AS I WATCH Bella asleep on my bed, I try and think of how I could possibly deliver the news about her father without breaking her heart. Jacob brought her straight home after I’d talked to her on the phone earlier—apparently what little information I gave her regarding the incident was enough to make her pass out in the middle of a bar and I’m definitely not wanting a repeat of that.
I should’ve told her in person but I knew she wouldn’t have come home without a good reason. That woman is so fucking stubborn. It’s almost midnight and I’m thankful the kids have slept through all of the commotion. I don’t know how I’d manage to care for them at the same time as handling the inevitable meltdown that will be Bella once she finds out everything that’s happened.
I lift my shirt over my head and take off my jeans, leaving me in just my boxers. Lifting the covers, I slide into the bed and pull Bella close to me, settling her back to my chest. It’s probably not the best idea, being half-naked this close to her, but I know she’ll want answers as soon as she wakes. Therefore it makes no sense for us to be in separate rooms. Well, that’s what I tell myself at least.
Taking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and bring my lips to Bella’s neck, kissing it softly. Mine. My eyes immediately shoot open in surprise. What the fuck? That thought came out of left field, slamming into me like a Mack truck.
There’s no way she could be mine, but apparently my traitorous subconscious didn’t get the memo. It doesn’t care that she’s completely off-limits.
Shaking my head, I mentally chastise myself. Now is not the time to be having this internal debate. I need to be worrying about more important things, like the situation with Aiden.
“I’m sorry, little moon,” I whisper into her hair, taking in the scent that is so uniquely her. “I promise I’ll be here every step of the way, keeping you and your brothers safe.”
Bella stirs at the sound of my voice. “William?”
“Yes, beautiful?”
“Oh, thank god. For a second there I wasn’t sure where I was. The last thing I remember was being at the bar…” Her chest begins to rise and fall rapidly, no doubt remembering the phone call that brought her here. “Oh god. My father. Please tell me that it was all a nightmare. Please tell me he’s okay.”
I sit up and turn Bella slowly, making sure to keep my hands on hers—letting her know that I’m here. “Bella, I want you to know that everything is going to be okay. Regardless of whatever happens, you will get through this.”
“No. This can’t be real. Everything is fine. Dad will be back home soon and everything will go back to normal. The boys will go back home and I’ll go to college.” Bella’s eyes bounce in their sockets, unable to settle on any one object in the room.
Trying to give her a focal point, I cup her face with both hands, and wait until her eyes fall on me. “Bella, your father is in a coma. There was a mix up on the schedule and your dad’s backup didn’t show. Aiden was left with only Marcus as his partner. Marcus noticed a suspicious delivery vehicle on the property they were monitoring and immediately tried reaching out, but he got no response from Aiden’s radio, despite the multiple calls he placed. A sweep of the area later discovered Aiden’s radio had been smashed prior to the shootout. There was no way he could have received the warning.”
“But those things are their satellite phone and radio all in one. They are sturdy as fuck. How in the hell did it get smashed?” Bella’s brows knit together in confusion.
“The radio breaking was without a doubt intentional. Based on what time his receiver went off-line, we can safely say that it was damaged prior to the arrival of the delivery vehicle. Unfortunately, there was no way he could have gotten notice of the attackers.”
“What happened after the attackers got onto the property?” Bella’s eyes are closed as she asks the question.
“Are you sure you want the details?” I ask, softly pushing back a rogue strand of hair. I know this is a lot to take in and I don’t want her getting too overwhelmed.
Bella answers after a long pause, “Yes.”
“Aiden was walking down a flight of stairs when the bullets started flying. He lost consciousness after taking multiple shots to the body, and tumbled down two flights of stairs, sustaining severe trauma to the head along with more gunshot wounds.” Bella lets out a pained cry as she falls into me. “I’m so sorry, little moon.”
Bella’s entire body trembles against me. “I need to see him. I need to know he’ll be okay.”
“He’s currently stable and being seen by one of the best neurologists in the country. He’s very hopeful and can explain the prognosis when you see him tomorrow.” Bella lets out a sigh of relief and allows herself to sink into my chest. “We can fly out in the morning, once the kids are up. I didn’t want to wake them and cause any unnecessary trauma. They’re too little to understand, and bringing them to the hospital in the middle of the night won’t change anything. The doctors don’t expect there to be a change in Aiden’s status within the next couple of hours, so I think it’s best if we try and get some rest before heading out there with the whole crew.”
Bella tightens her hold around me. “Thank you for handling all of this. I’m a mess and I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Unbridled tears fall down her face and onto my bare chest. “I keep thinking of my mother and how we lost her, and now we’re at risk of losing Dad too. The boys shouldn’t have to go through this twice. They’re too little to be without their parents.”
I cup her face, wiping away her tears with the pad of my thumb. “This is just a fucked up situation, little moon. But I promise we will get through this. I’m here and you don’t have to go through this alone. Whatever you need, you just tell me and I’ll make it happen.” Sliding my hand to the nape of her neck, I pull Bella closer and press my lips to her forehead—silently vowing to take away all of her worries.
Isabella
Soft kisses on my neck, shoulder, and back pull me out of slumber. Somehow I managed to fall back asleep after my conversation with William last night. I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that I was being held in his arms, his warmth cocooning me in much-needed comfort.
The mental fog of sleep starts to lift and I slowly begin to remember the details of last night. Once the reality of the situation hits, I immediately sit straight up in bed. “Oh my god! We have to get going! I have to get the kids ready. Have you called the pilot? I assume we’re taking the company jet, right?”
William runs his hands up and down my arms in a soothing gesture. “Shhhh. Calm down, Bella. I don’t want you to worry about anything but yourself right now. Ashley flew in yesterday and has agreed to go with us to California for the trip. She is up and has the kids eating breakfast at the moment. I’ve gone ahead and packed your bag, along with some toiletries. If for some reason I forgot something then we’ll just buy it once we land.”
I wrap my arms around William, unable to convey my gratitude any other way. Where did this man come from, and what has he done with Mr. McBroody Pants? It’s moments like these that confuse the hell out of me. Is this the real William—a kind and thoughtful man? Or is he the arrogant and controlling man I’ve seen so much of lately?
William kisses the top of my head, gently running his fingers along the exposed skin of my back. It’s then I notice I’ve somehow changed into a camisole and sleep shorts.
“How did I end up in my pajamas?” I hesitantly ask.
“You kept tossing and turning, pulling at the dress you were wearing. It must have been uncomfortable, but you wouldn’t wake up to change. After about an hour of restlessness, I took the liberty of changing you. You still have on the panties from last night, but you weren’t wearing a bra so you can’t blame me for having seen your gorgeous tits. That’s all on you.” William shoots me a devilish grin. “Fret not, I didn’t touch the goods. I don’t take advantage of unconscious women. I might be an ass, but I’m not that kind of an ass.”
My cheeks flush in mortification. Sure, I’d been naked in front of men before but I hadn’t known any of them well, and I certainly didn’t have mixed emotions about them either. I try to turn the tables in an attempt to regain control. “You didn’t touch, but I bet you got enough of an eyeful for the spank bank.”
“Little moon, you’ve already given me plenty of material for my spank bank. I didn’t have to see you naked for that. It was a sweet bonus though.” William’s wicked smile is accompanied by a wink. “Would you like to know which fantasies you star in?”
Flushing once more, I turn and walk toward the bathroom. “What I would like is to get to California as soon as possible. I’ll meet you in the kitchen when I’ve showered and changed. It’ll only take a minute.”
Shutting the door behind me, I hear William’s muffled voice. “Don’t get all pissy, Bella. I knew you were worried and was only trying to lighten the mood.”
“See you in ten!” I shout back and start the shower, hoping to douse the desire his teasing has ignited. Talk about inappropriate timing. At least he did manage to take my mind off of my father’s situation, even if it was just for a little while.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Deep in thought, I zone out to the melodic tempo of Dad’s monitors. How in the hell did this happen? He always knows what to do. He always comes home safe. He’s untouchable. Oh, how wrong I was. There’s nothing like a bitch-slap from reality to make you realize how delusional you’ve been. No one is invincible. Not even my father. He’s just a man. Just as susceptible to injuries as the next guy.
William walks in with two cups of coffee. Sitting in the chair next to me, he holds one out for me to take. “Here. You didn’t sleep much last night and we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
“Thank you. Any word from the neurologist?” I take a sip of the dark bitter liquid, taking comfort in its warmth.
“Yes. He said there hasn’t been any change since we spoke earlier this morning.” William turns his whole body to face me, taking the cup of coffee from my hands and placing it on the floor next to his. “Isabella, he doesn’t think there will be a change in his condition any time soon.”
A strangled sob escapes me as my body crumples against the seat. We can’t lose him. The boys need him. I need him.
William pulls me into him, holding me tight. “The doctor wants to try a couple of experimental procedures but needs your permission first. Aiden never filled out his advanced directive and you’re the first in line to act as his surrogate, so that means you get the final say in his care. I know this isn’t going to be easy, but I’ll be by your side through it all.”
“Why me? Isn’t it company policy to let you know what he wanted? I mean this job isn’t exactly the safest in the world. I can only assume you guys would prepare for this type of thing,” I ask in disbelief.
“Either Aiden didn’t fill out his directives or they’re lost somewhere. We can’t find them on the company server or anywhere in his office. We’ve looked everywhere but since he was one of the founding members, it’s likely his records didn’t transfer over when we upgraded our network a couple of years ago. That, or he felt he was invincible and didn’t need them.”
“This is so unreal.” I place my hands over my face, overwhelmed with emotions.
“Good morning. I’ve come to check on my patient.” The neurologist, Dr. Ansley walks in and picks up Dad’s chart. “I see that there has been no change in Mr. Moretti’s condition.”
“Dr. Ansley, I’m Aiden Moretti’s daughter. I’m sorry I missed you earlier this morning. I was seeing to my brothers.” I stand to shake the doctor’s hand. “Thank you for your help with my father. We really appreciate you flying out from New York for us. Is it possible to ask you a couple of questions regarding my father’s condition?”
“Of course Ms. Moretti. What would you like to know?” The doctor’s warm smile reaches his eyes, bringing a sense of peacefulness to a situation that is anything but.
“How long is he expected to remain like this? Is there anything we can do to help him wake up?”
“Mr. Moretti’s CT scan showed there was widespread swelling of the brain due to the head trauma he sustained in the fall. We believe that this is what caused his coma. You see, when the brain swells and creates pressure on the reticular activating system, the body is unable to wake.” Dr. Ansley fidgets with his pen, as if bored with the speech he’s probably given a million times. “Although his RAS is impaired, his brain is showing signs of certain brainstem functions which could be promising. In short, I think his coma should last two to three weeks, until the swelling subsides. It is only then that we will be able to truly see what damage has been done.”
“Does that mean he’ll be able to come home in less than a month?” My eyes widen in anticipation of his response.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you Ms. Moretti, but that outcome would be extremely rare. Many times the process back to full consciousness is done in baby steps, if at all. It isn’t completely impossible though, so it’s good to maintain optimism.”
“So in this instance, what is a likely outcome?” William’s voice booms from behind me.
“Well, regaining full consciousness from the onset of waking is a possibility, just not a very likely one.” Dr. Ansley attempts to smooth over his bluntness upon seeing our stricken faces. “It has happened in the past, so he very well could be the exception. On the other hand, Mr. Moretti could enter into a vegetative state, this could be temporary and a precursor to being in a minimally conscious state, and then full recovery. Like I said, you never really know until the swelling subsides and we can see the extent of the damage he suffered.”
“In other words, we have a long road ahead of us.” I close my eyes and sigh.
“Yes. But he is in very good hands. I would like you to sign off on a couple of forms, allowing me to treat Mr. Moretti with certain procedures. They aren’t commonplace with this facility and they require your authorization as his default surrogate.”
“Of course. Whatever he needs.” I blindly sit on a chair, coming close to missing it altogether.
“Great. I’ll send the nurse in with the forms.” Dr. Ansley nods once before walking away.
“Everything will be okay, little moon.” William walks toward me and kisses the top of my head. “We’ll keep the rental property until your father wakes, then decide whether we want to transfer him closer to home or stay out here. I can continue to work remotely in the meantime. Fuck, with all the business we do out here, it’s probably a good idea to set up a satellite office in California.”
I’m so grateful for William right now. Not only does he make things easier, but he also makes them bearable. The sudden urge to feel his warmth all over me takes over and I bolt up to standing. Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around his waist and press myself into him, needing to get as close as possible. “Thank you, William,” I whisper into his chest, hoping he feels the gratitude pouring out of me. I know my words are insufficient, but they’re all I can muster.
