Mistaken by the Billionaire Marquess

CHAPTER 24: Shot

– LIA –

MY WORLD stopped when I heard what the nurse said. It’s like my brain stopped functioning and all that I hear is her voice echoing in my head. Her last statement keeps on repeating on my head and it started to mess me up.

Me? I didn’t shot anyone! Never in my job that I shot a person! I don’t even have the license to carry a gun!

Shot. The loud bang of a gun entered my ears. I looked around but I can’t see anyone. It was dark. I heard screamings. I heard people asking for help. I heard their pleas and their cries.

My breathing started to get heavy as I try to look where the sound of the gun is coming from. I can feel my body shaking and my hands turning cold.

I heard someone calling my name, but I was stunned in my place. Suddenly, the surroundings changed, and my eyes can only see the nurse and her furious eyes staring at me. She looked at me as if I was the worst criminal she ever met. Her eyes are full of anger and disgust. Her judging stare went through my body.

“Lia!”

Kelleon’s voice, together with a strong shake on my body, pulled me back to my consciousness. The first thing that met my eyes were Kelleon’s worried eyes.

“Are you okay? Answer me,” he said while slightly shaking my body and gently slapping my cheek.

I was about to open my mouth to speak when I heard quick footsteps. I turned my head to the nurse and I saw her escaping!

“Wait!” I shouted and tried to run to chase the nurse, but strong arms pulled me back and locked me in his place.

“Wait! Please!” I screamed at the escaping nurse as I extend my arms to reach for her, but I can’t. She was too far away now and I can’t even see her.

“Don’t run, please,” I cried. Tears started falling down my face and I don’t even know why. Is it because she escaped? Or there’s something hidden in me, which was triggered, that made me cry?

“Lia, calm down,” I heard Kelleon’s voice whispering in my ear. I even felt his breath on my skin. He was hugging me tight, as if I will disappear if he will loose his hug.

My eyes are still looking for the nurse. They’re looking around, hoping that she’s still there and she will answer my question, but I can’t see her anymore.

“Mi amor, look at me.”

Kelleon made me turn my body around to face him. He cupped my face and his right hand carressed it.

No, he was carressing it as he tries to wipe my tears. But even if he tried to dry the previous one, another tear will fall down.

I’m crying… but I don’t even know why.

“Tell me, why are you crying, mi amor? Huh?” he asked me. I want to open my mouth to speak and tell him that I don’t know, but everytime I tried to do it, my tears will shut me up.

I’m just staring at him, my lips slightly parted. He looked hurt. He still keeps on drying my tears and sometimes, kissing them away, as if his kisses will lessen the burden I have.

“Don’t cry, mi amor. It’s hurting me,” he said as he hugged me tighter. My face touched his chest. As I hid my face, I smelled him.

Like a potion, I slowly calmed down. His scent lingered in my nose that it calmed my nerves. My cries turned into small whines, until it stopped completely.

Even if my breathing went back to normal, Kelleon didn’t stop on hugging me. He continued on carressing my hair slowly while hushing on me.

“Are you feeling well now, mi amor?” he asked as he slowly loosened his hug. He looked at my eyes, which I’m sure are red by now. He dried the left over tears and smiled at me reassuringly.

I nodded at him and wiped my face. He helped me to sit in a nearby bench. He also helped me to fix myself since my clothes looked messy.

“I’ll just get something? Will for me here, okay?” he asked.

“Okay,” I responded. He gave me a short peck of kiss on my forehead before walking away.

When I can’t see him anymore, I touched my heart. It hurted earlier, but now, it’s beating so lively again.

I don’t know what got on me that time. I know that I have phobia on guns, but I don’t even know that even statements about guns can have an effect on me.

I think I need to see a therapist…

Sighing, I looked at the area where we cornered the nurse. If I haven’t acted like that earlier, we would have squeezed information from her. We could have got leads about the case.

While thinking on how I can apologize and make up for my ineffectivity, I heard footsteps towards me. I looked at that direction and I saw Kelleon holding something.

“Here, to cheer you up,” he said, while handing an ice cream in a cup.

My eyes twinkled in excitement and I immediately grabbed it in his hand.

“Rocky road?” I asked. “How did you know that this is my favorite flavor?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Just a hunch,” he answered as he sat beside me.

I squinted my eyes on him because I don’t buy his answer. However, I let it slide and focused on the ice cream.

I have eaten more than half of the ice cream when I realized that Kelleon is just watching me. He didn’t buy an ice cream for him.

“Do you want some?” I asked him as I hand the ice cream towards him.

“I want to, but we only have one spoon,” he answered while giving a small smile.

“That’s not a problem!” I exclaimed. I pouted my lips to point the ice cream vendor. “You can ask for another one.”

He shook his head. “There’s no need. I don’t mind using that same spoon,” he answered.

“Nope. Get your own spoon,” I responded and get a spoonful of ice cream.

Kelleon shook his head before walking towards the vendor. Moments later, he came back with a new spoon in his hand.

“Say ‘aah’!” I said while the spoon, the new one, with ice cream is waiting near his lips.

He chuckled before opening his mouth. “Aah.”

I fed him the ice cream before scooping using my own and eating it, too. We continued doing that until we both finished the ice cream.

I stood up to throw the trash in the bin. When I walked back to him, I pouted my lips.

“Kelleon,” I called him. “Sorry.”

His eyebrows furrowed at me. “Sorry for what?” he asked.

I looked down. “The nurse escape because of me. If I just didn’t acted that way, we would–”

“It’s not your fault,” he said firmly. He stood up and took a step towards me. He touched both of my hands.

“You’re trembling earlier,” he spoke.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Stop apologizing, mi amor. I told you that it’s not your fault,” he responded. He touched my chin and made me look up to him. Our eyes met.

“We could have find more leads if that didn’t happen!” I exclaimed. “I let that nurse escape!”

“Lia,” he called me by my name. “Don’t you realize that I’m the one who let her go?”

I was stunned, because he’s right. He’s the one pinning the nurse earlier. Even if I’m trembling, he could have just pin the nurse so she wouldn’t escaped.

“It’s my choice, Lia. I chose you over that fucking damn information we can get,” he said. “I chose you, because you’re more important than this case.”

He carressed me. “Lia, we can still find that nurse. I can use my power to find her immediately.  But you,” he stopped for a moment. He stared at my eyes. “I can’t leave you, not when you’re trembling like that.”

“I don’t know what have gotten to me,” I whispered.

“It’s okay. What’s important is that you’re now fine,” he answered. “Do you wanna go home and take a rest?”

“But the case–”

He shushed me using his hand. “The case can wait, mi amor.”

“No!” I exclaimed. “Didn’t you hear what the nurse said? Denisse shot that doctor! It’s something serious!”

He wasn’t even baffled at what I said. He still looked calm, far from the direct and impatient Kelleon that I saw earlier in the hospital.

“I know, mi amor. But I can use my men to find more about that,” he answered.

I pouted. I really want to continue on investigating and finding that nurse. It’s still early. I know that we only planned to get information in the hospital but now that the witness are near, I can’t just go home and take a rest.

Kelleon might have read what’s on my mind.

“For the peace of your mind, we’ll go back to the hospital and request for the information of that nurse. That way, we can have her number and address. After that, we’ll go home and let my men do the rest. Okay?” Kelleon compromised while smiling.

I smiled back at him. “I’m fine with that, cariño.”

His smile grew wider when he heard me call him like that. “Call me cariño again, mi amor.”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

I left him there and walked again towards the hospital. He called my name but I didn’t looked back at him.

When we entered the hospital, we still went to Pia and asked her about the nurse.

“Can you describe me the features of tue nurse, Doctor Mendoza?” she asked when  I told her that I don’t know the name.

“She’s short, maybe 4 feet and 10 inches. She has a short, black, straight hair. She has a very thin eyebrows and a full lips,” I described the nurse based on what I remembered. I felt Kelleon’s presence on my back.

“She also wearing an ID with blue lace earlier,” I added.

Pia nodded. “Hmm, I think the one you’re looking for is Nurse Cristina Palomas,” she said. “Nurses who have blue lace are assigned on the orthophedic unit. Nurse Cristina is the only one with short hair there.”

She turned her monitor towards me. “Is this her?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes! That’s her. Can we request for her contact details and address? As well as other information that you can provide.”

“Of course, Doc. Please wait for a moment.”

Kelleon and I waited patiently. While I was busy watching Pia as she ready the documents, Kelleon was bothering me. He keeps on asking me to call him cariño again.

It didn’t took long for Pia to call us again. She handed the papers. I checked it and thanked her afterwards.

While we were walking towards the parking lot, I put on my cap and shades. I just removed it when we entered Kelleon’s car.

Like earlier, he keeps on bothering me about the call sign. I turned my head to him.

“I already sent the information of the nurse to my senior. She will be interrogating her,” I spoke. “Now, tell your men to find the nurse and bring her to our department.”

He looked at me with his eyebrows raised. “Why would I do that?”

I smiled at him, seductively, while gently carressing his biceps. “I’ll call you cariño anytime you want.”

With that, he followed me like a very good boy.