Chapter 30: Hidden Heir: Chapter 30

My head hurts. Each sluggish beat of my heart echoes through the darkness as I keep my eyes closed.

Numbness exists everywhere. The only thing I can feel is an ache in my skull, a tickle in my dry throat, and warmth around my nose. Everything else is absent.

Am I dead? Is this what the afterlife is like?

As I open my eyes I’m met with a brightness so painful that I’m forced to close them again immediately. Groaning softly, I contemplate staying in the darkness forever until something creaks to my left.

“Leon?”

A familiar voice murmurs my name but I can’t place who it is. My heart jumps with the realization that I’m not dead. I’m alive with someone I recognize though who it is currently escapes me. I will the darkness to sweep me under once more, but unfortunately, I remain awake.

So I open my eyes again. The white lights aren’t as harsh the second time around and slowly the hospital room comes into view. The egg-white walls are somewhat nauseating to look at. A blind-covered window sits to my right, a grey, cloudy sky sneaking through the slats. Several machines surround my bed making a variety of noises highlighting the fact that I am, indeed, alive.

I blink slowly then turn my attention to the person who spoke.

“Selina?”

“Hey,” she says softly with a gentle smile. “Welcome back.”

“Wh–where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, you’re safe,” Selina explains. “You’ve been asleep for a couple of days.”

Fog rolls through my mind as I try to recall how I got here. Memories sit just out of reach so I close my eyes, swallow around the scratchiness in my throat, and try again. “How did I get here?”

“We brought you here,” Selina says, her voice low and gentle. “When you and Leon entered the dry cleaners, you triggered an alarm. Given how highly alert we’ve been since his disappearance, it didn’t take us long to get there.”

Leon.

Suddenly, the sight of him drenched in blood as I cradled him in my arms enters my mind. My heart begins to beat rapidly as I meet her gaze. “He was bleeding. Is… is he okay?”

Selina nods. “Yes. He’s alive. You shot him in the abdomen, which was a little scary, but he was still alive when we arrived. We were able to get both of you to the hospital pretty quickly. We had to sedate you though, because you refused to let him go.”

I remember the gun going off in my hand before thinking it through. Remembering the way Leon froze and stared at me causes a shiver to travel down my spine. He and Paul had crumbled down to the ground and I feared I’d killed him.

“Thank god,” I whisper softly. “I thought he was dead.”

“No, he’s fine. As fine as he can be under the circumstances. As for Paul…” Selina’s face hardens. “We have him in custody.”

Paul. That bastard.

“He’s still alive?”

“Unfortunately. The bullet went through Leon and into Paul. He hit his head when he fell backward and was unconscious when we arrived. But you don’t need to worry about him anymore, Brooke. You’re safe, okay? You’re safe now.”

Safe.

What an alien concept.

It’s not until Selina reaches for my hand that the state of my body enters my thoughts. Both my hands are swathed in bandages, my broken wrist wrapped in a cast. Butterfly stitches run up and down my bare forearms, knitting my wounds back together. Any deep breath causes tightness and restriction around my chest, but I don’t feel any pain.

“Why can’t I feel anything?”

“We’ve got you on the best painkillers money can buy,” Selina explains. “You deserve that, at the very least.”

Part of me wants a mirror so I can see what my face looks like, but the way Selina refuses to look away from me tells me it might not be as bad as I fear.

Another thought spears through my mind and my heart jumps.

“Tiffany, where’s Tiffany? Ant betrayed me. He just…” There’s so much to process, and I don’t know where to start, but not knowing my daughter’s location suddenly becomes suffocating. “Where is she?”

“She’s fine!” Selina rises in her seat slightly. “Tiffany is safe with us. She always has been. She turned up on the doorstep in tears the night you and Leon disappeared. CCTV showed Ant dumping her at the gate and fleeing. We suspected he was involved in your disappearance and didn’t want to deal with her. We’ve been caring for her ever since.”

I’ve never felt more relieved in my life. I nod quickly as tears of relief and exhaustion flood my eyes. “Oh thank you,” I whisper. “I was so scared she was being harmed. When Ant showed up with Paul I feared he had her stashed somewhere and I—” Emotion clogs my voice preventing me from saying anything else.

Selina comes over and perches on the edge of the bed. She cuddles me the best she can while smoothing my hair. “Tiffany is safe. I promise. She’s safe and sound.”

I cry for a few long minutes until my throat is too dry to continue. Selina lifts a cup of water and guides the straw to my lips. The coolness is soothing in so many ways.

“Do you want to see her?” Selina asks.

“She’s here?”

Selina shakes her head. “No, but she can be within the hour.”

Every instinct in me screams yes but instead, denial wins out. “No. I… I don’t want her to see me like this.”

Selina’s brows pinch together but she nods in understanding. “Of course. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Is Leon awake?”

“He is. He’s been asking about you like a man obsessed so I’m glad I’ll be able to give him some good news.”

“And he’s okay?”

Selina glances down at my body then forces a smile. “As good as you.”

That conversation alone is enough to exhaust me, but the news that my daughter is safe soothes my deepest worries. Sleep comes for me not long after, and I’m lost to the world once more.

The next time I wake up, Selina is gone. There’s a nurse in my room dropping off some food. He explains it’s all liquified and that my malnutrition will be a long process to recover from. Soup, broth, and mild juice is what I will be having to begin with.

I realize I never asked Selina how long we were gone.

As the nurse helps me with the soup, the door to my room opens, and to my immense surprise, Kreik walks in. He leans heavily on his cane and sends the nurse packing with just one look.

I’m kind of disappointed because I’d been enjoying the soup but I’d rather not embarrass myself in front of Leon’s father. Previously, he would have scared me, but after what Paul put me through, nothing Kreik can do will phase me.

Hell, there’s not much that will phase me at this point.

“Brooke.” Kreik’s eyes roam over me before settling on my face. “It’s good to see you awake.”

“Is it?” Last time I saw him was in the warehouse with all those people in the crate. It feels so long ago now and facing him is a little daunting.

“It is.” He walks closer to the bed, then pauses and leans both hands on his cane. His mustache moves back and forth as if he’s chewing on something invisible, then he clears his throat. “Leon told me you were a warrior. For yourself and for him.”

I meet his gaze steadily, not saying a word.

“It would seem,” he continues, “that I underestimated you. You were valiant in your survival efforts and I can only imagine the scars that will be left behind.”

Is this his idea of a compliment?

“I was only valiant because I didn’t have the info he wanted,” I say shortly. “You misunderstand. If I had known, I would have told him in order to get back to my daughter.”

“No, you are the one who misunderstands,” Kreik corrects. “There are not many people who have what it takes to survive. In fact, I have known men built of iron that have crumbled under half of what you endured. You came out the other side with your head still on your shoulders and you saved my son’s life. For that, I am grateful.”

“Maybe it’s the painkillers,” I mutter.

“Maybe.” Kreik locks eyes with me. “Regardless, thank you. I misjudged you and treated you unfairly.”

“Is this your idea of an apology?” I tilt my head, a strange warmth spreading through my chest. “Because your words mean nothing. I know how you made your millions, you and everyone that came before you.”

I expect him to bite back but to my surprise, Kreik only nods. “I’m glad you are okay.”

He leaves me with a strange, unsettled feeling in my stomach. There’s something about his apology that seems genuine but I can’t accept anything from someone who deals in people as product.

Leon included.

And yet Leon was my sole comfort in that terrible place. Even now, the thought of being away from him sends an anxious tremor through my heart and I ache to see him with my own eyes. It’s a complicated mix of emotions, made worse by my instinctual ache to see my child.

I close my eyes and sink back into the pillows.

One thing at a time.

Recovery is slow.

The next time Selina visits, she tells me that Leon and I were held captive for three weeks. It felt longer and shorter at the same time. As the days pass, I ache to see Tiffany but I don’t want to scare her with how I look. Every time I use the bathroom, I stare into the mirror, barely able to recognize myself through the bruising and lacerations. So each time Selina asks, I decline.

I want to be whole again, back to myself before I see her. Eating is a struggle but through the help of a psychiatrist, I’m able to work through the mental blocks I created while being starved. A physiotherapist visits me regularly to help with my hands as they slowly heal from being impaled.

The first time the bandages came off I couldn’t even look at the scarring. It wasn’t until after a week of therapy that I was finally able to acknowledge the damage. The scarring on my palms will never fade, and I’ve lost sensation in two fingers on one hand, but I’m able to grip things without pain. Writing is a challenge and something that will take a lot longer than a few weeks.

Once I’m able to walk around the room and make a cup of coffee by myself, I finally ask Selina to bring Tiffany. The wait is excruciating and I keep telling myself to be calm and composed when I see her.

All of that goes out the window when the door opens and Tiffany sprints into the room, yelling for me at the top of her lungs. I drop to the floor and hold her so tightly that I fear her bones might crack. I’m unable to keep a lid on the sobs that pour from me like lava. We cuddle on the floor, crying on each other while Tiffany talks about how much she missed me.

I can’t find the words to explain how much I missed her. It was like a piece of me had been carved out and kept from me. Now that she’s back in my arms, I finally feel whole again. We stay on the floor, hugging and crying, until my legs go numb. Then Selina helps me into the bed and we remain there, locked together, while Tiffany tells me everything she’s been up to in my absence.

Tears come again when it’s time for Selina to take her home. I pepper kisses all over her face and promise I will be home as soon as I can, once I’m no longer sick. It’s the easiest way to explain it to her and she promises to come back every day until I’m better. Selina repeats that promise as she whisks Tiffany away.

I sleep much better that night.

The next day, Selina brings her back as promised. My occupational therapy session with writing turns into drawing practice as Tiffany and I have a small competition of who can draw the best beach. She wins by miles because I let her.

The hours pass quickly. When Tiffany starts to get hungry, Selina takes her by the hand and leads her to the cafeteria while I get some dressings changed by a nurse. Just as she finishes up, there’s a knock at the door.

It’s Leon.

Seeing him again is like a solid punch to the chest. He leans on crutches with one leg in a short cast, helping his broken ankle and busted knee heal up. He looks better since the last time I saw him, but the injuries on his face are still as clear as mine.

“Can I come in?” He lingers in the doorway as the nurse gathers her supplies and takes her leave.

“Sure but should you be up and about? Selina told me they had you in isolation because of an infection.”

Leon limps into the room, grimacing slightly as he does so. “I was impatient,” he replies. “But I’m on the mend. It’s been a couple of weeks. I couldn’t stand not seeing you for any longer.”

“I wanted to visit,” I say, moving to the edge of my bed. “But with the infection and everything, I didn’t want to put you at risk.”

“I would have taken that risk.”

I roll my eyes. “After everything you’ve been through, that would’ve been a dumb way to die.”

Leon snorts. “I wouldn’t have died. I’m built different.”

I cast an accusatory glance at his leg. “Sure you are.”

“So how are you?” Leon hobbles closer. “Selina told me you’re acing therapy.”

“I can draw a beach.” I pick up my drawing from earlier. “It’s a start.”

Leon shuffles forward again. There’s a pained eagerness in his eyes that makes my heart flutter. He’s as gorgeous as ever, more so now that his face isn’t bruised and swollen, and he’s not drenched in blood. It’s strange to see him; memories of our time in captivity are still so fresh.

“How are you really?” he asks, his voice low.

“I…” My heart skips a beat and then I reach for his hand. The moment he touches me, tears flood my eyes and suddenly I’m on my feet, winding my arms around his body. “I was so scared we were going to die.”

Leon abandons his crutches and hugs me back tightly. “Me too,” he murmurs softly, his lips brushing against the top of my head. “But we made it. You saved us.”

“I keep expecting to wake up back there,” I whisper, knowing Leon is the only one who can understand how terrifying that prospect is. “Like this is all some kind of weird dream.”

“I’d tell you that we’re safe but I share the same fear.” He pulls back slightly and cups my face. “But we really are safe. And if we’re dreaming, at least we’re doing that together.”

He looks at me with such affection that my heart swells in my chest, and for a moment, I forget everything else. There’s just him and me gazing into each other’s eyes with racing hearts and warm flushes kissing our cheeks.

And then I remember. I can’t give my heart fully to him, not when he has so many ruined lives on his hands. I pull back from him, returning his hands to his crutches then settling back on my bed.

“For a moment, I forgot,” I whisper, wiping my eyes. “You come in here and it feels like everything is perfect until I remember.”

“Remember what?” Leon frowns, tightly gripping his crutches.

“What you do for a living.” I look up at him and pain flashes in Leon’s eyes.

Then he nods. “I know.”

“It’s the reason this happened. I don’t mean Paul. But I wouldn’t have run if you weren’t involved in something so cruel. And I can’t…” I pause and shake my head, “I can’t accept that.”

“What are you saying?”

I lock eyes with Leon and my heart jumps up into my throat. “I’m saying that regardless of how we feel, regardless of what we went through together, we don’t have any kind of future if you continue to involve yourself in human trafficking. So you have to make a choice.”

I swallow hard. “Me, or your business.”