“What a special teddy he is. What’s his name?” I asked, searching around the room for somewhere to hide if they came looking.
“His name is Benjamin and my name is Sophie,” the little girl boasted. “What’s your name?”
“Well, hello Benjamin and Sophie. Very nice to meet you.” I smiled the best I could. “My name is Imogen.”
“Would that be the same Imogen they’ve been calling for over the intercom?” a voice behind me asked.
I felt the shakes start at my knees. I took a deep breath before I responded. Without turning to answer, I walked slowly to the door of the room.
“Imogen,” the voice said, “don’t run. Let me help you.”
I had reached the door with my hand on the handle. I stopped.
“What makes you think I need help?” I asked. “I just came into the wrong room.”
“I recognize the signs. I see your face and the way you’re favoring your side.” The voice went on. “I hear them calling for you and yet you’re not going.”
It all happened quickly but, in my mind, it was in slow motion. The door to the room slowly began to open. My body visibly shook. All I remember was being pushed into a dark bathroom. I heard voices, but fear kept me rooted to the floor I had slid to. I counted to ten over and over until the door opened again. I couldn’t look up. I knew Brice would be standing there and my escape would be over.
Chapter 2
AUGUST
I’d wrapped up my meeting early enough to do the favor Mia had begged me to do, which was to deliver flowers to her niece in the hospital. I’d fought it, at first, explaining I’d be in a hurry to get back to the States, but my amazing new sister-In-law, Mia, wasn’t having it. She wanted the flowers hand delivered with a big hug and a kiss from her and, as she put it, a florist would never be able to give the personal touch. So, here I was in an elevator holding a ridiculously massive flower arrangement the size of my bathtub, trying to answer a few emails, when a girl burst into the elevator. I looked up briefly as she ran past and behind me, then went back to finishing the email I was in the middle of.
Was her face bleeding? Yeah, it was definitely bleeding. I should ask if she needs help. Nah, she’s in a hospital. If she needs help, she’s in the right place.
Before I could ask, my cell rang.
“Hey Ash, what’s up? I shifted the flowers to my other arm.
“Did Mom call you?” my brother Asher went on without waiting for an answer. “I got a message from her. I’m not sure what she wants.”
“Okay…Mom calls us all the time. Why is today different? What’s this about?” I asked confused. “Is there a problem? What was the message?”
“’Family meeting’ is all she said,” Asher moaned into his cell. “You know darn well the family meetings are always about me.”
“If you’d stay out of the tabloids, maybe they wouldn’t be.” I demanded. “When you pull your crap it inconveniences all of us- mostly me.”
“I didn’t call you to have to hear it from you too,” Asher growled. “I need to know what’s coming. Did she tell you anything? Did she ask you to come to the Manor too?”
“Believe it or not, Ash, I’ve been swamped today, running our business while you hide from the paparazzi, and I’m getting pretty tired of it,” I snapped back. “And yes, she asked… no, told me to be there. Like I have the time for this with files stacking up on ‘our’ desks.”
“Bring some case files with you and I’ll work on them over the weekend,” Asher said.
“I’m bringing some anyways because we’re behind, but we’re gonna have a talk about this soon,” I said, feeling pretty frustrated. “I gotta go. I’m in an elevator bringing flowers to Mia’s niece. I’ll call you later, once I’m on my flight home.”
“What flight? Where are you?” Asher asked surprised.
“I’m in Sydney, but I’ll be home in twenty-four hours,” I answered, annoyed that he didn’t even know I was out of the country.
“I’ll see you Friday night out at Hawthorne Manor,” Asher said sarcastically before he disconnected.
I’d rushed off the phone with Asher because I wanted to see what I could do to help this girl. Plus, if I stayed on any longer, I thought I might say something to him I didn’t want to say over the phone.
One of these days, Asher.
The elevator door opened. I could see police down the hall at the nurse’s station and it occurred to me this girl was being hunted. Kellan clearly had too. He hit the button for the door to close and I stepped in front of the girl. The elevator reached the floor we were going to. I turned to the girl just before the doors opened.
“My name’s August. We’re only gonna be in the hospital for about ten more minutes.” I went on, “Here’s my card. If either of us can help you, don’t hesitate to call.”
We reached the fourth floor, the doors opened. I turned and nodded to the girl in the corner, then we stepped off the elevator and headed toward room 410 to deliver the flowers to Mia’s niece. I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl. The least we could do was distract the officer standing at the counter and give the girl a chance to run. She looked so beat up and dejected. I really wanted to do more. I stopped and walked back to the elevator to remind her to call just as the doors were closing.
Imogen Martin please return to the emergency room. The doctor is waiting to see you.
I heard the announcement but didn’t realize until later that it was the elevator girl that was being called. Kellan gestured to the far end of the hall, to go ahead into the room, while he spoke with the officer. My cell chirped with a text from Asher still complaining about the family meeting.
Not now, Asher. More important things than your bad behavior.
I shouldered the door to Mia’s niece’s room.
The machines in the room were rather unnerving. I stopped for a moment to take in the scene. The tiny little girl attached to the machines lay quietly playing with a teddy bear, and the woman in the chair sound asleep had to be Chloe, Mia’s sister.
Thank God I let Mia talk me into doing this.
I waved to the little girl and smiled, then put my finger to my lips, gesturing to not wake her mom. She waved back and turned her teddy to wave as well. I tiptoed closer to the bed and placed the flowers on the nightstand. Mia had told me what to write on the card, so I pulled it from the bouquet and tried to hand it to the girl. Although she smiled, she seemed too concerned to accept the card. Instead, she held tight to her bear.
“Hi, I’m August Hawthorne,” I whispered. “Your Aunt Mia is married to my brother and she asked me to bring these to you,” I said, pointing to the flowers. “She wrote that note just for you. See, it says ‘To Sophie’.”
“That’s me. I’m Sophie.” Sophie bounced in her bed. “Mommy is tired.”
“Well, let’s not wake her up.” I said.
“Do you live where Aunt Mia lives?” she asked accepting the card. “She lives in the United States now.”