“My security team though small, is well trained in all aspects of security Henry has been with me since I started in business, he Tammy and Jamie are very reliable, they are the only ones coming and Gavin of course who is with Lorna. Tammy has said she will cover Bella or Ethan she has kept her hand in and still regularly knocks Henry on his backside. They will be best served around Ethan or Bella, especially Tammy as she and Bella have a bond, they always have had.”
“I was thinking perhaps we could have Tammy, Ferguson and Ethan’s nanny Poppy, look after his safety. Poppy is not only his nanny, but is his personal security, and the little chap loves her, and she loves my grandson too.” I oh-ed I thought she was just a snip of a girl. “Rochelle and I will look out for Bella as more than likely she will be glued to your side.” I agreed with Bedford, he knew my wife well.
“Look I’m going to get my head down for a few hours and join my wife and son in the cabin, Mel and Luis are asleep in the other and Maria is in my main bedroom all of you get your heads down and thank you for all this, and sorry for dragging you into it Hugh.”
“Nonsense you’re my son and are family, you always were and always will be. You’re right of course I am tired and the nurse is on the other plane, so I will take my leave too, you get your head down too Bedford, I think we are going to need you on top form.”
“Sir I will be fine, now go and rest before Maria comes and grabs you and tells me off.” We retire to our cabins. I look at my wife asleep, in her arms is my little boy, that sight melts my heart, I slip of my shoes and join them.
“I wondered where you were, miss me much?”
“Always Bella, now shush and sleep, we have a busy few days ahead of us.” I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I did, with my arm under Bella and over Ethan…
“Daddy wake up, we here, we here in a minute, Daddy wake up pleazzzze.” I mumble I’m up. “No you not, get up lazy bone, Daddy get up.” I grab my son and tickle him and he squeals.
“I’m up and tickling my little monster, have you been up a long time Ethan?”
“Yes had eggs and pancakes, yours is ready come on ups, now lazy bone.” I smile as I see Bella for the first time and she’s smiling too.
“Come on breakfast is waiting, we have to eat. Lord knows when we will be eating again.” I climb off the bed, and pick up Ethan and kiss my wife. How does she get prettier each time I see her?
“Morning wifely one, have you two slept well?”
“We did, now get up you promised Ethan to fly the damn plane. You can fly this can’t you?”
“Rich men and his toys what do you think? I have all the necessary paperwork back home.”
“Me fly plane yeah. Daddy quick’s eat your eggs and we fly plane. I tells Papa.” Off he runs with a slam of the door.
“Wow can I have whatever he ate Bella?”
“As I said more energy than normal kids his age, come on beloved husband, you have a son to impress.”
“Do I need to impress my wife too?”
“No dear you did that several times yesterday. Now get up lazy bones.” I’m pulled up and dragged out of bed. Umm I’d prefer it the other way around. I eat breakfast have my coffee and get the second pilot to come take a seat whilst I trade places with him. I spend a fun half an hour watching the pilot cringe as I allow my son to ‘fly the plane,’ in reality the pilot was flying he had all the control Ethan didn’t know that though.
“Thanks Frank, what do you think, has he got potential?”
“He has, he’s a chip of the old block and so very like you. Can you send Jake back please and take your seats we land in five minutes Chris?”
“Thank you for lets me fly your plane Fank, it was good.” We laugh as he runs off and tells Papa all about flying the plane. I take my seat and watch him as he chatters away, I’m mesmerised and happy and so damn lucky. The plane lands and I note there are a fleet of cars ready to whisk us off to the hotel, customs make their checks and we are loaded into the cars. I hate the thoughts of what could lay ahead of us, we should be on a happy honeymoon, somewhere hot and romantic.
“What’s on your mind Chris, tell me Baby?”
“Just things Bella, I wanted to whisk you and Ethan way somewhere nice, not to a bloody funeral.”
“It’s a pretty place to be Chris, when we get this over with, how about we go to that little beach hut of yours in St Bart’s?”
“Yeah, I’d like to show you the new bungalow I had built there, the last place held too many memories for me, so I had a bigger one built, I needed too, you know with Mel and a wheel chair? She couldn’t hack the hill to it.”
“The old place had some nice memory’s too the bad ones though were pretty damn bad, but nothing we can’t overcome, after all its where this little monster was conceived Christopher Robin Holland.”
“Daddy called Christopher Robin? You have a friend called Pooh and Tigger too?”
“I am called Christopher Robin yes, but you can call me Daddy.” Bella laughs as he gets out his book and looks at the picture of Christopher in the book and smiles.
“We looks like Christopher Robins Daddy. Good, oh look Mummy look at that big building oh and that one too, oh there’s another, there are lots of yellow cars Mummy, see Daddy lots can I have a toy one for my garage please?”
“We’ll see if you’re a good boy, tomorrow we will go to the store and get one.”
“Chris you’re going to be busy tomorrow.”
“Not too busy for Ethan, never will I be too busy for him. He comes before everything here, we can go to the toy store, and the hotel won’t have many toys for him, will it?”
“There’s a few from when Luis and I were little, but I have a feeling you need some alone time with your son right, and where better than a toy store?”
“You’re not mad I want to spoil him?”
“No, just don’t go over the top, he has you that’s all he needs, I trust you to know when enough is enough Chris. Besides I have a feeling whatever I say you two will ignore anyway, have some time with him, I can get Molly up to speed and see to some paper work for the hotels here. I presume Mel will be stopping in Luis’s rooms here?”
“I guess so they have been kinda cosy did you notice they are all gaga over Nina?”
“I did so did Mum and Dad. I have a feeling they aren’t going anywhere without each other for a while. Right we are here are the others here?” Chris looks around and the cars all arrive like a presidential motorcade. I step out of the car and Chris has Ethan arms wriggling to be down and off.
“Ethan please stop with Daddy just until we get inside baby boy.”
“He’s just excited, that’s all, come on let’s get inside.” I’m worried we are causing a scene with all the damn cars and luggage it looks like the Kardashians or a President of some country are coming to stop at the hotel. Bedford hurries us inside and we head to our rooms. It seems like a lifetime ago when we were here last. We settle into our rooms and we finally get Ethan to sleep with the promise if he goes to sleep he can go with Daddy to a toy shop.
“Right, what next, my minds a messy place right now, with this legal stuff and then there’s the two siblings who have something akin to revenge on their minds, this is all up in the air. I will ring Jameson first.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN:
Bella.
As Chris picks up the phone, the door to the suite is knocked on and hard. It can’t be Roger or Catherine, as they are not allowed in the hotel. I watch as Bradford opens the door and stood there is Tammy. I shriek and run into her open arms.
“Well, look whose finally got her man.”
“Tammy, you look great, Henry please come in don’t be so formal, get in, you great big lug you.”
“Hi, Mrs Holland, I hear we have a new close protection duty to perform?”
“You do, Ethan, he’s sleeping at the moment and yes Poppy could do with the hand. He runs her ragged, come in sit please, there’s coffee and tea and soda.”
&nb
sp; “We’re fine and just stopped in to let you know we are here and in our rooms, and the whole floor is secure, Bedford nice to meet you again.”
“Likewise Henry, I will be in the control room if anyone needs me, and Bella, the nursery is wired both for sight and sound.”
“Thanks, did my old baby monitors still work then?”
“Yep, and I still have the chip for your behind Mrs Holland, and don’t think I won’t use it if you step out of line.” Oops, I forgot about the much threatened chip, and much argued about when I had Ethan, the need to have one in his little body, I said no, but now being here away from the safety of the castle I may have to rethink the idea, I will have to run it by his father.
“We have them in the children, better to be safe than sorry. Chris had a fair few sleepless nights worrying, anyone would think the punnet of peaches I had were his, I’m so glad he has his own blossoming orchard! How are you both feeling?” We go to the meeting.
“We will feel better once we have a battle plan, I have a feeling Roger has got something up his sleeve.” I do wonder what this Roger is like and though I love Mel, I have never met this Roger. With their departure, two more heads appear in the room. Lorna and Molly with their security detail are now in the room too. It’s a busy place. Mel comes to my side and introduces the small girl to me.
“This is our baby sister Lorna, this Lorna is Chris’s wife Bella.” I didn’t need to know who she was she was Chris’s double and I smiled as I swept her into a hug.
“Nice to meet you Lorna, your nephew is asleep, you can see him in the morning, your brother is in the office with my father. Grant do you want to go through it’s the door there to the right, he’s expecting you.”
“Thank you. Mrs Holland, girls, I will bid you good night and Molly tone the language down there is a child present, or will be in the morning.”
“Shut up. I just got a little giddy in the plane you know it was my first time and every first time is nerve racking, I’m sorry I head butted you I will be calmer the next time. Hello Boss, why the hell, heck, I mean, why did you leave me behind and where is this baby Lorna keeps going on and on about? I didn’t know you had a baby?”
“I do and he’s two and a half, and far from a baby, you and he will be firm friends before long. He’s sleeping, he’s had a very busy couple of days and I have been travelling forever. Your suite is down the corridor, get settled in and order room service, you too Lorna I’m sure Chris will be speaking to you tomorrow, but for now eat and sleep, are you two alright sharing?”
“Yes Boss, we caught up in the plane, we too have been here there and everywhere one minute heading to Australia, then back to here and as we turned in the air I thought we were crashing, I swore a little and head butted the cute guy guarding Lorna.” I smile as Molly has a bruise on her head, my PA is going to be as much of a nightmare and as hyper as Ethan is too.
“Right then, get in your rooms, your sharing with Rochelle, she will be in after the briefing.” They disappear and Mel smiles at me as her hand cradles her bump.
“Lorna is frightened to hell that I am going to freak out at her and yell, which I am not going to do, she gave me everything I have ever wanted. Bless her. Molly is a little err, lively? Listen, I am going to turn in too, and apparently your brother’s room is down there.” She points to the bedrooms. I know she has been here before, but has she done the do with Brother Lou here too? I laugh as I watch her head down to his room. Good God, I need some clarity, none of this is making any sense, but as finally the security pile out of dad’s office, I see smiles.
“Can I go to bed, everyone is here and Henry and Tammy are jet lagged and are in their suite, Lorna, Mel and Molly are in theirs, Luis she is really tired.” I wink as he salutes and tells Chris he’s the man. Grant joins Bedford in the security suite and as Dad comes out, he looks knackered, excuses himself and goes to join mum who went straight to their rooms as she got in. I looked at Chris and a smile came over his face.
“We it seems are now all alone and until tomorrow morning, we have nothing to do but to start getting the practising in.”
“I have news for you sunshine, we have been getting practice in from the get go, I don’t have protection husband. You forgot to ask.”
“Oh, really and you didn’t stop me either. Come on my son needs a sibling.” We head to the rooms and practice our awesome baby making skills and yes, we put a lot of effort into perfecting it too. Chris made love to me all night long, and as he did, I felt a sudden feeling of wow, wow was a crap word for something so frigging spectacular, but I loved the things he did to me and how he felt, how he treated me and yes, I wowed quite a lot that night and into the early morning.
As I nestled into Chris’s chest and ran my fingers down it, I watched him as he slept, his chest rising and falling and his eyes twitched, my hand over his heart feeling the beating of it, I listened as it da dummed, da dummed in my ear, the slow beat made me sleepy and as I drifted off. I heard an ear piercing scream, the scream echoed around the apartment, and as Chris suddenly shot up out of bed, I threw him his jeans, he went to see where the commotion was coming from, and as we both entered the lounge we froze, I froze Chris froze, and sucked in a deep breath. Stood there with a knife at my mother’s neck was Gina. Gina, how the hell did she get in the rooms, let alone the damn hotel?
“Chris darling long time no see, I see from this that you are now sleeping with her. The girl you swore was like a sister to you. Get sat down all of you, and you fellas don’t make a sound, sit both of you, over there.” Luis and Dad were slowly sitting down, Dad now panicking about Mum. “You, yes you fat girl, sit next to the old guy, and is there anyone else in here?” I shook my head, when I saw the red of the cameras blink red and I hoped Bedford had used the door connecting to the store room from security to grab Ethan, I breathed a sigh of relief he was safe. We had run through this procedure all the time at home, and the green lights would turn red once the most vulnerable person was safe. It was me for years and then Mum and then finally Ethan, I laughed all the time when my protection would grab me from my bed, but there is no laughing matter now, this shit has just got as real as it will ever get.
“What do you want Gina? How the hell did you get out?”
“Chris please don’t rile her.” I whisper. Watching the mad woman in our room.
“I am, if nothing else, quite resourceful, and really good at seduction, and the doctor in the hospital was such a sweetheart, he helped me escape and your brother Roger flew me here in his father’s private plane, to meet you again. He has been visiting me for months, he has been planning my escape, and he succeeded and here I am. Surprise... Though the stupid man tried to tell me what to do and I have to say, his voice hurt my head when he shouted, so he is sleeping now. I don’t like loud noises they hurt my ears and then my head gets all these voices screaming at me. It makes me do things, bad things. Really bad things” I guess we need to stay calm and quiet then?
“Come here Isabella, I need to see what you have, that I don’t, come here and I let your mother sit down.” I had no choice and as I walked across she threw my mother down, the lights were blinking red and then green and then red, security were outside, but hell I needed to see to it my family were kept safe.
“Gina take me, let Bella sit down, she’s not well and is tired, let me take her place?” Gina smiles as he walks towards her smiling, it’s now or never as her guard is down, as Chris is her main focus, I signal and as I do the fire alarms go off and I put to use my years of training, training for just this thing, into action. I push her, and grab at the arm she has the knife in, and as I do, she begins screaming at the sirens and at Chris to save her. My years of training kicks in, and I unleash a frenzied attack on her, my mothering and protecting instincts click into place too. Then as she lunges forward, we struggle for dominance, and I grab at the arm with the knife. Then as we fight, I hit her in the face with my elbow, and pound into her chest. Then I grip the knife arm again, jus
t as I grab her, she and I then fall to the floor.
I am suddenly hot and my chest hurts, I feel the heat and feel wet, wet but hot, I look up to the ceiling and hovering above me Gina, who is going mad and laughing. What’s happened? I pull out my hand from under Gina and scream as I hit her again. It’s then I notice the blood, I am bleeding and I scream in anger as I land a smack to her chin, Gina smiles down at me the knife is raised, just as a shot rings out and she falls on top of me. I have been stabbed and then I taste the blood, I taste it in my mouth it gets thicker, the screams get quieter and then the room goes black…
Chris:
I watch as suddenly my wife lunges at Gina, and I gasp as Bella shoves me out of the way and I fall banging my damn head on the table as I do. I regain my footing to see an epic battle, and although I know it’s going on, my head hurts, I’d banged my head on the table as I fell and blacked out for a few seconds. I watch as Bella hits, punches and manhandles Gina, Luis is getting to his feet but in the blink of an eye, the room is awash with security. My wife is on the floor screaming and with blood everywhere and she now has a dead woman on her chest. I throw Gina from her and stare down she has been stabbed, but what with, Gina has the knife in her hand?
Soul Mates. The Beginning. Page 39
