Thin Walls

by Lawson, Cassandra

  I met Mia’s gaze, hoping she’d see my warning and keep her mouth shut.

  It looked like she was about to say something, but she stopped herself. Deciding to play it safe, I reached into the pocket of my jacket and slipped my hand through the strap of my stun gun. Few stun guns were useful for self-defense. Delaney had gotten this one for me, and it could knock a man on his ass. As an added benefit, the power source would disconnect if Warren tried grabbing it from me.

  “What are you looking for?” Warren asked with narrowed eyes.

  “A scarf or something else to stop the bleeding,” I lied.

  He didn’t look convinced, and his eyes darted around when he heard the sirens.

  “That’s the ambulance,” Mia announced. “Dispatch says they’re coming into the garage now.”

  “Good,” Warren replied. “Tell the police to look for Suri. She probably went back up to her office to hide.”

  “Okay,” Mia replied. “I’ll tell them when they get back on the line. They put me on hold.”

  I seriously doubted Mia was on hold, but she didn’t want to tell the police to go to Suri’s office instead of the garage.

  “We’ll get her, buddy,” Warren told Spencer with a smile. “She’ll regret fucking with both of us.”

  Warren stopped speaking when he saw his sleeve sticking out from his jacket. He reached out and tugged his coat sleeve down before looking at me with one of his fake smiles. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “All I care about is getting Spencer help,” I told him. “I don’t care about you or Suri or whatever sick game you’re playing.”

  “It’s Suri’s fault,” he snarled, drawing back as if to backhand me.

  Mia screamed as Warren took a swing at me. My self-defense classes paid off as I quickly ducked and pulled out the stun gun. Pressing it against Warren’s belly, I hit the button and prayed his coat wasn’t too thick. He immediate fell back onto the pavement and twitched as the ambulance approached.

  Mia spoke urgently into the phone, letting dispatch know we needed police on the scene immediately. Warren wouldn’t be down long, and we didn’t want him getting away.

  “They’re here, Spencer,” I murmured. “You’re going to be fine. We’re taking you to the hospital now.”

  Everything seemed to move in a blur as they loaded Spencer into the back of the ambulance.

  He had to be okay. I couldn’t lose him.

  Chapter 56

  Mercy

  “Why won’t he wake up?” I asked.

  Mia was still with me. The hospital had told us we couldn’t be in the room with Spencer until Mia had convinced them she was Spencer’s sister and I was his fiancée.

  “I don’t know,” Mia replied with a tired sigh. “They don’t know how long it will take. He’s going to be fine. They said he’s going to be fine.”

  The doctors hadn’t actually said he’d be fine. They’d told us that the scans showed nothing was broken, and there was no bleeding in his brain. There was still a chance a bleed could start, and they were worried that he’d only briefly regained consciousness twice. They cited the fact that he was breathing on his own as a good sign. Breathing on his own was the biggest thing he had going for him, so I felt I had good reason to worry.

  “This must be how my family felt after I was shot,” I remarked as I reached out to hold Spencer’s hand. “They didn’t know if I’d survive. My mom told me she was grateful for every breath I took on my own. Now, I’m sitting here feeling grateful that the man I love is breathing.”

  Mia smiled and gestured to Spencer with her eyes.

  When I looked down, I found him watching me.

  “You’re awake,” I said through my tears as I leaned over him and rested my head on his chest. “Don’t you dare go to sleep again.”

  “It’s tempting considering how much my head hurts,” he admitted as he stroked my hair.

  “I’m going to run out and tell a nurse you’re awake,” Mia announced as she stood.

  “They have a call button right here,” I pointed out.

  “She’s giving us some time alone,” Spencer said in a weak voice. “Something tells me we won’t have much of that once they realize I’m awake.”

  “Before I forget, I’m your sister and Mercy is your fiancée,” Mia explained. “You’re in the ICU, so it’s family only. They made an exception for Mercy since you’re getting married.”

  “I like the sound of that,” he replied as Mia left the room. “So, you love me?”

  “Very much so,” I told him. “I was so scared when I saw you lying on the ground in the garage.”

  “Someone hit me,” he replied, sounding a little confused.

  “It was Warren,” I explained. “He’s in jail now. The little weasel tried to pin it on Suri. I’ll explain it all later.”

  “God, I love you so much,” he uttered. “You know I am going to marry you, right?”

  “Duh,” I replied. “I’m your fiancée.”

  “You may be joking, but I’m going to hold you to that,” he insisted.

  Chapter 57

  Spencer

  Two weeks after my attack, I finally felt more like myself. I’d had no idea a head injury could take so long to heal. Since then, Mercy hadn’t left my side for long, and I’d taken to calling her my fiancée wherever we went. It felt right, even if I realized it was too soon to take that step. Who was I kidding? I’d have already proposed if Mercy hadn’t told me it was too soon to get engaged.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Mercy asked as I signed in at the facility where Warren was being held.

  I nodded. “Warren was my closest friend for a long time. I need the closure.”

  She nodded and hugged me. “I understand. I’ll be out here waiting.”

  Cupping her cheek, I leaned in to kiss her. “That’s the perfect incentive to hurry back.”

  I’d been surprised when Warren’s parents refused to post bail money, and even more surprised to realize how broke he was. He hadn’t remained in jail long. They’d sent him for a psychiatric evaluation, which he’d failed. I already knew from conversations with the District Attorney’s office that they planned to offer Warren a deal involving mandatory psychiatric care instead of jail time. He wasn’t trying to claim innocence. Warren had been stalking me for weeks before he found a way for us to work together. His obsession was downright scary.

  I took a seat in a room with drab green walls. The only furniture was a table with four chairs. There was a security camera on the wall, and bars on the window. Warren wore gray sweats and slippers as an orderly led him into the room. His eyes were glassy, and his hair disheveled. He looked nothing like himself.

  “I’m surprised you came to visit me,” Warren said in a slurred voice as he sat across from me at the table.

  “He’s not having the best day,” the orderly explained. “You may not get much of a visit this time.”

  I nodded. “It’s okay. I won’t be here long.”

  “How’s your head?” Warren asked as he gestured to my head with his shoulder.

  “Better,” I replied. “Why did you do this?”

  “Is that why you’re here?” he asked.

  “Why did you think I came here?”

  His head dropped back, and he sighed. “To tell me how sorry you are that things got this bad between us? To tell me you miss our friendship?”

  “You could have killed me, Warren,” I reminded him. “Even if I could move past the other stuff, that one’s a little harder to get over.”

  “I wasn’t trying to kill you.” He sounded angry. “I wanted to make you think Suri had attacked you. That bitch ruined everything. She should be in jail. This is all her fault!”

  “You need to calm down,” the orderly told Warren.

  Warren nodded and closed his eyes again. “I’m calm. Suri makes me so angry. It’s her fault my parents cut me off, and it’s her fault you won’t talk to me.”

  I could argue
that Warren had chosen to sleep with Suri; she hadn’t forced him, but what good would it do? Warren seemed unwilling to take any responsibility for his actions. There had been some small part of me that had hoped he’d apologize and explain it all to me, but that wasn’t going to happen.

  “I hope you get the help you need,” I said as I stood.

  “You’re leaving already?” he asked. “Stay! It’s not my fault. I never wanted to hurt you, but Suri pushes people to the edge. You know how she is.”

  “Yeah, I know how she is,” I replied before walking to the door and waiting for someone to let me out. I turned as Warren shouted obscenities and struggled with the orderly. He seemed nothing like my overly confident friend from college. Then again, perhaps he’d never been as confident as I’d always believed.

  The last person I expected to pass in the hallway was Suri.

  “Why are you here?” I asked. “Are you stalking me?” I don’t think many would blame me for my paranoia.

  “I could ask you the same question,” she replied with narrowed eyes. “You don’t see me accusing you of stalking me, do you?”

  “You got here after me,” I pointed out. “But I’m sorry for jumping down your throat.”

  “And for telling the police I’d vandalized Mercy’s home?” she demanded.

  “You gave me plenty of reasons to think you were guilty,” I reminded her. “So, why are you here? I’d think you’d want to stay far from Warren after what happened.”

  She shrugged. “I feel a little responsible for driving him over the edge. He could have killed you.”

  “Yes, he could have,” I agreed. It wasn’t Suri’s fault, but I didn’t want her to mistake any sympathy from me for a desire to get back together. She hadn’t called me in weeks, and I hoped that trend would continue.

  “I just want to talk to him,” she stated. “Maybe I can help him. He must have loved me very much if he was this obsessed.”

  “If I give you some advice, will you at least promise to think about what I’ve said before visiting Warren?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “It depends on what you say.”

  “Stay away from Warren,” I told her. “When I left him, he was ranting about you ruining his life. They may not let you in there, but even if they do, you should stay away. Just let him get the help he needs.”

  Suri shook her head and walked past me. “You’re just jealous.”

  “That woman is as delusional as Warren,” I muttered as I continued walking.

  Mercy stood and walked toward me when she saw me heading her way. “That was fast.”

  I shrugged before pulling her into my arms and hugging her. “It was a mistake coming here. I wanted closure, but I have no idea how I expected to get it.”

  “I understand,” she assured me.

  When I released her, she slipped an arm around my waist, and we started walking.

  “After I was shot, I wanted something that would give me closure or at least help me understand why it had happened. In the end, it was just some asshole seeking revenge for getting fired. No logic in what he did will ever make sense to me. I’m sure it’s harder for you because Warren was your friend.”

  “Maybe he was never really my friend,” I admitted. “Enough about Warren. I want to ask you something. I know this is sudden and probably not the right place.”

  “Please, don’t tell me you’re going to propose in a mental institution,” she said. “We already discussed this. It’s too soon.”

  I chuckled at her reaction. “Propose? Why would I need to do that when we’re already engaged?”

  “We’re not engaged,” she insisted.

  “You told countless people we’re engaged,” I argued.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Countless people? You make it sound like I told an army of people. I only told the people at the hospital.”

  “How many people was that?” I asked with a grin.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I didn’t keep track.”

  “Then I think we’ll stick with countless people,” I insisted. “My point remains the same. We’re already engaged.”

  “You’re impossible,” she accused. “What do you really want to ask me?”

  “With the holidays coming up, I wanted to know if you’ll consider spending Christmas with me and my family. I know it’s last minute, but my mum is pushing for it after you saved my life. We can fly you and your family out to my parents’ home.”

  I waited for her response, half-expecting her to say no and wondering if she’d argue it was too soon. She surprised me when she smiled and got onto her tiptoes to give me an all too brief kiss.

  “I’ll have to talk to my mom, but now that we’re engaged, I suppose we should celebrate Christmas with both families,” she replied.

  I grinned and lifted her off the ground to spin her around. “This may not be the time, and it’s definitely not the place, but I want you to know that I love you, and I’m going to do my best to make sure you never regret getting engaged to a noisy porn-addict such as myself.”

  She laughed and shook her head when I set her on the ground. “I love you, too, Spencer. Now, let’s get out of here. I don’t want to have any more romantic moments in a mental hospital.”

  Chapter 58

  Mercy

  Six months later

  Spencer had finally worn me down. After months of sparring about our engagement, I’d let him slip a ring on my finger—as if either of us had ever doubted it would happen.

  “Are you sure you want to run off to Tahoe to get married?” Spencer asked as he put his suitcase in the back of my car. As much as I wanted to drive Spencer’s car all the way to Tahoe, Mia and Lex were riding with us.

  “Run off to Tahoe?” I asked. “You make it sound like we’re eloping without telling our families what’s going on. Everyone is meeting us there.”

  “I meant that this seems as rushed as a Vegas wedding,” he remarked. “I understand why you feel the need to get married now, but we can delay this until after we’re settled.”

  “You know why we can’t wait,” I reminded him.

  Spencer let out a sigh and smiled. “I never expected us to take two big steps around the same time.”

  “Me neither,” I agreed. “I’m so excited.”

  “Will you two stop talking like you’re having a baby?” Mia grumbled as she joined us at the car.

  She was still annoyed that I wasn’t pregnant. When we’d told her the exciting news, she’d jumped to her own conclusions. I blamed it on Spencer for telling everyone we were getting married right away because we needed to buy a house with a yard for the newest member of our family to run around in.

  “A puppy,” Mia grumbled. “Here I was, planning a baby shower.”

  “How about a puppy shower?” Spencer suggested.

  “Not the same,” she insisted.

  “You’re only saying that because you haven’t seen our puppy,” I told her. She hadn’t been weaned yet, but we were trying to get everything ready. Our puppy would have to start out in my condo since we wouldn’t be able to close on a house in time.

  “I was hoping to be Auntie Mia to a baby with less fur,” she complained. “Bentley feels the same.”

  “Well,” I replied with a sly smile. “Maybe our next bombshell surprise won’t be about a puppy.”

  “Don’t tell her about the kitten yet,” Spencer told me. “I was saving that for her birthday.”

  Mia laughed and smacked Spencer’s belly as she passed him. “You both suck. I’m going to see what’s taking Lex so long.”

  We were both still grinning when she walked away, and Spencer pulled me into his arms for a kiss that made me want to head back upstairs.

  “We’ll be late if we don’t leave soon,” I said with a sigh.

  Spencer chuckled, knowing the effect he had on me. His hand moved down to my belly, and he asked, “Do you think we should tell her?”

  “Nah,” I replied. “Let’s
keep the trying to make a baby thing to ourselves for now. It’s far too much fun teasing everyone.”

  Spencer chuckled and hugged me. “You are perfect for me.”

  “We’re perfect for each other,” I replied. “Who’d have ever guessed we’d consider the thin walls between our condos a good thing? Now, let’s get married.”

  “Anything for you, love,” he uttered.

  “I love it when you say that.”

  Author’s Note

  Mercy’s story has been more than a year in the making. As I worked on Piper and Austin’s story, I knew I needed something special for Mercy. I hope her happily-ever-after was worth the wait. I have already had people ask me if I plan to write a story for Mercy and Bentley’s brother, Lex. The answer is, yes. Lex’s story will be the first in the next rock star series featuring Deluded Serenity. Look for news on that series near the end of 2019. I also have something special planned for Austin’s cousin, and the final book in the Reckless Release series will be out in June 2019.

  About the Author

  Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Cassandra Lawson first discovered her love of writing at a young age. A few early typing classes in middle school planted the seeds of a young author, who enjoyed learning to type through her exploration of storytelling. Head over heels for a good happily ever after, she has dedicated her career to creating dynamic, entertaining, and spicy, romance novels. Ranging from the paranormal to contemporary settings, Cassandra Lawson breathes life into the many different ways people experience love. A hard-working mom, she spends her days writing and homeschooling her children. A lover of music, good food, and a great book, Cassandra remains a resident of the Bay Area, basking in the culture and all the inspiration it affords.