Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) (20 page)

James Lloyd clasped Arielle’s hand in his and leaned closer. Gazing on his little girls face, his heart was breaking. She was the love of his life. His pride and joy, everything that meant anything to him in this life. Danielle Lloyd walked around, draped her arm around her husband’s shoulders, and let her tears flow freely down her face.

Chapter 14

ARIELLE TRIED TO MOVE
her arm and a sharp pain shot through her. Her head hurt, her chest and arms hurt, and her face was burning up. Her throat was dry like the desert. She was thirsty and she needed to open her eyes. Why was she still draped in this awful darkness? She was groggy and confused.

A soft hand landed on her forehead, and a warm voice whispered in her ear. “Arielle, it’s Mummy, darling, I’m right here. Daddy and I are here.”

Where is right here?
she thought.
How could my parents be here? How did they find me?

“Mummy!” Arielle mumbled due to her swollen lips. Tears flowed freely down her face, while trying to squeeze the hand that was clutching hers. “Where am I?”

“You’re safe, dear. You’re in the hospital,” her mother replied joyously.

“The hospital? Ho—how—who brought me here?” she whispered, her pulse elevating.

“Ian brought you into the hospital, darling!” Danielle replied reassuringly.

“But—but—,” she started to say and stopped for a long moment. She tried to open her eyes once again and her unsuccessful attempts made her eyelids jerk back and forth. Sweat started to form on her forehead, and she frowned. “Sebastian…” she murmured. “Where is Sebastian?” Tears still flowing uncontrollably down the side of her face.

Danielle’s eyes shifted to Sebastian as he inched closer and, bending down, he pressed his forehead against hers. Arielle heard the intake of his breath.

“I’m here, baby. I’m right here,” he murmured, and his lips brushed hers softly. She wasn’t sure if Sebastian was truly there or if she was hallucinating. He was her only love, her sanctuary.

“Oh! Sebastian!” she whimpered. A faded smile painted her swollen lips.

“Yes, baby, don’t try to talk; you’re safe. Are you in pain?” His voice was filled with raw emotion.

“Yes, everything hurts, and I can’t move my hands,” she muttered anxiously. “And…and…and I
can’t
open my eyes,” she whimpered.

“You have IV’s in both hands, baby, so you need to stay still. I’ll call for the nurse to give you a pain shot.”

“But why can’t I open my eyes? What is happening to me?” she asked again, soft sobs quivering her body.

“Please don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s temporary,” he murmured.

“I don’t understand; what happened to me?”

“You took a hit on your face, and your eyes are swollen shut,” he said bitterly. “But like I said, it’s temporary.”

“How did Ian find me?” Tears kept streaming down her face, and a broken smile painted her lips.

“I think you need to try and relax, and we can talk about all the details when you feel a bit better,” he said and pressed his lips against her once again.

“Is my dad here?” she whispered.

“I’m here, pumpkin,” James Lloyd said, jumping on his feet and leaning closer to his daughter.

“Daddy!”

“Yes, darling. I’m right here with your mother and Sebastian. All your friends and Sebastian’s parents are in the waiting room. We’re all here for you, but you need to rest now and try to get better,” he said, and his voice trembled.

“Sebastian!” she murmured.

“Yes, baby.”

“Do I look really bad?”

“No, darling, you are just as beautiful as ever,” he said and, leaning down, he pressed his cheek against hers. A sense of déjà vu crashed back into his memory, overwhelming him with remorse and anxiety. She had been hospitalized four times since they met. Three times attacked by people that had vowed to keep them apart and once when Matt tried to rape her.
Why did I ever decide to bring Arielle into this awful world of mine?
he thought and cringed. He remained silent as he reached in the deep corners of his memory and the facts hit him like a dreadful windstorm. He was not worried about the Russian Mafia any longer. He was going to abolish that organization shortly, but that wasn’t going to be the end of Arielle’s torture, not as long as Annabel and her mates were still alive.

Gazing down on Arielle’s battered body, he silently vowed to her that he would deliver the final blow to each and every one who had hurt her or would try to hurt her in the future.

“I’m thirsty,” she sniffed and grimaced.

Her mother reached above her bed and pulled the cord. The nurse entered the room a few minutes later, a soothing smile on her face.

“Oh, she’s awake!” Miss Walker said, her voice skillfully low. She glanced with a calm smile between Danielle and James Lloyd, but a flicker of movement drew her attention and her eyes fell on Sebastian. The smile faded away slowly, her mouth fell open, and her eyes widened in sheer astonishment. She forgot how to breathe, overcome by a fascinating sensation. Their gaze locked and Sebastian’s brows rose.

Dear lord!
she thought to herself, trying to recover her faculties. For a fleeting instant, she thought he was an illusion. She shut her eyes, but when she opened them again, he was still there. He had to be the most beautiful man she had ever set eyes on—in her twenty-nine years on this earth.

Danielle’s eyes followed the nurse’s gaze and understood Sebastian’s effect on her. The nurse was standing temporarily speechless at the stunning sight of Sebastian. She managed to repress her astonishment and, jerking her eyes away from him, she blinked rapidly.

She then turned her flushed face back to Danielle Lloyd to find her watching her inquiringly. She gathered her disarrayed thoughts and coughed to clear her throat. She approached Arielle’s bed and stared down at her.

“Did she say anything?” the nurse asked Danielle.

“Yes, she’s in pain,” Danielle replied, resisting the urge to say something about the effect that bewildered the nurse’s wits. Instead she added, “And she’s very thirsty.”

“Oh, that’s a very good sign,” she said gracefully. “I’ll be right back.” She then made a beeline for the door. She came back shortly carrying a small tray. She set it on the side table, and taking a decanter, she poured some water in a small plastic cup. She pressed a button on the bed control panel and raised the upper part, bringing Arielle to a sitting position. Placing her arm around Arielle’s neck, she helped her take a few sips of water through a straw. She then gave her a pain shot and ran her cool hand over Arielle’s forehead. She was sure that Arielle was not running a fever. “Best lie back and rest,” she murmured kindly. She then fluffed up her pillows and helped her lie back down, lowering her bed to a horizontal position.

“Thank you,” Arielle sniffed.

“You’re welcome, dear,” the nurse replied. “Do you need anything else?”

“No…” she said, muffled.

“The pain shot will work quickly and you’ll feel a lot better,” she said softly. She then pressed Arielle’s hand reassuringly. She released it and, nodding at her parents, she left the room, strongly rejecting the temptation to glance in Sebastian’s direction.

When the door closed behind her, Danielle stared at Sebastian. “Dear God! Does this happen everywhere you go?”

“What happened?” Arielle asked groggily.

Sebastian smiled and nodded at Danielle. “I’m afraid it does,” he said.

“Wh—what?” Arielle insisted, her voice barely audible. The shot seemed to be working.

“The nurse nearly went dazed when she saw Sebastian,” her mother said, amusingly.

Arielle snorted mildly.

“Go to sleep, baby; relax,” Sebastian murmured against her ear.

His nearness overshadowed every other thought. He was there, and she trusted him. Groggily, she mumbled. “Everywhere we go…” and that was the last thing she said.

“Really?” Danielle exclaimed.

“That seems to be the case,” Sebastian muttered.

Danielle shook her head in clear wonder. “I think Arielle is asleep,” she said softly, staring down at her daughter.

“Why don’t you both go home?” Sebastian suggested. “I’ll stay with Arielle tonight. You need your rest,” he added, looking at the Lloyds.

Danielle leaned over her daughter and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you, baby,” she whispered to her sleeping daughter.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” James Lloyd said, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted. He stood up, and bending over Arielle, he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be back in the morning, pumpkin,” he murmured in her ear, even though he knew she was asleep and couldn’t hear him.

Danielle hugged Sebastian thankfully, and James shook his hand in appreciation. He then wrapped his arm around his wife and left the room. Turning back, he pinned Sebastian with a warm glance. “My boy, we’ll be back here early in the morning, and you can have a break.”

“I’m fine, sir; don’t worry about me,” he said.

When they left, Sebastian stood helplessly staring at the closed door. His self-control was being tried. He had been in this situation twice before. Once following Arielle’s birthday after Savanna broke her ribs and tried to kill her by poison. The second time at Saint Jean de Luz, following Annabel’s attack that nearly killed both Arielle and Eva. He didn’t even count the two times she landed in the hospital because of an old flame of his, Paola Gordioni, and the rape attempt by a university student, Matt Winston.

He lowered his head and pursed his lips at the agonizing thoughts; the pain in his chest was intense. He grimaced again, fists clenched by his sides. He drew in a deep breath and started to pace back and forth, finally halting in front of Arielle’s bed. He gazed down at her, and immediately, he was overcome by a blinding emotion of deep love and passion. He reached down and touched her face lightly by running his finger down her cheek, across her bottom swollen lip, and back up again. He then bent down and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. Excitement surged through him as his lips lingered over hers a bit longer, and his muscles went taught, just as they did each and every time they touched.

Slowly, he buried his face into the crook on her neck, and his lips pressed against her pulse point. He felt the quiet thudding that beat in sync with her heartbeat as the blood surged through her veins. His skin infused and resonated through his body like a shockwave. He was overwhelmed with the powerful sensation that held him captive to Arielle’s enchantment. “God!” he whispered out loud. “I love her; I love her more than life itself.”

Pulling back, he knew that he had to gather his wits and face two facts that were not favorable to Arielle.

He needed to uncover and abolish the leaders of the treacherous plot that the Russian Mafia was running against him and his company. He also needed to deal with Annabel and her coconspirators. His lips were trembling with emotion when he stared at her battered body and swore that he was never going to allow anyone to hurt her—
ever
–again. “I love you, Arielle,” he muttered softly and pressed his lips against her forehead.

Arielle was still deeply asleep. He decided to walk into the waiting room, talk to his parents, and update his friends. They didn’t need to stay there any longer. He strode to the door and pulled it open. Turning back, he allowed himself a loving glance at Arielle and left the room.

Everyone looked up when he entered the waiting room. His expression spoke volumes. His eyes lingered for a moment between his friends and his parents. Gabby, Eva, and Isabella glanced at one another and frowned at the worried expression on his face. His parents and Loren stood up and pulled him in their embrace.

“How is she?” Olivia murmured eagerly.

“She is pretty bruised up and in pain,” he said and grimaced, furious that he left Arielle on campus unprotected in order to meet Dylan.

Loren fell in his arms, and he held her tight. “I’m sorry, Sebastian,” she whispered to her brother, devotedly. “We love you so much. Please don’t worry about Arielle; she’ll recover.”

Sebastian followed her words and merely nodded his head. An instant later, he said. “I know…I know…and I love you all for being here.” He stared out the window and saw the daylight vanishing. “Mum, Dad, you don’t have to stay here any longer. She can’t have visitors anyway, but I’ll stay with her through the night.”

“All right, son,” his father said and patted him on the back reassuringly. “We’ll come back tomorrow to check on Arielle.” They hugged him once again.

“Loren, are you coming with us?” Olivia questioned, glancing at Loren still in Sebastian’s embrace.

“Yes,” she replied and, pressing a kiss to her brother’s cheek, she fell into step alongside her parents. She waved back to her friends and they walked out.

Sebastian shifted his gaze to his friends. They were sitting on the other side of the room quietly, giving him time alone with his parents.

“You guys don’t have to stay either,” he said softly.

Eva jumped to her feet, and the others followed. They all approached him thoughtfully.