The Doctor and the War Widow (21 page)

“No, Mrs. Sharif, you haven’t.” Dr. Solomon studied her with undisguised sympathy. “Sometimes, things happen in the womb that are beyond anyone’s control. You must not blame yourself for anything.”

Harley wished she believed him. She swallowed hard and pushed back tears. Her stomach was one knot. “What do we do if the ultrasound shows something negative?”

“That will depend upon what the problem is. We have to discern if there is any danger to you—”

“I’ll be fine.” Looking down, Harley felt the pressure of her husband’s hand on hers. “I know it’s too early in my pregnancy to deliver. I’m only three months.”

Abisi drew her closer. “If it ever comes to a choice between Harley and the baby, I want my wife.”

Dr. Solomon’s sympathetic gaze grew even gentler. “Well, we’ll do everything we can to make sure that mother and baby are safe.”

“My husband is an unbelievable old MawMaw.” Harley had heard a key in the lock and had darted to the door wearing baggy shorts and a Beatles T-shirt. She rolled her eyes when she saw Donna at her doorstep the next day. Nico followed, barking, at her heels. Oh God, Abisi had called out the troops!

Donna glared at her like a rooster about to do battle. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

Harley grinned in spite of herself. Donna always managed to dispel Harley’s gloom. She wasn’t quite the mother hen Judy was. “I was in bed until I thought you were some thief trying to rob the place or Kimberly the nutter coming again to torch us.”

“I brought you breakfast.” She held up a bag of biscuits from a local coffee shop.

“I’m not very hungry.” Harley took a biscuit and headed to the kitchen. Nico followed, gazing adoringly at the biscuit.

“You’re not using butter? No jelly?” Donna shook her head. “Look, let me get you some milk. You head back to bed and stay there.”

“So you have your marching orders?” Harley laughed wryly. “If you’re being a Nazi, I know Judy will be ten times worse.”

“Head back to bed and hand over the biscuit.” Donna searched the refrigerator as Harley obeyed. Donna called after her. “I’ll be in there with a nice breakfast for you.”

“I can’t eat a lot in the morning,” Harley said over her shoulder.

A few minutes later, Donna appeared in Harley’s bedroom with a tray filled with biscuits, preserves, butter, and milk. Harley retched. She fought to keep what was in her stomach down. “I can’t eat all of that.”

“We’ll share.” Donna sat on the edge of the bed. “Besides, you’re helping me celebrate. I just sold a piece to a very rich collector.”

“That’s great, D. Who is it?” Harley took a bite of the biscuit. She tasted nothing. It was like cardboard in her mouth. She put it down, her mouth twisted into a sour expression. Nico, resting beside her, glanced up in anticipation. She gave him her uneaten portion.

“Thanks for looking so happy for me.” Donna raised one eyebrow. “It’s Cole Keating.”

“Oh, the banker. That’s good. Maybe he’ll be a steady client.” Harley grew quiet. She stared into space. She truly was happy for Donna, but she couldn’t muster any real enthusiasm. This was her only chance to have a child, and any hope of that reality was evaporating.

Donna lightly touched her chin. Her voice was soothing, and her eyes were kind as always. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Harley’s face crumbled. Her insides shook with sorrow. “I’m going to lose it, D.”

“Look, the doc didn’t say that definitely, did he?” Donna moved to her side and put an arm around her shoulders.

“I know that I can’t keep this up for close to six more months. A baby can survive when it’s close to term, not this early.” A knot clamped hold of her stomach.

“Harley, let’s be honest. You weren’t that happy about this baby. What’s changed?”

“Abisi is so wrapped up in this baby that I’m not sure if he’ll love me when it’s gone.” Harley sobbed, and took the tissue Donna offered. She wept so hard that she believed her heart would burst inside her breast.

Donna hugged her. “Harley, the guy loves you. You have to know that.”

Harley shrugged and tried to suppress her sobs. “He only proposed when he knew about the baby.” She struggled to control her breathing, gulping for air like a swimmer in need of oxygen. “Besides, I’m guilty because I didn’t really want the baby.” She shot Donna a quick glance. “A part of me still doesn’t, but I’m afraid I’ll lose him if I don’t carry it.” Harley stared out of the window. She’d never voiced those feelings to anyone before. “When I knew the baby was coming, I decided I was going to give it my whole heart despite my misgivings.” She wiped away a tear. “I would have been a good mother.”

Donna stroked her hair. “I’m so sorry. You’ve been carrying a lot, haven’t you?” She lifted Harley’s chin. “Don’t give up hope.”

Harley shook her head. “It’s over. I can feel it dying.”

Chapter 20

Harley was awakened by the sound of breaking glass. She bolted upright in bed and glanced at the clock. Twelve—thirty. What in hell was that noise? From the backyard, Nico started to growl. Donna had let him out before she left.

Harley threw her legs over the side of the bed and peered from her door. Nothing was in the hall. The sound had come from a window in the spare bedroom next to Eden’s sealed one. She reached for the phone and dialed 911. Deep growls were emanating from the back of Nico’s throat. The back door was ajar, but the latch was on the screen. Harley could see him running along the side fence.

Was it next door? The dog’s growling told her otherwise. Something or someone was trying to break into her house. The spare bedroom would be vulnerable because of the window. An intruder could enter and not have to penetrate the backyard. Carville’s grandmother usually napped at midday and slept like the dead. Most people were at work. Harley whispered a soft prayer. “Eden, help me now. That bitch is here.”

The dispatcher’s voice suddenly droned in her ear. “What’s the nature of your emergency?”

Harley’s heart was pounding so hard in her ears that she could barely hear her own voice. Her voice shook as she whispered. “Someone’s breaking into my house.” Her trembling hand clutched the phone so tightly she almost disconnected the woman. The light beamed dimly from the crack at the bottom of the door. “Please send someone.”

“Do you have a gun, ma’am?”

Harley swore inwardly and took a deep breath, forcing her voice steady. “Yeah, in the bedroom.” Shit, why hadn’t she grabbed it? A voice from somewhere inside her head murmured,
Don’t be afraid. You can face this.

“Ma’am, we’ll send a unit to your house. Are you alone? Where do you hear the possible intruder?” The woman’s voice droned on evenly and soothingly.

“In the back bedroom. My dog’s here in the backyard.” Harley was suddenly standing in front of the door that held the invader. Nico’s growl was low and terrifying in the backyard. She wanted to run to him, but racing to him would alert the intruder that she knew of his or her presence. Harley swallowed hard.
Her.
She knew of no one else who would risk breaking into the house in broad daylight. Her insides turned to liquid, but she had to face this test of her strength.

“I’m going to stay on the line with you until the officers arrive.”

Harley’s hand was wet as she clutched the phone. For a long time, she heard nothing. Had she imagined this? Then came the faintest sound of an object splintering glass. Her mother had bought a Glock after her father’s death. Harley hated the thing, but she kept it for her own protection. When Abisi worked late, Harley felt more secure knowing it was by her bed. Harley backed away from the door, walking backward with the phone in her hand, staring at the closed door.

Harley had almost reached her own bedroom when the door to the spare room swung open with a thrust that almost set it on its hinges. Kimberly stood briefly before her as if she were frozen in place. Harley was startled by the change in the woman. When she’d caught a glimpse of her in the hospital, Harley had thought her beautiful. The thing in front of Harley now looked like something out of a Greek myth. Her dark hair fell in unkempt strands along her face. She was wearing a ratty T-shirt and dirty jeans.

Harley sprinted for her bedroom door, but Kimberly hurled herself at her with a cry like a wounded animal. She knocked Harley to the floor so hard that the phone flew from her hand. The cries of the dispatcher rang in Harley’s ears. Kimberly had Harley by the neck. Harley gasped for air and kicked Kimberly as hard as she could in the gut. Eden’s voice echoed in Harley’s ears. “You’re stronger than she is. She’s a weak nothing.”

Kimberly screamed through gritted teeth. “You bitch! You whore.” She head-butted Harley and laughed. “Nobody loves you. It only took one little phone call to the school for me to get your friend Mary Ann on my side. She let me know when your bitch friend was leaving.”

Harley saw white lights in front of her eyes, but she struck Kimberly with a hard chop to the neck. Kimberly gagged but still held onto Harley. Harley swore silently and thrust her knee into her adversary’s chest. Neither Kimberly nor Mary Ann was going to kill her. Kimberly’s grip loosened as she began coughing. Suddenly, Harley heard a fierce crash. Nico had burst through the door and flew at Kimberly. Teeth bared, Nico launched himself at the back of her neck. Kimberly turned to ward off the dog, and he went for her face. Kimberly screamed, and Harley squirmed free. Sharp pains in her lower abdomen almost took her breath away, and she felt blood ooze from between her legs. Taking deep breaths, Harley raced into the bedroom and frantically searched for the gun. With it clutched firmly in her hand, she stood beside Kimberly. Kimberly had grasped Nico’s neck with one hand and was trying to cover his mouth with the other. She screamed obscenities but wasn’t succeeding in holding off the enraged animal. Regardless, Harley wouldn’t chance Nico’s safety. No, that whore wouldn’t hurt Nico.

“Look at me, you filthy bitch!” Harley waited until their gazes locked. The woman’s hands went limp on the dog when she saw Harley pointing the Glock at her. Her gaze widened, and she attempted to rise. Harley fired the gun. The hole looked like a third eye. The woman stared blankly at Harley, looking totally surprised for one second, and then fell back. Abrasions and cuts from the dog’s teeth and nails marked Kimberly’s face. Harley tried to feel pity for her, but she couldn’t. She’d killed someone, but the murderous bitch had wanted to kill her. She suddenly understood about the law of the jungle. The strong survived. Nico’s deep growls slowly subsided as he stared at Harley’s adversary, seemingly puzzled.

Dropping the gun at her side, Harley ran to Nico, who licked her face repeatedly. She checked the dog for any wounds, but he seemed happy and unscathed. She suddenly grew weak and groaned as sharp pains shot from her lower abdomen to her breast. She gasped when she saw the blood staining her shorts and tried to crawl to the phone but couldn’t. “Nico, help!” The room spun and the world went black.

“Dr. Sharif, it’s your wife.”

Abisi saw the pale face of the nurse as she peered into his office.

“They brought her in. She’s lost a lot of blood. Someone tried to attack her.”

Abisi’s heart almost stopped. A voice deep inside told him who had attacked Harley. He shuddered and raced to the emergency room. “What happened?”

“She’s hemorrhaging. Someone got into your house. The police broke down the door. They brought her in.”

The world reeled around him. The bitch Kimberly was intent on destroying his happiness. He would kill her, but first, he had to save the best thing that had ever happened to him. Carville was waiting for him and told him what transpired. The nightmare grew worse when Carville described what Harley had endured. God, he’d put her in such a position! Harley had been forced to kill someone to save her own life. He wondered if she would ever be able to forgive him for involving her in such a cheap, tawdry drama. Abisi knew he couldn’t forgive himself. The police had arrived around the same time as her cousin Judy. Sweet God, what had he unleashed on his sweet Harley?

Abisi’s heart thundered in his ears as he raced to the emergency room. Harley’s face was ashen, and her eyes were shut tight. The same nurse who had brought him the news of Harley’s arrival pushed him into the main area of the ER. “Dr. LeBlanc will take care of her. You’ll only make this worse.”

Abisi tore away from her. “I’m a doctor.”

“You’re her husband.” She met his gaze.

Abisi knew she was right. He’d run into a burning building to save Harley, but his shaking hands and pounding heart would be the death of her now. His own guilt threatened to crush him. Mind-numbing fear paralyzed him. His feet were rooted to the floor. Anyone gazing at him now wouldn’t recognize the cool and in control Dr. Sharif. He turned to see Judy staring at him. “Judy, I—”

“Do you see what your bitch whore did to my cousin?” Her stare was harsh. “Harley’s going to die because you fucked the wrong woman. Jesus, I always knew you were trouble.”

“Harley won’t die. She can’t!” Abisi turned in the direction of the room where another doctor and staff worked on Harley.

The nurse, Marie, glared at Judy. “Ma’am, this isn’t helping. Please, wait in the outer room.”

Carville strode over to Abisi. “Ms. Harley managed to tell me that this woman had help from an old acquaintance.” He gazed at his notes and continued. “A Mrs. Saltaformaggio let Ms. Cheramie know when your wife’s friends left the house. We sent a car to her house. She’s been taken into custody for conspiracy to murder. She’s the woman my grandmother saw fighting with Ms. Harley earlier in the week.”

Abisi merely nodded, grief-stricken and numb. The whole scene was a nightmare. Harley was fighting for her life because of some jealous rival and his own poor judgment. He cursed himself and the whole crazy Saltaformaggio family. Why hadn’t he killed crazy Kimberly himself and had that vengeful Mary Ann arrested? Now, one of the crazy whores was dead because Harley had the courage he had lacked. He wished he’d murdered that pathetic Mary Ann instead of calling her sleazy husband. Abisi pushed back the bile rising in his throat.

Donna and Mike bolted through the doors with Vera at their heels. Donna’s stare moved from Judy to Abisi. “Carville’s grandmother called me. Jesus, I must have just left when that bitch—”

“She’s going to die.” Judy’s voice was flat.

Donna put up a cautionary hand and shook her head. “This isn’t helping.”

“You swore you’d die protecting her.” Vera gazed at him with undisguised hatred. Her mouth was a thin line, her voice a cold hiss. “If she dies, I hope you rot in hell. John would never let anything happen to Harley. He adored her. All you did was expose her to danger. She first has to deal with a dangerous pregnancy. Now, she’s had to defend herself against some psychotic maniac.”

“Vera, stop. This won’t do any good.” Donna glared at her, ran a hand through her hair, then locked hands with her husband.

Judy slipped an arm around Vera’s shoulders and led her to the waiting area. Neither turned back.

Donna turned to Mike. “Follow them. Make sure they’re okay. I’ll be right behind you.”

Mike nodded to Abisi and made his way to the waiting area. Donna placed a gentle hand on his arm. “I know you love her. She wouldn’t blame you for this.”

Abisi buried his face in his hands and groaned. He swallowed hard but said nothing. The whole scene was surreal. Without answering, he burst through the emergency room doors and into his office. He paced and pulled at his hair, hoping to find a suitable vehicle for his rage. With a cry, he hurled himself on the file cabinets and punched them. Gritting his teeth with each punch, he groaned with frustration. His cries echoed through the room.

When Dr. LeBlanc peered into the office, Abisi was clutching the file cabinets, weeping like a man who had lost his world. He looked at his colleague with tear-stained eyes. “My wife?”

Dr. Nancy LeBlanc gazed at him with compassion. She was a woman some twenty-five years his junior of medium height who always wore sandals and jeans under her lab coat. She walked over to him and bent down. “Your wife will be fine. I stopped the bleeding.” She took a deep breath and stared at him. Her eyes glistened with tears. Abisi read genuine sympathy in them. “She won’t ever have another baby.”

Abisi stared at her like a drunken man and nodded. Harley was alive. Nothing else mattered. If he had her in his arms, Abisi could accept not having the child. He shuddered when he thought of how devastated she would be. Judy and Vera were right, he thought bitterly. He was the cause of her problems. He was the reason she was suffering. He loved her, but he wondered how good he was for her.

Dr. LeBlanc’s voice took him from his reverie. “Would you like to see your wife now?”

He nodded like someone in a stupor and let the woman lead him to Harley. Two orderlies were transporting her to a room. Abisi clutched her hand and murmured in her ear, “I’m so sorry, my darling,” but she was too heavily drugged to respond.