Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
“Surprisingly calm.”
I bet he’s just very fucking relieved Coral wasn’t responsible for all of the shit going down in my life. I shudder, just at the thought of Ava being alone with Lauren all those times. “Have you heard from Van Der Haus?” I ask, a little reluctantly. That little flashback came to me in the night when I woke up sweating. It’s never ending—all the various puzzle pieces slowly coming together to give me the whole picture. The whole picture before Lauren stabbed me.
He doesn’t deserve you.
Van Der Haus tried to take my happiness too.
“No,” Ava says easily, making me wonder if she’s simply protecting me from the stress. “He’s pulled out of the deal to buy Rococo.”
Oh? I bet Peterson is reeling. There goes his retirement plans. But then I also wonder, with dread, I admit, if this means Ava will return to the company? Oh no, will Peterson sweeten the deal for her? Offer her directorship? I flinch when a sharp pain hits my lip, releasing it from between my teeth.
“Okay?” Ava asks.
“Yeah.”
The door knocks, and Steve Cook pokes his head round. I know this has to happen. “I suppose you have some questions, huh?”
“I’ll go get us some breakfast,” Ava says, keen to escape.
“I’ll need to talk to you again too, Ava,” Steve says. “When you’re ready.”
She nods and wastes no time leaving us, and I can’t say I’m sorry. I don’t want her to hear the horrors of my past again. Steve settles on a chair, pad in hand. “We’ll have to do this more officially when you’re well enough,” he says. “But for now, we’re building the picture.”
“Where is she?” I ask.
“On remand at a psychiatric facility. Casey Grand is on remand too, albeit at a Category B.”
“Casey?” I ask, confused. Both are on remand.
“The new concierge at Lusso,” Steve explains. “Your ex-wife’s lover. He copied the keys to the apartment, and that’s how she gained access.”
Fucking hell. “I gave him the code for the elevator. Handed my car keys over to him.”
“Which is how he stole your car.”
“He stole it?” I ask, and Steve nods. “Has she talked?”
“A whole lot of fucking crazy, Jesse.” He laughs, in disbelief, I think. “Why the fuck didn’t we know about her?”
I flinch. “I don’t know, Steve.”
“She’s been watching you for a long time.” He goes to his pad. “There were many pictures of you. And of Ava. She rented a room in a house in Lansdowne Crescent.”
“It wasn’t her house?” I ask, and Steve shakes his head. Fucking hell.
“It was rented under Casey Grand’s name. From what we can establish thus far, she contacted Rococo Union around the time you started dating Ava.”
Jesus Christ. All these years she was happy I was obliterated . . . but the minute I met Ava, she was in Lauren’s demented scope. And dating? Ava would call it stalking. I rub at my forehead, feeling nauseous. Then something comes to me. “John.”
“Took quite a wallop to the head. He’s fine. Angry with himself more than anything. He mentioned you thought you’d seen Lauren Pierce a few times.”
I nod and take a breath, starting to explain to Steve, going into every detail.
Making sure she’s locked up for a very long time.
51
“I’m not using a wheelchair,” I grunt. “End of.”
The porter turns right back around and wheels it out, and a collection of exasperated sighs fill the room. I give each of them a moment of my eyes—Ava, Sam, Kate, Drew, and John. “It’s not happening.” I need to walk. Have to. I won’t admit it aloud, but I’m nervous to go home. I’m still in so much fucking pain, can’t walk ten paces without being out of breath, and I’m worried I’ll pass out again. I could fall on Ava, knock her on my way down, because I know for certain she’ll try to catch me.
So I’m walking. If I make it to the car on my feet, I’ll feel more confident. If I don’t? Well, then I’ll be passed out, and I expect they’ll put me straight back in the hospital bed for a while longer.
I look down my front as I sit on the edge of the bed while Nurse arms Ava with endless dressings and pills. My T-shirt is hanging off me. I’ve never been so small. Or tired. Fuck me, I’m constantly exhausted.
“Ready?” John asks, knocking me from my daydream.
“Ready.” I wedge my fists into the mattress and ease myself up slowly, breathing steadily. It’s easy to hold my breath to try and stem the pain, but holding my breath results in a blackout. So yes, I must breathe.
“Okay?” Ava asks, joining my side, like she can hold me up. “Why don’t you just let me push you in the chair?”
“God damn it, Ava, you are not wheeling me out of this hospital,” I snap. Even that drains me. Fuck. “I’m sorry,” I mumble, reaching for her hand on my arm and patting. “Ignore me.”