Darkness into Dawn (The Unraveled Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Darkness into Dawn

  Copyright© 2014 by Theresa Sederholt

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in the book review.

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentions in this work of fiction:

  Jackson Memorial Hospital. Starbucks. Nutella. Jammie Dodgers. Doctor Who. The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchhill by Enright Dominque. American Express Black Card. The W Hotel. Apple, iPad, iPod. Cardiff Bay. The Doctor Who Experience. Disney World. Rolex. Sing Sing and Attica Prisons. Bon Genie. Savoy of London. Barneys. Raider’s Inc. GQ. Prosecco. Cartier. Tiffany. S’Mac. Jewel Cayle. Chae Richardson ‘Courage is not living without fear. Courage is being scared to death and doing the right thing any way’ quotation. Abracadabra Rose. Bond Cuff links. Friends. Netflix. Scotland Yard. Skype. The Battersea Dog and Cat Home

  Music ‘One Direction “Half a Heart,” ‘Ellie Goulding “How Long Will I Love you?,” SafetySuit “Never Stop” and “Red Pieces,” ‘Nickleback “Never Gonna Be Alone,” ‘The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.” ‘David Garrett’ “Bring Me Back To Life.”

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  ISBN: 13:978–0-692–27103–2

  Publisher: Theresa Sederholt©

  Cover designer: Tracy Beavers: [email protected]

  Cover designer for paperback: Cover to Cover Design

  Editor: Jacquelyn Ayres

  Formatter: Champagne Formats

  Other Books by Theresa Sederholt

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Book 3: Untitled

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Other Books by Theresa Sederholt

  The Unraveling of Raven

  IT’S A COLD WINTER day in New York City, but the sun is shining. I decide to take the ladies out for a bite to eat while I wait to hear from Max. I’m very distracted, and I know it’s from the anticipation of his call. I’m not good at waiting, but I have no choice. I push my food around the plate while Raven and Jackie talk about our baby. I want to get married before the baby comes, but I haven’t broached that subject yet. Lately, it seems I can’t get anything right with Raven. As I look around the restaurant, I realize we must look ridiculous sitting here with six security guards and a dog, but what the fuck do I care? I would have a hundred security guards if it meant our girls were safe. As the waiter comes with the dessert menu, my phone chirps with a text from Tony to call him stat.

  “Ladies, I need to make a call. I’ll be out front.” They are so engrossed in baby stuff, I don’t even think they notice, but it’s okay. I’m glad to see Raven having some normal girl time. I make my way through the restaurant and out the door.

  “Tony, what’s the problem?” I ask as soon as he picks up. He starts talking but I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I’m in utter shock. Everything he’s saying sounds like white noise. “Tony, my jet is in Miami. I need you to charter a private jet for me to leave within the hour—at any cost.” Ending the call, I go back inside to collect the ladies and pay the bill.

  “Jax, what’s wrong?” Raven only has to take one look at me to know when something is terribly wrong. I think she can see the fear I’m feeling on my face.

  “We need to leave now.”

  She brings her hand up to her throat, and her eyes instantly fill with tears. “Jax, you’re scaring me. Please, what’s wrong?”

  Before I can say anything, Jackie turns white and starts shaking. Fuck! “Jax, its Maxwell, isn’t it? I can feel it.” Her tears start falling. I’m trying to hold onto both of them.

  “Ladies, I need to leave for the airport—now!”

  Raven, puts her hands on her hips as if ready to stand her ground. “We are going with you. No arguments, Jax!”

  I want her with me, close to me. I need my lifeline, my beautiful girl. “I’m not going to argue; let’s go.”

  WE RACE TO THE airport where the jet is waiting for us. I get everyone settled in the main cabin before heading to the office area. I need to make some calls. I know I should be strong for Raven and Jackie, comforting them. I can’t. Right now, I’m best at setting up top doctors and dealing with the authorities on the ground. All I know is that Max and Vincent were shot, and it’s bad. My phone rings, its Bella. I don’t want to deal with her right now, but I have no choice. I know she won’t let up.

  “Bella, I’m really busy at the moment.” I try to rush her off the phone.

  “Jax, it’s all over the news. Where are you?” she cries.

  I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “I’m on my way to Miami with Raven and Jackie.”

  I hear my mum in the background, trying to say something. “Jax, hold on, Mum wants you.” She doesn’t even give me a chance to protest.

  “Jaxson, you go get him and bring him home. And you tell him he hasn’t seen mad!” Her voice cracks and she starts to cry. When my mum cries, it shreds me.

  “Okay, Mum, I love you,” I whisper. I hang up and sit in my chair with my head in my hands. I don’t hear her come in, but I can feel her, my skin tingles whenever she’s near. She takes me in her arms and holds me gently. I don’t have to say a thing; she knows what I need and she knows that, right now, she is my lifeline. I need to be strong for everyone else, but with her, I can just be.

  WE TOUCH DOWN AND there are cars waiting to rush our security team and us to Jackson Memorial Hospital. We head towards the ICU where the nurse informs me that only family members are allowed. I was prepared for this and hand her Max’s HIPPA medical release form. We made preparations one night, in a drunken state, hoping they would never be needed.

  “Let me go in and assess the situation, then I will be back to let you know what I find out. Please stick with Jackie and your detail,” I beg of Raven.

  I look over at Jackie and I realize, she’s not said a word since we left the restaurant. I hope Raven can help her, because I don’t think I can. As I walk into the room, what I see shocks me. It rocks me to my core. My best friend—the man that I consider my brother—looks pale and weak. “Nurse, when will the doctor be here? I want to talk to him now.”

  “Sir, I just paged Dr. Scott. He is with the other victim now.”

  I growl, trying to rein in my temper. “Vincent is here?” I think I just scared the shit out of the nurse.

  “Sir, by law I’m not allowed to discuss other patients.”

  While I wait for the doctor, I call Tony. “I’m here. Apparently, they have Vincent in the next room. I want extra guards put on his room and around this whole fucking hospital! I want you to find out everything you can about the status of his condition.�
� I inform the nurse that the man in the next room is a murderer, rapist, and kidnapper. She glances at me, but says nothing as she checks Max’s vitals. Dr. Scott finally comes in. I get up and shake his hand. “Dr. Scott, I’m Jaxson Phillips, I have Maxwell’s medical power of attorney. What’s the prognosis?”

  He looks over Max’s chart. “The next twenty-four hours are critical. As you know, he was shot in the head. I was able to remove the bullet, but his brain is swollen. I had put him into a coma to give his brain a chance to rest. His heart stopped during surgery, but there shouldn’t be any affects from that since we were able to restart it rather quickly. My concern, right now, is Mr. Fleming’s brain. He was shot with a low-velocity bullet. It entered the left side and stayed there. We were able to surgically remove the bullet, however, there is a lot of swelling. If the swelling goes down, then I’m hopeful Mr. Fleming won’t need any additional surgery. That’s what these monitors are for, they measure the pressure in the brain,”

  I’m not a betting man. I always need to have all the information. I leave nothing to chance. “What are his odds?”

  He begins examining Max, checking his reflexes and pupil dilation. “I can’t really say until the swelling begins to subside. The fact that he survived so far, tips the scales in his favor. He is in good health, although like I said, the next twenty-four hours are critical.”

  I growl again. I feel my frustration with this man growing by the second. “What about, Vincent? The other man he was brought in with.”

  He nods, “I’m not at liberty to discuss the status of his condition with you.”

  I want to rip this guy in half; he is so fucking calm. “You have no idea how sick and twisted that evil man is.”

  None of this seems to matter to him. “Dr. Scott, I know Vincent was shot, is he going to live?”

  “Mr. Phillips, all I can tell you is he has not regained consciousness yet.”

  I’m not going to get anywhere with this guy. “Okay. First, for security purposes, the two women outside need to be in here. Second, when can I move Max?”

  “Sir, do you understand the gravity of this situation?”

  Now this guy is really pissing me off. “Dr. Scott, let me explain a few things to you. First, I do understand the gravity of the situation. Second, that man in the other room kidnapped one of those women, out in the hall, when she was seven. He killed her father in front of her, raped her mother, and then kidnapped her again just a few months ago. So now I ask you, do you understand the gravity of the fucking situation!”

  “Sir, I understand your frustration, however, I need to consider the well-being of both of my patients.” He tries to calm me down but everything he say’s only enrages me more.

  My patience is at the end of its rope and I’m ready to just punch this fucker. “I think maybe, just maybe, you should be thinking about the welfare of all of your patients, since the man in the next room poses a major risk to this hospital. You need to understand that he is a major crime figure with his own army, gunning for him. So how fucking safe is everyone now?”

  The fucker nods his head, and narrows his eyes, but concedes my point. “Let’s see what happens in the next twenty-four hours. The two women can stay in here, but the guards need to remain in the hall. Is that understood?”

  I nod. “If that’s all you can do then, I guess that will have to do. I have ordered more guards in and around this whole place,” I inform before he heads to the door.

  “Okay, if you deem that necessary.” He sighs then leaves me alone with Max.

  “Max, I don’t know if you can hear me, but Mum said you’re in big trouble, so you better get your arse back to us quickly or she will probably be on the next plane out here. Jackie is here, and I know you probably don’t want her to see you like this, but I’m sorry, I had no choice.” No movement. Not that I was expecting any. I thought maybe the mum threat might do something though. Fuck. It’s killing me to see my best friend lying here so defenseless. I need to be strong for him, no matter what happens. I pop my head out in the hall and wave them in. Jackie still looks deathly pale. Raven is hanging onto her, trying to offer comfort and support. They head over to me.

  “Dr. Scott said that they’ve placed him in an induced coma, hoping to bring down the swelling of his brain. The next twenty-four hours are critical. Come.” I put an arm around each of them, and bring them into the room. Bo follows closely behind us. Jackie moves away from me and sits on the bed, stroking his cheek. Raven is shaking and crying. Fuck, I don’t know what to do for either of them. Raven pulls herself together, and goes to Jackie’s side, offering her silent support.

  Now, we wait—something I am never good at.

  IT’S BEEN A FULL twenty-four hours and nothing—no movement whatsoever. I have tried to get the girls to eat something, but they won’t. “Raven, think about the baby, please eat something.” I plead with her.

  Suddenly, I hear a commotion outside. I leap up. “Raven, no one leaves this room!” I open the door, and standing there, trying to push her way through six guards, is my mother!

  “What the . . . why are you here?”

  Oh no. She’s giving me that look . . . the same look she gave me when I smashed her new car. This is not a good thing. “Jaxson James, where else would I be? Now please tell these men to let me pass right this minute!”

  I don’t need to say another word, I nod and they let her in.

  “Where is he?”

  I put my arm around her for support. “Mum, he’s in a coma, the doctor said the first twenty-four hours is crucial but it’s past that now.”

  She pushes past me towards Raven and Jackie. “I have protein smoothies for everyone. Maxwell, I flew all this way; you need to start waking up.”

  All heads turn towards Max, and I have to laugh; we all expected him to wake up, just out of fear of my mum. “Jaxson, call the doctor in here. I want to talk to him right now. I’d also like a private moment with Jackie, please.” Raven, Bo, and I step into the corridor while we wait for the doctor.

  I WATCH MY SON leave the room, his head down, bearing the anguish for all of us. I fight my urge to unveil so many things he doesn’t know. I can’t tell him. I made a promise so many years ago—a promise I won’t break. All I can do is pray Max fights hard to find his way back to us.

  I gently stroke her back, trying to offer her some sort of comfort and support. “Jackie, I know neither one of you are ready to admit this, but I know love when I see it. Don’t give up hope; he will come back to us.” As I squeeze Jackie’s shoulder, I’m reminded of the pain this man has suffered; more than anyone should ever have to endure. I take her hand, “Jackie, you’re his lifeline. He just doesn’t realize it yet.” I sigh at the continued silence. “Jackie, please look at me.” She lifts her eyes towards mine. “I’ve known Maxwell for a long time. He is a fighter—as tough as they come. I can see the love in your heart for him; he’s such a good man. He doesn’t give his heart away on a whim. Just give him all the love you have; he’ll know.” I can only hope my words are getting through to her.

  “JAX, DID YOU KNOW your mom was coming?”

  “No, sweetheart, but I figured she wouldn’t stay away. Max is like one of her kids. She is very protective when it comes to all of us.”

  She stammers, “Is Vincent n-next door?”

  My whole body goes tense. “Yes. As soon as Max can be moved, I will be taking him home. Since the hospital is not allowed to give out any information on Vincent’s health, I had Tony do some digging. It seems Vincent was shot in the head, however, the doctor couldn’t remove the bullet. It is uncertain if he will ever recover. And before you ask, there is not a reason in the world I would agree to let you see him.”

  “Oh,” she whispers.

  I’m not giving in on this one, “Yeah, oh.”

  STEPPING BACK INTO THE room, I see tears streaming down Mum’s cheeks. Fuck. I can’t take this. Fucking Max. I swear I’m going to kick his arse. The doctor finally shows up, and I
think my mum is about to rip him a new one. “Dr. Scott, I understand, from my son, that you put Maxwell in this coma. I’d like to know when are you taking him out?”

  Dr. Scott takes a step back. He seems to be intimated by my mum. She has a way of demanding without demanding. She makes you think it was all your idea. I swear she should be running the government.

  “Well, the pressure in his brain has decreased significantly. His vitals have been stable for the last twenty-four hours, so I will start easing him off of the sedation. Then, I’m afraid the rest is up to Mr. Fleming. He is strong and healthy. All the signs are positive that he can come out of this; however, you need to understand nothing is one hundred percent. We won’t know if there is any damage or the extent of it until he wakes up.”

  My mum is stroking Max’s arm, never taking her eyes off of him. “Jaxson, I want him moved from here, and brought home so I can look after him myself.”

  The doctor’s eyes grow wide. “Dr. Scott, you heard my mum; when can we move him?”

  He takes a deep breath. “Where will you be moving him to?” He raises his voice and takes upon a condescending tone.

  The urge to punch this fucker is back again! “I will have him transported by private jet to a facility in Manhattan.” Did he just roll his eyes at me?

  “Lets give it another twelve hours, and then I will recheck him. How much notice do you need to arrange everything?”

  I never flaunt who I am or how much money I have, but this is one of those times. “I have a jet on standby. Mount Sinai Hospital has been waiting for Max’s arrival—they have been from the minute I received the first phone call. When we land, there will be a helicopter waiting to fly us to their rehabilitation center. Is that sufficient?”

  He seems taken aback from all of this information; his eyebrows dart up and the corners of his mouth give a slight frown of contemplation. “Yes. Like I said, I will re-examine him in twelve hours to see what progress he has made.” He leaves, and once again I’m left—waiting. Fuck!