by Laurèn Lee
“I know, but you’ll be okay. I promise.”
“Where were you?” she asked.
“I was with your father,” Adriel said in a soothing voice.
“I tried coming to find you. I wanted to dance.” Her eyes fluttered.
“Stay with me, Mary Elizabeth!” Adriel applied pressure to her wound. His hands and outfit turned dark as night while he tended to the damsel before him.
“Who’s been shot?” George called out in the distance.
“Sir, you better hurry. It’s your daughter,” Adriel announced.
“What? Mary Elizabeth?” George shrieked. His footsteps shook the ground as he sprinted toward them. A parent on the verge of losing his child is an absolute force to be reckoned with.
George shoved Adriel out of the way and bent down over his daughter. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he shouted instructions for the other men to call the sheriff and the doctor.
“How did this happen? Who did it?” George shrieked. He pulled his daughter into his lap and rocked her gently. Blood spattered across his tuxedo, but he didn’t notice. Mary Elizabeth’s mother dashed outside, too. She wept over Mary Elizabeth’s body with no intention of stopping.
“I saw them running off,” Adriel rushed out. “You know, once we came out of the house.”
George eased his daughter off his lap, stood, and grabbed Adriel’s collar. “Did you see who it was? Did you?”
“I didn’t, Sir. I’m sorry.” He tried to break free of George’s grasp. “They went off that way.”
“Go! Find them! Bring them back to me dead or alive, Adriel!”
George bent down continued to cry beside his daughter. She passed out and wouldn’t wake no matter how frantically George tried to revive her. He shook her madly, but she lay still as a board. Adriel thought she’d die any moment, but he did as he was told and ran off in the direction he saw the two men disappear.
The grass, already soaked with midnight dew, stood taller and taller the farther Adriel ran into the field toward the woods. He passed the lake and distinctly heard the splash of a fish or some creature lurking in the shallow depths. His heart raced with anticipation and anxiety. Would he be able to catch the men he saw? How far ahead were they now?
He ran the entire field on the estate and finally entered the woods. Low-hanging branches scraped his cheeks, and he tripped once or twice over fallen trunks. But he could hear footsteps pounding ahead of him; they were maybe a few hundred feet beyond. He gained on them with every step. They were no match for him, now.
I’ll catch you, he thought.
Adriel heard a distant howl from the estate, which sounded eerily like George. He feared Mary Elizabeth had passed, which didn’t wholly surprise him. He assumed the gunshot had torn through her abdomen and most likely nicked her heart. He needed to find these men now more than ever. He needed to get George on his side. His entire future depended on this chase.
The trees spread out the farther he ran, and he noticed a clearing up ahead. Adriel slowed down and tiptoed at the edge of a new wide-open field. Two men tried starting a fire, and he heard them as they wheezed and snickered. Adriel glanced around and saw two shotguns beside the men’s packs at least ten feet away from the campfire.
These had to be the men who shot Mary Elizabeth. Why else would these fellows be so near George’s estate with shotguns? Why else would they be out of breath? He had to figure out how he’d bring them back to George. They outnumbered him and had the guns; Adriel didn’t have a weapon on his person at all. After all, who brings a gun to a cocktail party?
He needed to think of something, and he needed to think fast. While Adriel would bet on his intelligence over most people he knew, he still couldn’t let his hubris take control. He didn’t know who he was dealing with. Maybe these men weren’t smarter than him, but that didn’t mean they were any less dangerous. Obviously, they had guts. Who else would trespass on George Cunningham’s property and murder his daughter in cold blood?
“Hey, fellas,” Adriel said when he walked out into the clearing.
“Who are you?” one of the men called out. He pulled a knife out of his pocket, and Adriel threw up his arms.
“My name is Adriel. I mean no harm.”
“Adriel? What kind of name is that?” one of the men accused, revealing several missing teeth in the process.
“It’s biblical,” Adriel responded curtly.
“Oh yeah? Well, how do we know you mean no harm? How did you find us?”
“I saw the smoke from your fire,” he admitted. “I need your help.”
The other man snickered, “What does some city folk need our help with?”
“I saw what you did back at the Cunningham party. But you hit the wrong target,” Adriel said as both men raised their eyebrows and looked at each other suspiciously. “I need you to go back and fire off one more shot.”
“How much?”
“One hundred dollars.”
Both men looked stunned, their jaws dropping. “You messin’ with us?”
“No, sir.”
“Who do we gotta kill to get paid? We’ll do it right now!”
“I need you to go back and kill George Cunningham.”
4
“Have you missed me, love?”
“Not in the slightest,” Charlotte said, her lips curved upward.
“You’re going to hurt my feelings.” Liam mocked.
“Do you even have feelings? Because I know you don’t have a heart.”
Liam clutched his chest in jest and laughed wickedly. “You got me there!”
Liam and Charlotte walked into their lakeside condo as the sun shone brightly above them. The last time they’d been here together, it felt like home. Now, it felt strange and unfamiliar. Charlotte wanted Liam to leave and never come back.
“I’m going to lie down,” Charlotte huffed.
“What a splendid idea. I’ll join you!” Liam chirped.
“The hell you will.”
“It’s my home, too. If I want to lie beside my darling fiancé, I will.”
“That’s what you think,” Charlotte said when she slammed the bedroom door in his face. Liam gripped the door, ripping it from its hinges.
“Liam!”
“You won’t deny me, Charlotte.” His eyes turned dark.
“I do not deny you anything. I want you to get away from me.”
Liam looked down toward her left hand. “Where’s your ring?”
“It’s gone. I got rid of it.”
His cheeks flushed, and Charlotte half-expected him to attack. Liam’s hands tightened into fists, and his breathing intensified. Her heart pounded in her chest as fear struck her to her very core.
“You don’t get it, do you? I found out what you did to that girl. You’re a monster.”
As predicted, Liam flew to her side in the blink of an eye and held her neck tightly in his grasp. “You are to be my wife whether you like it or not,” he growled. “If I have to buy you a dozen new rings to affirm how I feel about you, I’ll do it.”
Charlotte gasped, but managed to use her feet to kick him off her. “I. Will. Not. Marry. You.”
“That’s what you say now,” Liam stated as he straightened Adriel’s jacket, which clung to his toned, tanned body.
“That’s what I’ll always say. I won’t marry a rapist pig.”
Liam threw his head back and laughed haughtily. “So, what are you going to do instead, then? Huh? Are you going to marry Adriel?”
“I’m not marrying anyone,” Charlotte seethed.
“How can you love Adriel, once a demon, but loathe me? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Adriel may have been a demon, but at least he had integrity. You? You’re all monster.”
Charlotte listened to her answer and immediately questioned herself. Why did she fall for Adriel and yet push away Liam? Was it because Liam murdered innocent women? What did Adriel do to become a demon in the first place? Had she misplaced her love on
ce again? No, she couldn’t let Liam worm his way into her thoughts and plant the seeds of doubt into her mind. She knew no matter what Adriel had done, it couldn’t come close to Liam’s indiscretions. Adriel may have been a demon, but he was a good man. He protected her. He loved her. All Liam had ever done was lie.
“Get out of here, Liam. I want to be alone.” Charlotte’s eyes stung with the promise of tears to come at any moment.
“Fine. But I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Fabulous,” Charlotte muttered under her breath.
After Liam left the room, she tried desperately to fall asleep, but instead, she lay awake and stared at the ceiling. It wasn’t long ago, she wanted more than anything to see Liam again. Now he was here, and she wanted nothing more than to see him leave.
Charlotte wondered where Adriel could be right now. Was he safe? Where would he go now that he’d been essentially evicted from Hell? How would she get rid of Liam? She needed a plan. However, after an hour of twisting and turning, she finally fell asleep.
“Wake up, darling,” Liam chirped. He strode into the bedroom without knocking.
“Go away,” Charlotte moaned. She pulled the covers over her face and curled into the fetal position.
Liam whipped off the comforter and massaged her shoulders. Charlotte tried to squirm away. “You used to love my back rubs.”
“’Used to’ being the key word here,” Charlotte snapped. Nausea took hold of Charlotte at Liam’s touch. Those hands touching her? They were the very same that ended other people’s lives.
“I heard you had a busy week without me,” Liam said.
“Yeah, you could say that,” Charlotte responded sharply. She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest defensively.
“Everyone is talking about it. And, talking about you.”
Charlotte scoffed, “Who’s everyone?”
“My friends in Hell, of course.”
Charlotte cringed.
“They are all dying to meet you.” Liam winked.
“Why did you come back, Liam? You could have gone anywhere now that you’re all powerful, or whatever. Why did you come back to Buffalo?”
“I missed you. I still love you, you know?”
“I don’t care. And I don’t know how a person like you could even be capable of love. You’re a monster! Can’t you go cause chaos somewhere else?”
Charlotte pushed past Liam and made her way out of their bedroom. She strode to the kitchen and furiously fixed herself a turkey sandwich on fresh ciabatta. She dropped the knife as she spread mayo across the bread and swore loudly. She bent to pick up the knife, and as she stood, the plate holding her sandwich bumped off the counter and fell to the floor. Charlotte growled and rested her palms on the island.
“Buffalo is my home, Charlotte. Why would I leave this beautiful city and my fiancé behind?”
“I don’t want you here. Why would you want to be somewhere you’re not wanted?” she seethed.
Changing the subject, Liam said, “I know you and Adriel grew close in my absence.”
“You don’t know shit.”
Liam walked over to Charlotte and put his hands on her forehead despite her resistance. In a moment, she saw the flashback of Adriel and her in the bathroom, steam rising as they passionately kissed. She pushed Liam away as hard as she possibly could, breaking the connection.
“Screw you. You left me.”
“Left you? My dear Charlotte, I was in a coma! Since when is a coma a get-out-of-jail-free card to cheat?”
“You raped and murdered an innocent girl!” Charlotte roared.
“You seem different,” Liam said as he smiled like a Cheshire cat.
“That’s because I am different. I’ve changed. I had to once I found out my fiancé and love of my life raped and murdered someone.”
“Life happens sometimes.”
Charlotte burst with anger, throwing her glass of water straight at Liam’s head. He dodged the drink, and it shattered behind him into a million little pieces. Water spread across the floor like the rising tide.
“Nice throw.”
“If only I had something heavier.”
“You’re turning me on, Charlotte.”
“And you’re making me sick.” Charlotte stalked out of the kitchen, even though her stomach grumbled and growled. She headed for the door. Out of nowhere, Liam appeared and blocked her exit.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he sneered.
“Out. I need to get away from you.”
“No.”
“No? Who are you, my father?”
“I am not, but you’ll do as I say,” Liam warned.
“What? Like I’m a hostage or something?”
“Exactly like a hostage. You can’t leave until I say so.”
“What will you do if I refuse and leave?” Charlotte pouted.
“Well, I’ll kill you.”
Charlotte cackled and tossed her head back. “This is fucking perfect. Like, is this happening right now? Is this my life?”
“I’m afraid this is all very real, my love. Now, how about we curl up on the couch together and watch a movie? What do you say?”
“I say go to Hell.”
“Been there, done that.”
“I hate you,” Charlotte said.
“Well, I still love you very much.”
Liam grabbed Charlotte by her forearms and pulled her to the couch. He picked her up as though she were light as a feather and tossed her onto the loveseat.
“Anything new on Netflix?” Liam asked as he turned on the TV.
Charlotte closed her eyes and waited to wake up from the nightmare which seemed far too real to handle.
5
Past
“You want us to go back there? They’ll kill us!”
“Don’t you want to finish what you started, though?” Adriel asked.
“Listen, we only shot that whore because of what she did to our cousin. We don’t want any more trouble, and we ain’t dying for a hundred dollars.”
“Two hundred dollars,” Adriel offered.
The men gasped, “You don’t have that kind of money, and if ya did, you wouldn’t be payin’ some scoundrels to kill an old man!”
“You don’t know me or my motives. I want you to do it, and I’ll pay you tonight.”
“What did good ol’ Georgie do to you, anyway?”
“I want a stake in the canal business.” Adriel’s admission surprised even himself. He never planned on trying to hurt George. Originally, he wanted to obtain George’s approval through his daughter’s heart. Did he want to kill the man just to take a piece of a pie? Even if George was killed, Adriel had to assume he’d have a backup plan written in his will. A smart businessman like him wouldn’t make such drastic decisions without an insurance plan in place.
However, Adriel often stooped to drastic measures when there was someone or something he wanted. He never told anyone the real reason he left his hometown for Lockport, New York. Besides wanting to claim a stake in the canal business, he was also forced to leave Oklahoma. Why? He robbed a bank and murdered the sheriff in cold blood before he had the chance to cuff him. It was either Adriel or the sheriff, and Adriel chose himself.
Before the robbery, Adriel enlisted the help of his two childhood friends. He trusted very few in his life, and after his parents died from influenza, he had less than a handful of people to count on. Douglas and Joseph begged Adriel not to go through with his plan, but when he wouldn’t back down, they promised to help rob the bank. Each had a job: Douglas would distract the townspeople to redirect their attention away from the bank; Joseph would hide in the shadows with their horses for a clean getaway; and Adriel would go into the bank, hold up the teller, and take as much money as possible.
The plan was simple, and Adriel predicted they’d be richer than dogs after its conclusion. However, the plan was well executed in thought but not in reality.
Douglas began his distraction outside the
bank at noon. He feigned a heart attack, clutched his chest and fell to the ground dramatically. However, no one noticed. He paused and opened his eyes a fraction of an inch; no one rushed to his aid. The buggies and bustle of the town were far louder and more prominent than Douglas’s act in the dirt. Adriel wasn’t aware the distraction failed as he was already inside the bank, his hand clenching the pistol at his side.
Joseph, on the other hand, failed to keep the getaway horses calm behind the bank. He feared the beasts and couldn’t hold them steady. Two of the horses pulled free from his grasp and set off running toward the horizon. Joseph clumsily waved goodbye and felt the rush of shame flood his body. Adriel would never forgive him—now they’d be caught.
Inside the bank, Adriel approached the teller, ready to make his move. He assumed all was well outside, and he’d be riding off into the sunset as a rich man soon enough.
“Gimme your money!” he hollered at the teller. He pointed his pistol directly at the man’s face.
The teller, no older than Adriel, flung his hands up in defense and quivered inconsolably. “Take it, mister! I don’t wanna die!”
Douglas leaped into the bank as Adriel collected wads of cash and gold. “The sheriff! He’s coming!”
Adriel whipped around, and his jaw dropped. The town’s sheriff jumped off his steed and raced into the bank with fury in his eyes. “Adriel!” he cried. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Adriel looked at the sheriff, then down to his lucrative stash. “You should leave before I kill you,” he muttered.
Those in the bank didn’t dare leave and miss the shootout. Instead, they hugged the walls and held each other gleefully. Adriel and the sheriff raised their pistols and shot in unison. The sheriff missed, while Adriel hit his mark. The sheriff clutched his chest as blood poured from the wound, then he crumpled to the ground.
Mayhem erupted after half the town witnessed Adriel killing their beloved sheriff. He fled after the sheriff took his final breath. Neighboring towns and their law enforcement were only a short horse ride away. If he didn’t leave right then, he’d be caught and jailed in no time, if not killed.
