by Sable Hunter
“Your Savannah. He’s holed up at the Cajun Inn just off the interstate south of Lafayette. We have a team on the way.”
“I’ll be there first. You know what I do, Commander. Do I have permission to take this guy out?”
“All I ask is that you coordinate your efforts with my team. We don’t want any civilian casualties.”
“There will only be one casualty. Lucas is already dead. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
*****
Savannah was tied to a chair. Her arms hurt. She kept her eyes closed and tried to assess her situation. Was she all right? Was her baby all right? What had happened? Opening her eyes a crack, she tried to look around without alerting her captor. Lucas – it has to be. Patrick had known he was coming.
POP! Savannah’s head jerked back and light exploded behind her eyes. The slap stung like hell, but in a way it gave Savannah a bit of courage. “What could you possibly want with me? The evidence has already been turned in. I don’t have it anymore.”
“Shut up, Bitch! You’re my ticket out of this shittin’ country. I’m moving somewhere that will appreciate me.”
“Hell?”
Another resounding slap almost knocked both Savannah and the chair completely over. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. For the first time she looked her attacker in the face. He was a big man – not as big as Patrick, but the sneer on his thin, mustached face was chilling. A big pistol was pointing right at her. She had never looked down the barrel of a gun before. It made her look at her world with a whole new perspective.
Was this going to be it? Will she pass away before she gets to tell Patrick she loves him and the baby is his? Will her poor baby never see the life she fought so hard to give him?
The moments felt so long. Years went by as her eyes acclimated to the sight of the pistol in front of her, although it was probably just seconds. The reality began to sink down upon her and all the old familiar thoughts of despair and loneliness made their way back to the front of her mind. Even if she conquered the air of Carville and felt the warmth of a man’s love, she had not escaped Leprosy; she had lost Patrick, again; and she failed her baby.
It’s ok. She can die, now. She would probably be doing everyone a favor.
The sound of engines traveling down the interstate reminded Savannah of the day she met Patrick. She had driven her Camaro so fast. She was excited and nervous. Patrick reached out to her and reminded her. He wanted her to feel safe. The world can’t be that bad if there are people like that in the world, can it?
And then it all came rushing back to her. Patrick loved her. He fought and beat death, itself, to come back to her. The baby is his. He would go to Revel and they would straighten everything out, and then he would come to her. He would come. Her warrior would come. Nana Fontenot said so. The Saints won. The Saints won. He has to. There it is. Hope. She has hope. She has something to live for. She has something to fight for.
The fear is back. The fight is back. This can’t happen. She needs to live, for the baby, for Patrick. Now that all was in perspective and love had stricken her heart with fear, she realized how much danger her life and love was in. And when Lucas began to unbutton his pants, she had to swallow the panic.
“I told O’Rourke what I was going to do with you. You ain’t no looker, but your tits are nice and I bet your pussy’s warm.”
Sometimes we have to play the hand we’re dealt.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Who’s going to stop me?”
By this time he had his cock out. It was small, but erect. Savannah almost laughed. Almost. She couldn’t believe she was going to say this – but here goes. . .
“My parents were lepers. I was born at the Carville Leprosarium.” She tilted her head to show him the spot on her neck. “I found this spot last night. Wanna risk it?” She watched his dick go limp. This time when he drew back to slap her – she looked at him defiantly and he lowered his hand.
“I wouldn’t touch yous to lih a ten foot pole.”
Savannah had to admit that some clouds did have silver linings. Maybe everything does happen for a reason.
“Do you actually think that Patrick is going to let you live? He’s outside right now with a gun. And I bet he has a bullet with your name on it.” The window directly behind him was covered by a curtain, but there was about a three inch gap right in the middle.
“Do you think he’ll come to rescue you, Leper?”
A moment of doubt shadowed her face. “He doesn’t know about the spot.” Why was she being honest with this guy? “But he does know about our baby.” At least she hoped he did. “How many more breaths do you think he’s going to let you take?”
Lucas drew back to hit her again – right before he dropped dead at her feet. The bullet had gone through the glass so quickly that he had hit the floor before she had heard the CRACK!
The door burst open and Patrick was there.
“Savannah? Are you all right, Baby?” He hugged her chair and all. She had to tell him.
“Stop, Patrick.”
He paid her no attention whatsoever. With great care, he untied her. “What did he do to you?” He was kissing her bruised cheek – kissing the corners of her eyes.
“He slapped me a few times, that’s all.”
Several others came into the room and Patrick led her around the still body that lay on the floor. Picking her up, he stepped over the bloody mass that used to be the back of Lucas’s head. She shouldn’t do it – but she couldn’t resist. Savannah laid her head on Patrick’s shoulder and just enjoyed being this close to him one final time.
When they reached his truck, he shifted her so he could open her door and he sat her down. They were far enough away from the others that he felt like he could talk. “Sava . . .” he began and then he stopped. Going to his knees, he laid his head down in her lap and that was when Savannah realized that Patrick was crying.
Placing her hand on the top of his head, she sought to comfort him. “Everything is okay, Patrick.” She soothed his hair and kissed him.
“I’m so sorry.”
“The baby is yours.”
“I know. I should have never jumped to conclusions. I should have listened.” He kissed her stomach. “You were keeping your promise to me. My child would have been my legacy.”
“Yes, you should havelistened,” she let out a small laugh despite her worry. “And I never slept with Revel, I never even thought about it. He’s in love with someone else and I’m in love with you.” At that her voice broke.
“You are my life, Savannah. You and our baby, I love him already.” Patrick gathered her close. “It was just the idea of another man taking what was mine – I couldn’t handle it.”
“Patrick, you need to not touch me so much.”
“What?” The surprise in his voice was evident. “Touching you is the greatest joy of my life.”
She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed. “I found a spot on my neck this morning. And most people are immune, but we know my folks were susceptible . . .” her voice trailed off.
“What are you talking about?”
She moved her hair and pointed. “I think I have Hansen’s. I have an appointment with a specialist in the morning.”
Patrick examined the spot.
Why wasn’t he more worried?
“Now, when do you think you would have been exposed to leprosy?”
“I don’t know. I visited Carville while you were gone.”
“It’s a museum, Savannah. There are no lepers there anymore.”
“I know,” she didn’t have answers.
“Come here, let me get you in the light and look at this spot.” He pulled her out into the sunshine. Savannah knew that Patrick had been trained, but she didn’t think he could make a diagnosis.
Patrick thought differently. “We should definitely get this looked at, but it’s not Hansen’s.” And he kissed the spot for good measure.
“
Patrick! Don’t!” She fussed. And he kissed it again. And then he pulled her close and he devoured her mouth.
“I love you. I love you more than anything in the world and there is nothing that is going to keep us apart any longer. No madman is going to intimidate us, no disease is going to conquer us – not even death itself is going to separate us.”
Patrick’s conviction healed the wounds in her heart and his words reminded her of the promise she had received only days before. “Someone else I love very much told me almost the same thing just a couple of days ago.”
“Oh yeah?” He refused to be jealous, again. He had no reason to be.&nsp Instead he cuddled her close and kissed the spot she was so worried about again. If kisses could heal, it would soon be gone. “And who would that be?”
“My mom.”
He stepped back. “Really? Was she alive or . . . .?”
Patrick knew her well. “She’s in heaven.” Of that, Savannah was certain.
“I think I need to hear this story.”
“You will,” she promised, “and I can’t wait to tell you about Felix, too.” Rubbing her hand across his broad strong chest, she whispered. “I looked for you, you know. I searched and called and begged for you to hear me. I wanted you to know that I hadn’t forgotten you.”
“I heard you, Savannah. In my dreams, I heard you calling me.”
“You’re my miracle, Patrick.” She hugged him close.
“And you’re my Destiny.”
*****
They sat in the doctor’s office holding hands – and waiting.
“Everything is going to be fine,” he assured her. “It’s going to be something simple and very treatable – like psoriasis.”
Savannah laughed. “Psoriasis? The heartbreak of psoriasis? That sounds awful. It could be cancer. I’ve thought of that.”
“Hush,” he kissed her lips. “Don’t even say that out loud.”
“Cancer is a respectable disease,” she explained softly.
“There’s nothing respectable about anything that could cause you one minute’s pain – not to me.”
About that time, the doctor returned. “Well, Miss Doucet, it seems like you had a little visitor in your bed, maybe. You’ve been bitten by a spider. Nothing dangerous, a little ointment and you’ll be right as rain.”
Savannah almost collapsed from relief. Patrick squeezed her hand and said, “Let’s go home. We’ve got a wedding to plan.”
*****
“Elope? Are you sure you are okay with eloping?” She was packing fast. “What about your friends?”
“We’ll have a party for them later. I don’t want to wait another day to be your husband.” Most of his stuff was still packed, so he was trying to help her.
Savannah wanted to laugh at him, but he was so sincere. He was in her underwear drawer, just digging. Panties and bras were flying through the air and she was catching them one after the other. “We have to get a marriage license and the waiting time is like seventy-two hours, I think.”
“Not if you get special permission from the Justice of the Peace.” He sounded very sure of himself – like always. But he stopped mid undie-toss and stared at her. “Do you want a traditional wedding? Do you want to get married in a church with the girls as bridesmaids?” He put his hand on his hips and looked disgusted with himself. “Of course you want a real wedding – you’re a girl.”
“No,” she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I want to be your wife more than anything. But I do have a request.”
Patrick pulled her in front of him so he could look her in the face. “Name it – it’s yours.”
Savannah smiled and his heart thumped in his chest.
“Can we go to Galveston for our honeymoon? While you were gone, I would go there in my mind with you. We could rent a beach cabin and make love while the tide roars outside.”
“Make the reservations and I’ll load the car and alert our witnesses where to meet us.”
“Witnesses?” It was a good thing that Patrick was in charge; she was too excited to think straight.
“Yes, I want this marriage ceremony to be legal, binding, permanent and short. The sooner I get my ring on your finger, the better.”
Stepping closer, she embraced the big Marine. “I never took your ring off, Baby.”
“I know, but I have another one to add to it – or I will have as soon as my best man arrives. I picked it out when I bought your engagement ring, but I never got a chance to go back and get it. Revel picked it up for me.”
“God, I love you. I can’t believe I’m holding you again.”
“I’ll hold you as long as you want to be held.”
“Do we have time for a kiss? I need one. Everything has happened so fast and we’ve made love, but I need to kiss you.”
He knew exactly what she meant, but he lived for her smile. “And where would you like this kiss to be?”
“My mouth is lonely.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” As she gazed at him, she saw his eyes darken with passion.
“During my time in The Pit, you’ll never know how many hours I kissed you in my heart, Savannah. I would close my eyes and leave that hell-hole I was in and lose myself in your arms. I would kiss you till I ached with longing for it to be real.”
“Show me.”
“Come up here to me.”
He cupped her bottom and lifted her and she wrapped her legs and arms around him. He was hers.
Then he kissed her like he’d been dreaming of.
He kissed her like she had never been kissed before. Soft kisses, rubbing, tasting – then they turned hot and deep – and all of the pent-up desperation and days of starving for her touch poured out into the melding of their mouths.
And she accepted his passion and returned it with such fervor that he had no doubt she had missed him and ached for him every single second he was gone.
Savannah dug her fingers into his shoulders, holding on to him with everything she had. Patrick was making love with her – it wasn’t just a kiss, it was a commitment.
When they drew apart, she pressed her head into the curve of his neck. He could feel tears on his skin. “Don’t ever leave me again, please.”
He hadn’t told her yet, but he wasn’t leaving – not anymore. His time in the Marines was over. “Okay, baby. You’re stuck with me.”
She half sobbed, half laughed. “I’m ready to say ‘I do’ now.”
*****
Not a moment was wasted. Savannah was lucky to have had time to change into a proper dress for the ceremony. He wore black slacks and a black dress shirt and looked so sexy she could barely breathe. Tammany and Revel had met them at the courthouse and it might not have been the most glamorous wedding, but it was perfect for them.
“We’re having a party the night you come home, so call me, I’ll have everything ready.” Tammany promised hugging her friend. “You look so pretty, this lacy little dress is perfect.”
“Thanks, Tam,” she looked over her friend’s shoulder at Patrick who was talking to Revel Lee. “I want to thank you. If you had never pushed me that day at the Memorial, I would have let him walk out of my life and I’d never have known what I was missing.”
“No, I can’t take credit,” Tammany was wiping her eyes. “You and Patrick were destined for one another. Too many wonderful, powerful things have happened for it to be mere chance.”
“Are you ready to go?” Patrick grabbed her hand, but Revel stopped their progress to steal a kiss. “I’m so happy for you,” he whispered in her ear. “I would have come to your rescue at any time, but I know where your heart lies.”
Savannah kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll pray that you find the same happiness that I do. Why don’t you go find her, Revel? Go find Harper.”
He sighed and smiled. “You know, after witnessing the miracle of Patrick and Savannah, I just might do that. Do you think Harper and I could find a miracle of our own?”
“If there’s a chance,
Revel – don’t waste it. Go after her. True love is too hard to find to let anything go to chance.”
“Okay,” Revel shook Patrick’s hand. “I’ll get the guys together for your party. Miss Tammany here will keep me informed, I’m sure.”
Savannah and Patrick waved at their friends and started down the steps, but Patrick didn’t let her get far. He swept her off her feet and carried her to his truck – it was time for the honeymoon.