Gone Too Far (9 page)

She looked at him through her tear-filled eyes. “You don't know that.”

“He's gonna have the best doctors. He'll be fine.” Michael turned to the doctor. “Who are the experts?”

“We're looking into this now.” The doctor stopped for a moment as a nurse whispered in his ear. “There was a similar case earlier this year in San Francisco. I'm on my way to contact the doctor now.”

“What happened then?” Michael asked. Based on the expression on the doctor's face, he knew the answer wasn't good. “The kid died?”

Dr. Brown nodded slowly. “But that was a rare case. It's possible there were underlying factors, and as I've said, Evan is healthy. It is more likely that he will recover with minor residual disability and that he'll make a full recovery.”

“Oh, my God,” Michael said just above a whisper. “When can we see him?”

“As soon as the team has set him up and made sure everything is okay, you and Kimberly can go in and see him for a short while, but they have rules and you'll have to follow them.”

“Michael!”

Michael turned to see his parents rushing down the hallway toward him.

Janet Chase felt every bit of pain her children experienced, and Michael had had more than his fair share in the last year. Much of it was his own fault, but he was her baby, and it didn't matter. Pain is pain and to a mother, it was unbearable. When Steven called her and told her something was wrong, she headed out immediately.

“What's wrong with Evan?” she asked, reaching out to him.

Michael let Kimberly go and hugged his mother. He looked up at his father and saw something so odd.

Steven Chase was scared. The sight took Michael aback a bit, and if the situation had been any other, it would have stood out more.

“What's going on?” Steven asked. “Where is he?”

“He's…” Michael pointed toward the room.

“Let's go,” Janet said.

“No.” Michael held on to his mother. “You can't yet.”

“Why not?” Janet asked. All she could think of was Evan, and it made her sick to her stomach.

“He's in a coma,” Michael said.

Both Janet and Steven gasped at the same time.

“What in the hell happened?” Steven asked. “Where is the doctor?”

Michael hadn't noticed that Dr. Brown had left, but he told his parents everything they knew so far. While they both took it in, Michael turned to look for Kimberly. She had made her way to a bench several feet away. She was sitting, looking so alone and so afraid as she stared at her shaky hands on her lap and rocked back and forth.

Michael started for her before his mother took hold of him, turning him back.

“Son,” she said. “He's going to be okay. We'll take care of this.”

“This isn't a problem money can solve.” Michael didn't think he'd ever have to say that, especially after he had seen money cover up a murder.

Janet wrapped her arms around him, unable to think of what to do. This was Steven's specialty. When disaster hit, he was the calm and collected one. Her job was to comfort her children, and right now she had to focus on getting Michael to see Evan as soon as possible.

 

When the plane finally dropped down in Nairobi, Leigh found herself lost in the melee. She was sort of disappointed. After the initial awkward moment, her conversations with Max took a good turn as he told her about his days in medicine and travels throughout Latin America. He had been a part of Doctors Without Borders and had done many things that she admired. After being judged so quickly by so many because of her last name, Leigh thought she should know not to do the same.

Once the plane landed, she and Max separated. She was taken away by security to meet her bodyguard, a very large man who looked miraculously cool for such a hot climate. Twenty minutes off the plane and Leigh was already sweating. His name was Bem, and he spoke almost perfect English as he explained the details of his coverage to Leigh. She was barely listening, trying to keep her eyes on the group until Bem told her what hotel she'd be staying in.

“What?” she asked. “No, we're all staying at the Nairobi Hilton downtown.”

“Your father has changed that on my advice,” Bem said. “You will be staying at the Serena Hotel. It is—”

“No,” Leigh interrupted. “I'm with a group. I can't be separated from them. It's the Hilton. It's a nice hotel, not a hostel.”

“Dr. Chase,” he said mindfully. “We must provide you with the utmost security while in Kenya. The Serena Hotel is where the most powerful people in the world stay. It is more secure.”

“I don't care,” Leigh said. She kept looking back as she saw that some of Max's group were heading out to the bus they were told would be taking them to the hotel. Then she finally spotted Max and an unexpected smile came across her face as she noticed he was looking for someone, and she was certain it was her.

“It is the nicest hotel in all of Nairobi,” Bem added. “Your reservation at the Hilton has been canceled. Your bags have been removed from the group. We should go.”

Leigh had already started walking toward the group when she heard Bem call her name. Max had indeed been looking for her, because when he saw her, he smiled and stopped looking.

“Where did you go?” he asked, shooing away staffers who wanted to prep him for the press outside.

“My father.” Leigh sighed. “I'm sorry. He's moved me to the Serena Hotel.”

“Nice.” Max seemed a little disappointed but was laughing it off. “Upgrade most definitely.”

“I want to be with everyone else,” Leigh said. “I don't want to—”

“Dr. Chase!” Bem caught up with her, and the expression on his face was very serious. “You cannot run away from me like this. I cannot protect you if—”

“Stop,” she said. “I wasn't running. I thought you were with me. Can I at least talk to the senator?”

Bem nodded, looking Max up and down before taking a couple of steps back.

“You have your own security?” Max asked.

She could see the sarcastic smirk on his face, and it made her angry. “It isn't my choice. It's the only way my parents would allow me to come.”

“Allow you?” His brows centered in confusion. “Aren't you almost thirty?”

“You don't know my father.”

“You're right,” he answered. “I never got the chance, considering he never supported my camp—”

“This isn't about you,” Leigh said. “Look, I just want to know what the schedule is so I don't miss anything.”

“We're taking it easy tonight. We're all meeting for dinner at Traveller's.” He looked at Bem. “That is in the hotel. She can make it, right? We have a private dining room.”

Bem nodded.

“I haven't introduced myself,” Max said as he stretched his hand out to Bem. “I'm Senator Max Cody.”

“I know who you are, sir,” Bem said. “Mr. Chase told me to keep a particular eye on his daughter when she is with you.”

Max turned to Leigh before they both busted out laughing.

 

Avery was filled with joy the second the double doors of Chase Mansion opened, and Connor, in Maya's arms, screamed with excitement at the sight of her mommy. Avery held her arms out, and Connor practically leaped into them.

“Someone is certainly happy to see you,” Maya said with a warm smile.

“That just made my day,” Avery said, and couldn't have meant it more. She hugged her baby tight, tighter than usual considering the situation.

“Where is Carter?” Avery asked.

She hated to admit it, but she wanted to see him. After news of Evan's coma, Avery first thought of Kimberly. Then she thought of Carter, who she knew loved those boys very much. And because Carter and Michael were so incredibly close, Carter had to be feeling pain for his brother as well.

“He's upstairs.” Maya stepped aside so Avery could enter. “I'm not sure why he didn't just drop her off at your place instead of here.”

“He probably doesn't want to see me,” Avery said. There was no point in keeping secrets from Maya. She knew more of everything that went on in this house and with this family than anyone else.

“They're in the process of transferring Evan to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.”

“Transfer?” Avery asked. “I thought UCLA had the best children's wing.”

Maya shrugged. “They said this is the best for children with his condition. Carter dropped her off here for you to come pick up, and he was heading over to the new hospital. I think he just wanted to rest a bit.”

Avery looked up the stairs, unable to come to terms with her own emotions when thinking of Carter exhausted and worried.

“Here,” Maya said, opening her arms. “Give her to me and go talk to him. We'll go back out by the pool, and you can come get her when you're ready to leave.”

Avery hesitated for a moment but knew she was going to do it, so she handed a very disappointed Connor over to Maya and headed upstairs.

Carter's back was to the door as he looked out the window of the baby room his parents put together for Connor. He had watched as Avery drove up the large, black, half-circle driveway to the front of the house, where some of the family's other cars were parked.

He had hoped to avoid this, which was why he brought Connor here instead of to Avery's. He expected to be gone before she got here. After kissing Avery the other day, Carter was livid with himself. He had built up such a wall against this woman, convincing himself that he detested her, but all of that was blown apart when he kissed her. Yes, he recovered as best he could, but there was no ignoring that he still wanted her, wanted her badly.

He could feel her now. She wasn't in the room yet but was just standing at the doorway. There was an energy between them that aroused him whenever she was in the same room, and he hated it.

“I didn't expect you to come up,” he said, keeping his back to her. His head was so messed up right now; he didn't even trust himself to look at her.

Avery took small, cautious steps into the room. “Did you think I would ignore you?”

“I was hoping you would.”

“I don't care what you say to me, Carter. I'm just here to say that I'm sorry that Evan is sick, and I'm praying for him.”

“You know I don't believe in that,” Carter said. He took a deep breath before adding, “But thank you.”

“I've had a hard time reaching Kimberly,” she said.

“They don't let you use cell phones where she is.” Carter finally found the courage to turn around and face her, knowing that she was only a few feet from him now.

Avery's breath caught at the look on his face. His light eyes were red, and he had dark circles around them with large bags. He looked tired and sad. She hated this and she hated that it affected her so much.

“Carter, I'm so sorry.” Avery had a hard time fighting the urge to walk closer to him. “What can I do? I'll do anything.”

Carter kept still despite the emotion her plea evoked within him. “For who? Kimberly?”

“For you,” she answered.

“Why?” Carter asked. “After everything I've—”

“I love you,” Avery said, feeling the tears well in her throat. “I know you hate me, but I love you and I love Evan.”

Carter didn't have the strength to control his reaction to those words, and he didn't want to. Too many times he had returned her words of affection with hateful words of his own. He had done it not because he didn't want to believe she loved him, but because when she said it, it made him feel so weak and vulnerable.

Carter lowered his head, feeling so ashamed of his inability to respond the way he knew he wanted to. There was just so much pain that surfaced when he tried to face his real feelings for Avery, and right now he just didn't have the desire to worry about that.

“I thought of…I thought of Connor,” he said.

Avery felt the tears stream down her cheeks as she watched his shoulders slump and his body lean back against the wall. She placed her purse down on the sofa as she rushed over to him. She wanted to touch him but didn't.

“I know,” she whispered. “I thought of her too. Everything changes when you have a baby, and…you feel so helpless.”

“I look at her and…” Carter looked up and his eyes caught Avery's. Her tears touched him and choked him up inside. “What is the point of having all you have if you can't save the one thing you love most in the world?”

“Carter.” The skip in his throat as he spoke grasped hold of Avery's emotions, and she forgot all those times she had reached out to him and was burned. His pain over Connor was her pain, and it compelled her to reach out to him.

When her hand came gently to his chest, Carter felt tormented by conflicting emotions. He was reminded of the tenderness in her eyes and how comforting her touch was. He was reminded of how far-reaching her compassion could be. He was reminded of how much he loved her once.

“He'll be okay,” she said. “We have to have faith.”

“I don't have your God, Avery. I need more than faith.”

“No, you don't,” she answered. “And you do have Him whether you believe in Him or not. He loves you and He loves Evan.”

For several seconds, they stared into each other's eyes, and the one thing that connected them no matter what the world did to them, no matter what they did to each other, was what they thought of: Connor. They didn't grab each other in a desperate, sexually charged embrace that characterized so much of their encounters. They both simply leaned forward until their lips connected.

Unlike the hard, punishing kiss from days ago, this kiss was so tender and warm that it made Avery's knees go weak. She pressed her lips against his, feeling a rage of fire sweep down her throat, into her chest, and through her entire body.

The salty taste of her tears mixed with the sweetness of her soft, full lips made Carter immediately want more. All of his senses exploded to life as his body began to pulse with need.