Around the World in 80 Men Boxed Set 31-35 (4 page)

Her
hand went to her face, where her fingers traced over her swollen shut
eye, around the stitches on her cheek and chin, to the black bruise
on her collar bone. She remembered waking to pain, the smell of
rotting flesh that lingered in the shed. Her eyes squeezed shut
tightly as she held her sides, knowing what Carlos must have done.
The memories, flashing in bits of mental torture, wouldn't stop.

“
Let's
just get you back to the bed, you have plenty of time to hear ab...”

“No.”
Morgan spoke through sobs. “I need to know.” She opened
her eyes again,to stare at herself, to take in the horrific damage.

Elena
sighed again, and nodded that time. She gathered Morgan's hair in her
hands, and brushed it out with her fingers as she began to speak.
Morgan simply stood in place, unable to take her eyes from the image
that stared back. She wanted to scream, to run, to leave it all in
her wake.

“
Do
you remember going into the jewelry store?” Morgan shook her
head in the mirror as her fingers gripped the sink with all of her
might.

“
I
never went in.” Morgan knew that for sure. “I...I don't
know what happened, all I remember is waking up..in...” The
sobbing continued as she spoke. The excruciating pain in her throat
brought Morgan's hand to her neck, but she continued to listen.

Elena
began braiding Morgan's hair. Even something so small could make a
woman feel better about herself, no matter the circumstances. She
began to tell Morgan everything she knew. “I looked for you for
about an hour, then went home and got your phone. Anthony and I tried
to call, and when we couldn't get a hold of you, we went to look for
you together. Eventually, we called your friend, Angel.” Elena
gently pulled pieces of hair into the braid, forming it loosely down
the back of Morgan's head.

“
I
found your phone.” Morgan remembered waking up in the shed, and
finding Elena's phone. She recalled calling Rudy, and nothing else
was clear until waking up in the hospital. Morgan's tears fell,
landing on Elena's arm as she worked on the sides of Morgan's hair.

“
Yes,
you must have. Rudy told us you were pumping pincocks. We knew
immedietely.” Elena smiled down at Morgan. “By that
point, Angel was at the house, and he said he had called someone.
Your friend...Fin, you called him?”

“
Angel
called Finlay,” Morgan spoke to her reflection, yet still
listened as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Elena continued to
explain the rest that she knew, about finding her and getting her to
the hospital. She didn't know what happened to Carlos, and she didn't
want to know. Part of her hoped the Scottish man killed him, but that
was something she was keeping to herself. “Thank you...for
telling me.”

Elena
put a finger up to her lips in the mirror. “I didn't tell you
anything. Let's get you back out there before they suspect you fell
in.” Morgan stared at her reflection, unable to move.

“Why?”
Elena stopped moving and simply looked at Morgan. “Why did he
do this?” Morgan moved closer to the mirror, holding her side
as the pain tore through her body. “Why!! Why!!!!” Her
scream made every head turn towards the bathroom door, but Finlay
held up one hand to remind everyone that Morgan was beginning to deal
with what had happened. “I didn't do anyhing! He... he took me!
He fucking took me!!!” Morgan fell to her small chair and wept.
Carlos' motives didn't make sense, but everything he did finally
became clear. “Why, Elena? Why?” Morgan's shouts became a
whisper, and Elean reached behind them and opened the door. She
didn't know what to do, or say, and her small move let the room know
that she was in over her head.

“Easy,
Love.” Finlay was at her side and had her in his arms before
she could even reply. Morgan didn't fight the help, instead, she
rested her head against his chest as he carried her back to the bed.
Finlay stood at the edge and began to lower her back to the sheets,
but Morgan's hands tightened around his arm. He stood back upright
and turned slightly as he sat himself in her bed. Finlay leaned back
against the pillow and held Morgan against him as she curled up
against his body.

His
warmth was soothing and Morgan didn't want to lose it. She had been
shivering in the bathroom, with rage... fear...torment, and only
stopped when she felt his body heat nearly go through her. “You're
better than a drug.” She pressed gently against his skin, and
his presence helped slow the images that plagued her mind. She cried
openly, and no longer cared that everyone was watching.

Angel
felt his own water works about to flow, and he stood quickly. He
looked at Morgan and reached down to fix one strand of hair that
didn't make it into the braid. “A bitch needs some liquid.”
He looked around and asked if anyone else needed a drink.

Chapter
Four

Angel
had just reached the drink machines when Morgan's phone sounded from
his pocket. He was the only person that Elena would return it to,
since Morgan had made it clear that he was her dearest friend. Rudy
had put it on the counter in the kitchen to rid himself of further
awkward conversations with Morgan's people, and Elena had grabbed it
on her way back to the hospital. Angel should have turned the phone
off, that would have been the right thing to do.

“
Julie
Annie,” he rolled his eyes, “again.” He clicked the
answer button and started speaking without giving Julianne a chance
to say anything. “We're bringing her home tomorrow if they say
it's alright for her little ass to travel.” Julianne, who was
on her way to the store, interrupted him.

“
We?
Who is...we?” She assumed that someone would travel with
Morgan, of course, but more than one? Angel chose a juice from the
machine and opened it as he held the phone on his shoulder.

“Finny
Stick and my beautiful ass, that's two of us and that makes a
mothafuckin'
we
. I'm staying with my Stick, you can put his
big Scottish ass somewhere else.”

Julianne
agreed to take care of the arrangements, and once again, asked Angel
to keep her informed of what was going on. Angel was about to end the
call when Julianne spoke once again.

“And
Angel...don't use that language with me again. If you do, you'll
spend your time here with a mothafuckin' bar of soap between your
lips.” Julianne ended the call, and continued her drive to the
store.

Morgan
was asleep once again. She couldn't fight the medication that coursed
through her body, and she wasn't supposed to. Rest was the best
healing agent, and even if it had to be forced on her, the doctor
made sure she would have it. Finlay finally moved out from under her,
only leaving because he hadn't eaten since the day before, and tucked
Morgan in with two more blankets that he took from the closet before
walking out of the room.

Elena
and Anthony were left alone with Morgan, and Elena sat on the side of
the bed and watched her sleep. Whispering, “I can't believe
what the poor girl went through.” Anthony nodded and sat in the
small chair beside the bed. Morgan's beautiful face swollen beyond
recognition was so very hard for him to see. The beautiful woman
looked helpless, fragile, and broken.

Julianne
had already told Anthony he would get all of his money back, but that
was nowhere near important to him. He would gladly pay any amount,
just to be sure Morgan was safe. “I wish I had more time with
her,” Anthony looked away from Morgan, and to Elena.

“
As
do I,” Elena nodded as she spoke.

“
I
know you're going to stand up out of my chair, Antonio,” Angel
quickly walked in the room and saw Anthony sitting in the chair he'd
occupied all day.

“
Anthony.”

“
Whatever.
You should go home and get some mothafuckin' rest. You,” Angel
waved his fingers around the dark circles under Anthony's eyes, “look
like hell. Go on, go get your ass some sleep.”

“
Thanks,”
Anthony pat him on the shoulder and shook his head. He'd only had two
hours of sleep in the last two days, and it was wearing on his body,
inside and out. “But I want to stay.” A part of him felt
responsible for the whole situation. He shouldn't have allowed Elena
and Morgan to go out alone, especially to a part of town he knew was
unsavory. He stood and walked to another chair on the opposite side
of the room, and sat down. His eyes went to Morgan and tears began to
burn. “I could have stopped it.”
Elena sat down next
to him and put her hand on the back of his neck. “Don't you
dare, Anthony.” Her words were quiet, meant only for his ears.
She knew the path he was headed down, and she needed to put a stop to
it. “There was nothing you could have done.” Elena knew
it was the truth.

Anthony's
head dropped, his exhaustion and guilt were overwhelming. He took a
deep breath and put his arm on Elena's shoulder. “I suppose
we've done all we can for now. We should head home.”

It
has been twelve hours since Morgan had been found. The room was
quiet, and only looked up as Finlay walked back in with a small bag
of chips in his hand. He sat on the corner of the bed and put his
hand on Morgan's. She stirred slightly and mumbled something about
being hungry. A smile spread across his tired face as he squeezed her
hand gently. “Aye, Love. We'll get you food after you've
rested.” Morgan nodded into her pillow. Angel moved his chair
closer so that he could hold her other hand, and the sound of metal
scraping the floor brought more words from Morgan.

“Thunder.
It always rains when we're together, Tanner.” Finlay cleared
his throat, reminding himself that Morgan was far too drugged at the
moment to know what she was saying. At least, he hoped as much. Just
as Finlay was about to speak, his phone sounded with a text
notification. They all watched him remove it from his pocket, and
bring it in front of him. He read it quickly, then put it back. He
moved forward, his head only inches from Morgan's ear.

“Aye,
Love. A storm is brewing.” Not one other person in the room
knew what his words meant, except for Anthony. However, they all
heard the way it was said. Something happened, and not one person
asked what that
something
was. It did, however, cause the
entire room to breathe a little easier as they all assumed their own
scenarios.

In
front of the Purple Peacock, Mendez dumped the still breathing body
of Carlos into the trunk of his rental car. He planned to drive him
to the highest cliff and dump what would be left of him into the sea.
Hours of sweet torture had been greatly enjoyed by the man, but it
left him exhausted, and finally ready to rid himself of his mark.
Carlos woke to the sound of the trunk closing, and cried in pain as
the metal hit his broken leg. The trunk wouldn't close, and Mendez
was too tired to care. “Hang on, Carlos. Wouldn't want you to
fall out.” Mendez laughed at his own words, and slowly walked
to the driver side door.

The
man couldn't walk, his leg was busted and at least one of his arms
along with several ribs. Every inch of his body had been beaten, and
Mendez had taken his time to make sure that every hit was as painful
as possible. His body should only last long enough to see his own
pending death on the cliffs. That, Mendez decided, was exactly how
Carlos' final moments should be spent.

The
trunk's lid bounced with the car's movement, and Carlos watched the
city pass by every few seconds within the few inches of view. He
cried in pain as he attempted to move his legs, and laughed through
clenched teeth as his fingers found something to grasp. It was his
cane, which Mendez had obviously thrown in beside him. With his only
good arm, he wedged the cane between the car and the trunk lid,
opening it enough to see everything on the street. The city was
behind them, and all Carlos could see at that point were trees and
the lights of the Purple Peacock that were starting to fade. With one
deep breath, and all of the strength that he had in his body, Carlos
pushed himself up. He closed his eyes, trying not to scream in pain,
and allowed his body to fall from the car.

He
landed in the grass beside the small curved road, and a laugh erupted
from his body that was filled pain, relief, pity, and rage. Mostly,
it was a cry of freedom.

*****

“You've
cleaned that room four times already, and it's four times too many.
It's already clean, my love.” Felix wrapped his arms around
Julianne from behind with an attempt to get her to calm down. She had
less than thirty minutes to prepare for Morgan's arrival, and she
intended to have everything ready for her. Felix felt her body lean
against his, and he tucked his face into her neck.