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Chapter 194
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IT TAKES US ALL day to decorate the house. I remember my mom browbeating Joel and me the entire Thanksgiving weekend so everything was set up perfectly by Sunday night. Looking back, those were happy times, and someday I'll have children to do the same with.We concentrate on the lower floor of the house. I cut a tree the day before and it rests in a bucket on the back porch. Decorating the tree is the last thing we do before I show her my surprise. I lift her up while she's laughing, wobbling a bit as she puts the star at the top of the tree. I made sure the curtains were drawn in the front windows before the sun went down. It's dark now, and I have my surprise set on a timer so the lights go on when the sun goes down. After giving Danny a lengthy kiss in front of the tree, I grab our jackets and make her put hers on while I do the same. I pull her to the front door and open it."Van," she says in a breathy voice as we step out onto the porch.The entire house is lit with Christmas
Completion Chapter 196
PART SIXI was getting nowhere on the treadmill and I'm sure that was the point of the stupid contraption. When I ran, I wanted to be outdoors. As of today, I had enough time exercising inside to fill a cruise ship with sweat. Training indoors was ugly and so was my mood. The walls closed in with every step and just the noise of the machine had my temper spiking.I upped the speed and incline, sprinting to the sound of "Try Too Hard" by Pink pounding through my ear buds. The music usually put me in the right head space, but it wasn't working today. This was day six of running and practicing insidehiding. They- my security team, hired by my father, had no idea what a good backhand entailed. Bottom line, this wasn't working.Fuck it. I know I promised my father to stay here where it's safe, but I couldn't handle this anymore. I hadn't been to a nightclub in more than a week. Shaking my ass to a heavy beat, the smell of alcohol and sweaty bodies other than mine would at least let off s
Completion Chapter 197
Voices."Mild traumatic brain injury, several stitches, no broken bones, but a badly bruised hip. The CT showed no significant swelling of the brain, but until she's fully conscious we won't know if there is lasting damage. Brain injuries are tricky and we want to be optimistic, but we just don't know yet."A squeeze to my hand preceded my father's voice filling the room. "I'm having a neurosurgeon flown in from Johns Hopkins. We aren't taking any chances."Yep, that's my dad. Always the best of everything for his only child. I tried to form words. That didn't work, so I tried to form just one. No luck. My hand lay limp within his. I focused and finally my fingers did what I wanted them to. His warm hand gently squeezed mine back.Another burning pain traveled through my head and the world went dark again.***"Take this IV out now. The next person who pushes that bedpan beneath my ass will be wearing it. I can walk six feet to the bathroom to pee." God, I sounded like a bitch. I
Completion Chapter 198
I could hear Mr. B- whatever the hell his name was, speaking to the doctor. My half-ass attempt to chase him away obviously failed and I was too tired to care. The doctor turned my way. Even knowing he saw me do it, I closed my eyes and feigned sleep. He didn't take the hint."Miss Stradmore." He let my name hang in the air for a moment. "The fluids need to continue for a minimum of twenty-four more hours. I will, however, change your orders to assisted restroom visits. I'll immediately request a nurse to administer another line."I opened one eye. Gritting my teeth hurt too badly, so I hissed between pressed lips, "Doctor." I did the whole name hanging in the air thing just as well as he did. "If anyone gets near me with a needle they will receive a piercing in the rectum. I made it to the bathroom without assistance, so that one's out too. I plan to leave here in the morning, but right now my head hurts and I need sleep. Please don't let the door slam you in the ass on the way out.
Completion Chapter 199
There was little in my stomach and what was there was trying to come up. Warm hands grasped my shoulders."Deep breaths. You're okay," Brack said with quiet authority.I tried to inhale. There was no air. And he lied. Nothing would ever be okay again.Dead.I struggled to get out of bed while mumbling, "Toilet, I- please."An ugly plastic, curved, pink hospital bowl appeared under my chin as I heaved. It did little good; nothing came up and I couldn't catch my breath."Breathe in through your nose and hold it as I countone- two- three." Brack's commanding voice penetrated my thoughts. He sounded like he spoke through a funnel. Something in his instructions had me paying attention and doing what he said."Now out through your mouthone- two- three."It took several minutes for the roar to fade to a small whoosh. The heat from one of his hands rested against the base of my neck. Then I felt his fingers in my hair tilting my head back."You're okay. You suffer these often?"It to
Completion Chapter 200
The great senator from Texas huffed out a breath. I thought he would argue, but he didn't. He turned his pointed stare my way. "I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. If I need to lock you away for your protection, that can be arranged. You will do what he says, when he says it."I thought this man had learned something about my stubbornness, but I guess I was wrong. "Yes, Daddy."He shook his head. "I'm not falling for the 'yes, Daddy' routine." He turned to Brack. "That means 'fuck off' in Olivia speak. When she's cooperating and you think you've won, handcuff her to you."Brack's quiet chuckle grated on my last nerve. I interrupted their he-man bonding moment, "I'm preparing for the French Open. I'm also over eighteen and there is no way you can bully me into being manhandled by Neanderthals. I can and will take care of myself."After a very short silence, Brack spoke up. "How many more people do you want dead because you won't cooperate?"I stared at him not believing h
Completion Chapter 201
"Come on, sleepyhead. Wake up."At some point in our trip, Brack had moved up front. It enabled me to splay across the backseat with my legs pulled up in a fetal position."You awake?" he asked.I sat up sleepily. "Yes, where are we?" It was no longer daylight."A small airport. We're taking off in about fifteen minutes and I thought you might want to use the bathroom and get a Coke and snacks out of the machine.""You didn't tell me we were flying anywhere." The whine entered my voice. What the hell was wrong with me?"You didn't ask, sunshine."Sunshine- even I knew that was a stretch. "You won't be so happy when I puke during the flight." I replied grumpily. "Me and air travel don't get along.""Hmm, that could be a problem. I'll make sure we have a plastic bag on board before takeoff," he replied with apparent humor. The moron obviously didn't believe me. He got out of the car and opened my door. "Time for you to get out. I need to get our bags into the plane. Mack checked
Completion Chapter 202
The shower was small and the water cool. It was heaven. I scrubbed with an old bar of soap and a clean washcloth I'd removed from a small basket on the only shelf in the bathroom. I washed until my skin was raw. I used soap to massage my scalp around the bandage and felt halfway human again. The only downside of being free of the grime was a lack of a razor. For some reason having a clean body made the stubbles on my body more irritating. Within another day or two I'd have monkey armpits to go with my hairy legs. The small personal grooming kit in my bag at least had shampoo, comb, lotion, toothbrush, and toothpaste. I brushed the fur from my teeth.Combing my hair was a little harder. If I had something to pull my hair back with, the bald spot most likely wouldn't show. No such luck and it would probably cause a more severe headache than I already suffered. My sudden sense of vanity needed to take a flying leap into the cold dark pit it had come from. I pulled an old familiar t-shirt
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