by Sophia Sharp
I watch over his shoulder as he opens the camera app and scrolls through the pictures. He stops on one showing a small TV. It looks like a surveillance monitor. It takes me an extra second to recognize the fuzzy image on the screen as the parking lot of Dieci’s.
He taps a car on the edge of the screen. “Keep an eye on this one,” he tells me. He swipes his finger along the phone. I watch the succession of images play out like a movie. I see a large figure in a dark pea coat enter the car Rich pointed out. He keeps his collar popped. It’s impossible to see his face.
“So?” I ask. “Who is that?”
“Just wait,” Rich says. He continues the slideshow. The car pulls out of its slot and turns right. I notice a passenger. It’s hard to be sure with such a low-res image, but…
“Amanda!” I gasp when Rich stops and zooms in on the screen. Rich nods gravely. Suddenly, everything falls into place. There’s only one reason Rich would have pictures of a surveillance tape on his phone. “She was in the car that rammed us! How? How did she know we were here?”
“You didn’t recognize her companion? Look again.” Rich scrolls back to the first images. It really is impossible to identify the other person—unless you know who you’re looking for. There’s only one person I know who has those wide, heavy-set shoulders.
“Victor,” I whisper.
Rich puts the phone away and meets my eyes. “Yes.”
“That means they followed us!” I exclaim. “Rich, I thought this was over! We gave the RedArm files back!” I feel panic setting in. “We got seats at the restaurant from Calloway. Does that mean it was a setup? Where’d you get this tape? The police?”
“Hah!” Rich barks a laugh. “I wish. No. The tape is private property belonging to Dieci’s. I went to see the owner.”
“You went back to RedArm without telling me?” I’m angry at him for breaking his promise. But, more than anything, I’m confused. “Wait. If you were there, how did they just let you come back here?”
“Calloway did not send Victor.”
“What? What do you mean? You showed him to me on your phone. He drove the car!”
“But not because of anything RedArm asked him to do. Calloway heard there was an accident on his property. He had no idea it involved us. When I went to his office to ask for the tapes, and he saw that Victor was the one responsible, he went ballistic. I told him what happened to Min. He raged and cursed and started throwing things. It even took me aback.”
“How do you know it wasn’t an act?”
“If it was, he should get an Oscar. No. I’m sure that wasn’t the case. His surprise when he saw me was genuine. He had no idea why I’d returned. I asked him if the USB stick had everything he needed before telling him anything else. He said yes. He has no reason to want to hurt us.”
“What about revenge? After what you did to Victor?” I ask, trying to make sense of this development.
“That’s exactly what Calloway alluded to. Except, Victor is acting on his own.”
“And now Amanda’s with him,” I finish. “Oh God, Rich, is this ever going to end?”
Rich takes both my hands. “I promise you, Penny. I will do everything in my power to see this resolved.”
I nod. “I believe you. But what do we do now? Can’t we go to the cops, and show them the tape?”
Rich grimaces. “We don’t have enough proof to lay charges. The tape is not definitive. We only recognize Victor and Amanda because we know who to expect.”
“So then, what?” I ask. “If they tried to hurt us once, what’s to stop them from doing it again? What do they want from us, Rich? How do we end it?”
“I don’t know yet. But I will figure it out.”
“With my help,” I remind him. “I’m not letting you scheme up something on your own again.”
Rich chuckles. It’s a forced attempt at levity. “Of course. The first thing we have to do is get away from here. We can’t draw any more attention to Min.”
“You want to just abandon her?” I say, shocked.
Rich shakes his head. “No. The hospital has been informed of the threat. They’re keeping security tight. And Calloway offered her extra protection.”
“You trust him with that?”
“For now, it’s our only choice.”
“I don’t like it, Rich,” I mutter.
“I don’t either. But what options do we have?”
“I don’t know.” I close my eyes and lean against his chest. Nothing in my life has been stable since I met Rich. Why expect anything different now?
“I got us a hotel a few blocks away. It’s low-key and it keeps us close to Min. I think we both need to get out of here.”
--
I walk into our room and go straight for the mini-fridge. I grab all the tiny sampler liquors and set them on the table. One by one, I open them and pour them into my mouth.
Rich watches me, glowering. When I reach for the fourth one, he stops my hand.
“I think that’s enough.”
I fight out of his grip and grab the Johnnie Walker bottle anyway. I unscrew the lid and tip it back. The harsh whisky burns my throat.
“Penny, stop!” Rich commands.
“Why?” I spit at him. “Everything we do is fucked anyway. The first night we’re supposed to be free, a car crashes into us and your sister nearly dies. Why should I stop? Victor and Amanda are now looking for us. Nothing’s changed! We’re on the run again. And I don’t want to be, Rich. I don’t want to be!”
“I know it’s hard,” Rich begins, sitting on the edge of the table, “and I know it can feel overwhelming. But drinking your problems away—” he gestures at the empty bottles, “—is not the answer.”
“Who are you to give me advice? If I remember correctly, you were the one who downed a fifth of vodka the night you fought Victor.”
“That was different,” Rich says.
“Oh yeah?” I demand. “How?”
“For one, I knew what I was doing.” I glare at him as he pushes the remaining bottles out of reach. “I was giving you an out.”
“You were giving me an out?” I repeat, incredulous and increasingly agitated. “What kind of BS is that?”
“It’s not BS,” he says calmly. “It’s the truth. I knew I had to let you go. I was drinking because I couldn’t face the pain of losing you. I was hoping if I drank myself to sleep, having you gone the next morning wouldn’t hurt so much compared to the hangover.”
I smile a little despite my mood. “How’d that work out for you?”
“I sure as hell never thought we’d be here together! I’ll tell you that.” Rich relaxes and takes my hand. “This is just a bump on the road for us. We’ll get through it. I promise you. I know our relationship didn’t have the most traditional start. In some ways, that’s good. In others, that’s bad. We’ve been through so much, you and I, that I know without a shadow of a doubt our love will win out over anything that comes our way. We can overcome any obstacle. We’ve proven that already. Once we get this—” Rich gestures with his free hand in the direction of the hospital, “—behind us, any surprises we’ll face in the future will pale in comparison. Our foundation is rock solid. You and I have gone through so much in such a short period of time. I know that we’re good together. Most people wouldn’t be able to handle the strain. That gives me hope.”
I nod in agreement.
“But,” he continues, “we’ve also missed so much: Lazy days lounging at home by ourselves. City dates where I can show you off. Long nights spent gazing at the stars and talking about our future together.”
“You want to do all that?” I whisper. I didn’t know Rich had such a romantic side.
“Penny, it doesn’t matter what we do, as long as I’m with you. But, yes. I want to experience everything this world has to offer with you. Those things, other things—hell, anything you want—as long as we’re there together, without the worries, the instability that we’ve always had thrust our way.”
“I know. And, we’ll get there,” he promises. But, it will take time. Right now, we have to sort out the mess with Amanda and Victor.”
“I know,” I sigh. “I don’t know why I thought drinking would be a good idea.”
“You’re stressed. Worried. It’s normal. But if you want me to rely on that brain of yours—” he taps my head playfully, “—you’ve got to stay sober. All right?”
“Okay,” I nod. “I just… I just can’t believe Amanda would follow us all the way here. Is she really so spiteful?”
“Hell, she tried to set us up in her house,” Rich says. “And you told me she set your apartment on fire. What do you think?”
I shake my head. “I honestly hoped that wasn’t actually her.”
“Well, she’s with Victor now.”
“It doesn’t make any sense. Rich, you’re usually a good judge of character. When you brought us to Amanda’s, you couldn’t have expected that she’d betray you like that!”
“Obviously not.”
“Well, then either she really holds a grudge, or there’s something else going on that we don’t know about. There’s got to be something other than jealousy driving her behavior.”
Rich frowns. “You think so?”
I slap his arm. “I know you have a high opinion of yourself, but let’s not get cocky.”
He grins. “I was kidding. You’re probably right. It shocked me how easily Amanda deceived us. I’ve known her for years. I told you about the breakup. But, after that, when she calmed down some, we stayed in touch. I mean, you think you know someone, and then they go and do something like this!”
“What does she want from us? That’s the real question.”
“Why can’t it be as easy as she wants to hurt me? She knows I care about you. Obviously, she knows I care about Min. If this is her way of getting back at me, then I think her real goal is to hurt the two of you.”
I shudder. “It’s kind of scary to know that I can incite that type of anger in a person.”
Rich looks at me intently. “I don’t want you to be scared, Penny. There’s nothing that I hate more than that. I want you to feel protected and safe when you’re with me. That’s why I’m going to do everything in my power to get us past this.”
“So what’s next?’ I ask. “How do we get past this?”
“First, I’ll go and talk to Amanda.”
“What?” I stand up, shocked. “Rick, she tried to kill us, and you want to talk to her? Why?”
“I know what she did. But I cannot believe she is all bad. I’m… worried about her. Maybe I shouldn’t be. But I can’t help it. I’ve known her for a long time. We have a shared past. You were right. Something must be driving her to act this way. Maybe, if I can meet her, can confront her about it, I can help.”
“You want to help her,” I say flatly. I don’t believe my ears. “Did you forget what she did to Min?”
“Don’t you dare accuse me of forgetting about Min!” Rich snaps.
I can almost roll my eyes. Here we go again! I think.
“I am going to talk to Amanda, Penny. There will be no discussion. You can’t argue me out of it.”
“Unbelievable,” I mutter. “You say you trust me. You say you value my opinion. But every chance you get, you ignore what I say! Or worse, you don’t even hear it!”
“Don’t test me this time, Penny,” Rich warns.
“Why not? Why do you even pretend to care what I think?” I’m angry at him again. “You say you’ve changed, Rich. But you don’t show it. You’re exactly the same as before. Running forward with guns blazing, not giving a damn about what that does to the people who love you—”
“Enough!” Rich barks. He slams a fist on the table. “That’s enough, Penny. Dammit! Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”
“I make it difficult?” I would laugh if it did not hurt so much to do so. “At least I don’t pretend to think I know what’s best for everyone around me!”
Rich points a finger at me. “Not once did I do that!”
“Oh, wow, Rich. You’re serious?” I pause. “Okay, let me count the times. One, lying to me about everything the night we met. Two—”
“Fuck, Penny,” Rich groans. “We’re back to this again?”
“Two,” I repeat, speaking over him, “drugging me and giving me to Tam and Victor. Three,” I list, “deciding to come back for me, on your own, without any input from Min.”
“You’re blaming me for that?”
“I’m proving a point! Four, not telling me we were going to your ex’s house until we were at the door…”
“Are you finished yet?” Rich growls
“Five,” I continue with a vengeance, “getting Min and me fake identities so you could sneak off to New York, thinking we wouldn’t follow. Six, leaving me at the hospital while you went back to RedArm without a word. What if something had happened to you, Rich? What would I think? What would Min think?”
“Penny, stop. You’re complicating things.”
“I am not complicating things!” I yell. “I’m trying to get you to see all the moronic decisions you make over and over again, by yourself, with no regard for the people around you!”
“If you’re insinuating that I’m like my father…” Rich begins, his voice low.
“What?” I exclaim. “No! Of course not! I’m saying—”
“I know what you’re saying. I heard it loud and clear. I don’t care how my actions affect the people around me.” Rich gets up and angrily stuffs his arms into his jacket.”
“Rich, that’s not what I said!” I argue, exasperated. “Where are you going?”
“Out. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” His eyes flash at me. They’re dark again. “Stay here. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Rich, wait. I’m—” sorry, I was going to say. He slams the door before I get the chance.
Chapter Fifteen
I pace around the tiny room, unable to sit still. My movements feel like they should be short and angry. But I can’t manage that with my rib.
I’m furious at Rich for the way he left me. Again. His accusation that I claimed he was like his father stung. He should know me better than to think I would go for such a low blow.
I’m angry at myself, too, for letting the words spill out of me. I know Rich has a quick temper. That’s all the more reason for me to choose my words more carefully in the heat of the moment.
I sit on the bed. After I pause, I lie back and stare at the ceiling. Why were we fighting? That’s not the way things should be. Especially now.
Rich is clearly stressed from the events of yesterday and today. I am, too. We should be supporting each other, not arguing.
How can he go from sweet and caring to brash and angry at the flip of a switch? The way he talked about the things he wants to do together in the future was touching. I never knew he thought so far ahead.
In the aftermath of all that happened after last night’s dinner, I’d nearly forgotten about the offer he made. He wants me to move to New York with him. That’s a big step. It shows how committed he is to our relationship.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten angry. But the casual way he just brought up talking to Amanda blindsided me. That’s a big decision. Wasn’t it part of his promise to consult me on things like that first?
I know it was. That’s the reason it upset me so much: trust.
Rich claims he trusts me. I want to trust him, too. But after a lifetime of being burned again and again by the people I should have been able to rely on, trust is a big issue for me. You’d think it would go hand-in-hand with love. Not in my case.
Do I love Rich? Absolutely. Do I trust him completely? …That’s still up for debate.
I groan and roll over. Part of this is his fault, too. If he’d just eased me into the idea of his talking to Amanda more slowly, maybe I would have been more receptive. He d
idn’t have to spring it on me the way he did. ‘Oh, hey, Penny, I’m going to go sit down and have a nice, normal heart-to-heart with my bat-shit-crazy ex who tried to kill us. No big deal.’
Should I apologize when he gets back? I don’t want this causing a rift between us. Especially not now. We have enough going on in our lives without the need to add relationship struggles to the mix.
I grind my teeth in frustration. Why do I always have to be the one to play peacemaker? I know the answer before I even pose the question: Because I’m not stubborn as a rock.
Dammit, I love Richard, but for all his good qualities he definitely has his share of flaws. I was hoping I could work on them by now. This new development with Amanda and Victor just threw a wrench into the gears.
I push myself up with a grimace and walk to the window. I look in the direction of the hospital, where Min still is. I wonder if she has woken up yet. I hope she hasn’t—not because I don’t want her to get better, but because I don’t want her frightened when she finds she’s alone.
Some—hell, a lot—of Rich’s actions don’t make a lick of sense. Why couldn’t we have had this discussion in the hospital, closer to Min, instead of in this hotel? He said she needs our support. And given what we’ve seen Amanda and Victor are capable of, is the extra protection he alluded to enough? Min is completely defenseless in there.
I look at the door. Rich didn’t say when he’d be back. Already, an hour has passed. How much longer will he take?
I can’t stand waiting here anymore. I hate feeling useless. I also hate feeling like I’m at the beck-and-call of another person. Being confined in this little room reminds me of waiting for Rich in the motel back in Oregon, the morning after we were chased out of his apartment.
I get up and put my jacket on. It’s part of the attire I wore to the restaurant last night. I wish I had something else. But, it’s not like the hospital offers a complementary wardrobe when they dismiss you. I write Rich a quick note, telling him where I’ll be. I’d much rather stay with Min, where I can be of some use, than stuck in this hole.
