Deadly Obsession (18 page)

Five hours later, Lauren stepped out, sticky and sweaty, of what had to be the only taxi in L.A. without air conditioning. Standing on the sidewalk in front of Cedars-Sinai, doubt took hold. Had she been stupid coming all the way to L.A.?

“Ms. James, Lauren?”

She turned to see the tall blond bodyguard from the footprint ceremony. Obviously, he recognized her from the Paparazzi Kiss photo. At least it had been good for something. A blush colored her cheeks. “Kaden, right?”

After shaking his hand, she asked the question foremost on her mind. “Any change?”

“Nic’s still out of it. The doctors are running more tests. They’ve eliminated alcohol poisoning and street drugs.” His jaw flexed. “Idiots. I told them they wouldn’t find anything.”

Cameras flashed as a group of reporters rushed up and surrounded them. “Ms. James, are you and Nic involved?” asked one reporter, pushing his microphone in Lauren’s face.

Kaden didn’t allow her to answer. “No comment.” He took her elbow and started for the entrance.

Lauren hesitated. “Will the hospital personnel even let me in?” She gestured at the throng gathering out front. “I mean, how am I any different from all his other fans?”

Kaden looked at her, a bemused expression on his face. Then he shook his head. “It won’t be a problem. Let’s go. Nic will want to see you when he wakes up.”

Would he? Lauren wasn’t so certain.

CHAPTER 9

Something soft caressing her cheek brought Lauren awake. She jerked her head off Nic’s hospital bed and froze. Despite the haggardness of his features and the paleness of his cheeks, his glorious smile brought tears to her eyes. Swallowing to ease the tightness in her throat, she smiled tremulously. “You’re awake. Thank God.”

“How…” He cleared his throat and tried to speak again. “Water…” he managed to rasp.

She poured him a glass of water from the pitcher on the bedside table and brought the straw to his mouth.

He took a sip. “How long was I out?”

Although his voice was still rough, it was the most beautiful sound Lauren had ever heard. The tears she’d been holding back spilled out. Without saying a word, he slowly opened his arms.

Careful not to disturb the IV, she embraced him. As his warmth enveloped her, her tears turned to sobs.

“
Ça va, chérie
,” he whispered in her ear as he held her tight and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m okay.”

Oh God. He was the one lying in a hospital bed, and he was comforting
her
. As she’d sat in vigil by his bedside, she’d been so worried, so scared. She’d prayed to God and every saint she’d ever heard of. And this time, her prayers had been answered. She could have stayed like this forever, wrapped in the circle of his arms, her head tucked under his chin. It didn’t matter if it was dangerous for her to be here. It only mattered that he was alive.

Pulling back to see his beautiful blue eyes, she smiled and kissed his cheek. “You really had me scared.”

Nic gazed into her eyes, kissing first one tear-stained cheek, then the other before pressing his lips to hers in a sweet, tender kiss. Then, a small smile curving his lips, he lay back against the pillow and drifted to sleep.

For several minutes, Lauren didn’t dare move for fear of shattering the moment. She was exactly where she wanted to be. But he needed his rest. She kissed his cheek again and maneuvered out of his hold, trying not disturb him or the multitude of equipment that surrounded him.

She sank onto her chair, utterly drained, and leaned her head against the seat back. She’d rest while Nic slept. But as soon her eyes closed, the events of the past few hours raced through her thoughts.

Vivian had urged the police to investigate. While Nic’s behavior last night may have been business as usual for most movie stars, it had definitely been out of character for him. Vivian had fought for him when he’d been unable to fight for himself. Nic had been right about her; she was a good friend. Lauren felt a pinching in her chest. She had no right to envy Vivian’s relationship with Nic, but she did.

“Lorna, dear. You really should go to the hotel and get some rest. Nic will be scared out of his wits if he sees you like this.”

Startled by Vivian’s abrupt entrance, Lauren scrambled to sit up. Vivian cared about Nic, but it wasn’t enough to make Lauren like her, and this was a perfect example of why.

“Nic did wake up.” She smiled victoriously. “And he didn’t look at all frightened.”

“What? When?” Vivian raced across the room to Nic’s bed. She ran a finger under his chin and traced the outline of the bandage above his eye. “Was he awake long?”

Unable to stomach Vivian’s tender expression and the familiar way she combed a dark lock of hair off his forehead, Lauren turned away before answering. “A couple minutes.” Remembering the staff’s instructions to let them know of any change, Lauren rose from her seat. “I need to alert the nurses.” She practically ran from the room.

Why did she let Vivian get to her? From everything Nic had said, Vivian had some driving need to protect his image, almost to the point of obsession. But Vivian’s need went beyond protecting his image. Lauren got the impression Vivian thought she needed to protect Nic from her. And how ridiculous was that? Brusquely wiping away the tears slipping down her cheeks, she walked to the nurse’s station.

After speaking with the head nurse, she bought a coffee from the vending machine at the end of the hall. The hot liquid soothed her dry throat. The orgasmic expression on Nic’s face when he’d taken his first few tastes of coffee in her small kitchen flashed through her mind. Smiling, she took another sip. He’d been pleased to see her when he’d woken up. She’d done the right thing in coming.

When Lauren returned, Dr. Jacob was examining Nic’s chart while two men stood to the side talking with Vivian. They introduced themselves as Detectives Anderson and Becker.

Becker addressed Dr. Jacob. “Doctor, we have additional details concerning Mr. Lamoureux’s activities last night. Eyewitnesses say Ms. Rayne joined Mr. Lamoureux at 9:45 PM. They danced, he ordered more drinks, and then he left to use the restroom. At the time, he appeared sober. The only event of note was a so-called Paparazzi Kiss during the dance.”

He checked his notes before continuing. “Fifteen minutes after he returned from the restroom, the couple was behaving in an overtly sexual manner. When they left the bar at 11:00 PM, Mr. Lamoureux was unable to walk unassisted.”

Anderson took over. “Given the eyewitness accounts and the results of previous testing showing no excessive alcohol or recreational drug use, doctor, we would like Mr. Lamoureux to be tested for predator drugs.”

Vivian’s eyebrows shot up. “Predator drugs? What are those?”

“They’re drugs used by sexual predators to render their victims passive and unable to resist or assert themselves,” Becker explained.

Lauren nodded. “Date-rape drugs.” She’d heard about them on the news.

“Exactly,” Anderson confirmed. “We believe this woman, Summer Rayne, slipped one of these drugs into Mr. Lamoureux’s beer.”

Vivian paled. If the police were correct, Vivian had introduced Nic to the woman who’d drugged him. Of course, it wasn’t Vivian’s fault, but guilt had to be eating at her.

Dr. Jacob considered the detective’s request. “The use of such a drug would be consistent with many of the symptoms Mr. Lamoureux has been experiencing: excessive sedation, impairment of balance and speech, respiratory depression, low blood pressure, and stomach disturbances.”

“It’s not too late to run the tests?” Vivian asked.

“These drugs stay in the blood for about 24 hours and in urine up to 36 hours, sometimes longer. I suspect flunitrazepam, but I’ll order tests for gamma hydroxy butyrate and ketamine hydrochloride as well. Once we know what he took, we can give him an antidote.”

Lauren looked at Nic’s sleeping form and then turned to Dr. Jacob. “Flunitra—?”

“Flunitrazepam,” the doctor finished. “You may know it as Rohypnol, or by its street name roofies.”

The doctor left to order the tests, and Vivian stepped into the hall to confer with the detectives regarding the statement she would release to the press.

Lauren sat on the edge of Nic’s bed, studying his face as she stroked his stubbled cheek. When Todd would awaken from nightmares of his time in combat, she’d hug him until he went back to sleep. Looking at Nic now, she longed to stretch out beside him and hold him tightly.

With the tip of her finger, she traced the dark circles under his eyes and sighed. Nic had been right. His life was dangerous. Could she deal with the reality of Nic’s life on a daily basis?

Terror had gripped her when Nic opened the package containing the doll with the broken neck. Fear for him and for herself. But mostly for Jason. And it was out of fear that she’d agreed with Nic’s decision to not see each other. She didn’t agree anymore. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. But there were other ways.

Violence had stolen Todd from her, but it wouldn’t steal Nic.

Life was too damn short.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the center of the room with a silvery glow, but leaving the edges in darkness. The excruciating nausea-inducing pain in his skull had lessened to a dull throbbing. Careful not to jar his head, he looked around.

An IV tube stuck out of his arm. Machines beeped somewhere behind him. Why was he in the hospital?

He’d gone to Taylor’s to meet Summer. Vague memories circled in his mind. Eyes closed, he concentrated until one crystallized. Vivian had found him puking his guts out, unable to move or call for help.
Shit
.

What had he done to make himself so sick?

Suddenly a vision of making love to Lauren surfaced. Lauren? Focusing, he tried to identify where they’d been. His room. Was the memory real?

He groaned as a wave of dizziness caused the room to spin and bile to rise in his throat. A shadow stirred in the chair. His blood ran cold. Swallowing, he pushed the nausea down and managed to turn his head toward the movement.

Someone was in the room.

Was it the stalker? Summer? His chest tight, he struggled to breathe. He fumbled around, trying to locate the call button. If he could alert the nurses…

The shape grew, looming above him in the murky moonlight.

“Who… who’s there?” he croaked. Christ, he sounded like an owl. He forced back an insane urge to laugh. He had to calm down. The last time he’d felt this vulnerable, Rachel had been hurt, bleeding.

No. Damn it
. He wouldn’t think about that now.

The shadowy figure moved closer. The pounding of his heart matched the pounding in his head.

“Darling. You’re awake.”

Vivian perched on the side of his bed and turned on the personal reading light above his head. Relief washed over him, draining the tension from his body. As her soft hand cradled his cheek, he felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. His view of Vivian was overlaid with a vision of Lauren, cradling his cheek in much the same way. His eyebrows beetled in confusion as he heard Lauren’s voice say, “You’re awake. Thank God.”

His heart began to race and he panted, unable to catch his breath. Vivian—or was it Lauren?—placed a hand on his shoulder. “Relax, Nic. It’s over.”

Eyes closed, he breathed deeply, and then blinked several times to clear his vision. Lauren faded away, leaving Vivian sitting on his bed. Wow, fucking weird. He could have sworn Lauren had been right here, that she’d spoken. But it wasn’t possible. She was safe at home where he’d left her. Nic pushed a hand against his chest to ease the pain. He’d been going crazy with the need to see her, to hear her voice.

He’d done the right thing. But it still hurt like hell.

Concern in her eyes, Vivian smoothed his hair off his forehead. “Let me get the doctor. He’s been waiting for you to wake up again.”

Again?

Nic watched her leave. He balled his fists. Dammit! Why couldn’t he remember?

A few minutes later, Vivian returned, accompanied by a short balding man wearing a lab coat over black trousers. “Hello, Mr. Lamoureux. I’m Dr. Jacob. It’s good to see you awake. How do you feel?”