Scott,
My time has come, and I assume I will pass soon. I avoided getting treatment because I am not worthy of it. This is my punishment for the atrocities I caused, and I have accepted it.
I ask you to leave now. Thank you for your help, but your term of employment is now over. Please give Xander Meade a call, giving him the following instructions:
-Unload the safes
-Incinerate everything
-Burn it to the ground
Many thanks.
Erik Carlson
“Jesus Christ,” Dr. Barter whispered. He put the note back on the nightstand and picked up the phone. He took one last look at Erik, his eyes open wide, dried vomit caked on the pillow next to his mouth, urine staining the linens.
He shook his head as he headed out of the chamber. Pulling up the contacts, he found Xander’s number. It was only a moment before the call connected.
“What do you need now, Carlson?”
“Mr. Meade?”
“The one and only.”
“This is Dr. Scott Barter.”
“Fuck… He’s dead, isn’t he?”
“Mr. Richards is fine.”
“I know that. Erik… Erik is dead, isn’t he? What happened?”
“He was sick. He left some instructions for you.” Dr. Barter rattled off the short list.
“On it.”
“Excellent. I’ll be leaving this afternoon. I ask you to complete this process in a matter of a few days as he is already decomposing.”
“Absolutely. I’ll book a flight back to London today.”
“Perfect.” He disconnected the call and headed into the lab.
Taking one last glance around, he went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of Luke’s tainted blood. He then looked through the samples and collections, finding a couple vials of the virus. Turning them in his hand, he smiled, wicked and evil, before tucking them into his pocket.
Chapter 51
-London-
I used every last dollar Erik floated me to get a one-way ticket back to London. When I arrived, I had nothing but change in my pocket and a couple changes of clothes in my pack. My small suitcase had been lost somewhere between New York and England. The world was not on my side.
While I knew I had to let Elaina go for her and my son’s sake, it still hurt enough that it made me think about the decision during the entire flight.
I stepped out of the airport to find it pouring rain. “Typical,” I muttered, unsure of what to do. I didn’t even have enough money to share a cab with someone. Not that I knew where to go.
Just another low point with every other bloody fucking bullshit moment in my epically sordid fairytale life. There had to be a target on my back. A big bullseye daring more suitors to plunge another knife tainted with hardship into my soul. Maybe the kiss of death would soon follow.
Sighing, I looked around the airport, watching families reuniting, lovers exchanging passionate kisses, families welcoming home members of the military. All lovely moments, but not ones I was particularly in the mood to witness.
An elderly man walked past me, sipping a cup of coffee. He smiled and tipped his hat. “Splendid weather we’re having,” he said, cup to his lips.
“Sure is,” I muttered as he continued walking.
Then it occurred to me. The coffee shop down the road from the airport. I could hang out until the rain let up.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out a gum wrapper, two balls of lint, and some change. Counting it quickly, I sighed in relief. After considering the exchange rate, I had enough for coffee.
I spotted a Bureau de Change and ran over, exchanging it for the correct currency, putting it back into my pocket.
I gazed up at the sky again. The rain didn’t look like it would let up anytime soon, so I yanked the hood from my sweatshirt over my head and walked to the café.
After grabbing a small table near the window, I peeled off my soaking wet sweatshirt and draped it over a chair before going to the counter. While waiting in line, I stared off into space, still trying to figure out what to do and where to go. I wished there were a way to get Michelle’s contact information.
“What can I get for you?” The middle-aged woman almost sneered at my appearance.
“A small coffee, black.”
“One moment…”
Cup of coffee in hand, I headed back to the chair and enjoyed the warmth filling me, taking the chill out of my bones. I pulled my phone from my pocket, hoping it wasn’t as waterlogged as I was.
I scrolled through the contacts…or, should I say, contact. Elaina. My finger hovered over it for a few moments before deleting it. It was a bit depressing, but freeing at the same time.
“Looks like you’re lost.”
I gazed up. “Xander?”
“The one and only.” He dropped into the chair across from me, coffee and pastry in one hand, briefcase in the other. I didn’t realize I was hungry until I saw him take a bite. “Weren’t you supposed to head back to New York?”
“Weren’t you supposed to stay in New York?” I retorted.
He shrugged, taking a sip of coffee. “I was there for a bit, then got called out here for another job. I’m honestly surprised you didn’t see me on the plane. Or following you here. Or…” He smirked.
I gave him a hard glance. “Is the job for Erik?”
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Right.”
He sighed and settled back in the chair. “Did you know he was sick?”
“I did.” He crinkled the wrapping of his pastry and drew his lips flat. “Did… Did something happen?”
Xander flicked his gaze to mine. “Dr. Barter called me. Watch the news later.”
I leaned forward. “What happened, Xander?”
“He’s passed.”
“Shit,” I whispered.
“Let’s change the subject.”
“Good plan.”
“Things not go well with the wifey?”
“She’s moved on. I decided to stay out of her life.”
“But your son—”
I held up my hand. “They are much better off without me. And that is all I will say on the subject.”
He noticed me looking at his fattening, sugar-laden snack. “Do you want something to eat?”
Feeling a little defeated, I nodded. “I used the last of my cash to buy this.” I held up the cup of coffee.
“So you’re completely out of funds?”
“Yeah. The ticket back here left me with a whole lot of nothing.”
“Here,” he said, leaning back. He pulled out a wad of cash, peeled off a couple bills, and slid them across the table to me. “Not much, but it should get you by for a couple days. There’s a hostel… The London Inn. It’s about five-and-a-half kilometers from here. Super cheap, eight pounds a night, so don’t expect any sort of luxury. They also have a breakfast buffet for two pounds additional per day.”
“You’ve stayed there?”
“A few times. When you’re low on funds, it’s a place to rest and grab at least one good meal a day.” Then he leaned forward, waggling his brows. “And to get a little tension release…if you catch my drift.”
Rolling my eyes, I had no interest in being some random fuck or having some bird wrap her STD-filled mouth around my cock. I picked up the cash and put it in my pocket. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”
He popped the last bite of the pastry into his mouth. Once he chewed and swallowed, he said, “Well, I should be going. I have things to do.”
“Good luck.” I looked down at my phone, hoping for even a wrong number to call or text.
“You, as well.” He cocked his head to the left. “Are you waiting for someone to call?”
“No. I don’t have anyone.”
“Is there someone I can help you find?”
I looked up, feeling a spark of hope. “Yeah. Her name is Michelle Fogerty. She—”
/>
“Was your nurse.” He smirked. “I helped Erik when he was looking to hire a team.”
“Right. I’m thinking she might be my last hope. Otherwise, I have exhausted all my resources.”
“It shouldn’t take me too long to track her down.”
He opened his briefcase, pulling out his laptop. He was up and running in minutes, fingers tapping away.
“Uh-huh… Yup… Come to Poppa.” He smiled and nodded. “Here we are. No phone number, but I have an address.” He turned the laptop to me.
I added her address to my contacts. “Thank you. I owe you one.”
“Consider it an act of kindness and we’re even.”
“Okay.” I nodded. He held out his hand. “What?”
“Gimme my cash back, you knob. In an hour, you’ll be bumping uglies with that hot as fuck nurse. She’ll help you out with your cash flow issues.”
“What? We’re friends, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered, pushing the cash back to him.
“Are you telling me you spent an entire year with that bird and not one time did you check out her rack and ass? Or pull one out thinking about her blowing you?”
I shook my head, knowing I had noticed her body. I was sick, not dead. “You’re a pig, mate.”
Smiling, he shrugged. “Got to run. Business calls. See ya.” He snatched the cash from the table, packed up his laptop, and walked out of the café.
Chapter 52
Wet hoodie on and an even wetter pack on my back, I stepped outside the café and sighed, the rain still coming down in buckets. “Fucking rain,” I grumbled, pulling the hood over my head again. Not that it mattered at this point. Taking a deep breath, I walked from under the awning.
After walking for an hour, I was exhausted, but finally made it to Michelle’s street and looked for the house number. Of course, it had to be all the way at the end.
“I hope you’re home,” I whispered, trainers slopping in the puddles.
Walking up the steps, I froze. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe because it was a pivotal moment in my life. I’d officially given up Henry and chosen to live as Luke. Having nowhere else to go, Michelle was my only hope.
I raised my fist and knocked on the door, then looked down at myself, completely soaked through. I sighed when there was no answer. “Shit…” I knocked again, just in case she didn’t hear the first time.
“Coming!”
“Oh, thank the fucking world.”
The door swung open and there she stood, hair wet, towel in hand. “Luke? What are you doing here?”
“Hey, ’Chelle. Long time, no see.”
“Come in out of the rain. You look like a sickly pup.”
“I feel like one, too,” I said, stepping into the entryway of her house. “Sorry. I’m kind of…” I looked down at myself, “soaked.”
“Strip down. I’ll put your clothes in the dryer.”
I stripped down to my boxers, which also happened to be wet. She handed me the towel to wrap around my waist so I could peel those off, as well. Shivering, my teeth chattered together.
“Come on,” she said, collecting my clothes. “You can have a seat on the couch. I’ll get you a blanket.”
I walked into the living room, looking around. “Nice place. Did you buy it?”
“No. Just renting for now,” she hollered from down the hall. “Erik set it up for me after you left. I wasn’t sure I wanted to live so close to the city. The rent is good, though, so it works for now.”
I sat on the couch and waited. When she walked back in, she held a steaming cup of coffee and a thick blanket.
“Thank fuck, ’Chelle. You are amazing,” I said, wrapping the blanket around myself. I accepted the coffee and leaned back on the couch.
She sat at the other end. “Did you go back home?”
“Yeah.” I took a sip from the mug. “Oh, this is so good.”
“How did you find me?”
“Ran into an old friend. He helped me track you down.”
She sighed. “Slightly creepy, but tell me what happened.”
I filled her in on all the details of my trip, including my thoughts that I may not even love Elaina anymore. She listened carefully, chewing on her lip, eying me with worry.
“So you came back because you didn’t know what else to do?”
“I have no possessions in New York. Everything I had was Elaina’s. The house is her family home. I didn’t bother to go to my mate’s place. He’d just want to kill me, and I’m in no shape to face him in a fight right now.”
“Well, I would certainly hope two grown men could figure out a situation without raising fists.”
I smirked. “Yeah.”
“What about your son?”
“He’s better off without me.”
She stared at me for a few moments. I couldn’t tell if she were stunned or worried. “I highly doubt that. So now what?”
I gazed over at her. “I don’t know. I’m broke. I have nothing but a couple articles of clothing and a phone. I’m lost, ’Chelle.”
Taking my emotional state into consideration, she reached out and pushed my wet hair back from my forehead. “You can stay here if you want. Although I only have one bedroom.”
“The couch is fine. I don’t need much.”
She brushed droplets of water from my face. “I start back at the hospital again in a week. We’ll get you settled with a few things, then you can look for employment. Okay?”
“I can’t accept that. You’ve already done so much for me.”
“You can pay me back when you get your first check.” I nodded, gazing down, embarrassed. “It’s going to be okay, Luke. I promise.”
“Anything beyond this low moment seems unreachable.”
“Come here.” She shifted on the couch and wrapped her arms around me, placing a kiss next to my ear. “You are so strong. I know you’ll do just fine.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping she was right because everything seemed like it had crumbled.
As we pulled apart, I remembered what Xander said in the café. “Can we watch the news?”
“Sure.” She picked up the remote and turned the TV on.
I turned and watched her for a moment. The lull of the newscasters drawing her in, she chewed on her bottom lip while staring at the screen.
“Did you know Erik was sick?”
She snapped her head in my direction. “I thought so. I asked him a few times about why he looked the way he did.”
“He believed he had leukemia. He said he would get treatment after I left.”
“Hmm… Maybe that’s why he rushed us out.”
“Quite possibly.” I debated about telling her, unsure of how she would handle it. “He died,” I blurted.
“What?!” She sat forward. “When?”
“I don’t know. The person I ran into used to do outside jobs for him. He’s the one who found your address for me.”
The news channel chimed, a “Breaking News” graphic popping up on the screen.
“This just in… There has been an explosion in the East End. We have a crew at the scene now. Tammy?”
They went to the camera broadcasting across the street from a building up in flames.
The facility.
I shook my head. So that’s what the fucker was doing. He came back just to get rid of all the evidence.
I turned and looked at Michelle. Her face had paled, jaw hanging wide open.
“That’s… That’s…” She trailed off, pointing her finger at the screen.
“The facility.”
She stood. “I hope there wasn’t anyone in there. We need to find out!”
The camera turned to a reporter, who was trying to speak over the sound of sirens.
“I’m here, Jim. There has been an explosion in the warehouse district of the East End. The building is entirely engulfed. I have a couple eye witnesses here to tell us what they saw.”
The camera panned out…
“You ha
ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered.
“Sir, can you tell us what you saw?” She held the mic out.
“Do you know him?” Michelle asked.
I swallowed hard. “Yeah. Xander…”
“I was just walking by, then heard this horrendous explosion. My ears are still ringing.” Xander reached up and stuck a finger in his ear, wiggling it.
The reporter pushed the mic in front of…
“Tess? What the fuck?” Michelle dropped back onto the couch.
“Miss, can you tell us what you saw?”
“It was bloody unreal! I had just left the café when I heard the explosion, a ball of flames shooting into the sky.” She waved her hand up in the air.
“Did either one of you see anyone else?”
“No,” they replied at the same time.
The camera focused back on the reporter, who looked over her shoulder.
“Rescue services and the police are now on the scene. Again, there has been an explosion in the East End. Once we have more details, we will break in again. Back to you, Jim.”
“What do you think happened?” Michelle asked, turning to me.
“Not sure, but I’d venture to guess one of them did something.”
“Do you think it was to hide what went on there?”
“Absolutely.”
“Fucking hell…,” she whispered. “Do you think Erik’s body was in the building?”
“There or in the incinerator.”
She shuddered. “I’m a bit in shock.”
“Me, too.”
Honestly, though, I knew that was how it worked in the program. If things didn’t go how you planned, you burned the motherfucker to the ground.
PART THREE
“…she didn’t abandon you. She didn’t sell you.
She did not throw you away.”
—Elaina, Fractured Hearts, 2015
Chapter 53
-20 Years Later-
-London-
The late afternoon sun disappeared behind the clouds as he walked. He hoped this wasn’t a sign of something bad to come. The flight was uneventful, albeit filled with guilt. He was never perfectly innocent, always overly emotional, definitely wore his heart on his sleeve. But the lying… That was relatively new. However, he felt there was no choice. It was his desire to spare his family grief.
Full Circle (Shattered Lives, Book Five) Page 37