Hiya! I'm happy we're friends again lol

This chapter has a lot of tea but there's a little more coming!

ENJOY!

Chapter Twenty-One

Just A Little While Longer

Mercedes blinked her eyes but her head but it was pounding and everything seemed fuzzy, she looked around still blinking until her eyes adjusted. She could hear the soft beeps to the right of her and felt something sticking in her arm and her throat was incredibly dry, she another sound but the ringing in her head made her shut her eyes and drift back off.

"Hey beautiful, it's me again… it's been four days since they gave you the drug to wake you up. I know you're in there baby so don't rush I'm not going anywhere, I hope you'll be happy to see me when you do open those beautiful eyes again."

Sammy! I'm awake, it just hurts to keep my eyes open. God I love you so much! I'm here!

Mercedes willed her eyes opened and it was dark again the beeping sound was still to her right and the sticking was still in her arms, her lips didn't feel dry anymore but her throat hurt and that sound she heard it again. She forced herself to keep her eyes open and smile when she saw him sleeping, he was snoring as usual.

"Sam." She tried to talk but nothing came out.

"Sam!" She tried again but only a soft whisper came out she felt her eyes growing heavy but she needed him to know she was awake. She used all the force she had left in her and rose her head realizing now she was in the hospital she looked and found the call button and pressed it hoping the sound of the nurse would wake up.

"Yes?" The voice said and she looked in Sam's direction and he only moved slightly. She felt her self drifting but she pushed it again trying to speak.

"I'm sorry I can't hear you, I'll send someone in there." The voice said and she felt tears burning in her eyes as the darkness started to come again but before she closed her eyes she saw his tired greens ones blinking and looking in her direction.

"Sam..."

…

Mercedes blinked and this time it was light, it was soft and coming from the window she turned her head and was met by Sam talking with his back turned on the phone. She didn't want to risk falling asleep again and quickly pressed the call button making him jerk around and drop his phone in the process. He eyes where red and tired as he moved closer she saw that there were tears running down his face and she tried to reach up to wipe them but felt so weak doing so.

"Baby?" His voice was tired but his smile was bright.

"W-water." she managed to get out and he quickly grabbed her a cup and a straw helping her sit up so she could drink. She moaned with the cold liquid made contact with her dry mouth and drank it all and sighing with a weak smile, he quickly poured her more and she gladly accepted drinking it all with another soft moan.

"Ms. Jones, you're finally awake." The doctor said smiling at her and then Sam. "You should know this guy hasn't left your side since the day he brought you here." Mercedes smiled at Sam but winced when her head started to hurt again but it wasn't from any pain, her memories were flooding back and going by too quickly but one thing stood out.

"SHANE!" She shouted jerking forward and Sam quickly ran grabbed her hands soothing her.

"We already know, he was arrested but I need to tell you something and I will after the doctor leaves okay?" Sam said running his hand over her face and kissing her forehead when she nodded. The doctor ran a few standard test and checked her vitals before scheduling another MRI to make sure everything was healing well and that she didn't have any swelling. Sam waited for the doctor to leave before closing the door and walking back over to Mercedes, he looked at her deeply and smiled before covering his mouth to stop the sob that had been building.

"I'm sorry." He said looking at her with tears running down his face then leaned over and kissed her softly not wanting to put to much pressure on her, he wasn't sure if she would revert back or if she would accept his kiss but she surprised him and pulled him down deepening their kiss before she pulled away and swiped his eyes.

"Don't, don't you dare blame yourself for this every. Do you understand me Sam? Look at me baby." She said softly but firmly. "Shane is a fucking bitch and I fought… hard but he was too much but I'm not going anywhere baby, we have too much unfinished business." She added with a smile.

"I know baby I just… I should've known." He said getting onto the small bed with her, he leaned her forward and sank in behind her wrapping his arms around her tightly but not to tight.

"There was no way of knowing that he would come, especially with the restraining order. I renewed it so he had to have know what he was doing or he just didn't care."

"I love you Mercedes." Sam said completely ignoring what she just said because he needed to hear her say it back.

"I love you too baby, so very much. Now tell me what you need to tell me." She said taking a deep breath.

"Don't you think you should allow yourself to relax? You've been out for a little over two weeks."

"Two weeks? It feels like it's only been a day..." She said letting out a deep breath but she knew her mind wouldn't rest not now. "Tell me I can handle it."

"Everyone thinks your dead… well outside of the gang and until Artie gets back to me with the rest of the information I need you will remain that way. Don't ask on how I got him arrested for murder just trust me." Sam said getting right to the point.

"So Shane's in jail for murder… my murder?"

"Yes."

"And what's going to happen when I get discharged? What if he has someone looking into this?"

"He does which is why when you leave I won't be going with you." Sam said sadly and she shifted so that she was looking at him directly.

"What do you mean when I leave you're not coming?" She asked shaking her head already trying to figure out a way to make it so they can go together.

"It means exactly what it sounds like it does, Quinn and Santana will come get you once you're discharged and I will go home to our house here and you'll go back to Nashville and after a few weeks I'll come home to you but I can't come sooner. It has to look convincing and being that I only have a tiny amount of information on your ex I can't risk him getting out and tracking you down. I will not put you in that situation again, you are not and will not be in harms way again." Sam said sternly.

"Just ask me what you need to know and I can tell you." She said trying not to cry, she knew deep down this was the best plan but she didn't want to leave without him.

"Mercedes you have to let me take care of this, the less you know the better but I promise you I won't keep you I the dark. Listen baby I haven't heard your voice, seen your beautiful eyes or smile in two weeks I don't want to talk about this right now. Just let me hold you okay?" Sam said placing a kiss on shoulder and smiled when she groaned.

"Okay baby."

…

After getting all the additional test done and being told she could go home Mercedes began to get nervous, she knew it meant that for the next few weeks she had to remain in Nashville without Sam and even though all the girls agreed they would stay until Sam could return she wanted their closeness and not to mention other things but she promise not to put up a big fight.

"Okay so you have everything right?" Sam asked tucking a loose curl behind her ear and giving her a small smile.

Mhm… well not everything." She joked looking up at him and letting out a deep sigh, he pulled her into a deep hug before kissing her deeply making sure he put all his love in the kiss letting her know he was coming back as promised.

"Now I really don't want to go." She said with a giggle.

"Well as soon as I get there you won't get a moment's of rest." He whispered in her ear before placing a soft kiss on her neck. "You need to heal though so take this time to relax, do whatever it is that women do at extended slumber parties and there's a surprise waiting for you when you get home."

"Oh really? What's that?"

"Go home and find out." He said kissing her again and turning her around and tapping her ass before opening the door to the SUV that Santana and Quinn were waiting in.

"Take care of my girl." He said looking at both of them who just smiled and nodded. "Mike's following and Puck and Finn are in the one in front of you, San you're the only one that knows the back way so take that route when they veer off." Sam reminded her.

"Look trouts we got this, Rachel and Kurt are already waiting at you guys house and frankly I think Quinn wants to get there as soon as possible being that they have Beth. Everything is in place Brit even understood the plan…" Santana said making Quinn giggle at the last part.

"Where is Brit?" Mercedes asked.

"She's with Blaine, they're meeting us there." Quinn said smiling at Mercedes.

"Be careful and I love you." Sam said leaning in and giving her a kiss before winking at her and closing the door and stepping away, he watched the identical vehicles leave at the same time and waited before he left in his own car and headed home.

…

When he pulled up he mad sure to park in the garage and locked up before walking inside and sighed because he knew the next six hours waiting for them to call and let him know they made it safely was going to weigh heavy on him.

"You don't have time for that." Artie said walking out from Sam's office making him jump because he completely forget he was there.

"Dude! Make your presence known next time… how's it been? Was I right?"

"Yeah he has everyone looking under every rock for her he doesn't believe she's dead well he didn't. The obituary ran today good idea to have it run today when she was leaving and the only person that was trailed was you. She's going to be fine bro." Artie said patting him on the shoulder.

"I know… I just want to hear that confirmation call."

"Well I have some news and it's good your sitting because it's a lot to take in and I mean a lot I mean next level shit."

"I'm listening."

"Holly Holiday isn't who I thought she was, I looked back at all his old phone records and he went to Boulder a lot to meet someone he called "Brittany" but turns out it was really Holly she was his mistress."

"That's not shocking dude… Mercy told me he had a mistress." Sam said looking at his friend confused.

"No dude his mistress like some Godfather shit, they were never lovers they just used that as a cover to launder a great deal of money but that's not the real crazy thing. Mercedes has seen her you've said that she's told you that but she also said she's only seen her at functions right?"

"Yeah she mentioned seeing her at the Gala I was invited when I first tried to get her out."

"She knows what she looks like is what I'm trying to say but the people who work for him don't… do you understand what I'm getting at?" Artie asked.

"She knows what she looks like?"

"She's the only only one that knows meaning she is the BIGGEST loose end into a very seedy operation which brings me to the address you gave the one in Texas… it not a home it's an actual factory. Man… when she said her mother sold her to the devil she gave you everything you needed then but I understand why you didn't get it at first I mean that smile would make me forget my last name." Artie said with a chuckle which made Sam nod in agreement.

"Okay so this factory?"

"DUDE! Listen to the words again. HER. MOTHER. SOLD. HER. TO. THE. DEVIL." Artie said wide-eyed and let out a relieved breath when his friend's eyes mirrored his finally understanding what he was telling him.

"Holly is a madame, she grooms the women and then they go out and make the money more like super high end escorts not prostitution but something went wrong with one of them Sugar was her name. She wasn't supposed to be taken her father's some super rich guy from Dallas and I looked into the timeline it was at the same time Shane and Mercedes got married. Him putting everything in her name took the heat off of them but he didn't put that property in her name, he put it in Holly's."

"Wait… stop. You didn't see his face when she let it be known that she knew about it."

"Let me finish, HE didn't put it in Mercedes's name but she defiantly owned the building before they were divorced. So when she gave him everything without question she put a loaded gun to his back. Him waiting until the restraining order had expired wasn't a coincidence, I'm not sure why I didn't catch it but he put a hit out on her after and dated it for that exact date."

"So Holly put her name on building? Why the hell would she do that?"

"She's the only one that knows what she looks like and as long as the Motta's thought the business was hers they were in the clear to keep doing what they were doing, but there's something she doesn't know… I mean I hope she doesn't know."Artie said letting out a deep sigh and bracing his self.

"What the hell else could there be?"

"She's rich… technically filthy rich like her handing over everything was one thing but he had a huge account that is in her name… still in her name and if she's dead he can't access it without her signature."

"So… he beat her enough to send a warning?"

"Yes, you need to see if he said anything or wanted her to sign anything."

"Fucking mediation!" Sam said jumping up and grabbing his phone to call her lawyer before Artie stopped him shaking his head and grabbing his phone.

"We can't do that! Everything we do from this moment has to be done under the radar, let me work to see if I can even get access to it. If we cut off his funds he can't pay the people looking for Mercedes. We need to be careful, I still don't know how far all this goes and if you start including more people it's going to be harder to keep her safe! Now listen, you told her a few weeks right?"

"Yes I told her a few weeks, that I needed to make it look believable."

"Then start packing, start telling your employees at the gallery you're taking time to grieve and close any accounts you have here, shut everything down and put this place up for sale it's not like you're going to come back here too often to need it right?"

"Well no I don't think we would…" Sam answered honestly.

"Good give yourself a week to get all of that done, another week to bury the casket and then right after the 'funeral' leave."

"I'll handle it from there but dude you need to find out if she knows about the account and anything else. I still have this weird feeling about this Holly woman but I got my people digging, you stressing and trying to make all this happen is going to burn you out. I won't let you get how you were after your mom died… you moved mountains getting that asshole put away but you don't have to do this alone. So I'm benching you I just need a few months okay? Do what I said, then go home and make love to that gorgeous woman and when I call you'll know it's time but don't call before. Enjoy your time together because this is going to be more than an attempted murder charge." Artie said looking at Sam intently.

"Okay but keep me posted on everything."

"I will, do what I said and call me whenever she does."Artie said giving him his phone back and walking out.

"Hey, thanks man."

"She's family." He replied with a shrug and walked out.

…

Are you sure she's dead?

The funeral is planned for a next week and from what I hear dude has been grieving.

Then I'll make sure you get off, I know a judge. Just sit tight and I'll get you out but I need access to that account.

She's dead how can I get access to an account with her fucking name on it?

Figure it out.

Her mother, offer her money and she'll do it.

Sooooooooo...? I mean like Sam on some next level ish getting our girl out and making sure she stays safe! Artie had the tea but it's only the half the cup... The next chapter will make you allllll so happy! But drama is always lurking ;)