Authors: Sharon Sala
“Like I said, you’ll have to ask him. I have nothing to say except that I thank God you are alive, and I will love you forever.”
When he stood up and turned loose of her hand, she cried out in sudden fear and confusion. “Brendan?”
He leaned over and kissed the spot closest to her mouth that wasn’t hurt, and then he walked past her parents without a word.
Grayson knew he needed to say something and spoke quickly, hoping to catch him before he left. “Uh, Brendan, we—”
Brendan shut the door behind him.
Grayson frowned.
Lana sniffed. “That was rude.”
Julie’s hands were shaking. “Brendan?”
They hurried to her bedside to let her know they were there. “He’s gone, Julie. Your mother and I are here beside you. We love you and are so thankful this whole ordeal is over.”
“Yes, thankful,” Lana echoed.
“Nothing is over,” she muttered, as she pulled her hands away, curling them into fists and remembering the hurt she’d heard in Brendan’s voice. “What did you do to him, Daddy? What the hell did you do?”
He didn’t answer, but she felt her mother running a finger down the side of her cheek.
“Your poor little face,” Lana said, patting her daughter’s arm. “Don’t worry, darling. We’ll get the best plastic surgeons there are to make it pretty again.”
Julie grabbed the sides of her face in sudden panic.
“Plastic surgeons? What’s wrong with my face? Brendan said the doctor told him everything would heal without scars.”
“Oh my! I wouldn’t think—” Lana began, then Grayson gripped her arm with such force that for a fraction of a second she forgot to breathe.
“Brendan was right!” Grayson said, trying to inject optimism in his voice. “There is nothing wrong with your face that time won’t heal. Besides… you know your mother, always looking for what’s wrong instead of seeing the beauty of what’s right.”
Julie felt sideswiped. She couldn’t see either of their expressions, but she could tell by their tones there was so much more they weren’t saying. She clutched the bedrails for stability as her socially acceptable world continued to unravel. She kept waiting for one of them to acknowledge the horror of what had happened to her, to say they loved her—to kiss her and hug her. When they didn’t, she told herself it was because of the condition she was in, only to remember moments later that it hadn’t deterred Brendan. She was getting scared. What was it they weren’t saying? What awful thing was wrong that no one mentioned?
“Dad?”
“Yes, we’re here.”
“Neither one of you has asked what happened to me.”
“That’s because it doesn’t matter,” he said quickly, patting her hand. “You’re here and safe and that’s enough.”
She gasped, unable to believe he’d just said that. “Doesn’t matter? Are you fucking serious?”
He reached for her hand again, but this time she snatched it away. “I just meant that whatever bad things happened can be put behind you now,” he said quickly.
Julie was trying to hold onto sanity and her parents wanted her to forget. Brendan had seen and didn’t back away. She needed to know they would do the same.
“Two hours ago, I was stripped naked and tied spread-eagle to the bed of the man I thought would kill me.”
Grayson cursed beneath his breath as Lana covered her face. Neither of them wanted to know about the degrading things that had happened to her, but Julie kept talking.
“He stood at the foot of the bed, staring at my naked body while he whipped himself with a cat-o’-nine-tails. After a while, he began to whip me with it, too. He liked the pain. I’m alive because Brendan cared enough to chase down the man who took me. What were the rest of you doing besides pointing fingers and arguing? Jack is always the voice of reason. Where’s Jack? Wasn’t he there with you?”
“Yes, Jack was at the bar and with us at the police station while we waited for word of your rescue, and he was just out in the waiting room with us right up until we found out that you were being taken to your room. He said to tell you he loves you, and he’ll see you tomorrow. Look, it was a bad time all the way around. You went missing and the fire was on top of us. The bar is gone,” Grayson said.
“Was anyone hurt?”
“No, and we can rebuild.”
“Brendan quit. Why did he quit?”
Grayson wanted this conversation over with. “He’s not the only one. Jack quit, too.”
Julie groaned. “What did you do?”
“That wasn’t my fault. Your mother—”
“Oh my God! Shut up!” Julie winced and then ran her finger along her lower lip. She could taste blood, which meant it had split open again, another reminder of what she’d endured. “I thought I was going to die. I prayed to die so I wouldn’t have to endure what I knew would be my fate. And then I’m saved, and all you two can do is quibble about who is to blame and fixing my imperfections with plastic surgery! I think both of you need to leave now, and I’d just as soon not see you again, at least until the bandages are off my eyes. I need to see you when we talk, and I’ll know your lies when I see your faces.”
Grayson felt sick. “Julie, I’m sorry. Truly. I never meant to hurt Brendan’s feelings. I just got scared when I found out you were gone and blamed his father, and…”
“And what?” Julie snapped.
Grayson lifted his chin, refusing even now to admit he was wrong. “I insinuated that he might’ve known what his father was planning when I gave my statement to the police.”
Julie couldn’t believe it. “You actually told the police Brendan was responsible for my disappearance?” When he didn’t deny it, she felt sick, imagining what Brendan must have thought—how betrayed he would have felt. “Get out.”
“I said I was sorry,” Grayson repeated.
“Get out, both of you,” she repeated.
“Julie, darling, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Lana said.
Now that she couldn’t see her mother’s face, she heard all too clearly the wheedling tone of her mother’s voice.
“Yes, you did,” Julie said. “It’s how you get your way. You whine like a baby until everybody caves in to your demands.”
She began feeling along both sides of the bed, frantically slapping the sheets and feeling the sides of the bedrails.
“What do you need?” Grayson asked.
“The nurse’s call button! I want you to go away! You think Brendan has a bloodline to live down? Mother cares more about appearances than people’s feelings, and you, Daddy, are a jealous, selfish bastard. I don’t need you to be the only man in my life. I just need you to be my father.”
Grayson was stunned. “The nurse’s button is just above the pinkie finger on your left hand. We’ll be going now. I’m going to forget this ever happened and chalk it up to your emotional state. Lana, get your purse. We’re leaving.”
Julie was so mad she was shaking. “My emotional state! God in heaven, I won’t forget you said that! I won’t ever forget.”
She heard their footsteps moving away, then the door opening and closing, and still couldn’t tell if she was alone. She cocked her ear toward the door, listening, and thought she could hear someone breathing, which shocked her. She began fumbling for the call button until she found and pressed it. A voice came over the intercom.
“Yes, Miss March, how can I help you?”
“I need someone to come to my room and make sure I’m alone.”
“We’ll be right there.”
Julie grabbed the bedrails, bracing herself against another assault. When she heard the near-silent sound of a door opening and closing, she leaned back against the pillow in mute defeat.
Even when she was at her most defenseless, they’d proved themselves untrustworthy.
Then the door opened again, but this time she heard the squeak of rubber soled shoes against the tile and knew one of the nurses was here.
“Miss March, I’m Fern. You wanted to know if you’re alone?”
“Yes.”
“You are now, honey. I just saw your father heading for the elevator. Do you want me to call him back?”
Julie was shaking and trying not to cry, but the misery was evident in her voice. “No, no, I don’t want him here.”
Fern touched Julie’s arm to let her know her location. “It’s okay. Is there anything you need?”
“Can you help me to the bathroom?”
“Absolutely,” Fern said and let down the bedrail.
When the nurse left a few minutes later, Julie was finally alone and the quiet began to get to her. One image after another began flashing through her mind, all of which were of what she’d endured at Chub Walton’s hands. She couldn’t open her eyes and focus on something else to make the memories go away, because her eyes wouldn’t open. It was like being in hell and stuck on rewind. When the meds began pulling her under, she went willingly, grateful for the oblivion that came with it.
Chapter Nine
It was close to 4:00 a.m. when Brendan pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex. He killed the engine, then sat for a few moments, gathering himself before going inside. It seemed like a lifetime, but it had only been a few hours since he’d left here to go to work.
Anson’s face slid through his mind like a bad memory, but he let that go, too. He was too exhausted to solve another problem. All he wanted to do was sleep the clock around, but that wasn’t going to happen. It was already Sunday, and he’d promised Linny they’d go eat at the Crab Shack and get beignets. It wasn’t easy being responsible, which was probably why Anson Poe had made such a sorry-ass man. If it wasn’t easy, he wasn’t interested.
The thunderstorm had passed while he was still at the hospital, and when he got out of his SUV, the rain-washed air was a welcome scent. If only a good hard rain could wash the ugly from his life this easy, he would be grateful.
His steps were dragging by the time he reached his apartment. He unlocked the door to find Claudette sitting on the sofa. She took one look at his face and stood.
“Tell me.”
The solace of home enveloped him.
“We found her alive. She’s in bad shape but will heal.”
Claudette hugged him fiercely. “Praise the lord for the blessing,” she said softly. “Do you want me to stay? I can if you need me?”
Brendan shook his head. “No. Take your much-needed time off. I promised Linny I’d take her and Mama out tomorrow.”
Claudette frowned. “You need to rest.”
“I’ll rest when I’m dead,” Brendan said and tried a smile that didn’t quite make it.
Claudette’s frown deepened. “Do not say that! So, I will go now and see you on Monday?”
“I begin looking for a new job on Monday, so yes.”
“Oh no... The Black Garter burned, too?”
“Yes, but I quit Grayson March’s employ tonight.”
She didn’t ask, but waited for him to say as much as he needed to say.
Brendan kept it brief. “All I will say is that Julie’s father does not appreciate my ancestry.”
Claudette sighed. “It isn’t your ancestry. It’s the present generation that’s causing the trouble. The Poe name represented good people until that one was born. I think his mama made a pact with the devil. I think maybe she said, give me a beautiful boy and I’ll give you his soul.”
Brendan nodded. “You could be right.”
“I will come earlier on Monday so you can get a start on job hunting.”
“Thank you.”
He took out his wallet to pay her for the past week.
She started to refuse it, and then she saw the look on his face and pocketed it instead. She understood a man needed to pay his own way to live easy in the world.
“Auntie, will you please let me call a cab for you?”
“No. I will call a friend to come get me.”
Brendan wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick hug. “You are a blessing to me and I love you.”
She cupped the side of his face. “I love you, too and get some rest. You do your family no good if you are not well.”
“I know. I will.”
He locked the door as she left, savoring the silence. He wanted rid of his smoky clothes, a shower and a bed, but first, he needed to check on the other women in his life and headed down the hall.
Claudette had left a nightlight on, and when he looked in, saw Linny was asleep on her mother’s bed.
He slipped quietly into the room to move her back to her pallet then paused at the foot of the bed. His mother had one arm flung out across the bed, and the other over her eyes, as if, even in sleep, the world was too ugly to face. He thought of all the times she’d comforted him through sickness and injury. She’d been his champion, no matter what. He’d taken a mental beating tonight, but nothing to what Juliette had endured. He could bear anything, as long as she was alive in the world.
“Good night, Mama,” he said quietly and closed the door behind him.
****
Delle woke the moment Belinda was no longer in her arms. She got a glimpse of broad shoulders and Brendan’s profile as he laid his little sister back on the pallet, then pretended to still be asleep when he paused at her bedside to whisper good night.
She listened as he crossed the hall, and a few moments later, she heard water running and knew he was in the shower. She tried to sleep, but wanted so desperately to know what had happened to Juliette. If he went to the kitchen instead of going to bed, she’d go talk to him. If not, it would have to wait until the morning.
****
The moment Brendan closed the door to his bedroom, he began taking off clothes, shedding the damp, smoky clothing as he went. As soon as he stepped beneath the hot steamy spray, he reached for the shampoo and started to scrub. A few minutes later, he switched shampoo for soap and began scrubbing his body until the scent of smoke was gone. It should’ve been enough, but he kept seeing the bloody welts on Juliette’s body, and her eyes so swollen they wouldn’t open, then began scrubbing again. He scrubbed until his skin was raw, but the memory was still there in his head—in his heart—jammed so deep in his soul that it hurt to breathe.
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered, as he turned off the water and climbed out of the shower.
He was reaching for a towel when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and for a split second saw her bloody face instead.