PassionsPoison (22 page)

Gerry grumbled under his breath and stormed out the door,
leaving Charlie, Zach, Josh and the six bikers.

Charlie turned on him. “Listen, kid, you got a lot to learn
here. Rule number one, don’t piss off Gerry.” The bikers snickered and nodded.

“Number two, you got two dads here who are ready to break
every bone in your body if you don’t make their daughter feel better, so you’d
be smart to cooperate. I’m not stepping between you and him again. Got it?”

Zach nodded. The man’s blue eyes communicated his anger and
fear all at the same time. What the hell was going on?

At Zach’s nod, Charlie scanned the basement. “Okay, anything
you’ve got down here you can wear. Boys, release him, but watch the bugger.”

He had a dirty shirt and socks in the bathroom, but they
reeked. Instead he tied his Timberland boots on over bare feet and grabbed Josh’s
jacket off the wall hook and threw it at him. One of Josh’s guys caught it.
Zach pulled down his hoodie just as two guys grabbed his arms again and dragged
him outside.

As they walked by his bike, he thought of making a break for
it. But Charlie must have read his mind. “Don’t even think about it. Your baby
will never start again unless I make a few changes.”

The guys holding him laughed. “Yeah, Charlie’s the best
Harley mechanic in the state. Too bad you didn’t own a Honda.”

Zach shook his head. If the whole situation wasn’t so
serious, he would think someone had set him up to be punked.

Charlie, as it turned out, had a very nice Cadillac
Escalade. He and Josh found themselves thrown into it, along with the
appropriate musclemen. Gerry and the rest of the guys, thankfully, peeled out
on Harleys, leaving four machines in his driveway. That, more than anything
else, made him uncomfortable. They would never leave their bikes if they didn’t
have a plan for coming back. Hell.

Susan sat on her couch, Tony and Andy on either side of her.
Mathew stood in front of them, trying to convince her Bea would be all right.
She picked at her skirt, concerned that Jim hadn’t come out of Bea’s room yet.
Did he care? He had come. That had to mean something. She’d forgotten how
handsome he was.

The front door opened and Gerry strode in. “We got him.”

Susan stood to greet Zach. Tony and Andy joined her as two
of Gerry’s boys brought him to stand before her. A bright-red mark shone
clearly on his jaw. Oh dear. “Let go of him this instant.”

They dropped Zach’s arms and backed away. She glared at
Gerry. “You hit him.”

He shrugged. “Trust me, he had it coming, right, Charlie?”

“Yup.”

Two more bikers came in with another person, but Zach drew
her attention. “Hi, Susan.”

She shook her head. “Zach, did they tell you why we needed
you to come?”

He glared at Gerry, though he spoke to her. “Nope, not a
single clue.”

She added her glare to Zach’s and Gerry threw up his hands.
“It wouldn’t have made a difference. He would still be here. Anyone want a
beer?”

Every man in the room wanted one, but Zach.

Susan shook her head. Thank God she and Gerry had sex last
night or eleven men in one room would have sent her into a frenzy. “Zach, the
reason we brought you here is that Bea is not doing well. I think, I think…” Oh
God, she couldn’t say it.

Andy put his arm around her shoulders. “What she’s trying to
say is she thinks Bea is dying.”

Susan sniffed. “And her—”

Tony interrupted. “Bea asked for you.”

Zach’s heart constricted as perspiration seeped along his
skin. She couldn’t be dying. She was too alive, too quirky, too beautiful. What
happened? Bea should be in a hospital with doctors who could help her. His gaze
collided with Josh’s and Josh gave him a brief nod.

He looked back to Susan, Andy and the other father. “My
friend here is an excellent doctor. Would you mind if he took a look at her?”

Susan broke down into tears as she collapsed back onto the
couch.

A cultured voice came from the hallway. “Please, have your
friend come in. I think she’s slipped into a coma.”

Susan’s sobs pounded on his nerves as he and Josh strode
toward the stranger.

The man offered his hand. “I’m Jim Bellante.”

Zach shook. He must be the father Bea thought had sent the
letters, but Zach’s instinct said this man was first-class. Without hesitation
he followed him into the room. If Zach had to guess, he’d bet this man or the
one sitting next to Susan was Bea’s biological father.

When he entered the room, she didn’t move. Her face was
white and as still as death. A sharp pain grabbed his chest, stopping him in
his tracks. He shook his head, refusing to believe what his eyes told him.
Making his feet move to her side, he sat in the chair next to the bed and
touched her cheek. Oh God, were they too late? “Josh, she’s ice cold.”

He tried to keep the panic from his voice, but Josh sensed
it and took over. “Jim, I need my medical bag, which is back at Zach’s. Can you
send one of those musclemen to get my car? It’s in there.”

Jim nodded, catching the keys Josh tossed to him and left
the room.

Zach grabbed Josh’s arm. “Is she…?”

Josh shook his head as he held Bea’s wrist. “No, she has a
strong pulse, but something is seriously wrong with her and—”

He steeled himself. “Tell me.”

“Jim’s right. She’s slipped into a coma.”

Zach put his head in his hands. Why hadn’t he let her
explain? Maybe he could have helped her. Maybe she could have gone to a rehab
center. They treated people for sex addictions these days. It was his fault
either way. He’d stayed with her too long. Fate had already come to take her
away too.

“Move.”

Startled, he stared blankly at Josh.

“Let me check her vitals. You’re in the way.”

“Right.” He stood and moved to stand against the dresser.
Bea had wanted to see him before…hell. What Susan had tried to tell him was
that seeing him was her last wish. His stomach clenched. He slammed his fist
against the furniture behind him.

Josh jumped, but Bea didn’t. “Do you mind?”

He looked down. “Sorry.”

The image of Bea crying, begging to come in, floated through
his mind. He’d ignored her. He’d never treated a woman that badly. He’d been so
caught up in the photos and his own feelings of betrayal he hadn’t even
questioned the fucking source of the letter or how old the photos were. Christ.
She had to live. He was tired of losing the women he loved. Loved?

He leaned back and knocked over a ceramic bunny, probably a
decoration for Easter. He righted it a bit farther away from the cooler.
Cooler? What was a cooler doing in the room? He peered inside and found vials
and unused needle packs. Had they been experimenting on her?
What the hell.
“Hey, Josh, look at this.”

Josh came over and read the tiny scrawl on the labels. “I
don’t know exactly what this is, but it appears to be some kind of antivenom.”

“Antivenom?”

Josh held a vial up to the light and shook his head. “I
don’t think that’s right, but I’d say it’s along those lines. If I had my lab I
could test it, but I don’t even have my bag.”

Zach realized Josh was as anxious as he and more frustrated.
“I appreciate anything you can do for her.”

Josh raised a brow. “You mean the woman you never wanted to
see again?”

He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, well, I’m sure
I would have come to my senses eventually.”

Josh put a hand on his shoulder. “Of course you would
because I was nudging you there. Good thing you have a genius for a friend.”

Zach gave him a halfhearted grin. “Yeah, really. You save
Bea, and I’ll pay you back, promise.”

Josh smacked him on the arm. “Hey, that’s what friendship is
all about, buddy. Paying each other back.”

“Right.” Zach choked back the lump in his throat.

“Why don’t you go sit next to her, hold her hand, do that
lovey stuff. I’m going to tell the others what little I know so far. I need to
get her to my lab, but it’s a two-hour drive. I hope they have ambulances in
these backwoods.”

* * * * *

Zach glared at Susan as she lay next to her daughter in the
hospital room, a tube transferring her blood to Bea. She wasn’t his favorite
person at the moment, despite the fact she may be saving her daughter’s life.
Even as he stood there, Bea’s grandmother was on her way to the hospital in
Jim’s helicopter. As soon as Bea, Susan, Josh and he had arrived in it, Jim
called it back for the grandmother.

Zach approached the bed. “Susan, I think you need to tell me
and Josh what’s going on if you want him to help Bea. I don’t mean bits and
pieces either. I want the whole story.”

She fidgeted with the metal bar on the side of her bed, not
meeting his eyes. “Okay, but I need to have Mathew here or you won’t believe
me.”

He kept his tone stern. “They’re on the way, but in the
meantime, we need to know what’s wrong with Bea. They can corroborate your
story later. You do want her to come out of this coma, don’t you?”

She nodded, but still avoided his gaze. He glanced at Josh,
who threw up his hands in frustration. The good doctor wasn’t getting answers
from her or from the contents of the cooler fast enough. Zach had never seen
his friend uptight, but then again, he’d never seen Josh in his work
environment either.

He sat next to Susan, leaving Josh full access to Bea. Then
he took Susan’s hand. “I know there’s a reason you and Bea’s fathers didn’t
call an ambulance right away. I know there’s something unusual in that cooler,
so you might as well tell me. We’re going to find out sooner or later and
sooner will be much better for your daughter.”

She looked at him and he gave her his best smile, despite
the pain in his jaw.

She melted. He could see it in her gaze. “Oh, Zach. I knew
you were perfect for her. I just didn’t expect her to fall in love with you.”

His heart sped at her statement, what a backhanded
compliment that was. But he kept his face impassive. “So tell me why she’s in a
coma and why you think your blood and her grandmother’s might help her.”

Susan glanced away again and sighed. “We are cursed.”

“Cursed?” If she thought Bea’s condition was about bad
karma, he would break something, anything.

She looked him in the eyes. “Yes, cursed. An ancestor of
ours, Giacomo Rappaccini, was a great scientist in Italy. He grew beautiful,
poisonous flowers, but flowers weren’t enough for him. No, he had to experiment
on his daughter Beatrice. Her mother had died young, probably from him as well.
But he got it right, which was so wrong. His daughter carried poison in her.”

Zach held Susan’s gaze, but he wanted more than anything to
look at Josh and see if such a thing were possible.

Susan continued, her eyes glazing over. “Giacomo’s daughter
Beatrice fell in love and became pregnant. Her intended discovered he’d been poisoned
simply by being with her. So he found a friend to devise an antidote, but when
Beatrice took it, it killed her. Giacomo became enraged and performed what we
call a cesarean on Beatrice and Lily was born.” Susan looked up at him, anger
contorting her face, making him wonder if perhaps she wasn’t a little off
balance mentally.

She grasped his wrist. “Giacomo provided Lily with a
poisonous mate and she gave birth to the next Beatrice, complete with double
the poison, and so our lineage started.” She looked off toward her own
daughter. “Each succeeding generation has had less and less poisons.” Susan’s
smile was pitiful. “My Beatrice has the least.”

Zach squeezed her hand, but looked at Josh.

His friend mouthed the word “possible” then left the room.

Zach brought his gaze back to Susan. “So what happened to
Bea? Why was she given the medicine in the cooler?”

Susan dropped her gaze again. “Could I have some water?”

Zach patted her hand. “Of course, I’m sorry. I’ll send the
nurse in.” He left the room.

After letting the nurse know of Susan’s request, he went in
search of Josh. But he couldn’t find him in any of the unrestricted areas. His
friend must have gone to the lab. He sat outside Bea’s room to wait.

He hadn’t been there more than a minute when Josh came
through the restricted area doors. His eyes shone with excitement. “You’re not
going to believe this. She’s telling the truth. I tested her and Bea’s blood
samples and it’s true. Susan’s poisons are stronger than Bea’s. It’s a
fascinating poison, not like anything I’ve ever seen. They may be the only ones
to still have such a sample. I need to research this.”

Zach stood. “I’m happy you have a new discovery to make, but
I have a woman dying in there. What kind of poison is it? Do you think you can
give her an antidote?”

Josh’s face sobered. “Sorry. I got excited there for a
minute, but you’re right. There’s plenty of time for discovery later. I don’t
think Bea needs an antidote, in fact, I think that is what caused her coma. The
liquid in that cooler is an antidote and she was given a lethal dose. It
attacked all the poison in her body, leaving her with little left. The blood
transfusion with Susan should help, but I can’t let it go on much longer
because I also don’t want to poison her. You have to understand, I’m just
guessing here.”

Josh reached for the door. “Or it could be a doubly potent
mix of poison and we are currently killing your mystery woman. I’ve got to find
out and our hippie lady needs to start talking.”

Zach swore, his blood chilling, but somehow he managed to
follow Josh into the room. Focusing on Susan, with a tube in her arm in hopes
of saving her only daughter, helped him find the compassion he needed. Besides,
he’d already learned intimidation didn’t work with Bea’s mom, so he pulled Josh
back before his friend started an interrogation. “Susan, can you tell me what
was in the cooler?”

She brightened. “Oh yes, that’s Phillip’s. He discovered an
antidote for Bea’s poison.” Her face filled with confusion. “But he gave her
too much. He said if she couldn’t love him then no one could have her. That’s
when I got scared. He loved her so much. He said he had written her letters,
but she ignored them. I’m surprised Bea would be so rude.”

Zach heard Josh’s sigh of relief. “Thank you, Susan. Why did
you find it hard to tell me all this?”

She shrugged. “Most people don’t believe it. We have to stay
away from regular doctors because they try to cure us, but many things don’t
work on us or have the wrong effect.”

She shivered and Zach realized she was talking from
experience. “Trust me. You’re in the right hands now. I’m just glad Josh was
with me when Gerry showed up.”

Susan wrung her hands. “I’m sorry about that. He loves Bea
so much and needed to do something to help. I’m glad Charlie was with him.” She
cupped his cheek with her hand. “How is your jaw?”

He wiggled it around and gave her a smirk because it hurt
less than a smile. “I’ll recover.”

Josh clicked off a machine. “Susan, I’m going to stop the
transfusion. I don’t want to give your daughter too much of your blood. It’s
significantly stronger in its poisons, but I may call upon your mother when she
gets here if Bea needs more. Hers will be stronger, I’m assuming, and I
wouldn’t need too much.”

Josh unhooked the intravenous tube. “You may be a little
lightheaded as I’ve taken a full unit, so I’m going to have a nurse bring you
to get some orange juice and something to eat.”

Susan nodded then looked at her daughter. “Zach, you’ll have
to ask Bea about the rest.”

The rest? “What do you mean?”

The nurse came in with a wheelchair, interrupting them, but
before Susan left with the young woman, he stopped them. “What do you mean by
‘the rest’? Is there something we should know that will help save Bea?”