Chapter 6
His guy said, “After you left, sir, I stuck around to see if they’d handle the body properly. I saw them dump it in formaldehyde. When they were moving it around, I got a look at the face.”
“It really… it really looked like Miss. Shirley.”
So he finally figured out I was dead.
I didn’t hear another word after that. I was just staring at Dominic’s face.
I had to see for myself – what would his expression be when he found out?
“You probably just saw wrong.” Dominic’s face went blank, trying to look calm.
But bodies don’t lie. I could see his hands shaking.
Dominic, when you were cutting into me, your hands were rock steady.
So why are you scared now?
“Get the helicopter ready. I need to see for myself. Now!”
Dominic’s steps were unsteady.
He was scared. Scared that his guy was telling the truth.
Marcus and his crew never expected Dominic to come back.
They were caught totally off guard when Dominic’s people stormed in and took them down.
His guy led Dominic to the room where they’d been keeping me. When they pulled my body out of that formaldehyde tank, Dominic’s legs gave out.
If his guy hadn’t caught him, he would’ve hit the floor.
“It’s fake! It has to be fake!”
I watched Dominic’s breathing get all ragged, his eyes turning bloodshot.
“It can’t be her. No way in hell!”
He was starting to lose it, saying the same thing over and over.
“It’s not her. It’s not Nora Shirley…”
It’s me, Dominic.
It really is me.
They put my body on a stretcher nearby. Dominic rushed toward it, but stopped right before he got there.
My body was just lying there, peaceful-looking, like I was sleeping.
But the bruises and cuts all over me showed exactly what kind of hell I went through before I died.
Those wounds were on my back too – Dominic had seen them before, but he didn’t care then. Didn’t want to care.
Now every single one of those marks was like a knife twisting in his chest.
“Who did this! Which one of you motherfuckers did this!”
“Who told you to do it? Who told you to kill her!”
Marcus could barely breathe with Dominic choking him. His neck and face turned bright red, but he managed to choke out:
“Mr. Harrington… we didn’t mean to kill her… we asked you for ransom…”
Ransom!
I saw Dominic’s expression change.
From confused to thinking, then finally to total shock.
I think he finally put it all together.
My kidnapping was real.
That call for help was real.
Me dying right in front of him and him taking my kidney-that was real too.
I might not have had to die.
“AHHHHHHH!”
Dominic completely lost it.
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.