Maid To The Billionaire: Forever His (Part Three) (Billionaire Romance) (7 page)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

VICTORIA

When I came to I was told that the helicopter left without Alex. Alex had been shot and taken to Cedars Sinai Hospital. My room was full of people, some of them I didn’t even know. Liz was still there with the baby, thank God. “I have to go.” Liz nodded.

“I’ve got Michael. You go take care of his daddy.”

I looked at the security officer and said, “Can someone take me to him?”

“I will, Vicki.” Alex’s father was standing in the doorway.

“James! Is he okay?”

He looked so broken that I almost didn’t want him to answer. “I don’t know honey. They took him in an ambulance and I came straight here to get you.”

“Okay, let’s go.” I kissed Michael and James and I were taken out by security and loaded into the back of one of their black SUV’s. We sat there quietly, both of us lost in our own thoughts for the forty minutes it took us to get to the hospital. When we got there, we were ushered to a waiting room on the second floor and told that Alex was in surgery. The doctor would be out to talk to us when he had news. We sat there quietly too for a while.

James finally asked, “Can I get you some coffee or water Vicki?”

“No… thank you.”

He got up and came over to sit by me. I was afraid he was going to talk and tell me that everything was going to be okay. I didn’t want to hear that right now…he didn’t know what things would or would not be. But I’d been wrong. He just took my hand and held it tightly, continuing to sit silently with me as we waited… and waited. When the doctor finally came in, it took my brain a few seconds to process it. I looked up and saw a gray haired man with a stone face. His movements were all sharp and he was staring at a chart in his hands. James and I both got to our feet and once again, we waited.

When he finally looked up at us with gray eyes framed by gun metal gray lenses he said, “You’re Mr. Reigns' family?”

“Yes,” James said. “I’m his father James and this is his fiancée, Victoria.”

The doctor nodded and said, “The shot was close range but luckily it hit the spleen and exited out the other side. It didn’t strike his spine or any other vital organs. We removed his spleen and repaired an artery in his abdomen. He’s going to be sore but in a day or two barring infection or any other unforeseen events, he’ll be just fine.”

I felt like I’d been holding my breath for a day and a half. I let it out and then James and I embraced. I could feel him shaking… or maybe it was me. I let go of James and looked back at the doctor and asked, “When can we see him?”

“He’s in recovery now. As soon as he comes out, we’ll let you know. Only fifteen minutes and one visitor at a time until he comes out of ICU.”

James and I nodded and thanked him. When he was gone, James embraced me again and said, “Thank God.”

I was thinking the same thing and thanking him myself in my head. This could have gone so much worse. James’ phone rang and he took a step towards the door as he answered it. At first, he didn’t seem to know who it was. After several minutes I heard him say, “That’s great news. Thank you for letting me know.” He hung up and looked at me with a smile. “They have Elliot in custody.”

“Oh thank goodness. Did he hurt anyone else?”

“No, but apparently Alex’s pilot took one of his security officers with him in the helicopter. Elliot didn’t know he was there. When they landed, he was taken into custody and no one else was hurt.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and dropped down into the chair. It was over, finally.

James and I waited another hour before a nurse finally came out and said, “Mr. Reigns is awake.”

We looked at each other and James said, “You go.” I smiled and all but ran after the nurse. I wanted to believe he was okay, but my heart wouldn’t fully accept it until I saw him.

I followed the nurse to a set of double doors. She swiped her name badge and the doors swung silently open and with ease. A sharp puff of air hit my face and I smelled bleach. The walls in the ICU were painted a soft cream color and the white linoleum floor was so clean that it was almost blinding. There were glass cubicles along each side of the hallway and I followed her to the last one. This one had the curtain drawn all the way around it. She pulled it back and I sucked in a breath. My beautiful Alex lay in the bed. His eyes were closed and his long eyelashes fanned out over his high cheekbones. Wires came from his chest and ended at a heart monitor high up on the wall. He had an IV in one hand with three different bags of fluids running into his body. I went over close to the bed and just stood there for a few seconds watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest. I could see the vein in his neck pulsing and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I leaned over the bed and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. I felt him twitch and then I felt the flutter of his eyelashes against my face. I lifted my head slightly and watched as he pulled open his eyes. When he saw me, he smiled. “Hi beautiful,” he croaked out. The poor thing sounded like a frog.

“Hi yourself. How are you feeling?”

“Like I got shot,” he said, with a weak grin.

“Oh baby! I’m so sorry!”

“Shh, I’m okay. The doctor told me I’m okay. Didn’t he tell you that?”

“Yes, but I didn’t believe him. I needed to hear it from you.”

He smiled again. “Consider yourself informed,” he said. “I’m fine.” I felt a tear roll down my cheek and I wiped it with the back of my hand. “Why are you crying? I’m going to be okay.”

“Happy tears,” I told him. “I love you so much. When you get better, you’re going to be in so much trouble for doing this to me.”

He laughed and then winced. “Don’t make a guy who just had surgery laugh. I love you too.”
I kissed him again and then just sat there with him until the nurse told me my time was up. I squeezed his hand and said, “I’ll be back.”

He was almost asleep. “Okay baby. I love you.”

***

Alex was in the hospital for four days. On the third day of his hospitalization I decided that I wanted him to come home to a house with no drama… finally. Jason was in jail on charges of conspiracy to commit a kidnapping, violation of a restraining order and trespassing. Elliot was in jail on charges of conspiracy to commit a kidnapping, false imprisonment and attempted murder. The only issue left to be dealt with was Cassandra and I had an idea that I wanted to try out.

James had Alex’s phone when he was taken hostage. He left it with me when he flew back to Tuscany to fly back out with Alex’s mother the following day. I turned it on, found Cassandra’s number and wrote out a text.

“This is Victoria. I need to see you.” Several seconds passed and I got one back.

“Is Alex okay?”

“He’s fine. I need to see you.”

“About what?”

“You and I have some things that need to be settled. For one thing, I’m afraid that you were right. Alex was asking for you at the hospital. I need to know what it will take for you to stay away.”

It was longer that time before she sent back, “Venice tea room. One o’clock.”

“I’ll be there.” Now, I just need to figure out how to get there without alerting anyone who might try to stop me. I fed my beautiful boy and then I handed him over to the nanny, Mrs. Yost. I went downstairs then and found Liz in the kitchen with Gregory.

“Hey, how are you feeling today?” she asked.

“I’m good, much better. We’re one day closer to Alex coming home. I can’t wait.”

Liz and Gregory smiled. “Us too,” she said.

“I need a favor though.”

“Name it,” she said.

“I need a ride to Venice Beach. I don’t want to take security and if I try and take my own car, they’ll insist. We’re just going to tell them you’re taking me to the hospital to see Alex.”

“Okay…” Liz and Gregory were both looking at me curiously.
I sat down at the table and said, “It’s time for a much overdue conversation between Cassandra and I. I’m meeting her at the Venice Tea Room at one o’clock.”

Gregory cleared his throat and said, “I’ll get your breakfast.” He jumped up and went over to the stove.

Liz looked at me long and hard and then she said, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“It’s the best one I have,” I said, trying to lighten things up with a smile.

“I’m not leaving you there alone.”

“Fine, but Cassie can’t know we’re together.”

“Okay, I don’t like it but I know if I say no that you’re stubborn enough to go anyways without me.”

“Yes, I am.” She rolled her eyes. I hugged her. “Thank you.”

She looked over at Gregory with love in her eyes and then back at me. “I owe you,” she said.

CHAPTER TWELVE

VICTORIA

Liz and I got to the tearoom just before one. She went in first and then I did. When I got inside I saw there were very few patrons. Liz was at a table by the window. I couldn’t see Cassandra yet.

“For one?” the hostess asked me.

“Um… I’m meeting someone here.”

“I’m right here,” Cassandra’s voice came from behind me, she’d just stepped in.

The hostess led us back to a table. I could see Liz craning her head to watch. I gave her a hard look and she rolled her eyes again and turned away. Cassie and I sat down and after the hostess left she said, “So why all of a sudden am I supposed to believe that Alex wants me back?”

I shrugged. “I don’t care if you believe it, but you have to ask yourself why I would tell you this if it wasn’t true. I’m devastated. I stood by him… through all of this… and when he woke up in the hospital, he asked for you. I thought it was the medication talking but he’s been cold to me and I heard him asking one of the security men to get his phone and call you. I’ve had the phone. I hid it.”

She was looking at me through narrowed eyes. After a few seconds she said, “So why are you here telling me?”

“I want to know what it will take to get you to give up on Alex and go away. I think in time, he can learn to be happy with me…” She laughed haughtily. I wanted to slap her… but I refrained.

“Why would I want to take some paltry settlement when I could have it all?”

“Because you don’t love him, Cassie. I do.”

“And what makes you think that I don’t love him?”

“I can see it on your face. You could have money to do whatever you wanted if you accepted my offer. You could have a different man every night if you wanted until you find one that you really love. I’ve found mine and I don’t want to lose him.”

“I’ve already turned down Alex’s pitiful offer. How can you do any better?”

“James is in town, did you know that?”

“Alex’s father?”

“Yes, and you are apparently not his favorite person.”

She laughed. “That goes both ways.”

“He likes me and he is more than willing to help me make you go away.”

“No, I don’t think so,” she said. “I think I like being Mrs. Reigns. I always knew that Alex would want me back.”

I tried to look sad, or mad. “Wouldn’t you rather be free to see whoever you’d like? Obviously Alex can’t be trusted to be faithful…”

“He’s an idiot. All he had to do was wear a condom and I would have never known that he screwed the maid… no one would have. I’ve never been stupid enough to turn up pregnant. Of course for you, that was a smart move. He’s always been too trusting.”

“I love him. I didn’t get pregnant on purpose.”

“It’s ironic that all of that time, Alex was trying to get me pregnant and I was smart enough to take my pills. All he wanted from you was an afternoon tryst and now he’s saddled with a kid.”

“Ironic,” I said sarcastically. Then I changed my tone to a pleading one and I said, “Please Cassandra… don’t take him away from me.”

“Don’t you see that you never had him? Like marries like. He should have learned how to have an affair on the down low like the rest of us do. It’s perfectly fine to screw the servants… it’s just not okay to have a relationship with them.”

I tried to look confused as I said, “So you and Alex knew that each other were having sex with other people?”

“Of course not. I mean, it’s assumed, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to tell my billionaire husband with the original copy of the pre-nup that I’ve had sex with the gardener if you get my drift.”

“Armando?” That was a genuine shock. Armando can’t be over eighteen or nineteen years old.

She smiled lustfully and said, “You should have tried him out while you had the chance. He was the best lover I ever had. Much better than Alex.”

“Please don’t take him,” I forced a tear. She smiled again. Bitch. “I need to use the restroom. I think I’m going to be sick.” I got up and quickly walked to the bathroom at the back of the little tearoom. I ducked inside and locked the door. I opened my purse and pushed rewind on the Dictaphone. I only rewound it for a second and then I pushed play. Cassandra’s voice floated out. She clearly stated that she’d slept with the teenaged gardener and that he was “the best” she’d ever had. I smiled. That should do the trick. I splashed some water up on my face and went back out. Cassandra was gone.

Liz came over and said, “She ran out of here like her ass was on fire.”

I laughed. “She thinks she’s going to see Alex.” I took out my phone and called the hospital. I spoke to the charge nurse and told her Cassandra was likely going to be coming by and trying to see Alex. I told her there was a restraining order in place. She assured me that she would not be let in and security would be called. I hung up with a smile. “Can you take me one more place?” I asked Liz.

“Of course. Where to?”

“Wilshire Boulevard.” I had Liz drive me to Alex’s attorney’s office. I asked to see Noel and when the receptionist let me in, I sat the Dictaphone down on his desk and pressed “play.” His face went from confused to ecstatic when he heard Cassandra’s voice and words.

“How did you get this?”

I shrugged. “Her ego couldn’t help itself, I guess. I think she might be in for a rude awakening in a few minutes though… she’s on her way to the hospital and they’re going to be expecting her.”

He grinned. “You’re amazing.”

I raised an eyebrow and said, “Is that an apology for all the things you said about me when Alex found out I was pregnant?”

“Um… yeah, sure. You do know that I was just doing my job. I get protective of Alex. He hates the legal stuff and I’m always afraid he’ll get taken advantage of.”

I smiled. “I know you were just doing your job, protecting him. I wouldn’t have it any other way, actually. I agree with you that he trusts easily, but it’s part of what makes him so special. He needs someone like you to keep an eye out for predators. Keep it up, okay? And please, don’t let Cassie take anything that’s important to him.”

Noel looked at me with his intense blue gaze and said, “I think that Alexander has seriously re-evaluated his priorities. Nothing much seems to be important to him, other than you and Michael. He actually called from his hospital bed yesterday and told me to give her whatever she wants and get her out of your lives.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. I think that we will be able to at least protect his assets for his son.”

He stood up and shook my hand. “You can bet I will. Michael is as important to me as Alex is… and do you want to know what else?”

“Sure.”

“You are too, Victoria. I’m sorry we got off to a rough start.”

“Me too,” I told him with a smile. Alex has good people in his corner. “Thank you.”

He picked up the Dictaphone and held it up. “No, thank you! This is exactly what we needed.”

That was the last stop in what I felt was a productive afternoon. I had nothing but high hopes for the future from this point on. I feel strongly that we had already experienced the rough patches. From here on out, it should all be smooth sailing.

Liz took me back home with a big smile on my face. I was happily anticipating Alex’s return from the hospital in the morning.