Break Down Read online

  Nodding I say, “Umm, yeah I’m okay, I just really need to use the bathroom, I’m busting actually.” He looks a little embarrassed, but the look is quickly gone. He nods while still holding my waist, turning us towards the bathroom. “I really would love a shower, is there any way I can get some clothes?”

  With a big smile on his face, he says, “It’ll take about fifteen minutes, but I’ll find some for you, okay?”

  “That would be amazing, thank you. I feel so gross. I haven’t even looked at myself in the mirror; I don’t think I’m game enough. I must look like a zombie, I feel gross, and I smell.”

  Both laughing, Zeke says, “I need to step outside and make a call, will you be okay for a minute?”

  Nodding I say, “Yeah, I think so. I don’t feel as panicked as last night and knowing you are still here; I feel safe.”

  Heading to the door, Zeke turns and says, “Okay, I’ll be right outside, I won’t be long.” He doesn’t close the door when he walks out into the hallway, just pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials a number. I really am busting so I close the bathroom door and do my business.

  Chapter 15

  Zeke

  I wait until Asha has closed the bathroom door before really pressing the call button on my phone. Pops and the brothers know I’m staying at the doc’s place until Asha can be moved back to mine. I need to get Asha some clothes. I need to let the brothers know the meeting needs to wait a little bit longer. From the way Asha was up this morning I’m hoping the doc will give her the all clear. I want to get her settled back at my place, the sooner the better. That way, I can either hold the meeting out at my place or tell Asha that I’ve got to head into work. I’ll only be able to do that once she starts to feel safe enough to be left on her own. Knowing that Asha will be out of the bathroom at any moment I call Bullet.

  “Yo, Boss. How’s the girl?”

  “Bullet. Yeah, she’s doing alright. She lost her memory and doesn’t remember a thing, except her name, the night at the pub, and me. Of all the things she could remember¸ Brother, she remembers me. Not only that, but she thinks I’m her boyfriend. Fuck, this shit’s gotten messy. I’ll have to go along with it, for now, because I don’t want to set her back or scare her. She has a massive cut on the side of her head, and lots of small cuts all over her body. Apart from that, there’s no other serious injuries. The doc did all he could without taking her to the hospital, so we’re safe, for now.

  Sighing, Bullet says, “Shit, man. I don’t know what to say. This shit’s fucked up. Do I even wanna know how she thinks that you’re her boyfriend?”

  Leaning up against the wall outside Asha’s room, I sigh and say, “We went to the pub for dinner the night before the incident and the girls were there. We ended up playing a few games of pool with them. Asha and I dirty danced together, and that’s what she tells me she remembers about the night. I don’t have a fucking clue what to do once she starts asking more questions. I’ll just have to skirt around them the best I can. I just hope she heals, so we can set this plan onto a better path.”

  “Listen Zeke, I didn’t want to tell ya, but I’ve been hearing things through the grapevine. Vince knows about the accident. He knows the girl is missing. He’s got every man and his dog out looking for her, or any signs of where she is and what happened. It turns out the dead girl on the bonnet was their sergeant’s, soon to be old lady. So, we need to keep our heads down from now on.”

  Hitting the wall in front of me, I say, “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Righto. Listen, man, I’m calling to let you all know this morning’s meeting is off till further notice. It’s fucking bad timing, but I gotta get the girl settled at my place. She had a breakdown last night and wouldn’t let me leave her side. As soon as I work out the details you’ll be the first to know. Now that Vince knows something happened; we need to get it done quickly. This morning, though, I need you to get one of the girls to grab some clothes for the Asha. Nothing flashy, man, just a couple of singlets, shorts, tops, and pyjama bottoms. Toiletries would be great too.”

  “Righto, Z, anything else, Brother?”

  “Yeah, man, I need to make sure no one calls me Cross; or mentions the club around the girl. I’m gonna have to call you and the other brothers by their original names, no nicknames around her. It’s too risky.”

  “Give us fifteen minutes, and I’ll have the clothes there. See ya soon.”

  Hanging up the phone, I walk back in the room to see if Asha’s finished. She’s not, so I head down the hallway to find the doc.

  I find the doc in his office, typing something up on his computer. He doesn’t notice me, so I clear my throat and he looks up. “Good morning, Zeke, how’s the patient doing this morning?”

  “Morning Doc, I think she’s okay. She’s in the bathroom at the moment, so I thought that must be a good sign. She said her head is a little sore and throbbing, but thinks it will feel better after some more pain killers.”

  Nodding, the doc says, “That’s good news, better than we could have hoped for, especially, after the trauma her body has been through. I’ll come back to the room with you, so I can do a check up on everything.”

  I nod and am about to stand, when I remember that I want to ask him about the memory loss. I sit back down, lean back in the chair, and ask, “Doc, listen, there is a something I’m worried about. Asha seems to be suffering some sort of memory loss. When we were talking this morning, I asked how she was feeling. She said she’s scared because the only memories she has are of her and me dirty dancing the night before with friends. She said that when she tries to remember them, they are faceless and voiceless; which I think, has led to her assuming we are together. The other two things she remembers are her name and her date of birth. Is that normal? Can that even happen? How long can this memory loss last? I’m at a loss as to what to do.”

  Letting out a loud breath, and nodding slightly, the doc says, “Hmmm, I see. Head injuries can often cause amnesia. This is the reason why I wanted to send her to the hospital for an MRI and further testing. Head injuries, or any injuries sustained in a car accident, or bomb blast are serious. They are nothing to mess around with. I know you don’t want that, so I won’t pressure you, Zeke. But, she could still have a small bleed on her brain which could be the cause of the amnesia. It could also be the impact from her head hitting the window. It could even be her brain suppressing the memories, hiding them from her because of how horrific the incident was. I really cannot tell you anymore without further testing, I’m sorry, Zeke.” Getting up out of his chair, he says, “Well then, come on let’s go and check our patient. There’s a good chance you might be able to take her home this afternoon, if all checks are normal.”

  Smiling, I say, “That’s great, Doc, let’s go.” As we walk out of the doctor’s office my phone rings. It’s Bullet; he’s outside with the clothes for Asha. Looking up at the doc I tell him, “Listen, Doc, Bullet’s outside with the spare clothes, I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.” Bullet is too quick for me; he meets me halfway down the hallway and passes me the bag of clothes. “Thanks, man. Look, I gotta get these to Asha. The doc reckons, if all her checks are good, then I can take her home. I’ll text you when I’m done.”

  I turn around and start to head down the hallway, when Bullet grabs me by my shoulder, and says, “Listen, Ze, I found out some serious fucking info on the incident involving the girl, It’s a fucking game changer, Brother. You and the rest of the boys need to know about it now.”

  Shaking my head, I say, “C’mon, man, surely whatever it is can wait a few hours?”

  Slamming his fist into the wall beside him he growls, “Look here, Brother, I know you’re the boss, Zeke, but no. This situation can’t be put off any longer, so I’ll give you an hour, Boss. Clubhouse in an hour; we hold that meeting today. The shit I’ve heard is gonna bring us out of this mess. It’s exactly what we need to help us with the cover up and getting the girl back, without bringing a war down on us.”

  My ears
prick up at this information. The club needs whatever we can get to help pull us out of this shit. Slapping Bullet on the back I say, “You serious? Fuck, finally. Righto, Bullet, I’ll be at the clubhouse within the hour.” He gives me a salute, turns and heads out the door. Turning shit over in my head I walk back to Asha’s room.

  Chapter 16

  Asha

  Walking into the bathroom, I close the door behind me and quickly use the toilet. I don’t want to take too long. The last thing I need is Zeke, or the doctor thinking something is wrong and walking in on me. I really don’t need the embarrassment of that. As I stand back up, walking over to the sink, I feel a little dizzy, so I grab ahold of the sink, trying to steady myself. Closing my eyes, I stand holding the sink for a few minutes, to see if the dizziness eases and it does. Taking a deep breath, I lift my hands away from the sink. I turn the taps on to wash my hands and splash a bit of cool water on my face and neck. Grabbing the hand towel, next to the sink, I raise my head, drying the water from my face and neck. Leaving the towel on my face for a few more seconds; I build up the courage I need to look in the mirror and face my reflection. After a few more deep breaths and a thorough pep talk, I lift the towel away from my face, taking in the bruised and battered girl staring back at me.

  I don’t get long to take in my reflection before there’s a loud knocking at the door. Zeke calls out, “Asha, Sweetheart, are you okay in there? I have some clean clothes here so you can have a shower.”

  Still staring into the mirror, I call out, “Yeah, Zeke, I’m okay, I’ll be out in a minute.” I take that minute to look over my face. It’s all shades of black, blue, and purple. It’s also fairly swollen. The side of my head that hit the window has a shaved patch with a gash that has stitches in it. It’s swollen, bruised, and red. It’s not a huge bald patch so it will be easy to cover.

  The rest of my neck, shoulders, and arms are covered in bruises and cuts where the pieces of glass have nicked. Knowing it will heal makes me happy. What I’m worried most about is my memory. What if it doesn’t come back and I don’t remember my family? Wait, if Zeke is my boyfriend, I can ask him about my family and friends. He’ll be able to let them know what’s happened to me and where I am. Excited that I might be able to speak to my family and friends and get things figured out, I turn and walk towards the door. As I put my hand on the door handle, I feel another wave of nausea. I hold the handle and rest my head against the door for a moment. It takes a few seconds for this little wave to disappear. Once it settles, I lift my head off the door and walk back out into the room.

  When I open the bathroom door both Zeke and the doctor are in the room waiting for me. Zeke looks up with a big smile on his face and says, “The doc’s going to do your checks before you have a shower, Sweetheart. While you have your shower, I have to go to work for a meeting. After the meeting finishes, I’ll grab us some breakfast on my way back.” Right at that moment, my belly lets out a loud grumble; I look away, embarrassed. Zeke moves closer to me, putting his arm around my waist, he cuddles me into his side. Laughing, he puts his hand under my chin, lifting my face towards him and says, “Don’t be shy, Sweetheart, it’s been a day and a half since you’ve eaten anything. Of course your belly is gonna grumble.” Looking over to the doc he asks, “Doc, have you got any food in your kitchen I can fix for my girl?”

  Nodding the doctor says, “Yeah, there’s plenty in there. You’re welcome to help yourselves, but first let’s get you checked over, Asha.” Reluctantly I move out of Zeke’s arms and back over to the bed. The doctor moves the vitals machine closer, placing my finger back in the little pulse clip. He wraps the blood pressure band around my upper arm; looking at the chart he’s drawn up for me and he says, “Stay still please, but keep breathing normally. I need to check your vitals now, lunchtime, and then again later this afternoon. If everything stays normal, by this afternoon you will be able to go home.”

  At the mention of home, my eyes start to fill with tears. I quickly wipe them away before anyone sees, but I’m not quick enough. Zeke puts his arms back around me and asks, “Asha. What’s wrong, Sweetheart? Why are you getting upset?”

  Wiping more tears away, I rasp out, “How am I supposed to go home, Zeke? I don’t remember anything. There’s nothing there, even when I’m thinking really hard, nothing. What am I going to do?”

  Leaning down he wipes more tears from my face, looks into my eyes, and says, “It’s going to be okay, Asha. I’m going to bring you home with me; once the doc gives us the all clear. I’m sorry that I can’t help you anymore with who you are. We haven’t been dating for that long, and I didn’t get to find out much about your family. The only names I know are your friends that were with us at the pub. Please don’t cry anymore, Sweetheart. We will figure this all out.”

  Nodding I say, “Okay, Zeke, thank you so much.” Leaning forward, I place a soft kiss on his lips. A throat clearing brings me back to here and now. I blush; I’d totally forgotten that the doctor is in the room with us, and I am supposed to be sitting still. Shrugging my shoulders I look over to the doctor and say, “I’m sorry, I won’t move again.”

  He lets out a laugh and says, “No need to be sorry, Asha. I still got the readings. Your heart rate and pulse seem to be fine, and your blood pressure is normal, it’s great news. I’m happy you get to have a shower, but please try and keep your head wound dry, for now. I’ll come back after you’re done. We can redress your wound, and give you some more pain medication. Your head, and neck will be quite sore, for a while, until it all heals. How has your head been this morning? Any dizziness, stiffness?”

  Not wanting to admit to the dizziness this morning, I lie and say, “No, no dizziness but my neck is fairly stiff.”

  The doctor looks at me like he doesn’t believe me about the dizziness, but doesn’t say anything, just nods his head and says, “Go for your shower and I’ll be back in half an hour.”

  As soon as the doctor walks out the door, Zeke climbs off the bed and says, “You gonna be okay here for a couple of hours, Sweetheart? I really need to call into work for this meeting, but I’ll be back as soon as it’s finished.”

  Smiling I say, “Yeah, of course, I’m good. Are you sure you want me staying at your place? I don’t want to be a burden on you. Hopefully, the doctor can sit down with me before I leave and talk me through this amnesia stuff and help me understand it a bit better.”

  Wrapping his arms around me and putting his head on top of mine he says, “There’s nowhere else I want you to be, Asha. I will be here for you as long as it takes.” He kisses the top of my head, finally letting me go. As he walks out the door, he says over his shoulder, “Bye, Sweetheart.”

  Winking I say, “See ya later, Hot Stuff!” He chuckles and closes the door behind him.

  I’m so excited to finally have a shower that I quickly move off the bed. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I wish I hadn’t moved so quickly. My head is spinning, once again, and this time I feel sick. I close my eyes and lean against the bed until the sick feeling and nausea passes. Going through the bag of clothes Zeke’s friend has brought me, I take out a packet of brand new knickers, a pair of shorts and a singlet top. Luckily, I have a bra on already. With my clean clothes I go and have my much-needed shower.

  Oh my goodness, that was the best shower I have ever had. It’s so bloody good to feel clean again. Five minutes after climbing back onto the bed, the doctor walks in carrying a large tray. It has a large jug of water, a glass of juice and two crumpets. Smiling I say, “Yummo. Thanks so much for making me something to eat, Doc, I’m starving.”

  Placing the tray down in front of me on the bed he says, “You’re very welcome, Asha. Take the pain medication first and then start eating the crumpets. They have honey on them; I hope you don’t mind. You need to eat with this pain medication; otherwise, they will make you feel sick.” After taking the medication, I scoff down the crumpets, while listening to the doctor tell me about amnesia. “Asha I’ve been looking on
my computer at the medical site. Due to the injuries your head sustained in the incident, I think you are suffering from a type of amnesia referred to as neurological or organic amnesia. It happens when there is damage to the brain structures that form the limbic system. This system controls your emotions and memories. From my reading, this type of amnesia isn’t permanent; normally, it doesn’t last long. I have been reading that it is good for you to start writing down the memories that you do remember in a book.” He passes me a small notebook and pen and continues to say, “The closest neurologist is a couple of hours drive north of here. I can type up a referral for you and organise a booking for you to see them, if your memories haven’t returned within the month.”

  Drinking the last mouthful of juice, I put the glass back down on the tray. I feel a bit speechless after hearing all of that information. I nod and say, “Oh wow that would be fantastic if you could book me in. Thank you so much for sitting down with me to explain the amnesia in more depth. I am over the moon happy hearing that the memory loss shouldn’t be permanent. It’s such a relief; I feel a lot better now, thank you. I can’t wait to tell Zeke the news. Listen I don’t mean to be rude, Doc, but what is your name? I feel a bit silly just calling you Doc all the time.”

  Smiling he says, “You’re very welcome, my dear. It’s not a silly or rude question, at all. My name is Justin, but everyone around town calls me Doc.” Patting the bed he says, “Well, I have a few patients to see this morning before I come back and do your lunchtime check, so I’m off for a bit. If at any time you need me, my office is down the hall. There is a call button on the bed remote, you just press here.” He points to the big round red button.

  With a nod, I say, “Okay, thank you. Oh, one more thing before you leave, do you have any books I could read?”

  “Sure I do. Wait a moment I have something better.” Walking out the door and then returning a minute later he passes me an e-reader. “Here you go, this will be much better. There are plenty of different books in it. I keep it for overnight patients. Now I’m off, I don’t want Betty to start wandering around the place. She is my oldest patient and a bit of a sticky beak if you know, what I mean. I’ll see you at midday with your lunch.” We both laugh and smile as he walks out the door. Picking up the black e-reader I use my finger to swipe the screen and open up a folder that says “Sexy Books.” Laughing to myself I think holy crap the doctor is into sexy books. Each to his own I suppose; lucky me because I really need a hot read. As I’m scrolling through the list, I see a cover that gets me straight away. The guy on the cover is HOT; it’s only his body, but damn. I have a look at the title – Deviant by Callie Hart. After reading the back blurb I decide it’s not your average fairy tale story, which I love, so I get comfy on the bed and start reading.