The Stolen Breath

by L. G. Davis

  He sucks in a breath. “Back then, I let you go because I thought you needed time to think. I knew it wouldn’t be the last time we’d see each other. Turns out I was right. Now we can start a life together. After everything I did for you, you owe me your love, Delia. I know that. You know that.”

  “Clayton.” I bite my bottom lip. “I don’t know what to say to you right now. All I want is to find my child.”

  Why? Why did I have to call him for help? I made a big mistake and fell right into his trap. Now I have to find a way to crawl out of it without getting hurt.

  I don’t want to think Clayton is dangerous, but hurt people hurt people. I need to be careful with what I do and say. I will focus on Lea instead of Clayton’s obsession with me. I can delay the discussion about his feelings for me. Thinking about his love for me makes my stomach churn.

  “All I want to do is to love and protect you,” he says, his jaw tight. “I’m keeping you safe.”

  “But staying on this boat doesn’t help me. Only a guilty person would hide from the police. They’ll think I’m hiding something.”

  I pull in a breath, wishing the oxygen could calm my upset stomach. Despite what I’m saying, I’m terrified of going to prison. They might believe I’m innocent of one of the crimes I’m accused of, but two crimes?

  Clayton’s expression grows serious. “I still think it’s better for you to hide out long enough for them to find evidence that would prove your innocence.”

  “But what if they don’t?” I shoot back. “I have to go out there and convince them of my innocence.”

  “Evidence speaks louder than words. Going to the police when there’s so much evidence piled up against you is a mistake you don’t want to make. You have to be ready for the consequences.”

  “There’s no evidence that I killed Tina.”

  “There is evidence.” He blows out a breath. “I was the one who protected you over the years, you know. The police kept asking me questions about you. I always assured them that you’re incapable of murdering anyone.” He shoves his hand into his pocket and comes out holding a pink piece of paper. He waves it in the space between us. “I’ve held onto this for years, since the night Tina died.”

  I squint my eyes trying to read what’s written on the note. The moment I recognize the perfect cursive handwriting, a dagger plunges into my heart.

  “What’s that?” I croak.

  “The note Tina wrote the night she died.” He gazes down at it. “Before she killed herself.”

  “But you weren’t—” I shake my head, confused. I can taste bile at the back of my throat. “You weren’t there.”

  As far as I know, Tina and I were alone in her apartment. I didn’t see anyone else. But there is one thing I saw and totally forgot about because I never thought it was significant.

  My mind instantly takes me back to that night. Tina did jot something down on a piece of paper, moments before she put the gun to her head. I ran before I could read what she wrote.

  But how would Clayton know about the note?

  “I was there that night, Delia. I followed you. I needed to convince you that you were making a mistake by agreeing to marry Rob. He was not the one for you.” Clayton wraps his fingers around the note. “You belonged to me then. You belong to me now.” He closes his eyes so tight that veins push through the skin on his forehead. “I needed to make you see reason. I wanted you to choose me instead of him. I knew from the start that he was toying with you, that he was going to hurt you.”

  “What are you saying?” I know exactly what he’s getting at, but I don’t know how to respond. I need to kill time, to gather my thoughts.

  “I wanted to marry you. That night, I was going to tell you about the kidney I planned to give you as an engagement present.”

  “What?” I slide off the stool and stumble back until I hit a wall, my hand on my mouth. “You were there?”

  He nods. “The door was open, so I walked in. I saw everything.” He unwraps his fingers from around the note and flattens it out on the kitchen island. Then he shows it to me. Even though he won’t let me touch it, he brings it close enough for me to read.

  It was Delia. She murdered me.

  There’s nothing else on the piece of paper, just those life-altering words and Tina’s signature.

  My knees give way and I slide to the floor, still staring at the note in his hand.

  Tina had planned it all. She had planned to kill herself and pin it on me, and all because I wanted to be with Rob? I had no idea how damaged she was.

  “When you ran out of Tina’s apartment, I saw the note and took it. I wanted to protect you. I couldn’t let the police see it.”

  I raise my blurry eyes to Clayton. I can barely see him through the tears. I’m too much in shock to speak.

  He’s right. If the police had seen the note, they would have arrested me. Some murderers kill without even touching the victim, and I touched Tina. I wrestled with her.

  I can still remember the feel of my fingers on top of hers when I tried to stop her from shooting herself. I should have talked her out of it without making contact with her. It was not my intention, but deep down I know that I probably helped her pull the trigger.

  Over the years, I convinced myself that I didn’t do anything wrong. I was the one who called 911 from a pay phone a few blocks from Tina’s apartment. I told myself I did the right thing.

  “I know this is all a shock to you right now.” Clayton kneels in front of me. I want to crawl away from him, but I’m frozen, paralyzed by my emotions. “My love, we can leave all that behind us. No one ever has to see the note. I’ve kept it hidden for years. That doesn’t have to change. It will be our little secret. Let me love you forever.” He shoves the note into his back pocket.

  “Clayton, I’m not myself. I’m a total mess.” My lips are trembling now. “But once I find Lea, I...I promise we’ll talk about us. I’ll be able to think straight. Just get me back to land. If you love me as much as you say you do, you will wait until I find my little girl.” I’m still shaking inside after reading the note.

  What if I find Lea, and she’s alive and well, but I also have to go to prison for Tina’s murder, leaving my child to be raised by someone else?

  I can’t think about that right now.

  Clayton gets to his feet and starts to pace, his lips working as if he’s saying something to himself. I cannot read his lips, but I know he’s wrestling with his own emotions.

  I crawl into a corner of the room and wrap my arms around my knees, my eyes fixed on him, praying that he will not do something to hurt me. I’m starting to feel nothing but fear in his presence.

  When he stops pacing and comes back to stand in front of me, I hold my breath.

  “It’s all right, baby. You don’t have to be afraid of me. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you. I love you too much. Surely, you know that by now.” He kneels in front of me again and places a hand on my shoulder. The smell of his sweat and aftershave drift into my nostrils. “I’ll never stop loving you, Delia. The fact that you picked up the phone to call me after all those years tells me you love me as well. I trust you.” His lips stretch into a smile that, instead of comforting me, sends chills down my spine. “I know you won’t hurt me again. That’s why I’ll give you what you want. We’ll find your baby together. Then we will finally plan our future.”

  I nod, avoiding his gaze. I hate myself for lying to him, even without words, but there’s no other way. Rejecting him while I’m out on the ocean and unable to run could hurt me.

  I pray he won’t figure out that I’m lying before I have a chance to escape.

  “Good,” he says. “But you have to face the truth. Your baby might not be alive. You need to be prepared for that possibility.”

  “No,” I grab both sides of my head. “You don’t know that for sure. I refuse to believe it.” I press my lips together. “If it’s really true that she’s—I want to see for myself.”

&n
bsp; But I’m her mother and I know she’s not dead. My baby is out there somewhere waiting for me to save her. She’s all I have left. Her father is gone and it’s just the two of us. I can’t let her down.

  But if Clayton doesn’t have her, who does? What monster destroyed my life?

  “All right,” Clayton says in a resigned tone. “I just wanted you to be sure you know exactly what you might be getting yourself into.”

  “I know.” I push my shoulders back. “But I’m willing to take that risk.”

  Chapter 27

  It’s still dark outside, but lights in the distance are starting to pierce through the darkness. We’re finally approaching land.

  Instead of relief, my stomach is starting to clench up with anxiety. I wish I could predict how this will end. How will Clayton react to me walking away?

  From the corner of my eye, I watch him staring at the TV screen while he digs into a bowl of popcorn with one hand. When he insisted that we watch an episode of Friends together, I didn’t object.

  I would have preferred to stay in my cabin, but I’ve seen how badly he reacts to rejection.

  He’s pretending we’re two normal people relaxing in front of the TV.

  Sitting next to him on the couch, my body is so tense that every muscle hurts.

  “Who’s steering the boat?” It’s a question that has been on my mind, but had not left my lips.

  “One of my people. Don’t worry about it.” He stuffs popcorn into his mouth. “Are you sure you don’t want some?” he asks after chewing for a while.

  The warm smell of melted butter makes me want to gag.

  I shake my head and look back out the window. It does comfort me somewhat to know I’m not alone with him on the boat.

  He pats my hand and I flinch. “Looks like we’ve arrived.”

  “Yes.” I do my best to keep my relief neatly tucked away.

  As soon as the boat comes to a stop, I get to my feet, praying he won’t stop me.

  “Hey, where are you going?” he asks.

  I use the back of my hand to wipe away the beads of sweat on my upper lip. “I need to get off the boat, Clayton, to find my daughter. We talked about this.”

  “Right.” He gets to his feet and reaches into his pocket. “But you can’t get off the boat without these.” He dangles a set of keys between us, then drops them back into his pocket. “And I can’t let you go out there when it’s still so dark. You will wait until morning, then I’ll go searching with you.”

  A few more hours on the boat will kill me.

  “I actually think it’s best I do it alone.” I scrape a hand through my hair. “I mean, you’ve done so much for me already. I know my way around town. I’ll be fine. I’ll keep you updated.”

  As soon as I step off his boat, he’ll never see or hear from me again. I’ll do whatever it takes to distance myself from him and his obsession.

  “No.” He shakes his head. “I already told you that I’m not leaving your side. We’re in this together. I need to protect you not only from the police, but also from the person who took your daughter.”

  “I know, but I have already disrupted your life. I feel terrible asking you to drop everything again.”

  “I’ll do anything for you.” His tone is hard. “How could you not see that by now? I promised to help you find your daughter and that’s what I intend to do.”

  His words slam into my temples. The headache is so intense it blinds me. I massage my temples to get rid of it, but it doesn’t help.

  “Are you okay?” He takes a few steps toward me.

  “I’m fine.” I force myself not to move away from him.

  He places a finger under my chin and gazes into my eyes. “Promise me one thing.”

  I blink in response.

  “Promise me that when all of this is over, we will be together.”

  I want to remind him of my request to discuss it later, but the man is clearly delusional.

  Continuing to lie to him is the only safe way out.

  “I promise.” I almost choke on the binding words. “But I need to find my daughter first.”

  He drops his hand and sits back down, his narrowed eyes still on me. “I want to believe you, Delia, but something is stopping me. Maybe it’s because you betrayed me once. You pretended to love me, then you left. You left to start a life with another man.” He rubs his hand up and down his arm again.

  I’m tempted to say something that will burst his bubble, but I keep my mouth shut.

  “But I’m willing to forgive you,” he continues. “Love is a risk and you are worth it. I’ll take my chances because I know you’re my destiny.” He stands again and comes to take my hand. “Hey, you’re shaking.” His fingers tighten around mine. “Are you afraid of me?”

  “No.” I clear my throat. “I’m a little cold. We should really get going, Clay.”

  I need to get off the boat. If it’s with him by my side, so be it. I can always find a way to outrun him later.

  “Clay.” He rolls the word on his tongue. “I always loved the way you say my name.”

  “I prefer Clay to Clayton.” I extract my hand from his, pretending I need it to scratch my cheek. “But we need to go...please. We can’t wait till morning. I’ve already wasted too much time.”

  “Are you saying that the time we spend together is wasted?” His brows draw together.

  This is so much harder than I expected.

  “That’s not what I mean. I’m just saying that every second counts. Lea could get hurt.”

  Please God, let her be alive.

  “You’re right. We should act fast. But first I need to show you something. Then we’ll leave. I promise.”

  “What do you want to show me?” I ask, glancing out the window.

  “It’s a surprise.” He reaches for my hand and walks me out of the living area, taking me to his cabin. I remain in the doorway, staring at a big white box on his bed.

  “Come on inside. I promise not to bite.” He chuckles.

  “No, I’m fine here.”

  “Come on, Delia.” He takes my hand, holding it a little too tightly, and pulls me inside. “Don’t spoil the surprise. The sooner you see it, the sooner we can search for your kid.”

  I’m ready to dig my heels in, but I spot something black peeking out from underneath one of his many pillows.

  A phone. I need to get to it on the off chance that he refuses to let me go. In that case, I would have to call the police. What if he’s lying about letting me walk? He could be toying with me.

  “Go on and open it. You’ll love it. I promise.”

  Holding my breath, I do as I’m told.

  I have to play the game right, or I might ruin my chances of escape.

  I walk to the bed and sit, making sure I’m as close to the phone as possible.

  He steps forward and places the box on my lap, his eyes shining with excitement.

  My stomach is in knots as I lift the cover, and a gasp bursts from me when my gaze lands on a cloud of chiffon and silk.

  “It’s your wedding dress,” Clayton says, coming to sit next to me.

  I continue to stare at the dress in disbelief. I should say something, but what? The words I most want to say will hurt him.

  How could our relationship move from a normal friendship to something so twisted?

  Something inside of him is broken, and I’m responsible. I broke him with a simple word.

  No.

  That was all it took to send him spinning out of control.

  “Don’t you like it? It’s beautiful just like you.”

  “I...I’m speechless.” My hand hovers over the material while adrenaline is pumping in my veins. Right now, all I feel is fear, the kind I’ve never known before in my life.

  When I don’t move, he stands and lifts the dress out of the box. He’s right. It’s stunning. The dress is encrusted with crystals on the bust and has a flowing chiffon material for a skirt.

  “So, what do you
think?” A grin lights up his face. “Is it good enough for my future bride?”

  “It’s perfect,” I murmur. My hand is itching to grab the phone and call for help, but that won’t be possible with him in the same room.

  An idea hits me out of nowhere, a possible solution to my dilemma. “Let me try it on. I want to make sure it fits well.”

  “That’s a fantastic idea, but I thought the groom is not allowed to see the bride in the dress before the wedding.”

  “I don’t believe in superstitions. Do you?”

  He chuckles. “No, I don’t.”

  “Can I be alone?” I ask when he doesn’t make a move to leave the room. “I want to surprise you.”

  “Of course.” He hands me the dress. “I’m a sucker for surprises.”

  “Great. I’ll call you in when I’m done.”

  He strides out the door and I lock it quickly.

  “Do you have to do that?” he calls from the other side.

  “Yes. I don’t want you peeking.”

  “I get it.” His laughter is so rich and pure that I suddenly feel terrible for what I know I have to do.

  I don’t waste time. I shove the dress aside and grab the phone. It’s only when it’s in my hand that I recognize it. It’s my phone, the one I brought with me to the boat, the one he claimed to have thrown away. Another lie that I had believed.

  “We can have the wedding on the boat,” he says from the other side of the door. “I’ve already arranged for an online officiant.”

  “Okay.” I hope he doesn’t notice the faint tremor in my voice. It’s now clear that he has absolutely no intention of letting me leave the boat without marrying him first.

  With trembling hands, I switch on the phone. My heart leaps when it lights up, but my relief only lasts until I notice that the battery is about to die. One bar left.

  I need to call the police. At this stage, I’m no longer afraid that they will arrest me. I need them to take me away from Clayton. I’ll also beg them to find my daughter. I’ll do everything to convince them that I would never do anything to hurt her.