my children?
“How did you know? We just had the tests confirming she’s pregnant, about six weeks along.”
“Twins, right?”
The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. The doctor nodded. “Yes. We did an ultrasound to see how far along she was before we took her into surgery. We wanted to make sure we wouldn’t use anything to harm the forming fetuses. But, how?”
“Call it a hunch or divine guidance.”
While everyone stood around the room stunned by my revelation, the alarm on her monitor went off. I watched as the doctor rushed over and checked her vitals. No one said a word until I asked, “What’s going on? Will she be all right?”
“I’m not sure, her heart rate is all over the place – that’s why the machine signaled,” the doctor explained. “We don’t have her regular records, so we don’t know if she’s prone to an atrial flutter or if this is a result of the surgery and stress she’s been under. Your family enlightened us to the details.” His words and look were sympathetic.
The machine signaled again. I glanced over noting the numbers were slowly declining. It didn’t take a genius to know this wasn’t good, and I needed her to fight for the babies and for me.
I shot a pointed look to the doctor. “If I held her hand and talked to her, would she hear me?”
He nodded. “She’s not in a coma, but she’s not responding to any stimuli around her. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.”
The medical personnel in the room quickly unlocked the wheels on the bed and pushed me over to where I could reach her. The moment our hands met, her heart rate increased.
I looked around, not wanting to divulge my feelings in front of strangers. “Go on, Mr. Lombardi, let her hear your voice. You may be the only person who can reach her at this point.”
I cleared my throat to speak, when a loud commotion came from the hallway. “Let me in there. I’m her brother. I’m the only family she has left. I need to see her, NOW!”
Jonas, still dressed in military garb, burst through the doorway and quickly assessed his surroundings. His eyes landed on mine. “Are you Jax?”
I nodded.
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