Page 69 of Reckoning

“Better,” she said, sounding pleased, and hit me again in the same place. Vomit rose in my throat. I stopped trying to fight and started trying to crawl and free myself from her, but I didn’t know which way to go. My senses were obliterated by the pain pounding behind my eyes and ricocheting through my skeleton. My hand fell off the edge of the dock and dangled toward the water. I managed to scream when Anita brought her foot down on my ankle, but it wasn’t nearly loud enough to do any good. She brought her fists down in the small of my back, and then I was falling into the water.

My body hit the water hard, like falling on asphalt. I was frozen, my lungs paralyzed, and then the cold water flowed into my mouth and down my throat. I heard her speaking as I went under, but I couldn’t catch the words in my panic and confusion. Even when I looked into Meyer and Conrad’s face as I cowered, bleeding, on the floor of a loading dock, I had never been this afraid. I struggled to find the right way up, so disoriented from the head blows. My fingers finally brushed air, and I brought my head out of the water, deep gasps filling my lungs with air so cold it froze my lungs in place. I tried to kick to stay afloat, but my body still didn’t know how to stay upright. The dress swirled around my legs, impeding my movement, making it too difficult to tread water. I reached out for the dock but couldn’t find anything to grab on to, knowing it would be useless if I did. My hands were already stiff, and I was trembling violently.

And then, I couldn’t move any more.

I sank below the surface.

Maybe it would be better this way. Was this what Meyer was thinking when he took those pills? He wouldn’t have to worry about protecting me anymore. He could break free from his father and create a new life for himself far away from here. Without the vendetta against my mother to fulfill, Conrad would go back to focusing on his business and leave her alone.

But my mother…

She’d fought so hard for me. Raised me even though I was a reminder of her horrible abuse. Risked her own well-being to care for Meyer when he was sick, then reappeared somehow to bring him those notes so that I could know the truth. What would happen to her if the family who’d tried so hard to destroy her life took mine?

My thoughts were so jumbled, but I used every remaining brain cell to hold that one thought. The vision of my mother’s face when she finally found out I was gone. My father’s shaking hands as he held her, trying to contain her panic. Her grief. But it would never be enough, would it? Not when the baby she’d fought to make her own was gone.

I summoned the last strength still burning in my belly and kicked toward the surface. Opening my eyes underneath the freezing water, I found the faint light and extended my hand toward it. And then a body joined me in the water, grabbing my outstretched hand and yanking me up. I sucked in delicious, life-giving air, leaning into the hands around my waist holding me afloat.

“Come on, Maddie, I’m not done with you.”

“Meyer?” I asked, though it sounded more like a gasp. I was shivering, trying too hard to stay warm.

“I told you not to trust her,” he snarled.

He kicked us to the edge of the water—not a true shore, just a concrete wall breaking the waves—and my feet finally scraped against the bottom. One of my shoes was missing. Meyer put both hands on my waist and lifted me up into another pair of arms. Dry fabric covered my entire body, and I was scooped up against a warm chest.

“Not Meyer,” I said, tapping the buttons of a dry shirt. I could still smell him, the cologne lingering in this jacket draped across my body.

“Too warm, I know.” Joshua’s voice sounded tight, and I wondered if he was worried about something. We were moving, but I didn’t register much. I could feel the blue in my toes, and I still wanted to vomit. I was exhausted beyond belief.

With a rush of warm air, we were back inside, and I could finally feel some warmth penetrating my skin. Meyer was yelling, though I couldn’t imagine what about. I bounced a little—walking up stairs?—and there was the slam of a door. Joshua set me on the soft carpet as Meyer lit a gas fireplace, much like his own. Had we gotten back home somehow?

Home.

“She needs a doctor,” Joshua was saying, but Meyer was on his knees next to me.

“She needs me. Leave us alone.”

“I’m fine, Joshua.” My tongue was a little more flexible, and the words didn’t sound so breathy. “I’ll sleep it off.”

“We’ll call if there’s a problem. Right now, I just need to get her warm. Let us be.”

Joshua grumbled, but I heard a door open and shut, and then Meyer left my side briefly, and I heard the sound of a lock. I sighed and closed my eyes, ready to sleep, but familiar hands pushed aside my hair and tugged at the zipper of my dress.

“I won’t fight you anymore,” I said, rolling to my side so that Meyer could pull the clothes off my shivering frame.

“As glad as I am to hear that, I’ve got other things on my mind right now.” More wet clothes hit the floor, and I was airborne again, gasping when my cold toes hit warm water. I slipped in water up to my neck, then leaned back against Meyer as he pulled my hair away from my neck and kissed me there.

“Not more water,” I moaned, struggling, but he held me still. His naked flesh pressed against my own.

“Can’t you trust me, Maddie?”

He had asked me that before, and I laughed at him. This time, I was relieved he was here. I was giving in. Anita had tried to kill me, but he fished me out of the water, brought me here, and was warming me back to life. His hands massaged my arms, fingers, and legs, bringing warm blood back to my body. With the warmth came my sensibilities and the realization of what just happened.

“Meyer,” I gasped, “Your sister tried to kill me. I almost died.”

“You’re not allowed.” He pressed his lips against my cheek. “I told you, I’m not done with you.”

“Where’s Anita?”

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