Hell's Bells

by Lesli Richardson

  “I understand and respect that, sir.”

  The Reverend studied him. “You’re not in your forties, are you? You’re a lot older than that.”

  Will studied his hands, didn’t answer.

  Then the Reverend reached out and grabbed Will’s upper arm with a strength Will didn’t think the other man could possess.

  “You will protect her? Like that guy said?”

  Will looked into the Reverend’s eyes again and nodded. He was too stunned to contemplate how the Reverend now seemed imparted with new insight. “With my very life. We all will. You have my word.”

  “Laura insists an angel came to her and told her she’d have Kal.”

  Will froze, hoping his body language didn’t reveal too much. “Did she?”

  “That girl is special, son. She’s blessed. I can’t stop her from marrying you. However, it’s obvious she loves you. As much as I don’t want you marrying her, I have a feeling you love her just as much as she loves you.”

  He nodded. “I do. With my life.”

  “Then that’s all I can ask, isn’t it?”

  “I’m sorry we didn’t meet under happier circumstances, Reverend.”

  The other man finally smiled and relaxed against his pillow. “For Kal and Laura’s sake, you can call me Dad. That will make them happy.”

  Will smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

  When Kal and Laura nervously returned a short time later, Kal let out a sigh of relief when Will winked. He didn’t want to send her any thoughts around the Reverend, not sure if the man could tune in or not.

  He might have to break down and ask Ryan more details about all of this. An angel?

  Will thought that shtick went out with Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

  * * * *

  They stayed in the room when Reverend Martin was taken for the MRI. Kal cuddled in Will’s lap, her eyes closed, reluctant to move. She didn’t know what crazy stuff happened between her and Will, but a physical sensation of soothing calm enveloped her when she had contact with him, similar to but a bazillion times stronger than what she felt when Ryan had consoled her.

  She wouldn’t question it. He was the only thing keeping her sane.

  The MRI took over an hour. Already after ten o’clock, Will doubted they’d get conclusive results tonight and tried to persuade the women to go home. When the nurse arrived to take the Reverend’s vital signs, she confirmed that it would be morning before they got the results.

  Kenneth convinced the women to go home. Will had Kal drive her mom and followed in the corporate car. He waited for them to go inside before he popped home, quickly packed, and returned with two overnight bags for them.

  He was prepared to sleep in the guestroom instead of with Kal in her old room, but Laura Martin insisted.

  “Will, don’t be silly,” she said with a forced smile. “You two are going to be married. I don’t share all of my husband’s views.” She patted Will on the arm. “Besides, I have a feeling the two of you aren’t in a romantic mood anyway.”

  Will thought Kal might cry when they went to bed, but she curled in his arms and fell asleep, leaving him with his thoughts. Ryan had been there for her when she needed him. Part of Will wanted to summon jealousy and was at odds with the part of him that still missed his soul brother, even this many years later. The part of him that wanted to thank Ryan for taking care of Kal in his absence.

  The same part of him that wanted to thank Ryan for trying to protect Abby that afternoon.

  He tried to sleep.

  Chapter 8

  They returned to the hospital at seven the next morning. They were all together when the doctors gathered around Reverend Martin’s bed and broke the news.

  Will focused on Kal. It felt like part of her had shut down. She’d been quiet all morning, barely speaking.

  “What are our options?” Kal softly asked.

  The oncologist’s mouth was set in a grim line. “We start chemo and radiation, but it won’t be a cure at this stage.”

  Laura held her husband’s hand. “Are you sure?”

  The doctor nodded. “I’m so sorry.”

  Kal walked to the corner of the room and stared out the window.

  Reverend Martin followed her with his eyes. “Thank you, Doctor.”

  When the doctors left them alone, Kal sniffled a little, wiped her eyes, and turned back to them. She had pasted a horribly fake smile on her face. “Okay. I—”

  “Honey,” Reverend Martin said, “it’s okay.”

  “Daddy, we need to get a second opinion, see about clinical trials, surgery—”

  “No.”

  Will carefully studied Kal’s reaction. Stunned, definitely. He felt that from her.

  “Daddy, you can’t just give up based on one opinion!”

  “I’m not giving up. I’ve lived a lot of good years. If this is the Lord’s plan for me—”

  “Maybe the plan is for you to let doctors have a shot at healing you!” she shouted.

  Will waited. He sensed the impending explosion. Kal’s nostrils flared, her heart raced.

  Kenneth shook his head. “No.” He smiled at his wife. “I think the best thing is to enjoy my family and what time God gives me.”

  Kal didn’t speak. After a tense moment she bolted for the door.

  Will stood, hesitated.

  “Go after her, son,” the Reverend said. “She needs you.”

  Will ran.

  He found her at the end of the hall, in a day room sitting area. She stood at one of the windows with her back to him.

  “Kal, honey?”

  She held up a staying hand and shook her head.

  He walked over to her. When he reached out to her, she flinched away. “No.” She crossed her arms in front of her and refused to turn to face him.

  Will glanced around. They were alone in the sitting area.

  “Please,” he whispered. “Talk to me.”

  She shook her head. After a few minutes, she turned. “Did you know? About his cancer?”

  “Kal—”

  “Did. You. Know?”

  He silently nodded.

  “Ryan knows?”

  He nodded again.

  She pushed past him and headed down the hall. He started to follow her when he realized she’d walked into the women’s bathroom.

  She didn’t come out.

  After ten minutes he finally rolled his eyes and walked in.

  The bathroom was empty.

  * * * *

  “Ryan, vado tu appareo.” Kal whispered it after walking into one of the stalls.

  She appeared in his Columbus network office. Ryan looked concerned. At her appearance he stood and rounded his desk. “What’s wrong?”

  She angrily strode over, meeting him halfway, and viciously slapped him. “How long?”

  He grabbed her hand when she tried to slap him again. “Kal, what’s going on?”

  “How long have you known, you son of a bitch?” she screamed. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “Love, I’m a patient man, but I’d appreciate you not popping in and assaulting me.” This wasn’t the first time she’d done it. The first time, she’d used Will’s amulet and appeared in the Atlanta condo not long after Will had taken her as his soul mate.

  She froze, then broke down crying. She offered no resistance when Ryan pulled her into his arms and guided her to the couch.

  “I’m sorry, love,” he whispered. “I’m so terribly sorry.”

  She cried in his arms for several minutes. He softly hummed to her, soothing her, calming her. She didn’t know what it was about that little tune, one day she’d have to remember to ask him about it.

  After she calmed down she took a deep breath and sat up. “Why didn’t you tell me? How long have you known?”

  “I sensed it the night at the Ohio shoot when he showed up with Jeff.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because I sensed there was nothing to be done. It
was too far along.”

  “You told Will?”

  Ryan eventually nodded. “That very night. I returned later to let him know.”

  “Who else knew?”

  “Just the two of us.”

  She stood and walked to the center of the room, her arms wrapped around her. After a moment, she turned. “Send me back, please.”

  She appeared in the bathroom. Still alone, she washed her face, blew her nose, then walked out.

  Will stood by the door. “Where did you go?” he asked.

  She started to reply, then understood his meaning. “You came into the bathroom after me?”

  “I was worried when you didn’t come out. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  She bit off her reply and stalked down the hall to her father’s room.

  Will didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know where she’d gone when she disappeared. He could smell Ryan on her.

  Will suspected he shouldn’t push her on that point.

  Laura Martin looked like she was barely holding it together. Kal started to speak but her father cut her off.

  “Sweetheart, I want to enjoy your wedding. I want to take it easy and relax. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. My mind is made up.”

  Kal closed her eyes. Will thought she might start crying again, but she nodded. “Okay, Daddy,” she softly said.

  * * * *

  They hadn’t had time for breakfast. Laura and Kenneth urged Will and Kal to go eat. He took her hand and led her to the cafeteria. She barely picked at her eggs before pushing her plate away. “I can’t,” she softly said.

  Will tried to get her to meet his gaze and she wouldn’t.

  “I’m here for you, babe. You know that.”

  She looked down and nodded.

  He reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  She didn’t react.

  After another moment he spoke again. “I thought it would be best.”

  She pulled her hand away. “So all this getting me up here was just an act?”

  He didn’t want to screw this up, recognized how emotionally fragile she was. “It wouldn’t have done any good to tell you sooner. It wouldn’t have changed things.”

  “That’s not for you to decide. He’s my father. As mad as I’ve been at him in the past, he’s still my father and I deserved to know!”

  She finally looked at him. The fury in her eyes ripped at him. Her voice dropped to barely more than an angry whisper. “It’s not for you to decide what’s best for me. I don’t give a shit how old you are. He’s my father.” She shoved her chair away from the table and walked out of the cafeteria.

  * * * *

  Will caught up with Kal in her father’s room. They were preparing to discharge him. Kal softly pleaded with him to reconsider.

  Will leaned against the doorjamb and kept his mouth shut.

  Kal sat on the bed next to her dad. “I know I spent a lot of years being pretty hard on you,” Kenneth said. “And I know I wasn’t very open-minded when you introduced us to Will. It’s obvious how much he loves you. Don’t you worry. I’m going to walk you down that aisle and give you away.” He squeezed her hands and looked at Will. “Can you two stay tonight?”

  Will tried to mask his surprise. Kal spoke first. “Will was supposed to fly back to Tampa tonight.” She glared at Will, defying him to correct her.

  The Reverend laughed, but it sounded weak. “Oh, come on. Don’t be mad at him for my decision not to seek treatment. You two can stay at the house. Together.”

  Laura Martin gasped. “Are… Are you sure? I mean, I’m okay with it.”

  “They’re getting married soon. I suppose maybe I should reorganize my life a little. I think they’re both mature enough to behave themselves appropriately. Kal needs his support right now.” He directed his pointed stare at Will.

  So later that evening, while Kal helped her mom in the kitchen with dinner, Will found himself uncomfortably sitting on the sofa while Reverend Martin channel surfed.

  The Reverend looked at him. “Tell me the truth.”

  “About what?”

  Kal’s father laughed. “Promise me she’s not pregnant right now.”

  “No! I mean no, she’s not pregnant!” Dammit, if this wasn’t the freakiest conversation in the world, Will didn’t know what was. “Trust me, she can’t be pregnant.”

  “So if she’s not pregnant, then what’s the secret? What’s going on?” He arched an eyebrow at Will. “I can hear them now. ‘Oh, poor Preacher Martin, lost his mind at the end and insisted there really were angels on earth.’” He laughed again. “Am I close?”

  Will heard himself numbly reply, “Something like that.”

  “How long did you know about my cancer?”

  The hits just kept on coming. “Since that night at the shoot. It was already too far along by then. We felt it best not to tell Kal, let her enjoy her time with you as long as possible.”

  “And she’s mad at you now because she knows you knew and didn’t tell her?”

  Will nodded.

  He laughed. “That’s my girl.” He picked up the remote and started channel surfing again, leaving Will alone with his swirling thoughts.

  * * * *

  A little after nine that evening, they all retired to bed. There was no chance of anything inappropriate happening that night between Kal and Will. Still seething with anger, Kal grabbed a pillow and blanket and went downstairs to the living room, where she curled up on the couch to watch TV. Will tried to go with her and she flatly refused him.

  All he could do was lie in bed upstairs and listen for her thoughts. He felt her, her grief and anguish and deep, dark anger fighting for dominance inside her.

  She held it in. She hadn’t cried anymore. It worried him, because he knew how upset she was, emotionally volatile, unstable in that her normally steady nature felt like it had been upended.

  Will finally drifted to sleep.

  * * * *

  Kal knew Will was asleep. She wasn’t ready to face him yet. She was still mad at him and Ryan for withholding the information.

  She pulled the blanket tighter around her and closed her eyes. “Aidan, vado tu appareo.”

  After a few seconds, when Kal realized she was still on the couch, she opened her eyes. Aidan knelt in front of the couch with a concerned look. Typical, he wore neon green silk boxers with pink plaid Christmas stockings printed on them.

  That was almost enough to make her smile.

  One of these days, she would ask him how many different crazy pairs of boxers he had.

  “What’s wrong, sugar?” He brushed the hair from her face.

  “My dad’s dying. Cancer. He won’t get treatment.”

  Aidan motioned for her to move over. She made room for him on the couch and he slid under the blanket with her. “I know, sweetie. Will told me this morning. I’m so sorry.”

  She cried on his shoulder as he held her and hummed that strange, soothing tune to her. When she settled a little while later, he rubbed her back.

  “Why aren’t you in bed with Will?” he asked.

  She sniffled. “I’m still mad at him. Ryan found out that night at the shoot, when he did whatever he did to my dad. He knew about the cancer and he told Will, and those two jerks didn’t tell me.”

  “He loves you. He wanted to protect you.”

  “I’m still mad at him.”

  “You said that already.”

  “I still mean it.”

  Aidan sighed. “Hold on.” He disappeared, then returned a moment later and gathered Kal into his arms. “I’ll need to get you back here in the morning before your folks wake up.” He took her back to his place.

  * * * *

  Around midnight he awoke. He vaguely heard the TV downstairs.

  Sensing Kal wasn’t in the house, Will’s heart raced as he sat up, threw the covers off and stood. He started to reach for his amulet when he noticed the note
written in Aidan’s sprawling script covering his cell phone on the bedside table.

  She’s okay. I’ve got her. - A.

  Will heavily sat on the bed and stared at the note. Kal was his soul mate. He should take care of her. He felt torn between wanting to hover and giving her space. What was right? He didn’t know.

  He closed his eyes and finally found her with Aidan.

  Well, that made sense. When they’d had a fight after her parents unexpectedly showed up in Florida, she’d reached out to Aidan. And since she was pissed at him and Ryan, Aidan was the logical choice.

  Will returned to bed and knew he wouldn’t sleep. He also knew he shouldn’t disturb Kal.

  At least she wasn’t with Ryan.

  * * * *

  Kal closed her eyes and cuddled with Aidan. “I tried to call you the way I do Ryan, so you could bring me here instead of coming to me.”

  “I know, sugar. I wanted to find out what was going on first. I wasn’t doing anything. It’s okay.”

  “You can do that, right? Bring me to you like Will and Ryan can?”

  “You? Sugar, you’re as good as family. Of course I can. You’re my soul brother’s soul mate.” He kissed the top of her head and left his chin resting there. “Like my baby sister.”

  She quietly lay in his arms for a long time. “How did your sister die?”

  Aidan fell silent for a moment. “Chloe was murdered. Some asshole crossed over from off-Earth, we’re not sure from exactly where. He spotted her and wanted her, tried to take her. She tried to fight back, but…” He sighed. “I didn’t get there until after the fighting was over. We couldn’t save her.”

  “Do you ever have contact with him?”

  “With who?”

  “Chloe’s husband. Do you ever talk to him? Or is he still even alive?”

  Aidan sat up. He looked confused. “What the home are you talking about?”

  Kal felt bad. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Pry?”

  “About her husband.”

  He stared at Kal. “I thought you knew. Didn’t I tell you that before?”

  She shook her head. “I know she died, but you hadn’t told me how, or what happened to her husband.”

  He was a long time answering. “Honey,” he softly said, “Chloe was Ryan’s soul mate.”