Hacked For Love & The Dom's Songbird: A Billionaire Romance Collection

by Michelle Love

  A sharp blow from Peyton’s small hand hits my shoulder. “Kip! How inappropriate!”

  I shrug. “What? It would be the perfect way to go. A little loving, go to sleep, wake up in Heaven together. What’s so inappropriate about that?”

  She shakes her head as I pull away. “It does make me think about when you die before me. How will I handle that?”

  “Whoa! How come I’m dying first? It could be you. You’re much higher strung than I am. I can see a stroke taking you out. Then what will I do?” I ask as I pull out of the parking lot.

  She shrugs. “You’re older than I am. You’ll definitely go first.”

  “Well, I could make sure we go together. A little gas leak and vavoom! I would definitely get a piece of your action before we kicked it then,” I say and then laugh. Her eyes go wide and she looks at me like I’m actually serious.

  How damn gullible can she be?

  “Kip! That’s a terrible thing to say. What about our kids?”

  I pull onto the freeway to head back to Beverly Hills. “They’ll be grown before I kill us.” I don’t even break a smile.

  “Oh my God!” she says with a huff and crosses her arms. “You are crazy! So when we get old and if you come to bed all randy, I’m always going to be wondering if that’s the time you opened the gas valve and soon will be dead.”

  “That’s right, baby,” I say and see her frown. “You know I’m just kidding right, love?”

  Her eyes soften and she looks at me with relief in her hazel eyes. “Of course I know that.”

  The way the tension leaves her body tells me otherwise though.

  She is beyond precious!

  Peyton

  “The salt is behind you, not anywhere near the fridge. What are you doing way over there?” I ask as Kip is supposed to be handing me the salt but instead he’s pulling a beer from the fridge.

  He pops it open and takes a long drink.

  “Okay! Better! Now, continue bossing me, please.”

  I stop stuffing the turkey and take my hand from its butt. “Salt please.”

  He hands me the salt, finally and kisses the tip of my nose. “So, are they going to meet us in Vegas next week?”

  “Yes, and now that you have kissed my nose, it’s tickling or itching or something. I have turkey ass all over my hands so will you please do me a favor and fix that for me?” I ask as I blow little puffs of air at my nose.

  He takes a napkin and rubs it. “So my kisses itch or tickle, huh? You must be allergic to me then.”

  With a smile, I say, “I’m sure I am. It’s not love that has me going nuts, it’s an allergic reaction.”

  His arms wrap around me from behind and his mouth is hot on my neck and I wiggle to get away. “It’s love, baby. Pure, unadulterated, love.”

  I give him a little jab in the ribs and he pulls away from me fast and shouts, “Ow, fuck!”

  He’s holding his lower right side and his face is turning red. I’m positive I used my left elbow so what the hell is he faking hurt with the wrong side.

  “I used my left elbow, funny man.”

  “No, something’s wrong, Peyton.” He bends over. “Bad wrong.”

  “Are you fucking with me?” I go and wash my hands and see him go sit down.

  He moans loudly and beads of sweat break out on his forehead. “I’m not fucking with you, baby. Something's wrong. Call my Mom.”

  I dry my hands on a dish towel and walk over to him. I touch his forehead and it’s not hot at all. A bit cool really. He groans and his hand hasn’t moved from the place he put it. “Kip, I’ve never even spoken to your mother yet. And you want me to call her and tell her what?”

  “Ask her what to do. There’s something wrong,” he moans.

  His cell is on the counter so I go get it and find his mom’s number and call it as he groans. “Hi, baby,” she answers.

  “Um, this isn’t your baby, this is Peyton, Mrs. Dixon. Kip asked me to call you. He’s clutching his side and moaning in pain.”

  “Hi, Peyton, it’s nice to hear your voice after all this time. Now which side is he clutching?”

  “His right side, kind of low.”

  “Take him to the hospital or call an ambulance please. Then call me back when you know which one he’s going to and his father and I will get there as soon as we can. We’re in Aspen but we can fly there.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  I look at Kip who looks horrible and say, “Looks like we’re spending Thanksgiving at the ER, baby.”

  I put my arm around him and help him up as he says, “I’ve ruined out first holiday.”

  Part Ten: Dim Star

  Kip

  Pain radiates through my right side and I can’t stand up straight. Forgoing an ambulance ride, Peyton drives me to the nearest hospital emergency room. Her hand pats my leg as we go, trying to reassure me all will be well.

  “Don’t worry, babe. You’ll be better in no time,” she says as her lips form a tight line.

  “Promise?”

  She nods and gives me a quick glance. “Promise. Now don’t talk. Your face becomes paler every time you do that. It must hurt very badly when you talk.”

  I nod and lay my head on the dashboard as I can’t stand to sit upright. The thought runs through my head that in just a few months it will be Peyton who I’ll be taking to the hospital in much the same pain I’m in.

  “How long have you been hurting, Kip? It must’ve been at least a few hours or so.”

  “Three days.” I grit my teeth with the pain the words cause me.

  “Three days? You jackass! Why wouldn’t you say something? Why’d you wait until it hurt so damn bad you have to go to the emergency room? Why couldn’t you just admit you were in pain?”

  My jaw tight, I answer, “I thought I was hurting over you.”

  I turn my head so I can see her face and just like I thought I’d find, she’s frowning, like a whole face frown, no ordinary one. “Damn it, why do we have to both be so stubborn and afraid of our emotions? I have to admit that my stomach has ached as well. I can see why yours would too. We have to promise each other that we’ll both try our hardest to stop being immature assholes.”

  I give her a nod and pull her hand off my leg and leave a kiss on it. “I promise.”

  The lights of the emergency room fill the car as she pulls into the parking lot. “I’m going to get a wheelchair, you stay put.”

  “No worries, mate,” I say then groan.

  She gets out of the car and in less time than I expected she’s got my door open and her hand is on my shoulder. “Lean your weight on me, let me help you.”

  I try hard not to put too much of my weight on her, but as I move the pain sends white heat through my entire body and not in a good way. “Shit!”

  She gets me into the chair and slams the car door, pushing the lock button to make it beep then wheels me in. Straight up to the desk she takes me as I huddle over.

  “I need him to be seen like right now!” Peyton tells the nurse behind the desk.

  “I need you to fill this form out,” the woman in blue scrubs tells her as she pushes a clipboard towards me. “Then we can get him back into the ER.”

  Peyton slams her hand on the desk next to the clipboard. “I’ll fill this out while you take him back to be examined. I need him seen now, not after this shit is filled out. Now!”

  “Miss, what’s your name?” the nurse rises and asks.

  “My name is Peyton Reed, and this is my fiancé, Kip Dixon.”

  A sideways glance lets me see the nurse’s expression change from firm to apologetic.

  “Oh! I had no idea. Take him to the side door and I’ll buzz you both back.” The nurse takes the clipboard. “You can fill this out while the attending physician checks Mr. Dixon out.”

  Peyton smirks and pushes me to the door. “Your name certainly makes miracles happen, Kip.”

  I wish it could save me from this pain as well. Now that’s the kind of miracl
e I need right now.

  A small room we follow the nurse to and they take my blood pressure and ask me a lot of questions about all kinds of things that don’t make a difference in my opinion. She asks about my pain and I let her know it’s a ten.

  Finally, the nurse wheels me to an examination room and a man in a white coat comes in. “I need you to get into the bed, Mr. Dixon.”

  “Then I need help, because I can’t stand up, much less climb into that bed.”

  Peyton gets in front of me to help me up and I shake my head. “It’s hurting much more now, and I’m afraid I’ll knock you down.”

  She looks back at the doctor who looks like he weighs maybe a buck fifty. “Get someone!” she barks the order, and he moves like the wind to do her bidding.

  “Damn, baby!”

  “They’re taking too long to get you taken care of and it’s pissing me off,” she says as she runs her hand over my head.

  The doctor returns followed by a giant man and in no time I’m in excruciating pain as he moves me to the bed and presses me to lay out flat, which nearly kills me. Stars fill my head and I nearly black out. “Christ!”

  “Be easy with him!” Peyton shouts.

  “Miss, I’ll have to ask you to leave if you don’t let us do our job,” the doctor says with an air of authority.

  “She stays, no matter what,” I say through gritted teeth.

  Deep breaths I take as the pain only grows worse. The doctor moves my hand from my side and pulls up my shirt. His hand is freezing as it touches my skin and I scream as it feels as if he pressing into a horrible bruise.

  “So that hurts then?” he asks.

  “Fuck yeah!” I shout as my body throbs with the man’s touch.

  “Help him!” Peyton shouts. “Just hurry. I can’t stand to see him in pain like this!”

  The doctor turns to her. “I need to order an ultra-sound. I think he has appendicitis. But I need to confirm that. I’ll be right back, and Miss, I am doing all I can as fast as I can, so please help me to keep him calm.”

  Peyton shudders and wraps her arms around herself. “Sorry, please just hurry.”

  She takes her cell phone out and starts pressing the screen like a mad woman. “What are you doing?” I groan and hold my side.

  “Googling appendicitis. Man, I hope it hasn’t burst. That’s going to complicate things if your appendix has burst,” she says with a frown. “I’d show you the pictures I’m looking at but that wouldn’t do a thing to make you feel better, I’m afraid.”

  “What if it has?” I ask, not really wanting to know.

  She shakes her head. “Let’s not speculate about that until we know for sure.”

  She puts the phone in her pocket and comes to my side. Gently she runs her hand over my sweat soaked head. “Peyton, please call my mum and pop and tell them to come. I need them and you right now, more than I ever needed any people in my life.”

  She takes my cell from her other pocket and makes the call. “Hey, we’re in the ER, it’s probably appendicitis. The doctor is about to run an ultra-sound and Kip wants you two to come. Can you do that?” She nods at me. “Okay, just call when you get here and I’ll come find you and take you to him.” She puts the phone back in her pocket.

  “Thank you.”

  “Shh. You be quiet and rest. I’ll be here and soon so will your parents. Everything is going to be fine.” Her hand rests on my chest and she smiles.

  A young man pushes a cart in and asks her to step back. She moves to the other side of me and takes my hand. He pours some cold goop on me then presses something on top of it and I shriek. “Holy shit!”

  “Sorry, sir,” the man says as he moves it around, causing me to nearly pass out with the pain. “A necessary evil, I’m afraid.”

  After a torturous few moments, he stops his torture and throws a tissue over the goop on my searing flesh. He looks at Peyton. “It might be better if you help him clean this off. He may punch me.”

  She nods. “So, is it appendicitis?”

  “The doctor will be in to tell you that soon.” He pulls his cart out of the room, leaving me just as informed about my condition as I have been, which is not at all.

  Peyton moves to the other side of me and gently wipes away the goo and even though it hurts like hell, it hurts less than when the other two men touched me. I pull her hand up and press it to my cheek.

  “Peyton, I feel like something is bad wrong. If something happens to me…”

  With her other hand she presses her fingers to my lips, stopping me. “Kip, don’t even let the thought go through your head. Nothing is going to happen to you. You may have to go into surgery, but they’ll fix you up and you’ll come back out of this. In no time we’ll be back home together.”

  “Do me a favor and call Mum again and let me talk to her. I need to talk to her and Pop.” She makes the call and hands me the phone. “Thank you and can you find me some water, I’m dying of thirst.” She nods and leaves.

  Mum answers the phone. “Is everything okay, Peyton?” she answers.

  “Mum, it’s me.” I groan into the phone.

  “Oh, baby boy! You sound terrible!”

  “Mum, listen please. If I don’t make it through this, I want Peyton to have everything. In my will, everything I have currently goes to you and Pop. Make sure you give every last thing to her if I don’t make it. Promise me, Mum.”

  “Of course, son. But please don’t think like that. You’re going to be fine. Please don’t talk like that,” she begs me and I can hear the tears in her voice.

  “Mum, I just want to be sure, that’s all. I’ll do my best not to leave you all, but just in case I had to tell you that. I never want her to be without. I want her to have it all,” I groan out the last word as a sharp pain radiates throughout my body. “Mum, I need to go. It hurts to talk.”

  “We’ll be there soon, baby. Rest and do what the doctor tells you too. We’re in the air already and two hours away. Bye, we love you.”

  I hang the phone up as Peyton walks in with a bottle of water and the doctor walks in behind her. She holds the bottle out to me and the doc shakes his head. “He’s going into surgery. No water for him, I’m afraid.”

  Peyton stops and spins back to look at him. “Surgery? So, what is it?”

  The doctor looks grim. “His appendix has burst.”

  Peyton gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. “No!”

  He nods. “I’m afraid so. The surgical team is setting up now and the prep team is on the way down to get you, Mr. Dixon.”

  My heart pounds harder than it has been and Peyton’s gorgeous face pales. Her hand runs over my face as tears fill her hazel eyes. “You come back to us, Kip Dixon. You stay with us, don’t you dare do anything but fight this. Do you understand me?”

  I nod and pull her to me. She clings to me and I can feel her body quivering as she tries hard to hold her cries in. “I love you, Peyton. No matter what, you remember that. You take care of our baby. I sure wish I knew if it’s a boy or a girl, but whatever it is, you take good care of it for me if something does happen.”

  Peyton puts her fingers to my lips. “Kip, don’t.”

  I pull them back. “I called Mum and told her if anything happens to me they’re to make sure you get everything I own. All of it.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to you, Kip,” she says with a long sigh. “Stop talking like that.”

  Three people come into the room, all wearing light blue scrubs. Two men and one woman. The woman has a bunch of papers on a clip board. “Evening, Mr. Dixon. This Thanksgiving wasn’t the best for you was it?”

  I shake my head and she smiles at me. Peyton stands back and lets the prep team do their thing. The man with dark hair looks at Peyton. “We need to get him prepped, Miss. Can I get you to step just outside and we’ll let you see him before we sedate him completely.”

  She nods and comes to my side once more. A kiss she places on my forehead. “I love you. See you in a b
it.”

  Her shoulders slump as she turns to walk away. “I love you, Peyton.”

  The female nurse comes back to my side and starts reading the first paper to me. “This is a living will, Mr. Dixon. It states whether you wish to be resuscitated should you stop breathing or your heart stop.”

  I nod and she checks something on the paper. My heart aches with the question and the thought I might leave this world never seeing my child’s face nearly makes me cry.

  The nurse continues. “Mr. Dixon, if resuscitation is performed and homeostasis is returned, do you accept to be placed on life support, if necessary?”

  I nod and try my best not to jerk my hand as one of the male nurses stab it with a huge needle. “Sorry, Mr. Dixon. In just a few minutes, this will be the thing you love the most. It’ll give you the medicine you need to get out of pain.”

  “Good,” I say with a moan.

  The female nurse touches my cheek to draw my attention back to her. “Mr. Dixon only a few more questions then we’ll get you up to the O.R. There are time limits on life support. You need to choose how long you wish to be kept on it.”

  How long do I wish for machines to keep me alive?

  How does one choose that? “Can I leave that up to someone else?”

  “Sure. Who would that be?”

  “Peyton Reed.”

  The nurse jots her name down and smiles. “Okay then, let’s get your clothes off and the gown on and we’ll be on our way. The morphine will help you tolerate the movement we need you to make to get this all accomplished.”

  “Morphine?” I ask as the dark haired male nurse pushes a syringe into my IV and instantly I feel no more pain. “Wow, that was fast,” I slur. “Maybe I can just stay on this and avoid surgery all together. Yeah, I can see spending some time like this. Oh, yeah.”

  The three giggle and the next thing I know, I’m moved around and naked in front of them and then some awful green checkered gown is pulled around my shoulders. They lie me back down, cover me with a thin blanket and move my bed out of the room.