Sweet Retribution, page 16
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sobs wrack my body, birthed straight from my soul, and I fall apart in Kai’s arms. I can’t speak over the tightness in my chest and the anguished cries emerging from my mouth. It’s too much. I can’t deal. Emotion overtakes me, and I can’t stop crying—it oozes out of me, like a river overflowing its banks, bursting forth in welcome relief. My chest heaves, and I cling to my husband, needing him now more than ever.
Kai holds me, whispering soothing words, and running his hand up and down my back, as the doctor discreetly exits the room.
“He lied,” I sniffle, staring at him with tears pumping out of my eyes. “That fucking bastard lied.”
“For once, I’m glad he did,” Kai admits, smiling through a haze of tears.
A tingle starts at the back of my skull, expanding as the thought grows. I run my fingers up my arm and I feel it. “Kai,” I rasp, taking his hand and placing it in the same place on my arm. “Do you feel that?”
He frowns. “What is it?”
“I felt it once before in the shower, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.” I remember thinking it was probably something they did to me at Parkhurst, related to one of the surgeries they performed on me, and not being overly bothered by it. If I’d thought to consider it more carefully, I might have pieced it together. I stare at him, confused as to what the actual fuck is going on. “I think it’s the hormone implant.” He looks puzzled so I elaborate. “It’s a form of birth control,” I explain.
His brows knit together. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either,” I admit, “but something is definitely off.”
The doctor pops his head back into the room. “Is it okay to come back in?”
A goofy smile graces my mouth as I let the full magnitude hit me. “Sure,” I choke out, my throat almost closing with emotion.
“This is the best news ever,” Kai says, leaning down to kiss me. I hold onto him, grinning like a loon, and I pinch myself, because I’m struggling to believe this is true.
The doctor approaches, holding a different type of handheld device. “I’d like to examine your cervix,” he says, “but I’ll need to do that via a vaginal ultrasound if that’s okay?”
A growl leaves Kai’s mouth, and I squeeze his fingers as I nod at the doctor. I’m not leaving here until he’s checked me thoroughly to ensure there are no more surprises.
He works quickly, avoiding looking at Kai, which is a smart move, because he looks like he wants to shove him out the window and watch him go splat on the sidewalk below. After he’s taken blood, a urine sample, and checked my blood pressure, I ask him about the little lump under my arm. His warm fingers press down in the exact spot. “That is definitely a birth control implant. I’d put money on it.” He smiles reassuringly. “Have you had any nausea, headaches, mood swings?”
“All of the above. And I was incredibly tired for a few weeks.”
“I’m not surprised,” he admits, removing his gloves and tossing them in the trash. “Your body has been in a heightened state of trauma after the abortion, the breast augmentation surgery, and being constantly drugged for a couple of weeks would’ve altered your body’s natural rhythm and zapped your energy too for a bit.” Rick obviously clued him in on stuff, but I can’t fault him for being thorough, because I know he was doing it in my best interests. “Everything you have felt has been normal.”
“So, Abby hasn’t had a hysterectomy and she’s protected from pregnancy?” Kai clarifies, and I’m glad to hear he can actually form words, because all he’s done is growl at the doctor since we came in here.
“That is correct.” The doctor’s face falls. “I don’t know the specific circumstances, because Rick explained it was safer that I didn’t know, but I was shocked when he told me someone had done that to you. I’m embarrassed for my profession, because no doctor with any moral code would even consider something so heinous. Especially to a young woman with her whole life ahead of her.”
He has no clue about the world we live in. And how that violation isn’t as heinous as some of the stuff being doing to those poor young girls in that dungeon.
“Well?” Drew asks, when we step outside, having thanked Rick’s doctor friend. Rick looks to his brother.
“The bastard lied,” I confirm. “They didn’t perform a hysterectomy on me.”
Drew pulls me into his arms. “Oh, thank fucking God.” He hugs me close. “I’m so happy for you, A.”
Rick has Kai in a bear hug when I shuck out of Drew’s embrace.
“At last, some good news,” Rick says, bending down to kiss my cheek. “God knows it’s overdue. I’m over the fucking moon for you, Abby.”
Kai tucks me in under his arm. “We are too.” He looks into my eyes, kissing the tip of my nose. “But I’d really like to know what’s going on. What does Hearst have to gain from lying?”
“He’s been trying to break her spirit,” Drew says. “But she keeps fighting back. He needed her to marry Charlie, so maybe it was just a threat to ensure it happened.”
“He knew I’d marry Charlie to keep Kai safe. He didn’t need any insurance.”
“Maybe, we won’t ever know,” Rick says.
“We all know he’s a twisted fuck,” Kai adds, as we start walking along the hallway toward the elevator. “So, maybe, it was just a mindfuck to him. Maybe there is no reason for it.”
There’s no denying Father is cruel for cruelty’s sake, so Kai’s assertion could very well be the truth.
As we drive back to Rydeville, my mind churns endlessly, trying to figure it out. Something the doctor said has stuck with me, and I can’t get it out of my head. Something is just out of my reach. Something poking and prodding at the back of my mind, silently screaming at me to wake up and realize it. It’s frustrating the hell out of me, and I’m wracking my brains to work it out.
“You okay?” Kai asks, tilting my face up to his, and a ping echoes in my mind as it finally dawns on me.
I twist in the back seat, glancing between him and Drew, as I scramble to decipher my thoughts. “I’m trying to figure it out,” I admit. “And I’m wondering if Father was telling the truth.”
“I’m not following,” Kai says.
“What if he said it because he genuinely believes it to be true?” Drew’s eyes widen as his train of thought aligns to mine. “What if he demanded that of the doctor at Parkhurst, but instead of fulfilling his wishes, the doctor didn’t perform the surgery and implanted the birth control implant in case I accidentally got pregnant, to hide what he’d done?”
“Why would he do that?” Kai asks. “They are all monsters.”
“Maybe this guy has a moral compass. Maybe not all of them are monsters.” I sit up, poking my head through the gap in the two front seats. “Maybe we’ve just discovered a way to identify the ally in the medical facility we’ve been looking for.”
There’s a new spring in my step the next morning, and I can’t describe how ecstatic I am to know I haven’t lost the ability to carry children. That I can someday look forward to nurturing Kai’s baby in my belly. That I can experience pregnancy with all its pros and cons, just like every other woman.
I’m also buoyed by the thought there might be someone with a conscience in the Parkhurst medical wing, and if we can find out who this person is, he may be willing to tell us whether our mother is incarcerated there or not. I remember a couple of male doctors attending to me, but it might’ve been the same guy. So much of those first few weeks is a blur because I was doped up, and we can’t rely on my memory.
Xavier and Sawyer are already on the case, because Drew and Kai met with them late last night. I wanted to be there, but I had to get home before Charlie sent out a search party. He was waiting up for me, and he gave me his version of the Spanish Inquisition, but I got out of it by letting him sleep in my bed and spoon me under the covers.
Shaking off that gruesome memory, I switch back to last night’s meeting and the subsequent messages Kai sent me after. Xavier and Sawyer are working to infiltrate the IT system in the medical facility to see if they can find any records of doctors who treated me. If that information is not on file, they can pull up a list of all the doctors listed as employees at Parkhurst, and we can start checking their backgrounds.
It’s a hell of a lot easier than doing background checks on every single employee who works in the building, and it should deliver more immediate results.
So, yeah, I’m in a good mood.
And Charlie notices.
“You seem happy?” he asks, sipping his coffee and eyeing me circumspectly over the rim of his mug.
“Is that a crime?” I tease, pouring a cup for myself while I wait for my toast to pop.
“Not at all. I’m just curious what’s put that big smile on your face?”
“I’m going wedding dress shopping today,” I say. It’s not a lie. While I was waiting on the guys to pick me up last night, I asked Shandra to come with me after school. She attends yoga downtown at the same time I attend ballet, so it suits both our schedules. We also discussed meeting up after our respective classes, as a standard agreement, to get to know one another better. It was her suggestion that we remain aloof at school, so Trent doesn’t suspect we’re talking behind his back, and I liked it, because it’s exactly what I would do.
Charlie stands, walking to my side with a huge smile on his face. My toast pops, and I yank it out of the toaster, yelping as the heat singes the top of my fingers. He presses his body up against me from behind, and I force myself to remain relaxed. Brushing my hair aside, he plants a kiss on my cheek. “I’m happy you’re happy.” He runs his fingers down the side of my neck, and my breath stutters in my chest. “And I can’t wait to see you in it.”
“I asked your mom if she wanted to come,” I truthfully say. “But she passed.”
He sighs, stepping away from me, and I release the breath I was holding. “I’m worried about her,” he says. “It’s been almost two weeks, and she’s getting worse.”
“There’s no time line on grief,” I say, buttering my toast and taking my plate and mug with me to the table. “And she’s hurting. You need to be patient and gentle with her.”
He takes the seat across from me. “I know. But I’m worried about Lillian. She’s floundering too. And she needs someone. I wish I had more time to spend with her, but I can’t leave the business until it’s on a more secure footing, and things are still a hot mess.”
“I can hang out with Lil, and I’ve offered several times, but she always turns me down.” I take a big bite out of my toast, noticing the time on the wall clock behind Charlie’s head. I need to get my ass in gear, or I’ll be late for school on our first day back.
“She’s a little shy around you, because she’s always looked up to you.” Surprise splays across my face. “And she doesn’t know how to act around you.”
“She told you that?”
He nods. “I told her to just break the ice, but I think it’d be nice if you could maybe ask her to go to the salon with you or something.”
“I’ll see if she wants to do something this weekend. I can book a spa day.” I smile sweetly at him. “I need to start beautifying myself for our big party.”
He stretches his hand across the table. “Thank you. And you don’t need to do a thing. You are already the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
“It’s no biggie,” I say before stuffing the remainder of my toast in my mouth so I don’t have to respond to the second half of that statement.
Romantic Charlie scares the heck out of me. Because it makes me believe the Charlie I knew is still in there somewhere, and I worry he’s doing it on purpose to try to draw me out. I’m on tenterhooks around him all the time. Constantly on edge. Terrified in case I say or do the wrong thing.
I can’t ever forget what he’s done.
If he can get his father killed, Kai would be no skin off his back.
My stomach heaves at the thought, and I hope I’m not about to be reacquainted with my breakfast.
“I love you.” He rubs circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “And I got you something,” he adds. His lips curve up at the corners. “I left it in your room.”
“You don’t need to buy me stuff, Charlie.” It’s getting a little ridiculous. Every day, he returns home with a bouquet of flowers, even though I’ve told him it’s not necessary. And he’s the one who rang up Madam to inquire when ballet classes were starting up again.
I don’t want him doing nice shit for me, because it fucks with my head and makes me feel guilty.
He moves my hand to his mouth, planting a kiss on my knuckles. I work hard not to scowl and wrench my hand away even though my body is screaming at me to do that. “You’re my wife. If I want to spoil you, I will.”
He doesn’t get that I don’t need or want expensive gifts.
Kai’s album of drawings means more to me than all the flowers and gifts in the world.
“I’ve got to go,” I say, removing my hand from his and standing. “I can’t be late.”
“Let’s meet for dinner after your appointment,” he says. “I should be able to sneak away early, as I don’t have any late meetings scheduled today.”
“I can’t. Ballet starts back, and I arranged to meet Shandra for a bite to eat after.”
He leans back in his chair, arching a brow. “I didn’t know you two were close.”
“We’re not, but she’ll be marrying Trent in the summer, and considering we’re all part of the elite and going to be spending more and more time together, I figure I should get to know her better. I’ve always liked her anyway.”
“I can’t imagine Trent is happy for you two to spend time together.”
I walk to the sink, placing my dishes on the counter. “What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”
Charlie rises, grabbing his suit jacket from the back of his seat. “Be very careful, Abby. And don’t tell her anything she can use against you.”
I cock my head to the side. “Why do you say that?”
He walks to my side, running his hands through my hair. “Because Trent has a long memory and he hasn’t forgiven you. I wouldn’t put it past him to use Shandra to try and get to you. Watch your back.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“What are you doing?” I ask, as Charlie steers me toward the door.
“I’m giving you a ride to school because I haven’t had my fill of you today.” He grabs me to him, kissing me passionately, as is his usual style. Guilt smacks me in the face, like always, but I keep my guard up, smiling softly at him when he breaks our lip lock. “Fuck, I love kissing you.”
“You’re an amazing kisser.” It’s the truth, and I try to be truthful where I can, especially if it gets me out of admitting stuff I don’t want to admit.
Like how I fucking hate kissing him because it feels like a betrayal every time.
But I don’t have to enjoy it to know he’s got a skillful mouth. Although I don’t like thinking about how he learned to use his mouth so effectively. Because then, I’ll definitely hurl my breakfast.
“I’ll have someone drop your car into the parking lot during lunch. The keys will be left for you in the secretary’s office.”
“That’s really not necessary,” I protest, already knowing this is a bad idea.
“We hardly get to spend any time together,” he pouts, doing his best impression of a sulky teenage girl. “I want to drive my wife to school.”
I smile, shrugging. “Okay. If you insist.” I let him lead me outside to the garage with a pool of dread building in my stomach.
“Have a great day, darling,” Charlie says, pulling right up to the curb at the front entrance of Rydeville High. I know he’s done this on purpose, and any goodwill I was feeling toward him earlier evaporates.
My heart plunges to my toes when I look out the window, spotting Kai, Jackson, and Sawyer watching us from the top step. I quickly turn around before I’m accused of staring at them. Charlie cradles my face between his palms as he leans in, kissing me deeply. I want to die, over and over, with each brush of his lips, and I’m praying Jackson or Sawyer had the good sense to drag Kai inside. I don’t want him seeing this shit, because I know what it’d do to me if I had to watch him locking lips with someone other than me.
It would fucking destroy me.
Charlie pulls back, and I want to pound my fists into his chest, and scream in his face, but I give him my best doe-eyed look instead.
“Enjoy your dress shopping and dinner with Shandra. I’ll see you tonight.” He glances over my shoulder—at Kai, I’m guessing, and my heart lurches at the thought he witnessed our kiss—as he winds his hand into my hair, pulling me toward him and kissing me even more enthusiastically.
Pain infuses my chest, making breathing difficult, and I’m close to losing control. In my mind, I visualize myself slapping him away, but it does little to help. “I’m going to be late,” I murmur over his lips, unable to stand it anymore.
“I will never get tired of kissing you, Abby,” he says, pecking my lips again, and he’s really fucking overdoing it. “And I’m glad you’re giving us a chance.” He looks behind me again, and his eyes narrow as he pins me with a dark look. “But if I find out you’ve had anything to do with him, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
I shove him away from me. “Are you threatening me?”
“I’m just reminding you of your promises.”
“I don’t need a reminder,” I hiss, curling my hand around the door handle. “Do you?” He doesn’t answer, and I’m instantly suspicious.
Climbing out of the car without uttering another word, I wonder if Charlie is really working late in his office every night or if he’s up to some extracurricular activities. I know he’s at the office, because the tracker Xavier put on my phone shows him there every night. But if he has somehow discovered the tracker chip, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to leave his shoes there and go someplace else in other footwear.
