Enduring Act (The Survivor's duet Book 2) Read online

  Enduring Act

  By H. D’Agostino

  Enduring Act

  H. D’Agostino

  Copyright © October 2020 by Heather D’Agostino

  All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect is appreciated. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. The following story contains mature themes, profanity, and sexual situations. It is intended for adult readers.

  Cover Design by Pink Ink Designs

  Editing by Kellie Montgomery

  Table of 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

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Enduring Act Playlist

  Other Works by H.D’Agostiino

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Brooke

  I struggled to open my eyes. I could hear beeping, but it was muffled. It’s almost as if I had cotton in my ears. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, days, weeks? Nothing makes sense. Where’s my house, and Ava? Why is Blake a doctor and how did I get back here? Did Warren bring me back?

  The room appeared blurry when I blinked against the muted light. My head was throbbing, but when I lifted my arm to touch the bandage, I was restricted. There are so many wires and tubes coming out of me, I can hardly move. I rolled my head slowly to the side. I’m alone. He left, but when? I needed to get out of here. Just as I struggled to sit up, I felt her. The baby’s kicking me, hard. “It’s ok. Mommy’s going to keep you safe,” I whispered as I caressed my swollen belly. How did she survive this? Why did he let her? My head continues to pulse as I close my eyes and fall back into the darkness.

  ooooooooo

  I don’t know how long it’s been, but when I open my eyes it’s easier to see. Daylight streams through the window, and the city seems alive. I glanced to the right; the chair in the corner is still empty. I glanced to the left; there’s a vase of flowers sitting on the small table. I don’t remember anyone bringing me flowers. They’re yellow. Warren used to use yellow flowers for his fake apologies. It makes my stomach roll to think about it.

  Just as I’m attempting to call the nurse, there’s a knock on my door. It slowly opens, and the nurse from the other day steps in. At least I think it was another day.

  “Good morning, Brooke.” She smiled as she came over to the machines. She pressed a few buttons before smiling at me again. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Confused.” I was honest.

  “About what?” She clasped her hands in front of her.

  “How did I get here?” I figured that was the easiest question to start with.

  “Your husband brought you in. You fell down the stairs at home. He’s been very worried. Hasn’t left your side until last night.” She straightened the sheets on the bed and fluffed my pillow.

  “Where’s Ava?” I grimaced as I shifted in the bed. It didn’t make sense. Ava was five. She should be here.

  “Whose Ava?” The nurse checked my chart.

  “My daughter.” I swallowed.

  “I wasn’t aware that you had any other children. Mr. Ellis said this was your first.” She pointed to my stomach. I was still confused by how I got pregnant again. I haven’t been with anyone.

  “How long have I been here?”

  “A little over two weeks.” She put the chart back. “Are you ok?”

  “No,” I whispered. “I’m not ok. I’m not ok at all.” I started to panic and the beeping on the machine sped up.

  “You need to calm down, Mrs. Ellis. This isn’t good for your head injury or the baby.” She moved closer. “Do you want me to call your husband? Will that help you relax?”

  “No.” I attempted to shake my head, but the pain was too much and I started to get sick to my stomach. “Please don’t,” I begged.

  “Are you in some kinda trouble?” The nurse leaned closer.

  “He did this. He did this to me. He tried to kill me.” I choked the words out as my head pulsed and my eyes closed in pain.

  “You need rest, Mrs. Ellis. Let me give you something to help with that. My name’s Donna. You push this button and call me if you need anything else.” She squeezed a syringe of clear liquid into the IV and the blackness came back, swallowing me whole.

  oooooooo

  ‘I don’t understand what’s going on.’ That thought has been on the edge of my mind since I first heard Warren’s voice in the darkness. Have I really been here two weeks? When I woke up once again, the room was empty. The yellow flowers still sat on the table in the corner. Just seeing them there made me want to throw them across the room. I knew they were from him. He did this, and he wanted me to know it. The flowers were a way to make me remember that he was in charge. He wasn’t physically here, but he was still in charge.

  “Mrs. Ellis.” Dr. Douglas slowly appeared from behind my door. “Good afternoon.”

  “Hi.” I smiled weakly. My head still hurt, but some of the tubes had been removed so I could move a little better.

  “How are you feeling today?” He slid the chair from the corner closer as he sat down.

  “Ok, I guess.” I sighed. I don’t really know what he was expecting me to say.

  “Nurse Donna said something about you being in trouble.” His face turned serious. “Do you need help? If you need help, you can tell me.”

  I glanced at the yellow flowers in the corner of the room, mocking me. “I’m fine. It must have been the meds.”

  “Are you sure? She said you seemed really upset.” He patted my arm.

  “I’m sure.” I pulled away. I knew if Warren happened to come in, he’d accuse me of cheating. I’d been there too many times before. Innocent friendships had cost me broken bones, cuts, and more insults than I care to remember.

  “Well, you should be out of here in a few days. I’m sending your OB down to do your monthly exam this afternoon.” He stood and placed my chart back in its holder.

  “Thanks.” I shifted, and it hurt. He must have seen me grimace because he stepped closer.

  “Do you need something for the pain? Broken ribs can take a while to heal.”

  “I’m fine.” I groaned. I’d been down this road before. “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “Call me Blake.” He waved as he left.

  Broken ribs? A brain injury? What else was I dealing with, and why couldn’t I remember how this happened?

  oooooooo

  I managed to stay awake for most of the afternoon. It felt like an accomplishment since I’d been sleeping so much lately. When Dr. McGee came walking in, it was the first time I felt like I wasn’t going crazy. She’d been my doctor for years, and I remember her telling me I was pregnant.

  “Hi, Brooke. It’s good to see you a
wake.” She closed the door as she stepped closer to the bed.

  “Hi.” I smiled back. “I’m so happy to see you.” I reached for her hand. “I think I’m going crazy,” I whispered. “Where’s Ava?”

  “Ava?” Dr. McGee’s brow furrowed as she stared at me. “Who’s Ava?”

  “My daughter. She’s five. You told me I was going to have her six years ago. Where is she?”

  “Brooke,” Dr. McGee lowered her voice, “this is the first baby that I’ve helped you with.” She placed her hand on my swollen belly. “Are you ok? Did Warren do this?”

  “Do what?” I started to panic. It was happening again.

  “The last time I saw you, you told me he was hurting you. I gave you the name of a shelter you could go to. I was trying to help you. Did you try to leave?” She held my hand with genuine concern, but all I felt was anger. Was everyone here trying to make me believe that I was crazy?

  “I did leave. Five years ago. I left. I went on the run. I had the baby. I was happy. Finally getting my life back, and he showed up.” The words were flying out of my mouth so fast that I wasn’t sure even I believed them anymore.

  “I saw you six months ago, Brooke. That’s when we discovered this little one was coming. You were here six months ago.” She rubbed my arm, but I pulled away.

  “No, I wasn’t. I was on the other side of the country. He showed up and hurt me. He brought me back. Why doesn’t anyone believe this?” The beeping on the machines began to speed up.

  “You need to calm down. This isn’t good for the baby,” Dr. McGee soothed.

  “I can’t calm down. Nobody believes me.” I began gasping for air. The room seemed to shrink, and as my eyes scanned the area, he showed up.

  “Everything ok?” Warren stepped into the room, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Fine.” I kept my answer short. I didn’t need to give him any ammunition for convincing the doctors to lock me in the looney bin.

  “I just need to measure her stomach, then I’ll be all finished.” Dr. McGee smiled, but I could tell she was trying to hide my outburst. She removed a soft tape measure from her lab coat pocket, and stretched it across my stomach. “Everything looks great. I’ll be back by to check on you before you’re discharged but I expect to see you in my office next month.”

  “I’ll make sure she gets there.” Warren smiled but I could tell it was forced. I watched Dr. McGee leave, and Warren take over the chair she was sitting in. He didn’t say anything at first, just scooted impossibly close. “I see what you’re doing,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re hoping one of them will save you. I don’t know how many times I have to show you that I’m in charge,” he growled. “This thing lived because I let it.” He placed his hand on my stomach, causing me to flinch. “Whether it does next time depends on you.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Like the flowers?” He lifted his chin and smiled. To anyone walking by, he would appear to be the loving husband. He played the role well, but I knew better. Warren was the nightmare that I couldn’t seem to escape from no matter how hard I tried. I thought I’d put all of this behind me, but now I’m beginning to wonder if any of it was real.

  Chapter 2

  Brooke

  The next five days went faster than I would have liked. Dr. Douglas was satisfied with my progress, so I was given the ok to leave. Fear gripped me when Warren was handed my discharge papers.

  He’d shown up that morning, playing the role of loving husband. He’d pretty much demanded that I be released. Since my care was manageable, the doctors ok’d it. A nurse wheeled me down to the drop-off door where Warren was waiting with his car.

  He smiled as he opened the door and I slowly lowered myself inside. After buckling up, he jogged around to his door and climbed in. I waved to the orderly as he rolled the wheelchair away, and swallowed the lump in my throat as the hospital disappeared in the distance. This was it. I was on my own again. My days would be determined by Warren’s moods. My life would be propelled by fear.

  We didn’t speak the entire drive home. I was afraid of the response I’d get, and didn’t want to upset him. I was still recovering, and couldn’t really defend myself. As we pulled into the driveway, I saw a bag on the porch by the door. “Damn neighbors need to butt out,” Warren grumbled as he climbed out of the car and slammed the door. I sat there hoping that he’d come around and help me, but he continued to walk toward the door. “You coming?” He threw his arms in the air as he looked at me from the steps.

  Guess this was it. We weren’t somewhere where he needed to put on a show, so I was back to doing it all for myself. I slowly pushed the door open. My side ached where my cracked ribs were. I swung my legs out, and used the seat to push myself to a standing position. I shuffled along until I reached the steps. Using the handrail, I climbed the steps achingly slow. “What’s that?” I motioned to the bag that was sitting by the door.

  Warren rolled his eyes. “The neighbors have been dropping off food for you. I guess they think you can’t cook now.”

  “That was nice,” I whispered.

  “It’s nosy,” he grumbled as he lifted the bag and carried it inside. “There’s all kinds of crap that they’ve brought over the last few days. Guess you’re off the hook for a little while. Good for you, I guess.” He shook his head as he unlocked the door, and went inside.

  I stood there on the porch just letting the words sink in. Good for me? Did he really expect me to go on like nothing happened? I’ve been hospitalized for almost three weeks. Did that mean nothing? How could I have ever loved this man?

  I sighed as I came inside the living room. There were newspapers scattered on the floor. A lamp was knocked over, and a hole in the wall next to the kitchen door glared back at me. “I got work to do.” Warren waved his arm in the air as he stormed off toward his office. “Clean some of this mess up.”

  I blinked as I looked around in disbelief. It was a disaster zone everywhere I could see. I wandered toward the stairs only to see more destruction. A few books lay cluttered on the landing, another hole in the sheetrock, a spindle was missing on the railing, and a small puddle of dried blood was on the carpet at the base of the stairs. It looked like a crime scene, and for anyone who didn’t live here it would be shocking. The sad thing was, this wasn’t anything abnormal for me.

  I knew that Warren had left this mess as a reminder. He wanted me to know that what happened was my fault, and he was in charge. I carefully climbed the stairs, placed my things in our room, and then went to the bathroom to grab cleaning supplies. Any other person would have laid down to rest, but I wasn’t afforded that luxury. If I didn’t do as I was told, he’d do it again. I wasn’t sure how many more times I’d survive this, and based on what he said in the hospital… he’d make sure our daughter didn’t.

  oooooooo

  It took me most of the afternoon to clean the living room and stairs up. I was constantly taking breaks to catch my breath. Too much exertion made me light headed, and my ribs ached every time I bent over. I couldn’t repair the hole in the wall or the broken spindle, so those were left for Warren.

  When I finally finished, I crept up the stairs to put away the cleaning supplies. Moments after I put the bucket in the bathroom, I heard the office door creak open. I sighed as I waited for what I knew was coming. I shuffled into the bedroom, and sat on the edge of the bed. I was exhausted, and just wanted to rest.

  “Brooke!” Warren’s voice echoed through the house. “I’m hungry. Come heat up something for dinner.” I knew that if I didn’t follow his commands, he’d be up here dragging me downstairs. The good news was I didn’t have to actually cook anything. The neighbors had been a blessing in that aspect.

  “Just a moment,” I called out as loud as I could. It hurt to move. It hurt to yell. My head throbbed in protest as I stood and made my way to the stairs. I stood there at the top, just staring at them. I willed myself to remember what happened, but it was no use. No amount of pressure was going to help
. Dr. Douglas had said that I might never get my memory back. In some ways, I hope he was right. I have enough nightmares from Warren to last me a lifetime. I don’t need more.

  When I reached the kitchen, Warren was sitting at the breakfast nook with his arms folded on the table. “Bout time,” he grumbled as I opened the refrigerator. There had to be at least ten containers stacked on the shelves. “What would you like?” I turned to face him, and waited for an answer.

  “Whatever is the quickest. I’m starving.” He rolled his eyes. The urge to slap him was never more powerful, but I knew I couldn’t. He acted like he was incapable of doing anything for himself. I can’t believe that I’ve let him do this for years. There are parts of me that want away from this so bad, but there are other parts, the ones that keep me here, that are scared to leave. I’ve had Warren tell me what to do for so long, that I’m not sure I could function on my own.

  “How about chicken?” I held up a container. “There are potatoes and broccoli in here too. That all goes together.” I tried to smile even though I was measuring every word that left my lips. One wrong one, and I’d end up on the floor, cleaning this food up.

  “Fine,” he growled.

  I carefully pulled down two plates, dished the food out, and placed one in the microwave. After setting the timer, I placed the containers back in the fridge. When the microwave beeped, I tested the food before carrying it over to Warren. After placing it in front of him, I heated up my own plate. “How’s that?” I waited with bated breath for him to scream at me about something.

  “Good. Glad to see that bump on the head didn’t cause you to forget your place.” He lifted his chin as he chuckled to himself. A small part of me broke that night. I’d always hoped that somewhere inside of him would be a decent man. I thought that if he hurt me bad enough, he might see the error of his ways, but this just proved that he didn’t. He didn’t care if he hurt me. Hell, I don’t think he cared if he killed me.