Page 95 of Severed Heart (The Ravenhood Legacy #2)

Chapter Fifty

D ELPHINE

“L EAN INTO IT , Delphine,” Regina encourages as my mind whispers along the memory while fear threatens to rob me of it.

“Lean in,” she repeats evenly, “and tell me where you are.”

“The kitchen,” I relay as anxiety fills me.

Nerves firing, I take a numbing sip before putting the finishing touches on dinner as Alain showers. The shift in him this last week has me on edge.

“Delphine. Tell me what’s happening right now.”

“I’m cooking dinner. But something isn’t right. Alain is not acting right.”

Studying the notes from Alain’s latest meeting where they lay on the kitchen table, I sense him behind me before stubbing my cigarette out in the marble ashtray. “Oh, good, dinner is almost ready.”

Turning, I see Alain dressed, his hair still damp from the shower, but it’s the box he’s holding that has dread settling over me. Especially when he raises condemning eyes to mine.

“He found them.”

“Found what?” Regina asks.

“What are these?” Alain asks as I eye the box I hid in the back of my closet a week ago.

Lead coats my stomach as his eyes lower a fraction in speculation.

A look I dread. A look I know far too well.

Is this what his behavior has been about?

Relieved that this may be the totality of his suspicions, I eye the box.

“Those are my new Doc Martens,” I tell him simply.

“When did you buy them?”

“I didn’t. They were given to me by a friend.”

“What friend?”

“A friend from work, you know Diane,” I relay passively just as a sharp knock sounds on the storm door.

“Ello,” Ormand greets, walking in and shaking off the rain from the downpour outside.

I fight not to close my eyes due to the weight of Alain’s unrelenting stare as tension starts to roll off my husband.

Tension which mounts as he turns to greet Ormand, who lowers his own eyes to the box in Alain’s hands.

“Breathe, Delphine, tell me what is happening now,” Regina prompts.

“Ormand is h-here. His ... expression—he is gloating. Alain is going to know. I can see it in his eyes. He’s fed up.”

“Why is Ormand fed up, Delphine?”

“H-he wants me to l-leave Alain for him. He is going to tell Alain. I can feel it.”

“Ah, Delphine,” Ormand speaks, “so you finally showed him the boots I brought you. Don’t worry, Alain,” he assures with an overenthusiastic clap on my husband’s back. One that makes me flinch. “I got them so cheap.”

“Delphine, I’m right here,” Regina whispers as I start to shake uncontrollably. “You are safe. Tell me what’s happening.”

My mind whispers back out of those tense moments as I lean in. Frustration threatens, but I breathe at Regina’s command for long seconds before I’m granted a flash of myself in my bedroom. Twisting the coiled phone cord in my hand while staring at the lock on the bedroom door.

“What’s happening, Delphine? Where are you now?”

“I’m in the bedroom, calling Celine to come because Ormand is leaving. The front door just closed. Alain is coming for me. He’s coming.”

“Delphine, breathe with me,” Regina coaxes. “Inhale. Good. Exhale. Good. Where are you now?”

“I’m in the bedroom. I’ve locked the door and ... I’m staring at the knob. There’s no way out.”

My entire body shudders as Alain bursts through the bedroom door, his expression... “He’s going to kill me.”

“Delphine, listen to me. You are home, in your home with Tyler . You are safe.”

My mind races with images of Alain’s fury as flashes of pain follow. Visions that refuse to be brought into focus, refusing to reveal themselves to me.

“Delphine, can you tell me where you are now? What’s happening?”

“I don’t know. I can’t see anything.” Just as I say it, I see myself gripping Alain’s hands, clawing at them as the carpet burns my back, my scalp screaming.

“He is dragging me through the house, into the kitchen.”

Screams, my screams , echo through my mind, filling my ears as Alain delivers one vicious blow after another, spittle dripping from his mouth and onto my face as sounds start to muddle, only a few ringing clear.

The sound of ripping clothes ... and pain.

So much pain. Burning and tearing. Darkness follows briefly and my breath stops altogether.

.. it’s then the image I had weeks ago becomes clear.

The sight of Alain standing at the kitchen table feet away.

Death in his eyes, my death , clear and imminent from where I lay on the floor.

Seething, he stares down at me with pure hatred and malice as he starts to reach for . . .

Darkness encompasses me, utter and complete darkness as only muddled sounds make it through. Awareness and then none. It’s then I realize I’m going in and out of consciousness as the voices continue to cascade in sound. It’s my sister’s voice which rings through first. A voice that I cling to.

“Sister, can you hear me?”

“Celine...” I wheeze, my voice broken. “I can’t see.”

“Delphine, where are you?” Regina asks urgently.

“What,” I croak. “.. .What happened?”

Beau’s voice booms throughout the kitchen as my sister cradles my head in her lap, sobbing uncontrollably.

“It hurts so much, and I can’t see anything.”

“Where does it hurt?” Regina prods.

“Between my legs ... my side, my hand, my throat, my head. I’m bleeding. I’m ... naked below the waist. Beau is screaming so loud it hurts.”

“What is he saying, Delphine?”

“I will fucking kill you!” Beau shouts. A loud thwack sounds against the glass of the sliding door before Alain screams out in pain.

“Beau, stop!” Celine cries out in panic. “You’re going to kill him!”

Alain

Alain is what happened.

The boots. The fucking boots.

Darkness .. .

Ezekiel’s voice sounds from somewhere at the front of the house as I come to. “Papa, what is happening? Why are you yelling at Alain?”

“Celine,” I manage to croak, forcing the words out around the pain. Every syllable coming out cracked, broken, my voice foreign. “Do ... not let Ezekiel see.”

“Tobias, get your brother and get back in the car! Right now!” Celine shouts.

“Where is Tatie?” Ezekiel calls as the screen door creaks open.

“Tobias, go!” Beau booms. “Now!”

“I’m going!” Ezekiel shouts, and by his insolent tone, I know I’m shielded from his view. “Come on, Dom.”

Darkness.

More struggle and grunts as I come to, and Celine presses a warm cloth to my eyes. “Hold on, Delphine,” she whispers. “Hold on, sister. Beau! Where is the goddamned ambulance?!”

Beau’s rage fills my ears. “You better fucking run and far, Alain, because if the police don’t catch you, I will hunt you down myself and fucking kill you!”

Darkness . . .

The sliding door sounds, along with the latch.

“He’s gone,” Beau tells Celine, his voice strained. It’s then panic starts to rise inside me.

“Beau, p-please.” Every word burns as I force them out. “Please, don’t let”—my voice fractures again—“them see.”

“Take them home,” Beau orders Celine just after, his own voice hoarse and broken as a siren starts to wail in the distance. “Go, Celine. Take them home. They don’t need to see this.”

“I can’t leave her!”

“Please, Celine,” I croak.

“Okay,” she cries, “okay, I’ll come right back, I’ll come right back as soon as I can.” She leans down, her breath hitting my face, voice cracking. “I love you, sister.”

“Celine, go,” Beau orders more insistently.

All goes quiet when the storm door snaps closed with Celine’s departure, and I open my eyes a fraction. When the light again blinds me, I clamp them closed. “Beau?”

“I’m here,” he utters before I’m covered with a blanket.

Darkness threatens to pull me back under, but it’s fear which has me fighting to stay conscious.

To warn him. As he tightens our clasped hands, I can feel the cuts and blood on his knuckles, apologies pouring from him.

“I thought he had stopped, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Beau ... you have to go,” I whisper. “You ... Ezekiel—”

“Shh, I’m not leaving you ... I thought he stopped.

If I had known ... I’m here, Delphine.

I’m here,” he croaks. “.. . I’m so sorry,” he whispers as the wail of the siren draws closer.

“He’s gone, and he’s never coming back. I’ll never let him near you again .

.. Jesus, why, Delphine, why, why did you stay with him? ”

“It’s my fault ... I brought you here.”

“What?”

“.. . A-Abel,” I whisper as Beau’s breath catches. “If I left him ... Alain was going to tell Abel where to find his grandson.” I swallow the burn the words cause, my panic rising as I force my warning out. “Beau, Abel Baran cannot find Ezekiel—”

Beau’s gasp is cut by darkness as it finally takes me under.

“It was Beau.” Tears glide down my cheeks as I speak the truth aloud. What truth I’m able to speak. “It was Beau who chased Alain off.”

“Okay, Delphine ... follow my voice now. We’re leaving that kitchen together. We’re going to that hospital room, to the peach light. To Beau and the doctor.”

For lingering seconds, my vision remains filled with the engrained images of that hospital room.

From the peach light to the itchy gown. To the arrival of the haze and Beau’s fuzzy outline.

The doctor’s voice. Focusing on those images, that memory as Regina guides me, I continue to narrow my vision to the edge of it as Ormand’s sobs sound at my side.

The days, weeks, and months after, all a blur of mixed memories, many unclear as the haze set in and my new life began.

But it’s enough. Enough of the memory of the night my husband tried to kill me.

“Breathe deeply ... in and out ... inhale ... exhale. Good. So good. Breathe. Good ... now, when you are ready, I want you to open your eyes.”

A scream rips from me when I open my eyes and shoot straight up on the couch before racking sobs begin to pour from me.