by M Dauphin
She looks up at me with so much hurt and anger in her eyes, but it’s mixed with hope. She wants me to say it back and as much as I feel about her, this is not the time nor place to start planning our future. Terrible men are out to kill us if we don’t give them what they want. We need to keep our heads on straight.
“Listen, Molly, one thing at a time. Brian is your husband, correct?”
“Technically, no…. Since he’s dead. Oh hell, I don’t know! What the hell am I supposed to do Tatum!?” She crumbles on the floor. I go to her and wrap her in my arms. Assuring her we will figure everything out. It’s all I can do. I need to make some calls. Calls to the people I never wanted to speak to again.
***
Molly falls asleep on the couch shortly after the bomb that she dropped on me. I have a strange sense of euphoria even though we have someone out for us. I’ve found my Molly and my heart no longer hurts. The weight in my chest is gone, now filled with light. There’s a part of me, deep down, that loves her. I know it. I don’t want to accept it, but I know it. I need more time, though. We need to get through this first. She didn’t say the words that she loves me, just that she thinks she’s falling in love with me. That can all change and I don’t want to be the schmuck that falls in love with someone who doesn’t care for him. Not after my past.
I walk out the back door and pull out my phone. His number is no longer programed in my phone, but I will never forget those 7 numbers. Dialing the area code, I enter the numbers that I’ve called a million times before. My stomach twists when I hear his voice.
“Yes?” he says lightly, like he knows I’d come crawling back.
“Al.” I can’t bring myself to call him Dad. Not after what he did.
“Did you finally decide the open road isn’t for you? I can have you back at work tomorrow morning. I’ll call Angela and let her know to start your pay again….”
I stop him. “Whoa, no. I’m not coming back, I told you that. I know we left things on a nasty note and I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive you, but I need your help.”
“You’ll always be my son. No matter how far away. What can I do?”
I spend the next half hour giving him all of the details I have on this dilemma. He keeps making sounds of agreement at the proper times, obviously taking notes to relay to the right people. My father is one of the most influential men in the country. Not the most legal of ways, but he gets shit done.
“Just don’t let her get hurt, please. I’m doing all I can here, but I need someone with more… roots,” I beg. I’m not beyond begging at this point. Now that I’ve accepted I have deep feelings for Molly…deeper than I probably want to accept, there is nothing I will stop at to keep her safe.
“Son, you have my word. I will pull every string I have to get the best men on this case. I will contact you when we know more.”
I hang up the phone and curse. Shoving my phone in my pocket I start to pace the back yard. It’s beautiful, a place I could see her living in. lush with greenery, a patio with a set ready to be used. This place looks lived in, but from everything I’ve seen she hasn’t been back here in years. When Molly wakes up I have to tell her the truth. She may not want to speak to me again, and I’d deserve that, but there is no more I can do as Tatum. She needs to know who I really am. And if she leaves me, I will stay on this until those asshole men are six feet under.
Molly
I wake up on the couch in my old house, curled under a blanket. I remember Tatum tucking me under it, kissing my forehead, then I watched him walk outside. I sit up and glance around for him. He’s sitting at the kitchen table with elbows on the table and head in his hands. He’s so still he almost looks asleep, but when he hears me get up, he lifts his head.
“I need to talk to you, Molly. You should sit back down.”
I am still a little out of it from everything that has happened these past 48 hours, so I nod quietly and sit back down.
“What now?” I ask. Things keep going from bad to worse around here.
“Nothing bad has happened, don’t worry. I need to tell you something that you may not enjoy.” He looks so worried. I’ve never seen him look this fragile before, like saying the wrong thing is going to crumble him.
“I called my father while you were sleeping.”
“Okay, what does that matter?” I shake my head, not understanding the point of this conversation.
“Molly, my father is a very… convincing man. He has a lot of ties all over the globe and is our only hope to get one step ahead of these men.” He’s sitting in the chair across from me, elbows on his knees and hands swiping through his hair. “Molly, My father is Al Savage.”
I just about fall off the couch and shit myself at the same time. (Just about, no worries, panties still only soaked with my ever present need to have Tatum inside me.) I don’t say anything for a while, processing what he just told me. Al Savage is not only one of Texas’s wealthiest men, the entire Savage clan is known to be a bit of hard-asses, not letting anyone get in their way of money and getting what they want through any means possible. Any. I only know about the Savages because Brian used to keep up with that type of stuff. Who’s who in the country type of stuff.
“Your name is Tatum, though. You only have a little bit of money and were in need of a job when you came to town. How does that work?”
“My name’s not really Tatum, Molly. It’s my middle name. My first name is Nathan. Nate Savage. I have too much money than is good for anyone and I am using all of my resources available right now to find those assholes who ruined your life and will make them pay.”
He’s looking me in the eyes, pleading with me not to run, not to scream, not to get mad. And really, I’m not mad. I’m scared. I’m scared shitless that I’m now wrapped up in another mob style, thug life, and all I want to do is go home and hide under the covers from all of it. I continue as calmly as I can.
“So what you are saying is that you lied to me from the get go. You lied to the whole town and now that shit has hit the fan you are getting your mobster DAD to ‘take care of things’? Am I seeing this right, Nate?” I can’t help it. I hiss out his name. He’s not a Nate, he doesn’t act like one or look like one. He is my Tatum, the man I think I love.
“When you say it like that it sounds terrible, I know. All I can ask is that you trust me and trust my family to help. I’m still the clumsy guy who doesn’t know how to work a camera. I’m still the same man who followed you cross country to make sure you were safe. And I’m still the man who you are falling in love with.”
I laugh. It’s not funny, but I don’t know what else to do. I laugh because my life has gotten so fucked up in the last few days I don’t know which way is up. A few days ago I met a man who turned my world upside down. I was instantly attracted to him like no other man ever. After just days together I knew I loved him. After a day of thinking I’d never see him again he came back for me and my love for him grew. Now, as I think we are going to make it out of this, life smacks me down again, telling me I’m involved with one of the most dangerous families in the United States. Perfect.
“I think you should go,” I manage to whisper.
He looks at me with a defeated look on his face. Getting up to leave, he turns and looks at me again.
“This isn’t over. I won’t give up on you. I know you are upset, so I’m giving you time to process everything, but we can’t forget about those men out for you. And we can’t just walk away from what we have. You know where to find me.”
With that he walks out of my life.
13
Tatum
Fucking perfect. I knew she was going to react badly. Anyone who is sane would have reacted much worse than she did, but it still stings that she kicked me out. I start up the truck and head out to find some coffee. If I were a drinking man, I’d have a beer or four right now, but drinking doesn’t ever get me anywhere good.
Driving through town, I notice a silver car tailing me. Whoever this
is they aren’t being very inconspicuous about it either, almost hitting me a few times. Finally fed up with this man’s antics, I pull over and hop out of the truck.
“What the fuck, man!”
The man in the car slowly gets out of the car looking super pissed. Son of a bitch, I recognize that face. He smiles like he knows a secret that will ruin me.
“Well, if it isn’t Nate Savage. Brian Ward, nice to finally meet you.”
“Ah, so you are the infamous Brian. Killed his baby girl before she was even born and now is after his wife. Or is it widow? I guess that whole area is grey now since you’re unfortunately alive.” I keep still, knowing that beating the shit out of this man on the side of the road won’t go over well.
“You shut your fucking mouth,” he growls. “You know nothing about me or the things I’ve been through. I on the other hand know all too well about your escapades. You stay the fuck away from her or she’s going to find out the hard way how bad of an idea it was to trust you.”
“We will see about that.”
He gets back in his car and speeds away. Time to start digging into this guy’s past.
The fact that he claims he knows about me rattles me. I’m in a totally different part of the country, no one here has ever heard of me. Apparently I’m wrong, though, obviously he knew me and has been following me. Shit. I need to tell Molly. If he’s following me, he has to be doing the same with her.
*****
After calling Molly three times with no answer, I resolve to drive back to her house. She may not want to be around me, but I have to see her. I can’t shake the feeling that he has gotten to her already and my heart won’t be able to take it if she’s gone. On my way to her house, I call Eddie again.
“Man, I thought you left to stay away from all the trouble?” he answers
“Eddie, I need you. I will pay you ten times what you make. Just find me everything you can on Brian Ward.” After quickly rattling off all I know about him, Eddie hangs up with a hefty task.
I need to get to Molly. I need to tell her how I feel. We need to make it out of this. And she needs to know the whole truth about me.
Molly
He actually walked out the door. I know I asked him to leave, but I didn’t really want him to leave me alone here in this house. I can’t be here, but I don’t know where else to go. Everything has changed now that I know Brian’s been alive this whole time. There are so many questions I have, but all I can feel at this moment is the loss from Tatum walking out of my life. My heart aches and I feel the beginning of a panic attack that he isn’t coming back.
I knew there was more to him when he showed up at the coffee shop a few days ago. I just wasn’t prepared for the blow that he sent when he told me his family was the Savages of Texas. I don’t think there is any American citizen that hasn’t heard of them. Word is, his father is gruesome and unforgiving. One wrong move against the Savages and when they find you, (there are no ‘ifs’ with this family) you wish you would have done yourself in before they found you. Tatum can’t be involved with them. He is too gentle and caring. He listens, he helps, he adores me, and I know it.
The need to see him grows inside of me. I wish I never would have kicked him out. He has been nothing but kind to me. There has to be an explanation of why he did what he did.
When the doorbell finally rings I sigh a sigh of relief. Having him here with me will at least make me a little less jittery. Knowing that Brian’s out there and needs to talk with me about something has me on edge that he’s going to pull something. Something bad.
“Oh, thank god he came back,” I whisper to no one.
I walk to the front door and swing it open, ready to get back into his embrace and figure this mess out together.
What I don’t expect is the figure standing in the doorway.
“We meet again, Molly.”
“What the hell are you doing here, Brian?” I freeze in the doorway.
“There are… things we need to discuss. And you need to understand. I thought we’d take a walk.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you!” I scream. I can’t help it. It’s so unnerving seeing him alive. I don’t know how else to respond but with hurt and anger.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t make me do this, Molly, but you just don’t leave me any choice.”
He clears his throat and two men appear from around the corner of the porch. Shit! I turn to run, but they anticipate it and grab my by my waist, shoving a bag over my head and throwing me over one of their shoulders. Fuck fuck fuck!
This can’t be happening!
Tatum
“GOD DAMNIT, EDDIE, SHE’S NOT HERE! Tell me you have something on her husband!?” I yell. I don’t know what the fuck to do.
When I got to Molly’s house the front door was wide open. There’s a half drank cup of coffee on the table, just how she drinks it. It’s still warm so it hasn’t been too long.
“Fuck,” he sighs and groans. “Savage, this man’s hard to read. Money coming from who knows where, no current residence on file, not even a cell to trace. He obviously knows what he’s doing.”
“You aren’t making me happy, Eddie. Tell me something useful. No results, no money!” I hang up and throw my phone across the room.
Walking out the front door, I glance around. The front porch is hidden by overgrown bushes, but the sidewalk cuts straight through the front yard. If they went out the front with her, someone would have had to see it.
I need to find this fucker. I have a terrible feeling about this and coming from a crime filled family, I know about these feelings.
****
After two hours of talking with neighbors, I have nothing. I find it odd that they didn’t even know Molly was in the house to begin with. It’s not like we were hiding the fact that she was back. It’s starting to get dark and I still have no clue where she is. My heart hurts, my head is racing through all of the terrible possibilities, and I can’t stop moving.
My phone rings. It’s my father.
“Please tell me you can help me,” I plea. I know things went south between us, but he is still blood and in our world that means everything. I hate it, but I need him and his name to make it through this. It will be the end of me if I lose her. I can still smell her on me and it’s the only thing getting me through.
“Don’t worry, Nate, we know who took her and have a good idea on where she would be. These are low level criminals. They already have enough blood on their hands from the death a few years ago of her baby, they aren’t going to kill her. Before we go any further, though, I need to tell you, son, that this is messed up. This man you are dealing with is not right. He faked a death, had his baby killed before she was even born, and let his wife believe he died as well. All seemingly for a few drugs and half a million bucks. Money runs this man’s life.”
Those were the most words I had heard out of my father’s mouth in months.
“I need to know where she is. I need her, dad.” I run my hands through my hair and curse. The woman that stole my heart from the very first sarcastic comment might be gone forever if I can’t step up my game.
“It’s that serious, son? You only just met her.”
“She’s my world. There’s no life I imagine that doesn’t have her in it.”
“I am afraid you have fallen in love with her. I remember feeling the same way about your mother. Don’t worry, Nate, we will get her back. I am pulling everything I have to make it happen.”
“I know. I need her back I need to tell her. I—” I’m starting to freak out. This doesn’t happen. Nate Savage does not freak out.
“Son, you will. I will make sure of it. I need to start being a better man to you. Hopefully one day you will forgive me, but in the meantime I’ll do whatever I can to show you I love you.”
The phone goes silent. My brain is so scattered I didn’t even hear the door open or the footsteps in the house until they were right behind me. I swing around and stand, ready t
o fight. That’s when I see her and the breath is knocked out of me.
There’s so much blood.
14
Molly
I don’t know how long I have been in this car. It keeps turning and speeding up, then slamming on the brakes. I’m sure they are doing it to confuse me, but I still have no clue who I’m even with. Assuming it’s the same people that came to Illinois to look for me, I start running through the scenarios in my head.
First thing that comes to mind is that they want the money and think stealing me is the way to go. Maybe they found out who Tatum is and want to hold me for ransom. Brian’s alive, though, so he would be the better option of finding the money. I had no clue there was even money missing until that night, and he seemed to know everything about it right before they shot him.
Dammit, I still need to talk to him. Maybe he’s undercover for the police, working the good guy angle, trying to get in and do a bust when things go south. That’s what I’m going to choose to believe because right now I don’t think I can handle the thought that he’s been one of them all along. Thinking back, I had my blinders on during our whole marriage. I wanted a baby and my photography studio. I was doing as much work on those as I could, but anything outside of my little daily world didn’t matter much. He could have been mixed up with them and I never would have known. The more I think about this, the faster my breath becomes. I still have something over my head, which freaks me out even more, and I start to gasp for air. My hands are still tied so I can’t get the bag off of my head. I’m gasping for air now, the bag not helping the attack. I can’t breathe or move and I think I’m going to die like this.
“Take it off, she’s having a panic attack!” his voice booms from somewhere in the vehicle.
Someone rips the bag off of my head and I open my eyes, trying to get them adjusted. It’s dark, but with my head no longer covered I can focus on my breathing. Deep breath in, deep breath out. I do this a few times and things seem to normalize in the breathing department. Not to say this is normal, though.