Secrets 19

Wolfe was asleep on the pallet that he used as a bed on the cold floor. The although the cold of the floor seeped into his back and his feet making them numb it didn’t really bother him liked it would have bothered any other boy, he was used to it. Still he knew what would come by morning the muscles in his lower back would be tight and sore but one he finished his two mile hike to school the aching in would be replaced by the ache in his legs. “ Wolfe” a small whisper of a voice called. “ Are you awake?”
“ Yeah.” He answered dully
“ Can I…” The voice paused. Turning toward his eight-year-old brother Victor, Wolfe scooted over. He knew what his brother wanted. “Come on.” He said gently. His brother scurried from his own pallet and got into his. “ We can share the covers so we won’t be so cold.”
“ Alright.” Wolfe didn’t mention that the real reason that his brother wanted to sleep with him had very little to do with the cold but more to do with the nightmares that he had. Victor often had them and tried to keep the whimpering down because of his father. Pulling the other set of covers over them he laid his head back down. “ Alright Vic. Go to sleep.”
“ Thank Wolfe.”
“ Ahh, shut up. I’m trying to sleep.’ It was a playful gruff voice. “ Hey, Vic. It’s alright to be scared you know. But remember that dreams aren’t real.” Wolfe said that only to assure his brother that everything was all right but he knew the truth. Life itself could be a nightmare. They both knew that. There were times that he wished that his life were a nightmare that he’d wake up from and find that his mother wasn’t dead from cancer and that she was able to protect him. But, that, he knew was just a dream. His mother was gone forever and there was nothing that he could do about it.
“ Mr. Jones.” A female voice and a slight touch of a hand on his shoulder woke him from his dream. Opening up his eyes Wolfe remembered the alias that he was traveling with was Bradley Jones. He had somehow dosed off dreaming of his childhood, it had been a long time since he had done that. Sitting up straight, he turned to the pretty young flight attendant. “ Yes?”
She smiled into the handsome passenger’s dark eyes. She couldn’t help herself, he was gorgeous with his dark skin and his startling blue eyes and just looking at him make her heart beat faster. “ I just wanted you to know that we are getting ready to land.”
Smiling at the pretty blonde, he sat up straight and put his seatbelt back on. “Thanks” Looking down at his watch he was surprised that he had been asleep for a couple of hours. Squeezing his eyes tight for a moment, he placed his glasses back on his eyes. He had not only changed his name but his appearance as well. Darkening his skin slightly while pulling his hair shoulder length hair back and then up under a dark wig that was one of best the agency had to offer, so it looked real instead of those fake ass hair pieces that some men work. The addition of the colored blue lens and an added accent made him look what he wanted. He didn’t want anyone to be able to track him. It was a calculated risk taking a commercial flight but he didn’t have the time to drive to Colorado. The sooner he got there, the better. Finding his way out of the airport terminal once the plane landed, he took a taxi to an old used car lot that his friend Remo had already purchased him an old truck. Stopping only once at an old grocery store and picked up a get a cooler or cold water and soda along with some groceries that he paid with cash. Just as he had Remo pay for the car in cash. He wanted no paper trail. He knew how to disappear if needed and for this meeting with Victor he had no choice but to disappear. The decision was made. He was going to kill his brother.

The hospital room was hot and muggy. Brooke felt dirty and unclean. Worse she was so hot that she could feel perspiration run down between the valley between her breasts. Using her right hand, she tried to wipe up the droplets of sweat that she knew beaded against her skin although she couldn’t see it. Damn it all to hell, she couldn’t see a thing. She honestly didn’t know what was worst, the heat or the fact that she couldn’t see or the unbearable heat of the room. It had to be more than one hundred degrees and she swore that she could smell it rising off of her sweaty skin. The sticky sweat soaked sheets stuck to her legs wrapped around her as if she were a mummy wrapped tightly. Kicking her legs, she tried to get the sheets off her when she somehow got tangled up in the bed and fell off the bed. Hitting her shoulder and hip against the floor, she felt the IV rip from her wrist. The pain stunned her as much as the fall however she was thankful that she didn’t hurt her baby. Lying there for a few painful minutes, she allowed herself to compose herself and to touch the slight swell on her stomach. “ Oww” She groaned knowing that she’d have a bruise by the end of the day. Tear smarted in her eyes for a second before she rolled over and sat up. She refused to be an invalid or to rely on others especially since she didn’t trust anyone. The sound of the door opening made her pause for a moment. Hearing footsteps she turned her head toward the sound when she smelled a scent that she had smelled before. It almost smelled like Very Sexy from Victoria Secret, for men, but it wasn’t. Feeling a hand touch her shoulder she recoiled from it.“ No. I don’t need your help. I can get up on my own.”
“ You don’t have to.” A man said with a rich baritone voice with a British accent.
Brooke lifted her chin in a definite gesture. “ Yes. I do.” She pushed herself off of the ground and felt her way around with her hands until she found the bed.
“ It’s bloody hot in here.”
“ No kidding.” She said to the voice. Hearing his feet retreat, she heard him turning on what sounded like an air condition when cool air came filtering into the room. Sighing slightly she lifted herself onto the bed very slowly and very carefully. Leaning her head back she pulled her face upwards to feel the cool air of the now running fans against her skin to cool herself off. Slightly opening the Vee of her hospital gown, the air rushed against her wet skin. Feeling eyes on her she lowered her head. “ Stop staring at me.”
“ You can see?”
“ No.”
The voice got closer. “ Then how…”
“ I just know that you are staring. I can feel your eyes on me.”
Honestly he couldn’t help staring at her. She was very beautiful. Even in this god-awful heat with her gown clinging to her sweaty body and her blonde hair matting against her forehead. She was also scared. The pulse beating at her neck beaded in a fast rate. Yet, somehow he knew that she wouldn’t admit it or defeat. There was something about her that let him know that she was an independent sort of woman. “ Sorry. I can’t help it.”
“ It’s hot as Hades in here. There was a problem with the air condition units in the hospital but now it’s fixed, so you’ll be cool.” He paused for a minute watching her settle herself on the bed. He knew that she had to be suffering in the stifling heat. He poured a glass of water and took her hand. “ Here, you’ll need to drink this to replenish your fluids.”
Brooke was about to decline but the coolness of the glass the tinkling of the ice against the side of it beckoned her. She was also feeling slightly lighthearted from her fall. Sipping the water slowly, she allowed the coolness to course down her throat. He watched her intensely as her throat constricted as she drank the water. Boy, she was thirsty and by her pallor, in need the water. He felt an intense amount of sympathy for her. She was alone, blinded and had been suffering in the intense heat of the day. After finishing the glass, she turned her head his way. “ Thank you.” She said tentatively as she reached over to find the nightstand to place the glass on.
“You are welcome.” He stepped forward her picking up the tangled sheets and replaced them back on the bed. Noticing how damp they were, he’d made a mental note to have one of the nurses to change her linen. Looking at her damp thighs that peeked out from underneath her hospital gown, he knew that she also needed a shower. “ Listen. I’m going to have the nurses come and change your linen. You’ll have to have sponge bath.” She instantly tensed when he mentioned the bath. “ Hey..” He touched her shoulder lightly when she recoiled from.
“Keep your hands off of me.”
“ Listen.” He held out his hands in front of him though he knew that she couldn’t see them. “ I work here at the hospital. I’m not here to hurt you.”
Brooke wasn’t sure what to believe. He obviously wasn’t one of Victor’s men but that didn’t mean that she should automatically trust him.“ Who are you?”
“ My name is Leon Wingate I work here at the hospital.”
“ Doing what?”
“ Research.”
“ Research?” If he were in research what was he doing here?
“ I’m researching some antidotes to some of the diseases that are known here in the jungle. Research I found is my first love. But I do have a remarkable bedside manner. After all, I used to be a full time doctor before I decided to get back into research.” He leaned forward and Brooke could smell mint and a hint of coffee on his breath. It wasn’t an unpleasant smell; in fact it was kinda nice.
“ Remarkable bedside manner huh?”
“ Yes, especially to patients who fall out their beds.”
“ I was hot. I tried to knock my covers off but instead I...”
“ You fell.” He smiled at her.“ Well, I heard a thump and came in to check on you.”
Brooke paused for a moment. “ Thank you.”
“ Actually you are lucky that I came by. This section of the hospital is sectioned off. Nobody is here for but you.”
“ I figured as much.” Brooke was silent for a moment. “ You work for hospital?”
“ Of course I do. Who do you think that I work for?”
“For..” she trailed off. She thought better of it. “ I’m not sure. I’m just confused.”
“ And probably tired and in pain.”
She shrugged for a moment but he knew that she was. “ Listen. I’ll have the nurses come and help you wash and change. Nurses, not me. But for now, why don’t you allow me to reinsert the IV to help you with the pain that you are in.
“ I didn’t say that I was hurting.”
“ But nevertheless, you are. Aren’t you?”
“ Just a little.” It was a lie. She knew it and he knew it. Lying back against the pillows, she winced slightly. He noticed.
“ You fell off the bed. Was it a bad fall?”
“ No not really but…” Brooke touched her stomach.
He watched her place her hand on her stomach. “ You are pregnant.” He asked.
“ Yes.”
“ How long?”
“ Almost four months.”
“ Four months.” He glanced down at her stomach. “ You are awfully small for four months..” She heard a rustling for a moment. “ I think that I better get a doctor in here to check you.”
“No I’m fine. The fall wasn’t that bad.” She wasn’t sure why but she knew that if Victor found out that she had been visited by the researcher that he too could be in danger.
“I’m not willing to take that chance.” He touched her hand lightly. “I just want to be sure. Alright.” He paused for a moment. “It seems that you’ve been through a lot. I’m not sure what but it’s something. Am I correct.”
Brooke was in pain. Her eye was hurting, she couldn’t see and her hip was aching as well. Her baby was the only thing that kept her going. Nodding, she lay back against the pillows as if she were resigned. “ I’ve been through some things but I love my baby very much. I’d like to find out if it’s alright.”
“ No problem. The fall was probably nothing.” He left her for a moment to ring in a nurse. After a moment of two the door to the room opened. “ Yes, I’d like to request that Miss…” He turned to her. “ What’s your name?”
“ I..” She wasn’t sure if she were allowed to use her real name. The last thing she wanted to do was to endanger the lives of others.
She thought for a moment. “ Kelly.”
“ Kelly?” He sounded as if he didn’t believe her. Please god, Brooke thought. Don’t let him ask too many questions. The last thing she wanted was for anyone else to get tangled up in this mess. “ Alright then, Please send Dr. to do an ultrasound on Kelly to make sure that her baby is alright.” Seeing her visibly relax, he smiled. “ Now that I’ve done that, will you promise me one thing?”
“ What?”
“ To relax and take care of yourself. Your baby is going to need you to stay strong and healthy.”

Jade studied her notes that she had written. “ It doesn’t make any sense.” She said talking to herself.
“ What doesn’t? Don’t tell me the great Jade Summerset is actually admitting to be stomped by something. Get the news camera out ladies and gentlemen.” Hearing the sound of the baritone voice of the man she hated more than anything sent shivers up her spine. God, how she hated his voice, well, not really. What she hated was the effect that it had on her. At times it could be brash telling baldy jokes while others it had an almost sensual quality to it. However it was the arrogant individual who it belonged to that bothered her the most. Steeling herself against the verbal assault that she knew was coming she turned around to fine herself looking into a pair of handsome chocolate eyes and to a face that some in Hollywood would kill for. Looking Colt up and down for a moment, she knew that women often pictured him naked. How could they not? Even in a pair of faded jean, a white t-shirt that stretched over his muscular torso under a sport’s jacket he was awfully good looking. His brown hair was cut shorter than it had been the last time she saw him now had streaks of blonde highlights that the sun had naturally dyed.
Colt smirked that smug all knowing grin that she hated. “ Are you done sweetheart.”
“ Done what? And stop calling me sweetheart.” She hated it.
“Done looking me up and down like I’m some dessert that you want to lap up with your tongue. Isn’t it funny? If I were to do the same to you, you’d be calling me a sexist pig and a lot worse.”
“ I wasn’t looking you up and down like that. I'm just noticing things. That’s what I do for a living.”
“ If that’s what you call it.” He peered over her shoulder. “ So, answer my question. What doesn’t make sense?
She turned her clear blue eyes on him looking through him as if she didn’t exist. God, he hated when she did that. He hated when she did the ice princess thing. “ It’s none of your business.”
“ So, this has nothing to do the Forrester story.”
She became still. “ What Forrester story?
“ Ohh, the one I know that you are working on.”
“ There isn’t any story.”
“ So why are you down here?”
“ I’m on vacation.”
“ Yeah right.”
“ Yeah right.” She put on her sunglasses to more block his intense look that always had a way of getting the truth out of her. “ I’m here on vacation with a friend of mine.”
He moved closer to her almost crowding her with his chest. Damn, he smelled good. A mixture of pine, spice and the cigar that he sometimes smoked.
“ A friend huh? Male or female?”
“ That’s none of your business.”
Colt leaned forward snatching the glasses off her eyes. Damn those eyes. There were just as beautiful as ever. She was sexy as ever; her tight body in some expensive silk sundress that allowed showed the valley her perfect breast. He felt whole body tighten. Shit! He had an erection. He hated that about her. No matter how much he couldn’t stand her, he body was different. She always had that affect on him. From the moment that she spoke in that arrogant aggressive know it all attitude with her crisp voice that actually smoldered, he wanted to drop his pants and**** her to they were both spent. Just thinking about how’d she moan and claw at his back as he pounded inside of her heat almost made his erection grow even more. He turned his attention away from her body to the real reason she had been here. “ So, why don’t you tell me about him? Your lover.”
“ It’s none of your business.” Her eyes narrowed. “ Why are you here. Monte Carlo isn’t your style.”
He grinned. “ I’m working on a story. The death of Brooke Forrester.’
“ Really.” She pretended not to be interested. “ What so interesting about a car accident.”
“ Car accident. If that was what it was, but I’m thinking that there is more to this story. So, I’m here doing some investigative work and have found…” he paused. But of course you aren’t interested.”
“ What did you find?”
“ No that isn’t fair is it? I wouldn’t want to ruin your vacation with something like work.” He smiled. He knew Jade. She wouldn’t be here unless it was for a story. She was always a quick one. She knew just like he knew that something about Brooke Forrester’s death didn’t make sense. He had been in this business enough to go with his gut instinct, which was screaming that something was wrong. Jade was the same.
She hated the smug bastard. He was standing there in front of her dangling a carrot in front of her. “ What do you know?”
“ Who are you here with?”
“ Why are you so interested? Are you jealous or something?” The truth of the matter is that he’d be jealous of any man she was with but he’d never tell her something like that. Daphne who pulled up in her red Mercedes interrupted their banter. Colt turned his attention to the beautiful dark skinned woman who wore a bright orange strapless sundress that looked fabulous on her. “ Hey sweetheart.” He said with real pleasure in seeing her.
Smiling, Daphne kissed him on the cheek. “ Hey yourself.” Colt was still a charmer and good-looking as ever.
“ You are looking great. I can’t believe that Kingston let you out of his sight to travel with this one.” Kingston who was Daphne’s fiancé was a finical investment broker; he worked for one of the top firms in New York. He also was a very nice guy.
“ Well, my girl here needed me. So, I figure what’s better than Monte Carlo this year.”
“ So, this trip was your idea.”
Daphne shrugged. “ Kinda.”
“ Right.” He looked at her to Jade. “ So you two are just vacationing. This time of year?”
“ Sure. In fact, we have an appointment to go sailing around six so we’d better get going.”
“ Sure.’ Colt smiled. “ I know how much you love sailing, right?”
Jade ignored him and headed to the car before she heard him call over her shoulder. “Just tell me why you are staying in the same room that Brooke and Thorne Forrester were in if you weren’t checking in the Forrester case.”
She stopped looking at Daphne who gave her a look that let her know that she didn’t know how he found out. “ Come on Jade. I’m an investigator. It took little more than a phone call to find out where you were staying. Tell me what kind of deal did you have to make with daddy to get that room because I know that you couldn’t afford it.” For a fleeting moment, he thought that he saw a flash of pain in her eyes and instantly regretted saying what he said.
Daphne who knew she was hurt walked past him giving him an evil eye. “ When did you become such an asshole?”
Colt looked at her. He wasn’t sure. “Listen…I ah. I’m sorry.”
“ Save it.” Jade said with a harsh voice. “ Since you know everything. I’ll tell you the truth. I’m here about the Forrester story and I want you to know that nothing will make it better than taking it away from you.” She stormed to the car and got inside. Colt watched as Daphne and Jade pulled out of the space and sped away.

Stephanie looked into the standing mirror at the edge of her bedroom. Dressed in all black in a silk suit, she touched a strand of her silver short hair. After the depression of the last couple of days she needed something to make her feel better. She had her haircut shorter and decided to use her natural color. It made her look years younger if only it could solve the problems that her family was going through at the moment. Caught in thought, she picked up an old family photo album and looked at picture of Brooke. “God knows that we had our differences and I tried to get rid of you but I never wanted this to happen.” Real tears of sadness filled her eyes. She didn’t want this for Brooke, Thorne or the children. The children were downright inconsolable. Rick was finding soils in the bottle not paying an attention to poor Little Eric who was in an almost traumatic state in losing his mother and father. Then there was Bridget. Bridget who was pregnant b some college jerks who upped and left her. She was under so much stress that the poor girl couldn’t think straight. Finally, there was Thorne. Thorne, her baby. Her wonderful son had gone missing. They had looked for him, gone to the police to issue a missing persons report but it had done no good. The police surmised that he was gone because of the depression of losing both Brooke and her baby. However, Stephanie had real reason to be worried. Year ago when Thorne had been a teenager, he had go to a party which introduced him to the world of drugs. Her son had become addicted to opium and then heroine. It had been an awful family secret that she had kept. For her son, a Forrester to become a drug addict would ruin his life, so they whisked him away on a European trip that was actually a trip a rehab. Thorne had come back clean and they never mentioned his situation with drugs. But now, she was worried. Her baby had gone missing and he was afraid that he had slipped back and she’d never find him again.

Eric came into his dark bedroom to find Stephanie sitting in the dark. “ Honey. Are you alright?”
She put the photo album away. “ I was just thinking about Thorne.”
Eric’s heart was bleeding with the pan of his missing son. His son needed him. He needed the entire family to help him get through the darkest days of his life. “Stephanie, we’ve tried.”
“ I know Eric but I was just hoping that he would come to his senses and come home. I just thought with the funeral being today that he’s show up.”
Eric kissed her on the top of his head. “ I know honey. I thought the same thing but he…” He paused trying not to let his voice crack. “He isn’t here. We can’t wait for him. The Logans’ need peace and the children need to put their mother to rest. We have to have the memorial service today.”

Storm looked at his nephew with disgust. “ I can’t believe you getting drunk on the day of your mother memorial service.”
“ Well, at least I showed up. Where the hell is Thorne?” Said an obviously drunk Rick. “He couldn’t even bother to show up at all. So who gives a damn if I’m a little wasted.”
“ I do!” Bridget couldn’t believe Rick. “ How dare you show up here drunk? This service if for mom. How can disgrace her memory like this.”
“ Disgrace her memory. I wonder what mom would think of you being knocked up like some whore.” Smack! Bridget slapped her brother across the face.
“ Bastard” she whispered before she ran up the stairs.
‘ Oh Budge.” Rick tried to follow her but got dizzy and threw up all over the stairs and his suit. Beth who had watched the entire scene shook her head as Steven tried his best to clean up their grandson. Tears filled her eyes. Without Brooke, her daughter’s family was falling apart. Storm put his arms around her. “Mom, I think that you need to sit down.”
“ I just can’t believe this. I keep waiting for a phone call that it’s some sort of mistake but…it isn’t.”
It wasn’t a mistake. Brooke’s remains had arrived yesterday morning in an urn. Bridget who happened to be home ended up throwing up and crying. It was too much for his young niece. The girl looked horrible with dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep and although she was pregnant, she was way too skinny. Right now, Storm had to turn his attention to his mother. She had lost her daughter. “I know that it’s hard to believe. It’s surreal. I keep expecting her to come down those stair and call me Stormy or to tell one of those god awful stories with that snicker she had.” He smiled for a second before his smile faded. “ I miss her too.” He put his arm around his mother pulling closer to him.

Bridget wiped the tears from her eyes and lay across her bed. She looked into the mirror at the reflection that looked little like her. She was pale and the black dress that she wore made her look sicklier than she was. Rick was an asshole. She couldn’t believe that he’d call her a whore. He had a nerve. He had gotten Amber or Ambrat as she thought of her pregnant but that didn’t seem to matter, she was whore. He had some nerve especially when he hardly paid his own son attention. “ His own son.” Hell, it wasn’t even that. Deacon was biologically Little Eric’s father. Just like Deacon was the father her baby. Sitting on her bed she thought about the little life growing inside of her. She was so confused about the changes going on inside of her body. She wished desperately that her mother were around that way she’d be able to help and comfort her. Kristen had scheduled her an appointment for next week and she was scared. What if all the stress had affected her baby? What if she had eaten the wrong thing? What if she did the wrong thing? She needed her mother to let her know that she was all right. Bridget was going to have to raise this baby by herself. No husband. No father and there was no way that she’d ever tell anyone who the father was. How in the world could she be so stupid as to sleep with that lying son of a bitch? Bridget couldn’t do this. She couldn’t handle it. The baby and her mother’s..” Tear ran down her cheeks. She couldn’t go to the memorial service. She picked up the keys to her car and took the back stairs to the garage.

Mark drummed his fingers on the dashboard of the car that he and Alex had been sitting in. He hated stakeouts but right now, he didn’t have a choice. They were on rotational shifts to study their subject. He was just thankful that they were American soil and not aboard. “ Man, I wish that I were Quinn right now. I’ll be that he and Jasmine are all snuggled up in bed together.”
“ At 10:30 in the morning. I doubt it.”
“ Knowing him, they are probably still in bed.”
“ With the baby not long away, I doubt it. Though I’m sure that he was trying.” Quinn had a jones when it came to his wife.”
Alex was silent for a moment. “ Today’s the memorial service for Brooke Forrester.”
“ Today, she’s going to the Forrester memorial service.”
Instantly, the mood in the car changed. “ Shit.” He muttered.
She agreed. Although they tried to just “get past it” it was downright impossible to do. Alex kept seeing Brooke Forrester in her dreams worst yet; there were times that she dreamed of Thorne.
“Do you know..” Mark made a funny sound with his voice. “ Do you know how the family’s doing?”
“ No. Nothing more than what’s in the papers. I just wish that there was something that I could do to help ease his pain.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “ His pain?”
“ You know what I meant. I meant their pain. The Forrester family.”
“ Are you sure because it sounded like you were thinking of Thorne.”
“ I’m thinking about the entire family including Thorne. I can’t help it.” Alex toyed with her earpiece that allowed her to know the goings on in the house they were surveying. “ I liked both of them. It was nice to see a man so devoted to his wife and his baby. Hell, I liked her. This whole thing just bothers me.”
Mark knew that it did. Alex was calm and cool however the only tell she had was biting her nails when emotional stress was getting to her. From the look of it, it was like the she had bitten her nails down to the quick. Shifting his seat he looked at her. “ Hey. I know this thing is eating at you. Hell, I’m haunted as well. We****ed up.”
“ We killed her.”
“No, we didn’t. Victor did.”
“ But we played a huge hand in it Mark. We used the couple and she died or at least…”
“ You can’t be thinking that she’s alive?”
“ What if she is?”
“ We just gave up on her.”
Victor wasn’t a man who took chances. Once that he knew that she didn’t have his military codes, she was good as dead. Mark shuttered to think about the kind of death she had had. They had extensive pictures of Victor’s latest victim and it wasn’t pretty.”
“ You’ve got to stop this. There is nothing we can do to change what happened or even turn it around. You know a well as I do that Brooke is dead. We’ve got to get past it and stay in the game. I’ll be the first to admit that we messed up however think about all the lives that we’ve saved or tried to save throughout the years. Alex, you’ve got to let this thing with the Forresters go.”
“ I’m trying.”
“ Try harder. Right now we are working with another team. Quinn’s on leave and Wolfe’s disappeared without a trace.”
“ He was acting very strange.”
“ Well, he hates Victor. I think that this thing is really getting to him.”
Alex shook her head. “ No. I think there is more to it. I saw something in his eyes. There more to this story.”
“ We’ll never found out. We’ve worked with him for years and he doesn’t open up. Wolfe is a loner plain and simple.”

The bed linen had been changed and she had taken a sponge bath to help her freshen up when the doctor had come to do the ultrasound. Laying as still as possible, she felt that instrument moving over top of the gel over her stomach. “ I know that you can’t see the image however I want you to know that everything seems alright.”
“ The baby wasn’t hurt in any way from the fall?”
“ No. It looks fine. I fact if you want you can hear the baby’s heartbeat.” He turned up the volume and Brooke could hear the beating of the baby’s heart. Visibly relaxing at the sound of her child’s heart beating Brooke felt a peace for the first time since this horrible ordeal. Her focus was only was on her child’s welfare. She had to stay healthy to keep her baby alive.
“ Would you like to know the sex of the baby?”
Brooke was thoughtful. She and Thorne had wanted it to be a surprise however now she had no idea when she’d see her husband again. Or if ever? The words whispered in her head. No, she couldn’t think like that. She had to push those thoughts away. “ Yes.” She whispered almost ashamed that she had broken the pact that she had made with Thorne.
“ Well, it seems that you are going to have a healthy little girl.”
“ A girl.”
Her eyes especially the one that she had surgery one began to hurt as tears formed in them. She didn’t care. She was having a baby girl. A little girl who’d have blonde hair and she hoped would have Thorne’s brown eyes. A little girl who’d grown up with love and…her thoughts stopped. What was she thinking? She’s been thinking of the life that she used to have. This new life was totally unpredictable and out of her control.
Leon who had seen the joy in her face when told she was to have a girl and saw the change on her face seconds later.
“ Are you happy about having a girl.”
“ What?” She turned forgetting that Leon was in the room. “ Yes. I was just thinking about my ..never mind. It’s just I thought that I’d be with my husband at home with my own doctor doing this. Not here in…”
“ South American.” He supplied.
“ Where is your husband?”
Brooke opened her mouth but then promptly shut it. She didn’t know what to say. “ I don’t want to talk about him. I don’t want to talk about anything. Just leave me alone.” Reaching out she pushed the instrument away and yanked down her gown. She wasn’t sure why in the world she had let some stranger that she didn’t know and didn’t trust stay to hear her baby. Maybe because she had been afraid that something had happened. Maybe for the first time in days she had something close to a friend. Leon had been very kind to her but she knew that it was an illusion. It was only a matter of time that she would go back to her prison. It was no point making friend because that would be taken away from her just like her life had been taken away. Turning away and trying her best to ignore the throbbing in her head that came with a migraine from total darkness she curled up into a fetal position holding her baby girl. The doctor and the nurse put away their instruments and headed to the door. Leon however stayed for a moment. His heart ached for her. She seemed so lost and alone. He didn’t want to leave her like that.

Deacon’s lawyer watched as Deacon as he walked in with handcuffed hands and chains around his feet as he came into the visitor’s room from the jail. “ I can’t believe that you’d be so stupid as to jump bail and head out to town.”
“ I just went to L.A”
“ You weren’t supposed to do anything at all. You had bail here in New York and that was hard enough but now it’s revoked.” Deacon had been arrested the moment that he stepped off the airplane from L.A. He had no idea who had known that he was in L.A besides Nadia. That bitch. She had turned him in. He knew better to trust her but still he couldn’t believe after their conversation that she’d be willing to break up their partnership. Damn, they had a good thing going on. If Nadia could get Rick to marry her and divorce Amber, Amber could end up with half of all Rick’s Forrester stock. Then, he Amber and Little D would be set for life. That was if he got out of those ridiculous charges.
“Deacon” his attorney rapped him on the head.
“ Hey.”
“ Are you even listening at all? What you did was very stupid. Now you are going to have to be in jail until your trial starts. These charges aren’t just going to go away. You assaulted Rick Forrester.”
“ Rick Forrester is nothing more than a spoiled pretty boy who I hear is on his way to being a drunk.”
“ Well, that doesn’t matter. He isn’t on trial. You are.”
“ I told you.”
“ Shut up. I know what you told me but I also know that you skipped bail.”
“ To try to see my son! My god, I have a business that I needed to sell and I wanted to see my child. After all, I do have rights.”
“ This isn’t a custody hearing. This has to deal with your case. It also doesn’t change the fact that you took your son without permission.”
“ I didn’t need it. Little D’s my son.”
“ Something that we are going to work on explaining in the court. I’ve already had an investigator look into the matter of Rick and Amber’s custody of Little Eric.”
“ And?”
“ Well, you signed your parental rights away. No court is going to ignore that.”
“ Shit! I was pissed and confused. That kid was my child to begin with.”
“ I know that is why we are going to take another angle. We are going to focus on Amber. She’s his mother. She didn’t kidnap him; she simply took him with her because it is her son. Also, we will play on the fact that you are the biological father and although you gave your rights away, they were to her and not Rick.”
“ What about the drug issue?”
“ Well, the cops seem to think that they belong to her so that doesn’t work well for her. However we are concentrating to you. You did assault Rick.”
“ That bastard goaded me into it.”
“ Yes and you very well might go to jail for it. So, I’m suggesting that you pled guilty for assault.”
“ What? You’ve got to be kidding. That rich little punk took my kid.”
“ You signed over your rights.”
“ I thought that I was doing what was right but I changed my mind. I want my son and I want Amber.”
Duncan’s eyes narrowed. There were days that he wished that he hadn’t taken this case. Deacon was a hard head and brash but he owed him. “ You don’t have a choice. You beat the mess out of him. It’s better to plead guilty to that charge.”
“ I told you I won’t do it. In fact, I want the entire matter dissolved. I want my kid and Amber. I don’t plan on spending a day in jail for doing noting but being with my kid.”
“ Deacon, the only way that I see that happening is if Rick drops the charges. That isn’t likely. He’s out for your blood. Don’t look for Amber to help you. She may be a Forrester but not on the right side of the bed. She’s doing her best to get the charges dropped but the drug possession is hurting her badly.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ I mean, if she’s found guilty, she’s going to do the three years that she was on probation for. Amber is in a world a trouble and so are you my friend.”

Nadia was on her way to her spa appointment when she got a call from Storm Logan. With an invitation, she went to the Logan home. The upscale estate was very cozy and not as flamboyant as she thought it would be. “ Listen, I can’t appreciate it enough that you came.”
“ You sounded urgent on the phone. What’s wrong.”
“ It’s Rick he’s having a hard time today and I thought well….maybe you could talk to him.”
“ Listen, I’m not sure what kind of relationship you think that Rick and I have..”
“ You are the only person he’s talked to these days. He’s cut off his friend and even his family in some point. I was hoping that you’d talk to him today because it’s been a hard road for us all and today’s his mother’s memorial service.” Storm looked slightly uncomfortable. He didn’t know this girl or much about her. She was dressed in a form fitting black T with spaghetti straps and a pair of form sitting sweat pants that looked as if it were painted on. Her face looked as if it belonged to a porcelain doll with way too much makeup. However, through their talks about Rick, Storm found that Nadia had a head on her shoulders.
Nadia didn’t want to be involved with all the dramatics that came with this family. She wanted her money and a position to help her get her way in Hollywood. Forrester had at least held up his end in all of this, she supposed she could help. Besides, Deacon was right, he was going to be one rich man in very little time. Very rich and very lonely, that was a dangerous combination. “ Alright, where is he?”

Passing a beautiful brunette woman coming down the stairs Nadia went to go find Rick. Donna turned to Storm. “ Who was that?”
“ She’s a friend of Rick’s?”
“ What kind of friend?”
“ I’m not sure.”
“ Storm, what are you up too?”
“ Listen, she’s the only person that kid will talk to these days. She’s staying at Brooke’s old condo.”
“ Why?”
“ It seems that she was the one who told Rick where Deacon was so Rick’s letting her stay there.”
“ Is that wise?”
“ Why not?”
“ Why not well, because….didn’t you see how tight that so called sweat suit was. It could have been painted on. You know what kind of girl she probably is so why would you want her to help Rick? Don’t you think that he has enough problems at the moment?”
“Yes I do but at least she seems to be able to get him to stop drinking and that is what I need at the moment.” Storm paused. “ The stress of today is too much. I’m dealing with Rick’s drinking, poor Bridget’s gone somewhere and we can’t find her and my sister.” He blinked trying to keep the tears from falling. “ My poor baby sister is dead.” Hating himself for falling apart, he turned away from her. He had to be the strong one here because everyone else was falling apart.

Nadia paused for only a second before she opened the bedroom door to what used to be Rick’s old bedroom. “ Rick?” She looked around but found that he was missing.

Bridget kicked her tire once again. She couldn’t believe it; this day was getting worse as time went by. Her eyes stung from the mixture that her mascara and tears caused. She wasn’t looking where she was going when he hit the massive pothole in the street and banged it hard. She pulled her hair back out of her face trying to ascertain the damage. “Shit!” She couldn’t drive, she did more than bang up her tire, and she also bent the frame. Feeling out of sorts, she sat on the curb and cried. On her haste to leave her house, she had forgotten to bring her cell phone and from the way that it looked, she wouldn’t be able to find one. She was going to miss her mother’s memorial service. “ Oh God. Mom..” She hadn’t really wanted to miss it but the pressure had been getting her. She had needed air to breath. She time but she didn’t have any.

Eric and Stephanie pulled up to Brooke’s house in haste. Beth had called them telling them that Bridget was missing. Stepping inside of Brooke’s house, they found her. “Beth, tell me what happened?”
“ I don’t know Eric. She and Rick had an argument. She went upstairs and then suddenly she was gone. I guess that we were so focused on Rick that we didn’t…” Beth was suddenly overwhelmed with dizziness when she almost lost footing. Eric and Stephanie were both alarmed. Grabbing her, Eric helped her to the sofa.
“ Get her some water.” Stephanie said as she held on to Beth’s hand. “ It’s going to be alright Beth.”
Beth’s pain filled eyes found Stephanie. “ I just don’t know anymore Stephanie.”
Stephanie’s heart went out to her old rival. She would never want anyone to go through the pain of losing a child. She had gone through it with her daughter. To lose Brooke at the time that she was so vibrant and full of life was the real tragedy. She patted Beth’s hand. “ You will make it through. You are strong just like your daughter.” Surprise filled Beth’s eyes. Stephanie shook her head. “ I know that I’ve been tough on her all of these years. We’ve had our differences but I’ll admit that I was wrong about her. She brought my son happiness. I never thought that she’d be able to get over Ridge but she did.”
“ Thorne was a good husband. He loved and supported her.”
“ They were good for each other.”
Eric came forward with a cup of tea and cheese and crackers. “ Donna said that you haven’t eaten all day. You’ve got to eat something.”
Beth pushed the plate away. “ I don’t want anything.”
“ Beth, stop being foolish here. You’ve got to eat to keep your strength up. Brooke wouldn’t have…. Brooke wouldn’t have wanted you to do this to yourself. We’ve got to be strong for both of our children.”
Beth took a sip of tea and choked down the Brie and crackers. Her stomach groaned as she gave it the first bit of food it had in days. “ That’s right. Eat a little more.” Looking up for her husband she found him looking at her in a peculiar way. “ Eric, is there anymore tea.”
“ Yes.”
“ Be a dear, fix me a cup. And some grapes if there is some in the refrigerator. I know that Brooke liked those.”
Beth smiled for a moment. “ She always did. Even as a little girl. Grapes were her favorite. Thank you.”
“ For what?”
“ For being so kind to me.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “ We are family. I may not have liked to admit it but we are family and hopefully we’ll get through this.”

Jasmine rang the doorbell before Ridge Forrester who looked tired with dark circles under his eyes answered it. Just like the rest of the family, he was suffering. “ Hello Ridge.”
“ Jasmine. Come on in and please take a seat.” She stepped forward in her black pants suit and black blouse that fit her and her swollen stomach since it had an empress bodice.
“ Am I too early?”
“ No, Taylor and Katherine are getting the kids ready.”
“ The children are going to memorial?”
“ At first I wasn’t sure but Taylor said that they wanted to because they loved Brooke. Well, at Thomas wanted too, I’m not sure the girls understand. I wasn’t sure if it were a good idea but hell, what do I know!” he beat the air with frustration. “ Sorry.”
Jasmine stood up and put her hand on his shoulder. “ Hey, it’s alright. All of you are grieving especially you.”
“ Me” He said surprisingly
“ Taylor has mentioned that you and Brooke were close and I know that you cared for deeply.
“ It was more than care. I love her.”
Although Jasmine was sure that he meant as a brother-in-law or friend but there was something in his eyes that let her know that it was more.
Taylor walked into the room the room wearing a silk black dress with her hair swept up. She was fixing her earring when she heard Ridge’s statement. “ We all did Ridge. Even me.” Turning her attention to Jasmine, she smiled at her friend. “ Thank you so much for coming.”
“ I just hope that I can be some source of comfort for your family.”
“ I’m sure that you will be. I know that Rick and Bridget could use someone to talk to.” At that moment, Jasmine thought that Ridge needed someone as well. Looking at Taylor, she noticed that she wore a bit more makeup than normal especially under her eyes. “ Are you okay?” She whispered.
No, Taylor wanted to scream. Her head was aching and she couldn’t keep any of the breakfast she had eaten down. She had ordered the medication that her doctor had prescribed but she hadn’t had time to pick it up. Smiling a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “ Yes, I’m just tired.”
“ The last few days have been difficult.”
“ Yes, it has been for everyone, right Ridge.”
“ Hmm.” He had been lost in thought.
“Honey why don’t you go upstairs and help Thomas with his tie?” Taylor and Jasmine watched her Ridge left the room.
“ Is he alright?”
“ No. He hasn’t been sleeping much or eating very much. Brooke’s death has been affecting him.”
“ How do you feel about that?”
“ I don’t know. Long time ago I would have been jealous but how can I be in this situation? I know that he loved her. They had been married and were close friends.
Remembering the sketch that she had seen, Jasmine wondered if Ridge’s love for Brooke was actually in the past. “ So, they were pretty close.”
“ Yes. He confided in her.”
“ And that never bothered you?”
“ For years it did. It always seemed that he was always with her or working with her in some manner. Or he was getting involved in her personal life. It drove me crazy.” She laughed. “ She knew it and I knew it. But things changed when she married Thorne. I don’t know I think that she stopped being some sort of competition to me. She was finally happy and content.”
“ You finally could breathe and concentrate on your marriage without interference.”
“Yes.” Taylor poured herself a cup of warm tea that had been sitting out on the tea service. I also got a chance to really know Brooke, as a person and a mother and I well… I found that she was a very funny, charming woman. I really began to like her.”
Jasmine didn’t fault Taylor for her feelings of concern. However, she wouldn’t have married a man so involved with his ex especially if he had unresolved feelings. “ How did Ridge react to you and Brooke building a friendship?”
“ Honestly, it thrilled him. The tension that always between us just disappeared.”
“ And so here you are. Once the rival, then the friend, wanting a source of comfort for Brooke’s family.”
“ Her children are really suffering. I just want them to have someone to talk to and I know that I’m not objective. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you coming.”
“ It’s the leas that I could do.” Jasmine hated lying but she knew that she could never tell the truth. Her husband was dealing with his own guilt that she hoped helping the Forrester would absolve.”
Jasmine sipped her tea. It was hot and delicious. “ I can’t make any promises to you but I will try to help anyway that I can.

Wolfe opened the door to the wooded cabin. The smell of dust and hot air greeted him. It had been a long time since he had been here. This home that he had built himself with visions of being a good husband and father. The home that he had shared with his beloved wife. Stepping down into the living room with huge fireplace made out of cobblestone memories assaulted him. To the right of the room was the winding staircase that lead to the upstairs, which housed three bedrooms. A huge master bedroom and two smaller rooms. On the first floor there was the huge living room and a smaller kitchen to the left with a miniature dinning room that they never seemed to use. Walking over toward the mantel where an old photo of him and his wife. The photo was caked in dust and old spider webs yet it had such value to him. Being again was too haunting. Just as it was haunting as he knew it would be to go into his old bedroom. He couldn’t do it. He’d sleep on the pullout couch because being upstairs would be too much for him to take. Even he had his limitations. For years, he replayed the scene of his wife’s death over and over again. Why hadn’t he seen he signs that Victor wasn’t normal anymore. She had. She had seen the way that he looked at her, seen the hatred in Victor’s eyes. He had hated that Wolfe had found happiness and been so jealous that he had taken it away. Unwanted tears sprang into his eyes as visions of Ayaina’s bloody mangled body lay in their bed. He felt bile in his stomach and had to close his eyes to stand still a moment to compose himself. “No. I’m not going to let this get to me.” Anger burned in his eyes. He was on a mission. He threw his bag on the floor next to the sofa and sat down. His hands were shaking. For years he had dreamed about finally writing the wrong that happened. He had killed before. He had taken lives and he had saved them. Yet, before he could make things right he had to find out if Brooke were alive. If she were, he’d do his best to save her. He owed it to her. Taking out the floor plans of his old home, Wolfe went to work on a plan that would no doubt ensnare his brother. This time, he would not fail.

Victor studied the e-mail again. It had finally come to this. He and Wolfe. Face to face. He knew that his brother would try to take revenge for his wife and oddly enough it didn’t bother him. His brother should have never gotten involved with the little whore. He should have used her body and tossed her aside instead, he married the bitch. Admittedly, he made a mistake by killing her. Victor had been very rash back then and afraid of losing Wolfe to her. His brother had been the only person that he could ever remember loving or trusting. Once he killed her, Wolfe had been out for his own blood. He had never meant for Wolfe to find out it was him, he has set the whole thing up to look like a break in and robbery that happened when Ayanina was home however things didn’t go accordingly. She bled out slowly and after he had left, she wrote his initials in her blood. The police didn’t have any evidence that it had been him but Victor knew that Wolfe figured it out. Things had changed and Victor had no choice but to kill his brother who had been relentless in brining him down. Or at least he thought he had killed him. Now that he knew his brother was alive, he wondered if he’d be able to kill him if he needed to. He had changed over the years. Admittedly there were times that he questioned his own sanity. But on the brink of having it all, he had finally gotten the means of a proper retirement. He was a step closer to manufacturing his drug. A drug that would make him richer and more powerful than ever before. He’d retire on top. But first, he’d over his brother a chance to join him. He owed him that much. Victor was no fool, he know that Wolfe would most likely turn him down.

Zen was speeding down the winding highway in his latest purchase of the 2004 black BMW SUV when he noticed a car parked on the curb next to a woman who was crying. He drove past her. Hell, it wasn’t his problem. Then, thinking better of it, he turned his car around and drove back. “ Hey, do you need any help?” She looked up at him. Damn, it was that bossy girl from Insomnia. Hell, he remembered her. She had defended the waitress that ruined his computer. He ought to turn and leave her smart-ass right here. But, she was crying. “ Hey, did you hear me. Do you need any help?”
Bridget didn’t know what to say. She did need help. She wanted to make it to her mother’s memorial service but the last thing that she wanted to do was to take charity from a man who was an asshole. A drop dead gorgeous asshole but still one. Seeing the indecision on her face, he got out of the car. Wearing a pair of baggy auto mechanic jeans, a black shirt that sit snuggly against his lean yet muscular frame, he looked good. Yeah, the last thing she needed was a good-looking man. Look what the last one did to her.
“ Hey, can you hear.”
“ I can hear you just fine. You don’t have to yell at me.”
“Well then say something.”
“ I am.” Bridget turned red.
He crossed his arms over his chest. I’m waiting.
“ I need help. Could I please use your cell phone?”
Zen smiled sarcastically.“ Now that wasn’t so hard was it Red?”

Nadia walked into the smoky bar that was blasting the latest song by Limpbiskit when she spotted Rick sitting in the booth with a buxom blonde in his lap. Storming over toward them, she gave the girl and her fax boobs a once over before pulling her off Rick’s lap. “ Beat it Blondie.”
“ Hey” Rick pouted, that’s not fair.
“ Not fair, you spoiled brat.”
“ Tell her to come back I was having fun.”
“ Fun? FUN! God you are such an asshole! Your family is waiting around worried sick about you and you are sitting here with some bimbo on your lap?”
Rick glazed over eyes found Nadia. “ What are you jealous or something?
“ Jealous of what? Over you. My god, have you looked at yourself lately? You smell like booze all the time. You’re rude and crude and you don’t even care enough about your mother to show up her memorial service.” Rick scoffed at the first two but when she mentioned his mother, his face became serious.
“ That’s not true.” He whispered. “ I love my mother.”
“ Yeah, well you aren’t acting like it.”
Hurt showed itself on Rick’s face and Nadia felt bad for him. He didn’t really mean to be an asshole at times, he was just hurting. She sat down across from him. “ Listen, I know that this has been rough losing your mom and all. Especially when you need her. But you’ve got to say goodbye to her AND you’ve got to stop hurting your family. Like it or not you are. You should have seen your grandmother and your uncle. They are worried about you and your sister. It seems to me that your grandmother has enough pain in her life, why would you want to add to it. I know that you lost your mother but she’s lost her child. Right now she needs everyone’s support and she doesn’t need to sit there and worry about you. Today is about your mom. Saying goodbye to her and letting her know that she was important to all of you. Do you really want this day to be about you or do you want this day to be about your mother?”
Unwanted tears sprang in Rick’s eyes. “ I didn’t mean to disrespect her its just this is so hard.”
“ It’s life. Life’s hard but you’ve got to get past it. And you will if you open up and let your family help you. For rich people, they seem pretty cool. I just can’t understand why you are sitting here all alone when you have them. It’s pretty dumb and I thought that you were smarter than that.”

Brooke had been resting when she heard the door open to her hospital room. Sitting up slightly, she turned her head toward the sound. “Whose there?” She listened and could hear breathing the distinctive sound of breathing. “ Tell me, who is there?”
Blaze watched Brooke with eyes of a predator lacking any of the amusement that she should have had over the situation. Brooke was nothing more than some useless Hollywood wife who had used her body to gain entrance into the world of fashion. It was laughable. The bitch was blind and pregnant. She held no political connections and the only thing that she’d be go for alive would be for a heavy ransom that is if her family wanted her back. She couldn’t understand what the attraction was. Why Victor had rushed to see how she was doing? Why wasn’t the bitch dead? True she was beautiful before she****ed up her eye but how beautiful could she be now. Soon her body would strength out with that brat she was carrying and then she’d no longer be beautiful. Jealousy rippled through her entire body as she thought about Victor’s reaction to her. Brooke was nothing more than a pawn in a game that she wasn’t even playing. She ought to be eliminated. Turning to the door, she slowly turned the lock. Edging closer to the bed she pulled out a scarf that she had worn with her black sheer blouse and her form fitting black jeans and twisted it in her hands with malice intent. Brooke smelled a scent of woman’s perfume. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Instantly, she knew that something was wrong.

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