Page 101 of Claim Me

It would do no good for her to see this. She turned into my shoulder, covering her eyes now as she began to cry. There was nothing to say, but I tried anyway, each sentiment sounding more meaningless than the next. “Help is on the way. Alexander is trained. It will be fine.”

But it wouldn’t be. Mary had looked terrible the last time I saw her. She was approaching ninety. I was offering promises I couldn’t keep. I fell silent when I realized it.

It took longer than it should for the ambulance to arrive, but it always felt that way in the moment of death—like time had slowed down and forced you to savor every bitter bite. When the medics got there, the crowd parted for them, blocking us from seeing any more. That was for the best.

Spotting Norris, I beckoned him over with my free hand. He’d been absent most of the evening, no doubt checking every window in the place. He hurried over and we exchanged worried glances.

Neither of us said what we were thinking but this was becoming a habit.

“We should get her out of here,” I said.

He bobbed his head, ushering us through an emergency door. Sarah gulped down air when we were outside, but it only seemed to power her tears. Norris stepped to the side and called a car.

Carefully extricating myself from Sarah, I joined him and lowered my voice, my eyes still on her. “Where are they taking Mary?”

“St. James,” he said. “But…”

I closed my eyes, uncertain I was ready to deal with another wave of grief. Mary hadn’t been close with her grandchildren, but that carried a different kind of grief with it—one that coupled with doubt and anger in equal measure. Alexander and Edward were experienced in this kind, but Sarah…

“Should we take her?” I asked him. He pressed his ear, listening to some bit of information on his earpiece.

It was a difficult decision. The hospital would be chaotic and decisions would have to be made. I wasn’t sure how Sarah would handle that. It hit me just how little experience she had in this.

“Alexander and Edward are going with Mary. I don’t think that…”

Tonight we were fluent in broken sentences.

“Home?” I didn’t know what we do there but sit and wait.

“Should we ask her?” he suggested.

She didn’t seem capable of that kind of decision but I didn’t know what else to do. The certainty that had overtaken me earlier had abandoned me now and I was left with only doubt.

We moved toward Sarah, approaching her like she was a wild animal and completely unpredictable.

“Sarah,” I asked softly. “They’re taking her to the hospital. We can go there or we can go home.”

“Home,” she said with a broken voice.

I nodded and checked to see that Norris heard me. It was the most I could give her tonight.

The Range Rover pulled into the side lot and Norris helped her inside. Closing the door behind her, he circled around to speak with me before I could follow.

“I’ve let Alexander know. He wants me to come with you. Georgia is going to stay here.”

I didn’t know if this was because she was still mad at me or something more. If she couldn’t get over her anger in a moment of panic, then we needed to have a serious conversation.

Norris reached for the door handle, his eyes tightening for a moment on something behind him.

“What?” I asked, peering over my shoulder to look. “There’s nothing...”

I turned back to find him white-faced, still staring at the spot. His mouth opened and one word spilled from his mouth. “Blue.”

Followed by a lot of blood.

Blood that was red like the handkerchief that closed over my mouth. Blood that was red like the back of my eyelids the moment before they faded to…

Chapter 30