Ellie could hear voices but they seemed like they were coming from a tunnel. She was trapped wherever she was. She tried to move, to open her eyes and none of her efforts worked. Where am I? She whimpered as she now heard a voice. “I will have you and no one will want you after I’m through, especially that fucking Morgan Hunt.”
Ellie began breathing fast. She needed to get out of here. He had her trapped good this time. Now she heard chains rattling. Oh, god. She was hanging in chains and her nude body was exposed. She felt his hands all over her skin.
Someone would come right? Morgan would be here soon. Right?
Now another voice was speaking, “You are nothing but a billionaire’s sex toy, a plaything. When he’s done playing, he will be mine.”
It was that Daphne bitch. She had stood in their home and told Ellie the truth. A truth Morgan had kept from her.
“I told my father no. I refused the merger. I love you Ellie.”
Yes, Ellie remembered it now. She was going to see someone who could tell her the truth. Someone who could save Morgan from himself. She knew she couldn’t let him ruin himself. Yes, she’d been angry that he’d kept it from her, but her fear of him being poor overrode that anger. No, she couldn’t let him do it. He would be half the man he was now. You can’t just strip everything from a man like him and expect him to be the same…to be okay. Could it be that Ellie herself had been the very worst thing to happen to Morgan?
Ever since he’d pulled her from the fire, his life had gone down a dark hole. Scandal, turmoil, and hateful acts. No wonder he’d hesitated when it came to having a relationship with her. No one could blame him. Then finally, when he’d been certain they should have a future, she finds out that his future would be ruined if she was selfish enough to keep him with her.
His father would cut him off and he would have nothing. No more being a CEO, no more wealth, no inheritance. Ellie couldn’t allow herself to be the reason he was ruined. She couldn’t watch that downward spiral of the man she loved beyond words.
So, where am I now? It’s dark and quiet. I remember something from before…Her body froze. MORGAN! He’d been shot! Then she woke up in a hospital and couldn’t see. Did they find him? Her breathing picked up again, as she fought to get awake to find out—
“Miss White?”
There, that was the nurse’s voice she’d heard earlier. Ellie opened her mouth to speak. Nothing came out. I can’t even ask about him! I can’t see and now I can’t speak. I’m blind and mute. NO! I need to know if he is okay. She tried again, “M-morgannn?”
Someone squeezed her hand. “It will be okay, Miss White.”
Ellie shook her head back and forth. NO! No, it won’t!
“Just try to stay calm. We will find out about Mr. Hunt for you. Okay? Squeeze my hand if you understand.”
Ellie squeezed her hand.
“There now. See? Everything is fine and I have people searching for Mr. Hunt and as soon as we—”
A big boom cut off her words. It sounded like a door slamming open and hitting the wall.
“Where is she?”
Ellie gasped. Morgan?
The nurse let go of her hand. “You can’t just come in here and—”
“The hell I can’t!”
Ellie tried to speak but her throat had swollen up. He was alive!
“Sir, you need to back up and we will clear you to see her at the desk.”
Silence.
Ellie waited, straining to hear any noise, any word he might say.
Nothing.
Had she imagined this? Hallucinating that Morgan had been here? She knew she hadn’t been right in the head ever since her Cooper had crashed. Maybe all of this was like her hearing Hillborn speaking when that wasn’t possible. She was crazy or she was dead and this was hell.
There was shuffling and the nurse whispered something that Ellie couldn’t hear. Then she heard the shutting of a door.
Silence again.
Ellie felt tears fill her eyes. It had been a dream or a sign that she was truly insane. It had to be, cause if Morgan had really been here, no one could have stopped him from seeing her.
Morgan allowed the nurse to move him out to the hall. He felt numb. When he’d burst in, he had intended to go in, be by her side and face whatever it was that had happened.
Then he took in the sight before him.
Ellie lying in the hospital bed and her face looking whiter than the bed sheets—bandages over her eyes. Her delicate hands covered in ugly cuts and her arms covered in purple bruises. Tubes were hooked up to her and machines were all around her. The ghastly sight of his beautiful little Ellie hurt and helpless had literally taken the breath from his lungs. She didn’t even seem to be awake or speaking. Was she in a coma? His whole body had frozen. His heart had pounded so hard. Then suddenly, he felt as if his heart had stopped. He couldn’t breathe. How bad could it have gotten, that all this had happened?
“Morgan?”
How can I repair this? I never even repaired what that freak had done to her. I just let it go by as if it had never happened. Then for Daphne to come into their home and destroy what Morgan had built so carefully with Ellie? That had caused Ellie to run off, thinking she had ruined his future. Hurt again. She’d been hurt yet again! And I didn’t protect her enough.
“Morgan!”
Finally, he raised his gaze to stare blankly at Chance.
“What the hell, man?” Chance looked upset. “What happened? Isn’t this her room?”
Morgan found he couldn’t speak. The man with the art of words, always with an answer, always with the verbal solution and now he was at a loss as to how to explain what he just saw.
Chance looked puzzled and concerned. “S-she is alive, right?” His face looked two shades paler than normal.
Morgan shook his head. No, she wasn’t dead, but not for lack of trying by the fates, or his cruel life, his lies, his deceit, his selfish ways.
Chance sighed and turned to the door. He quietly opened it a crack and peeked in. Gasping, he then shut the door with a soft click. He turned around to face a stunned Morgan, his face whiter than it had been a moment ago. “Fuck!”
“Mr. Hunt?” The nurse stepped closer to him and grasped his arm. “Are you alright?”
Morgan suddenly snapped out of his daze and grabbed her upper arms. “NO!”
Chance shook his head and stepped close, seeming to know what would be coming next. “Now, Morgan, just stay calm—”
“Why are her eyes bandaged?” Morgan questioned. “Is she coherent? Was there brain injury? Can she speak? What can be done for her?” he shouted.
The nurse gaped at him for a moment. “Please try to calm—”
“Fuck that!” He easily raised her from the floor. “Tell me what’s wrong with her.”
The nurse squeaked as her feet left the floor and she gawked down at the very large, very upset man who was holding her high in the air.
“MORGAN!” Chance stepped close to get him to let go of the nurse.
“Security!” someone yelled from behind them.
“Shit!” Chance grumbled while looking panicked. “Morgan, you need to quit. Get ahold of yourself, man!”
“Tell me! Is she okay?” Morgan yelled.
The sound of pounding feet clamored across the tiled floor.
“Let her go!” a deep male voice ordered.
“Listen guys, he’s just upset,” Chance pleaded. “He won’t hurt her. Just everybody stay calm here and I’ll talk him down, okay?”
Morgan didn’t care what the hell these idiots were doing because he needed answers. How was he going to help her?
“M-Mr. H-unt—p-please put me down,” the nurse pleaded as her eyes were round in her terrified face.
Morgan shook his head. Didn’t they understand? His Ellie was lying in there hurt and helpless, blind!
Chance spoke again, “Now wait just a damn minute people, we can all talk this out, don’t do that!”
Morgan felt an electric shock hitting his back. His breath seized in his chest as he let the nurse go and slumped down.
“Dammit!” Chance leapt forward and caught him as they both hit the floor with a loud thump. “Why the hell do you fucking weigh so much?” Chance griped as he tried to haul him up.
The light grew dimmer to Morgan’s eyes as he tried to speak, “E-Ellie?”