Light (The Shadows Series)

by Amber Lacie

  “I mean it, Evan. She is never to be alone.” He nods his head, as he walks out the door.

  The rest of the morning slowly creeps by. The only sound is of her machines and her breathing. I watch her for a while. She is laying so perfectly still. This is all so surreal. At noon, one of the nurses brings me a can of pop. I didn’t ask for anything, but I can tell that the nurses feel awful. Every time one of them comes to check on my Eve, their faces are full of pity. I stare back out at the lake through the window, watching the boats pass by. I bet Eve would like to sail. She always loved when the wind blew through her hair at the beach. Closing my eyes, I picture my beautiful angel the first time that I met her. I am pulled from my thoughts by voices outside of the door, and I stand from the window ledge that I am sitting on. Linda and Phillip walk in, whispers ceasing when they see her.

  “Jesus Christ.” This isn’t the first time that Eve’s dad has seen her since everything happened, but every time he comes here, his reaction is the same. All of the color drains from his face, as he walks around her bed. Linda doesn’t say a word. She adjusts some lines and Eve’s blankets, but never looks at Eve’s face. I don’t think that she can handle it.

  “Theron, how was she during the night?”

  I shrug my shoulders and drop my head. My voice is so tight it cracks, as the words leave my lips. “Nothing has changed.”

  “She’s just resting. You’ll see. My brave girl is stubborn and she is a fighter. We’ll make it through this.”

  I swallow hard and nod my head, as Linda takes a seat in the chair beside the bed. Looking over to Phillip, my expression matches his. Lost, anger, heartache, desperation, hatred, and fear all play their parts on our faces. With her parents here, I decide that I could use a few minutes out of the room, even if it’s just to gather my nerves.

  “I’m going to step out for a minute. I won’t be far. I’m just going to the family lounge to get some coffee.”

  “That’s fine. We have her.”

  For some reason, Linda’s words offer me so much comfort. They have her. I know she will be okay if I step away. As I walk down the white hallway to the family lounge, my phone buzzes in my pocket. “Theron.”

  “It’s Evan. The detectives would like to see you. They swear that it’s urgent. It’s not my place, but I feel that they are withholding information.”

  “I’m not sure what they could withhold. Her parents are here now, so I’m getting a fresh cup of coffee. How long before they get here?”

  “I’d give an ETA of about twenty minutes. Maybe less.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll be waiting.” This is hell. I have been in hell for almost five days now. It feels like it has been so much longer than that. The family lounge is small. There is a microwave, mini refrigerator, chairs, coffee pot with paper cups, and a bathroom. I make myself a cup of coffee, as my brain tries to make sense of everything that has happened. I don’t understand Ben’s obsession with her. Was he like this before, or was it knowing how much I was worth that spurred his actions? My phone buzzes in my pocket and I almost spill my coffee trying to answer. “Theron.”

  “We’re here.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah, listen I have a really bad feeling. Something’s off. I wasn’t going to sit by and let you meet with them alone. I met them in the lobby. Where are you?”

  “In the lounge on her floor. There’s a visitor limit. How can you come up with them?”

  “Cops don’t count as visitors when there’s an investigation going on.”

  “Right. Okay.” I end the call and shove the phone back in my pocket. My stomach sinks, as I accept that fact that this isn’t over, yet. Sitting in one of the chairs, I start bouncing my knees, as I stare at the door. I have to keep moving. I need to do something or I am going to lose my mind. Evan walks in, followed by both detectives. Standing, I shake their hands. “Detective Hallows. Detective Markz. Have a seat. That black shit behind you in the pot is supposed to be coffee, if you want a cup.”

  “Now with a sales pitch like that, I’d say that I’ll have to pass. Though, I don’t think we have anything better at the station. It all tastes like shit to me. I’m not really the sitting type, but I think Markz will have a seat.” Hallows nods with his head towards a chair, and Markz finds himself a seat. All three of us stare at Evan, waiting to see if he is going to sit or stand. He slowly sits down in the chair to my right. Markz clears his throat and our heads turn in synchronization towards him.

  “I know how bad this looks. I know how bad this is, but I want you to know that this case is our priority. Obviously, her coworker, Ben was a huge player in this, but we believe that he was just simply a piece in a game of chess. Anne had a lot to say the other night, but she got real quiet when her lawyer showed up.”

  “I bet. Any lawyer would advise their client not to talk.” Evan says exactly what I am thinking.

  Hallows turns around, making himself a cup of coffee. “I think what should interest you is who her lawyer was.” I stare at his back, waiting for him to tell me. He turns back around and I stare him dead in the eye.

  “Who?”

  “Ronald Guzman.”

  “Mother fucker.” Once again, Evan says exactly what I am thinking. Out of all the lawyers around, my dad’s personal attorney shows up.

  “God damn it!” I stand from my chair and kick the door as hard as I can. It slams shut. It only offers me a second of reprieve from the anger boiling inside of me. Hallows grabs my shoulder, but I shake him off. “I should have fucking known. At first I knew it was him, but at the board meeting he honestly looked surprised when I mentioned the notes.”

  “We couldn’t figure that one out, either. It seems that Anne didn’t even know about the notes.” Hallows takes a sip of his coffee, looking over at Detective Markz before he continues. “She also didn’t know about the hundred grand Thomas had transferred over to Ben that morning. It seems our man Ben was keeping secrets from everyone.”

  “Theron, I don’t think this is over, yet. What does your dad have against you?”

  A sharp laugh escapes me, as I look at Markz. “My life. He has hated me since the day I was born. He blames me for my mom’s death, and would love to see me shatter. He wants nothing left of me, but a shell. I’ll tell you something, he’s already fucking done that. My life, my reason to breathe, and the reason my heart still beats in my chest is lying in a hospital bed, mangled by people she thought were her friends. They turned her over for money, as if she was nothing to them, just a paycheck. Well, fuck them! Fuck, Thomas! Fuck anyone who stands in my way! Unless you have him in cuffs or his feet are buried in buckets of cement sinking to the bottom of the lake, stay the fuck away from me.”

  “I get you’re hurting right now. We all do. Don’t do anything rash. Detective Hallows and I can only protect you legally from so much.”

  “Rash? Rash would be me waiting outside his house in the middle of the night. Then just as he falls asleep, I slip in through his window, startling him awake. I’d make him watch, as I carved his body with a sharp blade before I slit his throat. That detective would be rash. I’m not doing anything rash. No, I’m getting vengeance.” Hallows grabs my shoulder again. I stare straight into his eyes, so that he can see exactly how capable I am of holding true to my words. He pulls in a breath and drops his hand. I don’t turn around, as I turn the handle of the door. “Evan.” It is all I have to say, he knows to follow me.

  “Theron. Calm yourself down, man. If you go back to her like that, what kind of vibe will you give off? Eve needs you. I’ll handle the detectives.”

  My stride never falters, as I continue to walk back to her room. Without stopping or looking back, I give Evan his direct orders. “I want to know every move Thomas makes. I want to know when he’s sleeping, where he goes, and when he eats. I want to know if he sneezes or blinks an eye. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Sir.”

  “Get on it.” My hand touches the handle to her door, and instan
tly the current in my body changes from one of pure hatred to one of heartache. Walking into the room, I find Linda reading to Eve from one of the hospital magazines. Phillip is sitting in a chair with his hands in his face. They both look to me and I offer them a weak smile. There is no reason for me to mention the detectives or Thomas. They need to focus on her. I will handle the rest.

  “She hasn’t moved. Her heart rate has sped up a couple times. The nurses said she might be dreaming.” Linda’s voice is just a whisper, but it is so quiet in here that I can hear it clearly.

  I gently place my hand on her shoulder, as I walk over to the window taking a seat on the ledge. “I know she needs her rest, but I want her to wake up. I’ll settle for just one eye to open. Anything. I know you don’t know me from Adam, but I love her. I can’t breathe without her.” I turn my head to look out the window, as a tear slides down my cheek. I need to be stronger than this, but I am breaking apart.

  “Robert called. He will be here later and Kayla’s coming with him.” Linda’s voice is soft and quiet. Her words are slow, as if to fill the emptiness in the air. I close my eyes, absorbing the warmth of the sun shining on the windowpane.

  “I can’t do this. I can’t just sit here and wait for her to wake up. Linda, I need some air.” Phillip stands, holding his hand out for his wife. She looks to me, worry written all over her face.

  “Go with him. I won’t leave her.” She nods her head and walks out of the room holding her husband’s hand. Once the door closes, I make myself as comfortable as possible in the chair beside her. I gently take her hand in mine, softly brushing her knuckles with my thumb. God, I love her. Holding her hand isn’t enough. I need to be in her, I need to feel her and I can’t. It is absolutely killing me. Turning my chair, I scoot it closer to her bed. I stretch out my legs under her bed, and lay my head by her waist on the mattress. Tears fall from my eyes, as I place soft kisses on her arm. I take her hand in mine again, and I cling to her hospital gown with my other hand.

  “Fuck. Wake up, beautiful. Come back to me. I can’t…I can’t do this without you. I can’t breathe. My lungs are suffocating. They are burning, baby. My heart is barely beating, I’m nothing without you. Beautiful, please wake up.” Begging through the sobs that tear from my chest, I bury my face in the sheets, crying until my tears are replaced with hate. It calms me. It’s an eerie feeling. Finally closing my eyes, I drift to sleep. Maybe she’ll be in my dreams.

  “So, we’re just going to pretend that this isn’t what it looks like?”

  “Robert, shut up. That man hasn’t slept. The nurses said when he does sleep; he calls out her name. She doesn’t need your attitude and neither does he. If you can’t behave yourself, you can go.”

  “Seriously, mom? He’s clinging to her. You can’t tell me he’s not hurting her. Why is his arm under the sheet? I don’t trust him…Oh.”

  “Now, don’t you feel stupid, son. He’s clinging onto both of them. That’s how you’re supposed to love someone. Now quit your bitching.”

  “Whatever, dad.”

  Someone is arguing and my arm suddenly feels a lot cooler. My vision is hazy. I let go of Eve’s gown to wipe my eyes, it is hard to see with them being so dry and raw.

  “Way to go, Robert. You woke him. Sorry, Theron. Robert is being an ass.” I look over to the voice that is speaking to me, recognizing the curly blonde hair instantly.

  “Kayla.”

  “Yeah. I’m sorry he woke you.”

  As I push myself up a little off the mattress, I realize where my other hand is laying. I softly move my fingers, rubbing her stomach. I remember needing to feel her before I fell asleep, but I guess I needed both of them. I make sure that her hair isn’t in her face, smoothing it behind her ears. It’s not. She hasn’t moved besides the nurses changing her clothes and the sheets, but I do it anyways. I don’t care who watches me look at her. She is mine. I would do anything for her. Someone clears their throat. I guess I am making them uncomfortable.

  I sit back in the chair, looking up at Kayla.

  “Time.” My voice cracks, my throat is so dry.

  “Just after six.” She tosses me a bottle of water. I can see why she and Eve are so close. Kayla seems to be great at reading people. There is no need to fill the air with words. Subtle gestures seem to be her language. I take a sip of water. It is just what I needed.

  “How long?”

  “Oh, I don’t know exactly. Mom and dad said you were sleeping when they came back in, so they went and got an early dinner. Robert and I just got here about twenty minutes ago. You were out cold.”

  Running my hands over my face, I glance at everyone around the room. “Sorry. I needed her.”

  Linda smiles and shakes her head at me. “In this family, we don’t apologize for loving each other.”

  “Noted. Has Evan called or stopped by?”

  “If you mean the angry sasquatch standing outside the door like a God damn guard, then yeah. He’s here.”

  A nurse walks in to check on Eve, raising her eyebrow; she looks pointedly at all of us. “There’s a limit of visitors on this floor.”

  “It’s alright, Miss. It’s their shift. It seems that I had fallen asleep. They were just drawing straws to see who would wake me.”

  “Who won?”

  “Eve’s brother.”

  “That was nice of him.”

  “I’m sure he was ecstatic. If you’ll all excuse me, I need to meet with the Sasquatch in the hall.” I give Kayla a wink.

  “Go ahead, Theron. I got her.”

  With a nod of my head, I leave my Eve with her family. Evan is leaning against the wall next to the door. “Update.”

  Hearing my voice, Evan jumps. “He hasn’t left his house. All of his vehicles are parked or stored. I did get confirmation of his exact location. He’s been on the phone with someone in his study. It’s not his regular phone. I’m sure it’s either a loaner or a burner. Thomas looks as though he’s waiting for something. I’m not sure what.”

  “If anyone comes or goes from that house, I want to be the first to know. Are the police aware that you have a visual on his location?”

  “No. I’m here. My phones, computers, and tablets are all searching at home hospital care and sailboats, per your request.”

  “Good. Evan, I want you to be aware of the situation I’m putting you in.”

  “I am, Theron. I’m aware, on board, and I’d love to take over driving, but this is your call. You have more to lose than I do.”

  “I know.” Fuck. I want to watch Thomas suffer before he dies. I need to find out what he is protecting, what he is holding onto, and I need to destroy it before he destroys what I have left.

  Linda and Phillip leave a little after eight. They both look exhausted. I don’t think Phillip has said more than a couple of sentences the whole time that he has been here. Robert follows them out. It is just Kayla and I now. She waits for the door to close, before she pulls a chair up, sitting down directly across from me. Leaning back in her chair, she raises her eyebrows at me, while twisting one of her curls.

  “It’s cool, Theron. I got time.”

  “Time?” What the fuck is she playing at?

  “Don’t be coy. I know you’re hiding something. Evan wouldn’t be here, if you didn’t need him. I’ve been watching you two. He’s not watching you, he’s watching someone else, but he’s reporting to you. Isn’t he?”

  Shit. Kayla is really, good at reading people. I let out a sigh, running my hands through my hair. “He’s watching, Thomas.”

  “Okay. Why?”

  “The police have evidence that suggests he paid Ben off. I’m not entirely surprised. It’s just that the notes are making sense. Thomas is a lot of things, but he’s a horrible actor. When I questioned him about the notes, the shock on his face was real. He didn’t know about them. So, either he didn’t know Ben was leaving notes, or he didn’t know the extent of which Ben was taking things. None of it fucking matters, though. He can’t hu
rt me anymore. I’m going to fucking destroy him.”

  “Shit. That’s twisted, Theron. Eve told me that your dad hated you, but this isn’t hate. I don’t know what it is, but it isn’t natural. This is worse than hate.”

  “I know.”

  “So, what’s the plan?”

  “There is no plan, at least not, yet. I’ve got eyes on him. He’s up to something. He thinks he’s going to be able to get to me, to make me come to him, but I can’t figure out how. My mom is dead. My gram is dead. My poor beautiful girl is lying in a hospital bed because of him. I don’t have anything left.”

  “Maybe it’s not what you think.”

  “Maybe.” No sooner do those words leave my lips, my phone rings with Evan’s name lighting up the screen. “Theron.”

  “He’s got a visitor.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Ronald Guzman.”

  “Fuck. It’s almost nine. Why would someone invite their attorney over so late?”

  “Whatever it is, I don’t see it being any good. They are both in the study now.”

  “Keep a visual on him. Let me know if either of them leave.” Ending the call, I look over at Eve. She is sleeping so peacefully. I carefully bring her hand to my lips, softly kissing it, before I lay it back down on the mattress. She takes a deep breath and my heart skips in my chest. “That happened, right?”

  Kayla rushes over to the other side of the bed and meets my stare. “It happened. I saw her. I heard her. That wasn’t regular breathing that was a really deep breath.” We watch her closely for a few minutes, but nothing happens. The nurse walks in and stares at us, as if we have both lost our minds. I am sure that we look really, crazy leaning over her bed, staring at her.

  “She took a deep breath.”

  The nurse gives me a sympathetic smile, and continues to go about her job, as if I have said nothing of importance. Kayla and I just stare at each other. I know my beautiful girl, and I know that was something. Kayla sits with me for another twenty minutes or so, before she leaves. Maybe we did imagine it. I fix the couch into a bed again and lay down for the night, but not before making sure to charge my phone. I don’t want to miss any updates on Thomas. My eyes close and I dream of vengeance. I dream of my hands closing around Thomas’ throat, his body thrashing, while his fingers dig at my tight grip. I dream with a sweetly sick smile on my face.