Fueled Obsession 2 Read online

  By

  Amanda Heartley

  Copyright © 2014 Amanda Heartley

  Published By: Heartley Publishing

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  More Books From Amanda

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 Amanda Heartley

  Published By: Heartley Publishing

  Connect with me on Facebook

  http://facebook.com/AuthorAmandaHeartley

  Book Description

  After a horrific car accident, Jackson Fitzgerald is left fighting for his life and Mollie DuBois is by his side, determined to heal the hurt. He's a hard-bodied bad boy, she's a college girl with a heart for the less fortunate.

  There worlds couldn't be more different. He's been beaten and broken all his life—her family’s wealth can move mountains.

  With an unquestionable attraction between them, Mollie just might be the woman to break through Jack’s hard exterior and discover that there is more to him than she ever expected

  ...or will his sordid past dictate their future?

  Chapter One — Mollie

  I screamed and ran toward Jack's car. From a distance, I saw him lying in the field where the crash had thrown him like a rag doll. I caught my breath and tried to screech out his name again, “Jack! Jack! I’m coming!” but nothing came out. Tears of fear and frustration streamed down my face and I ran faster to him. As I reached him, an invisible force held me back and I tried to get to him again. I cried even harder, “Jack! I’m coming!”

  I finally woke up, my face was wet with tears, and my chest was heaving. I could feel my heart beating like a drum as visions of the wreck tossed around in my brain. I couldn’t get them out of my mind and I just wanted to crawl back under the covers and try to sleep again. God, I hope he’s okay.

  I thought about my hysterical phone call to Natalie, asking her to come and get me as I watched the ambulance take Jack away. I’m sure after all the commotion, my dad would have heard that I was at the races last night. The cop that arrived at the same time as the ambulance looked familiar and he kept insisting that he’d give me a ride home, but through frantic tears, I assured him I was already taken care of. When I told him who I was, he appeared to be a little concerned. I was sure he knew my dad and would probably tell him everything, even though I asked him not to. At twenty-three, I was a grown woman, after all.

  I didn’t want to lie there tossing and turning anymore, so I got out of bed and turned on the shower to wash off the grime from the night before. Dad was already asleep when Natalie dropped me off, and I’d just fallen on the bed and tried to sleep.

  As I got dressed, I mentally prepared myself for the wrath I was about to face when I went downstairs to talk to Dad. Thank God, I didn’t have to work today, because my eyes and my brain felt sticky. I could hardly think straight and all I wanted to do was find out about Jack. I knew he was in safe hands, and he’d get the best care possible, but I had to know how he was.

  I walked downstairs, nervous as hell to talk to my Dad. I’d hoped he’d already left, but my heart sank when I saw his black leather briefcase still lying on the entryway table.

  Something smelled delicious in the kitchen and I was starving, so I quietly slipped onto a stool at the kitchen bar and dished up some food from the bowls on the counter. “Morning, Dad.”

  Today's breakfast included bacon, oatmeal, poached eggs and turkey sausage—all my favorites. “Good morning, Mollie. Busy day planned?”

  I scooped some oatmeal up with a big spoon. “Nope. I've got the day off and I intend to do as little as possible.” That made Dad laugh, and it was a welcome yet unfamiliar sound. Charles DuBois was not much of a laugher. Maybe he doesn’t know about last night.

  I was worried sick about Jack but I kept it to myself and tried my best to put on a happy face to avoid any unwelcome attention from Dad. I knew he wouldn’t approve of my friendship with Jack, so it was best to keep that part to myself.

  Dad lifted perfectly cooked poached eggs out of the water and carefully slid them into a serving bowl. While his back was turned to me, he asked, “So did you hear the news? One of those hoodlum racers got killed last night. Illegally racing along Highway 28, I think.”

  I could hardly process what Dad was saying. Killed? I swallowed hard, heat rose in my cheeks and my stomach churned. Is Jack dead? I tried to keep my heart from jumping out of my throat. It couldn’t be Jack, it just couldn’t…. could it? He was alive when they took him away…please, God, don’t let him be dead. I had to go and see for myself. I had to find out if he was okay, but in the meantime, I played stupid. Like I didn’t know anything about the race. “Killed? Like dead?”

  “Yes, killed. The County Sheriff's office is interested in talking to anyone who may have seen it. Those street racers are nothing more than a bunch of juvenile delinquents, out showing off their cars to their friends, driving like maniacs without a care for other law-abiding road users. I bet it’s one of the same group that nearly killed you.”

  Seems like he doesn’t know I was there. Thank you, Mr. Policeman.

  “Are you s-sure?”

  Despite the fact that my father, the Great American attorney, was wearing an apron and holding a spatula, it didn’t diminish his ability to intimidate me. Still, he was wrong on this one and I knew he was. Even if I couldn’t explain it to him, I knew he was wrong.

  “That’s what they said. Sad.” Dad flipped on the TV in the kitchen, sat down to eat his breakfast and said, “You need to see this story. Do you recognize any of these people?” My hunger left me and I put my spoon down on the placemat. Instead, I sipped on coffee and mesmerized, I watched the morning news show to get the latest information about the accident last night. They didn’t name Jack or show his picture, but they did show pictures of his car. I caught my breath and I’m sure my dad heard me. Jack's Camaro was mangled. It looked nothing like the original vehicle—the car he was so proud of. His baby. Apart from the physical damage that Jack had suffered, I knew he’d be heartbroken when he got released from the hospital and saw his car in the state it was in.

  “Have you ever seen that car before, Mollie?” There you have it—my opportunity to come clean, to tell the truth. All I could think of was Jack and I wondered if I’d lost a friend before I even got to know him.

  I choked on my coffee and spat it all over myself. “Crap!” Dabbing the coffee from my shirt, I replied, “I don't think the owner of that car would even recognize it.” I sidestepped his question as artfully as I could. “Turn it up Dad, let's hear what they say.” The smart-looking newscaster gave us the latest information about the ramp-up of illegal racing in the area. To paraphrase her report, law enforcement told her that illegal racing was responsible for thousands of dollars in property damage, not to mention the danger it presented to the community. “It is a real problem in the city,” she said. Under the counter, I dug my fingernails into my hand nervously and waited to hear the latest about Jack.

  “Earlier this morning, we reported that the suspected driver had died, however, our sources inside the h
ospital have told us that he is alive but he’s still in a critical condition. Law enforcement say they can’t release his name until his family can be notified. Stay tuned—”

  “Wow! That’s terrible.” I had to see Jack. Critical?

  “So you’re not working today? What are your plans?” Dad peered at me with his gray eyes — it was as if he could read my soul.

  “No, Dad. I told you already, I’m off today.” I slid off the bar stool and carried the dishes to the sink. “Aren't you going to be late?”

  “I’m leaving now and if you happen to be here when the pool guy arrives, please ask him to test the water again. The last time he came out, the pool smelled like chemicals for the whole week. Tell him to make sure it's done right.” I gave dad a mock salute and he walked out of the house. From a covert location behind the curtain, I watched him drive away. That was my cue—I flew up the stairs, grabbed a pair of blue jeans then thought better of it. If I wanted to get in, I needed to look like I was working, so I put on some scrubs and pulled my hair back into a loose ponytail. I slid my feet into my ugly nursing shoes and headed out the door. Pool guy, my ass! I had to find out about Jack!

  I pushed the speed limit as I raced to the hospital in my BMW and parked right next to the emergency entrance. I knew it’d be quicker that way and I flashed my hospital ID to security as I walked through the door. I didn’t normally come in through this entrance, so I wasn’t too familiar with this security officer, but I put on a happy smile and walked confidently into the hospital as if I was working today. It worked like a charm. Officer “whoever he was” let me through. I walked as quickly as I could to the elevator and took it up to the ICU unit.

  On my way into the ward, I met my little friend Simon in the hallway. It had been a few days since I’d seen the little boy and my heart leapt when I saw him walking around, pushing his IV drip along with him. That in itself was a miracle.

  “Good morning, Simon. I’m so happy to see you today. How are you feeling?” I squatted down next to my young friend and smiled at him. To my surprise, he answered me and smiled back. “I’m okay,” then he whispered to me, “but I wish I had some green Jell-O.”

  “Guess what, Simon? I know a great place to find some green Jell-O. Would you like me to bring you some?” Simon gave me a big smile and a nod. “Okay, buddy. Nurse Mollie will make sure you have green Jell-O for lunch today. Okay?” He rewarded me with a hug. His tiny arms were bony, his face was pale, his eyes dark and glistening. How could I say no to such a face? I led him back to his room and helped him get back into his bed. He looked tired and would probably sleep now. I flipped off the lights and closed the door behind me as I walked back out to the corridor.

  I returned to my original mission — find Jack, talk to him, take care of him. I went through the ICU reading the doors until I came to one that had his name on it. I put my hand on the door to open it when Judith stopped me. “No ma'am. I’m afraid I cannot allow you in there. Doctor's orders.” She grabbed the clipboard off the doorway and pointed to the words. “See there? No one is allowed in except immediate family.”

  “But Judith, this is a good friend of mine. I need to see him.” I hated that my voice rose, but I was desperate. I hoped she’d understand. Jack was all alone and needed someone to be with him.

  “No, you don't understand. I cannot let you in there.” She looked around the hallway and I followed her gaze.

  “Is that an undercover police officer?” I whispered.

  She nodded. “Yes, come here,” the older woman whispered to me, “I’ll tell you how you can see him later. Now be quiet and follow me.”

  I followed Judith to her back office. She shut the door behind her and invited me to sit across the desk from her. It was loaded with files, papers, you name it. It was obvious that Judith was overworked and underpaid and probably in no mood to put up with my nonsense and I guess I’d let my emotions get ahead of me outside Jack’s room.

  “Judith, I'm so sorry that I—”

  “Mollie, don't you worry about it. I don’t like the way these heavy-handed cops treat these folks sometimes. It’s just wrong. Anyway, that boy is banged up pretty good, but I’m pretty sure he’ll live. I heard the detectives say that they’d stick around here till ten and if he hadn’t woken by then, they’d return this evening. Wait until they leave—I mean, wait until you actually see them leave, then you can sneak in there and go see your friend for a little while.”

  “Thank you Judith. I really appreciate—”

  “Now don’t go getting all mushy, the only reason I'm doing this is because that boy doesn't have anybody. Have you ever met his mother?” she looked at me curiously.

  “No, I can't say that I have.” I wondered what this had to do with Jack.

  “You should count your lucky stars! That woman, Nellie Fitzgerald, is a piece of work. You know what she said to me when I called her to tell her that her son was in the hospital?”

  “No, what did she say?” I asked.

  “She said, and I quote, 'Good, I hope he effing dies.' Can you believe that? Only she said the real ‘F’ word.”

  I stared in shock at Judith. “Wow. I knew he had a hard life but I had no idea. How sad, but that really explains a lot.” I couldn’t believe someone’s mom would wish that on her own kid.

  She nodded her head in agreement. “Sure does. No wonder he’s lost.”

  “Yeah, well now you understand why I want to go see him. I'll wait for the police officers to leave and then I’ll go in, and Judith, I know you’re breaking the rules for me and I truly appreciate it. I promise I won't stay long, just long enough to check on him and hopefully, for him to know that someone is there for him.”

  “Okay then, just remember, if you get busted, it's on you. I don't know anything and this conversation never happened, okay?”

  I nodded in agreement, as Judith patted me on the shoulder and left me in her office. I made myself busy tidying up the stock room and then I helped the laundry girl fold towels. I helped to clean rooms until I saw all the police officers had left the floor then I walked to the window and watched their cars drive way. My heart pounded as I walked as fast as I could to room seventeen in the ICU.

  Chapter Two — Jack

  “Hello?” I tried to focus, but the cloudiness wouldn’t go away. Where am I? “Am I dead?” I asked again but no one heard me. “Aaahh!” Can’t they fucking hear me? The screaming pain shot down my neck and shoulder and I tried to scream but nothing came out. Pain has a way of reminding you that you’re alive. Those were the crazy, fucked up words my high school guidance counselor offered me when I told him about what happened at home. I didn’t even know why the fuck I was thinking about him now.

  I blinked my eyes furiously, but I couldn’t focus and the bright lights above me hurt my eyes. With all my strength, I tried to rise up from the bed to lift my head, but nausea washed over me then I heard a soft voice say my name, “Jack, Jack…”

  I tried to answer the voice, but I felt like I was underwater and couldn’t answer, but She kept calling me, “Jack, are you okay…?” Whoever she was, she seemed to be calling to me from above the water. Am I drowning? My heart surged in my chest and I couldn’t breathe. Oh fuck, what’s—“beep…beep…beep…” and then—.

  I raced a black car down a long tunnel, a tricky tunnel full of tight turns and sharp curves. I gripped the massive, black steering wheel with all my might, turning the beast to the left, then right, and then left again as adrenaline rushed through my body. I was winning! I was winning the endless race at breakneck speed, but there was no crowd no one cheered, and no one screamed my name. There was nothing except inky blankness and the headlights of the car then suddenly, blinding lights were in front of me and I shielded my eyes with a hand. But the car was moving too fast and no matter how hard I tried, couldn’t stop it. I screamed as the light came ever closer and raised my arms to protect my face from the carnage that would surely ensue from the impending collision.

&
nbsp; “Jack, it’s okay. I’m here.” My chest burned and my eyes fluttered open. I saw a beautiful face above me. I could see a bright white light and a cloud of golden hair around her as she smiled down at me. An angel? Shit! I’m dead! Her warm hand touched my face and I felt safe. I opened my mouth to say hello, but no words came out. God, what’s happening? I was scared—I couldn’t speak! I couldn’t talk to the angel. I had so much to say to her—and to God.

  Hot tears slid down my face and the irritating song began to play again. When I opened my eyes again, the angel had gone and I felt myself being moved and I realized I wasn’t in heaven but in a hospital. I was being shuttled down a hallway. “He’s losing pressure! Let’s get him stabilized. Get him to OR, we’ve got to go in there and see what’s going on. Page Dr. Pennington, stat!”

  The voices sounded urgent, concerned. Was this me they were talking about? I’m not dead? I thought about Mom and the Dad I never knew. Fuck, I’d never have children and I’d always wanted a son! I thought about my old dog that I still loved more than any car I’d ever owned. Then I thought about Mollie…

  Still unable to move, unable to yell or scream, more hot tears ran down the side of my face. When did I get so cold-hearted? I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cried, what was I, six or seven? ‘You’re going down Fitzgerald!’ What the fuck? Who let Dylan in here? His voice mocked me. I can’t do this. I can’t go down like this! I want to live!

  God—I’m not ready, I need more time. Remember that song? How did it go? “Row, row, row…” No, God, that’s not it. Wait—“…this I know, for the Bible…” Yeah, that’s it! God, it’s me, Jack. Remember when I used to sing that song? I was a good kid then. Please help me, save me God. I’m not ready to die. Let me live and I promise I’ll do better! I’ll make a difference. I’ll help those kids, you know, the ones in my neighborhood. Whatever you tell me to do, that’s what I’ll do. Please God, forgive me and don’t let me die—