Grave Bound (Secrets, #1)

by T. R. Graves

  "Keeping you around... agreeing to let you marry Emily doesn't seem like Owen's style. He likes to be the one in charge, and you’re a man who’ll challenge his authority and try to take over this commune one day. Surely Owen and Phil see that," Levi says. It's as if he's thinking out loud.

  Lorenzo smiles. "He'd kill me quicker than he killed his own wife and brother if it weren't for the fact that I'm the only person in the commune who can run this lab. Even then, that's not why he agreed," Lorenzo says, pulling the cross on his necklace out from beneath his shirt.

  Holding the cross pendent that hangs from the chain around his neck between his fingers, Lorenzo says, "I hold here the video of Owen killin' my mother, and he knows I have it. He's just never been smart enough to figure out where I keep it hidden. It's one of the reasons he made Tess adopt me. He makes her go through my belongings on a regular basis. None of them know anythin' about a computer so they have no idea that hiding videos in jewelry is even a possibility."

  Lorenzo chuckles with a malevolence that says he's proud of the way he's been keeping his evidence right under their noses without them even knowing about it.

  Levi eyes him skeptically. "You have proof that Owen killed your mother."

  Nodding and giving Levi a million-dollar shit-eating grin, he says, "I do. I've been addin' evidence to my insurance plan this week. I got Emily sneakin' in and out of the fence. I have the two of you havin' sex. I have to admit... that one’s for me. It's gonna stay with me in my private collection until I go to the grave. There's nothing hotter than watchin’ everybody's sweet and innocent Emi come."

  Levi bucks the chair like he's desperate to free himself and choke Lorenzo to death. "If you free me right now, you'll go to your grave sooner rather than later," Levi says through gritted teeth.

  Both men eye each other with every ounce of hate they have in their hearts. Levi's at a distinct disadvantage, and I want to scold him for antagonizing Lorenzo. Since Lorenzo has a gun, I'd like to see him stay as calm as possible

  As if channeling my thoughts, Levi takes a few deep breaths. With them, I assume he's thinking as rationally as I am. "Listen... why don't you untie my hands, drop that gun, and fight me like a man?" Then, his temper takes control again. "Are you too used to fighting women? I bet your mother killed herself in order to get away from you, you sadistic shit!"

  I close my eyes and curse under my breath. I've known Lorenzo my whole life. It's common knowledge among people in the commune that Lorenzo doesn’t tolerate anyone talking about Viv. He got into a fight every day while he was in elementary school because the boys teased and taunted him for having a mother who was a whore. Once he hit seventh grade, he shot up and developed muscles no one thought he'd ever have. The last time anyone teased him was the day he snapped Terry Tyson's arm in half using his bare hands.

  As expected, Levi sparks Lorenzo's anger. Most people would back down from his palpable rage, but not Levi. He'd finally pushed Lorenzo's buttons, and he was taking full advantage of his new weapon.

  "Your mother was a whore, right? Did you video her having sex with lots of men?" Levi says, looking casually around the factory. His wheels are spinning and he's trying to find a weapon he can use against Lorenzo the second his hands are free

  "You can stop talkin' about her. She was Owen's whore. He was the only one she had sex with. She hated him, but that didn't keep him from comin' to her every single night. I couldn't ever stay with her because of him," Lorenzo says.

  "Oh... now I get it. You're punishing Emily to get back at Owen for what he did to Viv."

  Much to my dismay, Levi doesn't give up on his mental assault of Lorenzo. He's putting some chinks in Lorenzo's armor, and he knows those are critical in his efforts toward breaking all the way through.

  "I bet you hate Owen because you wanted your mother for yourself. Do you have any videos of you and her together? Are you saving those like the one you have of me and Emily?"

  Lorenzo's face turns red and his hands shake.

  "I told you to fuckin' stop talkin' about her."

  Lorenzo kicks Levi's chair right between his knees and would have knocked him backwards if he hadn't grabbed Levi by the hair and pulled him forward.

  "You're right. You and I need to fight man to man. I think you're gonna find out I'm a lot stronger than I look," Lorenzo says before spitting in Levi's face.

  "I hope so because I'm pretty sure I can take you."

  Ignoring the fact that he's tied down and at gunpoint, Levi antagonizes Lorenzo. I'm so sure this is about to come to a head that I lift my shovel and get ready to charge at Lorenzo. He may shoot me, but I won't stop until I've gotten one good blow to his head.

  Lorenzo snatches a really big serrated hunting knife and cuts the rope away from Levi's legs. Levi plants his feet firmly on the ground. There's no doubt in my mind that he plans to pounce on Lorenzo the second his hands are free. A second later, his hands are free from the chair, but they’re still tied and behind his back.

  Levi jerks his chin toward his shoulder. "Really, man? You're gonna make me fight you with my hands tied behind my back?”

  "I told you I wasn't stupid, and I sure as fuck don't care if I win a fight fair and square. I only care if I win the fight," Lorenzo says, taking a few steps toward Levi.

  Levi steps backward, trying to keep some distance between himself and Lorenzo. When his back hits the wall, he steps to the side. He's carefully trying to ease himself away from Lorenzo. The minute he turns and is about to run toward the stairs, Lorenzo takes the knife that’s still in his hand and stabs it into Levi's stomach.

  At that moment, my world turns in slow motion. Every last vivid detail is visible and instantaneously engrained in my mind for future recollection... because seeing the man I love being stabbed to death one time isn’t nearly traumatic enough.

  I stand too shocked to move while I watch Lorenzo twist and turn the weapon sank hilt deep into Levi's abdomen. Lorenzo is doing his best to make sure the internal damage is as deadly as possible before pushing Levi down to the ground and spitting on him again.

  When Lorenzo straddles Levi and lifts the knife above his head in preparation to stab him again, I charge from my hiding spot, wielding the shovel like it's a club. Before I make it over to them, the knife in Lorenzo's hand drops, piercing Levi's stomach for the second time.

  Lorenzo’s so deep into his bloodlust he never sees me coming. As soon I'm close enough, I swing the shovel with the precision of a surgeon, aiming behind his ear and making contact.

  Lorenzo goes limp and falls to the ground next to Levi at the same time the knife clangs along the slick concrete floor. Levi's blood covers the blade and sprinkles the ground near every spot it’s bounced.

  I see the pool of blood forming around Lorenzo's head. I'm sure I've killed him, but I don't care. The only thing I care about is Levi. I crumble to the floor next to him, and he gives me a snarky grin.

  "Em, what’re you doing here? You should've run?"

  "I'm gonna run, but it's gonna be with you," I say, rubbing my hand from his cheek to his chin.

  Levi nods and slowly gets up.

  "Grab that knife and cut these ropes," he says, twisting around and giving me access to his wrists.

  I snatch up the blade and use it to slice through the ropes binding Levi. The very sharp knife cuts through the braided rope so quick and easy it might well have been woven from thin strings rather than thick cords. I keep myself from imagining the damage it's inflicted on Levi.

  As soon as he's free, Levi says, "Emily, I need you to get that necklace off Lorenzo and grab his phone while you're at it."

  I crawl over to Lorenzo, ignoring his convulsive jerking and the way he's foaming at the mouth, and snatch the cross off his neck. Then, I dig my hand into his front pocket, finding the phone and his keys. I pull them out and shove them into the pocket of my shorts.

  Armed with the two things Levi told me to get, I glance back over at him. He's standing. Barely.
<
br />   "Levi, let's get out of here. I need to get you to the hospital," I say.

  I'm beyond worried for him. He's as white as a sheet, but I don't want him to know.

  "We'll go in just a few minutes, Em. I need to get some evidence for Tope while we're here. If they find Lorenzo down here like this, they'll destroy everything before Tope can get a search warrant."

  He seems to have a little burst of energy when he sits down at the computer and begins typing on the keyboard and moving the mouse around. He seems to know exactly what he's doing.

  Without looking up, he says, "Hand me that cross, Em."

  I quickly pull it from my pocket and pass it to him. He pulls the bottom off the cross, puts it into a port in the computer, clicks several buttons, and uses the mouse to drag some folders from one box to another box.

  Under normal circumstances, I'd be completely fascinated, but Levi's breathing fast and getting paler by the second. I can't do anything but worry about him.

  I watch the bar and hourglass on the screen. As the bar gets longer, the clock's time gets shorter. I have absolutely no patience and briefly consider picking the computer up and throwing it across the room so Levi will just get up and leave the commune with me. Now.

  After several painfully long minutes, it reads done. Levi jerks the cross from the computer and puts it in my hand. "Put this some place safe. It's going to be your insurance policy from this point forward. Not Lorenzo's. Do you understand me?"

  I nod. Then he clicks a few more buttons on the computer and it makes a pop and goes black. I send a furrowed brow his way.

  He shrugs and says, "They won't know what happened. They'll probably think they got a virus, but their computers have just been wiped clean, and they’re officially out of service for a while."

  He intertwines our fingers, pulls me into his arms, and asks, "How’d you get here, babe?"

  "I have Tope's Jeep out in the woods."

  Levi looks at me as if he can't believe what I've done.

  "You never cease to amaze me."

  I smile back at him and say, "Well, let's get outta here so we can get you some help and you can propose to me properly."

  "Down on my knee?"

  "You got it."

  He twists our hands and sees the rings on my finger. "I love seeing them on you... knowing you’re mine and no one else's, Em. I'm taking it your answer’s yes?" he says, kissing the back of my hand next to the rings.

  "Yes... Yes... a million yes's, Levi. The only thing I want is to spend the rest of my life with you."

  Levi smiles and winks at me. "Perfect, let's get out of here so we can make this official."

  We climb the stairs slowly. Levi needs my strength, and I'm happy to give him as much as I have. Despite my recent illness, the adrenaline pumping through my veins makes me feel as strong as I've ever felt. Gauging the energy I have right now, I suspect I could run a marathon, swim a lake, and fight an army. All of which may be necessary depending on what we find outside.

  At the top of the stairs, we walk back into the shed. It's completely dark except for the light coming from the drug factory. I make sure to leave the door open so I can lead Levi through the shed without having to slow down. When I make it to the door to the outside, I open it the tiniest bit and look around and judge our surroundings.

  There's no one around, so I drag him out and behind me. I don't waste time ducking around trees. The quickest way to the hole in the fence is straight through the cemetery. Levi's life depends on me getting him to the Jeep and to the hospital without any further delays.

  At the hole, I drop to my knees and crawl through to the other side. Levi does the same only he's moving at a much slower pace, and he has a lot of trouble getting back up.

  As soon as he stands up, I look down at his stomach. It’s the first time since he's been stabbed that I study the area of his injury. His T-shirt is soaked with enough blood to make it drip from the bottom.

  I have a newfound sense of urgency and a need to get Levi to a hospital as fast as possible. Levi notices and squeezes my hand.

  "Just keep us moving, Em. I'll be fine."

  I look away and pull him toward the Jeep's hiding place. As soon as we make it, I look back at Levi.

  "Wait right here. I'm going in to get the Jeep. When I pull out, you can get in. You don't need to fight those bushes."

  Levi doesn't even try to argue.

  I pull the keys from my pocket, dash into the thicket, hop into the Jeep, and peel out until I make it to the dirt road. I head the Jeep toward the highway before backing up and stopping next to a weak-looking Levi. I throw the car in park while I lean over and yank the door open for him.

  He crawls in, leans his head back, and closes his eyes. He looks like he's thankful he won't have to walk or run any farther. I lean across him and grab the seat belt. He won't tolerate any more trauma. The drive through these woods isn’t easy even for the most healthy person. I don't have the luxury of delicately maneuvering my way to the hospital. I’ll be driving fast and furious. Nothing will stop me until I get Levi to safety.

  The instant the seat belt snaps, I throw the Jeep into drive and speed toward safety. I drive faster when leaving the forest than I drove when coming, and my reflexes are put to the test in ways I've never expected.

  When I see the highway, I reach my hand over to brace Levi because I know hitting the ditch will jerk him around. I'm not buckled in so when we bounce through the ditch my head hits the roof exactly as it did earlier. Again, it hurts, but it's not nearly enough to keep me from getting Levi to the hospital.

  Speeding down the highway, I glance over to see how Levi fared the ditch bump.

  That's when I realize he's paler than before—a feat I would not have thought possible; his breathing is very shallow; and his clothes are still dripping with blood. I glance back at the road and see my hand, the one I'd used to brace him, is gloved with blood.

  Tope

  I don't slow down one bit when my phone vibrates, letting me know I have a message. I'm almost to the commune, and I have a team of sheriff’s officers following close behind me.

  I pick the phone up and glance quickly at it.

  Tess: Alex just saw Emily speeding down the highway with Levi. They're heading back toward town.

  They must've come out of the woods and hit the road after we passed because we didn’t pass them.

  I slow and make a U-turn, heading back toward town just like Emily and Levi. Every police car behind me does the same.

  I say into the phone, "Call Andy."

  "Calling Andy," the phone says back in her professional, perfect and not nearly quick enough manner.

  "Tope, what the hell are you doin'?" Andy yells.

  "They're not at the commune. I just got a message saying they’re going back toward town. I'm heading that way."

  "Just slow it down, son. The last thing we need is to work a fatal accident because you lost control of your fancy car," Andy says to me sarcastically.

  I reach over and touch the end button... and speed up.

  Emily

  I push the gas pedal and pray for God's help. In my head, I'm bargaining with him and swearing to give my life to him, for Levi's, if he’ll just let Levi live. While I'm praying, I pass cars at a speed that makes it look like those cars are sitting still. I take chances when it comes to passing in no-passing zones. There's no law I won't break.

  Suddenly, Levi reaches over and touches my leg. I glance down and see that my leg is covered with blood just like my hand.

  His words are as weak as his grip. "Em, I love you. Don't forget what I said about Tope. You can trust him, babe."

  "You stop talkin' like that right now, Levi Ian Bryson, and I mean it. We’re almost there," I say, trying to seem like I'm more confident than I really am. He's lost a lot of blood, and he looks worse by the breath.

  Soon, there's a police car behind me. I don't stop or slow. Levi'll die if I do. Besides, I'm Owen Riddle's daughter, for goo
dness sakes. I was born to break the law. We’re just a few blocks away from the emergency room.

  They can arrest me once I get him to safety.

  Suddenly, the light I'm heading for turns yellow. It’ll be red before I make it to the intersection. Rather than slow, I push the Jeep harder and faster and speed through the intersection and nearly get clipped by a massive truck.

  Seconds later, there are several police cars following me and others blocking every intersection. I understand they’re trying to protect the civilian population from me, the crazy woman in the middle of the high-speed pursuit, and I’m glad for them.

  When I see the emergency room sign, I make a sharp right, speed up into the ambulance bay, jump from the car, and run inside screaming for help.

  "HE'S DYING! HE'S DYING! HE'S DYING! SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE!" With each word I speak, my voice gets louder, more urgent, and beyond desperate.

  An entire team of nurses and doctors runs toward me, and I lead them out to the Jeep where Levi's head is turned in my direction. I stop short as soon as I see he has the same cloudy-eyed look of death Marcus had the night Owen killed him.

  No one needs to tell me he's dead. I can tell by looking at him that he's gone... that we’ll never marry... that my only chance at happiness is gone forever.

  I drop to my knees, slam my forehead on the pavement, and sob. When people try to console me or check on me to see if I'm bleeding, I slap them away. I curse them and tell them I'm not the one who needs their help.

  I have no idea how long I'm there wishing for my own death and begging God to strike me dead right there so I can be with Levi sooner rather than later.

  "Emi, baby... come with me, Emi," Tess says.

  I look up at her with every ounce of hurt in my heart and wail, "Tess... I can't live without him. I won't live without him."

  The pain in my chest is so consuming it feels like it's suffocating me. I wait for it to kill me rather than torture me.

  Tope

  I see my Jeep pulled haphazardly near the emergency room's entrance. Based on the number of emergency professionals swarming it and yelling orders to each other, I know there's something bad going on inside.