Shattered Edge (19 page)

“I love you so much Justin.”

“And I love you. That’s why I want to marry you. Which, by the way, do you have any ideas on weddings?”

“Yeah. Destination wedding.”

“Really?”

“Is that okay with you?” I was a little worried about this because of his family’s prominence in Charleston. The Middletons didn’t do anything without great pomp and circumstance.

“I think that sounds like just the perfect thing.”

I raised myself up so I could look at his face.

“Yeah? For real?”

“Really. I would love a destination wedding. Where were you thinking?”

“Anywhere with nice, warm weather.”

“Lot of options there.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m open.”

“Tropical? European? California?”

“You know what? You’re the world traveler. I’m gonna let you pick,” I decided.

“What’s your timeframe?”

I scrunched up my face. “Justin, I’d marry you tomorrow. But do you think we need to wait a certain amount of time with respect to my dad and all?”

“Yes, I do,” he answered immediately.

“How long?”

“At least six months.”

I nodded and smiled, “Well then, mah deah, I do bahlieve we should palan our destination weddin’ for six months from now.” I used my best hoity toity Charleston accent.

“Come on,” he laughed as he rose to his feet and helped me to mine.

“Where are we going?”

“Well Terri, I seem to have developed this urgent need to have you naked on the bed and me inside of you. You don’t have anything under that robe do you?”

“Nope, why?”

“No reason, just imagining is all.” He took me in his arms and kissed the ever loving hell out of me then and slid his hand inside the opening of the robe. Those darn fingers of his were soon teasing me, leaving me breathless and begging for more.

“That will have to satisfy you until you can walk back to the pavilion.” His eyes were dark and hooded and my legs were wobbly as he held my arm. “Having a problem walking babe?” He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he swept me into his arms. His long strides had us back to our little hideaway, where I was disrobed and being made love to fiercely, passionately and tumbling head over heels into a climax as he called out my name.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Justin

I was floating on a cloud and her name was Terri Mitchell. In six months she would be Terri Middleton. Sometimes I would forget to breathe, she made me feel that great. Being around her took all my needs away for everything else.

My family couldn’t have been any happier, especially Lexi. Of course, they were best friends so now they would be sisters-in-law. How great for them. They’d felt like sisters for years so now they truly would be.

My mom wasn’t exactly thrilled about the destination wedding, but she was excited about a trip, so it would be fine. My grandmother, Avery was the one I worried about the most. I paid her a visit shortly after we got home because I wanted to be the one to tell her.

“Grandmother, I have some news for you.”

In her own way, as only she could do it, she said, “Well, Justin, I hope it’s somethin’ excitin’ ‘cause this ole gal needs some excitement in her life.”

“Well, I think it’s pretty exciting and Grandmother, you’ll never be an old gal in my book.” My heart was doing its little race thing like it was competing at Churchill Downs for the Run for the Roses.

She winked at me and asked, “Well, darlin’ you gonna tell me or are you just gonna grin at me and make me guess, ‘cause I’m quite sure it has somethin’ to do with that pretty gal of yours?”

“As usual, you’re right Grandmother. Terri and I are engaged and are planning to get married. I wanted to tell you myself, because we’re not going to get married in Charleston. We’re going to do a destination wedding. We’re getting married in Hawaii, on the island of Kauai at the St. Regis resort. And please tell me you’ll be there.”

She rolled her eyes at me, of all things. “Well, my word Justin, I said I was old, not dead. Of course I’ll be there darlin’. I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Hawaii huh? I guess that means I’m gonna have to get myself a new bikini!”

It was just like Avery Middleton to say something like that. I gave her a big hug and a kiss. “You just made my day!”

“Oh lawd Justin. There surely must be something lacking in your life if this ole gal just made your day,” she said as she winked at me.

“You’re incorrigible Grandmother.”

“Oh don’t I know it. And the good thing is I’m allowed ‘cause I’m old!” she chuckled.

********

Terri and I had decided on getting married in Hawaii and then honeymooning in Bora Bora.  That way, the family and guests could stay on at the St. Regis if they wanted and we’d move on to Tahiti and have our private honeymoon. In three weeks, a group of my parents’ friends would be hosting an engagement party for us. We thought it was appropriate timing because it was almost a year to the day of our car accident. We both thought about how far we’d come and how fortunate we’d been. We had so much to give thanks for, but mainly for finding each other.

Things just kept getting better. John Remington called to say he had great news. Crazy Destiny buckled when she was presented with all the other nurses’ and doctors’ testimonies saying how I’d been complaining about her harassing behavior. The Human Resources team gave her the opportunity to resign. If she didn’t, they would move to terminate employment and she would have this on her record wherever she would attempt to gain future employment. Destiny immediately resigned and signed all the legal documents to that effect. She admitted to trying to break into my house and slitting Terri’s tires as well. She would no longer be a problem for me at work.

I wanted to have a celebratory dinner that night and Terri agreed. She also had some celebrating to do. She had just closed on two of her first homes as Terri Mitchell Real Estate. One of the properties was for Margaret, the elderly woman she’d been helping. Terri had located the perfect patio home for her in Mount Pleasant and Margaret had fallen in love with it.  She was going to the attorney’s office for the closing, and then to the bank. Afterwards, she’d swing by her house for some clothes and head this way. She said she’d be here around six thirty so I made reservations for seven thirty at Broad Street Cafe, one of our favorite places to eat.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Terri

I left the attorney’s office and went straight to the bank to make my first deposit as Terri Mitchell Real Estate. I was giggling I was so excited.

Walking out of the bank, I was digging around in my purse when I heard this voice behind me.

“Ms. Mitchell?”

“Yeah?” I stopped and turned.

“You don’t know me and you’re going to think this is crazy, but you need to get in your car and come with me.”

“What?” My heart instantly began thumping in my throat, so loudly that I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to hear him talk.

“Please, let’s get into your car and I’ll explain. It’s not safe here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t tell you here. Listen to me. Your life’s in danger. Right here and right now. Please. This isn’t a joke.”

“Who are you?”

“Let’s get into your car and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

This man was scaring the crap out of me. Who was he? How did he know me? He looked okay. Maybe five feet eleven. Light brown hair and soft brown eyes. Kind of nice looking I guess.

He knew my mind was reeling. “Look, I know you carry pepper spray in your purse. Find it and have it ready.  I know you don’t trust me and you shouldn’t. If I do anything...anything at all that you consider threatening to you. Spray the hell out of me with that canister. Okay?”

I kept looking at him, confusion ruling my body. I didn’t understand any of this. I reached into my bag. I decided instead of the pepper spray, I would go for my phone and call the police.

He knew it right away. “Please Ms. Mitchell. Please don’t do that. If you do that, people all around you are gonna die. People you dearly love. I’m begging you. Use the pepper spray.”

For the oddest reason, I was beginning to believe him. I narrowed my eyes and nodded. “No funny stuff.”

“No ma’am.”

We walked to my car and got in.

“I’m going to give you directions as we drive. I’m taking you to a safe house. Your mother is already there with your brother.”

I almost choked. “My brother?”

“Yes ma’am. Your brother Preston is an undercover DEA agent. He’s been working for us for a long time now. He’ll tell you everything in just a little bit.”

Holy
crap!

“Undercover DEA Agent?”

“Yes ma’am. I’m with the DEA as well.”

“How did we not know this?”

“You couldn’t know. It would’ve been too risky for him.”

He had me turn left onto Maybank Highway and we drove off on James Island and out onto Johns Island. I immediately thought of Lexi and when she’d been abducted. She’d been held somewhere out here. Luckily she’d survived. I hoped I wasn’t being led to a slaughter, like a stupid lamb. We continued to drive and crossed over onto Wadmalaw Island. After making several turns, we ended up at a house. I could see a dock with a boat tied to it. We must have been on Wadmalaw Sound.

“Are you going to tell me your name?”

“No, because it’s not important.”

“Is this Wadmalaw Sound?”

“Yes.”

We got out and walked inside. My mom was there, white as a sheet and so was Preston. His mouth was pressed into a thin, hard line and his eyes looked tired. And sad. So very sad.

“Mom,” I ran straight to her and hugged her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, now that I see you are.”

I looked around the room and it was filled with all sorts of high tech surveillance equipment. Monitors, computers and weapons...and lots of them. Things I’d only seen on TV or the movies.

“Terri, sit down. We need to talk.”

“Yeah and we need to hurry because I’m supposed to be at Justin’s soon. All this time I thought you were an addict but here you are an undercover agent. Pretty cool Preston.”

“Terri, this is
not
cool.” A sense of dread settled over me.

“What’d ya mean?”

“Look, Dad didn’t commit suicide. He was murdered. I’m deep undercover and I’ve made it inside one of the biggest Mexican drug cartels. These guys don’t play nice. They’re ugly. Real ugly. They killed Dad as a warning to me. Part of my loyalty test to them is I have to kill you and Mom. That’s why as of tonight Terri Mitchell no longer exists. Do you understand what I’m telling you here?”

I was still trying to process the fact that my dad had been murdered. He’d been murdered. I jumped up and ran toward the door. My intentions were to get in my car and head straight to Justin’s. This story was stuff from the movies...not my life. I made it as far as the door when light brown haired man grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back in the room. He turned me around and held my face saying, “You can’t leave here. If you go out there, they will find you and kill you Terri. They’ve already ransacked your house. You. Will. Die. Do you want to die?”

I shook my head. Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted. I wanted Justin. That much I knew.

I started yelling. “I want to go to Justin!”

Preston came to me then and said, “Terri, listen to me. Please listen to what I have to say. It’s so important that you understand this.”

He took both of my hands in his and held on to them tightly. He was scaring the shit out of me now.

“I tried to keep you safe. I really did. They found you first. I would never have brought them here. That’s why I went to prison. To maintain my loyalty. It was all part of my cover. Tonight, Terrington Martin Mitchell will cease to exist. Your death and Mom’s are now being orchestrated. Your car is being planted with explosives and it will detonate in exactly forty five minutes. Your car isn’t even outside anymore. The blast will be so huge and the inferno so great, the temperature will annihilate all hope of any remains. The only identifying factors will be the stainless steel in your leg. We will plant that information into the system to ensure they believe it’s you.”

“Justin?” I whispered.

His eyes told me everything before his words did. “He is going to think you died in the explosion.”

“Why?” I barely whispered.

In a hoarse voice with tears dripping down his face, Preston explained, “Because if he thinks otherwise, they’ll go after him, his family and his friends. These people will stop at nothing. They have no conscience. They’re animals Terri. They’ll kill him.”

I heard this God awful keening, and wanted to tell someone to make it stop. Then the room started whirling around me and I couldn’t see anything anymore.

********

I woke up on the couch with a cool cloth being pressed to my forehead by my mom.

“I’m so sorry honey.” She kept patting my hand. It was all so surreal. I was getting married in six months. Justin and I were going to Bora Bora for our honeymoon. What was she sorry about?

Then it hit me again and I started screaming. “I have to say goodbye. I can’t let him think I’m dead. He’s going to hurt so badly. Oh God don’t make me do this terrible thing!” My body shuddered at the enormity of what was happening. I started screaming again.

Some strange man was there, sticking a needle in my arm and everything went fuzzy again. The next thing that I recalled, I was in a small jet, similar to the one owned by Middleton Enterprises, going God only knew where.

We finally landed in Virginia somewhere. They told me we were headed to another safe house. I would live like this for several months...going from one safe house to the next. Or that’s how it felt anyway. That was after spending two months in the mental hospital. I finally had broken. This strong, self-assured girl, had finally shattered into a million pieces. Quite frankly, at that point I wished I had died. Living without Justin was the worst kind of hell imaginable.

Every day I thought about the anguish I had caused him. He would’ve been better off never having met me. I chastised myself for ever saying yes to him that night of Pearce’s and Lexi’s wedding. Sick with grief over my loss and over what he was dealing with, the darkness kept expanding until one day it enclosed me completely. And I welcomed it with open arms.

Medication failed. Psychotherapy failed. The last resort finally worked. ECT...electroconvulsive therapy. Had I been in the state of mind where I would’ve been able bodied, I’m fairly certain I would’ve taken my life before it ever reached that point. I didn’t have the clarity of mind to even do that. I don’t recall anything about my treatment...nothing.

One day, it was as if the fog started to thin and I could begin to see through it again. Then they explained it all...the treatments...the anesthesia and the induced seizures. They administered six treatments in a two week period and it was like someone lifted the shades that were covering the window. My recovery consisted of therapy sessions and antidepressant medication. The nice benefit, which most people felt was a bad side effect, was that ECT caused temporary memory loss. So as I was getting better and better, I began to remember Justin in bits and pieces. It made it so much easier to deal with the whole situation.

When my doctors agreed that I was healthy enough, I was allowed to live with my mother who was still living in a safe house. My long black hair was now short and bleached blond. I was rather thin and haggard looking. I didn’t give a damn. Mom worried about me. Her eyes told it all. The fine lines around them had now progressed into deep grooves and the dark purple half moons beneath them were so pronounced. I felt bad but I couldn’t help it. I hated she worried about me like that. Now she had two children that would never give her joy and a husband that had been murdered. What a great life she had.

One afternoon I was on the internet surfing away and I decided to go back and look at the news reports of my death. Don’t ask me why, I just did. I watched it all in cold detachment...that is until they camped outside of the Middleton home and started following Justin around. I wanted to punch every one of the media. What was wrong with those people?

This whole thing had to come to some kind of an end. I needed to speak with Preston, or someone from his group. I thought that maybe there was some way for me to help. A spark began to ignite in me...something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Working with him was out of the question, but maybe I could do surveillance. Or research. Something useful. My “death” was not going to be in vain.