Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Now that you have committed yourselves to one another, I pronounce you husband and wife. That which God has brought together let no man put asunder. You may kiss the bride.”
I look up at Silas, and Silas looks down at me, but in this moment, we are further apart than we’ve ever been. We don’t kiss. This isn’t a wedding where the bride and groom kiss.
The helicopter sounds like it’s right outside the door.
Silas checks his watch, nods to Father Emiliano. “Let’s sign what we need to sign,” he says, and from a folder in the first pew, Lourdes takes out the marriage license and a certificate. I sign my name.
“It’s done,” Father Emiliano says.
Silas nods. “Thank you. Both of you.” He turns to me, but I can’t look at him. “Let’s go,” he says. He wraps his arm around my back, and we walk to the chapel exit.
Before we open the door, someone opens it from the outside and I gasp, expecting the police, expecting an army to bear down on us. But it’s not that at all. Instead, a man who looks somewhat familiar smiles to Silas in greeting.
“Hamish. Right on time,” Silas says.
“We’re ready to go when you are,” Hamish says.
He nods and must remember his jacket because he goes back for it and drapes it over my shoulders. I hug it around myself. It’s bitterly cold and the choppers blades are whipping up the air heavy with rain. We step outside and in the noise of it all, Silas stops short, stopping me, too. I see what it is that’s caught his attention.
A single white feather floats in the air before us.
I watch Silas, who stands, mesmerized as it falls. It’s the oddest thing. When it lands on the ground at our feet, he bends to pick it up.
Wordlessly, I watch.
He studies it with reverence then gently, so very gently, he closes his hand around the feather and pockets it. He glances at the grave in the far corner of the lot, the angel’s wings there, the top of her bent head. He then wraps his arm around me, pulling me close. “Come,” he says.
We hurry to the chopper and once we’re inside, Silas straps me in, then secures his own belt as it takes off. We slip on the headphones and look down at Lourdes and Father Emiliano, who grow smaller and smaller the farther we get. I see how far up on the cliffs we are, and the road that was impassable last night is now crawling with a procession of SUVs. Several of them have flashing lights.
“Fucking Sly,” Silas mutters.
We don’t speak as it all disappears from view and, twenty minutes later, the chopper touches down at an airfield where a private plane is waiting for us.
“I’m not going to Atlanta,” I say, remembering that was the plan as Silas hurries me toward the jet.
“No. The flight will take us to Boston.”
“Oh,” I say, honestly surprised. I wasn’t sure he’d stick to his end of the bargain. “Okay.”
Fifteen minutes after we’re on board, the jet takes off. Silas asks for a whiskey as soon as we’re airborne. I decline a drink.
“Tell me what happened. Which hospital is he in? Tell me what’s going on.”
“I already told you all I know, which isn’t much. We’ll learn more once we reach the house.”
“He’s all right?”
“It sounds like it.”
“Let me have your phone. I’ll call his lawyer.”
He considers, then nods and hands me his phone. I dial Mr. Higgins’s office and when I tell the secretary who I am, she puts me right through.
“Ophelia. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. Where are you? Your fiancé told me what happened. Are you all right?”
By fiancé, he means Ethan, who must have my phone—who must have answered it when Mr. Higgins called. But that doesn’t matter. “I’m all right. Where is my dad? How is he?”
“He’s at Massachusetts General Hospital, and he’s stable. I saw him this morning.”
“You saw him?”
“I did. He’s worried about you, obviously, but he’ll make a full recovery. He was stabbed in the abdomen yesterday afternoon but he’s lucky. The guards got to him quickly and he was taken to the hospital.”
“Do they know who did it or why?”
“No. It happened during a busy period in a common area of the prison, unfortunately.”
“He can’t go back there. It’s not safe for him.”
“I’m working on that, Ophelia.”
“Can I see him?”
“I’m not sure they’ll allow a visit at the hospital. I’ll be able to see him as his lawyer but otherwise, I’m not sure. I’ll see what I can do, though.”
“Please do. Can I call him in the meantime?”
“I’ll call you tomorrow morning from the hospital. That’s the earliest I can get there.”
“Okay. Okay. It’ll have to do.”
“Are you safe, Ophelia?” he asks again, voice grave because I’m sure he’s seen what happened and believes I’ve been kidnapped.