Holt's Holding part two (The Holt's Series)

by a dagmara

  Holt’s Holdings

  Part Two

  a.dagmara

  Holt’s Holdings

  Author: a.dagmara

  Cover Illustration by © fotolia.com

  Copyright© 2013 Anna D Cameron

  This is a work of fiction, names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  For information on other titles by a.dagmara, please see us on the website below or follow us on Facebook.com www.adagmara.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

  ISBN 978-0985784757

  www.adagmara.com

  Dedication

  Though, this book is a work of fiction, its inspiration is the basis of many conversations and “happy hours” with my best friend.

  Thank you for giving me the memories to pull from!

  To My fans….

  Your following, encouragement and insights are the true reason any author writes. I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude.

  Acknowledgements

  To my mother, this book is a direct result of you brilliant criticism, lessons and dedication. Without you there would be no book…I can never thank you for the time and long distance calls discussing plots and your valuable insights.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  EPILOGUE

  Chapter 1

  Beep…beep….beep, constant and steady.

  The sound of the steady rhythm increased with each labored breath I took.

  Visions of the past seeped into my clouded consciousness.

  Visions of things I didn’t remember being a witness too, perhaps, I blocked them out, or simply forgot.

  An argument in the middle of the night…mom and dad…she threw around accusations as he didn’t even waver…the anger was palpable as it moved through me. The vision shifted like a blur.

  My father in the study…a man sat in the chair, in front of him. Trying to focus on him, it was his friend, Uncle Scotty. The talks were about …business….something about a takeover. Appraising the space, my eyes landed to the two chairs, and their occupants. Two young men, by the window playing chess, adding a comment here and there, doing their best to outwit the other. The brunette looked up at me, locking our eyes, Sebastian. This was a younger version of him, possibly in his early twenties. Breaking my gaze, the blonde, turned and looked at me, the arrogant smile on his face had me taking a step back. Feeling frozen, his eyes appraised me and the grin on his face wasn’t one I would associate to kindness, he looked at me with distain. He looked annoyed with my presence. Dropping his eyes from me, he looked back to Sebastian and shook his head grinning as if a silent conversation was taking place between the two.

  “Keep holding your breath brother.” He spoke with such arrogance to Sebastian.

  “Elizabeth!” The roar of my father’s firm voice caught my attention, “…this is not a place for you!” my father pushed me from the office, shutting the door.

  The vision changed again…

  Father Joe looked down to me… “We have no clue to what hand we are dealt…it’s all in how we play it”

  “A good lesson Lilly…but even more so, never hold them too close to your heart for you will give up your hand” my father’s voice lingered around me… “Know your opponents- anticipate their moves…this is a lesson in life.”

  How young was I? Possibly twelve?

  All the memories just flowed…

  Then unfamiliar voices, hovering around my subconscious, increased in volume….pulling at me into reality.

  “-won’t be long her vitals are strong and the activity as increased.” A woman’s voice spoke.

  “Very good, I’ll inform her next of kin.” A male voice added.

  “She was very lucky.” The woman offered in a joyful voice.

  “Do you think we should tell her about her situation or do we have her kin tell her?” the female voice added.

  “Possibly wait…it may be a lot for her to taken in…I’m sure she didn’t know.”

  “Perhaps this may be a good surprise?” It was a woman’s voice I was hearing…a nurse.

  Yes, I was in an accident…

  Groggy …I moaned, opened my eyes…shit it was bright…I blinked a few times adjusting for the light all around me.

  “Stay still…I need to pull out the tube in your mouth.” The nurse urgently spoke.

  Tube?

  Shit …I closed my eyes …remembering how my car flipped over and over…

  The accident registered.

  Opening my eyes up, the nurse hovered over me and smiled. She looked young, possibly my age.

  “The doctor will be right in” she added sincerely “you are Johns Hopkins Hospital…can you tell me your name?”

  “Yes…Elizabeth Lillian Holt” I rasped. My throat felt like someone shoved sand paper down it.

  “Very good she smiled”

  “Very good…no amnesia then.” a male voice added. “Elizabeth…My name is Dr. Fitz. Do you remember what happened to you?” The bright light flashed in each eye. Shit, asshole, need to adjust to light.

  “Accident …my brakes…there were deer in the road…” talking was hard.

  “Yes, you were in an accident. You were flown to shock trauma…you were lucky as you had no internal injuries just a broken arm…However, you hit your head, and I suspect that you were already suffering a concussion as there was evidence to suggest one. The combination of both injuries so close, unfortunately, caused swelling on your brain. We had to induce a comma until the swelling subsided.”

  “Ok…how long have I been out?” I looked out to the window, and the sky grey…it was snowing?

  “How long?” I repeated urgently turning back to the doctor.

  “Almost three months.” He replied in an apologetic tone.

  “What’s the date?” The urgency wasn’t lost to me. I need to know the date.

  “December 18th”, he offered cautiously. “Your attorney Mr. Calhoun, had instructed us to notify him, when you woke. It appears; he was your emergency contact, as well as held all your powers of attorney. He has visited often as has your grandmother.” He paused and based on his expression, there was more. “Elizabeth, not to be forward; however, Mr. Calhoun could not provide an answer…do you have a boyfriend?” he paused, and I scrunched my brows tight to his question, “I ask as I could not disclose to Mr. Calhoun…however, you are with child…you are pregnant.” his eyes wide and appraising my reaction.

  “What? No, not possible. I’m on birth control…I can’t be pregnant!” I shook my head…this was too much…I’ve lost three months, and now I’m pregnant? No, this is a bad dream. My heart rate increased with a vengeance. I began to hyperventilate.

  “This is obviously a shock to you” No shit!, I shook my head at him. “…I can assume this was not planned. None the less…we estimate you in your roughly about 16 weeks along. The fetus is very strong and health if I made add.”

  Fetus? Pregnant? Did I just wake up to an alternate universe?

  “Oh god no!” I cried, “No, please no!” The com
ma, I could deal with…the accident all of it…but a pregnancy?…I carried his baby…his! The tears burned as they fell like a floodgate down my cheeks.

  God help me, I’m so fucked up emotionally, this can’t happen.

  “Abortion…this is not a catholic hospital…I want an abortion now!” I screamed.

  I heard Brady run in…“Why is she screaming?” he looked between the Doctor and me.

  “Mr. Calhoun we need to sedate her.”

  “Why is she screaming?” Brady demanded,

  He came around and reached down to me. His eyes, reassuring and even calming. God, how I needed him right now.

  “I need an abortion …Brady please…I’m pregnant!” I was frantic and pleading with him.

  “Oh, my god…I didn’t know Lil!” he pursed his lips tight. I knew he was thinking and hard on this. His eyes were wide in shock taking it in.

  “Mr. Calhoun…Elizabeth…I cannot perform an abortion. You are past the gestation that the law allows.”

  “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” Brady demanded of the doctor. “I have power of attorney, every power legally to have consented to an abortion on her behalf.” He yelled in frustration. His protectiveness, palpable, and possibly threatening. This is why I trusted him so much. He knew me better than he knew anyone. He knew, I would have, without question, aborted the pregnancy; without thought. I’m not an awful person, I actually value life, but this? This was so out there, complicated was an understatement. I pregnant with my enemy’s child, shit what was I to do now?

  “How do you know…your guessing how far along I am” I yelled in anger.

  “Please…if I can show you” the doctor looked to the nurse gesturing her over.

  “Nurse Liza, please send down an ultrasound technician”

  The tech came in as Brady stepped away slightly, allowing her to pull the covers down, and lifted my gown exposing my swollen abdomen…it was all too surreal.

  She applied the jelly to my exposed stomach; swell of the pregnancy was more than evident. I had a flat stomach, or did; now the bump was very real. My frame and size, I supposed made it more than noticeable. She placed the rod down rubbing the clear gel around my stomach. The tech pushed a few buttons, and what seemed to be an eternity, she smiled to me then Brady… “Well it looks like a perfectly health little girl…based on measurements it looks like your about 18 weeks. Congratulations”, she added looking between Brady and me…

  “I’m not the father.” he whispered, then looked down to me.

  “Oh”…she paused in shock “I’m sorry I just assumed…my apologies.”

  “No worries”, he added then nervously rubbed his chin.

  “You can put the baby up for adoption Lil.” He walked to the window shaking his head.

  “NO…I can’t have this baby at all Brady…I shook my head as the tech left the room, “I can’t have his baby!”

  “And who would be the father Lil…which one?” he looked back at me in shame. My heart fluttered with the distain I found in his eyes. The tears pooled. For the first time, Brady made me feel shame. All that I have lived through, all that merited shame, and this was what did it for him. Turning away, I was so disgusted with myself. The tears fell like a stream down my face.

  “Does it matter?” My voice cracked in humiliation. His opinion always matter. His was the only one I cared about.

  “Of course it does!” His voice was strained. “…is Julie an aunt or is it your former boss a proud new papa? She never caught wind about you and her brother. He moved to New York a month after your accident. He tried to visit as did Julie and even a few of your coworkers…hell, Sebastian even snuck in once.” Brady laughed, “He told me that he cared about you and that your job would be waiting when you woke.” He shook his head and turned to me. His eyes seemed to soften. Pursing his lips, I could see the apology without the words.

  “Not sure I should tell you this, but Lucian was here.”

  My blood froze. Lucian was here. This wasn’t good. “How was that? How was he?”

  “I can’t read him Lil. He was pissed and had yelled at the doctors a few times.” Brady sat down on the bed. “He forced me to hire security and place them at your door. The man was beyond insistent and even threatened to take you out of here.”

  “What did you tell him?” Appraising Brady, he was scared of Lucian.

  “I did as he told me. You have guards at your door.” He sighed running his hands in a frustrated manor through his hair. “I told him little, but he is whom he is. The man scares the shit out of me and more now. I swear, he gets colder every time I see him. What does he have on you Lil? Why won’t he just let you go?”

  “Lucian collects people like possessions Brady. I made a choice that choice, however, stupid, will forever bind me to him. I don’t want to talk about him.” I sighed; the memory of one stupid choice was something I didn’t want to focus on. There are too many other things that need a resolution.

  “So, changing topics, who’s the father?” He turned and looked at me.

  “Charlie, I’m certain of it.”

  “Fuck. Well, at least no one knows.” He sighed. “The Vaihn brothers are a fucking pain in the ass.” His last comment sounded more like a personal thought.

  “What do they know?”

  “I told them that your comma would be long term and that I was moving you to a long term care facility. I actually told everyone the same story…Lil…someone tried to kill you. That night at power plant, someone was aiming for you. I had your car looked over after the accident…the brake lines were pierced.” He looked down to the floor.

  “I should have known…my brakes seemed less responsive earlier that day. Do we know who?”

  “No, nothing conclusive…but I suspect…I did some more digging and I think you were right from the beginning. I should have heeded your words. You wanted out, hell, you suspected that someone might…” his words dropped, and the guilt hung over his entire demeanor. What was he not telling me?

  “There was no way of knowing Brady, and the fact that I’m still alive is a blessing…this pregnancy, however, …” I shook my head crying. “This changes everything Brady…I don’t know how to play this hand.”

  “I’m sorry Lil!” His own tears seemed to be caught in his throat. Turning to my side, I felt him climb into my bed behind me. “I’m an ass, forgive me Lil, this can’t be easy. Fuck, I failed you!” He breathed into my neck. Pulling him close, I cried in his hold. “maybe we change the approach…go back to basics. I think we handle things straight.”

  “I think your right…things have undeniably changed. Being here for the past three months and out of the business,” I sighed, “…so how is the company doing?”

  “Holding.” he smirked.

  “I think it’s best to tell no one I’m awake.”

  “Agreed…probably a good idea since we still have nothing regarding who is trying to put you in a grave.” He added in a tense voice. “Lil, they’re going to know who you really are when you don’t show up for the takeover.”

  “I know.” I paused, he was right, but I had time to sort it out. “How are we with everything else?” I asked in curiosity.

  “Ready and simply waiting on you…this is your circus, your monkey.” I turned my body to his, his hands wiped my tears and his eyes, apologetic. He didn’t have to say it. His eyes spoke volumes; I knew he felt like he failed me. He always held a sense of responsibility for me. Perhaps it was nothing more than guilt caused by choices that occurred in the past. Brady had the life, he thought I deserved. It wasn’t in the cards for me, yet he still held the guilt. It didn’t matter because he was the one person who loved me unconditionally. I loved him in the same way. It wasn’t a love like a woman and man share, this was like family, he was my family. I would lay my life down for him, and I had no doubt that he would do the same.

  “I suppose it is…” my hands mindlessly wrapped my abdomen.

  “How do you plan to deal with that?
” His eyes landed on my stomach.

  I had no idea what to do…I never planned on a pregnancy…yet here I was pregnant and with the last person on earth I would have ever of thought…yes, I was certain I knew whom the father was…Charlie.

  This was not how I had ever envisioned things, he was a monumental off limit, and now I was pregnant. I needed to sort this out. And quickly

  “I see the wheels turning, what are you up to?” Brady asked in his usual tone.

  “Brady, I need to know when I can leave…find out - I need out of here.” I urged him.

  “I’m sure it will be a couple of days…where are you going to stay?”

  Shit that’s right, I had told Julie I planned to move out.

  “My house.”

  “Good, nobody will think you’re there. Did you finish furnishing it?”

  “Yeah, it’s been waiting for almost 6 months.”

  “Good, I had your things put in storage. I’ll have it moved to your house immediately.…I’ll stock the house with groceries. I’m assuming that Nana has keys?”

  “Yes…she does.”

  “Ok then, let’s see about getting you home and under wraps.” Brady shifted off the bed, to his feet and circled around with a determined expression.

  “Brady…please don’t tell anyone, including Nana about the pregnancy.” He paused and slighted his head.

  “That’s your card to play how you see fit…and I’m sure you’ll work that out soon enough.” He knew me too well. Offering a grin, he matched my expression.

  A new plan was forming…I was good that way.

  “It’s a good thing you have me” Brady laughed, “based on that expression of yours, something tells me, you’re cooking something up.”

  “Perhaps. Brady…first, I need to get out of here.”

  “I’ll work on getting you out of here sooner than later.”

  “Thank you Brady.”