Page 40 of Bed of Thorns

Why had Edmond’s cellmate been so generous? They must continue to have a special bond. At least he’d found a friend of sorts behind bars. Maybe that had eased his pain at least to some degree.

Another surprise greeted me. The refrigerator was full of food. Fresh fruits. Vegetables. Meats. Bottled water and even beer. I grabbed a water, returning to the living room, standing behind the open door leading to the deck and enjoying the view. The first hint of morning broke through the ugly shadows, adding a ray of hope.

A fresh start.

I continued to tell myself that.

When I noticed Edmond’s suitcase on the floor, I chewed on my lip then glanced over my shoulder at the hallway leading to the two bedrooms. I crouched down, pulling the bag in front of me. I hesitated, taking several sips of water then placing the bottle on the floor. I sat and stared at his belongings for at least a full minute. I don’t know if I was afraid of what I’d find inside, or if I feared he would think I was invading his privacy.

Which I would be.

But I had to know.

I unzipped the suitcase, taking my time. When I peeled back the lid, I allowed my eyes to become accustomed to the dim lighting. What few clothes he’d brought were neatly packed and if I had to guess, I’d bet there wasn’t a single wrinkle. Then something caught my eye. A book. There was no reason for my hands to shake as I pulled it into my fingers, but they were. I already knew the title.

The Count of Monte Cristo.

I couldn’t believe he’d saved it after all these years. Even more amazing was that as I flipped through the pages, I could tell the book had been read more than once. Dozens of pages were earmarked, folded neatly at the corners, some returned to their normal position while others remained as if denoting an important passage. A single tear formed in my eyes, slipping past my lashes, another wave of sadness swelling deep within.

I’d given him some connection that he’d deemed special. My heart was in my throat as I held it against my chest, trying not to envision what I thought he must have gone through. After wiping the salty bead away with the back of my hand, I gingerly placed the small book on top of his clothes, blinking several times. A box remained in the bottom, half the size of a shoebox. It wasn’t heavy, but I could sense it was also important to him.

When I opened the lid, I had to throw my hand over my mouth to keep from making an audible sound. The letters. He’d kept every one of my letters. It was difficult and terrifying to finger even the first one, but I did, slowly folding it back and revealing another one underneath.

Then I found my picture.

This had been his entire world for years. Years. The light was just strong enough I could also tell that if anyone else had written him, he’d tossed the letters, but my gut told me I’d been the single person from his past who’d given a damn about him. Suddenly, racking sobs took over, tears flowing freely. I couldn’t seem to stop them, finally doubling over and keeping my hand clamped across my mouth.

Years of pain and sadness overwhelmed me, visions flashing in the back of my mind, every one of them terrible. While some were products of my imagination, others seemed more like a partial memory I couldn’t quite seem to grab.

Even though I’d muffled the sound, I could feel his presence. Stiffening, I closed my eyes, anxiety sweeping through me. I was certain he’d be furious with me for opening the case, searching through his things. When he said nothing, I exhaled, carefully returning the letters to the box, trying to find a decent explanation.

There was none, at least not that he would accept. He had nothing in his life any longer and I’d betrayed his trust.

When he crouched down behind me, I tilted my head, controlling my breathing.

Edmond wrapped his arms around me, pulling my back against his chest. While his breathing was rapid, there was no tenseness in his muscles. He nuzzled his chin against my neck, brushing his lips across my skin. Tingles swept through me, and I pressed my hands against his arms, savoring the comfort.

“I’m sorry,” I managed.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I expected you to come with me without questioning anything. That wasn’t fair. I’ll take you back if you want.”

Sniffling, I pulled his arms even tighter. “I’m not thinking about returning, Edmond. I made the choice. You didn’t force me into anything.”

“Mmm… I’m glad to hear you say that.”

A full minute ticked by, but there was no awkwardness, just a quiet peace. Unfortunately, I wasn’t certain it would last. “How are we going to survive? I’ll get a job, but it won’t be easy if we stay here.”

“You won’t need to.”

I pushed the suitcase away, shifting toward him. “What does that mean? You need to be honest with me.”

He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his gaze shifting across my face, but his eyes never connected with mine. “I’m meeting with the person who handles my cellmate’s estate, his financial advisor. Adam has offered to loan me money in order to get started in business.”

“What business?” A financial advisor? While wealthy people went to prison all the time, they usually weren’t kept in the shithole of a prison Edmond had been in. Another red flag raised in my mind.

His smile was different, almost as if he was smirking. “Real estate development, at least I think that’s the best option at this point. I promise you that everything is going to be alright. Everything. One day, you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted. I will make certain that happens. Tell me what your dreams are, Mercedes. What can I bring you? The stars? The moon? I’ll wrangle my lasso around a planet for you if that’s what you want.” The twinkle in his eyes, his full animation was so different than the brooding man who’d walked back into my life. He seemed almost giddy, drunk on life, but nowhere could he hide the shadows that surrounded him, lurking in the background, waiting to control his life.

“That’s… wonderful,” I managed. But was it? Why was he pulling himself into the exact vacuum that had played a part in destroying his life?

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