by S. N. Garza
I didn’t like her touching and tainting this house. I shouldn’t have let her come over. I hoped Dax got here soon. Some reason, something just didn’t seem right.
“Here you go.”
She set the picture back and grabbed her glass of wine and sipped.
“It’s really good. I know you don’t want to know me. I understand. I would like to know at least something about you. I know you work at that restaurant. You’re with Big D’s grandson. You know, he really wants Dax into the fold. He always said Dax was a real smart boy. Just needed to get in with the family business. Do his part.”
“No. Dax will have nothing to do with that life. Neither will I.”
“So this is serious? You and Dax?”
I nodded and picked up my wine.
“Yes. It’s serious. I live here with him and we’re going to make a life together.”
“How long have you known him, Scarlet?”
I sipped my drink. Hmm…salty? Maybe it sat too long. I took another pull of the wine and held it in my lap to give me something to do.
“I’ve known him long enough to know that he loves me with everything in his body and he would never hurt me. Never forsake me. I was always scared of letting someone in. Because of you. I never let anyone in except for Nana. I didn’t have friends because I worried about what would happen if we fought. I didn’t want to feel abandoned by someone I grown attached to. Yes. I’ve grown attached to Dax. But it’s not like I need to be with him every second of the day. I love him. More than I’ve ever loved someone outside of Nana.”
I gulped down the rest of the glass of wine and sat it down. Liquid courage.
“I don’t need you, Marybeth. You weren’t there for my first day of Pre-k. Not for my first lost tooth. First recital. God. My first period. My first date. So what I’m trying to say is, that I don’t need you to be in my life. Like the saying goes. ‘People are in your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime’. You haven’t been but a season in my life.” I stood up. I didn’t want her to be looking down on me. “I-whoa.”
I put my hand to my head. God. It was spinning. My eyes were blurring over and I-what was happening?
“I’m sorry it has to be this way, Scarlet.”
I did my best to look up at her, but my eyes just felt really heavy. I also felt a little nauseous.
I tried sitting, but I totally missed and landed heavily on the floor. My body felt really strange.
“What-what-did. What did you give me?”
“The MC wants you out. With you gone, no one can trace the drugs that are going through Saints. Big D wants the lounge. He wants it back in the MC’s hand. He’ll do whatever it takes to get it. You saw Mongrel and Twirly try and take that girl. He told me to come here and give you this.”
She had a baggie of something white in her hand. I couldn’t make out much. It looked powdery. My body started twitching and I couldn’t move very much.
“You have to die, Scarlet. I’m so sorry. Sorry I couldn’t be the mother you deserved. I owe Declan a lot of money. As his old lady, it was up to me to take care of you and that debt is repaid. Since you’re my daughter. Sorry. They want fresh girls. They want to hit up the lounge a few more times. They want the lounge, but the girls that go through there are good for his human trafficking business.”
“When?” I barely scratched out. God. I felt so horrible.
“Well, guess it doesn’t matter. They usually hit up the lounge every third Saturday.”
I heard steps, then a clicking sound. The door. Hmm…what is happening to me? I heard Dax’s ringtone sound off on my phone. My eye lids were getting heavier and heavier. I needed to stay awake. I needed Dax. I needed him right now.
I crawled my hand up the couch and when I felt my phone I ended up knocking it down. I felt something hit my chest. The ringing got louder but everything around me was fading in and out. I wanted to sleep so badly.
I slapped my phone. My fingers felt numb and I didn’t know if I opened the call.
“Scarlet! Baby, answer me!”
Speaker? Was he on speaker?
“You answered me, is your mother there? I swear to God. If you don’t answer me. All I see is the ceiling. Turn the phone baby. You have me on FaceTime.”
Dax’s voice sounded so upset. Would he cry for me if something happened to me? What did she give me?
“I-I love you, Declan.”
“SCARLET! What’s wrong? Baby, please. Talk to me. I’m about ten minutes away. Please talk to me. Turn the phone, baby. Let me see your sweet face, Pixie.”
I could barely feel anything, but I managed to slide my phone to the floor where it hit the coffee table and flipped to lay on its side. There he was. My Declan. My forever.
“I love you. So much. Please. I need you.”
Even I could hear how weak my voice sounded.
“There you are, baby. I’m on my way. Wait-“
I didn’t know what else to do, so I did. I heard his voice, scratchy and husky in the background.
“Yes. I need an ambulance and police there as soon as possible. My wife has been hurt.”
Wife? Hmm…that did have a good ring to it. His voice faded back out but that’s not what got my attention. Wife. Mrs. Dixon. I really hoped that would be true one day.
“Five minutes? Okay. Thank you.”
His blurry face came back into view.
“Scarlet? Why is your body shaking? Baby? I’m on my way. An ambulance should get there right before me. Baby. God. Don’t you leave me, Scarlet. You be strong now, Pixie. You’re meant to have my children. My very own fairy children from my very own Pixie. I can’t live without you. I can’t get enough of your love. Your love is so pure and all mine. You have me under a spell, baby. Your sweet, beautiful love has wrapped around me and I don’t ever want to live without it. Don’t put me in the dark. What is that coming from your mouth? Are you vomiting? Oh. God. What did that bitch do to you? I’m turning in the neighborhood now.”
Hmmm…what was the noise?
“Miss? Mrs. Dixon?”
“She’s convulsing! Get her on a stretcher. We need to get her to the ER, stat.”
ER? I just needed a nap. A nice, long, blissfully quiet nap.
28
Dax
I couldn’t drive fast enough. I looked through the phone screen and watched as vomit seeped from her mouth. What the fuck did that bitch give her? If something happened to Scarlet-no. I couldn’t think like that.
I started hearing voices in the background. Thank God. The paramedics were there.
They moved her so I couldn’t see her anymore but the voices were loud enough.
“She’s convulsing. Get her on a stretcher. We need to get her to the ER, stat.”
No. Please, don’t take her away from me. Please.
I saw the ambulance and Scarlet being lifted inside. My truck fishtailed and skidded before I threw open the door and rushed over to one of the paramedics.
“Where are you taking her?”
“Sir, we can’t-
“I’m the one who called you. Now, tell me. Please.”
Couldn’t this mother fucker see the tears falling from my eyes? This shit was not pretend. I didn’t cry. I don’t cry.
Scarlet was the only one who could break me. Her being broken was doing me in.
“Dude, I can’t lose her.”
“Local hospital. She might not make it.”
No.
I ran back to the truck and followed them to Methodist down Garth. I didn’t really care for this hospital, but as long as they saved her, that was the last of my concern.
I couldn’t go into the ER with her. They told me I had to wait in the waiting room. Someone would get me as soon as they knew what was going on.
This wasn’t happening. The ER waiting room wasn’t crowded yet. Thank God. I sat down in a corner and put my head in the palms of my hands.
It was the MC.
I took out my phone and called Agent Sui
tor.
“Suitor.”
“Scarlet’s in the ER.”
“Whoa. Wait. What? How?”
“Get to Methodist in Baytown. I’ll fill you in.”
It didn’t take him long to get there.
“She still in the ER?”
“Yeah.”
I let him get settled in before I told him everything I knew.
“Scarlet’s mother showed up.”
“Yes. Marybeth Castle. Or Dixon actually. What makes you think she would kill Scarlet?”
“Really?”
Was this guy for real? Did he seriously not remember?
“Uh. The fucking lounge? She was a witness to a crime the MC committed.”
“There’s no proof, Dixon. Doesn’t mean I don’t believe you. But without hard evidence, it’s not going to go anywhere. Besides, that’s her mother. Why would she try and kill her own daughter?”
“Because she’s heartless? Works for Big D? She abandoned Scarlet when she was just four years old. If that doesn’t give you something, then I don’t know.”
“Being abandoned by the parent doesn’t equal a murderer.”
“She did something to Scarlet. She’s not in there for a fucking check-up.”
My cage was getting rattled. Everything I’ve ever known was blowing up in my face. I couldn’t sit anymore. I needed to see Scarlet.
I knew the MC was behind this.
“I’m trying to give the mother the benefit of the doubt.”
“Ha. That’s exactly what Scarlet said to me. Now fucking look at her! If she dies…if she dies, I have nothing. That woman was made for me. I’ve never had anything like her in my life. The only way I’ll survive this is if she does. If she dies, I will go after them myself. If that means killing every single one, so be it. I can start off slow.”
“Whoa. You need to settle down. Dixon, no person is worth killing another. And it’s illegal.”
“Does it look like I give a fuck? My woman is dying. All because she saw something that she wasn’t supposed to and instead of walking away, she went after them. Trust me, Special Agent Suitor. When that one woman comes into your life that you know you would do anything for her. Give her anything she ever wanted. Protect her over everything. Since you’re a cop, over your badge. Give her your last breath so she could live. Then you’ll know exactly how far you’re willing to go for revenge.”
“Mr. Dixon.”
We both whipped our heads over to the ER doctor holding up a chart. I hurried over and Suitor was right on my heels.
“Is she okay?”
The doctor looked over the growing crowd and motioned me to follow.
“I don’t need you, Suitor. Just-
“No. This is my investigation.”
“Get in my way-
“Get in my way, and we’ll have serious issues. So let’s deal with your girlfriend first.”
Rolling my eyes, we followed the doctor into a small office.
“I’m Doctor Williams. Please, take a seat gentlemen.”
“Yeah, I’m Dax. I’m good with standing. I want to see Scarlet. This is-
“Special Agent Suitor.”
The doctor sat down behind his desk and took off his glasses.
“She had a large dose of Ketamine in her system. The amount that was given to her should have killed her.”
God. Thank God there was a chair behind me. I plopped down and shook my head. Should have killed her? This wasn’t happening. I just found her. I wasn’t going to lose her.
“Mr. Dixon?”
“Yes.”
“Like I was telling the agent. The amount she was given rendered her helpless. She convulsed and when they brought her in, she had small amounts of vomit on her clothing. Technically she should be dead. Usually when a person has an overdose of Ketamine, it’s fatal. She was still convulsing when she arrived and we gave her diazepam and that helped cease the seizure-like symptoms. We pumped out what we could, but I’m sorry to tell you, she’s in a coma. It’s very rare they come out of it.”
“What? No. That’s not-
“Doctor Williams, by any chance did she say anything before she slipped in the coma? The person who did this to her, maybe?”
“You’re fucking kidding me, right? I told you, her mother was there. She’s with the club. What more do you need?”
“Proof, Mr. Dixon. We can’t just waltz up to the club and accuse and arrest without evidence of some kind. I’ve been witness to many MC’s; they have air tight alibis. Usually.”
“Well, actually, there was something she said to the EMT’s who picked her up.”
“What?” Both myself and the agent said simultaneously.
“She mentioned a phone. She just kept saying, ‘phone. Whole thing. Phone.’
“That gives us nothing. She needs to wake up.”
“Hey, douchebag. Sorry my girl was almost killed and didn’t give you anything to go on. You really gonna say that shit? That’s real coply of you. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Name calling is so juvenile.”
I ignored that. I didn’t have time for his bullshit. What did Scarlet mean by her phone? I was on the phone with her. I knew her mother drugged her. If that meant going to the MC and getting answers, so be it.
With the decision clear in my head, I stood up. But first, I wanted to see Scarlet.
“There’s no way of her coming out of the coma?”
“No, Agent Suitor. Coma’s like these are rare. The only way she could still be alive is sure will. She’s fighting to stay alive. Which could be good. That can help fight the effects of the drug, but her ever regaining conscious is unlikely.”
“No it’s not.”
They both looked at me with surprise.
“Mr. Dixon? I must insist that Scarlet regaining consciousness is one out of a thousand.”
“Then she’ll be that one. She’s stronger than you think. She’ll come out of it. I know she will.”
I couldn’t take this anymore. I needed to see her. I stood and stormed out of his office. I wasn’t going to let this happen. Not to Scarlet. She could beat this. Like the doctor said; she was fighting to stay alive. I was counting on that fighting side of her to get her through this. And prayers. I was almost to her room when the doctor called out my name.
“Mr. Dixon? Wait a moment.”
My hand was on the door knob and my grip was so tight, I felt like I was about to rip it off. I didn’t want to hear any more of the doctor’s negativity. I had enough of that shit swirling inside my brain as it is. I was not an optimist in most ways, but there wasn’t a thought or inkling that made me believe Scarlet wouldn’t pull through.
“Yes, doctor.”
“I wanted to tell you this in private.”
Why didn’t I feel like I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say? My heart started pounded hard once again.
“Yes.”
“Scarlet was pregnant. Not very long. About two to three weeks. I’m sorry. It couldn’t survive the effects of the drug. I’m sorry.”
“Will she be told when she awakes?”
“If, and that is a big if, she does awake, I will in my expert opinion, leave that up to you. She should be told though. If she does awaken, she could feel like something is missing. Pregnancy changes a woman. Did she know?”
I shook my head no. We just talked about this the other day and she told me she had her period the previous month. I wasn’t going to pressure her into getting pregnant. It would happen when it happened.
“No. Neither of us did. Thank you.”
“As a doctor, I can’t say she’ll wake up. The odds are against her,” I was ready to say something when he hurried, “but-and it’s a big but-the best thing for you to do is talk to her. People in comas do still have brain function. We will have to further test this. She’s isn’t brain dead. That’s a plus. The brain is a very complex organ. It controls basically everything in the body. So I recommend you play music, and the
best thing to keep her brain active is by talking to her. I’m not big on miracles, but I’ve seen a few in my lifetime.”
“Thanks, doctor.”
The doctor nodded and walked away. My hand was on the doorknob, but for some reason, I was deathly afraid to walk in that room.
A baby?
That sonuvabitch took away my child. Harmed my woman. Almost took her completely away from me. He was going to pay. There had to be something I could do. I wouldn’t rest until Scarlet was awake and in my arms. If that meant going to the one place I vowed to never go.
I pushed myself through the door and there was a curtain around Scarlet’s bed. She was alone in the room. I walked around the curtain and-holy fucking mother.
There were tubes going up her nose, and an IV in her arm. She was pale. So fucking pale. Looked like she had bruises under her eyes and somehow she looked…she looked like she was knocking on deaths door.
I pulled a chair up close to the bed. I brushed the bangs off her face and rested my hand on her cheek. It was cold.
Talk to her? What was I supposed to talk about? This shouldn’t have happened. I failed the one person I shouldn’t have failed.
I knew I shouldn’t have gotten involved. This girl has ripped out my soul and left me empty. Without her my heart felt heavy.
“I’m scared, Scarlet.”
I caressed her cheek, and swept my hand down to hold her hand with both of mine.
“Never. Baby, you’ve taken me heart, body and soul. You fight this. Do not leave me in this world alone. I want my life to find you by my side. Every day for the rest of my life. You are so strong, Scarlet. It scares me to think I will lose you so soon after I’ve found you. I knew I shouldn’t have pursued you. You were too bright a light. I thought if I had just a glimpse of that, I would be fine with just a lantern full. You’re so beautiful and perfect. I want you to wake up and fall into my arms like you were meant to. I couldn’t help myself though. Your beautiful innocence made me rethink my life. Where I was heading. Don’t quit on me. We still have so much to live for. You keep fighting. I love you. Know that. I love you so much.”
