Mr. Fantasy: (A standalone romance)

by Cambria Hebert

“I wasn’t here when they gave it to you. I was with Aaron.”

  “You should go be with him now.”

  “He’s in surgery. There’s nothing I can do right now.”

  Our eyes met. His were bleak and tired.

  With a sigh, he pressed his lips against my forehead, holding them there. “Thank God you’re awake. Thank God you’re okay.”

  A nurse entered, Knox trailing behind. “There’s need for first aid in here?” she asked, carrying a small kit.

  “Here.” I pointed to Carter. “He’s all scraped up.”

  “I told you I’m fine.” Carter complained.

  Looking over his injuries, the nurse made her own conclusion. “It will get infected if you leave it like this.”

  “See!” I insisted. Reaching for the kit, I said, “I’ll do it.”

  “No.” Carter shook his head. “You need to lie down.”

  “Over here,” the nurse directed, pointing to a chair near the bed.

  Carter slipped away and sat down. “Any news on Aaron?” he asked Knox.

  Knox’s face was somber. “Not yet. He’s still in surgery.”

  The nurse worked quickly and efficiently, cleaning up Carter’s arms and covering them with large bandages.

  When she was gone, Carter looked at Knox. “Why don’t you take a breather? Get some coffee and food.”

  When he looked to me for confirmation, I smiled. “Maybe bring a coffee back for Carter?”

  He started to go, but I called him back.

  “What about those papers? The ones I asked you to take from the apartment?”

  Reaching behind him into the waistband of the scrubs, he pulled out a folded stack of papers. Laying them on the bed beside me, he said, “I’m sorry I didn’t get Alan. At the time, I had to choose between him and you.”

  “You made the right choice,” Carter said.

  “Thank you for being there.” I agreed, my eyes suddenly welling with tears. “If you hadn’t come…”

  “Ma’am.” Knox leaned over the bed to hug me.

  “Watch her head!” Carter barked.

  I hugged the bodyguard, sniffling into the scrubs. He patted my shoulder.

  “All right, enough,” Carter said after a short period of time. “Out.”

  When we were alone, Carter’s eyes drifted to the papers lying beside me. “What happened between you and Regal?”

  Laying my hand protectively on the stack, my stomach twisted and the back of my head throbbed a little more than before. Still, I didn’t shy away. I couldn’t. “I was on my way to work when he showed up. I told him to leave, but he said he had information about you, information I needed to know.”

  “You let him in,” Carter quietly surmised.

  I couldn’t read his voice. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and that scared me.

  “I only did it because I wanted to know what he was planning. I wanted to know so I could protect you.”

  “And look where that got you.”

  “You’re mad.”

  “You’re damn right I’m mad!” He exploded. The Adam’s apple in his throat bobbed furiously, and his black eyes glittered. “He could have killed you.”

  “He didn’t.”

  “You think that makes it okay?” He scoffed, planting his hand on his waist, dropping his chin toward the floor. “Death isn’t a game. It’s final. Once you lose, there’s no turning back. And the people you leave behind…”

  Whispering his name, I slid across the bed, throwing my feet over the side.

  “What would I have done if you’d died?” he whispered, his voice tortured and filled with so much pain.

  But more than just pain. Experience.

  It was the voice of a man who’d lost to death. A man who deeply feared death would steal from him again.

  “You have to think about that now,” he implored, eyes seeking out mine.

  My legs were wobbly, the floor icy against the balls of my feet. I felt like I’d been in a car accident. Every muscle in my body ached, and my scalp prickled with pain.

  I moved forward anyway. There was literally nothing that would keep me from following the broken voice of the man I loved.

  “You have to think about what will happen to me if you die. Our lives might not be tied together, but you’re my heart.” His voice caught, and the palm of his hand rubbed against his chest. “A man can’t live without his heart.”

  The IV stand rolled past me when I wrapped my arms around his neck, plastering against him as tight as I could, hugging him fiercely. The tears dripping from my eyes soaked into his shirt, the fabric already stained with his best friend’s blood and now his lover’s tears.

  “Sorry,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.” It didn’t seem to matter how close I got. It just wasn’t close enough. I needed more… He needed more.

  Pulling back abruptly, I reached for the buttons on his shirt.

  “Nora.”

  “Closer,” I told him as I undid one after the other. When finally the shirt was open, I put my arms against his waist, stepping nearer to lay my cheek against his bare skin.

  A shuddering breath vibrated his body, and he clutched me close.

  It didn’t matter. Those papers laying over there on the bed, the unsealed court documents revealing such a dark secret, might as well be blank.

  I loved Carter.

  I loved him in a way I thought only existed in fantasy.

  Except this was reality. Scary, ugly, dangerous… but I loved him still.

  Pulling back only enough to look up, I said, “We should talk.”

  Carter

  She said she wanted reality.

  But how much was too much?

  I think perhaps I’d just found out. The papers lying on the hospital bed were sort of like a premonition of bad things to come.

  “I don’t regret it,” I told her, pulling back completely.

  “Regret what?”

  Glancing at the papers, then back at her, I said, “Not telling you everything right away. I wanted you just for me. You wanted the reality, and I wanted a fantasy.”

  Tugging on one open side of my shirt, she stepped closer. “I want you just for me, too. But how can I have that when you hide part of who you are?”

  Is this where it was? The point where reality and fantasy crossed? The point where they met and existed together?

  A sharp knock on the door made us both look around. A uniformed police officer pushed open the door and walked in, followed by a man dressed just like him.

  I knew they would come, but their presence felt like an intrusion. Did I mention my distrust for people in general started with police officers?

  Sworn to protect and serve, they said.

  My experience said otherwise.

  Moving around Nora, I gazed at them directly. “Officers.”

  “Ms. Williams? We have some questions about what happened today.”

  “She’s not up for twenty questions.”

  “The sooner we can get a statement, the better,” the officer rebuked, coming farther into the room.

  “Carter.” Nora’s voice was soft, and so was her hand when it clutched the back of my shirt. I turned, noting her anxiousness. Easing an arm around her waist, I guided her and the IV pole back to the bed.

  Not allowing her to climb in, I lifted her to place her in the center. Her hand clutched at my shirt again, firmly holding me in place. The question in my eyes was answered as she smoothly reached over to grab the papers Knox left and tucked them beneath her pillow.

  Surprise caught me off guard. Was she protecting me right now?

  Why?

  “I’ll tell you whatever it is you want to know,” Nora said, releasing my shirt.

  I stayed at her side but shifted so the police officers could see her.

  “You were assaulted in your home earlier today. The paramedics were called, but you didn’t wait for them to arrive at the scene. Is that correct?”

  Nora nodded. “My bodygu
ard thought they were taking too long, so he rushed me here himself.”

  “Your bodyguard…” He glanced down at the notepad in his hand. “Knox Wilson?”

  She nodded.

  “And you employ this bodyguard yourself?” the officer asked, but both of the men looked at me.

  “I think we all know that Knox Wilson is employed by me.”

  “And you are?”

  I decided to play their silly little game. “Carter Anders, CEO of Ansoft.”

  “How are you doing today, Mr. Anders?” the second officer asked.

  “I’ve had better days.”

  “Ms. Williams, what is your relationship with Mr. Anders?”

  My breath caught with the simple question. Perhaps if she’d been asked before this happened, I wouldn’t have even thought of it. Though, now that she was hiding a stack of my secrets under her pillow and she’d been attacked because of me, the question was like a stick of dynamite just needing a match.

  “He’s my boyfriend.”

  My lungs deflated like a balloon that had just been stabbed with something sharp. I turned to look at her, seeking out answers for questions I hadn’t been able to ask.

  When she’d said we needed to talk, I figured it was the end for us. But she just called me hers.

  Feeling my gaze, she looked up at me, offering the faintest of smiles.

  “How long have you been dating?”

  “A few months,” I said, but at the same time, she answered, “A few weeks.”

  “Which is it?” he asked.

  Nora cleared her throat. “We met a few months ago, but we just made it official a few weeks ago.”

  “You met before you started interning at Ansoft?”

  Their knowledge didn’t surprise me. In fact, I would have been shocked if they didn’t know the answers to ninety percent of the questions they were about to ask.

  “Yes. I met him at one of the resorts he owns.”

  “Why is it you have a bodyguard assigned to your girlfriend, Mr. Anders?”

  “Because I value her safety.”

  “Did you have reason to believe her safety was at risk?”

  I shrugged.

  “Is it true that you’ve been having some intense business negotiations recently and that could be the reason?”

  “They weren’t negotiations. Lewis Regal of Regal Tech offered, on numerous occasions, to buy a new game I’ve developed, and I told him no. When money didn’t work, he resorted to threats,” I deadpanned.

  “What kind of threats?” He quirked an eyebrow.

  “Personal ones.”

  “You’re going to need to be more specific,” the officer pressed.

  A pained sound came from the bed, making me forget about the two men.

  “Nora?” I questioned, gently holding her face. “What is it? Should I get the doctor?”

  “Can I have some water?” she asked, her voice weak.

  Quickly grabbing the pitcher nearby, I dumped some water into a cup and held it to her lips. As she sucked through the straw, she gazed into my eyes.

  Was she trying to distract everyone? To move the subject away from me?

  “Thank you,” she whispered, releasing the straw.

  “If you need some time,” the officer offered, and I started to take him up on it.

  Nora spoke first. “Alan Regal, Lewis Regal’s son, was trying to get me to betray Carter and hand over inside information on the game they wanted.”

  “Alan Regal is the man who was at your apartment this morning?”

  Nora nodded. “He said he wanted to talk. When I asked him to leave, he got upset and shoved me.”

  My teeth snapped together. When I got my hands on that guy…

  “And you hit your head?”

  “On the coffee table.” Nora leaned forward to point to the large bandage on the back of her skull. “I have seven stitches.” Her eyes lowered. “They had to shave part of my head.”

  Pulling her hand away from the injury, I leaned down. “Good thing I don’t love you because of your looks.”

  She giggled.

  “Then what happened?” The officer continued.

  “It’s all a little fuzzy after that. I was bleeding a lot, lying on the floor. Knox must have heard Alan yelling at me and came inside…” Confused, she glanced at me. “Does Knox have a key?”

  “He kicked the door down.” I clarified.

  Nora nodded. Then alarm flashed in her eyes. “It’s okay. I told him he could!” she told the officers.

  Pressing my lips together, I tried to hide the amusement I felt at her trying to protect Knox.

  “Your bodyguard isn’t in trouble,” he informed her. “At least not for that.”

  Nora gasped. “He’s in trouble for something else?”

  This was the first I’d heard of this.

  “Alan Regal is pressing assault charges against him.”

  “No!” she yelled. “He can’t.” Her hand went up to her head, and she made a small sound of pain.

  “That’s enough,” I told the officers. “You’re upsetting her.”

  “No!” Nora protested. “Let’s finish.” Peeking around me at the men, she said, “Knox only did what he had to do in self-defense. Alan attacked me. I was lying on the floor, bleeding, and he was ranting like a madman, blaming me for everything. He would have hurt me more if Knox hadn’t showed up.” Her breath caught, and pink bloomed in her cheeks.

  “Okay.” I soothed, sitting down beside her and slipping an arm behind her back. “Calm down.”

  “How can I?” she wailed. “Knox can’t get in trouble for protecting me. He can’t!” She started crying.

  I got pissed.

  Turning hard eyes to the officers, I stared at them.

  “No charges have been filed.” One of them spoke up. “He’s just threatening at this point. We have to investigate to ascertain if he even has a case.”

  “Does he?” she whimpered.

  “Your story and your bodyguard’s match. Since he was asked to leave and then attacked you, I’m very confident in saying that any charges Alan Regal might bring will likely be thrown out.”

  Nora wrapped her arms around mine, leaning into my body. Feeling her rub her damp cheek on my sleeve made me look down. Tenderness swelled my heart. She was the injured one, but I hadn’t seen her cry until Knox was threatened.

  “I’ll take care of Knox, good girl,” I said quietly. “He’ll be fine.”

  The officer’s attention turned to me. “We understand you were involved in an incident today as well, Mr. Anders?”

  “A hit-and-run,” the other officer added.

  I nodded.

  Nora griped my arm tightly. “The person who hit Aaron just drove off?”

  “Yes,” I replied to everyone.

  “What kind of car was it?”

  “It was a taxi. The same kind that are all over Miami.”

  “Was there anything unusual about this cab?” The officer scribbled something on his notepad.

  “Besides the fact that it tried to run me down?”

  Nora jolted upright. “It tried to hit you?”

  The officer’s attention sharpened.

  “Maybe we should take this outside,” I suggested, starting to stand.

  “Don’t you even think about it, Carter Anders!” Nora scolded. “Sit down.”

  I sat. “I stepped off the curb to hail a cab. We were having trouble getting one and were in a hurry because I’d just gotten the call about Nora.” As I spoke, I linked our hands. “The cab turned onto our street and changed lanes to come pick us up. I turned back to call out to Aaron. He noticed the cab was heading right for me and pushed me out of the way.” Pausing a moment, I remembered thinking that I had been the one struck.

  I wished I had.

  “So the driver was trying to hit you, but your friend got in the way.”

  “That’s right.” I nodded once.

  “Can you think of anyone who might want to
hurt you?”

  I scoffed. “Lewis Regal and his son.”

  “Because you refused to sell them a game.”

  I didn’t like their tone or what it implied. As if a businessman as prestigious as Lewis Regal would do something so shady for a silly “game.”

  I made eye contact with each officer before answering. “He offered me thirty million dollars.”

  Both men visibly choked on the air.

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s not just some game. It’s going to be the biggest game to hit the market since Primal Fear.”

  “Are you saying you think Lewis Regal is behind the hit-and-run?”

  I shrugged. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Do you have any proof?”

  I guess a thirty-million-dollar business deal wasn’t proof enough.

  Did I mentioned I didn’t like cops?

  “He just told you the proof!” Nora exclaimed.

  I had to suppress a smile.

  The man cleared his throat. “We need something a little more concrete.”

  “Of course you do. You want someone else to do your job for you.”

  “Carter!” Nora gasped.

  Both men bristled.

  “I’m sorry,” she told the cops. “This has been a hard day for him. First me, then Aaron…”

  I started to say something, but Nora squeezed my arm.

  “Would you like to press charges against Alan Regal, ma’am?” the officer asked.

  “Can I?”

  The second officer nodded. “You would also be within your rights to get a restraining order.”

  “She’ll do both,” I declared.

  “That’s not your decision,” the officer said coolly.

  I stiffened, and Nora patted my arm. “I’d like to go ahead with both.” Then in a quieter voice, she added, “Alan scares me.”

  They’d better lock him up, because if they didn’t, I might get to him first.

  “Is there anything else we need to know? Perhaps about the personal threats Lewis Regal made.”

  Nora tugged my sleeve. “I’m really tired.”

  “All right, baby, come on and lie down,” I said, concerned she’d overdone it.

  She turned on her side, resting on a pillow and closing her eyes.

  “That’s enough for today,” the officer said. “If we have any further questions, we’ll contact you. And if you remember any other details about the hit-and-run, please give me a call.” One of the men stepped forward to hand me his card.