by Carsen Taite
She grasped Vivian’s shoulders and looked into her eyes, willing her to be clear. Before she could formulate a question, she saw a picture of Ellen on Vivian’s nightstand. She picked it up and showed it to Vivian. “Is this the person who is taking him to the journals?”
Vivian nodded, fear in her eyes. Danny dropped the frame and picked up her phone, typing as fast as she’d ever done. He has Ellen. Going to garden. Tell me she’s alive.
Within seconds, her phone rang. Sarah started talking in a hurried whisper the minute she clicked on the phone. “Listen to me. We have them in our sights. We have an entire team of snipers on it. You have to trust me.”
“I’m coming down there.”
“You’ll be a distraction. Stay where you are.”
“He tied Vivian up. Ellen probably distracted him or he would’ve killed her.”
“Now it’s our turn to save her. You have to trust me,” Sarah repeated. “Oh, hell, hold on.”
Danny heard muffled voices while she waited for Sarah to come back on the line. Finally, unable to stand not knowing what was going on, she hissed into the phone. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“We have…wait…she’s…”
Sarah’s voice was punctuated by bursts of static and Danny shouted, “Sarah, tell me what’s happening!”
“No! No! Hold your fire!”
“Sarah!”
Nothing. A moment passed while Danny processed that Sarah was no longer talking to her, but before she could say anything else, the line crackled with the sharp shots of erupting gunfire. Danny took off running, certain she was too late.
*
Ellen stood in the dark garden trying not to flinch at the cold metal pressed against her neck. This had been a huge mistake on her part. She’d assumed there was no way she and Collin could make it out here without running into someone in the halls of Cedar Acres, but the few people they’d passed had been residents too out of it to notice her distress. They probably assumed she was one of them in the company of a staff member.
She wished she was one of them, unable to process what was happening, let alone what was about to happen when Collin learned that there were no journals buried in the garden. He’d waste no time returning to her mother’s room to finish what he’d started.
“Start digging.” Collin punctuated his words with a hard shove and she dropped to the ground. Clawing the hard ground with only her hands would at least buy her some time, and she dug at the rosebushes with what she hoped was conviction. A few minutes later, she had amassed a sizable hole. Collin pushed her aside and peered into the ground.
“Where are they?”
“Deeper.” She kept digging while casting about for a way to distract him from her futile task. “She’s been punished enough.”
“She who?”
“Vivian. My mother. She has Alzheimer’s. She barely knows who she is from day to day.”
“Your poor mother. Having to live out her life in a fancy retirement home. How sad for her.” Collin’s words were icy and mocking. “Want to hear about my mother? Want to hear what she remembered?”
Ellen forced herself to look him in the eyes. What Sarah had told her about Angela and how she’d found her mother’s body, had been haunting enough. What horrible memories did this man have of his mother who’d apparently been so scarred she passed her desire for revenge along to her children?
“I can’t even imagine what it’s like to lose someone you love.”
He placed a hand over his mouth and his body shook. Like earlier, she realized he was laughing and she was confused.
“I didn’t love her. She was a horrible person and I was her bastard child. She comes to me at night still and tells me how much she wishes I was never born.”
“Then why would you kill for her?”
He cocked his head and his eyes became vacant once again. “To cleanse.”
Ellen instantly understood. He felt like he had to take action to be rid of the memories, but his twisted mind could only see murder as the appropriate response. Maybe if she offered comfort, understanding, she could get through to him and distract him from his path.
Any compassion she had was doused when he kicked her side. “Why aren’t you digging?” She fell into the dirt, writhing in pain, his voice scratching and clawing at her. “Did you lie to me about the journals? I’m going to kill your mother, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. And then I’m going to kill you!”
Ellen stayed on the ground. Her last sight before she closed her eyes, was his huge hand raising his gun and the metallic click of the weapon being cocked. Loud shots, unintelligible screams and yells, the acrid smell of gunfire. She curled into a fetal position and let the whirl of senses float over her. The only feeling that stung was longing—for what Danny had offered and what she’d so easily dismissed. Nothing else mattered. All that mattered was that she was about to die and she’d never taken a chance on life, on love.
Chapter Twenty-five
Danny strained against Sarah’s strong grasp. “Let me go!”
Sarah wasn’t budging. “No. You need to wait until the scene is clear.”
She sagged as Sarah’s arms held her more fiercely in what was now an embrace rather than a restraint. The journey from Vivian’s room to the grounds had taken forever, but this waiting, without knowing if Ellen was alive, was unbearable. “Is she…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
“You have to wait here.”
The uncertainty in Sarah’s tone rattled Danny and she suspected Sarah was keeping bad news from her. “Tell me what happened!”
Sarah shook her. “I don’t know, but if she is okay, she’s going to need you. George is over there now. He should be right back.”
A deep voice from behind them chimed in. “Actually, I’m right here.”
Danny felt his strong hand on her shoulder and turned to face him, struggling to read his expression. He didn’t leave her hanging. “She’s going to be fine. She wasn’t shot, but he did rough her up a bit.” He paused. “He’s dead, but she’s still pretty scared.” He pointed toward the garden. “The paramedics will be here in a minute. I want them to check her out before she goes anywhere, but right now she wants you. We moved her over to one of our cars.”
He pointed and Danny took off running again and closed the distance quickly. She wants you. The words were what she’d longed to hear, but when she reached Ellen, she pulled up short. If George hadn’t already told her Ellen was okay, she would have come unglued at the sight of her pale face and blood-splattered clothes. Danny sat next to her on the car seat and drew Ellen’s head into her lap, not caring if the cops standing nearby heard what she had to say.
“Ellen, baby, it’s over.” She squeezed her hand to emphasize the point and prayed she would quickly show some sign of life. George’s assurance that she was okay wasn’t enough. She leaned down and whispered. “I’ve got you. You are going to be fine. It’s over.” She stroked Ellen’s hair while she waited for a response. The smallest one would do.
When Ellen’s eyes fluttered open, she sighed with relief.
“I’m okay.” Ellen’s voice was thick and throaty.
She tried to push into an upright position, but Danny gently held her back, resisting the urge to offer too much information. “Relax. Everything’s okay. Just sit here with me for a few minutes.”
Ellen leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, but then they shot wide open and she struggled to sit up. “My mother! He tied her up. I need to check on her.”
Danny pulled Ellen into her arms. “Your mother’s fine. I just saw her. In fact, she’s worried about you. And Collin…” She hesitated as she cast about for an indirect way of saying he wasn’t going to be a problem anymore before she settled on the truth. “Collin is dead. Angela is in custody. You and your mother are safe.”
“Do you have to go?” Ellen whispered.
“What?” Danny couldn’t quite process the non sequitur.
“
Work.” Ellen’s eyes were clear now. “I guess there’s going to be a lot for you to do now.”
“Oh.” Danny read the shade of wistfulness in Ellen’s eyes and hoped it was for her. But this wasn’t the time. Ellen was in shock, possibly injured. She needed to get her checked out, at least let her rest before she said what she wanted to say. “No. No work for me. I only came here because I wanted to tell you something and it had nothing to do with work.”
“Tell me.”
Danny heard a noise behind them. She looked over her shoulder and saw the approaching paramedics. She bent down and kissed Ellen’s forehead. “Later.”
“Tell me.”
“Ellen, these guys are going to make sure you’re not injured. If they take you in, I’ll ride with you. Okay?”
Ellen’s voice was calm, but insistent. “Danny Soto, I love you. Now, if you don’t tell me you love me, I won’t be going anywhere.”
She loves me. Danny leaned back and looked into Ellen’s eyes. Strength, conviction, and a hint of a smile. She’d known from the beginning that Ellen was special, worth any risk their relationship might demand. She’d gone looking for Ellen today to ask her to take a chance on them. She’d gone crazy when she thought Ellen might be in danger, the thought of losing her had been devastating. Now Ellen, who had every reason to fear emotions she’d been raised to avoid, had said the magic words. She had absolutely no doubt that she loved Ellen, that she would love her for the rest of her life, and that this would be the first of many times she spoke these words. “I love you.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Ellen jerked awake when she heard keys open the lock, but then settled back into bed when she realized she was still safely tucked away in Danny’s apartment. After the ordeal with Collin and a thorough examination at the hospital, Danny had brought her here and tucked her into bed. She’d spent the last few days trying to stay awake so she could avoid the nightmares that had plagued her since Collin had been gunned down in the garden at Cedar Acres. This morning, after making a few calls, she’d climbed back into bed and exhaustion had finally taken hold.
“Hey, sleepyhead. How are you feeling today?”
“Lazy.” Ellen stretched and yawned to emphasize her point. She glanced at the clock, shocked at the late hour, but relieved that it wasn’t as late as she thought. “I can’t believe I slept until noon. You must think I’m a slug.”
Danny sat on the bed beside her. “I think you’ve been through a lot. Sorry, I had to leave, but I made sure a couple of folks I trusted were posted outside.”
“I hate that I’m still scared.”
“Perfectly normal.” Danny leaned down and kissed her. “I want you to feel safe.”
Ellen pulled her back for another kiss, murmuring against her lips. “I’m feeling something completely different right now.”
“Is that so?”
Ellen deepened the kiss and then uttered a breathy, “Oh, yeah.” Danny had held her the past two nights, but with her body bruised and mind racing, the action had been more about comfort than passion. She toyed with the buttons on Danny’s shirt. “What are you doing right now?”
Danny’s smile was knowing. “What do you want me to do?”
“Say it, Soto.”
“I’m going to make love to you.”
“Yes. Yes, you are.” Ellen watched as Danny quickly undressed and then joined her under the sheets. She arched into Danny’s embrace. She needed her touch, her heat, not just to erase the horror of the last week, but as a foundation for their future. As Danny raised her nightshirt and took a hard nipple into her mouth, she melted into Danny’s embrace. “I love you.”
Danny raised her head. “I love you too.” She leaned on one elbow and with her free hand drew lazy, languid circles on Ellen’s stomach, up her chest, and around each breast. “We’ve done this before, you know.”
“Huh?” Ellen gasped as the light touches promised more, and then eased away leaving a trail of arousal in their path. She could feel her clit pulse and flood with wetness, and she was certain she could go insane if Danny kept touching her this way.
“The first time. We were making love, even then.”
“Yes.” Danny was right, but it was different now. All the obstacles she thought were insurmountable had turned out to be no more than self-imposed boundaries. She wanted nothing more than to be with Danny for the rest of her life and she would never let anything come between them. This time when they made love, she was making a promise and she knew Danny was too. With her eyes wide open, she guided Danny’s hand between her legs. “I need you. Now.”
Danny kissed her hard while stroking through the wet folds of her arousal. Ellen reached for Danny, not at all surprised to find her just as wet, just as ready. They thrust and ground against each other, seeking closeness, seeking release, all the while looking deep into each other’s eyes until the height of climax sealed their promise.
*
“Come back to bed.” Danny patted the space beside her. She’d fallen into a cat nap after they’d spent the last several hours making love, and woken up to find Ellen getting dressed.
Ellen kept brushing her hair. “Come with me. I have an appointment at four.”
“Doctor’s visit?” Danny was instantly worried that an afternoon of physical activity had taken its toll. “Are you okay? I mean you were ready for this, right?”
Ellen sat on the edge of the bed and smiled down at her. “No, not a doctor’s appointment. And I promise I was ready for this.” She kissed her. “I’m ready for this again, but I have something I have to take care of. I would like it if you came with me.” She stood and walked over to the dresser where Danny had cleaned out a couple of drawers for her to use. Danny watched her finish dressing, and all she wanted to do was convince Ellen to take off her clothes and get back in bed.
Later. Right now, whatever it was Ellen wanted her to do, she would do it. “I’ll take a quick rinse in the shower and be ready. Don’t leave without me.”
Twenty minutes later, she walked Ellen to her car. “You sure you don’t want me to drive?”
Ellen pointed at the passenger side and Danny got in. Once Ellen was settled in the driver’s seat, she said, “I’m sure. I’m going back to work next week, and you won’t be around to take care of me every day.” She smiled. “That is unless you plan to quit your job.”
“Well, actually, that’s something we should probably talk about.”
“What?”
Danny hadn’t been sure how to bring up the subject, or anything related to the case without dredging up the stuff of Ellen’s nightmares, but here in middle of the day, out in the sunshine, it seemed like the best time to broach the subject. “I’ve taken myself completely off this case. Molly has been working with Sarah and George on the case against Angela, and she’ll handle the trial, if there is one.”
“Oh, Danny.”
Ellen’s expression was pained and Danny knew she thought this was a replay of her backslide after her breakup with Maria. She rushed to dispel the idea. “It was an easy choice. And it wasn’t really a choice at all. I’m your lover. That comes first. It will always come first. I can’t be objective and I don’t want to be. I spent the morning going over all my notes with Molly.”
They stopped at a light and Ellen put the car in park and pulled her close. “I don’t ever want to get in the way of your work. I know how important it is to you.”
“Nothing’s as important as you are.” She meant the words and it felt good to speak the commitment out loud.
“So, we can talk about the case?”
“Of course. I just haven’t talked to you about it because I didn’t want to upset you.”
“I don’t think these nightmares are going to go away unless I can replace them with real facts.”
Danny nodded. Made sense. “Here’s the short version. Angela and her dead brother were both really fucked up, but they came by it honestly. Wendy Angela Perkins told her son Collin that she got p
regnant at that party and that he was the bastard child of her rape. Later, she had Angela, but Angela’s dad didn’t stick around either, and it’s likely she blamed her daughter for that.
“Not sure why, but she engendered some kind of sick loyalty from those kids, and when she hung herself, leaving a note about the evil Alpha Nus and how they’d ruined her life, they vowed to take revenge. Angela did the research and Collin did the killings.”
“What took them so long to get started? I thought Angela was fifteen when her mother committed suicide.”
“Not sure yet. From all accounts, Collin had a few screws loose. He obviously needed his sister’s help. Maybe they waited until Angela could pledge Alpha Nu and find out more information about all their potential victims. In any case, it took them a little bit to get the routine down. Joyce Barr was probably their first. They hung her, but then decided to get fancier and just use the noose as a symbol. Who knows how long they would’ve gotten away with it if you hadn’t supplied the motive? George and Sarah found a list at Collin’s house with seven more names on it—all women who were at the Alpha Nu mixer the night Pledge Thirteen got ushered out of the sorority. They think he had originally planned to leave your mother for the end, but when we brought Angela in, they realized they were out of time.”
Ellen shook her head. “Wow. I can’t believe something that happened so many years ago could fester for so long and result in so much loss.”
“It’s over. At least for us. They have so much evidence against Angela, I doubt the case will ever go to trial. More likely, her lawyer will try for a plea and argue mitigating circumstances because she really is crazy.”
“I almost took her out myself when I thought she was flirting with you at the mixer.”
Danny grinned. “Is that how it’s going to be? You’re going to beat up any woman who talks to me?”
“Maybe.”
Ellen pulled over and parked, and for the first time since they’d gotten in the car, Danny noticed her surroundings, genuinely puzzled. “We’re at your house? I mean your mother’s house.”
