The Family Man

Chapter 23

The familiar beeping sound surprised me. My eyes didn't want to open into the light, but I knew where I was. My side was tight like the skin had been shrunk two sizes too small. A dull ache traveled in slowly around the tightness. It was a foggy pain, one muted by a strong painkiller.

"Welcome back, girlfriend," Susan said with a humorous tone. "You trying to take up permanent residence? The rent ain't cheap, you know." I mumbled a question, then cleared my throat and tried again.

"Where's Maria?"

"In the shift room. She spent the night in here, and we found her falling asleep in the chair. I put her in one of the beds when she was too groggy to complain."

"She's okay then?"

"Physically, yes," Susan said. "There's a detective and a couple of blues waiting for you to wake up. They want to know what happened to her neck, and to you, of course." The thought of talking to the police curdled my stomach.

"I'm not ready to talk with them right now," I said.

"Doc Hanson had to sew you up. You're not protecting that ex of yours, are you?"

"No. Is Jake okay?"

"Yeah, we're keeping him awake. He has a grade 3 concussion and slurring his speech. The CAT scan came back negative for swelling, so he should be okay in a day or two."

"Thank God," I said, letting out a deep breath.

"Was it Mr. Hunky? Someone stuck you and cut into your daughter's neck. We're way past pretending nothing happened."

"No, Eric didn't do it either." I sighed and fully opened my eyes. "I need to speak to Eric."

"He was here until he was told you were out of danger," Susan said. "That detective spent a good long time talking with him. They got to into a spat about going to the station, and he left. I'm not sure he's good for you, Natalie." There was a deep concern in her eyes. Two nights and two trips to the emergency room. I could see why.

"Can I get out of here without being seen?"

"You can't go anywhere with those stitches. You're immobile for a few days, two at best and probably more. Who did this to you?"

"You wouldn't understand," I replied. It was the understatement of the century. Eric and I needed to get our stories straight, especially if Quentin is letting his vengeance go when it comes to Maria. I didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize my deal with him. A frightening thought occurred. What if surviving meant the deal was off? "I need a phone. Is mine here somewhere?"

"Should be in your personals," Susan said as she dug into a drawer. I lifted up a little to help and found the pain to be more than dull. I laid back down and decided using my stomach muscles was a bad idea. "Here it is." She handed me the phone, and I took it with my good right hand. The left arm was stuck with an IV. "I'll go see if anyone has a charger that will fit." Susan judiciously moved off to allow me some privacy.

"Hi," I said when Eric answered.

"I thought I killed you," Eric said with a passionate guilt.

"I thought I killed myself," I said. "What happened to Quentin? Is he still after Maria?"

"He tells me he's done. Completely done," Eric answered hurriedly. "Are you really okay? They told me you were. I tried to wait, but the police showed up and were asking too many questions."

"My stomach hurts like hell, but nothing I won't survive. Do you believe him? Is he really done?"

"He's never said anything like it before. It was always the crazy vengeance talk before." Eric paused a moment. "He sounded sane enough, but I don't trust him. I created a cruel monster when I raided that village. It may just be another tactic to increase my punishment, or for me to let my guard down and identify more of my relatives."

"He wouldn't come to the hospital, would he?"

"I don't think so. He's never been that public before. Always tries to make it just him and me," Eric answered. I let out a sigh of relief.

"What did you tell the police?"

"I told them it was some homeless guy. I described Quentin but left out the name. I think the closer to the truth the better. Said that he threatened Maria's life for money and a struggle ensued. It might be best if you kept Maria away from the police."

"I got stabbed in the struggle?"

"I wasn't going to tell them you did it to yourself," Eric said. "And don't ever do that again. When I thought you were dying, my whole world went dark. I should never have gotten so close."

"Are we close?" I asked.

"We shouldn't be," Eric responded. "I'm trying not to be."

"How are you doing with that?" A smile grew on my face. After all that had happened, I still enjoyed having Eric off balance. I loved being the cause of it. It was an incredibly unhealthy emotion.

"Failing miserably."

"Me too," I admitted.

"There's still things you don't know about me," Eric said. I could hear the frustration in his voice. He loved me even when every part of him, well almost every part, told him not too.

"Then you'll have to tell me," I said. My phone beeped its low battery warning. "Damn, my phone is dying. I'm stuck here for a few days and could use some company. It would be a good time to talk."

"I'll be right there," Eric said and disconnected before I could tell him I meant tomorrow morning. His anxiousness made me chuckle, which was painful, but worth it.

"I found a charger, but you can only have it for a couple of hours," Susan said as she returned to the room. "Todd gets off at 10, and it's the only one he's got."

"Thanks, Susan," I said, handing her my phone. "Can you let the detective know I'm awake."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, but tell him it has to be a short visit."

"Tell me I'm not helping you do something stupid," Susan said. "We've both seen enough battered women come through here telling lies about falling down the stairs."

"I promise, neither Jake or Eric did this, nor would I put up with anything like that."

"Okay," Susan said after taking a moment studying my eyes. I guess she found truth there."I'll go get the cop. Act drowsy, and I'll tell him you've just been sedated. That should speed him up."

"Thanks," I said, and we shared a friendly smile.

***

"Good to see you made it through," Detective Robertson said. I groaned inside when I recognized him, knowing he'd jump right past the standard statistics and into the meat of the questioning. "I wonder if your memory is better than your ex-husbands."

"It was some crazy guy. He had Maria and demanding money." I spoke with an intentionally practiced air. "He looked like he was going to hurt her, money or not. There was a fight when we saw an opening, and this is what happened to me."

"You already spoke with Mr. Papirius." Robertson lowered his notebook as he stated the obvious fact. I wanted him to know that Eric and I were in sync. It would only hurt us more later when he deduced it anyway.

"Yes." I smiled weakly, letting my eyes go lazy.

"Ms. Livingston," Robertson sighed, "this time your daughter was involved. Don't you think it's time for the whole truth."

"I can describe the man for you," I said, slurring the last words.

"No, I think Mr. Papirius covered that very well. Tall, about six-two with short cropped black hair, European accent, probably Slovic. Not well-dressed, possibly homeless."

"That's the guy," I said sleepily. Robertson pulled up the lone chair in the room and sat down. He crossed his legs and leaned back as if he meant to stay awhile.

"I know you and Mr. Robertson are hiding something. He waited here last night until he was sure you were okay. It doesn't take much deduction to see that you two are romantically involved. I have a murder and now," Robertson pointed at me, "an attempted murder. There's also your self-defense shooting two days ago. If you think I'm going to give up and go away, you need to speak to my wife. She says I have a stoney ass that nothing can chip away at."

"Maybe we should talk later," I said, taking long blinks.

"Or you can tell me that you have no intention of ever giving me the whole story and make me spend my days digging out the truth one bit at a time." Robertson smiled at me. My acting was poorer than I thought.

"I have told you no lies," I said, dropping the tired act.

"Half truths are lies in my book."

"What if the whole truth wouldn't help you? What if the truth could only be a lie in your mind?"

"Try me," Robertson said, leaning forward.

"No, I don't think I will," I said firmly. "The man Eric described had a knife to my daughter's throat. He is the sole reason I have this hole in my stomach. If it weren't for Eric, you would have more than one murder to solve."

"Without motive, I have to guess," Robertson said. "I've been looking into Mr. Papirius, and I have to say it has flim-flam written all over it. Short stays all over the world. Businesses that open, handle a single large transaction, and then suddenly close. Did you know he has a son hidden away somewhere in Europe? What kind of man sends his only child away after his wife dies?"

"A man who's trying to hide," Eric said. I looked up from Robertson and saw him standing in the doorway. Robertson jerked around in his seat, surprised as I was. Eric gave me a soft smile, the same smile he wore after our night of passion. "Hi," he said to me, ignoring Robertson.

"Hi," I returned letting our memories merge into a shared smile.

"Hiding from what?" Robertson asked.

"The past," Eric said. He moved smoothly across the floor, opposite side of the bed from Robertson. He took my hand in his as if he were asking to dance. "You look beautiful."

"Liar," I said, though my heart could see the truth in his eyes. My savior, my curse, my lover.

"What past?" Robertson pushed.

"My past, detective," Eric replied. "Does it hurt?" he asked, waving his hand over my tummy.

"Only when I breathe," I lied. If I lay still, I could almost ignore it. I liked the idea of him not ignoring it.

"How long are you stuck here?" Eric asked.

"A few days. They need to make sure there are no problems."

"Mr. Papirius, I think we need to talk," Robertson said. Eric waved him off, preferring my words to his.

"You'll need someone to take care of you," Eric said. His smile grew as he looked at me. "You're going to have difficulty doing simple things, like bathing."

"Are you volunteering?" I asked. Robertson let out a loud, frustrated breath which Eric and I ignored. I was staring into Eric's eyes, wondering what it would be like having him bathe me. It had to be better than my loofah.

"Well, I do feel responsible for what happened, and I'd like to keep a close eye on you and Maria until the perpetrator is caught," Eric said. He then looked toward Robertson. "You are looking for the man, aren't you?"

"If I knew more about what is going on," Robertson said gritting his teeth, "it would greatly speed up the investigation."

"I can tell you on Friday," Eric said calmly. I raised my eyebrows. He sounded like he meant to tell Robertson the truth.

"Friday? Why the hell should I wait until Friday?"

"Friday or nothing," Eric said, shrugging his shoulders. "Before then, you'd laugh in my face and probably have me committed."

"What difference can two days make?" Robertson asked. His face was starting to turn an off shade of red.

"Three days or I lawyer up," Eric offered. Robertson stood, looking like he wanted to drive his fist into the wall. "In the meantime, you can search my house and car if you wish." Robertson's face visibly relaxed. "You won't need a warrant as long as you promise not to rip the place apart."

"I won't find anything, will I?" Robertson asked.

"But you know you want to try," Eric said with a sly smile. Robertson struggled to keep his lips from curling. I think it was the audaciousness of Eric's proposal that amused him.

"Okay. But if I find out the delay in any way hinders my investigation, I'll bring you up on obstruction charges," Robertson said with his finger as much as his mouth.

"Deal," Eric said, handing over his key chain. "I'll be here for a few hours, maybe you'd like to go through my car. It's the blue..."

"I know which one it is," Robertson interrupted, adding his own sly smile. "I'll have the keys brought back up to you in a few minutes."

"The gold key opens the front door to my house. Just leave it on the counter and make sure the garage door is unlocked. I can get in with garage door opener later."

"You are very sure of yourself," Robertson said as he began to leave.

"Tell your boys that I know the level of every bottle of booze in the house," Eric called out. Robertson waved away the joke without turning his head. I wondered if he found it funny or insulting.

"Do you think it's wise to taunt him?" I asked.

"Probably not, but it's kind of fun," Eric said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Does it hurt bad?"

"As long as I lay still, it just feels tight. It cramps up if I try to move," I said.

"I'm so sorry about all of this. If only I had stayed out of things, none of this would have happened."

"If you hadn't shown up, either Jake or I would have been dead," I admitted. "I'm not sure anyone would have been better off."

"Maria almost died," Eric reminded me.

"Almost," I agreed. It was the one thing I couldn't dispute. Maria was at greater risk. "Do you think Quentin will renege now that I survived?"

"I'm not sure he'll keep his side of the bargain either way."

"How can I protect her?"

"I've got plenty of money and years of experience in disappearing," Eric said. "I'll find someplace safe where Quentin will never look."

"I'm not sure I want to run and hide. We have a life here. All Maria's friends are here."

"We have time to think about it," Eric said softly. I could see he had already made his decision. Too bad it may not be the same as mine. "He's never tried anything in a place like this before."

"That means we have time to discuss this bathing theory of yours," I said, forcing a change in subject. I wanted to get back to less ominous conversation. A place where there were no ancient vendettas.

"It all starts with warm water.." Eric began. I liked this place.

Chapter 24

I woke, sensing someone else was in the room. The only light was from the hospital monitors and what was leaking under the door from the hallway. Someone sat back in the chair next to my bed, his face slowly coming into focus. It wasn't Eric or Jake. I reached out slowly for the call button, my hand finding only blanket where I left it before I fell asleep.

The man held up his hand with the call button dangling from its cord. Quentin smiled at me. I fought the fear climbing rapidly from my gut.

"Where...where's Maria?" I asked, silently praying for her safety.

"I really have no idea," Quentin answered quietly in his rich accent. "You're her mother, don't you know?"

"You didn't...you didn't hurt her. Did you?"

"No," Quentin replied, shaking his head slowly from side to side. "I believe we had a deal. I intend to honor it." A strange relief washed through me. The fear for my own life seemed trivial to that of Maria's. He had come to complete the deal.

"Is it going to hurt?" It was my last fear. I had resigned myself to beginning dead. The dying itself was still frightening.

"Not even a little," Quentin replied. He wore a strange smile as if this was funny. I waited a moment, waiting for the inevitable, but he remained motionless, just smiling and staring.

"Are you waiting for Eric?" I asked when the pause became too much. Quentin laughed. It sounded insane, but any sound from him was on the loony side.

Quentin reached forward. I flinched, but he only placed the call button on the bed within easy reach of my hand.

"I'll leave if you push that," Quentin said and sat back calmly, crossing his legs. "Though I think you may want to hear what I have to say."

"You don't mean to kill me?"

"No, nor your daughter or her father." Quentin gave me the smile again as if he enjoyed me believing I was in my last moments.

"Then why are you here?" I kept my fingers away from the call button. "Eric said you wouldn't risk coming to the hospital."

"Marcius is a monster. I would not trust anything from his mouth." All the humor left Quentin's eyes.

"It was you who had a knife at my daughter's throat," I responded quickly. I wasn't sure it was a good idea to argue with Quentin, but my instinct was to defend Eric.

"Ah, yes. From your point of view, I am the monster." The light returned to his eyes, and his smile returned. "I concede your point. Both Marcius and I are monsters. Though I claim he made me. I am his Frankenstein."

"I've only known him for a few months," I said.

"Yes," Quentin said, nodding his head. "Our experiences differ. If you allow me my opinion, I'll allow you yours."

"Agreed." My family was alive, Quentin's had been slaughtered. It was easy to see his point of view as long as Maria wasn't threatened anymore. "So what is it you want me to know?" I shifted in the bed, trying to move my butt to a cooler portion of the sheets. My side complained, but my ass was happier.

"I am no threat to you and your family. I tried to tell the monster, but mutual trust is nonexistent." Quentin tilted his head. "I am through with it all. I intend to return to my homeland and retire my vendetta."

"Eric will never believe it," I said.

"That's why I'm telling you. For some reason, you like the beast. I cannot fathom such a thing, especially from one such as you." Quentin shifted from one side of the chair to the other, uncrossing his legs, then recrossing. "He trusts your words. I saw it in him when you tried to sacrifice yourself."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because you live," Quentin said, his smile returning as if his words were some kind of fabulous gift.

"How do I know you won't go back on your word?" I asked.

"You don't. If you wish you can uproot your life and hide somewhere." Quentin shrugged his shoulders. "Given eternity, I could just wait for your grandchildren to be born. Or do what you did and employee a detective. Most effective that. I wonder why I never thought of it."

"You killed Terrance," I said firmly.

"Yes, that one I regret," Quentin said. "He was insistent on your anonymity. I had difficulty persuading him, and things got out of hand. His Italian friend took much less convincing, and is happier for it."

"And you call Eric a monster," I added, pushing my luck.

"Again, different experiences," Quentin said. I sighed and nodded. Terrance had died trying to protect my identity. I may be as much a monster as the Quentin and Eric. "On my mother's soul, I give you my oath; I am done hunting down the monster's descendants. Unless he comes to find me, we will never see each other again. He has won."

"I don't think anyone won," I said, "everyone lost."

"Our point of view will forever differ," Quentin said. He pointed to the call button as he stood. "You may push that now." He turned toward the door.

"Why are you ending this now?" I asked. Quentin turned back to me with that strange smile.

"You reminded me of my mother. Nothing more, nothing less." Quentin opened the door and left before I had a chance to question his answer. I stared at the open door, wondering why I believed him. He had spent thousands of years murdering innocents. All that time, and it was I that reminded him of his mother. None of it made any sense, and yet I found his words trustworthy.

I pushed the call button. I needed to see Maria.

Chapter 25

"Because you reminded him of his mother?" Eric asked again. His anger was waning. At first he had been livid that Quentin had entered the hospital. He thought it was some new tactic.