DREAM (29 page)

Chapter 29

I can hear voices in the distance. It’s Gable and Aven, but I can’t make out what they are saying. I don’t feel any real pain. I don’t think that she hurt me in any way, but I’m not sure what’s happening either.

“Gable?” I push out. My mouth is dry. It feels like sandpaper and my throat is scratchy.

“Dream. Dream, can you hear me?”

Gable, I know my mouth is open, but I can’t seem to pry my eyes open. All I can see is darkness.

“Dream, please open your eyes. Please,” his voice cracks.

“Can’t.” I breathe out. I feel cold and I sense that I’m lying on the concrete floor.

“Look at the poor helpless, Dream Butler.” I hear Aven’s evil voice from a distance. “Poor, poor Dream. Tsk. Tsk.”

I know she’s playing with my emotions and the hot tears are leaving my eyes. I sniffle.

“Oh, and now she’s crying.” She mocks a gasp.

My eyelids finally listen to my command to open. Aven is right there next to me; I thought she was farther away.

“Look at that. Well, hello Dream. It seems you passed out.” She touches my cheek, but I shake away from her.

I’m not tied to anything and I sit up. I shouldn’t have moved that fast because the room starts to spin, but I do my best to keep my balance.

“Aven, this is between us. Let Dream go.” I turn and see Gable standing near Gideon’s lifeless body.

My heart breaks at seeing Gable. He looks exhausted and his eyes are blood shot. Gable loved Gideon and he’s going to carry this burden for the rest of his life.

“There’s nothing between
us
anymore, Gable. I did everything you asked of me. I was your perfect girlfriend. But, you never cared about me, did you?” Aven points her gun to Gable. “I should have married you, but you didn’t give a shit about me.”

“I did care for you Aven. That’s not a lie, but we weren’t meant for each other.” Gable reasons with her.

“And she is?” Aven points her unarmed hand at me. “This...this...child. You’re old enough to be her father, Gable. How sick is that? What could you two possibly have in common?”

“More than you two did,” I speak.

“Shut up.” She spins to me. “No one cares about what you have to say.”  

Remain calm
.

I can hear Leo’s voice in my head. I slow my breathing and slowly rise to my feet. I look around the room and realize that we’re still in Jacob’s office. My back is to the front door and Gable is to my left. I need to get him closer to me. I connect with his eyes and stare at him. I pray that he understands my thoughts and I hope that this works. This isn’t practice and we aren’t in the woods. This is real life and that’s a real gun. She can easily kill me and I know this.

“Aven, you know that Gable loves me.”
Oh, good idea, Dream, piss her off.

“No he doesn’t. The only thing that Gable loves is money and himself,” Aven snarls.

“We love each other. We’ve started a life together.” I move my body toward Gable.

“Life? A life? Let me explain something to you, little girl. Gable doesn’t love you. You’re a virgin that didn’t have anywhere to go and he wanted JE. It’s all about the money.”

I take a small step toward him. “No, Aven. I can’t explain to you how wrong you are. At first, that might have been the truth, but not now. We’re starting a family.”

Keep her talking, Dream.
I can hear Leo in my head. Great, now I’m going crazy along with everything else.

“I wanted all of that with him, too.” Aven glances at Gable.

“Is that what’s this is about? You wanting Gable?”

“No!” She shouts loudly. “This is about me finishing Jacob’s plan, you bitch. I’m going to make sure you die and Gable suffers.”

“Because he hurt you?” I try to clarify.

“No, because he thinks he can use anyone and everyone to get what he wants.”

I ease my way over to him and I’m almost there. “It’s what he did to you, right? He used you and then dumped you.”

Aven’s green eyes glare at me. I think she’s beginning to figure out what I’m doing and I only have a minute to figure out what the hell I’m doing.

“If you take one more step, I’ll kill you.” Damn it. Aven has the gun inches from my head. “Don’t think you can play me. I’m much smarter than you are.”

“I’m...I’m not trying anything, Aven. I’m only trying to figure out why you’re doing this to us.”

Aven rolls her eyes. “You’re fucking stupid. There isn’t an
us
or
you and him
. It’s only Gable and you’re another fucking pawn in his life. Don’t you get that? You’re nothing to him. Nothing.”

“You’re right.” I answer and try to play into her game. “I’m nothing to him. I’ve known that since the day I married him. Our marriage is only for business reasons and for show.”

Aven drops the gun down and rolls in laughter. She’s actually holding her side. I glance at Gable, who winks at me. It’s working and I need to keep it up.

“Maybe you’re smarter than you look. You both are in it for the money. I’m right, aren’t I?” Aven looks between us.

“Yes.” Gable answers for us. “That’s all we’re in it for.”

Suddenly, and without warning, there’s a massive bang and the brightest light I’ve ever seen. The room is spinning, my ears are ringing, and I can’t figure out if I’m standing up or sitting down. I hear voices and what sounds like gunfire, or maybe a car is backfiring.

Instantly, I feel someone on top of me and it’s like I’m being blanketed. There are still spots in my visions and I make out numerous bodies, dressed in black, around me. I can feel someone tugging on my arm, and I’m trying to get up on my feet. I am almost dragged out of the room.

“Run, Dream.” It’s Bruce, I think. I can’t tell for sure, but I think it’s him. He pushes me toward someone and they catch me. We’re heading out the back of the building and when the door opens, I see Larissa.

“Dream.” She has on jeans, a polo shirt, and a large black bulletproof vest that says: FBI across the front of it. She pulls me toward the side of the building and pushes me against the brick wall of the building. “Are you okay?”

“Gable.” My ears are ringing and I can’t tell if she can hear me or not. I keep blinking my eyes trying to refocus my vision.

Larissa cups my face and makes me look at her. She’s examining me. “You’re okay.” She says and waves her arm. A man, who looks to be a paramedic, rushes over to my side and takes me with him to an ambulance.

“My husband.” I say and I know that someone has to hear me. “Gable is still inside.”

“It’s okay.” The man says and lifts me into the ambulance.

“I need him. Please,” I cry again. My vision isn’t coming back and I know I’m fading. I have to stay awake. I need to force myself, but my mind thinks otherwise.

~~~

I hear a faint beeping, and this time I’m able to focus on where I am. I’m in the hospital, but I’m alone. I’m hooked up to an IV and the beeping looks like a heart monitor of sorts. I reach around and see the call button for the nurse. I push it and hear the ding. As I’m waiting for them, I sit up and try to get out of bed. I’m in a thin cotton hospital gown.

“Dream.” The door opens and  Bruce comes in. He looks worried and he comes right over to me.

I gasp. He isn’t who I expect to see. “Where’s Gable?” He stops and doesn’t answer me. “Bruce.” I can’t cry, because I don’t think I have anything left in my tear ducts. “Is he?” I can’t say the word
dead
.

“He’s hurt, but alive.” I fall back onto the hospital bed and cover my face with relief. “I can take you to him, but the doctor wants to check you now that you’re awake.”

“No.” I sit up. “Take me to him and tell me what the hell happened on the way.” The doctor and a nurse come into the room and try to stop me from leaving. “Let me go.” I hiss at them. “I’m going to Gable’s room. If you want to examine me then you can do it there, because I’m not sitting here another moment.” I reach for Bruce, and he helps me stand up. My legs are wobbling, and the nurse pulls over a wheelchair from the corner of the room. Bruce eases me into it and he wheels me down the hall to where two men that I have seen around the house are standing.

Inside, Gable is lying in the bed, but he’s facing away from me. I can see that he’s hooked up to several machines and IVs.

‘What happened?”

“He’s been shot, but it isn’t bad because it went right through and didn’t hit anything vital.”

“Aven?”

“She was aiming for you, but Gable jumped in front of it and protected you.”

“Where is she?”

“Dead.” Bruce says it with no emotion. “The SWAT team shot her when she began to fire at them.”

“Gideon?” Even though I know that he’s dead, I’m hoping that maybe I’m wrong for Mama and Gable’s sake.

“Gone.” Bruce affirms what I already know.

“Where’s Mama?”

“She just left about ten minutes ago. She checked on you, but she needed to take care of things for Gideon. Mrs. Stones is helping her.”

I nod and reach out for Gable’s hand.

“He’s asleep. They gave him several pain meds. He has several staples on his side, but he’s been more worried about you than anything.” I smile at Gable. I know that he cares. “Dream, everything that Aven was saying to you is a lie. Gable loves you. I’ve worked for him for many years and he’s only ever loved you.”

I gaze up at Bruce and nod. “Could you leave for a little bit? I need to be alone with him.”

“Of course. You only need to yell for me and I’ll take you back to your room.”

I lift one eyebrow. “Do you really think I’m leaving him?”

Bruce chuckles. “No, but if you change your mind then let me know.”

When Bruce leaves, I take Gable’s hand that isn’t attached to an IV, and touch my cheek with it. “Gable. Can you hear me?” I ask in a low tone. “Can you open your eyes?”

He doesn’t move or make a sound. His breathing is slow and even and I know he’s asleep. I shouldn’t disturb him, because I know the moment he opens his eyes that he’ll be stressed and worrying over everyone but himself.

I still can’t cry, but I’m concerned about him. Even though Bruce says it’s nothing serious, looking at Gable, who looks frail to me, it looks serious. I lift his hand up to my cheek and he doesn’t feel warm. He doesn’t feel like my Gable.

“Gable, please wake up,” I whisper again. I can hear the doctor outside, but Bruce is stopping him from coming in. My concern is only for Gable. I lay his hand back down at his side, but I keep a hold of it. I rest my head down on his thigh and close my eyes.

~~~

“Dream.” Mama is next to me, softly waking me up. “Let’s get you back to your room.” She starts to pull my wheelchair back.

“No.” I push on the brake. “I’m not leaving him.” I sit up, and my back hurts from being hunched over.

“At least let the doctor in and have him check you out. We don’t need you fainting anymore.”

“I’m fine.”

Mama takes a deep breath and quickly spins me around. “Dream, I know you are in pain and you haven’t eaten a thing since you woke up. Now, I’m telling you, you’re going to go back to your room, get examined, have a meal, and only then can you come back in here. Are we clear?” Her eyes tell me she means business.

“Is there any point in arguing with you?”

“Many have tried and all have failed.” She winks at me. She unhooks the brake on the wheelchair and begins to roll me out. “Wait,” I stop her. “Are you okay?” Mama lost a son.

I see the tears in her eyes and nods. “We’ll talk later. First, let’s take care of you.” She rolls me out the door and hands me off to Bruce, who takes me back to my room.

The doctor, who isn’t happy with me, examines me. I have scrapes and bruises, but nothing is broken or seriously damaged. The nurse brings me in some soup and a large cup of water. Once I finish everything, because I’m sure that Mama will come in here and check, I yell for Bruce to take me back to Gable.

He quickly comes in and this time I walk down the hall to Gable’s room. I have to move around and I can’t stand being in that wheelchair for another moment. Mama is still sitting by his side as I walk in.

“Do you feel better?”

“Yes,” I answer truthfully.

“Good. I need to run home, but I’ll be back in the morning.” She stands and kisses my cheek. “He should be awake soon.”

“Mama, do you want to talk?”

“No.” She walks past me and Bruce and heads home.

“Do you have men watching her?”

Bruce nods.

“Good.” I take the seat next to Gable’s bed and run my hands through his blond hair. He doesn’t even stir and it breaks my heart a bit.

What else is going to happen to us?

What more can I actually handle?

Will I have a normal life?

Did I ever?