Lost Her (Lost #1) (9 page)

We are still panting trying to catch our breath with our arms entwined. I shift myself on the lounge chair lifting my head whispering in her ear, “Maybe we should go for a swim to get cleaned off?” She nods into my neck in agreement. I tie up my shorts wiggling back to gain leverage to stand up. I stand pulling her up with me. We walk hand in hand into the water with her sundress still on her floating up in the water.

We swim around diving in to the swells just like we always did on our vacations, laughing and pulling each other down in to the water. I look at Livi knowing that I am where I belong. Anywhere Livi goes, I will follow and that is where I belong. With her, just like I knew back in college when we just meshed together like a perfect pair of comfortable socks.

We are walking back to the Cantina hand in hand. Livi and I talk about my plans the next day to pick up an internet hot spot for the Cantina. Livi agrees that is it a good idea, but we must charge a small fee for the tourists to get the password. I nod in agreement thinking to myself that she is so smart and money conscious. 

I see Rosalie smiling at us like it was our wedding day as we walk up the two steps to the Cantina. Parker looks over his shoulder to see what Rosalie is smiling at and Parker quickly turns his head in disgust. I assume judging by his expression that Livi has not had that talk with him about her misguided kiss from Sunday. I will be sure to remind her to do so tonight or tomorrow. I do not want to be a killjoy in our current mood.

It is Friday and I do not know why I am so excited about picking up my father-in-law today from the airport. I always admired that man and all his great accomplishments. Raising his children without a mother made me feel that he was in control and very powerful. I strived to be like him, but I lost sight of my own family trying to be where I thought he wanted me to be in my career. I was more like him than his own three sons. I was his fourth son; well, he did go from calling me boy to son. So, I just always assumed he was pleased with me. I always felt connected to him even before I met Livi at school.

I rush around to head down to the Cantina before leaving for Limón. I am starving; maybe Rosalie will make me some eggs. I pull up to the Cantina and I see Señor
Marquis moving chairs around to clean. Rosalie pops out of the kitchen with a plate of food handing it to Señor Marquis. I nod to Señor Marquis and say, “Hola.” He nods back at me.

Rosalie looks at me, “You hungry?” I nod at her and she walks back into the kitchen. She returns in less than thirty seconds with my plate.

“Thank you,” I say, “I have to be quick. I need to get to Limón.”

She
is looking at me confused, “You are leaving now? I thought we had a few hours.”

I look up at her with my chewing, “We? Are you coming with me? I thought a catamaran was coming in today with Parker’s friends.”

She looks at me confused, “I guess Olivia forgot to mention to you that I was going with you. She did not want you to get lost in the jungle. I have asked Señor Marquis to work the Cantina for me today and Parker will be leaving the school early today to be with his friends once they arrive. Olivia will come here after school to help Señor.”

I
am thinking to myself for a moment and nod, “That makes sense since I am not sure my GPS application on my phone will work. It is for the best. I am going to be stopping at that electronics store again. I need another item before I pick up Henry.”

She looked at me with a nod, “We better get moving then.”

I drive the dirt roads pretty effortlessly while Rosalie navigates. Once we hit the main highway, Rosalie turns down the music. She looks at me, “So do you have family, mother, father or siblings? Olivia never speaks about them and I was curious.”

I laugh thinking about Livi never talking about them, “Yes, my Dad is a quiet All American guy who is married to my mother. She is Italian and is quite the Napoleon. I have a younger sister too. They hate Livi.”

Rosalie look confused, “Why, if you do not mind me asking? What did Olivia do?”

I look straight down the road and say passively, “Nothing, she has never done anything wrong. My mom wanted me with a different type of woman. My mother thinks all women should be a housewife raising babies. Not studying and working. Livi always believed in equality in a relationship. Why would all the stresses be applied to one partner to carry the load of making money?”

Rosalie
is nodding at me, “That would sound like an ideal relationship. Both sides working and making the pieces come together. But that is an odd reason to hate her.”

I glance at her, “There is more to it. Mom is mom and Livi was not what my Mom wanted for me. She wanted me to marry a nice Italian girl from a good family with no baggage. She thought Livi was a whore with no morals and swore she liked to get me in trouble fighting.”

“Why would your mother say such a thing? Ryan, have you always had jealousy issues and do you lose your temper?” she peers at me.

I nod yes. “I lost my temper once
. I beat my roommate bloodied and unconscious,” I see Rosalie’s mouth drop so I continue to tell her about a very private matter that happened to Livi and I. “Livi and I were dating pretty seriously for over a year. My roommate Pete was getting tired of her always being around and curbing my need to party with all the wild girls like we did in the past. He and I actually argued about it the night before the incident. I had hockey practices that were added to my schedule and I was falling behind with my studies. Livi was to meet me back in my apartment to study for our finals before winter break. My practice was cut short by the coach since we worked hard. I tried calling her several times to see if she would meet me for some dinner. She was not answering her phone or the apartment phone. I headed to the apartment. I walk in and she is not at the table, but her books and phone are. I hear noises from my room and my door is slightly ajar. I push open the door and she, Livi was naked on my bed. Pete with his shirt off and with his face at Livi’s chest. I yell out, what the hell and I pulling Pete off of her and we are fighting on the floor. I get on top of him and just keep punching him in the face until he is knocked out cold. I sit on top of him for moment taking in all the blood on him and all over my hands.

Then I hear gurgling noises and labored breathing. I realize the sound is coming from Livi. I jump up and look down at her. I shake her with my hands getting blood on her. She is foaming and drooling at her mouth. Her eyes are rolled back in to her head. I tear the sheets off the mattress wrapping them around her. I run down the hallway out the door to my car. Morgan, from my hockey team, who was coming back to the apartments looked at me carrying Livi and follows me to the car where I place her in the front passenger seat. He sees the blood on me. I tell him to stay with her and that I had to get Pete. I run carrying Pete out and throw him in the backseat. Morgan looks at me not knowing what happened and just points out for me to drive. The hospital is only half a mile away at the bottom of Mountain Avenue. I pull up to the emergency doors, jump out picking up Livi to carry her in to the hospital. A man pushed a stretcher toward me and had me place her on a stretcher. I just stare down at Livi waiting for him to help her. He asks what happened to her and I just shake my head to stutter out that she was in my bed.

He looks at me and the blood, a
re you hurt? I shake my head no and remember that Pete was in the car. I have one more person in the car, I say to him. He motions to another person to go to the car. He tells me to sit in that chair right there, they will need information on the injured. I sit noticing a security guard watching me as he speaks into a phone. A nurse comes and asks me for names, but I am just in shock. Before, I knew I was not speaking; a cop car pulls up outside the door and in walk two police officers. The security guard nods in my direction and they walk speedily to me. The questioning begins and I keep shaking my head, still in shock from what I saw, thought and the reality of not knowing what was going on. The Officer asked me again, so the girl was on your bed, right. So, what were you planning to do to her? I looked at him shaking no with my head; I just walked in the door from hockey practice. Whose blood is that, as he pointed to my hand and shirt? I respond, Pete’s blood. And on the girl? I look up at the Officer and tell him. That is Pete’s blood on Livi. I touched her after I beat him. Cop looked at me and frowned, we are going to have to take you in to custody for more questioning. I pull my phone from my pants and the Officer grabs it from me. I look at him and say to him, I have to call the Attorney General, Henry McGraw. The Officer laughed at me and said that he could not help me. But I have to tell him his daughter is in the hospital. The officer pauses and looks at me. He hands me my phone back and allows me to call Henry. It was obvious the Officer did not want to make that phone call. The officers listen to what I say to Henry. Henry is screaming at me on the phone and asks to speak with one of the officers. The Officer takes the phone and keeps glancing at me nervously. He ends the call and hands the phone back to me. He says to call your parents and get legal counsel immediately.

Before I can get off the phone with my screaming mother, I see Henry storming through the door with his assistant and security detail. He runs up to me and grabs me by the throat and lifts me off my feet up to his six foot four inches to look me in the eyes. You better have not hurt her, he said glaring into my eyes. He drops me back to my feet. Then he storms off in the direction to wherever they took Livi. The cops and security detail stay with me watching over me closely. I hear my name coming from the door and see my coach walking toward me. He is just shaking his head at me in disgust and says quietly that Morgan called him to tell him I was in trouble. Henry comes out of a room with a doctor and points at me. He and the doctor walk up to me. She is awake and talking. She’s very groggy but we suspect Pete drugged her, but a blood test will confirm with what drug. She states that she was studying and Pete gave her a glass of soda. She got a headache and went into your room to lie down. She felt as she was burning up and removed her clothing as she opened the bedroom windows to let the cold air in. Last things she remembers is lying in your bed hearing the phone ring. The officers are going to take your house keys and gather evidence from your apartment. I just was in complete shock and hand over my keys.

My coach has his hand on my shoulder and assures me that he will try to make the punishment for my temper beating be minimal from the school administration. I was tuning out his voice and just kept going back to the image I saw when I opened my door. I think to myself if Pete was in his bedroom, I would have not thought twice to him having a girl in there, I think about what may have happen to Livi and what else could have happened if I did not come home early. My head just keeps going through scenarios.

A nurse walks over to the doctor with a bunch of papers. He looks at it and speaks in a matter of fact tone; rape kit clean, but does appear that she had intercourse 36-48 hours ago. I speak up not fully knowing what I am saying, that was me, and we were together. Henry whips his head around staring down at me, while his aide pushes him back. The doctor continues to speak; she has a large amount of Rohypnol in her body. For her size, it could have been lethal. Doctor looks at me and says you got to her just in time; you stopped her from being raped and dying from an overdose.

Henry looks at me placing his hand on my shoulder and whispers a thank you to me. Then he steers me toward the door, you want to see her, boy? I could not say yes fast enough, but my coach said no, that there are disciplinary measures that I have to face back at school. Henry turns to him and speaks so firm, the boy is a hero and I will make sure there are no legal or disciplinary actions. He did take care of me, but my parents were mad that my name was dragged through controversy and rumors.

Pete was prosecuted for attempted rape, drugging and attempted murder in which we all had to testify in court. From that day forward, I knew I was going to protect Livi forever.” Then I just died off from my rambling session when I am noticing that Rosalie is pointing to a turn sign.

I pull up to the electronics store turn
ing off the engine. Rosalie puts her hand on mine. “The two of you have been through so much pain, but it has strengthened you both. Your family is wrong not to love Olivia. Apparently, she means everything to you and that should have been enough for them to accept her.” I turn my head smiling at her. She has showed me so much support over the last few days. She is able to help me find myself and understand in ways that were long overdue. Rosalie definitely has a maternal instinct that she never had a chance to use.

I look over at Rosalie remember
ing something Livi has said about her, “Rosalie, Livi told me that you have a PhD. In what field do you have your doctorate?”

She opens the Land Cruiser door and looks ahead, “Psychology,” she mutters.

I laugh loudly, “Your degree has been a great help for me this week.”

She winks at me, “Wait until you get my bill.”

I do the shopping that I need quickly and race back to the truck. Rosalie directs me to the airport. We park
and make it to the gate right on time to greet Henry coming off the plane. Henry is all smiles and it is obvious he has lost weight. He is wearing his golfing clothes and has his iPad tucked into his large hands. He walks up to us giving me a tight man hug, “Son, have you been being good?”

I hug back respond
ing, “Haven’t I always been good?”

He breaks the hug
looking at Rosalie, “Who is this pretty lady?”

Trying to be funny, “This is Livi’s adopted Mother, Rosalie.”

I see Henry lean down and peck Rosalie a kiss on her cheek, “Very nice to meet you.”

Rosalie blushes, “I am finally honored to meet you. Livi and Katie have told me so much about you. Ryan speaks quite highly of you as well.”

We begin to walk to the immigration desk and I am listening to Henry and Rosalie speaks to each other like they have known each other for years. I think about the kiss he had just planted on her check. I have never seen him kiss anyone like that, not even Margret. I look at them ahead of me and it sure seems as though they are flirting. I shrug it off. Not Henry.

At the baggage carousel, we are waiting for his luggage. I see the bulk items come down first and I see very familiar cases. I turn to him, “Henry, you brought hunting gear?”

He smiles as he pulls off the cases, “Yes, my crossbow and Olivia’s crossbow. I thought that since I am here for a week that we can go hunting for wild boars in the jungle.”