Gorgeous Chaos

by T. K. Leigh

  “It’s not here, Jack.” Alexander checked his watch. “And I’m pretty sure it’s already too late to do anything.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, his mind racing.

  “Olivia left plenty of clues for me, leading me straight to the evidence. Before I got here, I made sure to send all the documents to various news networks. It’s over.”

  “You’re joking,” he said nervously.

  “Try me. Go ahead. Check the news. I’m pretty sure they’re already making arrests.”

  Jack walked over to the remote and turned on the large screen television, making sure to keep his gun trained on Olivia. He quickly found a national news network, his jaw dropping when he listened to a blonde anchor talk about multiple arrests of various government officials involved in acts of terrorism. “Documents we received just a short while ago indicate that these officials were responsible for selling U.S. military arms and munitions, as well as government secrets, to various terrorist organizations. These people were responsible for the downing of several flights, in addition to the bombing of multiple government buildings here and abroad. The Secretary of State made a statement saying that this is the most pervasive corruption in the government that she has ever seen. The man behind it all had apparently faked his own death over twenty years ago to cover-up his role in this operation.” A photo flashed on the screen. “This is Jack DeLuca and he is wanted in connection with these acts of terrorism. He also goes by the alias Nathan Roberts.”

  “NO!” Jack screamed, nervously walking back to face Alexander. He pointed his gun at him, then back at Olivia, and then back at him.

  Alexander looked over and saw Simon holding Grant’s gun, lying flat on the ground, the gun following Jack as he paced the large room. Discreetly holding up his hand, Alexander signaled him to wait a little longer until he was certain that he’d be able to make the shot. He knew they only had one chance to take him down and he couldn’t risk Simon missing. Returning his eyes to Jack, he said, “It’s over.”

  “No, no, no, no, no…!” he cried out, shaking his head. After several intense moments, he slowly lowered his gun.

  Alexander breathed a sigh of relief, taking a step toward Jack to retrieve his weapon and restrain him.

  In the blink of an eye, Jack raised his gun and shot Olivia through the chest, a cruel look of fulfillment crossing his face.

  “NOOO!” Alexander screamed as more shots rang out. Jack fell to the floor and Simon got up, running over to him, shooting him through the heart several more times while Alexander ran to Olivia’s side.

  He quickly cut her from her restraints and pulled the tape off her mouth. He lowered her lifeless body to the floor and frantically tried to find a pulse as Martin dialed 911.

  “Come on, Olivia!” he cried. “You cannot die on me! Not now. Please. Stay with me.” Alexander cradled her in his arms. “I can’t survive without you.” Tears overtook him as he wept for his Olivia lying lifeless in his arms. “I need you, love. I promise I’ll always protect you from now on. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again. Just, please… Come back to me…”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  GRIEF

  ALEXANDER SAT IN A complete daze as the EMTs arrived and pried Olivia from his arms, speechless from the trauma of what he just witnessed.

  After paramedics administered CPR and found a pulse, they quickly put Olivia on a gurney, continuing to give her oxygen.

  “Sir, is this your wife?” Alexander heard a voice say as he stared blankly ahead, still unable to process what was happening. “Sir?”

  Alexander finally snapped to. He cleared his throat, grabbing the ring from his pocket. “Yes. She is.” He gently placed the ring back on her finger where it belonged, a tear falling down his cheek as he felt Olivia’s cold hand.

  “We’re taking her to Cape Cod Hospital. Would you like to ride with us?”

  Alexander slowly nodded his head, following the EMTs out of the beach house.

  “I’ll stay here and take care of the police,” Martin said to Alexander as he walked through the doorway. Their eyes met and Martin couldn’t remember ever seeing him so distraught. “She’ll pull through, sir. She’s a strong girl.”

  “I’m so sorry, Alex!” Simon called out, clutching the gun. “I never meant for this to happen.” He fell to the floor, crying.

  Alexander showed no emotion as he turned to catch up with the EMTs, an empty expression on his face.

  The next several hours passed in a daze while Alexander sat in the waiting area at the emergency room, gazing ahead at the white walls. Every time he closed his eyes, Olivia’s lifeless, blood-stained body flashed in his memory.

  “Alex! Snap out of it!” his sister pleaded with him as soon as she reached the hospital in the early morning hours. “Come on. Olivia is in there fighting for her life. You need to tell us what happened…to help her. They got almost everyone involved, except Kiddish. He got away. He’s still out there so you need to tell us what the fuck happened!”

  To help her. Of course! “Damn it!” Alexander roared, punching the wall, startling several nurses.

  Carol ran and put her arms around him, trying to calm him down. “There’s my baby brother. Now, what happened?” she asked, leading him back to his chair.

  A tear fell down his face. “She was shot,” he quivered. “The bastard shot her in the chest.” He looked past his sister. “He’s dead now, though. They’re both dead. Simon…”

  “What about Simon?” Carol asked urgently, needing all the pieces of the puzzle.

  “He was in on it. I think he’s the one that abducted her…but then something must have happened. Like he intervened on her behalf because, when I got there, he was knocked out cold on the floor. Then he came to and shot Jack. Simon helped! But Grant… He fucking raped her! And her dad let him!” Alexander let out a small cry, remembering the sight of Olivia tied to the chair, blood trickling down her thighs. “If he wasn’t already dead, I’d kill the motherfucker myself!”

  Carol turned to face Alexander, grabbing his hands in hers. “She’s going to be okay, Alex. I just know it. You didn’t spend your entire life looking for this girl just for her to be taken from you again.” She stared at her brother, trying to reassure him. He looked like a shell of his former self.

  He had seen some heavy shit during his time abroad and had dealt with it fine, but he could not handle losing Olivia all over again. He knew that he wouldn’t survive this if she didn’t pull through. Olivia was the only thing that kept him going. She was his heart.

  Carol stood up, knowing that the press would have questions about what was going on. “I’m going to keep the police away from you, and I’ll make sure they have a spokesman on standby to deal with the media. I’ll call your publicist, as well, and tell her that she is not to answer any questions or make any comments on your behalf until further notice. Okay?”

  He nodded and Carol turned to go make a few phone calls. “One more thing, please,” he said quietly.

  She stopped and faced him. “What is it, Alex? Whatever you need.”

  Taking a deep breath, he met her eyes. “I need you to call a Dr. Cameron Bowen out of Jacksonville. Send the plane for him. I don’t know what Olivia’s mental state will be when she wakes up. He needs to be here when she does. He’s brought her back from the darkness before. He may need to be here to do it again.”

  Carol placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. “Okay. You got it.”

  “Thanks, Carol. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Anything for you. You know I love you.” She gave him a quick hug. Then she left to go make all the arrangements Alexander requested.

  Several minutes later, Mo came running into the waiting room. “Alex!” he exclaimed, his eyes red from crying.

  “Mo! Jesus Christ!” Alexander jumped out of his chair, running to him.

  Mo hugged him, trying to comfort him.

  “I don’t know what to do! I
can’t stand it!” Alexander cried out, pacing the short length of the waiting room as he ran his hands through his hair. “She’s been in there for hours and no one is saying anything!”

  “Sucks, doesn’t it?” Mo commented, recalling how he felt when Kiera was in the same exact position just a few short weeks earlier.

  “Goddammit! I just want to know what the hell is going on! All they tell me is that she is in the best hands possible. I don’t care what hands she’s in as long as she comes out of this alive. FUCK!” He slammed his fist into the wall again.

  “Mr. Burnham?” a quiet voice interrupted, getting Alexander and Mo’s attention. He turned to see a solemn looking doctor standing in green scrubs. She was short and blonde with a sweet face.

  “Yes. I’m Alexander Burnham.” His heart raced.

  “Can I speak with you in private please, sir?”

  Alexander looked at Mo. “Anything you need to tell me, you can say in front of Mo here. He’s Olivia’s family.”

  The doctor looked at Mo before nodding her head. “My name is Dr. Hatheway. My team and I have been operating on your wife for the past several hours. It was touch-and-go for a while, and we lost her for a little bit, but we were able to bring her back. She is extremely weak. She has lost a great deal of blood, but she has stabilized for the time being. We just need to continue to monitor her vitals.”

  Alexander breathed a sigh of relief. “So she’s going to be okay?”

  “I didn’t say that. We’re not entirely out of the woods yet. She’s suffered a great deal but, for now, she’s stable.”

  Mo hugged Alexander, patting his back.

  “Can I see her? Please?”

  The doctor smiled. “Of course. Follow me.”

  Alexander turned to Mo, hoping he would understand if he wanted to go by himself.

  “I’ll let you have a moment alone with her,” Mo said.

  “Thanks.” Alexander followed Dr. Hatheway down several hallways, finally stopping outside of the ICU.

  She turned to face him. “Before you go in there, there’s something else I need to tell you. Apparently, Mrs. Burnham had been kicked in the stomach multiple times. She suffered from several cracked ribs. I’m sorry, but she lost the baby.”

  Alexander stared wide-eyed at Dr. Hatheway. “Sh…she was pregnant?”

  “Oh. You didn’t know? She was about six weeks along. She hasn’t miscarried yet and there’s no telling when she will. There was nothing we could do to save the baby. The miscarriage may not have been a result of what happened to her. It may have occurred naturally, but I just wanted to let you know.”

  Alexander did the math. Of course. After seeing Kiera in the hospital when they first got back together. “Damn it…” he breathed, shaking his head. “Is she going to be okay to eventually…?”

  “If she pulls through, she will be able to have lots and lots of babies. There's been no permanent damage. Don’t worry.” Dr. Hatheway winked as she opened the door to Olivia’s recovery room. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

  Alexander thanked her and she closed the door, leaving him alone with Olivia, the rising sun brightening the room. He walked over to where her lifeless body lay. He listened to the gentle beeping of the heart monitor and watched her chest rise and fall. Her left foot was in a cast, and her right shoulder was in a sling. He didn’t want to see her other wounds, not knowing whether he could stomach seeing anything else.

  He sat down in the chair next to her bed and grabbed her hand in his. “Olivia, love,” he whispered through the lump in his throat. “I am so sorry. I just… I never thought in a million years that your father…”

  He leaned over and brushed his lips against Olivia’s cold cheek, still clutching her hand. “I should have figured it out earlier. I’m so sorry. All the clues were there. I still can’t believe all those documents were sewed tight inside Mr. Bear all these years. Your mama…” He squeezed Olivia’s hand as a tear fell down his cheek.

  “Your mama would be so proud of what you did. I’m so proud of you…” He looked at her hand, toying with the ring on her finger.

  “I told you not to leave the house!” he cried out, knowing that she had no control over it. “You never did like following instructions, did you?” he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “God, even when we were kids, you never listened to me. You always played by your own rules, and I always let you get away with it because it made you happy. And when you were happy, it made me happy. I’ve always loved you, Olivia…”

  Alexander looked around the room, a painting of a snowy scene catching his eye. He smiled at his memories of them together as children. “You HATED the snow. God, I never heard the end of it. You were such a whiny kid whenever it snowed. Then, one day, I finally dragged you out to play with me and, with your mama’s help, we built our very first snowman. Every day that week, you would come out and play in the snow with me. I even let you talk me into having a tea party with that snowman. I was the only seven-year-old boy in Mystic who was whipped enough to agree to have a tea party with a girl in his own front yard!” He smiled at the memory.

  “When I had to start school, you were beside yourself. You screamed and cried. You were so worried that I would go off to school and make all new friends and forget all about you.” His eyes became sincere and he lowered his voice. “But I could never forget about you. That first day of grade school, all I could think about was you.

  “I remember your first day, too. I held your hand as we walked to school. You didn’t understand why you couldn’t just skip ahead to third grade to be with me. That day, during recess, I saw two boys teasing you, pulling your cute little braids. I was so mad. Nobody messed with you after that day. You had a third-grader on your side.” His eyes glistened with unshed tears at the memory. “My friends always teased me about you, but I didn’t care. You were worth it. You were always worth it.” He stared down affectionately, his chin quivering.

  “The day of the accident was the day after Tyler was born. At first, I was so mad at my mom for even thinking of having a baby during the summer, taking me away from you and the beach. For the longest time, I even blamed Tyler for your death. I ignored him. I couldn’t even look at him. That’s when my parents put me in therapy, and I eventually got over it. But I never got over your death. When I found you last year, Olivia… I was so torn. I was thrilled you were still alive, but then I knew there must have been a reason for it all. I was scared for you. And for me because I really didn’t think I could survive if I lost you all over again… I barely made it out the first time. Please, love…don’t leave me here without you…”

  He looked down at her stomach, gently lying his hand over it. “You’ll be an amazing mama someday. I’m so sorry, Olivia. I had no idea…” Alexander sobbed for his battered and beaten love and for the child that no longer continued to grow inside of her.

  “You’ll be a great dad someday, too.”

  Alexander swung his head around.

  “Oh, Ma!” He buried his head in his hands, not wanting his mother to see him at his breaking point.

  “Hey, hey…” Colleen said, walking toward her son, comforting him with her arms. “I came as soon as Carol called. Now stop with those tears. Olivia’s going to survive. She’s one tough cookie.”

  Alexander shook his head. “She was pregnant, Ma. I had no idea…” He raised his head to look his mother in the eyes.

  “Was?”

  Alexander nodded his head slowly, looking down at Olivia’s body, placing his hand back over hers. “The doctor said she was only about six weeks along…”

  Colleen stood next to Alexander, gently placing her hand on Olivia’s stomach. “You better get healthy, Libby. I want some grandchildren before I’m dead.”

  Alexander smiled a bit. “Finally given up on Carol, then?”

  “That ship sailed a long time ago, I’m afraid.”

  Alexander turned around and saw Carol and Tyler standing in the doorway with Mo and Bridget sligh
tly behind them.

  “Hey, guys,” Alexander said, standing up to greet everyone, wiping his eyes.

  “How’s she doing?” Tyler asked, his face full of concern.

  “She’s stable, for now, but they’re going to keep an eye on her.” Alexander looked away, not wanting anyone to see the tears reforming in his eyes.

  “Can I?” Mo asked, gesturing toward one of the chairs surrounding Olivia’s bed.

  Alexander nodded. “Of course.”

  Mo approached her, unsure of whether he would be prepared to see Olivia in the same place Kiera was just a few weeks earlier. “Oh, god…” he said quietly, a tear falling from his face as he looked over her frail body. “What happened to her?” It was so much worse than Kiera.

  Alexander’s eyes met Mo’s, both men at their breaking point. “More than any one person should ever have to endure in their lifetime. The same fucker that did most of this to Olivia is the same person who attacked Kiera. I shot the bastard.”

  Mo let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god. I left Kiera with her parents, worried that this guy would still be after her.”

  “There’s a lot more to the story, but I don’t even want to think about any of that right now,” he said, returning his gaze to his Olivia. “I just want to focus on doing everything I can to make sure she gets better.”

  “We’re all here for you,” Colleen said, placing her hand on Alexander’s shoulder and squeezing. “And for her. She’s family.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  ALWAYS

  “CAM, DON’T ANSWER IT,” a sweet voice drowsily said as the early morning Florida sun began to rise on Amelia Island.

  He groaned, glancing at the beautiful brunette in bed beside him before grabbing his cell phone. It had been ringing constantly for the past five minutes. Whomever was calling wasn’t about to give up.

  “I have to, Taylor. It could be an emergency.” He threw back the duvet and climbed out of bed, gazing at her tall, lean naked body, wishing he could just forget about Olivia. No matter how many women he dated, he just couldn’t forget about those beautiful brown eyes.