by K. M. Hodge
Ellie: What were we thinking? I feel like death. Want to come over? Chris picked up donuts and coffee for me before he headed out for his weekend training.
Mari sighed. How could she face her friend still wearing last night’s clothes? Then she remembered that she still had an extra outfit in the trunk of her car from her homicide days. It was one thing to carry her own personal shame over her indiscretion, but it was another thing entirely for anyone else to know about it.
I need to have my head examined.
She slipped on her shoes without waking Quinn, then went outside and opened up the car service app to call for a ride.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the service to pick her up. When a few people passed by her on the sidewalk and snickered, she checked her reflection in the window of a parked car. Her wrinkled black dress, mussed hair and smudged make-up didn’t fool anyone—on this, her walk of shame.
She messaged Ellie on the way back to the bar to pick up her car.
Be there in twenty.
That would give her enough time to change and get cleaned up in the gas station bathroom down the street from Ellie’s house. Facing her friend would be nothing compared to later that day, when she would need to tell Manny about her indiscretion. For once in her life, she knew what she wanted... and who she wanted.
***
Charles MacAvoy’s Estate
Danville, Virginia
June 27, 2026
7:00 AM
~~~
Charles sat outside on plush patio furniture sipping his morning coffee and reading his news feed. According to his assistant, the guests all seemed to be rather occupied this morning.
How lovely for them.
With his embittered heart, he couldn’t celebrate in the joy of others—all the more reason to risk his pointless life.
Manny came out first and grumbled a good morning. They were quite the pair, the old and lonely bachelors. He sat down across from Charles. The deep lines that etched his forehead and circled his eyes seemed more pronounced in the harsh light of day. The man obviously needed to get more sleep.
“I’m leaving this morning,” Manny said.
“Oh?”
“I’m not going to stop you from executing this hair-brained scheme of yours, but I also don’t want to be a part of it.”
Charles took a sip of coffee and looked out over his estate, avoiding the old man’s judgmental gaze. “My men will guard your family and your friends, twenty-four-seven. No one needs to get hurt.”
“Except Mitchel....”
Charles nodded. A small smile crept up at the corners of his lips. “Except Scott.”
Manny looked up just as one of the servants placed a steaming hot plate of breakfast in front of him. He looked at the meal, and then glanced back up at the servant, shooting the man a genuine smile. “Thank you.”
Charles couldn’t be more pleased. The two of them ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.
A half hour after, Julie crept across the lawn to kiss Manny’s cheek. “Good morning, Daddy.”
“Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?”
Charles caught the faint blush that bloomed across her tan cheeks, but Manny seemed oblivious to the change in his daughter’s appearance.
“Yes, Daddy, and you?”
Before he could answer, Zane came traipsing across the dewy lawn to join them, and Charles snickered to himself behind his cup of coffee. The boy was a carbon copy of his father, Alex, right down to the swagger of his walk.
A few moments later, Jason and Sally joined them. Jason walked taller and with more confidence than Charles remembered. Sally was obviously good for him. He got the feeling Jason would be good for her, too. Not that he understood why a man of Jason’s stature would take up with a common whore, but who was Charles to judge? With an even mixture of pleasure and disgust, he recalled the one time he had been with Sally in his wine cellar. Besides giving him one of the best blow jobs he’d ever had, she’d given him something far more important: a way to get back at his sworn enemy, Scott Mitchel.
“Good morning,” the happy couple said in near unison.
Sally ruffled her son’s hair. “Did you sleep well, Sweet Pea?”
“Yeah, Ma.” Bits of scrambled eggs fell from his open mouth.
Charles watched with amazement as Jason pulled out a chair for Sally and sat down beside her. The couple held hands on top of the table.
How cute.
He realized with sadness that except for his time with Katherine, he had never been all that happy. He couldn’t help but wonder if his memories of that time weren’t tainted by time and wishful thinking. What would Katherine think of their plan? He could only hope that if everything went south, at least he might be able to see her again on the other side. The thought alone made his chest tight. No, for the sake of his late wife, he would make everything right. For her, he would do anything—even risk his own life for those she loved. And it might come down to that.
***
Church Hill Neighborhood
Richmond, Virginia
June 27, 2026
8:00 AM
~~~
Mari stood poised at the door to her best friend’s home, afraid to knock. She worried that Ellie would see right through her ruse and call her out on sleeping with the precinct’s resident slime ball. On the drive over, she’d actually contemplated retirement just to avoid having to deal with the giant mess she had created by going home with Quinn.
Time to adult.
She sucked in a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Ellie opened almost immediately. “Was wondering when you were gonna knock.” She held open the door and Mari stepped inside. “What’s going on?”
“I was stupid. No, I was worse than stupid.” She sulked and followed her friend into the kitchen at the back of the house.
Ellie handed her a large cup of steaming hot coffee.
“Thanks.”
Mari hid behind the coffee mug to hide her shame, wondering if Quinn realized she was gone yet. She sunk down into one of the chairs. Last night’s events were a fog. Her friend’s inquisitive gaze bore into her, shaming her further.
“So, I’m guessing you didn’t go home alone last night.”
Mari groaned and let her head fall hard onto the kitchen table. “No.”
“Well?”
“It was awful. I snuck out before he woke up.”
“So Quinn isn’t the mystery man?” Ellie asked.
“God, no!”
Mari groaned in disgust. How could Ellie think that? No, her mystery man.... No, she couldn’t think about that now. She hid her face behind her hand and set the mug on the table in front of her. How had things gotten so out of hand? While everything seemed to be falling apart around her, her friend laughed in relief.
“Oh, thank goodness, because I just don’t think I could pretend to be a supportive friend if Quinn was your Mr. Dreamy.”
“I’m glad I can entertain you.”
Ellie covered Mari’s hand with her own and patted it.
“Ellie, how can I possibly show my face in the precinct on Monday? You know he probably sent out a memo announcing it to everyone.”
“You’re going to have to talk to him before then.”
“I knew you were going to say that.”
Mari’s smart watch pinged a new message from the devil himself.
Quinn: Hey babe, where did you get off to?
“Fuck,” she mumbled under her breath. “Are you sure I can’t just move to a different state?”
Ellie shook her head. “Time to face the music.”
***
Scott sat outside the house and watched the two women as they sat together drinking coffee. The new knife sheathed along his leg vibrated with the lack of use, as if urging him to put it to work at slicing through their skin and muscle, making them bleed. Their pale white throats begged to be torn to shreds. Their blood would pool on the polished wood floor in
that kitchen. The splatter on the walls would be a testament of his rage, a work of horrific art.
He’d been playing these thoughts in his mind for far too long, letting other men do what he dreamed of every night for as long as he could remember. The wait was almost over. He would take his time—a slow and agonizing death. Exsanguination. Soon.
He pulled out the syringe and stabbed the bulbous vein on his arm. The drug shot through his blood stream, awakening his senses and making his heart hammer in his chest. No one could stop him. No one.
***
Charles MacAvoy’s Estate
Danville, Virginia
June 27, 2026
8:00 AM
~~~
After breakfast, a tap on his shoulder caused Zane to turn.
Charles who pulled him aside, out of ear shot. “Have you had a chance to consider my offer?”
Zane glanced over at his mother. She and Jason stood under the eaves talking in hushed whispers. He could only hope that Jason would have better luck in talking her out of all this before someone got hurt. The way he saw it, the best thing he could do for his mother would be to stay close by and keep an eye on her and Charles. He looked away as his mother’s new boyfriend kissed her.
“Yeah, I’ll do it. It will be good to get back to work.”
“Wonderful.” Charles clasped his hands together and grinned back at Zane. “How’s about I have my assistant take you and Julie to the hospital today? Show you around to the staff and let you take a look at the lab? You can make a list of all the things that aren’t there that you might need. I had some men clean out the files in your lab in L.A. It’s being sent by overnight courier.”
“You did? Why?” Zane narrowed his eyes against the glare of the rising sun.
“Like I said, I believe in what you’re doing. Your project is going to save lives.”
“That’s the hope, Mr. MacAvoy.”
“Charles, please call me Charles.”
“Ok-ay....”
As Zane started back towards the house, Charles held up his hand. “There is one thing.”
And here comes the catch. “What’s that?”
“This thing with your mother. I’m going to need your help setting the plan in motion.”
“I knew there had to be a catch somewhere,” he mumbled under his breath.
“It’s quite simple. I need you to administer eight to ten milligrams of potassium to me by drip. I’m told that should be sufficient.”
Zane’s jaw dropped. “But that would—”
“Yes, it will get me a trip out of this place in the comfort of an ambulance.”
Zane couldn’t believe his ears. “Wow.”
“Will you do it?”
The man’s calm demeanor caused a chill to rise up Zane’s spine. “It could kill you.”
“I trust that you and that girl of yours can keep me alive long enough to make it to the hospital.”
The billionaire stood squarely in front of him with a confidence that made him uneasy. “What if I don’t?”
“The transplant doctor won’t act unless I’m alive. Don’t even think of trying to cross me on this, kid. You’ll lose.”
“Fucking bastard....” Zane crossed his arms over his chest to keep from decking the old man.
“I don’t need you to like me, Zane. I just need you to do your job. Can you do that?”
“Yeah, I can do that,” he said through clenched teeth. “Are we done here?”
“Yeah. You leave for the hospital in two hours. Be ready.”
Zane turned on his heel and stalked back over to Julie. He could feel his face burning red and his jaw hurt from clenching. He became aware that his hands were balled into tight fists. It would have felt so good to punch Charles, but he couldn’t let his hotheadedness ruin his mother’s chance at a transplant. Take it or leave it, that asshole was her only chance right now.
***
Manny checked his messages and smiled as he read the newest one.
Mari: Looking forward to seeing you tonight.
Jason tapped him on the shoulder. “If I were a betting man, I’d say you’re reading a message from a woman. Maybe that mystery gal you were with the other night?”
Manny’s face warmed and his mouth went dry. The anger and resentment from the day before seemed to have fallen away, as Jason smiled at him and punched him on the arm. Would he still be smiling after he told him who he was seeing?
“Who’s the girl?”
Gonna have to tell him some time. Might as well get it over with.
He looked Jason square in the eye and owned up to his secret like a man. “Marianna.”
His friend’s wide smile melted. “Are you serious?”
Manny nodded and pulled out the pack of cigarettes he’d gotten off one of the servants.
“Wh-when did...?”
“Almost a year ago.”
“I... I didn’t even know that you two knew each other.”
“We got close last summer while you were off with Sally.” Manny held the cigarette between his teeth to light it.
Jason huffed out a tense exhale and looked down at the ground.
Manny took a quick puff and let the smoke leak out his parted lips, glancing at his friend out of the corner of his eye. Would he try and punch him like he did the day before? To his relief, Jason stood there not saying a word, which was almost worse than getting knocked out.
“I’m sorry,” Manny said. “I should have told you sooner. We didn’t plan for it to happen, it just sort of did. I know trust and honesty are important to you, and the last forty-eight probably ruined whatever trust you have in me, but I’m not out to hurt you, man. I’m really not.”
“Do you make each other happy?”
“I think so.” Manny squinted against the sun’s glare. He hoped he made her happy. She certainly brought him joy.
Jason’s rigid stance loosened. “Then I’m happy for you both.” He crossed his arms tightly across his chest. “You deserve some happiness.”
Manny met his friend’s weary gaze and held it. “Thank you, Jason. That means a lot to me.”
Jason eyed the cigarettes. “Ya gonna bogart those or are you going to offer me one?”
“All right, man.” Manny laughed and tossed him the pack and a lighter.
“So,” Jason said, lighting a cigarette between clenched teeth. “What do you think about all this?” He tossed the pack back to Manny.
He shrugged. “What do you think?”
“I dunno.” Jason toed the grass with his shoe.
“Do you trust him?” Manny took a puff of his cigarette and studied his friend’s tense expression.
“Fuck, no.” Jason laughed a little but his shoulders remained locked tight.
“But you trust her?”
Jason’s shoulders drew in tighter and the lines on his forehead deepened. “I want to trust her, but she doesn’t make it easy.”
They made quite the pair, two old single men tangled up with two very head-strong women. After a long pause, Manny patted Jason on the back. “You deserve to be happy, too.”
Jason nodded and sucked in his bottom lip like he might cry. “Yeah... that would be nice.”
***
St. Rita’s Hospital
Danville, Virginia
June 27, 2026
10:00 AM
~~~
The state-of-the-art lab and equipment surpassed Zane’s wildest dreams.
“What do you think, Dr. Ride?” Zane’s new blonde-haired, blue-eyed assistant, Paul, smiled back at him.
“I’m not sure I ever believed in love at first sight until now.” He hated that he could be so easily bought like this, but he couldn’t help it. With all this at his disposal, he could, at last, make headway in his research. His prototype would save lives and make a difference in the world, unlike the selfish pursuits of his mother and her friends.
“Wow.” Julie took in the lab and touched all of the equipment like a kid at an FAO
Schwartz toy store. “I heard about this. The F46 is the most sophisticated technology used in brain hacking. I did a study with an older model where we recorded personal information and emotional states. It’s really fascinating.”
Zane’s heart thumped against his chest and his breath caught in his throat. Damn.
“What?” She smiled and looked away from him.
He sauntered over to her and whispered in her ear, “That was really hot.”
Julie rotated her hips and pressed against him. “Want me to talk about the work I did with Dr. Frenulum on engineering transplantable living nerve tissue?”
Zane groaned dramatically and tossed his head back. “Yeah, brain transplantation. That’s hot!”
He kissed her smiling lips despite the fact that his new assistant stood there watching.
Zane started to relax and a smile crept across his face. Something about her anesthetized the stress that kept his stomach in knots. The Julie Effect, as he started to call it in his mind, mesmerized him to the point where he didn’t hear the assistant anymore.
“Excuse me, Dr. Ride.”
Zane broke the kiss. “Hmm... what?”
Julie laughed and her cheeks stained pink.
The assistant frowned and pointed to the wall shelving unit with rows of scrubs and two white coats hanging on the hook. “We guessed at your sizes. Will these be sufficient?”
Zane swung the jacket around and slipped his arms into it. It fit as if they’d tailored it specifically for him.
Julie did the same, and damn if that white coat didn’t make her even hotter. She glanced over at him, and he got the distinct impression that her line of thinking matched his.
Julie stepped away to take in the rest of the lab. She finger-swiped a mini and flipped through his research.
He held a nervous breath, wondering what she thought of his work.
“This is really amazing. Your trial work is very thorough. The next step is the double blind?”
Zane nodded. When she looked back up at him he let out the breath he’d been holding. “Yep.”
She smiled and reached for his hand. “Smart and sexy....”
The assistant cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ll need to go to human resources to get your official badges. If you’ll just follow me, I’ll show you where that is.”
