Dreams of Reality (24 page)

Skye saw the liquid coming towards Thaddeus and Laroche. Running to Thaddeus, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away just as the liquid touched Laroche’s pants leg. The flames followed only a second later and Laroche was engulfed in flames in minutes. He began to scream in pain as the fire enveloped him from head to toe.

Skye ran for a fire extinguisher as Thaddeus took his jacket off to try to get Laroche to roll the fire out. Thaddeus took the extinguisher away and told her to get back as he aimed it toward Laroche. She could hear the sirens in the background as Thaddeus put the fire out on Laroche, but it was too late.

Skye went behind Thaddeus and circled her arms around his chest. He turned to face her, holding close feeling comforted by her body against his. She could feel his body was shuddering needing her closeness.

Thaddeus held her closer, but he didn’t put down his guard until he felt her body relaxed into his. Now would be the time to make everything up to her. Yes, he had done a great wrong to her. One he was very sorry for, but on the other hand, he could not feel sorry for doing it.

Making love to her had been the greatest experience ever and he would have done it all over again given the chance. Yet, he wanted more than just her body, or her consent, which she had not given freely. He wanted to posses all of her - willingly.

Chapter 20

Moving back in her house escorted by the police, had not been that difficult. For three months she had been holed up inside of a hotel room, until Cole Forsythe was caught crossing the Wisconsin/Canadian border and charged with murder, money laundering, illegal drug trade—including prosecution charges involving possession, manufacture and selling of GHB—prostitution, and attempted murder against seventeen young women, including Skye, who testified. He and his major cohorts would serve for lifetimes to come without the chance of parole.

Somehow Alan Coleman had survived the assault from her and was given a life sentence, but he was also suffering from GHB withdrawal in the Wayne County Jail. He was having symptoms such as babbling, drooling, and lapsing into semi-unconsciousness.

Skye was glad it was over, but the whole ordeal had given her Insomnia. Every time she tried to lie down, she would just imagine the night with Thaddeus. Everything was coming back to her as the drug was wearing off. She had been given medication and placed on a diet to increase brain activity to counteract any of the drugs negative affects on her neurological system. The more she took of the medication Dr. Johnson prescribed for her, the better she remembered—vividly.

They were not horrible memories. Matter of fact, they were all so beautiful and sweet. She was touched at how much intimacy had really transpired between them and Thaddeus had held up his deal to the officers to make her unconscious experience bearable and pleasant. Yet, she could not forgive him.

He knew she had not been in a willing state of consciousness, but allowed himself to make love to her when he knew everything from the beginning. He had tried to come into contact with her. The roses, the cards, the poems, and the telephone calls: all of which she never accepted. He had tried to come by several times, but she specifically told the officers that guarded her door not to let him in. She wanted nothing to do with him ever again.

So why did she hurt so badly? Why did she feel so sad? She wondered all the time when she denied him to see her. Why did she want to make love to him over and over again?

Dr. Johnson told her she would have emotional attachment because of what was shared between them, but she shouldn’t distinguished her need for companionship from what her fantasies were. Most time when the doctor came to the hotel, she had a feeling the doctor did not care for Thaddeus and that he was putting a lot of things in her head to sway her from what she was really feeling.

Yet sometimes, the doctor did have a point. She could be mixing her emotions with what she wanted to be true. If she made love to him in reality maybe it wouldn’t be the same as it was because she couldn’t imagine feeling so good when she was alert and in her right mind.

Her mind pondered these thoughts as she sat up at watching Matlock reruns; Infomercials or the New Years celebration wondering whom was he kissing at midnight.

“Ms Patterson,” Craig called out to her.

She knew the cops must have let him in her home. Sergeant Nolan had ordered she receive protection for two extra months after the trial and even surveillance until the end of the year. This had made testifying a little easier, but she still feared going out a little.

“How’s it going?” the handsome detective asked, walking into the living room where she was knelt over her busted computer, looking quite upset and violated.

“Not good, as you can see. They completely trashed my house, probably looking for the vials I took.” She had turned all the evidence over to the police initially, not wanting it as her responsibility anymore. “It’s a good thing I backed up all my files and Sheila was helping me with billing and assigning work.”

Sheila had even done the transcribing for the Newman Enterprises Lyn assigned to the service; because Skye didn’t want to even imagine doing anything for him if she didn’t have to. The longer she disassociated herself from him, the better she was able to sort out her emotions.

“How’s your arm?” she asked, noting he was still sporting a sling for his arm, but no bandages.

The bullet had shattered his shoulder, but with a lot of pins and steel the doctor’s replaced the entire joint making it almost new.

“Great, matter of fact, I’ll be back to work by the end of the year,” he said very proudly, and then decided to get down to business.

“Well, I have good news for you.”

She stood up. “Should I sit down for this?”

“No, you’re fine.” He handed her an envelope from his inside jacket pocket. On the front was her name typed neatly. It was addressed from a law practice downtown.

Upon opening the envelope, she gasped. “What is this?” she asked, looking at the check for five hundred thousand dollars and some change.

“It’s a bonus you could say. Remember that lawyer friend of mine, who paid you a visit to help you cover your medical costs from what the medical center did to you?”

She nodded apprehensively.

“Well, he took it upon himself to fight the cases of all the women who were affected by these doctors and sued their estate. You’d already granted him permission to use your testimonies and name in his litigation with the doctor’s lawyers, so he proceeded to win every case for you. After taking out his cut, this was what was left for all the women divided up, from all three doctor’s estates.”

She sat down in her desk chair staring at all the zeros on the check. It was amazing and she couldn’t believe it. “What about Dr. Carter?”

“His trial is coming up, for attempted murder, and GHB possession. He should get life or at least no parole for about fifteen years. The state plans to be hard to people involved in any GHB handling charges to send a message to all the ones that got away or dealing it. Either way, he’s destitute.”

“It’s all mine?”

“Yes, but the lawyer said if you didn’t mind he took the liberty of putting aside the money already that you owe the IRS and at tax time he would deposit this amount into your account. He’s also set up the services of a very impressive profiled investment clerk, who is also an accountant who could rightly set you up for a very nice life. His card is in the envelope and he said if you felt comfortable enough to give him a call, he’ll be waiting”

She was so shocked. Looking up at him through tear stung eyes, she tried to smile in appreciation. But was so flabbergasted, smiling seemed complex. “Thank you so much.” Standing up, she hugged him tightly.

He flushed from her appreciation through his somewhat dark brown sugared sugared. “It’s no problem. Unfortunately, it’s not me who you should thank.”

Just looking up into his eyes, she knew whom Craig wanted to say, but she had made him promise not to say that man’s name in her presence if he wanted to speak with her. Thaddeus had tried to use Craig to get to her, but Craig didn’t want to jeopardize the friendship he had grown to like with Skye and respected her wishes.

She moved away from him turning her back on him. “If I was a hateful person I would give it all back.”

“Why? It’s yours. It rightfully belongs to you. Thaddeus just got better and faster results because of his influence in certain places. He made sure all the other women and their families were paid off. You were a valuable key to all of this, and without you those women would have nothing.”

She faced him. “Do I have to thank him personally then, or will you do it for me?”

“I could do it for you,” he said reluctantly, “but I’d much rather you do it.”

Skye knew she was acting silly. Good Lord, he was just a man and people had sex everyday. It should not bother her so much that she had experienced a good time, but it was. Maybe because she had never expected to enjoy sex after her awful memories of it when she was younger. “Would he like me to thank him personally?”

It felt too soon, but she decided to go ahead and do it. “I will meet him at Fishbone’s downtown restaurant. I think meeting Mr. Newman at an intimate place such as his apartment would not be appropriate and you can tell him I said so.”

Craig nodded in agreement. “Don’t let him get the upper hand, Skye.”

“You bet your broken arm I won’t,” she promised.

* * *

Dressed in a simple after five black dress of rayon that flowed down to her knees and some pleasant pumps. She walked into Fishbone’s restaurant feeling as if a million butterflies were in her stomach. She had swept her hair up in a tight ponytail tucked under with several ringlets to grace around the edges of her hairline to bring the softness out in her face. With a light layer of make up to just her lips and eyes, her natural beauty was very evident.

The host greeted her at the door and she really wasn’t sure what to say.

“Do you have reservations?” he asked.

“N-No,” she said nervously noting that it was rather quiet and she didn’t see anyone around. This was strange for this very popular restaurant on a Thursday night. “I’m meeting a Mr. Newman.”

“Ah!” he said excitedly. “Please come this way, he has been eagerly expecting you, Ms Patterson.” He led her through the restaurant, which was empty to a cubbyhole on a raised dais.

Thaddeus was seated there in a nice gray Louis Vitton suit. When they approached he stood and flashed a heart-dropping smile that could melt ice.

Lowering her eyes, she decided not to show her emotions just about yet. The attendant left them alone after taking her coat and getting her order for a nice white wine.

After seating her, Thaddeus sat across from her feeling a bit hesitant as well, but she could hardly notice because she was too involved with her own emotions.

‘Just thank him and forget how gorgeous he looks,’ she told herself, forcing herself not to enjoying just the wonderful smell of him and how it brought back all those sensual feelings inside of her.

“You look beautiful,” he complimented her.

“Thank you, but I didn’t come here to get smoke blown up my butt, Mr. Newman. I would like to get to the issues at hand.” She paused as a waiter delivered their drinks.

Thaddeus had ordered a club soda too uptight to drink any alcohol. He took the liberty of ordering food for her, she didn’t mind and once the waiter was gone, she continued to speak.

Calming herself down, knowing that she had sounded bitter and angry, she spoke in a cool voice. “I’m upset with you. Not because we made love. Remembering it all. I could sense you were very attracted to me and that there was a lot of emotions and resistance to making love to me, but I can understand the lust you felt.” That was because she had felt it also, but she wasn’t going to admit that to him now.

“I am still very attracted to you, Skye, much more. I want-”

She cut him off. “Please let me finish, Mr. Newman.”

Thaddeus nodded in acquiesce, but he was worried about what decision she had come to. Her mind seemed set and determined and he didn’t know if he could find the words to make her want to see him again. Damn! He could even accept being friends with her, just to be close to her. He had missed her more than she could ever know and more than he could ever put into words to make her understand.

“I’m upset with you because when you knew, you could have come and let me know, you didn’t and it caused a lot of mental stress upon me before and after the incident. You deceived me. You could have stopped at any moment even after I arrived that night and gave me the sleeping serum.” While she waited for trial, Dr. Johnson told her about the serum. “You didn’t and there is no way to take back the nights, and there is no way to apologize for what could have been a horrible experience for me.”

Thaddeus had known this and the guilt showed in his eyes as to how sorry he was that she just wanted to reach over and kiss him to let him know everything was okay, but she wanted to also let him stew about it too, because the attention he poured upon her for his actions were just the sweetest.

When he was sure she was done, so he could speak, Thaddeus chose his words carefully and allowed to breath himself to calmness before speaking. “I can never apologize enough for what I did. Just knowing I would get a chance to have you made me push all common sense away. I wanted you and when the opportunity came, I took it. I wanted you more than life itself and I still want you, Skye.” He gently took her stiff hands in his. “I’ve cursed, bullied and argued with myself over these last months, over what I did to you, Skye, and I know there is no way in the world you could possibly forgive me, but I’ve come to realize a thing or two about myself and us.”