I sat with Willow the whole time despite the nurses’ constant efforts to get me to lay down. I wasn’t going to fucking move until she opened her eyes again and said something.
The doctor walked in the room with his pen and tablet and surveyed her monitors. Jerry and his wife were watching Ariel for me tonight, and I called him to let him know I’d be late picking her up.
I didn’t tell him why yet.
“Doctor, will she be okay? She’s pregnant, is the baby all right?”
“The baby is fine. She’s fortunate. All she suffered were a few bruises and cuts.” The doctor touched her wrist and checked her breathing. “Do you know what happened?”
“It was a hit and run,” I said.
And it was deliberate. Someone well trained knew how to hit us like that and still be able to keep going.
There was only one person I knew who had the anger and resources to do this.
“God. I’m sorry to hear that,” the doctor said, shaking his head.
He frowned and checked his tablet one more time.
“When can she go home?” I asked, rubbing the back of Willow’s hand.
“With a head injury, we’ll want to keep her overnight,” he said. “You also, since you got a pretty good whack on the head as well. But it’s just a precaution. Everything looks fine, really.”
Good news. For now.
Willow’s eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head on the pillow toward me.
“Darien, what h-happened?” she asked, her voice cracking from her deep sleep.
“Morgan happened,” I whispered.
“W-wait, I wasn’t dreaming?” Willow struggled to sit up. “She hit our car?”
“Yes, she hired someone to do it. Don’t worry, I’ll have her taken care of.”
Willow grabbed my hand. “Darien, please don’t hurt her. Y-you’re not like her. You’re better.”
Willow had a kind heart. But Morgan was about to take me into dangerous territory. She should be grateful instead of hating Willow— right now Willow was the only thing keeping me from coming down hard on her.
“I won’t. Get some rest.”
“How the hell could both my brother and I be victims of car crashes, so close together?” she mumbled, but she listened to my instructions, nestling her head back down into her pillow.
“Yours was not an accident,” I reminded her. “Don’t forget that. It makes things a lot less coincidental.”
I called the babysitter to ask her to spend the night with Ariel, then settled into my bed in the same private room as Willow, with our beds pushed together so we could hold hands. I wasn’t a billionaire for nothing.
After a long night of being woken up every two hours, I slipped my hand from hers and rubbed her leg. I stepped into the hallway and took out my phone. It had a few scuffs on it, but it was still operational. Before I could even dial, the screen lit up.
It was Jerry, so I answered.
“Jerry? I was just about to call you.”
“Really? Did they already show up?”
I leaned on the wall.
“What are you talking about?”
“The courts. She said she had a video of you sleeping with the nanny, and that she was just one of dozens of women you flaunted in front of Ariel at home, even with Ariel there.”
“And they bought that?” I asked. “Even though she had no video to show them?”
“I guess so,” Jerry said in disgust. “Judge ruled in her favor. They’re coming over to take Ariel. She’s got full custody.”
My grip intensified around the phone. “What? No, they can’t take her! Not my daughter! What the hell happened?”
“Damn it Darien, I’ve been digging hard to find dirt on her ass. She’s no fucking saint, but everything keeps turning up clean.”
“Bribery.” I swore. “She’s using the money I’ve been giving her. She’s keeping people quiet.”
“I know. The hearing is in two more days, so if there’s any dirt I can bring up, I’ll have it by then. That’s our last chance.”
“I’m not home. I’m at the hospital. Morgan hired someone to hit our car.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. But I also know it was her. What time are they going to get Ariel?”
“The papers say noon today,” Jerry said sighing.
“I’ll be there.”
The doctor came by to check us out, checking our heads, our vision, or reflexes.
“You’re free to go,” he finally said. “I suggest that you drink plenty of liquids before re-introducing heavy food back into your diet. The nurse will be right in with your discharge papers.”
The doctor left, but Willow was still planted on the bed and looked up at the clock.
“What’s wrong, Willow?” I asked, placing my face near hers for some added comfort and support.
“They’re going to cut his machine off soon.” She swallowed. “A few weeks ago, my mother said in two months they would cut him off. But I thought he’d be better by now, even after we moved him to the nursing home.”
“I can stop it—”
“No, don’t.” She exhaled deeply and wiped a hand across her face. “I finally realized something. Sam needs to be free. Even if it’s without me. I was being selfish by keeping him hooked up to those machines.”
I cupped Willow’s cheeks. “Don’t do this to yourself. You love him. That’s your family. Cry if you need to.”
Willow trembled in my arms. I held her tighter. I was going to be here when the going got rough.
“What if he was in pain?” Willow asked, her voice cracking up.
“Willow—”
“No, my mom was right. I don’t want to let him go. But I have to.” She buried her face into my chest and I held her protectively against me.
“What time do they take him off?”
“Three o’clock.”
“You should be there.” I began to rub her back. It was cruel reality that time was ticking for both of us to lose one of the people we cared about most.
“I can’t watch them do that.” She shook her head.
“You can. You should. I’ll be there with you. But I think Sam would like that.”
Willow’s sobs abated, and she looked up at me. “You’ll come with me?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you,” she sniffled, wiping her eyes. “That’s the only thing that makes any of this any better. To not have to go through it alone.”
“I know exactly what you mean. And I feel the same way.”
Chapter 28 – Darien
I returned home with Willow and Ariel came running from the front door into my arms. I spun her around and placed her back on her feet. I’d be damned if I gave up Ariel this easy. Reputation my ass. The only thing I cared about right now was my renewed family.
“Willow! Daddy!” she cried. “I missed you two!”
Willow bent down to give her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “Ariel, it’s so good to see you again. You’re just as beautiful as you were when I last saw you.”
“Why’d you leave? You didn’t say goodbye.”
Willow sighed and glanced up at me. “I had an emergency. But I’m back now and I’m not leaving.”
“Ah, Mr. Thrilling, I’m glad you’re back,” Mrs. Thompson, Jerry’s wife, said as she hobbled down the steps. She adjusted her glasses and smiled down at Ariel.
“I am too.”
The sound of a car approaching into my driveway came from behind me. I turned around and saw Morgan’s Rolls Royce drag itself toward us. Willow met her glare head on and folded her arms.
“No!” Ariel shouted, hiding behind me. “I don’t wanna go! Why is she here?”
Mrs. Thompson stepped beside me and sucked in a breath. “It’s too early. She isn’t supposed to be here right now. Especially without the sheriff.”
“Daddy, don’t let her take me away!” Ariel begged, gripping my arm. I remembered what she told me.
The locked rooms. The lack of food.
My jaw tightened as I struggled to not lash out at her like a wild beast. Willow was beside me, and that made me stronger. I wasn’t in this alone. She was invested in Ariel’s safety with me. We were there for each other.
Willow patted Ariel’s head and smiled. “Ariel, Daddy and Mommy will protect you.”
“Mrs. Thompson,” I said grimly, “take Ariel inside for me, please.”
“Yes. Come on, dear.” Mrs. Thompson said, holding her hand out so Ariel could take it. The two of them went up the stairs and disappeared behind the double doors.
Morgan got out of her car and slunk over with her overbearing perfume corrupting the surrounding air. I coughed and rubbed my temples.
Divorce couldn’t happen soon enough.
“Well, look at you two… walking,” she sneered.
“Look bitch,” Willow snarled. “Step one foot near Ariel and—”
“And what?” Morgan challenged.
“Willow, let me handle this,” I said, walking between them. I loved how fierce she was, but I couldn’t let her get hurt. “Morgan, I know you’re behind that car accident yesterday.”
“An accident. Oh heavens, not me.” Morgan thrust her hands on her hips with a coy smile. She thought she got away with it. Did she forget I was richer than her? Whoever she used wouldn’t mind ratting her out for a higher payment.
“Your sarcasm is pathetic,” Willow hissed.
“Give me my daughter,” Morgan demanded, throwing her chin up.
“Over my dead body,” I said. “You’re not supposed to be here until noon.”
“An hour early isn’t better? Doesn’t it show I’m a good mommy?”
“Good mother, my ass,” Willow muttered, shaking her head in disgust.
“Shut your trap, whore,” Morgan shot back.
“Do not ever call her that again,” I said coldly. “If anything, there’s one whore I see. And that’s you. You’re a money whore, a bad mother, and a bad person.”
“Call me what you want, but Ariel’s mine.”
“You can’t even address your daughter like she’s a living thing and not an object,” Willow scoffed. “She wasn’t kidding when she said you’re not her real mother.”
“The court saw the video,” Morgan jeered. “They gave me full custody. Now I’ll wait here for my little object or else someone’s going to jail.”
“For God’s sake, Morgan!” I said. “There’s no video. You didn’t show it to anybody. And nobody believes you. Just…just stop, okay? While you have a shred of dignity left.”
A car started up the driveway, and we all looked over. It was a sheriff’s department car, flashing lights and all. The deputy inside stomped out of his car and trudged over to us.
“Mrs. Morgan Thrilling?”
She sent a smirk toward me, then answered the deputy. “Yes.”
“You’re under arrest," the deputy barked.
I held Willow close to me while Morgan was turned around and handcuffed. The sound of the cuffs clinking around her wrists satisfied my anger.
“Under arrest?! No, you’re wrong, the court said to—”
“The court said to wait for me to take you here. Otherwise you’ve violated the restraining order, and now you’ve got to go to jail. There will be a hearing tomorrow morning about custody.”
“And gee,” Willow said with saccharine sweetness. “Only one of you has an arrest record. Who’s the bad parent now?”
Morgan screamed and groaned while she was taken to the back of the cruiser and stuffed inside.
Willow turned to me with a grin on her face. “That was the best thing I’ve seen all day.”