Jack A Grim Reaper Romance (37 page)

“I’m so sorry it came to this, Jack.” She moved closer to him, but there was too much blood—so much blood spilled in this sordid affair.

“Lilly… I cannot apologize enough for dragging you into this mess. It had not been my intention to involve you in any way. I failed you, love. Failed to keep you safe from my son, and for that, I’ll never forgive myself. I only hope that in time, you’ll not hate me.”

“Hate you?” She was confused, and the spirits swimming in her head weren’t helping. “I don’t understand. Why would I hate you?”

“How could you not? It was my involvement that put you in his line of sight. He followed you from my home when you first came looking for me. As for the rest… I’m so terribly sorry I did not stop him in time. I was too late…” His face crumpled, and the anguish in his voice sent a shard of panic racing through her.

Desperate for answers, she closed the distance between them and grabbed his arm, her voice shrill and strained. “What happened to me, Jack? I cannot remember.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head, before finally catching her in a gaze filled with pain and sorrow. “Nothing… nothing happened, my love.” He stammered his words, and another wave of panic washed over her. “Do take care.”

But before she could say another word, he touched her cheek, his fingers lingering, and then with a brush of the lips in a farewell kiss, he walked out the door.

***

She looked up through her tears when Mason walked into the room and to her side. He’d been gone but an hour, but she knew in that time, he’d handed Jack to the Elders.

“What will they do to him?” She feared the worst.

“I pleaded for leniency, though I don’t know if I swayed them at all. The circumstances were unique, and partly the fault of Jack being a reaper.” He cupped her face, running a thumb across her cheeks to wipe her tears away.

She let out a ragged sigh to try and bring her tears to an end. “I know you had your differences, but I want to thank you for speaking on his behalf.”

“It was the least I could do. You’d been right about him all along.” His words and the shadow that crossed his eyes, made her wonder about Stefan, about Jack. Jack had apologized, but for what?

“Mason, what happened to me?” Not knowing had her on edge, like she was walking the edge of a cliff about to plunge into the rocky waters below. “I’ve only been able to recall snippets of what occurred.”

He looked down and took her hands in his. “You cannot trust your memory, love. Who knows what concoction of drugs he gave you. It’s best if you put it out of your mind.”

She’d known Mason long enough to know he was hiding something from her—something she had every right to know. Anger bubbled in her gut, and she pulled her hands away. “I need to know, Mason. I have a right.”

His eyes held hers with a hard gaze. “There’s to nothing know. This is over, Lilly. Finally. And I’ll not be rehashing this nightmare over and over, looking for answers that don’t exist. Do you hear me? I’ll not do it. The Elders are dealing with Nelson, Jack’s been caught and Stefan’s dead. There’s nothing more to go over.”

He was infuriating. Even in marriage, at the first sign of difficulties, the chancellor always came out to override her. “I’ll not let you dictate and bully me, Mason. Not if you want this marriage to mean anything.”

“So now it means something to you? Or do you need to find Corwin to compare us once more.” Mason got up to pace, running a rough hand through his hair.

Refusing to back down, she got up and stood in his way. He was deliberately picking a fight with her, and if it was a fight he wanted, then a fight he’d get. Even if it seemed a lifetime ago with all that had occurred, it’d only been days since Corwin brought up the convenience of her marriage.

“As for our marriage, it makes one wonder about the sheer coincidence of its timing. Corwin shows up and suddenly marriage is the only way to keep me safe. And I’d not mind marrying you, Mason, but for the fact that it seems like it’s no more than a play for power, and once the game is over, you’ll be bored and walking out the door.” All her fears came to the surface.

“Is that what you really think of me? Of our marriage?” He actually sounded hurt, the anger in his voice gone. “If anyone’s looking to walk out on what we have before it’s ever had a chance, it’s you, love. Not that I can blame you. ”

He was right—and the realization was a like a slap to the face.

She hadn’t committed fully to their marriage—to Mason—even if she’d pushed Corwin away. She dropped her head in her hands, overwhelmed. “What happened to me, Mason? I need to know. I need to fill in the pieces I’m missing and decipher the parts I have.”

He took her hand and pulled her into his arms, as she choked down a sob. “You’re out of sorts, love.”

“I need answers, Mason. And I need the truth, not only about what happened to me, but about our marriage, and where we stand.” She could not continue like this, not knowing.

He steered her towards the sofa before the fire, and sat down next to her, nestling her against his side, his strong arms wrapped around her. Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat, and then laid her head on his chest, wondering if her world would come crashing down around her. Tears pooled in her eyes, and though she was desperate for answers, she wondered if it’d not be better to live in a happy oblivion for as long as she could.

“Lilly, I know we rushed into this marriage, but believe me when I tell you, in that moment, with Nelson ready to cause you harm, I could think of no other way to keep you safe. Might there have been another way? Well, I suppose strangling the bastard might have worked.”

She choked out a sound, half laugh—half sob. “It’d have been a sight I’d be happy to see, with all the troubles that man’s caused.”

Mason kissed the top of her head. “I’d do anything to keep you safe, love, but I’d also do anything to make you happy. If this marriage isn’t something you want, I’ll find a way to have Damon dissolve it.”

Her heart felt heavy, and she knew not what to say. “I made it clear to Corwin that I want to make this marriage work, but I still cannot shake the feeling that you’ll break my heart and I’ll not recover from it. I don’t know if I can do this, Mason.”

“Lilly, I’ll admit, the realization that I love you came about rather suddenly, and I think it’s because I’d been ignoring my feelings for so long. But my love for you is true, and the thought of losing you makes me insane. I swear, I’ll not hurt you, love, but…” He let out a ragged sigh and ran a hand over her hair, letting it linger. “You need to know that I also failed to keep you safe. I failed you when you needed me most and I don’t know that I deserve you.”

Her muscles were knotted with worry, for she’d seen what Stefan had done to those women. She looked up at him, only to see her worry mirrored in his eyes. “I’m sure you did all you could to keep me safe. I do not blame you for what occurred, but I still need to know what happened. I keep imagining the worse and cannot bear it.”

He ran a thumb across her cheek and kissed her. “Are you sure, love? You understand, I’d only be guessing at what actually happened and I think it’s best you put this all behind you.”

“I can’t move past it unless I know, Mason. Please… you’re good enough at your job to know what happened to me.” She knew to expect the worst based on Mason’s behavior, but what exactly would the worst be with a madman like Stefan?

He pulled her close once more, and rested her head on his shoulder. She understood he’d not be able to look at her while speaking of his suspicions.

“You were alone when we found you, but I suspect Jack put a stop to Stefan just before we got there. You were unconscious, love—and naked. And there was so much blood.” She heard the anguish in his voice, and knew it was too much, even for him.

Her heart pounded, as more of the pieces fell into place. Too many pieces. And it was suddenly all too much. Despair filled her as she choked back a sob, her nightmares coming back to haunt her with a new realization as to what had happened, the veil lifting.

Realizing she needed to hear no more, he held her tight. “You’re safe now, aye? I swear, I’ll not fail you again. Please, say you’ll stay.” She turned to face him and he brushed her cheek, his eyes locked on hers. “I love you, Lilly.”

He was so unlike the chancellor—the man—he’d once been. He
had
changed. He had put her first, before his position. Put her first above his own safety.

She now knew that he did indeed love her. But more importantly, she knew she truly loved him, and she trusted him—trusted him to be by her side, trusted him to not break her heart.

Her heart raced, knowing now, what she should have known all along. “I love you, Mason. I’ll stay, if you’ll have me.”

“Aye, love. My heart’s yours. Yours and no others.” He kissed her, sweet and tender. “Now that this is over, there’s one more thing.”

***

Though Mason had been nothing but sweet and loving, Lilly knew him well enough to suspect he was keeping something from her. He’d arranged for them to go on holiday now that the murders were over with, but she had not expected to end up in Edinburgh, of all places.

He linked his fingers with hers as he led her through the park and to a bench. It was a rare sunny day, despite the coming winter. Rays of light streaked through the clouds that lingered, adding a warmth to the chilly temperatures.

“I do love you, Lilly.” He brought her hand to his lips. Just as worry started to niggle at her, he tilted his head towards a group of children playing. “I thought it might help if you knew… she’s the tall lass there with the ginger curls. The couple could not have children of their own, and have loved her dearly. She’s wanted for nothing, love.”

Mason’s words left her lightheaded as her tears flowed over, her eyes locked on her daughter as she played with her friends, her laughter dancing on the wind. She was beautiful… and happy.

Mason pulled Lilly into his arms and held her close, her heart flowing over as she continued to watch her daughter, burning each moment into her memory until finally, Emma ran off, her copper curls bouncing in the sunlight.

THE END

Author’s Note:

Though this is obviously a fictional twist on the Jack the Ripper murders, I tried to stay as close as possible to the facts regarding the details of the crimes themselves. Details from the actual autopsy and police reports were referenced, and I chose not to change the wording or spelling from the letters that the “real” Jack the Ripper sent. Though there are five victims normally attributed to Jack the Ripper, it is believed that there may have been more women murdered by the same man, both before and after the canonical five. For my story, I chose to include Martha Tabram, an early victim, as well as the five normally named in connection with Jack the Ripper—Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly.