Bound in Blue

by Jessica Ingro

  “Oh please. You only have a little salt mixed in with your pepper,” I teased him with a bump of my shoulder.

  We stared out over the meadow for several minutes in a companionable silence before I decided to tell him as much as I could without it being TMI. I knew he would sit there all day waiting for me to be ready to open up. It was one of the things I loved most about him.

  “I wasn’t planning on falling in love with him,” I finally admitted what I had been afraid to say out loud. “We had a big fight, which wouldn’t have been so bad if I had just explained what happened instead of getting defensive. Then we both said some things that we can’t take back. I guess it doesn’t really matter though because he’s still in love with his dead wife.”

  “Are you sure about that? That he hasn’t moved on from his wife?”

  “Yes. He pretty much told me so and warned me not to get attached to him.”

  “Why would you sell yourself short, Megan?” I could sense the slight tinge of disappointment in his voice. “Any man would be very lucky to have you. Maybe he felt the same way, but didn’t think he could show it without feeling guilty.”

  “Not possible.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “You should hear him talk about her. It’s as if she walked on water. I can’t compete with that. It doesn’t really matter now anyway.”

  The very few times Mack had brought up his wife—whose name I still didn’t know—there was no mistaking the love and reverence. I learned quickly not to ask too many questions; he was extremely tightlipped about their life together.

  “You probably aren’t going to want to hear this, but Rachel would want you to be happy. She’d want you to live a full life. The last thing she would want is for you to feel like you weren’t worthy of a man thinking that you walked on water.”

  Tears filled my eyes, and I choked back the subsequent sob building in my chest. I knew he was right. No matter how bad the grief and guilt told me otherwise.

  “If you and this fella are meant to be, it will work out. Your mother and I hit a rough patch before we were married. She left me for almost a whole year before we found our way back to each other. Just promise that if he does come to his senses, you make sure he treats you like the princess you are. Never settle for less.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” I leaned into his shoulder. When his arm came around me, I soaked up his warmth and affection. Just as I thought, coming home never failed to make me feel better. I may not have a single clue what would happen with Mack or if it would be wise to pursue more with him, but I felt less stressed and flustered by everything that had happened.

  “How long are you staying?”

  “Just the night. I have to work tomorrow.”

  He kissed my head and squeezed me tightly to his side. “I’ll take what I can get. Why don’t we head back to the house? Your mom is itching to spend some time with you.”

  “Okay.” I stood and brushed the grass off my butt. My dad put his arm around my shoulder, and I wrapped mine around his waist as we walked towards the house.

  As was always the case, my time home went far too quickly. It didn’t matter though because I found the solace I was seeking and left feeling lighter than I had when I arrived.

  Everything would work out. If Mack and I were meant to be, we would be. I had no doubt about that in my mind.

  * * *

  “Dr. Huntley, there’s a phone call for you on line two,” Heather said in her condescending tone. What I wouldn’t give to punch her in her face. Especially since today her leopard print underwear were visible under her pale pink scrub bottoms.

  Ignoring her, I turned in my chair and picked up the receiver on the phone and pressed the blinking light. It was going to be a long day dealing with Heather and her cronies that were still upset about their write-up earlier in the week. My peaceful time at my parents felt like a million years ago, rather than just the other day.

  “Dr. Huntley,” I greeted the unknown caller.

  “You’re a fucking cunt,” was viciously barked at me over the line.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, completely taken aback by the unknown man’s brashness.

  “You heard me bitch. You think you can take my wife away from me? I’ve got news for you… I’ve been watching you. I know where you live and I know you have her. I’m going to find her. You hear me bitch?”

  “Look. I’m not sure who you are or who your wife is, but I’m going to call the cops.”

  A maniacal laugh came through the phone, amping up the fear and adrenaline in my veins. “You’re dead,” the cold voice threatened.

  “Who is this?” My hands trembled. Never had any threats from disgruntled spouses ever gone this far. Nor had they sounded this detached.

  “I’m going to tie you up and slowly carve into that body of yours. You’ll wish you were dead by the time I’m done with you, but I won’t put you out of your misery until you’re so unrecognizable they’ll need dental records to identify you. Maybe,” he added as an afterthought, “I’ll fuck your cunt before shoving my knife up it. One things for sure though, you’ll tell me where my wife is before I’m done playing with you.”

  My body locked, my heart stop beating and my lungs froze. All the blood drained from face. True fear was exactly what I knew in that moment.

  “Who… who’s your wife?” I cursed the shaking in my voice for betraying my emotions.

  “Martha. Yeah that’s right,” he continued. “Bitch thinks she can send the cops after me. She’s got another thing coming. And so do you for helping her.”

  Done with this whole scene, I hung up the phone. After deep breathing for several seconds, I fished my cellphone out of my coat pocket, found John in my contacts, and dialed by rote.

  “Katz,” he answered after the third ring.

  “John.” My voice sounded small and timid.

  “What’s wrong?” John asked, immediately on alert.

  “I’m concerned about Ted Yates.” That was an understatement, but I was still in shock from the conversation from hell and didn’t know what to say.

  “Why’s that?”

  “He called me a few minutes ago and threatened to carve me like a pumpkin on Halloween, right after he raped me. Only then would he end my suffering and kill me.” My voice could have been someone else’s for all I knew. I certainly felt like I was having an out of body experience and was watching from the outside in. It was all so surreal.

  “Are you fucking shitting me?” I almost smiled at his language.

  Almost.

  “I wish I was. John, he sounded whacked. I’m not sure I feel safe. He says he knows where I live. I don’t even know what he looks like. He could be here right now and I’d have no idea.”

  He cursed before telling me exactly what I needed to hear. “I’m going to pick you up when you’re off shift. We’ll go down to the station and file a formal complaint. Then I’m taking you home. We can discuss your safety then.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a heavy sigh of relief.

  “Megan. Do not under any circumstances leave the hospital before I get there. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes. No need to worry there. I’m thoroughly freaked out by this guy.”

  “What time do you get off?”

  “Seven.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Oh dear God. What have I gotten myself into this time?

  * * *

  My house was dark when we walked in several hours later than I had originally anticipated. I quickly turned on the light in the living room, continuing through the house until the first floor was blazing with light. John had gone ahead of me to do a check of all three floors to the house, luckily finding nothing.

  “You all right?” He asked as he settled into a sofa.

  “Nope,” I answered truthfully. I couldn’t bring myself to sit down and relax. Instead, I paced the floor in front of him.

  “Didn’t think so.”

  The phone ringing had us both on alert and t
he muscle in John’s jaw ticking with how tight it was.

  “Do you normally get phone calls on the landline this late at night?” He asked as he rose from his perch and started toward the kitchen where there was an older model wall phone.

  “Never. The only people who call the landline are my parents and solicitors.” I followed him into the kitchen, stopping in front of him.

  His face turned hard as he listened to what whomever was on the other end was saying, before he slammed the phone down on the receiver. This was so not good.

  “Son of a bitch!” He exploded. Immediately, I began to shake again, so hard there was no hiding it.

  “It was him, wasn’t it?” I deduced.

  “Yes.”

  “What did he say?”

  “I’m not telling you that. Just know that tomorrow you’re getting a God damned restraining order and I’m about to be suctioned cup to your side until we find that sick fuck.” He wrapped me up tightly in his arms. I burrowed my head into his chest in hopes of absorbing his strength.

  “Will you stay tonight?”

  “Yes,” he responded quickly. My body relaxed marginally knowing he’d be right down the stairs if I needed him.

  “I’ll make up the guest bed.”

  “Megan, we need to talk about your safety.”

  “I’ll carry my pistol with me starting tomorrow,” I assured him. “Now that I’ve seen his picture I know who to look for, and I’ll stay away from the shelter until this blows over.”

  “All shelters,” he informed me.

  “What?” I asked incredulously.

  “Your routine now consists of work and only necessary locations. I’m going to have to ask Marty to help me watch you. And I’m having a chat with hospital security so they can watch for him too.”

  “I’m not some child.” The idea of his partner babysitting me was not sitting well with me. It wasn’t like I knew the man very well. I had only met him once or twice in passing.

  “Do I need to remind you of the sick shit that fucker wants to do to you?”

  “No.”

  “Then don’t argue. I know you aren’t going to want to hear this, but Mack needs to know. I’m going to be relying on him and Jacob too.”

  “No. Absolutely not.” I shook my head viciously.

  “Shit.” He scrubbed his hands down his face. “I should have known that would be the case. You two aren’t speaking again?”

  “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “Fine. I’ll keep him out of it as long as I can, but I’m not making any promises.”

  “Thank you.” It was the best I could get given the sensitivity of the situation. I’d deal with the alternative if and when I had to.

  “Write down your schedule for me and then go make up the bed, I have some calls to make.”

  “Sure thing, roomy,” I attempted to joke.

  John shook his head at me and gave me a glare. “I’d tan your hide for that joke if I wasn’t so worried right now.”

  “Sorry. Poor timing.” I kissed his cheek and then moved to do as he asked.

  With John sleeping right down the stairs from me, you would have thought I’d at least get some sleep. That wasn’t the case though. Instead, I laid in bed staring at the ceiling—my thoughts going back and forth between wondering if Ted Yates would succeed in killing me and how Mack was going to react when he ultimately found out the news.

  It was a long night.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mack

  “Hey, beautiful.” When I looked at her, my smile was one of the only genuine ones I had given in the last two months. Not for the first time since I met her did I think how lucky anyone would be to be her man.

  “Do you want me to kick your ass?” Jacob put his arm around Kara and drew her into his side. What a lucky bastard he was.

  “It wouldn’t change how delectable your fiancée is or how appreciative I am of that fact,” I goaded him—successfully if the hard look he gave me was anything to go off of—just as I knew I could. Damn bastard was so possessive over Kara that it was all too easy.

  “Why did we invite you over for dinner?” He grumbled as we all made our way into the living room.

  “Because you couldn’t imagine your life without me,” I answered his question.

  Kara laughed, handed both Jacob and me a beer and left us to watch the World Series while she served up dinner.

  “You sure you don’t want help?” I called out to her in the dining room.

  “Positive. Sit back and relax. You boys have been working hard lately and deserve some down time,” she answered. Just another reason why I adored Kara. She was always looking out for us, something that was very important in our line of work. The cesspool of shit we constantly swam through threatened to drag us under on a regular basis. It was nice to have a good woman looking out for you at the end of the day, especially when we were pulling in overtime left and right.

  As they always did, these thoughts led me to thoughts of Megan. I hated the way things ended with her. I wasn’t proud of my outburst that day in the hospital, but in my defense I was a little blindsided to find her with a man’s lips pressed against her skin. The very skin I had stroked and licked not two days before that. A renewed burst of anger bolted through my body remembering it.

  I needed to forget about her. She and I were not meant to be. I had nothing to give her, and she obviously had issues with any form of commitment. I still wondered if the good doctor and I were the only ones she was sleeping with. Fuck, but what did she see in that prick? He looked all gelled up and slicked back. What was the term kids were using these days? Metrosexual? Whatever it is, he personified it. He was no real man. I bet he didn’t even know what it took to truly satisfy the needs Megan had. She was insatiable. I could always tell when she needed more. When her body craved a harder release. And I gave it to her. Every. Damn. Time.

  So, yeah, it was her loss now that I was moving on. No… moved on, damn it.

  “I’m pissed the Red Sox aren’t in the World Series this year.” Jacob’s pissing and moaning brought me out of my negative thoughts.

  I took a pull of my beer and crossed my feet on the coffee table. “I thought you’d be used to it by now seeing as how Boston sucks.”

  “Fuck you. You think the Nationals are any better. Keep dreaming.”

  Laughing I decided to drop it. Jacob was like a dog with a bone when it came to his favorite baseball team. For as much fun as it was to wind him up, I didn’t feel like dealing with him until he calmed down.

  “Shit!” We both yelled at the same time when a batter got beamed in the head with a wild pitch.

  “That had to hurt,” I noted.

  “For real,” he concurred.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Kara announced from the doorway.

  Lingering until the next commercial, I was sure Kara would start yelling at us that the food was getting cold. I asked Jacob if we were going to get in trouble. He just smirked and shook his head.

  “She’s cool. I might have to work a little harder tonight to make her happy, but that will all just be a front. Trust me.”

  “Lucky fuck,” I mumbled and stood. “I’m not sure you deserve her. I could take her off your hands and show her what a real man is like.”

  “I don’t fucking think so.” He punched my arm, not so playfully, and joined Kara in the dining room.

  “Quite the feast,” I praised while I rubbed at the sore spot on my arm. I flipped Jacob off behind her back and settled into my seat. I had eaten over with the two of them often enough that I didn’t have to question where she wanted me. Did that make me the third wheel? I cringed at the thought.

  “Thanks. Nothing fancy, really. Just pork chops, asparagus with cream sauce, and roasted red potatoes. Oh and carrot cake for dessert. I know it’s your favorite.” Always so humble she was. And yet again, she was looking out for me. I smiled broadly at her and winked. She blushed and smiled back.

  “Well, it looks
and smell delicious, Sunshine.” Jacob picked up his fork and dug in, the rest of us following suit.

  “Good news, Mack,” Kara started. She set her silverware down and took a sip of her wine. “I have someone perfect for you. I showed her a picture and she’s very interested. Can I give her your number? Or would you prefer I gave you hers?”

  The picture of innocence, Kara knew exactly what she was doing. This wasn’t the first time, and probably wouldn’t be the last, that she tried hooking me up with someone. Problem was, her friends were all in the market for a relationship, something I was greatly opposed to.

  “I appreciate you trying your hand at matchmaking, but after Fiona the clinger, I’m going to have to pass.”

  “But Rebecca is perfect for you,” she stressed. “She has long legs, big boobs and the face of a fifties pinup girl.”

  I already found Megan. She’s perfect for me. Whoa… where the fuck did that thought come from?

  Shaking my head to rid myself of that crazy nonsense, I tried to soften my blow with a smile. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’m really not interested.”

  “Fine,” she huffed, clearly displeased with the turn of events. “I really thought once I described her she’d trigger your interest.”

  I caught Jacob’s eye and thankfully he read the stricken expression on my face and changed the subject.

  “How’s your sister doing?” I asked Jacob as dinner was coming to an end.

  “Not sure. She’s been sketchy lately on the phone. It’s probably nothing, but my gut is telling me it’s something.”

  “You and I know better than anyone to go with your gut.” Was I a hypocrite? Maybe. My gut had been pulling me in Megan’s direction since the day she walked into the emergency room waiting room a year ago. Maybe my gut could be wrong. There was a first time for everything.

  “Yeah. We’re heading up there next weekend and I’ll feel out the situation then. Hopefully it isn’t anything for me to be too concerned over.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. The girls were both their happy, bubbly selves last time you talked to them.” Kara patted his hand and he laced their fingers, bringing them to his lips and kissing hers.