ă€ŠDivorced! Now what?ă€‹


 Chapter 1

    Bethany POV

    Today, I was meant to work, but I swapped shifts with a workmate and decided to work on cleaning out some rubbish in one of the upper rooms, something I had meant to do for a while but have yet to get around to. I was happily singing along to a song in my head when the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway had me peering out of the window. It was my husband, Bret. I was excited to surprise him that I was home and that maybe this time, he would be in the mood to have some fun in the bedroom. It felt like months since he had touched me loveingly. I started to turn from the window but stopped when I heard a second car pull up behind him. It was my twin sisters. I was excited that both my husband and sister hade home. For some reason, I did not see anything wrong with that at the time, but thinking backter, I should have had rm bells going off. I was too trusting.

    Still standing at the window, I waited and watched as Bret greeted Cynthia, wondering how he would greet her. He always seemed to be avoiding her at family gatherings and giving each other nces that confused me at the time, and what shocked me now was that she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, and he gave her a searing kiss that made my blood boil, and my stomach hit the floor. They were having an affair. Is that why he had not touched me in months? I burst into tears at the betrayal and hurt for more than one reason.

    Thinking I needed to get proof, or they would lie through their teeth and make me feel the fool again, I pulled up my phone and took a few snaps of him kissing her before they ventured into the house. He carried her inside with her legs still wrapped around his waist, his hands supporting her bottom and back. I was wondering how far they would go with this ndestine meeting. How far had they gone in the past? It is obvious now that I think about it, they had been meeting up for a while. I approached the door, opening it slightly to hear what was happening.

    The sounds of my sister''sughter floated up the stairs; I decided to walk out of the room, creep to the balcony that overlooks the lounge, and see what they were up to. I could dart into one of the other rooms. They did not even make it to the bedroom when I heard theming up the stairs and looking down over the railing at them. There, in the lounge room, they were kissing and stripping each other''s clothes off. I had my phone still in my hand, so I turned on the video as I captured this event. I might need proof when he starts to lie his way out of this one. I may have been an i***t believing his lies before, but not this time.

    I was crying so hard, my hands most likely shaking, shocked to learn that it was my sister all along and the way they had been acting. I should have guessed they had always been indifferent to each other, and now, thinking about it, I realize that they have most likely been doing this for most of their married life.

    Cynthia started to make groaning noises, and Bret was now down in his boxers and was on his knees with his head between her legs.

    He never did that to me. He said he did not like to go down on a woman, that it was gross, so it was only me he was grossed out with. My tears were drying up, and anger was taking over; how I had been a fool not to see this happening right under my nose. I bet they have beenughing about it behind my back. I was starting to get so angry that I needed to take a calming breath, or I would spoil recording my evidence.

    ''Oh, god, I am going to cum. She shouted out as he continued to keep his head between her legs. He then started to kiss his way up to her breasts when he gave them some loving, too, and then he removed his boxers and, to my horror, did not even put on a condom. I am definitely not bedding him any time soon, the cheap, lying, dirty, cheating bastard. He never went without putting one on with me; the few times we had s*x, he always wore a condom, said he was not ready for kids, and, with my job, neither was I. He thrust into her, and together, they moaned and groaned and rolled around on the floor. She was now on top.

    ''Ride me, baby.'' He cooed at her as they continued this marathon on the lounge floor. He hated me being on top, yet he did all the things he said he did not like with my sister. Cynthia shouted out her pleasure again, and he rolled her over and picked up the pace of his thrusts. I could see sweat trickling down his back as he put his all into her pleasure and his release.

    Dam it. Why was our lovemaking more like this? Oh, I know why now. Because with me, it was just f*****g, just to keep me happy, and not making love, as I now believe he never loved me at all. When the deed was done, and Bret had reached his limit, he cuddled Cynthia and kept kissing for some time after. Something he had not done with me in a very long time, never cuddled after or gave me loving kisses. The jealousy rose and then faded away. Why should I be jealous? My sister always seemed to get everything I had or showed an interest in; she was the favored girl in the family.

    ''Sweetheart, why won''t you let me divorce Bethany, and we shack up together? I told you before that it was always you that I wanted, not her, and you pushed me onto her; I need you! he moaned at her as he continued to pepper kisses up her neck. I seethed at the mention of never having wanted me.

    The whole marriage was a shame. I felt so used.

    ''I have told you before, she is loaded, and I have spent all my inheritance. I need you here. You don''t spend your wages on anyone but me while she pays for everything else; you have no bills to worry about, and you get to buy me pretty things on her credit card, so it is a win-win as far as I am concerned. Why? I get to have you and her money? Why change a good thing when you have it?''

    ''That is harsh; you only want me for my money?'' he sounded like he was joking, and theyughed over it.

    ''Of course.'' She replied, climbed away from him, and started to get dressed, making a show of it as she did.

    ''Baby, I have to get back to work. Catch youter?'' She leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips, and started for the front door.

    ''We still on for this weekend?'' Cynthia stopped and looked at him. She tapped her index finger on her bottom lip as if she were thinking.

    ''Sure baby, you told her you had a weekend seminar to go to, right?''

    ''Yeah, how about we meet upter today and start our weekend early? I have a bag already packed and, in the car, ready to go; I can call her and say we are going early, and I can meet at your ceter.

    ''Sounds good to me. She blew him a kiss and left the house, a skip in her step as she left the house.

    Bret got dressed, tidied up the lounge room, sprayed some air freshener, and now I know why, sometimes, Ie home to the smell of that air freshener. It was not one I had not brought, and I did not particrly like the smell. Thinking back. That smell had been around before I got married. Does that mean he has been having my sister all through our courtship, too?

    He left the house, too. I am standing there shattered and broken, tears rolling down my face. But I am ever so d I forced him to sign a prenup agreement before we married. I wonder if he shared that part with Cynthia. I need to get my act together and sort all this out before the weekend is over. I do not wish to see either of them any time soon.

    Time to make ns. It was still morning, so I could see if I could get to thewyer today, go to the bank, cancel all the credit cards, and make sure I closed all the ounts that he had paymentsing out of, which are my ounts, and then look at what I wanted to do next.

 Chapter 2

    Bethany POV

    ''Mr Hampshire, can I book an appointment, say two o''clock today?'' I asked politely. You will not know I had been crying for thest half hour as I came to terms with what I had just witnessed and got rid of all the hurt. Now it was time to end this farce of a marriage and find a way to get back at my sister. ''Sure, I can make that happen. Could you give me a heads-up on what the appointment will be for?''

    ''I am lodging a divorce. I said ndly, having now said it out loud and made it real. I choked back the threatening tears; nope, it''s not happening; I am a doctor and am good at hiding my feelings when dealing with the sick and dying. I can do it now: treat marriage as a death in the family and block my emotions when in public.

    ''Sorry to hear that. Catch you at two. One job down, what is next?

    Get changed, wear a nice suit, and head to the bank. As I was dressing, the song that was yed at our wedding came on, and I found tears running down my face again. Damn it, I promise no more tears. No, this will not do; he does not deserve my tears, even if they are tears for what I have lost. But then, I never had a marriage to lose, so I have lost nothing but my own stupid pride.

    Just as I was putting on some make-up, a song that I thought was more appropriate for how I was feeling came on. ''I see Red by Everybody Loves An Ouw'' is precisely what I needed to get those tears under control and put on my big girl pants. I started to sing along with the song. ''That cheap lying wannabe....was a fool...to think I would forgive and forget... I see RED'' I am not the best of singers, ording to Bret, but I think I can hold a tune, and Iugh as I get the words mixed up, but it made me feel better, and that is what I was feeling at the moment, I was seeing red, and I wanted to hurt both of them back so badly.

    The drive to the bank was quiet, with fewer cars on the roadte in the morning. The queue at the bank was not so good. I waited my turn to speak to the concierge about why I was there, and I was soon hustled away from the line and into a private booth to chat with one of the bank people.

    ''What can we do for you today, Ms Peterson?'' Yeah, this guy is trying to kiss my b**t. He would have been told I am here to close an ount.

    ''I am here to close my ount; please, a cash bank cheque.'' Staying polite and cautious, the bank teller was a bit shocked. I was closing over one million dors, which was a big deal for the small bank. I even had a smile on my face the whole time. I was on fire. This was my first real step to the closure of my marriage and revenge on my ex and his mistress. The taste of revenge had raised my hackles and I had my ws out. I had intended to discuss therge amounts of money that was gone from this ount with Bret when he came home, but now I don''t care; that ount is closed, which means no credit card and no direct debits of my money to his bills anymore. This cash cow will not be milked again. I hope he enjoyed what he managed to get from me before I learned of his cheating ways.

    As I walked down the street, clearing my mind and thinking about what I wanted to do next, I saw a girlfriend entering a caf¨¦ across the street. I suddenly found my feet, taking me across the road to join her.

    ''Hey, Cathy?'' I called out as she sat in her booth. She looked up at me in shock. It appears she has been crying.

    ''Oh, Hi Bethany, how are you?'' she asked meekly. I could tell she was upset. Putting my own woes behind me, I needed tofort her, so I got up, slid beside her, and hugged her. The waitress came over and interrupted the hug. I slid back to the other chair and looked at Cathy.

    ''I would like a peppermint tea and, Cathy, would you like a coffee and cake? My treat?''

    ''Yes, please. The waitress walked away, grumbling something under her breath, and I shook my head to clear any negative thoughts.

    ''So, tell me, why are you crying?'' I probed, feeling that is what friends do.

    ''My boss yelled at me today, and it got to me, no biggy.'' She tried to make it light, but I could see she was a mess.

    ''You are in real estate, yes?''

    ''Yeah, the market is not that busy for me, I usually get at the bottom end of the market, where the others always seem to be given the bigger deals, and I am struggling to find my quota. They can make a quota on one sale for the month that I need to sell, four or five to reach it, and I feel it is too much for me. When the boss hands over anyrge ounts thate in, it always gives them to his favorite and I get the smaller ones, which take a lot more of them to reach the set quota. I am seriously looking at changingpanies. I feel my boss does not like me not giving me a share of the higher priced properties on the market.

    ''Well, today is your lucky day, I need your help!'' I said, and she looked at me with hope and curiosity.

    ''Tell me, what can I do for you? I can rarely help you; it always seems I am the one in need.'' She half-joked.

    I waited for the waitress to put the drinks on the table and leave, then looked around the room to see who was nearby. Satisfied with what I saw, I turned to her and told her my news.

    ''He didn''t.'' she said in shock. And added, ''That scumbag, with her of all people''

    ''So, what I need at that moment is for you to list my home. Cathy squealed at the news of my home as a listing, though I no longer see it as home.

    ''I need your auctioneer guy toe over and clear the house of stuff I don''t want, and you can have all that is in the fridge and freezer. That should keep you going for a while, then I need a ''you haul it van'' and some guys to put what I want to keep in it and take it to my new ce and Bret''s thing to Cynthia''s garage. ''What new ce? I did not know you had a new ce?'' she looked confused. Have I moved?

    ''Yes, I am about to head over to work and take up the offer of working at a private hospital if it is still avable, and if I get it, I will be back to sign the paperwork you should have ready to list my home, to sell it exclusively. I would only like you to handle this one. If any of your colleges try to give me an offer, I will refuse it. Please get themission, not them. Also, I need a new ce. Could you look at security-gated ces? I need at least three bedrooms. It could be a house or a penthouse close to work. Cathy was now in tears. I had just given her enough money tost a whole year by selling my five-million-dor home and buying something else.

    ''Furnished or unfurnished?'' She asked. Once she got her head straight and in work mode, she took her tablet and took notes.

    ''I will be starting from scratch, so I don''t mind either. I will do, though, in a penthouse suite, maybe at least semi-furnished; don''t want to lug heavy beds and couches around!''

    ''Oh, let me send you this.'' I opened my phone, found mynd deed from when I purchased the house, and sent it to her.

    ''Thanks. Give me about two hours, and I can have a list ready and the paperwork done!

    ''My appointment with thewyer is at two. How about Ie to you after that?''

    ''Perfect'' Cathy had a smile on her face like all her dreams hade true.

    ''Thank you. Can you have the auctioneer guy over? He cane after we are done. You can organize it, and the men, too. The sooner it is done, the better. I can stay in a motel if I have to.

    ''Will give you the details when I see youter this afternoon.'' With that, I finished my cuppa, hugged Cathy, and headed out for work with my fingers crossed that the job was still open.

 Chapter 3

    Bethany POV

    Luckily for me, my boss was not busy.

    ''What brings you here on your day off, Bethany?'' He is charming and very good at his job, and I like him. He is always a straight shooter, and he is apassionate man.

    ''I am going through an emotional time at the moment, and would like to know if the job is still going at the private hospital?'' ''The one I had offered you is gone. My heart sank. I was hoping for that job so that I could get away from here and there.

    ''But I have something else I can offer you. I need a manager for the research section of the heart clinic. We have trials going on all the time, and I need someone to take the reins and run with it. Doctor Munroe is the manager of the surgical clinic, and you will be working alongside him. ''You for real? I would love to do that, thank you. I would love to take up that offer.''

    ''Good, I have the paperwork here; read and sign it. You can start, say, a month? Will that be long enough for you to sort out your personal issues?''

    ''Perfect, having you here in this hospital has been a pleasure. I think you should take the next two weeks off, get settled in Preston, and start fresh.

    Thank you.'' I stood and shook his hand before leaving with a copy of the agreement, pleased he did not mention the personal matter.

    ''Two weeks is enough.'' I said, quickly looking over the documents before signing them. I am going to earn even more money than as a heart surgeon, and I can hardly believe it.

    ''Mr Hampshire will see you now. I was ushered into mywyer''s office. An old, graying man but still a fine-looking one, his son, a younger image of him, was sitting beside him, learning the ropes for when Mr Hampshire retires.

    ''Talk to me, Bethany. He prompts. He had been mywyer for many years, rmended by my granddad.

    ''Let me share something with you first, and then you can tell me if I can get a quick divorce from the judge today!'' I sent him the video, and Father and son watched it, and I sat observing their faces.

    ''With your video and prenup, we can give this to the judge in a few hours, and if all goes as nned, you will have him gone. Any other issues?''

    ''Yes, I need to change my will. I wish for everything to go to charity, for now!

    ''Done. Let me get that all drawn up; give me twenty minutes, and we shall get this ready for you to sign.

    ''Oh, by the way, I handed him the bank statements.

    ''This was for twenty thousand dors and more. Someone here is not doing their job, and the bank or is friends with Bret, giving him the clearance to take more than the agreed amount. Bret had a limit of ten thousand dors a day he could spend, buttely, he

    has been spending more than that. To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i''b I closed the ount and threatened the bank with awsuit if they did not close it then and there. He gifted these items to my sister. Can I get the more expensive ones back, as I paid for them against my wishes? The mistress does not deserve to keep them!

    ''That is theft; your prenup was clear about the amount he can spend; I am sure we can work something out. Threaten to send them to jail if they do not give them over, leave them with me. Thewyer was enjoying this; he never liked the way I ended up being married to that scumbag.

    ''Anything we can do to cause my sister a little pain? You heard the video!

    ''Not at the moment, but I can talk to the judge tonight and see if she can shed any light on whether we can do anything that I am unaware of.

    ''I will wait in the waiting room so you can get this done. I left his office and called Cathy.

    ''Cathy Simpson speaking, how can I help you?''

    ''Cathy, I will be over in about half an hour. We all go to Preston.

    ''I have the papers ready for signing, and I think there are a few ces that fit your style. Matt said he could be at your ce around six and would love some pizza. Iughed at Matt and his pizza. He was our auctioneer and a funny old man. I needed a goodugh, and that was the man who would do it.

    ''How many areing over?''

    ''Ten, is that enough?''

    ''Plenty, thank you. Catch you soon.'' I signed the papers and left for Cathy.

    ''Ms Peterson, it''s so good to see you again. How can we help you?'' A sales representative I don''t like came over to me. I was a walking dor sign to him. I have never dealt with him, and I never will.

    ''She is my guest, Mr. Jones! Cathy came from behind a screen. Mr. Jones gave her a nasty look, walked back into his office, and watched us through the ss. I followed Cathy to her desk behind the screen. It was not at all a good look. Maybe she should look at a differentpany, one that will treat her right.

    ''Here are the papers for the house to go onto the market at the price you asked, and these are the houses and two penthouses you might like to look at.'' I took the paperwork first and signed it. Then, I looked at theputer screen and did a virtual walk-through of the properties. The second penthouse was perfect, semi-furnished, and within walking distance from the private hospital. How many penthouses are on that floor?'' I knew some more significant buildings, like this one, could have more than one on the top floor. ''Two. A nice young man.''

    ''Good. I will take that one. It is for three and a half million. I will offer the owner three million cash. I want to rent it until settlement.''

    ''Let me phone the owner and see if she is willing.'' I waited while Cathy talked to the owner, and she was smiling at me.

    ''She will ept your offer and no charge to move in straight away!

    ''Thank you. By the way, once you get yourmission from thispany, leave thepany; they are dragging you down. I handed her a business card.

    ''Try that one. I have used them before when I was getting Granddad''s estate closed. They were friendly enough. Use my name if you like. I am sure you would fit in better than here!

    The rest of the afternoon was spent packing my clothes and stuff I wanted to take with me and throwing his stuff in suitcases, boxes, and any other stuff of his. When the first person arrived, I asked him to take the pile I had made of Bret''s things and take them to the address I gave them and the key to the garage.

    By the end of the night, the house was empty, and my car was full of what I needed now and everything else on its way to my new home. I booked a motel for the night and had a night out with Cathy and a few other girls I spent time with.

    On Saturday, I woke to the sound of talking in the hallway of the motel. I had a family lunch today, like most Saturdays. If I am not working, I join the family for lunch. Today, it will just be me, my older brother and his wife, and my parents. It is time to give them the good news.

    ''Hello dear, you are looking well,'' Mother greeted me when I entered the kitchen. The food was nearly ready, and Dad and my brother were already seated and waiting for it to be ced on the table. We ate and chatted about my brother and his wife expecting their first child and how great it was to finally have one on the way.

    ''So, Bethany, when will you and Bret give me a grandchild?'' My mother was always like that to me; I was never good enough in her eyes.

    ''Never.'' I replied calmly and took another sip of my coffee, watching her face as I said this.

    ''Never?'' she squeaked back. ''Why not?''

    ''It is more likely that Cynthia will have his child first.''

    ''She does not have a boyfriend.'' She spat with venom, not picking up what I said ''his''.

    ''Oh, but she does. Did you not know?'' I acted shocked.

    ''Who?''

    ''Let me show you instead. This was going to be interesting; her favorite daughter would be on show for everyone to see. I opened myptop, started the video, and turned it around so everyone could see. There was shock and disbelief. Mother was always the drama queen. ''When did this happen? It can''t be true.

    ''Yesterday, and it is true, and as ofst night, I am now divorced from that lying, cheating bastard.

    ''Surely you jest forgive him; he did not mean it. I am sure Cynthia has a good reason.

    ''Oh, you heard the reason, Mother. Where do you think they are right now? They are not on a work seminar, but a dirty weekend they started yesterday. Your favorite daughter had been bedding my husband for many years and happily spending my money. When they return, you can console her like you always do; this girl is done.''

    I stand and walk out of the house that was once my home and away from all the hurt that I have suffered over the years. No more being the nice, forgiving one.

    Dad phoned me a few hourster as I was driving to Preston.

    ''Daughter, I understand that you have been through some rough times in the past at the hands of your sister and mother. Just know I have your back with this. I thought something was fishy with the two of them. There is no disputing what I have just seen, and I am ashamed that I have put you through so much hurt. Your mother always took Cynthia''s lies and told me to stay out of it. Hopefully, when you are ready, we can meet up and get to know each other again!

    ''I would like that, Dad.

 Chapter 4

    Bethany

    POV

    The penthouse was spacious, and the view was spectacr. I was going to enjoy sitting on the balcony and watching the nightlife start. This is way better than the virtual walk-through video; it took little time for me to get settled in, go food shopping, and head back to my penthouse with armfuls of food. The private elevator dinged, and the door opened, and I stepped out and into a solid wall that was not supposed to be there. I juggled my parcels, trying not to drop the groceries, and a hand aided me and took a few parcels off of me. I looked up and saw that the solid wall had a face, and I was staring at some of the bluest eyes I had ever seen, a very cheeky grin, and the most delicious man I had everid eyes on. Why had I put up with Bret for so long when there were men like this one out there? He had messy brown hair that looked like he had just climbed out of bed, he was taller than my five foot nine inches, and every part of what I could see was all muscles, and bam, all tears and feeling sorry for myself and bad thoughts of Bret were gone, I was not usually someone who looks at other men, but how could I not stare at this one, just looking at him woke up mydy parts.

    ''Hey, let me give you a hand; I am Theo; you must be my new neighbor.'' He took most of my parcels, and I had still not found my voice when he turned to head to my door, and I saw a nice tight arse. He was one drool-worthy man and my neighbor. I get to look at that arse often. Listen to me; I have just had a divorce, and I am already looking at other men. Am I wrong for wanting love?

    ''My name is Bethany, but my friends call me Beth.

    ''Wee to the top floor. Do you cook?''

    ''Yes, I don''t mind cooking. I am not a gourmet of anything, but it is passable.'' I joked back with him. He seems to be a nice, easy-going man. Maybe we can be good friends. That is something I could do right now.

    ''Good, I am a lousy cook. Maybe we can help each other out. I can order takeaway some days, and you can cook. How does that sound?'' He seemed a nice enough man.

    ''Wow, you are a fast worker. His look was a smirk, but not a sinister one. Drool, baby drool, I said to myself as I followed him into my penthouse. He ced my groceries on the kitchen bench and looked around my ce, taking in the way I had set it up. ''You have made this ce really nice. Thedy who had just moved out married some rich dude and never really did much here. The view is nice of the city. You shoulde over and see mine. I have a view of the ocean, and it is pretty nice watching the sun set over it. Now, he was sounding really romantic. I cannot remember thest time I sat and watched the sunrise, or, for that matter, all the romance disappeared years ago, or maybe there never really was any, only when I tried to do something.

    ''I would like that. Watching the sunset, that is. But I can do that anywhere. Were we moving too fast? I don''t know; I have only been divorced for a day. Is this a rebound fling? Do I want to have a fling with the man next door? If we broke up, it could be awkward. ''Would you like a coffee?''

    ''Oh, no, thanks, I was heading out when we bumped into each other. Literally, I am runningte, having dinner with Felicity, maybe another time. He did not expand on who Felicity was. Maybe his girlfriend? He was just being nice to me, as a neighbor should. Gee, am I that desperate to be loved?

    ''Have a nice night, I replied to the retreating body, who waved back as he closed my door on his way out. That is a mighty fine back view, and the front was not so bad either. Yummy. I''m going to enjoy looking at that again, even if I can''t have that body. There is no harm in enjoying the view and thepany.

    If he is an example of what this town can offer, I am going to change my ways and think about having a few one-night stands; I have not had s*x in so long; maybe that is why I may have been reading more into Theo than what was really there. My mobile ringing pulled me out of my fantasizing. I checked the number before answering.

    ''Hello?'' I was not sure of the number; it was andline.

    ''Hi Beth, it is Cathy, guess what?'' She sounded super excited.

    ''You got me, What?''

    ''I have an offer for your house. I took a man through this morning. He was over the moon with it and has offered you five million four hundred. Are you okay with that? It''s only one hundred thousand short of the asking price.

    ''Sell it.'' That was my quick reply. I can''t wait to get rid of that ce of bad memories.

    ''He wants to move in immediately once I have a good deposit. Is that okay?''

    ''Yep, send me the paperwork. An express courier should be here in a few hours, and I will sign it and send it back by courier.

    ''Better than that, how about I drive over and get you to sign and drive back? I need an out!

    ''Come, I will cook you some chicken stir-fry for dinner, and you can stay the night.

    ''Deal. I hung up and felt really good about what had happened. I am now a free woman, and I am not looking back, ever. Tears over Bret are done; no wallowing, no going back, move forward.

    Cathy arrived just after eight, and we had a st. Once I signed the paperwork, she told the new owner it was a done deal. He was moving in tomorrow, and it was going to be fun if Bret tried to show up. I changed the gate code, so he can''t go to the house. Cathy said she had booked both settlements for the same day. We drank a bottle of wine andzily chatted about her life, avoiding mine as we both knew that would only bring the mood down. Instead, weughed at silly things and went to bed just after midnight. ''Thank you for the card. I will give my notice and leave after I get mymission paid on your properties. That otherpany said yes, I can start anytime! ''That is wonderful news. I will send anyone looking to buy or sell to you.''

    Cathy left after some aspirin and coffee. It was nice catching up. I was sitting on the balcony, enjoying a cup of coffee and seeing the view of the city life getting busy. When my front door opened, Theo walked in as if he owned the ce. I must have forgotten to lock it after Cathy left. It had not urred to me that he would walk in like this and that, being the only two on that floor, my home should have been safe. That is why I had not locked the door. I felt safe, and Theo did not feel dangerous.

    ''Morning sunshine, how was your night? Not too lonely, I hope?'' Theo asked as he made himself a cup of coffee and came to sit by me. I wonder if this is how he treated the other woman who used to live in this suite.

    ''Were you this forward with the other woman when she lived here? Like you did not knock.'' I decided to put it out there, and no longer go with the flow, Beth.

    ''Nah, she kept her door locked and me at arm''s length; she had her sugar daddy; she was trying to bag and did not want me hanging around while she hooked that big fish. Besides, I did give a soft knock. He sounded a little bitter. Had he had issues in the past with money-hungry women? That is more or less what my marriage was all along. I was a cash flow that kept my ex and twin happy. Soon, I was feeling as bitter as Theo''s voice had been. If Theo knocked, I did not hear it.

    ''How did you know I was up?'' I blew the steam away from my cup and took another sip, not looking at him as we talked, not wanting to see his cheeky grin.

    ''Didn''t think. If you weren''t, I would put the kettle on and wake you up with a nice coffee, which is about the only thing I am good at in the kitchen. Though I am known for my toasties, they always go down well.'' I avoided saying anything about him making himself at home, thinking he would walk in, regardless of what I said, unless I locked the door to keep him out, and at the moment, I was content to have this s*x-on-legs walk in whenever he liked, it will keep me on my toes. So far, I have liked what I see and, more importantly, how he makes me feel, things I had not felt in years, so I am going to let it slide for now and have him walk in when he likes. I will address it if it bes an issue or ask for a louder knock. I needed a change in my life, and Theo may be just what I needed.

    ''I am sure you are good at more than making coffee and toasties in the kitchen. My mind suddenly froze. Was I flirting? I can''t remember thest time I had bantered with anyone like this in years. It was like my old self was back; I had lost who I was somewhere during my marriage, and I was not really living.

    ''Like what?''

    ''Loading the dishwasher?''

    ''You got me there; I can load the dishwasher. I looked at his hand and could not see a line to say he wears a ring, but then neither did my hand, as you cannot wear a ring in surgery. Funny, I had never thought about this sort of thing before, and Theo seems to be a fun guy. ''Have you eaten?''

    ''Nope, want to go out and eat?''

    ''How about an omelet?''

    ''You offering to cook?''

    ''Yeah, I am ready for breakfast and don''t want to wait for someone else to cook it for me.'' He followed me inside and sat on the stool.

    ''Need a hand? I can cut up stuff; I am good with a knife; it is putting on heat and adding the right ingredients together. That is a massive failure.'' Somehow, I feel there is little he would fail at if he wanted to do something.

    ''Rx and talk to me about this city, what the nightlife is like, and good ces to go eat and entertain.

    He told me about all the local food ces he liked to go to and a few nightclubs, including one he said was a dive and not worth the hype. We ate our omelets and continued to chat, staying away from anything personal, and I was fine with that.

 Chapter 5

    Bethany

    POV

    Theo left. He said he had to go to work and thanked me for a great start to the day. I thought about the ces he had talked about and decided after I had loaded the dishwasher, I would head out and explore a little, plus see how long it took to get to work and how much cover there was in the winter. I prefer to avoid walking in a downpour. The walk took fifteen minutes, was short, and had plenty of cover with shops and trees, making the walk in the rain more manageable. I decided to go to introduce myself to my boss. He is the overseer of both sections. I took the elevator to the fifth floor and soon found his office. It was Sunday, and I was still determining if he would be there. I knew my old boss could be found in his office almost every day.

    I stood outside it, looking at the name for a moment. Dr. M Robson was engraved on the sign in clear, bold letters so you could notice whose office it was.

    ''Come in. A strong masculine voice calls from the other side of the door. I opened it and saw a man in his sixties, working behind arge desk, with papers scattered everywhere. He was a handsome man with a short-trimmed beard. I was not one for beards, but this did not detract from his strong jawline and sparkling eyes.

    ''Hi, I was passing by and thought I woulde and introduce myself. I am ....

    ''Bethany Peterson.'' He finished for me, standing to offer me his hand before sitting back down.

    I blushed that he knew who I was when I failed to recognize him.

    ''About two years ago, you gave a speech at the Rosemount on open-heart versus keyhole surgery. It was all very cutting edge, and I was impressed by the skills you disyed at the time!

    ''Wow, that was a while ago. I''m sorry I don''t remember you,'' I stammered out. I am usually good at names and faces.

    ''You wouldn''t. I was in the theater spectating. You articted yourself very well. I have been nagging your boss at the hospital since then to get you here, and now I have you. I am not letting you go. I chuckled along with him as I took the seat he pointed to. I sat down and waited for him to continue.

    ''Normally, I would give you forms to fill out, but everything is in order as you are transferring from our sister hospital. I have received your agreement, and I am pleased that you will be taking over the running of the research side. Dr. Monroe had been trying to look after both sides, but it was a two-person job. He was given the choice of surgery or research, and he chose the surgery. He is a damn fine surgeon, and so are you. Don''t think you will not be doing surgery because you are on the research side. There is plenty to keep you busy, and you may find you are doing more surgery than research for a while, but we shall see how that goes as time goes by. As I need your surgical skills as well as your research, I am sure both of you will get along just fine. He is currently in a theater, so I cannot introduce him to you. Let me show you where your office is and introduce you to some of the staff.

    The hospital was a five-story building with private high-quality rooms as well as a couple of wards for those who could not afford the higher-priced rooms. It was more like a motel room for some. The canteen was more like a small restaurant; the food smelled good. The staff I met were all pleasant, and when they realized who I was, they were suddenly more alert. My office was a lot like I expected, maybe a little bigger, and even had a window, though I doubt I would get a chance to look out of it much. Then, I fell in love with my researchb. It was marvelous. I would be doing several autopsies here, looking at heart-diseased bodies that have been left for science, each one categorized and photographed, and a little background history of each patient. I could try and ascertain what caused the heart disease. I could not wait to start work.

    By the time I made it home, it was seven o''clock. I decided to have a steak for dinner and started to peel the vegetables when my front door opened. Theo walked in, looking like he had just climbed out of the shower. His eyes looked tired. He was putting on a brave face. I wondered what he was doing to be working on a Sunday but did not want to delve into personal stuff yet. I was enjoying not having to think about it, and he had a girlfriend, Felicity, so he was out of bounds from anything more than a good friend. I said this before, but I needed to keep reminding myself that I had to keep my distance and not get attached. I heard rebounds make you more vulnerable to attachments that are not real, and I don''t need another non-real rtionship.

    ''Do you have enough for two?'' he asked as he entered my kitchen and started the coffee pot.

    ''Sure, grab another steak from the fridge. He did as he was told and added that steak to the other one that was marinating, picked up a peeler, and started to peel the potatoes. We worked together. I was talking about my walk, though not about visiting work and the little caf¨¦ I had found. He knew it well and said they made the best cheesecake he had ever tasted. Now, the challenge was on for me to make one better than the caf¨¦. I missed those sorts of challenges. Bret never liked the variety of meals; he was a steak and chips person, and I was looking forward to eating all those foods I had missed out on.

    We sat and ate our meal out on the balcony, and Theo grabbed a bottle of wine to apany it. I don''t usually bother to drink at every meal when on my own. It''s not a habit I had picked up and not one I intended to, but as I was on holiday, I thought, why not for a change? I made sure Theo drank most of the wine, and he was pleasantly tipsy when I kicked him out the door.

    ''Behave, or I will start to lock my door,'' I threatened, and that made him leave without any further fuss. My phone started to ring as I kicked him out. I closed the door and picked up my phone, but stupidly, I did not check who the caller was.

    ''Hey honey, I won''t be home tonight. The flights have been canceled, and we have a storm over here. I will give you a call when I am heading back. Catch youter.'' He did not even let me answer before he hung up the phone. I could hear in the background that he was at a party of some kind. I guess he didn''t know about the divorce yet.

    I was exhausted from all the walking around today and the emotional turmoil that I was slowly getting rid of. Being a doctor, you learn to put emotions aside so you can deal with a patient''s family. This helped me gain thick skin. Putting my lost marriage aside like a lost patient might not be a healthy way to do it, but it works for me at the moment. I mentioned all this before, but it was more to keep reminding myself that I am strong and not let the past dictate my future. I own my feelings, and no one is going to make me have second-hand embarrassment or emotions of any kind that are not my own-no more gaslighting for this girl.

 Chapter 6

    Theo POV

    Bumping into Beth was a treat. She seemed to be a nice woman, not at all like the previous tenant of that penthouse, and she did not even kick me out when I walked in the morning; I did knock, but not very loudly; I never do. She invited me to have breakfast with her. I don''t know what it is about her, but she is drawing me in like a moth to the me. She appeared to have been hurt and was trying to get over it, so I avoided personal chit-chat, not that I had much to talk about. I have almost zero personal life. Myst girlfriend cheated on me, with all the odd long hours I do as a surgeon, and could be called in at a moment''s notice. She did not like that she was not getting the attention she wanted. When I went to visit her after finishing a long shift, I found her in bed with her neighbor, so I high-tailed it out of there and have not been in contact since. The previous woman in Beth''s suite was a gold digger, and she had managed to get a ring on her finger from a wealthy tycoon who must be twice her age. But hey, who am I to judge? Beth, I want to get to know her and maybe have a few dinners together. It gets lonely eating alone all the time. I am not looking at finding a girlfriend; I am just looking for apanion for meals. If she wants to do the bedtime dance, I might even be up for that, but I don''t need to. Plenty of women are chasing me, and that also does not interest me. I like to be the one doing the chasing, and with the type of money I am making and have in the bank, I am a little skeptical about the intentions of the woman. After thest neighbor being a gold digger, I am d I did not have much to do with her. I noticed the moment you say you are a heart surgeon, they see dor signs and want to be more than a dinner date.

    I had a slight headache today and drank too much wine at Beth''s ce. Her topping my ss up more than hers did not go unnoticed. But I was not going to say anything and allowed her to get away with it. I do not have work today; a slight headache won''t hurt me; a quick Advil and it will be gone soon enough.

    We have a pool and private gym upstairs on the rooftop. It is for the two of us only. I am unsure if she has gone investigating this ce yet, but I might suggest it when I have finished myps, over breakfast again if she is up to cooking, and might join me swimming sometimes, with nothing but positive thoughts. To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i''b,I rush upstairs two at a time and push the door open to the rooftop, then stop dead in my tracks, there doingps. There was the woman who had been on my mind a lot since we met. Her strokes are perfect, slicing the water with ease, and her body is sexy and sleek. I feel the need to sit down and watch her, and she is so captivating.

    I threw my towel on one of the deck chairs and waited for her to do a turn at the shallow end before diving in and starting to swim alongside her. She had a good pace going, and it did not take long to join her in stroke for stroke, looking at her with each turn of the head. I was not at my usual pace, but Beth''s stroke rate and pace were not bad for a woman. Don''t get me wrong. Being a woman is a good thing, but we men have more power in our strokes, and I could easily end up ahead of her if I did not adjust my stroke. I wanted to be next to her for a little while. It felt good to have someone next to me in the water, and it can be a lonely swim out here every day on your own.

    We did ten moreps before Bethany climbed out of the pool. I picked up my pace and did another twentyps before calling it quits. When I climbed out of the pool, I found Bethany sitting on a deck chair, watching me.

    ''Morning, you have good form, and thank you for keeping pace with me and not taking off as I know you could have.'' Busted, this woman knows how to make me stop and take note.

    ''You''re wee, and you too have a nice form, even long strokes through the water. It is easy for me to keep pace with you. I was impressed. Thisdy does not miss much at all, not at all like any other woman I have met. Not flirty to get into my bed or rude to avoid me altogether, I don''t feel like I need to try and impress this woman; it is as if she epts whatever life has thrown at her and doesn''t let it affect her too much, or she hides it very well.

    ''Do youe here often?'' she asked as she rubbed the towel through her hair. Not at all worried about what her head would look like when she removed the towel, I just knew it was going to be sticking up all over the ce, just like mine often does.

    ''Every morning, if work permits, I can get called in at odd times, which can mess up my routine a little.'' I was being honest with her; I see no reason not to be at the moment.

    ''I can understand that. I am on a two-week holiday before I get back to the grind. It is nice to have that break. It has been a while since I had a holiday this long!

    ''Pity you could not go away somewhere and spend it like a real holiday instead of moving house!

    Beth stayed quiet, not making anyment about a real holiday. We had delved a little closer into personal questions, so I avoided asking her what she did and moved on.

    ''Will you cook breakfast again today?'' I really hope she does. I could use another one of her meals. She is a good cook.

    ''Sure, anything in particr you would like?''

    ''Have you some bacon and eggs?''

    ''You bet. How do you like your eggs and bacon?''

    ''Over easy and crispy. I loved that there was no pressure to have a conversation with Beth.

    Beth stood up and picked up her towel. My d**k decided it. It was like what I saw, and for the first time in a long time, I had an embarrassing moment where I needed to put my towel around my waist to hide my body''s reaction to hers. Luckily, she had her back to me and did not notice my body''s reaction. I followed her inside and down the stairs. Once we reached her door, she pushed it open and walked in. I was unsure if I should follow her into her home.

    ''Um, I will catch you in about ten minutes. I will shower and change. Then help you with breakfast.''

    ''You are going to cook?'' She asked, turning around just inside her door.

    ''Nope, but I can make coffee and toast and set the table if you like. Outside on the balcony again?''

    ''Sure, you might as well enjoy it while the weather is so nice. I could not agree more. It will not take long before winter is here, and time on the balcony will be shelved for a while.

 Chapter 7

    Bethany POV

    Finding the pool has made my day. Do they have a gym, too? I was halfway through my swim, which I am going to do each morning if work allows me to, when I felt someone enter the water. I thought it was a private pool area and then remembered that Theo had ess. I felt tingles rush through at the thought of seeing his body without a shirt on. Come on, girl, you are a doctor. You have seen plenty of naked men before.

    As I took a breath, there was Theo doing stroke for stroke with me. Even when I went swimming with Bret, which was rareter in the marriage, he would never swim near me, saying I was too slow. It was nice that Theo did not rush off but kept pace with me and did his own routine. It made me feel good inside; since meeting Theo, he had me feeling things I had not felt in a very long time, and it scared me a little bit, but at the same time, it was rediscovering who I am again. Yeah, I am a top doctor in my field, but I have lost sight of who I am in my private life. I was too busy trying to make a sham of a marriage work, ming myself every time an argument broke out and how I could have dealt with things a little differently. You could hardly see me any longer, just a shell of a person I used to be.

    When I was done, I sat and watched him finish the rest of hisps. Thirtyps could be his dailyps, or maybe twenty if he did not keep pace with me and did the faster-pacedps. He climbed out of the pool, ced his hands on the ground by the pool, and pushed up and out of the pool, so gracefully watching the muscles flex as he climbed out made me warm and lustful, and then I was mesmerized as the water drained down his abs, and suddenly I felt a little hot. When I raised my eyes to his face, I blushed at the thought that he had just caught me checking him out; his eyes were on me as if he was enjoying looking at me. I blushed again, thinking he could see more of me than in my one-piece bather. Did I look okay? Doubts hitting me hard, I pulled the towel over my head to hide my blush and rubbed the towel through my hair, trying to make it look like I was trying to dry it, and btedly thought of how my hair would look when I was done and blushed even more for my stupidity. When I pulled the towel off my head, I ran my fingers through my long, messy hair, trying tob out some of the knots I had just given myself. I heard Theo chuckle and rubbed the towel over his hair. Looking at him, I thought about how easily his hair coped with being roughly treated and wondered if I should get rid of my hair, maybe do aplete makeover, a new me for my new job and change of lifestyle as a single woman on the prowl. That sounds great to me. I would have to look where to find a nice spa ce, hairdresser, and some new clothes and get back to the style I loved before Bret encouraged me to change my style to something he liked. I had not realized that, over time, I had slowly stopped being me in our rtionship, and it was what he wanted me to be seen as. I am so d I learned about this before children became part of the equation. It still hurts that I have been a fool for so long. At the moment, that feeling is mixed emotions of betrayal, sadness at being made a fool of that the marriage was a sham all along, and anger and wanting revenge. Anger is the one that keeps hitting me the hardest at the moment, and the need for revenge is on my list of things to do. And even though I have started to get some revenge I crave, I still feel there must be something else I could do to make them suffer. Time should allow me to get revenge on both of them. I can wait. Someday, sooner orter, the chance for revenge will show up, and I will take it with all my might.

    We arranged to meet back at my home, ''Home,'' which had a nice ring, and we would have breakfast together. I showered, dressed in skinny jeans and a floral shirt, and walked to the kitchen barefoot to start breakfast. I had the bacon cooking on medium heat and the coffee pot on, grabbed the eggs and the toaster, and put them on the counter; before I could start the toaster, my mobile rang.

    I grabbed it and did not recognize the number, so I put it on speaker and epted the call, thinking someone from my new job could be trying to contact me.

    ''Bethany, it is me; I am stuck; the credit card won''t work. Could you contact the bank and fix the issue for me? Thanks, sweetheart! he sounded all lovey-dovey, and it made me sick to think I used to believe in this crap; in the background, I heard the receptionist in a hotel wee another customer, and I knew he was not where he should be.

    ''Sure, banks won''t be open yet. I pretended to y his game.

    ''Thank you so much, as he hung up, I heard Cynthia giggle something.

    ''Hyatt Hotel. My name is Michael. How can I help you?'' I heard lots of noise in the background; they must be busy.

    ''Hi Michael, I received something about my credit card. My name is Bethany Peterson.

    ''The credit card I received from a man called Bret Morrison was declined. The amount is twenty-eight thousand seven hundred and sixty dors. Could you please give me another card number to clear the debt?'' What the fuk? How can he spend that much at a damn hotel?

    ''Wow, that is a lot of money. What could a person spend all that money on at a hotel? Was it a group booking of some kind?'' I was shocked at the price. What did he do?

    ''He took the honeymoon suite for him and his new wife. They are a lovely couple who shouted around at the bar for two nights, had spas, and the list continued. So, can you give me a new card number to clear this ount? He said you had agreed to pay for it as a wedding gift. That scoundrel, if he thought I was going to pay for his dirty weekend, he had another thinging. How dare he.

    ''Can you send me a copy of the bill to my mobile?'' I gave him my mobile number.

    ''Just a moment, I can do that.'' He was cooperative, not knowing what I nned to do next. My phone dinged to say I had received the bill. I opened his message and the bill. It was itemized, and the names of Bret and Cynthia were husband and wife; in the message, he put a lovely newly wedded couple, marriedst Friday at three o''clock in the afternoon, at the church in the building. Interestingly, I was not notified that the divorce went through till six o''clock Friday night. Mywyer went to the judge personally, who pushed it through, but it has not been lodged in the records yet. The record office won''t be open till Monday.

    ''Michael, I suggest you cut up the card that you have in your possession, and I know nothing about this?'' I had thought it would be my twin, but I wanted to be sure, hence asking for the bill.

    ''They are so in love, and it has been a joy to have them stay here, so you cannot help with the bill for this lovely couple? He made it very clear that you would cover it. The man pushed harder to get the bill paid by me.

    ''No sir, I did not arrange to pay for this honeymoon, nor did I even know these people were getting married. If they do not pay, I suggest you call the police! I hung up the phone and suddenly turned around at the smell of bacon.

    ''Dam it, you two have caused me enough trouble, and I will no longer be your cash bank. I cursed aloud; the bacon definitely could be called crispy. I pulled the pan off the heat and burst into tears. I was not sure why I was crying. Maybe hearing that they went as pretend husband and wife each time was a hit to my already fragile ego. I know they could not have been married yet, as Bret did not sound like he knew we were divorced, or why would he phone and lie about a storm if he did? What about his marriage? If it was a legal marriage, would that open a whole different issue?

 Chapter 8

    Theo POV

    With a smile on my face, I showered and changed, thinking of Bethany and how gorgeous she was, not just in her body but to me; she seemed to be a genuine person and had a heart of gold. I could see myself falling for her fast if I was not careful. I grabbed some juice from the fridge, feeling guilty for having Beth cook for me again. Although she did not seem to mind, I felt I was taking advantage of her hospitality, and bringing something to the table would make me feel a little better. I remembered herment, so I knocked a little louder, but it was still not loud enough; I never had to knock at an open door before.

    Taking the first few steps into her home, I heard her phone ring and decided to give her some privacy and a chance to learn a little more about her. I stopped near the kitchen, staying out of sight, but what I heard shocked me. Some couples were trying to take advantage of her kindness. I was familiar with being used for my money, and it seems Beth has a simr problem. My heart felt for her, and a few more walls came tumbling down. I was trying to decide whether to walk into the kitchen now or sneak back out of the ce and make a noisy entrance. It was a sticky moment of indecision until my heart for damsels in distress took over when I heard what happened next.

    I heard her start to cry, my indecision died, and I rushed into the kitchen. She was standing by the stove, her hands on either side of the hot stove, and for a moment, I was concerned if she moved her hand, she would burn it on the hot stove; her head was down, and her body was shaking as sobs racked her body.To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i''b. I rushed to her side and pulled her to me. She turned to me without any hesitation, grabbed my shirt, rested her head on my chest, and cried. My arms automatically wrapped around her and pulled her closer to me. I rubbed her back in small circles, hoping it wouldfort her.

    How long did we stand there in the kitchen? No idea. I would stand there and hold her for as long as she needed me to be there holding her, my shirt was soaking wet, and her tears had stopped, but she still clung to me like her life depended on

    it.

    What happened to her?

    She was so sad and hurt and broken.

    Who were those people?

    I have many questions, but I know it is not my ce to ask. I am here if she decides to share.

    This reminded me of a day when I was holding my little sister in my arms, and her boyfriend broke her heart. Is that what this is about?

    Her boyfriend broke her heart.

    Was he the one who just got married and expected her to pay for his honeymoon?

    This all sounded wild and mixed up.

    I needed to stop thinking and be there for her.

    Beth pulled back and walked over to a tissue box, grabbed a handful of tissues, and blew her nose in an udylike way. You should call me crazy, but it sounded honest and stupid, yeah? But that is how I felt: that I was seeing a very rawdy before me, not hiding her hurt from me and trying to get hold of herself again.

    ''Thank you for the shoulder to cry on; I needed that; our breakfast is now burnt. Would you like to get out of here and have breakfast at that nice caf¨¦ down the street?'' I heard her need to get out of the house, get fresh air in her lungs, and push herself through this pain. I understood it because that is what I would have wanted to do.

    ''Yeah, that sounds good. Do you want to walk there?'' I could get my car if she felt she could not walk.

    ''No, I think walking will do me some good.'' She grabbed her purse, and we walked out. The ride down the elevator was quiet. I did not think Beth wanted to talk at the moment; she had a lot to process, and my small talk at the moment might not be appreciated. So, I walked beside her, opened the building door, and together, exited, my hand on her lower back. I felt the need to keep in contact with her, guiding her to our destination. If it were me, I would not even pay attention to where I was walking, so touching and guiding her softly felt right. How she was holding it together is beyond me. Most women would still be in pieces in the kitchen, yet this woman was a fighter; her feelings were being put away behind arge wall and creating tougher skin. I worried that she would put up some hard walls and block me out when all I wanted to do was help fix her andfort her more than any woman I had before. This was crazy. I hardly know this woman, yet I want to.

    My Mum would never forgive me if I did not support this woman. Mum was a strong woman; she would like Bethany and would want to help her through this. She is an advocate for helping women, and she works as a volunteer at an abused woman''s clinic for women who are both physically and emotionally damaged women. Some from childhood trauma, all sorts of reasons women go there, and Mum loves to help. She is a retired nurse and can identify a damaged woman a mile off. Dad is still an active doctor, and he helps out at the clinic when he can.

    Should I mention the clinic to Beth? Would she take it the way I intend it to be or take offense? I will have to y by ear and see how today pans out. She might not need Mum''s help. I don''t know enough to make a correct decision. We arrived at the caf¨¦, and I opened the door and guided her in, moving to a table at the end of the caf¨¦, away from the door. I sat her down so she did not need to look at the people entering the caf¨¦ or out the window.

    The waitress arrived and checked me out, as mostdies do, but I ignored the flirty looks.

    ''What can I get ya?'' she said. The waitress had gum in her mouth and chewed it as she waited for my reply.

    ''Two ck coffees, two bacon and eggs, with hash browns and toast. Please.'' I btedly added. I tried to be polite to the waitress, but her whole stance and chewing seemed to annoy me for some reason. ''Coffee now? Or with the meal?''

    ''Now, please.'' I was watching Bethany, not giving the waitress the time of day. As far as I was concerned, our order was given, and I wanted to get back to my worry about Beth.

    ''Coming right up.'' The woman almost skipped away from us. I nced over at her as she left, shaking my head. Why do women need to flirt all the time? Does she think I will give her a bigger tip for it? Beth did not look up once during the interaction. She was looking at the table, nk.

    ''Beth?'' I softly tapped her hand that was sitting on the table, drawing the pattern on the tablecloth. She looked up at me and blinked as if she had forgotten where she was. Beth looked around the caf¨¦ to see what she could see, and then she looked back at me. ''Thank you.'' She gave me a weak smile, her eyes sparkling from the tears she had shed. I took her hand in mine and squeezed it, doing all the things I did when my sister''s heart broke. I was used toforting hurt women. Mum would oftene home heartbroken for some woman in a shelter. I have three sisters, and being the only boy made me the shoulder they cried on. Dad, being a doctor, was often not home when the tears were rolling. Did I just sister zone Bethany?

 Chapter 9

    Bethany POV

    Theo was a gentleman; he did all the right things to make me feel a little better; though I have not said why I was crying and upset, he did not push; it was like he had a sixth sense about me. Women and their tears and knew not to ask, be a strong shoulder to cry on, and this for me was embarrassing, my new home and new hot neighbor, and I was crying like a baby on his shoulder, and we had not even been on a date yet, silly things you think about when you are upset. The real question is, what now?

    We were seated in the little caf¨¦, and the order had been given. Theo tapped my hand to get my attention,forting me and letting me know he was there if I needed to talk. I appreciated him being here for me.

    Taking my hand back, I grabbed my mobile and forwarded the copy of the bill and the message Michael, the hotel concierge, sent me to mywyer. I did not put a message on it, and I would let thewyer to read it and have him call me and tell me what to do. I was too angry and upset to make any clear decisions. I returned my phone to the table as the waitress arrived with our food.

    ''How much did you hear?'' I asked, as I suddenly thought he may have heard some of the phone call. If not, maybe even all. ''Enough.'' He replied.

    My face must have said that his answer was not good enough because he sighed and said,

    ''All of it. I nodded, knowing that he had some idea of why I was crying. This did not make me feel bad or worse, that he would not know the whole story, but enough to wonder who the people were and myment about a cash cow. ''Do you have questions?'' I opened the door for him to ask and to clear the air.

    ''If you need to talk, I am a good listener, but I do not need all the details unless you wish to share them, I won''t pry. He sounded sincere, and I appreciated this, not prying. Later, if we be close friends, I might share more. But we were living on the same floor, and he happened to be there for me, for now. Most men would have fled by now. Tears are a man''s weakness, or so I am told. Not my ex; he was immune to my tears, and now I knew why: my sister was better at ying that game than me.

    We ate the food, and Theo paid for it, promising me that I could pay next time. That told me I had not scared him away, and there would be a next time. It was nice to know I had not scared my neighbor away. It would make the meeting in the hallway a little embarrassing if he were running away from a crying woman whom he hardly knew.

    ''What would you like to do today? I have the day off and don''t n on leaving you like that. Would you like a tour of the city? It had a nice art show on at the moment, so new artists were trying to bring their talent to the public. He said carefully, watching my reaction carefully.

    ''That is mighty neighborly of you.'' I replied, hoping I sounded more enthusiastic than I felt. I must have failed as he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, so instead of heading back to our homes, I was led to arge ck SUV that pulled up beside us, and he opened the door for me to enter. Theo had not used his phone to call his driver. How the driver knew he needed to arrive there at that moment was a little confusing. Maybe he had an app on his phone that alerts the driver. He is ready to go. There are so many new gadgets around now, it would not surprise me, and living on the same floor as me, I assumed that he was not without some means, maybe a little more than I had thought, to have his own driver''s service.

    Then who am I to be judging him like this? Am I so tarnished by my ex that I am now judging all men by low standards? My contract has a car service included. Although living close by, I did not think I would use it, but by touring the city and seeing the sights, I might start using it; I had yet to think of that side of having a car service. I thought of only work use, but the car was for personal use, too. It was all part of the package. As I have my own ce to live, they are trying to sweeten the pot by offering other perks. The driver took us along the city''s main street. It was bumper to bumper, and Theo chuckled at my reaction to so much traffic. I had thought I was going to a smaller town, but the traffic was worse than at home.

    ''This city is an old one, and the streets were not built for so many cars. The town nners are trying to think of ways to reduce the congestion, but unless they build either overpasses or go underground, it is almost impossible to fix them. The only other choice would be to remove buildings around the city and make new roads, but the historians are blocking all those ideas before they can take root.'' Theo was doing a good job answering questions before I voiced them. He would have made a good tour guide. What does he do for a living? The thought briefly came to mind, and I pushed it away quickly, with a ''not my business.'' and concentrated on his runningmentary on the city, the nightlife, and other points of interest.

    We eventually made it to an older-style building. It had billboards on the outside advertising an art exhibition of local talent, and I was interested in seeing it. I had friends who liked to paint and sculpt and wondered if they pursued their art or had to give it up to earn a living and leave the area they enjoyed the most.

    Theo climbed out of the car first and opened the door for me. I was shocked. Bret would never have done that. When will I stopparing men to that a*****e?

    I berated myself, saying it had only been a few days, not even a week yet, so stop being hard on myself. It is going to take a little time for all these sudden changes to sink in and the old habits to die away.

    Theo held my hand as he walked me in, and I did not mind his familiarity. If I really thought about it, it was nice to have my handheld, something Bret stopped doing a while ago, almost straight after we were married. I kicked myself again for where my brain took me and tried to think about now, not then. Theo''s hand was warm and had no callouses, which told me he did not have a physical job, maybe an office worker, being in a penthouse, maybe a CEO or CFO, or something like that.

    Here I go again. Judging people, will I ever stop? I was never like this before I married Bret. It''s time to change. No more Bret thoughts, no moreparing others to what I had, and by the look of it, I missed out on time to live for myself, and a few one-night stands might be in order if Theo is up for it. We could give neighbors benefits, but no strings are attached. I liked the thought of that. Theo was awakening a lot of feelings, and I was happy to go with the flow.

 Chapter 10

    Theo

    POV

    I could tell that Bethany was in deep thought; her eyes were distant, and she was quiet and shaking a little, all the signs I have seen often when one of my sisters is upset and is trying to get over it, trying hard to clear the mind, of some event that keeps going over in her head. All I can do is be there for her. I hardly know the woman, yet I want to get to know her, hold her, and tell her that the problems will eventually go away. I will have to tread carefully, or she ms up, and I might lose the chance to get to know the real woman before we even have a real date with her.

    We arrive at the little studio my sister Cindy owns and runs. She is the family''s artist and has managed to keep her head above water in this field. How? I have no idea, but she has a rtivelyrge online following, and her exhibitions always seem crowded. A waiter greets us with a tray full of champagne, and another waitress arrives with a tray of canap¨¦s. It is all high-end caliber treatment. If you buy a piece of art, you could expect to pay a minimum of twenty thousand dors. It can go up rtively high in price, depending on the artist and what they have done.

    My sister greeted people and exined some of the work on disy. I guided Bethany to the main attraction and worked our way from there. The piece is stunning. It was called ''A Day at the Races. It was a horse with a jockey on its back, in full color, passing the winning post, with the nose of other horses at its rear. It was done in oils and some other materials, making the horse and jockey bold on the canvas. It almost had a three-D effect. The eye on the horse seemed to move with you as if it was staring at you. It was a fine painting, and one I have looked at a few times now, and each time it has grown on me, but I am not a punter, so I had not purchased it, and to be honest, I have nowhere in my home that would amodate such a lovely piece of art. It should be in pride of ce, not on a wall in my hallway or in a lousy bedroom.

    Bethany stood staring at it for some time before she moved on to the next painting, not oncementing, and that left me wondering what she thought of it; she moved from one picture to the next before we arrived at a room full of carvings and sculptures. There was one that she stopped at, moved around it, returned to the front, read the name on the card, and looked at it again. She scrutinized it from all angles, her face void of any emotion. I tried to see what she was looking at but failed. It was a in sculpture; to me, it had no real quality. My niece could do better. I thought. But then again, who am I to judge when I see a painting get sold, and it looks just like my drop sheet after I have painted a friend''s house? I am definitely not one to ask about art. ''Darling, so good of you toe! my sister Cindy had found me. She came and hugged me, and air-kissed my cheeks, all for a show. Of course, at home, she would never greet me like that. I chuckled at her and kissed her cheek, not at all worried about getting my lips covered in her powered face.

    ''How could I note and see what you have on show this time? I might even find something I like.'' I started, and before I could introduce her to Bethany, we were interrupted by her assistant.

    ''Excuse me, let us try to catch up before you leave. I need to go negotiate a sale. And she gracefully floated away to some man and woman who wanted to buy the main attraction, which was not too bad but not something I wanted on my walls.

    I turned to say something to Bethany, but she had already wandered off to another sculpture and was smiling at this one. It was good to see her smiling. That must mean thating here was working and taking her mind off what had hurt her this morning. When I reached to stand beside her, I ced my hand on her lower back, making her jump. It was not precisely the response I was going for, but at least it was something. I leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

    ''Would you like another drink?'' I had seen the waiter moving around with a fresh tray, and the waitress had different food on her tray.

    ''No, when we are done here, I would like some lunch, take away and sit in the park.

    ''That sounds good. Do you have any preference for the food?'' ''No, surprise me.''

    We moved around a little bit more, finding another room with pottery and then a room with more pictures, this time watercolors. It dawned on me that my sister had made each room hold simr things, like oil paintings together, and a separate room for watercolor, though some charcoal pictures were with watercolor. I wondered why she had an abundance of oil paintings this time. I don''t normally notice this type of thing, so maybe she had always done it that way, but Bethany seemed to like the watercolor more than the oils, which made me notice the different rooms more. Bethany had me noticing a lot of things I had taken for granted, and I was not sure how I felt about that.

    Cindy found us in the watercolor room, as I was calling it, and gave me some more air kisses.

    ''So, Theo, what are your nster? I want to catch up and have dinner tonight! She did not even notice that Bethany was nearby, looking at a picture.

    ''I have ns, maybe another day. I replied and hugged her before she moved away again to deal with another customer. Bethany looked at me with questioning eyes but never asked. I had hoped she would, and then I could take her over to meet my sister. She moved to thest picture and murmured something about it. The picture was charcoal, and it seemed to be a negative of a photo. It was very cleverly done, though it was daytime, and with it being ck and white, it gave the illusion of nighttime.

    ''Ready to leave?'' I asked when my stomach told me it was lunchtime and it wanted food. I was going to get some Chinese takeaway. I had already ordered it while she was looking at the picture; all I needed to do was go there and pick it up. I am a frequent visitor to that shop. I do enjoy their satay chicken.

    ''Sure, did you want to say goodbye to the host?'' Bethany looked over to where Cindy was talking to some customers, and I did not wish to interrupt her or spoil the possible sale.

    ''I will catch up with herter. Come on, I am hungry. Those few bites they gave out did little to soothe my hunger.'' Bethany giggled at my attempt to joke, and it was beautiful to hear her giggle atst.

    My hand fell on her lower back as I guided her out the door. As we walked out, my driver arrived, and I opened the door for her to climb in.

    ''The Chinese shop.'' I said to my driver as I climbed in behind Bethany and put my seat belt on. The driver did not need to ask which one, I have sent him out to collect it for me a few times now.

 Chapter 11

    Bethany

    POV

    We left the exhibition, and ording to the instructions given to the driver, we were headed to a Chinese Restaurant. He sat and answered something on his mobile, where I stared out the window, wondering about the man I was going to have a meal with. What did I know about him? Besides living on the same floor as me and being a good hugger when I was in a mess earlier.

    He had a beautiful woman with him the other day who seemed very close to him, and here at the exhibition, he had another woman who seemed like he was going out with her, too.

    He sounds like a yer, in which case, if I needed a person who could be a friend with benefits, he might fit the bill. It was too soon to think beyond my s****I needs at the moment. I do not need the pain of that sort of betrayal again. If and when I am ready to get back out there, I will address that when I am ready. For now, I need a littlefort and someone willing to assist me with that. Theo, being a yer, sounds perfect. I think I would need to ask if he was willing to be with me and add me to whatever day he had avable. He might have others and maybe no free evenings if he had twodies already. How did this suddenly be difficult? I have no idea about dating or how to find a one-night stand. Should I go to a club and wait to be approached? Is that even safe? ''Hey, you are very quiet. Is everything okay?'' Theo''s hand touched my thigh and squeezed, making me jump at the sudden touch and his voice breaking the silence.

    Theo removed his hand quickly at my jump.

    ''Sorry, I did not mean to startle you!

    I turned to look at him, his face full of remorse, and it appeared he was genuinely remorseful. I gave him a weak smile.

    ''I thought you were busy on your mobile, and I gave you the privacy to attend to your needs!'' I replied, not mentioning his apology and the removal of his hand from my thigh.

    ''Work was asking me to do another shift.'' He should have borated on when I should give him an out. Work is essential, I nodded to myself, although it appeared he took the nod as an answer to something.

    ''We can return; you do not need to take me out for food. The exhibition was a nice break, and I had a great time. Thank you, do not turn down work because of me. I offered him the out.

    If he needed to work, I had other things I could do.

    ''Not necessary, the shift is tonight, a little task that needs doing!

    ''Okay.'' I replied shyly, unconvinced that he was telling me the whole truth.

    The driver pulled up outside a restaurant. It was not a Chinese restaurant like Theo had said; it boasted multi-country cuisine. Theo climbed out and leaned into the car, offering me his hand. I took it, and he helped me out of the vehicle. No, I kicked myself, so I do notpare him to Bret. You said you would stop doing that. I admonished myself before I let the thoughtpletely form. I do not need Bret on my mind ever again. I thought it would be easier than that.

    This is notparing stuff. My marriage was one-sided, soparing would be stupid. I kept telling myself as Theo ced his hand on the base of my back, and a warmth spread through me, a feeling I had not felt in a long time.

    Special, wanted, possessed. Right, not that was what I felt, as Theo guided me into the restaurant as if I was the most important person to him at the moment. If this is how he makes me feel, no wonder he had two other girls interested in him if he did the same to them.

    Was I jealous that another woman had his interest?

    No, we hardly know each other, but friends with benefits looked better and better as the day rolled by.

 Chapter 12

    POV

    Theo At the restaurant, the greeter was overzealous, trying to gain my attention, but I was not the slightest should greet everyone with the same enthusiasm and not single out certain customers to give extra s We had just gotten settled in and given our order for drinks when word reached the kitchens that I wa My sister came rushing out, dressed in her chef outfit, which I loved seeing her in. She worked hard to forgotten that it was this Sunday.

    Would Bethany like toe with me?

    Humm, maybe too soon to be bringing a girl home.

    My Mother might get the wrong idea, but I feel I should be with Bethany. The need to protect her almo reading this novel on Jo bn ib. Visit J obn I b to read theplete chapters for free. Like oth underneath, she is afraid of something.

    My sister went back to the kitchen, with a skip in her step, pleased she had delivered her message, an I looked at Bethany. She was looking around the restaurant and not at me, and I had a feeling someth ''Are you okay?'' I asked her, taking her hand in mine. She flinched at the touch but did not pull her har ''Huh?'' She looked at me, or should I say my mouth.

    ''Sorry, I said, are you okay?'' I tried again, removing my hand from her. She looked at my retreating har ''Oh, I was just thinking. I''m sorry I did not mean to ignore you,'' she sputtered out, shocked that she ha ''Care to share?'' I cheekily asked her, hoping to make her smile.

    ''It is a little embarrassing. She said, looking at me in the eyes atst. They glistened with guilt.

    ''Tell me! I pushed, but our food arrived at that time, and I had to put the questioning behind me for a everything that she had been experimenting with. They looked and smelt delicious.

    ''What is this?'' Bethany asked, grabbing a dish and cing some on her te.

    sted in her. She took us to our table andpletely ignored that I had a woman with me and that she could see I might be on a date. I hated that. A greeter treatment.

    2.

    ere she is now, a top chef in the industry and owner of her own business. She pulled me in for a hug and let me know about a family dinner on Sunday. I had

    rwhelms me. She is lost and flighty and needs help to find her way, and that is what I feel the need to do. Some sentences are iplete if you are not men in the shelter, where my mother feels the need to help, I can see in her eyes the same fear as those women. Bethany appears to be a strong woman, but

    red her that I would attend the lunch unless there were an emergency at work.

    s wrong. She would not look me in the eye. Did the server say or do something when I was not looking?

    y from mine, simr to the way she had in the car.

    a confused look on her face.

    ed out and ignored me.

    while and try againter. Bethany''s eyes widened at the tes of food that had been ced before us. My sister had ced a lot of small tes, a taste of

    ''This is what is called "taster tes". Every time I visit, I get this: it is a tasting of each te that the chef is trying out. I am the willing guinea pig. I agree with giving an honest opinion of the food as itcks vor or needs salt. I tried to exin to her without telling her that my sister owned the restaurant. I do not know why I did not tell her that, just as I did not mention that my sister owned the exhibition.

    ''Wow, I did not know ces did that sort of thing. That is so cool. I like that idea.'' Bethany gushed as she took a bit of one that looked like a pasta dish. Her face lit up; it was a sess, whatever it was that she had tasted.

    ''This is so good, you have to taste it,'' she said, offering me a spoonful. I don''t think she thought about what she had just done. I leaned forward and opened my mouth. She put the food into my mouth, and she was right. The vors burst on my tongue, and I could eat a whole bowl.

    I ced some more on my te, and together, we devoured that sample and then moved to the next te. It was not long before all the tes were empty, and Bethany started by saying she did not think she could eat all of this and looking at the empty tes as if she was sad the food was all gone.

    The waitress came and collected the empty tes and offered us a sheet of paper with the names of the food, a picture of it, and a ce toment. I moved to sit beside Bethany, and we answered the questions together until the waitress arrived with tes of sweet food. Bethany groaned but soon dived into each te, groaning and humming with pleasure at the sweet treats put before us.

    My sister can cook, and it all tasted so very good. Bethany was rubbing her belly.

    ''I am stuffed, I don''t think I need to eat for a week!

    We left the restaurant and headed back to our penthouse. Bethany''s sadness was all gone, and the date had gone well. Part one of the distraction worked. Leaving the elevator, I did not want the day to end yet. I was enjoying herpany as I did the things I had to do. I have promised to go to the exhibition and to visit my sister to taste the food, and now all I have to do is go on Sunday andplete that job. Then I am safe for another month before I have to do all that again. ''Bethany, would you like toe over for coffee? It''s my treat,'' I suggested as she started to take her keys out of her purse. I was surprised she had locked her door; she had been leaving it open since she had arrived.

    ''I would like that; you promised me a view from your window.'' She flirted with me, or it felt like that.

    My door was not locked, and I rarely locked it. We are the only ones who have the key card that opens the penthouse elevator, so I believe it is safe to leave the door open. Am I stupid? Maybe, but it was something my sister had said when I moved in. I left Bethany to walk around my penthouse and investigate while I made coffee. She moved to look out of the window. I had a nice view. Well, I liked it, and watching Bethany was a good sight, too.

    When I took the coffee out, Bethany was no longer in the lounge room, looking out the window. I turned around and waited to see if I could hear where she had gone. A flush of the toilet told me she had been to my room to use the bathroom. I walked down the hall, leaned on the door frame, and waited for her toe out.

    She walked out with her head down, typing on her mobile. I waited for her to look up, and when she did, my heart broke. Tears filled her eyes, and I felt all the work I had done today to make her forget and feel better was gone with one message on her phone. ''Hey.'' I smiled sadly at her and waited to see what she would do.

    She took a few steps towards me andid her head on my shoulder. I lifted my arms and wrapped them around her, feeling her cry again.

 Chapter 13

    Bethany

    POV

    The meal was so tasty; I loved being part of trying out new foods. I had no idea restaurants would do that sort of thing. Thepany was excellent, and Theo was perfect, giving me all his attention and making me feel special. I felt a little nervous as we headed home; it was still early, and I did not feel like I was alone at the moment, having my thoughts fill my head again.

    I jumped at the opportunity to prolong my trip to my penthouse when Theo offered coffee. His view was beautiful, just like he said it was. Seeing the city from his point of view made me wish I was in this one, not mine, but both sides have their merits. I liked both. Suddenly, I needed the bathroom. I should not be shocked at this; I ate more food today than I had in months. I headed to the bathroom and wondered what his bedroom looked like. I pushed open his door and entered the room. Looking around, I went to his window and looked out at the view he had. It was a nice view. My dder reminded me it wanted to be empty, so I used his bathroom. The pungent smell of his aftershave hit me as I sat down and voided my dder.

    I washed my hands, and my mobile dinged. Looking down, I opened the message and had to sit back down on the toilet seat. It was from my Dad, and it was a photo of the family having dinner, Bret sitting next to my twin, and they looked cozy. Dad''s caption was, he is a bastard, it is good you have left, your sister is expecting. That news made me lose it, and tears flowed unwillingly. It was another stab at me, as Bret did not want children yet. That was his excuse for keeping me on the pill. I responded to Dad''s message. I was a little sad, but not much I could do about it.

    Washing my face and leaving the bathroom. I looked up and saw Theo leaning on the door, and tears ran down my cheeks. This was embarrassing. I wanted to go home and cry myself to sleep, but I did not want to be rude to Theo, my only friend there at the moment.

    What surprised me was Theo. I walked to him, rested my head on his chest, and he engulfed me with his strong, warm arms. When the tears finished, he offered me the coffee again, but when I looked up into his eyes, I rose and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. I had not intended to do this, but I neededfort, and he was in front of me, all kind and strong, and had such a loving, kind face. I somehow ended up sitting on his bed, not willing to leave the room.

    Theo took over the kisses, and his tongue licked my lips as a way of asking permission to enter. I obliged but sent my tongue into his mouth, and then he entered mine, and we were ying a tongue dance. A feeling of need grew, and I wanted him. I did not want to think about what I was about to do; I just had a strong desire to be wanted and loved, and Theo did not seem to mind.

    I pulled his shirt off of him, and then kissed his chest, and ran my hands over his abs, heading down to undo his pants, but he put his hand on mine to stop me.

    ''Are you sure?'' He was being so kind, most likely knowing he was in a pitiful moment.

    ''I need to be loved. Please,'' I begged. He climbed off the bed and removed his pants, and boy, he wasrger than I expected and so ready to take me. He pulled my pants off and removed my clothes gently and carefully, taking his time so that I could change my mind, but I was not going to do that. He put on a condom and looked up at me, and questions were still on his face.

    He climbed back onto the bed andy beside me, kissing me, his hand snaking down my belly until he found my juncture.

    ''So wet already!'' he said when his fingers found my opening, and he pushed my legs further apart. I groaned as his fingers yed with my folds, flicking my nub. I started to squirm under him, and he took that as a signal that I was ready for him. He removed his hand, and I felt his tip rub up and down the moisture that had gathered down there. When he was coated with my juices, he lined his end and thrust into me. I arched my back as a small moment of pain filled me and then ebbed away as he filled me sopletely. I had never had anyone other than my husband before, and Theo was way bigger than him, and he knew what my body needed better than I did. He started with slow thrusts, as if he was enjoying pulling till he was almost out of me, and then thrust back in with a hard, deep thrust.

    My body reacted to his thrusts, my hips lifting to meet his, my need growing. I groaned as he thrust in again, and he started to pick up the pace as I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his torso. This helped deepen his thrusts, and I screamed out his name when my c****x hit. It was long and hard, my body throbbing with ecstasy as he picked up the speed even more. Sweat started to glisten on his chest, and his breathingbored. To my surprise, I rose higher than before and soon was having another c****x. I had never had two like this before. As I screamed the second time, Theo roared out his explosion, and I felt him throb his release as he filled the condom; he continued to thrust inside of me at a slower pace until he stopped and rolled off of me, taking me with him and snuggling up beside him. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me to him.

    I felt safe that nothing in the world could get me while I was there in his bed. I am not sure how long Iy there, feeling my body thrum with what we had done.

    Did I feel bad about it?

    No.

    Would I regret it tomorrow?

    I''m still determining. I will worry about it tomorrow.

    Will he regret it?

    I''ll be sure to find outter. It is thetter worry, and I have to wait and find out. Either way, at the moment, I got what I needed and was content to lie there and enjoy myself. I will worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Somewhere between my active mind and the circle of questions, I fell asleep, warm and content. It had been so long since I felt like this, so peaceful,plete, and needed, the most satisfied I have felt in a very long time.

 Chapter 14

    Theo

    POV

    I had thought seeing her so heartbroken as she walked out of the bathroom broke my heart. This woman deserved so much more. I could tell in the short time I had taken the time to talk to her and hold her to my chest as she cried, stirring strong emotions inside of me. I tried to be strong for her, just like when my Mum or sisters needed a shoulder to cry on, but for some reason, she invoked deeper feelings than my family had ever made me feel when I gave themfort. Returning her kiss, I realized it would be dangerous if she was so vulnerable and would most likely regret thister. Still, my body reacted along with my heart, and the next thing I knew, I had moved her to the bed and wanted to make her feel better, stop those tears from falling, and let her know there was more than what had caused her to cry.

    ''Please, Theo, take the pain away! Bethany begged, and I did the only thing I thought she needed right then, even though my mind was screaming it was all wrong. I removed her clothes, kissed her, and fingered her, and she moaned and groaned and squirmed as I yed with her body. I was reaching a dangerous level where I could not stop my own needs from wanting to take her further than I had intended. I was only going to give her what she needed and make her feel good, but somewhere in doing that, I lost control and got selfish and wanted to do more, go further, and be more pleasurable. I tried to stop, and I tried to be a good friend that she needed.

    ''More, Theo, please, I need you. She urged me on. I was naked, giving this woman pleasure, and the lines blurred, and I thrust into her, her hips lifted to meet mine, and I waspletely gone, lost in the moment. The reason I was in bed with this woman was gone. Making us both reach the end goal was all I wanted now. To push my body further to make her c*m, and she did. I felt her core throbbing as she screamed my name, but I was not there yet. I changed her position slightly, and this had her wrap her legs around my waist. I was able to go deeper, and my whole body liked this change of position. I picked up the pace faster than I thought was possible, and her moans got breathy again, and I could tell she was going to c*m again. When her core clenched, my balls clenched, and I joined her, filling the condom with my warm seed. I kept pushing into her, with each pump of fluid, until the euphoria reduced, and I climbed off of her, replete.

    That was the best I had in a very long time, not that I slept around a lot, but enough to know that I wanted to do that again and hoped she would not regret what we had just done. I held her in my arms, her back to me. I was drawing circles on her belly with my hand, and before I knew it, her breathing changed, and I could tell she was asleep. I smiled when I realized she would spend the night with me in my arms. I removed the condom and dropped it in a tissue.

    I woke up sometime in the night, hearing her soft sobs. She was still in my arms, and neither of us had moved an inch. She must be dreaming or reliving something from her past, and it was causing her to get upset. I pulled her closer to me and kissed her ear. ''Sweetheart, you are safe, don''t cry... No one will hurt you! Kissing her neck and whispering she was safe was all I could think to do.

    She wiggled her butt, and my body reacted. I had to tell myself I was holding my sister to make my erection go down, and boy, did it drop like a hot brick; she must have gotfortable and heard my words because her sobs stopped, and she rxed again. The next thing I know, she is trying to get out of my arms.

    ''No, sleep longer. I am not ready to get up yet,'' I yawned, not wanting to move.

    ''Bathroom. She foggily replied, and I had to let her go. I felt the bed move and the warmth of the body leave the bed, and I waited for her return. I must have gone back to sleep because she was no longer in my bedroom when I woke up.

    I climbed out of bed, disappointed, and went to take a shower, wondering if I had overstepped and hurt our growing friendship.

    Showered and dressed, I left my room and stopped in surprise; the sound of humming wasing from the kitchen, and there, dressed in my shirt and cooking in my kitchen, was Bethany.

    Her back was to me, and I got to see those shapely legs that were wrapped around my bodyst night. My jeans got harder all of a sudden, and I wanted nothing more than to pick her up and repeat what we had donest night. Her long hair cascaded down her back and stopped close to the bottom of my shirt, she reached up to get a cup from the overhead cupboard, and I gasped as I watched the shift slowly creep up and expose what she had beneath or should I say what she did not have beneath, she had no panties on, and my already hardening c**k throbbed.

    She must have heard my gasp because she turned her head and gave me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen smiling at me; even her eyes sparkled; this was apletely different woman I heldst night; she was full of need and tears. I liked this new woman. ''Morning. I was not sure how you took your eggs. I vaguely remember I had asked before, but it seems to have slipped my mind, so you got sunny side up. Hope that is okay! She continued to make me a coffee before turning to offer it to me, not once losing her smile. She only had one button holding the shirt together, and I remembered what was under that shirt, and the amount I could see not covered by my shirt had me almost exploding like a teenaged still learning his body. She looked so beautiful, and my shirt never looked that good on me.

    She raised her eyebrows at me and lifted the cup as if to say, "Do you want it or not?" I took a step forward and took the cup from her, and before I could lean forward to give her a kiss, she turned back to the stove and turned the bacon over. She looked sofortable in my kitchen as if she was meant to be there. It was a feeling I cannot remember ever having before. This was way too fast. I hope I am not on the rebound trail.

    We ate, and I had to leave for work. I wanted to spend more time with her. But life goes on, and hearts are waiting to be fixed. I have a big one to do today: a high-profile woman, and I cannot just call in sick. She might notst much longer if I put off her surgery just because I want to spend it with my neighbor. I don''t think Robson would be too happy about that. I gave Bethany onest kiss before forcing myself out the door. Bethany promised to clean up the kitchen before she left.

 Chapter 15

    Bethany

    POV

    Theo had left for work, and I would head out shopping.

    The picture Dad sent me cut me deep. Thement that my sister was expecting my ex''s baby told me he was not leaving our lives anytime soon. He had told me he did not want children any time soon, and that seemed to be a lie. He did not want to have them with me, and I am unsure whether it hurt more than catching them together.

    I had not heard anything about him having to pay for the wedding himself, and mywyer had not contacted me since I sent him the information on the bill and that they had married while still married to me. Thest thing mywyer had said was to leave it with him. However, I was curious about what he could do.

    I was not worried; I had a new life to start.

    My phone rang, and I looked down, talking of the devil.

    ''Bethany speaking! My usual answer to the phone was that it sounded more professional.

    ''Hi Bethany, giving you a heads-up, the judge has ordered the bailiff to collect all the items that are listed on the bank statement. They should be collecting them today and asking Bret to pay the difference for any item that is no longer in their possession. Regarding the wedding, the marriage registration was not sent in by the justice of the peace or celebrant, so it was not a real wedding, and it is still under investigation to see if all the other times they pretended to get married were the same. This may take a little time, as this has been happening for several years. The judge has ordered the police to do a thorough investigation before any charges areid, and don''t be surprised if they call you in for more information and copies of statements. If you are ufortable with the police interviewing you, we can do things through my office''

    ''Will the hotels be pushing forpensation?'' I hoped they would be taken through the ringer.

    ''Once the investigation is over and charges are made, the hotels might look at what damage they may have caused. Mind you, I doubt it. You are the one who has been harmed the most.

    ''Oh, by the way, my Father sent me a picture and said that they have announced that my sister is with a child.

    ''Really? That is interesting news. We can use this to support any future im you wish to make against your sister or ex if you want to go down that track. Could you send me a copy, and I will put it in the file?'' ''Thank you for all your help on this.''

    ''That is what you are paying me for,'' he chuckled at the other end of the phone. I have always liked thiswyer. I chose him against my mother''s wishes and am d I did.

    ''You have done more for me than what I paid you for, and you know it. I giggled back at him, feeling in a very good mood

    now.

    ''Wow, it has been long since I heard youugh. He sounded shocked at my giggle.

    ''Yeah, it has, but I have a new life, and I am going to change my looks, too; I am going to learn who I am again!

    ''Good for you; I look forward to seeing the new you. When do you start your new job?''

    ''Next week, I have had myst week off, getting my life sorted. This week is getting a new me in ce, and start next Monday as a new life with a new me!

    ''It sounds like a good n, remember, to put you first for a change; good luck with your new job.

    There was a hairdresser at the bottom of this building, and they could fit me in tomorrow morning, so I spent the morning clearing out my closet, bagging up all the dresses that I had never liked, but Bret chose the ones he did. I know now he was trying to make me look ugly so he would not feel bad when he was with my sister. I had four bags, and I walked them downstairs and ced them in the boot of my car. I googled where the nearest thrift shop was and drove over to them. Walking into the shop, I looked around and found ady who could assist me.

    ''Hello, can I ask where I should put my donations?'' thedy smiled sweetly at me.

    ''We have a littlene way out back; you can drive down and take them that way!

    Thene was clean, better than I had expected; most were filled with rubbish bins, and thedy was standing outside her door, waiting for me to arrive. I wondered if this was how they met others who donated or wanted me out of the back because she did not know me or what I had brought.

    I opened the trunk, and thedy grabbed and opened one of the bags.

    ''Wow, these are almost brand new?''

    ''There are some new ones in there, but they still have old price tags on them. I just never liked them, and they were gifts!

    ''Jo,e help with these bags, she called out, and a young man came out, grabbed the bags, rushed back inside, and returned for the others.

    ''Thank you, youngdy, we needed some new clothes, more stylish than we normally get. The local school has a dance soon, and I will be getting a number ofdies looking for something different!''

    ''My pleasure. I hope they find a good home. I shut the boot and drove down thene and off to find new clothes.

    I prefer to avoid shopping in the shops. I prefer to shop online rather than in crowds, but I made myself go out and shop. I didn''t need much, just a few dresses for work and maybe a couple of going-out ones; I could get the rest onler.

    By the time I had tried on dresses, cks, and shoes, I was tired. I carried three bags to my room and flopped down on the bed. Exhausted, I nced at the time and was shocked to see it was nearly six o''clock at night. I had no idea shopping was so time- consuming.

    Just as I hung up thest dress in my wardrobe, I heard Theo calling out that he had brought pizza and that I shoulde to the kitchen. I cannot remember thest time I had pizza. Bret always said it was the peasant''s food.

    On the table was coffee from the coffee shop at the bottom of the building and two pizzas, each with two different toppings.

    ''I was not sure what sort of pizza you liked, so I got two with different toppings, thinking I might get at least one part right! Theo said as he ced the tes and napkins on the table.

    ''I love most pizza as long as there are no anchovies. I am not fond of fish on my pizza.

    ''Noted. I prefer something other than pineapple on my pizza.

    ''Noted.'' Iughed at him as I took a meat-lover slice, ced it on my te, and opened the lid of the coffee. Theo was digging in, too, and it did not feel ufortable having him at my table, eating with me. I had been worried what we didst night was going to spoil our growing friendship.

    I was sure we might need to address it at some point, but he seemed as reluctant as me to open up that can of worms. Maybe he was happy enough with what we did not tobel it or taint it anyway.

 Chapter 16

    Theo

    POV

    My day could not have started any better, or maybe it could, if I was game enough to take her back to bed after I saw she had no panties on. I felt it was an invitation of some kind, but I did not act on it. Worried I may have read the signals wrong. I know women can give off mixed signals, or maybe my wishful thinking could be way off in reading it as a positive signal, or maybe being a man, not in the dating game for a while, did not read the right. Either way, I did not take her back to bed, regardless of how my body reacted to her reaching up for a cup and exposing herself to me.

    We had a nice breakfast together, and she went back to her penthouse to do whatever she had nned for the day. I headed off to work. Work consisted of two simple surgeries and ward rounds.

    ''Morning Doctor.'' One nurse who had tried more than once to get a date with me greeted me with her flirty voice, giving me a seductive look, or so she thought. To me, she looked like she needed somexative or two. The way she leaned forward and squirmed as if she had something stuck between her legs.

    ''Morning, can I have Mrs Gavin''s chart.'' I never asked with a please, not to this nurse. She would take that as an invitation to talk and rub up against me. Nope, this nurse I treat at arm''s length. Two nurses are persistent, and both get my cold shoulder each time.Some sentences are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo bn ib. Visit J obn I b.c o m to read theplete chapters for free. I have never dated staff and have no intention of doing so now. It was not a written rule, just one I thought would be best when I had seen so many doctors and dated a nurse, and when it ends, it is not very pleasant to work with for a while, either a good nurse leaves, or the doctor does, or the ce gets rather ufortable till they both can move on. Nope, that is not for me. ording to my assistant, I have a skip in my step, and that puts a smile on my face.

    ''Morning, Mrs. Gavin, how do we feel today?'' I asked this kindly olddy. She had surgery a week ago, and being diabetic, the healing had taken a little longer; ording to the nursing staff, she had been feeling weak and not eating enough. I thought she was eating just fine. The staff expects an older person to eat like the young, and that is only the case sometimes.

    ''Fine, when do I go home?'' Now, that is music to my ears. When a patient starts asking me to go home to me, that is a clear indication she is on the mend, unless they are at death''s door, which this woman certainly is not.

    ''If you keep behaving like you are now, we can get you home next week with some home help. How does that sound?'' I asked her as I looked at her wound, which was finally healing nicely. ''What happenedst night, doctor?'' She replies, taking me by surprise.

    ''What makes you think something happenedst night?'' I asked as I made some adjustments to her medication on the chart.

    ''You have a glint in your eye that was not there yesterday. She boasts a cunning old woman.

    ''I had yesterday off from my work schedule and had a day rxing; I went to an art show and had a lovely meal with a friend,'' I replied, deliberately not mentioning it was with a woman.

    ''Is she a nice woman? Or one of your sisters?'' She asked. How this woman knows so much about my private life is not a surprise, considering she is one of my mother''s closest friends, and if I told her anything, it would be back to my mother before I would have finished checking on my next patient. Then, Mother will corner me with a phone call to take thedy to Sunday lunch or dinner so they can check her out. Bethany is not yet ready to be taken home to meet the family. She has too much going on in her personal life to suddenly be put on my mother''s radar as a possible candidate for wife material. I am not going to submit our blossoming friendship to that kind of scrutiny and have her run from me.

    ''Just a friend, nothing more.'' I replied, looking at her straight in the eye. It must have been enough, as she did not push the subject any further.

    ''Good that you have taken time to rx with friends. Now, can I get out of here or not? She pushed again.

    ''Not. You can stay a little longer and enjoy my finepany since you seem to think I need female attention, and you are a female; yourpany suits me fine. I smile warmly at her, and she has the nerve to huff at me, which causes me to chuckle as I walk out the door and a nurse walks in; I hear the nurse chirp.

    ''Shower time.'' In a too-sweet voice for my liking.

    ''Can I take a bath instead? I feel like a long soak.'' I did not hear the nurse''s response, as I was too far away by then, but I am sure Mrs Gavin would have gotten her way in the end.

    The rest of the day went by in a blur as I did the rounds, checked up on tomorrow''s surgery list, and met with the two major candidates. Nothing could take the smile off my face, and it seemed to go by very quickly. I can thank the previous night for that. Then it was pizza time. Standing in the pizza shop looking at the choices, I had failed to ask what Bethany liked as a topping and if I should buy garlic bread. In the end, I purchased way too much food, but thepany was great again, and I did not push for a repeat of the night before. I felt we needed to take it slowly, or she might get too attached for the wrong reason. I was worried I would be a rebound guy and be put in the friend zone. I was not sure how I felt about that. I have seen how women can be when they have been hurt deeply. I do not want to be a temporary fix for her. I like her and wouldn''t mind spending more time with Bethany and finding out the real her. Mum always said if the girl is the right one, you will know, and right from the moment I bumped into her, I felt a connection, a feeling that I wanted to investigate, and I hoped the connection was not that I found a wounded bird that needed my aid. My sister said I seemed to find the damaged ones, and then I would get hurt in the end.

    The morning saw me out the door early. In an emergency at work, a heart attack victim was rushed to our private hospital, and some high-ranking man needed urgent surgery, and I was the one requested.

    The surgery went on for eight hours. He was a mess, and I was surprised he had survived at all. He was going to need a lot of aftercare and a change of lifestyle. I did the rounds and checked on the two surgeries nned for today. One was postponed till tomorrow, and the other had to be done, so another four hours of surgery, and my day was done. I headed home exhausted, showered, ate a leftover pizza, and headed to bed.

 Chapter 17

    Bethany POV

    Sun streamed through the open window. I failed to close the curtainsst night; the light filled my room. I huffed as I dragged myself out of bed, put on a swimming suit, used the bathroom, and headed up to do someps in the pool. I was a little disappointed that there was no sign of Theo. I guess he was busy today and skipped time in the pool. I understand he had said something about being on call and refused to have wine along with dinner. It''s not that I often drink wine, but I offered the wine to be polite. After a quick shower and a small breakfast, just some cereals, I was not in the mood to cook, and by the time I was organized, it was time to head to the beauty salon. I was going to have a spa, have a massage, get my nails cut and shaped, my toes too, and then my hair. The first was easy to do. Iy down and enjoyed my body getting aplete rub down, and the nails were easy, too. As I am a surgeon, I did not want them polished, as nail polish was not something you can have in surgery.

    ''Morning Bethany, what would you like to do to your hair?'' My hair was long, very long, and it was time for aplete change.

    ''Please, can you cut and style it?'' I said vaguely as I flicked through the magazine she had me looking through to get an idea of a particr style I might like to try out.

    ''I think you will need to give me a little more idea of the result you have in mind. Like, how short would you like to go, and do you wish for a color?'' she prompted me as she ran her fingers through my hair, looking at its condition. My hair may be long, but it was in excellent condition, with no split ends.

    ''Short, off the shoulder, maybe some highlights and soft curls. Still trying to figure out what I wanted to look like. It is not that easy to make up my mind, which is part of why getting my hair cut has always been put off. I had no idea who I was anymore and had been that way for a while now.

    ''Any one of those pictures catch your fancy?''

    ''No, I want aplete change, so I give you full power to change my hair to what you think would suit me, something that is less maintenance, a sort of wash-and-wear hairstyle! I really did not care at that moment, and I needed the hair gone and less time to brush.

    Three hourster, I was looking in the mirror at a different person; my hairstyle suited my facial shape, and I loved what the girl had done. I felt the new me transforming; even the subtle highlights shined in the light. It was well worth the money I paid to have a new

    me.

    With a spring in my step and a smile on my face, I headed into the caf¨¦ and grabbed a coffee and a sandwich, thinking about what I would do next and what I would change in my life to make a difference. I don''t think I need to change anything else. Just as I made it home, my mobile rang. ncing down at the screen, I saw that it was my Dad calling.

    ''Good afternoon, Bethany speaking. I chirped happily into the phone.

    ''Hello, Bethany''

    ''Hi Dad, how are things with you?'' I asked, feeling nothing could bring me down.

    ''Did you get my picture?''

    ''Yeah, is she really pregnant?''

    ''I am not sure. They are acting like she is, and your mother is acting like it was okay for her to be bedding your husband.

    ''How do you feel about that?'' I was worried about my Dad; he had to put up with a lot of things.

    ''That is why I am calling. I have left your Mother. I cannot live like this any longer. I have taken a leaf from your book and moved house, jobs, and state. I have seen mywyer and got a divorce underway, and as we had a prenup, your Mother will get almost nothing; the house is on the market, and the auctioneers have cleared it out; your Mother moved in with your sister and ex, and is making a scene. I just wanted to warn you that I am not going to go back to her, so don''t try to talk me into changing my mind!

    ''Dad, I am thest person she will call. She is with her only daughter, she has recognized, having never really seen me as anything more than a waste of space. Good on you, Dad, for leaving. I knew you had not been happy for a long time. Those two only see things for themselves. Don''t cave and give her anything to get her out of our hair; stick to your guns!''

    ''Seeing that recording you showed us opened my eyes; how your mother could defend that behavior made me think that. Maybe she is also having an affair, and I put a PI on her. She has got herself a boyfriend, a married boyfriend. How long? I do not know, and I should have known.''

    ''Don''t beat yourself up on it, Dad. I was lucky to catch my ex in the act; otherwise, I could have gone much longer before suspecting something was off.

    ''Anyway, I am in your state. I transferred over a few days ago. The department was eager to take on someone of my expertise. I am going back to detective work. It was something I used to enjoy before things changed. I am not even sure when it all started to change. It was small things over a long period of time till I was the mold of someone your mother created. Well, I am going to be me again. Thank you, sweetheart, for opening my eyes!

    ''We can meet up for dinner if you like, that is if you have no ns.

    ''Tonight?''

    ''Yeah.''

    ''I would like that. Where? There is a restaurant called Sammy''s, and we can meet and chat!'' ''Seven o''clock?''

    ''Sounds like a n. I''ll see you then, and I''ll be sure to fill you in with thetest news!

    I dressed in a smart casual pantsuit and caught a taxi to Sammy''s. As I was unfamiliar with the area, a taxi was better than driving around looking for parking.

    The restaurant was very busy. Dad had ordered a table at the back, away from the noise of the main restaurant. ''Wow, you look so different and beautiful. I love what you have done to your hair!'' Dad gushed over me. He looked like he had lost a bit of weight, but that was a good thing; he had been slowly sneaking a few pounds here and there.

    I hugged Dad, and he pulled out a chair for me to sit on. Once settled and the order given, Dad started to fill me in on what had happened since I had left, and my sister and ex came out of hiding. My mother was all for this new arrangement but was shocked toe home for a day away with her daughter to find her key did not open the house and a for-sale sign on the front. Her bags were sent to my sister''s home, like I had with Bret, and it was like everything I had done, Dad copied, even using mywyer. I was so proud of my Dad. He was like a new man.

    ''Don''t let Mum win, Dad. Get back out there and find a nice woman to keep your bed warm! I encouraged.

    ''Maybe I am not in a hurry. What about you?''

    ''I have a neighbor that I like, but as you say, I am not in a hurry. I want a friendship first and won''t say no to a quick romp in bed. Bret was my one and only time to see what else was out there.

    ''Good girl, I always knew you were the smart one. I hope we can get closer together again. I have missed our time together. Let''s go bowling.

    ''I would like that, Dad!''

 Chapter 18

    Theo

    POV

    I waste for the pool, and I could tell by the water on the ground that Bethany had already been there and done her morning swim. I was exhausted and slept in. I did not need to be at work for a few hours and hoped we would catch up. I did my thirtyps and headed back to my ce for a shower. Grabbing my phone and keys, I walked out the door, staring at her door for a while, wondering if I could walk in like I had before. Making up my mind and clearing away my doubts, I reached out and tried to turn the handle, only to find the door was locked. I knocked and waited, then knocked again.

    Defeated, I left her door and headed downstairs. Before I started, I could go to work and get something to eat at the cafeteria. I had wanted to have breakfast with Bethany, and I assumed she would be there. She has a life, too.

    The cafeteria was busy, and this is different from how I like to start my day. I grabbed the food and took it to my office. There was no way I could sit in that noisy ce and think. Being so early, I decided to do the rounds early after I had finished my breakfast. The nurse that was on duty was one I got along with. She does not flirt with the male staff and sticks to the rules of nursing, but she is also kind and makes that extra effort to make the patientfortable. She is the one I ask for when I operate. I know she will do her job and follow through after the operation.

    ''Morning doctor, Mrs. Gavins had a good night. She is already reminding us that you said if she behaved, she could go home. We found a mobile nurse who had room for another patient and would look after her. For her aftercare, could you please sign her off and leave instructions for the nurse?''

    ''Well done, that will make her day. Would you like to apany her to her room now as I give her the good news?''

    Gail followed me to Mrs. Gavin''s room. You could hear her telling the nurse in there to get out.!'' I wondered what was going on. You do not upset heart patients. I lengthened my steps and heard Gail''s step suddenly quicken, but I needed to get into the room. Thest person I needed to see was the nurse in her room. She was one of the flirty ones who was more interested in bedding a doctor than doing her job.

    ''Doctor, please get this nurse out of here. Mrs Gavin was almost in tears. And that broke my heart. She is a lovely, caring woman. For a nurse to reduce a patient, any patient to tears is not good, and it is even worse that these are heart patients.

    ''Get out. I kept my voice calm and clear. This was nothing at all like how I was feeling, and I wanted to shout at that nurse. ''But doctor, she..

    I said, ''Get out. I was having trouble keeping my annoyance out of my voice; I would see my boss about this woman and get her removed from my floor and, if possible, the whole hospital.

    ''Thank you,'' Mrs Gavins said with a sob. Her tears were genuine, and the relief in her voice was evident.

    I grabbed her chart and read what was there. As I had expected the blood pressure to be a little higher than I wanted it to be, I assumed it was high because of the nurse and how upset she was now.

    ''What caused you to be so upset today, my dear?'' I asked her, sitting on the chair beside her bed, prepared to sit and listen for however long was needed. It is different from those waiting for me to operate would be going anywhere, and thisdy needed my time,

    too.

    ''My son did not get the promotion and was angry. I guess I ended up getting a tearful phone call and was a little upset; that nurse said to suck it up, not everyone can get the promotion, and his time might be next time. It upset me that she could be so cold like that. What if she needed a promotion? Would she not be upset, too? I feel that girl had nopassion for anyone but herself!

    ''We have found a nurse to help you at home, and with the doctor''s permission, you can head home today. How would you like that?''

    The look on her face is what makes this job so good, and her megawatt smile was the best medicine you could ask for.

    ''Doctor?'' Mrs Gavin was looking at me with almost pleading eyes.

    ''You are that desperate to leave mypany?'' I said, cing my hand over my heart as if she had broken it.

    ''Oh, give over. You won''t miss me. You have lots of girls to operate on. It won''t be long, and you will have reced me with another. ''But there is only one you,'' I argued back.

    ''That is true, but you saw what happened a moment ago. As much as I love yourpany, there are others here that I do not!

    ''We cannot have you being upset, so I am going to let you go home on the proviso that you follow the instructions I gave you and the nurse and revisit me in a week. So I can check on your progress!

    ''Deal.'' I signed the release form and handed it to the nurse.

    ''Give the nurse the instructions form, S125.

    ''Yes, doctor. I left the nurse to release Mrs Gavin and notify her family.

    In the meantime, I was off toin about that nurse. It was not the first time, but this is not good for the patients. The rest of the day went smoothly, but just as I was about to head home, an emergency arrived, and I was back in the theater. Ten hourster, I arrived back home, tired and exhausted, and I knew that at thatte time of day, I doubted that Bethany would be up. It was almost midnight, and she should be fast asleep.

    My mother left a message on the answering machine reminding me of our Sunday meal and to bring some wine. I sighed; I did not want to think about that.

    The bed was calling me.

    Morning came so quickly. I was up at six and did not bother with my usual swim. I grabbed a quick bite to eat and rushed out the door, heading to work. I had two patients that needed my immediate attention. One, I am not sure, would still be alive. He was in a terrible state. I did all I could, and it is up to him now.

    As I left my penthouse, Bethany came out of her penthouse, too. My eyes widened at the sight of her transformation, and her hair was cut short. I was so shocked to see her that I failed toment on her hair and how gorgeous she looked. ''Hey, morning, how are you?'' She greeted me with a smile, and it was a balm to my heart.

    ''Good, I am off to work. Can we catch up for dinnerter?'' I was more excited about seeing her than I would have thought possible.

    ''Sure, I can cook. That way, if you are held up, I can keep it in the oven!

    ''Sounds like a date. Catch youter. Sorry, I can''t stay and talk. I rushed away before she could ask me any questions.

 Chapter 19

    Bethany

    POV

    This morning, Theo was not at the pool, and though I was a little disappointed that I had missed him already, I pushed myself to continue my day. I was running out of holidays, and today, I was going to visit my Dad in his new apartment and talk to him about what

    was happening.

    I did not think Dad''s decision to leave Mum was a new thought for him. He told me numerous times that he did not like some of the things Mother was doing and how much she was changing. Dad was up for promotion but turned it down to pander to Mother and her needs. Since ourst conversation, he has taken the senior detective position. The opening became avable as the current senior detective was retiring. Dad was still young enough, so he took the job this time. He will be close by. I loved the idea that Dad was in this city. I was going to miss him, but now I can catch up if his work lets him, and mine does, too.

    Mywyer sat before me in an office he had in this city. He had a thick file in front of him and looked at me with sympathy.

    ''No, your sister is not pregnant. Thetest report was that she was faking it to get Bret to marry her; this time, it would be real. But for some reason, Bret is resisting her attempts for him to marry her. It appears that you''re leaving him has opened his eyes to a number of things. Since you left, Bret has been in court. He tried to cause a lot of problems with the person who purchased the old ce. Some sentences are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo bn ib. Visit J obn I b to read theplete chapters for free. He called the police, and he was charged not only with disturbing the peace but with damaging property. As he tried to get through the gates, he hit the guard who was doing his job and was charged with assault and battery. He was lucky that he was not sent to jail. He contacted a goodwyer who had a judge in his pocket and got a rather hefty fine.'' I looked at the police reports and smiled.

    ''What about weddings?''

    ''That is still being investigated. We have four fake weddings now, and the detective is looking after the case. He wanted to collect more evidence before he went and charged him. So far, he has gone back two years, and he wants to go back to when you were courting and see if he can pinpoint when those weddings started!

    ''That makes sense. Is there a chance that I was not the one legally married to him, and if so, would that impact me in any way?

    ''That is an interesting idea. She could be the one married to Bret, and your marriage was false, but you would not be the one to get charged; he is the one who was fooling you, and your sister is an aplice.''

    ''If the media got hold of this, it could hurt my job and a new position in the hospital. I was in a panic, thinking my sister could still be hurting my life and my career.

    ''No, it won''t reflect badly on you. You will always be the victim. If anything, it will improve your position, being the hurt person in this!

    ''The jewelry? Did your bailiff collect it?'' I asked, changing the subject, as I was starting to feel ufortable with being called the victim, even if that was what I was.

    Thewyer grabbed a bag and handed it to me. I unzipped the bag, and inside were several small jewelry boxes. I pulled one out and opened it. A beautiful diamond ne glistened back at me. I looked back in the bag and saw at least eight more boxes. I ced the box back into the bag and zipped it up.

    ''What are you going to do with them?'' He asked, leaning back in his chair and watching me put the box back in the bag.

    ''I am not sure, at the moment, most likely put them in my safe and think about them, could donate them to a good cause!'' ''You are a gooddy, and I am sure you will work it out!

    ''Thank you for flying here to see me; talking face to face was nice. Have a safe trip back, and you know where I am if you need me!

    ''Sure thing, anytime for you. Have the police taken your statement yet?''

    ''No, Will they need it?''

    ''It does not look like it; they have had plenty of time to speak to you if they did. You gave them plenty of information and proof!

    ''Thank you for getting the case for my father. It helps that you already know some of the background. It saved him trying to exin to someone else!

    ''You''re wee. I can''t talk to you about that!

    ''It is okay; Dad is here now; I am having lunch with him shortly. He will fill me in!''

    Mywyer stood up and shook my hand, and I left his office, taking the bag with me.

    The restaurant was a small Italian one. I was shown to the table. I arrived before my father. I ordered a coffee whilst I waited for Dad to arrive.

    ''I hope you have not been waiting long, Honey! Dad kissed me on the forehead and took the seat opposite me. He was dressed in a blue suit, which told me he had been to his new office and most likely introduced himself to his new workmates. ''How are you, Dad?'' I looked at his face; it seemed to have that happy glint in his eyes he had lost years ago. ''Happy. You have toe and see my new apartment.

    ''I would love it if you coulde and see my ce too. It is a bit more upmarket than I nned, but it has everything I need and is within walking distance from work. I love the changes to your hair; you look smart, younger, and carefree.''

    ''Me, too. Mine is within walking distance, which sold me on taking it. We sat and ate. Dad was chatting about his new job, which he would officially start on Monday, the same as I was. We joked and caught up on the gossip. ''You did what? Already?'' Dad asked, surprised at what I told him.

    ''Yeah, it was after you sent me that picture of the happy family, and somehow, it went from crying on his shoulder to being in his bed. Dad, I do not regret it. If anything, I want to do it again, have a friend with benefits, and have a nice ring to it.

    ''I hope you know what you are doing. He sounded skeptical, and I don''t me him; it is fast, faster than I expected, and he is also vulnerable, just out of a bad marriage and is susceptible.

    ''You should try it, Dad. If youe across ady that makes you want to rip her clothes off and r****h her, go for it. I won''t judge. If anything, I will apud you. You need to rid yourself of Mum and her selfish wayspletely!

    ''I hear you, and if I am offered the chance to copy you, I will. You are my inspiration to get out there and find myself again.''

    After the meal, Dad and I walked to his apartment. It was a nice ce. It suited Dad well. He then walked me home, and Dad fell in love with my penthouse and the fantastic view. We talked a bit more about our ns. Now we are both single again, and we promised to catch up again if the possible n and weekly meet up, or something like that, both agreed to settle into our new jobs and schedule.

    The following day was Friday. Time has flown by. I was going out to check in some stores. I had seen some cute outfits I thought would suit work. They were shirts that had either a matching skirt or pants covered in hearts in various colors. Being in heart gear for work might be amusing as a heart doctor. My boss did not mention a dress standard at work, and I had seen in the children''s ward at my old job nurses wearing fun clothes for the kids, and I thought I would copy, try, and put on a more rxed appearance in a very stressful time in a person''s or family''s life.

    As I left my home, I bumped into Theo. He looked rushed and tired. I hope he is okay. We greeted each other and made ns for tonight. Now I have a spring in my step and n to make dinner. I was wondering when I would get to see him again. Strangely enough, I have missed hispany.

 Chapter 20

    Theo POV

    As I rushed back to work, I was more awake and in a better mood. Now I had seen Bethany, and she looked good, a glow that she was missing when I first met her. I wanted nothing more than to push her back into her ce, strip her down, and use her body multiple times. I liked the changes she made; she looked more vibrant and in control.

    ''Morning Doctor, you must have had a good timest night.'' I frowned at thement as I rushed to my office. Why would he say that? It was Drake, one of our anesthesiologists, who I think swings for the other side, but I am not sure and do not wish to offend him by asking. It was more about some of thements he made while in the theater that gave me that impression. It makes no difference to his work performance; he is quick with a joke. I like the guy, just not in that way. I prefer a woman''s body to snuggle up with at night.

    After a quick visit to the wards, two male patients were released, and they were lucky enough to have someone to look after them when they returned home. I find that the main problem with these heart patients is that most think now they have had surgery, life can go back to how it was, and this is not the case; they need to have a change of lifestyle, a better eating n, and in thest patient''s case, start some exercise. Sorry to say, many go back to old habits, and I can do little to nothing about that. It is their life choice, and sadly, you give someone a chance for a better life, and they throw it away and fall back into habits. Not all, just mostly older men, have fallen back into a habit and, for some reason, can''t or don''t want to change their old lifestyle. I found it was a woman who had taken the hit against mortality that tends to make changes needed faster, or maybe it was the man behind the woman who had helped push the changes. Not wanting to lose the love of their life, a woman may cave into the male''s wishes more often than a man will take it from the woman. Males tend to see it as nagging, and pushing them to make the necessary changes to diet and exercise is more challenging. There is not much I can do, but I can repair what I can and hope they make even a tiny change. There are three surgeries today. Two are what we call cabbage, multiple heart bypass. One is a young child who has a hole in his heart and some artery issues. He was born with a defect. We patched the hole when he was still in the womb, but now he is out and stronger, we can do a proper repair and fix the arteries that are also deformed. How the child survives is beyond me. He is a little fighter, that is for sure.

    The day flew by. Drake was with me today, and he talked about theing weekend, and I am not on call this weekend. I have three other doctors in our little private hospital, and we share the on-call, so none of us take the burden all on our shoulders. That is different if it is one of our patients and not a new one. We are expected to be called in to attend to one of your patients, but hopefully, I get to have a weekend off and spend it with my new neighbor.

    That thought alone helped me get through my day. I did the little boy''s surgery first, and it was a sess, better than I had expected. He is a strong little tyke, and it is good when I can finish a day and not lose a client. As bad as that sounds, most reach me when things are at their worst, and being still alive is often by a thread, and they expect a miracle. Sometimes, I can give them that, but most times, it is a repair job to keep them alive until they are well enough to survive another surgery.

    I never lost the smile all day and got a lot ofments about it. I even heard some of the nurses gossiping about me being in a good mood. One suggested I must have gotid. The other defended me, saying I often smiled. We don''t seem to see them often as they are too busy with our jobs. Was I happy being the talk of the halls? No. Was I going to do anything about it? Nope, let them wonder for a little while; it keeps them away from trying to catch and proposition me alone.

    I made it back to my penthouse by six, early for me, and I was pleased to be home earlier than usual. I am a heart doctor and know the risks, so I should heed my own advice to patients, and I cannot expect them to follow it if I don''t take that advice myself. After a quick shower and throwing on jeans and a T-shirt, I headed to Bethany''s penthouse. Outside her door, I could smell the food from there, and my stomach growled, reminding me I had time for a sandwich for lunch and a few quick sips of coffee before I headed back into the theater. I should look at changing my schedule. I need to have a proper break, or I might end up being on the receiving end of heart surgery.

    Hesitated, I stood outside her door, wondering if I should knock, and then wondered why I would suddenly need to do that after I had not done that since we had met. I was bold enough to just walk in each time, whereas with the previous owner, I would knock. But then, she was chasing a wealthy man, and I did not want to be on her radar, so I avoided her more than to do what I was doing to Bethany.

    I liked that she did not growl at me for walking in. She gave me some tips about knocking on ady''s door; she might be in her pajamas. But Iughed at her and said that would be a bonus to me, and I had given it as a joke. She blushed but did not pursue it again. I had to be careful around Bethany. I was already starting to get hard. Just thinking about her, how can a woman get under my skin so fast? If I asked my mother about this, she would say, I met her when she was vulnerable, and I am a knight in shining armor, and I wanted to be there if she still needed the said knight. I have a feeling my sisters would say the same.

    Taking a much-needed deep breath, I turned the handle, pleased it was not locked, and walked in. The aroma of the food was much stronger here; I could smell the garlic, and if I had to guess, either spaghetti or something Italian, my stomach grumbled again. Soft music yed, and I noticed the balcony door slid open, the curtains blowing in the light breeze. This setting seemed to me romantic, or I was hoping it was; my hardening member just hardened a little more, making it a little painful as it pushed against the zipper of my jeans.

    Then Bethany walked in through the balcony door, and my breath stopped; there before me, with the moon silhouetting her head in the center of the full moon, was an angel in shorts and a T-shirt, bare feet, and a smile that radiated warmth. I thought my heart stopped at the sight. If you tried, you could not have timed the full moon to be in that position; it was an ethereal moment, and I took it all in. The walls I had before were now down, and I wanted to forget the meal and feast on her body; she was so beautiful. Her hair is shorter and has curls, I loved her long hair, but this is just as sexy.

 Chapter 21

    Bethany

    POV

    The shop sold scrubs and other hospital clothes, and a training hospital nearby helped me find what I wanted easily. I ended up buying ten outfits. Five with a skirt and five with trousers, all easy to wash and keep clean, and all of them had the heart theme, all colorful. I was looking forward to going to work and seeing how my boss would react to my new clothing. I hope it is received with the jest as intended. I know children would appreciate it, and though I would not see living patients during research, I was told that living woulde first, and I would not want it any other way. I am a good surgeon, and being a good researcher is just an added benefit, but I love being in theater and helping change someone''s life. Especially for children who have been born with a defect, I have a reputation for my microsurgery on small hearts. That was why Robson had been trying to get me to his hospital. He said he had several children on his list, waiting to have a surgeon willing to operate on the small hearts. It is not for the faint-hearted, and no pun is intended. Working on children is a skill not all surgeons have. My small, skilled hands were made for tiny hearts, and that is one gift I am thankful for. Losing a small child breaks your heart, but then losing any patients hurts, and though we may look. On my way back home, I walked past a butcher shop and could not resist going in. I brought the meat for mysagna that I was going to make today, and next door was the shop where I could buy the pasta, a homemade sauce, and garlic bread. As I was making my way to the checkout, I found some cheese. My day just got better, and this shop had everything. I will being back here in the future. They even had some ready-to-heat meals that looked like they were made here on the premises. When things get busy, I will definitely be back and fill my freezer with these quick meals, better than any TV dinners. They look healthier and are made here, not in some factory. I am into home-cooked meals, and I often cook more than I need and freeze the rest into meals for another day, but this looks as good as anything I can cook.

    I put away my clothes. I will give them a quick wash tomorrow and start cooking. I am absorbed in cooking and singing the songs I have put on. That time flew by. The main meal was nearly done. I cut up a sd and put the garlic bread into the oven, set out the table, ready for us, and set up the coffee pot. All that I needed to do was flip the switch, and everything would be done. Havingpleted everything I needed, I headed out to my balcony and watched the citye alive as night descended on the city below. It was still early, and the full moon came alive in the sky. It looked huge, like full moons often did. It had only just turned six-thirty, and the ding of the oven told me it was time to turn it all off and leave it in the heat until Theo arrived. I turned and entered the room and stopped in surprise. Theo was standing there, staring at me, with a look that made me flush with warmth. I do not remember ever having someone look at me the way he was at that moment.

    ''Hi Theo,'' I said as I walked up to him, kissed his cheek, and continued into the kitchen to turn off the oven and turn the switch on the coffee pot.

    ''This ce smells so delicious. I love what you have done to your hair, Theo said as he followed me into the kitchen. His voice sounded husky, and I wondered if he wasing down with something like that. He tried to clear his throat, and I grabbed a ss, poured him some water, and handed it to him. He took the ss and downed it in one long swallow. I stood there staring at him, shocked at his thirst. Wow.

    ''You hungry?'' I asked, trying to clear my mind.

    ''Starving!'' he chuckled as he grabbed another ss of water.

    ''Can I help?'' I was surprised he offered after saying he was terrible in the kitchen. He is a single man, so maybe it was just an excuse to get me to cook.

    ''Nah, go sit. I pulled thesagna out and ced it on a heated mat on the table. The sd was already there, and then I grabbed the garlic bread and ced it down before taking a seat opposite him.

    ''Wow, this looks great! He took a deep breath, smelled the food, and I giggled. That was so nice; it made me feel like all the time it took to prepare was worth it. It''s silly to think that I know, but Bret never showed any appreciation for my cooking. If anything, heined about everything I cooked. Nothing was ever good enough.

    ''Would you like to serve it up?'' I let Theo cut thesagna and ced arge slice on my te before adding one to his te. I helped myself to the sd, opened the foil for the garlic bread, broke it into pieces, took two slices, and ced them on my te before pushing the rest towards Theo.

    Theo groaned in appreciation as he ate, and it was lovely. We ate until almost everything on our tes was gone before he spoke.

    ''This is so good. Could I take some back to my ce? I love to put some in the freezer. I am a terrible cook, and this would make a good meal when I don''t have time to prepare something. He seemed genuine in his request.

    ''Of course, I have made two more and was going to do that for myself. I would be happy to cut one up just for you if you like! ''You do not mind?''

    ''Of course not.''

    ''Yes, please.''

    After the meal was over, he helped clean up while I cut up one of the others and put them in containers for him to take back, and the same for me. The kitchen cleaned, we headed back out to the balcony and watched the cars below. We sat listening to music and enjoying the peace of the night. Neither of us felt pressure to talk. It was nice to sit and be together; the quiet was not ufortable; it was as if we had known each other long enough to know that talking was not needed and to enjoy having someone else''spany.

    Theo reached over, took my hand, and raised it to his lips. He did not look at me; it was as if he knew where my hand would be and just took it. He then just kept hold of my hand, running his thumb over my knuckles and circles on the back of my hand. It had a calming effect on me, and I thought if I rxed further, I would fall asleep right there on the balcony. ''Would you like a coffee?'' I needed something, or I would be dragging him down the hall and taking advantage of him. Where that thought came from, I have no idea, but it was true. I wanted to bed him again. He was so goodst time. He had left me a smile on my face for days, and I wondered if he was that good or if it was because I was in desperate need and emotional.

 Chapter 22

    Theo

    POV

    The meal was superb. I was looking forward to taking some home for a quick meal. This woman can cook. If this is what I am in for, I hope to have more opportunities to eat here.

    We were sitting on her balcony. The stress of the day faded away as I enjoyed herpany. I watched the city rush about below, the night lights and moving traffic reminding me that life was still going on below. Yet, up here, I had never felt so rxed and content before. It was as if I did not need to fill the quiet space with unnecessary words.

    I took her hand in mine and kissed it. The urge to touch her was strong. If she is willing, I would like to take her to bed again. Thest time was unbelievable. For days, I would start to get hard when I thought of that night and her moans of pleasure. I had never been like that before. Once I had bedded a woman, I don''t usually keep reliving it; it is to fulfill a need, and nothing more, yet when I took Bethany to bed, it felt like it was more than being sating the need. I wanted to see if it was a one-off.

    Bethany did not try to take her hand back. We both continued to watch the city activity, the sounds of sirens and ring honks of horns, asionally interrupting the soft musicing from the stereo in the lounge room. This did not detract from the mood; it just seemed to add to it, as if slowly building the need within me, strange as it may sound.

    ''Coffee?'' Bethany asked, making me turn to look at her.

    ''Sounds good, want a hand?'' I offered as I stood up to follow Bethany back into the kitchen.

    ''Sure.'' I watched her as she walked in front of me. What? I am a man, and it is right there in front of me. How can I not look and enjoy it? But that is a fine backside and those long legs. She had bare feet, and I noticed she had nail polish on them, yet she did not put polish on her fingernails. I wondered if her job was why she did not put polish on. Our medical staff is not permitted to have nail polish in the theater, and the woman who is our hospital phlebotomist is not allowed, so there are many ces, like my sister, the chef, where she does not wear nail polish. So, it should not surprise me; it just made me wonder what type of job she has. She mentioned starting her new job on Monday. I had thought of asking her but then thought better of it. Talking about work when you are home is the best thing to do. If she moves jobs because of work issues, I might open a problem she does not wish to discuss.

    Come to think of it, I know almost nothing about her. I have yet to ask the usual questions, like do you have siblings, and generally get to know your stuff. We have yet to share our mobile numbers, and I am considering bedding her again. My mum would be horrified if she knew what I had been up to, but then Iforted her, which led to a little more than a hug. Would she call it a pity fuk? Mind you, my Mum does not use those types of words, and I would get a flick of her tea towel if she heard me using them. She has a knack for flicking it, so the end hits you and stings like zes.

    ''Can you get the mugs?'' Bethany floated around the kitchen, getting the coffee beans and grinding them, opened the fridge, and pulled out the milk and a cheesecake. Wow, she made my day. I love cheesecake, especially homemade. Mum loves to cook and take them to the women''s shelter. She will make us some on our Sunday family lunch if we are lucky.

    Bethany cut the cheesecake into two slices, covered it, and ced it back in the fridge. I almost asked if I could have some to take home, but then I smirked. I can alwayse here to grab a coffee and cheesecake, an excellent excuse toe over, not that I have needed an excuse so far.

    Seeing the cheesecake, I grabbed two tes and a fork out of the drawer and ced them with napkins on the table. I learned early in my life how to be helpful around the kitchen. It helped us get the food on the table quicker. It was cleaning up the dishes and clearing the table side of things. It was always a drag. I may have three sisters, but I still have to do my share of the housework. My mother said it was to train me for when I am a bachelor and have to cook and clean my own home. She is right, but it was still a drag. We all fought it over the years as youngsters, whose turn to wash the pots and put the dishes in the dishwasher, who was to do the table, and so on. Nearly every family would have the same issue. No kid wants to do chores. Even keeping our own room can be a drag. At least my Mum changed the sheets. I never had to worry about that.

    She was sitting at the table, eating the cheesecake that was so smooth and a lot of lemon zest that made the cheesecake pop. Bethany seemed to be miles away in thought. I wanted to ask what was going on in her mind, but the look on her face told me to wait. If she wanted to talk about it, she would, having consoled my mother and sisters often enough to know, to wait for them, and pushing to get answers before they are ready to talk can backfire faster than clearing a room after a smelly fart.

    My thoughts drifted back to the day we met and how tired and hurt she looked to how she looks now. She has put a lot of her hurt into hiding, and she does not look so tired and vulnerable. I am impressed with how fast she is bouncing back from whatever hurt her. I would like to ask about the person treating her like an ATM, but it is not my ce to probe. If I had been a good neighbor, I would have knocked on the door and let her know I was hearing her conversation, given her a chance to take it off speaker, and not walk right into a conversation she would most likely not have shared with a stranger. She is so different from the money grabber that was in this penthouse. You can see she is kind and caring, not one to take advantage of others.

    A loud bang came from outside, and we both turned to look out the window. Fireworks bloomed in the sky, red and blue sprayed out in a flower of bright color. It was not a holiday, and I tried to think about what could have been the reason for the fireworks. ''The baseball finals must be over. Bethany said softly, almost too quiet for me to hear, and I wondered if she meant to say it out loud.

    "Baseball? You follow baseball?'' I was shocked.

    ''My Dad loves all sports, and we watch football and baseball games together when we can. As a kid, he took me to watch a Dodgers game once. It was amazing. It''s so different when you go to a game than when you watch TV! ''Yeah, I agree. I was into ice hockey as a kid. It was what our school promoted, but I enjoyed football. We could have game days together.

    ''That sounds nice. We could invite him along if my Dad is not working too. I know how much he would enjoy that.'' ''Yes, we can. I can ask my Dad, too. I don''t think my sisters are into football,'' I said, excited. This meant we would be seeing each other again without having to ask the question.

 Chapter 23

    Bethany

    POV

    We returned our coffee to the balcony to watch the fireworks. I feltfortable with Theo. I mean that throughout the years I have been married to Bret, I have always wondered what was going on in his head. He always felt distant from me. I try to remember ever sitting like this and talking about anything. He would never have suggested a night of watching sports with my dad; he was always too busy and not interested in anything other than his work. I thought it was a good thing, but now I understand it was always my sister he had on his mind, and not being intimate with me was because he had most likely already been with her. He was possibly never working overtime but heading over to my sister''s ce to be with her.

    I had to shake my head to clear it of where these thoughts were taking me. You may wonder why I am not crying all the time now that my marriage is over, but I felt it was over more than a year ago. When he kept avoiding being with me, he never cuddled me in bed, and he would roll over as if I were not even in bed with him. So, I guess you could say I saw thising. What blindsided me was who was getting his attention, and then to hear he never wanted me, and it was all a ploy between the two of them, broke what little love I had for the man, and that is why I am not in tears all the time. His neglect of me had slowly diminished my love, and looking back now, I had started to put more time into work and seminars. I used them to fill the void because I did not always have my husband at home.

    ''Your ce or mine?'' Theo suddenly asked, and I briefly wondered what he was talking about. I had zoned out of our conversation. I looked over at him questioningly.

    ''The sports nights, your ce would be better. You have that huge television set up in your lounge, perfect for watching sports!

    ''Mine is fine, but you are bringing the beer. I will supply the snacks. Dad loved the mini pies and chips to snack on. I liked a te of assorted cheeses and cold meats when we watched the sports, but we both enjoyed popcorn and beers.

    ''You are on. If work does not get in the way, and if one of us needs to work, the dads can stille and enjoy the game here. One of us would most likely be avable to enjoy the game with them, and I am sure they would love to get away from home and enjoy ourpany for a while. My dad and I like mini pies and chips, please.'' I chuckled. That was easy.

    ''When would you like to start our sports fest?''

    ''Let me talk to my dad and get him on board, and you can talk to your Dad and see what we can work out!''

    ''That sounds nice. My Dad would love it if he got some weekend off work!''

    ''What do you mean?''

    ''My dad is a detective, starting in the local precinct tomorrow. He followed me here. So, he might have to work some weekends!

    ''My dad is a doctor and could get called in too. We could n it and leave an open house.

    ''Love it; if I am working, you know your way around my home. Help yourself; I will have the food in the fridge, and help yourself, I said, wondering if I would be called in on an emergency.

    ''We could only give the concierge downstairs the okay to send our dads up here if both of us are called away. It might be good for the two men to have a ce to go and enjoy the game.''

    Making a weekend sports night was going to be difficult with all our work demands, and I had yet to start mine. But Theo said to have an open house and still enjoy the game, even if one of us cannot make it. It sounded nice, almost like we were family. I miss having a family. Visit Job ni b  to read theplete chapters for free. It all started to change once I got married, and Dad often worked to stay away from the house, only trying to be there. When I was at the Sunday family lunch, which always ended up being a day of arguments between Bret and me, my sister would often be the reason the fights started in the first ce. If only I had opened my eyes and seen it for what it really was, my sister would have been jealous because I was with Bret as a couple when she wanted to be the one on his arm. If only I had known back then.

    ''I am seeing my dad on Sunday for lunch. I will ask him then. Theo said after a few minutes of silence, except for the boom of the fireworks, still exploding in the sky, that had been blooming in the sky longer than I had expected.

    ''Me too. I will be having lunch with my father. We are both excited aboutmencing our new jobs on Monday!'' ''Bethany, I, um, want to ask you something! he hesitated, and I wondered what had made him suddenly unsure of himself when he always seemed so confident. We were open to any conversation past the nervous first meeting stage.

    ''Theo! You can ask me anything?'' I was a little sad that he was nervous to talk to me.

    ''Well, um, I know we have only known each other for two weeks, but, um, you see, since we spent the night together, I have not been able to get that night out of my head, and I was wondering if you would like to be my, forck of a better word, booty call, we get along so well, and though we are still getting to know each other, I would like to take you to bed again. Sorry if that sounds crass, but I don''t know what else to call it. We are good neighbors, and I would like to explore this between us a little further!'' ''Neighbors with benefits?'' I threw it out there to see his reaction. He smirks.

    ''That does sound better, and just to rify, I will be exclusive to you. I am clean, and while we are meeting each other''s needs, I will not bed anyone else but you, and if you find someone you wish to pursue, we will stop with no hard feelings.'' ''So, you can still take girls out on a date, just not bed them?''

    ''If you wish to date someone, I will be okay with that, I guess, but no bedding unless we notify the other first. He sounded a little sad that I had suggested dating others, but I have seen him being friendly with two other women so far. Does that mean he is not intimate with them? I am a little confused.

    ''So, if you find a woman you want to take to bed before you put that condom on, will you call me and let me know you are about to get down and dirty with a woman? Will you even have the time to think about me at that moment?'' Now I am being crass and a little snarky. I do not mean to be, but this sounded so ridiculous. I had a few trust issues after my lousy marriage. I do not want to get hurt like that again.

 Chapter 24

    Theo

    POV

    How did I mess this up so badly?

    ''No, I will not have my pants down, and cover my m*****d, and then call you. What do you take me for honest with you as I can. I did not mean to hurt your feelings. I am not good at this sort of discussion. ''So you have had this discussion with another woman?'' She sounded a little stressed now, getting wo ''No, never. You are the first woman I have asked this, or even considered asking. I am not that cold. I a She takes a long breath as she watches the night sky, but it seems like the fireworks are over now, and was surrounding me. At that moment, I was on tenterhooks, waiting to see if I had just ruined a growi ''A booty call sounds okay to me, and if I find a guy I want to date, I will let you know that I am going o and am not looking for anything more than what you said. I am still finding myself again and healing. happens, and to be honest, the whole idea of going home with a stranger, did not sit well with me.'' Beny go punch him in the nose. It was how I felt every time one of my sisters came home in tears because t ''I promise not to push you if you say no. You are not in the mood. I will respect that, as I would expect ''Done,munication is important. Always be bold and ask a question, it only leads to wrong decisio ''Also, you have the right to refuse to answer if it is getting too personal and causes more harm than it Bethany nods. Her face says she is thinking about this and taking it all in. It gives me hope that she is being her neighbor. But I am not going to raise that with her now. I am sure if it does not work out, we ''When would you like to start this arrangement?'' she asks almost in a whisper, and hearing her so vul ''Now?'' I replied, with hope in my voice. I was in the mood for a little more than a cuddle tonight. ''Okay! Bethany had still not looked at me during most of this conversation. Was she embarrassed?

    wish to start dating a guy with the possibility of getting intimate, then we call it off while you see where that rtionship goes. I want to be as open and over my wrong wording. growled out at her.

    at is left is the honking of car horns and the asional siren in the distance. At the moment, I could do with a boom of fireworks to break the silence that dship over a stupid idea of a booty call arrangement.

    e, regardless if it leads to a more ndestine meeting. I am not ready for more than that, and now dating is not on my radar. I have just left a bad marriage een toying with the idea of some one-night stands, but having a neighbor willing to fill that void for me saves me from going to clubs and seeing what chose her words carefully, and I heard every word. She had been hurt, and the idea of some i**** causing her pain made me want to know who he was and yfriend broke their hearts.

    me from you. Sometimes, I am too exhausted from a long day at work and want a cuddle andpany!

    hurts in the long run. I wonder what she thought when she said this, but now was not the time to ask those questions, even though she had said to ask.

    th.''

    s about the arrangement and is carefully calcting whether it will work. I am sure she is worried that if it all goes badly, she will be ufortable with me ill be friends and will work something out at ater date. makes me already react to her.

    I took her hand and pulled it to my lips, and her eyes followed her hand. Then, I flicked her eyes up to mine. She looked shy and curious at the same time. How was that even possible?

    Standing up, I pulled her up with me. Getting the green light was all I needed. I am confident the hard part was over from here, making sure we were on the same page. I felt I had full steam ahead and wanted to get her to her bedroom and fast. I have no problems in the bedroom. I am going to make her scream my name a number of times tonight.

    Once she was standing, I swept her off her feet and carried her bridal style to her bedroom. Well, the room I assumed would be her bedroom, as that ce is a mirror of mine. I used my foot to kick her door open and, with a few strides, gentlyid her on her bed. She looked up at me with lustful eyes. I leaned over her and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. Her eyes fluttered shut as if she was expecting more and flicked open when I moved back away from her.

    Moving to the end of the bed, I tickled her bare feet, and she squirmed. Good, she is ticklish. I will store that for another day. I slowly crawled up her body and removed her clothes, one item at a time. I removed her bra and gave each of her breasts a kiss, suckling on the n****e before slowly kissing my way down her body and removing her panties. Very slowly, I removed one foot and kissed the ankle, pulled the other leg out and kissed that ankle, and threw the panties in the general direction of the rest of her clothes. She pouted.

    ''You need to strip; give me a show. Would you like some music while you do it?'' Bethany was teasing me now as she scooted up the bed and leaned back on the pillows, watching my every move.

    I sat on the bed, removed my left shoe, and threw it somewhere. I heard itnd, and nothing broke, so it was a good throw. I removed my sock and sent it in the same direction, and then I did the same with my left shoe and sock, taking it slow.

    As I continued watching Bethany, I stood up, slowly unbuttoned my shirt, and pulled it off me. Her eyes checked my pecs and trailed down to my waist, following the amount of hair I had on my chest. I am a little hairy, but I thought it looked good on me. Not too much, just enough. I undid my belt and buttons on my jeans. This pair did not have a zipper, and I slowly lowered my jeans to the floor. I picked them up and found my wallet, removed the condoms I had in there, and threw the jeans in the same direction I had the rest of Bethany''s and my clothes; I pulled off my boxers and crawled on the bed, reached her bedside table, threw the condoms there.

    I leaned on my arms on either side of her head and put my knees on either side of her waist. She was going nowhere. Leaning down, I started to kiss her, using my tongue along her lips. She parted hers, and I plunged my tongue into her mouth and tasted the cheesecake we had earlier, which was sweet. I danced my tongue in her mouth, and she used her tongue to y with mine. I was not rock hard and wanted to take her now, but I resisted the urge. We had all night, and I wanted her to shout out my name at least once before I put a condom on.

 Chapter 25

    Bethany

    POV

    The chat about a booty call was fun; as Theo bumbled his way through asking me, he did not look like his usually confident self.

    He had never asked a woman to be that before. It was funny but serious at the same time as he raised doubts in my head. The other twodies'' faces came to mind, and I brushed them away. He might go out with them but promised not to be intimate. Although my trust was low, I felt he was not lying when he made that promise, but who knows, when the moment is right, he will have time to let me know before he dives in.

    I decided to take the risk, as I felt morefortable being with Theo than a random man who might pick me up at a bar. I agreed with him. His face lit up when he realized I had agreed to all our conditions, and his reaction was immediate. Today would be my very first official booty call.

    Swooping me up like a bride and carrying me to my bedroom, I quickly thought about my sheets and if I had changed them recently, but I had tough at that silly thought as I felt his already hardening in his jeans and all thoughts of the condition of my bedroom fled. I knew howrge he was and wondered if this time would be as good as thest. I was emotional thest time we came together, and it was a spontaneous moment and had not been intimate for a while, so I was extra needy.

    Theo was so tender, his face full of concentration as heid me on the bed, and I felt wanted as he carefully undressed me. I felt all sorts of emotions flowing through me, emotions I was not ready to address. He was so attentive, making sure my needs were met before he crawled up the bed and gave me a long, brutal kiss, plunging his tongue into my mouth. Theo leaned back on his knees and reached over for a condom. I reached up and took it from his hands and tore it open, his eyes watching me as I opened it, and then I left his gaze to put it on, his long, thick, hard, yet soft member in my hand, as I slowly lowered the condom on to him. I had never done that before and hoped I had done it right. I flicked my eyes back up to his, and he was burning with desire. A soft smile graced his lips.

    His hand went to his member and ran it down from tip to bottom. I hoped that was to make sure it was in the right way or sitting morefortably on his erection, as I did not know if it could hurt or not if incorrectly fitted. I remember my girlfriends when we practiced on a cucumber when we were in high school. I think we were sixteen, and two of them were already active. I was not ready to plunge into that yet. I was more of a nerd, working hard to get good grades.

    He looked down as he rubbed his end on my wetness, slicking up the end, before he slowly entered me, his face full of wonder as he watched himself disappear into my pink folds. I felt every inch of him as he filled mepletely, then grabbed me by my ankles and lifted my legs onto his shoulders, a position I had never been in before. He started to slowly piston in and out of me in long strokes; I felt him deep inside of me, hitting every part of my tunnel, stretching me beyond anything I had before. The piston grew faster, and I could do little to participate. I was more along for the ride of my life. He ced the fingers of his left hand on my folds, and his fingers started to rub my mound, speeding up my pending eruption. My stomach started to tighten, and I screamed out his name as I could take no more. I looked at his face; he was proud of me, screaming his name and his aplishment of making me reach a high twice, yet he had not finished.

    He lowered my legs carefully, cing each on either side of him, at that same time, never leaving our connection to each other. His member was hard and pulsed inside of me, eager to reach the finish line, but Theo did not rush it. He lowered himself on top of me, resting on his elbows, as he started to increase the thrusts inside of me. I lifted my hips to meet his, and as the thrusts got harder and impossibly deeper, sweat began to glisten on his forehead, and his chest and his breathing got faster as he pushed faster to his own end. I called out his name again as my core throbbed around his rigid member, and two thrustster, he growled out my name, filling the condom with his seed.

    His breathing is short, his arms shaking as he holds himself off of me, and then he lowers himself to the side and pulls me with him, holding my bottom to him, not letting us separate. I end up on top of him, and my legs automatically part to rest on either side of him, his member still pulsing inside of me. He looked so handsome at that moment; his eyes were closed as he took deep breaths to calm himself back down as if he had just run a marathon.

    Suddenly, his eyes opened, and he looked at me, his eyes shining in the lighting from outside, his face serene and rxed. He thrust his hips up, and I felt that his member had not yet softened, and I was filled with curiosity if it would indeed soften at all while he was deep inside of me.

    I giggled when he pushed deeper into me again, and his member pulsed, making me surprised he was thinking of going again so soon.

    ''You are kidding me.'' I said, and he dared to smirk at me and push again in confirmation that he had every intention of going again.

    ''No, time for sleep. I demanded and tried to climb off of him, but he held my hips firm and thrust again.

    I groaned, and he did it again, but this time, after his thrust, he lifted me off of him, swung his legs off the bed, and headed to the bathroom. Iy on my back, absorbing what had just happened, mydy parts a little tender from the strenuous workout it had just gone through, a smile on my face as I enjoyed the euphoria of the event.

    Theo returned, the condom removed and his member swinging softly between his legs. In his hand was a washcloth. He sat on the side of the bed, and with one hand, he nudged my legs to part, which I willinglyplied, and he washed my groin, removing the evidence of our marathon escapade with a warm cloth.

    This was almost too much for me. The after-care was something I had never expected or thought was possible. I thought once a guy got what he wanted, it was over, and snoring would be the next thing to expect, but Theo had proved me wrong and raised the bar for any other lover I may have in the future.

    He went back to the bathroom, and when he came back to bed, he climbed in behind me. He pulled me to him. He gave me onest longing kiss before pushing me over so he could spoon in behind me, his right hand on my b****t, his left on my tummy; his hold was firm but not too tight; I felt safe and content and very sated.

    If this is what I will be getting for a booty call, I am more than willing to continue until he finds a newdy to take my ce. For a brief moment, that saddened me, but then I let it go and decided to enjoy what I had while I had it. The best s*x I have ever had.

 Chapter 26

    Theo POV

    My first booty call, and it felt fantastic. Bethany is so responsive; she took everything I threw at her, and her groans and squeaking noises made me hard again, and I wanted to hear those noises again.

    ''No, not again, not yet. I need rest; you have worn me out.'' Bethany grumbled when I pressed my growing erection against her b**t. I hear her refusal, but her body responds anyway, and she wiggles her b**t against me, and her groan turns to one of want and not a no. However, she had said no. I would not push it, no matter how much she reacts to me, that is, unless she verbally changes her mind.

    Letting her go, I backed away and rolled over to climb out of bed.

    ''Where are you going?'' she murmured huskily, sleep still trying to hold on to her.

    ''Bathroom.'' I did not wait to hear what she said next; I had to get in a cold shower fast. What this woman is doing to me is hard to believe. I have never been this way. Visit Job ni b .co m to read theplete chapters for free. Mind you, in my younger days, when I was more actively bedding a woman, most of my one-night stands were all over me wanting more, and that is a turn-off. I like to be the one doing the chasing. Often, I have woken up to a woman trying to take my morning hardness and turn it into something more than a need to go to the bathroom.

    The cold shower did little to stop the thoughts of that woman in bed, how well my body responded to her moan, and her body responded and took my rough side as well as the gentle moments. I had woken twice during the night and took her again, and not once pushed me away.

    The door to the shower opened, and Bethany joined me in the shower. She looked so cute, hair all over the ce, yawning as she tried to shake the sleep away.

    ''Hey, that is cold!'' She screeched; I guess she was awake now as she tried to back away from the cold water. These showers are enormous, so it was not hard for her to move away.

    I chuckled and turned on the hot tap, changing the shower to a temperature more eptable to her.

    ''I told you I needed a cold shower,'' I said, pulling her to me and giving her my warmth as the shower heated up.

    ''You said you needed the bathroom. I do not remember the words of a cold shower. She retorted, but she allowed me to pull her to me andy her head on my chest as the warmer water hit her back, warming her back up.

    I kissed her head and leaned forward to grab the soap and sponge. Slowly, I washed her back and then pushed her away from me and washed her chest. I was mesmerized as a giant blob of bubbles rolled down her chest, over the peak of her b****t, and down her body to reach the floor. I squeezed the sponge so I could watch another group of bubbles flow over her. I looked up to see she was watching me with a soft, knowing smile, and I broke out into a massive grin of my own. Now, this was an excellent way to start the day. When I finished washing her, she took the sponge and began to wash me. The reason for the cold shower rose again, and to my surprise, Bethany went to her knees and started to lick and y with it. She took almost all of me in her mouth, and god, that felt so good. I jumped a little when she deliberately ran her teeth down my length, making my member jump, but not from pain; it seemed that action almost had me spurting my load; then she squeezed my balls, and this time, I did explode. ''Move if you don''t want a mouthful.'' I groaned out, trying to pull out of her mouth, but she gripped hard onto my butt, pushing me back to her. She took all my load into her mouth, and I cannot be sure, but I think she swallowed it. My eyes were closed at the time I exploded, and I did not feel her mouth leave me, so the only ce it could have gone was down her throat.

    I opened my eyes and watched as she washed my leg and the rest of my lower body, making it look like what had just transpired had not happened. I pulled her up to me and pulled her to my chest. She looked up into my eyes in question. Lowering my head, I took her lips to mine and kissed her ever so gently. We kissed and cuddled for a while, the water never going cold, the benefits of a penthouse suite, constant running hot water.

    I moved Bethany to one side and shielded her from the water. I turned the taps off, forced her out of the shower recess, covered her with arge, soft, fluffy towel, and dried her. She watched me dry her and never once moved or made a sound. I wondered if I had done something wrong. Had she expected me to reciprocate what she had just done to me? I could not start to self-doubt now; I needed to continue and wait and see.

    I know she is a bundle of emotions. From our conversationst night, I got the impression she had not had a happy marriage. I am sure she will slowly let it out, but as all this has been recent, I need to give her the space and time to heal and be there if she needs a shoulder to cry on. I had to kick myself and not go down the sister zone path again. She was definitely not like my little sister, and I had no intention of putting her there, but with so many little things said and done, she is hurting like my sister did after her four- year rtionship fell apart. Luckily, she was not married to the prick, but it did not mean she did not hurt any less, just about the same.

    I ced a towel over Bethany''s head and started vigorously rubbing it. She giggled and took off away from me to sit on the bed and dry her hair. I guess there are some things a girl likes to do herself, and hair must be one of them. I dried myself off and headed to her room to put on my clothes from yesterday. I sighed; I did not want to put them on.

    ''Why don''t you go home like you are? It is not like you have far to go, and what are the chances of you walking past someone? I am not expecting anyone, so unless you are? It should be safe.'' Bethany must have noticed my hesitancy in putting the dirty clothes back

    on.

    ''You are right, and I will be back shortly.'' I grabbed the wet towel and put it around my waist. I am not sure why I did this. Maybe I was not as happy with leaving her home naked, and my family had permission toe up to the penthouse. The doorman only had to use his key to give them ess. One of my sisters likes to do that often. I am not sure if I want to be seen leaving Bethany''s home naked. Not that I would have to exin myself to her, but she would tell the rest of the family before I made it two steps inside my home.

 Chapter 27

    Bethany

    POV

    For the first time ever, I was tender between my legs, but it was not an unwanted feeling, it told me I had been thoroughly f****d, and that was a good thing. After the shower, I watched Theo leave my home with my pink fluffy towel wrapped around his waist. I am not really a pink person, but the towels were special, and they were super soft. Pink was the only color left, so I purchased them, thinking no one would see them. I had not packed towels or linen of any kind when I moved out. I sent it all to the goodwill shop, wanting to start over fresh, taking nothing with me that would be a daily reminder of what I had lost. But watching Theo walk out that door in a pink towel made buying them all the more worth it. I giggled to myself as he looked over his shoulder and winked at me before he closed it behind him. He must know what it looked like, and I am sure he put the towel as low as he could on his hips, showing his defined back and legs and humm, yummy body, andst night it was all mine.

    Dressed in shorts and a tank top, I started to prepare breakfast. I assumed that Theo would be back. We had yet to really discuss our ns for today, as we were too caught up with other thingsst night and what I was going to do today was thest thing on my mind.

    After our activityst night, I thought some bacon and eggs would be needed, some protein, rather than pancakes, so I got busy, singing softly to the music ying on the radio. I was feeling terrific; all my worries were far behind me, for now at least. Iid the table while the bacon and sausage were cooking, and even threw in some hash browns, grabbed some juice and sses, and put them on the table. Coffee was ready, and soon toast was popping up. Everything was going well, and nothing could spoil my day. When Theo entered the kitchen, he was dressed in a suit, and I frowned, that was not how I expected him to return. I thought we would have a leisurely day together, but I was wrong.

    He stopped and stared at the food on the table and sighed.

    ''I have been called into work, an emergency! he said as an exnation.

    ''Do you have time to grab something to eat before you go? Or would you like me to put some into a container, and you can eat along the way! I did not know what he did for a living and did not think to ask. I know Dad was often called to work, and he is a policeman, so I figured an important job it was, it was important.

    ''Yeah, I think I can dy leaving for a few minutes and eat fast,'' he said with a sad smile as he sat and started to fill a te.

    ''I don''t know how long I will be. Sometimes things can take all day andte into the night. I nodded and smiled at him, d he was eating at least. When he had eaten a decent amount, he wiped his lips with a napkin and stood up. ''Thank you for understanding and the meal. I''ll let you know if I can get away!

    ''That is okay; it is not like we had made any ns. I walked him to the door and watched him enter the lift and leave. I was disappointed, but I understood. My job was often like that, so I should not be shocked. Other people''s jobs are not eight-to-four jobs. I finished my food, packed the rest away, and put it in the fridge. Since I had not nned anything today, I decided to call my Dad and see if he would like to see the city''s sights.

    ''Hey, Dad, are you busy today?''

    ''Kind of; I am going to work today and look around, set up my desk, and talk to the chief! Why?''

    ''I was thinking of sightseeing and going for a walk around the ce. I was going to offer a lunch date and talk.''

    ''Can I call you in a few hours? I want to finish this before Monday so I am not a fish out of water when I start my new job. Having already done that myself, I understood what Dad meant.

    ''Sure, Dad, I will go out and walk around anyway, and if you call, we can meet up somewhere, but it''s okay if you get stuck at work; I understand, and we have a lunch date for tomorrow anyway, so that I can talk to you then.

    ''Sure thing, Kiddo, we can do that. Sorry, got to run. Dad hung up, and I found I was smiling; Dad sounded happy and his old self again. I was concerned about him leaving Mum as he did, that maybe he was having second thoughts, but the way he sounded, it was almost like he was excited to be working, and that was not something he had shown in a while. My divorce was also a good thing for him, spurring him to do something he should have done years ago. I knew he was not happy in his marriage either. We had talked about it several times, and when Iined about mine, we were both in the same boat, just with different paddles.

    I changed from my shorts to jeans, grabbed my purse and phone, and headed out. I was going to walk around the city, and find a nice park nearby that would be good for jogging in when I had the urge. I prefer to do theps in the pool, but asionally, if the weather is ideal, I would go for a jog.

    There was a park nearby, and many joggers ran by. It had a small pond, a lot of ducks swimming around, and a yground for children. It was well-maintained, and I was pleased that it was close enough for me to jog from my home.

    I sat on a park bench and watched the children y on the swings and slides. A mother arrived with a bag of bread, and soon, the children came rushing over to her. I got the impression she did this regrly as the group headed to the pond. The ducks came rushing over. The moment they saw her, they were in such a hurry it was like they were flying over the water as their feet were running across the pond, making sshing sounds with each foot hitting the water; quacks of excitement filled the air along with the giggles of the children, and ducks tried to take food from their hands. The whole sight was wonderful, and I was d that I took the time toe out and sit in the sun for a little while, or I would have missed this lovely sight. Parents of the children were seated on park benches, watching the children closely as they neared the pond, but the woman who arrived with the bread had everything under control, keeping the young ones away from the edge.

    I am not sure how long I sat and enjoyed the park and the different activities that seemed to waltz past me as I sat there, my stomach grumbling told me it was time to move on. I found a lovely little caf¨¦ not too far away and sat down to eat. It was already three o''clock in the afternoon.

    I ate the chicken sd and sipped my coffee, watching people walk by and the different clothing they wore. It was interesting to see that, having been so busy with my work and trying to have a life, I had missed the simple things. My day had been good until I saw him walk by.

    By him, I mean Theo, with a blonde bombshell on his arm, and he wasughing with her. My heart plummeted, and I wondered if I was being strung along that he had many booty-calldies, all with the same promise of being faithful until one of us found another to date. Saddened by this, I left the caf¨¦ and headed back to my home, and for the first time since I had moved in, I locked my door and cried my heart out. Have I been foolish to trust him, like I had? I need to get my head out of this and think about a booty call, and not

    more.

 Chapter 28

    Theo POV

    My phone rang while I was getting dressed. It was work, and I was disappointed that I would not be spending the day with Bethany. On an emergency call, a new patient had just had a major heart attack, and although I was not on call, they wanted me in there as it was terrible. The doctor on duty said he did not think the man would survive the night and needed my expertise.

    I told Bethany, and she convinced me to stay and eat. I saw the logic in her suggestion, so I ate what she had cooked for ten minutes and then rushed out the door.

    The patient was already in the theater, and the doctor was already working on the man, but it was over by the time I scrubbed up and entered the room. The man did not make it. When I looked down at the man, I noticed his heart was a mess and was not surprised he was gone; there would have been little I could have done even if I was sitting there waiting for him to arrive.

    I did a quick ward round, letting two patients go home, and headed out. I had every intention of returning to Bethany''s ce, but my mobile rang as I climbed into my car, and my sister Felicity called and invited me out for lunch. She wanted to talk to me about something before the family lunch tomorrow.

    Intrigued by what that could be, I agreed to meet at a sushi train restaurant she enjoys. For her to suggest that ce meant that whatever she wanted to talk about was a big deal. I arrived and took a seat facing the door and waited for her to arrive. Not less than ten minutester, Felicity came in, a beaming smile on her face, so this was not bad news then.

    I stood up and greeted her with a hug and a kiss on her cheek.

    ''Hey, thanks foring. I hope you were not waiting long, or I interrupted anything important,'' she said as she took a seat and ced the napkin on herp.

    The waiter came over and asked if we wanted anything. Or were we going to pick up from the train line?

    ''Satay beef and water, please! I ordered. I like the way they make it here. Felicity would get something from the line and wanted coffee. We rarely took anything off the train. I am not sure why. There is no real reason. Maybe because I was not in the mood for what was moving past me.

    ''What was the big need?'' I probed, wondering what was going on.

    ''Sam proposedst night, she gushed and showed me the ring on her finger. It wasrge and gorgeous, but not something I would buy. She was over the moon with pride, and I would not burst her bubble with my preferences. ''Congrats, sis, but why must we meet here?''

    ''Will I bring him to lunch tomorrow and break the news, or should I go tonight and tell them?'' Was this the big issue? I could not see the problem.

    ''Why not take over tonight and celebrate? I cane over too and be your support!'' I suggested and kicked myself, which meant I wouldn''t see Bethany tonight.

    ''Would you do that for me? That would be great. Taking the pressure off Sam, having you there!''

    ''You bet I have your back, Felicity, you know that.'' We had a nice lunch and nned for her to walk home with me. I would change and take her to her fianc¨¦''s ce, and he would follow me to Mum and Dad''s ce.

    After we finished our meal, I paid, as usual, and walked arm in arm-back to my car and then to my ce. When I left the elevator, I was tempted to see Bethany and let her know what was going on, but I changed my mind. We were not at that stage yet, or at least I was not at that stage, where I needed to tell her what I was doing. We were still two individuals, with benefits, and boy, are they great benefits.

    I changed into jeans and a button-up shirt and left the penthouse. The drive to my sister''s boyfriend''s ce was half an hour away in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I waited downstairs until they both came out and climbed into my car. Things have changed again. I thought they were following me to Dad''s ce.

    We made it there by four o''clock, and Mum answered the door. Since moving out of the family home, I no longer just walked in; the girls still do, but I felt ufortable walking in, even though Mum and Dad said it was still my home. I had walked in once, and they were getting hot and heavy on the couch, and I have not done it since. I''m not sure how anyone else would feel, walking in on your parents making out on the couch, but I did not want to watch or think about that. I understand they still do it, but I don''t need to see it. ''Mum, you met Sam before?'' I asked as he walked in behind me.

    ''Sure, we have met a few times now. Wee,e inside. Will you be staying for dinner? I can whip up some fried chicken.

    ''Sure, I would love to stay, Felicity, Sam?'' I said I would stay, hoping they would get the message to stay, too. It would be good for Mum and Dad to get to know Sam better after Felicity had kept him a secret for so long, maybe because she had had a bad break before and did not want to get Mum''s hopes up.

    After Mum brought out coffee and cake, Felicity sat there like she was on hot bricks, unable to start the conversation. I could see Dad kept looking at me with a frown, raising one eyebrow as if asking me what was happening.

    ''Dad. Mum, Felicity, and Sam have some news.'' I blurted out, not able to continue with the stares.

    ''Felicity, care to exin?'' Mum said.

    Felicity lifted her hand and showed Mum the ring, and Mum moved from her chair and pulled her hand to her face, tilting her hand in the light.

    ''Nice ring, love the setting. Does this mean what I think it means?'' Mum asked with a cheery voice and eyes full of hope. ''Yes, Sam proposed, and I have said yes!

    ''Wait a minute. How long have you known Sam? ording to thest time you spoke about him, I thought there was nothing serious going on. Dad was not impressed. He was very protective of his daughters, and even with them being adults now, he still wanted to protect them. ''Just over a year. Dad, Sam wanted toe and ask your permission, but I talked him out of it.'' She said sheepishly. ''Why would you do that? I would have enjoyed being asked, but it does not seem to be the way things are nowadays. Dad grumbled and sulked after being denied the chance to grill the man before he agreed to let him marry his daughter.

    We stayed tillte, with my other two sisters arriving, and they all gushed over the engagement ring. Sam sat on the couch next to Dad, watching the girls. Sometimes, he smiled; other times, he looked dam-right frightened, and I wondered what had spooked him. Maybe the chats about dates for a wedding and howrge it could get, he was in for a ride if he thought it would be a small family wedding, with Mum and Dad''s sides of the family. We could easily get over one hundred people to attend, and that does not include the young ones.

    It was nearly midnight before I managed to drop Felicity and Sam off at her ce and crawled into bed just before one in the morning. I had to be back at the family home for luncheon in a few hours. Luckily, I am used to working with little sleep.

 Chapter 29

    Bethany

    POV

    The poolps cleared my mind, and I brushed aside the pain of seeing Theo with another woman. I had no right to be upset, and for some reason, it hurt more than when I caught Bret with my sister. As long as I keep in mind that he is a booty call and nothing more, then I can cope with him being with another woman, even if it hurts. Before our agreement, I intended to go clubbing and pick up one-night stands. What is the difference between me choosing a man and sticking to that one when I need a release? I think what hurt was we agreed to be honest and exclusive. I hope he kept his side of the bargain and is not bedding the woman. I guess as long as it is covered each time, I am safe from STDs, I hope, and keeping my heart out of it and enjoying hispany saves you from being lonely all the time.

    I got dressed forfort. I got a pantsuit and t shoes. Dad and I are going to watch a game of football today. I am bringing some nibbles, and Dad has got the beer. The cab arrived out the front. I could have walked. Catching a taxi was better than carrying food to Dad''s ce in a crowded street. Even on a Sunday, the roads were very busy. A farmers market was set up on a side street, making traffic a little more congested. The sounds of car horns honking and yells of abuse back and forth made for an exciting start to the day. Next week, I will walk through the markets and see what is on sale; besides the usual cheap junk that seems to gue most stalls, if they have fresh vegetables, that might make the stall worth a visit each week.

    The cab pulled up outside Dad''s apartment, and I climbed out, relieved that this side of the market was not so busy and that pulling out front was easy traffic. With the crazy traffic, I was concerned we could get this close, but I should have remembered that cabs seemed to be able to pull up anyway and get away with it. I paid with my card and thanked the driver.

    Dad was on floor twenty, and I waited impatiently as the elevator seemed to stop on every floor. When you are eager to go somewhere, every little thing triggers you. Visit Job ni b .co m to read theplete chapters for free. It was not the lift''s fault that doors opened on each floor, just as it was not the cab''s fault. It caught every single set of lights as we made our way here.

    Dad opened the door with a bright smile and urged me inside, his face full of joy at my arrival. I took the food to his kitchen and got the warm hug I hoped for. It took all of my strength not to burst into tears. I don''t mind admitting I am Daddy''s girl, and I am where I love football and beer and chips and share it with Dad. My sister was like my mother: fancy clothes, lots of makeup, and thetest designer essories, and though those things are fine, they are not me.

    ''How are you settling in, Dad?'' I was looking for some hint that leaving Mum was hurting him, but he seemed to be in good spirits. The apartment was clean, and the room was set up for our football marathon day. We will be watching more than one game today. ''Doing fantastic, sweetie; I should have done this years ago. You?'' He looked and sounded great. My old Dad was back again. He was looking good andughing again.

    ''Catching them has saved me years of heartache. I agree. I should have done it at least a year ago. Now let us forget about them, leave them where they belong, and get that game on. I hugged Dad again, and he chuckled.

    We were sitting happily before the television. It was interval time, and I had just ced the sausage rolls and mini pies on the table. It was our lunch. We had already drunk several beers, and I needed the food to soak up some of the beer. When Dad''s mobile rang, he answered it on speaker.

    ''What?'' Dad''s annoyed voice growled on the phone, and I heard Mother''s voice answer.

    ''Is that the way to speak to me? Really, can''t you at least be civil with me?'' She grouched back.

    ''What do you want?'' Dad was angry for so many reasons, and interrupting our sports day was not a good idea at all.

    ''You have not put any money into my housekeeping ount; why?'' What nerve? Dad is not with her anymore, and he does not need to. I was getting upset for my Dad to be putting up with this crap from her.

    ''You will not get a penny out of me, woman. I told you that you should sort your own money issues out!

    ''But I have not worked in years. How am I supposed to live?'' sheined.

    ''Not my problem, you made your bed, now lie in it, and stop calling me; you are not my problem.

    ''But.'' Dad interrupted her, not letting her get a word in.

    ''No, I''m not interested. You chose your side; let your daughter support you. Dad hung up and stared angrily at the phone.

    ''Dad, why do you not block her number? Give me your phone.'' Dad handed over his mobile phone, and I blocked Mother''s number.

    ''Can you do that to your sisters and Bret''s numbers? They have been calling, too, and I am not interested in hearing from any of them. I blocked all the different numbers Dad suggested, and I was surprised by the number of people Dad needed to be blocked and was harassed by on behalf of his ex-wife.

    The game started again, and we both pushed that interruption out of our minds as we began to shout and scream at the screen. a man ran down the sidelines, yelling at his team member to run, and got a touchdown. We were both out of our chairs, doing a circle of triumph around the chair, high-fives, and chest bumps, before sitting back down to watch the run and touchdown repeat, with just as much screaming at the screen on the repeat as we had on the live run.

    The rest of the day was like that. With each score, both of us were out of our seats, and the case of beer and the food were soon gone. Our sports fest day was over, and I was content; my spirits lifted.

    ''Dad, my neighbor loves sports, and so does his Dad. He suggested we get you and his Dad together, so if I am at work, you have a person to watch the game with. Would you be interested ining to my ce and having a sports Sunday there?''

    ''I think I need to open my door to make new friends. I would be interested. I could bring a case of beer, and you make the food, like usual. If his Dad and I get along, and then I am okay withing to your ce on Sundays and having a sports day, the more, the merrier. Besides, you have that huge TV that is just perfect for sports day! He chuckled, and I was d he was on board.

    ''Okay, Dad, from next Sunday, be at my ce if the others show up and join us. Then great. Suppose they are working or can''t, so be it. Also, if I am working, please still use my ce. I am sure I will be back before thest game ends.

    ''Deal! I jugged Dad and left, taking the empty containers back with me. It was ten o''clock at night, and though Dad did not like it, I promised to let him know. I made it home okay. I took the fifteen-minute walk home. The night was still busy, with many revelers walking around; some restaurants were still open, looking in the windows to see smiling people enjoying the meal and goodpany.

    A pang of wanting hit me out of the blue, and I had to brush it aside. It seemed I was always hunting for love that was just out of reach. Maybe I will never have that kind of love. Some women are doomed to live alone.

 Chapter 30

    Theo

    POV

    I rushed to my folks'' home on Sunday, runningter than I had wanted. It was almost eleven o''clock by the time I left the hospital after checking on a patient who had not been recovering as well as I had hoped. He is lucky to still be here after his major heart attack, and I have done a quick repair job. He requires further surgery. However, he needs to improve a bit before I can return.

    Everyone was already there, including our new addition to the group, Sam. Felicity received a warm response to her announcement, even though Dad was a little frosty at first. That was more to do with not even knowing she had been dating Sam all that time. Dad likes to be kept in the loop when ites to his girls.

    He gets all he needs to know about my life. Each Sunday, when we have our guy''s time, which reminds me, I need to see if he wants to join Bethany and her Dad. It would be nice to have arger group together on sports day.

    I entered the house to be weed by the aroma of lunch cooking. Mum likes to make a Sunday roast for us. She said it was, so she had peace of mind, knowing we get at least one proper home-cooked meal a week, but I think it is her way to see us all. She loves to cook, and with none of the children living at home anymore, she is a little lonely; even with all the charity work she does, it is different from having family around her. She had hinted more than once that a grandchild would be lovely around now.

    ''Finally, you arete. I was growled at by Felicity as I entered the kitchen, handed over a bunch of flowers to Mum, and kissed Mum on the cheek.

    ''Late for what? Food is another hour away?'' I asked, pulling Felicity into my arms for a hug, but she tried to pull away from me.

    ''Sam is in there, trying to follow football, but he does not follow football. Dad is giving him a hard time not watching football or sports of any kind. Go and rescue him. Please.'' She added at thest moment.

    I chuckled as I walked away, snagging an apple as I left. Taking a long bit, I leaned on the door frame and watched Dad ribbing Sam as he got the yer''s name wrong again. My eyes flicked to the TV screen as thementator started to get excited about a y, and I watched as the opposition gained a touchdown. Then I chuckled when Sam cheered when he should not have. We supported the other team.

    ''Sam, my boy, you and I are not going to be close if you keep cheering for the other team. Dad growled at him.

    ''Dad, you have to admit it was a good touchdown!'' I said by way of announcing I was here.

    ''Finally, someone who knows which team to cheer for; it is about time you arrived here! Dad snapped at me.

    ''Work!'' was all I said to Dad. He nodded his understanding and turned back to the game.

    ''Hi, Sam. I shook his hand and took a seat on Dad''s other side, giving Sam a baffler between them.

    It was half-time when the call for dinner arrived. Dad grumbled because it was interfering with his game, and I suddenly thought of Mum''s reaction when I talked about asking Dad to join me for a sports day. We can get Mum to change the lunch to Saturdays.

    Lunch today was roast chicken, and I wondered why the change. We always had roast beef. The conversation was light, and I mostly asked Felicity and Sam questions. When things got a little too personal, I jumped in.

    ''Dad, I have a new neighbor. I was telling you about it. Well, her father is into sports like you are, and she suggested a Sunday sports day at her ce.

    ''What about our luncheon? Mum squawked out. She is not at all happy with the fast changes that are happening here.

    ''We can change the day. Or maybe you can make it a girl''s day together.'' I suggested, already seeing Mum was not impressed and would try to stop it.

    ''I don''t know, Son, why not get them here instead?'' He was looking at Mum when he made the suggestion.

    ''She has a huge screen, Dad, and I mean, it almost takes up the whole wall.'' I started to say, but did not get to finish my attempt to change his mind. If we got out of here and sat where we all wanted to watch the game, it would be better than here, where Mum could keeping in and interrupting us at a crucial moment.

    ''What time should I be there?'' Dad was sold when I mentioned the huge screen that did the trick, and I did not need to get into the free beer and food.

    ''Saturdays are luncheon and girls, we have Sunday as our day to pamper while the men shout obscenities at the TV screen! That went better than I thought it would. I half expected to promise my kidney or something.

    ''I do not see why the sports day cannot be Saturday. They have football then, too?'' Felicity grumbled.

    ''I can suggest it to the others.'' I started to say, and Dad jumped in.

    ''No, Sunday is my day off, not chores. Saturday is chores day. Unless your mother wishes to change that too?'' He looked at Mum as if to will her to argue.

    ''No, I am happy to change our meal day! She preened as if she had just won the lottery or something. Women, I often don''t follow their train of thought.

    The rest of the day went as it normally would have, except for Sam making the wrong call all the time at the game. I wondered if Felicity would mind if I did not include him in our Sunday sports session, but before I had a chance to ask, she opened her mouth. ''Sam, do you want to join Theo and Dad on his sports day?'' She asked after Sam got another one wrong.

    ''Would you guys be offended if I said no to joining the sports day? I am not really into sports that much. He looked pleadingly at me as if I would get him out of a hole.

    ''Felicity, you are not my daughter; you can''t be able to bring home a man who does not follow sports. He growled at my sister, and though she pouted and put on a sad face, we all know Dad did not mean what he just said. He showed that he could not understand a man who did not want to watch football.

    ''You do not need to join us, it is obvious you would not enjoy the game as we do, and in the end, you might end up being the b**t of a joke or two, so it is best you keep your sanity and stay away from us on sports day, when we turn into a crazy person for the whole day. We can get a little loud and excited when the same is close. Dad said, giving him the out he wanted.

    ''Thanks, Dad.'' Felicity hugged Dad and moved away quickly when she realized she had blocked the screen.

    The day continued with screams on the screen, and all thoughts of Sam getting it wrong vanished. As we won the game and started watching the next, Felicity took Sam away so he would not embarrass her any further, and Dad and I got lost in the games and, more or less, forgot anyone else was in the room.

 Chapter 31

    Bethany

    POV

    The pool was what I needed. I did thirtyps. The constant rhythm of each stroke helped clear my mind and reduce the nerves that starting at a new job had caused. I was a confident doctor. I should not have been nervous, but I was.

    I am choosing to take my newb coat, covered in lots of pretty little hearts, and two new scrubs in a bag. When I get settled in the new job, I will ce the scrubs in my locker and change into them there. Dressed in a dark blue-pin-stripped skirt, white blouse, pin-stripped jacket, and t shoes, I walked casually to work earlier than I needed to be but thought, why not? The sooner I get there and start getting adjusted to the new ce, the sooner all the nerves will fade away. It is the unknown staff that is making me nervous. Some nurses should never have been nurses; the same goes for some doctors. They know the job but do not have the bedside skills. I prefer a staff member to have. But that might be me. I am often told I am too soft. However, with me going to be spending most of my time on research, I will not have to worry about whether my staff members are caring for the patient the way I want them to.

    When I arrived, I headed to the cafeteria, grabbed two cups of coffee, and two muffins, and headed up to my boss''s office. That was an excellent ce to start the first day, and so I hope who does not love a coffee and a muffin? Robson said he was at one of my seminars. I have only done a few. One was when I was still a student doctor, and I presented a mechanical heart that I had made, and I had transnted it into a pig, and the pig lived and, as I am aware, is still alive, and being monitored. I have patented the design, if the Heart Association decides they want more made, they would need my permission, and most likely buy it from me. I have had some interests, but I have wanted to wait for the pig to die before I release it. I may have to let them purchase it from me. Because of how long the pig has survived, though at the time of the presentation, he had lived three months, and they called it a sess, and that was why I presented

    I knocked on Robson''s office door and heard his voice from inside.

    "Come in." I pushed the door open and popped my head around it, peering in. Robson raised his head from his work, and his face broke into a huge smile. This is an excellent way to start a new job.

    ''Come in and sit down. It''s good that you came in early. Oh, you sweetheart, youe with coffee,e, sit, and give me that elixir of life and that muffin. He reached out his hand for the coffee, and I quickly entered and ced the coffee in his outstretched hand. He took a long gulp before giving me another of his bright smiles.

    ''How did you know I love chocte chip muffins?'' He took another bite and moaned in pleasure as he started to eat the muffin.

    ''We can talk a bit before I take you out there. Better yet, I should get your co-worker toe in and meet you. He can show you around where he is in charge, as I have already shown you thebs you will be in charge of the other day. He lifted his phone and dialed a number.

    ''Morning, can youe to my office, please?'' Robson asked the person on the other side of the phone, and he nodded a few times. I chuckled to myself, knowing the person on the other side of the phone would not see him nodding. It is a natural thing to do, but it is still fun to see others do what you often kick yourself for doing.

    ''Yes, your colleague is here. I would like you to show her around, and introduce her to some of the staff. When you are done, can you bring her back here so I can take her to herb and get things started?'' He listened a few more moments before hanging up the phone.

    ''That sounds like a good n. As you said before, you need me to help with surgery. I took a sip of my coffee and waited for him to continue talking. I was looking forward to meeting my colleagues and hope we get along well.

    ''Yes, I need you for the children. Your skills with those tiny hearts are the highest I have ever seen, and each one will be yours!''

    ''Oh, no pressure on me then.'' I joked as I finished off my muffin and coffee. I ced the empty cup on the table, and Robson picked it up and ced it in a bin under his desk.

    ''Ha, ha, I am sure you will be needed by others too, but children are the skill that I need the most. I nodded, understanding more clearly as he had hinted before, so it was good to get rity. He took another drink of his coffee and continued.

    ''I also want you to continue with that mechanical heart. You have a good item there. That pig is still going strong, and I would like you to introduce it to some of our patients. If you are interested, we will pay you, of course, but for those who have run out of options for a human heart due to blood rarity. This might be a solution. We have talked to a few patients who are struggling and may notst much longer, and they are willing to give it a try. We have all the clearances in ce; being a private hospital and a research one on top of that has made getting the clearance easier than I had expected.

    ''I understand; I need to make some more and of different sizes; I need to meet the candidate and make sure they are up to the surgery!

    ''I understand, we have three men here, living in our hospital waiting. You can meet them during your tour of the hospital. He ced his cup into his bin and looked up at me before he continued.

    ''I need to introduce you to your staff. You have two nurses and a learning doctor. He is in his third year. They are yours, but the main hospital could borrow them from time to time when we are under the pump, but never if you are in the middle of something!'' ''I am fine with sharing if it is given when I need some help. I smiled. At least I have two nurses, and I hope one does not mind; it is a boring night shift.

    ''Of course, the general hospital has six fully trained doctors and twenty nurses who have been with us for a few years. We have eight student doctors with different levels of skill. Most are in their final year and doing a year of heart surgery to see if that is the area they wish to specialize in. They are connected to the city''s main hospital and are paid by them, and if, at any time in that year, they decide this is not for them, they can return to the main hospital and look at another area. They sent us ten doctors in their final year who are contemting heading into this area. That is how you end up with one. You may find we will rotate them around, depending on their interest in that area. Your degree in veterinarian''s surgery, I think, will help. You did it as an extra at college before your doctor''s degree. Is that right, doing after-school work at a vet for a number of years before deciding on being a human doctor? So you can exin to the students some of the differences and why some animals cannot be used in the research. A knock interrupted Robson''s chat.

    ''Come in. He called out, and the door opened. I turned to look at who had entered, and my eyes widened at the sight of who walked in. Luckily, I was sitting down, or I would have fallen down.

 Chapter 32

    Theo POV

    My time with Dad was always special to me; our family is close, and with Dad now closer to retirement age, he has cut back a little on his work. He, too, is a doctor but not a heart specialist, and his position is now high enough at the local hospital not to be on call on the weekends so that we can have our Sunday sports day. I am looking forward to having them with Bethany''s dad in the ce. That TV screen of hers is the best.

    By the time I woke in the morning and got to the pool, it seemed I was toote to catch Bethany. The water on the floor told me she had already been there for her swim. I did forty slowps, not needing to rush into today''s operation. I had only one surgery scheduled, and the new research doctor would meet and show him around the ce. I am looking forward to meeting him. We need someone who knows what they are doing there. I am told this doctor has created a mechanical pump, so we might get to try it out on some of our long-term patients who are running out of time to find a heart if we can get past all the red tape, that is and if this doctor can deliver the goods, like Robson had been crowing about.

    The local caf¨¦ is where I stopped next, getting my bacon and egg burger and coffee before heading to work. I was in a perfect mood; our team won over the weekend, and the announcement of the engagement was even better. I think her man, Sam, will fit in well, even though he knows nothing about sports. Humming the tune from the radio that was ying at the caf¨¦ as I continued to walk to work, it seemed to be ying over and over in my head. It was a catchy tune, and I thought it was going to annoy me by the end of the day.

    Things were going well after my rounds and letting two patients go home. The surgery was still a few hours away, and the patient had only just arrived and needed to be admitted and settled in the room. Other little things needed to be done before surgery, like shaving his chest, something the nurses enjoyed doing. Did you hear the sarcasm when I said that?

    As I was headed to get another coffee, my phone rang. It was Robson calling to ask me toe to the office and meet the new doctor. I grabbed three cups of coffee. Not knowing how the new doctor took them, I went out on a limb and brought three that were all white and had no sugar. If the new doctor did not take them that way, I could keep them and drink themter.

    I bnced the coffee on a tray and knocked.

    Opening the door, I used my butt to push it open and swung around, taking care not to spill the coffee. I almost dropped the tray when I looked at the new doctor staring back at me. If she had not reacted and taken the tray from me, I am sure the coffee would have hit the floor.

    ''Hi Theo.'' Bethany greeted me with a gentle smile and ced the tray on the table.

    ''You two know each other?'' Robson asked in a shocked voice, but he had a massive smirk on his face.

    ''Bethany is the new neighbor I was telling you about. I tried not to blush as I remember telling Robson about Bethany and how she had broken my dry spell and how sexy she was, and oh, I think I want to hide under the table about now.

    ''All good things, I hope.'' Bethany threw back quickly, giving me a smirk and causing Robson to break outughing.

    ''I brought coffee and muffins. I said, trying to change the subject and feeling the heat rise.

    ''Yes, you did. Robson said, taking a cup and a muffin, and continued to smirk as he watched me squirm. Bethany took a cup and muffin and did not look back at me, so she missed my embarrassing moment.

    ''Theo told me how he bumped into you when you first arrived, how you both got along well, and how relieved he was that you were not like his previous neighbor!

    ''Oh, yeah, he told me a little bit about her. It takes all kinds to make the world go round! Bethany flippantly replied, but not in a bad way.

    ''Well, as you already know each other, introductions will not be needed.

    ''I think you can gloss over some of her credentials. I threw back at Robson. We talked about a lot of things, but not once did we talk about what we did for a living, and I was floored to find out she was who I had been waiting for to arrive and that it was actually she. Robson gave me a run-down on Bethany''s history, and I was excited to find out she was as skilled as she was. We now have a doctor who can take on the children''s side of things. Those little hearts scare me a bit. I haverge hands and feel the little hearts are so tiny that I could end up causing more damage than if I had waited for them to grow a little.

    Robson then gave Bethany a rundown on my credentials and what I was head of here. We will sometimes ovep, but that will not be an issue. I was getting hard on as I thought of ourst time together, and I had to pull myself back a few times and force myself to listen and not reminisce.

    That is not a good thing. I need to keep my mind on my job, and there is the downfall of having a rtionship with a colleague. We may have to pull it back while we get settled in the new situation. I hope she will understand. It is not that we are not good together; I just think having a girlfriend who is a colleague is not good.

    Hang on, what do I mean, Girlfriend?

    She is not my girlfriend but a neighbor with benefits.

    When did I start to think of her any other way?

    I need to squash that right now; just because I bedded her does not make her my girlfriend. I am getting ahead of myself; it''s definitely time to get my head straight.

    I looked down and watched her cross her legs and imagined them wrapped around my waist, and there goes my boner, hard as a rock again, and there went all my arguments about having her as anything but a benefit buddy. I am starting to wonder what is wrong with me. Maybe I need to go and getid by someone else and get her out of my head. So I can do my job without cracking a boner. When Robson sounded like he had said enough, he pushed us out the door and suggested I show her the theaters and ICU and introduce Bethany to the other doctors and nurses.

    ''Bethany, we won''t make you start work today. Go and get orientated and meet the staff. You can start tomorrow. All your paperwork is done and has been forwarded to the payroll. Also, your badge will be here in a few days. Theo. Can you have one of the nurses take Bethany through the program we use here?''

    ''Sure, will Sarah do?'' I asked, trying to think of which nurse would best show her the ropes on theputer.

    ''Perfect, now shoo. Robson waved his hands at us in a shooing motion, and together, we left, chuckling at his behavior.

    ''Thank you, Robson.'' I said as I closed the door behind us and looked at Bethany, who was staring back at me with an expectant twinkle in her eyes.

    ''We are in for some trouble, aren''t we? A wild ride.'' Bethany said as she walked with me, and I could not agree with more; we are going to have to hide that we are together; we don''t want toplicate things here at work, and we both have plenty to keep us busy and out of each other''s hair.

 Chapter 33

    Bethany

    POV

    Sitting in Robson''s office watching Theo squirm was interesting. He was thest person I had expected toe walking through that door. I think he was more ufortable than me. By the look of him, we shall be putting any more bedroom moments aside, and I am okay with that. I have gone months without it. While I was married, I could do the same now that I am single.

    Robson was enjoying this. I think that Theo shared a little more than just being neighbors; it is Theo who is embarrassed, not me. I enjoyed every moment we shared, and if someone else knows I am not hiding away because of my divorce, it is okay. I need to appear to be strong and confident, crying my eyes out and hiding away because what happened is not me. Dad taught me to be happy in the skin I am in and that when life sends me a curveball and I can''t hit it outside the ballpark, I should take a deep breath and try again. I am no quitter, and I will never let anyone walk all over me again.

    Theo walked me to the elevator and up to the floor that held three theaters.

    ''I will be operating in about half an hour. The nurse just informed me that the patient is now shaved and medicated, and they will take him up soon and settle him in the waiting ward, which is this one.'' He took me to a room, and you could see it had little in it, as expected. To ess theplete chapters for free, visit Jo b ni b. Then, they guided me down the hall to the ICU and introduced me to the nurses there. They seemed okay but busy getting it all ready.

    ''Would you like to scrub in?'' he offered, and it surprised me that he would. You rarely get to scrub up on your first day, so I appreciate the respect.

    ''If you are sure, I am not breaking any rules.''

    ''Nope, you are officially on the books, so if you wish to join me there, it would be good. Then, afterward, I can show you the procedures we do and theputer. I know Robson suggested a nurse, but you should really see what I do, as that is what is expected of you! ''Do you wish for my help or to just observe?''

    ''Will see, the patient is not in a good ce at the moment, and survival is low, but we shall see what we can do; you might have some ideas that I don''t see once we have him open. He is one of the people we are hoping you can help with your artificial heart. A few will not survive much longer without a donor or your machine!

    Wow, I had not thought much about it in a while; I had to put all my research and experiments aside because of my job being near Mum and Dad. Also, my ex wanted me close, too, and that meant public hospital emergency heart surgery. I missed my research and did a little in my spare time, but that waster when Bret spent more and more time away from home.

    ''Okay, it will be good to see what I am up against first hand. I will return shortly!

    ''Where are you going?'' Theo asked, expecting me to follow him in to scrub up.

    ''I have some scrubs I would like to wear. Back soon.

    ''We have scrubs.'' he said, and I smiled at him as I walked away.

    I left a confused-looking Theo on the theater floor and headed to my office and locker. I quickly changed and headed back up. Several nurses watched me pass and smiled at me. I was a hit then. Some gave me the thumbs up, and as I entered the lift, I met up with Robson.

    ''Wow, I like your scrubs, it suits you. But why are you in scrubs?''

    ''Theo asked if I would like to join him in the theater and then take me through the process on theputer. Thought it would be good to get my feet in and test the water. I smiled at Robson

    ''Perfect. You can see the type of patient you will be operating on if you agree to try the artificial heart; if you agree, no pressure. Both Robson and Theo are pushing heart research. I understand I am here to research the heart, but I had no idea it was the mechanical heart I had created that they actually wanted from me. I feel a little shocked.

    ''Sure, there is no pressure. I chuckled along with him, as I could feel the pressure they were cing on me, and I wondered if I should continue experimenting with them. I had others made before I caved into Bret''s wishes. I have them in my penthouse. It was something I enjoyed doing. I understood at a very early age that donors of hearts require someone to die, and I wanted everyone to live. As a young girl not yet in medical school, I had already nned my future. That was until I got married, and all that changed. Why not go back to my dreams and continue trying to find a way to keep everyone alive? With that in mind, I arrived at the scrub room and started to scrub my hands.

    ''Wow, I love your scrubs. No wonder you wanted to go and change into your own; you look cool, a nurse who had been beside Theo when I said I was going to change said. ''Thank you. I have a few colors andb coats, too, with cute hearts. They are a hit with children, and I think some of the olderdies like them, too.'' I smiled at the nurse.

    ''Can''t wait to see them. The doctor will be here shortly. He had to check the patient before we wheeled him in. He has had it hard.

    ''So I heard. Let us hope we can do something for him,'' I replied, thinking again about my experiment and what it would mean to people who cannot wait much longer.

    Theo came in and stopped in his tracks, and I saw him in the mirror, staring at me, his mouth gaping open, before he chuckled and shook his head and came to stand beside me to scrub up.

    ''Cute.'' He smirked at me in the mirror. He was gowned in this hospital''s traditional green colors.

    Adding some color was good, and I had my own touch of color in the room.

    ''Yeah, I wanted something cheery. How is the patient?''

    ''If he survives this, it will be a miracle. The family is aware that the chances are slim.'' Theo could have sounded more optimistic about his chances.

    I looked down at the now-sleeping patient and felt terrible for him. His heart trouble was not because he smoked or drank. It was a family history of heart issues. They are the ones I am targeting, just like Robson said, and my resolve to continue with the artificial heart just grew. I watched for a while and then stopped Theo.

    ''Theo, may I?'' I asked, and he nodded and stepped to the side to assist. He looked kinda d I had taken this man''s life out of his hands.

    My small hands worked quickly as I worked on his heart, grafting and fixing it. The lesions and scaring were from other operations, and I removed what I could and repaired as much as I could; this man had been under long enough. I stepped back, let Theo close, and left the room, waiting for him toe out. I removed my gown and gloves with the nurse''s help and watched the man being wheeled out.

    He lived, and if he can make it through the night, he should live for a while. I have done this type of repair many times, but he needs more than a temporary fix. I might have given him a bit longer, but now he needs one of my hearts if I can bring myself to have them go on a human. Animals I am not attached to, and if they die, I am not liable for their failure. It is to learn and try again, but if I fail now, it is a person''s life that will be gone, and it was hard for me to let go and gamble that my research is ready. ''That was some amazing work in there. I have not seen that procedure done before.'' Theo was beaming at me like I had just given him the best gift ever.

    ''It is one I was experimenting with. It had a good sess rate, and he seemed to need that little something different from what he had before. I said casually.

    ''You are right, and he did need help. I had not thought of removing that part of the scarring. It was too risky for me, but you did it with ease. I can see why they want you for the children. You have a good eye and a steady hand for those risky parts!

    Theo sang my praises all the way to theputer and then settled down to exin their system. I was familiar with it, and it took us only a short time to do what was needed. I gave him a suggestion or two on the medicine I preferred, and he was happy to try what I suggested. ''Come, I just heard the family has just arrived in the waiting room; the patient will be in recovery for a little longer before we send him to the ICU; it is time to give them the good news that he is still with us.''

 Chapter 34

    Theo POV

    Bethany was cute in her heart scrubs; it was a pity that they were covered by the surgical gown we wore, but then she blew me away with her skilled hands. It made me look like a junior surgeon. She was magic to watch, and I was d I handed the operation over to her. She has made some choices I would never have thought of making, but then she is the researcher and most likely has tried several ways to best work in a person''s heart, time to see the family. I had expected to go with bad news, but this man can hold out a little longer, all thanks to Bethany.

    ''Doctor, how did Dad go? Did he make it?'' One frantic woman asked as she rushed over to us as we entered the room, her eyes red from tears as she dreaded the worst.

    ''Let me introduce you to Doctor Peterson. She did the operation.'' I said grimly.

    ''But I thought you were doing the operation? I am confused,'' the husband asked softly, trying to stay calm and support the wife.

    ''I assisted. Dr Peterson had some ideas on how to proceed with his tattered heart and is highly skilled. He tried again to bring Bethany into the conversation, but she took over, so I did not need to push any harder for them to forget I was not the one to do the operation.

    ''Your father made it through the surgery. The next forty-eight hours are up to him, but I have high hopes he will pull through! Bethany spoke with a gentle voice, one I would not have expected from her. She was talking as if speaking to her Dad and trying to reassure him all would be well. She spoke respectfully and kindly, not the clinical voice one often hears when listening to a doctor''s report on an operation and recovery. My respect for her just rose a little more.

    ''He made it? When can we see him?'' The woman blubbered, her face in shock but a lot calmer.

    ''You have been through this before, and we will let you know when he is moved to ICU. He is still in the recovery room at the moment! I interjected. ''Thank you, doctor. We had expected the worst,'' the husband said, shaking my hand.

    ''Don''t thank me. If Dr Peterson had not done the surgery, we might have had the worst news for you! They looked at me with confusion, but Bethany did not look like she was not going to say more and had most likely spoken too much already. ''What do you mean?'' The wife pushed

    ''Dr Munroe meant that I am a children''s heart surgeon and do things slightly differently. I treated your father''s heart like a six-year-old child''s heart; it was in a bad way, and the usual methods for an adult would not have been as sessful.'' She was still calm and respectful, taking all the tension in her stride.

    ''Thank you, he still needs a new heart though, doesn''t he?''

    ''Yes, he does. Let us see how well he recovers from this surgery, and we shall talk more about thatter!

    We left the family and headed out to check on our patient. I am still in awe of her skills, both in and out of surgery. No wonder Robson had been pushing to get her here. She has already gained my trust in theater and respect for the kind person she is. How she spoke to the family was gentle, not clinical, as I most likely would have been.

    ''Hello, Doctor.'' one of the nurses flirted with me. This one always did that but never pushed it.

    ''Morning, have you got the notes updated on Me Green yet?'' Ignoring her flirting.

    She handed over the chart, and I flicked through it. The changes to medication were clear and in red. I turned and walked to the recovery room to check on him. He was still a little pale, but that was to be expected, but all in all, he was holding on. ''You can move him to ICU now and let the family know they can sit with him.'' I gave Bethany the chart to flick through as well. I noticed the nurse staring at Bethany in shock that I had done this. I had yet to introduce Bethany to this nurse as she was not there before we started the operation. She must have beente again. I moved to theputer, looked up Mr. Green''s information, and entered a few things. The nurse was still standing near us, watching us.

    ''Do you need something, Nurse?'' I asked, a little annoyed that she had yet to remove things ready to shift our patient.

    ''Waiting for the chart, Dr.'' She was looking at Bethany and not me as she spoke.

    ''Move the patient. Bethany will leave the chart on the desk when she is done.'' I said, annoyed, trying hard to keep it out of my voice. The nurse gave Bethany the stink eye, and I was unsure what that was about. But I shrugged it off and looked up the time she clocked in this morning. It was wrong. No way was she here ten minutes early.

    I headed to Robson''s office to report on the operation, bringing Bethany with me. I stopped and knocked on his door.

    ''Enter.'' He sounded tired, most likely worried about the operation.

    ''Ah, how did the operation go? Is our client still with us?'' yep, that was what had been on his mind.

    ''Yes.''I replied firmly and took a seat.

    ''Nice, the family will be pleased!

    ''Bethany did the operation. Robson looked up at me and then at Bethany, who sat quietly waiting, watching us. ''You took over the operation?'' he asked incredulously. Switching doctors during an operation is only normal if it is a training doctor and the teacher needs to take over. ''I was happy to step aside, Robson; she was amazing. I have never witnessed such skill.

    We talked about the operation for a while and him being a good candidate for an artificial heart. While Bethany was still hesitant about putting one on a real person, she was resigned to the fact that this man would notst long without a new heart, even with the great work she had just done.

    ''The artificial heart is still working after all these years and does not look like it is going to fail anytime soon. I will bring the ones I have at home and set up a ce in my section. To create more, I personally will make each one. I am not prepared to hand it over to anyone else.'' Bethany sighed; it seemed we had won her over, and I was d I asked her to scrub up.

    ''Do you still have the materials you used to create the hearts?''

    ''Yes, I have everything. It is my invention, and so I kept it all. The school had signed a waiver that anything the students created was theirs to keep and benefit from if it was sold. That was part of why I entered thepetition. I would not have joined it if all my hard work had been to reward the school, and I had lost out and could not continue with my experiments.

    We talked more about Mr. Green, when it would be a good time to do the surgery, and if the family was okay with it. We needed Mr Green to recover from this one first, and if all went as well as it appeared, he could gain his strength in a few months to operate again. ''On another note, Nurse Simmons.'' I heard Robson sigh, and I think he knew what wasing.

    ''She somehow changed the time she clocked in. It says ten minutes to eight, but she was not at her station or on the floor and, from what I heard, half an hourte again.''

    ''I have asked the security to put a camera near the log-in clock. I''ll look it over. If she is changing the clock somehow, we need to change the system. It is old anyway, but fraud against thepany is another issue, and instant dismissal will ur.

    We have had a few nurses over the time I have been here who werete every day; even when we changed their schedules to amodate theteness, it was getting on everyone''s nerves, but this was the first person to change the times to say otherwise. You may ask why we were picking on the nurses.

    The doctors often worked many hours, and beingte was frequently due to having been therete. There''s not much we can do about that. It was what we call honestteness, and the person usually stayste to make up for it, butte after a night out on the town, it was not eptable. All the staff have a breath test before theymence, and we have zero tolerance for substances in the body, alcohol or otherwise.

    Most of our staff are great people, buttely, we have had a few who got a bitx because we try to make this ce fun and friendly. The asional person, male or female, makes it more challenging. Our jobs are stressed out enough, and we don''t need internal squabbles, so we get rid of a person quickly. Most of the time, we transfer them to the public hospital. This will be our first dismissal in a very long time.

 Chapter 35

    Bethany

    POV

    The family was lovely, epting the change of doctor without anyints. They respect Theo and his judgment, as I guess most patients do. It sort ofes with the territory to trust your doctor. I noticed Theo did not seem to react to the flirty nurse, which alsoes with the territory. Most good-looking doctors have a nurse or doctor floating around who flirts a little bit, but most of the time, it is harmless fun.

    The notes were good, and I liked the format they used. This ce so far has a number of ideas that I like. We saw the patient, and I was pleased with how well he was responding. I checked his IV line, a habit of mine, adjusted it just a little, and then followed Theo to Robson''s office.

    Sitting half-listening to them, I wondered whether it was a good idea to try out the heart and if Mr Green could cope with it. He has had many operations on that poor heart of his, starting from his childhood. It is a wonder that he hassted this long. ''You should have seen her.'' Theo was saying.

    ''Why did you let her take over? Do you happen to know if it was necessary?''

    ''Bethany asked if she could take over, and I was eager to see her in action. I was not confident that I could keep him alive, so I was more than happy for someone else to give him a chance to live.'' He said, and I frowned at that. Did I push myself in the theater? I did not mean just to take over. I saw something I could help with and offered.

    ''I observed Bethany in surgery many years ago. Bethany was good back then. I am sure she has perfected her own unique skills in the theater. She has had a few years of experience now, which would have given her a chance to fine-tune her skills!'' Talking about myself like I was not in the room, or that was how I felt at that moment, almost made me angry. I looked at the men as they chatted. They were talking more about the surgery and how the patient was doing, and they had just talked like I was not there. It was just part of the normal talk, and I settled back down a little.

    The part that included me was just part of their debriefing on how to move forward with the patient, and for some reason, I forgave them for not including me in the conversation. He was Theo''s patient, after all.

    ''So, what do you think? Bethany. Robson asked, and I looked up at him, shocked he was including me in the conversation, and I had missed what they had been talking about.

    ''I''m Sorry. I was miles away. What did you say?'' they both chuckled as they looked at me expectantly.

    ''Will you start to build those hearts soon? We need them, and I am sure the patients that need them will sign a waiver. Theo asked, and I rolled my eyes. I should have known they would gang up on me, and after a brief thought of them setting up the operation to help push me on the idea of helping these people.

    It worked better than I would have liked.

    ''Yes, I have what I need at home. I will bring the items with me tomorrow and start to set up a room. I do have two already set up and ready to use. I have not stopped creating them. I made changes from the first one and hoped it would be better than the first one'' ''Two, ready to go?'' Robson asked excitedly.

    ''Yes, making them is easy. Now, I have a temte from which to work. I have been working on smaller ones, but I doubt giving them to children. It would mean having a second heart operation to change the size, but that is something to considerter.'' Theo needed to go check on the patient when the meeting was over. I headed to my section to look over the rooms and pick which one I wanted as a ce to create the hearts. One room fit the bill and was a clean room. No one would be allowed in there. I would get a sensor on the door. Only my card would open.

    My day was over already; it flew by, and it was nice to leave the ce in a good mood, though I was still wondering what to do about Theo. He acted professionally, and I was d about that, not showing any signs that I was a new staff member and being shown the ropes. The nurses were good, and Drake was good for augh. We will get along rather well.

    I changed back into the clothes I had arrived in and put my scrubs in a bag to take home to clean. I know hospitals have cleaning services, but I prefer to take care of my own scrubs, call me fussy.

    Theo was suddenly beside me as I entered the lift to return home.

    ''Headed home?''

    ''Yeah. I answered softly, d no one else was in the elevator.

    ''Can I walk with you?''

    ''Sure, we are going to the same ce after all. It would seem stupid to say no and have you walk ahead or behind me. Theo chuckled at that.

    I spoke to Dad yesterday. He is more than keen toe over on Sundays and have a sports day. He is looking forward to having someone else to talk sports with.

    ''Dad said the same; though I am good to be with, having another man who has the same passion seems to be something he needs more. He means no offense, and I get it. Sharing with his daughter is not the same as having mates yelling and screaming at the screen. It is like you men have anguage all of your own and turn it into something else once the game starts.

    ''We do seem to be beasts, and all around us, we are nked out as we focus solely on the game.

    ''Hey, I can scream at the screen as loudly as any man, yet I am not viewed as anything more than a snack and drink provider and then the cleaner after the game is done!'' I pouted as we continued to walk home. A restaurant door opened not too far ahead, and the smell of roast beef hit my nose. My stomach took that moment to let me know it was empty.

    ''Care to join me for dinner? That food smells tasty, Theo said, making me look up at him. He was looking in the shop window at the people inside. I looked, too, and saw a few tables empty, so I thought about seeing if we could get a seat.

    ''Sure, I could eat. He opened the door and let me enter first. The woman at the reception desk greeted us and asked if we had a reservation.

    ''No, we were just passing and came in to try our luck!

    ''You are lucky. We just had a canction. Let me show you to a table. We followed the woman, and Theo pulled out the chair for me to take. I had just sat down when the woman who had been on Theo''s arm a few days ago walked in on the arm of another man. I looked over at Theo to see if he had noticed, but he was too busy getting seated himself to check what they had. He then picked up the menu.

    A waitress came over and battered her eyes at Theo, but he missed it as he was still studying the menu.

    ''Hello, my name is Krystal, and I will be your server today. Would you like drinks?''

    ''I would like the roast beef meal and coffee, please.'' I did not bother to check the menu; I had seen what I wanted and had just had it delivered to a nearby table.

    ''Sir?''

    ''Same. He folded the menu and ced it back on the table. To dy a little, the waitress started to pour water into a ss and ced it in front of me, and then another, and leaned down to show her cleavage to Theo.

    He pulled back to give her room to ce the ss and looked at the ss she was putting on the table and not at the waitress. She huffed but got the message loud and clear.

 Chapter 36

    Theo POV

    The day was eventful, and I was still in a good mood. It was one of my better days, with my patient doing well, thanks to Bethany''s skill and working quickly, reducing the stress in the room. She was this way in the room, kept everyone in good spirits during a hard time, and her sense of humor had manyughing as some of herments, a natural in the room, and like most theaters, we talked about the weekend and what people got up to, while Bethany worked her magic. Don''t get me wrong, we were all working with total concentration and care. The operation was not going to be easy, but the tense atmosphere was pleasant, or at least as pleasant as it can be in that room. As we cut into a man''s heart like that.

    Tired and hungry, I left with Bethany. Robson was pleased with today''s work and watched us leave the hospital together. He was the only one who knew we lived in the same building, and the two of us going together would be the topic of conversation tomorrow. As we neared a restaurant, I heard Bethany''s tummy rumble, which reminded me I was hungry, too, so I offered to dine with her if there was a table. Luckily, there was. I had my back to the door, not my usual seating; I like to see who is entering a building, a protective part of me, I guess, but Bethany had walked over to my preferred seat, and I was not going to argue which seat she should sit in.

    The food was good, filled the void, and Bethany ate a healthy amount of her meal. I was worried she would be a sd-picky girl and was pleased to see she wasn''t.To ess theplete chapters for free, visit Jo b ni b. As a doctor, she would know the benefits of a healthy diet, but being in the medical profession does not mean that you follow all the advice you give others.

    I had just finished eating when Felicity came over. I was shocked to see her there. I thought she was going out to a show or something tonight. I stood up, hugged her, and kissed her on the cheek.

    ''Thought you were going dancing tonight. I decided to say dancing because I knew how much she loved the dance floor, and I could not remember exactly what she said she was going to be doing. All I remembered was that she would be with Sam. I looked behind her expecting to see Sam.

    ''Not yet. Sam had booked this restaurantst week, and we would go dancing after the meal. Care to join us?'' She looked at Bethany, who was continuing to eat her, trying not to be rude and letting us talk.

    ''Just finished work, I am tired, maybe another day.

    ''Poor Baby, you have such a stressful job. Dancing will be good for you. Let all the stress of the day fly away! What the f**k? My sister had lost her mind as she gave me a pleading look.

    ''Nope. Not happening, Felicity. Where is Sam? Go back to him and let his legs get tired trying to keep up with you. Iughed at her. She turned around to look in the direction of a table, and I followed her gaze and saw Sam watching us. He lifts the ss to us and takes a sip.

    ''Party Pooper, you are no fun. All right, don''t stay up toote.'' Sheughs, looks at Bethany again, and turns around to return to her seat.

    Bethany had finished her meal and was finishing her coffee when I sat back down, my mind still on Felicity and her fianc¨¦. I hope Sam can keep up with my sister. She can be a handful when she wants to be. I had not noticed that Bethany had requested the bill until I saw her put her card on the tray, and the waitress left to clear the fill.

    ''This was my treat.'' I grumbled at her as she went to pay.

    ''Next time. I was pleased there would be a next time, but something seemed off, and I was not sure what it was.

    The waitress returned Bethany''s card, and she put it away and stood up, ready to leave. I quickly gulped down the rest of my coffee and followed her out, waving at Felicity and Sam as I walked by.

    We walked in silence, looking through shop windows as we passed by. Neither of us needed to talk, be deep in our thoughts and minds during the day, or get to bed. I was washed out and needed to get a few hours of sleep soon. We parted ways at Bethany''s door, and I headed to the shower, taking a hot one to soothe my aching muscles. Long hours standing in theaters can often leave me with aching musclester in the day. You get zoned out at work and do not think about how long you are standing still, all focus on the patient, and thenter wish you could at least move around a bit sometimes to keep the leg muscles from spasming. I have tried different floor mats that would help, but safetyints to management by some person who thought it was a safety and health issue put a stop to that. All I can do is put up with it and get the job done as best I can and as quickly as I can. It is all part of being in a theater, and all jobs have a part of it. That sucks.

    Sleep came quickly, and it was a dreamless night''s sleep. Waking to the beeping of my rm, I quickly changed and headed to the pool.

    There was no sign of Bethany and no wet marks on the floor to say she had been there. Maybe she did not wish to swim today or could have been called to work. She had no surgery that I know of, but that does not mean something did not happen overnight. I do another fiveps before calling it a day, grab my towel, shower, change into a suit, and head over to Bethany''s ce. I walk in, her door not locked, and find her ce empty. She had already left for work and did not wait for me. I was not sure how I felt about that. I was, for sure, thinking we had more to our rtionship than a quick romp in bed. I had thought we were growing into good friends.

    Why would she not wait for me?

    Did she even eat?

    Did I do something wrong?

    Have I pushed too fast?

    Was I hoping for more than what we had agreed?

    I checked her kitchen, and there was no sign of having eaten. Maybe she grabbed something along that way, as it seemed I was about to do. I sigh, leave her home, and head off to work, grabbing a bite to eat at what I now ss as my local. The minute I walked in, the woman behind the counter got my order ready without me having to ce an order. I get the same every time; I nod thanks to her and head to work, wondering what I had done wrong to have Bethany leave me like that.

    Reaching the hospital, I got my coat and started my rounds. I released the woman and gave the son instructions, as I was sure the woman wouldn''t follow them if I gave them to her. I was pleased to see him take it all in. Hopefully, I won''t have her back on the table anytime soon.

    Some need help changing old habits and are soon back here as bad as they were before, if not worse.

    I did not run into Bethany or even hear her name mentioned. It was frustrating, but I guess, in a way, it was good that I could do my job and not worry about unwanted body reactions at work; just thinking about her in that way has me wanting to do things here at the hospital that would be frowned upon.

 Chapter 37

    Theo POV

    Today was a ''clearing day''. Well, that is what I call it. After arriving at work, I headed to the cafeteria to grab coffee and then to Robson''s office. On Tuesdays, we normally discuss some patients we have on waiting lists, if anything new has arrived, and if we consider those on waiting lists for a new heart that needs shuffling around. The list is growing, and some are worse than others. It still boils down topatibility. But the hospital has been lucky so far. Only two patients are in the too-hard basket; their blood type is rare, so finding a donor is harder. Nurses and junior doctors greeted me as I walked with a tray consisting of three coffees and three muffins. I have my fingers crossed that Bethany will be in Robson''s office when I get there. The nurses say they had seen her arrive around seven thirty, a little early, but okay. She might be keen to start in her researchb.

    Using my foot, I knocked on the door and heard him say, ''Enter'' I used my elbow to push the door handle down and my b**t to make it open and turn. The relief of seeing Bethany in his office was more than I would like to admit. It is not like I had not seen her yesterday.

    Is this what my sisters were trying to tell me about having a boyfriend and wanting to see them all the time? I thought it was all fanciful, having never been married, and the one girl that I had considered a possibility when I was still in med school proved to be a two-timing...... Yeah. I had a girlfriend once. She thought about it when I was working on the night shift, which I had little chance of avoiding in my early years of training. She thought about going out and partying. At first, I thought it was with her girlfriends, as she led me to believe, but I showed up at one of those parties, having been invited, without her knowing. I wanted to surprise her, so I had a ring picked up and everything, but when I arrived at the party and asked a few questions about where she was, I was guided upstairs.

    I felt my stomach plummet because that usually meant not being alone, but I trusted my girl and walked up to the room he mentioned, only to find her moaning and groaning, with her head between some guy''s legs. He was leaning back, his eyes closed, and had a face of enjoyment. I closed the door, walked back downstairs, and had a few drinks, wishing the guy a happy birthday. When my girlfriend came down the stairs, hand in hand with the guy and both having a huge smile on their faces, I was sad and livid, and a lot of other feelings rolled into one. They greeted people and walked around the room as a couple until they reached where I was standing with the birthday man. One look at me, and her face paled. I was sure she was going to cry, but I put my drink down and left the party. She had seen me, and that was all that needed to be done. I changed the locks on my apartment doors, and anything that she owned was boxed up and left out for her to collect. I did not care if it went missing or not. I have not had a steady girlfriend since. I had a few hook-ups, and one girl made it to a month of dates before she started to look a little clingy, so I stopped going out or dating and took a few one-night stands to help with my needs. I did not like clingy girls, not anymore. I lost a lot of trust over the years. I knew men could be bad, from what my sisters went through and mum''s work at the woman''s refuge, but my experience had made me jaded, and none had cracked my walls until now. The meeting in Robson''s office was shorter than usual. We had no new people on the waiting list for a heart, and Robson was eager for Bethany to get started and make more hearts. She was experimenting with a newpound, one she believed would be less likely to be rejected by the recipient. From what I understand, she had two hearts to go now, but with the oldpound, the same that was in the pig and still going strong. Robson was keen to get one of the men on the list to try the heart. The man in question was told about the experimental heart and was interested in giving it a go. He was not going tost much longer. If Bethany agreed that the man could have a new heart in less than a week, Bethany would like the fellow to be there in the hospital, isted from germs and on a drip for something she would not tell me about but said it helped reduce the rejection.

    After more pushing by Robson, Bethany agreed and suggested they get some contracts together for her side of the heart patent and also something for the patient so they could not be sued if it was unsessful.

    Bethany left to go to her section and get started on getting the heart ready for the patient and for Robson to do his part. I was keen and offered to join her in the theater to assist. I wanted to see this heart in action, and I wanted to watch her, too. To me, she was a genius in the theater.

    The rest of my day was spent doing a couple of ward rounds, checking up on our patients, updating the records, and reading through some reports on other people wanting toe to the private hospital for treatment. I knew our hospital was not cheap, and we had very few that were public patients. Those lucky public patients were there because they had a generous benefactor who paid for most of the costs involved, and we absorbed the rest. It looked good on paper to show we had helped out some of the less fortunate and a reasonable tax deduction for the hospital.

    One idea I was toying with was marketing the new heart. If this patient survives the surgery and manages not to reject the mechanical heart immediately, we might promote it as a possibility for those in bad shape. The fact that the pig is living an everyday life, well, typical for a pig, after five or more years, is a good promotion angle. After we see how this goes, I will have to bring this up with Robson and Bethany. We are getting some more animals in the research section, some pigs and a monkey, all with heart issues, so Bethany can put her newpound in a body and see how it goes. The monkey was courtesy of the local zoo. They realized that it was struggling and asked if we could take it out of their hands. This monkey would be a marketing tool, too, if the operation and the newpound were sessful. Again, Bethany''s vet skills came in handy, answering all the questions about doctors ying vets, when she is a rare breed that is both.

    There was a lot at stake at this experimental stage. One heart we know is working and has already attracted interest from the medical field. One of the few hearts is still working after all this time, and Bethany refused to give too much away about how it worked. The day was almost done for me. I was hoping to catch up with Bethany, but it has been hard to see her so far, as she is locked away in her researchb, and I do not have clearance to enter the sterile section. Plus, it would be a pain in the butt to get cleaned up to enter it in the first ce.

    One of the nurses cornered me again. She said there was a new patient in the room, and I had not heard of any new patients, so I entered the room. One may havee, but I had yet to be informed about it, which was odd. Once in the room, she pushed the door closed behind me and tried to rub herself against me.

    I was grossed out.

    ''You and I would make a great couple. How about you having a little taste in here while it is quiet?'' she purred at me, grabbing my hair and trying to pull my face to hers.

    I pushed her away with a little more force than I had intended and moved to the side. I did not answer her; I just walked out of the door, feeling dirty from the whole event. I passed a few nurses who gave me a weird look. Then, behind me, I stopped at the nurse''s station and looked at the door I had juste out of; Tina was pretending to adjust herself to make it look like something had happened.

    I took deep, calming breathes as I watched Tina, and as she reached me, I said,

    ''To Robson''s office now!''

    I dragged her to his office, knocked, remembering my manners at thest moment, and entered, dragging her into the office with me. After exining what happened and how I was not happy with that, I stormed out of his office, leaving her in there for him to deal with. What is it with some women? It is not the nurses in general I amining about, but if I did that to her, she would be shouting r**e, and I would be in big trouble, but they think it is okay to do it to men. I was seething and, for some reason, felt dirty and in need of a shower now.

 Chapter 38

    Bethany

    POV

    My night was shattered around four am when my phone went off. I groggily rolled over and grabbed it, not checking the number. ''Hello.'' I was not fully awake enough to think clearly.

    ''Bethany Peterson?'' The male voice asked. I pulled the phone from my ear and checked the number. It said a private number. ''Yes. Who is this?'' I wondered who would call me this early. I still need to get my number.

    ''We are from the fraud squad, and we have some questions to ask about your case?'' Fraud squad? What case?

    ''Do you realize it is four o''clock in the morning?'' I was a little stunned when they decided to call me.

    ''Yes, sorry for the early start. Can youe to the station?'' What? You have to be kidding.

    ''What now?'' I was not even fully awake yet.

    ''Yes, Ma''am.'' He was not rude, but not polite either.

    ''Okay, give me half an hour to get dressed.

    ''We will send a car for you! the phone went dead before I could say anything else.

    Not sure how long I would be at the station, I dressed for work and grabbed my case, which held the information I had been collecting regarding all the times Bret had been away. I had a lot of paperwork that I was sure was not work-rted; I have doubles, so I would not need to worry if they took this from me.To ess theplete chapters for free, visit Jo b ni b. I have all the originals; having a Dad as a police officer taught me a few things. I managed a slice of toast and half my coffee before my phone rang. ''Hello?''

    ''We are downstairs. the voice was rough and abrupt.

    Not bothering to answer, I hung up, put my dishes in the dishwasher, and left. I was not at all happy to be doing this at that time of day. How could they do this to average people?

    Two men in ck suits waited outside. It was embarrassing. Guess the bright side of being so early in the morning: no one was around to see this except the doorman, who nodded at me with a cheerful smile, which I dly returned. He was a nice older man. The stories that he could tell about theings and goings of this building, he could write a g********]. I was guided to the back door, and it was closed with a click that sent a nervous tremor across my skin. I felt like some criminal instead of the victim. What was all this cloak-and-dagger stuff about? The vehicle drove to a part of town I had yet to explore. I watched the passing buildings and thought this was a less refined middle to upper-ss area. The stores were lovely. I can see myself happy to be seen shopping here. I was not a snob, so shopping in a store for clothes that cost more than many make in a month did not appeal to me. I had spent that sort of money on a g event, and more because of the snobbish ways of my mother, which had nothing to do with my choice of clothing.

    The car stopped at the back of a building, and my door opened.

    ''Ms Peterson. This way! I followed a woman who did not identify herself in the building. She was in her mid-thirties, dressed in ck like the men, and I am now kicking myself for not asking for ID when they picked me up. How do I know these people are who they say they are? Going through the back door seemed off. She led me through a long hall and into an interview room which held a table with four chairs. I took the seat she had indicated and waited.

    She went and stood by the door we had just entered. On one wall, a vast, two-way mirror was on disy. I wondered what all this was about. Indeed, it was not just because of what Bret had been up to.

    I was there for ten minutes before three men came and sat opposite me.

    They introduced themselves but did not say what part they worked for. I was still a little confused by all of this.

    ''Sorry for the dy. Would you care for a coffee?'' one asked. He was the eldest of them all.

    ''Please, I have work at eight. When you are done here, you can take me to work. I thought I would get that out of the way first, as I was not sure how long or upset I would be.

    ''We won''t keep you too long. One of the others opened a folder before him, flicking through pages as if looking for a particr page. A knock on the door had heads looking up, and a woman came in with a tray with four cups of coffee.

    ''Is your mother''s name Wendy Peterson?'' What does the mother have to do with this?

    ''Yes.'' I answered with a frown.

    ''Your father recently left her and moved to our town. I believe he is in the main station! What? Don''t pull Dad into this. ''That is correct.

    ''Why?''

    ''Why what, sir?'' I could not see where this was going.

    ''Why did your father leave his wife?''

    ''My mother had taken sides, and my father did not agree. As he had been staying where he was to keep the peace in the house, he decided enough was enough. You need more intimate information, and you will need to ask him.'' I did not at all like this conversation. ''Rx, your father is in the clear and is an outstanding detective. He is not our reason for asking you. When ites to loved ones, judgment can be impaired, and he is as innocent as you are.

    ''Can you please tell me what is going on?''

    ''All in good time. What do you know about the hotel in Las Vegas two years ago?''

    I grabbed the small briefcase I had brought with me, ced it on the table, unlocked it, and opened the revealed folders of each query I had written my thoughts on. I had already been looking into each bank statement since our divorce and trying to piece each part of Bret''s betrayal together. I lifted the files and started to look for a date in Las Vegas.

    ''May we see all of that?'' I looked at the man and sighed. If he really wanted it and I refused to give it to them, they would only get a court order and seize it anyway.

    I handed them over.

    ''When I realized I had been cheated on more than once, I started going through all my bank records and started to corrte them to other things that happened around that time.''

    ''You are thorough and have saved us a lot of time. Can we keep these? I will get them back to you once. I have taken a copy of all of this, which is interesting!''

    ''Sure, it is almostplete! What else could I say?

    ''I see you have a date here, including your mother. Why is that?''

    ''My mother was always very... let''s use the word ''supportive'' of my sister, and when I started going through all of this, I noticed she had been to some of those so-called seminars, and it made me hunt down what else my mother had been up to too. You will see a folder in there on what I have on her so far, but honestly, I have just started to look into that side of it.''

    ''Your father has been duped like you. Your mother has been having a lot of weddings over the years, and we believe she was the one who introduced the idea to your sister. We still have a long way to go before any charges can beid, but this will help us speed up the process!

    ''OH, poor dad. Does he know this?'' My heart was saddened for my dad, and he loved my mother.

    ''Yes, he was told a few days ago and is aiding us in our inquiries. There is a group that is in this together. It is not just your mother and sister; what you have here is a lot of good evidence. We have been working on this for almost a year and have most of the names. We still need a crucial link. When we have found it, we will start our arrests.

    ''Please keep this quiet. You can talk to your father, but no one else. Is that clear?''

    ''Yeah, I get it.

    ''Good, well, with this paperwork to sieve through, I will drop you off at your work. We will be in touch when we have had a good look at this!

    ''Thank you.'' I wouldn''t say I liked this interview; something was still slightly off, and my internal radar was on fire.

    I left the station shattered, not just from broken sleep, but my heart aches for my dad. What has my mum done over the years?

 Chapter 39

    Bethany

    POV

    Robson was understanding. When I spoke a little about the trip to the police station, not the details, just having been there so early in the morning. I was tired and asked not to be included in surgery today, but apparently, none was listed. Robson exined that Tuesdays were the review day. They were looking at who was still in the wards. We always keep a few beds for emergencies, and though it is good to send people home as soon as possible, Robson likes to have a care n for when they are sent home. He has a number of nurses on the books that do home care, and if they are fully booked, we do not send someone home unless the person has their own personal nurse, which several wealthy people do, and that helps not stretch our own staff too far. However, not everyone can afford such luxuries, and the hospital is fussy about the nurses and the care they give.

    Not all are home-care nurses. It is not that they can''t do the job; it is not the type of job that suits everyone. A special kind of nurse can go to a home and get the job done. Once home, many clients can be grumpy and feel they can be themselves in their own homes and try to boss the nurses around, which is uneptable. Robson has ns in ce for that kind of person, believe it or not, but many male nurses make great home-care nurses. They can handle the heavy lifting that can be involved, but they are less growled at by grumpy male-dominant clients who are used to ordering people around. Robson tries to keep a strong, bnced base of male and female home-care nurses. That is partly why this hospital is doing so well. The after-care is second to none. After the meeting, I got stuck into setting up my section and worked out which rooms would be for building the hearts and what rooms would be the sterile rooms for pre-surgery. I wanted my own nurses to look after the patients as we had a particr monitor that is part of the mechanical heart; it tells us what is happening inside the heart and will be in the heart for life. I would be training the staff to understand the program that I wrote for the monitor. Yeah, you heard me right; I can write code and create the program that I need for the heart; no use doing part of the job and asking someone else to write code on something they know nothing about or the logarithms I need.

    The nurses picked up theputer program quickly, and I managed to get the information about the surviving pig uploaded so they could see how the working model was reported. I was pleased with how well the pig was doing; it did not matter where the pig was kept, and I could still pull the reports off the heart monitor. The junior doctor helped with organizing the room. I wanted to see how his mind thinks and if he would be suitable for post-surgery care. I could not be awake at twenty-four-seven to monitor the patient, so I would need another doctor on hand for when I needed to sleep. This was not what I thought would happen when I came here, but that is okay. I don''t mind having a few live patients; it would help the other staff, too. It is what they call cutting-edge stuff for heart surgery.

    After I sorted out the wing and the staff were happy with the ns I had put in ce, I let them head home, and I continued in my creative room, making some morepounds for the experimental heart. The monkey was being kept in a special room and on medication. In about three days, I hope to do the surgery on him, and hopefully, all will go well.

    By the time I clocked off, it was almost ten at night, and I was getting rather sleepy. At home, I managed to get some soup in me before heading to bed to get some much-needed sleep.

    I vaguely remember Theoing to my room in the morning, but I rolled over and went back to sleep. I have no idea what time that was. My rm woke me at seven o''clock. I did not bother with a swim; instead, I took a quick shower and a bite to eat and raced off to work.

    Thepound was almost ready; it was hardening nicely. It had to be slow, or it would not take what I needed it to do. This is apound I have been working on for years, and it has been difficult getting it right; it is much moreplex than I had thought it would be. But if I could get this right, rejection would be almost nil, and fewer pre-operation meds would be needed. I needed it to be firm, and I had already made moldings of the shapes I needed. There would be four parts to this heart. Fingers crossed, I got it right.

    At the end of my day, Theo met up with me. He waited in the cafeteria each day. He pretended to have a coffee while waiting, but I knew he was there for me. Though it was nice to havepany to walk home, I was still aware he had otherdies waiting for hispany, and I was still shocked that one of hisdies came to the restaurant, and she came to him and hugged him in front of me, and the man she came in with. Are they some triple or sharing partners? The whole thing confused me, and I didn''t want to continue with the benefits part. He is good, but is he being with others? We agreed to only go with one another if we talked about it first.

    I cook dinner each night. He would go and shower ande back, and while the meal was cooking, I showered and changed, too. We had lots to talk about, with us working in the same ce. He was keen to understand how my research was going, but I had little to say, as I was at a standstill until thepound finished. But the other two hearts were not ready for use. Thates down to when Robson wishes to give it a go.

    So that was how our next few days went. Tomorrow is Friday, and I have interviews to do. Robson said he wanted to get the media involved with the operation, get their support, and hope for the best, pushing the ''first man to give this new heart a try! I agreed to interview some marketingpanies and hear how they believe we should spin it. Those interviews will start tomorrow.

    Robson had eight for me to meet, so my whole day was gone. Robson assured me that our patient was okay with being in the news; he saw the benefits for other heart clients, especially if it went well. He understands it is the old heart, but he was more than happy to have one of those as it had proved longevity. I could understand how he felt, and he understood he could reject it, but he was so tired of all the problems he had suffered over the years that he was happy to grab the heart while he was still strong enough to adjust to it, hopefully.

    Theo was keen to give Mr. Green the heart I had prepared. He thought, as I had already seen his heart, that I could see he was in desperate need, and they had a point. It was hard to forget that lovely man. He was so jolly and did notin much at all, typical of people who were born with heart problems or have them in their gics.

 Chapter 40

    Theo POV

    At first, I thought Bethany was avoiding me. I could not determine what I had done wrong for her to avoid me. Then she worked some long hours trying to get her heart ready, and I did not understand a lot of what was involved with what she was doing. But then, I would need to figure out where to start with that type of research or even where to begin to make a mechanical one, but she has, and I respect what she has been able to aplish so far.

    The nursing staff loves her, and the junior doctors respect her work. She is patient with them as she exins what is wrong with the heart. Bethany had made some PowerPoint presentations exining each step, which were shown to the junior doctors. Some nurses gave up their spare time toe and sit at the presentation. Bethany should have presented it. Robson did and was proud to do so, making sure everyone knew Bethany prepared the presentation.

    She had gone back to her research, leaving Robson to decide if it was good enough as a teaching tool for the student doctors to see and the hospital to use in the future. Robson had said he would see how well the presentation was put together and decide if it could be used in some exams. But by the end of the PowerPoint presentation, he was telling all the doctors that there would be some questions regarding the presentation in the exams.

    I sat and watched the presentation and was more than surprised at the detail Bethany had included. You could see each step Bethany would take to insert the heart and what was involved with the quick removal and recement. The whole operation will take about eight hours, and I hope to be included in the process.

    Each day, I made sure to hang around the exit and have coffee just so I could walk Bethany home. It was part of the day I enjoyed. It was hard to catch up before work; most times, she had left before me.

    Tomorrow, we have interviews. Both Robson and I will sit in them, but Bethany will make the final decision. This is the first time the hospital has ever released anything to the media. We must get the right team behind us to promote the good and to help us if things go badly.

    Bethany is nervous and outside herfort zone, but she understands the importance of having a good press release. ''Bethany, do you want to walk with me in the morning? Can we talk about the interviews? Or walk together, and I can keep your mind off it.'' I was hoping she would give me an in. Something had been different. It was as if she had pulled back, and I was not sure if it was because we were working at the same ce, and that had made her ufortable to be with someone you work with, or if something else was holding her back. I want the Bethany I first met back, the one that gave me a lot of sassyments and made meugh. She seemed to have been sad again, and I had no idea if it was because of me or something else had happened. I wish I could ask, but I know little about her life, and I did not want to push before she was ready to share, if ever.

    ''Yeah, that would be fine if I were up around six in the morning and had a good swim. Before work, if you want. I can cook us some breakfast. I need more than cereals tomorrow. It is going to be a long day!

    ''I agree, this is a big step for the hospital, getting the media involved; you are going to be a new face of the hospital; I think those cute scrubs are going to be a big hit. I joked, and it worked. Sheughed along with me. That made me feel warm inside to make herugh; it had been a few days since I had seen herugh outside of work.

    ''How about I order takeout and have a movie night, or watch the sun go down and enjoy the noises of the citying alive. We were arriving at our building, and I did not want to say goodbye yet.

    ''That sounds good. I had not thought of dinner. How about you ordering us something, and I wille to your ce for a change. Well, that surprised me.

    ''Fancy anything in particr?'' I suggested some Italian, which is our local delivery.

    ''How about some pizza or maybe Chinese? I am not fussy, nothing too heavy!

    We parted when we left the elevator. I pulled out the takeaway pamphlets and looked at them. I ordered pizza and chicken wings.

    I headed to the shower, cleaned up, grabbed some tes, and started the coffee machine. By the time I had it all ready, the phone rang, letting me know of the delivery and to get permission to send them up. When I opened the door to the delivery man, Bethany was standing there holding our order, and the man disappeared behind the elevator''s closing doors. That means she paid for our food again. Bethany has paid for nearly every meal we have had together since that first day when I paid, and it was only because she was distracted. She would have paid then, too. She is used to being the one to pay for everything. I remember the phone call I walked in on. We will need to break that habit she has developed. She is expected to pay only some of the time.

    We worked together, cing the food out on the balcony table and settling down to watch the night start to get active. It was interesting to watch, going from everyone rushing to get home to it going quiet for an hour or two, then picking up to being busy again, as the clubs started to get long lines of people wanting to get inside Or whatever they had nned for the evening.

    The food disappeared quickly, and a few slices of pizza were left over, which I would most likely eat tomorrow or the next day. It will keep. The music yed softly in the background, and sitting and enjoying the evening was pleasant. Bethany did not try to make conversation; the ringing of my phone made me go inside to answer it.

    That was all it took for our night to be finished.

    My sister Felicity wanted to tell me about her engagement partying soon, and I ended up talking a little longer than I wanted. I saw Bethanye into the lounge room, ce the tes and rubbish in the kitchen, and wave as she left. I tried to get her to stay by signaling her to wait, but she smiled at me and left the penthouse.

    To say I wanted to curse my sister was an understatement. I am d she is excited about her engagement and wanted to share it with me, but I did not need to hear all the ins and outs; all I needed was a day and time, and I would be there.

    Bethany was at the pool when I arrived, and I managed to do at least tenps with her before she climbed out. I decided to cut my swim shorts and leave with her. Bethany had a nice, well-toned figure, and considering how we are both indoor workers, she had managed to have tanned, long legs, and I wondered when she managed to get out into the sun.

    The tiny breakfast hit my nose when I walked into her penthouse. I set the table as she finished thest of her cooking, and we sat down to eat.

    ''Are you ready for today?'' I asked. I was a bit nervous about this.

    ''Not really. I am still considering all the sides of the media, and there are so many ways this could go wrong!''

    ''Then think of all the ways it can go right. I joked, and she smiled back.

    Together, we cleaned up the kitchen and walked to work. Bethany talked about this Sunday and the time toe over for sports day. I had nearly forgotten about that. Dad would have been so angry with me if I had forgotten entirely, and he arrived expectantly, and I was still sleeping or something.

 Chapter 41

    Bethany

    POV

    My day has started about the same as thest few. A swim, breakfast with Theo, walking to work, and discussing what was nned for the weekend. My Dad was looking forward to meeting Theo''s dad and having someone else with whom to share his passion for sports. Dad also needs someone to be friends with. He only knows his workmates; having someone outside of work, not just me, would be good for him. I got the feeling that Theo had forgotten but covered it up quickly. I did not mind if he did not show up, but it would disappoint my Dad. We arrived at work at seven. Theo headed off for some quick ward rounds, and I went to see Mr Green. He was in istion in my section, getting ready for the new heart on Monday. He did not like being kept in that room over the weekend but understood it was to give him the best chance of not rejecting the heart. I let him have hisptop and other work materials, hoping none held any bugs. I did spray theputer and wipe the paperwork, but sometimes I needed more. ''Good morning, Mr. Green. Did you sleep well?'' I asked as I looked at his chart and then checked the IV line.

    ''Almost as good as my own bed. He chuckled and waited for me to finish looking him over.

    ''You are looking good, better than I expected, considering it was not long ago we had you on the table.

    ''Yeah, I did not think you would want to touch me for a few months, so the chest had to heal up!''

    ''I understand, and normally I would agree, but I am worried you won''t hang around for me. He coughed, and I knew he was not doing as well as he tried to appear. The fluid was building up in his lungs, and that was not a good sign. I added some more medicine to his chart for his cough and hoped to dry some of it before Monday.

    ''You need something before I go. I looked at him expectantly, but he shook his head no and returned to hisptop.

    The interviews would start at eight. I headed to the room we had set up for them. They were given half an hour each to show what they thought was best, and I was the one to make that decision. They were aware of being ready for a second interview if I liked what they had shown me in the half-hour. They would get a second bite at a chance to be our voice to the people and would need to give us more on the same day.

    I sat in the middle of the table, Robson to my right and Theo to my left. The first marketing representative will be sent in shortly. An admindy sat at a desk outside the door and would send each one in as we requested. It was then up to the representative to decide if they hung around or left and came back; it was going to be a long day for most of us.

    The first to enter was a young woman, dressed in a pin-striped pantsuit and looking neat and tidy. She introduced herself, handed us a folder each, and then went through her speech. I thanked her, and she left. Not once did I falter with her presentation. I liked that about her, and on a paper sheet, I noted her presentation''s pros and cons.

    The next was an older man, obviously confident in his work and quick and precise about what hispany would offer. The next two were men of equal standing, but none had been any better than thest.

    Then, to my surprise, my twin sister walked in. She gave me the stink eye before introducing herself and handing out folders. Her top was too low, and I thought she was going to spill out of it when she bent to grab her own folder. I did not bother to listen to her presentation, as I knew I would not want to work with her. She left, giving her hips an extra sway, and turned to look at us before she left, or more to the point, she looked at Theo and winked. I did not bother looking at Theo to see his response; my stomach''s contents were already wanting to be thrown up, and I had to grab my ss of water and take arge swallow before the next person walked in.

    I was surprised when my sister walked in. I was floored when Bret walked in. His step faltered when he saw me before he ced a fake smile on his face. He gave a good presentation and was good at his job, but I would not be able to work with him, so both of those were out of the running.

    The veryst person toe in asked if he could use the projector, and he gave a PowerPoint presentation that actually contained more information than any of the others. Before he left, I had already made up my mind.

    ''Sir, can you have everything ready by tomorrow and give us a quick demo before you start putting it out to the public by Sunday?''

    ''Sure, but why so soon?'' he looked a little shocked by this request. I was sure others had chatted about their presentation when they left the room.

    ''We are operating on Monday, so we would like a sight of what you would put out, and if it is good, then Sunday, I would like it to start running, preparing the world for the pending surgery!''

    I can do that, in fact, if you give me a second! He dug into his briefcase and pulled out a thumb drive. He plugged it in, and soon, on the overhead screen, came a sort of prelude to what he would do. I was impressed, and I got a silent thumbs-up from the others. ''Wow, do you usuallye this prepared?'' I asked with a chuckle.

    ''No, but I was so excited about this operation that I put something together for my Dad rather than for you. You see, my Dad is on the waiting list, and he would get a kick out of this. I am sure he would love to find out more. I did a little research on you and was impressed with what I found. You are a first-rate doctor, and the chance to work with you would be a dreame true. The work you are doing is personal to me.''

    ''You have the job, wee to the team, get the contract to us, quickly finish the ads, and get back to us.

    ''I can do that today and have everything to show you say three o''clock.

    ''Good, we shall see you then. Mr Philips.''

    ....

    He left with a huge smile on his face. Robson gave the task to the admindy to tell the others they were not sessful. The one we picked was by far the best.

    When I left the room, Bret was waiting for me. He looked hesitant at first to approach me but must have made up his mind. As he came forward, he looked at the other two men before going back to me.

    ''Can we talk?'' The look on his face told me this was not work-rted talk.

    ''Sure, when would you be able to?

    ''How about meeting me at Dino''s, and we can talk.''

    ''Sure. Seven o''clock. I found out whether that was a good time. I left with Robson and Theo.

 Chapter 42

    Theo POV

    The interviews started, and when a woman arrived looking like she was here to sell herself and not her product, I felt Bethany stiffen. I knew there was a story behind that reaction. This woman looked at Bethany with hatred in her eyes, but when she looked at me, I felt dirty, like she had just rubbed herself all over me and was looking at me as if I was her next meal. It was a total turn-off. An ex-friend, or the one who stole her boyfriend? It''s definitely something. I have seen that kind of reaction many times from my sisters; I smell trouble when I see it.

    But when a guy walked in, both looked shocked but more angry than anything once he recovered. His presentation was okay, but that was about all I could say, nothing that grabbed my attention. Most of them were mediocre until thest one, and we all sat up and took notice. He understood what we wanted to project perfectly, and it did not surprise me when Bethany told him he had the job without consulting us, but then we had put a tick on his name, which might have been all Bethany needed to see.

    As we left, I saw the guy grab Bethany''s arm. I headed over to them to see if Bethany needed my help, but he let go after they spoke and left. Then, the woman emerged from thedies, and trouble was on the horizon. By the way, that woman. What was her name? Cynthia went towards Bethany as if she was going to kill her.

    ''So, this is where you ran off to. It was not a waste of timeing here. Now I have found you. She spat at Bethany.

    ''It''s good to see you too, Cynthia. I hope you are doing well. Bethany was polite and showed little emotion, and that scared me a little.

    ''You have taken away my fun. But I will find a way to make you pay for doing that.'' The woman was full of herself, and I was interested in discovering what fun Bethany had stopped having. This was not a typical single fight over a lost love, but a longsting one, maybe over the years, with the vibe I was getting from Cynthia, and not just over something as simple as a man.

    ''Thank you foring. Bethany politely answered, ignoring what the woman had just said and more or less dismissed her.

    1 I guess I did not get the job, but that is okay; I got more than expected. Now I know where you are, I can make some new ns. With that, the woman walked away, flicking her hair as she left, as if she had just won a prize, and I did not like what I had just seen and heard.

    ''Are you okay, Bethany?'' I asked as I reached her. Bethany''s face was close to tears. I grabbed her arm, walked her over to a room, and pulled her in, closing the door behind me.

    ''Hey, sweetheart, don''t let the vixen get to you.'' I held her close to me and let her sob quietly into my chest, wondering what else I could do to help her. Bethany pulled away and wiped her face. I looked down at her vulnerable face, and my heart broke at the pain I saw there. If I was not already smitten, I was now; I felt the need to protect her with every part of my being, something I have only ever felt with my family; even that girl who broke my heart years ago did not make me feel like I did with Bethany right at that moment.

    ''Can you do me a favor?'' Bethany hupped.

    ''Anything. I breathed out.

    ''Come with me tonight to meet someone, and can you pretend to be my boyfriend?''

    What? In my wildest dreams, I would never have guessed she would have asked me that.

    ''Sure, I can do that. I kissed the top of her head, and she nodded.

    I left that room and headed to find Robson and discuss the interviews and any ideas we wished to push.

    He was in his office and was expecting us to arrive. I had detoured to grab coffee and muffins, and Bethany headed to her office first to freshen up andpose herself, not wanting others to see her tear-stained face.

    ''Ah, coffee.'' Robson said as he took a muffin and dug in. Bethany arrived as I sat down, her face void of any sign of the trauma she had earlier. She grabbed a coffee, sat down, took a quick sip, and looked up at Robson expectantly.

    ''You chose well. He will do a great campaign for us. I looked up the records and found his Dad has been on our list for just over a year now. He''s not as desperate as some, but definitely a good candidate. I will see if he would be interested in being part of our research candidates.'' I was not sure if I liked our patients being called research candidates, even if that is what they are.

    ''He gave a good presentation, was the only one with PowerPoint, and had already made a mini-ad. How could we not give him the job? The others may have done a good job in their eyes, but they missed the passion and the spark as he did and needed to prepare more than Mr Philips did. What he understood from his own experience was clear in how he wanted to give hope through the media. I said, and I meant every word, that this man should be the one to give voice to our research.

    ''Agreed, I look forward to seeing his final draft of what will be released.'' I nodded and ate my muffin while waiting for Robson to dismiss us. Something else was still on his mind.

    ''Bethany, are you okay?'' Bethany looked up at him and nodded, the sign of more tears forming in her eyes.

    ''I did not expect to see my ex-husband or sister here. Though it should not have surprised me, as they are both in marketing and if I had looked at the list of names of thoseing to the interview, I could have been ready to see them!'' What, that is who they were? My blood was now boiling, as was how that woman treated Bethany. I understood better about that woman''s scorn and the tears. I felt Bethany was more upset over her sister than her ex being there. He grabbed her arm like he knew her personally, and I guess he did.

    ''I am fine. I had seen the list of names of the marketingpanies and knew there was a chance they would be there. Cynthia has not changed and still thinks her body will sell the product. Bret gave a better presentation butcked the passion we were seeking! Bethany was amazing.

    Looking at the presentations rather than the person would have been hard. It is not easy to separate what you need for the job and a person''s personal views. Could she work with either of them if they had been the best presentation? I cannot answer that I believe she would be able to separate the two, but that does not mean it would be easy for her.

    Later that day, Mr. Philips came back with two suggestions for media release and permission to speak with Mr. Green and be there for the operation so he could give the other side of the operation, those waiting for an answer, to see if he made it through the operation. It differed from the side we had considered, and Robson liked his ideas but wanted to see anything he wanted to release first. Contracts have been signed, and the first release to the media will be Sunday afternoon.

 Chapter 43

    Bethany POV

    infection so close to the operation.

    After the meeting, I headed to see Mr Green. I gowned up and took a tray of coffee and snacks with me. We restricted who could visit until after the operation, and if the family wished to sit with him, they needed to gown up and no kissing. We cannot risk any ''Good morning Bethany, all set for Monday?''

    ''Good morning, and yes. I have the media starting to promote it on Sunday and wanted to warn you. I started as a greeting.

    ''Well, that will be interesting. I will have to watch the TV and see if I have a good face on. He chuckled.

    ''I did not think you would want a picture of you. I mean how you are now.

    ''I think they shoulde here and take a picture of me so they can see how I am before the operation and what I am going through, don''t you think?'' Mr Green was a wonder; he thought over all of this and was prepared for the media circus this might cause.

    ''I will speak to Mr Philips; he is our voice to the people, and I will see if he would like to do that. Mr Green was serious. I did not want to get him all worked up, and in the end, I agreed to mention it to our media representative.

    Mr. Philips, or Saun, as he wanted to be called now he was under contract, had wanted to do the waiting room side of it, and I loved the idea, so he jumped at the chance to meet Mr. Green.

    ''Come with me, and I will introduce you to Mr Green.'' I had Saun follow me and give him a gown. I am eager to get in there, meet Mr Green, and get permission to take photos. He would add this to the media release and put a current face on it. ''Mr Green, this is our media man, Mr Philips. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on J o bn ib.c om. I introduced them and left Saun to ask all the questions. ''Please call me Saun. Can I take some pictures of you? Some before and after, and then maybe in a few months, as you get stronger and better?'' I loved the way he spoke to Mr Green. He did not show any signs of this going wrong.

    ''That sounds like a good n, document it all for the world to see how great this is going to be for everyone!''

    Saun and Mr Green got on well. Saun took several photos both in the room and outside, so others could see his istion until the operation. After about half an hour, Saun left, and I needed to leave. I had to prepare to see Bret. I had no idea what he wanted and was a little concerned he would take Cynthia with him, hence the need for Theo as my backup n. Theo came to my door at six, and we had a coffee. I was wondering if I could sit and eat with Bret.

    ''So you want me to be your boyfriend, and this Bret is your ex?'' Wow, thanks for being so blunt about this.

    ''Yeah, a recent event! I was not happy to meet with him; he had nothing I wanted to hear.

    ''I have your back. Don''t worry; I will say nothing unless you need me to.

    We walked to Dino''s entrance and found a table. We sat so we could see the door, order coffee, and wait. I feel I did nothing but drink coffee all day today.

    Bret walked in alone. To my relief, I did not want another session with my sister today. I watched as he looked around the room for me. His eyes lit up when he saw me and dimmed when I noticed Theo beside me.

    ''Hi.'' Bret greeted me as he took a seat opposite me, ignoring Theo.

    The waitress arrived, and he ordered a coffee and waited till she left.

    ''Why? Bethany. He started, and I had no idea what he meant. Which why?

    ''Think you better tell me what you mean by why, Bret.''

    ''Why did you divorce me and leave my clothes at Cynthia''s ce and lock me out of my own home? That man was going to call the police and have me arrested for trying to break into my own home. So he wanted to y dumb. He had to have known from what was written on the divorce notice.

    ''I heard that you and Cynthia are expecting a baby!'' I replied softly. I wanted confirmation.

    ''That is what she said, but I have yet to see proof. He said sadly. I think there is a c***k in his armor atst.

    ''You don''t believe her?'' I asked incredulously.

    ''Cynthia has had several men in her life. If she is pregnant, I will need a DNA test done before I ept it as mine. He sounded defeated, and I briefly wondered what had happened. Did she kick him out, and was he trying to crawl back to me? That is different from what that photo Dad shared with me looked like. It seemed nice and cozy.

    The waitress arrived with his coffee, stopping all our conversation as she ced it on the table, giving me a chance to absorb what she was saying.

    ''Bethany, why? I thought you loved me. Why mistreat me?'' He pushed again.

    ''You know what you did!'' I spat back, trying not to get angry with him.

    ''Tell me, give me closure. He was not backing off; he wanted all his dirtyundry out in the open. Well, that''s okay then. ''You have been sleeping with my sister, not once but many times over the years; you have been spending my money on her, buying her expensive jewelry, and taking her on holidays while telling me it is work-rted. You never brought me jewelry or took me out on holiday; you were always too busy, and I found out why. You are trying to tell me it was not what it looked like and that you are innocent in all of this?'' I spat at him with more venom than I had thought I had in me.

    ''I do not deny I did sleep with her just once, and for that, I am sorry, and what you are saying is untrue; you and I did have good times together. The jewelry was for birthday and Christmas gifts and was for work-rted trips, not holidays. Could you please let me know why you threw me out likest night''s trash?''

    I pulled out my phone and yed the video of them that I had given to mywyer. He watched the video, and his face paled as he saw all the truth ying in front of him.

    ''If you saw this, would you not wish to throw that person out likest night''s trash?'' I asked softly, quieter than I intended. ''You were home? You saw? Or was this someone you had following me?'' He said bitterly. I wondered if that bitterness was because he was caught and the nerve of this man to try and make me look like the insecure one.

    ''Yes, I was home. I swapped shifts with another doctor and was a little surprised by what I saw. I had my phone out to take a photo of you and was a little surprised at what more I had gained, and then you phoned me to say you were leaving early for your trip. That gave me the time to see awyer, get a divorce, and start looking for a new home, but your phone call saying you were staying for an extra day was icing on the cake, giving me extra time to sell the house and move out, all done in four days. I spoke coldly and without emotion; I was beyond it now; it was time to put it behind me.

    ''I am so sorry, and I never meant to hurt you. It all started after a drunken night out and grew from there. I am so very sorry. I wanted to get back to you and start over again. I interrupted him before he started to dribble more lies.

    ''I call what you are saying Bullshit. Are we done now? Got your answers?'' I was fuming.

    ''Yeah, I can see that you are not going to give me a chance to make it up to you, that we are beyond repair, that nothing I say or do will change what has happened or have a chance to start a new, that video was a little confronting, and I am shocked to see it.'' He probably did not hear about the video or maybe did not believe it was true.

    ''A front row seat of your betrayal, it was confronting, and no, you are right, you have no chance for us to get back together, and nothing you say or do will change what happened that day, to shatter my illusions about our marriage! I almost let myself fall into years as I admitted the loss of our marriage and how foolish I was that he ever loved me.

    Bret looked at me with sad eyes, stood up, and left the caf¨¦, not once looking back. His back was straight, his head held high, but I knew he had lost this fight.

 Chapter 44

    Theo

    POV

    I watched the man enter the restaurant, and he did not seem too pleased to see me. Well, too bad, buddy. If Bethany needed my support from you, she was going to get it. Bethany had already told me that she might get emotional, and she needed me to help her

    stay strong and possibly help her out of the restaurant if she cried.

    What I learned while sitting there was more than I had expected. This low life before me could do such a thing to this beautiful, selfless woman. In the time I got to know Bethany and that was not that long, she had already shown she was not a gold digger and went out of her way to help others in little ways. For example, she brought a takeaway dinner at a restaurant we stopped at, and she gave it to a homeless man who was sitting, leaning against a shop wall. He was ying an old guitar for tips, and his face lit up like a Christmas tree when he opened the lid and saw what she had brought him. But this low life had been the one to dim her eyes and break her heart, and that woman who tried to give me the ''I am avable'' look was her sister, who was the other part of this story. I am so disgusted by the two of them. I heard part of the video that Bethany showed him, and his face was first shocked, then remorse and denial, but how can you deny such evidence against you?

    Bethany grabbed my hand under the table once she started the clip on her phone and waited, watching. When she turned her phone off, the low-life tried to y it off as nothing, and as he tried to defend it, Bethany tightened her grip on my hand so painfully hard that it took all of my strength not to pull my hand away from hers. It hurt, and I knew my hand would ache for a while.

    I finished my coffee and waited for Bethany to make the next move. I presumed she was either processing what happened or getting her emotions back in order. This would have been hard. I gather it was the first time they had seen each other since the break-up, other than at the presentation, and her emotions had to be all jumbled up at the moment. All I could do was sit there and wait for Bethany to be ready to move on. While I waited, I pieced together all that I had learned since I had met her, and I had to admire her even more at how strong she had been and still is. My sister would have been a mess for a very long time, yet thisdy picked up the pieces of her life and moved on with pride and dignity. How can you not admire that?

    Suppose I hadn''t started to fall for this woman. What I just witnessed tipped the scales.

    Now, I just have to work out what I did that caused her to distance herself from our rtionship and growing friendship or that I was feeling one-sided. I thought we were on the same page, but we are not. Am I really just a neighbor with benefits, as we had agreed? Had I crossed the line unintentionally, and she had not crossed it with me?

    Bethany got up and paid the bill. I sighed. She had a habit of doing that. As she left the ce ahead of me, a woman, no, it was her sister, grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side.

    ''So, with you being on themittee, I did not get that job?'' She spat at her sister with disdain.

    ''The Admin will tell you if you are sessful. Bethany kept her calm while this woman osted her.

    ''But you? Will you block it? And why were you there with Bret? I thought you two were over?'' She was squeezing Bethany''s arm tightly. I could see it must be hurting Bethany.

    ''Bethany and I were having coffee, and Bret came over to talk to Bethany.'' I intercepted this woman and pulled her hand off Bethany''s arm. A mark of Cynthia''s fingers left on Bethany''s arm was imprinted in red, a sign of how tight that hold was. Yet Bethany showed no sign that she was in any pain. Maybe Bethany has had this treatment in the past and knows how to show no emotion.

    ''Oh, Hello sweetie, I did not see you there! She purred and tried to turn on the charm, which did little for me, knowing already what type of woman this person was.

    ''Theo, this is my sister, Cynthia. Bethany introduced us. Cynthia held out her hand for me to shake, but I pulled Bethany to me like a shield and nodded to her.

    ''Let''s go, sweetheart. I need to change before we go out for dinner. If we don''t leave now, we will bete for our

    reservations,'' I lied, steering Bethany away from her. The woman''s face was in shock, and that made me feel like we had just won some kind of victory in a race I did not know we were in.

    Bethany allowed me to guide her back home and up the elevator. She would have gotten as far as the entrance if her sister had followed. Our building had some perfect security, which was part of why I had chosen it, and I am assuming, after what I learned just now, that Bethany most likely did, too.

    I was hungry. We have not eaten yet, and Bethany most likely won''t want to eat, but she should. I followed her into her home, and she headed down the hall to her bedroom. I went to the kitchen and opened her fridge, looking to see what I could cook for a quick, simple meal. In the freezer part was some leftoversagna from the other night. I pulled out two portions, popped them into the microwave, proceeded to make a sd to go with it, and popped the kettle on for more coffee. I was not sure if she would want a wine. I had noticed, during most meals, that she did not usually have an alcoholic drink.

    Ten minutester, Bethany arrived in track pants and a tank top, barefoot. It was as if she had taken a quick shower, her hair still damp.

    ''Thank you. I was thinking about what to do for dinner. That smells great. Bethany took a seat at the table, and I handed her a te. She dug in hungrily, and I was d she was eating. Most women I know would have had to be coaxed into eating. This woman surprises me at every turn.

    ''Do you want to talk about it?'' I asked after I was satisfied that Bethany had eaten a good portion of her dinner.

    ''You sort of heard it already. She replied, not looking at me, and continued to eat, though not the same way as before I spoke.

    ''Well, you know I am nearby if you decide you need to vent or something! I offered and continued to eat my food. I thought it would be awkward after I spoke, or at least some sort of tension, but there was none. It was as if I had not said anything about it.

    ''I was thinking about the media release that man, Saun does have some good ideas, and Mr Green was pleased to talk to him about his life living with this heart condition and what he hoped the operation would achieve. The man asked questions I would not have thought of asking, and I thought it had something to do with the insight of having a Dad with a heart condition.

    The conversation changed, and all thoughts about the incident disappeared. It was nearly eleven when I left her home and returned to mine with a smile still on my face because I had a better evening than I had nned.

    Bethany was a conundrum that I wanted to work out. She has been put through the wringer, yet she still smiles,ughs, and is so good with patients. I have no idea how she manages to do all the things she does with all that baggage dragging along behind her.

 Chapter 45

    Bethany

    POV

    It did not shock me that Cynthia would be waiting outside of Dino''s, where Bret was meeting me. Cynt side, and she had Bret hoodwinked, or if they were in it together. He seemed to be shocked at the vide with it. I was surprised there was not a photographer hiding somewhere, or maybe there was, and I co

    would never be too far away from him; it was like a ma; she seemed to be attracted to where he was nearly all the time. I am unsure if it was all on Cynthia''s Cynthia was her usual selfish woman. Theo saved me from further confrontation, which I know would have gotten a lot nastier if Cynthia could get away see them, but they had little to photograph.

    The evening was okay. My mind was distracted for most of it, as Theo tried to take my mind away from the meeting with those two, and some of my sad past was revealed, yet Theo did not run. He stayed and was strong and very supportive, though no matter how hard he tried, he could notpletely remove that sadness that seemed to be stuck in the back of my mind a part of my wasted life that keeps raising its ugly head to remind me of the worst time of my life.

    Theo left with promises of bringing his father over for sports day on Sunday. We had no ns for Saturday, something about family day had to change to Saturday. Now, sports day would not be at the family home; his mother would cook and make arge meal for the family to meet up and chat about their week. I understood we had that, but it was more of a day for Cynthia to brag about her week. I hope his family day was better than any I had.

    On Saturday, I was shopping for the ingredients and cooking the snack for tomorrow. I made a more extensive variety of snack foods, some that I knew my Dad loved and some I hoped the others would enjoy. All I had to do was reheat them in the oven. Theo said he would bring over the beer, but that did not stop me from buying extra. Dad was walking over, and if he got too drunk, I would make sure he got a taxi home or walk him back, most likely both of us singing along to one of the football clubs'' songs.

    I cleaned and tidied the penthouse and rearranged the seating to amodate a sports day. That evening, sat on the balcony, ate the leftover Chinese food, and watched the citye to life. It was bing my favorite ce when I was trying to rx and forget life''s downs, meaning I was trying to put the meeting Bret and Cynthia out of my mind, but that was proving a little difficult.

    My phone ringing pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. It was early, only eight o''clock, but still toote to receive a phone call.

    ''Hello.'' I did not know the phone number and was a little cautious about answering it.

    ''Bethany Peterson?'' The woman''s voice asked softly as if trying not to be heard by someone.

    ''I am her. I replied, waiting for the woman to identify herself.

    ''I am Cathy Simons. You do not know me, but I am one of your husband''s wives.'' What??!

    ''Where are you?'' I asked. This was beyond belief.

    ''That does not matter; what does matter is the police havee over and told me that I was one of many who had been duped and that you were his first wife, so all the rest are not really married to him.''

    ''Are you sure you wish to discuss this on the phone?''

    ''Yes, I have two sons, to that son of a b***h. The police are going to arrest him and a few others who are all part of some borate scheme. She sounded very angry.

    ''Did you divorce him?'' I was still getting past the part where Bret has two sons.

    ''Yes, before I found out I was pregnant, he had the marriage annulled. I tried to get child support, but somehow, he managed to get out of that. He has two other children, with another woman, a girl and a boy. Do you have any children with him?''

    ''No, he never wanted children with me and said he was not ready. I was okay with that, as I was too busy with my career to bother with them yet.''

    ''How can I help you, Cathy?''

    ''Oh, I do not need help; I am doing just fine. I wanted to hear your voice. I don''t suppose you want to meet his kids, do you? I know they are not rted to you in any way, but you might be curious!

    ''I agree that I am not rted, and it would break my heart even more than it is already broken.

    ''How long were you married?'' We talked for nearly an hour, and Cathy gave me all thetest on the case and about his other wives. It was an eye-opener, and I was sad in a way that I had to hear it from one of his wives and not from the police. They should have given me the heads-up, and I was a little surprised that she had my phone number. Cathy would not tell me how or where she got the number. I gave her only a little of my life information, just enough to get more. Somehow, I was still finding all of this unbelievable, and the less I talked about myself, the better. I let her ramble on about the others and herself.

    When I hung up, I called the police to find out more.

    ''Hello, Bethany. How can I help you?'' the detective asked.

    ''I have just hung up from an hour-long call. Cathy Simons told me about many weddings with Bret and that he has four children, and you are about to arrest him!

    ''We are close to making some arrests, but he does not have four children, and we know no one by the name of Cathy Simons. I think someone had hoaxed you and was trying for information.

    ''How would they know my number and about the case?''

    ''Leave that with me, and I will look into it. Do you have the woman''s phone number?'' I gave him the number, and we chatted a bit longer. I informed him that I had given the woman no new information and near to nothing about myself. He was pleased I gave nothing out and would get back to me.

    This was starting to scare me a little, that someone could phone me out of the blue like that and have so much information about my life. Was it that easy to find out about someone? A good Google search can find almost anything if someone is good at investigating, but was my life that interesting that someone had bothered? The inte is a wealth of information. I had not thought of using it to see about Cynthia and Bret''s marriage. Maybe they were stupid enough to post them, or the ces where they got married had.

    Is it worth my time to go hunting?

    It was in the past.

    Am I that interested?

    NO.

    That is the answer.

    I cannot change the past, so why go looking for more heartache?

    It was gettingte, and it was time for bed. I had had enough to fill my head for one day. I took onest look at the lounge room and the sports pages waiting to be used tomorrow.

    I had highlighted all the relevant information, and we would discuss it before the game. I am sure Dad will bring tomorrow''s papers with him, and I am looking forward to having a good time and losing my voice as I scream at the screen, trying to urge my team on. What that woman said was hard to hear, and not beyond probability, and that was even scarier, that I had no little about the man I was married to.

 Chapter 46

    Theo POV

    The day was exhausting, and by the time I took a shower and climbed into bed, it was midnight. My head hit the pillow, and sleep came quickly; all the thoughts of what Bethany was going through left my mind. Either I was drained, or the ability to turn things off took over. I knew in my early days as a doctor I would have things go over and over in my mind, making sleep impossible to im, and I would toss and turn. I have since learned to block those thoughts out of my mind, which might be what happened now. It was nearly ten o''clock when I woke, the sun zing through the window. Last night, I failed to close them, which was unusual for me, and I was shocked to see howte it was in the day. Throwing the nkets off of me, I raced around getting dressed. I was supposed to be at my parent''s home by eleven and to grab some drinks. This was going to be a close run if I was to make it across town in half an hour at that time of day, and I had to think of the best ce to buy drinks along the way. My usual ce would be too busy to find parking; it was close to popr shops, and I needed a drive-through closer to my parent''s home.

    As I drove, I thought of yesterday and what had transpired. How was Bethany today?

    That was a lot of baggage she was carrying around. The sooner those two are gone from her life, the better; they seem to be dragging her down to a deep abyss that would suffocate the loving, kind person. I know she is. Wonder what the rest of her family is like? What if her Dad was like that? I will take my father to meet him tomorrow and see if they will get along. If he is like his daughter Cynthia, I am taking Dad to meet someone I would prefer he did not have to spend his Sundays with. What have I got myself in for? I don''t want my Dad to be hurt.

    I found a drive-through, purchased some drinks, and headed to my folks'' ce. It was not far from here, and I was thankful I remembered this ce was here. It was on a backstreet that was not frequented by many, mostly the locals, and did not rely on passing traffic to stay in business. This might be an excellent ce to take Bethany when she needs to get away from the city for a little while. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on J ob nib.c-om .It is close to the city but is an expensive part of town where only affluent locals live. Yeah, my parents are old money. Part of why, after my bad rtionship with a money-grabbing cheating girlfriend ended, I only had the asional woman who knew that the night was forpany and s*x and nothing more. I left them high and dry if they looked like they were getting attached. I have trust issues, and being rich made me a target for a lot of women who want that style of life. My family was concerned about myck of a girlfriend and that it was time to get back into the game. I exploded once, and they sort of tried and hinted and note straight out and tell me what to do now. I felt terrible for yelling at them, but I will not apologize; they should not have tried to set me up with anyone. I needed to do this in my time, not theirs. I am getting older, so what? No rules say I have to be married with kids before I am thirty.

    I pushed the fob to open the sliding gates and waited for them to fully open before setting off to the house. I had gone before they fully opened a few years ago, eager to leave, and the gates closed back up on me, scratching my car, so I make sure now that they are fully opened. I loved that old car. It is still undercover in Dad''s garage. It is my asional day-out car, too old, and it is loved by not just me but Dad too, and it is not an everyday car. It used to belong to my granddad, which is why it is cherished.

    The moment I pulled up, the doors to the house swung open, and my youngest sister came running out and threw herself at me. I lifted her and swung her around. She was eighteen but still acted like a child at times, but I loved it. When she was like this, that meant the house was in a good mood, and we would have a great day.

    Leaning into the car, I grabbed the drinks and handed some to Cindy. I grabbed the other two cartons of beer we would take to sports day tomorrow. I should have left them in the car. It was toote now, so I followed her inside. Her bounce in her step made me enjoy her exuberance and happy nature. She has a boyfriend, but I don''t think it is serious yet.

    ''Mum!'' Cindy yelled as we entered the house.

    ''Theo is here.'' She yelled in a sing-song manner once she was through the front door. I am sure Mum already knew this, but this was Cindy, a bubbly youngdy who had yet to have her heart broken, unlike my other two sisters, and I hope she never does. But life has a tendency to make you go through hard times. Mum said it was, so you can recognize the good times and cherish them more. I would prefer not to have the tears, and because of the look that Dad often has on his face when facing a woman in tears, I feel he agrees with me.

    Dad was in the lounge, seated in front of the television, looking at the basketball game that was ying. He loved all sports, but none of the teams he followed yed today, so he watched thepetition and how they yed. He hoped I would be a sportsperson and y football. I had the size and the muscle and even yed a little in college, but I was not that keen and ended up following his footsteps into medicine instead.

    ''Hey, Dad.'' I greeted him as I continued down the hall, knowing he was glued to the game, and the most I would get was a grunt or a wave.

    As I entered, Mum was putting something in the oven. I ced the drinks in the fridge and moved to hug Mum and kiss her on the cheek. She quickly dried her hands on her apron and pulled me in for a longer hug, which made me wonder what was going on. She rarely needed a longer hug unless something was wrong or her job got her down.

    ''Felicity said you have a girlfriend. Cindy said as she put the drinks she had carried on the table.

    ''I do, when did I get a girlfriend?'' I replied, unsure what was happening.

    ''She said you were out at the same restaurant as Sam and her and that you were entertaining ady! That was why the house was all excited; they thought I had a girlfriend atst. Way to go, Felicity.

    ''That woman is my colleague, and we were discussing work, not having a date. I grumbled back as I watched Mum''s shoulders drop slightly at this.

    ''She is pretty!'' Felicity voiced as she entered the kitchen area, with Sam following close behind. At least Sam did not try to join Dad; thest time was a disaster, and I only interrupted Dad and his game if he showed signs that he was not really into the game. ''Maybe you could be more than workmates if you put your mind to it! Felicity said, hugging Mum and handing over dessert.

    Today was going to be a long day. I was going to be the one on the agenda.

    ''Bethany is my neighbor, and Dad will meet her tomorrow. It is her ce. We are having a sports day, and her dad will join

    us.

    ''Wonderful! Mum pped her hands in joy at this news. I groaned at the implication that action meant.

 Chapter 47

    Bethany

    POV

    The following day, I woke up with yesterday''s phone calls on my mind, so I emailed mywyer and let him deal with it. I cannot fathom how that person got my phone number, and I am a little worried about who could be doing this. Was it one of my sister''s friends trying to get into my head? I would not put it past my sister to do something like that, try and make it all Bret''s fault and that she is innocent in this, which I know she isn''t. Maybe she did not like me knowing she had married my husband and thought about making it look like he had done this a lot of times before and that she was another victim, nting the seeds of doubt.

    I had a nice long swim before making a quick breakfast, got the television on the sports channel and yed in the background, and put some finger food in the oven on low heat to warm up for when our guests arrived. I was looking forward to spending time with Dad. It had been a while since I had a chance to have a proper sports day. My Mum and sister would always find ways to spoil it. Bret was not into sports the way we were and would often make bad calls and make Dad grumble over Bret''sck of knowledge. He would prefer Bret to sit and enjoy the game instead of trying so hard to contribute when he had no idea what he was doing.

    At ten o''clock, the door opened, and in walked Dad. He had a case of beer under his arm and sports paperwork on the other.

    ''Hi, Dad. I called out and gave him a side hug. He handed over the case of beer and headed to the sofa, ready to get organized for his day in front of the screen.

    ''Do you want to start with a beer or a coffee?'' Sometimes, Dad was not ready for a beer, and as we are having guests today, he might have a coffee to start with. ''Coffee, and do you have any of those tarts you madest time?'' Dad had a sweet tooth, though he would deny it often.

    I grabbed both of us a coffee, took out several cakes and tarts, and ced them on the table. Dad had already set up the table with all the paperwork, and I could see we were starting a football game today. I was in the mood to scream and shout, and a football would do the trick.

    We had just got into the introductions of the yers for the game. They had yet toe out onto the field and warm up; each yer''s name and stats were popping up, and we were engrossed in it when the door opened, and Theo walked in along with another man, who was an older version of Theo. There was no doubt that the man was Theo''s Dad.

    Dad stood up and greeted the men.

    ''Dad, this is Theo, my colleague, and his Dad. Theo, this is my Dad, Bob.'' Dad shook the hands of both men. Theo''s Dad shook my Dad''s hand.

    ''Call me Hank,'' the older man said, and the television cheered as a yer was introduced.

    ''Come take a seat; we are not far from the game starting, My Dad said, and the two men sat side by side on the sofa. ''Coffee or straight into the beer?'' I asked and got three men called out. "Beer''. Theo was even now seated in front of the television, glued to the warm-up that had just begun.

    After taking the food out of the oven and putting the next lot in, I grabbed four beers and ced them all on a coffee table, a different table, away from all the paperwork, which was on a side table close to my Dad. I then went back into the kitchen, grabbed an esky, filled it with beer and ice, and returned, cing the esky under the table, so anyone could pull it out and grab a beer.

    I sat near Dad on the floor, on the other side of the side table, so I could grab the paperwork if I felt the need to. It was a ce I preferred to sit. I cracked open my beer and took a long swig. I heard the other beers being opened, and soon, the game began. The game started off being a rather close game, and I am not sure who yelled the loudest, but we were all on the same team, and that made it even better when we all growled at the umpire for his stupid calls and praised the coach for not losing it too much. Half- time, I was bringing more beer and food out while the men all talked about the first half of the game.

    The game started, and our cheers were louder as our team seemed to have had the magic elixir and blitzed the field for the rest of the game. The chatter was fun, and seeing my Dad so happy was good. Both dads got along really well, and I hoped we could do this again. The next game was a walkover. The team we cheered for was very good, and soon, Dad had the paperwork out, and discussions about cing on the leaguedder were discussed. I refilled the beers and food, and we changed the type of sports we were to watch. Both dads chose a Lakers basketball game. One of the men was having a ripper of a season, and if he managed to make enough goals today, he would break some records. This interested us both. It was not like they were cheering the team; they wanted to support the man about to break records.

    All too soon, the games were over, and it was time to return home; it was eight o''clock, and both dads needed to leave, as they had work tomorrow.

    ''We have to do this again; it was a great day, my Dad told Hank.

    ''Why not do it each week? This is a good ce to rx in, and Bethany has a great television and surround sound. ''That works for me, and if I am at work, you know the door is always open, and you can get in and help yourself. I will make sure the food is warm in the oven.'' I was so happy, and the day was better than I had hoped. We talked about nothing but sports. It was nice for a change. I did not hear one grumble about their life; the food and beer flowed all day, and Dad was happy to walk home, and I was okay with that. No one was drunk. We somehow managed to keep it all together and enjoy the day.

    ''Perfect. I''ll catch you another time, Bethany. Hank and Dad hugged me and waved as the elevator took them down to the lobby.

    ''Good night, Theo. Thanks for bringing your Dad. I had a great time!''

    ''You are the first woman I have met that is into sports as much as my Dad and I, and your Dad seems to be perfect for my Dad. Being on the same side helped, too. Though I think it would have been interesting if one of us wasn''t and could sit and spout off stats all day to prove why one was better than the other''

    He chuckled, I nodded, and then we returned to our home. I closed the door and started to clean up the lounge room, the television still on the sports channel, as the news of all the day''s events was being talked about by some panel of idiots that think they know all about it, and well, sometimes they are right and other times they are not ording to our opinions that is. But who is to say we are correct or not? The day finished much better than it had started, and it seemed my Dad had someone his own age in this town he could meet up with for sports or just general chin-wagging.

 Chapter 48

    Theo

    POV

    I started my day at the pool, doing longps, as I thought about yesterday and how excited Dad was to meet another enthusiastic sports fan. I had no idea how today was going to go. I hoped that Bethany was a true sports fan or my dad would be very sad. He had

    been building up his expectations all week since I suggested sports day to him.

    Dad arrived at my ce fifteen minutes before the game, hoping the ce we were going would stay pretty close. I had yet to tell him exactly where Bethany lived in our building. Well, I don''t think I did. He was dressed in his team''s shirt and jeans, the same as me, and was carrying the two cases of beer. I had left at his ce. I quickly took the beer.

    ''Hi Son. Are you ready to go? I am missing the pre-game announcements! I moved out of the penthouse, closed the door behind me, and opened Bethany''s door. The smell of food wafted out to greet me, and my mouth started to water at the tasty fragrance. Dad''s shocked face lit up as he entered first and then gave off a loud whistle as he saw the massive screen in the lounge room.

    An older man stood up from the sofa and turned to greet us as Bethany came out of the kitchen, alerted to our arrival by Dad''s whistle. Both were wearing the same team shirts as us. This made me smile. She did look the part of an avid sports fan, and my hopes for the day grew as the introductions were made.

    Bethany returned and brought out beers and warm snacks, then headed back to the kitchen and carried out an esky, which some of my other friends called a cooler. She pushed it under the table and sat on a cushion on the floor on the other side of her father, a small side table between them that held sports magazines and other paperwork that was all sports rted.

    The game started, and it did not take more than the sound of themencement of the game to know this was a group of four who were sports-orientated. We all shouted at the screen when things went wrong, and Bethany showed she knew a few profanities as she called the umpire a few choice words. Bethany got up off the floor when our team scored and did a happy dance, then double-handed high-fived her Dad.

    During the half-time break, the media release about the operation was shown, andter, more of the hype for tomorrow''s big day was shown.

    ''You part of that? Theo?'' My Dad asked, looking at me excitedly.

    ''I might assist if Bethany wants me to. She is the lead tomorrow, as the heart is her creation! Dad''s eyes widened at this, and Bethany''s Dad beamed with pride.

    ''You are a heart doctor, too?'' The shock in Dad''s voice was clear. He was a doctor but not a heart surgeon and understood the intensity of being that sort of surgeon.

    ''She is Dad, and she gets all the children''s clients. You should see her Dad; it is magical to watch her at work.'' I glowed with some unknown pride, too.

    We dropped the conversation when the game restarted, and we all got back into it, shouting and screaming at the screen, Bethany dancing about with joy. By the end of the game, Dad and I were included in the high-fives. Bethany kept the beers flowing and the food on the table.

    Before I knew it, the day was over, and we were watching the basketball game before we left. Basketball was not my thing, but I enjoyed watching the game and thementary that Bethany and her Dad provided to make it more exciting. They were both as into sports as my Dad, and I could see us doing this again sometime.

    ''Hey Bethany, do you think we could do this every Sunday?'' Dad suddenly asked as we were headed to the door. ''Sure, I have my Dading over, and even if work gets in the way, beers and food will be there, and Dad knows how to turn on the television. Anytime you want toe over, you are more than wee. My door is always open.

    ''She means that literally, Dad. I don''t think she has locked that door since she moved in. I said, watching Bethany pack some leftovers for her Dad back with him.

    ''Well, it is hard to get up here if you do not have your name at the reception desk. Bob said as he took the containers from Bethany and kissed her.

    Dad and Bob left in the elevator, and I hugged Bethany.

    ''I had a great time and have not seen my Dad so happy in ages. Our house does not get worked up over a sports game; it is just Dad and me, so to have others scream at the screen was fun!

    ''I agree, my Dad was in his element. It would have been sad if your Dad was not as into sports as you had led on. Dad needed malepany close to his age!

    ''Yeah, my Dad too. Having the girls around may be fine, but a boy''s night is more fun. No offense, but you are one of the boys when you get into your sports the way you do.'' I said sheepishly.

    ''Night. I said and turned to my door, not wanting to leave yet, but Bethany had a big day tomorrow and would need to get her rest.

    ''Toodles. She waved over her head as she entered her home and closed the door.

    Entering my home seemed cold and empty after so much fun at her ce and the smell of all that tasty food she had prepared. She is a good cook, and we all ate our fill.

    I took a shower and climbed into bed, my mind on today and how much fun it was, and how Bethany was a great woman, not concerned about how anyone else felt about how she behaved, and so she shouldn''t. Sports day was to be fun, and I hope we continue with it for years toe. I liked Bob. He seemed a down-to-earth kind of guy and was a caring man. You could tell by the way he treated Bethany with respect.

    Afterpleting my morning routine, I headed to the caf¨¦, where I ordered bacon and eggs. Sipping my coffee as I waited for the food, the smell of strong perfume wafted into my nose as a woman sat at my table.

    ''Morning Sweetheart! She greets me with a sickly, sweet smile.

    ''What do you want Cynthia?'' I almost growled at her, not wanting this woman anywhere near me.

    ''I thought we could get to know each other and maybe have dinner?'' Cynthia was a forward woman. That was for sure. If she thought she could get her ws into me, she was dreaming. I had already heard enough to know what kind of woman she was, and short skits and exposed tops were not the way to attract my attention.

    My food arrived and was ced in front of me.

    ''Can I get a coffee, please?'' she asked the waitress sweetly.

    ''Wait. I called the waitress.

    ''Yes sir?'' she looked confused.

    ''This woman is not with me. She arrived and sat there. I do not wish for her to be at my table. Do you have a person who can walk her out or to another table to drink her coffee?'' I asked, and Cynthia looked shocked before covering it up.

    ''Oh,e on, Sweetheart. Don''t be like that.'' She tried to take my hand, but I pulled back from her.

    ''Miss, you need to leave, please.'' Cynthia got up from the table and looked at me distantly.

    ''This is not over. She walked out of the caf¨¦, the waitress full of apologies, but she was not the one who should be apologizing. I frowned and wondered what that woman would do next. I needed my A-game. She will most likely try other things to get at Bethany since she cannot get a date with me.

    Should I tell Bethany that she hade to me in the shop? Or not? This is tricky; today is too important for Bethany, so I can only say something if I decide to tell her.

 Chapter 49

    Bethany

    POV

    After I cleaned up, I was tired, but a good tired. Today was the best day we have had in ages. Dad was in top form. It''s spouting stuff, and Theo''s Dad could join in on it. What Dad or I did not, Hanke knew. It was great teamwork, and theughs were plentiful. I feltfortable, not at all embarrassed, as I screamed at the screen as if those in the room were doing the same thing. I don''t think we have ever had a day like this one. I look forward to next week when we can do it all over again. They kept me busy with food and drinks, and I only thought of tomorrow once the promotion started. Then, it was a good feeling when Hankplimented me on my achievements, making my Dad puff up in pride. Thepliments meant a lot,ing from a fellow doctor who would have understood what was involved to have reached this far.

    The morning came, and it showed signs of a good day. I woke up in a good mood and not the least bit nervous yet. I took a quick shower and made a toasted sandwich, which I ate as I headed off to work. There was a lot of prep work to do before we wheeled Mr Green into the surgery. I had to meet up with Robson, too. He was umming and ahhing about whether to join us in the theater or watch from outside. The whole process was going to be videoed so we could review itter and see if there was any way to improve what I was about to do. I was happy they were going to do this. I needed to see the video and review it myself, there is always room for improvement, and trying to remember stuff when you are under pressure to perform is only sometimes good. Robson was in his office and smiled when I entered with coffee for both of us. He had the files of today''s operation on the table and was reviewing them.

    ''Mr Green had a good night, he has been prepped, and the drip started half an hour ago. He should be ready in about another hour. Are you ready for this?'' He seemed pumped and ready for this. It is a new step for the hospital and a milestone for heart research. ''The best I can be, what about you? Have you decided if you would like toe and join us?'' I had offered to have Robson scrub in with us.

    ''No, I am going to stay outside and watch. I have four cameras covering you and your team, plus the ones on your and Theo''s heads. This is a big day, not just for you and Mr Green, but for all those suffering from heart disease!

    ''You sound more nervous than I am. I joked, trying to calm Robson down. This was a big step for the hospital, and I understood his worry; he was putting the hospital''s reputation on the line with this operation.

    ''Theo has offered to be your assistant, and Drake will be your anesthesiologist. You have a good team working with you. It will depend on how well Mr Green has recovered from his recent operation. I hope it was not too soon.

    ''He was doing much better than if he had not had the previous surgery. I am confident he is going to pull through this. I was trying to figure out who I was trying to reassure, Robson or me. If I am honest with myself, I was a bag of nerves and worried I would make a mistake we could not return from.

    Together, we went to see Mr Green, who was fast asleep, as he should be. This was what I had nned, for him to sleep as much as possible before the operation. Everything was as I had expected, and I was d he was not giving me anyst-minute surprises. We double-checked the video link and quickly looked at the list of instruments I had asked for, and the blood wanted; everything was ready to go. We just needed Theo and Drake to arrive, and we would go over what I wanted or, should I say, needed, and then it all began.

    ''Morning, Mr Philips. Are you going to watch the operation?'' I was surprised he was there.

    ''No, I am going to sit with the family and get an interview from them on their side of the operation.

    ''I liked your media releases, and they were spot on. Robsonplimented Saun. He nodded his appreciation of thepliment, but you could see he was either nervous or eager for this all to start.

    The team was ready, and I scrubbed up. I had given the heart I was to insert into the patient a good inspection before dropping it into a solution. I was going to keep it until it was ced in the body.

    We stood around the patient and watched as Drake put him under, and the clock started to tick. Time was of the essence, and we could not risk wasting any time on chatter in the beginning. Once I wasfortable with how things were progressing, I could talk to the staff about their weekend.

    Several hourster, my legs were aching. We watched as the new heart started to pump blood through the body. I found no leaks from the arteries and everything seemed to be a go. I let Theo close him up, and I watched the monitor and the drain to make sure no fresh blood was running out. So far, it''s been so good. He was wheeled out an hourter, and we headed to the room the family was waiting in.

    The moment we walked in, Saun stood up with his camera and took pictures of us entering the room and of the family''s faces as they waited for the news.

    ''The operation went well. Mr. Green is stable and in recovery. He will then be ced back in the ICU room. You can see him through the viewing window in about half an hour!'' I said, and left Theo to answer any questions. My brain was through the operation, and if I had done all I could, this behavior was normal for me. I was often harder on myself than any other person could be. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on Jo-bn-ib.co=m. Saun was good, asking questions that the family may not have thought of asking, and I hope the next release he makes is a good one.

    We left after the family talk, and Theo followed me to the changing rooms. I needed to get out of scrubs. It had been a long day, and although it was already time for most to go home, I decided to stay, maybe for the night, just in case I was needed in a hurry. I had already organized a room to sleep in, that is, if I could sleep.

    ''Come on,e to the cafeteria, and let''s eat. I can hear your tummy rumbling from here. Theo joked as we walked out of the changing rooms. My thoughts were not on food, but Theo was right. We had gone all day with no real food, a sip of drink that a nurse served us, and a banana. We could not touch the drink or food, but a nurse would feed us.

    The cafeteria was not busy. Theo grabbed something for both of us, and I sat down and reviewed the notes I was taking on the operation. There were small signs that Mr Green was struggling.

    Theo and I talked as we ate. He had no negatives to say about the operation. He was honored to be part of it and heard that the nurses were fighting to be there, too.

    I had to wait to hear about the video. I asked Robson to make an unedited version avable to me so that I could see it from all the cameras, and he agreed that he would give me ess once it was avable for viewing.

    Theo headed home, and I visited Mr Green. He was now back in his ICU room and was doing better than I had hoped for so soon after the operation. The family had seen him and had left a little while ago. They could not enter this room for a couple of days, but they could see through the window and talk to him.

    Tired, I headed to the room to sleep, with the night staff knowing I was there. If any changes happen during the night, that would be great.

 Chapter 50

    Theo POV

    It was hard to leave the hospital. I wanted to stay and givefort to Bethany. It must be hard for her. This is her baby, so to speak. This is either the beginning of something great or a failure, and it will be back to the drawing board, but if it fails, it will cost a life and doctors. That is not good; we may often look as if we are unfeeling and as hard as stone, but we are far from that. We have to separate ourselves from the pain so the family does not see how it really affects us. Bethany has a kind heart; if this fails, it could cause more than one lost life.

    Dinner was back to being lonely again, and thest thing I wanted was to be alone at the moment. The operation went well, but so manyplications can still arise. I ate my leftovers from yesterday. I was d that Bethany had bagged up some for Dad and me. I did not feel like going out. Part of that was because I feared Cynthia might still lurk around and would corner me again. She left me with a bad taste in my mouth. If I see her again, I might look for a restraining order on her. If she persists, but for the moment, I have only one meeting to go by, but I won''t put up with that sort of behavior. Others might tolerate it, but I know people like her, and the more she can upset you, the more you empower them, and I will not give in to that. If I remember rightly, Bob is a detective. I need to get him to look at his own daughter, or is that a conflict of interest?

    This has to suck for him too. He is such a nice person. It is a pity he has a bad apple in the tree.

    I somehow managed to fall asleep, and when I woke up, it annoyed me that thest person on my mind when I fell asleep was Cynthia and what she was up to next.

    After my regr routine, I headed to work and wondered how things had gonest night. Did Mr Green make it through the night? I enjoyed the walk differently than I did. I was watching out for my stalker, Cynthia, and it pissed me off that she was already causing so much interruption in my life by just one interaction.

    My first stop was Robson''s office. I knocked, entered, handed him a coffee, and waited for him to speak.

    ''He lives,'' was all he said before draining arge part of the coffee. ''Bethany?''

    ''Did not sleep much; she spent most of the night getting up and checking on Mr. Green and then back to bed. I have taken her off any operations today, and she has not slept enough to be able to concentrate enough for my liking!

    ''I agree; this must be weighing on her. I had been worried about how it would affect her.

    ''Yes. The pressure of the heart being a sess is great; a failure is not in her; she is determined to seed.''

    ''Do you know much about her past?'' Robson looked at me spectively.

    ''Why do you ask?''

    ''Cynthia cornered me in the caf¨¦ yesterday and was not happy when I sent her away, saying it was not over!

    ''That girl is not a very nice piece of work. I was surprised to see her doing a presentation. I told her employer I was not impressed and that if we were to ever work together in the future, I would never send that woman again.

    ''If she persists, I will get a restraining order on her, but I am worried about what she might do to discredit Bethany and the hospital in some kind of vendetta."

    ''Yes, she is a woman who would do that. I will get security to keep an eye out for her. She is not wee in this hospital! Robson was not happy, and I don''t me him. That woman is a piece of work.

    ''I have to go and have some rounds to do before surgery. Congrattions that the patient survived the night.'' ''Thanks, he is doing better than I had expected.

    My day I was moved quickly. The operations and ward rounds kept me busy, and it was time to head home before I realized it. I popped over to Bethany''s wing and looked through the window at Mr. Green and was surprised to see he was awake and sitting up. He was alert and smiling. He waved at me through the window, and I waved back, smiling. Robson had given me ess to this area, and the ce was in lockdown from everyone while Bethany was getting the heart ready. She did not want to be disturbed and could not risk germs entering the room where she was creating them, so Robson locked everyone out; now, only her research room, where to make the hearts, was under lockdown.

    Bethany was in herb, looking at some program on herputer.

    ''What is that Bethany?'' I looked over her shoulder and saw a lot of numbers and graphs that made no sense to me.

    ''This is the heart; here is the oxygen rate being pumped through the body; here are the beats it makes per minute and the blood flow. ''Wow, show me that graph again; now I know what I am looking at. Bethany flicked through some graphs and pointed out some things. ''He is doing very well, still early for rejection, but dam, that is a good figure!

    ''Yeah, he should not reject it, as it is not organic, and that is part of why we have had rejections before!

    ''Talk me through this.

    ''When was thest time you heard of a hip recement rejecting the part put in, or pins or staples in a body?'' ''Rarely.''

    ''That is the secret of the heart. This one is early, and I am making better ones as I go along, but it is not organic, so rejection is less likely!

    We talked more about the heart, how it was made, and how it beats.

    ''Are youing home tonight?''

    ''Yeah, I am pleased with Mr. Green''s progression; he might get out of this wing earlier than nned. If he is like this tomorrow, I will let him go to the main ward in your wing. That way, his family cane and visit him and not stare at him through the window. ''Come on, then, save that, and let us get something to eat,'' I said.

    ''Okay!'' She replied absently.

    We went to a French restaurant, and I sat at a table at the back of the room, away from the windows. I sat so I could see the door, still paranoid that Cynthia was lurking around somewhere. The food was okay, not the best I have had, but then my mind was distracted, so maybe that was why it was not as good as I wanted it to be.

    A little rain marred the walk home, but there was nothing we could notugh about as we dodged the puddles that had formed on the ground. I offered her coffee at my ce, but she declined, wanting nothing more than to climb into her bath and have an early night. I did not me her. She had a bad nightst night and must be exhausted.

    Sitting at home watching the news, I saw a story about Mr Green, and so far, the response from the people has been good. One wanted to hear how he was doing and hoped for a good story ending. Saun was doing a great job of covering it and added a nice touch, having both Mr Green''s side and his family''s side of the wait and hopeful finish line. I was pleased that, so far, nothing bad hade out of this.

    Deciding I wanted an early night, I climbed into bed with a good book. I am not sure how long I had been reading, but the sound of a thud on the floor woke me, and I was relieved that my book had fallen. I switched off the light and rolled over, not bothering to pick up the book.

 Chapter 51

    Bethany

    POV

    Mr. Green was doing well enough for me to go home to sleep, and thoughtful Theo, it was nice not to have to think about food, with Theo offering to buy me dinner on the way home. I was hungrier than I realized, and when my stomach was satisfied, I was ready for bed. Theo walked me to my door and did not push to enter or to keep mepany. I must have looked bad for him to leave me at the door so quickly.

    I did not even bother changing and taking a shower. I just fell face-first on the bed and was out for the count in seconds. Sunlight streaming through the window woke me. A quick look at the clock showed that I was rushing to take a shower. It was already eight o''clock. I was running a littlete for work. I had never been thiste before. I had slept like the dead. Not moving from the ce, I fell all night. Druel was on the pillow, and my mouth felt like it had eaten the pillow.

    Soon, I walked out the door, not bothering with coffee or breakfast; I speedily walked all the way to work, darting in and out of pedestrians as they navigated their way to their ce of work or home or wherever they were headed. I hardly noticed the people I passed by, and I needed to focus more on getting there quickly. The only good side to me beingte is that I had not been called in for an emergency, which meant that Mr. Green must have made it through the night.

    I nodded to staff members as I walked into the hospital as quickly as possible and knocked on Robson''s door.

    ''Come in.

    I entered to see Theo and Robson still doing the morning chat. We do this most mornings, and I was relieved that I had not missed it all.

    ''Nice of you to join us, Bethany, running a littlete?'' Robson joked he knew I was neverte, and he now had some ammunition on me. I don''t think I will ever live this down.

    ''Yeah, I forgot to set my rmst night! I tried to defend my beingte, and he chuckled at that excuse as if most people would not tolerate it.

    ''To be honest, I did not expect you in till muchter! Theo said, defending me for some reason.

    ''I need to check on Mr. Green. Once I woke up, there was no way I could stay home; it would gnaw at me until I got there.'' I was being as honest as I could. They had to know I was worried about this. Putting it in a pig is one thing; putting it in a real person is another. ''My Philips has already been visiting Mr. Green to take some new photos; it should be on the news soon. Thatd is doing an amazing job and is somitted to his job. I believe you will be pleased to know that all is well, and I believe the patient can go into a ward in the other wing if you approve. His recovery is amazing! Robson was glowing with his report on Mr. Green, and Theo was nodding his head, too. However, they both must have visited him this morning only through the window. I do not let anyone in there who is not gowned up in protective gear for the patient''s safety.

    ''You have a bed for him, Theo?'' I asked. Of course, he would, but I thought I asked. Mr. Green was his patient first. We chatted for another hour, reviewing some new patients due toe in, a child that Robson wanted me to examine, a candidate for surgery, and a valve problem, which is not unusual for a child born with heart defects. You would be surprised at the volume of children born with holes in their hearts or valve issues.

    We headed to our own sections, with me eager to see how Mr. Green was. To my surprise, he was sitting up and reading a paper, which he should not have been doing yet. But he looked so at peace that I left him to read it. I headed to theputer to see the read- outs of his new heart and how it performed overnight.

    I agree. He could join the other wing, where his family coulde and visit him. He would love that.

    ''Good morning, Mr. Green.

    ''Morning Bethany. He folded his newspaper and ced it down on the bed.

    ''Ready to get out of here?'' I asked, his face lit up.

    ''You serious?'' His surprised face warmed me.

    ''Of course, why? Are you in pain or have problems I do not know about?'' I was suddenly concerned by hisment.

    ''I have less pain than when I had the other operations, and I feel great!''

    ''Then I see no reason to keep you in here. We have a room ready for you. We need to get the orderly toe and transfer you across. Theo will be your main doctor. Now you are out of my hair.'' I joked.

    ''You abandoning me? Doc?'' He was shocked and funny; I was unsure if he was serious.

    ''Theo has been your doctor for many years now. I will stille and see you from time to time. I need to make sure you are doing well and that there are noplications with the new heart!''

    ''I would like you to continue to be my main doctor. I am alive because of you. I trust you. His trust in me touched me. ''Wow, that is nice of you to say. I will ask Theo if he is okay with me taking you on as my patient.

    The orderly came and took Mr. Green to his new room. I watched the monitor to see how his body was coping with being moved, and I was pleased to know that he did not have any spikes and that his move to the new room went smoothly.

    I spent a few hours in myb, checking the newpound and uploading thetest data from Mr. Green''s new heart. Theo caught up with me as I was leaving for the day.

    ''Care to join me for dinner?'' He seemed to be in a great mood.

    ''Sure, can we go to the food hall? I am not sure what I want to eat!

    ''Perfect! We chatted along the way, mostly work-rted, until we stopped to order our food. I decided on a roast beef and trimmings, and Theo hadmb.

    ''I was thinking maybe we could go to my parents'' ce for sports day this Sunday. Dad suggested we talk turns; my Mum can cook for us, and you can bring the beer and rotate each week. What do you think?''

    ''Sounds good to me. I will discuss it with my Dad. See how he feels. I can drive us there, or we can all go together.'' ''Perfect, my car is avable. Or we can use the hospital''s car service, which is part of our contract! ''Actually, the car service sounds like the best option. That way, Dad can drink, and I can rx. You can also have a few drinks!

    ''I will let my Mum and Dad know that you agree. The family is eager to meet you in person. They have seen the media releases and want to meet the famous heart doctor. Theo was joking, but thement made me shiver. I do not like the idea of being famous, but I guess if this groundbreaking surgery andpound works, then I guess I will have my face in the news more often.

    ''Well, hello, don''t you two look cozy?'' A voice I did not wish to hear anytime soon said, and we both turned to look at where the voice wasing from.

    ''Hello, Cynthia. I politely replied, hiding how I felt seeing her there. She was dressed in her standard short skirt and low top. She was heading out to a club. There are way too few clothes for me. I could catch a cold. With how freezing the nights are starting to get, the least she should have is a coat.

    ''Hello, Cynthia.'' Theo also replied with a snarky tone of voice that I did not understand. Had he met up with her since the time we were in the cafe? Dread filled me. Was he going to fall for her innocent face or here-to-bed voice?

    This was why I hated Cynthia meeting men I was interested in; I should have known about Bret and her; she had interfered with every boy I liked throughout school till I went to university.

 Chapter 52

    Theo

    POV

    Work was work. Sometimes, it is hard to put on a happy, friendly face, and today was one of those days. I had non-stop surgery and then follow-ups. It was the follow-ups that got me down. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. Today, I was lucky; I managed to finish at the same time as Bethany. She is my breath of fresh air. Seeing her seemed to lighten my mood and put a smile on my face, making the day seem less tiresome.

    We were having dinner, and the nightmare walked in. Her voice to me was like keys scratching down my expensive car; it hurt my ears and left me seething at the damage it caused. This woman has no shame. I am going to look into personal security for Bethany and myself. To keep her away, they need to be discreet; there is no need to have Bethany worry about how ufortable I am feeling about her sister. Also, a private detective will follow her around. I need some good dirt on her so that I can get a restraining order. ''Are you two dating?'' Cynthia continued, her sickly smile never leaving her face. Luckily, she didn''t try to sit at our table. Maybe she learned her lesson the other day. I looked behind her, trying to see if Bret was with her, but there was no sign of him in the ce. Maybe she was doing this alone.

    ''No, we are not dating. We are just colleagues having dinner and discussing the day. Where is your date? It''s not like you to go out alone.'' Bethany was all too kind. She never raised her voice or showed that Cynthia was annoying her in any way. Her control of her emotions is a credit to her inner strength. Me? I was ready to call security to have her removed.

    ''Bret will be along soon, and we are dating!''

    ''Oh, before I forget, congrattions to you and Bret. When is the happy day?'' Bethany''s words confused me. Happy day! Where are these two getting married? If so, why was she trying to get with me? I was getting mixed signals. ''We are not getting married. What are you talking about?'' Cynthia looked as confused as me.

    ''Mum said you were pregnant. When is the due date?'' That made more sense, though I could not see a baby bump. What Cynthia was wearing left you with little to no imagination, and how tight it was showed that there was no baby bump.

    ''I lost the baby. Even I could tell that was a lie, there was most likely no baby at all, just another knife in the back. ''Sorry to hear that, Bret must be devastated.''

    ''Nope, the timing needed to be corrected. We decided to hold off on children.

    ''So, does that mean the wedding is off too?'' So they were getting married. This roller coaster of confusion about this woman was giving me a headache.

    ''No date yet. Again, the timing is a little off. Maybe I will be ready to settle down in a couple of years! Cynthia seemed not to like being questioned like that. She kept flicking her eyes my way to see how I was reacting.

    ''Well, good luck. I hope you find what you are looking for. Bethany stood up and started to collect her purse. I got the message and stood up, too.

    ''You are leaving? I have only just got here. I have loads to talk about. Cynthia put her hand on my arm, and I quickly brushed it off. Her face dimmed slightly before she ced her fake smile back on her face.

    ''Goodnight, Cynthia. I pushed past her and headed for the door, Bethany trailing behind me, with Cynthia still saying something as she followed us. I had tuned her out.

    Leaving the food hall, I set a brisk walking pace. Bethany was beside me, saying nothing. At first, we could hear Cynthia''s clicking heels on the pavement, but they soon fell back until we could no longer hear her footsteps. I did not think she could keep up with those very high heels. They were made to look good, not to walk fast, and still look graceful. I doubt you could run when wearing them.

    When we reached home, I said goodnight to Bethany. She was quiet, and you could see she was in deep thought. Actually, she looked a mess, but I was not about to point that out to her. With the stress of work and, by the look and sound of it, some family issues

    too.

    At least Sunday was a great day, and her father was fun. I hope we have a day at our ce and then the following at hers. This would make my Dad feel he is contributing more to sports day. He could not help but bring it up the couple of times I have spoken to him since that day.

    The next day, I called a buddy of mine and told him about my problem. He was going to put a security team together for us, and a man to investigate Cynthia. It would take a little while to determine whether I needed a restraining order. He promised the men could not be seen or heard, and asked if that was enough. Were we in some danger? At that point, I could not see why we would be. But I would take advice after his men had a chance to follow us around for a few days, and when he had an opportunity to think what security measures I had now in ce were enough, we could ramp it up a bit. He suggested that he put a tail on Cynthia for a little while, and I was okay with that.

    I noticed Bethany was spending more time with the media representative, Saun. I am unsure if it was jealousy, but every time I saw her sitting with him andughing, I felt like a giant rock sitting heavy on my stomach, and it was not a feeling I was used to. We have not known each other that long, for me to be so attached already. Surely not.

    ''Morning Bethany, I did not see you at the pool. Did youe in early?'' I asked if I had missed Bethany that morning, but the floor was wet, so I knew she had been doing herps.

    ''Yes, I met up with Saun to go over our next step, which is promoting the heart. It has been a week now, and Mr. Green is nearly ready to go home; he has greatly improved. Robson was pushing to get him out, start a life, and see how he copes with daily stuff. We have organized a physio person to see him each day and the usual nursing staff. Have you seen him today?'' ''No, I was about to go over there now. Want toe with me?''

    ''Sure, I can sign the release from my side, and you can sign the discharge side of it when you feel ready. He has a good team to work with him at home, so staying there only makes him act like a caged animal. Now he is starting to move around!''

    Bethany seemed to be in a good mood. She was wearing her heart scrubs, which had been a hit with the staff, who were pressuring Robson to make them our uniform. Bethany was the trendsetter, but it was not just the clothes but the whole happy demeanor that had all the staff wanting to be with her. She could make even the most grouchy patientugh or at least smile.

 Chapter 53

    Bethany

    POV

    After we left Cynthia behind, all I could think about was how she was going to get her ws into my life again and if she could hurt me at all, she wouldn''t let her cash cow out of her clutches if she could help it. Theo managed well under that pressure and handled

    the whole interaction better than I did.

    The night was a lot of tossing and turning. In the end, I headed to the pool and tried to dops till I got tired, but after I had exhausted my body and fell back into bed, my mind refused to shut off. I am usually good at blocking things out, but she had managed to get under my skin for some reason.

    So I did the only thing I could do. I got up and headed off to work. I ate at the all-night food hall, drank extra coffee, and entered myb. Thepound was ready for me to work on. I molded it into my desired shapes and created a nice new heart. I had a monkey to put this heart in to see how well it would work. The poor monkey was in bad shape, and I was surprised it hadsted this long.

    The staff came and went. I had a dummy who worked as my patient before I finished getting the heart ready and making a few changes so I could fine-tune theputerponent of the heart, the part that kept it beating at a regr rate.

    I left the heart beating in the dummy. When I went and grabbed lunch in the cafeteria, Saun came in and sat with me. We talked about Mr. Green and the next step of following up with him. He would visit daily,ter weekly, then monthly, slowly lessening how often he visited, depending on the viewer''s interest in following Mr. Green''s progress, or should we say the heart?

    He was keen on seeing the monkey, and following that progression, if the monkey manages to go a month without either dying or showing signs of rejection, we would start looking at using it on humans. Weughed a little longer, Saun being goodpany. Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with thetest version on J(o)bnib.c(o)m. Don''t miss out, visit it now It''s a pity he would prefer to date Drake than me, but I was okay with that. He had a wicked sense of humor and turned down my offer to join us for our sports day. He loves to watch those sweaty men running around, but he had a date with Drake and would like to see where that would lead.

    ''Katie, can you get Drake in here? I would like you and Drake to assist me. It''s time to put the heart in the monkey! Katie rushed out to get Drake. I double-checked the theater setup before bringing the now-sleeping monkey into the room, and we got to work on imnting the new heart. Four hourster, the monkey was in recovery.

    I did not stay up all night this time. I had the nurses monitor him and the junior doctor. He was pleased to get the night shift and the extra overtime hours. Robson said tomorrow, we should, as a team, review the operation on the monkey and see if there is anything that can be improved and how the monkey was responding to the new heart. Yeah, it was videoed. I am getting better at epting how I am being videotaped. It was hard to put it out of my mind at first, but now I hardly even acknowledge that I am being recorded, talking into the mic, exining what I was doing and what I was expecting. Robson said it was good. He intended to use it as a training video and, after a bit of editing to reduce the film length, would use it in some of the sses. It was an honor that my operations would be used for training without the monkey''s permission. Robsonughed when I said that, and in my attempt to be funny, I must have been getting tired.

    I spent that night alone, watching the video of the monkey operation, taking extra note of the heart and any changes that urred during the operation. As it had in the simtor dummy, everything went the same way. I fell asleep on the floor in front of the television, with the operation on pause as a ce I had wanted to look closely, but I fell asleep.

    The following day, I grabbed the video and headed back to work. I knocked at Robson''s office and waited. ''Enter'' it was early, only seven o''clock, and it did not surprise me that Robson was already there in his office.

    I pushed the door open and handed Robson a coffee, a muffin, and the video.

    ''Thank you. Have you been able to see your patient yet?''

    ''No, I came here first. I thought you might like to join me.'' ''Certainly, anything on the video?''

    ''All went well, no surprises that I could find. I was seated in his office, about half an hour into our talk about the operation and expectations, when a knock came, and in walked Theo. It seemed he was an early bird today, too. He, too, carried coffee and muffins. I am going to gain a lot of weight with all these morning muffins.

    ''We were about to go check on the patient. Would you care to join us?'' Robson asked Theo before he managed to getfortable.

    ''Sure, I have nothing new to discuss. I am interested to see how he fared overnight.

    Theo ced his hand on my lower back as I walked out of the office and kept it there all the way to my wing and the waiting monkey. We had kept it sedated with the hope that it would make for a quicker recovery. I was still experimenting with the best treatment post-operation. Some patients slept and were groggy for days, while others bounced back quickly. For the safety of the monkey, we kept him sleeping. I did not wish for him to be jumping around too soon; he just had major surgery, and animals don''t understand how to lie down and rest.

    Katie left some excellent notes on how our patient went through the night. Overall, it was very promising.

    ''I am happy with this progress. How many can you churn out in a week?'' Robson asked, already seeing this as a sess, to start making more.

    ''Six. the number may not sound like many, but that was arge number of hearts to make and test before putting them on a person, and I needed to make different sizes.

    ''Perfect. Theo, you have a few clients who wish to get a new heart and have signed waivers, you might want to start checking on them and get them to make pre-operative changes in medication and lifestyle so they are giving themselves the best chance of survival. ''On it. I will call a few for a check-up and talk to them then.

    Robson returned to his office while Theo stayed for a bit longer.

    ''Have you had a chance to talk to your Dad about next Sunday?''

    ''No, not yet. I was going to meet up with him tonight and have dinner with him.

    ''Can you let me know, so I can let Mum know?''

    ''I can cook some pies and stuff and take it over. Less pressure on your mother then!

    ''Nope, you bring the drinks, it''s our turn.

    ''Okay, I will talk to Dad tonight and tell you tomorrow. Theo left and started his ward rounds. He did not have any surgery today. It was check-up day. He keeps reviewing patients and anyone who has had an issue two days a week and wants to speak with him.

    I am lucky and have nothing to worry about, not yet, anyway. I had nned on seeing Mr. Green on my way home to see how he is coping at home and how he is doing his exercises. I am told he has an indoor pool, which would be perfect for him to walkps as he gets stronger.

 Chapter 54

    Theo

    POV

    I was sitting at home wondering what to do with myself. Bethany was spending this evening with her Dad, and I was half listening for the elevator, hoping to hear her return and find out if we were having the sports day'' at my parent''s ce. I was eager for Bethany to meet my parents and three sisters. I think she will get along with them, even though my sisters are not into sports like Bethany. That would not stop them from wanting to get to know her better.

    Being bored and not thatte, I drove over to my parent''s home to see how things were. Mum was having some issues with a woman who had been beaten up and getting the woman to get treatment. Dad had said he would look at her, but the woman refused a man to see her. I wanted to see what Mum thought of me asking Bethany to take a look at her. That is if Bethany got involved. I know she has a kind heart, but seeing battered and bruised women can be difficult. You want to go out there and give the person who hurt them a taste of their own medicine. But we cannot get involved like that, treatment only. That woman has choices, and only she can make them, no matter how hard you wish to force them to see things from your point of view. You can''t take away their choice. ''Hi, Son, did you bring Bethany with you? Or her Dad, Bob?'' He looked past me to look out the door, and his disappointment made me chuckle.

    ''Thanks, Dad. It''s so nice to know you''re d to see me, too. I gave him a hurt look, and I was pulled into a hug. ''Always d to see you, son, you know that!

    ''Bethany is having dinner with Bob tonight. Thought I''de over here and grab some of Mum''s cooking if there are any leftovers.'' I said as I followed Dad back to the lounge room.

    ''We have not eaten yet. I am sure your mother can add an extra te for you.'' So I detoured to the kitchen, where fried chicken and mash were being dished up as I walked in.

    ''Are you staying for dinner, son?'' Mum asked as I walked in. I headed over to her, kissed her on the cheek, and dipped my finger into the mash, scooping out arge dollop and putting it in my mouth. I gained a soft clip on my backside as I tried to move away. ''I take that as a yes; grab another te out of the cupboard, will you?'' Mum continued to ce the food on the table and called out dinner was ready.

    ''Son, are Bethany and Bobing over Sunday?'' Dad asked as he took a bite of chicken and chewed. He looked at me expectantly.

    ''She is with him now. I will let you know when I know. I grumbled back, not liking the pressure they put on Bethany and Bob toe over here just so the rest of the family could approve. Dad had been bragging about how much he had enjoyed the day with them and how much knowledge Bethany had about sports, rubbing it in that girls can enjoy sports too if they choose to, and not the excuses my sisters had been giving were good enough anymore.

    ''Give her a call in case she forgets to ask?'' Mum suggested. Bethany would not likely forget, but this family is already excited about having them over.

    Knowing I was not going to get any peace until I called her, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

    ''Hello?'' Bethany answered softly. You could hear the sports channel in the background. It must be the prelim chats about the weekend games and the form of yers, who is on the bench, etc.

    ''Hi Bethany, I am here at my parents'' home, and they are asking if you and Bob areing over on Sunday!

    ''Um, hang on. I will put you on speaker, and you can ask yourself. I heard her say something to her Dad and a grumble of annoying interruption, which made me smile.

    ''Hello.'' I heard Bob call out.

    ''Bob, it is Hank. I don''t know if Bethany mentioned it, but we are looking at doing a turnaround on Sundays, one day here, and the following week at Bethany''s. What do you say? Want toe here next Sunday, meet my family, and then enjoy the game?'' ''Will we get to watch the game or have to socialize?'' I think Bob was worried he would miss the games and ruin his Sunday trying to be polite instead of screaming at the screen.

    ''Don''t worry. They know my Sunday is sports day, so you most likely meet them, and they will disappear for the day!'' ''Okay, I will give you a shot, but you have seen how much we are into our sports. If you wish for a social day, pick a different one, like a Saturday afternoon, because my Sundays are all about the game.''

    ''You and me both, buddy, catch you around ten, and we can get the introductions done and over with before settling down in the den!

    After a bit more chatting between Bob and Dad, I hung up to an excited Mum.

    ''The den? Are you going to take them down there?'' Mum squealed. Dad had been using the loungetely to watch sports. I think he had stayed in the lounge to be close by, as my sister had gone through a heartbreak, and he wanted to hear what was going on while pretending to watch sports. He can be sneaky like that when he wants to be.

    ''Yep,. I have finished setting up that new screen, and am ready to move back down there. Dad had renovated the basement and put it into his den. It is full of sports paraphernalia. Bob and Bethany are going to like the room.

    ''Mum, what about having Bethany take a look at Sonya?'' I thought if they were careful.

    ''Do you think Bethany would do that? Sonya just might let a woman doctor see her.'' Mum looked hopeful.

    ''I am sure Bethany would look her over. Could you maybe get her here on Sunday so Bethany can check her out before the game starts?'' I am sure I can convince Bethany to look at her. The timing might be hard before the game, and it could be tricky. ''Yes, I will ask Bethany, give her the heads-up, and let her know of the possibility of Sonya being there. Dad, do you still keep your medical stuff here for Bethany to use?''

    ''Of course, always have the bag in hand. Dad had his own mini-surgery in the back room, but it was not for public use, and he would not let Bethany use it. That would be a breach, and he would not risk it.

    ''Is Bethany the one?'' Mum asked, and I am d it was just the three of us home. My sisters were all out.

    ''Mum, at the moment, we are just friends and colleagues. We have not headed to a more romantic rtionship, and at the moment, I am more than happy to keep it that way. I replied, already seeing wedding bells in my mother''s eyes, and she had yet to meet Bethany.

    ''It is time you were over that heartbreak, son. Mum pushes harder.

    ''I am over it, Mum. I am working on getting to know Bethany better, but I am not in a rush. She has just gotten over a bad rtionship, and I doubt she wants to jump straight into another one so soon! I replied, and it is true. She had only just gotten a divorce, even though the rtionship had been over for a while if what I was hearing was true. However, that does not make the recent separation hurt any less. ''Tell me about it. Mother pushed, thinking she was going to get answers from me.

    ''Nope, it''s not my story to tell. You can wait and ask her yourself! I knew Mother would not want to do that on day one. Maybe after a few more visits, she would dig into Bethany''s past. Good luck on that one, Bethany. Mum is worse than a dog with a bone.

 Chapter 55

    Bethany

    POV

    Drake and Saun were at the restaurant I had stopped at to buy takeaway dinner for Dad and me. They were chatting andughing happily. While I waited for the food to be prepared, I headed over to them.

    ''Hey guys, how is your night going so far tonight? It is good to see you out and about,'' I said with conviction. Seeing them here together made me feel so good inside that they were no longer hiding who they were. I do not know how many know they are together, and I really did not care. They were a cute couple, and I was going to enjoy watching their love bloom.

    ''Hi Bethany, do you want to join us?'' Saun offered with a cute smile. He was genuinely happy to see me, and could see Drake was a little shocked he had offered me to join them. He was not unhappy about the offer; he was just surprised a little. ''Nah, I am here to get some takeaway, having dinner with my Dad. I just had toe over and say hi! smiled at them.

    ''Can we catch up tomorrow? I have some new ideas for promoting the heart. I want to include the monkey operation and how that is going!

    ''Sure,e to myb in the morning; I will be there most of the day. My name was called, and I answered Saun. ''Sounds good. I can be there at around ten.''

    ''Catch you then. Have a good night! I left them to have their night together. I had a huge smile on my face as I walked the rest of the way to Dad''s ce, thinking how good they looked together and hoping they would be an official couple. Even though I have had a bad hand so far in my love life, when I think about it, all the signs were there, and our love had slowly faded away, as Bret spent less and less time with me and stopped being intimate with me long before I found out why. I still believe in love and togetherness and love to see couples in love. I hope Saun and Drake''s love grows into something beautiful.

    ''Hi, Dad. I called out as I let myself into his apartment and headed over to the kitchen. Dad and I would eat in the lounge in front of the television. Tonight, recaps of the weekend sports were on, and Dad loved finding out who was out due to injury and who was back.

    ''In here, I have everything set up.'' He called back, and I changed direction and headed over to the lounge. Dad had tes, napkins, and coffee on the table; all he needed was food. I ced the takeaway boxes on the space on the table and leaned over to give my Dad a hug and kiss.

    We ate and talked about our days so far, how well Dad was now enjoying life again, and in a job that was rewarding and using his skills as a detective, he was adjusting to the changes in his life and wished he had taken the step, years ago, instead of staying in a dead marriage because of us kids, he was also feeling a little guilty for not speaking up when he thought something was not right but the rtionship between Cynthia and Bret, hindsight is a wonderful thing, letting guilt flood you were not. ''Come on, Dad, you know as well as I do that carrying guilt or ming yourself helps no one. I tried to convince him there was nothing he could have said or done that would have changed a thing. They may have just hidden it better in the future, and I could still be stuck.

    ''Yeah, Yeah, I hear you, and it will take me a little time to put it behind me. We agreed to drop the subject, and then my phone rang. It was Theo. When the call ended, Dad burst outughing and took a while to calm back down. I cleared the rubbish and tes while he made more coffee, breaking out into little chuckles as he did.

    ''I like Hank, he is a good man.'' Dad said, suddenly breaking the silence that had developed. It was a good silence, and we never felt the need to fill it with idol chatter.

    ''Youe to my ce, and we can all go together. I will grab a couple of cases of beer!

    ''Nope, beer is my task. You can make some of the pies, and I don''t care if it upsets them; I need to have at least two of the pies, or it is not sports day. Dad argued, and I was okay with that.

    ''How about I make extra, and you can put some in your freezer for when you need a pie fix. I patted Dad on the shoulder as I sat back down and looked at the screen.

    About an hour had gone by, and a thought urred to me.

    ''Dad, how do you feel about this wedding stuff that the detective was talking about, and that he said Mum was involved too? Did you have any idea? Or is this all new to you, too?'' Something about this wedding stuff was grating on me, and I could not put my finger on what was annoying me the most about it all, or was it something about my sister that made me feel something was odd?

    ''Your mother used to go on holidays with her girlfriends all the time, and I never had a clue that she was ying the same game as Cynthia''

    ''Never?'' I was shocked. Would I have gone through years of never knowing?

    ''Something else I need to share with you, and I am not sure how you feel about this! Dad started cautiously, and whatever he was about to divulge had hurt him. I nodded for him to continue.

    ''When I heard about your mother having done the same, I had some DNA done; Sorry, Bethany, but I had to know. The results came back today. He looked sad, and my gut hit the floor. Was he going to say he was not my Dad? I could not handle that.

    ''You have my looks, hair, and eyes, but your sister does not. She may have her mother''s hair and eyes, but she does not have the sameplexion or facial shape as either of us. I had in the past looked into our family, trying to find who she looked like, as she was so different. Beautiful, yes, but different!

    ''Dad, tell me, am I your daughter? If it proves I am not, you are still my Dad, and I don''t care if the DNA says otherwise.'' I was almost in tears, thinking I could lose my Dad in all of this.

    ''Oh, Darling, I did not mean to upset you. You are my daughter. However, your sister is not. You may have shared the womb, but ording to the doctor who reported the DNA results, he said you are Heteropaternal superfecundation twins. So you are my daughter, but Cynthia is not. Tears are running down my cheeks now. At least Dad is still my Dad. Being a doctor, I knew what the DNA was saying: that Mother had an affair with another man during the same menstrual cycle as she had been with my Dad and somehow ended up having two eggs fertilized, which became twins. Two different Dads are not unheard of, which exins why Cynthia does not have a face like any of us. It also meant that while she had those marriages with another man, she had been with them, too. That had to hurt Dad; he may deny it, but it had to hurt.

    ''How do you feel about that, Dad?'' I was here for my Dad, regardless of the results.

    ''At first, I was shocked, but once I had time to think about it, I was surprisingly okay with it; I was not responsible for her. Her behavior is all because of her mother, who is the only person who would know who her birth father is. I am relieved, too. I had always wondered why, no matter how hard I tried, I could not bond with her like I did with you. It was as if I knew inside she was not mine.

    ''I am d you are my Dad! Thementator on the television started to talk about our team, so I lowered my head onto Dad''s shoulder; he put his arm around me and pulled me close, kissing my head, and together, we watched the telecast. I am happy my Dad is all mine, and I don''t have to share him with that spawn of mine called a sister. I may have shared the womb with her, but that is only because my Dad needed me, and I had to survive just for him.

    I wondered when Mum started to teach Cynthia about having all those weddings. I do hope all this is put behind us soon.

 Chapter 56

    Third-Person POV

    Cynthia, Wendy, and four other women met at a restaurant. These women were called the married group. They came up with that idea when they thought about naming their little group. They thought it was a fitting name, and they have collectively been married over one hundred times. The group used to be just the olderdies, and Cynthia was the only daughter who had been included in the group. The rest are all older women, and Cynthia felt special to have been included in this group until today. ''Cynthia, you are the cause of our group starting to fall apart. What do you have to say for yourself?'' one of the angry women growled out at her. They med her for losing Bethany, a lucrative ie for them, and Wendy lost Bob too. If she had not been greedy, they could have reaped the rewards for years toe. Now, they are going to have to stop for a while and hope to wait for the heat to die down. They did not know how much damage being caught like that would cause, plus they had to cancel the holidays that they had nned till things settled back down, which could take a long time.

    ''How was I to know she was home? She was supposed to be at work; everything seemed fine; I had no idea until after the weekend that anything was amiss!''

    ''No, it was not fine at home, and pushing Bret to start the holiday a day early was stupid; you went against the rules; we never ever push for more! Another woman growled at her.

    ''What about Bret? How is he taking this? We have used him several times for pretend weddings now. Does he suspect anything?''

    ''No, he does not suspect a thing. He thought it was all fun, ying with his wife like a fool. He loves me, always has, and if he did suspect, he would do nothing about it, as he still wants me to be his wife, for real this time! Cynthia gloated, and Wendy nodded in agreement. Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with thetest version on Jo b nib.c om. Don''t miss out, visit it nowBret was besotted with Cynthia. She had him where she wanted him.

    ''It was a shame you did not get that media promotional job at the heart of the research hospital. That would have been a good disguise for us, a new area to source out. What happened?''

    ''Bethany happened. She was the lead person in researchbs and was the one to decide who got the contract. Even Bret missed out. Cynthia whined.

    ''It has been good over the years, having you both vying for the same contract, it was a win-win. It is a shame both of you missed out. Bethany is bing a liability, a huge thorn in our sides, and no longer the pliant wife she used to be. Let''s see if our contact can remove her. It has been a few years since we needed his help. A small car ident might be all we need.

    ''She rarely drives.'' Cynthiained.

    ''Don''t worry; we will think of something suitable. She needs to be taken out of action for a while,'' one old crone said.

    ''Or permeate.'' added another.

    ''With that settled. Ladies, what do we do now? Do we make the holiday on a cruise ship and not involve any men, shake off any questions our husbands have?''

    ''Yes, let''s go on a cruise. I am ready to move on,'' Wendy said, and Cynthia agreed.

    ''Time to vote? Only one hand did not get raised.

    ''Daffeny?''

    ''I get seasick, and I will pass on this one!

    ''Okay, girl, you take a rest. It might be a good omen, time for us to be separated for a little while, meet only in public ces and look like a book club or something like that!''

    ''As long as the police are not suspecting anything, how did you end up having to give back that jewelry, Cynthia?''

    ''Herwyer, when she went for the divorce, asked for it all back, as it was purchased on her credit cards, and she had the right to have it all back. Cynthia was bitter that she had to give all that jewelry back.

    ''Never mind, we should be fine. What could the police find anyway? Just a group ofdies having some fun with pretend weddings, creating a dreame true! Onedy crowed with delight, thinking they had not left any trails behind them. Most used false names when getting married. Only Cynthia and her wedding with Bret were not there, and that concerned onedy. She did not want to be caught. She loved getting married all the time. It was still not clear how Cynthia could get married using his and her real name, and it did not pop up as Bret was already married, and it was beyond them to work that out.

    They decided that no harm had been made, and it was a shame that they had lost Bob and Bethany, but they would find another rich man for Wendy and a wealthy married man for Cynthia to snatch up. The group would lie low as they hunted for new prey and enjoy what they had umted over the years while they waited.

    A loud knock woke Bret from his sleep. He had stayed in a motel for the night and had yet to return to Cynthia''s ce. ''OPEN UP, POLICE! Bret rushed to open the door, and armed police pushed their way in.

    ''What is going on?'' Bret was still half asleep, and his brain was still a little fuzzy.

    ''We are taking you to the police station for questioning, one of the more prominent men said as he looked around the room, searching for something, but Bret could not think of what.

    Bret was handcuffed, his personal things were put into his suitcase, and they were removed from the motel, and he was pushed into the waiting police car. He tried to ask what was going on, but none of the police were talking. Once at the station, he was taken to a room and told to sit.

    ''Read his rights before we start. Once that was done, Bret, who had yet to ask for awyer, looked at the men in confusion. His mind went in rewind, trying to think about what he had done recently that would attract the police''s attention.

    Mr Morrison, do you know a ''Cynthia Peterson''?'' the older man asked him with a stern face. He was a man who had seen a hard life, and it showed on his face.

    ''Yes, she is my sister-inw. What is this about?''

    ''What about Bethany Peterson?''

    ''My ex-wife, we recently divorced.

    ''Was it you or her that organized the divorce?'' ''She did.''

    ''Why did she divorce you?''

    ''She caught me cheating with her sister Cynthia.

    ''ording to our investigation, you were married to Cynthia first and did not get a divorce before you married Bethany. ''What, no, not possible.'' Bret argued back.

    ''During one of your college school breaks, you went to Vegas with Cynthia and married her. We have no records of you divorcing her, so your marriage to Bethany was bigamy. You are still technically married to Cynthia!

    ''That was a pretend marriage, not real. It was for fun; we were both drunk, and it happened in one of those little chapels they have there!

    ''ording to our records, it was as real as you are sitting here now, being charged with bigamy!

    Bret put his head in his hands and took a deep sigh. All along, he had the woman he wanted and did not know it. He had wasted all those years being with Bethany. When he should have been with his real wife, he did not think of poor Bethany''s opinion on all of this, just that if he had realized all those years ago, he would never be going through all this pain now. Lifting his head, he looked at the police officers and panicked.

    ''What is happening now?''

    ''We are chasing a bigger fish than your bigamy. If you co-operate with us, we can speak with the judge and see if he can reduce your sentence. ''What do you need?''

    The police started to inform Bret of what Cynthia and her mother had been doing and the small club they were in. They just needed a few more pieces of the puzzle toe together to pull in the whole ring. Bret confirmed times and dates and how he had married Cynthia on more asions than Bethany had spoken about. They did not give all the information, just enough to have him realize he was in a pickle and jail time was going to happen, but with his co-operation, maybe less time would be served.

    He was about to lose his true wife. After only finding out she was his, he tried to contact Bethany to see if he could get back together, but only half-heartedly. He did not get around to phoning her again when she did not answer her phone. It was Cynthia''s idea, pushing him to get back with her, that he was even trying to, but now he saw why Cynthia had pushed. It was all to do with money. He had given her a lot of money over the years, and for what? He had nothing to show for all that he had done for Cynthia, and now he was realizing she never really loved him and was using him for what she could get from Bethany.

    Now, ording to the police, Cynthia was in more profound than just what she had been getting him to do, and it made him sick. How many men had she married? Besides me? Bret was feeling rather ill as more and more information came forward. By the end of the meeting, he wanted nothing more than to divorce Cynthia and get as far away from her as possible, and what he had done to Bethany was now sinking in. It was all to hurt that woman, who had never hurt a fly. ''How had Cynthia married so many other men?'' ''She had been using a false name when marrying others, and the gs were never raised. It was never raised with you marrying Bethany because the officiant wrote the wrong date of birth for you. That only came to light in the divorce application. The man stared at Bret for a while, letting it all sink in.

    ''We can help you with your divorce and bigamy charges if you can do thosest few things for us. Remember one word to them, informing them we are on to them, and you will spend a long time in jail!

    Bret was allowed to leave on bail, and he was not a happy man. He wondered how he had gotten into such a big mess. Should he tell Bethany they were never really married? Or will the police inform her?

 Chapter 57

    Theo

    POV

    I took Margaret with me shopping for food for tomorrow''s sports day. Mother is at home cooking up a storm, and we are getting cheeses and cold cuts. You would think we were getting ready for a party instead of a day of sports. I hope the rest of my family is not

    going to try to get in our faces while we are trying to enjoy the sports.

    Dad had not put a lock on the door of the den door. Should he put a lock there? This is our day of rxing and forgetting the stresses of the world out there. The women go shopping and have a club night out. This is our day, and if they are going to make it into a party, Bethany and Bob will not wish toe here ever again. I have high hopes for tomorrow, and I am already worried about how the rest of the family is going to mess this up.

    In the gourmet shop, where we could get an excellent supply of assorted cheeses, olives, and other goodies, I saw Bethany. She was with Saun and Drake. They wereughing over something that Bethany was purchasing. I was green with envy and jealousy at seeing her have fun with them. I know Drake would not be after her as a girlfriend, but Saun?

    I watched them for a while, waiting for my turn to be served. My sister chatted with me, not knowing my attention was elsewhere and not listening to her fully. Margaret had seen me looking over towards Bethany but must have thought I was looking at the man serving her, who was also flirting openly.

    She nudged my shoulder, gaining my attention. I was distracted by how happy she seemed to be.

    ''Don''t worry, there is more than one server here, and it is busy! Margaret must have thought I was in a hurry.

    Bethany''s eyes found mine, and she smiled at me before the server pulled her attention away from me and back to him. ''Can I help you, sir?'' A server had reached us atst.

    Margaret ordered the food and got things I would not have considered, but at that moment, I did not care if she purchased the whole shop; my day was ruined already. By the time I looked back toward Bethany, she was gone. My stomach felt like a rock was sitting in it, and no matter what Margaret tried to say or do, I was in my funk and could not seem to pull myself out of feeling sorry for myself and wondering if Bethany was moving on with Saun, as she had been spending a lot of time with him.

    Margaret and I continued shopping, but my heart was no longer in it. I grabbed a few extra cases of beer. Now Dad had the den. We could store more down there. He brought a new fridge just for the beer and ice. The bar he made was beautiful, all made of dark wood, and the shelves were stocked up with assorted spirits, though Dad rarely drank anything but beers now. He still purchases them for guests.

    The huge television was topensate for therge one Bethany had. He was impressed with it and promptly went out and looked atrge screens, taking along the measurements of the wall area he was going to ce. I have to admit Dad has done a great job with the room. Dad had a friende over and set up the surround sound. If we party down here, the whole neighborhood will hear the music; it can be turned up so loud that it will make the windows next door vibrate.

    When we made it home, Margaret was still in fine form. She told Mum about the food we had purchased and that she wanted to make some cheese sticks and a few other items. The amount of food they were preparing was more than the four of us would eat in the den, so I felt something else was brewing.

    ''Why so much food?'' I asked, not able to avoid it any longer.

    ''I have some girlfriendsing over, and Mum has a fewdiesing over, too. Don''t worry; we won''t go down to the den; it is all yours. But we do not want to go out tomorrow, so we have asked our friends toe here.'' I was fuming. It was the first time I had asked a woman to my home in years, and they had done this. I so wanted to make a good impression.

    With my arms full, I took the beer down to the den. I needed to make three trips. I had overdone the beer, but it did not go off, and I was sure we would drink it all in time.

    ''Dad, did you know they had invited all their friends over tomorrow?'' I was grumpy and did not know how to fix this.

    ''I have told them if they interrupt my sports day, there will be hell to pay.'' Dad growled back, not at all happy with it either. ''Why did they do it, Dad?'' I was confused; it was the one day and the first time I had asked them to be on their best behavior, and they did this to me.

    ''Because you have a girling over, and they wanted to meet her, I think they expect her to join them, but they are going to be shocked when they find out that she is more one of the boys than many of theds I know, her knowledge of the sports out does mine in some areas.'' Dad said with pride I had not heard in a long time when talking about someone else, not a family member.

    ''Do we need to put a lock on the door?'' Dad looked up at the door as if he was contemting the suggestion.

    ''Will see how tomorrow goes. Before we do that, they are in for a week of hurt if they spoil this day for me. I have been looking forward to seeing Bob again all week. I will not tolerate those upstairs trying to take over my one day a week.

    We finished setting up the den for tomorrow and headed upstairs for dinner. The girls were talking about tomorrow, and even Sam would being over. It seemed we were going to have a house full, and Dad looked as mad about it as I was. ''Don''t you take any to my den, do you hear me?'' Dad growled out at no one in particr at the table.

    ''Don''t worry, Dad, we are going to do our hair and nails and other girly stuff! Mum replied, way too happy.

    ''What about Sam? He had his nails done, too?'' I asked snarkily, and I was more than pissed off.

    ''Nope, he is going to be in the den with you and Dad. What? Surely, they jest.

    ''Like hell he is. He has no love for sports. Do NOT, I repeat, do not try me, I will not have him spoil my day.'' Dad''s face was red; everyone knew that was not a good sign.

    ''He is not that bad, Dad! Grumbled Felicity, defending her man.

    ''Yes, he is.'' We both say at the same time.

    ''What about Bethany? Is she going to be with us and get her nails done or be one of the boys?'' Mum asked, trying to find a way of changing the subject.

    ''You will see, and don''te crying to me when you find out how silly you guys are being. We have invited Bob and his daughter for a sports day, and you are trying to change it into something more.

    The rest of the evening was the same: I was grumpy, and the girls were trying to tell me that they would take Bethany with them, as no girl should have to put up with a day of sports. They are in for a rude awakening tomorrow. I headed home around ten that night, having had enough of my family. I needed to get out of there before I said or did something I would regretter.

 Chapter 58

    Bethany POV

    I stayed the night with my Dad. It was a great night. We talked till nearly midnight about Mum and Cynthia and life in general. He told me he had suspected Bret and Cynthia but never had proof, so he kept quiet and now regrets not at least getting a PI to follow them around when they went abroad. I kept telling my Dad that he could not keep feeling guilty over the past, and it took a lot of convincing for him to ept that I did not hold any grudges and that what had happened was over with, and we needed to move on forward. I hope that Dad does not be jaded over it and that he will give up on all women. They are not all bad, just a few that are never happy no matter what they get; they will always want more, and a few men I know are like that too, so we cannot judge them all by the bad few.

    ''Morning, Dad.'' I said as he crawled out of bed. I had stayed on the couch; a spare bed had yet to be purchased, and I suggested not bothering. I was more than happy to sleep on the couch. He grumbled for a while but caved in, saying that once he was more settled, he would continue to set up the apartment. However, I think he should buy a bed for one spare room and make the other his office. I was hoping he would have workmates over at some point, and fingers crossed, he might find another woman to keep him warm at night. He was still young enough to have needs, even if Mother did not fulfill them often enough.

    ''That smells good, he said as he started to set the table for bacon and eggs. We had a couple of hours before we needed to leave. I had told Theo that we would make our own way over there. I wanted to spend more time with my Dad before I had to share him with the others. My mobile rang as we started to eat.

    ''Hello?''

    ''Bethany, it is Detective Marshall. I''d like to see you for a few moments.

    ''I am at my Dad''s ce at the moment. Could youe there? We have a couple of hours before we are heading out. ''Perfectly, see you in ten minutes. Dad and I looked at each other, neither saying a word; it was not worth specting about. With Dad being a detective, I was d he was there to listen to what the man had to say.

    The knock on the door was right on time. We had finished eating and were cleaning up the kitchen when the knock sounded.

    ''Come.'' I heard Dad say as I put thest of the dishes in the dishwasher.

    ''Morning, the pot is still hot. Would you care for a coffee?'' I offered when the man came into view.

    ''Thank you for the offer, but I have a lot on my te today, and I wanted to give you a quick update before moving on to my next task of the day.

    ''Come to the lounge room. Dad guided the man to the other room, and I followed behind them.

    ''First, I wish to inform you that I have arrested Bret for bigamy and released him on bail, pending further investigation.'' ''What type of investigation?'' Dad interrupted.

    ''As you know, Bob, we are looking into a ring of women that are falsely marrying men and extorting money out of them. We are still working on a few loose ends. Bret is on bail and will be aiding our inquiries, and depending on how he assists us, whether we will put in a good word for his bigamy! He looked at me with sad eyes and I wondered what was about toe.

    ''You know I will help in any way I can. Dad offered, and I knew he had already given the police a lot of good information.

    ''Bethany, I am sorry to tell you this, but your marriage to Bret was bigamy. Bret was already married to Cynthia when he married you!

    ''What!?'' Dad growled out in shock. I was too stunned to say anything at that moment.

    ''They got married in Vegas while still in college.

    ''I remember that trip. I had exams and could not join them on the trip. I wondered why they suddenly started acting weird around me! ''Are you okay, Bethany?'' Dad asked, rubbing circles on my back.

    ''Yes, Dad, I told you I am over the whole thing, and I mean it, though it is a shock. Bret had pulled away from our marriage a long time before I caught them in the act, and I think I was relieved in the end that I caught them and could put the marriage behind me. I had been ming myself for so long, and it was not anything I had done. I am ready to find a man who deserves me. But Detective, why was it not gged before we were married? It should have shown he was already married!

    ''Bret''s date of birth was incorrect on your marriage certificate and no one picked it up, so you are not ountable in any way. However, Bret knew he had married Cynthia and tried to say it was a fake marriage, and many who marry in Vegas think the same, but it was a real marriage, just like any other wedding celebrant. Each of those ces in Vegas is real, and the judge won''t ept ignorance. Your divorce will be wiped clean as you were not legally married, and any mark against your name will be cleared. The detective chatted a bit longer before leaving for his next job. Dad held me tight, and I sobbed for a little while. I do not know why I was crying. Maybe it was because of the years wasted on a fake marriage, or maybe it was a relief that I could be really free. I am no longer considered a divorced woman, so I should be happy, not in tears.

    We left for Hank''s ce. I took some of my pies with me, and Dad was more than pleased. He loved those little mixed pies I made. We talked all the way to his home and pulled up in the driveway, seeing many cars parked outside. I wondered if they were all here for sports day. That would be cool. Dad loves a crowd behind the team, cheering them on.

    Dad knocked on the door, and we waited. A woman I had seen Theo with a couple of times answered the door, and my stomach dropped. Why would he have his girlfriend here? Was she also into sports? Was she going to be in the room with us and all over him? ''Hi, you must be Bethany and Bob. Come on in. We followed the woman to the kitchen, where another of the women I had seen Theo with was there with an older, kind-looking woman.

    Theo came rushing in from down the hallway and met us in the kitchen doorway.

    ''Hi, Bethany and Bob. Let me introduce you to the family. This is my Mother, Kitty, sister Felicity, another sister, Margaret, and baby sister Cindy, and that over there is Sam Felicity''s fianc¨¦. A group, ''Hi'' was given, and I felt odd at that moment, as I noticed I was the only girl in a game shirt.

    ''Hi, these I baked earlier. Dad loves to have these around half the time. If you could put them in the oven around twelve, they would be warm enough by half-time! I handed the pies to Kitty, and she turned her nose up at them; I don''t think it was against them. ''No need to bring food. We have made plenty. Kitty said, and I saw Dad''s face drop. I could tell he was already regretting being there.

    ''Wait till you see the den. Dad finished renovating it recently. You will be the first to christen it. Theo led the way before the women couldin. I was feeling a little lost at that moment. A lot had happened that day, and meeting twodies I thought were his girlfriends were sisters made me feel like a jealous fool, and who was I to feel that way? In some ways, I was relieved that they were not his girlfriends. One was because I wouldn''t say I liked the thought of having to share the bed with them. The other was because I was starting to have feelings for him, and being jealous only made me realize how deep I was beginning to get. Having been made a fool of by Bret and Cynthia, I did not want a man with many other girlfriends; I wanted to be unique for a change and love. We followed Theo down the stairs to what must have been a cer and walked into a dreame true. The room had sports paraphernalia everywhere and a massive screen with the sports channel ring out of the sound system. I felt like I had juste home. It was all I had dreamed my sports den would look like, even a huge fridge, microwave, and mini toaster oven. I think I am in love.

    ''Hank, this is sports heaven. Did you do all of this?'' I asked as Dad walked around the ce, looking at all the pictures on the wall.

    ''Yep, I finished it yesterday. You like it?'' He looked really pleased with the results, and what was not to like?

    ''Definitely, you have all my favorite teams on the walls. Dad walked around looking at all the posters.

    ''Take a seat, and we can start our day, Hank said and pointed to some single and double chairs. I waited for Dad to choose a seat, pulled out the paperwork we had done for today''s games, ced it on a small table, and dragged it closer to him. Then I grabbed a cushion and sat by my father''s feet, resting my back on his legs, as I looked up at the screen and the team chat before itmenced.

    ''You ready for a beer?'' Theo asked as he handed one to his father.

    ''Yes, please, Dad answered for both of us. We started talking about the game and the statistics of whether we were going to win or not, and Ipletely forgot about the woman upstairs, how ufortable I had been, and how worried thedies thought I would be joining them when I first arrived.

 Chapter 59

    POV

    Theo My night, sucked. I kept thinking bad thoughts about what the girls were going to do to poor Bethany. I dreamed of all

    sorts of bad endings and ways the day would go. Seeing her covered in makeup, her nails bright pink, her hair in braids of different colors. I woke up in a sweat, my sheets tangled around my legs as I fought to get out of the mess I had made with my thrashing body during the night.

    The day was just starting, and I was already tired and grumpy. My mind yed so many tricks on mest night. I showered and had a coffee, not bothering to grab anything to eat; there would be plenty of that during the day. I headed over to my parents'' ce bright and early. The streets were almost empty, being Sunday, and most were still sleeping off a night out on the town or waking up soon to go to church, depending on your lifestyle.

    Walking into the house, it was still fairly quiet. Dad was seated at the breakfast bar, drinking coffee and reading the paper, which was a te of toast not far from him. He looked up at me and smiled at what he saw. ''Bad night?''

    I took the seat next to him and poured myself a coffee.

    ''You could say that.'' I mumbled, grabbed a slice of toasted cheese, and took a bite. A groan slipped out of my mouth as I chewed. Dadughed at me and grabbed a slice for himself.

    It''s going to be a great day today. Some excellent matches. Dad said, going back to his paper and reading the lineup for today.

    ''Hope the girls don''t try to do anything stupid today! I said as I looked over Dad''s shoulder at the page he was reading. ''They are in for a shock. Our girl is no pushover,'' he said, turning the page of the paper and lifting his coffee for another sip. ''Our girl?'' I was shocked that he had used that term. He had only met Bethany once.

    ''She fits right in for both of us, and I can''t wait for Bob to arrive. We are going to have some fun watching a game like it should be watched and see your mother and sisters see what they have been missing out on and what a real female sports fanatic should look like. I am, for one, looking forward to it. Is this why you look like you slept on the floor?'' He was chuckling at my poor state of attire.

    ''I was going to get changed here once I saw what you were going to wear; I am torn between two teams today!

    ''Ah, we shall go with our first love, and we can always change into the other shirt after the game. Support both.

    ''So the gridiron football game first, and the ser football game second?''

    ''Yep, and back to another gridiron afterward. There is ate basketball semi-final game, too, but I would like to know if the others want to stay thatte for work tomorrow.

    ''We can still watch it, even if they have to go.

    I headed upstairs to my old room, grabbed the shirt, and changed it. Then, I went back down to help set the room up with thest few things, like the paper and today''s programs. Dad and Iughed and chatted as we moved the chairs around again, still not happy with the setup; it would only be once we had time to sit and start to watch the game that we would find the best way to sit. Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with thetest version on Jo(b)nib. Don''t miss out, visit it now.We threw several cushions on the couches and two bean bags and did a final check of everything. Dad put on the television, and the talk of the first game started when we heard voices upstairs.

    ''Go get our supporters and bring them down. I am looking forward to seeing their faces when they see this room. Dad was so proud of his den. He put a lot of work and thought into it. I took the stairs two at a time and reached the kitchen. Bethany mentioned the pies, and I could feel she was not happy with my mother''s response. I entered the kitchen, breaking the tension that had grown from thatment. They followed me down to the den, Bethany still holding the container with the pies.

    Dad''s face was beaming with pride as we entered, seeing their eyes sparkling with joy. I took the container from Bethany, let the two of them explore, and put the pies in the toaster oven on low; they would be ready for half-time, so we wouldn''t have to worry about them not being heated. I remember how much Bob enjoyed these pies and thought they might be a sort of ritual they do together, and I did not wish to spoil that. Dad and I loved the pies too.

    We settled down for the game after they looked around and gushed over it all. It pleased me that both of them were wearing the same shirts as Dad and I. We looked the part. If anyone were to walk in now, they would know exactly who we were supporting. To my surprise, Bethany took a cushion and sat near her Dad and the small table. She had a tablet on which she took notes, something I had not noticedst week. I was too engrossed in the game to watch her, too, only the asional nce over at her when she refilled the beer and food.

    At half-time, I grabbed the pies and ced them on therger coffee table. All four of us dived in and started eating them and discussing the game. Mother and Felicity came down with food. Mum''s face dropped a little when she saw us all eating the pies, but she said nothing as she ced what she had prepared on the other table, with tes and napkins.

    ''Bethany, would you like toe upstairs and join thedies? We have organized a foot spa and nails day'', Felicity asked proudly, expecting Bethany to be pleased to be getting out of the room. The look on Bethany''s face made meugh, and so did Dad and Bob. You would have thought we had asked her to go collect the dog poop from outside.

    ''It is half-time, a very close game, and you want me to leave? Are you insane?'' Bethany almost shouted back in shock at being asked to leave the game. My sister was so shocked, and it never urred to her that Bethany was actually happy to be down there. ''What, you want to be down here with the men watching sports?'' Felicity still could not believe it.

    ''Of course, we need to win this game. If we do, we will go straight to the yoffs. If we lose, we have to have another match. I do not want to lose. How could you ask me to leave and have someone y with my feet? That is so gross, and no one ys with my feet! Bethany was getting worked up, and I moved over, pulled her to me, and rubbed her back, looking over her shoulder to my sister.

    ''Bethany loves sports as much as Dad and I do. How could you upset her like that?'' I growled at my sister. Bethany''s Dad stood up and created a group hug, and Dad joined in.

    Mum and Felicity just stood staring at us, mouths wide open in shock. I knew my girl would not give in to a foot spa day over a sports day with the guys. The television suddenly boomed with the crowd''s cheers, notifying us the game was about to start again. We broke the group hug and settled back down to watch the game. I heard footsteps as someone left the room, and Mother came into view, heading for the food. I heard a groan from Bob as she passed by the television, which temporarily blocked his view. Mum was oblivious to what she had done as she tried to put some of the food closer to us and then left the room.

    All thoughts of what had happened at halftime were gone, as we screamed and yelled at our team, trying to urge them on. All our focus was on the game and the cheers that filled the room when we took the final winning points. Bethany was up and doing her victory dance like she hadst week, and it pleased me that she was herself.

    Mother hade downstairs, bringing more food, knowing the game was almost over. She chuckled softly as she watched Bethany do her little dance and could guess our team had won. I doubt the girls will ever try to coax Bethany away from a game again. My girl knows how to enjoy a team victory.

 Chapter 60

    Bethany

    POV

    Once the game started, all around me ceased to exist; it was me, the game, and Dad. After a while, I started to include Theo and Hank when I yelled and screamed, hearing them say simrments. Together, the four of us screamed at the screen and made the wrong decisions, in our opinion. By the time the first game was over, I was hoarse from yelling at the screen and needed another beer to quench the burn. I had finished my happy dance to see Kitty standing at the door, watching us with a smile on her face. I smiled back, headed to the fridge, and grabbed four more beers and pies from the oven. If Kitty was not happy about the pies, she did not show it. During the second half of the game, Theo and Hank had eaten some of the food Kitty had ced on the table at half-time. Dad and I had only eaten our pies, not because we did not want the other food; it was more that it had be a custom of ours to eat those pies during our team''s games, and we did not want to break that habit. It may jinx the game. The next game was against a team our team would y next week, so we were keen to watch that game. It was important to us. Dad grabbed a te of food and ced it on our little table. It was a sort of hint that I should eat what the host had prepared, and though I understood this, I was still a little miffed by the greeting we got and the way they pushed our pies aside; I was determined to make sure all the pies I made were eaten. Call me childish, you bet. But I did not care at that point. By the end of the day, I would have forgotten all about it and moved on. It made me feel good to see Theo and Hank get some of the pies. That act symbolized them as now officially part of my cheer squad.

    Towards the end of the next game, Felicity, Cindy, and Margaret arrive in the den to see what is happening. We were all too quiet. The game was neck and neck, and I think we were all holding our collective breaths for this attempt for points if they won. Cindy walked in front of the television at the wrong time, and Dad growled. I was so shocked that they could be that rude right at a crucial part of the game.

    ''Get out of the way, I cried out. As I tried to look around her, she froze right in front of the screen. I could not believe she stood there like that and blocked the screen.

    ''Cindy, move aside, please.'' Theo said in an angry tone, and Hank growled at her, too. She fled the room with tears, but we missed the action and now had to wait for the rey. None of us went after her, not even Felicity or Margaret. They stood to the side and watched the game for a few moments.

    When I suddenly stood up and did a happy dance, they both turned to look at me as if I had just gone mad. Dad got up, and we danced together. Soon after, Hank and Theo, the four of us, looped their arms and swung around each other. It was the best result we could have asked for.

    The talk about the game began as we all grabbed tes of food and sat in the lounge, eating and drinking beer. We discussed the pros and cons, what we needed to worry about with the game next week, and any injuries. The girls gave up trying to follow what we were saying and left to find Cindy and console her. Felicity had briefly stopped in front of me. I thought she was going to say something, but she shook her head and must have changed her mind when I corrected some stats Theo had said while looking at her as I waited for her to speak. I shrugged my shoulders and went back to the conversation with the guys.

    The next game could have been more exciting. It was the ser game that Dad wanted to watch, and though I enjoyed it, I was still hyped up from the other football game. It was nearing eleven o''clock when I left, hugging Hank as we left the house. The girls had already either gone to bed or out of the night, as there was no sign of them when we left the mess from the den in the kitchen.

    Dad was dropped off first.

    Theo stood at my door. I got the feeling he wanted to join me but was not going to ask, and I was tired and wanted to avoid inviting him. I was still happy from our day, and sleep was all I wanted. If I invited him in, it would be different from the sleep we were getting.

    ''I had a great time Theo.'' I say as he pulls me to him and rests his head on top of mine. Yeah, he is that much taller than me.

    ''Yeah, sorry about the beginning. Mother didn''t mean to offend you by brushing off the pies. They are your little tradition, aren''t they?'' He asked softly, kissing my hair.

    ''Yeah, we cannot go have a sports day without them. I will know next time to bring fewer of them with us!

    ''No, it is fine. We can heat them like we did today. I love those spicy ones you make. Dad does, too. Mum did not know how much they meant to you and your Dad. Don''t worry, she will know about it next time. There will be a next time, yes?'' Theo sounded concerned. Did he think the day went badly?''

    ''Yeah, Dad had a great time. He loves being around your Dad, having guys his own age, and enjoying the same things. I think it has been a while since he had this sort of interaction, it has been just Dad and me for several years.

    Theo pushed me back a little but still held me in his arms. He leaned down and gave me a gentle kiss and a brief touch of the lips.

    ''Good night. Catch you in the morning! He gave me one more peck on the lips and turned to his door. I waited until he had closed his door before entering my home.

    I climbed into bed around midnight with a huge grin on my face. Today was a great day. Our team did well, and the den was a ce I would love to have when I decide where I want to settle down. The penthouse is a good ce for now, but if I ever have children, I would like a house in which to have a family.

    The morning saw me still with a grin on my face. I did my usualps in the pool and left for work, grabbed the usual coffee, and was soon knocking on Robson''s door.

    Robson was in a good mood. He thanked me for the coffee and muffin, and we chatted for about half an hour before a tired-looking Theo entered the room carrying two more coffees. You would think all we do all day is drink coffee, but when we leave this room, we would be lucky even to grab a bite to eat, so having extra coffee and muffins to start the day is okay.

    ''Theo. We were discussing the next stage of media promotions for the heart. The monkey is doing exceptionally well, and I think we could look at putting one in a human sooner than we had nned. There has been little to no reaction, and I am very pleased with the results. We are even considering sending the monkey to a zoo in a couple of weeks. It would be good to see how he is back in his own habitat. Well, the one the zoo has for him. Will you look at those I am suggesting and any you think are willing to give it a go? I have two or three suggestions, but I want your input.'' Robson was pushing this along a little faster than I had expected. The results are outstanding, but I must still prepare for human use.

    ''Not rushing things too fast, are you Robson?'' Theo said huskily, his voice still raw from yesterday, and I smiled at the sound of his voice. It did things to me that were inappropriate for work.

    ''Not at all. You know we have clients that will onlyst for a while. If they are willing to take the risk and have the operation now, and not wait for the trial to be over, then we should. They will not be strong enough for the operation by the time the trial is over. ''I hear you, I really do, but what about the medical board? Will they cause an issue if it is not sessful, and you have to exin why you rushed it? I am thinking of the hospital. Theo was giving a good argument.

 Chapter 61

    Theo POV

    The day ended too soon. I desperately wanted to take Bethany to bed, but what I yearned to do would take all night, and she was already yawning. I had to settle down with a few soft kisses at the door; anything more, and I would r****h her right there and then, but she deserves so much more than that.

    The next few days flew by. I caught glimpses of her with Saun, either walking down the halls or in the cafeteria. They seemed to be getting along nicely, and I am going to admit I am jealous that he has her attention more than I liked. I tried to ask Drake about him, but he was tight-lipped, not at all his usual banter. That left me confused, so I did not want to bring him up in conversation again.

    She had missed our usual meeting with Robson, and I was either toote or too early for the non-meeting days. I needed to get my Bethany fixed. I was obsessed with her. Sunday was the only thing that kept a smile on my face.

    The look on my sister''s faces when they came down to see how things were going was priceless. They arrived when Bethany jumped up and did one of her victory dances after our team scored. It was then that they knew they would not be getting her to leave anytime soon, but then the screen got blocked. I felt the pain my sister felt as she ran out of the room, but she should have known better. Dad was fuming, and I am sure he would give her a piece of his mind in the morning. I need to find out where her mind was to do that.

    I had non-stop surgery. For a week, I was exhausted and grumpy by day four. I did not bother with my morning swim and raced to work early. The wards were getting full, and I felt I was going to lose a patient if I did not get a grip on myself. I have never been this tired and grumpy; even the nurses are starting to give me the stink eye and avoid me. That was never a good sign. So, I brought a box of iced donuts on my way to work and handed them to the head nurse.

    ''Can you share these with the staff? I am sorry for being grumpy; I have no excuse.'' I left, not waiting for her response.

    I finished my ward rounds, taking extra time with each patient to listen to any problems, and to my relief, nothing unexpected was brewing. I even managed to discharge a few. Then, I started my surgery list. I had three today, and I was not sure how I would still be standing when I reached the third one.

    To my surprise, when I finished my second surgery and was trying to get a bite to eat, I heard the nurses talking about Bethany and the surgery she had justpleted. I had no idea she was even operating today, and I wondered who she operated on. We had no children on the list. I sat, trying to listen to the conversation. Still, the patient''s identity was never mentioned, and they then turned to the discussion about the club they were going to tomorrow night. Wow, Friday is nearly here already. I was feeling a bit stupid that I had lowered myself to listening to nurses gossip to hear news about Bethany. ''Sir, Doctor Robson would like to see you in his office. The nurse delivered her message, and I looked at my almost-finished meal, picked it up, and threw it in the trash. My appetite was almost non-existent, but that was par for the course. You lose more than sleep when you put in so many hours like we often do.

    I knocked on his door and waited outside, my mind already on my subsequent surgery and not why I was there.

    ''Enter.'' Robson''s cheery voice echoed through the door. I entered, and Bethany was seated in front of Robson. One look at her, dressed in her pretty bright heart-covered scrubs that she was known for, and my heart started to beat faster, and my slump slipped away. ''Afternoon.'' I greet them, and Robson points to a chair.

    ''I noticed you werete for some long days, so I had Bethany perform for you as thest person on the list. You need to get some rest, and next time you are pushed this far, let me know. I had yet to learn how low you had gotten. If it was not for some of the nurses going to Bethany, she, in turn, came to me, offering to take on some of the lists. I would still not know.'' I felt I had let the team down because of how Robson told me off. What made it worse was Bethany was in the room listening to it.

    ''Normally, it is not this bad, but I had a couple of longer operations, someplications I had not predicted, and things got a little out of hand. I argued back, knowing it was still not good enough.

    ''We hired Bethany not only to take over the research side of things but also to give you a hand when you get overloaded. Don''t wait for the staff to be worried, and though the donuts were a nice gesture, being overtired is dangerous for not just the patient but the surrounding staff.! I understood what Robson was saying; I had not realized how bad I had gotten.

    ''Sorry, it sort of crept up on me.

    ''I understand. Now that the lists are finished, you two go home, and Theo gets some sleep! Robson ordered kindly. Now, the berating was over.

    Together, we left his office and headed to the changing rooms. When I came out, Bethany was waiting for me with a warm smile. We left the hospital together, and the nurses said goodnight as we left. It was already six o''clock at night, and the streets were slowing down. The workers had already left for the day and headed home before the nightlife filled the streets. This time of day always made me feel good; it would be soon before sunset, and the coolness of the evening would have me hunting for a jacket.

    ''Would you like to join me for dinner at that Italian restaurant close to home?'' Bethany offered shyly.

    ''Thank you! What a stupid thing to say. Was that an agreement or something else?

    We entered the restaurant and were guided to a seat by a window. I held out a seat for Bethany, and though she hesitated slightly, she took it. I took one so I could see who had entered the restaurant, a habit of mine, and I wondered for a moment if that was what Bethany had wanted to do, too. I hope this does not mean I have now made her ufortable.

    ''I am Becky, your server for the night. Can I get you anything to drink while you peruse the menu?'' A lovely young girl asked. She battered her eyes at me in a flirty way, but I ignored it.

    ''I would like a t white coffee and the chef''s special, please! Bethany replied before I had even lifted the menu and agreed that it sounded good.

    ''Please make that order two,'' I said as the waitress filled the sses with cold water from a jug on the table. She took the menu and left.

    ''I have not seen much of you this week, and I guess we both have been rather busy with work.'' Bethany started the conversation lightly, and I was grateful. I am not sure why I was so out of sorts this week, but I kept ming it on work. ''This week is at your ce, yes?'' I asked, not bothering to reply to the obvious question.

    ''Yes, Dad has been looking forward to it. I went to his ce yesterday for dinner, and he kept talking about the den and how I need to buy a house and make one like that. I chuckled at that; it was an excellent idea; the walls covered in posters were partly mine. I had been as obsessed as Dad and brought lots of what I called trophies of the day. I could see myself having a den like that when I eventually found a house. I have yet to hunt for one.

 Chapter 62

    Bethany

    POV

    The handlers from the zoo arrived around ten o''clock, and I had mixed feelings about having released him to their care. He was such a lovely character and had my staff and me in stitches as weughed at his antics, making the day go back; there were arguments over whose turn it was to feed him or change his bandages. We were attached to him that much.

    I gave the handler instructions on his ongoing care and what to watch out for. They took the medication with them, and we all had tears in our eyes as we each held him before the handler took him away. The little guy did not understand, and as the handler held him to his chest, the monkey looked over the handler''s shoulder and held out his hand to us as if begging us not to let him go. Those of us who managed to keep the tears from falling lost the emotion, and no dry eyes were left in the room.

    ''Doctor, now you have no patients here to care for. Can you do something about Doctor Theo? I think he is very tired; all the staff are trying to avoid him, which is not like him. He had always been a caring, kind guy but lost ittely. Yesterday, he grumbled something to Drake, and I saw that it hurt Drake; it was in his eyes, even though he said nothing! the nurse pleaded with me, and she had two others backing her up.

    ''Leave it with me. I will see what I can do. I felt like I was now a part of the team if the nurses thought they could approach me quietly with issues like this.

    ''Thank you, Doctor Bethany. The nurses left the wing, and I followed them. One nurse stayed to clean up the monkey''s empty room.

    I went to the viewing room and watched Theo, and I could see what the nurses were talking about. He was dead on his feet and grouchy. I knocked on Robson''s door.

    ''Enter. This seemed to be where he was nearly all the time. I could get him toe out of his office more often. It cannot be suitable for him to be holed up here so much. ''Hello Bethany, the monkey gone?''

    ''Yes, lots of tears, it was very emotional.''

    ''What brings you here?'' He was not about to talk about emotions, an area he was ufortable with, but instead passed it on to someone else to handle. I don''t me him, but he does the hard job when the chips are down, and I respect him for that. ''Theo.'' I replied, looking at him to see if he had noticed too.

    ''Can you take thest patient on the list? It is just angiosty, a search, and possibly a stent. Robson offered.

    ''Yeah, I can do that. Come back here when you are done. It''s time to talk to him. I nodded, changed into my other scrubs, and got the team together.

    Later, Theo and I stopped at an Italian Restaurant, and I was rxing. We enjoyed our meal and talked about our sports day; Dad raved about it. Theo seemed to start to rx slowly. He was so tense when we first arrived, but I had no idea that something more than work was on his mind.

    ''Well, well, well, it is you two again. Are you sure nothing is going on between you two?'' As he came to stand beside our table, Bret said, Cynthia clutched at his side. Something was different in Bret''s eyes. I presumed it might have something to do with his side of the investigation, and he was trying to let me know not to say anything. I had not told Theo, so there was no chance of a slip-up.

    ''Hello Bret, Cynthia.'' I replied, not answering his question. It was none of his business anyway.

    Cynthia lowered her body to whisper in my ear.

    ''Nice catch. You won''t be keeping him for long.'' Leaning forward as she had, giving Theo a good view of her chest, but the gentleman he was, he stood looking at Bret, trying to make out his angle, raising his hand to shake it, but Bret did not ept it, so any chance he might have had as a friend, went out the window.

    ''Your table is over here.'' The waitress urged the two of them away, having seen the way the four of us were acting. I had finished my meal and was happy to leave. I did not need dessert.

    ''Ready?'' Theo asked, and I nodded. I did not need to see my sister fawning over Bret as if he was the best thing since sliced bread, even knowing he was still married to her. What a joke. Like mother like daughter, Dad investigated his marriage to Wendy and found she had been given a shortened version of her real name, which still needed to be picked up. The mother''s dearest is married to a congressman, who has since married someone else. It had urred to me that maybe he did not realize he was married to Mother dearest. Then, another idea arose. Was she ckmailing him? That is why she always had nice things, way above the pay grade of a detective. I would not put that past either woman. When we reached the penthouse, I was deep in thought, wondering about the different things that Dad divulged, and I was sickened to think about it. The only thing on Dad''s side was he was innocent, and the marriage was wiped off the records, as bigamy by the woman, like mine was; it is still on their records, but ours was cleared as innocent, meaning neither of us had been married. But Dad is still my Dad, and as Mum was already married, that made the other man, my stepdad, oh how confusing all of this was starting to get.

    ''Do you want toe for a coffee?'' Theo asked, breaking into my thoughts.

    ''Yeah, I would like that. I could work with somepany to help push that meeting out of my mind, I replied honestly. When I saw Cynthia, I felt terrible for Bret, who had been a love-sick puppy for many years with a woman who would never love anyone but herself.

    We sat on his balcony, sipping coffee and watching the city lights start to get busy below. A gentle breeze brushed over me, and I shivered a little. Winter wasing, and the nights were starting to get cold. Theo put a nket over me and sat back down. It seemed he, too, wished to have somepany tonight.

    ''I''m Sorry for not introducing my sisters when I had a chance before the sports day, Theo started softly.

    ''Why didn''t you? I had been thinking they were one of your booty calls. I replied, a little hurt.

    ''At the art gallery, my sister insists I treat her like a stranger. She does not want people to think she has got to be where she is with Dad or my influence, which is stupid because I know little about the art world. Then, Felicity had arrived with Sam. After hugging her, Sam motioned for her toe to him. They were celebrating their engagement, and he had something special set up. So she was called away before I could introduce you, and as she was with a man, I did not think you would see her as my booty call, as you phrased it. Ew, by the way, just Ew. Iughed at his scrunched-up nose at the thought of bedding his sister and not going there.

    ''I have to say, I was relieved to see they were family, and you do have a lovely family. You should teach them to stay away from the screen when the game is on and warn them I am not a nail polish, spa type of person. Besides, you cannot wear nail polish during surgery!

 Chapter 63

    Theo

    POV

    I could not tell you if you asked me to pinpoint the moment the night changed. I remember we were sitting on the balcony talking. Next, I picked her up and carried her inside. We made it as far as the couch, where we got heavy, making out. I started out kissing her warm lips, resting between her thighs on the couch. She was scratching her fingers through my hair, and I was starting to feel the need to go to the bedroom, as I did not have condoms on me.

    I got up onto my hands, and Bethany started to undo the buttons on my shirt. I got frustrated as she tore at the shirt, breaking thest two buttons off of my shift, and started to push my shirt off my shoulders. This had moved quickly, and I was afraid if I pulled back to carry her to the bedroom, the moment might be gone.

    She threw the shirt over her shoulder, and I started to pull her top off, exposing somecy ck bra that barely held her blossoms in. She was more than a handful, and I leaned down and gave them both some attention. I could feel her squirming under me as I unclipped her bra and threw it in the same direction as my shirt.

    ''Wait, let''s take this to the bedroom. Thank the gods of love for that. I was not looking forward to trying to find afortable ce on the couch where I could thrust into her hard and fast.

    I climbed off the couch, picked her up, and carried her bridle-style to our bedroom. Wait, when did my room be our room? My needs brushed the thought aside, and I ced her gently on the bed. Bethany immediately climbed off the bed, shucked her shoes, pulled off her pants, and turned to look at me, who had been standing there watching her strip.

    ''You have too many clothes on. Are you going to do a strip for me?'' She used a seductive tone. I had not heard her use it before, and my need suddenly got harder and more urgent.

    I tried to hum a stripper sound that was famous on television, but I was so off-key, and Bethany chuckled. I shucked my shoes, one foot at a time, flipping the shoe in the air, and itnded somewhere in the room. I slowly lowered my pants and stepped out of them, flicking them away, too. I dropped my boxers, and my manhood flipped out of them and stood to attention.

    Bethany licked her lips and stared at my erection, curled her pointer finger in ae here motion, and I did not waste any time, moving over to her, and standing in front of her, waiting for what she wanted next. This was her show, and I was willing to let her take the lead for now.

    Bethany reached out and took my erection in her hand and licked the tip, then slowly lowered her mouth over it; I almost copsed on the floor when she grazed her teeth down my length and squeezed my balls. I did not think I could get any harder, but it seemed I

    could. I tried hard not to explode. Bethany groaned as she started to bob up and down, using her tongue, teeth, and hands. I felt every movement as she longer flicked the end, and she sucked me back into her mouth.

    ''You better stop if you do not wish to get a mouth full; I am so close. I warned her it had been a while since we had been together, and I was on the verge of wasting another night of thrusting into her by losing my load in her mouth.

    Bethany put one of her hands on my butt and pulled me into ce. I got the message; she was ready for me to explode, and I did. Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on .She continued to bob slowly and squeezed me until I stopped pulsing in her mouth. I assumed she had swallowed. I had closed my eyes and let the euphoria consume me, barely taking in the sounds of her slurping up my seamen.

    Bethany released me from her hold andid back to watch me. My face must have been full of joy, and she beamed a huge smile at me as I climbed onto the bed, pushing her back so her head was on the pillow, and put my hand between her thighs. ''My turn.'' I said, and Bethany''s eyes widened. ''Really?''

    ''Yes.'' She looked shocked that I would pleasure her now. Her ex must have been a real jerk to gain his pleasure and not give her some release. I am not like that, and I prefer to see a woman''s face when they c*m, even if I do not get to reach that stage. I get more of a kick out of making them satisfied, having grown up around sisters who oftenined because their partner did not satisfy them, and I never want to be used of that.

    I spread her legs and looked at herdy part and noticed she had shaved her hair, leaving a small arrow made of hair, pointing to her opening. I was starting to get hard again at the sight. She was beautiful, and tonight was all mine. I used my tongue, licked her sides, and pushed my tongue inside her. She arched her back and groaned as I prated her and pushed my tongue in and out a few times, making sure to lick her tender ces, causing her to keep arching her back and moaning.

    I felt her pulsing on my tongue and smiled. How quickly she came. She must have worked herself up while giving me pleasure. I climbed up so I was between her thighs as she slowly came down, reached over to my drawer, and pulled out a condom. I leaned back to ce it on my member when Bethany put her hand over mine and smiled.

    ''Let me.'' I released the condom and watched her pull me into her mouth and suck a few times, and then expertly slide it onto my pulsing c**k. Sheid back down on the bed and looked at me expectantly. I loved how her hair sprayed over my pillow; she looked like she belonged there.

    I positioned myself and thrust one hard push into her moist opening. We started slowly, getting a rhythm and enjoying each other as we built up our need for release. Bethany put her hands on my waist, and I felt her nails digging into me; as she tried to pull me into her, I got the message and picked up the speed and harder thrusts. I grabbed her hands, put them above her head, and sped up a little more. Sweet was pouring off of me, and I saw Bethany was wet, too. Nothing stopped me then, and the building explosion was so close.

    Bethany screamed out my name, and I felt her core clenching on my c**k, and that was all it took to send me exploding into the condom. I closed my eyes and thrust a few more times before I slowed and opened my eyes to see Bethany staring at me, a face of pure satisfaction. I lowered myself down and gave her a soft kiss. She took over and made the kiss a searing one.

    Soon, my c**k had softened, and I felt myself fall out of her. I climbed off the bed, went to the bathroom, and disposed of the condom and a quick wash of my member. I grabbed a cloth, heated it a little with warm water, and washed her between her legs. If she was embarrassed that I was doing this, she did not show it. She moaned as I gently wiped her tender ce. I threw the cloth in the direction of the bathroom and climbed in behind Bethany. I kissed her shoulder and snuggled down for the night, sated atst. It was the perfect ending to a lousy day.

 Chapter 64

    Bethany

    POV

    How we ended up in bed is a blur. One moment, we were talking about nightlife and other frivolous things, and the next, we could not wait to get each other''s clothes off. I know we had not been intimate for a while, but you would think we were both starving for affection. The kisses and tenderness were amazing. I had never felt so wanted and loved before. Even when we were intimate a few weeks ago, it was not like this.

    My sleep was solid and dreamless. My phone chirped beside the bed, waking me up. I picked up my phone and read the message. ''Urgent, call Robson. My stomach hit the floor, I hated getting those sorts of messages.

    I dialed the number as I climbed out of bed and crept out of the bedroom, dreading myself; I had two children on my urgent list for heart surgery. We were postponing it for as long as we could, hoping they would get stronger for the long recovery needed. ''Morning, Bethany. Robson sounded too cheery for this time of the morning.

    ''Who?'' I cut in as I walked out the door and into my home, naked. I did not even pick up my clothes; I just fled the room as I was.

    ''Cassidy child.'' He sounded sad but resigned to the fact this was normal.

    ''Give me a half hour.'' I hung up and had the quickest shower in history. Ourpany car was waiting outside the door, and I climbed in; every minute counts.

    Robson met me at the door, which spoke volumes so he could be there and wait. The child was most likely not going to make it, and the guilt of having her wait hit me. Was it worth the risk? It takes work to make that call sometimes.

    ''She has been prepped and ready, Robson walked with me as we headed upstairs to the theater. He gave the rundown on the report and what the scans said; he had done most of the work I would have had to do, dying the operation; this way, the girl was ready for me to get in there and try and save her life.

    The girl was a sweet little thing, small for her age due to the heart condition that she was born with. We had done a few small operations to keep her going until she was older, and we could open her up, but life has thrown her a curveball, and here we are. The parents knew the risks and were prepared to take them, but it still felt heavy on my heart.

    ''Okay, everyone, begin. I was short with the staff. I had not meant to be. They did not seem offended as we got to work on the child.

    Four hourster, we left the operating room. The child made it so far, and I let Robson speak to the parents. I wanted coffee, food, and time alone as I filled out the paperwork. We were lucky, by my estimation. The child may not have made it this far had we not waited. She is a strong little girl, and working with children is not easy.

    Theo came to my office, carrying coffee and a muffin. He looked concerned as his eyes roamed my face.

    ''I was a little shocked you were gone, and I did not even know you had left. Great bed partner I am,'' he joked as he ced the coffee in front of me and smiled when he heard my groan of pleasure as I took arge sip. ''That is the sound I enjoyed the mostst night. Theo had a satisfied grin on his face if he had just won a big race. I looked at him and could not help but smile. His cute grin managed to break the tension inside of me. ''Don''t fret about me leaving; it had to be done; thank you for the coffee. I raised the cup up as a salute and took a sip. ''Just the coffee?'' he asked, as if he was hurt. His hand over his heart, looking at me as if pleading. ''Oh, no. The muffin too. I joked back, and he pulled the chair out and slumped into it.

    ''How are you this morning? Being called out would have been hard. Did you at least get some sleep?''

    ''Yeah, about four hours, you just got here?''

    ''Yep, no list today. I would like to get a few clients to go home and then do some outpatient reviews. You?''

    ''Robson said I can go home when I am ready and get some sleep. I might stay for a few hours and monitor the youngss, but other than that, it''s an early day for me!

    ''Can we have dinner tonight? I want to talk aboutst night. He sounded a little nervous, and I wondered what happenedst night that made him nervous.

    ''Sure, I can get some steaks and cook. What time would you be home, barring any emergencies?''

    ''I wille home early today, so about fourish. Robson will be heading home now, too. He was called in a lot earlier than you. I am surprised they called him in and not you. She is your patient!

    ''The little girl is a close friend''s grandchild, and he has a personal stake in this one.

    ''That exins the reaction the family had when he told them she made it through surgery but was not out of the woods yet. They virtually hugged him to death. Family members don''t usually do that. I have to agree, no matter how happy they are, contact with the doctor is usually minimal.'' he said, his eyes tracking my every move.

    Theo talked about next Sunday and how his mother wanted to send some food along with us, and it did not matter how much I said no; food wasing. Let''s hope this time she sends easy food when watching sports. I do not want to get the cutlery and eat at the table; I want to use my hands and stay glued to the screen. How can a woman who has a husband who is into sports not see that?

    ''Don''t worry too much about the female side of the family. They have never been into sports since they discovered boys, and only went to sports if it was a date and thenined all day that they guys paid little to no attention to them.'' Theo chuckled at a memory he had, and I smiled; my mother and sister also did not include sports in their lives unless it was to look at some of those toned bodies in tight clothing. Then, my sister would be glued to the screen to watch for apletely different reason.

    Theo left, and Ipleted my paperwork; the more I see children like this, the more I want to find a way to minimize their trauma. That is why I am on the research side. I have to find a way to help those who are born with an issue. It is moremon than you would think. I know of some doctors that have operated on a child, still in the womb, but I am not one to do that. It puts stress on the mother as well as the child, and the risks are too high for me.

    The child was so tiny in therge bed, her parents glued to the side of the bed. I took the chart and read how she had been since being brought in here, and I was pleased that she was stable and responding. ''How is she doing, Doctor?'' The mother asked as I knew they would.

    ''So far, the signs are all good; I would like to keep her sedated for another twenty-four hours. You might wish to go home and rest. She will want to see you tomorrow when I wake her up and not look like you have spent the whole time here. I tried to encourage them to leave, as they looked shattered.

    ''Yes, we were waiting for you toe by to thank you for saving our girl. The father said kindly.

    ''That is why I am here! I replied softly, looking at them for the first time. I mean really looking at them.

    ''Robson said he called you in at the dead of night, thank you!

    ''Please go home, rest, and we can discuss where we go from here once she has recovered from this surgery.

    They left, and I left the hospital, too. I grabbed some meat on the way home and marinated it when I got home. Then, I found my bed, hoping to get a few hours of sleep. I was exhausted.

 Chapter 65

    Theo POV

    Waking up alone scared me at first. I felt her side of the bed and could tell she had been gone for a while. The bed was cold, but then I saw her clothes still scattered on the floor and the mess we had made, giving me a feeling of pride. The sight of that mess that was left behind had me thinking if a person was going to leave, would she not pick up her clothes? It urred to me that she left in a hurry, which meant she got called to work. I hope the child she was called in for makes it through the night; it is very emotional when you work on children, and part of why I do not work with children is that it breaks my heart to work on such small, innocent hearts.

    Though I was sad she was no longer in my bed; I felt it was time to move this arrangement away from booty calls to something more tangible, like maybe my girlfriend. It had been many years since I had one, and thest one had left me with a broken heart. I had steered away from having another one, fearing another broken heart. Yeah, we men get hurt, too, though we are usually better at hiding our feelings, and anger is what is shown instead of tears. I did not want that pain again, but Bethany was going to be worth the risk of the possibility of being hurt again.

    At work, I took a chance that Bethany would be in Robson''s office, but she was still in the theater, so I sat and drank coffee with Robson. He was a bag of nerves and kept looking at the time. He had something on his mind and was distracted.

    ''Why are you so worked up? Are you worried that Bethany will lose the patient?'' Bethany was my first thought; she was a good doctor and the best when it came to children, but children can be tricky, so tiny and vulnerable, and can drop fast.

    ''My best friend''s child is in Bethany''s hands. I am her Godfather, and I am very scared. This little girl has been fighting for so long, and I pray she does not stop fighting. You know as well as I how fast children can suddenly die.'' No wonder she was a mess; family is always hard to watch; we make sure we are not the ones to operate on a loved one unless there is no other choice.

    ''Why don''t you go and watch from the observation deck?'' I would want to watch it.

    ''I tried that but could not cope with watching her be cut open; I had to leave and had thought of sitting and waiting with my friend, but I could not cope with the tears and the emotions that would be pouring out of the mother.''

    ''How long has she been on the table?'' I wondered if the girl could survive a lengthy operation.

    ''She should be finished in close to four hours! He swallowed thest of the coffee and stood up.

    ''Come on, time to go and see how things are.'' I followed Robson out the door.

    ''I need to do a few things first. I''ll catch up with youter. When you have seen her settled in her bed, go home,'' I said, patting Robson on his back. Then, I headed to the shop to get Bethany a coffee and a muffin, and another coffee for me. When I saw her sitting at her desk, working on the reports, she looked tired but beautiful. My heart raced a little looking at her, and I felt my pants tighten as if my body was responding to the memories ofst night, the things we did. Wow.

    We arranged to have dinner and I could not wait for the day to be over. My good mood must have shown, as the nurses were giving me flirty looks, but I could not give a toss about them. My girl was getting food ready for me, and I was going to have a chat. Thesedies did not hold even a sparkpared to the zing me I had burned for Bethany.

    After a brisk walk and a stop at the bakery for a cheesecake, I made it home in record time. I decided to go to my ce first and get changed before I entered her home.

    Her home had a radio ying softly, but there was no smell of cooking. I entered the kitchen and could see the steaks sitting in the marinade. I put the cheesecake in the fridge and headed down the hallway, wondering where she was. There on her bedy my sleeping beauty. She must have been very tired. She must have thought about taking a quick nap, and it went a little longer than nned.

    Smiling, I went back to the kitchen and started dinner. I put the heat in the frying pan and started the meat. I looked in the fridge and found the sd she had prepared. All I had to do was cook the meat, and I treated it like I was cooking on the grill at Dad''s ce. I was humming to the tune on the radio when some arms were wrapped around my waist, and a head leaned on my back.

    ''Did you get enough sleep? Sorry if I woke you?'' I wondered if I made too much noise.

    ''No, the smell of the food woke me. My stomach grumbled with expectation. She was still wrapped around my waist, and I liked it.

    ''Still about ten minutes away, go freshen up, and I will put it on the table! Bethany left the kitchen, and I continued preparing the food, setting up the table, and putting out the sd, water, and coffee. Bethany came back with a giant smile as she took a seat, grabbed a napkin, and ced it on herp.

    I sat opposite her and waited for her to take the first bite. I watched as she cut the steak and lifted the fork to her lips. They parted, and the meat disappeared behind those luscious lips. I was getting turned on by the simple act of watching her eat, and then she groaned as she chewed, and that did it; my pants were not too tight. How am I going to survive it? I keep getting hard by the simple act of eating. I was not even aware that that was even possible until now.

    ''You not eating?'' Bethany''s voice broke my trance, pulling me back to the here and now. Bethany stood to start clearing the table.

    ''Sit, I will do that, and I brought dessert. I said, making Bethany sit back down, clear the tes on the sink, and grab the cheesecake; Bethany had two slices, surprising me.

    Together, we cleaned the kitchen, talking about the game this weekend. We both agreed we would win easily, and never in all my wildest dreams would I dream that I would be doing dishes and talking sports to a woman, not just any woman, but the one I wanted to see if we could be more.

    ''Coffee?'' Bethany asked as she filled the coffee pot again.

    ''Maybeter.'' I said, grabbed her hand, and dragged her out of the kitchen and out onto the balcony. I sat on a chair and pulled her onto myp. I wanted her close to me as I talked to her.

    ''Bethany,st night blew my mind. Bethany giggled and wiggled on myp.

    ''You keep wiggling like that, and I won''t be able to talk, and I really want to get this off my chest!

    ''Sorry! She said, leaning back onto my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me.

    ''As I was sayingst night, it blew my mind and also opened my heart, in a way I did not expect. I was hoping you would consider taking our rtionship outside the booty call to being in a rtionship. I waited for her to respond. I felt her stiffen in my arms, and I hoped that was not an inadequate response.

 Chapter 66

    Bethany

    POV

    The man took my panties off and nted kisses down my thighs. He followed the panties down my legs, and as he removed each foot, he kissed my ankle and each toe of each foot. He then slowly made his way back up, nting soft kisses along the way. He licked my p***y and sucked the nub before continuing up my body, nting soft kisses along the way. He stopped at my b****t and gave each one a kiss and a suck before rising to me, and his face wasing into view.

    The delicious smell of steak cooking woke me from an erotic dream. I woke just as I was about to see who the man in my dream was. Damn, that man was hot. I was all worked up and needed release. I climbed out of bed, checked my mobile for the time, a quick wash, and freshened up before heading to the kitchen and the person cooking the steaks.

    I stopped and leaned on the doorway, watching Theo in my kitchen. He was humming to the tune on the radio, his deep baritone voice reaching my core and making the already awakened part throb at the sound of his voice, and he was swaying to the beat, as he turned the steaks over. He had already pulled out the sd, which was on the table, and everything was set up.Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on Jo bn ib.co m. I smiled at all of this work he had done for me. Bret had never cooked for me, not once in our rtionship, and there I went and spoiled it by thinking of that man. However, it was more an observation of how lucky I am to have this man in my life. Theo and I have known each other for about a month now, and in our brief time together, I have had moreughs and love than I had in a very long time.

    I am standing there looking at this hunk of a man in front of me, cooking for me and seemingly content in my kitchen, and I feel the warmth spread through me as I realize I am falling hard and fast for this man. I worry it is a rebound thing, and I am headed for some big hurtter on down the track, and as I acknowledge that thought, I say to myself, ''What have I got to lose?'' and decide to take that giant step I had been worried about taking and been avoiding for thest few weeks.

    I moved into the kitchen and wrapped my arms around his waist and my head on his back. I could feel the vibration of his humming through his shirt on his back. He did not stop humming or swaying, and I felt content and happy, which was more than enough for me at that moment.

    The steak was cooked to perfection, and I admired his skills in the kitchen. We talked about the gameing up on the weekend and other easy-talking things, nothing too deep, and that made the meal even better. We eventually headed out to the balcony for coffee and a deeper chat; Theo hinted he wanted to talk about something; doubt had clouded my mind, and I was having an internal war between worrying Theo was going to dump me and not wanting to let go if he did. I was getting myself all worked up, thinking this was it, the moment my heart got shattered, as I was not worth having a man in my life. I have been beaten down emotionally so many times over the years by my mother and sister that I have allowed doubt of my own personal worth to consume me with self- depreciation. I may appear confident to others, and in many ways, I am strong and confident in all that I do, but when ites to a man and how to keep one, I am low. My sister had taken the only boyfriend I had before I was with Bret, my first love as a teenager, only to walk in on them enjoying what I was not yet ready to give. They did not even know. I had seen them together, and he was confused at first about why I broke up with him. My sister taunted me for years over that, and then Bret, I don''t think I need to say anything about that rtionship. I am too blind and gullible when ites to men and have trouble trusting that I can get it right.

    Theo pulled me to hisp and held me close, kissing my neck as I tried to settle on hisp. He was already starting to show his interest if the hardness I could feel was anything to go by, and I giggled like a schoolgirl when he told me to stop moving, or he wouldn''t get to talk to me, and it was important.

    He no longer wanted to be a booty call but a rtionship. Does that mean he wants me as his girlfriend? Is that what he meant? He never said the words, but I kind of feel that is what he was leaning towards. Or does he want to be more exclusive but still notbel it? Why can''t he say what he means?

    I climbed off of hisp, turned around, and straddled him, resting my arms on his shoulder and pinning him to the spot. I leaned down, gave him a soft kiss, and pulled away to look at his eyes. They were full of l**t and confusion at the same time. I went in for another more extended kiss this time, and I guess I must have gotten carried away because the next thing I knew, I was being lifted, his hands on my butt, holding me to him, and he walked back into the penthouse and down to my bedroom. He crawled on the bed, with me still clinging to him like a monkey.

    He begins to divest me of my clothes and his too, and soon I am naked below him, and he is thrusting into me; we have shared no words, just a passion beyond words, kisses hard and deep, tongues fighting for dominance.

    His thrusts were hard and fast; you could almost call them aggressive, and I was lifting my hips to meet the challenge. He grunted as he got nearer to his c****x; sweat was forming on his face and chest, and he worked himself up to a frenzy, his eyes never leaving mine as he pushed into me and his face full of pride as I yelled out his name as I reached my c***** first. I was already worked up and needy after my dream earlier, and looking up at Theo at that moment, the man of my dreams suddenly came into shape and the face I had not seen before became Theo. He was the one I had been dreaming of; he was the one I wanted in my bed and in my life.

    Theo roared out my name as he filled me, and I felt the warmth of his seed fill me.

    He pulled out andy beside me, breathing deeply as he got his breath back.

    ''Bethany, I am so, so sorry; in my haste to have you, I did not put on a condom; this is the second time we have gone without it; it is my fault. I did not forget deliberately. He sounded remorseful and concerned.

    ''I am on the pill and have been for years, and I am clean!''

    ''Oh, God, I did not mean it to sound like I thought you wouldn''t be clean; I was more concerned that I had not put on a condom and went bare without asking your permission. Theo had rolled over and was leaning on one arm and looking down at me with such love, a look I had always wanted but had never achieved before, and I felt so special.

    Wait, love? Does this mean he loves me, or was it a moment-after look? I hate my doubts. Dam my sister for making me feel so inadequate with a man.

 Chapter 67

    Theo POV

    When Bethany straddled me and started to kiss me, all thoughts of our conversation went out the window. I have been having a number of scenarios go through my head as I thought about her reaction, but that was not one of them, and my need for her took over. I could not stop myself from taking her hard and fast, and I did not hear anyints from her, but in my haste, I made a rookie mistake. I failed to put on protection; the first time, I had not remembered to cover up. I think it was in my junior year when a more experienced girl showed me all about what a man and woman could do. After that first time, I never forgot to carry protection until I met Bethany. What this woman did to me, and we have yet to finish our conversation.

    Iy beside her, twirling her hair in my fingers as I watched here down from the high she had just had. She was okay with being bare, and I hope that means in the future we can have more without protection. It was the best feeling ever, skin-to-skin. I did not realize how much was missed when wearing rubber and how much sensation was lost, and it made me reach my peak quicker than a schoolboy for the first time.

    ''So, have you thought of taking our rtionship beyond booty calls?'' I asked again, needing to know if we were on the same page or not after that mind-blowing s.ex she has to be.

    ''You want to move on to what exactly? Be exclusive? I thought we already were. She sounded confused. Did I need to make my intentions clear?

    ''I would like you to be my girlfriend and see how it goes. I feel we are good together and want to explore that further.'' I hope that makes it clearer.

    ''Are you sure?'' Her face was so full of hope, and I wanted to kiss her for that.

    ''More than anything, I am sure, I am ready to try again. I said, and I realized that I really did and that I would have to exin what I meant by that one day.

    ''Yes, Yes, Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend.'' I kissed her and as we were already in bed, I took advantage of that and sealed our new status with another hard and fast love session. I was hot and sweaty and so very happy. ''You will have to move here.'' Bethany said.

    ''Why?'' I was confused. Do you know if I need to move in?

    ''Well, unless you want to stay in your penthouse, and we meet up when you wish to spend time in my bed, I suggest you move in here!

    ''But why here? Why not you move into my ce?'' I needed rification on what was going on here. Was she worried about giving up her penthouse?

    ''I have the bigger television, so unless you want to move it and the surround sound, I think you should move here.'' She said it so smugly, yet she had a point. I needed to gain the skills to set up the sound system. She had paid a man toe in and set it upright, and though I could do that too, it was a waste of time and money when it was perfectly set up there.

    ''Okay, you win, I will move in here. What do you think I should do with my penthouse?''

    ''That is up to you if you want to keep it until you decide whether we are breaking up. That is your choice. I think we would both wish to move out if we broke up. The memories would be too great.'' Bethany said in a sad voice, and I got what she meant. ''Hey, stop talking about breaking up when I have only just got you to say you will give me a try! I said, giving her butterfly kisses all over her face and neck.

    ''You''re right; how do you want to celebrate? We still have a few days before the dades over for sports night. Do you want to bring all your stuff over here before then and surprise them when they see your sports stuff on the walls?'' ''You don''t want me to tell the family before then?''

    ''No, I have a special ce with my Dad, and I thought we should both tell Dad first and then he could break the news to your Mum and sisters!

    ''I understand; I have a special ce with my Dad too. Let''s do that, Dad, first. After work, I will start bringing my stuff over tonight and think about what I will do with the Penthouse.

    ''I have a friend in Real Estate who can sell it if you wish to get rid of it or can organize for someone to move in and rent it if you wish to go that way.

    ''I have a friend in Real Estate, too; I will get hold of her and get things moving!

    ''Her?'' Bethany squeaked out.

    ''Yeah, she''s my sister''s school friend, and no, I have never dated her or felt the need to since she bats for the other team. I kissed her again, knowing she was still so insecure. I wonder if it has more to do with her sister than anything else. It is just a feeling I have that that twin has taken a lot from her, and not just material things.

    That settled down, so we stayed in bed and talked a bit more about moving in and how we were going to act at work. We couldn''t exactly walk around hand in hand, as we work; we would have to keep a professional appearance. We both agreed to let Robson know; he deserved to know what his staff was up to. I was actually looking forward to telling Robson; he had nagged me a few times to get a life outside of work.

    ''Mum is going to be over the moon, and she likes you!''

    ''We only met once. She argued back.

    ''That was enough, apparently.'' I sighed. Any woman brought home would be good as far as Mum was concerned. I do not bring them home, ever.

    Sleep was the best. Waking up was even better, having my woman in my arms. I don''t think either of us moved at all during the night. Having her warm body pressed against mine was nice at first until she must have started to wake and moved her leg over my dder, and I had to move it fast and crawl out of bed, hoping not to wake her.

    ''Where are you going? The rm has not gone off yet. She groggily stated. ''Bathroom and back to my ce.'' She lifted her head, confused.

    ''I don''t have a change of clothes, and I can''t go to work like this. Besides, get up, let''s go for a swim.'' I nudged her and left for the bathroom. She was still lying on the bed but sprawled out and fast asleep. I chuckled and left her there, letting her sleep instead of going to the pool.

    I had almostpleted myps when Bethany dived in, and I nced at her as she started swimming next to me. I had to do a double-take when I realized the minx was naked. I mentally groaned and wondered if I would leave my ce empty so that we could do naked swimming. I liked this new Bethany; she was getting brazen, and a new girl was emerging already.

    Bethany went to start breakfast. When I change, today, I will start moving my things over to hers. We might have to leave the furniture, as there is no room for either of our things; there is no rush to decide what to do with the penthouse at the moment. Maybe my sister would like to move in. I would have to start learning to lock the door when someone moves in there.

 Chapter 68

    Bethany POV

    Together, we walked to work. We both seemed to have a spring in our step. When we reached Robson''s office and entered, he looked between the two of us and then beamed with a huge smile.

    ''I am guessing your two have at longst be a couple?'' Robson said, and I looked at Theo, wondering how we looked that he hade to that conclusion.

    ''Yes.'' Theo gave a one-word answer. I was happy to leave him to do all the talking.

    We chatted about the following media release and updated the public on the monkey and Mr Green, who are doing exceptionally well.

    After the day''s rounds and starting anotherpound batch, I left for the day and brought some chicken for dinner. I was in a good mood, wondering how I was going to keep our change of rtionship from my Dad with he is going to know the moment he sees me. He was going to being over for dinner, so Theo invited his Dad too, with the suggestion of watching the pre-game news.

    Everything was ready for the two dads to arrive. Theo was home but in his ce, packing his things. He had brought over most of his clothes already and just had a few more personal things to bring over. I hadid out the newspapers with the sports sections open and pens and paper ready for Dad to take notes.

    Theo was back. He ced the personal stuff in the spare room and went into the kitchen to assist with the tes and cups. When the door opened, I knew this had to be my Dad. He had already had the okay to just walk in. Their voices drifted towards us in the kitchen. They reached the doorway and stopped, staring at us. Both had their mouths open in shock.

    ''Tell me what I am seeing is true?'' Theo''s Dad asked softly.

    ''What are you seeing, Dad?'' Theo responded as he handed a coffee to both dads.

    ''You are a couple now?'' My Dad said, and I smiled. Yep, we must have a neon sign above our heads. They saw it just as quickly as Robson had.

    ''We are,'' I answered this time, and suddenly, I was engulfed in a hug from my Dad, and Theo was getting one from his Dad. They soon changed ces, saying words like ''About time'' and ''Good for you!

    Food was consumed in front of the television as we watched the rundown on injuries and other changes.

    ''Dad, would Felicity and Sam like to rent my penthouse? I know they said something about finding something close by, now they are officially engaged. Theo asked, looking at his Dad, hopefully.

    ''I am sure they would. It is close to where they both work, and I am sure you are not going to charge them an arm and a leg!

    ''Nope, they will be responsible for the strata costs and general living bills.

    ''That is cheap, and I am sure they will jump at it. Would you like for me to ask Felicity when I return home?''

    ''Sure, the sooner we have the ce filled the better. I am still deciding if I am going to sell it or not!''

    ''They might buy it from you.''

    ''Does she have that sort of money?''

    ''Yes, she does. Your grandmother gave her a hefty some!''

    ''What do you think, Bethany?'' he looked at me expectantly, and I had no clue how to answer that.

    ''Um, you could sell it and put the money in a term deposit. When you are ready buy something else, you will have ready funds avable, I suggested, not really thinking when I spoke.

    ''See, isn''t she wonderful?'' Theo said, and both our Dads chuckled at hisment, giving us a knowing look that I could not work out.

    They left not long after, and we headed to bed; Theo snuggled in behind me and kissed my neck, and soon I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

    The suning through the window woke me. We had forgotten to close the curtainsst night. I climbed out of Theo''s arms, headed to the bathroom, and then tiptoed out to the pool. Fiveps in, I heard a ssh. Theo had joined me; this time, he was the naked, cheeky man.

    The next few days were spent learning to be together. Some nights, we enjoyed the bedroom and other nights, we were asleep as our heads hit the pillow. We seemed to work well together. One day, Theo cooked, and the next, it was me. We had not really nned any of this. The first one home started the food. We seemed to gel really well.

    On Saturday, Theo got a call from Felicity and Sam that they would like to talk about buying the penthouse, and I left Theo alone to talk about it. He had contacts who could help them with the settlement if they came to some agreement; I worked on getting food prepared for our Sunday sports day. They would typically have gone to their parent''s house for dinner, and I would normally have gone to my Dad''s, but this Saturday, all that changed. My Dad had to work, and Theo''s family was off to some concert, leaving Felicity toe over before joining the others.

    I had just finished the pies when Theo returned, a huge smile on his face.

    ''I have just sold the penthouse for the same price you paid for that one. They were more than happy with the price, and knowing that is what you paid made it easier to convince them they were going to move in tomorrow. I have said they can have the furniture, and I have removed everything I want from there. They can have whatever is left, and if I have forgotten anything, she said she would give it to me; if I remember, or she finds something, she thinks I would want it back!

    ''Wow, well done. You have made a profit and did not pay that much!

    ''Nope, I didn''t.

    We spent that night on the balcony, with soft music in the background. It was time to reveal some of my past that I felt Theo should know.

    ''Theo, I would like to talk to you about my life and a few home truths!

    ''Okay. He pulled me onto hisp, and I started to tell him all about Cynthia and how I ended up married to Bret, how I caught them that led to my divorce, and then about the bigamy of both Cynthia and my Mother. I told him everything, even about Dad not being Cynthia''s Dad. ''Do you know who your Mother married? Your stepfather?''

    ''No, not yet. I assumed the police would eventually let us know, I said, but Theo''s mobile phone went off before I could say anymore.

    ''I need to get this. Theo did not let me go; he kept me on hisp while he answered his phone.

    ''Scott?'' I could not hear what was being said on the other side of the phone conversation. He suddenly pulled me closer to him. ''What? Tell me what you know. Theo sounded worried.

    ''Yep.

    ''Okay!

    ''Are you sure?'' he almost screamed out.

    ''Dead or alive?''

    ''Double it.''

    I needed rification about what Theo was talking about. It was all goggly g**k to me; his voice said he did not like what he was hearing; I assumed that maybe it was something to do with his Mother''s volunteer work. She worked for battered women; they were often in trouble and needed protection of some kind.

    Theo is such a kind soul. He would help out where he could and asked me if I would treat some of the women who came in, as they wouldn''t let him or his Dad touch them, both men.

 Chapter 69

    Theo POV

    Bethany and I have been getting along so well that you would think we had been a couple for years. W was so content and rxed; my sister is moving in tomorrow, and I have mixed feelings about that no only underwear. If my sister walks in or Sam, they might catch us spontaneously, which could be emba Like yesterday, I went to the pool naked and took her into my arms, and for the first time in my life, I pool, but the thought of theming and catching us in the act just heightened the whole experience any more than I want to walk in on her.

    We were rxing and enjoying the sounds of the city. It is calming up here on the balcony, watching th time of night, I was not going to like it.

    ''Scott.'' I answered the phone with a question.

    ''The word is that a contract had just been raised against Bethany. It took all I had not to react to his w ''What?'' I could not stop my growl over the phone.

    ''It seems Cynthia has put one out, two hundred thousand dors!

    We chatted for a little longer, having Scott tell me that Bethany''s mother had raised it as Dead or Alive ''I have doubled the tail on Bethany and two extra protectors. I told him to raise it even more, and he s of ours. Scott said if we started using the service, he would get his men to drive, and a code word whe I would go and visit Scott in the morning, and we could talk about it before the Sunday game. Felicity at how different she was from her sister and Mother. How could twins be so very different? I was baffl Trying to rx when I knew trouble was waiting for us out there somewhere was hard. I stroked Betha The following day, I left early. Bethany started getting the final setup done for our sports day, while I ''Don''t forget, Felicity and Sam move in today! I said, giving my girl and kissing her nose. ''How could I forget, you have talked nonstop about it. She giggled and gave me a tender kiss.

    ked together in sync, whether it was at work or home, we just gelled. Most of the time, we did what was needed without having to ask; it naturally flowed. I floor was just Bethany and me, and now I will have two other people living up here. Should we start to lock our door? Often, Bethany and I walk around in ng for all of us. Knowing we are doing it and catching in the act, are two different things, and I like that we can be spontaneous.

    the pool. It was a sensation I had never felt before, totally different from in the shower or spa. I don''t know when the pool people wille and clean the a side of me that I had never thought of before; it is kind of thrilling in a strange way, but getting back to my sister, no, I do not wish for her to walk in on us

    y life below us pass us by. When my mobile rang, I saw the name and a cold shiver ran down my back. He must have an update, and for him to phone at this

    did not wish to alert Bethany of anything wrong.

    ynthia changed it to Alive but damaged it. I am not sure how much damage that would entail, but I was unhappy about it either way.

    ted we start using thepany''s car service. I argue that we do not know the drivers well enough to know if we climb into a car with a driver who is not one cked us up would signal he was one of his men.

    t have to move in without my help. Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on J0bn1b.I pulled Bethany closer to me, and my mind raced ewas very selfish and self-absorbed, while the other was kind and caring and would give the coat off her back if you were cold.

    ck in a soothing action, but it was more for my benefit than hers. I was the one now in a mess and worried; something bad was going to happen to my girl. out to visit Scott.

    ''Go, the sooner you leave, the sooner you are back, and if you arete for the game, I will be rather annoyed with you.'' She joked, and for a moment, I wondered if she really would be annoyed. I had never given her a reason before.

    I raced over to Scott''s house and knocked.

    ''A little early. Theo.'' Yawned and led me back to his cen where he had been working

    Scott''s den is different from our sports den, but then again, it is precisely the same, but for a different reason. It was full of surveince equipment and monitors everywhere, watching different things; this was the hub of his operation. He had eight men working in this room alone; Scott is a high-end protection service that even high-profile people use, and even a former president or two. Most are ex-military men who need a job and are finding it hard to settle back into civilian life, so this is a way for them to still be active. Their training is perfect as a protector, and they get to stay alert. It seems to help them slowly adjust to a bang or sudden sound that may make these men look for the threat and not drop to the ground. This is exactly what type of man Scott hires; they must have training in a different ce before cing them in public, but most cope well with the cloak-and-dagger lifestyle. They never really ever get over the past. No magic pill will get rid of it, ites down to the individual.

    ''Scott.'' I offer my hand to shake, and he pulls me in for a hug. ''Coffee ising! I said as he led me to a screen he had set up.

    I looked over the information he had collected and found out that the contract had been taken up by an ex-junkie if there is such a thing as an ex-junkie. Scott knew the man and had put a tail on him, broke into his mobile phone, and would record all phone calls; we needed to make sure he did not try and give the task to someone else to do the job and im the money. Apparently, they wanted photos of Bethany to prove she had been beaten up and was in a bad way. I am concerned if they did beat her up and damaged her hands, she would never be able to do the delicate surgery she is known for, and that would break her heart more than being beaten up.

    ''Can we take this to the police?'' I asked. We had a lot of information here, and surely they could do something. ''Already done that; the detective said we could handle it, and please keep it quiet for now, as Bethany''s Dad is a detective, and they did not wish for him to go off the rails to protect his daughter. I understood that, but for the police to allow us to handle it seemed a bit odd. Scott agreed and said he would grab him if he broke thew, but we could do little for now. Others may do the contract, and not be on the grid. All eyes are on the known violent ones, that often take up contracts. I had to trust that Scott could keep Bethany safe and not worry too much, but I was not sure how I could act normally today when I saw my girl in so much danger and hiding it from her Dad, too; it was time to do a performance of my life.

    When I get a chance to talk with Bethany, I will give her a heads-up. She deserves to know, and keeping it a secret would only spoil our rtionship when this eventuallyes to light.

    Maybe telling her Dad would be a good thing. I don''t trust that detective who said we could handle it and warned me not to tell him. Scott agreed it was best to speak to him. Before the game, I would give both dads the heads-up and then enjoy the game afterward.

 Chapter 70

    Bethany POV

    Everything was ready. The penthouse smelt of pie and other tasty food, the beer was cold, and the television was sting sports news. A knock on the door made me frown. Dad and Hank would walk in. I opened the door and found Felicity''s bright smile on the other side. ''Hey Felicity, how are you? Are youing for the game?'' I knew the answer before I asked, but it was always fun seeing her cringe.

    ''Not likely. Is Theo about?'' She was trying to look into my ce, but I had not stepped back to let her in.

    ''Nope, he should be back soon. Do you want me to send him over when he is back? He had something on his mind that he needed to clear before the game.'' Theo did not say where he was going, and I did not feel I should ask. He had been distracted since the phone callst night.

    ''Yeah, send him over when you can. We are almost done setting up how we want the ce. Congrattions on bing a couple and having this ce up for grabs. I have always loved this ce!

    ''Are you going to have a party?'' I asked, hoping she wouldn''t. I love our privacy, and having a lot of people up here creeps me out.

    ''No, we like the privacy and do not want to start having guests up here; it is our sanctuary. I could not agree more with that; when you start having guestsing up, the doorkeepers will begin to believe everyone whoes in, and security could get bad; part of why I took this ce was because no one could get in this lift, and visit me unless I agreed. But if Felicity started having guests over, then it could hurt the security I was feeling at the moment. ''Dad ising over today, yes?''

    ''He should be here soon,'' she smiled and left me to watch her return home. I was a little confused by the whole visit.

    I was standing there watching a rey of something fromst week when Dad and Hank walked in. They cheered as the rey showed a rather good tackle, and I smiled at the hype they brought with them.

    After a hug and kiss, they both settled down in the lounge, chatting about some game they had watched yesterday. I had not even thought of sports yesterday. I know games are yed, but I don''t think I have ever thought about spending a whole weekend watching sports. The idea is good, but I have too much to do, catching up on stuff on a Saturday, so I can have the whole of Sunday free.

    Theo came in, and I informed him of Felicity''s visit. He said she could wait, he had something to talk about.

    Settled in the lounge, we waited for Theo to spit out what was on his mind, and when he had finished, his Dad wanted to kill someone and my Dad turned pale. Theo filled Dad up with our suspicions of that detective and asked him to be careful and to leave my protection to him and his friends; they had a tail on the guy and eyes on others, which could be a problem. I was sitting there stunned that my Mother and Sister would do something like that.

    Theo left to see what Felicity wanted and returned in time for the main game to start. He was carrying a box of something, put it in the back room, and came to sit near me; I was on the floor, as I prefer to do, but this time, I had Theo on the right and Dad on my left. Theo kept touching me as if to make sure I was still there, or something like that. I was not sure, but once the game started, all else faded away for now. I danced, cheered, and screamed as I would normally do, but I could tell that the others were not as much into the game as they were. It was sad to think that my mother and sister could spoil my day; it hurt deep, and I understand that Dad had trouble with it, as even I had the idea of being hurt kepting to the forefront when the breaks were on.

    Our team won, and we are now in the semi-finals. Next week would be at Hank''s ce, and he was inviting a few of his friends toe and watch the game with us. We agreed that if we were in the finals, we would watch it at Hank''s ce so he could have his mates over. They only joined Hank when it was finals time and were eager to see his new den.

    When they left, Theo pulled me to him and kissed me deeply. Breathless, I pulled away and looked at him. You could see the worry etched on his face. I rested my head on his chest and sighed, when will all of this end?

    ''I wanted to tell you earlier that I had men protecting you and had another lot following your sister; after she kept showing up at ces we were in, I had a feeling she had been watching us or following you.'' He sounded like he was having trouble telling me this, and I wondered if he would have ever said it to me if it had not escted. I am unsure how I feel about this, but I understand that Theo was only trying to protect me, and I am grateful for that part.

    The rest of the night was spent in Theo''s arms; he kept kissing me and pulling me closer to him as if I were some fragile woman, and he was afraid at any moment I would break. In some ways, it was cute; in others, it was damn right annoying; I have had to be strong all my life, I am not fragile, but yet, at that moment, I guess in his eyes, I was.

    Sleep was a nightmare. When I eventually found it, my sister and Mother wereughing at me, mocking me, calling me weak and stupid, and mother that I was going to pay for being born at all. My sister was yelling about how I could have shared a womb with her, I had robbed her of a life she should have had, and in the end, I was a crying mess.

    Theo shook me awake at some point during the night, and I cried for a little while on his chest, leaving it soaked with my tears. He kept stroking and circling on my back and saying tender titudes. Morning came, and I was so drained, but we had work; it is not good for a doctor to call in sick, so few can fill your ce.

    The car service arrived, and the man greeted Theo and said something to him. I was not really listening, being in a world of my own. This was going to be our new norm until the problem was resolved, and how that was going to happen was beyond me. I did not want my sister or Mother to be killed; I am not vindictive, though Theo said I had every right to be. Work was a drag.

    The nurses steered clear of me, and I think Theo warned Robson as security tightened at the hospital, checked on the little girl, and was pleased with how she was progressing. I signed her over to Robson to continue her care and retired to myb, where everyone left me alone. They could all tell that something was going on but were not game to ask me, and Robson was not about to spill the beans. It would have toe from me, and as I was still processing it all, I was not ready to vocalize it out loud. How do you tell your work colleagues that the ce is unsafe because you have a target on your back?

 Chapter 71

    Theo

    POV

    All day, I kept an eye on Bethany as best I could. She was struggling, but would not admit it. The staff was giving her a wide birth, having been told by Robson that a personal issue had her a little down and to be kind and not ask questions; though it sounded

    simple, it wasn''t, and it would be too hard to exin to the staff what was going on.

    Using my friend''s team, Robson agreed to have more security around the hospital. They have a good reputation and are good at staying out of sight. Being a private hospital, it was easier to set up a higher level of security. Anyone we did not know from sight would be questioned before being allowed into the hospital. My worry was not here in the hospital but out in public. Do we stop living our lives because of this threat?

    We headed home at five o''clock, and I directed the driver to a small restaurant near my parent''s home; it was a friend of the family''s ce, and I knew we would be safe there. I needed Bethany to rx. The ce was romantic, with low lighting and individual booths to sit partly concealed and out of sight from other patrons. I sat so I could watch the opening to our booth, and this chosen booth was away from the windows; my paranoia of being watched or followed had grown since Scott called. To reach this booth, you had to go all the way into the restaurant and back to the back. There was no other reason toe this far unless it was to visit our booth.

    The waitress came in, not one I knew; she must have been a new one at the restaurant, but then it had been a while since I had been there; she gave us the menu, was flirty, and tried to catch my eye. I ignored her most of the time. Bethany ordered a steak and vegetables, and I ordered ribs; the waitress left, and Bethany and I talked softly about what we could do to restore our lives to something normal. The fear of something happening to Bethany was a thorn in my side; our newly developed rtionship was being tested in a way neither of us had expected. Hopefully, this will bring us closer and not the other way around.

    The waitress came with the food. She handed Bethany her meal first, and when she ced my te on the table, she left me a piece of paper next to the te and a big smile before leaving. I nced down and noted it was a phone number and name. It disgusted me that she would do this when she could see I was there with another woman.

    If Bethany had noticed me receiving the note, she would not have shown it and dug into her meal with gusto. We were both rather hungry, having had a lot to do today and skipping lunch. I was enjoying the meal and was close to finishing it when I felt Bethany''s foot stroking my groin; I jumped when she first touched me, not expecting to feel something touch me down there. Bethany gave me a seductive grin, her te empty, and watched me as she yed under the table. I continued to eat as if I had not felt her foot. Bethany then surprised me. She slowly disappeared under the table, her eyes watching me until shepletely disappeared. Soon, her hands were on my pants, undoing my zipper. I raised a little from the chair so she could lower my pants. I was shocked that she was doing this. I had not thought Bethany would try anything this bold in public. We might be hidden there in this booth, but the waitress could still return.

    Bethany pulled my quickening hardness out of my pants, lowered her mouth over my length, and took my length into her mouth, giving it one long pull, her mouth causing a strong suction. I let out a groan of pure joy as I enjoyed her y. My ears were listening to the waitress''s return, and I was aware of every single noise in the restaurant. She was soon nipping my balls, stroking my length, and flicking the end; I was jumping from the feeling of erotic feelings I was having, the awareness of possibly being caught, and the sensations she was giving me from under the table. I tried to continue to finish my meal, and I was almost ready to explode and fill Bethany''s mouth with my seed when the waitress entered. She seemed surprised that Bethany was not there. ''Where is your date?'' She asked, in a flirty voice as she collected Bethany''s empty te.

    ''She is close by. I answered through gritted teeth, trying to hold off my groans of pleasure.

    ''Well, I hope you used that number. Do you want dessert?'' She was an annoying woman; thest person I would date had the nerve to do that. What sort of girl does that? This one.

    ''No, thank you!'' I replied, and the waitress shrugged her shoulders and left.

    I let out a loud groan as I exploded into Bethany''s mouth. She continued to stroke me and lick me clean, and when I had stopped throbbing, she left me to tuck myself away, and she appeared back on her seat.

    ''That was unexpected. I said as I shuffled about on my chair, pulling my pants back up and tucking myself away. It was a little awkward. It was easier for her to pull my pants down than it was for me to get them back on.

    ''I felt I needed a distraction.'' She offered as a reply, shrugging her shoulders as if it was nothing, that she had just blown my mind.

    The waitress returned and gave Bethany the stink eye to see she had returned.

    ''Check, please.'' I knew I would not be paying the bill. I had been offered free meals since I could remember, and though I rarely frequented here for a freebie, I wanted Bethany to meet my friend.

    The waitress returned with the bill, and right behind her was my friend. He was the chef and owner. We went to school together, and he took over his parents'' restaurant when he finished his traineeship.

    ''Theo, so good of you toe to my restaurant.'' I stood and shook his hand; the waitress, shocked by this, rushed away. ''This is Bethany, my girlfriend.'' I introduced Bethany, and he scooped her up into a huge hug and swung her around in this tiny space.

    ''About time you got out there again, and boy, did you hit the jackpot?'' he gushed over Bethany. I would be jealous if I did not know he swung for the other side.

    ''Thanks, man, Bethany, this is one of my best buddies and old school chum, Markus!

    ''Hi Markus, I love your food, but can I make a suggestion?''

    ''Sure.''

    ''Retrain that waitress; she left Theo her name and phone number right in front of me; that is not cool, buddy, not cool at all.'' Bethanyined, so she did notice it.

    ''What, consider her gone, I don''t need that sort of waitress here. Retraining won''t change that sort of behavior!

    We talked for a bit longer, and a man came out from the back, presumably to the kitchen.

    ''Markus sweetie, can youe back to the kitchen? These young men need to learn how to te up. He gave Markus a kiss on the lips and then turned to see who was in the booth. ''THEO! he screamed out and pulled me into a hug.

    ''About time you came and ate here; it has been way too long, buddy!

    ''Stewie, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Bethany. He turned and stared at Bethany, looking at her from head to toe, taking in every inch of her.

    ''You found yourself a keeper here, bud, I can just tell.'' He air-kissed Bethany and left the booth, swaying his hips as he went, causing Bethany to chuckle. ''You have your hands full there, Markus. Bethany said.

    ''You have no idea, baby cheeks. You''ve got to get back to it. Don''t be such a stranger, you hear?'' He gave Theo another hug and left the booth. I took Bethany''s hand, and we left the restaurant. ''Hey, you did not pay for the meal.''

    ''I never do. I have a lifelong free meal here! Iugh at Bethany''s face as she wants to argue but then changes her mind. She knows when to argue and when to ept defeat.

 Chapter 72

    Bethany

    POV

    I was fed up with the thought of being taken or hurt or killed and that my sister wanted to harm me for what I was not sure. I cannot, for the life of me, work out what I had done in the past to deserve such hatred, so I decided to try a few things to liven up my life. I did not want to live in fear of what might happen, and take life by the preverbal horns and do things I had always wanted to do, be brazen and bold.

    Now was the time. I decided from this moment my life was going to change; I was not going to be hiding and looking over my shoulder, waiting for something to happen. I looked at Theo as he sat down and looked about the restaurant. I could see him checking every ce out for threats; he was trying to be so strong, but I knew he was worried, too.

    I was going to do something about the direction my life was taking, and this restaurant was perfect for what I had in mind. At first, I touched him with my foot, to gauge his reaction, and it did not take long for the bulge toe. Then it was a little tricky getting under the table as seductively as I could and making my way to Theo. He tensed up when I reached him; one hand came down to push me away. I pped his hand away, and he pulled it back up on the table; his pants were already tight, which told me he was more eager to enjoy what I was about to do. Getting his pants down was easier than I had expected; Theo must have epted that this was going to happen and aided me by lifting them a little and slipping them down for easy ess. The area under the table was not as cramped as I had expected once I found afortable position on my knees, and the thrill I was getting from doing something like this, had my panties soaked through. This was not in the same league as swimming in the pool naked, this was more exciting, and the risk of being caught added to that thrill.

    While under the table, enjoying my man''s taste, I considered what got into me. I was pleased that I had found the courage to do this and that it was sad that I needed a contract in my life to start being more adventurous and living it to the fullest. When the waitress came in, Theo stiffened and tried to pull away as discreetly as he could, but I did not stop what I was doing and gave his balls a little extra squeeze for having tried to stop me, and I heard a soft groan. I am unsure what he did above the table to hide his groan, but that made me take him in fully and bob a little slower.

    This woman was doing everything she could to get Theo to go out with her. Little did she know I was listening to her every word, and she was sugary sweet. This may work with other men, but not with my man. He saw right through her, and no matter what she said or did, what was happening under that table reminded him of what he had and was not worth giving this woman the time of day.

    I was enjoying making Theo squirm and knew he was trying not to show how much he was enjoying what was happening under the table whilst he tried to get rid of the waitress; the longer she was there, the harder it was for him not to let out a moan of pleasure. When she left, it was like all the tension was gone, and Theo exploded into my mouth. I was d I had taken this chance to try something different; it was like taking the edge off all that had been building with the threat to my life, and I had no control over what could happen; this was taking control, but in a different way.

    Theo''s friends wereughing. I loved them, and that Markus would remove the woman immediately was more than I had anticipated, but that behavior would not reflect well on his restaurant. If a woman decided to put a review online regarding this waitress''s behavior toward her boyfriend, it would be out there for the world to see, and that is not something you can afford to be how the world would view your restaurant, the staff is indeed the window to your ce of work, and if they are bad, you are not going to want to go back there, no matter how good the food was.

    We had an early night back home. Theo decided I needed to be rewarded for my actions at the restaurant.

    ''Sweetheart, I need you to feel like I did. Well, as close as I can make it, I am going to bring you close to your o****m and then stop, then start again, and though I cannot put someone outside the door trying to get in and catch us, I can let you feel frustrated that you cannot get you released.'' He threatened.

    ''But Theo, Honey, you could have c*m at any time; just because the waitress was standing there should not have stopped you; I marvel at your self-control.'' I giggled as he started to work on my body, and it was not long before I was ready to take over and finish the job. He licked and kissed and sucked and yed with mydy parts, inserting a finger, then another, and then sucking the nub and inserting his tongue; he did everything he could possibly think of while down there, making me squirm and wiggle in need of some release, which he was denying me. I wanted to reach my release so badly that I ced my hand down there, only for him to p it away. I tried again, and he grabbed my hand and held onto his, using one hand to work me to a frenzy and his tongue and, oh boy, his teeth, he gently bit my nub. I could not believe the sensation I gained when he did that. I screamed in shock and pleasure; though I did not reach the release I was searching for, I did find a new high that was so close to one. I moaned and screamed out in pleasure and need for what seemed far too long before Theo was ready for me to have my release. What I did was under the tablepared to what he had been doing to me. I could not fathom it, but I would do it all over again if this is what I got as punishment. Theo, at longst, climbed on top of me, his eyes full of concentration, and he wasted no time, mming into me hard and fast. I think he was just as worked up as I was, and amidst the groans of pleasure as the speed and roughness of the thrusts grew, the explosion that I was looking for was found, and soon the release that exploded out of me, the need I had been trying for was given.

    I screamed out Theo''s name as I dug my nails into his back, and he roared out his release at the same time. He was panting hard, and his body was covered in sweat. The reward at the end was worth the long, slow, frustrating build-up that Theo had created. I am not sure if Theo climbed out of bed to clean up or just rolled me over and spooned in behind me, as I was asleep before even registering that I had rolled over, or then I was now surrounded by his warm, strong arms, my back to his solid chest, and his right hand cradling my left b****t.

 Chapter 73

    Theo POV

    The shower was hot and rxing, and I had left Bethany asleep, trying to give her an extra half hour before she needed to be up to get ready for work. The bathroom smells of her, and I feel like I am the luckiest man in the world, and I have no idea what I did to get such a woman. She is beautiful, spontaneous, loving, and kind. I could make a list but still miss something. I live with her and try to make her happy, but she always catches me unawares, like at the restaurant. I am still in shock that she did that, and I am so very lucky that Markus did not notice I was there earlier, or it would not have been veryfortable if he caught me in the act of having that happen. He had mentioned something simr to his partner and stopped me now. I do not wish to put his experience in the same ce as mine, nope, just NO. I shiver at the thought and push the memory of that conversation out of my head.

    Just after the coffee pot started to brew, Bethany stumbled into the room. She showered and was ready for work, yet she looked like she was walking in her sleep, her eyes barely open.

    ''Something smells good.'' Bethany leans over, pinches a slice of bacon out of the pan, and squeals.

    ''Ouch.'' She rushed over to the sink and ran the cold tap, cing her hand under the tap while she ate the piece of stolen bacon with the other hand.

    ''Not too burnt, I hope! As a doctor, I worried she had burnt her fingers, which kept her out of the theater for a few days. ''Nah, just shock, no blisters. She giggled as she grinned at me like the cat got the cream. We ate, and after cleaning up the kitchen, we decided to walk to work. This book has many missing chapters and scenes if you''re not reading it on Jo b n ib.c om. Bethany insisted we have to be ourselves and not change because of a threat. It does not hurt to change things a little but not lose ourselvespletely. I understood what she was saying and was okay with trying to keep the days as normal as possible if we even have normal yet.

    We spent the rest of the week doing random things after work, but Bethany did not surprise me again with an under-the-table surprise. This kept me in suspense, waiting for something unexpected to happen. With Bethany, I was quickly learning to rx; she always had little surprises. On Friday, I was in for my next surprise.

    She put food coloring in my hair shampoo, and I came out of the shower pink, not just my hair, but my hands and face where the shampoo touched. I had to go to work in pink, and Bethany made a sash for me to wear, promoting breast cancer, and from now on I squirt a bit of shampoo on the shower floor and wait to see if it runs pink or some other color. I have to watch the calendar more and be careful when it is a day of some significance, as I would not put it past Bethany to do something like that again. Don''t get me wrong, I love it.

    She kept meughing and enjoying every moment we spent together; the thoughts of the contract were far behind us, not gone, just no longer looking over our shoulders and being paranoid over every sound.

    We stayed home on Friday night, Saturday, and Friday because I refused to go out with pink hair. I was embarrassed enough about going to work like that, but the staff all thought it was nice that I did something special for a great cause. I did not have the heart to say it was all Bethany and her pranks, because I didn''t want Bethany to stop doing them. They are fun and never dangerous, and they keep me happy, and the staff were all in a good mood because of it. Even Robson thought it was a great idea and maybe look at doing promotions of that sort at the hospital. We may be heart specialists, but that does not stop us from supporting other causes.

    Sunday was sports day, and like every sports day, we were loud. This time it was back at my parent''s ce. Dad had several friends over to join in the semi-finals; Bethany did her happy dances to the joy of the guests. It was good to see that she was not shy around them, and being herself, Bethany said it was because we were all there for the same reason. She also said how it was better to show how happy she was when they scored than to do a happy dance. Still, at the end of the match, she had our guests get up and do a happy dance; even my Dad tried it. Her Dad said when it came to sports, Bethany had never been shy when celebrating; even at the tender age of five, she started doing the happy dance.

    ''Next, here again, for the grand final. Dad said as we were all packing up to go. He was really pleased with his den and the praise he got over it. Bethany surprised Dad with a gift for the den. It was a finals g for the one-hundredth final win, signed by every one of the yers and reserves, as well as the manager and coaches. You could only buy this particr g at the game, on the final day, and to get it signed like that, Bethany had to have been at the game and met all the yers and had the people sign it; not many people would think to get even the coaches and manager to sign it. It filled an empty ce in Dad''s den. Bethany had it framed.

    Bethany told me earlier about the gift and asked if he would like it. I said it was a rare gift indeed, and said she had six signed. She gave one to her Dad and has the other four in her house.

    At home, we rxed a little. I watched some movies before calling it a night. We had a great day, and it was good to see both fathers getting along so well; even my Mum and sisters came down for the second half of the game. They may look a little stiltedpared to Bethany when we won, but at least they put in the effort. Something they had never done before, and it had to do with the vitality that Bethany brings to the house. Dad said his friends love Bethany and are d they have found such a nice girl. He also hopes that it will be a long-term rtionship. It was a little too early for me to be saying that sort of thing yet, but I am inclined to agree with them; Bethany is a breath of fresh air; even at work, since she came to work with us, the sickies are less, and the staff seems to be smiling more.

    Another week flew by. How it went by so fast is beyond me. Now I am in a panic, as it is Mum''s birthday, and I have not thought about getting her a present. Her birthday is the same day as the final, and she already knows that while she parties upstairs with her girlfriends, Dad will entertain the men in the den; I''m not sure how that will go if they are not all sports fans. Now, I am back to, what to get her for a gift.

    Bethany to the rescue. What would I do without her?

    ''Here, give this to your mother, and give her a nice hug too! Bethany gave me a present, a gift wrapped in Mum''s favorite colors. Bethany might spend most of her time in the den when shees over on Sunday, but she does not miss much. I am going to have to look at having more meal times at the folks'' ce so Mum can spend more time with her.

    We have our Saturday family meals day, but Bethany likes to cook her pies for the sports game that day, so I doubt I could get her to change that anytime soon.

    We arrived early, a little before ten, and Dad was still setting up. Bob had made his own way over and was down there helping all day. You could hear the television going and Dad and Bobughing over something. It was a really good sound, and again, I feel rather blessed to have Bethany and Bob in my life.

 Chapter 74

    Bethany

    POV

    Theo gave the present to his Mum and gave her a warm hug as I suggested. Then, together, we went down the stairs, leaving those who were having the birthday party upstairs to enjoy whatever they had nned. It was the final, and until that game was done, none

    of us in the den would venture to the party.

    Some of the male guests that joined up soon learned that I do not like to be interrupted when the game is on, and by half-time, they were joining me with my happy dancing each time we scored. It changed the men from being a pain in the b**t and talking during the game to actually sitting down and watching and looking forward to the happy dances.

    ''We won, WE WON, WEEEEE WOOOOON. I screamed as I danced around the room, fist-pumping anyone who got in front of me. Theo twirled me around as I continued to sing.

    ''We won! I was on a high. Our team won. I am sure Dad and I will watch the whole game again,ter and see where they could improve. It is something we enjoy doing, and it is fun when we sometimes see they have changed the format we had discussed. Happy with the oue and prepared to forego the rest of our game time, we reluctantly went upstairs to join the birthday girl and have some cake.

    ''Theo, this is just amazing. How thoughtful of you. Bethany must have rubbed off on you for you to think of such a gift.

    Theo had no clue what the present was but glowed in praise for picking it out for her. I had given her a new coat for winter, and I had noticed herst one was in need of some help. Still, it was her favorite, so I hunted high and low for the same coat but in a better condition. She was also paid for two days at a spa retreat and makeover. His Mum could go away for the whole weekend and have herself spoiled. It was for two, so she could take a friend or a daughter.

    The party went on for a few hours, and Dad soon had enough. I offered to take him home and left Theo toe home when he was ready. Dad drove his car, and I had to go with Theo; as Dad had had one too many drinks, I offered to drive his car home, and Theo could followter.

    ''I am staying with a colleague tonight, and it is in the central district.'' Dad gave me directions and told me that he was staying because something was going on with where they were to start in the morning. It was best they left together from his ce, as it was closer and easier. Dad was happy to spend time with others. I think he was a little lonely on his own, but he is getting there slowly.

    I started to drive home. This area I was not familiar with was a little bit out of the city, and I had to use my GPS guidance to find my way home.

    I had gone for about ten minutes when I noticed a car seemed to be following me.

    I called Dad, but his phone went to the message bank.

    So I called Theo.

    ''Hey honey, I am about ready to leave now. Are you missing me?'' The singing in the background suggested a lot of drunkdies who were going to have a headache tomorrow.

    ''Hey, I had to drop Dad off in the central district, and I am on my way home now!''

    ''Oh, I will most likely beat your home then. He said. I could hardly hear him over the party noise.

    ''Theo, um, can you stay on the line? I am not sure if I am being paranoid or not, but I feel someone is following me,'' I say

    as I look at the rearview mirror again. I could have sworn there are two cars now. It must be me.

    ''Sure, exactly where are you?'' He sounded concerned.

    ''Just past the old servo out of town. I said as I drove past the dark old service station.

    ''Okay, I am on my way. Did you try calling your Dad?''

    ''Yeah, but it went to the message bank. He might have forgotten to charge it again, and I need to find out the other man''s phone number or his work number. Besides, I am driving Dad''s car; what could he do?'' ''Not a lot. Stay on the phone and talk to me. He said, trying to keep me calm.

    ''I have you on hands-free and loudspeaker. I just needed to hear your voice and tell me I was being paranoid.'' I tried not to sound scared, but my gut was telling me to be careful.

    ''Where is the security? Scott''s team should have been following you the moment you left the party?''

    ''I don''t know, maybe they did not recognize Dad''s car or thought it was just Dad leaving and was waiting for your car.'' The party noise went quiet, and I assumed that Theo had left the house. I heard him speaking to someone.

    ''You should be following her, man; you had better phone Scott and let him know what is going down on your watch. I hear Theo yelling. He was talking to the security team that failed to follow me, and that made me worry. It was way too easy. These people knew I had no security on me at that moment, that I was in Dad''s car, and he was not staying at home, and now I was alone with no protection and an easy target. Do we have someone giving out information? Was it one of the security men knowingly leaving me without a tail and getting the goons to follow Dad''s car? They could not have known Dad was not staying at home, but maybe followed on the off chance. There are too many loose threads, and I do not like it at all; Dad''s phone is dead; all this is just too coincidental. Suddenly, the car''s lights behind me got close to me on a quiet stretch of road and hit the back of my car. The jolt made me push back into my chair and made my heart pump faster. I kept the vehicle upright and going in the right direction. ''What was that bang?'' Theo shouted at me.

    ''They hit the back of my car; they had a ck SUV, license number 1XNT79901, tinted windows; I could see two men in the front, unknown if any, in the back.

    I reached an intersection and another ck SUV came. It barreled through a stop sign, hitting my passenger door, and the sounds of metal hitting metal screamed loudly. I hit my head on the side window, and my head bloomed with pain as I struggled to gain some control of my car, which was being pushed towards a drop on the other side of the road. I was struggling to keep the vehicle from heading over the edge, and fear was consuming me as I felt I was losing this fight. The car behind me went at speed and hit me on the back of the vehicle.

    Any resemnce of control I had over the car disappeared, as the car that hit me from behind was all it took for my car to leave the road, and down the embankment, it rolled over and over again. I flopped about like a rag doll, unable to stop myself; the windscreen broke, showering me with ss, and soon after, so did the other windows; the only positive about me being in Dad''s car was it had a roll cage, and that stopped the roof from copsing around me.

    Pain hit me on all sides, and I tasted blood; why did the airbags not deploy? I wondered as I tried to move and find out what was broken, but pain radiated when I moved my head, so I leaned back and stared out the broken window and up to where I came from. Thest thing I saw before darkness imed me was men sliding down the embankment, heading towards me, and I was unable to do anything about it.

 Chapter 75

    Theo POV

    The party was in full swing, and it didn''t look like it was going to die down any time soon. My Mum was having a great time. I walked about, giving out hugs and saying goodnight. It was time to head home and cuddle my girlfriend. She should be snug in bed by now, having dropped her slightly inebriated father''s home. He had drunk more than usual, but with our team winning, I am surprised we are not all drunk as skunks. What a silly saying that is, ''Drunk as Skunks''. I wonder where that came from?

    ''Night, Dad.'' I was in a good mood. Today went really well. Our team won, and Mum got to have her birthday party and spend time with not just the girls but also managed to drag us guys out of the den on sports day.

    ''It was an excellent night. Your mother is in her element, grinning like a cat who got the cream. I hugged Dad, and he walked with me towards the door. When my mobile started to ring, I dug it out of my pocket and smiled when the picture of my girlfriend was shown on the screen.

    When she responded to my greeting, her tone of voice put me on alert. I knew something was wrong, so I covered the mouthpiece and turned to Dad.

    ''Get your bag and Scott on the phone; something is not right; call it a feeling! Dad rushed away to get his bag and dialed Scott as he went. When I said I had a feeling, Dad never doubted me, I had always been right, and that is not always a good thing. I continued to my car. We should have used the car service, then none of whatever was happening would have happened. I growled angrily at myself as I tried to keep Bethany talking and calm her down. She asked me to stay on the phone and talk to her. I started my car, put her on speaker, and waited for Dad to climb in. She was talking to me, and I told her about the party and what happened after she left, having her giggle at something Cindy had done. I was d someone was keeping us on our toes; it was good to hear her giggle even if she was scared.

    ''Sweetheart, I have Scott on Dad''s phone. Keep talking. Tell me about the car, what it is, the license te if it gets close enough to read, are you in a lighted area, give me all you got.'' I pushed, keeping her talking as she drove, and I headed towards her. I was breaking all speed limits, I needed to get to my girl.

    I was proud of her; she kept a cool head and phoned for help; I wondered what had happened to her Dad; I saw him turn his phone on like the rest of us did; something was not right there either. Scott has men on the way to her,ing from behind. Let us hope they reach her before something terrible happens. I wanted to grill Scott and find out where our protection went, but now was not the time; I needed to hear her voice and know that she was okay.

    ''Scott, Bethany said she could not raise her father. Can you send someone over there? His phone was turned off, and we knew it was turned on.'' I knew Bethany could hear me asking Scott this and hoped it did not make her worry about him. ''What is the address you dropped him at?'' I conveyed the question to Bethany as she could not hear him even though he was on speaker, too. She gave the address, but the small growl from Scott could have been a better sign. I hope Bob has not walked into danger. You have to trust your work colleagues even more, so when you are a policeman or fireman, those services that need your partner to have your back, I fear that Bob, being new to the city, might get stung by the criminal side sooner than he expected. Then one of the worst noises you ever want to hear came echoing through the phone, metal hitting metal.

    ''They hit me, Theo, the SUV behind me, he hit me from behind, it is hard to steer, I am struggling to stay on the road, what do I do? What the??? Theo, there is more than one vehicle. I cannot avoid it.'' She screamed over the phone, panic loud and clear in her voice. The bastards had hit her from behind, not far from the intersection close to the river. That part has a deep drop to the side; it''s not a good ce to be hit. She managed to hold the car and kept driving. That''s my girl, but a second car. What is she talking about? But the next sound was the death of me. I didn''t know how to continue and concentrate and drive, and I was still ten minutes away, but the metal-on-metal sounds, the splintering of ss, and the screeching as the car was pushed to who knows where across the road, then her gut-wrenching screams of pain, the sound of the car continued to screech across the road, as if the other vehicle was pushing it somewhere and another loud bang and then the phone went dead, had me hitting the steering wheel, in sadness, saying NO, NO, NO over and over again. All I could think of was they had deliberately pushed her over the edge and down the embankment.

    My girl, my woman, I could not protect her. I can''t lose her, not now when I have just found her.

    My Dad was the only reason I did not have an ident earlier. He took hold of the steering wheel and steered the car until I got myself back under control.

    ''I got it, Dad; sorry I lost it back there.'' I said as my senses came back to me.

    ''Do you want me to take over and drive?'' Dad asked calmly, not sounding panicky like me.

    ''No, Dad, I am good now.''

    ''Scott, are you still there?''

    ''Yes, our man is still five minutes away. His distracted voice came over the phone.

    ''Where were the ones from the house? How did they know to follow that car?''

    ''My men at the house were hit with tranquilizer darts. We had underestimated our foe. The license te belongs to the Gutter Boys; it seems they have taken up the contract; that gang came from another country and had been slowly taking over the city as the major crime gang; I have them under investigation. My gut feeling is someone high up is supporting them!''

    ''Can the detective that called Bethany in the middle of the night to see them, and she left paperwork with them and has not received them back, be part of it?''

    ''What is the detective''s name?'' I could hear Scott typing on hisptop. He must be a passenger in the car and working in the back.

    ''Detective Gregory. Oh damn, Wendy was still married to Congressman Sanderson. A loud whistle came over the speakers.

    ''What?'' My Dad asked, hearing the whistle.

    ''You need to see my wall; then you will understand. Maybe after we have seen how our girl is doing? I am arriving now, and there are a lot of police here already. I am not sure how they got here before me. See you soon!'' The phone went dead, and it was not long before we could see the red and blue lights shing in the distance. As we got near, my heart fell to my stomach.

    We got stopped by a policeman who was controlling the traffic, keeping it clear for the emergency crew to have easy

    ess.

    ''Sorry, sir, you will have to wait until we clear the area.

    ''That is my girlfriend in that car, and I am going in.'' I almost shouted at him.

    ''We are doctors; let us through, please, Dad said more calmly. That got the man''s attention, and Dad lifted his bag for him to see.

    ''Park your car over there and go by foot, sorry!'' He did sound apologetic, but I was in too much of a hurry to see how my girl was doing to be bothered by niceties. Dad and I went out. Dad grabbed his bag, and we rushed over to the small crowd looking down the embankment. I noticed Scott and rushed to him.

    ''How is she? Is she alive?'' Scott grabbed me by the shoulders and tried to steer me away from going to the edge.

 Chapter 76

    Theo POV

    Scott held me back, refusing to let me near the edge and to look down at the vehicle my girl must be trapped in. I needed to see her, hold her, and tell her that I loved her. You heard me. I love her. I did not realize it until now, when I thought she would be gone. I need to tell her how I feel before it is toote. ''Theo, listen to me, she is gone. My heart sank to the floor, and incredible emotions flooded me, causing me to sink to my knees.

    ''Gone?'' I cried out. I saw my Dad rushing over to me. He had gone to the edge and looked down, and I saw him disappear over the edge. He would let me know, he would tell me the truth, and she couldn''t be gone. ''Scott, the airbags. Dad said, crouched down beside me, pulled me into his arms, and tried to soothe me. ''Someone disabled them; they did not deploy, Scott said. I was only half-listening; I was too numb to take it all in.

    ''They had to have known that Bethany was going to be driving her Dad home, but how was it a calcted guess? We better get Theo''s car checked, just in case they disable them both, to get it right.'' Dad said they tampered with her car. Those bastards, we got to find them and hurt them for hurting my girl. For the first time in my life, I wanted to hurt someone. I had always been a peacemaker; finding solutions to help people and wanting to hurt someone was a foreign feeling for me.

    A helicopter could be heard, and I stood up with Dad and watched itnd. Thest person I expected climbed out of the helicopter, and the other police officers deferred to him, saluting him as he walked up to one of the senior police officers there; they conversed for a few moments and then pointed to me.This book has many missing chapters and scenes if you''re not reading it on Jo b ni b.c o m. He looked up and nodded at whatever the man was saying. He walked to the edge and looked down beforeing over to me; he reached out his hands and pulled me into a warm hug. I could feel his body shaking as he was fighting tears.

    ''We will find her; she has to be alive, or they would not have taken her. Bob said as he held me tighter.

    What, could she be alive?

    What does he mean by finding her?

    ''Sir, they have scoured the whole area, her body is not there, and they have cut the seat belt to get her out, so she could not have been thrown from the car. A senior officer reported to Bob. I was surprised to see he was a high officer; I thought he was just an ordinary detective. Bethany never said, and I never thought of asking.

    ''We found her phone, purse, and phone were broken. Does she have any other tracking devices on her?''

    ''Yes, her ne had a tracker on it. We will find her.'' Bob answered, and my heart rose a little as I realized gone meant taken and not dead; the relief was unbelievable, but then a new terror started: she could be hurt and in the hands of these madmen. It did not make sense to me why they would take her. Was it not causing her ident enough?

    ''What''s going on, Bob?'' I asked, looking into his red eyes. I could see how much this was hurting him, too.

    ''There is a group we have been investigating. I cannot go into details out here, but am happy to meet upter at Scott''sir. Have you seen it? It''s a nice setup? I have been working with Scott, but even I was not expecting this. I had not expected the ce I was supposed to be staying at tonight to be part of the wrong team, and Steve had turned off my phone. I am lucky Scott sent a man around!

    ''You are not exactly the person I was expecting to climb out of the helicopter! My Dad said, shaking Bob''s hand. ''Sorry Hank, less who knew the better, but now this has be gloves off; they have hurt my girl and taken her somewhere; I don''t care whose toes | have to step on; this has to end. I will go into more detailster. Could you stay calm and wait for me? A lot is going on in the background, and I can''t risk losing the bigger fish on thiswork. I had been working on it for far too long, and I had no idea how close had been till now. This was not just Cynthia getting her own revenge, but a warning for me to back off. Bob looked shattered, and it must have been hard for him, giving only little bits out when he could and knowing that Bethany would not share too much with anyone.

    Eventually, Scott and Dad let me go to the edge and look down at the mangled mess below. All the windows were smashed, the airbags had not deployed, and the only reason she was still alive was because of the special roll cage that Bob had installed in the vehicle when he purchased it a few years back. He had the vehicle shipped over here. He used it as his preferred vehicle; even bulletproof ss shatters under pressure in a rollover like this.

    I looked at her phone in my hand and thought of ourst words together. I wanted her here, in my arms, and when we got her back, I was never letting her go anywhere without me again. I know all my threats of never letting her go are all emotional words and that Bethany would never let me keep her out of harm''s way. It is not in her to hide from the world but to confront it and take it full-on.

    I watched the activity for a little whileter. They were going to pull the car upter when it was daylight, but they had towed the other car away and put it in apound under Bob''s control; he did not want more evidence to disappear suddenly. There seemed to be a lot I didn''t know. Bethany never told me that Bob was that high in the police force, and when I saw him, he was always a down-to-earth kind of guy, never the pretentious type I expected from the hierarchy. They tend to act full of bluster as their position often causes them to be full of themselves, whereas Bob is not like that. It was nice that he was still the sports nut I hade to like and enjoy hispany, and he and Dad got along well.

    Dad pulled me away from the scene and back into my car. He drove me home, my mind miles away, wondering where they had taken Bethany and if she was okay. They said there was blood, and seeing the car, I would have been shocked if there wasn''t so much damage to the vehicle. She had to have injuries of some kind. But how bad is she? Was it a head wound? If so, she could have a concussion, and that could be dangerous. I wish I knew where she was and that she was okay.

    My phone rang; it was Robson.

    ''Hey, I heard there was an ident.'' Robson''s way of asking if it was someone we knew was that he had a radio band that gave updates on idents, so he could be ready if the local hospital could not cope, and we needed to take on some patients. ''Yeah, Bethany!'' I said softly and heard him take a deep breath.

    ''Is she okay?''

    ''I don''t know. I could not say too much and had no idea how to answer that.

    ''Where has she been taken?''

    ''I don''t know.'' I said again, and Robson thought I was losing it. Dad took the phone from me as we pulled up to my parking stop.

    ''Robson, this is Hank.''

    ''Oh, hi Hank, What is going on?''

    ''The ident was to take Bethany; she has been kidnapped; we do not know how serious her injuries are at this stage. The words that flowed out of Robson''s mouth were not ones I could repeat. I had no idea he had such a colorful vocabry, but I guess we all learn the swear words first.

 Chapter 77

    Theo POV

    Robson gave me time off, something I have rarely done since I started working at the hospital. We had no scheduled operations at the moment, and we were waiting to discharge the ones we already had. He would call me in if we had an emergency.

    I could not face the penthouse alone, so I packed a bag and, for the first time, locked our door. Though Felicity is next door, I do not trust that any visitors she may have might venture over to ours and help themselves, and I didn''t want anyone else sleeping in our bed. Bob had taken me in; he said we could console each other, thought he needed someone to bounce ideas off, and there were few people out there that either of us trusted enough to do that with. My Dad would be happy to, but Bob is trying to keep things on a need-to-know basis, and Dad really does not need to know the ins and outs at this point. Maybe when the shite hits the fan, then others will hear about all the shady stuff that has been going on.

    I am not interested in the shady stuff. I just want my girl home, and I think that is our bond. We both want the same thing. He has lost his sports buddy, and I have lost everything. That is how it feels. I have this hollow emptiness. Bethany once filled that, and now it just feels heavy.

    Bob showed me to my room. He said little; we did not need words; we were both lost in our thoughts and needed a little more time to process it all; you do not realize how much a person means to you until they are not there anymore. I want to let Bethany know how I feel and how much I care in a day. This girl came out of the blue, bumped into me in the elevator, and took my heart with her.

    Neither of us sleptst night; Bob was on the phone and hisputer most of the night, and after Dad took me home to pack a bag and then to Bob''s ce, I zoned out, thinking about our good times. I am not an investigator, so I did not know where to begin looking for her, so I left that to the experts. By listening to and watching Bob at work, I have underestimated who he is, and he is the expert. What he has is far better than anything that Scott has, and that is saying something. Bob is more than a detective; much, much more. I know he is high enough tomand a helicopter when he needs one, and you have to be pretty high to do that, but I still need to figure out how high. But does it really matter, as long as, at his level, he can get the information we need? That is all I care about at the moment.

    ''Theo, want coffee. Bob said as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

    ''Yeah, I will do it. I need something to do.'' I made a coffee, found some cake, and took it out to Bob, who was on his phone again, but this time he had it on speaker. He did not mind me hearing what was being said.

    ''We were tracking the signal until we reached the underpass, and then the signal stopped. Could they have removed the ne?'' the male voice said over the phone.

    ''Which underpass?'' Bob''s television suddenly showed an area map, and a red dot shed at thest ce where the signal came from.

    ''Bob, there are tunnels in there that go for miles underground; I had a boy scout week in them, part of our orienteering week; if they had taken Bethany there, they could be headed in any direction.'' I say, knowing that area well, having yed there many times, and got in trouble for it.

    ''He is right, Bob; I did not think of that. Please give me a few minutes to find an old map. It has all the tunnels in it, some mining operations not mined in over one hundred years, but it is a good ce to hide and have fun. If they have taken her there, I can only think of two ces that are big enough to keep her! The voice on the phone goes quiet, and the television starts to flick through different maps. They are remotely connected to Bob''s television. I had heard about this technology but had never witnessed it before. It was terrific, and if not for the fact they were hunting for my girl, I might have appreciated what I was watching a little more. I had no idea if the information was something on Bob''s side of things or if it wasing from someone else''sputer. I am no expert. Please give me a scalpel. I am more than content with anything else, even fixing my own car, and I am at a loss.

    ''This one. The flipping through maps stopped, and I immediately recognized the area and the tunnels, my yground as a child, and finally, something I could do and contribute to finding my girl. I had been feeling so helpless until now. I got up from my seat in the lounge and walked to the television screen.

    ''Here is arge cave; it is as big as this whole apartment and can hold her there; here and here are smaller ones, but I feel the bigger one is more likely because it has running water. I said and started to walk back to my seat. ''Stay there a moment, Theo. Bob said and stared at the screen a little longer.

    ''Danny, Theo pointed to three ces. Bob gave the coordinates, and a red shing light appeared at those ces.

    ''Any other way into those tunnels?'' Danny asked. You would only find them if you knew that they were there. The underpass is not a ce anyone normally goes to. It is dangerous to walk through, as there is little space between the road and the walls. Most thought it was purpose-dug for the underpass, but it was really a tunnel for the mines that they converted to a ce for traffic. It cuts an hour of a round trip from one city to the next.

    ''Nope, the only way in and out is through that tunnel in the underpass. Do you have eyes in there?'' I asked, getting excited that my girl could be home soon and get the medical treatment she needed.

    ''Let me get into Main Road''sputer system and check. Give me a moment. While this Danny guy logged into main roads, I again wondered who Bob really was, that he could log into all these ssified ces and peruse their systems. I dare not ask too many questions. I might be standing in front of one of the most powerful men in our state or country, and I would not know it.

    ''The footage is a bit grainy; it was mainly used for traffic flow, but you can see the SUV stop in the tunnel and some get out. Your girl must be in there. I have sped through the footage since the vehicle first stopped, and no one hase or gone. I have looped that camera into ourputer system so we can monitor it until you give us the nod to go in. the voice sounded a little more optimistic, and I was starting to feel that way, too. We now have an idea where she is being held; now it is a matter of getting in there and finding where she might be without them harming her any further than she already is.

    ''Do you have a heat-seeking camera avable? Fly over with your helicopter and see what we can find?'' I suggested, not trying to hide the excitement in my voice.

    ''That is a great idea. Danny, get the chopper ready and take Harpy with you. He is the best with that sort of camera. See what you can find! Bob orders and that confirms to me that he is a powerful man and not one to mess with. Taking Bethany from him was a stupid thing to do. He won''t stop till he has her back safe and sound and all the perpetrators caught, no matter who they are.

    ''On it, sir.'' The television went nk, and I stood there staring at the ck screen for a little longer.

    ''Hey, your coffee is getting cold,'' Bob reminded me, breaking the spell I was under. I smiled at him and sat beside him, picking up a cake and taking arge bite, the first thing I had eaten since Bethany was taken.

 Chapter 78

    Theo POV

    The heat image cannot find people underground, or so I am told. However, if they have a fire going for heat or cooking, we might find them. We are hoping that whoever is holding Bethany is not too smart, and Danny is going to fly over today. If there is no sess, we will go again at night. We might be lucky. We need an idea of which one of the three ces they are held up in if the imaging fails; Bob suggested we send in a tiny camera on wheels, but we need to be pretty close to operating it. It is hard sitting here watching the ck screen and mobile, waiting for something to happen; after about two hours, we heard that we would need to do a night run. The image was not clear, so Bob suggested we get some rest; Danny would keep someone watching the camera for any movement. In the meantime, Scott is organizing a group to go in at a moment''s notice. Bob is not going to risk letting anyone in the police force know what we are up to. He said he had yet to get all the informants, and he was sure he was missing something, a piece of the puzzle that would connect thest few dots. The growing number of people involved in this scam is huge, and it is all for power and money. It never fails to shock me what some will do for either of those.

    I must have been exhausted because the next thing I knew, Bob was in my room, shaking me to wake up.

    ''Hey,e get some coffee and dinner. The helicopter just took off, and I thought you might want to be there when they reached the tunnel. There has been no activity so far since Bethany was dropped off. Bob left me a coffee on the bedside table and left me to wake up. I could smell food cooking, and my stomach grumbled to remind me that I had only eaten a cake since the party and needed to get something into it. I might not be interested in eating, but I needed to keep strong when I got mydy back. I took arge gulp of the coffee and headed to the bathroom to wash my face and empty my dder, which wasplete and ready to burst. The body was excellent; the moment I reached the bathroom, I nearly peed myself; one look at the shiny white bowl, and I was a child again, with hardly any dder control as I rushed to lift the lid and let that baby flow.

    Bob cooked steak and eggs, and he is a pretty good cook, which does not surprise me, as he seems to be good at most things he puts his hands on. We sat in front of the television, watching some sports updates as we waited. I understood the need for some normality. The only difference today was, instead of his paperwork on stats, he had hisptop open on some police line, and at any moment, the screen on the television could change from sports reports to thermal imagining. The time I spent with Bob was special; he let few people near him when he was working, and his having me here said a lot about the trust he had in me and my rtionship with Bethany.

    ''That was great, Bob. Thank you,'' I said as I wiped my mouth, removing the gravy that had dribbled down my chin, and rubbed my belly in appreciation.

    ''It was not like Bethany''s cuisine, but it was not half bad. The mention of Bethany''s name made me blink a few times, pick up my coffee, and finish it. ''Want another coffee?'' I offered as I cleared the tes.

    ''Sure, there might be some cake left over in the fridge, too, Bob suggested as he flicked through something on hisptop. When I returned to the lounge with the coffee and cake, the television was screening the view below the helicopter. It was nearing the underpass, and I yelled just before it reached the pass.

    ''LOOK. I quickly put the coffee down and rushed to the television to point to what I was looking for. If you were unfamiliar with the underground sections, you would not know how far from the cave''s underpass was.

    ''Is that a campfire?'' Bob said and ordered the helicopter to pass by again.

    We waited with bated breath as the chopper circled and the sign of a fire beneath the surface appeared. We could not see the bodies; they did not give off enough heat and were too far underground, but we now knew where they were camped, in thergest of the

    caverns.

    This discovery gave me hope, and I did one of Bethany''s happy dances in the lounge room, causing Bob tough and jump up and join me. It was a good moment, and hopefully, with more toe, we did a doozie do and hi-five. You would think we won the finals, but we both knew this was not even a semi-final yet; we had a long way to go.

    ''Time to get Scott in on the action; he should have men ready to go. Under normal situations, I would first ask for some surveince, but we know that Bethany is hurt. How bad is that? We won''t know till we get there. I have surveince on Cynthia. If there is any sign of her moving to the underpass, I will have her intercepted. Bob called Scott, and I had no idea they knew each other that well. He is a good friend of mine, and that was why I contacted him. He was already working on the case when I had called him, and apparently, that gave Scott a better idea for doing what he was doing rather than a covert operation under orders of secrecy.

    Could you speak to me?'' Scott said, and I chuckled as if he would have said that to me.

    ''Sending you a link. We have located heat below the surface, and we believe that could be their campfire. We wait for Scott to log into the link and speak again. Twenty painful minutester.

    ''Agreed, do you have any orders?'' Wow, Scott is being full-on. I have never seen this side of him. He is usually jovial, even when we are serious. He seems to have a quiet nature about him, but this one he is showing is all battle-ready and ready to fight. ''Target is injured, so surveince is not an option; the depth of the tunnel is too far to drill down and send in a camera; if there is a fire, is there a vent shaft nearby?'' He asked, and I thought for a moment, and unless they had created one, I don''t think there was. ''Good question. Danny?'' Bob asked Danny, and I had not even realized that Danny was in on this call.

    ''Let me do another circle, and we should be able to see if there are heat blooms somewhere else. It did not take long to get an answer, but now we had an area to examine.

    ''Negative, no vents, must be smoking down the tunnels.

    ''I can send a small team in and check it out. I need to ensure we do not have visitors while my men are there. Could we block off the underpass? Is it not usually busy at night? Some night work or something?'' ''Yes, how much time do you need?'' Danny asked.

    ''We can be there in an hour!

    ''Done. We can set up the road workers, and they can change light bulbs in the tunnel and block the side of the tunnel off; as it is a fourne tunnel, we can have twones blocked and onene going either way! ''Perfect, get it done. Keep an eye on the sky. Stealth mode. Bob ordered.

    They hung up, and I looked at Bob.

    ''Now we are waiting!

    ''You don''t want to be there?'' I asked Bob. I was sure he would want to be at ground zero.

    ''Can''t? We have to be innocent of any connection to this. You know this! Bob said it must be hard for him to be there, watching at a distance.

    ''Yeah, but I have never had the one I loved be the victim before. I said, almost losing myself to tears.

    ''Me, neither, son, me neither, Bob replied sadly.

 Chapter 79

    Theo POV

    We watched the television as more temporary cameras were set up so we could get a better view of the tunnel entrance. The men set up the roadblocks and started to rece the lights that needed recing, and an ambnce was nearby, working on a pretend patient involved in an ident. Everything looked real enough. Scott''s voice came over the speaker.

    ''Set, ready to enter! Four armed men entered the tunnel, followed by two carrying a gurney to bring Bethany out. It was almost midnight, and the roads were fairly quiet, even for this time of night. It seemed everything was going ording to n, but that did not take away the rats gnawing in my gut, trying to eat me alive inside. My heart was beating so fast, you would think I had just run a marathon.

    The television screen flickered to live viewing; one of the men was wearing a camera on his head, and we could see what was going on. They were creeping slowly down the tunnels. The ground had a lot of footprints in the sand, and that was what they were following: an easy guide to the main cave. Even when they came to the fork in the tunnels, I knew I wasing up; the footprints only ever went one way; it appeared they had been living in this ce for a while, and the thought of this being their main hideout flickered through my mind. This new gang in the city had grown so fast and hidden so well; for them to be hiding here, they had to have someone who knew the area to ce them there.

    ''The gang has high-up help and contacts to be here?'' I suggested to Bob, who was leaning forward on his arms, watching the screen intently.

    ''You''re right. We have most of the names now; we''re just missing a few links. When they fall into ce, then we shall start rounding them up, Bob said casually as if he were talking about a sports report.

    The men slowly walked down the tunnel, and I wanted to yell at them to hurry up. No! I needed to see my girl and see how she was fairing.

    They were not moving fast enough for me.

    ''Come on,e on. I groaned in my head.

    ''Calm down, go make us another coffee. It will be a little while yet. They are not even halfway down the tunnel, and you are going to be a mess before they reach the opening. Bob admonished me as he turned to watch me leave the lounge room, with my tail between my legs. How he could be so calm when it was his daughter they were going to rescue is beyond me. It has to be all his training for him to cope so well.

    The coffee brewed, and I decided to make some toasted cheese. I was not that hungry; it was more of something to do. I say I am not a cook, and by my standards, I am not. Still, I can cook enough to stay alive, and if someone else does the preparation, like the marinated steaks that Bethany made, I wish I had the skill to do that part of it. I am more of a ''throw it on the cooker and hope for the best'' type of cook. At least I don''t burn food anymore.

    I took out the coffee and toast and ced them on the table. Bob was right; they were not at the cave entrance yet, I sighed. I was relieved they had not arrived when I was in the kitchen and missed it or were still creeping along at a slow pace.

    ''Toasted Cheese. Thanks, Theo, I am peckish. Bob grabbed a piece and took a small bite, testing how hot the cheese was, before taking a more giant bite.

    I did the same and sat back, a little more at ease than before I had gone to the kitchen. Bob was good at reading people and must have read that I needed the break. It was not much longer and the entrance came into view. I sucked in a breath and leaned forward as I watched closely. Bob did something simr, and we both seemed to be holding our breath as the camera slowly took in the inside area.

    They have a small kitchen section, but it was a mess with empty takeaway boxes; the camera moved to the right, and there were bunk beds set up, a lot of them, a ce that looked like the bathroom area, and to the left was what I had been waiting for. I assumed the person on the bed was Bethany. It was hard to tell from here, as it was away from all the other beds, so I thought it was her. Two men were asleep on the bottom bed of the bunk beds closest to the separate bed, and the other was sleeping on a chair next to the bed; no other person could be seen there. As they closed in, the camera turned to the left, and they had a corkboard set up with photos and maps on it, amunication setup, and aputer. I wondered briefly where they got the power, then kicked myself. If the underpass had lighting, it would take little to tap into the power grid, powering the lights.

    ''Get closer to that board, and let''s get a look at it. Bob spoke softly, and the camera moved to that part of the cave. I wanted to scream not to and go get Bethany, but I held my tongue; I was being personal and selfish; what was on that board was as important to the mission as getting Bethany was. I understood this might be the only chance to look at it. The men might wake up once they pick up Bethany, and things would change quickly. Also, we are still determining if anyone is on their way here. The longer they are in the tunnels, the bigger the risk of being caught there; a change shift could be on their way.

    The person stood in front of the table and very slowly looked at everything: the board and a book on the table. He flicked through each page, then looked around some more. I knew that this was being recorded and could be reviewedter.

    The head turned to look at the bed, and a man was already beside it. I am not sure what they did to the one sleeping on the chair, but he was not moving at all; maybe they made sure he stayed asleep. The person by the bed picked up Bethany''s bridle style, carried her to the gurney, and covered her with a nket; I could not see her face as they covered her.

    ''Don''t panic; they cover her face so she does not get anything in her eyes if she wakes; it is a precaution. It does not mean she is dead. Bob answered my unvoiced question as the two men holding the gurney started moving out of the tunnel at speed. It was still a long time until they got out of the tunnel and went to the ambnce. Two ambnce people lowered their trolley, transferred Bethany into it, and pushed her into the ambnce. I watched as the ambnce took off, still having no clue about her condition but relieved she was on her way for treatment.

    ''Sir.'' Scott''s voice came over the speaker.

    ''Speak. Bob''s gruff voice replied, the first sign I had seen, or should I say, heard him c***k a little.

    ''The victim is on her way. He did not say her name, but he did not need to, and I think Bob had mentioned before that names would not be used if a traitor was listening.

    ''Good job. The screen went dead, and I stood staring at it; I felt moisture run down my cheek and realized I was crying. I turned to look at Bob and saw he, too, had tears running down his cheeks. ''Bob, where are they taking her?'' I asked softly.

    He turned, looked at me, and broke into a smile.

    ''Herb. It is isted, has all we need to treat her, and no one would question a patient in there. Bob said with a smirk, trying to get in there without anyone noticing.

    ''Perfect. Do you wish to apany me to the hospital and await her arrival?'' I said I was happy to have her on our turf. I could even sleep there if I wanted to, and no one would question it.

    ''Try and keep me away! Bob and I headed to the hospital, where I expected Robson to be already prepared and waiting for the ambnce to arrive.

 Chapter 80

    Theo

    POV

    Bob and I walked to the hospital. Yeah, he lives that close to it, but on the other side of town, I love that we are so close. Bethany needs her sports day with her dad; it is so beautiful to watch them together so they are in sync with each other. Both c**k their heads the same andugh at the same time. Bethany is definitely a chip off the old block, so to speak. I noticed that she knew when he needed something on day one of our sports days and was already getting up to get it before he even asked. ''Hi, Robson. ETA of our package?'' Bob asked Robson kindly, keeping to code for those around us listening in as he shook his hand.

    ''Five minutes, everything is ready! He looked at his watch and back up at us, a smile never leaving his face. You could tell he was happy to be getting Bethany home, but his eyes told you he was as worried as us.

    ''Any news on the condition?'' Bob may appear to be rxed andposed, but after spending this time together, worrying, and giving each other support, I could pick up more on how he really is. He is a veryplex man. I already liked him, and so did my Dad. ''Critical, but stable.'' So my girl is hanging in there. I had no idea if she was dead or alive until thatment. Now, to see what that means. We chatted for a while, killing time as we all watched the driveway, eager to see the ambnce arrive. Robson had all the staff stay clear of the area there; only the three of us were allowed there until the client was moved to the ICU in theb. This is not unusual if we have a high-profile client; they like their privacy, and none of the staff would think to question it.

    The ambnce came up the driveway with no lights and sirens, which we rarely do unless it was a significant heart attack and the paramedics were struggling with the patient. Most of the time, it is all nned surgery; most heart attack victims are taken straight to the public hospital, and we are called in if needed, or it is one of our clients, and we are asked if they can be brought directly to us. It is all controlled by Robson. If he says no to the request, then the patient, whether a client of ours or not, must go to the public hospital; that is rare.

    The ambnce turned and reversed. The paramedic jumped out of the passenger door, opened the back door, and revealed my Dad sitting beside Bethany, holding her hand and monitoring her. He looked up at me and smiled; it was the best look I could have asked for; it conveyed a lot in that small smile.

    ''Hi Son. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I had no idea Dad was in on this. It should not have surprised me; to be honest, I just had not even thought about it.

    ''Hi Dad, how is she?'' I asked as Robson and Bob shook Dad''s hand after he climbed out of the ambnce.

    The gurney passed me by, and I tried to follow, but Robson grabbed me by my arm and shook his head.

    ''Wait, your Dad has work to do that is urgent before we can get involved; give him some time to do what he does best; he is the trauma specialist here.'' I nodded, stood between Robson and Bob, slowly followed the gurney, and watched my Dad walk beside it, giving Bethany another jab of something. I wished I could have seen her, touched her, kissed her before she was whisked away.

    ''Maybe we can have a cup of coffee while we wait, giving Hank time to assess her condition and get her stable before we bombard him, Robson suggested, and led us to the private kitchen. He made the coffee for us. Neither Bob nor I wanted to talk yet; both were deep in thought.

    ''Bob, when did you know what was happening to Bethany and this mess?'' I asked. I had only been getting a little bit and pieces, but I had learned a lot, staying with him.

    ''That is the hard part to admit. I had no idea about Wendy''s involvement. I had been investigating a fewints about weddings some hotels thought were dodgy. I was gathering information for about three years, slowly pinpointing it down to a celebrant who works out in Vega, who was moonlighting these other weddings, and it appeared the registration of those marriages never happened. Then, when Bethany caught her sister and husband and found out about their fake marriage, things started to click for me. In Cynthia''s case, they were pretending to get married to get money out of the hotel. They had several hotels that would contact the women''s club for a celebrant, and they paid them money to do marriages, and their fake one was typical of what was going on. Then Bethany gave herwyer all that information that was just on Cynthia''s side of this, and more dates linked up, and names became clearer. To top it off, some of the clients thought they were really getting married. But it does not stop at weddings, and all this started about thirty years ago when Wendy married the now congressman. The idea of fake weddings came up, and I believe her husband is part of all of this, as well as a few other well-to-do men; the celebrant may change the name slightly or the date of birth, like in Bethany''s case, or not register it at all. Then you add in this new gang, and they are all tied into this. I am just missing a step. I have thedies, all six of them, and their real husbands who are in on it, too, the celebrant and the head of the gang, but for some reason, I cannot figure out the end game. It has to be more than money and extortion, and something I have missed is still nagging at the back of my mind. Oh, and one of the precincts is in on this too, that detective who took Bethany in at some awful time at night and took her briefcase but never returned it. Luckily, she kept a second copy of them all, which I now have. I work with someone who is not in on it before I jump on the bent coppers. There is still a bit more to do, but I have a good crew working with me now, which is not part of the police force and is not biased. That was the most Bob had said in days, and I had a better idea of what was going on now. He filled in the pieces, and by the look on Robson''s face, he already knew a lot about this.

    ''So Scott?'' I asked, and he nodded. Scott was working for Bob to get to the bottom of this. When you can''t trust those around you, who can you trust?

    ''Bob, what are you? I thought you were just a detective, but after seeing you in action, you are more than that, aren''t you?'' I asked, not able to let it go any longer.

    ''My girl sees me as her big teddy bear to hug, hold, and go to when needingfort. No matter what, I am in the police force, I am still her Dad, and she only ever introduces me to her friends as either a police officer or a detective, and in some ways, the way she introduces me to her friends tells me how she feels about them. Those she had little to no trust in. I am a police officer. If she trusts you a little, I am the detective. ''But what are you?'' I asked again, and Robson started tough.

    ''He is our policemissioner. I am shocked. It never urred to me that he was him, the big man. I know him as Bob, and maybe one day my future father-inw, but he is a policemissioner; no wonder he could pull strings, and the other police officers deferred to him.

    ''Yes, I was a top detective in the other city and had been offered themissioner job many times over the years, but after what happened to Bethany, I took the job. Part of epting that job was to move here, and I needed to stay close to Bethany. Leaving Wendy was easy. We had fallen apart years ago, and to be honest, I never paid much attention to her or Cynthia. I did try to help Bethany when I could, but Wendy often made it hard. Once I had moved here and looked deeper into my marriage, did I start joining the dots? I had not been able to join before. Don''t worry, I am still Bob.'' He chuckled.

 Chapter 81

    Theo POV

    Once I was over the shock, we talked some more. Bob is a good guy, and to be duped by Wendy, as he had shown how easy it was to do for anyone, and how we might need to look deeper into our marriage recordings. With today''s technology, we should be able to avoid ever having bigamy again. I know in some countries, it is okay to have more than one partner, but not in ours, so we must find a way to improve the recording. Will we have to end up with DNA samples or fingerprinting to prove who we are? Should we get that deep, something like this group should never have been able to form. It may have started as a bit of fun thirty years ago, but it grew into something ugly and more sinister.

    It was nearly three hours before Dad came out of the room holding Bethany and sat beside me at the table. Bob was the first to stand up and get him a coffee and a toasted sandwich. Dad looked shattered. He does not do all-nighters anymore, and tonight had not only been long for him, but he also had to work on someone he cared for, and that is always difficult at the best of times.

    Dad took a few long pulls of the coffee, and soon the cup was empty, and Bob was filling it again.

    I still don''t think there was anything said.

    We watched and waited for Dad to be ready to tell us what he needed to say. Then, as longst, he spoke.

    ''Bethany has three broken ribs, lucky none punctured her lunges, broken left arm, fractured eye socket, cracked cheekbone, swelling on the brain, and we won''t go into all the lesions and bruises she has, some from the ss, some from being thrown around. There are no internal injuries that I can see. I have sedated her and will keep her in aatose condition until the swelling in the brain goes down. There is little more that I can do, except wait and monitor.

    ''Go home, Dad, and get some sleep. I will stay here and watch her. I will call you if there is any change.'' I suggested Dad not argue when the others murmured their agreement. I watched Dad leave and looked at the other two men as if we all agreed. We stood up and headed to Bethany''s room.

    I let Bob go in first, followed by Robson, and took the rear; I watched Bob''s shoulders shake and knew it must look bad. I was a little nervous to look, but I knew it was going to break my heart when I saw her.

    She was all battered and bruised. Lying as if sleeping on the bed, tubesing out of both arms, tubes down her throat, and wires all over her, yep, she looked about what I expected until I got closer and gasped, knowing and seeing all different things.

    My girl was ck and blue. Not one part of her face was untouched, and what I could not see was because the bandages covered it, but it was the same underneath. Her whole face was swollen, and if I had not been told that it was Bethany before me, I would not have recognized her; she was in such bad shape.

    Bob sniffed back a sob and kissed her forehead before backing away. Robson kissed her cheek and backed away, leaving me to go to her. I sat on a chair next to the bed on the right-hand side and leaned down, kissed her bandaged cheek, rested my head on her shoulder, grabbed a hand,ced my fingers through them the best I could, and sobbed. I did not care who saw me. I cried like a baby.

    I cried because she was hurt, I cried because I was happy she was back with me, I cried because I felt guilty for not protecting her, and,stly, I cried for me. Why me? I am not sure yet, but I know I was selfish and did not care. I was where I wanted to be, sitting with my girl.

    I felt a hand rub my shoulder, and I lifted my head to look up. Bob nodded at me, his eyes red, but he backed away and left the room. I guess he needed to go back to work and catch those who caused this.

    ''Theo, I have done all the surgery for the time being. I doubt you could operate while your mind is here. Two of the junior doctors are ready to go solo so that I might give them a chance. I will go in and guide them, but it is time we let some of them earn their keep. Stay here. Call if you need anything. The kitchen is fully stocked, and the bag of your clothes that you packed and took to Bob''s is in the other room, so you can stay there for as long as you need. Look after our girl.!

    those marriages never happened. Then, when Bethany caught her sister and husband and found out about their fake marriage, things started to click for me. In Cynthia''s case, they were pretending to get married to get money out of the hotel. They had several hotels that would contact the women''s club for a celebrant, and they paid them money to do marriages, and their fake one was typical of what was going on. Then Bethany gave herwyer all that information that was just on Cynthia''s side of this, and more dates linked up, and names became clearer. To top it off, some of the clients thought they were really getting married. But it does not stop at weddings, and all this started about thirty years ago when Wendy married the now congressman. The idea of fake weddings came up, and I believe her husband is part of all of this, as well as a few other well-to-do men; the celebrant may change the name slightly or the date of birth, like in Bethany''s case, or not register it at all. Then you add in this new gang, and they are all tied into this. I am just missing a step. I have thedies, all six of them, and their real husbands who are in on it, too, the celebrant and the head of the gang, but for some reason, I cannot figure out the end game. It has to be more than money and extortion, and something I have missed is still nagging at the back of my mind. Oh, and one of the precincts is in on this too, that detective who took Bethany in at some awful time at night and took her briefcase but never returned it. Luckily, she kept a second copy of them all, which I now have. I work with someone who is not in on it before I jump on the bent coppers. There is still a bit more to do, but I have a good crew working with me now, which is not part of the police force and is not biased. That was the most Bob had said in days, and I had a better idea of what was going on now. He filled in the pieces, and by the look on Robson''s face, he already knew a lot about this.

    ''So Scott?'' I asked, and he nodded. Scott was working for Bob to get to the bottom of this. When you can''t trust those around you, who can you trust?

    ''Bob, what are you? I thought you were just a detective, but after seeing you in action, you are more than that, aren''t you?'' I asked, not able to let it go any longer.

    ''My girl sees me as her big teddy bear to hug, hold, and go to when needingfort. No matter what, I am in the police force, I am still her Dad, and she only ever introduces me to her friends as either a police officer or a detective, and in some ways, the way she introduces me to her friends tells me how she feels about them. Those she had little to no trust in. I am a police officer. If she trusts you a little, I am the detective. ''But what are you?'' I asked again, and Robson started tough.

    ''He is our policemissioner.'' I am shocked. It never urred to me that he was him, the big man. I know him as Bob, and maybe one day my future father-inw, but he is a policemissioner; no wonder he could pull strings, and the other police officers deferred to him.

    ''Yes, I was a top detective in the other city and had been offered themissioner job many times over the years, but after what happened to Bethany, I took the job. Part of epting that job was to move here, and I needed to stay close to Bethany. Leaving Wendy was easy.

    We had fallen apart years ago, and to be honest, I never paid much attention to her or Cynthia. I did try to help Bethany when I could, but Wendy often made it hard. Once I had moved here and looked deeper into my marriage, did I start joining the dots? I had not been able to join before. Don''t worry, I am still Bob.'' He chuckled.

 Chapter 82

    Theo POV

    The day went by in a blur. I washed and attended to Bethany, changing her drip. Robson stopped by, andter that day, Dad popped in. He brought take-away with him, knowing he might not have eaten, and he was right. I had a little, only what Robson brought in with him. I was too consumed in caring for Bethany, and all else seemed to fade away.

    We sat at a table near the bed, so I could still see Bethany and eat together.

    ''She is holding on well. We won''t know there is any brain damage until she wakes up. It appears not only did the roll cage stop her from being crushed, but Bethany had pulled the seat belt tighter in an attempt to reduce the movement her body would have in the ident. She had been taught well by her Dad that she would be in a lot worse mess if not for those two little factors.

    ''I hear you, Dad. It was more of a harness than a normal seat belt. I think if it had been my vehicle, she would not have survived!

    ''I am trying, Dad, I really am. I hear you; the what-ifs keeping to my head, and yes, I should be more grateful for the what-is. Thankfully, she had her head about her when under pressure, thankful that the vehicle was geared up to survive this sort of hit, and now knowing who Bob is, I understand the extreme measures he took to protect himself in the car. We should have taken more precautions; even Bob was confused by some of the things that had happened. Do we have a traitor in our group? Or something else? Could it all just be a coincidence? They knew our habit of ying the game; anyone who knew us knew, and Mother''s birthday party was on f******k, in all ces. We were open to being hit that day, but for some reason, we did not have extra security, or if we did, where did it go? I am waiting to hear from Scott to find out more. My mind won''t stop till I have more answers. Look at her Dad, what did she do to deserve all this?'' I fought against my emotions, and tears helped no one. Dad patted me on the back. ''You are going through grief, Son; everyone does the rewinds and tries to fight the why. Let it all out, and let''s work on fixing what we have and not work on what should have been. As a doctor, you know this, but your heart is trying to lead. Now get some rest. Bethany does not need you to be too tired to help her when she wakes up. Leave Bob to work this out and me to be her doctor, and you be there as her man. Can you do that? Let the rest go?'' Dad tried to convince me just to be here. Will my mind let the rest go? ''I will try, Dad.'' We embraced each other for a while, and then Dad let go, cleaned up the dinner mess, and left to go home.

    The next two days were the same. Robson, Dad, and Bob all came to visit at some point. I changed Bethany''s sheets, redressed her, and body-washed her, refusing to allow anyone else in the room to tend to her. If Robson was struggling with missing his two main doctors, he never said or showed it.

    Bethany''s swelling on her face had gone down a lot. The ck-blue was starting to have yellow on it, all the signs of healing, yet here shey, on a bed with machines that kept her breathing rhythmically, that seemed to be like clockwork, and the beeping of the heart monitor, all a reminder that we were keeping her alive and that sound started to annoy me. Then I woke from my nightmare of her screams, which were thest sound of her voice that I had in my head, mixed with the sounds in this roombined, had made the nightmare even worse, and it is the nightmares that made the sound in this room a reminder of that night, of the crash I heard over the phone. Let go, Dad has said, and during the day, I fight to do just that, but at night, when sleep is found, the nightmare returns, and it ys some horrific games in my head and fills me with guilt.

    I dragged myself to the bathroom and grabbed a shower. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a shadow of myself; my eyes were dark from not having enough sleep, and I had not shaved in days; deciding today was the day that all changes; today, I am going forward and being the strong man I know I am, and will be ready for my girlfriend. She won''t want to see me like that. I grab my razor and clean the growth away. There is not much I can do about the dark eyes, but it is time to put on the positive attitude you tell all your patients'' families to have, time to be what you tell all of them to be. It is time to put what was done behind me; I cannot change it. It is time to get Bethany back and stop wallowing in self-regret.

    Leaving the bathroom, I headed to the kitchen and made some breakfast. I sat near Bethany and ate it all, like a starving man, and drank two cups of coffee before I returned the dishes, rinsed them, and put them in the dishwasher. I cleaned up the kitchen, gathered the things I needed to give my girl a wash and change, and headed back to bed.

    I turned on the television to watch her favorite sports news. She would need this news for Sunday sports day. Our team game is over for the season, but I know she loves basketball, ice hockey, and ser. On the television is ice hockey, something I could have improved at, but I loved to watch the skill they have running around on ice as if it were normal ground. I stopped and watched for a moment and smiled at some goal reply. Yep, it takes some skill to do that.

    I talked to Bethany as I washed her gently, being careful around her wounds. I have removed the bandages and will re-bandage them when I am done. They look good, no infections.

    I am discussing this Sunday''s sports day, who is ying, and who we would prefer to watch. A great game of baseball is on, too, and I am not sure if I have ever heard her discuss baseball, though she does have a poster of a pitcher in her portfolio.

    ''She would prefer ice hockey as it is getting towards the finals. Baseball is only just starting.'' Bob''s voice came from behind me. I turned to look at Bob and smiled. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, with no clue he was a policemissioner, and I was d of that. I preferred keeping him as Bob. Then, I did something I had yet to think I would do. ''Would you like to continue brushing her hair as I make us a coffee?'' I offered. I thought I would be selfish and want to keep her all to myself, but looking at Bob at that moment, I knew I could not do that. Bob''s face changed to one of surprise and then a smile.

    ''Love to. I have brought some bacon and egg burgers on my way in; I can see you have shaved; good on you,d!''

    I did not tell him I had already eaten. I made the coffee and went to sit at the table. Bob ced the burgers and napkins on the table. Bob finished her hair and kissed her on the head before joining me at the table.

    ''Scott had lost a few men to tranquilizers that night. If you are wondering why so few were protecting Bethany, we have arrested the gang, all of them, including the boss overseas, who happened to be here when the k********g went down, and we are now piecing thest few bits together. By the end of the week, we shall have over one hundred men and women arrested and charged with various offenses. Including over fifteen police officers of various ranks. The group we thought was just the women''s club is so much more than that. The married woman''s club was just where it all began!

    ''How so?'' I was intrigued now.

    ''Four women and four men in college got married by the same man in Vegas, and the following year, they went back to do it again, enjoying the hype of being the bride; this was when the Vegas man suggested the fake marriage stuff, so Wendy knew when we got married that she was already married, and so did the other three. They then started to get others involved, and it grew from just being a bride to ckmail and all sorts of other crimes, till bigger fish decided to take the bait, and here we are now, where murder and extortion and most of this is just funding men to be in high ces, like the congressman and some mercenary groups.

    This one action by Bethany filled in a lot of gaps. It sped up the capture of other crime lords and a moneyundering ring, using the weddings to cover it all up, which we have been trying to get for a long time. The originaldies that started that side of it kept records, and that is what the icing on the cake was. Plus, the cave had a lot of juicy information when we went back inside!

 Chapter 83

    Theo POV

    I returned to work, having had a week of taking care of our sleeping beauty, as I like to call her now, and it was strange at first; the ident that Bethany was in, and the k********g was never mentioned in the news, only the arresting of big names, and some names we had never heard of, that were kingpins overseas. They were nobodies to most of us here and soon the media died down. A few asked where Bethany was as they had not seen hertely, and those who had worked in thebs with her were not needed in there and worked on the main floor. Robson said she was in herb and to leave her be, and that was the end of that. I never once corrected any spection. I was happy they did not know the truth.

    Dad reduced Bethany''s medication and was now allowing her to wake up slowly. The time of truth was nearing. Did she have brain damage? Not remembering me? It was my biggest fear; it was not umon when having had such lousy head trauma to lose a big part that caused pain, and years could disappear from your memory; sometimes, it is temporary, and other times, it could take years or some trigger to bring it all back. She may go back to thinking she was still married to Bret and that would break my heart. It was Sunday. Bob made some pies, which were better than Bethany''s, but they smelt good and brought in some beers. Robson joined Dad, Bob, and me to watch the game. The television was on loud, and we had dressed up in our favorite team''s shirts. We even put one on Bethany. She was breathing on her own now, and we were all waiting for her to wake up. I had a bet with the men. I bet she would wake up on the first score, Dad said closer to the end, and Bob said on the introduction music when the ice hockey starts, Robson did not bet; he said it was too hard to choose with so many options. The first game on the television was not ice hockey. It was some ser game; as I am not a ser fan, I did not pay much attention to it, mainly watching Bethany to see if she responded to anything. That game. Then, Bob brought out the pies and ced them on the table; the smell filled the air, and as we started to eat them, the introduction to the ice hockey game started, and we watched the team run out onto the field. ''Hey, where is my pie?'' Music to my ears had my eyes watering as I turned to look at Bethany, who was staring at the screen with her hand out, waiting for a pie. Unsure how to react to thatment, I did as she asked, grabbed a pie, and ced it in her right hand. Her left arm was still in ster, it would be another two weeks before it woulde off. The others watched Bethany as she put the pie in her mouth and took a bite before stopping and looking around her.

    She frowned at where she was, and I quickly took the pie from her hand before she dropped it.

    ''Where am I?'' she asked, looking around the room and at each of us individually. Still, we said nothing, waiting for some kind of sign of how she was. Dad got up and grabbed the bed adjuster and raised it further so she was fully sitting up. Then, the other team was announced as they skated onto the ice. She turned back to the screen and scrunched her nose.

    ''How did they get into the semi-final?'' A collective sigh was heard as she spoke encouraging words. Her voice was husky from being dry and unused, but it still sounded so musical to my ears.

    ''They got into the finalst week. You slept for three weeks, I recorded what you missed. Bob said, avoiding the first question.

    ''Three weeks, how? I am lucky to get five or six hours. How did I manage to sleep so long?'' She stared at me, and I held my breath. Would she know who I am to her or even what my name is?

    ''Dad, Robson?'' She looked over to my father and frowned for a moment as if she was struggling to grasp something. The television roared and cheered, and she looked over to the screen and gave out a little cheer, her voice not ready to scream like she would have done in the past; I got up, grabbed a ss of water, and handed it over to her. She took it off of me and gave me a shy smile, and my heart broke. That smile did not say she recognized me; I had to hide the hurt I was feeling and hope she would eventually know who I was.

    ''Robson?''

    ''Yes, Sweetheart! He was staring at her, waiting for more questions. He was sure it woulde.

    ''This is theb? Why am I here?'' She needed rification.

    ''You were in a car ident, and by bringing you here, we could give you the best treatment! ''But that Lab? Why not the main floor?''

    ''Thought when you woke, you would know where you spent most of your time, plus could you see us setting up the television on sports, with those heart patients, they would die a coronary when a team scored. We all chuckled at that, but she gave us a pass at the moment. ''Dad, there is more to this; talk to me.

    ''You dropped me off at a ce we had never been before after the Sunday sports day at Hank''s ce.

    ''Hank. She looked at the screen as if it would give her answers. I wanted to pull her into my arms, but none of us went near her yet; we let her process everything in her own time. It was weird; the whole room was waiting, which was odd. We had talked about this and agreed not to rush in and hug her, to wait for her to give a sign she wanted a hug. She was never a huggy person, and that was Wendy and Cynthia''s fault and partly Bret too.

    Another cheer came over the speakers as another goal was made, but it was not the team we were barracking for. To my surprise, Bethany booed the screen!

    ''Hey, that was a foul. Send him to the sin bin. She called out to the screen, and after a couple of slow-motion reys, the goal was disallowed, the defender was sent to the sin bin, and a penalty was given, Bethany''s eyes lit up as the man did as she ordered the screen to do.

    ''Dad, Hank''s wife is Kitty?'' Bethany suddenly said.

    ''Yes, that is right.

    ''Her birthday party the same day as the grand final?'' She was slowly having some memories at least. I waited for her to mention me.

    ''Yes.'' Bob came over to her and offered her another pie. The one I had given her earlier was back on the te with one bite out of it.

    ''We won.'' She took the pie and sniffed it.

    ''You baked these.'' She used her Dad but with a smile.

    ''Yes and Yes. Bob said, and gave Bethany her first hug.

    ''I drove you home in your car.'' So far, so good.

    ''Yes, you did, but it was not to my apartment.

    ''I don''t remember dropping you off or what happened afterward. Could you fill me in?''

    ''Are you sure you want that? You are a doctor; you know it is better for you to remember on your own!

    ''Is that why you are all staring at me and not hugging me? I am in the hospital. Do I not get a hug?''

    That was all that was needed for Dad to get up and hug her.

    ''Hank.'' Bethany said as he pulled away, and he nodded.

    ''I have been your doctor since the ident. She nodded, and Robson hugged her. Bob had already given her one, so I went over, put my arms around her, and gave her a gentle squeeze and a kiss on her cheek. I wanted to do more, but Dad said to wait and let her remember, and it was one of the hardest things to do.

    I pulled back, looked at her, and waited. She looked into my eyes and searched my face, but I could not see any recognition in them. I sat on the chair next to her, kept hold of her hand, and turned back to look at Dad, urging him with my eyes to tell me what to do

    next. I had no clue.

 Chapter 84

    Bethany POV

    I could hear the television going and wondered if I had left it on or if I had fallen asleep in front of it, but for my life, I could not remember much at all. My head was sloshing around like it was made of water, and I had yet to open my eyes. I heard some cheering, so I must have fallen asleep in front of the television, but on a game day? Surely not.

    The music sounded, and the names of my team started to y. Then, the smell of pies hit my nose, making my mouth water. I opened my eyes and looked around. Everyone was strangers, but it was not right; I was having trouble thinking.

    I demanded to know where my pie was. Did I get one too? When the face of a man I thought I should know came into view and put a pie in my hand, I took a bite, as my gaze went back to the game and some team that was odds on not making the finals series was skating on the ice. I had no idea why I was there. It did not look like a hospital room; the television was on loud, and banners and scarves were hanging around like they had been done up just for sports day. I asked where I was, and memories started to flow, so I wondered how the team got into the semi-finals. My throat was dry, and I sounded deep and husky. The man came with a ss of water, and I took it gratefully, but his name was still noting to me.

    Finally, I pieced together who Robson was and Dad. How could I forget my loving father? He may have had a rough time with Mum and was not always there when I needed him, but he had always been my go-to for sports and our time together. Part of why I started watching sports was be with my Dad and away from others. My brother, oh, I have a brother, and his wife is pregnant; I must catch up with him. I bet he is confused with both divorces, Dad''s and mine. Mine? I have gotten a divorce. Who did I marry?

    I got another pie and talked to Dad and Robson a bit, still waiting to find out who the other two men were. They were familiar, and that was it. Dad hugged me, and so did Robson; more and more wereing back, but there was a big gap; as a doctor, I understand it, but it did not make a living. Stop reading the wrong and iplete storyline,  has the correct andplete book. It takes work. The other man came and hugged me. He said he was my doctor, but I felt there was more to it, and then it hit me. ''Hank?'' That was the man''s name, Hank. Kitty, his wife, and he had other daughters, but their names would note to

    me.

    Thest man came to give me a hug. Everyone was watching me, so I knew this was important. When he pulled back from the hug, I could see the hope in his eyes before it faded. He sat beside me on the chair, his handced in mine. Something told me he was mine, but I still did not know his name.

    We watched the game, and I had a drink. I was so thirsty, and my head ached; I felt so drained and tired, but why was I so tired now if I had been sleeping for so long? I went to move my left arm because the right one was still attached to the man, and I did not want to let go for some reason and nearly hit my head with a cast. I have my arm in a bright blue cast.

    What else was wrong? I went to sit morefortably, and a pain hit my side.

    ''Ouch.'' I grumbled softly, but it must have been louder than I had intended because four men suddenly stared at me with worry etched on their faces.

    ''Hank, you are my doctor; what damage has been done? Dad said there was a vehicle ident, but not all the details. I guess I have to start getting the brain to work. Hank proceeded to tell me all the injuries I had sustained, and I was shocked. I have no memory of the ident at all. Well, sometimes, the victim never gets those memories back, and others get them back quickly. There is no knowing when the brain releases memories or how many are gone. I did not miss the mention of possible brain damage, but so far, I am responding better than he had hoped, and my Dad won the bet.

    ''What bet?'' I was trying to understand why they would bet on me and when I woke up.

    ''Hank stopped the meds that kept you asleep. We knew you would wake up soon, and we were betting what sound would wake you, and I won!''

    ''What have you yed before this one?'' I giggled as they exined what had happened and the bet, and that was when I got to know his name, Theo, but it still did not jog any memory. I tried to tell myself not to panic. It woulde to me. I am obviously important to him. He has been very attentive, and I can see how much he cares in his eyes. I need to remember that it is important.

    ''Don''t overstress yourself, my dear, the brain is a tricky thing, and it works on its own time; nothing you can do will speed it up; rx and enjoy what you do remember, and the rest wille. Hank said as if he could see I was stressing out.

    The game was full of shots on goal, and the skaters were in fine form, hitting each other up against the ss. If I were behind the ss at those moments, I would have been screaming and my lungs out. This was a very close game, and I could see why the team I had not picked to be in the semi-finals was there. They have improved a lot. The hunger to win is obvious.

    When the game was over, I kept nodding off, trying to stay away. I wanted to talk and find out what had happened, but Hank made it clear no one was going to give me any more information today.

    Hank gave me the once-over. My vitals were jotted down on the chart, and he hugged me and promised to be back tomorrow. Robson said good night and left, too, leaving me with Dad and Theo.

    ''It is good to see you back. I will catch up more tomorrow; go to sleep. You will feel better for it. He kissed my cheek, turned to hug Theo, and left. Now, it was just me and Theo, and I got the impression he had not left me much at all since I came here. ''Why theb, Theo?'' He turned to look at me, hope again in his eyes, but he did not see what he was looking for, and they dimmed again.

    ''We felt this was the best ce to take you; Robson and I could look after you, and Dad woulde by each day and check on you; he is the trauma specialist, not Robson or me, when ites to head injuries. This room is quiet, and no onees in unless Dad approves it. Dad, so Hank is his Dad. It was as if something else clicked into ce, and it was a good feeling, though I still was not sure about us. Were we girlfriend/boyfriend? Or was he my ex who was mentioned? I need rification and need help to think straight.

    I was curious to know if he said or did anything. I closed my eyes as I watched Dad leave, oblivious to everything.

 Chapter 85

    Theo POV

    Bob won the bet, and though we were happy that one of us did. The most significant part is that Bethany was awake, and some of her memory was there. She seemed to be foggy and, of course, tired. Staying awake for the whole game surprised us all. The amount she did remember told us there was no permanent brain damage, and she was able to eat, though only a little, and seemed to have good movement, all good signs. We were worried about any brain damage that could have caused difficulty in many areas, including motor skills, which would be the hardest if Bethany could not use her arms or legs or even her hands, but it seems all that was working fine so far.

    ''Don''t worry, son. She is strong. Her memory wille back, and she will remember you. It is not unusual to lose part of your memory at the beginning! ''But she remembers you and Mum, but not me. It is hard, Dad; I was so hoping...

    ''I know, son, give it time! Dad patted me on the back and left,ing back in the morning to check on her.

    By the time I had finished cleaning the kitchen, Bethany was asleep. I walked over to her bed, kissed her lips gently, and brushed the back of my fingers across her cheek.

    ''We all waited patiently for you to wake, my love, but my heart broke a little when you did not recognize me. I kissed her lips again, moved to the other bed, and climbed in. Tomorrow will be a long day if Bethany does not remember me again, and I have to tip-toe around her.

    My sleep was not the best. My nightmares about the ident still gue me, and now, having Bethany not recognizing me has made the nightmare worse. She was mocking me for not saving her, yelling at me for not having better protection; all the guilt and kicking my own butt came out at night when I tried to sleep. I had failed to protect my girlfriend and felt it was my fault. I did not take the threat seriously enough. Even though I did everything I could think of to protect her, it was still not enough; they even surprised Scott with how far they were prepared to go to fulfill this contract.

    I took a shower, and when I returned, Bob was seated beside Bethany, looking at her with such love; he looked up when I entered.

    ''Morning.'' He was a good Dad, devoted to his daughter.

    ''Hi, care for coffee?'' Bob nodded, and I headed to the kitchen to make some. When I returned, he moved to the small table and opened some bacon and egg burgers for us. I smiled. He had been doing this since Bethany arrived here, and it was lovely. ''How was her night?''

    ''She has not woken since you left. I replied softly, cing the coffee on the table and taking a seat.

    ''Good, I had not expected her to be awake much over the next week or so.'' ''What about you?''

    ''Less than I would like, I received a call; they have let all of them out on bail. I have spoken to a friend of mine, and it seems our judge is on their side. Some of the rejections of no bail should have been addressed. I am motioning for the main trials to be here in our city and with our group of judges.

    ''That sucks. Bethany was not safe then. I had hoped things would improve now the men were arrested.

    ''Nope, I have asked Robson to increase security around the hospital again; even Scott is getting on board. We must have missed some people involved in this. Bob looked tired, and this was really getting to him.

    ''Those police officers have been stood down and won''t be returning to the force, so that is one constion. The Gutter boys areughing at us, but we will have thestugh; the tunnels are full of cameras with sound, and we have tapped everyone''s phones and emails; we have stated they are flight risks and got the approval for them to happen. I wanted to GPS them, too, but was turned down. It''s a pity, but seeing where they go would have been interesting. Scott has put more men on the job, watching all the top men and women; even Wendy and her group have extra surveince.

    ''What about the man that tampered with your phone?''

    ''He was paid to turn it off but knows nothing about why; when a top cop asks you to do that sort of thing, the juniors rarely question them!

    ''You believe him, actually?

    ''Yes, he is a recruit and is easily manipted by the senior officers. Bob sighed. Little can he do with most of the problems that are arising from all the arrests. All that has been aplished is that they know we are on to them, and they need to lie low and change tactics. There is going to be a challenging few months till we can get them in jail.

    ''It will be a while before Bethany can leave here anyway, so we need to take as many precautions as possible. Robson is worried it wille to his doorstep. There is little I can do to stop it, and the media is going to have a field day with all of this! ''That won''t go down well with Robson. Maybe we can get our media man in here and do something about the top heart researcher being victimized or something!

    ''I know where you are going with this. Deflection might be good, but it would be too dangerous with Bethany not yet recovered!

    We talked for a bit longer, and it was hard to n anything until Bethany was on the mend. Even the artificial hearts had to go on hold. There was little we could do but keep an eye on everything while trying to get the scum to jail. The lower-level men will go to jail quickly or barter for lower sentences by assisting the police with their inquiries, but I know little of this, so leave it to all those specialists. I want my girl back in one piece and hold her in my arms again.

    We had only just started our rtionship, and I felt it had been taken away from me before it had a chance to grow. At least I have Bob''s approval, and that means a lot to me. I have to return to our apartment and get Bethany a change of clothes. She will want some of her own things soon, but I loathe leaving her yet.

    After work, I will make a quick visit.

    Bethany groaned, making me rush over to her. She was starting to wake up, and I wondered if she was in pain for her to have groaned like that. Her eyes opened and then closed, then opened again.

    ''Morning.'' I whispered to her, grabbing a ss of water and ready to offer it to her once she woke properly.

    ''Hi.'' She replied, looking at me and not shying away this time.

    ''Water?'' I offered, feeling a bitme, but I felt like a fish out of water, not knowing how to act around her yet.

    She took the ss from me, and her hands shook, so I ced mine over her hand and helped hold the ss steady. She took a sip using a straw I had ced in it.

    ''Thanks. Do you think I could have a coffee?''

    ''Sure, sweetheart.'' I left her there and made her a coffee. When I returned, I ced a straw in the cup and took it to her lips. She took a long suck on the straw and a sigh of satisfaction.

    ''Has Dad been over today?'' She croaked out.

    ''Yeah, he came by. He left about an hour ago. Do you need anything?'' I could get the world for her.

    ''I would like some of my own PJs and a few other things!''

    ''Tell me what you need, and I will get them for you; I need to go to our home and get some of my things, too. Her eyes widened when I said this, and I wondered if I had said something I should not have. I did not want to trigger a problem. ''We live together?'' She asked softly, almost a whisper.

    ''Yes, we do.'' I watched her face, waiting for her to say something else.

    I

    ''Okay, I would like my toothbrush and some PJs. I am guessing I will be here for a little while yet, so maybe three sets, underwear, and a hairbrush. Bethany rattled off a whole slew of stuff, and you would have thought she was going to move in here permanently. I chuckled at the list.

    ''Hey, sweetheart, our home is within walking distance here. I can go back and forth as you need. How soon do you need them?''

    ''Oh, I did not realize, um, today sometime?''

    ''Okay, I have to go to work, so after work, I will head home, grab some stuff, ande back before dinner, Okay?'' ''Sure, I guess Hank will be in soon and give me instructions on my care. I have not seen a nurse. Are we alone in this?'' ''Sort of. Do you have a nurse you would like to be the one to care for you?''

    ''No, um, I don''t remember''

    ''That is okay, sweetheart. Don''t push your memory; it wille to its own time.'' I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. I would have kissed her on her lips, but I don''t think she would have liked that yet.

 Chapter 86

    Bethany

    to know.

    POV

    My head was not so bad today; it was still so foggy, and my memories are very disjointed. They send me in a spin as I try to make sense of them all. The smell of coffee woke me, and light conversation. I thought it was my Dad and Theo, but I could not awaken fully When I awoke again, Theo was close by, looking intently at me.

    He greeted me and offered me water. We talked, and I was surprised to learn we lived together. I needed my clothes, and he offered to get them from our ce. I knew I could feel something about him that he was more than a doctor who worked here. Dad and Hank spoke with him more like close friends; he left for work and promised to bring back some clothes, and I took that time to think.

    What do I remember so far? My Brother, Thomas, is married now to Judy, and it is a very unusual rtionship as she has two husbands, married to one officially, and the other was a private promise of some sort; he was called Nate, and she is expecting their first child. I''d like to know whether he stayed in the beach house.

    When our grandmother died on my mother''s side, the estate was split four ways: Mum got all the jewelry, and we all got thirty million dors; Thomas got the beach house he wanted; Cynthia got the new mansion Gran built; and I got the old family home. Now, something has happened, but I am still trying to figure out what. I think I don''t own the old family home anymore and live near Dad in a different city. I can''t remember why, but that is where Theo lives, and maybe I am here because of him. He seems to be a nice man, and he is excellent eye candy, the sort of man I would want, so maybe I hit the jackpot, and we are a couple; I don''t remember yet, and it is very frustrating.

    I''d like to know if Cynthia has ended up marrying yet. She was a flighty one, and I always thought she had something going on with Bret; they always acted like they could not stand each other. However, I remember a few times when I had been out shopping and saw them together, and they were closer than enemies, that is for sure.

    Dad said I was in an ident, but I have no memory of it or being brought here. I know very little about theb. I have no clue when I started working here, but I do know I have been working on building hearts. I hope I get all my memories back soon. I drifted back to sleep, which seemed to be the only thing I was good at. I drifted off and on until Robson came in with some lunch for me. He brought in some soup, as I was only up for that little bit. Even though I was craving a burger, I doubted I could eat it yet. ''You will be here for a while, yet we will organize some physiotherapy first. You have been lying here for so long that your muscles will feel weak. I can get you up and take you to the pool to walk around there; take your time; no rush to get out of here. I know you want to be in your own bed, but if you don''t mind, I would like to keep you here; once you can stay awake long enough, we can get a wheelchair for you, and you can work in yourb for a while!'' Robson was keen on keeping me here, and I wondered for a moment if there was more to it than getting me back onto my feet, but for the life of me, I could not think what it was.

    ''Robson, what is my rtionship with Theo, and don''t tell me to wait until I remember? I feel there is something there, and I am hurting him by not remembering. Can you give me that at least?'' Robson sighed.

    ''I know it is not the way to get your memory back; it is best to let me work it out, but I don''t want to hurt him; if we are more, and now we live together, I need to know how much more, like am I his wife?

    ''You are together as a girlfriend/boyfriend, and he cares for you deeply, but you have to remember love. I cannot push that on you. Let ite naturally! He patted my arm in sympathy and stood up to leave. ''You going!'' I saw and yawned for maybe the umpteenth time.

    ''Get some rest. Theo will be here in a few hours and will bring you some clothes. If you are up to it, let him help you shower. If you do not wish to let him do it, I can call Kitty; she wille over and help you if you prefer a female until you remember.'' ''Can you all, Kitty? For now, it is best.

    ''Okay, I will ask her if she has time toe to you in an hour or so. If she agrees, then I can get Theo to meet her at your penthouse and get some clothes. He is out of surgery now and can leave for a short while!'' Robson left, leaving me with my thoughts. How do I feel about Theo being my boyfriend? I knew he was more than just a friend; that was clear, and I got all warm inside thinking about him, but I have no memory of us together. I have huge gaps in my memory, and I feel something in the back of my mind that says it is best if I don''t ever remember.

    But what don''t I want to remember?

    Our rtionship? That does not feel right. I can see how Dad is around him. If he were a wrong person, Dad would not be that friendly to him, and Hank would be so rxed, too; the three of them are close. So, if it is not Theo that my brain does not want me to remember, who it was?

    Was it an ident?

    Or is it a who? Can I have an ex that is stalking me or something?

    I wish I could remember.

    Sleep took me again, and my brain seemed just to shut off.

    Kitty was sitting beside me when I woke up.

    ''Hi, are you ready for a shower?'' Kitty was a kind woman. I liked her the moment I met her, even if I did annoy her with my pies. Oh, a memory came. That is a good sign, yes?

    Kitty helped me out of bed; all the drips and lines were off of me now; she just had to cover the ster on my arm and remove the bandaging around my chest, securing my broken ribs; they are what hurt the most, other than my head. She made me sit in the wheelchair and wheeled me into the bathroom, where she assisted me onto the toilet. I felt embarrassed that I had no strength to go there alone.

    The shower was the best, and soon, I was back in bed, exhausted from that little bit of exercise, but I felt so better in my own PJs. She brushed my long hair and talked to me, asking me questions, mainly about how I loved sports and how shocked she was when I arrived at their home, all dressed up in my favorite team''s jersey.

    Weughed and joked about that night, and it seemed like weughed. I remember more about that night: our team had won, and it was her birthday; we joined her party after our finals and did not watch the other games like we normally would. Then I took Dad to someone else''s ce, but what happened after that? I can''t take that next step, but at least I remember that night, the fun I had, and that Theo was beside me the whole night,ughing and joking with us in Hank''s den. That''s a start. Can I work on that?

    Before I could think anymore, sleep took me again. I was so weak, not like me at all.

 Chapter 87

    Theo POV

    Robson came and asked me to apany my Mother to the penthouse and gather some of Bethany''s clothes. Mum was going to shower her, and I felt a bit sad that she did not want me to shower her, but I understood. Even if she did remember our rtionship, she would most likely want a woman''s touch at the beginning until she had a chance to investigate what her body was like; if she were all ck and blue and still swollen, she would be embarrassed with me seeing her like that. Some of her body will be scared by the broken ss. The only reason she did not have broken legs was because of the roll cage and special safety harness installed in the car; her face would have been fine if the airbags had not been tampered with. Bethany was very lucky, though I did not feel that way at first. Her face was so messed up that you would not recognize her. But other than a few small scars that will fade in time, she has recovered well.

    Mum was chatty as we packed a bag for Bethany and another one for me. I am going to have to wash some of the clothes back at theb. I have been living with her, not leaving her side for a moment, since the ident. It was my Dad who tried to kick me out once, but I had all I needed there, so I argued and won. Dad brought over some clothes and I made up a cot beside her. I am worried she will try and kick me out, now that she is awake and has no memory of her and me together. Bob came to see me in my office.Stop reading the wrong and iplete storyline,  has the correct andplete book. I was giving Mum a chance to change Bethany, and it was hard being out there; my day was done, so I was messing with paperwork and looking at what was scheduled. We have enough doctors to do the tasks. I am mainly the teaching doctor at the moment, and that is fine with me, though we have two other doctors who are capable. Robson hired some more to cover the loss, but I am still here if he needs me in an emergency; the benefits of a private hospital that isbined with a research hospital. Robson had managed to avoid many issues by having that wording in the hospital title.

    ''Hi, can Ie in?'' Bob asked as his head popped around the door.

    ''You''re always wee, Bob. He came in with two coffees, and I smiled. We all seemed to be coffee addicts.

    ''Mum is cleaning up Bethany!'' I started, and he nodded as if he had already been informed.

    ''You know, Bethany is my life, she has always worked hard to get where she is, invested her inheritance, and I don''t think she will ever really need to work. Unlike her sister, who spent everything on the high life, like expensive clothes and refurbishing her mansion, which cost ten million alone, she hired a cook, maid, and gardener to maintain the house. It does not take long for the money to start to disappear when she is only in a marketing career. I believe she is not that good at that job either. Thomas is my eldest. He invested wisely, too; Thomas is a different kind of man; he has a wife, a child on the way, and a husband, though the husband is only by personalmitment, or it would be bigamy; they are a good little unit. I can''t say I understand how it works, but it does. Before you ask, I had a DNA test done, and he is my son. I even had my doubts when I found out my wife was having affairs! Bob seemed to need to talk, and I was learning a lot; it was a good feeling that he feltfortable enough to talk to me like this; it is not the usual future father-inw type of chat.

    ''When did you be the head of police?'' I asked. I have yet to remember any announcement about it. Bob chuckled.

    ''They have been trying to get me to take that job for years, but I was not prepared to move here; when Bethany''s life went pear shape, and she moved here, I decided to take the job to stay with her. I was only with my wife out of habit. I knew she was unfaithful, and we had not touched each other in years, and I was okay with that; I had lost my love for her when I discovered she was being unfaithful. It did not ur to me how unfaithful she had been, till I started doing the DNA testing for my own peace of mind. Did Bethany tell you what had been happening? Or about her marriage?''

    ''She told me some, after I heard her on the phone, not long after she moved her, and little bits havee up since.'' ''It is messy. Going back to why I was taking the job. The force kept my agreement to take the top job to be kept quiet as possible; the old head was under investigation, and they came almost begging for me to take it over. Bethany was my tipping point for taking the job. They wanted me to slip into the position and not let on that I was boss; most guys know me as a top cop and defer to me; none know how top I am now, and if you don''t mind, I would like it to stay that way. We have a number of other officials we are looking at, and believe it or not, Wendy and her little wedding club are part of it.

    How it started is a mystery, but the more I dig, the wider the problems. As you may know, those arrested are out on bail, and we are monitoring the higher-ups, hoping they will lead us to more of the top people. Bob was so rxed it amazed me; I already liked this man, but the more I talked to him, the more I knew he had on his te, yet he did not show it; he neverined and was quick topliment you. A gentle giant of a man that Bethany called her teddy bear, who gives the best hugs when she needs them. A knock on the door stopped our talk. I was enjoying my time with Bob and was a little disappointed when the knock

    came.

    ''Enter.'' I called out, and to my surprise, my mum walked in.

    ''Hey, sweetheart, I thought I would let you know that Bethany is showered and fed and sleeping at the moment. I am heading back home. I stood up from my chair, went around the desk, hugged Mum, and kissed her cheek.

    ''That is good news. Thank you for taking care of her, Kitty. Bob hugged Kitty, too, something she was not expecting, and I chuckled at Mum''s surprised face.

    We walked Mum to the elevator and said goodbye, and Mum would be back tomorrow to shower her again. Bob and I headed to where Bethany was, both eager to see how she looked after a shower and change of bandages. Bob entered first and leaned over her, kissing her cheek. I followed behind him, looking at her face; she was sleeping peacefully, her bruising had improved, and the swelling was all gone. She was back to looking like the beautiful woman I havee to care for a lot; another week, we might be able to get the cask off her arm. I know she will be weak for a while yet. She may not have broken that many bones, but her muscles are all battered and bruised, and she had whish. It is a testament to her physical health before the crash that will improve her recovery. As frustrating as it will be for her, she will make it back. Only her mind is going to be the difficulty that I can see. Her body, in time, will heal. We still don''t know how much damage has been done to the brain. She said little to me that gave any clue as to her state of mind. Other than confusion.

 Chapter 88

    Third POV

    Bret had not been himself since Bethany had left him. The first shock he received was when the credit card failed, and he phoned Bethany and lied about where he was. The clerk had made him use his own card to pay the bill, and Cynthia refused to put her hand in her purse and help him out. The next shock was being locked out of the home, and finding another man had purchased it so quickly blew his mind; the police were brought in and ordered him away. He discovered his belongings there when he reached Cynthia''s ce to talk to her. Hiswyer showed him the video, which clearly showed what had happened, and he could not deny it.

    At first, he was angry and believed every nasty thing Cynthia said. He lost his temper, ranted, and raved for days until Cynthia said something that pulled him up.

    Cynthia said he never really had a good marriage, that Bethany had used him, and that he had most likely been seeing other guys behind his back.

    That was the moment my eyes opened. Bethany was a good wife. She neverined and never put her family or him down. If anything, Bethany always tried to encourage him to pursue things that made him happy, if only she knew what he was doing behind her back. He felt ashamed now and wished he could change it all. Maybe if he could do what the police wanted him to do, it might make up a little of the hurt he put her through.

    Yes, it had been fun with Cynthia and spending Bethany''s money like water for a while. He loved all the weddings he attended, either as the groom or as the best man, and how it made him feel special each time as much as Cynthia did. The police told him the weddings were part of arger scam, using them to hide a moneyundering scheme.

    Bret did not realize what he had with Bethany until Bethany divorced him, how easy and less demanding she had made his life. He lived in a lovely, warm home, was greeted with a smile, never demanding anything from him, and epted whatever little he gave her in response.

    He was happy and content with her.

    Thinking back, Bret could not remember thest time he made love to his wife, but he could remember every time he was with Cynthia throughout their marriage, and before they were married.

    Cynthia had been his life all through college. They were together tillst year, when her grandmother died, and the inheritance was divided up. That was when she convinced Bret to start dating Bethany, and Cynthia had made what they were doing to Bethany seem right. Cynthia was very good at making things sound right, saying that the inheritance was wrongly divided and that Bethany took arge part of her share. The only way to get it back was for Bret to marry Bethany and spend Bethany''s money on Cynthia. Finding out that Bret was never married to Bethanyter was heartbreaking and crushed him harder than he thought possible. Bret said he never would have married Bethany had he known that the marriage he had with Cynthia during a drunken visit to Las Vegas was real. As per Cynthia''s insistence, Bret said he would never have pursued Bethany.

    Cynthia has been so demanding, and he is having a little trouble getting the information the police want from her. Bret had searched Cynthia''s home for any clue or paperwork left behind. Still, Cynthia is the worst housekeeper, and she puts anything the maid finds in a box, so several boxes with papers are taken forever to sort through. Bret feels trapped with Cynthia, who he now sees as a selfish, demanding woman. I want to divorce her, but the police say to wait till she is in jail. The divorce would be more uplicated. The police arrested a lot of people. Somehow, they were connected to Cynthia and her mother. It was a colossal bust, including moneyundering, and lots of fraud, protection rackets, and even some high-up men were involved. It seemed that whatever they were doing involved not just our local people but some criminals from another country who were invited toe over and try to take over our city. Bret was supposed to find more incriminating evidence, so he had no idea where to look next. Cynthia is very good at hiding stuff, even though she is terrible at looking after the home.

    Wendy sold the holiday home that Bob left her, and moved in with Cynthia and Bret after they were released from police custody on bail. Both Cynthia and she decided toy low for a while and look like a normal mother and daughter home. Bret was having trouble being around the two of them; he had to put on a happy face, but even making love to Cynthia seemed to be more a chore and a quick release than the fun it was before. Everything was falling apart. Cynthia took upining even more than ever and was taking more and more days off work, while Bret was doing the opposite, working longer hours and chasing more contracts. He was not happy at all about being at home and was looking for somewhere else to live. His only dilemma about moving was one that it would be challenging to get the information he was chasing, and two, if he were going to prison for bigamy, it would be a waste of getting somewhere else to live. Cynthia let slip that Bethany had been in a car ident, but he could not find out what hospital she had been taken to, and Cynthia was suddenly tight-lipped about it. You could see she was hiding something, and he could not coax it out of her. He had taken up bugging the house, hoping to hear her talking to Wendy about it, but he had had no luck so far.

    The other woman in the little club med Cynthia for the fallout, saying she was getting greedy and taking an extra two days'' holiday to earn more money because she wanted a new car.

    The woman had met without Cynthia and Wendy to discuss the two of them, and they all wanted out. Before the police found out any more, they needed to distance themselves from those two. It would be easy since they only met twice a year; all other contact was done through Zoom. They discussed how to move all the me onto them and make it clear that they were only following their orders, and if they needed to, they would confess to the police how they had been ckmailing them into doing what they were doing. They talked about different ways to protect their own skins and make deals with the police if it came down to it.

    Lucky for them, they had not been as greedy as the other two. They had saved all the money they made and put it in an offshore ount so it could not be traced.

    Their husbands were shocked when they were arrested and had to exin the best they could why they were arrested, and that was the beginning of sending all the me to Wendy and then to Cynthia. They were not going to go down as hard as those two if they could help it. All the contact with the other people involved in the racket was all through Wendy. She was the one who originally started it all, and it grew to the size of her greed. Most of the brides were Wendy and Cynthia; the others only wed twice a year when they would meet up, and that was only to influential men whom they could ckmailter.

 Chapter 89

    Bethany POV

    It has been nearly six weeks since the ident, and I still do not remember it or Theo, but I am willing to get to know him. He seems to be kind, and he has shown he cares deeply for me. I wish I could remember what we had for him to be so attentive to me. Hank said to be patient; it woulde in time. I had been awake for just over two weeks, and still, my mind had huge holes in it. Kitty has beening to help me shower each day. My muscles have taken forever to strengthen. I still feel like a weak kitten, and my head feels like a watermelon. It feels way too heavy for my neck to support my head, and I often can''t hold it up for more than a few hours, needing to rest all the time. It is so frustrating.

    Dad brought me myptop from my office so I could work on my research on the new heart I am building. Now that I can stay awake for a few hours after my shower and physio, I am so exhausted afterward that I sleep for about two hours before I can work on myptop now that my cast is off. I usually get a little work done before Theo arrives, but today, he seems to be a little earlier than usual.

    You see, after Theo finishes his day''s work, hees back to me. He has a bed next to mine and refuses to return to our ce until I leave with him. What surprises me is that Robson is okay with us both living here. Something else is going on outside here. I barely watch television. Sports day is when Dad or Hank is there, and we watch it together. Tomorrow is Sunday, and we are having another sports day, but here. Hank has Kitty making us some pies, and by the sounds of it, this wing is going to get noisy with our screaming at the screen. I am looking forward to it; it is a semi-normal day when I can scream at the screen along with those around me. I hope to stay away for the whole game.

    Theo arrived early; he had a big smile on his face and a hint of hope. He lifted the bags in his hands, his smile broadening. He had brought some takeaway that he would heat up after we had had some time in the pool. Two days ago, he started taking me to the pool after work, and we would dops. I cannot swim yet, but I can do walks up and down the pool, with Theo walking a fewps beside me before he swims someps of his own and then hovering around me again to encourage me to keep going. When I am done, he helps me out and dries me with such loving care that his eyes never lose their sparkle. You can tell he loves helping me and keeps hoping I will remember him soon; it hurts to see how disappointed he is when I still cannot remember what we had, only a warm feeling inside of me that said he was something to me.

    He was disappointed; his eyes dimmed a little before he brightened again. I still have huge gaps in my memory. I can remember being a good doctor and being at the top of my research field; I no longer live at home, and something tells me that I have not lived there for a while. I have not seen the rest of my family, so I have no idea what is going on with them. I was hoping to see my brother again. I was close to him in a way. He said he liked both girls and guys and wanted a triple. Whatever floats your boat, I never judge anyone for their preference as a doctor. I have seen all sorts of rtionships, and if it works for them, all the better; life is short enough without putting barriers out there, and if they have a different family life, so be it. I am for happy people in loving rtionships. ''Afternoon, sweetheart, you ready for a swim?'' He had ced the food in the microwave and brought back two towels; before I had even answered, he started to get changed. We are going to the pool. I saved the work I had done and started climbing off the bed; before my feet even touched the ground, Theo was there, ready to catch me if I fell; he was trying hard not to grab me. I could tell he wanted to, but I think Hank had told him to let me try everything on my own, and if I failed, then he could offer to help; it was killing him not to take charge.

    Once I was steady on my feet, Theo helped me change. I felt like a child, having him hold the shorts for me to step into, my hand on his shoulder for bnce, my arms still did not like to be raised above my head, and my bnce was still shot. Still, somehow, Theo never made this part seem like a chore; he was so patient with me, just like you would with a small child as they learned to dress themselves. But I was not a small child, and if he were not such arge, strong man, he would not be able to hold my weight and keep me steady like he does. It is these little things that he does, like when my shorts were on, he pulled me closer to him and kissed my exposed belly before standing to help put on a shirt. After he pulled the oversize shirt over my head, he kissed my nose, and all these little things made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

    Theo sat me in the wheelchair, knowing I wouldin if he tried to carry me, and wheeled me into the pool area, which was empty. Theo must have checked with the staff to make sure no therapy sessions were on. He helped me out of the wheelchair and lowered me into the pool. I was still not able to climb into the pool or use the stairs, and jumping or diving in would not work either. I would not be able to cope with the impact of the water.

    Theo walked beside me as I started my trek down the length of the pool. The pool was on one level, so I did not need to worry about getting water over my head or worrying about the small slop into the deep end. He held my hand like we were going for a stroll, which we were, but that was so weird.

    ''Did you have a great day?'' He starts, trying to break the silence that often happens in the pool, not that it is a bad silence as we both concentrate on what we are doing. Well, I am; he is just casually walking beside me. His eyes were watching me closely, and I thought if I looked like I was going to falter, he would be there for me before my head went under the water, knowing that, at the moment, I did not want to have my head wet; I was struggling with that part of my body enough already.

    ''Yeah, Kitty came and gave me a bath. It was nice instead of a shower, lying in the warm water, and soaking for a while. She put some bubbles in. I smiled as I thought of that and loved that Kitty and I were getting along so well. She was acting less like a nurse and more like a mother would, and if I were with Theo, then she would be a mother to me.

    ''That is nice. Mum lovesing here to spend time with you and get to know you better! We hadpleted ap of the pool. Theo must have been satisfied with my progress as he took off to do a fewps in the pool. I watched his body glide through the water, his effortless strokes making me slightly jealous; something told me we used to swim together, a glimpse of memory, but it was fleeting and was gone before I couldpletely grab hold of it.

    When I managed to walk four lengths of the pool, Theo helped me out and dried me off before helping me into the wheelchair and back to our room.

 Chapter 90

    Theo

    POV

    My day was good. I watched over two minor angiosties. I know it is still not that minor if we have to do more than a stent or two, but on the whole, today flowed well, and the doctors doing the surgery were getting really good at this side of surgery. They need a bit more experience to gain confidence, but overall, it was a good day.

    Deciding on takeaway for dinner, I quickly headed to our favorite ce and grabbed a whole lot of Chinese food, a little of everything, hoping to build her eating back up. She is still not eating a lotpared to her appetite before the ident, but I understand why. It just saddens me a little to see her so weak. After having such a vibrant, happy person before this happened, for twelve days she has been awake, and still no sign of her remembering me. I would have thought she would have had some memoriese back, but s, I am hopeful that she might have had a small breakthrough when I get back today.

    When I opened the door and showed her the takeaway bags, I knew she had not had the breakthrough I wanted or needed to see. Her warm smile when I came in still made me happy. She did not push me away when she did not remember me, which I am grateful for. She is a good woman, and she is trying to see how we go. I have not pushed personal space too much, though I am aching to have her in my arms again.

    I helped her change and took her to the pool once she was steady on her feet. I did thirtyps of the pool; it is not a huge pool, so thirtyps, for me here, meant little. Watching Bethany try to do fourps was a good improvement. Yesterday she struggled to do three. Every small step is a good step in the right direction. The sooner her body is healed, the higher the chance the mind will mend too. That is my hopeful view. I am not a brain surgeon, so I have no real clue other than what we learned as a student doctor before we chose what direction we wanted to go in. This made me think I should do a refresher course to improve that side, but then Dad said I was being dramatic and sticking to what I am good at.

    After I had dried her and helped her put on some track pants and a top, I sat her on a chair and left her at the table. I headed to warm up the dinner. The smell of the food filled the room, and my mouth was watering already. I have had to try and cook; I never believed I was any good, often telling everyone I couldn''t cook, though I can cook on the grill if someone else prepares the meat, and before when I cooked Bethany''s steak. At the same time, she slept. I was lucky; she had made the sd and prepared the meat, and I just put it all together. But I have since found out that our local butcher sells meat that is already marinated, and that has made it easier for me.

    Bethany looked at the food ce before her, and she smiled.

    ''This looks good, thank you.'' Bethany said with more enthusiasm than she had had in a while, and she did look pleased with what was on the table, which made me feel I had achieved something. Bethany dug into the food, eating a healthy portion atst, though still not enough for my liking. It was more than she had been eating, and to me, that was progress. She even ate some of the deep-fried ice cream that I knew she used to like, and it was good to see that the memory loss did not change her taste for food. I had heard weirder things had happened.

    We talked about tomorrow''s sports game, and I handed her over the sports pages that she loves to go through before a game. I watched as she circled and highlighted different things; her mind was busy, and these were all good signs. Dad had said to give her as many things as possible that would stimte memories, like these sports pages, and to see her so focused on this was good. I headed back to the kitchen with all our rubbish and cleaned up the area where I had made the mess. If you had told me a few months ago, I would be doing kitchen cleaning and would haveughed at you. Being a single man, I did not make much mess at home and never brought a woman other than my family to my house. Not that I had many opportunities. Stop reading the wrong and iplete storyline, j obnib has the correct andplete book. My work and family have been my main focus. My mother helped out with the women''s refuge and often had me visiting there, just like Dad would, depending on the emergency and which one of us had the time. With our busy work schedules, though mine is reduced drastically, we have more doctors on board, and I am teaching more than doing the surgery. But then Mum would not expect me to leave Bethany while she was so in need of assistance. I think the word Mother used was delicate; I doubt Bethany would like to hear me call her that; she is a little spitfire.

    I returned to the room, and Bethany was still busy working on the sports pages. I ced a coffee on the table near her, and I got a sort of grunt. I assumed that was her way of saying thank you. I chuckled and sat on a chair near her. I picked up the remote and turned on the television. We had the sports channel on, and Bethany never wanted to see the outside news. So far, she had not shown any interest in looking at the outside world, getting too busy trying to find her way again and get memories back before taking on what goes on outside theb.

    When I saw something on the television about her team, I turned the volume up, and the reaction was instant. Bethany stopped what she was doing and stared at the screen. She swore a few times about injured people out of the game and something about trade- offs, and when the story finished and it went on to some other team, she went back to her sports paperwork. I lowered the volume, watched the television, and watched her while drinking my coffee. I chuckled when her hand hunted for her coffee cup and, when she could not locate it, huffed as she looked up to find it.

    When she started to yawn, I turned off the television and leaned forward.

    ''Bethany, time to stop now. Let''s get some sleep. I suggested softly.

    She looked up at me in surprise and looked around her, frowning as she did. I think she forgot she was there for a brief while, and I wondered where she had thought she was but was too afraid to ask that question.

    ''Time always slips away when I am focused on sports. Dad used to have toe and pull me away from it,'' she says as she starts to put everything away, all nice and neat for tomorrow, when she will start again before the game starts. Once the pens and highlighters were away, and she had set the paperwork in order, she only knew why. I helped her to the bathroom to wash and do her business.

    ''Theo, I am ready.'' She called out; she tried to return once on her own and ended up on the bathroom floor, setting her back a bit, so she learned her lesson to call out and ask for help. She did not like it at first, but she seems to have epted that I am here for her and will not let her do stupid things like that again if I can help it.

    I helped her out of the bathroom and into her bed, kissed her on the cheek, and headed back to the bathroom to do my own night routine. When I returned to the room, Bethany was already fast asleep. I stood beside her bed, looking down at her, all rxed and safe.

    Tomorrow was going to be a hard day for her. She wanted to push herself to stay away for the whole day, and I knew that was going to be very difficult for her. Dad and Bob will be here, and the four of us will try to make it a good day for her and ourselves. I got her a sports shirt and scarf so she could wear the dress.

    Hopefully, she will not make a fuss about me doing all this for her this time. I want to help her as much as possible, and if she can appear like everything is normal, maybe her mind will rx and start to fill some of the gaps.

    I know Bob wants her to remember her ident and find out if she woke at all after it, buting up with her injuries, I doubt she woke until we had her here safe and sound.

    We sat and had a long chat; he had hurt deeply when she was missing; it took all of his strength to continue with his job to find her. I could see his heart breaking each time I saw him, and we had yet to take her home. When she was atst here, all battered and bruised, it made all of us almost cry.

    I was so caught up with my own grief when we had her home that I failed to notice how badly he hurt till I caught him sitting by her bed with tears in his eyes. Bethany was his only saving grace out of the shame of a marriage he had. Although he got along well with his son, they never had the same kind of bond that he had with Bethany, someone who actually got him and shared the same interest.

 Chapter 91

    Bethany

    healing.

    POV

    When I woke up this morning, Theo was already up and dressed. I was disappointed that I still needed so much sleep, but Hank kept saying the body needs sleep and rest to heal. I get that, but it is easier to tell patients to rest and heal than to be the one doing the As of today, Kitty won''t be in to help me bathe. Theo had been doing it for thest two days, as Kitty could note in. I seem to have gotten over the shyness of him seeing my body, maybe because the bruising, bandage, and cast were gone, or perhaps I amfortable around Theo, and like how gentle and caring he is; his eyes take all of me in. He makes me feel special and wanted as he tends to my needs. I am no longer embarrassed that I need his help to do things and have epted that if I need to do things, sometimes I need help. I won''t be this way forever, and Theo wants to be the one to assist me. He was very persuasive, and he wore me down. Not that I minded too much, but I felt I needed to try by myself, to see how well I was healing and testing my weakness. Ultimately, I realized how stupid that was and let Theo in.

    I sat up in bed and looked around. Theo had been busy hanging sports gs and other stuff up around the private room. It was a lovely surprise and the room was starting to look like our usual sports day arrangement. He must have got all of this from home, our home. I have to keep reminding myself about that.

    Hank said it ismon to have significant gaps in my memory. I am trying to remember big chunks in a five-year gap. I remember bing a doctor and specializing in heart surgery, but I remember next to nothing of what my twin did in college, what she does as a living, or if she is even married with kids. Yet I now remember my brother is married and has a wife with a baby on the way, as well as a male wife. I am happy for them. I have always loved my brother and his quirky ways, and I vaguely remember the man he has as his wife; I am not sure about the dynamics of that, and personally, I don''t want to dig into it; I am just happy he is happy, and to me, that is all that matters, how they live behind closed doors is their business and no one else.

    ''Good morning.'' Theo greets me from across the room, taking me out of my thoughts.

    ''Hi. I replied as I climbed off the bed and stood up. I can manage a few steps on my own now, and Theo has brought in a walker that Kitty suggested, so I am using it to get around, as much as I don''t want to use it, to go to the bathroom on my own. So I need to be independent, though I still need help in the shower, my arms won''t raise above my head, and I am still getting dizzy, so it is not safe on my own. As I headed to the bathroom, I saw Theo hovering nearby. He was not happy that I agreed to use this instead of using him as support. I think he liked any excuse to hold me, and it is nice being in his arms, but I have to do this eventually as we do it now, and if I am too tired to use it, I promise to ask him.

    When I came out of the bathroom, Theo had finished decorating the room, set up the table before the television with all the sports paperwork, and brought out coffee and breakfast. He was standing by a chair waiting for me to sit down. His eyes roamed my body from head to toe, taking me in, and his eyes twinkling with joy. I think seeing me moving around like this shows my progress in healing, and has made him happier than he would have been when I agreed to use it.

    Dad arrived not long after we had eaten, and Theo had cleared away the dishes. The television was on, and the announcer was talking about a game I was not interested in. Well, I will be when our team is to y them, but knowing who is in or out of a game I am not going to be watching was too much for me to take in at the moment. My brain, as fuzzy as it is, can only process so much at one time.

    He held me close to him, kissing my head and letting me know how much he loved me. The ident really scared Dad. I must have been close to death to scare him this much. In some ways, I am d I don''t remember it all yet. If it hurt Dad this much, it had to be bad. The smell of the pies had my mouth watering, even though we had just finished eating; for some reason, just the smell was enough for me to want to eat one, and not because I was hungry or could even fit one in.

    We find a ce to sit and getfortable, and just before the game starts, Hank arrives with some beer and a snack and quickly takes a seat. The game was close, and we all screamed at the screen. At half-time, we ate the pies I had been salivating about, and I had a coffee while the men drank the beer. I was still on medication, so beer was out of the question, and with my fuzzy head, it was too dangerous.

    Sometime during the game, a memory came to me. We were in a ce I did not recognize, and our team won. I was jumping around, extremely happy, and we won the finals, and then I remembered that Theo and Hank were there. The ce looked really good. We went up the stairs, and there was a party; Kitty was there, and I do not remember others yet. But it was a good party, and I left to take Dad home. I felt then how much I cared for Theo, and tears started to roll down my cheeks. The television red as we scored, and the others all cheered, but I was too lost in this memory to notice that I had missed the goal.

    Theo noticed first and was at my side in an instant, pulling me into his arms and whispering loving words in my ear. I now remembered he was my man. How we came together is still a mystery, but I remember we lived together and were happy and a good team, both working at this hospital and early in our rtionship.

    ''Hey, what''s wrong?'' Dad asked softly. Theo had moved back a little so Dad and Hank could look at me, but they did not let me go.

    ''I remember that I am Theo''s girlfriend! I huped through my tears. The smile on all three faces was priceless. Theo was the first to react. He pulled my face to look at me, searched my face for something, and then leaned down and gave me a gently soft kiss. It was gentle and tender, his lips soft and moist. He pulled back to look at me with such love and care that I nearly started to cry again.

    ''Wee back! He said and peppered my face and lips with little kisses; the screen screamed out ''score,'' and we pulled apart to look at the screen and the three men cheered while I looked at Theo with awe and how lucky I had found such a loving man. I hope we can build a good rtionship.

    Something was nagging in the back of my mind, telling me I had been hurt before and to tread lightly, but everything about Theo seemed genuine and caring, and how he had looked after me since I woke up only proved to me that he was the real deal, and I should learn to trust him more.

 Chapter 92

    Theo POV

    Bob had brought over some of his sports pendants and other stuff to hand around the room, and so did my Dad. I had almost finished putting them up, hoping to surprise Bethany, when I noticed she was already awake and watching me, I greeted her and had to watch her struggle to get off the bed and use the walker to go to the bathroom, it broke me every time she needed to use it, not because I wanted to help her, though that was part of it, but because she was so strong and vibrant and confident in herself, and now she is struggling to get to the bathroom and back, without falling over or tiring herself out.

    I was humming to myself as I prepared breakfast. It is amazing how fast you learn how to do stuff around the kitchen when you want to give your girlfriend the best you can do. My mum gave me tips when she was there, helping me learn to cook better food. Bob arrived with the pies, and we put them in the oven to stay warm; I now know how to do that too, and not burn them. I was amazed at first, but I am a quick learner. Mind you, Bob helped me with the heating of the pies. He is very good in the kitchen and an inspiration to me.

    Just when the introductions to the yers were made onto the field, Dad arrived with the beer. After greeting Bethany, we rxed and watched the game; it was a very close game, making us cheer, and I decided to do one of Bethany''s happy dances, whooping and jumping about. It was very envigorating, but when I turned around, still on my high, Bethany was in tears. I could hardly believe my eyes, and I raced over to her, wondering what had happened and if she was in pain. Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on J obni b.c om. Hank and Bob were trying to get to her, too, so I had to release her and let them see her face. When she told us that she remembered that we were together, I nearly cried. Bob and Hank did one of Bethany''s happy dances, making me smile, and I got to kiss my girl, which I had been waiting to give her all these weeks.

    I pulled her onto myp and held onto her; she did not seem to mind. We watched the game, and our team won, but the victory meant little after I got my girl back.

    ''How much do you remember?'' Bob asked once the game was over, and we could talk without being distracted by the game.

    ''I remember being at the house where Hank and Kitty were and other people I do not remember yet. We won the game and went upstairs to a party. I think it was for Kitty. There are still big holes, but that was when I remembered that Theo was my boyfriend.'' Bethany was still a long way from fully remembering, but I am more than happy that she now remembers me.

    ''So you do not remember what happened after you left the party?'' Hank asked, getting closer to her, looking into her eyes, and taking her vitals.

    ''No, not yet, and I have big holes. I remember bing a doctor, but not what happened to Cynthia at school. I cannot remember moving to where I live now or starting at the hospital. It feels like something is blocking me, and I can''t break through. I remember Thomas and Judy are with their child.'' I thought Bethany was going to cry again, but she held it together for now.

    ''Never mind. You will remember, and when you do, I hope I am here for you. I do not think it is going to be a good memory, and you are going to need all of us with you. I wondered why Dad said that. I did not think you were supposed to say stuff like that. ''Yeah, I gathered as much. That is why I am still here, isn''t it? It is more than just needing medical help,'' Bethany asked. I watched Dad and Bob both look at her with concern, Bob unsure what to say and Dad staring intently at her to see how she took that news. I wondered if he was testing her, seeing what sort of reaction he would get. Was this the doctor in him? ''Yes, sweetheart, you are safer staying here for now until you have enough of your memory to know who caused this and the ident.'' Bob said, taking the lead away from Dad, who was more intent on watching her reactions than saying anything more.

    The next game started, and we left the question to that. Bethany does not remember what happened, and I do not think it was right to push her. This was supposed to be a fun day to enjoy what we enjoyed the most, watching sports, and I am determined to keep that tradition going. Dad must have picked up my annoyance because he got up, grabbed some more beers, and took back some more warm pies from the kitchen. When Dad put the pies on the table, Bethany leaned forward, grabbed two, and handed one to me. Ever the thoughtful woman, I am so lucky to have her in my life.

    She leaned back onto my chest and ate her pie whilst watching the game, nearly choking on some pie when the team we were following scored. I am sure she would have loved to get up and do a happy dance, and I was too content having her on myp to want to move her. Dad got up with Bob and danced around, something my Dad would never have done before he met Bethany. She has that effect on people.

    The sound of Bethany giggling as Dad and Bob danced was music to all of our ears; they both turned to look at her with huge grins on their faces and did an extra jiggle to make herugh again. The room atmosphere changed as sheughed, and the tension of making her remember things changed. I was d, as I wouldn''t say, that I liked the idea of upsetting Bethany and having her day filled with stress and trying to remember. I feel the best way for her to remember things is this way: having her rx,ugh, and enjoy herself, and maybe it will trigger something like it did, as she remembers we are a team.

    I feel I still need to give her time to get used to the idea of us being a couple and let her give me cues as to how much to touch and hold her if I am permitted to do so.

    I do not want to smother her, but now that she remembers, I want to touch, then hold, and kiss her so much. I understand that it could be overwhelming to be touched all the time suddenly. She is still sore, her muscles are not back to being how they were, her head is still a watermelon, her neck and shoulder muscles are still in need of strengthening, and she is still getting those terrible headaches that we have no idea if they will go away in time, or be a new part of her life.

    I would love to get my hands on those who did this to her. I am not usually a violent man, but after seeing how my girl was when we got her back, I saw red.

    Bethany gave off a long yawn; it had been a long day for her. Having some memories and cheering for the team to win, it was a great day. Dad and Bob did not want to leave yet; they were savoring her, gaining some memory back, and that it could be the start of more flooding, and they wanted to be there for her as she danced through memoryne.

    ''Go home, guys. I am here and have no operations tomorrow, so I will be here and keep our girlpany! We are all worried she will remember what happened to her while we are not here and that it could be too much for her to cope with on her own. ''Night, Bethany, get some rest. Hank kissed her on the cheek and waited at the door for Bob.

    Bob pulled her in for a hug and kissed her cheek, and then her forehead.

    ''Chin up, you are doing great. He left with Dad, and I picked up Bethany and carried her to her bed, tucking her in for the night. It was not long before she was asleep, way before I had finished cleaning up our dishes and tidying up a little bit, the poor love. I wanted to talk some more with her.

    Now she remembers me and what we had. See how much she really does remember, but I guess I have to wait, and then maybe that was pushing her too fast. There is no way of knowing if I am pushing too hard until she either breaks down in tears or shouts and screams at me, both I do not want to have her do.

 Chapter 93

    Bethany

    POV

    Dad and Hank left, and I felt better as I was tucked in by Theo. I felt him lean down and kiss me before whispering to have

    a good night. I felt his love for all the attention I was getting, though I felt a little guilty that I was not helping with the cleanup. Poor Theo seemed to be the one doing all the work while I slept and ate all day, not contributing to the cooking or cleaning. The following day, Theo was up and in his swimming trunks. He looked yummy as I watched his muscles flex. To my disappointment, he pulled a shirt over his chest, covering up what I had been enjoying looking at: his toned body and keeping fit by swimming and going to the gym.

    ''Morning, sweetheart. How was your night?'' he asked as he helped me out of bed and stepped into a swimsuit. He had a two-piece swimsuit, which was easier to put on than the one-piece I would normally wear. I just remembered I wear a one-piece when I swim, and another fragment slipped into ce.

    ''Good, I had no dreams, and I have woken with no headache for a change; I feel a bit refreshed instead of drained for a change. Headaches have been the worst to cope with; you take medication for the headache, and it makes your fuzzy head more fuzzy and tired if you know what I mean.

    ''That is great news, sweetheart. We are going to start something different today. We shall start with a hot spa to loosen your muscles. Then I am going to give you a massage to work out those kinks, and then some stretch exercises if you are up to it, and see if we can get those shoulder and neck muscles to loosen up and strengthen up, maybe get your arms to be able to go over your head. That sounded good, to be able to dress again. These muscles seem to take forever to get better, and holding my head up is a pain. If Theo can get that working correctly again, that would make my day so much better. The rest of my body seems to have healed well. It is just the neck and shoulders. I still have no clue what happened to me, but a car ident caused my neck and head to be so sore, sort of like whish symptoms.

    Theo was so tentative, covering me with kisses as if he was trying to make up for not having kisses for a while. He was hungry for my lips and to hold me in his arms if Kitty had not ordered him to allow me to use the walker and that it would help me get back onto my feet quicker. I am sure Theo would be carrying me everywhere, and I am notining.

    Theo lowered me into the spa, and it was a nice way to wake up. He said we could have food after our workout; hopefully, that did not take too long, as I had started to gain an appetite again, and that was a good sign.

    Ten minutes in the spa, with Theo sitting me on hisp, covering me with kisses and stroking my body, he had me all worked up and desiring more of his ministrations. I don''t think that was the n, and if I were at home, I would have jumped his body by now; his soothing y and body rubbing have been yearning for more; he knows how to work my body into a frenzy. I think if he lowered his hand to mydy''s part and just touched me lightly, I would explode, but I was not ready to ask him to do something like that. He pulled me out, tenderly, dried me off, and encouraged me onto the bed so he could put oils on me and start to massage my shoulders and neck. At first, I wanted to scream out in pain. I was so tense, and all the earlier thoughts of jumping his bones left my mind as pain took over. He kept working on my muscles and pushing deeper. I sighed with relief when he stopped and started to do stretches; he took both my arms and pulled them forward at first until I started to wince in pain. He rxed my arms and rubbed my shoulders to soothe them, and then he tried to raise them over my head, lifting them higher than I could have gone before he started his massaging.

    ''Rx and let me lift them. Try not to resist! he softly spoke, as if saying something too loud would make me resist more. He had soft music ying in the background, making the whole experience as calming as he could. After a few more stretches, he allowed me to get dressed, or should I say I allowed him to dress me again; I still felt like a five-year-old needing her Dad to help her get dressed; he neverined and seemed to have a tremendous amount of patience with me.

    ''Sit, and I will bring out something to eat. His voice was kind and gentle, not at all like he was telling me what to do, more like a strong suggestion, and that helped me not to retaliate in my fight to be independent again. It is hard letting someone else do all the work when you are so used to doing it all yourself.

    Where did that thoughte from?

    I keep getting glimpses of things but need help putting them all together.

    Theo had to go to work once we had eaten, and that left me to work on my heart. I used my walker to go to theb, look at thepounds that had beenpleted, and start to put them together. I have even been working on a better valve system for children, as they need change so often as they grow, and there is little I can do about that. I am still looking for a way to expand thepound as the child grows. There has to be a way, like an stic kind of material, that can expand and reduce how often a child needs to have the operation. I am still in the research stage, but one day, I will fall upon one, as I did with thispound that makes rejection lower.

    I took an afternoon nap.

    Something I hope will be less often soon.

    Cynthia was there with my mother,ughing as one of the men hit me over and over again in the face. I was tied to a bed, my body aching already, and men I did not know were in the room, all enjoying the beating I was being given.

    ''I hate you; why did you have to share the womb with me? You are not my twin; you are ugly just like dear ole Dad; die, you b***h, Die.'' Cynthia kept yelling at me to die, as a man kept hitting me.

    I screamed and thrashed about as this man kept hitting me, my voice hoarse from screaming.

    ''Wake up. I heard a voice in the distance, struggling to be heard over my screaming.

    ''Wake up. Again, I heard the voice, but my sister and mother made it harder to understand what was being said. Was it real, or was I hallucinating that I could hear my boyfriend''s voice?

    ''Bethany, my love, wake up. I heard Theo''s voice calling to me, urging me, but I was having trouble getting away from this man. His fists were giant and covered in my blood, and I was so, so scared I was going to die.

    I kept screaming and thrashing and crying. I could not get away, and Cynthia and Mother were egging the man on to keep hitting me and make me bleed, screaming at me to die.

    I had no idea why they would be so cruel to me. I had done nothing to them to deserve this type of treatment. I struggled to get away from this man. I am tied to the bed, my wrists and ankles are bound tight, and I can hardly move at all, so how can I obey Theo? How can I do what he wants me to do? My mind is so confused: what is real and what is not?

    Am I really here being hit, or am I somewhere else?

    I wish I knew how to get out of this.

    I think I am going to die here at the hands of my own mother and sister.

 Chapter 94

    Theo POV

    My morning, I started out really well. I loved pampering Bethany and making her get all hot and bothered. She might think I had not noticed her squirming for my touch, but I did, which made it hard for her to feel so good. She was hoping I would touch her and relieve the build-up, but I am not sure if she is well enough for that, so I am not game enough to try, and it is not something I am going to ask my Dad about.

    I gave both, toast and cereal for breakfast. Nothing fancy. I had taken so long with the spa and massage that I had almost run out of time. I had to go to work today and was not looking forward to leaving Bethany alone. I had tried to get Mum toe and sit with her, but she was busy, and so was Dad. I did not feelfortable calling Bob toe over to babysit. But I know he would in a heartbeat, but he is busy trying to put those who put her here. He was in jail and had a hard job trying to do that. The judge let them all go on bail, even those who should have been kept inside due to flight risk; he put a hefty bail on them, and, of course, they had no trouble raising it.

    ''Sweetheart, I have to go do some surgery today, so you will need to keep yourself busy. I said with humor, trying to say that I wanted to be there with her.

    After breakfast, I had to rush off. I had been teaching for weeks now while Bethany was in aa, and then when she awoke, I did not want to leave her side for a moment, so I did not need to operate. I could go out of the theater if I was called out, but this man is a long-time patient of mine. Robson said I was the one who needed to do the operation, and I guess, in a way, it was good for me to leave Bethany for a while. She needed to be able to do things independently, and Mum worried that I was indulging her too much. I don''t see it myself, but I guess I need to take their advice.

    We had our usual banter in the theater when the pressure was not yet on.

    ''So Drake, is what I have heard true? Have you found yourself a true love? A person to spend the rest of your life with?'' I asked with a chuckle as I waited for the room to settle down. We had everything ready to go, and Drake had just put the patient to sleep. ''Yep, I''ve been seeing him for a few weeks now,'' he says with pride and beams a bright smile at me.

    ''How is it? Do I know him? You have been so secretive about it. I was surprised to hear the gossip in the nurse''s station earlier, or I would not have known,'' I asked as I picked up the scalpel to start the operation. I hesitated as I waited for him to finish checking the patient and give me the stats so that I could begin.

    ''You have been a little preupied with your own lives to be worried about mine, but yes, you do actually know my hunk of a man; it is Saun, the man you hired for the media releases. His Dad is a patient of ours. Well, I was not expecting that. I now feel a little foolish thinking that Bethany had been interested in him; they were alwaysughing and seemed to get along well, and now,e to think of it, Drake was nearly always close by. Silly me to be jealous.

    ''He treated you right? Let me know if he isn''t, and I can set up straight, well not exactly straight, but you know what I mean.'' I said as a blush rushed up my neck because of my slip of the tongue. Some soft music started up, and a light came on saying the recording of the operation hadmenced.

    ''Yes, very well. That was thest I spoke of his new love. While I cut into the man, I needed to concentrate, and though I had a lot of questions on the tip of my tongue, they would have to wait till the worst of this was over.

    Five hourster, I was washing up, happy with how the operation went. Robson met me as I came out of the theater and patted me on my back.

    ''That was magic work you did there. For a while, I thought you were going to lose him! Robson said with a cheery voice, that was too chipper for me.

    ''Still early days, he got to make it through the next twenty to forty-eight hours! This was a hard job today. I wish Bethany were up to doing surgery, she would have made it a lot easier than me.

    ''I will give the family the good news, go and see our girl.'' Robson was friends with the family, which is part of why I had to do the operation. Robson had not touched a scalpel in years.

    Instead of going straight to Bethany, I headed to our local restaurant and grabbed some takeaway Indian this time, thinking she might have something spicy for a change. We had been having nd food since she woke up.

    When I opened the door to where we had been living, I almost dropped the bags as I heard the awful blood-curdling scream. It was real and worse than any horror movie scream I had ever heard in all my life and I have seen some pretty nasty horror movies. I rushed inside and headed to the screaming, dropping the bags on the table on my way to Bethany''s bed. There she was, covered in sweat, as she thrashed around, screaming at the top of her lungs. I grabbed her shoulders and tried to settle her down, asking her to wake up, but I had no sess. Then I did the only thing I could think of: I picked her up off the bed with her struggling against me. I fought not to drop her on the ground as she struggled against me, and once I sat on the lounge, I ced her on myp. I wrapped my arms around her to keep her close to me and to try and stop the thrashing and started to kiss her, on her cheek, on her eyes, on her lips. I kissed her everywhere I could, telling her I was there for her and that everything was going to be okay. Slowly the thrashing slowed to a stop.

    Dad arrived and saw me holding her to me, trying not to let her go, worried she would hurt herself. His anxious face watched Bethany closely.

    The screams slowly ceased, and her breathing wasbored and hard like she had just run a marathon, and her eyes opened; they were full of fear. She burst into tears and pulled herself to me once she realized I was the one holding her.

    ''I will call Bob and get him over here. I think whatever Bethany just remembered, he is going to want to hear it too! Dad pulled out his phone and called Bob, but his conversation was short and to the point.

    I rocked Bethany back and forth, and she wept in my arms. My heart was breaking for her. I had no idea what she had just remembered, but whatever it was, it was not going to be nice to talk about, if she could talk about it.

    Dad came over and took her vitals, noting them down on her chart and writing something else down, too; I was fortunate that Dad had chosen that moment to visit. He would know how to handle this. Yeah, I know I am a doctor, but when ites to Bethany, all my doctor''s training seems to have walked out the door.

 Chapter 95

    Bethany POV

    The horror. Was it a dream or a memory?

    Hank took my vitals as Theo rocked me back and forth, saying soothing words to calm me down. I was so upset, this dream or memory had terrified me. Could my Mum do such a thing? Would Cynthia?

    It breaks my heart to think either would, but the dream was so real.

    Hank gave me a sweet tea, not something I like, but he said I needed the sugar after the trauma I had just been through. I sipped it, and it had some brandy in it, too, and the alcohol burned my raw throat as it went down; I felt the warmth go all the way to my stomach.

    ''Bethany, did you have a memory or a nightmare?'' Hank asked me, concernced his voice.

    ''I do not know, it felt so real, but I do not understand why?'' I whimpered back because it was true. I had no idea.

    Dad arrived, and behind him was Kitty. Both of them rushed over to give me a side hug, as Theo was not going to release me. As the others approached us, Theo pulled me closer to him.

    Kitty looked me over, just like Hank had, while I stayed seated on Theo''sp and nodded to Hank about something only they knew about. The two of them seemed to bemunicating without saying a word. I might have appreciated it more if I had not felt so bad at that moment.

    ''Honey, tell me what you saw.'' Dad encouraged me to speak of the nightmare, one I did not want to think about, but after a few more encouraging words to all three of them, and about how I would feel so much better if I talked about it, I nodded. ''Start from the beginning and go through as much as you can remember. Try to give details; it could be important. Dad pushed me harder than I had expected, but then I knew there was still more of my memory yet toe back.

    ''I was in the back of a van; it had no windows, and I could not see the driver from where I was lying. I have no memory of what happened before being ced in the back. I was being jostled about like a rag doll on the cold metal floor, and I was in so much pain; my head hurt, and so did my arm, which was at an odd angle, telling me it was most likely broken; I tried to move it so it was not hurting as much. The van was traveling at speed, not giving a care about me being thrown about in the back. I am not sure how long we traveled. I cked out for a while, and when I came to, I could hear voices. Arge man, rough looking, six-foot-three, built like a wrestler, opened the back of the van, grabbed me by my feet, and dragged me out of the van. He threw me over his shoulder like a bag of spuds and walked inside a tunnel cut through the mountainside, for traffic to drive through rather than around. It was arge one; I think I have seen it before, but now I do not remember! Kitty gave me some water as tears flowed down my face as I discussed this.

    ''Thank you.'' I thanked Kitty for the water.

    ''Keep going, you are doing great Honey! Dad urged me to continue. He had a notepad and wrote down what I was saying.

    ''From what I could see from where I was dangling, it was a tunnel inside therge roadway. I was dumped on a dirty cot,nding hard, and he grabbed one arm and tied it to the bed, then the broken one. I screamed out in pain as he pushed it up over my head. I was not sure what hurt more. My broken arm or my shoulders throbbed out in pain; he then tied my ankles to the bottom of the cot, securing me to the four posts of the cot. I guess he walked away and went to the other side of the cave and called someone on the phone. He told whoever he was talking to that they had me, and I was secure. He stood over there at theputer and typed away; I faded in and out of the pain until thest people I expected to see walked into my view. Mother and Cynthia and another couple of men, one in an expensive suit, that I have seen before but cannot ce his name at the moment. Anyway, Cynthia said some awful things to me, wishing me to die, and alongside her was Mother, taunting me, saying they wished I was dead, had therge rough man who carried me in hit me in the face, sending blood spurting out of my mouth, he hit me over and over again, as Cynthia yelled at me to die. I told Dad precisely what Mother and Cynthia said and how they egged the man on to keep hitting me, how Cynthia threw rocks at me and screamed at me, saying I was not worthy of sharing the womb.

    ''When I stopped screaming and had nothing left in me, Cynthia came over and pped me across the face and spat on me. Before, they both left along with the man in the suit, who trailed along behind them as if he were a puppy following his master. The man removed the ropes, securing me to the cot, and watched me for a while. I lost consciousness at some point, giving in to the pain, and then the next memory is waking up here! I was exhausted; I wanted to sleep, but I was afraid I would have that nightmare again. ''Sweetheart, you did good getting that out! Hank said. Kitty was in his arms, tears rolling down her cheek, sympathy in her eyes.

    ''If we got some photos, could you identify the men?'' Dad asked, still in his police officer mode; he was doing well separating his emotions while doing his job.

    ''Yeah, I can. I will not forget those faces anytime soon. I was sure I would have them in my nightmares for a while yet, and with that thought, I wished I had not gotten my memory back of that incident. Out of all the things I had to remember, why did that onee back so soon? Why not the gap from when I left school? I still have so many gaps in my memories, and if this is any indication of what I have to look forward to as I start to remember, let me stay ignorant of it all.

    Theo was rocking me still; he, too, had tears running down his cheeks. I lifted my hand, wiped them away, and gave him a small kiss on the lips, which he decided to make into a longer kiss. When he pulled back, he looked at me with such love in his eyes. ''I brought Indian food. Would you like me to heat it up, and you can try and eat?'' he asked, looking up at the others as if asking them, too.

    ''I need to get this recorded, and I will bring back the statement for you to signter, but thank you for the offer! Dad shook Theo''s hand and gave me a side hug and kiss before leaving in haste. I think Dad was close to tears himself and did not want me to see him break down. Hank and Kitty stayed for dinner, and Kitty helped Theo in the kitchen. I could hear them whispering. Maybe Kitty was consoling Theo or the other way around. Either way, they both needed somefort.

    ''Bethany, I can leave you some Valium. If you need some, take it. Don''t try and fight to sleep. It is not good for you, as I am sure you are worried about falling asleep again and that nightmare reurring, but you must. Eventually, this, too, will fade away to just a memory that you wish you never remembered.''

    ''You can say that again, Hank, out of all the things I need to remember, this was not one I had expected to remember or wanted to remember. He chuckled along with me, but it was not a humorous chuckle. He came and pulled me to him and held me close, taking deep breaths; I got the feeling he was trying hard not to let his tears fall; hearing what I had gone through was as traumatic for them hearing it as it was for me going through it. Hank had said it was a memory and that I had actually gone through that, and if Bob had anything to do with it, those two would be in jail for a long time.

 Chapter 96

    Bob POV

    Walking into Bethany''s room, seeing and hearing her in so much distress, was not easy for me. How Theo wasforting did little to ease my own need tofort her, but knowing she has a good man to support her now was a huge bonus, though as a Dad, I want to be doing that. Bret was never any good for her, the wrong sort of man that she needed, but I can not say a thing about that. If you start telling your children you don''t like someone, or they are not good enough for you, then you are asking for trouble with that child. They have to go down that road themselves, and you have to hope you are around to pick up the pieces if the child lets you.

    Theo was not going to let go of her from hisp long enough for me to pull her into my arms for a warm hug that I so wanted to do, so I had to settle for a smaller one, and a kiss was all he would allow, before he pulled him back to him, making almost part of his or it seemed, he was in too much of a shock himself, she must have been a mess when he found her, I will have to talk to him about thatter, and now he is even more protective of her.

    Kitty and Hank were good for my peace of mind when they arrived. They helped to relieve some of my worry about her health. A few days ago, Hank reassured me that this would happen soon, and it worried us all, not knowing when exactly. We tried to have someone near her at all times, but today, I understand she was on her own, and Theo is beating himself up for it.

    For me, at the moment, it is how much she remembers that will be the big thing, and knowing how bad she looked when they brought her here was enough to say it was going to be bad. Hank had said the broken ribs and many bruises were not from the ident and looked more like a beating. I had braced myself to hear the story, and it took all I had not to let my tears fall for my girl as my heart was torn to shed for her and my anger rose. Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on Jo b ni b.c om .I wanted to find those who hurt an already injured girl who was in no fit state to defend herself and hurt them. I have seen a lot in my years in the police force, but this was harder than anything I had ever experienced before; being my own made it so much more, and it was hard to force myself to go by the book and get them to jail.

    Walking out that door after hearing the story was hard. I wanted to be the one tofort her, but I had a job to do, so I headed to the police station to meet with Detective Senior Sergeant Jackson. Jacko, as I call him, he and I go way back to our college days, and we are good friends. He and I have been working on this case for years, working on it in our spare time, trying to find links and piece them together. It was only when Bethany left Bret that a lot of them came to light, and she gave us many missing links, which sped up our case. It shocked me that the woman I called wife was behind a lot of this, something that started way before I met and married her, or at least thought I had married her.

    Walking towards Jacko''s office, I had many police officers saluting or nodding at me, depending on how well they knew me. Most of the senior officers had gotten used to me being around, and some juniors were still in shock and awe when I entered a room. Jacko''s office door was open, and I stopped at it and lightly knocked, gaining his attention; he stood immediately and weed me in. I entered and closed the door behind me.

    ''Hi, want some coffee? You look like you could use some. He turned to a small corner set-up that had the makings for coffee and made us both one without me answering. He ced it on the desk and sat beside me. He turned hisputer around so we could both look at it.

    ''As you asked on the phone, here is the surveince footage of that tunnel, about a month''s worth. I can get more if you need.'' He said and started the tape from the time Bethany was taken. We sat in silence speeding the video up a little.

    ''Stop. There,'' I said, pointing to a car that had pulled up. Four people climbed out of the vehicle. Jacko zoomed in, and we saw Cynthia, Wendy, a bodyguard, andst but not least, the Judge we had been trying to get the goods on. ''We got him. Jacko said with glee.

    ''Maybe, we have to see, but first, before we implicate him, let''s get Wendy and Cynthia off the streets! Jacko opened up the temte for statements, and I rted all that Bethany had said; I think even Jacko was fighting tears when he heard thement about hearing her rib break, and Cynthia cheered at the sound of it and egged the man to hit her there again.

    ''I would like you and a female officer that you trust. You need to bring some photographs for her to try and identify the man that hit her, and also of the Judge and the bodyguards, and anyone else you think might have been in that tunnel, she might recognize!'' Do you think we should go now? I want this done, and we can look at bringing the trials to our city. That judge is based in the next city over. He imed it all to go there because of where the ident was, as it was near both borders. I am sure we can get McIntyre to agree to take this and bring it to our turf; there are a lot of those involved in this based here.

    Do you have a female office avable?

    ''Yes.'' With that, Jacko left his office, leaving me to look through the photos we were going to take with us, and I thought of a few more that I wanted to add to them. A lovely older policewoman followed Jacko back into the office, and he closed the door.

    ''We want this to stay between us. It would be best if you did not share anything you hear or see. Do you understand?''

    ''Yes, sir.'' She said,'' I think she is surprised to be here with me and to be given a ce of trust.

    ''Bob, you can call this woman Detective Pam or just Pam when out of public; she is cool with either. I stood up and shook her hand. She was very nervous being around me. I have that sort of effect on most police officers of any rank, being at the top of the tree around here. The former head of police is on extended leave, and I have stepped up. I am not acting head, but the head, due to him never returning, and if we get enough evidence, I will go down with a few others for the small links we have found so far that tie him to the Gutter Boys.

    ''We are going to see a woman named Bethany. She is Bob''s daughter. Please read this before we go. As we are going to have her sign this, you need to be prepared so you do not ask a question that could be a trigger! Jacko gave her the statement to read, and I thought for a moment she could cry. It was sickening to read, even for hardened police officers.

    ''Yep, let''s go, Jacko said, and we walked out of the station as a trio. Jacko and Pam climbed into my SUV. I had more than one of these made, and I am d I had done so. The other one is stuck with forensics and might not be worth getting back. The insurancepany will have to pay arge part of the money to get another one as I had a repair or recement policy.

    We pulled up at the private hospital, and I saw Pam look at us with curiosity. She did not ask any questions, though you could see she had some on her mind. I know this is not where you would expect to find a victim, but what better safe house than a private hospital? Bethany can do work while here and be safe.

 Chapter 97

    Bethany POV

    Hank ended up giving me a jab to put me to sleep.

    I have no idea how long I slept, but I must have needed it and was d I did not have a nightmare or any new memories while sleeping. I would rather be awake when I remember stuff because I am not sure how much was real and how much was made up to cause it a bad nightmare.

    Though I am sure I have pushed for my records, Hank so far has not let me see the reports on my injuries, and no one will tell me yet what condition I was in when I arrived there. I tried to find out by logging into the hospital notes, but I am not on the hospitalputer system as a patient.

    Dad said something about the hospital being my safe house, and no sign of me being there had been seen yet. I am curious to know how long he is going to keep me in the dark about all of this. Hank said, till I remember enough, was the nightmare not enough? Theo has been by my side constantly, watching me like a hawk. Even Robson came in to look in on me and stayed for a little while before being called back to work. Kitty had stayed, too. Well, I assumed she had, as she was there when Hank jabbed me and was still there when I woke up. Her face showed worry and sympathy, both of which I did not wish to see on her face.

    ''Do you need anything, Bethany?'' Kitty asked as she came out of the kitchen with two coffees in her hands.

    ''Is one of those coffees for me?''

    ''Yes, but would you like something to eat?'' She pushed harder, trying to get food into me, but I was not starving.

    ''I can wait for dinner time.'' I pushed back, hoping she would back off a little on the food side.

    ''Nonsense, you must eat. Let me make a toasty for you.'' Kitty was not going to let me go without eating.

    ''Yes, please, just one and only cheese. I am not in the mood for tomato or ham. I caved and let her make me something to stop her from pushing.

    I had just finished eating when Dad arrived with Jacko. I like Jacko; he joined us a few times on our sports days or if we had a special birthday party for Dad. Behind Jacko was a woman, and by the way she looked around the room, I got the impression she was a cop. Oops, policewoman.

    ''Hi Bethany, do you remember Jacko?'' he asked, and I was not offended by his question; there were so many gaps that I might have forgotten him.

    ''Yep, we won, Jacko. Are you going to take us to the fancy restaurant to celebrate?'' I giggled. We had a bet. I, of course, bet our team would win, and the loser would pay for dinner at a restaurant of our choosing. Heughed.

    ''Of all the things to remember, you have to remember that.'' He came and kissed my cheek and stood back.

    ''This is Pam. She is here to assist in asking you some questions and to sign your statement! Jacko said Dad had gone to the kitchen to grab coffee. That action told me that he could not be part of this. He had to stay impartial, or it could jeopardize the case they were building. I had learned enough over the years and helped Dad study when he went for higher status in the force.

    Jacko and Pam took their seats at the table, and I sat across from them. I read the statement and signed it. It looked terrible in print, and tears threatened to fall down my face.

    ''Can you look through these photo albums and tell us if you recognize any of those people with you in the cave?'' Pam asked and pushed three photo albums towards me. I hesitantly opened the first one and started to flip through the pictures. I stopped at one, pointed to the photo, and winced a little. It was the man I thought was the other man''s bodyguard. I, of course, pointed to Cynthia and Mother and thought I should be a little surprised they were there. I assumed Dad would have already said something, but then I remembered he had to stay out of it. I found a well-dressed man as well. There were no names, so I had no idea who he was, but what I had not remembered in my nightmare but came to me while I was looking at the pictures were two more men who hade in while I was fading in and out of consciousness.

    ''Are you sure about those two?'' Pam asked, a little shocked, and made a note in a red pen.

    ''Yes, they came in after I was beaten up; I was not awake all the time; I was fighting to stay with them, that one. I pointed to one of the men.

    ''He came over and punched me in the face. I felt he broke my cheek, and that was lights out for me. I did not wake up again after that. I had not remembered that part when I was retelling the nightmare.

    ''We can add that to your statement and make any other additions as your memoryes back,'' Pam said softly. Jacko left to talk to Dad and the others who were over in the kitchen, standing outside my questioning. I was left with Pam as she went through a few more things and used our printer to print out an extra page for my statement.

    ''That is all for today. Call me anytime you remember something new that you think could be part of our case. She pushed her card towards me, and though I took it, I would most likely call Dad or Jacko before thisdy. I don''t know her and feel morefortable around those I do know once I get my full memory back, that is.

    Dad left with Jacko and Pam, and Hank and Kitty left too. I was tired from all the talking with Pam and was happy to have time alone with Theo. He suggested a spa, and that sounded good to me.

    ''Theo, do you think Dad will let my brothere visit? I would like to hear how he is doing.'' I suddenly asked out of the blue.

    ''I see no reason why not; we can ask him. When we had a chance next time, we saw him. Theo was attentive, washing my body and kissing my neck. I groaned at the pleasure Theo was giving me. His hand snaked down to mydy parts, and he fingered me. I pulled away from him and turned around, and I straddled him. He was quick to take back control and ease himself inside of me, and I moved up and down carefully. Having never done this in a spa before, I was not sure what to expect, but the sensation of the water on my exposed tender flesh. He was different, good, different. Theo tried to thrust harder inside of me but found our position difficult. He stood up, and carried me out of the spa, water dripping from both of us and onto the floor, but neither of us seemed to care at that moment. He headed to the nearby physio bench, and soon, we were both pounding and grinding against each other; he found the pace he had been chasing. He built me up till I was screaming his name as I exploded around him. He shouted out my name and followed me, releasing his warmth, exploded inside of me, and wey there panting.

    Theo climbed off the bed, picked me up bridal style, and carried me to the bathroom, where he turned on the water in the shower, put his hand under the water until he had the right temperature, and then carried me into the shower. Then he lowered me till my feet hit the floor, and he captured my lips, then nipped at my bottom lip and sucked on it, then kissed it better, then back to thrusting his tongue into my mouth and dancing with my tongue. He made me breathless as he continued to kiss me.

    He pulled back and looked at me with so much tenderness and love, his eyes looking deep into mine, before dropping to his eyes to look at my mouth as I licked my lips, then flicked them back up at me, his eyes twinkling with mirth and l**t. Theo took the sponge and started to wash my body, slow, sensual movements, making me want him all over again, but I was too exhausted from our recent encounter, and I think he knew this.

    He did not pursue going again. He shampooed my hair when he was satisfied I was clean enough; he turned off the tap, grabbed a soft fluffy towel, and wrapped it around me before grabbing one for himself and wrapping it around his waist. It always fascinated me watching Theo put the towel on, not at all like I do, but then I do a lot of things differently. He helped me back to our room and let me dry myself. As I watched him dry himself, he kept an eye on me.

    Dinner was takeaway, and then bed. I was concerned I might have another nightmare and tried to avoid going to bed, but Theo would hear none of that and threatened to call Hank toe and give me a shot to put me to sleep. I was yawning and fighting it, and in the end, I gave up and sumbed to sleep.

 Chapter 98

    Theo POV

    Mum and Dad assured me it was best to stay in the kitchen away from the questioning for a couple of reasons; one was because I would want to go and serve justice myself, and I agreed I might do something stupid like that. Two, because of how upset I might get, they were concerned that it might stop her from answering if I got emotional while they were questioning her. Too afraid to upset me further. Both reasons sounded good, but I was still having trouble standing there trying to talk to Mum and Dad, trying to make it not seem like I would prefer to be in the other room and to try and pretend as if that was not happening in the other room.

    ''Son, how about we see if Bob is okay with us smuggling her out of here and to our den for sports day? Maybe a day away from here would be good for her! Kitty suggested. I think this was just as hard on her as it was for me. Working with battered women, she has seen some bad things, and though this is different in some ways, it is the same too. The beating she had been through by the instigation of a family member is almost the same feeling of betrayal, and from what I understand, the family had bullied her over the years, just not physically until now.

    I asked about Bob and why he let it go on as he had. He had told them that, at first, he thought it was just sibling rivalry. When he escted, Wendy told him to b**t out, which is part of why Bethany is so close to her Dad. When he was home, he put a stop to it. Still, he was often not there when the problems arose and could not protect her, and she would never say anything about it, thinking it was a phase or some other excuse she could use to justify their actions.

    When they all left, I gave Bethany extra special treatment; she was so exhausted, and when it came to being intimate with her, I felt a little guilty for taking my pleasure; even though she seemed to enjoy it, I felt I had done it for self-gratification and should have waited for her to be less exhausted so that she could enjoy it more.

    I cleaned up the ce and looked at what I had nned for tomorrow before heading to bed. The night was rough;

    dreams of Bethany''s nightmare were in my head; it was like I was in the room watching but could do nothing to stop them. I screamed and shouted to stop hitting her. I woke with a start. Sweat covered my body; if my imagination was bad, what Bethany had gone through had to be ten times worse.

    I looked over at her sleeping form and headed for a shower. I felt gross, and the images of her broken, swollen face stayed with me all through the shower. In the kitchen, I made a coffee for us both and decided to try my hand at cooking something for breakfast, but by the time I had it on the table, Bethany was awake and watching me. I hoped she could not see how bad my night was or that she was the cause of it. I did not want to exin that to her. If I told her I had a nightmare because of her, she would be sad, and there was little either of us could do about it except feel bad.

    ''How was your night babe?'' I asked softly as she sat at the table, and I kicked myself for using the word ''Babe.'' It was what the guy that beat her called her, but she did not flinch or show any signs that I had offended her, and I let out a long breath, happy I had not hurt her or triggered a bad memory.

    ''Good, no memories or nightmares. I guess I am lucky. You look like you have been through the wringer,'' she stated. I nodded but did not borate. After breakfast, Bob arrived and joined us for another round of coffee.

    ''Bethany, after a long discussion with Hank, we have agreed that you can go to his den on Sunday and have a sports day there. However, you are to wear a wig and different clothes and whatever we can think of to make you look different, and you are never, I never repeat, to be alone; one of us must be with you at all times. Bethany squealed with delight.

    ''The ce in my memory? Downstairs?'' She asked in an excited voice, noint about dressing in something not sports-like.

    ''Yes, that is Hank''s ce. He had just finished refurbishing it. You went there on the first day. It was open for sports day. The party was at another time. I replied, thinking about both days and how much fun they were. ''Dad, will you be there?'' Bethany sounded like she needed her Dad.

    ''Just try and keep me away. I had a good time when we were therest time, and I expect the same again. I can bring the ingredients here, and you can make pies; give me a list. Bob said, and you would have thought Bethany had just won the lottery. She beamed with joy.

    ''Bethany, we have raised a warrant to arrest your sister and Mother and a few others in rtionship to the ident, and you''re k********g and beating. They should be picked up within the next few days! Dad was watching me closely as he gave me that snippet of information.

    ''Am I safe now?'' Bethany asked, thinking if they were arrested, she was safe.

    ''Not yet. We have them on a different warrant than previously. This way, they cannot get bail. They still have contacts out there that might do their bidding, so until we have them all caught and in jail, we need to keep you safe. Some of the lesser men involved have been given a chance to cooperate for a lesser charge, and we are working on it. We need to gather a stronger case against the others, so they have to spend time in jail and not have a chance to appeal. Bob looked concerned, thinking that some of the bigger fish must have some power behind them. I felt for Bethany; she would still be looking over her shoulder for a long time.

    The following two days were quiet; no more memories returned, and no big nightmares came again for either of us. We are now ready for sports day. Bethany made pies, a few small cakes, and other pastries on Saturday. She seemed to be in her element in the kitchen, zoning mepletely out. At one time, she kicked me out and told me to find something to do.

    I was at a loss. I had hoped to help out, not that I was that good in the kitchen, but I could learn.

    The next day, we dressed Bethany up in a long, flowing dress, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hat that made her look like she was off to the races. She looked the part of a corporate box wife, heading off to have some fun. You could see that Bethany hated it but did not fight it, knowing that she would be stuck in theb area longer if she did not follow the rules. This was like a trial run to see how she was leaving her safe ce.

    Getting her to the car was easy. Bob had a tinted windowed SUV, and that made Bethany feel safer. He reversed into the ambnce bay, and we smuggled her out as if she were a patient being transferred. We had a few staff looking at us weirdly, considering I was dressed up in my sports shirt, and so was Bob, but I think most thought it funny and did not think much of it.

    Once on the road, Bethany clung to my side. She stared out the window and kept turning her head to look behind her. I think she remembered being in a car, and it was not safe, but she could not ce where the fear wasing from. Bethany did not rx at all and was stressed out all the way to Dad''s ce, her head swiveling around, staring at each car as if it was going to attack us.

    She was shaking and kept holding me tighter every time a car passed close by us. I was wondering when the memory would hit, but we made it to Dad''s ce, and she was still shaking and scared, but not one whimper or cry out. She kept it together. Only my arm was sore from where she dug her fingers in each time a car was next to us or we moved through an intersection.

    Bob drove straight into the garage. Dad had made a space for him right near the door to the house. We waited for the garage door to close before any of us climbed out. Although you cannot see the garage from the road, we were taking no chances.

    I have been caught out once already, and with Scott''s team being hit, I am not willing to risk her safety. One good thing. After Bethany was taken, the contract was gone. Scott said that the contract had beenpleted, and unless they raised another one, she was safe from rouge gangsters wanting to make a name for themselves.

 Chapter 99

    Bethany

    POV

    The outfit they gave me to wear was ridiculous. There is no way I would have chosen to wear anything close to it. The color needs to be corrected for mypletion, and the dress drags on the floor like it was made for a person a lot taller than me. Kitty knew what she was doing when she gave it to me to wear. I felt hideous in it, and the hat made my head itch, the makeup was overdone, I felt like I looked like a clown, and I wanted to scream, ''Who is that woman in the mirror?'' when I stopped to look at myself, I twisted and turned to get a full look at it. No matter what way I turned, it did nothing for me or my figure.

    I was fighting and not giggling when I was on the gurney being taken to the ambnce bay. Hiding like that seemed to me so overboard. I was not in trouble here in the hospital, surely not.

    But then I got into the vehicle, and everything changed. I was feeling frightened, and I had no idea why. I looked at every vehicle with suspicion, and every time we went through an intersection, I thought we were going to be rammed. I broke out into a sweat and held onto Theo''s arm. I was never more relieved than when that garage door went down, and I was away from the vehicle.

    Kitty took the pies and other little things I had made and ced them on the kitchen table.

    ''Hello sweetie,e with me, and I will show you where you can get changed.'' I followed Kitty to a bedroom, quickly used the makeup remover, and cleaned my face. Then, I stripped off my clothes and put on my team shirt and some jeans. I was happy to look like me again. Then, I headed back towards the den.

    ''My, you look gorgeous. I have your pies in the warmer and will be ready for halftime, Kitty said as she pulled me closer to her and gave me a sort of hug. It was not a full-on tight hug; our chests did not even touch. It was like an air kiss but hug style. It was weird. Did I smell or something?

    The den was just as I remembered it, and I was happy to scream and shout at the screen, but I could not yet get up and do a happy dance. In the end, our team lost, and my head hurt. I slept through the next game. I woke up to cheering for our team to win and missed the whole game. I felt embarrassed and cheated for missing the game.

    We were going to stay the night. Kitty gave me a guest room, and Dad shared Theo''s room. He had a spare bed there that his mates used when they stayed the night in his youth. I chuckled when I heard that. I could not see my Dad sharing a

    room.

    ''Sweetheart, would you like something to change into?'' Margaret offered before she dragged me to her room and offered me something that was not exactly what I would wear to bed. It was more like a camisole and g-string.

    ''Thanks, but I will pass on that thank you! I said as politely as I could. She dug out an oversized T-shirt and shorts. Now that was more my style, I happily took them, headed to the guest bedroom, changed, and climbed into bed. My sleep came quickly, and so did my dream.

    I had just dropped my dad off and entered my home address on my phone. I was not sure of the best way home from here. Having never been out this way before, I pushed y on my phone, and a ylist started. Every now and then, the voice would interrupt the sone and tell me where to go. I was following the prompts. A set of lights seemed to get close, then back off, raising the hairs on my arms and neck. Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on Job nib.c o-m Something was wrong. I took a turn I was not meant to take, and then another to head back onto the road, and the lights followed me. Feeling like I was being paranoid, I called my Dad, but his phone said it was switched off, which was weird as I was sure he turned his phone on at the same time. I turned my back on.

    So I called the only other person I could, and that was Theo.

    Hearing his voice calmed me, and we chatted; my telling him where I was and knowing he was headed my way helped ease my mind; then the car came really, really close and hit the back of the vehicle. I swore at the car, which now had turned on a high beam, making it a very annoying re in my mirror. I suddenly saw a care out of nowhere, and I screamed as the hit made the steering wheel turn suddenly. I think I broke my arm when it hit me and pulled the steering wheel out of my hand. I tried to steer the car, but I was struggling. Then, the edge of the drop came, and I was rolling down the embankment. When the car stopped, I saw mening at me. I must have cked out for a little while. Next thing I knew, a man had climbed in through the broken windscreen and was trying to pull me out. At first, I thought it was to save me, but after I got out of the car, the man hit me over the head with something, and soon it was lights out. When I woke up, I was in the back of the van.

    ''Wake up sweetheart, it is a dream, wake up please.'' Theo was holding me, asking me to wake up. I must have been screaming in my sleep, and when I opened my eyes, I was in Theo''s arms. He had his back resting on the bed''s headboard and was rocking me back and forth. Dad, Kitty, and Hank were in the room beside the bed, looking at me with sadness in their eyes, whereas at the door were Cindy and Margaret looking in. Kitty handed me a *s of water, which I drank greedily. The screaming had dried my throat.

    ''What is wrong honey, another memory?'' Dad asked. He had hold of my hand as if he needed to be in contact with me. ''Yeah, I remember dropping you off and the ident. I now have two more faces to give to Pam. I said with a shiver. ''Two men?'' Theo asked softly, and I continued to describe the men.

    ''Tell me what they did?'' Dad got out a notebook and started to write down what I said.

    ''Dad, two men climbed down to the car, one climbed in through the windscreen, and when they got me out, the one who stayed out of the vehicle called me a b***h and hit me, knocking me out till I woke up in the back of the van.'' I said, staring at Dad. ''Were they on the album you looked at before?'' Dad asked reassuringly. He seemed a lot calmer after I exined what had happened.

    ''Yes, the blue album, third page.'' I said and described the men and how they had an ent.

    ''Gutter Boys, the ent is distinct. Theo said, and I looked over my shoulder at him. I had heard that name before but could not pinpoint it.

    ''I also remembered that I was married to Bret, Cynthia''s Bret, and how I have been used all through my marriage, but I was not married, and I am a little confused about that part. Dad, how can I be married but not married? I still have some small holes to fill in gaps, but the worst of my memories are back. I am not sure how I feel about all of what I am remembering, it is as if I am watching a sick movie or something rather than my life!

    ''We will talk about that another day, because don''t I suggest you try and rest and put all your thoughts into order? You have had a rough night and maybe still have some more memories toe back, Dad suggested, and kissed me on the cheek.

    ''You lot go back to bed, and I am staying here and holding my girl for the rest of the night.'' Theo was not going to leave me alone. I must have scared him and Dad nodded and was already dialing someone on his phone as he was leaving. I wondered who he would be calling at this time of night or morning. The clock by the bed said it was two twenty in the morning. I doubt my Dad will be getting any more sleep tonight. Even if he tried to, his mind would be working overtime on what I had just said. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep again, cocooned in Theo''s arms. I could not move even if I wanted to; he held me so tight. I am not sure if he went back to sleep. It would not surprise me if he didn''t. After waking the whole house, I would be surprised if I was the only one to go back to sleep.

    Morning came with a light shining through the curtains, which were not closed before I went to bed. I could see out the window of arge tree not too far away. The branches were moving in the breeze. The day looked to be a good one, and I took a deep breath. I had some apologies to give when the house woke up.

    The memories ofst night came flooding back; it took everything in me not to cry and scream out; how could they do this to me? Why do they want me dead so much? What have I done to them to deserve such treatment? I think Bret was doing everything Cynthia told him to. Whether he liked it or not, he was that much under her control. I am not sure whether I would call what he had with Cynthia''s love more like an obsession he could not break away from.

    Dad said Bret was helping them with their inquiries, and if all went well, they would have two different cases to answer for.

    They had some new warrants for the others that I could give them as they could keep the ident separate from the other cases under investigation.

 Chapter 100

    Bret POV

    A loud, constant knocking was happening on our front door at ten o''clock at night. We were all getting ready for bed.

    ''I will get it, I called out as I passed near the front door, checking that everything was locked up, a silly habit I started when I was young. I thought whoever was knocking was known by the gate guard, or they would never have made it past the gate. I opened the door. Several police officers were standing on the porch, staring at me as I opened it up. I was a little shocked to see them, but hopefully, I kept my face calm.

    ''Can I help you?'' I asked, feeling lead hit the bottom of my stomach at the sight of them. I was given more time to get the information they needed. Are they here to take me away?

    ''Are Cynthia and Wendy Peterson home?'' The policewoman looked at her clipboard in his hand and then back up at me expectantly.

    ''Sure,e on in, and I will call them down.'' I was pleased they were not here to take me away and was interested in finding out what the women had been up to that had the police at our door.

    I led the police to the lounge room, offered them a seat, and set off to call for Wendy and Cynthia.

    ''You have visitors, Wendy.'' I called out, knowing that Cynthia woulde too, as she hates missing out on anything. As expected, Cynthia arrived almost before Wendy and could not back away fast enough.

    ''Cynthia, they want to talk to you too, I said as she tried to leave the room. There was nothing she could do to avoid the confrontation that was about to happen. I was feeling pretty good that they were not there for me, and I was interested in finding out why they were there. She gave me stinky eyes as she walked back in before giving an innocent smile to the police.

    ''You are Cynthia Peterson?'' the police officer with the clipboard asked.

    ''Yes.'' Cynthia replied coldly.

    ''Are you Wendy Peterson, also known as Wendy Sanderson?'' she asked Wendy, and she said yes. It took that moment of the police using two names for me to realize that Wendy most likely had done the same to Bob as Cynthia had done to me: married two people, but not. I have yet to get my head around that part.

    ''You are both under arrest in connection to a motor vehicle ident, k********g, and the bashing of one Bethany Peterson.'' They then read them their rights and handcuffed them. I was numb, and they were the ones that hurt Bethany. I had heard them saying she was in hospital, but I could not locate her, but they caused it. I was horrified and upset by everything I had just learned. Poor Bethany. I hope she is alright. They never charged them with murder, so Bethany is still alive, but how do I find out how she is when they put her in hiding? I assumed they had done that because Wendy and Cynthia had gone ballistic when they could not locate her.

    Cynthia POV

    Bret said Mum had a visitor. I rushed downstairs to find out who was here for her thiste at night. I could get them into my bed and find out all Mother''s secrets. She had been so secretivetely, and I wanted to know why. I waltzed into the room proudly and could not step back fast enough when I saw the police. I was going to hide in the hall and listen to why they came for her until Bret spoiled it. He did this deliberately, and I would make him suffer for that.

    The police also wanted to speak to me, which made a cold shiver run down my back.

    That does not sound good, and we are out on bail. Surely, they cannot just take us back and throw us back in jail. I can''t go back there. Thosedies in that jail holding section were terrible and rude. The clothes they had us change into were scratchy and ugly. I thought we had to go to court first, and we could fight and get out on good behavior or something like that. Thest thing I had expected was to be arrested for Bethany''s ident and the bashing. How did they get enough evidence to arrest us? Wendy said we were careful and nothing could be pinned on us.

    I wanted to fight the police and leave kicking and screaming, but with so many police, I doubted I would be able to get away and hide for long. If I could even get out of here, wait till I get out of the holding cell, and go find that cow, the beating she just had would be nothingpared to what I would make sure she gets next. I vowed as Mother started to argue with the police. Wendy POV

    I had just put on my face cream when Bret called me downstairs. Visitors, at this time of night? I know I was expecting someone, but they were toe tomorrow. When I had the house to myself, could he not wait? I giggled at the thought and rushed out the door to find out who it was. As I approached, I could see Cynthia trying to back out of the room. It must be someone she did not want to see. Entering the room, the police were thest people I had expected to see. They asked my name and added my other name. Very few knew of my other marriage, and it surprised me that they used both. I guess they have to get it all right, or we could fight it all on technicality. What surprised me was why I was being arrested. I am still determining how they worked out. It was us. Bethany was more or less unconscious most of the time, and I stood in the background. She could not have seen me hiding in the back like that.

    ''I do not agree. I want to call mywyer. I am not going anywhere with you.'' I argued and left the room to fetch my mobile phone. Mywyer said to say nothing when questioned without him present and wait till he finds out thistest one. He is going to have a field day.

    ''You can call yourwyer at the precinct now. Pleasee peacefully. The man looked like he wanted me to fight him, so I sighed and gave up.

    ''Let me get my purse and phone. I went to leave the room.

    ''Sorry, but you need toe as you are. He took my arms and turned me around so fast I had no time to fight him and the click of handcuffs was heard, and the heavy, cold metal was on my skin.

    We were taken to the Seventh Precinct. I have no friendly contacts here, so I am going to have to rely on mywyer skills to get me out of here. Cynthia isining bitterly about everything, like the spoiled brat she is, and I have only myself to me for that. She does not realize that this time, it is going to be a little more tricky to get out of. She thinks that because we have gotten away with things in the past, we will walk away from this one, too, but something deep down in my gut says this one is going to be harder to get out of.

    Bob will make sure of it. We have hurt his precious little girl, and he will try everything in his ability to make sure I pay for it. I am going to have thewyer look at getting it thrown out under conflict of interest and see how he likes that. I chuckle to myself, already nning how to get out of here and how I am going to make Bethany pay for having me spend more time in this awful ce.

    Bret POV

    The moment they had her outside the door and loaded into the police vehicle. I rushed up to Wendy''s room.

    She always locked her door when away, so I never got a chance to go through her room and see if she had the paperwork that the police wanted me to find. I pulled open every drawer, walked into her walk-in robe, and pushed clothes around, pulling boxes off the top shelf. Just as I was about to give up, I found a box on the floor. It had shoes on top of it, but they were not shoes when I started to pull them out; the documents I had been hunting for were there. I was so excited I tried to make sense of some of it, but it was beyond me.

    I pulled out my phone, found the card I received from the detective in charge of the case, and called his number. ''Seventh precinct.'' The voice said politely but bored.

    ''Bret Morrison speaking. Before I could go any further, the man stopped me.

    ''Just a moment, I will put you through! I was on hold for about three minutes before I recognized a man''s voice.

    ''Bret? How can I help you?'' The detective spoke politely, and I wondered if he would stay that way. When he had me arrested and in that back room, thest thing he did was friendly and polite.

    ''Can youe to my house now? I have something I need you to see, I asked excitedly.

    ''Can it wait for tomorrow? It is gettingte.'' He sounded tired, and with it already eleven at night, it was most definitely veryte to still be at work.

    ''Please, they just took Wendy and Cynthia away, and I''m not sure how much time I have before they get released,'' I almost begged.

    ''Okay, I will be there in twenty minutes. He hung up and, true to his word, twenty minutester he was knocking on the door.

    ''Hi, so d you coulde this way! I led four police detectives up to Wendy''s room and showed them the box. They sat down and went through a little bit of it, talking softly to each other. ''Where did you find this?''

    ''In here. I took them to the walk-n-robe and pointed to the spot. They started to pull all the different boxes out and pulled what was in them apart. In each box was more paperwork. I needed to be more thorough, but they had, and with my permission, they could take it all. Because I am legally married to Cynthia and this house is in her name, I can invite the police to take the items away, and Wendy could do nothing about it. It was all legal. I do not understand it all and would not begin to argue whether it was or not. If they say it is fine for them to take it, with my permission, then I am happy to get it out of here and into their hands if it means that we get Wendy off my back and a divorce from Cynthia.

 Chapter 101

    Pam POV

    Finally, I had the warrant in hand and gathered several officers, and we headed in three vehicles to serve the warrant. We

    are excited about getting these two women. ording to my senior, these two have their hand in a lot of the cases we are working on, and we need to be careful how we handle each case, making sure they can''t get out of them. It will be a big coup for us to get them off the streets. The mansion is huge, just like most wealthy family homes in this area are. I pulled up at the massive gates and wound my window down as a guard came to my window.

    ''Can I help you, officer?'' The guard was young, in his early twenties. I lifted my warrant to show him, but he hardly nced at it.

    ''I am here to collect Wendy and Cynthia.'' I did not get to say theirst names as he backed away, and therge gates started to creek and grind, and they slid open. Well, that was easy. I thought I would get into an argument, or at least he would phone them for permission. Luck is on my side today. It waste, and I was ready to call it a night, but these two need to be behind bars, and that is why I am pushing this and making sure every T is crossed and every I is dotted. Everything had to be ''by the book, leaving no stone unturned. I can''t risk them getting out on bail.

    Bret answered the door, and I pretended I did not know him if the other two were nearby. I am still waiting for him to deliver some good news on paperwork or something concrete to pin thedies to morew-breaking events. I have a number I want to pin on them. I have someone else working on that case. His job is to get all the information together, and Jacko and myself will go through it.

    Cynthia did exactly what I had expected from her. She is theatrical, putting on a great performance of innocence and then the more ugly side I have seen a number of times before. She believes she is above thew, and then in walks Wendy, face cream still caked on her face. I was going to love taking her in looking like this, and it was like getting the cherry on the top of the cake. Wendy tried to make excuses to get out of the room, but we were having none of that, and I had Jonno grab her, turn her around so fast she nearly lost her footing, and click those metal bracelets on her wrists. The sound of the click shutting the cuffs was music to my ears. I have been keeping these twodies on file for years. They had managed to slip out of the noose each time, but we have them both this time on this one, and while in jail, we can work on the rest of the stuff.

    Jacko POV

    At the same time, at a gatedmunity section of the rich and famous.

    We arrived at the gate, and the guard came out to check on us. He saw me, looked at the other two cars, and smiled. ''Going to take one of my residences today, my friend?'' He chuckled and walked back to the guard house, and the gates smoothly moved to the side. I waved to him as we entered the area, and hisugh could be heard as we drove away. He did not like a lot of the arrogant ones that lived there, thinking they owned the world and did what they liked and treated people as if they were below them, just like the men I am headed to right now, when the guard sees who we have in the vehicle, it is going to make his day.

    The most considerable mansion in the ce came into view, his ce. It lit up like a Christmas, showing off its grandeur to anyone passing. We parked and got out, marching up to his huge double door, and banged on therge knocker that was for disy more than use, as he had a doorbell on the side, but I liked the sound of the knocker echoing inside.

    A young maid who looked like I had just woken up answered the door. She squeaked when she saw us, and I felt bad that we had scared her a little. She gathered herself and stood upright, head held proudly, just like she had been taught to do. I know I have been here many times before, but only as a guest, never on duty.

    ''The master has retired for the night! She informed me timidly.

    ''Wake him.'' I ordered, and she invited us into the parlor room to wait.

    The parlor room was decorated with all his achievements so any visitor could see how great he was. It is going to make me feel good to take this man down. It can be not very safe if you have never seen all this before. I can see some of my men eyeing the awards and shuffling their feet nervously.

    ''Don''t let this room worry,ds. He is still just a criminal like all the rest,'' I said softly, but they all heard me and stopped looking around the room.

    In walked the man we had been waiting for. He was in his bathrobe, having been woken up, his hair all disheveled.

    ''Jacko, what is the meaning ofing to visit thiste at night?'' He grumbled. I nodded to the officer who was going to arrest him. I was there to ensure that nothing went wrong. I cannot be the arresting officer.

    Are you Congressman Bet Sanderson?'' My office asked.

    ''Of course I am. What of it?'' He was his usual self, even half asleep, but he was still rude.

    ''You are under arrest for being part of the bashing and k********g of one Bethany Peterson.'' He then read his rights as he shouted how stupid we were, and he did not have time for this type of nonsense. My officer turned Bet around and ced the cuffs on his wrists. He gave me a thunderous look. He was shouting obscenities as we led him out of his house and into our vehicle. The men looked like they were enjoying watching this man fall to pieces. It is different to be on this side. He should be happy we did it at night when most are asleep, or he would have had an interesting audience, and I would have loved to see their reactions to seeing this happening.

    He shouted all the way to the precinct and was still yelling when we got to a cell. I was happy when we closed that door and could no longer hear what he was saying. The officers all chuckled as they spoke about what had just gone down.

    I went to sleep and then let Bob know what happened in the morning. I left my men to do the paperwork on this one and would review itter. A night in the cells would do Bet a world of good. Luckily for us, hiswyer''s phone had gone to the message bank, and he was none too happy about that. Bob POV

    My office desk is full of paperwork, but my mind is on my daughter andst night''s memories. What she has been through would have most people making a mess and spending a lot of time in therapy, yet my girl appears to be handling it like a trooper. I told her we had warrants out for her sister and Mother''s arrest, and it was like we were talking about everyone. She did not even blink, and it was as if we were talking about some other person and just nodding.

    I am not waiting to hear how things wentst night. I had half expected to get a callst night, and it was a wrestling night as it was, so maybe it was good I had not heard. I am tempted to find out myself, but I need to stay out of it as much as possible. I have gotten a little too close at times and cannot risk my intervention by association they get off.

    Just before ten in the morning, Jacko arrived, bringing with him two cups of coffee and a muffin each. He closed the door and sat down.

    ''Morning, did you check, or have you waited for me? He asked, and I chuckled as I took a sip of the elixir of life. ''Waited. Getting from you is so much more pleasurable.

    Jacko then spoke at length about the arrest of the woman and of the Congressman, as well as two high-ced Gutter Boys and several lower-ranked ones, all to do with the assault and making sure none of the dots were connected to the other cases yet. I then told him about Bethany''stest memory and of how she was dragged out of the vehicle bleeding, and then one of the men beat her up some before throwing her in the van. Jacko was fuming.

    ''There is a traffic camera nearby, set up for speeders. I would see if anyone got a photo of their car. If they were speeding, that camera would have captured them. I only just got the report of where they were set up. I have asked for a photo to be sent to me. We may have more evidence within a three-hour window of the ident. Jacko glowed.

    ''How about the time that Bet went through the tunnel, where there were any cameras around at that time?''

    ''I will look again. I had assumed the one in the tunnel would be enough, but having more than that for backup would be good.

    ''Thank you for the update. I will pass it on to Bethany''

    ''Don''t let your guard down yet, and she is still in danger.'' Jacko added as he stood to leave.

    ''Yeah, I get it, but at least she can go home now. I will ask Scott to assign a couple of bodyguards, and I will not let her talk me out of it this time.

 Chapter 102

    Bob

    POV

    Just as my day was ending, Pam came to my office. She was beautiful and kind. More than once since we had met, during these cases, she had been there for me when I was falling to pieces because of Bethany and what she had gone through. Pam and I had dinner at her ce, and we talkedte into the night. She helped me through some rough patches there. We have not yet stepped into a rtionship, but if she is willing, we could look at something soon. I had needs, and she would have been interested if I had read the hints correctly.

    ''Hi Pam, what brings you to my office?'' I asked, keeping this safe office etiquette. I do not need to be the talk of the office. ''I assumed that you already knew of the arrests.'' I nodded at her and waited for what she had to say.

    ''Would you likepany when you go to tell Bethany?'' She blushed when she said this; I took that as another hint. Would I like herpany? I think she had tried to find a few ways to spend time with me, and, at first, I was too blind to see it. I was still reeling from what Wendy had done, and I had been out of the dating game for a long time and had forgotten to look for cues.

    ''That would be great. I am sure she will have questions, and you will answer them. I am about to go to her now. Would you like to join me?'' I was curious to know if she would like to share my car or follow me. When I went to her ce for dinner, I found that she was actually in the same building as me. I was pleasantly surprised.

    ''Sure, can you drive?'' Perfect. That is all I needed to start thinking about how we could spend time together for dinner. I may be out of practice, but I am enjoying learning all over again. I cannot remember ever feeling this excited in years. I had lost love for Wendy a long time ago, and I had not really enjoyed going out for dinner. Sports day and time with Bethany were the only times I was with a woman outside work-rted issues.

    I logged out of myputer and put the paperwork away, leaving my desk clean and tidy. I was never one for leaving a mess. I opened the door for Pam to climb in. Dad taught me to be a gentleman when it came to women, even Wendy. I would still open the door, though she would often beat me to the door and climb in before I could open it for her. Wendy slowly took away all my joy in life until sports became my only outlet. I was fortunate that Bethany loved it, too. I wondered if Pam would enjoy a sports day. We still needed to cover that. We need an actual date and to talk some more or another night, and I can cook for her. I can show off the few dishes I can cook.

    Scooting around the car and into the driver''s seat, I was acting like a school kid again, and I was actually enjoying it for a change. The traffic was all right, and I found a parking spot near the hospital entrance. Pam looked at me as if she was asking something, but I was not sure what. I climbed out and went around the side to open her door, and she looked pleased; maybe that was what she was trying to ask. Does she wait for me or climb out? I guess it will depend on the situation, but I like opening car doors, buying flowers, and the little things for women that were killed off years ago. I am hoping Pam loves sports and likes flowers and the little things I used to enjoy doing. I am so ready to start a new life. After my long drought, this woman is the first woman that I have found to be interesting, even the opportunity to cheat on my wife. I had not done so, and believe me, when I said I was tempted a few times, I could not let myself fall to her level. We entered the side entrance, using my swipe card to gain entrance. I opened the door and let Pam in first, and my hand dropped to her lower back as an instinct long forgotten took over. She took the lead like I wanted her to and headed to Bethany''s wing. The nurses looked at us as we walked by, but the staff were used to seeing my face around here and knew I was Bethany''s Dad. They smiled and nodded at me. As I walked by, I did the same.

    Bethany was in herb working. She was using her walker, but not as much now. The work Theo had been doing with massage and stretching was working well. Hank had said that her headaches were fewer and her neck was getting stronger; still, there was a little bit to go for the muscles to stop being sore, but on the whole, I am happy with her progression. Theo said she had put a shirt over her head now, which was real progress in my eyes. The poorss took a brutal beating. I am told her cheek is healed. It had been two months now, and I am sad it took this long to get those arrested, but we had to wait for Bethany to wake up, start to remember what went on, and finish getting the evidence. It all takes time, and that is one of the hardest parts of the job. The evidence needs to be sound.

    ''Hi, Bethany!'' I called out as I entered her room. She turned around with a huge smile.

    ''Hey, Dad, Pam, do you want a coffee? I have some cream cakes, too. If they are her homemade cakes, I am in.

    Afterward, I hugged and kissed her. Pam did the same. I saw Bethany frown at Pam''s familiarity but did not question it. She looked at me for a moment and smiled at herself. I caught it, though, and knew she had figured out my intentions or hopes to pursue it and would most likely get quizzed on itter. My girl never misses much, that is for sure. Bethany made coffee and brought cake and coffee to the table. She was humming to herself like she normally does in her own kitchen, so I was taking this as a good sign she was on the mend, and no huge damage was done by the trauma she had been through.

    ''So, Dad, what is the visit? You look like you have something to say, and I might or might not like it.'' Yep, that is my girl. She can read me like a book. I can never hide things from her. That might have been why I stayed at work as much as I did in the early years when I caught Wendy being unfaithful. I was afraid Bethany would pick up on it.

    ''Pam?'' I asked her to talk about the arrests. She was part of it, not me.

    ''Sweetie, we arrested Wendy, Cynthia, and a few othersst night, and at the moment, none of them have managed to get bail. The judge used to read our reports and denied bail and will stay in jail until court. I am afraid you will need to be there in court as the victim of the case. Do you think you can cope with being in court and seeing them while each person is on trial? It could take some time to see each case! She held Bethany''s hand as she spoke and seemed to be genuinely concerned for her. That melted my heart a little, and the walls I had been building since Wendy''s betrayal started to crumble.

    ''I am not sure. I can go and see how I handle it, but if it is too much, will the judge let me out of there? I think it is going to be hard to see those who hurt me.'' Bethany sounded like she was going to cry. This was going to be another hard step for her to take, but we were all here for her.

    ''Sweetie, the judge will understand and make some allowances, but if you could stay in court, it would be better for our case. Pam was trying hard, but it was Bethany''s choice in the end. Not all people can sit in front of their abuser and not fall apart. We ate cake and chatted about Sunday sports day, and to my surprise, Pam was a supporter of the same team, and Bethany invited her to join us. That saved me from having to try and find the courage to invite her. Pam jumped at the chance. It looked like these two could get along, and that was all I needed to do to see how we would go in a rtionship.

    If this woman gets along with Bethany after Sunday, I will try and woo her. I will not bring another woman into Bethany''s life that would cause her any more pain than she has already had. Bethany never judges anyone, and that is why she is taken advantage of. I am hoping what she has just been through has not changed her and made her jaded and wary. I doubt it because it is not in her nature, but trauma of this kind can affect someone and change them.

 Chapter 103

    Bethany

    POV

    Dad and Pam came and gave me the news. I am a little bit mixed up with my feelings. This is my family who hurt me, and I feel betrayed. I know they have never really shown any interest in me and have more or less ignored me and used me, but they are still family, and I am going to send them to jail. I feel a little guilty about that. I do not understand what I had done for all this to happen and wish I could understand. My need to be true to my family was moreplicated than I thought. Kitty said it was like many battered women. They are loyal to the one causing the pain, believing they will change and that they really do love them. I am not sure if I can cope with going through that type of beating again.

    Why do people act like that? I don''t think I will ever really know the answer.

    ''You can return to your penthouse, but I wish you to have two bodyguards, speak with Theo, and get him to contact Scott until this is all put to bed. It would be best if you were always protected when out of the hospital. Plus, you can get used to them being around, and it will be easier when the trials start to have some people you trust already! I understood what Dad was saying, and it was scary that I needed to be protected against the family.

    After Dad and Pam left, I felt I needed to do something to make me feel better. Thepound I was working on will take a little while before it is ready, maybe tomorrow afternoon, so I will have a nice long bath and get ready for when Theoes back. I need him, and tonight I want him.

    I madesagna for dinner and left it in the oven to stay warm, and I did a few things around the room to try and make it more romantic. But knowing it is myb makes it hard to get all excited. But I am trying the best I can with what I have here. I am excited about telling Theo we can go home. Home. That has a nice ring to it.

    Theo came not long after I had finished setting up the room, and when he walked in, his face showed surprise, and then he smirked. He got the message of what I was hoping for, loud and clear, the moment he saw me sitting on the bed in a red teddy, waiting for him. As he walked towards me, he dropped the bag he was carrying on the table without even looking at the table and started to strip as he walked towards me, slowing his steps to give him more time to strip and take me in. I licked my lips, and he groaned. I am not sure why he groaned at that, but it did make me wet from the sound and tingle, thinking I was doing something right.

    He was naked by the time he reached me, a trail of clothes on the floor.

    He took one of my ankles gently, kissed the inside, and slowly gave me kisses all the way very slowly up my legs, making sure both legs received the same treatment. He stopped and looked up at my face and smiled, his eyes twinkling with lust as he leaned down and kissed my mound. I had shaved my hair, leaving a little hair like an arrow pointing to where I wished him to be. He slowly lifted my legs, ced them over his shoulders, and lowered his head. I lost sight of his face as he disappeared between my legs, and I groaned with pleasure as his tongue licked me and plunged inside of me, then sucking on the nub. The need inside of me grew, and I found I was squirming as I was trying to make him push harder onto me, into me; oh, I don''t know; I needed more friction. ''More.'' I whispered out, deeply lost in my own l**t, so that I hardly recognized my own voice.

    He groaned something back to me, and the vibration of his voice sent me over the top, screaming out his name as I exploded into his mouth. Wow, I felt myself pulsing as he continued to lick and suck on me. I was so tender now that each time he touched a certain spot, I jumped from the sensation.

    Deciding he had done enough with his mouth, he made his way up my body, kissing my belly and reaching my breasts. He gave each of those a lot of attention, kissing and nibbling and sucking on the n*****s. Something made him stop and climb up to me, kissing my neck, my cheeks, and, finally, my lips. He plunged his tongue into my mouth, sharing the taste of me that was still on his tongue. I lifted my hips, pushed against his hardness, and rocked back and forth, wanting him to be inside me. But he resisted, giving me a deeper kiss and groaning in my mouth when I pushed against him again, urging him to enter me.

    I lowered one of my hands down between our bodies and found his erection and squeezed it, but he pulled my hand away and raised it above my head. Tutting as he did so as if I had just done a bad thing, he took both of my hands and held them above my head using one of his hands while the other yed with my breast, squeezing a n****e. He lowered his head back to the one he squeezed and suckled it, then bit down on it, not hard enough to cause blood, but enough for me to feel the pain, and I felt my body pulse. He lifted his head back and blew on the wet n****e as if cooling the heat he had just caused and making the n*****s stand up harder. My needs grew, and I had to have him inside of me.

    ''Inside of me now. I demanded, and he chuckled, that is right. He chuckled. I could believe this man; he had me held tight so I could not y with his body, yet he would not give me what I wanted, NO, what I needed.

    ''You want this? Sweetheart. He asked in a husky voice and pushed his hips against me, making his hardness rub against me. My reaction was to lift my hips to his and try to get more friction. ''Yes.'' I said, all breathy and needy.

    He, atst, gave me what I needed, raising his hips and lining up the tip; with one thrust, he was inside of me, and I let out a loud breath as he filled me up with hisrge size. He pulled back, and I whimpered, thinking he was going to take it all the way out, but all he did was take it to the very end, where I thought it had left me, but then he pushed back in so fast. I hardly had time to lift my hips to join the thrust, having him hit all the right ces deep inside of me. Then the thrusting rhythm started, and I got into the swing of it. I pushed up harder and faster and dug my nails into his back. The moment he let my hands go, I felt the building need for release grow inside of me, and I was getting all sweaty and breathless as the speed picked up, Theo getting closer to his own release. I screamed his name again as I spilled over the top and exploded with ecstasy, and two strokester, Theo roared out my name as he reached his peak and filled me with his warm release.

    After a little while, when we had cooled down, Theo climbed off the bed, collected me in his arms, and carried me to the bathroom. He held me close to him as he turned on the shower, waited for the water to be just right, and climbed in with me still in his arms, my face resting on his chest.

    When he lowered me to the ground, I grabbed a cloth and soap and slowly washed his body, taking my time to enjoy the firmness of his body. He worked out. Swimming alone did not give him this ripped body; it was all mine. Well, it had better be all mine to kiss and stroke and make tender love to him, or maybe the asional rough y. Although we have yet to do that since the ident, Theo has been very gentle with me. I think it will be time to show him I am not that breakable and am ready for something a little more. Mind you, what he just gave me was very nice.

    ''If that is what I get when Ie home early from work, I definitelye home early more often. He murmured in my ear as he pulled me to him and reached over to turn the water off. We dried off, and I put on a robe and headed to the kitchen. I pulled out the dish from the oven and ced it on the table with the sd and garlic bread.

    ''Hum, that smells good.'' He came and sat at the table, and he cut up thesagna, and ced the first slice on my te.

    ''Dad came over today and said if you can get Scott to arrange two bodyguards to be with me when I am not here in the hospital, we can return home! I was excited about going home.

    ''Really, has Cynthia been arrested?''

    ''Yep, along with Wendy and a few others. I was glowing with happiness.

    ''I will get hold of Scott, and we can go visit him. You can meet some of the men and pick who you want to be with you.'' Theo suggested. I had not thought I could choose. As the boss, Scott could call in a few men of his who he thinks would suit me and let me choose out of those. I like that idea.

    ''Sounds good. Oh, by the way, we have Paming to our sports day. It seems she supports the same team as us!

    ''I doubt she will be as involved as we are, but it will be nice for your Dad to have someone to have an interest in him!''

    ''You picked that up too?'' I was a little surprised that Theo saw that, too.

    ''Yeah, it is obvious she is interested in your Dad. It just took him a little longer to see it.'' he chuckled.

 Chapter 104

    Theo POV

    My day has been disappointing so far. One of the doctors was not going to make it in this field of surgery, and I had to take over from him in the middle of an operation. That is part of my teaching job, but taking over for someone else during the operation was not a good feeling. He just froze in the middle of the operation when the man''s blood pressure dropped quickly. The poord had to stand and watch as I took over and gave instructions. Luckily, the patient was okay. Well, as good as can be expected. I spoke with Robson, and he agreed that he was struggling and would suggest another field of medicine. It is sad when you can see someone trying so hard but does not have the ability.

    When I walked into the area where I live with Bethany at the moment, I could smell vani andvender, it was so calming. I followed the sound of soft music to the area where we slept, and there on the bed in a bright red outfit where Bethanyy. She was reading a book and looked up at me over the book, her eyes filled with want and l**t. My body reacted, and I went hard almost instantly at the scene she had set up. I thought I would savor every moment and inch of her body; the day''s stress fled from my mind, and she became my one and only focus.

    I tried to remove clothes to look as sensual as I could, but I think I failed. I am not that good at being sexy, but it did not seem to disappoint Bethany as she licked her lips when I had reached the part of removing my shirt, and she stared at my bare chest. When I reached her, I was thinking about how to do all this for her. Kisses and licks were my go-to, but I needed to do more. I gave her lots of kisses, and when I reached the warmth between her legs, I popped the studs there to reveal she had shaved and left me a loud message about what she wanted. The little minx had me from the moment I walked in that door.

    When I removed her red teddy, I tried to be gentle, kissing her shoulder as I slipped the strap away and slowly removed it from her body. She was moaning and groaning. I had hardly done much, her body so responsive to my touch; I pulled it off and threw it away, not caring where the red material hadnded, and went back to kissing her body, her breasts, and suckling and biting her n*****s. Visit Job ni b .co m to read theplete chapters for free When she started to demand I get inside her, I nearly ended my own need by exploding before I had even entered her, like a schoolboy learning his body. I made her wait a little longer so I could calm down a bit, or I would prematurely ejacte. It would be so embarrassing if I did that.

    When I eventually got inside her warm channel, I was in heaven. She sheathed my length tightly, and it felt so good. I tried to hold on till she reached her c****x, not wanting to leave her in need. I am a selfish lover, meaning I need her to feel as good and sated as I

    am.

    We were in the kitchen enjoying the food she had cooked. My girl must have been hoping for a good night with all this preparation she had gone through, and I appreciated it all. When she said we could go home again, I was beside myself with happiness. I have been okay living here as long as I was with Bethany, but to go back to our bed and be ourselves again was the best news she could have given me.

    ''Let me get Scott on the phone now, I suggested once we had settled back in the other room. I had picked up my clothes and cleaned up a bit, so I put the phone on speaker and dialed Scott.

    ''Hey, you old fart, how are you? How''s our girl?'' He said in his usual jovial voice.

    ''You are no speaker, and what is the old crap?'' I responded with a chuckle.

    ''You are older than me old man, Hi, Bethany.

    ''Only by a week.'' I grumbled back, and he had been like this all through our teenage years and college.

    ''Hi Scott, We need your help, Bethany greeted Scott, shifting the conversation away from our age difference. I can''tin; I get my own back when I need to say he is too young to understand. When I reached drinking age, I had a whole week when I could go out for a drink at a club, and he had to wait, and I rubbed it in that whole week.

    ''What do you need, darling?'' He sounds so sickly sweet I want to punch him on the nose, and he knows the buttons he is pushing right this moment, damn him.

    ''Dad said they have arrested some people, and it would be okay for me to try a normal life again, whatever my normal life is, and return home to our Penthouse, but I need at least two bodyguards when I am outside. Can you arrange that for me? I don''t need them here or at home, but my travels. Bethany sounded cheerful enough, but I am worried that when she leaves here, the ce she feels safe in, and is out on the road, she will be likest Sunday, fearful of every car thates near her. I can do little about that but be there for her when she needs me.

    ''I can do that. I have two men I have in mind. I have been grooming them just for you. Though, eventually, you will need to return home. I am sorry I was not there for you when you were attacked, and I will forever be trying to make up for it. That should never have happened. We were never expecting that type of attack on us. We have learned a lesson that I will never forget, and I am working on ensuring it never happens again. One being hit is one thing, but for all locations to be hit, I had a mole that has been identified and removed.'' I knew what removed meant, and it did not mean he was fired.

    ''That sounds good. Can we use one of your vehicles? Our cars supplied by the hospital are not bullet-proof, and I am feeling a little insecure out there on the roads. My heart melted. She had admitted it. I was not expecting that; my assumption would be hiding it, but admitting it like that meant she owned her fears and took charge. I have a strong girlfriend.

    ''That we can do. I have a few avable. What kind would you like?''

    I would like one like my Dad''s''. I chuckled at the fact that it is a very specially built vehicle. I wonder if Scott had done those.

    ''We have some simrities. I can send you some pictures, and you can choose. Once you have chosen the vehicle, I will meet you, and you can meet the men and see the car. I have changed my mind and will assign four men, so the rotation of how many are with you at any one time can vary from two to four. That way, if you are being watched or followed, the watchers won''t know how many guards you will have till that day. Scott sounded a lot more cautious this time, understanding the threat to her life is high because of the prominent figures that are looking at jail time because of her; if they can remove her, some of the problems might disappear.

    Once the call was over, Bethany made coffee, and looked like she needed to keep busy. I doubt sleep was going to happen anytime soon. She surprised me again. She made a chocte drink for us both, settled back in the lounge, and watched some sports news for a while before we managed to head to bed.

    I was looking forward to being home, snuggled up behind mydy, stroked her belly slowly, and caressed her b****t, she wiggled to get morefortable, and I had to calm myself as my d**k had ideas of its own. Now was not the time for that, and I had to will it to go back down. She wiggled again, and that made it take longer to go down. Damn body, I am like a horny youngster around her.

 Chapter 105

    Wendy

    POV

    ''What do you mean, I have to stay here. For how long? Why can''t I get out on bail?'' I was fuming. Mywyer was shuffling papers around and looking rather nervous. He is not used to me losing my temper like this. It is rare for him to be on the receiving end of my anger. ''Wendy, Calm down. I have been to our Judge, but he cannot do anything. He cannot overrule the other judge''s orders without good cause. You are going to have to stay in jail until the hearing, which is next week. It is the earliest I could get! He tried to cate me, but I was beyond angry. ''That is not good enough. Is there anything you''d be able to do?''

    ''No, sit tight. A week will fly by, and you will be out in no time.'' He said as he packed up his briefcase and left; it was easy for him to say, he is not in here, listening to rude women who think they are better than you or more challenging than you, and poor Cynthia was in a fightst night. The other woman used her of stealing her dinner, punching her on the nose, and splitting her lips. She sobbed for ages on my shoulder before we were locked away, and I could only listen to her soft sobs from my cell. The cell is tiny. I felt ustrophobicst night, and listening to the inmates all calling out rude things and stirring things up, I hardly slept at all. Cynthia''s face this morning was all blotchy from her crying. Her nose was red and swollen, her lip looked ghastly, and a bruise marred her face. The guards here just shrugged their shoulders when Cynthia sobbed her story to them.

    I am curious to know how long she willst here. I do not know how long I will cope, to be honest. This is a terrible ce to be. I can''t wait for the court case. So I can go home. That is Cynthia''s home. I have yet to buy a new one. I could not stay in the family home, and it was good when Bob said to sell it, and Bob went halves with the sale money. I know he could have kept the whole amount, but he is a softy and could not leave me destitute, and he thought he was giving me something to start a new life with. Not that I am broke; I am far from that, but he does not know that.

    I had to shower in amunal ce, with no doors and walls separating me from each other. It was gross, and the toilets. When you sit down, your head and shoulders can be seen over the top, and anyone walking by can see you sitting there. There is absolutely no privacy at all, and the smell is bad. When one has had a dump, you all get to smell it. I was shocked by it all. I never realized that was what inside a jail was like. The shelves hold the change of clothes, and you have to wear them, whether they fit well or not, and who knows who wore those panties and bra before me? I need my underwear. Myfortable Victoria''s Secret: I cannot stay a whole week like this, but mywyer said that they do not cater to individuality and that I should ept the situation for now. Cynthia POV

    My lip hurts, and I can hardly breathe through my nose. It is all swollen and sore. They teased me all night, calling me names and shouting they would get me tomorrow. I was scared, but the guards did not care and, more or less, left me to fend for myself. The food was cold and had little to no vor. I need to find out what it was. It was supposed to be fish and chips, but what fish? There was no sd, and the chips were those big, chunky undercooked things. The coffee was almost water and came from a huge urn that had seen better days. Does the chef need to learn how to cater torge groups?

    Please don''t get me started with the bedroom or the bathroom. Mumined about it for ages about how the hygiene of this ce wascking. The clothing you wear is beyond unfashionable; you have yet to learn who wore itst, and though it is clean, it is still scratchy on the skin. I have chaffing on my boobs, and I have no idea how I am going tost a whole week. I cried when Mum said that thewyer could not get us out.

    I am going to kill my sister when I get out of here.

    How dare she put us through this humiliation?

    Congressman Sanderson POV

    I am finding it hard to believe that mywyer could not get me out of here. Jail is thest ce I had ever dreamed I would end up. Even for a week, it was a week too long; what is it doing to my political campaign? We have votinging up, and I need to be out there talking to the people. What are people saying about me being here? This is going to ruin my

    career.

    I knew I should not have gone along with Wendy and Cynthia to hurt that girl and then been talked into going to that tunnel. It was a big mistake. I had no idea that they had cameras in the tunnel. ''Stuart, are you sure you cannot convince the judge I am not a flight risk? My career will be over because of this,'' Iined to mywyer, who was shaking his head. NO.

    ''We do not have any judges on our side in this city. I am sorry, but you must stay here until the trial. He was apologetic, but that did not help me.

    ''They were threatening mest night, said when I be a permanent member of this establishment, a few guys are interested in hearing me squeal. They were talking about taking me from behind. I cannot be here. I am not sure if I could cope with that. They said that fresh meat was good, as they are bored with what they are getting at the moment, and a nice virgin is just what they need.'' I almost shed a tear as I was telling Stuart of the threats they had made.

    ''If you have to spend time in jail over this, then I can see if we can get you sent to minimum security and away from these murders, you may have a better chance of saving your butt. I felt that Stuart was enjoying this, and I was not happy at all. ''Do you happen to know what we had for dinnerst night? Neither do I. It was not recognizable as any dish I had ever eaten before, some gosh, if I had to guess, with mashed potatoes that were gray and mushy peas. You know how I hate peas.'' Iined. I knew that Stuart could do nothing about the conditions in here, but I felt a bit betterining to him when I got out of there. I am going to see the member who looks after this side of things and see if anything can be done to improve the quality. Would they even care? Judge Henderson POV

    ''I know of the arrests, but there is little I can do about them being kept in jail. It is out of my hands. Besides, between you and me, those two women need to be in jail. What they did to that girl was terrible. I pity Bet; he went along with the woman; he had been putty in that woman''s hands since her college days. I am not going to stick my neck out for them over this. That bashing her after that car ident, knowing she was already in bad shape, was beyond cruel and sick. I heard that Cynthia actually hit her a few times in the tunnels.'' I sighed as I talked to Stuart about those incarcerated.

    ''I hear you, but I have a job to do, and if I did note and see you and ask, then I would have my arse in a sling over this. Better I have tried and failed than not tried at all. I would not put it past those two women to put me out ofmission for a while out of spite for not getting what they wanted. I have no idea how it all came down to this. We had a good little operation going on until Wendy brought Cynthia in on it, and those two became greedy and out of control.

    ''Agreed, those two, if we are not careful, will drag us down, and I wonder whether I am prepared to fall down that rabbit hole with them.'' I was not going to go to jail because of those two.

    ''When we lost the policemissioner, our protection went, and those police we have on our books all stood down. This new police head is brutal; he will not ept a bribe, and it is his daughter who was in the ident, so we have no chance to even try! ''Yeah, pity that those two women could not leave her alone, and we could have continued a little longer.

    ''We will just have to wait and see what develops, and I hope those two are put away and that our life will be a lot easier.''

    ''I agree with that; it''s our worst headache, at least with them out of the way. I can sleep better at night. She shows up at my home all day and night, and my wife hates it. I grumble as I remember thest time she came over, we had just gone to bed, and her reason for being there could have waited till morning. My wifeined for weeks.

    ''Can they link anything to us here?''

    ''No, we are safe. We have covered our tracks well enough, and I have burned all the paperwork I had stored at our house. I hope you have done the same.

    ''Yes, I have. Time to go. Thank you for letting me vent.'' I walked Stuart out and closed the door. My wife came out of the back and red at me. She knew of our past and was not happy at all, and she was worried we were going to get caught. I don''t me her. It had been a rocky few years since Cynthia rocked the boat. That woman is going to spoil all we worked hard for.

 Chapter 106

    Bob POV

    ''Dad, will you be bringing Pam tomorrow? When we talked the other day, you mentioned that she likes sports. Bethany asked me as I helped load up the car with the things she had umted at theb while staying there. I have more in my car that belongs to Theo than to my girl. She was always a minimal girl, not needing much to make her happy. ''Yes, Pam is looking forward to it. I was so excited when Pam agreed. She seemed like a good sort and offered to bring something for snacks. But I told her we had it covered. We will go to the den again this weekend, and if Bethany is up to it, we will have the following one at her ce. I need to know she has settled in and isfortable with the new security measures we are putting in ce.

    Bethany climbed into the vehicle, and you could feel her getting anxious already, and we had not hit the road yet. This seemed to be the biggest hurdle that Bethany needed to jump. Having been hit like she was, she is going to be jumpy for a while, and no therapy in the world is going to make it go away. It is something she must deal with on her own. I hurt my girl, it was not just the hit but what happened afterward that made it worse. When I got home that day, after she exined what they did to her after they dragged her out of the vehicle, it made me cry. I am not ashamed to admit that that was the worst thing I have heard in a long time. Never in my long career as a police officer had I heard such a thing happen. Most people that this could have happened to may not have lived to tell the tale.

    Bethany was sitting in the passenger seat, watching out the side window, checking every vehicle that went past; when we drove through an intersection, she grabbed hold of the panic rail, and I saw her knuckles turn white as she squeezed the rail hard. This has to be hard for her. I turned on the sports news on the radio, hoping to distract her. It worked. She talked to me about the results of one that she did not agree with and why. Bethany had always had a good eye and understanding of most sports, and I could see her point of view, but it stilles down to what the man running the show saw at the time. She argued about the merits of the video umpires or referees that technology had introduced, and eventually, we reached the underground car park of herplex. Bethany could not get out of the car fast enough, and I could see her walking most of the time to work and anywhere else she needed to go if it was not too far. Tomorrow, we are going to Hank''s ce and have to get there by car again. Hopefully, Theo can distract her.

    Four tripster, we finished carrying the things to the penthouse suite, and I was ready for coffee.

    ''Care to stay for dinner, Dad?'' Bethany asked as she started to rummage through the fridge and freezer, looking for something to cook. Felicity had restocked her fridges for her early today, with the assistance of Kitty.

    ''Theo said he would get a takeaway on his way over, save you from cooking, though you might want to put all your things away.

    ''Okay! She put coffee on the table and took hers with her, heading to her room to sort out her things. She looked like she would have preferred to be in the kitchen doing something other than in the bedroom, and I wondered if it was because she had not remembered everything yet, and the room was still a little vague in her memory.

    Thankfully, Theo arrived, and food wasid out on the table. Then, we settled down to eat Indian curry.

    ''Thank you for the curry. I must be off now before it gets toote,'' I said, giving Bethany a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving them to work things out. I felt like a third wheel at that moment. Both seemed a little unsure how to proceed.

    I had just entered my apartment when there was a knock on the door. I nced at the time; it was just after eight at night. I swung the door open, and there holding a casserole dish was Pam, dressed in jeans and a blouse; her long brown hair fell over her shoulders in waves, and I was stunned for a moment; she looked so different when not wearing work clothes, and I liked what I saw. When she asked, I was frozen at the door, staring at her.

    ''Can Ie in?'' Pam looked hesitant, worried in her eyes at my dy of greeting.

    ''Sure, I''m sorry. I did not expect to see you here tonight,'' I exined as I stepped back to allow her to enter.

    ''Thought you might not have had time for dinner, with all that moving you had done, and I saw your vehicle arrive, thought I pop up on the off chance you hadn''t. She walked into my kitchen as if she knew where everything was, and I guess she would, as her ce was almost identical to mine.

    ''I have eaten, sorry, Thoe brought curry on his way home.

    ''That''s okay. I can leave it in your fridge for another day! She ced it in my fridge and then looked at me as if judging me for something.

    Before I could think about it, Pam had taken the initiative toe to me and warmly kiss my lips. Her fingers snaked through my hair, and she pulled me closer to her. Before long, I was panting for more, and my pants were getting tight. She pushed herself into my hardening groin and moaned a soft, cute noise.

    I lowered my hands and grabbed her firm butt, lifting her, her legs wrapped around my waist, and I headed out of the kitchen and down the hall. If I am getting my signals right, and I am going to be intimate with this woman, our first time is not going to be on the kitchen bench. Reaching my room, I adjusted and held her tighter as I kicked the door open with my foot and stopped by the bed, hesitating about how to proceed. I am a little rusty at being intimate, and I can''t say I have ever had a woman jump me like this before. I have not been intimate for years, and now I am concerned about having reached this stage where I will blow my load before I even get undressed. It has been that long. I have not even had time to use my hand in the shower.

    Pam took control again, and I was okay with letting her take the lead and do this at her pace. She started to undo my shirt, so I copied her and did the same. Once our shirts were off and dropped on the floor, she trailed her fingers over my chest and leaned in to kiss and lick me. While she did that, I tried to find the sp on her bra and felt around her back, but there were no sps.

    ''Undoes at the front. She whispered, all breathy and needy.

    I looked down and saw three round studs and pulled at them. Once those studs released the material, those two ample beauties burst out, and I marveled at how those could fit in that tiny bit of material. I lowered my head and gave them some attention, gaining some more cute moans from Pam. She started to undo my pants, but I swatted her hands away and bent down to remove my sneakers and then my jeans and underwear together. By the time I looked back at Pam, she was standing there in all her naked glory. Yes, she had a few life scars, but that did not detract from her beauty, the goddess herself standing before me. I wanted to kneel down and worship her body, but this was her show, and she took back control again. Pam maneuvered me and pushed me onto the bed.

    ''Crawl up on the pillow. She ordered, and I liked being ordered by her. This was a whole new experience for me. Having always been the one in charge, it was nice not to have to make any decisions at the moment.

    Pam crawled up my legs, giving my shaft a like and sucking the pre-c*m off of the tip. I moaned at the sensation of her tongue on me. She crawled up, kissed my chest and neck, and captured my lips again, deepening the kiss and adding her tongue. She lowered her hand to my shaft and lined me to the opening of her moist warmth.

    ''Stop.'' I groaned, not wanting her to stop at all.

    ''What?'' she replied, staring at me with [**t and need.

    ''I do not have a condom. I did not want to cause an unexpected pregnancy at my age. I am looking forward to grandchildren, not more of my own.

    ''Don''t worry, I am clean and on the pill. She lowered herself on my shaft slowly. The feeling of being sheathed in her warm channel was the best feeling I have had in a long time. Pam started a pace that suited her, and I was okay with her pace at the moment, thrusting my hips up to help cause the friction we were both chasing. I raised my hands and yed with the two bouncing orbs before me, loving the look of them as they bounced in my hands. I lifted my head slightly and captured a hard n****e in my mouth, getting another one of those cute moans from Pam.

    She picked up the pace, and soon, I could do nothing but hold her hips and thrust mine up, getting closer to my end. I was hoping to hold on till she reached hers, but I was not sure whether I could; my balls were contracting, giving me the tell-tale signs I was close to being done.

    To my relief, she screamed out. ''Yes, yes, yes. Then, the tightening of her channel on my shaft tipped me over, and I went inside of her. She copsed onto my chest andy there gathering her breath. I held her close to me, cuddling her. She lifted her head and kissed me softly, and I enjoyed the cuddles and kisses of the aftermoment. This was something Wendy never liked. She was once done rolling over, a sleeping type of woman, and I was often left wanting that moment afterward, which made it more meaningful. I may have reached my peak, but I wanted what Pam was giving me without me even trying to gain it.

    ''We will have to keep this in our apartments. In our case, we do not wish for a conflict of interest, so if I am not all lovey-dovey once we are outside, don''t take offense. I crossed a line tonight, and I am sorry, but not sorry. I would do it all over again, but we have to look like work colleagues and not lovers for now! Pam said, and though she was right and for all the correct reasons, I felt a little cheated, that I could not have what I wanted yet, and that we had to be careful how we moved forward until the whole case was over with.

 Chapter 107

    Bethany POV

    Saturday with us moving home. I did not have a chance to make pies for tomorrow. Theo refused to let me stay upte at night to cook them. I have to admit I was tired from all the moving, and my head and neck were hurting. I am looking forward to not walking around in pain all the time. When we reached the parking space the following day, the bodyguards waited for us. We climbed into a special SUV, which Scott said was as close to what Dad had as he could find in his fleet. I am not sure why I felt I needed bulletproof ss; it was just another feature that made me feel better.

    I guess.

    It won''t stop a car from ramming us, but it will prevent other issues. From what Dad had said, I was still in real danger, but I had argued that I needed to have a life, and being caged in the hospital was not a life. Even if it is where I spend most of my time, I need to feel I can leave when I want to and sleep in my bed.

    The trip to Hank''s was pretty decent. I was sitting in the middle with a bodyguard by the window and Theo, on the other side, two bodyguards in the front. I felt safe with the man by the window, and I was not stressed out at all when we had arge car looking like he was going to ram us. That was how I felt, but it did note close to us. I have to get over this. I know I do, but how? We pulled up at Hank''s anding to another person''s home empty-handed was irking me. I am not the kind of person to visit without bringing something to the house.

    ''Sorry, Kitty. I have no pies for break time, I said as I air-kissed Kitty in greeting.

    ''We have plenty of food, don''t worry. Your Dad and the lovely Pam have arrived and are already downstairs,'' she said, turning back to her cutting up vegetables.Visit Job n i b .co m to read theplete chapters for free. She seemed to be miles away, and maybe that woman that Theo mentioned before was having a hard time again. I nodded for Theo to go on ahead, and I would catch upter. He seemed to understand and headed to the den.

    ''Kitty, are you okay?'' I asked. I could not leave her here like this if I could help her in some small way.

    She looked up at me in surprise.

    ''What dear?'' she was definitely not right and looked very spaced out, not her happy, cheery face.

    ''Talk to me, or would you like to go somewhere more private? I asked softly, touching her arm gently to get her attention. She nodded and smiled, leading me to a room down the hall. Entering it was a sort of office. Kitty closed the door, turned to me, hugged me, and burst into tears. I held onto her and let her cry, not sure what else to do, as I had no clue why she was in tears.

    When she settled down, she started to talk. It was a woman who was being beaten by her de facto, and Kitty was having trouble getting her to see a doctor. She wouldn''t let Hank or Theo near her; being afraid of men, her self-confidence was almost nil.

    ''Do you want me to see her?'' I asked. Kitty may be a nurse, but she can only sometimes give her all the care she needs. ''I was going to ask you to, but then the ident happened, and you had issues of your own, but if you are up to it, we could arrange to visit her and talk to her. I doubt the boyfriend would harm her when we are just females visiting. He is a good man until he has a drink, and then he turns violent, and the poor woman ends up getting hit as she tries to protect her kids. Kitty said through hups. ''I am not back to doing surgery yet on live subjects. My head and shoulders cannot cope with the long hours of surgery. I am closer but not yet confident. I am practicing on cadavers and general research, so I cane anytime and work around my research. I offer, and you would have thought I had just given her a present. She pulled me back to her and sobbed some more before I headed down to the den and left her to return to the kitchen and finish what she was doing.

    The yers were still being introduced, so I did not miss much. Hank and Dad were sitting together talking. Theo was next to Pam, who, to my surprise, was in the same shirt as Theo. It was nice to see another woman who may have a simr interest in sports, and she would be perfect for Dad, I thought. However, I did wonder if Dad was interested if he would have to wait until Mum and the others were all convicted.

    ''Hey sweetheart, how are you?'' Hank asked at the same time as Dad stood up, came to me, and hugged me. He felt good and rxed, and a spark was back in his eyes. It was like he had a new lease on life. I leaned forward and asked the burning question. ''Did you getidst night?'' Dad pulled back and looked me in the eyes, surprised. I smiled back and nodded, yet he did. ''Good for you, Dad, but be careful. I whispered, and he chuckled as I gave my Dad advice and gave me an extra squeeze, acknowledging my eptance of what he was doing and that his child was giving me advice.

    We sat down to watch the game, and I was very pleased that I could get up and do a happy dance with each score we made. I was not yet ready to be my old self fully, but I was well on the way, and Pam got up and joined me in the happy dance, looping her arm through mine and circling each other, cheering as we went, careful not to pull too hard and jar me. I guess Hank had warned her to go easy on me, as I was still healing.

    The day went well. We won one game and lost the other, but it was good to meet Pam on a different level. We promised to have a girls'' day out when it was all over, and I looked forward to that. I have a few girlfriends, but they are in another city.

    Dad said Cynthia had rented a ce here in our city and was moving back and forth to cause me problems. I had no idea she was that desperate to hurt me. Bret did not stay in my city. He only came here for work. They had sent him here to present a pitch for the marketing job we had put out for tender. That was also why Cynthia came, but she hung around trying to catch me when dining or shopping, harassing me, and trying to make sure I saw her every chance she could. Wendy came to the city once she heard that I had been hit and wanted to see for herself. All these things were adding up against them, and that was why they were in jail and not out on bail. They were in there for my protection, plus Dad was the new chief of police, and his ex-wife was part of the problem. The judge agreed that the woman might need a mental assessment before the trial as she may have an issue there, as Dad was a character witness against her. Telling of her behavior over the years and how she is out on bail for another reason and is a high flight risk. I think both are going to get a psychiatrist to look at them before the trial, which was penciled in for this week but may be put on hold pending the psychiatrist''s reports.

    Dad asked if I needed to see one, maybe too, as I had been traumatized in a way hard to believe. But I refused, saying Hank would keep me sane. We allughed at that, and Hank promised to sit with me and go through some counseling if I felt the need. He has been good for my health. Hank had already talked me through a lot of stuff that Cynthia put me through, from the ident to other childhood traumas that she had caused. I was not one to carry a grudge, and I forgave her for most of it, and only time will fix the rest.

    Theo and I were going to stay the night, so Theo called Scott so he could advise the bodyguards about what was happening. Tomorrow, I will go and see thisdy who got Kitty in tears. I think you call it secondhand embarrassment. I was feeling embarrassed about catching Kitty in tears, who was embarrassed that she was caught like that. Or something like that; by the time I had headed up for bed, Dad was gone, and Kitty was a lot happier, knowing I would apany her to this woman''s home and take Hank''s medical bag, with all the things he believed she would need.

    Let''s hope the bodyguards can stay out of sight, or the boyfriend might cause harm to thedy. I am not as strong as Kitty to see women or men abused by their loved ones. Maybe it is because of how Mother and Cynthia have been to me that I feel their pain as much as I do and feel a bit of a hypocrite judging them when I had been abused most of my teenage years.

    ...

 Chapter 108

    Wendy

    POV

    ''Get up ande with me,'' a guard demanded. This guard always looked down her nose at me as if I was below her. How dare she! It could have been more pleasant. Wait until I get out of here, and I will track her down and give her a lesson she will not forget for

    treating me so badly.

    I was taken out of my dingy cell and marched unceremoniously to an interview room. The inmates mocked me as I walked by. I wondered what was going on, as I was not expecting visitors. Thewyer said he would see me again after the trial unless there was some new development. Could he have been here and found a loophole? I was suddenly keen on getting to the meeting room and finding out what thewyer found.

    The guard put me in a room and left me in chains. I hate that they do that. I am not a violent woman. Why do I need chains when I get a visitor? It is so degrading, and they hurt my wrists and ankles. I tried to put the chains behind me and think about what thewyer had, but it was not thewyer who walked in. It was a man who was wearing a business suit and carrying a ck briefcase. He put his case down, sat on the chair on the other side of the table, and opened his case, pulling out a file and other stuff. I had no idea what it was.

    ''Do you mind if I call you Wendy?'' he asked politely. Since I came here, he was the first to talk to me, not at me or down at me.

    ''Not at all, and who might you be?'' I asked as nicely as I could. I needed rification about who this man was and why he was here, not mywyer, as I had hoped.

    ''You can call me Ken if you like. I am a doctor and have been asked to assess you before the trialter this week! Assess? What kind of assessment?

    ''What do you mean assess?'' I almost shouted at him and had to stop myself quickly.

    ''Standard practice, you will be assessed before you can go to trial.

    ''So, Ken, if I refuse, there will be no trial, and I will indefinitely stay here?'' I shouted this time, not able to keep my temper in check.

    ''Not at all; if you refuse to be assessed by me, we shall send you to a ce where you will stay until you are assessed. Would you prefer to go there?'' he asked, starting to gather his things back up, ready to wash his hands of me just like that. I felt so insulted by all of this.

    ''Yes, I think I would like to go to another ce to be tested, not here where I am so ufortable. I would have a better result in a nice ce! I was surprised I found a way out so easily. I was sure I was going to be stuck there until the trial.

    ''I will arrange for you to be taken tomorrow. Sign here, please agree to have the assessment elsewhere.'' I signed the paperwork, and Ken got up and left the room. That nasty guard came back, walked me back to my cell, and locked me away. I was excited that I had found a way to get out of here and did not need mywyer.

    Iy on my bed, feeling rather smug, and fell asleep for the first time. The surrounding noise did not bother me at all. Cynthia POV

    I had not seen Mum all day and was not worried about that. We are stuck in this room most of the day and hardly see anyone unless it is for a shower or a meal, if you can call the food they give here a meal. Now that stupid ugly woman was here taking me to some meeting room. I wouldn''t say I like walking in these chains, but apparently, you have to be chained to visitors. It is not so much the chains, but surely they can chain us once we are in the meeting room. The other inmates are so rude and abusive when they see you walking with them, and I wouldn''t say I like being made fun of. It is also very udylike trying to walk with them.

    I had just gottenfortable when a man walked in. I had no clue who he was and wondered if he could get me out of there. I didn''t care how; just get me out.

    ''Hello, I am Ken. May I call you Cynthia?'' He was kind and polite, and I liked him straight away.

    ''Sure,'' I said in a sweet, soft voice, hoping my words would be seductive.

    ''I am here to assess you before you can go on trial,'' he said, and I wondered what type of assessment he was referring to. ''What kind of assessment? Could you hang on, what are you?''

    ''A doctor, I can do an assessment here. Or you can go to another facility that can assess you!

    ''You mean I will get out of here if I am assessed elsewhere?''

    ''Yes.'' Well, that is a no-brainer. Please get me out.

    ''Then I would prefer to get away from this depressing ce and have the assessment done elsewhere. I said smugly. ''Certainly, I will arrange transport for you early in the morning. Sign here that you agree to be assessed elsewhere. I signed the paperwork and nced at the header. It was at a hospital, and maybe it is where Bethany works. Ken collected the paperwork, ced it in his briefcase, and left the room, and that guard came back and took me back to my cell. I am going to get out of here, and I cannot wait. I won''t tell Mother. I don''t want her to be jealous.

    Jacko POV

    ''Hello, Senior Detective Jackson speaking! I was waiting for a few calls. I had a friend of mine go to the jail to assess the two women; if all went well, they would not want the assessment done there. They are so desperate to get out that they won''t even ask where they are going to be assessed.

    ''Jacko, you were right. They did not ask where the assessment would take ce, and I got them to sign the agreement. They will be taken to the sanitarium tomorrow and ced in a locked ward until they can pass the examination. If all goes as nned, and they lose their tempers as you expect, we can get the doctors to say they need to be kept in there for the safety of the people. Ken was excited that our n was working; we just needed them to do their part and explode at the doctors, and we would have thembeled insane, never to be released.

    ''Great work, you have done well, my friend.''

    ''You owe me a dinner.''

    ''Yep, name the ce, and I will organize something for you,'' I answered as I considered how this would work in our favor if we could get that plea done. It would help in both cases.

    ''My wedding anniversary ising up on the tenth. How about a romantic dinner, like that new winery ce?'' Ken was still talking about his reward, and I had to bring myself back to the conversation.

    ''I know the ce. I''ll see what I can do for you and give you a callback.

    I called the ce, booked a time and date, and phoned Ken back. I had given them my credit card details, so their meal and drinks were from me, as a gift for their special day. I then did the next thing on my list of things to do today! The phone almost rang out before his voice came over the speaker loud and clear.

    ''Hey, Bob, good news. They fell for it; they signed the papers without reading them, and tomorrow, they will be going to Sun Valley Sanitarium, where you know as well as I do. They have a minimum stay of six months to prove they are not insane.''

    ''You have just made my day. They are off the streets for a while, and we can get the others who were involved in the ident sentenced and have the woman''s charge pending. It will never go away, so if they do get out, a jail term will be waiting for them, then work on the other problem. It was good you thought about getting a search warrant when you collected those boxes. Even though you have Bret''s permission to enter the house and take them away, it was better to have a search and censure, making it airtight.'' Bob was excited, and I was too; it gives us more time to work on the case without having to worry about those two. Bethany is not safe yet, but she is a lot safer than yesterday.

    ''Yep, the paperwork is being collected now in a locked office, and only those we trust can enter; we have so much to wade through, but we are getting there. I think it will take another few weeks to make sure we have all the suspects. We have already started to get some confessions and reduced sentence agreements underway from theckeys, who are happy to squeal at their bosses. Bob chuckled on the other side of the phone, and I am sure he is as d about thetest little tricks we had just pulled. It was Bob''s idea; he said the woman would not cope with being in jail and gave them a few days to have a psych evaluation, with the option of having it done away from the prison.

    ''Thank you, Jacko, what was the cost?''

    ''Dinner for two at the winery.

    ''Cheap, you are a lucky bastard. Catch up soon. Bob''s chuckle was what I heard as I hung up the phone. I hope it works out with him and Pam. They both need a new start. They might think they are hiding it, but anyone who has been around Bob for a while can see he is doing better. Now he is away from that leach.

 Chapter 109

    Theo POV

    Felicity loves my old ce and is happy we sold it to her. She and her fianc¨¦e wanted a ce of their own, as she had visited me many times before and had mentioned that if I wanted to sell, she was interested. To thank me, she has invited us over for dinner tonight. I am not sure how good Felicity is at cooking, but as we are neighbors, I have no excuse not to ept it. That, especially when Bethany already gave me a signal to say yes, is another thing about Bethany that I love. She is warm and caring and, no matter how badly she has been treated, still loves her family, and that now includes mine. She treats them all with kindness.

    Did I say love?

    Am I in love with her?

    Have I stepped over that line, for real?

    Yes, I am, but I should not be surprised. I spent so much time with her and was upset when she did not remember me, but I had not looked at my feelings so deeply. I used the word love lightly, but when you go deeper, I am in love and want to spend my life with her. However, now is not the time for me to make my feelings known. She has been through so much and still has a lot to go through. Be there when the rough parts start and then revisit telling how I feel.

    Bethany was in a very good mood after Sunday''s game. I had thought she would be tired, but the day seemed to energize her. Even when her other team lost, she was stillughing and having a good time. Pam is a gooddy and fits in well with our little group. I am pleased there is another woman. Knowing she was no longer the odd one out made me feel better.

    Bethany is off with Mum today. I heard Mum on the phone with thedy and was very careful with what she was saying. I think the woman is called Samantha and has had Mum in tears more than once, but we try not to show we have noticed her blotchy face and red eyes. My Mum gets so emotionally involved with thesedies, and seeing her so upset often breaks our hearts.

    ''I have everything you should need in that bag, but if you need anything else, pop over to my surgery, and I will give you what you need. Remember to tread carefully; this woman is very sensitive, and Kitty has worked over the two years she has had her case to get her this far; we do not want to lose our foot in the door! Dad is grilling Bethany as if she is a neer or something. I am confident Bethany won''t spoil Mum''s rtionship with this woman.

    ''Dad,e on, we both know how hard Mum has worked on this case. You have to trust Bethany. She is capable and might be able to help Samantha. I know Dad is being protective, but he has to give Bethany a chance to prove herself not just for him but for herself. She had been feeling low since her memory returned, and I thought this was a good idea for her.

    I stood by the SUV, hugged Bethany, and gave her a long kiss before she climbed into the vehicle. Mum waited in the SUV. She was fiddling with her hands, which told me she was nervous about this visit. I think it might be because she has two bodyguards who will be nearby. If the boyfriend sees them, he will see red, and it will not be Bethany or Mum who will cop his wrath, but Samantha.

    ''You make sure she is protected.'' I growled at the guards. I was not happy with her being hurt thest time she was under bodyguard protection, and I had lost trust in anyone protecting her as well as I could.

    ''Yes, Sir,'' they said in unison, and I had to force myself not to smile at that response.

    I looked at the SUV until it was no longer in sight. Dad was standing next to me, just as concerned as I was. ''Bob phoned. The girls took the bait and are going to the sanitarium today. We have six months to finish the other case and to get the others who hurt her behind bars before we have to worry about them again; even herwyer cannot visit them during that six months.'' I was d that Cynthia would no longer be showing up at ces where we dine. That was ufortable for both of us when she tried to flirt with me right in front of Bethany, but Bethany seemed to shrug it off as if she expected nothing less from her sister, and it was a shame to feel that way.

    ''Good. Thank you for talking to Bob about that option. We all knew the girls would not cope with being in that jail for long, and the good doctor managed to get the job done without suspicion and worked on their need to get out of there. A win-win for us! ''You need a lift to work?'' Dad offered, and I was happy not to call the car service. It would take ages to get here.

    ''Sure. Dad and I talked all about what was happening to Bethany and how he would love for her to sit and talk to him. It might help with the healing. I told him about our dinner tonight, and we agreed that it might be good that more women woulde into her life. Yesterday, Pam brought out the happy Bethany side that had not been seen since the ident, and I had been hoping that this was a turning point for her. Wendy POV

    ''Why are we here?'' I was confused; this was not where I had thought we were going. Cynthia was next to me, crying her heart out. She had been crying since they put us in those restraints at the jail, and now here, seeing this awful building, it was thest ce I expected to be arriving at. Once we were told to get out of the vehicle, we were met by some ratherrge, ugly woman who marched us into a sanatorium. Of all the ces I ended up in, this was my worst nightmareing true.

    I am not insane or in need of therapy. Why bring me here?

    ''You signed the agreement to spend the next six months here, to be assessed, before you can stand trial. A ratherrge woman said as she unlocked one of the doors that led to a shared room. I had to share a room with eight otherdies, and, of course, Cynthia was fuming and behaved badly, pushing against the woman leading us and found herself t on the floor as the woman moved faster than I would have expected for a woman of her size and pinned her to the floor. Soon, another woman rushed over and jabbed Cynthia with a syringe of some kind, and my poor girl was out cold. A man came in, picked her up as if she weighed nothing, and threw her on an empty bed. The twodies worked on her, removing her restraints and tying her to the bed by her ankles, wrists, and one around the waist. My girl was going nowhere. It was an example of what would happen if I retaliated as she had, and though that sort of behavior is not one I would typically do, it was good to know that they would not have trouble jabbing us and putting us in restraints.

    I would like to know if I can get mywyer here to get us out of this. I am kicking myself for not reading what I was signing, how many times I have growled at Cynthia for doing what I had just done, and with her being here too, she must not have read it either. ''Can I get mywyer here, please?'' I tried to be polite, but I was angry that I was not going to get what I wanted.

    ''Sorry, you are to have no visitors of any kind for six months. One of thedies said as she finished setting Cynthia up in her bed. She looked ufortable, restrained like that.

    ''What, none? Not one visitor?'' I was shocked at that reply. Not even mywyer?

    ''No, you can have a copy of what you signed if you like, but you agreed to six months with my finepany. Get used to it, or you will end up like your daughter. We will tolerate no arguments or fighting between patients. She growled at me, her spittle hitting my face and I could not wipe it away as I was still in the white restraints I was ced in when we left jail. I had thought the restraints were better than walking around in chains, but right now, I would dly be back in jail and chains rather than be there for a whole six months.

    I dread Cynthia waking up and finding herself tied up like she is. I will have six months of her continualints, and there is nothing I can do about it, any more than I can get out of this myself. I love my daughter, but six months in the same room as her will test my patience and endurance.

 Chapter 110

    Bethany POV

    A goodbye kiss from Theo, and I was off to this woman''s home. Kitty filled me in on what that poor woman had been going through and how she felt so stuck in the rut she calls her life and had no idea how to get out. They have tried to take her away from her abusive partner, but she keeps going back. It is not unusual for the woman to return to the abuser; it bes a cycle of hope which, more often than not, ends up in failure. Kitty is beside herself, trying to get through to this woman. She has seen so many times that women do not leave or leave and return, only for the violence to continue and end up dead or maimed for life. I have had little to do with this side of things, but I understand, I kept going back to visit my Mother only for her to be angry that I had shown up unless it was for a dinner where Cynthia would be there to brag about something or other that she had achieved. Now they are incarcerated together, let''s see how they cope with living with each other again. Cynthia, you can take her in small doses. Mother, even less, and put the two together. I am unsure if I should be concerned about the other inmates or those two trying to get along without having something to boast about orpete against.

    The two men in the front said nothing. They did not even have the radio on. Both were watching the traffic, and I watched the driver constantly looking in the rearview mirror, being very cautious. I am not sure if Theo would forgive Scott if his men failed again. I did not seem to be as stressed being in the car as I had been before. I was hoping that it meant that I was getting over that fear. Only time will tell.

    The area that this woman lived in was not as run-down as I had expected, so the area was not a problem or a financial situation unless, of course, he was in a ce beyond his means, and that was a disaster waiting to happen. Many of the abused women are from a lower economic area, whereas this woman is not. I would not say they are well off, but they are not destitute unless this is all a cover to hide how bad they are, and with them struggling, the violencees out. I will not judge from what I have seen so far, and Kitty has not enlightened me about the financial side of the problem. Visit Job ni b  to read theplete chapters for free .We pulled up in the driveway, and the bodyguards got out first and checked around them before opening the door for me. There was a park across the road, and the men said they would park over there, watch for trouble, and give me the space I needed. They did give me a panic button. If things got out of hand while I was in the house, I could press the button, and they woulde storming into the house. My safety was their priority, and they had to clear it with Scott to allow me out of their sight. I rolled my eyes at that one. I felt now Mum was locked up, I would be safe, but all the men disagreed, and so I am still stuck with two babysitters. Kitty knocked on the door, and a clean, pretty young woman came to the door and let us in. She looked around outside before she closed the door. Her reaction to us being at the door and looking around made a light bulb moment happen. I was lucky to have my two babysitters, where this woman had no one and was on eggshells from the moment she opened the door to us. I should be less annoyed at being overprotected and suck it up.

    When we reached the kitchen, the woman turned around, and I got to see her properly for the first time. She had a ck eye, a cut lower lip, and bruising on her arms. The way she was holding herself there, I would not have been surprised if she had a cracked rib or two, and the limp was not so apparent until she was back there, where no one could see her through the windows.

    ''Hi Sam, this is Bethany, the female doctor I told you about. Could you let her check you over, please?'' Kitty was almost begging thess to let me look at her. I waited, not saying a word until Sam gave me the okay or Kitty gave me a signal that I should approach. I did not want to scare this woman any more than she was already. She was jumpy and looked around at any noise, and fear radiated out of her.

    ''Yes.'' Kitty nodded, and I lifted the medical bag onto the table and looked at her.

    ''Would you like to go to the bedroom or somewhere morefortable?'' I asked as I approached.

    ''Here is fine; no one can see me from here,'' she answered, looking out the window just to be sure.

    ''Lift your shirt, please.'' She did as I asked, and on her left side was a huge purple bruise. I was surprised she was even standing. I gently prodded and felt around, trying hard not to hurt her, but it wasn''t easy. She had a busted rib. Luckily, it was not cut into the lung. I did her vitals and looked at her leg. She had hurt and a general check-up.

    ''I have these strong painkillers. Take one when you feel safe to do so, as it could make you drowsy. Is it okay for me to strap up your rib? You have broken one!'' I waited as she made up her mind and nodded.

    Kitty helped me strap her up, and I also gave her some cream that would help with the bruising and some vitamin pills as her skin was not a good color, and I was worried she got kidney damage from the hit that was hard enough to break a rib. Not once did I ask how she was hurt.

    ''Can wee back tomorrow and restrap your rib?'' Kitty asked softly, rubbing her arm infort.

    ''Yes, same time as today. How long will it take to heal?'' She was looking at me, but Kitty answered her question.

    ''At least four to six weeks. I packed up my bag. I could do little for her unless she were prepared for me to do it. I would love to take x-rays and blood, but it would take a little longer to get her to trust me to do that.

    ''Call Kitty if you need me. She knows how to contact me. I offered, not wanting to seem too pushy.

    I left the house and headed across the road to the park, leaving Kitty to say goodbye. I had just sat down on a park bench when a car pulled up in Sam''s driveway. Kitty looked at the person getting out of the car and hugged Sam before whispering something and leaving. Kitty had just gotten to the bottom of the pathway when the man punched Sam in the mouth, sending her sprawling onto the grass. I gasped and wanted to run over there, but my bodyguards held me back. The man was a monster. How could he do that?

    I could hear him shouting horrible things at her, and she was on the grass. I would say she was out cold, so she could not even hear what he was saying. Kitty had rushed over to her and was checking her out. Kitty looked up at me and waved me over toe to Sam. I pulled away from the bodyguards and rushed over, the two men following close behind me.

    Kitty was on the phone calling an ambnce. The bodyguards rushed to the man and held him back, but that did not stop the nasty words from flowing out of his mouth. The ambnce arrived at the same time as the police. I handled the ambnce, and Kitty, with the assistance of the bodyguards, sorted out the man.

    After it all settled down, the police took the man away, and the ambnce left, taking Sam with her. It looked bad, and it broke my heart. The girl did not deserve that.

    Kitty cried on my shoulder all the way back to her house. I texted Hank toe home if he could and was pleased to see him beating us to his house. He opened the door and pulled Kitty out, and she cried on his shoulder. He steered her inside, and I waited for a while outside in the car, wondering if I should go in or not. Ultimately, I climbed back into the SUV and had them drive me back home. I was emotionally tired, having never seen that sort of violence firsthand. I have treated my victims but never witnessed an assault. Tears flowed down my cheeks when I reached home, left the men in the elevator, and said goodbye.

    I hoped not to see that sort of violence again. I have no idea how Kitty can go to visit these women, knowing she could walk into that sort of violence. It scared me half to death.

    I wish Theo were home. I could do with his arms around me at the moment. I took a long shower, tears running down my face as I cried out my grief and what I had just witnessed. Kitty is going to the hospital to be with Sam. I hope she makes it. That hit on the head when she was already in bad shape might be the tipping point.

 Chapter 111

    Theo

    POV

    On my way home, I stop to buy a friendship ring and a bunch of flowers. I was not ready to ask her to be my wife. I was moving too fast, even for me. With all that has been happening since we met, there is more action in my life in that short time than I have had in my whole life. I wanted to give her something to show I was serious. There were so many rings, and I stood staring at them all, hoping one would stand out and say it was right. Thedy behind the counter was bringing more and more out to show me, each one lovely, but she did not say Bethany. The more expensive the ring, the more I felt it needed to be the right ring; it becamerger and bulkier and not the sort to put on her tiny, dainty fingers; she would have to take it off at work. She was not a person who was worried about the size and the cost; she was more concerned about the thought that counted. I found a perfect one that was cheaper, though money was not an issue. It was the ring I wanted, and the salesdy was not impressed, but it was what I wanted, and nothing she could say convinced me the more expensive one was better.

    Then came the flowers. If I thought the rings were hard, finding the right flowers was as hard. I had yet to learn what her favorite flower was. She had a variety of flowers in the house. After sniffing several flowers and looking at the different arrangements, I bought a potted nt that would not die in less than a week and hoped I had chosen correctly. With the ring in my pocket and the nt in my left hand, I headed home with a spring in my step, feeling really good about what I was about to do. I thought about how I was going to give her the ring and exined what it was for.

    I opened the door and hunted for Bethany, only to hear the shower running when I reached the bedroom. Perfect, I thought. I put the nt on the table, shucked my clothes, and opened the door. My good mood fell to the floor as I took in the tearful Bethany. I did not hesitate to climb into the shower and pull her sobbing mess into my chest, wrapping my arms around her, and stroked her hair and patting her gently on her back as I waited for her tears to subside and wondered what had happened to cause her to be in such pain.

    At first, I thought she had another painful memory surfaced, and she was there alone dealing with it.

    Then I remembered she had gone with Mum to the woman''s home.

    They had that beast of a man been there when they arrived? How is Mum?

    Did he hurt either of them?

    I was fuming.

    I pulled back a little to see if she had any bruises or bleeding and looked at her all over. She had no injuries that I could see, so it was something else, and not being hit by that brute. The man I more than once felt the need to go over and give him a taste of his own medicine.

    ''Talk to me, sweetheart?'' I murmured softly, trying to get a grip on my own emotions.

    ''It was horrible. She sobbed and could barely get a word out.

    ''What was, is the woman okay? I did not want to ask if Mother was OK. She had more experience with dealing with battered women, and maybe it was Bethany''s first time at a woman''s home, and how confronting it can be way worse than what Bethany was ready for. ''The injuries needed to be seen at the hospital, but the girl refused. Then, as we were leaving, the partner arrived, and he punched her with full force. He broke her jaw and knocked her out. She already had a concussion. This might be the end for her. That poor woman had so many beatings. It is amazing she is still able to function.''

    ''You were there for her at her darkest hour. Now, she is where she needs to be. You can do no more now if you like. What happened to the man?'' I asked, hoping to get her out of crying and to get this out.

    ''Kitty called the police and an ambnce. He was taken away, and the two bodyguards apprehended him and gave him a statement.''

    ''Did Mum go in the ambnce?''

    ''Nope, I took her home, and Hank was there waiting for her to arrive. I think they will go together!

    ''Yeah, Dad will know what to do. He has done this a number of times before.

    Bethany shivered. The water was still warm, so it was the shock, not the water, that made her shiver. I took her out of the shower and dried her, putting some warm pajamas on her. I led her to the kitchen and sat her down as I made hot coffee for her to drink,ced with a little whiskey. I know she does not drink, but I feel she needs that. I phoned Felicity and canceled our night. After I exined, she offered to move it to tomorrow, and I agreed.

    Bethany took small sips, her face full of pain, as her mind reyed the event. She was not sure how to bring herself out of this cycle she had put herself in, and nothing I said seemed to sink. I headed to the lounge and put on the sports channel. Her team stats for the next game were on. Good timing, I thought. I turned the volume up loudly and hoped that hearing about her team would drag her out of her bad thoughts. I headed back to the kitchen, watched, and waited for her to hear it.

    A reply to one of the spectacr scores was yed, and the announcer''s cheers and enthusiasm made her look up at me and smile. It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, and I was so d to be the one on the receiving end of it. ''Thanks, I was stuck.'' She admitted. I just nodded and went to the freezer. Bethany headed to the lounge to watch the television. I pulled out some pies and intended to make the evening a sports night.

    We rxed on the lounge chair and snuggled up, enjoying the rxing night. When Bethany started to yawn, I convinced her it was time for bed. When we walked into the bedroom, Bethany saw the nt and headed over to them, picking it up and sniffing the flowers.

    ''You did this?'' I smiled, wondering who else would have done it.

    ''I did. I wanted to make tonight special and was shocked when I arrived; it was not at all what I had nned,'' I admitted. ''What else had you nned?''

    ''If you remember, we were to have dinner at Felicity''s ce.

    ''OH, no, I forgot!

    ''It is okay, we changed it for tomorrow night. I pulled out the ring and handed it to her. She took the box but did not open it, her face a mix of emotions.

    ''I was going to give you this. It is a friendship ring. I would like you to wear it, to show you ept me as your boyfriend and possiblyter when all this is done, and we have a normal life again. Well, normal for us, then I would like to think about getting engaged. I did not think now was a good time for all of that, but the ring would be a reminder that it is on my mind, and when you are ready, we can head down that track. What do you think? This is not what I was going to say or how I wanted to say it, but I cannot change that now. This ring is to say that in my mind and heart, I want you in my life, and I know you are not yet ready for amitment, and that is what an engagement ring would mean; I do not want to push you. I was all mixed up and got it all wrong.

    ''Engagement is a big step, and I understand waiting. We are only just back on track, so to speak, and have hardly had time together to know if we are going to make the long haul. I don''t want another divorce, so yeah, it is good to wait till the court cases are over.'' She opened the box and gasped, pulled it out, and slid it on her finger with no hesitation. It sat nicely on her finger, not too bulky.

    Bethany threw herself at me, gave me a heated kiss, and then pulled back to admire the ring a little longer. I nced at where she had put the nt. It was on a side table near the window. It was a perfect ce for it. She yawned, and I got the signal: It was time to put her to bed.

 Chapter 112

    Bob POV

    ''Hi Jacko, what do I owe the pleasure of this call?'' I was in a good mood, and things were progressing with Pam. More or less, Bethany gave me the green like in the den. Having her permission, though I didn''t need it, made me feel good and relieved. I thought I needed her blessing. Bethany and I are close; we have a good rtionship, and very few subjects are taboo to discuss. I am sure somewhere down the line, Bethany will give me the father/daughter chat, and I will be the child in the conversation. OH, how times have changed. I chuckled to myself at the thought and looked forward to hearing it. ''Can youe to the office? I have something to show you! He sounded excited, which only improved my day when Jacko was excited.

    ''Give me ten.'' I hung up, finished reading the urgent report on my desk, and signed it. I handed it to my secretary as I passed her desk. She looked at me questioningly. I shrugged and left the office. She would not ask and hoped I would exin where I was going and if I would be returning to the office. I had nothing scheduled, so she would not have a clue of my whereabouts, but I am answerable to no one in this office.

    Five minutester, I was knocking on Jacko''s door. He came out and asked me to follow him. We walked down the corridor to a locked door. He used a swipe card and moved aside for me to enter first. The room had eight whiteboards with pictures and writing on them. Before each whiteboard was a table with boxes and files; it was a work in progress, and I recognized names and faces.

    I wanted to bring you up to speed on our other case. The one involving Bethany''s ident is in a different room and is progressing to trial this week, and Bethany does not need to attend court! That was a relief. I did not want her to be facing those thugs yet. I nodded for him to continue.

    ''Table one is all about the judge, his involvement, and a list of cases dismissed or sentences was good behavior, instead of what they should have received.'' I had a good look at this table. I never liked this judge, but I never knew the depth of his corruption. ''How did he be involved?'' I was curious, as I could not fathom how a judge would get involved.

    ''That is the beauty of the ''woman wives club, or whatever they want to call themselves. The judge was one of the four original couples that got married. None was famous at the time. Young seniors embark on life''s journey; they have a big party at the end of school before they all go their separate ways to college or uni. Apparently, none knew the wedding was real, and theds continued with life, never knowing they had a wife.

    ''How did they find out?'' I was more than confused.

    ''Wendy and Sonya went back to have another wedding, and the celebrant, his name is Hector, the same one that married the girls before, told them they were already married. This Hector guy was as crooked as theye, and he came up with the idea of getting the wedding they wanted. He would not send in the registration forms for a fee, and that was the beginning of the wedding club or whatever other name they kept calling it. There were four girls named Wendy, Cathy, Sonya, and Helena. Later, a girl named Marge joined in but onlysted maybe ten weddings before stopping, but they did not let her go. When she got married to a famous man, their ckmail side came out. But it was all Wendy''s idea, if you believe, Cathy and Sonya. However, that brought the judge into the fray. Through Wendy''s stupidity, he finds out that she has tried to ckmail him, and he suddenly bes interested in the scheme. The judge brought in the hotels and the Gutter Boyster on. When Wendy heard the others preferring the judge taking over, Wendy was fuming and found all sorts of ways to try and keep the power. She gained the upper hand when she sent Cynthia over to the judge and had her take him to bed. That changed the dynamics of the whole arrangement again. But that also made Cynthia greedier for arger portion of the pie. Jacko stopped talking as we made it to the table, which was Wendy, and I saw a picture of my ex-wife on the whiteboard and a whole slew of names linking her to crimes I knew about but not her involvement in them; I felt I had been lied to, our entire marriage, which was not a marriage, and that she was most likelyughing about it behind my back, making a mockery of me being a police officer. I felt like I wanted to be sick as I saw the years I had stayed with her; she was breaking thews I was trying to defend and how unfaithful she had been.

    ''Where is all the money they had beenundering gone?'' I suddenly had the urge for them to lose everything they owned. I gave her everything; she only ever gave me my wonderful daughter and my son. Her other daughter is nasty, and no wonder I never took to her the same way I did with Bethany right from the first cuddle. It was love at first sight, and I fought to do the same with Cynthia, but it just never came.

    ''Who have we left to gather information to start the arrests?'' I asked, looking at all that we had so far.

    ''We can pick up the judge anytime, but we are holding off till we get Bethany''s assault and k********g done, depending on how that goes as to how soon we pull the others in. Bet is in deep. He is not leaving the court area free. The moment he steps out of court, if he gets off, that is, we arrest him. If he does go to jail, as we believe he should. Then we can charge him for the rest in jail. We have all the Gutter Boys ready to go but are holding off a little longer, as the four that need to be in court might squeal. We are still squeezing them, they have a link to other countries, and we are working with Interpol to discuss whether we should try the Gutter Boys here, or deport them for their courts to handle. Ites down to whether we can get these four guys that were part of the k********g or even one of them to talk; we can move quicker; the court is booked out, but I am sure we can get some. move around with this being so high profile!

    ''Will having Wendy and Cynthia out of the picture damage what we have?'' I was worried they were going to try and pin a lot on them and get off.

    ''No, we discussed this with the judge before taking up your suggestion, which was brilliant, by the way. He said that this all started before Cynthia was born, so they can''t pinpoint where they are now, just on them. The whole thing started with the girls, but the boys soon jumped on board. Wendy is the worst of them all. I have no idea how you stayed married to her for so long. No offense. He looked at me with guilt, but that was more of what he had said before thinking it through, and I couldn''t help but chuckle.

    ''I stayed with my girl Bethany. She was mistreated. Can you imagine how much worse it would have been if I had not been there? When she married Bret, I thought something fishy was going on when Cynthia had been dating him all through high school. Bethany was oblivious to it all, and when he gave her attention, I think she was so desperate for someone to care. She took him as love, and it was all wrong. I wanted to say something for many years, but how do you break your own girl''s heart? It would have crushed her if I got involved and might have hurt our rtionship. I could not risk that.'' I hope I did the right thing.

    Jacko came and rubbed my back in sympathy. He knew the torment I had gone through as I fought to make the right decision. He had been there for me all during the mess of my marriage and supported me in every way he could.

    ''You got a good son; bring him back into the fold and have your two children reunite. He had a point. Bethany had mentioned wanting to see him. I would have to get in contact with him and see if he is avable for us to visit. I know he won''t want to travel just yet, with his wife so close to having their first child. We were close once, but Wendy spoiled much of that.

 Chapter 113

    Bethany POV

    Today, I decided to stay home, sorting out my things and generally cleaning up the penthouse. We were going to go next door for dinner, and I thought about making a sweet to take with me. Theo said it was unnecessary, but it is what I like to do, and he was wise enough not to argue with me. The ce did not need much cleaning. We both seem to clean up after ourselves, leaving just the floors and washing to be done. The sliding door to the balcony was wide open, allowing a fresh breeze to blow through the ce. It was nice to be able to open the ce up and let nature clear the air inside, not that it was bad or anything; it was a nice refreshing feeling it gave me when I felt the wind in my face. We can often get a strong breeze up here, and having the door open was not good. Today is a good day.

    I had the television on, listening to the sportsmentary about this weekend''s games, and there was nothing of great interest yet. The television was more background noise. I had just finished washing the kitchen floors when my phone rang. Grabbing my phone, I saw it was Dad.

    ''Hi Dad, How are you doing? I did not expect to hear from you today! I greeted him cheerily.

    ''You have time to chat?'' He asked softly; something was wrong.

    ''I am at home today!''

    ''Good. I will be over in five! He hung up. That was strange; something was going on.

    I popped the kettle on and set out some scones, and while waiting for Dad, I decided to start making the sweets for tonight. I was going to make a cheesecake. I had all the ingredients, which would have been the easiest thing to make. Dad knocked and walked in without waiting for me to answer the knock. He had full clearance toe up the private elevator, and I still had not gotten used to locking my door, only at night now, as that is what Scott insisted we do, and Theo agreed with him, so I was outvoted. ''Dad,'' I greeted him and pushed a te of scones and coffee at him. He smiled at me, took a seat, grabbed a scone, and started eating it, not yet saying a word. I knew this kind of action from Dad; he had some heavy stuff toy on me, and I most likely was not going to like it. After eating the whole scone, he took a deep breath and exined why he was there.

    He exined where Mum and Cynthia were, and I giggled at the thought of them in one of those ces. Not their style at all. They would be out of sight for a long while, the court case for the k********g would be in a few days, and I did not need to be there in court. Visit Jo bnib to read theplete sentences for free.If you are not reading this novel on Jo b nib, some paragraphs are iplete. The judge agreed that it could be too traumatic for me to hear and see that time all over again. I appreciated that I did not have to sit through that. I dreaded the thought of being in front of those men again and hearing about it from a different perspective.

    ''Is that an engagement ring on your finger,ss?'' He asked, surprised.

    ''Not yet, Dad; Theo called it a promise ring! ''What does that mean?''

    ''Theo said that it was a promise that when I am ready and the court cases are over, he would like to change it to an engagement ring. This way, he is not pressuring me into making amitment I might not be ready for or making a choice when under so much emotional pressure already!

    ''That is one smart guy; hang onto him, Dear!''

    ''Think I will when I am ready. Dad.''

    ''I have contacted your brother, and his wife is too far along to travel. I would like to know if you would like to go see him. It is only a few hours'' drive from here. We could go on Saturday and spend the day and night with him and return in time for the game at the den.''

    ''That would be great, Dad. I have been wanting to catch up with him. I was unsure how much he knew about Mum and what was happening! I had been worried that he would see something on the news and freak out.

    ''He had not been kept in the loop. Wendy was unhappy that Thomas had a wife and a husband/wife. Wendy is a big hypocrite, as I know she has been in a triple, so she is thest to judge Thomas like that. Dad''s face scrunched up in disgust, not because of the triple idea but because of Mum''s double standards and how harsh she had been to both the children he had fathered.

    ''We can fill him in. Hopefully, the court case won''t be on the news. Knowing a few high-profile names are involved.

    ''I did not think of the press. I will call him and warn him about it but will keep the full details till we get to talk face to face. Dad said thoughtfully, I think he has had a long day already, and it is only lunchtime. We talked for a bit longer. I broached the subject of Pam, and he said they were keeping a low profile at the moment until after the case is done, but after the case is closed, she would be moving in with him, and he is pleased with herpany. I was over the moon; he deserved a good woman, and if she makes him happy, that is all I care about.

    Dad left in a happier mood than when he arrived. Talking about Wendy took its toll on him. He might not have had a happy marriage, but learning this had deeply hurt him. It hit him harder than he would admit, and maybe Pam would help keep him from getting depressed over it all. Wendy POV

    ''Get these off of me now!'' I screamed; some stupid inmate, patients, whatever they want to call these stupid cows we share a room with. This one came at me while I was asleep and started hitting me, but it was me! They have tied me down to the bed, and now I cannot defend myself when that stupid cowes at me again. Cynthia is as helpful as a flea to a dog. She cries nearly all the time and has been in more fights. I am not sure if you can call it a fight. They hit her, and she cries, not even defending herself. It is stupid to watch; she looks at me pleadingly as if I can do anything about it while I am trying not to get hit myself, and now they have bound me to bed, and they areing at me again. The staff wereughing and walking away. They stopped tying up Cynthia after seeing how easy it was for them to hit her and make her cry, but with me defending myself, it is as if they are deliberately making it harder for me, like I am meant to be beaten up.

    The staff member justughed at me and, before leaving the room, looked over at the other woman in the room, then joined a group of staff members who were in the room behind ss, watching what was unfolding.

    Is this part of the assessment?

    To see how much I can take?

    I will not cave in; I will fight each time I can and ept the beating I am about to get. I watched the cows walk slowly towards me. Cynthia whimpered, and they stopped to look at her. They then sneered and continued towards me, the first few blows I could handle. But then my nose started to bleed, and I felt my lips bust. They got bolder and punched me in my stomach; all I could do was lie there and take it. Being bound by hand and foot gave me little choice. But I will get them all back when I am unbound and I get the chance. Maybe I will wait a day or two, but I will fight them. I am not going to ept that this is my life. I am better than all of them in this room, and I will never forget, and when I am out of here, every one of those guards will pay for this. Cynthia POV

    Never have I had to fight for what I want like I have here, and I have never been beaten like this. It hurts, and I have no idea how to fight back. Yeah, I hit Bethany, but she was out cold at the time, so that was no issue, but to defend against eight-womaning at you, I have no idea where to start. I wish I had taken up judo or something when it was offered to me.

    Mother is suddenly useless to me, and now she is tied up and getting a beating, too. I am too scared to go near her until they have had enough of hitting her. I am going to have to work out how to improve my situation. Mum might not live through a beating like this; being unable to fight back is hard to watch.

    There are no male guards for me to seduce, so I can''t use my body, and I doubt any of the women are likely to be interested in me that way. They seem to be getting their jolly by watching us get hit. My face is so sore from the beatings I have already had that I am not sure if the swelling will ever go down. Every time I feel like I am getting better, they hit me; even when I am asleep, I need to keep one eye open, but sleep eventually takes over. I hate it here. I have never been mistreated ever.

 Chapter 114

    Theo POV

    After arguing with Bethany about her bodyguards for what felt like the one-hundredth time, she caved and agreed she would not leave the penthouse without them. I would not have peace of mind at work if I had to worry about whether Bethany was still at home and was okay. Scott promised better security this time round and had secretly put a bug on Bethany, I think, on her phone, but I am not sure, and he won''t tell me, but he said if she leaves the penthouse without the security, he would know she was on the move and get the men to her. I wouldn''t say I liked it, but it was the best we coulde up with.

    Tonight, we were having dinner with my sister. She contacted me an hour ago to ensure we were stilling. She did not want to start cooking, and we did not turn up. Luckily, I had finished in the theater and could answer the phone. It is hit-and-miss to catch me when at work.

    For a change, instead of walking home, I took our car service. I saw the bodyguards parked across the road as we approached our building. We rxed and watched the entrance. It pleased me that they were there, even if it was a long, boring day for them. The service parked out the front, and I climbed out, faced the men, and nodded. They returned the nod, climbed into their vehicle, and left, knowing now that I was there, Bethany was safe, and we were heading out. I would call them. Entering the penthouse, I called out.

    ''Honey, I am home.'' I threw my keys and phone onto the table and looked around. I could see and smell she had been cleaning. It all looked and smelt fresh. The nt I had given her was on the small table near therge ss door that led out to our balcony. It was flowering and giving off such a sweet smell. Secretly, it pleased me that she liked the nt enough to put it on disy.

    ''I am in the kitchen.'' Came her gentle voice. I could listen to her talk all day. It was a calming voice to me. Entering the kitchen, I saw a coffee waiting for me, and Bethany was busy decorating a cheesecake. Even though I had said it wasn''t necessary, she needed to do it anyway. This was one of the reasons I loved her, always thinking of others, except when watching football, when she became this totally different person, bad arise screaming supporter, and I am right there alongside her, screaming my lungs out too. ''How was your day? I can see you have been busy changing things around. I chuckled as I ced my arms around her waist and pulled her to me, kissing her cheek when she tilted her head to give me ess.

    ''Dad came over and filled me in with how things were progressing with the case, and I had arranged to go with him on Saturday to my brother''s home and stay the night, returning for the sports day at the den. I know I was going to do it here, but can you speak to your Dad and get it changed?'' She sounded so hopeful; what else could I do but agree?

    ''Sounds like a n. Am I permitted to tag along?'' I want to meet the brother; he sounds interesting, and I would love to see how the dynamic trio works in a house. I have rarely seen two women or, in this case, men sharing a partner working well. It must take a special kind of person to ept sharing or being shared as a married trio.

    ''Sure, I would be proud to introduce you to Thomas. He is a good brother, and it might do you good to be around men for a change. You have spent your whole life stuck with us women.'' She chuckled and wiggled her hips at me, and I burst out withughter. She was right, though. Women have outnumbered Dad and me.

    ''What time are we leaving?''

    ''Dad will swing by eight in the morning.'' She finished the cake and covered it, ready to be taken next door. It was still early, and I wanted a shower before we went over. I might not get one in the morning. ''Want to join me in the shower?'' I asked, rubbing my groin against her backside.

    ''Go and phone your Dad. Get that out of my mind, and I will clean up the kitchen and find you! Well, that was not a no.

    ''Hello, son, how is Bethany doing? Is she better after the incident?'' I wanted to ask how the woman was doing, but I felt there was a better time. I was on a high and did not want to go down by getting sad news.

    ''Bethany is doing well or appears to be. We are having dinner with Felicity, but that is not why I am calling. I will meet Thomas tomorrow and return on Sunday in time for the game. I know it is short notice, but can we use the den this Sunday?''

    ''Sure, not a problem. Go and enjoy meeting family. It would be good for you to meet more male family members. You have enough women around you.'' I chuckled at his words.

    ''You have been talking to Beth? She said the same thing only moments ago. Dad chuckled, and we talked a bit longer. Before longing off, I headed to the shower. I had finished washing, and Bethany had not joined me. Though I was a little disappointed, I epted that she was not going to. I dried my hair roughly with a towel, put another around my waist, and left the bathroom.

    Standing in the nude, by therge ss sliding door that led out to the hot tub, was Bethany, staring out the window. As I approached her from behind, I saw the bloom of color in the sky and grinned. The fireworks burst into color right outside our window. We were the same height as the bursting blooms, making it all the more spectacr. I moved forward, wrapped my arms around her waist, my head on her shoulder, and watched quietly for a while the burst of color outside.

    ''It is so pretty; seeing it from this height makes it so much better; it has spoiled me watching it from the ground forever.'' Bethany sighed as anotherrge shower of blue and white hit the skies.

    I started to kiss her neck, and she tilted her head, allowing me more ess. One hand snaked up and cupped one of her beauties and began to massage and tweak the hardened n****e, and the other hand slowly made its way down between her thighs. I yed with her folds and pushed a finger in her passage.

    ''So ready for me. I whispered in her ear and pulled my finger out, lifting it to my mouth and sucking the taste of her off my finger and groaning.

    ''You taste so good! I pushed two fingers into her again, and she tried to ride my fingers.

    ''More!'' she whispered so softly I almost missed it. My shaft was so hard now, and my needs doubled by her needy request. I pushed her gently so her hands fell onto the window, and I used my foot to make her feet wider apart. I lined my hardened member to her warm channel, grabbed her by the hips, and thrust inside of her. She squeaked and moaned at the sudden intrusion, and I felt her channel mp down on me; it spurred me on, and my grip on her hips got tighter as I pulled her to me and thrust my hips into her. My thrusts became harder and faster, and sweat poured down my back as I started to reach my release. Bethany screamed her release as a bloom of red filled the sky, and I thrust into her harder and faster, chasing my release. When it came, I nearly fell on the floor with how powerful that release was, as my balls contracted and my load filled her hungry throbbing channel.

    Bethany moaned, and I thought if I had not been holding onto her hips, she would have slumped off the window. The fireworks were over, and when I could catch my breath again, I picked her up and headed back to the bathroom. I turned on the shower, the room still warm from mine earlier, and stepped in, holding Bethany. Her head was resting on my chest, and she did not seem to be in any hurry to let me go. I stood under the water, letting it run down our bodies, and waited for her to be ready to leave. We have to go to my sister''s ce shortly, and we will bete at the rate we are going.

 Chapter 115

    Bethany POV

    Theo made watching the fireworks a whole new enjoyment. The thrusts into me were almost timed to the explosions going on outside, though I am unsure if Theo even noticed what was going beyond the window. Thergest red flower bloomed in the sky as I skyrocketed over the threshold, and if Theo had not held on for dear life, I would have copsed because of the intensity of the c*****

    After a cleanup, we headed over to Felicity''s. I insisted we knock and wait, which I noticed Theo only does at work. I had told him it was a courtesy to knock first, but he just shrugged and walked in anyway. Before he learns to knock, he should walk in on something he does not want to see.

    Felicity did not seem too surprised. He walked in without knocking, and I wondered if it was a family thing, and if so, I had no chance of changing his ways since I never locked my door in the beginning. I must have thought it was an open invitation. If I wanted him to knock, I would have closed the door. Being the only two living on this floor at the time made sense, but it was still a surprise and definitely not what I expected. I was so mixed up at the time, going through so much personal stuff, that it did not ur to me to make an issue out of it. Now, my drama is triple what it was, and I can''t seem to get a break from it all.

    Felicity was checking something in the oven in the kitchen when I headed over to give her sweets. Theo went to sit with Sam, and they chatted about whatever men talked about.

    ''Cheesecake, my favorite, thank you. You must have taught me how to make itter. I am terrible at making desserts. She took the cheesecake from me and air-kissed me on the cheek. I was not used to any greeting other than a wave or a hi, but Theo''s family seemed to be either in the mood for a hug or air kisses. I will need to get used to it. I still do not remember my first meeting with Felicity, but I was not letting myck of memories get me down; they are still slowly filling gaps.

    The meal was delicious. I will be heading over here again when the invitees, and if making a sweet was what it cost me, then I am more than happy to bring it each time. Sam had made ament about not bringing wine, and Theo replied, ''You can''t have both. Which would you prefer, wine or dessert?'' Felicity made sure it was dessert.

    ''We are headed to visit Bethany''s brother tomorrow, so will we see you at the den?''

    Before you leave, we have some news. We have yet to tell Dad and Mum; they will find out tomorrow. We are going to have a baby! Felicity gushed out, all excited. Theo was on her like a sh, pulling her to her and giving her a long hug, whispering something in her ear, and she was nodding back. It was a lovely scene. I hugged Sam and congratted him. I was unsure what else to do, so I waited for my turn to congratte Felicity.

    They gave Sam a handshake and words of congrattions, and I lost sight of him when Felicity pulled me close to her and started to cry.

    ''Hey, I hope they are tears of happiness. I chided softly, and she nodded her head in agreement.

    ''Stupid hormones sending me bat crazy. I giggled and waited for her to get herself back together.

    ''So, how far along are you?''

    ''Three months.''

    ''We shall have to have a baby shower and remodel your other room, and ...

    ''STOP'' She said with augh.''

    ''Too soon?'' I acted shocked, but I was really pulling her leg.

    ''Yeah, just a little; I am already going to get all that from Mum; can you just be here for me?''

    ''That I can do. You know where my door is if you need a break from the craziness! She sniffled, nodded, and smiled, and all those mixed emotions came into y, all in a rush, after a little more talking and filling in the gaps. We left earlier than nned to give Felicity a chance to rest. She used us as a trial run to see our reactions before she gave Hank and Kitty the news. I hope she waits till we arrive before she tells them. I want to see Hank''s face when he is told he will be a granddad.

    Dad arrived at seven-thirty and joined us for a quick bite to eat. I cooked bacon and eggs. After we finished cleaning up, we headed out. We were all in the bodyguard''s SUV. Although Dad''s vehicle would have been eptable, I was still under the bodyguard''s protection and had little to no choice. My freedom to do what I wanted was yet toe.

    Three hourster, after Dad told Theo where we were going and how it all came about the family we were about to see, we pulled up at my brother''s ce. The property was muchrger than the others around here. It was the one he inherited from Grandma, the ce she loved the most, and she was more than happy when Thomas asked if he could have it when she was going through her will about who got what property.

    Thomas was at the door waiting for us, his face bright with a beaming smile. As I walked towards the door, Nate came to stand beside him, his face also a beaming smile. I miss my brother.

    Dad reached Thomas first, so I jumped into Nate''s arms. He chuckled as he caught me, held onto me, and kissed my cheek.

    ''How has my baby girl been?'' He asked softly.

    ''We have lots to talk about, but first, let me introduce you to my boyfriend. Theo had been standing back waiting for us. ''Boyfriend? You do have lots to talk about. Thomas said as he left Dad, and Nate handed me over to him. He held me close. I pulled back and turned to look at Theo, who was waiting his turn to greet them.

    ''Thomas, Nate, this is Theo, my boyfriend.'' I left them to make pleasantries and headed inside to hunt for Judy. I found her in the kitchen, struggling to get something out of the oven. Her huge belly got in the way.

    ''Here, let me help you! I rushed to the oven, gently moved her aside, and pulled therge roast beef inside. It smelt wonderful.

    ''Thanks, I don''t think I can get much bigger.'' She groaned and sat on a stool near her.

    ''How much longer?'' I asked as I ced the hot dish on the small stand.

    ''Any day now, those two out there have been pacing the floor like caged animals, finding thest few days difficult to wait. They are more than ready to be Dad''s. She rubbed her giant belly and smiled down at it.

    ''Well, if you don''t mind, wait for today to be over before you make us rush you to the hospital,'' I joked, and together, we finished preparing the food.

    We had lunch, which was a huge roast with all the trimming and the other cheesecake I had made for dessert. After lunch, we had a small talk about life, how Judy was doing with the pregnancy, and how Nate was not coping so well as she got bigger. ''You would think Nate was carrying the child in his belly and not Judy, Thomas said, and I had tough. It was funny thinking of him having morning sickness alongside Judy. That had to be fun for Thomas.

    ''It is good to see you, Dad, but I feel there is more to this visit than trying to reconnect. I did not turn the television on, so I have no clue what this is about.''

    ''Well, son, it is a sad tale to tell and a long one. We all sat around the dining room table, and Dad told them the story as if he knew it. I learned a few more things. Judy had tears running down her cheeks, and I was concerned that she was getting too upset and should not be in her condition.

    Then, what I feared happened. Judy went intobor, her water broke, and the house turned into Mayhem. Not so much Theo and me, but Dad and the boys were running around like chooks who lost their heads. Theo calmed the men down while I checked on Judy, ''Call an ambnce; she won''t make it to hospital in your car. I called out to whoever would listen. Judy must have been inbor for a while and not realized it, as she was already eight centimeters dted.

    ''Stay calm and breathe through the contractions.'' I encouraged Judy, and after a while, Thomas came to the room and took over, calming Judy down and breathing with her. Nate was nowhere to be found. They both knew when Judy went intobor; he would be as helpful as t**s on a bull.

    ''Dad, do you want to cut the cord?'' I asked Thomas as he stared at the little boy Iy on Judy''s chest. She kissed his head and smiled lovingly down at her son.

    ''Can I?'' He took the scissors and cut the cord, leaving me to do the rest. He returned to Judy''s and kissed her cheek, telling her how good a job she had done and how gorgeous their son was. I had just finished cleaning up Judy when the ambnce arrived. While they went to check on Judy and the baby, I gave him the birth details and left him to take over.

    They put Judy in the ambnce, and Thomas left with him. Dad was over the moon and followed behind with Nate, who was still in shock.

    Theo and I cleaned up the house and went to bed. They had enough people sitting in the hospital, and I thought it was not good to take two bodyguards in there with me; it would scare the pregnantdies or new moms.

 Chapter 116

    Jacko POV

    The court hearing was underway. It was a Saturday, not a typical day for a court hearing, but it was the only time we could get it heard. The judge slotted the day in for us, as we promised it would only take the day. The courtrooms were booked out for months, and we no longer wish this case to be drawn out. The courtroom was closed, and no public, including the media, was allowed in. We tried to keep out who was going to others; it looked low-key. If someone wanted to push, they could dig further and find out, but it''s been so good so far. When I arrived, I had yet to investigate.

    I sat in the audience watching as our prosecutor tore strips off the first few men from the Gutter Boys gang to pieces, and the four of them went to jail. The first three guys tried were the ones that hit Bethany''s car and were also the ones that fired the tranquilizer darts at Scott''s team. They had a goodwyer, but our case was airtight, and they were sentenced with parole, but they still had five years worth before they could get out. The judge said they were dangerous to people, so he gave them the maximum he could provide, hoping it would deter others.

    Next came the guy who pulled Bethany out of the vehicle and hit her, then, in the cave, hit her repeatedly. The dash showed the men pulling Bethany out of the car, and this man hitting her, and the other car showed him throwing her in the van. We were lucky to have gotten that footage. The i***t did not think of removing the dashcam. He got a longer term with no chance for parole. The crime was seen as heinous and not eptable in our society. The footage of both bashing made the judge so angry that he was so wound up when the next person came in to be tried that he would not be too forgiving.

    ''Mr Sanderson, you are supposed to be an example for the people you serve and represent. What we have seen here today is not a good representation of your status. You have abused your position as a congressman, and having a hand in this crime, you must be made an example of. Visit J o bnib to read theplete sentences for free.If you are not reading this novel on Jo b nib, some paragraphs are iplete. You are hereby sentenced to five years with no parole. He banged his gavel on the table, and the guards came and took the angry, shouting Bet out the door. He does not know it yet, but that is only the start of our case against him. At least we have him off the streets while we tidy up the rest.

    Thest one to be tried was our favorite. He has more toe, too, but this one will hurt him more than he realizes. Judge Henderson, the man, had all the knowledge to fight this and the bestwyer''s money could buy. However, when we showed the video of him getting out of the car and into the tunnel and the one that was taken by Wendy on her phone, showing the Judge hitting Bethany in the face before he left, he could not get out of it. Wendy had taken the footage to keep the judge under her thumb, but it worked in our favor. A lot of Wendy''s keepsakes for a rainy day were part of making our cases airtight.

    He, too, was furious, not at all sad to be caught but angry that he had been. He located me in the audience and sneered at me as if to say this was not over, and he was right; it was not. But he is the one who got five years with no parole, and if he thought this was it, he was in for a shock because our next step was to arrest all the others involved in the wedding group. He thought we did not know he was not part of it all. We did not arrest him. At the same time as the others, we waited till it was closer to the court date and arrested him so we could get him in and tried before the media got hold of it all; also, we had hoped he would lead us to some of the others we had not yet got on our radar.

    Only Wendy and Cynthia won''t be put on trial yet, but by the time this case is over, they will not see the light of day if they leave the ce they are in now. From the reports I am getting, the inmates and staff are giving them the usual treatment to new arrivals. I do not know what they do, and I do not want to ask; they are just working on breaking them, and there won''t be any trouble when they leave.

    So far, we have all those involved with Bethany''s ident and k********g and beating in jail. All we need now is the head of the Gutter Boys and the police involved in the other case, which includes the old chief of police. The old chief was cooperating with us in the hope of being put in a minimum security prison and kept separate from other inmates, as he knew he would be beaten in jail or even killed if he was not careful. He had made a lot of enemies, and they would love to get their hands on him to serve him some of their own justice.

    I left the courthouse feeling good; there was no media circus outside, jailing the congressman, and the high judge slipped their notice, but I am sure thewyers will put out a press release and make it seem they are the victims. We are ready for that. We are not beyond leaking photos or videos of the case to the press if either of them tries to make it hard for Bethany.

    I decided to phone Bob and let him know the first step was done.

    ''Hey Jacko.'' Bob said. It sounded like he was in a busy ce.

    I wanted to let you know step one waspleted. Where are you?'' I thought I heard a doctor''s name being called.

    ''At the hospital, my daughter-inw just gave me my first grandchild. He said cheerfully.

    ''Congrattions, girl or boy?'' I was just as excited for him as he was, a child to hold and love, just what he needed right

    now.

    ''Boy, they are going to name him after me. Can you imagine after me?'' He was so choked up by this news that I could hear it in his voice. ''Wow, that is an honor.'' I could see no reason why they would not name the boy after such an important person, granddad.

    ''Yeah, right? I can''t believe it yet, and you will never guess what. Bethany was the doctor who helped at the birth. We were having dinner over at their house, and Judy went intobor. Is that not fate? Thomas is over the moon, and Nate is still pale from the whole experience. He said with a chuckle, and I could imagine some men not coping with their partners giving birth. That was why some men never go into the birthing room. It is not for the faint-hearted.

    ''Well, good for you; I just wanted to give you a heads-up; the case might get media attention and put Bethany in the spotlight again. Be extra careful. I will call Scott and give him the heads-up, too, and congrattions again! I hung up in an excellent mood. His friend deserved some happiness, too, and Bethany had a knack for being at the right ce at the right time. That girl had a gift.

    Scott was all for upping the security and would not tell Bethany. She was already angry about having the four assigned to her. If she were told they would triple it, she would hit the roof. Scott was more than capable of protecting Bethany. Unfortunately, he underestimated the enemy, and it won''t happen again. This was a lesson he learned; changes made now will be used in the future. You cannot n for some things, but training for the unexpected is what he is organizing now.

    If he can think it up, so can the enemy. He will have all his men wear a GPS with a built-in fall monitor. This would have alerted others earlier that something was going down. I suggested some bodyguards for Bob, too. When he is not at home, he will be looked after. He is in more danger than he realizes, and if they are prepared to go after Bethany, they might be prepared to go after her family, too. He does not need to know about it until it is all finished.

 Chapter 117

    Bob POV

    It was exciting to see my son. I have missed him since he moved out here, and my ex made it hard to visit. I am not sure why she could not ept that he had a different kind of life to us. She was thest one to talk; with all that I had been learning about her, maybe because she could never manipte either Thomas or Bethany, she channeled all her time into cultivating what Cynthia became. In some ways, I feel bad for Cynthia; she never stood a chance against Wendy, and once she had her hooked, it was smooth sailing for the two of them to hide each other''s indiscretions.

    Judy looked like she was about to pop, Nate hovered around her like a fragile doll, and Thomas kept an eye on her, but she was determined to cook us lunch with all the trimming. I was d when Bethany helped her in the kitchen, actually took over, and made it look natural.

    Thomas caught up with all that had been happening since hest saw us, including how Wendy had, more or less, told him not to return to the house, as he was not wee. I was fuming when I heard that. We have missed out on so much because of that woman.

    It was interesting watching the interaction between the three of them. Nate was definitely another wife, and if Judy had let him, he would have been in the kitchen helping, but he kicked him out because of his fussing. ording to Thomas, we chuckled about that; he was the mother hen. Nate set the table and made sure everything was set neatly. We had a five-star service, and it was lovely. Thomas sat in the lounge and drank a beer with us. He was all male and let the others do the fuzzing. They were a great trio, and I liked thefortable feeling of being in the house.

    After dinner, Nate did most of the dishes, saying she cooked. It was his turn to do the dishes. I had never seen someone fight over cleaning up; it was amusing.

    We sat around the lounge, and I filled them up with what had happened, from my divorce from Wendy to the ident to Bethany, and before we could go on much further into it, before we even told them who was arrested or what had happened to them, Judy, who was sobbing away, suddenly had her water break and all craziness.

    Bethany took over, leading Judy to a bedroom and getting her settled in. She did what she needed to do to help Judy. Bethany sterilized the things Thomas had on hand to use at the birth. Though they never expected they would really need them, they had prepared just in case, as they were far from the nearest hospital.

    I had to remind Thomas to call an ambnce when Bethany said Judy was too far along inbor for her to go by car and then grab the bag that they would take to the hospital. Nate was tasked with cleaning up the mess from Judy''s water breaking, and I stayed with Thomas. Theo kept Natepany, who seemed to suffer the most from the two men who both loved this woman and cared for her like she was their world.

    The sound of a baby''s cry had all four of us racing to the bedroom in time to watch Bethany ce the newborn baby on Judy''s tummy, the cord still attached. Judy was cooing over the baby; as it was facing down, we could not yet see the baby. Judy looked up with such love in her eyes and a glow on her face that melted my heart, the pure innocence of a new mother.

    ''Come see our son.'' Judy beckoned them in. Thomas was the first to go to bed, while the rest were held back and watched. He kissed Judy on the lips and then kissed the newborn''s b**t, and we all chuckled.

    Bethany then offered to let him cut the cord; she turned the baby over so we could see the little boy. Thomas took the scissors and cut the cord, and we all cheered as Thomas gathered the little one in his arms and kissed his head. I took a small nket over to him to wrap the baby in and waited for him to.

    When the baby was wrapped, Thomas wanted to give Judy his attention, so he handed the baby off to me. I was shocked he did not give the child to Nate, but then Nate was a mess and may not have been up to holding the little one.

    ''Here, Granddad, take Bob for a while, will you?'' I looked at him with shock, but his face was full of love and pride; there was no sign that he was joking about the name, and he broke into a broad smile as I took the little bundle in my arms and almost wept as I looked down to the mini-me, he was fast asleep as if the trauma of being born was nothing, and he was in safe hands. I rocked the baby as I shared him with Theo and Nate, both looking at the child, till the sound of the ambnce broke our joy; Theo raced out to bring them in, while Nate was still a mess and in no condition to do much.

    The room was mayhem with the sudden arrival of the extra men in the room. One took the baby and, after a quick check, ced him in a special crib. I felt empty having to hand him over to strangers, but I had to let him go. The other talked to Bethany in medical jargon, and he checked on Judy. He ced the centa in a bag forter inspection and transferred Judy to a gurney. Before I knew it, Judy and Thomas were in the ambnce being driven to the hospital, and I was following in my car with Nate sitting in the passenger seat, still a bit lost at what had just happened, but at least he had a small smile on his face.

    ''So Nate, how do you feel now you are a Dad?'' I asked, trying to break the tension in the car. I know I am excited and happy, and I hope that Thomas honoring me by naming his firstborn after me will mean we can be close again. Wendy did enough damage to our family, and I hope this is a new beginning for us. I have a lot to thank Bethany for; she is why we visited Thomas today and pushed me to be happy again.

    ''I am still in shock; he is so very tiny, I am afraid I will break him. He said in a far-away voice.

    ''You will get used to it; it won''t be too long, and thed will be at school, bringing friends home, then married and gone. Time flies quickly! I chuckled at the horror that filled his face before he chuckled along with me, breaking the tension in the car. We arrived at the hospital and found Thomas in the hallway. He was staring at the door.

    ''Hey Thomas,'' I greeted him. Nate was pulled into a hug, and the two of them stood in each other''s arms. Thomas whispered something to him, and he nodded whatever was said; by the time they pulled apart, Nate was a new person, full of smiles. ''Hi Granddad. Thomas hugged me, too, and I patted him on his back.

    ''Thank you,'' I said, and I did not need to exin why; he seemed to understand what I meant. We stood by that door chatting till it opened, and they let all three of us in. Apparently, it was a private room, and as long as we didn''t upset Judy, we could all stay. A doctor came out and stopped short, staring at me momentarily.

    ''Are you?'' he asked. I jumped in with a ''Yes! Before he could say anymore.

    ''Then you are the father of Doctor Bethany, who delivered this baby?''

    ''Yes.'' I said again, wondering where this was going. Thomas and Nate stood by, listening to the doctor. They needed to be clearer about where it was going.

    ''Wow, the famous heart doctor delivered that baby; I thought I recognized her name. He shook my hand and walked off, chatting excitedly with the other staff about Bethany and who she was.

    ''Dad?'' Thomas looked at me questioningly.

    ''Later, let''s get to our girl and baby and spend time with her. We can always talk about thister. Bob pushed them in the door to see their baby. Little Bob was sleeping in a crib by Judy. The all-clear was given, and the doctors all praised the safe delivery. ''You should have heard the doctor when he learned Bethany delivered Bob. He told me how lucky I was to have the famous Dr Bethany deliver him.'' Judy was telling Thomas and Nate.

    ''Care to share, not Dad?'' Thomas asked as he handed the sleeping child to Nate, who was sitting on a chair and very nervous about holding such a small person.

    ''Your sister continued recently with the research on artificial hearts, transnted one in a real person a little while ago, and another new experimental one in a monkey. The monkey was a smaller one, hoping to one day work for children, and the one in a man is still going strong; there has been a lot of news about ittely!

    ''Oh, I heard about that but did not put Bethany as the doctor. Yet when I heard the name, you would have thought I would have twigged. Nate said as he cooed down at the baby, starting to rx more with the child in his arms.

    ''What about Wendy and Cynthia? What went on?'' Thomas was not going to let this one go.

    ''I already told you I divorced Wendy. Why? What else did you want to know?''

    ''What did you give that greedy woman?''

    ''I left her the holiday home we had, but I heard she had since sold it. I was a little sad to lose that home, but as I rarely went to it, I lost interest in it when things went pear-shaped with my marriage, which was why I left it for her.

 Chapter 118

    Bethany POV

    The thrill of bringing new life into the world always stays young. I do love that side of medicine. However, that is not my calling. Mine was to try and find apound that won''t be rejected and can expand a little, so the poor child does not have to have so many operations in their little lives. It is a terrible thing for a child to be born with a heart condition, one that is only fixed by many operations until they are adults and the heart stops growing. That is where my researches in: making reliable hearts so one does not have to wait for someone to die before they get the heart they need.

    By the time I was up and ready to leave for the den, no one hade home from the hospital, so I called Dad to find out if he was and if he was going toe at all. He was so excited about being with Thomas, Judy, and the baby.

    ''Hey, Bethany, what is up?'' He sounded tired as if he should have been if he had not gone to bed. Napping in a chair is not really sleeping, and he is not young anymore.

    ''Are youing to the den? Or staying at the hospital with the new family?'' I did not mind if he stayed with Thomas. I would be there, too, if I did not feel I would be overcrowding them. They already had the maximum number of people allowed in the room. ''Staying here, you don''t mind, do you?''

    ''Dad, you need to be where you need to be. Don''t feel bad about missing one day. I would havee too, but you don''t need me in there; someone would have to leave the room to let me in, and those that need to be in there are!''

    ''I understand; you did a good job; by the way, the doctors and nurses here praise your work. He was boasting again. I could tell he loved to put me on a pedestal, one I do not think I should be on.

    ''I will send your regards to Hank and Kitty.'' We chatted a bit longer about weight, size, and other things that were on his mind, and I was happy to listen as I sat in the back of the SUV, keeping my mind off the road. I am not ready to drive yet. You should ask Scott about driver training before I return to the wheel.

    Theo informed the family about what happened at the birth, and I provided them with the baby''s size and weight. The baby was named after Dad.

    ''Is that why your Dad is not here? He was at the hospital holding mini Bob?'' Kitty giggled, and Margaret and Cindy arrived in time for all the news to be repeated.

    The den was different without Dad there. It had been a while since I celebrated the game with others, which had not included my Dad being there. I genuinely hope he gets to spend more time with Thomas and his little growing family; the three of us used to be closer and somewhere along the line. Wendy chased him away. I am sad that I had not noticed her doing it. I was too busy at the time, getting my doctor''s degree, and missed out on seeing my brother at a critical time in his life. I hope he knew I supported him with his life choices.

    ''Bethany, thess, is out of hospital and back home. She has her family with her to support her, and the courts have put the man in jail. She can get a divorce from him. Now he is in jail. It has made it easier. I believe she will sell the house and move in with her sister. Until she gets her life back in some order, she will need a lot of therapy before she trusts again! Kitty said casually as if it was nothing, but I know it meant more to her than the light way she talked about it; maybe it was her way of coping with all the hurt she sees all the time. It''s a different kind of hurt than what I deal with.

    ''That is good news. That woman needed to get out of that toxic situation, and now she is out, maybe she will recognize it for what it was. Theo said he wanted so much to castrate that man.

    The teams we followed won, but then they were expected to, and I did enjoy the day. Kitty tried to join in, but when you do not love sports like us, she was the odd one out. She did not follow many of the rules and cheered when the wrong team scored. Iughed each time she got it wrong because Hank had to bite his tongue and not say anything negative, and for the first time, I saw the funny side to it and waited with bated breath each time she got it wrong to see how Hank coped with it. ''Time for home, I think, sweetheart. You are yawning! Theo said, nudging me awake.

    ''Yeah, you are right. Hank and Kitty walked us to the door. I am trying to remember the drive home. I fell asleep, and that was a shock. I had been so uptight when in a car. If you had said I would fall asleep, I would not have believed you.

    When I woke, it was morning, and I was in my bed. Theo must have carried me to our bed, and he was still asleep next to me. The phone was ringing next to me. Theo would have ced it there. I quickly grabbed it and rushed out of the room before I woke Theo. ''Hello?'' I sounded terrible. It must have been all the screaming on the television yesterday.

    ''Bethany, it is Jacko!''

    ''Morning Jacko, is everything alright?''

    ''I tried to get your father, but his phone was switched off."

    ''He is still with Thomas, the new baby has been named Bob, and he is enjoying getting lots of love for the newd.'' I said, wondering if he had heard.

    ''That is wonderful news. He must be proud.

    ''Yeah, he is. Can I help you with anything?''

    ''Are you alone?''

    ''No, Theo is still in bed. Something is wrong.''

    ''Wendy was beaten upst night, and one of the women managed to sneak in a knife. I am sorry, but Wendy did not make it.'' That was not the sort of news I had expected. ''Cynthia?''

    ''Still in surgery. Last I heard. They had both been beaten up a few times since being there. We have no idea why, but one of the women somehow was armed, andtest night, she stabbed both women repeatedly. I think it had something to do with the wedding group, but we are still piecing it together. I think one of the guards got scammed by the woman at one of the hotels and was very angry. I hope to know more soon!

    ''Thank you. I will let Dad know and call Thomas''s phone and get him to put it on speaker. They should both be told.''

    ''I will leave it in your hands then and keep you posted. We said goodbye, and I contacted Thomas.

    ''Thomas, are you still in with Judy?''

    ''No, I am at the cafeteria having breakfast.

    ''Can you go to a quiet ce and put the phone on speaker? Dad needs to hear what I need to say!

    ''Give me a few. I will call you back. Thomas hung up, and I headed back to the bedroom. Theo was still sleeping, so I nudged him awake.

    ''What? It is too early.'' He grumbled.

    ''Wake up. I want you to hear this news. I have to tell Dad and Thomas. I may need you to hold me,'' I said, fighting back the sob that threatened to take over. He sat up and stared at me, and soon, he was out of bed and pulled me into his arms. I had just gotten myself back under control, and the phone rang.

    ''Hello?''

    ''Sweetheart, we are outside on a park bench. Talk to us. Thomas spoke kindly.

    ''Cynthia and Mum have been beaten up a number of times since they arrived at the sanatorium.''

    ''I heard this. Jacko has the ce under investigation. Dad interrupted me.

    ''Dad,st night one of thedies took a knife into the room and, during the night, stabbed both Mum and Cynthia multiple times.

    ''How are they?''

    ''Mum did not make it, and Cynthia is still in surgery. Jacko will update us as newses to hand. I replied, and Theo pulled me closer to him, giving me his love and support.

    ''Did Jacko say what hospital?

    ''No, and I did not ask!

    ''I will call him and get the information, and I will organize the funeral. D, you want to be a part of this?''

    ''If you need me to be with you as you make the arrangements, I am okay with being with you on this!

    ''Okay, I will let you know when I need you.''

    Dad hung up, and I let out the tears I had been holding out. Theo held me tight, reassuring me that I would get through this.

 Chapter 119

    Jacko

    POV

    Being called out to the Sun Valley Sanatorium with my team was not a pretty sight. We could not arrest the woman who did the stabbing as she was already there for life, being ssed as a danger to society and never to be released. The two women were never meant to have been put in that wing with that dangerous woman. I am kicking myself for not checking on the woman when I got the news of the first beatings, but I had so much on my te. I got the call on my way there to check on them that they had been stabbed. I was nervous calling Bob and relieved when his phone went to the message bank. I hung up on Bethany, and she promised to tell Bob. I feel bad for interrupting his joy of his first grandson and the honor of being named after him. I will have to catch upter and have a congrattory drink. Bethany seemed to take it well, but then she most likely had a lot to handletely, and this would be just another blimp on her already rocky road of life.

    Our team is checking all the security footage and paperwork to see why they were in the wing. The head was as shocked as we were to learn why they were ced there. She had given orders to be in the assessment wing, never to be released, and to enter the wing cautiously.

    We took the names of the people looking after that section since they arrived and who processed them initially. We also took all the surveince tapes with us. Our IT guy said he did not trust we would get a good look at the videos here and wanted our equipment to review them and ensure everything was kept from tampering. We took several boxes with us, photos of the crime scene, and anything else we could think of at the time. This was a mess, and I was not happy to inherit it.

    I am sure Bob is going to want a lot of answers, and fast.

    The team and I took the boxes to what I called the Wedding room for a better name for it and had one of thedies start a spreadsheet with all the names of the employees. She was super quick and urate. The idea was to see if any of the names matched ours and have them in a spreadsheet. She would wave her magic fingers and merge the data, and they would find any names that matched. Visit Jo bnib to read theplete sentences for free.If you are not reading this novel on Jo b nib, some paragraphs are iplete. She said it would take about an hour to type all the names in, so while she did that, I started a new whiteboard with the photos of Wendy and Cynthia and other relevant information rting to the stabbing. With the spreadsheetpleted, we found twodies whose names were on the wedding list. We now have to find out what happened. We had more than one list. One was those involved in the running of the fraud, one for the hotels, as we were not sure who in the hotels was in on the scam, and those who were wed that might have had nothing to do with either part of the wedding and were innocent people who got ripped off by the fraudsters. I have a feeling these twodies were innocent parties and saw this as an opportunity to get revenge, but whether they had intended to go this far was yet to be seen. We needed to see how the woman got the knife and who turned a blind eye to it. They are the ones who will be charged with the murder or at least the instigators of the murder.

    I left the team to review the footage and let me know what they found. I felt I needed to see Bob personally. Bethany said he was still at the hospital today and would return home tomorrow, so I would see the new baby and speak with Bob simultaneously. Bob POV

    The baby and the mother were doing well; the doctor said they could go home tomorrow. It was a bit quick to kick a new mother out, but apparently, that is how they do it now. They keep them in only if the mother or baby is having trouble. Nate was excited; both Thomas and Nate had a week home to spend with mother and baby, get her used to having a little one around, and the guys were going to learn to change diapers and help bathe him. Yeah, they were super excited; wait till they are exhausted after a long night of trying to put him to sleep, though having two guys to help you out might make a huge difference. I am interested in seeing how it goes. I think Nate will cook and wash the clothes, while Thomas will help more with the baby side of things. I listened to them discuss how they would start and make changes as they went. I wish I could stay and watch, but I have a funeral to organize, and if I am up to it, visit Cynthia and see how she is.

    I had breakfast with Thomas. We discussed the funeral arrangements and agreed it should be a family affair. Plus, there should be a cremation; no sign of her should be left. We both decided that we might be targets by association and were trying to figure out how to avoid hatersing at us. With a new baby, things are making us more aware of how vulnerable we could be, and we have agreed to upgrade our security to include Thomas, Nate, Judy, and baby Bob.

    ''Hello, folks, Jacko said as he surprised us by walking into the hospital room carrying flowers and a giant blue teddy bear. ''Hi Jacko, Do you remember Thomas?'' I shook Jacko''s hand after he handed Judy the flowers and teddy bear. Judy was sitting on her bed, watching the men interact.

    ''Yes, you have grown into a fine-lookingd. Congrattions, you''re a Dad now.'' He shook Thomas''s hand, and Thomas introduced Judy, Nate, and baby Bob.

    ''We were discussing raising the security to include Thomas and his family in case others out there want to hurt us because of Wendy. Do you have any suggestions on making them understand we are victims, too?'' I asked. It baffled me what to do without jeopardizing the case we have.

    ''Yes, I have thought of that. We are ready to start the big arrest, and we will start with the judge and the old policemissioner. Also, all the Gutter boys we know are here in the city. That will happen at the same time; then we start pulling in all the others; we have four precincts ready to join in on the mass arrest. By the end of the week, we will have started to gather everyone together and hopefully have the top wanted in our custody!

    ''I am going to organize the funeral. We have a family only, and to cremate her, scatter her ashes at the local tip; I am over that woman.'' Thomas chuckled as we agreed she did not deserve to be anywhere else but at the rubbish dump.

    ''A fitting ce for thatdy, Jacko agreed with a humorless chuckle.

    ''Bob, I came to tell you that we are going to arrest twodies that were behind the murder of Wendy and the assault on Cynthia, which, I am sorry to say, looks like it was going to be murder. Cynthia has not been doing so well since she came out of surgery, and if she does live, she will be scared for life, and the doctors are not sure if she will ever walk about; the knife hit the spinal cord.

    ''If she lives, then it will most likely be best to send her back to the Sun Valley, where they can look after her since they failed to do it the first time. Thomas spat. He was angry that his family was at risk just because these women were greedy. ''When do you leave the hospital?'' Jacko asked, looking fondly at baby Bob.

    ''We are waiting for the doctor to do her rounds soon! Nate answered softly.

    ''Jacko, why did the two women kill Wendy?'' Nate must have been thinking while we chatted and could not put the pieces of the puzzle together.

    ''They were duped by them. When one of thedies, after ten years of marriage, was kicked out of her home by her thought-to-be husband for another woman, she had to find a ce to live and a job. She had been a stay-at-home wife, and it was a lot for her to change.

    Once she had her life in some order, she went to awyer to file for a divorce only to find out she was never married, and as it had been longer than a year since she had separated from the man, she had no im on anything, so she more or less lost the chance to im anything!'' Jacko was now holding the baby when the doctor walked in and stopped at the door, staring at all the men in the room.

    A cheer went out when the doctor finished checking on the mother and baby, and they were set to go.

    ''Let''s get out of here and get home for a decent cup of coffee. We gathered everything and waited for a wheelchair to take mother and baby out. Jack and I followed the proud family out the door and all the way back to their home.

    ...

 Chapter 120

    Theo POV

    Being woken up with that news shook me a little; I had to be there for my girl instantly while my head was still foggy. I can honestly say I was awake when I heard those words over the phone and pulled Bethany to me. She was shaking, and though her voice was clear, her heart was beating faster, and she was fighting tears. Once she hung up the phone, she cried for a little while. I asked why the tears, and she said because, in her heart, she had lost a mother and sister; even if they were terrible and caused much pain and sorrow, deep down, they were still her family.

    We headed to the kitchen for breakfast. All ideas of rxing at home were gone. She will want to go to work and keep her mind busy. We had intended to have ate start; I had no surgery, and her work in theb was still cooking.

    I did my rounds at the hospital and released more patients before heading to Bethany''sb. She was checking on the monkey and Mr Green''s stats. I loved that she could do that without seeing the patient; her program is fantastic. ''How''s Mr Green doing?'' I asked; from what I understood, the reports were good.

    ''He is swimming now and more active. His new heart shows no signs of problems or rejection, though I would have been surprised if it did.'' She was busy typing something, and the monkey reports showed.

    "Wow, you would not even know the monkey had that operation. Look how active he is; this is good." I was amazed at the quick recovery when the body was not fighting rejection. ''Will youe with me when we do the funeral?''

    ''Of course, I am here for you.'' I rubbed her back. I had not realized she was still not confident about our rtionship, and I wondered if she still had holes in her memory, causing doubts. ''Thank you. I know you never met her, but I would not have wanted to introduce you to her anyway!

    Do you have any news on Cynthia? Or from Brett? Has he been informed?''

    ''Oh, I never thought of Brett. I still am not sure I understand their rtionship; I still have many gaps in my memory. I will ask Dad the next time I hear from him. With the look of confusion on her face, I could tell I had misspoken. I had no idea how much her memory had returned; we had been so busy with other stuff that I almost forgot about her memory loss and how much had returned. I will have to speak with Dad and let him know she still has gaps and if I should be worried. We left theb and headed to find Robson. He needed the fresh information, and I think Bethany had another heart ready for use. I am not sure if she is prepared for the long hours in surgery, but I doubt she would let anyone else do it.

    ''This is fantastic results. Do you think we can put one in a child? It would do better than what we have now.'' He was very excited; Bethany had made a break for those little ones; they must have done many operations already, which might reduce how many they needed.

    ''Yes, I can spend all those hours in the theater. Theo has done a great job loosening up my muscles, and I have been hitting the weight to strengthen them.

    ''We can have Theo assist. That way, if you need to stop and rest, he can take over for a little while. This was not a standard practice, but we worked well together.

    ''I can live with that; who had you in mind?''

    ''Rachael Gibbons. Thirteen and will only see fourteen if we do something soon!''

    ''Get her in and start her on the pre-operation medication; she should be ready to operate in three days.

    ''Sounds like a n. I have a heart ready. We chatted a bit longer before we headed out, stopping at a cafe forte lunch and early dinner. We were seated after cing our order when Bob walked in.

    ''Hey, sweetheart, saw you as I walked by; how are things?'' Tears streamed down Bethany''s face at the sight of her Dad, and it made me choke up, too. He was by her side instantly and held onto her, rubbing her back.

    ''Would you like to join us, Bob?'' I asked while he held his girl; he nodded and mouthed, ''Steak. I ordered him a steak burger, chips, and coffee. I understood her bursting into tears once she saw her Dad; my sisters used to do the same when they saw Mum.

    We had idol chatter during our meal. Once Bethany was over her tears and managed to eat a good portion of her meal, which I was grateful for, her appetite slowly returned.

    ''Bethany, news on Cynthia is not good; the doctors do not expect her to survive the night; the damage is too extensive! ''Bob, has anyone told Brett?''

    ''I have no clue and did not even think about him.'' Bob conceded.

    ''Why would you, Dad? What is Brett to Cynthia? I have too many gaps in my memory!

    ''How much do you remember?''

    "They were girlfriend/boyfriend at school. Did their rtionship go further than that?''

    ''We have talked about this wedding fraud stuff. Do you understand some of that?''

    ''Mum and Cynthia was in it deep!''

    ''Yes, and somehow Brett is involved too.

    ''I will leave telling Brett about Cynthia to you. I do not remember him much, and something tells me to stay away from him.'' Dad''s phone rang at that moment before Dad could say anything in return. ''Yes, thank you for letting me know. Could you let me know if you told Brett?''

    Dad hummed and grumbled something unintelligible and nodded.

    ''Yes.''

    I looked at Theo to see if he had any idea, and he shrugged.

    ''Okay.'' Dad hung up the phone and took an intense breath.

    ''Cynthia had died.'' I was a little shocked, but it was not unexpected. I waited, watching Bethany to see how she reacted. At first, she stared at Bob as if she did not understand what he said.

    ''Can we do both Cynthia and Mum''s funeral simultaneously? I do not want to go through it twice. Plus, I have an operation booked for a few days; we need to avoid shing with that.'' Bethany showed almost no remorse or hurt; it was as if she was now immune to it all, and that worried me. Bob looked at me with the same surprised look, but we needed to figure out how to proceed.

    ''I will call the hospital and see when I can collect her body and notify the funeral service of the added change. ''Want toe home for coffee?'' Bethany asked Bob.

    ''No, I need to head home, shower, and change. I have a busy day tomorrow. Bob hugged Bethany and shook my hand; I got to pay the bill this time. Bethany was too far gone in her thoughts to even think of the bill; score one for me.

    The following two days were a blur. Dad said that Bethany might have selective amnesia, not wanting to have that pain again, but now that the funeral was today, things might trigger her to remember. Robson postponed the operation. The young girl is in the hospital taking the medication, but we have to wait and see how Bethany goes with today, and then maybe tomorrow we can do the operation; I thought another day at least, but Dad agreed with Robson to try and keep things moving along as best we cant. Bob came over, and we all went in one car: Bethany, Bob, and myself. Thomas would meet us there, and that was it. Bob allowed no one else. Once we had the urn of ashes, we could have more people involved with the scattering of the ashes. The ce where the service was being held was not a church but a building made for this asion. It even had its crematorium so that the body would be burnt here on site. I was unsure what to expect, having never been to one of these. I have only been to a church service where a whole lot of people said nice things about a person they most likely did not like, but at a time like this, most try to tell the story of the person in a good light, well that will not be the case today. There was no eulogy for either life. It was a matter of viewing the bodies to confirm it was them and then stating who they were. The coffin was lowered out of sight, and the preacher or whoever he was told that Bob could pick up the ashes in a couple of days. That was it: no considerable fanfare, great titudes of love and devotion, no songs that tugged at the heartstrings, just who they were and goodbye.

    ''Dad, I am headed back to my son. Bethany, you need toe over more and spend time with your nephew, and Judy would love to spend more time with you. You too, Theo, both of youe; how about Sunday?''

    ''You had better think of another day there, son. Have you happened to forget what we do on a Sunday?''

    ''Nope, I would have the game on ready for you. He said with a chuckle.

    ''Then you better make space for another person, Hank; Theo''s Dad likes sports too, and we meet at each other''s home to watch it; you should see his den; it is a masterpiece! Bob pulled out his phone and started to flick through pictures he had taken of the den; the reason why we had met up today was gone as we talked out in the car part, and Bob boasted about the den and Hank, and then a picture of Pam popped up, standing in her team''s shirt shouting at the screen.

    ''Who is that?'' Thomas asked as he got closer to look at the woman.

    ''Dad''s new love?'' Bethany smiled back, and Thomas patted Bob on the back.

    ''Good to know you still have it in you! Thomas said with a smirk.

    I might get long in the tooth, but I am not dead yet! I looked at him in shock and then rxed as thement was taken in the jest it was meant.

    With everything nned, Thomas returned home, his two bodyguards following close behind. The bodyguards will be around for a while now. Even though those two are dead, the threat is still alive.

 Chapter 121

    Bob POV

    The day had been exhausting and emotional, and I was hit harder than I thought I would be. I was amazed by how bad she looked when I viewed Wendy''s body. We did not waste money on making her look presentable, and I have seen many dead bodies before, but this was still a shock.

    I had loved Wendy before she started cheating on me, or should I say before I woke up to the fact that she was cheating on me. Her face was a mess, old bruising and new damagebined, and you could hardly recognize her; we had requested, not trying to pretty her up; she was a ck soul who did not deserve to look good as she went to a fiery end. We left her in the clothes that the hospital had dressed her in, the old bloodied outfit from Sun Valley that they did not want back. She was already dead, so she went straight to the mortuary for the post-mortem. It was somewhat wrong of me not to give her something better. I would not travel to Cynthia''s home and go hunting through the closets to find something for her or Cynthia to wear.

    Cynthia''s appearance did not move me half as much as Wendy''s; Cynthia''s face was battered and bruised. It was a vendetta job, and there was no doubt about it. A knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts; I was about to hit the shower.

    ''Hi, you have not been around much. Is everything okay?'' Pam was dressed in jeans, a blue blouse, and bare feet. There was nothing fancy about this chick. But I was not in the mood to be entertained.

    ''No, actually, I am not, and am not goodpany tonight either. I replied, holding the door open when I only wanted to m it shut.

    ''No, just give me some space. I added softly, but it was not Pam''s fault; I was not goodpany.

    ''Okay,'' she replied gently, and I felt bad for not inviting her in, but I did not wantpany. Pam had pushed her way into my life, and now she has to see that sometimes I want peace, quiet, and alone time. I shut the door before she was out of view. If she turned to see if I was watching, I did not see it; I honestly did want some time to myself and think.

    The sports news was on, discussing injured yers and their recements. As thementator droned on, I drifted off to find the needed sleep. A loud knock on my front door woke me from my slumber. I stretched and yelled out I wasing when they knocked again.

    ''Morning. Bethany sang at me as I opened the door, still blurry-eyed and yawning.

    ''00, we woke you,'' she said calmly, lifting the bag of what smelt like a steak sandwich. Behind her, the elevator dinged, and Pam walked out carrying a covered tray. She looked surprised to see Bethany and Theo standing at the door; all of us had turned our heads at the unexpected sound of the elevator.

    ''Join us for breakfast, Pam. Bethany called out before she could duck back into the elevator and flee. Pam put on a fake smile and headed towards us. I allowed all three in my home. Bethany ced her bags on the kitchen table, and Pam did the same, working to set out tes and cutlery. I noted that Theo had arge box on the table in the lounge before greeting me. I nodded to the box.

    ''After breakfast, I don''t want to put you off eating! I wondered what that meant, but I was happy to head to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down, took a long sip of coffee, and rxed as I started unbelievingly at the table. Pam cooked bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, and toast while Bethany pulled out two bacon and egg burgers and two steak and egg burgers. She cut them in half so we could all have some; this was a lot of food for four people.

    We ate and talked more. Bethany spoke to Pam about the new baby and the chaotic ce. It was good to have regr time with family and friends and have no pressure. Today was rxing, and tomorrow was sports day at Thomas''s house. Time has flown by; I think Bethany has to operate on the first child to get one of her special hearts; somehow, she had worked on apound that expanded and programmed it to erge a little over time, something like a normal heart would. I am still determining how that will work, but I trust she has worked something out; the monkey was the first candidate, and he is doing well. The girl cleared the table, and we headed to the lounge room, where I looked at the box with trepidation.

    ''Dad, when I left Mum''s a few years ago, I took four boxes with me that were supposed to contain all my medical books from my uni days. When I removed the first two books from this box, I found that what was below was not mine; I think you and Pam would like to view them. Bethany pushed the box in my direction, and I stared at it as if it was going to burn me; Pam moved closer but did not dig in until I made a move or permitted her to do so. All eyes were on me, waiting. Taking a deep sigh, I took the first book and opened it. This was the best information I had seen in a while. I grabbed my phone and called Jacko.

    ''Morning, what does a grump want with me on a Saturday morning before coffee?'' Jacko grumbled.

    ''My ce. NOW!'' I barked back and hung up the phone, giving him no chance to ask questions. Pam and I took out each book and flicked through the pages as we waited for Jacko; it was less than ten minutes, and he was banging on the door. Theo got up and let him in, and he came into the room like a bull in a china shop, all fired up and ready to fight.

    ''What the hell? I thought the worst; I broke every speed record to get here; what was so urgent you had to be rude this early in the morning. He was grumpy, and I got the impression he had had ate night at work if his red eyes were anything to go by. ''Take a seat and look at these. Pam and I have sorted them into some order, or at least what we think is an order.'' I grumbled back. Bethany had gone to the kitchen to make another round of coffee and heated up some leftover food for Jacko to eat. I presumed he had yet to eat.

    ''Where did you find this gold mine?'' Jacko asked after he flicked through the first book, his face lit up with surprise and glee.

    ''Bethany had it. She had taken boxes when she first left home and never unloaded them; she just put them in storage. She was looking to see what books to take to theb and what ones to put on the bookshelf we had just set up in a spare room she had made into an office. When she came across this one, she just had to rush over with it. Theo said, defending Bethany. Vital information for our case was sitting right here, the beginning of both Wendy and her little band ofdies and how when others joined or were dragged in, pieces of the puzzle we thought were never to be found were sitting so close to me every time I visited her, it was so annoying, I even helped her move them once.

    ''Let me get this right. You had books on top of these, which were your books, so these were hidden in your things?'' Jacko was still shocked.

    ''Yeah, I have no idea how or when they were put there. I left home with lots of help from Wendy and Cynthia. Either of them could have put them there, thinking about it, maybe Cynthia, trying to keep some insurance against Wendy,'' I suggested.

    ''Yeah, I could see that happening. Cynthia liked the power, and Wendy had loads over Cynthia. This is good; we can put them all away now, and they can''t put a dead person on the stand, so what we have here is good evidence; well done. I want to take this to our wedding room with your permission.''

    ''Wedding room?'' Theo asked, and I chuckled.

    ''That is what they have named the room they have set up with all the wedding fraud.'' Pam said with a shy smile.

    ''Yes, take it. We brought it here as soon as I found it. I was unsure if it was any good, but with all the names and dates in there, we took a chance it was something!'' Theo was holding onto Bethany. She was a little emotional, and he tried to keep her calm. ''You okay? Bethany?'' Jacko asked as tears started to fall.

    ''One of the books talks about setting me up and ripping me off; I feel so dirty and gullible and hurt deep inside; I have no idea why; how could they do that to me? Now they are dead; I will never know for sure. I never had those memories, and now I have another piece of the puzzle in ce; it hurts. I had cried before for the loss of my mother and sister, not remembering all those things they had done to me, and now, I feel they did not deserve those tears.

 Chapter 122

    Jacko POV

    ''Listen up people. I called out to my group in the wedding office as I walked in and dumped the box on the table,nding with a loud thud.

    ''We have a new box of interesting information; I want it cataloged and entered into our appropriate whiteboard; we have our missing link. I said, we have been looking for the missing link in all the wrong ces, and now we have someone we did not expect to get him this way. He is on our most wanted list, a man known to be part of the wealthiest family, and we have him. He won''t be able to dodge this bullet as quickly as he had in the past.

    ording to one of the books, Mica Santonio is the silent head of the Gutter Boys, which is full of information on him alone, the money backer of that crime group, and has shares in the hotels that have been moneyundering and fraud scams, he is also the topwyer and was known to get criminals out of jail on minor technicalities, so we needed to make sure all our boxes had been ticked, do it all by the book, we cannot screw this up. Our meticulous investigation has yielded a wealth of information, and it will take us all day to review it thoroughly; thatrge box holds many secrets, and I am relieved that Cynthia''s greed led her to keep this over everyone''s heads; no wonder she had been able to get away with so much.

    ''Can we get a warrant and arrest him when we gather the other up? It would be good to capture him at the same time?'' One of my more senior and trusted officers asked, which got most of the people in the room turning to look at me. ''Let me get the judge on the phone and ask that question! I said, heading to my office where I could talk in peace.

    ''Jacko, what can I do for you? It is a Saturday, and I am about to have a family day! I exined to the Judge what we had in our possession and requested a warrant to arrest him. The judge asked a few more questions before he agreed to raise the warrant. I would send one of my team over to his home to collect it.

    Once we have that, we must contact the others and start the arrests. I walked back to the room and raised my hand, giving the guys and girls the thumbs up, which gave me a round of cheers.

    ''Peter, would you do the honors and go to the judge''s home and collect the warrant?'' I asked, to the groans from some who had most likely wanted to be the ones to collect it. This is a big coup for our team; capturing the wealthiest and most powerful man in our city, if not the whole state, is a massive step toward cleaning up our streets.

    We spent the rest of the day getting everything set up. New information was on the board, and there was a cheer from the team when Peter walked in, waving the warrant for all to see. Pam arrived with bags full of burgers, fries, and drinks as we workedte into the night. Just before eleven that night, the team and assorted officers hand-selected for this event headed out in full SWAT gear, and a synchronized arrest began.

    I phoned Bob as I sat in my car on our way to Santonio''s home.

    ''Talk to me. That was how Bob answered his phone.

    ''Heads up. Arrests have begun,'' I said and hung up the phone. We both knew saying any more could be dangerous. Who knew who was listening? Listening devices can pick things up from a reasonable distance away, so I waited until I was on the road and traveled a little way before calling him.

    The driver pulled up at the guarded gates of Santionio''s home. It was a sizeable twenty-acre property, and he had guard dogs patrolling the grounds at night and certain areas during the day. The guard must have been sleeping in his little hutte at night, as our man had to knock on his window and show his badge. He walked over to my side of the car, and I lowered my window.

    ''Sir?'' He was still yawning, not yet correctly awake; so much for top-notch security.

    ''We have a warrant to search this house. Open the gate, and do not, I repeat, do not call your boss and alert him. He shrugged his shoulders and did as we asked. Before you ask, yes, it was not just to arrest him but to search his premises. The gates opened, and the guard stood at the door of his hut and watched us head up the long spiraling drive. The main house came into view as we drove to the front of the building, where a sensor light lit up the car and a footpath to the door. Five vehicles pulled up, mine being the first one and four others behind me; one full-kitted swat team was next, and they were ready to bust down the door if not opened quickly. To our team''s disappointment, a maid opened the door and stood back to let us in as I shed my badge at her. ''Master is in his office,'' she whispered and pointed in the direction we should go. With speed, we headed to the room and entered; he was knee-deep in paperwork and looked up in surprise when we entered.

    ''What the hell are you doing in my house?'' He stood up, dressed in his nightclothes; I almostughed when I saw his cartoon pajamas.

    ''Peter, would you mind doing the honors. I said and moved to stand beside him so he would not flee, and Peter went to the other side, reading his rights and pulling out handcuffs.

    ''Please turn around, sir.'' He did, but not without speaking profanities at us as he did, and gave me a nasty re as he was escorted out of the room, still protesting as he went.

    I looked down at the paperwork on his desk and chuckled; it was an appeal for the judge to get him out of jail. Well, that won''t see the light of day. I bet he has others here who will benefit our cause to clean up our streets.

    ''Guys, I want everything in this office in the van and back in the wedding office by morning. When you are done with this room, find the wife, get her to open the safe, scout around the rest of the house, wake them all up, and get this ce searched. I left the room and climbed into the car. I needed to know how the rest of the arrests were going, and we had the person we came for; I do not think the rest of the household even woke up yet and are about to get a rude awakening.

    In the car, I opened up myptop and checked the results. We had all the big fish in handcuffs and the smaller ones being rounded up; the cells will be full tonight. I phoned Bob.

    ''Yep, Bob answered with a chirpy voice. He did not expect any issues. He had to stay away from all of this, and now that Wendy and Cynthia are gone, it means he is extra careful that fingers are not pointed at him. ''Top in silver, rest being gathered.'' I said and hung up.

    The next stop was bed. I had done my part for now; these guys will get the people booked and snuggled in a nice cell, and tomorrow, I will review the paperwork we just got from the mansion. Hisputer,ptop, and phone will go to my IT guys; I have his phone for now and am hoping it will ring as others are arrested.

    Hopefully, we will have more to y with by the end of the day. It is the weekend, and I had no intention of doing the hard work till Monday, and those we have just arrested will have to spend the weekend in jail. I had his phone in my hand, looking at it to see if it was locked, and it started to ring. I left it to voice mail and listened to the messages; the stupid ****t did not put a password on his phone. He thought he would never be caught and no one would dare take his cell phone; he was the stupid man for a high-levelwyer.

    The calls were from men and women who had been arrested, asking him toe to the jail as soon as he could and get them out of there. Who would he call? I chuckled and was happy when I was dropped off at my home at two thirty in the morning.

 Chapter 123

    Bethany POV

    The sight of Mum''s body was hard; although she was severely beaten, her face had been shed too. Mother had gone through a hard time, but by the look of her injuries, the pain would have been short-lived. Where Cynthia was a slower beating, as if Mother was a frenzied attack, Cynthia was more calcted. Each s***h, each hit, was more controlled, which made me think the same person did not just do this; perhaps thedy Dad spoke of that had been hard done by was in the room and had attacked Cynthia. I hope there is some footage to determine if I am right because if this is by one of thosedies, they need medical help or therapy.

    Neither had makeup on, making both look old. I do not remember ever seeing Mother or Cynthia without makeup before; they looked very different; aside from the bruising and cuts, not much else looked like either. I might not have thought it was them if you had not told me who they were. Even their hair had been hacked off, and it was an attempt to erase all signs of who they were.

    Today is Sunday, and we were going to meet at Thomas''s home for sports day. I was looking forward to seeing baby Bob again and holding him. He is such a cutie, and Thomas will make a great dad. Though I wonder if the cases going on would put them in danger, I must ask Dad if we can get Scott to send bodyguards to him, too.

    ''Sweetheart, are you ready to go?'' Theo called out. We found some more books mixed in with mine and in other boxes that were Grandma''s, but I took them to stop Mum from throwing them away; we are taking them with us. I refused to read these, not after how bad the one I did read brought back many memories, and they were all bad; I agree with Hank: let nature take its course and not rush to remember. However, I will hear more about my mother''s and sister''s wrongdoings as the court cases hit the news, and I have to be prepared to listen to the worst kind of news and hopefully not be judged by their wrongdoings.

    We arrive at Thomas''s ce a few hourster, Theo and I singing to his ylist. His voice is good, and we harmonize, which is all right to my ears.

    ''Hi, big bro. How''s being a dad going?'' I asked as I gave him a side hug. He went to take the box of books off of me, but I shook my head no.

    ''Being a dad is the best feeling. That little guy is going to be one spoilt child. He gloats with a huge grin.

    ''Theo has your gift. The box is for Dad to go through. I think we might need a private ce when he does. I said. He nodded and turned to Theo as I continued to the lounge, where Thomas had set up the room for the sports day. He had done a fantastic job decorating the ce in our team''s colors. Dad was sitting on a chair next to a small table, his papers of the teams in front of him. He looked up at me, calling his name.

    ''Dad, I found more books and something else I do not want to touch! I ced the box, carefully removed the cloth-covered item, and unrolled it. There, now unveiled, was a shiny gun; Dad went to take it.

    ''Careful, it is loaded. He nodded and used the cloth to pick it up and inspect it. He was rewrapping it and putting it in his case, away from sight, before the others came into the room.

    ''Where exactly did you find it?'' Dad asked as he started to pick up a book to read. He gasped as he did.

    ''I found the gun in a box of old Christmas decorations. Mum had intended to throw them out, but I stopped her and took them myself, thinking some of Grandma''s trinkets might be in there, but I never got around to going through that box till now; I wanted to stay busy and clean out old things, you know! I was sad; this was supposed to be a happy memory box, and that gun was not what I had found and thest thing I had ever expected to find in that box.

    ''Thomas, can we use your office for a little while?'' Dad asked as Thomas walked in with Theo. He looked down at the box and me and nodded. I picked up the box, and Dad picked up his case, and together, we headed to Thomas''s office. Dad closed the door and sat on a chair, rubbed his hands through his hair, and sighed.

    ''You will not like what you are about to hear. Are you ready for this?'' he asked, looking up at me with sadness.

    ''I got to hear it sooner orter. Where better than here, where I have family who love me and Theo?'' I said and sat waiting to hear what Dad had to say. Instead of talking to me, he dialed a number on the phone and put it on speaker.

    ''Old man, today was thest day I expected to hear from you; I thought you were having sports day today?'' Jacko''s booming voice came through the speakers.

    Jacko, I am at Thomas''s home, about to start our sports day. Would you care to join us?'' he asked pleasantly.

    ''Not today. Thanks to you and Bethany, you have given me enough to work with, and I do not have time to socialize. How is she taking all of this?'' Dad looked at me and nodded.

    ''You are on speaker, Uncle Jacko; I am doing as well as expected under the circumstances. I replied, trying to hide the worry in my voice.

    ''Hello, sweetie. This is not a social call, is it?'' Jacko said, picking up on my stressed voice.

    ''No, are you safe?'' Dad asked, and that was a code for something.

    ''Let me change rooms. the phone went quiet for a while.

    ''Dad, what?''

    ''It is a room he has made with a special block out. Listening devices don''t work there; he must be at home!''

    ''Talk to me, and I am all ears. Jacko had his serious voice on, and I waited for Dad to talk.

    ''Bethany found more books and a loaded gun. Dad started but got interrupted.

    ''Say no more. I am on my way; give me three hours, and I will be there. Jacko said quickly, and I could hear him doing something in the background. ''You will arrive after the game. Dad said,ughing at him, and I wondered if that was another code.

    ''Can''t be helped, can I bring Pam with me? She will bag and tag the evidence, keeping us out of that side of it as much as we can. Keep it tidy!

    ''Yes, that sounds good!'' Jacko hung up, and we left everything in the office.

    ''Thomas, I have taken over your office; I have sensitive information; please, no one in there.;

    ''Here is the key. Could you lock it and do what you need to do?'' Dad took the key and headed back down the hall.

    ''We have Pam and Jackoing, and they will be here in a few hours! I say as I give him a better hug and head off to find Judy and my nephew. Theo was in the lounge watching the pregame stuff; I needed a coffee and to see Mini Bob before I watched the game. ''Hi Judy, you are doing well. These guys must be looking after you well. I say as Judy turns to hug me.

    ''They are the best; the baby is asleep now; they should wake around when the game ends. Judy reassures me.

    ''Okay, I can wait; oh, by the way, we have two more guestsing in a few hours; I just thought I''d give you the heads up, and they are both into sports. Judyughed, and I assisted her in taking food and drink out to the lounge. I sat to watch the game and nervously waited for Jacko and Pam to arrive.

 Chapter 124

    Bob POV

    The game was good, and I tried to enjoy it as much as I would normally do, trying to act as normal as possible. However, the looks I was getting from Bethany told me I was not doing a good job hiding my burning desire to be in the other room, devouring the contents of that mysterious thumb drive. What Bethany may not have seen at the time we had unwrapped the gun was a thumb drive in the wrapping that surrounded the weapon. The curiosity was eating me alive.

    The baby, oblivious to our excitement, slept soundly through all our cheering and shouting at the screen; the profanities were gone, all mindful of a child in the house. It was an unwritten rule, a testament to our respect for innocence, not to swear near children of any age.

    Jacko''s car arrived shortly after the game. Our team lost, but it was so close, and we did have key yers out. Being off-season, the coaches gave some new blood a chance to shine, which some did, and some needed more training. Thomas let him in, handshakes and congrattions were given, and Pam gave Judy a box of things for Judy. The room was filled with a deep sense of camaraderie and the joy of the reunion, making the loss of the game seem trivial inparison.

    ''These are for you; we all tend to bring stuff for the baby and forget the mother; you deserve a pamper, too! Judy squealed with delight and disappeared with the box in hand from the room.

    Pam and Jacko went around the room with idol chatter till I could stand it no longer.

    ''Come on, let''s get to the office before the next game starts, and I have trouble leaving the room.'' Bethany was beside me instantly after giving Theo a quick kiss and leaving the guys in the lounge to watch the next game. Jacko was whispering to Bethany, and Pam was at my side. It seems that some sentences in this chapter require you to read theplete chapters on Job ni b in order to avoid an iplete reading experience. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it, a gentle reminder that she was there if I needed her. I unlocked the door and stood to the side to let the others in before closing the door and locking it again, not that I did not trust the others to stay out. Thomas knows I would like him to keep anyone out, but Judy has yet to be around police officers like this before. She maye to offer refreshments and break our concentration or walk in on sensitive conversation.

    Pam and Jacko stood by the table, looking down at the books. I lifted my case, brought the blue-clothed item out, and handed it to Jacko, now wearing gloves. Even Bethany had gloves on now, and I wondered if she had been careful not to handle the gun with her bare hands. She has been around me enough to know to be cautious, but under some circumstances, the thought of putting on gloves is not always the first thing on your mind.

    ''Bethany, would you like to exin thistest collection! I asked, giving her the chance to exin without me giving them the version as I understood it to be.

    When I was leaving home, my mother thought it was an excellent time to clear the attic and the storage room. She said there was too much clutter, so I had many boxes. I could not part with things Grandma had made with her own hands. The gun was in with the Christmas decorations, and the other books were mixed amongst other books, some of which, as you can see, had false covers on them. I had just now bothered with most of these boxes when Theo suggested we do up the spare room for guests. I am now going through all my books to make sure they are what the cover says they are. I know that the gun was not in that box when I took it from Mother''s ce, and neither were these books; I think over time when Cynthia had visited the house, she had brought them over with her and hid them with my things. I had wondered why she was so desperate to locate where I was living now; I felt it was more than to annoy me.'' Bethany was looking at the thumb drive that fell out of the bundle; I had deliberately left it in there, with the off chance what just happened would happen.

    Jacko took it from Bethany and slipped it into a zip lock bag, and Pam tagged it as evidence. Bethany wanted to open it and see what was on it, but I was d Jacko would not let her. Pam took each book, one at a time, wrote something on her tablet, and then bagged the book, not bothering to flip through them. I picked up a book that looked different from the rest before Pam could tag it and flipped through it; it was in some code.

    Jacko, we might need someone to interpret these in some code,'' I said as I ced the book on the table open for all to see. What surprised me was that Bethany picked it up and started reading it as if it were not in gibberish.

    ''On January second, neen-ny-four, Mum and I went to Mr. Henderson''s home and stayed the night. I was only thirteen at the time, and I was not happy with one of the men; he kept putting his hand on my bottom and squeezing it. I felt dirty. That night, he snuck into my room while I was sleeping and took my innocence with force. That was the day my life changed, and I needed revenge on that man. That man was Mr. Henderson; he was married to Helena, one of the motherdies who often go on holidays together. I told Mother the next day, and sheughed. ''Wee to adulthood. Now we can start using you, too.'' I was initiated into my mother''s little group, going on the holidays with her, and became her pawn. I hated Bethany after that day that she got to keep her innocence while I had to learn to cope with being manhandled whenever my mother needed me to be.

    ''Stop. I need you toe with me to the station, and you can read it out loud into a recording. Bethany put the book down while I sat stunned. I had no idea. I had a murderer out there, and I was at a crime scene. I had no idea Wendy had taken Cynthia with her and left Bethany at home with Thomas. I often came home to find just the two of them home alone after that night, and I wondered what had changed. It annoyed me and usually led to arguments I knew I would never win.

    ''Sure, when would you like me to be there?''

    ''Now? Can you forgo your sports day?'' Pam urged.

    ''Sure, I will let Theo know so he can stay here or head home. I can always watch the reyster.'' Bethany was understanding. She had always been the one to give up something she enjoyed to help others. Pam tagged and bagged the rest, and we headed out the door. I heard Bethany telling Theo he was going with Jacko to help with their inquiries. Theo kissed her, murmured something in her ear, said her goodbyes, and headed out the door. She was a little ufortable in the vehicle''s back seat. She looked out the window at me as if pleading toe with them, but I had to stay out of this.

    Reluctantly, I returned inside and sat with the family, watching the game. Yet if you asked meter who won, I would not be able to tell you; my mind was with Bethany and the book she was about to read. It could have been a better book, and I wondered if Bethany was up to the challenge. She still had small gaps in her memory; would this trigger her over the top? I will have to contact Hank for advice on this.

 Chapter 125

    Bethany

    POV

    When I started to read the book or Cynthia''s journal, I felt a chill run down my spine. It was like she wanted me to be the one to find it or at least read it; we had made up this code when we were young before things changed, and now it seems I am going to find out why. Being the police officers they are, Jacko and Pam stopping me from reading further was frustrating, but I understood. Why read aloud now, only to re-read itter? They will need to know what is in the book and have it documented. The judge has much to answer for. Taking my sister''s innocence and thenter our mother''s not caring was almost worse than the awful event itself. It was not like she woulde to me for support. I guess she was worried no one would believe her, and with Motherughing it up, maybe she thought no one would care.

    Theo said to call him If I needed him, and he would have Dad drop him off at home. I could tell he did not like me leaving and had no idea why I was, only that I was needed at the station and had to go now.

    Being in the backseat was a nerve-wracking experience; I felt exposed and kept my eyes peeled for any vehicle that came too close, or at each intersection, I would tense up. I attributed part of my unease to Jacko constantly ncing in the mirror, and I was unsure if it was to check on me or monitor for any potential followers. My fear of a rear-end collision intensified each time he looked back, or maybe it was not that often; it just felt that way. When the police station finally came into view, I let out a long, relieved breath; it had been a harrowing journey, and listening to those two discussing the case as if I was not in the vehicle was unsettling. I did not feel the need to know all about it, and it pained me to hear some of the things those two women had done.

    I followed Jacko and Pam through the hallway and past a group of officers; they watched us pass, nodding to Pam and Jacko as they passed by. I got some strange looks, but nothing I could not handle. I was used to odd looks from people, first because I was too young to be a doctor or in school, disbelief that I was Cynthia''s twin, as I was nothing like her. I shrugged it off and continued, saying that I did not have time to carry other people''s baggage and that judging people was unnecessary baggage. The room they took me to was full of information on what had been titled the wedding group; I had a little knowledge of this, as I had talked to Dad as he unloaded his thoughts one day after we were both away from that woman''s clutches. ''Sit here, please. Pam directed me to a table, and I sat and waited.

    ''Listen up, folks. We have more surprises in store. This youngdy is Bethany, and she is responsible for a lot of thetest information and the arrest of the top brass. Pam shouted out, and I got a round of apuse.

    ''We have another box for you to catalogue into the system, and Joey, I have a gun for you to take to get checked out. Do not let it out of your sight; stay with them until it has been processed, and Mac a thumb drive to be transferred to our main group server; use the blueputer. Also, Bethany will trante a book we have here; it is in the same code as the book Jan had the other day. We can get Bethany to trante it after this one if you can grab it. We are going into the quiet room so she can read and record it aloud. Do you have any questions?'' Jacko looked around the room, and though some looked like they wanted to ask something, none did.

    ''Okay, get busy; I want all this done today, so I called you all in on a Sunday, Pam shouted, and I realized she was higher up the tree than I thought. The room suddenly got busy. Pam took a book and sat at arge table, starting to read, entering things into theputer. It was like synchronized chaos, and I loved it.

    Pam led me to another room, which was part of this area. Through the ss window, you could see the others in the room. This helped keep me calm. I was worried I was going to be in an interrogation room, and I was not looking forward to that. I sat where Pam indicated, and then she pushed a button.

    ''Attending is Senior Detective Pamelia, and with me is Doctor Bethany Peterson. She is going to trante the book we have in code. We are calling it Book Exhibit Two Hundred and Four. Bethany, in your own time, read the booklet as best you can; we can pause if it gets too difficult and you need a break. I started with the part I had read already and was more prepared for what I was reading. Saying it out loud made it more urate and honest. My heart would beat out of my chest as I read the passage.

    ''Eleventh of March neen-ny-four, Mother had arranged a little get-together, Mr. Henderson wanted another go at me, and Mum arranged for me to be in his room, at the motel, while a pretend wedding was happening downstairs. This was the second time, and ording to my mother, she would arrange my time with him each time he asked. I am trying to understand why I am the one to be used like this. Mother taught me the trade tricks, such as dress and make-up, to lure the men. She said she had big ns for me! I took a drink of water and looked at the book again.

    ''On July seventeenth, neen-ny-seven, not long after my sixteenth birthday, Mum took me to Vegas, and I met up with a group of people. One man took a shine to me, and before I knew it, Mum had me married off to him. I was now Cynthia Gilbright; he was a foreigner and needed to get married to be able to travel more easily. I hated him right from the moment I set eyes on him. Mumughed at all myints, and after three days of being his wife, he left for his own country, and I was now a married woman with no husband around. I took that as my chance to be essible for as long as possible and enjoy myself. I had money, and he gave me a card to spend when I needed something. I needed everything, and he would regret marrying me!

    ''How wrong was I, within six months, he was back, and I had my first beating; he broke my arm, and I was in bed for a week getting over it; he put a gun to my face and said to be more mindful, or I will find a bullet next time. I changed after that; I bought a gun from the ck market and started to learn to shoot. In December of that year, I killed my first man. He was on the contract list, and I was only too happy to give it a go; the rewards were good, and I soon found another way to make money.

    ''After school graduation, I went with a group to Vegas, and I saw the man mum used for the wedding and had our little group get married; I married Bret because he was all over me and could not get enough. I loved him in my way, and he did not pressure me to be anyone other than myself. Gran left me a house and money, and soon I was spending it. I renovated the house, getting rid of any sign of Gran in it; she was old and smelly, and I needed to refresh the whole house. I employed a maid and gardener because I couldn''t be bothered by them either.''

    ''August, I managed to convince Bret to chase and marry Bethany. She has had it easy, getting everything thatnded on her te. She had not had the beatings I had every time my so-called husband came to town. I hated him, and I wanted a divorce, but Mum said I should learn how to use marriage, and soon, I was learning about fraud, moneyundering, and other crafts from my husband, and things looked up for a while.

    My husband stopped the beatings now I was of use to him, but little did he know I was nning to kill both him and the now Judge Henderson. Even my mother was on my list of people to kill, and I would if I got the opportunity to do so. It was a joke; Mum was pretending to be married to Dad. I know she is not really married to him; she had a fake marriage like I did with Bret and would have him do the same with Bethany. What makes her marriage funny is Dad is a cop and does not see all the corruption in his own house; it is a joke that both Mum and I chuckle about when we are on good terms, and that is usually when things are going right for her!''

 Chapter 126

    Bethany

    POV

    ''Take a break and have some dinner. It is gettingte. Jacko said, and after Pam had paused the recording, I was nearly in tears. Cynthia had a horrible time. No child should have to go through that. Mother was an evil woman to do that to Cynthia. A person who you should trust is betraying and encouraging wrongdoings, and I thought they were both bad, but my heart broke for a child who could not escape the clutches of a possessed woman. But Cynthia turned into a bitter woman, too. You will be the same when you are used to being like she was. ''How are you doing, Bethany?'' Pam asked, her warm hand gently resting on my arm. I looked into her eyes, pools of pure kindness, and felt a wave offort. If I had seen pity or sympathy, I would have most likely cried, but as it was, I just nodded at her and took a burger and water. I sat away from the paperwork on the table and started eating; the burger had no taste; it smelled good, but that was it. I could not bring myself to eat the chips and only managed half the burger; my stomach felt like twisted knots, and getting food down was proving too hard.

    ''If it gets too much, we can stop for the day and return tomorrow. Jacko suggested kindly, watching me struggle to eat. ''The office was informed to do it all today, so I will work aste as needed. Robson has the patient I was going to operate on on hold; her temperature has risen, and we cannot risk operating if she ising down with a bug. So I can stayte. Dad will take Theo home tomorrow, as we nned to stay the night. It will be good for Dad and Theo to spend time with Thomas and his little growing family! After I had pushed the te aside, I picked up the book, and Pam turned the recorder back on. It was like reading a horror story, not my sister''s real life. Some seemed so fanciful and hard to believe, but I doubt Cynthia was writing down many lies. ''I had now killed twenty people, and I was getting the taste of it; every one of them so far has been on the contract list, and my husband praised me for my ingenuity in killing them and so far not getting caught. He said he might have a use for me after all, and it is incredible how nice it is to get praise, even a little bit, which makes most of the hurt go away!

    ''This book was the start of my freedom. The other books I had hidden in thest ce she would start looking for and that was among Bethany''s things. Mother would never have thought of looking there, and now I have some bargaining power, or so I thought. I carefully copied some, so I would still have a copy if she found them. The next thing I know, I am being hauled out of bed and down to the basement, where the Judge, Peter, and Bet are all standing looking at me with venom in their eyes! ''Where are the books, Cynthia?'' Mother pped me across the face, and then the men had a turn to hit me; my eyes were ck and blue, blood was pouring out of my nose and mouth, and my head was spinning. I could not answer them even if I wanted to. I was watched for months after that, and the man on my tail got to see me kill five other men, and I did not care. I was on the warpath; these men were annoyed I had them by the balls and would not let go; they could not risk. Things were on the up. ''Bethany and Bret were married; she is so gullible; I have been bedding him regrly, making sure not to be around him when my husband was in town; I am sure he had people following me. Part of why I needed him married off was that I did not want another beating or a bullet in the head. It amazes me how easy it is to get away with things under their noses. I wanted to hurt Bethany because she was not hurting like me, and I felt wronged by Mum and her ability to make me into what I was bing and my life in so many ways; why could it not have been her that that prick liked and not me? One small slip-up and I was married off. I should have kept my mouth shut. I should not have threatened to tell Dad about her scams. She said if I were not of use to her anymore, she would be the one to put the bullet in my head and not Peter, my husband. I cleaned out the basement, looking for somewhere to hide my stuff; when I found Mother''s books on the ounts offshore and copied them all, I would have all her money soon. Bethany, the cow, was home when I took Bret to the lounge floor, and she spoiled my fun; I had been spending her money like water. Bret gave me the card, so I could use it as I needed to. We had a great time at the pretend wedding, and we made a killing. I was in a perfect mood until the card did not work, and suddenly, we were stuck with a huge bill. Well, I was not going to pay for it. Why should I? My money was mine. I earned it.''

    ''What scared me was when she moved away, she took all her books and my gun, which I had hidden in the Christmas stuff that was Gran''s. I had to find out where she had gone; the hospital would not tell me where she was going, and all my searches failed to locate her. I made Bret''s life miserable when he moved in with me, and then Mother moved in, too; I did not want either of them living in my house, but at least with Mother in the house, Peter did not suspect anything was happening between me and Bret. He was in the guest room, and we kept our distance. We found her, but I could not get to her home to find the books; things were falling apart, so Peter and the Judge came up with a traffic ident. But the cow lived, and the guy who pulled her out hit her because she was awake, and he did not want her to know where we were taking her. Peter and the Judge went to the tunnel where she was being held, and all of us had a turn hitting her; why was she still alive? I had no idea; she should have died in the vehicle, and now she is still not dead. I needed to get into her penthouse suite, but the word was that Theo was living there with her; she did not keep her legs closed for long. I always thought she was unfaithful; it is in the blood, like mother, like daughter, and would you say?'' ''Somehow, Bethany got out of the cave. I have no idea how, and I can''t find where she is gone now. They are putting pressure on me to find her. None of the hospitals recorded her with them. Or an unidentified woman, Peter, and the Judge are going mental. I had to find her, or they would kill me!

    ''That is where the book ends. Cynthia did not have time to add any more, and the time frames were all over the ce!'' ''What do those numbers in different colors mean?'' Pam asked as she pointed to the side of the page that had the number six in red. ''That is the book number; this one is book one, the book two was the killings, book three, the money ounts, and so on. ''Wow, okay, decode this book, please! Jacko said.

    ''Wait, here, have a coffee and a muffin; you need a break; we can start the next book shortly. You have done a lot already, and it is nearly midnight; take a break, please!'' Pam urged, looking at Jacko as if daring him to argue with her.

    ''It is fine. It''s best to get it all over in one go, I said, pulling the book to me and flipping it open to the first page.

 Chapter 127

    Jacko POV

    Listening to Bethany read what is in that journal has my stomach turning; we had all judged that girl as the same as her mother, yet here she is shown to have been dragged into it and has found it hard to survive. We have so much information now that if any of those manage to get out of jail after this, I need to hand in my badge; we have done all we can to ensure it all sticks. That sick Judge has my anger rising and higher, and we have the Gutter Boys leader; he won''t be escaping this time, marrying Cynthia so he can easily travel between countries. She was still considered a minor, only sixteen. Indeed, there is a rule somewhere about marrying a minor. Or does that get canceled out by the mother''s agreement? There is no way Bob would have allowed it.

    Bob will be shocked when he hears about everything happening under his nose. I know he did a lot of work and overtime trying to keep the peace with Wendy, but after hearing this, he would never have found the peace he sought. He will be embarrassed that all that happened under his watch. I remember him saying his wife was always away with girlfriends, living the high life since she gained all that money from her mother''s death. She grumbled that the kids each got a home and money; she thought the whole lot should have been hers.

    ''This book is dates, times, how and where she had killed someone, the payment she received, and who she was paid by. Bethany''s voice took me out of my muses, and I looked at the book with new interest.

    ''Talk to me, exin the color coding.'' Pam asked as she moved to hover over Bethany and pointed to the different markings on the journal and the book.

    ''This P would be Peter, the J being the Judge?'' Pam asked, and I had thought the same question. Now that we had names and identifying cues to look at, the book was starting to make more sense. Pam had turned off the recording, as this book was not a journal but a log book. It seems that some sentences in this chapter require you to read theplete chapters on Jo b n i b in order to avoid an iplete reading experience. We headed out of the room and went to a new whiteboard, and Pam added the color coding, numbers, and names beside the letters. The room of people still there working on the books looked at the whiteboard, and understanding started to show on their faces; everyone was suddenly talking at once, trying to tell us what they had found faster than Pam could write it on the board. Everyone was excited about this new piece of the puzzle. ''Let''s call it a night. It is two am, and I need my bed. Pam called. We managed to do almost everything we had nned, and I emailed the prosecutor, informing him we had more information that he should see and toe by my office tomorrow after ten; I needed to get a few hours of sleep before I saw him.

    ''Pam offered to take Bethany home, and I crawled back home for some much-needed sleep; I did not even get out of my clothes; I pulled my shoes off and fell on the bed, and sleep found me almost immediately.

    My phone woke me up a little after nine. I grabbed it from the floor where it had fallen and groggily answered it. ''Hello.'' I was struggling to wake up. I had not had enough sleep over the past week, and it was catching up with me. ''They have taken Bethany!'' Pam''s upset voice was on the other end of the phone.

    ''Who took her?'' I was up now and walking to the bathroom to wash my face and void my dder.

    ''I left her at the door of the building, and as I was turning around, I saw two men fighting with her, trying to get her into a van. A third man jumped out and helped push her in, but they took off before I could reach her. I followed for a while but lost them near the warehousing part of town. ''Did you radio it in?''

    ''Yes, and gave the rego number. We have an eye in the sky, and I hear that Bob is on his way over and is fuming; it will take him a couple of hours to get here. I hope we get some answers by the time he gets here.

    ''I thought we had everyone in jail; who is left? We had to have missed someone. I am racking my brain to think who we missed, and the only person I can think of is Bret; he was released from jail, and the judge gave him leniency for assisting us with our inquiry. Was he deeper in this than we thought? Nothing so far in Cynthia''s journal says otherwise.

    ''Where are you?'' I asked as I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.

    ''At the precinct, organizing arger search pattern.

    ''Try the back warehouse on the new main street. I suggested as I drove my vehicle out of the underground car park.

    ''On it.'' Pam typed away on something, but I had another thought.

    ''Call Bob; he might have a new tracking device on her, and where are Scott''s men?''

    ''I sent Scott''s men away; I said I could get her home safely.'' She barked back, and I had a brief moment where I did not trust her, but then I brushed that aside. If she were in on this, I would have found some evidence of liking her by now.

    ''I will call Bob; this is on me; I will take his wrath. Pam hung up, and I continued down the highway, heading to the office. My stomach was growling, reminding me I needed to eat something or at least get a drink. I pulled into a drive-through and ordered a burger and coffee, and I was on my way again. It was not worth getting to work hungry and growling at everyone; I needed my A-game head-on.

    Everyone ducked their heads as I came marching through the office; word was already out that we lost an important person in this case while under the protection of one of our own. Pam will not hear the end of this for a long time toe. I could not afford to lose my s**t right at that moment. I headed to themunications room and walked in. Heads turned to look to see who stepped in and then returned to their screens.

    ''Talk, someone, fill me in,'' I went to the room in general, wondering who did it. Could you give me answers now? ''Bethany was taken outside her penthouse building at three this morning. We have footage of the men involved, and we can track her to other parts of the city, but our cameras are fewer out there; we lost her around here. A young officer pointed to a spot on therge overhear map.

    ''This traffic camera picked them up going south, but none of the other cameras have sighted them, so they must be somewhere in that area.

    ''Not necessarily. There is an old underground sewer system in that area; they could have gone to ground, I replied. After the tunnel situation, I studied all the tunnel systems around the ce, refreshing my memory.

    ''You are right, sir, but surely we would have seen the van in the streets by the helicopter? We had it there fast!

    ''Pull up grid section thirty-nine and enhance! I lowered my voice, gaining more attention than I had raised it.

    I watched the screen, looked at the enhanced imagery, had the tunnel oveid to see where any intersected, and got lucky. ''There! I pointed to the screen, and the man on the radio gave directions to where I had shown him. It was a long shot, but it was the best I coulde up with on short notice. ''Bob should arrive at any moment; he ising by chopper. '' Pam''s voice came over the speakers, and I cursed softly. I wanted to have some positive news before he arrived.

 Chapter 128

    Pam POV

    It had been a long day, first going to Thomas''s house and now this. It was good to see Bob, even if it was just for work and all business. He looked good in his sportswear and seemed rxed until we reached the office, where the gun was produced, instantly changing everything. Who owned the gun?

    Has it been used?

    My mind went crazy with questions, and I looked at Bethany and then Bob, but neither was giving anything away.

    The atmosphere was charged with emotion as Bethany read the journal out loud. She is the only one who can decipher it, and I empathized with Bob''s predicament. I desperately wanted Bob toe with us and help sort this out, but I understood he was already too close by association, being his ex-wife and daughter.

    As we heard the journal being read, Bethany''s voice was slow and steady, and it was as if Bethany had removed herself from reading it, being her sister''s journal, to be any other sort of book. If it were me, I would have had difficulty not letting my emotions take

    over.

    That poor girl, as a child, had nowhere to turn to. Why not turn to Bob? I have no idea; maybe Wendy had threatened her or something. Nheless, Bob is going to me himself for the things that happened to Cynthia as a child, and when he learns what drove her to be the bitter, twisted killer she had be and that she was a cold-blooded murderer.

    I called it a night. It waste, and we were all tired. I volunteered to drive Bethany home. Her bodyguards had been sent home hours ago, and I saw no reason to have them sitting outside the police station. We have enough police around to protect her. ''Do you want something to eat? I can do a drive-through if you are hungry! I offered Bethany as we buckled up in the car. ''Just my bed, if you don''t mind.'' She looked and sounded exhausted. It did not take long to reach her building, and she climbed out and turned back to me before closing the door. ''Do you need me to read some more?''

    ''Yeah, I wille and get youter.'' She nodded and closed the door; I waited till she reached the doors of her building before taking off. Something made me look in my mirror at her building, and I nearly froze. Arge van had pulled up to the front, and the men had hit the security guard, knocking him to the ground, while the other was trying to drag a fighting Bethany back to the van. I did a U-turn and raced back, but I was toote. By the time I was around and drove to the building, they had her in the van, and I nearly had an ident, turning to follow them.

    ''Dispatch, code red, code red.'' I called out.

    ''Talk. What is the red?'' The calm voice spoke back over the speaker.

    ''Victim, been kidnapped outside her building, ck van, registration number cked out, heading south along Battle Street. Get your eyes in the sky and back up. Link to traffic cameras. Let''s get these guys! I drove after the van for nearly twenty minutes but got cut off when I tried to go through a red light; even with my lights and sirens on, some people were still oblivious to what was happening around them.

    ''Dispatch, Did you see where they went?'' I asked the person in dispatch.

    ''We have them as they go through controlled intersections.

    ''On my way back to you, I need to broaden the area so they cannot escape,'' I said, rushing back to the precinct and bursting into themunications room.

    ''Are you still on them?'' I blurted out as I entered the room.

    ''They are somewhere in the warehousing district.''

    ''I will call Jacko and most likely Bob. I leave the main room and go into my private area; I can control and see everything from here. I picked up the phone and called Jacko first. I had my headphones on so I could use my hands and type away, bringing up more cameras to hunt them down; we had ess to many cameras, but few in that area. Jacko was not impressed, and I expected to get a dressing down when they could. Now, the more brutal call. A groggy Bob answered the phone, his voice husky from sleep, and under any other circumstances, I would have found hearing that voice sexy.

    ''Hello.''

    ''Bob. They took her, Bob, right from under my nose; I am so sorry, I have failed you and her.'' I almost sobbed. ''What? Who?'' I heard the covers pull off and rustling, and I assumed he was getting dressed. ''Bethany. I told him what happened, and after he calmed down, he ordered me to send him a chopper.

    Things got a little crazy for a while; when Jacko arrived in the precinct, he was like a raging bull, barking out orders as he went. He gave me an angry look through the ss but did note to the office, opting to go to the main screen and start a grid search of his

    own.

    Soon, he had men converging on an area he thought they were, and the chopper overhead had his beam of light on the area, searching; there was no sign of the van; it was well hidden.

    ''I am going out there! Jacko picked up his keys and left the room. I understood his need to be at ground zero. He was that sort of man. I am better at doing camera and sensor searches in the office, which I am good at. It took some doing, but I found a warehouse with a camera that saw the van go by.

    ''Van seen near Bluey''s warehouse, driving south-east.'' I told the dispatch and Jacko, and I am sure Bob was listening too. I looked at the grid at the ce where the warehouse was and followed the line of the street. I knew of another building where I could log into their security camera and pull it up; there was no sign of the vaning down the street; it had to be in one of those four warehouses.

    ''Vanst seen between Bluey''s and Lacy''s. It has not left that block. I felt they had hidden the van in one of the warehouses.

    It was in the area that Jacko had pointed out and was headed to.

    Bob stayed in the chopper and joined the eyes in the sky, lighting up arger area for the searchers; they were checking the four warehouses and for any way to get into the sewer tunnels that ran under that part of the area. I could hear him giving the pilot. Instructions. From the view on the screen, he was as good, if not better, than Jacko, and that is saying something, considering he has yet to learn about our city and some of the ces criminals like to lurk.

    ''Found the van. I can see it in the loading dock. Jacko''s angry voice came over the speaker, and I noted where the van was found and where the tunnels were.

    ''There should be an opening to the sewer system at the back of that warehouse. I wonder if it is on their property or just behind the fencing. I spoke about the sewer opening as if we were still going with that being their destination. I had hoped that it was essible and that we wouldn''t have to call the building''s owners to get permission to enter it; I doubt they would give it, and we would need to get the judge out of bed.

    Then I heard a voice I did not expect to hear over a police radio.

    ''Bob, I know where they are taking her if they have gone into the sewers. Theo was on the chopper with Bob; I should have known they would have him on board. I could hear him but not make out what he was saying.

    ''Send a group to the old quarry; if they are on foot, it will take them at least an hour to get there. Bob ordered, and several radios answered.

    ''Copy!''

    I could not work out who had taken her. We had all the heads in jail, awaiting trial, and I didn''t think they could me all this on Bethany. This is more personal than the people we have jailed; only the first lot of people that were involved in the ident and k********g would ce her in danger, and I doubt now that they are convicted that they would bother doing something to her now; they would wait till they got out of jail. Most of those who we have in prison would want to see her suffer, not hear about itter. Could this be the start of the vengeance against the sister? But that makes no sense either, as the media knows little about the details of the arrests so far. I was at a loss as to who was behind all of this.

 Chapter 129

    Bethany

    POV

    Reading the journals almost made me cry; I had to pretend I was reading a book instead of something else rather than something Cynthia had written about her life. It answered so many questions about why Cynthia changed so much around that time. Mother med it on her bing a woman, and I naturally assumed it was the monthly bleed. Reading this helped me understand that I was the one with a safe life, and Dad told me about Cynthia not being his child. If Cynthia knew this, then she would hate me even more because I had my father''s love, and we were close and only got closer as I shared the love of sports with him and Thomas. Looking back, she was a sort of outcast, never wanting to join in, and often went on holidays with Mother when she never wanted either Thomas or I to join her on those trips. I was never jealous of this, as her holiday coincided with an important sports event. I think Mother had done this deliberately to stop Dad from going, too. Mind you, Dad rarely went on holiday trips. We had a holiday home we went to each year and spent a few weeks there, but that was the extent of any family holiday time.

    Cynthia became increasingly obsessed with make-up and spa trips with our mother. I had thought they were close, like Dad and me, but I could not have been more wrong. Each trip was more like another dagger in Cynthia''s heart as our mother pimped her out to her men friends. None of us knew anything about it. Cynthia became mboyant and made out she was better than me. She flirted with all the boys at school, and I had heard she was good behind the stands if you wanted a good time. I am d now that I never judged her or argued with her about how she treated me or how free she was with her body at school. I never thought much of that. I wanted the sister I had before she changed, and I hoped that she would one day find her way back. Now I see that she had no way to make it back.

    I wondered why she did not approach Dad, but if this happened around our thirteenth birthday, Dad was away on a murder case and did note home very much for about three months. I thought the chance to talk to him was gone when Dad came home at night or early in the morning. It seems that some sentences in this chapter require you to read theplete chapters on Job ni b in order to avoid an iplete reading experience. Even on our sports days, he was not there, and only Thomas and I watched it alone, recording it for Dad to viewter. Mother used to tell us to stay away from Dad and give him rest because he was on a big case, so we waited for Dad toe to us. Poor Cynthia had everything going against her.

    Pam was taking me home. I looked around and wondered where Scott''s men were, as I was sure they were told to be there. I was to have security until I was home or at work. I would like to know if that included the police station, too. Did they think I had enough protection because I was with the police?

    We stopped outside my building, and I wished Pam goodnight. I did not wait for her to drive off, instead opting to go straight inside. I was both physically and mentally exhausted and needed sleep. But I did not get far; some hooded man was tackling the doorman, and I turned to see if Pam was still there, but her car had already taken off. I struggled with another masked man, kicking him in between the legs and making him fall in pain, but the one that had overpowered the doorman was at my back, trying to put his grubby hand over my mouth. Somehow, I pretended to drop to the floor, giving him all my weight unexpectedly, and he lost his grip on me from the sudden weight. But another man jumped out of a van and joined the fight, and the three managed to drag me to the door and get me in.

    Inside was another man waiting, and he hit me in the face. My face bloomed with pain, and I lost my bnce and fell the rest of the way into the van. The man inside grabbed my arms and dragged me in, and one of the others climbed behind me, pushing me aside like a rag doll. The third got into the passenger side, and the driver took off.

    I had lost my bag in the struggle, which meant no phone. My ne was broken when the guy tried to stranglehold me, so my Dad had no way to find me.

    I hope the doorman is okay.

    The van was the same style as the one from the ident. The men never removed their masks or talked, so I had no idea who they were. I asked no questions as I felt they would not answer them anyway. All I could do was wait. The van weaved in and out of traffic, and the driver, not caring about us in the back, was thrown about, or should I say I was thrown about. The other two were holding onto some railing, keeping them upright. I could not even sit up. Each time I tried, the vehicle swerved, and I was thrown off bnce, so to reduce bruises, I remained lying on the floor and watched the two men. They never even nced my way, so they had no worries about my attempting to leave the van or hurting them.

    The van pulled into a warehouse, and the door was opened from the outside, making me realize that if I had tried, the door was locked, and I would not have been able to get out. The men jumped out, and one turned to grab my legs. I kicked one guy in the mouth as he tried to hold me, and soon, I had two men restraining me. I had my hands tied behind my back and a sack put over my head, making my fight over for now.

    I was picked up and carried somewhere. It was not far from the van, and I was lowered. It was too far to be just to the floor. I dropped a fair distance. Strong hands caught me and put me in what felt like a wheelbarrow, and soon I was moving; the up and down movement made me think the guy pushing the barrow was running or jogging at least, so Dad must be on his way for them to be in such a hurry. I get the impression I am in a tunnel again. I am starting to hate tunnels. The smell in this one had an old sewer smell to it. It is a memorable fragrance I never thought I would have to smell again. The sounds of feet hitting water told me I was in the old underground sewer system, which was no longer used for that purpose. The men started to pant as they ran, so they were moving fairly quickly. This gave me hope that maybe Dad was closing in. We stopped, and I heard a metal scraping sounding from above; they had a vent to go up in. Any old roadside drain coulde into here, but I thought the tunnel had no ess to go up. Nodders of any kind; that is what the old maps said in our school project when we used waterways in the major cities. Has the city made some changes over the years?

    A harness of some kind was put around me rather roughly. The person pulled it tight, and I grunted at the tightness and was hoisted up in the air; as I left the ground, the feeling of nothing below me caused me to scream, and I started to rise, twirling in circles as I rose, making me feel nauseous. The spinning stopped when my foot hit something, and strong arms grabbed me, pulling me through a hole of some kind; more grunts from men, and I was moving again, but this time over a man''s shoulder and the door of a van opened, and I was thrown in unceremoniously andnded with a grunt. We traveled for a while and turned to a gravel road, then when we stopped, I was grabbed again and carried into a shed. It smelt like hay and horses.

    I was now in a chair. My ankles were tied, and my hands were released and then tied to the chair as well. Lastly, they removed the sack over my head, and I blinked a few times to get the dust out of my eyes and looked around. I was in a stable; two horses had their heads over the stable door, looking at us. I looked to my left, and the four men leaned against another stable wall. To my right was?

    What? Why would that person kidnap me? I could not believe my eyes; that was thest person I expected to be standing before me with a gun in hand and a smirk on his face; it looked like they had just won arge prize. ''Surprise, Bethany, you have been a pain in my butt long enough.

 Chapter 130

    Bob POV

    Theo was so sure that they had taken her to the old quarry. It has barracks and stables, and he said there are a few ces where they can climb out of the tunnels before they reach the water treatment nt and only one ce where they could carry an unwilling person out of the tunnel, which was at the old quarry. We are headed that way, and I pray that Theo is correct; we have a SWAT team on the way, and just in case. A few men head to the water treatment nt, but I am hedging my bets on Theo; this is his stomping ground, and he would know better than me.

    They had found her phone and broken ne. I almost cried when I heard that, and Theo called Scott and gave him a serve, yelling at him about how he had failed again to protect Bethany. He had men on the ground looking for her, too, and they were headed to the quarry as we speak; it will be interesting to see who gets there first, my Swat team or Scott''s.

    Getting there felt like it was taking forever, and I had to remind our pilot to use stealth mode. I did not want him to hear using before we got close enough to see them arrive; Theo assured me we would arrive before they climbed out of the sewer. My poor girl, what she has gone throughtely is terrifying. I hope they have not beaten her up likest time, and I am not sure her body is well enough to cope with another round like that.

    The quarry came into sight, and I got out my binocrs to look around before we got too close. Theo pointed to where he said the exit was, and we hovered above, high in the sky, and then we saw it. The exit door opened, and arge man crawled out and reached down. He pulled out a person tied up and a sack over their head. I immediately knew it was Bethany. She had no chance of getting out of that, my poor girl; I fought back a sob as the emotions of seeing my girl trussed up like that were brought to the surface; knowing and seeing are two different things.

    The man took her to the stables, so at least we know where she is now. Three more men climbed out of the sewer, and I smiled that it took fourrge men to take her down. That''s my girl. She is a fighter to the end. Hopefully, she sits tight now and waits for me to arrive. She might think she is alone in this, as her phone and ne are both gone. Hopefully, she does not lose faith in me finding her.

    ''Dispatch, Bethany is in the stables at the old quarry. They have just exited the sewer. I told the dispatch about where and how many we had seen. Theo texted Scott with the news; we could see three ck vans and two SUVs. This is the hideout of thest missing link, which no one would talk about, or if they did, I have not heard about. My binocrs had infrared, and we could see two horses and one man with body heat being given off in the stables. Now we had four men, and Bethany seemed to be on the left side of the stables, the furthest away from the door, and by my reckoning, she was in a chair, mostly bound to it. My guts said to get in there quickly, but my training said to wait for backup.

    Arge truck pulled up about half a mile from the quarry, and about twenty bodies climbed out of the back. Three men from the front and four SUVS pulled up soon after. Another load of men had grouped together and started to make their way to the stables, slowly fanning out as they closed in. It was hard looking from above; the night sky was beginning to turn into day, and long shadows crept along the ground, and soon the thermal imaging was lost. We were stuck in the in-between, where shadows made it hard to follow the men, and we had to wait for them to reach the stables before we could get a clear view of them.

    Our Swat team arrived, and I got onto the radio and informed them that Scott''s team was already approaching and to close in but not enter. I let them keep the lead in this, being first on the scene. They did not like it but were not about to argue. An ambnce arrived, and my guts churned. I hoped that Bethany would be fine.

    ''She will be alright; stay positive, Theo urged me. I looked at him to see he was in just as much pain as I was, and the pep talk was as much for him as it was for me. I nodded and turned back to watch the action below. My phone rang, and I answered it, not taking my eyes off of the below.

    ''Bob, we have the ballistics report from the gun; we got three sets of prints from it, two from the bullets and one from the gun itself. Jacko started his report.

    ''Who?'' I did not need this distraction now; I wanted to concentrate fully on what was happening below.

    ''As expected, the fingerprints from the gun were Cynthia''s; if she were the one to hide the gun, then I would expect her to be on the gun. Jacko was stalling; I know he was, but I did not have time to have guessing games with him about this.

    ''The bullets,e on. Stop dragging this out. You know where I am and what I was watching. My girl is below. Get to the point.'' I growled at him.

    ''One set was Wendy''s, and the other set was! A shot was fired below, and I missed who the other prints were.

    ''Call you back, shots are being fired.'' I hung up before he could say anymore. My girl could have just been shot. My stomach felt like lead as I waited to hear who was shot.

    Bethany POV

    What the hell? This is not happening; I was shocked. The person before was in on this?

    ''Nothing to say to me, Bethany? I am hurt.'' He mocked me in a tone I had never heard before.

    ''Why?'' I asked, still in shock.

    ''Why did you have to be there and spoil it all? Everything was perfect; the cops were running around in circles, not figuring out who was running theundering scam, and the wedding scam that was already in ce made it all the easier. When I told him about the scams, my brother Peter jumped with both feet. He already knew a little about the wedding group. But he had not thought about how easy it would be to cover theundering; he already had someone in the hotel industry, and when he got him on board, it was all smooth sailing. His friend was a judge, and it was easy to get in; he was already knee-deep in other missed deeds, including contracts out on people. He also had a whole police station in his pocket, and I had the congressman, and all was good until you went and spoiled it all!

    ''What are you talking about, spoiled it all? How did I do that?'' I still did not get it.

    ''Where is Cynthia? I cannot locate her or Wendy. Not that I am too concerned about that bitch!''

    ''They are dead. I replied softly, no use holding it back, he would find out soon anyway.

    ''DEAD? How?'' His face looked thunderous, and I thought he was going to explode.

    ''They were sent to Sun Valley for assessment before trial, and some inmates got them.'' I hated having to say this out loud, and I was still processing all of this myself. ''How?'' He screamed at me again, but he was not seeing me, his mind was elsewhere.

    ''They were stabbed.

    ''NO0000000!'' He screamed out and dropped to his knees, holding his head and shaking it, ''No, no, no.

    ''Lost your lover?'' I smirked, my turn to taunt him, but I felt bad doing it and tempting his wroth.

    ''She was my life, my love, my always and forever, and you are going to die for this?'' How was it all my fault? I was not the one with the knife.

    ''Why? What did I do?'' I screeched back as he stood up, staring at me with such hatred I had never seen on his face before, and raised his gun and pointed it at me.

    ''You should be dead, not her. He was ranting and raving about something that made no sense to me, and then the sound of a gun went off, and I stared at him in shock.

 Chapter 131

    Scott POV

    Being woken early in the morning to the words that Bethany had been taken outside her building and that I had failed Bethany again was the worst sound ever. My men should never have left the vigil outside the police station; I had ordered them to stay with her no matter what; those men will never get a job like this again. They cannot be trusted to do their damn job. I had to go to Bethany and apologize for failing her a second time if I could find her and bring her back safely. NO, not IF, WHEN. I hit the road running, sending out orders to my men and getting a team on the road as I headed to get geared up in my Kavr jacket and at least three guns hidden on my person. I was headed out for war. This time, the person who had taken Bethany was going to feel a bullet. I wanted to kill him, but I knew it was better to bring him in alive if I could. The team was good, and my turn to men when in a tight spot, not like the idiots that had put me in that spot. We took off in the direction of the quarry, the ce I had men watching. I had three there now, and he said the boss was in the stables and looked like he was waiting forpany. Bingo, I put my money on that is the ce they are taking her. I nted my foot on the elerator.

    Theo texted me to let me know that she had been seen and was in the stables at the old quarry. I am leading this one. I got to get Bethany back. It breaks my heart to think she is being hurt again.

    I took the lead SUV and sped up, and we had already been heading towards the quarry when I heard they had taken the sewers. It was a ce I had had under investigation for a while, and I thought it might be where they would take her. It had a good setup, better than the tunnels she was in before, and was run by a more organized man. However, I have just learned how he had been slipping through the cracks. When I found out yesterday who was running that little show, I could hardly believe it, and I had not yet had a chance to talk to Jacko about him.

    When we arrived, I pulled up about a ten-minute walk from the stables and had the men slowly spread out, ensuring we surrounded the stables, where Bethany was. It was slowly bing light. This half-light time is good for sneaking up on people as it is harder to make us in the shadows. Lucky for us, they had not posted any guards, and I made it up to the door and looked in; they all had their backs to the door, a rocky mistake; the four men at the side were busy watching the action with Bethany. He asked where Cynthia was and did not like the answers.

    ''She was my life, my lover, and the best thing, she introduced me to this kind of life, and I loved it; she taught me how to shoot a gun and about contract work; we were a team, and you had to spoil it all. She hated you for what you had and even more that you had what she could never really have. Her hurts ran deep; each time Bethany got praised, she felt another dagger in her heart because she was nevermended by the people she wanted it from; she never got her father''s love, only his backhand across her face when she would defy him and say no to his orders. I had to hide her several times after her beating and cover for her by saying she was on a business trip, which helped conceal our rtionship because I was not with her, so no one thought anything of us being more than workpetitors vying for the same jobs. Each sports day, she would hide away because she was so jealous of your rtionship with Bob, and at school, she slept with anyone who would show the affection that she craved. I tried to get her out of that, which was why everyone thought we were boyfriend and girlfriend. I used to get ribbed for being the boyfriend of the school tart. All she craved was someone to love her truly, and even though I told her often that I did, she said it was not enough, that my love was not enough for her. Now she is dead; she will never feel the love she truly deserved, and that is why you have to die too, because you are getting all the love and kindness that Cynthia deserved to get, too.'' I listened to his reasoning, his belief that what he would do was all for Cynthia, and the sad twists in the minds of the two who deserved each other.

    Then he lifted his gun and pointed it at Bethany, and I did not think I had just acted and shot him in the back of his head, blowing his brains over Bethany''s face and shirt. She sat there, staring at him as his now faceless body fell to the floor, and screamed at the top of her lungs at that sight. I rushed forward while my guys attacked the four men who were slow to react to the loss of their boss, and deep down, I didn''t think they really cared, as they did not put up much of a fight.

    I pulled Bethany to me and held her, and one of my men came and undid her hands and feet; I lifted her and carried her out of the building and looked up at the helicopter above, letting them see I had her, and raised one of my hands, thumbs up, so they knew she was okay and safe.

    ''Bethany, I am sorry I was not there for you again. Forgive me! I whispered in her ear as she wept on my shoulder.

    ''It is okay; you did not know that Pam sent the men away. It waste, and I think Pam thought we would be there all night.'' Bethany was a kind soul. I doubt she holds grudges.

    ''My men should have never left you. Your Dad and Theo are hovering above, in the chopper. They will be down soon.'' I said, and Bethany looked up at the chopper overhead, waved, and then burst into a fresh set of tears.

    ''You all came for me when I had no phone and lost the ne in the fight; I thought all was lost, that you would never find me! She sobbed; I was not letting go of her until that choppernded, and Theo took over. The paramedic approached her, and she held on to me tighter, not wanting to let go of a familiar face.

    ''Sorry!'' I said to the paramedic. He shrugged and waited close by.

    The choppernded, and Bob and Theo ran over to us, and we were soon enveloped in a group hug. Bob and I relinquished her to Theo, and I led Bob back to the stables to see who was had, and I was interested to see his reaction.

    ''I found outte yesterday and had yet the chance to tell anyone, but the person, or the missing link was.'' we entered the stables, and the body came into view.

    ''Bret?'' Bob said, looking at the man with half his face missing, and Bob looked like he was genuinely shocked.

    ''Yeah, Bret, he is tied to a lot of this, and he is also responsible for a lot of murders along with Cynthia. They tag-teamed and were each other''s alibi, which is part of why they got away with it for so long. Wendy killed some, but it was mainly those two.

    ''I did not see any of this; I am a bad copper if I could not see what was right under my nose. They yed me like a fool.'' ''No, Bob, they were good at what they did, plus you had Wendy defending them, making you think it was stupid to consider them as killers. The three of them had us all fooled for years! I would not let Bob take this on his shoulders; he could do little without the evidence, thinking they might be involved and catching them, which were two different things.

    ''It was Pam, by the way, that called off my detail. I have reprimanded them and will give them lower-level jobs till they prove themselves, but I can''t me them when a high-ranking officer says that she was looking after her and to go home. I would take the me, but he needed to know that his woman did not look after his child.

    ''I heard, and she will need to do a lot of sucking up to get back into my bed; what she did was inexcusable. Do you think the threats are over now? Can we stop the bodyguards?'' Bob sounded so unsure; he must be doubting everyone now. I hope he does not quit as the top cop; we need him more than he realizes; he never gave up on this case; over five years, he has worked hard on it.

    A man came in behind us, and Bob turned and said to him,

    ''Clean this up, get all the evidence you can, and bag it. I want the whole quarry and building searched, and look for hidden trap doors or ces in which things can be hidden. Bret has been building this ce for a long time, and I want to get everything. The man saluted Bob and called on others toe in. They started with the photo taking, and the usual crime scene workers arrived; even the coroner arrived to collect the body.

    When we left the stable, I noticed that the paramedic was giving Bethany the once over, checking her wrists and ankles and the ck eyes she had gained; each bruise or mark on her had Bob cringing.

    ''You did not fail her, Bob; she always believed you would find her.'' I lied, knowing she had thought that she would not be found with the loss of her tracking devices until it was toote.

    We walked to the ambnce, waited for him to finish his examination, and returned her to Theo''s care.

    ''Want to fly back home?'' He asked softly.

    ''Yeah, get me out of here.'' I shook Theo and Bob''s hand and hugged Bethany, promising to catch up and watch them climb into the chopper, up into the sky, and out of sight.

 Chapter 132

    Bob POV

    When I saw Bethany in Scott''s arms, I felt tremendous relief. His thumbs up meant a lot, but when Bethany looked up and waved, a tear of emotion trickled down my cheek. When I looked back at Theo, he was just as emotional as I was.

    ''Get the baby down; I need to get to my daughter. Look over the scene; hang around. You will be taking me back to where to pick me up. Take a half-hour break, I said to the pilot, and he started his descent andnded as close as he could to the stables. Theo and I ran to Bethany, and rather than fight about who would hold her first, I hugged her while in Scott''s arms, and Theo joined in. Bethany giggled a little at the group hug, which was a balm to my heart. Bethany turned to me, left Scott''s arms, hugged me, and kissed my cheek.

    ''I am alright, Dad. Just a few bruises and most likely a new nightmare for a while, but I will heal.'' My girl was a strong one. She wasforting me when it should have been the other way around. I chuckled and squeezed her before relinquishing her to Theo, whom I knew would not let go of her for very long once he got hold of her. Bethany let go of me and turned to Theo, who pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately; I turned away from them, giving them privacy.

    ''Show me the would-be killer of my child.'' I said to Scott. I had yet to address the matter of leaving her with no protection. ''I am not sorry for shooting him; he had his gun pointed at Bethany and said it was time for her to die; I did not hesitate to take his brains out. Initially, I did not intend to shoot to kill. Still, when he said those words, I knew if he did not die now, he would one day try and hurt Bethany, either get someone to do it for him or wait till he got out to do it and, as he would be sent to jail for a long time, I assumed he would get a contract out on her again. Better dead than worry about that! By the time we reached the stables, I thought I was ready to see the killer, but I was not prepared to see what was left of Bret''s face lying on the ground. Of all the people he was not on my list, Wendy and Cynthia had done a good number of me covering up their tracks and sending me in a different direction; no wonder I never got close to him. Leaving Wendy was the best thing I ever did. I lived with a monster and never knew it. I stayed in the marriage for Thomas and Bethany, which was easy. I came and went as I wanted, and so did she; I was so blind, closing my eyes to it all and trying to investigate the person who was right under my nose all the time. I thought I knew Bret; he had been a visitor to our home since Cynthia turned ten, and I thought they were close, not that close, that they killed together. They must have been plotting things around when they knew I would be away with work. Why had I never seen it before?

    I ordered our men to do a cleanup and gather evidence. They read the other four men their rights and took them away. I squatted down and looked closer at thed I had once thought of as a son-inw and felt? Nothing. Not a flicker of sadness or remorse. He deserved to be stopped. If what I am told is correct, we have over twenty unsolved murders solved. That must be what Jacko was trying to say to me before the gunshots, that his fingerprints were on one of the bullets in the gun.

    We left the stables and the chaos of men doing their jobs, and I walked to Bethany and Theo, Scott walking beside me. ''Bethany is a strong woman; she managed to fight off two men before the third one overpowered her at the building; when you see the footage, you are going to be pleased with all the self-defense sses you sent her to had worked. Scott was praising Bethany, but all I could see was another bruised face and bloody red marks on her wrists, and feeling like I had failed somehow, not just to Bethany but to Cynthia and possibly Wendy; maybe if I had been more observant, both would not have strayed away.

    ''I know you, Bob, stop ming yourself or second-guessing. You could have changed nothing except jail them earlier if you had evidence. You knew thed before he turned bad, before Cynthia and he foundmon ground and became close friends; he visited your home a number of times when he was young, being an orphan, with just him and his older brother, and they slipped through the cracks, and even you did not know it. You can be everyone''s savior. Scott tried to make me see the meaning, and I understood where he came from; I can go through life saying, ''What if?'' But that changes nothing but passing the guilt around.

    The paramedic released Bethany, and we headed to the chopper. From what I can gather, Hank will be there when we arrive to give Bethany the once-over for my peace of mind. Yes, the paramedics are good, but Hank knows what Bethany has gone through and would have noticed if she had something new to worry about.

    Bethany and Theo sat in the back, Bethany leaning into Theo. He was holding her close to him. I think he is in shock over what happened, and to see Bethany covered in Bret''s brains on her clothes and face must have shaken him up. He tried cleaning her face, but the paramedic pushed him away, grabbed some wipes, and cleaned her up, gently checking her as he went. Bethany sat there and let the two fuss over her, oblivious to what they were trying to wipe away. It mighte to herter, but for now, she waspliant. The chopper took us back to Thomas''s home, setting us down on the private beach. Theo had Bethany out and led her up the path to the back door. Before I had even got my harness off, I thanked the pilot and sent him on his way, and then I took off to catch up with the pair.

    Hank and Thomas were waiting in the lounge room. There was no sign of Judy or Nate, which I was grateful for; Judy did not need to see Bethany like that. Hank pulled her out of Theo''s arms and into his, murmuring something before leading her to a back room to look her over. Bethany did not even argue that she was okay, as she usually would, which told me she was not eptable.

    ''Bob, she was shaking like a leaf and murmuring stuff that made no sense to me; I am worried; this had pushed her over the top.

    ''No, son, Bethany wille out of this just fine; she has to work through it all in her mind; it is her way. Just be there when she needs somefort. Jacko will need her back in the office at some point to continue with their books. Apparently, they have two more to be decoded, and Bethany is the only one who can read them!

    ''I hope she gets to hold the baby; if she can cuddle the new life that she helped bring into the world, maybe she will not hold onto the negative of the past few days and let it all go.

    ''We still have court cases to go through, and the media are going to have a field day when news of some of the people arrested hits the headlines!

    ''Maybe Bethany can direct the attention away from being negative and sensational. With the heart transnt in the child, I hear she is on the mend and will most likely be well enough to have the operation in two days; Bethany has to snap back to doctor mode and put all this behind her for that to happen. That child''s life is depending on her!

 Chapter 133

    Pam POV

    The office cheered when Scott''s team announced that Bethany had been rescued; most of those who had worked with her and liked her a lot said she was easy to like. However, once it all settled down and the forensic teams were on site, I got the ribbing from the guys for losing my charge. I knew it was time to face the real music. This was going to take a lot of work. Jacko is on the warpath, and I have the head in the noose.

    Jacko called me into the office-or should I say ordered me into his office? The looks of those around me were of sympathy; none wanted to be called into the office when Jacko was on the warpath.

    ''What the hell, Pam, why did you call off the protection?'' Jacko''s voice was sharp, filled with a mix of anger and concern. His particr spot for Bethany was well-known, and I had failed her, failed him, Bob, and everyone on the team. I let my guard down. I should have waited to see her inside the building, and that was all on me.

    ''We were going to be here all night. I thought I told the men to be back around eight o''clock, but then we kept finding other books, and it would have been far too much for Bethany to handle; the emotional content she was reading was breaking my heart; how much worse would it have been for her? So I thought it would be okay for me to take her home!

    ''But it wasn''t, was it?'' he all but growled at me. I had never seen Jacko so worked up before. I would like to know if this will improve any time soon. I have lost the respect and trust I had worked hard to gain. For a woman in the workforce or any job seen as male- dominated, it is harder for us to get to the top.

    ''They had a man inside, waiting; they could not have known when she woulde home; they had to have been waiting all day. If not longer, because Bethany was visiting her brother, it seems that if we can get the security video of that time and go backward, you will find out how long they had been waiting. To ess theplete chapters for free, visit Job nib. Even Scott''s team does not walk into the building. So the result might have been the same!'' Jacko seemed to take this in, and his face slowly changed. ''You''re right. Get the guys on it, get the footage for a whole week, and let''s see how long they have been waiting. ''Jacko dismissed me, and I headed over to my team and asked them to chase up the footage from Bethany''s building; maybe they need to beef up their security, too. I left the building feeling defeated and headed to my other office. When I entered, officers nodded and saluted me. I wouldn''t say I likeding here when I was working. ''Mike, where the hell were your menst night?'' I almost screamed at him. ''They were there, sir.'' He tried to look me in the eye but failed. He was in the wrong, and he knew it.

    ''Well, they failed; Bethany was taken right under your noses; what the hell were they doing? They certainly were watching out for Bethany if it was not for Scott and his team. Bethany would have been dead. Your guys failed, and I am not happy!

    ''Sorry, sir. The men have been reprimanded. They were across the road watching and did not realize what was happening until it was toote. Then we saw you trailing the van. They followed up in case you needed a backup. They could not get across the street fast enough to stop it; it all happened so quickly.'' He was trying to defend the sloppy work, and I was not buying it. I hope the camera is angled in the direction he says they were showing what they were really up to.

    ''Not good enough; I had lost respect and trust now, all the years of work I have put in to build up trust, and you blew it the first time I gave you a job to do. Not only did it look bad for me, but it is looking bad for you and your team; I am not going to be using that suad ever again, and it is going into my reports when I had them to our boss and you can handle his anger, not me, I am not covering your arse again.'' I was fuming; I had no idea how to fix this. Bob won''t trust me; I like him and want to pursue a rtionship with him; he is the first man to break through my walls in a long time, and I may have lost him now. I head over to see my boss and talk to him about the situation.

    ''Sir, we have all those we have been chasing in custody, and the case is airtight. Can I reveal who I am to Bob now and possibly Jacko?'' I was desperate to cover my b**t and get on the right side of these guys again. It hurts to think that Bob distrusts me. ''Why? You have changed. I see why you have be attached to the new Police Commissioner. But is he clean?'' Those were two questions, and I had to think for a moment about how much I wanted to reveal to him.

    ''I am falling for the policemissioner, and before you say my judgment may be impaired, don''t. you know me better than that from past experience. I dared him to dispute it.

    ''You have my permission to reveal yourself to them and tell them what you have been working on. Good luck with the policemissioner. Will you resign if you be an item?''

    ''Not at this stage, but I might look at it in the future. I am not getting any younger.'' I jest and leave his office feeling a whole lot better than when I walked in.

    I pulled out my phone and prayed he would answer my call; I would not me him when he saw it was me calling to hang

    up on me.

    ''Hi Pam, what can I do for you?'' The ever-professional voice. I feel a little sad that he has his police chief voice on, but I could hear voices in the background, so he was entertaining.

    ''I need to talk with you, please!'' I asked or pleaded, and it sounded the same to me.

    ''Sure,e to Thomas''s ce for dinner; I will let Judy know to set for an extra mouth. He hung up on me without me being able to say another word, but at least I would plead my case. At least being at Thomas''s ce, he won''t be yelling at me, and he might even listen; I can talk to Bethany and Theo, too. It is safe to tell them all about who I really am and clear the air; Bob will not like that he was kept out of the loop. Still, he will understand that secrecy, in this case, was vital.

    I took off in my SUV and headed towards Thomas''s home; I stopped, brought flowers, some wine, and beer, and prayed I got the right stuff. I knew the beer was right; we drank it at Hank''s ce, but I am not a wine drinker, so I was curious to see if it was the right one to buy. I turned on my ylist and sang my favorite songs all the way; I needed to get in a happier mood; walking in already defeated was not going to win any favors, and I have been in difficult situations before, but I can do this. I pulled outside his home, climbed out, walked to his front door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

 Chapter 134

    Bob POV

    Hank did a thorough checkup on Bethany; ording to Hank, she neverined once. Like Theo said, Bethany was not behaving like the girl we all know and love. Had this k********g been the catalyst that sent her over the edge? Or maybe seeing that it was Bret, the man she was married to for three years attempted to kill her, the betrayal she must feel at the moment must be high; we have to give her love and attention and be there for when the dam breaks, We need to get her around the people and things she loves, so she can be reminded that there is more to life, with so many bad things going on one after another, she barely got a chance to breathe and she was under threat again. Was it because it was all because of the ones who should have loved her unconditionally? Who were also the ones behind it all, and she does not know where to turn anymore or who to trust and believe anymore. So, she has withdrawn herself, and we must find a way to draw her back out before she gets trapped. I hope it is only a short setback. We have always said my girl is strong, but even the strongest has weak moments.

    Judy was okay with Paming. She had met her once already and did not mind herpany; I asked Thomas if I could use his office when she arrived, I think she ising to kiss b**t, and I am interested to hear her side of the story because, as it stands at the moment, my girl was hurt on her watch. I do not like that one bit.

    Sitting half watching the rey of a game I had missed and wanted to see, holding mini Bob in my arms was like a dream after the stress we had been having. Actually, to sit and enjoy the time I have with Thomas, I am so d that Bethany had pushed me to contact Thomas. I know she had been talking to him before the ident and nning a change to visit, but with all the research and nning she had done at the hospital, time seemed always to slip away. But it''s about time to change that. We should consider doing a sports day here and sharing more between the homes. I am sure Thomas would like that, and Hank is okay with the travel. I hope that after some sleep, Bethany will return to her normal self. She had gone a long time with no sleep, and maybe it was all just a shutdown; I would have to wait for her to wake up to find out. I was humming a tune my mother used to sing me to sleep with. I had not thought of that tune for many years, and I was a little surprised to find myself humming it without much thought. It is incredible what the mind does when not pushed to do something, like muscle memory; it is just factored in the brain as the thing to do.

    The knock on the door told me time with little Bob was over, and reckoning with Pam was about to start. Thomas entered the room, trailed behind by Pam. Pam had arge bunch of flowers, which she handed to Judy. I thought that was a nice touch, and I noticed that Thomas had a case of beer under his arm. After the pleasantries, oohs, and ahs over mini Bob, I handed the baby to Judy.

    ''Follow me.'' I did not wait for Pam to acknowledge what Imanded. I turned and headed down the hallway, Thomas nodding as I walked by. His poor office had be more mely; he kept it very clean and tidy. Even his bin was empty, but the scattering of files told me it was used often.

    I sat behind his desk, wanting space between me and Pam. I did not know what she had nned to tell me, but I needed that gap in case I wanted to hit her or something for endangering my girl. Pam took the seat opposite me, and I stared at her for a little while; she looked like she had had very little sleep, and she looked apprehensive.

    ''Talk to me, Pam. Help me understand why you left my girl in danger like that! I spoke calmly, too calm. If one of my officers were here right now, they would be quacking in their boots; they know that voice, which generates fear in the best of them. This was a well- honed skill I had developed over the years, and it served me well.

    ''Could you tell my story with no interruptions?'' Pam asked with as much authority as she could raise, but it did little to me. I nodded for her to continue.

    ''My name is Pam Stevens, not Pam Jones, as most of your branches know me. I am an uncover on behalf of the FBI and internal affairs, and I guess a bit of Interpol police. Interpol only came on board thest six months or so. She waited for me to nod eptance, but I refused to ask any questions; she asked for time to exin, advising me that she was undercover and had not excused her from her neglect.

    ''Three years ago, our department had enough reports on police corruption to send me undercover. Jacko''s team was picked because we trusted him, and before you ask, no, he did not know I was undercover as far as I know; I had to get special permission to tell you and Jacko.

    Though I was here serving under Jacko, the cover-up was good. Even after three years, we needed more concrete proof. We knew they were dirty, but we had trouble proving it. It was not until Bethany left Bret and took that information to herwyer that all the proof started toe forward, links made more sense, and we finally had a whole section in a precinct and the Judge, too.

    You already knew a lot of this, but not my part in the background. I had given my boss a lot of proof over the years, but not the missing links. We had enough to get the old policemissioner to take a long holiday, and I think he knew the time was ending; he did not know how much we knew.

    We could not get rid of him until you epted the job; we trusted no one else in that top job, or at least a person we respected, and we had nothing dirty on you, your wife, and your daughter. But nothing to link you to any of it, and your epting the job gave us a chance to what you more closely.

    No offense, but we had to be sure. Pam took a breath, and she still had not exined about the removal of Scott''s men. So I gave her a nk look and waited for her to continue.

    ''We did not expect the ram raid on Bethany; we knew about the tunnel and had been working on getting in there; we found that the day before the hit on her, we wanted to put cameras inside and monitor what was happening. But things got crazy after Bethany was taken. Since the ident, I had organized a team to stay on Bethany''s tail, follow her, protect her, and never leave her sight; even when she was asleep, I had a team outside. That was where we got to meet. I had seen you move into our building, and I was pleased that you hade to live there; it saved me from moving into whatever building you moved to. I needed to be close. Before you say it, I did not take you to bed for the job; I took you to bed because I like you. I like you a lot, and I had to get permission to pursue a personal life, I had to prove you were clean before they would let me see if what I felt for you would grow. Anyway, the day Bethany was kidnapped, we had a long day and night. As you know, I had already sent Scott''s team away, and Jacko wanted all the books tranted, but when we found more, I called it a night. Bethany could barely keep her eyes open. My team followed behind, and when they knew where I was headed, they gave the team parked across the road the heads up. They wanted me to drop her off and drive away. Instead of watching her enter the building, they were having a smoke and were leaning on their car chatting; by the time they realized what was going on, it was toote; even I had turned around and was headed back to try and reach her in time. I was fuming; they took the task too lightly, and it had cost me the respect and trust I had worked hard to gain. But worse than that, I caused you, Bethany, and your whole family, even Theo and his family, pain. I am not a good person to have as a friend. I have ruined it all.'' When Pam finished her exnation, she had tears running down her cheeks, and I felt terrible for her. She had a team watching, and they were caught napping like Scott and his team. I do not me Scott for his team''s failure, so I doubt I should me Pam for hers. Now, to digest all that she had said.

 Chapter 135

    Theo POV

    Watching from above, safe in the chopper, was like watching a movie on television; it was so surreal. That was until Bethany was hauled out of the sewer, and we had to wait and watch. I could not get them tond the chopper fast enough when Scott brought her out for us to see she was alive.

    My heart was beating so fast. I was never more relieved than when I had her in my arms, telling her I loved her, and I do. So damn much, it hurts. She did not say anything; she just stoodint in my arms, a few tears streaming down her face, which was not a good sign. While the paramedics were working on Bethany, I called Dad, and he said he would be waiting at Thomas''s ce with his bag in hand. When he got my call earlier, he had already set out that I was on a chopper, and Bethany was taken. I had no idea we would have to go back to Thomas''s ce with her. We knew nothing at all, but Dad and his gut feelings had him headed to where he would be needed. When we arrived, and he took her away to check her over, I was d he followed his gut instincts. Bethany was sleeping now. Dad jabbed her, not that she needed it. She was so exhausted, but Dad thought giving her one would give her a deeper, more restful sleep.

    Thomas''s home was peaceful,fortable, and homely, and it was a loving ce to sit and rx. Bob was rxed in the lounge, humming a tune to Mini Bob; all seemed to be calm. You would not think a little while ago; I was hovering above a stable, wondering if I would see my girl again alive. A knock on the door broke the peaceful silence in the lounge, and soon Pam came walking in. My blood ran cold; she was thest person I wanted to see, and I had not expected her here. Bob seemed to have expected her and not warned me. He tapped me on the shoulder to reassure me all was well before taking her down the hallway and into a room down there; I would love to be a fly on the wall.

    Judy gave me a mini Bob to hold. He was a cute baby. He was fast asleep with his hands held together and resting under his chin-so pretty. I yearn for one of my own. Could I convince Bethany to be a Mother, or would she have doubts after all this that her Mother put her and her sister through? I hope she does not have self-doubts. It would be too soon to expect her to start her own family, but maybe all this could have the opposite effect, and she does want her own family to prove she is not like her mother; the brain is aplicated organ that no scientist had worked out.

    Thomas came and sat beside Dad and me. He looked at Mini Bob for a while before he started to ask questions.

    ''What happened?'' He had not been in the loop. Bob gave him the short version, but this was the first time he had seen the results firsthand.

    ''Bethany was taken to the old quarry, where Bret was waiting for her with a gun. He told her a lot of stuff, but he lost it when she told him Cynthia and Wendy were dead. When he finished ranting and raving about things, he stood up and raised the gun at her head, and Scott fired the shot that put his brains all over Bethany! That was my shortened version, short and to the point. That was all I wanted to say about it.

    ''Never liked the guy or how he and Cynthia were around each other all the time. I thought something was up.'' He spat out softly, not wanting to wake the baby. The house was not where you had to tiptoe around the baby, but his angry voice could be picked up by him and upset the little one.

    ''Yeah, he was a real scum bag; going back to junior school years, his Dad was a crook, so it should not surprise me that both his sons turned out to be the same! ''His Dad?''

    ''Yeah, got killed during a bank holds up, mother was already dead from a drug overdose a couple of years before, he and the older brother were put in foster care for about two years before the older brother was old enough to take care of him.'' ''Geeze, he never stood a chance. His brother was worse than his Dad. Managed to get to the top of the most wanted list early in life! Hank said from the other side of the room where he sat, watching and listening to us chat.

    ''Did you know the parents?'' Thomas knew so little. His lifestyle was often frowned upon, so he avoided judgmental people while navigating life and growing a family.

    ''I did; his mother went to school with me; she was a lot like Cynthia, but worse, in some ways, because she was already on drugs at an early age. She met her husband, though I do not know if they ever married, and had four kids, but two were lost in suspicious circumstances.

    Judy joined us, brought coffee and cake with her, and took the baby from me. I did not want to give him back, and I could feel the warm ce he had been lying on my chest as if he was still there. Right in front of us all, Judy lifted her top and started feeding the little one. That was one of the most beautiful sights I have seen in a while. Judy had covered herself enough to see only the child; you could not see where he hadtched on, but it was beautiful, and you could hear him drinking away, the hungry little man. Bethany came down, sat next to me, and snuggled in; Nate followed her in with some sweet tea, and he insisted she drink. Begrudgingly, she sat up and drank the tea in one gulp, then smiled sweetly at Nate and snuggled back into me, her head tilted so she could watch the baby drink.

    ''Such a beautiful sight, don''t you think?'' Bethany said it was the first time she had spoken since she got here; it was grunts, groans, and nods of her head. I took this as a positive sign.

    ''Yes, I can''t wait till we have one of our own to hold and cuddle,'' I said without thinking; she looked up at me with puzzlement on her face as if she was trying to read what I had told as true. ''You want to have a baby?'' she asked eventually.

    ''Yep, with you, when you are ready. mini Bob has made me realize what I am missing out on.'' I kissed her on the nose, and she giggled, a sound that filled me with warmth, a sign of healing. ''Do you want to get married first?'' I wondered where she was headed with this.

    ''When you are ready, I don''t want to rush you. But if you will have me, I would be honored to be your husband and father of your children! I watched her face as she thought of what I had said. She then sighed and snuggled in. We were content watching Little Bob drink, and Judy chatted away as if it were nothing, and it feltfortable.

    That was until Bob entered the room, followed by Pam, and I could have sworn that Bethany tried to shrink beside me, and I wondered what that was all about. Bob noticed it, too, and frowned.

    ''Bethany, sweetheart, would you like toe with me and we can talk?'' Bethany looked at him, then at Pam, then back at Bob, and nodded. She got up and went to Bob, who wrapped his arms around her and led her down the hall to the same room he had just left. Pam took the seat Bethany had just left and looked like she had been crying, but I was not going to ask any questions.

 Chapter 136

    Jacko POV

    I received news that Hank had given Bethany the all-clear. She, Bob, Theo, and others will stay at Thomas''s house today. Theings and goings at that house have increased significantly, starkly contrasting with Thomas''s previous low-profile existence. How Thomas will react to this influx is still being determined, but we will closely monitor it. He has a different style of life. He is a good man, and I would hate all of this to stress out his wife, who has a newborn baby. We do not want those who are after Bethany to go after Thomas and his family.

    What surprised me was hearing that Pam had just arrived there, and I wondered what she was up to. I have posted some men to keep an eye on Bethany; there is no way she is being retaken. I don''t know if she is safe with Bret and Cynthia out of the picture. Or if Bret''s brother will put a contract on her. I would not put it past him to do it. He could order it from jail and have someone pay the contractor when the job is done.

    The trials have started. The higher-profile people are getting manywyers involved, which will dy their case from being heard. This is fine, as we get the small fish in jail and have some of them plea bargain to assist in our case. However, we do not need any plea bargains; our evidence is solid. Bethany has three books to decode, and we are done with the evidence; I think one of our people is trying to learn the code and is doing a great job so far, having worked some of it, so I think we might be able to decode it without Bethany.

    I hope so; we are not in any hurry; with all thiswyering up and dy tactics, they are giving us more time toplete the little tasks we have gained. Like all those books from Bethany''s penthouse, she never knew her sister had hidden them in her things. The gun was the shocker; I think that upset Bethany the most; she detests guns because a friend of hers was shot by a kid ying with his father''s gun. She lived, but the incident was enough to put Bethany off having guns in the house, unless under lock and key, like Bob''s.To ess theplete chapters for free, visit Job nib. He had tried to teach her that guns are not dangerous; it is the person with the gun who misuses it that makes the weapon dangerous. Even so, Bethany refuses to have a gun in the house. A knock on my door brought me out of my musing; I looked up, and standing in the doorway was the head of the FBI, not exactly a person I was expecting to see at my door. I stood up and held out my hand, offering him to shake it. ''Wee, sir, what have I done to deserve your visit?'' I was being cheeky, and he seemed to like it. He closed the door before shaking my hand and taking a seat. This action made me pause and look at him; he did not seem angry or agitated, so I was unsure what was happening.

    ''It came to my attention today that it was time to put you in the loop; Pam, as we speak, is filling Bob in on what I am about to tell you. I would appreciate it if it does not leave this office for obvious reasons once you hear what I say. I nod, curious about what he was talking about and what Pam had to do with it.

    ''As you are aware, Bob has been appointed to the top job with the police after the old one went on extended service leave. We are nning on arge, formal, media-filled appointment ceremony in about a week. Hopefully, it will help reduce the media frenzy of the news of the old top cop being corrupt and the station''s reputation that will be tarnished for a while toe. ''I nod again; I have heard this.

    ''Well, I am here to tell you that he was not on long service leave, but for being corrupt, you have already done a great job, having those ten police officers suspended, and with the evidence you have and what we have, will put them behind bars for a long time, including the old head of police, who still thinks he is only going to get a good p on the wrist and be put out to pasture.

    ''Is this why Bethany was targeted?'' I was still trying to work out how she fit in all of this, yes she pissed off her Mother and Sister and Bret when she left Bret, and the stupid sister left all that paperwork hidden in her old school books and grans stuff, but I always felt there was something more to it than that.

    ''Firstly, let me tell you that Pam has been undercover for the three years she has worked under you and was answerable to me. Her reports of you and your precinct have been outstanding, and so far, the new police chief meets my standards. The reason she had called off Scott''s team was that we had a team covering her, and it was our team that messed up. They did not take the threat seriously, and I have dealt with them my way. I tell you this so you know that Pam had faith that our team would cover Bethany. You should have seen her go ballistic at the men for stuffing up. It gave me a hard-on, and I have to say no one has managed to do that in a long time! He chuckled and continued to tell me about the different assignments she had been doing while working under me and how they were ready to share with us now, part of the dy as this had been a mixture of three different departments investigating the corruption in the police force, and nailed it down to one precinct, that is now had a whole team recement and the others that are not suspect moved to a different location, for their safety.

    I have forgiven Pam, and I hope Bob does too. Pam had every belief that experienced men covered Bethany. Wow, Pam was higher than me in the force and is FBI, not a simple detective. Will she leave us now her assignment is done? She fits in well here, which is why she was so good at being undercover; I never suspected her.

    ''When will she be leaving?'' I asked. I had to get that question out there.

    ''She is talking to Bob at the moment. If Bob agrees, she would like to stay here and see if they can make a rtionship work, but thates down to them, and she is leaning towards working with the FBI here in this city. She has been working with them for a while now; leave it with me, but it would be best if it came out that she is FBI and she moves to their offices. How long would be enough to find a recement? I have a few rmendations; one, in particr, is from the precinct that had the corrupt cops; he was the one who brought it to our attention. He is a good worker, and you would do me a big favor if you considered him. I can leave Pam here while he learns the ropes.'' I got the message that we should be taking on this guy who stuck his neck out for the team. ''Get him to call me, and we can meet and talk; if he is any good, I will bring him in; how would you like me to tell the team the changes with Pam?''

    ''Tell them she is transferred to the FBI and will start when the new guy is confident to take over. That is a good idea; many try to get into the FBI because they see it as an advancement. It would not look strange for her to get a promotion, even with what happened with Bethany. She got back up quickly and had things on the move before I got into the ce, and that was good work on her part. We could have lost Bethany''s direction if she had not been on the ball and noticed her team stuff up.

    ''Give me information on this new guy!

    ''His name is Toby, and he has risen in the ranks; he reported the corruption to his boss, who made his life difficult, so after another year of putting up with the rubbish going on, he came to me. He was cautious about what he said, in fear I was corrupt, and my first reaction was to get Pam in here!''

    ''Why not at that station?''

    ''Because we were not sure how high up the corruption went, you have a good reputation of taking no crap from anyone; even the old police head could not get you to drop your investigation, you just stopped updating him, and your investigation grew once you kept him out of the loop, the coboration you have done with Bob on this has been a tremendous work, showing that if the right person is running the investigation, the job runs smoother and gets results quicker.

    ''I would not call more than three years quicker.'' I chuckled.

    ''No, but it could have been even longer if you had not worked together.

    ''Let''s rap this up, shall we? Pam will be leaving here one way or another; if Bob does not want to pursue a rtionship with her, she will return to me; if Bob agrees, she will move to the FBI division here. This is Toby''s number. Call and get him in; he will be good for your team.

    Remember not to take any crap; if I hear he is being bullied because of where he was stationed, I will not be happy. He is a good officer who had doubts of his fellow officers, changed his views, got his confidence back, and you have a keeper! The man stood, shook my hand, and left my office; every eye watched him go, including me; his presence demanded attention, and then all eyes turned to me.

 Chapter 137

    Pam POV

    His relief was palpable as I revealed the truth about our undercover operation to Bob. Yet, beneath his calm facade, I sensed a storm of questions brewing, ones that I was not yet ready to answer. ''Howe Bret was let out of jail? How did the books taken from Cynthia''s home not implicate him, too?''

    ''Bret was let out because he was to aid us in finding evidence. He said he knew that Wendy kept records, and the DA thought it was worth the risk to believe him and gave him three months to find them. The books he handed over were all in Wendy''s handwriting. She mainly bragged about her exploits and implicated the judge, Bet, and the introduction of the Gutter boys. ording to Wendy, the hotels came about by Peter, Bret''s brother, and Cynthia. When I read the books from Wendy''s house, I assumed that Bret let us have them because nothing implicated him in any way, and most likely thought he was in the clear. He was much smarter than even we gave him credit for.''

    ''The books that Bethany handed in?''

    ''The books Bethany handed in were a mix of Cynthia and Wendy''s handwriting, one a log of money flow written by Wendy and one by Cynthia. From what we can gather, no one knew about Cynthia''s journals, and she hid them in Bethany''s house. I doubt even Bret knew about them, or he would have disposed of them long ago. Both were shocked when they returned to find that Bethany had moved out, taking all her things. Cynthia''s reaction was not just anger; it was a full-blown rampage, shattering everything in her path.'' ''Wow, you had tails on Bret?'' Bob sounds incredulous, not realizing we were that involved.

    ''After the ident, we had tails on him using Scot''s security on also Bethany. In answer to the books, the second set of books has yet to bepleted; I am hoping that Bethany will teach someone how to read them; she should not have to read that content. Peter is in jail and will not be getting out anytime soon; we have too much on him now and can link him to at least four unsolved murders. Cynthia''s journal also linked Bret and her to another twenty murders, so we have a few cases cleaned up and families to get closure of some kind. We are pleased with that. Also, I feel we have more toe with the other books, linking all this with what the FBI and internal affairs already have. We have many kingpins tumbling to the ground, and the media will have a field day when some of the names are announced. I gave Bob all the answers I knew and did not hold back on anything.

    ''Then how did they lose him and not know about the quarry?''

    ''It is a legitimate business? Though I had asked for surveince to be done on it, I was overruled. If you look at thend records, you will see that his family owned thatnd since it was closed over fifty years ago. They made it into a ce to train horses for the rodeo, and when the father died, the ce was left unattended until about six years ago when Peter started to put horses back onto it and made it look like they were building a horse ranch back up. When Bethany was taken, I was unaware of the tunnel system or that the quarry had a link to the system, and that is all on me. I am d that Theo was in the chopper and knew all this. Making that connection quickly! I tried hard to get someone on the ground in the quarry, but it was brushed aside because they never saw Bret go to the quarry. It looks like he often did, if how often he was in the warehouse district, is anything to go by.

    ''You are saying that Bret never knew that Cynthia was hiding the books in Bethany''s university days, in her medical books and stuff!''

    ''No, he did not. Plus, Cynthia was clever. She put covers on the books to make them look like something that belonged to Bethany, to hide them better. Neither of them expected Bethany to get up and leave like that. Cynthia went ballistic because she lost her books; now we know her gun. Maybe Bret knew of the books but needed help finding them. He said he had searched all of Cynthia''s things and was trying to get into Wendy''s room, but she kept it locked at all times. He was franticly hunting; our guys thought it was to prove he was innocent, but now we know differently.

    ''What is going to happen to all the properties?''

    ''Cynthia''s house will go to you, to do with as you see fit, as it was a family home and not one she purchased. The quarry will go to the state, and they will most likely auction it off. All the money from the overseas ounts will be confiscated and put in the police funds, and the personal bank ounts of Cynthia and Wendy will go to you; there is not much in them, as they sent all the illegal money offshore after they hadundered it through the hotels!

    ''Bret''s body?'' Bob was leaving nothing undone.

    ''We were going to have a pauper funeral unless you wish to take that one and cremate him and put him with Cythina?''

    ''We still have Wendy and Cynthia''s ashes, and we can do the same with Bret.

    ''What are you going to do with the ashes?''

    ''I am taking them to the tip and letting them join the rest of the trash. Iughed at that; it was funny and most appropriate for them as a resting ce.

    Do you have any more questions?''

    ''Not regarding the case, I have enough to chew on. Bob says with a smirk.

    ''Okay, how about us? Have you been able to think more?''

    ''Like I said, it wille down to Bethany. She is my main concern. You must wait if she is not ready to have you in my life and hers. I know this sounds selfish, but I owe my kids for not being there when they needed me to be. I was too busy being a cop and not a father, and their mother was poison, and I closed my eyes to it all. I need to try and allow them to be in my life more, and if that means you cannot be part of it, then so be it.''

    ''So Bethany is holding my life in her hands now?'' I could understand where Bob wasing from, but it hurt anyway.

    ''I might go out on a few dates and see how I feel, but I will not be intimate again until Bethany has epted you.''

    ''Does that mean I cannot join you for sports days?'' I was desperate to get more than a few nights out. I have never been married or had kids; my job always came first, and most men could not handle that. I am still young and hope I have not pushed too hard. ''Talk to Bethany, and we shall go from there. That is not a no; my life is now in Bethany''s hands. Let''s hope she can get a better job with my life, and I have to try to protect hers.

    Bob pulled me into his arms, hugged me, and kissed my head. He refused to kiss my lips, and I was a little disappointed, but I knew what my life would be like in a few minutes when Bethany woke up.

    ''Come on, let''s get out of here; I have had enough of all this talk; I need a break.'' He led me out of the office and down the hall; when we reached there, Bethany was snuggled up with Theo.

 Chapter 138

    Bethany POV

    Thomas''s home is peaceful; when I woke, I had forgotten where I was until I heard the voices floating from downstairs. I showered, washed off the smell of disinfectant, washed my hair, and once dressed in clean clothes, I was thankful for bringing an overnight bag for sports day, which felt so long ago. I headed down, following the sounds of voices.

    Guided by the hushed voices, I was drawn to Theo, my anchor in this storm of emotions. The depth of my feelings for him was a mystery, a blend of gratitude for his unwavering support during my darkest times and a burgeoning desire for something more. All I knew was that I yearned to be in his arms, to feel his warmth and safety.

    He pulled me in close, and I snuggled into my safe ce. He was warm and smelt like a baby. He must have been holding Mini Bob, and then he made me tingle below. With all this death and loss, I was happy that I was there to bring Mini Bob into the world, and I hoped one day, for one of my own, I would prove to myself that I am not like my mother, that I can give the right kind of love.

    I was a little jealous of Thomas, as crazy as that sounds, considering the biases people have when they hear of the rtionship he is living, but it works, and that is all I cared about. You can see and feel their love for each other, and the house is warm. Yeah, he might have outside problems with people''s judgment, but the moment you walk into his home, you can''t help but feel the warmth and wee he offers when he lets you in, and he does not let many in, that is not already part of his inner circle of friends. I was content with the hum of voices as Theo pulled me closer and drew little circles on my shoulder. When Dad and Pam walked in, I stiffened when I saw her. I felt she had abandoned me at the door; I know when Scott''s team is there, theye forward and let me know they have my back. There was none when Pam dropped me off, and I felt she had something to do with that, making me uneasy.

    ''Bethany... Dad summoned me to follow him to Thomas''s office, and I knew then that something more was happening. He pulled me close to him and led me to the office, closing the door behind him. He stood and held me tight for a bit and sighed. ''We have to talk. Let us take a seat,'' he said, guiding me to a chair and pushing me to sit. I waited.

    ''If you give Pam a chance, she would exin better than me.

    ''Exin what, Dad? How was I taken straight after she dropped me off? Where was Scott''s team?'' I whined back at him, and I was hurting inside more than I realized to whine like that.

    ''That is why I have you here, and it is not to leave this room until it is properly announced, but then I don''t know if Pam''s part of it will ever be released to the media.

    ''Get to the point, Dad.'' I wanted short, not drawn-out exnations.

    ''Pam is an uncovered FBI agent investigating police corruption, and she has had her team watching you since the first ident. Her team, whom she has already yelled at and reported to her boss, failed you, not Scott''s team or Pam herself. She said her team nodded to her when she dropped you off, and if she had not looked in her rearview mirror, turned around, and tailed the van, we would have no idea where you had gone. She tried to get to you in time, but the traffic made it hard, and her team was taking a break, not even paying attention till it was toote. She is distraught that you got taken, and nothing you can say will hurt her more than she is hurting herself; her team let her down, and as an officer, that is the worst kind of hurt. It is like you in the theater, and having one of the assistants make an error nearly cost you your patient! Dad was driving this hard, defending her, and I felt there was more at stake here than me epting that Pam did her best. ''So, she is not at fault because she had a team there? She drove away before I even got inside; none of you would have done that; where do we draw a line, Dad? Sure, no one knew a guy was inside waiting, and the doorman was none the wiser, and I can go on with all the wrong things!

    ''Stop. I get it. It was a mixture of things, not just Pam. Does that mean you do not hold her responsible for failure to protect you?'' He sounded hopeful.

    ''Dad, you sound like you do not know me at all. Am I bitter that I was retaken? Yes. Am I ming Pam? No, she was only one piece of the whole copse. I am sure the kidnappers would find a weakness sooner orter if all were in ce. You know or should know I never hold grudges; life is too short to me on anyone''s shoulders, but the person who wanted me dead, and is Bret, is gone now along with Mum and Cynthia. Am I safe now? I don''t know; any of those linked to those three could want to get to me for losing their lucrative ie.''

    ''There are more books to decode; they have a guy who is starting to understand the coding you have; can you teach him so you do not need to decode it yourself?''

    ''Yeah, it is easy to do. It is something Cynthia and I made up years ago when we had a school project, and someone kept stealing our material, so we made a code by changing the alphabet around. Like an A is E, little things that make no sense, as the often used letters are the ones we changed, not the whole alphabet. It is easy enough to read once you have the code. We would change the letters around now and then, but once you know what you are looking at, you can easily see when it changes! ''Now the tricky question: I like Pam, and she has asked if we could be a couple; I said it all depended on you if you would ept her as your stepmother if it ever reached that far!

    ''Do you feel you can trust again, Dad? Mum did a big number on you. Are you ready to have that trust again? Are you ready to risk giving your heart to another woman?'' I had to be sure that Dad was ready.

    ''I am already on my way; I thought I had misjudged again when she failed you, and so much seemed to be against her. I hurt inside thinking she was not a good cop, but since she has exined it to me, I ept that a lot was out of her hands. He looked at me like he wanted me to say yes, but it was his life. If he stuffed it, it might break his heartpletely, and I could only be there to pick up the pieces like he had been there for me.

    ''Dad, this is your life, and I ept whatever or whoever you want in your life. You have my full support, and though she had valid excuses for failing me, she will need to start cheering for my team a little louder on Sundays! I joked. Dad pulled me into his arms and held onto me tightly.

    ''Thank you, sweetheart; you do not know how much your approval means to me. I am d you have my back, too.'' Dad understood my questioning and reasoning; I needed to know that having a bed partner had not clouded his judgment of the woman.

 Chapter 139

    Pam POV

    I was a bag of nerves as I waited for Bob and Bethany toe back. Judy seemed to push tea rather than coffee, but coffee was always the drink for most police as a thermos of tea tasted terrible when a thermos of coffee did not, or maybe it was just me. The tea was camomile, and I was not too sure about it, but I took the cup from her with thanks and took small sips all the same as the room talked about different things. Thomas held mini Bob, rubbing his back to get up some wind, as Judy had just fed him. The child was a good-looking baby. It was still tiny and slept most of the time; I was hesitant to hold him, not having much to do with children and babies in particr. I was unfamiliar with the basics of holding and burping a baby; I was happy to watch and learn. I was an only child, and my parent was long gone, lost in a ne crash, taking my aunt and uncle with them. I was at college at the time, finishing my master''s in criminology so that I could join the FBI, or that is what I wanted to do after they all died and I had sorted out their possessions. I joined the FBI and took every hard job they had. I needed to forget the pain of losing my whole family, and I had not thought of having one myself until now; looking at this loving family and the time at Hanks and Kitty and how they interact with their children showed me what I was missing out on.

    I met the woman, Samantha, after Kitty asked me to apany her to visit the woman in the hospital. The Department of Child Protection Services was going to put her three young children in care, but Kitty stepped in and took the children; they are staying with her until the mother is out of the hospital. It almost broke my heart when I saw her, and I can understand why Bethany criedter over the situation. I would happily take in children like that, where the mothers need a helping hand. Ites down to Bethany and Bob. If they are willing to give me a chance, I might see if Bob is interested in having some children. I don''t mean making him go through the nappies again, but maybe taking in some orphans or something. So we can help at least one or two children so they do not end up like Bret. I feel that Bret had no chance ever to have an everyday life; from a drug addict mother to a violent criminal father, they were given a bad example to live up to. The system failed them. Peter was old enough to know better and get a life, but Bret was too young, and giving him to his brother to raise when he was still a young man finding his feet would have put unnecessary hardship on Peter.

    I heard that Bret met Bob through a youth group that he was a part of, and that was how he ended up at Bob''s home one weekend. Bob thought he and Thomas would get along, and he most likely never dreamed that Cynthia would befriend him outside the youth group.

    Then he went to the same high school as Bethany and Cynthia, and the friendship grew, but by then, Cynthia would have had her life-changing event due to the judge and then the forced marriage to Peter to keep the two of them in line, would have devastating for both of them. Peter would fly back and forth as he had moved to another country and built up the Gutter Boys.

    That is part of why it took so long to piece Peter with the Gutter Boys. We all thought Peter and Bret were from our country, but they were both born overseas and came to this city for their wives.To ess theplete chapters for free, visit J o b nib. However, she could not get off the drugs, and things went downhill when they lost the support system they had in their country. It was easy for Peter to get back into the gang, take over, and lead them.

    Bob and Bethanying down the hall took me out of my thoughts; I think the brain never stops thinking and putting things in order; well, mine doesn''t; I like it all neat and tidy and all tied up with a neat bow. Bethany looked more rxed than when she left down the hallway.

    ''Judy, do you want a hand-making dinner? I heard we can have steaks on the grill; the boys have volunteered to cook?'' Bethany walked over to Thomas, lifted the baby from his arms, and walked away towards the kitchen, not giving me any clue as to how the meeting with her went. I looked over at Bob, and he smiled, but that was it; I still needed to figure out where I stood. I thought I would join the girls in the kitchen, but I was still determining if that was what I was supposed to do. I am new to trying to socialize, and I felt awkward and a duck out of water. Bob nodded his head towards the kitchen, and I sighed, grateful that he gave me a hint of what was expected from me.

    Judy was pulling food from the freezer in the kitchen while Bethany, with the baby in my arm, was pulling food out to make sds. I looked around and was unsure what to do, so I waited for one of thedies to tell me. Bethany looked up at me and nodded to the pantry.

    ''We could use some marinade for the steaks, and you should find all that is needed there.'' Opening the door that Bethany indicated and stopping short, it was huge, a walk-in pantry. One side had jars and tins of assorted food; the other had sauces, herbs and spices, potatoes, and, just wow, baby food. I had never seen such a massive pantry with such an array of food. I pulled out some spices and a jar of honey and soy marinade and, hoped this was what they wanted, ced them on the table. Bethany and Judy nced at what I put on the table and nodded. We worked as a team while Judy sorted the meat, using the microwave to defrost it and then into a marinade. Bethany gave me the task of peeling the spuds and dicing them small; my goal was to make potato sd. That should be pretty easy. I marveled as Bethany chopped sd with one hand and chatted away with Judy and me, mainly about the following sports day and that it would be at the penthouse if Judy wanted to join, but she was not worried, saying no. She was not into sports, but Nate and Thomas mighte over, or just Thomas, as he wants to spend more time with Bob.

    It was only briefly before Thomas entered the kitchen and took the meat, onions, and corn to the grill. We started to set out tes and cutlery on the table. The idea was to take a te, fill it with food, and take it to the lounge. It was a casual affair; jugs of juices and water were on the table, too, and napkins.

    I could hear the menughing outside as they cooked the steaks together. After a while, Judy took the baby to change its diaper and feed him again. Then, she ced him on a nket on the lounge room floor so we could rx and still see him, and he was part of thepany.

    The room was full ofughter and jokes, and sports news was on the television, but everyone needed to take more notice. I loved how they all coborated and worked as a unit. Men at the station should watch and learn. There was no anger or fighting, and everyone seemed to gel. I was so d I was here today to see this and be part of it; even if Bethany had said no and I had to wait, this day will never be forgotten; it is how a family and friends should work together. Nate came in a littleter.

    ''Steaks are almost done. The guys kicked me out and said I should be the woman. I am not sure if I should be offended or not! Nate was pouting, and it was so adorable; he is an interesting guy, and I love that he is not hiding who he is. It can be confusing, though; one minute, he is all butch like men can be at times, then next, he is swinging his hips like a woman when he wants attention and is not getting enough.

 Chapter 140

    Jacko POV

    Toby arrived on time in my office. It was just after eight in the morning before most of the team arrived. I wanted to get a feel for this guy before I sent him out to the wolves in the office. When they find out that he is Pam''s recement, there is going to be a lot of ck flying around. He was dressed in his excellent and neat uniform, not a hair out of ce; you could tell he took time to prepare, and I liked that. He was serious about getting the job, which already gave him another tick by his name, the first of which was arriving on time. He would not know he already had the job because of the rmendation I had received, which was more of a strong suggestion that you could not refuse.

    He paused at my door, his gaze fixed on me, waiting for my signal to enter. I was in the middle of a call with Pam, advising her toe in soon as her recement was here. She confirmed her arrival from the car park. I gestured for Toby to enter and take a seat. His demeanor was calm and collected, a good sign for someone stepping into a new role.

    ''Can you bring coffee?'' Pamughed on the other side of the phone, then hung up. We had a coffee shop next door, and sending her there allowed me to talk to him before she arrived.

    ''Toby, I''m interested in learning more about your journey and what brought you here. Could you share a bit about yourself?'' I asked, aiming to create a morefortable environment for him to open up.

    ''Ie from precinct.'' I held up my hand for him to stop.

    ''I know where you are from and why you are here. Now tell me a bit about you.'' I tried again. He was nervous, and I don''t me him. He had had a hard few years in his previous ce, trying to do his job when he knew his colleagues were dirty. ''Born and raised in this town, I went to the police academy as a cadet in high school and knew I wanted to be in the police force at an early age after my Dad died in a drive-by shooting. He was in the wrong ce and at the wrong time and was one of six innocent people going about their business; all six died, and the intended victim, too. I was angry for a while, but I never wanted to go out and kill for revenge; I wanted to see the man in jail for what he did to those innocent families who lost a loved one. I wanted justice, but the correct way, so I joined the cadets and have been working hard to rise in the ranks and be a good cop. Do I get things wrong? Yes, but don''t we all? I have a girlfriend, never married, and do not have children. My girlfriend cannot have them; we are considering adoption, but I would like to get a ring on her finger first before bringing a child into the mix! He sounded pretty grounded and would be a good fit here.

    Pam came in carrying three coffees and ced mine before me and one before Toby. Then, pulled out a little container of milk and sugar and put them beside Toby''s coffee.

    ''Was trying to figure out how you take your coffee.'' She shrugged, threw her bag on the floor, plopped down on the chair next to Toby, picked up her coffee, and took a sip, letting out a contented sigh, which caused me to chuckle as Toby sat and stared at Pam in shock. No, I think more disbelief. She bounded into the office, did not knock, and more or less stopped him from his spiel about himself, and her whole personality took over the office. She can be a force to reckon with when she wants to be and yet pretend to be so many other things to fit in with her undercover assignments. I think the one who just walked into the room is her. Now, her assignment is done, and I am still determining which one I like the most. Maybe the real her, she is so much more outgoing than the other

    one.

    ''So, boss, what''s the deal?'' She asked in a voice softer than I had expected. Maybe she was toning it down for the newbie. ''Pam, this is Toby, your recement. She turned and shook his hand; his eyes widened when she did, and I wondered why. ''Wee to the team; I have heard good things about you. Again, his eyes widened, and he looked at me before returning to her.

    ''You are FBI. It''s a statement, not a question.

    ''You remember, good, you will go far under Jacko''s guidance.! Pam was in an excellent mood, which makes me think she had a good timest night. I would like to know if congrattions are in order but not in front of Toby.

    Toby looked at me again, still unsure how to proceed. Good. We should keep him on his toes and see how he handles himself.

    ''Pam here will show you around.'' I grabbed my coffee and took a sip. He put sugar in his and started to drink his. It was a standoff; he had no idea what to say or do next.

    ''Toby, you said Pam was FBI; where have you seen her?'' I decided to ask the obvious question and break the fallen silence in the room.

    ''A little while ago, I went to the FBI to discuss my internal issues and how best to handle them. Pam was in that meeting. I guess you have been working here investigating?'' Good, very good.

    ''Yep, I came here to see if I could get the evidence; the information you had given us was not brushed under the carpet. I could not join that same precinct. It would be suspicious;ing here was close enough to investigate; I was on the sameputer system and could get into the information and get an idea of changes done that do not add up; your information was a good ce to start. Pam gently worded her answer. It was clear that Toby had not known the extent of the investigation, and he looked appreciative that something was done.

    ''They said they would, and it was hard to keep the faith when you could not see any progress, but the arrests recently showed that you took me seriously! He looked impressed he was not ignored.

    ''That we did, but like all evidence gathering, it took time, and sometimes that can be frustrating when it appears nothing was happening!

    I agree with you.'' Toby and I said it together, making me chuckle.

    ''When are you leaving?'' Toby asked Pam, and he appeared to be more rxed as we continued to chat.

    ''As soon as you are settled in the job, it can be a week or a month, and I do not wish to rush you!

    ''If it can be revealed, what happened to the police and told the policemissioner?'' Ah, now we are getting somewhere. He is all I was told he was, and he was not afraid to ask difficult questions. ''Do you remember the old jail?'' I asked him if he was from around here and if he should remember it.

    ''Yes, it was closed down a number of years ago, has been vandalized a few times, and is a ce for kids to hang out when bored.

    "They have refurbished it, and all the police and high officials are being held away from the ce full of convicted criminals. They are there for their safety. Once they are convicted, they will join all the other criminals. The facility was repaired after the investigation started. We had to have somewhere to house all these people, which is a secret for now; few know it has been reopened, so please keep it to yourself. I suggested it was not a big secret, but I wanted to see how he would react to being given sensitive information. ''Come, you have finished your coffee. It''s time to take you to your new office and get you settled in. Pam stood, grabbed her bag from the floor, and left the room, not turning back to see if he was following.

    ''Thank you for giving me this chance.'' He stood, shook my hand, and turned at the door, indicating whether I wanted it open or closed.

    ''Leave it open; I only close it when I have a meeting that I do not wish others to hear or if I have something important I need to do without interruption.'' He nodded and took off looking for Pam.

    Thatd will be alright; he is not afraid to speak out and, with the proper guidance, could take my chair in the future.

 Chapter 141

    Theo POV

    The home was a ce I loved to be, even better than Thomas''s peaceful home. In my private sanctuary, I can be myself, walk around n**e, and just be; plus, it is where Bethany is, and that is what makes it even better. I get a thrill just looking at her, though the ck eye still stands out and makes me sad I was not there for her.

    But regardless of the bruised face, she could not look more beautiful to me than at that moment while she stood by the window and looked out at the city below; the way the light hit her body, silhouetting her in the sun glow, made me suck in a breath and stare at her.

    We had to be at the hospital in an hour. She was dressed in her favorite cks and had her hair traveling over her left shoulder. If you did not know Bethany, you might have thought she was staged for a photo shoot. But this was her, and she most likely does not realize how gorgeous she is having always been made to feel less than Cynthia. But I prefer Bethany''s natural beauty. She does not need makeup to cover what is already perfect.

    ''Ready?'' I asked, breaking the quiet of the morning. She turned and looked at me, her eyes still a little red from some tears she had shed earlier. Bethany has these sudden moments of tears; she won''t talk about them. All I can do is be there for her andfort her the best I can.

    ''Yes. I should be okay, and you will be in there with me, so all should be fine! We had a call from Robson; we needed to operate on the child today, or we would lose her. He made the call, so here we are off to put Bethany''s experimental heart in the child. It all sounds fanciful and hopeful. If you had asked me only a few months ago if this was possible, I would haveughed at the suggestion.

    We took the service car, and neither of us felt like walking; when we arrived, many eyes followed Bethany and looked shocked at her bruised face; she did not try to hide it; she said why should she? It is proof she had gone through a rough moment and survived. It was an exciting way to look at it, wearing her scars with pride. That''s my girl, and I am proud to walk alongside her.

    Robson greeted us as we headed to the scrub''s room after Bethany went to herb, picked up the heart still in a unique solution, protecting it from airborne germs, and filled us in on what had transpired over thest few days as they tried to strengthen the child. She was going downhill too fast. There was no fight left in her. The parents have epted that this might be the end and have said their goodbyes before she is wheeled into the theater, but it does not stop them from hoping that Bethany can pull off a miracle. Seeing the little one lying there on the bed, looking so frail, breaks the heart. Bethany sucked in a breath and looked at her staff, all looking at her for the go.

    ''Drake, how is she?'' Bethany''s voice was calm and polite; you would not know she was shaking like a leaf and worried about this operation. Not just the experimental heart, but the condition of the child was not ideal.

    The operation took an hour longer than predicted; once inside her chest, there was a lot to repair, and fortunately, Bethany had grafts ready for this. I marvel at the ability to predict possible oues, things you can''t correctly see till you are in the chest. Robson was watching from above; I nced up once when a nurse put a straw in my mouth, his concentration on the operation, watching every move, every stroke with the knife; it was as if he was the one doing the operation. Bethany POV

    I was struggling towards the end of the operation; it had been very long hours and challenging for my first operation back. This child needed me to stay concentrated and give her the best chance of survival, but all I wanted to do was put the scalpal down and go to bed. But I still had a long way to go; at least I could get Theo close, which would give me the break I needed.

    Internally, I cheered when it was time to close, and the child survived so far. I had my doubts once we opened up her chest. I had little to work with, and putting her on a heart machine to keep her going while I reced the organ that was supposed to be her heart was a miracle she had lived this long. Being born with heart disease is hard on both the child and the parents. The mother usually questions all she had done through the pregnancy as if something she had done caused it; more often than not, it is gic, and there was little they could have changed in pregnancy to make any difference to the oue. I want to research the gic side of things and see if there is some way to change that oue, but the need for recement hearts has been pushing me to continue with that and leave the other side to other hospitals that are looking into the DNA side of it. Though I am happy to continue creating better hearts, finding a way to stop its gic side should be highly important. I feel I am putting a bandaid on when I should be looking to prevent it from happening.

    I was exhausted and needed to lie down. My head was spinning, and my back was aching; I leaned into Theo and whispered.

    ''Got to goy down, wake me if something happens. Theo nodded and continued to talk with the family and Robson.

    My room could note into view fast enough. It was the same room I had been upying while I was on the mend, and without even taking off my shoes, I fell into bed and fell asleep quickly.

    Theo POV

    It was done, and it is now left to the child. The heart was pumping blood around the body, and Bethany left me to close the chest as she headed to herb and theputer. She wanted to check that it worked at the right rates, which needed to be tweaked.

    They wheeled the child to the recovery room in theb, in the istion section, where Mr Green had been. I headed to Robson, who would chat with the parents; Bethany would join us after she had checked theputer reports. The child was still alive, which was a good start; now, it is up to how much fight is left in the child. Robson had just told them she had made it through the operation when Bethany entered the room. The parents rushed over to her, and the group hugged her, startling her out of her thoughts. She looked over at Robson with questions in her eyes.

    ''They did not expect her toe out of the operation; they are grateful that she might have a chance to live now she has the new heart. Robson filled Bethany in and waited for the parents to release her.

    ''The reports show that the heart is operational and working as it should. It''s too early to know if there will beplications, but the oxygen levels in her blood are already on the way up, so far so good.'' Bethany looked at the parents, expecting questions. ''When can we see her?'' I had expected that question, but not the first one.

    ''She is in the research istion ward. You can see her through the window.

    Robson led them to the research wing, and we looked at the young child in the bed. Bethany organized a smaller bed for herself and decorated the room with cartoon characters and other children''s themes to make it less hospital and more homely. The child''s mother whimpered and put her hand on the window as if trying to touch her daughter through the window; it was a touching moment. The father wrapped his arm around the wife, and both stared at the child briefly. ''How long before we can enter her room?'' The mother asked softly.

    ''This room, not at all; when Bethany gives the all clear, we shall move her to Dr Theo''s hospital side, and he will take over her again. Don''t worry. Bethany will continue to monitor the heart and discuss any changes with Theo, but once out of this room, she signs over the aftercare to Theo, and he will make the call as to when you can hold your child again. They nodded, never looking like they wanted to argue, and did not bring up the fact that the child could still pass away. Standing here looking in the window, they looked hopeful.

    ''Can wee and look in this window anytime?'' The father asked, and I was surprised it was him who asked that question.

    ''Yes, any time. Saun, our media representative, might like to talk to you again. I believe you have met him already and have given an interview; he will be here to take photos. As he has with all the research patients, he is documenting the before and after. Robson was careful how he worded this; he did not want to make it sound like he was making promises that he could not keep, at the same time, giving the impression that this was a total sess.

    I looked at Bethany as she looked at something on her tablet. Her fingers tapped on something every now and then watched her screen a bit longer. She had a graph up that I had never seen before, and it had many different colored lines moving up and down, a lot like a heart monitor, but this heart does not work the same way, so it was a little confusing for me, and I was looking forward to hearing all about itter.

    Bethany was starting to look tired; this was the first operation since her incident, and her muscles must be aching. I had worked hard on getting them stretched and nimble again, but only time will tell how she had recovered from the car ident and subsequent harm done to her.

 Chapter 142

    Theo

    POV

    Saun took a few photos of the child and the parents, gathering as much as he could for a press release. Robson would approve it before it was sent to the public. This was a huge deal; we wanted it all to go well. So far, so good with the child. Her oxygen saturation was good, and that was my main worry. She had been slightly blue when she was on the operating table.

    Atst, the parents left the building; after some strong encouragement from Robson, it was nned that the child would be kept sedated for at least twenty-four hours, and the parents could return tomorrow and see how she was doing. They wanted to stay for the twenty-four hours, but that was just silly. What would they do, stand all that time and stare through the window?

    Robson, Saun, and I sat at the table in the research wing, reviewing the photos and picking out the ones we wanted to use. While we looked at the pictures, Saun''s fingers flew over the keyboard, writing the story to apany them. Saun includedments about the monkey and Mr. Green and how they had high hopes of sess with this operation, which would pave the way for other young children in the same condition.

    ''That looks good, Saun. Release it. Robson signed the paper for the release, and Saun left. Together, Robson and I went to theputer and opened the child''s charts; the heart was working well, and everything looked to be on schedule. This little one had a lot of fight left in her, even though it did not look that way before the operation, and we thought she was not going to make it off the table.

    ''She is going to make, I just know it.'' Robson said, looking more enthusiastic than when Saun was here earlier. He wanted to wait to make predictions of sess. No matter how good it seems, when ites to children, they can change in seconds; in one moment, you are singing sess, and in the next, you have a child going downhill so fast you can barely keep them alive.

    ''Come on, let''s get something to eat and talk! Robson led me down to the cafeteria and brought us curry and rice. He carried it to an outdoor table, and we sat under a tree and devoured our meal.

    ''How is Bethany doing?'' Robson looked at me with concern. Things had not been easy for her, and it was not over yet. Jacko said that she would have to go to court as a witness. I am sure she wants all this behind her and to get on with her life; that is how I feel. ''Tired and sore, but coping. Spending time at Thomas''s house helped. You should have seen her with the baby; she is a natural.'' I spoke with pride in my voice. You would think I was talking about my own baby.

    ''It has been traumatic for her. I was concerned about her mental state, but she seemed to be calm and in control in the theater.''

    ''Bethany held her own. She was finding it hard towards the end, and that is why she asked me to close. On the whole, all went well. She will need a spa and massage tonight, and her muscles will be sore from the long hours of standing!'' I joked and got the chuckle response I was aiming for.

    ''Don''t let her sleep too long, or she won''t sleep tonight. Take her out for a nice meal, grab a takeaway, and give her that massage you were talking about. Robson stood up, collected the trash, and threw it away; I walked alongside him as we headed back inside. Robson had a lot on his mind and paperwork to do, documenting the operation; depending on how this goes, it might end up being a training video at some point.

    ''Sweetheart! I whispered in Bethany''s ear, kissing her lobe. She groaned and stretched before rolling over and looking up at me.

    ''Hummm?'' She murmured sleepily.

    ''It is Time to get up. It is nearly eight o''clock, and you need to eat. Come home, and I will give you a massage and feed you. I nudged her gently, and she groaned butplied, sitting up and looking around the room. ''How''s the child doing?'' She asked as she walked over to the bathroom. I leaned against the door frame as Bethany washed her face and tried to say something. I am still trying to figure out what was said. ''Takeaway?'' Bethany repeated.

    ''Sure, or we can stop at the food hall and eat there before getting you home for a spa and massage; you will need it. I pushed again. I really wanted to give her a massage. I am sure it will lead to more than a massage if it is anything likest time.

    ''Food hall sounds good; I am not sure what I am in the mood for. We stopped to check on the child before leaving for the night. Last time, Bethany fretted and stayed all night when Mr Green was operated on. I am unsure why she agreed not to keep up this time, but I am happy she agreed. I would have put her in the spa and given her a massage here at work, but it would have been much nicer to be home.

    We walked down the hall to the lifts to leave the hospital; the staff epted we were an item now, as I had not been propositioned in a while. Thank goodness.

    The food hall was packed; Bethany said she would find us a table and get her a steak, easy peasy. I lost sight of her and had to weave between a lot of people before I saw her sitting at a table at the back. sses of water and utensils were on the table, and she was watching me head towards her, smiling. I was going to. This girl had me under her spell, and I loved it. There is little I would not do to make this girl happy.

    We ate andughed, and seeing that she was not holding back was good. Her appetite was back to pre-ident days, eating as much as I do, and I could not see any hint of remorse or tears, just tiredness. That was good to see; it was not the tiredness, but she was still not hurting by all that had happened to her.

    ''What happened with Pam and your Dad?'' I wondered what happened; Bob seemed to have forgiven her for her slip-up. ''She exined that another crew was watching me and sent Scott''s team home because it waste, and she did not seem to think we needed both teams if we were doing an all-nighter, but I got too tired to do more when they found more of the books I had given them, was in code. I will teach someone to trante, so I do not need to do that any longer than a guy called Toby. Dad asked me to forgive and forget, so I am trying. I thought she was a traitor and was shocked when she arrived at Thomas''s house. Dad and Pam are going to see if they can manage a rtionship. Dad likes her a lot!''

    ''How do you feel about that?'' This was news to me; I had been so unsure of Pam and her motives right from the start; she came on too strong for my liking, trying too hard to be by Bob''s side. I hope he knows what he is doing and that I have read this all wrong. I know that sounds strangeing from me, but she rubbed me the wrong way, a gut feeling she was hiding something. Maybe she had revealed what the is to Bob, and that is why he had forgiven her.

    ''If Dad is happy, then I am so excited for him. He has had a hard time with Wendy and her cheating ways, only to find out he was never married to her, any more than I was married to Bret. We were both hoodwinked, and we were both feeling a little bitter about that. Dad, I had a good talk, and I have Dad''s back if it works out well. If it doesn''t, he gave it a good go. I will be there for him to help him pick up the pieces of his life again!''

    ''Sounds like a good n. I am right beside you on this one. If Bethany feels it is good, I will trust her instincts. ''Thanks. On another matter, I was thinking of shifting out of the penthouse.'' What the? I thought she liked the ce. What do you mean you are leaving the Penthouse?'' I wanted to scream and shout no.

 Chapter 143

    Bob POV

    Pam and I were sitting at a nice, quiet restaurant. She wanted to talk some more, and I wanted to try my hand at something romantic; I was rusty as hell, and it felt good to try and be the gentleman I knew I could be. During my time with Wendy, that side of me got squashed so many times once we were married (that is a joke, ''married.'' If only I had known, I would not have hung around for that long.) Anyway, I wanted to see if I still had it in me and to find the lost me, the one my Mother and Father raised me to be. Somewhere along the line, I lost it all and tried to stay away from the so-called family home as much as possible, pushing myself into my work. I am grateful that Bethany and Thomas never gave up on me.

    ''I am only thirty-eight; I know you are forty-seven; are you too old for children?'' What the? Kid? I''m Not sure where that came from, but I love kids, and I thought I would take on some foster care kids when things were settled and before Pam came into my life. Kitty talked me into looking at that side: temporary care for kids like Samatha''s who are innocent of wrongdoing and stuck in a bad situation.

    ''I have been considering bing a foster Dad, taking in children that are disced due to parent or parents, in hospital and no family to take them in, and there are so many out there, it is a bit unfair for the child to be sucked in an overloaded foster system, I think I could handle one or two, in my home for the time the parent is incapacitated. I hope I worded that right.

    ''What about your own child? Would you take on another one? Would you consider being a Dad again with me?'' Where is thising from? Has her biological clock started to tick, reminding her she is not young anymore and if she would like a child of her own, she better start looking at it now? Am I okay with a baby to wake me up early in the morning for feeding? Could I do that again? I thought of mini Bob and remembered how much I enjoyed holding him.

    ''To be honest, I had not given it much thought; I was getting long in the tooth and did not even have a girlfriend to consider it. What is going on? Is your clock ticking, and you singled me out to be the donor?'' Ouch, that did note out like I wanted it to. ''Not really. My clock never hit me like I hear so many baron women have, but we did not have protection thest time we were together, and the result is a little on the way. I am going to keep it, and I wanted to know if you wish to be part of the child''s life as a partner. Pam is pregnant. This is huge, and I am going to be a Dad again.

    ''Stop before you say something; both don''t need to be said. Of course, I want to be in the child''s life; it is my blood, and I want to be there for everything; how about we get married, for real, and not Vegas? That ce has left a bad taste in my mouth. ''Married? Are you sure?'' She gasped at me, shocked I had suggested such a thing.

    ''Look, Pam, I want this child. It will have my name on that birth certificate, and if I am going to live with you, I should do it correctly. You can fight me on this if you wish, but... Pam lifted her hand and ced her finger on my lips to stop me from talking. ''Thank you. I have never been married, and I know yours was not real, either. Hank''s friend is a celebrant and can wed us privately, and I presume you would want your family with us. One shock is that you''re going to be a Dad while just bing a grandfather, which is going to be interesting. I am sure they will love that the child will grow up with them. I am still shocked. I am going to do better with this child. Oh, how is Bethany going to take this? I hope she and Thomas will be okay with it. I need to ask Jacko if he would be my best man. There is so much to think about.

    ''How about we announce it at Hanks''s ce this Sunday? It''s sports day, and the people I love most will be there!

    ''Perfect! Pam said, and I am excited to be a Dad again and hopefully get it right. Bethany POV

    We were sitting in the lounge. I had just made coffee, and Theo was walking back and forth, waiting for me to exin why I did not wish to stay here any longer. At the food hall, I had asked to wait until we got home to talk about it, and now it was time, and I was

    nervous.

    ''Come here and talk to me. Are you unhappy with our rtionship, and is this your way of breaking up with me? What is going on?'' He was getting all worked up anding to all sorts of wrong conclusions.

    I ced the coffee on the table, walked over to him, wrapped my arms around him, and rested my head on his chest. This stopped him from pacing, and after a moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in close and tight; he sighed and kissed my hair, unsure what to do with himself. He led me to the lounge and sort of pushed me to sit down. He sat beside me, holding my hand and waiting.

    ''I spoke to a friend of mine, and he confirmed what I had suspected. I had not intended for this to happen, and I would like to know how this is going to affect the research and all the nning that Robson did. It has taken me a bit for it all to sink in, and I know this is going to affect you in a big way, too.''

    ''Can you stop with the riddles and spit it out? The suspense is driving me crazy. I need to know what I got to change or fix!'' He butted in and blurted out, almost shouting at me.

    ''First off, I had thought of moving because of the incident. It made me realize that it does not matter if I had good doormen or bodyguards. If someone wants to get to me, they can; they are desperate enough to find a way, and I cannot keep walking around looking over my shoulder in fear that they are going to grab me again! I had struggled with that since I was taken the first time, and now, a second time, I understand they will find a way if they really want something bad enough.

    ''Yes, we have asked Scott to review the tapes and find out how it all came about; we can get better security; we do not need to move to be safe. He does not get it yet, but he will.

    ''I need a garden to grow my tomatoes, peas, and flowers; I want my ownb, where I can get lost for hours and not have some nurse or doctore banging on the window just to wave hello. I need a ce for my children to run around and y in. I say softly, throwing it all out there for him to digest.

    ''Have you considered where you might like to live? Some really lovely homes near where my Dad lives are up for sale. They all have about an acre ofnd to y in and grow vegetables and flowers. He sounded relieved that I was breaking up with him. ''Yeah, I would like to look at homes in that area. It seemed to be a nice ce. Plus, it has a school bus that runs by!''

    ''Is there more to this that you have yet to tell me? Is Mum pressuring you or something?''

    ''Nope, nothing like that. You are going to be a Dad. I got it out. Trying to give him hints does not work.

    ''Me a Dad, are you sure?''

    ''Yeah, the friend that confirmed it was your Dad when he came to see how I was doing after thetest k********g.

    ''So Mum and Dad know before me?'' He sounded wounded.

    ''Nope, only your Dad because I used him to confirm my suspicions. He kept his doctor-patient confidentiality but pushed me to tell you soon!''

    ''Will you marry me?'' That was different from what I expected as a reply to all this news.

    ''Sure, how about in three weeks at your parent''s ce, Hank can get his man in to be a celebrant? At least we know to trust that one to get the marriage registered correctly!''

    ''Okay, we can announce it on Sunday at the sports day, when everyone is there. Theo pulled me to him and kissed me deeply, then abruptly left me sitting there stunned. He returned, knelt on the floor before me, and produced a ring; he took it out of the box and slid it onto my finger.

    ''Wow, this is so gorgeous! I lunged at him, and he managed to catch me. Together, we fell backward onto the floor. He was quick to try to protect me from the fall.

 Chapter 144

    Unknown Person POV

    ''What do you mean the card was denied? It''s impossible,'' I yelled at the person on the other end of the phone.

    ''Sorry, boss. The card was rejected again, and ording to the woman, the report said the ount was closed. The employee replied nervously as he returned the third card to me, which was rejected again. This cannot be happening. ''Leave it with me; I will check it out. In the meantime, use Joe''s card. I was angry and frustrated. Who would cheat me? I phoned to find out if any of the others had the same issue but could not reach anyone. This was so strange; I should have been able to get someone.

    I hung up in frustration as this call went to message bank, just like many of my other attempts, and did something I vowed never to do. I logged onto the inte and tried to check out the ount. The man on the phone was correct; the inte said the ount did not exist, and neither did the other four I tried to log into. That was over one billion dors; Peter and Bret had better not have cleaned out the ounts and gone into hiding.

    I called my man from another country, who should have been able to track them down if they had done a runner on me. ''Sir? What is your pleasure?'' The deep voice asked.

    ''Find out what is going on with Peter and the others. Something is going down, and I want to know what it is. I hung up the phone, not waiting for an answer. He would do as needed, no questions asked.

    I surfed the inte but found nothing about the woman or Peter and Bret in the news. Sure, it won''t be their names, but the organization''s name as the people running the event. Please visit J o b nib and search the book title to read the entire book for free. That was strange. There is usually a wedding or other event on the inte that they had arranged; we had a code word for each event where we wereundering money. It has been over a month since there has been any action.

    Is the heat on them, and they have to go quiet? But that does not exin the money disappearing.

    What is going on?

    Where is my money? It is too much to disappear, and I cannot just phone the bank. I have to avoid any noticeable contact at the banks, but not knowing what is happening is hard. I want my money back, fast. I am shocked it could move without my noticing or being contacted about it. The guys usually tell me when significant transactions happen or the bank contacts my ountant.

    If I do not get good news soon, it is time to go on an overseas holiday and find out for myself. Jacko POV

    Pam came knocking at my door, which was still early in the morning. Only a few were in the office, just a few working on a case requiring them to do some overtime. I looked up when she knocked, and she raised her hand to show off the coffee and muffins. I waved her in, and she ced a coffee and blueberry muffin on my desk and sat opposite me. Taking a sip of that elixir of life this early in the morning and moaned a sign of pleasure.

    ''What''s the asion for this early morning surprise?'' I asked, my curiosity piqued. I took a bite of the muffin, knowing it would be a while before I could call down to get breakfast. ''Toby, is the one you want me to take to meet Bethany to teach the coding?''

    ''Yeah, Toby''s the one. He has some decoding experience, so he''ll pick it up quickly. Plus, he has yet to learn much about Bethany and her link to the case, which is good. I don''t want him to form preconceived notions about her based on gossip. It''s easy to judge someone before you know the facts, and I don''t want that for Toby and have that get in the way of his learning from a reliable source. Not that Bethany would allow it to be a problem; she would most likely just shrug it off and let him make an i***t of himself. ''I can take him to her at lunchtime; she should finish her work at the hospital by then. I will call her and confirm it before talking to Toby!

    ''Sounds good, make it happen. The sooner we decode thosest few books, the sooner we''ll have all the facts. And the sooner we have all the facts, the sooner we can resolve this case as beingpleted. My gut says something else is missing, and I just can''t put my finger on it, but I can''t waste more time thinking about the what-ifs and need to get back to the facts and find a trail, and that is what I am hoping thesest few books will do.

    ''There is something else I wanted to talk about. Pam looked nervous about this following conversation, and I get the feeling this is the true reason she is here in my office, not the Toby issue.

    ''Go on.'' If I had not looked at her, I would have missed the sudden sh of embarrassment in her eyes and the flush of pink in her cheeks before it was gone. Interesting.

    ''I am not transferring to the FBI here in town. I phoned my boss, and we discussed it. I can be a consultant if needed and keep in touch; he is okay with me retiring from the FBI once Toby is ready to go it alone, or he can retire earlier and be called in if you feel he needs more training in an area. I did not see thating. I thought she would be in the FBI until she retired at a ripe old age.

    ''Why is that? My dear.'' My curiosity peaked. Did something change in the rtionship with Bob, and being in the FBI is frowned upon? But that does not make sense; the FBI would have taken her out of fieldwork and into a desk job, which might not suit her, but then, if she is a consultant, desk work is more or less what she would do. Wouldn''t it?

    ''I am getting married and working on having a family. It has been agreed that we both do not need to work, and I can set my sights on my future domesticated life. She looked like she was glowing, which told me that the family part was already on the way, but I was not going to ask. Well, something good hase out of all of this.

    ''Bob? I asked, hoping I was right. He deserved a life change, and he and Pam seemed to hit it off almost immediately.

    ''Yep, he proposedst night.'' She raised her hand and showed me a ring on her finger; he must have brought that secretly. I thought he shared everything with me.

    ''Congrattions, that is good news. You will make a good team. Do you have any clue when the big day will be?'' I hope I am invited.

    ''We are looking at a day in September. So clear your calendar. We both expect you to be there,'' she demanded, and Iughed at her. My phone took that moment to ring.

    ''I will let you get that!'' Pam almost skipped out of my office, leaving me shaking my head in amusement.

    ''Morning, this is... I did not get to finish my greeting when the excited person jumped in.

    ''The bait has been nibbled; I repeat, the bait has been nibbled. The excited voice of my watcher called through the phone, almost bursting my eardrum.

    ''I take it someone has logged online to check where the money has gone, or should I say, someone, we did not expect.'' I felt this might be my gut feeling I have had, just getting real.

    ''Yeah, it is, and you will never believe who it is. I am so ready to take this person down. My man was still almost shouting down the phone.

    ''You need to get out of your office more; you are too excited about this. I chuckled, trying to think who it was to have my fellow so worked up. This sounded more like something personal and not just catching a kingpin.

    ''Yeah, I hear you, but I am so d I hung around. I was about to log out and go to bed when the alert came in. He was not shouting any longer but was still sounding super excited.

 Chapter 145

    Bethany

    POV

    Theo was great; I had not expected him to get down on one knee, and now I am engaged. I was worried about telling him about being with child, but he was more excited about bing a Dad than I was about being a Mum. I hope that saying the apple does not fall far from the tree is false; I dread the thought of my child going through the rejection as I did. I am sure Theo won''t let that happen.

    When we arrived, the hospital had a higher level of guards at the door. Luckily, we used thepany vehicle and did not walk as I had intended, but Theo said no. The wind was cool, and he was an overprotective father-to-be, so to keep the peace, I went along with it. The guards stepped aside at the door and let us in, blocking people behind us from entering. ''Hey, howe they can enter and we can''t?'' someone behind us bellowed, but the door closed before I could hear the reply. ''What is going on?'' Theo asked a passing nurse.

    ''The media released an update on the child, and the hospital has been swamped.'' She continued down the hallway and out of sight.

    It was an unspoken rule not to mention patients'' names outside their rooms; we did not want others to listen to private information. Hence, the nurses say child and do not mention their names; no one wants to have abel for letting out personal information. Robson is very strict on this. Patient confidentiality is vital. It is amazing how you sit near a nurse''s or doctor''s station at a hospital and listen to them talk about a patient-not considering the person listening close by getting vital information that should not be told outside the family.

    Theo leads me to Robson''s room, coffee in hand for us all on a cardboard tray, and I am holding muffins; we stop at his door and knock and wait.

    ''Morning.'' I greet Robson, who looks a mess. He ran his hands through his hair a number of times, as it was sticking up, causing me to giggle.

    ''What?'' Robson asked when he heard my giggle.

    ''You look like you have had a hard night.'' Theo answers for me, and I chuckle again as I look at him.

    ''The phones have been ringing nonstop, and people are starting to gather outside; it had been Mayhem; I have had to get Scott to send men over to keep them out of the ambnce bay and the road in and out. Otherwise, you would not have made it close to the hospital. Robson looked frazzled for the first time since I met him.

    ''What''s going on?'' Theo asked the burning question.

    ''The press release that Saun put out this morning has everyone queueing up; anyone who has a child that has a heart condition is pushing their child on us!

    ''What press release? What has happened overnight?'' I asked, still waiting to receive an update on the little girl.

    ''The girl is awake and sitting up; it is a miracle; check on her; she has recovered so quickly in only a few days. Robson stood up and walked with us to my wing, and I was shocked to hear that she was doing well; I had only taken her off the sedatives yesterday, and I expected another day of grogginess.

    We entered my wing, and standing outside her room, looking through the window, were her parents; they turned to look who had arrived, and the mother virtually threw herself at me and clung to me, thanking me over and over again. I looked over her head, and there, sitting up and waving to Theo and Robson, was the young girl full of smiles. Her color was good; the new heart appeared to be doing well and better than anyone could imagine. I would have thought having your chest cut open, she would be stillying down and recuperating, but she is full of life and glowing, not at all as she should look. I remember Mr Green bouncing back way too quickly, too.

    ''Wow, what is the press release? Did it include a picture of her looking like that?'' Theo said, looking at her through the window.

    ''Yes, a before-and-after picture. Everyone is calling it a miracle and is pushing for more information on when we can start mass production!

    ''It is a little early to be talking mass production; it is not even a week yet. The mother was back next to her husband, staring at her child with a giant smile on her face.

    I leave them at the window and go through the process of getting gowned up before entering the room.

    ''Hi, Sweetie, how do you feel?'' I asked as I looked at her. I do not put charts on the end of beds; like other hospitals, I do everything through the app on my tablet.

    ''When can I leave here and get a hug from my Mum? She looks like she needs it. I chuckled at her words. How considerate of her, not thinking of her own needs, but she might need a hug, too. I was pleased with the results. There was no sign of any rejection, though I would have been surprised if there was, and she looked ready to go to the ward.

    ''How about we send you to the ward and have Dr Theo take over your treatment?'' I told her I thought she could go to a private room and her parents could be by her side.

    ''You not be my doctor anymore?''

    ''I will be around, but Dr. Theo will take over once you leave this room. He will organize your nurse for when you go home and the physio. You need more help once you leave me. I will keep an eye on you through this. I brought the tablet to her and showed her the graphs and their meaning. I told her that as long as that heart was in her body, this would keep track of what was happening.

    Having epted that I would not abandon her, she perked up.

    ''I can leave here today?''

    ''Yes, I will let them know so I can prepare a room for you, and you can leave shortly. Is that okay, sweetie?''

    ''You bet I am going to watch through the window and see Mum''s face when you tell her; I bet you she cries and then hugs you like when you first arrived.'' Iughed and told her no bet because I agreed with her.

    I removed the gown and headed out to the parents, and true to the little girl''s prediction, the mother held onto me and cried. Theo nodded and left to get a room sorted out, and Robson was over the moon; he said once the child was settled in her new room, he would have Saune and take more pictures and prepare for another press release.

    ''Bethany, how are you?'' Robson asked when I had moved to my office to get the paperwork for the child to move into Theo''s care.

    ''I am fine.''

    ''You have a look about you!

    ''I am going to have a child. We will announce it to our family on Sunday. I was going to see you to talk about working from home. I am looking at buying a house closer to Hank and setting up my ownb there to make the hearts. I am only half an hour away if you need me for any emergency, and I thought a few times a week, I coulde in here.

    ''Before I go into, congrattions, and how does Theo feel about this?''

    ''He got down on his knee.

    Weughed and talked about the changes I needed to make and the outcry for my heart. He agreed it was too soon to suddenly say it was a great sess and that we should continue as we had been and take each case at a time. This craziness was not expected, and Robson is under pressure from the medical board to have the heart and results ready for some big meeting they want to call; he, at the moment, is putting all that off, saying that he needs more time to put something together for them, which we both knew was not wholly urate, we could have thrown something together, but it would not be up to the standards Robson would like as a presentation.

    At the end of the day, the young girl was in a private room, where her Mother and Father were gathered around her, making a fuss, and Saun was there clicking away; if it were not so serious, I would haveughed at the sight. Theo had her settled, and two nurses were nearby all the time.

    Outside, the media circus was fighting to get to the front, while the public was camped near the doors, making it harder for them to get to the front. The security guards were working overtime to keep some people trying to break through the blockade they had set up for emergency vehicles and for us to get in and out. I am still at a loss as to the whole crowding thing going on; I was just d that my picture was not used in the release. Robson had to work harder to keep the doctors and nurses safe, not that the crowd was violent or anything like that; it was the overcrowding that we could not handle; we did not need a lot of people to break in to look at the child.

 Chapter 146

    Theo POV

    The week flew by, and with the public and media sitting outside the hospital, it was an annoyance but peaceful; we hardly had a chance to think. Bethany, bubbling with excitement, was taking it all in her stride, and now she had finished her side. She was staying home and going through virtual views of homes, and it seems she had pinpointed two that she liked, and we were going to look at them today. It was Saturday and a day closer to our much-anticipated announcement; it had been hard to keep it a secret. Dad knew Bethany was pregnant and had asked when the big reveal was, so he knew we would say something on Sunday; he had not been told I had proposed. I wanted at least one surprise for him, though I doubt he would expect anything less of me. The SUV pulled up at the front of our building, and we climbed in and gave the driver the address to meet the realtor. Bethany was excited to view the house and hoped it was as good as the online walk. The realtor was an overly dressed woman. I am still determining how she will walk around the backyard in stilettos; they are unsuitable for gravel or grass. My sister Cindy said she walks on tiptoes on grass so the heels do not sink in. That would make your calves ache the following day if you had to do that for too long. What women put themselves through in the name of fashion, I am d few men had that sort of fashion problem.

    ''Hello, I''m Mandy. Allow me to guide you! She extended her hand to me,pletely disregarding Bethany. I felt a surge of irritation, but I suppressed it as Bethany chuckled and breezed past the woman. Bethany veered towards the side gate, ignoring Mandy''s insistence on using the front door. We could hear Mandy struggling to keep up as we explored the yard, the sheds, and finally, the granny t Bethany was keen on converting into ab.

    We whispered about what we saw, and with unwavering confidence, Bethany was all set on making this our new home. It had everything she wanted or needed, so we finished out the back and headed inside. Mandy tried to lead the way, but again, Bethany ignored her, as she had ignored her when we first arrived. Petty as it may seem, Mandy got the message loud and clear and could not try to make it up to Bethany. She followed her around, trying to point things out, and I held back, chuckling to myself. Bethany was buying the house; this woman did not need to try so hard to sell it; the house sold itself if the right buyer looked at it. In the end, Bethany offered less than the asking price; in ast-ditch effort, Mandy tried to make her give a higher offer, but Bethany refused to budge with her unyielding confidence. What I am sure annoyed Mandy was that this ce had been on the market for a long time; when the owners received a cash offer, they epted it with no counteroffer, which I am sure Mandy would have tried to push for. ''What about your Penthouse? Would you like to put it on the market?'' Mandy asked me, but that was another mistake, assuming I was the owner.

    ''No, thank you. We have something already nned, Bethany said, and Mandy turned to look at her, giving Behtany a stink eye. I chuckled.

    ''The Penthouse is not mine; it belongs to Bethany! Mandy was shocked and then turned beet red. We left Mandy and returned home.

    Because the house was empty, Bethany added a use for ess to start the renovation. After reading a cash sale, the owner was happy to be rid of the house and did not worry it would fall through. With that in mind and keys in hand, Bethany started calling in people to paint and carpet the ce and was now talking to someone about the granny t being turned into ab. She spoke all sorts of jargon I had just heard when she added, remember to get the correct permissions; I want to avoid problemster for incorrect instation. I had not thought of that. My pride swelled even higher for my girl.

    ''What are you going to do with the Penthouse?'' I asked as we nestled in the lounge, watching the sports news on tomorrow''s game.

    ''I''m not sure yet; I have not given it much thought. We could ask Felicity if she has friends who want to buy or rent it! Wow, how thoughtful.

    ''Felicity will be so pleased that you consider her feelings about pregnancy. Sam said her emotions are all over the ce.'' I am listening to Sam constantlyin about the roller coaster he is going through, and it is preparing me for when Bethany starts; it will be annoying, but I am there for her through it all. Each time she loses it, I am going to remind myself that I have a child making all these emotions rise and see if that will help me keep my head and support her even more.

    ''We can ask her tomorrow at Dad''s when we announce the baby and surprise them where we are moving. Mum will be so thrilled that we will be that close.

    ''I am counting on it; I might need a babysitter when I get called into the hospital!

    ''You will continue to work at the hospital?''

    ''Of course, Robson has another researcher in mind and will consider bringing him in soon. But he will look to research other areas and leave the trial hearts to me. Or the ones I am building with this newpound? The body seems to be epting it without the usual fight. I wish I could have keyhole heart transnts; cutting open the chest is not only hard on the body but leaves a nasty scar. I have been experimenting with using less of a break but cannot find a way. Bethany was harder on herself than anyone else. I pulled her to me and snuggled in while her team was on the news. She growled at onement and then ranted about how insane that was. Then, out of the blue, she changed the subject.

    ''What do you think of Nate?'' Now, that was a baited question.

    ''He makes meugh. I say, being careful, as I needed to figure out where this questioning was going.

    ''He came into the kitchen swinging his hips a lot like Mandy was at you andined how the men kicked him away from the grill and told him to join thedies; he was not sure if he should take that as apliment or an insult. Sometimes, I think he had no clue who he was. Sometimes, he wants to hang with the men, and other times, be in the kitchen with thedies; it must be hard to want both! Ah, poor Nate, he hadmented about how Thomas was cooking the steak, kicked him away, and told him to be with the woman; I guess he took it to heart.

    ''Nate is special; he can fit in anywhere and has a great sense of humor!

    ''That he does. He took over the kitchen, almost brushing Judy and me out of the way, as if what we were doing was all wrong; poor Pam did not know what was going on and froze as she watched Judy growl at him and told him to get back into his box, I guess he tried to take over both the cooking of the steaks and the kitchen food. Judy said he loves to cook and is often the one to be in the kitchen cooking something delicious. Lucky girl.''

    ''He is going to be there tomorrow along with Judy and Thomas. Kitty wanted to hold the baby but was getting so clucky now. Samantha is out of the hospital and has returned the children, making her feel a little lost!''

    ''Oh, I had no idea they wereing too. That is perfect! Bethany''s spirit seemed to pick up after hearing they wereing.

 Chapter 147

    Bob POV

    ''Babe, that house you wanted is gone, but the one next door is still avable.'' I called out to Pam, who was making us a snack; we decided to buy a house. I thought it would be better than raising a child in an apartment; we both wanted space for the child to run around, and this house was near Hank. Pam and Kitty got along well so far, and Pam thought it would be nice to be close to her. Some she could go to for advice on the little one; being a nurse, too, would give her peace of mind.

    We were both keen on making life suitable for the child. We talked long into the night about all sorts of things, each having slightly different opinions on a number of them, but one that we both agreed on was selling our apartment and getting a house. The one Pam liked the most was gone, so we are going for the second choice, right next door; if we get to know the new owners, we will rib them for getting the house first. I am sure they will rib right back about us needing to be faster.

    ''Call the realtor and get her over here so we can put an offer on the other one. Please.'' I called a woman named Sarah, who would be over in half an hour to draw up the offer. I liked this youngss, and we will give her our apartments to list and sell for us. ''Do you want new carpet and paint the walls?'' I needed to know the level of work I would have when we moved in.

    ''Nope, the carpet looked new, and I want to wait to find out the child''s s*x before painting the room; we can put wallpaper in the nursery with those children''s motifs; they looked cute. Please visit J o b nib and search the book title to read the entire book for free. Pam pointed to a booklet she picked up at the paint store and other little color charts. I thought I would spend my weekends painting and making changes, but I looked forward to it more than I had when we had Thomas.

    ''Have you thought more about the wedding? I know Hank''s friend would do the ceremony, but do you have friends or family you want to invite?'' We had been working on learning more about each other, and from what I can gather, she has had a hard time since college, and work was all that drove her to get up each day. Between us, we both have had it rough one way or another and have turned to work to drown out our worries.

    ''No, just me. We can get a few close friends if you want from the force, but I thought mainly family, something small!''

    ''What about who will walk you down the aisle, or should I say the pathway.'' I chuckled.

    ''Maybe Jacko? I get along well with him.

    ''I was going to have him as my best man.'' I retorted with a pout.

    ''Okay, how about Thomas? or Hank? or Scott. She was giving out names of people we both knew, and she had met since joining Jacko''s team and no one from her prior life. That was odd. Did she have no friendse to think of it? She has never mentioned any in our conversations. ''Yeah, we will work it out!''

    Sarah came, and we drew up the offer and listed both our apartments simultaneously. Later that evening, Sarah called to say the offer was epted and agreed we could take vacant possession now. We offered to pay rent, but the owner wanted something else. Sarah said she would be over in the morning with the keys. As tomorrow was Sunday, we suggested one of us would drop by on Monday and pick up the keys, as we would be out for the day.

    ''Are you nervous about telling the others?'' I asked as we snuggled up on the lounge. She had her head on my shoulder, and I stroked her hair with my right hand while my left one held her close to me. I liked the smell of her shampoo and the softness of her hair; I could run my fingers through it for hours if she would let me.

    ''More scared of Bethany than anyone else. She can be a force to be reckoned with when she is worked up, and I do not want to be on the receiving end of her wrath.

    ''That she can be, but she has had to learn to be that way; I was not a good father and let things slide that I should not have. Sunday sports day was the only day Bethany and Thomas were mine, and I loved that they enjoyed the sports. It gave us something inmon that Wendy and Cynthia hated so that they would spend the day out together. It never entered my head to be concerned that Bret spent his time with them; I was just happy to have my kids with me.'' I am still angry I did not pick up on all of that. We could have solved this case years ago if I let my detective side out at home instead of keeping the peace.

    Morning came, and we both got ready to go to Hank''s. I brought a couple of cases of beer, but we can use both. We would join Bethany and Theo in their car service and worryter about how we were getting home.

    As usual, Bethany arrived ten minutes early; she was always one to be early. Something about Wendy causing her problems if she waste and on time waste. It may have been hard then, but she learned a few tricks to stay out of Wendy''s way.

    We enjoyed the drive to Hank''s. We had seen on the news about the little girl and how the public and media were camped outside the hospital. It was wild, but Robson sounds like he got it all under control. The extra security at the doors and bords around the ce to make space for emergency vehicles made sense. Scott would have given them a lot of ideas for future problems as this sort of rush fades away, and new ones mighte back as more and more news on how the aftercare is going. ''The little girl doing okay?'' Pam asked just before we pulled up at Hank''s.

    ''Yes, she is a fighter. The parents are too; she had been moved and is in Theo''s care now.

    ''You don''t stay with the child?''

    ''Nope, my task is to give them a new heart and hope they have the strength to get through the operation. After the heart functions as it should, Theo takes over. Most of these patients are his, and I am thest resort when all other measures have failed! ''Why is that?'' Pam was really interested, which made me wonder if the family had heart problems.

    ''Most kids adapt well and bounce back quickly, but there are a few that, no matter what you do, just never bounce back fully, and children can drop so fast and unexpectantly.

    ''There is no pattern to why they suddenly drop?''

    ''No, not yet. Part of the research, but it is still hard, as you cannot dig around in the heart after the child is on the b and it is toote for them. All the scans in the world cannot predict a sudden drop.''

    We arrived at Hank''s, and we all piled out. Theo was attentive to Bethany, and I did the same with Pam. Seeing this made me smile. I would not have dreamed this type of day would evere. Greetings were made, and we headed downstairs to the den. Theo had asked us all to meet down there. He had an announcement; I would add mine after he said his peace.

    ''Make it quick, Theo, the games are on soon. Hank bellowed out, making us allugh.

    ''Yeah,e on, you two, hurry up!'' Jacko added, and the twoughed together.

 Chapter 148

    Theo POV

    As I stood before my family and close friends, their eyes filled with anticipation and a hint of amusement, I couldn''t help but feel nervous excitement. I searched the room and located Bethany. I needed her beside me as this was a joint announcement, and I was not going to let her hide away and leave me in front of the family alone.

    ''Bethany,e over here and stand beside me. Please.'' She was hiding at the back, just as I expected; she has never liked confrontation or being in the limelight. She was not getting out of this one. I need her by my side. Once, she was beside me, looking up shyly but with love, I pulled her close, kissed her nose, and turned to the waiting faces. I am sure they expected part of this announcement; I hoped to surprise them with at least one bit of news. Dad knew about the baby, and I am sure the woman had seen the ring, even if they had not said anything yet so that the only other surprise would be the house.

    ''I have three things to announce, so if we are going to watch the start of the game, wait till I say all three before screaming at me to move out of the way, I joked, and that got theughs I was hoping for, and murmurs of ''too right'' bounced around the room good- naturedly.

    ''Firstly, Bethany and I are now engaged. This got a lot of whistles from the guys and about time from my sister Felicity. Dad and Scott were both smiling even more. Mum shouted, ''I knew it,'' with pride in her voice.

    I raised my hands and tried to quiet them down again so I could continue with the news; I had enough already and did not want to get in trouble because the game had started, and we were missing it.

    ''Give me a break. If you keep yelling like this, we will miss the start of the game. '' I joked with them; it was good to see they were all for us being together.

    ''We have brought the house down the street. Mum squealed louder this time, and I heard Bob groan. I was still determining what that was for and hoped to ask himter. We are in a secure area, so it cannot be because we are not protected enough.

    ''Andst but not least. I am going to be a Dad. Mum''s scream was the loudest in the room, and soon, we were engulfed in hugs and congrattions. Bethany and I were separated, and more hugs were given. The mood in the room was all about babies and weddings, and the game was temporarily forgotten.

    ''Son, you wish for me to call the celebrant? What day?'' Dad asked when he got a chance to get close to me.

    ''We were looking at next Saturday. Is that okay, or is it too soon?'' I asked, doubt now clouding my thoughts.

    ''Let me text him and ask. Dad started texting on his phone while I was pulled into a bro hug with Thomas, and his face was beaming with pride.

    ''You have outdone yourself with a new home, a wife, and a baby all in one swoop; that is a great achievement. I take my hat off to you! weughed and joked.

    That is until a clearing of a throat happened behind me.

    All eyes turned to see Bob and Pam standing where I had stood moments ago.

    Bob POV

    I swallowed the hard lump in my throat, this feeling a lot harder now than when we talked about itst night.

    ''Sorry to take away all your thunder, Bethany and Theo, and I hope you do not mind me joining in, but I would like to say, ''Me too. I hope that made sense. The only person who squealed, rushed forward to me, and pulled me into an embrace was Bethany. ''What do you mean, "Me too." Hank asked, looking a little perplexed.

    ''Pam and I are engaged. We bought the house next to Bethany but did not know she brought it. I was going to put an offer on that one, andstly, I will be a Dad again. Bethany was still holding me, shaking. I think she was in tears. I am unsure if that is happiness or upset, but I hope it is for the better. I was d that the news was out.

    The response was overwhelming. Bethany was pushed aside, and hugs, bro ps, and words of congrattions were given. Pam pulled aside and made a fuss. I could see her showing her ring to Mum and the girls, but Bethany stayed close by; it was as if she was waiting for those around me to finish, and she would return to my side. I saw Theoe to her side, and she whispered something, and he nodded; all the while, I was getting more bro ps by Jacko.

    ''You get to have my little brother or sister grow up with her or his nephew. Nice work, Dad.'' Thomas joked with me, but he was right; the aunty or uncle would be able to grow up together. Is that weird? Or what? That will be an exciting dynamic I had yet to think much of. I hope it is clear to the child that I am not the first to have a child the same age or close to their older children.

    ''Dad.'' Bethany was beside me now that everyone had been to congratte me, and the girls had taken Pam upstairs with them. The game was about to start, and everyone was getting drinks and food and sitting back down.

    ''Would you like to have a double wedding? We are getting married next Saturday. Hanks man said he can do it that quick.'' ''Are you sure?'' I asked. My unselfish child would share her special day like that with her dear old Dad, and her selfless gesture choked me up. ''Of course, that way, I can remind you of your wedding anniversary each year, but mention mine. Iughed and picked her up, swinging her in a circle.

    ''What''s happening, old man?'' Jacko shouted at me as I swung Bethany around.

    ''Keep next Saturday free. We are having a double wedding,'' I shouted to the room.

    The room erupted again, this time arguing over who was walking the bride down the path, as I was going to be at the other end, waiting for my bride. Ultimately, Thomas would be my best man, Jacko would walk Pam down the path, Hank would walk Bethany down the path, and Scott would be Theo''s best man. The two sisters, Cindy and Margaret, would be bridesmaids; Felicity is happy to sit this out.

    A cheer for a team scoring boomed loudly behind me, and I turned to look at the screen to see who scored. It was the first time in many years I had been in the room and missed the game''s opening. I was not the least bit upset, and neither was anyone else in the

    room.

    There was a cheer from us all as we watched the rey as our team made the opening score. Food and drink in hand, I took a seat. Pam returned to my side as one giant family. We watched the game; screams and happy dances were on, with Bethany and Pam doing a circle with one arm linked together; it made my heart swell at how those two had put any grievances behind them and were moving forward with amon goal. I am shocked and pleased that it was Bethany and Theo who purchased the house next to ours, and I am guessing she is going to refurbish that outside t into ab; I will have to talk to herter about all those ns, for now, I am trying to watch a game. But my head is still full of what had just transpired and how content I feel.

 Chapter 149

    Bethany POV

    The group, a mix of our close friends and family, was seated, waiting for Theo, my partner, to say something. I had hoped I could hide out the back, but Theo, being the man I love, wouldn''t let me escape. He called me out the front to face the music with him, and I''m grateful he did. The sight of their expectant faces and the sound of their supportive cheers was like winning the grand final; my heart was lodged in my throat, desperately trying to escape my body, and the thrill of victory was all-epassing. The women in the group, eager to see the ring and discuss the future, starkly contrasted my feelings. I was okay with the ring, a symbol of ourmitment. But the topic of babies was a step I wasn''t ready to take. I adored children and could spend all day with mini Bob, but discussing them in this context? It just wasn''t me.

    Dad then went to the front and made his announcement. I was not shocked that Dad was going to marry Pam. He had seemed totallymitted to having a real rtionship after his failed one and wanted to be and do all the things he had been unable to do, or maybe he had the urge to do, for a very long time. Please visit J o b nib and search the book title to read the entire book for free. Pam was good for him, even if I did not trust her in the beginning; this is who Dad has chosen, so I need to try and get better and more like a daughter to her, as she will be my step-mother, and I think I will have some fun using that titleter on.

    The sounds of the television brought me back to where I was. I looked around to see everyone else still hugging and discussing the pending wedding and babies.

    ''Hey, Dad, move. You''re blocking the TV, and I want to see the rey, I called out to Dad, who had turned around to look at the screen when the announcer shouted ''SCORE, and he hadn''t realized he was still standing in the way.

    ''Sorry, kiddo. Dad moved to the side and backed up to sit near me, eyes still glued to the screen, as were most of those in the room.

    For the rest of the afternoon, we all enjoyed the game. We had lost, but that was okay; we couldn''t win them all. The talk of double weddings, the best men, and who would walk whom down the path was more than I could take in. I nodded and epted all the suggestions, and in the end, I whispered to Theo that I did not want to offend anyone, and he took over and made the final decisions.

    The next few hours were a mixture of wedding talk and half-watching the game on the screen. This game was not as necessary, and though we usually would usually glued to the screen, today was more about organizing next Saturday and talking about staying a night in a hotel or something like a honeymoon, as none of us could just up and leave our jobs at notice of a moment.

    I stood beside Thomas and whispered in his ear. Well, I talked softly, so only he heard me.

    ''Pam is going to be our stepmum. Do you want to have some fun?'' he looked at me with a smirk.

    ''What do you have in mind?'' he asked, looking over to where Dad and Pam were standing talking to Hank, and Theo was with him. I think they were still talking about wedding stuff.

    ''I am not sure if it has sunk in yet that she will be our step, and I thought that with all our friends and family here, we would make sure she is aware!

    ''Go on, how?''

    ''How about we address her as Mum and watch the results? You can get Mini Bob from Judy so she can have a break, and ask Pam if she would like to hold him. But can say, hey mum, would you like to hold Bob and see what happens? Please let me know if you''re okay with that.

    ''I like very much that we have not really had a woman to act like a mother in our life; it is amazing we came out as good as we have. I will let Judy and Nate in on it since he has monopolized the woman and is involved in all the wedding talk, and he is definitely into that side of things! Thomas headed over and chatted with Judy. She looked at me with a smirk and nodded her head in agreement.

    Thomas took the baby and headed over to Dad and Pam; I walked slightly behind him.

    ''Hey, Mum, do you want to hold mini Bob?'' Dad was the first to look up in shock and then looked at me, who was smirking. He nodded as he caught on. But Pam had not moved from her talk with Hank and had not realized it was directed at her. ''Mum?'' I called out again, which caused Hank to look at me and then Theo. But Pam was still oblivious, and Bob was now chuckling, which made Pam turn to look at him.

    ''What''s funny?'' Pam asked, looking at Bob in confusion.

    ''You were asked a question andpletely ignored them.'' Bob said, still chuckling; even Judy and Nate giggled a few feet away.

    ''What question?'' Pam turned around to see Thomas and me looking at her expectantly.

    ''Mum, do you want to hold Mini Bob? I know youined about not having a turn when Judy left to change and feed him.'' Thomas offered the child to her, but instead of taking the child, she burst into tears and fled the room.

    ''Well, that was not the reaction I was expecting.'' I said out loud. Dad hugged us both before heading off after Pam. Whispering was a nice thing to do, which made me feel a little better, as tears were not the intended reaction I had aimed for. I should have thought this through more.

    ''It''s alright. Bethany, they are most likely tears of happiness and shock, as well as surprise and baby emotions. You might not be having the baby emotion roller coaster yet, But it appears Pam does, and I know Felicity does, as Samined to me about it and asked for some advice. It is kind of nice to be asked about how I handled it. I never dreamed that we would ever have a day like today, and hopefully, more of them will happen in the future. Thomas feels part of the expanding family, and I am d I reached out to him. Even if it was during the worst time of my life and I had few memories, I still have a few nk spots, but I try not to think of it; I have a feeling I don''t really want to remember. Pam came back in a little bitter and took mini Bob from Jacko, who had taken the opportunity to hold the child when Pam was out of the room. He rocked back and forth and continued to talk to Hank as if what he did was an everyday urrence. He looked good holding the baby and wasfortable having such a small child. Pam still had red, puffy eyes and looked at me; she was not smiling but not frowning either; it was a mixture of both. Dad came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and ced his hands under the baby as if he were holding her and the baby as one. I raised my phone and snapped a quick photo. Pam looked down at the baby, and Dad did the same. Both had such adoration on their faces, and I wondered if they were thinking of the grandchild in their arms or the one Pam had in her belly; either way, it made for a great photo.

    Thomas came up to me and wrapped his arms around me from behind. I leaned back into him as we watched Dad and Pam holding the baby. Neither of us spoke. Words are not necessary. That moment would be in our hearts and minds for a long time toe, a bonding of family in a way. Wendy would have never understood, and in some ways, I was d that she and Cynthia were no longer around to disrupt our lives; that may sound not good, but it was an honest feeling. I was not going to be guilty over it.

 Chapter 150

    Hank

    POV

    The news of Bob and Pam''s marriage was a delightful surprise, and the revtion of their pregnancy was a shock. I never would have guessed they had been together long enough to start a family. It''s a testament to how little I''ve been paying attention. However,

    despite my initial surprise, I am genuinely happy for them.

    Theo and Bethany did not seem upset at all by Bob''s overshadowing. Actually, I am looking for a better word than that. Sharing the day with Bethany and Theo and sharing the wedding day, too, shows how close Bethany is to Bob. I know she had doubts, a lot of doubts regarding Pam, but as Bethany said, if she makes him happy, then she is happy and will support them. Bethany does not have a mean bone in her body, and I notice she does not hold a grudge and forgives quickly. I am proud to call her my daughter-inw and that Theo is finally settling down with such a lovely youngdy.

    The bet I like is they will live so close. I had been worried about who would buy those houses. Our area has always been a good one, but that could always change; having family take those two makes me feel so much better. I had tried to get Felicity to buy one, but she was not ready for all that garden and opted for Theo''s ce. I would like to know what they will do with the penthouse. Perhaps Felicity''s friend would buy it or rent it. It is not my ce to ask, but it would be nice if it were someone that Felicity knows; she would feel safer knowing the neighbor.

    Kitty is overjoyed to have another baby on the way; this was more than she had hoped for; just having Theo settle down was enough, but a home close by and the chance she would be babysitting often had her making all sorts of ns can feel it. When theye over for sports day, I am sure she is going to take the baby and shoo her down to the den, and Kitty will keep the baby upstairs, only calling Bethany when the baby needs a feed and if she can convince her to express into a bottle even better. I am unsure which baby she is more excited about, Theo or Felicity; she will have Pam popping over, too, with her baby. Kitty is going to be in baby heaven.

    This house is going to be baby-central. I can see Kitty asking me to make a nursery and y area for the babies, as well as a new swing set and outdoor gym. My work is cut out for me, but I will prepare the house for babies over the next few months. I am d I worked on the den while I had the chance, or it would have had to best on the list.

    Bob POV

    The group took our news well; I had not expected everyone to be so happy. I know it is sudden, and many questioned the speed at which we have dived into marriage. I do not want my child to be without my name. I feel that if I am wed to Pam, she will understand I am one hundred percent in on this new direction my life has taken. She had a lot of fears, too, and I needed to make sure she knew she was not alone in this. Pam did not get pregnant by herself, and I don''t think she did it to trap me. Everything feels so right, and I am not going to start doubting my decisions now. My gut says this is right, and I failed to follow my gut instincts with Wendy, and I regret that; I won''t do that again. If my gut says go for it, both feet in, I am going for it.

    Pam had gotten involved with the discussion on the wedding and missed Thomas and Bethany calling her mum; I was so proud of them and the attempt to enlighten her about what she would be. But the tears shocked both of them, and I was d when I consoled her and brought her back into the room where she happily took the baby, thanked both Bethany and Thomas, and was willing to admit it had not urred to her that in a way she was already a mother and soon to be a grandmother, and that brought along more tears. I hugged her and told her all would be well, that she had arge family now, and she was no longer alone in life.

    I am nervous about Saturday. When I caught Wendy cheating, I vowed never to get married again, and here I am getting married. Am I mad? Maybe, but I cannot put my life on hold because of Wendy; she is gone and can no longer hurt us. I need a new life, and that is just what I will do. Jacko POV

    Talk about pulling the rug from under my proverbial feet. I knew Pam was pregnant, but I had no clue that Bob and she were getting married and buying a house together. I had wondered what Bob''s reaction would be when she told him, but after all that he had been through, marriage was thest on my list of things he would do. I am proud of him for stepping up and taking responsibility.

    I am very honored that Pam asked me to walk her down the aisle, path, or whatever you want to call the walk to Bob Will. I knew she had no family to speak of, having them killed in herte teens, and had no other siblings or aunts or uncles.

    Kitty is full of ideas and suggestions, not just about the wedding, but I heard her talking to one of the girls about getting rooms ready for when the children have sleepovers and have yet to be born. Poor Hank is going to be busy for a few weeks, but that is a good thing.

    Bob, too, will be busy getting the new home ready, and from what I heard about selling their apartments, this family has just gotten bigger and happier. Bob needed something to take his mind off all that was going on at work; he cannot be involved anyway, so getting married and preparing for a child would keep him away from me and the investigation and back to his own office and the boring stuff he does there.

    Toby is proving to be an asset, and Pam can finish up earlier than predicted. He sat with Bethany and went through the coding, and he picked it up amazingly fast. He said Bethany was a patient and good teacher. Praise for Bethany''s skills was not needed, but it was good to hear anyway; I already know she is an exceptionally gifted girl.

    Bethany needs to put all that behind her, too. She has a long road ahead, and the court cases are not over by a long shot. I tried to keep her out of the courtroom, but the judge allowed the defense to have the right to cross-examine, and the judge did not have a good reason not to.

    I have yet to tell them of this. When we get the court hearing date, I will inform her and Bob. He needs to know the media are going to have a field day when they find out the new policemissioner''s daughter is going to be a witness in the case. As Wendy and Cynthia can''t be caught, their books will be their testimony, and again, the media will enjoy that.

    This is far from over. We tried to speed it up, but we could not. The defense had the right to review all the evidence, and we have more evidence to add to the listing. The judge allowed all new evidence to be added up until the court trial started. I am interested in seeing what the defense is going to bring in and what witnesses they have.

    They tried to get let out, but our judge refused bail; they tried to go to another judge to overrule ours, but none would touch it when they saw who they had in holding cells. Things are going to get dangerous for Bethany again.

 Chapter 151

    Theo POV

    The public had slowed down, and not many people were hanging outside the hospital; getting in was easier, but it did not stop Bethany from being on alert and watching anyone close to the car. She may say she is over the ident, but little hints show there is still some fear left inside that she tries so hard to hide.

    The child was responding well. She will have the usual physio and work on getting her chest to mend as best we can; opening the chest takes the longest to heal. The new heart gave her a great chance of a longer life and no more operations, which had been the aim for a long time. The heart will be marked as a miracle if Bethany''s experimentalpound works withputer technology. It is still too soon, but everything works as it should and is far better than a human heart or the other mechanical ones used in the past. Robson said the medical board wants to talk to Bethany and see if they can get their hands on her patent, but she has said no, as this hospital will be the only ce she is going to be researching and testing and is not ready for the wider world to have it yet. With no other operations on the schedule, I found myself with some unexpected free time. After visiting all the patients I had and letting one go home, I decided to leave early and head to the realtor. The streets were unusually quiet, and the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the city.

    With keys in hand, Bethany and I moved around our new home, talking about the changes we would make and what order she wanted toplete; the t, or the mini house out the back was already sorted; Bethany did that herself. The t has three bedrooms, so it is not tiny, it has a bathroom and kitchen. One room would be an office, and we were getting the electrician in to add all the extra outlets she would need, plus better wifi. It was a little slow here because the original owners required it to be done correctly, and the following owners should have bothered doing something about it. It is a pain, but it will be worth it once it is done.

    ''I want better security cameras and to change all the locks on the door. We do not know who had the keys, and that driveway needs some work.

    ''Hey, Theo, rx. We will make it all work; it does not need to be done in one day! Bethany''s voice was soothing, but I couldn''t shake the unease. I am panicking, and I have no idea why. I had been a little antsy since we decided to move out of the penthouse; I felt secure in that ce, and even with Bethany being taken to the door, it was still safe.

    ''When do the first workers arrive?'' I asked, unsure what Bethany had organized while I was doing my rounds; I felt so out of control.

    ''The men areing over in about half an hour to look at the t, make sure what I want done can be done, and suggest changes if it can''t. I wouldn''t say I liked a bunch of strangers walking around my home. I know it is necessary, but I still want Bethany to be safe, and I cannot be with her all the time and watch over her as all this work is done; I won''t get it done. Or I could get Scott to send some men over here to be on guard until we have all the renovations done. He is already going to set up some better security. ''Theo, what is going on? What has you so worked up about? This is more than shifting into a new home. Bethany said and hit the nail on the head.

    I walked Bethany back inside the house and sat on the bottom step, as there was no furniture yet.

    ''You are overwhelmed?'' She asked softly, running her fingers through my hair.

    ''Yeah, I think I am. We are getting married in a few days and moving here, away from the penthouse, which has been my safe ce. I am going to be a Dad, and work is going wild. People want to be in your face, to touch you, and to try and get to you, and I am feeling a little inadequate in protecting you, and I guess I am afraid I am going to lose you.'' I rushed it all out, all my insecurities, and waited for Bethany tough at me.

    But she didn''t; she held my hand and waited for me to get a grip. I had thought I would be the strong one to help her through all the changes, and here I am, falling apart, not at all being the strong male I am supposed to be. Do all expectant dads feel this way? ''Theo, breathe, Bethany said softly, running her fingers through my hair. Her voice was soothing.

    ''I want to do the right things, get the ce ready and safe.'' I moaned. The whole renovation part is not something I have had to tackle before, even if I am not the one holding the hammer.

    ''You have to trust sooner orter and let go of the past hurts, or you will be a mess. Yes, we have had some bad times, but we are heading for good ones; don''t let the bad ones consume you. How could Bethany be so calm when this all happened to her? ''I hear you, but my head won''t let go.'' I admit it had been consuming me since she suggested leaving the penthouse. I don''t know how to protect her and the baby with all these strangers running around our home. How do I know one of them is not here to harm her? Should we move in with Dad and Mum until the renovations are done? The penthouse had been sold to one of Felicity''s friends, and they were eager to move in; the moment the settlement was done, they paid extra to keep it furnished, which was fine by Bethany, as the new house would be all new furniture.

    ''The men are here to look at the t. Come meet them. Bethany encouraged me and led me to where three men stood staring at the t entrance.

    ''Hi Danny, thanks foring so quickly. This is Theo''s soon-to-be husband.'' I shook their hands and was polite. Bethany had dealt with these men before and wasfortable chatting with them. I listened to what she wanted to be changed and was gobsmacked at the knowledge she had..

    ''We can start on that as soon as tomorrow; get the basics started. We need permission for some of it, and that will take a week. If I can get all the parts in quickly, I should have you up and running in about six weeks. Does that suit you?'' Danny asked. ''Sure, get that started and take your time. I have other renovations in the house to be done, too. When your guy is here putting in the Wi-Fi and extra power, can he look at the wiring in the house, just to be sure all is good? I need a few additional power sockets, too. ''We can use the same people as before; what do you need to be done in the house? Could our crew do that, too?

    Bethany led these men into the house and discussed all the changes she wanted to make. To my relief, these people could do all that was needed. Bethany is already familiar with this crew and is a friend of mine. My worry and panic about having strangers in my new home diminished, and I felt I could breathe again.

    After they left, Bethany and I walked around the house again, talked about the changes, and imed a room as our games

    room.

    ''How about we speak with your folks about staying with them for about two weeks? That way, we won''t be in the way when the men set up the house, bringing in the new furniture, and we are close enough to walk down here at the end of the day and check on the progress. I suggested not the ce I want to be, but if it makes Theo feel better, I would try and cope living there.

    ''They said six weeks?'' He rified to me.

    ''Only theb will be six weeks; they can have the house set up much quicker; ites down to how good the wiring and plumbing are; if it is all up to code, then we can move in quicker. These older houses often did not get built to the level of today''s code standard and often need a full rewiring and replumb.'' Bethany was right up there, knowing what was what. I have had a sheltered life, away from dealing with that side of things, always buying new things.

    ''Sure, let''s see them now. I was pleased that Bethany suggested it rather than me. I did not want to sound any weaker than I already had.

 Chapter 152

    Scott POV

    Since Bethany was taken the second time, Theo has be a little obsessed with security. I have to admit it was a hard pill to swallow twice on my shift. Regardless of whether the so-called FBI was supposed to be watching her, I had taken on that task, and my team dropped the ball. So, I can understand Theo grumbling at me about thest two kidnappings and how he needs to set up a better setup for the security in his new house. I feel a deep sense of responsibility for what happened and a strongmitment to prevent it from happening again.

    I am headed over there now to start setting it up. I will add a feature that was not asked for, a security feed that is straight to me. The moment anyone enters the grounds by the gates by force, I will know. If someone manages to climb the fence and makes it to the house, I will get informed. I will not drop the ball again. I will also have drive-bys at all hours of the night.

    My phone rang as I arrived at Theo''s new address. Some workers were already there, so I sat in my car, watching the men as I answered the phone.

    ''Scott speaking.'' I said, not checking the phone before answering as I usually would, too distracted in my thoughts. ''Scott, Jacko. I tried not to cringe when I heard his voice. It is rare to hear good things when he phones.

    ''Hi Jacko, how did the sports day go?'' I didn''t attend as intended but got called out at thest moment. ''Babies and weddings. Jacko said and started to fill me in. I was not surprised about Theo, but regarding Bob, I thought Pam was on birth control. That was what Bob had said. Even that can fail, and it should be covered up in the same way.

    ''I called to inform you that the ount has been searched, and we expect a reaction shortly. The airports and shipping have been alerted, and if there is any movement, I will let you know! Jacko was cryptic, but I knew what he meant.

    ''Any thoughts on whether they will target Bethany for this?''

    ''No clue, but it''s better to take precautions just in case.'' Jacko sighed on the other end of the phone.

    ''I am setting up their new home now and will add a few personal touches; I have let them down twice, and I won''t let them down again.'' I grumbled back.

    ''The second one was not on you. He tried to soothe the pain that I felt, the guilt for not making the men stay regardless of what they said. ''Still on my watch, I will wear it!

    ''I won''t try to talk you out of that. I wanted to let you know that you are part of the wedding; I wonder if I mentioned that. He chuckled. ''What? Would you like me to organize security?''

    ''Nah, better than that, you are to be best man.'' I groaned; I hate wearing monkey suits. But what an honor! I can''t wait to be part of it; Hank has always made me feel like I was part of the family; he was there when my family was killed, took me under his wing, and nursed me back to health. I have been with him for years and would do anything for Hank and his family. I owe him big time.

    ''Best man for who, Theo or Bob?''

    ''Theo, of course, and I get to walk Pam down to Bob; that will be different for me. He sounded so happy and delighted with himself. He brought back this subject to put the bad news behind us, as I have little to do until there is movement. ''Theo will contact me and fill me in with what he wants. Should we do a bucks night out? What do you think?'' ''Better off asking Theo. With both women expecting, I doubt either would want to be too far away from theirdy!

    ''Both. I still can''t believe that Pam is pregnant, too; I was sure she said she was on the pill.'' I voice my thoughts again.

    ''Yeah, but she had a bug and was on antibiotics. She had had a week off work with it, so maybe that caused the pill not to work. I have heard about that sort of thing happening!

    ''I did not know; I remember her having a cold but did not realize it had got that bad.'' She came around full of sniffles, and I shooed her away. I did not need to catch it.

    ''Catch you on Saturday, have things to do. Jacko more or less hung up before I could say goodbye. I chuckled as I heard the phone go dead. He must have had another call or some other urgent need. He is one very busy man.

    I climbed out of my car and started to walk the yard''s perimeter, getting an idea of what was over the fences and where blind spots could be. Before entering the house, walking around the rooms and the t, I would touch that until the men had done their task and set it up. Knowing Bethany, she might have them pull down internal walls to expand herb.

    ''Hi Scott, you doing the security?'' Danny asked as he came out of the t and saw me sizing it.

    ''Yep, got hidden ces you need me to work on?'' Danny often gives me work, and I do the same. His ces are more selective; several people need the type of builds that are his specialty. He had expanded a little in thest few years, but not by much, as he is in demand for what he does.

    ''I have a high-profile home where I am putting some high-tech stuff. I think you should have a look at it. It may not need your security team as I think he has his own, but I would like someone else''s view on what I see! Code for something illegal may be going on. ''When.''

    ''Can youe by my office tomorrow morning? We can go there after I give you more details. I have guys there today doing some finer work anding by tomorrow under the guise of checking up on the work progress.

    ''I can do that. I would need to ce an order next door to you, so that would work great for me! I shake Danny''s hand and leave with work to do. After Jacko''s call, I need to organize more extensive details on Theo, Bethany, and others connected to this case. It is going to be interesting to see who they go after. Who they believe might have their money. I doubt they would consider that the police have it. Deciding to detour before heading back to the office, I pulled up at Hanks''s ce on the off chance he was home. Hank opened the door before I had finished walking up the steps to his door; the gatekeeper must have informed him of my arrival.

    ''Hi Scott? Been at the new ce?'' Hank is on the ball and never misses a trick.

    ''Yep, getting the ce''s basicyout and then working on putting it in. I want to wait for the t to be finished or close to it before I start there!''

    ''Good idea. The kettle is on; want a coffee?'' I followed Hank to the kitchen, where Kitty was icing some cakes.

    ''Hi Scott, I''d like some cake from the oven.'' Yep. I love visiting here.

    ''What do you think of the house?'' Hank asked as I sat down with a coffee already in front of me.

    ''It should be good once the referral ispleted. A good old house that has been well maintained over the years will take little to put all the security measures in ce; they had a good one before. Jacko said I am to be the best man. Do you know if that is true?'' ''Theo has not got hold of you yet?"

    ''Nope.''

    ''I will get him to contact you. He should have done that by now. What did Jacko want?'' I looked at Kitty, who ced more cakes in the oven.

    ''He just filled me in with Sunday''s activities and all that news; it sounds like a fun day!'' Hank noticed my nce at Kitty and picked up the fact that I would not discuss it here.

    ''Grab your coffee ande to my office. I have some blueprints of that house that are from the original building; you might like to see.'' I picked up my coffee and followed Hank to his office. I pulled open a drawer and pulled out a rather sizable yellow blueprint, a funny name for it, as it was not blue. It was odd that Hank had blueprints of that house, but looking at this one, he had a number of house blueprints. His exnation was that when he was going to re-design the den, he went to the boxes in the storage shed and found he had one for nearly the whole street, something his father had gathered over the years. Loving old house designs, he would collect them.

    We leaned over to look at the blueprints, and I told Hank about Jacko''s situation. He thanked me for not mentioning it in front of Kitty and promised to keep him informed.

    As we left his office, Theo walked in with Bethany at his side.

    Just the man I wanted to see. Theo said in a way of greeting.

 Chapter 153

    Bethany POV

    In his way, Theo has shown a deep concern for my safety since we moved into the new house. It was a surprise to witness the extent of his worry; he had taken my attacks much harder than I realized and had concealed them well. Having grown up here, his familiarity with this area should haveforted him. Yet, he remains vignt, a testament to his protective nature. This area''s safety was one reason we chose it, for Theo''s peace of mind.

    His whole demeanor changed in Hanks when we entered the house, and there was Scott. After a quick greeting, I headed to the kitchen and left Theo to chat with Scott; I knew he wanted to ask him to attend the wedding. Scott was not much older than Theo; he saw him as a brother, though not by blood; his Dad had adopted him when he was young and going through some trauma. Kitty and Hank are like that, taking in damaged strays and trying to put them on the right track with love and guidance. ''Hi Kitty! I called out as I entered the kitchen and gave her a side hug and kiss on the cheek.

    ''Hey, I was hoping you would stop by; I have some ideas for Saturday, and I''d love to share them with you! Kitty, always ready to lend an ear and a guiding hand, put her task aside, linked her arm with mine, and led me out of the kitchen and up to the attic. It was a ce I had yet to explore, a testament to the depth of our friendship and her trust in me.

    ''I have a couple of wedding dresses up here; one was mine, another was my mother''s and sisters, and so on. I would like to see if one fits you or needs a minor alteration for the day. Please visit Jo b nib and search the book title to read the entire book for free.do you say? Have you chosen a wedding dress?'' Kitty was excited as she neared the attic, almost giddy as a school girl, and I had no heart to tell her I was going to wear my graduation ball gown, a dress that holds a special ce in my heart as it reminds me of a time filled with joy and aplishment.

    As Kitty led me up the stairs to the attic, I was greeted by a sight that left me in awe. The entire space was transformed into a sewing room with various sewing machines, ironing boards, and bolts of fabric. Lace and other embellishments were scattered around, and there were two tables with fabric, four mannequins with partially finished dresses, and one that seemed destined to be a man''s suit.

    Kitty was still chatting about something as she headed over to where several white dresses were hanging. There were hangers all set in color order. My mouth must have been gaping open as Kitty turned and chuckled at the look on my face. ''You are not the first to look shocked; I do have a hobby; when I am not nursing, I have semi-retired, and this is my ce to recharge my batteries, as it were, a lot like you getting emersed in yourbs. Kitty turned to the rack of white bride''s dresses and flipped through them. ''There are at least three dresses here you can choose from that are your size! Kitty continued as she pulled out two dresses, ced them on the table, and hunted for thest one. I walked over to the dresses on the table and ran my hand reverently over them. The first one was full of sequins and what looked like natural diamonds.

    ''That one was my mother''s; they are real diamonds. Go try it on; I think out of the three, that one suits your figure the best. Kitty picked it up and shoved it at me, and as I grabbed hold of the dress so it would not drop, she turned me around and pushed me to a partition I had not noticed where I could change. I felt this offer of her mother''s wedding dress was more than because it might fit; I felt that Kitty was trying to make up for being a little abrupt with me on more than one asion and was trying to fill the gap she had created. I am still trying to understand why she was. Maybe because I was taking away her only son and did not be part of the girl''s group. I got the stink eye more than once when I screamed at the screen on sports day. I needed to be more refined for her son. I guess. But I had to get over whatever got under her skin now; I would be part of the family. She had to change her thinking and ept me.

    I am unsure if that is how it is; that is how I feel, that maybe I was not girlie enough for her only son. I am not going to keep thinking about this. It does my head in.

    Unknown POV

    ''Report!'' I demanded over the phone as one of my informants called back; atst, someone might have news.

    ''The money had no trail to follow, and we had failed to bribe anyone at the bank to give us any information; the best we could do was find out that it was all transferred into one ount, but not who the holder of that ount. The voice was of a young female, not someone I know. They think putting a young girl would save them from my anger; they had better think again.

    ''What about my heir? Have you seen him?'' I was desperate for news. He had failed to contact me for weeks, and it was not like he did not keep me up to date with the progress of our syndicate over there. I needed to know why everything had stopped.

    ''He was arrested, along with several other syndicate members, but we have no idea where he or the others of high rank are being held; he is not in the unusual holding cells in which those on fail are held. The voice of this young girl has gone from nervousness to fear. I can almost smell her fear over the phone.

    ''Where are Wendy, Cynthia and Bret? Can your boss not do his job? I need better answers.'' I growled in frustration.

    ''We have failed to locate Cynthia or Wendy; they were arrested for k********g and assault of a woman and have not been seen since; they are not in jail, like the others involved in the incident. They were there before their court case and then had a visitor. The next day, they were taken away from the jail. No one knows by who and to where. More failures; never have my team been so inept before.

    ''And Bret?'' If she thought I had not noticed her failure to tell me about him, she is sadly mistaken.

    ''He was killed, Boss.'' She blurted out after some hesitation. I felt she was being coached by someone else, and I was most likely on the speaker.

    ''Tell me about it?''

    ''He kidnapped the same girl that got the others in jail and was killed when he was cornered!

    ''Where?''

    ''At the quarry.

    ''Did the police search the ce?'' I hope they didn''t. That was a good little money earner. ''Yes, boss. It has been stripped clean! Damn. We had a little mini-gambling set up there. ''Who is this girl everyone wants to get their hands on?'' She must be someone influential. ''Bethany Peterson.

    ''Bret''s wife?'' I was shocked. Why were they all after her?

    ''Ex-wife. Boss. I heard someone coughing in the background, confirming I was on speaker.

    ''I see. Do you know where this girl is?''

    ''Yes, sir. She is getting married on Saturday. It is a double wedding celebration!

    ''Who else is going to be there?''

    ''Someone you would know. Pam.'' She sounded pleased now. She was no longer hesitating.

    ''Time to take that person out.''

    ''We can deal with that boss.''

    ''No, I will fly over and see to it myself. You have failed me enough times by losing Pam; I will not risk it again. I will bring my wife for a second honeymoon while I am at it; she has been nagging me to go on holiday for years. I hand up.

    At least I got some good news. Pam is an undercover agent who has hurt my ns on more than one asion and has slipped through my hands. I will deal with her personally. ''Michello?''

    ''Get the ne ready, we are going on a holiday. n for at least a week, and phone Sanchinco to find out if I can use his vi for a while! Maria is going to enjoy this break.

 Chapter 154

    Theo POV

    Scott, my best friend, was overjoyed when I asked him to be my best man. He was the first person I thought of when discussing the wedding ns on sports day. Bob, my future father-inw, had asked his son Thomas to be his best man, which couldn''t have been a better testament to his love for his son. Mum took Bethany to the attic; I know what is up there. I hope Bethany chooses one of the family dresses that her mother does not railroad; I am sure she will try. Dad had been talking about hiring suits, but we have enough in the wardrobes here that Mum made herself that we could use. Dad said that was an excellent idea and that he would see if we could get Thomas, Jacko, Hank, and Scott all here to try some on, and he was sure. Mum would be honored if we all wore the clothes she had made over the years; she only makes them for special asions; it has been years since she had given them away or sold one that was a special order.

    We were getting someone to make the wedding cakes. There will likely be two cakes, but side by side, they look like one big one. Not being a cake designer, I had yet to learn what that meant. I nodded in agreement and tried not to look dumb.

    We were going to forgo sports day this week and have that day as a honeymoon. Dad suggested a night away. A friend has arge yacht, and that would be nice. However, it would be only for Bethany and me; Bob has other ns for Pam. ''Dad, can Bethany and I move here for a little while? At least until the house is finished, the bigger renovation will ur.'' ''Sure, son, Your room is always there for you. Anytime. You do not need to ask!

    ''While I''m here, would you like a hand with the nursery?'' I offered.

    I get the feeling Mum thinks she''ll be the kindergarten for all the babiesing soon. Dad couldn''t help but burst intoughter at the thought.

    ''You''re not wrong; she keeps talking about what she needs to prepare for the babies as if she is the one going to have them all the time. I hope you kids share so that she won''t be too disappointed. But yeah, seriously, I could do it with your help. Dadughs again at his private joke.

    ''On another note, Jacko had given us a warning. A person I had thought was long gone from our shores might be heading our way again! Dad sounded none too pleased. ''Who?'' I was at a loss as to who Dad was talking about.

    ''The old nemesis of ours. You may have been too young to remember him. The syndicate boss had attempted to take over the city crime but failed to get a good hold of the ce. Jacko was worried these Gutter Boys were an arm of his. But we have put a stop to that arm. He is concerned that the boss wille looking to see why he has not heard from themtely. Dad looked concerned; He kept looking over at the door, worried Mum woulde in and hear our conversation. He never likes to talk like this around the

    woman.

    ''What do you want me to do?'' I was still determining what he was getting at. If that man wasing and he was that bad, what could I do about it?

    ''I am warning you, Scott is raising the security around your home and mine, and he is also adding more men to keep an eye on you, Bethany, and Bob. Bob had been told, and he was going to warn Pam. I am not sure if she even knows of him, but to be safe, she should be told, with all her undercover life, she may have been involved in a few of his illegal dealings to be closed. We discussed the possibility of the syndicate boss visiting here and what precautions have been put in ce for his arrival. The police cannot arrest him on sight; we need to link him directly to the crimes; we all know he had a hand in it, and arresting him without someone being killed over it was our main concern. It is hard to see him on our streets again, and we will have eyes on him the best we can. We hope he stuffs up enough for us to arrest him. ''The thought of having that dangerous man here in our country again has chills running up and down my spine. ''Put the thought behind you, Dad, and let''s work on this weekend''s double marriage. He is not likely to be here before then.''

    I tried to reassure Dad.

    He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and pped me on my back, and we headed off to find what the girls were up to.

    The rest of the day was good, with Dad showing me what needed to be done. Now, babies areing to the house, and I could feel how excited Mum was getting. The thought of us being so close has her mind working overtime with ideas. Let''s hope Bethany and Pam don''t mind a meddling grandmother hanging around. Felicity should be the first to give birth, and we can see how Mum is with her before ours arrives into the mix.

    Why does all this now seem so daunting? I was looking forward to being a Dad and a husband more than I had thought, but now that Mother looks like she is likely to be in my house more often than me, I am not so sure shifting close to them was a good idea. I hope Bethany does not mind, though she will have Bob and Pam next door. That, too, seems scary. My father-inw can pop in whenever he feels like it, and so can my Dad. At least Bob will be busy being a new Dad, too, anding over too often might not be on his radar in the beginning. Pam and Bethany may get closer as they go through simr experiences so that they canpare and console each other.

    Bethany pulled me out of my musing, wanting to go home and rest before packing things back into boxes; she was happy. She had not gotten rid of the boxes since she moved to the penthouse. She had only just started emptying boxes of books that will now have to be packed again. She was talking about bringing the rest of her possessions in storage to our new home and getting a new shed built just for our extra stuff that needs to be gone through one day.

    ''I do not feel like cooking. Can we stop and get some takeaway?'' Bethany suggested, through a yawn.

    ''Sure, how about we stop at the little food court, and we can get a variety of dishes.

    ''Sounds good.'' Bethany was asleep before we reached the food court, my mother having tired her out with trying on so many wedding dresses and then measuring her for some minor adjustments. I was reluctant to wake her up and even more unwilling to leave her in the car asleep, not with all the threats about it. I ended up not going into the food court but phoning a guy I know who works there to bring me out an assortment of food. It took him only a short time to grab various food, and I handed him a hundred-dor tip. In our garage, I gathered her up in my arms, took her to our penthouse,id her on the lounge, and then headed back to the car to grab our food. I ced the food on the table and made sweet tea and coffee to give her a choice. Once I had it all set, I squatted down beside her and swept some hair away from her eyes. She looked so peaceful and beautiful.

    ''Sweetheart! I kissed her cheek and waited for a sign of her waking. She moaned something unintelligible but did not open her eyes.

    I picked up the tray of roast beef and waved it under her nose; she wiggled her nose and licked her lips before her eyes sprung open in surprise.

    ''Hey, take it easy!'' I whispered in a husky voice. She looked around and then back at me.

    ''You carried me up here?'' She looked stunned.

    ''Yep. Popping the P.

    ''I am not exactly light; you have been working out without me knowing about it?'' The cheeking wench.

    ''Of course not, and you are not that heavy, I argued back. She sat up, took the tea, and drank it down.

    ''What did you get? I smelt roast beef! She lifted the lids off the containers and hummed in delight at the choices before her. She picked up the remote, put the sports channel on, and dug into the food. I chuckled at how at ease she was around me and how far we hade in such a short time.

    I looked forward to our years ahead and finding out what our baby is. I want a mini Bethany; she would look cute.

 Chapter 155

    Pam POV

    Kitty was lovely. She is talented, and I now have a fantastic dream wedding dress. It is a little morece than I am used to, but I feel Bob will have to pick his jaw off the floor when he sees me walking towards him. I am so excited and looking forward to Saturday. I am so fortunate to have Bethany ept me so readily; I thought I would be seen as the wicked woman who stole her Dad from her. I could not have been further wrong if I had tried. That girl knows how to make everyone feel better with her calm words and warm hugs. When she and Thomas called me Mum, I cried. I had not considered her as my daughter before, and it hit me hard. I am sure she was the one behind Thomas calling me Mother. Bob is lucky to have those two as his children; they both turned out to be sure- headed children; even with Thomas''s alternate marriage, he is still well grounded and has lots of love to give; both are quick to forgive and move on, leaving the sad past behind them. ''Honey, are you around?'' I heard Bob enter our apartment. We have been busy packing. I think he is all done, as he did not unpack all his boxes when he moved here, having ced a lot of items in the storage shed that Bethany hired when she moved to this city. I only have a little, but I have been a little slow at packing. Each box held a memory, either good or bad, and I walked down memoryne every now and then.

    ''Backroom. I call out as I seal up another box of memories and write where I want the box to go when the moverse. Bob hands me a coffee and a vani slice. Yum, it is like he can read my mind sometimes.

    ''Nearly done?'' He sits on the floor behind me, stretching his long legs on either side and resting his head on my shoulder. The warmth of his body heats my back, helping with the ache from being in this position for too long. ''Yeah, just the kitchen to go. I have an overnight bag to use until we get sorted. When will the moverse?'' Because the house had been empty for so long, we got the keys to move in; we paid the owner a small amount before settlement and getting things started down there. We were going to wait until all was done, but our minds changed when we realized the work was not going to be that bad. Bob had some friendsing to do some of the moreplicated work, and Bob said he would try his hand at painting. Bob POV

    ''Ten minutes will have them take the bulk of it. I think we can do it on one trip and fill our cars with boxes or suitcases; we will see after they have filled the truck. I had envisaged arge truck, but my idea of what arge truck is and the movingpany might be two different things. I looked around her apartment, and she had less than me, and that is saying something, considering most of my furniture came with the apartment, and I am leaving most of it there.

    The movers came and took mine from my ce first; it is now empty of everything I wish to take. I ced three suitcases in my car and two boxes I would like to take myself. Pam managed to fill the rest of the truck and wanted to take some of the furniture as she had grown to love a few pieces and had a ce in mind at our home.

    Our Estate Agent arrived with an offer for both of our ces. An investor wanted them, and we were happy to have them off our hands. I am not andlord type of person and did not want to go down that path, even with the Estate Agent trying to push us that way. One ce to keep is enough for me.

    At our new home, I looked around. It is a safe area, but I need Scott to improve it a bit more; I am sure we can do better than this. Knowing the syndicate is on the move has me a little nervous. I have a new family to protect and one next door. It will be nice having us all so close; it makes Sunday sports day even better. I can get tipsy and walk home rather than get

    a taxi. Hank has already hinted we will be doing some renovations at his ce, and both Theo and I are helping as it is our fault he has to do them. Kitty is keener for these babies to be born than any of the girls.

    ''Honey, we need to talk. After we had everything side by side where she wanted them to be, I cornered Pam, and the movers were finally gone.

    ''Okay! Pam said beside me, coffee on the table, and looked at me with anticipation.

    ''Does the syndicate mean anything to you?'' Having been undercover a lot in her life, I wondered if part of her undercover had involved them, and by the look on her face as she paled, I knew she had been engaged in something that had to do with them. ''Yes.'' She quietly said, her eyes dimming.

    ''The boss is active.'' I used the term loosely to see what her reaction would be.

    ''On the way here?'' She was staring at the table, her hands shaking.

    ''I have been informed that Horandeze is sailing towards us on his yacht with his wife Maria as we speak; the ship should arrive on Friday night. Pam''s whole body was shaking now as she drifted into memories that seemed to be upsetting her. ''Talk to me, Pam. I urged softly.

    ''We could never prove it. Let me start with what I know, and then we can look at piecing it together. I nodded to encourage her to go one.

    ''When I was a new recruit, I was put in a team to try and flush out a guy that preyed on young girls, and I was caught and taken to a cave, where I was tied up and was beaten, and my innocence was taken. Other girls were there, too. Big shots paid to have us in any way they wished; some wanted our bodies, and others wanted to use us as punching bags. I was in that cave for a month, and I still cannot tell you how I got out of there; I was unconscious when I was rescued. I could not identify our attackers as we always had a mask or something covering our eyes, and I putvender on the mask so we could not smell who was in the cave with us. The syndicate was believed behind it, but we could not prove he was involved.'' Pam took a sip of her coffee and continued. ''The next undercover operation against the syndicate was for illegal gambling. These were run in a warehouse owned by the syndicate. After over a year of undercover work, the best we could do was get some local guys. We still could not get Michello or Horandeze. I had a hand in closing down a few ces owned by the syndicate, but no proof the top guys had a hand in it; thew of proof was against us all the time, like those hotels that were involved with moneyundering and such. The syndicate owns them, but we could not prove the top ordered any illegal dealings or had a hand in anything. Theirwyers got them out of it all. Peter, Bret''s brother, was taken under Horandeze wing and put through university to be thewyer we all know and hate. He was being groomed to be the heir to the syndicate.'' I whistled as the dots started to join; no wonder he wasing this way. He must be trying to find Peter and Cynthia and be pissed he has lost his money. That was an obscene amount hidden away.

    ''Peter was brutal with Cynthia. I was in a hotel, doing surveince, and I saw him beating her up, but she would not press charges against him. One of thedies in the hotel tried to convince her to go to the police, but what good would a battery against a wife be? We needed to get him on bigger charges, so I did not get involved in it; I could not risk exposing myself. I so wanted to go to her and help her. I did not know her that well, but no person should have gone through what she did. In that year, I worked in that hotel. Every time Peter came back from being with Horandeze, he would beat her up.

    It was as if she was what he needed to get his anger out. Peter had a number of women he would take to bed with, but only Cynthia would get his violent side. I had been in their hands twice before and managed to escape. I did not wish to test fate again. That exined her fear of getting close to anyone; she had been through some horrific things while undercover. I need to give her as much love as possible and give her space when needed. I know it can be hard to adjust to being part of a more prominent family; she has spent years being a loner away from work.

    They may be teammates at work, but you do not get that close bond when you have to do so much by yourself undercover and have no one to turn to. She puts up a brave front, but I can see her vulnerability.

 Chapter 156

    Bethany

    POV

    We packed everything we were taking with us and had the moving van take it all to my storage shed. The house will be refurbished before we move in, so Theo talked me into living with his parents until it is fit to live in. A few suitcases of clothes were all I needed

    for the time being.

    The wiring needs to be redone, so I suggested we fix the whole house, including the plumbing. That didn''t need to be done, but when you said to restore the home, you might as well get it all done. I love the chance to put my own little touches on the ce.

    I had fun spending the day choosing the kitchen and fittings I wanted, new benchtops, and bathrooms. I could make them earn their money upstairs and down; I am even redoing the granny t bathroom and kitchen. I am going all out. Hank said we could stay as long as we liked; his home is our home. If the ce takes months instead of weeks, we would be fine as far as somewhere to stay. Please visit Jo b nib and search the book title to read the entire book for free. I am still determining what I will have to share with Kitty. It is her house, and though she seems to be okay with this, it is still her ce, yet I am the intruder. I feel like if I walked into the kitchen and started cooking something for Theo and me, that would be wrong. I feel a little ufortable about that and worry about being intimate with him. How soundproof is that ce? So many little variables make me think I would be better off in a hotel or maybe Dad''s ce, but then he now has Pam, and that option might not be viable either. ''What''s got that brain of yours working overtime?'' Theo asks as he wraps his arms around me and kisses my neck.

    ''Staying at your parent''s ce.'' I replied honestly.

    ''What is wrong?'' He squeezes me gently.

    ''I am ufortable about us being intimate with your Mum and Dad in the house.'' I almost sobbed out in frustration, and I did not really want to be living with his parents.

    ''We will work it out; they expect us to be intimate. We will be husband and wife, but I understand what you mean. Theo kissed me some more, but I wanted to growl, not get all sweaty. We were in the back of the car on our way to his parent''s home with our suitcases. The movers had already left the storage unit, and all was a go. Everything felt like it was going so fast. Tomorrow, I needed to get to the hospital and check on our patients, and I felt so out of sync; I liked my habit of swimming in the morning and doing things at my own pace.

    Going to share a house with my inws just felt so weird.

    The car pulled up. Hank was waiting by the door. When we stopped, he went to the car, assisted Theo in getting the suitcases out, and led the way up to our new bedroom. I followed with a suitcase, too; after arguing that I was still capable of carrying a suitcase, you would think I was sick and not just pregnant.

    I sat on the bed, opened the first suitcase, and started to put all my intimate things in the drawers. Then, I headed to the bathroom and put our things in there. Hank gave us a room different from Theo''s childhood bedroom, which had an on-suite. He said it would not be right to make me walk down the hallway to use the bathroom and thought we might like a little more privacy. This room was on a different floor than on the second floor. It appears that either Theo had already talked to Hank about sharing his old room and having issues simr to mine, or Hank was a mind reader and thought about how I might feel living under his roof. Either way, it did put my mind at ease being in thisrger room and two floors away from Hank and Kitty.

    By the time I had put all our clothes away, I was ready for dinner. I headed downstairs and down the hallway and heard Hank and Theo talking. I was going to walk away until I heard they were talking about the syndicate; I knew about these people. Cynthia had bragged about them a number of times to me when we had been alone, how big and tough they were, and they would always protect her. I never understood her need to get her hands on my inheritance when she had a lot of money if half her bragging was true. I waited for a while, listening, and was not happy when Hank mentioned that the only man that Cynthia seemed scared of wasing to town. Why would that mane to our city? Was he looking for Bret and Cynthia?

    I knew of this man and how afraid Cynthia was of him, but she would not admit it to me; she liked to make out she was better than I. But I never cared about that. I loved her, and we shared a womb, and I could never be like she was to me. I had heard her on the phone to someone, talking about how he had killed someone right in front of her to teach her a lesson. I do not know who, and it is not like I could ask her.

    Having heard enough, I turned and headed to the kitchen, happy to find that Kitty was not there. I needed a moment to get my head around what I had just heard and wondered if Theo would tell me a threat was looming or if they would try and keep me in the dark. I was fuming at that thought and needed to get my game face on before he found me, or I would snap at him.

    ''Oh, hello, Bethany. Did you need anything?'' Kitty walked into the kitchen, and the kettle started to boil before I could respond.

    ''Care for coffee?'' I asked as I opened the fridge, reaching for the milk.

    ''I came in to start preparing dinner. Is there anything you do not eat?'' Here we go. Do you think I should say something now or talk to Theo first?

    ''No need, Mum. Bethany and I are dining out today! Theo said as he took one of the coffees off the table.

    ''Why would you do that when I have plenty of food here?'' She whined as Hank walked in.

    ''Because they have a life too, and if I could give them their own kitchen, I would, as Theo stated before he epted to take the room upstairs, that they still need to live their lives and do not expect us to cook and clean after them. I gave Theo a side look, keeping my face nk.

    ''But I want to cook for them.'' I left the kitchen, taking my coffee with me as they debated whatever they would discuss. I could not see a way around this; I was not here to have her wait on me, and moving here already felt like it was the wrong thing to do; you cannot have two women in the same kitchen.

    ''Sweetheart. Mum does not mean to be difficult. I turned to look at him and huffed. I was not going to debate this with him. I put my cup down on the small table in the hall and headed out the door. I needed to breathe, or I would be saying something I could never take back/

    Theo reached for me and grabbed my arm, stopping me from leaving.''

    ''What?'' I spat at him. He did not deserve that reaction, but it was how I felt.

    ''Hey,e on, let''s get out of here. I will buy you some dinner, and we can talk.'' Yeah, what sort of talk does he expect from me?

    I let him guide me to the car, and I sat, trying to calm down. Could I me the baby brain for this? I never let anything get to me like I am now. Had everything reached a c*****, and I needed to explode to get it all out of my system?

    We arrived at a little Italian restaurant we had been to once before. I love the food and service here. A veryrge, rounddy, more or less, shuffled her way over to us.

    ''Theo, how good of you toe and grace us with your appetite and with this charmingdy. Bethany wasn''t it?'' Wow, good memory.

    ''Yes, Bethany, and I want your spaghetti and meatballs; they were to die for,'' I said as she pulled me into her soft, ample bosom and squeezed. She was rtively strong for a woman, and I sank into her chest.

    She started to prattle away in Italian, and to my surprise, Theo burst intoughter and answered her in Italian; the more I was around him, the more he surprised me. With all our twenty questions about getting to know you, we had done a number of times: Do you speak more than onenguage? It was not one of the questions; honestly, until he started talking to the woman in her nativenguage, it never urred to me to ask.

 Chapter 157

    Theo POV

    Dad wanted to talk to me, and when he called me to follow him down the hall, you can guarantee it was not for a friendly, ''How are you?'' Chat. He filled me in with the Syndicate and their movement. It had been a while since that crook left his hometown, always having hisckeys do the jobs for him. He wanted to see whatever job he hadpleted. Jacko was concerned about his real reason for the visit, and anyone who had dealings against him was being warned of him being on the move. I was not so worried about myself. I was a youngd when he was herest, but Dad and Bob were both involved in running him out of town with his tail between his legs. Dad was worried because Peter was being trained to take over, which meant that Bret was most likely seen as a sort of son. If he knew that we were involved in his death, that man would not like that at all. Which means Bethany is in danger again. That poor woman can''t seem to catch a break. I am going to have to tell her about thistest piece of news, and if she does not know who this person is, I will have to fill her in. Dad agreed. I should take her out for dinner and tell her away from the house, while he will tell Kitty once we are gone.

    Thest thing I needed was to walk into the kitchen and feel Mum causing Bethany grief. I understand both sides, but I have to back my soon-to-be wife. Mum is just going to have to suck it up, or I am sure Bethany will spit the dummy and leave; if that happens, it is going to be hard to fix the gap that it would make.

    Bethany was d to get out of the house, and the look on her face when I started to converse in Italian was funny; we had talked about many things, but this showed there was still a lot to learn about each other. I have known these people all my life, and it is a family-owned restaurant. Thisdy''s mother and father ran it before her. They taught me to speak Italian, and I was a dishwasher there during high school. I did not need the money; it was more to learn people''s skills, and learning about life was only sometimes easy for some. I loved working there. They were good teachers. You would think I would have cooking skills, having worked in a restaurant, but I could not get it right; I liked to eat it more than cook it. ''Can we have a mix please. I asked as we took a seat at the back of the restaurant where most of the special patrons got to sit.

    ''Sure, I will also bring a big te of our special dish. My boy, he made it. You are his first customer to try it! She proudly walked away to ce our order and serve us at the counter. She had some trainees.

    The food came out, and we gorged ourselves. I knew I was going to ask for a container to take some home. We sat enjoying a drink, and Bethany appeared to have calmed down. Sheughed along with the staff as they teased her for being with me. We received extra attention because we were getting married, and the owners were so excited that their boy was finally getting married. Their boy was me, and they treated me like one of the family. That included a clip around the ear when I was being stupid. ''Bethany, I need to talk. She nodded, turning to give me her full attention. I reflected on what I knew about the syndicate and what was happening. We were getting extra security. It was hard telling her all this, but I felt she should know that if she found out some other way, I would be in the dog house, and being new to all of this, I did not wish to be on her wrong side. I want to protect her and give her love. But holding back that protective side and letting her be herself was hard. She took what I had to say well and appeared not to be that surprised by the news.

    ''What about our home situation? I am not going to fight your mother over the kitchen. I will eat out for every meal until she gets the picture, or you can get a portable cooker, and we can cook our meals up here. I am not going to back down on this one. I cannot fight a woman in her own home, but I will not let her think we are staying so she can be our maid!

    ''Dad is dealing with that. I am sure by the time we get home, Mother will be a changed woman. She should be used to having women in the kitchen with three daughters. I do not know what has got into Mother these days. Could all these babies overwhelm her at the same time?

    ''Can we look at renting somewhere until the house is built? I feel bad now that we are out of the penthouse before our home is ready!'' Bethany looked sad, and I understood that it was all to do with my mother and her weird behavior ofte.

    We headed home with three containers of leftovers and arge dessert to share when we reached home. There was no way we could cope with eating dessert after that huge meal. My pants were bursting at the seams. I dare not bend over, with fear of ripping them. Mum and Dad were in the lounge watching sports news. It is the only channel we have ontely. We are all avoiding watching the other channels, as none of us wish to see new headlines for fear of what they might be. We hope there will be good news regarding the heart recipient and her progress, but we cannot risk it being something else that would upset thedies.

    ''We have leftovers and sweets. Would you like some, Mother?'' I lifted the bag from the restaurant that I knew Mum loved to go to and knew it was a no-brainer.

    ''That would be lovely!'' When Mum went to get up to take the bags from me, Dad ced his hand on her arm to stop her, and after a moment of hesitation, she sat back down. This was going to be hard for her, but if we were going to be staying there, she needed to see us as a family here to help and not as guests. She needs to run around to serve us. With us all having left the nest, she had gotten into the habit of running around after us when we visited, and I had not even noticed it till now. I was a bad son and did not see what was happening. It was time to improve on that.

    Together, Bethany and I made the drinks and brought out tes and forks for dessert. Mother made a fuss over the food, and I could tell she enjoyed being the one to be served. I hoped we would do that more often, like we did as kids. We make a roster so that Bethany and I have the kitchen and cook the meal that day and mother and father the next. That sounded like a good idea in my head, but can I word it right that will not get either woman''s dander up?

    A rey of a game we had missed was on the TV, and though Mum was not too impressed at our choice, she was outvoted and sat with us through it all. She evenughed at Dad shouting at the screen a few times, which had the rest of usughing along with her. It was a much better night than I had expected, and I could see that Dad had talked to her about having us live here and for her to rx and let us be part of the family, not a guest. He might have thrown around the subject of the baby and might only get to see it sometimes. If Bethany was ufortable visiting, she should pull her head in and go with the flow. I could envisage Dad pulling that one on her and bringing her back to the reality that all thedies feel that way, and she would end up with fewer visits, even with us living so close to her.

 Chapter 158

    Bethany POV

    Tomorrow is my wedding, and I am still getting ready.

    Here I am at the hospital, checking the data I have received on the child and Mr Green. Both are doing excellently, and the newpound is better than I had hoped. Both bodies have epted the new heart as part of them and are pumping the much-needed blood around the body as needed. Mr Green has raised his exercise level, and his heart has responded to it. I was unsure if I had programmed it right, but everything appeared to work like a normal heart would. I did not need to tweak anything. I was so pleased with the results Mr Green was producing and that he was getting fitter and stronger daily. He looks like he is putting in the effort. Some people find it hard to break old habits, but Mr Green seems to be on the right track. His dedication to doing better will make the heart''s results look good, which makes my research look good in the long run. That sounds a little selfish, but it is a fact.

    ''Theo,'' I called out, finding him engrossed in his work in his office. He nced up, his eyes reflecting a mix of weariness and determination. Unaware that he had left his door ajar, he seemed to be lost in a world of his own creation.

    ''Come in, take a seat. I was going over somest-minute changes before we had a few days off. I have left so much work for Robson to do, and I need to catch up. He has put a great crew together. I only know a few hospitals with this many doctors on call, all private hospitals. As tired as Theo was, he never failed to look good to me; his eyes shined with joy, and he smiled at me often.

    ''I have linked you in on thetest report on the little girl. I am happy for her to go home, but it is your call!'' I said, trying not to sound too excited, in case he had a reason to keep her longer.

    ''You are right, and she is doing remarkably well. I think her parents are still there. Do you want toe with me to give them the good news?'' Theo stood up and walked to the children''s room together. The parents were ying Monopoly with her, and it looked like she was winning.

    ''Hi. I called out as I entered the room. The little girl''s eyes lit up when she saw me.

    ''Dr Bethany! She eximed and nearly sent all the Monopoly pieces flying off the bed. I giggled at her excitement at seeing me. It is rare for me toe to the wards after I have signed them over to Theo unless he needs me to; only one doctor should be the attending doctor to avoid confusion. Besides, I can see all I need on theputer. However, seeing her glowing face makes me feel good inside. I am usually so busy once the patient moves out of my care that catching up like this is excellent for a change. ''You are looking well,'' I replied, giving her a gentle hug. She had opened her arms for one, and I did not even hesitate to return it.

    ''She looks amazing and has bounced back faster than any other operation.'' The mother crowed, and the father nodded in agreement.

    ''That is why we are both here. Sweetie, how would you like to get out of here?'' Theo asked, and the parents stared in shock while the child screamed.

    ''Yes, Both Theo and I chuckled as the little one started to try to get undressed.

    ''Wait, let me unhook you first! Theo chuckled as he fought to remove the monitors from her as she tried to remove her pajamas. This monitor was so others could see how she was doing, like a regr heart monitor. I have an app for the artificial heart. They do not need to see the graphs and results I am getting, and I cannot risk someone who does not know what they are doing hitting a button and damaging the heart.

    Theo finished the discharge paperwork, and we both stood and watched as the little girl was wheeled down the hallway. A number of staff members pped her to the elevator and did not stop cheering until the lift doors closed. I was almost in tears at the staff''s response. Seeing a healthy-looking child leave after being so sick was a good moment, and everyone thought she would not see her next birthday.

    Robson promised to attend the wedding tomorrow and gave us an extra day off to celebrate our new life together. He had also booked us two nights at a retreat that he and his wife enjoyed and thought we might like it too.

    Theo refused to leave me alone. He said they had already had a buck night and did not need to go again, and as we were already living like a married couple, being away for one night was one night too long. I was not going to argue; I was in enough of a panic as it was to be arguing about not being together the night before the wedding, which seemed too much to be bothered with.

    The wedding dress was ready after another long day of Kitty making me put it on and take it off again. Something only she could see was not sitting right, and she would make me keep changing into it until whatever she was trying to fix was fixed. The two bridesmaids were more content than I was, as Kitty fussed over their dresses, too. I am d we did not have arge wedding, or Kitty would have made an evenrger fuss, I am sure.

    It seemed the wedding would berger than I had thought, as Dad had a few of his friends from working, and soon, nearly fifty people were attending the ceremony. Hank called in some caterers, refusing to let Kitty make all the food as she had been doing more than enough, getting the chairs and tables set up and organizing loads of flowers. And yeah, the backyard where we were holding the wedding was already transforming.

    We had pizza for dinner. Too much wedding stuff was in the kitchen. Even though Hank had told Kitty to do nothing, she still made some finger food and other little things, and the cake sat proudly on the table, waiting to be taken outside tomorrow. We allid about in the lounge room, watching some sappy movie that Kitty chose, refusing to allow the sports channel to be on tonight, saying we needed a movie that would put us in the right mood: How Four Weddings and a Funeral followed by A night in Seattle andstly Ghost, was going to put me in the mood to get married was beyond me, but it had the otherdies all in tears, so I guess it got them in the mood.

    The girls painted their toes and fingernails as they watched the movie, chatting away as they did. Kitty was even on the floor doing her nails. Iy on the lounge, snuggled up to Theo, not wanting my toes or fingernails painted. I would only have to remove them when I went back to work. Nail polish could be a better mix in the researchb.

    Dad and Pam left first, followed by Felicity and Sam. Cindy and Margaret would stay the night, and I think Hank had asked them to keep her out of the kitchen and trouble. We had caterers arriving at ten. The marquees were erected yesterday, and some tables were set up for food and drinks. Rows and rows of chairs faced an arch decorated with flowers. We would stand under the arch as we said our promises to each other. I still need rification about standing under the arch. If we were to be doing it together, four people would not fit under it; we could be on the other side of the arch and use it to go through once we are wed. I will wait for the celebrant to say something, as I do not want to disappoint Kitty, who spent hours putting all those flowers on it. It would make an excellent photograph. I suggest using it for that reason to Theo, once the wedding is done. He would like that too, and it would be on show so that Kitty could see all her hard work on disy on the mantle.

    Theo and I headed to bed before thest movie finished. I was yawning all through it, and Theo kept chuckling, his body bouncing as he did, bringing me back from almost dropping off. A nice long shower together with some kisses and cuddling, but no further. He had said a couple of days ago that he thought it would be nice to wait till after the wedding to be intimate again; I was not sure how different that was from not seeing me on the night before the wedding, but who was I to argue? Some things never make sense to

    me.

    I am wired to be different.

    I can''t wait for tomorrow and the wedding day. All this hype is getting to me; I need this to be over; these butterflies in my stomach are worse than when I did my first heart operation using my prototype.

 Chapter 159

    Theo POV

    After a shower, Bethany and I headed down to the kitchen, only to be pushed away to the formal dining room where food wasid out. We grabbed food buffet style and headed to the lounge to eat, only to find that Dad and Bob were already there, watching sports news and updates. We were going to miss the weekend sports, but none of us seemed to mind, considering why we would miss it, and they were getting as much of the sports fix as they could before the woman showed up and turned the television off. We sat on the floor and put our food on the small coffee table, eating as we took in the news of up-anding games today and tomorrow.

    We watched for nearly an hour and a half before Mum stormed into the room, fuming, and switched the television off, her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. She was not impressed that we were all in here watching television on such an important day. She had put a lot of work into making this day perfect.

    ''Boys to the games room, and you.'' Pointing her finger at Bethany, who ducked her head as if she had been scalded, and, in a way, she was.

    ''To the attic. The other girls are waiting to get you dressed. The celebrant will be here in half an hour to discuss the process again, and the caterers are already arriving with food. Please visit Job nib and search the book title to read the entire book for free. Get your butts off the floor and move.'' I had never seen Dad move so fast; I guess my Mum''s scary voice is scary. I gave Bethany a quick kiss.

    ''Catch you soon, sweetheart.'' I squeezed and kissed her on the nose, leaving to hunt down Dad and the guys.

    Bob, Dad, Jacko, Thomas, Nate, and Scott were in the room when I entered. They were going through the suits on a rack and working out who belonged to which suit, as there were nobels on them, and they were all a dark blue, with a light blue pin strip. We eventually worked it out. Bob wore a cobalt blue shirt with a white carnation pinned to thepel, and I wore a cornflower blue shirt with a white rose pinned to thepel. Dad went to each one of us, straightened a tie, and made us all nice and neat. When Dad was satisfied that we were all ready, he grunted and nodded and, together, left the room.

    I found the celebrant, Bob, and greeted him, and we listened to his suggestions. He would have us stand to one side of the arch, and thedies could get through it. When we were done, we would leave together through the arch. The garden looked fantastic. I noticed several of Scott''s men around as helpers, and he said he had some snipers upstairs looking out. We went all out to make sure nothing went wrong this time. Even Nate was there in a different suit than us; he was the ringd, holding a deep blue velvet pillow with four rings on it. He looked proud to be standing out there holding the pillow.

    Bob looked nervous, and Dad tried to calm him down. It was hard for him to rx at the moment, not just because he was about to get married, but because he knew an old foe was close by, and his gut was saying trouble was at hand. We all stood staring at the back door, waiting for ourdies to appear. The longer it took, the harder the wait was.

    ''I have extra men on the roof; I hope you don''t mind?'' Jacko said quietly to Hank, who was watching the door for the signal that the girls were ready and to go meet them at the bottom of the stairs.

    ''Do you have anyone you can think of?''

    ''It is not a secret, anyone from work or Theo''s work, workers in the houses. How long ago were you gged?''

    ''Not that long ago for it to be one of the workers on the houses! We were all stumped at who would contact this man, or was it just a coincidence after all? The hospital was buzzing with the excitement that Dr. Theo was getting married. They even gave us a wedding present yesterday when we were at work.

    ''The more, the merrier. We cannot be too careful. For him to being now, do you think someone has tipped him off about our wedding here? I thought it was too much of a coincidence, you know?'' Dad was right; it did seem odd that this person wasing now. Bethany POV

    Kitty was a tyrant, barking orders at the girls and helping me wear my dress. Poor Theo is going to have fun getting this off of me; I have so many buttons on it that I think he will rip it off. My hair was curled, and beads threaded through it, a tiara on my head to hold the veil in ce, and too much makeup, although the girls insisted it was the rage nowadays. High heels that I am sure are going to break my neck, and I wonder how I am going to manage to walk on the grass with them.

    The girls looked lovely in matching blue dresses, one light and one darker, but both exquisite; Kitty was good at her sewing skills. Pam looked a bit frazzled, too, and she kept groaning each time Kitty made some adjustments to the dress, which looked perfect to me. When Kitty was satisfied we were perfection, she led us downstairs to where Jacko and Hank were waiting for us to lead us to our men. Their eyes lit up when they saw us, and I took that as a good sign. Hank pulled me in for a hug, kissed my cheek, and got a huff from Kitty.

    ''Go and sit with the guests. Your job is done, and you have done a wonderful job at that. Thesedies look fantastic!'' Words of praise from Hank were all she needed to give him a bright smile and leave to join the others waiting for us to arrive.

    ''You look great, sis, you too, Mum.'' Thomas winked at me when he said Mum, but Pam was not so shocked this time. She smiled back at him and nodded. He raised his arm for her to take. She would leave first. They left the back door together and headed down to the waiting grooms. I could hear the ''oo''s and ah''s'' and ''she looks beautiful''ing from the crowd. ''You ready?'' Hank asked, rubbing my arms as if warming me up.

    Hank walked me out, and though there were a lot of people looking at me, my eyes were focused on Theo. He stood tall and smiled at me with a broad smile that lit up his whole face. I watched as he looked at me from head to toe and felt I had just been undressed. I walked under the arch, and Hank kissed my hand before leaving me with Theo. Dad and Pam were already ready and waiting for us to get settled in ce so the promises of our future together could begin.

    We had written our own promises, and when I reached my turn, I improvised, havingpletely forgotten all I had intended to say. Theo looked at me with such love that I felt my heart melt. I am so lucky to have found Theo, and he was there to patch up my wounded heart with his soft, unyielding approach. I think I messed up my lines more than once, but that was okay.

    We waited while Dad pledged his love to Pam. I almost cried as Dad said his words; he deserved a new start. Then we had the rings. Nate stepped forward and held up the pillow, and the celebrant spoke of the rings, which were a daily reminder that we had promised to be with one another for the rest of our lives. Pam and Dad ced the rings on their fingers first, and then Theo and I exchanged rings.

    Right after I had ced the ring on his finger, I was suddenly pushed to the ground, and a loud bang was heard, and momentster, another bang. I hit my head on the ground, and everything went fuzzy.

 Chapter 160

    Horandeze POV

    My Maria and I were on board the yacht, and as we sailed through calm waters, I watched my Maria sunbathe on deck. She may be getting on now and is more rounded than she should be. She no longer has a figure to speak of, but she is still my wife, and I enjoy cuddling up to her warm body and not those skinny ones. So many young men drawl over thin women, but I prefer women like my Maria, more to get hold of and not worry if they will break. Maria is not afraid to put on her bathers and lie down; she knows she is loved and protected. Other than a little extra weight, Maria has maintained her body and still looks as gorgeous as she did on the day we met.

    ''We shall be docking tomorrow just after dinner,'' the captain informed me. He is a good pilot and has gotten me out of a few tight spots. We are staying here for a week. I hope to find out where Peter is and take him home. The whole syndicate in this region is missing, and I won''t say too much as Ick information. The small amounts my contact has managed to get for me will at least give me directions to start my own investigation.

    Thewyer from Peter''s firm said Peter was taken to court, and the judge refused bail for everyone involved in the case. They need to find out where they are all held. How does hiswyer need to learn where he is being held? How can that be? It is beyond me; indeed, he has the right to counsel.

    Or is his council holding back information on me? I''ll be sure to find out soon.

    While Maria and I ate on the deck, the city''s lights appeared. It was a magnificent sight to behold.

    ''Look, Sugar. Is that where we are going?'' Maria pointed to the lights in the distance, excited to see the lights.

    ''Yes, darling, that is where we are going! A few hourster, we stood on the deck and watched the ship dock at a private marina, and a chauffeur collected us and took us to the vi. Maria showered and headed to bed, and I left to scope out the ce that my contact said was where Pam would be for her wedding. He had to wine and dine a woman and slip a little something into her drink to get the information, but what little he got at least gave me a starting point.

    Since the precinct members we used before are all in a holding cell somewhere, I was trying very hard not to get angry over how badly this section was managed. I thought Peter had this all under his control. It looks like I may have put him in charge a little too

    soon.

    What the hell has been going on over there, and why was I not kept informed?

    This did not look good for this branch of the syndicate; I should have been included in all the arrests and losses as they urred.

    I hired a car, not in my name, and drove around the area, picking out the best spot to climb up high and see the houses'' backyards. I might be getting older, but I can still climb a tree or two. I have kept in shape over the years and trained hard to stay at the top of the game. Anyone who sees the slightest weakness thinks they can take you down.

    I selected a tall pine tree and shimmied up the trunk until I could see into the people''s backyards. I removed my scope from my pocket and looked around; I am a long-range sniper and was trained in the army. When I was young, it was at a time when all men aged sixteen to twenty needed to spend time in the military. And I used that time to hone my skills. I can still hit a target with reasonable uracy. That time hardened us young men into the strong men we are today. They should bring that back. Many young people today have too much time on their hands, and it is challenging to help and guide them. When the military worked for me, an angry young man, I was back then, lost and needed direction, and because of my experience, I think it could help others. It was easy to spot which house was going to have the wedding. There were marquees set up, and decorations were around the ce. They had a patrol, walking around the yard, and I could see two security men out front. They were smoking from the look of it. Obviously, they were expecting trouble to have all this protection. Mind you, if what I have been told is urate, and they are in that house now, it should be standard practice to have security like this. I will give them credit for trying to be careful. Happy I had found a good ce for tomorrow, I shimmied back and headed to my contact. I want to find out what has been going on.

    The man was not home, and his house looked like it had been ransacked recently. The result could have been better. I needed to speak with him. Maybe he has done a runner. Once I havepleted the other task, I will find out one way or another.

    I walked the streets for a bit, talking to some homeless people. I entered a few bars, hunting for information, and found very little. It was rare to find a ce so tight-lipped. I could not even use some money to get information. The few I tried said that they could not help me with information that was not known; a whole precinct was arrested and taken away, including a judge and lots of high-profile people. But there has yet to be a word on the streets about where they were taken.

    Frustrated, I headed back home and to bed. Tomorrow, Maria will go to a spa and have her hair and nails done, while I go and have a little bit of fun at a wedding. I took a quick shower, and soon, I was snuggled up behind my gooddy. Sleep came quickly, as it always does.

    After breakfast, I retook the car and dropped Maria off at the beauty salon. I headed to the wedding. The ce out front has a lot of cars heading in already; the more they have at this wedding, the better; once I have shot a few rounds in the crowd, panic will give me time to climb down the tree and escape. Mind you, I am on the next street over, but I can''t risk too much traffic blocking me. I have my car parked in a kiddie''s yground area.

    I can see Bob, who I have just learned is the new head of police, and I know I would never be able to bribe him. Then there is Jacko. He rose to the ranks quickly and has been a pain for the Syndicate''s businesses. I think he is the one behind arresting my heir. Then there is Hank, good ole Hank. He saved one of my men''s lives, but it was under duress. He found it hard to remove the bullet from my man''s chest while I held a gun to his head. Scott, well, that is a whole different reason. I killed his Dad years ago, and Scott has been after my hide ever since. I can''t me him; I would have been the same. He has grown into a fine young man; he is good at his job and adapts quickly to anything I can throw at him. It will be interesting to see how he handles this one.

    I watched the two brides arrive, and, yes, as brides go, they looked beautiful; one seemed to really stand out. It was going to be a shame to kill such a pretty youngss. They said their vows, and I struggled to pick the perfect moment to shoot. Although I wanted to kill one for my Peter, I had an immense urge to kill the other one first; I was at war with myself as to which one, constantly moving the sights of the rifle from one to the other. I had to choose quickly, or my best opportunity would be lost. The look of such love on one of the girls'' faces chose for me. If they love each other that much, that girl should go first. It will hurt the most. I have nothing against this girl; she is pretty and seems to be lovely, but I need revenge. I took a calming breath and set my sights on the girl. A red dot appeared on her chest, and I pulled the trigger.

    Nate POV

    I proudly stood at the front, watching Bethany marry Theo. I had be rather fond of those two.

    When I leaned forward to give the rings to Bob and Pam, I noticed a sh of light or somethinging from the trees to my left. I stood back as they ced the ring on their fingers, watching the trees, trying to figure out what had caught my eye. When I moved forward to present the rings to Bethany and Theo, I saw the light again, a reflection of light from ss or something like that. As kids, we used mirrors, each to signal each other, and that was this kind of reflection, but why up in a tree and now? I looked back and saw the hint of red light roaming Bethany''s white dress, and I knew immediately what it was. I rushed forward to thedies; the moment the red dot found Bethany''s chest, I could not let her die. I pulled bothdies down as I felt pain hit me in the back, and I cked out.

 Chapter 161

    Theo

    POV

    My love turned towards me in her flowing white dress, which sparkled as the sunlight hit the little diamonds on the dress. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her face radiated with joy and love, and her promise to be mine lodged in my mind. Now, I get to capture those red lips in mine and seal the deal. I blinked when I noticed something red on her dress and did not get to look at it to determine what it was.

    This beautiful moment was shattered beyond belief when suddenly a bang was heard, and she was suddenly taken away from me by a man''s body that had jumped in front of her, and all three went crashing to the ground.

    A second shot was heard almost immediately after, and screams from the crowd. Suddenly, pandemonium was all around

    me.

    I looked down to where my wife would be and saw a man''s back, blood seeping out over his suit. Both Bethany and Pam were under this man''s body as he tried to protect them with his own life. Everything happened so fast, but it was in slow motion at the same time. I stood there looking down at the scene in front of me, temporarily stuck frozen for the moment, unsure what to do and fearing that I had just lost the woman I married and my unborn child. My wife was under that body.

    I unfroze from whatever dream I thought I was in when someone pushed me aside, away from her, and that someone was shouting and screaming for his bag and calling for an ambnce.

    I looked on as if it was a movie and not real life, still not believing what was happening in front of me.

    It was Dad who rushed forward to attend to the man whom I had yet toprehend as to who protected my wife. That was until Thomas started to scream his name and was on the ground next to the man, assisting Dad in picking him up and whisking him off to the house, both saying something that I could not understand.

    Someone nudged me, bringing me back to my senses again, and I squatted down to check on Bethany, her white dress covered in red blood, her eyes fluttering, and she groaned; at least she was alive. I lifted her into my arms and stood, carrying her inside while trying to avoid the panicked people around me; people wereing out from under tables and trying to rush inside, out of the shooter''s range.

    Pam was already on her feet, unharmed, and talking to Scott and Bob as they walked beside me.

    ''The sniper was in the trees over there. Our man saw where the shot came from and returned fire. He saw the sniper fall from the trees, and I have men rushing over there now. We have called a second ambnce to attend to the sniper, and I believe the police are on the way, too.'' Scott sounded rushed and frustrated, and I could tell he wanted to go to the sniper and see who it was and if the threat was over. His job was still happening around us, and I bet he felt guilty that he had failed again to stop someone from being hurt. He had his own sniper on the roof of Dad''s house, but he could not shoot till the sniper shot first or gave away his position, and that is where the problemy, not on Scott''s shoulders. He did all he could, and unless he wanted us all to wear ck jackets, what else could he do? When his man saw where the sniper was hidden, he did not hesitate to shoot at the sniper and hit him, stopping them from doing even more damage than they already had.

    ''Do you want to go and see who it is?'' Pam asked, and I looked at Scott and saw his indecision. I had already guessed he wanted to go. If I were in charge of this, I would like to go.

    ''Go, and you can tell us all about itter. I said, and he nodded, looking relieved. We understood and took off.

    ''Bob, you can go too if you wish ande back after you are satisfied. We are safe. I will stay here with Bethany! Pam spoke softly to Bob, who nodded and headed in the same direction as Scott. I hope this means the danger is now over.

    I made it to the same room Dad had Nate in and ced her on a table. I started to undo the millions of buttons that were on this dress. It may have been fun alone in our room, but I needed to see if she was hurt. I had seen the blood on the back of her head, but that was all I could see till I got this dress off. Though the blood did not seem to be getting anyrger, I had to be sure.

    Bethany opened her eyes and looked at me as I fumbled with her buttons.

    ''Hey.'' Bethany whispered to me. I looked up at her and searched her face for something.

    ''I am fine. It was just a bump on the head, and Nate took the shot! She said, and I looked over to where Nate was on the table, lying on his belly, as Dad worked on his back, trying to stem the bleeding.

    ''How did you know?'' I asked. I had not even seen him dart across in front of her; it was all too quick.

    ''I think we both saw the sh of light at the same time, but he darted in front of me and pulled me down with the

    momentum, and I think Pam too. Why was someone trying to shoot me?'' Bethany was in shock and started to shake like she was very cold.

    I looked over at Dad and Thomas as they worked on Nate. I was so d when the ambnce arrived. Dad exined what he had done so far and then loaded Nate up and left. Dad climbed into the ambnce with Nate.

    Mum was in tears somewhere down the hall, and I was too busy worrying about Bethany tofort her. Bethany sat up and helped me get her wedding dress off.

    ''Does bloode out? Kitty will be so upset that her mother''s dress is ruined.'' I am not sure Mum would be upset that the dress is ruined, more like happy Bethany is safe and, oh, the baby?

    ''ARE you sure you are okay? The baby?'' I asked, very concerned for both.

    ''Yes, I am fine. You Pam, the baby?'' Bethany asked, pushing any doubts about her own health aside.

    ''Pam, you took a hard fall with Bethany. Would you like for me to check you both out?''

    ''No, thank you, Theo; I know you are a doctor, but it does not feel right that my step-son-inw checks me out!'' I chuckled at how she said this; it would be weird. But I did not even think of that when I offered.

    We managed to get the dress off Bethany, and Pam took it to Mum to see if she could soak it or something before it was stained. But I get the impression that Mum most likely removed the diamonds, chucked the dress, or put it away somewhere out of sight. Underneath the dress, Bethany was fine, with no sign of the bullet having hit her. I was concerned it might have gone through Nate and into Bethany. I did a check on the baby, and all seemed to be okay; there was no sign of any bleeding down there, and she was in no pain.

    Bethany put on some jeans and a blouse, not wanting to put on the dress she had nned to wear; until we knew how Nate was, we did not feel like celebrating. Downstairs, several guests were still there, enjoying the food and soft music.

    We walked around and chatted with the guests, trying to make the best of the situation. The guests were still there waiting to hear news about Nate, the hero. We ate and tried to enjoy what we had here, but it was hard. Mum kept breaking into tears, and Scott''s team kept walking around and checking the fence line, reminding us of what had happened a short time ago.

    Bob and Scott returned and nodded to Dad''s office. I nodded, and with Bethany and Pam in tow, we headed there, leaving Mum to deal with the visitors. Cindy and Margaretforted her and supported her as she tried to be there for the guests. ''This will be one wedding that will never be forgotten.'' I heard one guest say.

    Yeah, I am not likely to forget my wedding day ever.

 Chapter 162

    Scott POV

    I did not need to be told twice; when Theo said to go and find out who did the shooting, I did not hesitate. I was backing out of my car when Bob came rushing out and jumped into the passenger side.

    ''Go, let''s see who has the balls to do this! He was as eager as I was to find out; he was talking to his people on his phone. He had left Jacko behind at the house to sort out the statements and calm everyone down. Will there be much of a reception left when we return? What a way to remember your wedding day.

    When I arrived at the scene, my men had cleared the area and cordoned it off. It was all very organized; the person was still at the bottom of the tree, and one of my men had his hand on his chest, holding a cloth on the bleeding wound.

    ''Sir, an older man, a foreigner, appears to have a broken leg, and Mike got him in the shoulder. An ambnce was five minutes away, and the police in two. I was being updated as Bob and I walked over to the man. Someone had rolled him over, and it was clear that the man was unconscious and not going anywhere. I was more relieved because I was not in the mood for lots of paperwork; at least, it looked like we were trying to keep him alive, which was in our favor.

    ''Never thought I would see the day that this man would be lying at our feet bleeding. Bob said somberly.

    ''You know this man?'' Keith, my man, asked in surprise.

    ''You are looking at the most wanted man in the world, top of the syndicate. He was always good at covering his tracks, so he never went to jail; topwyers were always getting him off on a technicality. He won''t be able to get out of this one, though; we have him atst if he lives. We can expect gang wars when news of him being out of action hits the streets. If he dies, who knows what will be of all his people? The word in the street is that Peter, who we have in a holding cell, was his heir, but we have no proof of that. He cannot take over while in jail, Bob replied. He sounded rather pleased that he was seeing that man bleeding out. I don''t me him. That man has caused a lot of trouble over the years.

    I squatted down next to him, and with my now gloved hand, I grabbed the rifle beside him and handed it to Bob. He had put on gloves, too, and was talking to the police who had just arrived. Bob checked out the rifle before sliding it into a bag a police officer held open.

    ''Tag it,'' Bob said, and turned to look up at the tree again. I wondered what he was looking for.

    We could hear the ambnce siren in the distance, and I hoped that one would go to Nate first. That man needed a medal for what he did. He reacted so quickly and before any of us had seen iting. Right next to Bethany, he most likely saw the red light show up on her dress and acted on impulse. I know so few who would do that; if quick enough, most would pull the person away, not cover the body with their own.

    The ambnce arrived a few momentster, and the paramedics jogged over, one carrying a bag and the other wheeling a gurney. They worked together on the man. We gave the paramedics as much information as we could before they took him away, heading to the public hospital, lights and sirens zing.

    ''He was fairly high, from the look of the branches, he broke on his way down. Someone said to the left of me. I looked over my shoulder at the person. It was a young police officer, most likely not familiar with what a sniper can do. This was nothing, if anything, too easypared to what that man was capable of. He could go much higher and further away than this; it was hardly challenging for him, but he was not ready for us to have our own sniper. I chuckled at myself at that thought. I had been trying to get one step ahead of him for years, and now I have.

    This one was for you, Dad. I thought as I moved over to Bob to find out what he wanted us to do.

    ''Bob?'' He looked at me and smiled.

    ''This is one hell of a day. he chuckled as the sounds of the other ambnce leaving were heard.

    ''Do you think they will take Nate to the private hospital?'' I asked, thinking it would be the best ce for him; it was closer than here, and Hank would do a better job than the public hospital, as he was the best doctor around to treat him.

    ''Yep, Robson took off the minute they had Nate stable. He was going to get the hospital ready for his arrival. I phoned a moment ago when I heard the ambnce and asked. Hank will operate and be put in the research section where Bethany recovered. We need to beef up the security even more. We do not know if someone wants to get revenge, and though they may not know who pulled the trigger or who the bullet was intended for, they know that Nate took the bullet, and that is all they need to target him.'' Bob was more or less giving me the go-ahead to put those who were on duty in the hospital with Bethanyst time and will be sent again. I love this guy, and he is our best police boss yet. Before I even thought of it, he sees things and can predict what we need. I wish he had taken over years ago. We needed him.

    ''Look up there. Bob was still looking up the tree.

    I looked up and saw what looked like a bag in the canopy.

    ''Looks like his bag, I will go up. Before anyone could deny me the pleasure, I was shimmying up the tree; it had been a while since I climbed a tree like that. I miss those days. I was a good sniper who worked for the government a few times on the quiet. No one knew it was me. I liked the mystery of when they needed someone to aid in a rescue. I was good at my job. Still, I am still hopeful.

    The bag was a ck duffle. Inside was more ammunition and two guns, and I think Bob would want to see a few things. I did not risk dropping it, so I zipped it, slung it over my shoulder, and shimmied back down.

    Once down, I handed it over to Bob, who unzipped it and whistled. He pulled out the little booklet that was inside and flipped through a few pages. He whistled a couple of times before putting it in a stic bag and sending the duffle bag back. He then asked for stic evidence, arge one, back.

    ''We have some names in there that I want to look at before anyone else. Make sure it is put in my office, and I will review it first. Bob said to the police officer, who took the bag from him, wrote something on his notepad, and nodded. ''Problem?'' I asked, already noting something was off.

    ''Yes, and I have a feeling it is going to be as wee as it was when I found out about Wendy''s involvement in this.

    ''That does not sound good. Will you at least wait till we have Nate''s news before we go break someone''s heart?'' I knew the look on Bob''s face and dreaded what he had to do.

    ''Sure, I can take my time with this evidence. Others, I am sure, would understand the dy; my son-inw has been shot, and they would expect me to be away from the office while he is in surgery and maybe a day or two afterward. I can dy that long! ''Could you tell me what it is about?'' I probed.

    ''Sorry, not this time, we have finished here. Can we get to the hospital now? I want to find out how myd is doing, and he saved my daughter. He said as if I did not already know this. Or all of what has happened is starting to sink in, and it happened to him and not someone else.

 Chapter 163

    Thomas

    POV

    The wedding was going so well. Judy was with the baby at the back, rocking it gently, and Nate was out front of us, looking pleased with himself for being part of the bridal party. He had always wanted to be part of something like this, and I was so d when Bethany asked him to be the ring holder. She made it sound like it was super important, and he fell for it.

    Then everything went south fast. I saw the red dot and looked up at the trees, but my man, Nate, understood what it meant. He acted in the selfless way he always did and put other people before him. I could not believe it when he suddenly covered the girls and pushed them to the ground. I screamed and rushed to him. Hank beat me there and took control as he should, being a doctor; I deferred to him, and together, we carried his limp body to the table in the kitchen, which for once was clear.

    Hank used a knife and cut open his shirt to reveal the red hole in his chest. That blood was seeping out too fast for my liking. I could hear Judy crying in the background, but I was too focused on aiding Hank as he asked me to put pressure on a ce, and he worked on his body. I heard the ambnce arrive, and one of the paramedics took over what I was doing as Hank exined what was happening. I stepped back, let the experts handle it, and turned to Judy.

    ''Will you stay here and rest up? I do not think the hospital is a ce for the baby!'' I almost begged her to say yes. She would stay.

    ''We have plenty of diapers and a change of clothes. I aming. I cannot stay here and wait!

    ''I am going in an ambnce if they let me. Can you drive, okay?'' I was now worried she would be so upset she could not drive.

    I walked to the ambnce as they loaded him up. Hank turned to me, and my heart sank. I knew what he was going to tell me before he did.

    ''Sorry, not enough room, and I need to be in here more than you do. Hank tried to be nice, but time was of the essence. ''Go, I will follow. Where to?'' After all, I will be taking Judy, and she will be thrilled I am.

    ''Private hospital. A paramedic called back and mmed the back door closed.

    ''Judy, honey, let''s load up the car and get to the hospital. I helped strap the baby to the back and put the bag on the back seat, and Judy climbed in, tears still.

    ''We are right behind you, buddy! Theo called out as he started to reverse his car out of the driveway. Fortunately, the driveway was cleared for the ambnce, which made it easier for us to get out. Jacko was staying at the house, and he had a lot of police work to do. He called several carloads of police officers toe and help take statements and clean the ce up.

    The drive to the hospital felt like it took ages. I helped Judy and the baby out and grabbed the pram from the back. Robson met us as we entered the hospital and took us to a private waiting room.

    ''Nate is in the theater and is holding his own. So far, we expect this operation to be a few hours long. If you need anything, let the nurses know. The cafeteria is down the hall, and you can take your baby form to them if you use it. They will heat the bottle. Bob will be here in about half an hour. He left us in the room and headed quickly down the hall. Dad is going to be here soon. I thought he would be stuck for ages chasing who did this to my husband. Judy is beside herself; our little family has been hurt in a way we did not think was possible, not on Dad''s wedding day. I have yet to see Pam; maybe she is helping Jacko take statements from all the wedding guests. I do not think Kitty is going to like wasting all that food, and I wonder if she will send it all to the homeless shelter. Judy is settled on the bench, which is much nicer in this private waiting room. There is even a coffee machine, fridge, and microwave, so we would not need the cafeteria. Maybe Robson suggested it, so I would get out of this room and walk around a bit. It was his way of saying I was not stuck here waiting if I wanted to stay somewhere else without actually having to say it.

    Dad arrived nearly an hourter. He rushed into the door and stared at me for a moment. Then, he came and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his shoulder, epting his gesture; I needed a hug; I had beenforting Judy, but I neededfort, too, and I guess Dad did.

    ''Any news?'' He asked softly in my ear.

    ''No, Dr. Robson said it could take a while, and he was holding his own, but that was an hour ago. He nodded, and we walked over to Judy, who fed the baby. He squatted down beside her and looked into her eyes.

    ''How are you doing, sweetheart?'' He asked gently, rubbing her arm as he spoke. She sniffed and looked up at him with red eyes.

    ''Trying to be strong and patient, but it is not easy, and I know it is affecting the baby, so I am trying. Dad, he looked so pale and lost so much blood, I am worried.'' She sniffed again and looked back down at the baby, who had been a good boy through all of this. ''Do you want a coffee, Dad? We have a machine here?'' I nodded to the corner.

    ''Love one, want me to make it?'' he offered.

    ''I need something to do! I said, headed to the machine, and made all three of us a coffee.

    ''Dad, did you find the person who did this to my Nate?'' I was unsure about asking in front of Judy, but she needed to know, too. So I went with it: either Dad could answer or couldn''t. I will ept it if he cannot share.

    ''Yes, son, as everything happened so fast, you may not have noticed or maybe heard, but there were two shots fired. The one hit Nate from the sniper''s rifle, and the second was from one of Scott''s men, and he got the sniper. The sniper is in the theater, as we speak, also fighting for his life.'' I was relieved that the man was caught, and I was not sad he was fighting to live, too; why should he live when my man is fighting for his life, too?

    ''Pity he was not killed; it would have saved us a court trial and taxpayers'' money keeping the person behind bars! Judy spat. I had never heard her talk like this before; she was always so meek and mild. I think I like this change in her; it gives her a little spark she had been missing.

    ''I tend to agree with you. We tend to want vengeance when our emotions are thrown into the mix. It may not be the right way, but it would have been better for him not to have survived the fall from his position in the tree. Now we have money spent on him to save his life and make him well enough for us to take him to court, where we get to have our say and, hopefully, justice, and then incarcerated, and one day be free to be out on the streets again. All the while, our loved one keeps on suffering. We hear it all the time: people saying that the penalty does not fit the crime, and we are getting softer and softer with the sentencing of criminals. We, the police department, do the right thing and bring them to court, but from there, it is hard to see that justice is always fair. That is why our emotions get the better of us; we are hurting more than the person whomitted the crime, as they rarely have an emotional attachment to the person or persons they have acted against. They keep sleeping at night, and we continue to have nightmares. Dad said as if he was detached from the conversation; he must have had this same conversation with a victim''s family, and though what he says makes sense, it does not take away the hurt and pain. If Nate makes it, he will have a long journey to full recovery, and I will be there every step of the way. I hope our son will help him recover and not be too traumatized by the act of bravery he has just done.

    ''Dad, can Nate have a bravery award? Do they give them out for this type of heroism?'' Judy asks with hope.

    That is not up to me. I can put it forward to themittee handling that side of things, as I cannot be biased. Being the father-inw, it might look like favoritism. But I agree what Nate did was a brave and selfless act!

    ''Hey Dad, any news?'' Theo and Bethany, followed by Cindy, Margaret, Felicity, and Sam, walked in, and I wondered what took them so long to get here when they followed behind us.

    ''Not yet, son. Dad replied and pulled them both into his arms, giving them a loving hug like he had me.

    ''Coffee?'' I offered, ready to have another myself; it had been hours.

    ''Yeah, sorry we took so long; I have Bethany checked out for my own peace of mind; I may have missed something!

    ''Is she alright? Is the baby fine?'' I asked, having forgotten about the baby.

    ''Yes, she is as well as can be expected and was told to watch out for spotting.

    ''Good, we should hear soon. It has been a while. Just as I said that, a tired-looking Hank walked into the room, and I sprang to my feet and braced myself for the news.

 Chapter 164

    Jacko

    POV

    I heard the ambnce leave, carrying Nate away; he was alive, and that was the most important oue of this: that we did not lose anyone. The ce was full of upset and scared people, my men taking down names and writing down brief statements, not that we really needed them, because of who was at the wedding, but it is protocol, and we had to dot the I''s and cross the T''s.

    Scott''s man was quick. I acknowledged his skill and that he located the shooter almost immediately and returned fire before the shooter could take a second shot. I was assuming that, as he is a sniper, he may have been searching through the trees himself, as it would have been a ce he might have chosen, a spot far enough away not to be noticed and high enough to view your targets.

    We finished the interviews, and many of the scared guests had headed home; we were down to a few, hanging around to hear how Nate was doing.

    Pam and Kitty were still there. Something was off between them. It was like Pam was angry at Kitty and was telling her off for something, but it was not apparent to me what. I was waiting for her to report what was going on.

    ''Sir, all the guests have given statements except Hank, Thomas, Theo, Bethany, Judy, Scott, Bob, Pam, Kitty, and you! He included me as a joke, but he was right; I should have made a statement.

    ''I can give you mine now and catch up with the otherster; I am sure they are not going anywhere. His face was shocked for a brief moment, not thinking I would give him a statement, but I was here as a guest and should be treated as such. It was good that he thought to remind me of my ce, or I would not have given one, not that I would not have deliberately avoided giving it; it just slipped my mind that I needed to.

    After I had given my ount of what had happened, I suggested they go and get Pam''s and Kitty''s and then leave. The two took off to find them and get their statements. I noticed the officers leaving the premises a short timeter.

    I looked around at the mess in the backyard. Kitty had people collect the food and would take it to those living on the streets. They will be gorging today. For some, it will be the first meal in days. There was nothing left for me to do here.

    ''Pam, report.'' It was apparent she was noting to me to report, so I had to go to her; regardless of her now married to the police boss, she was still under me until she officially retired. The look on her face told me she had not expected me to demand a report from her.

    ''What report?'' She was going to y dumb.

    ''Report!'' I say again, and she huffs.

    ''There is nothing to report; you have been here and seen what I have seen. What more would you like?'' She retorted, I had enough of her disrespect.

    ''I am your superior officer, your boss. You were assigned to my section so that you can report your findings to me. As you deem yourself above me, you are now on report, and I will forward your name to the disciplinary board. Consider yourself suspended without pay, and I will report to your FBI boss how bad you are at taking orders. Dismissed! I am over this woman; she may be good at her job but is lousy at taking orders.

    ''You cannot do that to me. I have just got married to...

    ''Don''t finish that, or it will be reported too. I expected her to use her new marriage as a weapon, but it wouldn''t work for

    me.

    Pam left, storming out the front door, ranting and raving as she went. I assume she would cry on Bob''s shoulder, and I will get a call from him soon.

    ''Kitty, do you want to exin?'' I asked, looking at her suspiciously.

    ''Just women talk.'' She replied, working on putting the dishes in the dishwasher and not looking at me. I call it a load of bull, but I can''t prove otherwise.

    ''Have you given your statement to the officer?'' Changing the subject.

    ''Yes, and so did Pam, even though she made a fuss about it. Now, she is married to Bob; does she think she is better than us all?'' I thought the same, but I was not going to tell her that.

    ''I am going to the hospital to see how Nate is. Would you like toe?'' I offered.

    ''No, I still have some guests here, waiting for news; I feel it would be rude to leave them in my home!

    ''I understand.'' I did not point out that the girls had gone to the hospital, and it would look odd that she was the only one not there.

    The walk to the waiting room was long, my head full of what had transpired throughout the day. I nodded at the officers guarding the room where Thomas and his family would be. I could hear Hanks''s voice, but I had yet to hear what he was saying. The hugs and tears were to be expected, and I waited for Hank to answer all their questions.

    ''Hank.'' He turned to look at me and smiled.

    ''He should live. The bullet did not hit any vital organs. He had a punctured lung, and we had to repair some internal damage. The hardest part was the blood loss. He was bleeding from so many ces that the bullet seemed to bounce around inside of him, causing damage. Once that was under control, he became stable, and the rest was easy!

    ''When can we see him?'' Thomas asked, taking Hank''s attention away from him.

    ''He will be out for the rest of the night. You should leave ande back tomorrow morning. He will not know you are here. You all need to rest and freshen up. He will not want to see a family in a mess! ''Okay, can we at least look in on him before we leave?'' Judy pleaded.

    ''Of course.'' Hank led the way out the door, and we all followed. I did not need to enter the room; I could see all I needed to do through the window. Bob stood beside me, taking long, deep breaths. ''We need to talk. He said atst.

    ''Here or somewhere private?'' I was not sure where this was going.

    ''Private,'' he said, and I nodded. We did not say another word. I led him out of the building and climbed into my car. He followed me in his car, and we went to his office. I was sure fewer eyes would be watching us, and he had a nicer office than me. If he was surprised we were at his office, he did not say. His office was dark, and no one was walking around. He did not have his office at the busy part of the main police headquarters. He could enter from the underground car park by a private elevator to his office. Once upstairs, we entered, and he switched on the lights as he went. I made a beeline for the coffee pot and made us both a drink. We still had yet to say a word. We were both deep in thought.

    He threw me some rubber gloves to put on and pulled out a ck book from his pocket.

    ''You know who the sniper was?'' Bob asked softly.

    ''Yes, I have been informed of who it was, and I have yet to hear how he fairs. I believe he is in critical condition and still in the theater on myst update.'' I did not think this was what I needed a quiet office for, or the gloves.

    ''I sent Scott up the tree to retrieve a duffle bag. The bag contained some guns, ammo, and a few bits and pieces. Bob put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a ck book, and handed it to me; it was in an evidence bag. ''Do they know you have this piece of evidence?''

    ''Yes, I had the office log it.'' Bob was calm as he picked up the coffee and started to take a sip, but I got a feeling he was not as calm as he appeared.

    I opened the book and started to flip through it. There were names and phone numbers, and their purpose was beside the names. It all looked like good evidence until I found out why Bob wanted this quiet.

    ''Do you know if he knows?'' I asked, looking at Bob with shock.

    ''If I go on my gut instinct, I would say no, he may have helped without knowing. Incidentally, I have yet to show this book to anyone. When I opened it and found it, I put it in the evidence bag and put it in my pocket, where it had been burning a hole until I could talk to you. This is going to devastate him and pull the family apart. Could you please do an interrogation and find out why? I

    I cannot seem to be a part of this, and I am too close.

    ''I hear you. Do you want this book back? So you can put it in evidence!

    ''No, you keep it and inform the evidence department you have it in your possession; I am very concerned that the wrong person will read it before we find out the truth."

 Chapter 165

    Pam POV

    Our statements were made. Bob was gone with Scott, the girls had left for the hospital to check on Nate, and most of the guests had left, leaving those waiting for news and looking lost. Kitty, her face etched with worry, was cleaning up the kitchen; now the family had all gone, and I headed in there to speak with her. I could hear Jacko, his voice filled with urgency, still doing his job, and I hoped to catch up with himter.

    ''Kitty,'' I said, my voice echoing in the empty kitchen as I walked in, a hint of tension in my tone.

    ''Oh, hey, I thought you had gone to check on Nate,'' she said, her voice distant. Her actions focused on scrubbing the table as if trying to erase the memory of the blood that was no longer there.

    ''We need to talk.'' She looked up at me, puzzled.

    ''About what?''

    ''I noticed you at the hotel on several asions, and you were not alone,'' I said, her face paling at the implication. But before I could delve further, Jacko burst into the kitchen, demanding a report. I hadn''t yet had a chance to question Kitty; there was nothing to report. The mystery of Kitty''s actions remains unsolved for now.

    Jacko reprimanded me and put me on report, and Kitty was full of lies and shed tears for him. Her ability to cry so easily amazes me; it is not a skill I have mastered. Fumed, I stormed out of there, wondering how all this was so terribly wrong.

    I headed to my desk at the precinct and packed my personal things. People were staring at me as I walked by, dressed in a dirty wedding dress. I could already guess what was going to be said after I left today. I opened my locker, grabbed a change of clothes, changed there, and threw the wedding dress in the locker, not interested in carrying it around at the moment.

    I did not even speak to anyone. I was so angry. It''s time to report to my real boss, the head of the FBI. He needs to know what I have remembered and let him deal with it.

    My boss was there in the office even on a Sunday; I knew he would be there, so he invited me into his office and closed the door.

    ''I thought you were getting married today. But what I hear, you have had more than you bargained for.'' He chuckled a mirthless sound.

    ''Let me fill you in with what I know.'' I told him about the shooting, Nate''s heroic act, and how Jacko treated me, and he did not give me a chance to exin and put me off with no pay.

    ''Don''t worry. You are still under me so that you will get paid, but take time off and sniff around.

    ''Well, that is why I am here. It is Kitty! I said sadly.

    ''You are sure?''

    ''Yeah, remember when I was doing the undercover job at the hotel?'' He nodded for me to go on.

    ''Kitty arrived with three young girls dressed to the nines. They looked afraid and clung to Kitty as if their lives depended on it. I never saw them leave or see what room they went to, but on more than one asion, I saw her there with young girls in tow. I thought her sewing room was odd, full of evening gowns and wedding dresses. My gut says she makes the clothes for weddings. He looked at me for a while, saying nothing. It was as if his mind was churning something over. ''Do you think Hank is involved too?'' He spoke atst.,

    ''My gut says no, he may have treated a girl or two with injuries, but as Kitty does work for the battered woman, he would not have questioned why they had the injuries, trusting his wife implicitly.

    ''I tend to agree with you. Hank had not been on my radar, but Kitty had been a few too many ces where the criminals had been seen not to be part of it. What is the connection to this? What do you think?'' He probed.

    ''I think she is rted to one of the women in the wedding group. She is the right age to go to the same school, and we need to dig further! My mind was running over all I had seen and heard over the years, trying to piece a few loose ends together. ''Leave that to me; we have to tread carefully here.

    ''Okay, what are your orders?''

    ''Go to the hospital and see how Nate is doing, then head home and take time off. It seems Jacko wants you off duty for some reason, so it is best if you do that, take the break, and get some rest; you are not helping the baby by getting stressed out. ''Jacko thinks I am using being married to Bob as an excuse not to report to him. But I still need to report. He must have something else on his mind and wants me out of the way!

    ''Agreed, maybe he has some digging he wants to do that is sensitive and does not want you around when things go down.'' ''I will ept that for now. My wedding dress is in my locker if you want to check it out; my locker code is....'' I wrote it down and gave it to him. ''I will send one of the girls to pick it up and bring it here. I nodded and waited, and he looked to have more on his mind. ''Getting the head of the syndicate was a good result. A new fight will begin, with Peter temporarily out of the picture, fighting to get out of jail. The streets might be a dangerous ce to be for you. Stay home, renovate, be careful whoes over, and have Scott give you a security guard. Your face might be too well known now. I informed people at Interpol, and after they finished cheering, we talked about pending gang wars. They agreed. The repercussions would be worldwide, and the man had hands in a lot of ces. The hotels will be an issue, as he owns more than 50 percent. Peter was his sessor, but the government might seize them all. Most of the properties owned by the criminals will be taken. Even the wives are now under arrest. Kitty was thest link we were looking for. But we won''t be taking Hanks home. He owned it before he married Kitty and has worked hard for what he has. There is no proof he had gained anything from uwful dealings.

    ''That is why you want to tread carefully. You can''t have innocent people getting caught up in this just by association!'' ''Exactly, his children are going to be devastated, and I hate to think how Hank is going to cope with this. I might have to find out if he is married to Kitty. Maybe he was scammed, too. I had not thought of that. At least that would make him closer to Bethany and Bob, being caught up in all of this, too, and knowing Bob will understand how he feels.

    I was so drained after leaving my boss''s office because too much had happened. I hope this is the end of it for us. This family deserves a break from the drama it has caused. I was sitting in my car, thinking about when Bob had called. ''Hey, Sweetie, I was about to head over to the hospital; how is Nate?'' I asked, trying to be as positive as I could. ''On my way home, should I be there in half an hour? Would you like takeaway for dinner?''

    ''Sure, I will be home in fifteen minutes. Bob hung up without telling me, and I needed rification. Suddenly, I thought that Jacko might have told him I was suspended

 Chapter 166

    Bob POV

    My heart sank for Hank, and he was going to be devastated. I am going to be there for him and help him as much as he will let me. He has not had the same issues with his wife as I have. When he finds out Kitty is part of the Weddingdy''s group, he will need my support and the support of his family. Do the girls know what she has been up to? I know Margaret has been extra close to her; could she be like Cynthia and be part of it? I hope not, for Hanks''s sake. But I would not be shocked.

    The longing to see my wife, to feel her presence, was overwhelming. We hadn''t even shared our first married kiss, and I needed her now more than ever. I needed to discuss this situation with her to understand how she could support Hank and me and how she would stand by me during this challenging time. It would be the first real test of our marriage, a test of hermitment to me and our rtionship.

    I called her, and it made me feel good. She asked about Nate, and though I did not answer that question, her asking was a positive sign. Scott had said he trusted her, and that was enough for me. Scott has never led me astray; he knew Pam behind the scenes before I met her. He worked with her while she was undercover and gained trust; he said she was a sharpshooter and could hold her own in a fight. The more he told me about my wife as an uncover agent, the prouder I got.

    As I picked up a pizza for dinner, my mind was filled with thoughts of the day and the potential dangers thaty ahead. I wondered if she would agree to the idea of having a bodyguard or two. This book has many missing chapters and scenes if you''re not reading it on . If what Scott had said was true, and I had no reason to doubt it, our city was on the brink of a gang war, the likes of which we had never seen before.

    Pam was already home when I arrived. It was good to see the lights on the porch as I arrived. This was our first night together as a man and wife, and I was as nervous as a kitten. I parked in our garage and entered through the side door. Music was on low, and I could hear Pam singing in the kitchen.

    I stood in the kitchen doorway, watched her set the table, and put a coffee there, too.

    ''Are you going to stay standing there or bring in the pizza?'' I chuckled when she spoke. I cannot sneak up on her. I have tried a few times, and she always seemed to know I was there.

    I ced the pizza boxes on the table and reached for her, kissing her gently. I was still testing the waters. Today has been a hard day for both of us. It waste in the night now, toote to sit down for dinner, but I guessed she most likely had yet to eat, as she did not disagree with takeaway.

    ''Do you want to talk during our meal or after?'' Pam asked, and she needed to talk about today as much as I did.

    ''I am fine with either. I said as I put pizza on my te and poured a coffee for both of us.

    ''How is Nate?'' Ah, I had yet to answer when she asked before. She must be thinking the worst.

    ''Nate made it through surgery. He has a punctured lung and some internal damage, but nothing major. He will make a full recovery! I said it was a huge relief for us if he had not survived; the memory of his sacrifice would permanently mar our wedding day. ''I have been so worried! Pam looked at me with moisture in her eyes and swallowed hard as if her pizza was stuck in her throat.

    ''Sorry, I should have said that when you asked on the phone.

    ''Yes, you should have. I have been thinking the worst! She threw a piece of pizza at me, and I caught it and popped it in my mouth, making her mouth drop open in surprise. She huffed and went back to eating.

    ''We found the shooter''s bag at the site, and it had a ck book in it. Pam''s head lifted to look at me, a frown on her face. ''Whose name did you find in that book?'' She asked, and it threw me a little that she could read me so well. ''Kitty! I said, watching her face closely.

    ''What is your reading on that?'' So she knew, I wonder how long.

    ''What do you think?'' I sent it back. She smiled at me, knowing what I was doing. She had been an uncover-agent far too long and knew all the tricks.

    Pam exined how she had been an uncover agent in a hotel, and Kitty arrived with the girls, dressed to the nines, and how her boss agreed she was part of the weddingdies, but not how she became involved; her boss was going to investigate that. Then he told me about what happened after I had left the wedding, and I was told that Jacko would think Pam would do such a thing. He never let her finish what she was going to say to him, assuming the worst and stopped her. I am d her boss paid her time off, just so it looks like sheplies with Jacko''s wishes. What did Jacko have against Pam? When he initially spoke of her, I thought she was a good cop. Did finding out she was with the FBI sour him against her?

    ''What about Hank?'' I pushed, wanting to get aplete picture of how she thinks.

    ''My gut says he knows nothing. He may have treated a girl now and then, but because Kitty was working with the battered woman, he might not think much of it. Just doing the doctoring she can''t do. I feel Margaret might be involved, and my boss will check to make sure he is married to her. With all these mixed-up pretend marriages, he might not be wed.!

    ''Damn, I had not thought of that, but you are right, if Kitty is mixed up in all of this, then yeah!

    ''Kitty has transformed the attic into a sewing room, and she has hundreds of wedding dresses and formal wear. She makes them herself. I left the wedding dress I wore in my locker. My boss is going to collect it so that they can examine it. It is evidence.

    ''Wow, I bet Hank just thinks it is a hobby and is happy she has one to keep her mind off the bad stuff!

    ''Are you going to tell Hank?'' Pam asked, looking at me concerned.

    ''Yeah. Now that Nate has had his surgery and is hopefully on the mend, I will get him over here to chat. Will you be here with me? I might need some support!

    ''Of course, that is what a wife is for. Hopefully, he won''t be like Jacko; I have no clue why he has suddenly gone against

    me.''

    ''Don''t worry about him; I will sort him out if I must. But I think he was just emotional. This was a hard hit on his ego, and you were the easiest target to take it out on, and with Kitty, an expert at ying the injured party, he would have fallen for it. Besides, your boss can do that too, if need be. As he suggested, he would be in for a surprise if he reported to him. I know your boss well, and he won''t take crap lying down. He did not make it to the top by being duped!

    ''Thank you for having my back. Pam said, moving over to sit beside me and feeding me some pizza.

    It was our wedding night, and it just changed for the better.

    I put what has happened since the ''I do'' behind me and concentrated on making tonight a better one. I pulled Pam to myp and let her continue to feed me; I took a kiss after I had swallowed the mouthful and gave her a piece to chew. We did this for a while until I had to shift her on myp, as my hardening was getting painful.

    Having moved her, so she was now straddling me, I stood up, and she squealed as I carried her to our room, the only bedroom set up so far. Pam held me tight and pulled my head to hers, trying to kiss me as I walked as fast as possible. This was awkward, but it had the desired effect at the same time.

    I lowered her to the floor and started to undress her. She did the same, but she started by undoing my belt and getting my pants down.

    ''Eager my little minx?'' I whispered in her ear as she grabbed my hardened length and squeezed it.

    ''You are just too slow, old man.'' She nibbled my ear and squeaked as I lifted her up and ced her gently on the bed, grabbed her jeans, and pulled them off, Pam wiggling her bottom to make it easier, and slowly I kissed her ankle, then up her legs to her thighs, and licked her core.

    Pam squirmed under me and begged for me to get to the business end of it, but I needed to let my needs be reduced, or I would explode the moment I entered her.

    I wanted this a special night to remember for the right reasons.

    So I worked on her core, licking, sucking, nipping till she screamed out my name. I made my way up her body, kissing her stomach, then working on her two n*****s, then up to her neck, and finally finding her mouth again, plunging my tongue into her mouth, sharing the taste of her.

    ''Now, Bob, give it to me now.'' she moaned as I rubbed my hardening length against her wet core.

    I have to agree. She was more than ready, and so was I.

 Chapter 167

    Bethany POV

    My head ached. I had a nice bump, egg-sized, and did not need stitches, so I was lucky. The doctor was happy that I did not have a concussion and that the baby was fine. I needed a change of luck, and I feel Nate just gave it to me. Without him there, I would not be here. I sat in the hospital watching Judy and Thomas, holding Nate''s hand. Nate was still out cold and would not awaken until morning at the earliest, but he was alive, all thanks to Hank. He did a fantastic job working on him on the kitchen table and in the ambnce. He had opened the wound enough to see the main bleeder and held it closed, trying to keep him alive. If he had not done that, Nate would have bled out before making it to the hospital.

    Nate will take a little while to recover, but he is alive, and no permanent damage has urred. This is one wedding I will not forget, and a mixture of good moments and bad. I genuinely hope we are over these attacks. It is like I can''t even step out of the house, and I am being targeted. Why I am a target was another question that gued me; at first, I thought it was all Cynthia, but she and Mum are gone, and so is Bret. I am at a loss why me. I have all my memories back, and I have been such a fool not seeing how Bret and Cynthia were. Bret''s attention so blinded me that I failed to know the truth behind it all.

    Everything is easier in hindsight.

    But still, why am I still being targeted, and who was the shooter? I have no idea if he made it through or is dead. Dad took off with Scott to see the person, and then when Dad got to the hospital, he said he would talk about itter. Now was not the time, and I guess that was true. Nate was still in surgery at the time.

    Dad had left with Jacko, and it was now toote. I need to go home and get some sleep, but I do not want to go to Theo''s parent''s ce; I am not ready to face that ce yet.

    ''Thomas, I am going now. I will catch up soon, okay?'' I side-hugged Thomas, Judy, and the baby, who had been so good all this time. She is lucky to have such a baby; I hope mine will be that good. Loads of clucky women had shuffled around her, and then she was there in this hospital and not once made a bit of fuss.

    ''Can I suggest you go to a hotel close by? I do not think you should be going back to Hank''s tonight, as Dad will be busy with his new wife!

    ''Stop, I don''t want that picture in my head. I giggled at him, knowing I was most likely turning red.

    ''He has a point, though. Let''s go to the hotel close by. I do not wish to go to Felicity''s ce.'' Theo supported Thomas, and I was not going to argue with them. I was too tired to think. Theo guided me out of the hospital and to his waiting car. I was ready to turn off my head; too much had gone on, and all I wanted to do was snuggle up with my husband.

    Theo paid for a room and almost carried me. I sat on the bed, and Theo went to the bathroom, where I heard the water running. I got up to check to see Theo running a bath, putting him in a smelly bubble bath, and it looked so inviting. ''Come take a soak in the bath with me. Theo helped me in the bath and then climbed in behind me. He grabbed a sponge and started to wash my body, gently stroking it and sending bubbles cascading over it. Watching his hand caressing my body and the bubbles running down it was mesmerizing. I rxed, leaning against his chest, just enjoying being together. The day faded away. The only thoughts were of Theo and what he was doing, clearing my mind of the stress and hurt. The water started to get cold, and I moved to pull the plug, but Theo tightened his hold on me and stood up, pulling us both out of the water. He stepped out of the bath, grabbed a towel, draped it over me, and left the bathroom.

    He lowered me so my feet were on the floor, and then he started to dry my body. He was so gentle, his face full of love and concern.

    ''Are you hungry? I can call room service?'' Theo asked as I looked for the bag.

    ''Yeah, please. Anything. Please let me know if you brought up the bag.

    ''Yeah, it is over there.'' He pointed to the table, and sitting on a chair was the bag, with a change of clothes for both of us. I pulled out one of his t-shirts and put it on, and it came to my knees. He was much taller than me and hadrger muscles; I loved every inch of it.

    A knock on the door had Theo rushing to answer it; he opened the door enough to see who it was before widening the door to let room service in with our food. Theo stood on one side of the woman, not letting her get close to me. I understood he was worried that someone had tried to kill me.

    Once the woman was gone, we both checked out the food; the smell made my stomach grumble, reminding me we had not eaten since breakfast. The food was consumed in a sh. Theo wheeled the cart back out the door and locked it. Turning back to me, his eyes searched my body, from head to toe and back up again, making my body respond in a way I had not expected. For someone who was dead on her feet, suddenly, I had a growing interest in creating something of our night and, being our first night as husband and wife, being marred by what preceded this moment.

    Theo walked closer to me. He lifted his hand and ran the back of his hand down the back of my face, sending shivers down my spine and settling at my core. Heat bloomed inside me, and my body became awake. That one small gesture had awakened a need inside of me that I did not know I had.

    Theo slowly lowered his head and captured my lips. Gentle, soft, caring, and not pushing for more, he seemed to be waiting for me to give him the go-ahead and make our night end with love as it should have been. I could not agree more.

    ''I opened my mouth to allow ess, and he plunged right in. He groaned, and soon the shirt I had put on for the night was ripped off, and I was carefully ced on the bed; he climbed on top of me and never lost contact with my lips; it was like he was a starving man, needing me to fill him up, and I was more than ready to feed him till he was full.

    He lowered his hand and found my moist juncture, and he murmured.

    ''So wet from me already?'' He sounded pleased with himself and aligned his length and thrust into me, his forey short, his need urgent, the rhythm of our bodies quick to be one of heat and passion, his kisses deep and meaningful, ravishing my mouth, his breath becamebored, stopping the attack on my mouth; instead, he sent small kisses over my face, my cheeks, my nose, everywhere, the tempo of his thrusts were consistent, deep hard thrusts as if we had all night. Then suddenly, he picked up speed as if he was in a race. My breathing became ragged and short. I dug my fingers into his butt cheeks. I am sure I would have left finger mark bruises on him as I felt my build reach its peak, and I screamed out his name as I bloomed into ecstasy. Theo pumped harder for another few strokes before joining me in his own release.

 Chapter 168

    Jacko

    POV

    The book was the best evidence yet. I had promised Bob I would give him a day to talk to Hank and prepare him for what wasing; it would affect his whole family, one way or another. Even his daughter needs to be questioned. This all seems so messy, and I wouldn''t say I like loose ends. This book has just added more questions than answers. Tomorrow, I will find out if Hank and Kitty are legally married or if her hand in this goes that far back. I don''t see it myself, but I have been wrong before. My phone rang, pulling me back to the present.

    ''Jackson,'' I barked into the phone, my tired voice betraying my long day. It was gettingte, and I was eager to head home and get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and I needed to be prepared.

    ''This is Doctor Henderson. I was asked to call you and update you on the prisoner! He said hesitantly, most likely taken aback by my tone of voice.

    ''Thank you for calling; how is our prisoner doing?'' I softened my voice and almost apologized, but I thought better of it. ''He made it through the operation; he has a broken arm, leg, and lower back, head trauma; he is in critical condition and under heavy sedation. ''If he survives?'' I asked, needing to know if we could put him behind bars.

    ''He will never walk again, and because of his head injury, I would say he would most likely have brain damage and be of no use to you. It is too early to tell, but hended heavily, and I cannot see him being anything more than in a vegetated state for the rest of his life.'' ''Thank you, Doctor; sorry you have to put up with our guards, but it is for everyone''s safety.

    ''Think nothing of it; we are all here to do our part. He hung up, and I wondered if it would be better if our prisoner died; by the sounds of it, he would never be up to going to jail and would need constant medical care. He wouldn''t like living like that, after being such an active person before.

    I finished up the paperwork and was ready to dig deeper into Kitty''s life in the morning. There is more to this than what is in the book. I want Hank there when we bring her in for questioning. Yawning, I locked the book in my drawer and attempted to leave and head home. I have to get to sleep; it has been a long day.

    My phone rang again.

    ''Jackson.'' I tiredly answered, hoping I did not need to go somewhere to see a body or something; I did need to rest.

    Jacko, I had an upset FBI agent in my office today. Would you care to exin?'' Crap, I forgot to call him today and talk about Pam and my putting her on a disciplinary report.

    ''I assume you are talking about Pam?'' I tried to act dumb.

    ''Don''t y me as stupid, talk. This man is above me, even though he is in another department, just like Bob is above all of

    us.

    ''I felt she was using her position as wife to Bob in her job.

    ''If you had given the girl a chance to exin, you would have heard a better story. I am in my office. Care toe to me now?'' It was not a request but an order and one I had to obey. Ten minutester, I am at the FBI headquarters.

    ''Mr Strd is expecting you!'' and just like that, I am being shown to the boss''s office.

    When I arrived, the boss was on his phone and pointed to a chair, meaning he did not care that I could hear his conversation. By the sounds of it, he is talking to the hospital and getting an update on our prisoner. I sit in hisrge office, looking around. He is a highly decorated man with the usual trophies and pictures of achievements and awards.

    As he hung up the phone, he looked at me, and it took everything in me not to squirm; he radiated power and authority. ''You have disappointed me, Jacko. I thought better of you than that, he started, and I felt like a child being scalded by his Dad. ''What exactly are you disappointed about?'' I asked softly.

    ''Pam was trying to tell you it was her wedding day and off duty. Reporting was not on her mind, but you quickly shot her down, thinking the worst of her. I have known that girl since she was a child, helped her through losing her parents, and guided her through FBI training. I trust her; she is a top agent who can have my back in any situation. She has been the one to save a number of people and has a medal of honor. Thest thing she would do would be to use her marriage to Bob to hide behind. You have her all wrong, and from her version of events, you fell for Kitty''s fake crying!

    ''How do I know how to trust her? She has been a good cop since she was with us, but I should have been told she was undercover in my section. All my trust went out the window when I heard that.'' I growled at him.

    ''So that is why you attacked Pam? Because your ego got bruised? That makes this even worse. If you had talked to her, she would have informed you about Kitty, but she could not do that in the kitchen, in front of guests and a crying woman who was lying through her teeth! Strd was getting angry at me now, and I most likely deserved it.

    ''What about Kitty? I got the ck book from Bob; Pam was nowhere near us or had seen the book to find out about Kitty! ''You got the book? Good, Pam told me about that book about three years ago; when undercover, she had briefly seen it but could never get close enough to snatch it or take pictures of it. I am assuming you got it from the prisoner, actually. ''Yes, I did; now, can you tell me about Pam?'' I pushed; I needed to know if I owed Pam an apology.

    ''Pam was undercover working in one of the hotels. She was there for over a year and had seen Kitty taking girls there, all dressed in formal gear. When Pam met Kitty at her home, she felt she knew her from somewhere, and it was not until she was taken upstairs to the sewing room that it all fell into ce. She came to me, asking for my advice. I suggested continuing as if she did not recognize her and getting her wedding over with, and then we could address Kitty''s situation. I did not wish to spoil four people''s wedding; as it is, it was spoiled by someone else. After hended, he went to a private vi, but my men lost him after he dropped off his wife at the spa resort the next day. It seems he had already scoped out the ce he was going to shoot from, which means after he arrived at the vi he left during the night, my men were growled at for losing the man twice. Now you owe that girl an apology! He was no longer growling at me, more resigned to the fact that nothing can be changed, and it now is up to me to sort it out!'' ''I have asked Bob to talk to Hank before we bring Kitty and Margaret in for questioning!

    ''Yes, Margaret, one of the bestdies of the night in the country, does this fantastic dance of the veils at the mingo club. Peter used to enjoy being with her when he was in town. Peter loved a lot of women and rarely bedded his own wife. Cynthia got his fist more than he loved. I don''t know the deal with her marrying him; it was for easy travel in the country, having married a local. He passed a number of visa restrictions for being married to her, and that is the only thing I coulde up with for Peter, but not what benefit Cynthia got out of it.

    ''Yes, I found it strange too, and so far, none of Cynthia''s journals said anything about it!

    ''It is gettingte; go home and get some sleep, and think about Pam and how you are going to make up for your stupidity. You do not want Pam against you. You will alwayse out at the wrong end of the stick. She will always have my backing in this. I shook his hand and left; I had a lot to think about and lots of eggs on my face. Was it my ego in the way? That I wanted to see fault where there was none.

 Chapter 169

    Bob POV

    When I woke up, the bed was empty, which worried me for a brief moment. I needed the bathroom, so I headed there first, then out to hunt for my wife. The television was on the sports channel, belting out information on today''s game; I doubt any of us would sit down for the day watching it. There is too much to do; we have workersing in, and Pam insists she can handle them by herself, and she can.

    I need to visit Nate and hunt down Hank today.

    My wife was in the kitchen, cooking food fit for a king. It smelt so good. It was an easy breakfast, just bacon and eggs, and I think she was squeezing fresh juice into the blender, a mixture of fruits I was looking forward to tasting. The smell of the kitchen had my mouth watering and my stomach growling. I moved up behind Pam, wrapped my arms around her waist, and kissed her neck.

    ''Morning.'' Pam wiggled her hips at me, and I chuckled as she rubbed my groin with her wiggle. I wish we had time for me to take up that wiggle suggestion.

    ''Morning, that smells fantastic! I said into her neck, kissing and nuzzling her neck. She twitched and wriggled, trying to move my head away.

    ''That tickles'' She giggled at me; this was the way to start a day.

    I moved away and set the table. The food was almost ready, and I needed to make some phone calls.

    ''Hank, how are you this morning?'' I asked, genuinely interested.

    I am already at the hospital checking up on Nate. He did well overnight, and I am very pleased with his progress in such a short time.

    ''I heard from the hospital that the shooter has survived the night but is still in critical condition. He grunted.

    ''That is a two-edged sword. I am not sure if I am d he is still alive, so we can see justice done, or want him dead because he is so evil.'' Hank said sadly, and I understood that sentiment. I have the same thoughts myself, and I am sure most of the rest of us too. ''Hank, can you swing by here? I have some things I would like to discuss with you!

    ''Sure, give me an hour. Got to go, catch you soon. I felt bad that I had bad news for him. But I would rather it was me to tell him than get the surprise when the police arrive to take her away to interrogate her and Margaret. ''Hank will be here in an hour or so. I informed Pam as she sat at the table.

    ''Good, the sooner he is aware, the better; it is going to be hard for him. I still do not believe she was aware. Have you looked into his marriage? Is he wed to Kitty? And are all the children his?'' I was waiting to hear about that side, not the DNA, but the wedding. Jacko was going to call me when he looked into the marriage and see if it was registered. I find it hard to believe that Kitty would betray Hank that way, but so far, all these women have been with a lot of men, so who knows? It depends on why Kitty was involved and how deep. This book has many missing chapters and scenes if you''re not reading it on  .That is the question. We have to wait and find out how deep she is in and if she is willingly involved.

    My phone rang just as we were finishing breakfast.

    ''Yes.'' I answered, not looking at the phone to see who was calling.

    ''Jacko, I will forward to you the results of my search for marriage. I also got the DNA results. Luckily, hospitals take blood samples of all newborn babies, and we had Hanks already. When will you be seeing Hank?'' ''Soon, he is on his way!

    ''Good, check the results before you talk to him.'' Jacko warned him, and my hackles rose, knowing I was not going to like what I saw.

    ''I will inform you when I have informed Hank of these results and can show him your report.

    ''Please do. Jacko hung up, and I looked over at Pam. She moved to sit beside me, and I opened the first report.

    ''That is about what I would have expected. What about the DNA?'' Pam said so calmly, as if reading the reports did not affect her. Many read her wrong because she had been uncovering for so long that she is good at hiding her feelings and putting out an indifferent attitude, but if you watch and listen carefully, you can see and hear she is affected as much as I am. We read the reports and are now waiting for Hank to arrive.

    Together, we cleaned up the kitchen, and just as we finished, a group of men arrived. They were from Scott to rece our door locks with keypads and set up a better security system. Some people wille today toy new carpet and tile the kitchen area and bathrooms. The lounge room was bare of furniture until after the carpet wasid, so we would sit outside to talk to Hank.

    He arrived only a short time after the men started working on the security system. We showed him around and exined some of the changes Pam had nned. Eventually, it was time to talk. I had put it off long enough. Pam headed inside to get some drinks, and I led him to a gazebo outside the back.

    ''This is not going to be easy, Hank; I am not sure how much you already know.'' I started, and Hank frowned, unsure of what was going on.

    ''Give it to me straight!'' He said, encouraging me to continue.

    ''Kitty is involved with the syndicate. He nodded.

    ''Her sewing room had been used to make high-end clothing for girls, and she had been supplying the girls for the use of the syndicates'' high-profile visitors. Some of the things they did to those girls made my heart break. Before I go any further, my question to you is, did you know?'' I had to ask, and this was challenging for me.

    ''I suspected it when I had to treat so many girls that were all battered and bruised and had been brutally used in bed. I have a journal I started to make about six months ago when I noticed a consistency in the bruises and ages of the women. They were too young to be in a violent rtionship, and I tried to get them to talk to me, but they were too scared of Kitty. Though I had no idea to the extent Kitty was involved. He sounded tired.

    ''We are here to support you in this, but there is more. He nodded again, his eyes closed, and he was close to tears as he listened to what I had to say. I showed him the reports and hugged him as he cried when he saw them.

    ''I had not gone into that depth of investigation. It is so sad to see this, but I thank you, as it answers a number of the questions that have gued me over the years. I will supply you with my journals of the girls over the past six months and give you my support to do what is necessary. I am grateful for the heads-up and that you are now just down the street, for when I need you and I think I am going to need you a lot. He said that Pam moved over and hugged him, promising to be there too, and no matter what time, day or night, if he needed to talk or justpany to let us know, we were there for him. This had hit him hard, and I knew if he were innocent, it would. His reaction told me he did not know the extent of Kitty''s betrayal.

    Hank left not long after we talked and promised to bring the journals over shortly. Kitty was out for the day with Margaret, so he could look around the house in ces he never usually goes and see if he could find anything to aid us. I wanted to go with him, but he needed to do this alone and gather his wits about him. He had to prepare himself for the pending arrest and the fallout from his children over this.

 Chapter 170

    Hank

    POV

    Bob was so careful when he told me about Kitty and the children''s DNA and showed me the reports that there was no mistaking it. I am relieved in some ways because it has been eating me up inside. I cried when faced with the undeniable truth.

    Kitty was not my wife, and she was married to someone overseas. I was relieved to learn that Theo and Felicity were mine, not so sad that Margaret was not. We were never close, but Cindy was a disappointment. I had hoped, as I read the DNA reports, that she would be, but when you have an unfaithful wife, it is potluck if they are yours. No, let me take that back; I was never married to her; it was never sent to the registry office and made official; all this time, Kitty would have known and had been ying me the fool. I am more angry now than upset; I am upset only over Cindy not being mine, but I cannot change that.

    It is time for me to go to the attic and go through all that paperwork that Kitty keeps hidden away. I also need to grab the records that I started saving when I was getting too many girls needing my medical help. It just felt off, and now I know it

    was.

    My heart went out to Bob when he told me about Wendy, but I never dreamed it had happened to me. I know he will help me through this, as I was there for him, but I did not understand the pain. Now, we can share more than the love of sports. Even Bethany, who had the same experience, can sympathize with me. I know she won''t give me pity, as I am sure she did not want pity any more than I do.

    I ced my journals in my briefcase and then headed upstairs to start the search there; no one was home at the moment, so I could do a thorough search before looking elsewhere in the house. I wonder when they will arrest the girls. I can hardly believe that Margaret was a call-girl, ady of the night; call it what you will. She was more than an exotic dancer, as she led me to believe. I feel dirty that she had managed to talk me intoing to watch her that one time. I wouldn''t say I liked the ce, full of smoke and rowdy drunk men. It was not my scene, and she joked about it for ages, calling me old-fashioned.

    I found the box of papers I was looking for, and after a quick flick through some of it, I carried it down, ced it in my car, and headed back to hunt for more. She kept it all out of sight. Three more trips downstairs, and I headed to her office. I was allowed in and hunted around, but there was nothing in that room like I had expected; she made sure it was just receipts for materials.

    Satisfied I had it all, I headed over to Bob''s ce, assuming he was still home. I know he mentioned seeing Nate, but he might have put it off until the afternoon, with all these repairmen around, his new wife. Or should I say his first wife, as he never married Wendy? This is a crazy-mixed situation that sends the mind in a loop.

    I was lucky that Bob and Pam were still there, talking to the security people and setting up the fingerprinting and keypad. It was a good idea to go keyless. I might do the same at home.

    I will be living alone soon. Unless Cindy wants to stay, she will be the one in limbo. Will she want to hunt her biological father? I table that thought for now, and it hurts too much to think about, one step at a time. When we get to it, we shall cross that bridge, and I will respect her decision.

    ''Hi Hank, I was not expecting you back so soon! Pam said as she weed me into their home.

    ''Coffee?'' Bob offered as I reached the kitchen area. In the short time I had been gone, the floor had been tiled withrge foot square floor tiles, and the lounge had a new carpetid. I could hear workers down the hall. They must be working on the bathrooms. ''I have brought boxes and my books from Kitty''s sewing room. I was unsure if you wanted to take them or would like to go with me to Jacko and hand them over!''

    ''That is your choice, and Pam is okay here to oversee what work is left to finish off for today. Now the worst of the work is done, I cane with you, and we can meet up with Jacko; let me call him and see if he is in the office first. I nodded, sat in the kitchen nook, and sipped coffee as Bob talked to Jacko.

    ''He is going to be in the office all day and would love for you to go there and hand the paperwork over and sign that you have freely given it over as evidence!

    ''I understand.''

    ''Finish your coffee, and I will apany you to the station.'' I sat and drank the coffee, not really tasting it, as Bob and I talked about what was in the boxes and what Jacko meant about signing it over for evidence. I got it; they do not want anythinging back to bite them and are guilty of being let free because of a technicality.

    The drive to the precinct felt like a betrayal of sorts against my wife, who is not my wife, and here I go again. This is hitting me harder than I thought possible, considering I had been wondering myself if I was married to Kitty when I started to doubt the woman she brought home for me to treat in the quiet; that should have raised gs, but I had trusted her, and that trust is gone now.

    ''Hi Jacko. Bob greeted Jacko and held out his hand to shake. Jacko then approached me, shook my hand, and rubbed my shoulder. I could see he understood how hard this was for me.

    ''I believe you have some paperwork for me. Jacko asked as he released my hand.

    ''Yes, these are my two journals of women''s names and what I treated them for; these are alldies brought to my home by Kitty. In the boot of my car are four more boxes of assorted paperwork. I hope this will be of assistance to you! I handed over the two books and waited for Jacko to signal we were to get the boxes. A few momentster, a knock on Jacko''s door, and a man popped his head in.

    ''Ah, John, go with Hank here and take a few men with you. He has four boxes for the wedding room. The man''s eyes widened, and he nodded, turning to lead the way and calling out some names that had men jumping to do his bidding. I popped the boot of my car and let the men take the boxes, and I followed them back up to Jacko''s office; they turned into a room, and I continued to his office, not wanting to see what was in that room.

    ''Hank, can you read and sign this? It states that you brought those items of your own free will.'' I nodded, read the paper, and was happy to sign it.

    ''Would you like to give a statement that would rte to your books?''

    ''Please.'' I sat and went over the same as I had with Bob, and Jacko took it down and then had me read and sign that, too. ''Just do you know? I will be overter today to collect Kitty and Margaret for questioning, and they might not be returning home!'' ''That is fine, and they are out today. I expect them home around four o''clock.

    ''I can send some men over; we will follow you, and I wille too. We can watch the sports game as if it were a normal Sunday until theye home. Then arrest her when she walks in the door!''

    ''You going to sit with me too, Bob?'' I don''t know why I asked that.

    ''Sure, I missed a lot of sports too.'' He chuckled, and we headed out; Jacko followed me in his car, and two more cars followed Jacko.

    The cars all pulled up into our driveway, and I led them to the den. I ced the monitor on the table, so we could see when they arrived home and rxed in front of the game.

    I am still determining what I watched the most: the game on the television or the monitor.

 Chapter 171

    Jacko

    POV

    As the pieces of the puzzle fell into ce, the intricate web of the girls'' supply source began to unravel. Margaret, the daughter, a seemingly innocent figure using her little sister''s art industry as a cover, was also involved in a clever cover for moneyundering. This was no ordinary operation; it was a sophisticated web of crime that had taken us a considerable amount of time to decipher.

    It seems it all goes back to the first marriage as college students and went on there, using fake marriages that grew to bribery, moneyundering, and girl trafficking, gambling. The only thing they ever appeared not to be involved in that we can see is guns. They did not need to get onto that side of it, having more than enough to fill their coffers, and the guns could get moreplicated to work with, easy money but higher risks, and they had given them billions of dors as it was.

    Our department received a well-deservedmendation when we sessfully cleared out all those ounts. The money''s whereabouts remain a mystery; I know it is in our police coffers somewhere, but I''m not privy to where or how it will be used. We still have property to seize. But once we have all the pieces in ce and the culprits behind bars, we can start untangling this financial mess. I can assure you that Bob and Hank are in the clear; their property won''t be seized. They''ve owned those homes for years, and even the one Cynthia gained will be rightfully given to Bob as it was a family inheritance. As I mentioned, there''s a lot to sort out before we have any seizures.

    Hank, seemingly calm but with a hint of unease in his eyes, was more focused on the monitor than on the game. Bob and I, veterans of stakeouts, tried to ease the tension by enjoying the game, but we knew that life was about to take a drastic turn for Hank. The anticipation in the air was palpable.

    Atst, the monitor shed that the gates had been opened, and soon, we would see who had arrived when the front door swung open. Hank''s security system was top-notch, and the monitor tracked visitors'' movements. It even had sound, which is a luxury not found in most systems. His only vulnerability was the windows, a detail I was sure he would address soon.

    Kitty walked to the front door, her hands full of bags, soon followed by Margaret. Both looked like they had just stepped out of the beauty salon. They wereughing at something and seemed to be in a good mood. Kitty dropped her bags on a table in the lounge and headed this way. I heard footstepsing down the steps, and Kitty appeared in the doorway, her smile hiding a secret.

    ''Oh, wow, I did not expect the Sunday game day to happen today. I guess when you are addicted, you do not miss a day. Can I get you anything?'' She was being very polite, and my skin was crawling, thinking how I believed her over Pam. Poor Pam, I still owe her an apology for my behavior toward her. Now I know better, I can see it more clearly. Kitty knows how to weave a good web of deceit, and my boss was right; I was hurt when I found out she was the FBI.

    ''We will go up to the kitchen, and our game is over now.'' I said as I stood up, and the rest followed behind me.

    ''Suit yourselves.'' I followed her up the stairs, and I could have sworn she put an extra sway to her hips to try and lure me, but I was not interested in her. She may not have noticed that I prefer men; not many know about me, and I do not advertise it. I like to be the alpha, and women find that attractive in a man. But so do a lot of men. I have a man who lives with me; he is the cutest.

    Now, she has me thinking of my man rather than the task we are here for.

    We arrived in the kitchen to find Margaret had started putting food away. I waited for a few moments for Hank to move into my line of sight. He gave me the briefest of nods, telling me he was ready and giving me the go-ahead. He was prepared before I nodded to my men.

    One man stood beside Kitty and the other beside Margaret, and together, they started arresting them. Thanks to Hank, we had enough evidence to put them with the others in the holding cells at the disused jail, which was renovated just for this case, which has been ongoing for years.

    ''Hank, what is this?'' Kitty yelled at him, her hands on hips, looking at him to defend her.

    ''What do you mean? Kitty, Hank asked innocently.

    ''Why am I being arrested?'' Kitty was not listening to the man, more attacking Hank.

    ''You should know the answer to that better than I. He replied.

    ''Why are you not arresting Dad then?'' Margaret chimed in.

    ''Oh, your Dad is already in jail,'' I answered, so Hank did not. He knew who Margaret''s father was; it was in the DNA report he read with Bob.

    ''Dad?'' Margaret called out at him.

    ''I am not your father. Hanks replied sadly, looking her in the eye as he said it.

    ''Mum? What does Dad mean?'' She genuinely looked shocked at thatment, which was interesting.

    ''He does not know what he is talking about; of course, he is your father.'' Kitty growled back at her but did not look her in the eye, a dead giveaway she was lying.

    ''Dad?'' Margaret called again, almost in tears now.

    ''I am not even married to your Mum, and she duped us both. He added, and Margaret looked at her Mother with sadness. She knew about the wedding groups, and it would not surprise me if she were married to one of them.

    The men put the cuffs on the two women and walked them out the door, and they would process them and then send them to the holding cells, different cells, of course, that we have at the station. I will see them tomorrow after they have spent a night in the cell. Maybe it will soften them up a bit and reflect on their life of crime.

    ''Come to the attic and let me show you the room while you are here. You can do another search. I may have missed something.''

    I followed Hank up to the attic, Bob following close behind, and two of my men stayed behind. The attic was well-decked out with all sorts of sewing machinery. Some of the materials caught my eye; they have yet to be released in this country, so Kitty has to get her dress material out of the country. I searched through every box and drawer, moving cupboards and searching anywhere that could hide something. Hank had been thorough, and for that, I was grateful.

    ''Nothing you missed, Hank. I said as I patted him on the back.

    ''Come look at her office then. I found nothing there, but you better know what you are looking for. Hank led us to a room off the main hallway. We went past his office first and then stopped at hers. It was arger room than I had expected; he had spoiled her rotten, and I bet he was feeling bad about it all now. He gave her everything, and she gave little in return. No wonder he used the word duped earlier when he was talking to Margaret.

    I am interested in finding out if Margaret is married. I have heard that she was happy to open her legs to many men, but was she married to one of them? I hope I am looking forward to looking deeper into this, ourst piece of the puzzle. I believe, and fingers crossed, I am right.

    The men went through the office and pulled out the receipts we would be taking. They would help us find out where the sewing materials came from. It is good that some people keep receipts like this. Some go back many years. In the end, I asked the men to take all of it, and we could ditch what we didn''t need.

    With Hank''s permission.

    My men left with the receipts, and I stayed longer, having coffee with Bob and Hank. I did not need to stay for work, but as a friend, we helped put the food away that Kitty had brought in and also searched in the bags she left on the outer table. We got Hank''s permission to look through her purse, which was left on the table, and take her phone to search through it. There was not much left here that we could search through. Hank promised that if he found anything, he would let me know.

    ''You can call me anytime, not just as a policeman but as a friend, and I expect to be invited to the sports days when you guys get sorted enough to start them again.'' I was pushing to get Hank to ept that I was not here just as a cop but as his friend. He hugged me and nodded, his face sad and trying to look strong.

    It was gettingte. I left Bob and Hank, heading home for ate dinner. I had not seen Cindye home, but Hank had said she often stayed overnight with hertest boyfriend.

    To be neen again would be nice. She recently had her birthday.

    I hope we are right in assuming Cindy was not involved in the syndicate. She is very young and innocent. The only time the syndicate was at any of her shows was when Margaret or Kitty were there, too, which leads me to believe she was not involved.

 Chapter 172

    Bethany POV

    Theo and I went to visit the little girl who had our first heart transnt. Her home was huge, the biggest mansion I had ever seen. I guess the family was loaded with old money. I am d because they gave the child every chance to get through all of this with the best aftercare. ''Hi, Dr. Bethany and Dr. Theo, the bubbly child greeted us. You would never know she was so sick not too long ago; her cheeks were pink and her eyes bright. She was even moving around well, better than I had expected. ''Wow, look at you, so bright and cheery.'' Theo said as he squatted down to her level.

    ''You areing for my birthday? The party is soon.'' She asked, and I nodded; we brought her a small gift, which was an excellent excuse to see her. Apparently, Saun will be here soon, too, to get some fresh pictures for the follow-up story. Mr. Green is doing exceptionally well, too; not having to fight rejection helps a lot, giving them more strength to recuperate faster.

    We spent a few hours there, watching the girl and talking to the parents, who could not praise the improvements in their child and how much getting the new heart had changed her life. She was bouncing back faster than any previous operation. We left soon after Saun arrived. He insisted we be part of a group photo, and Theo was happy to drag me into the pictures. It was a fun day, and I was pleased because of the distractions.

    We headed back to the hotel we were staying in for an early dinner. I was exhausted from all the rushing about I had done that day. They walk through the markets first and then to the child. It was more than I had intended after ate nightst night. We missed the sport today, the first time in a while, and I looked forward to seeing the news and finding out if my team won. Theo ordered room service, and we ate a leisurely dinner on the balcony, watching the activity on the streets below.

    My phone rang only a short time after I had finished eating.

    ''Hello, Dad. Did you see or hear how our team went?'' I was d he phoned, as it saved me chasing him to find out how he was doing now that he had remarried. Should I call it remarried?

    ''Hello to you too, and yeah, we won.'' He did not sound all that happy about it. Something needs to be fixed.

    ''Talk to me, what is wrong? I am putting you on speaker so Theo can hear!''

    ''Do that, he needs to hear. I was going toe over but thought better of it; you should be enjoying your time at the moment.''

    ''Talk to me, Dad, you are worrying me. Is something wrong with Pam?'' I asked.

    ''What? Oh no, nothing like that. I needed you to know that I will be staying at Hank''s tonight. Pam will be over shortly with our dinner. There is no easy way to say this, so I will juste out with it. Kitty and Margaret were arrested today! ''What? Why?'' Theo blurted out.

    ''They are part of the wedding and syndicate stuff. Your Dad will tell you about it when you arrive, but not tonight. He is exhausted from today''s events and needs to get his head around it tonight. Can youe tomorrow for lunch?'' Dad should not even need to ask. ''Yeah, we can do that. I need to give Theo some extra love at the moment. He is a little shocked. I giggled at the sight of Theo, it was a more nervous giggle than because it was funny. I have no idea why I giggled. This revtion floored him, but I was numb to it all. Dad hung up, and I waited for Theo to say something.

    Instead, he pulled me to hisp and held onto me as if he needed thefort holding me brought him.

    ''Do you understand what Bob was talking about?'' ''Yeah, I do.''

    ''Tell me! So I did; the more I talked, the more questions he had. I don''t think he saw any of thising to his family. He was sad to hear that Bob was never married to Wendy and that Bob implicated that Hank was not married to Kitty; he would have to wait until tomorrow to ask all the questions, including whether Hank was his real Dad. That was what worried him the most.

    He knew about some of this, but I had never gone into such detail before, so either he did not take it all in at the time, or he was trying to pretend it was not all real and that it could not happen to him or his family. Denial is amon way to deal with it until it hits you harder on the face.

    Pam POV

    Bob called me to bring over dinner, and regarding the Kitty and Margaret situation, I will be answering many questions as I am deeper into the case than Bob, who had to step back when his wife was implicated.

    I had made spaghetti that was tost a few days; I took some of it with me, it being the easiest to heat up. This was going to be a difficult night emotionally, and Hank had a lot to deal with. I think he knew a lot about the syndicate because of Bethany, but he would never have dreamed his own family was involved.

    Bob answered the door as I arrived, taking the food from my hands. He was very attentive and wouldn''t let me do anything heavy; it was a turn-on. I followed him to the kitchen, where Hank was hovering over what looked like a cold cup of coffee, and his face looked like he had cried.

    ''Hey,'' I said as a greeting and squatted down beside him, pushing his hair out of his face in an attempt to get his attention.

    ''Hi Pam, d you coulde over, and thanks for cooking dinner, it smells great!'' he replied half-heartedly. He appeared better than I had expected, which was a sign of his inner strength, and the whole concept of this was not foreign; as he helped Bob through the tough times, it was harder on the receiving end.

    ''We are here for you, and I am here for you. If you have any questions, I will answer if I can. This investigation has been ongoing for over three years; I have been both undercover and in the firing line many times, and I, for one, am d it is nearly over! ''More than three years for me, but yeah, the FBI took it up about three years ago, and that was when things started to move quicker. If you can call another three years quicker. Bob chuckled, gaining a small chuckle from Hank.

    ''Can you talk me through it all, Pam,''

    So, over dinner, I filled Hank in with what I knew and was d to see that he had eaten. Some few hourster, he was drained of all the questions and information he was now overloaded with. We retired to the lounge, and it was not long there, so Hank fell asleep in the lounge. Bob grabbed some nkets and a pillow while I pulled off his shoes, making him morefortable on the lounge.

    ''What can I do? I feel a little lost at the moment. How did you cope?'' I asked Bob as we settled on the lounge and watched Hank sleep.

    ''I had Bethany, she was a great help. We both went through it together. All we can do is be there for him, let him scream and shout or cry, or whatever is his means of release. Bethany managed because she caught her husband in bed with her sister. Once she left home, I followed soon after. I had not been happy with Wendy for many years and lived there for my kids. Hank said he lost his love for Kitty when he caught her at a restaurant kissing another man. She denied it, of course, but that changed him, and his trust in her disappeared. He started a journal on when she was gone, how long, and where she went. That was one of the books that he handed over to Jacko.

    We are in for a bumpy ride, but if we stick together, we will get him through this. He cried and was very hurt when he discovered that his children were Theo and Felicity, and Margaret and Cindy were not his.

    ''I may appear to be a hard woman, and not many get to see the real me, as even I do not know who she is anymore, I have pretended to be so many different characters when undercover. This is harder than any undercover operation!

    ''That is because you care for Hank and Theo, and things are always harder when your own family and loved ones are involved. You be you and give them the love I know is in you, and we shall get through this stronger than ever! I snuggled up to Bob on the other lounge and soon sleep found me.

 Chapter 173

    Theo POV

    Bethany filled in the nks. I knew a bit about her, her sister, and her ex. Do you still call them exes when you were not married to them? My head hurts with all the stupid thoughts that are circling inside of it. I did not understand the weddingdies and that side of it. I know that a lot of people are not married as they thought they were, and some of the higher officials are being ckmailed, assuming they are married twice when they are not, and the list goes on and on. No wonder it has taken so long to get all the evidence together when it involves so many top officials and people you would never suspect. Now, I''m on edge to talk to Dad. I can only imagine how he''s feeling. Did he see thising? It''s a blow that will undoubtedly leave a mark.

    Last night''s was the worst sleep ever. I tossed and turned, and I am sure I kept waking up Bethany. We both looked like neither of us had slept. I gave up trying and dragged myself to the shower, leaving Bethany to grab a little more sleep. She was still in bed when I came out of the shower; I called room service and ordered breakfast.

    Bethany''s entrance was timed perfectly, just as I was opening the door for room service. She plopped down on the stool, her presence aforting weight in the room. Together, we dug into the food, our silence a testament to the weight of our thoughts. Bethany packed up our things, a practical task that marked the end of our stay at the Hotel and the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.

    It was a short drive to Dad''s ce, and as we pulled up, it was good to see that Bob was still there. Dad was going to need all the support he could get. Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with thetest version on . Don''t miss out, visit it now. Bob would be the best for him, as he had gone through this already and, though he had no real answers to give, could support him in a way I can''t. I tried to be there for Bethany as she went through her drama but did not really understand it, and now, to see my Dad be part of it tears my guts out.

    ''Dad, are you here?''

    ''In the kitchen. Well, he sounded okay; that was a start.

    When I walked towards the kitchen, I could hear Dadughing, and that melted my heart. Dad could stillugh.

    ''Hi, son, Bethany,e have a coffee with us. Pam told us wild and wooly stories that could make your hair curl. He

    chuckled again as he remembered one of Pam''s stories, and his chest bounced joyfully.

    Not wanting to break the good mood, I sat holding a coffee between my hands and listened to Pam and Bob talking about raids and silly things the police force had to deal with.

    All was going well until Hank''s phone rang.

    ''Hello.'' Hank put his phone on speaker when he saw who was calling

    ''Hi Hank, this is Jacko. Is Cindy home yet?''

    ''No, not yet; I have not heard from her.'' He answered. My stomach dropped to the floor at the mention of Cindy.

    ''Thanks, I will fill you inter.'' Jacko hung up the phone, leaving us all wondering what was happening.

    ''Dad, do you want to talk?'' I asked, and he shook his head no. So we continued with the small talk, avoiding Mum''s conversation and what was happening at the moment. Jacko POV

    In the interview room, I had Margaret and Kitty behind the two-way mirror, and two of my men videoed her reactions and tapped anything she might say as she watched and listened to her daughter. I wanted to rattle her cage and see if she could lie as well as I expected Margaret to.

    For the purpose of the tape, please let me know your name and date of birth. Margaret gave her full name, but the date of birth did not match our records. ''Where were you born?'' my man questioned her, and I sat across from her and watched her.

    ''Do you have your driver''s license on you?'' Margaret pulled out her license and handed it to him.

    ''The date of birth on your license is not what you stated. Can you please state the date of birth on your license, or is your license fake?''

    ''No, that is my date of birth. She stated the new date, huffed at being caught out, and sat back with her arms crossed over her chest.

    ''Tell me, your sister Cindy. Is she part of this? I note she is at many of the art venues you were at when you were arm candy for one of the syndicate members.

    ''Yes and no. She loved the high life, the glitz and mour of it all, and she had been to many of the events for the syndicate. Did she know what she was doing? You will have to ask her. I was unsure about the truth of Margaret''s words, but from Kitty''s reaction, she did not like our questions, and maybe Cindy was part of it.

    ''What about Felicity?''

    ''Nope, could not convince her of those events; she was not one for the bright lights and drunk men. Margaretughed as if this was all a joke to her. Did she think awyer was going to walk in and set her free?

    Now, about Kitty, your mother. Did you know she was part of all of this?''

    ''Of course, I did; who do you think supplied the girls when I needed them at those events? I would let Mum know how many women and preferred hair colors and figures, and she would supply them; Mum never let me down. And there goes dear ole Mother down the drain. ''How did you be part of all of this?''

    ''Cynthia and I were friends at school. She repeated a grade, and we met. She was already into glitz and m and taught me everything I needed to know. She even introduced me to Peter, who took my virginity at sixteen. He was so gentle and loving. I knew he was her husband, but she did not seem to mind that he slept around. My stomach fell. Poor Cynthia, I doubt she had a choice in the matter. Going through her journals, Margaret was in her journal several times, and I had never thought it was this Margaret. ''So Cindy, Cynthia, and you were all part of the events?''

    ''Yeah, Cindy started younger than me. Peter took Cindy''s virginity at fourteen. He said she was good fun in bed. Better than Cynthia or me. She became his favorite when he was in town. The more I heard, the more I wanted to castrate that man. He was a sick man. ''Back to your Mum, she supplied the girls?''

    ''Yes, and if the men were too rough, she would fix them up, being a nurse and all. I remember once she took a girl to Dad''s. He was so gullible; he believed every word Mum said. He doctored her up at home, and Mum took her to the shelter where she rested until the next time; most of these girls had no home, were runaways, or just street kids in general, all happy to get prettied up and a good feed, and sometimes got paid too. Margaret sounded proud of it all; maybe Margaret had lost her mind, too.

    ''Do you enjoy the events and being with all those men? I heard you were an exotic dancer, too.''

    ''Yes, I love it. I have a few favorites, and I lovep dancing to them and getting them all worked up; I feel like I have power, and for a brief time, I do.'' Yep, she is gone, searching for power, not love, and the syndicate would have made her feel like she had it all. ''We will have to call Cindy next. Do you know where she is?''

    ''Last I heard, she was going to the mingo Club to meet some new clients for the art show she is putting together.''

    I left about then, having heard enough and trusted my man to ask all the relevant questions; it was time to interview Kitty, but first, I wanted to see if Cindy hade home.

    Hank said no, so it was back to hunting her down. I did not rush to speak with Kitty; our man watching her said she was in tears. At the revtion that Peter took Cindy at such a young age, so the woman had feelings after all.

 Chapter 174

    Bethany

    POV

    Theo looked shattered after hearing Jacko was looking for Cindy. I could tell he was thinking the worst, and Hank, not ready to fill in the nks, was making it harder for Theo to handle; his leg was bouncing under the table as he tried to put on a calm face to his dad. ''Hank, I believe it''s time for Bob to share the reports with Theo. He needs to know, I urged, fully aware that Hank was not yet ready to broach the subject. However, Theo needed toprehend that the situation was moreplex than just the identity of the person who had been apprehended.

    Hank nodded and looked at Bob as he pulled out his and flicked through it before handing the phone over to Theo. I leaned across and read the first report, and my heart dropped as I read that his Dad was never married to Kitty. If I felt bad then, I was even worse for the two of them, as I read Theo was Hank''s Son, and two of the three girls were not. I was d that Felicity was there on the report. Poor Hank must be devastated to find out he only has a son and a daughter, but at least he has that. I guess. It could have been worse, and he could have had no children.

    I felt Theo stiffen, and then I am sure he tried not to cry. It was shocking news, nothing Theo had expected to ever read about his own family. Theo moved over to Hank and pulled him into his arms, and together, they cried on each other''s shoulders. I think Hank needed to do this as much as Theo did. The two of them were going to have to be each other''s rock.

    I got up and put the kettle on; I needed a distraction. My husband and his father''s worlds had just copsed, and I was not sure what to do about it. Pam was great, giving them a group hug, which had both Dad and me joining in. Tears rolled down all of our faces as we all felt the impact of this news sink in.

    It was Dad who pulled back first and went to make the drinks. The kettle boiling eventually brought us all out of the group hug.

    ''Thank you for being here. I am not sure how I would cope. I know I will need support, and just knowing that you guys have been through this already and have an inkling of how I feel is a blessing; it saves me from saying how I feel when I am not ready to do that yet. As a trauma doctor, I understand it is best if I do it quicker for healing, but I need a little time to let it all sink in and find out what the police want me to do!

    ''You have done all you need to do; at this point, Jacko will need to interview them and work out who is involved. It appears that Felicity is not or has not been involved in this, she will be gutted when she hears about her mother being involved and her sisters. Pam said, knowing more about this case than any of us in the room. Even Dad had to step back when he took the top job and hand all his investigations over to Jacko.

    ''We are all here for you, Hank. If you want time alone, say so. If you want thepany to do the same, we are here for whatever you need; now that Kitty is not here, I can take over the house chores while our home is being renovated and be here for you. Please don''t shut us out; I understand that is most likely what you want to do, to bottle it all up and hide, but don''t," I said, with as much feeling as I could.

    ''You are the best thing that has happened to this family. You have made Theo happy, love sports, and are kind-hearted; I am so thankful that you became part of our lives. Hank said with so much feeling that I almost broke out in tears again. My throat thickened, and swallowing was hard. I was full of so many emotions because of that simplement.

    Theo put his arm around me and squeezed. Pam and Dad looked at me, watching my reaction, both, I guess, expecting me to cry.

    ''Thank you, Hank. That is the nicest thing you have ever said to me. I am proud to be your daughter! I meant every word, and he could see I did.

    ''Let''s have that coffee, and can I have a sandwich? I am suddenly hungry! Hank said, getting everyone up off their feet to do his bidding.

    ''Dad, do you have work today?'' Theo asked, concerned that he was home on a Monday.

    ''No, son. I am retired now. I go in from time to time when they call asking for my guidance.

    ''Congrattions, Dad, I had no idea. Were you going to go on a holiday somewhere?'' Theo asked, then paled when he thought about what he had just said.

    ''No, your mother did not want to leave Felicity. Now she is pregnant, but now I know it was more than that. I guess the chances of leaving the country closed up when the syndicate started to be arrested, and she was afraid to be stuck somewhere unsavory! ''You still have grandchildren on the way, Dad. I am sure you can spoil my child as much as you like, and as Bethany and I both love sports, I am sure our child will, too. He boasted, his face beaming with a broad smile, trying to get his Dad to see that not all was lost. ''For that, son, I am forever grateful. I need another sports fan in the family. He chuckled, and some tension seemed to slip away.

    ''I have four operations to do this week: three young children and one adult; it is scary and exciting at the same time. I say, changing the subject.

    ''Wow, that is a lot in one week.

    ''I had hearts ready and was waiting for Robson to decide who was going to be the recipient. I wanted to get as many done before I got too big to operate!'' I patted my non-existent belly, which would start to show soon.

    ''I can''t wait for you to start gettingrger; are you going to create the hearts in theb you are building at home, yes?'' Hank asked, interested in my field of research.

    ''Yes, I am going to have Theo sit in each operation, and he can even do one, because when I am too big, he is going to step up and do them. I know he is not keen on working with children with hisrge hands inside those tiny chests, but someone needs to do it, and I do not trust anyone else at the early stages of research and development.

    ''Do you me me? They are so tiny and fragile that it is not easy to jump in and risk a small child''s life like that. Give me an adult who has been stupid in life and stuffed up his heart; much easier to cope with than a child who does not even see much in life.'' ''Yes, but you are looking at it wrongly; instead of fear of losing life, think of making it so much better that the child has a better life and can enjoy those things you wish them to have. If you do not do it, who will? You would be saving that child from years of pain and suffering!'' I said, trying to get him to see things differently, but it had been the same argument since I met him. He feels too clumsy to operate on a small child.

    ''Sounds like you two have had this argument a few times before. Hank chuckled, and it sounded good to hear himugh. Hank looked a lot better and seemed under control until the front door opened. In walked Cindy, the sound of her high heels clicking on the hallway floor all the way to the kitchen.

    ''Hi Dad, have you seen Mum or Margaret? I have not been able to raise them on the phone. Hi Bethany, Theo, and Bob, how are you all?'' She has been out and about all night and has no clue what has been happeningtely.

    ''Not seen her since yesterday! Hank answered, which was true.

    ''Good, thanks, Cindy! I replied. Theo gave her a side hug, and Bob nodded.

    ''Strange that I cannot raise either of them. I am going to shower and change. She left the room, and we listened until we heard her door close.

    ''You know what you got to do, or would you like me to do it?'' Bob said to Hank.

    ''No, I will do it. Hank picked up his phone and dialed Jacko.

    ''She is here taking a shower; I get the impression she will be heading back out

 Chapter 175

    Jacko POV

    Inside Kitty''s bag was a tablet. It was locked with a password; a secret Kitty believed was imprable. Yet, she permitted me to delve into her personal belongings. I had snatched the bag from the side table in the hallway of her home, my heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. What hidden truths could this device hold? The password was easy. "Wedding s" I got it at first go. It was like opening that ck book that belonged to Horandeze, It had the dates of each fake wedding, who was involved, and kindly took photos of the wedding couple. It was very detailed, and I would have fun matching it all up with what we already had and putting faces to the names on the whiteboards. But this was just the beginning. There was more to uncover, more to understand. I will hand it over to the team once I have looked at it, but only after I''ve unraveled its secrets.

    I also found it interesting that Margaret, a well-known chef, dances at night on the weekends. You would think that was when the restaurant would be busiest. It did not make sense to me. She would appear the least likely to be an exotic dancer. Yes, she had the shape for it, but a chef? That was a perfect cover for her. This tablet has the proof of the nights she danced for the syndicate and who took her away for the night. Then, for the part Kitty did, what extra special guests were there, how many girls she had supplied, and the clothes she had made, she expected to be paid for it all, including her two daughters when they worked for the syndicate. Did her daughters know she got paid for them, too?

    Hank phoned to say Cindy was home. I was unsure if he would contact me when she came home, but it was a risk I was willing to take asking him to contact me. I took two men with me, and we went to Hank''s home to collect her. Hank looked like he was holding up okay. It was good to see Bob, Pam, Theo, and Bethany there to give him moral support during this challenging time; I wish I had better news for him.

    Cindy had changed into jeans and a blouse, her hair still wet from a shower. She sat at the table eating the leftover pizza, oblivious to why my men and I were there. She looked around the kitchen at those present but still did not catch on.

    ''He Jacko, do you have time for a coffee?'' Pam asked, breaking the tension that had grown since we walked into the room.

    ''Thank you, but I am here on official business. Cindy, we would like you to apany us to the precinct and answer a few questions.'' I tried to be polite out of respect for those in the room, but it was not how I felt inside. She looked at me, shocked, and then at the man who took his handcuffs out, and then at Hank, who was looking at her with sadness. Something he could not hide from his face.

    ''Dad?'' She asked before my man approached her.

    ''You had best go with them, sweetheart. I have already been questioned. She nodded her head in eptance and turned to let the man handcuff her.

    One of my men read Cindy her rights and cuffed her. I watched Hank. His eyes looked watery. I think he was hoping the baby of the family was his, and seeing one he had loved so much be hauled away in handcuffs had to be hard on him.

    ''I will keep you posted on how things go with thedies. I offered Hank.

    ''No, at the moment, I do not wish to know. I will find outter when I am ready to ask the hard questions; I want to get past all of this for now. Kitty and I have not been on good terms for years, and I am relieved in some ways that I was never married to her, saving me from going through a divorce. Don''t worry, and I won''t fade away and be a hermit. I might follow Bob''s example and look for a good woman. I know there are a lot of nice ones out there. Hank sounded optimistic and took this much better than I expected; having a not-too-happy marriage would do that for you.

    I left his home and took the back seat. Sitting next to Cindy, she was a pretty young girl; if I were into girls, she would be appealing. Cindy never said a word the whole trip to the precinct and sat silent when ced in the interview room. She was the opposite of her sister, who chatted nonstop.

    Cindy did not give much away, as she was interviewed, but we did catch her when we told her we knew she was sleeping with Peter, Cynthia''s husband, and if she had arranged to have Cynthia beaten after each night she had slept with him. I found that interesting and was itching to ask Peter about itter.

    ''No. Peter said. Cynthia married him to keep Wendy under control. But it backfired on him, and each time he saw her, he wanted her dead. But if she died at his hands, he would have his boss after him. He was the one to have Bret fake marry her. Bret had no idea at first that Peter was the one legally married to her; he loved Cynthia so much he would have married her even if he knew he was not really married to her. He knew he was fake married to Bethany. She is the reason all of this had fallen into a heap. Do you have Margaret and Mother here too?'' This one had brains, not like Margaret; no wonder Peter preferred this one; she was one to keep her mouth such. The rest of the interview gave me nothing I wanted. Tomorrow, bright and early, will be Kitty''s turn.

    My night was spent in the arms of my wife. He is six feet tall and full of bulging muscles. We work out together. If you did not know, looking at us, you would not think of us as a couple in public. Neither of us was the touchy-feely type, but behind closed doors, we could not get enough of each other. He is a gym instructor, owning the gym I go to daily to work out. That was where I met him. He was helping me through a new set of exercises, and we kept saying words that led to inviting him home for dinner. I cooked for him, which I only do a little; the takeaway from a good restaurant is my usual meal. One thing led to another, and by the end of the night, we were in bed together, and I gave him the ride of his life. We have been together ever since. It has been six fantastic years. I arrived home and opened the garage door to the most mouthwatering smell. My wife was cooking. I love it when he cooks. He is way better at it than me. The table was set for two; my favorite music was on low. I followed the sounds of his husky voice singing the song and snuck up behind him, wrapped my arms around his waist, and kissed his neck lovingly. He groaned and wiggled his bottom against my groin, and as he would have expected, I grew hard immediately. This man knows what to do to get me going. ''Go wash up, and food is almost ready.'' I wanted to protest, but he was right; I was gross from my day at work and taking him here. In the kitchen, this would be an insult to him.

    I quicklyplied with his request. My mood had improved since walking through the door. He was cooking my favorite food and ying my preferred music, and the table set was all nice. I think I am in for a wild night tonight. It was as if he knew I needed a break from aplex investigation, and tomorrow would be the icing on the cake, thest piece of the puzzle. I could feel it in my gut.

    We can finally get all these people to court and get it over with.

    I hope that the gang wars do not spill over to the public and that they keep it within their own circle.

 Chapter 176

    Bob POV

    Pam was a champ, helping Hank best and cuddling when needed. Although he initially resisted, Hank gave up and epted what she was trying to do. She made sure he ate and drank, listened to his woes, and gave him some answers that I did not know about because I had to step back from the investigation, which tore me apart. I was desperate to know more but could not jeopardize the operation, and I got regr reports as a top cop, but that did not always give me all of what I wanted to hear. When Cindy was taken away, he broke down, and it took all I had in me not to break down, too. I did not have a reaction as bad as Hank''s, but then I had a different experience, and I had more hatred than hurt; I was over all the hurt years ago. I was never close to Cynthia, where Hank loved and hoped Cindy was his. This was like a final nail in the coffin, and he got all his frustration and hurt out; he yelled and screamed and bellowed out all sorts of emotions and, in the end, was drained. He ended up falling asleep on the lounge room floor. I covered him up, and Pam put a pillow under his head.

    ''Are you okay, Pam? You look a bit peaked?'' Pam looked pale now that Bethany mentioned it.

    ''Yeah, just a bit of morning sickness. I have been using ginger to reduce it, but I have not brought any here with me.'' ''Go home. Theo and I are living here until our house is ready. We will look after Hank. Bethany urged. ''Thanks, I need to get some ginger. They walked us out to our car, and I drove Pam home. I was deeply concerned now that I had be aware of how she looked.

    ''When is your next antenatal check-up?'' I asked as we pulled up in our driveway.

    ''Tomorrow, want toe with me?''

    ''Sure, I want to share all of this with you!'' Pam went to lie down, and she slept till morning. She must have been more wiped out than we thought.

    Morning came with me, having slept in the lounge and not wanting to disturb Pam. She looked so peaceful asleep, and I knew she had not been sleeping all that welltely, so I left her to rest up as long as possible. ''Bob, why did you not go to bed?'' Pam sounded shocked to find me in the lounge.

    ''You looked like you could use the rest, I said, getting up to start breakfast.

    ''What time is the appointment?'' I remember where we were headed today. I had done some work on myptop in an attempt to take some time off work.

    ''Ten o''clock, plenty of time.'' She shouted as she headed back to the bedroom to take a shower.

    By the time she walked into the kitchen, a towel in her hands drying her hair, I had made a quick breakfast; I had avoided eggs as she had not been able to tolerate the smelltely, and in the end, I had cooked bacon and mushrooms on toast, and a sweet tea. She was not into coffee much, either. I hope she does not get a weird craving. I''m not sure if I could cope with this odd thing a pregnant woman can be.

    The appointment was on time, and for some reason, the woman wanted to do an ultrasound, saying something seemed a little off and Pam wasrger than she expected for the sixteen weeks she was.

    ''Look at that!'' I looked at the screen and could not distinguish what had her so excited; all ck-and-gray imaging made no sense to me.

    ''How many?'' Pam asked, and I looked harder at the screen to see what they were discussing.

    Then, the woman pointed to the screen and counted.

    ''One, two, three. You have triplets. Congrattions. I am so d I was sitting on a stool at the time, or I think I would have fallen to the ground, three babies.

    ''I think we need to reconsider our refurbishment,'' I said numbly, and the woman and Pamughed at me. It was not funny. I am a grandfather. Thest thing I expected was to have three more children, the same age as the grandchildren.

    ''We will make it work. Don''t panic. You have already been there and done that, so you know what to expect. Me? This is my first and most likelyst dance. Pam had a point; it was not like I had not gone through all this before, but for some reason, this felt so much more special.

    We thanked the doctor after we talked about more frequent visits than we had nned. Pam and I left the doctor''s office, and I had a few changes to be made, like a more extensive nursery and two more sets of everything. My mind was going into overdrive, and Pam found it all amusing. But then she is the one who is going to have to do all the hard work; I am just the hand holder.

    ''How do you think Bethany and Thomas will take the news?'' I had not even thought of them. How selfish of me.

    ''I think they will beughing like you are. I said honestly, and I could picture them bothughing.

    ''Better see if we can get Thomas over for the next sports night and announce it then. Do you think you can keep it quiet until then?'' Pam asked, thinking I would be the one who would have trouble keeping it to myself.

    ''I am sure I can manage. But you are going to have to sort out what changes you want to the house. I feel that we need professionals to expand the nursery. I am not up to pulling down walls. The whole idea of knocking down a wall makes

    me nervous.

    ''Why don''t we get those guys that are going to Bethany''s ce toe and take a look and give an idea of what they can do? I have an idea of what I want, but I have to know whether it can be done.

    ''Sounds like an excellent idea. They are part of Scott''s team. I will give him a call, let him know what we need and why, and ask him not to say anything to others yet. He is trustworthy! ''See, the secret will already be out.'' Pam teased me, and I nched at the thought.

    ''You can talk to him then, then you can''t me me. Or we can wait till after we have told the crew, then call Scott.'' I said, trying to avoid being teased any further. This girl is relentless.

    ''No, I do not want to wait until the weekend. It would be better to get work started straight away. It may take a while, and these babies will arrive earlier than nned. I will get in contact with Scott, and then it will be on me if it gets out. I am sorry for teasing you; you''re grouchy when you get cornered. She still ended up teasing me but for a different reason. I can see I will rarely win a fight with Pam.

    I could hear Pam chatting with Scott, inviting him over for dinner. He wille alone, poor Scott, we need to find him a good woman or man. I cannot be sure at times; he likes to mix it up a bit. I think he would enjoy the lifestyle that Thomas has but won''t admit it. He arrived at five thirty and was still dressed in his work clothes. He left work and came straight to us.

    ''Hi Scott. Pam sang out. After greeting us both, he followed us to the kitchen.

    ''Smells good; I''d appreciate it if you could tell me why I am really here, and don''t try to tell me it is because I am such greatpany!

    ''It is for two reasons. One is because we need you to help with some extensions to the house, and the other is because I would like to know if you would like to be the godparent to these, Pam pointed to her tummy.

    ''These as in more than one?''

    ''Yep, Pam hit the jackpot; she has triplets on the way. We need a bigger nursery and a person to be the godparent, if not to all, at least one. I am not sure how to choose which one, so it might be better for you to be godfather to all three,'' I said with a big smile. ''Yes to both. I can take a look at what you want changed and give some suggestions of my own, and I would be honored to be the godfather to the little ones.

 Chapter 177

    Jacko POV

    Morning came too quickly for me; I woke up with Lucas in my arms. I loved waking with him snuggled in close to me, breathing in his strong, musky scent of man. He grumbled something about it being too early and tried to keep me in bed a little longer, but as a police officer, I had a job to do today, one I was not looking forward to, and at the same time, I was. It was a conundrum of sorts; it was always challenging to interrogate people you knew or thought you knew.

    After a shower and breakfast, I left the house. Lucas stayed in bed, sleeping. He had a busy day today and would be homete. Three new clients, one woman, and two men, wanted personal training. There was something about them that felt off, but I couldn''t put my finger on it. It will be a physically demanding day for him. He likes to assess all new clients before assigning them to one of the personal trainers on his team. He will call me when he finishes, but I will pop in after work and do my training. I have been remisstely about all that has been happening at work.

    When I entered the precinct, the air was thick with tension. There was a flurry of activity around the booking station, voices echoing off the walls. My curiosity was piqued, and I wondered what caused such amotion. ''What is going on?'' I asked one of the younger officers.

    ''There was arge fight outside one of the tattoo parlors. We arrested everyone who was in the fight and put them in cells to cool off. Then the Sergeant wanted to get them interviewed.'' Something was off about this. ''Where are you putting them?'' I asked the sergeant.''

    ''Block B.

    ''No, send them to block D. I do not want anyone in block B. I ordered and waited near the doorway to ensure the prisoners were not headed to block B. Once they were escorted to block D, I headed to my office and organized things to interview Kitty.Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with thetest version on . Don''t miss out, visit it now. I had already had Margaret and Cindy charged and sent to the holding cells away from here. Only Kitty was still in a cell in this station. I wanted her away from here as soon as possible, too. My gut is telling me they are targets for the gang wars, and I do not want that to flow into my office.

    The guys went and brought Kitty to the interview room, where we would video the whole interview and would like the girls. I would sit in but only ask questions if it got out of hand; they understood what I wanted them to ask. Kitty was grumpy, not at all happy to be there. She had no makeup on and looked every bit her age without it, and the outfit was not her color at all. ording to her, she hated oranges. It went against her skin color; she would prefer a paler color, so let''s not start on the food. She went on and on to whoever was in earshot, whether they wanted to listen or not.

    ''Please state your name and date of birth for the records please! Henry asked Kitty politely, and afterining a bit about asking ady her age, she stated her name and date of birth.

    ''What was your maiden name?'' Again, Kitty argued but eventually gave it.

    ''Do you have any aliases?'' There were moreints before we got her other married name, which was her true-married name, and the one with Hank was more of an alias. ''How did the wedding club begin?''

    ''The first time I got married, it was a drunken night, and sixdies and six men got married. We were upset that we had not remembered it, so six monthster, we got married again, but the fes did not want to do it again; when one of the guys realized he was really married, he quickly got a divorce. However, the rest of us went back and found the same celebrant. He said he could have a fake marriage; everything looked real, but he needed ways not to register it. Later, we lured some friends to the man, and he fake- married some guys. We ended up ckmailing them, and it went from there. It was for fun and to see who we could con, and then it became an art, and it grew to huge proportions. All was working well for us; we had arge portfolio of names. That was until Peter got wind of it and took it out of our hands; he brought the syndicate into it and spoiled it for us women, added moneyundering and women for hire, and all sorts of things, and I was in too deep to get out. One of the women is dead now; she died in a car ident, but it was a warning to the rest of us: if we wanted to live, we would do as we were told. I was not happy about that, but what could we do? I made sure to keep records of it all so if I ever needed something to fall back on.

    ''So you were part of the first lot ofdies? Along with Wendy?''

    ''Yes, I was in a different school but lived close enough to say the same neighborhood. We often met up, went to the mall together, and hung out with the same friends. Wendy, Cathy, Sonya, Helena, Marge, and I were there. Wendy was the brains behind most of it until the syndicate got involved. I was window dressing. Then, I made. Then, the pretty dresses fixed up the girls that got beaten up. Then I was told to fake marry a doctor, and that was when Hank came into the picture, poor Hank. He would never question thedies. He knew I did volunteer work with battered women, which was a disguise so that I could bring in some of the worst cases to him. The real battered woman would shy away from him, but he was ever so gentle. I loved him in my own silly way. My husband demanded I fake marry him and live with him. It was hard to do at first, but we got there eventually!

    ''Who were you all married to?''

    ''Wendy was married to Congressman Bet Sanderson, and Cathy was married to the now ex-Chief of Police. I don''t remember his name, as he kept giving false ones, and it was hard to keep track of which one was real, and he was into kinky stuff. I felt back for Cathy. The only good thing about our first or real marriage was that we were not stuck with them. They refused to give us a divorce, all part of keeping control over us, but took other women for themselves, all quite sick, really, but what started out as fun as kids turned into something none of us girls ever dreamed of and, once those bastarrds were in, we had no way out. Sonya was married to Detective Gregory, and Helena was married to Judge Henderson. Poor Marge, she and her husband were killed in the ident, so it does not really matter what his name was. Wedies ended up trying to make the most of it, and I know we did not all get along once the syndicate got involved. But we tried to make the most out of it, and the money was good, a nice tidy sum, hidden away for when we could get away from this, but we never seemed to find a way out. It was a never-ending demand. When the syndicate boss let Peter take over this branch, we lost all hope, and the money no longer had its appeal. We started to meet up, looking for ways to get out of it. When my girls seemed to love being treated like queens, I was lost. I knew they loved it very much, and Peter dotted on them both, quite the opposite of how he treated Wendy''s daughter. I know that every time Wendy had trouble, Cynthia woulde to me for treatment. Peter would beat her up, and for every incident, Wendy did wrong. It was the only way to punish Wendy without arousing Bob''s suspicions. Wendy was supposed to put Bob off the scent and keep him away from syndicate people, but Bob would not reveal too much, and that was not good enough for Peter. He wanted to know what was going on, and Cynthia suffered every time Wendy could not deliver!

    ''What about Margaret meeting Cynthia in the same school?'' I wondered about that, too, as they lived in different cities. ''Wendy said Cynthia was having trouble at school, Bethany had jumped two school grades, and Cynthia was feeling bad for not being as smart, so Wendy and I rented a small apartment and set the two girls up to finish school together. It was only for thest year of high school, but they hit it off and started to be together all the time. When Cynthia returned to her home, Margaret went with her; Margaret went to college in the same city and rented a ce not far away; they were too entrenched in the syndicate to be bothered with school, but they did enough to pass their degree and nothing more.

    I had heard enough and left the room. I got a policewoman to make Kitty a cup of tea and went to our wedding room. I put more information on the board, and we better understood what was going on. What started off as school pranks turned into a huge business that the woman could not get out of. The more money they made, the more deeply entrenched they became, dragging their own daughters into the mix.

    After her statement, I was having her shipped over to the other holding cells; things here were getting out of hand, with all these sudden people being arrested. Soon, they will have no choice but to put the overflow in this section.

 Chapter 178

    Theo

    POV

    My father, a man who often hid his struggles well, was not faring as well as he let on. Yet, I had hope that Bethany, a woman with a unique ability to illuminate even the darkest corners of one''s soul, would be the one to lift him out of his despair. She had a way with her that had others wanting to help out, and I do not think she even knew she was doing it. I watched as she worked miracles on him.

    Bethany was wonderful; she talked to him softly about what happened to her and when she found out she was not married to Bret. To her, it was a relief, and then how Bob found out, and she was there for him, some of the crazy things he did when they went out at night to blow off steam, the first few weeks he was living in this city.

    Their love for all sports was the one thing that Wendy and Cynthia could not tarnish, and with that talk, Dad picked up a little; it was the same for him; no matter what Mother tried to do or say, Dad would not back down on his one day a week. That was all his. Part of his rebellion against Mother''s expensive sewing room was to do up the den. He did a fine job with the den. It looked fabulous, with all the pennants, trophies around the room, and signed photos of his favorite team yers.

    He said once that no matter how much he spent on making the sports den, it would never reach the cost she had spent on that room and materials. Though Dad said Mum seemed to spend hours there, he does not remember in the past few years showing off the pretty dresses or even being happy about having spent hours up there. It was like she hated the room, yet she kept going to it each week to make dresses, and Dad said he never knew who she gave them to or if she sold them off. Mother was hush-hush about it all, and some days, it seemed she was angry and other days upset. It was hard to pick up what was going on with her some days; Dad put it down to a bad day at her volunteer job, but sometimes it felt more than that as if it hit her personally.

    We had to go to work in the morning.

    Bethany ensured Dad had everything he needed, even making some lunch he could heat up. She refused to leave until she saw him eat something, then gave him a warm cuddle. It was more than a hug; you could see Dad was affected by the attention Bethany was giving him.

    Bethany headed to herb to check that the hearts were ready and arrived a littleter with the hearts to the theater with them in a unique solution. Meanwhile, I was entrusted with a new responsibility: the two children that would receive the hearts today. This was a pivotal moment in my training, a significant step towards taking over while Bethany was on maternity leave. Who knew if she would return to theater work? Robson was pleased she was making hearts, and she encouraged her to focus on that aspect and have the rest of us step up. I was hopeful that one of the younger doctors with smaller hands would have a talent for it and be willing to take on that side of the operation.

    The operations went better than I expected. My hands were not as big and clumsy as I had always felt when dealing with little children when I operated on the older child, which gave me hope. Bethany is a good, patient teacher who guides not just me but others as each step is reached. I am not as worried as I was when we started. The setup and process that Bethany has perfected make the whole operation seem to go smoothly.

    ''Theo, this is the app I need you to learn. It will link the heart. It would be best if you got it started before digging into the chest and ensuring it will connect to it. I have set some up here, so you can practice on the dummy here. The heart responds as it connects and waits for the next step. You ce the heart on the recipient and then push start. It will connect and start. I took the tablet, looked at the app, and went through the steps. She told me to do, and I let out a breath. I did not know I was holding it when the heart reacted to the activation. It was a straightforward process. Everything should go right as long as you follow the steps before you ce your heart into the recipient. So far, I have a good memory, and I am confident I can do this. Most of the fear and worry I had earlier was gone. I was making this moreplicated than it is.

    The children were ced in a special ward away from the other patients, which family and friends could freely enter. You had to gown up to go into this one, but it was not in theb section so that the parents could sit with them this time. Bethany was happy that the patients could handle being in the other ward and not segregated out as she had before. Bethany said she was being overcautious and preferred to be that way rather than put them in the general section and have them fail. Part of why I love her so much is that she is a caring person who goes the extra mile. How her mother and twin could be so different was beyond me; it was like Bethany received all the good while the twin took all the bad. We stayed and monitored the two patients for another hour before Bethany gave the all-clear to go home. The instructions had been handed out, and we would be called back if there was an emergency, but we did not foresee at that point that both children were on the right track to being sessful and that, as usual, it would take a few days to know for sure. Ites down now to the children''s recovery ability.

    I stopped at our local Italian restaurant and grabbed some takeaway. I was not sure how Dad was eager to get home. Dad was sitting before the television, the sports news on loud, his phone broken in pieces on the floor, and empty sses on the table. It appears Dad used a bottle of whiskey today to drown out his sorrow. I felt my heart break for him, knowing he has to get over this the best he can and that we are here for him. Hopefully, he will only let it get to him for a short time.

    ''I thought for sure. Cindy would have been mine. He murmured, and I understood he was not heartbroken at losing Mum but losing his two daughters as well was more than he expected.

    ''Dad?'' I shook him, trying to get his attention.

    ''Hi Theo, I drank too much. He was not that drunk, so he must have slept some of it off already. He was not slurring, but one of us must be here for him during the day and not leave him alone for now.

    ''Dad, we brought dinner with us;e to the kitchen and eat with us. I grabbed his arm and helped him out of the chair, not taking no for an answer. He stumbled to the dinner table and ate like he had not eaten all day. At least he was eating, and for me, that was a good sign.

    ''Dad, I have some good news for you.'' Bethany said, stroking his hand on the table. He looked up expectantly.

    ''We are going to have twins! She said, and my head swiveled to look at her. She had not even shared that bit of news with me, and it took me by surprise.

    ''Oh, I had better get extra beds in the nursery. He said, as if it was not a huge change in our lives, that just an extra bed would fix it.

    ''Dad, I know this might be too soon, but would you like to live with us? You know when the house is finished.'' Bethany asked, flooring me even further with her generosity.

    ''Would you really want me living with you?'' He looked a little taken aback by the offer.

    ''You would live right next door to Bob, and you can enjoy time together when five babies around you get too much.''

    ''Five?'' He stammered, and I looked at her as if she had just gained a second head.

    ''Yeah, Pam wanted to hide it until Sunday sports day, but I had one of the nurses contact me because she left something behind, and I went and collected it on my break and was given the news by a very chatty woman about how Pam hit the jackpot and with us both expecting more than one child and that our houses would be very busy soon! She chuckled at thatment, and I fumed at the breach of confidentiality.

    ''That is five babies, five very tiny needy babies. You are going to need my help, especially when you need to dob work. Dad sounded interested in helping us.

    ''I will stay here for now. I just got the den the way I like it. I would like to see if a woman out there is sport-minded like you. I have been thinking for a while about getting a divorce. Well, now I don''t need one, but it''s time to move on. What hurts is not Kitty; we have not been together in years, but my girls. I love Cindy, and I am unsure how I feel about all this. I tried to understand Dad''s hurt; in some ways, I can; I would be gutted if the twins Bethany is carrying were not mine.

    ''Don''t try and go it alone; let us help you through this and Bob too.'' I suggested softly as Dad yed with thest of his cup.

    ''I will, son. Don''t worry, I drank myst bottle of whiskey. No more for me. That stuff gave me a headache. I think I will head to bed. Dad got up, and I walked him to his room, worried he trip on the stairs.

    ''Night, Dad. I leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the forehead. It was not something I would normally do, but at that moment, it just felt right.

    ''Night Son.''

 Chapter 179

    Scott POV

    Godfather, I was floored. Never have I been asked to be a part of a family like that. I have known Bob and Hank for a long time, through business and jobs they got me to do in the quiet, and Bob not living in this city at the time, made it easy for me to do things without him breathing down my throat, though now I have met him, I know he would never have done that, and then sports, when he moved here. But I would never have thought they felt that way about me. I have never had a girlfriend. I had one a few years ago and caught her cheating and never bothered again. A quick romp around the sheets and done; there has never been a shortage of girls wanting to warm my sheets. I never brought them home. This ce was my safe ce. No woman has ever been there. Bethany has softened me over the time I have known her, showing me that not all girls are bad and unmanageable. I feel I am too old to find a woman and settle down.

    ''So do you think that wall can be knocked down and make this into onerge room?'' Pam asked, pulling me back to the task at hand.

    ''That wall? It''s not rmended; how about this one? The room on the other side of this wall has an en-suite you can use to bathe the babies. We can make changes to the bathroom to make it safer for children.'' It would be easy enough to modify. ''That sounds good, so not this wall. Why?''

    ''Has cabling and other important cabling running through it, would have to cut into them and change the direction, and it could be messy. Since we have been digging around, your ce is not up to code either, it looks like it was done by the same people who did it next door. Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with thetest version on . Don''t miss out, visit it now. You may have to have arger job done, so far it seems someone had done part of the house, and I have no idea why they did not do all, but as the part is done, we don''t need to apply to have it changed, continue on with what had been started.

    ''I understand. Then knock down that wall and do up the bathroom; this will be the room we use the most for them. Thank you! Pam was filling my head up with all these ns to change, and I struggled to keep up with it all; my head was still stuck on bing a godfather.

    ''Can you email me with all the changes you want and colors, and I will let you know how quickly it can be done? These little ones will be here in the blink of an eye. I suggest I hope she gets the message; I can''t remember all this while my head is still stuck in godfather mode.

    ''Yes, I can do that. Will you have the workforce to do it all? I know you are doing a big job at Bethany''s ce!

    ''Yes, I hire a lot of ex-servicemen; many need our help to adapt back to the civilian world, and I try to give them a ce to stay and a safe workce, working with others who understand what they are going through. So I have arge pool of trusted men to pull in for the work. I started employing them not long after Bob convinced me that these were all well-trained men who were a little lost in the world and could use the help to get on their feet.

    They will never forget what they have gone through, but hopefully, working with others like them will help them adjust to the noises that may trigger them, like the backfiring of a car or other sudden loud noises, which usually mean trouble in the battle. PTSD is very real. My grandfather had it, but no one knew what it was back then, and he made it through with love and patience from his family. If these people can see they are not alone and that others are willing to give them a go, they will make a life again. I hear too many are not able to readjust to life back home and end up trying to find a way to calm the mess in their heads they live with nonstop.

    ''Okay, let''s go eat, and then you can fill me in on the security stuff that you are doing. Should we change anything now that the family dynamics are going to change?'' Pam had full-on security woes before they were even there; what would she do when they started school?

    ''What you are getting is the best of the best. I have nothing better to offer, so unless you wish to go elsewhere and find out what others have, that is different.'' I left the rest of thatment open; I was not going to fill her head up with all the other choices out there. Only she can make up her mind about the safety of her children. Bob would help her with that; he had been in the force long enough to know what was best for them and calm her down. She has lived the wrong side all her life; it is time to see the good in people and not see everyone as a possible suspect.

    I left their hometer than I nned and found sleep quickly. I slept soundly, better than I had in years, and I think that is all because I am going to be a godfather and because of the warmth I feel inside. If this is how I feel being a godfather, it must be ten times better being a Dad, something I had never considered before, and this has made me think, maybe I could be, but so I want to bring a child into my way of life, and now I am back to the circle. My brain takes me on over and over, keeping me away from looking at being tied down.

    Getting the new ns together for Pam and Bob''s home took most of my morning. I had to pull in a few more men toe over from another job to go over some changes with me on some of the changes I wanted to do and get their feedback, as sometimes changing the old buildings and bringing the house up to code can be tricky. We do not wish to knock down any unnecessary walls if we can avoid it.

    The men were d to be involved in the renovations of the old-style houses, as so many young people wanted them knocked down and a new one put in their ce. Gone forever is the lovely workmanship that men of old put into them, and it often saddens me to see them knocked down, satisfied that all will be in code and changes can be made, stupid who ever did a half job before.

    I headed back to Pam and Bob''s.

    ''Hey, Scott. Want some lunch?'' Pam offered a huge smile on her face and not the messed-up freaking out woman of yesterday.

    ''That sounds good, as long as I am not intruding. They looked like they were cooking up a storm. Flour was on both Pam and Bob''s faces and clothes, and in the kitchen, there was flour on the floor and stove. A food fight had ended or was still happening until I arrived. I stopped at the doorway of the kitchen and then looked at the giggling Pam, who gave her a stunned look.

    ''We were trying out some new recipes. Bob said shyly, and he flicked a nce at Pam and two perfect hand prints in flour on her chest.

    ''So I can see interesting ingredients you have there! I chuckled as I nodded at the hand-printed chest; he had the same on his bottom.

    ''Yes, we could not make a decision, and then it became a small argument of sorts. Pam was still giggling.

    ''I''m interested in knowing what you were making, I said. I found a seat without the flour to sit on, and Pam and Bob started to clean up all the flour.

    ''Should there be pineapple on the pizza?'' Bob spat out, which told me he did not favor it on pizza.

    ''That is a personal choice, like fish on pizza or olives, and in one debate, you will not get me involved with this, sorry! They were not dragging me into that debate. I chuckled as I looked at the table and wondered who won the debate.

    ''Wepromised and made two pizzas, and can have leftoverster! Oh no, does this mean they will watch which I choose to eat? I am in this debate no matter what; maybe I should take a slice of both and see if that saves me or not; this is not a debate I wish to join.

 Chapter 180

    Michello POV

    Call number one on my list.

    Call Maria. Get her to leave for safety.

    ''Hello! Maria''s soft voice answered the phone; it sounded like she had been crying; maybe she had already heard about Horandeze, or maybe because he had not returned home yet, it left her worrying.

    ''Red Alert, Red Alert. Critical condition. Return to base.'' I said to Maria in a calm voice. She knew what that meant. Our situation here was vtile, and she had to return to the yacht immediately. Horandeze was down, and being called critical meant he was noting home. We all lived on the edge of our seats in this line of work, the unpredictability of it all a constant source of suspense. Horandeze has lived a charmed life, and Maria should count her blessings that she had him for as long as she has. If Maria follows her training, she will pack everything up and be on the yacht in half an hour. If she takes longer, the police or someone less friendly wille to get her. She is vulnerable at the moment. With the boss down, she is a walking target. Even back home, she might be in danger, so when she makes it to our home country, she will go to a safe house and live there for however long it is deemed necessary.

    ''Understood. Is there any chance at all that we can get him out?'' She sounded hopeful, but we all know that if a code red is called, some will be left behind or wounded, if not already dead.

    ''None,'' I replied. I knew what she wanted to hear but could not indulge her with hope, no matter how much I would love to. Maria hung up the phone, and I was relieved one job was done. If she followed instructions, she would be fine. The men will protect her for now. She had been part of this kind of lifestyle long enough to understand some oue. This is the first time the code red was on her husband, he has been very lucky over the years.

    Call number two on my list.

    The prince is the head of the syndicate worldwide.

    ''Speak,'' the kind of voice encourages me to speak fast and to the point. In the background, somedy breaks out in a high-pitchedugh, and I am d I do not need to be near that person and pretend to enjoy theirpany. Part of being a royal, I guess, you got to suck up to everyone and put on the toff attitude.

    ''Red Alert, Red Alert. Critical condition. This man always makes me a little nervous when I talk with him, but I always have been when I deal with him.

    ''The ounts from that branch?'' He sounded like he was at a party, and the background noise got quieter as if he had gone to another room and closed the door, shutting out the party noise.

    ''Cleaned out, we assume, by the police.'' I replied it was too quick and clean to be anyone else.

    ''Call the banker, let him know to shut all ounts down in the other sections, and send them to the one here. Please get rid of all links to us and tell all businesses in that sector not yet affected by this condition to shut down immediately. ''He sounded like he had entered his office, and I could hear his finger typing madly on the keyboard.

    ''Time frame?'' I asked, as I know our men would ask that question.

    ''Five years should do it. Could you tell me if it was a betrayal?'' His voice was firm and determined. He had made ns for this to happen, and he was activating the shutdown as we speak to all areas that had dealings with this country. ''No, greed. I genuinely believe this downfall was all about Cynthia and Bret.

    ''Not sure if that is worse or not. One of the young ones?'' He always distrusted the young people getting involved in the operations.

    ''Yes.'' The shorter the answers, the better. I learned over the years that I have dealt with this man.

    ''I see, and Horandeze?'' His voice was a little sadder asking this; he had known the man for a very long time.

    ''He will be lucky to live through this; if he does, it does not look good for his ability to perform. Deep down, I feel he would have been better off not living.

    ''Take him out. He would prefer it. I do not want him to be a target; it is better for those trying to protect him. Plus, he was always a fit man; take that away from him, and he will be a shell and would loath it.''

    ''I agree; it is best he does not linger, either; I do not think he would want to. I will get Hector on the job! I was busy writing down whom to phone next and what needed to be done to close this country off of our syndicate activities. ''The greedy?''

    ''Dead.''

    ''Good, saves me having to order that to happen. What about Peter?''

    Jail, awaiting trial.

    ''You know what to do he cannot make it to the mainstream. The judge and the congressional representative all need to go. All the top, is the chief of police still chief?''

    ''No, in jail, too. The wives?'' I asked, hoping not to get what I, deep down, knew wasing.

    ''Are they arrested?''

    Yes, only Maria is safely on her way to safety.

    ''Dispose of them all. Leave no loose ends, including the ex-chief. It does not need to be done all on the same night, but get the order out there!''

    ''Yes, sir''

    ''I want nothing toe back to the royal family. Make sure anyone who knows of my involvement is either dead or out of the country. I will not tolerate being dragged into this ipetence.'' He sounded more like what I had expected. He was the second in line to the throne and demanded respect and obedience.

    ''Whose leads the case?''

    ''Bob Munroe is now the chief of police, Jackson is running the main show, Pam Jones did a bang-up job hurting us, and Scott and Hank have had their hands on this, too!''

    ''How so, I thought after Horandeze returned home, all that was put to sleep.

    ''No, Hank did not like guns on his head to perform surgery, and Scott never got over his Dad being executed, and both have been on our tail ever since. They never stopped hunting for us, and Bob had also been working on it unofficially!

    ''You have to appreciate how determined they are. They would have been good for us if we could have had them on board, but I have a feeling they would never be one of us. We could use people like them who never give up. The phone went quiet; only his breathing and his fingers flying over a keyboard could be heard.

    ''Get those tasks done.'' he barked thest part at me and hung up. I sighed; this could not get any worse.

    Call number three.

    The man who heads the banking.

    ''Good afternoon.''

    ''Banker, code red, close down the ounts. Send funds to an overseas ount as pre-arranged, destroy all connections, and lie low. ''I bark the order, still rattled from talking to the prince.

    ''How long do you think?'' He asked quietly, and he was in a ce he could not talk too loud.

    ''Five years minimum! I responded we all need this break.

    ''Good god. My wife will be pleased. We can have that six-week cruise she has been dying to go on. Please let me know when you''d like to begin again. You do know how to contact me? He sounded pleased to have a break, and I agree, this was a long timeing. Call number four.

    The Prince''s man who coordinates the businesses under the prince''s control.

    ''Yes?'' The deep male voice responded.

    ''Code red, time to close down all branches, even those not yet under investigation. Do it now?'' I was getting tired of all of this; I wanted to go home, too.

    ''How long. He asked, and I felt like I was a broken record, repeating the boss''s orders.

    ''Five years!

    ''That bad will get it done. immediately!

    ''Make sure you do it quickly and get rid of all trails. Orders from the top.

    ''Oh, damn, that''s bad if he is involved! he hung up, growling something unintelligible.

    Call number five.

    The contact for assassinations in this country.

    ''Talk to me. His voice was almost like an order, but I am used to hearing this sort of voice from bosses of all kinds. ''Spider, code red.'' I replied abruptly; my day had been long, and I was ready to end it. ''How bad?'' typical, what a question.

    ''His Highness orders you to remove all the tops in jail and finish off Horandeze. My temper started to run close to an explosion.

    ''Tricky but doable. I found the tops. They are in the old jail. It has been refurbished.'' Good, at least that problem was gone; I had wondered where they had sent them.

    ''Can you get in?'' The next issue.

    ''Yep, I can get it done. Time frame? I have people in there. Of course he does, why am I not surprised.

    ''As soon as you can. It doesn''t need to be done all at once, but it actually needs to be done. Also, the whole syndicate business in this country is now closed, and all shops will cease to be active for the next five years. Could you get this job done and go have a holiday? You have earned it. I am calming down; now I know he has eyes and ears where I need them most.

    ''What about the police and his little family and friends?'' That was a question I asked; while they live, the threat will, too.

    ''Leave them, the boss ordered. He respects their efforts and allows them to have some space for now. He will review it allter once the heat has gone. They are not going anywhere.'' It was good to give them a break. They have gone through a lot, and some of it was because the young ones lost control.

    ''Once this job is done, I will take a nice holiday and see the world for a while. My wife has been nagging me to go to the sights. I think, that now is a good time to do that! He sounded like he was looking forward to the break, I think we all are.

    ''You do that. I will do the same, but I might have issues in our country with Horandeze gone.

    ''Good luck with that Bro. He hung up, and I thought about it. With Peter out of the equation, who is going to step up and take Horandeze''s ce, he has big shoes to fill.

    His cousins are wannabes. They don''t have the brains; those with brains don''t have the clout. Losing Peter has made this bad. A fight for it all in our country will happen. I don''t know if the prince can do much for us. He might have a solution, a person who could take over temporarily to keep the peace while a sessor is found.

    I''m just d it is not me having to do that; it has been challenging enough being the second in charge and seeing what the boss had to deal with; that is more than I would like to take on.

 Chapter 181

    Bethany

    POV

    The two children were doing better than I expected. One child I had not thought would make it through the night surprised me at how well they had responded. Children never cease to amaze me with their strength and total trust in us and the love they seem to share. It looks like the parents hurt more than the child sometimes when you see the child''s eyes light up as the mother and father enter the room, yet the parents seem to have had almost no sleep worrying about the child. There''s nothing I can do about that, unfortunately. Parents worry and have good reason to, and the child''s innocence can bring the strongest man or woman to tears.

    Today, I will assist with the man''s operation. He is ready, and I am looking down at his face as he goes drifting off to sleep, counting to three before he is gone.

    Drake rambles on about his night with Saun, making the nurses giggle at his antics. His voice is a soft drone in the background as I go into my zone and wait. I am here for Theo today; he is going to go solo on imnting this heart. I watch him set it ready for use and then ce it aside to get the man done. I need to be confident that Theo will do each step wlessly.

    Theo is a great surgeon, and the whole operation flew by. I did not need to say a word; he never faltered once. I am sure when we review the video, he will be critical of himself, just like I am when I review myself. It is human nature to be harder on oneself and look at the ws, not the achievements. I am trying to do better each time. Sometimes, it is good to be critical of oneself when ites to holding a person''s life in your hands; you do not want to make a mistake. It is not easy for me, and I know Theo is the same when we lose a patient. It is like losing a piece of yourself, and I think Robson often feels responsible, too, and he is not even in the operating room.

    Having left the theater, I left Theo to look after his patient. I was sure he woulde find me if he needed me for any of the app processes. My phone will ding when something is not right, and I can fix it from here.

    ''Hi Nate, you are looking much better,'' I said to my brother-inw. He was propped up by pillows, watching television. It was on the sports channel.

    ''When can I get out of here?'' He grumbled at me with a smile, and I knew he was testing me. Hank had already given the all-clear if we followed instructions, and I wondered if Judy or Thomas would let him get away with not following the rules.

    ''How about today?'' His eyes widened with surprise under normal circumstances. He would be stuck in this room for another week, but Hank was sending one of his best nurses to look after him. She would live with them until Hank said he (being the nurse Nate would have assisted him) would no longer be needed. He would update Hank daily and contact him if something was wrong.

    ''You mean that?'' His eyes lit up, and he started to move too fast and ended up causing himself pain.

    ''Ouch.'' he grumbled andid back against the pillow, rubbing his chest.

    ''Yeah, Hank has a male nurse who will care for you and has agreed to live with you until you are well enough to do things on your own.

    ''Excellent.

    ''I have organized an ambnce to take you home. It will be here in an hour, along with your nurse and two bodyguards! ''Oh man, do I need bodyguards?''

    ''No guards, no going home.

    ''Okay, okay, they better be ugly, or Thomas will get jealous. He chuckled at the thought, then paled as he looked up at me.

    ''No, he will not take another partner; you are more than a handful for him, I said, knowing what he was thinking.

    ''You''re the best. Sis.'' he looked at me sheepishly.

    ''Let me help you change into something you would be happier to be seen in outside these walls.'' I giggled as I lifted the bag I had received from Thomas and started to pull out the clothes. He had a choice; I could see he was already looking at the track pants and T- shirt. Something was non-clingy; he must be in more pain than he was letting on. After he was dressed, he was panting and sweating like he had run a marathon.

    ''Do you want some painkillers for the trip?'' I needed to give them now so they would be working by the time the ambnce arrived, or I would have to inject him with something more potent, and I knew he would fight me on that. He tried to be strong when he did not need to be.

    ''Please, something that won''t make me groggy. I do not like feeling like that. I understood what he meant and gave him the best I could, hoping it was enough for the journey. Steve arrived ten minutester.

    ''Hi Steve, this is Nate. Nate, Steve is your nurse, and you had better follow his instructions, or I will get you back here in a jiffy. I warned him with a chuckle.

    ''I want my own bed so that I will behave! he replied, looking at Steve, a well-built man who could most likely carry Nate around all day and not tire.

    The paramedics arrived with their gurney, and we loaded Nate into the ambnce, giving him assurances that we would visit him soon. I stood at the dock and watched the ambnce carry Nate away, and I felt so d he was away from there and back home, safe. Not that he was not safe here, but being home, where you arefortable, is much better than at the hospital, no matter how good the hospital is.

    Theo came to me a little after Nate left.

    ''Gone home?''

    ''Yeah,'' I said as I leaned into Theo. He kissed my head.

    ''All done; Robson is happy and says we can leave now. I have done the rounds and sent two home, and the young trainee doctors are doing great work so far. Robson is very happy with their progress.

    ''Good, it''s time to get out of here and see how Hank is going.'' We left the hospital and headed home, hoping Hank was getting on with his life. His slump was only one day, and the push for him to check up on Nate gave him the push he needed to get back out there; his love for being a doctor and needing to look after Nate would work in our favor.

    Hank said he felt guilty that Nate took the bullet at his home, a ce he always believed was safe and secure. Those trees seemed to be a good distance away. Hank never thought snipers would use them; now, he is looking at how to protect his backyard better. It is good that Scott did know about a possible sniper attack and catered for hitting them back. It all happened so fast, and if it had not been for Theo filling in some of the nks, I would not have known what happened. One minute, I am about to have my first kiss as his wife, and then the next, I am on the floor in pain, and having no clue why I was on the ground; I do remember hearing a bang, but I did not put that down to gunfire. That never entered my head; why would it? I was too consumed with my wedding day and the nerves I had and sharing the day with my Dad, making it so much more special.

    I wonder how the sniper is doing?

    We have not heard anything, if he lived or died. I will have to ask Dad if he has heard anything yet.

 Chapter 182

    Spider

    POV

    The order came in to kill off the syndicate that is in jail.

    Poor Horandeze, when I heard that he had been taken out and was in hospital fighting for his life, I half expected to get a call. I have a girl in the hospital; she called me when Horandeze was brought in, letting me know she made sure she was part of the team looking after him if her services were needed.

    Silver has been an asset to me over the years, either killing or seducing; she is skilled at both; now, I need to call her and ask her to take Horandeze''s life, someone we both love and admire. It won''t be easy; he has guards set twenty-four hours a day. Her phone rang.

    ''Spider, I thought I would hear from you soon.'' She purred on the phone, thinking we might have a booty call.

    ''How''s he doing?'' I ignored her seductive voice and got to business.

    ''I am at home; the next shift starts just over an hour; I can check him and let you know!'' her business tone takes over.

    ''Orderse down, take away his pain and suffering. Can you do it?'' I need to know if she can; if not, then I need to make other arrangements.

    ''Will give it a go. Let me get back to you. I have never killed a friend before. It is Saturday, so not many doctors and nurses are around, I will see what I can do tonight.'' I can hear the hurt in her voice.

    ''Look at it this way: if he lived, what sort of life would he have?'' I pushed, trying to get her onboard; she was my best bet to get to him.

    ''Not a good one. He will never walk again! She sounded sad, and I knew I had her. She would do it; I just needed to give her the bait.

    ''How would he feel about that?'' This was the right direction, knowing the man''s pride in his fitness.

    ''He would try and kill himself; he is a proud man, and being stuck not being able to wash and feed himself would be too demoralizing for him. I will do it for him and his dignity. Got her. She just needed the right convincing. ''Make it quick, but don''t get caught; you are my best girl, and I don''t want to lose you! I urge her softly.

    ''Yep, the sooner, the better for him. I will see who is on duty; some of the guards are ck, and I might find an opportunity to. Her voice was more optimistic now and is ready to put the man out of his misery. ''Call me when it is done. I hung up.

    Then I started my next call; this one is going to be a bit tricky.

    ''Spider. What do you need?'' Yep, same ol, same ol. This never gets tiring when I call him.

    ''What, no, hello, how are you?'' I growled back jokingly. He was easy to raze.

    ''Hello, how are you? Now, what do you want? I am busy.'' He growled back, and I could hear a woman''s voice in the background.

    ''Put your pants back on. We have some business to discuss! I am a little sad I have to pull him away from whatever woman he managed to get in his bed, but this was important.

    ''Yeah, like, what is so important that you want me to put my pants back on?''

    ''Time to close this country syndicate down, starting with the demise of those in jail. I barked back at him.

    ''Let me get my pants on. Where are you?'' He was now all business.

    ''At the mingo club, VIP section, get your butt here, we have a lot to work out and fast. I hung up as I did. I heard some chickining about being kicked out and how rude it was, which made my day. Silver POV

    Spider has given me the most challenging job ever, one I never dreamed I would have in my lifetime. I have worked with this man, who taught me so much. Now, I have to end my mentor''s life. I know he would want me to, but it is still hard. I cried for a little while as I got ready to go to work. By the time I made it to work, I had put on my business face and set to see who was on and if it was possible to take him out. I have done it before and can do it again. It has been years since I had to.

    ''Hi Milly, how is our patient today?'' I asked the nurse I was changing shifts with.

    ''I have no idea how he is still with us; each time I go in there, I expect to find him dead.''

    ''That bad, huh?''

    ''Yeah, I do not expect to see him around when I get in tomorrow; sad though, he was a good-looking, fit man; it seems a shame! ''Agreed, he is a good-looking man and was full of bulging muscles.'' Milly left for the night.

    ''Hi Brent. You on alone tonight?'' I asked the guard at the door.

    ''Nope, Stan is taking a piss. I nodded and turned to the door, taking a deep breath to calm myself before walking inside. As Milly said, Horandeze was holding on by a thin thread, and he was all bandaged up, his face white, the machine doing all the work to keep him breathing; his vitals were terrible, and by rights, he should be dead.

    Stan opened the door as I was taking his vitals, nodded at me, and closed the door again; he did this every now and then; it was a risk to do anything with him at the door; I might leave it for now ande backter when he goes on a break. Knowing it would beter, I left the room and did the rounds like normal. I popped in every half hour to check on Horandeze; he was my priority and was down for an hour of observation. I do not get much else done in between, but I do the best I can. Milly does nothing when she leaves Horandeze''s room, but I like to stay busy, so I clean pans and do other mundane chores that other nurses hate doing.

    Before my break, I head to check on Horandeze and nod to Brent as I enter. Brent was sitting on a chair outside, almost dropping off to sleep; not many cope at this time in the morning. I walked over to Horandeze and switched the machine that was keeping him breathing off. I then watched him stop breathing and wait; when the machine made the rm that he was gone, I turned the breathing machine back on, pushed the button to call code blue, and started to pretend to do CPR. When the door flew open, it was Brent looking in, and he saw me hovering over Horandeze from the doorway; it would appear that I was trying to resuscitate him.

    A few momentster, the night duty doctor rushed in with the cart and another nurse, and I gave properpression now, hearing his ribs snap and creak under my hands as I pushed a little harder, making me cringe at the sound, I know he is dead but t. The doctor ced the paddles on his body and told me to move back, which I did. He called clear, and I watched the machine still showed a single line. I went to start CPR again, but the other nurse took over, which I was relieved; then they couldn''t put all the me on me when they called it. They tried three more times; I took turns with the nurse to do CPR, and eventually, the doctor called the time of death. I knew I would have to put in a report, but with him hanging onto life by a thin thread, I don''t think it would be seen as if I had aided his death.

    The other nurse hugged me, and I allowed tears to roll down my cheeks; they may have thought I was upset about the loss of a patient, but it was so much more than that.

    ''Go home, nurse; I will report the death and get the paperwork done. the night doctor said, the other nurse nodding her agreement. I did not argue; I clocked out and headed home.

    When I was safe in my apartment, I called it in.

    ''Spider'' Came from his voice stern and clear.

    ''It is done.'' I replied tearfully.

    ''Where are you?'' he asked, his voice softer and kinder.

    ''They gave me the rest of the night off, and I am at home now!

    ''Good, tell me about it.'' So I did; I exined how I had made the request and joined in trying to revive him.

    ''Good work. I will report it in.'' He hung up, and I let more tears flow; I took a long bath and climbed into bed, allowing exhaustion to im me.

    Spider POV

    I knew my girl could do it, and I was impressed by how well she managed it. I phoned Michello.

    ''Talk to me.

    ''The job at the hospital is done; we are still working on the other.'' I said confidently.

    ''Good.'' He hung up, and I rxed as I thought about what had just happened.

    Michello POV

    Hearing that my boss was now gone made my heart tighten in my chest, and for a moment, I thought I would break down a cry; I was a tough man, been through a lot with this man, and I considered a brother, and it affected me more than I had expected. I let the news sink in and took a few deep breaths before I called him.

    ''Speak. He barked down the phone; it must have been mid-morning his time, but it was still nighttime here. I had been woken with the news, and I could not leave it for when I should be waking up. I needed to get it over with and then see if I could sleep again. "He is no longer suffering. I said calmly, pleased you could not hear my pain through the phone.

    ''Good job. Give them a bonus. Is there any news on the other issue yet?''

    ''I have given it to my best man to deal with; it will take a little longer than this one, being where it is and multiple people.'' ''I understand, but could you make it happen sooner rather thanter. Then the phone went dead. If this is not done quickly, I will be catching up with my boss quicker than I would like.

 Chapter 183

    Bob POV

    Today, we all arrived at Thomas''s house; we would stay the night. Bethany made the pies for tomorrow''s sports day, and I brought some beer. Jacko would stay the night, too, bringing his wife, or is he called his husband? I get confused about what they are when it is the same gender in the rtionship. I think I heard Jacko call him his wife. I do not wish to insult anyone so that I will call him by his name. Scott ising, too, and he will bring Hank with him. I need to get both of them apanion. I am assuming that Scott is into women, but I am not sure, as I have never seen him with someone on his

    arm.

    That night was like a party. Thomas had invited some of his friends over, girls and guys, and we all spoilt Nate, who was in a special bed in the room. The nurse hovered around him, making sure he did not overdo it. Poor Nate looked like he would have preferred to be up and to join in, but he could not muster the energy to get off the bed; he eventually fell asleep, and the nurse wheeled him out of the room to a room set up on the lower floor for him.

    Hank and Scott seemed to get along with some of thedies,ughing and chatting. It seems both these women liked sports. We were debating the stats of a particr team, and Hank was making sure his point was heard. I can see both these women would be sports day regrs, but being Thomas''s friends, I wonder if? No, I am not going there. What they prefer in the bedroom has nothing to do with me.

    Jacko''s husband/wife, Lucas, was augh. He was not what I expected, but he suited Jacko, bringing out the softer side of him you rarely get to see. He was more than content to get involved in the banter around the room and had us in stitches. Jacko, when not having his work hat on, was goodpany, a side I had not seen before; he was more rxed, and the lifestyle that Thomas has and that Nate was, well, Nate, he rxed more around us. Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on  .I think he was worried about being judged for bringing a man the love of his life. But our family does not care; as long as you are happy, who is worried about who you prefer as your partner? Life has so many curved balls; why make more when you do not need to? Morning found me content, being snuggled up to Pam, my arms holding her to me. Until she hit me by ident and then, while trying to get out of bed in a hurry, pushed on my dder by mistake and rushed to then rushed to the bathroom. I followed her; my need to pee was high since she put pressure on it, that was until I squatted down beside her, holding her hair as she puked in the bowl; my poor love has suffered from morning sickness, and I feel for her. I contributed to getting her in this state; I wish I knew how to help her. I was useless when my other children grew in a belly, and Wendy would not let me near her.

    ''I am okay. I need to get some ginger ale and saltines, and I will feel better.'' I moved to let her up, and she flushed to the toilet and washed her face; I relieved myself and washed up. I followed her to the bedroom, grabbed a robe, and headed to the kitchen to get the things Pam needed to start her day off a little better.

    ''Morning, Dad.'' Bethany said as I walked in. I could see she already had the saltines and ginger ale out.

    ''Morning, are you having morning sickness too?'' I asked, thinking they were both about the same weeks along. ''Nope, I have been lucky and have not had that problem. I had a week of feeling poorly, and now I am as good as gold; I get tired quickly. I got these out for Pam; I heard her earlier, though don''t tell her that; she would be mortified.

    ''Your secret is safe with me, and thank you for this. I took the biscuits and jug and headed back to Pam, who I hoped had gone back to bed, and it was still early. I did not think to ask why Bethany was up; it slipped my mind when I got the cure for Pam''s morning condition.

    Pam had gone back to bed. She was pale but still the most beautiful woman I had seen. Call me a sap, but that is how I feel. I left the jug and biscuits on the table by the bed and got dressed, leaving her to sleep a little longer.

    ''Hey, do you want help here?'' I offered Bethany and Judy assistance in the kitchen. They were both cooking up a storm for breakfast, and my stomach was grumbling. It needed to be filled with the delicious aromaing from the stove. ''Sure, do you want to squeeze some juice?'' Judy pointed to a machine and a bag of oranges. I was not keen on that particr job, but I graciously epted, started the noisy machine, and proceeded to cut up the oranges.

    The house started to wake up, and it was not long before the television was on; Nate was wheeled over to the side so he could watch the game too, and the nurse joined us all on the lounge chairs to enjoy the game, I took note that one woman has taken to snuggling up the Scott and one was the same with Hank, he has had his arm draped over her, and she had her head on his chest, how long it will stay their once our game starts will be interesting to see.

    Bethany took her usual seat on a cushion on the floor in front of Theo, a ce she had always sat when watching the game in the beginning when she was very young. It was not unusual for her to sneak in to watch the game, where she would sit at my feet and be quiet and out of the way. Also, Wendy could not find her, and thenter, it was as if that was where she was always meant to be, though instead of being at my feet now, she was sitting at Theo''s.

    My phone rang, and I answered it, with faces turned to look at me as I did; the game was due to start, and I guess they were concerned I would be called away.

    ''Hey, this is Doctor Wilcocks. I was asked to give you a call. This is the Police chief?''

    ''Yes, Doctor, what can I do for you?'' I was curious to know who this doctor was.

    ''I am calling to advise you that early this morning, Mr Horandeze lost his battle and died.

    ''Thank you, Doctor Wilcocks, for advising me. The doctor hung up, and all faces were still looking at me, even though the introduction to the game had started.

    ''Horandeze passed away early this morning, ''I told the group. None said a word, just a nod here and there, but the cheeringing from the screen had us turning back and putting that news on the back burner for now.

    The game was indeed loud, and the women were no longer snuggled up watching the game but were as loud as the rest of us, screaming at the screen. It made me feel so good to see the whole room involved in the game, not one person arguing or causing a fight between us; it was as if we were all barracked for the same team and were there for the same purpose. In all the years I had tried to have this, I failed. Yet, here, amid everything outside our doors falling apart, while inside, Thomas had managed to pull a group of same-minded people together to have a wonderful day. Even Nate, who kept falling asleep, had tried to be a part of this, yelling at the screen when we scored.

    I cannot remember ever having all those important to me in the same room, cheering for the same team and enjoying each other''spany as much. We all agreed toe to Thomas''s house for the next few weeks until Nate was up and about and could travel to our ce or Hanks.

    Mini Bob was handed around, so all of us had a turn to oo and ah over him. Judy was excited that five more babies would join the group, and if we kept this up, we could have our own football team soon.

    That got us allughing, and when it was time to return home, none of us wanted to leave.

    ''Thank you, son, for having us over. Call me if you need help!''

    ''You are going to be the one that will be needing help, old man, three babies at once; you do know how to make work hard for yourself! Thomas joked along with me.

    I had dreamed of having a good rtionship with my son and had not known the lengths Wendy had gone to try and spoil that for me; it was her way of trying to control my life the best she could, pushing me away. In her own way, she was trying to protect Thomas from being dragged into her sordid world. But Thomas was always strong-willed, and I doubt anything she could do would make him want that kind of life. ''Catch you next week if nothing pops up before then.'' I said to Thomas. Pam gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he smilingly said

    ''Bye, Mum!'' which put a huge smile on Pam''s face, and I was so pleased that he would do that for Pam and that it looked like they would get along well. Judy had hinted at the opportunity to have the six children have regr get-togethers to help bring them closer together, and I liked the idea. I would love for him to live closer to us, but that is not on the cards; he is closer to his work here and has made this ce into a nice and cozy home.

 Chapter 184

    Felicity

    POV

    I have been worried about Nate taking the shot for Bethany, but I have been sicktely with the flu, and with Bethany and Pam pregnant, I have stayed away. However, I am better now and ready to learn how everyone is and what has happened in the past week or so since the weddings. Mum must be a mess after her lovely dress was ruined by blood. She hated her special dresses getting blemishes on them. I gave Dad a call.

    ''Hi Dad, are you home?'' I was not sure if he would work at the surgery. He is more frence now, not tied to the ce. He sold a half share of his practice and is more of a silent partner,ing in when overloaded. I think Dad likes it this way; it gives him more time to do other stuff.

    ''Yep, I''m having today at home. Would you like to pop over?'' His cheery tone was a relief to me, a sign that he was coping well despite the recent events. He always prided himself in having a safe home environment for all to enjoy, and to have someone shot in his backyard would have made him upset.

    ''Yes, I need to catch up on what has happened since the wedding. Is Mum home?''

    ''No, I will fill you in about her whereabouts, when you get here. Are you bringing Sam?'' He sounded hopeful, and I wondered if he was warming up to Sam atst.

    ''Yep, we have a couple of days off; he caught the flu too, but we are both fine now, and we are milking a few more days off work to spend together.'' Sam and I got in the car and headed to Dad''s ce; I grabbed a peach cobbler from the local bakery and hoped we would have some afternoon tea and, if lucky, stay for dinner. I''m hopeful that Mum will be in a good mood; she seems increasingly cranky whenever I visit. At first, I thought she was getting old, which was part of aging, but then I med it on my engagement. But I do not know, and she seems okay with my sisters. Or I am reading too much into it, and I happen to be there visiting on an off day.

    When we arrived, we saw several cars in the driveway. Did Dad have visitors? Why would you saye over?

    I walked in without knocking and thought, should I have knocked? It was no longer my home, but I was in now, and I walked towards theughtering from the lounge.

    ''Hi, Bob, Pam, Theo, Bethany, Dad.'' I rattled off their names as I headed to Dad for a hug and kiss.

    They said hi back to me, and I sat on the lounge; Sam took the cobbler to the kitchen.

    ''Where''s mum?'' I asked, looking around the room at everyone.

    ''Your mother is in jail, sweetheart. Dad said and I frowned Jail?''

    ''Tell me, Dad, what is going on? I have only been out of touch a little while.

    ''Let me tell you all I know. Dad went on to tell me about Mum and the syndicate, then about my sisters not being his daughters, and how they too are in jail, and a lot of other stuff that has blown my mind. I always knew that Mum and Dad no longer shared a bedroom, but I had not realized that their marriage was not real. That must have been shattering for him, and I never really got on that well with Mum, often on her wrong side. Now, could it be because she knew I was Dad''s daughter? These questions I will never have answered.

    ''The shooter died, so he is not going toe back for a second try. we were still unsure who he was aiming for. We assumed Bethany, but it could have been any of us! Dad said, bringing me back to our conversation. ''Are you going to stay living here Dad?''

    ''Yep, Bob and Bethany are just up the street, and I have two grandchildren on the way. Soon, the house will be filled with five babies, and when Thomas visits, that makes six.

    ''Hey, back up, two babies, five babies. Care to exin that?'' I was shocked to learn who had had that many babies. I know both Pam and Bethany are pregnant, but five babies?

    ''Bethany is expecting twins, and Pam has three cooking in there.'' Dad pointed to Pam''s belly, but I failed to see three babies.

    ''Wow, a lot has happened in a week. I joked, gaining theugh I had been hoping for.

    ''Nate is home under the care of a nurse, and I am a phone call away if he needs us.''

    ''That is great news, I was afraid to ask. I am so relieved that Nate survived, and what a heroic, selfless act he performed.

    Jacko said during questioning your mother and sisters that she was pressured into being with the syndicate, that the wedding group was ark at first until she met up with the wrong crowd at one of the weddings, and things went south from there.'' ''Dad, I do not care why she was involved; she could have spoken to you instead of using your doctor skills, talked to Jacko or Bob, and don''t tell me she did not know then. Others were around; I know a bunch of cops and judges were bad, but you weren''t bad and knew cops that weren''t. She could have asked you for help. Instead, she dragged Cindy and Margaret into it and dragged them down too. Theo groaned out.

    ''Hey, Theo, you got that part wrong. Cynthia met Margaret at the school she was sent to, and they spent a year together. Cynthia dragged Margaret into it. They shared a t together. I was in advanced schooling while Cynthia was in a catch-up school. Besides, Margaret chose to do that fancy dancing on weekends when she had a good restaurant to run. Don''t put it all on your Mum''s shoulders, and I think Margaret was a lost cause the moment she teamed up with Cynthia! Bethany said, defending my Mother, which I had not expected from her.

    ''You''re right; Margaret made her own choices like Cindy did. Cindy liked the attention she gained, even from an early age. I forgive Mum for getting stuck, and she should have asked for help, even if she lost her girls to it. But she should never have got so many other innocent ones involved. That part I am not sure I can forgive! Theo said, and I thought about that for a moment, and yeah, pulling innocent women and young men into that was so wrong, and nothing you can tell me will make what she did to those innocent ones right.

    ''I agree, Theo. I forgive her for not being Dad''s wife and cheating on her real husband with Dad, but I won''t forgive her for taking innocent people to those depraved ones to use them as they felt fit. I saw some of the women mother brought home for Dad to fix that was disgusting, and to say it was because of spousal abuse, it was not all that, and that is why she is in jail because she deserves to be. I say, gaining more and more anger as I talk.

    ''My mother and sister were no better; I understand how you feel; we are lucky we have a good dad, and they need us more than anything now. Stay strong, Felicity; your Dad needs your love and understanding. Bethany said, and I looked over at Dad shocked that I should be reminded that it has not been just us that is in this, but Dad is hurt too. He lost two children he thought were his and a wife. Well, he had never loved her in years, and I had hoped he would leave her, but he never did.

    I got up from where I was sitting, sat on Dad''sp, and hugged him so tight.

    ''I love you, Dad.'' I whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek. He squeezed me tight and let me return to Sam, who pulled me to hisp.

    ''Now all the emotional stuff is down. Who is for a coffee and that peach cobbler.'' I say, getting off Sam''sp and heading to the kitchen.

    ''We can order takeaway for dinner if you wish to stay and talk some more; Bethany and I live here until our house is done. Do you want to stay the night with us?'' Theo offered, and I looked at Sam, who nodded in agreement.

    ''Yeah, that would be good. Some family bonding is needed.'' I disappeared into the kitchen, and it felt odd not having Mother in hereining about something or other, and I smiled because she wouldn''t be making me feel like I was in the wrong ever again.

 Chapter 185

    Third POV

    Hundreds of men and trucks started clearing out business goods and equipmentte Saturday night. They loaded up the trucks and drove the goods to the pier, where the stock was loaded into containers and moved onto a waiting ship. They worked all night and through Sunday and continued until early Monday morning. Every business was cleared, and shops and warehouses were left empty shells, not even a scrap of paper left on the ground.

    On Saturday night, not long after the local bowling alley closed, a group of youngds, angry with the owner for kicking them out too early, hung around the bowling alley throwing stones at windows and generally doing vandalism through boredom; they decided it was a good idea to torch the building. They watched it burn for a while before running when the fire department arrived, happy at the result.

    Firefighters bravely raced to that side of the city. Unfortunately, people came out to watch the fire, unintentionally hindering the firefighters as they struggled to get the inferno under control. The ze could be seen from the city as it lit the night sky. Later that night, as the fire department struggled with a ze, a popr mall caught on fire, and as the firefighters were busy with a massive fire at the bowling alley, the firefighters had fewer resources to rush to the mall ze. The fire ran rampant, and the fire crews struggled to get enough engines over to it; the traffic was banked up, and spectators filled the streets; it was early Sunday morning, and many people were out clubbing and came out to see the ze nearby. Luckily, it started after the Mall was closed, and nobody was in the building. By the time the firefighters reached the mall, it was toote to do anything but try and keep the other buildings from being consumed by the raging fire. The heat was intense; soon, the roof of the four-story building copsed, sending sparks into the night.

    Michello POV

    My phone rang, waking me from my sleep. It was early Monday morning, too early to get out of bed, and I felt like I had only just climbed in.

    ''Hello?'' I answered groggily, not checking who was calling, thinking it was one of my men.

    ''Sorry to wake you, jobpleted; the businesses are all closed, either being emptied and goods taken away or razed to the ground. The voice was just as tired as mine confirmed.

    ''All traces of us gone?'' I asked, sitting up in bed, now fully awake.

    ''Yes, nothing left, goods gone, banks closed, staff paid out. He said in a bored tone.

    ''Thank you for the call. Good work. The boss will be pleased. I hung up and called the banker.

    His phone barely rang when his voice boomed over it, way too loud for me at that time of morning.

    ''I see all the businesses have sent me the message that all is done, bills and staff paid, ces are closed, I have justpleted sending all the funds to a secure location, and in the middle of tying up loose ends, you can consider all dealings in that country now closed.''

    ''I will let the boss know. Good job. He talked a bit more about what had transpired, and I hung up in a better mood; the clearing took less time than I expected. I am unsure about the fires, but at least they are gone, as he requested. I called Spider.

    ''Not yet.'' Spider barked over the phone before I could even greet him.

    ''Keep your nickers on; I am about to call the boss. I just thought I had asked that question.'' I joked with him, knowing it annoyed him.

    ''I have a n in motion; could you give me more time?'' He sounded desperate; it was arge ask of him to do in such a short time.

    ''The quicker, the better. I quipped back, just like our boss would have done.

    ''Before the week is out. He sighed, and I could tell this job was getting to him; it was a big ask, but it would be good for his reputation and future work if he could pull it off.

    ''Will inform the boss.'' I was still in a good mood and hoped this news would please the prince.

    I called the prince, one person I never like to call, even when it is good news.

    ''Speak. He barked out, his tone never varying when answering the phone the first time.

    ''Businesses closed, banking is done.'' I replied strongly.

    ''Jail?'' He asked in a more subdued tone.

    ''Working on it, hope to have something happening within the week. I was not sure what he could do, but if he said he had something in mind, that was enough for me.

    ''Goods?'' I think he was making notes as we spoke.

    ''Ship sailed around four am.'' I was not sure of the exact time.

    ''Losses?'' The sound of him hitting the keyboard on hisputer was now heard in the background.

    ''The mall and Bowling Alley.

    ''Bowling Alley was expected; the Mall might have been a necessary loss. By fire?''

    ''Yes.'' What else could I say? Fire was the only option in that case.

    ''Keep me in the loop regarding the jail,'' he hung up. There was no great job or pats on the back. He was the type who expected a job done and only growled when it was not done. I cannot say I remember more than a couple of times in the years I have known him,plimenting anyone for the job done.

    Too worked up to go to sleep, I decided to call Maria.

    ''Hello, I answered in a weepy voice, and I could hear all I needed to know in her voice.

    ''Just checking in. Are you nearly home?''

    ''No, still a couple of days sailing! She sniffs back.

    ''Hang in there, not long, and you will be safe.'' I encouraged.

    ''Any news?'' I was afraid she would ask this, but I had to tell her sooner orter.

    ''He did not make it; he passed early in the night. She wailed, and I had to pull the phone from my ear as I waited for her topose herself again.

    ''Sorry, I know I should have expected that, but confirming it makes it harder. Did he suffer?''

    ''No, he never regained consciousness. I replied that she is still the old boss''s wife, has been around for a long time, and has seen a lot of action. To the boss''s sadness, he had no children, but he took on many young men as sons and taught them over the years; it saddened him when he learned that Peter, his best chance of an heir, was in jail. He will not being out either; he knows the score. He might want to think he is different, but he is not. The boss med him for the fall of this section, and now he is the reason Horandeze is dead; the big boss won''t let that go without punishment.

    Peter was starting to get Horandeze in trouble with the prince. His filthy ways with women and how he treated his wife did not go down well with the prince. Once he found out about it, the prince rarely got involved with internal affairs or how one treats his wife; it is personal, but he got so manyints about the sordid events he ran and how it was insulting to the syndicate that he was close to putting a contract out on him. Horandeze intervened and asked for time to go see him, and that was the end of Horandeze; he had hardly stepped foot in the country and was in hospital. The prince was fuming; his best man was gone, and the simp was an heir; no wonder he ordered theplete closure and to get rid of the so-called top of the tree. They were all into hurting their wives and making a fool out of the syndicate. The prince never liked or agreed with the wedding group; he was in the process of making sure it was closed down, but everything was gone now. Horandeze was the glue; with him gone, so is this side of the syndicate. Later, the prince will make a new groupe and start again, but in honor of losing a good man, he is wiping out all he thinks is his downfall.

    If Cynthia had lived and not gone the way she did, Horandeze would have taken her to his country and trained her to be the wife of the heir. Cindy, who was Peter''s preferred woman, would have been removed.

    The prince believed in marriage''s sanctions, and Peter insulted it by taking on so many women.

    The story I heard was that Cindy liked Peter so much and did not care that he was married, showed up in his room one night wearing only a see-through skimpy outfit, and offered her virginity to him. He happily took it while his wife Cynthia was in the room, forced to watch it.

    I felt sorry for Cynthia; she was made into the vicious woman she had be because of Peter and his violent ways, thinking he was above everyone and believing he had the power he did not really have; it was all an illusion that could be snuffed away with one bullet. Cynthia spent time away many times, healing from beatings.

    Peter was a big problem, which is part of why he had to marry Cynthia. Horandeze originally sent Bret, Peter, and his Dad to this country after his mother died from an overdose, thinking he was giving them a fresh start, the boys, to get better schooling, something that Peter needed if he was going to be awyer. But things went badly when Dad could not get off the booze after his wife overdosed on drugs; Horandeze had contact in the country he trusted, and he took the boys in, but it all fell in a heap somehow, and at the time, we could do little to help as we were in a little war of survival, some gang trying to muscle in so we had to forget about theds for a while.

    Peter kept getting in trouble with thew, as a lot of young hot-headed youths do, and getting married to a citizen was the way to stop him from being deported back to his ce of birth.

    I had lost contact with them for a while. Peter was supposed to be doing the final yet to be awyer; when things settled down here, Horandeze had Peter and Bret visit. However, only Peter continued to visit until Horandeze stopped having hime home for that final year. Bret never fitted in, and Horandeze was having trouble working out what to do about him.

    I thought when they had a bright police officer named Peter to arrest the judge, it was our Peter, maybe undercover, to get closer. It was a brilliant idea, but Horandeze said it would not be possible, as Bob knows our Peter; you can''t me me for getting confused at the time or wishful thinking.

    Peter was a confused young man who grew angry at the world. No matter how much Horandeze wanted him to be a good heir, he was never going to be. The syndicate heads did not like him and would most likely notst more than a few days as the boss, before someone put a bullet in him.

    I think Horandeze realized that he had failed to help the twods. Peter was not going to see the light of day. Horandeze was going to get rid of him himself after he had dealt with Peter''s humongous failure, which cost him his life.

    If hisst words to me were true, Horandeze died with a broken heart over that failure.

 Chapter 186

    Theo

    POV

    ''Hey, Dad, did you see the Tattoo shop was closed down?'' I asked as I arrived home after work. It was a good day. The patients were doing better with these artificial hearts and thepound that Bethany made than a real human heart, and Robson was ecstatic

    over how well they were recovering.

    ''We have been lobbying for years to get that moved away from the high school; guess they listened to us atst, Dad said, a hint of triumph in his voice. He seemed so happy to hear that they were gone. I couldn''t help but feel a strong sense of relief and victory as well, knowing that our efforts had finally paid off.

    ''Where is Bethany? Have you seen her today?'' I asked, not seeing her in the kitchen.

    ''She went with Pam for her check-up. They are going to see if they can get the same doctor and joint appointments, which will make this pregnancy a bit more bonding time for them; Bob is all for it and thinks it''s cute that the girls are trying to bond. He was worried at first how both Thomas and Bethany would take to Pam and the babies, but they have proven to be supportive of Bob''s decision.

    Dad was in the kitchen, a rare sight. He was chopping vegetables, a task his mother never allowed him to do, and had some steaks marinating. Dad looked like a domesticated man, something that was not his usual self. Music was ying in the background, and he was jigging about to the beat. I have never seen Dad this happy. I noticed that he had a lot of food out, more than for just us.

    ''Are we having guests, Dad?'' I was trying to think of who would being for all this food. Maybe Bob and Pam, but this is more than just the two of them.

    ''You remember thedy I met at Thomas''s house?'' He said lightly, still in his happy zone.

    ''They were both lovely women and took an instant like you and Scott? That she was almost on yourp all night?'' I chuckled as I watched Dad''s cheeks go red. He is like a young man starting to date again, all shy and unsure of himself. I like it.

    ''Yeah, that one, we ended up in bed together, and things progressed. She is going to being over and staying for the week. She is interested. I need a change, so I agree that we should see how things go. I know this seems fast, but to be honest, it has been a long time since I had a woman in my bed, and she made me feel things I have not felt in a long time. I want to see if it is more than just a romp in the hay. Plus, she is into sports like we are; that has to be a good sign. Is he trying to convince me or himself? ''What is her name, Dad? I have no clue; so much was going on that I did not catch it. I had been focused on Nate and paid little attention to the two women, and, of course, I had to have my cuddle with Mini Bob. He is so cute.

    ''Mandy and Scott areing over too, and Mandy is bringing her sister with her. The other girl was with her; her name was Harper, and they were twins. Scott and Harper hit it off, and we are going to have a nice dinner together, and yeah, we will see how things go. Dad sounded nervous, and I felt that was a good thing.

    ''Need a hand with anything?'' It looks like he has it all under control and is so happy doing it. I did not even know Dad could cook like this; yeah, he cooked, but not this fancy. I am seeing a new Dad now, and I like it very much. ''Nope, go wash up and change, rx. I have it organized.'' he almost pushed me out the door, eager to continue his cooking.

    I had a nice long shower, enjoying the break from everything. My mind went back to the tattoo shop, and I remembered something about the mall and bowling club fires. A lot seemed to happen overnight. I hope no one was hurt.

    The door to the shower opened, and Bethany stepped in to join me. She kissed me like she was starving for my lips and my touch. Her need for me has grown since she got pregnant. I had heard that some women get horny a lot more, but I never really believed it till now.

    I stroked her body, running my hands over her belly and back up, letting my hands roam over her body, getting the cute little moans I have grown to love hearing. Bethany wiggled her hips, making me harder, and I wondered if we should be doing this now, with Dad cooking downstairs and guests due to arrive. But then she moaned again and pulled my head down, twisting her neck so she could get my lips. I leaned in and kissed her gently, but she thrust her tongue hungrily into my mouth; it took all of my strength not to *****h her hard and fast in the shower. I knew she wanted that, but I was worried about hurting her.

    ''Give it to my Theo, I need you.'' She whispered softly and groaned, rubbing herself against me.

    So I did. I pushed her forward, spread her legs, and slid inside of her. I started off with long and slow strokes, but she tried to make it faster, and in the end, I gave up and thrust harder, deeper, faster. She kept up with me with each thrust and pushed hard back at me, making my balls contract, and my urge to release came quickly; I felt her channel clenching, which had me releasing my load soon after. I was panting as if I had just run a mile as fast as I could, and my calves were cramping, but I was in a good ce, my woman in my arms. There was water running down my back, and at that moment, not a care in the world.

    We dressed and headed down, hearing voices andughtering from the kitchen. We entered, and the twins and Scott were there. They all lookedfortable with each other as if they had been part of the family all along. The atmosphere in the kitchen was light, and I can not remember thest time it was filled with this many people who seemed to all get along so well, with no tension of any kind.

    ''Hi, Harper and Mandy! Bethany greeted the girls, and I kicked myself; Bethany would remember their names. ''Hello Bethany, Theo. The twins chorused together, making it sound like they had rehearsed it.

    ''What''s left to do in here?'' I asked, leaving the question open for anyone to answer.

    ''Nothing, it''s all ready. You can take the steaks outside and cook them. If you like, Dad said, pointing to the tray of marinated meat waiting to be cooked. The smell in the kitchen had my mouth watering. I wanted the chicken he had in the oven over the steaks. Dad made the best fried chicken; now that I recall, he cooked it when Mum went on her little holidays without us.

    I grabbed the tray, and Scott followed me outside, and together, we got the grill heated.

    ''There have been arge number of businesses closed over the weekend, and I guess you noticed the tattoo shop.'' ''Yes, I noticed, and the fires. Is there a gang war happening?'' I asked, concerned by the sudden closures.

    ''No, I believe some of it was a natural thing, businesses moving premises, but the fires?'' He left that hanging, and I understood something had happened over the weekend, but we were not going to specte; we had to wait for news to filter down. Bob had not gotten any news; it was good that he could do a lot of his work at home, and his office had all he needed. He mentioned going to the office a couple of times a week to show his face around and maybe visit some of the precincts. We are all working on reducing our time away from our homes, with us having our wives needing us more as soon as they get bigger.

    ''With the closures, can we rx a bit?'' I wondered if this was the calm before the storm.

    ''Maybe, but until I understand what is going on, I want to keep a close eye on family and friends. There are no contracts out on any of you, so that is a good sign, and with Horandeze out of the picture, their people will be scrambling for a new figurehead. We may be lucky, and the wars will not be here but wherever Horandeze calls home. I know his wife managed to get away, but then we have nothing against her; I have nothing that implies that she was involved in any of the cases we are in Scott seemed to be miles away in his thoughts; I had to turn the meat over and turn the heat down as he lost focus on the meat and more on what changes had been happening. It is a good sign.

    His phone rang, and he chatted for a while, his face giving nothing away. The side of the conversation I could hear made little sense.

    ''It seems that all the six gyms of the samepany name and four tattoo shops have closed; this might be the way the syndicate stops a war. The other gangs have nothing left for them to take over, and they will have to start from scratch on the streets. I like whoever is pulling the strings; they have a creative mind; Lucky Jacko''s husband has his own gym, and these closures might help his grow. He sounded like he was happy they pulled out. Does that mean our streets will be safe until a new syndicate is formed and has to grow?"

 Chapter 187

    Elsa

    POV

    The week was long as I nned how to make them all sick and possibly dead. I had given the warden the menus for them to sign off onst Monday, so I had time to get what I needed. Today was the day I got to do something. I asked for at least a week, and my

    time was up. It was getting the ball rolling today, or I would be in trouble with the bosses.

    The kitchen was quiet when I walked in. My shift does not start for another half hour, but I have some mushrooms that must be added to the mushroom soup and the gravy on the meat for dinner tonight. I blended the mixture in and made sure to keep the staff meals separate. I had just finished and started on the preparation for breakfast when others on the shift began to arrive.

    ''Hi Elsa, what do you need us to do first?'' I was the head chef, and this would cost me my job, but I am getting on in life and ready to move into retirement, as long as I do not end up in jail myself.

    ''Morning team, scrambled eggs and toast, assorted cereals for breakfast, assorted sandwiches for lunch, and we are making some beef and vegetables for the main and mushroom soup; please bake some buns for the soup. I gave out the orders, and the people started to prepare. Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on .We made two lots, one for the staff and the rest for the inmates. The staff are in smaller pots and will get served first. I observed, ensuring they kept the soup and the mushrooms for the pies. I was deeply concerned about the well-being of our staff, as I never want to make them sick, though I would love a couple to end up ill.

    The whole day, I was worried, watching, sweating, and still trying to be my usual self,ughing with my kitchen staff and keeping the ce happy and content. It was not easy when I watched the soup terrine being taken to the staff, and they had a choice of soups when the inmates did not. I was d my staff was well-trained; they never tasted the inmate''s food; if it tasted terrible, it was too bad.

    The soup went out to the inmates, and some returned for seconds. Soon, all the soup was gone, and the mains came out. This jail treats these people well; they say they are top people yet to be convicted, so they are treated nicer. Once the first lot of gravy was done, they went to make more as they went for more food. I made sure the pots and pans and serving dishes were washed so nothing got contaminated by the concoction I made earlier. All the worry was over; it had been consumed; now it is wait and see; sometime tonight, a lot of lousy stomach aches will happen, and by the end of a week, most will be dead if I am lucky.

    Elsa and her crew cleaned up the dining hall and kitchen, and the leftovers in the fridge were not contaminated, so if it is checked, there will be no sign of foul y on our part. We left around eight o''clock, as usual, and everything went smoothly. As we left, a wave of relief washed over me; the day was over, and the worry was behind us.

    Once home, I called Spider.

    ''Elsa. News?'' He asked, noise in the background said he was at a club.

    ''Have feed the prisoners death cap mushrooms, most if not all, should die within the week. None should live much past that if the doctor is inapt as I believe he is. I say I had hoped we got the same doctor toe in; he does not like prisoners, and these ones even less because they feel like they are above others. ''Keep me posted. Third POV

    In the jail, the first sounds of distress were heard around two o''clock in the morning. Moans of pain and vomiting filled the air, soon more and then more, till every prisoner wasining about a sore tummy and vomiting. The nurse on the night shift could not handle that many sick people and called for the doctor. The doctor took an hour to reach there and gave them all a shot to stop the vomiting and let them sleep. He said food poisoning, maybe something was off, and as no staff was sick, it might be just a bad batch of leftovers, and he thought no more about it. He left the nurse to clean up the mess and said to call him if anything changes.

    The rest of the night, they slept, thanks to the jab the doctor gave; the next morning, many could not be woken up, having fallen into aa.

    Elza POV

    When I arrived in the morning, I was sent to the warden''s office. I knocked on the door and waited.

    ''Come in,'' He said, taking a deep breath before entering, and then putting on a cheery smile I normally wear when I see the warden.

    ''Hi Elsa, I just wanted to inform you thatst night we had all the prisonerse down with food poisoning, and you might have some doctorse and take samples of any leftovers if you have any. Help them out as much as you can! He was staring at me, waiting for something.

    ''Oh, wonder what it was? I have only fresh ingredients thate from the co-op. I acted innocent and put a confused look on my face; it must have worked as he nodded and made some notes in his book.

    I heard that the doctor had been called back to look closer at the sick. He arrivedter that morning, bringing along two other doctors and a handful of nurses, with so many sick that he did not wish to treat them all himself. The doctors went to those ina first, and they took blood samples and mouth swabs. Those who were not inas were given pain relief and something for nausea; so far, no one thought anything about being sick; it was all food poisoning and would clear up in a day or so.

    We made food for staff, and no prisoners were up to eating; the mess hall was starting to have beds put in there as the hospital could not cope with all the sick people.

    ''Morning, may wee in. A young doctor was at our kitchen door, and his appearance made some of the young girls giggle as they took him in.

    ''Yes, You wish to take samples?'' I asked, knowing there was no contaminated food left there, but I made sure there were other leftovers for them to take samples from.

    ''Please. He followed me to the fridge and took samples of the left of pies, gravy, and soups; all were what was served to the staff, but they would not know that. He then took a few mushrooms, which surprised me, but I said nothing; this doctor was being thorough, and I cannot me him for that. ''Bye, doctor'' a couple of my girls sang as he left the kitchen, his cheek turned pink.

    Hank POV

    I got a call from a colleague this morning. He had been to a ce where arge number of people were sick. He did not say where or when he had gone there; he just said that he was concerned about arge number of food poisoning incidents and wondered if I had heard of any food contaminants being reported by the authorities. There had not been a report of an outbreak, and he was content he did all he could. I am kicking myself for not asking where the outbreak was and offering my services; I might be able to help him out. But then, do I want to risk going to an infected area when Bethany is pregnant? I can''t risk returning something contagious; what if it was not food poisoning? Though I doubt a doctor would miss a diagnosis, it can and does happen when symptoms are simr.

    ''Morning Felicity, how are you doing now?'' I was worried. She took the news about Kitty and her sisters hard.

    ''Better today, Dad. It took a bit of convincing by Theo to let it go; he said we are still your children, and making an issue of it might hurt you. I do not want to hurt you any more than you have already been hurt.'' She came, kissed my cheek, and smiled softly; we talked as we prepared food for everyone.

    ''You seemed cozy with that woman, and I think you should go for it, Dad, after telling us how long it had been since you were with a woman, and by the way, you hid it well. You have my approval to go for it!

    That was nice of her to say, and I am trying to see if this could be something more.

    It was nice that even Scott stayed the night; we had a great evening together, and all of us got along well. I learned both twins were teachers. The one I like is a kindergarten teacher, and the one Scott likes is a high school teacher. Neither has been married, and both have had bad experiences with cheating boyfriends. They have tried sharing and as individuals, but the male always ended up straying. I never thought I would say this, but I was interested in the idea of sharing. I spoke with Scott when it was just us in the room, and he was okay with the idea, so we are looking at a time we can experiment if the girls are into it. I am nervous but willing to give it a go.

    We have all been hurt by someone, and I do not think these women could hurt me any more than I have already been broken.

    The woman came into the kitchen and helped with the food. I could see that all thedies got on well; even Bethany wasughing with them, something that had never happened with Kitty.

    There is hope here and peace in the house. As it has never been in all my years of marriage, it is what I had always hoped: a home would be like onerge group.

    After eating, Felicity headed home, and Bethany and Theo headed to the hospital to check on the patients.

    That left the four of us, and if what thedies had mentioned a short while again, our first attempt at being a foursome was about to happen, and I was both excited and nervous at the same time. This is totally out of myfort zone, and Scott agrees with me; we are going to let thedies take the lead and walk us down the wild side.

 Chapter 188

    Scott POV

    The night was the best I have had in years. What is left of Hank''s family is great; the two women that Thomas introduced us to are finedies. They joined in with our family chats and getting-to-know-you session and had a great time overall. I was a little shocked when Hank asked if I was willing to try sharing. I had never thought of ever sharing a woman, but these twodies are extraordinary; they both do things for me. I could not choose whichdy to hook up with when we met at Thomas''s house. In the end, thedies had to choose, andter, after we had enjoyed each other''spany and were sitting in bed, Harper made the suggestion of the four of us getting in on together. I got hard at the suggestion, and we went a second round.

    Later, at Hanks''s ce, he asked me about how I would feel about it, and by the time we finished our chat and thedies came back to us, I learned that Hank was as nervous but keen as I was; I guess our rtionship had just changed. Neither Hank nor I know what happens in a group session like this; I hope it does not mean I have to kiss Hank. But then we are both over our heads in this one and may explore that too. The idea does not repulse me as much as I thought it might, but until we are doing it, I will find out; the girls said they liked to watch two men together, and as much as we enjoy watching women, I am just not sure how I feel about all of that. This lifestyle has never entered my mind.

    We spent the day together, though we still need to explore that side of it, and it was good fun. I like both women. Hank asked me to stay the week, and I said yes. I still have to go to work and have things I have been watching and waiting for movement; I get an rm on my phone when there is movement, but it is not the same as going to work and taking a look at theputer and talking to the men. They are my life. I have trained many and do not want to let them down. I need to make sure the two houses are getting work done as we agreed.

    In the morning, I headed out after breakfast. It was a school break, so the women were going to stay with Hank. I felt a pang of jealousy that he would have the twodies to himself for the day, but I pushed past it; I would get my turn, too. The office was working well; they did not need me there, although they thanked me for the donuts I took for them. They love the ones with jam filling. I am happy to bring a couple of boxes when I pass through the donut shop.

    I headed to Pam and Bob''s ce to check on the wall we are pulling down today. Pam and Bob will be away so that I can look around better. I felt a little rushed when Pam tried to tell me what she wanted to do, even though the email was not enough; I needed a good look and bang on a few walls.

    Who knows what is behind them or in them? In the early years, they built hidden cavities to hide things in, like the safe that we have now. I even saw a secret room that was small, like today''s safe rooms, no bigger than a small bathroom. I am interested in finding out what is behind her walls. The one she wanted to knock down was unsafe, but this other wall was interesting.

    I arrived and spoke to my guys who were making the changes to bring up the code; as I said, half the house had been done, and I could not understand why they only did half a house. I suggested that Pam live on the other side of her home and that I rearrange her electricity and plumbing on this side.

    ''Come look at this boss and tell me what you think. Tyson led me upstairs to the room I was headed to next and showed me a hole in the wall they had already made, removing some bricks to find a hidden area. It was unusual to have a bricked wall like this.

    I poked my head in the hole and tried to look around. It was like a whole new room. There was no window, so I would need to pull the wall down to see more clearly.

    Tyson called some of the guys up to help me, and we set to work on pulling part of this wall down. We went carefully as the bricks were not filled well with mortar, and they had put a thickyer of ster to cover them, and we didn''t want the bricks to tumble down suddenly. We managed to get arge hole almost the size of a door and grabbed some torches.

    The light lit the room, and I was d I had experience with death, although Tyson was not so happy seeing the room as he turned and puked his guts up on the floor, followed by a couple of others. I managed to block away that sound and smell and concentrate on the room.

    The room was not what I had expected to see; in the middle of the room was a table with eight chairs around it. In the chairs were skeletons, dressed in their Sunday best, even covered in dust and rotting away; you could tell they were refined, jewelry around the women''s necks and clips in their hair. It was as if they were having dinner; tes and a tea set were on the table, and a five-star service wasid out, except they were tied to the chairs, both ankles on the chair legs, and their hands to the handrails of the chair, andstly one around the waist. Tied against two walls were three men on each wall with strong ropes securing them to the walls by the hands above their heads, and their feet were spread apart, ankle tied to the other man''s ankle. It looked like they may have had their mouths gagged. There were a total of six more bodies; it looked like they were bodyguards, and unless I missed my guess, this was all one family and a gang killing.

    I pulled out my phone and dialed my good buddy.

    ''Hey, what''s up?'' Yep, that''s Jacko for you. He only expects me to give him more work.

    ''What, no hello?'' I joked back.

    ''Hello, now who''s dead now?'' he joked back, and he was going to choke back those words in a few minutes.

    ''Dead as a door nail, fourteen bodies for you to look at, bring your forensic team and coroner for this one. Think it is a gang execution. I said with little emotion. I was numb from the sight, and I am sure he will think it is fresh, which makes my day; he gets me so often it is nice to pay him back at least once.

    ''What?'' he shouts down the phone, and I pull it away from my ear and chuckle. Knowing he took this the wrong way.

    ''A whole family, I would say, and their six bodyguards.'' I continued as if he had not just shouted down the phone. ''Where?'' He sounded none too happy. I bet he was thinking it was a recent event.

    ''At Bob and Pam''s, we have just opened up a gap in a wall that Pam wanted us to remove, and there is a lovely dinner scene inside. You muste and see it. I would say it''s about thirty or forty years old. I am still thinking about who owned this ce back then. ''That was the old man and his family. He was the top syndicate in this area. They disappeared thirty years ago. No trace was ever found. I will get the team down there if my memory serves me well. By the way, I will get you back for scaring me like that. I chuckled, knowing he thought the gang wars had started.

    Half an hourter, Jacko and three vehicles pull up in the driveway. We had managed to remove a lot of the wall by then, and I refused to let any of my guys go in the room; I was not sure if they worried about DNA back then, but I am hoping we get some good prints. It would make Jacko''s day if they could solve this murder; now, the case can be opened, and not just a missing person or, should I say, family.

    ''Hi, d you could make it so soon this way! I turned, not waiting for hisment, and the team all followed me up the stairs.

    ''We have made arger hole, and it is safe for you to enter and do your magic in there. I stepped back and let Jacko and the coroner look in.

    ''Can you get more light in there?'' I looked at my guys, and one took off out the door.

    ''Yes, let me know where you want the light once you are there!

    ''Think is definitely an execution. I hope you can get DNA or something I can work on, Harry. I want this person caught! Jacko growled as he put on the covers over his shoes and carefully walked in.

    I watched them work for a while, trying to listen and positively identify them. I have to agree that the family that disappeared fits the description. If Jacko is correct, this man and his family were rted to the royal family, and there was a big fight over power back then, in which case, this could lead back to them. I hope it does; that man has imed diplomatic immunity too many times over the years, and I hope we can nail him this time and waive the diplomatic BS.

 Chapter 189

    Hank POV

    Today was supposed to be me and the twodies, but Bethany came home unexpectedly, and all ns of exploring our newly growing rtionship died.

    ''Hank, why do you keep saying five babies? Have you forgotten that Judy''s child is my Nephew, so she is part of your growing family, too? Plus, what about Felicity? She is pregnant, too, though I am concerned she has had the flu. Hopefully, it is not too serious and has not damaged the baby in any way! Bethany asked. She was seated on a single seat, her legs crossed under her body, and to me, she looked ufortable.

    ''I had not thought of the other babies. Because they live so far away, I was thinking of those just up the street that I will get to see more often. But you are right; I do not want to offend anyone, and when we do arge get-together, we need all seven babies here. That is almost a whole team right there. Wow, what a lot of very small babies. I felt like I was going to be sick; there were a lot of babies altogether.

    ''Hank, I am going to be headed out in a bit. I have a check-up that Theo does not know about; they want to check me to see if the babies are okay. I had a small bleed at work today, and the check-up is just a precaution. Bethany looked a little pale, and I was hoping she was not overdoing it. I should have noticed before; it''s not that good a doctor to miss that.

    ''Why did you note to me?'' I felt offended at not being consulted.

    ''Hank, the bleed happened at work. Robson said no more surgery for me; he med the long hours on my feet; this was just a scan and check. You would need the machine to do the scan, so it was easier to make an appointment and check it.'' She argued a good point, but it was still annoying that she did note to me.

    ''I understand, and I agree with Robson, if you have had spotting of any kind, get off your feet. I chastised her; I knew I was giving her a dose of Doctor and Dad at that moment.Many paragraphs are missing. Read theplete book on . Bethany left only a short time after that. After resting for a while, I looked at the girls, whispering to each other. I think they had something nned. But before I could approach the subject, my phone rang. I don''t think I will ever get to spend time with thesedies today. ''Hello, Hank here. I did not recognize the phone number.

    ''Hank, George, we have a situation at the refurbished jail, and I was wondering if you coulde and see it.'' I sighed. Time with the girls is definitely out. ''Do I need my kit?''

    ''Please. It is mass food poisoning. It started early Sunday morning, and it is now Tuesday, and I am concerned it is more than food poisoning; the reports are not back from thebs yet, and all the food we tested and the kitchens were clean.'' ''Okay, I''ll be there in half an hour.'' I hung up, and I could see the disappointed looks on the women''s faces.

    ''Sorry girls, I have work to do. How about you head up to the attic, look at all those clothes Kitty made, and see if there are any you girls might like to have.'' They were only going to waste time sitting up there, and the police said they did not need them, and I had no idea what to do with them. I hope to find someone who likes to sew to take over it all.

    ''We can. Bethany showed us that room yesterday and talked about all those machines. Can we make our own?'' I was shocked they would like to do that.

    ''Please, I have no idea what to do with it all. If you girls are serious about wanting to use it, help yourself. I was wondering what to do with it all. I kissed them both and watched them squeal and rush up the stairs; that improved my day, which had not gone as nned. The drive was pleasant. I like this countryside; it is so calming, and the roads are rarely used, so they are never congested.

    I arrived at the prison gates and was waved in. At the entrance, a number of people were milling around, and I wondered what was going on. George greeted me before I had even climbed out of the car.

    ''Come, it is getting worse. There was no hello or formal greeting; it was straight to the job.

    I followed through the security without being frisked. The ce was full of tension, and the guards looked around rather than eyeing me as they normally would. I am nervous now, too. What was going on? Had the prisoners broken out?

    ''This is a temporary infirmary. The mini-hospital is too small to hold all the sick prisoners, George said as we walked into the mess hall. Over thirty men and women were there, including Kitty and Cindy; I could not see Margaret. ''Symptoms. George gave me a sheet, and I scanned it.

    ''What did they eat?'' I asked, already dreading the answer. He told me, and by the look of the treatment, they have a Dad so far. They knew they would not survive this. Some would be dead soon, and some would take up to a week, depending on how much they ate. ''This is Dead Cap mushroom poisoning. I have seen it before. Was the food tested?''

    ''Yes, what was left of it was clear; even the mushrooms taken were good ones. George said, reading something on his tablet.

    ''Then they ate all the bad ones. It is easy to mix them up; where do they get their fresh veggies from?''

    ''The same ce as always, the co-op. George was organized, which is why I like working with him.

    ''With the treatment already administered, they are all more or less living corpses!

    ''We can do nothing?'' I looked over at Cindy as she groaned in pain.

    ''The doctor gave treatment to stop the vomiting, which trapped the poison in the body. It is now day three, toote to do anything; their liver and kidneys are shutting down, and I am surprised you have not got dead yet!''

    ''We do, four dead. I looked up at him, and my face must have shown the question.

    ''Yes, she was one of the first to die.'' I was sad to hear that I might not be her biological father, but I still raised her the best I could. I nodded my understanding. At least Margaret did not suffer for long.

    ''Is it worth sending them to hospital?''

    ''Nope, give them pain relief and wait; you can see their bodies are already starting to shut down; look how yellow some have gone; unless you got some kidneys or livers you can transnt, these people are all gone.'' I am not heartless, but we cannot find body parts for all of them, and there are more deserving people out there who have been waiting for years.

    ''I knew you would know what this was, and I agree, it is toote. Mushrooms have done the job, and our judges will have less to worry about. Should I call the coroner and let him know that his morgue is about to get a lot more people?''

    ''I believe that would be wise. We may have to raise the temperature in therge fridges here to store them till the coroner can take them. I looked around and saw a lot of faces I knew, and they were all suffering and calling me bad, but I was d that some of them were in this much pain; they had caused society a lot of grief.

    Kitty saw me there and tried to call out, but I pretended not to hear her. Then Cindy started to call out, too, and together, they thought I would go to them, but I didn''t. I started with the nearest person to me and slowly made my way around the room, not giving anyone preferential treatment. George was by my side the whole time, taking notes as I gave each person the once over and, using codes that George understood, told him how much longer I thought each person would survive. When I reached Kitty, she was yellow and in a lot of pain.

    ''About time you got to me. What was the meaning of avoiding me?'' She spat with venom. Even as sick as she was, she still could not stop the barbs.

    ''You are not the only person here who is in pain and is sick. Do you want some pain relief or not?'' I was in doctor mode, and sympathy was not on my list of things to administer at the moment. I had too much to do. ''How can you treat me like this? I am your wife!'' she demanded again, causing some around her to look at her strangely. ''Do not go there. Do you want pain meds or not?'' I was not going to debate with her.

    ''Of course I do. She growled at me the best she could before curling up in a ball and holding her stomach. I gave her a jab for pain, and she will most likely sleep for a while now; she has a bad time ahead of her; this mushroom poisoning is nothing to be sneezed at. ''Hank, the coroner is on his way; he is going to assess the ce for possible holding the bodies till he can get through them all. We are giving him more work than he gets in months. He said something about having another group of bodies to deal with before he can deal with ours.''

    ''I wonder what case he got that filled his morgue; I hope a gang war has not started!'' Cindy was not much better than Kitty. ''Daddy, it hurts so much, Daddy, please help me! She cried out to me when I reached her and tried to grab me to pull me to her for somefort. It broke my heart to see her like this, the baby of the family, always so sweet and loving my cuddles. It hurt to discover she was not mine, and it hurts now like this. She may not be mine by blood, but I raised her and loved her with all my heart. I gave her some pain relief and moved on before I let my heart take over.

    I finished off thest few people when the coroner arrived.

    He looked at the people in the room, shook his head, and then followed George and me to the kitchen, where he inspected the two they had andmandeered them both.

    ''Pill them up in here, turn the cold to almost freezing. Mushrooms?'' He asked. He could tell just like I did the moment I saw the first person.

    ''Yeah, George can send you a report if you need it.

    ''No need, I have seen enough to know already, but this time next week, there will be none left alive. More for me. He shrugged his shoulders and started to leave the kitchen.

    ''Let George know when you can start taking cadavers,'' I suggested, and George gave him his card, not that he needed to; the coroner is aware of who we all are.

    ''Call me if you need me, George.'' I offered my hand to shake.

    ''This is a nightmare; one will be d to hand it over to the coroner. I will let the warden know what to expect; it will not be pretty over the next few days. I should call Jackson, too. He will want to know about this. ''Good luck. Over the next few days, his work would be to bag and tag the bodies and leave the rest to the coroner and police.

 Chapter 190

    Bethany POV

    ''Hi, Doctor.'' I was a bit nervous about what the doctor might find; my mind had been going crazy with scenarios, and none were good ones; the spotting was a bit more than spotting, but with all the stress I had been under, it was not a surprise to me that I would have issues. Being a doctor, I knew the risks involved in working long hours when pregnant, and having twins only made the risk higher and me more exhausted.

    ''Have you had any more bleeding since?'' She was an older doctor, one I preferred, but I gave up on having her as my doctor when Pam was excited that I joined her. It is in the same medical center, so it did not matter much to the doctors as long as one of them looked after us, and I wanted to please Pam and get a closer bond. Using the children might be the wrong way to go about getting us closer.

    ''No, just the once.'' I was wearing one of those awful gowns that left you exposed at the back, and I understoodpletely why we needed them while not liking them any more than the next person does.

    ''Let me get the ultrasound and take a look. Her hands were warm, not at all what I had expected. She squirted warm gel on my belly and then started looking around. I turned my head to watch her as she worked, trying to gauge her reactions to what she could see. ''Who told you that you were having twins?'' she asked as she moved the scanner around a bit more. I was not paying attention to the screen. I gave up looking at her and closed my eyes, not wanting to let the tears flow. I would not be tempted to look at the screen because I was worried about what I might see. But at her question, my eyes flew open, and I looked at the screen.

    ''Matha.'' I said she was a young doctor and was not the one I was booked to see, but my doctor was called away to do an emergency cesarean.

    ''Well, she was wrong. You are not having twins. The relief I felt shocked me. I did not feel bad at the thought of having just one; I was nice and normal, like most women.

    ''How could she make that sort of mistake?'' I was a little confused. That is a huge mistake to make and give a pregnant woman that scare.

    ''It appears that one baby was hiding behind the other. You are having triplets.'' I think my heart must have raced a bit because she looked at me with concern.

    ''Settle down; you do not want to harm your children. She chastised me and continued to view the screen, moving the handle through the gel.

    ''I take that back, she says; you have a fourth one sitting behind the other. It is called "vanishing twin syndrome," but then you are a doctor, so you most likely know that, and it seems you have two more than you bargained for! She seemed to be enjoying this more than I was. Four babies, how can I carry that many? I am going to be the size of a whale.

    ''How can the other person be so far wrong?'' I asked as I stared at the screen, seeing the blobs she was marking. Yeah, I had heard of the syndrome, but I never thought it woulde to visit me. I understood the reason, and I was just in denial.

    ''The scan was taken too early, which is part of why I do not like doing them too soon. You must stop work immediately and rest more; no more long days on your feet in surgery; you are not just putting your children at risk but you and the person you are operating on in danger.'' I felt like my life just went down the toilet. Well, not really, but that is going to make a massive difference in our lives.

    ''That is fine. I intended to start working at home soon. I guess I have to be extra careful now and make more changes to the nursery. I had to tell Theo. He was going to be shocked. It took him a while to settle down when I said twins; what he was going to say now was double that.

    ''Look, I know you were going to team up with Pam''s doctor and would visit together, but I would really like to stay as your doctor; this is a huge job ahead of you, and though I like Pam''s doctor, I do not want you both to need her at the same time. In the end, it could be disastrous for both of you. I thought for a moment and then thought, yeah, that would be my luck for both of us to need a doctor at the same time.

    ''I agree, Doc. You should stay as my gyno; I know you and feel better in your hands.'' I was happy to change; I did not know Pam''s doctor that well.

    ''Thank you. I want to see you every fortnight until you start getting too big, and then I might have to put you on bed rest or hospitalization if you do not behave and rest as I suggested; you have got a lot going on inside of you, and you will need rest as you expand. I groaned at herment about expanding. I was going to be huge, like house size.

    ''Thanks, Doc. I''d better head home and give my man the good news,'' I joked. Then I took the prescription to fill out at the chemist''s outside and headed home; I was going to have to avoid Hank until I had a chance to talk to Theo.

    When I got there, Hank was not home. The women were upstairs in the attic, going over the stuff that Kitty had there, saying something about Hank giving them the go-ahead to do what they wanted with it all. They were ecstatic over the clothes and that there were sewing machines that they could try to make their own. I left them to their fun and headed to my room for a long bath.

    I am curious to know how long I soaked in the tub before Theo came into the bathroom and hunted me down. The water was almost cold, and my skin had pruned; I think I had dozed off for a while; it was so peaceful in the tub.

    ''Hey, sweetheart, how are you doing? Robson said he sent you home.'' He looked concerned as he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around me, pulling me to him for a kiss. I was dripping on the floor, and my hair was making his shirt wet, but he seemed oblivious to it all.

    ''Come sit on the bed, and let''s talk. That only made him more concerned, but I could not help but say that I needed to sit down for this; I was going to say it out loud for the first time.

    ''What is it? Did you lose the babies? Robson mentioned bleeding. Thanks, Robson; why could you not keep that quiet? Theo let me sit on the bed, and he squatted down in front of me, looking me in the eyes and searching my face for clues as to how I was feeling and whether I was upset. I have to love him for that.

    ''Tell me love. He almost whispered.

    ''I went to my Doc today; you know the one I like?'' I waited for him to nod orment.

    ''Dr Dawn?''

    ''Yeah, well, we agreed that I am not changing to be with Pam''s Doctor. We can book for the same day, but I need to have a different doctor. I started to say, but he interrupted.

    ''Why are you ill?''

    ''No, not ill. What happens if we both go intobor at the same time? The doctor is going to have her hands full, and that could jeopardize one of our babies or us. I said, and this time, he nodded for me to continue.

    ''We are going to have to change the arrangement of the nursery. We are not having twins but more.'' I said carefully, seeing the confusion in his eyes.

    ''More? Like triplets like Pam?''

    ''Not quite. Quads. I counted to ten before he said.

    ''As in four?'' His voice quivered.

    ''Yes.'' I was calmer than I thought I would be. I must have had a chance to absorb the information.

    ''I can see the need for a bigger nursery, and we are going to need a housekeeper or nanny for them. That is too many for you to handle on your own. There is no way you can feed all four on the bre*st. You will need help. We are going to have to see if we can get a live-in nanny to take over all those changes and night feeds. He was rambling, in shock, and I let him ramble about all the changes that would be needed, but not once did he say that it was going to be too much for us. He was looking at what we could adapt to and even working out how I could still work in myb with all those children. It is like we are getting our family all in one big hit.

    ''Does Dad know?'' I wondered when he would reach that question.

    ''Nope. I waited for you toe home and be the first to know. He already knew I was having issues, and I felt bad he knew about the spotting before I spoke to you.'' I kissed him lightly. ''Where is he?''

    ''The girls said he got a call and had to leave, and they did not ask where or how long he would be gone.

    ''Want to help me prepare dinner?'' He asked, and I was pleased this conversation was over for now; I think he will continue to process this information and corner me againter. I know we need to talk to the guys building our house and make some changes real

    soon.

    At dinner, the table, the chatter was full of friendly banter, and when we reached the sweet, Theo decided to break the news; it seemed he could no longer contain it.

    ''Bethany is having four babies, Dad. Better adjust the nursery for two extras! Hank dropped his spoon, and it hit the te with a loud tter, his mouth agape as he stared at me with wonder. The rest of the table was not much better, staring at me as if I had grown a second head, and I wanted to rush out of the room. Their looks were not what I expected, though I was not sure what to expect.

    ''Four? Was twins not enough?'' Pam asked softly. I could tell she was in shock, too.

    ''It is not like I nned this, Pam.!'' I retorted with a chuckle.

    ''We are looking for a Nanny with childcare experience and first aid. Theo continued as if the table had not gone into shock.

    ''Our sister works at a childcare center and is looking for a change. Would you be interested?'' suggested Mandy.

    ''Send her around; if she is like you, we are definitely interested. Make sure she is aware that it is a live-in job, and in the beginning, she will most likely not sleep for weeks,'' I joked. Mandy smiled.

 Chapter 191

    Scott

    POV

    as possible.

    I had to send many of the men from Pam and Bob''s home to speed up the work on Bethany''s. They were at a standstill until the coroner released that floor. The coroner requested that Pam and Bob move out until it was done and keep as many away from the house ''Hello, Bob speaking! I had no idea where he was, but it didn''t sound quiet.

    ''Bob, it is Scott! I replied, thinking about how to word the next part.

    ''Scott, is there a problem with the house? You did not find dead people when you knocked down the wall, did you?'' Well, there you have it. He was joking, but he would not be too happy soon.

    ''Yes, I did. The coroner asked that you note to the house for at least a week, I replied firmly but calmly.

    ''Tell me you are joking!'' he was suddenly not so jolly.

    ''No, can do; it looks like the royal family that disappeared thirty years ago has been found. It was like a dinner party that went wrong. Each one had a gunshot wound to the head, and each one was tied up.

    ''Geez, that answers a lot of questions and opens up a whole lot more. Do you think your Dad got too close to finding them, and that was why he was taken out?'' He asked the same question that had been going through my mind, and to be honest, I have to agree. It looks like Dad got too close, and I must find out if he had anything in his notes that gave a hint of it.

    ''I am going to go through his notes and see what I can find. Now, we have an end as our starting point. I might be able to piece it together. Do you want to help me?'' I asked. He knew my Dad, and they had met a few times. Even though they lived in different states, they kept in contact as they had the same investigation. It seemed all tied back to the royal family somehow. Whenever he came to our city, he would meet up with my Dad, Jacko, and Hank. The three of them did not give up the hunt for where the family went. Hank even knew the family. His Dad was good friends with them. The whole street was like a big family meeting up and having shared birthday parties.

    ''Pam is not going to be happy. I had better call Hank to find out if we can stay there, too; his house is getting rather crowded with all of us. Though we seem to be staying there more than anywhere else at the moment.'' He joked.

    ''The more, the merrier. Bob hung up as I arrived at my office. I want to do some digging into that family that disappeared. If my hunch is correct, we may have found what I sought. My Dad had been researching that family disappearance; no wonder he could never find where they went. I will pull up all his notes and see what I can dig up. This gives me a new direction to go towards finding the current head of the syndicate. I know there have been a lot of powerful men who ran it, but my Dad thought they were not the head, just arms of the syndicate. I will dig deeper and continue my Dad''s investigation to see if my Dad was right.

    I was engrossed in my Dad''s notes when I got a call from Hank. I found that one of the children was not there at night and had disappeared; she was young. Dad never found out what happened to her.

    ''Hey, are youing home for dinner tonight?'' I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was already half past six.

    ''Sorry, I got carried away. I will be there in fifteen minutes. Hank hung up, and I packed away all those notes and locked them in my drawer. Hank''s ce was busy; with so many living there at the moment, the chance to have the four of us investigate ourpatibility was going to be more challenging.

    I arrived as they started toy the food on the table and found the girls were still there and having fun with Pam and Bethany. I noticed that Bethany was showing a lot more already, and that surprised me a little; I was not sure how far along she was, but she lookedrger than Pam, who was carrying three.

    We sat and ate; I had one of the twins on either side of me, which made me feel excited. I would love to investigate this if we get a chance. I wonder where Hank had put Pam and Bob; I hope they were on the same floor as Bethany and Theo; we might get a chance to be together if he had. They talked about Bethany and the quads and how we have had to have so many babies around that we are swamped with them. Pam liked the idea of a live-in nanny and was going to see if this sister had a friend for her children. ''Bob, you and Pam take the room next to Bethany; it has its own bathroom.'' I breathed a sigh of relief that they were going to be on a different floor to us, and we might be able to explore even with a house full of people. I am shocked and excited about it. I retired to my room, Harper clinging to my arm as I pushed the door open. We headed to bed, shredding clothes as we went. She made it to the bed just before me and pulled the nkets back. I literally pushed her onto the bed before she could climb in and rubbed my hardness between her legs. She moaned and pressed against me, urging me to join her. She was soaked already, and I guess she had been thinking about getting me to bed fast.

    I did not think of forey. I lined myself up and pushed into her hard. Thrusting deep inside her, gaining the moan of pleasure I was seeking. I started slowly, long, drawn-out movements, trying to control myself, or I would burst too soon, but Harper wanted none of that; she was hard and fast.

    ''Harder.'' She groaned as she tried to push back into me to make the thrust harder. I picked up the pace and thrust into her as hard as I could.

    ''Faster.'' her sweet groans had me wanting to please her in any way I could. I was sweating and panting as I drew closer to my end. I was hoping she was close too; I did not wish to finish first, so I leaned on her back and used my fingers to y with her folds and rub her nub, making her squeal and confused her for a moment, as if she was not sure whether to move against my fingers or keep thrusting, in the end, she kept pushing and rolling her hips against my hand, it must have given her the friction she needed as she screamed out my name and I felt her clenching, making my thrusts more intense against her tightening core, and that tipped me over the edge.

    When I regained my breath, I rolled onto the bed, taking Harper with me. She squealed as I flipped her over so she was on top of me and pulled her lips to me, giving her a hard kiss. My tongue pushed to search for her to open her mouth, and when sheplied, I plunged inside, tasting the peach cobbler she had for dinner. Her mouth was so sweet to taste that I wanted more.

    Eventually, we rxed, and I spooned her to me; she, too, was content to lie with her and let me hold her to me. Sometime during the night, I felt a body snuggle up behind me, but I was toofortable and content to think about who it was or why they were now in my bed.

    When I woke in the morning, I was between two lovely women, and when I sat up to look at Mandy, I noticed Hank was spooning her from behind. All four of us were in this bed, and I did not feel bad about it at all. I climbed over Harper and headed to the bathroom, emptied my dder, washed my hands and face, and stepped back into the bedroom.

    I stopped in my tracks and stared at the bed. Harper was still where I had left her on the edge of the bed; her sister had moved across the bed and was spooning Harper. Hank had shimmied over to continue to spoon Mandy. I walked over and stared down at them. There was no room for me to climb in behind Harper, and Hank had shimmied closer to the middle, following Mandy as she moved to hold her sister.

    I only did what made sense: I climbed in behind Hank and spooned him. It was not long, and I was fast asleep from the body heat that Hank was giving off. I found that this was not okay and that I would never be able to do a group session like the girls wanted. If Thomas had not known the girls for years and had been part of his inner circle of friends, I would never have gone any further than the one night we had spent together at Thomas''s house. I like the woman, both pretty and seems easy going, giving me just the right amount of attention that I need at the moment. Time to be honest and talk with Hank about how I feel.

 Chapter 192

    Jacko POV

    This was a walking nightmare: the prison was full of dying prisoners, and from what I was told, the whole group would die within two weeks, with no leads on how they got death cap mushrooms fed to them. I have reviewed the cameras, and none of the people brought anything into the kitchens. It is a mystery. I guess someone is going to get away with arge number of murders. Then, there is the discovery of the prince, who was lost years ago and disappeared without a trace. I have no proof yet; forensics are still working on that room, but I would like to put myst dor on the nephew. He was not the one to take the throne. His older brother did, but I feel it in my bones that he was behind that execution and might have had his hand in the syndicate; we have been close to charging him several times, but his diplomatic immunity got in the way. Times have changed, and if I can get some fingerprints of DNA from that room, then I am sure I can get him in jail if he steps foot in this country.

    The coroner called me toe talk to him and rushed over, hoping he had found me some good news.

    ''Hi Jacko,e sit there as I continue with this one. He was working on one of the sets of bones. By his size and clothing, he looked like a young man. ''Afternoon Manson. What can you tell me?'' I asked as I took the stool close by.

    ''These are all one family, and did you know they had a daughter? She could have been maybe one or two years old if memory served me well. She was not in this lot, and her body had not appeared anywhere. Mason said as he carefully took the socks off the bones. ''No. I did not; what is the significance of that? Have you found the girl?'' I was not sure where this was going.

    ''As you know, the police and FBI take fingerprints and DNA samples of all employees to help rule them out from a crime scene. Manson continued on the other foot.

    ''So the girl showed up on your report?'' I asked, curious now. The coroner liked to drag things out. I feel he does not get to be involved with the living much.

    ''Yes, she did. Do you know she is the next in line for the throne if something happens to the king? The one who thinks he is next in line is a scoundrel, and I feel his hand in this; he would be next in line if he managed to kill the girl, too. I wonder if that is why the king has lived, because he can''t risk having the world go hunting for the girl and ousting him out of hisfy ce!'' Manson continued in his own world for a while, and I watched him work listening to the story of the royals. I wondered who the girl was, whether she was a cop, an FBI agent, the teacher down the street or a waitress, oblivious to her roots. Does anyone else know about the girl? The thought pulled me out of my musings.

    ''Manson, who is the girl? Is she in danger? Have you told anyone else?'' I rambled out my questions all in one breath. He looked up at me as if he had forgotten I was there. He was so engrossed in his work and the story he was telling. ''Did I not tell you? It is Pam Jones; I believe she is now married to our lovely top cop, Bob. No, I have not told anyone else, just you, and that won''t be in my report; she is not dead, so there is no need to be in any report I do. The folder over there has the DNA reports, and I have made a copy for you to take and give to Scott if you do not mind. He knows about the missing girl. His father worked hard on looking for her and the missing family; we believe his death was an execution, too; he got too close, but we can not prove it. It''s such a mess. Now it seems the girl who thinks her family was killed in a ne crash was not family but the people who were babysitting her at the time, a close friend of the family here in our country. They had children of their own, and she fitted in just right. They adopted her, giving her their name. It seems she has managed to slip his notice for now. But if he finds out, she will be in more danger than ever from her undercover jobs. Bob can only do so much, and with babies on the way, all in line for the throne, things might get a bit messy over there! Manson was now theorizing and going over histories, but the one thing that entered my mind was, did the boss know? He said he knew her family and took her under his wing, it was time to find out.

    ''Thanks, Manson, catch youter.'' I picked up the folder and left him to work on the skeletons. He did not say if he had found any concrete proof yet of who was in the room, but he would find it if it was there, and forensic science hade a long way in thirty years. I headed to the head of the FBI and will get to speak with Bobter about this. I stopped and knocked on his door.

    ''Enter.'' He lifts his head up from hisputer in time to watch me enter and stand before his desk, waiting for permission to sit. He is not really my boss, but he has way too much clout for me not to treat him as such. Bob is the overall boss, higher than even this man, but Bob does not show it. Bob does his work in the background and puts on the show for the public when it is needed.

    ''Take a seat. He nods to the chair, and I sit, putting the folder on myp.

    ''Morning. Sir.'' I looked at him in the eye and waited.

    ''Morning, what brings you here?'' He sounded interested and had turned the screen on hisputer off, so I got his undivided attention. I liked that about him. He made you feel like you were important enough for him to turn off any distractions. ''The home that Bob and Pam purchased is being renovated.'' I started and paused, thinking about how to proceed with sharing information. I could end up giving him all my information and leave with nothing from him.

    ''Yes, I know the ce. Go on!'' He urged, leaning forward and resting his arms on the desk.

    ''Did you know the people who disappeared all those years ago?'' This was what I needed to know the most, as he mentioned he was friends with the people who took in Pam.

    ''Yes, I knew them; they were syndicate heads of this city, if not the country, and were not that bad, not like now; they never did anything we could pin on them. They were the instigators of making co-ops possible and promoting better trading in our city. Why?'' ''Did you know they were in line for the throne?'' I studied his face to see if he would give anything away, but he was too good at hiding his thoughts.

    ''I did; if they did not disappear, they would be next in line for the throne. His face looked saddened for a brief moment. ''We found all but the daughter!'' again, I watched his face, and this time, for a fleeting moment, there was a surprise. ''Tell me. So I told him about what we had found at the house.

    ''That is a sad oue; many searched for them. He was not surprised by the news; the world would have known for someone of the same level of power to disappear.

    ''Do you know where the daughter is?'' I am almost positive he knows it is Pam.

    ''Yes, and I am guessing that now that you have DNA samples, you know where she is, too. He smiled at me, a knowing look on his face.

    ''I do. Is that why you have protected her as much as you could all these years?''

    ''Yes, when are you going to tell her? And poor Bob, he is now a member of the royal family. I wonder how he is going to take that. Bethany, too, is now royal by association, and so is Theo, being his daughter and her stepdaughter. This is starting to give me a headache. When the news gets out, things are going to get crazy again!

    ''You can say that again. On another note, there has been a death cap mushroom poisoning at the holding jail, and ording to Hank, none will live for much longer. Those that are still alive are in great pain!

    ''Bet the prince ordered that. Do you happen to have any news on forensics in the house yet? Besides finding Pam out. I have tried to hide her in in sight, but I always knew she would be discovered sooner orter.'' taking me back to the house and ignoring the deaths.

    ''Not yet, in a few more days. We talked for a bit longer before I was more or less dismissed. He gave me all he was going to give me, and I had given him a whole new set of headaches.

    I left and headed to find Bob. I would give him the news, and he could talk to Pam or gather the family around and share it all at once.

 Chapter 193

    Hank POV

    After Mandy and I have some fun in the shower, she used her mouth and teeth in ways I did not think possible. I am not a small man, but she managed to get my length all in her mouth without gagging, and I was impressed with her skills. Before I reached my end, I stopped her and turned her around, cing her hands on the shower wall and pounding hard and fast from behind while I yed with her bouncing perky br*asts; then, as she asked for faster, I grabbed her hips and guided her faster onto my length, I was d she screamed my name before I exploded as I was too far gone to stop it and wait for her. After we got dry, Mandy suggested snuggling in with Scott and Harper; we snuck into his room to find him spooning Harper. Mandy climbed in first and snuggled into Scott. At first, I felt a twinge of jealousy, but that passed quickly as I climbed in and snuggled into her and found sleep came easier, being snuggled up to her.

    I woke to my body being too hot. I tried to roll over, but someone was behind me, and I had Mandy in my arms; lifting my head, I could see she was cuddling Harper, and that meant Scott was spooning me from behind. I found I was not shocked or worried that he was behind me. But I honestly do not think we will be together like the girls might want. We will have to talk about thister.

    Worming myself out of bed and over Scott, I headed to the bathroom; after doing my business, I turned to go back to bed, but Scott had moved over and was snuggled up to Mandy. For some reason, I did not want to snuggle up to Scott like he had me. I liked him behind me, so I left them to sleep, headed back to my room to get dressed, and headed to the kitchen.

    The kitchen was full with Bethany and Pam cooking us a meal for a king.

    ''Morning,dies. I greeted them both and poured a coffee for myself.

    ''Morning.'' Bethany murmured, and I wondered if she was struggling. Her body was significantly changing, and I was worried she was not doing as well as she pretended to be.

    ''Need help?'' I offer as I watch the two women work.

    ''If you want, you can set the table up!'' Pam said, and I wondered if I walked in on something; there was a sort of tension in the air. I did as suggested, put tes and cutlery out, and then grabbed some juice from the fridge. Scott came down just as I finished, followed by Bob; he looked tired, not like I expected. As I greeted the guys, a knock was heard at the door.

    ''That will be Jacko. Bob said and headed to answer the door. I wondered what our friendly officer wanted; it was only eight in the morning, and indeed, it was not just for our breakfast; my home was no longer a home, with all these people here and visitors arriving that I did not know wereing, for a smallest of moments it annoyed me, and then the feeling left. I wanted to have a busier life to keep my mind away from troubles. It is good that it is wild for me at the moment, and I am standing waiting for Jacko to arrive. ''Good morning, everyone. Oh, good. I am in time for breakfast,'' he said, sending Theo running to the kitchen for another te.

    Once seated and the pleasantries were over, Jacko exined why he was there.

    ''Bob, the family that was found in your house was part of the royal family and was head of the syndicate that ran this city. Scott''s Dad did a lot of investing since they disappeared, and we believe that is why he is dead and why the ce Pam''s adopted family was in. It all connects to this family, who were not gangster syndicates; they were a group of people trying to make our city greater. The family was part of the royal family, but that changed when they died, and those who took over were not for the city but for themselves. Pam interrupted him.

    ''What do you mean, my adopted family?'' She looked genuinely surprised by thatment.

    ''The people who raised you were not your real parents. Did you not know this? I thought when I was talking to your boss that you knew. Now, it was Jacko''s turn to be surprised.

    ''No, I did not know. They were the only parents I knew, but what has this got to do with the family in our home?'' She looked perplexed, even though I was joining the dots quickly.

    ''It is rather ironic, really, that you have purchased your family home and did not know it.'' Jackoughed as he said this, but no one at the table joined in; it was as if they had just joined the dots and realized we were looking at a princess. Or, if you still need to join that dot, we are looking at least the daughter of the ones in the house.

    ''That family in the room was my family? My real family?''

    ''Yes.'' He replied giving her a soft sympathetic smile.

    ''Tell me about them, what you know. Please! Pam was almost pleading.

    ''I can tell you what we know regarding the bodies, but if you want to know more about who they were and what they were like, you should talk to Scott. He had all his Dad''s notes, and that includes photos. Pam looked over at Scott, and he nodded. Bob, who had been part of the investigation, added.

    ''I have a lot, too, sweetheart. Scott''s Dad and I worked together on this case, even after the police put it aside as a cold case. We never gave up. Then, when Scott was of age, he took over the hunt. We never gave up; we just had no new leads. Until now, it is fate that has led us to buy that house. We could have been next door if Bethany had not beat us to it by one day. Bethany could have brought another one, and they would have never been found and put to rest!''

    ''You know what this means though, don''t you?'' Hank added softly.

    ''What?'' Pam replied a little sharply.

    ''You are the heir and so next in line for the throne! The gasp around the room told me not everyone had put it together. ''Does that mean I am a princess by default because you are my stepmother?'' Bethany said with a chuckle.

    ''Yep, you sure are honey. But let us get all of this into some perspective. Pam''s whole family is executed, and then her adoptive parents'' ne goes down with all her second family on board. I would say you are a target and need to hide until we catch the person responsible; if it gets out there is an heir still alive, then you might not live to see those triplets born. Bob says, pulling her to him and kissing her forehead.

    ''You right, the person or persons who did the deed will know that they have been found as soon as the press hears about it. I am hoping that this story will get less attention than the jail detainees all dying from poison mushrooms. I think that will scare the people and want more on that than some family lost years ago, and hopefully get lost before the killers find out. I say, trying to defuse the panic before it sets in.

    ''We need to make sure our security is good; those years ago, they might have thought they were safe, and they do not have today''s technology. Bob, please, for our children, we need to get that house secured.'' Pam said as her mind went into overdrive, thinking of ways to improve their lives.

    I was pleased that the thought of being heir had been glossed over for now. I don''t think Pam has taken that in fully yet, and when the pce hears they heir is alive, her life will change again. Lets hope it is for the better and not a target.

 Chapter 194

    Bethany

    POV

    That was a shock. Pam is a royal family member, and I cannot see her ever iming the throne. She might like getting to know her real uncles and aunts, but that is still far away. I think whoeveres after her will be in for a shock as she is a well-trained operative

    and won''t go down easy, even when pregnant.

    Pam said she was excited to move into her home. Being told it was her family''s home made it all the more a home to her. I thought with all the dead around her, she wouldn''t want the house anymore, but she said it was her parents'' home; they died there, leaving their love in the home for her to find. She is looking forward to thoroughly looking at the ce and seeing if there are any other hidden treasures in there and if maybe her brother left her anything. She does not remember anything of that time, but it was exciting to her now to walk into the house her parents lived in and her Grandmother.

    Our home is full steam ahead, Scott pushing the men to get it done. With me expecting four babies, they are implementing extra child protection ideas around the house, including special locks on doors and windows. I like the changes they are making.

    Dad is going to be busy with both the executions and the poisoning, both of which he believes are the same person, but proving it is going to be difficult. I am d that all that is now behind me is that I can focus on the babies and house. Theo had left it to me to decide what I wanted; he did not even argue when I said the pool needed to be covered. He has agreed to an indoor pool, an area we have set aside for a pool house to be built, and the doors can be shut tight so the children, while young, cannot get in. I do not want one to drown. The pool will be heated; we both love to swim, and it will be good for me as the babies get big in the tummy for some exercise. Then, when they are born, I will have a ce to rx and get fit again.

    They have alreadypleted theb and are now kitting it out with the things I need in there; the house won''t take more than another two weeks with all the men Scott has over there. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on Job n lb. c (o) m. I can''t believe how fast he has got them working. There is lots of overtime, and the men are in different parts of the house, doing each part with little fuss. He does have a good team. The new gates and security have been installed, and everything is looking so good.

    I am not sure how much longer I can stay on my feet. My ankles are blowing up like a balloon, and I have gained so much weight. I feel Hank is watching me like a hawk, waiting for me to stumble so he can put me on bed rest. My Doctor has already threatened to put me in hospital if I do not stay off my feet. I am only five months along, but I look like a woman at nine months, and I do not feel my stomach can expand too much further. Hank POV

    Bethany needs to slow down; she has been running around trying to organize baby things for thest couple of days. She needs to delegate more and stay off her feet. I have seen how swollen they have been getting. Theo has noticed, too, and we talked about what we should do; we have a bedroom on the ground floor that is used as a guest room. When we get people, we don''t want upstairs to stay over. We are considering moving them down to that room so she does not need to do the stairs any longer. She willin, but that is the best solution we cane up with.

    I headed over to the jail after talking to Theo about moving downstairs. He said he would move everything while she was out for her next doctor''s checkup, and when she returned, it would be done. Little could she do about it once he moved all their things; she was not up to moving everything back up.

    ''Hey George, are there any left?'' I had not expected any to be still hanging on.

    ''Three, see for yourself! To my surprise, Kitty was one of thest three; she was barely hanging on; if she were an animal, we would have put her down; all we can do is give painkillers as often as we can. She did not even open her eyes when I entered the room; it was as if she was in aa, and it would not shock me if she were. I had expected her to be one of the first to go, like Margaret and Cindy. But she is a fighter; maybe she consumed less, but the effects would still be the same; the doctor on call did them no favors. ''Have there been any sess in discovering where the mushrooms came from?''

    ''None. The co-op is clean, and all the samples were, too. Whoever did this was good and well thought out!

    ''What about the head cook, Elsa?'' I asked. She would be my most likely suspect. It was an opportunity.

    ''Clean, no history of being involved in any scandals, the asional speeding fine, but other than that, she was clean. ''Was?'' Did my ears miss hear?

    ''Yeah, she was in a car ident a few nights ago and did not make it; you may have heard about the four-car pile-up on main street. George was taking a swab from Kitty''s mouth, and it was as if her mouth was not right. George had documented each person''s symptoms and how long theysted; although this kind of poison is well known, it was fascinating that each person handled the poison, and George was hoping that having such arge control group, he might find something he could work on, to stop this poison being so effective. a cure maybe. It may sound bad, but this is the first time something like this has happened in our town, and George is taking every chance to see if it can be stopped. I doubt it, but I can''t fault the doctor for trying. ''Sorry to hear that. She was a good chef and organizer ofrge groups. It is a shame to lose her.'' It would be a waste if she were innocent, but I will mention it to Scott and Jacko; they might want to look further into her life and friends, and we need to find links somehow. Spider POV

    ''Hello!'' I answered my phone. I did not recognize the number and needed to be more cautious with all that had been happeningtely.

    ''Spider, any news?'' The prince barked down the phone at me, making me jump. He never called me directly; I usually went through others. Something had changed.? I was now alert, and looking around the room, something was off; I could feel it. I turned back to myputer and opened an app.

    ''Elsa is dead, and there are only three left alive at the prison, but they should be gone soon; I doubt they willst the night.'' I tried to sound calm and give the report clearly.

    ''When it is done, pull out from their security cameras. I do not want linksing back to us. Anything else new?'' he sounded bored now as if all that had happened here was an everyday urrence, and it made me sick to the stomach at how easily he snuffed out friends and foes alike.

    ''Nothing that I have caught wind of. I lied.

    ''Good, keep it that way. You know what the consequences are if that changes. He hung up, leaving me feeling a cold dred flow over me.

    I was not going to tell him that the royal family had been found, the house was being renovated, and the wall was knocked down. He will have a fit, and I am not going to be the one to wear that one. Once the cameras are disarmed, I am going on an extended holiday far away from all of this; I wish to live a little longer. I do not need to go to jail to disconnect the

    cameras; it is just a matter of flipping a switch, and our live feed to those cameras will be gone.

    I''d like to know if I left for my holiday now and if I could disconnect them from where I am going. No, it is not worth the risk. I will stay around till I have disconnected it. Too many of my people have diedtely.

    Elsa was first, then the nurse I had nted at the hospital years ago, where Bethany worked, my man at the police department, and three of my best assassins. There are few of us left now. I am concerned I will be taken out when this job ispleted. I stood up from myputer and, turned around and found a gun in my face; before I could react, the bang was heard, and everything went ck.

 Chapter 195

    Scott POV

    News of a number of people we knew were low lives have beening up dead, and someone has been on a killing spree; Jacko asked me to snoop around since some of the worst criminals in our city are dying.

    The first ce I stopped at was a t belonging to a man named Spider; he would know if someone was on our turf killing people. This area he lived in was dirty and dangerous, with burnt cars littering the streets and full of violence; even the rubbish collectors didn''te to this area for fear of being attacked. I was almost up the stairs to his dirty t when I heard a gunshot. I immediately stopped moving and waited for some sign of movement.

    I heard the distinct sound of a body hitting the ground and then the footsteps of someoneing my way.

    A man head covered by a bva arrived at the top of the stairs, then turned and bolted the other way. I reached the top of the stairs just in time to see him disappear over the balcony at the other end of the hallway. I presumed down the fire escape, and there was no way I was chasing an armed man. I rushed to the balcony and looked over, watching him jump thest two floors and limp away to a waiting ck van. That took off in a hurry. I turned back to head into Spider''s t, already knowing what I would find. Our coroner is going to be annoyed as we rack up more bodies for him to go over.

    I phoned Jacko to give him the news.

    ''What now? You never seem to phone with good newstely. Is today going to be better?'' Jacko knew I was headed here and must understand that things were not right for me to phone so soon.

    ''I arrived in time to hear the gunshot and watch a man in fatigues and bva rush over the fire escape and limp to a waiting ck van. I gave him the license te number or what I thought was the number; it could be false tes.

    ''So I need the coroner over there? Or an ambnce?''

    ''A coroner, his brain is all over theputer. It would be best if you got someone withputer experience in here. He has lots of frence equipment. If the man you send is good, you should be able to see what he was up to! I was itching to get my hands on this, but I had to be careful and not damage the crime scene.

    ''When the coroner and the team have collected what they can, can you look at theputer? It might still be linked to what he was watching, and it is quicker if you were there to do it; mine are already stretched to the limit, and you are already familiar with the case and what we are looking for.''

    ''You give me the go-ahead, and I will work on it when the team is done. Do you want me to stay here and wait or go to the next person''s home ande backter?'' I could call in some of my team, but I would love to get my hands on this and do the search myself. ''No, Stay there. I will let the team know why you will be there so they can assist you. Give your statement while you are there, too.'' Jacko hung up; I have done frence work for the police and have the clearances to do what Jacko needs. He had his hands full. This was not a gang war but a gang wipeout. I sat by the door in the hallway and waited. In less than half an hour, the coroner arrived.

    ''Hi Scott, I should have known you would be nearby. What have got for me today?'' Manson greeted with a smile, his eyes twinkling with mirth at his little joke.

    ''Brains on theputer. I arrived to hear the shot and watch the shooter run.'' I gave him the time of my arrival to help with his time of death, not that it would be difficult in this case, and the cause of death should be easy, but you never know; he may have been beaten up or something beforehand. I have not touched his body to turn him over to see, and I would only be presuming.

    ''What, you did not give chase?'' He was still chuckling as he put on his slippers before entering the t.

    ''Nope, I am not suited for a gunfight; I thought it would be an easy chat up and leave. The shot caught me by surprise, and I did not know for sure it wasing from Spider t. I needed to move in quickly and quietly, but it was a one-shot-and-run deal, and before I knew it, I was running down the hall to see where he went after he headed out the other door and for me to chase him down the fire escape would be suicide on my part. I am sure Jacko would have hauled my b**t to the station for using my firearm.'' I enjoyed the banter I had with Manson. As a person who ys with dead bodies all day, he has an excellent sense of humor, which I appreciate. I gave my statement and watched as Manson did his job and the others worked in the t. Once they were satisfied they had all they could get in the area I needed to be, they gave me the nod to enter; the first thing I did was get one of the other keyboards that were in the room and rece the one covered in muck. I switched on theputer, and breaking his password took a little time. I then started looking around. Jacko arrived an hourte.

    ''Find anything?'' Came Jacko''s voice behind me as I worked on securing the information so theputer could be moved and not lose the links.

    ''Yep, look at this,'' I moved to the side to let Jacko see theputer. A still active link was watching the jail and one in the hospital. I was going to see Robson about that one and get it fixed. Better firewalls. Then, the best part of all, a link to the money offshore, one that, ording to what Spider had been keeping track of, was the closure of all the syndicates here. ''Who does that ount belong to?'' Jacko asked as he moved in closer to watch what I was doing.

    ''The prince. He has been busy by the look of it. The bank was essible; Spider had left the passwords saved on theputer.

    ''Can we move it all?''

    ''Yep, give me a moment; Spider had kept records of all the passwords to everything he has; it appears he did not trust the prince, and seeing where his brains ended up, I can see why he was concerned.'' Jacko was breathing down my neck, eager to get the funds moved and see if that would draw out the prince.

    ''Where do you want the money?'' I asked, and Jacko handed me his ck book with the police central banking information. I clicked transfer and watched as the amount slowly disappeared from one ount to another. Half an hourter, all the billions of dors in that ount were moved, and I wiped all the traces to the police bank but left the trace to Spider. That is going to peeve the prince off to no end; he is going to think that he has killed the man who took all his money.

    While the money was being transferred, Jacko called some people and let them know what was going on, so they were not shocked when they saw the sudden boost in funds.

    ''Good work. Do you think we can move any of this now? I want this ce cleaned out before the prince catches on and sends someone back to trash the ce. Good work on catching those cameras. At least it gives us some answers. Jacko seemed to be pleased with today''s results. I know I am.

    ''Yes, I have his wealth of information now, and it is safe to move. Where do you want it taken to?''

    ''I will send a team over to clean the ce out. Is there any part of this you wish to keep looking at?'' I had not expected him to let me take any of this home.

    ''Yeah, this one, if you do not mind?'' I pointed to theputer I had been working on.

    ''Take and go before they arrive; I will cover this. I did not wait to be told again. I unplugged theputer and headed out the door.

    I took theputer to my ce, which had a room out the back. It was a shed, but I had modified it; it was the best-protected shed in the city. I ced it on the table and let it sit there. As tempted as I was to start on it, the day was done, and Hank would be expecting me soon for dinner.

    At Hank''s ce, it was just the four of us. Pam and Bob had gone to a restaurant, and Theo and Bethany headed to visit Thomas. I think they were going to give the news of four babies today and give other news about Pam, too. This will affect them, as the stepson; the whole royal status has spread rtively wide already. I wonder where they would stand in the scheme of things: could one of them be king one day, or only Pam''s triplets? I just wanted to give you something to ponder another day.

    At the dinner table, all was going well. The woman had cooked, and the food was delicious.

    ''Girls, I''m sorry, but Hank and I cannot do the foursome. We''re not sure about sharing either. I think it would be best if we parted ways and you found someone more suited to your lifestyle!

    The girls looked sad but understood it is not easy to be part of a group thing. I do not know how Thomas does it, but I cannot share. Call me selfish, but it is just me. We tried and found that it was not what we wanted.

 Chapter 196

    Hank POV

    Last night, Kitty died. She had hung out and was thest one to go; she had turned a dark yellow, her eyes ck and bloodshot, and the twisted body showed how much pain she had suffered even with all the medication we had been pumping into her. I loved this woman initially and thought her an angel with all the work she had done for the battered woman and was the mother of my children. Caught her cheating was the end for me, and I stayed in the home for the children.

    It had been years since I had even kissed a woman, let alone taken her to bed, so the twins crept up on me. I loved the attention they were giving me and yearned for more, but the more they want is not me, and though Scott and I have agreed to share, even that idea is losing its appeal.

    These thoughts hit me as Ipleted the death report on Kitty. How little I knew Kitty, how she had deceived me right from before we were married, and it made me have so many doubts about my choices, and it had also made me reluctant to continue with the twins; it was too fast. Even though we said, we were willing to share. My chat with Scottter said that we both felt the same: too much too fast and what they wanted to bring us into was not really our scene. I do not judge and am happy for them, but Scott and I are going to call it a day tonight. The time we promised to give it a try was over and extended a little longer, but now it was time to call it a day. This, at least, has brought Scott closer to me. We have the same mindset, and the two of us will go together to find a more suitable woman and not one to share. We have not given up on finding someone to warm our bed, but not as a couple and not with the twins; we like them, but not in the way they want us to. Scott is more familiar with the nightlife scene and will guide me to the better ces to visit and where more refineddies might hang out.

    ''Hey Hank, are you all done now?'' George asked if he was organizing the bodies to go to the coroner, as he had gained a spot for them.

    ''Yep,st one done. Kitty fought for a long time; do you have any idea why shested so long? Any of the tests you did show promise of help against this poison?''

    ''Nothing I can put my finger on. She was a drug user, but then so were many others. Margaret died first because she was a heavy cocaine user, and her body was already weakened. She would not have been around for much longer anyway, and the three who died first were all addicts to that drug. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on J o bnlb. c (o) m. The ones thatsted the longest were the healthy ones in life, and I did not have any other health issues that I could foresee. The coroner will have a better idea than I do, using only avable blood and health records. I have asked the coroner if I could be part of his findings to help with my research into poisons and how better to treat them. That is great, send me your findings, I would be interested."

    I''m just letting you know that I''ll do that. It''s time to close this ce up and wait for a room at the morgue. The prison was closed again, now arge holding ce for the dead; it was time to head back home and check on thedies and Bethany. Pulling up at the house, I see Bethany sitting on the porch, waiting for me. She pushes her growing self to stand as I arrive, relief on her face as she sees me arrive.

    ''Hank, Felicity is inbor. Sam phoned asking if you coulde when you arrived home. She is still in the early stages. Bethany all but shouted at me as I got closer to her.

    ''Do you wish toe? It may not be a ce for you at the moment, but I won''t argue if you do.

    ''No, it''s best I stay here. There is not much I can do, anyway, and I would only worry you and Theo when hees home. Bethany was a practical woman who could see the disadvantage of being at the hospital in her condition. Bethany hands me a bag.

    ''Clothes for her in case she did not have an emergency bag in the car. She was not at home when she went intobor, and Sam may not be thinking about that at the moment.''

    ''That is thoughtful of you, Bethany; I will let you know if we need anything else and when the baby is born.'' I hug her, throw the bag in the car, and leave.

    The hospital staff were not surprised to see me arrive and greeted me with respect.

    ''She is in a private room, number thirty-four.''

    ''Thank you.'' I did not even need to ask where Felicity was; all the staff here knew who I was, and I hoped what had happened with Cindy, Margaret, and Kitty would not reflect badly on me or my family. Only time will tell.

    Entering her room, she was d to see me, and for a moment, I thought she would burst into tears, but a wave of another contraction started, and she growled at Sam, telling him all this pain was his fault. I could not stop myself from chuckling at the abuse she was giving him. His face had gone pale as she squeezed his hand, but I will give him credit: he did not pull his hand away or cry out in pain. He looked at me with a pleading face. When the pain was over, he shook out his hand while Felicity was busy looking at me. ''Bethany sent over a bag of goodies she thought you might need!'' I ced the bag on the bed, and Felicity dug into it.

    ''Tell that girl she is a lifesaver!'' Sam looked a little guilty as she gave him a weathering look, and I guess he forgot to put an emergency bag in the car.

    Doctor Dawn walked in, full of smiles, and greeted me before standing next to Felicity, waiting for her to finish the next contraction.

    ''How far apart are they now?'' Dawn asked softly.

    ''Too often.'' She growled back.

    ''Since I have been here, she is about four minutes apart. I reply when Dawn looks at me askingly.

    ''Let me see how you are progressing! I pulled the curtain around the bed, just in case someone came in the door and got an eye full; no one should be. You can never be too careful.

    ''I think you are going to be a mother very soon. You are fully dted, and the head has crowned. The nurse quickly headed out to get a crib and the trolley for the doctor. Felicity will have the baby in this room. I was going to be a granddad very soon, and by the look of Sam, I am not sure if he will make it through thisst part. He turned pale when he saw the water break, and Felicity gave us a loud grunt of pain.

    ''Okay, sweetie. It''s time to give me one of those lovely pushes now! Dawn said as she worked on Felicity, her head disappearing as she looked between her legs. The nurse came closer and brought the trolley with her.

    After five more pushes and Felicity''s screaming, Dawn presented Felicity with a baby boy. Dawn ced him on her belly and offered Sam the scissors to cut the cord.

    Which he nervously did.

    The loving smiles from the new, proud parents are worth all the pain and suffering. I needed to be here for this, to see some new, fresh, innocent life, to enter the world after the horrid time I have hadtely.

    I called Bethany and gave her the good news: a healthy boy with lungs that will bring the house down. I gave her weight and his name. Philip, after Felicity''s grandfather, my Dad would be so proud to have had a child named after him.

    After a cuddle and handing the hungry child back, I took a few happy snaps on my phone to share with the others and left for home. It had been a long day, and I wanted nothing more than to have a shower, fill my belly, put my feet up, and rest with my family.

 Chapter 197

    Bethany

    POV

    I spent some time holding Theo as he wept softly; I was holding him to my chest, my hand rubbing his back infort after word came that Kitty was gone now; he was crying for the loss of his mother and sisters. I think it had finally sunk in that they were gone.

    Somehow, I feel he must have been in denial all this time.

    Later that day, Hank arrived home happy with talking about the new grandchild and how well the birth was going. He mentioned how Felicity almost broke Sam''s hand, and Sam took it like a champ.

    Hank was showing us the photos of the new baby when it triggered a memory I had been meaning to ask. In the lounge were Dad, Pam, Theo, Hank, and myself; the women had gone, though I had no idea where they went or if they would be returning. They had left not long after Hank arrived home.

    ''Dad, I have a question that has been bugging me for a while. Dad looked over at me with a smile. Pam rested her head on his shoulder, and he yed with her hair.

    ''When I first introduced you to Theo and his dad, you acted like you had never met them before; why is that, when it was clear you have had dealings with him in the past?'' It bugged me for a while. But I couldn''t shake it off, and the question kept resurfacing in my mind. This memory was crucial and held the key to a puzzle I had been trying to solve, not that it was life and death, just and niggling annoyance of recurring memory.

    ''We had researched the missing family. Plus, there are a lot of other issues; Theo''s Dad and Scott''s Dad both would correspond with all sorts of info. Scott''s Dad, Hank, Jacko, and I worked on the missing family repeatedly over the years. After Scott''s Dad passed on, Scott continued to investigate; in our own time, I have worked more with Scott than any of the others, and when Hank and Theo walked into your penthouse, he shook my hand and said to pretend we did not know each other. In a way, I don''t know him. You and I were both new to the city, and I should not make an issue about it. If I said I knew him, then it might have led to discussing the missing family, and to be honest, when we bought the house, it had not urred to me that it was the same house. Hank said he was looking into something, and with us both now in his city, we could start as new friends and go from there. I liked the idea and went with his suggestion. It was simpler, or at least at the time, it seemed simpler, to pretend we were new friends, and, in a way, we were, as I was a work colleague and knew him through his Dad in the beginning, and I had never been around Hank socially. A lot of ourmunication has been viewed via email or the inte, and I had never met Theo or been to their house. So this was, to me, a new rtionship based on sports and nothing else. We both liked that idea: keep working and have a day that is fun. ''Hank? Why did you not want us to know?'' I pushed.

    ''I was having trouble with Kitty. I lost sight of her a few times and did not know where she went or who she was with. I did not want Bob to know, so pretending we did not know each other and avoided being asked about Kitty; she had been gone for a week, and I felt she was with another man. I was having personal issues, and pretending I had a new friend seemed to be a good idea; even Theo did not know that I was a working colleague of Bob. Having known about him from Dad, I promised my father that I would continue to hunt for them and not let the disappearance die away, and he gave me Bob''s contact and with Bob now our brand new police chief who was trying to reveal his hand, yet we both needed to stay as new friends. Odd as it may seem, it worked for both of us for our own reasons. I was trying to protect Kitty, to keep her safe from Bob''s prying eyes or my bad marriage. He had just left his marriage, and Theo said something about you having just left a bad one. I did not want to talk about anything but the game and enjoy the day. Bob seemed to want the same: a day to rx, enjoy the sports and put our woes behind us. It was not to deceive you but to find a happy bnce in our alreadyplicated lives. That was the most I had heard from Hank ever. Even Theo was looking at him strangely. ''So you both worked on the disappearance; what did you conclude? Before finding the bodies?'' Theo asked his Dad. ''I had looked into it the best I could when I was doing a school project, and the missing people were the subject. It was only a few years before Scott started to ask questions. Bob never gave up, even though he was a city away; he kept an eye out for any sign of them. The new face recognition technology brought new hope, but again, something has yet to show up. When Bob moved here, he teamed up with Scott and started a fresh hunt. When he and Pam bought the house, I thought he might have wanted to get a feel of the ce and maybe owning the house, give him a new perspective of their disappearance; I do not think he even realized what house he had bought, as they wanted the one next door at first. You must admire how fate always throws us curve balls!

    ''Now, the other question I have for you. Both Scott and the women are not here. Is it over?'' I asked, knowing something had changed.

    ''Scott and I talked about this, and it was not for us; I cannot see the four of us being romantically inclined. Scott said he would tell the girls that it won''t work between us, and they have left. Scott has agreed to go out clubbing with me, or whatever it is called nowadays, and we shall team up so neither of us feels ufortable and see if we can find a more suitabledy for us both.

    ''That is good news, Dad. I was concerned about you diving into that style of living. It is not for everyone, and I am d you gave it a try and found itcking, Theo said, and I wondered if he had not liked them together at all.

    ''I am sure we shall see them around as they are friends with Thomas. Yeah, Thomas is different, though, than those twins. I am curious to know how close he is to them. I am still waiting to discuss it with him any time soon. It is weird enough talking about this now; I am weirded out, right? This is not a usual type of family chat, but there is nothing usual about our family.

    We rxed, and funny enough, we watched the sports news, catching up on what we have missedtely. Our Sunday sports days could have been better, and we have promised to make a better effort moving forward. Hank seemed a little sad after our chat, and I feel he had wanted to find someone to like him for him, and being with the women doing what they wanted was apromise he was unwilling to make. He wants something for himself, for a change, and to be a little selfish. I don''t me him; Dad managed to find a woman who seemed to make him happy, so why can''t Hank?

    Pam and Bob retired for the night first, soon followed by Hank. Theo watched his Dad go up the stairs, and he had this sad face as Hank disappeared out of view.

    ''I think he is hurting more than he is letting on. There had been a lot going on, and that chat about why he and Bob did not reveal they knew each other was the first I knew of it. Dad has been bottling up all his hurt for so long. Theo wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and we headed to the rooms we now used. I wanted toin about being moved down here, but it made sense, so I held my tongue.

    ''I understand about Dad and Hank not wanting to show they knew each other and spoil the sports day for us, and it worked out for the better that way. Even though it was a lie, it was still good to have thought good things about them. Dad was hurting, and so was Hank, and sports day was exactly what both of them needed, a day where outside troubles were left at the door. They really only knew each other through the hunt for the missing family and did not have anything else binding them together to ss them as friends. This is, in a way, a new friendship. I say contentedly.

    ''I agree it was good they did it; it made us think good thoughts at the time. Changing the subject, what about the twins'' sister? Are we still going to meet up with her?'' Theo asked as I climbed into bed.

    ''Why not? Just because it did not work out with the twins does not mean we have to change our ns. I have talked to an agency to find out the kind of services they have, and if this woman is not suitable, then we can look at using the agency people! ''Sounds like a n; we should not judge the sister because of the twins. When will you be meeting her?''

    ''She ising over tomorrow morning!

    ''I will go to workte. I do not have surgery until after lunch, and we can meet her together. Theo gave me a tender kiss before climbing into the other bed. He no longer shared my bed, as I toss and turn a lot and disturb his sleep. He argued at first but caved when he had a bad night because of me.

 Chapter 198

    Banker POV

    No, No, No, this is not happening. The prince is going to be so furious. The whole world''s money has been cleared out, not just one area but the total amount. I am so dead. I had no choice but to call him. How could this happen? Who took out Spider? I cannot get it back, not now. ''Speak.'' Thatmanding voice never changes. He always seems to be mad when he answers the phone. It is intimidating every time.

    ''Sir, the money is gone,'' I reply, feeling utterly helpless. What else can I say? It is true, and there is nothing I can do about it. It was fortunate that he had started to move some around.

    ''What? Exin.'' His voice went eerily calm, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I didn''t like that tone at all.

    ''The ounts are all empty, all of them. I try to exin, my eyes looking about me, worried a man was going to sneak up and kill me while I was in here; I no longer feel safe. ''Who? Would you happen to know if there are any traces?'' the prince was already on hisputer. He put me on speaker so he could use both hands.

    ''The markers show it was from Spidersputer.'' I had to double-check that; I could not believe that Spider, of all people, would be this greedy.

    ''Spider. He will be sorry he did that! That growl was dead, and he was not going to like the second part of my report.

    ''Toote, sir. He has already been executed as per your orders,'' I reply. The reports came in as I was dialing his number to announce the loss of a considerable amount of money.

    ''Can the money be retrieved?'' His voice was still cold, and a threatening undertone was starting to develop. He has a way with his voice that I have never heard anyone else use.

    ''No, the police are at his t now, and there is no chance to retrieve theputer and find out where he sent the money! ''Myds were a little too efficient. Many sentences in this chapter have been removed because you are not reading them on Job n lb. c (o) m. At least we managed to move a few billion to that new ount before the bulk was taken; I can use that till the money starts to roll in again. Anything else?'' His voice was now dismissive, like he heard enough and had more important things to do. ''No, sir, Not on my side. I know of other issues like the princess is alive and well, but I am not going to tell him that I want to live a little longer if I can.

    ''Put extra security on the ounts; nothing can move without my say-so. I do not want this to happen ever again. He used to let us move money when needed, but now that will be gone, too. What would happen to the money if he were up and dead? ''Yes, sir.'' The phone went dead. I was worried that I would end up like Spider-Man. I tapped my chest and smiled. I had the bulletproof vest on. It was ufortable to wear at first, but I am getting used to it; I cannot do much to protect my head. I think I spoke too soon. As I finished the task the prince asked for and was closing down theputer for the day, I saw a reflected movement on my screen. I turned as the gun aimed at my head went off with a loud bang. Michello POV

    My phone rang at two in the morning, and my wife grumbled next to me. She hated that I had the phone in the bedroom. She thought we were past having to get orders now that the boss was gone. ''Hello.'' I answer groggily.

    ''You know Spider was taken out?'' the prince asked on the phone.

    ''Not yet. My men will get in next week when the word of the prisoners is done.

    ''You miss hear me. Spider has been taken out. He growled at me.

    ''Not by my men.''

    ''It appears we have another yer ying on the ground, and all of Spider''s contacts have been removed. You should be aware of all of this. Why do you not know?''

    ''I am out of the loop now. We are regrouping, and the problem here at home is who will be the next leader; I have not been in contact with my fellow in the past week now. I assumed all was going to n, or he would have contacted me!''

    ''Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but he has been taken out too. My man was a good person; he never owned a gun or got involved in the violent side; he was more a voyeur than a yer.

    ''Do you know who the new yer is?'' I wondered if any of the prince''s spies had a clue.

    ''No, but all of Spider''s men and women are gone. Yours are, too, and I only have two left. I have sent extra guards over there to try and get them out before it is toote.'' He sounded like he was in his office, his fingers on his keyboard.

    ''What do you think I should do?'' I did not want to return to that city, and it holds sad memories for me now. Maria was dead, too; she was moved to a secure location that proved not to be so safe. I have no idea why they took out the woman; they have done none of the killing, we most don''t. Maria was one of the good ones, a gentle soul that bnced out Horandeze, keeping him calm and safe.

    ''Take the head position, stop this internal squabbling, and get it done.

    ''How do you propose I do that? It is not like I can walk in and say I am the new boss. I replied that I never intended to take over; I could never fill Horandeze''s shoes.

    ''Leave it with me. Call a meeting for ten o''clock tomorrow. All the heads that are trying to be the leader will be there. The phone went dead, and any argument fell away before they could leave my lips.

    I sat up and made a few calls; why should I be the only one awake this early? I snuggled back down into the warmth of my wife''s back and fell back to sleep.

    Scott POV

    Theputer gave up a lot of secrets that I was happy to pass on, and I am going to keep a few for now. They were rted to the royal family, which is a case close to my heart. I might share it with Bob and Hank, but that is it. Too much is happening right now to give more than that out. I trust few people at the moment, not after seeing what was on Spider''sputer.

    There appears to be a new yer in our city; he has wiped out all of the contacts that I know belong to Spider, and some I think belong to the prince and other overseas branches of the syndicate. If only I could prove all of this; if the prince puts his foot in this city, he is going down; I am not risking more deaths. What had gone on in the past month was scary. There are so many deaths, no respect for life or the repercussions of those lost; even a few higher-level socialites are gone, shot dead. The city is asking about what is happening: is it a gang war explosion? If they paid attention to those that are being targeted, they would see it was a removal of all the gangs and their contact and not a gang war, and I am not sure if that is scarier.

    We have a vignte group out there, taking thew into their own hands, and while some might apud such actions, I am more concerned that they will end up taking out innocent lives, believing they are gang-rted.

    They need to be found and stopped.

    Third POV

    ''Your majesty, your brother''s family has been found; they were killed, and the room bricked up in their home!'' The source told the king. ''All of them?'' he was devastated.

    ''Let me send you the information and photos that our man managed to get hold of. The king''s phone dinged, and he opened the link. There in front of him was the room with them sitting around a table; in the background were the guards. It was heartbreaking to see. ''The count is not right; there are only eight around the table. Who lived or is somewhere else?'' The king asked, Hope back in his voice. ''The daughter was not there. Word is she is alive, but I have yet to locate her.''

    ''Find her, but be careful; whoever did this is still around, and I do not want to put my niece in any danger. The source hung up, leaving the man contemting. He had an idea who might have been bold enough to kill the family, but he needed proof, now how to bait him to reveal his hand in this.

 Chapter 199

    Bethany POV

    They said Peter and many of the top people died in the first week, along with Cindy. They were lucky; those who lingered into the second week had the worst kind of pain imaginable. I had wished for a moment that Peter had lingered; he was a nasty, cruel person, but then scolded myself for thinking such things.

    The twins'' sister Heather arrived early in the morning. She looked nothing like her sisters. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, beauty, and a fantastic figure.

    ''Heather, you have no children of your own?'' Theo asked; the twins mentioned something, but we wanted to hear it from her.

    ''I cannot have children, and apparently, it is a deal breaker to most men. I am hoping you will give me a chance. I have never been with newborns before, and I have so much love to share with them. I will treat them like my own and be there all the way! She sounded so desperate to be the one for our children.

    ''You might get too attached and not leave when the time is up. Theo argued, straight to the point; he was worried about the future torment when it was time to ask her to leave, where I am still in the now and getting through these first few years still sane. ''That is the risk I am willing to take; I know I will love the little ones, and I will be attached, and I will do my best. ''You know it is a live-in position. Are you okay with that?'' I asked. I got a good feeling from her; she was not like the twins at all. I was not ufortable around her; she seemed to be more down to earth and had a free spirit. Her eyes were lit up with hope and kindness. I can see why all the children she cared for at the childcare center loved her. Theo said she got glowing reports, when he called for a reference check, the twins were happy to give us all the information on their older sister.

    ''Yes. I do not mind living in or not; I moved into my parents'' house when Mother broke her hip. She is all well now and is just using me to do things that she is capable of doing, and I think she likes being waited on hand and foot, and to be honest, I am ready to move on.''

    ''We do not have the house ready yet. It will be another month or so. When we have it sorted, I will give you a call. I watched her face as I said this, and I think I could tell when the penny dropped.

    15

    I got the job?'' She squealed.

    ''Yes, we will give you a chance. As you know, your sisters are no longer in the picture; I would like it to stay that way. I do not want things to be ufortable for Hank or Scott.''

    ''I understand. Don''t worry; I will not invite anyone over. I am here for the little ones and no one else. Would you like me to sign a Nondisclosure form?'' I appreciated that she was willing to do that; it might be something I will have to think ofter when I do new prototype hearts. I would not like my work to be released before I am ready or stolen.

    ''No, we will get a contract sorted and sent to you before you start with us.'' Heather left excited, and I hope we made the right choice. But how can you tell? It is only when you work together that you find out if you arepatible, and at the moment, I am not up to interviewing a lot of people for the job.

    We will not be able to move into our home before the babies are born. I am being put on bed rest, so any work I want to do at the house has to be ryed through Theo, who has been great at taking photos and updating me on the progress. My feet are swollen all the time now, and Theo is helping me wash and clean them up as best we can. I also heard that Pam is a beached whale, so I feel slightly better. She is also bedridden, but back at their home, the coroner allowed them to return, and she is happy to be getting her own space back. Most of the work is well underway.

    I heard that the investigation of the family will be reopened now that they have bodies to work with, and Scott and Dad are excited to get deep into it again. They were not happy that they had located them dead, but at least one was still alive, and Dad was not going to let anything happen to her.

    The city seems to have settled down, no more new mass murders; ording to Dad, the vignte appears to have done what it wanted and is no longer on a killing spree. Dad said that he will not rx until he or she is caught. They still had plenty of evidence to wade through and, hopefully, in one of the city street cameras, a picture of him without the bva.

    We did not do a funeral for Cindy, Margaret, and Kitty; Hank had them cremated and is waiting for a good time to get rid of the ashes; he has not yet decided what to do. The coroner has caught up with all the bodies, and the state cremated most as no one came to im the bodies. It is sad that there is no one toe for the criminals, but I was surprised by the number of the elite who have no one to im them; I bet they would fight for the estate, though.

    Scott said that the syndicate in this city is no longer, but eventually, they will make their way back. Dad said that they mighty low for a while and then sneak back in. He had no clue how long, but he doubted they would leave our city alone for too long. Pam said she had no memory of her parents, only the adopted ones. Dad found some old boxes in the attic and more in the cer that looked to be from her parent''s time; Dad and Pam are going through them slowly. Dad brought them to her, as he refused to let her do a thing. Now, she is a whale, and her feet are almost asrge as mine. Dad said there were documents in there of old shares that might still be valid; there were some old ck-and-white photos and some portraits. Pam broke down into tears when she saw them. It was not that she remembered, but it was nice to see what her family looked like.

    Scott and Hank went to a VIP grand opening of a fancy new club, and they both found lovely-lookingdies. I hope they are better than the twins; thesedies are not rted but good friends, so that is a plus. Dad said they had invited them to the sports day so we could meet them; I am not sure how I feel about that. I hope they love sports, or I am going to be annoyed and grumpy. A pregnantdy is not a good look, or so I am told. Third POV

    ''Your majesty, we have found your niece. She is close to giving birth to triplets, the source excitedly reports.

    ''Brilliant, we need to make sure she is safe and try and keep her whereabouts quiet; we still have not confirmed who the traitor is. He replies.

    ''I will get some people to move into her street and keep a close watch on the area, we might even be able to make friends with her if we are lucky!'' The source says excitedly. ''Can you get some photos for me? I would love to see what she looks like. Does she look like my brother or his wife? Thank you for making my day. The source hung up, and the king sat staring out into the night sky, wondering what his niece was like and if she would fit in the royal family. I hope she is willing toe here and meet the rest of us once the babies are older and safe for travel. Then again, I could go on a holiday and visit her city and meet her and the babies. That might be a better choice, and I am sure my wife would love to go on a holiday. I will wait for news of the baby and her health before I go; I have waited and hoped for so long that I had almost given up that I would find my brother or his family in my lifetime.

    My wife will be thrilled when I tell her, though I will wait for the photos and share them with her. That way, she would not be waiting like I was to see them. I want to shout out to the world and let them know I have at least one still alive. It is hard to express how hopeful I am that she will want to get to know us, and even if she does not want to move here, she will still keep us in her family circle.

    END