Uncovering You 10: The Finale Page 13

  Jeremy is here now. He can save me. He can be my rescuer. He can pull me from this hole.

  But he can never make me whole again.

  The love that swells inside me is reflected in his eyes. But I know it for a false love. It’s a love that can never last. It’s a love that can never be, because of all the things that have been done to me.

  I think of Paul. Like him, there is no recovery for me. There is no going back. And Jeremy Stonehart, whatever he thinks now, whatever he has planned, cannot love a woman who is insane.

  Sadness cuts through me. It’s a knife through my heart.

  I turn away.

  “Lilly,” Jeremy says my name again. It sounds like a prayer, an exclamation of grave sorrow and disbelief. “I can’t…come any closer.”

  I shake my head. I close my eyes and shake my head.

  I don’t want him to.

  Tears fall. They swell from behind my eyelids and run down my cheeks.

  I do nothing to stop them. Jeremy cannot love me. I cannot be selfish enough to hope for that.

  I have to be strong enough to push him away.

  A sob rises from the depths of my chest and makes my body feel despairingly hollow.

  “Lilly, what’s wrong?” Jeremy asks. “Lilly, look at me! I’m here. I’m here for you. Don’t you understand? I’m here to get you out of this hell!”

  I screw my eyes shut tighter, refusing to look at him. I keep shaking my head, repeating the word No over and over again in my mind. No, no, no, no, no.

  “Lilly!” A barked command. “God damn you! Lilly, look at me!”

  Something in his voice…something that I feel coming from the depths of his soul…something that holds the key to that control that Jeremy Stonehart exhibits over everyone and everything…something in there rips past my defenses and makes me comply.

  When my eyes fall upon him once more, I see that he too is crying.

  I feel a sudden, sickening stab of pain pierce my gut.

  He’s dressed well, as always. But his irises are lost in a sea of red. There’s a raw hollowness to his cheeks that I’ve never seen before. He looks gaunt, fallen. His eyes stare at me from dark, pitted depths. Then I see the collar around his neck, that horrible thing. A new wave of revulsion pulses through me.

  “I cannot come any closer…” He extends one hand toward me in despair. “…because of what they would do to you, my love. My Lilly-Flower.”

  I close my eyes again and shake my head. No, I want to say. No. Jeremy. Turn around and leave me be. No, don’t sacrifice everything you have for a broken woman. No, don’t give up everything for one not worthy of your love.

  But I cannot speak. The damned rag between my teeth prevents all but the feeblest whimpers.

  Instead, as much as it breaks my heart to do so, all I can do is shake my head, over and over again, and hope—pray!—that Jeremy gets my message.

  “Look what they’ve done to you,” Jeremy says. “I’ll make them pay for it. I swear it. But first, first I have to get you safe. I—ARRHH!”

  He breaks out in a blood-curdling scream and staggers to the floor.

  My eyes pop open and I scream into the rag.

  The current stops. Jeremy goes still. Then he holds a hand up, toward me. “I’m okay,” he whispers. He shakes his head, meets my eyes, and nods one time. “I’m okay. Our conversation is being recorded. I have to watch my words.”

  With a gargantuan effort, he pushes himself to his knees.

  I cannot look away. Not when the love of my life is putting himself through this for me.

  He takes a moment to steady himself, and then rises. I stare, wide-eyed, around the room, wondering what can come next.

  The current’s been doubled. Esteban’s words come back to me. The next shock will kill you.

  And yet—somehow—Jeremy withstood three?

  “I had to see you were safe,” he tells me. “I had to know you were still alive. Now that I do…” He tightens his fists. “…I know what I have to do next.”

  He looks at me with a new determination in his face. “The collars were never meant to kill,” he mutters, half under his breath, so softly I barely hear. “No matter how Hugh or Esteban may have tweaked them, the battery inside, the power it gives out…”

  He trails off. Jeremy Stonehart squares his shoulders to me. “Do you trust me?” he asks.

  I look down. I do. But I don’t want him to risk anything for me. I need him to walk away.

  Walk away from me Jeremy, I silently beg. Walk away and never come back. Live your life without me ruining it.

  “Lilly!” There’s urgency in his voice. “We’re running out of time, Lilly! I have to know. I need to know: Do you still trust me?”

  I start to cry again, the sadness filling me. I cry and I nod my head. Yes.

  “Look into my eyes, Lilly.” Desperation fills Jeremy’s plea. “Look into my eyes, my sweet, precious Lilly-Flower. I love you. Do you hear me? I, Jeremy Stonehart, love you with every fiber of my being. I will bring you back. But first, I have to know: Do you trust me? Look at me! Look at me when you answer, Lilly!”

  It takes all the strength I have left. Somehow, through some forgotten power of will, I turn my head up. Through tear-filled eyes, I look Jeremy Stonehart right in the face.

  “Do you trust me?” he whispers.

  I feel numb. But I still manage to give one slow, solemn, heartfelt nod.

  “Yes,” I mumble through the rag.

  His eyes focus on me. “I love you,” he says. He takes out his phone. “No matter what happens, I’ll bring you back. Do you hear me, Lilly? I’ll bring you back.” He brings the phone to his lips.

  “Now,” he says.

  An explosion from outside rocks the foundation of the warehouse. I scream as Jeremy surges across the space separating us.

  The current hits him halfway. He crashes down, writhing. Yet, somehow, fighting through the full electrical onslaught, he manages to keep moving forward.

  The walls shake. The floor trembles like there’s an earthquake. I hear screaming, yelling. More explosions. Gunfire. From outside.

  Another explosion. This one is closer and rocks everything. The far, high windows shatter and are blow inward. Glass flies everywhere.

  And yet, through all this mayhem, Jeremy is there, spastically jerking, struggling toward me.

  His hand reaches my foot. He grabs onto my leg as the current continues to pour into him. I struggle back and forth, absolutely terrified by what’s happening, completely lost in the explosions, the screaming, the gunshots, the walls shaking around us and earthquake-like tremors…

  Amidst all the noise, amidst all the confusion, Jeremy finds me. Somehow, he manages to speak. “I’ll bring you back!” he screams, his words mingling with his pained screams. “I’ll bring you back, Lilly! I…”

  Without warning my collar turns on. I don’t even get half a second of consciousness as the current consumes my body…

  And stops my heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I gasp into myself. My eyes shoot open. Strong hands compress my chest up and down.

  Commotion surrounds me. In the background, I see flames. A fire. Roaring heat warms my body.

  But I’m not in the chair. I’m on the floor. Jeremy is leaning over me. He’s thrusting his hands into my chest. The collar still around his neck…

  I see him. He sees me. The moment he does, he stops CPR. He drops down to embrace me.

  There’s still yelling, crashing, loud sounds of explosives and guns and a battle in the background. Through all that, I pick out Jeremy’s voice.

  “You’re safe now,” he says. “You came back to me. Now you’re safe.” His body shakes as he cries. “You’re safe,” he sobs. “Don’t worry. I’m bringing you home.”

  Only half aware of what I’m doing, I bring one hand up and brush my scalp. Short, prickly hairs greet my fingers.

  This is real, I think.

  I release everything
I’ve been holding on to.

  A peaceful black washes over my body. I willingly fade away.

  Chapter Thirty

  The next time I feel myself rising from the depths of unconsciousness, I savor the calm that envelopes my mind.

  I feel at ease. Any worries I harbored before have been eliminated. I do not feel fear or uncertainty. I know only peace.

  Slowly, languidly, I take stock of my body. Things feel…smooth. The graininess that defined my existence for so long is missing.

  That alone could be enough to make me open my eyes and start laughing. But I do not. Not yet. I want to extract every last bit of joy from the bliss I currently feel. It’s so precious. So very welcome, after all that I’ve suffered.

  I feel like, once I open my eyes, everything I knew under Esteban’s care will come roaring back.

  I take a deep breath. In through my nose, out past my lips. The moment I do, sounds of motion come to life around me.

  Somebody takes my hand. No, not “somebody”. Jeremy. My Jeremy.

  Jeremy takes my hand. I know that it’s him. I can feel our special connection flowing through the grip.

  I’d know if it were someone else.

  This is definitely Jeremy. And I am most definitely not hallucinating.

  My eyes flutter open. Pleasant images greet me: The warm interior of some type of vehicular cabin. I don’t know what it is right away. More importantly, I don’t have to know. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters so long as Jeremy is right there. I know this is real. I know this is all so very, very real.

  A glorious sort of happiness blooms in my chest. I blink once, twice, languidly, and then mentally check in.

  There’s a familiar face looking down at me. Jeremy’s. Only—wait, what? He’s not smiling. I don’t see love and concern in his eyes, but a clinical sort of focus. He’s wearing glasses. Reading glasses. I know for a fact Jeremy’s vision is perfect. And his hair…Why is his hair so short…?

  Then that grip on my hand tightens, once, in a loving squeeze. I blink and raise my head—and see Jeremy number two.

  Alarm crashes into me. But it doesn’t take hold. Before it can, the short-haired Jeremy speaks.

  “Hello, Lilly,” he says. His voice is oh-so-slightly-off. “My name is Atticus Telfair. We’ve met each other before. It’s only now that I can introduce myself properly.”

  I look from him, down to the man holding my hand. To my Jeremy. He gives me a loving smile. “You’re safe now,” he tells me. “My brother has been monitoring you. He wants to speak to you, first, before giving us time alone.”

  I move my eyes back to the man hovering over me. “Dr. Telfair?” I repeat. I pull my hand out of Jeremy’s grip, regretfully. I need it to push myself up.

  At that moment, I recognize that I’m in the back of a small helicopter. We’re flying high over an endless, bright blue sea. The sun is shining in full overhead.

  “Where are we?” I ask.

  “In the Mediterranean,” Jeremy says. “I’m taking you to my estate in Rome. You’ll love it there. I promise, Lilly. It will only be me and you. But for now…” He nods toward his brother. “The doctor needs to speak to you.”

  I nod in agreement, but I still feel awfully disoriented. “The Mediterranean,” I mumble. “So Esteban didn’t lie…”

  A sudden shock wave of alarm hits me. I jerk fully upright.

  “Esteban,” I say. “Hugh. Rose. You, Jeremy—you, and the collar. Two collars! What happened? Tell me what you did!”

  “She’s panicking,” Dr. Telfair says to Jeremy. “I told you it was too soon…”

  “No,” Jeremy cuts him off with a savage growl. He takes my hand again. “Lilly. Look at me. It’s absolutely vital that you stay calm. Do you understand me? I’ll explain everything. But first, I need you to speak to my brother.”

  I look from Jeremy to the doctor. I realize that I’m taking short, rapid breaths. I’m close to hyperventilating. That acknowledgment makes me gasp…which makes my sudden anxiety worse, with makes…

  “Lilly!” Jeremy nearly yells my name. “Stay with me. Calm. I need you to remain calm. Look at me! I’m right here. You’re here with me. We’re both safe. I brought you back. You survived.”

  “Yes” I say. I nod. Once, twice, three times… over and over again. I nod because the sensation of not having my hair fall around my shoulders assures me that I’m still bald, and that, yes, this is all real.

  “Deep breaths now,” the doctor reminds me. “Nice, slow, and easy. Deep breaths, Lilly,”

  It takes almost more will power than I can muster, but I do it. I slow my breathing consciously. I release the tension building in my neck and arms. I sag back, easing into my seat, finding comfort, not fear, in the small, constricting cabin…

  Dr. Telfair speaks. “You’ve been through an enormous amount of stress, Lilly. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. You have a long road to recovery ahead of you.”

  “Which you will make in full,” Jeremy interrupts.

  Dr. Telfair gives him an impatient glance. Jeremy raises a hand in apology and motions for him to continue.

  “You’ve been through a lot,” Dr. Telfair repeats, “half of which we’re not even fully aware of. Right now, the most important thing for you to understand is what happened to you last when you were conscious.”

  “What happened to me last?” I ask.

  Dr. Telfair clears his throat in evident distaste. “My brother…showed me the device he had fitted on you when he first took you captive.”

  I open my mouth to protest, but Jeremy interjects. “I told him everything, Lilly,” he says. “Everything that I’ve done to you, from the very start. He knows I gave you freedom to leave. He knows you made your own choice.”

  I look back at the doctor who is starting to look disgruntled.

  “I know the ‘what’, but not the ‘why’,” he tells me. He shakes his head. “It is not my place to question your decisions, Lilly. I am here now for you and your future health.”

  “What happened to me last?” I repeat.

  “You suffered an intensive electrical shock. The voltage was enough to stop your heart. You were, for a time, clinically dead.”

  “I died?” I ask.

  “Clinically,” Dr. Telfair stresses. “My brother got to you. He performed the necessary CPR procedure. He brought you back.”

  “I told you I would,” Jeremy says. He squeezes my knee. “I love you.”

  My heart swells with overpowering joy at the pronouncement.

  “It was a necessity,” Dr. Telfair hedges, “but an evil one. You see, Lilly, all the damage that you suffered before, through the smaller micro-electrical shocks? All of those were worsened by the latest episode.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that you are alive today, Lilly. But you need to be closely monitored. Your recovery cannot be taken for granted. It has to be an active process.”

  “My brother left his post at Cedar Hills to care for you,” Jeremy says. “He’s staying with us in Rome. You will be his only patient.”

  I screw my face up at Jeremy. I feel suddenly cold. “I thought you said it would just be me and you.”

  “It will,” Jeremy assures me. “I’ve left Stonehart Industries behind…”

  “You what?” I yelp. I shoot back up. “You didn’t give in to Esteban’s demands, did you? You didn’t hand your company over to your father because of me…”

  “No,” Jeremy cuts me off, softly, but firmly. “No, Lilly, I did not. I would have. I want you to know, if it meant I could have gotten you back. But I could not negotiate, nor place trust, in a true madman. The rescue mission was the only way I could be assured I would get you out.”

  “What happened?” I ask again. “Jeremy, you have to tell me. What do you mean, you left Stonehart Industries behind? How could you? You dedicated your life to it…”

  “And now, I dedicate my life to you,” he says. “I am
yours, Lilly Ryder, until my last breath. There is nothing that will come between us, ever again. Our lives—the rest of our lives—will be spent in each other’s’ arms. You are all I have, all I want, or need.”

  Dr. Telfair clears his throat. Jeremy stops. I look at him.

  “Your full recovery is my number one priority,” the doctor assures me. “But for that to be possible—for me to provide the care you need, and to be able to diagnose your symptoms properly—I need your unwavering trust. And ‘trust’ is the most difficult thing for you to give, I’d imagine, considering the situations you have been put into. But for this to work—for you to heal— I have to know everything. I understand these are painful subjects for you, and memories you do not want to go back to. Nobody would. But Jeremy assures me you have the strength necessary to do that. Trust will be the most vital part of our doctor-patient relationship. I want to see you better, Lilly. Selfishly, for me, you are a fascinating case. I believe, I truly believe, that I can help you recover. But I need you to be willing to give me your full confidence. Even things that you might not be comfortable telling him,” He glances at his brother. “You have to be willing to tell me. That is the only way this will work. If you grant me that, then yes, I will leave my post at Cedar Hills. I will help you recover. But my brother spoke prematurely. I have not committed yet. To do so, I need your full compliance. If you can give me that, then I will.”

  I take a deep breath. “That’s quite the speech,” I mutter.

  “Lilly,” Jeremy speaks. “It’s essential that Atticus has your trust. It’s true: I did speak early. But I know you want to heal. I know how strong you are. How determined. I know all that, Lilly. So I know that you will be unafraid. Give my brother everything he requires. He is, in full earnest truth, the best doctor money can buy. But you taught me, Lilly, that the best things in life are not bought. They are earned.”

  Jeremy looks at his brother. “Dr. Telfair is living proof of that sentiment. He would not accept any amount of money from me. His only condition for taking you on was that he have your unwavering loyalty.”