Powerful (The Driven World) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,64
my breathing. There’s nothing in my stomach, but I can taste bile at the back of my throat.
In and out.
In and out.
If he dies, I’ll never forgive myself. I should have known something was wrong when he didn’t answer his cell. I should have known something was wrong when he was three hours late. Why did I immediately jump to the wrong conclusion?
The cabbie comes to a halt, and I open my eyes. The world is too bright.
“We’re here.”
Going through my clutch, I pull out a fifty-dollar bill, thrust it at the driver, and get out of the cab. I stumble in these ridiculous heels but manage to stay upright. There’s a lot of media outside—film crews, press, paparazzi. I navigate through them all to get to the doors of the hospital. The emergency room is wall to wall with people. Pushing my way through the crowd, I get to the reception desk, and there’s a glass barrier between the staff and me. An older woman looking at a computer screen ignores me as I stand there staring at her.
After a moment, I bend to talk into the slot in the barrier. “Excuse me?”
She flicks her eyes up to me and then goes back to what she’s doing.
Tapping on the glass, I repeat, “Excuse me?”
Tired eyes meet mine. Her lips go into a hard, firm line. “Yes?”
“Ma’am, my fiancé was in an accident, his name is Kris Livingston.”
The woman’s face breaks into a smile, and she nods her head. “Yeah, and I’m married to George Clooney. Security!”
A big burly man comes over and grabs my arm. “Another one. Take her out, we’ve got no time for crackpots tonight.”
“Wait, I have proof.” Pulling my cell out of my clutch, I go to my text messages and show the man the picture of Kris and me at the wedding. “See.” And I hold up my engagement ring.
“Honey, that’s a nice photo, but if you really were engaged to Kris Livingston, it would be all over the media. I’m sure he takes selfies with lots of pretty girls.”
Pulling my arm out of his grasp, I say, “We only got engaged yesterday. Kris is twenty-seven, he was born in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. His dad’s name is Leonard. Kris’ mom died when he was—”
“Lady, these are all things that you can find on the internet.”
He grabs my arm again and begins to drag me from the building as we get outside, a camera flash goes off.
“It’s Athena Goddess! She was with Kris Livingston yesterday,” yells a reporter.
The security guard swears, gives me a hard look, and drags me back into the hospital and up to the reception counter. “This one’s the real deal.”
The older lady looks at him, her lips turned down. “You sure?”
“Yep, the vultures outside recognized her.”
“Take her through.”
Pulling me around as though I’m made of nothing, I’m dragged through the hospital.
“Can’t you tell me how he is?” I ask.
“Not for me to say. My job is to keep the crazies out and keep everyone calm.”
We get in an elevator, and he takes me up to the ICU. When the doors open, he points at another reception desk.
“They should be able to help you. God’s blessings, Ms. Goddess.”
The doors close, and I walk toward the desk. A woman looks up at me and smiles.
“Hello, I’m looking for Kris Livingston.”
“Are you family?”
“I’m his fiancée.”
The woman leans back and gives me the once over.
“Have you called his father?”
The woman shakes her head. “The only person we’ve spoken to is his personal assistant.”
Pulling out my cell, I begin to dial Mr. Livingston.
“You can’t use that here.”
With my finger poised over his number, I look at her. “I need to call his dad.”
“Come with me.”
Thinking I’m being taken to a room to call his dad, so I don’t interfere with their equipment, I follow her down a long hallway. Instead, she takes me into a room full of equipment. There’s a body attached to all of these machines. The breath in my lungs leaves my body in a gasp as I realize the body is Kris.
“Oh my God,” I whisper as I rush to his side.
There’s bruising to one side of his face, and his hair has been shaved off. His chest goes up and down, rhythmically with one of the machines. Holding his hand, I give the nurse tearful eyes.
“What the hell happened to him?”
“Car accident. I’ll get the doctor for you. Wait here.”
I’m left alone in the room. The only noises are the sound of