My fault.
The engagement ring is in my jewelry box. Occasionally, I take it out and admire the beauty and love what it represented, but that love is now tarnished by my past.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kris
The light is so bright. I open my eyes and shut them again, only to try and look through them half-open. My throat feels weird, and as I reach up, there’s something on my face.
“He’s awake!” yells someone.
A man leans over me, his eyebrows drawn together. “It’s okay, Mr. Livingston, someone is coming.” He tilts his head, so I’m staring at his chin as he talks to someone else. “He’s awake.”
“Move,” says another voice.
A woman stands over me. “Kris, I’m Dr. Elizabeth Young. We’re so happy you’re awake. You’ve got a tube down your throat. It was helping you breathe. I’m going to remove it, but I need to undo a few things first.”
“He’s awake?” asks someone I can’t see.
“Yep, let’s get this tube out of him.”
Another female face comes into view and smiles, then the tube is pulled out of my throat. I cough and splutter as it comes out of my mouth. My throat is sore, they press a button, and the bed moves into an upright position.
“Don’t try to speak,” orders Dr. Young.
She thrusts a cup of water at me, and I gratefully take a sip. Looking around the room, there’s the doctor, a nurse, and a big guy, but I don’t know any of them.
“A-Athena?” I whisper.
The doctor glances at the nurse then back to me.
“Kris, you’ve been asleep for a long time. Don’t try to speak, give it time.”
Shaking my head, I ask in a whisper, “How long?”
“Ten weeks.”
With a shaking hand, I reach up and touch my head. The movement is jerky, and my body feels alien to me.
“Take it slow. Your body will have to learn how to do everything again.” I scowl at the doctor, and she repeats herself, “Take it slow.”
My arm falls back on the bed. I clench and unclench my hand, and the movement isn’t fluid. I scowl at it. The doctor moves the sheet, exposing my leg, takes a pen out of her pocket and runs it up the sole of my foot. My body jerks in response.
“Good.”
“Athena,” I whisper, and the word grates on my throat.
“How about we call your father?”
I’m so tired, but the one thing I know is I want Athena. I shake my head and try to speak again.
“Okay, Kris, we get it, you want Athena.”
The doctor looks at the nurse, and she gives her a slight shake of her head. I don’t understand why Athena isn’t here, but she’s the only one I want to see.
“Don’t.” Both look at me. “Tell anyone I’m a-awake.”
“Kris, your family will want to know.”
I shake my head, close my eyes, and fall back asleep.
***
Two days later, and I wake up again. The same big man is in the room positioned near the door reading.
“Hey,” I whisper, and my throat doesn’t feel as sore.
He looks up and smiles. “Hello, Mr. Livingston, I’m Clive.” He gets up and moves toward my bed. “You’re probably wondering who I am.” I nod. “I was hired by Gabby Turner. There are four of us, and we work on six-hour shifts to make sure fans or press don’t sneak in here to snap a picture of you and to ensure you are safe. We work for a company called Triple Threat Security.”
I nod, it makes sense to hire a security company.
“Athena?” I ask.
“She’s not here. I asked one of the nurses about her. Your Athena hasn’t been here for some time. The nurses like to gossip, they said she went home.”
I shake my head as none of what he said makes sense. “She wouldn’t.”
Clive shrugs and looks at the floor then up at me. “Your dad will be here on Friday. He normally brings visitors, too. So, you can ask them.”
“What day is it?” My throat burns, and Clive picks up a cup with a straw in it and puts it to my mouth. The liquid soothes my throat.
“It’s Thursday.”
“Take me home.”
Clive frowns and shakes his head. “Not sure I can do that, Mr. Livingston.”
“It’s Kris, take me to Athena.”
Clive’s lips turn down, and his eyebrows go up. “You’ve just woken. I’m not sure if medically, we can even move you. You’ve been in a coma for ten weeks, Kris. I heard the doc say you’re probably going to have to learn how to do everything again.”
“I don’t care.”
Clive smiles. “Let me get a nurse.”
“Clive—”
“Yeah, yeah, roll with me here.”
Clive leaves, and I let my head fall back, raising my arm. It shakes, and the once-easy movement exerts far too much energy. With a groan, I let it fall back. Clive walks back in with the nurse from the other day.
“Hello, Kris, Clive tells me you want to leave?” I nod. “Kris, your body is still recovering.”
“I’ll pay someone to look after me.”
“I understand you want to see your loved ones, but your dad will be here tomorrow night. He normally stays for the weekend.”
I shake my head. “Athena.”
She looks at Clive. “We can’t stop you from leaving, but for your own health, you should stay. You have a catheter.”
In a raspy voice, I say, “I’ll pay you to come with me, you and Clive.”
She smiles at me like she’s humoring a small child. “Let me get the doctor.”
I shake my head. “Does anyone know I’m awake?”
“No, but—”
I hold up a hand, and she falls silent. “Athena.”
“We could call her and get her to come here?”
Again, I shake my head. “I’ll pay you a year’s wages if you travel with me. I made her a promise. Please.”
Clive moves closer and looks at the nurse. “Sue, is there any kind of life-threatening reason he can’t go?”
“You mean apart from the fact he only just woke up from a coma?”
Clive winks at me. “A year’s wages, Sue. Does that go for me as well?”
“Anything to get me to Athena.”
“I say, let’s do it. If something goes wrong, we’ll check him into a hospital.”
“I don’t know…” Sue chews on her bottom lip.
“Your kid has been wanting to do that school trip. You’d have enough money to pay for it,” replies Clive charmingly.
“I’ll pay for that, too.”
Both look at me.
“Let me get the doctor first, and we’ll go from there.”
***
After much arguing, they let me sign myself out. Clive, on my behalf, hires a private plane to transport us to Boothbay Harbor. I sleep most of the way there. It’s the early hours of Friday morning when we arrive at Wiscasset Airport. Clive carries me from the plane to a waiting car even though I’ve regained some use of my legs. Nurse Sue has taken good care of me the whole trip and is fussing over me. Turns out she’s a single mom, and her parents are looking after her son while she escorts me.
I’m tired, sore, and my body won’t do what I want it to do, but I have to see Athena. When we arrive in Boothbay Harbor, it’s only five o’clock in the morning.
“Clive, small detour. My father’s house is just up here. He’ll be awake, he always is this time of day.”
“Anything you want, Kris.”
My father’s home is on the waterfront, and we have to drive past Athena’s to get to it. I look up at her house on the bluff, but it’s obscured by trees and lack of light.
The big black SUV parks out the front of my father’s house, and I see the light on inside. “Go knock on his door.”
Clive nods, puts the car in park, goes through the rickety gate, and knocks loudly on the door. After a moment, my dad opens it. I watch as his head snaps back at the sheer size
of Clive, then recognition for the man alights his face. I can’t hear what they are saying, but Clive points to the SUV, and I hit the button to roll the window down.
Dad’s eyes connect with mine. One hand goes to his chest and the other goes to his mouth, then he’s pushing Clive out of the way and running to the car.
“Kris!” His arms come through the open window, and he’s trying to hug me through it. “You’re awake.”
Clive gets between Dad and the door. “Mr. Livingston, if you’ll just move back?” asks Clive as he opens the door to the SUV.
The minute the door is open, Dad is there, pulling me into him.
“Mr. Livingston?” asks Sue. “Could you just move back a bit?”
Dad looks at Sue, then his penetrating gaze lands on me. “Should you be out of the hospital?”
“I’m okay, Dad. I needed to get to Athena.”
“She hasn’t been to see you.” Dad looks at my chest. “I think you broke her, Kris.”
Tears spring to my eyes, and I nod. “I-It’s why I came.”
Dad backs up and shuts the door. “You get him to her. Maybe then they can both heal.” My father shakes Clive’s hand and steps away from the vehicle. “I’ll be along later. Get comfortable. Look after yourself and our girl. I’m ringing the Boswells.”
Dad turns around and jogs back into the house. Clive turns the car around. When we arrive at Athena’s, I look up the pathway to her home.
“That is a fucking death trap.”
Clive looks up and agrees with my assessment by nodding.
“Clive, you never met Athena, did you?”
“No, I was hired after she left.”
“Sue, did you meet her?”
“Yes, she was there every day. She met most of the medical team who took care of you.”
I glance up the path. “Clive, with your help, I can make it up the path.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Clive opens the door and helps me out. Standing on shaky legs, I slowly put one foot in front of the other.
“This is going to take a while.”
“Who the hell lives like this?” asks Clive as he looks up the hill.
“Athena.” A smile forms, and I shake my head. “You ready?”
“I’m coming,” announces Sue.
“Good, ‘cause I think I’m going to have a heart attack getting up there.”
Sue shakes her head and positions herself on one side of me. “Come on, Clive. Let’s do this.”
It takes the better part of half an hour to reach the top of the hill. Clive knocks on the door, but there’s no response.
“You gotta be kidding me? We made it all the way up here, and she’s not home?” asks Clive with a shake of his head.
The side gate is unlocked, and I gesture with my head. “Through there.”
Clive and Sue help me through the gate.
“Okay, you two, take a seat.”
“You can barely walk,” states Sue.
I grin at her. “Nothing is stopping me from getting to Athena.”
“Right, so muscle atrophy is all in your head?”
With my lips set in a firm line, I walk, or should I stay stagger, to the hole in the wall that leads out to the bluff.
“Any minute now, he’s going to run,” says Clive with a chuckle.
Making it to the wall, I lean against it and hold up my middle finger to Clive.
“Hey, there’s a lady present.”
“I think you deserved that, Clive.”
I hear Clive laugh, but I don’t turn around. With determination, I make it through the wall and see Athena out at the bluff, just past the fire pit. The wind has caught her hair and blows it sideways. She has her arms wrapped around herself as she stares out at the sea.
With renewed strength and my eyes fixed on my prize, I walk, limp, and stumble out to her. The wind masks my movements, or maybe it’s because she is so caught up in her own thoughts, either way, I’m glad she doesn’t see me. I sit on the bench near the fire pit and watch her.
After some time, she drops her head and turns around.
Athena is almost to me when I say, “Where you go, I follow.”
Her head snaps up, eyes wide, and she runs the short distance to me. Athena launches herself, her arms wrap around my neck, and her legs straddle my lap.
“You’re real?”
Cupping her face, I kiss her. “Did you miss me?”
“How are you here?” Her eyes search my face.
“I had some help.”
“When did you wake up? Who helped? Does your dad know?”
I hold a finger to her lips. “None of that matters.”
Athena looks past me. “Who are they?”
Not taking my eyes off her face, I say, “The big guy is Clive, and the woman is—”
“Sue.”
“Yeah.” I grin at her. “She offered to help me. Well, sort of.”
Athena climbs off me and looks me over. “Are you okay? Should you be out of the hospital?”
“That’s why Sue is here. My body isn’t working quite the way it should.”
Athena stands. “Let’s get you inside.”
“Will you help me?” I push off the bench seat, and she puts one of my arms over her shoulders.
Clive comes jogging out and grabs my other arm. With their help, I make it back inside and into Athena’s bed.
“I just need to rest.”
“Is he okay?”
Sue smiles at Athena. “He checked himself out of the hospital. But yes, in time, he’ll be fine.”
“Should I call a doctor?”
“No, you shouldn’t.” Everyone looks at me. I pull back the covers on one side of Athena’s bed. “Join me for a nap?”
Athena looks at Sue, who shakes her head. “We’ll be in the next room. Yell if you need us.”
Sue pushes Clive out of the room and closes the door.
“I still can’t believe you’re here.” Athena nestles in next to me.
“I made you a promise. I said I’d never leave you, and I aim to keep it.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Kris
It took another six months to recover fully. Some days my left leg won’t work like it’s supposed to, and I use a cane. We stayed in Boothbay while my body healed. Apart from learning how to do everything again, I suffered no permanent damage. Once my hair grew out, the scars there were concealed.
Athena is at the bluff, wearing a white dress and her hair blowing in the wind, staring out to the ocean. She has her arms wrapped around herself and doesn’t hear me approach even though today I’m using the cane.
I put my arms around her, and she jumps then settles back into me. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“I’m just thinking about how lucky we are.”
I laugh and hold onto her tighter. “Well, I’m lucky I’ve got you.”
Athena twists in my arms. “Nope, I’m lucky I’ve got you.”
I kiss her lightly and look beyond her to the ocean. “You ready to leave?” I glance down at her, and she nods.
“I’m going to miss this.”
“We can come back.”
“Is Clive ready?”
Clive moved into Athena’s spare bedroom after Sue left. Athena wouldn’t let me let Clive go. The big man didn’t have any family attachments, so he was happy to stay.
“Yo! You two ready to hit the road?” yells Clive.
“I’ll be glad when we get to LA, so he has the guest house, and we get a whole house to ourselves.”
Athena giggles. “Some privacy would be good.” Athena waves at Clive and looks up at me. “Let’s do this.”
“You sure you’re ready to become Mrs. Livingston?”
Her eyes sparkle as she links her arms around my neck. “Yes, lover. Where you go, I go.”
Epilogue
The papers are filled with pictures of Kris Livingston and his bride Athena Goddess. I ball it up and throw it in the trash. Anger flows through m
y veins. I thought that guy was as good as dead. She doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not considering she was the reason my brother got taken from me.
No more fucking around. No more working in the shadows. I’m going to attack her head-on. I’m going to take her husband first, and then for my brother and my family honor, I’m going to put her in the ground.
The cartel has a long arm, and even though she’s moved to LA, we have connections there too. It’s only a matter of time before I destroy Athena and everything she loves. The cartel is powerful, so much more than a movie star and his whore.
THE END
Want to keep up with all of the other books in K. Bromberg’s Driven World? You can visit us anytime at www.kbworlds.com and the best way to stay up to date on all of our latest releases and sales, is to sign up for our official KB Worlds newsletter HERE.
Are you interested in reading the bestselling books that inspired the Driven World? You can find them HERE.
If you liked this story, you might also like:
An MC/Band of Brothers Romance
Spark: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 1
Spark of Vengeance: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 2
Spark of Hope: MacKenny Brothers Series Book 3
A Sports Romance Featuring Colton Anders
Tackling Love
The Savage Angels MC Series
Savage Stalker Book 1
Savage Fire Book 2
Savage Town Book 3
Savage Lover Book 4
Savage Sacrifice Book 5
Savage Rebel (Novella) Book 6
Savage Lies Book 7
Savage Life Book 8
Savage Christmas (Novella) Book 9
Savage Angels MC Collection Books 1 – 3
Savage Angels MC Collection Books 4 – 6
The Grinders Series
Truth Book One
Acknowledgments
A big thank you to Kristy Bromberg for allowing me to write in her world. I hope I did it justice.
Powerful: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Page 19
