Authors: Michelle Love
JUDE
Mercy took the kids and went on a shopping spree with one of my credit cards but she told me I couldn’t go because it would make her too apprehensive with me there. So I’m taking the day to hang out with my younger brothers.
A little bar-b-queuing at the mansion Mercy and I are renting and some poolside brotherly fun are filling up this sunny Sunday afternoon. “She’s the one,” I shout as I do a backflip off the diving board.
When I come up, I see Zeek and Ram and they’re staring at me with their mouths hanging open. Zeek’s the first to say, “Are you okay, bro? We thought we heard you say something a little insane, even for you.”
“What?” I ask as I haul myself up out of the water to sit on the side of the pool. You mean about Mercy being the one?”
They nod and look at me with confusion riddled faces. Then Ram says, “You barely know her, Jude. You can’t know if she’s the one yet.”
“But I do know it. And she’s by far the best trophy I’ve ever brought home.” I get up and go sit on one of the chairs after grabbing a beer out of the ice chest Zeek brought that’s full of it. The guys join me, getting beers for themselves and taking seats on either side of me.
We all lie back and take drinks of the cold beers and let out simultaneous sighs. “What do you mean by trophy, Jude?” Ram asks.
“I mean, I put my sights on the woman, hunted her down, using my tried and true techniques and brought home the trophy. She didn’t stand a chance really. Not once I decided she was my prey. Once I’ve made my quarry, there’s really no getting away from me. I did have to use nearly every trap in the book, but I have her where I want her now.”
Zeek holds out his beer as he gestures to the house. “Setting her up in this place was a true piece of genius, I have to say. When you want to bring that prey in, setting up an attractive trap is the perfect answer.”
Ram laughs then says, “And acting like you accept their pack is pretty smart too. The way to a woman’s heart is through her kids, they say. Smart move on making the kids your best friends, bro.”
We all clank our glass bottles together and I say, “To the capture of a beautiful woman who will fill my bed every night and become the perfect trophy to mount in my home.”
Ram cracks up and says through his laughter-ridden words, “And mount her you will!”
We all laugh and clank our bottles together again as I say, “That I will, over and over again!”
MERCY
My heart has stopped.
I came to the back door to let Jude know I was back from shopping. I had Becky take the kids up to their rooms to help them put away the clothes. When I got to the room just off the patio I could hear them all talking.
The beer has them boisterous and loud. I heard Jude say he’d hunted me. I heard him say he used the kids to get to me. I heard it all and I can’t believe it.
Spinning on my heel, I hurry upstairs to stop the kids from putting all those clothes away.
We won’t be keeping them!
My body’s shaking as I run up the stairs. As I get to the room that Carter is staying in, I see Becky and the kids are in there. “Hey, guys. Come on, we need to go. I forgot something.”
I try to steady my words but my face has to be flushed as it’s hot and I know I have to be exhibiting some signs of being upset. Because I can’t recall feeling exactly this way before. Not even with the death of my family.
I suppose I feel betrayed, or used, or something. I’m not sure. I just know I feel terrible and it has encompassed my entire body as I fly back down the stairs. At least I have my own car. I picked up the Suburban the other day so I can take it and get the hell out of here.
Everything we have here was given to us by Jude as traps to bring us in and make us his or some shit. I have no idea why he’d do such a thing.
And the worst thing of all is he used the kids to get to me!
How could he be so evil and deceitful? How could I have let my guard down?
His handsomeness, the killer body, that southern charm, his tons of money. It’s all too much. And I fell for him, hook, line, and sinker!
I grab up Mia and put her in her car seat as Becky puts Carter in his. “Hurry, Becky. We have to hurry,” I tell her.
She gives me an odd look but does as I’ve said. “Is everything okay?” she asks.
“Sure,” I say. “No problems. I just have to get somewhere. I forgot about. We made this plan last night. I just forgot. No big deal. No big deal at all.”
“Where are we going, Aunt Mercy?” Carter asks as I slide into the driver’s seat and start the car up.
“To our house where I used to live. We’re going to stay there. Jude’s got things he needs to do.”
I pull away from the house and just as I do, I see Jude open the front door and make a, ‘what’s up’ gesture.
I roll the window down and shoot the finger at him and keep driving. My phone rings and I see it’s him. I do want him to know so I answer the phone. “I heard every word you said. Your prey? Your quarry? I can’t believe you, Jude Hurst!” I end the call and look in my rearview mirror at the man I will never see again.
Not ever!
To be continued…
Description
Anger. Deceit. Tragedy.
Mercy is livid when she hears Jude talking about how he’s hunted her and used all he could to make her his.
Jude’s not about to let her get away from him and one car chase later changes everything.
Mercy beats herself up for what’s happened as she waits with his family to see how things play out for the man she loves.
But when Jude finds out what’s become of him, he can’t think of making Mercy live her life with the man he’ll be in the future.
The twists compile, leaving the couple in limbo as Jude and Mercy fight, one for their love and one for their salvation.
JUDE
“I heard every word you said. Your prey? Your quarry? I can’t believe you, Jude Hurst!”
“What?” I ask. But she just drives away as she ends the call like that’s it for us.
Hell, no!
I call her back but she sends me straight to voicemail. So I take off, heading for the garage to get my car and follow the crazy woman. I don’t know why she’d take offense at anything I said.
Grabbing the keys off their place on the wall, I get into my Jag and haul ass after her. She doesn’t have but one place to go. The house she shared with her parents is it for her right now.
If she thinks I’m going to let her go just like that over some stupid words, she’s crazy!
My tires spin out as I put the car in reverse to leave the garage. Then I throw it in drive and peel out after her. She’s out of sight but I can easily catch up to her. As I get to the end of the long private road I still don’t see her but the black marks from her tires show me she went toward town.
So I go that way and step all the way on the gas pedal. Pushing the button on the steering wheel, I try to call her again. But she ignores the call.
I can’t believe her!
What was so bad about what I said? How could she just run off instead of talking to me like an adult? How can I get her to see reason?
The sun’s low in the sky and glaring into the windshield and I left my sunglasses by the pool. So I’m having to squint to see out and finally I catch the back of her black Suburban.
I have the pedal to the floor already so I can’t go any faster but she’s got to be doing the same thing as she’s staying a constant distance away from me. I try to call her again and she answers this time. “Go back home, Jude! I see you back there. Leave us alone!”
Before I can say a word, she’s ended the call. She’s nuts if she thinks I’m just going to turn around and go back home.
I didn’t do anything wrong!
If anyone did do something wrong, it was her. She shouldn’t be driving that fast with the kids in the car, anyway. So I pick up my phone and knowing she won’t let me talk, I text her. -
Slow down! The kids!-
Her brake lights let me know she’s seen the text and is, at the very least, going to slow down. She has to stop at an intersection anyway and now I can catch up to her.
Just as I get close enough to stop and get out and get to her, she takes off across the intersection. I floor it to follow her and hear the sound of a loud horn. Pressing the gas to get out of the way of the truck I didn’t see, I make it across just in time.
My heart is pounding and I see her brake lights come on again and she’s pulling to the side of the road. Then I hear another horn, this one is louder and makes a deeper noise.
Oh shit!
MERCY
“Jesus!” I scream as I see it all through the rearview mirror. “God! No!”
I slam on the brakes to come to a full stop and throw the car in park and get out of the car, running as fast as I can. I can’t think as I run toward him.
The car is upside down on the other side of the road. The truck that hit him is jackknifed, blocking the traffic and the driver is coming out of it. “Damn, that car came out of nowhere!”
Just as I make it to Jude’s car, I can hear the hiss of hot metal being sprayed with liquid. “Do you smell gas?” I ask.
The truck driver stops and grabs me, holding me tight and dragging me back away from Jude’s car. “Stay back here. It is gas. Any little spark could set it off. So do you know who’s in the car?”
“Yes, it’s Jude Hurst. You have to help me. I have to get him out of there,” I say as I struggle to get away from him. “This is all my fault.”
The sound of sirens starts to filter into my brain as the man continues to hold me tightly. “No, mam. I can’t let you do that. Let the pros do what they do best. They’ll get him out of there. You wait back here.”
“Jude! Can you hear me?” I scream.
There’s nothing moving in the car that I can see. The top is crushed against the ground. The car is still running and I think his foot is on the gas as it’s revved way up.
“Please let me go,” I say as I start to cry. “I have to get him out.”
The first police cars pull up on the access road and four officers get out and come running toward us. “Get back. We’ll handle this,” one of them barks.
“The man in the car is Jude Hurst. I’m his girlfriend,” I shout. “I have to see him.”
Another officer comes up behind me and I feel him take me away from the truck driver. “I’ll take her from here,” he says.
I look at the young cop and beg, “Please, let me see him. Please, don’t make me leave.”
“Calm down, mam,” he says with a commanding tone that’s doing nothing to calm me down at all.
Then I hear it. The sound of fire. It’s a quiet swishing sound then I see the yellow and orange flames as they crawl all over the car. “No!” I scream. “Get him out now! Now!”
A fire truck and an ambulance pull up and several of the firemen get out of the truck and run toward us with fire extinguishers. As they run past us, one of them looks at the officer holding me. “Get her out of here! This thing could blow!”
As he pulls me back, I try hard to stay where I am. I’m already too far away from Jude. I can’t just leave him. Not after all he’s done for me. I can’t just leave him.
But the man lifts me up and takes me back toward his car. “I’m going to put you safely in the back seat of my patrol car, mam.”
“No!” I shout. “My car is right there. Please, let me go to that. My kids are in it!”
Just as he turns to take me to my car, a loud sound makes my body shake. I can feel heat and I can hear the crunching and ripping sound of metal as I look back and see Jude’s car has blown up and the explosion has thrown the car into the air.
It comes crashing down, right side up, with flames everywhere. “Jude!”
MERCY
The seconds go by like hours as they fight to extinguish the flames. The police officer lets me go, to help the others. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Becky. “The kids need you, Mercy.”
I nod and look back as the flames engulf Jude and his car. Then I fall to my knees and cry and look up and beg, “Lord, please don’t take him! Please! I will do anything! Don’t take him!”
Hands on my shoulders have me coming back to myself as Becky tries to pick me up. “Look, the flames are out.”
I let her pull me up and hang onto her for support. “Please, Lord. Please don’t take him away for us.”
The paramedics hurry to bring a stretcher as the driver’s side door falls off the car with a loud squeaking groan of melting metal. I see one arm fall out of the side. It’s limp but there’s no blood on it.
I can’t breathe as the people in different uniforms surround the car and then I see a bunch of movement and the paramedics have him and are hurrying toward the ambulance.
I bolt toward them and an officer tries to intercept me but I dodge him and make it to them. “Is he alive?”
They’re in a mad hurry and Jude looks like he’s asleep. I see no burns or injuries to his head, the only piece of him that’s showing under the blanket they’ve covered him with.
One gives me the briefest glance then says, “He has a pulse and is breathing some. Do you know this man?”
“I do. His name is Jude Hurst. I’ll notify his family. Where are you taking him?” I ask as I breathe in with a bit of relief.
He’s not dead!
“Parkland,” he says as they load Jude into the ambulance.
I nod and run back to my car. Becky’s already made it back and the kids are crying incoherently. “It’s okay, kids. It’s okay. He’s alive. Jude’s alive.”
My hands are shaking as I pick up my phone. The only number I have is Rose’s so I call her. “Hey, Mercy, what’s up?” she answers.
“Rose,” I say as I try to steady my voice. “Where are you?”
“Home, why?” she asks.
“Rose, Jude was in an accident. I need you to get the family and head out to Parkland Hospital.” I hold my breath to try to steady my body and stop the shaking.
“Oh God! What happened?” she asks with a hushed voice.
“A semi-truck hit his car. He’s on his way to the hospital now. I can fill you all in on what exactly happened when we all get there.” I find I’m clutching the phone too hard and ease my grip. “Hurry, okay?”
“We will. See you up there, Mercy.”
Looking back at the kids, who’ve calmed down some, I say, “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
Carter nods at me and I look at Becky who’s pale as a ghost. “Let’s get to the hospital. I’m with you, Mercy.”
Placing my hand on her shoulder, I say, “Thank you, Becky. You have no idea how bad I need your help right now.”
She nods and I take a deep breath to try to steady myself. Then I wipe my eyes and put the car in drive. I’ve dealt with things like this before. Just stay calm and deal with things as they happen. That’s all I can do.
Going very slow, I make my way across the median and go up the access road to get to the hospital. I can’t believe what I’ve done. This is all my fault. How can I ever look at Jude in the eyes again after doing this to him?
He’s going to hate me!
He should hate me for what I’ve done. Why did I run away like a dumb ass kid?
“Should I drive, Mercy?” Becky asks me.
I look at the speedometer and see I’m going ten miles an hour. “Yes.”
I stop and get out of the car, passing her as we change seats. She stops and pulls me to her. We hug as she rocks me. “Don’t beat yourself up, Mercy.”
“If I hadn’t run, this wouldn’t have happened,” I say.
She lets me go and looks at me with a frown. “He didn’t have to follow you so recklessly. Don’t blame yourself.”
I lower my head and pull out of her grip. “I have to.”
Getting into the car, I look back and see Mia’s little nose running and dig in the glove compartment for a tissue. I turn around and hold it to her nose. “Blow.”
She does then she says, “Unkie, Jude?”
“He’s going to the hospital. We’ll see him there,” I tell her. Then I look at Carter who is pale and stunned. “It’s going to be okay, Carter.”
“I want to go home,” he says as he looks at me. “I want to go back home, Aunt Mercy.”
“Well, we can’t right now,” I tell him. “We have to go to the hospital.”
Carter starts crying then Mia joins him and I nearly start crying too. Then Becky says, “I tell you what, Carter, Mia, how about we drop Aunt Mercy off at the hospital then I’ll take you kids back to the house?”
Carter nods. “Okay. I just want to be home.”
I nod and pat Becky on the shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem. I think it’s best to take them to the place they think of as home. The mansion, don’t you?” she asks.
“I do,” I say.
But I wonder if I’ll be welcomed there after the family finds out this is all my fault. I wonder what Jude will do. I wonder if Jude will want me anymore. I wonder if he’s going to be okay.
Becky pulls into the emergency room entrance and I see Jude’s father’s truck is already there. “Do you want us to come in with you or head home?”
I look at the kids who’ve fallen asleep and say, “You head home. I’ll take a cab home later after I know what his condition is.”
She nods and I get out and go to face his family and tell them what I’ve done. I doubt they’ll even want me around once they know this is my doing. I don’t even want to be around myself. I’m a terrible person.
As I walk through the sliding glass doors of the emergency department, I don’t see his family in the full waiting room. So I go to the nurse’s desk. “Jude Hurst was brought in here. Where is his family?”
She points to the right. “In a waiting room down the hallway there. He’s been taken into surgery.”
“Surgery?” I ask as a knot forms in my stomach.
She nods and goes back to doing her paperwork. So I walk down the hallway and know I’ve found them as I hear women crying. I have to stop and lean against the wall to stop myself from falling apart.
The cool, tiled wall helps my overheated body to calm a little. Then I step away from the wall and go to face his family.