Callous Heir

by Michelle Heard

  “That’s….” I almost say crazy but swallow the word back.

  “It’s a traumatic event that never should’ve happened to begin with.”

  “Yeah,” I murmur, thinking I almost lost Raspberry because a man couldn’t deal with his grief. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand it.”

  Mom presses a kiss to the back of my hand. “You and Raspberry are safe and getting stronger by the second. It’s all that matters to me.”

  “Did Noah tell you…” Damn, I hate that I can’t complete a sentence without having to catch my breath, “…that’s what I’ve been calling the baby?”

  “I overheard him telling you Raspberry is doing well,” Mom explains.

  My thoughts turn to Noah. I hope he doesn’t blame himself for what happened.

  “Try to sleep a bit,” Mom murmurs.

  Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to be a possibility until I see Noah.

  As if Mom can sense that I’m thinking about him, she says, “Noah really loves you.”

  Her words make me smile. “I know.”

  She lets out a chuckle. “He was even talking to the baby while you were in the ICU.”

  “Yeah? What did he say?”

  A soft smile forms around Mom’s mouth. “He can’t wait to meet Raspberry.”

  I begin to chuckle, but it turns into a cough.

  When my breathing returns to normal, Mom helps me have a few ice chips to ease the dryness in my mouth and throat.

  Lying back, I rest my hand on my stomach.

  Even though I’m out of the ICU, I’m still worried about Raspberry. I hope the ordeal doesn’t affect our baby's development in any way.

  Chapter 26

  NOAH

  Even though Julian offered to be present, I thought it would be best to speak with Mom alone.

  Luckily she’s able to spare me a couple of minutes, and the moment we’re alone in her office, I get right to the point. “Mr. Reyes found out some information about the shooter.”

  Mom’s eyes narrow. “Oh? He’s been arrested, right? Have they pressed charges?”

  I shake my head. “From what I understand, he’s been admitted to an asylum.” Mom’s frown darkens, which has me explaining. “It’s Mr. McKay. His son was your patient a couple of months back.”

  Shock washes over Mom’s features, and it has me reaching for her arm. “The loss of his son led to him suffering a breakdown. He was at Trinity for me, and Carla got caught in the crossfire when the guards tackled him to the ground.”

  Mom lifts her hands to her face, covering her mouth in disbelief. I pull her into a hug and murmur, “It’s not your fault. You did your best to save his son.”

  Mom shakes her head, and pulling back, she asks, “So he wanted to kill you? He wanted revenge?” Her chin begins to quiver, and I pull her back against me. Rubbing a hand over her back, I say, “I’m okay. Carla and the baby are recovering well.”

  Mom looks up at me, shaking her head. “But still, Carla got shot because I lost a patient.”

  “Mom,” I say, my tone firmer, “you can’t take the blame for someone else’s actions. You did your best to save his son. What Mr. McKay did was all on him. Even if he had a mental breakdown, it was still a choice he made.”

  Mom nods, then she gasps, “I can’t believe this happened.” Her eyes lock on mine. “I’m so sorry, Noah.”

  Shaking my head, my face softens. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  Mom nods again. “I need to process it all. I’ll talk to Julian and Jamie. God, like it wasn’t awful enough, to begin with.”

  “They don’t blame you,” I tell Mom. “They know it was an irrational act of violence.”

  There’s a knock at the door. Mom gives me an apologetic look. “I have a patient to see.”

  “Get back to work. I’m just going to get some things for Carla, then I’ll be with her.”

  “I’ll come find you later.”

  We hug before Mom opens the door, and I quickly leave so she can continue with her work.

  Damn, that sucked.

  After stopping by the suite and packing a hospital bag for Carla, I rush back to her.

  By the time I walk into her room, it feels as if hours have passed, and I’m agitated.

  Carla seems to be asleep. I place the bag down on the coffee table in the corner, where a small lounge is set up.

  Mrs. Reyes smiles at me and gets up to come check what’s in the bag, then she says, “I’m going to get something to eat. Can I bring you something?”

  Shaking my head, I say, “No, thanks, Mrs. Reyes.”

  “You can call me Jamie,” she chuckles, then she explains, “Julian said he spoke with you.”

  The corner of my mouth lifts slightly, then I ask, “How’s Carla? Has Dr. Wells been here?”

  Jamie shakes her head. “Not yet. Carla’s better. She just gets breathless when talking.” She begins to walk to the door, then she asks, “Will you call me if Dr. Wells comes while I’m gone?”

  “Sure.”

  When the door shuts quietly behind her, I walk to the side of the bed. Leaning over Carla, I press my mouth to the side of her head, and then I take a deep breath.

  The agitation bleeds away, and I instantly feel calmer.

  “You’re back,” Carla suddenly murmurs.

  Sitting down on the side of the bed, I brace my right hand beside her head. My eyes lock with hers. “How do you feel?”

  “Much better.” She lifts her left hand and grips hold of my forearm. “Especially now that you’re here.”

  “Have you sat up yet?” I ask, knowing it’s essential for her to start moving around.

  When she shakes her head, I slowly help her into a sitting position. Her left hand moves to my shoulder.

  I press a kiss to her cheek, then ask, “How’s that?”

  “Okay,” she murmurs.

  I position the pillows so Carla can lean against them. “Relax.”

  She leans back, then she removes the oxygen mask. “My mom told me about the shooter.”

  My gaze locks on hers, and reaching a hand up, I brush her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry you got caught in the middle.”

  Carla shakes her head. “I can’t believe he wanted to…” there’s a flash of pain on her face, “…hurt you.”

  “Is sitting up causing you pain?” I ask.

  “No, I’m fine,” Carla says, her voice stronger. She rests her hand against my jaw. “I’m worried about you. What if he comes after you again?”

  Giving her a comforting smile, I say, “He’s in an asylum, Carla.”

  “Yeah, but…”

  I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it.” I lean closer to her and tilt my head. “I won’t let something like this happen again. I promise.”

  “You can’t make a promise like that,” she argues.

  Lifting my hand, I cup her cheek. “It’s my duty to protect you. I failed you once. I won’t fail you again.”

  Carla shakes her head, whispering, “Noah.”

  Before she can continue, I say, “I’m going to get training, so if something like this happens again, I’m ready.”

  Carla’s eyebrow lifts. “Like how to be badass training?”

  I let out a chuckle. “Something like that. I know you won’t stand for bodyguards following you around, so I’ll just learn how to be one myself.”

  “Mhh… I always loved bodyguard romances,” Carla teases.

  I press a kiss to her mouth, then I ask, “How’s your breathing?”

  “I just get a little breathless.” She takes a deep breath, then continues, “But other than that, I feel fine.”

  I move the oxygen mask back over her mouth and nose, then I smile at her.

  Placing my hand on her stomach, I say, “With a little luck, we might find out whether Raspberry is a boy or a girl.”

  “Which are you hoping for?” Carla asks.

  Shaking my head, I reply, “As long as Raspberry is healthy, I really don’t
care.”

  Carla smiles as she places her hand over mine, then her eyes focus on mine. Emotion washes over her face as she whispers, “I was so scared.”

  Moving closer to her, I wrap my arms around her. “You and Raspberry are safe now.”

  Carla nods against my chest.

  “I love you,” I murmur against her hair.

  She lifts her hand to the back of my shoulder, and then her body begins to tremble as she begins to cry. After the trauma she survived, I’m surprised she stayed calm for so long.

  I keep pressing kisses to her hair while murmuring words of comfort.

  CARLA

  After I cried my eyes out, Noah helped me to the bathroom and gave me a sponge bath.

  Back in bed and wearing my own clothes, I feel a hell of a lot better.

  One hour with Noah and I’m as good as new. That’s the power he has over me. It’s like he’s my life force.

  The door opens, and Mrs. West and my parents come in.

  Dad comes to kiss my forehead, then he asks, “How do you feel?”

  “Like a new person.” I smile.

  Mrs. West checks the tubes which drain any fluids from my lungs, then she says, “I’ll remove the tubes first thing tomorrow morning. Okay?”

  I nod, then ask, “Do I still have to use the oxygen mask?”

  “Only if you feel you need it.”

  Her answer makes my smile grow.

  Mrs. West gives my hand a squeeze, then she says, “I’m sorry you got hurt…”

  I quickly shake my head. “Don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault.”

  The corner of her mouth lifts slightly.

  Just then the door opens again, and Dr. Wells comes in. “How’s momma and baby doing this afternoon?”

  “Good,” I answer.

  Mrs. West goes to stand at the foot of the bed so Dr. Wells can get to the ultrasound equipment, which I didn’t even notice until now.

  Noah comes to stand on my left, and when he takes hold of my hand, I link our fingers, giving him an excited smile. Lifting my hand, he presses a kiss to the back of it.

  While Dr. Wells neatly pushes my t-shirt up, she says, “You just need to get a lot of rest so your body can heal. Let’s see how baby’s doing.”

  She squirts some gel on my skin, then she moves the scanner over my stomach toward my abdomen. A grainy image begins to show, and then my eyes are glued to the screen, even though I can’t make out much.

  Dr. Wells keeps moving the scanner around until she finds what she’s looking for.

  When I see a glimpse of Raspberry, I let out a gasp.

  Dr. Wells presses harder, and then we see the inside of my womb and Raspberry. Pointing with an arrow, Dr. Wells says, “There’s baby’s face. Here are the eyes.”

  My chin begins to quiver as emotion pours through me.

  “Oh, there’s a foot,” Dr. Wells exclaims. “Oops, there was a foot. But those are the legs.”

  In total awe of our baby, a tear sneaks down my cheek. Noah tightens his grip on my hand.

  “Let’s look at the gender first before baby changes position,” Dr. Wells says. She moves the scanner around until I can’t make out what we’re looking at. “This is baby’s bottom, and that’s the femur.” She keeps looking, and then she asks, “What are you hoping for?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I answer quickly.

  “Let’s see.” The image keeps jumping. “There’s the bladder. Ahh… there are three white lines right there. You’re having a baby girl.”

  I instantly burst out in tears. Noah leans over me to press a kiss to my temple. When I hear how uneven his breaths are, it’s impossible for me to reign in the overwhelming emotions.

  “Yay!” Mom cheers. “We have a granddaughter.”

  Listening to our family's joy, my eyes find Noah’s, and when I see the happiness on his face, I know I couldn’t love him more than I do at this moment.

  He presses a kiss to my mouth, then whispers, “We’re having a girl.”

  I let out a sputter of laughter. “Yeah.”

  “She’s moving,” Dr. Wells says, and both Noah and my eyes dart back to the screen. “Oh, look she’s waving. Hi, Mommy and Daddy.” Dr. Wells lets out a burst of laughter. “Her hands are all over the place. Look, there are her fingers.”

  My bottom lip pushes out as my face crumbles from the wonder of seeing our little girl.

  “She’s healthy, right?” Dad thinks to ask.

  “Yes, she’s pretty active in there. Let’s find her heartbeat,” Dr. Wells replies. She twists the scanner, and then she presses a button, and a fast beat fills the air.

  “Aww,” Mrs. West coos. “Such a strong beat.”

  “Yeah, it’s one-forty-three, which is normal,” Dr. Wells says. “One-ten to one-sixty is average,” she explains to us.

  Dr. Wells continues to point out the spine, and I can see Raspberry’s heart beating. It’s all so overwhelming, and my emotions are all over the place.

  Dr. Wells moves back to Raspberry’s legs. “Yeah, it’s definitely a girl. We got a real good look there.”

  I cling to Noah’s hand as we finish up.

  “I’m very happy with the baby’s progress. I’ll see you in four weeks. Okay?”

  “Thank you, doctor,” Noah says, his voice sounding hoarse with emotion.

  “Thank you.” I can’t stop smiling as she leaves.

  Noah gives me a hug before he stands back so my mom can get to me.

  We all take turns hugging and laughing. It feels like my heart is overflowing with joy.

  Now I just want to get better so I can go home with Noah.

  Chapter 27

  NOAH

  The hospital room was damn busy with family and friends dropping by to check on Carla.

  Back at Trinity, we walk into her bedroom. I set her hospital bag down by the foot of the bed, then I turn to face her. “Finally, I have my girls all to myself again.”

  Carla’s lips instantly split into a wide smile. “I like that.” She wraps her arms around my waist and rests her cheek against my chest. “Now I have to catch up with all the work I missed.”

  “It will be quick. Get on the bed while I grab my laptop.”

  “Why yours?” Carla asks.

  “I made easy-to-study notes for you.”

  “Damn, I could’ve used the help during my senior year,” she chuckles.

  I get the laptop, then sit down next to Carla, and we both lean back against the headboard. Bringing up the document, I place the device on Carla’s lap. “Just read through everything while I unpack your bag.”

  “Okay.”

  Getting up, I throw the clothes in the laundry basket, and I place Carla’s supplements and toiletries back in her bathroom.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Carla’s eyes snap to mine. “Yes, I’m in the mood for something spicy.”

  “Chile-braised pork tacos?” I ask. “They’re pretty good.”

  “Yeah! Get me those.” Carla thinks for a moment. “And a milkshake. Vanilla.”

  “I was wondering when the cravings were going to start,” I mutter as I take out my phone to order in.

  “Ooh, get me a slice of cheesecake, as well,” Carla quickly adds.

  She watches as I place the order, and when I hang up, she gives me a pleased grin.

  “Get to work,” I remind her as I drop down beside her again.

  Carla reads over the notes for a couple of minutes, then she asks, “Don’t you need to study for your finals? You can email the document to me, then I can use my own laptop.”

  Meeting her gaze, I shake my head. “Nope. I’m good.”

  Carla pulls a disgruntled face, then she mutters, “So freaking unfair.”

  “What?”

  She lets out a huff. “That you don’t even have to study.” She turns to face me. “Do you just look at the sentence, and then you remember it?”

  I gesture at the laptop. “What page are you on?”

&nb
sp; Carla checks. “Page fourteen.”

  “Pick a line.”

  She frowns at me, then says, “Uhhh… nine.”

  “Viability study, which consists of market analysis, technical, financial, and ecological viability.”

  Carla checks the document then she scowls at me. “That was line eight and nine. Like I said, so freaking unfair.” She thinks of something that makes her smile. “I hope Raspberry gets your brains.”

  I let out a chuckle. “And your looks.”

  Carla moves the laptop aside, and then she turns to me. “What names do you like for a girl?”

  Picking up the laptop, I push it back into her hands. “Work, Carla. When we take a break to eat, we can talk baby names.”

  She scrunches her nose at me. “No fun.”

  I tilt my head, and taking hold of her jaw, I press a hard kiss to her mouth. “Work.”

  She gives me a playful glare before she focuses on the document.

  With Carla caught up on the work she missed, I’ve made a couple of appointments for us to view houses. She’s healing nicely, and her baby bump has had a growth spurt, as well.

  I’m in a hurry to get out of the suite, and with my finals only two weeks away, I want us in our own house as soon as possible.

  After I’ve parked the car in the driveway, we climb out. Meeting Carla at the front of the vehicle, I link our fingers together before heading to the front door.

  Suzanna opens just as we’re about to ring the bell. “Hi, guys. I really think you’re going to like this one.”

  “Hi, thanks for showing it to us,” Carla says.

  “Have a look around. I’ll be in the kitchen,” Suzanna says, then she gives us our privacy.

  From our previous appointments, Suzanna quickly learned to let us explore on our own before she gives us a run down of all the details.

  We walk into a spacious living room with large bay windows.