The Precious Topaz (The Precious Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  A note from the author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Song list

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  A note from the author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Song list

  THE PRECIOUS TOPAZ

  C. Renee

  Copyright © 2017 C.Renee

  Book Cover Design: http://ampersandbookcovers.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced this book or portions thereof in any form without the written permission of the author except by a reviewer who may quote brief sections for review purposes only.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places, events and names are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any likeness to any locations, events or persons, alive or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Nan, I hope you fall more in love with Alex and Lou.

  Acknowledgements

  To my family, thank you all for still believing in my dreams and how you still think I can write.

  Mum, you told me I couldn’t give up now because I’ve already started this amazing journey. You gave me the strength to keep going. Thank you for being you.

  Emma, thanks for being that little sister who would just listen and not complain about hearing the same things over and over again.

  Tom, just don’t stop being you. Thank you for being my number one fan, even though you haven’t read my first book. You will always be my comrade.

  To all my Beta readers, thank you for your endless moral support and your friendship throughout this journey.

  To the readers, I want you to feel empowered by this book and to live the life you have always wanted. There is a rainbow at the end of the storm cloud.

  A note from the author:

  This book is not your typical love story. It contains things that are based on real lives, what different people go through in an every day environment. It touches dark subjects as Domestic Violence, Physical and Mental Abuse, Rape, BDSM and Violent Content.

  If you are not a fan of any of these things, then this book is not for you! I do not recommend anyone under the age of eighteen to be reading this book.

  Please note: I will not be apologizing for writing this book.

  Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives to read this book and that I can share my crazy imagination with you all.

  At the back of this book I have included a playlist of songs I was listening to while writing this novel.

  Chapter One

  Alex

  I CAN’T BELIEVE AFTER everything I have been through in the last couple of months that I would be sitting here in a hospital chair waiting for a woman I care deeply for to wake up.

  It has been three weeks since I saved her from her psychotic ex. I never want to relive that night again. Watching her fall to the floor and lay there on death's door shook something out of me. I wanted to kill Matt with my bare hands if he hadn’t run away like the pussy that he is.

  I have had my family come in every day to check up on Louise and me but my Father doesn’t come to visit. He’s in bad shape right now, he got really sick years ago but he never told anyone except mother. Until recently he had taken a bad turn. I am trying to come to turns with his illness but I don’t know how or when I can forgive him by keeping this secret from me. Right now I can’t focus on him and leave Louise on her own. I need to be here for Louise when she wakes up.

  My Father had his men in the agency track down Louise’s family. They found her parents living in Santa Rosa. I had the task of calling them up and inform them about Louise’s condition. Once they heard the news, they dropped everything to be by their daughter’s side. It was awkward at first, meeting her parents even though we aren’t dating but I wanted to make a good impression on them.

  I could tell they missed her deeply and it made them sick with worry when she was living with Matt.

  They are glad she is back home but hearing what the doctors have told me about her health isn’t good news.

  I wish there was something I could do to take the pressure off them. They told me they are planning to move back to LA to be with her more and hopefully Louise’s brother will move back too.

  They chose to move back to LA because it’s their hometown and they haven’t been in contact with her for three years, not since she moved in with Matt and he turned her life upside down. I couldn’t imagine what it had been like for Louise’s parents, not being able to contact their daughter or to be able to see her.

  Meeting Seth was different; he was a character and a half. Seth is around the same height as me and he looks exactly like Louise. They could pass up as twins if you didn’t know that Seth was the older brother by four years.

  He has the same color hair, dark brown but he has blonde tips in it from being out in the sun. His eyes are the same grey as Louise but he skin is more tanned than hers. They get their eyes from their mother Julz. But Seth gets his height from his father Sam.

  “Have you heard any news today Alex?” Julz walks into Louise’s room with a fresh bunch of flowers. She does this every day, she said it helps to keep the place feeling happy and feeling fresh.

  “No, nothing today. Everything is the same; they said she should wake up any day now. They took her out of the induced coma last night.” I get up to stretch my legs; I haven’t eaten anything at all this morning.

  “Oh well, no news is good news.” I watch her pick up yesterday’s flowers and walk out the door. She takes the flowers to a random room down the hall. She likes to give flowers to all the patients on the floor. She would never throw away still blooming flowers.

  “Are the boys coming to visit Louise today?” I ask Julz when she enters the room.

  “No, not today love. They are setting up the old house with our furniture. You can stop by later to help them if you want.” She gives me a wink before busying herself around the room.

  I would rather shoot myself in the foot then go over and spend alone time with Louise’s dad and brother. It’s not that I don’t think they are a great family, it’s just… I find them intimidating, being the new guy in Louis
e’s life.

  “Oh, no that’s fine. I have to go visit my Father. To see how he’s doing today.” I move out of her way and walk towards Louise. I push her hair off her face and I lean down to kiss her forehead. My chest aches to see her connected to so many tubes and wires. I want to see the fire in her eyes again. I want to be able to hold her for real instead of in my dreams.

  I just miss her even though I’ve never really had her.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow Julz, take care of my girl for me.” I walk out of Louise’s room with another glance her way.

  I push my hand through my hair in frustration. I feel something deep for that woman and she’s stuck in a fucking bed and won’t wake up.

  The hospital car park isn’t packed, like it usually is this time of the morning, so there won’t be much traffic to head to my parent's place.

  The drive to my parent’s house was long and painful. I couldn’t stop my mind from wondering to the moments leading up to saving Louise. I get flashbacks of that night and the doctor’s words keep circling around in my mind. ‘She might not pull through this.’

  I walk up the steps of my parent’s mansion and the doorman greets me. “Hey Jack, how’s everyone today?” I’ve known him since I was a teenager. He’s a frail old man but he is always around and is never seen without his friendly smile.

  “They are well Mr. Knight.” He answers in his English accent.

  I walk through the big wooden doors. The maids are walking around cleaning dust from the cupboards, tables and everywhere else dust collects.

  The house is two-story, with ten bedrooms and they all have their own ensuites. They have a great kitchen and two living areas.

  “Honey is that you?” I hear my mother call from upstairs. They must be in their bedroom; my Father doesn’t seem to be able to get out of bed lately.

  I come over to the house to check on my Father every day. Being a paramedic does have its perks.

  The staircase goes around in a spiral shape and at the top of the stairs I’m greeted by more maids. I walk to my left to go down the hallway, I walk past my Fathers study, a few spare bedrooms and my mother calls out.

  I walk to the end of the hallway and I’m standing outside their bedroom.

  I get a sick feeling that I don’t want to enter today. He has his ups and down days and I’m feeling that today will be a down day.

  The family never knew about his health until recently when he started showing signs that he was getting sick.

  I push the door open and my mother comes rushing towards me. She wraps her arms around my neck and inhales a large breath. “Are you okay today mother?” I ask her when I pull her back in front of me to get a good look at her. She has aged a couple of years since my Father has gotten sick.

  “Yes, yes. Don’t worry about me son.” She goes in for another quick hug before releasing me and walking back to the large king size bed. It is designed like the Kings and Queens would own in the 1600s. Solid wooden frame with rich reds and purples for the linen. The curtains lining the bed frame are a heavy material. My parents designed their mansion to replicate a castle and that is exactly what it looks and feels like.

  “How are you today Father?” I walk over to the bed and sit down on the chair next to him. He looks frail and weak. The bones in his face are starting to show more now as the weeks pass on. His skin is turning a pale yellow color. Today he doesn’t look any better than he did yesterday.

  I get my stethoscope from my bag to check his breathing.

  “You need to sit up a bit more.” I watch as he struggles to boost his weight on his hands to push him up further on the pillows.

  “That is fine.” I reach around the collar of his shirt to pull down to get the chest piece on top of his heart. I listen closely to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

  “Big breath for me, please.” I hear his intake of breath.

  “Alright now let it out and do that again two more times.” I listen carefully to his breathing. It doesn’t sound like anything has changed from yesterday but I want to check his blood pressure. I put my stethoscope back in my bag and get out the BP (Blood Pressure) cuff out of my bag.

  I strap the rubber cuff around his arm and squeeze the bulb to pump air into the cuff.

  The blood pressure reading has come back high, 140 over 95.

  He is a little higher than yesterday.

  “He is doing okay. He needs plenty of rest and to drink lots of water. Does he need to refill his pain medication?” I put my equipment away and turn towards my mother.

  “No, he is fine until next week.” She looks like she is ready to cry. I hate seeing her like this, in fact I hate seeing them both like this but I know my Father is a fighter.

  “Has the doctor come by to give you the test results?” Still not knowing what is wrong is eating all of us up inside.

  “No but he did ring earlier to confirm a time to be over shortly.” She looks down at the gold watch on her arm and gasps.

  “He should be here any minute. It’s nearly lunchtime. Son, why don’t you head downstairs and help Helga. I’m sure she will need some assistance with getting lunch ready. I’m sure the doctor will be famished when he gets here.” She doesn’t want me in the room anymore. I lean over and kiss my Father on the forehead. I am worried about what the doctor will say today.

  I give my mother a quick hug before making my way towards to bedroom door.

  The hallway seems colder than when I first walked down it. It must be the daunting feeling I have about what is yet to come. I take the stairs two at a time and look around to find Helga. She’s from Russia, who moved to America to get away from her controlling husband. She doesn’t have any kids but she always told me that Damon and I were like her own. She makes amazing desserts and I hope she has my favorite apple pie ready.

  The kitchen counter is covered in all kinds of sandwiches, salads and pasta. She really has outdone herself today.

  My stomach rumbles from the mix of smells from the food.

  “Ah, someone is hungry.” My face lights up when I turn around and spot Helga.

  “Helga! It is amazing to see you; I’m sorry I haven’t been staying long and getting the chance to catch up. Louise doesn’t seem to be showing any sign of waking up but I still want to be there for her.” She shakes her head as in ‘you don’t need to explain to me.’ She closes the distance between us and gives me a huge hug.

  She smells like cooking oil and toffee apples, her favorite treat.

  She is a slender woman, in her mid 50s and has flaming red hair. I bet she was a beauty back in her day. I tease her about it sometimes; she would have been fighting off all the men. It would have been impossible for her to choose the right one.

  “Yes Ma’am I am hungry.” I walk over to the kitchen counter and inhale all the different smells.

  “That’s enough, what would you like to eat young man?” Helga walks past me with a plate full of meat pies.

  “Maybe just a couple of sandwiches.” I walk over to the fridge and grab a bottle of water. I drink some before placing it on the counter.

  “Here you are, go make yourself comfortable on the couch.” I nod my thanks to the plate of food in my hands. The living room is a few feet away from the kitchen. I take a spot closest to the doorway. Just in case mother or one of the maids need me.

  These egg and lettuce sandwiches are amazing; I didn’t think I could love food as much as I do these.

  I polished off the plate and went back for seconds, but this time I took a handful of cheese and bacon quiches. I groan around a second mouthful, these are to die for. I must go and kiss Helga for making the best food on the planet.

  I return back to the kitchen to give that kiss when I notice it’s more packed then it was ten minutes ago.

  “What’s going on Helga?” I ask her when I’m standing right behind her.

  “Oh, there’s word that the doctor will be here in FIVE minutes and everyone has to clear out to give the family some space. Your
father’s important business friends and clients are here but they will be back in time for the business meeting. I heard they are trying to find someone to take his place until either you or Damon can take over.” She walks to the fridge to put the eggs and milk back in from wiping up a batch of homemade blueberry muffins. Just yum.

  “Alright, I’ll hang around downstairs until the doctor comes so I can show him to father’s bedroom.

  I turn away from Helga just after I give her a kiss on the cheek and walk towards the front door. I look through the peephole and see a black Audi drive through the front gates.

  That must be him, I hope he has come barring good news; my family doesn’t handle bad news very well. They didn’t like the fact my brother Damon packed up and left for London at only 20 years old. They haven’t seen him since, he writes on the odd occasion and calls every now and again. My parents claim they are proud of him but they miss him too much to show it. This family is based on pride and to express their deepest feelings, it would be a disaster.

  I slowly back away from the front door and walk towards the nearest chair and wait for Jack to greet him.

  I can’t help but feel nervous and sick to my stomach. I do not like the odds of this visit.

  The doctor is bringing blood test results and the diagnostics of why my father got very sick, very fast.

  The possibilities of what kind of illness my father could have, keep circling through my mind. I can’t seem to think straight and knowing if it turns for the worst my mother will be all alone in this house, I won’t have a choice but to move back home. I don’t see Damon coming home anytime soon. He is selfish like that. Ever since we were young he was always the kid who was out for himself and didn’t care if he stepped on anyone else’s toes. But he is a part of this family so we all have to love him the same.

  I overhear Jack talking but I don’t hear the other voice until the door opens and reveals a woman. This isn’t the doctor my parents are expecting, they were waiting for a male doctor. Not a woman, not a beautiful woman at that.