by K. M. Hodge
The priest continued to pray, but his words seemed to blend together. The events of the last year weighed heavily on her. She didn’t deserve Jason or this chance at a real life, but her own selfish wants and desires overtook reality.
“Amen.” Father Kelley did the sign of the cross, and Sally and Jason mimicked the rote motion along with him. “Seeing as how you’re still legally dead, I won’t be able to file anything with the state. Once you get all that straightened out, let me know and we can make this official. Oh, and please let me know how the surgery goes, and if any of the ladies of the church can be of help when you are released home.”
“Thank you, Father.” Jason shook his hand and walked him to the door.
Sally watched them go. When they were out of sight, she left the tears fall. The fear of the surgery, getting caught helping a known criminal escape house arrest, and her unexpected wedding overwhelmed her emotions. The last commitment scared her the most. This man treated her with the utmost love and respect, and yet she still worried.
Jason walked back in with the surgeon at his heels.
Sally tried not to think about it too much. Charles had assured her that even though the man had lost his license, he was still a respectable transplant surgeon. She didn’t want to die—not now, when her life was just beginning—but that wasn’t her only concern. Even if she did survive, things could go bad for her. Really bad. Like if she got caught with the chip. The doctor had agreed to take the fall if that happened, but would he? She swallowed hard and clutched the bed sheets in her fists.
“Ms. Ride,” the surgeon said, “I didn’t want you to think we’ve forgotten about you. We’re waiting for the OR to open up since we technically need two.”
Sally twisted the bed sheet around her fists, not trusting her voice.
“So, we should be a go in about an hour. Do you have any questions?”
“No, no questions. Just anxious to get this over with.”
“We’ll get you all squared away. Don’t worry.”
Worry? No, how about terrified? Life gets so much scarier when you can lose people that you love.
Chapter 9
St. Rita’s Hospital
Danville, Virginia
June 28, 2026
10:00 AM
~~~
Mari stretched out in the king-sized bed that she’d slept in alone. At some point in the wee hours of the morning, a hospital administrator had woken her from the uncomfortable waiting room chairs and had led her up to the top floor, to a trio of suites.
Ellie, awake despite the early hour, had briefed her on what she knew and then walked her to bed, even tucking her in like a child.
Mari’s anxiety had weighed heavily on her mind, but she had managed to get some sleep.
Now, as she stretched, her thoughts went to Manny and how much she loved him. A rap on the opened bedroom door broke her from her train of thought.
“Good morning,” Ellie said, a little too chipper for Mari’s taste. “You hungry?”
Mari’s stomach growled at the thought of food, and she realized she hadn’t eaten in almost twenty-four hours. “Yes, please. I’m starved.”
“I thought you might be. Go freshen up while I whip something together. Charles’ people have the fridge stocked.”
Mari rolled out of bed and got cleaned up quickly, avoiding looking at her reflection in the mirror. A change of clothes sat on the vanity table in the bathroom, along with a toothbrush and deodorant. Small mercies.
Once she had cleaned up, she joined Ellie at the kitchen table. “Smells great.”
“I like to cook when I’m stressed.”
Mari filled her plate with scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon.
Ellie jumped up from the table. “Coffee’s ready.”
Mari’s heart filled with gratitude. The corners of her eyes stung and she sniffled behind her hand.
Ellie placed a mug in front of her and touched her shoulder. “How are you holding up?”
She shook her head and swallowed hard. “I’m fine. The doctors are hopeful.”
Her friend sat and placed a napkin on her lap before taking a sip of her coffee. “Manny’s a good man.”
Ellie’s words cut through her walls. “Yes, he is.” The tremor in Mari’s voice gave way to the full weight of her grief. She pushed aside her worries, ignoring the persistent feelings welling up inside of her. Instead, she filled her fork and shoveled in a bite of eggs, then swallowed the food without chewing. Still, the intrusive thoughts continued to pop up.
What if he dies before I tell him the truth?
***
Zane poured himself another big cup of coffee, and popped in an ice cube so he could drink it quickly. He recalled a recent article about caffeine patch abuse in doctors, nurses, and other first responders, but just shook his head and drank his coffee, wincing from the heat.
Charles’ personal nurse had informed Zane that the boss man seemed to be doing well. And they would be taking his mother up to the OR about now. His heart fluttered from exhaustion, over-caffeinating, or worry, he didn’t know which.
“You read my mind.” Julie lumbered into the break room and poured herself some coffee. A small smile broke out across her face as she glanced at him from over the top of the cup.
He got the feeling that coffee wasn’t the only thing on her mind just then. He couldn’t help but smile back at her when she inched closer to him and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. He lazily looped his free arm around her waist and rubbed slow circles on her back.
She leaned into his touch and moaned.
He set down his coffee and broke the kiss. “Turn around.”
She narrowed her eyes, but complied.
“Relax.” He kissed her neck and rubbed her shoulders, kneading the tight knots that connected her shoulders to her neck. As he kissed his way up her neck to her ear, she groaned and pressed back against him.
“That feels great.” She moaned again as he nipped and sucked his way back down her neck. “Don’t stop.”
He smiled and slid his hands from her shoulders to her back, and then around to the front to tug the ends of her scrubs up.
“Lock the door,” she gasped.
He turned the knob until it clicked, and quickly returned to find her shimming out of her scrub bottoms. The urgency in her eyes sent him over the edge. The recklessness of their relationship normally would have caused him to pause, but this time, he followed his desires.
***
St. Rita’s Hospital
Danville, Virginia
June 28, 2026
11:00 AM
~~~
Jason stood beside Sally’s hospital bed fidgeting with his father’s wedding band—his now. The old man had been a little heftier than Jason so it didn’t quite fit.
Sally reached out and stilled his hands. “Stop, you’re making me nervous.”
He sat down in the chair beside her and took her hand in his. “I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t believe he was actually married. It had only taken fifty years to find the perfect woman for him. He silently mourned all the years they could have been together but weren’t.
Sally squeezed his hand. When he looked up, she smiled. “Kiss me.”
He bent over the hospital bed and did as instructed. “I love you,” he said against her lips.
“I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”
“I’ll never tire of saying it.”
“Good.” She poked him in the chest and he laughed.
As the minutes on the clock beside her bed ticked by, the jovial moment passed and his chest tightened. He tried to push away the nagging fears that plagued him, but they buzzed around the room like a persistent fly. The thoughts of losing her again, of never getting a chance at realizing their impossible dream, left him feeling hollow.
Sally’s nurse walked into the room and Jason stood.
“It’s time.” The nurse injected something into Sally’s IV port. “No jewelry,
ma’am.”
Sally’s hands shook as she took off her smart watch.
“I’ll be right here.” Jason swallowed hard, trying to push down the giant ball of emotions that rolled around his throat, choking him.
Sally removed her medallion and nose ring, and handed it all to him. There wasn’t room for his own fear, so he shrugged it off and grasped her hand.
She squeezed back and nodded.
He watched as they wheeled her down the hall and through the locked automatic double doors, and then he returned to the room to stand by the small window. With his arms crossed over his chest, he bit his lip to keep from crying. It was moments like this when all he could think about was holing up somewhere with a bottle of scotch. Instead, he grabbed his notebook, walked out of the room and down the hall to the single door leading to the courtyard outside.
Sitting on one of the stone benches, he pulled out that paper and got to work. He soon lost himself in the mundane words, but somewhere in the back of his mind, a part of him still wrung his hands and cursed fate.
***
The hospital may have been state of the art, but it still smelled like a hospital. Mari grumbled to herself as she wandered aimlessly around the endless matching hallways, until she came to a door leading out to a courtyard. Movement drew her eye, and she almost turned around.
No, I’m a grown woman. I can do this.
She pushed open the heavy door and stepped out into the blinding light.
When the door swung shut with a bang behind her, Jason looked up from his notebook and met her gaze. “Mari.”
The familiar and comforting sound of her name on his tongue made her stomach flip-flop. She swallowed hard and tried to find her voice. “Hi.” She walked out of the direct sunlight and into the shade where he sat. She couldn’t help but smile when he scooted over to make room for her on the bench.
“Here, have a seat. You’ve got to be exhausted. Have you managed to get any rest? How’s Manny? What are the doctors saying?”
His ramblings managed to put her at ease. Apparently, he didn’t know how to act either.
A small smile crept up at the corners of her mouth as she walked over to the bench and sat down beside him. She settled back against the bench and looked down at his aging hands folded in his lap. The early morning light reflected off the band of gold encircling his ring finger on his left hand. She sucked in a short breath of surprise.
Married... that can’t be. He said he didn’t believe in marriage... or maybe....
Jason followed her gaze down to the ring and held his hand up to examine it, as if he himself wasn’t quite sure how it had gotten there.
“Y-you got married?”
“This morning.” A fleeting smile crossed his face.
She suddenly felt faint. “Um... uh... congratulations, best wishes, and all that, I guess.”
“Thanks.” He looked away. “Manny—”
“He-uh... he had a mini-stroke last night, but the doctors say he’s doing better today.” She crossed her arms over her body as a chill rippled through her.
“Tell him... I don’t know... I’m thinking about him. Fuck! Why’s it so hard for me to talk to you?”
Mari sighed with relief. “I don’t know. It didn’t used to be this hard.”
“I’ve missed talking to you. Sometimes I think about calling you, but I never do. Because it would be weird, right?”
“Me too.” She looked down at her feet. “I really thought we could still be friends. It just got so hard and awkward, like now.”
Jason fiddled with the pen in his hand. “I know.” He crossed his ankles and leaned back against the bench. “Are you and Manny serious?”
“Yes... no... I don’t know.”
A pregnant pause fell between them.
Mari leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees. “How’s Sally? She seems pretty healthy for a dead woman.” She swallowed and cleared her throat. “Ellie said she isn’t doing so well. Something about complications from the shooting last year.”
“Yeah, it’s a long story, but the short of it is that she’s getting a kidney transplant right now.” He bit his bottom lip and looked away from her.
Mari sat up in surprise. Kidney transplants, heart attacks, and strokes—the bad news bears of relationships. No wonder they were middle-aged and still single.
No, wait, that isn’t true anymore. He took the plunge and gotten married.
She had been the one pushing Manny away as soon as things had gotten serious.
She ventured a glance Jason’s way, and the pained expression on his face brought her out of her self-deprecating train of thought. “I’m sure she’ll be just fine. The doctors here seem to be good. At least Charles did one thing right in his life by building this place.”
Jason harrumphed. Fine lines arrayed around his mouth and eyes as he smiled.
She glanced down at the notebook resting on his lap. “Are you working on a new book?”
“Yeah, I’m trying to, at least.”
“I read the last one. It was really rather good. I think it’s maybe your best to date, even.”
The tell-all novel read more like a memoir. Even though it had pained her to read it, she did it anyways and found some of the closure she needed to move on.
Jason’s shoulders dropped and he let out a deep exhale. “Thanks, that means a lot to me.”
“I’ll let you get back to your work.” Her knees popped as she stood. “Manny should be moved into his private room by now. I promised him I would be by first thing.”
Jason opened and closed his mouth like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind.
Mari smiled. “What?”
“I—” His voice cracked. “I’m sorry about how things played out with us. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“I know.”
She didn’t like to think about last summer, and the long-term psychological damage that resulted from her kidnapping and beatings. The nightmares of her experience with the psychotic killer, Tidy, haunted her almost nightly. After going through intensive cognitive behavioral therapy, she could now go to sleep with the lights off.
In the beginning, when her mental health hung by a thread, Manny had made her feel safe and loved. He still did, and for her, someone who normally didn’t trust anyone, that said a lot. Unlike her relationship with Jason, she always knew where she stood with Manny. And yet, she knew a part of her would always love Jason.
Not knowing what else to say, she turned and walked back through the metal door into the hospital, and to the man who loved her beyond reason.
***
Church Hill Neighborhood
Richmond, Virginia
June 28, 2026
Noon
~~~
The need inside Scott bubbled over like an unwatched pot. With each passing hour the rage inside of him became harder to control. All through the long night he’d mumbled to himself.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
The clichés rolled over and over in his mind, offering little reassurance.
The tip of his sharp steel blade pricked his finger, causing blood to pool at the tip. He imagined the rush of burying the knife deep into her flesh—flaying her open on the kitchen floor.
Time was running out. The most thrilling part of his plan was supposed to be seeing solider boy’s face when he found his wife bled out on the kitchen floor. The calendar on the fridge said he would be home today.
Scott stretched out his legs and checked the time again.
Where did Charles’ men take the good doctor? Will she be coming home?
He had no choice but to wait. A slow smile crossed his face and he closed his eyes.
***
St. Rita’s Hospital
Danville, Virginia
June 28, 2026
Noon
~~~
Charles watched as the nurse bandaged his leg. A thrill of excitement buzzed through him,
making his tired heart skip a beat. The surgeon had removed the house arrest chip from his leg and transferred it into Sally’s without setting the damn thing off. Their matching RH factor and blood type had made her a perfect host.
Once the nurse finished bandaging him up and the doctor took another listen to his heart, he would be free to go.
Free.
His stomach clenched.
With guilt? Fear?
This would be his fourth murder. For the last eighteen years, he’d been forced to examine his life and the choices he’d made.
So what? I took the lives of three skullduggerous assholes.
The way he saw it, the state should have thanked him for taking those people off the streets, something they had failed to accomplish. Meanwhile, Scott, a truly evil man, still walked freely to hurt innocent people.
Not for long.
The nurse rolled down his pant leg. “All set.”
Charles swung his legs off the cardiac procedure table, which is where he was, as far as the Virginia Correctional System was concerned, getting an angioplasty. A wave of dizziness coursed through him. He needed to be careful. He sat still for a moment with his legs hanging over the side of the table, waiting for it to pass.
The nurse pointed at him and scowled. “Change the bandage every day.”
“Yes ma’am.”
He jumped off the table, eager to go, and winced as the impact of the landing radiated over the wound. It was a good pain, a reminder that he was free at last.
The nurse shook her head and went about cleaning up the mess.
Charles didn’t waste a second more. He walked out of the room with no identifying information or devices on him. To be safe, he went down the back stairs to the parking garage, where a car was waiting to take him to his destiny.
***
Mari walked through the hospital parking garage at a fast clip. The large coffee, from the shop down the road, burned her hand despite the cardboard cozy. As she switched the cup to the other hand, she noticed a man with graying blonde hair getting into a car.
When he turned to get into the vehicle, she gasped. It had been a year since she’d seen his face, but she would recognize it anywhere. Except... it couldn’t be. He was under house arrest.
