Fractured Breaths

by Zoey Derrick

  “Aye, lad. And a hell of a lot of it.”

  Underneath the corpse are piles and piles of cash. Liam shuffles something around inside the vault. “Livia, take this, start on the other vaults.” He hands me a key that’s nearly identical to the one I just used.

  “I’m not opening anymore,” I squeak.

  “Aye, just find it and unlock it, one of us will open it,” Declan says and I start back at the first one again. This time I get to the third one and it unlocks.

  “It’s ready,” I tell the guys and Liam comes over.

  He pulls up on the handle and the vault disengages. The door creaks as Liam opens it. He shines his light inside. “Clear,” he announces.

  “Holy fuck,” I murmur when I take in the massive pile of cash inside the vault and hanging from the front of the stack is the key to the next vault. I grab it and go in search of it. This time I start on the right wall. Sure enough, the second one I try, or the eight one depending on how you count them, unlocks. Feeling confident that the first vault is the only vault with a corpse inside, I go ahead and pull it open. Again, more cash, and hanging like in the last one, another key. This one takes me back to the fourth one and I open it.

  I continue to repeat this process until I come to the last vault. Number nine. Inside is another pile of cash and a letter with my name on it.

  I pull the letter from on top of the cash and start reading it.

  I’m so very proud of you, darlin’. You did it.

  I’m sorry I’m no longer around for you and I will forever curse the day that Vito Ricci took me from you. But know that I have always and will always love you. You’re my shining star, my gorgeous angel. Take care of yourself and remember I will always be with you.

  I can barely make out the last few lines through my tears. Bryan comes over and wraps his arms around me. “He really is gone,” I sob. Ten years of grief, ten years without closure, come crashing down on me in the middle of a dusty, dirty room, in the basement of an abandoned building in New York City.

  I know one thing for certain now. My father died protecting this secret so I would be the one to find it. He didn’t do it to save his own skin. He did it to protect mine. “Shh, it’s alright, love. I’ve got you,” Bryan whispers in my ear.

  “What’s that?” someone says.

  “Lights out,” someone whispers and we’re bathed in darkness. Bryan stands with me in his arms as he walks toward where Liam and Declan were standing and he gently pushes me behind him. I can’t see anything but I feel the three of them converging around me.

  Through a gap in their circle, I can see light moving under the door and I hear the snaps of holsters and the sliding of guns as they’re unsheathed. “I called for back-up,” Declan whispers so softly I can barely make it out.

  “They would have announced themselves, or at the very least, called you that they were here,” Liam says in the same hushed tone.

  The light in the hallway grows narrower and the footsteps louder the closer they get to the door. I send up a silent prayer to my dad, hoping he’ll find a way to help us out of this. Maybe it’s just security. I try to calm my breathing. Bryan snakes his fingers through mine, this helps to calm me down. Aside from footsteps and breathing, it’s deadly quiet in this room. A flashlight shines into the door and into one of the vaults.

  “Well done, Livia.”

  The name and the voice send ice racing through my veins.

  The guys shift, drawing their weapons and cocking back hammers. It’s a sound I’d know anywhere.

  My heart is racing in my chest. I can’t hear anything besides the blood rushing in my ears. It feels like an eternity before the man who said my name steps into the doorway. I can’t see his face beyond the flashlight, but he’s standing square in the door. Ready to move or shift in either direct.

  “FBI,” Declan says. “Who are you?”

  The man laughs, “You know damn well who I am, Special Agent.” His voice in menacing and my body starts to tremble uncontrollably.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t Victor fucking Ricci,” Declan sneers. “I should have known you were following us.”

  “Oh, but you did know, didn’t you? You knew because I wanted you to know. How’d you like that little email to my uncle this morning?”

  “You have piss-poor grammar,” Declan jabs back.

  “Livia, there’s someone here who wants to see you,” Victor sneers and there are more footsteps. These are less clear, more of a shuffle than a walk. “You might remember Uncle Gio.”

  My breathing stops and I squeeze Bryan’s hand so hard he lets out a breath as the pain registers. “He’s here to bring you back home,” Victor adds.

  “Fuck you,” I threaten.

  “Oh, I’m sure that can be arranged.” I close my eyes. Despite the darkness, I need to hide myself as an old man comes into view and Declan and Liam raise their guns a little higher.

  “Walk away, Victor, right now,” Liam demands.

  “Oh no, I came here for two things, her and my money. I’m not leaving without either of them.” I hear the cocking of yet another gun and I squeeze my eyes shut even tighter. “So hand her over and I’ll let the three of you walk out of here unharmed. I’ll get what I came for and you leave with your lives.” Victor’s voice grows harsher the longer he talks.

  “Not happening,” Liam declares.

  “Let’s see, who should we start with, Uncle Gio?”

  “The skinny one.”

  “Noooo,” I cry out and try to push my way through my three protectors. They’re like the Great Wall of China and I make little progress. “Dammit, let me through,” I cry.

  “Let her through, boys,” Victor sneers.

  “Never,” Declan snaps.

  “The skinny one it is then.”

  The next thing I know, I’m being shoved to the floor and shots ring out all around us. There’s a loud thud as something, or someone, hits the ground, then another one and then the gunfire stops. “Oh god,” I scream.

  “Livia.” Bryan’s voice is weak. There’s another knock on the floor, this time close enough for me to feel it vibrate.

  “Bryan.” I scurry around and find Victor’s light shining on Bryan. His black t-shirt appears wet and dark. He pulls his hand away from his side. It's covered in blood. “Bryan,” I scream. “No, no, nooooo,” I cry and catch him as he falls.

  “No, dammit, no. Stay with me Bryan.” I put my hand on the wound in his side. “Don’t, don’t you dare leave me.” I kiss his forehead while I put pressure on his side. “I love you,” I sob. “Don’t leave me, please,”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Second chances.

  LIVIA

  “Country music superstar, Bryan Hayes was shot last night in an abandoned warehouse in Brooklyn. Representatives of the superstar have confirmed he was transported to Lutheran Medical Center, but we have not received an update on his condition at this time.”

  “Turn that shit off,” I demand as I’m pacing the waiting room where I’ve been for more than four hours. It’s all I can do to stop myself from going fucking insane.

  “Livia, please, sit down,” Liam says for the thousandth time. I glare at him. I’ve literally chewed my nails down to nothing as I wait for word from the doctor about Bryan’s condition. “He’ll be alright,” Liam says.

  I stop and glare at him. “You don’t know that.”

  “Aye, lass, but I’m trying to be optimistic here.”

  I close my eyes, try to take a deep breath but my lungs are fucking broken. I return to pacing the room.

  “Bryan Hayes,” a male voice says and I turn to see a doctor standing in the doorway in scrubs, a surgical mask around his neck and he pulls his cap off his head as Liam and I rush over to him.

  “I’m Doctor Liestner. I’m the trauma surgeon who operated on Bryan.”

  “How is he?” Liam, much calmer than I am, asks the question I need an answer to.

  “It was touch and go for a while. The
bullet went straight through, but it left quite the path of destruction in its wake. But we’ve been able to repair the internal damage. He lost a lot of blood so the next couple hours will tell us more. But I think he’s going to be just fine.”

  I collapse on the floor. “Thank god, thank god, thank god,” I mumble repeatedly.

  Liam kneels before me. “Come on, love. Doctor says you can see him for a few minutes.”

  The idea of seeing him spurs me into getting off the floor. Liam escorts me to the door where the doctor is waiting to take us to Bryan. “One at a time, for now,” he says and my panic returns.

  “Go on, lass. I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Aye,” I give him a small smile. He returns it and nods. I follow the doctor down the hall and he stops outside the door.

  “He’s got a lot of tubes in him. We had to put a drainage tube in his abdomen, but with any luck, we can take it out tomorrow. He’s also going to be quite pale as he lost a lot of blood.”

  “Okay,” I tell him and he opens the door.

  “Ten minutes, then he needs to rest.”

  “Is he awake?”

  “He’s coming out of the anesthesia, so he will probably be in and out of it for a while. He’s likely not to remember anything, but talk to him nonetheless.”

  “He’s really going to be okay?”

  The doctor smiles at me. “Yeah, he’ll be alright. It’s going to be a while before he’s back in tiptop shape, but he’ll get there.”

  “Thank you, Doctor, for everything.”

  He nods.

  I take a few hesitant steps inside the door. There’s a steady beeping noise on the other side of the curtain, otherwise it’s still and quiet in the room. I pull in a deep breath and hold it as I move the curtain aside.

  I tried to prepare myself, but I didn’t do a very good job of it.

  “Oh, god,” I quietly sob as I take in his still form. His eyes are closed; his skin is beyond pale. He has an oxygen cannula in his nose, but beyond that, he looks like he’s sleeping. There’s a mess of tubes in his right side, but they’re on the far side from me, so I try to ignore them for now.

  I approach the bed, unsure of what to do, what to say or even what to touch when I get there; I just know I need to feel him. I need to feel his warmth. I need to know he’s really still here with me.

  I reach his bedside; tears are streaming down my cheeks and I wipe them away before I take his hand in mine. He moans and his head moves from side to side but then he stills again. I gently sit on the side of the bed and pick his hand up and place it between my own. I kiss his knuckles. His hair is in his face so I brush it to the side and he leans his head in the direction of my hand so I cup his cheek.

  “I’m here, baby,” I whisper. His eyelids flutter as he fights to open his eyes. It’s really bright in here so I look around the room for a switch. That’s when I see a cord hanging from the light directly over him. I tug it down and the light goes out. The room, though still lit, is darker now. “That’s better,” I say softly.

  He grunts and tries again to open his eyes, this time they slowly start to open. His gorgeous blue eyes peer up at me. “Hi, baby,” I coo.

  “Hi,” he tries to speak, but it’s more of a raspy whisper. He clears his throat. “Hi,” he tries again and this time it’s much closer to his normal baritone.

  “You have no idea how happy I am to see those baby blues,” I tell him and I get a weak smile in return. “I’m so sorry. So very sorry,” I cry.

  “Shh, its okay. I’m okay,” he wheezes but I can hear his conviction behind them.

  “Are you in pain?” I ask.

  He gently shakes his head.

  “Good.” I give him a small smile.

  “What happened?” he asks.

  “You were shot.”

  “I know that, silly girl, Victor…the other guy?”

  “They’re dead. Liam and Declan took them down before they could get more than a couple shots off.”

  “Anyone else hurt?”

  I shake my head, “No.”

  “Good.” His eyes flutter closed again but his hand tightens around mine.

  I place my head gently against his shoulder and I cry.

  I cry for my father and what he did to protect me from Vito’s wrath.

  I cry for the fact that my fucked-up life is no longer in vein.

  I cry because I nearly got Declan and Liam killed.

  Because Bryan got shot.

  Because Bryan, the absolutely love of my life, is going to be okay.

  I cry because for the first time since I can remember, I can take a full, unbroken breath.

  I never have to run again.

  Because I am alive.

  Because I survived Vito Ricci’s crazy, not once, but twice.

  And I’m wholly and completely in love with the most amazing man I’ve ever met in my entire life.

  “You have to get better,” I say.

  “Why?” he croaks and I sit up to find matching tears in his eyes.

  I smile through mine and answer, “Because we have a date.”.

  “Where at?”

  “The courthouse.”

  His eyes close, a smile spreads across his face and one final tear slides down his cheek.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later.

  BRYAN

  Getting shot was a reality check I wasn’t prepared for.

  Turns out, I’m not as invincible as I envisioned I was, and I’ve let too much life pass me by without taking time to stop and smell the roses. Nearly losing my life made me realize there is more to living than my music career. Though I will never stop being a singer, I’ve learned to pull back some. To take some time for myself and most importantly, for Livia.

  When things finally settled down, I found the courage to ask Livia why she reacted to Uncle Gio the way that she did when he entered the room. She’d said she was glad he was dead because that meant I wouldn’t go after him. She was right. It turns out that Uncle Gio, or Giovanni – because that’s original – was the one responsible for Livia’s kidnapping. He was also the man who gave his men permission to rape and beat her. His voice had haunted her for ages and hearing it again, in person, was too much for her to process.

  I wanted to bring him back from the dead and kill him again.

  One day, Livia plans to visit her Uncle Vito in prison, just so that she can look him in the eye and tell him, game over. For now, that’s Declan’s job, and from what I understand he’s quite enjoying that little game.

  The investigation into the money is still on-going. In all, there was thirty-seven million dollars in those vaults. Thirty-seven million dollars that now belongs to the FBI. Liam keeps hinting at some sort of finder’s fee. Something about Livia being the one who found the money and the FBI didn’t even know it existed, and yet she turned it over to them. But right now, it’s evidence in one of the biggest money laundering schemes in American history.

  Liam is, well, Liam. However, somewhere along the tour he found something he’d been missing that he didn’t know was lost. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him happier than he is now. Only time will tell with him.

  I was released from the hospital one year ago today.

  I married the love of my life three hundred and sixty-four days ago.

  After a longer than expected recovery, partly because I wasn’t ready to leave my newlywed bliss, the tour went on as planned, just pushed back a few months and it was the most successful tour I’ve ever done. I guess fans were clamoring for a chance to see the country superstar who cheated death.

  The tour was so big and it was extended three times. I earned an Entertainer of the Year title for the second year in a row. It also gave me my first red carpet event to show off my wife.

  “Come on, Bryan, we gotta go,” Livia says from the intercom of the recording studio. I nod and look at her through the glass.

  As if marrying the love of my life wasn’t enough, she’s neve
r asked me to punish her like she did that day in the hotel again.

  Solving that puzzle was the closure she needed to bring back the Livia she was born to be. At mine and Liam’s urging, she started counseling and has made great strides in finding her happy place. Her past, not forgotten but accepted as a part of who she was always meant to be.

  She slides her hand along the small swell of her stomach. I smile at her again and leave my recording studio.

  I wrap my arms around her and lean down to kiss her silly.

  “Fiend,” she teases. “This is exactly how we ended up like this in the first place.”

  “Oh, you love it and you know it.”

  “Aye, I do.”

  I narrow my eyes at her. “Italian’s don’t say ‘aye’.”

  She narrows her eyes back at me. “World famous country superstars don’t make their wives late for doctor appointments.”

  I laugh, “Well then, momma, we better go.”

  “One more thing.” She wraps her arms tightly around me, pressing herself against me as tight as she’s capable.

  “Anything?”

  “Say it again.” She gives me a playful smile.

  “I love you, Livia Meadow Hayes.”

  There’s mischief in her eyes as she says in return, “I love you, Bryan Buford Hayes.”

  THE END