“We’ve got a pulse,” the paramedic yelled over the roar of the engines.
“Go. Now,” the other yelled, and Zander was lifted onto a stretcher.
It happened within minutes, and he too was gone, leaving me alone to wonder if either would be alive or dead once I arrived at the hospital.
For three weeks, Jensen had drifted in and out of consciousness.
His injuries had been life threatening and substantial–severe head injuries, two broken legs, six cracked ribs and a fractured jaw amongst others.
“It’s okay, my darling. Close your eyes and let your body heal.”
“Mum?” He opened his eyes, his vision hazy.
She stroked his hand. “Yes. I am here,” she whispered. “But I can’t stay.”
“Don’t leave me again.”
“I will come back very soon, I swear.”
Jensen closed his eyes, believing he was hallucinating as his mother had died years earlier.
“How are you today?” I asked, trying to sound as chirpy as I could.
Zander grunted his usual reply. “Still crippled.” He didn’t bother to look up from whatever book he was reading.
I flinched every time he said the word crippled.
“You’re not crippled, and you know it.”
“Might as well be,” he huffed. “My legs don’t work, and I’m stuck in this chair for God knows how long, Cammie.”
“Physiotherapy will help.”
“Fuck physiotherapy.” He threw the book he was reading across the luxurious hospital room. “And fuck that stupid book.”
I’d had enough of his brattish behaviour. “Stop acting like a spoiled child, Zander.”
He glared at me, eyes narrowed, ready to spit his usual bile. “And what would you know?”
I’d avoided conflict with him, feeling responsible for the accident that had caused his injuries, but enough was enough.
“I know the accident was your fault,” I spat. “That you caused it by punching your brother while he was in control of a car.”
“You’re a cunt.”
I stood over him, finger in his face. “If you ever speak to me like that again, you’ll get a broken jaw to add to your injuries.” I wasn’t going to be treated like that by him, or any man. “You’re in the right place if you want to carry this on–there’s resuscitation equipment on standby.”
The anger seemed to leave as quickly as it came. He was trying not to laugh, I could tell. “Shut up, Cammie.”
I approached. “I’ll do all I can to help, you know that, but you have to help yourself too, and wallowing in here won’t do you any good.”
“Wallowing?”
“Yes. You know you can leave here.”
“And who will care for me back at the villa?”
“Me?”
“I don’t want to be a burden on you, or anyone. At least here, they’re paid to look after me.”
“You will never be a burden to me, but being in hospital makes most people feel worse. Let’s get out of here, then we can get you back on your feet.”
“The doctors said I might never walk again.”
“Might. That’s different than saying you won’t walk again, but if you don’t want to try, you’re not the man I fell in love with.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Cammie heaved a sigh of relief.
They were finally home.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but she’d hired a nurse and had the bedroom moved to the lower floor. It would be much easier that way.
“Welcome home.” She tried to sound as cheery as possible.
He grunted again. “It doesn’t feel like home.”
“Then where will feel like home? Tell me and I’ll sort it.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied. “I’m being a dick.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I’m grateful to be back here, but so much has happened in the last few months, I don’t know where to start.”
“Start slowly. Your brain is still as sharp as ever.”
“Just my legs that are shot to shit…”
“Enough,” I said, wanting to encourage him. “Your therapist will be here in the morning. I’ve already set him up in the guest villa.”
“Him?”
“Yes! I don’t want some busty blonde therapist with her hands all over you, so a man it is.”
“It could backfire spectacularly on you of course…”
“Oh! How so?”
“I could be like my brother and have varied, erm, tastes.”
“Your brother is greedy, that’s all.”
He chuckled, and it was good to see. “You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you?”
“Yes, and despite what you think, I did run a successful company for a number of years, so sorting out your villa and its staff is a doddle compared to that.”
“Staff?
“Uh-huh.” Did he think this place ran itself? “A nurse to take care of your medical needs, and I’ve made sure the kitchen and household staff are on twenty-four-hour rotation in case you need anything.”
“Hang on a moment.” He sounded alarmed. “It sounds like you won’t be here.”
“I’ll be gone for a few days.”
“Where? Why?”
“I have a home to sort out, remember.”
“I can get a team to sort your house out and…”
“I don’t want a team in my house. I want to sort it myself, but I’ll be gone a week tops, and in that time, I’ll speak to you daily.”
His mood darkened. “Why did you bother to drag me out of hospital if you had intentions of abandoning me?”
“Abandoning you.” Here we go, I thought. “You’re not a puppy, or a helpless child, Zander. Your staff will cater to your every whim until I get back, but I have to sort out my own affairs. It’s been months since I was last at home and things need sorting. Besides, my mother is threatening to fly out, and that’s the last thing I want.”
“Then go, and leave me here,” he moaned like a spoiled child.
I kneeled next to him. “Zander. Listen to me please. I promise I am coming back to you. I need you to believe me.”
“Take me with you,” he said, surprising me.
“And what about Jensen?”
“What about him?”
“He’s being discharged in two days and will need you to be here.”
“Two days?”
“Yes. I told you, remember?”
“Oh, yeah, you did.” There was the smallest hint of a smile.
“The two of you can chill out here and talk through your differences.”
Admittedly, I’d planned this trip so I wouldn’t have to be in the same house with the two of them together. I hadn’t forgotten what caused the accident and didn’t want to be that girl–the one who came between two brothers.
Zander’s injuries were still evident, but Jensen was on the road to recovery.
He’d looked worse than Zander after the crash. His head had been shaved but had since grown back, covering the unsightly scars he now bore because of me.
His broken bones had healed and in two days, when the wires were removed from his jaws, he’d be able to eat again. Then, his own rehabilitation would begin.
I really had to be away from the villa before he returned.
As well as sorting out the staff, a gym had been installed in one of the downstairs rooms. It would be of benefit to both and I hoped recovering together would go somewhere to help in healing their own fractured relationship.
Jensen would spend time regaining his physicality. After months in a bed, his muscle mass had decreased, and he wasn’t as strong as he used to be. But he was determined to get back into shape and fighting fit.
Zander’s recovery would take much longer, but there was a chance he would never regain his full mobility. I never focused on that side, remaining positive for his sake. It was only when I had time alone, I allowed my mind to wander into the realms of possibility he wouldn’t
walk again.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
As it turns out, I was gone less than a week.
My life, it seems, even when I’m not around, isn’t that hard to sort out.
Thankfully, my divorce was final, and I’d never have to hear from my ex-husband or the pug faced bitch again. That was one thing to cross off my list.
My home didn’t feel like home anymore, so I decided to put it on the market.
Even if Zander and I didn’t go the distance, I needed a change. Who knew what the future had in store for me?
I spent a few days packing my personal items up and having them shipped into storage.
Everything else could be sold with the house or disposed of when the time came for new owners to take possession.
I didn’t feel anything when I handed the keys over to the estate agent. I thought I’d feel sadness, but all I felt was an overwhelming sense of freedom from a past that had been littered with too much sadness and heartbreak.
Besides which, I had more money than I could ever spend thanks to the sale of Rich Bitch. It was time to live a little.
The world was my oyster, but first, I had to see if Zander and I had any future to speak of. I know he loved me, but had he had time to rethink his feelings during my brief absence?
I stepped onto the patio.
The weather was glorious.
Zander was sat by the pool. He was shirtless and sipping what I assumed was a scotch on the rocks.
His face lit up with the brightest of smiles. “You’re back.”
“I told you I was coming back.” I swooped in to kiss him. “Didn’t you believe me?”
He returned my kiss with a passion I hadn’t felt in months.
It had been under a week since I’d last seen him, but already, he looked better than he had in a long time.
He looked like the Zander of old. Handsome, smiling, sex on legs.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
“And I missed you too, but we don’t ever need to be apart again.”
“That sounds good to me.” He kissed me again. His lips felt good against mine.
I broke away, needing to talk. “I’ve put my house on the market.”
“You move quickly, Cammie.”
“No need to keep it on when I’m here with you. Is there? It’s just an added worry I don’t need.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.”
My heart banged in my chest. “Oh?”
“Yeah. How would you feel about relocating elsewhere for the time being? This place isn’t my favourite place to be for obvious reasons.”
“Where were you thinking?”
“The Caribbean?”
“I’m not going to say no to that.” I loved the Caribbean. “When?”
“How does tomorrow sound?”
I was surprised we would be leaving so soon. “Can it be sorted that easily?”
“Already done. The jet is on standby and I called and had the house in Barbados prepared in anticipation of our arrival. I was just waiting on your return.”
“And Jensen? What about him?”
“He’s going to follow us out there in a week or two.”
“How come?”
“I didn’t question his decision. I just assumed he had his own stuff to be getting on with.”
I wasn’t so sure, knowing Jensen. Something told me he didn’t do anything unless it was of benefit to him. “How has it been with you two?”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“Interesting.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing more to say really.”
“Oh, like that, is it?”
“It hasn’t been bad, far from it, but we’ve got a lot to talk about you know, and I’ve got a lot of apologising to do before he’ll forgive me for my behaviour over the years.”
“What do you mean, your behaviour?” I took Zander’s glass and sipped at the scotch.
“I treated him like an employee rather than a brother for a long time. I feel bad about that, but it shouldn’t have taken losing him to make me realise.”
“I’m pleased you’re making progress but having me around won’t help matters. Maybe I should head back to the UK for a while and let the two of you bond.”
“Nonsense. I made it clear you and I are together and his little, erm, infatuation with you, needs to be dealt with.”
Suddenly, I felt nauseous. “Jensen can’t be blamed for all of that. It wasn’t entirely one-sided.”
Zander didn’t know what Jensen had done the night of the ball. He also didn’t know I’d enjoyed it. I should tell him, but I didn’t know how to. Secrets never stayed buried for long.
“Well, let’s forget about all that for now. I fancy a cuddle. Are you up for it?”
He smirked. “A cuddle? Just a cuddle?”
“Feeling better, are you?” I giggled.
“I’ve been waiting for you to get back, so I can show you how much I’ve missed you.”
“Oh, really?” I hadn’t felt this aroused for a long time, well not until now. “I’m going to ride you all night long.”
“Easy, tiger… let’s start with a couple of hours, shall we? It’s been a few months since I last rose to the occasion.”
I couldn’t help noticing the bulge in his trousers. “Whatever you say, stud.”
I walked toward the bedroom.
Zander followed behind, never allowing me to push him in his chair. He could have had a motorised chair, but that idea was thrown out within seconds. Instead, he manoeuvred himself like he’d been in a chair for decades, rather than weeks. His biceps popped as he worked the chair. Now we just had to get his legs working again.
There was a small package waiting on his bedside cabinet.
“What’s this?” He picked it up.
I think he assumed I’d placed it there when I came home.
“I have no idea. Open it and have a look.”
Zander tore at the brown padded envelope. A disc dropped onto his knees.
“I wondered…” His thoughts drifted off.
“You wondered what?”
“The night of the crash–at the ball, the woman you were talking to.”
“I remember her, but what of it?”
“Something about her bothered me.”
“So, what’s on this disc?”
“Security footage from the ball. I asked for it the night of the crash because I wanted to see if I recognised her. I’d totally forgotten about it with one thing or another.”
“She really spooked you, didn’t she?”
“Kind of, yes.”
“Then, pass it to me and I’ll put it in the laptop and we can watch it together.”
He passed the disc to me and I slid it into the computer.
A minute later, footage from the ball appeared on the screen.
“Who do you think she is?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
We were supposed to be having rampant sex right then, but that was soon forgotten.
“There I am,” I said, pointing to the screen. “And you’re at the bar talking to those guys.”
“Look,” he said. “She’s hovering on the sidelines. It looks like she’s waiting for a chance to swoop in and talk to you.”
“She doesn’t look up at all. Isn’t that strange?”
He leaned in. “No, she doesn’t, which makes me wonder why? It’s like she knows somebody will be examining the footage.”
“Whoever she is, she referred to you as Alexander. How many people still use that name?”
“None, and that’s what worries me.”
“But why?”
“Only my parents ever referred to me as Alexander, and they’re both long dead so whoever she is, she must know she has me rattled.”
Maybe it wasn’t the right time to mention it, but what the hell.
“What about Charlotte? Do you think she could have anything to do with this stranger?”
/> His mood immediately changed. “How do you know about Charlotte?”
“Jensen mentioned her once and said she’d disappeared.”
“I don’t want to talk about her, Cammie.”
“What if this woman is connected to her?”
“Why would she be?”
“I don’t know, Zander. You tell me.”
“I never found out where Charlotte had gone after she left–it was like she never existed, in fact, I know for a fact the person she presented herself as never existed.”
“She was lying about who she was?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I heard her on the telephone the night before she vanished. I don’t know who she was talking to, but it seemed pretty clear she was only in my life to provide information about my activities.”
“And you didn’t wonder why that would be?”
“Of course, but once she’d vanished, there was no hope of getting answers. I didn’t realise it at the time, but her phone was an untraceable pay as you go device. I had nothing to go on. Her loft apartment was cleared of any personal effects, so I moved on.”
“Weird.”
“At first, I considered it could be Charlotte who was talking to you, but seeing this footage, it’s clear it isn’t her. I can see that much.”
“You need to be careful, Zander.”
“I’ll be fine, but I will mention this to Jensen and see if he can shed any light on who she might be,”
“Why would he know anything?”
“He was the last person to see Charlotte before she went missing.”
My blood ran cold. I don’t know why, but I felt uncomfortable knowing this last piece of information.
“And he doesn’t know where she went to?”
“He dropped her off at her apartment, just like he said. I even checked the trackers on my vehicles and he was telling the truth. Charlotte, or whoever she really was, vanished and hasn’t been seen since.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I couldn’t sleep.
My mind whirled with thoughts I couldn’t shake.
Jensen was the last person to see Charlotte before she vanished.
By Invitation Only- The Series Page 12