Until We Meet Again (19 page)

“What do you mean, Ned’s coming for me? What are you
talking about?”
“He’s the one behind all this,” she says, her eyes wild.
“Behind all what?”
“Everything! Oh Lon. I didn’t want it to come to this.”
“Tell me.”
“There isn’t time. He’s coming.”
“Fay, please.”
Her eyes dart around. “We have to go somewhere private. It
isn’t safe to discuss it here.”
She weaves us through the crowd. It’s as if I’m in the middle
of a strange dream. We settle in a more secluded garden area,
paved with brick and decorated with wild rose. Fay sits on the
stone bench but then stands.
“It’s hard to know where to start.”
“Try.”
She exhales shakily. “You know my family is part of the underground crime world. Well, so does your uncle. That’s the reason
I’m here. I guess he’s been in some bad business deals. Really
bad. He came to my family for help. He made an unorthodox
deal with them. A deal involving you and me.”
“What kind of deal?”
Her eyes lower.
“Speak plainly with me, Fay. If you had any idea what I’ve
been through in the past twenty-four hours, you wouldn’t
mince words.”
“Your uncle promised you to the Cartelli family. He told
them you’d work as lawyer for my father to help make sure his
tracks are covered on the legal end.”
She’s speaking the words, but the idea seems too outlandish
to believe. “What on earth made him think I’d ever agree to
such a thing?”
“That’s where I came in.” Her gaze becomes distant. “‘Such a
pretty girl,’ Papa always used to say. ‘One day, you’re going help
the family like Nico and Riff.’”
She touches her face, lost in thoughts. “He trained me from
the time I was twelve. Taught me subtle ways to get exactly
what I wanted from a man. How to carry myself. How to talk.
How to dress. How to be every man’s dream come true. But he
always made it very clear that I’d never be able to choose my
own man. I couldn’t even go on dates. My only interactions
with men outside my family were for training, under Papa’s
watchful eye.”
Hearing Fay open up like this, seeing the sad, vulnerable
girl inside, I’m overcome with the desire to protect her. I take
her hand.
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugs. “It wasn’t a bad life. In fact, Papa spoiled me
terribly. Any new dress I wanted. Jewelry. Shoes. Trips to the
seaside with Mama and Isabella. As long as I understood that
when the moment came, I could not disappoint him.”
“And that moment came when Ned offered me as a lawyer,”
I say, putting the pieces together.
She nods. “I was the bait. I was supposed to seal the deal.
Once you were in love with me, I’d see to it that you kept me
happy, even if it meant working for my father.”
I lower myself onto the stone bench, my head throbbing with
all the new information. Was it possible? Could Ned really sink
so low?
Little by little, pieces from my memory fill in the story. Ned
introduced Fay to me. He arranged the first several meetings
and that night in New York, when he was so insistent that I
would marry her.
And then there was everything I learned last night. Jerome
Smith telling me about Ned’s gambling debt. His revelation
that the merger with Cooper Enterprises was only possible at
the promise of Ned’s arrangement with “unknown entities.”
Like the mob.
“I can’t believe it,” I say softly.
Fay comes beside me. “Can you forgive me, Lon?”
I look at the girl before me. It’s strange to see her in this completely new light. She’s a different person in many ways. And
yet, she’s still the same beautiful girl I’ve known all summer. I
tuck a strand of her jet-black hair behind her ear. “Of course I
forgive you. It’s not your fault. You were just doing your duty.”
“It may have been duty at first,” she says, choking out the
words, “But I came to love you, Lon. Truly.”
I take her face in my hands. “Oh Fay.”
Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she grabs my collar and
presses a kiss to my mouth. I’m filled with a tempest of conflicting emotions. Cassandra has my heart, but somehow I
can’t push Fay away. I don’t know if I’ll see tomorrow. And
Fay’s lips are warm and soft, like they always were. I allow
myself a single kiss.
“Well, isn’t this a pretty sight. And here I was worried.”
At the sound of Ned’s voice, Fay and I pull apart.
He’s standing right in front of us, dressed in a stylish suit that
almost looks comical stretched over his huge body. The sight
of him sends rage through me. My fists tightened at my side.
“Easy, boy,” Ned snarls, his expression suddenly becoming
severe. “You’ve done enough damage today. Let’s not make it
more.”
“You owe me an explanation,” I say, clenching my jaw.
“I’m sure Fay here has given you her own warped version
of events.”
“Is it true then?” I ask, the sting of his betrayal piercing me.
“Did you really lose everything to gambling debts? Did you
really promise me to the mob? Did you really try to push me
into a marriage so that I could solve all of your financial problems for you?”
Ned swipes a hand through the air. “I did what I had to
do. You’d do no different. It’s not like I was giving them your
head on a platter, boy. With Roberto, you’d be rich and powerful beyond your wildest dreams. It’s better than anything your
stupid father could secure for you. I’m doing you a favor.”
I shake my head slowly. “How could you think I’d ever
become a criminal? I guess when you’ve sunken to that level,
you think anyone will.”
“You’re not as noble as you fancy yourself.” Ned scoffs. “You’re
as low and common as any man here.”
Fay jumps to my defense. “Don’t you dare insult him.”
He whirls around. “Keep quiet.” His eyes burn with rage.
“You have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do. You’re
nothing! Completely useless! If you’d done your job in the first
place, we wouldn’t be in this mess. You worthless slut.” As he
speaks the insult, he brings the back of his hand hard across
Fay’s jaw.
She lets out a cry of pain. Blood brightens her bottom lip.
Shocked and furious, I grab Ned’s arm, pulling him away.
“How dare you strike her!”
Ned shoves me. Fay’s eyes glisten with angry tears. “Now you
see your uncle’s true colors, Lon.”
“Shut up,” Ned barks.
“I’m not going to shut up,” Fay cries. “My father may be a
criminal, but at least he owns up to who he is. You try to pretend that you’re a wealthy businessman. You throw all these
parties so people will respect and admire you. But I’m going to
tell everyone what a low life you are. I’m going to tell them all!”
Ned grabs Fay by the wrist, bending it at an unnatural angle.
She cries out.
“Let go of her!” I lunge forward, grabbing him by the collar.
Once again, Ned shoves me back, his sheer size giving him
frightening strength. When I go for him again, he lands a punch
to my jaw so hard that I crash backward into the stone bench.
Ned spins to deal with Fay, but she has one of her red shoes
in hand, and with a shout, she brings the high heel down into
Ned’s face. He roars with shock and pain. Free from his grip,
Fay runs headlong into the party, disappearing into the movement of the crowd.
Ned lets out a furious growl. Pressing a hand to the cut on his
face, he tears off after her.
“Ned!” I shout, running to keep up with him. “This is
between you and me! Leave her alone!”
Ned makes his way through the crush of the bodies writhing
and dancing, but they engulf me. In a blink, I can’t see Ned anymore. And I can’t see Fay either. I call her name, but the cry is
lost in the music. I turn a full circle, looking frantically for her.
Nothing.
A trio approaches me, goading me to join their game of
hide-and-seek. I push past them without as much as a word. I
have to find Fay. She was right. My uncle is the dangerous one.
And then, like a steam engine right into my chest, a thought
strikes me. Is my uncle the one I should have been suspecting
all this time? Is my uncle the one who kills me?
All at once, the music and laughter of the party fade. The colors
and lights blend together around me. Across the lawn and into
the shadows, the sight of Fay running, her red dress like a smear
of blood. Ned is little more than an arm’s length away.
In slow motion, Fay tosses a terrified look over her shoulder.
Her eyes connect with mine. And then, she turns to the bushes.
To the path.
Like two ghosts, she and Ned vanish into the dark beauty of
the beach.
The beach.
A thudding heartbeat. A shallow breath. Everything else is
blotted out by darkness.
But I know what I have to do. And for the first time in days,
I’m not afraid. In fact, after so much turmoil, I marvel at the
elegance of it all. Fate found a way to get me on that beach.
And I accept it. Because I must. Because I won’t let fate have
anyone else. And if I don’t stop Ned, Fay will die as well.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and walk a final time
to the sea.

Fay is lying on the sand. Ned’s kneeling over her, smashing his fists into her with animal-like fury. Fay screams and
holds up her arms to try to block him, but it’s no use. With his
strength, he’ll break her delicate body in minutes.

A roar tears from my lungs. I fly at Ned, ramming into him
with all my weight. It’s enough for me to make him stumble back.
“Dammit, boy,” he shouts. “You stay out of this!”
He lunges forward, shoving me to the ground. I turn back to
Fay, who’s lying motionless on the sand, and I spring back to
my feet.
“Leave her alone, Ned.” I slam into him again. It’s like pushing my shoulder into a stone wall. “She’s done nothing!”
“She’s ruined everything.”
“No! I’m the one who ruined your plan. I’m the one who
broke her heart and sent her away.”
Ned staggers away from Fay. His face is flushed. He stares
at me, breathing hard. I bend over, trying to catch my breath
as well.
“I found someone else. Someone I love. I’ve never loved Fay.
Not like that. Your plan never would have worked, Ned.”
He shakes his head. “You’re wrong.”
“I’m telling you, I never would have married Fay, let alone
worked for the mob.”
Ned’s gaze stays on me, unbroken. “So you would have left
me to the wolves then, Lonnie? After everything I’ve done for
you? After everything I’ve given you? I’ve treated you like a son,
dammit. I’ve loved you.”
His words reveal his desperation. A pang of regret grips me.
“I’m sorry, Ned. I want to help you. And I will. But not
like this.”
“Well, it’s too late!” Ned voice rises in pitch and fervor. “The
mob is ready to pounce. Don’t you get that? Once they catch
word that the Cooper deal fell through, I’m a dead man.”
“Maybe if we go to the police—”
“The police? Are you mad? They’re just as bad as the Cartellis.
And they want blood, just the same. My blood.”
I take a tentative step toward him. “There has to be another
way.”
“There isn’t! This was the only way, Lon. The only way!” He’s
yelling now, his voice coarse and raw.
“I’m sorry.”
His left eye twitches. “You’re not sorry. Don’t lie to me, boy.”

“No.” His shoulders heave. “This is all your fault. You want
to see me choke. Admit it!”
“I love you, Ned. You have to believe me.”
“Liar.”
Like the crack of a whip, his arm flies forward. His fist connects with my jaw in an explosion of pain. I fall to the sand.
The moon overhead blurs and doubles. Then Ned’s face blots
it out like an eclipse.
He lifts his fist again, but I roll out of the way and scurry to
my feet. He’s stronger than me. I know that. But I’m faster.
When Ned lunges again, I dart out of the way. He whirls
around and gets the tail of my shirt in his fingers. He drags me
toward him.
This time, I deliver a punch to his face. And while Ned reels,
I dash away. He presses the spot where I struck him. He rushes
at me, arms out like a linebacker. I try to dodge to the left,
but he anticipates my movement. His fingers clamp, vise-like
around my throat.
Ned jerks me up. His face bent with blind rage, he smashes
his fist into my cheek. Across my jaw. Over the crown of my
head. Each blow blazes against my skin. I hear my own voice
gasp in pain, but I feel oddly as if I’m watching him beat me
from a distant, high place.
Ned pauses to catch his breath. Then, clenching his teeth
together, he delivers the blow that sends me to my back.
My head hits the water with a splash. The upper half of my
body crashes into the shallow wave break. The cold shocks me.
Gasping, I flail up, but Ned’s already on top of me. His massive
hands close around my neck. In his eyes, I see nothing of the
man I’ve known my whole life. The man I called “uncle.” He’s
far away. Perhaps gone forever.
With a grunt, Ned pushes me beneath the black water.
Instantly, darkness engulfs me. I claw at his hands with all of
my strength, but I know it’s no use. I’m weakened, and he’s
twice as strong as me. My body writhes and flails, but he’s
straddling my waist, pinning me beneath the waves.
My lungs burn for breath. My eyes burn with salt water. The
wounds Ned’s fists opened on my skin burn and bleed into the
sea. My chest thrums and seems to tear apart from the inside
out, yearning to breathe. Gripping Ned’s hands, I struggle to
make out anything in the rippling black water above me. But
there’s nothing. Everything fades into darkness.
It’s over.
I shut my eyes. I don’t want it to end this way. I’ll gather my
final tendril of life and pour it into thoughts of Cassandra.
Perhaps, wherever she is at this moment, she’ll feel it and know
how much I love her. I’ll leave this world thinking only of how
I love her.
Goodbye,
Cassandra.

backyard. Basked in pale moonlight, it’s magical.
I’m flying, soaring over the grass, past the gardens, toward
the beach. The smell of the ocean in the distance is the substance that pulses through my veins.
I’m coming. I’m coming, Lawrence.

I push past the branches in a daze. I explode onto the
beach.
And immediately shrink back a step. There are people
here. Strangers. A woman sleeping on the sand and a big
man down by the shore. Recognition flickers through me. I
know him. I’ve seen him before.
Lawrence’s uncle. Ned.
There’s a splash. Another person. A body being held
under the water. I recognize the twitching legs.
Lawrence. It’s Lawrence.
“Lawrence!”
I barely recognize the anguished pitch my voice takes as I
fly toward the water. Ned’s dark features are twisted, unrecognizable with rage. By the time he sees me, my head is
connecting with his chest.
The impact probably hurts me ten times more than it
does him. But it’s enough. He teeters backward, thrown off
balance. His arms swirl in the air.
Lawrence bursts from the water. He gags and coughs. His
limbs flail, grasping for life.
But he is alive. Blessedly, beautifully alive.
I’m still screaming. “Lawrence!”
He blindly flings himself forward and collapses on the
sand. He presses his face to the ground, gasping for air with
his entire body. Deliriously happy, I reach for him.
The shadow falls over him before I realize what’s happening. Ned. Lunging toward me. His hands close around my
shirt. He lifts me like I’m a rag doll. One shove and I’m on
my back on the sand, the wind knocked out of me.
I blink in shock. But when his face comes into view again,
I scramble back to my feet. Trembling like a caged rabbit. I
hold up my arms, anticipating the next blow.
But Ned only stares at me. His brow lowers. “You.”
I have no words. My heart thrums within me, threatening
to explode out of my chest.
“You must be the one he fell in love with,” Ned says slowly,
the realization coming to him. “I should have known. I
should have listened to my instincts that day on the beach.”
“I won’t let you hurt him.”
Ned laughs. “This night keeps getting more and more
aggravating.”
I back up slowly, my eyes darting frantically around the beach
for something to fight him with. A stick, a rock—anything.
A flicker of movement catches my eye. The woman on the
beach is stirring. Whose side is she on? Ned’s or Lawrence’s? Is
it worth the risk to try to get her to help me?
“You’d better leave now,” Ned says. “Before I have to deal
with you too.”
“I’m taking Lawrence with me.”
“You’ll leave right now and keep your damn mouth shut.
That’s what you’re going to do.”
In spite of my shaking knees, I stand straight. “I won’t let you
hurt him.”
“Suit yourself.”
Before I can even take a step back, he’s lunged for me. I land
hard on my side. My key ring cuts into me, sending shooting
pain down my leg.
“Mama taught me to never hit a girl,” Ned says, clamping
his hand over my shoulder to hold me down. “But you see, she
didn’t realize how often that’s necessary.”
Panic radiates through me. My body’s trembling with fear.
My leg throbs where the keys dig into my flesh.
Wait.
My key ring.
In a split second, I have the swirling memory of the morning
Lawrence and I spent on the beach. I see myself explaining
each item on the key ring, laughing at his wonder. The elephant. The flashlight.
The pepper spray.
Bursting with adrenaline, I push onto my back, freeing up
the pocket. Ned pins me down, but with my free hand, I have
just enough momentum to rip my key ring from my shorts.
The keys and knickknacks jingle loudly. The flashlight glows
red. Ned straightens, staring at the key ring.
“What in the—?”
His surprise gives me enough time to snatch the pepper spray.
I grab for the tab and rip it free. Squeezing my eyes shut, I press
down. All I hear is the hiss of the canister emptying.
Then a pained howl.
My eyes fly open again. Ned has reeled back. He’s pawing at his
face, shrieking. I scramble to my feet. I can’t believe it worked.
Movement catches my attention again. The strange woman
is bent over Lawrence, frantically trying to revive him. She’s on
our side. That’s good. We don’t have much time. Ned will only
be incapacitated for a few minutes tops.
I race toward them. Not even noticing me in her panic, the
woman cups Lawrence’s face in her hand.
“Lon? Wake up! We have to go!”
There’s about the way she spoke his name. About the way
she’s holding his face.
She looks up with a start.
It’s a girl my age, not a woman. She’s beautiful, with a
short black bob and dark, sad eyes. All at once, I know who
she is.
“Fay.”
She stares at me, speechless, and then she closes her eyes.
“You’re Cassandra.”
I fall to my knees at Lawrence’s other side. “Look,” I say
urgently. “We both love Lawrence, and right now he’s in
danger.” I set my hand over hers. “I’m sorry, Fay. I truly am.”
“Don’t be.” She straightens. “What should I do?”
“Run and get help. The party’s still going on?”
“Yes.”
“Then go get everyone you can find. Tell them Ned’s snapped.
Tell them he’s trying to kill you. Say anything that will get a
group of them here.”
She nods in agreement and I watch her run back to the party,
filled with a sudden rush of hope.
“What did you do to me?” Ned roars. He splashes water on
his face, but the salt probably only heightens the sting.
Lawrence is completely out, but I can feel a heartbeat. He’s
not dead. He’s not going to die. We’re going to beat this.
I circle my arms around his chest, but he’s heavier than I
expected. Gritting my teeth, I begin to drag him to the bushes.
If I can just get to the bushes…
“Girl!” Ned screams. “Where are you?”
I pull Lawrence another half inch. Why is he so heavy?
“I may not be able to see you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t
snap your neck.”
I have to stay strong. Come on, come on. Move, Lawrence.
Ned staggers toward me. “Where are you, you filthy little slut?”
I can’t let myself entertain what will happen if Ned gets his
vision back before Fay returns. Keep pulling, Cass. Pull like
your life depends on it.
Lawrence’s eyelids flutter. Gasping for air, he jolts his head up
and looks at me.
“Cassandra!”
Ned staggers in our direction. “Run, Lawrence!” I pull at his
torso. He groans with pain as he rises to his hands and knees.
We’re so close to the bushes.
But not close enough.
“There you are,” Ned barks. “I’m going to enjoy squeezing
the life from your throat.”
He grabs for me. I scream, and his hand closes around my
wrist.
“Ned!” Lawrence shouts, his voice strained as he struggles to
crawl toward us. But Ned’s massive hand circles my throat.
I scratch at his fingers with my free hand, but he doesn’t even
flinch. His upper lip curls with rage, and his vice grip tightens,
squeezing off my windpipe.
The bushes suddenly explode with people. A cluster of men
bursts onto the beach, their faces bright with alarm.
“Hey!” One of them bellows, seeing Ned and me. “Let her go!”
“She wasn’t kidding,” another one yells. “He’s snapped!”
The crowd doesn’t give Ned a chance to comply. They rush
him, tackling him to the ground. I fall to my knees, gasping.
More people from the party come out onto the beach, craning their necks to see. Fay emerges from the bushes. Her gaze
goes to Lawrence, then to me. My heart’s still pounding and
my breath heavy, but I nod. She nods back.
There’s a commotion on the beach. The group of men drag Ned
back toward the house. Others shout for the police to be called.
People are talking loudly, explaining what happened to newcomers,
expressing their shock and dismay at such a thing happening.
Others rush to Lawrence and me.
“Are you all right?”
“Can you move?”
“Can you see how many fingers I’m holding up?”
Lawrence is sitting up, though he still seems disoriented. In
spite of all the chaos around him, he keeps his eyes fixed on
mine. I squeeze his hand.
“You did it, Cassandra,” he whispers. “You saved me.”
The realization sinks in. It’s over. It’s really over. Inexpressible
relief mixes with the residual adrenaline and fear, and I can’t
stop the tears spilling from my eyes.
“We did it,” I say, gripping his hand. I need to feel the flesh
and pulse of him. Proof that he’s alive. That he’s here. That
we’re really together.
“We need to get you a doctor,” a woman says, coming to
Lawrence’s side. “You look pretty beaten up.”
“I’ll be okay.”
A young man reaches for Lawrence’s shoulders. “I’ll help get
you up. We got you, Lonnie.”
But Lawrence holds out a hand. “No, Charles. Please…I
want to stay here for a moment. I’ll come, but I need a minute.
A minute alone with Cassandra.”
The young man—Charles, I guess, is his name—glances at
the woman, then at me. When no one moves, Fay comes over.
“It’s all right,” she announces. “Lon just needs to get his
strength back. He’s overwhelmed with all these people. Come
on, everyone. Let’s give him some space.”
The lingering crowd seems reluctant. Fay sets her hand on
Charles’s shoulder. “Okay, everybody. Let’s go.”
The people shuffle away, glancing back at us with curious
looks. Fay ushers them along. Just before she reaches the path,
she glances over her shoulder too. I feel a stab of guilt. She
loved Lawrence, that much I can see.
“Thank you,” I say.
Fay manages a small smile, which fades as quickly as it came.
And then she vanishes into the bushes.
Lawrence’s hand comes to my cheek. His gaze is brimming
with love. My heart bursts at the sight of it. I fall against his
chest and his arms encircle me. Fresh tears fall from my eyes.
“I love you, Lawrence.”
“And I you, Cassandra.”
He pulls my face to his. The feeling of our lips joined together
has never filled me with more happiness.
When we break apart, Lawrence strokes my hair. “I want to
be with you for the rest of my life. It’s time, Cassandra.”
“Right now?” I ask, my voice trembling.
He nods. “When I go back to the house, I want you at my
side.” He takes my hand. “Are you ready to come to nineteen
twentyfive?”