All the Broken Pieces: (Broken Series Book 3) (39 page)

I squatted down, balancing precariously as I traced the letters of his name. “I’m going to make you proud, Teach.” Pressing my lips to the icy cold stone for the briefest of moments, I stood, smoothing my clothes absently and looking down at the unremarkable plot of land that held the most remarkable soul I’d ever known. “Since I’m already talking so much anyway, maybe you’d like to know that I finally found someone to love. I mean real love, Teach. All the way down to my toes love, that makes me want to take his name and have his babies and grow old with him. Dangerous love, because you and I both know that’s not going to happen, at least not the way I want it. I can’t give him that, won’t ever have the honor of bearing his children, but I can give him most of it. I can give him my heart.” The tears were rolling again, and the cold wind made it feel as if they would freeze to my cheeks. “If I’m incredibly lucky, maybe he’ll decide my heart is enough.”

I gave the headstone a final loving pat. “Merry Christmas, Teach. I love you so much.”

I barely made it to the car before falling apart.

It took me a few minutes to stop sobbing and get myself under control enough to drive to Brant’s cabin.

When I got there, there was no sign of him and the place was locked up tight.

•••

Three calls to his cell phone all went to voicemail. No reply to my texts. No idea where he was.

I was starting to worry. If he’d been out running errands, he would have picked up. Denson was a small town but there was cell coverage pretty much everywhere.

So where the hell was he and why wasn’t he picking up?

As more long minutes ticked by, I chewed my lip and stared down the driveway for any sign of his arrival.

Nothing.

I called his cell again.

Nothing.

Shit.

Scrolling through my contacts, I found the name I was looking for and initiated the call. Either I was being paranoid or something was really wrong.

Talia picked up and greeted me with her singsong voice but once she heard mine, she was instantly concerned. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? What’s happened?” Instant mama-bear, just add drama.

“I’m fine. But Brant isn’t where he said he would be and I can’t get him to answer his phone. I don’t know why, but that has me really worried.”

“Where are you now and when did you last talk to him?” There was an echo that told me she’d put me on speaker. It was only fair, since I was using handsfree to talk to her.

“I’m at his cabin. I was supposed to meet him here to leave for Jennie and Will’s. He’s not here. The place is locked up tight and he’s not answering his cell.” I thought back a minute. “The last I talked to him was this morning when I was leaving for the diner. He called to check in and make sure I remembered the gifts we picked up in Charlottesville and remind me to be here at noon so we would get there before dark.”

Spencer’s voice sounded far away. “His cell is ringing before going to voicemail, right? It’s not going directly to it.”

“Yeah. It rings four times first.”

“Okay, so it’s turned on. Give me a sec.”

“Wait, are you tracking his phone?”

“Yes. All of our phones are on the business account and can be tracked by an admin on the account at any time.”

I knew Spencer was the one I needed to call. But I didn’t have his number in my phone, so calling Talia was the best alternative I had. She came back on the line. “Give him a minute to work his magic. He lives for this kind of thing. He’ll find Brant. And don’t worry. He’s probably inside one of the stores getting a last minute gift and left the phone in his truck.”

“I hope you’re right, Talia. I just wish I didn’t have such a bad feeling right now.”

Talia and Spencer were in Asheville with her family, and I suddenly wished they were back at their cabin here in Denson so I didn’t feel so damn alone.

“Aha.” Spencer muttered. “Got a lock on his phone.”

“Where is he?” Talia and I both asked at once.

There was a moment of silence followed by Spencer’s perplexed voice. “It looks like he’s at the cemetery where Teach was buried.”

My stomach felt like it hit the floor and the rush of fear that hit my spine sent a chill down both arms, making my fingers tingle as they gripped the steering wheel. I put the car in drive and took off down the driveway, headed that way.

“I don’t understand what he’s doing there. I was just there myself. I didn’t see anyone and I would have noticed if I passed him on the road.” I watched as the tiny flakes of snow—falling more heavily now—cascaded over the windshield as if there was an invisible force field keeping it from making contact as I picked up speed. It was a neat optical illusion that I’d always joked about with Teach.

“You just left there? As in
immediately before
you went to his cabin?” Spencer asked.

I nodded distractedly, forgetting that he couldn’t see me.

“Lauren?” Talia prodded gently.

“Sorry. Yeah, I was at the cemetery for around twenty minutes, left there, and came straight to the cabin.”

“How long were you waiting for Brant before you called Talia?” Spencer’s voice was even, but I got the feeling that he was formulating an idea that I wasn’t going to like.

“About fifteen minutes, maybe a less. Probably less because panic makes time stand still. Why? You don’t think he’s just there paying his respects, do you?” My stomach knotted as my anxiety skyrocketed.

“You would have noticed Brant’s truck following you but was anyone else behind you when you drove out there to visit your uncle? Any cars at all that you remember?”

I considered a moment. “Maybe. I think another car may have driven past when I parked at the cemetery but it didn’t slow down and I wasn’t paying enough attention to it to remember what it looked like.”

“And once you made it to Teach’s plot, you wouldn’t have been able to see the road, right?”

He’d attended the burial, so he knew the answer, which meant he was trying to guide me toward his theory. “You think someone followed me out there without me knowing?”

“I think it may be possible. I talked to Brant yesterday and he told me you two were leaving today. He also mentioned having to pick up your gift before you two left town. That would mean he was just a couple blocks from the diner around the time you were leaving for the cemetery—an excursion I’m sure you hadn’t mentioned to him, right?” He didn’t wait for me to answer, he apparently knew me well enough to guess. “So, if he sees you headed in the opposite direction of the cabin, of course he’s going to wonder where you’re going.”

“You think Brant followed me?” I frowned through the windshield. “That’s not something I think he’d do.”

“Me either. Unless he thought someone else was already following you.”

“Shit.” Talia whispered and I could practically see her hand flying to her mouth, just as mine would have been if I weren’t squeezing the hell out of the steering wheel.

“I need to call Clay,” Spencer muttered. “He needs to know what’s going on, just in case.”

I shook my head, not buying their theory. “Why wouldn’t he have called me if he thought Isaac was after me again?”

The line was silent for so long that I glanced down at the display to make sure the call hadn’t been dropped.

“Spencer? Talia?”

“We’re here,” Talia muttered quietly. “You don’t think…” This was definitely to Spencer, barely audible and frightened.

“Think what? Someone talk to me! Why do you think he didn’t call me? Why would he let me leave that cemetery without saying anything, without letting me know what was happening?” I was getting pissed. And more terrified by the minute.

Spencer’s voice was low and steady, telling me he firmly believed what he was saying. “So you wouldn’t stop him from killing Isaac.”

•••

The place looked just as deserted the second time around, with the addition of a light dusting of snow adding to the vacant feeling. I’d listened to Spencer and Talia for what seemed like hours, warning against going back, begging me to call the police, telling me that I had no idea what I was walking into. None of it dissuaded me in the slightest from my course. In the end, Spencer announced that he would give me exactly fifteen minutes from the time I ended the call. If I hadn’t called back in that time, he was calling the police himself.

What could I do? Argue? I couldn’t stop him from calling any more than he could stop me from going back. Distance was a real bitch sometimes. We could only trust each other to do what was right. And I trusted him to keep his word, something that would have been unheard of just a few months ago.

I stepped from my car and hit the fob a single time, locking the doors against anyone looking to sneak in but not setting the alarm to avoid the telltale beep that would announce my arrival. Walking carefully along the closely cut winter rye grass, I scanned the open area and spotted nothing out of the ordinary. Lots of silent stones, a smattering of silk flowers and a few real bouquets that were wilted by the cold. A wreath or two that made me take second looks as I hugged the wood line and followed it around the sharp bend that led to Teach’s grave. I was careful to check behind me every few yards, and I peered into the dense trees often, looking for any signs of movement.

All was still.

Deathly still and quiet.

Passing Teach’s grave with a glance at the undisturbed dusting of snow on his headstone, I moved toward the back of the cemetery, rounding the last bend and stopping dead in my tracks at what I saw there.

Isaac stood no more than twenty yards off to my left, in the furthest corner near the tree line, only a few feet from an open grave. He was bleeding freely from his mouth, a trail of blood dripped from his right ear down onto the collar of his surprisingly clean button down shirt. It fit him loosely enough to let me know it was most likely stolen. As were the rest of his clothes, I was sure.

He glanced my way and the blood in my veins ran cold. His eyes on me felt like an invasion, an unwanted caress like so many before it. I felt ill.

Turning my attention from his leering face, my eyes fell on Brant, who was standing a few yards away.

My breath whooshed out of my body at the sight of him there, bleeding himself and back ramrod straight, pointing a shotgun at Isaac’s chest. My feet began to move on their own, Brant drawing me to his side like a magnet, but I faltered and froze in place when his cold, distant voice called out to me.

“Stay right there, Lauren. Don’t come any closer.”

I glanced at Isaac again, his tongue darting out to lap at the blood on his lips. I actually felt the bile rising in my throat. “I need to see that you’re okay. Please.” I took a careful step forward, but he shook his head, eyes still locked on Isaac.

“No. You need to turn around and go back home. I don’t want you seeing this.”

“You can’t kill him.” I pleaded. “He’s not worth it. Let the police take care of him.”

Brant laughed sarcastically. “Like they did last time? They let him out after what he did to you and look, look how that turned out.”

Isaac smacked his lips wetly, and I could feel his eyes on me. “You filled out real nice there, sugar. Best tits I’ve touched in a long time.”

I glared at him defiantly, working hard not to let him see how hard I was shaking. “How you liking those new scars, fuckface? They’re bound to be an improvement.”

“You’ll pay for that, bitch.” He snarled, blood misting off the corner of his mouth as he spoke.

Brant growled low in his chest, leveling the gun at him, pointing at his head now. He spoke to me as his jaw clenched. “Get out, Lauren. Now. There’s only one way to be sure he never bothers you again. And I intend to see that it’s done. I planned to make him dig his own grave like he made you dig that hole for your dog, but then I figured since there was one already dug, there was no reason to waste time.”

“So, let’s say you shoot him. Okay, then what?” I threw up my hands. “You go to prison and what happens to me while you’re rotting away for twenty years over killing this piece of shit? How is making me live without you helping me? He’s nothing. I shredded his ugly face once and, if he ever gets out of prison, I’ll be glad to do it again. He doesn’t scare me, Brant. Not anymore. The only thing that scares me is the thought of losing you. Please…” I took a few steps in his direction and he didn’t stop me. “Don’t choose revenge over our future.”

“I heard you talking to Teach.” He said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

“You did?”

He nodded, glaring at Isaac. “I let him climb out of his car and start through the woods before I got the drop on him.” He tapped the barrel of the gun with the hand steadying his aim. “Took this from him and held it across his throat until I knew you were gone. I could almost see you through the trees, but not quite. I could hear you talking though.”

“And?”

“You really want to grow old with me?” His eyes dropped momentarily to the ground, like a he was warring with himself, wanting revenge but also picturing the future I’d spoken of. He went back to watching Isaac a moment later, fully composed.

“Of course I do. I love you, Weirdo.” I reached out to lay my hand gently on his shoulder.

His voice was low and husky when he said, ‘Your heart is more than enough. Now and forever.”

“Now and forever.”

He was still watching Isaac, who was feigning like he was wiping away a tear, muttering how sweet we were and how we should star in a made-for-TV movie. The distant sounds of approaching sirens fell on my ears and I sighed in relief. Spencer hadn’t waited the full fifteen minutes, and I was immeasurably grateful for that. It was almost over.

The sirens were getting close, so I looked to Brant and told him I’d step around the corner and show them the way. He nodded, the only assurance I needed that he was going to let them handle it.

I was only a few yards away when I heard Isaac call out, talking to Brant.