Closing Time (17 page)

He smiled. “He would love that. I’ll tell him next time I see him. Mike and I were never very good at it. Actually, my mom is better than both of us combined.”

“How is your mom?” Cortland asked.

“Good. My dad scheduled the surgery after Scarlet has the baby,” Sean said. “She has this stupid fear that she’s going to die or lose her memory permanently. She wants to meet Skye first.”

“I understand why she’s scared,” I said. “Surgery is never easy.”

“Yeah,” Sean said. “But I know she’ll be okay. My dad always makes good decisions. He
wouldn’t put her in a situation unless he knew she’d be okay.”

H
earing him talk about his dad in such high regard made me miss my own. Would he be proud of me? Would he love Janice as much as I did? Did he know my mom would act the way she does?

I didn’t like thinking about it. I stared across the water and listened to the distant sound of nats. The water was blue and clear. I could see the fish at the bottom. It reminded m
e of summer evenings on the lake in Washington. My dad showed a side to himself that Scarlet never got to see. It was one of the few things I didn’t share with her. He read to her every night before bed. That was their thing. But he took me fishing on most weekends.

But he was gone. I always had to be str
ong for my sister, but there were times, like now, when I felt hollow and empty. As much as I hated to admit it, I missed him. I missed having someone around who would take care of me if I needed them too. Now all I had was Scarlet.

“You okay, man?” Cortland clapped my shoulder.

My thoughts were shattered. My best friend could read me better than anyone, except Janice. He was in tune to my emotions. I understood him in the same way.

Then I realized something.

I wasn’t alone. I had a family who would do anything for me. Only Scarlet was related to me by blood, but these guys were my brothers. If I ever needed anything, they would be there, just like they always were. “I really appreciate you coming out here with me.”

“Of course, man.” Sean reeled his line in and caught more moss.

No one laughed, knowing I wasn’t in a humorous place. “My dad used to take me fishing all the time.”

“That’s what Scarlet told me,” Sean said. “Sh
e used to come along?”

“When she was little,” I explained. “But when she got older it was just me and my dad. It was our thing.”

The guys stared at me but kept their thoughts to themselves.

“I guess this is the only connection I have to him…now that he’s gone.”

Cortland watched me closely. “But we’re still here.”

I smiled. “I know. Having you guys in my life really makes me feel better. I felt alone for a long time, but now that we’ve built this…family…for the first time I can say I’m okay.”

“We love you.” Cortland clapped my shoulder.

“Yeah, we do,”
Flynn added.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.

We continued to fish.

“Okay. Now
let’s crank up the fun.” Sean opened the cooler and tossed beers at us. “Let’s get wasted and fish.”

“You’re only saying that because you suck at it,” Cortland jabbed.

Sean rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

And like that, the depression was gone. We enjoyed each other’s company and caught all the fish we would eat for dinner. I had a hard life, but now everything was perfect. It made me realize just how lucky I was—really lucky.

“Shit, this is gross.” Flynn was gutting the fish and doing a terrible job of it.

“You aren’t doing it right,” I said.

“Either way, it’s gross,” Flynn snapped.

“Can’t we just cook them the way they are?” Sean asked.

“No one taught you how to prepare a fish?” I asked incredulously.

“Sorry, I was too busy going to college and running a company,” Sean barked.

“And I’m more fascinated by search engines and software than real life experiences,” Cortland said.

“I’m a writer,” Flynn said. “Not a hunter.”

I rolled my eyes and showed them again. Eventually, we grilled the meat and the house stunk of fish.

“As soon as I get home, Scarlet is going to smell me and hurl,” Sean said.

“I’m sure she does that anyway,” I jabbed.

Cortland laughed then dealt the cards.

I was so glad we didn’t head to
a strip club or do something I’d regret later. Even though Janice and I hadn’t tied the knot yet, I still considered myself to be a married man. Going to a strip club was disrespectful to Janice, even if she didn’t care. That wasn’t how I wanted to start my marriage. Plus, Cortland and Sean were married. It would be a little weird for them to go. Fishing was exactly what I wanted, just the guys hanging out and playing poker. Besides, I wasn’t twenty-five anymore. If I wasn’t in bed by midnight, I was grouchy.

It was our last night together and we were all pretty exhausted. None of the guys liked waking up at four in the morning, which was understandable. I was just too excited to sleep.

“So, what were you so insecure about?” Cortland asked.

I knew this would come up eventually. “Janice is just too good for me.”

“How?” Sean asked. “It’s not like she’s a debutante.”

“She went to college and I never did. She’s better looking than I am. She works for a prestigious publishing company and I ink for a living…the list goes on.”

“But all of that is irrelevant,” Flynn said. “And you knew that from the beginning.”

“Yeah…” There was another reason.

“What are we missing?” Cortland asked.

Damn, that guy could read me like an open book. “I just…don’t come from a good family.”

“I still don’t see why that matters,” Sean said. “I love Scarlet for who she is, not because her mother is a piece of shit.”

I never told Sean about my mom. But she hadn’t bothered me in awhile so I assumed the worst was over. “My mom…kept coming around and I didn’t want Janice to get sucked into that…that was the main reason.”

Sean looked like he might faint. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Don’t tell Scarlet.”

He looked angrier than I’d ever seen him. “Ryan, tell me what happened.”

I probably shouldn’t have brought this up now. Damn. “She called me a while ago and asked for some money. When I refused, she came to the shop and harassed me again.”

Sean dropped his beer on the floor and stood up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it wasn’t necessary.” I raised my voice. “I didn’t want to stress out my sister, and I knew my mom wasn’t going to bug her because she would have done it already.”

“You still should have told me!” Spit flew out of his mouth while he screamed. “My wife is all alone and that psycho bitch could just show up at any second?”

“That was the case whether this happened or not,” I argued. “I care about my sister very much. If I thought my mom was a threat, I would have said something.”

“Well, I’m her husband and you aren’t!” His eyes were about to fall out. “You had no right to keep that from me. I don’t trust that despicable excuse for a human being, and I never would have left her alone if I knew your mom was still in New York.”

‘This was months—”

“It doesn’t matter.” Sean stepped back then gripped his skull. “I have to leave. She shouldn’t be alone right now.”

I stood up. “Sean, she’s fine. My mom won’t ask her for money. She already took a lot from you and she know
s she won’t get anymore.”

“Until she gets really desperate.” His jaw was tight and his fists were clenched.

“Sean, calm down,” Cortland said. “Even if her mom comes to the house, Scarlet can handle it.”

“No!” He threw his beer against the wall. “I don’t want that crazy bitch anywhere near my wife or my unborn baby. It’s completely unacceptable that you didn’t tell me. Fuck you, Ryan.”

Wow…he was too far gone to be argued with.

“I’m leaving.” Sean grabbed his bag while he made a call. “Mike? Go get Scarlet and bring her back to your house.” He paused. “Just fucking
do it. Drag her by the hair if you have to.” He hung up then stormed out the door.

I stayed rooted to the spot, unsure what to do. Even though my sister was a married adult, I was still protective of her as much as I always was. If I thought Scarlet needed to know, I would have told her. There was no point in getting her stressed out over nothing.

Unfortunately, my brother-in-law didn’t see it that way.

Cortland patted my back. “He’ll come around.”

“I know,” I said. “I just wish he understood that I was doing what’s best for her.”

“He will,” Cortland said firmly. “Eventually.”

13

Scarlet

Sean checked on me every hour the entire weekend. Every time I looked at my phone, he was asking if I was okay.

Super annoying.

I humored him and said I was okay, over and over. I’d done nothing for the past two days other than sit and eat. I grabbed one of the baby books Sean brought home and read to Skye. But after a while, I got bored.
I missed Sean and wished he were home.

I wanted to stay with Mike and Cassandra so I could spend time with my niece, but I didn’t want to interrupt this wonderful time. She was only a few weeks old, and I knew Mike and Cassandra wanted to hog her.

That was okay. I would do the same when my daughter got here.

There was nothing on TV and I already ate everything in the house, so I went upstairs to my office. I was still running my editing company, but I was taking less and less books. I was too tired most of the time, and I was slowly weaning off until my daughter got here. I wanted to spend all of my time with her
, so the books could wait.

I checked my email then surfed the Internet. Even though Sean annoyed me like crazy, I missed him when he wasn’t around. He was my best friend and the only person who entertained me at all times. We could sit on the couch and talk for hours even though we’ve known each other for so long. We always had something new to discuss.

In the middle of reading an article about changing diapers, the alarm to the house went off. The alarm buzzed loudly in the halls and every room. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Someone either opened a door or window, and it clearly wasn’t me. Mike always knocked. He never barged in.

My heart thudded so loud in my ears I could barely hear the alarm. My hands shook as the panic set in. Was someone robbing us? What should I do? The police would come because of the alarm, so I didn’t need to call them.

Mike. I needed to call Mike.

When I reached for my phone, I realized I left it downstairs next to my bowl of eaten popcorn.

Fuck.

Sean.
Sean had an alarm on his phone. He would know if someone was coming into the house, and knowing him, crazy and psycho, he would call Mike himself.

Okay. It was going to be okay. I just needed to stay calm.

Breathe, Scarlet. Breathe. You’ll be fine.

I stood up and headed to the doorway. I peeked around the corner and looked down the stairs, but I didn’t see anyone.

Maybe it was a false alarm. Maybe a rock hit the window from a passing semi. Or maybe a bird collided against the glass. Maybe there was no one at all. Or what if there was someone but they took off when they heard the alarm? All the logical scenarios indicated I was safe.

I stepped into the hallway then looked down the stairs. No one was there.

I listened for a long time, the alarm still echoing through the house. If someone was in the house, they weren’t moving. I waited for another minute but nothing happened. Then I made my way down the stairs, my eyes still peeled.

“Turn off the alarm.”

I froze, recognizing the sound of the voice. My heart moved into my stomach, suddenly making me feel sick. Fear washed over me. She was right behind me.

Then I heard the cock of a gun.

“You heard me,” she hissed.

I raised my hands in the air, begging her not to sh
oot me.

“Turn around,” she commanded.

Slowly, feeling like I was going to faint, I turned until I saw the face of my tormentor. I hadn’t seen her in years, and fortunately, I didn’t catch a glimpse of her at my wedding.

She was just as hideous as I remembered her. She had yellow teeth, brown hair that was tangled and starting to fade to gray, cold and unforgiving eyes, and wrinkled skin that aged her by twenty years. The typical smell of smoke accompanied her. But I noticed the gun in my face more than anything. A loaded pistol was pointed at the center of my eyes, ready to blow my brains out. I stayed calm even though I was scared to death. I didn’t speak, letting her do all the talking.

“Now disable the alarm.”

I slowly walked over to the alarm and my fingers moved toward the help button.

“I’m watching you.” She pushed the gun against the back of my neck.

I’d try to knock the gun out of her hand or take her on myself, but I had to think about someone else. I couldn’t risk my baby. I had to play it cool and wait for help to arrive. Sean would come. I knew my husband better than anyone. Someone was coming. I entered the code and turned it off. “There. It’s off.”

The alarm stopped echoing in the house. Now it was too quiet.

I lowered my hands to my side
s then turned back to her. “What do you want?” I asked calmly.

Suddenly, my phone went off. The song was my wedding song, meaning the caller was Sean.

She pointed the gun directly into my cheek. “Answer it and tell him you’re fine.”

I crept toward the couch then grabbed the phone. She kept the pistol glued to me, ready to sh
oot me in the head. I took a deep breath and took the call. “Hello?” I would never answer the phone this way. I always said his name when I answered. That was a dead giveaway that something wasn’t right.

“Baby, are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“Put it on speaker phone,” she hissed.

I pressed the button and held the phone out.

“Why did the alarm go off?”

“I accidentally tripped it,” I lied.

“Doing what?” he asked.

“Going grocery shopping.” My voice was hollow, not perky like it usually was. And he and I just went grocery shopping two days ago, buying so much food we didn’t know where to put it. That was my way of telling him something wasn’t right.

“Okay.” His voice was quiet, like he was stressed. “Why am I on speaker phone?”

“I’m letting my nails dry.”

I never do my nails. Sean knew that too.

“Okay.” I could hear the fear in his voice.

He knew something was wrong. I’m sure he wanted to say a million things but couldn’t. I heard the sound of the car in the background so I knew he was driving, here more than likely. And he wasn’t supposed to leave the lake house until tomorrow. I don’t know
how he knew I was in trouble but he did. That meant Mike was less than a minute away. I would be okay.

“I’ll let you go,” he said. “I need to get back.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, baby. More than anything in the world.” He said it with more emotion than he usually did.

“I love you too.”

“Bye.” He hung up without waiting for me to respond. He never did that, so I knew he
was hauling ass in his Ferrari to get to me.

“How touching,” she said with
disdain. She held out her hand for the phone, waiting for me to hand it to her.

I dropped it in her hand and kept my distance.

She shoved it into her pocket while the gun was pointed at me.

“What do you want?” I said quietly. “If you want to rob me, tie me up and take whatever you want. I won’t stop you.”

She smirked, showing her pointed yellow teeth. “I am here to rob you, but not your furniture.”

“Then take my purse and go.”

She shook her head. “You were never very bright, Scarlet. I want your husband’s money, not yours.”

If I weren’t pregnant, I’d tackle her to the ground and do something. But it wasn’t worth it. “Then take everything. Money means nothing to us.”

“And that’s what I intend to do. Now take me to his office.”

“He doesn’t have money there.”

She pushed the gun into the side of my head, making me flinch. “Do what I said.”

“Okay, okay.” I raised my hands then walked up the stairs.

Come on, Mike. Please bring a gun.

We marched up the stairs then entered Sean’s office. I hardly ever went in here. As far as I was concerned, it was his private space. I didn’t even clean it, protecting his privacy.

She kept the gun pointed at me as she sat in front of the computer. After she turned it on and typed a few things, she said, “Transfer the money into my account.”

“Uh…I have no idea how to do that.”

Anger flooded her face and she stood up. Then she slapped me hard across the face. “I said do it.”

I took the hit then touched my cheek. “I don’t
know how,” I said again. “I don’t even know what his account numbers are.”

“Your name is on the account.” The gun was back in my face. “You have access to it.”

“The entire time we’ve been married, I’ve never taken money from the account. I work for my own money and use that when I need things. I have plenty of money in that account. I will give you all of it if you just leave.”

“How much?” she asked.

“Three million.”

“Ha,” she said sarcastically. “That’s pocket change compared to what he has.”

I dropped my hand to my side and stared at her, waiting for the next step.

“Now do it,” she ordered.

“I don’t know how!” I snapped. “I don’t even know what his password is.”

“Don’t give me that shit.” She breathed in my face, smelling like smoke. “Your life is really more important than money?”

“Not at all. Which is why I’m offering you three million instead.”

She eyed me for a moment then looked down, her eye
s settling on my stomach. “Is your baby’s life more important than money.”

The threat in her words immediately sent me into defense mode. She could slap me and hit me all she wanted, but my baby was a completely different story. “I’m cooperating with you. Let me give you the three million I have. I’ll take you down to Sean’s bank and I can withdraw the money there.”

The gun moved from my head to my stomach.

No.

“This is your last warning, Scarlet.” The threat was in her eyes.

Where the
fuck are you, Mike?

I stood still, unsure what to do.

“Fine. I guess that’s how it’ll have to be.”

I covered my stomach and stepped away. She didn’t sh
oot me. Instead, she moved toward me, ready to kick me in the stomach.

No. I lost my baby once and I’m not doing it again.

I locked my arms together and let her kick me hard in the forearm. She didn’t touch my stomach, but I was certain my wrist was broken.

“You cunt,” she said. “Give me the money!”

Every memory I have of this woman is nothing but disturbing. She’s tortured me for so long and I’m sick of it. She would never go away. She would haunt me every day, haunt my daughter, if I didn’t do something. The mama bear inside me came out, hissing and scratching.

I grabbed her arm and slammed it down on my knee, making her wince. Her bones were thin and frail due to her poor health. But her hands didn’t drop the gun. I slammed her arm down again as she grabbed my hair and pulled.

I screamed then pushed her against the wall.

Her hand was
loose on the gun, and somehow, she pulled the trigger. I moved out of the way and heard the sound of the gunshot. It was loud, louder than I expected. I felt my body, wondering if I’d been hit.

I didn’t see any blood.

I grabbed one of Sean’s football trophies and threw it at her, hitting her right in the side.

She screamed and dropped the gun.

I had to get it.

“Oh no, you don’t.”
She put her foot on it then pulled it back to her. “I’m going to do what I should have done a long time ago.”

I grabbed the lamp, and despite how heavy it was
, I swung it at her.

She ducked then dropped the gun again.

I couldn’t reach it, but I could hit it away. With the end of the lamp, I shoved the gun under Sean’s desk, out of reach.

Her eyes widened in pure rage. She hated me, hated me more than I could ever imagine, and I knew right then and there, she would kill me. Only one of us would walk out of here alive.

And it was going to be me and Skye.

She rushed me then shoved me against the wall. I kept the lamp in front of my stomach, protecting my daughter while I took the hit to the face. I felt the burn of the scratch and blood seep down my cheek.

I screamed then pushed her back, making her land on her back.

She was back up with quicker speed than I realized.
She was just as much of a fighter as I was. She charged me then tripped me to the ground. When I looked up, her foot was above me, ready to step right on my stomach. I couldn’t get up, but I could move. I turned my body, taking the pain in the shoulder instead of the stomach. She jumped down hard, and I screamed in pain.

My shoulder was broken. I could
n’t use my right arm at all, only my left.

Shit
.

I squirmed out of the wa
y, using my left hand to help me climb of the bookcase.