Love Hard (Anything But Mine Book 2)

by Barbara Justice

  Meg scooped Quint up, placed him in his swim vest, and carried both him and an inflatable airplane float into the pool. The baby laughed and clapped his hands when she dragged him around the water in the plane. “Aww…you like being a pilot, don’t you?”

  The sound of her cell phone ringing came from the kitchen. “It’s probably daddy calling to say he’s on his way home,” she said to Quint. “I guess it’s time to get out of the water and start getting dinner ready.” As she wrapped the baby up in a towel, both her cell phone and the house phone began to ring. Hmm…I wonder who is calling, and what’s going on.

  Over the previous six months, Mallory planned with meticulous precision the details of her escape from the psychiatric hospital. She thought back to the day she watched the news coverage about Quint’s birth on Inside Access in the day room of the ward. That bitch stole my man, and my baby. And now she’s got to pay.

  She remembered how much she had wanted to lash out at the television that day, but the memory of being placed in a straight jacket and padded cell following the news reports of Sky’s wedding to Meg kept her from doing so. I’m not going to make that mistake again. Instead, she held herself together and plotted her revenge.

  Using the short, unescorted walks she was permitted each day outside the facility, she was able to prove that she could be a model patient, and her free time was increased each week until she was allowed a full, unsupervised day outside the hospital. She made sure she returned from each outing on time, if not early. I don’t want them to suspect anything. I have to show I can be trusted, so my privileges aren’t taken away.

  On one of her outings, she wandered into a local drug store, and caught up with the tabloids and gossip magazines that were displayed on racks. As she flipped the pages, she came across a story about the Johnson Bishop Band, and the babies born to both Sky and Jack. She recognized Sky’s log cabin in one of the photos, and began to shake uncontrollably when she turned the page and saw another photo of Sky and Meg playing with the baby they called Quint. But that’s not his name. I named him William. They have to stop calling him that, otherwise he won’t know his name when I come for him. In that moment, she made up her mind that she would accelerate her plan, and escape the next time she was allowed out for the day.

  Mallory had trouble containing her excitement on the morning of her next unsupervised day out. She wanted to run out of the hospital gates, but did not want to arouse suspicion, so she kept her pace slow. She turned right, walked for a few blocks, and then turned left into a residential area. As she walked, she tried the door handles of the cars she passed until she found one unlocked. When she reached under the dashboard, she knelt on something hard, and pulled back the floor mat.

  This is lucky. What kind of idiot leaves keys in an unlocked car? She started the ignition, backed it out of the driveway, and noticed there was a full tank of gas. I really hit the jackpot today, she thought, as she programmed the GPS for Nashville. By the time they realize I’m missing, I’ll be long gone.

  She drove for ten straight hours, and when the fuel gauge hovered near empty, she pulled into a truck stop, where she performed blow jobs in exchange for gas, money and food.

  With some of the money she earned, she was able to pull off the road and buy a brown wig. She looked at herself in the mirror, and thought, this should keep me from being recognized. She got back on the interstate, and stopped at two more truck stops to make the rest of the money she needed to fund her trip.

  After nearly three days of driving with little sleep, Mallory neared her destination. She remembered there were some hunting cabins in the woods outside Nashville, and stopped the car at an abandoned one a mile from Sky’s home. She removed the license plates from the car and buried them, then covered the car with branches and leaves.

  Next, she jimmied the flimsy lock on the exterior of the cabin, and looked around. There was a cabinet on the back wall, and when she tried the handle, she found it unlocked.

  Mallory removed a rifle, binoculars, and ammunition from the unlocked cabinet, then changed into some too-big woodlands camouflage bib overalls and a matching camo ball cap she found hanging on a nearby hook. She took a deep breath, and said, “Time to go hunting.”

  Flashing lights greeted the Johnson Bishop Band when their flight landed in Nashville. As Sky he stepped off the jet and onto the tarmac, he was approached by two police officers.

  One of the officers said, “Mr. Johnson, there’s a problem. You have to come with us immediately.”

  Sky wrinkled his brows, and looked from one officer to the other. “What’s wrong?”

  “Mallory Chasen escaped from the psychiatric hospital where she was being held in Nevada. We have reason to believe that she may be headed here to Nashville.”

  A chill ran through Sky’s body, and he began to shake. “When did she escape?”

  “Three days ago, but we were only just notified. We’re sending a squad car to your home, just in case.”

  “In case of what?”

  The officers guided him to the patrol car. “Let’s get going. In the meantime, you need to call your wife, and tell her to lock herself inside the house, and stay away from the windows.”

  Sky whipped his phone out of his pocket, and dialed Meg’s cell phone. When she didn’t answer, he called the house phone, but still couldn’t reach her. “Shit! She’s not answering.” He tried her cell phone again, and left a message. “Meg, if you and Quint are home, stay inside. Mallory escaped. Police are on their way to you. I should be there any minute.”

  As the police car weaved through heavy Nashville traffic, Sky began to panic. “How could this happen? Why weren’t we notified right away when Mallory escaped?”

  “Sometimes the communication isn’t great across state lines, and notifications fall through the cracks,” one of the officers explained. “Particularly when someone gets out of a mental health facility. It’s not like a jail break that makes the news.”

  “Why do you think she’s headed here?”

  “Her caseworker told us that she believed that the baby she gave birth to was yours, even though the paternity test proved otherwise. She thinks you and your wife ‘stole’ her baby. And she’s already tried to kill your wife twice before.”

  Sky’s chest constricted, and he found it difficult to breathe. He again dialed the house, then Meg’s cell phone, but she didn’t answer. “God damn it, Meg, answer the phone,” he said under his breath.

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  Meg wrapped Quint up in the towel she had brought outside, and walked around the perimeter of the pool while waiting for the sun to dry her off. “Mommy was silly and forgot to bring a towel out for herself,” she said to the baby. “So we’ll have to wait a few minutes until I dry off before we can go inside.”

  She heard noises coming from inside the house, and then heard Sky call her name. “I’m out here, Sky. We just got out of the pool.”

  He came running out of the house, screaming, “Meg! Get inside now.”

  She turned to him. “I don’t understand. Why?”

  Before he could answer, the crack of gunfire pierced the air. Sky watched as Meg crumpled to the ground, hitting her head on the rocks surrounding the pool.

  He and the police officers ran into the yard. One of the officers aimed and fired his gun at a tree. A body dressed in camouflage fell from a limb, and landed on the ground with a thud.

  Sky arrived at Meg’s side first. She had a gash on the side of her head where it hit the rocks, and blood was pouring out of the gunshot wound to her shoulder. “Call an ambulance,” he shouted to the police officers. “My wife’s been shot. She’s unconsciousness.”

  Meg’s body had shielded Quint, and although he was crying, he appeared unharmed. Sky picked up the baby and tried to soothe him as he watched the police officers attempt to stop Meg’s bleeding before the LifeFlight helicopter arrived.

  Fiona appeared just as the paramedics were loading Meg and Quint into the helicopt
er. “Get in my car,” she said to Sky. “We’ll follow them to the hospital.”

  Sky stared at the helicopter as it took off. “My whole world is right there,” he said, pointing out the windshield. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he repeated, “My whole world.”

  “I’m sure both Meg and Quint will be okay,” Fiona said. “But call Victor, and tell him to fly out right away. You need to call your father, too.”

  It was a chaotic scene once they arrived at the Vanderbilt Hospital trauma center. Mercy was on duty, and explained that both Meg and Quint were already being examined. “Craig is here, and he’s taking care of them.”

  Sky paced the family waiting room, until Fiona convinced him to sit. Jack and Becky arrived, and together they waited for news on Meg and the baby.

  Within the hour, Craig entered the family waiting room to provide an update, and Sky jumped to his feet.

  “Quint is fine, but we’re going to admit him overnight for observation, just to be on the safe side,” Craig said.

  “Thank God,” Sky said. He ran his hands through his hair, and asked, “What about Meg?”

  “We’re taking her in to surgery now. We’re going to do all we can to save both her and the baby.”

  “I don’t understand,” Sky said. “I thought you said Quint was fine.”

  “He is,” Craig replied. “I meant the fetus.”

  “What?” He became light-headed, the room began to spin, and he sank into a nearby chair. “She’s pregnant?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  Sky shook his head. “I had no idea.”

  Craig stared at him for a beat before speaking again. “It’s very early on, and I’ll do everything I can, but we might not be able to save the pregnancy. I’ll come back to update you after she’s out of surgery.”

  Once Craig left, Sky buried his head in his hands and began to pray. Dear God, please save my wife and our unborn child. Quint needs his mother, and I need her too. She’s an angel here on earth, my guardian angel, and I don’t know what I’d do without her. Please, God, watch over her and save her.

  The hours dragged while Meg was in surgery. Trey arrived at the hospital, followed by Victor, Grace, and Jennifer.

  “Can’t believe I’m in this waiting room for the second time,” Trey said to Sky. “Fiona and I can take care of Quint for you, so you can be here for Meg.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Sky said. “I have to stay here with her.”

  “Of course you do, son. I heard the police took out the shooter.”

  Sky’s face was grim. “Yeah, it was Mallory. She was hiding in a tree when they shot her.”

  Trey put his arm around his son. “She was a deeply disturbed young woman.”

  “Yeah.” Sky ran his hands through his hair and exhaled. “I feel responsible for her death, and for what’s happened to Meg. If I hadn’t been such a horny bastard, sleeping with random fans, this never would have happened.”

  “She was mentally ill. You can’t blame yourself.”

  “Easier said than done, dad.”

  Sky stood up and resumed pacing the room, while the rest of the family members sat in silence while waiting for an update on Meg’s condition.

  Two hours later, Craig entered the room. “Sky, I’d like to speak with you alone,” he said.

  Sky shook his head. “I need my family and friends around me.”

  Victor joined Sky, and draped an arm around his shoulders. “And I deserve to know what’s going on with my daughter, Craig.”

  “You’re right, Victor. I’m sorry to be seeing you again under these circumstances.”

  Victor extended his right hand. “Yeah. Me too.”

  Craig shook Victor’s hand before crossing his arms across his chest. “We were able to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding, but…”

  Sky interrupted him. “But what?”

  “She has a head injury. We inserted a shunt to relieve the intracranial pressure. Her GCS is a seven, which is severe.”

  “I don’t understand,” Victor interjected. “What’s a GCS?”

  “Glasgow Coma Scale. She isn’t opening her eyes, and has only been able to make some incoherent sounds in response to commands. She does withdraw to pain, though, so…”

  Sky interrupted Craig again. “What does that mean?”

  Craig replied, “She’s in otherwise good health, so there’s a possibility that she will recover. Only time will tell.”

  Sky kept vigil at Meg’s bedside through the night. He nodded off a couple of times, and each time he was awakened by nightmares. As the sun rose, he began to pray. Dear God, please let her be okay. Please, God, I need her. She deserves to live and see her son grow up. And the baby she is carrying deserves to have a chance at life.

  While he was praying, Mercy entered the room. “You know, many coma patients, once they regain consciousness, say that they could hear people talking to them. You should try it. It might help pull her through.”

  He closed his eyes and nodded his head. “What do I say?”

  “Tell her you love her. Tell her that Quint is okay. Whatever you think she’d want to hear.” Mercy squeezed his shoulder. “My shift is just about over. Can I get you anything before I go?”

  Sky shook his head. “No, but thanks. See you tomorrow.”

  He walked to the pediatric ward, where he found his father and Fiona. He picked Quint up and held him close against his chest. “Thank God you’re okay, son,” he whispered into the baby’s ear.

  Trey put an arm around his son and grandson. “Any news on Meg?”

  “Same as yesterday.” Sky closed his eyes and shook his head. “With Quint being released today, I don’t know what to do.”

  “You stay here with your wife,” Trey said, as Fiona nodded her head in agreement. “We’ll take Quint home and get him settled in.”

  Fiona chimed in. “Sky, have you tried talking to Meg?”

  “Yeah, a little bit.”

  She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Keep trying.”

  Instead of returning to Meg’s room after his father and Fiona left the hospital with Quint, Sky made his way to the hospital chapel. He had hoped to find it empty, but instead he found Jennifer, Grace and Victor kneeling in the first pew with rosary beads in their hands.

  He shook Victor’s hand, then kissed both Jennifer and Grace on the cheek. He tried to join them in prayer, but was unable to concentrate. “I’m going back upstairs,” he said, before thanking each of them for their support. “I need to be by her side in case she wakes up.”

  “You should try talking to her,” Grace suggested.

  “Yeah, I will. Thanks.”

  He hung his head as he walked out of the chapel. His anguish morphed into anger, which became more heated with every step he took. By the time he reached Meg’s room, he was ready to explode. “God damn it, Meg! Wake up,” he growled, as he banged his fists against the wall of her room.

  Jack entered the room. “Hey, buddy. What the hell?” He grabbed Sky’s arms and guided him to a chair. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know Meg can probably hear you?”

  Sky was disoriented, and blinked back tears. “When did you get here?”

  “Just now. Becky is dropping off some groceries at your place, and she’ll be here later.”

  “Thanks. That’s a big help. I appreciate it.”

  The two friends sat together in silence, watching the machines monitor Meg’s vital signs.

  Jack broke the silence. “Have you tried actually talking to Meg?”

  Sky turned his bloodshot eyes towards Jack. “Do you have any idea how many people have told me to talk to her?” When Jack didn’t answer, Sky continued, “Everyone. And the truth of the matter is, I don’t know what to say to her. We’ve always had the best conversations, but now, when it matters most, I have no idea what to say to her.”

  Jack watched his best friend bury his head in his hands. “I’ll be right back. I’ve got to make a phone call.” He walked outside
the room and down the hall to the family waiting area, before dialing Becky to ask for her help. “You’ll find them in the basement. It doesn’t matter which one. Any of them will do. Just get to the hospital, right away.”

  Half an hour later, Becky ran down the hospital hallway and into the family waiting area. “Here,” she said, handing Jack a guitar case. “I grabbed the first one I could find.”

  Jack kissed his wife. “Thanks, baby. Be right back.”

  He took a deep breath before entering Meg’s room. He watched Sky stare at the monitors, before placing a hand on his shoulder. “I know that everyone is telling you to talk to her, buddy. But I have a better idea.”

  Sky continued staring at the monitors. “Yeah? What’s that?”

  He handed Sky the guitar. “Sing to her.”

  Sky’s eyes grew wide, and his voice was deep with gravel from lack of sleep. “Sing?”

  Jack gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Yeah. Try singing to her.” He backed away, and said, “I’ll close the door most of the way, so you have some privacy. Becky and I will be in the family waiting area if you need us.”

  “Thanks.” Sky waited until he was alone to unzip the old vinyl case. He removed the acoustic guitar, and began to pick at the strings.

  “Meg, baby,” he whispered. “There’s only one thing you need to hear, and this is the only way I can tell you,” he said. He began to strum the guitar and, with a catch in his throat, sang the Johnson Bishop Band’s biggest hit:

  The world stopped turning when I met you

  For just a moment I was lost in time

  I knew right then that I had to have you

  I knew right then I had to make you mine.

  His hands shook and his voice cracked as sang. He tried to control his emotions, but when he finished the song he dissolved into tears. He clutched Meg’s hand and sobbed, “Baby, you’ve gotta know that my world really did stop turning when I met you. It was you, always you, and from the moment we met I couldn’t get you out of my head. It’s like I wrote that song for you before I ever even met you.”