2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
A dam winced at the bright light in his eyes and the pain in his wrists. He tried to lift his arm to see why it hurt and discovered the padded band around his forearm was actually strapped to the bedrail.
What the fuck!
He was restrained to the bed by both arms and ankles. He struggled against his bonds. A sense of déjà vu came over him.
Someone trying to get away from him .
Oh shit!
It all came back in a flash of nightmare images. Brooke! His beautiful Brooke.
His heart thrashed in his chest, pounding so hard he could barely catch his breath.
He’d almost had her. She was right there. His for the taking.
I was so close.
She wanted it.
He knew she did.
She’d been waiting for him.
But no. She fought him.
Fury seared through his veins. The cunt! She’d given herself to someone else. He tugged at the restraints again, wanting to flee this place and find her, hunt her down and get his hands on her.
More images flooded his mind. She fought him, trying to push him away. Holding her hands up to ward him off. But he kept attacking.
Blood. Dripping down her arms. Soaking her clothes. His vision a red haze of rage.
Oh God, no. More blood. Pumping out of her round belly.
Her agonizing screams echoed in his ears.
He hurt her.
He never wanted to hurt her .
“What have I done?” Shame. Guilt. Utter sorrow washed through him.
He’d killed a baby.
Her baby.
Tears leaked from his eyes, down his cheeks, and drenched the hospital gown he wore.
He didn’t deserve to live. Not now. Not after what he’d done to her.
Trapped, he flailed in the bed, desperately trying to get free so he could end it. He didn’t deserve to live. Not after what he’d done to the woman he loved.
Brooke. His beautiful Brooke.
He spotted the bandages over his wrists, sat up, and tried to lean forward enough to bite them off.
Monitors shrieked.
The door flew open.
His father stood there, his mother behind and to the side of him.
She looked shocked and anguished. Sad. Lines wrinkling her forehead and around her tight lips.
His father looked pissed and horrified.
Can’t have this, can you, asshole?
What will people think?
How many votes will this cost you?
“Adam. Stop struggling,” his father commanded. Like his order, his rule, was law.
“Fuck you! Untie me and get out.” Adam pinned his mother in his gaze. “Why the fuck did you save me?”
“We love you,” his mother wailed, tears raining down her face.
“Bullshit. I’m nothing more than a prop.” Adrenaline cleared even more of the fog from his mind. “Where is she? Is she here? Is she alive? I need to see her. I need to tell her I’m sorry. I NEED TO SEE HER!”
A nurse burst in holding a syringe.
He leaned forward, his arms drawn tight by the restraints. “Don’t even fucking think of coming near me with that,” he snapped at the nurse, staring down his father. “You can make this happen. I need to see her.”
“Calm down.” His father eyed the nurse. Then Adam again. The silent message: Not in front of witnesses. He cocked his head at the nurse. “Please excuse us. We’d like to be alone with our son.”
The nurse hesitated but ultimately followed his order and scurried out.
Adam wondered what fucked-up tale he’d told everyone about what happened tonight. “Is she alive?” She had to be alive. Please.
“Yes,” his father bit out. “Though I guarantee she doesn’t want to see you .” His father stepped into the room, his mother following, then leaned against the door, barring anyone from coming in. Voice low, his eyes narrowed, he gave Adam the cold, hard truth. “You fucked me.”
“Of course you think this is all about you .” Adam fell back in the bed, exhaustion clawing at him. Probably from the blood loss after he tried to end it all.
I couldn't even get that right.
“Why didn’t you just let me go? It would have been so much easier for you to use your fake heartbreak over your loss to gain voter sympathy. And don’t think I don’t know you’ve already ordered your lapdogs to tell the press how distraught you are over your son’s mental health and how hard it’s been on you . You’ll be able to milk this for weeks. Because I know you’d never let it get out that I was the one who went after those stupid girls and nearly killed Brooke.”
“Why?” His mother’s anguished voice broke him out of his sorrowful fury.
“Because I love her. I wanted her. She saw me for who I really am.” He glared at his father. “Not your fucking son. Not some actor in your fucking political play. She liked me .”
“So why go after those other women?” his mother asked, seeing that she got him talking when all he wanted to do was rail at his father.
Not that he liked her much better. She played her part and it usually meant her making him go along with everything his father wanted. She was his fucking puppet.
“I wanted to be my best for her.” He settled back into the pillow, unclenching his fists to relieve the pain in his wrists. “I need to see her.”
His father left the door and came to his bedside. “You will never see her again.” Because you can’t be linked to her , his eyes said.
He held his father’s hard gaze. “I need to see her.”
“You will keep your mouth shut about what you did. You will tell the doctors, anyone who asks, that you tried to take your own life tonight because you’ve been overwhelmed by school and struggling with depression that you never disclosed because you feared what people would say.”
He glared his father down. “I could give a fuck what you or anyone else thinks. I. Need. To. See. Her!”
“If you don’t follow this order, there will be nothing I can do. You’ll either play along and stay in this very nice , very expensive private hospital for the rest of your life, or you’ll go to prison, where God knows what you’ll suffer.”
“I. Need. To. See. Her.”
His father stared him down, thinking of all the possibilities and ways this could play out. He liked control. He needed it. And he forced others to his will with a smile, a handshake, and a few direct words that left others clamoring to do his bidding.
“She’s asked to see me.”
Adam gasped. “When? I want to go with you.”
He shook his head. “I’ll go alone. If she decides to go public, I won’t be able to help you.”
“No, you’ll do and say whatever you have to do to distance yourself from me. Your son. Because we both know all you care about is your fucking career and getting more power.”
His father grabbed the guardrails on the bed, his knuckles going white as his eyes narrowed. “Believe it or not, Adam, I love you. Maybe I didn’t always understand you, or give you what you needed, but I did the best I could.” He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, tension around his tired eyes and body. “I know, I should have made more time for you. But I can’t change that now. All I can do is help you.” He dropped his hand and pinned Adam in his gaze. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going down with you. So you’ll have to do what you’ve always done and get on board with the plan before your fate is out of my hands. Please.” For a brief second, Adam saw the fear and concern in his father’s eyes before he locked it down and turned for the door.
“Take me with you. I need to see her,” he begged, tears welling in his eyes.
His father walked back to him. “Get this straight. You are never getting out of here. You are never going to see her again. After what you did, she’s never going to want to see you again. You did that. Now accept it and play your part before you end up locked in a cage the rest of your life.”
I’m already in one.
But I will get out.
I will see her again.