Grave Bound (Secrets, #1)

by T. R. Graves

  Dr. Bryson's attention is directed toward Tess. "What procedure are you referring to, Mrs....?"

  "My name is Tess. I'm Emily's aunt, and she's supposed to have an Implanon implant inserted today. Is she stable enough for that?"

  My face flushes crimson when I realize what Tess had just asked Dr. Bryson, Levi's grandfather, in front of Tope.

  Every head turns toward me, truly making this the most embarrassing moment of my life. I'm not ashamed of my decision so I sit up straighter and raise my chin confidently.

  "I asked Tess to arrange this for me. If I'm well enough, I'd like to go through with it. As you can imagine... time is of the essence for me since my father has promised me to a man that I have no intention of having children with."

  I feel Levi's turmoil. I know how hard it is for him to hear anything about Lorenzo, but he tolerates it very well.

  Dr. Bryson sends a barely noticeable glance toward his grandson before he says, "Emily, you're stable and can have the implant inserted if that's what you want to do."

  The one person who outwardly appears to be having the most difficulty with my plan is Tope. His face is turning three shades of red, his forehead vein is protruding, and he’s squeezing my hand so tight it aches.

  When Dr. Bryson's pager goes off, Tope, realizing he's been holding my hand too tight, let's go and steps back into the corner he previously inhabited. This time, his back is turned toward me and he has a hand leaned against the wall while he stares intently down at his feet.

  "Emily, later today, the nurses will take most of these tubes out. I'll be by tomorrow to check on you, but if you need anything before then, they'll call me." Dr. Bryson looks pointedly toward Levi. "I expect you to leave long before her father and brothers make it back here."

  Levi nods, and I say, "He will, Dr. Bryson. I'll make sure of that." I pull myself completely away from Levi and reach my hand out to Dr. Bryson. "I'm grateful for all you've done for me and the tolerance you've shown when it comes to my relationship with Levi. I know how different my life is and how hard it is for most to understand. I'm not sure I'd have made it through this illness if... if Levi hadn't given me something to live for. I really do care for him."

  Dr. Bryson's eyes twinkle, and he grins widely at me. "My dear, I've always known my grandsons would end up with strong, resilient, and beautiful women. You're the first of all the ones they've brought home to us that even remotely meets the standards they've been searching for. You're so much like their grandmother, my very own Barbara, that I appreciate their willingness to sacrifice. Since the day I met her, I've known I'd give anything for her. Levi's feelings for you are no different, and I respect them."

  As soon as Dr. Bryson leaves, Levi sits on the bed next to me and assesses every bruised spot where I've been stuck. Then, he kisses each of them so tenderly that I'd give anything to be alone with him.

  When a new knock comes on the door, Levi hops up and stands on the side of the bed, pretending as if he's a physician. Tope quickly joins him, and Tess supportively reaches over and grabs my hand.

  Everyone stares toward the door in complete and utter fear that Owen or one of the boys had returned. A second later, everyone's anxiety is relieved when it turns out to be a new doctor, one I've never seen in my life, but it's quickly evident Tess knows exactly who he is. The instant she sees him, she grins like a schoolgirl. It's another side of Tess I've never seen.

  The doctor looks at Tess like she's the only person in the room before focusing his attention on me, his patient. He reaches his hand toward me. "Miss Riddle, I'm Dr. Freedan. I'd like to examine you. I'll need your visitors to leave."

  Dr. Freedan nods toward Levi and Tope. Neither is pleased with his suggestion.

  "Gavin, this is her boyfriend, Levi Bryson," Tess says, nodding toward Levi. "And, this is his cousin, Tope." Tess sweeps her hand toward Tope.

  I remembered Tess telling me about the one and only man she ever loved. His name was Gavin. Based on the love Tess is staring toward this man, I know this is Tess's Gavin, the man my grandfather kept her from when she was a teenager.

  Gavin glances at Levi and Tope with a new appreciation. "I suppose you two are Dr. Bryson's grandsons."

  Both nod suspiciously.

  Dr. Freedan sends a pointed glare toward Tope. "That means you're our new district attorney."

  Tope squares his shoulders. "That's right. I am."

  "You know we elected you with the expectation you would do something about all of this." Dr. Freedan waves toward me and Tess as if we’re the poster children for all that’s wrong with the world.

  Tope is almost angry when he says, "You think I don't know that. I know exactly why I was elected and what I have to do. It's not going to happen overnight."

  Dr. Freedan may have agreed with Tope, but his patience over Tess's situation had long since disappeared.

  Tess pats Gavin's arm. "Leave him alone, Gavin. He's a good man. He's trying to make a difference for us. He's been helpin' me more than anyone'll ever know."

  Tope shakes his head, signaling for Tess to keep to herself the things he's doing for her. I look at Tope with a fresh set of eyes. I'm as curious about what he's been doing for Tess as I am about what’s going on in the cemetery at night.

  With the same kind of appreciation, Gavin says, "If you've been helping Tess, I'll forever be in your service. She almost never accepts anything from anyone... not even me... so I know you must be offering something important to her. I won't pry. I'll just thank you."

  "Instead of thanking me, I'm going to enlist your help. I haven't talked to either Tess or Emily or..." Tope nods toward Levi. "...Levi about this, but I need you to insert an under the skin tracking device on all three of them." Before anyone has a chance to ask Tope what he's talking about, he puts his hands up. "Hold on. I'm not finished. Dr. Freedan, I'm also going to request that you help me apply epidural data tattoos on them. We don't just want to know where they are at all times. We want to know when or if they are in danger."

  Tope has Dr. Freedan's attention. In jaw-dropping awe tinged with excitement, he watches Tope. "You have 'em right now?"

  Tope pulls a small pack from the oversized pocket of the white lab coat. "Yes. I have them right here. Once they're inserted, I have a team of humanitarian scientists who've volunteered for around the clock monitoring for the next six months."

  Dr. Freedan studies the clear microchip that is no longer than a grain of rice.

  "That's the tracking device," Tope explains to everyone.

  A fascinated Dr. Freedan picks up the tattoo and says, "I've heard about these, but I've never seen one. I've heard they can monitor heart rates, brainwave patterns, and temperatures."

  "They can, and this is a huge investment that I'm funding myself," Tope explains.

  Finally, Levi says, "I don't live in the commune. Why would I have to do this?"

  "Now that you're so close to Emily, I have to treat you with the same security. It's for her safety as much as yours, Levi."

  I can tell by the way Tope is trying so hard to sell this idea that he needs this desperately. I decide to lead by example.

  "This is perfect, Tope. Tell me what I have to do."

  Clearly relieved, he says, "The tracking device has to be inserted under the skin, and the tattoo has to be semi-permanently attached near an artery. In order to keep them as secret as possible, the scientist I've been working with think the brachial artery might be the best location. The waterproof tattoos are small, transparent, and the electronics are skin-colored. Once they're on, no one should know they even exist."

  "That's actually perfect for Emily. I'm going to insert the birth control implant on the inside of her upper arm. I'll tunnel a little farther up and insert the microchip first. Then, I'll insert the implant. Over that, I'll apply the tattoo."

  Levi’s still suspicious. "I don't think I need any of that."

  I touch Levi's arm. "Tope's gone through a lot of trouble to do this for us. Let's just
do what he's askin' of us without givin' him a hard time."

  Resigned, Levi says, "For you, Em, I'll do anything." Then, he leans over and kisses me long enough and hard enough to take my breath away. It's one of those warm wet kisses that excites me. Seconds into our kiss, I'm matching his fervor degree for degree.

  "All right, we've got to get this done," Tope says.

  Levi pulls away from me and says, "I love you, babe."

  "I love you, too," I whisper.

  "I'm going first. I want to help Emily through this, and it’ll be better if I know what she's going through," Levi offers.

  A few minutes later, he has his shirt off and Dr. Freedan is tunneling the microchip underneath the skin on the inside of his arm. I try to watch the procedure so I'll know what's going to happen when it's my turn, but I find it hard to keep my eyes off Levi's bare skin. His shadowed ripples remind me how beautiful he is. My heart burns with love for him, and it's all I can do not to reach over and stroke his flawless skin.

  When I finally make eye contact with him, I realize he's been watching me while I studied him. He winks at me in a way that tells me he wants to touch me every bit as much as I want to touch him. Skin to skin.

  I smile and a second later Dr. Freedan says, "There. The chip's in."

  Levi says, "Because he deadened it, I didn't feel a thing, Em. You'll do fine."

  "I'll let Tess go next because mine will be a little more difficult."

  Levi and I nuzzle, kiss, and hug while Tess has her chip inserted. When it's time for me, Dr. Freedan says, "Emily, this’ll take a little longer for you because I'm going to insert the birth control after the chip is in. Just bear with me."

  Dr. Freedan has me lie back and raise my arm above my head. After cleaning and sterilizing the site, he numbs it with several pin-like sticks just like he did for Levi and Tess. Within seconds, the entire underside of my arm is numb, and I only feel pressure as he performs the same tunneling technique he explained earlier.

  I don't care what he does or how he does it. All I care about is Levi and our few stolen moments. He and I both know our time together is drawing to a close and neither of us wants to forget even one second of that time.

  Once I have the microchip and the birth control implanted, Tope puts all three of the medical tattoos on the table. Dr. Freedan picks one up and puts it on Levi. While Dr. Freedan is doing that, Tope very gently applies mine.

  As soon as he finishes, Tope strokes my skin right above the newly inserted chip. For an instant, I think he might actually kiss me just like Levi did earlier. Something about having Tope touch me in such an intimate way makes me shiver, and to my mortification, he notices.

  His eyes jerk toward mine, and he shoots a crooked smile my way. It's heart-stopping right before it turns pained. With his worry, I want to reach over, stroke his cheek, and thank him for all he's doing for Tess and me.

  "Stop hitting on my woman," Levi kids, edging Tope away from me.

  Tope doesn't put up a fight. Instead, he pulls his phone out and makes a call. At the same time, Dr. Freedan takes a few minutes to speak intimately with Tess near the door. I feel like I'm intruding when he leans over and kisses her forehead right before he applies her tattoo.

  While they're busy taking advantage of their own stolen time, I curiously listen to Tope's phone conversation. "Baby, the chips have been inserted and the tattoos are in place. Tell me if you can locate all three of them."

  Baby? Tope must be talkin' to Chloe, his girlfriend.

  Tope turns back toward me, sneaking a glance at me just as Levi is leaning over and kissing my cheek. Tope clenches his jaw and turns his back on us again.

  "Perfect. Tell me if you can see their vital signs."

  Holding the phone with his shoulder, Tope completely ignores everyone and packs the supplies back into the medicine case he used to store the microchips and the medical tattoos.

  Drawing my attention from Tope, Levi slides his hand under my covers and over my stomach before snaking it around my side and up my back. He pulls me into one of the most intimate kisses we've ever had. My heart, which just stopped racing from when Tope touched me, now races faster than ever. Before I can stop myself, I literally moan in response to the long and hard kiss Levi is laying on me.

  "Listen, Casanova, Baby says Emily's heart rate is out of control. It may be best if you lay off her. She's still sick," Tope says, tapping Levi on the shoulder.

  I blink my lids just in time to see Levi roll his in irritation. Tope's interference isn’t welcome. His lips are still attached to mine when he says, "Go away, Tope."

  As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Tope's phone goes crazy. It sounds like a police siren. He curses under his breath, and he's no longer sarcastically joking with Levi. Now, he's angry.

  "Owen and your brothers are in the parking lot. Say your good-byes... NOW!" Tope anxiously orders Levi.

  CHAPTER 14

  Near Misses

  Emily

  The room instantly turns chaotic. Every ounce of love and light-heartedness extinguishes from the atmosphere and is replaced by anxiety, regret, and—in Tope's case—anger.

  Levi leans into my ear, "Em, I'll see you soon. I promise." He stays there, breathing me in.

  "Dammit, Levi. They'll be here any minute. Let's go," Tope demands.

  I reach up and run my hand from his cheek to chin. "I love you. Now... go!" Then, I give him a big shove.

  Within a few seconds, the room is completely empty with the exception of Tess and me. We're both heartbroken that the men we love have been forced from our side. I'm not sure how Tess is coping, but I know I'm as angry and resentful as Tope was before he left.

  Minutes later, Owen, Phil, Brian, Joe, and Lorenzo come sauntering into my room. Owen's attention quickly focuses on Tess who’s turned back into Owen's dedicated soldier.

  "What did the damn doctor say?" Owen asks, sitting down in the chair like he’s exhausted.

  Tess demurred. "Dr. Bryson says she's doin' a lot better, and he might let her go home in a few days if there's no more bleedin'."

  Owen's head yanks toward Tess. There's no mistaking the hateful glint in his eyes. "Bryson. Is he related to that dickhead district attorney, Tope Bryson?"

  My heart races at the thought of Owen equating the two so quickly. Damn. That's not good.

  Without skipping a beat and completely nonchalant, Tess says, "I don't know, Owen. We ain't talked about anythin' but Emily. She's been too sick for me to ask him anythin' else."

  "When he comes back, I want you to find out. If he's related to him, I want you to fire him and get her another doctor. The last thin' I need right now is to have to worry about him takin' advantage of her condition to get information on us."

  Tess nods as if she agrees with everything he says and hates Tope as much as Owen. "I sure will, Owen."

  Phil walks over to me and pats my leg. "You doin' okay today, Emi?"

  "I'm fine, Phil."

  The next thing I know, Lorenzo’s leaning over my bed and kissing my cheek. There's no doubt in my mind he's staking his claim and making sure Owen sees him as his son-in-law. I turn away from Lorenzo. Without a word, he fists my hair, turns my face back toward him, and kisses me on the lips. There's none of the gentleness he'd shown when I first got to the hospital.

  Knowing better than to fight him, I just let him give me a big fat slobbery kiss. One day I'll enjoy telling him how sick his kisses make me. Right now, all I can think is that his kiss is nothing compared to Levi's.

  "That's enough of that. I suppose you done told her you asked if she could be promised to you," Owen says. There's no hiding the irritation he has with Lorenzo.

  Lorenzo has blatantly ignored Owen's demands that he be the one to tell me what's he's agreed to. My only hope is that Lorenzo's disregard and disobedience weighs in my favor and Owen calls the whole arrangement off. If he beats the shit out of Lorenzo for good measure, that would just be a bonus.

  "Yes, sir. She kn
ows, and she ain't too happy about it," Lorenzo says, tightening his hold on my hair and making my eyes water.

  Owen and Phil team up at the side of my bed. "Emily, you're gonna have to get over it. Lorenzo's the only man in the whole commune who's ever showed you any interest in you. I ain't got no choice about this. From this point, you're promised to him, and in the fall, when the boys marry, you'll marry Lorenzo. Do you hear me?" Owen says harshly.

  My eyes squint toward my father and brother. Both look uneasy but resigned. I don't say anything, which Lorenzo finds disrespectful. He yanks my hair. "Your daddy's talkin' to you. You need to answer him."

  Owen looks at Lorenzo like he might kick Lorenzo's ass after all. As soon as his temper flares, he hides it. I'm sure his anger doesn't have anything to do with him caring about me or my future. It has more to do with the control Lorenzo has over Owen. Owen isn't used to being told what to do, when to do it, or how to get it done. Lorenzo's control will be short-lived based on the fiery glare I see in Owen's and Phil's eyes.

  I nod my head... not of my own volition. "He can't hear you."

  "Yes, sir," I say, gritting my teeth and hating Lorenzo (and Owen, Phil, Brian, and Joe) with a passion. The embers of love I felt for them when I awoke have been permanently extinguished.

  "Me and the boys have some things we need to do check on. Lorenzo's gonna stay here with you and Tess," Owen says, and I know he needs to get away from Lorenzo and much as I do, except I'm not given the luxury.

  As quickly as they invaded my room, they're gone. Afterwards, Lorenzo wears a whole new arrogance. He's officially been given permission by Owen to do whatever he wants to do to me, and he plans to take full advantage of the situation.

  "Tess, go down to the cafeteria and get me some coffee," Lorenzo says, glaring at me like I'm the one thing he's spent his life coveting.

  Tess sees the way Lorenzo’s watching me. It's feral... savage... frightening. Her wrinkled forehead and wringing hands are signs to me of just how worried she is about Lorenzo's current state of mind and how worried I should be for myself.