Business and Pleasure

by Jinni James

  “Calm down, sweetheart. It’s Thursday. I’ve already called your IT department, and they found plenty of evidence against Robert. Your board will never vote for him now. He was plotting to take over your publishing house the entire time. Looks like Christina was in on it, too, just as you suspected. I mean way before she even brought Hamilton to my attention. The IT department found files and documents pertaining to more buy out options for your company and your accounting department actually found where Robert had been hiding funds from the company account. Your assistant sent all the information to every board member at Neo Corp. Robert will not be working there after this. Hell, he may find it hard to get a job anywhere.”

  The equipment next to me starts beeping like crazy, no doubt in response to my rising blood pressure and increased heart rate.

  “Honey, please. Calm down. We’ll take care of this together, but right now, you have to relax, or they’re going to end up keeping you in here longer, I’m sure of it. Now please…breathe.”

  It takes everything I’ve got to calm myself, but I do as he asks, recognizing the logic in his words. I take a deep breath in and blow it out slowly. This room smells like a hospital. I loathe hospitals, so the idea of lying here much longer makes me fight to regain control of my overwrought emotions. I win the battle, even managing a small smile, which I direct toward the nurse who comes running into the room.

  “What happened? Are you okay, Ms. Hamilton?”

  Alex stands up next to me. “She’s fine. I’m afraid it’s my fault. I told her a bit of bad news. I know I should have waited.”

  “Yes, you should have. We need her calm and relaxed. If you can’t work within those parameters, then you need to leave.”

  Alex, leave? “No! I’ll stay calm. I promise.”

  Alex squeezes my hand. “And I’ll help her keep calm. I promise.”

  This seems to appease the nurse. “Okay. I’ll be back in here to check on you both in a little while.”

  She walks out but leaves the door standing slightly ajar.

  “Phew. That woman had me shaking in my shoes. She means business.”

  I giggle at his analysis, unable to imagine Alex shaking in the face of anything, let alone the diminutive nurse. Although, he is correct about one thing—she definitely meant it when she threatened to make him leave.

  “That’s a beautiful sound.”

  I frown, at first uncertain of his meaning, but I quickly catch on. My face heats. What a charmer…he always knows exactly what to say. “I’m sorry I got upset.”

  Alex resumes his seat and grasps my hand with both of his. “It’s not your fault. Anyone would get upset over what that man did. I should have waited to tell you, but I couldn’t let you think all was lost. I’m waiting on email responses from the board members—including Mr. Davidson—and once the police question you; you can press charges against Robert.”

  I take a deep breath. “Okay.”

  “That’s my girl. Now rest.”

  I lay my head back on the pillow and close my eyes. Just as I’m beginning to drift off, the door swishes open, and my watchdog of a nurse comes back into the room. What now? Certainly she can’t find fault in Alex sitting with me while I sleep, can she?

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, Ms. Hamilton,” she says, “but the police are here.”

  “Oh. Yes. Well, please bring them in.” I struggle to sit up a little, but the pain in my shoulder holds me back.

  “Wait. Don’t move.” Alex presses a button on the side of the bed and raises it up until I’m more sitting than lying down.

  “Thank you,” I whisper, just as the police enter the room.

  Alex sits next to me, holding my hand, throughout the entire interview. The questioning doesn’t take five minutes. “I was standing in front of the window one minute and the next minute I was on the floor.” “No…I didn’t see a thing.” I mean, what did they expect me to see? Even if I’d been looking in that direction, the next building over was too far away for me to see anyone if they were standing in the window.

  Once they finish asking me about the shooting, I relate what we learned about Bob and tell them I’d like to press charges against him. They take my statement then leave me to rest. Finally, I’m feeling a little safer. As the police walk out, my nurse comes back in.

  “Okay, Ms. Hamilton. I’m going to check your vitals, and then I want you to get some rest. The doctor said if you do well the rest of the day and tonight, then you’ll be able to leave tomorrow.”

  This is music to my ears. She checks my temperature, my blood pressure, and my shoulder, and then she leaves Alex and me alone, dimming the lights on her way out.

  “I am so proud to call you my girlfriend, Elizabeth.”

  Whoa. What? Alex is calling me his girlfriend? Since when? “When did I become your girlfriend, Alex?”

  “From the moment we met.”

  “Alex.” Why do I always feel as if life is moving faster than normal when we’re together?

  “Shh.” He hushes me with a quick kiss, then smiles. “I love you. You love me. We are together. End of story. Now…rest, so I can take you back to my place tomorrow.”

  Faster than normal, yes, but this…him…us…we feel right. I smile up at him and nod in agreement. “Yes, dear.”

  *****

  I wake up groggy, as if my head is filled with cotton balls. Nurse Ratchet must have put a sedative in my IV when she gave me my pain medication, and I feel like I’ve been sleeping for years. As I struggle to focus my eyes, I see a figure standing over me. Alex. What a sweetheart. He stayed with me all night. I smile and start to reach for him, but hesitate; something feels…wrong.

  “Alex?” I blink rapidly, clearing my vision. Oh, my God.

  “No. Not Alex, you stupid little bitch. Did you really think you could press charges against me and get away with it? You think you have it made, don’t you? Ms. High and Mighty? You’re nothing but a spoiled brat…you, with your little publishing company and your parents’ company handed to you on a silver platter. You’ve never had to work for a thing, have you? And now you have your little heartthrob boyfriend wrapped around your finger, huh? Life is just grand, is it? Well, you’re very much mistaken. I’ll make you wish you never laid eyes on me, Elizabeth Hamilton. I may have missed the first time, but I will get you the next time, you mark my words. You are going to live in fear of what I have planned next.”

  Bob stands over me, his head covered with a hoodie. His hands are wrapped around my throat, making it impossible for me to scream.

  “Oh, don’t worry; I’m not going to kill you right now, although, I’d like to. I’m going to let you squirm a bit…wring your hands and fret over when I might strike. So, enjoy your little boy toy while you have a chance. I’ll be coming for you, Elizabeth. Soon.”

  He releases my throat, spins around. As he runs out the door, he collides with Alex, who’s on his way in. For a moment, I think they’ll both end up on the floor, but Bob manages to keep his footing. Before I can catch my breath, he disappears, fleeing down the hallway.

  Alex turns to me and frowns. “What the hell? Are you okay?”

  He rushes to my bedside, and I frantically shake my head.

  “Bob! That was Bob!” I manage to scream.

  Alex presses the call button for the nurses’ station.

  “Yes? Can I help you?” A male voice comes over the speaker.

  “Call the police!” Alex quickly explains the situation, and the nurse assures us the authorities are on their way.

  “It’ll be okay, Elizabeth. I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you. I thought it would be okay to run out and make a few calls. I didn’t want to disturb you. Oh, my God; I am so sorry.”

  “Alex.” I assume the role he normally takes and find myself comforting him. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

  “Yes, this time, you’re okay; next time, we might not be so lucky. I will not leave you again. How dare that bastard!” He paces the floor, back and forth
, back and forth.

  “Honey, please…calm down.” I feel like I’m watching a tennis match. “You have to get ahold of yourself, because unfortunately, there’s more. Bob’s our man…the police need to question regarding his whereabouts the other night, because he’s the one who shot me.”

  Alex pauses in his attempt to wear a hole in the floor. He stares at me, his normally handsome face twisted in what can only be rage. His cheeks are bright red, and his lips form a straight line. I suck in a breath, fearing he’s about to explode.

  “I’ll kill him!”

  The way he says this sends chills racing along my arms and down my spine. He doesn’t shout; in fact, his voice is very low. But it’s filled with such venom and so much conviction, I have no doubt that, should Alex get his hands on Bob, the man won’t live to tell about the encounter.

  Alex runs toward the door.

  “Alex, no!” I call out, frantic to stop him from doing something he’ll regret. “Wait! Let the police look for him. The authorities will handle this. Please…that scumbag isn’t worth you screwing up the rest of your life.”

  He stops, turns, and slowly comes back to my bedside. “Okay. You’re right. But I’m ordering my security team to get out there and search for the bastard, too. Do you feel up to calling the police and telling them what he told you?”

  “Sure. I think so.” I reach for my cell phone, which is sitting on the bedside table beside a box of tissues. I remember the officer who came to take my statement left a business card…”just in case you remember something else, ma’am…” I rummage in my purse and retrieve that, as well, and then hold it up and shake it a bit, to show Alex I’m prepared to make the call.

  “Excellent. While you talk to them, I’ll track down my head of security and have him round up his men and get them out looking, as well.” Alex digs his phone from his pocket and steps over near the window, several feet away, to make his call. “We’ll find that son of bitch, Elizabeth. I promise you.”

  I nod, feeling a little calmer, now that we’ve got a plan, and we at least know who we’re looking for, I punch the numbers from the card into my cell, sit back against my stack of rock-hard hospital pillows, and wait for someone to answer my call.

  * * * * *

  An hour later, the police have come and gone, but they left a man behind, stationed outside my hospital room door. I told them what Bob said to me, and they’d assured me they’d track him down. Alex’s men are also out there looking, and I wonder who might find Bob first… He seemed pretty sure of himself when he’d bragged about how I’ll die the next time. Despite the fact I’m under twenty-four-hour police protection, I still shiver when I think about Bob’s tone of voice and the evil look on his face when he promised he’d kill me next time. The piece of shit… And what about her? Christina. Is she still in on it with him? The police and Alex’s men aren’t looking for a woman. What if she’s as crazy as Bob, and she finds me first? A scary thought…frightening enough to make the lights on the machines beside me begin to blink like crazy. My blood pressure must be rising, along with my heart rate; I have to calm down before I set off the alarms and Nurse Ratchet comes in here again. This time, she might actually make Alex leave.

  “Elizabeth, honey, are you okay?” He looks back and forth between my face and the machines.

  “No.” I frantically shake my head. “I’m not okay. I have a crazy, ex CFO trying to kill me, a pissed off woman, who may or may not be after me, as well. I’m stuck in this hospital room, and I’m ready to get out of here. I have a sister, friends, and a job I need to be worrying about.”

  “I know…I know; but it’ll be okay. I’ve talked to the nurses, and you’ll be going home first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll have your things brought to my place, and you can stay with me—at least until we’re sure your life’s no longer in danger. I talked to your sister, and she promised to let your friends know what’s going on, that you’re okay, and where they can find you if they wish to be in contact.”

  I sigh. Seems he’s thought of everything. “Okay.”

  “That’s my girl. Now, go to sleep. The sooner you get some rest, the sooner morning will get here, and the sooner I’ll be able to take you home.”

  Sleep sure did sound good right about now. “You won’t leave, right?”

  “Never again, my love. Never again.”

  Chapter Eight

  I tipped back my head and faced the sun, basking in its warmth. I was only in the hospital for two days, but considering how much I hate those places, forty-eight hours was about forty-seven hours too long. Despite my injury and the amount of pain I’m still in, I’m smiling on the drive over to my place to get my things. Afterward, I’ll go to stay with Alex for a while. He and I haven’t discussed how long he plans to keep me cooped up at his apartment, but I’m not going to argue with him about the arrangement. I can’t wait to spend more time with him…alone…in his home…in his bed. Like a teenage girl experiencing a first crush, I smile at the thought.

  Upon arrival at my place, I allow Becca to draw me into a careful embrace. Her phobia of hospitals is even worse than mine is, so I don’t blame her for not visiting me at County General. As Becca pulls back, I look over her shoulder. There, in the hallway, stand Nicki and Mark.

  “Damn, I’ve missed you guys,” I whisper through my tears. I take Nicki and Mark each by one of their hands and squeeze. “Feels like we haven’t seen each other in years, not days.”

  Throughout my impromptu reunion with my sister and my friends, Alex stands quietly and patiently on the sidelines, watching us, no doubt ready to jump in should I show the slightest sign of discomfort.

  “Oh, Lizzy. I am so glad you’re okay. I was worried sick when Becca called and told me what happened to you. I phoned everyone and let them know about the shooting, but I didn’t invite anyone but Mark to come over. I didn’t think you’d be up to that much activity so soon after being released from the hospital.”

  “Thank you, Nicki. You thought right.” I love my friends, but right now, seeing the whole gang would be a bit overwhelming.

  “Come on,” Nicki says and turns on her heel. “Becca and I will help you pack your things.”

  I turn to Alex. “Be right back.”

  “You go ahead. I’ll wait for you right here.”

  He smiles, and once again, I can’t believe my good fortune at having such a gorgeous man who loves me.

  “I’ll wait around, too, if you don’t mind,” Mark says. “Walk you down when you leave…”

  Oh, shit. Mark. How the hell did I forget about him, when he is standing right here? More importantly, can I leave these two men alone without worrying they’ll rip each other apart?

  “Elizabeth? Honey, are you coming? Do you need help walking?” Becca stands near the foot of the staircase, waiting for me.

  I shrug, and then wince in pain. I have to stop moving my shoulder like that... In any case, Mark and Alex are big boys, and surely, they’ll behave like adults while present in my home. I hope.

  Upstairs, the girls grill me about every little detail, while I do my own packing. What happened to them helping out? They apparently forgot I’m the injured party, here, because they both perch on the edge of my bed and ask me question after question.

  “What’s it been like with Alex?” “Why do you think you got shot?” “Who do you think shot you?” And on and on it goes, while I move gingerly around the room, gathering up a few necessities and a couple changes of clothing, providing as few details as possible.

  “C’mon, Lizzy; tell us. I know there’s more to the story than you’re letting on. Who tried to kill you?” My sister knows me well.

  I sigh in defeat and join them on the bed.

  “It was Bob.” I keep my gaze pinned on the pair of Gucci pants I’m folding and smoothing on my lap.

  “Wait. Bob? Your ex-CFO Bob?”

  “Yes, Becca. That’s the Bob I’m talking about.”

  Both Becca and Nicki stare at me, app
arently dumbfounded.

  “Why would he want to kill you?” Nicki’s the first to recover from her initial shock over my announcement.

  “I’m only guessing, but I think he wants me dead because I fired him from Hamilton, and then, when he tried to become a board member at Neo Corp, I stuck a wrench in his plans. I also turned him in to the police for blackmailing my authors.”

  “Oh, my God!” Nicki sounds on the verge of hysterics.

  I take her hand and give a reassuring squeeze, although, technically speaking, I’m the one who deserves reassuring. Still, I haven’t given them all the details yet, and if she’s freaked out already, what I’m about to say might send her through the roof. I draw in a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “It gets worse, I’m afraid. Bob found a way into my hospital room and threatened me. That’s why Alex is insisting I go stay with him for a while.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Lizzy; this is insane!”

  I don’t remember ever seeing Becca this upset…not since Mom and Dad died.

  “Well, look on the bright side,” Nicki says, and she sounds like she’s handling this new information much better than I expected. “Now you get to spend the entire weekend and maybe longer, with Mr. Hottie, down there. Are you staying with him until the police find Bob?”

  “I don’t really know. He hasn’t said. I’m guessing that’s the case, but I can’t just lay out of work indefinitely. Sooner or later, I’ve got to go into the office.”

  Becca holds my hand. “Just be careful, okay? I can’t lose you, too.”

  I pat her shoulder in lieu of a reassuring hug, and then stand. “I’ll be very careful; you can count on it. Plus, I’ve got Alex looking after me. I’m going to be fine. Yes, that bastard tried to kill me, but he’s obviously a bad shot; I mean, look, he hit my shoulder.”