Prologue
As Mallory drove, she thought about her work week. It had been crazy, as usual, but her boss had just given the go-ahead for her to work from home since the physical location was being down-sized to a home office. They had spent the past few days making sure she had the necessary equipment and her car was loaded down with the files and supplies they would need to create the perfect office. The IT guy was going to come out some time in the next week and make sure she had a good network set up. The best part? Since she was setting up the office in her finished basement, she would benefit at tax time and be able to finish her online graphic arts degree. As late as it was, she was still pumped and decided to run through her local Dunkin Donuts for some hot chocolate as the weather had finally given way to the crisp late fall temperatures. The caffeine would keep her awake too, which was a definite bonus.
***
Brandon Graves downed the shot and motioned to the bartender for another. It had been another shitty month in his even shittier life and he just wanted to forget. “Brandon, I can’t see you any more,” she said. “You won’t stay sober, you’ve lost another job and quite frankly, you’re not the man I thought you were when we first met. You need to get it together and as much as I love you, I can’t wait for that to happen. You’ve had four DUIs in two years and spent time in rehab and you still don’t get that for you, one drink is too many. Take care of yourself, please?” The words from his ex-girlfriend rang in his head. She just didn’t understand why he drank. He knew he was an addict and he had tried to break the cycle, but when he flashed back to everything that had happened before, he couldn’t keep from finding the nearest bottle and drowning himself in it. He kept drinking, her words replaying in his head like a broken loop. I’m hopeless. Not even that God she believes in can help me.
***
Katia Jackson got the call and headed to the hospital. Damn him. I love him so much but he’s killing himself and it looks like he may have gone and done it this time. She prayed for the person or people in the other car and she prayed for Brandon.
Chapter One
Waking up, the first thing Mallory felt was pain. Oh my God. What in the hell happened? The last thing she remembered was coming around a curve and seeing bright lights in her lane. Then…nothing. Raising slightly, she moaned at the pain she felt in her head. She could see that she was in a hospital, but where? And how bad was it? She attempted to move her legs to get more comfortable and realized that they wouldn’t move – both were casted from her thighs to her toes. Ah fuck. How long will this keep me out of commission? Pushing the nurse call button, she waited for someone to come and tell her exactly what was going on with her.
***
Katia walked over to the room where Brandon lay, broken and battered. The cop standing duty outside his room looked at her and said, “He can’t have visitors unless they’re family.”
“Um, well…I’m listed as his next of kin. The hospital called me when he was brought in,” she finally said.
Looking at the petite brunette, he said, “You’ve got five minutes. Don’t make me regret giving them to you.”
“I won’t. I promise,” she replied as she went into the hospital room.
Oh Brandon she thought as she looked at her ex-boyfriend. He was bruised and bandaged and one arm was handcuffed to the railing on the bed. What have you done? Making her way to his bedside, she sat down in the chair and softly said, “Brandon? Are you awake?”
He moaned softly before opening the one eye that wasn’t swollen shut and said, “Yeah. I fucked up, Katia. I fucked up royally this time.”
“What…what happened?” she quietly asked.
“I was drinking…then I drove home instead of calling for a cab or an Uber,” he told her. “I…Katia, I hit someone head-on! I don’t…I don’t even know if it’s a man or a woman or if they’re still alive or not!”
“Have you had them call your family?”
“Yeah, they should be here in the morning, but with this latest DUI and the accident? I’m facing time, Katia. You were right to break up with me, even though I didn’t want to hear it. I’m nothing but a Grade A fuck-up and you can do far better than me, that’s for sure.”
Her heart broke hearing the defeat in his tone. She still loved him, but she couldn’t allow him to drag her down any longer and until he got his life together, she had felt there was no other choice than to break it off. “You’re not a fuck-up, Brandon, but you definitely made a life-changing mistake, that’s for sure,” she replied. “I only have a few minutes, the cop allowed me to come in since I was called as a next of kin. Is there…do you have anyone else I need to call for you?”
His mirthless chuckle speared her heart and shattered it further. “I’m going to need an attorney to represent me, but honestly? I deserve whatever they give me this time. You could have been with me.”
“If I had been, you wouldn’t have been driving. You know I never let you drive when we were together and you had been drinking.”
Sighing, he said, “I know. I just…I wish I knew how the other person was and if they were alright or not.”
“I can see what I can find out if you want me to,” she told him.
“Please. And Katia? Thank you. You didn’t have to come.”
“Brandon, just because we’re not a couple doesn’t mean I don’t still care about you.”
As he started to respond, the cop stuck his head in the room and said, “Time’s up, miss.”
“I’ve got to go, Brandon. I’ll…I’ll reach out to your family if I find anything out, okay?”
“Thank you.”
She left the room quickly, pulling out her phone to call her brother. “Hey, Bubba, it’s me,” she said once he answered.
“Yeah, girlie, I know. Caller ID, remember?”
“Whatever. Listen, there was an accident last night, do you know anything?”
She heard his sigh before he said, “Yeah, seems your boyfriend tied one on and hit some girl head-on out on Old Wild Plum Road.”
“Is she…did she survive?”
“Surprisingly, yes, but she’s all sorts of fucked up. Two broken legs, left arm broken, a concussion, and cuts and bruises everywhere. He’s going to face some hard time, Katia.”
“I know, Bubba. And, he’s not my boyfriend any longer. We broke up a few weeks ago. I couldn’t handle his drinking any more. But I was called as his next of kin and just saw him. He…he knows there was an accident and he’s handcuffed to the bed and he wanted me to find out if the other person or people were going to be okay since he doesn’t remember leaving the bar.”
“Yeah, well, he did leave the bar. Hell, I wish we had gotten the calls sooner that there was someone driving erratically and maybe we could have spared that poor girl some misery. She’s got a long recovery headed her way and I sure as hell hope he’s got decent insurance to cover it all.”
She had set up his insurance policies, not an easy feat considering his prior DUIs so she knew he carried high limits, but from the sound of it, the woman he hit was going to use every bit and then some. “Do you know when the report will be ready? I’ll get a copy to his insurance company so they can start the claim.”
“Should be a few more days. Why are you helping him? I thought you just said y’all broke up?”
“We did but he’s not in a position to do it now, is he? And if what you said is true, that woman needs a claim started so she doesn’t have to worry.”
“I’ll let you know when it’s ready. Stay away from him, Katia. He’s bad news.”
“Bubba…look, I love him and probably always will. I don’t have to be with him to help him, do I?”
“No, but I know you, girlie, and you’ll find yourself sucked back in and that will mean a good guy won’t stand a chance to build something with you at all.”
She rolled her eyes knowing her brother couldn’t see her before saying, “I won’t get sucked back in. Gotta run, love you, bye.”
***
“Well, hello Ms. Grissom, I’m Dr. Cofer,” a voice said, waking Mallory up. “Do you remember what happened?”
“Um, not really, I mean, I know I was in an accident, but other than that, I don’t. What…what all is wrong with me? I hurt everywhere.”
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