Secrets & Lies

Chapter One

Bella

The call came at the dead of night.

It'd been a normal night. After Emmett left, I put the boys to bed and sat in our living room with a glass of wine, and I waited for Emmett to call and tell me he had made it to the airport safe. Even then, I had the urge to look at our wedding picture on the table stand. We looked so happy, just two young college kids with the idea that a year from then we would have our little boy. Let alone two, now ten years later.

Emmett didn't call. I assumed he made it late and went straight to the plane. When the call came at nearly three in the morning, it was his phone number and I had instantly assumed he was calling me to let me know he had made it to Miami safely, but that was not the case. The man who answered was an officer and he said my husband had been in a car accident and they were rushing him to the hospital.

I've never felt so scared in my life.

I woke Rita in a rush and left her to watch the boys while I went to the hospital. It's been hours since I got here and they haven't given me any updates. The sun has risen and the night and day shift has officially changed.

Scenarios keep running through my head. What if he's dead? What about the boys? What the hell am I going to do without him? He's been everything to me since we were in high school, I cannot imagine facing life without him. The emotion builds up inside of me, threatening to break me in any minute.

Just as I'm about to pour myself my third cup of coffee, someone finally comes out.

"Uh, family for Emmett Swan?" A doctor calls out to the waiting room.

"That's me!" I rush to the doctor. "I'm his wife."

"I'm Dr. Vulturi, Mrs. Swan. If you'll follow me, I'll give you an update on your husband."

Relief washes over me.

He's not dead. He's not dead, thank god.

I follow him down the hall, where he pulls me into what looks like a conference room and pulls a chart in front of him.

"I'd like to apologize for having you wait so long for updates, Mrs. Swan. But the surgery was far more complicated than we anticipated."

"How is he?" I go straight to the point.

Dr. Vulturi sighs. "Alive, but just barely. He suffered massive internal injuries which resulted in internal bleeding, several broken bones, and massive trauma to the head from the accident. The bullet, fortunately, went through his chest and it didn't hit any major organs. It's... and I hate using this word, but it's the only thing that can describe this, it's a miracle he's alive."

"Bullet?" I ask, confused. "He was in a car accident, why would he have a bullet wound?"

"That's what the police and I would like to know, Mrs. Swan. As of now, because of the severity of his injuries and the head trauma, he cannot breathe on his own. He's connected to a ventilator and is in a coma. We'll have to give him time to heal for him to wake up." He stands up, leaving me with more questions than answers. "If you'll wait here, Mrs. Swan, the detectives will be right in to ask you some questions."

Detectives?

He walks out, leaving me a confused mess. Why would Emmett have a bullet wound? He doesn't even own a gun. He knows I hate those things because they are the reason my father is dead. My heart starts racing. Was someone trying to kill him? But who? Emmett doesn't have any enemies. That man is loved by everyone we know.

Soon, the door to the conference room opens and two detectives walk in, one of them a woman. The male is tall with black hair and dark eyes. The woman is a strawberry blonde, and very pretty. Behind them walks in another man. My breath gets caught in my throat.