“Hey! This is lovely Justin.”
“Not nearly as lovely as you.” He kissed me. “Happy Valentine’s Day gorgeous.”
“Thank you for the roses. They’re beautiful. Justin?”
“Yeah babe.”
“I feel terrible.
“Why?” he sounded so concerned.
“I didn’t get you anything. Well, I did, but it’s at home. I didn’t know when we left...” my voice trailed. I had gotten him a ring. It was a really cool puzzle ring that actually looked like puzzle pieces. I wanted it to be a representation of how we had come together like that of a puzzle.
“Oh honey, that’s okay. You can give it to me when we get back. I don’t want that to spoil your day, okay?”
“Okay. Well, it is your fault after all.”
We laughed.
“Look at the glow on the horizon,” he said. It was a blend of pinks, oranges and reds, chasing away the darkness of the night.
“It’s awesome, isn’t it?”
“Uh huh. It reminds me of something.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“How each day with you brings something new into my life. And how just when I think I’ve gotten you pegged, you do or say something, that opens my eyes even wider and lets me know there are some really magical things about you Terrington Mitchell, that will take the rest of my life to figure out. So, that’s what I’d like to do. Terri, will you marry me? Will you be my wife? Will you share my life because I can’t stand the thought of going through mine without you right there with me. I’ve thought about what it was like before us, and baby, I don’t want to be in that place ever again. You make my life full. You make me into the man I want to be. You put the beat into my heart and the spirit into my soul. I love you Terri with my body, mind and spirit and I will for the rest of my life. I’ll always be true and faithful to you. Marry me please.”
Then he opened up his hand and in it sat a small black velvet box.
I sat and looked at him, and then smiled. “Justin, I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you...that night we went to dinner with Pearce and Lexi. Yes, I’ll marry you. I couldn’t stand the thought of going through life without you either. And I think this is the most romantic and sexy proposal I’ve ever heard of in my entire life.” Then I kissed him with everything I had. I jumped on him so hard, I knocked him backwards on the blanket and we just made out for a while. The sky lightened up all around us and finally we broke apart to breathe.
“Honey, look at the sun.”
The huge half orange glow was just beginning its ascent on the horizon.
“How perfect is this?”
“It will be even more perfect if you look at your engagement ring.”
My hand flew to my mouth because I had completely forgotten about it.
“Oh Justin, I’m sorry honey.”
He laughed. “It’s okay babe. I know it’s that stupendous charm of mine.”
“Yeah, it is. Really.”
He held out the box for me to take but I wanted him to do the honors.
“Open it please and put in on my finger.”
He did and I only gulped.
“Honey, I want you to love this. If you don’t love it, you can return it for something that you do love. Okay?”
“Yeah, but I love this one,” I whispered as I ran my finger across it. It was so beautiful...brilliantly beautiful the way the diamond caught the first rays of the morning sun. I sighed.
“It’s a Tiffany Legacy with a cushion cut stone. But if it’s not to your liking, you can get whatever you want.”
“Um Justin?”
“Yeah honey.”
“This is to my liking. A whole lot.”
He laughed then. Really laughed.
“Justin?”
“Yeah Terri.”
“Thanks. This has been the most perfect engagement and the best Valentine’s Day ever. Will you pinch me, ‘cause I know I gotta be dreaming.”
“No babe, I’m the one that must be dreaming. You’re my dream come true.”
We just stayed out there, wrapped up in each other’s arms, watching the sun continue to lazily climb to its perch overhead. For whatever reason, I didn’t want this moment to end. It was our own utopia, and the reality of going home depressed me for some reason. I snuggled closer in Justin, rubbing my nose against his neck and inhaling that intoxicating scent of him that I adored so much. As I lay there being held by this wonderful man, I couldn’t think of one thing I wanted to change about him or us. Our lives together would be so exciting...so great that I couldn’t imagine how we ever made it a day without each other.
“I love you so much Justin.”
“And I love you. That’s why I want to marry you. Which, by the way, do you have any ideas on weddings?”
“Yeah. Destination wedding.”
“Really?”
“Is that okay with you?” I was a little worried about this because of his family’s prominence in Charleston. The Middletons didn’t do anything without great pomp and circumstance.
“I think that sounds like just the perfect thing.”
I raised myself up so I could look at his face.
“Yeah? For real?”
“Really. I would love a destination wedding. Where were you thinking?”
“Anywhere with nice, warm weather.”
“Lot of options there.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m open.”
“Tropical? European? California?”
“You know what? You’re the world traveler. I’m gonna let you pick,” I decided.
“What’s your timeframe?”
I scrunched up my face. “Justin, I’d marry you tomorrow. But do you think we need to wait a certain amount of time with respect to my dad and all?”
“Yes, I do,” he answered immediately.
“How long?”
“At least six months.”
I nodded and smiled, “Well then, mah deah, I do bahlieve we should palan our destination weddin’ for six months from now.” I used my best hoity toity Charleston accent.
“Come on,” he laughed as he rose to his feet and helped me to mine.
“Where are we going?”
“Well Terri, I seem to have developed this urgent need to have you naked on the bed and me inside of you. You don’t have anything under that robe do you?”
“Nope, why?”
“No reason, just imagining is all.” He took me in his arms and kissed the ever loving hell out of me then and slid his hand inside the opening of the robe. Those darn fingers of his were soon teasing me, leaving me breathless and begging for more.
“That will have to satisfy you until you can walk back to the pavilion.” His eyes were dark and hooded and my legs were wobbly as he held my arm. “Having a problem walking babe?” He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he swept me into his arms. His long strides had us back to our little hideaway, where I was disrobed and being made love to fiercely, passionately and tumbling head over heels into a climax as he called out my name.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Justin
I was floating on a cloud and her name was Terri Mitchell. In six months she would be Terri Middleton. Sometimes I would forget to breathe, she made me feel that great. Being around her took all my needs away for everything else.
My family couldn’t have been any happier, especially Lexi. Of course, they were best friends so now they would be sisters-in-law. How great for them. They’d felt like sisters for years so now they truly would be.
My mom wasn’t exactly thrilled about the destination wedding, but she was excited about a trip, so it would be fine. My grandmother, Avery was the one I worried about the most. I paid her a visit shortly after we got home because I wanted to be the one to tell her.
“Grandmother, I have some news for you.”
In her own way, as only she could do it, she said, “Well, Justin, I hope it’s somethin’ excitin’ ‘cause this ole ga
l needs some excitement in her life.”
“Well, I think it’s pretty exciting and Grandmother, you’ll never be an old gal in my book.” My heart was doing its little race thing like it was competing at Churchill Downs for the Run for the Roses.
She winked at me and asked, “Well, darlin’ you gonna tell me or are you just gonna grin at me and make me guess, ‘cause I’m quite sure it has somethin’ to do with that pretty gal of yours?”
“As usual, you’re right Grandmother. Terri and I are engaged and are planning to get married. I wanted to tell you myself, because we’re not going to get married in Charleston. We’re going to do a destination wedding. We’re getting married in Hawaii, on the island of Kauai at the St. Regis resort. And please tell me you’ll be there.”
She rolled her eyes at me, of all things. “Well, my word Justin, I said I was old, not dead. Of course I’ll be there darlin’. I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Hawaii huh? I guess that means I’m gonna have to get myself a new bikini!”
It was just like Avery Middleton to say something like that. I gave her a big hug and a kiss. “You just made my day!”
“Oh lawd Justin. There surely must be something lacking in your life if this ole gal just made your day,” she said as she winked at me.
“You’re incorrigible Grandmother.”
“Oh don’t I know it. And the good thing is I’m allowed ‘cause I’m old!” she chuckled.
********
Terri and I had decided on getting married in Hawaii and then honeymooning in Bora Bora. That way, the family and guests could stay on at the St. Regis if they wanted and we’d move on to Tahiti and have our private honeymoon. In three weeks, a group of my parents’ friends would be hosting an engagement party for us. We thought it was appropriate timing because it was almost a year to the day of our car accident. We both thought about how far we’d come and how fortunate we’d been. We had so much to give thanks for, but mainly for finding each other.
Things just kept getting better. John Remington called to say he had great news. Crazy Destiny buckled when she was presented with all the other nurses’ and doctors’ testimonies saying how I’d been complaining about her harassing behavior. The Human Resources team gave her the opportunity to resign. If she didn’t, they would move to terminate employment and she would have this on her record wherever she would attempt to gain future employment. Destiny immediately resigned and signed all the legal documents to that effect. She admitted to trying to break into my house and slitting Terri’s tires as well. She would no longer be a problem for me at work.
I wanted to have a celebratory dinner that night and Terri agreed. She also had some celebrating to do. She had just closed on two of her first homes as Terri Mitchell Real Estate. One of the properties was for Margaret, the elderly woman she’d been helping. Terri had located the perfect patio home for her in Mount Pleasant and Margaret had fallen in love with it. She was going to the attorney’s office for the closing, and then to the bank. Afterwards, she’d swing by her house for some clothes and head this way. She said she’d be here around six thirty so I made reservations for seven thirty at Broad Street Cafe, one of our favorite places to eat.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Terri
I left the attorney’s office and went straight to the bank to make my first deposit as Terri Mitchell Real Estate. I was giggling I was so excited.
Walking out of the bank, I was digging around in my purse when I heard this voice behind me.
“Ms. Mitchell?”
“Yeah?” I stopped and turned.
“You don’t know me and you’re going to think this is crazy, but you need to get in your car and come with me.”
“What?” My heart instantly began thumping in my throat, so loudly that I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to hear him talk.
“Please, let’s get into your car and I’ll explain. It’s not safe here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t tell you here. Listen to me. Your life’s in danger. Right here and right now. Please. This isn’t a joke.”
“Who are you?”
“Let’s get into your car and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
This man was scaring the crap out of me. Who was he? How did he know me? He looked okay. Maybe five feet eleven. Light brown hair and soft brown eyes. Kind of nice looking I guess.
He knew my mind was reeling. “Look, I know you carry pepper spray in your purse. Find it and have it ready. I know you don’t trust me and you shouldn’t. If I do anything...anything at all that you consider threatening to you. Spray the hell out of me with that canister. Okay?”
I kept looking at him, confusion ruling my body. I didn’t understand any of this. I reached into my bag. I decided instead of the pepper spray, I would go for my phone and call the police.
He knew it right away. “Please Ms. Mitchell. Please don’t do that. If you do that, people all around you are gonna die. People you dearly love. I’m begging you. Use the pepper spray.”
For the oddest reason, I was beginning to believe him. I narrowed my eyes and nodded. “No funny stuff.”
“No ma’am.”
We walked to my car and got in.
“I’m going to give you directions as we drive. I’m taking you to a safe house. Your mother is already there with your brother.”
I almost choked. “My brother?”
“Yes ma’am. Your brother Preston is an undercover DEA agent. He’s been working for us for a long time now. He’ll tell you everything in just a little bit.”
Holy crap!
“Undercover DEA Agent?”
“Yes ma’am. I’m with the DEA as well.”
“How did we not know this?”
“You couldn’t know. It would’ve been too risky for him.”
He had me turn left onto Maybank Highway and we drove off on James Island and out onto Johns Island. I immediately thought of Lexi and when she’d been abducted. She’d been held somewhere out here. Luckily she’d survived. I hoped I wasn’t being led to a slaughter, like a stupid lamb. We continued to drive and crossed over onto Wadmalaw Island. After making several turns, we ended up at a house. I could see a dock with a boat tied to it. We must have been on Wadmalaw Sound.
“Are you going to tell me your name?”
“No, because it’s not important.”
“Is this Wadmalaw Sound?”
“Yes.”
We got out and walked inside. My mom was there, white as a sheet and so was Preston. His mouth was pressed into a thin, hard line and his eyes looked tired. And sad. So very sad.
“Mom,” I ran straight to her and hugged her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, now that I see you are.”
I looked around the room and it was filled with all sorts of high tech surveillance equipment. Monitors, computers and weapons...and lots of them. Things I’d only seen on TV or the movies.
“Terri, sit down. We need to talk.”
“Yeah and we need to hurry because I’m supposed to be at Justin’s soon. All this time I thought you were an addict but here you are an undercover agent. Pretty cool Preston.”
“Terri, this is not cool.” A sense of dread settled over me.
“What’d ya mean?”
“Look, Dad didn’t commit suicide. He was murdered. I’m deep undercover and I’ve made it inside one of the biggest Mexican drug cartels. These guys don’t play nice. They’re ugly. Real ugly. They killed Dad as a warning to me. Part of my loyalty test to them is I have to kill you and Mom. That’s why as of tonight Terri Mitchell no longer exists. Do you understand what I’m telling you here?”
I was still trying to process the fact that my dad had been murdered. He’d been murdered. I jumped up and ran toward the door. My intentions were to get in my car and head straight to Justin’s. This story was stuff from the movies...not my life. I made it as far as the door when light brown haired man grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back in the room. H
e turned me around and held my face saying, “You can’t leave here. If you go out there, they will find you and kill you Terri. They’ve already ransacked your house. You. Will. Die. Do you want to die?”
I shook my head. Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted. I wanted Justin. That much I knew.
I started yelling. “I want to go to Justin!”
Preston came to me then and said, “Terri, listen to me. Please listen to what I have to say. It’s so important that you understand this.”
He took both of my hands in his and held on to them tightly. He was scaring the shit out of me now.
“I tried to keep you safe. I really did. They found you first. I would never have brought them here. That’s why I went to prison. To maintain my loyalty. It was all part of my cover. Tonight, Terrington Martin Mitchell will cease to exist. Your death and Mom’s are now being orchestrated. Your car is being planted with explosives and it will detonate in exactly forty five minutes. Your car isn’t even outside anymore. The blast will be so huge and the inferno so great, the temperature will annihilate all hope of any remains. The only identifying factors will be the stainless steel in your leg. We will plant that information into the system to ensure they believe it’s you.”
“Justin?” I whispered.
His eyes told me everything before his words did. “He is going to think you died in the explosion.”
“Why?” I barely whispered.
In a hoarse voice with tears dripping down his face, Preston explained, “Because if he thinks otherwise, they’ll go after him, his family and his friends. These people will stop at nothing. They have no conscience. They’re animals Terri. They’ll kill him.”
I heard this God awful keening, and wanted to tell someone to make it stop. Then the room started whirling around me and I couldn’t see anything anymore.
********
I woke up on the couch with a cool cloth being pressed to my forehead by my mom.
“I’m so sorry honey.” She kept patting my hand. It was all so surreal. I was getting married in six months. Justin and I were going to Bora Bora for our honeymoon. What was she sorry about?
Shattered Edge Page 18
