Chapter 14
I ndie nearly cried with relief when Maggie stepped through the door and into her hospital room.
She didn’t know how her friend had gotten here so fast but she was so happy to see her.
Where would she be without Maggie?
“Hey, Maggie-May,” she said in a hoarse voice.
“Hey, Indie-Loo.” There was such pity and worry in Maggie’s voice that it hit Indie hard.
I can’t do this.
I can’t have her looking at me like that or I’m going to break. And if I break, there might be no putting me back together.
But, as usual, Maggie seemed to read her like a book.
Maggie put her hands on her hips and gave Indie a sassy look. “You know if you wanted me to come home that there are less dramatic ways to do it.”
“As if I’d want you to come home,” Indie replied. “Now I’ll be tripping over your shoes every time I come through the door and having to listen to teeny-bopper music.”
“It is not teeny-bopper music!” Maggie protested .
“I agree with the girl in the hospital bed,” a good-looking man said as he walked into the room. “It’s teeny-bopper music.”
Indie stiffened. Maggie had warned her that she had some guys with her and Indie recognized him from the tabloid photos she’d seen.
He had dark hair and a friendly smile, but Indie still felt a jolt of fear.
God, was this her life now?
Was she going to be scared of all new men?
Maggie and the first guy were bickering as a larger man stepped inside followed by a third guy.
Three guys? The third one hadn’t been in the photos. She tuned back into the conversation happening around her as she kept reminding herself that these guys were Maggie’s friends.
They weren’t here to hurt her.
The dark-haired one sat on the chair next to her bed. What had Maggie said their names were? One was Jack and one was Ian.
She hadn’t mentioned a third.
“Gross, what is this shit?” he asked as he lifted the lid on her lunch.
“I’m not sure it has an identity,” she told him as Maggie took hold of her hand.
Indie held on tight even as she tried to keep any emotion from showing on her face. Maggie gave her a concerned look.
“Did you eat any of it?” the third guy asked, walking over.
“No,” Indie croaked out. “It all tastes like paste.”
“How do you know what paste tastes like? Oh my God! You used to eat it at Kindy, didn’t you?” Maggie shook her head as she ran her gaze over Indie.
Indie was guessing that she looked terrible. Indie studied her back, suddenly her eyes narrowed. Was that a bruise on her face?
What. The. Hell.
Indie turned her furious gaze on the men. “Which one of you assholes touched my best friend? I’m going to fucking castrate you. ”
“You know how to castrate someone?” the guy sitting next to her bed asked. “It’s a good skill to have. I should teach you, baby girl.”
“Jack,” Maggie groaned before turning to Indie. “None of these guys would ever lay a hand on me.”
“Well, other than to spank her,” Jack pointed out. “But Maggie wouldn’t like it if we stopped doing that.”
What was going on here?
“Maggie?” Indie asked.
“Can you guys give us some privacy?” Maggie asked.
They all reluctantly left.
“Are . . . are all three of them yours?” Indie asked once they were alone.
“Two of them are. Jameson is . . . well, I’m not sure what he is.”
“But you’re blushing,” Indie said. “And he’s looking at you like you’re his favorite dessert. Although he looks more like an after-dinner drinks man.”
“Definitely,” Maggie breathed out. “He’s a doctor, you know.”
Um. Okay. Why was Maggie telling her that?
“So if it wasn’t them, then who?” Indie demanded.
Maggie told her friend everything that had happened. By the end, Indie wasn’t sure whether to cry or kill someone.
How the hell had she not known that her friend had been kidnapped?
Although it explained why she hadn’t been answering her phone calls.
“Maggie,” she whispered, hurting for her friend.
“I know. I know. But Ian and Jack . . . they’re helping me. They love me and I love them.”
That was exactly what Maggie needed and deserved.
“God, I love that you have that. And they’re Daddy Doms?” Indie asked.
“Uh-huh.”
“Jack?” Indie asked skeptically.
Maggie let out a bark of laughter. “Ahh, yeah. Jameson used to be, until his bitch of an ex humiliated him. ”
“And now he’s . . . not?” Indie asked, that was confusing.
“Ah. Yeah.”
“Whatever,” Indie said. “He totally is. He has Doctor Daddy written all over him. He just needs a push.”
Maggie shook her head. “He’s a friend.”
“Uh-huh.” Indie turned pensive. “What about William?”
A sad look filled Maggie’s face. “I have to go home and talk to my mum about him.”
“Urgh, gross.” Maggie’s family was as horrid as hers, just in a different way.
Maggie snorted. “I know. They’re going to be mad at me about the tabloid photos of me with Ian and Jack.”
“So? Screw them! And you were fucking kidnapped. Why didn’t they try to get hold of anyone in Escana to see how you were?”
“They wouldn’t have known who to talk to . . .” Maggie said.
“Girl, when those photos came out, I was calling you every five minutes. And I tried to call William, but his phone must have been off. I don’t know what I would have done next, but I would have figured it out. Unfortunately, that’s when Billy paid me a visit.”
“I can’t believe that fucker found you.” Maggie got up and started pacing.
“I know.” Indie couldn’t either. She was barely sleeping because she was so scared. “I don’t know what to do now. I’m afraid he’s going to come after me here. I can’t go back to our apartment and I’m pretty sure I’ll be fired once I get out of here. What . . . what will I do?”
Fear filled her and she had to fight hard to keep her breathing even.
“What will we do,” Maggie corrected her. “And we’ll figure it out. We can go back to Escana. You can come with me.”
Go to Escana? Could she do that?
“I don’t know,” Indie whispered. “I’m scared.”
“We’ll work it out. Have you spoken to Slade?” Maggie asked, watching her intently .
“No. The hospital asked if there was anyone they could call. I told them no.”
She couldn’t risk someone calling him. Not that he’d come see her. He’d probably wiped his memory clean of her.
From this moment on, you’re dead to us.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take that call,” Maggie told her. “That I haven’t been there for you.”
Indie glared at her. “Shut up, you silly cow. You send me every spare dollar you have. You’ve been there for me when no one else has. Don’t apologize.”
“I’m not leaving you again,” Maggie vowed. “I’m back now.”
“Yeah, right. No way I’m letting you break things off with those guys.”
“Who said I had to break things off?” Maggie gave her a big smile.
Indie’s eyes widened. “They’d move here?”
“Or, like I said, you can move with me to Escana. It’s actually nice there, kidnapping aside.”
“At least Billy wouldn’t get to me or Button.” Indie rubbed her belly.
“What did the doctors say?”
“That we were both lucky. Button is fine. He or she is well protected. But they are worried about my blood pressure and stress.”
“No problem. We’ll sort all of this. I promise.”