Saving Our Hearts

by Velvet Reed

  When I make it down the third flight and to the ER floor, my leg is burning with pain. Sweat coats my brow and upper lip as I lean the right side of my body against the wall to take the weight off my left leg. Fucking Troy did this to me.

  A glance out the exit door window shows a police officer standing down the corridor where the internal entrance from the ER is. If I’m going to get in there, I need some sort of distraction. Pulling out my phone, I fire off a message.

  Grace: Which room are you in? How close to the back entrance?

  A minute passes before I get a response.

  Troy: Room closest to the elevators.

  Okay, that makes it easier for me, but I need that distraction. Then it hits me. Allison.

  Grace: If I’m going to get past the cops, I need you to distract them by letting Allison go.

  Minutes draw out with no reply. I’m going to have to butter him up, make him think I’m coming to be with him.

  Grace: Troy baby, I can’t come and be with you if we don’t distract the cops.

  God, typing those words makes me want to vomit.

  Troy: Okay, be ready in two minutes.

  I pull myself upright and glance out the window again. I’m going to have to move fast to make it through, and I can only imagine the pain that’s going to cause, but I have to suck it up.

  The cop starts moving toward the ER entrance, so I slip out of the stairwell as quietly as I can. Staying close to the walls, I make my way down the corridor, and peek around the corner in time to see Allison stick her head out a door. The officers are standing back; I’m assuming until she comes all the way out.

  God, please let this work.

  Movement down the other end of the corridor has me turning to see a heavily armed officer heading toward me. Shit! I’ve got to go now. I move around the corner as the cops grab Allison and head for the front of the ER. “Miss!” I hear yelled from behind me, but I don’t stop. With the most ridiculous run in history, I take off for the room Allison just came out of. “STOP!” I hear and an officer with Allison turns around. His face freezes in shock as he stares at me.

  As I reach the door, my eyes meet Allison’s bloodshot ones, and she screams, “Gracie, no!” But it’s too late. I shut the door behind me and fall back against it with my eyes closed. My chest is heaving like I just ran a marathon, and my leg feels like it’s on fire.

  “Gracie.” I hear the deep despair and anguish that the voice exudes when saying my name.

  Opening my eyes, I scan the room and I see him. He’s sitting on the floor, and he’s looking at me with fear and sorrow in his beautiful blue eyes. When I take in the rest of his face, I notice the large red and purple mark on his cheek, and his eye looks swollen. That bastard must have hit him. I want to go to him and fall into his arms. I want to kiss away the hurt and tell him I love him. But I can’t.

  The reality of the situation becomes clear. If Cole is going to come out of this, I need to be smart. We can’t rely on the police because they have no idea what Troy is capable of, and they aren’t in this room with us. If I’m going to get Cole out of here, I’m going to have to do things I don’t want to do. I’m going to have to say things that repulse me. I’m going to have to beat Troy at his own game.

  I’m about to seek out Troy, but before I even turn my head from Cole’s direction, a rough calloused hand grabs my jaw and yanks it sideways. I don’t have time to react as his grip tightens and his filthy mouth crashes into mine.

  “You fucker!” I hear Cole yell and then suddenly my face is free, and I’m watching Cole crash tackle Troy, both of them flying through the air and landing heavily on the ground.

  Chapter 20

  Cole...

  The moment he told Allison she was getting out of here, I felt instant relief because at least she wouldn’t be in danger of getting hurt any longer. I watch as she walks to the door with Troy right behind her. Before she goes, she turns to me, her face tormented. “Be safe,” she says before sticking her head out first and leaving the room.

  There are some bustling noises outside the room and I hear someone scream. I think it was Allison but I don’t have time to worry about it because the door flies back open and closes abruptly and then I’m looking at the woman I love.

  Her name is torn from my lips in an anguished cry. The pain I have in my head diminishes as a new pain takes over my heart knowing Gracie has just put herself in danger.

  Her eyes roam my face, and I watch the emotions play out. First, she looks relieved that I’m okay and then her eyes narrow. I haven’t been able to get a look at myself, but from the pain in my cheek and the swelling under my eye, I guess I don’t look so great. The fiery sparks that consume her eyes tell me my girl is furious, and when that fury is because someone has hurt her loved one, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Especially when the one her fury is directed at is holding a gun.

  Before either of us can say a word, Troy grabs her face and slams his mouth to hers.

  “You fucker!” I scream and scramble to my feet, running at him and hitting him hard in the midsection. We fall to the floor, and I lift myself, so I’m straddling him. I get in three good punches to his face before I’m starring down the barrel of his gun, and I freeze.

  “Try it, dickhead, and I’ll finish you right now,” he growls.

  I can’t let Gracie watch him shoot me; it would haunt her for the rest of her life. I untangle myself from Troy in defeat.

  “Get back in your corner, you dog,” he spits.

  I feel like a weak asshole when I comply with his command, but at this point, what else can I do? I glance at Gracie as I move away; the distance I’m putting between us, although small, is enough to tear me apart.

  Troy moves to Gracie again and curls his hand around her neck. “I’m so glad you found me, doll face. It’s time, Gracie. It’s our time to finally be together.”

  I watch Gracie deliberately swallow; her eyes chance a quick glance in my direction before they focus back on the asshole in front of her. She swallows again and reaches up tentatively, caressing his cheek in a loving gesture. "Of course, I found you, lover. I didn’t realize you still felt the same way about me, Troy; otherwise, I would have been with you sooner.”

  My heart shatters into a million pieces as all the air leaves my lungs in one harsh breath. Her words and actions create far more damage in their wake than any bullet could. Shoot me, someone just shoot me now so I don’t have to watch this. I watch Troy lean into her, and Gracie pulls her head back. He obviously doesn’t like her reaction and tries to pull her neck forward again. Gracie places both hands to his chest.

  “Troy what are you doing, lover?” she asks him.

  Troy looks confused at first but answers her, “I’m gonna get rid of this cock sucker. I’ve been watching you, Gracie. I know he has you under some sort of spell, but we can be together now, just like we’re destined to be.”

  “You don’t need to hurt him, Troy. I’ll leave with you now. Don’t worry about him; it's you I love.”

  How did it come to this? Bile burns in my throat as it tries to escape my body. Hearing Gracie say she loves Troy is more than I can take.

  “What the hell are you doing, Gracie?”

  Both of their heads snap to me, anger emanating from Troy and an almost pleading look from Gracie.

  “Shut your mouth, dickhead. You heard her; she loves me. She doesn’t give a shit about the little bastard you made her have. You can’t control her any more. She’s free. I’m her hero. I’m saving her.”

  He turns back to Gracie to kiss her again, but she turns her head and embraces him. “Just hold me, Troy,” she says and rests her head on his shoulder facing me.

  As she stares at me, her gorgeous brown eyes pierce my soul and I realize what’s she’s doing. She doesn’t mean any of the things she’s telling him. She loves me, and she loves our son. She’s luring Troy into a false sense of security, placating him until help comes and gets us both out of here safely.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she bargained her own safety for Allison’s during the text messages Troy received on my phone. She came here to do whatever she could to help Allison and me no matter what it cost her.

  No one has ever loved another person the way that I love Gracie, and by God, I am not about to let Troy take that away from me, away from us.

  Playing along with her game, I let my face fall as if I am completely heart broken. “Was it all a lie? Did you ever love me?” I ask.

  Troy pulls out of her embrace and watches us both as she answers. “It’s always been Troy. I’ve never loved anyone else.” The asshole smiles. He actually smiles at her words because he truly believes them.

  The phone on the wall starts ringing again, and Troy waits a moment before crossing the room and answering it. I want to go to Gracie and pull her into my arms and never let her go. I want to carry her away from here and make her my wife. I want to deliver her safely back to our son. For those things to happen, we need to play it cool.

  It’s while Troy’s yelling into the phone that I notice the door crack open a few inches allowing me to see the SW on the chest of a SWAT officer. Thank God! He gives me the thumbs up letting me know that he’s there and slowly lets the door close back over. I look at Gracie, and it’s clear she saw the door open too, but from her vantage point, she wouldn’t have been able to see who it was.

  I give her a subtle nod to let her know everything’s okay, but I regret it straight away when Troy walks over and grabs a fistful of her hair just like he did earlier with Allison. Gracie yelps in pain and begins thrashing about while Troy screams, “What was that, bitch?”

  I’m on my feet advancing on them.

  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, Troy. W-what did I do?” she stammers while still struggling against him.

  “Don’t come any closer, Tierney. One more step and the next thing you’ll see is her pretty little brain splattered across the room.”

  I stop in the middle of the room while he backs further away.

  “Troy, please you’re hurting me,” Grace begs.

  “Beg all you want, bitch, but I saw your secret little look. You both think I’m stupid, don’t you. You think you can fool me. You’re just like the rest of them, Gracie. You’re nothing but a fucking tease. A stupid fucking whore.”

  My heart is in my throat. Where are the fucking cops? Why aren’t they crashing through the door and helping us?

  Gracie’s struggles force them back further so they’re close to the bench where the supplies are kept. She’s trying to reach her arm out as she continues to struggle and Troy keeps yanking at her hair and calling her vile names. I can see what she’s trying to reach for so I take another step forward capturing Troy’s attention.

  “Don’t move or I will kill her. If I can’t have her, then you sure as hell can’t either.”

  His words menacing and full of intent have fear rippling up my spine. I was scared before but now he has Gracie in his clutches, the threat is imminent, and I can’t see all of us coming out of this alive.

  “Troy, let her go. Take me. Do whatever you need to. Just let Gracie go. I’m begging you.” I hold my hands up in surrender, showing him he’s won; that I’m willing to do anything to keep the woman I love safe.

  “You think I care now if she stays alive. I loved her. My love for her was pure and true, and then you came along and fucked everything up.”

  “Troy, we broke up. We weren’t even together when I met Cole. You cheated on me, remember?” Gracie cries.

  He yanks her again, and I watch her body twist awkwardly. It’s just now I realize she doesn’t have her crutches. God only knows what effect this is going to have on her healing limbs.

  “She meant nothing to me. It was just a fuck. I tried to explain that to you, but you wouldn’t let me. She was a prostitute for fuck’s sake.”

  I honestly thought Troy had gone as low as he could with the current situation, but knowing he was having sex with prostitutes while sleeping with Gracie blinds me with more rage than I imagined.

  “Oh, my God, you piece of shit. How could anyone love you? You’re disgusting and the biggest mistake of my life,” Gracie screams at him.

  Troy’s face contorts with fury and turns a brilliant shade of red. He slams Gracie’s side into the bench causing her hands to fly out and hospital supplies scattering across the floor. Then he whips her around in front of him and pushes her against the examination bed.

  “You think I’m disgusting? You think I was a mistake? How about I fuck you here in front of your boyfriend? You think he’ll want you then?”

  I’m going to kill him!

  Troy continues pulling her hair with one hand and undoes the button of his jeans with his gun hand. His dick falls free from his jeans, and he drags Gracie’s pants down.

  “I’ll kill you, Troy. If you make it out of here, I will hunt you down and kill you so fucking slowly, you’ll wish you never met me. If that pathetic excuse for a cock touches her—” I threaten while moving closer, but he cuts me off.

  He points the gun at my face again and sneers, an ugly scowl forming on his face. “You can’t kill me if you’re already dead, cocksucker."

  With a high-pitched scream, Gracie twists her body around and slams into Troy’s stomach. She falls to the floor in a heap, but I can’t see her with the bed blocking my view. When my gaze darts back at Troy, I see a scalpel sticking out of his stomach and blood drenching his shirt. He looks down seeing the wound she’s inflicted and screams, “You fucking bitch.” Lowering his hand in Gracie’s direction, I lunge over the bed startling him and changing the direction of the gun.

  A loud bang penetrates the room, followed by searing pain and more loud bangs sound as I crash to the floor. There’s commotion all around me and so many voices that I can’t understand. But one sweet voice rises above the rest; one sweet voice is like a heavenly prayer that comforts me. “Cole! Cole! Please. God, I love you, Cole. I love you.”

  Soft lips on mine, warm tears dropping on my face and strong hands clutching mine are the last things I feel before darkness carries me away.

  Chapter 21

  Grace...

  He’s dead.

  When I woke up this morning sublimely happy with my life, I never imagined the day would end like this. I’m lying in a hospital bed yet again, the room crowded with my family and Cole’s. There are so many emotions playing out on the faces of everyone around me; it's hard to keep up. Anger. Sadness. Relief and tears. Me? I’m just kind of numb.

  “I can’t believe you lied to John, Grace. Do you know how frantic we were when I couldn’t find you in the restrooms?”

  I’ve received a lecture from practically the entire world; I think this is Olivia’s third or fourth one, which is a constant repeat. My dad has had his turn and so have Charlie and Ashley. I try tuning Olivia out. I understand they’re all mad at me for putting myself in danger like I did, but I would have done the same thing for any of the people in this room.

  “All I’m saying is you should have told us what you were going to do,” Olivia says.

  I stare at her a moment. I truly love this woman and understand her reaction is because while she knows the situation is over, fear of what could have happened is still coursing through her system. I grab her hand and give her my full attention. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I’m sorry I lied to John, and that I didn’t tell you what I was going to do, but I know you would have just tried to stop me, and I couldn’t take that chance.”

  She looks thoughtful for a moment and then tears well in her eyes again. “Yes, I would have.” She pulls me in for a quick hug. “Damn you, you silly girl. You’re just lucky you’re all right.”

  “Well, she’s undone all the work she’s put in with her therapy sessions and Kevin sure is going to give you an earful, but I think you were extremely brave, Gracie,” John says.

  Everyone is quiet for a few minutes until Ashley asks, “So what happens now?”
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br />   My dad speaks up before anyone else. “Detective Walker said they will be coming back to formally interview Gracie soon.” He looks at me and then away. From how he spoke to me earlier and how quiet he is now, I can tell he thinks that some of this is his fault since Troy was his employee. I’ll have to talk to him alone and make him see that the only one to blame for this whole situation is Troy.

  “I saw Allison before I came up here. She’s a mess, and I think she’ll definitely need some counseling to get through this. The detectives have already spoken to her, and she was getting a lift home,” April informs us.

  My heart hurts knowing that Allison isn’t doing well. Not that I’m great, but Troy’s obsession had nothing to do with her. Unfortunately, she was just an unsuspecting victim of his psychotic behavior.

  As quiet conversation continues around me, I think about Cole. The moment my eyes met his when I entered that room and the bruising and lacerations to his face. The sound of his voice when he thought that the words I said to Troy were actually true. I must admit the fact he believed them even only for a short time, makes me doubt his faith in me. I guess fear and adrenalin does strange things to you.

  My mind flashes back to the moment Troy was going to try to rape me, and I shudder in response. If I hadn’t found that scalpel and thrust it into Troy’s stomach, he would have done it and then shot Cole. I know now exactly how Cole must have felt when he saw me after the accident; I wish I could erase the image of him lying on the ground beside me, bleeding and unresponsive. That’s all I can see now and it’s tearing me apart.

  I want to be able to hold him again, and I want to go to our son and be comforted by the fact that I’m still here with him, but I can’t. The damn doctors have demanded I stay overnight just to be on the safe side, and I’m only allowed to get up to use the bathroom. There’s no way I’ll be able to get out of following those orders with everyone here.

  John used his influence to ensure I was put in a private room away from the prying eyes of the staff and the media, who apparently flocked to the hospital when the word's ‘hostage situation’ were leaked. There’s no way I could deal with something like that right now.