The Gallows at Midnight

by Courtney Lynn Rose

  His eyes shine with sincerity. As much as I’d like to tell him to go to hell, something stops me. Lily’s willing to forgive me for everything. She didn’t say as much, but I felt it in her kiss, and the way she held me against her.

  If she can, so can I.

  “Let’s just try to move on. Maybe you’re right. I’ve held on to the past for so long.”

  He reaches across Lily and ruffles my hair as a few tears fall from my eyes. Even unconscious, her love, and willpower continue to heal me and give me strength. All the anger that built up over the last fourteen months melts away. When she wakes up, it has to be a new start. No matter how hard it is, I’ve got to let go of the past if there’s any chance of keeping this beautiful woman in my future.

  A knock startles us and I jump in my seat. The door swings open and a sobbing Sorina comes in her head down, followed by Shannon, Dresden, and Samuel.

  “How’s she doing, sir?” Samuel’s voice is tight.

  I hold my arms out to Sorina and she darts into them. Pulling her onto my lap, she leans forward, kissing Lily’s hand, laying her head on it. Quietly, she sobs into the mattress and methodically, I rub my hand up and down her back.

  “She’s in bad shape, but Dr. Monroe’s sedated her. She’ll heal; we just need to give her time.”

  “I’ve never understood how much a human can endure until I finally met the Viper,” Samuel says with admiration in his voice.

  “Lily Williams is almost inhuman in her ability to endure,” Dresden says with a chuckle.

  “Do we know why Maria was so hell-bent on Lily’s destruction,” Shannon asks, irritation clouding her words.

  It’s something I’ve wondered for a while now. Granted, Maria was pissed about Lily jacking her up in the hospital, but everything since then has been above and beyond normal hatred.

  “I do,” Samuel says, his cheeks flushing red.

  Sorina sits up, wiping her eyes as we all glare at him. “Well?”

  “When Maria claimed to be pregnant the other night, Sammi and I decided to do some digging. I’m rather good with a computer, so between us, we hacked every network with Maria’s virtual fingerprint.”

  He runs his hand through his hair, sagging into the armchair by the door. “Turns out Maria had an old vendetta against Lily, one even the Viper didn’t know about. Maria Johanson’s father is Jax Unnami.”

  “No fucking way,” Dresden hisses, clenching his fists, the muscles in his arms flexing.

  “Where is Jax now,” Shannon asks, rubbing Dresden’s back gently.

  “He disappeared about six months ago,” Hyde says strolling into the room. “We’ve been trying to find him ever since.”

  “As much as I know you all need to discuss this, Lily needs to rest. Why don’t you all go in the other room and let her have some peace and quiet,” Elaine says, lightly touching Hyde’s arm.

  Sorina stands and takes Samuel’s hand, silently pulling him from the room. Hyde leans over and squeezes my shoulder before he and Elaine move out the door.

  “Come on, Blake. You need to rest,” Shannon whispers as my father moves past her.

  “Go on, I’m not leaving her.”

  She nods, taking Dresden’s hand in hers.

  “Relax, Blake,” he says in a firm tone. “I told you once before, don’t ever count her out. She’s a strong bitch and stubborn as hell.”

  I chuckle. If that isn’t the truth, nothing is. The door clicks shut, and I lay my head on the bed next to her hand, covering it with mine. My eyelids close, the soft beep of her heart monitor lulling me toward sleep.

  †††

  ~Lily~

  “Pain is nothing but a learned psychological reaction, Lily. If you can unlearn it, you can do things no one else can.”

  Jax moves around me, his energy giving away his position. He stops behind me, tightening the blindfold that holds me in darkness. These exercises have become more frequent and intense. He’s determined for me to be the best, but I rely too much on sight.

  Taking deep breaths, my body relaxes— the soft tap of his shoes moving left, pausing for a moment. A whistle sounds and I step forward, the belt missing me by inches and slapping the floor instead.

  “Good. You’re getting better. You never know which of your senses you’ll have undercover, so you must learn to use them all.”

  His shoes tap against the concrete again, to the left further. A pungent, sharp aroma hits my nostrils. My hands dart out, grabbing his wrists and twisting them back. A zap reverberates through the room as he curses under his breath, the homemade Taser clattering against the ground.

  A smile plays on my lips, wiped off as his hand connects with my cheek. I grit my teeth together and absorb the sting.

  “Don’t get cocky. Underestimating your target will get you killed.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He yanks the blindfold off and my eyes ache as light floods them. I’ve worn that damned thing for the last two hours. It’s like being in a windowless basement and then walking out into the Louisiana sun in the middle of July.

  “We’ve only been training for three months, but you’ve shown remarkable progress. Get dressed, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

  Jax and I agreed that keeping my true past from the team he’s compiling is for the best. I shrug into my jeans and pull a long sleeve black shirt over my head, covering the skin the training outfit shows. The ponytail holder yanks at my hair as it slides out, but with my hair down, passing for twenty-one is easy.

  Jax knows a lot of people and the official approval for my job with him at Interpol came in yesterday. How he managed to fool an agency like that, well, it’s beyond me to even guess. He opens the side door and moonlight filters in for a moment, blocked out again as a large figure moves in.

  They speak in hushed tones for a moment, their eyes darting toward me. Their shoes sound overly loud, the man’s walk a little lighter than Jax’s though.

  “Lily, meet the second member of our team. This is Dresden Scholl; he specializes in Operations Tactics and hand-to-hand combat techniques.”

  “Agent Scholl,” I say quietly.

  His eyebrows raise slightly, a smirk appearing on his lips. Green eyes sparkle in the fluorescent light, his skin lightly tan and smooth. Brown hair hangs down to the bottom of his ears, his clothing more suitable for a bodybuilder than an agent.

  Jax wears khakis and polo shirts most of the time. Dresden wears jean-shorts, ripped and frayed at the bottom, and a sleeveless muscle shirt, which hugs his body so tight his pectoral muscles and abs are visible.

  “Are you against buying clothes that fit, or you just so arrogant you feel the need to show off your muscles all the time?”

  Jax’s mouth drops open, but Dresden bursts out laughing.

  “I can see why you picked this one. She’s a smart mouth little bitch.”

  He eyes me up and a smile forms on my lips. Maybe this will be more fun than I

  thought. Here’s to hoping the rest of the team is as witty as this guy.

  12

  ~Blake~

  Sorina and I have sat by Lily’s side for the last week. I’ve taken a shower in this bathroom as opposed to my own and eaten every meal in here. My appetite is barely there, not knowing when Dr. Monroe is going to wake her up.

  Lily resembles an angel right now. Sorina brushes Lily’s hair every morning. I think it makes her feel like she’s helping in some way. There’s not a lot any of us can do. Hyde’s worried about how angry Lily will be when she wakes up, and I’m inclined to feel the same.

  She’s been through too much over the last few months. It boggles my mind that this all started because her smart mouth and attitude turned me on. It’ll make one hell of a story to tell people later on in life.

  “How’s she doing, Blake?” Sammi rests her hand on my shoulder.

  “Same. Which is good, I guess.”

  Sammi stops in around lunchtime every day to check on Lily. Her presence is calming. Over
the last year, she was the only one to keep a level head. She tried to parent Sorina when I was in no fit shape to do so, which I can’t thank her enough for.

  “She’ll be okay. Lily’s been through worse. Don’t forget how young she was when the Taurus took her. If she made it through that, she’ll pull through this.”

  “I know. This just isn’t how I pictured things going after we left the hospital,” I say, leaning down to kiss Lily’s fingertips.

  “Things never go the way we plan, Blake. You’ve just got to make the best of what you have. She’s alive and Dr. Monroe says she’s healing well. That’s all we can really ask for at this point.”

  “Thanks, Sammi.” I stand and hug her.

  Shannon shuffles into the room as Sammi takes her leave. This is the most time Shannon and I’ve spent together since entering witness protection. In a way, it’s nice to be around her again. Since my talk with our father, we’ve tried to mend things between the four of us. Carmen and I’ve spoken a few times, cleared the air between us a bit.

  “Have you gotten any sleep?”

  I chuckle, running my fingers through my hair. “A little. You definitely need more rest. It’s not just you anymore.”

  Smiling, she places a hand over her belly. “Yeah, I don’t need to be reminded. If one more person tries to shove food down my throat, I might snap and slap someone.”

  “We’re just worried about you. God, I can’t believe my little sister is going to be a mother.”

  “Crazy, right? Dresden and I were talking about names last night.”

  “Oh, yeah. Pick any good ones?”

  “Well, if we have a boy, we were thinking Makoa, actually.”

  My head snaps up and my chest tightens. “Shannon . . . I . . .”

  “Hey, you’re my brother and the best man I know. Giving my son your middle name would be an honor.”

  I grab her arm and pull her into a tight hug against my chest. She wraps her arms around my waist and gently rubs my back.

  “If it’s a girl?”

  “Dresden picked that one. Mihnea.”

  “Lily’s name?”

  She leans back and looks me in the eyes. Pride shines in them. “Yes. We’d like you both to be the godparents as well.”

  I let out a huffed breath, smoothing her hair with my hand. “Of course, Shan. Thank you.”

  She squeezes me again and leaves. I sink into the chair and take Lily’s hands in mine again.

  “You hear that baby,” I whisper. “They want to name their kid after us.”

  I tear slides down my face as I trail my fingers down her cheek. Everyone’s so busy trying to work this situation out, and Hyde’s arguments with Bates over Maria’s death have been more than colorful. At the end of the day, I don’t give a shit about any of that. I just want my Lily back and healthy for once.

  That isn’t asking too much, is it?

  †††

  ~Lily~

  Where the hell am I?

  Trees surround me, bright silver light gleaming through their leaves, illuminating a soft dirt path. How did I get here? There’s no movement around me. No wind, no animals, or . . . anything. There’s just light, and this strange twinkling in the tops of the trees.

  My toes melt into the dirt with each step I take, cool and velvety between them.

  Am I dead?

  A long, flowing silk gown wraps my body, billowing behind me as I walk. It shimmers, catching the light at all the right angles. Rounding a bend, my breath catches in my throat. Everyone stands in the center of a large clearing. Blake has Sorina tucked under his arm and they’re smiling gently, their eyes twinkling. Shannon holds a small bundle, tufts of brown hair barely visible around the top edges of the blanket.

  “Welcome back, baby,” Blake says holding his hand out, inviting me to join them.

  Rushing toward him, elation courses through my veins.

  A sharp pain radiates through my head as I’m thrown backward, landing hard on my ass.

  What the fuck?

  Scrambling to my feet, I move toward them again, but some kind of invisible wall stops me a foot from them. My breath hitches, a lump forming in my throat.

  “Blake!”

  A shadow creeps in from behind them— a wall of darkness, my heart-stopping and filling with fear. Pressing my hands against the invisible wall, tears stream down my face. Screams erupt on the other side as the shadow moves over the people I love, each of them falling to the ground.

  I scream and bang my fists against the barrier until the darkness reaches Blake. He cringes, his face distorted with pain before he slumps to the ground, Sorina following him. His eyes stare at me, lifeless, seeing nothing.

  I sink to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably, all my worst fears realized.

  †††

  ~Blake~

  Teresa sets dinner on the table as everyone takes their seats. Sorina and Samuel refused to leave me alone until I agree to eat with everyone else. The food smells amazing— chicken and dumplings . . . one of my favorites.

  “Teresa, join us,” I say before she can shuffle off to the kitchen.

  She smiles and slides into the empty seat next to Sorina.

  “A toast,” my father says, raising his beer. “To Lily’s swift recovery, the health of my soon-to-be grandchild, and to this wonderful group of people.”

  “Here, here,” several people echo around the table.

  I raise my bottle and take a long draw. It’s been a while since drinking appealed to me. After my drunken night with Maria, it became clear alcohol and I should part ways. With everything that’s happened though, the beer tastes better than it normally would.

  A scream erupts from the other room. My chair clacks against the floor as I dart toward Lily’s open door.

  My heart pounds in my ears making it hard to hear Dr. Monroe’s voice as she barks orders at me. Lily’s eyes are open and wild, darting around the room. She’s awake but detached like she’s seeing something other than what’s in the room.

  “Hold her down,” Elaine barks.

  Dresden pushes into the room, climbs on the bed and holds Lily’s thrashing legs as I hold her arms down.

  “Let me go,” she screams. “Let. Me. Go.”

  “Calm down, baby, breathe,” I say over her.

  She’s stronger than expected for her body being in less than perfect shape. I press down on her shoulders, holding her upper body against the mattress. Her hands grip my biceps, nails digging into my skin as she holds on as if her life depends on it. She stares into my face, fear evident in her blue irises.

  “Don’t put me back to sleep,” she begs, tears welling up and sliding down her cheeks.

  Elaine sticks a needle into the IV hook up and slowly sends medication through. Within moments, Lily’s body relaxes, and her eyes droop closed. She’s back to the angelic sleep as if nothing happened.

  “I mixed Seroquel with it. Should keep the nightmares at bay,” Elaine says, breathing heavy.

  Dresden gently gets up and fixes the blankets around Lily’s legs, his eyes tight with emotional pain. He pats me on the back, and I lean forward pressing my lips to her eyes, nose, cheeks, and lips.

  “Rest, baby,” I whisper. “I’m right here.”

  The door clicks closed, and I give into the pain shooting through me, sobbing into the pillow next to her head. She’ll be better soon, I’ve got to believe that, and then we can go from there.

  I’m sorry, baby. You’re going to be fine.

  13

  ~Lily~

  A slow beep penetrates the fog swirling around inside my head. My body is nestled in warmth and softness. I will my eyes to open, and slowly, the lids obey and a soft light, tinged yellow floods my vision.

  This isn’t my room.

  A heart monitor and several other machines beep and ding next to the bed. Movement catches my attention from the corner of my eye, startling me, my breath catching in my throat. I jump— my body aching, stiff, and sore. It’s like I
haven’t moved in months.

  Blake’s head is resting on his hands, which cover my left one. A smile spreads across my face. He’s got stubble on his chin and cheeks. It’s not like him not to shave. Gently, I cross my right arm over my body, the tightness in my shoulder making me wince. His hair is soft under my fingertips and emotion blankets me, fierce, just like the first time I laid in his arms.

  He grumbles and lifts his head, eyes going wide as he realizes it’s me touching him. His chest rises and falls, lips planting kisses on the back of my hand, my fingers, and my engagement ring.

  “Hi,” I croak.

  “Hey, baby. Welcome back. Let me get the doctor.”

  “Blake, I need to get up. I need to pee and get a drink.”

  “Lily, stay put, please,” he says in alarm.

  “I need to use the bathroom.”

  “You have a catheter. Don’t get up.”

  That’s gross.

  “Oh, hell no. I want all this shit out and unhooked, now.”

  The door swings open and Elaine bustles into the room. “Blake, give me a minute with her.”

  He leans down and kisses my forehead and then my lips before leaving, closing the door behind him. Methodically, she unhooks me from the machines and gives me the once over before she shadows me to the bathroom door.

  ‘I got it, Doc. Thank you.”

  She holds her hands up in defeat and I shut the door in her face. My muscles are so stiff I move like a penguin. More waddle than walk as my knees protest bending. Emerging from the bathroom, Elaine and Blake are in a deep discussion.

  “How long have I been out?”

  They look apprehensive as I move to the bed and sit on the edge. Blake kneels in front of me, rubbing his hands up and down my thighs, massaging the muscle. It’s heavenly and the skimming of his flesh on mine makes my stomach clench.

  “Three weeks, Lily.” Elaine stands with her arms crossed over her chest by the door.

  “What?”

  “I kept you sedated so you could heal. You’ll still need to take it easy, but the wounds from your self-flogging healed, and your ruptured kidney is much better.”