Embracing My Bones for Forgiveness

Three years into my existence as a ghost, Logan Grant returned with Yvonne Stone, the woman he'd always loved. He also brought news that my father, Robert Shaw, had been taken captive.

My mother, Helen Shaw's, legs nearly gave out when she heard. She stumbled out of the apartment and hurried downstairs, where Logan was just getting out of his car, his expression cold and indifferent.

Without a second thought, she dropped to her knees and pleaded with him.

"Logan, please, let my husband go. You know how good he's always been to you."

His voice was painfully familiar. "Mr. Shaw treated me well, I'll give you that. Can't say the same for his daughter. I told you back then that I'd make Xena pay twice over for what she did to Yvonne!"

"But Xena, she..."

Before Helen could finish, Roberts's agonized screams rang out.

I rushed toward him in a panic, only to watch helplessly as the men beat him with clubs, breaking both his legs.

Blood spread across the ground toward Logan's shoes. He backed away in disgust, careful not to get any on himself.

Pinned to the ground, Robert struggled to force the words through his clenched teeth. "If Xena did something wrong, I'll take the blame for her. Just... please don't hold it against her. Please?"

His pleas fell on deaf ears.

Logan's men continued bringing their clubs down on Robert's legs. Helen eventually fainted from the shock, and by the time Logan finally ordered them to stop, my father's legs were a mangled, bloody mess.

"Mr. Shaw, you have no one to blame but yourself for bringing Xena into this world. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have to suffer like this at your age."

Every word was laced with venom.

Logan raised his head, casually glancing toward the upstairs windows as though he were looking at nothing in particular. I couldn't tell who he was searching for, but after a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Let's see how long you can keep hiding."

Was he looking for me?

Too bad I'd been dead for years. Even my time as a ghost was almost up.

When Logan prepared to leave, I followed him. His men had put my father in a second car, which followed behind ours until we reached an intersection. There, the two cars went their separate ways, leaving me pressed against the window, helplessly watching the car carrying my father disappear into the distance.

Logan wasn't simply out for revenge. He wanted to destroy my entire family.

"Yeah, I've got her father. How many years do you want him locked up?"

Logan spoke softly into his phone, his usual temper giving way to a gentleness he rarely showed.

I had no doubt Yvonne was on the other end.

"I'll make her pay for everything she did to hurt you back then," he promised firmly.

I was sitting right beside him, unable to do a thing. The irony was almost laughable.

Logan, I'm already dead. What more could you possibly take from me?