Come Back to Me: A Romantic Suspense Thriller (Forever Series Book 1)

by Trilina Pucci

  “Mia, Cole has instructed me not to leave your side. I have strict orders to protect you by any means necessary. Do you understand? I am just sick over all of this. We were told Carter was in prison with no chance of bail, but somehow the signals got crossed. We never should have let our guard down. Just rest now, I’ve got you.”

  I close my eyes and try to breathe, focusing on all the happy memories from earlier in the evening, as we ride to the hospital.

  I am deposited into the back of a cruiser and watch Carter being put into an ambulance. I hope he dies. “Hey,” I yell to the officer in the front seat, “they aren’t going to the same hospital, are they? After what that monster did… he can’t be anywhere near her!”

  “No, Mr. Parker they are not taking him to the same place. We understand the circumstances of your wife’s case, since it was ongoing. We have allowed your security to escort Mrs. Parker and we have officers on detail as well.”

  I relax a bit, knowing she’ll be looked after while God only knows what will be happening to me.

  As if on cue… “We are taking you in for questioning, Mr. Parker, but I have a feeling the D.A. will not be pressing charges. Technically this is aggravated assault, but considering the circumstances, I see this more as an impassioned response. You were caught up in the moment, right? You must have blacked out before it all happened…” Wow. Ok, officer. I’m happy to go down this path.

  “Right,” I say, clearing my throat. “I’m happy to cooperate in any way, I really don’t know what came over me.”

  “That’s what I thought,” the officer nods into the rear view mirror.

  I spend four hours at the precinct, answering more questions than I have patience for, but I cooperate fully (much to the chagrin of my lawyer) and I am released with a simple warning not to leave town for a while. I call Foster and he informs me that Mia will be kept at the hospital for a few nights observation, due to a damaged trachea from strangulation. I head home and pack a bag for Mia and myself with enough clothes to last a few nights. I email my secretary, telling her to cancel my morning meetings and hold all calls until later in the week. I walk into our bathroom and look in the mirror, my eyes bloodshot and empty, and my hands still have blood on them. So does my dress shirt. I can’t see her like this. She’ll think I’m a monster. I run a hot shower, dress in clean clothes, and try to clean up the wounds on my hands. It is worth taking a few minutes to minimize the welts. No need to scare her more than she already is. And yet, I can’t wait to get there and be at her side.

  I pull up to the hospital and can’t help a brief moment of fear that this will somehow be like last time. Will she know me? Will she have blocked it all out again?

  Move your ass, Cole. Only one way to find out. I walk up to the nurses station. “Hello, I’m looking for my wife,” I say to an older, full figured nurse.

  “Well, she said you’d be the good looking one. I figured she was biased or maybe a little manic… my mistake.” I look at her, confused, as Foster steps out from the door next to the desk and motions me over.

  “What was that about?” I walk into the room and see Mia smiling and writing furiously on a board.

  Did you meet Annie?

  “Ahhh, the nurse with the raging hormones?”

  “That’s the one… Maybe you could charm her a little?” She writes with a devilish smile.

  “Very funny, I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.” I smile at her and scoot her over to lay on the bed with her.

  Mia rests her head on my shoulder and our mutual relief is overwhelming. I almost lost her tonight, again. Will this insanity ever be over?

  Foster walks in to inform us that Carter has been transported to a nearby hospital, and once released he will become a member of the psych ward until trial. “Don’t worry, boss. He is under lock and key, right where he belongs.”

  “Yeah well, I’ve heard that before.”

  Foster also tells us that they are tracking down the cousin who bailed him out, to question him. “Mia is exhausted. She doesn’t seem to remember any cousin, but there’s no reason why she would. She barely knows Carter, other than him being a former worker in Richard’s firm.”

  Foster jumps in, “Well, I learned a bit about that also. One of the cops on the case let me peek at the file from earlier interviews with Carter. Mia apparently went to Richard’s office to meet for lunch one day about two years ago. Apparently, since they went to college together, he recognized her, that’s when he started to fixate on her. After that his twisted mind created a fantasy that Mia belongs to him, and it went downhill from there, until he saw her at the holiday party last year and well, you know everything since then…”

  “Thanks, Foster. I think we’re all set for tonight. Thanks for everything. We’ll see you in the morning.” Foster leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

  We lay there holding each other, both a bit stunned knowing that tonight could have gone a completely different way. We don’t speak about it. It’s as if we both agree without needing to discuss it that the time we have is precious and we don’t want to waste another minute in hell. It’s nearly 1am when Mia squirms and wakes me. I get out of the bed and cover her up, surprised the nurses haven’t kicked me out. It’s good that they knew not to try. Standing and looking down at her bruised neck, she looks so fragile. My feisty Mia. I am overcome with gratitude that she’s okay, that he didn’t get to hurt her. We got there in time.

  Seeing that Mia is deeply asleep, I put on my jacket and walk out quietly to find Foster sitting right outside her door. “What hospital?”

  “Reed Memorial. Go, I’ll be right here.” He rises to enter Mia’s room, and I know he will guard her with his life until I get back.

  I walk into Reed Memorial and realize it’s the kind of establishment for those who have been forgotten. I breeze into the ICU as the one nurse on duty is busy with a patient across the floor. Two nurses at the nurses’ station are reviewing a chart over a med cart together, and I steal the lucky moment to walk directly into Carter’s room. He has no guards or protection. It’s just me and him.

  “I’m here to end this, Carter,” I growl. He opens his eyes and with recognition they take on a clear expression of panic. The machines hooked up to him all start to beep loudly. It seems his blood pressure is going through the roof. Good. I hope he feels some of the torment he has caused.

  “I want you to know why I am here. I am your reminder that what you did to my wife will never happen again. You will not hurt her or anyone else, ever again.” That beeping really is obnoxious. I reach up and turn the machine off, so I can focus on the matter at hand. I grab the pillow from the chair, and see Carter’s eyes grow huge because he knows what is about to happen.

  “What are you doing? Excuse me, who are you? Guard!!”

  Oh fuck! What am I doing? I have to get out of here.

  I toss the pillow down to say, “Sorry, I was just checking on my cousin. I’ll go.”

  I push past the nurse as she runs down the hall yelling for security. I leave the hospital quickly, looking over my shoulder to see if I’m being followed. When I make it to my car, I drive away calmly, as to not draw attention to myself. About a mile down the road I pull over and flip down the visor. Looking at myself, I realize without any doubt that I was going to take his life… I also realize that Mia deserves someone who won’t cause more harm than good. I drive my stupid ass back to Mia’s hospital and make my way to her room. I won’t tell her what happened tonight.

  “All good, boss?”

  “Yeah. He lives… I kept my head on.”

  “Good, it’s better this way.”

  “What are you doing here? I thought we ended this shit days ago.”

  “Get up, we have a little field trip to take.”

  “No, I’m not leaving the hospital. They won’t let you take me.”

  “You’d be amazed at what a hundred bucks will get you these days. Now, get up! Don’t make me ask again, y
ou fucking baby.”

  “Leave me alone. I just want to forget, I don’t want to remember her or anyone anymore.”

  “Do you think I give a rat’s ass what you want to remember or forget?! Poor little Carter, after missing your first attempt to violate my girl, you come back TWO MORE TIMES, for second and third chances. Do you honestly believe you should get any more chances? You are officially out of chances, you miserable little prick!”

  “Fuck off! I didn’t ask for any chances… I don’t want any of this! I just want sleep. Take your hands off of me. Stop! Help!”

  He is dragging me down the back stairs, so no one hears me. “Shut up, you fucking imbecile, and walk. We are going out.”

  “Where are we going? Are we going to see her?”

  “Don’t fucking say anything about her. I gave you your chance to make everything right and you fucking ruined it. Walk, dummy, down the stairs.”

  “Okay, stop pushing me so hard. Down here?”

  “Shhhh, yes.”

  “Okay, I don’t think there is an exit down here. It’s just a basement.”

  “Shut up! I don’t want anyone to hear you scream.”

  “What the fuck?! Sto….”

  “I’m so grateful to break out of this joint!”

  “Ha, don’t get too excited. You need to take it easy when we get home.” My husband worries too much.

  “Look, Mr. Parker, I will not have you bossing me around for the next week.”

  “Fine, but you better behave, or I will put you over my knee,” his eyes sparkle at the thought.

  “I’ll be sure to misbehave a lot then!” Cole slaps my ass as I stand up out of the wheelchair at the curb to step into the waiting car. I yelp and grab my bag, looking back at the hospital doors as he closes the rear car door with me tucked inside.

  When we arrive back at our apartment, I am quite literally the happiest person on the planet. I am so relieved to be back in my own space. Cole had it cleared out of anything that would remind me of what happened. I am still not dealing well and taking some pretty powerful meds. I take them when the anxiety gets bad, but the medicine that seems to work best is staying right next to Cole. I curl up on the couch and pull the throw over me as he steps into the room with a cup of tea. “Thank you.” I take it gratefully, my voice still raspy from being choked.

  “I like the rasp… It’s a little Demi-sexy.”

  Sipping my tea, I roll my eyes. “You are crazy, you know. I don’t think her sexy voice comes from being choked by a stalker.”

  “Crazy about you.” He smiles that megawatt smile.

  “I know we haven’t talked about it but I just want to say thank you. I love you, Cole. I need you to know that. Also, I would like to do something nice for the team that helped me. I know you pay Foster and his guys well, but I would like to do something from me. You need to help me think of some ideas. Maybe a nice watch for Foster?”

  Cole sits quiet, looking at his hands. I can see him trying to find the right words. “I thought I was going to lose you all over again, and I wouldn’t survive it, Mia. I love you more than my own life. I can’t see any future without you. I wish I could turn back time and do things differently, stop these scary incidents before they happened. But I know that for whatever reason, they have only made us stronger. We are going to be okay. I just want to get back to the part where we live happily together. I want to start our family, go on vacations, shit… go to the movies! From little errands to grand adventures, as long as you are with me I am looking forward to all of it.”

  I’m stunned into silence. Cole is always open, but not like this. He is raw and exposed and I love him so much for it. I reach across, taking his hands in mine and lay my cheek against them. “Did I hear you say you want to start a family?”

  “Maybe…” he is eyeing me cautiously.

  “Well, I’m not sure I am quite ready at this moment, but I can’t think of a better way to share a future.”

  “I imagine having a dozen or more… just kidding. I want to have two, one for each of us; a girl who looks exactly like you and maybe a boy who gets some of my charm.” He smirks.

  “I can’t believe you never told me this before. I’m loving this. It sounds like a perfect plan.” Cole makes me squeal when he jumps over on top of me to straddle me. I can see relief in his face and I hope that this is the life he is talking about, the one he is hoping for. All I want is right here, to be that for him, his love forever.

  Later in the day, Richard and Mom stop by while Cole is working in his office. We sit and talk about the events of that night and Richard lets me know that the trial will be scheduled sometime next week. I’m happy that Carter is locked away and can’t get out. The first time he slipped out of sight, he had been incarcerated at a minimum security hospital, the kind where the patients can take strolls around the grounds. He slipped out during one of those strolls. Now he’s locked behind heavy doors and guards, exactly where he deserves to be.

  I sit for a moment, gnawing on my lip, wondering about something Cole and I spoke about. Who was Carter’s cousin? Did they ever find out who the guy is and why would he help Carter kidnap me?

  “Hey mom, do you have my old albums? Remember, I used to make all those scrapbooks?” I realize I interrupted her conversation with Richard. Whoops. I look at her expectantly, hoping she forgives my rudeness. “I had everything put into storage when you moved for college, so I might… Whatever was in your apartment when you moved in with Cole was added to that storage.

  I’m sure I can arrange for them to be sent here.”

  “Thank you, I just want to find some pictures of me and Alex, that’s all.” I smile, hoping it ends her question brigade.

  After a few hours, they leave and Cole is still holed up in his office. working. He has been very considerate of me and working from home, but unless I want him to go under, I realize he needs to get back to the office. I grab the remote off the table and start watching some romantic comedy when my phone buzzes. Looking down, I see it’s Alex.

  “Hey, you!

  “Hey, how’s the cripple?”

  “I’m not crippled, just bruised. I’m really fine.”

  “Cool, whatcha doing? Pretty Woman is on Channel 53.”

  “Already on it….”

  We spend the next hour and a half laughing and critiquing the movie over the phone. Sitting in silence at the end, I hear Alex sniffling and can’t help laughing. “Are you seriously crying over the hooker and her prince? Oh my God, I’m dying!” I laugh so hard, my face hurts.

  “Umm, yes! You skank, I am crying over the hooker’s happy ending. It gives me hope for my future. I will have you know that I plan on finding a wonderful prince now that I’m single again.”

  “No! Alex, I ‘m sorry. What happened with Chris?”

  “He said I am emotionally unavailable. Can you imagine? That jerk.” Nail, meet head.

  “You are… I mean, what a jerk!”

  “I am not unavailable! I love big and without limits, you just have to be someone I really care for.” Lord! Help this girl to find her match in life.

  “It’s okay. Look, Chris wasn’t the right guy! I think you need someone more on your level.”

  “So what you are saying is I should ‘aim down’?”

  “No, you fool. The only thing dumb about you is thinking you’re dumb. You need to aim higher. Way, way higher. You know, Cole has this guy at the office…”

  “Absolutely not! I will not be some experiment in matchmaking for you!” Maybe not willingly, but that doesn’t stop me from setting you up for a hot surprise.

  I change topics. “Speaking of experiments, Cole says he wants to start making babies.” I close my eyes, bracing myself for her response.

  “No fucking way!!! That’s huge! You’re gonna be a mama? Mia, you’ve had a pretty tough year. Are you ready for all that?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, I know that I would love to have his babies and I want to raise a family an
d grow old with him, but I feel like we haven’t had enough time as a couple. I want time for just the two of us to build a life together before we expand it into 24/7 responsibility, you know? Pretty much our entire marriage so far has been murder plots and stalkers!”

  “Seriously! Not to worry, now that Carter’s in mental nut jail and you’re going to live, I would say you have plenty of time.”

  “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, pal!”

  “Any time. I’m here every Tuesday and Thursday.” She starts laughing and I can’t help but join in. I’ve missed my best friend.

  “Alright, I’m going to bed. Call me tomorrow?”

  “Absolutely. P.S. I’m very grateful to your husband for saving you. Can you please just lay low and be boring for a while?!”

  “Yes, please! My pleasure!”

  We hang up and I immediately check the schedule on my phone to see when I can throw an “impromptu” meeting between Alex and Cade, the guy in Cole’s office who would be perfect for her. Cole walks out of the home office looking exhausted and sits down laying his head in my lap. “Poor baby, are you wiped out from taking over the world?” I rub his back, smiling.

  “Mmmhmmm,” is all that comes out before I hear his breathing become more shallow and see his chest rise and fall in a slow rhythm. I let him sleep for about an hour before I can’t stay in the same position any longer. I extricate myself from his arms and upper body, cover him with a blanket, and go to bed alone. Lying in bed, looking out at the city views, I find myself lulled to sleep by the peaceful sensation of finally being home with the love of my life.