Bound By Contract

Chapter Twenty Nine

Michael's P.O.V.

Nightmare isn't a strong enough word to describe how I felt when I walked into that hotel bedroom and found my Christina laying lifeless in that bed, empty water bottles and medications strewn around. I thought that I had lost her then. That very moment I prayed to God for her to make it.

It's in moments like these when you have to put aside all of your differences, even with the man who in my opinion is determined to steal my wife from me. We had to work in unison to get her into an ambulance and get her medical attention.

Now I look over at Christina lying in her hospital bed, her eyes closed, oxygen in her nose and an IV in her arm. What hurts me the most is knowing that I caused all of this. I am so stupid, so selfish and so undeserving of her. It took her almost overdosing on the combination of pain killers and sleeping pills to get me to realize how important she is to me, and how much I no longer want to live without her. I've had her all along and I never understood what it meant. I just hope that she can forgive me.

It's eleven in the morning and I haven't slept at all. An hour earlier her doctor came in and told me she was in stable condition and she just needed to be in observation for awhile. I need some coffee, so since she's asleep I think I'll have James, my ever loyal bodyguard who is standing guard outside the hospital room, to go get me some. I can't really go roaming around hospitals as it were. Reaching for Christina's hand, I pull it towards my lips and kiss it gently as I stand up to leave the room.

"How is she doing?" Jared asks sternly as he slips into the room.

Looking him up and down, I still can't see what Christina ever saw in him. He's dressed casually as always; a white T-shirt with a baggy unbuttoned flannel shirt on top of it, some jeans and blue converse shoes. I bite my tongue. I want to say a million things to this man but now is not the time.

My security guard James is standing patiently at the door as always. "Hey, James, can you bring me a coffee please? I need some caffeine in me." Without a word he leaves his spot and in seconds has disappeared from the hallway.

When I turn around I see Jared sitting in the chair that I had gotten up from and holding Christina's hand in his. He's whispering something into her ear.

Does he have no shame?

"Jared," I shout, "what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm talking to her." He motions to Christina with his free hand.

"She's asleep, Jared. She needs her rest." He either can't take a hint or doesn't want to. He doesn't budge, which gets my blood boiling.

"Hey, you know what, I think it's time for you to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere," he snarls.

"You know what, you helped enough at the hotel, and I thank you for that, but she's okay now, and I think I can take over from here."

"And I said I'm not going anywhere." The tone of his voice gets louder and more defiant.

"Don't you get when you've overstayed your welcome?"

"What's going on here?" demands a nurse with her hands on her hips and her dark hair in a tight bun. She is accompanied by another nurse who rush into the room upon hearing the commotion.

"I'm telling this gentleman that he should leave, but he won't," I accuse.

"You need to leave the room, sir. You can't be here. Only family members are allowed in here," she shakes her head in disapproval. "And we can't have you two bickering in front of the patient either,"  she declares, casting angry glances between the both of us. She waves her hand at Jared for him to leave. "Follow me sir."