Back To Me (24 page)

              “Okay, so he paid Tom off and Tom screwed us all. But why not stop at that? Why try to have us taken out?” Blake questioned. “He could have kept his mouth shut, kept the money, and that’d have been the end of it.”

I didn’t have an immediate response for Blake because he and I had the same questions. None of it made any sense.   

“The only thing I can come up with, and it’s just a shot in the dark,” I finally responded, “is that Tom wanted to get rid of me to keep me from Heather. Maybe he grew a heart and wanted better for her than an agency man. He had to know what it did to his family when he chose his job over them.  Did you know about that George?  Heather’s mother was so depressed over her father leaving them that she eventually committed suicide.  Heather spent years in foster care.” 

“Yeah,” George nodded, “I remember hearing something about that. Look, we’re probably overthinking all of this.  Maybe it’s the simple fact that the two of you were a pain in Tom’s ass. I mean you were keeping him awfully busy covering his tracks and he had to know it was all about to catch up with him. ”    

Blake and I stared at each other and acknowledged with a shrug that we knew we were doing a bang-up job. Look at what it had almost cost both of us. 

              “There’s no need to dwell on the whys and hows at this point. Tom’s made his bed and now he can lie in it; whatever that entails, I don’t know,” George shrugged. “But he will pay, Billy. He will pay.”

             
Hell yes, he was gonna pay. I’d make damn sure of that.

31

Heather

              Lauren and I were both pacing the floor. I chewed my nails and bit my lip, anxiously awaiting Billy’s return. He was meeting Blake at noon and it was now quarter ‘til five. They’d had plenty of time to discuss things, or so I thought, and he should’ve been home by now.

              “I’m sure he’s fine,” Lauren assured me.

              I stared at her with a blank look plastered to my face. She’d known exactly what I’d been thinking, and it was obvious she was feeling the same, or else she wouldn't have mentioned it.
Or,
she could’ve just been trying to make me feel better, but nothing would accomplish that except Billy walking through the front door and gathering me in his arms.

              “Let’s call Luke. He’s probably getting worried about me by now, too. He can come over and keep us company until Billy gets home.”

              “Lauren, I don’t want to drag anyone else into my mess. What if it’s not safe? What about Sam?” Lord, I’d never forgive myself if something happened to that little girl.

              “Sam can stay with my mother-in-law, where she’ll be perfectly safe. And girl, have you seen my husband?” Lauren asked with a wink. “Sweetie that man can take care of anything and hold his own, even on his worst day!”

              I let out a little chuckle and nodded my head. If she was sure Luke wouldn’t mind, I would definitely feel better having a man in the house. I’m sure Billy wouldn’t object either.

              “You sit here and relax. I’m gonna make us some tea and call him.”

              I did as Lauren suggested. I stretched my legs out on the couch and leaned back, resting my head on the arm. I took several deep breaths, in and out, trying to regain a calm rhythm. I was shaking so much that I was on the verge of hyperventilating. I couldn’t explain the overwhelming need to scream at the top of my lungs. The urge to throw things and watch them shatter against the wall, all in a fit of rage. Rage at the situation. About my insecurities.
About my whole damn life.

              I jumped when Lauren’s bubbly voice startled me. “He’s on his way,” she announced boisterously.

              “Okay, good,” I acknowledged, sitting up.

              Lauren gasped and rushed to the front of the couch.

              “You alright, sweetie? You’re white as a ghost!”

              That’s just what a girl wants to hear. Apparently I looked like damn Casper; not exactly how I wanted Billy to see me when he walked through the front door. Lauren must have noticed my reaction, as she tried unsuccessfully to make me feel better.

              “Sweetie, you’re beautiful. I didn’t mean anything by it. Honestly, you look great.”

              “No, I don’t,” I argued. I
felt
like shit, and she wasn’t going to convince me that my outward appearance was any better than the inside.

              “I actually don’t feel so hot,” I managed to mumble through my lips. They felt swollen and my throat felt like someone had their hand around my neck, squeezing the life out of me.

              “Okay,” Lauren cooed. “Lay back for me. It’s gonna be alright.”

              About the time she had me on my back and shoving pillows underneath my head, there was a loud knock at the door.

              “Thank goodness! It’s Luke,” Lauren boasted as she flung the door open wide for him to enter. “Get me a cold washcloth, quickly!”

              “What’s wrong?” Luke asked with concern. He peered over the couch and studied me intently. Before I could stop myself, my laughter bubbled to the surface and pushed its way past my lips.

              “What the hell’s wrong with her?” he quizzed.

              “I think it’s called ‘cracking up’,” Lauren said, making quotation marks with her fingers. “She’s exhausted as hell and I think the stress of everything is finally getting to her.”

              “No,” I shrieked, holding my sides. “It’s because you looked like a Meer cat looking over at me.”

              I was inconsolable at this point, and Lauren and Luke looked to one another and shrugged, waiting patiently until my hysterics subsided. It took several minutes.

              “You’re burning up!” Lauren exclaimed. “Luke, go run a tepid bath. We’ve gotta get her fever down.”

              He was off without so much as a retort. I heard the water running, but I couldn’t move. My legs felt weak and so did my arms. My tongue felt thick and my ears were ringing. I could see Lauren’s mouth moving, but I had no idea what she was saying.

              “What the hell’s going on?” a voice boomed.
Billy.
Oh, thank God he was home!

              “Man, I think something’s terribly wrong with her,” Luke proclaimed, loudly.

              Billy rushed to my side and knelt down on the floor beside the couch.

              “Angel? Talk to me, baby. What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

              Billy lifted my arms, forced my eyelids open, and turned me from side to side; checking over every part of my body. I could see Luke comforting Lauren behind the couch.

              “Can you speak, angel? Can you do that for me, baby?”

              I tried. I really did, but I couldn’t get my vocal chords to cooperate. I shook my head no, violently turning it from side to side as the panic set in.

              “What’s she taken?” Billy directed at Lauren. “What did she eat? Drink? Anything!”

              Lauren stood there in shock. “I don’t know, Billy. We had a glass of water and snacked on some fruit. That’s about it. I was just getting ready to make us some tea when I noticed how sickly she looked.”

              “We gotta get her to the hospital. She doesn’t look so good,” Luke chimed in.

              Billy lifted me into his arms and my head went limp, dangling off his shoulder. I no longer had control over my extremities, and I worried that I was having a stroke.

              He held me in his lap for the entire ride. He stroked the side of my face, and gently pushed the hair away from my eyes.

              “It’s okay, baby. Stay with me, angel. Just keep looking at me. Keep those gorgeous eyes focused on mine, okay? You’re gonna be alright, angel.”

              While I couldn’t voice what I so desperately wanted to, Billy couldn’t disguise his fear. He was petrified of losing me; I knew he was, and I loved him all the more for it. He continued to stroke my face and hair, brushing away the pieces that had gotten stuck to my forehead. I was sweating profusely, as I could feel the tiny droplets as they rolled away from my temple. I also became very nauseous; aggravated by the sharp movements of the truck. Luke was driving fast, like a bat outta hell, obviously anxious to get me to the hospital quickly. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but whatever it was, I thought I was dying.

              My eyes rolled back in my head.

              “Lauren!” Billy hollered. “What the hell did she take?”

              “Nothing, I swear. Not that I saw anyway. She was fine all day until that stupid bear arrived.”

              My ears were ringing like a five-alarm bell, but I’d heard just enough to know that she’d let the cat out of the bag.
Shit!

              “What
damn bear
?” he growled.

              Lauren turned in her seat to look at him. “Someone was at your house today, Billy. We don’t know who; all we could make out was a shadowy figure, but it was definitely somebody. They left a package on the front porch and Heather opened it.”

              “Dammit!” Billy mumbled under his breath. “She promised me.”

              I felt him shake beneath me, but I didn’t have the strength to explain. All I could hope for was that I wasn’t dying, and that I’d get the chance to tell him everything later. He had every right to be furious with me, but right now I needed him to put his anger aside and just hold me.

              “Calm down, man. Heather needs you right now. They’ll be plenty of time for questions later,” Luke reminded him.

              I felt the truck jerk to a halt, and the next thing I knew I was being carried though the automatic doors of the ER.

              “Help!” Billy called out. “Somebody help her!”

              “What happened, sir?” a meek voice asked.

              “I don’t know exactly, but she’s burning up and she’s going in and out of consciousness.”

              The nurse brought over a bed, but Billy was refusing to put me down. “I’ve got her!”

              “Sir, we need to be able to examine her and we can’t do that if you’re holding onto her.” A nurse and the doctor both were arguing with him, all while trying to pry me away from his arms.

              Billy finally loosened his grip, and I felt my body being lowered onto an uncomfortable bed. The cold sheets felt good to my burning skin, but the smell of sterile alcohol was putrid, making the need to vomit unbearable.

              “I’m gonna be sick,” I mumbled.

              Everyone seemed to be ignoring me. They continued to poke and prod every part of my body, while another nurse was trying to find a vein.

              “We need to get an IV started, sweetie. Just bear with me. My name is Sheila, I’ll be taking care of you,” she spoke in a docile voice. It was then that I knew my condition was grave.

              My eyes felt like they had been glued shut. I tried to will them open, but it was to no avail. I could feel my extremities and everything that was being done to me, but I couldn’t object and I couldn’t move. My entire body felt like it had been weighted down with cinder-blocks and it was useless to try moving anything. It was only tiring me out even more.

              “Sir, has she taken anything?”

              “No!” Billy answered, emphatically. “I don’t know what the hell’s going on, but I’m gonna get to the bottom of it.”

              “We need you to step outside,” the doctor commanded. “I’ll come find you when we know more.”

              “Please!” he cried. “Help her!”

              “We’ll do everything we can,” he assured Billy.

              That was the last I heard of his sweet voice. I felt so alone. I felt empty. Whatever they were pumping into my veins burned like wildfire, but I welcomed it. As long as I could feel pain I knew I was okay.

32

Billy

              I didn’t want to leave Heather, but I had no choice. The most important thing right now was for her to get the care and treatment she needed. I knew that and so I didn’t fight the doctor.

              I called Caleb immediately.

              “Get to my house
now!
Somewhere there’s a box; a damn teddy bear or some shit inside.
Do not touch it with your bare hands
!” I ordered. “It’s possibly the reason Heather is so sick. I’m here at the hospital with her now. Get it to George, have him run it through the lab ASAP.”

              I hung up, not allowing him the chance to talk. I knew he had a million questions, but I couldn’t answer them. I didn’t know what the hell was going on myself. 

              I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Luke.

              “C’mon. Let’s take a walk.” He motioned with his head, but I wasn’t about to leave with him until I knew my angel was alright.

              “Go ahead, Billy. I’ll stay right here in case the doctor comes out.” Lauren gave me a half-hearted smile as she wiped a tear away.

              I let out a small grunt of disagreement, but I did need to get some air. I followed behind Luke, carrying along a sinking feeling in my stomach. Something bad was gonna happen. I just knew it.

              When we reached the automatic doors, they opened effortlessly and I inhaled deeply to take in the fresh air. Somehow, even with the dire situation, the birds were singing and life was going on as usual. People were bustling in and out of the hospital, all unaware of Heather’s grim condition and the fact that my reason for living was inside, suffering. None of it seemed fair.

              “I know it’s hard,” Luke said, breaking my thoughts. “I hate it here, too. It reminds me of Lauren’s episode after Mark beat the shit outta her. It
still
gives me the chills, and makes me want to kill him all over again.”

              “Yeah,” I agreed. I remembered that all too well. It was horrible. Mark had beaten Lauren so severely that she was almost unrecognizable. We weren’t sure she’d pull through at the time, but she’s a fighter.

              “My girl fought her way through,” Luke continued, seeming to read my exact thoughts, “and Heather will, too. She’s got a lot of spunk in her that much is for sure.”

              “She’s had to fight her whole life, Luke. It’s just not fair, man. She’s gone through hell and back so many times, and I’m just wondering when it’s gonna stop. I mean, Raul’s a ruthless son-of-a-bitch, but he didn’t do this. If he wanted her dead, she’d be dead.”

              “Then tell me what you’re thinking,” he urged.

              I proceeded to fill Luke in on all the information I’d just received from Blake and George.

              “Shit,” he murmured.

              “I don’t know what to do. If I tell Heather that
daddy dearest
is involved, she won’t be able to take it. I don’t think she’ll
ever
recover from that.
And
if he’s the one that did this to her, I’ll kill
him
!” I declared. “If she finds out I killed her father, she’ll hate me forever. I just don’t see a way out of this.”

              “You’ll figure it out, Billy. You always do. Just lead more with your head right now than your heart. You gotta be smart about this, ya know?”

              “Yeah, I know,” I agreed, thinking about how to do what had to be done. “It’s gonna be hard, but I see no other way. I’m gonna have to hurt her.”

              “What?” Luke asked, puzzled.

              “I’m gonna have to break it off. It’s the only way to protect her. If Heather finds out that I’ve gone off on this vigilante for justice, she’ll be furious. If she knows
who
I’m after, it’ll crush her. The best I can offer her right now is a lie.”

              “A lie that may cost you everything,” Luke advised.

              “It might, but I’d rather her be alive and hate me than dead. This little stunt today, whether it was Tom or Raul, or some other low-life; it’s what I’m trying to protect her from. It’s what I’ve
alway
s
protected her from.”

              I hung my head in shame, believing everything I’d said was necessary and true, even though it killed me to think of hurting her.

              “What can I do?” Luke offered.

              I explained my plan; a plan I had been working on ever since I left Blake and George earlier. It was tearing me apart, piece by piece, but I would have to live with that. If it kept my angel alive, that’s all that mattered.

              Luke argued with me for a good thirty minutes, but after explaining my reasons over and over, he finally conceded. He even agreed to help, but only if he could tell Lauren. The backlash would be too great if he didn’t. I prayed she would be on-board, but she had been so hell-bent and determined that no one was going to tell her what to do about Mark, and I had a sinking feeling she would stand up for Heather.

              “So we’re all set then?” I quizzed Luke. “I need to know you’re all in, man. You and Lauren cannot tell Heather what’s going on, no matter how bad it gets.”

              Luke huffed. “Yeah, I got your back, but you know she’s gonna hate you. Are you sure what you’re about to do is worth the risk?”

              “I’ve lived the last six years thinking she hated me. I’ll just have to do it again, knowing this time it’s true.” I shrugged my shoulders, playing it cool. Deep down I knew it would destroy me.

              “Alright then,” he said, clasping my shoulder. “Let’s get the show on the road.”

              I took several deep breaths, though none of them helped. My pulse raced rapidly as I contemplated what I should say first. I needed to find out her condition from the doctor before I could proceed.

              Luke and I walked back into the hospital where we found Lauren in the waiting room. I could tell by the look on her face that she was worried.

              “What’s wrong? What’d they say?” I demanded.

              Lauren turned her sad eyes towards mine. “She’s gonna be okay, Billy. She’s gonna be just fine.”

              “What. Did. He. Say?” I questioned again, more firm this time.

              “The doctor believes she came in contact with a chemical; some type of poison that got into her system through her skin. It’s pretty bad and according to him, it’s very painful. If we hadn’t brought her in, she could’ve died, Billy.
It had to be that stupid bear!
That’s the only thing she touched that I didn’t.”

              “But she’s gonna be okay?” I asked, reigning in my temper.

              Lauren nodded her head and continued crying. Luke wrapped his arms around her tighter and I wished for a brief second that it was me holding Heather. I wanted nothing more than to barge in her room and take her in my arms, but I couldn’t do that. I mustered my best angry face; full of contempt, but it wasn’t directed at Heather.
Oh, no
. It was directed at her piece of shit
father
who thought the best way to keep us apart was to kill her. I guess since he hadn’t succeeded in killing me, he’d take her out instead.

              Yes, dear old Tom was gonna pay and he was gonna pay dearly. But I wouldn’t go easy on him. I would make sure that his death was slow, long, and agonizing, just as Heather’s would have been. By the time I was through with him, he would be begging for mercy, but he wouldn’t get it. Not from me.