Lyon on a Leash (27 page)

“I hear what you’re saying, but that changes nothing. When she wakes up, she’ll tell me what she wants. And if this was all a game, she’ll dismiss me.” He met her dark gaze again. “But she’s the only one who can.”

She spun away and threw up her hands. “Stubborn. I told her you were stubborn.”

“What are you worried about?” he asked with a sardonic grin. “I agreed to leave if Vera releases me from service. If this is a game for her, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

She waved him off and sat in the chair on the left side of the bed. After what seemed like a long time, Marguerite spoke. “She looks so small. I hate seeing her like this.”

Marcus nodded.

“I had Reeves talk to the police officer. They seem convinced it was an accident. The man in the car didn’t survive.” Her chest expanded. “The family in the third car that hit her from behind had slight bumps and bruises.” She chuckled dryly. “Ironically, they’re being charged with the accident.”

“They walked away?”

She nodded. “It’s good, because they had a couple of kids in the car. The guy claimed he could barely see because of the rain. He said she slowed and they both changed lanes at the same time.” She shrugged. “So far, there’s no sign of foul play.”

Marcus continued rubbing Vera’s fingers as he thought on what Marguerite had said.

“Thirsty,” Vera said softly.

Marcus had the cup of ice chips in his hand and placed a chip on her parched lips. “Easy,” he said softly as he rubbed the chip across her lip before allowing her to take it in. She sighed for a moment and then looked at him. “More?”

“Yes.” Her voice came out a scratchy whisper. She glanced to her left but then looked back at him. He placed the ice on her lips until she sucked it in. Her eyes closed for a few moments and then she sent him a small smile.

Her gaze switched between the two of them. “Marge?”

The older woman nodded. “Yes, baby. I was here with you last night, you remember?”

“Not really. Things fuzzy.” She glanced at Marcus and his breath caught.

“Singing?”

His face heated as Marguerite looked at him with a quizzical expression.

He coughed into his free hand. “Yeah. I tried, anyway.”

Her fingers flexed.

He took them in his and looked at her.

“Sound good.”

He laughed. Without thinking, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, but I know better,” he murmured close to her ear before standing.

Her lip lifted on the corner. “Nurse.”

Marguerite pressed the button. “She’s asking for a nurse.”

When the nurse entered, she was frowning. “Yes?”

“Hurt.”

The nurse read something on her chart. “It’s too soon to give you more pain meds. Let me contact the doctor to see if he wants to change the medication.” She walked out of the room.

Vera’s eyes had closed. It was obvious she was in pain. He released her hand to find someone and demand they give her something.

“Marcus?” she whispered.

He turned back and took her hand.

“Don’t.” Her eyes sparkled for a moment before losing their luster again.

The nurse walked in with a smile as she stuck a needle into the IV. “This should help and won’t make you too drowsy.” She looked at Marcus. “Let me know if this doesn’t work.”

He nodded and looked at Vera.

Her eyes opened and she breathed noisily.

He smiled and stroked her cheek. “Better?’

“Better.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Marguerite asked.

He’d wondered how long she’d sit on the sidelines. Sitting back in his chair, he gave her the floor. Vera was staying awake for longer periods of time but he was under no illusion. She had a long, painful journey ahead.

“No. Glad to see you.” She and Marguerite looked at each other for a few moments before Vera looked at him. “Are you sleeping?”

Not really
. “Yes, I’m sleeping. What about you?”

“You look…tired,” she said, her brows furrowing.

“I’m fine, Mistress.”

Her lip curled in her new version of a smile. “Vera,” she whispered.

“Okay, Vera, but always my Mistress.”

“Yes,” she said on a whisper as she closed her eyes.

He sat, watching her rest and wondering when Marguerite was going to drop the next hammer. It didn’t take long.

“Well, I can see she appreciates everything you’re doing, Marcus. Still, I’m not so sure you’re the right person to oversee her care. I mean, what about her bills? Can you pay her mortgage without using all her savings? Her car? Utilities? I know she didn’t want you to pay household bills before, but the game has changed.”

“You plan to pay her mortgage and car note?” he asked, surprised at how little Marguerite knew about Vera’s affairs, especially her insurance benefits. Although he knew how to access his Mistress’ accounts and could take over her finances, he wouldn’t do that without her permission. Neither would he pay her bills with his own money without her permission. That was asking for trouble down the line.

“I can if it came to that.”

“It won’t come to that, Marguerite.” He infused warmth into his voice. Arguing over his Mistress’ future was a wasted exercise. Once she was stronger, she’d make her own decisions and he would honor them at that time.

“You don’t know that. Even the doctors are unsure if there is any brain damage.”

“The swelling has gone down. She is getting better every day. They fixed her breaks and that was the last thing. We have to wait, take it a day at a time,” he said, parroting what his mother had said a few hours ago.

“I know. It’s hard, and I feel helpless.”

He understood her frustration.

“You love her?”

“With my life. Anything she needs, I’ll get it for her. I won’t allow her to lose her house or car. But I won’t step in and run things, either. As long as she can communicate, I’ll take instructions from her.”

“She may not be thinking rationally with the trauma she’s had to the head.”

His head snapped up. “Outside. We’ll talk outside.”

Marguerite nodded as he took long strides to the exit.

Once Vera’s door closed, he spoke. “You sound like a doctor and even they don’t know everything for sure. Let me say this as plainly as I can.” She met his hard stare. “Vera is not a mental case. She has had an accident and is clawing her way back to good health with each breath she takes. She wants her life back. Mistress is as independent as they come, and I plan to help her regain that independence.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. I know she’s independent,” Marguerite snapped. “I helped her grow that way. You don’t have to tell me what she’s going to do. I know one day she’ll be back to herself. It’s the interim I’m worried about. How will she survive each day, the next three-hundred-sixty-five days?”

She looked at him her face serious. “I’m not downplaying what you feel. Right now, I know you feel like you’d pick up the world and carry my baby on top of it. My concern isn’t about right now.” She waved her hand around the corridor. “It’s about ninety days from now when she has to go to therapy and she refuses to go. Or when she gets depressed, and it will happen.” She eyed him. “Her depression will be linked to not being able to function the way she wants, or feeling it’s taking too long to get better. What happens when she screams at you, tells you she hates you, and demands you leave? Depression is ugly and it hurts those closest in the line of fire. She might become violent, or sadistic, things she’s never been before. What will happen then?” She crossed her arms and leaned forward. “What happens in six months and the money runs out? Huh? And she needs medicine or needs to go to therapy? Her leg is going to take a long time to heal. Who knows about her back and mind?”

Jaw tight, he stared at her. It wasn’t that he thought the next year or five years were going to be easy. Hell, the last six months had started out shaky. But the idea of quitting because things might get hard didn’t cut it for him. He expected Vera to vent. There was no doubt in his mind things would get ugly. His lady had a strong will, but so did he. It took everything in him not to tell Marguerite where she and her opinions could go, but he knew that’d distress Vera.

She blew out a stream of air and clasped her hands. “Look, I believe you’ll do the best you can. You can’t blame me for wanting the best for her. And from where I’m standing, I think she’d be better off with me in Tennessee.” She shrugged.

“She loves you and thinks of you as family,” he said in a low voice, finding his way through his tumultuous emotions. He wanted to lash out. She’d pissed him off. “Out of respect for her feelings, I’m not going to respond to a lot of the insulting things you’ve just said. I believe if Vera were able to talk to you right now, she’d tell you not to worry about her financial situation. I know you really don’t know her monetary status, and since she hasn’t shared it with you, neither will I. But when I tell you she won’t lose anything, I know what I’m talking about.”

Her brow rose to an absurd height. “You have access to her accounts?”

He nodded. “Yes. I have for a while.”

Her mouth opened and closed. “I don’t believe it.”

He shrugged. “In every castle, there is one queen. It’s not reasonable to expect my queen to sit up in your castle. She’s too accustomed to running things a certain way.” He thought of all her quirks and knew staying with Marguerite would never work. “What you think is best and what will work for my lady are two different things and we are not going to agree. Vera will make up her own mind when the time comes.”

“She’ll pick you.” Her voice hitched. She coughed and turned away from him. Tension charged the immediate atmosphere. He knew she wasn’t finished. Like any mother protecting her young, she’d find some way to assuage the fear in her heart. He understood and prepared for the fallout.

“If anything happens to her, if she doesn’t get better, or her treatments stall, there’s no excuses. You understand me?” Her voice had taken on a dark, dangerous tone. He’d never heard her speak like this and gave her his attention.

“I believe so.”

“No.” She spun around. Nostrils flared, she stabbed her finger toward him. “You’d better make sure you understand this right now. Because I’ll never give you another chance.” Her eyes narrowed.

He inhaled, feeling the weight of her words and threat. No, not a threat. Based on the little he knew of her, this was a promise. “In that case, could you be more explicit?”

“If my child gets worse instead of better, or if she doesn’t get better, even if her treatments aren’t working, I’ll take it out on your ass.” Eyes bright, she nodded as though driven by something beyond her control. “You got that? Is that clear enough for you?”

“Crystal. If things aren’t going the way you think they should, you’ll have someone take it out on my ass.” He cocked his head. “Is that it?”

She hesitated and then huffed. “Exactly.”

Vera smiled as the nurse brought in another arrangement of roses. The perfume from the collection of flowers was overpowering again. It was time to have the nurses take the bulk of them home. It had been two and a half weeks since her accident. According to her doctors, she had made good progress.

Marguerite walked in with a large shopping bag. “Morning, sweetie. How you feeling today?”

“Better. I’m ready to go home. Doctor said he might clear me in a couple of days. There are more tests they want to run to make sure everything’s all right here.” She tapped her forehead. “The neurologist cleared me the other day.”

Marguerite smiled. “That’s wonderful. So, no nerve or back damage?”

Vera shook her head. Her speech slurred on occasion but that was getting better every day. “Nothing they can find right now. Of course I have to be careful and there’s a laundry list of things I have to look out for and call if I see any signs. I think Marcus posted them on the refrigerator and our bedrooms.”

Marguerite looked around the room. “Where is he? It’s weird being in your room without him standing guard.”

Vera sighed and tried to straighten the pillow behind her. Marguerite walked over and fixed them so she could sit at a comfortable angle. “Thanks.”

Marguerite nodded and pulled up a chair. “Drina said she’d call you tonight. She left last night to go back home.”

Vera nodded. “It was great seeing her and the babies. She looked real good. Some women can have baby after baby and bounce back into shape. But others….”

“I know. Everybody is different.” She leaned forward and picked up her bag. “Speaking of different bodies, I picked you up something.” She pulled out a royal blue fleece robe and matching slippers. “You’ve had on that robe on since you left intensive care a week and a half ago. Let Marcus wash it and bring it back later. It won’t hurt to have a change of clothes.”

Vera chuckled. “You’re right. He should be here soon. I’ll get him to help me change.”

“I’m here. I can help.” Marguerite stood. “What do I need to do?”