by P. L. Harris
Thank God, she’s alive. Any time now, Jason. You can come out, any time.
“So as you can see your mother is alive and well.” He smirked. “Now, tell me where the SD card is before I blow both your brains all over this playground.”
Amanda stiffened. The fear in her mother’s eyes willed her to do as he’d said. Her stomach dropped, and for a moment, she thought she was going to be sick. Where is Jason and his dad? What are they waiting for? Why don’t they come out and stop them?
“When my mother and I are safe, I’ll call you with the—”
“You silly little girl,” he yelled. “You think this is a game? You messed with the wrong person, sweetheart.”
The morning sun caught the edge of his gun barrel as he pointed it toward her mother and fired. The solo gunshot echoed in the empty park like an exploding cannon.
Oh, my God. Amanda let out a scream. “No!” The limp body of her mother slumped to the ground.
Adrenaline kicked in. She bolted for her mother. Pain exploded in her head as he forcefully yanked her up by the hair until she was against his body. The barrel of his gun pushed hard into her ribcage.
“Take a good look at her. That’s exactly what’s going to happen to you if you don’t tell me where to find the SD card.” The man’s words pounded into her ear.
She struggled, her vision blurry. “Let me go!”
She kicked wildly but caught sight of the blood seeping from her mother’s chest. No, don’t die. Hang on, please.
He slid his hand around her neck, his grip so firm she could barely breathe. Tears welled in her eyes, and she shivered in fear. Fear for her life.
“All right.” She gasped for air. “You win. I’ll tell you where it is.”
Like heck I will, she thought, struggling to regain her focus.
Two more gunshots rang out around her ears, and the two other men fell to the ground. He gipped her by the throat, crushing her airway. Gasping, she sucked in short, panicked breaths unable to fill her lungs with the air they needed.
Her ears pounded with screaming voices from all directions. Jason, thank God. Hurry, before it’s too late.
A sound startled her and then pain assaulted her head. He’d hit her with the butt of his gun. She swayed in his grip and spots swam before her eyes. The cool metal barrel pressed hard against her neck. This isn’t the way it’s supposed to happen.
Scattered voices zoned in on her. “Freeze…Let her go…Drop it…Give it up, you won’t get away with this.”
“Amanda, don’t fight him.” Strong male words drifted into her subconscious.
They were here. She could let go now. Jason would save her. The world twisted and swayed around her. Her mind swam with images of her mother’s limp body, dead on the ground. Amanda’s frame fell from his grip like a dead weight sinking to the bottom of the deep blue ocean.
A lone gunshot rang out before she descended into sweet oblivion.
* * * *
Amanda stirred in a hospital bed. Her quiet sobs filled the sterile room.
“Amanda, it’s Jason. I’m here with my dad,” he whispered as he approached the side of her bed. “You’re safe. Everything is all right.”
“My mum. I couldn’t save her.” She sobbed.
Jason watched her, his heart ached for the pain strewn across her face.
“No, she’s fine. She made it.”
“Oh God, she’s dead.” She continued to sob, tears trickling down her damp face.
His gut revolted as she drifted back into unconsciousness.
She thought her mother was dead. Jason turned to his dad, his eyes full of anguish. “She’ll be okay, won’t she?”
“Of course she will, son,” Malcolm replied. “When she comes around, you’ll be able to tell her that her mum came out of surgery just fine and is in recovery.”
Jason backed away from her bed and slouched into an armchair, his head in his hands.
Malcolm sighed and occupied the chair next to him. “You really like her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“Then for God’s sake, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I made her a promise that I wouldn’t tell anyone,” he barked. “And contrary to what you believe, Dad, my word actually means something.”
Malcom studied Jason’s face. “Yes, I suppose it does.”
They sat in silence. Jason fidgeted, waiting impatiently, willing Amanda to wake up. His gut churned, and he thought he would vomit all over the hospital floor. What if she doesn’t forgive me? What if she turns me away? The only comfort he had was that she was alive to make the choice.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about the examination papers,” Malcolm said, almost in a whisper.
Jason’s brows furrowed. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Don’t make me say it again. I should have realized you were nothing like your brother. I guess I’ve always known. You’ve been telling me for such a long time that you’re nothing like Aaron. I think it’s about time I started to believe you.”
Jason pulled back, an eyebrow raised toward his dad. “Thanks, I think.”
“It’s pretty admirable what you did for Amanda and her mum.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “I could have done more.”
“What more could you have done? You made a promise and did your best to keep that promise. I think she’ll forgive you, especially when you explain that her mum is alive and now safe, and the SD card has been handed to the right authorities for destruction.”
Jason sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
“I am. She has a good heart, after all. She was willing to sacrifice her life for her mother’s. I’m sure she’ll see the good in your heart too.”
Jason smiled, but his attention turned to the whimper coming from the bed. He shot to his feet and was by Amanda’s side in a heartbeat.
“Listen, I’ll leave you to it,” Malcolm said, walking to the door. “Call me if you need a lift home.”
Jason nodded, but his gaze was focused on the frail figure in front of him. He held her hand and brushed a stray hair from her haunted face.
I’ll make a new promise to you right now, Amanda. I promise that I will take care of you. I promise I will never give you cause to question my word again, for as long as you live, and I promise I will kiss you again—the way a first kiss should happen with all the love in my heart behind it.
Chapter 9
AMANDA stirred, restless. Blurred images of the past few days bombarded her mind. She tossed her head, and her breath caught in her throat. Excruciating pain assaulted her senses. The crushing sensation in her chest was like being trapped beneath a car. For a split second, she didn’t know where she was or why she hurt so much. A sharp light forced her eyes open. She blinked a few times, the blurred surroundings of reality finally registering.
Jason?
It all came flooding back as if a dam had just broken. She closed her eyes, the images scattered in her mind except one. Her mother’s lifeless, bloodied body sprawled on the ground. How could he have let this happen? He promised.
Jason’s betrayal cut Amanda’s heart like a sword slicing though silk. Tears filled her eyes and pain, like she’d never felt, stabbed her heart. No longer able to look at him, she turned away.
A sob welled in her throat, threatening to choke her with its potency. A harsh cry escaped her and another with every breath that followed.
A warm hand gently wiped away the moisture trickling down her cheek. “Amanda, it’s okay. Everything’s all right.”
His words were a knife to her heart, as if he’d stabbed her. She tossed her head, pain shooting up her spine. “All right?” she yelled. “You betrayed me. You lied to me, and now my mother is dead. How is everything all right?” She wanted to rip out his heart with her bare hands, just as he had done to her.
“Your mother is alive. She’s in recovery,” he said, holdin
g her hand tight in his.
Her eyes widened. She can’t be. I saw her fall. “She’s alive?” Her words were a whisper, barely audible.
Jason smiled and nodded. “They got the bullet out. It was touch and go for a while, but she’s a fighter, just like her daughter.”
“But I saw her fall. There was blood everywhere.”
“She was lucky. They were able to stop the bleeding, and the bullet missed all her major organs, so they were able to take it out without too much damage.”
“Where is she?” Amanda struggled to sit up and nearly blacked out from the pain assaulting every inch of her body. Gasping, she said, “I need to see her.”
He held her down. “You’re going to hurt yourself if you try to get up.”
“I need to see her, Jason. Please.”
He held up his hand in surrender. “Okay, if you promise not to get out of bed or even sit up, I’ll call for the nurse and see if you can visit her.”
“I promise,” she said. She held her breath, waiting for him to press the call button for the nurse.
“What took you so long?” she asked. Jason didn’t miss the underlying meaning.
“The guy had a gun on your mum. If Dad moved in too quickly, he could have shot her.” He paused. “Guess he wasn’t quick enough. I’m sorry, Amanda.”
She studied him through glistening eyes. His face was drawn and tired. There was sadness in his eyes. A sadness prompted by his betrayal.
“Listen, Amanda, I know I broke my promise, but I’m not sorry I did.”
She gasped at his sudden outburst. Not sorry?
“You didn’t leave me much choice.” He grunted. “And to be honest, thank God I did, otherwise both you and your mother would be dead by now and probably at the bottom of the Swan River, wearing cement shoes.”
A noise startled them. A nurse caught them by surprise. “It’s good to see you awake. Are you in pain?” she asked, checking Amanda’s chart.
Pain? Yes, I am, but my heart is in more pain than my body.
“I need to see my mother,” Amanda pleaded. “Please, I have to see she’s all right.”
The nurse smiled and returned her chart. “You mother is doing just fine.”
“But—”
She held up her hand, silencing Amanda mid-sentence. “And when the doctor says it’s okay for you to get up, I will be the first person in here with a wheelchair ready to take you to see her. But not a moment before, young lady. Now, I’ll be back soon with some pain medication. For now, rest and stop making things hard for your boyfriend. He’s been in a right mess since you were admitted.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.
Boyfriend? She gulped. Why did she think Jason was her boyfriend?
She lay stock-still barely breathing. What would it be like to have a boyfriend? She’d never really had one. Since they’d moved so frequently it was no use getting attached to anyone. It would only break her heart when they eventually moved again.
“See,” Jason said, squeezing her hand. “Even the nurse thinks we look good together.”
“Jason, I…”
“Listen, Amanda, I’ve made no secret that I like you.”
“Jason, you—”
“Please,” he begged. “At least let me say what I need to and then what happens next is up to you.”
“Okay,” she said anxiously.
His warm, brown eyes held hers steady in his gaze. Her hand was warm from his strong hold. “Actually, I think it’s more than like. I think I’m falling for you in a big way. I don’t know if it’s love, but I know that when I saw that man grab you, I wanted to kill him, rip him apart for laying his hands on you, for hurting you. I failed to protect you and I’m truly sorry, but if you’ll let me, I promise I will take care of you. I promise I will never give you cause to question my word again. All I ask is a second chance. A second chance to prove that we belong together.”
Oh God, I am going to cry…again, but this time happy tears.
A smile spread to the corners of her mouth and her heart was ready to explode with pure happiness. He liked her. He really liked her. It was almost too much to comprehend.
“Say something. You’re killing me here.”
“Yes.” She beamed. “Yes, to all of the above.”
Jason bent and pressed his forehead to hers. “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”
She closed her eyes, and Jason angled his head down and kissed her softly on the lips. She had been right. He was an angel.
The End
Publisher’s Note
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About P.L. Harris
Peta Louise Harris writes contemporary, romantic suspense and young/new adult. She is a proud member of Romance Writers of Australia, Peter Cowan Writers Centre, and has a Certificate in Romance Writing.
Peta’s interest in writing began at a young age, reading the many adventures of Nancy Drew and following the escapades of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield in the classic teenage series Sweet Valley High. Whether young or old, Peta believes everyone deserves their own happy ending.
By day, a middle and high school Drama teacher who thrives on encouraging youth of today to explore their own inner hero or heroine. By night, an avid writer who loves to create a world that takes the reader on a wonderful emotional journey.
Peta has written several short stories, novellas, and now onto her third full-length romantic suspense manuscript. Hidden Secrets is her first novella published by Blue Swan Publishing. Peta’s short story Second Chance at Love was published by Serenity Press in April 2017 as part of their A Bouquet of Love Anthology.
She lives in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, with her Bishon Frise, Bella. When Peta’s not writing or reading, she enjoys spending time with her family and experiencing what Perth has to offer. Visit her at www.plharris.org