“I can arrange that, Mr. Moody. For as much as you and your father have donated to this hospital here in London, I’m sure that we can work around anything you need.” Oliver told him to call him by his first name, and asked if he could come in now. “I think your...his family was leaving after I told them about Lyle.”
“They were more than likely pissed off because he was going to need something that they don’t have in them. Care. Was Lyle driving the car? Is this the accident that I’m seeing on the news right now?” Jamie told him that he’d not been driving, but they had yet to find the driver of his car. And that it more than likely was the accident. “They’re saying that four were taken to the hospital, and one of them has passed on.”
“Lyle could very well have been one of those, but I’m happy to say that he pulled through. The next forty-eight hours are going to be very telling for him. He’s had some major damage done to his insides, and I had to put about seven hundred stitches in his legs and arms to make sure that he healed all right.” Oliver asked him if he’d be there when he came in. “If you’d like. I can wait for a little while for you.”
“I’ve left my offices already, and should be there soon. If you would wait, I’d very much appreciate it.” Jamie told him that he’d wait for him, and that he’d be in the ER when he arrived. “Thank you so much. If he needs anything, you let me know and I’ll make sure that he gets it.”
Chapter 14
Oliver had been sitting there for two days now. He was worried when Lyle didn’t come out of his drug induced coma. They needed to make sure that he didn’t have any brain damage, and that his vision was all right, but he wasn’t waking the way they thought that he should.
“You needed to have your ass kicked a few times when you were smaller. You know that, don’t you?” Smiling to himself, he thought of his grandda. “Now there was a man that had no fucks to give.”
Yesterday they’d found the body of the driver of the car that Lyle and a girl had been riding in. He’d been thrown several hundred feet, and had landed at the side of the road next to a walking park. It was small wonder that he’d been found at all the way that he’d been caught up in the trees around the place.
“I’ve not seen your mother or grandma while here. I have someone that lets me know when they’re on their way here to see you. So far nothing. Jamie told me that they did call in to ask if you were awake or not, but nothing more than that.” He looked out the window at the non-view that he had. “I don’t have to tell you how pissed off your grandma is. I saw her on the news last night. I wonder if she ever thinks about what she’s wearing before leaving the house.”
When he looked back down at Lyle, he was staring at him. The doctor told him that it could happen, not to be afraid of it. His mind and body were in a shocked state. Oliver asked him if he was awake.
“I saw Great Grandpa.” Oliver nodded, not sure what he was supposed to say to that. “He said that I was a shit.”
Oliver couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing. That sounded just like Grandpa. He didn’t care where he was either when he called you a name that he thought suited you better than anything that you were given.
Lyle started to close his eyes, then opened them again. “I wasn’t driving.” Oliver told him that they’d found the driver yesterday. “I didn’t drive the car into that carnage. I want to come and live with you.”
“I don’t know about that, Lyle. I mean, you have your mother still.” Shaking his head ever so slightly, Lyle repeated that he wanted to live with him. “We’ll talk about this when you’re—”
“Great Grandpa said that you were a good man. That I needed to learn how to be a good man too. And that you could teach me. I’m not a nice person, and I could have died.” Oliver asked him if he had wanted to die. “No. But Mom, her and Grandma paid me to find someone that would kill you. I’m sorry about that. I truly am. But Grandma, she killed them when she was done with them. You have to teach me to be a better person.”
Oliver didn’t know what to say. Lyle closed his eyes again and Oliver just sat there. Mom had tried to have him killed? Not that it really surprised him, no it wasn’t that. But the fact that it wasn’t just speculation on his part, but true. They were trying to kill him off. But for what?
It was too late to ask Lyle. For some reason he believed him. Oliver wasn’t sure why he did, but the fact that he’d told him the truth about the knifing made him think that Lyle wasn’t lying to him about his mom and sister.
Just a few days before Lyle had been hurt, Oliver had gotten a phone call from the bank. There was something wrong with the accounts, all the ones that were in his family’s names. While he didn’t go into much detail at the time, he was told that they were closing down to have a complete audit of all the banks accounting. Then this morning he’d received a second call from the bank, and was told that while his account was just fine, his mother’s and his sister’s accounts were overdrawn by several hundred thousand dollars. He asked how that had happened.
“They’re not investing in anything. All the money that was left for them has only been decreasing. With those same accounts when your father was alive, there was forever money going into them by good investments and interest from other avenues.” Oliver asked him who had authorized the accounts to no longer be on an investment plan. “Your mother did it first right after your dad passed away. Then a few days later your sister did the same thing. I tried to tell them what would happen. And the way they spend money, I’m surprised that it’s not worse than I know it to be now. They’re going to have to come up with the overdrawn amount before they’ll be able to use not just the account, but the credit cards as well.”
Oliver had laughed, then sobered up when he thought of something else that they might have not done. “Can you check and see if the taxes and such are paid on the homes that they both live in? I know that it’s none of my business, but I’d really like a heads up if they’re going to be homeless sooner rather than later.” The bank manager told him that they were both behind in that as well. “Christ, I think I knew this was going to happen. I need for you to make sure that they cannot ever get into my account. Neither of them. Not even if they have a check that is supposed to be signed by me. Understand?”
“Oh, yes sir. I’ve told all the people working here and at the branches that the money has been divided, and that is the way that it will remain. No one is to touch the other’s money. Your father did the same thing when he was alive.” Oliver knew that as well. And now he was beginning to see why he’d done that. “I have to tell them about this. After I speak to you, as a matter of fact. I thought about bringing them to the offices, but I think I shall just call them.”
“Good idea. But better yet, send them a letter. Certified. That way they can’t say that they didn’t get it.” He asked if he thought that would work. “I would say it would. At the very least, you can hope that they end up at a different branch other than yours, and you won’t have to deal with them.”
“Splendid idea, sir. I like that. I shall take care of it now.” Oliver thought that he’d hung up when he came back on the line. “Sir, there is one more thing that I should tell you about. Young Lyle, I’ve made it so that his account is untouchable by them either. I don’t know if they realized that he was given an account when you were.” Oliver asked if anyone had taken anything out of it so far. “No. It has the money in it that was put in there when your father passed away. I believe that he had it in his head that Lyle would want nothing to do with his mother and grandmother after a time, and set that up for him.”
Now Lyle wanted to live with him. To have him teach him how to be a good man. He was going to give that some thought now. A great deal of it, as a matter of fact.
Grace came in to sit with Lyle while he went home to get some clean clothes, as well as a nice long shower. There were forms on his desk all laid out that he had to sign, as well as read ove
r. Grace would have brought them to the hospital with her daily if he didn’t tell her to keep work at home, not there. Oliver was going to have to give her a raise soon.
After getting cleaned up, he sat in his bedroom looking over his copy of the will. It was there, for everyone to see, that Lyle was to have an account too. One that neither Lyle’s mother nor grandmother could touch. Apparently Dad had thought that Oliver doing something with it was just fine, but not the other two. Oliver thought about his dad.
He’d been a good man, his dad. His dad, Grandpa Cole, had been a great man. Dad had told him that he should become a solid man like his dad had been, and not to take after him. Oliver had wanted to be just like the two of them, and had followed in their footsteps in making money and keeping it. Dad had loved Grandpa Cole as much as Oliver had him. And Grandpa was perfect, just the way he was.
Getting dressed, this time in jeans and an old sweatshirt, Oliver picked up some dinner for him and Grace on the way back in. She would fuss at him about getting her so much, but he knew that she’d eat it. They were a good partnership, the two of them, and he was glad that she was on his side.
Grace also hated his mom, as well as his sister. She called them leeches, as well as a few other choice names that always had him laughing. Grace was in the main lobby when he came into the hospital.
“I wanted to meet you down here because the bloodsuckers are there. When I left they were screaming at Lyle to wake up so that he could get home with them. It was too much effort for them to come here daily and see to him. I had no idea that they’d left their ivory tower to do anything but shop.” He told her what he’d found out at the bank while they ate their dinner in the lobby. “That’s too wonderful. Please tell me that you’re not joking me. Christ, I would love to have been able to hand that letter over to them. I wouldn’t, because I’m not stupid enough to think that they’d not kill the messenger. But that would be an amazing sight to behold.”
“Lyle spoke to me too.” Grace nearly killed herself inhaling a part of her sandwich. When she was able to breathe, he told her everything that he’d said to him. Even about living with him. “I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know what I should do, and that’s to run. But what if he really did speak to Grandpa?”
“I’d say that the chances are good that he did.” He asked Grace why. “The doctor said that Lyle coded several times on the table. Not to mention two times on the way into the hospital. What if he did? What will you do then?”
“I have no idea. I mean, for as long as I can remember, he’s been a little turd. A shit is what he told me Grandda called him. But if he really wants to change his life for the better, then he’d have to do that by my rules. And no more working to get me killed off, either.” Grace told him that when they found out they were basically broke, they’d try harder. “I thought of that too when I was in the shower. They’ll not ever stop, I don’t think.”
“They won’t.”
They both turned to the elevator when he heard the voice of his sister. Sunshine had one volume, and it was full blast all the time. As he watched them walk by him and Grace, he heard what they were saying.
“I’m not going to be giving up my time to take care of Lyle when he gets home. And a nursing home is out for him too. I’m not laying out that kind of money for him to be pampered all the time. Do you suppose that doctor was lying when he said that he’d put over a thousand stitches in his body to keep him from dying?” Mom answered Sunshine, but Oliver didn’t hear what was said. “Well, whatever happens with him, I’m not going to waste my time and money trying to see if he can walk again. The fucker should have thought about that when he was taking shit from the liquor cabinet. And that shit isn’t going to stick, either, if they think that I’m going to be taking the hit for him driving under the influence. If he’s old enough to drink, then he’s old enough to pay for what happens. I have always told him to make sure that he’s never caught with that shit. Now look at this. The police are saying that I could get fined for this.”
When they were out of sight, he looked at Grace. He knew that she had firsthand knowledge of his mom and sister, but she looked as shocked as he’d ever seen her. When he said her name for the second time, she finally looked at him.
“Try and find out what it will take for me to take Lyle in. The things that could come back and bite me in the ass, as well as benefits that he can get while recuperating at home.” She said that she’d do that. “Also, I want you to do me a huge favor. The next time they’re out of the house, I want you to send someone in to tag their home. I want to know what they’re doing and when. I won’t be caught like I was before, all right?”
“Yes. And one more thing you should do. Do the same to Lyle’s room. I’d not put it past them to smother him in his sleep.”
When she was leaving, Oliver knew that it was as good as done. He was going to see about keeping Lyle with him and out of harm’s way. Because he had a feeling that one or both of them were going to hurt him before he was well enough to get up and around on his own.
Before You Go…
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Kathi Barton, winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement award as well as a best-selling author on Amazon and All Romance books, lives in Nashport, Ohio with her husband Paul. When not creating new worlds and romance, Kathi and her husband enjoy camping and going to auctions. She can also be seen at county fairs with her husband who is an artist and potter.
Her muse, a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Hugh Jackman, brings her stories to life for her readers in a way that has them coming back time and again for more. Her favorite genre is paranormal romance with a great deal of spice. You can visit Kathi online and drop her an email if you’d like. She loves hearing from her fans. [email protected].
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Easton: Forbidden: Paranormal Romance Page 17
