Shattered: A Psychic Visions Novel (8 page)

He’d win in this issue too if her new husband-to-be wasn’t faster – smarter – meaner.

She didn’t think he was.

Worse – she wasn’t sure she could trust him?

God, she had to be nuts to be thinking about this. Surely there was another choice. But as she stared at her injured legs, she realized she needed help as never before. She couldn’t run away again. Not on her own.

Likely her father would find her store and run her into the ground there. The only reason he hadn’t done so already was he hadn’t looked in that direction yet. Besides, he wouldn’t believe she had the business sense to buy and run a florist shop in the first place. She might not have at the beginning, but she had learned. She’d also hired the old owners to teach her the ropes. They’d wanted to retire to go travelling, having crossed the sixty line, but didn’t really want to retire to the point of being bored. That arrangement had worked for both.

Many of the customers had stayed with the shop because of the older couple and seeing them help her out had given her reputation a boost. Then hiring her manager, she’d done fairly well for herself.

But she didn’t want her new husband to have any of it. Shit. She didn’t understand any of this mess. She figured she should have some kind of document in place between her and Trevor, but he was a lawyer. He could document her to death and she could still miss out on having the right ones to protect herself.

Then again, he wasn’t exactly getting a bargain with her either. In fact, she’d be setting him up. Shit. She couldn’t do it. Will would go after him. Maybe even kill him.

How could she accept his offer of help if she was signing his death warrant?

She couldn’t. There’d be no wedding.

And that meant she couldn’t escape her future.

She’d be a prisoner for life.

*

Outwardly calm, Trevor
strode down the hallway, but inside he was keyed up. He’d been involved in too many cases not to know how delicate this situation was. The guard stood outside the door, his attention on his phone, but Trevor wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking he wasn’t aware of every step he took toward Hannah’s room.

That the guard was still there was a good sign. It meant Goodman, Hannah’s father, hadn’t managed to get her out of the hospital yet. Trevor had been busy throwing as many legal roadblocks as he could find. That’s when he found out the man likely
was
a billionaire, and Hannah his only daughter. This marriage thing would have serious repercussion for Hannah. She could be disinherited and likely cut off from her father forever, given everything Trevor had managed to learn about the man in the last hour. Goodman hated to lose. And if Trevor pulled this off, he’d lose his daughter to Trevor.

If the man loved Hannah then he’d work with Trevor to see she got the best help available.

Stefan figured that help was Maddy. Trevor wasn’t going to argue. If Stefan could get them an hour of Dr. Maddy’s time, it could tell them so much, and if it didn’t then maybe Trevor was needed more than he thought. At the door, the guard straightened and threw an arm out across the doorway to stop him.

Trevor shot him a disgusted look and shoved his arm out of the way. And damn if there wasn’t an electrical shock as he connected. Shit. Trevor shot him a dirty look and caught Will’s smug grin.

Will was a man of power.

Did Hannah know? Did she even know what that meant?

He wanted to ask but figured this wasn’t the time. Besides, Hannah was eating, like seriously eating.

Again, like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. Yet he’d watched her polish off scones and muffins for breakfast. Now she was plowing into a bowl of soup and a sandwich. He stopped and waited for her to see him. He didn’t want to startle her, and if he had a chance he wanted to see if that same dark shadow showed up again on her face.

He’d been dealing with Stefan too long to not know something psychic was going on here. But was it to her benefit or detriment?

Her aura was still thin. Strong but such a narrow band that he couldn’t read it.

She was skinny and ate thousands of calories right now. Was this an unnaturally high metabolism or was something else going on?

“You can come in you know,” she said without raising her head. “I don’t bite.”

“I wonder if that sandwich would agree with you,” he murmured, approaching the bed. “It looks like you’re starving.”

She nodded. “I’m always starving. Started when I was a teen and it just keeps getting worse. Of course I’ve been tested for everything, but apparently no one knows what’s wrong.” She lifted the sandwich and took a big bite. Then eyed him. In a low voice she said, “I changed my mind about marrying you.”

He raised his eyebrows. Oh, interesting and dare he say – almost a relief. “Of course you have.” He sat down on the visitor’s chair. “And why is that?”

She nodded to Will standing at the doorway and lowered her voice to a whisper, “He’ll likely kill you, then I’ll just be a widow and still at my father’s mercy. Only now, a very angry father.”

Trevor blinked at the reality she’d laid out so calmly. “Really?”

She shrugged. “Given the circumstances it’s all too likely,” she said candidly. “Of course no one will know. I’ll be widowed today – and tomorrow he’ll bring up the issue that my husband’s unfortunate demise added to my ‘delicate’ sensibilities and speed my mental decline.’”

He sat back as the reality of the situation hit him. It would sound like that. No matter how many legal issues came up, her father could make a case for such a series of events.

“I guess I need to add a few pieces of paper to the stack we need to sign then,” he said calmly.

She frowned at him and took another bite. “What kind of papers?”

“Well, I have the marriage license but figured that to protect your assets we needed to sign a prenuptial agreement so I can’t legally take your money. And now you’re going to sign one that allows my law firm to defend you in the chance of my death or injury that stops me from being able to protect you from your family.”

“Can you do that?” she asked in a harsh whisper. She straightened, then glanced at Will and hunched down again to whisper, “Is that possible?”

Trevor nodded. “All kinds of things are possible. The bottom line is you need to trust me to do this right. We can always add or change paperwork later to tie up any loopholes and lock down trust funds to keep you and your money safe, but we have to stop him right now. Or he can have you declared mentally incompetent and that is seriously difficult to reverse.”

She stared at him, the bite of sandwich sticking in her throat as she thought of those options. He was sticking his neck out to help at a huge cost, and she was grateful as all hell. But, there was something in that gaze, something special. She wanted to believe him, believe in him.

“I don’t think I could live with the guilt if something happened to you because you were trying to help me,” she whispered.

“I’m doing this with my eyes open,” he said. Only instinct prodded him forward. In fact, his actions stunned him, but he was quickly becoming okay with them.

“But why? Why would you do this for me?” Her gaze was intense as she studied his face. “It’s crazy.”

“It’s not crazy. Legal issues that have to be put in place to protect you. And if you don’t want to stay married then we can process an annulment as well. Although I suggest we don’t do so too quickly.”

She blinked. “And if you meet someone?”

“Else you mean? Other than you who will be my wife?” he said with a wicked grin. “Not likely. But if I do then if she’s right for me, she’ll understand. If she doesn’t she wasn’t, and I’m in no different a situation than before. However, at no time will I be looking, and as your husband, I will be standing at your side, not dating other women.”

She took another bite of sandwich and chewed it slowly. “What about you?” he asked. “Do you have someone in your life?”

She shook her head. “Not for years. I didn’t want to drag anyone into the craziness that my world had become.”

“Good. Unless there’s someone you can’t remember. Other than that, we’re both single. Unemotionally attached and adults. Then,” he glanced at his watch, “all I need to know now is…”

Realizing it was the first and could possibly be the last time he’d ever ask this question, he hopped up onto the bed, reached for her hand, and in a low careful tone asked, “Will you be my wife?”

Tears shimmered in her gaze. He didn’t know if that was because this was not the proposal every young woman dreamed of or because of the reason behind this legal maneuvering, but he hoped it wasn’t because he was the opposite of the type of man she’d like to have asking her this question.

Even given the circumstances, there was a solemnity to the moment he’d rarely experienced.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

“I need to hear the words,” he said gently.

“If you are prepared for the consequences, then I will marry you and become your wife.”

“W
hat do we
do about Will?” she murmured in a low voice. “It’s going to get ugly.”

“No, it isn’t. Trust me, remember?” He hopped off the bed as an orderly walked in. The newcomer smiled at Trevor then at Hannah and said, “Time for a set of X-rays on those ribs. The doc’s not happy with the ones we took last night.”

“Oh.” She glanced up at Trevor in surprise, but reassured by his wink she let herself be helped into a wheelchair, a pink blanket around her knees, a chart placed in her hands before being wheeled out of the room.

The orderly said to Will, “We’ll have her back in about twenty minutes.” He took her down the hallway. She turned to look behind her, but Will was staring at her, a thunderous frown on his face. He pulled out his phone as they turned the corner.

Of Trevor there was no sign.

She was wheeled for another couple of minutes, around several corners and into an elevator then downstairs and down another hallway. A door opened and she was wheeled into…a small chapel. She gasped at the beautiful candles and the large bouquets of flowers. Stefan walked forward, a stunning woman at his side. She held a gentle bouquet of lilies.

“I’m Mina. Stefan has said so much about you. I’m so sorry for all this trouble.”

“I’m sorry,” Hannah said in a low voice. “I didn’t mean to cause such a fuss.”

Mina smiled and damn, it was as if the heavy air of the solemn occasion suddenly lit up. “Everything happens for a reason. But no one should be alone at a time like this.”

She handed the bouquet to Hannah and said, “If you are okay with it, Stefan and I will stand as your witnesses.”

Witnesses. Good Lord, she hadn’t thought about any of that. “Of course,” she said warmly. “And thank you so much for offering. And for the flowers,” she added hurriedly.

Stefan grabbed the back of the wheelchair and slowly wheeled her toward Trevor who somehow appeared at the front. “Our pleasure. And if you decide that this marriage stands, then we can redo this whole ceremony at my house at a later date.”

He meant as in making this a real marriage.
Oh Lord.
She couldn’t think of that right now. This was too big and at the same time, she knew secrecy was paramount. If her father burst in…

With Mina walking at their side, the trio approached the front where Trevor stood, looking resplendent in his suit. She was still in her hospital gown and…her hand reached up…dried blood in her hair.

“Don’t worry about it,” Mina said. “You look beautiful.”

There was such sincerity in her voice that even though it wasn’t true, it was a balm to Hannah’s soul.

At the end of the aisle, Stefan arranged her wheelchair so she was parked beside Trevor. He reached down and picked up her hand.

Outside, she could hear footsteps running down the hallway, not one set, but several.

She frowned but the minister in front of them was speaking. She glanced up at Trevor. He kept his gaze on the minister but squeezed her hand in reassurance.

The footsteps were followed by shouting.

She could hear someone shouting, “Where is it? Damn it. The room has to be here somewhere.”