Chapter 16
Ingrid struggled to open her eyes, the light from the full moon piercing her eyelids.
A frown touched her brow as confusion reigned.
Her left side was on fire, and something was clamping her left hand to a bed.
Her eyes flew open as memory slammed into her brain with the force of a hurricane and had her remembering.
Her distressed moan had Kyle waking with a start. Her hand was fluttering beneath his agitatedly.
"Kyle." Her voice was husky as if it had not been used in a while. But she was awake! Joy exploded inside him, and he was careful not to jog her arm.
"Baby, Sweetheart." Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead. "How are you?"
"I was shot." She whispered. "Someone shot me."
"Yes." He swallowed the lump that had lodged in his throat. "Are you in pain? Should I get the doctor? The nurse?"
"My baby. I want to see my baby." Her eyes darted around the room and then back to his face. "Is he alive? Is my son--"
"Yes." He assured her quickly. "He's alive and sleeping right now."
"I want to see him." She eased out a breath and winced.
"You're in pain. I should--"
"Kyle, who shot me?"
"I-- it was a junkie."
She frowned. "I asked him if he wanted money and he said something like she wanted me dead. Who wanted me dead?"
"I don't--"
"Please tell me."
He was saved from responding when the team bustled into the room.
"Well, look who finally surfaced." Dr. Pierce beamed at her as he took her vitals and studied her chart.
"How long have I been out?"
"Two days, and during which, your husband has not left your side."
Her eyes darted to his face. "I can just imagine. He looks like hell."
Kyle laughed huskily, tears blurring his vision. "She wants to see our son."
"It so happens he just woke up. Let me send a nurse to fetch him."
"No, let me." He kissed her cheek and left the room hurriedly.
Outside the nursery, he watched as the nurse fussed over his son.
He had sneaked a peek once or twice and stared in wonder at the sparse crown of dark hair and beautiful hazel eyes or was it amber?
The boy had the McCreary's shape of nose and mouth.
And had little resemblance to the woman who had carried him for almost nine months.
His father, grandfather, as well as he had charmed the rest of the family.
The nurse looked up with a smile, indicating that he was ready to make the journey to see his mom. But Kyle needed a minute. He was still shaky, his heart bruised and battered. And he felt guilt churning through his body.
He was going to have to tell her eventually. Was going to have to confess to his part in her almost dying.
*****
"Is she locked up?" Ingrid stared from her brother to her husband as she eased the nipple out of her son's lips.
"Let me take him." Moving to the bed, Kyle carefully eased the baby from her arms. She had insisted on breastfeeding him even though the nurses had been pumping milk from her.
"Not enough evidence."
"That's bullshit." She leaned back and felt the familiar tug of her shoulder. "She paid someone to kill me."
"I'll go and put him down." Kyle left the room with the baby.
"He's riddled with guilt." Matthew murmured.
"Why? Was he the one who shot me?"
"He feels guilty, rightfully so, because she was his ex and that ex has this twisted sense of warped thinking that he should not have left her.
" He straddled the chair and met her gaze levelly.
"You need to talk to him. Assure him that you don't blame him.
He suffered, Ingrid, and is still suffering. The man has been a wreck."
She sighed. "He looks haggard. Has he even eaten?"
"He refuses to leave. We finally persuaded him to go home and take a shower and get some sleep, he came right back. If he continues, they might have to admit him."
"When he comes back, leave us alone. I'll talk some sense into him."
"Is he sleeping?"
"Yes. I should let you sleep. I was thinking I should go home and get something to eat--"
"In a minute. Come here." She patted the side of the bed where her uninjured arm was. When he came, she reached for his hand.
"I love you to distraction."
His throat clogged up. "I don't deserve it." He whispered brokenly.
"Now you're just pissing me off. We're going to get through this--"
"It's because of me. You got shot because of me."
"I got shot because a disturbed woman refused to move on. And a junkie was desperate for his next fix."
"She might get away with it."
She held his gaze steady. "And I have a feeling that you're not going to allow that to happen. There are worse things than prison."
Understanding dawned, and he felt the tension slowly lifting.
"Yes, there is."
She nodded. "Now. I'm alive and we have the most gorgeous baby in the world who happens to look like you. One who was so ungrateful that he inherited nothing from me. But that's for another time."
His smile came freely for the first time in three days.
"I adore you."
"Yeah, yeah. Show me."
He did, tenderly, poignantly and had the tears burning the back of her eyes.
*****
"What did you say to her for her to agree to the meet?"
Kyle's smile was cold and fierce. "I reminded her what refusing me could do to her. You did not have to come with me."
"Oh, yes, I did. I'm assuming you did not tell my sister where you're headed?"
"She was the one who originally put the idea in my head a few days ago while she was in the hospital.
" He glanced over at his brother-in-law as he made the turn towards the apartment building.
"I don't want to do anything to upset her.
She's home, enjoying the time with Declan.
And fighting my decision in hiring a nanny. I am refusing to budge on that."
Matthew grinned and stretched his legs out. "You're both well matched, stubborn as mules."
"Here we are."
"Fancy digs."
"I bought it for her." Kyle said emotionlessly.
Matthew glanced over as he parked. "I take it her residency is now being revoked?"
"Among other things. She said she would be by the pool. She paid someone to kill my wife and is now sunning herself by the pool."
"Life goes on."
"Not for her."
He strode around the side of the building where the trellis climbed the weathered brick building to where Carly lounged by the pool. Her red bikini covered next to nothing, and her smile was flirtatious as she took in the two men.
"Not one, but two handsome men. My lucky day. I could ring for some iced tea--"
"We're not staying, and neither are you." Pulling up a chair, Kyle faced her, expression icy cold.
A frisson of fear crossed her lovely face. "I hope you don't believe that dreadful man about me hiring him--"
"Shut the hell up and listen."
Her eyes darted to Matthew, who leaned against a towering palm tree with his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans, his expression gave nothing away.
"We all know you instigated the entire thing.
No, you don't get to speak." He jerked his head at the silent Matthew.
"He's here to ensure I stick to the letter of the law, when all I want to do is put my hands around your neck and squeeze until there's no life left. "
"He's threatening me."
"Is he?" Matthew asked mildly. "The man is simply having a conversation."
"You're going to leave the country--"
"You can't--"
"You're going to leave the country, not the state, the country.
Go to Europe, the islands, or Timbuktu, I don't give a shit.
And you will do so tonight. I will give you time to pack your shit and get the hell out of the country.
If not, If I happen to pass by here and see you still in residence, I will set up a press conference and talk about the actress who was dumped and ordered a hit.
I will talk to your agent, the director, producer of the series you're in and threaten to blackball them.
" He turned his head to look at Matthew.
"Do I have the power to do something like that? "
"He does. And if he needs added support, the entire Ryder and McCreary family will stand by him. You messed with my sister, bitch, you messed with all of us."
"I didn't--"
"Shut the hell up. You might have evaded a prison sentence, but you're on our radar. I will not only destroy your career, but I'll also fix it that you never do even a soap commercial again. Take my word. It's a promise."
He rose to leave.
"I loved you!" She cried.
He turned to give her a contemptuous look. "You don't know the meaning of the word."
"You kicked ass." Matthew grinned over at him as they left the building.
"I never thought I was capable of violence, especially against a woman, but I wanted to kill her."
"Same here." Matthew offered quietly. "And I'm supposed to serve and protect."
*****
"I heard Carly Jennings left the country indefinitely." She murmured, glancing over as her husband settled their well-fed son on his shoulder to burp him. She had watched as he carefully put a clean receiver over him before holding the baby up and rubbing his back.
"Hmm. Just a week old and he has some weight on him."
"So, that's what we're doing now?" She asked with lifted brows. They were out on the balcony with the pretty outside lights washing over the trees waving in the mid-summer breeze, the scent of flowers in full bloom wafting in the air. "Not talking about it?"
"What's there to talk about. Ah, there you go buddy.
Feels much better right?" The baby's eyes blinked at him, sending love washing through his body.
He had told Matthew that he never entertained the idea of violence, but here and now, with his family, he knew without a doubt that he would kill for them.
"Matthew told me all about it. But I was waiting to hear the details from my husband."
"Why?" Putting his son carefully into the mobile cot, he pulled the blanket over him and watched as his eyes flickered shut. "His life is so clear cut and simple. Eat, sleep, crap, and repeat."