More Than Forever (Providence Series Book 2) (2 page)

“
L
uke’s recent tests confirm
that he does have good brain function. However, the severity of the impact to his brain is keeping him in a coma. How long he’s in the coma for? We don’t know, but his recent tests are encouraging. Unfortunately, it is just a matter of waiting.”
 

“But, he’s been in the coma now for six weeks. His other injuries are almost healed; why can’t he just wake up?”
 

“He will wake up, Christie; he just needs time.”
 

I could hear what they were saying and I wanted to scream that I was here, but my body wasn’t letting me. I wanted to open my eyes, but they wouldn’t do it. Where was Isla? I needed to see her.
 

“Look, George, his eyes are opening. Luke, Luke, come on now. Open those eyes for me, please.”
 

The worry in my mom’s voice gave me the extra boost to force my eyes open. 

“Mr. Montgomery, I’m Doctor Fenwick. How are you feeling? Have you got any pain anywhere?” 

I did a quick mental body scan of what I was feeling and where. “My leg,” I croaked because that was the area that stood out the most and I just couldn't say more than that right now. Why was I here? 

“I'll get you something for that in a minute. I’ve been looking after you while you recovered from your accident. Now, I’m just going to shine a light in your eyes quickly, I apologize if it’s uncomfortable. Can you tell me the last thing you remember, please?” 

I tried hard to remember the last thing that happened. I woke up next to Isla and… “Mom, Isla?” 

“We’ll discuss that later, honey. Can you tell the Doctor the last thing you remember?” 

I pushed my brain to bring forward any details that it could.  

“Surprise… a bang.” God, my voice sounded rough, like I’d gargled with a porcupine or something. Suddenly, I saw Maya standing beside me as everything started to fall down around us. “
Maya!
” 

And everything went dark. 

I
sla
 

It had been five weeks since
I’d arrived in Singapore; the mental image of Luke lying in the hospital bed so broken haunted me. Thinking about that day always made me feel sick, but I was also wondering if I’d picked up some sort of bug or food poisoning a couple of days ago. I felt like death warmed up; my body ached and I couldn’t stop being sick.  

I missed Luke, I missed Gram, and I missed my boys. Christmas and New Year had been and gone, and the sight of Orchard Road and the rest of Singapore decorated and lit up had been beautiful and breath taking, but it hadn’t been the same as it would have been if I’d been with Gram, Reed, Caleb, and Johnny. I couldn’t factor Luke and his family into it, like I’d dreamed of being able to do one day. 

“Isla, you look beautiful,” Dacks said as he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.  

This guy has been my savior since I got here; taking me out, showing me around, and just being amazing in general. It didn’t hurt that he was also great to look at. 

Blonde hair, tall, dark blue eyes, built…if I wasn’t so fucked up because of Luke, I might have accepted his date requests, but he’d broken me - again. As if once wasn’t bad enough, he did it twice, and the last time was the worst because I thought we had something beautiful; I was wrong. 

“Thank you, Dacks, I’m not feeling it, though.” I gave a little laugh, trying not to cry as my stomach turned again. “I know we have a lot to do on the Giambini contract, and we’ve got that meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister next week that we need to prepare for. I’m not feeling so hot today, though, so you’ll have to bear with me.” 

“What’s wrong, gorgeous?” He looked so sincere and serious that my eyes started to water. Jesus, I must be ill; I never cry, but I just felt so fricking awful I couldn’t help it. 

“I think I have a bug or food poisoning,” I started to say just as my stomach turned again and my mouth started to fill with that awful water you get just before you throw up.  

Jumping up, I ran to the bathroom in the corner of the office and that’s when any tiny little molecule of food that could possibly be in my stomach came rushing back up leaving me retching air.  

“Here you go,” Dacks’ deep voice said he held a cold wet towel to my neck. This had to pass and soon; next week was a huge week for the Montgomery’s firm, and I refused to let them down.  

“Thanks, Dacks. I’ll just clean up and be out in a second.” 

Looking down at the toilet, my stomach twisted again, but I leaned up to flush it and got rid of the mess staring at me without adding to it. As I stumbled to the sink to clean up, I saw Dacks in the mirror standing at the door staring at me. His eyes were flicking between my face and my stomach and he looked worried.  

“It’s just food poisoning or a bug, Dacks, I’ll survive!” 

“If you say so,” he replied as he turned and walked back over to the desk leaving me wondering what the hell he meant? 

 
L
uke
 

One week later…
 

Dad had loaded the Singaporean
news for me on my iPad so that I could see the moment Isla met with the Deputy Prime Minister. All I wanted to do was see her again and this was the best way.
God, I missed her
.  

“The representatives of the Montgomery Corporation, Isla Banks and Dacks Richards, will be meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister today to discuss the building of the Gambini hotel in the Colonial District. The building started three months ago and brought one hundred and ten jobs to Singapore. Once completed, the company has confirmed…”
 

Everyone in the room stopped talking as soon as Isla’s name was mentioned and gathered around the bed to watch it with me. 

“Ms. Banks is the legal representative from MC and Mr. Richards is the…”
 

I could see them walking up the stairs towards the doors of the building, and I couldn’t help feeling pissed that she’d left me. I now knew what Kendal had done and I could guess what lies she told Isla, but she should’ve waited to talk to me. No, she shouldn’t have; I was an asshole, and I’d be surprised if she ever spoke to me again.  I should’ve known that it was a stupid thing to do, but all I’d wanted was for the company to be the international success that it was now becoming. I’d fucked up, though, big time. 

I watched the screen as Isla leaned on that bastard Richards who was whispering to her, then Isla suddenly started sinking to the ground and landed on her side on the stair as Dacks quickly reached out for her. 

“As you can see, Ms. Banks appears to have fainted. Sources tell us that an ambulance has been called and that her condition at this moment is unknown. We will update you once we have been informed of Ms. Banks’ condition.  Also, in the news today - Orchard Road will be…”
 

I didn’t want to hear about fucking Orchard Road! Throwing the covers off of my legs, I swung them over the bed to get up. I didn’t have the casts anymore, but my leg was still in agony from the severity of the breaks. I needed to toughen up and get to Isla though. 

“I’m going to get changed. Call the Doctor and tell him I want to be released today.”  

Thankfully my mom just nodded and no one challenged my decision as I limped through to the bathroom; it wouldn’t have been pretty if they had. This was Isla, for fucks sake! 

Chapter

Two

L
uke
 

I
had never enjoyed using
the company’s jet to get to where I needed to, it seemed ostentatious, but I could admit that it was handy for emergencies and for high profile clients. Sitting on it now on my way to Isla, I’d never been more grateful in my life for it.  My leg felt like it was on fire and the thumping in it made me grit my teeth.  The doctor had given me painkillers to take, but I needed a clear mind.   

Had someone done something to Isla? Was it linked to my and Maya’s accident?
 

Just as I was about to bark out orders to the security that Dad had insisted I bring with me, my phone rang beside me and I saw Derrik Teo, the head of our Singaporean operation, flash up on the screen. 

“Derrik.” 

“Sir, I’m at Gleneagles Hospital with Isla. I overheard the Doctors talking to her with the diagnosis and they will be keeping her in for a couple of days until her body stabilizes.” 

Gripping my phone until it cracked, I asked the question that was worrying me to the point of nausea, although that could also have been the pain that I was in, too. “What happened? Was she poisoned?” 

“Sir…” Derrik started. “It’s not that. She uh…she’s…” 

Finally losing patience, I barked, “What? She’s what? Just spit it out!” 

“Pregnant, Sir.”

Fuck me…

I
sla