Driven By Love (14 page)

Missy nodded in understanding. “Then you need to make sure you keep that bodyguard with you at all times. Don’t let him out of your sight. Besides…” Anne saw a slight twinkle in her eye. “He’s not half-bad to look at.”

An image of Dean fully naked popped in Anne’s head and her heart began to race. For the first time in a very long time Anne blushed at seeing the image.

“You’re blushing!” Missy practically squealed in delight for the first time since the accident. “You never blush like that unless…”

Anne’s cheeks got redder.

“You and him?” Even in her weakened state she wanted details. “Come on, spill it! Or do I have to push you into telling me?”

With Missy’s fragile state, Anne didn’t want her to over exert herself with her powers so she blurted out, “It was the best sex I had in my whole life!”

Missy smiled at her big sister. “I want details!”

“I’m glad that you’re feeling better.” Anne felt her heart lighter at seeing Missy smile, even if it was at her own folly.

“Do you blame me? I need some juice to hold me over until I get the hell out of here. Mom mentioned that he’s related to Jeri?”

Anne leaned back in her chair and smiled. “Yes, he’s Jeri’s older brother and he returned not too long ago from his tour of duty in the Middle East.”

“Oh, he’s a soldier.” Her breath caught and then she winced in pain.

Anne sat up quickly and took hold of Missy’s hand. “Do you need me to get the doctor?”

Missy reached for the button on her left side and pressed it, and the machine dropped a dose of painkiller into her IV. “No, I’m fine. I just need a minute to get the medication in my system. So you and him…”

“Dean.”

“Right, so you and Dean…”

“Had sex.”

Missy looked over at her and gave her a pitiful look. “Really? Just sex? Come on! Details!”

Anne laughed. It was as if they were thrown back to their high school days when they would gossip about boys and who they thought was cute and who was dating who. Anne gave her as many details as she was comfortable with sharing about her night with Dean.

“Wow!” Missy exclaimed. “You usually never have sex with someone that fast, and in Hawk! Wow! I don’t think I can look at him the same way again. I’m surprised he didn’t open the door and shake Dean out.”

“He likes him.” Anne told her as she took hold of her bandaged hand. “Missy, I need to know something.”

Missy squeezed her hand. “Sure, what?”

“Did you convince Evan to love you?”

“What? No! Not now, not ever.” Tears formed in her eyes. “He’s had a crush on me since the first grade. Why would you think that I would do that?”

“It’s just…you left him and yet he still loves you.”

A stray tear ran down her bandaged cheek. “I know.”

Anne leaned over and wiped the tear away. A knock on the door interrupted them. Dean poked his head in, then closed the door behind him.

“Jeri make it to her car safely?” Anne asked him, as he closed the door behind him.

“Yeah, I had to push a bunch of cocky journalists out of the way, but I managed to get her to her car.”

“Your sister is so nice,” Missy chimed in. “She’s been here the whole time with my Mom and Dad and they really appreciate it. I really appreciate it. I feel better knowing that they are being taken care of.” She lifted her arm which was full of IV lines and other sensors. “I’m not exactly in the best of shape to take care of them right now.”

He walked over to her bedside and pressed his hand against her shoulder. “The best thing you can do right now, Missy, is to take care of yourself and get better as quickly as possible for both your family and for Evan.”

Missy’s facial expression dropped a bit at the mention of Evan’s name. “I thought it was his fault. He’s always been so puppy-eyed for me and I thought that seeing me again after all this time just made him not pay attention… but then Anne told me the guy that tried to kidnap her was the same guy that cut the lines on Evan’s car…I just… I should…”

Anne leaned over the bed and placed her forehead to Missy’s. “Shhhh, everything right now is just chaos for both of us. Get some sleep, I’m sure Evan will be back first thing in the morning and you can thank him for all his support.”

Missy nodded her head as Anne brushed some of the hair from her face.

“You’ll pull through this, Missy. We’re fighters. Don’t you ever forget that.”

There was a knock at the door and one of the security guards popped their head in.

“Excuse me, Miss Stevens, there is a Marshall Foss here.”

Anne jumped up from her chair. “Please let him in.”

Marshall slowly entered the room with his million-dollar smile on his face. “Anne, darling.” He extended his arms and Anne ran to give him a hug. When she released him she turned towards Missy.

“Marshall, this is Missy my sister. Missy, this is my friend Marshall Foss.”

Missy smiled. “Hello Mr. Foss.”

“Please, call me Marshall.” He told her as he glided by her side, ignoring Dean as he walked right by him.

Anne saw the deadly look Dean gave him and was thankful that Dean didn’t have the power to kill someone with a look. When Marshall’s back was turned, she casually walked over and squeezed Dean’s hand. He was tense, really tense.

“It is so unfortunate that such a horrible accident has touched a lovely flower such as yourself.” Marshall crooned as he stood over Missy’s bed.

“I guess that’s just how life is.” Missy told him.

Marshall snorted. “For normal people it is my dear, but you…” He pointed to all the gifts in the room. “You are world-famous. Everyone worships you.”

Missy stared blankly at the flower basket closest to her. “They used to.”

Marshall sat down on the chair beside Missy’s bed and took hold of her hand. “They still will, my dear. You have to have hope, and I will give that hope to you.”

He reached into his suit pocket, and Dean instinctively sprung forward. Marshall looked directly at him as he pulled out a business card. “Stand down, Bulldog. You must ease up on your caffeine consumption before you give yourself a heart attack.”

He looked back at Missy. “I have the finest doctors and surgeons at my beck and call. They are the best in the industry and they can perform miracles.”

“Nobody can perform miracles.” Dean spat back.

Marshall’s eyes darted towards him. “You would be surprised what money can buy.”

“Marshall, we really appreciate you wanting to help…” Anne began.

“Anne, darling, I really want to help your sister.” He turned back towards Missy and handed her the card. “This is my personal number. When you are feeling up to it, please call me and I will have my assistant make all the arrangements for you.”

Tears formed in Missy’s eyes. “Thank you.”

Marshall smiled. “It’s my pleasure. Now then, you look dreadfully tired so I won’t bother you any longer.”

He got up and walked up to Anne. “Anne, my dear, you have my number. Please call me and give me updates on your sister.”

Anne nodded. “I will. Thank you for stopping.”

She wrapped her arms around him in a friendly hug. It felt nice to know that she still had a good friend from Hollywood , but she couldn’t get over how he treated Dean. When he released her he turned and left out the door.

“I don’t like him.” Dean folded his arms across his chest.

Anne spun around and looked at him. “Why? He’s a nice guy.”

“Gut feeling.”

“Maybe your gut feeling is wrong.” She slowly walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Or maybe you need me to loosen it up a bit.”

Dean stiffened.

Missy chuckled. “I know what happened between you two.”

His eyes widened. “You told her?”

“She’s my sister. We tell each other everything.”

His eyebrows lifted. “
Everything?
”

Anne knew that he meant his gift and she made a promise to him. “Ok, maybe not
everything
.”

“What am I missing? Was there another car involved?” She covered her eyes and sighed. “You know what? Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”

Anne looked at Dean and pleaded with her eyes. She couldn't keep everything from Missy and it would be hard to keep something like Dean's gift a secret.

Dean's  sigh confirmed that he got the message. He slowly walked over to Missy and sat down in the chair next to her bed.

“Missy, there's something else that you need to know about me but I need you to swear that you won't tell anyone outside of your family.”

She nodded. “Okay. What is it?”

“I have some gifts, abilities just like Anne.”

Missy smirked. “Not surprised at all, Soldier.”

Dean looked at her perplexed. “Why's that?”

“Well, Jeri told me that she had a gift so I just assumed that you had something as well. These gifts seem to be genetic at least that's what we have seen.”

A stern expression came over him. “We?”

Missy looked over at Anne. “I guess you didn't tell him?”

Anne shook her head. “I don't have the right to.”

Missy looked back at Dean. “Before the accident I had the ability to convince people to do things.”

“Do things?” Dean probed.

“Yeah, like 'Buy this perfume.' and 'Everything will think you look thinner wearing these jeans.' That's why my ads were always so successful.”

“Wait a minute, you can do that subliminally?”

Missy thought a moment and nodded. “Yeah, I guess. I think of the message, they take a picture and poof everyone who looks at the picture does exactly what I was thinking.”

Dean shook his head. “I need to come up with a plan to protect you as well.”

Anne walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Dean, I think we need to have a family meeting.”

She could tell he was already plotting a plan as he gazed at the red bouquet of mum on the other side of the room. There were so many questions floating in his mind that she knew he needed answers too and there was no reason not to trust him. He nodded, covered her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“You're right. Let's see if we can get everyone together in an hour.”

“Here, let me help.” Dean told the scrawny teenage boy as he tried to carry the massive flower basket into Missy’s room. All that was missing was a potted tree and the hospital could rename the room the Missy Stevens Botanical Garden.

“Who’s that one from?” her father asked in between sips of his coffee.

Dean set it down on the floor next to another massive bouquet of pink roses. They finished moving a couple of other flower baskets just to make some room so everyone from both families could fit.

After talking to Missy and having his suspicion of her gift confirmed, he knew he needed to create a security plan, but he had to know everything about both families, which is why he called a meeting. Everyone arrived on time but they still waited on Daniel, who was taking an emergency IT call from work in the hallway.

Jeri walked over to the bouquet and pulled out the card.

“ 'To Missy Stevens. We hope that your recovery will be quick. Signed Councilman Sanders and Edward Sanders.' ”

Anne rolled her eyes. “They don’t quit.”

“Oh, Anne. They are just being nice.” Her mother told her as she continued to crochet what looked like a baby blanket in her chair.

Real subtle, Helen.
Dean thought as he stood in front of Missy’s bed.

Evan sat next to Helen and held on to Missy’s hand. Christina and Elle were sitting at the foot of Missy’s bed. Jeri leaned carefully against the closed window blinds and crossed her arms.

“The hell they are.” Ken chimed from the other chair on the other side of the bed. “Old Sanders would marry you if I weren’t around just so he could use Missy and Anne’s star power.”

Helen stopped and looked over at him. “You are one jealous old man.”

He smiled. “And you are going to have to put up with me until I’m in the ground.”

She beamed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The door opened and Daniel walked in and pressed a button on his phone. “Sorry about that. They can’t live without me over there.”  With his athletic build, chiseled face and perfectly cut dark brown hair he looked more like a personal trainer then an IT guru. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it to prevent anyone else from entering.

Dean walked to the center of the room, Anne by his side.

“I know all of you are on edge as much as I am with everything that has happened to both Missy and Anne. I checked as best as I could for bugs.”

“There aren’t any.” George told him as he sat next to Ken. “I’d fry them if there were.”

Dean nodded. “Well, that partially answers my question. Who else has gifts like Missy and Anne?”

Everyone’s hand went up except for Helen.

Dean’s eyebrows went up.
Oh shit.
This was bigger than he thought.

“Wait.” Missy sat up a bit in her bed. “We can end this insanity very easily.”

Dean crossed his arms. “How?”

“Dad can just go back in time and tell you who the guy is that cut Evan’s brake lines and where he will be. You catch him and poof! No accident, and Psycho Bob is in jail.”

That would be so easy, but then would he and Anne have gotten this close?

“It can’t be done.” Ken muttered as he leaned over to Missy.  “If I could do that it, would have happened a long time ago.”

“Why can’t you, Dad?” Daniel asked confused.

“Because I can only go back any time before I was born, not after.”

Missy’s face turned as white as the bedsheets. “No.” Dean could see the hope just drain away.

Ken took hold of her other hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

Dean didn’t want to break up the family moment, but he didn’t want to waste the precious private time that they had.

“Mr. Stevens, Mr. Tensel, do you have any idea how any of us got these gifts?”

George shook his head. “No. I asked my Dad so many times about it but I got nothing out of him. He told me to just shut my trap and don’t tell anyone.”

Ken nodded. “Same here. We both never knew our father’s parents. They told us they were orphans but we both didn’t believe it.”

“I even tried that online family tree program.” George rubbed his right knee. “I got nothing from it.”

Dean rubbed the bridge of his nose. “All right. Who else knows about your gifts that is outside of this room?”

“My batty ex-wife.” George bellowed. “That witch probably has been telling anyone who will listen.”

“Dad. No one believes her because she lies so much.” Christina spat out, anger laced through her voice.

“Who else?”

Daniel raised his hand. “My girlfriend. She swore to me that she would never tell anyone.”

“Just don’t ever piss her off.” Christina said with a smile.

“Stan Whitman also knows about us.” Ken looked at Dean. “He’s a good man and his word is golden.”

Dean sighed. So there were three potential people who could have blurted out their secrets not to mention maybe more if anyone saw them use their gifts.

“Here’s what we are going to do.” With that he began to outline a security plan that he hoped all of them would follow.

*

At the end of their meeting, there was a loud commotion outside the door. Daniel opened the door and Dean raced to the  hall. A tear-stained blonde pleaded with the bodyguards.

“Please, my daughter is very ill. She just wants to see her favorite superhero in person. I don’t know how long…”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. Miss Stevens can’t visit your daughter. She’s very busy…” One of the guards told her.

“What’s going on?” Anne pushed through and walked into the hallway.

Dean instantly blocked her with his body in case the woman had some sort of weapon. “Miss Stevens, you need to go back…”

The woman reached out to Anne and sobbed. “Please, Miss Stevens… my daughter is dying and you are her favorite superhero. I will do anything if you could just see her, just for five minutes!”

Dean blocked the woman and the other body guards began to try to restrain her.

“Wait!” Anne told all of them as she tried to push them out of her way. “I want to talk to her.”

Dean spun around and gave her a stern look. “That’s not a good idea.”

“I know that you’re concerned with my safety, Dean, but if what she is saying is true, I want to see her daughter.”

She looked past his shoulder and shouted to the woman. “Where is your daughter?”

The woman’s face brightened. “Room 515.”

Dean took hold of her arm and whispered, “It could be a trap, Anne. I’m going to go and see if her story checks out. If it does, then I will come and get you.”

Anne looked at the woman. “Ms…?”

“Johnston, Lindsey Johnston. My daughter’s name is Ashley.”

“Ms. Johnston, can you please take Mr. Miller over to see your daughter?”

Lindsey’s face paled. “You’re not coming?”

Anne smiled. “I will. I’d just like to bring something to her so I need a minute.”

“She may not have…”

“Ms. Johnston, please, take me to see your daughter. I’ll come back for Miss Stevens very soon.” Dean interjected as he gently took hold of Lindsey’s arm and led her away from Anne and towards the elevators. “So how old is your daughter?”

“She’s seven,” the distraught mother told him as they walked away.

When she was back in Missy’s room, Anne looked around the onslaught of gifts and saw a mid-sized fuzzy brown teddy bear with a big red bow.

“Missy, do you mind?” She motioned towards the bear.

“Take him. I’m sure that he’ll make that little girl very happy.” She motioned to the flowers. “Take some bouquets with you, too. I’m starting to feel like I’m in a funeral parlor.”

Anne grabbed the bear and took the biggest bouquet in the room. With such short notice, this would have to do. She whipped her phone out of her purse, called Cindy and told her to order a huge bouquet of flowers and a basket of stuffed animals to Ashley to be delivered first thing tomorrow morning.

As she shut off her phone, she felt like for the first time in months she was going to make a difference in someone’s life. There was a knock at the door, and Dean walked in with a grim look on his face.

“She’s not lying. I checked with the doctor and nurses and they all confirmed this little girl is really sick.”

“Then I have to see her,” Anne told him as she grabbed the bear and flowers.

*

Dean watched Anne dote on the little girl and felt his heart swell. There was no diva in that hospital room as she talked to the girl about her adventures as a superhero. She took hold of the little girl’s hand as she asked her what her favorite subject was in school and what her hobbies were. Five minutes turned into thirty-five before Ashley began to nod off to sleep. Anne held her hand close to her heart until she knew she was fast asleep.

Dean could see she had a natural motherly instinct and would be great with her own children someday

As she stood to leave, Lindsey thanked her and wept as Anne hugged her goodbye. There were no words that she could give the grieving mother that could ease her sorrow. When they finally released each other, Anne wiped away the tears that formed in her eyes and was about to give Lindsey her cell phone number when Dean stepped in with a piece of paper.

“Here is my cell phone number. Call us if you need anything.”

Lindsey wiped away the tears and thanked them both a million times before Dean led Anne away.