Caiden (A MacLaughlin Family Novella Book 2) (5 page)

“Leave! Luke. Just leave me alone.”

“You slept with him. You’ve known him a few days and you sleep with him. You disgusting slut. I can’t believe I thought you were the one.”

She pushed against the door, but it slowly opened as he edged his shoulder and leg further through it. “Leave me alone!”

“Oh I will. After I’m through with you, he won’t even be able to stomach looking at you.”

Her lungs wouldn’t work. Air wouldn’t come in.

He shoved against the door again and her feet slipped on the marble entryway floor. The oak door hit her face and she fell backward as he entered. Her head hit something hard and black spots crept into her vision as she crumpled to the cold floor. A flash of something metallic waved in front of her face, then snarls, screams, and blackness.

<><><>

Something was wrong. She hadn’t answered the phone in two hours. He’d called three times. He told himself she might be asleep. In the shower. Listening to music. But, now he couldn’t get past it.

“Karen. I’m heading back to the house early. Just lock up when you leave, okay.”

“No problem. I’ve got a few more things to file and then I’m headed home to little Sadie.”

He smiled at the mention of Karen’s little daughter. Sadie was barely over month old, but they all adored her and bugged Karen when she didn’t bring her regularly to the office. She’d laughed and told them her mother got upset if she stole away her grandbaby too often.

“Give her a kiss for me.”

“Will do. Now go check on that woman you’ve got stashed in your house. Eventually you have to let all of us meet her.”

“I will.” He waved and headed to the parking lot.

Fifteen minutes later he pulled to a stop in front of his house. The door was wide open and Duke was sitting on the porch. He jumped from the truck and ran to the door. Duke wagged his tail and woofed. Then hobbled toward him a few steps before sitting again.
Fuck!
Where was Lina and King?
He patted Duke’s head and shuddered. His hand came away from the dog’s head wet and red.

The sight in the entryway nearly made him hurl. Bile burned the back of his throat. Blood was smeared everywhere. Lina lay in the center with a gash across her forehead and a man lay to his right against the wall in a pool of blood. The sleeves of the man’s shirt were stained red. The dogs had fought viciously. There was almost nothing left of the intruder’s neck.

He knelt beside Lina, pulled his phone from his pocket, and dialed 911. Trembling, he reached to touch her neck and feel for a pulse.

It was there.

<><><>

He sat quietly in the hard chair in the corner of her room the next morning. The medicinal smell of the hospital had become familiar along with the noises of the heart machine that monitored her pulse.

The police told him later the man in his entry was Luke Gellar. That hadn’t surprised him. What had surprised him is the guy’s gall to try to enter his house and attack Lina. Texas law protected his dogs from prosecution. The idiot had invaded his home with a weapon. The police had found it on the living room floor. Analysis proved it was covered in Lina’s blood.

Doctors said she’d fractured her skull —blunt force trauma to the ocular region and again at the base of her neck. Her brain was swollen. The doctors said her best chance was to remain in a coma. Her other injuries were minor. Her concussion was the only thing they were concerned about.

His phone beeped in his pocket. It was a text message from his mom.
Duke has a cast and King is out of surgery. Vet says he should make a full recovery. Love you, honey. I’ll be up later with something for you to eat. How is she?

A sigh of relief slipped from his lungs. Duke and King had nearly given their lives to protect her. Most others dogs would have run at the first injury. They’d fought like soldiers until the enemy went down. He typed in a response.
She’s still asleep.

Rolling the chair forward, he took Lina’s hand into his and rubbed it. “Duke and King are out of surgery, sugar. The vet says they are going to be fine. Now we just need you to come back to us.” His voice cracked and tears welled in his eyes.

He shouldn’t have left her alone. This wouldn’t have happened if he’d been at the house. Guilt clawed at his heart and he couldn’t help but feel responsible. Maybe if he hadn’t taken her home with him. Maybe if he’d just left her in the hotel, she would have been safer. He’d been selfish to take her —to think this time would be any different. God was still punishing him for his past mistakes.
Just let her be okay. Please, God, even if I can’t have her. Let her be okay.

“I need to see my daughter. Where is Lina Mathews?” A worried bass voice outside the room roused him from where he’d fallen asleep next to her. He kissed her hand and stood. The door burst open and an older gentleman, Richard Mathews, stumbled into the hospital room. The younger man, Cole, from the restaurant parking lot was only a few seconds behind him. He glared at him angrily.

“You can leave now. Her family is here.”

The icy words cut to the quick. He wasn’t family. He’d known Lina less than a week, but he loved her. Maybe it was a dream to think she’d return the feelings so soon, but when his sweet Bethany had been snatched from his life in a car wreck that he’d caused, he never thought his heart would open for another woman again —ever.

Lina had proven him wrong. She awakened a part of him he thought lost and gone forever.

“Cole is right,” her father snapped, “Get out. This is your fault.”

And the knife of guilt twisted in his gut.

“I…” Words escaped him. He didn’t have a defense. He agreed with Richard’s statement.

He left her room and wandered down the hospital halls to the sliding emergency room doors. The chill in the January wind burned as it slid over his dampened cheeks. A few tears had escaped.

He sat on a bench a few yards from the door and put his face into his hands. The last time he’d cried was at his previous girlfriend’s funeral. Her parents blamed him too. Only the police said it had been unavoidable.

“Sweet boy.” His mother’s soft voice soothed his pain. She sat down next to him and put an arm over his shoulders as far as she could reach. She was so small her hand barely reached the far side of his neck.

Turning, he pulled her closer and buried his face in her shoulder.

“Shhh. My sweet Caiden. She’s going to be just fine.”

“It’s my fault again.”

“No.” Her voice sharpened. “It wasn’t your fault when Bethany died and it isn’t your fault that this woman is in the hospital. The police told me it is your fault she’s alive, though. He came to kill her, Caiden.”

“What?” He pulled away and looked his mother in the eye.

“If you hadn’t made those dogs stick to her like glue, she’d be dead. The police found a suicide note on his computer in the car down the street from your house. He was going to kill her and then kill himself. If you had left her in that hotel, she would have been all alone.”

“But she still could still die. Mom, I could lose her. Her family won’t even let me stay with her. I promised I’d be with her.”

“She’s going to wake up, darling, and when she does, she’ll be looking for you and they won’t have a choice but to come and find you.” She patted his leg and reached into her purse. “It’s going to work out. I can feel it. But, right now you need to eat. Harvey said you didn’t touch the dinner he brought you last night.” A sub sandwich appeared from the bag and she shoved it into his lap. “Eat.”

“Are you going to sit here and watch me?”

“Yes.”

He couldn’t help a small smile. His hunger got the best of him and he ate the sandwich quickly.

“Come on. I’m taking you home. You need a shower and a fresh set of clothes.”

He nodded. “Yes, ma’am, but—”

“I’ll bring you right back. You can sit in the waiting room.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the bench. “Don’t you want to smell nice for her when she wakes up?”

“Yes.” He chuckled and shook his head. Leave to a mom to help put everything into perspective.

<><><>

The floating feeling in her head made the whole room seem to be spinning. She groaned and tried to open her eyes, but her muscles wouldn’t cooperate. Her eyelids felt like they weighed two hundred pounds. Her arms and legs might as well have been glued to the bed. Nothing was moving.

“C-Caiden,” she managed to croak out. Her throat burned. “Cai-den.” She tried again. Where was he? Where was she?

“Sweetheart!”

Dad?

She tried to open her eyes again. Still nothing.

“D-Dad?”

“I’m right here sweetie. Don’t strain, the doctors have you on some heavy sedatives to keep you still. You had swelling in your brain from the concussion.”

That’s right. Luke!

Everything was so fuzzy. “Duke and King?” Were they okay? She’d blacked out as soon as she hit the floor. The dogs had to have stopped Luke. That was the only explanation for her still being alive. The tone of his voice when he had spoken from the doorway was dark. He’d been there to kill her.

“I don’t know who you are talking about sweetie.”

“Caiden. Where’s Caiden?” He would know. Why wasn’t he here?
God, had Luke hurt him too?

She strained hard and managed to open her eyes.

“Lina, we were so worried about you.” Cole’s voice rumbled from her other side. “We got here as soon as we could.”

She took a deep breath and scanned the room.
Just Dad and Cole.
Where was Caiden?

“Was he hurt? Where’s Caiden? What happened?” Her voice trembled. “Did Luke hurt him?”

“He’s fine. You are the one who almost died. I sent him away. It’s his fault you are in this hospital bed.” Pain and anger laced her father’s voice.

No. It wasn’t his fault. How could it be Caiden’s fault? Wait…sent him away?

“Get him back! He saved my life. Cole was the one who led Luke out here.” She turned and glared at Cole. “Dad didn’t know that did he?”

Cole face turned ashen. “I didn’t mean to. After Cooper turned up dead in the back yard, I had to know you were safe.”

She choked. Cooper was dead. Her sweet fluffy mutt who wouldn’t hurt a soul.
Luke killed him first.
She understood why Cole came. Tears ran down her face.

She reached for Cole’s hand. He grabbed it and kissed the top. “I know your heart belongs to someone else, Lina, but—”

“It makes sense now, Cole. I understand why you risked coming. Thank you. But, please find Caiden.”

“I will.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Lina Mathews. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Cole.” She wouldn’t see him again for a long time, maybe ever. He was telling her goodbye. He needed space. She loved him like a brother, but she knew it would be better for them both in the long run.

He walked silently out of the hospital room. Her best friend was leaving. She’d broken his heart. But she loved Caiden. She couldn’t have both. It wasn’t fair to either man.

Her dad watch, open-mouthed. “I’m sorry. I…I thought.” He hung his head.

The doctor walked in and greeted them both. He was pleased that she was awake and said they would need to run several tests to check the pressure in her brain, but awake was a good sign.

Her dad asked a bunch of questions and she closed her eyes, tuning out their voices. So tired from just the last few minutes. All she wanted was to be wrapped in Caiden’s big arms, smell his minty aftershave, and cuddle in his giant warm bed.

<><><>

“I’ll pick you up in about an hour?” His mom waited for his response. “That’s alright, Mom. I’ll drive back.”

“Okay, well just let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do, thanks Mom.”

She nodded and pulled away from the curb in front of his house. Her black SUV turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
Damn. Time to face the scene again.

“I can do this. It’s not her blood.” He marched up to the front door. A white envelope was taped to the front with his name scrawled in his brother’s chicken scratch.

He ripped it open and read the note.
Pardon the mess. I had my team come over last night after the police cleared the scene. They’ll be back in two days to finish. Harvey.
He shook his head in relief and swung open his front door. No sheetrock on the walls, no tile on the floor, even the concrete had been sandblasted to remove any staining that might have seeped through. The entry table Lina had cracked her head on was gone too.
Good job little brother. I owe you a beer.

Footsteps behind him raised the hair on the back of his neck. He turned and found himself face to face with Cole Nighthawk. This guy was like a fly at a picnic table. He just wouldn’t leave.