The morning started like their mornings always did. Mercedes woke up wrapped in Sam's arms. They showered together and she made Sam breakfast while he got dressed. They talked and ate then she kissed him goodbye and went on with her day. Today she would be putting her application in at one of the schools. After getting dressed she updated her resume and called Sam asking him what he wanted for dinner. She planned on going to the store and doing something special for Sam. After everything Sam had done for her, she couldn't help but want to make him as happy as he made her.
Grabbing her phone she dialed Sam's number.
"Hey Beautiful I was just thinking about you."
"Good thoughts I hope."
Sam laughed. "Naughty thoughts are more like it."
"I am going to put my application in today."
"Look at you getting out and about. I am so proud of you."
"Its because of you babe. You make me feel so safe. I am so happy."
"How about you swing by here and we go out for lunch."
Mercedes smiled. "That sound perfect I will be there around 12."
"12 is perfect. See you soon baby."
Mercedes hung up the phone with a big smile. For the first time in a long time she was really truly happy. She grabbed her purse and keys when someone knocked on the door. She looked to the peephole seeing someone standing with a hat on. She stepped back.
"Who is it?"
"Delivery for Mr. Evans."
Mercedes didn't know why but she got a bad feeling. She moved further from the door. "Sorry he isn't here. Can you come back later."
"I am sorry ma'am its important. Its a rush delivery adn if I don't get it to him its my ass."
Mercedes knew something wasn't right. If Sam needed something like that it would go to his office. She reached in her purse for her phone, when she heard someone bang against the door. She looked up seeing a crack in the door. Dropping her bag she ran back toward the bedroom. She shut the door realizing that she dropped her phone. Locking the bedroom door she went to the closet grabbing Sam's bat and backing against the door. She saw someone twist the doorknob and she closed her eyes trying to push past the fear. Someone began pushing against the door and with every push, every bang her heart sank. The door flew open and she looked up to see the smiling face of her ex husband.
"Honey I'm home."
Sam sat in his office looking at a picture of Mercedes and him in his phone. Someone knocked on his door and he smiled seeing Finn.
"Hey man what brings you all the way to my side of the building?"
"I wanted to see if you wanna have lunch with me and a new client."
Sam stood placing a file in his cabinet. "Sorry man I would love to, you know I am great at meeting new clients but I have a lunch date with Mercedes."
"Ah Mercedes. You do realize that if I didn't have to be in court she might be with me now right?"
Sam laughed. "Yeah doubt it. She would have saw me and dropped you like a bad habit."
Finn shook his head with a smiled. "Ok whatever man. So how is she doing?"
Sam sat on the edge of his desk. "She is amazing. Growing stronger everyday. I am so proud of her Finn. She took her life back. And look she is even going out alone today."
Finn sat in one of Sam's chairs. "I never thought I would see the day when Sam Evans would fall in love. I remember when you swore it off love."
"I never thought I would find it man. I spent so much time trying to have fun I never wanted to settle down. But I don't know man, the moment she walked into my life I knew it was her, she was supposed to be my wife."
Sam stood up and went to his drawer. "My mom sent me this overnight. Its my grandmother's ring. When she passed away she wanted me to have it. I honestly never thought I would need it. My mom cried last week when I asked her for it."
Finn stood grabbing the ring box. "Dude are you serious? I mean wow… this is a big deal?"
"I know I am gonna ask her tonight. I have it all planned. I ordered her favorite flowers and chocolate covered strawberries. I am gonna take her out on my balcony and ask her to be my wife. I can't imagine living without her."
Finn sighed. "Wow, Sam well I know she has been through a lot but I am glad you found her."
Sam smiled. "When she says yes, I will be the happiest man in the world."
Mercedes gripped the bat staring back at Brad. "B-Brad what are you doing here?"
Brad laughed bitterly fixing his gloves before he moved closer to her. "I missed you baby. And I came to take you home."
"I am not going anywhere with you."
"Mercedes, you are pissing me off, put the fucking bat down and lets go."
"You come near me and i swear to God Brad I will beat the hell out of you."
Brad shook his head. "I see you have grown some balls Merce. But that doesn't matter. Its not like you are gonna hit me with that bad anyways."
Mercedes held the bat up ready to swing. "Just give me a reason Brad."
Brad moved closer to her and she swung the bat as hard as she could hitting him in his side. He stumbled back and glared at her angrily.
"You stupid bitch." He rushed at her not giving her enough time to react. She felt him slam her against the wall and she began to panic. He gripped her by her neck and shook his head.
"I should have dealt with a long time ago. I knew you were disobedient but I thought you could be trained."
Mercedes clawed at his hands trying to release the grip he had on her. She began to punch at him and he threw her to the floor and got on top of her.
"Why do you have to be so difficult! I know you love me."
"I don't! I never did. My parents made em marry you. I have hated you from the moment we said I do."
Brad slapped her across the face. "Shut up."
She kicked him away from her and ran out the door. Brad followed her angrily. She ran on the other side of the Island and grabbed a knife. She pointed it towards Brad angrily.
"I don't want you or love you and I don't know how to get you to understand that. I moved on we are divorced. Its over."
"Put down the knife Merce. This marriage is not over it I never consented it. And please you really think you moved on to that jerk?
"Sam loves me."
"Sam just wants what is between your legs! That bastard is full of shit and you and I are leaving."
Brad kept Mercedes so distracted she didn't see Jesse slowly approach her and grab her from behind. Mercedes screamed kicking and screaming as Brad came up to her and she tried to fight them both off.
"Let me go! I hate you! I will never love you I can never love you! Sam is five times the man you will ever be. He is everything you're not!"
"Shut up Mercedes!"
"No! You say Sam is just using me to get something from me? Well he already got it. And Oh Brad he gave it good. Sam can make me scream his name over and over again." She laughed trying to break free of Jesse. "Oh and you know how you always asked me to give you head but I always promised, next time, next time? Well let me just say I enjoyed getting on my knees for him. Oh it was amazing. He gives it so good and you are pathetic. You could never satisfy me."
Brad saw red with every word she spoke and all he wanted to do was shut her up, permanently. He lunged at her while she was still in Jesse's arms causing all three of them to fall to the ground. Brad swung on Mercedes as she covered her face trying stop the blows from landing on her.
Jesse scrambled to get out of dodge. He had never seen Brad this angry. The plan was for him to get all the camera's while Brad grabbed Mercedes. She shouldn't have said all those things about him. He watched as Brad landed blow after blow. Jesse wanted to grab Brad's arm but he didn't want to make the made angrier.
Brad was furious. She had no right! He hit her drowning out her cries for him to stop, she needed to pay and he need to shut her up. Something caught his eye and it was the knife Mercedes dropped on the floor. He reached for it and held it over her. "I warned you, over and over to shut up and now I am gonna shut you up."
Mercedes eyes widen seeing him him sitting over with the knife. "Please Brad."
Jesse moved towards him. "Brad what are you doing?"
Brad shook his head, "You should have listened. You think you can divorce me, leave me humiliate me?" He let his hand fall and he stabbed her in her stomach. Jesse ran over to him.
"Brad what the hell did you do?"
Brad lifted the knife again but brad pulled him up. "We got to go. We got to go now!"
Jesse grabbed the knife out of Brad's hands and placed it on the floor next to Mercedes. Thank God they were both wearing gloves and they had an alibi. He pulled Brad out the room watching Mercedes gasp for air, he couldn't worry about her he had to get Brad as far away from the house as he could.
Sam looked at his watch wondering where Mercedes was. It was quarter after 12 and she said she would be there by 12. She wasn't picking up her phone and Sam had a gut feeling something was wrong. Finn looked over to him.
"What's wrong man?"
Sam sighed. "Mercedes was supposed to be up here almost a half hour ago, i got a bad feeling man I think something is wrong. I know it. She would have called me or pick up but her phone keeps going to voicemail."
Finn nodded. "Ok well lets go see if she is still at your place."
Sam nodded grabbing his keys and running out the door. With Finn in the passenger side he made it to his place in 8 minutes. Ignoring all traffic signals. Running to the front door his heart stopped as he noticed the door off the hinges.
"Finn call 911 get the police and an ambulance here now!"
Sam walked slowly in the apartment. "Merce? Merce are you here?" He walked towards the kitchen and saw her bleeding out out the floor. Sam fell to his knees pulling her to him and holding her wound.
"Mercedes, Mercedes can you hear me? Please baby tell em you are alright. FINN! FINN SHE IS HURT YOU GOTTA HELP ME."
Tears fell from Sam's eyes and Finn ran over to him. He was still on the phone. "They said they will be here in ten minutes man."
"No! Thats not good enough."
Sam picked her up in his arms. "Grab the towel of the counter and come on. You sit in the back with her and put pressure on her wound I am getting he to the hospital."
Sam stopped in his tracks. "Oh God, She's not breathing."
To Be Continued.