Slice (The Elledge Family #1) (51 page)

“Mom where is Whitney?”

“I said not right now, babe. Let's just get you stable.”

“Mark,” I whined. “Where is she?”

“She didn't make it.” He whispered. “She bled out.” Mark closed his eyes. “Lucas stopped by for a moment. He had to be back in time to feed the babies.”
      

“She died?” My voice cracked. I was officially a killer

“Yeah, look don't bother with that right now. You just need to do what your mom said and don't think about it. We can sort everything out in a few okay?” Mark stood next to the bed.

The tear escaped and I wiped it quickly. She was dead. “Yeah.”

“Take care of him.” He touched Margot lightly on the shoulder. “I have to run upstairs and check on the other brother and then I will be back before I leave. Shia has been bugging the mess out of me.”

The medicine had me numb. I stared at the ceiling. “There is an agent here to talk to you. Please work with him so they can figure out who done this to you okay?”

“I promise mom.”

“Good.”

To no surprise McMillan made his grand entrance into the room. “Asher, you look beat up.”

“Yeah, someone fucked me over.”

“So you know how it feels.” He chuckled. “I just want to know what happened.”

“A guy bashed in my door and he slammed her into the fireplace. I lunged at him and he beat the shit out of me.” I squinted as I tried to sit up slowly. The fluids from the IV had me ready to piss on myself.”

“I saw his kids upstairs.”

“Yeah, they are some lookers.” I hit the button for the nurse.

“Too bad they won't know their father that long, huh?”

“Did you come to find out who killed my ex or do you want to play cops and robbers with my brother again? He's in room 405b if you are looking for him.” I coughed and a pain shot up through my body. I winced at the pain and hit the button once more for the nurse.
      

“Whitney died and you are still here, why is that?”

“I saw here hit the fireplace.”

“Where were you when this happened.”

“In the back room. I wanted to change shirts before we sat down and talked. She said wanted to talk to me before I left.” I clenched my fist.

“So you were in the backroom?”

“My bedroom, I heard the door shatter and I ran into the living room. I saw him there as he pushed her into the fireplace. I ran towards him and he commenced to beat my ass around the room. I sent a text to my brother… 911.”

“To Lucas?”

“To both of them… Mark called the cops and I was passed out before he even got there.”

“So why not call the police yourself?”

“I barely had the energy,” I inhaled slowly and then pushed out the air. “He beat the shit out of me.”
      
“Okay. Well get some rest.”

“I will.”

The nurse entered the room, followed by Lucas. “You bloody bastard? What the hell happened?” He ran to the bed. “You can't fucking almost die on me when I need you the most. I don't even know how to change their knickers.” His rant continued until he noticed McMillan.

“I'm not going anywhere.” I smiled.

“Neither am I.” McMillan added.

“Good, I like having you around.” He ignored the agent and touched my shoulder. “Whoever this fucker was beat the shit out of you.” Lucas laughed. “No traveling for you anytime soon.”

“I know. My apartment has to be cleared, but now it's a crime scene.”

“Well, good thing it was just you.” Lucas looked at McMillan. “Can we have a moment?”

“It was not just him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whitney Sanders died.”

“Whit?” Lucas stared at me. “Are you okay? I mean I know you loved her?”

“I don't think it's hit me yet.” I grimaced.

“Whatever you do, keep this shit away from Cypress. She has cried three times in the last ten minutes and I don't know why. I don't want to know why. And she wants to see you. So you need to get better by tomorrow.”

“Impossible. I have like three ribs broken and my face looks like...”

“You lost the worst fight of your life.” McMillan nodded his head. “I will be checking back in with you once we have evaluated the crime scene. Please stay available.”

“I have no choice. I'll be here.” I watched him as he left. “You should be with those kids.”

“I know what you done.” Lucas said. “And I can't go into it because I have to feed those babies when I get there, but I appreciate it and I will be back down here shortly.”

“Who?”

“Mark.” He smiled. “I know you loved her.”

“I can't talk about it.”

“Don't talk about it.” Lucas advised. “It's better when you don't.”

Lucas

I couldn't help but think that I had turned everyone around me into some kind of monster.  Asher, the one brother that had nothing tied to him was a murderer now. Cypress even turned a blind eye to everything that I had done, granted she didn't know much.

The babies slept. And my eyes were glued to them like they were going to get up and walk away. I just wanted to make sure that they were never touched, but whatever was in me.

“You should go home and shower?”

“I wouldn't dream of it.” I said with a smile.

“You can't be smelling up the place Lucas.” Cypress was playful. I shook my head. “I think that she can survive you showering.”

Willow had a mess of blonde curls piled on her head, but her skin was already the most beautiful shade of tan I'd ever seen. She had yet to open her eyes and I just wanted to be there for it. “I can't leave. What if she opens her eyes while I'm gone?”

“She'll open them again.”

“I don't want to miss it.” I touched the Nathaniel's hand.  He'd opened his eyes and gripped my finger already. He had stolen my heart with just the first cry and Willow just first sight.

“How is Asher?”

“What do you mean?”

“I overheard the entire conversation with Mark.” She added. “Don't try to hide shit from me. It won't work.”

“He is okay.”

“Well, I hope he gets better soon... I want him to be Willow's godfather and it really can't work if he is crippled.”

“You want that?”

“Yes and Mark the godfather for Nathaniel. They have to have some good male role models in their life besides you. And Callum definitely didn't have a chance in the running.”

“You hate him and he really is not a bad guy.”

“I don't hate him.”

“You do too babe.” I nodded my head.

“It's because he won't even marry that poor girl. Holly has been there for him for the long run and he can't even give her a ring and some stability.”

“My cousin is a thinker. He doesn't love with his heart. He loves with his mind and that is why he hasn't even thought about asking her. He wants to make sure that if he makes this commitment that it will be a wise commitment. He isn't like me. I love with everything he loves with one step at a time and it works for him.”

“Whatever, I call him a coward. You made the choice and yeah, we are not perfect by any means, but we are both on the same page or at least in the same chapter. We want something more. I couldn't be your girlfriend for more than two years.”

“I know.”

“You know me well.”

“This is true.” I sat down on the bed with her.

“Should we get married before we leave?”

“We can get married in a courthouse and I would be happy Cypress.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Cypress

The days seemed to fly pass us now that there was a deadline. Lucas had found a home on the Ireland Sea Shore and it sat alone on a plot of land that gazed into the most beautiful view in all of Ireland. He had closed on it with the help of his father and Callum. We just had to move everything which was not as simple. Especially because at only 3 weeks old the babies had developed their little personalities. Nathaniel was a screamer. He screamed when he needed to be changed. He cried when he wanted to be fed and then he sat quietly in his swing. He rarely wanted to be held though Mark held him enough for everyone.

Then there was Willow. She was always with Lucas. She was his princess. It even hurt me because she would cry for him. Daddy's little girl was picky. He sang to her an Irish song he said his mom used to sing and it lulled her to sleep every time. I didn't even know he could sing but his voice was like an angel. The Parting Glass seemed to me and her away when he sang it.

“This milk makes her gassy.” Lucas laid her in the bassinet and walked over to Nathaniel who was quiet. “Little fella you are like me. Change it.”

“How is he like you?”

“I hated to be held. I found more comfort in my solace. My mum said I even cried sometimes when she held me.”

“Well, that just means you liked your independence.” My heart raced. If whatever Lucas was burdened with I didn't want the burden on my baby. “How many people in your family are like you?”

“Like me?”

“Killers Luke.”

“Declan, Callum, me… maybe another one, two or five.” His eyes wandered. “He won't end up on that path okay. He has a mother that loves him beyond his wildest dreams.”

“You had a great mom, Lucas.”

“I know.”

“So it didn't help you.”

“It did more than you can know.”

“Have you told the painters what color to paint their rooms?”

“I don't even know why are we painting their room. We know that they will be with us for some years to come.”

“Yeah, well they still have a room and I want it painted.” Lucas chuckled. “The house is a beauty I can't stop staring it.”

“Your father did well.”

“Yeah, he said that it was secluded and not far from everyone that we will need.”

“Well, good.”

“And I've been thinking. You could be a teacher...”

“A teacher?”

“Yeah, you love English… they speak it in most areas. There are some that don't but the area we are going to be in you could thrive. Just put in your application and I can have some strings pulled.”

“What about my babies?”

“Nadine is great with children of all ages. You said you wanted to work. I just wanted to make sure you have something to do over.”

“I will. I can be a mom for a while and then maybe I'll go ahead and jump into the job world of Ireland.” The thought of leaving the babies with Nadine had not seemed pleasant though she was a great woman. I just wanted them to myself for a while… some years probably. “What are you going to do over there?”

“Uhm, actually I was going to be a professor over there at the local Uni.”

“Teach college?”

“Yeah, my uncle is a professor over there and he said with my credentials, I could teach basic English and a writing class or two. It's good money. It's a good little job. It'll keep me close to home and I'll have a flexible schedule.”

“I like it… Professor Elledge.”

Lucas smirked. “They said that Persephone is talking to the FBI about me.”

“Bitch,” I murmured under my breath. “Well, you shouldn't have fucked her.”

“I know.”

“Once we leave, she'll be a pigment of our imagination.”

“I can be extradited love. It's not that simple.” Lucas poured a glass of juice for himself. “I need to know that if I can't be with you that you can survive without me?”

“Without you?” My voice cracked. “Why would I have to?”

“You know now love. There is always gonna be this chance that something could go wrong and someone could tell. Hell, Persephone is a perfect example.”

“Your past is done now.”

“No, ma'am. Everything that I have done is under a microscope and they are digging. I'm always careful. I always think. But a moment of weakness, one simple drop of DNA and I am a dead man walking.”

“Stop talking like this.”

“Listen to me Cypress.” His voice raised and his eyes pierced into me. “I need to know that you are strong enough to be alone.”

“I can't think about that. I just had a set of twins for God sake. You don't come with a warning sign you know that? Like a hey, don't fuck with him… I fell for you and you got to fix everything that is wrong and do it now. I can't be a single mother in Ireland.”

“Fix it?” The anger lingered between us.

“Yeah.” The wooden stool had grown uncomfortable. “I told you before it was more than just now and you have to be here. I don't want to be like Luna… I don't want you to be like Declan. I want you here and I want you to stay here. This is us. So you have to fix it.”

“Think rationally. Step out of that fantasy world Cypress. Shit could go downhill tomorrow and you wouldn't have a clue of what you are going to do. First don't grieve me. I deserve whatever the fuck is coming to me. I know it. I know that there is too much bloody wrong that I have done to be living this great. I want you to listen.”