Chapter 6

“Are the authorities looking for you?” Raven asked savagely. “Is what they say true?”

“No,” Rose said between clenched teeth. “I was never in Winterpark Sanitarium. I escaped from a hospital. And no, I didn't attack those two nurses.”

“Then please explain to me what is going on here. Why did my uncle bring you hear in the middle of the night? And why are you wearing those God-awful clothes?”

Rose was nervous. The room seemed so small and their voices seemed to echo around them. Raven was sitting so close to her. She wanted to flee again. But she knew that was a hopeless thought. There was no where to run. Like it or not, she was stuck here.

“It's crazy,” Rose implored. “You won't believe a word of it. I assure you, you will think . . . “

She let her sentence fall short. “I will think what?” Raven's eyes were dark and they assessed her with an ability to frighten her.

“For a long time my mother has been ill. She's been in and out of the hospital so many times, that I can't even remember how many times she's been there.”

“So what does this have to do with you and your current predicament?” Raven's words were brutal.

“If you'll let me explain things, you'll understand. It all started a week ago. I received a phone call in the middle of the night. There had been a hard rain that night. A nurse from Green Lake Hospital called to tell me my mother took a drug overdose. She said her name was Iris and that my mother was going to die.”

Raven looked at Rose curiously, unblinking. He searched her face for any signs that she was lying. “Did you believe this nurse?” Raven asked.

“Of course. Like I said, my mother has been sick for a long time. She's tried to kill herself before. So when I got the call, I took off without any regard to the weather. I was driving much too fast and, suddenly, in my path was a young girl.”

“What happened then?” Raven wanted to know all the details. He needed to know everything about this woman, or he was likely to cuff her himself and haul her to the police station without any regard to her feelings. He waited patiently for her to continue.

“I hit my breaks. I swerved to keep from hitting her, but the back end of my car hit her anyway. The last thing I remember, she was laying on the ground and she wasn't moving. Then I passed out.”

Raven listened intently to Rose's telling of the story. So far nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was raining, she was driving fast, and she hit a girl. Where'd the girl come from? Was this the same girl that Rose claimed to have seen earlier?

“Please go on,” Raven urged gently.

“When I woke up in the hospital, my mother was there at my bedside. I wondered how that could be when she was supposed to be dying. When I questioned the nurses about the young girl, no one seemed to know what I was talking about. They kept giving me drugs to keep me heavily sedated.”

Rose paused for a moment. This was going to be hard. She had to take a deep breath to calm her quivering nerves. She knew Raven was going to throw her out of here if he thought her crazy. And really, she didn't blame him. She'd probably do the same thing.

“I asked to speak to Iris, the nurse who had called me that night. But again, no one knew who Iris was. They had no one employed by that name. Later that night, I saw the young girl in the hallway. She was crying and pleading for my help. When I mentioned this to the nurses, they claimed there were no other patients on the floor with me.”

Rose shut her eyes to the sudden onslaught of memories that flooded her mind. She explained how she had run from the nurses and the doors were chained shut, and how they had tied her to the bed with torn bed sheets. Raven didn't speak. He just kept looking at her with skepticism. She was afraid continue. There was no possible way she could ever convince Raven that what she was saying was the truth. He would never believe her. Never.

“Is something wrong, Rose? Is it too difficult to continue?”

“No,” she whispered. “This is where it gets a little crazy. I'm afraid to tell you the rest of the story for fear you will condemn me like others condemned my mother.”

“What do you mean?” Raven asked.

Rose hesitated before answering. She could so clearly see her mother and the neighbors taunting her. “People thought my mother was delusional, and schizophrenic. She claimed to see things that weren't there. She would talk to them as if they were there in the room with her. The doctors fed her with any number of drugs. But nothing seemed to work. She tried drinking the memories away. But it didn't help either. It only made the situation worse.”

Now Raven understood why Rose had poured the liquor down the drain. Her mother was an alcoholic. It must have been hard growing up as a child with someone who drank that heavily. It was only a means of escape. But Raven was nothing like that. He took his liquor in spurts. He didn't have to drink. He chose to drink. He could stop any time he wanted and without any repercussions. If Rose didn't want him to drink, then he simply wouldn't drink. Out of consideration and respect. Nothing more. When she was gone, he'd drink as often as he wanted.

“You're seeing things now, aren't you, Rose?” Raven questioned skeptically.

Tears streamed down her face as she thought about her mother. “I thought my mother was crazy, just like everyone else did. Now I know what she was going through. Because now I'm going through it myself. There has to be some kind of connection. I'm not sure what it is, or why it's happening to me.”

Raven sighed heavily, then ran his fingers through his hair. He leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes. Was he as crazy as she was? He couldn't possibly believe her story. Maybe her mother really was schizophrenic. Maybe Rose was too. Maybe she deserved to be locked up where it was safe.

Rose watched Raven from the corner of her eyes. She could see the look on his face and the doubt in his eyes. She shuddered. He didn't believe any of this. He was going to send her back to that place. She could see it in his expression. Suddenly she was terrified of going back there. She was sure to die if she was forced to return to that place.

“Who is this girl?” Raven finally asked after a short span of silence.

“I'm not sure,” Rose admitted. “But it's almost as if I've see those eyes of hers some where before.”

“Can you communicate with her?”

“Yes. She untied me at the hospital. She showed me a way out. She led me to freedom. That's how I managed to get to your uncles. If I had stayed there, I would have died.”

Raven allowed her words to sink in. He went over them again and again in his head. It was absolutely, utterly ridiculous. You couldn't communicate with something that wasn't there. No way. Now way. No way.

“Look,” Rose pleaded, “I can see you think I'm insane because I see things and hear things. But please, you can't send me back to that hospital. If they lock me up in that sanitarium, I'll most likely never to get out of there. My mother says it's a place of evil.”

“Has your mother been locked up in there before?”

“Once, I think. There was this doctor, Dr. Livingston. He's from the sanitarium. He came to my room one night when my mother was there. They had words. My mother stopped breathing, and it was as if the doctor was going to let her die. He wouldn't help her.”

“Are you certain of that? Maybe you were just imagining it.”

Rose squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. “I wasn't imagining it,” she said angrily. “I know what I saw.”

“And you say he's from Winterpark Sanitarium?”

“Yes,” Rose replied.

“What do you know about Winterpark?”

Rose shrugged indifferently. “Not much. I know more about the hospital where I was staying. There's been a number of unexplained casualties. Small children, adults. It doesn't matter. When you go there for medical treatment, it almost guaranteed, you won't make it out of there alive.”

Was it that bad? Raven wondered to himself. He needed to take a look at this place, see for himself, if it was really as awful as Rose made it out to be. He could see no signs that she weren't being honest with the details. When she spoke, there was no hesitation in her voice. Her eyes spoke volumes. Behind them there was a deep-rooted fear.

Raven closed in on Rose. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her against his chest. At first she resisted. She didn't want or need consolation from him. But before she had time to protest, he was releasing her, leaving her feeling abandoned and confused.

“What was that for?” Rose asked deliberately.

Raven grinned at her mysteriously. “Just as you said, we are very much alike. I saw you needed a hug, so I gave you one. I knew if I had asked, you'd refuse. I also knew that if it were to last to long, you would take pleasure in hurting me in some way. I think I've been through enough today.”

Rose knew she should be relieved that things had turned out like they had. But somehow she found herself disappointed. She was beginning to like Raven. Something about him made her feel safe. He seemed to be a man in control of everything around him. She also knew she could trust him. With her life.

He had sat patiently through her story. He hadn't ridiculed her, mocked her, or scorned her in any way. She had seen compassion, understanding and something more flash across his face.

“So what do we do now?” Rose questioned. “Are you going to turn me in to the authorities?”

Raven stared down at her. Her golden hair was plastered against her face. She'd stopped crying, but he could still see the fear and desperation in her eyes. At that moment he wanted to kiss her. Where the notion had come from he wasn't certain. He knew it was absurd. And he knew most definitely he would never follow through with such a notion. He would stay clear of any romantic entanglement with Rose. She was off limits. She was a friend of the family. And as favor to his uncle, he would see that this mess was cleared up. As quickly as possible.

“I'm going to help you,” Raven answered.

“Does that mean you believe me?”

Raven's expression was bland. “Not exactly. I feel there is some reasonable explanation. I'm not sure what it is. But I think in time, I can uncover the truth.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“First,” Raven said, “I am going to start by paying the hospital a visit, ask a few questions. Maybe I can find out who called you that night. Maybe it was one of the nurses, maybe it was a friend, or colleague. Do you have any known enemies that would want to harm you in any way?”

Rose stood and began to pace around the room. “I don't have friends, Raven. I have a lucrative partnership with a group of men and women. We've been working together for a number of years.”

“And you trust them?” Raven asked explicitly.

“With my life,” she responded.

“And you don't think any of them would be capable of calling you in the middle of the night, in the pouring rain . . .”

Suddenly Rose was angry. “What are you implying?”

Did Raven think that someone tried to sabotage her career, by killing her. The truth was staring her in the face. If she were to die, the partnership would dissolve and the remaining partners would get a large settlement upon her death? Was it possible . . . No, it couldn't be. Luke Conrad, Justin Parrish and Rachel Gomez. Those three names came to mind when she thought of the partnership.

Those were her trusted co-harts. She'd shared an intimate relationship with Luke Conrad. But it had gone cold after several months, when Rose had refused to commit herself to a more serious relationship. Luke had demanded more from Rose than she was willing to give. He'd know from the start that Rose was not the kind of woman to give her heart away. Why he had tried to force the issue was beyond her. Their relationship had been severed over six months ago. Maybe eight. There was still strife between the two of them. But Rose felt that in time those feelings would vanish and that the two of them would once again find the ability to work together again without all the tension.

In reality, Rose knew the relationship should never have developed. But she'd been at a vulnerable time in her life.

She had needed someone to lean on. And Luke had been there for her. They had known each other for years. Luke knew what kind of person she was before they'd ever consummated their relationship. It wasn't as if she had lied to him, deceived him, or tried to cover anything up. She'd been completely honest with him from the start. Maybe he had thought in time she would change her mind and feel more deeply about their relationship. But it hadn't worked.

The harder her pushed to make the relationship work, the more Rose pushed herself away. She didn't want to be bothered by emotional entanglements. Love wasn't for her. She was incapable of loving anyone. She thought Luke had understood that. Obviously she was wrong. Could he be harboring some ill feelings toward her that would make him want to harm her? Was it some form of revenge? Maybe she had been wrong all along. Maybe there was a dark and sinister side of Luke she had failed to detect when she offered him the partnership.

Raven watched Rose and saw her eyes darken with dread. He grew concerned. “What are you thinking, Rose?”

“I was thinking about Luke Conrad. He's one of the partners I work with. I was thinking that maybe I don't know him as good as I thought I did.”

“Why do you say that?”

Rose explained about their intimate relationship and also about their working relationship. “When we first me, it had been at a local real estate convention. I had studied his academic background, his financial and personal affairs. I did the basic background check on him and everything seemed perfectly aligned. I knew before I ever met him that I wanted him as a partner.”

“Was there an instant attraction when the two of you met?”

No,” Rose admitted honestly. “I can't even say we were friends. I don't consider anyone a friend. One day it just happened and we were dating. It wasn't like it was planned or anything.”

“What was he like when you began dating?”

“At first things were good. We had an understanding. But he wasn't happy with that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He wanted more. He started pressuring me. He wanted me exclusively. He wanted a permanent, long-term relationship. I was incapable of giving him what he wanted. He knew that from the beginning.”

“Was he angry when you broke off the relationship?”

“I can't lie,” Rose said. “Yes, he was very angry. We still can't work together without our personal feelings getting involved.”

“Do you think he's angry enough that he would play tricks on your mind to drive you crazy?”

Rose thought long and hard about that question. A few minutes ago she would have thought differently about the situation. But after thinking about it for a while, she had her doubts. “I never thought he would be the type of person that would hold a grudge. I consider myself to be astute when it comes to judging a person's character. But maybe, I was wrong with him.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, that maybe I didn't know him at all. Maybe he is capable of doing all of these things. Driving me crazy. Playing tricks with my mind.”

“Well then, what I need to do tomorrow, is drive by the hospital, ask a few questions. I'll look further into Luke's background. See if there's anything you didn't see before. Then I'll arrange a meeting with him. See if I can talk to him. Gauge his reactions to a few questions that I have for him.”

Rose glanced at Raven. “Do you think it's possible that you can stop by my place and pick up a few clothes and personal items. I could really use a change in wardrobe. Your aunt loaned these to me, but as you can see, they are a bit large for me.”

So that explained where those clothes came from. No wonder they looked so awful on her.

“Do you have a key?”

“No.” Rose shook her head. Her golden hair ruffled across her shoulders. “They are at the hospital. I had to flee so quickly, I wasn't able to bring anything with me. And one more thing,” Rose said, “Do you think you could check on my mother, see how she's doing. She was admitted to the hospital and I fear for her life.”

“I'll check on her. That will give me the perfect excuse to visit the hospital without casting any doubts on why I'm there. I'll give you a full report when I get back.”

“Thank you.” Rose was overjoyed. She smiled brightly and then lunged forward, smacking her lips against Raven's cheek. There was a moment of awkwardness for him, but Rose didn't seemed phased by it at all. Her smile grew wider as she laid her head against Raven's shoulder and snuggled closer to him. Raven clenched his teeth. This was all wrong. Neither of them wanted a relationship. No, neither of them could handle a relationship. There was a difference.

Though Rose and Raven were incompatible, there were some similarities in them as well. They were both stubborn, head-strong, and unable to bring themselves to a level of understanding where others were concerned. For reasons known only to themselves, they had isolated themselves from those around them, distancing themselves from any real commitments. Was it out of fear of being hurt again? Or fear of retribution? Raven wasn't sure. All he knew was this one simple fact. He and Rose were selfish people, with selfish tendencies. They never took the time to think of others. A relationship between them would never work. Never.

Rose fell asleep against Raven's shoulder. He wanted to push her away and get as far away from her as he could get. But before he knew what was happening, he stretched out on the couch and burrowed down into the cushions with Rose cradled at his side. Before long, he was fast asleep, dreaming of her. How had he let this happen? Again he told himself it was wrong. All of it. He was letting himself open for more heartache and destruction. Rose, he knew, was the only person capable of bringing him to this level. So far, he'd been able to resist any woman that managed to cross his path. And believe him, there had been plenty of women.

Ever since Emaline, though, he'd wanted nothing more to do with any woman. He'd built walls around himself. He made it impossible for any woman to penetrate that wall. But in just a few hours, Rose had done just that.

Why couldn't he resist her? What was it about her that made him weak and helpless? Because that's exactly how he felt. And what could be gained by any of this? .

For now Raven didn't have any answers. He snuggled closer to Rose and held her safely against him. Morning would come soon enough. Maybe then he'd have the answers that he needed.