He gulped hard. The pulse in his ears throbbed. He blinked, thankful he was sitting, because he thought he might actually be lightheaded. Romero had never been one to pussy foot anything. He sure hadn’t this time. Alex’s mind was still stuck on those last five words. Week two he nails her.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“No,” Alex barked.
“He’s more hung up on Luke than he is you.”
“And why would that be?” Alex almost didn’t want, to know but he had to now.
“Because you cheated on her, and Valerie told him she was in love with Luke. This was just before you two got back together. She may have told him that just to get him to back off. He keeps trying to figure out why she’s with you now. But he’s noticed Valerie’s inconspicuous meetings with Luke and he’s getting frantic about it.”
Alex clenched his teeth. That made two of them. His phone rang. It was Hank. The only time Hank ever called was if…
Alex grabbed it and stood up. “What’s up, Hank?”
Romero was on his feet next to Alex the second he heard Hank’s name.
“Have you talked to Valerie?”
“No why?”
“Well, I don’t think anything’s happened to her, but I just thought you might want to know she’s in the emergency room.”
His murderous mood, quickly replaced with dread, then annoyance. “What do you mean you don’t think? Weren’t you watching her?”
“Yeah, I was. I was right outside her office. So, was Steve. She walked out with that Luke guy, and they got in his car. So, we followed them. He dropped her off at the emergency room, and she ran in.”
Ran in? “This happened right now?”
“About fifteen minutes ago.”
“And you’re just now calling me?” Alex’s voice thundered.
“Well, Luke parked and didn’t seem too worried when he strolled in. So, I didn’t know what to think.”
Alex squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “What hospital, Hank?”
After getting off the phone with Hank, Alex filled Romero in on what was going on. He called Valerie a few times. Each time it went to her voicemail. Feeling even more annoyed, he grabbed his keys and headed out.
“Are you telling her about Hank and Steve?” Romero knew Alex well enough to know where he was headed.
“If I have to.”
“You sure that’s a good idea?”
Alex wasn’t, but he was done with the guessing games. He’d get to the bottom of this today. Why was Valerie in the emergency room not answering her phone? And more importantly why the fuck was Luke with her?
“I better go with you.” Romero hurried along side of him.
Alex passed Sal on his way out. Sal followed him out the back door as Alex explained he was gone for the day and got in his truck. Romero jumped in the passenger side.
The more he thought about Valerie and Luke the more he felt like punching something or someone. Maybe it was a good thing Luke was in an emergency room. It might come in handy.
CHAPTER 26
Alex tried Valerie’s phone again. With a grunt, he hung it up when it went to voicemail again. Why the hell wasn’t she answering? Maybe she was hurt. The dread crept through him, overpowering any other emotion. He sped up. Suddenly nothing else mattered. He just had to make sure she was okay.
They pulled into the parking lot and jumped out as soon as they parked. Both of them hurried through the parking lot, Alex’s heart pounding in his chest. He saw them before he entered the emergency room through the sliding glass doors. They were facing the other way, but from behind she appeared to be fine. Then it happened. It was subtle or inconspicuous as Bruce so nicely put it. Luke’s hand touched her neck. Valerie let her head fall back and he massaged it.
Just like that Alex felt ready kill again. The sliding doors opened. Romero must’ve sensed the need to interrupt Valerie’s neck massage. He cleared his throat excessively loud. Both Luke and Valerie turned at the same time.
There was no hiding the bewilderment in Valerie’s expression but most notably the unease in Luke’s.
“What is this, Val?” The jealously finally manifested, taking over any kind self-control or common sense Alex might’ve normally had. He wasn’t thinking straight anymore, but he didn’t care. “Why the hell are his hands on you?”
Romero took a cautious step in between Alex and Luke. Valerie glanced around. Alex knew people were watching. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he got the truth. She’d slept with this guy and lied about it. Did she really expect him to just deal with her being around him all day, touching her whenever he felt like it? Like hell.
“What are you talking about, Alex?”
“You don’t think I know about you rushing out to meet up with him for breakfast twice this week? I asked you last night about your day. You told me everything but that. Why?”
Valerie stormed past him out the sliding room door. Alex followed her. “I can’t believe you came here now to make a scene about that. How did you know I was here anyway?”
“Just answer the question, Val. Why are you keeping things from me? Why does he think it’s okay to put his hands on you? ” The more he thought about it the angrier it made him.
Luke stayed inside, a good thing too, because at this point Alex might’ve slammed him against the wall and asked him instead.
Valerie seemed completely puzzled. She shook her head. “You knew, and you didn’t say anything?”
“Because I’ve been waiting for you to tell me, Z! I know everything. I know you slept with him too. You spent the night at his house. Were you ever gonna tell me about that?”
“What!”
He was done with the bullshit. She’d gone crazy on him when she thought he was cheating on her. Now he had every right. There were too many unanswered questions. He was beyond livid. He was ready to explode. “When you met him the morning of the rehearsal, he held your hand. What the fuck was that about?”
Valerie stared at him, her brows pinched. Alex could almost see her mind working. “How do you know that?”
“They told me!” Alex punched his finger toward the parking lot. “They saw everything, Val.”
Valerie tilted her head slightly and glanced out into the parking lot. “Who are they?”
“The guys I have watching you! Can you just answer the damn questions? Why are you keeping things from me?”
Valerie’s eyes opened wide. “You’re spying on me?”
“No—”
“You have people watching me?”
“I had to, Val. Bruce is dangerous. If they hadn’t been watching, the day he showed up at your apartment he could’ve—”
“I don’t believe this! How long?”
“A couple of weeks.” She walked away from him, her hand over her mouth. Alex followed right behind. “Can you start answering some of my questions?”
She spun around. “Then how do you know about me spending the night with Luke?”
Alex froze. Up until that second, he’d held out hope that was some kind of misunderstanding, just the made up ramblings of a mad man. He swallowed hard. “You told me you didn’t sleep with him.” His voice was finally down to a whisper.
“I didn’t!”
“Yo, Alex!”
Alex turned to see Romero standing with Valerie’s step mom, Norma. “He’s awake now, Hon.” Norma’s teary eyes addressed Valerie. “We can go in and see him.”
He turned back in time so see Valerie’s face crumble, and she rushed to Norma’s side. Alex stood there feeling like he’d just run a marathon breathing hard, not sure what was happening. Romero came to him. Valerie disappeared into the emergency room with Norma.
Romero filled him in on Valerie’s father. Luke had told him about her getting the call at the office and her losing it. She’d been in no shape to drive, so he drove her. Alex felt his stomach bottom out. He hadn’t been there again when she had to deal with her dad’s health. Worst ye
t he’d gone off on her at the worst time imaginable.
CHAPTER 27
Overwhelmed with a plethora of emotion, Valerie stepped quietly into her father’s hospital room. The doctors explained that the stroke wasn’t nearly as bad as they’d first feared. In fact, they weren’t even convinced it was a stroke.
Valerie took a deep breath. She’d completely expected to see her father looking as pathetic as he had months ago when he’d been in the hospital. Except for the IV drip in his arm, he wasn’t hooked up to all the machines she was so sure he’d be. He did look very pale and weaker than normal. The enormous fear of losing him was still there, but she refused to break down in front of him.
“Daddy.” Her voice squeaked as she picked up his hand and held it to her cheek.
Her dad’s sunken eyes followed hers but he didn’t speak. His fingers squeezed back weakly. She kissed his hand then fussed over his hair. All the while, she struggled not to break down. “I love you. Be strong for me… please.”
His hand squeezed hers again. Norma stood on the other side of the bed holding his other hand. “You’re gonna be just fine, my love. You have to be. Who else is going to rile up all my friends at bingo every week?”
Valerie smiled. Her dad always hated going to bingo with Norma. The only reason he did was because he’d questioned their rules several time, and spoke out about them quite belligerently according to Norma. All it took was for Norma to mention one time some of her bingo friends had requested she leave him home. He hadn’t missed a day since.
After her dad fell asleep, Valerie sat at his bedside still holding his hand. Thoughts of Alex having her followed and actually looking into her relationship with Luke came crashing back. She’d known all along that he’d been plagued with the need to know more about her and Luke. But she’d never imagined he’d take things this far. It was a complete lack of respect to her privacy. What else had he tapped into? She never would’ve believed it if he hadn’t told her himself.
She’d truly begun to believe she could be with him forever. That he was perfect in almost every way. Having gotten past her belief that he was a womanizer who could never commit, she could deal with all his other imperfections. Some people might consider his overbearing personality a flaw, but she embraced it. It was part of his charm and she was used to it. Most importantly, she knew how to deal with it…with him. Or at least she thought she could. She never thought it would happen, but he’d crossed the line from shielding and protective to controlling.
*
Valerie didn’t even remember falling asleep, but she woke up a little after one in the morning, her back feeling the effects of the chair she’d slept in. Her dad was sound asleep, and so was Norma—on the ottoman they’d provided her. She leaned over and kissed her dad on the forehead.
She walked out of the room a bit disoriented, but she still remembered from the last time her dad had been here the general direction to the cafeteria. She needed coffee. When she reached the ground floor, she couldn’t believe it. Alex was there in one of the seats along the hallway, asleep. She almost walked past him, not wanting to wake him, then decided she may as well tell him to go home.
Walking up to him, she couldn’t help but admire him. Even as he slept in that chair he barely fit in, he was so magnificently beautiful. As mad and hurt as she was with him still, she couldn’t help caressing his face before waking him. His eyes opened slowly. Then they were wide and he sat up straight. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” she whispered.
He was on his feet in an instant. Sloppy as he was, he was alert. “How’s your dad?”
“He’s better.”
Alex’s arms were around her in an instant. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
As wonderful as it felt to have his arms around her, the thought of their exchange earlier was still too raw. She pushed away. “I don’t want to talk about that now, Alex.”
She started back toward the elevator, her appetite suddenly shot. Alex walked right along side her.
“We don’t have to. I’m just…Valerie, if I had known—”
“Forget about it.” She picked up her pace. The reality of what she’d found out earlier slammed back at her. She still couldn’t believe it. As if she’d ever given him any reason to not trust her. Even if she had, that still gave him no right. She’d always known Alex to be over the top and temperamental. She’d felt someone following her all along. The whole time she thought it’d been Bruce.
Alex’s main concern when he showed up at the hospital was Luke. He had far too many details about her and Luke. Like hell he was just looking out for her. How dare he.
“I will for now, Valerie, but we really have to talk.”
She stopped just before they reached the elevator and faced him. “Talk about what, Alex? Don’t you already know everything? Didn’t you get them to dig up everything you just had to know about my private life?”
A nurse walked by, and Alex glanced at her then back at Valerie but said nothing. She didn’t want to make another scene so she pressed the button for the elevator. “Go home, Alex. I’m gonna be here all night.”
“I wanna be here for you, Valerie.”
“They only allow family in the ICU. I can’t be around you right now anyway.” The elevator door opened and she stepped in. Alex stared at her. “Go home.”
“I love you, baby. I’m sorry.”
The doors closed and Valerie felt her emotions switch gears again. She still couldn’t believe he’d do such a thing. How much did he know about her night with Luke? Did he honestly expect her to talk about it? The tears rolled down her cheeks as she walked slowly down the empty hallway. Still stinging from the betrayal, she took a deep breath, wiped away the tears, and entered her fathers’ room again.
***
Alarmed and not completely sure where he was, Alex sat up. The muffled ringing continued. It took him a moment to realize he’d knocked out on the sofa. Bright sunlight streamed in from the window. He stood still and waited for the phone to ring again. It came from under him. He reached in between the sofa cushion and pulled it out. It was Romero. He also noticed he had other missed calls.
“What happened?”
“Where’ve you been? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”
Alex stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. He started toward the bedroom. “Asleep. I was up most the night. What’s going on? Is Valerie okay?”
“She’s fine, but Mr. X may have picked up a lead on Bruce’s next move.”
Alex stopped. “When?”
“Soon. He hasn’t mentioned an exact date in the journal yet, but he keeps making reference to D-day fast approaching. So, he’s checking every few hours for updates.”
D-day? Alex started walking again. He had to take a shower and go talk to Valerie again. He needed to explain the whole thing to her. “Is Valerie still at the hospital?”
Romero was silent for a moment. “No… that’s why I called you earlier. She left about an hour ago. Luke picked her up.”
Alex stopped again, the drumming in his ear starting up. What was she doing? She knew he was watching her now. He gripped the phone. “Where’d they go?”
“To her office, then she jumped in her own car and went back to her apartment.”
“Her apartment?” For some reason hearing that felt worse than hearing she’d asked Luke to pick her up instead of calling him.
“Yeah, she’s been there for a while now. My guess is she’s getting ready and then going back to the hospital.”
Alex thought about her wanting to bail before when she’d been upset. He knew she was mad but… “Let me know where she goes next. I’ll be in the shower, so if it’s anytime in the next few minutes, just leave a message or a text.”
It really had begun to feel like he was watching now for other reasons than just her protection. He tossed his phone on his bed trying to get the visual of her and Luke out of his head, and then it hit him. He picked up his p
hone again. Maybe she did try to call him before calling Luke. Last night when he got home, he tried calling her, and again she hadn’t picked up.
He scrolled through his missed calls. Two were from Romero and one from Sal, none from Valerie.
Since she was back at her apartment, maybe she could talk now. Alex tried her cell phone. After the second ring he thought of the way things had been the entire time they’d been apart, her never answering or returning his calls. To hell if they were going back to that.
Never again.
To his relief she answered on the third ring. “Hey.” She sounded down.
“Hey, baby. You Okay?”
“Yeah, just tired.”
So, was he, but at the moment he didn’t think she’d sympathize so instead he asked, “Where are you?”
“I’m sure you already know, Alex. Or did they not check in with you yet?”
Well, this certainly wasn’t the best time to ask her why she had Luke pick her up instead of anyone else. He was quiet for a moment. “About that, Val. We really need to talk. I know you’re upset but—”
“Alex, I don’t want to talk about this. Not now. I have too much to deal with right now.”
Alex sighed sitting down on his bed. He wouldn’t press. Not yet. “Okay… how’s your dad?”
“Better. When I left, they were running some tests. If all goes well, he may be released today.”