Chapter 10

Night Spot Dining and Dancing

Capitol City Alamaina

The waiter, realizing what had happened and he had been caught darted back and was caught by two of the other guardsmen. He was wrestled to the floor and quickly subdued, was quietly taken from the room. Lawrence was livid, he stood, kissed Jennifer's cheek, "Roderick and Natalie would you kindly make sure my wife is unharmed? I will return shortly." Lawrence, stepped from their private booth flanked by two more secret guardsmen he liked to call his Red Guard, walked with force from the room.

Lawrence walked into the night to the area the Red Guard had taken the assassin. He looked dispassionately to his lead guard, Malcolm. "You know what to do, I do not want Jennifer aware of what is happening so put him in the 'Guests Quarters'. Find out who paid him, then dispose of him away from the house. I want him to be an example for any other that wish to harm me or mine." His voice had grown very cold and very decisive when ordering the death of this man that had dared to try and hurt what was his.

The two Red Guard held onto the waiter tightly, he struggled to break their hold in vain. Lawrence walked to the man and got in his face. He spoke carefully and in soft unemotional tones. "Today you made a very bad mistake my friend. You tried to hurt my wife and her unborn child. Now you have forfeited your life." The man looked into Lawrence's soulless eyes and smiled.

"If I had been successful, then you would have known what it was like to loose what you love the most and never be able to hold them or know them again, just like . . . " He was hit over the back of his head and knocked unconscious. Lawrence stepped back. Turning to Malcolm he spoke quickly, "Double the guard and make it quick. I do not want a repeat of this and I want the Estate on High Alert, we may need to leave to a more secure location at a moments notice."

"Yes, your majesty, it is as you wish." Malcolm bowed to him; stepping aside so Lawrence could reenter the building with his escorts. Malcolm turned to the two guards holding the man. "You heard his Lordship, get him out of here, call for the wagon to transport and double the guard on all fronts. Dispatch two more cars to this location." Malcolm turned from the outside guards walked towards the front door. Lifting his wrist, he spoke into his sleeve. "All units Blueblood and Angel; eyes on all parties, level three alert."

Lawrence was tense and he was angry and he was afraid for his wife and unborn child. Walking forcefully to the private booth area, he paused where the two guards were collecting the glass fragments. He noted they used heavy gloves avoiding contact with the liquid. "What was in the glass?" He spoke menacingly his anger more intense than when he walked form the room.

The guard that had knocked the glass from Jennifer's hand spoke softly. "Acid my lord. If she would have drank that, she would have been horribly disfigured and if not dead near to it." Lawrence was not happy.

"Good job, what is your name?" He looked at the alert guard, but the guard had heard about his deadly stares and he could see how angry Lawrence was just thinking by that one stare. Martin was Special Forces and had been pretty impervious to most in his line of work. However, this man before him smoldering with his restrained anger was as close to disconcerting he had ever seen.

"My name sire is Jacob, Martin Jacob." He had stood and given Lawrence a half bow. Lawrence reached forward and clapped his shoulder.

"Thank you for watching out for my wife. She is far too innocent to have been so sorely treated." Lawrence turned and walked to the booth. Seeing Jennifer sitting in a tight pose, her face tense and her complexion pale he shook his head. "Darling? Are you unwell?" Lawrence nodded to Natalie and Roderick.

"Lawrence, I think Katarina is upset. I fear this has caused her to feel nauseous and dizzy." Natalie patted Jennifer's hand and spoke with the concern anyone would have for another that had came so close to death as Jennifer had.

Roderick nodded. "She has been most anxious since you left. I think she was feeling fearful for your continued good health." He smiled encouragingly to Jennifer having heard her repeatedly requesting he go check on Lawrence to make sure he was ok. He smiled and said softly, "She insisted I go check on you. I assured her that you had so many red guard around you that nothing could harm you."

Lawrence sighed softly, nudged her neck and whispered softly. "Would you like to go home my love?" He was filled with concern and could feel how cold and clammy she was to his touch. She put on a brave smile turned to look at the two new friends she had made.

"I think I am hungry Lawrence and would like to eat and enjoy the company of Natalie and Rod. May we not stay?" Anxiously Jennifer looked Lawrence over running her fingers over his arms peering deeply with a hint of worry into his eyes. "I think I need something normal to get past what happened earlier and it is amazing that something like that makes me ravenous."

Natalie chuckled, "Well many would say you are hungry because you are eating for two now." Natalie continued to speak on an upbeat and over compensating friendly manner, trying to keep their minds from what had just happened. Natalie was truly concerned for the young woman that was fast becoming her friend.

Lawrence looked around the room and kept seeing assassins behind every face that looked in their direction. He did not trust anyone working on the premises. Lawrence smiled tightly to Natalie and Roderick. Huddling close to Jennifer he spoke softly "Darling, I know I wanted to show you the night life here. In light of what happened, why not invite Nat and Rod back to the house, I will have Louisa fix us a lovely dinner and we could get to know each other in a more relaxed atmosphere."

Jennifer had to admit that she was unsettled but she was also hungry. She nodded slowly, "All right if it will make you relax and be my adorable Lawrence." She turned to smile as gracefully as she could to the two that had joined them. "I would like to extend an invitation to you both to join us at home for a nice quiet dinner. I could then show you the nursery Natalie." She had seemed to glow speaking about the nursery.

Natalie had squeezed her husband's hand and nodded. "I would love to see the nursery but tonight my dear, Roderick and I are flying out tonight for a brief vacation at my parent's estate in England. We will be back next week and perhaps then we could have dinner together and maybe you and Lawrence could then come to our home."

Jennifer looked somewhat disappointed. Smiling she laced her fingers through Lawrence's fingers and squeezed his hand. "Yeah that is fine. I would like that. I hope you both have a wonderful trip." Jennifer was disappointed but a part of her was glad that her and Lawrence would dine in relative peace and quiet.

"Come my love, we will see you both when you get back. Until then as my beautiful and charming wife said, have a safe trip." He slid out of the booth, extended his hand, and helped Jennifer to stand. Wrapping a protective arm around her waist and now flanked by more red guard Lawrence and Jennifer left the club with all eyes watching them leave followed by whispered comments and surprise that the King of Alamaina had brought his new bride to the club and they had nearly been assassinated.

Salem

General Hospital

New Conference

Gregory stood in the conference room and looked over the various news people that had shown up for his big announcement. Tom Horton, Alice Horton, Jack Devereux, Carly Manning, surrounded by news media stood waiting to see what Gregory was planning. Bo stood with Roman at the back of the room. "Seems the Alamain lacky is grandstanding again. Wonder what this is about?" Roman had spoke under his breath to Bo.

"Whatever it is, you know it's a slap in the face of Dr. Horton and Mrs. H. I don't know how much more they can take what with Jennifer's death." Bo smiled watching Carly turn and walk back to stand with him and Roman.

"Hi, do either of you know why he is here?" She nodded to Gregory. She knew if Gregory was involved then Lawrence was as much a part of whatever was happening.

"Nope, just heard he flew into town today and was at the court house and then had come directly here. He must have called this press conference." Bo spoke with sarcasm as he watched the news media wait for the conference to begin.

Jack had seen Carly, Bo and Roman at the back of the room so he walked to stand with them. "Well it seems our old buddy Mr. Alamain's man henchman has come like a vulture in town at the worst possible time."

Bo nodded, "Do you know what this is about?" He continued to keep an eye on Gregory and he knew Gregory had noted their presence in the room, he had a slight smile edging his lips when the President of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital walked up to stand next to him.

"We were just told a big announcement that would be ground breaking was about to happen and we should get here to catch the news story of the century." The President of the Board smiled at the gathered News Media personnel.

"Ladies and Gentlemen if you will we are ready to begin this conference, and I ask that questions be held to the end of the announcement. Now it is with great pleasure I introduce you to Mr. Gregory Lacoste, of Alamain Industries and GenCon International. Mr. Lacoste if you will?" Wallace stepped back and let Gregory step forward.

"Thank you Mr. Wallace, it is with ambivalent feelings I come to you today with an announcement. When the King of Alamaina had heard of the recent and tragic death of his estrange wife, Jennifer Horton Alamain." A sudden murmur of softly uttered unintelligible mutterings filtered around the room. Gregory looked directly to the four in the rear of the room. He smiled tightly, then continued when he had the attention of those in the room again. "His Highness King Alamain has dedicated an endowment in loving memory of his deceased wife Jennifer Horton Alamain in the amount of one million dollars."

Jack felt his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. A part of him wanted to go and rip out Gregory's tongue. Roman pushed from the wall and grabbed Bo's arm. "Come on brother, we have important work to do. Let them posture and act like vultures over Jennifer's death, I refuse to play into his game." Carly followed both men from the room,

"This is horrible, I can only imagine what Alice and Tom are going through and now to have their noses rubbed in the fact that Jennifer is still an Alamain must be very galling to them." Carly was angry, more angry than she had been even before she and Lawrence had parted ways with one another. "How could he be so cruel?"

Bo snorted, "What got to me is he is now carrying the title of King Alamain. I guess God was taken so he had to settle for the next best title."

Roman chuckled. "Well I am going to the Courthouse to see what Mr. Lacoste was doing there today. You interested to see what he was up to before he came here?" Bo nodded.

"Go on Roman, I will be right behind you." Bo turned to Carly kissed her deeply, then turned to catch up with Roman as he got on the elevator.

Conference Room, Salem General Hospital

Gregory took his last question, and the room slowly began to disperse. Tom turned to guide Alice from the room. Both were stunned and controlling their grief and anger. Gregory walked towards them, "Mr. and Mrs. Horton please a moment of your time please." He tried his most charming tone and smile. Alice and Tom being who they were paused and turned.

"What is it Mr. Lacoste?" Tom stepped in front of Alice and looked with a long held patience that was Tom Horton.

Gregory held an envelope in his hand. "As Jennifer was still married to Lawrence, and she had a sizable insurance policy on her, she had named of course Lawrence and you and Mrs. Horton as her beneficiaries." He handed the envelope over to Tom. "His highness wanted me to disperse your share of that policy to you and your wife on behalf of the King and Alamaina."

Thomas Horton had been alive for a long time, he had learned how to disguise his feelings and as hard as it was not to throw the check in Gregory's face he took the check with a softly uttered, "Thank you and please thank his majesty." Alice and Tom walked away from Gregory with the most dignified head held proud walk they could manage in light of what had just happened.

Tom escorted Alice to his office, closed the door and helped Alice to be seated. Tom walked around his desk and sat down looking at the envelope. "Tom it is blood money. You should not have taken it." Alice rarely disagreed with her husband. Tom opened the envelope and paled. His eyes were fixed to the amount of the check.

"Normally, I would agree with you my dear. However, this was her insurance policy and that my dear is her wish to let us have a share of what she felt her life was worth, to me that is not blood money and this five million dollars written on this check would help a lot of children." He handed his wife the check so she could see the number of zero's written on the check's face.

"Oh Tom we could do our own endowment to the hospital in memory of Jennifer Rose Horton, and then to the church and any other charitable organization. Those places do not have to put her other name on the plaques they will obviously install." Alice was fighting the tears that were threatening to over take her. Tom watched his wife crumble over her granddaughter's demise, rising he walked around and enveloped her in his arms.

GenCon Industries

Salem

Gregory set across from Dr. Alvin Turlock. "So you understand what is needed? Will you be able to come back with me to begin the treatments?" He studied the man and thought he was so young looking to have been given such a powerful position as the lead scientist for GenCon. His dark looks and strong physic would have caught any woman's attention when he walked into the room. His reputation for being a boy wonder was obviously substantiated by the Human Resources Department of GenCon. Now he had been offered a handsome some of money to permanently inhibit Jennifer's memories. Leaving her with only the memories she was making with Lawrence and the basic memories Lawrence had given her.

"Of course I have a new drug I have been testing and it should do the trick to secure Mr. Alamain's presence in the young ladies mind." He sounded bored and wondered at what this draw to this particular woman was. He knew she carried his child, but that was no reason to keep someone around if she did not want to be there.

"It will not hurt the unborn baby?" Gregory had to be reassured of this to make sure that the baby would not be harmed in any way that was not on Lawrence's agenda.

"I am sure what I have in mind will not harm the child unless it stresses the mother, then it will affect the child, thus why we use two forms of doing a total memory wipe. It has to be done in stages; we will use chemicals as a last resort. We can wipe a memory they have been doing it for years by various governments around the world." Again he had to meet this woman that had caught Alamain's attention. To him he had to wonder what woman was worth that much trouble.

The door opened and a secretary came in handing a phone to Gregory. "Mr. Alamain for you Mr. Lacoste." Gregory took the phone.

"Gregory Lacoste." Gregory listened to Lawrence as he vented out what had happened earlier and how an assassin attacked Jennifer. Gregory's demeanor took on a dark and concerned look as he listened to what had happened and now the man was under arrest and under the control of the Red Guard. "Lawrence, calm down. We will be flying back in an hour. Before they take any other action against the assassin why not wait and allow Dr. Turlock a chance to recondition him and perhaps we could keep him around and use him for any one that wants to come around and make problems from our favorite group of trouble makers."

Lawrence considered his request. "Call Malcolm and belay the order to eliminate him when you are finished with our conversation. I want to know how did it go?"

"It went as we thought. The Hospital is delighted and will put the plaque up, the Horton's however are devastated at loosing their granddaughter in such a horrible way." Lawrence was silent. Then he sighed softly.

"I don't care what they want or think, no one is to interfere with my relationship with Jennifer is that understood Gregory?" His tone had taken on that silken deadly note and Gregory had his answer Lawrence had fallen in love with Jennifer and now he was just as dedicated to this marriage as any lovesick fool.

"Yes Lawrence, it will be as you request. I will handle everything else and should be home by tomorrow morning."

Alamaina

Lawrence's Estate House

Jennifer had changed her clothing putting on her comfortable shorts and crop top. Letting her hair down, she sighed softly running her fingers though her hair massaging her scalp. She was exhausted but she was hungry too. Looking around she did not see Lawrence and decided to go out by the pool. Walking out on the patio she was immediately aware of how isolated she felt. For the first time since she awoke on Lawrence's plane and was told she was Mrs. Alamain and they had been married and were falling in love with each other she felt isolated.

Walking to stand by the pool she looked at the lights reflecting off the water's surface. "Sweetheart?" Lawrence walked to the pool and stood next to his wife. "Are you feeling unwell?" He reached to turn her into his hold and held her close. "You must not allow tonight have you so upset my love." His tender words were more than enough to make her crumble into a mass of tears and anxiety. Clinging to him, he gently stroked her hair back and spoke soothingly to her. "It is all right my love. Do not be upset. You are doing the baby no good being this upset and yourself. The doctor said you should remain calm."

Jennifer lifted her chin, peered into his eyes. There she saw his concern for a moment until her vision clouded. A blinding flash of pain filled her head and she gasped out holding tightly to his arms. Lawrence swept her up in his arms, "Jennifer, my love!" He was more than concerned he was worried she had collapsed and was barely clinging to consciousness. "MARIE!" He rushed her back into the house, laying her on the sofa, again he called, "MARIE!" The nurse ran down the hallway her heart racing, she did not need him upset with her again.

Rushing to his side, Marie bent and began to do an assessment. Turning she spoke quickly, "I need to have her taken to the nearest hospital. I will be right back, you need to call an ambulance now!" She pushed Lawrence away and rushed to get her blood pressure cup and stethoscope. Rushing back to Jennifer's side, she did not like the way her eyes had dilated and her breathing was shallow.

Lawrence had summoned an ambulance and ordered his men to follow the ambulance and he would be riding with his wife to the emergency room. Anxiously he paced watching the front door and waiting for the arrival of the ambulance, he was about to order his guard to just transport her to the hospital. Especially at one point Marie thought she had quit breathing. Marie dropped and began mouth-to-mouth and relaxed when Jennifer began to breathe again. "No if you have them transport her without the right equipment, you very well may find she could die on her way to the hospital." It was Marie's turn to show her expertise.

The ambulance arrived and loaded Jennifer on the gurney, Lawrence followed them out and entered the back of he ambulance with the paramedic. He held her hand and spoke soothingly to her. "It will be all right my love, you must not do something stupid and leave me in any way. Stay with us Jennifer, listen to me, you are needed in my life and our baby's life. Hold on my love." Lawrence looked anxiously to the man who had worked feverishly setting up an IV solution for Jennifer. He kept pumping the blood pressure cup and taking her blood pressure. The frown he had every time he took her blood pressure was enough to let Lawrence know this was very serious and his wife's life very well could be in danger.

Reaching the hospital, he followed the attendants into the triage room, when one poor unfortunate nurse that was not familiar with Lawrence tried to eject him from the room, she found she was thrust away from Lawrence and directed out of the room. Two of Lawrence's Red Guard escorted her to another room. Lawrence stood by Jennifer's side as the trauma team began to assess her and administer the drugs she needed.

Finally, the doctor arrived and did his own assessment. When he had finished his examination, he had her sedated and sent home. With strict instructions to allow her to rest for the remainder of the night and if she should show signs of and more adverse affects of her increased blood pressure she was to return to the hospital immediately. "The only reason I am sending her home majesty, is the fact you have a competent nurse on staff at your house. Otherwise she would have been admitted for observation for the rest of the night."

Lawrence sat with Jennifer in the limo, his concern for her well-being was written on his face as he held her close to his body and gently stroked her hair back and kissed her forehead. "You gave me quite the scare my love. You must rest tonight no excitement."

Jennifer leaned into his hold and spoke softly, "Do you promise to hold me tonight? Please?" she looked into his gaze and tried to give him a brave smile.

Lawrence held her close and whispered back, "Of course my love, how could I not be there to hold you and protect you." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, tonight would be a long night for him. It was hard for him to not hold her and want to make love to her. In her present condition he was not about to do anything that would jeopardize his unborn child.