Lusting (Carnal Sins Of Noah Trilogy #1) (20 page)

Noah stretched his long legs out in front of him, "When don't you?"

Mack turned and Noah saw just how angry he was with
him. His jaw flexed with barely suppressed anger.

"I think it's past time that you've gotten yourself together, sir. Ms. Monroe’s a great person and don't deserve watching you destroy your life. It obviously upsets her. And I don't want to see everything you've worked so hard for, go to shit. I've known no other person who’s more smart and self-less. I enjoy working for you, so don't make me quit. But, I refuse to work for someone throwing their life away." Then he got up and walked out of the hospital, leaving a stunned Noah looking after him...

No Shit!

Noah had never seen Mack this pissed before. Mack’s been a great friend. And if Noah was honest with himself, Mack was kind of a father figure. And he didn't want to see him go. Mack was right. He’d been screwing around, letting himself go. It'd been the only way he'd been able to cope during the days…and the nights. Noah ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

An eternity passed by and Noah was growing more restless each millisecond.

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Mack stalk back in, much calmer.

"Better?" Noah asked him when he took his seat.

"Much."

Nodding, he muttered, "Mack, I'm..."

"I know."

Noah was saved from apologizing. He didn't know how it would've ended anyway. He never had to apologize. To anyone. It didn't sit right with. Made him feel vulnerable. He just didn't like it.

Hell, I haven’t even visited my mother’s grave to apologize to her. I have too much guilt
.

"Mr. Kane." The doctor called out from the double doors to the emergency wing.

Noah stood as he came over, “How is she doctor?”

Please say that she’s fine. I don’t want to live in a world that she isn’t in.

"She's stable. We are not sure what's happened, but, we are waiting for her blood test to come back. It shouldn’t be too much longer."

Noah nodded as relief flooded him. Then paused…

They aren't sure what’s wrong with her?

"Can I see her?"

"I'm sorry sir. But I can't, because you are not family. I'm not even supposed to tell you what I have. But, I wanted to let you know she's stable." He informed politely before taking his leave.

Noah frowned.
Fuck being family! She's my...my
...

What Kane?
The devil on his shoulder snarled sarcastically.

"Don't worry sir, I've called in a favor." Mack spoke quietly beside him.

And seconds later, the nurse Mack had talked to, called them over.

"Mr. Kane."

He looked at her. She was pretty, short with dark hair, eyes and skin. She had an exotic look to her. Noah raised an eyebrow to Mack and he blushed. It was laughable. But she caught his attention when she told him to follow her.

She ushered them into a room. As Noah entered the room, he saw what favor Mack called in.

Alexis!

She was hooked up to a monitor, eye's closed and still very pale. She looked beautiful, serene and innocent. And she was alive!

A breath he didn't know he was holding released, deflating him. Noah didn't realize just how scared he was until that moment. He walked over to her and grasped her hand. It was so cold. And it took him back to that day!

"Mommy, mommy, wake up..." Noah shook his head, hard, forcing the memory away.

I don't want to go there. Alexis is alive. Breathing. That’s all that matters
.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, gazing down at her.
Open your eyes, sweetheart. Look at me. Please
.

"Mr. Kane, please come over here." The nurse ordered softly, after a moment.

Noah turned his head to look at her and his eyebrows raised when he saw her holding an IV drip attached to a water bag. He turned to look from Mack to the nurse and back. Mack shrugged his shoulders.

"You could use it and..."

"I don't need..."

"...be able to stay in here with Alexis." Mack finished, unperturbed.

Damn it. He's right. Again!

Noah nodded. "But here. In this chair. I want to be close to her when she awakens. She might need me."

She might kill you, you mean
. The devil on his shoulder laughed out. And Noah was afraid the little nuisance was right, this time. She would be livid with him...

“I’ve admitted you for alcohol poisoning, so you shouldn’t come across any issues for being in here,” the nurse smiled, hooked him up to the IV bag and proceeded to flush the alcohol from his body.

Hours later, Noah was the first to see Alexis move. He’d been watching her like a hawk circling
it’s prey…or rather like a vengeful angel guarding the heavenly gates.

Alexis’s throat itched terribly as she tried to pry her eyes open, but they were so heavy. She could hear voices close to her; she knew three of them, but, the fourth was unfamiliar.

"Please, only family at the moment," The unfamiliar voice said.

"But he's not family!"

Ryan!

"Ryan, please. She's ok, we'll see her when she wakes up."

Cadence!

Alexis heard footsteps and then a door closed. They had left.

And then she heard MacKenzie's worried voice. "Are you sure she's okay?"

"Yes, she's just sleeping." The unfamiliar voice articulated and she left too.

Alexis struggled to understand the conversation. Where was she? Why were her eyes so damned hard to open?

And then she remembered. Noah, the girls, the music, feeling sick and falling.

She moaned and pried her eyes open, meeting MacKenzie's worried face, close, practically touching nose to nose.

"MacKenzie, too close, my eyes." Alexis voiced, sounding terribly faint.

"Oh Alexis! You scared the living crap out of me! What happened? Mr. Kane said you just passed out!

My God, tell me what’s wrong with you! You better not die on me. I just couldn't bare..."

Alexis sighed, "Kenz, I'm fine. It was probably because I didn't eat breakfast...or lunch."

A growl captured Alexis’s attention on her left and she
twisted her head in the bed...and then she saw him.

Noah
.

The breath left her body in a rush.

He looked every bit of the prince of darkness, dressed in a black shirt and black jeans. Yes, definitely a good name for him. He was currently attached to an IV...that he just ripped out of his arm and stalked toward her.
Oh
!

"Noah what...”

"You haven’t been eating? Why? What were you thinking woman? Are you trying to kill yourself?" He scowled down at her.

Alexis ignored his questions. "Kenz, this is Mr. No..."

"We've already met, Alexis. Please answer my question. Why haven't you been taking care of yourself?" Noah’s voice took on a softer tone, his eyes pleading with hers. He looked so distraught, so worried.

She decided to not tell him all of the truth, "I have been, I just forgot to eat. I've been really busy."

His eyes narrowed on hers. She knew he didn’t buy her excuse for one second, but he didn’t say anything else about it. And Alexis was saved from answering any more of his questions, when her doctor came back in.

He frowned disapprovingly at Noah and Alexis had an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh. "Mr. Kane what are you doing in here? Only Ms. Monroe’s..."

"I’m not leaving so you might as well get on with whatever you have to say."

The poor doctor looked stunned for a moment, “I assure you sir, I will not get on with..."

"It’s fine doctor. He can stay." Alexis told the doctor, who looked from Noah to her and shook his head. Clearly he did not like Noah. And she wondered what Noah did to earn his
displeasure.

"Fine. Ms. Monroe, there were toxins found in your blood..."

"Toxins? Like drugs?" Noah asked, perturbed and then looked at her in confusion.

Alexis was just as confused.

"What do you mean by toxins, doctor?' Kenz asked in a stern voice, all doctor-like. Yes she'd be a great doctor one day.

"No, no, not drugs. If you’ll let me finish…,” He frowned at Noah for interrupting him. “It's a toxin, a poison, that's found in many things, mostly overseas. Have you come in contact with anything recently that you normally don't see, Ms. Monroe?"

Alexis tried to think of something, anything that could have possibly been poisonous and came up with nothing." Not that I could think of."

The doctor nodded, "Well, if you find out what it is, dispose of it immediately and use gloves. We’ve administered a drug that will reverse the affects but, I'd like to keep you overnight for observation if that's ok with you."

Alexis shuddered. She didn't really want to stay overnight. She hated hospitals. She hadn't been to one since her mom died.

Noah must've seen the look on her face because he started to say something, but, MacKenzie beat him to it.

"She'll be coming home with me, doctor. She'll have plenty eyes on her, pushing her toward a speedy recovery, I assure you."

The doctor looked like he wanted to protest, but gave in when Kenz leveled a look that said 'Don't even'.

"Ms. Alexis and Mackenzie Monroe, I’ll be back with the discharge papers." The doctor said and left out the room. He
didn't even acknowledge Noah. But Noah didn't seem to care.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go home just yet Alexis. The toxins could be there. And I can't look after you because I have mid-terms in two days and need to get back home to study." And then Kenz turned to Noah, "Maybe you can watch her. You brought her here safely, so I trust that you can see to her comfort and safety?"

"Wait...No." Alexis protested, but, they didn’t seem to hear her.

Noah and Mackenzie both nodded and then looked at Alexis.

She narrowed her eyes at Kenz. What was Kenz doing? She knew how Noah was. Alexis told her everything.
Why is Kenz doing this to me? And she doesn't even know what’s happened today
.

"I'll take good care of her." Noah said slowly, turned and smiled his 'charm the panties off a nun’ smile at Alexis. And she couldn't help it, her heart began to thaw.

Noah walked MacKenzie to the door. She was such a bright young woman with a hell of a future in medicine. And a wicked right jab. She told him in no certain words that if he hurt her sister's heart, she’d cut his dick off and feed it to the sharks.

Yup. And with the prettiest, innocent smile ever!

He had laughed when she said it and then she landed a right jab right to his stomach.

He’d felt worse, but it still took his breath away.

Note...do not mess with this Monroe sister.

"Call me immediately, if anything goes wrong. Anything... And thank you for looking after her." She said as Mack opened the door for her.

"It's my pleasure, MacKenzie. And good luck on your exams."

She gave him a look that said 'You better behave' and then she left with a flick of her hair.

Shaking his head, Noah walked back into the living area where he’d laid a sleeping Alexis down and now watched her sleep.

You've turned my world upside down since you left ...and now you return to me. How can I let you go again?

"Sir, is there anything you need?" Mack posed from the door.

Noah turned to tell Mack that he didn't need anything, when the flowers caught his attention. They looked oddly familiar, which was weird considering he hated flowers. He never allowed any in his home. Every hair on his body stood on end and the darkness took him back to that day.

"Mommy, mommy, wake up. Mommy your cold. I will warm you up."

Noah groaned in pain and fell to his knees.

Yes, that's where they were! They were there with her. On the tub next to her! I remember!

"Sir?" Mack came rushing to him, but Noah shook his head.

"I’m ok." Noah stood once more and looked at Mack, "Who sent me those flowers?"

Noah’s brain scrambled. It could've been any one of the girls that were here. He was too drunk to know who brought it.

He was so stupid! How could he have gotten as drunk as to not to recognize those flowers?

"No one did sir. Ms. Alexis brought them with her."

Noah turned to the sleeping Alexis.

She brought me flowers? Why these flowers? I need to know!

Noah brought a hand to her face, tracing the line of her jaw with his fingertips. She leaned into his hand automatically and rubbed her face against it, much like a kitten and it made him smile. His innocent Alexis.
But how innocent?
Did she know that my mother got these flowers the day she died? And if so, why would she bring them here?
Is she that mad with me, to taunt me?
His shredded heart screamed in denial, but his brain couldn't rule it out completely. He needed to talk to her. Right now.

"Alexis, wake up sweetheart. Alexis?"

She moaned and batted his hand away, "Let me sleep, Noah."

"Alexis, I need to ask you something. It's important to me."

She groaned again, but her eye's fluttered open. "What?"