The Fall (Book 1)

by Mathews, Mark

  “I’m not sure what happened to him, and I’m going to do whatever I can to get you out of here. It was self-defense, and that’s what I’m sticking to.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Garret awoke with a start, next to the couch. Had he really fallen asleep on the floor? What the hell had he been thinking? His hand snaked up to gingerly rub the throbbing area on his head. There was movement on the couch above him, and he twisted around so fast he heard something pop in his back. Wincing, he caught sight of Wren lying there, looking bewildered.

  “Sleeping Beauty finally has awoken it seems.”

  The dry humor in her voice made a grim smile tug at the corners of his mouth. The edges of his vision were beginning to clarify, and he finally could feel like he was really awake. Maybe not quite alert yet, but awake.

  “Have you been up on watch all night?” His voice cracked, and he had to swallow hard to try clearing the lump of worry out of his throat.

  “I’ve been on watch since I got here, honey.” That made him grin again.

  He knew he liked her for a reason. She was an older, more cynical version of himself. Abruptly he noticed she had her old, beat-up backpack in her hands and she was fiddling with a seam that was coming apart.

  “Are you going somewhere?” He just managed to keep the alarm out of his voice. He didn’t want to lose her because, with her military training, she was a great asset for keeping his family safe. He’d do whatever it took to keep her here and make her his ally.

  “I get the feeling I’m not exactly welcome in this house. When I got here, it was pretty easy to read that from the others.” There was an undertone of sadness to her voice, and Garrett felt something tighten in his chest. He took a deep breath.

  “As far as I’m concerned, you proved your worth when you helped protect my family from that maniac on the front porch. You could have used that opportunity to switch sides and go with him, since he had the firepower. Or you could have said forget both of you and run away while we were facing off against each other, but you didn’t. You helped me after everything that happened, and my…Alice is alive in part because of what you did to help me.”

  That was the truth. No embellishments, and no exaggerations. That was how he felt. He was pretty sure Alice would agree with him, and Austin…well, he didn’t really matter anyway.

  “Anyone can point a gun at someone’s head and look threatening. The truth is, even with all the training I’ve had, I’m not quite sure how to shoot properly.”

  Part of what she’d said to him down at the sheriff’s station came back to him, and he frowned. She’d mentioned she was a good shot. Was that a lie? Or did she just lack the proper technique and managed to be a good shot with whatever way that she did it? There was only one way to find out.

  “If that’s what you’re worried about, then I can teach you…but you have to stay.” She looked up at him, and he could see the wheels in her head turning. What she was going to say remained a secret for a little while more.

  “Garrett?” The voice was weak, but it belonged to Alice, and that meant that she was awake.

  Forgetting the pain and stiffness in his body from sleeping on the floor, he took the stairs two and three at a time to get up to the master bedroom, Wren temporarily forgotten. Poking his head in the door, he could see her sitting up slightly against the backboard of the bed.

  “Alice? You’re awake! How are you feeling?” His voice was pained, and he knew she easily could pick up on it.

  He wanted to do whatever he could to take that pain away so she wouldn’t have to suffer. She was tough, and she’d never admit this was something she couldn’t handle. So he’d just have to judge for himself to make the best decisions for her.

  “Are you in a lot of pain?”

  “Pain? Well, it does hurt a little, but I can promise you that’s it’s nothing compared to childbirth.”

  He had to smile at her attempt at a joke, but it also told him she was trying to play it off as hurting less than it really did. He hadn’t noticed that Wren had followed him up the stairs, backpack over her shoulder.

  “Do you need some water?” Alice leaned over a little to see Wren, since she was still framed in the doorway behind Garrett. Alice made a show of thinking the offer over, then quietly accepted it. Wren smiled at her and disappeared. That was when Garrett noticed that Austin wasn’t there.

  “Where’s Austin? He was supposed to be watching over you? And Jenny? I told her it was her job to make sure that you drank your water.” Panic began to swell in Garret, but Alice raised a hand and made a shushing noise to let him know it was alright.

  “I sent them both to bed. I’ve been drinking water, so don’t yell at Jenny.” As if to prove a point, she held up her empty jug. Now that it was just the two of them, Alice checked the door frame again before speaking.

  “Wren seems very nice.” That simple statement instantly had Garrett on alert. He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Do you really mean that? Or are you just sick and can’t see straight because of the pain?”

  Part of him really wanted to know, but part of him also was teasing her because of her immediate negative reaction to Wren showing up in the first place. Glaring at him, she playfully stuck out her tongue.

  “I have to admit; she was quite an asset when it came to the little fiasco downstairs.” That was exactly what Garrett had been thinking.

  “If this really is going to get much worse before it gets better, it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra able-bodied person around to ensure the safety of everyone.”

  “Are you saying you don’t count yourself and Austin as being able-bodied?” He almost whispered his question, just in case anyone heard the commotion and came to see how Alice was doing.

  “Austin is, but he’s too worried about me to look at the big picture. He didn’t even want to go and sleep so he could take care of me when he woke up. He can’t be any help to anyone if he can’t even take care of himself. And as soon as the baby comes, I won’t be any help, either. Granted, I’m not doing so well right now, either, but I’ll have all my time consumed with taking care of the baby when it comes. I think it really would help to have someone else here with us.”

  “I’m glad someone else has the same opinion I do.” He smiled at her, but Alice held up a hand to signal she wasn’t finished.

  “If you really think about it, it shouldn’t matter if we have the same opinion as you. It’s really your call. It’s your house, you’re the one who gathered all the supplies, and you should be the one who decides who you offer shelter to, and who you give the supplies to. I mean, yes, I know our opinions count on some level, but they really shouldn’t. Wren staying is completely up to you.”

  He wanted to tell her how much that meant to him. She’d always thought his crazy survivalist prepping was stupid. Now that she was putting her life, and the lives of her children, in his hands, it meant she trusted him to make the right choices to ensure their safety.

  “No matter what, what’s mine is still yours. You and the girls always are going to be my family. I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect all of you.”

  “And that’s one of the things I love about you. You’ve taken in so many waifs and strays over the course of our lives that I know you can make the right decision on your own. You have a way with people, and that’s something that I can rely on.”

  It really warmed his heart that she loved something about him, and that she was willing to put herself under his protection, even though she now was married to someone else, and that was supposed to be Austin’s job. It gave him some hope that if he were to fight, maybe he’d stand a chance. That was enough to boost his mood for quite a while.

  “Let’s get you downstairs. Staying in a sick room isn’t exactly going to help you recover.”

  Changing the subject seemed like the best plan of attack. Giving her something to focus on other than their quasi-relationship also might stop that conversation from heading into dang
erous waters. Especially since he didn’t have a life raft to sit in. Alice’s face turned pale, but she nodded grimly, ready to do what she had to do. A slight nagging thought entered his mind that Austin could come out of his room and see Garrett with his arm around Alice, causing a huge fight, but this was purely innocent…wasn’t it?

  When Alice’s weight hit her leg, all the blood drained out of her face. Garrett was expecting a cry of pain, or a gasp, something to let him know how much it was hurting her. But Alice was too good for that. She set her lips in a grim line and took one step after the other. It was slow going, but it didn’t bother Garrett at all. Once he finally got her down the stairs, he maneuvered her to the couch, covering up her bandaged leg with a soft blanket. He was beginning to wonder if the doctor that Sheriff Ramsay had promised was going to come at all. Especially since he’d gone down to the station to try liberating Kayleigh. That was something the sheriff hadn’t liked at all. Wren brought the promised water, and Alice sat there, propped up against the pillows, sipping it. A commotion at the top of the stairs caught Garrett’s attention. He saw Jenny and Brooke coming down the stairs, smiling and talking the way they used to do when they were younger. They turned together and saw that Garrett wasn’t alone, and they both squealed in delight.

  “Mom!” Then it sounded like a herd of elephants were thundering down the stairs.

  Garrett couldn’t help but laugh as the girls came down the stairs and raced each other to the couch. Alice barely had time to put down her glass of water and get her arms open before they flung themselves on her. How they managed to pay enough attention to stay away from her leg, he didn’t know, but he was glad that no shadow of pain crossed over her face as their weight settled on her.

  Garrett found himself thinking that this almost could be a scene from their past. Alice with the girls in her arms after some story or movie that they had watched together, laughing and loving being together. He would stand there, letting his girls have their moment, taking a mental snapshot to keep for the rest of his life. Now he was adding this one, even though the circumstances weren’t exactly what he’d ever hoped they would be. Wren moved, out of the corner of his eye, and he saw she had some tears in her eyes. Her hand was covering her mouth, because her lips were trembling. He went over and put an arm around her. He didn’t know what was going through her mind, but he could sense she needed comforting, and he could at least manage to do that for her. He didn’t even care that Austin was missing from this happy scene. That just made the grin on his face stretch even more.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Not wanting to squash the happiness of the moment, Garrett went into the kitchen to start cooking something for breakfast. Jenny hopped up and immediately followed him, chattering happily as she started to pull out some pans and set the table. He couldn’t help but smile at her. She was his pride and joy. Of course he wasn’t supposed to have favorites with children, but he couldn’t help it. She was always so happy and carefree that it got to be infectious. There was no better time for someone like that than right now.

  “Should I get anything from the garden? I think some tomatoes are left that we can put in an omelet.” The joy on her face for something as simple as cooking gave him hope. Maybe the world wasn’t going to go to hell completely.

  “Sure. See if there are a couple of peppers out there, too. I like a spicy omelet.”

  She scampered off out the back door. When she came back, she had three tomatoes, a yellow pepper, and a green one. That was good enough for him.

  “Okay, grab the cutting board, and don’t forget to curl your fingers under so you don’t cut them.” She nodded once, then set to work chopping the veggies while Garrett got the grill going.

  He’d been using aluminum foil to turn the slats into a flat surface, keeping most of the food from falling into the grill to burn. He was ready for the veggies, and as he turned around, Jenny appeared, as if by magic, holding the cutting board out to him like an offering. With a smile he ruffled her hair and went back to the grill.

  “So…is Wren your new girlfriend?” The question caught him off guard, but once he processed the question, he burst out laughing.

  “No, honey, I just met her.” A snort from the doorway caught their attention, and Garret turned around, the smile on his face slipping away.

  Austin looked like he had a storm cloud on his face. Garrett knew this wasn’t going to end well, and he wished Jenny would leave the room before the two of them got into it. Part of him knew this really was going to end up being about Alice.

  “You shouldn’t let strangers in the house. Not ever, and especially not when something like this is going on.”

  His voice was low and gruff, and as much as Garrett didn’t want to get into an argument with the man, he needed to set him straight. Turning around slowly and deliberately, Garrett stared at Austin, letting his dislike for the man shine through.

  “The last time I checked, this is still my house, and if I choose to bring someone else into it, that’s my decision. I gathered all the supplies, I have the weapons, and I, better than anyone else, know what this house can sustain.”

  There, that was the truth, and it subtly was reminding Austin that he wasn’t bringing anything to the table, and that the only reason he was here was because he was married to Alice right now. Austin growled low in his throat, but spun around and walked out of the room. Garrett relaxed a little, and he let Jenny come out from behind him. Without even realizing he’d been doing it, he’d been pushing her behind him a little more with each word spoken. Once the coast was clear, and Austin was out of earshot, Jenny put her arms around Garrett.

  “Are you okay? Did he scare you?” Concern laced his voice, and she drew her face out of the folds of his shirt so she could look at him.

  “No, he didn’t scare me. But I just don’t like him as much as I like you, Daddy.” She dove back in for a hug, and Garrett considered that lucky because he now had tears in his eyes.

  Hugging her as tightly as he could without actually hurting her, he hugged her back. The two of them went back to the grill, and he started taking off the first omelets.. Jenny happily ferried the plates back and forth until the table was set.

  “Alice. Wake up. We need to talk.” Austin now was sitting on the edge of the couch, gently shaking Alice’s shoulder until she woke up.

  She was still a little groggy from the pain medication that Garrett had given her earlier, and she hadn’t slept nearly enough for the pills to have worn off. She wiped her bleary eyes, trying to focus on who was in front of her.

  “Austin? What’s going on? Are the girls okay?” She immediately started looking around for her daughters, but he raised his hands in a placating way to let her know the girls were just fine.

  “Listen. I just can’t do this anymore. Once you’re feeling better, I’m leaving. Whether you come with me or not, I’m getting out of here. I’m not welcome here, and I can’t stand being under the same roof as that moron.”

  He was jerking his thumb in Garrett’s direction. She felt herself taking on the same patient tone of voice she usually used with her children to logically talk them through why they had to do something.

  “Austin, you know that right now it’s safer to stay with Garrett. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s been preparing for something like this ever since he got out of the military. He knows what to do and how to survive. If you left, you’d die out there. With all the problems that haven’t even started yet, it’s only going to get worse. I know you aren’t exactly comfortable here right now, but there is nothing better for us than to stay here.”

  She hoped he would see reason because, in the end, she didn’t know if she would take her girls and leave or if she would stay. She did love Austin, but when it came to the safety of her family, she would have to go with the better choice. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to make that choice. She wanted everyone she cared about to be together and safe so she didn’t have to worry.

  “I don’t
care. I’m being smothered here, and whether you come or not, I’m leaving.” Alice sighed heavily.

  “So you can’t even stick around for me? Don’t you realize he saved my life? What if this would have happened to us at our house? Could you have helped me the way he did? What do we have at home that would have helped me? Be honest.” She glared at him.

  When logic didn’t work, she wasn’t above shaming him into behaving. This was a technique she’d had to use with Brooke more and more lately but, in the end, it still was working. So why not try it here?

  “Don’t you realize he’s accurately predicted almost everything that’s happened so far? Can you honestly say you would have known how to handle any of this?”

  His face was getting red, and she knew she was making him mad, but there was nothing else she could do. This was the truth, and that was the only thing she could use to argue her point. If she used anything else, Austin would begin thinking that maybe she wanted to stay because of Garrett himself, not because of the asset he would be for her and her family.

  “So you’re saying that if I want to leave you won’t come with me?”

  It was more of a statement than a question, and Alice had to look down at her hands to think. It was hard to do when she could see him staring at her so intently. After she’d picked at a loose seam in the blanket, she took a deep breath and raised her eyes to his.

  “I’m sorry, Austin, but I have to do what’s best for me and the girls. Right now, that means staying here with Garrett. If you want to go, you’re on your own. I won’t stop you from leaving, but I’m not going to doom us all by going with you.”

  The anger on his face exploded and Austin punched the coffee table, putting a nice crack down the middle of it. Alice flinched away from the sudden movement, and did her best to hide her fear. She watched as Austin stomped up the stairs. He barely avoided Brooke, who was on her way down with something in her hands. She watched Austin go by, rolling her eyes at him as he went.