A Dark Place (a Tomb of Ashen Tears Book 5)

by Kailee Reese Samuels

  I don’t have time to sort through keys and cars. I lock the door and stare into the junkyard sea of steel, aluminum, and chrome—the mess we’ve made.

  The crack of a tree marks the storm’s intensification, drawing my attention. I close my eyes and stand still, sequestering my senses to focus in on the fall of a trunk, but all I detect is the roaring sounds of rushing rapids.

  The harbinger of mutation.

  “It’s been raining like this for hours,” I mutter, talking to myself. “My house is going to flood.”

  I fear in more ways than one.

  Something is missing that I didn’t notice before. I take a mental tally, stepping into the garage and noticing the Challenger spot is empty. And it wasn’t here when I pulled in, or I wouldn’t have parked in the middle of the spot—easy mistakes overlooked when the veins are not full of toxins.

  I think best when I am a touch intemperate and a tad flamboyant.

  With concern, I yank out my phone and call Cruz, “Did you take the sexy black beast?”

  “No!” he yells breathless. “Why aren’t you answering your text messages?”

  I glance at my phone. “Because I have none.”

  “Fuck!” he fumes. “Nicky brought her to the hospital. He found her out at the old fairgrounds, followed her to Quinn’s church, and saved her life.”

  Nicky found her.

  “What kind of car?” I mutter, stupefied—they found her. I wasn’t expecting anyone to find her, least of all, Nicky.

  “I don’t know. I only know what Iris told Tristan Kerris. I haven’t talked to her,” he says. “One taillight and one window are broken on the driver’s side.”

  My thoughts are racing around her when I ask, “Did you talk to Nicky?”

  “I don’t even know where the fuck Nicky is. As soon as they finish prepping her for the trip, I am going to go talk to her before she leaves,” he replies. “They’re waiting on a med flight from Austin for her, but with the weather and accidents. It’s taking forever. You need to hurry the hell up.”

  Everything stops.

  And the dialogue shifts.

  “Is she okay? Is the baby okay? Talk to me, Cruz!” I demand straddling onto the bike. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I need you to breathe, brother. I want you to promise me you are going to get here in one piece.”

  “Just fucking tell me already!”

  “Iris and Ariella are alive, but there is massive trauma,” he somberly mumbles. “They tore her up, Sal. They tore her up bad.”

  They tore her up translates to I will kill them.

  “Stop holding back!”

  I hear his crying as he whispers, “Kerris said they just gave her the last blood transfusion for her type, and something is going on with hers and the baby’s Rh. I don’t know. All I do know is it’s not good. She needs blood badly.”

  I end the call, but before I crank the engine, my phone rings, and about thirty texts chime like a collapse of dominos. I answer, “Jesus fucking Christ, I just got all your messages.”

  “It’s this damn weather,” he accuses. “Look, if you see these guys, keep them upright.”

  With a spiteful disregard, I spew, “Why?”

  “Just call it my Lotus manifesto.”

  And my platform is spilling their blood.

  110

  Without

  His Ride

  I pace into the emergency room and spot Amber, Ma, X, Neil, Mass, and Berk. Amber rushes over to me, and I ask, “How is she?”

  “The doctors are with her now.”

  “Did you see her?”

  “No,” she says, touching my lips. “No one has.”

  “Is Kerris still here?”

  “He is with her, as is Lani. They’re making sure she is stable enough to make the trip,” she whispers, crying. “They want to see if she can hold onto the baby a little longer because of the complications, but I don’t know the whole story. I am sorry, I told you everything I knew on the phone. Did you get ahold of Sal?”

  I nod. “It’s okay…”

  From behind the sofa, Mae springs up and rushes to my side. “Iris, sick!”

  “Yes, Auntie is sick,” I lie, staring into Amber’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” Amber whispers. “She was left with me, and she is my responsibility until Sal takes her back.”

  “Stop apologizing, Mama.” I rub my hand over her cheek. “You did the right thing.”

  “I am no Mama,” she says as I flick a brow.

  “Hey, darling Mae,” Ma suggests, standing with my baby in her arms. “Why don’t you color me a pretty picture?”

  I blink between Amber and Ma. “Is he beautiful?”

  Amber smiles, and her face lights up as she blinks. “No, he is fucking gorgeous, but I haven’t been allowed to hold him. You should go meet him.”

  With Ma looking on, I passionately kiss Amber and whisper, “I’m scared.”

  “Do it anyway,” she encourages, grinning with tear-stained cheeks. “Go meet your boy. He needs his Daddy. I am not going anywhere, regardless of how anyone else feels. If Sal, Iris, and you are good with me, this is where I belong.”

  Ma beams one of those I’m-not-judging-but-I-really-am looks. “He is a big boy. Just like you were.”

  I open the blanket and see my son’s face for the first time. “Oh shit, he looks like me!”

  “Yeah, just wait until you see how blue his eyes are!”

  I smile ear-to-ear as she hands him off to me, and he wakes up. “Hello, Saint!” Amber sits and pats the chair beside her. I marvel, “He’s so big!”

  “Yes!” Ma giggles. “He is so perfect. Look at all that blonde hair. He will break a lot of hearts. Just like you.” She gives Amber the evil eye.

  “Is Quinn here?”

  “He is,” Ma somberly whispers. “He went to check on Iris and was headed to the chapel.”

  “Good,” I muffle, crying and preparing for the worst. “Sal will want last rites for her.”

  Sniffling, Amber gently says, “You want me to take Lukas?”

  “No, I want you to come with me. He’s my boy!” I grin, and so does she. “Beautiful baby boy!”

  From the mammoth-sized diaper bag, she grabs a bottle and latches her hand onto my elbow. “In case he gets hungry. If he shits, we’ll bring him back to Ma.”

  Ma scowls as I snort and ask, “When did you get so good with kids?” Amber points at the little doll, coloring a unicorn all pink and purple. “Fair enough.” I kiss her. “We’ll be right back. If Sal comes…”

  “I got him,” Ma confirms.

  Holding my baby close, I walk the hall toward the central triage with Amber, radiating happiness on the darkest day of our lives. “Thank you.”

  “For?”

  “Hanging out with me.” I smirk.

  She gently bumps into me. “I like hanging out with you. Besides, it’s not every day I get to cougar someone’s son away.”

  “Have you cougared me?”

  “I have,” she boasts, smiling through the tears. I kiss her lips again. “Or maybe you’ve been hunting and caught the cougar.”

  Approaching the desk, I hear the staff gossiping.

  “Did you see that girl who came in?”

  “Yeah, she looks like they pulled her out of the lake.”

  “Isn’t her husband that guy who used to be at Juliet?”

  “That’s Sal Raniero’s wife.”

  “She used to be so beautiful.”

  “He’ll probably dump her now.”

  “I bet she had it coming to her, you know she is in the mob.”

  “Okay,” I say, smiling wide and revealing myself. “I am Deacon Cruz, Sal’s right-hand man, and I need a status update on Mrs. Raniero before she leaves.”

  After the stunned expressions of guilt sloughs from their faces, the gawking begins. “…Is that your baby?”

  No, I fucking stole it, bitch.

  What the fuck do you think?

&nb
sp; They gush with oooh’s and ahhh’s at the sight of my son when I catch Amber, grinning, and staring at me. I wink, and she whispers, “Playing it cool, Daddy.”

  “I’m low-key, Darlin’.”

  “Follow me, Mr. and Mrs. Cruz,” the bubbly, young nurse says. I turn to Amber and give her a shit-eating grin, moseying through the corridor. I am admittedly feeling pretty swag. Not only did I piss Ma off, but I’ve also got my son in my arms, and “Mrs. Cruz” blushing beet red.

  I make eyes at Amber, flirting. “Mrs. Raniero is in here.”

  “Deacon,” Dr. Kerris says, urgently striding over as I stand outside the door. “We need to talk about Iris…”

  I hand Lukas over to Amber and shore up my heart and mind for the impact of six words I never wanted to hear.

  The Master

  The rain pours as I drive the bike to the end of the road at the back entrance and car lights flip on, blinding me. “What the fuck?”

  The car pulls closer, and I spot the plates—M4RRYM3—on the custom painted—slate gray with red accents—Corvette Stingray. I bought it for Iris as an engagement present.

  “Get in!”

  “Why the hell do you have Iris’ car?”

  “Drop the fucking bike and get the fuck in,” Nicky yells, over the sheets of hurricane-force rain. “I will take you to the hospital. Trust me, Sal.”

  I don’t drop the bike, but I do get off and slide into the car. “Why do you have my wife’s car?”

  Cruz will kill me for leaving his ride out here.

  “Because I flooded the damn Challenger in your fucking river.”

  “… You flooded my car?”

  I may kill this freak for that reason alone.

  “Trust me,” he implores, driving like a maniac. “The inside needed to be washed thoroughly after those fuckers did what they did to her.” He glances at me. “Put your goddamned seatbelt on, Kid.”

  I fasten it and hang on because he is flying in the rain. “What the hell is up with you? Were you off your meds or what?”

  He blinks like I am a crazy fucking lunatic. Licking his lips, he pulls up the edge of his jacket, and I spot the red leather wristband embossed with black fleur de lys. “You tell no one.”

  There are no words to process what I am seeing. “Does anyone know?”

  “My sister.”

  “What the hell happened with Megan?”

  “If I tell you…”

  “You better tell me, or I am putting a damned bullet in your head, and I will deal with what happens to me in the passenger seat after the fact.”

  “You should ask Mr. Gennaro these questions.”

  “Fuck!” I shake my head. “He’s such a fucker. Did he put a hit on Megan? Why did he do it?”

  “Because Oki’s baby was never Megan’s,” he says. “What he didn’t plan on was getting in a wreck.”

  Cracking the sunroof, I light a smoke. “Did you do that on your own?”

  “I did,” he proudly replies as we turn into Sugargrove, and I stare out the window. “And I am sorry I couldn’t tell you any of it.”

  “You fucking raped Hannah, Nick.”

  “He wanted her dead, but I couldn’t do it.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” I say, quivering with a chill. “What about Serene?”

  “I sent her with Dad because I’m fucking scared as hell,” he mutters with a shaking voice. “It’s not like I could’ve called you up and said, ‘Hey, wanna go have some pizza? We need to chat.’ You would have pulled a gun on me. I believe he is working with Campanelli to get Gennaro back up and running in Chicago,” he informs. “He’s coming after you.”

  “Why, me?”

  “Brittney Gennaro.”

  Waving my arms, I argue, “I had nothing to do with Brittney Gennaro!”

  “I know that,” he replies. “And you know that. But this is a multigenerational war. You don’t have to believe me.”

  “Does Iris know all of this?” I ask as he glances at me, and we pass through the square. “What color was the car they took Iris in?”

  “Black SUV, why?”

  “Because we just passed one outside of Mario’s Deli,” I fume, raging. “Are you for hire, Nero?”

  “I am not a taxi service. I do not have a meter. I do not come cheap.”

  “You get in that vehicle and wait for those motherfuckers,” I bargain, putting my only offer on the table. “Get them to the warehouse. And do not kill them.”

  “I want twenty-four hours of immunity with Cruz.”

  “Consider it done.”

  I swerve my wife’s car into the parking lot as I spot the helicopter coming to take her away. I run as fast as I can. “Iris Nakamura?”

  “She’s upstairs, Sal,” Amber shouts. “I’ll text Cruz! Go!”

  Luckily, I hit the elevator when it opens up. I push the fourth-floor button and repeatedly mash the close door. “Hurry up!”

  I take the short ride and follow the signs around to the other side of the hospital, where I spot a bunch of white coats and a guy I know in a leather cut. “Kerris!”

  “Sal!” he says with a brief smile. “You have two minutes,” Tristan warns. “She’s had a sedative and hasn’t been very talkative.”

  I ask him, “Are you going with her?”

  “Absolutely,” he replies, ushering me into the medical holding room. “I am standing guard until Iris and the baby are out of the woods.”

  Oh. My. Fucking. God.

  Where is my fucking wife?

  Cruz nudges against my arm, and I ask, “Have you talked to her?”

  Iris is no longer Iris; this woman before me is known as her. I take a deep breath, knowing I must pull my shit together fast.

  “She won’t talk to anyone,” he whispers. “She keeps asking for you, Sal.”

  Her asking for me trips the wires.

  This is my wife. This is our new. This is the woman I love.

  Afraid, I cautiously approach Iris, who doesn’t look like the woman I left at the airport at all. I cannot process this.

  How did this fucking happen?

  Her eyelids are swollen, and deep blue and black bruises are everywhere. Her eyes slit open in the black sockets as she peeks at me. “Hey, Angel!”

  “Sal…They got me,” she whispers as I pull up a chair and lower the rail. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Baby, it’s not your fault. Don’t apologize,” I mutter, knowing this routine. I have done this with lots of hers. But this her is Iris. “This is all on me.” She moves her arm, covering her mouth, and the pain evident in her expression. “You’re leaving for surgery soon.”

  “Campanelli…hired…Ettore and Benedetto. They raped me and beat me with a crowbar. They were going to kill Ariella and me at the church, but Nicky pulled up.”

  I glance over my shoulder to Cruz, who is listening in. His facial muscles tighten, and just under the surface, I see flickers of his monster coming to life. He will kill them. And I will help him.

  “Drop your hand,” I gently command. “Please. I need to see you.”

  “Sal…”

  “Iris, please,” I beg, needing the snapshot to fuel more hate. “I don’t care how many teeth you have.”

  “You just want my lips, anyway,” she says, cracking a joke and trying to smile. I start crying. My wife is tough as fuck. She moves her hand from her mouth. “It’s bad. They broke four teeth and chipped more. I am going to need a dentist.”

  “We can repair all of this,” I reassure as she lays her hand on mine. She isn’t strong enough to grip my fingers. “The important thing is that you are alive.”

  “They don’t know if I am bleeding anywhere internally because the bruising is bad,” she slowly mutters. “They’re going to see if I can keep the baby since she is so small. If it doesn’t work, they’re going to have to deliver her early.”

  I memorize every cut, scratch, bruise, and welt, and I throw the images into my tankard of rage. “I will find them.”

  �
��Please do not kill them,” she whispers, grabbing my arm. “I deserve to have the last word. I am the fucking Lotus Queen.”

  “Your grandfather gave Lotus to you?”

  “Yes.” She nods moaning. “Because he is a creepy, old man preying on little girls.” She glances over at Cruz. “Deacon…” She lays her hand on top of his. “If I don’t make it…”

  “No,” Cruz mutters, crying. “Don’t even.”

  “If I don’t make it, you have to promise me. You will take care of him. You have to promise me that even when he is an asshole, you will love him harder. Don’t give up on Sal.”

  I will not give up on you, Iris.

  I am sobbing as Cruz responds, “Don’t you give up on me! I need you. Sal needs you. Ariella needs her mother.”

  “I am trying,” she mumbles. “But I have never hurt this bad. I have never been this lost in the dark. I hear them coming. They’re coming for me. Lucas,” she whispers to me, “I love you more than words.”

  “I want you to be strong. Please stay here because I need you! Don’t you pull any trickery on my ass,” I tease, crying. “I’m not ready to fuck a ghost.”

  “We’re ready to go, Iris,” Kerris says. “We’re going to Austin, gentlemen.”

  “I’m…going…home,” she incoherently slurs. “Swamp. Deliver me.”

  “Can I go with?”

  “No,” Lani politely declares. “We’ve got multiple doctors and nurses boarding the plane, so in case we have issues.”

  “You just wanted to ride in the helicopter,” Iris jokes as her expression suddenly contorts. “Oh, God…I have to push!”

  “Iris,” Lani fears. “You cannot push!”

  “Get her out of me,” she hysterically cries. “Now! Get her out! Take her before my body kills her, please!”

  “Did they bring blood?” Tristan asks one of the crew who nods. “Yes!”