by AliyahBurke
“Damn, I can’t eat all that.” But she did smile as she sat down in the chair.
“Yes, you will. Don’t worry, I will help you.” Laurie let the dogs back in and then brought the food over to the table.
“Thanks for coming over and doing this.”
“My pleasure. I wanted to ask you something as well, so I guess I had an ulterior motive for doing this.”
Chapter Fifteen
“What?” She began to eat, taken aback by the amount of hunger she felt in her body. “This is really good.” Her mind whirled to remind herself she no longer had to be Raven, but could become Serenity once more.
“Thanks. Well, Dylan asked me to marry him and I accepted.”
Serenity smiled. “That is wonderful.”
“I wanted to know if you would be my maid of honor.” Laurie ate for a bit as she waited for the answer.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I know we haven’t spent that much time together, but I feel like we are sisters. It would mean so much to me if you would do that.”
“I would be honored. Thank you for asking me. When is the wedding?”
“Next year. In September.” She looked at the clock and muttered, “Shoot, we are almost late. We have to go. Come on.”
“All right.” She stood and used the crutches to help her down to the car. Laurie had a Toyota 4Runner parked out front. The dogs got in the back.
Laurie was going to stay with her until she left. That afternoon, when they got home, Serenity began to go through the bag by the door.
It contained her computer. Some pictures that she had in her car. The book she had been reading at Brandt’s. In the book was a picture and a piece of paper.
The picture was of her and Brandt on their date. They stood in front of the fountain. His arms were around her and his lips on her cheek. Both of them had smiles on their faces.
The piece of paper was a certified check for fifty thousand dollars. A very expensive hooker was what he called her. She headed to her room and took out a nice card and wrote a note, put it in the envelope, and sealed it. One word was scrawled across the pristine whiteness of the envelope.
That done, she limped back out to where Laurie was cooking up a wonderful smelling dinner. Her mouth watered as the aromas filled her nose. She headed for the kitchen and leaned up against a counter.
“Smells wonderful.”
“Thanks. Hope you’re hungry.”
“Yep. Feel like I could eat an elephant.”
Laurie laughed. “No elephant here. Just some good old southern cooking.”
Over dinner the women laughed and joked with each other. Raven was almost completely gone and Serenity was making a strong comeback.
Over the next few days she got ready to go. Laurie stayed with her and helped out around the house. Serenity was packed and ready to go when Dylan arrived at the door. It was night and she was leaving under the cloak of darkness.
“Ready?” he asked as he got a kiss from Laurie.
“Ready. Congrats, by the way, on your engagement.” She smiled at them both.
“I will load your stuff up, Serenity.”
“Thanks.” He took her bags down and Serenity turned to Laurie. “I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything.”
“Deliver this for me?” She stretched out her hand and in it was an envelope.
Laurie took it, looked at the name on the front, and nodded. “I will.” She slid it into her back pocket just as Dylan came back in.
“Do what?” he wondered as he looked at the two women.
“Nothing. Girl stuff.” Laurie said.
“If you say so. Let’s go.” He kissed Laurie and said, “I will see you tomorrow in the mountains.”
“Right.” She looked at Serenity, smiled, and hugged her. “Have fun in the sun down there. Find you a nice man and relax. I wish I was going with you.” She smiled wider at the sound of Dylan clearing his throat. “Not to find a man, of course, but to get some sun.”
Serenity laughed. “Right, you would be right beside me hunting for a man.”
“You’re not supposed to say that when he is right here.”
“Sorry. Must be my meds. Don’t worry. I’ll have fun. Let me know more about the wedding and when it is as soon as possible. I should be going.”
“Take care, Serenity. I hope you find what you are looking for.” A quick kiss on her cheek and Laurie herded them and the dogs out the door, closing it in their faces.
Serenity and Dylan then made their way to his Tahoe. He helped her in the passenger seat and put her crutches in the back with the dogs.
“Seth called me today,” he said as he pulled away from her apartment.
“And?” She still felt betrayed by his actions.
“Wanted me to talk to you.”
“Don’t, Dylan. I am not in the mood to discuss this with anyone.”
“I don’t plan on it, just thought you should know.”
“What airline are we on?”
“None. You are flying on a private jet. I didn’t think you would want your dogs in kennels.”
“Thank you for that. So, tell me about my house.”
He laughed a deep sound that told her how happy he was to have her alive and questioning him. “Well, it is small, two bedrooms. Walk down your steps and you are on the beach. Hardwood floors and a large backyard. There is a Jeep for you to use while you are there. You will still need to go and see about your physical therapy. I will be checking in on you about that.”
Serenity didn’t respond to that. She had been pushing herself. Now she didn’t need the crutches to get around. She had a limp and favored it a bit but she was tenacious, determined to regain full use.
Tom Carter, the doctor from the hospital, had stopped by and checked up on her. She went with him to the hospital for a whole day, so he knew that she was on the fast track to her recovery.
“Serenity, can you hear me? Are you even listening to me?”
“I am just picturing my new place, Dylan. That’s all. It sounds wonderful. Thank you for getting it set up for me.”
“You deserve it, my dear. You deserve it.” He pulled up to a small airport and drove straight to the Gulfstream jet that had its door open and steps waiting.
The two humans and two dogs exited the vehicle as three people from the plane came and began to load her bags into the plane. The dogs were used to this and so they went up the stairs with enthusiasm into the plane.
Serenity and Dylan walked up together. There were dog beds on the floor and her dogs were already on them. Hella had a toy in her mouth and Jax was chewing on a treat.
She met the pilots and as they went and started the plane she put her eyes on the man that stood next to her. “Thanks again, Dylan Morgan.”
“Be happy, Serenity. Be happy.” He stuck out his hand for the shake that he normally got.
With a soft smile Serenity threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. His hesitation reminded her she’d stunned him by her action. She heard his heart thundering in his chest. The moment it slowed, he put his arms around her in return.
“Take care of that woman of yours, Dylan Morgan. She is something special.” She kissed his cheek and stepped out of his grasp.
“I will. See you later. I love you, Serenity, never forget that.” He kissed her back and jogged down the steps to stand beside his vehicle as the plane taxied down the runway and took off.
Serenity buckled herself in as they began to move. She was ready for this change in her life. Her dogs were lying on their beds as they headed down the runway and took to the sky.
* * * *
After storming out of the hospital room, Brandt found himself in a taxi heading home. His emotions were in total turmoil. He wanted to be with her but she kept pushing him away.
He had been rude to her once again. Maybe she had an issue with the difference in the color of their skin. Perhaps she really had slept with him just as part of her
job. No, she said it wasn’t for that reason.
Brandt had never desired anyone as much as he did her. It wasn’t just sexual either, although that was definitely there. He wanted to be with her, be around her, and know that it was him she was going home with at the end of the night.
Her strength amazed him. It wasn’t because she had saved his life. He had felt this way for a while now, but seeing her lying on the hospital bed, he wanted to protect her so bad.
He had left her there to face those men alone. That was a feeling he would never forget. The shame, the disgust with himself. No matter that she had told him to leave and not come back under any circumstances. He was the man and he should have protected her, not the other way around.
Brandt threw himself back into his work. He pushed his workers hard, as hard as himself. The hours were long and grueling but he didn’t relent. But no matter how hard or how long he worked, his demon never left. It was still there.
It taunted him. Hurled insults at him. Berated him for the way he treated her. The way he left her there alone.
Two weeks later, as he came down the staircase, he was met by his father at the bottom. “We need to talk, son,” Judson said.
“Sorry, I am late for work. Gotta go.”
“No.” His father was adamant and the force of his objection stunned Brandt enough that he followed his father into the study.
Judson sat behind his large desk and gestured for his son to sit in one of the large leather chairs that faced him. Brandt did and crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for his father to say something.
The silence stretched on so finally Brandt arched his eyebrows and asked, “Well? What was so important that you needed to talk to me about it right now?”
“I thought you should hear this from me and not later in the day.”
Dread shot through him. His father was so serious. “What? What happened?”
“Here. Read this.”
Judson slid a paper across the top of the shiny mahogany desk and into his son’s waiting hands. It was folded to expose a specific article. Not sure what exactly was going on, Brandt picked up the paper and read the black printed words that shattered his heart.
Tragedy in the Mountains Kills One
Written by Jonas McCarthy
Early yesterday morning a fiery explosion woke the residents of Valley Creek. A black vehicle smashed through the guardrail and careened off the narrow Combs Mountain Parkway and into Red River gorge below. Local authorities say it appeared the driver had tried to avoid hitting an animal in the road and lost control when they swerved.
Rain-slicked roads were likely a factor in the crash, along with speed. There were no survivors.
The driver and sole occupant of the car, a single woman who has been identified as Raven Dare, was killed instantly. Ms. Dare was a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps. Raven Dare presently worked for the Morgan Protection Agency. Dylan Morgan, owner and founder of the agency, stated, “She was one of the best we had and [she] will be missed more than words can say.”
A service in her honor will be this Wednesday at the King Baptist Church in Louisville beginning at eleven o’clock.
The paper fell from his numb fingers. It couldn’t be. There had to be some mistake. He looked up and saw compassion on his father’s face.
“This is a joke, right?” his question begged. Begged to be told it was not true. That it was a joke, mean and cruel but a joke nonetheless. “This can’t be true.”
“I’m so sorry, son. I know she meant something to you.”
Brandt felt a chill settle over his body. In the space of a minute his world had fallen apart. He rose from the chair to stand on legs that seemed to shake beneath him. One hand reached out and snared the paper in fingers that would have felt more in place on a zombie. He turned and walked out of the study and up the cold marble stairs to his room.
Once the door was shut behind him, he headed to his bureau and opened the top drawer. On the bottom of the teak drawer, in an envelope, was a set of pictures. He took the envelope out and sat in the large overstuffed chair in front of his fireplace.
Opening the envelope, he removed the pictures and looked at them one at a time. They were of him and Raven on their date. There, together in front of the fountains, they both looked happy and in love.
Unfortunately, there were only five, he was missing one. The first one that had been taken of them. When she stood in front of him, his arms around her waist and his lips touching her smooth cheek. The sprays of the fountain shooting up behind them both. He had no idea where it had gone.
Tears formed and began to run down his cheeks as he moved from one picture to the next. His finger reached out and touched the beautiful dark face as it smiled brightly, dazzling him with the white of her teeth against the darker background of her face.
“Goodbye, Raven.” Sure her face was committed to his memory, he put all the pictures back in the envelope and pressed a kiss to the back of it as he rose and replaced it back in his drawer. The article was clipped out and set on the top of his dresser.
That done, Brandt Fowler went back downstairs and headed to work. He worked both Monday and Tuesday, but on Wednesday he put on a suit and drove the two hours to the church where the service was going to be held.
Shocked by the number of cars that were parked there, he found an empty spot and slid his Porsche to a stop. He swallowed nervously as he climbed out and headed around to the back. On the way he stopped at a large vase filled with long stemmed white roses and a sign that read “Take One.” The service had already begun so he claimed a seat in the back and listened to people get up and talk about her.
People she had protected, ones she had worked with, and finally Dylan rose and took the podium. Dressed in a black suit, he looked much older than Brandt remembered him being.
“I want to thank everyone who came here today. This came as a shock to us all. I know it did to me. The stories we have heard were totally Raven. She was an amazing person. I remember the ease with which she did everything in her life, from just living to her job. She was the best.”
He paused to take several breaths.
“However, we all know Raven and know that she would not want us to be sad. I can hear her saying to me, ‘Come on, have some fun. I am not worth all the tears. Remember all the good times.’” He stopped to wipe his eyes. “I know some of you didn’t think that she had a sense of humor, especially those that she protected, but she did. A hard-ass attitude she got just to do the job, to get respect from the people she was protecting. She was the prankster among the group. She was our sister, our mother, our daughter…a Marine,” he sniffed as the tears began to fall, “and our friend.”
Dylan had to stop talking for a moment. The whole crowd nodded and wiped tears as they waited for him to begin again. “Raven will be missed by those who loved her. Raven, you were the best. We will miss you.”
He walked off towards the picture of her that sat up front and laid a single white rose beside her likeness. Standing upright, he executed a salute at her photo that had all the other Marines and military personnel rising to do the same thing.
Everyone filed past her picture and laid a white rose down beside her picture. There was an elegant urn with a Marine symbol on the side. Brandt walked last—in his hand he also had a white rose that he had picked up before sitting in the chair.
He stopped in front of her picture. This was how he didn’t want to remember her. Her face was serious and her eyes calculating. It was a Marine photo.
His first two fingers touched his lips before touching hers on the picture. “Goodbye, Raven.” His rose fell from his fingers to land on top of the other flowers.
As he turned to walk off he noticed that Dylan watching him and next to him was… well, it was a beautiful woman. The woman asked Dylan something and when he nodded she walked towards him, her steps sure. The woman wore a black dress that hugged her curvaceous figure. She was stunning. A full length black
coat covered her.
“Excuse me, sir.” Her voice was low and it sounded familiar to him. This was too cruel for her to sound so much like Raven.
“Yes?”
“Are you Brandt Fowler?” The woman had tears in her eyes as she met his gaze.
“Yes, ma’am, what can I do for you?”
“My name is Laurie.” He knew that name, the woman that Raven had to go get. “I have something to give you.” She reached into her coat pocket pulled out a white envelope and handed it to him.
On the front of it, in a nice script scrawled in writing he didn’t recognize, was his name: Brandt. When his eyes scrunched up in confusion she continued, “Raven gave me this to give to you. Two days before she… before the accident. Sorry I didn’t get it to you sooner.”
She patted his arm and walked away, leaving him alone as the weather turned and it began to rain. Brandt shoved the envelope into his pocket and headed inside the church. He sat on a pew in the middle under a stained glass window of a black Jesus and slid his finger under the seal opening it.
Nervous, he pulled out the card. It was a photo of the spectacular aurora borealis as they shone above a pair of wolves that ran together across the snow-covered tundra.
Opening the card, he saw the picture that had been missing from the envelope in his room. It slid to his lap as he looked at it. The one of him and Raven standing together while he kissed her cheek.
He took the picture and saw the paperclip in the corner and turned the photo over. A folded up piece of paper was under the clip. Brandt unfolded it and his breath caught in his throat. It was his check, the certified check for fifty thousand dollars he had given to her for one night.
On one side of the card under the loose picture was a note: