He's Captured My Heart (Captured Series Book 1) (29 page)

“Alex,” I sob, not knowing if my words come out.

“Libby, don’t think about anything. Don’t talk. It’s going to be fine.”

His voice is soft, reassuring. My head pounds. The noise. So many voices all speaking at the same time, Mum crying.
Oh, Mum, don’t cry
. It hurts, everything hurts. My eyes are so heavy, and it feels so much quieter when they close. Alex whispers that I will be okay, and I focus on his voice.

I feel Alex moving away from me…where is he going? I reach out my hand, needing contact. I try to speak, but nothing comes out.

“Hush, sweetie, it’s all right. You’re in safe hands. I’m going to take good care of you. I’ll just have a look at your back, and then we’ll give you something for the pain,” she says. Her voice is calm and reassuring. I recognise the patch on her shirt—a white
X
on a blue circle topped with a red crown—the Scottish Ambulance Service. I try to nod. “That’s great, sweetie. You can hear me. Okay, let me see you wiggle your fingers. Hands? Toes. Excellent. It’s safe to move you.” She slides me onto a backboard. “Let’s get you a bit more comfortable and off to hospital.”

She and another paramedic lift the board and manoeuvre me through the kitchens and out the back of the hotel to the waiting ambulance. After what seems like an eternity, they set me down. It’s much quieter in the ambulance, but the pounding in my head is still unbearable.

“I want to go with her,” Mum says, sobbing, “in the ambulance.”

“Of course, Mrs. Stewart. Of course you can travel with your daughter.”

“Phil…”

“Jane, it’s okay. You go with her. We’ll follow.” I can only imagine that Dad is giving her a kiss and a hug just now. “I’ll see you shortly, honey. We’ll be right behind you. Mark’s already brought the car round, see?”

I hear scuffling outside the ambulance and Michael’s voice pleading for Alex to stay back. “Where are you taking him? Surely he’s not going in the same ambulance as Libby—not after what he’s done to her!” Alex shouts angrily.

“No. He needs treatment as well, but he won’t go in the same ambulance. He will be going to the same hospital, but I expect he’ll be discharged rather quickly,” says the paramedic. “By the way, sir, I would advise you to get your hand looked at when you come in as well. And you might want to do that
before
you speak with the police.” She sounds sympathetic towards Alex.

17

MY HEAD HURTS.
I’m frightened to move. My whole body aches. I feel as if I’ve been run over by a steamroller. I hear voices, low, whispered voices, and I slowly open my eyes, but everything is blurred. Why are my eyes so sore? There are so many figures in this clean, white room. I blink a few times, trying to clear my vision. I need to see them. I turn my head to the side. Mum is sitting by the bed holding my hand.

“Mum.” I move my hand in hers.

“Oh, Libby. Thank god.” Her voice sounds relieved, and I can see fresh tears in her eyes. “Phil, can you go and get the doctor?” Dad leaves the room.

“Mum, I’m okay.” I smile, but even doing that hurts. My face must be in some mess. “Where’s Ethan? And Alex?” I ask.

“In the waiting room with Michael and Kirsty. The doctors would only let your dad and me in. Once the doctor has been in, I’ll get them for you.”

I nod. My dad enters the room with a nurse, followed by an older gentleman wearing a white coat.

“Good evening, Miss Stewart,” the old man says with a smile. “I’m Dr. Young.” I giggle. “Well, I’m glad you still have a sense of humour, albeit at my expense.” His smile just got wider. “How are you feeling? Be honest.”

“Where to start…let’s see. My head is pounding, my face hurts, everything’s blurry, and as for my stomach and back, I can’t even begin to describe the pain,” I say. “Other than that, I feel fine.”

“Libby!” Mum does not approve.

“Mrs. Stewart, it’s perfectly all right. I have heard much worse.” The doctor speaks directly to my mother, then he turns back to me. “Now, Miss Stewart, you have quite a few injuries but fortunately nothing life threatening. You have severe bruising to your ribs, but the X-rays showed nothing broken. You sustained a deep puncture wound to your back, but it missed all vital organs. We took care of that earlier; it’s been cleaned, stitched, and dressed. Twenty-four stitches it took. I’m afraid you’ll have a bit of a scar, although it will fade some with time.”

“What about my eyes? Why can’t I see clearly?” I ask.

“Nothing to worry about. Your face is badly bruised and swollen. The swelling will take a bit of time to go down, and the bruising will—”

“Can I see it, please?” I ask, interrupting the doctor. “And can I get up?”

“We’re monitoring your blood pressure, which is always a bit wonky after a trauma, so I don’t want you up out of the bed just yet. You’ve been through an ordeal, and you need rest to help speed the recovery process. If you really want to see your face, I can bring you in a mirror.”

“Thank you.”

Mum and Dad leave the room to let the staff do their job. The nurse takes my blood pressure, which is still a bit high. She puts up another bag of fluids but says that should be the last bag, as I am awake now and should be able to drink. She takes some blood from me, filling several small tubes.

“Miss Stewart, when was the last time you had something to eat?” the nurse asks.

“Breakfast this morning,” I reply.

“Would you like some tea and toast or soup?”

“Yes, please, although I’m not sure I can manage it. Will I be able to see my brother and Alex now?”

“Yes, I’ll get them just as soon as I’m finished. I have a mirror here. Do you still want to see?”

“Yes, I may as well get it over with.”

She hands me the mirror face down. She looks anxious. I lift the mirror slowly. I take a deep breath before turning it round.

“No,” I gasp. That can’t possibly be me. I don’t recognise myself. There’re bruises everywhere. My eyes are quite swollen. I have cuts on my lip and a larger one at the top of my forehead, maybe from when I fell. “I don’t think makeup will cover this up, do you?” Tears run freely down my face. The nurse hands me a tissue.

“Libby…do you mind me calling you that?” the nurse asks. I shake my head. “You’ve been very lucky. This could’ve been much worse. I won’t lie to you. No, makeup won’t cover it up. Your face might take a few weeks to heal completely, but it
will
heal. Now I have a few other tests I need to do.”

“What tests?” I ask nervously, although I have a feeling I already know.

“Libby, we need to…”

“Stop!” I shout. “He didn’t do it. He never got the chance. Alex pulled him off me before he did.” I start to cry.

“Oh, sweetie, you cry all you want. I know this is unpleasant for you, but for peace of mind, I would much rather the tests be done—and I am sure the police would as well.” I nod in agreement with her. “I also have a camera here to take the photographic evidence that the police will need. Is that okay with you?”

The tests don’t take too long, and before I know it, I have a cup of chicken soup in my hands. It tastes delicious, but my mouth hurts with each mouthful I drink. I only manage half the cup.

“Shall I collect your brother and Alex?”

“Yes, please,” I answer, looking at her name badge.

“Okay, you can have a few minutes with them. But then a couple of police officers need to speak with you. I should send them in first, but I expect you’ll be a bit more settled after you see your loved ones.”

“Thank you, Sam. I really appreciate it,” I say to her as she heads out the door.

I am left on my own. It gives me time to think. I can’t believe how this day turned out—or that Jeff has done this to me. If only I’d just taken a break with Karl and Kieran. If I had done, then this would never have happened, and I wouldn’t be here. Why did Jeff have to do this?

My room door opens. Ethan stops in the doorway and gasps.

“So, Ethan, are you going to just stand there with your mouth open, or are you coming in?” I try and make light of the situation. “Where’s Alex?”

Ethan walks towards me. He bends down and gives me a kiss before sitting down on the edge of the bed, taking my hand.

“Alex is with the police, giving them a statement. Jeff wants to press charges against him.”

“What?” I screech. “How can they charge Alex? If it wasn’t for him, who knows what would have happened!”

“I know, I know. You won’t get any arguments from me. He saved you,” Ethan says, shaking his head sadly. “But Alex did make some job of Jeff’s face. The guy’s got a broken nose, two missing teeth, and even more bruises than you have.”

“I need to give my statement. Can you go and get someone?”

“Libby, they’ll be here shortly.”

“But they
can’t
charge Alex. He hasn’t done anything wrong. Jeff was going to…” I start crying. I can’t even say the words.

“Libby, please.” Ethan takes me in his arms while I sob uncontrollably. “Libby, everything will be fine. Dad is with Alex. Alex’s lawyer is getting the first available flight from America.”

“Seriously?” I pull back from him. Ethan nods. “What a way to meet his parents.”

Ethan looks confused. I suppose I’d better tell him. “Both of Alex’s parents
and
his brother are lawyers. I wonder which one I am going to meet? I’m scared that they’ll blame me for this.”

“This is not your fault, Libby. How could anyone blame you? And as for Alex’s parents, don’t worry
about them. We’ll set them straight. You have enough going on.”

“I know. So have you. Is there still a hearing tomorrow?” I ask.

“Yes, I’m going with my lawyer first thing. After today I would love it to be postponed. I’d rather stay here. I just want to make sure you’re all right.”

“Ethan, I’ll be fine. A few days’ rest, and I’ll be as good as new.” He really doesn’t need to be worrying about me with everything else going on. He needs to stay focused on himself and Lucy. It’s going to be a tough couple of weeks, raking over the past few months. Just when he was finally making some headway in his life.

“Libby, you don’t have to be the strong one all the time. Just once could you let me take care of you? You’re always there when I need you. Now it’s time for me to return the favour. You’re my sister, and I love you—and I really don’t know where I would be today if it wasn’t for your perseverance and your unconditional love.”

God, he’s made me cry again. Only a few days ago, I had him in my arms comforting
him
. Now here we are again, with everything backwards. We stay like this for a few moments. The closeness we had before Lindsay’s death is definitely back.

“Is it okay if I come in?” Alex asks from the doorway.

“Yes, I was just leaving. I need to go and collect Lucy.” Ethan gives me another kiss before whispering something into Alex’s ear, then heading out.

I’ve wanted to see Alex since I woke up, and now that he’s here, I’m at a loss for words. Worry and sadness are etched into his beautiful face. As he walks slowly towards me, I dip my head shamefully, and the tears flow freely.

“Hey, Libby. Baby, it’s all right. It’s over. I am so sorry I didn’t get there sooner.” He puts his strong arms around me. “I should have seen it coming the way he was drinking.”

I can’t speak. I’m just numb. The reality of what happened is just sinking in. Alex places a kiss on the top of my head.

“Libby, please. I feel totally helpless. I don’t know how to help or even if I can help. What do I do?”

I draw in a deep breath and try to wipe the tears away. Alex hands me a hankie. I lift my head and meet those eyes I adore so much. Where I usually see passion and desire, now I see only concern, pain, and tiredness. I look straight into those eyes as I speak.

“Alex, it’s a lot to take in…what happened today. For the second time in my life, I felt completely helpless, vulnerable, and scared. Not a lot scares me. I wasn’t even that scared when he was hitting me, because I knew I could fight back, push him off me. I would never have given in,” I say. I force myself to
hold back my tears. “But the pain…I hit the ground, and I couldn’t move. I heard him loosen his belt, and I couldn’t do a thing about it. I didn’t give up; I just wanted it over with. I didn’t stop fighting, because I never had the chance to start. It was like all my energy had drained away. I’m so ashamed. When I couldn’t fight, I just closed my eyes and kept thinking the sooner it’s over with, the better.”

“Libby…” Alex pauses as if searching for the right words. But I don’t need the words; I can hear the tenderness in his voice. “When I found that bastard on top of you, his pants open, I just wanted to kill him. Then it got me thinking how I first came onto you. I was no better than him. For that I will always be sorry and grateful. Grateful that you gave me a second chance.”

I don’t know how to reply to that statement. Alex sits on the bed beside me, and I do the one thing that feels so natural to me; I sink into his arms. He wraps them loosely round my waist. I inch myself closer to him, ignoring the pain shooting through me when I move. Bloody hell.

“Thank you,” I say.

“For what?”

“For being here with me. For saving me. For falling into my life.”

“Shh, shh. It’s all right.”

We sit cuddled together in silence for a few minutes. Then we are interrupted by a knock at the
door. I look up to see a uniformed police officer in the doorway, accompanied by someone I assume to be from CID.

“Sorry, we hate to interrupt, but we do have some questions for you, Miss Stewart. Mr. Mathews, if you could please step outside for a moment?”

“No! No, I don’t want Alex to go.”

“It’s all right, baby. I’ll be right outside.”

“Miss Stewart, your mum could sit with you,” says the officer.

“No, I don’t want her even more upset.” It’s true. My mum’s crying earlier today will haunt me.

“Officer, can’t I stay with her if I don’t say anything?” Alex asks.

“Oh, all right then. No interrupting. We already have your statement.”

“You won’t get any interruptions from me,” Alex says, shifting his position on the bed. For a moment I think he’s going to move away from me, so I grip his arm. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.”