Fraud (The Frenzy Series Book 5)

by Casey L. Bond

  He was smiling ear to ear, laying it on thick. I’d forgotten how charming he could be when he wanted something…or someone.

  Maybe that was a testament unto itself. Maybe he hadn’t wanted me in some time.

  I gritted my teeth and watched as Mercedes waltzed right up and handed Seth over to him. “Mercedes, I can handle my own son,” I told her, setting the plates down on a nearby bench and walking over to Saul. I reached for Seth, but he clung to Saul, swatting at his nose and blowing bubbles.

  “I’m Hannah.” Hannah. Not Heather. I liked the name Heather better. Too bad.

  “Hi,” I greeted her coolly. “Come on, little man,” I said, reaching for Seth. He began to cry as I pulled him from Saul. “It’s okay, baby. We’re going to eat now.” With those words, his eyes got round. He knew what that word meant. My boy liked his food.

  Mercedes laid a blanket on the ground and I sat with my back to Saul. Seth dove in to his food: potatoes that I’d smashed up, cooked broccoli, and chicken that I’d torn apart and then cut again. Chicken was his favorite and he squealed and babbled as he ate, like he was having a big conversation with me and Auntie Cedes.

  Mercedes scooted next to him. “I’ve got Seth. You eat.”

  “I’m okay.”

  “You need to eat,” she repeated.

  “I said I’m okay.” I gave her a drop-it look, but she didn’t do it. Instead, she set her jaw and said the four words a third time.

  “I am not hungry, Mercedes,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Since when?” Saul asked. He was standing right behind us.

  “Since now.”

  “Eat,” he ordered.

  “I will eat when I’m good and ready, and not you or my meddling sister is going to tell me when that time will be! So just go find someone else to bully.”

  “Bully?” I could hear his lips turn up in a smile.

  “Isn’t Hannah waiting for more entertainment?” I asked sweetly. “Shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

  “She just left with her parents.”

  “Well, there’s always tomorrow,” I cooed. Seth smeared potatoes across my dress. Oh, well. “Isn’t there, buddy? Tomorrow’s a brand new day.”

  Saul chuckled, and as he stepped toward Town Hall, toward the din of forks on plates and chatter from hundreds of our neighbors, he turned and looked at me over his shoulder. “You don’t have be jealous. She’s just a girl.”

  Yeah, she was just a girl. A girl who saw a handsome, hard-working man who liked babies and was kind to women. That kind of girl would hook her claws right into him and never let go, and…

  I was out of my mind jealous about it.

  Mercedes held Seth as we walked away from the noise. The candlelight in the room flickered as happily as the laughter flowing out the doors and windows of the building. “Well, that was fun!” Mercedes said with a wicked grin. “Interesting, but fun.”

  “What was so fun about it?” Personally, I thought it was terrible.

  “Watching you realize you still have the hots for Saul.”

  “I do not.”

  “You so do, and you know what?” she asked.

  “What?” Seth tugged her hair as his head got too heavy for him to lift. It bobbed up and down until finding a soft place on her shoulder. His golden eyes closed and within seconds, my son was asleep. I wished I had that super power.

  “I’m glad. You have to let him go at some point, Porschia. You wanted a life and you were right to ask for one, but now you need to live it. It’s what he would want.”

  “How do you know what he would want? If he even thought I had feelings for Saul, he’d have killed him.”

  She stopped along the street. “That’s not true. He knew there was something residual. You can’t just turn love off, Porschia. Even when you shot me, I still loved you, you know.”

  “Yeah, well, you deserved that,” I giggled, thankful we’d gotten to a point where we could laugh about it all, because living it sure as hell wasn’t funny.

  Mercedes began to walk again. “If you let Saul go, you’ll regret it.”

  I knew I would. I just didn’t know if I could ask him to stay.

  Being a coward was easy. Living with the fact that you were a coward was hard.

  “Could you keep him for a while?” I asked suddenly.

  My sister’s brows shot up. “Like, now?”

  “Yeah, at your house?”

  “Sure.” She grinned. “Go get him.”

  I shook my head. “I need to do something first.”

  She gritted her teeth. “You’ll be careful?”

  “Of course,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  She told me to go and started walking toward her house with Seth. I walked toward the waterfall, toward the farewell pool, gathering flowers as I went.

  Why was Porschia walking away from Mercedes? Seth was conked out. That boy could sleep through a thunderstorm. I didn’t know what was going on, but I followed Porschia, keeping my distance. Being stealthy was much easier as a night-walker. I cringed with every snapped branch, every scuff of my boot on the asphalt, every time I tripped over a root that was hidden in the tall hay.

  She bent once in a while, pulling up flowers that were probably closed. It was late. She was supposed to be staying with Cedes because it was late.

  The river’s noise became louder as we got closer to the falls. She eased down the steep bank and I stayed above to make sure she was okay. It was too late for her to be out alone. We didn’t know all the refugees yet, and even if we did, her mother was a prime example of why you couldn’t fully trust your neighbors.

  I stood behind a tree, split in the center from three feet off the ground. She took a flower and tossed it into the stirring water beneath the falls. She was saying farewell, but to whom? Me?

  Easing away, I gave her some space. I wasn’t going to let her get rid of me so easily. I was angry earlier, and she was jealous. But this wasn’t over. I wasn’t going down without a fight.

  I threw a wildflower into the water, its purple leaves curling in on its center. It was getting darker, but I could see it swirl around before sinking.

  I have to let you go. I hope you understand.

  Another flower: Queen Anne’s Lace.

  I loved you. I still love you, but I love him, too. You’re probably pissed because it’s him, but I think we were supposed to go through all of this. Before I met you, it was him. Before I loved you, I loved him. And it’s hard to admit, but I never completely stopped loving him. It wasn’t fair, but it wasn’t fair to me either.

  A third flower: one I couldn’t name.

  I hope you’re with Maggie and Meg. Somehow, I hope Mother is with you, too. Seth will grow up knowing you, and Saul, if he stays. He’ll have a Dad. I’ll have the life you gave me. I’ll have normal. And I can’t thank you enough, Tage. I’ll always love you.

  I’ll always think of you when I feel a warm, dry breeze. I’ll think of you when I look at our son and when the first snow falls, when I pass the pavilion or go into the city. I’m letting you go, but I’m still keeping your memory with me.

  You did this for me. You let me live, and now it’s time for me to start living, not just existing. For Seth, and for me…but mostly for you. I hope you can forgive and understand.

  I turned and began to climb back up the bank. The roots were slippery and I lost my footing for a second, and then I heard a rustling in the bushes from the closest house. That was when I knew Saul was watching out for me. Still.

  I saw him duck into Roman’s front door as I approached Mercedes’. I let myself in and found her curled up with Seth. “Shhh,” she warned.

  “He’s out.”

  Candlelight from the nightstand flickered across his angelic, chubby cheeks.

  “You need sleep, too. Stay in your room,” she admonished.

  The thought made me cringe. Although she burned the old mattress and with it, all the evidence of the birth that nearly killed me, replacing it wi
th one from the city, there was no amount of fire that could take the memory of that night away. However, walking back through the woods to the cabin, at night, wasn’t something I looked forward to. I needed a crossbow, and Father told me that when I was ready, I should come to him and he would give me the one he taught me with; the one I took on the hunt during the rotation. I wasn’t great with it, but wanted to be. And I was getting there.

  One night, soon, I’d ask Mercedes to watch Seth and I would take to the woods with or without Saul. I’d find the game, take them down, and help provide for everyone. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to.

  I didn’t want this existence. I wanted to live. I wanted to fight. I wanted to love.

  Easing my bedroom door closed, I sank back against the wood and stared at the moonlight casting shadows around the room. Eerily beautiful, I relaxed, walked across the wooden planks, and sank into the bed. It was actually comfortable.

  The following morning, I woke to something warm against my stomach. I thought maybe Mercedes had brought Seth in to sleep with me, but my hand didn’t find him. It found fur. I opened my eyes to find the kitten curled up against me.

  As I suddenly sat up straight, the feline jumped away from me, but kept her eyes trained warily on mine. The cat’s eyes weren’t green, they were deep brown, like Delilah’s after she met Ford. They’d changed. I remembered telling him the color of her eyes was different, but he thought I was tired and had imagined the whole thing.

  “Where’d you come from? I thought Saul took care of you.”

  She hissed at me, the fur on her back standing straight up.

  I jumped out of the bed, grabbed her up, and took her downstairs to the front door, tossing her onto the front step. “Don’t come back,” I warned her.

  She stared at me defiantly.

  “What’s wrong?” Mercedes asked from behind me. “Aww, a kitty!” She went to push around me, but I stopped her.

  “It’s evil. Don’t touch it.”

  Mercedes smiled, thinking I was joking. I most certainly wasn’t, and told her as much. She looked at me strange and then backed away from the seemingly innocent kitten.

  Seth loved Ford. Even at such a young age, he loved animals, and since Ford worked with them, I decided to take Seth to see him at the barn. He patted the horses’ manes, blew raspberries at the chickens, and patted the ground wildly as he watched them stalk around, pecking at worms and bugs in the soil.

  “He’s growing up so fast,” my baby brother said about my son. I could say the same thing about him.

  “It’s crazy. He was just born.”

  “Months ago,” he added.

  It didn’t seem that way. Ford picked Seth up and took him inside to pet a few of the cows who were poking their heads out of the stall they had access to from outside. He laughed as Seth bopped them on the head, the cows blinking patiently at the assault from the smiling baby.

  “What’s this we have here?” he said, crouching down. “It’s a kitten.”

  I stomped toward my son, knowing what I would find, and saw the cat there, rubbing herself against my brother’s leg. If that wasn’t exactly what Delilah, Sekhmet, or whatever the evil bitch’s name was, had done, I’d be damned.

  The black kitten purred loudly as she raked her fur against Ford’s shin. Seth reached out to pet her.

  “Don’t let him touch her!” I yelled.

  Ford stilled and stood up. “What’s wrong? It’s just a cat.”

  Was it? I grabbed the cat and took her into the sun. Her eyes weren’t green or deep brown, they were golden, just like Seth’s. Just like Tage’s and Sekhmet’s. That cat was the Satan spawn of Tage’s sister, I was certain of it.

  “Whoa,” Ford said, stopping over my shoulder. “The eyes.”

  “I know. I think it’s her. I know it sounds crazy, Ford, but the cat is following me, showing up everywhere… or maybe she’s following Seth.”

  My grip on the kitten tightened slightly, not enough to hurt her, but enough to tell her I meant business. “Are you going to hurt my son?”

  The animal hissed, clawing my fingers, leaving deep gashes across my knuckles. The blood pooled within the ragged lines.

  I dropped the cat and grabbed my son from Ford.

  “Do you really think it’s her?”

  I nodded. “I know it’s insane, but her eyes change. Green, brown, and now gold. It’s her.”

  He shook his head. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”

  “I hate to ask you this, Ford, but can you—”

  “Consider it done. I’ll get rid of her.”

  I nodded and walked away as he cooed for the kitty to come to him. I didn’t know how he’d get rid of her, but I knew he would. Ford was as good as his word, and his word was even more golden than the evil cat’s eyes.

  The whole way back to Mercedes’ house, I worried. Would Seth be normal? Would he be amazing like his father or crazy like his grandmother? Would he be a good man?

  Saul was a good man. He had him as an example…and Ford.

  I needed a moment. I jogged to Mercedes’ house, Seth clutched tightly in my arms. “What’s wrong?” she asked as I burst through the door.

  “Could you watch him for a little while?”

  “Sure. Are you okay?” Her eyes were wide with worry. I’d seen her give Mother the same look many times.

  “I’m fine. I swear.”

  “Is this about the cat?”

  “It’s not. It’s about… so much more. I just need a little while.”

  “Okay,” she said reluctantly, taking Seth out of my arms. “You’re probably hungry, aren’t you, little guy?”

  I didn’t see Saul at the barn today, but I hoped he would notice me leaving alone and follow me. It was a gamble, but one I had to take. Town hall was empty. I pulled the doors of the tiny building apart and took my space in one of the back pews, and then I waited. Dust motes danced through shafts of buttery sunlight pouring in from transoms above the kaleidoscope windows below.

  Saul never disappointed. Twenty minutes later, he opened the door behind me and walked down the carpet-padded aisle. I could almost feel his heartbeat thundering, or maybe it was just mine. I looked to the ceiling, no longer bearing the hole of abandonment, but fresh-smelling planks of wood, nails, and sweat.

  His warm hand found my shoulder. “May I sit with you?”

  I scooted over to make room for him and he settled beside me with a sigh. His warmth flowed into my side. “I’m sorry for following you.”

  “No one’s sorrier than me that you have to.”

  “Why are you here?” he asked in a gentle voice.

  “Turns out, I need a husband.”

  He was quiet for a long beat and my heart drummed inside my chest. I thought he might get up and walk away, leave me there without saying a word. Maybe I was too late and had assumed too much.

  Saul nudged me. “How soon do you need a husband?”

  “As soon as possible,” I responded, my throat clogging with tears.

  “Let’s do it. Marry me,” he whispered. His strong hand tangled in my hair and pulled my mouth to his, and I answered him in kind.

  Saul was still mine and I was still his.

  In the end, I wanted a future with him.

  I loved him and he loved me.

  So I freely gave my heart to him—all of it.

  And when we finally came up for air, we left the past right there in Town hall, walking out into the bright sunshine, hand-in-hand, to begin anew.

  In the distance…

  Children laughed.

  Birds sang.

  Puffy clouds floated over the clear blue sky.

  An axe fell upon wood.

  Water cascaded over the falls.

  Animals bleated.

  I smiled, and so did Saul. We walked to get our son.

  Saul stared at me from just in front of the river, dressed in his new black slacks, white shirt, and sporting a fresh haircut. He smiled, and when he did
my heart skipped a beat. Seth’s chubby, sticky fingers held my right hand, while Father held my left.

  They walked me toward Saul, toward a new, fresh beginning and a happy one at that. Father’s chin trembled when he kissed my cheek and stepped away. Saul took Seth, holding him in one of his arms while our marriage was made official, blessed, and made public in front of all of our family, friends, and neighbors—new and old. Victor Freeman officiated. Fall leaves were thrown at the three of us as Saul and I kissed and then ran through the crowd. Laughter, whoops and hollers, clapping and whistling filled the air.

  A hot breeze cut through it all, making me smile, reminding me of who gave me this chance at the ordinary.

  We feasted on food the council provided, and then Mercedes took Seth for the night. Then we feasted on one another.

  Saul was tender and strong, gentle but possessive, and I loved every second of making love with that man. It was something I was sure I’d never grow tired of. We woke in the morning, my simple, white dress on the floor next to his slacks and shirt. A tangle of skin and blankets and love.

  And then we made love again. And again.

  Damn but she was beautiful. She wore white better than anyone I’d ever seen. It might be the only color I wanted her to wear from now on. That or nothing at all, because as beautiful as she was in her wedding dress, she was exquisite without anything at all.

  I’ve never been happier in my life as I was that day.

  Until the day after, and the day after that….

  Three years later…

  I’d just finished helping Roman build a cradle. He and Mercedes were about to have their first baby and she and Porschia were busy cleaning the house from top to bottom, because Cedes was afraid of germs and her baby touching said germs. Seth was using his tiny hammer to set the last nail in the side of the wood. “You did good, buddy,” I said, ruffling his hair.