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this is just a rough draft of book i am attempting update as i continue to write |
PROLOGUE: I had never expected to feel that welcome around his family, or what family he had at least. Mostly it was because they are tired and worried. We have been at the hospital for six hours already and not a word from the doctor. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. My boyfriend James was shot 3 times around midnight last night. We had come home after a party at my best friend Jeremy’s house. We got home and I noticed the door had been tampered with, as it was standing wide open. I ran to get James and he went inside to check it out. All of a sudden I hear screams. He is screaming at someone and they are screaming back. But what are they saying its so hard 2 make out, all of a sudden I hear 3 gunshots. I ran into the house and grabbed my shotgun off the shelf. I see James on the floor. He isn't moving. I turn and see three men trying to get out the window. I aimed and shot two of the three men. The third ran into the night as I fired shot after shot trying to get him. I look at James he doesn’t look like he is breathing... I call an ambulance as I run to him. I pull his head up onto my chest, brushing his hair out of his face crying. He opens his eyes. "Dawn?" "Yes, James?" "Just in case... I don’t make it... I love you...” At first I couldn’t grasp my words I just stared at him. The tears rolling down my face I said, "Shhhh don’t talk like that you’re going to make it. You have to make it. Oh my god baby I love you so much!" “Kiss me then... just in case...please. I want to kiss you at least one more time before I die..." "James please don’t talk like that." I kissed him until the ambulance got there, afraid of losing him I rode with him all the way to the hospital... we lost him once on the way there but they managed to revive him thank god. When we got there he was whisked away and I haven’t heard from a doctor since he has been gone. I replay the scene in my head over and over again hoping to remember something significant about the guy who got away. Suddenly the Doctor walks over with a solemn look on his face........ CHAPTER ONE: “Miss…” “Johnson.” I correct him. “Miss Johnson we have managed to get the bullets out without causing any damage to any of his major organs. You may go see him, but I must warn you he is in a lot of pain and may be a little grouchy…” He tried saying something else, but I was already halfway down the hallway. I stop when I get to his room. A little scared to go in, I open the door slowly. As soon as I walked in he looked over at me. Chills ran down my spine and tears welled up in my eyes. Looking at him made me realize how close I was to losing him. I slowly walk over to him. As he looked at me I could tell he was in pain. Suddenly he spoke… “How long have you been here?” “I haven’t left James, I will never leave you.” “Why do you care so much about me?” “The same reason you care about me, because I love you and I can’t live without you.” “What are you talking about? You would have to live without me baby. ““If I lost you I would kill myself. We are so much alike I couldn’t stand to live without you. You mean more to me than you will ever know. I lost you once and I won’t let it happen again.” ‘’ I love you so much Dawn…” “I love you too…I wish this hadn’t have happened James, I hate seeing you like this. I feel like it’s all my fault. ““No, none of this is your fault. Don’t say that baby. Come here and lay beside me… I want to feel you in my arms again and this time I don’t think I will ever let go.” He has one of those big beautiful smiles of his on as I crawl into the tiny hospital bed with him. CHAPTER TWO: At around ten o’clock the doctors come in and ask if he may speak with me in the hallway. James is asleep so I kiss him on the forehead and follow him into the hallway. “Ms. Johnson I have some very bad news for you… its seems James has an arrhythmia in his heart caused from a tumor. “” Oh my god this can’t be happening… “”But it can be easily removed… all we need is your permission. “Can I speak with him first?”"Of course just get the nurse to page me when you have made your decision.” And with that he was gone I walked back into the room and crawled back into the bed with him and held him as close to me as I could. I knew I probably looked like a child who had just found her lost teddy bear. In about an hour he woke up and asks me what was wrong because I was holding onto him so tight. As I told him what the doctor said I started to cry. He told me that he would do the surgery. But only because he loved me and didn’t want to lose me either. I realized at that moment just how much he really did love me. I couldn’t figure out what it was about him that made me love him so much. All of a sudden three guys dressed all in black walked in! They told us to follow them that they had some important business to discuss with us. They didn’t listen when I told them that we couldn’t go anywhere because James was still hooked up to his IV’S. One of the guys walks over to James. “Close your eyes, this won’t hurt a bit.” He said in a big booming voice. James closed his eyes figuring it was a good idea to listen to him in his condition. The guy rips out James IV’S. James screamed and blood was dripping down his arm. I grabbed some paper towels to clean it up. As James stands up he leans against me. He is still very weak and can’t walk on his own. We walk slowly down the hallway and into the elevator. Instead of going down the elevator went all the way to the top floor. From there we took the emergency elevator to the roof. CHAPTER THREE: I asked why they had brought us up to the roof. The answer I got came very blunt and was not good. “We brought you up here kill you…”.The biggest one says as he raises his gun. “NO!” James yells and pushes me out of the way. I jump back up and look around for something to hit the guy with. There is a big metal pipe in the corner at the other end of the roof. Two of the three guys are blocking the way. Then I noticed I didn’t see James. I look around me as the three guys start to close in. Then, out of the blue, one of the guys turns on the other two holding his gun in their direction. The guy pulls off his mask. The guy is my dad! “Daddy?” “Shut-up and do what I say if you want to live.” I nodded. “Go find James. And when you find him I want you to get in the helicopter and take-off. Do you still remember how to fly a helicopter?” “Daddy I was sixteen the last time I drove a helicopter. That was two years ago.” “It’s like riding a bike, once you can do it you will never forget. It will come back to you.” “But what will you do Daddy?” “Run like a chicken with its head cut off…” “Be safe please.” “Okay, I know I haven’t said this nearly enough to you but, I was always proud of you and I love you so much baby girl.” “Awe Daddy you’re going to make me cry. I love you to, I always have.” “I know now go he may be hurt.” I gave him a really quick hug and ran off to find James. I looked everywhere. Then I thought back to when I was looking for something to hit that guy who was fighting James. I had seen a little doorway close to where they were fighting. I ran over to the little door and it was locked. I looked around for the key. I found it half wedged in-between the edge of the door and the floor. I grabbed the key and opened the door as fast as I could. James was in there, but he didn’t look so good. There was blood dripping down his face and he was passed out. I tried waking him up but it didn’t work to well. So I dragged him out of the little room and back onto the roof. I try waking him up again… without results. So I end up trying to drag him to the helicopter. That doesn’t work either because the helicopter is too far away. So I finally give up and try picking him up. Surprisingly he is not that heavy so I put him on my shoulders. I run as fast as I can to get to the helicopter and lay him down in the back. I start the helicopter and swing around to pick up Daddy. He jumped on and we took off we rode for about an hour and then Daddy told me to drop it right there, so I went down in the field. Chapter four: Daddy told me to help James out. He had just woken up as we landed. Daddy left and told us he would be right back. “James?” “What?” “Are you okay, because you’re not saying anything?” “Do I look okay? I got beat up by a guy that was smaller than me! That’s not okay.” “James you have an excuse! You are still very weak from what happened. I was so worried about you going up against that man like that. Knowing you could barely walk you went up against him to save ME! That was so brave of you. Then when I couldn’t find you I thought he had killed you. I was so worried. Then when I found you and you were passed out for so long...” “Baby it’s okay I’m here, I’m alive. I'm sorry for being ill I’m just in a whole bunch of pain. I’m sorry come here baby.” I scooted over closer to him and he wrapped me up in his arms. I felt so safe. Considering the fact that he was in a lot of pain, I sat up and helped him up. Daddy was just getting back. Apparently he had gone to go get his truck. He had put a mattress in the back of the truck along with some camping supplies. “Daddy, what’s this stuff for?” “Well I figured we couldn’t stay at my house in case they come looking for us.” “How did you end up there Dad?” “I was on my way to come see you and I heard them talking outside of the hospital. They had to go to the bathroom, so when they were leaving the bathroom I took out the one who was closest to my size and disguised myself as him. Then I followed them up there and went along with what they were doing. Then when the time was right I let u know who I was and then I took them out. Then you saved us both and now here we are.” “But why did you decide to save me? From the way you have been in the past I would’ve thought you would’ve laughed as they killed me.” “Oh baby girl even though I acted like I didn’t care I really did. I was just scared to have a relationship with you because I was afraid of disappointment. But you never disappointed me and all those years were just wasted.” “What makes you think I will forgive you right out of the blue after all these years of the hurt and the pain. Always constantly wondering what I did wrong to make you not love me. And I’m just going to forgive you instantly? Like nothing ever happened right?” “No I didn’t expect you to forgive me.” “Well good cause I’m not quite sure if I do.” Looking at James I say “James get in the truck.” “Why?” “Because I said, now just do it.” Turning back to my father I say “Give me your keys. I'm driving.” “Okay, fine” as soon as he hands me his keys I jump in the truck and drive off, leaving him in a cloud of dust. Chapter five: “Dawn?” “Yeah James?” “Why did you do that, just run off like that obviously he wants to make up the years he missed.” “Yeah well you can’t make up eighteen years of disappointment and abandonment. It’s just not possible for me.” “I'm sorry baby.” “It’s not your fault baby. You’re the only person I need right now. The only person I can truly talk to.” “I know sweetie. But there is something I need to tell you.” “Okay.” “I know why those guys were after us.” I stop the truck and look at him astonished at what just came out of his mouth. “What????” “I found out on a job I was doing.” “Which job?” “Remember when I had to go paint the police station in Rome, GA?” I nodded. “Well while I was there I found out that the police were working with the FBI. They were planning to create a lethal drug that they were going to dump in the water supply. They must’ve seen me as I was running out of the building.” “O my God. Are you serious James? I grew up in Rome. Why would they want to kill everyone?” “I don’t know Dawn, but I planned on figuring it out, till I got shot. Then I sort of forgot about it. But now I know what I have to do.” “And what is that?” “We have to get out of country a.s.a.p.!” “Where will we go?” “I guess our summer home in France.” “What about Jeremy and my Mama?” “They can come too, as long as I get to bring someone.” “Who?” “My uncle.” “Oh okay yea he’s cool.” “Alright give me your cell phone and I will call everyone and tell them to meet us at the airport.” “Alright.” Chapter Six: James Uncle Stacey is the first person I see as I walk into the airport with James. Stacey was apparently on something because he was dazed out staring at the airplanes through the window. “James I gotta call your brother and get him up here too. We can’t leave him behind.” “Yea I know that. You go ahead and call him, I’m gonna go talk to Stacey.” “Okay. I love you baby.” “I love you too baby!” He leans down and kisses me like it was the first time. “Hey Justin its Dawn.” “Hey sis waz poppin?” “I need you to come up to the airport it’s important. We are leaving the country and I need you to come up here. Cause you are coming too.” “You know I ain’t got the money for that.” “I do. Once you hear why you wont be arguing with me get your butt up here you got to be here in thirty minutes I already got your ticket.” “Okay love ya sis.” “Love you too.” “James, Justin said he is on the way and we have to go get the tickets did you tell everyone else the situation?” “Yea I told them. They all have one question and that is where will they all stay once we get to France?” “Well the house has seven bedrooms. I know nanny bought a big house didn’t she? But anyways, they can stay with us.” “Okay I’ll tell them. And Stacey wants to talk to you privately.” “Stacey?” “Dawn!” He runs over to me and gives me a huge hug. He runs over to me and gives me a huge hug. “Whoa Stacey slow down, sit down we need to talk about something.” “Sure, what is it?” “I have been thinking about the past and how you walked in James life again, then got on drugs and ended up hurting everyone. I want you to be completely honest are you on drugs now?” He looks at me like I’ve gone crazy. And I keep a straight face. “No I am not on drugs or anything like that I swear.” “Well you once told me that and I believed you and two months later you went on a binge and abandoned me. You were supposed to step up and be my dad like you promised but instead you hurt me worse than my real father did because you lied to me! How am I supposed to believe a word you say? I mean, I trusted you because you showed me that I can stand up for myself, but you know what your mistakes have made me stronger and the only man I need is James and I can deal with my problems. I don’t need a father but what I do want from you is to be friends. Can we manage that? But the first time I even suspect you are on drugs or anything like that legal or not, that’s it I will no longer speak to you.” “If that’s the way you want it. And I promise you I am not on drugs I have been clean for two years and I don’t plan on going back down that road cause all it did was hurt people, people that I love and care about. Especially You and James, I told James I wouldn’t do anything like that again and I also told you that I wouldn’t do that to you and I let the both of you down.” I look over at James as he is talking to his brother. He had hurt James worse than me. James had always looked up to Stacey and when Stacey made those same mistakes again he had the first time it tore James up completely. I had never seen truly how much he was hurt because he tried to cover it up but there were times he slipped up and I could see just how much he was hurting. “Stacey if you hurt him again, I swear to god you will pay for it. I have seen him hurt too much and I will not allow it to happen again.” “Dawn I promise you on my mothers grave,” “Let me stop you right there, never ever swear on her grave!” “Well then I swear on my life God strike me dead right now I will not hurt either one of you and I will not put you two in the position to have to do anything for me. I want to show you I have changed and I have. I just don’t know what I can do to prove it. I am truly sorry for the way things panned out last time and my actions. Please forgive me, if you can.” “We’ll see what happens but for now you’re forgiven. Just don’t make me regret it Stacey.” Chapter Seven: As I walk away from Stacey and towards James, I instantly feel the need to run back to Stacey and hug him… Instead I keep walking. Almost instantly I start to feel regret as I see Stacey standing up and looking towards the exit of the airport. He slowly starts to walk toward it. “DADDY!” He turns around and looks at me. I run to him and embrace him in a hug. “I missed you, please don’t leave me again.” He holds me tight in his arms the way he had years ago. All the memories of me and him came rushing back and I started cry as he held me. This was the man I once called Daddy. This was only man who had ever been there for me. The only man who cared for me, listened to me when I had problems, supported me with his love. After my real dad had left me and my stepfather turned against me and only started to trouble me with his constant fighting. I turned to James Uncle Stacey. He was there for me when no one else was and now was the time I needed him most. I had to give him another chance. “Dawn I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I won’t leave you again…” I didn’t want to let go. But I felt everyone staring and I knew I was making a scene. “We’ll start slow. But if its okay with you I still want to call you daddy?” “I would love it if you resumed with calling me daddy. You will always be my daughter. Even if its not biological. It doesn’t matter. Every day I would think of you when I was back in prison. I had thought maybe you had forgotten about me. I was wrong I searched everywhere for you but all that turned up was James name. I hadn’t imagined you two would still be together. And now here we are. Please forgive me for my mistakes. I know I hurt you but I didn’t mean to.” “Oh Daddy of course I forgive you.” “Yay! Well we best get back to James.” “Right, let’s go.” As we walk back to James he is smiling. “I knew you two would make up. Come here baby.” “You were right.” I say as I walk over to him and he hugs me. I tilt my head up and we kiss. “Uh hmm…” Stacey says. We stop and look and him. We both start laughing. “Well, has Justin shown up yet?” “Na I don’t think he is going to show up… you know how he is” James says disappointed. “Well, we got fifteen more minutes. Maybe he will show up.” |