Page 55 of Resurrect Me

“There’s a man…with them,” I say and try to muster all of the strength I have left in me. For the kids. For Aris. For our family. “He wants Declan.”

I lay flat on the cold ground, my body now supine on the hard floor of the warehouse. I hear voices and footsteps all around. They’re talking to Aris, asking questions. Aris lifts me from the floor.

My entire body is pounding. I’m nauseous and sweaty and just want to close my eyes. My soul is threatening to leave my body and escape the radiating, all-encompassing pain. Slipping…my eyes close…

Aris lays me on something cushiony and clean. I feel pillows and blankets around me. And Aris. I hear his voice. He never leaves me.

“Tacy, Babydoll. Can you hear me? I need to know who the man is.”

I open my eyes. “I don’t…know.”

“Did you meet him?”

“No. He was on the phone…at mom’s. Threatened them. The kids.”

“Yes, I got all of that, Honey,” he says and sits beside me. “I know this is hard, but I need you with me for a few more minutes. Then I promise you can rest.”

Tears stream from my eyes. I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake. How much more I can give of myself. But I have to pull through for the kids. Fuck everyone else. Just. Save. The. Kids.

“Dock five-A. Midnight,” I squeak and cough. “Give him back to them.”

“Okay, Baby. You did good,” Aris says and smooths the hair out of my face. He offers me water and covers me with a blanket, because now I can’t stop shivering. “Just rest now.”

I close my eyes and pray for the pain to go away. And for my kids to be saved.

Chapter 28

Aris

“Why the FUCK did you let him go?” Clyde roars over the humming of the boat engine. “You fucking let him go!”

“Because, Clyde, he is on our side,” I say and turn the boat on. “Now, go down and make sure they’re ready for the exchange.”

“But you fucking let him go! Why, Boss?”

I turn to him and clutch the steering wheel to steady myself. “He knows the CEO. Where she lives.”

“But we’re fucking handing over Declan, the demon, Harvey. What do you think is going to happen next? They’re fucking coming after us. They’ll track each one of us down and kill us. Or our families. They know we exist now, especially since we’ve held Declan in the warehouse. And now Reggie is free…well…we are fucked!”

“Would you please calm the fuck down, Clyde?” I growl and turn on the radio. Orange Sector’s song Farben blasts through the speakers. I turn it up more. Maybe the music will drown out Clyde’s bitching.

“Wait…did you say the CEO is a woman?” His jaw tenses.

“Yeah. And it’s not just any woman,” I say and motion to the ropes. “Can you untie us and give the boat a push?”

Clyde follows my request. “Then who is it?” He yells over the industrial music.

“It’s my mother-in-law,” I reply and put the boat into gear.

Clyde stares at me, his mouth agape, hands clutching the leaning post next to me. “I’m…I’m sorry?”

“You heard me. I said it’s my fucking mother-in-law.” I turn the wheel starboard.

“But…how?” Clyde scratches his head and stares out into the distance.

“Clyde! Please go down and check on the guys. And make sure Declan still has the God damn bag over his head. I don’t need him seeing anything until we get to the docks. I don’t want him to know where he came from. Nothing about it. Got me? We’ll figure out the rest later.”

“But, what the fuck, Boss? I mean, Reggie. And Tacy’s mom?”

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