Mend Page 5

  “Whoa, this is really good, Adrien.” He beamed at me. The drawing was good for a five-year-old. Other than my hair and my ears, which were extremely out of proportion, he had done a very good job. “Can I keep it?”

  He nodded, jumping off the bed. “Toilet.” He rushed toward the bathroom.

  “How are you feeling, sis?” Marley asked, combing her fingers through my hair.

  I smiled. “Better.”

  She stared at me for a few seconds, her eyes glistening with tears. “Promise me something. Don’t you ever scare me like that again, okay?”

  “I’m a drama queen, babe. I have to act my part.” I grinned at her, as much as the muscles on my face would allow me. It felt strange to smile. She blinked quickly and swiped her fingers under her eyes. Shit. Why do I always make jokes in dire situations? “I’m sorry.”

  I felt a light weight in my hands. Soft hands held mine. Marley’s. “Have you spoken to Mom and Dad again?”

  She nodded. “They’ll be flying to Paris in a few days, as soon as Mom gets clearance from the doctor. He wanted to monitor her sugar levels and make sure the medication he prescribed for her didn’t work negatively before giving her an okay.”

  “I’m so sorry to put you through this. They don’t deserve more problems from me, especially after taking care of me the past two years.”

  She laughed. “As if Mom and Dad would have it any other way.” She grinned slyly. “You’ve been holding out on me. Remington is hot.”

  I returned my gaze to her, smiling. “He is, isn’t he? And he’s so good to me.”

  She squeezed my hand. “It’s high time you found someone who adores you for who you are. You deserve that.”

  I shook my head. “I think it’s gone to my head. God, I’ve been so selfish.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I took a deep breath. “Adrien asked me if he could call me Mama.”

  Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. “Oh. Oh, please tell me you didn’t say what I think you did.”

  I bit my lip and nodded, feeling my eyes burn with tears. “I did. It felt really good. I just . . . how could I allow him to call me that when I knew I’d be leaving in a few months?”

  “Hey, listen to me,” she said urgently, her face filled with concern. “Selfish is not a word I’d use to describe you. Not really. You might have answered him in the heat of the moment, but you are nothing if not selfless. You love too much; it colors your judgment. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. It’s who you are and I wouldn’t change you. Have you seen how that boy looks at you? Do you know how you look when you see him?”

  I stilled, watching her. “How?”

  “Like he is your world. Even the mere mention of Remington’s name, your face lights up.”

  I grinned, settling back on the pillows. She studied my face through narrowed eyes, then said, “You had no intention of coming back home, did you?”

  How the hell does she know that? “What?”

  “You already made up your mind the minute you met Remington and Adrien. You just didn’t know it at that time.”

  I rolled my eyes. “So, I hear psych major is treating you well.”

  Adrien returned from the bathroom, dragging his feet on the floor. “I’m bored. Aunt Marley, can we go please?”

  Marley quickly dropped her magazine and leaped off the couch. I chuckled as I watched her slip her feet inside her shoes hurriedly while Adrien skipped around the room making airplane noises. She was truly and utterly wrapped around his tiny little finger. She snatched her handbag from the table, heading for the door, but Adrien abruptly sprinted toward me and scrambled up the bed and threw his arms around my neck.

  “I’m happy you didn’t die, Mama.”

  I blinked back tears. “Me, too, darling.” The way he called me ‘mama’ warmed my heart. Marley was right. I wasn’t leaving this boy. Not in a hundred years. But I had to speak to Remington to gauge where he was in this relationship.

  Marley gave me a look I couldn’t interpret. She quickly swiped the tears in her eyes and smiled. “I’m so happy for you, sis.”

  Marley, my cheerleader. I love this girl so much.

  There was a knock on the door and seconds later, the physical therapist stepped into the room. He glanced around the room quickly before beaming at me on the bed. Marley snickered and stood up to leave. Apparently, Remington had made an impression on him the first time they met. According to Marley, my source, Remington had given him one of his looks; a stern look complete with gaze tracking every movement his hands made.

  After a wet kiss on my cheek from Adrien and a wave from Marley, they left and my therapy session started.

  LAST NIGHT, I had a problem falling asleep. Every time I tried, the memory of what happened in Provence plagued my dreams. I’d woken up several times in the night and was terrified if the doctor administered a drug to help me sleep, something might happen while I wasn’t conscious. So I called Marley earlier today to visit sooner than usual so I could nap for a few hours. Right before I fell asleep, the hospital phone on the nightstand started to ring, startling me.

  Marley leaned forward to pick it up and handed me the handset. “Oooh, maybe it’s Hot Remington on the phone.” She giggled, then stopped when I didn’t smile. I felt as if I hadn’t slept for years. “I could tell him to call later so you can get some sleep. You really look bad.”

  I shook my head, and for the first time since yesterday, my heart beat fast in anticipation. I missed him so much. “Hi.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line, then, “So, it’s true. You are still alive.”

  That voice sent a shiver down my spine. “Looks like your attempts failed. Try harder next time.” Marley’s eyes widened and she mouthed ‘give me the phone.’ I shook my head. If this crazy woman wanted me, then I’d deal with her.

  “Those policemen guarding you will not stop me from getting to you, you know. Have you received my gift?”

  I glanced around the room, my heart slamming into my chest in fear. “Looks like your delivery failed,” I said, hoping I sounded brave. “Who the hell are you? Why can’t you leave us alone?”

  “Leave you alone?” She laughed coldly. “You’ll know who I am soon enough.” The line went dead. I handed the handset back to Marley, my pulse beating fast in my ears. I felt nauseous, hot and cold at the same time.

  “Was it her?”

  I nodded, pushing the bed sheets away from my body to get some air.

  The door opened, admitting a tall nurse with blonde hair holding a brown paper bag similar to the ones found in flower shops. She smiled at Marley before sliding me a look. “These came for you.” She placed the bag on the nightstand. “Ready for your injection?”

  I nodded as Marley shuddered next to me. She’d hated getting shots since she was a child. “How long do I still need these?”

  “I’ll come back later to draw some blood to run aPTT test. If that has stabilized, and your blood clots in the expected time, we can cease administering the Clexane.” She pulled the syringe from the pocket of her uniform. “Relax, okay?”

  I nodded, concentrated on the sound of crinkling paper and I assumed my sister had taken it upon herself to unwrap the brown bag. Leaning back into my pillows, I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth against the sharp pain from the needle. The feeling was gone as suddenly as it came.

  “What the fuck!” Marley shouted.

  My eyes flipped open to watch a bouquet of irises drop to the floor. I glanced up to find Marley’s hand gripped around the nurse’s. “What’s wrong?” I asked. My voice sounded weird and my vision was blurry.

  “She’s trying to kill you! I’ve sat through most of these treatments and that’s not what they use.” She pointed toward the floor. I turned my head and saw the syringe in the corner.

  Oh, fuck!

  The door burst open and two policemen and another two men in civilian clothes rushed in. Pandemonium ensued, or maybe it was just
me?

  “Marley? What is happening? I . . .” The words trailed off as everything around me dulled in sound and light, then went black.

  CALEB WAS recovering well and I was packing my carry-on bag, ready to leave the hospital. I was eager to get to Paris as quickly as possible, then back to Marseilles. The procedure was deemed a success. After the final tests, the doctor assured me I was on the way to recovery and that I’d need at least three weeks before I went back to work. Easy. I would spend those days, every fucking one of them, kissing Selene. My cock stirred in my jeans, sending heat all over my body. I inhaled deeply, dragging my shaking fingers through my hair.

  Control yourself, Remington. She is probably not ready for you in her current condition.

  True. What I was feeling right now, the relief that at least everything seemed to be working well and the possibility of sinking my cock so deep inside Selene’s pussy, had me so hard and panting. I adjusted myself in my jeans and groaned.

  “Thinking about her, aren’t you? Well, don’t stop on my account,” Caleb announced himself, jolting me from my lust-filled thoughts. Startled, I spun around to find him smiling wide at me. How the hell didn’t I hear him?

  “The nurse brought me here.” He smirked. “So, when will you bring this goddess you keep raving about for a visit?”

  “As soon as your lazy arse is out of the hospital.”

  He laughed. “Fantastic. I’ll make sure to roll out the red carpet and hire a mariachi band.”

  I chuckled, hoisting my bag over one shoulder. “Call me when you leave this place.” I hadn’t told him about the drama in my life and I had asked Adele not to. He didn’t need that kind of stress in his current condition.

  His gaze dropped to his lap. “My father—our father says he has been calling you but you keep brushing him off. He wants to thank you for what you did.” He lifted his eyes to my face.

  “You are alive. That is gratitude enough for me.” I took a step forward, making it clear I wasn’t in the mood to talk about our father.

  “Just hear him out, okay? I know he’s an impossible wanker, as you called him, but just give him a few seconds.”

  I shook my head. “I have a lot of things going on in my life right now. I can’t . . . won’t allow him to make my life more difficult. Give me a call sometime, all right?”

  He sighed and nodded.

  After saying our goodbyes, I left the hospital while pulling my mobile from my jacket to check for missed calls. I froze mid-step while walking toward a waiting taxi and listened to the voice messages.

  Bloody fucking hell!

  Rage erupted inside me, settling in my veins. The only consolation was knowing the hospital staff had been quick enough to pump whatever was in that injection out of Selene’s system. And that the nurse who administered the drug had been apprehended. Enough was enough. I had to identify this culprit before flying to Marseilles.

  After calling Gilles to let him know I’d be arriving around one and a half hours later, I stalked my way to the waiting taxi and left for the airport.

  “ARE YOU sure you’re ready to go in there? We don’t really need to do this today,” Gilles said, turning around from the cupboard filled with what I assumed was surveillance equipment, and faced me.

  “I want to get this over and done with. This nightmare has gone on far too long. Besides, if we don’t solve this, who knows what else this woman is up to?” I shuddered, remembering how closely Selene had brushed shoulders with death. Because of me.

  Fuck.

  “She’s intent on getting rid of Selene. I’m determined to keep her alive. Let’s do this.”

  Gilles eyebrows shot up. “I’m with you, mon ami. Put this on,” Gilles handed me a Kevlar vest he had dug from the cupboard.

  I cocked a brow. “Don’t you think this is going a bit too far?”

  “I have no idea what kind of madness we are dealing with. Better safe than sorry, oui?”

  Touché.

  After slipping on the vest, Gilles and I joined Alexei, one of Gilles’ personnel, in the parking lot and drove toward the 10th arrondissement.

  Seven minutes later, we were striding down a hallway in an eighteenth-century building. It was quiet, as if no one actually lived here. Alexei halted in front of a brown wooden door, removed a small toolbox from his jacket pocket, and picked a tool from within. Seconds later, the door was open.

  I followed Alexei inside, with Gilles pulling up the rear while looking around. The farther we stepped into the interior, the faster my heart pounded in my chest.

  Finally. I’m inside the belly of the beast.

  I glanced around the living room, taking in the white walls void of any decorations, television or radio. The only thing housed in this godforsaken place was a threadbare couch and a table that looked as if it had seen better days.

  I walked from room to room, trying to get a hint, something that I’d recognize, then halted mid-way as I caught a scent. A familiar scent. I followed it through the bedroom door and into what looked like a storeroom of sorts.

  “There you go.”

  I startled and turned, a glare on my face. “Christ, Gilles. Do that again and I’ll punch you in the face.” My voice echoed in the small room.

  He chuckled, shaking his head.

  I glanced around for the source of the strong scent as my pulse thudded louder in my head. My mind screamed at me, forcing me to acknowledge the source. But I couldn’t. Not until I saw it with my own eyes. I tapped the walls, looking for a way to follow that familiar scent. They sounded hollow, as if there was another room hidden behind the boards. I pushed and shoved but nothing happened.

  “Does Alexei have something to open this wall? There’s another room behind it.”

  Gilles squeezed past me and rapped the wall with his knuckles. “Son of a bitch, you’re right.”

  “I’m always right,” I said. He snorted and yelled Alexei’s name.

  Minutes later, he found a way to get in through what looked like an invisible crack in the wall—which was, in fact, a push button.

  I scanned the room, nausea rising in my throat.

  “What the bloody fuck is this?” I asked under my breath. There was a small wooden table decorated with what looked like a thousand pictures of Adrien and me. Three purple candles were placed strategically on the table. At the far end was a CD player. I leaned closer, squinting at the CD case on top of the player, feeling cold sweat break out on my forehead.

  “Christ.” There it was, my missing CD of The Nutcracker.

  The walls were covered with more photos, but this time they were of women I’d dated in the past, with the letter X on their faces. And the images that had Adrien and me in them were circled, with the words, ‘My Family’ on them.

  “Remington?”

  I couldn’t speak. Fuck. I needed air. It couldn’t be true. Could God be so cruel that He’d do this to me? Hadn’t I suffered enough?

  The perfume felt like an invisible hand wrapped around my neck, choking me. I needed to get out of this house, get some fresh air.

  “Do you know who this woman is?” Gilles asked.

  I shook my head, unable to get the words out, and murmured, “I need some air,” and strode out of the small room and the house. I rounded the corner to take the stairwell and froze. My gaze widened as I came face-to-face with my past. The ghost who had been haunting us.

  My stalker?

  I blinked. No. NO! My eyes were playing tricks on me. There was no way in the fucking world this could be happening. Grabbing the wall, I shut my eyes tightly, trying to breathe normally as dizziness threatened to drag me down.

  It couldn’t be true. The hand at my side formed a fist as my eyes peeled open, slowly. God, she is still there.

  Her eyes were wide, and her mouth opened and closed, shocked. “Remington?”

  “Colette?”

  MY CHEST ached. Sweat broke out on my forehead, spreading all over my body. Pain unlike any other punched me hard in my
stomach. But above all, shock rendered me immobile. I stared into the face of the woman I had buried five years ago, her eyes wide.

  I buried her. I watched the coffin being lowered into the grave. I remembered the day I was notified about her death. I remembered visiting the mortuary after I was informed her body had completely burned in the crash, and instead of identifying her body, they showed me her remains.

  I buried you, or did I? This was a nightmare.

  The five years hadn’t changed her. Not even a bit. She was still beautiful, maybe even more so with her eyes staring at me as if I was the only thing she could see. She smiled, and I sucked in a breath, the exact way I had always responded to her smile, before she cheated on me with another man. Before she pretended she was dead and threatened Selene, the woman who now owned my heart.

  “Colette?” Even saying that name again tasted foreign on my tongue. “You are dead. Mon Dieu, I buried you five years ago. You are dead.”

  Her gaze darted up and down the empty hallway, then back at me. “What are you doing here?”

  I jerked back, the suddenness of that question slapping me on my face. She’d been alive all this time and all she could ask was what I was doing here? I couldn’t believe this woman. Her treachery had gone beyond anything I could ever imagine.

  I flexed my hands at my sides and straightened, then schooled my expression, forcing myself to get over the fact she was standing in front of me. Breathe. I knew if I warned Gilles, I might spook her, and she’d disappear on us. So I decided to distract her, hoping Gilles would come looking for me.

  “What have you been up to, other than threatening the women I’ve dated?” I asked, in what I hoped was a pleasant voice. Bloody hell, I wanted to stalk forward, grab her, and actually kill her myself.

  Her smile disappeared. “Remington, I really want to apologize for what I did. I didn’t mean to fake my death, but—”

  I inched closer and she moved back two paces, resting her foot on one of the steps. Then casually rested her shoulder on the wall that managed to hide her body well from anyone walking toward us.