I cleared my throat and tried again. “Why are you here?”
Caroline shook her head with an evil glint in her eye I’d never seen before. She was dressed in a nurse’s outfit which would allow her to slip through the corridors unnoticed. “I’m sure you’ve pieced it together, London. I’m surprised you didn’t before this.”
Bile rose in my throat. “You were the one responsible for my drugging. You were behind it all.”
“Yes, among many other things.” The nurses hadn’t responded. I pressed the button again. “Don’t worry with the nurses’ button. It’s been unplugged. Plus, they’re all indisposed with an emergency I arranged.” A few steps toward me, then Caroline stopped. “You see, being a senator’s wife requires me to get my hands . . . dirty at times, when it becomes a means to an end. My husband and I prefer for it to be handled within the family. Loose ends are dangerous.”
I was a means to an end?
She held up a syringe and I shuttered. Caroline was here to hurt me. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have revealed it was her behind it all. I had to think fast, thankful most of the fog from the accident had lifted with more sleep. Things were still fuzzy. I scanned the room.
My IV.
Unless she injected me directly, that would be the easiest place for her to administer whatever fatal concoction she had in that syringe. I wasn’t able to chance running at this point. If she escaped, I had no doubt Ty’s life would be in danger.
Naturally as possible, I folded my arms so I was able to imperceptibly remove the tape on my forearm. It was tough and stuck well. My movements had to be measured. Only tiny bits of progress were made as I stopped intermittently.
“Why did you drug me all those years ago?”
I told myself to keep her talking. Distracted.
Caroline moved closer to me and the IV pole. I pulled more tape off my skin. “I heard your conversation with Millie in the park when you were home on summer break. I happened to be walking by when I heard Charles’ name and hid around the corner. I heard about your misguided thoughts with how Charles wanted to be a lawyer and not in politics. Foolish girl. Charles is destined for politics. I learned of your plans to take the job on Broadway.” Disgustingly she scoffed. “His dick would have followed you. Through the years I tried many times to break you guys up. Nothing worked. I had to get you out of the picture. It was easy getting into your house and slipping you the drugs. You welcomed me as we toasted over water.”
Dramatically, she sighed. “The problem was I gave you too much. I had to drive you into town and position you in the seat. Your foot fell off the gas.”
“But what about Alec?”
Waving her hand as if no consequence. “Means to an end. It happens.”
A woman I thought I knew was a stranger to me. The evil thoughts and plans that lurked behind in the shadows were unbelievable. Alec was no means to an end. He was a person who deserved a chance at life.
Keep her talking, London.
“Who are you? You are not the Caroline I thought of like a mom.”
She leaned forward. “I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothing, sweetheart. Your worst nightmare. Someone who won’t be deterred because her son can’t stop fucking the thing that will mess up his life. Thank goodness you never got yourself pregnant like you did with the poor unsuspecting bastard you married.”
I winced. She knew I was pregnant.
“Rachel?”
A hand dismissively went through the air as she arrogantly gloated. “All planned. She drugged Charles. Pretended she was pregnant. He fell for it. After a few months she staged a miscarriage. You nearly fucked it all up. Everything was going to plan until you got out. Something was supposed to happen in prison that never did.”
“What?” I made further progress with the tape and tried not to wince as it refused to let go of my skin.
She tsked. “Let’s just say you would not have been present to be having this conversation. They released you early and I wasn’t notified. With you out of the picture, Charles would have been married to a family who would have ensured his way to the presidency. Do you know he’s trying to back out of the engagement even though you’re married?”
The tape freed and gently I pulled out the needle barely able to hide the burn. Caroline was on a roll as she walked to the end of the bed. “Even your mother got too close. Dr. Michaels, rest his soul for growing a conscience, had to force Dementia on your mother with a cocktail. I started the symptoms by poisoning her tea. She visited him and he upped the dose in a syringe with what was supposed to be allergy shots. It actually had Ativan, Xanax, Restoril, and Serax in a high dose.”
I froze. “Mom doesn’t have Dementia?”
What else had this woman done in my life?
Humorously, she laughed to a joke only Caroline thought funny. “She didn’t. But there’s no telling what those drugs have done to her system. After we dealt with Dr. Michaels, Rachel was able to get her uncle at the pharmacy to change the prescriptions. Too many deaths would have brought out suspicion.”
My head swam with all the new information. The blood drained from my face. “I don’t want Charles. I’m married to Jaxson. Pregnant with his child.”
Caroline tilted her face. “It doesn’t matter. Only your death will get him focused on the path he needs and not some misguided attempt that he still has a shot with you.”
Walking back to the IV port, I knew time was up. The needle neared the line and her hand was calm and steady. I scooted the needle away in case whatever she was injecting me with could be absorbed through the skin. I shifted on the bed, moving the line to where the tip hung off.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this, London. I hoped we could all live separately. Your husband’s ex is a real piece of work by the way. Crystal, the little bastard’s mother, helped keep the attention off of Charles. But, don’t worry, your husband will pay too for that threat at the charity.”
Caroline leaned in closer only inches away. “No one fucks with my son, you whore. He couldn’t let you go. You were going to lead him astray from the life he was destined to have.”
Standing, Caroline pushed the needle and plummeted the plunger. “It won’t be long now. You’ll look like you went into cardiac arrest.”
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Water from the needle dripped on the floor. Caroline’s head jerked down and she realized what happened. “You bitch. You took out your needle.” Another syringe was produced. “Good thing I came prepared.”
I hurled myself off the other side of the bed, letting out a scream as my ribs and head protested the sudden movement. On shaky legs, I stood. Caroline was right there with the syringe. With all my might, I held it away. The needle edged slowly to my throat.
I would not die.
My child would live.
Jaxson would not lose a wife.
I would be Ty’s mother.
With a surge of adrenaline, I pushed her with all my might. Pure terror set through me as I scrambled toward the door, stumbling and falling to my knees my head still woozy from being hit by the car.
A few feet away, the door burst open to the room. Another dark figure appeared and my eyes focused in.
Jaxson.
He had come.
Come for me.
For the baby.
We were safe.
My tired body collapsed and Jaxson was by my side in a second hoisting me up.
Caroline watched on with shock on her face. Her mouth twisted in a grimace as she removed the syringe from her chest and it bounced off the floor.
Jaxson yelled while backing out of the room. Caroline took a haphazard step toward us. I clung tighter to Jaxson as he yelled. “Doctor! We need a doctor!” Jaxson yelled.
Caroline gasped for air with her arms outstretched as she kept following us into the hallway. I screamed as commotion sounded from all around us. Alarms went off.
On her last breath she said, “It was all for my son. Tell
him I love him.”
Her body collapsed and the truth of the situation set in.
“WE NEED A DOCTOR!” The roar of Jaxson’s voice jolted me as he rushed down the hall to meet the nurse on her way. “My wife is pregnant. A woman tried to attack her. I need to know her and the baby are okay.”
Quickly we followed one nurse into another room.
All the missing facts fell into place as uncontrollable tears racked my body.
It was Caroline.
Someone I thought of as a mother. I loved her.
She was responsible for Alec.
For my mother.
For me.
The stress from the day had the darkness ebbing in. I wanted to escape for just a little while. As I slipped away, I whispered. “My mom. Check my mom for drugs.”
I AWOKE ON A JOLT remembering Caroline’s face from the nightmare. It was the middle of the night. The bathroom fixture cast enough light to make out the people in my room. Jaxson sat in one chair with my dad at the end. Charles was near the door.
“Water?” My voice came out low and hoarse.
Jaxson was attuned to me, hearing even the faintest noise as he awoke. He pressed a button. “The doctor is on the way.”
“The baby? Ty?”
Oh, please let the baby and Ty be okay. Please. Please. Please. Please let the baby and Ty be okay. Don’t let Caroline rob me of something else.
Jaxson kissed my forehead as I prepared myself for the worst. “The baby is fine. Ty is fine. He’s with my parents. Everyone is okay.”
“Was it real? Was Caroline in my room?”
Solemnly, Jaxson nodded as the other two men stirred awake. I looked to Dad when all that had been revealed about Mom came to me.
“What about Mom?” Panic set in as the heart monitor raced.
Caressing my face, Jaxson tried to soothe me. “Sweetheart, you’re fine. Calm down for the baby. Your mom is safe.”
I took a deep breath. “I meant, did you test her for the drugs? Caroline said the dementia was induced. She’s on high doses of Xanax and Serax. I can’t remember the others. Mom was close to the truth. They poisoned her.”
A flutter of movement happened as Dad got on the phone with Millie and the police showed up, who apparently were camped out in the waiting room. After the doctors cleared me, I retold the events of what happened.
I felt dirty after reliving it.
Betrayed. Shocked. Heartbroken.
When it all ended, I was exhausted. Charles was questioned in another room. He’d flown in with his father, who was currently being detained. Jaxson refused to leave me as he retold the events. Apparently Caroline had created a fake emergency at the clinic. She’d underestimated the new security measure that had just gone into effect. Jaxson turned around and came back to me.
Dad spent most of the morning on the phone. I was anxious to see what was happening with Mom.
The doctor checked my vitals. “Everything looks good. But you and the baby need some rest. You’ve been through a lot, Mrs. McCole.”
I was tired, but there was only one update I needed. “Can I ask about my mom first?”
“Yes, then I’m ordering everyone to leave.” The doctor stood while signing some paperwork.
“Except me. Doctor, I’m not leaving my wife.” Jaxson folded his arms across his chest daring the doctor to defy his request. My husband was anxious, tired and through with being told to leave.
The doctor saw Jaxson’s determined pose and nodded. “All right then.”
Jaxson went into the hallway to talk to the doctor. Dad came in a moment later tired looking. “How are you feeling? How’s my grandbaby?”
“We’re good, Dad. What’s happening with Mom?”
He sat beside me. “They’ve admitted her to Millie’s hospital where they are going to run tests and see if it’s true. I don’t want our hopes to get up, London.”
But, there was unspoken hope in Dad’s eyes that mirrored my own. “Go to her, Dad.”
“London—”
I held up my hand as Jaxson came back in the room. “Dad, please go make sure Mom is okay. Jaxson isn’t leaving my side. He’ll update you if anything changes.”
Looking torn, Dad watched me.
“Ken, I promise I’ll keep you updated.” Jaxson’s words were a vow.
I pleaded again. “Dad, please. It’ll help ease my stress knowing you’re there with her in case she’s scared. Or someone else is out there.”
“Okay, punkin’. I’ll head that way now.”
“Tell her I love her.”
“I will.”
Dad left and my eyes grew heavy. Jaxson whispered, “Sleep, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Stretching, I awakened. Jaxson greeted me. “Morning, sweetheart. How’d you sleep?”
“Good. I feel like all I’ve done is sleep.”
He chuckled and caressed my stomach. “You’re creating a life.” Pausing, his face held wonder. “I’ve never experienced a pregnancy before.”
My heart broke knowing how Ty was treated at first—a hidden pregnancy. “You’ll be part of everything on this one.”
A knock from the door brought our attention. Charles appeared. “May I come in and talk for a moment?”
I nodded. Jaxson sat in the chair relaxed. I would imagine Jaxson already knew what Charles had to say. Seeing the devastation on his face caused a pain within me. So much had been robbed from him. From me. From Alec. From my mother. From so many others. I wasn’t able to imagine the amount of hurt I would feel if my mother used me as a pawn—a means to an end.
Nervously running his fingers through is hair, Charles looked at me. “I know this doesn’t matter. Our paths have been set and they aren’t together.” Jaxson cocked his head in warning. “When you went to prison, I had every intention of waiting for you. One night at a party, I woke up with Rachel in my arms. I don’t remember it.”
Charles took a deep breath. My stomach turned as I remembered Caroline’s words of Rachel drugging him. The police informed me, with my permission, they let Charles know what his mother told me. He sighed. “After that, she said she was pregnant. Showed me a test which proved it. I had no choice but to leave you. I was too ashamed, too young to know how to tell you. So, I ended it. I thought I could be happy until I saw you at the house. Then things spun out of control. I tried to end it. Mother pretended to be ambivalent and attempted to use Rachel to bring me to heel with blackmail of taking her abortion public, which I had no clue of. I couldn’t bring you into anything else and hurt you. I had no idea you were drugged. I should have been stronger.”
Picking at imaginary lent, only pain emanated from Charles. “I’m so sorry, Charles. What they did to us was wrong.” He nodded. “What’s happening to Rachel?”
He shrugged. “Not enough. She’s been detained. Questioned. I will do whatever I can to testify against her. Find whatever I can. Put her and anyone involved away.”
“Thank you, Charles.”
He stood with a sad look piercing his eyes. “I’m sorry, London.” He looked at Jaxson. “Take care of her. London is like no other.”
“I intend to.”
Charles nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“We will. Same to you.”
He stood with his hand on the doorframe and looked back. “Know that I never stopped loving you, London.”
Without a response he left as a tear fell down my face. I took a few seconds and glanced toward Jaxson, teary eyed. “I don’t love him anymore. He’ll always have a special place in my heart with what we shared, but it wasn’t meant to be. I don’t regret him leaving me, because it led me to your arms. I only hate all the harm done to everyone.”
Knowing the truth soothed the wounds of the past despite all the pain it caused everyone.
Standing, Jaxson leaned over me and put his lips on mine. “London, I know you love me. You would have never have married me if there was doubt.”
I smiled
against his lips. “I’m glad you wised up since the last time we talked about this.”
He chuckled. “Me too.”
Ready for my bed, I asked, “When do I get to go home? Please tell me soon.”
“They said tomorrow, as long as everything looks good with the baby.”
The baby.
I was going to have another child.
“ARE WE CLOSE?” I WAS nearly about to come out of my seat with excitement.
“Almost. Then we’ll head back to my parents to give Ty his gift.”
We were in Jaxson’s truck heading to a surprise of some sort for me. I think it had to do with the packages he received the day of the accident. The anticipation of not knowing was thrilling. The road became bumpy and I assumed we were in a field of some sort. Jaxson’s hand was laced with mine over our baby.
A baby.
I was beyond ecstatic. Pam and Mallory were already ogling over all sorts of baby items and showing me ideas for the nursery. Ty suggested Dr. Seuss after his favorite book. Jaxson and I agreed it would be the perfect theme for a girl or a boy. I wanted him involved as much as possible.
It had been a week since being released from the hospital. My ribs were still bruised, so I had to take it easy, but I felt great. Tired but great, which was normal for the first trimester of the pregnancy.
I’d only been able to see one or two events of the McCole Classic, which was disappointing. However, Jaxson insisted on as much rest as possible.
Jaxson squeezed my hand, his voice full of awe. “I can’t wait to feel the baby kick.”
“Me either. I’ll feel better being able to feel the baby move.”
Since my body had gone through so much in the last week, I was worried something was going to happen. “Sweetheart, please don’t stress. We go to the doctor again tomorrow. The doctor said our baby was healthy.”
I looked down at my still flat stomach. “I know. I’m trying not to stress.”
Part of me was still reeling from all that had been revealed. The crazy lengths in which Caroline had gone to keep me from Charles. It was over the top. Crazy. News reports surfaced saying Caroline had been on psychiatric medicine that had a side effect of paranoia. She’d been on it for years and no one realized how far out of control she’d gotten. Charles was in a media shit storm. Charles Senior was being investigated. The engagement to Rachel had been called off, causing accusations to fly from her family. Rachel’s family was now being investigated.
Innocence Page 20
