Carey

 

After what seemed like an eternity alone in her holding cell, Carey was brought to a small, windowless room, the only furniture a simple table and two folding chairs, one on each side. The officer who led her there instructed her to take one of the chairs, and as she sat, she saw that there was a large pane of glass on the opposite wall. She immediately recognized it as a one-way mirror.

 

She sat alone for a time, wondering just what was about to happen. Before she could think for too long about the matter, however, the door opened and a middle-aged detective with thinning hair, dressed in a sable-colored suit, his badge dangling from his pants pocket, entered. Taking a position on the other side of the table, he put his hands on his hips and looked down at her.

 

“Carey Oakley,” he said. “Never thought I’d see a girl like you in a place like this.”

 

“Who … are you?” she asked. “And how do you know me?”

 

“My name’s Detective Salt. And you don’t know me, but you know my daughter, Ellen.”

 

Carey scoured her mind and quickly put a face to a name. Ellen Salt was a girl in her class at the local private high school that they’d both graduated from. Carey’s stomach sank when she realized that knowledge of what she’d been through would likely be spreading through the local community like wildfire.

 

“Oh,” said Carey. “Nice to meet you.”

 

Detective Salt took a seat across from her.

 

“Something to drink?” he asked. “We got water, coffee, uh, soda.”

 

“I just want to know what I’m doing here,” said Carey. “And I want to know where Owen is.”

 

“Did you bump your head on the way into the squad car or something?” asked Salt. “You’re here because you got in the middle of a damn fight between two bikers gangs. You’re lucky you’re not dead.”

 

“Is Owen okay?”

 

“He’s … in a coma,” said Salt. “Those bikers did a number on him. But right now I’m here to talk about you.”

 

“He’s in a what?” Carey asked, her tone one of disbelief. “Is he going to be okay?”

 

“He’s stable for now,” said Salt. “They’re just waiting for him to wake up. So you might as well tell me what I want to hear.”

 

Carey wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of that little room and run to Owen’s side. But Salt didn’t appear to be looking to accommodate.

 

“What do you want to know?” she asked.

 

“I’m here because your parents are worried out of their damn minds. They want to know why a girl like you would be running around with a thug like Owen Flynn. They want to know why Brady was there, and why he got the shit beaten out of him.”

 

“What did Brady tell you?”

 

“Wrong place, wrong time,” said Salt. “But it’s clear as day it’s a load of bullshit. So, I’m here to get the straight story.”

 

“It was all Brady,” said Carey. “He paid the gang to come kidnap me and to do … I don’t know what to Owen.”

 

“Pretty damn different than what he’s telling us.”

 

“He’s a lying piece of shit.”

 

Salt’s eyebrows raised. “Clear you’ve got opinions on the man.”

 

“More than a few.”

 

Carey looked around the room, and it occurred to her that she wasn’t in handcuffs.

 

“Wait, am I under arrest or something?”

 

“You’re not, but we wanted to ask you some questions. After all, this isn’t the kind of situation that we find girls like you getting into every day.”

 

“What’s going to happen to Owen?” she asked. “When he wakes up?”

 

“Well, that depends on if what you said about Brady is true or not. Your boy Flynn has a clean record, believe it or not—no warrants, no nothing. If it turns out that he got jumped by some gang who’d been paid off, then there’s nothing we can charge him with.”

 

“Then you have to let me see him,” said Carey. “And I’ll do anything you need to make sure that he doesn’t get charged.”

 

“Then tell me everything.”

 

Carey spent the next hour recounting her relationship with Owen. She told them how they met, how they’d fallen in love, and how she’d found out that she was carrying his baby. Everything that led up to the current moment she relayed, only glossing over the beating that Owen had given to Charlie weeks ago.

 

Salt took careful notes throughout, and when Carey was done, he let her go. To her surprise, her parents had been watching the entire proceedings from the other side of the one-way mirror. Overjoyed to have her back, she realized that they’d quickly changed their opinion of Brady after hearing Carey’s side of the story. And now that they knew she was pregnant, all they cared about was making sure she was safe and cared for until the baby arrived.

 

“And what about Owen?” asked Carey as the three of them left the police station.

 

“Not the man I would’ve chosen for you,” said her father. “But if he’s the man you love and the father of your child, then we’re going to have to figure something out.”

 

“Maybe give him something at the company, Mark,” said Joanne. “Something to get him out of that lifestyle.”

 

Mark considered the matter. “I’ll have to meet the man, but that’s something I can keep I mind. Let him know, Carey.”

 

“I will,” she said, more than anything eager to see Owen.

 

The drive to the hospital was the longest she’d endured in her life. Soon, however, they arrived out front. Carey exploded out of the car and hurried through the hospital, asking anyone who could help just where Owen was. She was directed to a small, sunny room on the fourth floor, and there she found Owen resting, a peaceful expression on his face.

 

A small chair was next to the bed. Carey took a seat, placed her hand on Owen’s, and waited.

 

***

 

“Rise and shine, kid.”

 

Owen’s voice brought Carey back in consciousness. She looked around, almost shocked to see that she was still in the hospital room. The room was quiet and calm, and great beams of sunlight shone in through the windows that overlooked the park next the hospital.

 

Carey turned her attention to Owen and gasped at what she saw. For the first time in two days, his eyes were open. His blue eyes were brilliant in the sunlight, and a small, cocky smile was on his face.

 

“You’re awake!” Carey shouted, jumping out of her chair and wrapping her arms around him.

 

“Whoa, whoa,” he said, grimacing a bit as she hugged him tightly. “Careful, now.”

 

Carey looked Owen up and down as though there was a chance that he might not be real.

 

“I can’t believe you’re up,” she said, kissing him all over his face. “I was worried …”

 

“Don’t,” he said, his voice stern. “Unless this is a dream or something, I’m fine.”

 

He looked around the room, realizing that he was in a hospital.

 

“At least, I think I’m fine,” he said. “What the hell happened?”

 

“What do you remember?”

 

“I remember Charlie and the gang out front. I remember Brady showing up. I remember giving and taking a few punches and … that’s it. Nothing else.”

 

“You got arrested,” said Carey.

 

Owen raised his hands to his face, noticing that he wasn’t in cuffs.

 

“Minimum security, I take it?” he asked.

 

“It’s … I’ll explain in a second. Let me get the nurse.”

 

Carey rushed into the hallway and flagged down Nurse Holiday, the reed-thin, middle-aged attending nurse who’d been taking care of Owen over the last couple of days. She hurried into the room and made an appraisal.

 

“Mr. Flynn,” she said. “Back among the living.”

 

“I think so,” he said. “But what’s the damage?”

 

“You lucked out,” she said, her sharp features fixed in a serious expression. “Just a few bruised ribs, some flesh wounds here and there, and a minor concussion. Whoever did this to you winged you in just the right way to put you out cold for a few days without doing any major damage. You should consider yourself lucky.”

 

“I suppose I should,” he said, shifting his weight to get out of bed.

 

“Hold on there, tough guy,” said Nurse Holiday. “We’ve still got to run some tests and keep you here for observation for at least the next few hours. So don’t get any big ideas about going anywhere. I’m going to get the doctor, so go ahead and pass the time with your little bedside angel here.”

 

“My what?” asked Owen.

 

“This one,” said Nurse Holiday, pointing to Carey. “She’s been at your side nonstop since you were brought in her. Slept in the chair and everything. No small feat for a pregnant woman.”

 

“Wait a minute,” said Owen. “A what?”

 

The color drained from Nurse Holiday’s face. “Did I—Oh, no. Um, let me get the doctor.”

 

With that, she hurried out of the room as fast as her thin legs could take her.

 

“She’s not screwing with me, is she?” asked Owen.

 

“No, she’s not,” said Carey.

 

Carey moved right beside Owen’s bed, took his hand, and placed it on her belly.

 

“I don’t think it’s far enough along yet to kick, but it’s in there.”

 

“Boy or a girl?”

 

“Not sure. We can find out soon, or we can keep it a surprise. Your call.”

 

His hand on Carey’s stomach, a smile warmer than one Carey had ever seen formed on Owen’s face. He was quiet, content. She’d never seen him like this before.

 

“I can’t think of better news for a man to wake up to,” said Owen.

 

“You mean you’re not mad?”

 

“Why would I be mad? I’m going to be having a baby with the woman I love—how could I be anything but grateful?”

 

Tears formed in Carrie’s eyes as she leaned in to kiss her love.

 

“And the cops?” he asked.

 

“Brady’s doing his best to sweep everything under the rug, and if he presses charges against you that will make this whole scandal the news everyone is talking about for the next few months.”

 

Owen’s gaze shifted to Carrie’s hand and he noticed the ring was conspicuously absent.

 

“I take it the wedding’s off?”

 

“The wedding’s off,” said Carey, placing her fingers on the now-bare strip of skin where the ring once was. “Brady decided that he was happier back in New York, believe it or not.”

 

Owen let out a small snort of a laugh. “Then what?” he said. “We ride off on my bike, figure things out from there?”

 

“Well, believe it or not, my father’s looking for something for you in his company.”

 

“What?”

 

“Yep,” said Carey. “Can’t exactly have a biker for a son-in-law.”

 

“A so—”

 

He shook his head in disbelief.

 

“A lot happened while you were out,” said Carey. “But if you want to … try being together, we can make it happen.”

 

“Me in a fuckin’ suit?” he asked. “Never worn one of those in my life.”

 

“Let’s take it one step at a time,” said Carey, smiling warmly. “He’s thinking something in security. Might be a good use of your, um, talents.”

 

“Boys won’t be too happy about this,” he said. “Then again, maybe Liam’s due for a promotion.”

 

He shook his head, bringing himself back into the present moment.

 

“But we can figure all that out later. Most important thing is that we’re together.”

 

“I couldn’t agree more.”

 

Carey stayed by Owen’s side while the doctors ran their tests. Once they determined he was good to go, he was given back his clothes and the two of them were allowed to leave. Their hands together, the two of them stepped out into the early evening air.

 

“Oh, I made sure your bike would be ready for you when you got out,” said Carey.

 

She led him to the parking garage, where Owen’s ride was waiting, cleaned and waited to be ridden.

 

“Second best thing to see when you come out of a coma,” he said, his tone eager. “Come on, kid.”

 

The two of them mounted the bike and Owen gunned the engine.

 

“I love you,” he said. “More than I can say.”

 

“I love you, too,” said Carey.

 

They kissed passionately. Then Owen revved the engine once more and they were off. Minutes later, they were on the road and headed to parts unknown. As Carey sat on the back of the bike, a smile on her face and her arms wrapped around Owen, she knew that there was no place she’d rather be.

 

THE END

 

 

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