Crime & Passion (27 page)

In the three weeks since Madeline’s attack,
she hadn’t woken up. Donovan spent last night talking to her,
begging her to come back to him, the same way he had most nights.
Nothing made a difference.

The phone on the nightstand rang, and Donovan
fumbled to pick it up. “Hello?”

“It’s Keith.”

Donovan’s heart gave a jolt. He’d become well
acquainted with Maddie’s father and knew he wouldn’t call unless it
was important. “Is Maddie okay? She was breathing funny last night.
The nurse said not to worry, but I can’t help—”

“She’s awake, Donovan.”

“Awake?” Donovan took a deep breath. Those
marvelous words sunk in slowly, leaving a warm happiness throughout
him. “I was starting to lose hope.”

“Me too,” Keith admitted. “I’m so relieved.
She pulled the feeding tube out, which caused quite the commotion,
but she seems okay. They took her for tests. I thought you’d want
to be here when she gets back.”

A wide smile split across Donovan’s face.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

“Don’t be quite so happy.” Keith chuckled.
“She can’t remember what happened to her yet, but she certainly
remembers fighting with you at the jail.”

“I’ll make that up to her. She’ll forgive me
eventually.”

“That girl holds a grudge, always has. She
might make you beg.”

He would happily beg if that’s what it took.
“Does your wife know?”

“I called Karen first,” Keith replied.
“There’s just one more thing.”

His somber tone spurred a tendril of fear
through Donovan’s spine. “Is something wrong?”

“Not really wrong.” Keith sighed heavily.
“She hasn’t seen her face.”

Donovan pictured the angry red marks on
Maddie’s cheeks. The left side wasn’t that bad. In a few more
weeks, it would hardly be noticeable.

The right side was another matter. The scar
welted, leaving a large patch of ruined skin. No amount of makeup
would hide it. The doctor told them plastic surgery might be able
to reduce it somewhat, though Keith worried Madeline would panic
when she saw it.

“Has she asked anything about it?”

“Not yet,” Keith replied. “She doesn’t
remember the attack and hasn’t been near a mirror. I covered the
ones in her room, and the nurse promised not to let her look at one
yet.”

It was good Keith didn’t tell Maddie about
the attack. The doctor drilled it in all their heads that she might
wake with amnesia, but it would likely be temporary. “You know
you’re going to have to let her look.” Donovan’s breath hitched in
his throat as he thought of what Suzie nearly did to her. The piece
of glass could’ve blinded her. “If Maddie touches her face, she’s
going to know something’s wrong.”

“I wanted to wait until you and Karen got
here. I think she’ll take it better if she’s surrounded by people
who love her.”

It felt good to be included in that group.
Madeline’s parents interrogated him for several days over their
relationship and Donovan’s true intentions. He figured they would
hate him when they learned about his past with women, but he told
them the absolute truth, not wanting them to hear it from someone
else later. He also told them what he had come to realize—he was in
love with their daughter.

For some reason, her parents trusted him.
Keith said as long as Donovan’s intentions were honorable, they
would give him a chance. Just like that, the loving arms of
Madeline’s family folded around him. Now, if she didn’t forgive
him, he’d lose more than just her.

Donovan ran a hand over his face, beating
back that worry. Madeline wanted to give up all her money to get
him out of jail. She wouldn’t have done that unless she really
cared about him. Would she?

Then again, that was before he threw her
weight problem in her face—a weight problem she didn’t even
have.

“I’ll see you soon,” he told Keith.

He could only apologize and hope she forgave
him.

***

Stacy, the nurse, wheeled Madeline’s gurney
out of the CT room. She skillfully made her way through the people
populating the hallway. With the head of the gurney propped up,
Madeline watched the other patients as the nurse pushed her along
the blue line marking their path.

“Oh, Mommy,” a little girl said as they
passed. She tugged on her mother’s shirt and pointed at Madeline.
“Look.”

It wasn’t the first time someone pointed at
her in the hallway. She had received many long stares while waiting
to go into the various testing rooms.

Madeline tilted her head backward so she
could see the nurse. “Is something wrong with me? Everyone’s
staring.”

Stacy slowed the gurney, pity filling her
eyes. “You don’t remember anything yet about why you’re here?”

Madeline shrugged. “I fought with Donovan. I
remember slapping him.” She still wished she knew whether he meant
those words. Dad said Donovan was in the hotel across the street
and anxious to see her. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t care.
Would he?

Stacy slowly resumed walking, and Madeline
looked back at the people wandering around. A few of them smiled,
but as they got closer to her, their smiles faded to looks of
dismay. She wished she knew what they saw. Dad wouldn’t tell her
how she ended up in the hospital, but it must have been something
major.

“I’ve been in a coma for three weeks?” she
asked, looking at the nurse again. “Can you tell me about it?”

“Something happened to you the day after you
saw your boyfriend.”

Madeline raised an eyebrow. “My
boyfriend?”

“Mr. Andrews.” Stacy smiled, obviously
charmed by him in the time Madeline had been out of the picture.
“Anyway, you were injured and brought here.”

As if I couldn’t figure that out for
myself.
“Got anything more helpful?”

“I can tell you about the coma. You went into
cardiac arrest in the ambulance, which caused your brain to swell
from lack of oxygen.” She shook her head, keeping her eyes firmly
on the hallway in front of them. “Your brain function was always
good on the EEGs. You just sort of shut down until the swelling
went away. Don’t worry, though. You probably won’t have any lasting
ill effects.”

“What caused me to go into cardiac arrest?
Was I in a car accident?”

Stacy took a few more steps without saying
anything. She moved past Madeline to open a door. “Here we are,
back in your room.” She shrugged. “Maybe those are questions you
better save for your doctor, hmmm?”

Madeline looked into the room. Her dad and
Donovan stood in a cluster around her mom, who sat in the room’s
only available chair.

The nurse rolled the gurney next to the bed
and helped Madeline scoot over. She picked up the combination call
button/TV remote from the table, handing it to Madeline. “Call if
you need anything. The doctor will be in later with your test
results.”

As soon as Stacy left, her mom jumped up from
the chair and rushed to the side of the bed. She smoothed
Madeline’s hair back and kissed her forehead. “You scared me to
death, young lady. I told you it was too dangerous here!”

Madeline tried to stifle her automatic sigh.
“I’m okay, Mom. Although I’d feel better if someone told me what
happened.”

Karen rubbed her cheek. “Don’t you worry,
sweetheart. The doctor said it’s normal to have memory problems,
but it will probably come back to you.”

Something felt funny. The sensation was wrong
where her mom’s fingers touched. Madeline brushed Karen’s hand away
and replaced it with her own. She felt the too-smooth skin that
bulged slightly from her face. It extended from under her eye down
to her mouth.

“Give me a mirror,” she ordered.

“Now, Maddie,” her dad started, sitting on
the other side of her bed, “I don’t want you to worry about that
right now. Everything’s fine.”

Madeline looked past her parents at Donovan,
who had moved to the foot of the bed. “I want to know what
happened,” she told him. “I want to see my face.”

Her dad leaned forward and gripped her hand
in his. “Maddie, sweetie, no matter what, you are beautiful. The
most beautiful woman ever.”

Donovan nodded his agreement, and her mom let
out a small sob.

Must be bad.

She stared into her dad’s brown eyes, so like
her own. He looked utterly exhausted. She could only imagine how
hard the last three weeks had been for her folks. She smiled at
them. “You know I love you both, so much.”

Her parents nodded.

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you,
but I need to speak with Donovan. Alone.”

Her mom’s hand fluttered against Madeline’s
hair gently. “Sweetheart, let’s just wait a little bit. When you
start remembering then we can help you to the mirror and talk about
things.” Her mom’s eyes darted to the side of Madeline’s face,
seeming to trace whatever was wrong there as tears welled in her
green eyes.

She didn’t want to argue with her parents,
and she didn’t want them worrying any more than they already had.
However, she was anxious to see what happened. The more they tried
to reassure her, the more nervous she became.

“This has nothing to do with my face,” she
lied. “Donovan and I had a big fight last night and—”

“Three weeks ago, Maddie,” her dad cut
in.

Damn. That would take some getting used to.
Yesterday it was late April and today it was almost June. She
sighed and traced the mark on her face again with a gentle
fingertip.

She glanced at Donovan. “Three weeks ago,
then. I need to talk to him about it.” She squeezed her parents’
hands tightly, trying to be calm and reassuring herself. “It sounds
like you guys have been here constantly and you must be tired. Why
don’t you get some rest now that we know I’m fine? It’ll give
Donovan and me time to work things out.”

***

Keith and Karen said a few more reassuring
things to Madeline before standing from the bed.

“We’ll be back in two hours to hear the test
results,” Karen said.

Madeline nodded. “That’s great, Mom. Take a
nap, okay?”

Keith gripped Donovan’s arm firmly. “Good
luck, son,” he whispered, and then escorted his wife to the
doorway.

Donovan took a step forward as soon as the
door closed. “I didn’t mean it, Maddie. You have to believe
me.”

“We can talk about that later. Mom and Dad
mean well and I didn’t want to hurt their feelings, but them lying
to me isn’t making me feel better.”

“They aren’t lying. Keith just doesn’t want
to overwhelm you.”

“Not knowing is overwhelming me.” Madeline
flung the sheet back, revealing her white hospital gown. “I need to
see it.” She swung her legs down the side of the bed and stood up.
Her entire body trembled and she clutched the bedrail to stay on
her feet.

Donovan stepped quickly around the bed,
taking her into his arms. “You shouldn’t be moving around like
this. You’re still weak. Let me see if the nurse has a hand
mirror.”

“I am a bit woozy.” She leaned into him,
allowing him to support her weight. “But I’m sick of feeling like a
freak without knowing what’s wrong. I don’t want to wait. Help me
to the mirror.”

Donovan knew she was frightened and probably
a bit mad at him, but her body against his was the best feeling
ever. The last three weeks had been hell. He held her tight,
keeping his tears back through sheer determination. “I thought I
might never have a chance to hold you again,” he said, kissing her
cheek softly. “I was so afraid you’d die.”

“It’s good to know that matters to you. When
I left the jail I was so hurt. I wanted to hate you. And now
this...” Her long lashes fluttered closed. “I’m still trying to
figure everything out. It’s so confusing.”

“I know it is.” Donovan took a deep breath.
He didn’t blame her for questioning whether he truly cared about
her. To her mind, it was only a few hours ago that he told her she
was fat. She’d forgive him. She had to. He needed to give her more
time though.

Without another word, he helped her walk
across to the small vanity on the left-hand side of the room.

She turned and tightly gripped the edge of
the counter to hold herself up, facing the towel her father put
over the mirror. “Move that.”

“Can I tell you something first?” he
asked.

She tilted her head to look at him, bringing
the worst scar more into the light. Donovan tried not to stare at
it, but he felt so damn guilty every time he looked at her. It was
his fault Suzie attacked her—his fault Maddie would wear that scar
the rest of her life.

“I’m sorry about what I said.” He kissed her
lips softly and she didn’t pull away, though she didn’t kiss him
back either. “I was afraid you would put yourself in the poor house
to get me out of jail, and I couldn’t let you do that.”

Tears welled in her eyes and she shook her
head softly. “That was my choice, Donovan. I wanted to help you.” A
tear slipped over the edge, following the trail of her scar as it
tracked down her face. “I do believe you didn’t mean it, but you
promised not to hurt me. You broke that promise.”

If she stabbed a knife through his heart, it
might hurt less than seeing the pain he’d caused her. “I didn’t
feel like I had a choice, Maddie. Can’t you see that?”

She raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes.
“So what, this is my fault?”

“No! That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m
not any good at this stuff.”

“I don’t know what to feel right now.”
Madeline turned her head back toward the mirror. “Let’s get this
over with.”

He knew he couldn’t put this moment off any
longer. He removed the towel.

Madeline sucked in a sharp breath and her
hands moved to her face, tracing the scars along each side. She
lost her balance and fell into the counter around the sink, barely
keeping her feet under her.