Page 41 of Heartbeat

* * *

The next few days were tense, and everyone was on edge. Alejandro still hadn’t woken up, and Felicity reported that his last meeting was with a businessman from the states who wanted to become a donor for BHM. Logan Bradley was the owner of Air Solution, a company that made ventilators. They were in talks to import new ventilators to BHM. The company was even looking to own and operate a new factory on the island.

Alejandro had met Mr. Bradley at a potential building site for the factory if the deal was approved. The men left there and ate lunch atGrace.Bradley left shortly after lunch on a private boat that took him to the airport off the island.

Everything checked out, and Alejandro was unharmed after he met with Bradley. However, Curtis, Alejandro’s driver, reiterated they had returned to the building site when Alejandro had received an urgent call. It would’ve been easy to trace the number, but Alejandro’s phone was missing.

The Bishops’ being who they are, had someone pull the phone records, but the number was to an untraceable burner phone. So we were right back at square one until Alejandro could tell us who he got the call from. He was shot in the back, so there’s no guarantee he saw the shooter. It was a clusterfuck that continued to make my head hurt.

Raven checked on her father every day and would sit by his side for hours on end. It was okay with me that she was spending so much time at the hospital because I wouldn’t have to worry about her safety. However, when she went into her office or other meetings, Markos went with her.

I wasn’t trusting my wife’s safety to just anyone, and if it couldn’t be me, that protected her, I was glad it was him. Both Jagger and Oran assured me that he was one of Ainslee’s best men and had even looked after Karessa, putting my mind at ease.

It wasn’t unusual for a patient that had such a traumatic injury to take their time waking up, but it was usually a head or brain trauma. Alejandro, not waking up after a week, had me somewhat worried.

Dr. Pratt was the leading physician at BHM and had years of experience. I trusted his expertise and judgment on Alejandro’s care. His vital signs were all typical of a gunshot patient. We had to induce a medical comma because we were unaware of how extensive the nerve damage may have been in his back. The gunshot wound was in an unusual position, and we couldn’t get all of the fragments out.

For the very first time in my career, I was anxious that I didn’t do all I could. And for it to be on my father-in-law had me feeling a certain type of way. I know he and Raven didn’t see eye to eye, and I would probably have to put him in his place behind my wife, but she deserved to have her father around.

I know my wife, and although she was learning her way and standing her ground, she had a soft heart. I know she wanted to understand why her father had treated her so different from her sisters. And now that she felt she had the power to confront him without wilting in defeat, she deserved her chance.

I prayed that Alejandro Bishops woke up even if it was for one moment, so my wife could tell him to go fuck himself.

CHAPTER 21

RAVEN

Ihad been spending a lot of time at my father’s bedside. I think I was trying to reconcile the fact that he wouldn’t wake up, and I would never get to speak to him again. It was crazy how I used to wish that he would just go away. How he would just stop being so damned mean to me all the time. How I wished that I would never have to hear his degrading comments and dismissive words.

I still might have wished for those things, but right now I just wish that he would wake up. I have always told myself that I accepted my father’s ill-treatment, but that was a lie. I never accepted it. I always tried to change it by conforming or being docile. I did everything for him toseeme to love me. I never accepted his treatment. But now… I accept that it is in the past. I accept that I may not get to have my say with him like I did with Robin. I might have to resent him and then let him go because I can’t carry someone else’s shit any longer. I had to be healthy for myself and for my baby.

It was early one morning when Lennox had scheduled an extremely intensive surgery. It was for five, so he had to be at BHM by four. I insisted that I go with him because I hated sleeping alone, and I could use the alone time to sit with Daddy. I know my Mama was worried sick, and she was there twenty-four-seven. I wanted to give her a break so that she could go and get some sleep in her bed for a change.

Josephine was a pillar of strength, but bless her heart, I could see the exhaustion on her weary dimpled cheeks. Her light brown eyes had dulled from the stress, and her red, curly hair lacked its usual luxurious shine. But no matter how she appeared on the outside, she never wavered. She was there at the hospital, making sure my father received the best care possible. Not that he would get anything less, since he was the owner, but still. She didn’t curl up in a ball and cry about the circumstances, and I admired her for that. God forbid if anything ever happened to Lennox, I know I would fall to pieces.

When I arrived, my Mama was sleeping in the pullout bed that the private suite offered. There were definitely benefits to being the owner’s wife. Even though she was asleep, I could tell it wasn’t peaceful. Her lips that looked so much like my own were held in a furious frown. She was curled in a fetal position with her small hands balled into fists. Her headscarf was on her pillow, and her hair was wild.

“Mama,” I whispered softly as not to startle her. “Mama,” I said a little louder as I rubbed her arm softly.

“What? What is it?” She sat up, looking around frantically.

“It’s me, Mama. Everything is okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I said, still rubbing her arm. I saw her visibly relax as she gave me a tired smile.

“What time is it?” She asked on a yawn.

“Uh…” I looked at my gold watch, “Four-fifteen.”

“Child? Why are you here waking me up at this time of the morning?” My Mama flopped back in the bed, covering her head with the pillow. I chuckled because, at that moment, I could see who Dove got her dramatic tendencies from.

“I wanted to check on you and Daddy.” I shrugged, smiling. My mother sat up again, and we sat in silence for a while. We began talking, and before I knew it, an hour had passed. I knew Lennox would be finished with his surgery soon, so I didn’t want to get too comfortable. I was a cranky heffah when I was woken from my nap too soon.

“So how are you and your husband getting along? You two looked awfully lovey-dovey in the past few weeks,” my mother asked, being her usual nosy self. I giggled.

“Mama, we’ve been getting al…” I stopped, covering my mouth with my hand as I ran into the ensuite. I vomited into the toilet violently. I thought I wouldn’t have any morning sickness, but as soon as I saw my OBGYN, Dr. Delgado, and we confirmed the pregnancy, I’ve been vomiting every day almost all day.

We hadn’t told anyone that I was pregnant because it hadn’t been twelve weeks yet, but I knew that I couldn’t keep it from my Mama after this bout of sickness.

I felt a cold towel on the back of my neck, and my mother rubbing my back in soothing circles just like Lennox does. When I was finished, and I washed out my mouth, I turned to my teary-eyed mother.

---