Chapter Six

Bridget's POV:

Bridget shrank back from the bright light that seeped through the slits of her eyes. Throbbing pain radiated throughout her skull. She turned her head, and nausea punched her in the gut. She swallowed hard and concentrated on breathing until her stomach settled. The scent of sterile soap penetrated her nostrils and she knew she was in the hospital. She allowed her eyes to slit open and adjust until she could study the white walls and beeping machines surrounding her.

What happened to me? She wondered as she turned her head and moaned.

"Bridget?" Andrew's anxious voice came to her from the right. His handsome face appeared before her, and the relief and love in his gaze quickened her pulse. The machine beeped quickly. "Hello there." He smiled sweetly as he leaned on the bed and gripped her hand. "How are you feeling?"

She closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. "My head hurts."

"I should think so. It took quite a knock." He turned to the red call button on the wall behind the bed. "I'll get a nurse to give you something for the pain."

Bridget's eyes shot open in panic, a move she regretted as the nausea came back in full force.

"No!" She gripped his hand. "I don't want anything more than Tylenol."

Andrew looked at her questioningly for a moment before his eyes lit with understanding. "Of course, I forgot."

Bridget sighed. Relieved she didn't need to explain that because she was an ex-drug addict she didn't want anything stronger. It could risk her sobriety, and stopping the pain wasn't worth risking her soberness, not when she had so much to stay clean for.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." He kissed the back of her hand and pressed the call button.

"Yes?" A nurse answered.

"My wife would like some Tylenol, please."

"We will be right in," the nurse answered.

"Thank you," Bridget whispered.

The nurse came in and handed her the medication. Bridget swallowed it back with some water and hoped it would at least take the edge off.

She looked over at Andrew's concerned face. Tightening the grip on her fingers he leaned forward and brushed the hair back from the bandage on her forehead.

"I'm so happy you are okay." He smiled though his eyes were haunted. "When I walked in and saw you lying on the floor, my heart stopped. I've never been so terrified."

"I'm sorry you were scared," Bridget said weakly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Andrew assured her, before adding fiercely, "Siobhan does."

"We don't know it was her."

He looked at her intensely before finally speaking. "Juliet went through the apartment with the police. They found some of your jewelry and clothes missing but nothing else from the apartment." He brushed his fingers against her left hand. "Your wedding rings were taken, too."

Bridget closed her eyes for a moment, before she stared at Andrew.

"The police think you walked in on a burglary since the building's surveillance equipment was sabotaged."

"But you don't think so?"

He shook his head. "I believe Siobhan needed money and decided to take it from us. You came home before she was finished." He kissed her hand and said solemnly. "I'm so thankful she didn't kill you."

"She wouldn't kill me," Bridget said.

Andrew looked serious and dread filled her heart. "Do you remember when your ring was stolen before the fundraiser for Juliet's school?"

"Yes," Bridget responded.

"I installed cameras and more security within the apartment. We didn't tell the police because of the questions they would inevitably ask." He paused, threading her fingers with his as he held her hand. "We caught her on camera, Bridget. Siobhan took some jewelry and some clothes from the master bedroom's walk-in closet. When she heard you come in she crept up behind you." He stroked her hand as her pulse began to race. She didn't want to hear more but she knew she needed to know the truth; all of it.

"She used a stun gun on you. You hit your head on the desk when you fell but that didn't stop her from using the gun twice more and viciously kicking you in the stomach." He paused and seemed to struggle with his next words. "I want you to understand that I'm not telling you this to upset you. I'm telling you so you know, with absolute certainty, that your sister is a danger to you. I want you to know that you can't trust her and warn you never be alone with her," he spoke intently. "I'm afraid of what she would do if she had ample opportunity and the ability to get away with it."

"With what, Andrew? What else did you see on the footage?" Bridget felt her blood pressure spike just before the machine beeped its warning. She ignored it. "Tell me," she said earnestly.

Andrew took a deep breath and spoke. "She pulled a gun out of her bag and pointed it at your head."

Bridget inhaled sharply and her eyes stung. No, she didn't want to believe it.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm so sorry." Andrew kissed her hand.

"She hates me so much."

Sadness, regret, and some intangible depression filled every part of Bridget. It was bad enough when her sister, her twin, set her up to die, but now she seemed to be willing to do it herself, which made it all together worse somehow.

"Bridget, sweetheart." Andrew sat on the side of the bed and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry." He rocked her as she cried.

Andrew's POV:

Andrew's heart ached as Bridget sobbed in his arms. She gripped his shirt as tears soaked it through. He wished he could take away her pain, but he knew he could do neither, and doing so would only put her at risk. Bridget needed to know the truth about her sister so she could protect herself.

Andrew tightened his hold as Bridget tried to push him away.

"Please, let me go," she demanded.

"No," he said contracting his arms, holding her dearly.

"Please, I can't let you do this," she cried, desperately.

"Do what?"

"Be with me. I can't let you be with me!" She sobbed as she tried to wiggle out of his iron hold. "I won't let you be hurt because of me."

Andrew refused to let her go. A week ago he would have given in to her request, but not now. He admitted the night before that they had a lot to work on before they could be together, but when he walked into the apartment and saw her lying, still as death, he knew that what happened in the past didn't matter. When he thought of the lie about her identity, he genuinely believed she never intended to hurt them, and that was a good enough reason to forgive and move forward to their future.

So, no, he wouldn't let her go. She was his center, and without her he would always be off kilter. It didn't matter that her twin sister, his wife, was trying to kill her. In fact, that only made him more determined to protect her. Together they would find and neutralize Siobhan, and then they would build their future, together.

After a moment she stopped trying to get free of his stalwart grasp, and she wept harder.

"Why won't you let me go? I don't deserve you. I lied about who I was. I did awful things. You deserve someone better than me."

He shook his head. "No," he said simply. "Don't you understand that there is no one on in this world better for me than you?" he said frantically. "You lied about your name, never about who you truly are. You are just as amazing, supportive and loving as you were when you were pretending to be Siobhan. Your past is just that, in the past." He gripped her hand. "You have no idea the complete devastation I felt the moment I walked in and thought the woman I loved was dead. It only took that moment for me to know that all I wanted was a second chance to never let you go. We all have done awful things, and all of us deserve a second chance," he said sincerely. "I have absolutely no doubt in my mind, not anymore, that you are my soul's mate. I love you, Bridget, and I'm never letting you go. It doesn't matter what tries to separate us. We will never be torn apart again," he declared, leaning forward he captured her lips with his.

Andrew let all the emotion and candor of his words translate into his kiss. He wanted her to not only hear his meaning but feel it. He was never letting her go. That was the end of any discussion otherwise.

She fought against the passionate assault but moments later she battered his senses with her own ardor. They let their emotions guide their lips. Soon, they were lost to their present and found together in their future, a prospect full of love and trust; a place where they could build and grow their relationship.

Wanting to be closer, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her, tubes and all, onto his lap.

"I don't want to hear anymore of this nonsense about being apart," he said against her mouth before overwhelming her senses and his own once again. After he could think he pulled back and spoke. "We belong together, Bridget," he said, looking intently in her eyes. "I love you."

Her huge green eyes stared into his before she leaned forward and kissed him, knowing what he said was true. They belonged together.

"I love you, too." She leaned her forehead to his. "So much."

The knot that had formed unknowingly in his gut suddenly loosened and Andrew felt light as air. It didn't last long.

Bridget turned terrified eyes to his. "I'm so scared you will get hurt in Siobhan's search for vengeance. I couldn't bear if anything happened to you or Juliet because of me. It would kill me, Andrew."

"Do you think it would be any less for me if anything happened to you?" he asked.

She didn't answer. She merely placed her head against his and closed her eyes.

Andrew didn't demand a response. He knew they were in agreement, and that was all that mattered. As long as she understood they were in this together he wouldn't push his luck. Soon, though, once they had dealt with Siobhan, he would do whatever he needed to in order to secure their future. She was his and he was hers'. It was as simple as that.

He leaned over and kissed her lips. "I love you."

She placed her hand against his cheek and just held him to her. "I love you, too."

A knock on the door had them both turning their heads. A serious looking Juliet stood in the doorway.

Bridget lifted her hand, Juliet rushed forward and she wrapped her arms around her while she cried.

"When daddy called and told me what happened, I was so scared." She pulled back and sniffed. "I can't believe that bitch would do this to her own sister."

Tears filled Bridget's eyes, and she tried to shrink away from the truth. It was just too awful.

"I'm sorry," Juliet said. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, you have nothing to be sorry for."

Andrew watched his daughter hold onto the woman he loved, and his heart swelled. This was how it was supposed to be, the three of them together, a family.

"Don't worry, Bridget. We won't let her hurt you," Juliet said solemnly.

The simplicity of the promise struck Andrew. His daughter loved this woman as much as he did. It was right.

"I'm more worried of what she will do to you both. I couldn't bear if something happened to you or your dad," Bridget said through tears.

"Don't worry about us," Juliet assured her. "We've got your back, and that skank isn't getting away with anything." She hugged Bridget. "I know Siobhan is your sister and I know a part of you will always love her, but she needs to pay for all the pain and hurt she has caused everyone."

Andrew was surprised at the venom in his daughter's voice, though he probably shouldn't be. Siobhan had never tried to earn anything buy malice from Juliet.

"I'm so sorry that you have to go through this," Juliet told Bridget.

Bridget smiled through tears. "I don't want to believe Siobhan is capable of causing so much pain, but I need to face the facts. She is. I think that above everything else it hurts the most because I feel responsible."

"That is ridiculous," Juliet assured her. "Siobhan is sick. She obviously lost it after Sean was killed and her decisions after that only made everything worse."

Andrew watched his daughter and realized everything she said was true. Siobhan had been slipping into insanity since the day Sean died, and after losing Henry and giving birth to twins her insanity was escalating. The thought made him shiver with fear. Siobhan's deteriorating mind only made her more dangerous.

"Don't worry. We'll stop the bitch together."

"Juliet," Bridget said exasperated.

Andrew smiled. Leave his daughter to not only cut to the core of the problem but to do it with tactlessness.

Bridget and Juliet started arguing about her language and lack of delicacy while Andrew watched, and their words began to soothe the ache in his heart.

They were a family and nothing was going to change that, especially Siobhan.

Siobhan's POV:

Siobhan walked into the mouth of a dirty alley. Carefully, she stepped her Louboutin's around garbage and rat droppings as she dialed the number for the nanny she hired to care for Portia and Regan.

"Arina, how are the girls?" she asked when the un-documented Russian nanny picked up.

"They are doing wonderfully," she said in her heavy accent.

"I'm going to be gone for a few more hours."

"Not to worry, they are sleeping and eating, just as babies do." She laughed. "I take good care. See you soon."

"See you soon."

Siobhan hung up and stood in the shadows of the alley in Harlem. She patted the envelope of cash that sat in her oversized bag. The diamond bracelet and earrings she pawned hadn't gotten her much, but it was enough to get a new identity thanks to a willing pawnbroker who didn't ask questions.

Impatiently she waited for her forger to arrive with her new papers. With Henry on Bridget's side she needed a new identity, one he knew nothing about. One she could use to execute her plan.

Ten minutes later, her guy finally arrived.

"It's about time," she said.

"I'm here ain't I?"

"Whatever," she said, disgusted, "do you have them?"

The forger, Jimmy, held out a brown paper bag; Siobhan took it and pulled out the contents. A blue passport, driver's license and birth certificate with the name Jane Jones as well as documents for Portia and Regan Jones slid into her palm.

"Where's my money."

Siobhan tossed him the envelope of cash.

He took it and counted the contents before shooting her a smile.

"It's nice doing business with you."

She ignored him and left the alley.

The papers would give her and the girls the ability to stay under the radar until she could finalize her plans.

She stroked the rings she took from Bridget. Over, and over, she turned them on her finger. It wouldn't be long until she was Mrs. Andrew Martin once again. Then she could arrange Andrew and Juliet's demises. Smiling, she imagined her future. She could definitely play the grieving widow and step-mom for the amount of money she would inherit. Then she and the girls would have everything they deserved, and everyone who wronged them would get their retribution.