Ending with Forever (22 page)

“Carson, how is this fair? She’ll be free in no time,” I panic. “She’s not mental. She’s malicious, cunning, and evil. She won’t stop until I’m dead. She killed Edison, for God’s sake.”

“Angel, she’s not going anywhere but straight to hell. Trust me. She’ll pay for what she did to you,” he assures me in a chilling tone. His jaw and fists clench furiously. “I don’t want you to worry about her anymore. She’ll soon be a bad nightmare that’ll fade away with time.”

“I can’t help it. The second my eyes close, I see her repulsive face threatening me, pointing her gun at my head.”

“Don’t give her that satisfaction. Don’t let her stay in your head. You’re strong. You can do this,” he encourages.

“I’ll try,” I agree. Whether I’m capable or not is another thing.

“Good girl. From now on, I promise you my face will be the first and last thing you see when you open and close your eyes. We’ll never be separated like that again.”

Buttoning up my gown, Carson fluffs the pillows behind me before lowering my body carefully back. He lies on his side next to me, opposite of the IV line attached to my left arm, watching me with tender eyes, contemplating.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” I demand nosily.

“Will our twins have your beautiful light brown eyes and gorgeous smile,” he replies, showing off my favorite dimple.

“I’m really hoping they’ll have your hazel color and dimple instead,” I tell him, reaching for his cheek with my left hand. He turns his head to kiss the heart of my palm and then gently fold my fingers in and kisses along my knuckles.

“We’ll just have to keep making babies until we both get what we want,” he winks.

“Have I ever told you you’re an opportunist?” He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders lightheartedly, still holding on to my hand.

“That ring finger of yours won’t be naked for long. I’ll show you how much I really love you with a bigger diamond,” he trifles. “That’ll teach you to never remove my ring again.”

“Bianca has it,” I whisper. “She took my ring and necklace before she forced me to climb down to that god-awful crypt. I begged her not to, but she didn’t give a shit.”

His face saddens with rage, being reminded of Bianca’s cruelty inflicted on me. “Those are just material things she took from you,” he tells me and then points to my head and my chest. “She can’t take away what’s in there—your love and your memories. They’re yours to keep and cherish. The other stuff is replaceable. I’ll have no problem selecting a more fitting ring for you.”

“You’re so wise, hazel eyes. Just so you know. I’m really drawn to your brain and not your brawn,” I kid, easing the stress that’s been hanging over my head. I have a million thoughts bouncing frenziedly in there, waiting to come out.

“I’m glad to know that my hours spent at the gym aren’t for your benefit,” he replies while he shimmies his shirt up to flaunt his toned abs.

“Stop teasing, you’re awful,” I chuckle and it makes him grin from ear to ear.

“The sound of your laughter feeds my soul. I love hearing it.”

G
lancing down at my Rolex, I see it’s almost time for my visit with Bianca. My attorney submitted a special request to the judge and the institution for me to see her. It took a team of four lawyers an entire week to get their approval for a fifteen-minute visitation. I’ll probably only need five of those minutes. Purposely, I’m wearing a somber black suit paired with a red-specked ebony silk tie that Bianca gifted me around the time of Lil’s accident in St. Croix. She relishes the sight of me in a necktie, especially one that she’s selected for me. I thought it would be the perfect choice and most fitting for this reunion.

All week, as I watched Lily slowly recover from her injuries incurred from Bianca, my mind could only think of one thing. How can I make it up to her? How should Bianca pay for her cruelty? Had she been successful either times, I’d be planning Lil’s funeral instead of our wedding. Revenge was all that consumed me. I wanted justice my way—not the judicial way.

Jean, with his holistic background, gave me an insightful suggestion after I confided my situation with him. He mentioned a rare species of spider native of Guyana, whose venom from a matured male is so potent it can kill an elephant in less than an hour. The aboriginals who live in the jungles of that country utilized this poison for hunting large animals as well as for killing their enemies. When used on humans, the reaction is much different than when used on animals. The lethal bite first attacks the brain, causing severe hallucinations, nausea, vomiting and burning sensations on the skin. The victim will try to lessen the side effects by self-mutilating him or herself. Meanwhile, the toxin also assaults the blood cells inside the body, causing a slow and painful death from internal hemorrhaging.

Marcus has volunteered to have two of these killer spiders delivered to Bianca’s padded room sometime after my visit. He was livid when she managed to escape Kevin and surrendered herself to the police for protection. He had plans for the woman who wanted his granddaughter dead, not just once but twice. Bianca knew she had double-crossed too many powerful people. She had no one or place to run to but the mental institution. She thought she’d be safe there until she figured things out. Little did she know I also have a plan of my own. If Marcus could have his way, her demise would be far more severe and suited to her crimes than mine.

“Mr. Bradley, you may enter now,” the caregiver informs in a raspy voice after punching in a security code to unlock Bianca’s door. I’ve been praying for patience. I hope to God I don’t grab her throat as soon as I see her.

“Thank you,” I tell the brawny nurse with a spider web tattoo splayed along the side of her thick neck.
Hmm…Isn’t that ironic?
My curiosity is piqued about the story behind it.

“You have fifteen minutes starting now,” she grunts at me as she swings the metal door open with her veiny, manly hand. She’s a lovely woman who’d be a great catch for any eligible man who’s into submission or being manhandled. I can be so cynical and an asshole sometimes. “You’ll hear a knock on the door when you have one minute left,” she adds.

“Okay,” I acknowledge and then enter the room. The area is pallid and larger than I pictured. Maybe this is a privileged room her affluent parents appealed for, spoiling her even in jail. The walls are padded up to the ceiling. There’s no furniture besides a mattress on the floor where Bianca is sitting Indian-style, dazed and focused on an imaginary spot in front of her. She’s almost unrecognizable to me with her pale hair disheveled and her face void of makeup, wearing just a unisex gown. Her customary manicured fingers are trimmed back and unpolished. They must have her on some kind of sedative. Her eyes are glassy and gray, not brilliant blue like the fake color lenses she’s had them concealed under. Apparently, everything about her was deceiving all along.

“It’s nice of you to visit me, Carson,” she speaks graciously when her eyes discover me. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this.” She fusses with her straggly hair and gown.

As if I give a shit about her appearance.
I can barely look at her without wanting to strangle her to death. I detest everything about her. “You know why I’m here. I want you to tell me where Lillian is.” I offer her a chance to redeem her soul. That is if she has one. Lil believes there’s goodness in everyone even if it’s insignificant. Her answer will reveal what kind of person she really is. As much as I hate and want her dead, my conscience begs me to reconsider her cruel punishment.

Slowly, she erects her body and advances toward me. Her breathing is hurried but burdened while her glazed eyes are blazing with heat. When her mouth opens to speak, an angry demon voice roars out of her. “You’re still asking for her? This is all your fault! You refused to love me and gave your heart to that whore instead. She didn’t do a goddamn thing for it. I did! I gave you two devoted years!”

“I was honest with you from the beginning. I told you I could never love you,” I remind her. “But you still wanted to marry me regardless.”

“I thought I could change your heart,” she wails, dropping down to her knees and pounding her fists against her head. I’m unaffected by her dramatic display of emotion. “And I probably would’ve if that bitch didn’t get in my way.”

“No, Bianca. It would’ve never happened even if Lillian wasn’t in the picture,” I assure her.
No fucking way.

“It doesn’t matter now, does it?” she grits, glaring her vile eyes at me. “She’s dead! And you’ll never see her again! Never!” she screams defiantly, showing me her true colors and sharp tongue. “It gave me so much pleasure to watch her suffer and beg for my mercy. I practically came in my drenched panties. She was pathetic all the way to the end. I stood above her grave and listened to her weep until I had my fill. It was music to my ears.” She cackles uncontrollably with a smug look on her face while showing no signs of human remorse. Lil was wrong. Bianca doesn’t have any goodness in her.

Furious, I lift my dominant arm with the intention of striking her face so hard that her head would fly off her shoulders, but I don’t. I force it back by my side, maintaining my control, inhaling and exhaling rhythmically. She flinches slightly, backing away from me in fear. Unfortunately for her, I seem to have misplaced my compassion. She’s going to get exactly what she deserves. Reaching for my tie, I loosen the knot and slide it off. Her worried expression tells me she recognizes it and is afraid of what I might do to her with it.

“Does this look familiar?” I ask as I hand her the tie instead of choking her with it like I imagined in my head. She refuses to accept it or answer me, so I reply for her. “I found it on my desk with a note from you that said, ‘A tie to end all other ties.’ I can’t imagine a better day than today to make that happen.”

“What do you mean by that?” she demands, troubled by the forbidding tone of my voice. I ignore her question and knock on the door for the caretaker to open. She enters promptly. “Please tell me,” Bianca begs, snatching the tie from my hand, and hiding it under her gown before the nurse catches her.

“Goodbye, Bianca,” I spit. With disgust, I look at her one last time.

“Carson, please. Don’t leave. I’m sorry, baby.” Her wicked voice turns sweet like viscous honey coating the bitter taste of poison.

“I have to. I have a date with Lillian to burn all your ties after we pick up her new wedding ring. That’s what I meant to tell you,” I explain with utter satisfaction.

My spiteful comment sets Bianca off like a volatile bomb just the way I hoped it would. Her body jerks violently as her arms and legs kick and swing at me. With little effort, the strapping nurse confines her with her muscular arms, holding Bianca captive against her chest. Her powerful physique and stoic demeanor is perfectly suited for this job. You can’t be a softie in here having to deal with unstable people like Bianca.

“Ms. Sorté, if you can’t control yourself, I’ll have to put you down,” she warns her like she’s done it a few times already. “You will walk over to your bed and sit when I let you go,” she orders. “Do you understand?” Bianca nods obediently.

Cautiously, the nurse releases her hold on Bianca. The hot-blooded devil glares at me with revulsion before lunging at me again with the intent to kill. My hands block her, locking on to her wrists to secure her in place as the nurse reaches inside her pocket for a syringe. In one quick jab to the thigh, the sedative runs its course intravenously. Her flaccid body is dragged over to the mattress on the floor to rest with my necktie peeking through her right sleeve. As the nurse situates Bianca, leaning over her, I’m offered a glimpse of two, red specked, black spider tattoos on the back of her neck. The story behind her tattoos is now apparent to me without needing her explanation.

“Those are some wicked looking spiders,” I comment when she turns to leave with me.

“The real ones are even more impressive, Mr. Bradley,” she replies unemotionally. I step away without responding, knowing exactly what she means. Marcus isn’t idle with his time. He’s a very scary man when provoked. It’s impossible to stop the wheels from spinning even if I wanted to. Bianca is as good as dead.

I gave her my last fifteen minutes. The door closed behind me with her peacefully sedated on the floor. When she awakes, her nightmare will begin and mine will end. Marcus has provided me no details and I’m grateful to be kept in the dark. Ignorance isn’t always unkind. She was given one last chance to prove that she might possess an inkling of human decency, but she failed miserably. I walk away this morning with a clear conscience knowing that she’ll reap what she sowed. Marcus holds her accountable for her cruelty to Lillian and so do I. Bianca’s fate is out of my hands, as is Chandler Montgomery’s, who’s now ruined and caged up like a vile criminal. Their wretched ending is the result of greed and their lack of compassion for people. I see their demise as a reminder for me to stay on the path of virtue and never stray.

~~~~

Leaving my past behind and knowing that it’ll stay there indefinitely, I’m ready to start fresh with the woman I can’t live without. My next stop is to a jewelry shop that’s been in business for eighty-four years creating custom pieces for the rich and famous. I hired Mr. Vitalis, the same jeweler who helped me design her bracelet, to craft a one-of-a-kind heirloom.

“Mr. Bradley, good to see you again,” he speaks in a heavy Greek accent with his customary tight-lipped smile.  To me, he looks to be in his seventies with a well-preserved complexion of fine lines, a head full of silver hair that’s as thick as shag carpet and matching bushy eyebrows. “I think you’ll be impressed. The ring looks almost identical to your sketch,” he tells me as he hands me a crystal jewelry case in the shape of a princess cut.

What a stunning ring. It’s exactly how I pictured it in my head. I admire Mr. Vitalis’s craftsmanship while inspecting the gleaming diamonds fashioned into a lotus flower and an interweave infinity band. I’m positive Lil will absolutely love it. This is the last item to check off my overwhelming wedding list of things to do. With an endless supply of money and my amazing cousin, Nikki, anything is possible, even assembling a hasty fairytale wedding overseas with more than a dozen guests.

“Thank you, Mr. Vitalis. As always, you’ve done a splendid job. Were you able to replicate the jade pendant I gave you a picture of?”

“Unfortunately, I’m not as skilled a jade carver as I am a goldsmith. I couldn’t copy it, but I made these for you instead.” He pulls out another crystal case and hands it to me.

Incredible.
He crafted a coordinating necklace and earrings to go with Lil’s ring. They’re the appropriate size, tasteful and not gaudy. He added dainty details that Lil wouldn’t miss such as our initials with an infinity symbol at the clasp of the necklace.

“These are perfect. They’re beautiful. I love them and I know she will too,” I praise his work while admiring each delicate diamond, imagining how amazing it’ll look against Lil’s flawless skin.

“Thank you, sir. Can I giftwrap them for you?”

“That won’t be necessary. Just ring me up,” I tell him without sounding too impatient.

“Yes, sir.”

Mr. Vitalis runs my black credit card for a balance I don’t even ask for and out the door I go with Lil’s wedding gifts. She will have these on our wedding day. There’s one last stop I have to make before returning to my parents’ place to round up Lil to go home to our penthouse. Our twins will fight over the one stuffed giraffe we have. It’s dad’s job to be fair to both.

The cuts on my hands and shoulder are healing nicely. Besides for my nausea, I’m as good as new thanks to Kat and Carson’s diligent care for me for the past week. I haven’t had to do a single thing but rest, read medical files and forget my trauma. Carson insisted that I avoid talking about it until my body was healed and my head was ready. For a change, I’m following his advice and keeping my mind on the charts instead. Owen dropped off another pile yesterday, checking in on me. This will be a never-ending task until Carson discovers a cure for all stages of cancers. My heart truly believes he will eventually because he’s doing God’s work.

Skimming through the new cases, I see a name familiar to me. Francine Manns, Gabby’s healthcare representative. In haste, I flip through her file to read her medical history. She never once spoke of having cancer. Her focus was only on Gabby. What a selfless woman. Francine is a breast cancer survivor of eleven years who now has metastatic disease in her spine. She’s been married twice and had three pregnancies. I thought she told me she has four adult children. She must have a set of twins in that mix. As soon as Carson comes home this evening, I’ll have to bring her chart to his attention to see if he can accelerate her waiting process. Gabby just completed her first round of drugs three days ago. Jane has been keeping me updated with her status via phone calls and emails since I’m not able to visit her in my condition. So far everything’s going well for Gabby and I can’t wait to see her adorable little face sometime soon.