Dylan (The Murphy Series Book 5)

by Holly C. Webb

  “The thing is,” Dylan continued. “I don’t even know where it came from. I mean, I care about her. Of course, I do. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve become friends. But tonight, I don’t know, something changed.”

  “You have feelings for her?” Liam asked, but from the look on his face, he already knew the answer.

  “Is that a bad thing?” Dylan answered his brother’s question with a question.

  “Dylan, you’re her doctor,” Liam said, stating the one piece of this that Dylan knew made everything wrong. “You could lose your license. Not to mention what Pearse would do if he found out.”

  “I know,” Dylan sighed, knowing that what his brother had said was correct. Still, it didn’t help the way he was feeling. “And I know that I can’t act on this…”

  “But you like her,” Liam finished his sentence.

  “I do,” Dylan sighed, giving his brother a sad smile. “I know this is the last thing you wanted to hear from me.”

  “Only because I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Liam said smiling at him as he walked across the hallway, sitting down on the stairs next to him. “I just think, take away the fact that you’re her doctor, and the fact her ex-husband is a deranged lunatic; she is a very broken girl, Dylan. I don’t know that she will ever be able to let you in the way you want her to.”

  “I know.” Dylan sighed, knowing his brother was right. Still, it didn’t make him feel any better.

  “Maybe you could talk to Landen,” Liam suggested. “I know he helped Finn and Emmy when they were in a similar situation. Maybe there is something he can suggest to help you figure out a way around this.”

  “Maybe,” Dylan shrugged, knowing that Liam was right once more. “But I can’t leave things how they are. I need to go talk to her; make this right for her.”

  “Then that’s what you need to do,” Liam said, giving Dylan a smile before he stood up once more.

  “Where are you going?” Dylan asked, giving him a questioning look.

  “Well,” Liam said with a smile. “If I leave you here, knowing you, you will overthink this, and go down there anyway. So I may as well drop you down there now. At least then I know you’re okay.”

  “You know me too well,” Dylan sighed as he too pushed up from the stairs. “But I am grateful for the ride.”

  “Come on, Romeo,” Liam said, as he pulled open the door. “Let’s get you down to see Juliet so that I can get home to my own fair maiden.”

  Dylan rolled his eyes as he followed Liam out of the house. He loved that no matter what life threw at him, his brother would always have his back.

  Chapter 14

  Brook

  Brook lay in her bed, staring at the small TV that hung on the wall of her room. There was some silly movie on, but she had no clue what it was about. The only thing she could think about was Dylan and what had happened before he left the hospital earlier.

  If she was honest, she wasn’t completely sure what the hell had happened, but her head was full of a million different thoughts, and now she felt tired.

  When he reached out and brushed the strand of hair from her face, she didn’t know why, but she was a little thrown. It’s not like it was the first time he had touched her. He had held her hand before. In fact, he’d touched her many times over the past two weeks. But there was something about the way he’d brushed her hair back, something intimate and she was surprised.

  Still, she had no idea why she had reacted as she had. The truth was, Dylan was the first man that she had trusted in the longest time. There was just something about him. Something that made Brook believe that there was no way he would ever hurt her. But when he brushed her hair back, she just remembered that it was something that Warren used to do. A memory flashed into her head, and she just froze.

  Dylan had been very sweet about it, but it just made Brook feel even worse.

  Then when he looked down into her eyes, something changed between them. Brook knew at that moment; they were no longer simply doctor and patient. It was more, and she was scared.

  But was he really going to kiss her?

  Brook thought he was, but she really didn’t know. Maybe she had read the whole thing wrong. Maybe she had overreacted once more, and he knew she had taken it the wrong way. That’s why he’d left, he didn’t want to embarrass her any more than she already was.

  She thought about what she would have done if he had actually tried to kiss her. Would she have let him? Was it something she even wanted him to do? The truth was, she didn’t know the answer to her questions.

  She would be lying if she said it wasn’t something she’d thought about over the last couple of weeks. At first, she thought her attraction to him was purely stupid infatuation. She was vulnerable, and he was the one who’d come to her rescue. Like he was her white knight, or the happy ever after to her fairy tale. But as the days passed, she knew that it was more than that. Her feelings for him were deeper than just some stupid ideal. She found she looked for him all the time.

  Whenever he wasn’t around her room or even her floor of the hospital, she would watch for him, waiting for a smile from his handsome face, or a funny story he would tell her about the other patients in the hospital.

  The truth was, it was the first time since Warren that she’d even considered if maybe one day she would want to be in another relationship. Brook knew in her heart that now wasn’t the right time for that, but still, Dylan had made her wonder, what if?

  But in her heart, she never believed that he might feel the same. Why would he? He was this amazing doctor, who probably could have his pick of girls. Why would he want someone like her? She came with so much baggage; she needed a U-Haul to drag it around. No, Brook knew that she needed to forget how she felt and concentrate on getting herself well enough to get out of here.

  Letting out a long, frustrated sigh, she picked up the remote control from the bed, switching off the TV before she turned over in the bed. She was tired, but something told her that sleep was not going to come easy tonight.

  Closing her eyes, she could picture Dylan’s face before she let out another long, frustrated sigh. How had everything become so messed up?

  Because it’s you, she groaned in her mind. Nothing in your life is ever simple.

  She felt tired. Pulling her legs up closer to her chest, she let the tiredness take her.

  A sudden sound woke her, she opened her eyes and went to turn over, but before she could, someone was behind her, climbing on top of her on the bed, holding her down. She pinched her eyes shut, hoping that this was all just a bad dream.

  “Brook,” a voice whispered from above her. It was familiar, just as the cologne that filled her senses was too. She slowly opened her eyes, to find a pair of grey, cold eyes that she knew all too well staring back at her once more.

  It was Warren. He was back.

  He was there in her room, and he was going to kill her.

  Terror wrapped itself around her as she opened her mouth to scream, but before she could make a sound, his hand clamped down on her mouth, pressing so hard, her teeth pierced her bottom lip. Instantly the taste of blood filled her mouth, making her gag.

  “You really thought you could get away from me!” He growled into her face; his face so close, she could feel his breath against her skin. “I told you, Brook; I would never let you just walk away from me, and I meant it. Just like I meant it when I told you I would kill you before I would let that happen. When are you going to fucking learn that you belong with me?”

  Brook tried to push him off, but he was just too strong. Suddenly he released her mouth, instead, wrapping his hands around her throat. Brook did everything she could to fight him off, but it was no use. His grasp grew tighter around her throat, as Brook could feel her lungs begin to burn, desperate for some precious air. She could feel herself become light headed. She knew if she didn’t fight him off, she was going to die. So Brook kicked and hit to free herself. Finally, she dug her nails into his hand,
making him yelp, as he released his hands from her throat.

  “You little bitch!” he hissed before he drew back and slapped her across the face. The blinding pain shot through her face, making her stomach heave. “I warned you not to fuck with me, Brook!”

  He hit her once more, this time she became disorientated.

  “Brook!” He hissed once more before he hit her again. “Brook!”

  “Brook!” A soft, gentle voice sounded in her head, pulling her from Warren and his grasp. “Brook! Wake up.”

  Her eyes snapped open, and instantly her eyes were met familiar green coloured eyes that she had come to know so well.

  “Dylan,” she breathed out, a wave of relief washing over her, as her eyes suddenly filled with hot tears. Without even thinking, she sat up and wrapped her arms around him so tightly, as a soft sob escaped from deep inside her.

  “Brook,” Dylan whispered, as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. “It’s okay. It was just a bad dream. I’ve got you.”

  “It just… it felt so real,” she cried softly, her face still buried in his neck. “It’s like he is still here, still in my head. It feels like I will never be free of him.”

  “I promise you that he will never hurt you like that again, Brook” Dylan assured her as she finally lifted her head, looking up into his eyes. “I give you my word. Liam is going to catch him, and he will never bother you again.”

  “I know you think that,” she said, giving him a sad smile. “But this is Warren. He’s untouchable, and I don’t think even Liam can make him pay.”

  “No one is untouchable,” Dylan replied, smiling too. “You have to believe that we’re going to get him.”

  “Okay,” she nodded, looking up into his eyes. She wished more than anything she could have met someone like Dylan Murphy first. Then maybe she wouldn’t be as broken as she felt now. Suddenly she remembered what had happened earlier that evening, and she knew she needed to say something. “Dylan, about earlier. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I didn’t mean to; I guess I just have some trust issues. But you’re nothing like Warren, and I need to remember that.”

  “I think I’m the one that owes you an apology,” Dylan said, giving her a nervous smile. “I made you feel uncomfortable, and I really shouldn’t have.”

  “You didn’t,” Brook insisted, knowing that wasn’t necessarily true at the time, but she wasn’t uncomfortable about it now. Now she just felt embarrassed by how she has reacted.

  “I did,” he laughed, and she loved how handsome he was when he smiled. “And I shouldn’t have. I’m your doctor, and I crossed a line that I really shouldn’t have”

  “But what if I wanted you to cross the line?” Brook asked, having no idea where that question had come from. Dylan stared at her for a moment, surprised by her question. Brook knew he was a good guy, and that he would do the right thing. He would tell her that he was her doctor and for that reason, he couldn’t be anything more. But Brook didn’t want to hear those words. Not yet. Not before she kissed him, even just one time.

  “Brook…” Dylan began to say, but before he could get another word out, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Softly at first, but then she pressed against him a little harder.

  For a moment, Dylan didn’t do anything, and Brook thought maybe she’d just made the second biggest mistake of her life. But then, Dylan kissed her back.

  His lips were soft and tender, exactly like Brook had imagined they would be. Wrapping his arms back around her, he pulled her closer to him, kissing her as she’d never been kissed before, and for the briefest moment, Brook didn’t care about anything else, but her and Dylan.

  “Brook,” Dylan whispered breathless, as their lips finally parted. “I… I shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Oh,” she breathed out softly, looking up into his eyes. She knew he was right. Her life was complicated enough as it was. Still, right at that moment, she just didn’t want to hear it. She wanted him to kiss her again.

  “There are rules,” Dylan sighed, pressing his forehead against her, giving her a sad smile. “A doctor isn’t supposed to kiss their patient. If anyone found out…”

  “Oh,” she whispered as she closed her eyes, suddenly feeling mortified that she had crossed this line. That she had done something that could get Dylan into trouble.

  Opening her eyes once more, Brook looked back up at Dylan. She knew she needed to say something too. Tell him that she was sorry, tell him that it would never happen again, but as she opened her mouth to speak, so did Dylan.

  “Fuck it,” he growled before he claimed her mouth once more. This time his kiss was harder and filled with so much passion. Brook wrapped her arms around him once more, returning his kiss with just as much passion as Dylan.

  Finally, Dylan broke his lips free, as he gasped for breath, his eyes meeting hers once more.

  “What the hell am I doing?” Dylan asked, looking down into her eyes, giving her a warm smile. “This is beyond madness.

  “If you don’t want to…” Brook began to say, knowing she needed to give him an easy out. But Dylan stopped her once more with another soft kiss on her lips.

  “Of course I want to,” Dylan breathes against her lips as he slowly broke his away. “There is nothing I want more.”

  “But?” Brook said, knowing that there was one coming.

  “But, you’re my patient,” Dylan sighed, looking down into her eyes. “And I can’t cross that line. Not while I’m still your doctor. I know it seems stupid, but it’s how it is.”

  “I see,” Brook replied, surprised by just how disappointed she felt by what he’d said.

  “But I will only be your doctor for another week or two,” Dylan continued, giving her a broad smile. “And I was hoping that once you leave here, maybe we could see how things go? Maybe we could go on a proper date?”

  “You want to date me?” Brook asked, surprised by his request.

  “I do,” he replied, smiling at her once more. “I mean, only if it’s something you’d like to do too?”

  “I would love to go on a date with you,” Brook replied, giving him a shy smile, as Dylan smiled too.

  Reaching down, he picked up her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

  “But until then,” Dylan continued, looking up into her eyes. “I need to remain professional. Or at least, I need to try and not act upon these feelings I have inside me. I need to be your doctor.”

  “I understand,” Brook replied, giving him another shy smile.

  “So, with that in mind,” Dylan said, suddenly giving her a worried look. “Do you want to tell me about your dream?”

  “It was nothing,” Brook sighed, shaking her head. She hated that once more, Warren came crashing back into her mind, reminding her that her life was a complete train wreck. For a moment she had forgotten about him, forgotten about the chaos he brought into her world, but once more he was back. His existence, his sheer presence washed away the happiness she’d felt moments earlier.

  “It’s not nothing, Brook,” Dylan said, giving her a knowing smile. “Nor is it the first bad dream you’ve had about him. Maybe if you tell me about it, it might help in some way.”

  “It’s nothing really; it’s just… I was lying in bed asleep,” Brook explained with a deep sigh. “And suddenly he’s there; on top of me. And his hand is over my mouth. He’s pressing so hard, he makes my mouth bleed, and I can taste blood. But then he lets go of my mouth, but he begins to strangle me. I fight him with everything I have, but he is just… he’s too strong.”

  She stopped for a moment, allowing herself a moment to calm her breathing back down. Finally, she continued.

  “I scratched him,” Brook continued, her eyes looking up at Dylan’s. “I scratch him, and he gets mad, that’s when he strikes me.”

  Instinctively, she reaches up and touches her face as she remembers the agony she felt in her dream.

  “You dream that’s where he struck you?” Dylan
asked, giving her a hopeful look that confuses her. “Where you’re touching now?”

  “Yes!” She confirms, but she didn’t understand the question or his reaction to it. “Why does that matter?”

  “It matters because that’s where he hit you,” Dylan replied, still making no sense. “Brook, this is not a dream you’re having. This is a memory. When you came into the emergency room, your lip was cut, and you had some light bruising around your mouth, and your throat, almost like fingerprints. And where you dream he hits you, is exactly where he hit you, fracturing your cheekbone. This is not a dream; this is a memory. You’re remembering what happened to you.”

  “I… I remember,” she nodded as a small smile danced on her lips, but then quickly faded as she closed her eyes. “I remember everything.”

  “That’s a good thing, Brook,” Dylan assured her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

  “I got in late to the motel,” Brook continued. “It was one I had stayed in a few times before. It wasn’t the nicest place, but it was cheap and not far from the nursing home, and I thought it would be the last place that Warren would ever look for me. It had been a long drive, and I was completely exhausted. I showered, then I climbed into bed, passing out, almost immediately. I don’t know how long I was sleeping, but a noise woke me. I turned to see what it was, but it was too late. Warren was on top of me.”

  “Brook,” Dylan said giving her a smile, as a fresh wave of tears pooled in her eyes. “You remembered. Now maybe the police can pick this asshole up. It’s nearly over.”

  “I don’t think it will ever be over with Warren,” Brook replied, trying her hardest to smile through her tears. “You don’t know him as I do. He doesn’t like to lose. He will do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t. And he will never let me go.”

  “Well,” Dylan said, reaching up and softly brushing the tears from her face. “I guess it’s about time he learned how. Because this time, he is going to lose, and lose big time.”

  Brook smiled, before Dylan wrapped her in his arms, and held her once more. She wanted to believe Dylan. She wanted to believe that she could one day, no longer live in fear of Warren, but it was a dream she was just too afraid to believe in.