FRACTURE: Hearts of Stone Book Six

by Woodward, Kaya

  But how can I refuse the man I love?

  “Evan, what about your father?” I ask.

  Good distraction, girl. You rock, I think bitterly. Is this what I’ve become? A woman who uses everything she can, every intimate detail about the man she loves and his family, to drive him away?

  Jesus, am I crazy?

  “He’s alive,” I say.

  “And you gave me that,” Evan twists my words.

  “Don’t try to change the subject, about my father,” he says.

  “Damn, I thought that was going to work,” I admit.

  I shrug.

  “Just come home, baby. Please. Just come here, live here. Let’s try to make this work. We owe it to our marriage to do this Leigha. We owe it to each other. We didn’t fight this long only to give up. What it boils down to is I love you, and you love me, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters to me,” he says.

  I know Evan is sincere.

  He’s so sincere that tears leak out of my eyes.

  Fuck, why am I always crying?

  “Say you’re going to stay,” he pleads.

  I look away from his intense gaze. Evan reaches out and squeezes my hand.

  “Say it, Leigha. Please say you’re going to come back to me, like I know you will, I know you’ll come back to me eventually because you always do, and I need you now, more than anything,” Evan tells me.

  I suck in a breath, unsteady.

  17

  Evan

  January 20, 2019

  “Maybe,” Leigha gives me an answer I do not want.

  “Why?” I ask.

  “I- I want nothing more than to come home to you Evan, but I don’t know if I can handle this. You and Vic with Ethan? It hurts me, somewhere deep inside that I thought I’d gotten over,” Leigha admits.

  “Leigha,” I take her hands.

  “That will be us, someday, I promise you, that’s all I want with you, a life, children, happiness,” I say sincerely.

  “That’s what I want too!” Leigha cries.

  She flies across the bed and wraps her arms around me, sobbing against my skin.

  It hurts me too, not only that she’s hurting over what we lost, but that we don’t have a baby together.

  I wish it were us.

  Leigha cries in my arms as I continued to whisper how much I need her; how much I love her and how grateful I am that she’s here with me.

  Eventually, we fall asleep.

  * * *

  When I wake up, Leigha is gone - again.

  I feel a stab of pain to the heart, reminding me of how I couldn’t get a hold of her and how everything felt like it was falling apart.

  I sigh and call her.

  “Hello Evan,” Leigha answers the phone this time.

  “Where are you?” I ask.

  “I had to give Merc his car back,” Leigha says.

  Thank god.

  “Oh,” I sigh with relief.

  “Where did you think I was?” Leigha asks, her tone slightly teasing.

  “I thought you were leaving me, again,” I admit.

  “I should’ve told you I was leaving,” Leigha muses.

  “Or woken me up with morning sex. You know I’m a fan of that,” I quip.

  “Mornings used to be our time,” she reminds me.

  “Come back here, and I’ll remind you. Hard,” I growl into the phone.

  “Evan!” Leigha laughs.

  “What?” I say snidely. “You know you’re thinking about it. You’re going to come right back here, to our home,” I tell her.

  “I am Evan, I am,” Leigha says into the phone.

  That’s all I want to hear.

  “I’ll be back soon, I love you,” Leigha tells me.

  “I love you more,” I reply.

  “Goodbye, Evan,” Leigha sounds so happy.

  I’m ecstatic when I hang up the phone. This is the first morning I’ve wanted to shower, put on a suit, and face the world because Leigha and I are back where we should be. The first thing I’m going to do is beg her to marry me again; I’m pulling out all the stops.

  Then I’m stopped dead in the kitchen when I see Vic and Ethan.

  “Good Morning, you look chipper,” Vic taunts.

  “Oh, shut up,” I laugh.

  “Did you and Leigha work things out?” Vic sounds hopeful.

  “She’s coming home,” I tell her.

  “You’re going to be stuck with a perm-a-smile if you keep that up, Evan,” Vic laughs.

  “Are you okay with this?” I ask her.

  “Please, you were misery in a bottle without her, I’d much rather have you happy than miserable with me,” she replies.

  At least Vic is truthful.

  “In the interest of being honest, since that’s what we’re doing, how are you doing with all this?” I ask.

  “I’m not going to lie, it does hurt a lot, but Levi invited Ethan and me out for lunch again, so I think we’ll go,” Vic admits.

  “He’s nice to talk to, like your father,” Vic says.

  I’m not shocked by this development. Levi is all about family, and Vic is family now.

  “Good,” I say.

  “I’m not a fan of the whole single mother thing, but I can manage it. I never thought I’d be any good at it,” Vic pauses to adjust Ethan in her arms.

  “The single mother thing, you know?” she finishes.

  I nod.

  “But, at the same time, I’ve got you guys,” Vic says.

  “You know you’re always welcome in my father’s house, and if he were here, he’d say stay as long as you like,” I tell her.

  “I know,” Vic smiles.

  “And it doesn’t feel like charity. It feels like family,” Vic says.

  Then she gives me a real smile.

  “It’s hard to hurt when I see you so happy because you were never that happy with me, and I want that. I want what you and Leigha have,” Vic confesses.

  “You’ll find it,” I assure her.

  “Love is always found in the most unexpected places. My father used to say,” I tell her.

  “Your father said a lot of things,” Vic rolls her eyes at me.

  “Well, I don’t know what to tell you then. Now you’ve got me afraid I’ve just been quoting my father my entire life,” I joke.

  “You have,” Vic teases me.

  We smile at each other, and the fact that we’re doing this more easily tells me a lot: it means that I was never invested in Vic, as much as I thought that I was.

  “Ethan,” I tell my son.

  “Don’t ever take your grandfather’s advice,” I say.

  Vic laughs so hard I have to take the baby from her. Then I realize it’s been almost two hours since Leigha called. She’s still not back. I call, and her phone goes straight to voicemail.

  Something’s wrong. Very wrong.

  I open up the tracking app on my phone and note her last location.

  Merc’s place?

  “I have to go,” I tell Vic suddenly.

  “Alright, say bye to Daddy, Ethan,” Vic says.

  Ethan gives me a baby laugh, and I wave my way out of the house.

  Then, I’m speeding across London, to Leigha’s last location, hoping that I get there in time.

  Part II

  18

  Leigha

  January 20, 2019

  My phone is suddenly on the ground smashed, and I’m faced with the barrel of Olivia’s gun.

  “Olivia,” I say her name.

  “Hello, Leigha,” Olivia says, her voice full of malice.

  “Won’t you join us?” she asks.

  I look around the room, and Merc’s apartment has been overturned.

  Merc is strapped into a chair, bloody and bruised. A trickle of blood runs down his temple, and the blood drains from his face as Olivia orders me towards the couch.

  “Sit,” she commands.

  Olivia has four henchmen with her that I can see. Merc and I are
completely outnumbered. They’re ransacking his apartment, again.

  “Where is it?” Olivia asks me, calmly.

  “Where’s what?” I ask bewildered.

  “The SD card you little fool!”

  Olivia rages at me, her voice high-pitched to my ears. I want to cover them, close my eyes, and make all of this go away.

  “I don’t know,” I answer her, meekly.

  She rolls her eyes.

  “I don’t,” I say.

  “Don’t tell her anything, Leigha, don’t tell her anything,” Merc pleads with me.

  As if I would…

  I don’t even know what Merc did with the SD card; if I'm honest with myself, all I know is that he took it to work.

  Olivia slams the barrel of the shotgun against Merc’s head with a loud thunk, and he groans in pain. He says nothing, but his eyes blaze hatred, frustration, and anger.

  “He won’t tell you anything! Neither will I,” I say boldly.

  “Don’t you want to see Daddy-dearest alive again?” Olivia hisses.

  I press my lips together.

  “What do you mean?” I stutter.

  “Ugh, you are such an insolent little bitch!” Olivia says.

  Her green eyes look like they’re going to roll right out of her head, as though I should know something that she does.

  But, all I can think about is the fact that I’m not going to see Evan again.

  We’re going to die for sure!

  Olivia pauses her interrogation to confer with one of her men, probably to decide what to do with us.

  “Merc, do something,” I plead with him.

  Merc twists his head to look at me.

  “It’s going to be okay Leigha, I promise,” he says.

  I don’t know if that’s a promise that he can keep.

  “I’m sorry,” Merc whispers.

  “Don’t be,” I whisper back.

  For once, I can contain my tears. If I’m going to go out, I don’t want to die begging and pleading for my life, crying.

  Olivia and her goons continue to whisper in hushed tones.

  “Leigha,” Merc says my name.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Fucking duck,” Merc says boldly.

  I barely see Olivia’s head whip around to the sound of Merc’s voice before I slam my body into the hardwood floor, and I’m blinded by a sudden cacophony of light and sound.

  My senses are dulled, and I have a vague awareness of everything; instead of moving, I fight to see through the blindness.

  Am I dead?

  “Jesus Christ, Torelli! Way to get yourself almost killed,” I hear an angry female voice.

  “Fucking about time,” Merc replies.

  I’m dragged up, off the floor, to my feet, and my vision comes back, between flashes of light and little black spots.

  I feel like I’m going to faint!

  “Leave the girl!” Merc’s female hisses.

  “I can’t,” he replies.

  Yes, you can! But my mouth won’t open, and words won’t come out as my vision adjusts and Merc leads me out of his flat amidst a spray of gunfire.

  “Just go!” she screams.

  My heart races as I try to scramble along with Merc, who drags me along with him.

  He pauses, and I hear more gunshots.

  “Torelli, go!” the woman screams.

  Merc pushes me into running along with him at full tilt, and I can barely breathe as we make it to the stairs. I stumble, falling after him, blinded to my own senses. Merc catches me at the last moment, and heaves my entire body over his shoulder! I feel his strong arms close around my waist, and then I’m jolted as he throws me into a van.

  “Leslie, go! Go!” Merc screams at the top of his lungs.

  “I’m trying!” Leslie, whoever she is, screams back.

  The van jolts and skids as it pulls away and I’m thrown into the wall helplessly.

  Finally, I can gain my bearings as the van skids through the slick streets, screeching and groaning as Leslie effortlessly maneuvers around other cars without breaking a sweat. I get a good look at her: brown hair thrown into a ponytail, determined eyes.

  Who is this woman?

  “Fuck!” Merc yells.

  The wall of the van is punctured with bullet holes, and I sink to the ground. Merc throws one of the back doors open, and I see him firing at the car speeding behind us.

  The car starts to weave, making it impossible for Merc to hit it!

  “Hold on!” Leslie screams.

  “I’ve got nothing to hold onto!” I scream back.

  Merc’s arms close around my waist as the van screeches again, and I feel the world spin around me. That’s how I realize the van is rolling!

  This is how I die, I think. This is definitely how I’m going to die; the ear-shattering yelp that escapes my lips as my head smashes against something isn’t something I can prevent.

  Miraculously, the van stops rolling.

  “Come on!” Leslie barely skips a beat, jumping out.

  “Come on!” Merc echoes.

  I drag myself out of the open back door of the van, coughing, wheezing, and out of breath.

  “Did they follow?” Merc whispers fiercely.

  My head pounds at the sound of his voice.

  “I think I have a concussion,” I mutter.

  “You’re bleeding,” Leslie tells me.

  “Come on, there’s a safe house a few kilometers away,” she tells me.

  “What about a hospital?” I ask.

  “No time,” Merc grimaces.

  No.

  Time.

  Leslie, as I call her in my head, rolls the elevator doors shut with a loud thunk and taps her fingers against her forehead as it creaks upwards towards our destination.

  This is the first time I’ve seen her look even remotely nervous.

  “Fuck, Torelli, what are we going to do with her?” she asks.

  It’s as though I’m not even there.

  “It’s bad enough she knows you’re alive! Now she knows who I am!” she tells Merc.

  “Leigha won’t say anything,” Merc says.

  His arms are crossed, and he gives me a stern look.

  “Will you Leigha?” he asks.

  “I don’t even know who you are,” I whine.

  My headache has turned into a scorching ache that won’t go away, and I sink to the floor of the elevator, my knees in front of me as I try to draw deep calming breaths. It feels like something is stepping on my chest.

  “You realize, Torelli, that she led Olivia straight to you. Almost got you both killed, and for what?” Leslie asks.

  “Who exactly are you, again?” I ask finally, my voice muffled from the fact that I’m staring into my knees.

  “Doesn’t matter,” she grumbles back.

  The elevator stops and Merc pulls me to my feet, to wander down the hall of a dilapidated building until we reach the desired flat. Leslie unlocks the door, and Merc tells me to wait as they look around.

  “Clear!” I hear Leslie call.

  “Clear!” Merc calls back.

  Leslie rushes to the door and closes it, slamming shut the deadbolt.

  “You’re bleeding,” she tells me.

  “Here. Sit,” she commands.

  I sit and try not to wince as she prods my head, a flashlight in her hand.

  “It’s just a little cut, doesn’t look too deep. You probably do you have a concussion though,” she tells me.

  “Is that why I can’t remember who you are?” I ask.

  She snorts.

  “Sophie Leslie,” she says.

  “Merc’s… well, I was Merc’s partner. I don’t know what’s going to happen to him now,” she says snidely.

  “We’ll be alright,” Merc replies casually.

  “How can you be so confident? The least they’re going to want to do is throw her in witness protection! At the very least, Merc! You’ve ruined her life!” Sophie replies.

  “It
won’t come to that,” he tells her.

  “Okay, so what happens in ten minutes when I report that we’re safe and that we’ve got a civilian with us, huh, Merc?” Sophie bounces back.

  Merc’s eyes settle on me as I stare at both of them in horror. He turns his face so he can’t see the look on mine.

  “Just don’t tell them,” he replies.

  “You want me to lie?” Sophie asks, incredulous over this.

  “Mercutio Torelli, I am many things, but I am not a liar!” she continues.

  “You can do it this once,” he argues back.

  “And what about Olivia? Hmm? What happens when Olivia goes running after your girl because she’s out in the open?” Sophie points out.

  “Without you there to protect her,” she adds.

  I shrink at the concept of Olivia hurting me, or Evan, or even Ethan. After tonight I wouldn’t put it past her.

  “You’re a bitch. You know that?” I ask.

  Sophie raises an eyebrow at me. Merc looks at me, really looks at me, a wolfish grin on his face, chocolate eyes dancing in the light streaming through the window.

  “She’s right,” Merc says.

  “Enough distractions. Merc, you know we have to tell them we’ve got a civilian,” Sophie says with a shake of her head.

  “It’s protocol,” she says, looking at me.

  “Sorry, sweetie,” she shrugs.

  “You want them to throw Leigha in witness protection? I’ll never see her again!” Merc argues.

  “You weren’t supposed to see her again, numbnuts,” Sophie points out.

  “So? That’s shot to shit,” Merc bounces back.

  “Torelli, need I remind you how to do your job?” Sophie asks.

  “Leslie, need I remind you, once again, that you're a cold, hard bitch?” Merc responds.

  “Ugh,” Sophie makes a sound of disgust.

  She looks at me and pinches her nose between her finger and thumb, and appears to be thinking it over. Then, she looks at me. It’s like a tiger looking at its prey.

  Unnerving.

  She spins and faces Merc.

  “One time, Torelli! This one time! If this one gets hurt again, I’m calling it,” Sophie threatens.

  “Deal. She won’t get hurt again,” Merc says, triumphantly.