Breathless (21 page)

for the door handle when Dan grabbed me and
started half dragging me, half carrying me towards
the back of the building," she stopped and took a
deep breath to calm her nerves once more and then
continued, "Grayson got out and confronted Dan
Reynolds.
That's when Dan's friend hit Gray with
the bat. "
"Then what happened," the officer prompted.
"They ordered me back to D.C. and threw me to the
ground.
I skidded on my shins and knees a little
before landing on Grayson finally and passing out. "
"Do you remember what the other man looked like?
Jeff has given us a good description of Mr.
Reynolds.”
"No, I'm sorry," Alex sighed cautiously, "He stayed
pretty much in the shadows and away from me.”
"Alright, thanks Alex.
I have your number from
before in case I need to reach you. "
Officer Barclay told her that she will need her to
identify Dan, if he was picked up.
She nodded her
head and Jeff led him out of the cubicle.
"She's a strong woman. First the incident at her
house, now this," commented the officer as they
made their way to the nurses’ station.
"Not as strong as you'd think.
She's more brave
than strong. "
Jeff thanked Rob and watched him leave as Jeff,
himself, made his way back to the curtained area.
"Can I see Grayson now," she asked as the nurse
handed her some paperwork to sign.
"It's not a
pretty sight, Alex.
Maybe you should wait until
morning."
"I don't want to wait, Jeff. I would like to see
him.
Now."
Jeff shook his head at the demanding tone and the
stubborn stance she took.
Even in her battered
state she was a formidable adversary and after the
trauma she'd gone through, Jeff couldn't say no.
"Alright. "
Grayson looked at the three nurses
mutinously. They had been a constant swarm of
activity since he was moved into the room twenty
minutes ago. None of them had any information on
Alex and would only ask him if he was comfortable
or needed something for pain. He restrained
himself from biting off the head of the youngest
nurse who insisted on helping him relieve himself in
a bed pan.
After drinking a few beers during the
game and the well placed kicks of his assailant, he
was lucky he hadn't wet himself then and there.
"We need the sample anyway, Mr. Laird," insisted
the pretty blonde as she held the pan for him, "to
rule out the possibility of kidney damage. "
"My kidneys are fine," he growled, "I'm fine.
Can
one of you three find out if Alexandra Chambers is
all right. "
The oldest of the trio noticed his impatience with
the youngest and directed her to leave him be and
determine the answer to his question. Thanking
her, Grayson finished with the bed pan and handed
it to her.
"Are you sure you don't need anything for pain,"
asked the eldest nurse for what seemed the
hundredth time.
"I'll only take pain pills if it will keep you from asking
me stupid questions," he bit off, "All I want right
now is to find out if Alex is alright. "
"She's a lot better than you are," came a voice from
the doorway.
Grayson turned his attention to the door and found
her standing there smiling at him.
Even without
his glasses, he could see the disheveled look about
her and sense the fear that still existed.
Alex winced as she got a full view of Grayson's
face.
Dan's partner had been extremely brutal in
the beating.
She mentally counted the stitches in
his forehead, chin and lower lip from a kick or
punch.
The bruise that surrounded his nose also
surrounded his eyes as well and made her own
head ache from the force that created them.
She
watched as he tried to sit up more erect in the bed,
cradling his broken right ribs with his broken arm.
"Don't do that," she urged crossing the room to his
bedside.
"Are you alright," he asked, taking in her
appearance better since she was closer.
"Yeah, I'm fine.
Just a few scrapes and bruises. "
"But your blouse," he insisted.
The scrub was a
poor substitute for the white blouse she had been
wearing at the restaurant.
He wondered what had
happened after he became unconscious.
Alex had
been left alone to those two animals and he
remembered Dan's unyielding voice that foretold of
things to come.
"I'm okay," she replied, reading his thoughts, "It
soaked up some of the blood from your injuries and
was ruined. "
"Thank God," Grayson whispered leaning his head
back on the pillows.
Alex reached up and brushed some stray locks from
his face, "This looks terrible," she muttered trying to
run her fingers through his matted hair.
"Yeah, I know.
It's weird not having a hat on or
having it in a ponytail," he replied with his eyes
closed.
They were tired and Alex's gentle strokes
urged him to seek the sleep his body demanded.
"I'll come by tomorrow with some stuff for
you.
Do you want anything in particular?"
"A smile. "
Alex smiled for him and looked up as Jeff coughed
in the doorway, "We should get going, Alex.”
"You're taking her home," asked Grayson half
awake.
"Yeah.
The cops are looking for Dan and his
partner.
The maître d' from the restaurant gave a
good description of the second guy and the car. "
"Hmm-mm,” Grayson said as he finally dozed off.
Alex gently kissed the back of his hand and tucked it
under the blankets.
"He'll be alright tonight, Alex."
Alex nodded her head and wiped away the tears
from her eyes.
Jeff led her from the room and to
his car in the parking lot.
"Can you take me back to the restaurant," she
asked, "I want to pick up Gray's car so it doesn't get
towed. "
"Alright,
then I'll follow you home to make sure
you're alright."
Half an hour later, she arrived home and waved as
Jeff pulled away from the curb.
Locking the door
behind her, she tossed her purse and Gray's car
keys on the coffee table then headed for the
kitchen.
She needed a drink.
Not just one, but
several.
Opening up the cabinet, Alex poured a
small amount of vodka in the bottom on a glass and
gulped it down.
She relished the fierce burn as it
made its way home and landed in her empty
stomach.
Opening the fridge, Alex grabbed the
remains of a cold pizza, tossed it beside her purse
and hit the button on her answering machine to
retrieve the messages.
"Alex, it's Tad," Alex sighed as he continued, "Look, I
know I went about this the wrong way and I want to
make it up to you.
Just tell me how.
I'm so sorry,
Alexandra.
You know I love you.
Call me when
you get in. "
Alex shook her head, took a bite of the pizza and
waited as the machine beeped again, "Hi Alex, it's
James. Look it's about 9:30 and you're probably
screening your calls so you don't have to talk to me,
but you do, Alex.
I love you and I'm not letting go
of you as easily as you want me to. I'm not going
away, Alex.
Please call me so we can talk, please,"
James begged.
She heard him sigh as he hung up
the phone.
Angrily she wiped another batch of tears from her
eyes and went to the kitchen to retrieve the vodka
and the half-filled container of orange juice.
The
machine beeped again and Alex was shaking the
mixture when Francine's voice came on, "Alex, it's
Francine.
I thought you should know that I'm
pregnant.
I promised James I wouldn't tell you but
my child will need a father and I'm hoping that you
can convince James to be that father.
I'm probably
the last person on the planet you want to talk to
now, but we do need to talk.
Please call me. "
Alex threw down the piece of pizza she had picked
up and grabbed the answering machine.
Ripping
the wires and disconnecting it from the wall and the
phone she opened up the back door and threw it
into the yard.
"How could you do this to me, James? How? You
son-of-a-bitch," Alex said into the night then turned
on her heel, walked into the house and slammed
the door.
She never saw the shadow that avoided
being hit by the machine or it's smile as she cursed
James' name.
Alex spent the night getting drunk on the vodka and
eating the remains of the pizza.
When the alcohol
finally brought the welcome slumber, she slept on
the couch wrapped in a blanket and still clothed in
the blood spattered skirt and medicinal smelling
scrub.
Chapter 22
Alex rolled over and moaned softly as the sun
fought its way through the mauve blinds in her
living room and stabbed painfully at her eyes.
She
was getting ready to pull the blanket over her head
when she heard the cell phone ringing in her purse
and reached for it angrily.
"Hello," she mumbled into the phone.
"Alex," queried the masculine voice.
"Yeah."
"Wow, you sound rough; bad night. "
"You could say that.
Who's this," she asked still
with the blanket over her head.
"It's Allen. You okay?"
"Yeah; what do you need?"
"I know you're off today, but can you come in for a
few hours. I'm having some problems with cost of
good and I hope you can help me. I've been staring
at these numbers for two days and I can't see
straight anymore. "
Alex frowned at the fact that she would have to see
Francine and James in one office, but realized that
Allen really needed the help or he wouldn't have
called.
She smiled softly and removed the blanket,
groaning as the sun attacked her eyes again, "Sure,
I'll be there.
I can only stay a couple hours.
I got
to go visit a friend in the hospital. "
"Okay.
See you soon. "
Alex went to the kitchen microwaved a cup of
instant coffee and downed four Tylenol.
She
hoped they would take care of the splitting
headache she had created by drinking too much last
night.
Her stomach rolled slightly at the coffee,
but a bite of peanut butter toast put it to
rights.
After a quick shower in which she had to
remove her bandages from her legs and then
rewrap them, Alex tried to find something in her
wardrobe that would cover her shins without
rubbing against them and not need
pantyhose.
After settling on a pair of loose khakis
and a cream colored t-shirt, Alex grabbed a brush
and some ponytail holders for Grayson's hair once
she made it to the hospital.
She slipped on a pair
of loafers and headed to Hasani Industries, cursing
herself for being twice the fool to come here and
fall in love with the wrong man.
Grayson shoved away his untouched breakfast.
He
had expected Alex to be there by now and was
concerned as to her absence.
He was about to
ring for the nurse to take his tray when the bedside
phone rang.
"Hello," he said into.
"How's your breakfast," asked Alex into her cell as
she drove.
"Disgusting; how's yours?"
"About the same; coffee and toast this morning for
me."
"You don't sound right what's wrong," he asked.
"I'm on my cell and I drank too much last night."
"You went drinking after what happened?"
"I stayed home and drank."
"Oh, Alex."
"Yeah, well, that's what I say. Listen, Allen needs me
at Hasani for a couple of hours then I'll be down to
visit with you. What do you want me to bring you?"
"An Egg McMuffin, more than anything, an Egg
McMuffin, a dozen of them if you can manage it."
Alex chuckled, "A dozen; and what if that nasty
nurse catches me. "
"Put them down your shirt," Grayson laughed back,
"Seriously, stay away from James today. He'll only
upset you," he cautioned.
"I'll try," and after promising the take out, hung up
as she pulled into her spot in the parking lot.
"Allen, you got them cost-of-goods done yet," asked
Jeff as he rolled into the center office and leaned
against Alex's empty desk.
"No, I don't.
I'm missing about $5,000 and I don't
think we want to send it in like that. Alex is on her
way and should be able to help me find it. "
"Alex? You called Alex," he questioned, stunned.
"Yeah.
Why not? I know it's her day off, but she
didn't seem to mind. "
"Well, after.
.
. ," he started to tell Allen about
last night, but stopped. He didn't know all the
details himself and only hoped that World War III
wouldn't erupt in his office, "Never mind," he said
finally and grabbing his safety glasses from his
pocket, went into the shop.
Alex saw Jeff on his morning stroll and hurried to
catch up to him, "Morning boss," she said
cheerfully.
"Why are you so damned cheerful," he asked
looking down at the bloodshot eyes, "You look hung
over," he noted with a frown.
"I am," she replied with a sigh, "And the
cheerfulness is to make everyone think everything
is alright.
I don't want to make waves. "
"Thanks Alex," Jeff said.
"I should be thanking you. "
"Don't worry about it.
That's what bosses are for,"
he smiled and then continued back to the weld
shop.
Alex turned her attention to the machine shop and
hoped to hell that James wasn't there.
Grayson
had asked for his spare pair of glasses that were in
his tool box. Fortunately, David had an extra
key. Staying out of James' sight was going to be
trickier once she was trapped in the office.
"Hey, David," she hollered over his machine.
"Alex! Good morning," he hollered back, "What's
up?"
Alex gestured him away from his machine and took
him to Grayson's tool box.
"I need Gray's spare glasses. He said they're in his
tool box. "
"Sure. Where is the old dog," he asked laughing.
"He needs his glasses, Dave," Alex responded
avoiding his question.
"Only if you tell me where he is. "
"In the hospital. "
"What," he burst out incredulous.
"Yeah, he got beat up last night pretty badly.
Just
promise you won't say anything.
He'd never
forgive me. "
"Sure Alex, no problem," David assured her as he
pulled out a pair of wire rimmed specs for
Grayson.
"Thanks Dave. I'll talk to you soon. By the way, have
you seen, James?"
"Yeah.
He just went back to his office. "
Alex nodded her thanks and knew she had no
options.
She could either go past Francine or
James.
Neither option was more appealing than