Hitched

I nodded because there was nothing else I could do. I would figure something out, later.

"Good," Burke sighed with a smile, patting me on the back like we were old friends. "Now, you better run home and start collectin' us that money while we clean up here. We'll be by sometime this morning. Take care, Lincoln."

*****

When I left the place, I realized immediately that my car wouldn't start. Burke sneered from the doorway. I could have called an Uber, but I had to think about what to do. I walked through town until the sun came up. I think I was looking for an alternate path, for some way out of the tumultuous ordeal I found myself in, but of course there was no easy solution. It was hopeless. I would tell Dina, likely lose her and end up dead in the process. I didn't have ten thousand to give those animals, and even if I did, Burke would have to pry it from my cold dead hands.

I decided to call the police, but my cell's battery was dead. I had no choice but to go home. It was six in the morning, and I didn't doubt Burke when he said he'd be at our home sometime in the morning. The house was silent when I walked in, and dread overtook me. What if I was too late? Then Samson came running to greet me and I heard the sound of jazz music coming from further in the house. Dina loved jazz. I followed the notes to her.

My wife stood in the living room in her slip, listening to "Blue in Green" by Miles Davis while slinging back straight whiskey. Black mascara lined her cheeks from when she had obviously been crying, and her hair was a mess.

Dina's expression was flat when she saw me, and then something sparked in her eye. She knew.

She knew.

If I lived to be one hundred, I would never forget the way she looked at me and the sound of plaintive instruments filling the room.

She swayed on her feet and took another gulp of liquor. Then she wiped her mouth and gave me a smile. "So, it's true. I can see it all over your face. Smell your guilt. Taste it, even."

"I'm so sorry," I said, knowing it wasn't enough.

"Your friend has already been here, the girl with the long hair and the young body. Kat? Kit?" Dina snorted with drunken, sad laughter. "Kitkat?" She shook her head and tripped on the carpet. I stumbled to help her, but she caught herself. Her blue eyes pierced my own with cold accusation and blistering pain. "How did this happen? How? Why?"

"I don't have a good answer. I was a dumbass." I stroked her hair; she let me touch her. "You can be mad at me. You should be furious, but we have a bigger problem right now."

Dina pulled back and sniffled. "You mean the ten thousand. Kitty cat explained the whole situation."

"We need to call the police."

Nodding, Dina wiped at her eyes. "Yes. Seems like what we need to do." She cupped my face. "You know, I suspected. I probably even knew. I was going to just ignore it and hope for the best. Serves me right, huh?"

"God, Dina," I moaned, willing to rip my heart out if that would make her feel better.

She patted my cheek. "We don't have time for this right now. Call the police."

"I thought I explicitly told you not to do that," a voice said from behind us: Burke's voice. Samson began barking and Burke looked down at him with a sneer. "And get rid of this fucking dog before I kill it."

Thousands of tiny cold knives attacked my nerves. "Dina, get out. Run." 
Dina grabbed onto Samson.

Then, Kenny walked in and shook his head. "Not a good idea, Dina, sweetie. Best if you stay here."

"God!" I yelled, frustrated and scared. I put my hands up to my hair and tugged. "We don't have fucking ten thousand dollars and I don't give a shit if you post every single one of those pics online. It's done."

Samson continued barking. Kenny surprised me by dragging the dog outside of the house and slamming the door before he could come back inside. Maybe Kenny had a shred of humanity inside. Then his dead eyes met with mine and I figured probably not.

When I turned my attention back on him, Burke pulled out a gun. "Does your wife's life mean so little, Lincoln? I mean, it's obvious you don't care about her dignity or self-respect, but," Burke paused to give me a scolding smile, "don't you care about her life?"

"You shut the fuck up," I said, trying not to look at Dina's pained face.

He leaned against the wall and his smile shifted into a smirk. "Hmm. Not so sure you're in a position to demand things from me, Lincoln." Then he headed for Dina. I moved between them and pulled her into my arms. She stiffened but let me.

"We don't have ten thousand dollars," I said slowly so he would fucking understand. "You have to think of something else I can give you, because I literally don't have that amount."

His eyes scanned the house, then rested on us. They were black and soulless, deep and infinitely cold. "I find it hard to believe you don't have some way to cough up a measly ten, so now you just lifted it to twenty. And we're going to stay here with your beautiful wife while you get it."

"I said no. There's no way. You have to understand that."

He shrugged and lifted the gun. "Then you both die. Easy."

"Wait!" Dina cried. She faced me and took a deep breath. "My mom."

I shut my eyes. She never should have mentioned her, but then again, we were out of options.

Burke loomed closer. "Dina's mom? Perfect. Should we go to her, then?"

"We don't mind the trip, after all," Kenny added with a wheezy laugh.

"We don't have another choice," Dina whispered. "I'll call her. Say we need it for the fertility treatment."

"Fertility treatment?" Burke asked, looking genuinely puzzled. "You're pregnant?"

Dina stood tall and gave him a look of disgust. "No." Then she looked back at me, and it killed me that her expression didn't soften much. I deserved that. "We don't have another choice," she repeated, and she was right.

The men watched closely as Dina dialed her mom's number on her cell phone and faked excitement that I had supposedly caved and agreed to borrow the money from her. I heard Dina's mom whooping for joy and I wasn't sure I ever felt so small.

Dina hung up and it was done. Her mother would transfer the money and I would retrieve it. Easy, Burke insisted. Except it didn't feel so easy. It felt like a trap.

There was no way Burke and Kenny would leave us in peace after this. I doubted Burke's assertion that he would only come around for blackmail every now and then. There was no way they wouldn't suspect we would go to the police, because we probably would. Plus, the bank would likely report us taking out a gigantic sum of money, and for seemingly no purpose. What Burke suggested was impossible, and I knew then that he would definitely kill us as soon as he had his hands on the money.

"We'll wait here until the transfer is complete. Then, you and Kenny will head to the bank and I'll keep your beautiful wife company." He nudged her shoulder with his own. "How did you two meet?" Dina ignored him. He nudged her again, harder. "I asked you a question, bitch. I don't like repeating myself."

Dina's head turned toward him slowly and she blinked hard, as if she still couldn't believe he was in front of her. "On an airplane."

"No shit. Did you guys join the mile high club on the first date?" Burke asked, making Kenny chuckle.

Dina's eyes met mine. "No. I was sick. He felt sorry for me and helped me."

"Boring," Kenny said. "I think I'll fantasize about it happening the other way."

Dina shrugged lifelessly. I could see in her eyes that she had come to the same frightening conclusion I had. We weren't getting out of this alive. She walked over to me where I sat on the couch and cuddled close. "I hate you."

"I know." Jazz continued to play in the background. It soothed me, somehow. "I'm sorry. I can't begin to tell you how much."

Burke and Kenny relaxed on the other couch. I eyed them carefully, wondering if I could take the two of them on. I might die in the process, but it would be worth it if Dina would make it.

The rest happened in a fast blur. Burke stood to proclaim he was "taking a leak". I saw it as my one real opportunity and took it. I got up and rushed him, grabbing onto his gun. He was stunned and wasn't able to hold onto it, so I had it quickly. Kenny reached for his, but he was too late. I shot him in the face and didn't even flinch. Then I turned the gun on Burke. He whistled and gave me what almost looked like an admiring smile.

"Now, that's a go-getter," he said. "Were you like this with Kit? This is the first time I'm seeing you as a real man."

"Fuck you." I checked behind me to make sure Dina was okay. I didn't anticipate his next move. In one smooth movement, Burke pulled out anther gun and pulled the trigger. I didn't actually feel the burst in my shoulder due to shock, but I knew I had to shoot him again before he did any more damage. I lost strength in my arms, however, and I involuntarily lowered my gun.

That's when Dina jumped in. She hit Burke's arm with the fireplace poker, screaming as she did it. Then she picked up his gun before he could jump over to it. She picked it up with shaking hands. Burke opened his mouth to say something, but she shot him in the neck before the words came out. They would have been worthless words, I told her later, while she shivered in my arms.

The rest happened in a blur, just like Hollywood tells you. Paramedics and police arrived almost immediately. My neighborhood wasn't exactly the kind used to hearing gunshots every day. Dina and I got separated at one point and I felt a crazy amount of anxiety from not being able to see her. I guess I started freaking out, because they finally gave me a sedative and hauled me off to the hospital.

When I opened my eyes, hours and hours later, Dina was sitting calmly next to my bed reading a book. She must have felt my gaze because she sharply looked up and shut the book.

"You're awake. Good. Let me call the nurse."

I grasped her wrist with as much strength as I could. "Dina..."

"I don't want to talk about it, ever again. As far as I'm concerned, you've paid for what you did." She came closer and rubbed my cheek. "You scared the shit out of me last night!"

"The thought of losing you scared the shit out of me. Jesus. Sorry it took the threat of death for me to see what a fucking moron I was being." I groaned when I felt the pain in my arm.

"Lincoln?" I looked up at her and waited for her to speak again. She seemed to be looking for the right words. "I forgive you, because I love you, but if you ever, ever, ever so much as look at another woman, I will not be able to do it again."

"I know."

"We need to go to therapy."

"I know."

"And you need to open up more and stop being a jerk and..."

"I know," I interrupted, trying to pull her close so I could kiss her. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I know you're sorry. It still doesn't fix anything." She still looked pissed, but let me kiss her. Then she stood up to get the nurse.

She stopped when she reached the door and spun around. "Oh, and Lincoln? If anyone is going to kill you for cheating, it's going to be me."

***** I woke up again later, fuzzy from the drugs. Dina wasn't sitting in her chair, but Kit was there, humming something. She smiled when she saw I noticed her.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she purred.

I started freaking out. I wasn't sure how involved she was with the two other men. I told the police all about her. Had she come to finish me off? Had she hurt Dina?

"Your wife is getting a bite to eat. She doesn't know I'm here. Yes, the police know. Yes, they're still investigating me, but they get I'm a victim, too."

"Victim," I snorted.

She gave me her toothy smile. "Anyway, I wanted to say goodbye again. I won't be back, I promise."

"I never want to see you again, so that's good."

"I figured you would say something like that. I get it. I just wanted to apologize to you, believe it or not. I shouldn't have dragged you into this mess. I should have gone to the police ages ago, but he scared me." She shrugged, like that was enough of an explanation. I still didn't trust her. "Kenny scared me, too. They both made all these kinds of threats about Mama if I ever turned them in. I thought they'd let me go this time, honestly. Kenny promised, because he owed me for something, and he fucking lied and told Burke where I'd gone. Asshole."

"I don't want to hear this," I told her, even though I wasn't sure that was true. Her tone of voice was still like music to me, even if it made me sick. She was like candy; I wanted to gobble her up, but she'd rot out my teeth.

"You don't care. I get that, too." She was completely emotionless. With every word, I became more and more convinced I she set me up, at least partly, but I knew I would never have all of the facts. "I saw you and your wife together before. I was listening. Sorry. You guys were talking about what would happen after you left the hospital. Therapy and shit. That's good. Maybe in a way, I saved your marriage!"

I laughed so hard my ribs ached. "Right. Saved it."

She leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Think about it." She stood and caressed my cheek with her fingertips. "You're a good guy. You helped me when not many would. I really am sorry I got you involved."

I still wasn't sure if I believed her, but I nodded anyway.

"Bye, Lincoln," she said, drifting away, or maybe it was me falling asleep again.

I remember saying 'bye', then dreaming of the gas station where I first picked her up. This time, I was honorable and said I couldn't take her. She pouted and I ached, but it was the right thing to do. There was no Burke, no Kenny, no gunshots, no look of complete and utter devastation in Dina's eyes.

I awakened, pain burning through my arm. Dina was hovering nervously as the nurse changed my dressing and fiddled with my IV. There was an infection, the nurse murmured, and it was a bad one, but I would probably be okay. Dina never left me, and when the nurse left, she sat and sobbed for the first time since the whole horrible thing happened.

The affair might have been a wake-up call, but it didn't save my marriage. Dina did. Dina loved me at my worst and I hadn't been a good man for her. She forgave me, even when I didn't deserve it, and understood that I was a human who fucked up. I vowed I would be a better man for her, that we would work to have a baby and that I would try to be more patient. That I would remember I loved her without needing the world to fall apart around us.

And that I would never, ever, ever pick up another hitchhiker again.