I was glad I’d fitted some solar lights alongside the steep steps; in the dark they were quite treacherous and I gave myself a pat on the back as I skipped up them. The shrubs were still cut back and I was pretty impressed with how good the house looked now. A wave of sadness flushed over me when it came back to me that I would soon have to give it up.
Mack was barking and the more I climbed the more frenzied he became. Was it that hard to find a spot to poo?
“Mack! Hush!”
Rifling blindly in my bag for my keys, I looked up in search of my loud dog when I reached the top.
The keys slid from my grasp and the world rushed at me when a dark figure rose from my front door step. Mack was instinctively crouched low in front of me, his deep growl and the perfect display of his small but sharp teeth a warning not to move any closer.
“Hello, Alice.”
The sound of Niall’s voice once again had my heart threatening to send me into cardiac arrest. A chill raced over my skin and my legs trembled so much I had to grab onto the stone wall to keep myself upright. My brain wouldn’t work quickly enough and I couldn’t do anything but stand and stare at him.
He tried to step towards me but Mack growled louder, forcing Niall to hold his hands out and slowly move backwards. “Call the dog off, Alice.”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t move. Every emotion possible floored me. Hatred, guilt, fear, shock and anger; they all seized hold of my organs and paralysed me.
“Alice,” Niall urged. “Please. I just want to talk.”
My head was shaking, my body mimicking it as I moved further back, my feet shuffling across the stone slabs in an attempt to get away from him.
“No.” It was the only thing I could manage to say. “No.”
“Alice,” he tried again, risking Mack and taking another step towards me. “Please, just listen.”
“No.” I stepped back away from him again, desperate to put as much distance between us as possible.
A look of sheer horror broke across his face and he lunged forwards when the ground disappeared from under me. Pain exploded in every fibre of me when I felt myself falling, tumbling. Agony tore through me when every stone step collided with some part of me, each pounding at my body until the last one connected with my head and the world went black.
EVERY PART OF me hurt. I dared not breathe in case any subtle movement enhanced the pain that was actively overseeing everything in my mind.
“Try to keep still.”
I managed to peel my eyes open. A nurse smiled down at me, her grimace of sympathy making everything hurt more.
“You’ve had a nasty tumble, Alice. You’re in hospital.”
Really? Well shit, I hadn’t worked that out!
I couldn’t move, not that I really wanted to anyway. My leg felt heavy and my head throbbed with any slight shift. My wrist smarted and I winced when I felt the tug of stitches in my lip.
“Hey.”
Carter came into my view and relief at a familiar face gave me a small smile. Flinching when it hurt to even smile, I groaned and closed my eyes.
When I next opened them the room was lit by artificial light, the sun that had brightened the room now gone. The pain had eased, but only slightly.
“Better?” The nurse from before gave me her customary smile.
I nodded, managing to move marginally. “Yes.”
“Aren’t drugs wonderful?” She chuckled but her smile dropped when I heard Carter’s huff of annoyance.
“You can’t say things like that, you stupid…”
“Carter,” I warned with a small voice.
Hearing his huff again, I felt his hand slip into mine and squeeze. “I’m still here.”
Relaxation eased through me once again and I gave in to the pull of sleep.
“Get the fuck out of here!”
My eyes snapped open to the sound of Carter’s angry growl. He was sitting on a chair beside my bed, his hand still in mine, but his attention fixed on something out of my view. The pain in my head had gone but the rest of my body still hurt, my leg and my wrist making me uncomfortable.
I tried to see who he was glaring at but I couldn’t shift my head. Everything felt heavy and I was aware of the slight buzz in my body due to the drugs they had been feeding into me. I didn’t like the effect they were having on me and I baulked at the nausea that twisted my tummy every time I attempted to move.
“I think I have more of a right to be here than you!”
I moaned in horror at the sound of Niall’s voice. Trying desperately to move away from the sound of him, I cried out when pain pulled at every fibre of me.
“It’s okay, Alice. Try to keep still, love.”
I was shocked to hear Frank’s voice but I stilled, grateful for his wise order.
“You have no fucking right to be here!” Carter roared. “You did this, you prick! And now you think it’s okay to stand by her bedside. I can only assume you’re waiting to see if she wakes up and tells us her side of the story!”
“She’s my fucking wife, you arsehole!”
“Only on paper. You seem to keep forgetting that part!”
I winced when his hand disappeared from mine and I stretched my fingers to try and find him again. Scuffles and grunts echoed around my hazy mind. It felt like I was floating. The subdued, muffled sounds, the heavy touch of the air around me, and the dull but acrid smells, they all jumbled in my head making breathing the only thing I could concentrate on.
“For Christ’s sake!” Frank bellowed. “Sort yourselves out or get out!”
I opened my eyes and tried to turn towards the raised voices but the sway in my head made me gag. “No more drugs,” I urged when I felt Carter’s long fingers press into mine again. “No more, Carter.”
“Shh. You need them. Try and sleep, sweetheart.”
His endearment sounded silly and I couldn’t help but giggle. I felt drunk, high once again, and I cringed at the sensation. “Please. No more.”
“Okay,” he soothed when fingers slid into my hair and stroked softly. “I promise. No more.”
“Mmm.”
Silence greeted me the next time I woke. Sunlight streamed through the window blinds, the soft light easy on my sensitive eyes. The smell of food and the distant sounds in the background stimulated my senses. The pain that had once rendered me motionless had eased and I succeeded in shifting my body slightly. My head still felt groggy but I managed to lift my good hand and move the mask away from my face.
“Hello,” the nurse greeted as she smiled down at me.
“Hey.”
Her smile widened at my reply. “Much better.”
I nodded. “A lot. What did you do?”
She sat on the edge of my bed and proceeded to do a few checks on me. “You weren’t coping very well with the painkillers, so we had to keep you asleep for a few days until your body recovered from the initial healing.”
I nodded and took a sip of water through a straw she directed between my sore lips. “I’m Mavis, and I’ll be looking after you while you’re here. Have you any particular pain anywhere?”
I concentrated on the pain but decided I could handle it. “Not really. Just a little sore.”
“I’ll sort out some intravenous paracetamol which should ease that.”
“Thank you.”
We both looked at the door when Frank popped his head around and smiled. “Back with us, Alice?”
Mavis stood up. “I’ll leave you to it. Can I get you a cuppa, Alice?”
It was like she’d offered me the world’s nectar and I whimpered with a grateful nod. “I would love a cup of tea.”
“Detective?” she asked, turning to Frank.
“Coffee, black with no sugar, please.”
She nodded before closing the door quietly behind her.
“You don’t do things by half, Miss,” Frank said playfully as he pulled a chair over to the side of my bed.
Trying to shuffle
up the bed, I grumbled when I found it nearly impossible. I peered down the bed and groaned in frustration at the sight of my right leg in plaster, all the way up to my thigh. My right wrist was also encased in plaster. My ribs gave me a bit of jip, telling me that one or two were broken, and the stiches in my sore bottom lip aggravated my top lip.
“Wow.”
Frank chuckled at my reaction. “Well, I expected a bit more of a complaint.”
I just blew out a breath and dropped my head back against the pillow. “Stupid steps!”
I could sense Frank’s interest and I opened my eyes again. He was staring at me expectantly. I shook my head slowly. “This wasn’t Niall’s fault.”
His eyes widened. I could have so easily dropped Niall in it, made out that he had pushed me, but I just wasn’t like that. He deserved to rot in hell, but it should be the truth that persecuted him, and besides, I wasn’t sure I could live with the guilt of lies.
“You’re not covering for him?”
I scoffed. “Why in the world would I do that?”
“Because he used to hit you.” Frank was so blunt that I flinched. “And you’re scared of him.”
“No,” I answered, trying to convince him with conviction in my voice. “He scared me, yes. But he never touched me. This was my own stupid fault. If I remember rightly, Niall tried to catch me before I fell backwards.” The image of his face, terrified and full of shock, made me catch a breath. “He said he wanted to talk and I moved away from him. Stupidly, I stepped too far back.”
Frank nodded and sighed. “He wants to talk.”
“Tough shit,” I answered bitterly. “I don’t want to talk to him.”
Mavis walked back into the room with two cups and placed one on the cabinet beside my bed then placed a straw in it. I stared at the straw and frowned. “I can’t drink tea through a straw. That’s wrong! It’s like drinking wine from a pint glass!”
She pushed her glasses up her nose. “Believe me, Alice, you’ll be grateful for that straw.”
“I doubt it.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to be the worst patient on record.” Frank sniggered as he shot the nurse a sly wink.
I narrowed my eyes on him when he took a sip of his drink. A smug smile reflected back at me and my scowl turned to a full on glare. “Think you’re clever, huh?”
“Nope.” He took another drink and gave a sigh of appreciation.
I shot a hungry glance at the mug of tea beside me. My mouth watered, and being the stubborn mare that I am, I reached out for it. Pain shot through my arm and I bit into my lip. A yelp tore from me when my teeth grazed my stitches.
“Gonna let me help?” Frank asked casually as he took another loud gulp of his drink.
“I’m fine!” I grunted as I shuffled across the bed, closer to the cabinet. I ran my tongue over my teeth, trying to sort out how I was going to do this.
Frank watched me with amusement. Mavis stood expectantly, waiting to step in. I glared at the goddamn mug like it would suddenly jump into my hand.
“Fine!” I huffed.
Mavis winked and held the cup as she guided the straw to my mouth. I sucked at the hot nectar, trying to forget I was drinking tea through a straw. It was so good that suddenly it didn’t matter.
“Sip it,” Mavis said as she pulled the cup away. “Your tummy will only handle so much at a time.”
The door opened and my heart skipped a beat when Carter stood grinning at me. “Hey. You’re awake.” He looked genuinely pleased and I beamed at his excitement.
“Hi.”
He strode across the small room and his mouth pressed hard against my forehead. I winced at the pain but tried to hold it back. I didn’t want him to let go of me. My body naturally leaned into him and my senses rejoiced at the familiar scent of him.
“Sorry.” He grimaced and placed a softer kiss to the obvious graze on my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Good.” He took my hand and perched on the edge of my bed before he turned to Mavis. “I’ve made all the necessary changes to my house. I’m lucky I have a spare room and bathroom downstairs.”
She nodded and I frowned.
“Good. A couple of days and you should be able to take her home.”
I could only presume they were talking about me. “Excuse me. I am here.”
Carter frowned at me. “I was just telling Mavis that I’ve moved you a bed downstairs. It’ll be easier for you to get around.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I was genuinely perplexed at his riddles.
“For when you get out.”
I stared at him. My mouth opened and closed a couple of times before I managed to say, “You’ve moved me a bed downstairs?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“So it will be easier for me to get round?”
He nodded again. “Yeah. My house has three floors but luckily, with there only being me that lives there, there’s plenty of downstairs space for me to adjust to cater for you.”
“To cater for me?”
He scrunched up his face and sighed. “I don’t know what you’re struggling to understand, Alice. I’ve moved you a bed downstairs. I have a downstairs bathroom which makes things a lot easier. You will never manage stairs with your broken leg.”
“Your house?”
“Well you can’t exactly go back to Kingfisher House like that. Those hazardous steps are the reason you’re here, and you’ll never get up and down them with a broken leg.”
“And Mack?” It was stupid but I was worried about the silly dog.
“He’s settled in great.”
“At your house?”
Irritation covered Carter’s face and we both stared at Frank when he chuckled. He coughed and held up a hand. “Sorry, don’t mind me.”
“Of course at my house,” Carter said. “Where else?”
I shrugged. “Uhh, you want me to come and stay at yours?”
“Of course. Why? Don’t you want to?”
“Uhh, well yeah, I suppose it would make things easier.”
Carter looked at me and I was perplexed to see a glimpse of hurt on his face.
Quickly I smiled. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “Makes sense.”
“Yeah.”
Frank looked between us, his eyes shifting from Carter to me and then back to Carter. Mavis was pretending to pay attention to something written on the clipboard that hung from the bottom of my bed.
“Right,” she said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had descended around us. “I’ll make sure the physio team are aware you’re not going home alone, Alice. Once we sort your medication out, they may allow you to leave early.”
I nodded. I was unsure of how I felt. Dating Carter, even sleeping with him, was different to living with him. We didn’t know much about each other and had decided we’d take it one day at a time. Now that particular course had shifted dramatically. I knew deep down that I wouldn’t be able to look after myself with a broken leg and hand, but I had thought Janie or Betty would have offered. It had completely stumped me that Carter would be so eager to look after me.
I caught him looking at me strangely, but when I smiled, he answered with a soft look. Something behind his eyes told me he was more than happy to look after me.
I wasn’t sure if I was pleased with that or not.
CARTER’S HOME WAS nothing like I’d expected. For one it was huge, a massive, towering modern three storey house set towards the outskirts of the village. A double garage sat underneath all three floors, and a large well-maintained garden at the front was enclosed in a tall black iron fence. It was rather foreboding and gloomy, but somehow, it suited him to a T.
My eyes were everywhere when he helped me inside. The décor was as modern on the inside as the outside. Tall, plain cream walls void of any personality made the large rooms appear even more outsized, and with no ornaments or personal effects, it was extremely dull and sombre. The long hal
lway I ambled down felt cold with the plain design and harsh grey floor tiles.
“It’s lovely,” I lied when Carter settled me into a hard armchair in the front room.
Propping my foot up with a small footstool, he quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t lie, Alice.”
Quickly shaking my head, I smiled. “No, it’s, it’s very… you.”
He barked out a laugh and I couldn’t help but join in. “Very diplomatic. What you mean is it’s miserable, uninviting, and stern.”
“Well…” I shrugged but chuckled again. “No, honestly. I think with a few knick-knacks it could be very homely.”
“Knick-knacks?”
“You know, a few personal effects and all that.” I looked around and frowned. “There’s no photos.”
He turned away from me, disappearing through a wide archway into what I could see of the kitchen. “I didn’t think photos of me and Liz would be appropriate while you’re here.”
“You moved them?” I shouted after him.
He appeared with a glass of water and handed it to me with a couple of painkillers. “Yeah.”
“You didn’t need to do that. Elizabeth was important to you. She has more of a right to be here than me.”
Carter scowled and shook his head. “It’s not up for discussion.” Nodding at my hand, he gestured for me to take the tablets. I gulped them down and tried to settle back into the chair. I felt slightly uncomfortable, and Carter switched on the TV and passed me the remote. “Make yourself at home.”
I took the remote from him hesitantly and flicked many channels trying to find something suitable to watch.
“Are you ready for the nutter?” Carter shouted from the direction of the hallway.
I grinned when Mack came bounding through the door, his tail wagging madly when he found me. I cringed when he clambered up me, fighting to get to my face so he could greet me with a kiss.
“Down!” Carter barked sternly. “Mack, down!”
I gawped when a chastised Mack jumped straight onto the floor and sat obediently beside me. “How the bloody hell did you do that?” Mack was adorable, but compliant he definitely wasn’t.
Night Fires Page 13
