Deep Blue Forever (Deep Blue Series) (11 page)

             
Maggie was still in London, but came back shortly after the shooting to make sure I was okay.  She had to go back to help with her family since her father was still sick.  He was finishing up chemo and had a good prognosis.  She called me everyday like clockwork just to hear my voice.

             
The only good thing about all of this was that after the shooting the case was closed in the murder of Jim Olsen.  Michelle was dead and she confessed to us about killing Jim and framing me. Tandi and Matt were arrested for accessory to murder and aiding Michelle in access to the house.  They both were expected to do at least two years minimum in prison.  The tape was destroyed after some hard work from my lawyer. 

              I was lying down when Miry walked in with Rex on her heals.  They looked very excited about something.  I sat up, which was getting harder to do with my ever growing belly.  "What?"

             
"Tim, the PI that has been set up in the hospital, said there was some buzz outside of Ian's room," Rex says sitting next to me on the edge of the bed.  I feel panic at first hoping it was not........  "No not that," Rex says immediately seeing my face.

             
"Like buzz like he's awake," Miry says jumping up and down clapping her hands.

             
Tears start to run down my face as I stand up.  I make a beeline for the door without saying a single word.  No words can express what I'm feeling right now.  All I know is I have to see those beautiful deep blues, and no one is going to stop me. 

             
"Baby girl," Rex says following behind me as I make my way to the elevator.  Miry and him barely make it in before the doors close. 

             
"We need to wait," Rex says taking my shoulders in his hands, staring straight into my eyes.  "They can still have you arrested for breaking the restraining order."  He leans down to catch my gaze. I try to avoid his eyes.  I don't care. I am going to go see my man, let them arrest me.  It will be worth it to see him awake even for a second.

             
"Rex, don't try to stop me.  I'm going in there, and I don't care." 

             
"Aubrey, we are behind you all the way, sweetie," Miry says wrapping her arm around my waist squeezing me. 

             
"Fine, but I can't be held responsible for my actions if anyone tries to put a hand on you," Rex says as he leans up against the elevator door crossing his arms in true brooding Rex fashion.

             
Walking with a purpose into the hospital and up to Ian's floor is surreal.  I'm nervously anxious, my heart is racing, and palms are sweaty.  As if the little one could sense something, it was doing somersaults in my belly.

             
"We're going to see daddy." I whisper softly rubbing my hands over my baby bump.  As the elevator doors open I freeze.  I can't move.  I don't know why, but what if it isn't true?  What if he isn't awake?  What if the PI is wrong?  I didn't care about the restraining order or Troy or Chelsea. 

             
The past couple of days I have been a nervous wreck.  The three month deadline Troy had put on Ian's life was here.  What if he isn't awake and the buzz is they are preparing to take him off life support? 

             
"Baby girl," Rex says softly next to me as they wait for me to move.  I step out of the elevator and am greeted with a crying Chelsea sitting in a chair outside Ian's room.  She is sobbing and talking on the phone. 

             
"Amy, he kicked me out." She said into the phone, her head down with her hair falling over her face so she didn't know we were there.  "I don't know why, but Troy is really mad." She sniffed into the phone.  "Ian just keeps saying her name over and over."

             
I feel like I am going faint. Rex and Miry flank me holding me steady as I walk toward the room.  Chelsea looks up finally noticing us.  She stands up and races to Ian's door. 

             
"You can't be here, I'll call the cops!" She rambles shaking her head as her little fantasy falls apart around her.  The heat raises up through my body, and I feel my face burn red.  Without even thinking, I swing.  My fist lands straight even with her nose.  Instantly, bright red blood gushes from her face.  She grabs her face, the blood oozing through her fingers.  She is screaming obscenities in pain as she holds her nose.

             
"Get the fuck out of my way, bitch!" I yell.  The look on her face is fucking priceless as she hunches away, crying in defeat. 

              The first thing I see when I open the door is Ian sitting, his legs over the side of the bed.  His back is to me, but almost like he knew I was there he turns.  There they are, those deep blues I have so longed to see.  The same eyes I have seen in my dreams every night.

             
"Aubrey," Ian whispers as he tries to get off the bed.  I rush to him not wanting him to try and fall.  Standing in front of him, I stare at his handsome face as he studies mine. 

             
I reach up to touch his face, but he grabs my hand.  It shocks me at first, not knowing why he would stop me from touching him.  He looks down at my belly, his face softening when he sees my baby bump. 

             
"I don't know if it is true or not, but I want you to know I don't care," he says, his voice deep and scratchy, still as sexy as I remember. 

             
"If what is true?" I ask very confused, but he doesn't say anything.  He turns my hand over and kisses my palm before he places it on his face.  His facial hair was long, almost a beard.  I had shaved him every morning before the restraining order.  I'm actually happy to see that it is long, because that means that Chelsea wasn't doing this.  Something about it seems so intimate, that the thought of her taking care of him that way sent waves of jealousy through me.

             
His other hand reaches out. Grabbing my shirt, he pulls me to him.  Settling me between his legs, he rests his forehead on my chest just above my breasts.  I hear him inhaling deeply before I feel him move, his long stubble scratching my neck.  I run my fingers through his hair pressing my face against him.  No words were being spoken.  We stay there holding each other, pressed up against each other.

             
I melt into him. The sensation of being wrapped in his arms is overwhelming.  The tears start to fall as all of the anxiety of the past three months comes rushing over me.  The sense of relief I'm feeling right now is so great and so wonderful. 

             
"If what's true?" I ask again after what seems like an hour of holding each other. 

             
"The baby, if it's not mine I don't care.  I love you, and I want to be with you the rest of my life." He whispers against my neck, his hot breath sending chills through me.

             
"What?" I lean back to look him in the eyes.  They are sleepy, and I can tell he is fighting very hard to stay awake. 

             
"They said the baby wasn't mine," he murmurs, pulling me to him again and resting his head on my shoulder.  

             
"Ian, baby," a small laugh escapes my lips, "you're the only guy I've slept with for almost two years.  If this baby isn't yours, then we have a huge problem."

             
"I love you so much. I knew it wasn't true," he says and I feel a small smile against my neck.  He leans back on the bed taking me with him.  I snuggle in next to him, his arms wrapping around me so tight that I couldn't get up if I tried.  He is exhausted and is sleeping soundly within seconds. I lay my head on his chest listening to his glorious breathing and the sound of his heart drumming softly under my ear. 

             
Chapter 18

              Ian

              I awake in a panic just having a nightmare of Michelle with her gun pointed at Aubrey.  My heart is racing with fear when I realize I'm still in the hospital bed. Aubrey is snuggled in next to me. She's lying on her side with her face buried in my neck.  I feel her slow even breaths against my neck as she sleeps.  I wrap my arm around her tighter.  She has her hand protectively resting on her belly.  I move my head and place my lips on her forehead.  I don't know what has happened the past few months or why she wasn't here when I woke up and Chelsea was, but I am going to find out. Something tells me my girl has been through hell, and that really pisses me off. 

             
I hear the heart monitor start to speed up as my mind starts wondering about what has been going on. 
Calm down Ian, she's here and she is safe now
. I steady my breathing to make the monitor shut up.  I don't want her to wake up, so I focus on my baby.  Aubrey's still as gorgeous as ever. Still too skinny, but her baby bump is there which means the baby is growing.  That makes me relax enough that I fall back to sleep. 

             
This time when I awake, Aubrey is not in the bed.  I sit up frantic searching the room.  It's empty, and I feel like it has all been a dream. 

             
"Aubrey," I yell, anxious to hear her voice.  She steps out of the bathroom combing her hair. 

             
"I'm here, baby," she says putting her brush down and coming to me.  I pull her onto my lap taking her lips in mine.  Her lips are so soft and she tastes amazing as I explore her mouth with my tongue.  "Good morning!" She smiles after I release her lower lip. 

             
"How are you feeling?" I ask her, rubbing my hand over her baby bump.  It is surprisingly firm, almost hard like there is a basketball just under her skin. 

             
"I should be asking you that." She laughs, which makes my insides warm.  It's the sweetest sound in the world.  

             
"I'm fine.  I feel ten times better than I did yesterday.  What I want to know is, how is our little peanut?  How are you, and what in the hell has been happening?"  I shoot a line of questions at her and she sits up next to me on the bed. 

             
"Well, our little peanut is now a grapefruit." She giggles looking down at her bump.  "It's been stressful, but Dr. Henry has been keeping a close eye on me." Her smile fades.  "Ian, I thought I was going to lose you." Tears are now streaming down her face. 

             
"I'm sorry, baby. We don't have to do this now if it's going to upset you."  I take her face in my hands wiping the tears with my thumbs.

             
"What has happened here is always going to upset me, so now is as good a time as any," she says with a sob, "but you need to hear what happened from Troy.  Most of my stress has been caused by him.  So you need to hear it from him."  She goes to get off the bed, but I grab her arm to keep her from moving. There is a small knock on the door before it opens and in walks Sam, Miry and Rex. 

             
"What's wrong, baby girl?" Rex says coming straight for Aubrey seeing she has been crying. 
Oh just great, I bet he's been here comforting her this whole time
.

             
"I'm fine," she says, placing her hand over his that is on her shoulder
.  God do I hate him touching her
.

             
"Hey, mate. You have no idea how glad I am to see that ugly mug of yours awake."  Sam teases coming up to me and giving me a firm handshake followed by an awkward man hug.  

             
"Ian," Miry says with tears in her eyes as she wraps her arms around me hugging me tight.  "You jerk. You've put us through hell while you were napping." She lets loose of me giving my cheeks a little slap.  I know she's kidding...
I think
.

             
"Ian," Rex says holding out his hand for me to shake.  I do because it makes him take his hands off my girl. 

             
"Thank you guys for taking care of my girl. I still don't know what has all transpired here, but I know you've been looking after her."  I tell them.  They nod slowly.  "So what did happen?"  I chance that maybe one of them will tell me, since Aubrey isn't.

             
"All I'm going to say is that you need to talk to your "next of kin"."  Sam spouts angrily.  "One thing I will tell you, if it wasn't for Aubrey getting on her knees and begging Troy to give you a chance, you would have been dead a few months ago."  I glance at Aubrey and see the tears welling in her eyes. 

             
"Can someone please have Troy come in here and talk to me."  I grate.  They all make to leave, including Aubrey, but I grab her.  "Please stay."  I can see the hesitation in her eyes.

             
"Ian, I'm not sure if I am ready to face him yet." She is anxious now and I want to be the one to calm her down.  I don't want her going out there and seeking comfort from Rex.  That's my job. I never want any man to comfort her except me.