Chapter 5
Maisy staggered backward, her whole world spinning out of control.
Her lower back slammed into a cold, unyielding headstone. She crashed to her knees on the stone steps, pain shooting through her body in sharp, electric bursts. But nothing hurt as much as her heart–the kind of pain that felt like she was being ripped in half, barely able to breathe.
Patrick didn’t even glance her way. Instead, he gently brushed the rain from Melinda’s face with his thumb. “Feel better now?” he asked quietly.
It wasn’t until Melinda, voice thick with tears, managed a shaky “Yeah,” that he finally seemed to relax. He shrugged off his suit jacket, wrapped it around Melinda’s shoulders, and scooped her
up into his arms.
As he turned to leave, his leather shoes ground the scattered ashes beneath him, leaving a trail of dark, smudged footprints.
Maisy sat there in the rain, her whole body trembling with pain. She reached out, desperate, trying to gather the gray ashes in her hands. But the rain washed them away too fast–just like her years with Patrick. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hold on.
“Mom, I’m sorry…” Her voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. “I married the wrong person. I never should’ve married him…”
With shaking hands, she scooped up what little was left of the ashes, then pulled the ninety–seventh love letter from her bag and set it on fire. As the paper curled and burned, she remembered what Patrick promised her dying mother all those years ago: “Don’t worry. I’ll protect Maisy with my life. I’ll never let anyone hurt her.”
So this is what protection looks like, Patrick? Helping someone else hurt me?
I regret it.
Loving you–I regret it with everything I have.
That night, Maisy burned with a high fever.
In her dreams, she was sinking in icy water, her mother’s ashes floating around her like snow. She reached out, trying to catch them, but they slipped through her fingers, always just out of reach.
“Maisy… Maisy…”
Someone was calling her name.
She forced her eyes open, realizing she wasn’t in bed–she was in a moving car. The landscape outside flew by in a blur. Patrick was at the wheel, his jaw set, his face cold and stormy.
“Patrick…” Her throat was raw, her voice barely there. “Where are you taking me?”
He didn’t look at her. “Melinda’s been kidnapped.”
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Chapter 5
Maisy blinked, her mind heavy and slow. “So?”
“They asked for you,” he finally turned, his eyes hard. “It’s Mills.”
The name hit her like a slap.
Mills. The man who’d once obsessed over her, the one Patrick had driven out of town.
“You… you’re trading me for Melinda?” She could barely get the words out.
Patrick’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Mills used to like you. He won’t hurt you.”
Cold dread settled in her bones.
She tried to open the door, but her hands were tied beneath the seatbelt.
“Patrick!” she screamed. “Are you insane? You know what Mills is capable of!”
“Maisy, calm down.” Patrick’s voice was flat, almost emotionless. “I’ll get Melinda out first, then I’ll come back for you.”
The car screeched to a stop in front of a run–down warehouse.
“She’s here,” Patrick said, pushing Maisy forward. “Where’s Melinda?”
Mills snapped his fingers. Two men dragged Melinda out.
Her hair was a mess, streaks of mascara running down her cheeks. When she saw Patrick, her eyes went wide and hopeful. “Patrick!”
Patrick let go of Maisy instantly and rushed to Melinda, pulling her close. “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe now.”
Maisy stood there, numb, watching Patrick check Melinda for injuries, gently wiping away her tears–never once looking back at her.
“Patr
old it in anymore. Her voice cracked the air, raw and desperate.
nally looked over his shoulder, his voice still cold. “Don’t be scared. I’ll come back for
Soon.”
And then he turned away, holding Melinda tight, never looking back.
Maisy tried to follow, but Mills grabbed her wrist. “It’s been a while, Ms. Gilmore.”
His breath was hot against her ear, making her skin crawl.
He shoved her into his car and drove her straight to a hotel.
The second the door closed, Mills pushed her down on the bed.
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