Love Like This

by Sylvia Hubbard

  "Mr. Mills must have gone with my decision again."

  "I'll be over in an hour."

  ####

  When Cleo arrived with some blue jeans and a sweater she carried a bag. "I brought some nice clothes for you. Go on in and wash up, then change into these khaki's and tweed sweater. If you're going to go to him, you have to look nice."

  "I don't want him to think I want to be with him, but his note sounded urgent. It said he wanted to talk with me."

  "Did it say about what?"

  Nicole shook her head. "The least I could do was to hear what he has to say."

  "And find out if things can change? If he can apologize, right?"

  "I don't think it's about apologizing Cleo. I do want to see him again."

  Cleo's eyes brightened up looking very positive.

  "Don't go jumping to conclusion."

  Her friend only smiled secretly and started to do Nicole's hair out of habit. When she was done extracting all the information about the encounter out of Nicole, she passed her the car keys and wished her a good time. Nicole only rolled her eyes heavenwards, gave Nanna's warm cheeks a kiss, then left the hospital with a bounce to her step knowing if Ethan proclaimed his love for her, she would just accept him and… Be happy.

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 11

  The sound of someone calling him pulled him out the hard sleep. Opening up his eyes and seeing Parker Mills standing over his bed looking very amused was not what she was expecting. He looked over at the empty pillow beside him and wondered what the hell had happened to her.

  "You know they invented cell phones in order to reach the unreachable," Parker said picking up the phone off the bed stand. "When you turn them off it makes the invention useless." He tossed the cell phone on the bed near Ethan's head.

  Ethan checked the screen of the phone and frowned hard. "It's five in the afternoon?"

  "Yes and the whole world was looking for you up until noon. The foreman from the other site came over here to check on you per your brother's insistence and found you sleep. Your brother told him to leave you be and he would handle the problem but when you still hadn't returned any of the calls he's left he asked me to come by since I was looking for you too. Busy night?" Parker sat in a chair near the door with that silly smirk on his face.

  "I've never overslept in my entire adult life."

  "Must have been some girl then."

  Ethan jumped out the bed wrapping the covers around him. "Why were you and my brother looking for me?"

  "Two different reasons. James wanted to let you know there was a break into the office last night in Auburn Hills. Someone stole the master keys to the Grand Boulevard sight near downtown. He only put a special watch on the site, but thought you should check it out later on tonight if you had a chance. He didn't think it was important, because on the master key set was a gold plated lock that he figured the perps really wanted."

  Ethan went into the bathroom and slipped on a pair of jeans and sweater. "What was the reason you were looking for me?"

  "I wanted to give your friend the good news of merging the business with her. I met with her brother and I was so upset at the fraudulent document he gave me, I let him know he would not be receiving the final payments for the sale of his share of the business due to the fact that the shares he thought he was selling did not belong to him."

  He stopped what he was doing. Considering the kind of damaged Marvin had done to Nicole before, Ethan had a feeling Marvin would not be a happy camper about being refused the money. "So you didn't give him the money?"

  "Hell no, it didn't belong to him. I told him what his percentage would have been and how he even now owed Nicole and Mrs. Gray money that didn't belong to him. He was livid- what?"

  Ethan grabbed his shoes and shoved them on. "We need to get to Nicole."

  "Why?"

  "I have a feeling; Marvin still intends to get that money."

  "He can't get it. Not unless Nicole is… " His voice faltered. "Should I have given the money to him, Ethan?"

  "The bastard deserves a kick in the ass above all things. That money rightfully belongs to her grandmother and Nicole."

  Parker followed him out and they drove Parker's tan Lexus S-Class to the hospital where Nanna was at. On the way Ethan called the detective working on the case against Marvin and told him to meet them at the hospital. Parker stayed in the car and waited for him in front of the hospital.

  When he entered Nanna's room Cleo immediately asked him, "What are you doing here?"

  "Where's Nicole?"

  "She’s supposed to be meeting you in ten minutes at your site near downtown. You sent her a message this afternoon."

  "I didn't send anything."

  Cleo looked a little confused. "She showed me the note. It said to meet you at the site. You wanted to talk."

  Ethan remembered the missing keys and his heart pounded in fear. "How long ago did she leave?"

  "About twenty minutes ago. If traffic wasn't bad she should be arriving in my car in about five."

  He handed Cleo the detective card after he wrote something on the back. "Call him on the cell number and tell him to meet me at the address on the back. Let him know there might be trouble and he needs to hurry."

  Cleo caught his arm. "Is she in trouble?"

  "I don't know." He rushed out and jumped back in Parker's car. "Let's get down to the site."

  Upon arriving at the site by the back entrance, the security vehicle was strangely parked near the front of the opened gate. Parker stopped his own vehicle nearby and they walked up to the vehicle.

  "He's dead," Parker said before Ethan got a close up look to see the neck slashed. Ethan looked around the place and saw Cleo's car parked at the front entrance. She wouldn't have seen this so she was walking right into a trap. He went to the security trailer to find the gun the personnel always left in the top cabinet, but it was missing. Parker followed him and let him know the gun on the officer was missing as well.

  A computer blipped and they saw the newly installed elevator sensor was activated meaning someone had just stepped into the booth and according to the readout was heading to the top floor.

  "Get on your car phone and call the police. Let them know someone's broken into the building and they have a weapon," Ethan said heading out the door. "I'm taking the steps up to the seventh floor, but the signals not good up there so come after you finish the call." He didn't even wait for Parker to speak again before he ran out the door and headed for the front of the building.

  ####

  Her heart was racing as the elevator inched closer to the seventh floor. The doors opened to a dimly lit hallway, but candles were placed on the floor in a trail leading to a back unfinished large space that curved around. She called out Ethan's name, but no one answered.

  Before going around the corner, she paused thinking maybe this was a bad idea. Her senses were jumping about like crazy, telling her something wasn't right, yet when she heard the soft music start to play, she told herself that it was just her own self doubt talking to her and that he would make everything alright, he always did.

  Coming around the corner, her eyes widened as millions of candles illuminated the entire space. Her heart soared and at that point she knew she loved Ethan.

  A click behind her gave her a start, but she composed herself and slowly turned around to face the love of her life.

  ####

  The door to the staircase was locked and the main elevator didn't come back down. According to the illuminated sign above the elevator's doorway the car stayed on the seventh floor.

  Ethan had to go around the long way to the service elevator that was still down in the basement and not working yet. After prying open the doors, he began to climb up the ladder hoping when he got to the top he could remember how to jimmy open the switch from the inside like someone had shown him so long ago.

  ####

  Marvin pointed the gun straight at her chest five feet away from
her looking as if death had walked all over him, but forgot to take him away. "You stupid bitch," he sneered. "Did you think you could take my money and not pay for what you did?"

  "It wasn't yours," she barely whispered.

  "Shut up!!" he screamed shaking the gun.

  Nicole stiffened very afraid to take her eyes off of the barrel aimed at her.

  "Your stupid grandmother gave it to me. Even the responsibility of raising a brat while she decided to get sick."

  The doorway to the stairs opened and Lynne entered. Marvin smiled wickedly, "We did it baby. Now everything will be ours."

  Nicole looked accusingly at Lynne as her mother went to stand beside Marvin. He kissed her check and neck sloppily then turned his attention back to Nicole. "I told you she'd come if we sent her a message from that bastard."

  "You knew all along he planned on doing this?" Nicole asked Lynne incredulously.

  "Knew?" Marvin exasperated. "She planned everything. When she was ready to leave that sorry bastard of a husband she knew she couldn't get a dime from him, so she decided we could both share the wealth Nanna had accumulated."

  "Why? If you needed anything, Nanna would have given it to you, Lynne. She loved you still no matter how bad you treated her."

  Lynne only pursed her lips tightly together and lowered her head to the ground.

  "Who the fuck cared what Nanna would have given, it was a matter of what Nanna had that she wouldn't sell," Marvin said.

  Nicole glared at the insidious man. "The business was Nanna's hard work and she didn't want to sell it. You knew this yet you still went behind her back and sold it illegally to Parker Mills."

  "Then you went and bought it back with my money."

  "I only took what was rightfully mine and Nanna's."

  He cocked the gun and just as he pulled the trigger, Lynne knocked the gun to the right. Nicole felt the bullet whiz past her ear and a white hot pain shot through her temple.

  Marvin whirled around from the force of the gun and Lynne. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he bellowed facing her.

  Lynne now stood holding Nicole behind her as Nicole clutched her forehead to stop the blood from oozing into her face. The bullet had nicked her temple and Nicole felt a little dizzy.

  Lynne took a gun out of her coat pocket and aimed it at Marvin.

  "Have you lost your damn mind woman?" Marvin exclaimed.

  "No I've gained a conscious Marvin, which one of us should have done a long time ago before we even thought about bringing a baby in this world."

  Nicole cleared her thoughts straining to hear what her mother was saying.

  "A whore with a conscious, Lynne. That don't go together at all."

  "I'm a mother with a conscious and if you know what's good for you, you'll walk away from all of this."

  "Hell naw. I fucked your scrawny ass for twenty years knowing one day; I'd get a piece of this shit. You think I'm gonna turn my back on this now. After all the shit I've been through." He aimed the gun at Lynne now. "Get the hell out the way. Let me take care of the brat and we won't have to worry none about nobody."

  Lynne shook her head. "I'm not moving. Don't you see everything hurt she's ever felt was because of us? I'm not going to make her suffer anymore, Marvin. You made Ecole suffer from the truth of us, don't you think that's enough."

  "Ecole never knew," Marvin insisted incredulously.

  "Yes she did. She confronted me the day before she died Marvin. That's why she went into labor so early. I told her that Nicole was our child and she couldn't handle the betrayal. We killed her just like we did Nanna."

  "Shut up bitch!" he sneered angrily.

  "Nicole doesn't deserve it. Not like this."

  "Then what the fuck do you suggest, we overdose her on some shit? Or why don't we just drag her to the roof and throw her over? Either way, she's dying tonight and the old woman will be gone by the end of the weekend from what the doctor's say. They'll think the brat committed suicide or was just part of the city crime statistics. We'll be sole heirs to that woman's fortune and no one will be the wiser. Now move the fuck out the way so we can get this over with."

  "No!" Lynne screamed. "I won't let you do it."

  "Fine, then you'll both die. It don't matter none to me when I'll get everything." He prepared to fire the gun again.

  "I'll shoot Marvin," she warned holding the gun with both hands. "Put the gun down."

  "You first."

  Their stand off held a moment of silence then the blast sent Nicole back from the weight of Lynne falling over on her. She looked over to see Marvin lying the other way and a pool of blood up by his head. The gun had shot off half of his skull.

  Getting up carefully from underneath Lynne, she saw her mother clutching her stomach as warm blood seeped through her fingers. Her breathing was shallow and her big brown eyes were big as saucers.

  "It's okay," Nicole assured her. "I'm going to get help." She got up and started to the doorway, but bumped into the large figure that instantly came in front of her. She shrieked, but then realized it was just Ethan and hugged him tightly.

  "Jesus, baby." He frantically looked her over as she repeatedly assured him she was fine.

  "Please Ethan, you've got to get help for my mother, she's dying. Marvin shot her in the stomach."

  "Are you fine?"

  "Yes." She cupped his face to assure his racing panic. "Get help right away, please love."

  Understanding lifted his form and he rushed over to the staircase running past Marvin's dead body and out the door. Sirens were real close, but Nicole was intent on saving her mother's life.

  Kneeling back to her mother, she rubbed her forehead for comfort. Lynne opened her eyes and tears ran down her cheek. There was a lot of pain on her face, but Nicole had a feeling it had nothing to do with her physical suffering.

  Nicole reached down and applied pressure over her mother's hands. "Just hold still, Lynne."

  "I'm… sorry Nicole. I should have realized you were the innocent a long time ago. It wasn't your fault."

  "Don't talk, just hold still," she whispered desperately to Lynne. "Save your strength."

  Lynne pried her hand from under Nicole and grasped her shoulder. "Do you love him?"

  Nicole saw the intense look in her mother's eyes and couldn't help but tell the truth. "Yes, I love him."

  This seemed to relieve Lynne for the moment and she relaxed a bit and rested her hand on top of Nicole's. "I had to know and he has to know. He needs love, Nicole. He needs more than I could ever give, cause I could never love myself. I don't blame Nanna for my evils. I was trying to compete with Ecole and I should have known I never could, but I should have accepted who I was. I never could even after she died knowing Marvin and I had betrayed her. I'm sorry. Then Nanna found out about the betrayal which caused… her first stroke. I thought if I could get the money I would be happy, but it wouldn't have." She sobbed. "When I saw that pain Ethan caused you by breaking your heart, I knew then what I did to you was wrong. I knew nothing in this world could ever be done to make up for what I've done in the past. Oh Nicole, I should have never done this too you."

  "Apology accepted, Mother, now please save your strength."

  The strangest smile came to Lynne's face. "Say it again, daughter."

  Nicole kissed her mother's cheek. "I forgive you, Mother."

  Lynne was fading fast now. "Tell… Nanna, I'm… sorry too."

  "She knows. Nanna always knew you'd come around."

  A far away look appeared in Lynne's face. "I can see her Nicole. I can see Nanna."

  "Where?"

  "She's so pretty Nicole." Lynne gasped and brightened. "I see Ecole and Daddy. They're waiting for me."

  "No, Mother. Please stay here," Nicole begged laying her head on her mother's shoulder. "There's so much we have to do together."

  "You'll be fine. Nanna says you'll be fine and Ethan will keep you happy. I know he will." Lynne leaned her head over and kissed Nicole on her forehead.
"Don't worry, Nanna said the Lord and her will be watching over you." Lynne's body fully relaxed and Nicole felt her heartbeat slowing. She cried out as the paramedics pushed her away to get to Lynne.

  She stood up and Ethan moved to her side to hold her as she cried hard while the paramedics desperately tried to revive Lynne. After forty five minutes, Lynne was pronounced dead.

  Ethan guided her to away holding her steady, but Nicole felt the earth spinning so fast she couldn't take a straight step. Maybe this was it for her as well. The nick in her forehead seemed to seep so much blood, the warm fluid oozed down her face like a river and the loss of blood was making it hard to comprehend her surroundings until finally she succumbed into the darkness that pulled at her consciousness.

  Her body went limp in his arm and he called for help as her wound suddenly began to bleed as if it were freshly opened. He didn't know if her body had purposely clotted when she had first received the wound, but now it was flowing blood as if there were no tomorrow. The paramedics attended her and he instructed them if they could to take her to the same hospital Nanna was at. They said they would be able too because Nicole's condition wasn't that critical.

  Ethan drove Parker's car to the hospital with Parker in the passenger side holding on for dear life as Ethan kept up with the ambulance. Once they arrived, Parker could breathe normally and he was glad they had made it safely.

  Nanna's doctor came down to check on Nicole and speak with her, but unfortunately she was still unconscious. He told Ethan the bad news to deliver to Nicole.

  It wasn't until early morning, when Nicole opened her eyes to see Ethan sitting very close to her bed, sleep holding her hand tight in his sleep. She heard movement by the door and saw Parker standing up from the chair.

  "He's been asleep for a couple of hours. He wanted to be here when you awoke."

  "Why are you here?" she asked quietly.

  He shrugged. "Moral support, you could say." Parker dug his hands deep in his pants pockets. Even though he had pulled an all nighter in the chair, he looked very well dress with it being so early in the morning. She had a feeling this man had an annoying streak of cleanliness. There was also an aura that he wanted to say more, but didn't know how to go about saying it. "Ethan said my big mouth got you in more trouble."