CHAPTER 27
Beth removed the red dress and slipped into a pale peach satin gown. It fit over her curves like a second skin, leaving very little to the imagination. She brushed her hair smoothly, letting it fall over her shoulders and down her back before dabbing a tiny bit of the perfume Adam had given her for Christmas on each wrist and behind her ears. She started to put on the matching robe but catching site of her reflection in the mirror, decided it wasn't necessary. Like Adam said, they'd waited long enough.
When she turned the bathroom light off behind her, Beth wondered when Adam didn't move to her immediately. But when she saw him lying on the bed with his eyes closed she grinned. He was obviously trying to teach her a lesson by playing possum.
"Wake up sleepy head." She laughed as she knelt beside him on the mattress. Still he didn't move. "Come on Adam. I get your point and I won't make you wait any more."
"He can't hear you Lea." Garrett's voice came from the doorway.
Beth gasped, shocked to find him standing there. "What are you doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and wishing she'd put on her robe. She wondered swhy Adam kept lying there . not moving . not breathing.
"Oh God" she leaned over Adam and tried to shake him, but he didn't respond. "What have you done?" she screamed at Garrett as she held Adam's lifeless face in her hands. His skin was still warm, and she leaned over to press her own face against his cheek.
"It's what you've done Leandra. Or what he'll think you've done anyway." Garrett replied, coming toward her. "There was a little something extra in the beer you prepared specially for him. It shut down his system before he could feel his head hit the pillow."
"You are sick Garrett." Beth accused him as she moved to pull Adam's head into her lap, intending to hold him until he revived.
"And you are wasting time we don't have." Garrett said, grabbing her arm to pull her off the bed.
"Let go of me." She started screaming, knowing Rayna and the Innkeepers would rush to see what was happening.
"Scream all you want, but they can't hear you any more than he can." Garrett told her as he grabbed her other arm and forced her onto the floor.
"You killed them?" her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Of course I didn't kill them." Garrett replied. "But they won't be waking up for a few more hours and we will be on our way out of the country by that time."
"The hell we will." Beth told him.
"Ahhh but we will, unless you don't want to see your daughter again." Garrett told her.
Beth tried to run for the door to get to Cassie, but he pinned her to the ground and forced her to listen to him.
"Your daughter is on a plane, and if you are not at the airport in 35 minutes she will be leaving without you." Garrett promised. "It's your choice."
"You took my daughter?" she couldn't believe he would do this. "How could you be so cruel?"
"You are the cruel one Leandra. Craig wasn't even cold in the ground before you took up with Pierson and gave him my best friend's child. I told you it was a mistake."
"The only mistake is the one you made when you touched her." Beth tried to push him from on top of her, but he shoved her back down, causing her head to hit hard against the floor.
"It doesn't have to be like this." Garrett said in a controlled voice as he waited for her to recover from the blow. "I will let you up, but then you are going to copy the letter I've prepared for you, put on your clothes and leave with me."
Beth started to argue, but she couldn't do anything while he had her pinned.
He got up and reached to help her, but she ignored his hand and stood on her own.
"Here is the letter." He handed her a folded note. "There is a tablet on that table."
Beth read the note and couldn't believe he expected her to copy it. "I won't do this." She shook her head.
"You will or I'll raise Cassie myself . without you."
"He'll find us you know, and when he does I won't be able to stop him from taking your head . I won't try." She said as she started to copy the letter. She couldn't let Cassie be taken out of the country without her. Adam would understand why she did this . he had to. But she had to find a way to let him know the note was a lie and she had to do it before they left the room.
"Not one extra word." Garrett cautioned her as he read over her shoulder.
Her tears nearly blinded her as she wrote.
"Adam, By the time you read this Cassie and I will be far away. I am sorry it had to be like this, but I didn't know any other way to be with Garrett and not risk losing him to your jealous anger. When I found out he was alive, I knew that it was him I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and raise Craig's daughter with. The only way we could be together was to leave in secret.
Thank you for saving my life. I will always be grateful and I hope that in time you will understand why this is the right thing for both of us.
Leandra"
"I hate you for making me do this." Beth choked out as he took the letter from her.
"And now the locket and your rings." He demanded, causing Beth to stall once again. "Or I can just take his head where he lays." Garrett continued, reaching beneath his coat.
"You touch him and I swear before you can recover from the Quickening I'll take yours. You have Cassie and you know I will go with you and leave whatever you want for him to find. But I won't let you kill him. I won't." She promised, and the look in her eyes told Garrett she was telling the truth. Reluctantly she took off her rings and then unclasped the necklace, cringing when Garrett laid them on top of the letter because she knew how much it would hurt Adam to see them.
"Now get dressed. We're wasting time."
It was then Beth remembered just how little she was wearing and felt his eyes on her. She picked up her suitcase and took out a pair of jeans, a sweater and some underclothes and turned to go into the bathroom.
"You must think I'm an idiot. No way you are out of my sight until we are over the Atlantic." He said.
Beth's mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. Not only did it sicken her to know he'd seen this much of her and expected her to change in front of him, but she needed to find a way to leave Adam a note, and the bathroom was her only hope.
"And you call yourself Craig's friend." She spat at him as she started to slip one of the thin straps over her shoulder, her face showing pure disgust.
"I'm the truest friend he ever had. Truer than his wife turned out to be." Garrett retorted.
"Oh really? Is that why you can't take your eyes off my body and can't wait for the opportunity to ogle what was his?" she accused.
Her words hit a nerve. "You have one minute and if you try anything, I swear you will regret it." He warned.
Beth didn't waste a second. She ran into the bathroom and as she threw on her clothes, she frantically looked for something to leave a note on and a place to hide it that Adam might find.
"Time's up." Garrett yelled, opening the door only to find her tossing her makeup bag in the small suitcase she'd left in the bathroom. He looked around the room to make sure she hadn't left any clues before telling her they needed to go.
"I need my shoes." She told him, indicating the larger suitcase. He pulled them out and tossed them to her before picking it up and telling her to put them on in the car.
Beth took one last long look at Adam. "I'm sorry my love. Please find us." She whispered before Garrett shoved her out into the hall.
Half an hour later Beth rushed up the stairs of the private plane. She found Cassie crying in the arms of a woman Garrett said would be her nanny.
"I don't need a nanny. I take care of my daughter myself." She insisted, taking the child from the woman and strapping herself into a seat at the far end of the plane. Cassie quieted as soon as she felt her mother's touch, and by the time the plane took off she was sleeping again.
The baby wasn't aware of the tears her mother cried as the plane took them further and further away from Adam. Garrett tried a few times to sit with her and offer comfort, but she glared at him in a way that told him he should keep his distance, and even knocked the water glass out of his hand when he dared to offer it to her.
He sat across the plane, watching her weep bitterly over the husband she left behind. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd wept that way for Craig. He'd been twice the man Adam Pierson could ever hope to be, and one day he knew that Leandra would come to understand why he did something so drastic.
He'd given up his music, his home and the family that loved them both to give she and her daughter the life that he knew Craig would want. He would want his daughter raised by someone of his choosing, and he'd chosen Garrett when he asked him to take care of Leandra if anything ever happened to him.
Garrett didn't take his promises lightly, especially when they were made to a man who was like his brother. Leandra would understand someday and she would thank him. He had to believe that as he watched her heart appear to break across the aisle.
Beth removed the red dress and slipped into a pale peach satin gown. It fit over her curves like a second skin, leaving very little to the imagination. She brushed her hair smoothly, letting it fall over her shoulders and down her back before dabbing a tiny bit of the perfume Adam had given her for Christmas on each wrist and behind her ears. She started to put on the matching robe but catching site of her reflection in the mirror, decided it wasn't necessary. Like Adam said, they'd waited long enough.
When she turned the bathroom light off behind her, Beth wondered when Adam didn't move to her immediately. But when she saw him lying on the bed with his eyes closed she grinned. He was obviously trying to teach her a lesson by playing possum.
"Wake up sleepy head." She laughed as she knelt beside him on the mattress. Still he didn't move. "Come on Adam. I get your point and I won't make you wait any more."
"He can't hear you Lea." Garrett's voice came from the doorway.
Beth gasped, shocked to find him standing there. "What are you doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and wishing she'd put on her robe. She wondered swhy Adam kept lying there . not moving . not breathing.
"Oh God" she leaned over Adam and tried to shake him, but he didn't respond. "What have you done?" she screamed at Garrett as she held Adam's lifeless face in her hands. His skin was still warm, and she leaned over to press her own face against his cheek.
"It's what you've done Leandra. Or what he'll think you've done anyway." Garrett replied, coming toward her. "There was a little something extra in the beer you prepared specially for him. It shut down his system before he could feel his head hit the pillow."
"You are sick Garrett." Beth accused him as she moved to pull Adam's head into her lap, intending to hold him until he revived.
"And you are wasting time we don't have." Garrett said, grabbing her arm to pull her off the bed.
"Let go of me." She started screaming, knowing Rayna and the Innkeepers would rush to see what was happening.
"Scream all you want, but they can't hear you any more than he can." Garrett told her as he grabbed her other arm and forced her onto the floor.
"You killed them?" her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Of course I didn't kill them." Garrett replied. "But they won't be waking up for a few more hours and we will be on our way out of the country by that time."
"The hell we will." Beth told him.
"Ahhh but we will, unless you don't want to see your daughter again." Garrett told her.
Beth tried to run for the door to get to Cassie, but he pinned her to the ground and forced her to listen to him.
"Your daughter is on a plane, and if you are not at the airport in 35 minutes she will be leaving without you." Garrett promised. "It's your choice."
"You took my daughter?" she couldn't believe he would do this. "How could you be so cruel?"
"You are the cruel one Leandra. Craig wasn't even cold in the ground before you took up with Pierson and gave him my best friend's child. I told you it was a mistake."
"The only mistake is the one you made when you touched her." Beth tried to push him from on top of her, but he shoved her back down, causing her head to hit hard against the floor.
"It doesn't have to be like this." Garrett said in a controlled voice as he waited for her to recover from the blow. "I will let you up, but then you are going to copy the letter I've prepared for you, put on your clothes and leave with me."
Beth started to argue, but she couldn't do anything while he had her pinned.
He got up and reached to help her, but she ignored his hand and stood on her own.
"Here is the letter." He handed her a folded note. "There is a tablet on that table."
Beth read the note and couldn't believe he expected her to copy it. "I won't do this." She shook her head.
"You will or I'll raise Cassie myself . without you."
"He'll find us you know, and when he does I won't be able to stop him from taking your head . I won't try." She said as she started to copy the letter. She couldn't let Cassie be taken out of the country without her. Adam would understand why she did this . he had to. But she had to find a way to let him know the note was a lie and she had to do it before they left the room.
"Not one extra word." Garrett cautioned her as he read over her shoulder.
Her tears nearly blinded her as she wrote.
"Adam, By the time you read this Cassie and I will be far away. I am sorry it had to be like this, but I didn't know any other way to be with Garrett and not risk losing him to your jealous anger. When I found out he was alive, I knew that it was him I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and raise Craig's daughter with. The only way we could be together was to leave in secret.
Thank you for saving my life. I will always be grateful and I hope that in time you will understand why this is the right thing for both of us.
Leandra"
"I hate you for making me do this." Beth choked out as he took the letter from her.
"And now the locket and your rings." He demanded, causing Beth to stall once again. "Or I can just take his head where he lays." Garrett continued, reaching beneath his coat.
"You touch him and I swear before you can recover from the Quickening I'll take yours. You have Cassie and you know I will go with you and leave whatever you want for him to find. But I won't let you kill him. I won't." She promised, and the look in her eyes told Garrett she was telling the truth. Reluctantly she took off her rings and then unclasped the necklace, cringing when Garrett laid them on top of the letter because she knew how much it would hurt Adam to see them.
"Now get dressed. We're wasting time."
It was then Beth remembered just how little she was wearing and felt his eyes on her. She picked up her suitcase and took out a pair of jeans, a sweater and some underclothes and turned to go into the bathroom.
"You must think I'm an idiot. No way you are out of my sight until we are over the Atlantic." He said.
Beth's mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. Not only did it sicken her to know he'd seen this much of her and expected her to change in front of him, but she needed to find a way to leave Adam a note, and the bathroom was her only hope.
"And you call yourself Craig's friend." She spat at him as she started to slip one of the thin straps over her shoulder, her face showing pure disgust.
"I'm the truest friend he ever had. Truer than his wife turned out to be." Garrett retorted.
"Oh really? Is that why you can't take your eyes off my body and can't wait for the opportunity to ogle what was his?" she accused.
Her words hit a nerve. "You have one minute and if you try anything, I swear you will regret it." He warned.
Beth didn't waste a second. She ran into the bathroom and as she threw on her clothes, she frantically looked for something to leave a note on and a place to hide it that Adam might find.
"Time's up." Garrett yelled, opening the door only to find her tossing her makeup bag in the small suitcase she'd left in the bathroom. He looked around the room to make sure she hadn't left any clues before telling her they needed to go.
"I need my shoes." She told him, indicating the larger suitcase. He pulled them out and tossed them to her before picking it up and telling her to put them on in the car.
Beth took one last long look at Adam. "I'm sorry my love. Please find us." She whispered before Garrett shoved her out into the hall.
Half an hour later Beth rushed up the stairs of the private plane. She found Cassie crying in the arms of a woman Garrett said would be her nanny.
"I don't need a nanny. I take care of my daughter myself." She insisted, taking the child from the woman and strapping herself into a seat at the far end of the plane. Cassie quieted as soon as she felt her mother's touch, and by the time the plane took off she was sleeping again.
The baby wasn't aware of the tears her mother cried as the plane took them further and further away from Adam. Garrett tried a few times to sit with her and offer comfort, but she glared at him in a way that told him he should keep his distance, and even knocked the water glass out of his hand when he dared to offer it to her.
He sat across the plane, watching her weep bitterly over the husband she left behind. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd wept that way for Craig. He'd been twice the man Adam Pierson could ever hope to be, and one day he knew that Leandra would come to understand why he did something so drastic.
He'd given up his music, his home and the family that loved them both to give she and her daughter the life that he knew Craig would want. He would want his daughter raised by someone of his choosing, and he'd chosen Garrett when he asked him to take care of Leandra if anything ever happened to him.
Garrett didn't take his promises lightly, especially when they were made to a man who was like his brother. Leandra would understand someday and she would thank him. He had to believe that as he watched her heart appear to break across the aisle.