Soul (5 page)

“We’re not going home. We’re going to the Davis Mansion when you’re sprung out of here, but I think it might be a couple more days.” If I have anything to say about it, it will. I’ve got two fully-armed guards at her door, another four trolling the building and parking lots looking for suspicious activity. McBride’s still out there. The only thing we found when the area surrounding her shelter was searched was a brown satchel with provisions in it.

Her eyes turn a darker, leafy green. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be sleeping in our bed at the penthouse. I’ve been locked away in a god-damned cell for a week,” her voice shakes and it sends my temper ablaze. “I need to be home. With you. Where I’m most comfortable.”

I suck in a breath and try to control my anger. The fact that I have to worry about where my fiancée is going to be safest, instead of comfortable, after what she’s gone through is infuriating. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Like I’m trying to figure out how you thought it best to crawl into bed with my patient, Mr. Davis,” comes a grumbling voice from the door. Dr. Dutera enters, his rimless glasses perched on his bulbous nose. Even with the well-mannered doctor, I’m not going to justify his remark by giving him a response. Gillian is my woman. I go where she goes. Period. And after being faced with her abduction the last few days, anyone who gets in my way will pay dearly.

“I sleep better next to my fiancé doctor.” Gillian glances down to the wedding ring on the doctor’s left hand. “I imagine your wife feels the same about you.”

A slow smile fills the doctor’s face. As with any man, his woman is the way to his heart. Not a meal as the overused cliché suggests. Just the love of a good woman. Of course my woman would pick up on that. Gillian has always had a way with people. Most days I wish she didn’t. I’d prefer to have her all to myself.

“Yes, well, we need to check your vitals and go over your injuries,” he says while flipping through the pages on her chart. I slowly remove myself from the bed.

“I’ll just speak to security and grab a cup of coffee…” I barely have my hand on the door handle before Gillian screams.

“Chase no! Don’t leave me!” she screeches. In less than a blink, I’m back at her side and she’s in my arms. Tears pour down her cheeks and soak my shirt where she rubs her battered face into my sternum. “Just, please, don’t leave me,” she chokes back a sob and sniffles, wiping her face against my shirt. I don’t care. The violent response to my leaving is enough for me.

“I’m not going anywhere. Shh, it’s okay. I’m here.” I hold her until her sobs become soft hiccups against my chest. When I look up the doctor’s mouth is set into a grim line.

“We’re going to need to have psych come assist—” He starts, but I cut him off.

I point my finger at him, my tone menacing and firm. “Don’t say a word. Not a
word
. She’s fine. Just shaken up, which is understandable after what she’s gone through.” I pet Gillian’s hair and she shudders against me. The emotional waves tear through my own defenses and the lion comes out, claws sharpened and incisors ready to tear flesh. “Now, we have a great psychologist named Dr. Madison that I’d like you to call. Give him a brief rundown of the situation, and I’m certain he will be happy to assist in Gillian’s mental health. Do I make myself clear, Dr. Dutera?” My tone leaves no room for argument. If he does, we’ll get another doctor within the hour.

The doctor sighs, and his mouth tightens. “I understand,” he says, then proceeds to go through the laundry list of injuries she sustained. For the most part, the wrists, ankles, and face received the most damage. All will heal well as we continue her on the antibiotics and taper off the pain medications.

“According to my records, you’ve lost twenty-five pounds since your first visit with me when you got your stitches removed just under a year ago. That’s a lot of weight for a slight woman. I’d like to see you put at least ten of those pounds back on,” he suggests. She nods but doesn’t move her face from the position against my chest. If anything, she’s made herself more comfortable there. Again, I can’t complain. She needs me. Having this woman
need
me is everything I’ve ever wanted. I just didn’t want it under these conditions or circumstances.

I settle Gillian back down on the bed but lean against her side. She clasps my hand, bringing it up to her lips, and holds it there. Just holds my hand against the abrasions on her chin and mouth as if it were a safety blanket. In that moment, I know we need Dr. Madison’s expertise far more than I had imagined.

That rat bastard has had
my
princess for two fucking days now. The hospital they’ve taken her to is crawling with fibbies and hired rent-a-cops. I’ll just bet all of them have my picture, too. Stupid fucks. Nothing a little brown hair dye, a pair of colored contacts, and a little facial hair won’t fix.

The white walls of the hospital corridor remind me of a psych ward. Up ahead, I see one of the rent-a-cops. Perfect test. He moves to walk past me, and I stop him with a hand on his elbow.

“Excuse me, do you have the time?” I ask looking him directly in the eye. He looks down at his watch.

“Sure Pal, it’s ten to four,” he says, then adjusts his belt. Something I find that security guards do. Somehow they believe it makes them look more powerful. Like they have to go through any actual training to carry a baton and a walkie-talkie. I try hard not to roll my eyes.

I look around and catch the uniform of another fake, first responder. “So what’s with all the security? Is there someone famous here?” I ask in a hushed tone making sure to use good voice inflection and prod his shoulder like we’re old high school buddies.

He scans the space for a moment, places his hands on his belt once more then leans forward. “You didn’t hear this from me, but yeah. A billionaire is here, and his wife is being treated. She was kidnapped.”

His wife.
Not fucking possible. I grit my teeth and try not to correct the man. “Really? Is she okay?” He nods. “Banged up pretty bad. The guy who took her was a real sick-o if you know what I mean.”

My head flies back at the offensive slam. “No, I don’t. Tell me!” My voice turns harsh and his eyebrows narrow. “I mean, you know buddy, what did he do that was bad?”

“I don’t know everything, but from what I heard, he had her shackled like a slave. Stole her on her wedding day, too. Still had the dress on when she arrived on the chopper half dead.”

“Half dead!” I say far too loudly.

“You deaf? Yeah, guy almost killed her. Anyway, I need to do my rounds. Keep an eye out for this guy.” He holds up a picture of me. It is one that Gillian had of us together only someone cut her out of it.

Do they think they can cut me out of her life? That I’ll go away so easily?

I study the photo for another moment. “Well, I hope you find the guy.”

“Yeah it would be great if I’m the one who gets to take him out. Would be a real service to mankind.” The overweight man slaps me on the back. I clench my fist to prevent my natural inclination to wrap my hands around his beefy head and twist his neck until the bones snap, crackle, and pop.

He left to finish his rounds as I move to do the same. Only I make it a point to walk past every security guard, ask them a question or bump into them. None of them recognize me. Stupid idiots. This time tomorrow, I’ll have my girl back.

S
omething tickles
my nose and I open my eyes. It’s Maria. Her smile is huge.

“
Cara bonita
, you are a sight for very sore eyes.” She sits in the chair next to me, clasps my hand in both of hers then pulls them to her cheeks. The olive of her skin is a stark contrast to the pallor and bruises of my own. A long breath escapes her lips. Two tears fall delicately down her cheeks.

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m okay, really.” Those full lips of hers tip upward slightly but can’t seem to hold onto a smile.

“Gigi, we almost lost you.
Ido.
Gone. I cannot lose you. You, the girls, you’re all I have.”

I frown. “That’s not true. You have Tommy and Phil, and Chase.”

She laughs before her ice-blue eyes focus on mine and she gets very close. Her nose touches mine and she nuzzles it then rests her forehead against the crown of mine. “It’s not the same, and you know that
cara bonita
.”

I do know that. No matter how many men come and go in our lives, the four of us, Maria, Bree, Kat, and I have something no one else has. It’s unconditional, sent down from the Heavens above. It just is. Losing one would be like losing a limb or a piece of me. Completely, utterly, unbearable.

Instead of responding, I nod and run my hand through her hair. The silky, dark waves are soft and shiny. She smells of coconut and a summer day. Maria brings that to my life. The sun. Warm, enriching, a necessity to keep the dark at bay.

The door flings open and Bree and Kat enter each holding two Styrofoam cups. Bree sets down the cups and dashes to my side. “Thank God, Gigi.” Tears instantly pour down her beautiful face as she tries to hug me around her belly but also holds herself back, her arms shaking with the strain. “I’m afraid to hurt you.”

I pull her into a tight embrace. She slumps into me, returning the hug. “You could never hurt me with a hug.” Her tears wet the shoulder of my hospital gown, and I pet her hair then wipe away her tears with one hand. “I’m on the mend. I’ll be good as new in a couple weeks.” I say while looking into Kat’s then Maria’s eyes.

Kat grabs Bree’s arm hoisting her up and off the hospital bed. “Share the love, chick!” She scowls at Bree then takes her place, her arms wrapping around me like a warm blanket on a cold day. I snuggle in, and she runs her hands up and down my back. “I cannot tell you how happy we are to have you home safe. Those few days were torture. The not knowing,” her voice catches and I hold on tighter. “We’re just really glad you’re back…” she trails off and pulls away. Her lip is trembling and those caramel-colored eyes fill to the brim with unshed tears. She looks up and presses at the corners of each eye, shakes her head, and then smiles as if she’s just put herself in check. Kat has always been one of the strongest women I know. Of the four of us, she’s usually able to keep it together in difficult situations. I hold her hand and Maria’s. Bree sits at the foot and places her own on my ankle. I wince sucking in a breath. She jumps back.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s your ankle.” Her face is scrunched into a worried one.

Maria’s eyebrows narrow. “What’s wrong with your
tobillos
?” She brazenly clutches the blanket between her fingers and pulls it back. Bree chokes back a sob and covers her mouth with her hand. Kat looks away the tears finally falling. I look down and see the bandages wrapped around each ankle are soaked through with blood. Looks like it’s time for the nurse to change them. Maria’s jaw tightens and she speaks through her teeth. “Why are they like this?”

It’s surprising that they act as though they haven’t been informed of my injuries. Then again, Chase would spare them. “Uh, Danny. He had me shackled by the ankles and wrists. I was connected to this pulley system, but the shackles were too tight and rusted through. When I struggled, they dug in. At the time I didn’t notice. Really. It’s just that the wounds got infected, so they’re giving me oral and topical antibiotics. Doctor says I’ll be fine. Really. In a couple weeks it will be like nothing ever happened.”

That’s when Maria begins to pace, muttering obscenities under her breath. I can barely catch a few words. Something about
cerdo asqueroso
which I recall meaning ‘disgusting pig’ and then she says
martarlo,
which I know for a fact means ‘kill him’ in Spanish.

Kat shakes her head, holds my hand and smiles. “Well, with us around all the time, you’re sure to heal quickly. Right ladies?”

I scrunch up my face, but that movement hurts. Really bad. I close my eyes to breathe through the jolts of pain spreading from my head down to my gut where nausea bubbles.

I will not throw up, I will not throw up. Breathe through it, Gigi. You’ve done this a million times before.

When the pain lessens and the nausea subsides, I fake a smile. Kat and Maria don’t buy it, concern heavy in their gazes. Bree ruffles through her giant patchwork purse. She pulls out a little brown bottle with a purple label. It says Valor on it.

“Here, sniff this. It’s Valor, an essential oil. It will give you strength and something else to think about besides the pain.”

I inhale deeply and am reminded of doing yoga. Taking classes with the girls, Bree calling out the cues in a serene tone. A happy place. As soon as I can move without pain, I’ll be back to the practice.

“Reminds me of I Am Yoga,” I say with a wistfulness I know she can feel. She tips her head and caresses the side of my face.

“Good times,” she agrees.

“The best. I can’t wait to go back. What’s going on with the studio?”

Bree stiffens her shoulders and twists her lips. She clasps her four-and-a-half-month pregnant belly. I lift a hand out and she holds mine over her stomach. I can almost feel a baby there. At least I’m able to convince myself I can.

“I don’t know yet. Chase found a new location though, says it’s mine if I want it.”

I press up trying to sit straighter. “Really? Where?”

One of her eyebrows rises into a point. “In your building,” she snorts. I shake my head. My man’s protective qualities know no bounds. “As if you didn’t know.”

I open and close my mouth. “I so didn’t! I swear to God.”

Her head pops back. “Huh. Well, when I mentioned it to Phil he was all for it. We’d only be a few floors apart. And get this…” She laughs and I watch her pretty face as mirth takes over her features. “Chase has made the entire tenth floor a yoga studio, small gym, and wait for it…”—Maria, Kat, and I lean closer to her—“...a daycare!”

“No way.” A daycare. Chase? I mull it over. “He did
not
mention that to me. I mean, I overheard him saying something to Dana about expanding the company on the tenth floor to a larger building across the street, but that’s all I heard. A daycare, really?”

Bree nods her head vigorously. “Says that he wants to offer more benefits to his employees. The gym, the yoga studio, and the daycare are going to be a benefit. During the evening hours, the daycare can be used for those yogis who don’t have anywhere to leave their kids. It will be part of a monthly fee they can tack onto their classes. The gym though, that’s only going to be for staff and their families. He says I can run my business like usual only he’ll pay me per employee per session, but at severely discounted rate.”

I narrow my eyes. “Why severely?” That’s very unlike Chase. Usually he’d just give the studio to her.

“Because I’m not going to be paying rent or utilities. That’s a huge expense. I’m actually going to triple my income, maybe even quadruple it.”

Now that sounds like my Chase. I smile. He gave my soul sister a new home for her studio, a daycare for not only her new baby coming in a few months but also for Anabelle. Of course, I’m sure he’ll play it off like it was for everyone. He is giving, but I know his ulterior motive. He knows it will make me happy knowing my friend is so close, and to have her yoga studio and daycare in the same building as our penthouse? Perfection. He is so going to get laid. Just as soon as I break out of this medical jail.

“So what’s the problem?” Kat asks. “Sounds like a dream come true to me. You have a new, untainted location that’s bigger, safer location, a free daycare for baby Bree and Anabelle, and you’ll be close to Phil and Gigi. I’m not seeing the issue.”

Bree shimmies from foot to foot. “I just don’t want to take advantage, you know? Gigi, Chase is going to be your husband, but just because he’s got more money than all of us combined doesn’t mean we should abuse that. I want him to know that we’re his family now, not just some moochers.”

“You calling me a mooch,
seniorita
? I live across the street rent-free in a building with cameras and a doorman. Initially, I had a problem with it, then I realized Chase didn’t do it for me.”

“Sure he did!” I say my words coming out with clear irritation.

Her eyes narrow right back as she shakes her head. “
Mierda
! He did it because he knows
you
will be worried and freaked out about my safety. Which is
ridículo
by the way. I can defend myself. Though I can’t deny, being able to afford the good vino and a few extra dance outfits has been nice.” She grins, and I push at her shoulder.

“So you think I should take Chase’s offer and move the studio?”

Three sets of eyes focus on Bree. A simultaneous “Yes!” echoes throughout the room.

Bree holds up her hands in surrender. “Okay, fine, fine. I’ll tell him when he comes back.”

When he comes back?

I look around the room. He’s not there. There is absolutely nothing in the room that shows he’s been here. My heart starts to pound, thumping powerfully in my chest. The beeping of the machine instantly goes red and a little alarm sounds. I can see my blood pressure rising. Sweat beads on my forehead.

Where is he? He can’t be gone.

“He can’t be gone. Where is he?” The tone of my voice isn’t mine. It’s unrecognizable to even me. Maria’s eyes go from blue to dark. Her face twists into a grimace. I squeeze her hand and ground down on my teeth.

“Gigi, what’s the matter? You’re hurting my hand,
chica
.” She tries to tug it out of my grasp.

“Gigi, you’re okay, we’re right here,” Kat says, but it doesn’t really get through.

I close my eyes then open them. Chase. He’s not there. “Where is he?” I yell, the sound bouncing off the walls of the small white room. My entire body is hot and my vision comes in and out. I shake my head, but, instead of seeing clearly, I see colors. A rainbow of color everywhere forces me to blink furiously. “He’s gone! He’s not here!”

I walk down the hall whistling. The world is not perfect, but having Gillian back goes a long way toward making it possible for me to breathe a little easier. We’ll find the fucker who did this to her, and I’ll ruin him. One way or another, he’ll be paying for what he’s done to Gillian and her friends.

Dana is by my side reading through the list of things that need handling at work. When Gillian fell asleep, I called the girls and told them they could come see her when she woke. When they arrived, I slipped out for my meeting with the second-in-command of Chase Industries. Knowing there are two bodyguards outside her door and a team still in the vicinity relieves a bit of the stress of leaving her. Plus, she has the three crazy sisters to keep her company. I feel relief for the first time in days…until I hear her blood curdling scream.

“He’s gone! He’s not here!” Gillian is screaming into the face of a nurse who entered only moments before I did.

“Baby, Jesus Christ!” I rush over to her and pull her into my arms.

She sobs into my chest like earlier. “You weren’t here. You left me! You promised you wouldn’t fucking leave!” Tears track down her bruised face. Her nose runs, but that’s not what gets to me. It’s the eyes. Her beautiful emerald eyes show everything. Fear, anger, betrayal, three things I never want to see when she’s looking at me. “How could you?” her voice cracks with emotion.

I sit down on the bed and she crawls into my lap like a frightened animal. Over and over she chants
you promised, you promised, you promised.
Every time she utters the word, it crushes my soul a little more.

With as much courage as I can muster, I pull her head from the cavern of my chest and look into her eyes once more. “I didn’t leave you. I wasn’t gone. I was down the hall speaking to a business associate and Dana.” I look over at the door. Dana is standing in the doorway holding the MacBook up against her chest as if she too needs to comfort something. Maria, Bree, and Kathleen are standing stock still and staring unbelievably at their friend. This woman, she’s Gillian, but not the Gigi they know. “See,” I gesture to the doorway. “Dana is right there. She came to meet me and to see you.” I shoot for my most placating tone.

Dana clears her throat, and Gillian looks up at her. Then her eyes go to her friend’s concerned ones. Her face crumbles and tears rush down her face. She hiccups into my chest. “What the fuck is wrong with me?”

That’s the question of the century, and one I fear only Dr. Madison is going to be able to answer.