Emily's Choice

by Heather McCoubrey

“I don’t know. They went to bed a long time ago. I’d hate to wake them if you aren’t even sure if he knows this person.”

  “But if he does, Betty . . .” He let the sentence hang and watched her eyes soften. “Well, all right. I can see what you mean. I’ll go up and try to wake them.”

  “Thank you, Betty.”

  “Just wait in the living room over there.” She gestured toward an archway.

  Jason walked over and entered the room. It was an inviting room, with several plush couches and a fireplace. There were a few bookshelves full of books, and he knew from experience that every genre of book found a home on those shelves. A flat-screen TV hung on one of the walls above a stand full of video game consoles and DVD players. Another bookshelf in the corner housed every board game imaginable.

  It was definitely a room for living, and he knew why people came from all over to stay here. Not just for this room, he was sure you could get it at any half-decent B&B. No, it was the owners and their absolute joy in showing their guests a good time. They offered several tours of the desert via horseback or jeep. They had day-trips into Santa Fe and Albuquerque for shopping and sight-seeing.

  He broke out of his reverie when Mr. Hillcrest, Lila’s father, came charging into the room. “What in the Sam Hill is going on? Why are you here and why am I awake right now?”

  Jason held up his hands. “I’m sorry, sir. I know it’s late, but it was urgent I speak with you.”

  “What’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until a decent hour of the day?”

  “Sir, Emily Camancho is missing.”

  “Grace’s stepdaughter?”

  “Yes, sir. She disappeared outside The Dustbowl tonight. Earlier today, she was threatened by a man and I think he’s from Boston.”

  “Son, do you know how many people live in Boston?”

  “I know, I’m sure it’s a lot. But hear me out. He has brown hair and eyes, he dressed well. He drove a car similar to Lila’s.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Edward. That’s all I know.”

  “Edward? You mean Edward Wellington?”

  “I don’t know, sir. I don’t have a last name.”

  “Well, I know he’s here visiting Lila. It’s why we couldn’t stay with her.”

  “How long has he been here?”

  “I don’t know. We don’t communicate with Lila much anymore. But it surprised her mother and me when she told us he was visiting.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s the kid who was stalking her in high school. He’s the reason she moved out here.”

  Jason’s eyes bulged. That’s where he’d heard the name Edward before. It had been a long time, but now he remembered Lila talking about the boy she’d run from and how she was scared he’d eventually find her.

  “I see.” He nodded. “I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. I’m sorry to wake you. And I’m sorry for your loss, sir. Grace was one hell of a woman.”

  “That she was. She was a good match for my brother. It’s too bad his life was cut short. But she found a good man in Clint. She was happy out here.”

  “I best be off. Good night.”

  “I hope you find the girl. I know Lila doesn’t care for her, but she’s always been nice to Catherine and me.” Mr. Hillcrest walked out of the room with Jason. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jason paused outside on the porch, collecting his thoughts. Edward Wellington had to be their guy. He called Gina to give her the information he’d found out.

  “I can’t believe she’s running around with him again! I remember when she first got here and would talk about her stalker all the time.”

  “I’m going to head over to Lila’s place and see what’s going on, if anything. Her father said he was staying with Lila. Who knows what’s going on over there. He might have them both under lock and key.”

  “Fred’s on his way. He says to stay outside until he gets there.”

  “Then he better hope he gets there before me. If Emily’s inside, I’m not waiting on Fred to rescue her.”

  “You might get yourself killed, and then what good would you be?”

  “Gina, she’s the love of my life,” he yelled into the phone. “I’m not going to let her be harmed if I’m there to stop it.”

  “Jason!”

  He swore under his breath and hung up. He jumped into his truck and peeled out of the parking lot. Lila’s place was only five minutes away and he was there in less than two. Bonus to a town with little to no traffic and zero streetlights.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “It’s too bad for you,” Lila announced as she entered the room. Casting a disgusted look down at Edward, she shook her head. “Someone needs to take out the trash.”

  Emily stared wide-eyed at Lila.

  “I just got off the phone with Jason. It doesn’t seem like your chat with him did the trick after all.” She raised the gun and fired.

  It took a moment for the pain to register. It started out as a slight burning and then her shoulder exploded in fire. She writhed in pain, trying her best to keep her head about her. She didn’t want to give Lila the satisfaction of screaming. Blood oozed, warm and sticky, down her shirt and off her shoulder.

  “Damn, I was aiming for your head,” Lila said nonchalantly, looking down at the gun. “Oh well. This will do.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned it to face Emily. “You need to call him again, and this time get it right. I want him to call me, groveling, begging me to be his.”

  “I don’t know what more I can say or do,” Emily pleaded.

  Lila stepped closer and put the muzzle of the gun right at Emily’s temple. “You better figure it out. I won’t miss a second time,” she threatened.

  The steel was warm against her skin, a potent reminder of what Lila was capable of. Despite her best efforts at not showing fear, she shuddered. She needed a solution that didn’t involve another phone call to Jason. Nothing she said to him would change his mind.

  With Lila listening in, she wouldn’t even be able to give him hints about who had her or what she needed in order to be set free.

  “I-I-I don’t know if me calling him again so soon will accomplish your wishes,” she stammered. Her hand felt cold, her whole body felt cold, actually. But what was really weird was she was sweating like she’d just run five miles.

  Lights flashed on the wall, and Lila turned her attention to the window. She walked over and moved the curtain to the side ever so slightly. Peering through, her face lit up.

  “Looks like I was wrong. He does want me after all.”

  She practically skipped to the door and pulled it closed behind her, leaving Emily in the dark with Edward’s corpse.

  Her shoulder throbbed, and she wondered how long she could lie here before she bled to death. Could she even bleed to death from a shoulder wound?

  The room began to spin and Emily couldn’t figure out why. It was like riding one of those carousel rides. They were fun and she really wanted to take Sadie on one. Maybe, if they were still here next week, she’d take her to the rodeo. Usually there was a carnival in the parking lot, which garnered just as much traffic as the rodeo itself.

  Maybe Jason would want to join them. She was so tired of fighting. Lila had admitted she hadn’t done anything with Jason that night, right? Why hadn’t she listened? Why hadn’t she given him a chance to explain? She’d wasted so much time. She should have had more faith in him. More faith in their relationship.

  The room continued to spin and she felt tired. She wanted to close her eyes and let it all go.

  “Don’t go to sleep, Emily. Stay awake. Jason will be here soon.”

  “Mama G?” Emily tried to rub her eyes, sure she was seeing things, before she remembered they were tied down. “How are you here? I miss you so much.”

  “Don’t go to sleep, Emily. Don’t go to sleep. He’ll be here soon.”

  “I should have listened to you. Why didn’
t you make me? What are we gonna do without you? I love him, Mama G. I always have. It just hurt so much.”

  “Stay awake, Emily!”

  “I’m so cold, Mama G. Can’t I just rest my eyes for a minute? Lila is crazy. I’m sorry. I think it’s my fault she is.”

  “Stay awake, Emily. He’ll be here soon.”

  “I’m so tired, Mama. So tired. Of fighting. Of living far away. Of being without all of you. If I hadn’t been so prideful, we’d have had all this time with you. Sadie would have grown up with you. You can’t really be gone. We need you too much.”

  “Stay awake, Emily.”

  “Why won’t you say anything else to me?”

  “Stay awake, he’s coming.”

  “I can’t do it, Mama. I’m so tired. I’m just gonna close my eyes for a minute.”

  “Emily! He’s here. Wake up!”

  “You’re here!” Lila exclaimed, throwing open the front door and grinning widely.

  “Where is she?”

  “Who?”

  “You know damn well,” he shouted. “Where is Emily?”

  “Haven’t the foggiest.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “Come inside, let’s have a drink.”

  He took a menacing step closer. “Where is she?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  Lila looped an arm through his and hugged him close. “I’m so glad you came to your senses. We’re gonna be perfect together. I love you so much.”

  He looked down into her upturned face. Her eyes were glassy and her cheeks were flushed. He figured she’d already been at the booze, and if that was the case, he wasn’t getting any straight answers out of her. He decided to humor her until Fred arrived. Which better be soon, he thought to himself, casting a surreptitious glance over his shoulder as he allowed her to take his hand and lead him into the house.

  “Maybe a drink wouldn’t be a bad idea,” he said as they walked through the foyer and into the living room.

  “I’ll go get it,” she said in a singsong voice.

  “I’m just gonna use the restroom real quick,” he improvised, thinking he’d check the bedrooms down the hall by the bathroom. Maybe he could find Emily before she got back with the drink. And where the hell was Edward?

  “Oh! Don’t go down there,” she exclaimed, clamping onto his hand. “Use the powder room by the kitchen.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve been purging and there’s a bunch of piles of trash down there. It’s embarrassing. You know how I like everything to be neat and tidy. Please?” she asked, tugging on his hand.

  He looked down into her eyes and noted a bit of fear hidden there. Why would that be? Unless she had something to hide. He would bet his life savings that Emily was down that hall somewhere. “Okay, whatever you say.”

  He stopped into the powder room to cover his lie. He flushed the toilet and washed his hands, knowing if he skipped it, Lila would know something was up. He found her in the kitchen, staring out the window into the inky blackness.

  “I made you a Jack and Coke, okay?”

  “Sure,” he said, a bit taken aback that she knew he’d entered the kitchen. She was still gazing out the window, and it was rather unnerving.

  He accepted the drink from her and took a small sip. He had to keep his head about him if was to be any good for Emily. “So, what do you want to do?”

  “I don’t care. I’m just so glad you’re here.” She turned and smiled at him. Then she picked up her drink and walked over to his side, snuggling in and taking his arm, wrapping it around her shoulders.

  “What have you been doing tonight while you waited for me?”

  “Oh, a little of this and a little of that.”

  “Saw your mom and dad tonight. They said you had company. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” he asked, looking around the kitchen.

  “Oh no.” Lila giggled. “I already took care of it. That was the trash I was talking about earlier.”

  “Anything you need help with?”

  “No, not right now, anyway. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company.”

  He let her lead him out of the kitchen and back into the living room. She had a blazing fire in the hearth despite the summer temps outside. She sat down on the loveseat, directly in front of the fireplace, and patted the seat next to her.

  He sat down on the edge of the cushion, too much nervous energy to sit back and relax. He needed to be on his toes, had to be ready, in case Fred ever showed up. What was taking him so long? And where was Edward?

  She pulled on his arm. “Snuggle with me. Doesn’t the fire make you want to take a nap?”

  “I’ve been sitting most of the day,” he said, explaining his reluctance to sit back and relax with her. He stood and moved over to the mantle.

  “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?” she asked. “Emotionally and mentally exhausting.”

  “Yeah,” he replied. “And it’s not over yet,” he muttered into his glass as he took another sip.

  He watched her lean her head back against the cushion, her eyes fluttering shut. He stood rooted to his spot, holding his breath, hoping against hope that she really was falling asleep. When her drink tilted and spilled all over the carpet, he took his chance.

  He ran out of the room and back down the hall toward the kitchen. Just before he got there, he turned right and headed to the back of the house. First up was the bathroom. He flipped the light on, looked behind the shower curtain, but found nothing. Turning the light off, he went to the next room. One of two guest rooms, she used this one mostly for crafting and as her office. He checked the closet and under the bed. Nada.

  Next up was the second guest room. He tried to push open the door, but it only opened a small bit. Something on the floor was blocking the way, but he couldn’t figure out what. He reached in and flipped on the light switch. He poked his head in and looked down, briefly closing his eyes at the horrific sight in front of him. He squeezed through the opening and stepped over the body. He didn’t bother to check for a pulse, the whole right side of his face was destroyed. He now understood what Lila had meant about the trash and he figured he’d found Edward.

  He glanced up and his eyes were immediately drawn to the bed. Emily lay there, still as death, blood covering her chest and beginning to drip down the side of the bed. He took a tentative step toward the bed, afraid of what he’d find.

  He prayed. He begged. He bartered. Anything and everything, so long as the love of his life was still alive.

  He reached out a shaking hand and touched his fingers to the side of her neck. Relief flooded through him when he found it. A pulse. Weak, but it was there. He hauled out his phone and dialed 911.

  After giving the particulars, he hung up and quickly untied Em’s wrists. Afraid to hurt her more than she already was, he sat down next to her and picked up her hand. It was freezing. He tore off his shirt and pressed it to the wound in her shoulder. He had no idea how much blood she’d lost, but it looked like a lot. A whole lot.

  “I told you to stay away from this end of the house!” Lila screeched from the door.

  Jason started and jumped from the bed. He turned to face her and found a gun pointed at him.

  He held up his hands. “Lila, baby. Put down the gun.”

  “Why do you love her? Why?” she screamed. “I’ve wanted you from day one. I’ve loved you every day since I met you. I’m available. I want you. I love you. Why isn’t that enough? Why has it never been enough?”

  She was waving the gun around and Jason was afraid it was going to go off any minute. She wasn’t paying attention to it, and based on what he’d seen of Emily’s chest, not to mention Edward’s fate, Lila had no qualms about using it.

  “Lila, please,” he begged. “Please, put the gun down.”

  “NO! No, I am so tired of being ignored. Of not being good enough. Of never being yours.”

  “Honey, please. Put the gun down and we’ll talk. We’ll be together, I promise. Let me just get some medical attention f
or Emily. And then you and me, we’ll pack some bags and take a nice trip away. We can go to Paris or Hawaii or Italy. Somewhere, just the two of us. How does that sound?” He held his hands out, taking a couple steps toward her.

  She lowered the gun. “That sounds lovely, Jason. Do you really mean it? Really?”

  “I do, baby. I do. Just you and me.” He got within a half step of her. He reached out. “Let me have the gun, honey.”

  A loud crash sounded from the front of the house, and it seemed to bring Lila out of the crazy trance Jason had just put her in. She raised the gun and pointed it straight at his head.

  “Who is that? Who did you call?”

  “Just the paramedics, Lila. For Emily. Don’t panic, we’ll still go away, together.”

  “No! I remember another time you were all sweet to me. Took me to lunch, my favorite restaurant, and then tricked me into going to the doctor and dropped me like a hot potato when we learned I’d miscarried our baby.”

  “I was a different person back then, Lila. Emily had just left and I was beside myself. But you’re right. You’ve always been right. Why should I be with someone who doesn’t want me? Especially when I have a wonderful woman, like you, waiting patiently for me?”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t believe you. I don’t. You don’t love me. You never have. Never!”

  With a shaking hand, she raised the gun again and pointed it straight at him. “I thought that the best revenge would be to kill Emily. But now I know that’s not the case. The best revenge is killing you. And letting her live with that for the rest of her life.”

  “Lila, NO!”

  He heard a shot.

  He saw Lila crumple at his feet.

  He saw Fred poke his head inside the door.

  And then he turned back to Emily. He only had eyes for her.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Emily woke slowly. She could hear beeps and a humming noise. Even behind her closed lids, she could tell the lights were bright. Her throat was dry and she wanted to cough, but as she tensed to do so, a sharp pain shot out from her shoulder. She moaned, trying to figure out why her shoulder hurt so much.