Until We Meet Again(80)

nothing! Completely useless! If you’d done your job in the first

place, we wouldn’t be in this mess. You worthless slut.” As he

speaks the insult, he brings the back of his hand hard across

Fay’s jaw.

She lets out a cry of pain. Blood brightens her bottom lip.

Shocked and furious, I grab Ned’s arm, pulling him away.

“How dare you strike her!”

Ned shoves me. Fay’s eyes glisten with angry tears. “Now you

see your uncle’s true colors, Lon.”

“Shut up,” Ned barks.

“I’m not going to shut up,” Fay cries. “My father may be a

criminal, but at least he owns up to who he is. You try to pretend that you’re a wealthy businessman. You throw all these parties so people will respect and admire you. But I’m going to

tell everyone what a low life you are. I’m going to tell them all!”

Ned grabs Fay by the wrist, bending it at an unnatural angle.

She cries out.

“Let go of her!” I lunge forward, grabbing him by the collar.

Once again, Ned shoves me back, his sheer size giving him

frightening strength. When I go for him again, he lands a punch

to my jaw so hard that I crash backward into the stone bench.

Ned spins to deal with Fay, but she has one of her red shoes

in hand, and with a shout, she brings the high heel down into

Ned’s face. He roars with shock and pain. Free from his grip,

Fay runs headlong into the party, disappearing into the movement of the crowd.

Ned lets out a furious growl. Pressing a hand to the cut on his

face, he tears off after her.

“Ned!” I shout, running to keep up with him. “This is

between you and me! Leave her alone!”

Ned makes his way through the crush of the bodies writhing

and dancing, but they engulf me. In a blink, I can’t see Ned anymore. And I can’t see Fay either. I call her name, but the cry is lost in the music. I turn a full circle, looking frantically for her.

Nothing.

A trio approaches me, goading me to join their game of

hide-and-seek. I push past them without as much as a word. I

have to find Fay. She was right. My uncle is the dangerous one.

And then, like a steam engine right into my chest, a thought

strikes me. Is my uncle the one I should have been suspecting

all this time? Is my uncle the one who kills me?

All at once, the music and laughter of the party fade. The colors

and lights blend together around me. Across the lawn and into

the shadows, the sight of Fay running, her red dress like a smear

of blood. Ned is little more than an arm’s length away.

In slow motion, Fay tosses a terrified look over her shoulder.

Her eyes connect with mine. And then, she turns to the bushes.

To the path.

Like two ghosts, she and Ned vanish into the dark beauty of

the beach.

The beach.

A thudding heartbeat. A shallow breath. Everything else is

blotted out by darkness.

But I know what I have to do. And for the first time in days,

I’m not afraid. In fact, after so much turmoil, I marvel at the

elegance of it all. Fate found a way to get me on that beach.

And I accept it. Because I must. Because I won’t let fate have

anyone else. And if I don’t stop Ned, Fay will die as well.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and walk a final time

to the sea.





Chapter 34





Lawrence


T

he odd calm I felt approaching the beach is shattered the

moment I break through the bushy path.



Fay is lying on the sand. Ned’s kneeling over her, smashing his fists into her with animal-like fury. Fay screams and holds up her arms to try to block him, but it’s no use. With his

strength, he’ll break her delicate body in minutes.

A roar tears from my lungs. I fly at Ned, ramming into him with all my weight. It’s enough for me to make him stumble back.

“Dammit, boy,” he shouts. “You stay out of this!”

He lunges forward, shoving me to the ground. I turn back to

Fay, who’s lying motionless on the sand, and I spring back to

my feet.

“Leave her alone, Ned.” I slam into him again. It’s like pushing my shoulder into a stone wall. “She’s done nothing!”

“She’s ruined everything.”

“No! I’m the one who ruined your plan. I’m the one who

broke her heart and sent her away.”

Ned staggers away from Fay. His face is flushed. He stares

at me, breathing hard. I bend over, trying to catch my breath

as well.

“I found someone else. Someone I love. I’ve never loved Fay.

Not like that. Your plan never would have worked, Ned.”

He shakes his head. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m telling you, I never would have married Fay, let alone

worked for the mob.”

Ned’s gaze stays on me, unbroken. “So you would have left

me to the wolves then, Lonnie? After everything I’ve done for