I then went on to explain the terms of Sean’s offer. There was no use hiding anything from her; she deserved the truth. She deserved to know why she would be raising our child alone.
“He’s right though. There is no other option. I don’t want to be running from him for the rest of our lives. I want you to have the life you dreamed you could. I just can’t be in it.”
It stung to say the last line out loud. I hated thinking that one day she would meet someone who would take my place. One day I would be a distant memory, her first love, the father of her child, the one who gave his life in order to save the lives of his family. As legacies go, it wasn’t the worst way to be remembered. But I knew deep in my heart that I would never settle into a life without her. She would consume my every thought. My life would be forever changed because of Grace.
I tightened my arms around her, waiting for her to fight with me, disprove my logic, but she was silent. She had nothing to say; she knew I was right.
“Please Grace, say something. It’s our last night together. Talk to me.”
Still nothing. Had she fallen asleep? Had she not heard anything I had just confessed?
“Grace?” I lowered my head to her chest, trying to find any way to be closer to her. Her heartbeat soothed my anxiety, and I closed my eyes. I reminded myself that unless I could find another way around Sean’s demands, this was how I would spend my last few moments with Grace.
I matched my breathing to hers, finding relaxation in the gentle rise and fall of her chest. But the relaxation didn’t last long. Her breathing quickened. It was hard to keep up to her rhythm. Her body chilled beneath my grasping hands. Her muscles tightened. Her heartbeat slowed, it slowed some more, and then it slowed again.
“Grace?”
I didn’t know why I expected an answer then, but calling her name was all I could do to not lose my control.
“Grace.” I began to shake her. Still nothing. “No.” I growled under my breath. “Please, God, no.”
Her pulse was waning. The combination of the bitter cold and the residual drugs left in her system must have put an extra strain on her body.
I jumped up from the couch, pulled up my boxers, and began to scream as loud as I could.
“Is someone up there? Hello? Please, we need help!”
I ran to the door and began to bang my fists against the metal. “So help me God, Sean, if you are out there I will ring your throat if she dies.”
My pounding continued. I punched, I kicked, and I screamed. I had truly assumed he left us alone. I thought the racket I was causing was in vain. But just as my knuckles started bleeding from the repeated beating, I heard the first latch slide open.
He was there, on the other side of the door. He would have to let us out.
I prepared myself for the door to swing open. My now bloody fists were guarding my face, and I was perfectly positioned for a clean roundhouse kick. If Sean tried anything, I would take him down.
“Ryan, step away from the door.”
It was a familiar voice, but not Sean’s. No, it was the voice of someone else who had betrayed me.
“Danny?”
“Just step back, or I’m not going to open the door.”
“I’m back. I’m back.” I quickly called. Anger was building inside of me. I wanted to knock him out as soon as he stepped foot inside our jail cell, but I knew that would not ensure Grace’s safety. The only thing I could focus on was Grace. She was all that mattered.
Danny pushed the door open, holding a Glock at eye level. “Don’t move.”
“I’m not.” My hands instinctually shot up, offering up my own surrender.
“I wasn’t supposed to open the door under any circumstances.”
“I know that, but Grace… she’s… she’s barely breathing.” I pleaded with him.
“And what do you expect me to do about it?”
“Can we just get her to the hospital?”
“Absolutely not. He’ll kill me if I let you guys out.”
I put my hands down and took a step in his direction. He steadied his hand on his pistol, but didn’t move it from the aim at my head.
I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “I’m sure Sean told you of his little plan to start his own club.”
“Of course.” He snapped, making sure I knew of his place among Sean’s minions.
“And I’m sure he mentioned that he has a job for me.”
“He has.” He was a little guarded about that statement, but it was still obvious he knew, even if he was jealous.
“Well, if Grace dies, then the deal is off. How do you think Sean will feel if you let that happen?”
Danny looked away, weighing his options. I tried not to seem too eager, but Grace’s life was more at risk every second she was in this cold. “Okay, listen, Sean wanted me to make a decision. I’ll make it. I’ll leave Grace. Just let me take her to the hospital first.”
“I’ll take her to the hospital. You’ll wait here for Sean.”
“I need to know she’s okay, Danny, please.”
“Which I understand, but I need to make sure you don’t try anything funny. If I let you get the slip on me, that’ll be the end.”
I knew what he was saying. He had already disappointed Sean once by allowing Grace to fool him into thinking she was about to throw up. She then stabbed him in the leg before cracking a few of his ribs. There was little doubt that Sean would forgive him a second time for something so extreme. If we escaped, he’d be dead.
“Fine. You can take her. But Danny,” I inched forward, placing my palm on his shoulder, “if you ever cared about our friendship, you’ll make sure she gets there in one piece.”
He nodded. It was real, honest. This time, and I’m not sure why, I trusted him.
I ran over to Grace, bundling her up in the clothes I had worn, as hers were nowhere to be seen. I then lifted her to my chest and whispered into her ear.
“Baby, if you can hear me, know that I love you. Know that everything I am doing is for you. Know that there will never be a minute that goes by when I will not be thinking of you. And above all, know this: I would not take back any of it. For the mere two days that you were my wife, it was all worth it.”
With that, I slid my ring off my finger, tried to wipe off some of the blood from my knuckles, read the inscription one final time, and placed it into the pocket of my jeans: the jeans that Grace was now wearing. I handed her over to Danny’s waiting arms and took a step back.
They disappeared through the door seconds before the latches began to lock me in, yet again.
Grace was gone. I was alone. All that was left were memories, and the quote by which I would forever live.
Today, tomorrow, and past the light.
Grace
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
I felt groggy, incoherent, and very confused. A hospital? What was I doing there? How had I gotten there?
I remembered meeting Anne Marie’s children. I remembered them being safe, untouched by Sean Cassidy. Then I remembered Ryan and I in a basement. A basement? Were we actually in a basement? I remembered being cold and Ryan upset. He was so upset. Had I done something wrong? And where was he now?
I looked around. There was an IV in my arm, which seemed to be attached to a saline drip. I could see my heart rate and blood pressure on the digital screen. Sixty-two beats per minute: that seemed a little low for me. Eighty-eight over fifty-seven: I had never seen those numbers on my blood pressure readings. What had caused such low numbers?
I wiggled my fingers. They were a bit tingly, but I was still able to find my call button. I heard a beep in the hallway, which was quickly followed by a small knock on my door. A man in teal scrubs peeked his head in before offering me a smile.
“Hey sleepyhead, how’re you doing?”
“I don’t know how I got here.”
“Then it looks like we have something in common.” He flashed me a smile.
“What do you
mean?”
He stepped in further, closing the door behind him. He was a good looking, well put-together guy. His slicked back hair was a very light brown, as if he had been blonde as a child. His eyes were dark, almost black, but still very warm. He was thin, but muscular, and his scrubs hung loosely around his hips.
He pulled a stool over and took a seat next to me. “I found you passed out in the emergency waiting room last night. No one signed you in. We don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Grace… Grace Bren--… um, Grace Cassidy, I mean.”
“Well Grace Cassidy, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Mark.”
I looked at his nametag: Mark Appleman, R.N. So a nurse found me passed out and apparently unresponsive in their waiting room last night. Did I find my way to the ER? And if I did, why would I do that? I didn’t seem to have broken anything, or to have fallen.
“Did you contact my husband?” I squinted at him. My head was pounding.
“Grace, I didn’t know your name up until thirty seconds ago. I would have to be pretty awesome to have figured out how to contact your husband.”
I chuckled at his little tease. “Can I use this phone?” I gestured to the phone on the side table.
“Absolutely.” He pushed the old, cord phone toward my reaching hand.
I sat up and slowly pushed down the buttons in the only ten-digit sequence I had memorized other than my own. I pressed the phone up against my ear and waited for the ringtone… but there wasn’t a ring tone. The sound I heard was the three beeps that warn you when a phone has been disconnected. I quickly hung up. Maybe I pushed a wrong number.
I tried again, and then again, and then one more time, but nothing changed. Ryan’s phone had been disconnected. I had no way to get a hold of him.
“Everything okay?”
“Um, no, it seems as though his number isn’t working.” My voice was trembling.
“You know, I’m sure it has something to do with the phone lines. I’ll have someone check on it and we’ll try again soon.”
“Okay. Okay, thanks.” My mind was wandering. What wasn’t I remembering? What had happened in the time I was missing? Where was my husband?
“Now Grace, this is the hard part.”
His demeanor completely changed. No more was he cheerful and comforting; now he looked worried, as though he had to deliver bad news.
“What? What’s going on?” I stuttered.
“Well, we ran a series of tests on you… are you aware that you’re pregnant?”
“Yes… yes, oh my God, is my baby okay? Did something happen?”
“No, no, the baby is fine. I just wanted to make sure you were aware, as you’re only about ten weeks along.”
“Oh thank goodness. Okay.”
“But we did find Rohypnol in your system, more commonly known as the Date Rape Drug.”
“What?” How? When?
“I’m guessing your memory is a bit spotty?”
“Yes, um, yes it is.” I moved my hands to my face. I was becoming clammy, nauseous.
“And,” he lightly grabbed my arm, lifting it into view, “you have what appears to be rope burns on your ankles and wrists. Do you have any idea how that might have happened?”
I looked down at my wrists. Sure enough, they were scratched, red, and beginning to bruise. How was I supposed to explain to a stranger what I had been going through? How could I make him understand that this happening was no surprise to me?
“Grace? Do you know what happened?”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to know.
“I’m going to suggest we get you a rape kit, just in case you want to press charges at some point.”
“No.” I barked.
I remembered this conversation with Ryan. He wanted to know if Sean had raped me, or if he was only attempting to rile Ryan up by insinuation. I didn’t want to know. I was happy believing that my husband was the only man who I had ever been with physically. I needed no other information. Plus, if they did the kit, they would be sure to find Ryan’s DNA. I didn’t want anyone thinking that my husband had anything to do with my being drugged.
“Okay, that’s your own choice, but know that this is something we’d have to do quickly, as there’s only a short window of time these tests can be done.”
“I know, but my answer is still the same.”
“Grace,” Mark took my hand in his and leaned in closer to me, “I think you’re making a mistake here.”
I wanted to tell him to mind his own fucking business, but instead I turned away, focusing my attention out of the window. I would not cry about this. I would be strong. I would figure this out on my own.
“I’m going to give you time to rest.” Mark broke the awkward silence. “You’re numbers are still pretty low. I’d like to see them come up a bit before we send you home.”
Home. Where would I go? Back to my Old City apartment? Or maybe to Ryan’s Pop’s place? Where would Ryan be?
I thanked Mark and watched as he left my room. I was about to close my eyes when I saw Ryan’s clothes sitting on the chair next to my bed. Had he been here? Did I bring the clothes myself? Or was I wearing them? I reached over, careful not to jerk out my IV, and pulled the chair closer to me. I grabbed the sweater and jeans, bringing them to my face. They still smelled of him. Well, they smelled like a mixture of him and that musty basement. I fished through the pockets, hoping to find some sort of note from Ryan or some sort of clue, telling me what had happened. Instead, I found his ring. I found his wedding ring, covered in blood. His blood?
Oh God. Was my husband dead?
Ryan
Hours had to have gone by. I paced, I curled up on the couch, I punched the cushions, and I waited. I waited for Sean to come, to take me from this place, and to promise me that Grace was okay. I needed that. I needed the confirmation that my wife and unborn child had survived his antics. I needed a reason not to kill him.
I had no idea of the time when I finally heard the door creak open. It had to have been early morning, as I was feeling the effects of a night without sleep. My bones were chilled from the frigid air, and my mind was begging to stray from the truth.
I replayed my last few moments with Grace: the perfection of her skin, the smell of her hair, the depth of her eyes, the whispered I love you. It was those moments I would take with me from then on. I imagined that she was still with me, that she could hear my thoughts. Her voice calmed me as I prepared for what was waiting on the other side of that thick metal door.
Part of me hoped it was Danny, that I could at least see someone who I had a shred of faith would eventually realize the fault of his ways. But I was not so lucky.
Sean stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his broad chest, and his smile taking up his entire aged face.
“So I hear you made a smart decision.”
“Is Grace okay?” I didn’t have time for his quips. I needed my confirmation.
“Slow down, kid, we’ll get to that.”
“We’ll get to it now or the deal is off.”
“Are you really forgetting my part of this deal? You don’t have the authority to call it off, Ry.”
I inhaled deeply, trying my best to subdue my temper. “Sean… Please.” It was all I could muster.
He cackled. “Awe, that was pathetic, kid. That was probably the saddest plea I’ve ever seen. And, c’mon, you know there have been quite a few people that have begged me for their lives. But, okay, since we’re family and all, this one I’ll give you. Drum roll, please!” He was having too much fun at my expense. I loathed him so much in that moment. “Ryan, you can breathe easy. She’s fine. She woke up in the hospital. She’s coming off the drugs quite nicely.”
Although it was unsettling to me that he so freely knew this information, I was glad he had offered it up. “And the baby?”
“Oh yes, the baby. Congrats, by the way. Fatherhood… “ He trailed off, “there’s nothing like it.”
“Sean. The baby.”
“Oh chill, the baby is fine as well. Your little family will live to see another day. Whoop de doo. Wow, what the fuck happened to you? You used to be so…” He narrowed his eyes at me. “We’re going to need to fix this.”
I hated him. I hated him so much. My cheeks began to burn with rage as my fists clenched. I thought about how easy it would be to knock him out right then and there. I would lock him in his own jail and make sure he never saw the light of day again. Unfortunately, I still had no idea how many people were working for him. If I knew Sean, he had a plan B if something were to go wrong. Killing him now could have drastic side effects.
“So, you ready to get started?”
What kind of a question was that? No, I wasn’t ready to convince people that my enemy was someone to be followed. No, I wasn’t ready to spend the rest of my life bowing to his will. And no, I still wasn’t ready to accept that I might never see Grace again.
“Let’s do this.” He didn’t need to know how not ready I was.
“You’re going to need some clothes.”
I had been standing there in my boxers with the blanket draped over my shoulders.
Death of Cupids (The Blood of Cupids MC) Page 9
