A/N: Thank you to all of you who have reviewed, PM'd and favoured this and my other stories. I am always extremely humbled by your kind comments.
Huge thanks as always to the fabulous Purdy's Pal and DaisyDay who have read through parts of this for me.
6
Sam looked down at his beer thoughtfully, his hands enclosed around the glass bottle. Fiona was making things extremely difficult, and he knew she was doing it on purpose. She was sitting close beside him swirling the celery in her glass deep in thought. He knew she was affected by these turn of events even though she insisted she wasn't.
This so called stalker had turned their lives upside down and forced his girlfriend to question his commitment to her…wait…did he just think the commitment word? His breath caught in his throat and he lunged for his beer again, downing the remainder of it in one long gulp. His heart suddenly shuddered inside his chest and he looked around him to disguise his uneasiness.
Fiona kept an eye on their surroundings before turning towards him every so often. She could see his eyes flittering around the room suspecting every woman that glanced his way. He was becoming paranoid and edgy, and when she spoke his name he almost jumped out of his skin.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked in a hushed whisper. "You're acting worse than Michael…"
Taking a deep breath, Sam swallowed hard, pulling himself together and cautiously reached out a hand to hers. He moved deliberately slow as if her touch would blow his arm from his shoulders, and by the way she was sending him a thunderous glare he found himself wondering if she had explosives hidden on her somewhere. He moved in slow motion, edging closer until he laid his fingers over hers. The heat from her skin seeped into his and he slowly started to feel a little more confident until he felt her stiffen, snatching her hand away.
"Fi, we're supposed to be together…how are we gonna pull this off if we're not acting all…couply?" he groused as he grabbed his beer with annoyance.
Fiona turned to him and glanced around her before she shuffled a little closer. Leaning across his chair she put on her best smile before reaching out to wrap her fingers around his hand.
Sam almost choked on his beer and tried to scoot away but she held onto him. "Oh don't be like that darling," she cooed in his ear. "I thought this is what you wanted."
"Uh…I…Fi…" his mouth went dry and he suddenly lost all power of speech before she released her hold to lean back against her chair to swirl her celery around in her glass. "Has anyone told you, you are one crazy—"
"Oh quit whining Sam," she sighed with annoyance before dumping her celery back into her glass again. "Just what is your problem?"
"My problem?" he asked incredulously as he turned to look at her. "I have a frickin' Psycho watching me and calling every woman I know—"
"Three women you know Sam," she corrected, her face lighting with a wide grin. "Hey, you know, this could be one of your old conquests…maybe she just wants you back so she can kill you."
"You think?" he asked sarcastically as he lifted his beer to his lips again to take a long swig before swallowing it down.
"Well, it's what I would do," she said thoughtfully, her words causing him to turn to look at her. "I had Michael's death all planned out in my head…"
"And you guys are like…okay now, right?" he asked cautiously, returning his bottle to the table with a nervous thump.
"What?" she laughed as she sat up straight in her chair, her cheeks flushing slightly as she thought back to their passionate couplings only a few hours ago. "Oh yeah… we're really good."
Sam averted his eyes and waved his hand in the air for the waitress to bring him another beer. When the woman approached within seconds he remembered they were supposed to be a couple and caught Fiona by surprise when he nudged her.
"What do you want honey?" he grinned.
Fiona's eyes flew to his face as irritation sparked in her eyes, but then she returned his smile and shuffled closer towards him again, running her fingers over his arm.
"Oh sweetheart," she smiled through gritted teeth and dug her fingers into his arm as she leaned over, casting a seductive gaze towards him. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers through his hair trying to stop herself from snatching her hand away. Taking a breath, she disguised it as a deep sigh before she draped her arm over his shoulder. "You know I only want you…"
Sam shifted in his seat and resisted the urge to move away from her. He felt the shirt of his collar becoming tight and his throat constricting as he tried to remember what it was he was supposed to be doing. Fiona was unnerving him and even though this was just an act, the woman beside him was absolutely terrifying.
Reaching up for her hand on his shoulder he wrapped his fingers around hers and moved their joined hands to the table, hoping to keep her from lunging towards him again.
"Well, maybe later…" he told her with a nervous smile before he took a breath and shook himself out of his uneasiness. Turning to her he squeezed her fingers, delighted by the spark of worry in her eyes as he leaned in towards her.
Fiona stared at him with a warning, her eyes widening in shock when she realised what he was going to do. Thinking quickly she turned her face to the side so that his lips caught her cheek and noticed Michael in the far corner, keeping watch on the people around them while trying not to react to what he was seeing.
Something inside Fiona lurched and in some sort of way she revelled in the feeling of ruffling Michael's feathers. She knew he loved her, he'd shown her on more than one occasion, but there was that tiny piece of her that enjoyed watching him squirm.
Turning back to Sam she put on her best actress eyes and moved towards him, knowing that he could see her eyes glazing over with unshed tears.
"Fi?" he asked quickly, all pretence forgotten as he reached a hand out to her arm. "What's wrong?"
"You think after what you accused me of that I'm going to let you kiss me?" she asked, pretending to be hurt as she lifted a hand to her eyes to dab at the wetness pooling there. "How could you believe I could cheat on you?"
The waitress looked at them, watching them through narrowed eyes. She stepped a little closer and snatched the bottle up from the table to slam it onto her tray. She stayed stock still, seething in silence as she cast a glare towards the couple who were draped over each other.
"I mean, look at him?" Fiona sighed wistfully as she reached in to take the photo of her and Michael out of Sam's pocket to wave it in front of him. "He's all tall…and dark…and handsome…I mean he's gorgeous…" she sighed wistfully before snapping herself back to him. "But you, honey…" she urged, turning back towards him before he could react. "How could you think I would want to be with anyone else but you?" Looking up at the waitress she sank back into her chair again to drape herself over him, pressing her cheek against his. "Don't you think he's adorable?"
Sam was shocked and stunned before his body started to move. With a false smile he returned her embrace before turning his head to place a kiss onto her forehead, stilling her movements almost instantly.
"I'm sorry pumpkin…I just got so jealous of even thinking you were with that…" he waved his hand in the general direction of the photo on the table, "…that…swine…"
Fiona pulled back and mouthed 'swine' before patting his shoulder. "That isn't me," she told him in mock reassurance. "You believe me don't you baby?"
Sam lifted his eyes to hers and mouthed 'baby' before he coughed a little and moved away from her touch. "Well you know darlin' it sure looks like you."
Fiona looked at him with mock annoyance and snatched the photo from the table and held it out to the waitress. "Does this look like me?" she asked haughtily, pulling the photo away before the other woman could respond. "See…even she doesn't think it's me!"
"Look, let's not fight okay," Sam told her as he grabbed for her hand, reeling her back in to him again so he could wrap an arm around her shoulders. He kissed the side of her head before turning back to their waitress again. "Could you bring us two more of the same?"
The other woman watched them for a few moments before she snatched Fiona's glass from the table and clanked it onto her tray before she turned on her heel and scurried away.
Sam stayed close to Fiona and leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "Good show we put on there even if I do say so myself."
Fiona kept her eyes trained on Michael who was watching them with barely contained jealousy. His jaw was twitching and she could practically see the anger in his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.
"Maybe we put on too good of a show," she whispered back. "Michael looks like he's about to blow a gasket!"
Sam was about to answer when their waitress returned to place their drinks onto the table. She smiled acidly at Fiona before returning Sam's wide smile. Leaning forward Fiona took a large mouthful of her tomato juice and swallowed it before glancing in Michael's direction again.
"Uh," Fiona pulled out of Sam's arms and got up from her chair. "I'm just going to visit the ladies room."
"Okay sweetcakes, don't take too long," he told her sweetly as he watched her leave, pretending to gaze after her like a love sick puppy. He caught Michael's exit out of the corner of his eye and sighed heavily. Michael was his best friend but when it came to Fiona, the man didn't like to share. Even though this was a fake date and a fake relationship, he'd grown to care about the tiny little Irish woman who could pack a punch like a man twice her size.
"You know," the waitress's voice broke through his thoughts and he turned to her in surprise. "It does look a little like her…but…what do I know?"
Sam leaned forward and picked up the photo and looked down at it, "You think?"
"Like I said, what do I know?" she asked with a smile. "If you need anything else just ask for Pamela…that's my name," she giggled and pulled herself back before she gushed like a schoolgirl. "So, uh…I'm going to go…" She could feel herself blushing wildly as she retreated back towards the bar, unfastening her apron as she walked.
000
Fiona looked down at the text message she had just received from Michael and waited outside the ladies room, trying not to look like she was waiting for anyone. She had an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw him making his way over to her out of the corner of her eye. Taking a relieved breath she looked around her to see if anyone was watching before she turned to walk towards him.
All she wanted to do was feel his arms around her and shake off this uneasiness brewing inside her, but when she came to stand before him he stood stock still and folded his arms. She knew this look; it was one she had seen him use on unruly mobsters when they didn't do what he wanted. His jaw was clenched and his lips were in a straight thin line and even with his sunglasses covering his eyes, she could already see the anger brewing inside his depths.
"Michael?" she asked quietly as she lifted her hand to run her fingers over his arm. When he didn't respond she tried again, stepping closer to him so they stood toe to toe. His jaw twitched when she tried to get his attention but he refused to meet her gaze which only infuriated her more.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked agitatedly as she lifted her hands to rest on his folded arms, pressing herself closer.
"Don't tell me you're jealous of Sam…" she asked incredulously, stepping back. "You are…you're jealous…"
"We have work to do," he told her coldly, still refusing to look at her as she shook her head in dismay. "Sam's waiting."
"I can't believe you," she hissed angrily. "After all this time, after all these years I've waited for you to get your head outta your ass, you have the nerve to think I would ever cheat...And with your best friend?"
Angry tears stung her eyes and she stepped away from him, ready to turn and walk away but he caught her arm. Fury raged through her when she turned, balling her fist and ready to strike but a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her causing her to blindly reach for the wall for support.
Shaking her head she tried to erase the wooziness that overtook her body, causing a wave of nausea to well in her throat. Lifting her hand to her eyes she rubbed at the ache building behind them and stumbled slightly, reaching out to him as she tried to grab hold of his hand.
Breaking his stance, Michael caught hold of her before she could fall and held her upright. Frustration welled inside him but he was more angrier at himself than at her. He was the one who convinced her she should play fiancée with Sam even though she wasn't totally set on the idea. He knew he was being irrational and her loyalty to him had remained unwavering after all this time. He just couldn't help it. Seeing her with another man, even though it was an act and the other man was his best friend, he still couldn't stop his mouth getting ahead of his brain.
Fiona was swaying before him and he snatched off his sunglasses so he could look into her wide confused eyes. Her pupils were like saucers and her skin was clammy. Cursing silently he berated himself for being so foolish when he recognised the tell-tale signs of someone who had been exposed to drugs.
"Fi," he asked worriedly, as he stuffed his sunglasses into his jacket pocket. He shook her slightly when she slumped back against the wall and gazed at him with a glazed expression.
"M…Michael…" she asked, shaking her head before she grasped his hand. "I…I don't feel too…good…"
"Fi, how much did you drink?"
She looked up at him and blinked in confusion. Her limbs felt heavy and she was finding it extremely hard to stand upright. She could see his mouth forming words but he seemed to be moving in slow motion.
"Can… you…stop…swayying" she asked, her words slurring as she tried to focus on his face. His closeness brought a reassuring effect to her senses and she allowed herself to fall backwards and slide down the wall. She watched him in wonder when he pulled his phone from his pocket and punched in a number before putting it to his ear. She reached out to him and watched in fascination how their fingers linked together.
She watched his mouth move when he growled down the phone, saying words that she couldn't quite make out. Dropping her eyes to their joined hands she watched in captivation when her hand seemed to be swallowed up by his.
"Looook," she slurred, giggling as she moved their hands up and down. "We fit…"
"Come on Fi," Michael told her when he'd placed his phone back into his pocket and crouched down beside her. He untangled their fingers and pulled her up, but she stopped him.
"Waittt…"
"What is it Fi?" he asked her with concern when he looked down to see her gazing up at him adoringly.
"Yourr…glassiss…where's your…glassiss?" she lifted a hand to his face and patted him affectionately when he pulled her upright. "I looove your glassiss."
"They're in my pocket Fi," he told her as he tried to keep the smile from his face. "Come on, let's get you home."
"That sucksss," she shook her head dramatically and looked around her quickly before lowering her voice in a conspiring whisper. "You know...whattt?"
"What Fi?" he asked her with a smile when she leaned in closer to his ear.
"I reaallly...reaallly loove your glassiss...reaallly..."
"Okay," he sighed, lifting her closer to him but she pushed at him weakly to gain his attention.
"Can yoou...keeep a...secrett?" she asked wistfully, gazing up at him with complete adoration.
Michael couldn't help the smile that graced his features when he looked down at her and nodded. She looked around her again before pulling him closer by the collar so her mouth was practically pressed against his ear.
"I reallly...reallly...loove yoou...but..." she shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips. "Yoou can'tt know that...okaay...itts a secret..."
"Why is it a secret?" he asked gently, his heart already thumping wildly inside his chest as he tried to walk her towards the door.
"You knowww," she scolded as she tried to push his hands off of her body and walk on her own.
"I don't know," he urged quietly, refusing to relinquish his hold on her.
"He'ss… lea…ving… me," she told him matter of fact and immediately clamped her hand over her mouth. She looked up at him in confusion as she tried to focus on his face but shook her head. She patted his hand, completely missing him the first time so she tried again until she touched his skin. "You..arre… a good friend…Saaam…BUTT…youu… can't… tell Mich…ael… I know…" Stopping him she pointed a finger at him and swayed back into his arms, "Secrett…"
Michael swallowed hard and managed to manoeuvre them outside to where Sam was waiting beside her car.
"Oh god, Mike…" he gasped when he opened the passenger door to usher her inside, "She couldn't have drunk more than half a glass…I didn't think…"
Michael reached inside his jacket pocket and threw Sam the keys to the charger before running around the other side.
"You take the charger and meet me at my mom's," Michael told him urgently. "We'll talk about it when I've got Fi settled."
"Okay," Sam nodded worriedly as he made his way towards the charger, anger flaring inside him when he saw the glazed look on Fiona's face. This crazy woman had taken things up a step too far and he was going to stop her. He was just about to climb into the car when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Turning around quickly he searched through the sea of people in and around Carlitos until something suddenly hit him like a thunderbolt. Pamela, the waitress had made a point of talking to him for the entire time that Fiona was away from the table. She'd been overly friendly and made a few comments about his fiancée's whereabouts…fiancée?
Moving away from the charger, he ran back across the road to make his way back inside Carlitos and walked up to the bar.
"Hey," he caught hold of one of the waitresses as she walked by with a tray full of drinks. "Is Pamela still here?"
"I'm not sure," the waitress told him as she looked behind her. "Her shift ended a few minutes ago, she may be out back…wait…" she stopped what she was doing and smiled at him. "You're Sam aren't you?"
Sam was struck into silence and nodded his head in confusion. "Yeah, I'm in here all the time…why?"
"Pam talks about you all the time," she gushed. "She's really taken with you."
"Really?" he asked as he plastered on a fake charming smile on his face. "She talks about me?"
"Oh yeah, all the time…I'm sorry to hear about your girlfriend though," she sighed. "It must be hard on you."
"Uh…yeah…" he shook his head. "What?"
"Oh I'm sorry. Pam said you already knew…" turning around she made to leave but Sam stopped her.
"What am I supposed to know?" he asked hoping she couldn't see the uncertainty in his eyes. "If it's something about my girlfriend—"
"I shouldn't really say anything…it's really none of my business."
"Please," he asked, flashing puppy dog eyes towards her. "I need to know."
"You didn't hear it from me…but Pam said something about an affair…I'm really sorry…"
Taking a step back, Sam looked around him and felt the colour drain away from his face. "Uh…I…"
"I have to go," she told him hurriedly as she scurried away, moving as quickly as she could.
Sam looked around him. He felt sick to his stomach to think that the crazy woman who was calling constantly and had callously drugged Fiona was right under their noses the entire time. Glancing over towards their vacated table he saw the discarded glass of tomato juice that Fiona had left behind and reached out to retrieve it. Lifting it to his nose he sniffed the liquid in the glass and looked around for something to wrap it in before he headed out to the charger, feeling the bile rising in his throat.
000
Reaching across the seat Michael laid his hand over Fiona's, squeezing her fingers while trying to keep his attention on the road. His eyes shot to her face worriedly when her hand fell limp onto the side of her seat and he spent a few agonizing seconds trying to formulate a plan in his mind. He was at least half an hours drive away from the nearest hospital and even longer with the build-up of traffic.
He had seen this kind of reaction before and he knew Fiona was always extra vigilant about anything she ate or drank, which could only mean that whoever had done this to her must have been in Calito's. The sudden thought struck him that he could have spoken to their stalker and not known it. Anyone who walked beside the three of them could have done this, and as he looked over at Fiona's pale face he grew more and more enraged.
With a split second decision Michael spun Fiona's car around, tyres screeching against the road in protest. He ignored the angry horns from other frustrated motorist and headed towards the small family clinic on the other side of town where he, Sam and Fi had helped rid the community of drug runners a few years ago. They'd told him back then that if he ever needed anything then he should call. Glancing over at Fiona he reached out to hold her limp hand in his, knowing he needed to call in that favour.
Pulling the car to a screeching stop outside the Homestead clinic, he flung his door open and ran around the other side, yanking at the passenger door. Reaching inside he spread his hands over Fiona's hair and touched her face with gentle fingers. She flopped like a rag doll when he reached in to tug her into his arms and a sudden wave of panic coursed through him. Lifting her slight form with ease as he kicked the car door closed and carried her towards the clinic.
Laura was on her feet in seconds when Michael burst through the door carrying Fiona's limp body against him.
"She's been drugged," he blurted, losing all sense of calm and rational thoughts when Fiona's head rolled to the side. "I don't know how much she ingested…I just…" his voice was near hysterical when Laura's brother came out of one of the surgeries to see what the commotion was about. As soon as he saw Michael and the desperation in his eyes he turned back towards his room.
"Bring her through," David told him, rushing back towards the surgery to hold the door open for him. "What has she taken?"
With surprising gentleness Michael laid Fiona's limp body down onto the examination table and immediately ran his hands over her hair.
"I think it's Rohypnol," he turned around towards the doctor who was already coming towards him with his stethoscope in his hand. "She was slurring her words, confused and drunk…she never drinks enough to be drunk…"
"Okay," David told him quickly, pushing him out of the way while he pressed his stethoscope to her chest and listened to her slow but steady heartbeat. He could see Michael's anxious face and he doubted he could even hear his cell phone ringing inside his jacket pocket. Standing back up he regarded him sympathetically before pointing to the ringing phone. "You should take that outside."
Michael opened his mouth to protest but David pointed toward the door. "Take your phone call outside and then you can come sit with her. Let me do my job and she'll going to be fine."
"I'm not leaving her," he shook his head rapidly and reached out to take one of her hands in his. "I don't care who is on the damn phone…"
"You need to calm down," David told him as Laura came rushing into the room.
"I've cleared all our appointments until tomorrow," she told him, moving towards Fiona's prone body. "What happened?"
When Michael didn't answer she looked down at him and saw his gaze focused on Fiona's closed eyes. He held her hand in his and stared at her unblinking, willing her to wake up. His phone was ringing incessantly and he seemed to snap out of his trance to look up at the two other people in the room.
Laura looked from her bother to Michael and then back again before she moved towards Michael to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Go and answer your phone, make calls to the people who need to know and then come back when you've calmed down."
Michael stared at her in disbelief; there was no way in hell he was going to leave this room.
"I'm staying," he told her defiantly in a tone that told her there was no room for negotiation. "I'm not leaving her."
Laura watched him, understanding dawning in her eyes and she nodded silently as she patted his shoulder before getting to work, helping her brother prepare an intravenous drip.
When his phone started to ring again, Michael reached inside his pocket with his free hand and opened the phone, pressing it to his ear.
"Sam…" he tried to speak but his friend was babbling about stalkers and Fiona and where in the hell were they. Closing his eyes, Michael shook his head before taking a breath and practically yelled Sam's name into the phone. "We're at the Homestead clinic…I'll be in touch…"
Closing the phone he switched it off and shoved it back into his pocket before turning his attention back to the woman who was lying lifeless on the examination table. Reaching out with his free hand he ran his palm over her hair before burying his fingers into her soft strands, knowing that whoever did this to her would pay dearly for what they had done. He was going to end it, one way or another.
TBC