by Bobbi Brattz
Noting the smug look on his face, Rae felt like punching him in the nose. He was the real shark, and Mateo was more like a lamb compared to him.
With a fake smile of pleasure, she cooed, “Aloha, Lance. I’ll be waiting.”
Lance nodded and left after shooting a glare at Yan. She closed the door behind him and turned back to face the man.
“I don’t need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself. Besides, I know a shark when I see one, and I’ve got his number.”
He stared into her eyes for an endless moment until he nodded, apparently finding the answer he sought.
“I’ll say aloha then. I’m staying in room 346 if you need me, even if it’s just to talk to. I’m a good listener.”
“Thank you, Yan. That’s very sweet of you. Would you like to come for dinner tonight?”
“After that amazing casserole, I can’t imagine missing another of your meals, Rae. You have excellent culinary skills.”
“Why, thank you. I appreciate the compliment.
She held the door for him as he took his leave then went back to the kitchen to do the dishes. Mateo was hiding in his office again. She wondered how she could make him take notice of her then snickered. She had the perfect solution, and once the kitchen was cleaned up, she was going to drive him crazy with want.
Chapter 17:
Swimming with a Shark
Rae knocked lightly on Mateo’s office door and called out.
“Mateo, I’m going for a swim. I know how you feel about me swimming alone, so I’m giving you fair warning.”
He didn’t answer. Disappointed, she went to the pool and stripped her dress off. She was completely naked beneath and stood in the sun for a moment to let the sun kiss her body. With her eyes closed, she raised her arms, palms facing up to welcome the light. She felt free as a bird, ready to fly.
“What the hell are you doing?”
The shout startled her so much that she lost her balance and fell into the pool, hearing a sickening thud as her head struck something. Blackness claimed her, and she surrendered to it.
* * * *
Once again Rae surprised him, making his cock go rock-hard, so fast, he actually felt pain in his groin. She stood beside the pool like a sun goddess, worshiping the power of life as she absorbed the rays of light.
She was so close to the edge, he feared for her safety and shouted. Rae jumped, startled by his sudden voice, and fell. He heard the horrendous sound of her head hitting the side of the pool and ran, diving in to rescue her. She was already down near the bottom of the pool, her hair fanning out around her, arms limp and lifeless as they floated in the now bloody water.
He encircled her in his arms and dragged her to the surface, terror like nothing he’d ever felt clawing at his gut. When they surfaced, she didn’t respond to his call as he cradled her close. It only took a few seconds to lift her up and place her on the side of the pool then jump out. Leaning down, he listened to her chest to hear her breathing, her heartbeat, anything but silence.
A shudder of relief ripped through his body when he heard her heart, though faint, yet she wasn’t breathing. Trained in CPR, he administered it immediately and prayed as he tried to get air into her lungs and expel the water.
“Rae!” His lips once again captured hers, and he blew gently until he saw her chest rise then listened to her heart again.
I’ve got to get help, but I can’t leave her! Damn it, Rae, come back to me.
When she finally began to breathe on her own, he blew out a sigh of relief and prayed she’d forgive his behavior, promising to do anything she asked. It was time to stop acting like a love-sick schoolboy and be a man.
Cautious of hurting her, he felt her head and found a large lump on the side where she’d struck it. When he pulled his hand away, his fingers were covered in bright red blood. Fear shuddered through him at the thought of losing her.
Though still unconscious, at least she was breathing. Mateo scooped her up into his arms and rushed to his bedroom to place her gently on the bed. The cordless phone rested on the bedside table, so he dialled the only person he knew would come to help in an instant.
“Piers! Rae’s hurt. I need your help.”
* * * *
When the ambulance arrived, Piers drove up with it at the same time and raced to the bedroom where he figured Mateo would have taken her.
“Mateo?” he shouted as he flew down the hall. Panic made his heart pound a mile a minute like nothing he'd ever experienced as a doctor.
“In my room. Hurry!”
The fear in his friend’s voice raised the alarm up a notch but not nearly as much as the sight of Rae lying on the bed, her face ghost white, the towel Mateo held to her head covered in blood.
“The paramedics are on my tail. What happened?”
“She fell and hit her head on the side of the pool.”
“Did you push her?”
Fury replaced the terror in Mateo's eyes as he turned his full gaze on Piers.
“Of course I didn't push her. She had her eyes closed and was sunning herself. It looked like she was about to jump, but her foot slipped on the edge and she…her head…the sound…oh, my God!”
Having known Mateo most of his life, Piers was shocked to see the proud and strong man helpless in the face of her accident. Piers checked her pulse and fired more questions at Mateo.
“How long was she under?”
“A few seconds or maybe a minute at most. I did CPR until she started breathing on her own, but the blood is everywhere out there. She never once woke up.”
“You shouldn’t have moved her, Mateo. She could have a spine injury.”
“Piers, for the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to get her out of that damned pool. I was careful with her though. The cut is bad, probably about four inches long.”
“With that textured ledge on the pool, it might have caused it to be worse than if she’d hit something smooth.” Piers carefully probed the swollen wound.
One of the paramedics shouted from the hallway.
“In here, second door on your right!” Mateo shouted. Neither he nor Piers were about to leave Rae’s side.
“She’s breathing okay, but we’ll have to get her to the hospital and X-ray her skull for fractures. The next twenty-four hours are critical. Every minute that goes by that she doesn’t wake up is dangerous for her. She might slip into a coma…or worse.”
“Piers, you can’t let her die.”
“I won’t have a choice, Mateo. I can’t treat her since we had a relationship. The board of directors would have a fit.”
“Fuck the board. I trust you to take care of her, and that’s what’s going to happen or the board will not be getting my yearly donation!”
Laughter bubbled up as Piers realized that neither one of them were thinking logically.
They both had to step back while the paramedics worked, hooking her up with a compress for her head, neck brace, and IV bag. Together they slid a backboard beneath her and placed her with the utmost care on the gurney.
“You’ll have to follow in your car, Mateo. There’s not enough room in the ambulance. Better yet, from the smell of booze on you, you’d best get one of your security guards to drive you. We’ll see you at the hospital.”
The stricken look on Mateo’s face as he stared after them made Piers realize that Mateo loved Rae as much as he did. What a mess!
* * * *
The ambulance arrived after Mateo, who’d had a guard drive him in at top speed, praying all the way that a cop didn’t stop them. He was still drunk but had never felt more cold sober in his life. The sight of Rae’s lifeless body had shocked him to within an inch of his life.
The baby! What if she loses the baby?
Thoughts of her raced through his mind, overlapping one on top of the other until he could barely think at all as he watched Piers and the paramedics bring Rae in through the emergency doors. Fear clutched at his gut, his hands clam
my with sweat. She had an oxygen mask on, and wires were hooked up to her chest.
“Piers! What’s going on? Tell me.” Grabbing his friend’s arm, he stopped him in his tracks. Piers’s expression was dire.
“Her heart stopped on the way, Mateo. They had to use the paddles on her twice. She’s stable for now, but the brain surgeon is on his way to take a look after the X-rays come back. It doesn’t look good.”
“Shit! I’ve done this to her. It’s my fault she fell. If I’d only left her alone and given her the damned bags and passport when Jimmy found them, she’d be living in Canada and back with that flaky ex.” Suddenly, his knees wouldn’t hold him, and he gripped the railing in the hallway where he stood. Piers took his arm and led him to a chair.
“You love her, don’t you, Mateo?”
The soft tone of Piers’s voice aroused him from the fog that surrounded his mind. Guilt coursed through him as he realized how much he did love her, but worse, needed her like the very breath he breathed.
“I’ve never felt like this about anyone before, Piers. If only I had let her go that first day. If—”
“You know you can’t live on ‘ifs,’ Mateo. We have to take life head-on and face up to our mistakes, love those who love us, and move on. No matter what happens, I’ll be here with you sharing it. I love her, too.”
For the first time, Mateo understood what Piers meant. He put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and squeezed tight, finding strength together in the silence while the world around them was in chaos.
“Can we go see her now?”
“No. The nurse will come out and give me reports. The only thing we can do now is wait. I’ll get us some coffee. You need to sober up.”
Shaking his head at his own foolishness, Mateo cursed. I’ll never drink alcohol again if you’ll only let her live. Let her be all right, please God. She’s my world!
With trembling hands, he accepted the coffee cup from Piers. It was the first of many as they sat together for the rest of the day and long into the evening before they had any word of her condition.
* * * *
“Moki!” Mateo cried, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. She raced up to him and threw her arms around his waist. She cried into his shirt.
“I just heard. Is she okay? What can I do to help?”
He shook his head and pulled her into a tight hug. “You’ve already done it. You’re here.”
“Piers, you’re here, too? Did they give you any news?”
“Sorry, Moki. They only told us she’s stabilized. If she survives, she might have brain damage, but we won’t know until she wakes up.”
“Oh, boys, I’m so sorry. I know how much she means to you.”
“Come and sit down, and we’ll…”
“Doctor? I have an update for you.”
Piers spun around while Mateo and Moki waited in silence, holding onto each other like lifelines for the doctor’s words.
“Go ahead.”
“She’s lost the child, but is coming around. She’ll be disoriented and have a hard time focusing, but she’s a fighter and has every hope of a good recovery. Her spine isn’t damaged. As for the head wound, she does have a serious concussion and will need to be in intensive care for a few days. I’m sorry I didn’t have better news for you.”
“Thanks, Dr. Gonzalez, I appreciate you telling us. Can we see her?”
“Give us a little more time. When we’re ready, I’ll let you in one at a time for only five minutes, but be forewarned, if anything happens and you are told to get out of the room, you’ll do so immediately. Is that understood?” Her gaze was directed at Mateo and Moki. Piers knew the routine at that particular hospital. There was no room for interference, even from well-meaning family or friends.
Mateo nodded slowly. “How soon?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m still waiting for test results. The nurse will come and get you, but you’ll have to wear a hospital gown and mask.”
“Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate you taking such good care of her. She means the world to us.” Mateo had never looked so humbled before.
“I can see that. Just remember, when she finds out about the child, she could end up in severe depression and will need a lot of support. I’ll give you some pamphlets for groups of families who suffer that kind of loss. For now, let’s get the head wound taken care of.”
Mateo held Moki closer and rested his chin on her soft hair while she cried.
“It doesn’t seem real. Rae is a strong woman. For her to be so helpless is strange. I know she loved the child already. She told me yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” Mateo looked down at Moki in question.
She swiped at her tears. Piers handed her a tissue, and she dried them up.
“Yes, she came to see me about you, Mateo. She wanted to…oh, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It does to me, Moki. What did she want?”
“She wanted me to come back to work for you. As for you and Piers, she feels responsible for you two fighting over her and wanted help mending your rift. I should have been there to watch over you all like I always am.”
Piers stopped her. “Moki, sweetheart. We can lay miles of tracks with the name blame, but accidents happen and I doubt that anything any one of us did would change that. Let’s just focus on positive thoughts for Rae, that and getting her well so we can take her home and start again. What do you say, Mateo?
The look of hope in Piers’s eyes removed all jealousy as he looked past his own heart and at his true friend. They all suffered for Rae. They all loved her.
He nodded then pulled Piers into a bear hug with Moki squished to his side. The three of them stood in that embrace for an endless moment in time, feeling a bond like no other.
* * * *
Pain crashed through her head as Rae fought to open her heavy eyelids. She could hear a soothing murmur and felt warm fingers holding her hand, caressing her palm. Though the words were a jumble at first, her mind soon cleared, and she listened.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I promise I’ll never hurt you again if you’ll just wake up. Please. I need you, Rae. I love you.”
Rae frowned. It was Mateo’s enchanting voice, yet the words didn’t seem right. Love me?
“That’s it, Rae. Open your eyes now.” As she fought to get to the surface of consciousness, his tone changed to excited and hopeful as he urged her to come around.
“Love?”
Her whisper was barely audible, but he heard it because he responded by kissing her forehead and whispering back.
“Yes, I love you. I was a damned idiot not to know it before, but I do, Rae. Please, forgive me for being such a fool.”
“Mateo, where are we? Can you turn on the light?”
Though she’d opened her eyes, everything was still black.
“Rae?” He sounded anxious now. Someone else was nearby. She heard a clicking and smelled the soft minty scent of someone’s breath as it blew over her cheek as fingers pressed her lids open wider.
“Ms. Hooper, I’m Dr. Gonzales. You’ve had an accident. Do you remember what happened?”
“I…um…I was going to swim and heard a shout. Then, um…that’s all.
“Do you know what day it is?”
“Thursday.”
“What’s your full name.”
“Rae-Lynn Alora Bronson.”
“That was her maiden name.”
Another voice, familiar yet one she didn’t want to hear.
“Lance?”
“You remember me?”
“Of course I do. You’re an ass. Why are you here?”
“Honey, you and I are getting back together.”
“Together? I don’t even know you from Jack. We’ve never been an item.”
“What?”
“Step outside, Mr. Hooper.”
“But she…”
“I said step out of the room, and I mean now.” The doctor’s firm tone brooked no argument.
The
re was a soft swishing sound, and then she felt Mateo squeeze her hand.
“Where do you live, Ms. Hooper?”
“I told you, my name is Rae-Lynn Bronson. Why do you keep calling me that?”
She began to panic as fear set in.
“Will you please turn on the lights?”
Those in the room with her fell silent for a moment, and then the doctor spoke words that terrified Rae.
“The lights are on, Rae-Lynn. You appear to be blind.”
* * * *
Rae came home two days later, unable to see and frustrated to no end. Moki, Mateo, Piers, and a number of other people who stopped by to see her in turns, fussed over her until she wanted to scream.
“Will you just let me be, you two? You’re like old mother hens. I’ll feel along the wall to get to my room.”
Mateo ignored her demand and lifted her in his arms, carrying her to the bedroom. His bedroom.
While Piers made her comfortable, Mateo and Moki fussed and whispered quietly about her. It was driving her mad!
“I’m not deaf. I’m blind! Please, leave me alone. I’m so tired.”
“Of course you are,” Moki cooed.
The bed dipped beside her, and someone picked up her hand. She knew immediately it was Mateo.
“I’m so sorry, Rae. If I could turn back the clock…”
“Mateo, I want you to listen to me and listen closely. If I hear you say that one more time, I’m going to get out of this bed, locate some of your torture tools, and whip your hide…if I can find it.”
She forced a smile but could tell none of them believed her bravado by the silence.
“Come on, you guys. I’m fine. I’ll get my sight back. The doctor said it’s a sure thing.”
“The doctor did not say that, Rae. She said it was a possibility.” Piers’s quiet comment didn’t help.
Angered, she fought to keep her temper under control and kept her tone flippant. “What do doctors know? I have two of them at my beck and call, and I’m sitting here soaking up the attention. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, so it’s important to live for today.”
