Chapter 48

There were times when I thought that I was awake, but the muffle of sounds and the flashing of lights had me deciding that maybe I was just imagining it. The pain was incessant but bearable, but I felt so tired and so fuzzy that even any thoughts weren't coherent. When I finally felt that things around me were quiet and calm, and the pain seemed to have dulled was when I started to open my eyes. That horrendous sound of beep beeping assaulted my ears, and I knew exactly where I was. I felt my hand move so tried to turn my head to look over at it.

"Don't move too much, Babe. Everything's going to be fine, you just need to rest"

So that was what I did, until I felt that I needed to force myself to be more conscious of what was around me. I didn't feel as groggy so turned my head and blinked rapidly to get my eyes to actually see anything properly. The sight of Carlos asleep in a chair next to me almost had me sighing. I rarely got the opportunity to watch him sleeping and now that I could, I could only watch. He obviously hadn't shaved for a few days because his facial hair was thick around that beautiful jaw line. I wanted to move my hand and touch him, to be sure that he was there but didn't have the strength. It had me flinching slightly when his eyes suddenly opened, and his brown eyes locked onto mine.

"Hey, how long have you been awake?"

He almost sounded guilty that he'd been asleep. I watched as he stood up and was then aware of the top of the bed moving, raising me slightly before a cup with a straw was held to my lips. That definitely tasted good making me realize how thirsty I was and how much my throat was sore. Carlos sat on the side of the bed and swept a hand down my head, resting it against my cheek.

"A few hours and you'll feel better. I missed you"

I smiled hearing how sincere he was but then wondered how long I'd been here for. A look down showed that I was only wearing a strappy top and I had a large dressing over the top of my chest just inside my shoulder. I couldn't work out how that was there because I had tried to be safe when I'd gone out.

"The bullet entered at the side of the vest at an angle"

Well shit, so much for trying to be safe and wearing a vest. I stayed motionless as my mind went back to what had happened just before I'd felt that pain, trying to decide if I even knew what had happened.

"How did you know to come?"

Because that had been my worst fear, that no one would know just how much trouble I was in.

"Hector picked up a signal from an old device so sent out the alarm. I didn't know that you still had that watch"

There went my secret of how I'd kept that watch but to be honest I was so pleased that I had and that it still worked.

"Morelli?"

I asked, because I wasn't sure how I would cope now knowing about everything that he'd told me if he managed to weasel out of shooting me.

"He has a few bullet holes in him"

I wasn't sure how I felt knowing that he was alive. Would he be able to get out of any charges again? Would he ever leave me alone?

"You don't look happy about that Babe"

Okay so maybe I had that resigned look on my face but come on, didn't I deserve a break? After everything that Morelli had done it just wouldn't be fair if he was never charged. My word would never be enough because he'd say that I was making it up.

"I don't know what to think. I mean he was responsible for so much and yet I bet that there will never be any evidence to tie him to it"

"What makes you think that? Willoughby was with us and he was listening in to what your watch was transmitting, so he has what he needs"

That definitely had me smiling, though I was curious how Willoughby was involved.

"How was he involved?"

"The secretary had called the police and Mr Ryman filled them in on who was involved. Apparently, Willoughby was never happy with the outcome of that investigation even though he knew there was no evidence to find. He asked to be notified immediately if anything came up that involved Morelli and was there before us. He was one of the people who shot Morelli"

One of the people, and I just bet that I knew who the other one was.

"So when can I get out of here?"

I got a kiss on the forehead for an answer so just knew that I'd be stuck in here for a few more days. It wasn't too bad because I always had someone with me, and I was sure that there was someone stood guard on the door. I insisted that Carlos took some time out from just being sat with me and it was Xander who came and kept me amused during the day. It reminded me of when I'd been in the hospital in Chicago, Carlos was with me during the evening and overnight, with Xander here during the day. No one would tell me anything about anything so I assume that was under Carlos's instructions so I wouldn't have anything to worry about.

It was late afternoon the day before I was going to be released that I got a shock. I'd just started to eat a yummy salad that Xander had brought in for me, courtesy of Ella, when I was sure that I heard a commotion outside the door. Xander had already left, and it was too early for Carlos to be here so I had to admit to feeling uneasy.

"Ma'am, you really can't go inside"

"Nonsense"

Just hearing that one word had my heart beating quickly and sweat forming on my skin. It was a voice that I'd hoped never to hear again and yet there she was, walking toward me. She hadn't changed a bit, from the style of her hair to the dated clothes that she wore and a feeling of déjà vu hit me. The way that she had shouted and belittled me all came back to me with the look that she gave me.

"Well Stephanie, I suppose you'll have to come home with me now. Poor Joseph is still in the hospital, and you no longer have your apartment"

I'm sure that my eyebrows went up after hearing her say that. Why would I want to go to her house after the way that she had treated me?

"I understand that you're being released tomorrow, the nice nurse on the desk filled me in"

I watched as she walked over to a chair and then took a hankie from her bag and began to wipe down the seat. Was she serious? This was a hospital, they kept everywhere clean. Once that she'd done that she perched on the edge, with her bag on her knee and her knees together as though she was royalty.

"I don't know why but there are so many rumors going around, where people get them from is beyond me. I told Mrs. Morelli to ignore them, that obviously Joseph had been on a case when he was hurt. I also heard how some people are trying to say that my mother's death was due to some poor railway man. You need to tell them the truth about that Stephanie. I've struggled enough with having to bear your actions"

I'd had enough and was no longer feeling scared of her and actually wondered how I had allowed her to intimidate me. I knew how it had happened though, she'd used my love for my grandma to blame me for her death and had me feeling so guilty that I'd given up. Now was different because I knew that I'd had nothing to do with my grandma dying so there was nothing that she could use to make me feel as I had done.

"You need to leave. I don't want you here and I don't want to have to see you again. You have made my life hell and that has to stop"

"Nonsense. I'm you're mother. You have no one else who'll look after you, you always were such a difficult child. Your father was right, you need some discipline and learn where your place is"

If that was what she thought then she was in for a shock.

"You need to cover those scars on your hands, people won't want to look at those and be reminded of what you did"

A look at my hands had me thinking that they weren't too bad, certainly something that I had come to get used to and almost accept. Looking down at my hands was when I noticed that I was no longer wearing my rings. Why was that, who had taken them off me? I was still puzzling over that when Carlos opened the door and walked in, his eyes intense as he stared at my mother.

"You. Why are you here when I'm family and will be looking after my daughter? At least until Joseph is released"

She was like a record that had got stuck, repeating the same old crap over and over again. How she had such a biased view was something that I just couldn't understand, surely there were enough stories around the Burg giving her the truth of what Joe had been up to. As Carlos sat on the bed next to me, I could feel the daggers coming from my mother.

"How is my wife feeling today?"

I felt the plate that was resting on my knee being moved and Carlos taking my hands in his. I also felt him pushing my rings onto my finger. As his head came close to mine his voice was so gentle as he gave his explanation of why I wasn't wearing them.

"They had to remove them when you were in surgery, and I needed to wait until any swelling went down before giving them back to you"

I should probably have worked that out because with me not able to move my arm there had been some water retention in my hands. We both looked up to see my mother staring at us, her eyes moving between my hand and our faces.

"You can't have. Why would you do that? Mrs. Polonski's daughter didn't marry without telling her mother and especially not some thus like him"

Hearing her compare me to someone else's daughter, yet again, and how she talked about Carlos had me closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I was so done with having to deal with her and I was pretty sure that she now knew everything about the money, even though she would never come out and say it. I bet she was only putting on this act so that she could try and intimidate me again. Well, that was not going to happen. I was so mush stronger now than I had been and if nothing else I had come to truly know exactly who my family was now, and she wasn't a part of it.

"Mrs. Polonski didn't berate and humiliate her daughter or blame her for things when bad things happened. Go, I really don't want you here and after the way that you have treated me I never want to have to talk to you again"

Carlos standing up had her muttering under her breath and her eyes wide open staring at him, as though she was trying to be defiant, but as he approached her, man, she could move. I was laughing loudly as the door slammed closed behind her hoping that it really was the last time that she would try to talk to me.

The next day seemed to drag by. Between being seen by doctors, signing forms and waiting for a pain med prescription I was becoming so annoyed. Ella had sent in some comfy jogging pants and a thick hoodie, wearing a bra just wasn't worth the aggravation that it had on my wound. Bobby had any relevant information so now I was waiting for Carlos to arrive with the wheelchair. Yeah, hospital regulations insisted on it so I had to keep quiet about it if I wanted to get out.

Home, it felt strange to say that, to be calling home the apartment on seven at Rangeman, but that was exactly what it was. I was glad that I'd declined a welcome home party that Les had mentioned to me the day before, because to be honest I felt shattered just with the effort of moving from the hospital and wanted to be well enough to enjoy something like a party. Fortunately, any of the men that I saw were totally okay with that and as very little had been done on preparations, I didn't feel guilty.