The Trouble With Bodyguards: Part 3 Read online

  “You’re leaving?”he asked, sitting up next to her, his face a mask of utter concern.

  “Well, not tomorrow or anything,” she said, putting her hand to the side of his face, kissing him gently on his gaping lips.“My father is coming in early next week,” she continued,“To talk to the doctors.”

  He was going to strangle her. Right here, in this bed, he was going to fucking end her life. Jacob’s heart hammered in his chest, pain radiating through him as he fought to catch his breath without bringing his utter rage to her attention. All of this work, and it had backfired. They didn’t see that it had been he that had been healed by love, but her. She who had been chasing acceptance, peace,and love had found it in him and blossomed into a functioning human being. She would be given her appropriate medications, and with a promise that she would continue to eat her pills each day like a good little girl and not try and kill her mommy again because she didn’t like what was served for dinner, she would be allowed out into the light to play with the other normal kids.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  He needed to get out of here, or he really was going to kill her.

  …

  Slamming the door of his room, he crashed into the back side of it, his legs collapsing beneath him as he slid down the aged wood. Tears of frustration sprung to his eyes, pain spreading through his chest as he sat on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. He pulled his box of treasures from where it was hidden, deep under his bed where no one would find it.

  He dumped the box onto the cold, tile floor between his feet, hastily sifting through the images until he found the one that he was looking for, the new one from the magazine that he had snatched from Gina’s room while she had been in a post-sex coma a few weeks back. There, there it was. He spotted the edge of the photo, sticking out from beneath an old image of his angel from an interview that she had done in Milan. Plucking at the edge with his fingertips, he pulled the picture out, letting the glowing, very pregnant body of his angel emerge into the light of the dying moon.

  She had posed nude, tastefully covering her most private areas with a turn of her shoulders, one leg crossed over the other. Her skin was radiant, reflecting the flood lights that had been pointed at her on the shoot, giving her the illusion of glowing from within, as if on fire with life. He ran the tip of his finger along the curve of her spine, caressing her in his mind. She was beautiful, and the caring expression on her face, the true and utter adoration, looked as though it was directed at him. He knew that she was thinking of him while standing so vulnerable in front of all those cameras. She drew strength from the knowledge that he was in the world, and that he was powerful, and that someday they would be together again.

  A tear dropped from the edge of his chin, plopping itself in the middle of her picture. He cursed, spittle flying from his mouth,as he dragged his fingertip gently across the paper, trying to remove the wretched tear before it damaged his treasure. It wasn’t fair; he had been so close. He thought that everything was going so well, that he would soon be able to go in search of her, take her into his arms once again,and begin their lives together. Instead, all of his efforts were for naught. The only thing that he had accomplished was to help Gina, that crazy twat, convince the doctors that SHE was the one who had been healed by their“love.”

  Quickly, he slammed his hand over his mouth, saving his treasures from the spray of hot vomit that suddenly spurted from between his lips. Frustration had literally made him sick, and he leaned over, spilling his stomach contents onto the tile floor. His head swam, the skin of his face burned with fever. Hastily, he shoved all of the photos under the bed, carelessly not putting them safely back into their box. He would have to risk them being discovered, for he knew that with as much noise as he was making in here, that the nurse would be in to check on him in a matter of moments.

  He groaned, trying to stand as the room swirled around him. He held his stomach, the roiling pain. There too much to bear, and he heaved a second stream of vomit onto the floor next to his bed. He was dying, the pain of seeing his carefully lain plans fall apart around him too much to bear. He fell onto his bed, hitting his head against the headboard in the process, and all went black.

  Chapter 8

  A soft sound drilled into his unconscious mind, dragging him from his dreams. Someone was humming, sitting very near the edge of his bed, their thumb stroking rhythmic patterns on the back of his hand. He wanted to slap them, to punish them for waking him. He had been dancing with her, his angel, in his dream, and it had been wonderful.

  Groaning, he reached up, swatting away the offending hand without even bothering to open his eyes. He knew who it was, who would have such gall as to lay hands on him while he was unconscious. He could smell the sweat on Gina’s skin, the scent of her unwashed body as familiar to him as his own by now. Screwing his eyes tightly shut, he rolled over, turning away from where she held vigil by the side of his bed. The bedsprings creaked as she shifted her weight, lying down in the bed next to him, fitting herself against his back as a spoon in a drawer, her arm thrown over his waist. She continued to hum, planting tiny kisses on the back of his t-shirt.

  Why is she here, he thought. She was going to be free of this prison soon, free of him. He wished she would go and leave him alone again. He would go back to the original plan, go back to trying to convince the doctors that he was sane enough to be let out. He didn’t need her for this;he didn’t need her at all. He willed himself to go back to sleep, back to his dance with his angel. He tried to ignore the heat of Gina’s body against his back, as the steady beat of her heart pounded in his ears.

  The dream washed over him again, the soft humming of Gina’s tune transforming into orchestral music, swirling around him as he held Alex in his arms. She was radiant, the light of the bright, afternoon sun warming her skin to the touch. She smiled broadly, throwing her head back in a throaty laugh as he spun her around the large courtyard. There were flowers everywhere, acres of blooms of every color as far as the eye could see. This moment was perfect; their love was perfect.

  Gazing deeply into her eyes, he could see the love glimmering in their depths. He held her close to him, her body conforming to his, fitting against him as they turned in the sunshine. Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss, warmth spreading through his body at the intensity of their love. She kissed him back, her lips parting, as she deepened the kiss. He could taste the punch that she had had with lunch on her lips.

  Punch?

  What?

  Jacob’s eyes flew open, and he jumped with shock, the realization that in his sleep he had turned and embraced Gina. She had snuggled up next to him, turning her head to accept his gentle kiss, not knowing that he was deeply asleep, dreaming of kissing another woman. Tears sprung to her eyes when she saw the horror in his expression upon waking. What she thought was a moment of sweetness between them soured quickly, and she slunk away from him, slipping out of the bed and scurrying to the door.

  “I,” she said, wiping at her tears as she stood in the doorway, unsure of what had just happened.“I’m sorry I woke you.”

  “Oh Gina,” he said, lying on his back, blowing out a frustrated breath.“Just go away and leave me alone.”

  …

  Mortified, he sat, unable to breathe as he watched the nurse escort her father into the day room. He was an older man, his hair graying at the temples, his face lined with years of stress from dealing with his uncontrollable daughter. Gina stood on the far side of the room, nervously chewing at her already torn and bloody cuticles, her hands perpetually in her mouth for comfort. The man stopped, smiling weakly at his daughter across the room, and beckoned her to come to him, holding out his arms in a gesture of greeting. Gina made a choked sound, tears welling up in her eyes as she ran across the room and fell into her father’s embrace.

  “Oh daddy,” she cried, the tears spilling down her cheeks. He had come to rescue her, to take her out of this wretched prison and out into the world
again.

  “Shh,” said her father, gently stroking her hair.“Don’t cry,” he continued.“It will be ok.”

  He turned his gaze toward the door, where a woman of about thirty stood in the hall, hesitant to walk into the dayroom. She had her arms crossed protectively over her chest, as if protecting herself from whatever danger still lurked in the heart of the daughter that had attempted to kill her not so long ago. The man smiled, nodding his head to let his wife know that it was alright, that everything was going to be fine now, that their beautiful daughter was cured, and that the danger had passed.

  The woman visibly screwed up her courage, still unsure of anything, and walked to her husband’s side.

  Gina pulled away from her father, her face red and swollen from her outburst of tears, and turned to her mother. They stood staring at each other for a long moment, each apprehensive of the other. Gina made the first move, stepping toward her mother and slipping her arms around her waist. The woman froze, still afraid of this creature and what she was capable of, looking to her husband over the top of the girl’s head. He nodded, smiling through unshed tears, and the woman hesitantly put her arms around the girl, patting her awkwardly on the back.

  She was good, he thought. He’d give her that. She had them all convinced, had pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. They thought she was cured, that she had battled her demons and won. That it was safe to let her out of the cage.

  He wanted to spit, to rinse the taste of bile out of his mouth. He knew the real Gina and had seen the hatred in her eyes when she talked about this woman, this monster that she was currently clinging to. There would never be trust and never be the love that should be found between a mother and child. But Gina knew that in order to be set free from her prison, she needed to put on an excellent show for the crowd.

  So she wept, her arms wrapped tightly around the woman whom she hated more than anything in the whole world. She looked to her father, a weak smile on her face as she wiped the tears off her cheeks and swiped at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater.

  Jake sat in his chair across the room and watched the whole scene play out as if he were watching a bad sitcom on the television. The lies, the deceit, the heartwarming reunion between mother and child. Soon the credits would roll and another act would take the stage, a murder mystery, complete with the grim details of the crime, all to be solved in under an hour with the help of a crack team of forensic investigators. He would watch for it on the news and in the papers. Eventually this little girl would succeed andwould end her mother’s life. It might not be soon. Gina was too smart to get put in here again, but it would happen.

  The nurse touched her father, saying something to him, her voice soft enough that Jake could not hear her words across the day room. He smiled at Gina, running his hands up and down her arms, and kissed her on the forehead. It was time;he and his wife were to go and sit with the doctors to discuss his daughter’s progress in healing in the months that she had been locked in this place. It was time for them to discuss whether she should rejoin their lives on the outside. Would they be safe with her back in the home? Could she be trusted? He took his wife into his arms, leading her down the hall after the nurse.

  Gina wiped at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater, the skin on her face blotchy and red from her tears. Sniffling, she looked around the room, observing the audience to her little performance, gauging their reaction to her skill. She met Jake’s eyes across the room, and she walked toward him, a triumphant smile spreading on her mouth.

  “Hey,” she said, falling into the chair in front of him, her back to the rest of the room.“Looks like I’m going to get out of here today.”

  “Uh huh,” he said.“Looks like it.” Rage boiled inside him as he stared at her. He suppressed the urge to jump across the small space between them, reach out, grab at her throat, and throttle her to death. It should have been he who was walking out that door today, breathing the sweet air of the world outside these walls. All he had done, all he had endured, and she was the one who had played her part to perfection. She was the one who had managed to fool them all into thinking that she was sane, that she was safe.

  “Are you going to miss me?”she asked, turning her doe eyes on him, taking one last opportunity to flirt with him.

  “No,” he said, angry and betrayed by his own actions. He didn’t need to keep up this ruse any longer. Hedidn’t need to pretend to be in love with this crazy bitch.

  “Yes you are,” she said, convincing herself. She smiled at him, a drip of snot clinging to the end of her red nose.“But I will call you,” she continued,“and I will send you presents.”

  “You will?”he said. Perhaps he still needed to use her after all. She would be able to send him magazines, pictures of his angel for his collection.

  “Yup,” she said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. He could feel a wet spot left where the drip had transferred to his own face, and he wiped away at it with the back of his hand, disgusted.

  An hour passed, and then two, as they sat waiting for her parents to emerge from their meeting with the doctors. She fidgeted, shifting in her chair, attempting to watch the television with the rest of them, before giving up and standing before the window, wringing her hands as she stared out at the courtyard. She could not be still, nervous tension flooding her body as she waited for them to return to announce the verdict. Would she be walking out the door with them today, or would she be trapped in this place for another few months, or perhaps forever?

  The nurse called out from the doorway, catching her attention, making her jump.“Gina,” she called,“come with me.”

  Gina ran to her; Jake forgotten and ignored in his corner where he sat, sullen and alone, watching his most important attempt to appear normal and healthy walk out through the locked door of their cage and into the real world with the rest of the normals.

  He realized that he would never see her again. That his life would return to a strict routine of loneliness with nothing to break the monotony. He took comfort in the knowledge that he would be able to spend his nights alone, in his room with his photos, that he would no longer need to appease her relentless sexual needs. However, he would need to find another tool in his plan to escape. He felt hopeless, betrayed, and abandoned, usually her list of symptoms of mania, now absorbed by him in her absence. He stood, wiping away at the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him last, wanting to remove every mark that she had made on his life.

  He wanted to be with his photographs; hewanted to gaze upon his angel—she who would never leave him if she had had the choice. He walked to his room, his body heavy from the high stress level of the day. He felt as though he were dragging himself down the hallway, heading back into hell.

  Chapter 9

  Alex sat up in bed, a sound of surprise coming from her. Her hands went to her swollen stomach, a strange sensation having woken her from her dream. She sucked in a breath, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart. Had there been a nightmare? She didn’t think so, something physical had ripped her from her dreams. She threw off the blankets, dangling her legs over the edge of the bed, cradling her belly in her hands. Her bladder called for attention, and she struggled to stand, the weight of her pregnancy making it more and more difficult each day to do even the simplest of things. She had given up on wearing shoes, spending each day in slippers or sandals that could easily be slipped on and off, because she was unable to bend over to tie her shoes, let alone see her own feet.

  She flipped on the light in the bathroom, closing the door behind her so that the light would not wake Rick; he deserved his sleep. He had done so much to take care of her, of them, working so hard to get everything ready for the coming of their daughter. The nursery was set up and painted, a small room next to the master bedroom in their new house, decorated in pink and purple, stuffed animals filling each and every spare corner. He was so in love with their little bundle already, coming home with presents for her seemingly each time he left the house
.

  She smiled, so in love, so happy with how their lives had turned out. It had been the actions of his brother that had brought them together, and though he was a monster that had tried to kill them both, she would be eternally grateful that things had gone the way that they had. Without Jake and his unnatural obsession with her, she would never have Rick, or the tiny girl growing in her womb.

  Having relieved her screaming bladder, she stood at the sink, running her hands under the stream of warm water, her body heavy with sleep. She turned off the tap, her eyes drawn to her reflection in the large mirror on the wall. She was nude, none of her nightclothes fitting comfortably around her swollen body. Her breasts were full, heavily swollen, and ready to feed her infant when it was time. Her belly was gigantic, round and tight, shining in the warm light of the room. Since the last ultrasound, showing that the baby was turned and ready for delivery, Alex felt as though she could see their daughter through her skin, touching the places where her tiny hands and feet should be, rubbing her daughter’s back through her own skin. She spread the palm of her hand on her belly, smiling as she felt the tiny creature within her press back upon her hand.

  A radiating pain shot through her as the muscles of her belly contracted, making her gasp and reach for the bathroom counter for support. Liquid poured down her thighs, splashing on the tile floor, soaking the nearby bathmat. She cried out, her head swimming with a sudden rush of adrenaline at the pain. It was time; their baby was coming tonight.

  ...

  She had kept her promise, calling him each week on the telephone, coming to visit him in his hell. If it were him, he would have walked away and never looked back, but Gina was a different creature than he; she needed this connection with him. He doubted that this crazy girl would be able to find love with a normal; they would see it in her right away and not be able to look past it. Jake appreciated her crazy;it was the only thing that made her interesting. It bothered him, how he enjoyed her phone calls. Any distraction from the monotony of the day to day life at the hospital was welcome, even if it was from Gina. He hadn’t expected to miss her and had looked forward to things going back to normal, but he had found himself time and again lying in bed staring at the ceiling, wondering where she was and what she was doing.