Page 76 of Waiting For A Girl Like You (Haven House #4)

“I just spoke with Taylor,” Dr. Gilbert said, adjusting his too-tight bowtie.

The man was downright unattractive, in Jamison’s opinion, looking very much like a nervous rodent in his perfectly pressed khakis and pink polo shirt.

His nose was too big for his face, and his lips were chapped, which was probably why his tongue continued to dart out to moisten them.

“She said her father never showed for their brunch date and isn’t answering his phone, so she’s headed back. ”

“Then I guess we need to hurry. Are you prepared?”

Eugene fidgeted, his shiny loafers squeaking as they touched.

“I’ll administer the neurosteroids to the men via an intravenous transfusion.

That will take me about an hour. The women will continue the bremelanotide injections.

I’ll handle those last, since they’ve already been on the regimen for a month. ”

Michael nodded once. “And how long until we see the effects?”

“Thirty minutes to an hour.”

Liking the answer, Michael told Dr. Gilbert he could begin. “Oh, but please speak with Jamison and Mr. Cohen here before you leave. I think they have a right to know what you’ve learned.”

Dr. Eugene Gilbert winced, his large rat-like nose scrunching in distaste.

“I want to start by saying that I mean you no harm nor harbor any ill will toward you or your family,” he said in a clipped, professional manner.

“But I have reviewed your medical records thoroughly, and I’m sorry to say that children are not possible. ”

It hit like an ax, severing something deep inside her. Jamison blinked, barely able to form her one word reply. “Okay.”

Eugene Gilbert was a respected fertility doctor. He would know.

He would know .

And there was no reason to lie to her, not now, anyway.

“Okay.” She couldn’t say anything else. There were just too many emotions strangling her. “Okay.”

Dr. Gilbert continued, flustered. “Don’t let other medical professionals give you false hope.

It’s a cruel game, and some in my field play it to keep profit margins high.

But you’ve been through enough. Live your life.

Enjoy what you have.” He turned to flee, hustling for the door as fast as he could. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, Gene.” Michael motioned for him to leave. “By the way, were there two men at the gate when you arrived? ”

“No one was at the main gate.” Eugene bowed his head respectfully. “It would appear you are the last of your men here.”

Eugene Gilbert left them then, and Michael unlocked her handcuffs before she knew what was happening. Flying across the room, she stumbled straight over to Liam, collapsing into his lap.

She sobbed openly, her grief cracking through every barrier. “They said maybe,” she whispered. “They said maybe.”

Liam held her like he could shield her from Eugene Gilbert’s words, his own tears falling. “Why her?” he rasped. “Why would Taylor want her if she can’t...”

He was searching for the lie. Not wanting to believe the news could be true. But he wasn’t with her that day in the doctor’s office. He didn’t see their faces as they explained the maybes and the possibilities . They wanted to give her hope, but even then, the options had been limited.

“Taylor doesn’t know,” Michael said from across the room.

“Gene lied to her and said Jamison was fine, but he told me the truth a few days ago when I explained what I needed him to do to make this work. That’s why I took the risk and went for Kris as fast as I could.

If Taylor found out Jamison truly can’t have kids, she would have accepted the win of having Damon, Emily, and a pregnant Claudia. ”

Liam gritted his teeth. “So why hasn’t she started yet? If you’ve had the three of them this long, what’s she waiting for?”

“Because Taylor loves theatrics. She wants one big, giant extravaganza. Sure, I’m supposed to have Jamison, and Emmett is supposed to have Emily, but she’s going to let every man down there have their chance with them,” Michael said, as casually as if he were describing the weather.

“And Damon? There’s going to be a fucking line a mile long.

Taylor will get the most time, but the rest will gladly wait as long as they need to for him. ”

“Giving Taylor all the Fairweather babies she wants,” Liam concluded grimly with a hiss. “You’re all a bunch of sick fucks.”

Michael had the nerve to laugh. “Don’t lump me into that group.”

Jamison gagged, barely choking down the images Michael’s words were placing in her head. “Why?” she screamed, her sanity no longer intact. “Why would those people do this?”

“Because those people are nothing.” The sound of Michael’s heavy footsteps approached, and he squatted on the floor next to Liam so he could see her face.

“They’re sheep looking for a purpose. Followers who have no mind of their own.

They do as they are told and accept things at face value.

Look how long I’ve existed with them, barely hiding my contempt, and they accept it.

They turned the other way when I weeded out the most fanatical, the problem ones, and those that could create issues once I prepared to finish them off. ”

Liam anchored her to his chest as she shoved at Michael, ready to claw his eyes out. “If you wanted just to eradicate them, you could have done it. You didn’t have to drag us into this hell with you!”

Michael dodged her swing easily, dropping to his knees but remaining just out of reach.

“I dragged you into this hell because I wanted you to suffer. A part of me wanted all of your family to suffer for abandoning her. You left Cecilia in the care of that monster, and you never once fought for her. None of you! I don’t care what you say.

I don’t care how much you claim Simone or Annabeth loved her.

When I met Cecilia, she thought she was worthless.

And if I was going to take down this entire nightmare your family created, I was going to make it hurt as much as possi—”

Michael’s words cut off as his body seized, his eyes rolling upward. Convulsing violently, he fell to his side on the hard floor, limbs twitching while choked gasps crossed his lips.

“Shit.” Liam shoved her off him and moved Michael to his side using his free arm. “Help me. I can’t do it one-handed.”

Jamison scrambled over and held Michael up by his shoulders. His body convulsed for seconds—eternal, gut-churning seconds—before going still.

When it was over, Liam dragged her back into his lap. “Sinclair?”

Michael groaned faintly. “Still here.”

“Let us go.” Liam kept his voice even and calm.

“Let all of us go. End it. Don’t fucking go through the pain of waiting for your body to fail.

You wanted Cecilia’s family to suffer, and they have.

Over and over again, the Fairweathers have suffered, and the last thing CeCe would have wanted was for the man she loves to cause them more pain. ”

“I know that.” Michael continued to lie on the floor, the rise and fall of his massive chest being the only movement. “I was just talking to her, and she told me the same thing. ”

Jamison’s eyes went wide and slid to Liam, who gave no indication that the I was just talking to my dead girlfriend comment was out of the ordinary.

“Then listen to her,” Liam pushed. “Get us out of here and finish what you started with Zanmi.”

Michael groaned, dragging himself upright and wiping drool from his cheek. “I was going to let Jamison and the others go before I set off the timer. I wasn’t going to see them safely out, but let them try to run for it. If they made it, great. If not, oh well.”

“CeCe would want you to do more to save them.”

“Yeah, she just said as much.” Michael pressed his palm to his forehead as if checking his temperature. “And she wants Taylor dead. By my hand, she wants that bitch to die. She wants them all to die.”

The pitch of his voice climbed, a laugh bubbling out of him like a geyser. But just as suddenly as it started, it stopped, and Michael’s wide eyes snapped to Liam.

“What the hell was that?”

“Jamison, go to the chair.” Liam shifted into a squat.

He couldn’t stand fully, not with the cuffs still attached to the bedpost, but he positioned himself between her and Michael as best he could.

“That tumor is pressing on something it shouldn’t, and I’m guessing the seizure didn’t help.

When things like that happen, you can have uncontrollable swings in mood and act violently. ”

“So, you’re saying I’m going to lose control of myself.” Planting his hands on the floor, Michael pushed himself to stand. “How do you know so much?”

“My friend in college had a brain tumor, but they were able to remove it.” Liam watched Michael rise, risking a glance at her to make sure she was back in her chair, away from them. “I’m guessing removal is either not possible for you, or did you just not want to fight it?”

“Didn’t want to fight it. I don’t believe in heaven or hell, but I believe in Cecilia.

She’ll be there waiting for me once it’s over.

” Michael ran a shaky hand through his hair, the seizure, and its aftereffects clearly unnerving him.

“I’ll finish this, and I’ll help you, but you have to agree to something first. It’s a two-parter. ”

Jamison wanted to blurt out that they would do whatever he wanted, but Liam held his hand up for her to keep quiet the second she opened her mouth. “What did you have in mind?”

“Tobias Miller is my kill.”

“How?”

“I have my ways.” Michael shrugged and, extracting a key from his pocket, unlocked Liam’s handcuffs. “People owe me. The job will be done before he’s transferred to ADX. Hell, it could happen while he’s in ADX. My reach is not limited to a supermax prison.”

“Before he’s transferred,” Liam countered, standing immediately and placing himself between her and Michael. “I want the world to know and any of his remaining followers to have the full details. ADX will sweep it under the rug.”

“Agreed. I get Tobias, and you get to eliminate not only the threat of him from your lives, but also the threat of being caught.” Michael held out his hand to Liam. “So, the second you get out of here, you have to make the call to Killian McIntyre so he can stop whomever he has ready to strike.”

Liam grasped Michael’s hand and shook it. “I can agree to that, but you have to make it hurt. Samuel’s stipulation. He regrets not ending Toby that day in the graveyard and wants that son of a bitch to know nothing but pain in the end.”

“I excel at being ostentatious so that I can do.”

“And Taylor?”

“Same goes.” Michael's lips curved into an evil grin. “I have something special planned for our friend.”

Satisfied, Liam released Michael’s hand. “Then let’s do this.”

Michael tried to move around him but was blocked. “I said my deal has two parts,” he told Liam. “And the next part doesn’t involve you. It involves Jamison.”

Liam allowed Michael to pass, yet didn’t go far, remaining at her side. “Go on.”

Grabbing one of the chairs, Michael dragged it over to sit. “This isn’t your decision to make, but you’ll have to swear you’ll never stop trying to convince Simone Howard to do it.”

Jamison reached for Liam’s hand, needing the grounding touch of his skin against hers. “Convince her to do what?”

“Convince her to bury me with Cecilia.”