Chapter 6

Bo pressed an ice pack on his throbbing jaw. Frankie had thoroughly vented his rage on him. But Bo wasn't concerned about the pain from his bruises- it was the least he deserved. It was more of the acute pain in his heart over what he allowed happen to Carly. All he could picture was his princess badly injured from her attack. An attack he could've prevented.

I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, he'd promised her, staring into those beautiful green eyes looking back at him, anxious yet trusting. And he'd meant it from the heart, inwardly swearing again he'll never leave her unprotected or let her go a second time. Bo knew he could never live with himself from now on. Especially as he thought about their last conversation, replaying it yet again in his mind.

He didn't look up as a key slid into the door knob and Hope entered, closing the door behind her. 'My God...' She hurried to him. 'Are you alright?'

'What do you think?' Bo asked drily, raising his head for her to see Frankie's handiwork; two black eyes, a split lip and several bruises.

'How could he do this to you?' Hope demanded, touching his face.

'He only did what any angry brother would do.' He placed the ice pack back on the bruise, turning away from her touch.

Hope, still smarting over her confrontation with Frankie, yearned to find comfort with the man she loved. 'Whatever else we're guilty of Brady, Frankie's got the rest of it all wrong. What happened to Carly...'

'I don't want to talk about it.'

'Bo, you can't shut me out like this. We need to talk about it sometime.'

'Hope, just let me be, okay?'

Hope fought back tears, getting to her feet. As she got to the stairs, she paused then turned. 'Did Carly tell you about the baby?'

Bo turned sharply to stare at her, not sure he'd heard right. 'What?' he asked, his voice harsh and trembling.

Hope shook her head at Bo, his face suddenly deathly pale under the bruises. 'Roman told us, I thought you knew. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' Feeling the need to be alone as well, she went upstairs, tears rolling down her cheeks at the stricken, heartsick look on her husband's face.

That's what Carly wanted to tell me... why she wanted us to meet.

Bo covered his face with his hands and began to weep. Just like on the day he allowed Carly Manning walk out of his life for the second time.

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Carly could barely talk but was obviously very happy to see her brother and Marcus, squeezing their fingers with the little strength she had and attempted several times to smile at Piper and Adrienne but her lips hurt too much. She closed her eye in relief after Dr. Gage told her the babies were alive and being closely monitored. When Rafe came to see her, bearing flowers from him and Sami, she managed to spell out a 'T' and a 'Y' on his palm- Thank you- before drifting off to sleep.

Dr. Gage emphasised that with the babies still under strict observation and Carly's injuries, she couldn't be moved for at least 5 days; her condition was delicate.

'She's right,' Marcus said quietly. 'Much as I want Carly out of this damned town, we've got to think of the risks if we fly her out before she's cleared to.'

Rafe's phone rang and he answered it before handing it to Frankie. 'It's Roman.'

'What do you want now?'

'I want to send two officers to guard Carly over there.'

' No thanks, I'll arrange security detail for her myself.'

'Must you take this resentment of yours this far? I'm offering you my help.' Roman protested.

'Well, I don't need your help and I don't want anything from you or Bo. Just leave us alone.' he hung up and handed it back to Rafe.

'Hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of arranging security for Carly.' Rafe said later. 'I got in touch with an old acquaintance who runs a private security firm and told him about the situation. He said he can send over two of his best operatives to guard Carly. I can watch her for you as well.'

'It's all settled then, thanks a lot Rafe.' Frankie shook his hand. 'It's a huge load off my mind. Katerina's doctor says we can't move her for now.'

'I understand.' Rafe nodded, noticing how Frankie addressed Carly as Katerina. Now fully aware of their upper-class background and unhappy childhood, Rafe saw just how closely connected Carly and Frankie – or rather, Katerina and Francois- were. While she was in surgery, Frankie had blamed himself, amidst protests from Marcus, Piper and Rafe; wishing he had come to visit his sister sooner. Rafe couldn't help but like Frankie very much, for his fierce protectiveness towards his sister and defending her tarnished honour. If everybody wanted to ostracise him because he made Frankie aware of what was going on, so be it.

'Mr Brady,' a nurse came up, looking harried. 'A young woman is asking to see your sister. Says she's her daughter. Dr. Gage's with her right now.'

'Melanie. She managed to track us down somehow.' Rafe said, while Frankie scowled darkly.

'Rafe, please stay with my sister and get Marcus out here.'

'I know my mother's here and I demand to see her,' Melanie was arguing with Carly's doctor downstairs.

'Calm down, Ms Layton. Just take a seat...'

'I don't want a seat, I want to see my Mum right now!'

'Look, she's the daughter of the patient. Why are you stonewalling her like this?' Brady demanded.

'Because she has to get permission from the patient's next of kin first.'

'Next of kin? What are you talking about and why the hell would I need permission?' Melanie exclaimed. Maggie and Brady were baffled, while Daniel and Jennifer exchanged uneasy looks. They should have prepared her for this.

Jennifer saw Frankie coming out of an elevator and her eyes widened at who accompanied him. 'Marcus?' she gasped, moving forward. But Frankie shrank from her touch with a scowl, while Marcus didn't acknowledge her presence.

'Ah, I was just explaining to Ms Layton here...' Dr. Gage began.

'It's okay, I'll take it from here.'

'Who the hell are you?' Melanie snapped, glaring at him.

'I'm Carly's brother,' was the cold reply. Taken aback, Melanie's anger died down.

'Frankie, how could you not tell me about Carly on the phone, what was that all about?' Jennifer asked, refusing to be ignored.

'What are you all doing here, that's the real question.' Frankie replied, refusing to answer Jennifer. 'I would've thought you already guessed Katerina doesn't want to see any of you right now.'

'Why won't you let me see my Mum?' Melanie demanded.

'Because it seems she's only your Mum when it suits you. So why the concern all of a sudden?'

Melanie suddenly realised what her uncle was getting at and she went red.

'I know everything, everything that woman went through since she made the mistake of coming back here. But I'm not judging her, I'm judging the people who hurt her.'

' I didn't mean what I said to her.' Melanie said, her voice choky.

'She really didn't.' Maggie said, holding Melanie by the shoulders.

'Really? So... all the time Melanie shunned her mother, you allowed it and comforted her instead... since you're the ideal replacement.' Marcus asked, his cold eyes now on Maggie. 'Did you even make an effort to talk to Melanie about what she was doing to her own mother? But of course you didn't, because you sided with her.'

'Lay off them, okay?' Brady said, jumping to the women's defence, seeing they were near tears. 'Now's not the time for all this, Melanie's got the right to see her mother.'

'This vindictive little brat doesn't have the right to anything.' Frankie spat.

Daniel moved forward. 'That's my daughter you're talking to.'

'Then take your brat with you and leave, before I have you all thrown out.'

Melanie felt herself tremble but stood her ground. 'Fine, I'm a brat, a bitch; whatever you want to call me. But the only way I'm leaving is if my Mum herself tells me to leave.'

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Melanie rushed to Carly's side, appalled by her mother's banged up face. Her beautiful face, she thought, tears rolling down her cheeks. Jennifer felt sick, wondering who would do such a thing to her friend. Daniel stared down at her, shame and guilt welling up.

'Oh my God... who did this?' Melanie whispered, taking Carly's hand. 'Mum? Mum... can you hear me? It's Mel.'

Carly turned her head slowly at the sound of her daughter's voice, peering at Melanie through her half open eye. Melanie squeezed her hand. 'Mum...' she said, her other hand reaching to touch her forehead. 'Mum. I'm here.'

Carly said nothing, her eye fixed on Melanie.

'It's okay Mum. Whoever did this... he won't get away with it. And I'm going to be looking after you from now on.'

Carly muttered something that sounded like 'touch me.'

'What, what hurts?' Melanie asked anxiously.

Carly winced with pain at the effort to talk but then tried again. 'Don't... touch... me.' Slowly she manoeuvred her hand from Melanie's hold.

Melanie rose to her feet, shocked. 'Mum...'

'Leave... me... alone.' The half open eye moved up to Daniel and Jennifer who was standing behind Melanie, unable to believe what they was hearing. 'Get... out.'

Speechless with shock, Melanie covered her mouth with both hands.

'Carly, come on.' Daniel urged. 'If it's about what happened, they were just angry words in the heat of the moment. Don't hold it against her. And I know I also owe you an apology.'

'Carly, it's us... we love you.' Jennifer protested, moving to Carly's side. But there was now an icy look on her friend's face.

'Fran... Fran...' she whispered.

Frankie hurried to her side. 'Yes, sis?'

'Get... them... out.'

Frankie rose. 'You heard her loud and clear. Leave.'

Melanie's eyes filled with tears, still unable to speak. She stared down at Carly but Carly slowly turned her face away, wincing. Her lower lip was bleeding. 'You turned her against me!' she burst out, Daniel's arms coming round her.

'Carly's had enough rejection from you. You did this by yourself.' Marcus said coldly, taking a sterile cloth to dab the blood off Carly's lip.

'The three of you get out.' Frankie ordered.

'Frankie, let's at least talk about this, please,' Jennifer pleaded. 'For the sake of how I feel about both of you...'

'For the last time, get out or I will call security. Don't bother coming back here because you won't be allowed in.' Frankie's cold eyes rested on the woman he once loved. 'And please, don't insult us both by pretending you still have regard for Carly or me. We both know whose side you're really on.'

Jennifer walked out with Daniel and Melanie in a daze, devastated and hurt by Frankie's harsh words, Piper and Rafe watching them leave in silence.

'She sent me away, Mum sent me away. She's so angry with me!' Melanie wept, rushing into Brady's arms. Maggie saw how white her niece looked as she slipped her arms round her. She looked at Daniel. 'Is that true?'

'I think it's just the shock of the beating she got, Maggie. Carly's in a bad way right now, we should simply give her time to get over this.'

'I think Daniel's right,' Jennifer said quietly, refusing to believe Carly will turn her daughter or best friend away if she was thinking clearly. Carly loved her daughter. True, Carly had been distant towards her for a while now, but Jennifer was confident Carly would eventually forgive her for siding with Hope. She wouldn't allow her bitterness towards Bo and Hope stand in the way of their friendship. Frankie will have to understand that, when Carly eventually sent for them.