Chapter 10
Iwake to the aroma of a strong cup of tea and giggles coming from Alexa, opening my eyes I can see the light flooding in the from the big window, and look around the room. It’s huge and very lavish, my eyes are much clearer now and then I spot Alexa sitting on Lottie’s lap both staring at me with big smiles painted across their faces.
“Morning, Lils, glad to see you’ve returned to the land of the living.”
Lottie scoots her chair closer and Alexa climbs into bed next to me and Lottie leans in and gives me long hug, “I brought you a strong cup of tea, sweet girl,” She whispers into my ear.
“Thanks, Lottie, but you’ll have to let me go for me to be able to drink it.” I giggle.
“Not yet, I’ve missed you immensely Lils. I need to just... hold you.”
When Charlotte pulls back, I see tears swimming in her eyes, “I couldn’t believe it when I walked in this morning, and Alexander told me the news.”
I look around the room again but I don’t see Alexander and my heart sinks, “Where is he?”
“I’m right here, Angel.” Alexander’s voice filters in from the doorway.
I take in the beautiful site of my man standing there in his tailored black suit and my favorite scarlet tie, boy is he sexy as sin. My body ignites with need and I’m overcome with emotion as he stalks into the room, his presence fills the large space and all I feel is him.
“Hi,” I say feeling my cheeks flush with heat.
Alexander leans in and hugs me tightly and kisses my forehead and my need for him explodes, who knew you could feel desire when in a hospital bed. Wow, I need him, I need my man, I need to feel him to know that we’re okay. I kiss his cheek and hear is breath quicken.
“Charlotte, would you mind taking Alexa to get some breakfast please.” Alexander asks.
Charlotte and Alexa both giggle and I feel Alexa being scooped off the bed, “We’ll give you some time, just keep it PG you two.”
As they exit, I hear Alexa asking, ‘What’s keep it PG, mean?’
I giggle at that; I can’t help it. Alexander sits on the edge of my bed and scoops me into his arms, holding me against his chest.
“Angel, how are you feeling?” He whispers close to my ear.
Heat rushes through me, “I feel great, but you’re making me all hot and bothered.”
Alexander chuckles loudly, “I think it’s a little soon for play time, my love.”
“I will consult with Doc, I need to know if it’s safe to make love to you, I also want to get out of here and be home with you and Alexa. I say seriously.
“I want that too, Angel, but there is also no rush. Your body has been through a lot and you need time to fully recover.”
I turn my head and kiss his lips and the tingles travel through me, our tongues merging into a passionate kiss and I swear I feel like I’m about to come.
“Omg-osh, Alexander, I need you so much.”
I don’t give him a chance to reply because I take his mouth and lower my hand to the bulge in his suit pants. Alexander groans into my mouth which only fuels my desire. I can’t help it I have this overwhelming sense of urgency rush through me. Alexander pulls away breathing heavily.
“Angel, if you keep going, I’m going to want to take you into the ensuite and have my way with you, but I don’t think Doc would approve, it’s too soon, we just need to be patient.”
I stare into his forest green eyes and the heat I see has me not caring, I need to feel my man and that we’re still... us.
“I have some things I need to fill you in on,” he says cautiously.
My worry escalates and I rush to ask, “Do you still love me? Are we, okay? Please, Alexander, I don’t want to lose you and Alexa.”
“Angel, hush my love, I love you and nothing will ever change that, breathe... I need to fill you in what has been happening and it’s going to be unsettling, and quite a shock. Do you think you can handle it now, or would you like to wait?”
I study Alexander’s face and can see he is filled with concern, “I need to know what has him worried.”
Alexander takes a deep breath, “You remember the accident, but you’ve made no mention of anything after that and there is a lot more that happened.”
My brow furrows in question, trying to remember anything after the accident, but there is nothing there.
“No, the last thing I remember is looking to Alexa and Dad hanging by their seatbelts at the top side of the car.” My mind flicks with a memory of a dark figure approaching the vehicle, “then a dark figure outside, I think they were the rescue crew.”
Alexander’s face morphs into anger and it takes me by surprise, I pull away slightly and take him in, his body language has changed and he’s in mission mode.
“This is going to be hard to hear, Angel, let me know if you want to stop, okay?” he says his voice laced with anger, not at me per say but at what he’s about to tell me.
“Okay, I’m listening.” I whisper up at him, and I see him close his eyes and when he opens them, they are black pools of raw emotion.
“So, it was Trickle who ran you off the road that day, and he managed to cut his way into the vehicle with the jaws of life. Alexa woke to Trickle dragging you from the Beast because of your screams.”
Tears spillover my eyes, “Did he touch her?”
“No, Angel, Alexa and Davies were left in the vehicle and were tended to by ground support quickly.”
I nod thankfully, “I’m glad he didn’t touch Alexa.” I breathe out.
Alexander nods and holds me firmer, “He did touch you though, he kidnapped you and had you held in the old fishery in Rutland, when we found you, it was almost too late. When we burst into the room, I found him behind you and pulling up his pants.” Alexander grinds out.
“D-Did he... did he rape me?” I manage with a sob, tears streaming down my face.
“No, Angel, he didn’t. Doc examined you thoroughly once you were at the hospital and there was no sign of sexual assault, but you were beaten within an inch of your life.”
Alexander pauses to breathe and kiss my forehead, and I feel his love filter through my body, calming me.
“You were shackled to the wall and while Doc was saving your life, Cuddy worked on releasing your arm. We got you to the Blackhawk and that’s when my world shattered.” Alexander is shaking his head, “your heart stopped. If it wasn’t for Doc and Blake being there, I would have lost you.” I see unshed tears in my strong man’s eyes.
“I’m here, and I’m with you Alexander.”
He allows himself a small smile and kisses my forehead once again, “I piloted the bird while Doc bled Blake and transfused him direct to you and managed to get your heart started. Lily, to hear your heartbeat re-start was the best sound in the world, mine was reaching out to be with yours but I had a job to do, get you to LHH fast. We landed and when we were rushing you towards theatre you crashed again, but Doc worked his magic and managed to stop your internal bleeding saving your life and that of our babies too.”
I give a small smile because by the sound of it, I’m lucky to be alive.
“There’s still some really hard information to come Lily, do you want me to keep going?” Alexander says with an intense look in his eyes.
“Yes, I’m okay, Alexander, when I’m in your arms I know I’m safe.”
He nods and continues, “When we were searching for you and gathering intel, we visited with your mother and she was adamant that Caroline was alive and had been visiting her.”
“Yes, she said that on the phone, she’s crazy though, you can’t believe a word she tells you.”
Alexander’s gaze intensifies, “Angel, your mother is here at LHH, Doc has been working with her and she is doing a lot better.”
“What, how?” I say shocked.
“When Doc looked into her medical history, he was suspicious of why all of a sudden Janelle was more lucid, he noticed massive doses of amphetamines had been decreasing since about the time you left Rutland. So, Doc investigated and has been doing that over the past six weeks.”
“I was going to ask how long I’ve been here. My tummy is quite large.” I say resting a hand protectively over it.
“It’s the 5th of May, you have been here six weeks my love, and you’re sixteen weeks pregnant and your due date is October 18th.” A massive grin spreads across his handsome face.
“Wow, I’ve been in a coma six weeks?” I’m shocked, but I smile happily because we’re pregnant and my babies survived.
“So, my mother is here?” I ask nervously.
“Yes, Janelle and Doc have been working together and what Doc found out through her hair sample testing is that Janelle had been drugged since your father and Caroline’s accident. Here’s the thing, I know she changed after the accident Lily but it wasn’t her fault, she was reacting to the drugs, they made her volatile and psychotic.”
A tear slips free of my lid, “So, you’re saying the drugs made my mom change and hurt me.”
Alexander nods, “Yeah baby, since Doc has been treating her, she has never shown any sign of aggression or malice. She has wanted to get better and is doing really well, Doc has been lowering the doses of medication that the Mental Hospital had been pumping into her as well, and she is almost free of everything.”
I’m stunned, I don’t know what to think of this, my mother hurt me so much over the years.
“Wow, I-I can’t believe this.”
Alexander wraps me tighter and kisses my cheek, spreading warmth throughout my body and I feel safe, my mind is spinning trying to keep up, but I’m safe with Alexander.
“Your Mom was never a mean or violent person before the accident, was she?” Alexander queries.
“No, she was an amazing Mom, she was loving and cared deeply for her family and never did we grow up in violence, my family was a close happy one.”
Alexander nods, “Yes that is what we see in Janelle now and suspected was the case when Doc put all the pieces together. Your mom is enjoying going out in the hospital garden and walking amongst the flowers, she reads, and is crocheting toys for the sick kids, and preemie outfits.”
My eyes widen and heart races, “That is my mom, or the way she used to be before the accident.”
I’m seriously blown away; I don’t know what to think.
“Yeah baby, your mom is back to herself, or as close to what we suspect she was like, but only you can tell us for certain.”
I’m shaking my head not knowing what to say or do.
“Doc and I will leave that up to you, Angel, we will respect whatever decision you make. Just know that your mom is being cared for and I will look after all her needs.”
I’m just staring at this wonderful man, “I’ll just need some time to process this, I think.”
“There’s more.” Alexander breathes out.
“What more can there be?” I whisper.
“Caroline, she is alive and here on the psychiatric ward also.”
My eyes widen in disbelief, “No, Caroline died, she, she...”
“She was kidnapped and has been held hostage all this time.” Alexander confirms sullenly.
“I don’t understand, what is going on?” I feel like world has tilted of its axis.
Alexander shakes his head, “We are trying to piece it all together, Caroline hasn’t opened up as yet, she’s not in a good place mentally, for obvious reasons. What we got out of Trickle is, that Trickle and his cousin Rob were groomed to want you and Caroline from a very young age. Their fathers and grandfather wanted pure fair haired, white skinned bloodline. I appears as if they’re white supremacists, and the elders were the ones who picked you and Caroline to be their wives and bear their future generations.”
And the punches just keep on coming, “I-I... this is twisted, so this was going to happen one way or another, if they didn’t successfully court us then they were just going to force us?”
“Yes, it appears that way, the night Caroline was taken Trickle didn’t want to wait any longer, he wanted you and he thought that it was you who was in the car that night and stole the opportunity.”
“Caroline was wearing my coat,” I whisper.
“Yes, Angel, Trickle somehow caused the accident that night we suspect, but the weather didn’t help and he snatched Caroline thinking she was you, and either he caused the explosion or it naturally happened after the accident we don’t know, there was never any real investigation done.”
I have tears streaming down my face now, “Caroline has been alive this whole time?”
“Yeah baby, and she has been through a lot, raped, beaten and drugged. We are helping her but it’s going to take a long time for her to trust us and for her head to be mended.”
“Wow, I-I, this is unbelievable, Alexander, is there anything more? I’m not sure I can handle much more.”
“Yes, we haven’t found the cousin, Rob.”
“I remember a Rob used to bring my mom her prescriptions from the pharma–” I stop talking when realization hits.
“He was the one who we suspect was swapping the medicine with drugs that would change your mom and send you running into Trickles arms. Their convoluted plan worked unfortunately, that is all we know for sure so far.”
I shake my head, “I was so stupid, so na?ve, how could I not see it? My mother was never a horrible person.”
“Grief can change a person and that’s what you assumed happened, and that was a natural thought to have at the time.” Alexander says trying to make me feel better.
“And I never wanted Jay, I always refused his advances, but that night I called him only because it was so late and I didn’t want to bother Betty, and only stayed in the beginning because I had my own room and again, I loved Betty and never wanted to intrude, I-I should have,” I breathe out a slow breath, “especially when he started changing but it was a slow progression, it made me think I was imagining more going on than what was really happening but in reality it was the other way around, and I was stupid.”
“I know, my love, and you’re not stupid, you sweet girl, are caring and that was taken advantage of. We have Trickle locked away, and we are searching for Rob.”
“Hang on he is meant to have died, he drowned in the lake, wow, it never clicked at the time that delivery Rob was Robert Trickle.” I say, remembering it was a couple of years before I left home.
“Supposedly, yes, but his body was never recovered from the lake and Trickle admitted they concocted the plan so as their elders would stop hurting them, with only Jay left to carry the bloodline they left him alone, he became important.”
“Holy, shit,” shaking my head as I cuss, “this is craziness.”
“Yes, Angel, and we will find Rob, it’ll just take time, he will slip up and we’ll be there when he does, we will never stop looking.”
I nod, “I need rest, my head is swirling and I feel tiredness creeping in.”
Alexander stands and lays me in the bed and kisses my forehead, “I love you, Angel, mine.”
I hear him whisper as I drift off to sleep.