Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1) (29 page)

Her pounding was relentless, but I picked up the remote, turning the volume up as loud as it would go, doing my best to drown out the sound of her voice.

When she didn’t stop, I screamed, “Go away. Just leave me alone.”

The hotel phone rang. Shit. Someone must’ve complained about the noise. I turned the volume on the television down and picked up the phone. “Hello.”

“This is the front desk. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine.”

“We’ve received some complaints.” He paused. “Should I send security?” Double Shit.

“No, the TV, umm… I had it turned up pretty loud. I’ll turn it down.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

As soon as I heard the click of the call disconnecting, I placed the receiver back in its cradle and walked over to the door. Valerie’s screaming had stopped, but she was still pounding.

“Security is on their way,” I shouted through the door. The pounding stopped then too. “Security is on their way,” I said again.

“Damn it, Bella. This isn’t over. I won’t be denied this time.”

Staring at the door, I silently wondered if she’d gone. I looked out through the peep hole, relieved there wasn’t any sign of her. I couldn’t wait to get out of there and headed into the bathroom to finish packing.

A noise in the other room caught my attention. I turned to see what it was, but something struck me in the head. Instantly, my eyes closed.

• • • • •

My head felt funny when I opened my eyes. The light from the television was barely visible. Something was covering my face, my silk nightshirt maybe. My arms, they wouldn’t move. My heart started to race so fast I could barely breathe. I looked to the right, to the left, there were only shadows. The shadow moved. No! It couldn’t be him. How had he found me?

He moved closer. I opened my mouth to scream, but my voice failed. My eyes were too heavy, and I couldn’t hold them open any longer.

Muffled sounds surround me. Someone was touching my leg, warmth radiating from his body to mine. I tried to pull away, but my legs wouldn’t move either. I was tied up. When I forced my eyes open again he was standing next to me. I twisted and turned, pulling on my restraints, desperately wanting to escape.

“I like it when you fight.” That voice. I knew that voice.

“You take and you take, Bella.”

Take what. What did I take? I wanted to ask but it was no use. His hand was on my cheek. I turned my head to move away but he grabbed my chin, effectively holding me in place. Ripping the covering off my face he squeezed my chin tight, pulling my bottom lip down, claiming my mouth with his. Something tickled my face. I strained to see what it was.
Hair, long, blonde hair.

When he released my face his hands moved around my neck, squeezing tight, his nails digging in my skin.
Nails. Sharp nails.
My eyes closed.

“Stay with me, Bella. I’m not done with you yet!” His hand connected hard with my cheek. “I do matter, Bella.”

My eyes flew open as I started to cough. He moved toward my feet, trailing his sharp nail down my leg. I could see his hand, his nails. Something wasn’t right. They were long, and red. He moved closer to my feet and I could finally see him, his blonde hair, his long legs, his tiny waist. My eyes moved quickly up his body.
Breasts.
It wasn’t a man. It was a woman. A woman? But who? She was wearing a mask. Her voice was gruff. Her movements were familiar but my head was too fuzzy to even attempt to figure out why.

There was a sudden stinging pain on my leg. “I matter, Bella!” I felt the pain again and again. “You always defy me.”

The blows were coming faster, harder. “Stop,”  I  finally  managed  to  say,  my  voice  barely  above  a whisper. “Please. Stop.”

“You took him from me, Bella.” She hit me again and again. Climbing on top off me she ran the instrument she was holding in front of my face. The brown leather paddle reconciling the pain I was feeling in my mind. She lifted it up and brought it down hard against my breast before lifting it again. Over and over she repeated the process.

“NO!” I screamed out, my voice louder now.

“Hush.” Her voice was harsh, gruff. She hit me again. I bucked my hips and pulled at my restraints when she turned her wrath to my other  breast.

“Stop!” I screamed now, my voice having returned. “Stop! Why are you doing this?”

“It was my life, Bella.” She leaned closer, her face inches from mine. My senses were starting to return. She smelled of whisky and cigarettes. “You can’t keep me from what’s rightfully mine,” she growled in my face.

Her mouth was on mine. I pulled away but she grabbed ahold of my hair, keeping me in place. She kissed me again, forcing her tongue deep inside my mouth this time. I twisted and turned, pulling as hard as I could on the restraints.

“Fight me, Bella. I like it when you fight.” She ran her mouth over my chin, my neck, my ear.

“Please. Stop.” Tears were streaming down my face.

“You stole him with your sex.” She punched me in the stomach, stealing my breath. “So I will punish you with mine.” She punched me again. Her mouth was on my breast, biting.

“Stop!” I screamed when my breath returned.

She sat up, straddling me now. Her hands moved quickly around my neck. “I said HUSH.” Squeezing tight, she continued yelling. “Why do you insist on defying me?” I was seconds from passing out when she released my neck and slapped me across the face.

“HELP! SOMEBODY! HELP ME!”

She slapped me again.

“Help,” I screamed again, but the sound was muffled by the pillow she was holding over my face, making it hard to breathe.

There was a loud knock at the door. She let go of the pillow, but it was still covering my face. I felt a sharp pinch. My head was spinning.

The knocking was getting louder. “Security,” the deep voice called out. “We heard screams, ma’am. We’re coming in.”

Yes. Come in. Hurry. My eyes were too heavy to open.

• • • • •

“Oh my God, Izzy. Quick, call 911! Get an ambulance here now.” I couldn’t see. I opened my mouth to speak, but my words failed me now.

“There’s an ambulance on the way. Stay with us, ma’am.”

My chest hurt. Too much pressure. “Hurry up. We’re losing her.”

“We need to start and IV, ma’am. You’ll feel a little pinch,” a softer voice said. He was touching my arm, it was free.

Something was covering my face. I reached up to move it. “That’s an oxygen mask, Ms. James.” He put the mask back over my mouth and nose.

My eyes finally opened. “Welcome back,” he said. “I’m a paramedic. The name’s Max. We’re taking you to the hospital.”

The hospital? Wait, the attack. I remembered. I couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer, and they slowly closed.

• • • • •

“Get a CBC and a tox screen, STAT.”

The hospital. I’d made it.

“Ms. James, can you hear me?” The voice was familiar, but who? My mind was too foggy to place it. A bright light flooded into my eye. “Can you hear me, Ms. James?”

“Dr. Jensen?” I tried to speak but I couldn’t. It was so hard to breathe. My chest was tight.

“There was another attack, Izzy. You were drugged.” Something cold touched my chest. “Can you hear me?”

“She did this,” I whispered.

“A woman did this?”

“Yes,” I breathed. It was all I could manage. I couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer. Muffled voices surrounded me. There was a loud beeping sound. Pressure filled my chest. I was so sleepy.

“Clear.”

I opened my eyes, coughing, feeling as though I’d been kicked in the chest. Someone was standing over me, something in his hands. Shiny. Silver. My eyes closed again.

“Stay with us, Izzy.” The tightness in my chest stole my breath.

“Clear!”

“Code Blue. Code Blue. ICU. Code Blue.” A disembodied voice was saying.

A woman stood next to me. “Stay with us, Ms. James,” she was saying. Who was she? She was injecting something into my IV. I couldn’t breathe. “You’re in the hospital, ma’am. You’re safe now.”

Safe. I was safe. I closed my eyes. The voices were getting farther and farther away.

“She’s in V-tach.”

“Clear.”

There was that kick again. Damn that hurt.

“Again.”

“Clear.”

My eyes opened wide. “We have sinus rhythm.”

“Thank God!” Dr. Leonard. She was there too, standing beside me, staring at me. “We had another scare, Izzy.” Another scare, another attack! My heart rate increased.

“She was here?” I froze, paralyzed by fear that she had found me here.

“No, Izzy. You’re safe.” She touched my arm as she said it. “Please, try to relax. We need to keep your heart rate stable.” I took a breath, doing my best to stay calm but I was stopped by the enormous pressure in my chest.

I exhaled loudly. “My chest. What happened?”

“You developed a dangerous rhythm and we had to shock your heart to stabilize it.” Her normally all business persona had softened. “You have a high dose of ketamine in your system.”

I scrunched my nose, not at all sure what she was talking about. “It’s a dissociative drug,” Dr. Jensen offered. “It’s what your attacker used to subdue you. In high doses it can cause dangerous heart rhythms like the one you’ve experienced.”

My eyelids were heavy. I couldn’t hold them open any longer.

Voices. Lots of voices.

“Can I touch her?”

“Yes, of course, just be careful of her IVs.”

“Oh, Mom, I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.” Drew. He was holding my hand in his. I wanted to squeeze it, but my fingers wouldn’t move. My arm wouldn’t move either. Something was holding my legs. I was tied.

“NO,” I tried to scream but there was no sound.

My chest hurt. So much pressure.

Alarms sounded all around me. “Push two units of lidocaine, STAT.”

“Mom, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” He squeezed my hand tighter. “She will be okay, won’t she?”

Who was he talking to?

“Wake up, Mom, please. We’re here. You’re safe now. Everything is going to be okay.” I wanted to open my eyes but I couldn’t. They were too heavy. “Please wake up,” he whispered over and over again.

“She hears you, Drew. Keep talking to her,” Dr. Leonard was saying.

Why can’t I wake up?

“I love you, Mom. We all love you.” I focused on Drew’s voice but was drifting fast, drifting, drifting.

“Mom, please! Just wake up.” Anna. She was there too. “When is she going to wake up, Drew? Why won’t she wake up?”

I want to wake up, sweetheart, but I’m so sleepy.

“Stay strong, Sis. We have to have faith. She’ll wake up soon.”

Wake up, Izzy.

“Open your eyes, Mom. It’s time to wake up now,” Anna cried.

No, don’t cry. I’m here. I’m okay. Why can’t she hear me? Why won’t my eyes open?

“Shouldn’t the effects of the ketamine have worn off by now?” Another voice. Who was that? Why couldn’t I open my eyes?

“Unfortunately there’s no way to predict exactly how long it will take,” Dr. Leonard said, but who was she talking to? “Try to be patient, Alec. I know this can’t be easy.”

Alec? Did she say Alec?
My heart started to race. My breathing quickened.

“We’re here, Mom. You’re safe. We’re all here.” Drew held my hand again. My breathing slowed. The voices were getting farther away.

“Isabella. Oh, baby, please wake up.” I felt a soft kiss on my hand. Alec. He was really here.

“Excuse me, Mr. Payne.”

Alec let go of my hand. “Detective Rux, any news?” No, don’t let go, please stay with me.

“The FBI was able to match the print. Does the name Stephanie Sanders mean anything to you, sir?”

Who? What’s he saying?

“What? A woman did this to her?”

Yes, Alec. It was a woman. She has long blonde hair. And red nails.

“We found DNA at the scene, so we’ll know for sure very soon.

Now, does that name sound familiar or not, Mr. Payne?”

“No.”

The pain in his voice tugged on my heart. No, Alec, this wasn’t your fault. I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t. Why couldn’t I open my eyes? 

My heart started to race. I couldn’t breathe. A loud beeping sound surround me. It was so loud. Too loud.

My chest. Something was crushing my chest. I wanted to open my eyes, but I couldn’t.

People. Lots of people.

People everywhere.

“Code Blue. Code Blue. ICU. Code Blue.” The disembodied voice said again.

“She’s in V-tach.”

“Isabella!”

“Move away, Mr. Payne,” a voice I didn’t recognize yelled.

No. Alec. Stay with me.

“Everybody. Clear.”

“Again.”

“Clear.”

There was so much pressure.

“Push two more units of lidocaine.”

“Clear.”

Damn. That pain. My chest.

• • • • •

“Izzy, can you hear me?” Dr. Leonard asked.

A wave of relief washed over me when my eyelids finally responded. “Yes,” I whispered. My voice was weak, but I could speak.

“Isabella,” Alec moved between me and Dr. Leonard and picked up my hand. “Thank you, God. Thank you for bringing her back to me.” He kissed my hand over and over again.

“Alec?”

“Yes, Isabella, I’m here.”

My heart was beating faster. How did he know? When did he get here? I had so many questions.

“Mom.” Anna bent down and held on to me. “I was so worried about you.” She squeezed me tight.

Drew moved closer and hugged me too.

My head was pounding, but at least it was clear. I looked around the room, the tiny room. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the ICU. There was another attack.”

The hotel. Her hair, her long blonde hair. Her red nails. My heart started racing. That beeping sound coming back again.

A nurse pressed a button on the large monitor next to me and a blood pressure cuff squeezed my arm. “Try to stay calm, Ms. James. You’ve been through a lot these past few days.”

Did she say few days? “What day is it?”

“Today is Wednesday.”

“Wednesday,” I repeated, trying to process what she’d just said. “How long have I been here?”

“Five days,” Alec said quietly, “five excruciatingly long days.”

“Five days?” I repeated, struggling to wrap my mind around what they were saying. My job. Chris. I was supposed to call him on Monday. “Does Tim know I’m here?”

“Don’t worry about that right now, baby. You’re in the hospital. In ICU. We almost lost you.” He pulled his hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry, Isabella. I should’ve been there. I was supposed to protect you.”

“Alec, no, this isn’t your fault. I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve stayed.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand in his. “And I should’ve come after you.”

“You’re both right,” Drew interjected. “You should’ve listened to Alec. You should’ve stayed where you were safe.” He looked from me to Alec. “And you shouldn’t have let her go. But what’s done is done.” Drew leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “You’re gonna be okay, and that’s all that matters now.”

“Please don’t ditch your security again, Mom,” Anna added. “I was so scared.” Her voice caught in her throat.

“Excuse me,” Dr. Leonard said from the foot of the bed.

Alec turned so he could see her, not letting go of my hand this time.

“Your labs look much better tonight, Izzy. I feel confident saying the worst is behind us now.” She looked from Drew to Anna and back again. “Go home and get some rest. Your mom is doing much better. The hospital will call you if anything changes.” Dr. Leonard looked at me again. “I want to monitor your heart here tonight, and if everything goes well we’ll get you moved to a regular room tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Can I get out of bed?”

“That should be fine. But let me get the nurse in here to remove that Foley first.”

What? I looked under the sheet, appalled by what I was seeing. When did they put that in? My face was burning from embarrassment.

“Try to sleep tonight, Izzy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I moved the bed forward until I was sitting. “She’s right, guys. You should go. You should all go.” I didn’t want any of them there after seeing that tube inside me. I just wanted to pull the covers over my head and pretend it was all just a bad dream.

“I don’t want to leave,” Anna sulked.

“That’s enough, Anna,” Alec scolded. “Both of you need to get some sleep. Preston will drive you to the hotel tonight and you can come back in the morning.”

He reached up and touched the Bluetooth that seemed to be permanently attached to his ear. “Drew and Anna need a ride to the hotel. No, I’m staying here,” he said, then pressed the button again.

“Alec, you don’t need to stay.”

“I’m not leaving you, Isabella.” His voice was soft but stern, and I knew he wasn’t taking no for an   answer.

After I kissed the kids goodbye, they disappeared through the glass door.

Fortunately, it was only a short while later when the nurse came in to remove that stupid tube. “I need a few minutes alone with Ms. James,” she said looking right at Alec.

“Do what you have to do. I’m not leaving her.”

“Alec, please, this is embarrassing enough.”

He started to object but the look on my face must have made him reconsider, and he finally agreed to step out into the hall. It was bad enough knowing he’d seen me like this, weak, vulnerable, unable to care for myself. I wasn’t about to let him watch as they pulled out the catheter.

In a matter of seconds it was gone. The nurse helped me to my feet so I could use the tiny bathroom inside the ICU room. My legs were wobbly and weak, the effects of spending five days in bed. The bathroom wasn’t exactly private either, but it was definitely better than the alternative.

Alec returned as soon as the nurse left. Sitting on the edge of the bed once more he took my hand in his. “I’m so sorry, Isabella.” A single tear rolled down his cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do…”

“Don’t do this, Alec.” I reached up and wiped away the tear. “Stop torturing yourself. This isn’t your fault.” What happened to his family hadn’t been his fault either but that hadn’t stopped him from blaming himself, and I didn’t want him blaming himself for what happened to me. If anything it was my fault. I was the one who left, who’d made the decision security wasn’t necessary any longer. “I’m just so thankful you’re here, especially after the horrible things I said to you.”

He wrapped his arms around me. “Anything for you, baby,” he whispered.

I buried my face in his chest, more than thankful he was here with me.

• • • • •

It was dark. I couldn’t see. My arms were tied. My legs too. Long blonde hair, red nails, that leather paddle. Pain. There was so much pain. Voices. Voices all around me. That smell. Her nails. Cigarettes. Whisky. Sharp red nails. Blonde hair. I couldn’t breathe. My heart was racing. “NO,” I screamed. “HELP ME! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!

“Isabella, wake up. You’re dreaming, baby. It’s just a bad dream. You’re safe now.”

Alec was sitting beside me when my eyes opened. The nurse was injecting something into my IV. “It was only a dream,” he said again.

My eyes were heavy. I couldn’t hold them open.

• • • • •

I jolted upright in bed, my head pounding. Light flooded the room and I knew it must be morning. I looked around, wondering where I was. This wasn’t the same ICU room I’d been in last night. It was bigger, much bigger. And everywhere I looked I saw flowers, lots and lots of flowers, and Alec. He was asleep in the chair near the bed, looking so peaceful, not at all the control freak I stormed out on almost two weeks earlier.

“Good morning, Izzy,” Dr. Leonard said as she walked through the door. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better, except my head is pounding.”

She nodded but continued to remove the stethoscope from around her neck. “Do you think you can you sit up so I can listen to your heart?”

I raised the back of the bed, my eyes fixed on Alec as he stirred. “Nice and strong,” Dr. Leonard said.

“Does that mean I can go home?”

“I think we can manage that in a day or two.”