Secrets 20

Brooke listened carefully as the air around her suddenly changed. A prickling sensation that formed on the back of her neck caused the light dusty blonde hairs to stand up and instantly she knew that she wasn’t alone. “ Who's there?” She listened carefully knowing that someone was there. Why didn’t they answer her? “ Answer me. Whose is there?” Panic set is. Was this Victor playing some sort of cat and mouse game with her? If it was she was surely at his mercy. Blaze slowly moved toward Brooke like a predator stalking her prey. It would only take a few minutes to use the scarf and slip it around Brooke’s neck and then squeeze the life out of her leaving her body in a beautiful heat. The bitch had no right to live. She should be dead and although Victor may be upset at first even he’d understand that Brooke needed to die. Edging closer to the defenseless woman on the bed she was ready to make her move when the door was forced opened by someone who had the key. The door slammed hard against the back wall.
“ What are you doing in here?” Brooke’s head beat fast as she heard the voice of the man who had earlier tried to help her. “ Answer me.” He turned his dark eyes onto Blaze who stood looking nefarious with a scarf hanging from her hand. “ You don’t belong in here.” Forcefully, Leon grabbed Blaze by the arm and forced her out the room. Brooke heard muffled voices desperately tried to hear the conversation but could hear nothing. Thank god for Leon. Whoever had been in the room had obviously meant to do her harm. She also knew that whoever it was hadn’t been Victor because a member of the hospital staff would never stop him from doing any harm to her if he wanted. Breathless moments went by and finally the door opened again.
“ Kelly?” Footsteps came to her bed. “Kelly, are you alright?”
“ I’m fine.” She paused. “ No I’m not. Who was that?”
“ Some woman. She had no hospital pass and she certainly didn’t belong here.”
Brooke nodded. “ Was she a redhead?”
He was quiet for a moment. “ You know this woman?”
“ She’s Blaze. Victor’s girlfriend.”
“ Victor?” He sat down next to her bed. “ Is this Victor a friend of your?”
No! Her insides screamed to tell him the truth that she was captive. But she honesty couldn’t risk telling anybody the truth. “ No, he isn’t a friend. He’s just somebody I know. Blaze is his girlfriend or something that I gather and she doesn’t like me very much.”
“ Why?”
“ I don’t know. Maybe she’s jealous or crazy or something.” Brooke lay back down against the soft bed. “ Right now, I have other things to worry about than her.” She caressed her stomach. “ Like my child. I must keep it safe.”
“That is something that we agree on.” He ached to reassure her with his touch but knew that she’d be skittish about something like that. “ I’m going to keep her out of here. She’s barred from the hospital.”
Brooke wasn’t sure what good that was going to do to her. If Blaze wanted in, she might be able to find her way in. Brooke however was going to have to be ready. She considered telling Victor what happened right now he seemed to want to keep her alive but truthfully she wasn’t sure if that was the right way to go about things at the moment. One thing that she was going to do was to keep calm and try to get out of here if that was possible. She was also going to need someone to help her but she wasn’t sure if she could trust anybody even Leon who did honestly seem to be a nice person. “ Thanks for doing that. I appreciate it.”
“ It’s no problem.” He was silent for a moment but she knew he was watching her.
“ What?”
“ Do you want to tell me how you ended up here? In this hospital.”
Now it was Brooke’s turn to be silent. How much should she tell him? How much truth could she tell without getting herself or him hurt? She decided on a happy medium a mixture of truth and lies. “ I was on vacation with my husband.”
“ Your husband. Is he coming to see you?”
Brooke shook her head. “ No. He called back to the States for business and I decided to stay for a while. I got into contact with some friends of his so I wouldn’t be alone.”
“ Don’t you think that your husband would at least come and see you? You are hurt.”
“ He doesn’t know.”
“ Why..”
“ I don’t want him to know.” She cut off Leon’s question. “ Our marriage, it had problems. The vacation was sort of a way for us to reconnect but we didn’t. He left and I was glad. Right now he last thing I want to do is see him. I don’t want him here with his pity or regret. I’ll decide later what to do.” Brooke said a silent prayer to Thorne asking him forgiveness for the lie she told about him. “ I need time alone.”
“ Not like this.”
“ This isn’t what I expected but as scared as I am I know that I have my child. That keeps me sane.” Brooke felt cool finger touch her hand and in that moment she didn’t pull away. She needed human touch. She needed some sense of comfort and Leon had been the only one to give her that in this last trying days.
“ You are alone. Kelly, if I need a friend. I promise to be one for you.”
Brooke said nothing, darkness was all around her and the only beacon on hope she had was growing inside of her. But she admitted to herself that the slight touch of the man’s face she couldn’t see was just as soothing as his British accented voice.

Daphne watched with very little amusement as Jade paced back and forth in their cozy suite. “ If you keep that up you’ll ware the rug down and I don’t know about you but I don’t plan to pay for a new rug.” She got up from her seat on the sofa and started to look though the activity book that outlined some restaurants for them to try.
Jade stopped pacing and looked at Daphne. “ I can’t believe that you are thinking about good at this moment.”
Raising a beautifully arched eyebrow Daphne gave her friend a glare that let her know that she didn’t like her tone. Jade ignored it. Daph may frighten the staff that worked for her but Jade knew that her friend’s bark was worst than her bite.
“ For your information. I took off work to help you with that case. I didn’t mind and still don’t but that doesn’t mean that I can’t have a good time. Secondly, I thought that if you were going to have dinner with Colt…”
“ I don’t want to have dinner with THAT arrogant, self-centered, asshole.”
Daphne went on as if she hadn’t heard Jade. “ Then you’d at least pick a really expensive place and give him the bill.” She found one she liked and circled it. “ At least that is one way of getting back at him.”
“Aren’t you listening to me? I don’t want to even speak to the man.”
Daphne shook her head. Colt could always make Jade hot and bothered in one-way or another. She also surmised that it had been a long long time since Jade had gotten some. Too bad, when she got laid she was a lot calmer. Like it or not, the Brooke Forrester case was starting more and more like something was going on. First of all, the missing file on the occupants in the next room didn’t add up. Hotel files weren’t normally accessible however Daphne had played damsel in distress and gotten the staff to “help her with a computer problem” when she hacked into the system. Although she was and always had been on the up and up, she had always been a wiz on the computer and found most systems to be accessed easily. Yet, the information was clearly missing from the computer files as if someone had erased them. Someone who didn’t want anybody to find out who had been in the room next door to the Forresters. Even worse, there was conflicting information about the mode of transportation. Brooke Forrester rented a car but there was no paperwork to support that just a smashed up car. Jade was able to get the report to show the death certificate and cause of death but again, certain information didn’t add up. “ I know that you have bad feelings for the man and I’ll admit his comment about your father wasn’t necessary however he’s good at what he does and he has certain connections that we just don’t have just as we have connections that he doesn’t have. Why not team up and work together to get the information.”
“ Team up with him? How can you ask that? After all that he did.”
“ Come on Jade you aren’t being fair to him.”
“ He’ll steal my story.”
“ You made a deal to be co-writers of the story and then you mention him as your assistant in your book.”
“ No. I’d rather die before I let him co-write a damn thing with me.”
“Then it’s your lost because right now we could use someone like him to help us. You’ve got hints that something off kilter happened but we have no clues such as the video footage from the airport that you’ve been trying to get.”
Colt had contacts in the FCS that owed him. Jade wanted the footage to help retrace Brooke’s steps. “ Besides, I have the codes to Brooke’ credit card information and by the way. There is no transaction shown to show that she booked a rental.”
Jade had been caught off guard but that Brooke didn’t book a rental. “ She didn’t book a rental?”
“ No. There is no record. Also the car service that brought her here was still available for her to use”
Jade mind was back to ticking. “ If the car service was available why in the world would she even think about renting a car?”
“ BINGO.”
“ Colt doesn’t have this information.”
“ No. He also doesn’t have access to this room. Something he’d kill for.” Daphne mentioned casually with a smirk as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“ I still don’t want to work with him.”
“ Fine.” Daphne got up.
“Where are you going?”
“ Going to eat dinner. Maybe you don’t want to work with Colt but I plan on getting home soon.”
“ You aren’t going to tell him anything, are you?”
“ What do you think?” She sauntered out of the room. She went into her bedroom and searched through her closets until she found a daring blue topaz dress that left little to the imagination. Against her beautiful ebony skin, it would look stunning. Taking her time to pick out a pair of blue topaz and diamond earrings and ring she got out the things that she needed for her dinner.
Jade looked aghast. “ You haven’t answered my question.”
“ Oh please. You know that I’m not going to tell him anything. But if I can get some information I will.”
“ He won’t tell you anything.”
Daphne shrugged. “ Then we will have to talk about other things.”
Jade frowned marring her beautiful face. “ Like what?”
Daphne plugged in the travel iron she had carried with her. “ Like me for instance. I’m getting married I’m sure he’d want to hear about my wedding.”
“ He wasn’t that interested in planning his own wedding years ago why would he be interested in yours?”
“ I’m not sure. I guess that we will think of something.” She gave Jade a pointed look and went into the bathroom to run a bath.
Jade was furious. She knew Colt that sneaky bastard would no doubt see any dinner invitation with Daphne as a way about getting information about not only Brooke Forrester but about her. She certainly didn’t want Daphne to tell him a thing about what she was up to or how was seeing. He lost that right when he broke her heart and divorced her two years ago.

Colt stepped out of the hot shower. He had needed first a cold one after seeing Jade again. Damn her. Damn her piercing blue eyes. Damn her smart mouth. Worse yet, damn her for making him feel bad about his comments about her father. Her manipulative, egotistical, rich son-of-a-bitch who never showed that he cared for her more than he cared about his multi-billion dollar company. More than that, he hated himself for still loving Jade. Divorcing her had been the hardest thing for him to ever do but he knew that if they stayed married that neither of them would have been happy. She would always been under the thumb of her father in son sense trying her best to prove she was good enough. She also wouldn’t let go of her obsession with the Forrester. She ate, slept and breathed that family. Colt didn’t want that, he wanted a wife. One who understood the need for investigation one that shared his passion for adventure and news. One who wanted to travel with him and be is partner. It had started out that way and been so satisfying. Even the long-winded drawn out fights had been exhilarating especially with the hot sweaty gratifying sex that followed. But then the fights no longer ended like that, they ended with tears. Hers. He didn’t like seeing her cry. Hell, he didn’t like making her cry especially because she wasn’t one to do so. Jade was full of passion and fire. He understood that going in but something got lost along the way. She started doing less of the things that made her happy and worried too much about her father who no doubt was overjoyed when they split up. Her father had been the straw to break the camel’s back. The crafty bastard had doctored up some incriminating photos of he and some woman and Bangladesh. Colt though a womanizer in his past had not so much touched a woman the entire time he had been married. Sure, he had looked at other women, he was a flirt but it never meant anything and he sure as hell didn’t touch him. No matter what he loved his wife. He’d never cheat but it seemed that Jade didn’t believe him. She took her father’s word over his and when he realized painfully that she wouldn’t believe that he didn’t cheat he realized that her father had one. He walked away taking an assignment in Australia for a while. He didn’t know what he had been thinking that she’d miss him. He hoped that she was just as miserable as he was. But obviously she didn’t. He came home to the states to see her on the arm of Renaldo Cantell, some arrogant Italian bastard who had his paws and lips all over his wife. Being the man that he was, he was jealous as hell so he got into a fistfight beating the shit out of the little bastard. His so-called wife went running along to the hospital to see if Renaldo was all right and then had him arrested for trespassing in his own home. That had been the end. He sent divorce papers and she had signed him. If he were to be honest with himself even now, he had hoped that she wouldn’t sign them. But, she did. Seeing her today brought back painful memories. His body of course reacted to her like I always did. No woman ever got to him the way that Jade Summerset did. Summerset…huh. That wasn’t even her real name. Toweling himself off he threw the wet towel on his unmade bed. He forced himself to stop thinking of his wife, his ex-wife and focus on the matter at hand. The story of Brooke Logan Forrester’s demise was foremost on his list. He had a major hunch that something wasn't right. He had a contact at the airport that was going to let him see the footage from the video camera that night. He hoped they would show him something. While the rest of the world was going to be getting pictures of the Forrester family at the cemetery, he’d get the scoop of what really happened.


Brooke lay resting comfortably for the first time since her kidnapping. Leon had promised that he would look after her and for some reason she believed him. She knew that she shouldn’t even take confront of him being in her room but honestly she was frightened of being alone. She was also very much so frightened of Blaze. This wasn’t Stephanie Forrester a woman who hated her for years but only could plot scheme and threaten her, this was someone she didn’t know. This was a woman who had aligned herself with a man who capable of kidnapping and maybe more. She didn’t know what Blaze had wanted with her but she knew that it wasn’t something on the up and up. Hearing the door her hospital room jingle Brooke turned her attention the jingling of the bell. Leon had put a bell on her door to help realize when it opened and closed. He had offered her his help. He had some suggestions that would help her get acclimated to the hospital room. Brooke who didn’t know her way around would no doubt need his help. She attentively agreed to his help.
“ It’s me.”
“ I know.”
Leon stopped. “ How did you know?”
“ Your scent. I smelled it earlier on you. When you came into the room I remembered it.”
“ Every good. You are relying on your other senses to make of for the lack of your eyes.”
Brooked nodded toward the area that his voice came from. “ I want to learn as much as I can.”
“ Good. We can start with the layout of the room. I want to know where everything is.”
“ I think that’s a good idea but not today. You need to rest more.”
“ I can do THIS.” Brooke said in a determined voice. “ I want to do it now.”
“ No. It’s not a good idea. Your health…”
“ I’m feeling fine. The baby is fine. You can attest to that. I just want to learn the layout of the room and then I’ll promise to rest. Please. I’ve been sitting in this room all day and the last thing that I wanted to do lay in wait.”
“ Lay in wait for what?”
She didn’t answer him. She didn’t plan to. Brooke set her face in a determined look though she couldn’t see it. “Are you going to help me or not or am I going to have do it myself.” Brooke felt her way around reaching out to find the hospital nightstand. She then tugged on the IV cord and tried to slide her feel across so she could reach the floor with her toes. Slowly taking her time she wiggled her toes to help her find the cold floor.
She heard a rustling and then felt a strong arm grasp her on her bicep. “ What do you think that you are doing you foolish woman? You could hurt yourself.”
“ Not if you help me. She pushed herself up into a standing position.
Leon wasn’t sure if he’d ever met anyone as stubborn or a beautiful as Kelly was or as naturally beautiful, he admitted. Even sick, it was clear she was beautiful. He also wasn’t sure if he had known anyone who was frightened who claimed not do be. He was also certain that if didn’t offer to help that she’d no count do it herself and who knows what trouble she could possibly be in.
“ You are very stubborn woman.”
“ I know.” She smiled thinking about how many times she had heard Thorne say the same thing to her. Oh God, how she missed him.
Leon watched as the smile she wore for only a second faded. He wondered for not the first time since he had met her what was going on in her mind. It had to be very scary to be in the dark and alone. Leon reached out to Brooke taking her hand. “ Come on. I’ll give you ten minutes and then you’ll rest.” He said in a no-nonsense tone to let her know that he had no intention of changing his mind. She may be beautiful but she was a patient who needed her rest. Her recovery was the most important thing to him.

Beth wanted to slap her grandson. She couldn’t believe that he’d show up at the house drunk on the day that they were going to bury his mother. A beautiful young woman whom Storm seemed to know had shown up with Rick in tow. Storm had been angry but they didn’t have time for the anger. They had poured coffee down Rick’s throat, threw him in the shower and redressed him. Beth closed Rick’s bedroom door and headed down stairs where Donna, Kristen, Katie, Megan and a few other close friends of the family waited. Because of the publicity, the reporters had hounded their front gates and gotten pictures of Rick looking like he had climbed into a beer keg. Stephanie and Eric had left to make sure that the arrangements were on time so they had very little time left. She never thought that she would see he day when Stephanie would actually help her but she had been a blessing.
“ Mom. How is Rick doing?” Katie said seeing her mother come down the stairs.
“ Right now he is dressed and is resting for a while. I just can’t believe he’d do this to his own mother.”
“ His drinking is getting worse.” Donna stated. “ Brooke was very worried about him when Amber left. I thought that getting his son back would help him want to keep the straight and narrow.”
“ Maybe we should start thinking about AA. It’s clear that he’s out of control.” Kristen added very worried about her brother. “ He has problem.”
Beth wandered over toward the sofa with a heavy heart. Collapsing as if the weight of the word was on her shoulders she felt a tightening in her shoulders. A pure indication of stress. “ My baby deserved better than this.” The quiet of the room only let her know how much everyone agreed. “ She loved her children. Rick and Bridget was the world to her. How could he do this? On this day out of all days? Today was supposed to be about Brooke not anyone but her.”
Megan wiped the tears from her eyes with the honchoed that Justin, another Forrester worker had given her. Looking so sad yet classically pretty in her black suit she reached out to Beth. “ This is so hard for him and for Bridget. They depended so much on her. I’m sure that he didn’t mean to do this on this day.” She kneeled down seeing the tragic grief that no suddenly made Beth look older than she ever did. To lose your child had to be the most painful things in the world.
“ It doesn’t matter what he didn’t mean to do or not. Rick is an adult. Not a child. He shows so respect for his mother coming here like that. Drunk! Brooke deserves better than this.” Beth stood up and moving to pick up a picture of her beloved daughter that rested on the table. “ For years my daughter fought both Stephanie and Taylor and they are the ones who are helping me get through this. Not my grandchildren. I just don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this. How in the world could they be so disrespectful to the mother who loved them? Not to mention their tiny little brother or sister who she was carrying.” Tear filled her eyes. “ Brooke worked to hard to give Rick and Bridget the best of everything. She was a good mother.”
“ And a good friend.” Megan supplied. “ She was wonderful woman. Full of excitement and a vest for life.”
Beth nodded wiping away her tears. “ She better than this.” She whispered harshly. “ Rick is drunk, Bridget has run off to go knows where and Thorne… What’s wrong with him? Can’t he respect his wife enough to show up at her own memorial service?”

Thorne floated away from the pain to his dreams. He had everything he wanted. Brooke and their baby. Their little girl was nestled in her arms and she smiled up him. “ Thorne, look at her, she’s an angel. Isn’t she?”
Thorne reached out to hold the little blond baby and suddenly she faded out of his grasp.
“ What?” He looked at Brooke. Her beautiful face contorted to a mask of anger. “ You left me. You let me go and because of it I’m dead.”
“ No! No Brooke. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Shimmering out of sight she disappeared. “ No!” He cried out and suddenly sat up. His chest heaved as he tried to gasp for the air that he lost. It had been a dream. It was all a dream. The sheets around him were soaked with his perspiration. Looking around in hazy eyes he tried earnestly to remember where he was but he didn’t know. He also didn’t know how he got there. Planting his feet on the carpet he moved when the room spun around. Nausea hit him and though he tried he couldn’t seem to make it. He vomited all over himself and on the carpet. Heaving out he very little amount of food that he had in his stomach he stood back up wearily. “ Shit” He murmured as he stumbled into the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he cupped the lukewarm water and drank out of his hands to rid himself of the bile resting in his mouth. Looking into the bathroom mirror he didn’t recognize himself. My god. What in heaven had be done to himself? He blond hair was no longer blond, instead it was jet black. Fingering his jet-black hair that made him look very different that the surfer look that he had always had he wondered what would make him do such a thing. Splashing cold water on his face he studied himself. He didn’t car what color his hair was it wouldn’t make a difference if he were purple. It didn’t matter because he lost everything he had loved in one swoop. Thorne rinsed out an old washcloth and went to work to wash up the vomit. As he scrubbed he tried to think of something other than the pain in his heart. It has seemed like a lifetime ago that he had been with Brooke on the beach basking in the sun in Monte Carlo. They had had it all. A good life, a booming business and a precious little baby. Gripping the bed sheet Thorne tried to stay afloat from all the pain. But he couldn’t. Tear stung his eyes as he slumped over and cried for all that was lost.

Zen watched the girl as they drove in silence back toward the city. She was pale and didn’t look too good. She had also been crying though she tried to hide it. She sniffed every couple of minutes and tried to hide her tears. Damn, he hated crying women. Thank God he was able to call Triple A and they were going to take her car to her dealership. Then he’d drop her off and then he be on his way but her sniffling was starting to grate on her nerves. “ You know it isn’t that bad.”
She turned her green eyes on him. “ What?”
“ Red, it’s a freaking tire. It’s no big deal.”
“ It’s a big deal to me. I’m going to be late for…” She stopped. “ Never mind.”
“ What are you going to be late for? The mall? A hair appointment. Oh, I know, it’s a spa treatment.”
“ Spa treatment? No. I’m interested to some stupid spa.” She spat.
“ Then why the tears?”
Bridget didn’t say anything. She turned and looked at the beauty of the scenery of the landscape.
Zen didn’t say anything however he pulled the car over.
“ What are you doing?” Bridget asked.
“ I want to know what is upsetting you so much?”
“ Why?”
Zen shrugged. “ I don’t know. Hell I don’t like you.”
“ You don’t know me.”
“ So. I still don’t like you.”
“ You were being a total ass that day in the coffee shop and you know it.”
“ She messed up my computer so I think that I have a right to be more than a little pissed don’t you think.”
Bridget pressed her lips into a line. He shook his head. “ You know you might be a little attractive if you didn’t make that face.”
“ Thanks for the tip.” She said tartly.
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “ So, why are you crying?”
“ You really don’t know who I am do you?”
“ Should I?” He asked sarcastically?
“ No. It’s just that most people around here do and it makes it difficult at times.”
“ I’m not from around here. I’m only in town to visit my brother for a while.”
“ Where are you originally from?”
“ Are you asking what country?”
“Yes.”
“ Columbia although I’m a United States Citizen because I was born here on a trip. Now enough about me. Spill it Red. Why are you crying?”
Bridget felt a lump form inside of her throat. She paused for a moment doing her best to swallow it. “ My mom’s memorial service is today.”
The weight of her words hit him. He hadn’t expected anything like that. “ Your mom she’s…”
“ Dead.” Bridget cut him off. “That’s the first time that I said it out loud. I guess I figure that if I don’t say it then it can’t be true. But it is.”
“I’m…” he paused. “ I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to..”
“ You didn’t know. How could you?”
“ How come you aren’t at the service?”
“ I was going but…My brother we had this fight and I got mad. I couldn’t bear to go to the memorial service and know that it’s true. That my mom’s really gone. But then I started thinking about all the wonderful things she used to do for me. She always but me and Rick first and I can’t not go.” Bridget touched her stomach lightly. “ I guess that I want to run away but I can’t do that. I have to go and to be there for my mom. She was pretty amazing woman. I owe it to her and to myself to say goodbye to her. I was on my way back when my tire shot out.”
Zen watched as she tried to fight the tears. He felt for her. He loved his mother deeply and couldn’t imagine her not being part of his life. “ I’m very sorry for your lost. Mothers are special. This must be very difficult for you.”
Bridget liked the honesty in his voice. “ It has been especially because…”
“ Because of what?”
Bridget didn’t understand why she was talking so openly to a man she didn’t know and she wasn’t sure she liked. “ I’m pregnant.”
Zen looked down at her. She was pretty thing therefore she wasn’t that far along. “ You don’t look it.”
“ I’m only two months.” She looked very uncomfortable he noted. Zen also noticed that she didn’t have on any engagement or wedding ring.
“ Are you happy about the baby?” He wasn’t sure why he asked but he did.
“ It wasn’t something that I expected but there are times that I’m confused if I’m doing the right thing.”
“ Right thing?”
“ Having this baby all alone. I know that if my mom was around she’d help me to get through this. She always had this way to make me feel better even when things were very rough. I really miss her. I really need her everything is so confusing. I keep expecting her to walk through the door to our house and doesn’t.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. “She won’t ever come home again.”
Zen wasn’t sure how it happened but he ended up with his arms around her while she cried.

“ That bitch!” Blaze threw the crystal decanter of liquor at the expensive Mone in her bedroom. The maid ran to try to pick up the pieces of glass. “ Leave it!” she screamed.
“ Just leave it and get out. NOW!” The maid quickly took the glass that she had and ran out the suite. Pacing back and forth angrily she thought about the scene in the hospital. She wanted the bitch dead. No longer living or breathing on this earth. How had it come to this? Why in the world was Victor so interested in a woman who couldn’t satisfy him the way the way that she could? No woman could especially some pregnant woman in her forties. It didn’t matter that Brooke was stunning to look at there were much more beautiful women in the world. There were much more attentive, single females who’d be into the things that he liked and Blaze could deal with that. She’d be willing to share him because he’d come back to her but something was different. He cared! He actually cared for the bitch. Worst yet, he was willing to do anything to get close to her. “ Why Victor? Why is this woman so important to you?” She hated him. Blaze had seen the repulsion on Brooke’s face more than once but that didn’t seem to matter to him. He cared for the woman. He even cared for the bitch’s bastard. Blaze had to find a way to get rid of Brooke and her baby. Blaze walked over toward the mantel under the large cherry red encased mirror to find an old photo of her and Victor. Of course, he wasn’t smiling but that didn’t matter he had his pressed possessively around her back. He was letting the word know how much he wanted her. She was his and he was hers. There is no way that she was going to let his attention wane to anyone. Thinking for herself for a moment she got an idea that would ensure that Victor’s attention was back on her where she wanted it to be. Picking up the house phone and her electronic Rolodex and called a number.
“ Richard Phillips, please.” There was a pause. “ Hello Richard this is Blaze DeMarco. Yes” she laughed. “ It’s been a while. I was wondering if you had plans for dinner tomorrow. You don’t? Good. If you don’t mind I’d love to see you. I expect to see you at 8 and I’ll have the chief to make baby rack of lamb that you loved so.” Blaze smiled as she finished her conversation. Richard Phillips was on Victor’s contact that he used. He also had an ability to get any legal and most importantly illegal drugs that one couldn’t get in the United States. That, she smiled, is why she wanted to have dinner with him. He was going to help her but he just didn’t know it yet.

“Alright. Please call me if you hear anything.” Eric hung up his cell phone and sighed deeply.
“ No luck?”
“ No Janet hasn’t seen Bridget all day. Nobody has.”
Stephanie noticed the tension on Eric’s stance and gently kneaded the muscles in his neck. The memorial service was to start in less than a half of an hour. Friends and family had already started filling up the small church. Pastor Thomas came toward them.
“ I’m sorry but I just wanted to go over a few things with the family before we start. How long do you think it will be before they come?”
Eric shook his head. “ I’m not sure.” He looked at his watch. “ They should be here at anytime.” He looked up to find Taylor, Ridge, Katherine; the children along with a beautiful African American woman come into the chapel.
Taylor and the woman headed toward them. “ Eric.”
He kissed Taylor. “ How are you holding up?”
“ A fine as to be expected considering everything.” She turned toward Jasmine. “ Eric, this is my friend, Dr. Jasmine Quinn. She’s the grief counselor that I told you about.”
“ Yes, you are the doctor who is going to try to help Bridget and Rick to deal with Brooke’s death.”
“ I’m going to do my best Mr. Forrester. Grief and pain over a loved one is different for every person. I just hope to help ease some of your children’s pain.”
“ Well, if you are a friend of Taylor’s I’m sure that you will be a great deal of help. Thank you.”
“ You’re welcome.”
Eric turned back to Taylor. “ If you’ll excuse me I want to go over some final preparations with the pastor.”
Jasmine and Taylor watched as Eric went over toward the pastor. Jasmine frowned slightly. “ Taylor where is Brooke’s family? Shouldn’t they be the ones making the final preparations?”
“ Normally they would but” A loud shrill of her cell phone cut her off. “ Hello. Beth. Yes. Where is she? No. I haven’t. Okay. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.” She hung up.
“ A problem?”
“ Yes. It seems that Rick got drunk and Bridget’s missing.”

Ridge found himself in the quiet of the garden behind the church. His father was really busy with arrangements and as much as he wanted to help he couldn’t seem to do it. He couldn’t seem to put his grief aside today to help anyone, not even the Logan’s. Brooke was such a large part of his life. She had been his friend, his best friend for such a long time. She had been his passion, his fire and although he didn’t like to admit it to himself, she had been the biggest regret of his life. If things had been different between them and Thomas hadn’t been his son he was sure that they would have been married to this day. Still, he had been glad that she had found happiness even if it had been with his brother. Thorne, no doubt loved Brooke very much. Ridge had lost one wife and thought that he had lost Taylor but even in that, he always had Brooke to be there. She always picked up the pieces and made him smile. She had a way to make him take his mind off his pain to find the joy in what he had left in his life. But who was going pick up the pieces now and let him know that it was going to be all right? Ridge had loved Brooke for so long he couldn’t imagine a life without her.
“ Ridge?”
He turned to find his mother standing in the doorway leading from the church. She stepped down into the garden brushing off a speck of dust off her black pants suit. “Honey don’t you think that you ought to go back inside.”
He turned away staring off.“ Not right now I just needed a moment to myself.”
“ You are thinking about Brooke aren’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“ Mother if you are going to start I don’t want to hear it.” He said wearily as he moved away from her.
Stephanie shook her head. “ I wasn’t going to get on your case sweetheart.” He looked at her clearly surprised. She rolled her eyes in defiance. “ Honestly, I wasn’t.” She sighed moving to sit on one of the benches in the middle garden pressing her hands heavily on her thighs “ Today is Brooke’s memorial how could your mind not be on her? I’ll admit that though I didn’t always like her.
Ridge frowned not believing his mother’s edited version of things.“ Like her. You hated her. For years you did everything you could to destroy her.”
“ I’m not going to apologize for what I did. I did it all to protect my family from what I considered to be a threat. She married, you and your father not to mention she took his company. However Brooke showed me that she changed. She made your brother very happy the last couple of years.”
“ She made me happy when I was married to her.”
Stephanie was in no mood to argue with Ridge. It made no sense to dwell on the past.
“ I know that her death effecting you deeply. But I just wanted you to know that you aren’t alone in this. You have your family and your friends. You also have your wife. Taylor’s been very supportive to you and to Brooke’s family through all of this.” Stephanie put her hand on his shoulder and leaned down toward his ear. “ Don’t let your pain cause you to neglect your family. You have three beautiful children. Don’t shut her out or your children. They need you. Life is for the living. Not for dreams or for people who are no longer around.” She pressed her cool hand against his and patted it gently. She was silent for a long moment before she finally whispered to him. I know that you loved her.” Surprise filled Ridge’s eyes. He never thought that he’d find the day that his mother would admit that he loved Brooke.
“ BUT, that doesn’t mean that you should shut people out.”
“ Mother I’m not shutting anyone out.” He ran his hands through his hair and hung his head low. “I just need time to put things in prospective.”
“But this isn’t the time for you to go off all alone.”
“ Damn it mother! Just leave me alone to grief because at least I’m doing that. I’m grieving because I lost a woman that I cared about and loved deeply. That more than some people are doing!” He pushed himself off the steps and went down the pathway toward the graveyard.
Stephanie followed him.“ What does that mean?”
“ It means that my so called little brother doesn’t even respect HIS wife enough to be here at her memorial service. She deserved better than this!”
“ You can’t blame Thorne for this…”
“ The hell I do! Brooke was HIS wife. He shared a life together. He shared her bed. But he isn’t here. He doesn’t even give a damn that this is his last chance to say goodbye to her. He’s off doing God knows what! Damn him. This is his fault. If he’d only had stayed with her than not of this would have happened!”
Stephanie stepped back in shock. The resentment in Ridge’s voice was evident. “ This isn’t Thorne’s fault that she died.”
“ He left her!” Tears threatened to spill out of Ridge eyes. “ He left her and he isn’t here to even pay respects to her. He isn’t the only one suffering. We are all. We all loved her. She was an amazing woman and he didn’t even care that she’s….that…” Ridge broke off and his lower lip started to tremble. Turing his head, he started to cry in large heaping tears. Stephanie watched in complete awe. The way that he acted was as if he were in love with Brooke. God, she hoped that this was the grief talking but there had been something in his actions that reminded her of how he had acted when Caroline died. Approaching him slowly she put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him toward her. Holding her son, she held him while he cried. Ridge wasn’t sure how long he stood there crying like a baby but finally when the tears stopped he pulled away. Wiping his runny nose with he back of his hand he looked embarrassed.
“ Ridge. You need to understand something.” She paused swallowing for a moment. “ I know that you are hurting but blaming your brother isn’t going to help anyone in this situation. Thorne isn’t t fault.”
“ He isn’t at fault. He isn’t even here.”
“Don’t you think that I know that!” She screamed. Tears stung at her eyes. She blinked them away painfully and covered her face. ‘ Don’t you think that I realize that he isn’t here?' Her voice cracked under the pain she felt. Her heart broke for her son. Thorne loved Brooke and their child so deeply. She knew that if he wasn’t here it meant that that it was because he couldn’t be here. She wasn’t a fool she knew there was a very strong possibility that Thorne had turned to the very thing that had almost destroyed him before.
“ Your brother has turned away from us and I’m worried. I’m worried about my son because he’s lost and alone when he should be in the arms of the family.” Stephanie reached into her pocket and found a pack of little tissues that she had placed earlier that day. “ You cannot blame your brother for what happened to Brooke. It was an accident. It wasn’t her fault that Brooke died. None of us wanted this to happen.” She knew by her actions that Ridge wasn’t listening to her but she had to get him to think clearly. She stepped in front of him and gripped his forearms. “ You’ve got to stop doing this.”
“ Stop grieving/”
“ No. Stop acting as if you were Brooke’s husband. You aren’t. Your brother was. You are only going to make a fool out of yourself if you continue to act this way. Lashing out and blaming him for her death isn’t going to change anything. It’s only going to tear the family apart. Please don’t do this. Taylor has been supportive of you.”
“ God Mother. This isn’t about Taylor.”
“ It should be. SHE’S your wife. Not Brooke.”
“ I know that.” Ridge said bitterly resenting the fact that his mother wouldn’t leave him alone.
“ That act like it for God’s sake. You acting like you are the only person mourning Brooke’s loss.”
Ridge pulled away from his mother in disgust. “ Like you are.”
She flinched as if she had been slapped. ‘ I guess you think that I deserved that.”
“ Pleas mother. You spent years driving Brooke and I apart. You did everything from running her parents out of town to manipulating situations to pushing other women on me in order to get her out of my life. Not to mention all the underhanded things you did to her like trying to steal her children, harassing her at any week moment and even blaming your stroke on her.”
“ That was in the past. I had every reason for my feelings about Brooke. She was all wrong for you.”
“ Because you didn’t like her.”
“ She wasn’t good enough for you. You’ve always been special Ridge. You needed a woman like Taylor to do a good wife and mother to your children.” Ridge laughed bitterly at his mother hating her hypocrite.
“ But she was good enough for Thorne huh?”
Stephanie was silent for a moment contemplating what Ridge had said. ‘Yes she was. I didn’t think so at first. How could I after seeing the way that she destroyed your father and brought all sorts of drama into your lives? I didn’t want that for Thorne. God knows I fought it. I fought her but after they were married I could see the changes in your brother. He was happy. Really happy for the first time in his life. If I were honest with you I’d say that most of my life my thoughts and wishes have had been for you.” A look of sadness crossed Stephanie’s face. “ I ignored him most of the time while he was growing up. I always put you first. I never paid much attention to him. I loved him but not the same way that I love you and because of that he lived in your shadow. I never really noticed that until he was married to Brooke. She changed him. He thrived under her love, he became more involved in the business and had a zest for life that he never really had before. When he found out that he was going to be a father, he was full of life and love. I had never seen him elated or excited. I knew that it was because of Brooke. As much as I wanted to keep a hold of my hate, I had to let go if I were going to see my son be happy. So, yes, she was good enough for Thorne. She made a positive difference in his life. But she didn’t do that for you honey. Thorne was able to give Brooke a sense of stability that you never could. Maybe it was all the fire between you somebody was always going to be burned up and in the end it would have burned out.”
Ridge’s face contorted into a mask of anger. “ Damn you mother. Don’t you think that I we were given a fighting chance and your support that Brooke and I would have made it.”
“ No. I don’t. Besides it doesn’t matter anymore. She’s gone and you are going to have to accept it. But you remember one thing. I won’t allow you to destroy this family. When Thorne comes back.”
“ If he comes back.”
“ When he comes back you are going to be supportive and understanding to fact that he lost his wife. I won’t have you say anything like you did here to your brother. YOU will show him support or else. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to do my best to help Beth and Steven. After all they lost their daughter.” Stephanie walked away from her son with disappointment.

“So the bathroom is five paces to the right, correct?”
“ Correct.”
Leon pressed her fingers against the wall as the headed back to the bed. He had helped her to create a mental map of the room. At least she knew where the bathroom was and there was a distinctive hiding place in a corner between the radiator and the way on the left side of the room. If she had to hide it would be perfect. Leon held her hand as she felt her way around her room. She felt around in the dark until her fingers touched the cold of the rail at the bottom of the bed. She felt Leon try to lead her. “ No. I can get onto the bed on my own.”
“ But…”
“ No butts. I’m going to at least try it on my own. If I slip you can always catch me.”
“ What makes you think that I’m going to catch you?” Brooke heard the amusement in his voice.
“ Well, I suspect that a man like you wouldn’t allow me to fall would you.”
“ Why do I think that you use that charm on the men around you to get what you want.”
“ Is it working?”
“ Do it usually?”
“ Yes. Thorne used to say…” The rarely seen smile that caused her face to glow suddenly faded.
“ Thorne used to say what?” He knew that it was dangerous ground he was treading on however he thought the more she talked about her pain the better it would be for her. No matter how much she claimed she didn’t love her husband clearly she did. She slid her body up against the bed and lifted herself up. She took her time making sure she was careful holding the line of her IV to ensure she didn’t hurt herself. “Kelly. What did Thorne say?”
“ He used to say that I could charm the Pope into changing one of the commandments if I wanted to.”
“Maybe he was right.”
“ No he wasn’t.” She said suddenly sad. “He was the one who had a way with people. In business he always was the one who could calm down any irate client and put people at ease. He was always good at putting me at ease. He always makes me feel better no matter how stressed or how upset I was.”
“ So what happened to change all of that?”
“ I don’t want to talk about it.” A part of Brooke wanted to tell Leon the truth that nothing had changed. She was married to a wonderful loving caring man but she couldn’t. She could do nothing but to keep her secret. Self-preservation was needed. She needed to keep herself and her baby safe at all cost.
“ If you ever want to talk about it just let me know. It’s good to have someone who’ll listen to you.”
Brooke nodded. “Thanks.”
“ I had better let you get some rest.” A cool hand touched her forehead. You look a little flushed and you are warm. I’m going to have someone come and take a look at you.” The scraping of the chair let her know that he was getting up. “ You’ve got to sleep in order to heal.”
Brooke lay back feeling very weary. She was tired and she had to think about her baby health. “Thank you for all of your help.”
“ It was nothing. I will come and see you tomorrow for another lesson.”
“ I’d like that.” She said honesty. She knew that she shouldn’t feel the way she did but she felt a sense of security when he was around. That, she knew wasn’t going to last. She wasn’t sure how long she was going to be in the hospital. She wasn’t sure about a damn thing.

Steven led his wife down the aisle to the pews that they would be sitting in. There was no coffin however there were a beautiful picture of his daughter resting on the altar. They had captured Brooke in a unclose shot of her face while a yellow satin background made her eyes seem more golden than ever. The overwhelming sense of lost hit him as he helped her wife take her seat. Hiding his own shaking hands he tried to reassure his wife that everything would in the memorial service would run smoothly not an easy thing to do since Bridget had yet to arrive. Turning his head, he watched as Eric Forrester hugged Rick and spoke to him in a quiet tone. Rick then turned and headed down the back of the church and out of the door. He pleaded with Storm who in tried to follow however was stopped by Eric. Eric then followed Rick.

Jasmine sat down in the back of the church. The seats were filling up with family and friends. Grief and sadness was nothing new to her. She was used to dealing with heartache and pain however this time it seem be galvanized more than ever. She had witnessed how Rick Forrester had taken off and had heard the rumors that he had gotten inebriated before the funeral. She had also accidentally overheard a conversation between Stephanie and her son, Ridge as she had stepped out in the garden to get some air. Based on that conversation and Ridge’s behavior she was very much concerned about how he was dealing with the past. It seems that he was transferring his anger and pain to his absent Brooke. He also reeked of jealousy so intense that she wondered how Taylor was dealing with the signs that her husband was still in love with sister-in-law. The entire situation was a mess. Her purse started to vibrate. Opening it quickly, she picked up her phone and headed out of the church into the foyer.
“ Allen?”
“ Hey.”
“ What is it honey?” She was concerned. He knew she was at Brooke’s memorial service.
“Nothing. It’s just. I wanted to know how things are going.”
“Sweetheart. I think it’s best if you don’t know. You have distance yourself from this family. Just know that I’m going to do my best to help them cope and I will be home late tonight.” He was silent for a while. “ Allen, are you still there?”
“ Yes.”
She hated hearing the despondent tone in his voice. She knew he was preoccupied with Brooke’s memorial service. How could he not be? Still, she hoped her helping the Forresters would alleviate some of the guilt he was feeling. He had been trying to keep this country, the people and her safe by his assignment. Whatever it was, she knew that.
“ Sweetheart. I have to go. The memorial’s about to start soon. I love you.”
“ I love you too. Jazz, just be careful. Alright.”
“ I will. We will.” She touched her stomach for a moment reassuring herself that her baby was fine. Hanging up her phone she turned and headed back into the church.

Blood dripped into the sink as Taylor pressed a tissue hard against her nose. ‘No, please.” She asked no one in particular. This is the wrong time for this.” Clutched in her hand was another tissue drenched in blood, hers. It had started over 3 minutes ago and didn’t want to end. In the paper basket there too resided other soiled tissues. She had to get the bleeding to stop. The last thing she wanted anyone to do was to ask questions.

Mother, are you alright? Kristen walked up behind her mother who had just entered the back of the church leaving her seat next to Carlos vacant. Stephanie shook her head.
“ I just can’t believe this is happening?”
“ You mean Rick getting drunk?”
“ That plus Bridget missing. Have you called her?”
“ I’ve tried but I haven’t gotten an answer. Her cell is cut off.”
“ That plus your brother..” She trailed off. “ This whole things a mess.”
“ Mom. Maybe it isn’t as bad as you think. Maybe Thorne will show up. He loved Brooke and the baby.”
“ I never thought that he’d miss Brooke’s memorial. I know that he needed to have some time but it’s been four days. We haven’t gotten a word. I so afraid honey. I’m so afraid that something has happened to my baby.”
Kristen wasn’t used to seeing her mother look so vulnerable and lost.

Eric brought his son a glass of water. He reassured Rick that he could do this. “Here drink this.” Rick looked awful. His coloring was off and he looked wrinkled. He also sported the painful bruises from his altercation with Deacon. Damn that man, hadn’t he done enough.” You’ve got to stop this.”
“ I just need a moment to get myself together.”
Eric was frustrated with Rick. He wanted him to try to pull himself together. He had made a mistake years ago ignoring the signs but not this time. Tomorrow, he was going to have a long talk with his son about his drinking, however today wasn’t the time. He knew that Rick needed his support and his love. “This is about your mother. She loved you deeply.’
“ This is my fault. If she hadn’t been coming to New York this would never have happened.”
“No. Son, this isn’t your fault. You aren’t to blame for this accident. That is what it was an accident.”
“ If I hadn’t been so worried about Amber none of this would have happened.”
“ Look at me.” He turned Rick’s head. “ You were trying to protect your son. You wanted him back and your mother wanted to be by your side. None of us could predict the sequence of events that lead up to her death.”
“ But…”
“ Sometimes god has a plan. Sometimes he calls people when its there time. You mother was an extoridanry woman. She was full of vision, life not to mention fire.’ Eric remembered fondly. She also was a joy to work with. She loved Forrester. She loved creating but that was nothing compared to how much she love you and your sister. I still remember when you were born how tiny you were. She couldn’t believe that God had given her such a wonderful gift. She wanted to protect you. You should have seen how her face lit up with the joy of all the plans she was making for you. She had your whole life mapped out.”
“ I bet she’s disappointed how I turned out.”
“ No. She wasn’t.” Eric cupped Rick’s head. “ She was so proud of you. You grew up in a time where there was a lot of drama going on but you always managed to be fine. You also defended and tried to protect your mother.”
“ My marriage to Amber. You can’t tell me she was happy about that.”
“ No, she wasn’t.”
“She was right. If only I’d listened to her. She knew that Amber was nothing more than a lying scheming bitch. But I didn’t listen.”
“ You made a mistake son. We all do.”
“ Your mother made a lot of mistakes in her life do you think that she’d judge you harshly for yours?”
“No.”
“ Just as she wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for what happened. Your mother loved you and she wanted you to have the best. Rick, this is your chance to become everything that she wanted you to become. Time hasn’t run out. She never gave up on you and I promise that I never will.”
“ But…’
“ No buts son. Together, as a family we are going to get through this do you hear me?”
Rick nodded. He loved his father but his father didn’t understand. He was to blame. He had killed his mother as surely as if he had put a gun net to her head and cooked it.

“ Rick!” Brooke opened her eyes and reeled from dizziness and darkness. It took a moment for her to remember where was. Breathing heavily she couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding. Something was wrong with her son. She felt it deep in her bones. ‘God, why is this happening?” Fear not for herself but for her children set in. She remembered the press conference they had shown on the television before she damaged her eye. Stephanie had talked about a memorial service, hers. She had talked about the family. What was happening to her family? To Thorne? To Bridget? To Rick? Was Rick alright? She had to find out. She had to find out what was happening to her family. She knew they were suffering because they thought she was dead. “I’m not dead.” She whispered. “Please somebody feel me. I’m not dead.”

Ridge turned to Connor. “ Did you hear that?”
“ Hear what?” Connor asked not sure if Forrester was all right. He had been asking strange ever since he had come into the church.
“ I thought.” Ridge stilled waiting as if he were listening or waiting for something. But then he shook his head. “ I guess I’m next to lose my mind.” He said grimly. “ I thought that I heard ….Brooke.” He whispered.
Connor looked at him with disbelief. Was Forrester losing his marbles? He had noted how he paid no attention to his wife or even his children. Thank god Katherine was there because she at least seemed concerned with their welfare. Connor didn’t have the time to hold Ridge’s hand; the Logan’s were all stricken with grief. He too was suffering. Brooke wasn’t just a client to him, she had been his friend. “ Maybe you need to stay off the sauce.”
“ I wasn’t drinking Davis.” Ridge growled.
“Well you weren’t thinking clearly either. Why don’t you do something useful around here besides act as if you are the mourning widow.’
“What?”
“ You didn’t think that I noticed. I wondered if you even care if your wife noticed. You coming in here not speaking or showing Brooke’s family enough respect to go and speak to them. Instead you’ve got up to that picture three times and looked as if you wanted to run away with it. Now you are hearing voices? You make me sick. This isn’t about YOU are your feelings. It’s about Brooke and while you are at it I hope you remember all the pain that you caused Brooke when she was living.”
“ I didn’t cause her pain. I love Logan.”
“ Her name was Brooke. Brooke, not Logan. Certainly not YOUR Logan. How can you stand there and talk about love after you dumped her time and time again.”
“ I did not. Things were complicated.”
“ Not complicated. You were spoiled and you wanted to play with a girl from the valley yet keep your princess.” Connor poked Ridge hard in the chest. “ I always hated people like you who thought that they could do as they please. You just wanted a fling with her but you didn’t expect to fall in love with her. Still she wasn’t good enough. So you married Caroline and when she died you turned to Brooke. Then you dumped her for Taylor over and over again. Anytime she looked at another man you’d reel her back in like a fish on a hook. She never found happiness because you wouldn’t let go.”
“ You are just jealous that she didn’t want YOU Davis.” Ridge spat.
“ No. I was just hurt that she never did see that she was too good for you. I wanted her to be happy in her life with anyone she chose. I can’t tell you how glad I was that she found it with Thorne.”
“ Thorne…” Ridge scoffed.
“ Yes Thorne. Tell me who does it feel to know that it was the brother who you always found to be inferior to be the one who made her happier than you ever could?”

Jade hung the phone in the hotel room. Her contact in L.A stated that the memorial service for Brooke was about to start. It had been a risk not being in L.A because Brooke’ death was certainly going to be an addendum in her book. Her spy would let her know what happened and even take secret photos of the memorial service since they were to be in attendance. She also wanted photos of Stephanie. Right now Stephanie was doing a good P.R job in being the matriarch of the family and “mourning” for Brooke. “ You’ve never given a damn about that woman. You made her life a living hell for such a long time and now you expect people to believe that you care for her?” God, how she hated Stephanie. The woman who had a imagine of grace and dignity was nothing more than a lying, immoral bitch who’d do anything to get what she wanted no matter who she hurt. Jade stood up and wandered outside to her private patio. Monte Carlo was beautiful this time of the year and she knew that Thorne and Brooke had a wonderful time vacationing. The hotel staffed commented how much kind the couple was not to mention how well they tipped. They Forresters were easy going and acted like a newly wed couple. The one thing was for sure was that Brooke and Thorne had loved each other. She remembered what it was like to love someone so much. She also remembered the pain and heartache that had come from loving someone. Looking back over her shoulder she felt the emptiness of the suite. Daphne had actually gone to have dinner with Colt. How could she have done this to her after everything he had put her through? Jade had known that she wasn’t being really fair. Daphne was her friend and she had supported her during her divorce.
She had also told her she was crazy because she didn’t believe that Colt had cheated on her but by then Jade wasn’t sure and she was tired of all of his demands. Frowning she remembered how good he looked that day. He always had a way of looking good even if he was on a story and hadn’t shaved for days. God, he still smoked. He still drank. He was still an arrogant son-of-a-bitch. His instincts were on the money too. Something about Brooke’s death didn’t ring right with her. She wasn’t going to allow him to out scoop her. She certainly wasn’t going to allow him to use her friend to do it. Dashing into her bedroom she opened her closet and pulled out her weapon for that day. Some men had guns, some used power, she was going to use the one thing she knew was going to send Colt off kilter for just a moment, a killed black dress.

Blaze was heading out the front door of the estate when she was blocked by on of her bodyguard. “What are you doing Franco. I don’t need you today.”
“ Yes, but Victor says that you aren’t to leave the compound.”
“ What? Please. Get out of my way.”
“ I can’t. He made it very clear. You are not to leave for anything while he was gone. I you need anything we will make arrangements for you to get it. We will send someone out for it.”
Blaze was furious. How could he do this to her? “If you think that I’m going to take orders from you. You are mistaken. Get out of my way.”
“ Fine.” Fran said. “ You can make this hard.” Ramon stepped as if in cue behind Blaze and grasped on of her arms while Franco took the other. Usually Blaze could take care of herself however both men were over 200 pounds full of muscle. She screeched as they carried her back in the house. “ Victor says we can make it easy or hard. The hard way you don’t want to know about.” They “escorted” her roughly to her wing of the house and to her room and slammed the door behind them.
“ Son-of –a-bitch!” Blaze kicked over a table in her sitting room. How dare he do this to her? How dare he try to protect that bitch! “I’m going to kill her. I am going to hurt her just like you’ve hurt me.” Flinging her hair out of her eyes her stare became murderous as plotted Brooke’s death. However, before Brooke died, she’d ensure that the woman begged her for mercy.

Zen pulled up in front of the church. He had been surprised to see so many reporters outside of the compound the private church. He was glad that he had tinted windows because the last thing he needed with his job was to get his face in the pictures. Red, he noticed had tensed when she saw the reporters. He parked the car. “Listen, are you going to be okay with all those reporters and everything?”
“ I’m used to them.” Bridget said quietly.
“It’s a little strange.”
“ They’ve been following her around all her life I know her death wouldn’t be any different.”
“ Your mother was someone famous?”
“ Kinda.” Bridget looked up at the church. “ I guess that I had better get moving.”
But instead of moving, she stayed there in the car as if she were paralyzed.
Zen was worried. Gone was the fiery red head from the coffee house and replace was a young woman in total grief. As much as he wanted to move away from this entire situation he was overcome with some emotion. “ Red…”
“ Bridget. My name is Bridget.”
“ Okay. Bridget. Nice name.”
She turned her eye on him making him feel unsure about himself. Strange he couldn’t remember ever feeling that way before. “Thanks. I guess.”
“ Bridget, would you like me to go with you?” He saw the confusion in her eyes. “ I’ll walk you to the front door of the church.”
“ Yeah. I think that would be nice. I’d really appreciate that.” Zen used the remote and opened the door. He helped her down from the SUV noticing how she seemed to smell of roses. Bridget didn’t seem to notice how he moved away from her. She was too preoccupied. Zen took her elbow and led her up the stairs toward the church.

Rick slipped in the seat next to grandmother. He kissed her on her cheek. “ I’m sorry grandma.”
“ It’s alright honey. This is hard on us all.”

Eric sat down next to Stephanie sliding her hand in his.

Taylor felt a little dizzy from the loss of blood but she was able to find her seat next to Katherine and her children. She looked around. Where was Ridge?

Jasmine noticed the look on Taylor face. She also noticed the lack of pallor of Taylor’s face. Taylor didn’t look well at all.

Storm stood up and walked to the podium. They waited as long as they could. They had to start the memorial service.

Stephanie looked at the doorway. Eric turned to her. “ Stephanie?”
“ I just thought that maybe he’d be here.”
“ I know honey. I know.”

Storm cleared his throat looking at the room of people who either family or friends of his dear sisters. No matter, they had all loves his sister. Flowers filled the room. While the room was so jammed pack that some even stood. Kristen sat next to a handsome man who was her boyfriend. Katie, Donna, Rick and his father sat next to his mother. Stephanie and Eric Forrester sat on the opposite pew. Taylor, her children and their nanny, Katherine sat behind them. Felicia, the black sheep of the family sat next to them as well. James Warwick, Lauren Fenmore and even the great Victor Newman attended.
Connor Davis, Megan, Clark Garrison, CJ had come as well. Then there was lots of Forrester Creation staff and even some childhood friends. Each had come to show their respect and admiration for his sister. Ridge was standing the back looking ominous, clearly separating himself from the rest of the family. Still, even he had loved his sister in his own way. They all did. Looking at his mother again, she gave him a reassuring smile. Finally he spoke. “ Friends, family, and co-workers, we are here to celebrate the life and memory of a great woman. My beloved baby sister, Brooke Logan Forrester.” He looked at the back of the church as the door slowly opened.

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