Chapter 27: Master Plan

Grace comes out of the darkness confused. As her eyes flutter open and the industrial lights blur her vision she tries to remember where she is. Then panic hits her as she remembers. Nolan had taken her. Her heart is racing as she tries to slow it down and remain calm. She was sitting in a recliner and was restrained but otherwise she was uninjured.

He hadn't beaten her. Not yet, she corrected herself. He always did. He probably just wanted to make sure she was awake so he could tell her how it was all her fault just like before. She wouldn't let him break her. She couldn't.

"I see you're finally awake."

Looking around Grace found Nolan leaning against a work bench. "Why?" She fought to make her voice sound as steady as possible.

He smirked, "This is all your fault."

"No. I didn't do anything to deserve the way you have treated me." She was terrified but she knew she had to stay strong. She was done letting him control her.

"You are my wife. It's my job to keep you in line."

"That's right I'm your wife not your dog you can beat whenever I do something you don't like."

He laughed, "Well you are a very disobedient bitch aren't you."

She didn't answer. She had nothing else to say for a while and just watched him as he sat back looking around at their surroundings. Grace followed his eye and could see they were in a warehouse of some kind, probably too far away for anyone to hear her scream. Scream. Maybe Kyle had heard her scream before he grabbed her and had followed.

"I have friends that will find me."

"You mean that woman who took you in like the stray dog you are?" Grace opened her mouth to defend Jean and her kindness but he continued. "I give you credit, you didn't make this easy on me. Then again it wasn't too hard to get rid of your little body guard."

"What did you do to him?"

Turning around Nolan picked up the gun he'd used on Kyle and pointed it at her. Grace gasped as tears filled her eyes. She'd cost a man his life. She hadn't known him well but he'd been nice. He'd died protecting her.

"You see Grace no one knows you're missing. Frankly no one will care. You've already been so much trouble for the woman. Do you really expect her to keep looking for you? Her husband is powerful, I'm sure he will keep her in line. Show her you're not worth another thought."

"He's nothing like that. Not everyone is an abusive ass like you."

Nolan walked towards her tucking the gun into his pants, "I see you've found some fire. This could be fun."

When he was close enough Grace spit in his face, "You're wrong. They'll come for me. Even you can't get away with murder."

Nolan raised his hand back to hit her but stopped at the last moment. His face filled with rage at her defiance. He wiped the spit from his face and glared at her, "You see the beautiful thing about that is I'm already dead."

Horror flashed across her face as she realized what that meant. No one would know where to look for her. Nolan was dead so they wouldn't look for him. "What do you want?" She tried to keep her voice strong but the defeat she felt was consuming her.

Nolan looked around, "You see this part is all improvised. You had to go and fuck up months of planning. Don't worry I plan on making you pay for it."

"I don't understand. Why fake your death? Why frame me?"

"Did you think you were smarter than me? Did you think I wouldn't realize what you were doing?" He began to pace around the room as he talked clearly enjoying the sound of his own voice and his captive audience. "I know you're pregnant. I came home early one day when you were at your little job and found the message on the machine. The nurses wanted to make sure you knew if you changed your mind you could always reschedule the procedure."

Grace sat still and stared at him wide eyed unable to say anything. "I know you were going to that clinic, taking to those women and complaining about me. You were going to get rid of our baby but you couldn't do it so instead you tried to take my child from me."

He moved to stand directly in front of her and placed his hands on either side of the arm rest and leaned in close, "I couldn't let you get away with that. Business had been good. I figured I'd go out while I was on top. I could probably stay in business for a few more years before anyone figures out I'm scamming them but why risk it. This way I killed two birds with one stone so to speak."

Leaning back Nolan began to pace again. "I put a sedative in the tea knowing you always have a glass and then waited. Then I hired a couple of thugs to do the dirty work and bring you to the hotel. I had been planning this for a couple months, drawing blood and stashing it to make the scene. Then after they left I came in and gave a fresh sample to sell it," he held out his wrist which had a thick bandage on it.

"Then all I had to do was wait," he leaned back on the workbench happily looking at her waiting for applause at his brilliance.

"Then what? I don't understand how that helps you?"

"Of course you wouldn't you are too simple. I take it you know about my Will. It goes to my wife or my child. You were supposed to go away for my murder where you would have been protected until the child was born then fed to the wolves. I'd made arrangements to have the child adopted with all my assets. We'd go away and start again somewhere new."

Grace took in everything he had said and was still trying to wrap her head around it all. When the realization hit her, "Now what are you going to do?" Nolan began to laugh as he pushed off the workbench and headed out of sight his voice bouncing off the walls.

To Be Continued…

Evilous