42. Nicolette
Nicolette
I was floating. No flying. In circles. Up and up. Higher and higher, the glaring white light stinging my eyes.
Fuck, I’m dead.
My throat tightened.
I was dead.
I died.
How the fuck had I let that happen?
My mindreeledback to my last moments...
I had hit send on all the various emails I had drafted initially just to hold them. But I had learned I always needed a failsafe, so I sent them all to Dr. Moore. I wanted to send them to Riot. But it felt weird, to send pictures of his dead mother to my ex-lover. The thought made my chest hitch.
He wasn’t even an ex because we were never together, not really. We were cut short before we could begin.
“Just couldn’t leave well enough alone,”the familiar facepeereddown at me, and rageboiledinside me.
“You…” I growled. “Really!” My voice echoed up the elevator shaft. “The water guy?!” I shrieked. Geoffrey Brown’s ugly, fat face stared down at me.
“Sorry, sweetheart, but nothing happens in my lab without meknowingabout it. Ihavecameras on cameras filming other cameras. They come in real handy. Especially when nosy little Nancy Drews trespass in the middle of the night.”
I mustered all the confidence I could.
“Oh, you have no idea what kind of shit you’re in. All of this is on its way to the press right now,” I lied. He squinted at me but I could tell he was calling my bluff.
I had to double down, but I also had to keep him talking while I figured a way out of here. Because as confident as I was pretending to be, I was terrified. He had the upper hand. I discreetly pulled my phone out and tried calling 911 but it was too dark and I couldn’t see if it was connecting.
“It was only a matter of time before someone at the pharmaceutical company figured out the study was pumped with ineligible candidates. The results are no good because they were all hooked on your little Chimera drug.” I waved to the industrial meth/heroin lab behind me.
He nodded, smugly. “Yeah, I suppose it would have been. I’ll have to call up my broker and tell him I have a… bad feeling about Echidna Pharmaceuticals. Seems like a good time to short the stock.”
From behind my back, a faint “ whoosh ” confirmed the sent email. I had to work to conceal my smile. Whatever happened from here? At least someone else had what I had now. Someone else could do right by Riot if I never made it out of here.
The thought of that lit something primal in me and I wanted to get back to him. I had to get back to him.
“And what about Grace, huh? She went to lay flowers on her daddy’s death site and saw this whole operation getting set up, didn’t she? So, what — Elias Blackwell sent you as his dumb muscle to shut her up?”
The echo of Geoff’s guffawbounceddown the shaft,slappingme in the face.“Yeah, right. That dumb hick couldn’t add four quarters to make a dollar. Imadehim every dime hehasandwe’reabout to come into a whole lot more. FDA approval or not.”
He disappeared and started rustling for something and I gauged how long it would take me to climb the ladder. Just as I was about to jump for it, he reappeared.
“I was sorry about Grace, I really was. I liked the woman. In another life…” He drifted off and the surprising thing was that I believed him. “But she threatened to blow the whole operation before it ever got started.” Geoff tsked sadly.
He pulled something out from the box he brought into view.
“Igaveher a chance. Itriedto reason with her.Toldher my vision.Triedto get her to see how much good she could do with the church when our investmentscamethrough but shehada hard head. A lot like you, I reckon. Ihada soft spot for my Gracie.”Helookedup to the black night sky.
“Itblindedme. And IsworeI wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
”Isawhim fumble with something in his pocket.
“Almostluckedout when that wacko boy of hers nearlytookcare of it for me. But naturally, that queerwasn’tman enough to finish the job. ”
I growled, blood boiling at his vicious summary of my friend. HehadseenBrennan’s fight with his mother. And heletRiot go to jail for it. If Ihadair in my lungs I wouldhavegrowled, I wouldhavegivenhim a tongue-lashingso fierce he wouldn’t be able to sit down for months.
But I couldn’t breathe because as he spoke I realized what he was fumbling around with.
“You see, I let my Grace go, hoping I could change her mind. But then she had to go and call up that Plainbottom cop…” He gazed down at me.
His lighter flicked to life. “That’s why I can’t let you go, sweetheart.
I’m sorry. I really am. But I’m too close to let some Nancy Drew call anything into question. ”
Iwatched, almost in slow motion. The fuse to the stick of dynamitesprungto life like a tiny, deadly little firework.
Therewasn’ttime to think about anything. About my regrets, what I would miss. The things I wish Ihaddone. The people I wish I neverinvolvedmyself with. The places Ihadalwayswantedto go.
I let a certain peace wash over me. The lit stick floated down past my face and all I could feel was the warm palm of Riot’s outstretched hand, as he offered it to me so many times.
I pictured his handsome face, smiling in the driver’s seat of his truck as we took turns turning up the music.
I closed my eyes and felt his lips on me, his scent overwhelming me.
Eclipsing me. I heard his voice, whispering my name.
Riot Asherwasthe last thing Isawbefore the dynamitefellto the bottom of the elevator shaft and the world around meexploded,pitchingme into an endless abyss of nothingness.
And now, fucking hell, I was dead.
The bright white lights of Heavendescendedon me,piercingmy eyeballs,goadingme to open them to see the pearly white gates that would be my eternity.
Wait, did Heaven really smell like bleach?
And did I honestly think there was a Heaven? Especially one that would let me in?
The smell of bleachprickedthe back of my sinuses and itwokeup something in the back of my head, a throbbing ache thatparalyzedme.
Being dead shouldn’thurtthis much, should it?
One eye blinked open. The overwhelming ache of my body finally hit me.
As the bright room around mecameinto focus, Riotwasthe first thing Isaw. Hewaspacingaround at the foot of my bed, horrible concern fixedon his face.
Holy shit, Iwasalive. Not onlywasI alive but Riotwashere. In the same room with me. Everythingcamerushingback to me. The treatment, our fight, therecording, him kicking me out.Washe still angry with me?
Itriedpartingmy lips to speak, but Ibeganto choke violently. Oh, God, I couldn’t breathe.
I felt Riot’s hands press against me but I was too focused on ripping out whatever was in my mouth.
“Hey, easy, Nic, easy.” His words were comforting, but I still coughed and hacked until I saw the end of the tube that was down my throat come out of me. He shouted something to someone but the echo of the mine explosion still ricocheted off my brain.
Itriedsitting up to catch my breath but the pain in my neck and spinewasexcruciating, so Iattemptedto roll to my side.
Riot’s warm handranacross my back,drawingheartfelt circles.
Igrappledfor his other hand. Hegaveit over willingly and Iputit to my cheek,inhalingthe smell of his skin.
Silent tearsrolleddown my cheek into his palm.
Herubbedmy back and Iclutchedonto his hand for dear life.
When the doctors told me they had put me in a medically induced coma for the past few days, I freaked out.
Ignoring the searing pain, I sat up and started screaming something about Geoffrey Brown and the Chimera lab. It took two orderlies to restrain me while another doctor administered a sedative. I thought they were going to stick a needle in Riot’s neck too, the way he tried to fight them off me.
Once that sedative wore off I was remarkably clearer.
When I peeled my eyes open, Riot was dutifully posted in the chair next to my bed. He perked up when our eyes connected.
“He blinked, Riot.” My voice was dry and hoarse. I tried to swallow.
“Who did?”Riot’s voicewasstrained, his gaze fixed fiercely on me.
“Pastor Blackwell. When I told him I knew he shorted the stock for the builders. He just… blinked. I thought he had a really good poker face.” I blew a breath out.
“He had no fuckin’ idea what I was talking about.
” I scoffed and attempted to shake my head but a jolt of fire shot down my neck and I grimaced.
Riot leaped to his feet, concern mapped all over his face. He knelt at my bedside and slipped a hand over mine, weaving our fingers together.
I tried not to let hope bloom in my heart.
He didn’t want me dead. But that didn’t mean heforgaveme for lying to him .
“The Centerwaskeptfundedso it could be a constant source of Chimera addicts for the drug trial to yield false-positive results. When itgotpassed, Typhon Industriesstoodto make millions. I don’t think Eliasknewanything about it.
Itwasall Geoffrey Brown.”The thoughtsfloodedback to me.
“Riot… Brennan didn’t kill your mom. At least, she didn’t die from the wounds heinflictedon her. Geoff Brownwasthere that night.”
Riot didn’t look surprised.
“Your doctor friend there?”
“Dr. Moore?”
Riot nodded. “He stopped by the house yesterday looking for you. He told Brennan that he got all these weird emails from you. When you weren’t answering your phone, the house was the only other place he could think to find you.
I’ve been going through everything here the last few days but was only able to make sense of a few things.
” He gestured to a stack of papers and a laptop sitting on a chair across the room.
“I also found the picture from her autopsy in your car. I saw the circle you drew over the ligature marks on her neck.” He looked up and laughed humorlessly.
“You know, I don’t even think that I knew her official cause of death was asphyxiation? How good of a son am I?”
“You couldn’t have known. Even the police assumed asphyxiation meant from smoke inhalation at a quick glance. They had a body, a confession, and the alleged murder weapon. No one bothered to dig deeper.
“Until you,” he whispered. His blue eyes glistened with intensity, studying my face. He leaned toward me an inch. “Are my pupils dilating?”
The affection punchedthrough my attempt to hold back hope. Icrumbled,chokingback a laugh-sob while his handcaressedmy forehead.
“Riot,I’mso sorry I didn’t tell you about the assignment…”
“Shh,” he interrupted me, leaning over and placing a warm kiss on my temple. “It’s okay, Nicolette. I’m sorry too. I should have listened to you. I should have trusted you. I’m ashamed of the way I spoke to you. Can you ever forgive me?”
My chest hitched, my heart swelled, and I was so tired of crying but the happy tears were cathartic and I laughed and nodded. I held my arms out and Riot sank into them. God, he smelled better than I remembered. The muscles in his back were tense.
“Riot, where’s Brennan?” I asked quietly.
Riot pulled back and shifted uncomfortably. “He was taken into custody by Godot PD,” Riot nodded and my jaw dropped.
“Oh, no, Riot,I’mso sorry…Wasit the audio file? Because we can prove he didn’t do it now.”
Riotsmiledsadly.“First, we can’t prove anything, Nic. Nothing nails Geoffrey Brown to my mother’s death. Besides, it’s aclosedcase. Either way, it won’t help Brennan.”
“What was he taken in for?”
“He went on a little joy ride, running from the cops.” Riot’s eyes went wide. “He was held for a day or two,” Riot’s head bobbed. “Until those federal agents swept in and took custody of him, cleaning out every record of his presence in Godot.”
The air I sucked in burned my sore throat.
“What? No…”
He shook his head helplessly. “They’ve told me nothing.
I have no idea where he is or when he might be back.
If he’ll be back.” Riot plopped down on the chair, defeated.
“But he told me he’d be okay. And that I should trust him.
It was the last thing he said to me when I went to see him at the police department.
” Riot shrugged, and it sent my mind spinning.
“Well, Ihaveto get out of here. Wehaveto turn all this over before Geoffrey Brown gets wind of it…”Hehelda hand up to stop me.
“ We aren’t going anywhere. Jeremy Blackwell already has everything that was in your car. Plus, you need to rest. They said if your scans are clearer tomorrow, I can bring you home Monday.” He gazed down and shuffled his feet shyly. “That is… if you want to come home… with me? ”
My chest blossomed with the flush on his cheeks. I grabbed his hand and his eyes met mine.
“Riot, I can’t think of anything that I would like to do more than come home with you.”