by Kelly Wood
“Well, that’s just mean!” I kept pulling. My forehead broke out in sweat from the exertion.
“I stabbed a woman to death, and the only word you can find is ‘mean’? Pathetic. I obviously have not pushed you hard enough,” Anais said.
“You killed her? How?”
“Focus. Adrenaline. A mother’s need to protect her child. It all works together to get the job done.”
“What did you have to protect Peter from? Why did you stab her?” I wanted both questions answered. Not necessarily in that order.
“Stop fussing, child,” Anais said. She scolded me like a toddler needing a nap.
“I’m allowed some fussing, Anais. I know what you plan to do. I think that gives me the right to do some fussing.”
I rocked the chair back and forth, trying again, in vain to loosen or break the tape. I only managed to tip myself sideways onto the floor.
“Fine. Fine. I’m done. Just tell me, please,” I huffed, my breath coming out ragged.
“Your curiosity always gets the best of you.” Anais smiled. “No matter. I’m going to feed you this chicken with peanut sauce whenever Seth gets back. I shall indulge you.”
Like hell, I was eating that. I needed to think of a way to get free.
“After Patrick died, the truth all came out. We were in debt up to our ears, and the bar was barely breaking even. I felt betrayed by him. I was so happy and in love with him that I was blind to our reality.”
“The bar was making money when I worked there. What happened?” I asked.
“The bar was making some money, dear. Not enough to support both Peter and me. Peter knew no different. He thought everything was good, the same. You know Peter; he is not one for change. It takes him time. I flailed along for a while, but then, just when I didn’t know what I would do, I met Anya. She understood. And, had a solution.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just shocked. Speechless. Dumbfounded.” I had even stopped working on my restraints. I laid my head on the kitchen floor, like a child settling in for a story.
Anais continued to play with the food while looking out the window. She appeared to be lost in thought. I worked on my restraints again. I had a corner of the tape pinched between my first two fingers and was tugging it with all of my strength. The position was awkward with my hand bent back. I couldn’t get enough of a hold to pull it further.
Until that moment, I’d never realized how claustrophobic being tied up felt. I was in a rather large kitchen, but it might as well have been a car trunk. The walls were playing tricks on me, moving in and out. I didn’t know what was stronger: the need to breathe deeply, the urge to curl up into the fetal position and cry, or the longing to hear the rest of the story.
“Women are strong, Regan. We are able to put aside our wants, desires, and feelings to do what needs to be done. I just had a few roadblocks in my way. One was you. I knew you would be too goody-goody to manage the books, so I encouraged you to see the world. With your wanderlust, it was easy.”
“That makes me feel dirty. Like used Silly Putty.” I shivered.
“Your smart mouth returns. Two, I moved Anya into place. I saved her from the streets and the little minx betrayed me. I could just kill her, I get so irate thinking about it.”
I did not point out the irony of the statement.
“Three, I hired the girls. Four, I found some clientele. Anya gave us a good start with hers, but we needed more. She was a blessing and set up the website. I would’ve been, what do you say? ‘Old school’ and kept the books by hand. Anya was correct. We managed to bring in quite a bit more money her way,” Anais said.
I thought back to Peyton’s last comment to me. Someone like you who can make order out of chaos. I should’ve figured out Anais was involved at that very moment. I had watched her for years come into the restaurant and whip lazy servers and disobedient staff into shape. I learned how to lead from her. If I were given any control over an area that needed to be cleaned up and organized, I would’ve done the same as Anais—figured out a plan and then made a list of how to accomplish the plan. One, clean house. Two, hire a manager . . .
“I’m confused. Why did you kill Anya then, if she was your partner?”
“The little vixen got greedy. I told Anya she could supplement her income like the other girls, but, no. She became lazy. She wanted the ‘easy’ money by trying to bribe the mayor.”
“That doesn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t it be smarter to keep the money rolling in? Like a passive income.”
“Keep up, Regan. She was lazy.”
“Well, excuse me for not keeping up. I’ve had a rough week. So, pardon me for not being quick enough,” I yelled. The adrenaline running through me gave me the strength to free my right arm. I held the tape firmly and yanked. Relief surged through me as I lifted my arm. My left arm and both feet were still confined, but I took my little victory. I had a chance now.
Chapter Forty-Six
“This little guy comes in handy,” Anais said, holding the stun gun. She set it back down to wipe the drool from my chin.
“You too?” I croaked. My body was in need of a long recovery period. Badly. I didn’t know how much more I could physically or mentally take. Being shocked by a stun gun had never been on my bucket list, and now I could cross it off. Twice.
Seth had returned to the kitchen. I tried to move my once-free arm, but it had been taped again to my chair. By the look of things, Anais had used a whole roll on each arm. If I were lucky, she would kill me before pulling the tape off.
“It’s time to eat, darling. You must be starving by now.”
“No, thank you. Gray and I shared some nachos.” Seth picked me up, chair and all, before pushing me up to the table. Anais had covered every detail.
“Cute,” Anais said.
“Is this why the appetizers the other day had peanut oil on them? A test to see just how severe my allergy is?”
“Yes and no. That was actually an accident. The first batch had been cooked in peanut oil, but then Ben was arrested. I thought I didn’t need to test you, so I ordered fresh appetizers, but you already had some of the others on your plate. Oh, well, all’s well that ends well. I couldn’t believe my luck when you stopped breathing so quickly.”
She cut a piece of the chicken off the breast. I pictured her younger, doing the same for Peter as a child. She’d always been a doting mother. My mother was more of the keep-trying-until-you-get-it-on-your-own-kind. I shook my head to focus. Reminiscing about childhood was not going to help at this moment.
I stared out the window, trying to come up with . . . well, anything. Anything that could help me to get out of my current predicament. I really did not want to eat that food.
“Seth, why are you so quiet? Why are you helping her?” I asked. I almost whispered the words. “How do you fit into all of this?”
Why aren’t you helping me? That was what I really wanted to know.
The light bulb went on. It was Seth who told Anais about Anya’s plan to blackmail the mayor. How else would Anais have known, without someone tipping her off before it happened? Seth picked the stronger racehorse. In a battle between Anya and Anais, Anais was clearly the dominant woman. He aligned himself with the winner.
“Seth told you about Anya’s plan, right?” I asked.
“Yes, I told,” Seth said. He stood against the kitchen counter with his hands in his pockets. His shoulders slumped dejectedly. I guessed he used up all of his gumption getting me here.
“Did you tell Anais everything, Seth? I mean everything.”
“What is she mumbling about, Seth?” Anais said.
“Yeah, Seth, tell her.”
My distraction worked. Anais focused on Seth and not on me. It bought me a little more time before my last meal. I hoped that someone would miss me soon. I didn’t know how anyone would find me, but I still hoped.
Anais stared at Seth, but he remained quiet. I’m not surprised. He didn’t seem the type to admit any shortco
mings. Or to admit to any wrongdoings. I’d always thought of him as an eager-to-please puppy, but I realized that he was really just a slippery snake. Never taking a stand.
“I’ll tell you. Seth and Anya were embezzling money from some of the clients. And from you, of course.” I turned to Seth. “Here’s your chance. Be a man. Stand up and take responsibility.”
“Is this true, Seth?” Anais asked.
“Of course not. She’ll say anything right now.” Seth stood up and angrily pointed at me.
“I have proof. Invoice number 31663.” Anais contemplated the accusation, looking at Seth and me.
“It’s true. I can show you how they did it, when and for how much. They bilked thousands.”
“Regan, you need to learn when to stop talking. You’ve given me enough information to find everything that I would need.” She patted my cheek, so I tried to bite her hand. She pulled it away before I could get to it.
“Such fire in you, dear. Now, Seth, I will deal with you later.” Anais picked up her fork again, this time bringing it to my mouth. I sucked my lips between my teeth and clamped them closed tightly to keep her from shoving the food into my mouth. I knew it was a futile effort, but any remaining time I had, I wanted. I was too young to be fed to death.
Seth pinched my nose with his hand. The pinch was so hard I cried out instead of trying to hold my breath. Anais shoved the fork into my mouth, scraping the side of my cheek as she did. She quickly removed the fork, leaving the chicken to sit on my tongue. Her hand clamped my jaw closed. I realized why Anais had cut the chicken into such small bites. I wouldn’t have a chance to chew, only to swallow. I left the chicken sitting on my tongue.
My mind cleared as I waited for the peanuts to work their suffocating magic. I thought of Gray and how I would marry him the first moment I got. If I got another one.
I closed my eyes, slumped in the chair, and waited. Even though I hadn’t swallowed yet, I would have to soon. My mouth was filling with saliva. It was only a matter of time until I had no choice but to swallow or choke.
I thought about my mother and family. About my nieces and how I loved to watch them play their silly games. About my mother never letting us give up. She raised strong and determined children.
I thought about Anais and Peter. How until today, they had been my family, too. I moved my eyes up to meet hers. I expected to see triumph and anger, but I only saw sorrow. This was hard for her to do.
Good.
Anais’s mouth opened slightly. Her red lips making a little O. She removed her hand from my mouth and slapped the back of my head. I coughed as the chicken and saliva fell down my shirt. I continued to spit, leaning forward to hit the plate.
It didn’t matter how long I spit or how much I got out of me. I’d already been exposed to too much. I didn’t try to fight it. It would only make it worse. I rested my chin on my chest and closed my eyes.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Voices around me erupted, but they sounded far away and tinny. I was vaguely aware of a needle poke in my thigh. The pain didn’t register so much as the intake of air I was able to get. I moved my head back against the chair, opening up my airway even more.
I could breathe.
My eyes fluttered open. Gray squatted down next to me. He held something small in his hand. He cupped my head with one hand, with the other he poured a liquid into my mouth. The taste of cherries exploded on my tongue. I gagged on it. It tasted gross. Chemically induced cherry-flavor didn’t taste anything like real cherries.
EMT’s cut loose my wrists and ankles. I was shuffled onto a gurney and whisked away. Once again, I heard Gray arguing until he was allowed in the back of the ambulance with me.
“You’re my hero.” The words come out garbled and sloppy through my swollen throat. One of the EMT’s checked my airway again. He said the swelling had subsided quite a bit, but I was still given another injection of epinephrine and Benedryl.
Gray reached around the guy to put his hand on my head. He brushed my hair back. My eyes met his.
“It’s over, Regan. Anais and Seth have been arrested. You figured it out.”
I wanted to reply, but my body had a different idea. I was beat up and scared. The adrenaline had worn off. I closed my eyes and drifted.
I woke up next, groggy and sore. Anaphylactic reactions were tough on the body. I would feel the effects all day today until I could get another good night’s sleep. I looked around the room, taking in my surroundings. I was in a hospital and alone. I took a moment to adjust to my surroundings. The blood pressure cuff on my arm eased. It must’ve been what awakened me. An IV solution dripped into my arm.
I didn’t know how anyone found me at Anais’s, but I was thankful. Sunlight glistened through the curtains. I replayed the past few days in my head. What a whirlwind! Ben back in my life after all these years. Jax was in love. Gray and me breaking up, making up and engaged all in a matter of days. I was still having trouble wrapping my mind around everything, the least of which was Anais and Anya and Seth.
“Welcome back, sleepyhead.” Gray stood in the doorway, holding a can of Coke. “I bought this for you. You were starting to stir, and I thought you’d like a treat.”
When he crossed the threshold, I could see the wear and tear our journey had taken on him. Stubble marred his face, his hair stood on end. His clothes were wrinkled and looked past due for a washing. He could’ve passed as one of the many homeless in Chicago.
“Hi.” I pinched the covers between my fingers, nervously. I hadn’t felt this unsettled around Gray since we met.
“How long was I asleep?” I asked.
“A day and a half.”
“What?! What’s happened? Where’s Anais? How did you find me?” A thousand more questions went through my brain. But mostly, why had I been asleep for so long? I started with that one.
“A lot has happened. We were all worried when you didn’t wake up in the ER. Joe says hello again, by the way. I think you are his favorite patient.”
“Why did I sleep so long?”
Gray sat in the chair next to my bed. “The doctor said your body needed a reset. You’d had two reactions close together, a seriously bruised foot, glass rained down on you and two doses of a stun gun.” The confused look on my face must’ve prompted him to continue. He ran his finger down the side of my neck, touching on the marks left from Anais. “Your exam showed these.” His voice sounded gruff and angry.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Confusion caused a dimple to form between his eyebrows.
“I should’ve listened to you and let you come into the office with me.”
“If you apologize, then I will have to, too. I shouldn’t have let you go in there alone. I just never thought you’d walk out the back door.”
“It wasn’t by choice.” Gray’s hand slid down my arm, ending at my hand. I squeezed his hand in return, so glad to see him again.
“We’ll get to that stuff later. Now, back to your first question. The doctor said some people who experience high stress levels need a ‘reset.’ Like a computer reboot for your brain. That is what you were doing. When the peanuts closed your airway, you gave in. Your family has been here, too. We’ve all been praying around the clock.”
“Where are they now? My parents?”
“I talked them into getting something to eat. They needed a break. You are supposed to call Peyton, too. She had to stay home with the kids.” I was glad they all weren’t here. I still had questions for Gray.
“I think the doctor was right. I do feel clearer. I would like to know about—"
“About Anais?”
“Yes and no. I am curious, but I want to know about you. I would like to know your story now. Please,” I said.
“My story?”
“You showed up, in the nick of time, to save me at the house. How did you find me?”
“That part was easy. I went looking for you. I bullied the kitchen manager to unlock the office when you
didn’t answer. I literally dragged him off the kitchen line. He was none too pleased.”
“But, how did you find me at Anais’s house?”
“I called Liam and was frantic. He was with Jax. She tried calling your phone. It rang in your bag next to me. When I pulled it out, I noticed your running app.”
“My running app?”
“You know. The one that connects to your watch? GPS tracks your run, distance, speed, all that. I turned it on. The connection was spotty because of the distance, but it was enough to get us to the general location. Once we hit Bridgeport, I knew exactly where you were.”
“Who’s we?”
“Liam picked me up in a squad car. We hid outside of the kitchen window. We could hear Anais talking to you, admitting what they’d done. I wanted to go in right away, but Liam held me back. The cop in him needed to hear the confession.”
“What else?”
“When Anais gave you the piece of chicken, my heart stopped. It definitely took ten years off my life. Good thing I’m so good-looking to start with, it won’t show.” Gray winked at me.
“Did you see what else she did?”
“What do you mean?” Gray pulled my hand up to his mouth and kissed it before holding it between both of his hands.
“She let up and made me spit it out. I don’t think she could go through with hurting me.”
“That doesn’t matter, Regan. She did hurt you. You can’t change your initial intentions with something like that. Even if she did change her mind, it was too late. You were lucky we were there.”
“You still had my purse?”
“Yes.” He laughed. “I picked it up at the pub and just never set it back down. I didn’t even realize I was holding it until I tried to break through the door. Liam wasn’t stopping me at that point.”