by K. C. Lynn
I’ve wondered that too, but the chance that she got busted trying to get that key is the most likely scenario. “Either way, I’m going to make that son of a bitch pay for it.”
He goes silent and I know what he’s going to say before he even says it. “Listen, Jameson, promise me you’re going to do this clean. It’s obvious you have a past with this guy, and I don’t blame you for wanting to cause him some serious harm. I hate him myself, but we do this the right way.”
As bad as I want to extract some serious revenge on the guy, I wouldn’t cross that line. I took an oath and I won’t break it, especially not for a piece of shit like him. “Don’t worry, I’m good. I won’t be crossing any lines.” Unless it comes down to Emily’s safety, because her life goes before anyone’s, including mine. But I keep that to myself.
He nods. “Everything is in place for the dinner tomorrow; Crowley and Higgins should be arriving tonight. Let’s fucking pray all this shit will come to an end and we bust the fucker.”
Oh we will, because there is no other option. I refuse to fail.
Our talk ceases when the doctor dims the light to start the session. “Are you comfortable, Emily?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’m going to put you in a more relaxed state now. Remember there is nothing to fear, although you’ll be in a deep part of your subconscious you will hear my voice and you will be able to communicate back with me the entire time. Do you understand?” She nods. “Good. I want you to look up at the ceiling and focus on the red dot up there. Now take a really deep breath through your nose then hold it… and exhale slowly through your mouth. Great, and again, another deep breath… Now I want you to focus more intently on that light and I’m going to count back from ten. When I get to one your eyes will close and you will be in a deep part of your subconscious. Ten… Nine… Eight.” The doctor does something on his computer as she continues to stare at the ceiling. “The area around the red dot is starting to blur. Seven… Six… Your body is feeling weightless and your eyes tired.”
“Jesus, this is making me fucking tired,” Stone mumbles and looks away for a minute. I agree, the guy’s voice alone could put anyone to sleep, but I refuse to take my eyes off Emily.
“Three.” By this time Em’s eyes start to flicker heavily. “Two… One.” They close. “Can you hear me, Emily?”
“Yes,” she whispers, not really sounding all there, which just freaks me out. I took psychology courses in college knowing it would help my chances of getting in to the FBI. The mind is a fucked up thing and incredibly powerful. I remember when I first started I had attempted to research some of Emily’s condition but didn’t find much information on it. At least not anything she hadn’t already told me.
“I want you to go back to the night you lost your sight. Do you remember it?”
“Yes.”
“Good. What is the first memory you have of this night? You said your parents are hosting a charity function at your house. Are you in attendance?”
“No. I’m with my nanny, Isa, she just put me to bed and walked out.”
“Do you fall asleep?”
“No, I can’t because I can hear my parent’s party downstairs and it’s too loud.”
“Okay, so what do you do?”
“I sneak out of my bedroom window to go to the wishing well.”
“Wishing well?”
I watch a small smile grace her face. “Yes. It’s in the woods by my house. I love going there and I go a lot when I can’t sleep.”
“Why do you have a hard time sleeping?”
Her brow furrows in concentration. “I don’t know.”
“Okay, that’s all right. Are you walking to the well now?”
“Yes.”
“How is the weather? Is it cold or…”
“No, it’s warm. I’m only in my white nightgown and slippers, but I’m not cold.”
“What do you see on the way to the well?”
“Flowers from our beautiful garden that Manuel takes care of. I even pick one to bring with me.”
“That’s nice. What color is it?”
“White. I don’t know the kind, but it’s…” She trails off with a gasp, her entire body tensing.
“Emily, is everything okay?”
“No. Someone is screaming,” she replies shakily, fear evident in her voice.
I sense Nick glance at me but I don’t take my eyes off Em.
“Do you know who it is?” She shakes her head. “Is it a man or a woman?”
“A woman,” she whispers, her body now trembling.
“Can you hear any other voices?”
“A few men, but I don’t know who. One sounds like my father.”
“What are they saying?”
“I don’t know. I can’t hear them, it’s muffled and I’m too far away.”
“Emily, I want you to follow the voices. I want you to go where you did that night.”
“No, I don’t want to. I’m too scared.” My chest pulls tight at the panic in her voice.
“It’s all right. Nothing can happen to you. You are safe. These are only your memories, they can’t hurt you. Take a deep breath.” She does, but when she exhales it’s shaky. “Good job. Now be brave and follow the voices. I promise nothing will hurt you… Are you walking?”
“Yes,” she chokes out.
“Are the voices leading you to the well?”
“No, in the opposite direction. I’m in the woods now, far from the house.” A whimper escapes her. “Her screams are getting louder. She’s begging for help.”
“Keep going, Emily, you’re doing good. What…”
She gasps. “I can see them.”
“Who?”
“My father, Mr. Prescott, and… I can’t see the third guy clearly. I can’t tell who it is.”
“Can they see you?”
“No, I’m hiding behind a tree.”
“What are they doing?”
A small sob falls escapes her lips. “They’re hurting a lady. Mr. Prescott is holding her down on her knees while my father hits her.”
“Do you recognize the woman?”
“Yes, she was at the party but I don’t know who she is. She was really kind to me… Oh god, they’re hurting her really bad.” She cries. “I want to help her, I want to tell my father to stop but I’m scared. So scared that I can’t move.”
“Can you hear what they’re saying to her?”
“She’s telling them to let her go. She says that she has proof at work and people know where she is.”
“Holy fuck!” Nick says, realizing who the lady is at the exact moment that I do. “The fucking social worker.” I nod at the possibility. The timeline matches up.
“My father laughs at her and breaks something. A camera I think…. Oh no, the man has a gun!”
“Who, Emily, who has a gun?”
“The man I can’t see clearly. He’s pointing it at her… No stop! Please don’t hurt her,” she screams and flinches, her entire body jolting. “Oh god, they just shot her.” She sobs. “And they see me now. They’re going to kill me…” I watch her start to go into hysterics, her body thrashing.
I slam on the glass and shout at the doctor to pull her out, but he ignores me.
“Emily, it’s okay, you need to keep calm.”
Her head thrashes back and forth. “No, they’re after me, help me please… Ahhhh!” Panic grips me as her scream fills the air, her body shakes uncontrollably and her back spasms off the couch.
“Fuck!” I charge out of the room and try to get into hers but it’s locked. “Motherfucker!” I kick it in and see Emily on the floor, looking like she’s having some sort of fucking seizure. The doctor is next to her trying to calm her down, but it isn’t doing a damn bit of good. With my heart in my throat, I race over and wrap her in my arms, trying to hold her still. “Bring her the fuck out now!” I yell, deciding if he doesn’t follow the order in the next two seconds I will pull my fucking gun on him.
&
nbsp; He nods vehemently. “Emily, I want you to listen to me. Focus on my voice. I’m going to count back, again from ten, when I reach one you will wake up and remember everything. Ten… Nine…”
She continues to scream and thrash. I hold her tight and bring my mouth in her ear. “I’m here, Em. It’s okay, baby, don’t be scared. I’m here.” Her body stills immediately and the doctor nods his head at me to continue talking to her as he counts down. “I got you, Em. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”
“One.” As the doctor speaks the last number Emily’s eyes snap open, and she gasps, inhaling a huge breath. I continue to rock her and hold her tight, her body still trembling. She pushes away and stands to her feet with her hands out in front of her as she looks around the room, trying to get her bearings.
I stand and approach her slowly. “Em, it’s okay. You’re in the doctor’s office.”
At the sound of my voice, her wet, emotional eyes finally focus on me. “Ryder?”
“Yeah, baby, it’s me. It’s okay.”
“Oh god,” she croaks out, her voice hoarse from her screams. “They killed her.” She sobs. “That man shot her in the head. I tried to stop them but I couldn’t.” I reach out and pull her against me. “They saw me, Ryder. They ran after me. The man with the gun grabbed me.”
My chest pulls tight at the fear in her voice. “It’s okay, baby. Everything is okay now. No one is going to hurt you.”
“Do you know who it was? The man with the gun?” Nick asks a few moments later.
She shakes her head. “No, for some reason I couldn’t see his face. I could see everyone else’s but his. Even when he was facing me, I still couldn’t see him.”
“Your mind wouldn’t you let you see him.” The doctor speaks up now for the first time, and my blood boils hot with rage.
Before I can stop myself, I step back from Emily then, quickly grab the prick by his shirt and get into his face. “I told you to pull her the fuck out! Why didn’t you do it? What’s wrong with you? You knew how fucking critical this could be for her!” I feel Nick grab at me but I don’t let go.
He sputters in fear. “I’m sorry. I was trying to get the other name for you.”
“She comes before that shit and I fucking told you that. You locked the fucking door on me, you son of a bitch!”
“That’s enough, Jameson, back off now, you’ve made your point.” I let Nick pull me back but not before I shove the asshole.
I look back at Emily to see her arms wrapped around herself, looking scared and alone, still trying to breathe through her sobs. “Ryder, I want to leave. I just want to go home.”
I rush back over to her and don’t think twice about picking her up. “We’re out of here, baby.” She wraps her arms tightly around me and buries her face in my neck. I look back at the doctor and try to push my anger aside. “Is it safe to take her?”
He nods shakily. “Yes, but I have something I can prescribe to help make her more relaxed so she can sleep tonight.” He walks around his desk then writes something down before handing me a prescription. I take it because I have a feeling she’s going to need it. “I’m sorry, Emily, I hope you sleep well.” He sounds sincere, but I still want to punch the prick in the face, especially for locking me out.
Em turns her face to address him. ‘It’s all right; it’s not your fault. Thank you, Doctor, for helping me.”
Nick nods at me. “Go ahead. I’ll take care of the rest here.”
“Thanks.” I walk out with Emily in my arms. She turns her face back into my neck and I feel her body tremble with her tears. “Everything’s going to be okay, Em. I promise.”
Chapter 22
Emily
The next night I stand in front of my floor length mirror and stare back at my reflection, seeing myself in a whole new way. The gold, silk evening gown falls nicely down my body, hugging me in the right places but flows loosely in others. The thin spaghetti straps show off my slender shoulders and the front dips low enough to show minor cleavage while keeping it classy. The back is my favorite part though; it’s completely open, leaving me bare until the soft material molds just above my backside. My hair is swept to the side with a big, sparkly, rose gold barrette clipped in the midst of loose curls. My eye make up is smoky and intense with matching rose gold shimmering shadow. It makes my ice blue eyes look almost like glass. My lips are moist and shiny with soft pink gloss.
Cece most certainly did her magic on me. Even though I can put my own make up on, and do my hair, I could not do it to the extent that I needed it for tonight, so, again, she rescued me. I wish she was coming, but then I figured it’s probably a good thing she isn’t. I feel horrible that I’ve been avoiding her. She knows I’m heartbroken over Rosa, and thankfully she thinks that’s why I’ve kept my distance. When, in fact, it’s hard for me to be around her and keep this horrendous secret, especially knowing her father is involved. She’s going to be devastated when this all comes out, and I pray she forgives me for not telling her.
As scared as I am for this to come out, I hope Ryder and Nick are successful in bringing it all down tonight. I don’t know how much longer I can go on with this farce. To be around my parents and pretend I don’t know what my father has done, especially to Rosa, is killing me. The way he stood at her funeral and watched her be lowered in the ground while acting like the grieving boss – I don’t think I’ve ever hated him more than I did in that moment.
Ryder enters the room, breaking me from my thoughts. “Hey, baby, can…” He stops short and sucks in a sharp breath when he sees me. His eyes widen and storm with something powerful as they sweep down my body. “Jesus, you look fucking incredible.”
“Thank you,” I reply softly and feel my cheeks heat. “You look pretty good yourself, Jameson. You clean up nice.” I tease with a small smile. I would have never pictured seeing Ryder in a suit, but lord does he fill it out nicely. I mean, exceptionally nice. Although, I don’t think there is anything that he wouldn’t look amazing in.
He smirks and takes a seat on the edge of my bed. “Yeah, well, since I have to try and pull off the part of not being a piece of trash from the wrong side of the tracks, I figured this would help.”
Although he says this jokingly, my heart pinches at his words. I walk closer to him and he opens his legs before pulling me in between them. His hands hold the back of my thighs while mine frame his face. “You’re not trash and you never have been. You have more class and integrity than anyone else who will be there tonight. And I’m proud to have you there with me.” Leaning down, I press a kiss to his forehead and feel him release a deep breath before burying his face in my stomach.
“I don’t fucking like this, Em. I don’t want you anywhere near that fucking house or those people.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and thread my fingers through the back of his hair as I hold him close against me. I know all of this has been hard on him too. It’s been killing him to see me so upset, and for me to be involved in it. I also know he harbors guilt over Rosa, no matter how many times I tell him it’s not his fault. The only person who is to blame is my father.
“I know, but it’ll be okay, and hopefully everything works out tonight and I will never have to be near them again.”
He hugs me closer. “Never, Em. I swear to God, no matter what happens after tonight, this is the last time I will let you near them.” He looks up at me. “I want you to promise me you will stay in the midst of the party. That you won’t go anywhere alone.”
I nod, my stomach twisting with nerves over this whole mess, but I don’t want him to worry even more so I try to hide it as best as I can. “I promise.”
He reaches in his pocket and pulls something out that I don’t recognize. “This is an audio device. You, Nick and I are going to be linked together the entire time. We will all hear each other and be able to communicate, but this is only used for you if you need help. Otherwise, try to pretend it’s not even there.” He hands me this tiny looking wire that has a s
mall mic attached to it. “Clip this inside your dress to your bra.”
I take it from him. “But I’m not wearing a bra.”
He stiffens and stares at me for a shocked moment before his gaze drops to my chest and he lets out a tortured groan. “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Em? Why the fuck would you tell me that? How am I supposed to concentrate?”
“You told me to clip it to my bra, so I told you the truth. What else am I supposed to say?”
“Fucking lie to me and just clip it to the inside of your dress then.” I bust out laughing, but he finds nothing funny about it. Rolling my eyes, I reach inside and clip the tiny wire to the material. “Make sure the mic is facing your mouth.”
My eyes snap to his at hearing how gruff his voice is. His gaze is afire, holding promise, and it ignites a small burn low in my tummy. I welcome the feeling, the one he always brings me because it feels a hell of a lot better than the heartache that has consumed me since Rosa’s death, or the fear from remembering everything last night… Don’t go there, Emily.
Ryder stands and comes to my right side before adding something in my ear. It’s so tiny I can barely feel it. “Won’t someone see this?”
“No.” I falter when I hear him through the wire. “No one will see or hear anything, no matter how close they are. This isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill wire, baby. This is high tech shit for the big boys,” he adds with an arrogant wink.
“That’s pretty cool,” I muse with a smile.
“I think you’re fucking cool.”
I giggle but he cuts it off with a delicious kiss. I moan into his mouth, desperately wanting to get lost in him, because when I’m with him like this nothing hurts.
“Do you guys mind getting a move on?” I gasp and pull away at the sound of Nick’s voice.
Ryder grunts. “I guess that means you’re linked in?”
“Sure am. Hey, Emily.”
“Hi, Nick,” I reply, feeling embarrassed he just heard us kissing.
“Just pretend the asshole isn’t here,” Ryder says.
