Gideon had been unusually somber over the past three days. They made love, chatted over coffee, but it all seemed clouded with something Rai could not quite place. They sat now at the kitchen table, steaming cups of coffee in hand, and Gideon brooding in silence.“Is there a reason for this somber mood of yours?” She finally asked.“You’re meeting that monster at two o’clock.” There was a hardness in his voice. The meeting might have been the foremost on his mind, but there was something much deeper chipping at him.“Is that all?”She heard him take a deep breath. “You kept the truth from me, Rai. That is the same as lying.”She sipped her coffee, carefully listening to his words, trying to look beyond the gambit of emotions sharpening his tone.“I feel as if you still do not trust me, but for reasons I cannot comprehend. Your insane plan of handling Cliff on your own could have ended you, ended us. Yet, you still did not trust me enough to include me.”She maintained her silenc
Gideon laid rai down in bed, her hands were bandaged and her face was slightly swollen, mostly from the tears she had cried. It had been a long week. Hank curled up next to the bed. He would not leave Rai’s side, and that thought made Gideon smile.The fear he had felt when that gunshot rang caused him to sink to his knees. Rai collapsed in his arms. He checked her for wounds, but she was not hit. When he glanced over at Cliff ’s still form, he saw his brother-in-law’s gun smoking. Cliff never fired a round.Gideon closed the bedroom door and joined Ryan on the couch. Two glasses of whiskey waited on the smoked-glass table. Gideon took a long sip and leaned back.“Is she okay?” his brother-in-law asked.“I don’t know. She hasn’t spoken a word since we left the hospital.”Ryan nodded. “She’s still in shock. The rest will do her good.” He sipped his drink and smiled. “Quite the fighter, eh? I wasn’t sure you could pull her off him.”“I’ve never seen her enraged like that.”“Years
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Rainair’s worst day was not the one she woke up blind, but the moment she’d realized she had married a monster.Machines hummed and clicked, their cadence echoing off the walls in time with her heartbeat. Her face felt swollen, and every one of her limbs was numb. The pain that radiated up her spine was like a familiar old friend that frequently called, only its presence was not as comforting.The sharp scent of alcohol and bleach confirmed she had landed back in the hospital for the fifth time in as many months. Each time earned her more severe injuries. Cliff would kill her eventually. She had to leave him for good, but her every attempt left a wake of destruction.Good people who had tried to help her had suddenly disappeared or had their lives destroyed beyond repair. Never again, she had promised herself, yet she couldn’t do this on her own.People entered her room. Hard-soled shoes indicated they were not hospital staff. The sickening scent of Axe cologne permeated the air. I
Seven years laterRai’s knuckles whitened around her iPhone and that familiar sickness crept from her lower belly up to her chest as if she had swallowed bitter acid. “Tell me.”“There is no record of your filing,” said Anna. She and Rai had become the best of friends, having both come from abusive relationships.“How? I filed it in person.”“Your husband has connections, sweetie.”“Don’t call him that! I’ve been trying to make him my ex for seven years.”Anna cleared her throat. “Cliff hosted one of his famous parties last month. Guess who made the invitation list? Judge Hardey and Sheriff John Ramsey. After that, the paper trail for your divorce decree simply disappeared. He’s bad news, Rai, and he’s in bed with all the right people.”Rai paced back and forth, her white cane tapping out a beat that matched her pounding heart. “I will never be free of him, will I?”“Hey, we’ll find a way, I promise.”“Thanks, kiddo. I appreciate your help.” Rai ended the call,
Damn, she was cute, thought Z, as he headed toward the lobby. When he saw that lovely bit-of-goods in a blue summer dress talking to a marble pillar in the terminal, his mind got all soft. He rarely reached out to passengers. He did his best to avoid them. This female was an exception. She was easy on the eyes as well. Those pale blue irises and honey-colored hair were stunning. He remembered the feel of those silky strands as they slid between his fingers. The smell of sweet jasmine lingered in his memory.Females were trouble, he reminded himself. It was best to steer clear of this one. After he oriented her to the ship, he would avoid her, regardless of his attraction. It would be best for both of them.This cruise included a fraction of the Taylor Cruise Line corporate staff. The awards ceremony was scheduled five nights from now when a handful of people would receive appreciation for their outstanding contribution to the company. His corporate team occupied deck fifteen, which
Soon after the engines roared to life, and the ship pulled away, a knock sounded on Rai’s door. She set her braille display aside and scooted off the bed, smoothing any wrinkles from her dress.The scent of bay rum greeted her as she swung the door open.Z opened his mouth to speak, but his words came out like a choke.Rai lifted a brow as if to say, “Excuse me?” Z cleared his throat. “Are you ready?”Rai reached for the white cane she had set by the door. “Yes, I am.” She slipped the card key into her dress pocket earlier so she wouldn’t forget it. As a blind person, she had learned to think ahead and plan for quick and thoughtless departures. It was far too easy to forget where she had placed something when she was in a hurry to leave.Z presented his arm to her as if he had years of practice leading the blind. The way he described the hall and important landmarks were expert and precise. “The elevators to your left will take you to the various floors. The ones on your right are