Deadly Deception (Deadly Series) (16 page)

“Anneliese, please help me! I can’t hold on!” Carter begged between grunts.

The darkness surrounded them, the spider web of white flashes from outside reflected inside Carter’s sapphire eyes. Flashes of their life together, of a love she thought protected her from all the evils of the world when in fact he was the evil of the world, tore through her mind He was her pain, her suffering, her loss.

“Farewell, Carter.”

Flinching at her words, his struggle continued, his grip became less indomitable.

“Bitch!”

His hand flew through the thick dark air, reaching for her neck. Realizing his motion, Anne jerked back while Carter entangled his fingers around her pearls, pulling hard, thrusting all his weight into his clutch. The delicate strand shattered around them sending diminutive orbs of iridescent white soaring beneath them. Carter’s body began free-falling down into the infinite blackness. She quickly realized, so was hers.

Anne’s life halted. Her memories suspended around her in the warehouse. A horrified Adam lunged over the railing, reaching for her, screaming her name. She could see the torture twist across his face. He pulled out a cell phone, screaming at someone in the receiver. Anne couldn’t hear him, she couldn’t move and her vision was failing her once her body crashed into the cold cement.

An excruciating pain electrified her body, deflating all oxygen from her lungs. A tunnel of black began closing in. Before succumbing to her fate, she willed her eyes to shift to her side. Carter lay beside her, motionless. Relief washed over her
with the knowledge he was dead. She could let go. Silently, she said good bye to Adam and then, there was nothing…nothing but peace.

The blinding white light grazed Anne’s cornea while Dr. Rasmussen examined her. She could hear the humming of machines and smell the aroma of bleach and latex. He glanced at each eye, with his own eyes displaying worry. That was not comforting her at all. Her body ached and throbbed.

“Can you hear me, Anne?” Dr. Rasmussen asked.

She willed her voice to come forth but it rebelled.

“Can you feel this?”

He squeezed her hand. Anne could see in her peripheral vision that various tubes and wires twisted over her watery skin. She could feel him but couldn’t respond. Anxiety plagued her trapped body. Her heart rate accelerated, announcing her anxiety through the machine that sat next to her.

“Calm down, Anne, you’re all right. That’s good that you’re responding.”

Anne concentrated on the liver spots that dotted Dr. Rasmussen’s hand. Why couldn’t she move? Was she paralyzed? Her inner dialogue began spiraling out of control. Where was Adam? Was Carter dead?

“Listen to me, Anne, this is good news. You’re making progress.”

Anne could feel his warm hand pat hers. A tall red-headed nurse swept in with a syringe and administered the contents into the IV. A wave of euphoria overtook her, calming her muffled hysterics.

“Good morning, Anne, my name is Judy. I’m one of your nurses. This will help you relax, okay?” 

She didn’t wait for a response because she knew there wouldn’t be one.

“Anne, you were in an accident. You’ve been in a coma for three weeks. You have bruised ribs and pelvic fracture, and there was swelling in your brain. You opened your eyes early this morning. Do you think you could blink for me?”

In Anne’s puffy, muddled brain, she coaxed her heavy lids to do as she was asked.

“Good girl.”

Polaroid flashes of that night lit up her mind. She had found Adam. Carter killed him then tried to kill her. Carter clung to the railing before reaching for her. She lost her balance and flew over the railing, falling toward the concrete floor. She thought she had seen Adam, with grief etched across his face. But how could that be? Carter had shot him.

Dr. Rasmussen
stepped to the side, revealing Dr. Lindsey standing rigidly in the corner. His face held a look of melancholy but he gave Anne a weak smile. She observed their whispered exchange, and then Dr. Rasmussen was gone.  Dr. Lindsey cautiously approached her hospital bed. She had never seen this side of him. His typical therapist façade was non-existent. He was just a middle-aged man wearing jogging pants and a T-shirt.

Anne continued to coax her limbs to move and her voice to demand answers, but there was nothing. She could feel a tear escape, trailing slowly down her cheek. Dr. Lindsey sat down in a small blue chair,
and then he wiped her tear away.

“Oh Anne, I know you are frustrated. I can see that you want to move and talk so badly but you can’t.”

He paused, contemplating how to explain to her what was happening.

“You’re in a private facility being cared for by the best doctors in the country. Your recovery will depend on how badly you want retribution. Blink once if you understand what I’m saying.”

She blinked, leading him to go on.

“Carter survived.”

Those two words set her machines off.

“Anne, calm down or they will come in again. They are under Carter’s thumb. You must stop. Control your breathing.”

She tried to focus on Dr. Lindsey’s soft voice, just as she did during their many therapy sessions. Her muscles trembled at just the thought of Carter still roaming this earth alive. She had survived—why not him? He never dies. The man has nine lives. The machines slowly quieted while Dr. Lindsey waited for someone to barge in, but no one did.

“He’s more mobile than you are, but that’s due to the medication they are giving you. They are keeping you incapacitated until Carter gives the go-ahead. He has a plan and, unfortunately, you’re right in the middle of it all. I will try to keep you as safe as I can because I have a plan of my own.”

Anne blinked once to show him she understood everything he was telling her.

“Adam is alive as well.”

Internally, Anne gave a sigh of relief. She
had
indeed seen him. The tears began again. Dr. Lindsey dabbed them with a tissue. She knew he was safe and under FBI protection. Victoria wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

“I know you are worried about him but you need to worry about you right now. Once Carter executes his plan, there’s no going back. I need you to trust me. Do you trust me, Anne?”

Without hesitation, she blinked once. Dr. Lindsey nodded.

“Rest, Anne. You’re going to need all your strength for what lies ahead.”

That statement tore through her, igniting a fire deep within. She was seeking retribution and it would be hers, no matter what the cost, even if it meant losing herself in the process.

***

Nine days had passed since her initial true awakening. Carter and Dr. Lindsey hovered over her. The debilitating medicine continued to drip into her IV, paralyzing all muscle function. Carter steadied himself on crutches, locking his wicked irises with hers.

“Anneliese, don’t look so forlorn. What I have planned for you is brilliant. Consider yourself lucky that I’m even keeping you alive.”

“Carter,” Dr. Lindsey spat out.

“Shut up.” Carter shot a glare across her bed. “Since your mother was just as fucked in the head as you, this will work out perfectly.”

Tears spilled out of her at the sound of his vile words, but he continued mercilessly.

“Good ‘ole Dr. Lindsey has brought to me all your research about brain manipulation, and your study notes with the Mayo Clinic. It’s amazing how readily you can locate c
ertain drugs and medications—for the right price of course. You are pumped with so many fucking meds. I’m amazed you’re still breathing.”

Carter moved closer to her, evil rolling off of him. She prayed he would hurry along his point.

“You will be my puppet, Anneliese. You’ll do whatever I say and your sweet Adam will be nothing to you. I’m going to suck all the oxygen from your lungs and replace it with mine. Your blood will call out to me.” He stroked her wet cheek. “You will belong to me.”

She blinked once, conceding to his insanity. She had no other choice.

“Otherwise, you’ll watch me slaughter Casey and her entire family. It’ll be your fault. I’ll slit their throats and not think twice about it.”

She was clawing from her insides out, begging for mercy or for him to just kill her. The vision of Casey, Tony and her innocent children’s lifeless bodies was her undoing. Internally, her body thrashed from his threats. It convulsed. It screame
d. It begged for death. She lay still while the inner war raged, consuming her soul.

“Before I leave, I have one other little secret to share but I think I’ll wait until
my
Anneliese awakes.” He turned to Dr. Lindsey. “Do it.”

Carter brought his lips to her skin, brushing
them over her, as though she were Snow White, like he was breaking some sinful spell that had been cast upon her. However, the opposite was happening. His kiss was poison. He nodded at Dr. Lindsey and hobbled from the grim room. He exhaled, closing his eyes.

“Are you ready, Anne?”

She blinked.

“I’m sorry I have to do this.”

She could see his remorse. Anne wanted to reach out to him and tell him she understood, tell him that she knew he didn’t have a choice. Just like she didn’t have a choice. They were Carter’s captives. Once again, she was saying a silent goodbye to Adam.

“Anne, close your eyes and listen to my voice. Let it take you away, like an ocean current…”

His hypnotic voice towed her deeper and deeper, until his soothing commands breached her subconscious.

The sea of burnt oranges, golden yellows and fiery reds swept across the Riverfront District.
Autumn crept into the city along with its nippy winds that tickled the vibrant leaves. The mid-afternoon sun felt welcoming on Anne’s face as she let the fresh fall air enter her lungs. She had two of her smaller windows open just enough to let the breeze freshen the stale office space.

“Anne, what the hell are you doing?”

Anne exhaled deeply, turning to look at her best friend.

“I’m packing up the rest of my office, Casey.” 

“I can see that but what I want to know is—why? Why are you doing this? Your life is here, with me and with Adam.”

Anne watched her lace her fingers with her own.

Six months had passed since the “incident”, as Casey called it. Anne distanced herself after leaving the private facility, claiming amnesia. But she knew that Casey thought it was a cover-up.

“You waltz in here after being absent for months and announce that you’re moving to Georgia and that you need a fresh start, and when I ask you if you’ve seen or talked to Adam, you have the audacity to ask me who I am talking about? Are you kid
ding me, Anne? And now your m—“

“Stop Casey, you don’t understand s
o please, drop it. I have to go,” she replied sternly.

Anne pulled her hands away and began taping up the last box that remained in the now-empty office. Two bouncer-type men stood outside her door, still wearing their sunglasses. She held up two fingers and they nodded and walked to the front of the reception area. Anne pulled Casey close to her, stopping at the curve of her ear.

“I once read that the fastest way to succeed is to look as if you’re playing by someone else’s rules, while quietly playing by your own,” she whispered.

Backing away she gave Casey a wink, and then walked past her to the waiting entourage. 

“Anne?”

She heard Casey call out to her but she was already out the door.

Her stilettos shocked the tile with an unbridled stride while she tightened the belt on her black trench coat. Once she reached the ground floor, Anne exited the large glass door to the streets of downtown. Ahead of her sat a black Lincoln Town Car; the back driver’s side door was open.

Before stepping in, she caught sight of an attractive man leaning against the brick wall across from her. His ruffled locks moved with the chilled breeze. And something pulled deep within her. Those familiar dark eyes held her gaze until a baker’s truck drove by. The man disappeared once the truck passed. Glancing up and down the dense movements of the street, she couldn’t find him. Shrugging, she placed herself gently on the leather seat, and the door was closed by one of the burly men.

“Are you ready, Mrs. Montgomery?” the driver asked, pulling away from the curb.

“Yes, Robert. I’m
ready.” Anne said, her voice sounding like it contained razors.

“The jet is fueled and awaiting your arrival.”

Anne nodded while fidgeting with the large black diamond that rested heavily on her ring finger. Vengeance was awaiting her as well.

Chapter 1

Minneapolis International Airport was within view.  Anne’s wet palms lay flat against the leather seats.  Her heart pounded in her throat with so much force she thought she may very well vomit it up right there in the car.  Robert eyed her in the rearview mirror with a look of worry.