And then her world went black.
*****
Chris hadn’t been this scared in a long time. He had heard the thump above his head as he was fixing up dinner and his mind had immediately gone to May. Going upstairs, he was expecting to see her throwing things around and letting off her frustrations. Instead, he had found her passed out in the doorway of the bathroom.
Then he had seen the blood.
Chris had no idea how he kept his hands from shaking as he called for an ambulance and tried to get May to come around. She didn’t regain consciousness until she got into the ambulance. Chris had climbed in with the paramedics; he wasn’t about to let May get taken away from him, not until he knew what was wrong.
What if the cancer had come back? May had been told she had the all-clear. What if it had come back with a vengeance? Chris didn’t think so. No doctor would be that foolish to give a patient the all-clear for it to come back that quickly. Something had to have happened.
He had never been one to pray but Chris kept silently praying that May was going to be okay.
After what seemed like an age waiting out in the waiting room – May wouldn’t let him come through to her cubicle – the doctor came out, putting his stethoscope around his neck. Chris hurried to him.
“How is she?”
“Are you her husband, sir?”
“No, I’m her boss. I found her unconscious.”
The doctor smiled.
“Miss Lucero is going to be fine. She’s good to go once her vitals have been checked.”
“There was blood on the floor.”
“She does have a gash to her head but it didn’t need stitches. She just needs to keep the bandage dry and someone to keep an eye on her for a couple of days but none the worse for wear.”
That was something. Chris swallowed.
“Did her cancer come back?”
The doctor shook his head.
“No, nothing to do with that. Her blood sugar just got so low she just crashed. I think she was living off adrenaline.” His eyes narrowed at Chris. “When was the last time she ate anything?”
“I…” Chris flushed. “I don’t know. I don’t think I saw her eat anything when I was present.”
May hadn’t eaten at all, as far as Chris was aware. If she hadn’t eaten all day, it was no wonder she had collapsed. For a moment, he was angry. Angry that he hadn’t noticed that May hadn’t been taking care of herself. She was his responsibility; Chris should have made sure she wasn’t going to end up collapsing.
But May wouldn’t have let herself be his responsibility. She would be blaming herself for this. Chris knew the one to blame was himself. Someone had to look after May and she needed to allow it.
The doctor grunted.
“Make sure she eats plenty. Get her to have some vitamins and plenty of sugary things to get her sugar levels up. She doesn’t need to be crashing the way she did.”
Chris bristled. He felt like a little boy being told off.
“She’s under a lot of stress lately.” He said stiffly.
“Aren’t we all?” The doctor didn’t look impressed. “Does she have family to take care of her?”
“Just her brother.” Chris had already called Robert and he was still in another country. “She’s staying at my place for now as she lives alone.”
“Good choice.” The doctor nodded towards the observation area. “She’ll be out in a moment and I’ll have her released to you.”
Chris wanted to ask if he could go back and see her but he decided against it. May didn’t need him hovering over her. He tried to sit down and calm himself down, relieved that it wasn’t the cancer that had popped up again, but Chris found himself up and pacing after a few minutes.
Who knew that when it came to May he had no patience at all?
It seemed like an age, after Chris had been told to sit down several times and got a few glares from a middle-aged couple after he glared at them without really seeing them, before May came out through the doors. She was still looking pale but there was a bit more life to her. Chris wanted to run to her and pull her into his arms, not caring about their audience. He just wanted to feel her.
May stopped when she saw him. Then she broke and burst into tears. Chris’ heart clenched and he went to her.
“Oh, May.” He gently put his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. “Don’t cry. It’s okay.”
“I’m so sorry.”
May’s voice was muffled against his shirt. Chris’ arms tightened around her.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“I should’ve taken better care of myself.” May sniffed. She almost nuzzled against him. “I shouldn’t have put myself in this situation. This shouldn’t have happened.”
“Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.” Chris muttered. He pressed a kiss to her head. “When we get out of here, I’m taking you to Burger King.”
He felt May’s smile. Burger King had always been her biggest weakness.
“Sounds like a plan.”
*****
Chris sat on the couch and watched May sleep across from him. They had picked up Burger King to take out and sat in the lounge eating the mountain of food May had ordered while they watched a movie. May had gorged herself on more than half the food, which had amused Chris to no end; May didn’t look like she could put that all away. But when it came to Burger King, she would put the whole restaurant’s worth of food away.
It had an effect on her, too. Within half an hour of finishing her last mouthful, May had fallen asleep, curled up under one of the blankets. She was snoring softly, which had Chris smiling. She looked so innocent and young.
When the movie finished, Chris managed to ease May into his arms without waking her up. If anything, she shifted against him, resting her head on his shoulder with a slight smile. That was enough for his erection to tighten even more painfully and Chris had to grit his teeth as he climbed the stairs. He got May into her bedroom and laid her on the bed, putting the duvet over her. May sighed and burrowed deeper into the bed.
The temptation to get into bed with her was overwhelming. Chris stared at her, wishing he could slip in behind her and hold her close. But he remembered what May wanted, which was completely different to what Chris’ wants were. He didn’t want to jeopardize the nervous tension between them. Chris didn’t want May to go anywhere.
With great reluctance, Chris silently left the room. His cock pressed hard against his zipper and Chris had to clench his hands against the pain. Now was not the time to think of sex. He just couldn’t.
But he couldn’t keep May here alone. Chris knew he had to leave his house sometime soon, as did May. He couldn’t take her along when he did exchanges and deals; that was asking for trouble. Chris wasn’t about to give the dangerous men he dealt with a target. Anyone looking at him would know May was a weakness.
But with Sara Monahan about, Chris didn’t want to leave May on her own. She may not have been much more than blowing smoke at everyone but Chris had been there before when someone had gone from bluff to follow-through. It had gotten ugly. She was desperate to come out the victim and all the cards were falling against her.
So, Chris did something he didn’t think he would be doing. Asking for help.
Retreating into his office, Chris called Romanov’s number again. The Russian answered on the second ring.
“You’re asking for another favor, aren’t you, Campbell?”
“Did you need a crystal ball for that, Romanov?”
Romanov grunted.
“Let me guess: it’s something to do with your lovely personal assistant. You wouldn’t be asking me for favors on anything else.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“You’re lucky I like you or I’d be using this against you.”
Campbell gritted his teeth.
“Please, Anton, I wouldn’t be asking anyone else. You’ve dealt with a stalker already.”
“A stalker? Your
PA’s popular.” Romanov paused. “This is about that Monahan woman again.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“And you want some security. Don’t you have security?”
“Not a physical presence and someone managed to get past it already to destroy May’s car.” Chris couldn’t believe he was asking for something against a person least suspecting of stalking. This felt like a bad dream. “You know how dangerous my job is and how demanding some of my clients are. I can’t take her with me.”
“I beg your pardon? Demanding?”
“I said some, not all. I can’t focus on May’s safety and do my job. It’s not exactly something I can bring her to.”
Romanov made a growling noise and then was silent. Chris could hear noise as though he was typing.
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll get back to you later. Just don’t expect anything.”
“I don’t. But I trust you enough to ensure May’s safety.”
“Well, you’d be the first.” Romanov made a heavy sigh. “Who knew ladies in their fifties could be real battle-axes?”
Chris barked a short laugh.
“I think the question is who knew ladies in their fifties could be so crazy that something so public could be rug-swept without batting an eye.”
“My sister’s in her twenties and she’s crazy. I don’t doubt she’ll be sane in thirty years.”
Chris had heard about Nicoletta Romanova. She had started stalking the neighbor of Romanov’s accountant because the man had taken a liking to her. Romanov had taken his sister to a place out in the middle of nowhere for a retreat. That had been a year ago and there was no sign of Nicoletta coming back.
It had to have been worse than Chris had heard for Nicoletta to have been gone that long.
“No comment.” He responded, hanging up.
*****
May awoke in a grump. She was beginning to feel the cabin fever. Two weeks of staying in Chris’ house and not allowed out beyond the grounds was driving her mad. If only Chris would let her go out. But Chris had said she stayed at his place. Sammie and Robert came to visit her. And if May wanted to go somewhere and it was unavoidable, she had an escort.
It was embarrassing. It wasn’t Ivan or Illya’s fault – May actually got along with them well enough – but May felt like it was a mountain out of a molehill. Sara Monahan had been charged with child endangerment and harassment, to which she had pleaded not guilty. She was on house arrest and things had been quiet on that part. May didn’t think she was stupid enough to go after her, not with the temporary restraining order they had managed to get on the woman.
But Chris thought otherwise. May had argued about it but Chris was firm. She had to have bodyguards. May hated it; she felt like she was being babysat again.
The police and the judicial system were dealing with Sara Monahan. She hadn’t done anything since confronting May in front of May’s building. May was sure she had realized she wasn’t getting through and walked off. But Chris was adamant that Sara was lying in wait, ready to go after her again.
May found it ridiculous. She was being treated like she was spun glass. Sara was crazy but she couldn’t do any worse to May, surely?
Showering and dressing in her gym clothes, May went downstairs and into the gym. Two hulking men were using the weight machines, the longer, leaner of the two spotting while the stocky man on the bench chest-pressed with huge weights on each end of the barbell. May leant on the doorframe and watched as his muscles strained and flexed as he worked out.
“Morning, you big louts.”
Ivan Chekov shifted the weight onto its rack with Illya’s help and sat up. He was shirtless, his sweat making his body glow.
“Less of that, pint size.” He shot back.
“Well, you are.”
Ivan’s brother laughed, tossing Ivan a small towel.
“I don’t think our charm is working on her, Ivan.”
“Well, your fiancée would have something to say about that, I’m sure.” May laughed as she went over to the cross-trainer.
Illya grinned.
“That she would.” He ran a hand through his hair, sweat spraying everywhere. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t be charming.”
May rolled her eyes. Chris couldn’t have picked better men to babysit her. The brothers were cheeky and charming but had that ability to put her at ease despite the fact the testosterone had gone up to triple the amount since they had temporarily moved into Chris’ house to keep an eye on her. She didn’t even believe that Illya was the Romanov family’s accountant; he didn’t look like a man who crunched numbers every day.
Nice eye-candy but May felt no stirrings. She had well and truly been ruined for another man. Illya’s future wife would certainly be pleased about that.
“Honestly.” May put her towel over the handrail on the cross-trainer. “You could charm the snake in the garden of Eden.”
“I’ve been known to charm Eve a few times.” Ivan said proudly, puffing out his chest.
May jumped when she heard a laugh come from the door. She turned and saw Sammie in the doorway, openly admiring the Chekov brothers.
“When did you come in?”
“About ten minutes ago. Chris let me in before he went to the docks.” Sammie was smirking at Ivan. “I bet you’ve had a few women fall at your feet.”
“I certainly have.” Ivan winked at her. “I bet I can have you begging for it by the end of the day.”
“Not a chance, sweetheart. Mexican over Russian anytime.”
“Shame.” Illya chuckled.
May groaned.
“You two are awful.” Deciding that her workout could wait, she joined her friend and nudged her towards the door. “Come on, Sammie. Let’s leave these two to flex their muscles alone. They don’t need an audience when they have each other.”
The brothers were still laughing as the women went into the hall. Sammie giggled as she leant against her friend.
“Where did you find those two?”
“I didn’t. Chris did.”
“Then where did he find them?”
May hesitated. She knew who Illya and Ivan were but that wasn’t for Sammie to know. She would start asking more questions that May wouldn’t be able to answer without compromising her position to Chris.
“Friends of a friend, I think he said.” She settled on finally as they entered the kitchen. “To give them credit, they’re really good at their job and they’re good guys. Very nice. That’s just some banter we’ve ended up with. It’s a bit like having Robert in white Russian form times two.”
“Sounds about right.” Sammie laughed, taking a seat on one of the high stools at the counter. “At least you’ve got some eye-candy.”
“They’re not available.”
“Neither of them?”
“Nope.” May opened the fridge and brought out a bottle of water. “Illya’s engaged and Ivan’s got his eye on his sister-in-law’s best friend.”
“That’s a shame.” Sammie watched May with a soft smile as May chugged down some water. “I’m glad you’re more relaxed about having someone keeping an eye on you.”
“I’m not. I’m just putting up with it.” May made a face and sat beside her friend. “I haven’t got much of a choice. I feel like Chris is keeping me prisoner. I’m getting cabin fever.”
“Doesn’t Chris let you out?”
“He lets me go around the grounds and I have been for long walks. But I haven’t been allowed to go alone and as for going into the city to have dinner with Robert alone…” May shook her head. “I can forget it. Illya or Ivan have to come with me.”
“What does Robert say about it?”
“He’s not impressed that I have two big Russians following me around but he understands.” May huffed. “He’s like Chris and he’s worried like hell that I’m going to get hurt.”
“I don’t see how. Sara Monahan’s been charged and has an ankle monitor. She’s not allowed to come anywhere near you.�
��
May knew about that. She had been at the hearing, sitting beside Melissa. Her husband had been absent, although May wasn’t really surprised. Sara had been told by the judge that she had made a simple situation that could have been worked out at the scene worse and she was paying the price for her actions. Sara had tried to use the little old lady tactic but the judge had done everything but roll his eyes as he told her to wear an ankle monitor and keep away from both her son and daughter-in-law as well as May and Sammie.
May hadn’t forgotten the look Sara had given her as she was taken out. Genuine hate. It had been scary but May was confident she wouldn’t get anywhere near her. Sara would be closely watched. May had nothing to fear.
She was sure Sara would back off now. This would make her trial even worse. But everyone around her was thinking otherwise and she could get them to change her mind. It was driving her mad.
“How are things between you and Chris?” Sammie asked suddenly.
May started. That wasn’t a topic she wanted to discuss.
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to know. I thought we were friends.”
“We are but that’s something I don’t want to discuss.”
“Okay.” Sammie fell silent for a moment. Then she grinned. “So, are you talking?”
May scowled.
“What part of I don’t want to discuss Chris did you not understand?”
“Sorry.”
But May knew Sammie wouldn’t be satisfied until she found out. And if she was being honest with herself, she needed to talk to someone.
“We’re talking. About business. We keep away from anything personal unless it’s about Sara.”
Sammie raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Any reason why? You used to talk about everything. Chris was more like a friend than your boss at times.”
“We just keep things professional now. Like we’re supposed to do.” May screwed her bottle up tightly and spun it on the counter. “I’m an employee, not a friend.”
“But it sounds like you want more.”
“I don’t.”
That didn’t sound as convincing as May wanted it to sound. She had constantly told herself that she didn’t want Chris, that she didn’t want to sleep with him again. Every time they were in the room together, May kept saying over and over that there was nothing between them and she didn’t want to crawl onto his lap and strip him down.
Love In Arms_BWWM Romance Page 9
