A Decadent Way to Die (28 page)

I’m dying,
she thought.
He’s killing me right here in my own house.

She looked down at the front of her nightgown—Granny Reid’s nightgown—and saw that it had several black holes in it and the entire front was stained red with blood.

“You ruined it,” she said. She could hear the liquid sound in her chest as she tried to speak. She knew that meant she’d been hit in the lung. She knew it was very bad. But she mostly felt indignant that he had ruined her grandmother’s lovely nightdress.

She tried to think of some way she could fight back.

But there was no fighting back. She couldn’t move.

She looked up at him and watched as he leaned down and placed the barrel of the gun against her forehead. The weapon filled her vision. She tried to swat it away, but her arms weren’t working.

“Okay,” he said. “Now you’re gonna die.”

In an instant, she decided that she didn’t want his face to be the last thing she saw. So she closed her eyes … and prayed that Grandpa Reid and the angels were waiting on the other side to take her heaven.

Chapter 26

S
he heard the explosion. She smelled more smoke. And waited, expecting to enter some sort of restful darkness or heaven’s bright lights.

Instead, she heard an enormous thud. She felt it in the wooden floor she was lying on.

Footsteps pounded across her porch, through the open doorway, and into her foyer.

She opened her eyes … and was staring into the dead eyes of Chad Avery.

He was lying on his side on the floor next to her, facing her. And even though she could hear the sick, burbling, death rattle in his throat, she knew he wasn’t truly breathing.

Chad was no longer among the living.

She wasn’t completely sure if she was either.

Then she became aware of hands on her, touching her. Big hands. Gentle hands.

“Savannah! Oh God, baby! Van! No! No! No!”

She felt something being laid over her. It smelled of leather and cinnamon and Old Spice. It was Dirk’s old bomber jacket, still warm from his body.

“Dirk,” she murmured.

“I’m here, honey. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

She heard him punch three buttons on his phone. Then he said her address and told them, “Officer down! Officer down! Ambulance! Code Three! Get it here
now
!”

But I’m not an officer anymore,
she thought, as the world spun around her.
Doesn’t Dirk know I’m not a cop anymore?

“Savannah,” she heard him saying, “I’ll be right back honey. Right back. You stay awake for me, okay? Stay awake.”

She fought to keep her eyes open until he returned a moment later and shoved some things under her legs to elevate them. She could feel their texture against her calves, and she realized they were the cushions from her sofa.

“There, baby,” he said. “You lay really still for me and try to stay awake. Stay with me, honey. Please, stay with me.”

He moved the jacket aside just a bit to look at her wounds. Then he pulled his tee-shirt off, wadded it into a ball, and pressed it tightly beneath her left breast.

It hurt terribly, but she didn’t complain. Deep inside, beneath the pain and beyond the weakness, she realized he was fighting for her life.

“I need …” she whispered to him.

“What, honey?” He leaned his head down to her as he pressed his shirt against her wound. “What do you need?”

“You. You wanted me to…. I need you….”

Savannah floated in and out of consciousness in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. At one point, when she woke, she saw a paramedic standing over her, working on her, wearing a white face mask.

She thought he was her attacker. Weakly she flailed at him and tried to yell, “No! Get away from …”

But her arms were useless and her voice only a whisper.

“It’s okay, Van,” she heard Dirk say. “No one’s going to hurt you. You’re safe now. Rest. Just rest.”

His deep, calm voice reached inside her and touched her fear. Dirk was there. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her now.

“It’s over,” he said. “The worst has already happened, and you’re okay.” He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. She could feel his hand trembling. “You
are
okay, aren’t you, sweetheart? Please … tell me you’re all right.”

“I’m okay,” she whispered.

She saw the look of relief on his face and considered that her reward for lying. And she was lying. Because she couldn’t feel her arms or legs anymore. And a coldness like she had never experienced before was growing from the core of her body.

Her wounds burned and ached terribly, but that wasn’t what frightened her. It was the coldness deep inside that was draining the life from her. And it was spreading by the moment.

No,
she thought.
I’m not okay. Not okay
.

When the ambulance arrived at the emergency room entrance, two paramedics rushed to unload her and the gurney she was lying on. But Dirk took over for one. “Let me,” Savannah heard him say. “I have to do something.”

As they wheeled her through the large doors and into the hospital, she was finding it harder and harder to stay awake, to concentrate on what was happening around her.

Everything looked hazy and everyone seemed so far away.

She couldn’t seem to think clearly.

She looked up at Dirk’s bare, blood-smeared chest. “Oh, no, you’re shot,” she whispered, trying to reach up to touch him.

He clasped her hand. “No, honey. I’m not shot.”

She closed her eyes, tried to squeeze his hand, and couldn’t. “I’m glad,” she said. “I’m glad you’re not hit.”

She heard one of the paramedics say, “Her vitals are dropping.”

And Dirk say, “Multiple GSWs.”

“How many?” a female asked.

“Five,” Dirk said, his voice choking.

Five,
Savannah thought
. Five gunshot wounds! Boy, somebody’s hurt bad. Lord, help them,
she prayed silently.
Please help that person with the five gunshots.

“It feels like we’ve been in this room for ten hours at least,” Dirk mumbled as he toyed with his foam coffee cup that had been empty for ages.

He was sitting on a hard plastic chair in the waiting room. And in the chairs around him sat Ryan and John, and a sobbing Tammy.

Dirk was wearing a tee-shirt. When Ryan and John had arrived, Ryan had removed the undershirt from beneath his dress shirt and given it to Dirk.

John reached over and gently eased the cup from his hand. “I’ll go get us some fresh ones,” he said.

Ryan glanced at his watch. “I know what you mean, but it’s only been three. The doctor said the surgeries would take hours. They’ve got a lot of work to do on her.”

“Were they sure they’d have to remove her spleen?” Tammy asked, crying into a handful of tissues. “She needs her spleen. It does important things in your body.”

“They said it’s torn and bleeding really badly. If they can’t fix it, it has to come out.” Dirk wiped a weary hand across his face. “It’s the bullet in her lung that they’re the most worried about. They don’t think the one in the belly tore any of her intestines. Oh, God.”

“That bastard really did a number on her,” Ryan said. “I can’t help but say it: I’m glad you took care of him. No trial necessary.”

They all three turned to look at Tammy, who started crying even harder.

John reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close. “I’m sorry, love. We forget that he meant something to you … and this is a double tragedy for you.”

“No,” Tammy said, her eyes blazing. “He’s no loss. I’m glad he’s dead, too. I don’t want Savannah to have to go through a trial, looking at him there in court, remembering what he did to her.”

They sat silently for a moment, then Tammy whispered, “If she makes it, that is.”

“She’ll make it,” Ryan said.

Dirk twisted his hands that were still smeared with her blood. “The doctor said he gives her a fifty-fifty chance … at best.” He shook his head. “God, when he said those words, it felt like the earth had just opened up and swallowed me whole.”

Ryan reached over and gave him a quick, vigorous back rub. “Hey, that’s our superwoman you’re talking about there. The doctor doesn’t realize who he’s dealing with.”

“Yes,” John added, “I’d lay much better odds for our girl than that. We’re not talking about just any ordinary female.”

“She is strong,” Tammy said. “And healthy … especially considering all the crap she eats.”

“She’s very tough,” Ryan agreed. “Strong willed and determined. That counts for a lot at times like this.”

Dirk looked at them with tortured eyes. “You guys didn’t see her. I did. He shot the hell out of her. She’s a mess.”

Dirk started to cry. Tammy continued to cry. And a moment later, they were all four crying.

And that was the way the doctor found them when he walked into the waiting room.

Chapter 27

W
hen Savannah awoke in the recovery room, she thought she had rheumatic fever again.

In her pre-Granny Reid days, when she had been five-years-old, she’d suffered a particularly bad bout of it, and she would never forget what it felt like to lie in bed, every inch of her body aching, weak, afraid, and alone.

She remembered what it was like to have her body failing, under a terrible attack, and losing the battle.

But, even though the pain was far, far worse than it was all those years ago, and in spite of the feeling of her life energy ebbing … it wasn’t quite so bad this time.

She wasn’t alone. Someone was holding her hand.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty’s awake!” Dirk said as he jumped to his feet and bent over her bed.

He kissed her on the forehead. “How are you feeling?”

She gave him a weak smile. “Like … alligator’s … chew toy.”

“Does it hurt pretty bad?”

“Yeah. Bad.” She looked around the room, trying to orient herself. “Am I sick?”

“No, honey. You were hurt.”

“How?” Every word caused an awful pain in her chest.

“You were shot.”

“Shot?” She looked down at her body. She saw bandages around her wrist. She could feel bandaging above her breast and below it, more on her abdomen, and still more around her thigh.

She groaned. “Oh … five GSWs … me.” She looked up at Dirk. “Who shot me?”

“Tammy’s ex-boyfriend. Remember?”

She nodded slightly. “Yes.” The nightmarish events began to flood back into her mind. She recalled seeing Chad’s dead eyes staring at her. “You … kill him?”

“Yes, I did. I pulled into your driveway and saw your front door open. You were on the floor, and he was pointing his gun at … well … Yeah. I killed him.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

She glanced down at the hospital gown and the bandages. Sharp, searing pain radiated from so many places deep inside her. She had never felt so weak, so cold, so vulnerable … not even when she’d had rheumatic fever.

“I’m … torn up,” she whispered.

“You look beautiful to me.” He reached over and stroked her cheek with his forefinger. “I never saw anything as lovely in my life as you opening your eyes just now.”

“No,” she said. “Inside. Really … torn up.”

“You’re going to be okay, Savannah. Do you hear me?” He leaned over until his face was inches from hers. His eyes filled her vision. “You’re strong, and you’re loved, and you’re going to fight, and you’re going to be okay.”

“I don’t know, Dirk. I can tell. It’s bad.”

“Well, I know! I just got off the phone with your granny, and she said to tell you she’s getting on a plane to come see you, and she’ll be praying the whole way here. And you know what a praying saint she is!”

Savannah’s eyes flooded with tears. “Take care of her … for me. Please.”

“No! I will not. You’re going to take care of her yourself.”

She started to shiver as the cold numbness went deeper and deeper. “My heart …” she murmured. “If it goes into my heart …”

“What, baby? If what goes into your heart?”

“The cold. Dirk, I’m so cold.”

She was only vaguely aware of him lifting her and moving her to the side of the bed. And she wasn’t sure what was happening when he lay down next to her and pulled her close, aligning his body with hers.

With one arm beneath her head and the other gently around her waist, he cuddled her against him, kissing the top of her hair, her forehead, her cheeks.

“Just rest, baby,” he said. “I’ve got you, and I’m never gonna let go. You rest and heal.”

As he held her, she felt a blissful warmth radiating from his body into hers. It was chasing the awful cold away.

And she felt something else … something powerful and life-giving. As she faded off to sleep, she realized what it was.

It was love.

When Savannah awoke, she felt a hand holding hers. But this time it wasn’t Dirk’s big, rough hand. It was a smaller, infinitely soft hand. And before she even opened her eyes, she knew.

“Granny,” she said.

“Yes, child. I’m here.”

To her left, Savannah saw the cloud of silver hair, the bright blue eyes, so like her own, and the concerned, sweet smile.

“Don’t worry,” she told her grandmother. “I’m all right.”

“I know you are, darlin’,” Granny replied in her thick, Southern drawl. “I been prayin’ for three days and nights, and I knew you would be.”

Savannah chuckled. “And the Good Lord wouldn’t dare say no to you!”

“Well, he has a couple of times, but, thank goodness, not this go-around.”

Savannah looked to her right and saw Dirk sitting in a chair, a tired, but happy smile on his face.

“You been here three days and nights, too?” she asked him.

“How can you tell?” he asked.

“Your eyes look like a road map o’ Georgia, and that’s a three-day whisker growth if ever I saw one.”

“He wouldn’t go home,” Gran said. “He wouldn’t even go down to the waiting room to get some sleep. He’s been sitting right there in that chair the whole blamed time.”

Savannah glanced at Dirk and they exchanged a little knowing look.

“Oh?” Savannah said to him. “Since Granny arrived you’ve been glued to the chair, huh?”

“Just sitting here with my teeth in my mouth, as y’all say,” he replied.

“We’ve been here, too.” Someone wriggled her toe through the blanket.

She looked down to the foot of her bed and saw Tammy, John, and Ryan. Ryan was the toe tweaker.

“Hi, guys,” she said.

“You had us worried there, love,” John said. “But you’re looking so much better now.”

“I feel a little better, too,” Savannah told him.

She looked at Tammy, who was standing there, staring at the floor, the picture of guilt and sadness.

“You, kiddo,” Savannah said. “Get over here and give me some sugar.”

Shyly, Tammy skirted around the bed. Dirk moved his chair aside to make room for her.

She bent down and placed a quick peck on Savannah’s cheek.

“Well, that was short and sweet,” Savannah said. “I’ll need another one just like it.”

Tammy gave a small, grateful laugh, and did as she was told. “I’m so, so sorry, Savannah,” she said. “I never thought I’d cause you to be hurt. I—”

“Hush up,” Granny told her. “We’ll have no more of that nonsense talk. This ain’t no more your fault, Tammy, than the man in the moon. The feller who did it done paid for it, and that’s the end of that.”

Savannah smiled at Tammy. “Granny’s ruled. Case closed.”

“Besides,” Dirk said, “if you’ve got any residual guilt, the doc says she’s gonna need a lot of physical therapy on that arm and leg. You can work it off that way.”

Tammy lit up. “Oh, sure! I’ll have her walking, jogging, and lifting weights, and I’ll blend up some special, healing drinks for her. Let me go get a pen and some paper. I’m going to start making notes, coming up with an exercise regimen, and …”

As she scurried from the room to get her writing materials, Savannah shot Dirk a withering look. “Healing drinks? Exercise regimen? I hate you.”

“No ya don’t.” He stood and turned to her grandmother. “Granny, there’s something I need to do, an errand I have to run. Could you watch our girl here for just a little while?”

“I ain’t goin’ no place.” She waved him away. “Skedaddle, boy. Do whatcha gotta do.”

Dirk leaned over and kissed Savannah. “I’ll be back before long.”

As he walked by Ryan, he said, “If you aren’t too tied up for the next hour or so, could I ask you to come along with me? I’d sure appreciate it.”

Ryan looked surprised, as did the others in the room. But he quickly nodded and said, “Sure. No problem. Be glad to.”

As they watched Dirk and Ryan leave the room, Savannah said, “What do you reckon he needs Ryan for? It’s not like he needs help with a shower and a shave.”

“Mysterious,” John said. “Quite mysterious, indeed.”

Several hours later, Ryan and a freshly shaven and showered Dirk returned, carrying several shopping bags each.

Dirk looked around at Granny, Tammy, and John. “Could Ryan and I see all of you out in the hallway for a moment … please?”

“Can I come, too?” Savannah asked as she watched them leaving the room.

“Yeah, right,” Dirk said. “Don’t you so much as twitch. Be right back.”

He left, closing the door behind him. And a few moments later, she heard a lot of giggling and chattering in the hallway.

“Probably get-well balloons,” she said to herself. “Hopefully somebody thought to throw a get-well box of chocolate in there, too.”

It was at least three or four minutes before he returned alone. “All right,” he said, grabbing the privacy curtain and pulling it on its runner all the way around her bed. “We’re just going to close you in here for a minute.”

Good heavens
, she thought,
never saw such a fuss over some balloons. Maybe flowers, too … a spring bouquet with lots of daisies.

She heard much shuffling of feet, some tittering, whispers, a bang, and an under-the-breath curse as someone crashed into something.

Finally, there was a noisy exodus out the door.

She heard someone closing the window shade. Then they flipped off the overhead light.

“What’s going on out there,” she called.

Dirk pulled back the privacy curtain.

There were no balloons or daisies. But there were flowers.

Her hospital room was filled with red roses and white candles, dozens of both, everywhere. Their beautiful perfume filled the air as the flames flickered, softly lighting the scene.

She felt like she had stepped into a moonlight rose garden.

“What is this?” she asked.

Dirk laughed nervously and walked over to her bed. “Hopefully,” he said, “it’s romance.”

“Romance? In a hospital room?”

He shrugged and looked like a little boy offering his first valentine. “Yeah. How’d we do?”

“It’s beautiful! But why?”

He dropped onto one knee beside her bed, then realized his head was too far down for him to even see her. So, he dragged a chair over, and knelt on it.

“I know I should wait,” he said, “until you get out of this place, and I can take you to a beach or a nice restaurant or whatever, but … hell, Van, we’ve waited long enough.”

“For what?” she asked, her heart starting to pound.

“This thing scared me, Savannah. I was thinking, what the heck, we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us, but you never know. Nobody knows how much time they’ve got. You can’t waste time. It’s too precious.”

“Okay. But what does that have to do with …?”

“I love you, Savannah,” he said. “I loved you from the minute I met you. You walked into that station house with your uniform on. And I said, ‘Wow! Look at the rack on that one and … ’ Oh, sorry, that’s not very romantic, but … well … anyway … And then you shook my hand and said something to me in that sexy, Southern drawl of yours, and looked at me with those blue eyes of yours, and I never had a chance. I was a goner.”

“You were? Really? A goner?”

“Oh, totally. And all these years, I thought, maybe she’d have me if I worked on my table manners and left the toilet seat down and didn’t put my feet on her coffee table, but you seemed to like living by yourself. After all those brothers and sisters, I don’t blame you for that, but … damn … I’m messin’ this up.”

She reached over and ran her fingers slowly through his hair. “You’re not messin’ up anything, darlin’,” she said softly. “Take a deep breath. You’re doing just fine.”

He paused to regroup, then continued more calmly. “Savannah, my friendship with you, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I’ve always been afraid I might lose it if I … you know … reached for more.”

She nodded. “It’s so good, I was afraid to change anything. I was afraid, if it didn’t work out, then we couldn’t go back to being … us.”

“Me, too. But the other night, when you were so bad, and I laid down by you … That was the first time in my life I ever held someone in my arms the whole night long.”

“It was? But you were married before.”

“Just trust me,” he said. “It was a first for me. And it felt really good. It felt really right, holding you, being strong for you. For the first time I knew that someone really needed me. And it was you. I was so glad it was you.”