Graceona
I watched Leonard sleep. Charmaine had stepped from the room to get us some coffee. I still sat on the small leather couch, Leonard's request buzzing around in my head like a group of flies over raw, decaying meat. The request was a simple one, however; it was also one that I couldn't bring myself to comply with. I love Charmaine, love her like the younger sister I never had. But Jarrod has taken women I had loved and had admired, great women. Rosaline, Annette, Virginia. His motives were to hide a scandalous lifestyle that one who was committed to another should never commit. He has been a murderer from the very beginning. I had tried to play nicely with him, because of the love I have for my children, my husband, and the family that has been in my life since early in my life. I would not allow them to get hurt, or possibly worse. I bit the inside of my lip as I looked at Leonard's exposed leg, the large purple bruise. The deep imprints of the spikes from the device Jarrod held him confined to, only tests will show the extent of the damage that the poison had on him internally looking at him resting now, my blood boiled at the events he had to go through, the situations he had to face, all because of Jarrod, though I can't just pin all the blame on Jarrod for Leonard's condition, not without spilling that glass of wrath in Trent's direction. If not for the deception from a man that Leonard thought was legit, Leonard more than likely wouldn't have gone to the place, thus giving Jarrod the perfect opportunity to strike. Trent may have had plans for me, but the trickery dealt with a man who was only looking to show me a good time, taking something so innocent and turning it into a chance for someone to act on greed, that wasn't something that I will forgive, not in my lifetime. Trent played a dangerous game with the wrong person, for something that I had no control over, he lost his position in the business because, someone stronger, and better stepped up to the plate, while he was sipping coffee and chowing down on office donuts, I had done the job of someone who cared for the people they were sworn to protect. I sighed as Leonard stirred in his sleep. I stood up as a young doctor stepped into the room, laptop in hand.
"Ah, Mrs. Shepherd, I see you didn't wander off too far. Did Valery give your belongings back to you?"
"She did. How are my husband's injuries?"
The doctor smiled. "Good. The report is decent, I'm happy to say. Other than a few broken bones, he's in good condition. MRIs showed that there was some trauma. I had kept him overnight for observations, no suspicious behaviors, and his sleep patterns were fine. I'm happy to report that the two of you may leave. If either of you experiences anything unusual, come back." he ripped out a paper from his notes. "Take this pill for pain, twice a day, no more." I retrieved the paper from his hand, folding it and placing it into my shirt pocket. "I'll get the nurse to bring a wheelchair in, with a broken leg and three broken ribs. I would prefer that he stay bedridden. A month should do the trick."
The young doctor walked from the room, closing the door behind him. I walked over to Leonard, stroking his hair. "Hey, sleepyhead, wake up. I need to take you home."
"I can go home?" Leonard asked as he stirred, his eyes getting focused on the light.
"Yeah."
Leonard rubbed his eyes. "Good, better late than never celebrating your birthday. Where do you and the girls want to go to?"
"We're celebrating it at home, with you in bed. Doctor's orders and with you, with broken bones, you should know that I will not let you be walking around."
Leonard sighed. "Grace, come on, not this again."
"Stop whining, now get woken up and we can stop for coffee, my treat." He looked at me with a sigh, throwing the covers from his legs to winch in pain. "Easy."
30 minutes later
Leonard slept upstairs, as Kyra and Kourtney watched cartoons, and Riley was at school. The girls were happy to see Leonard walk into the home. Smiles lit up their faces. I sat on my laptop at the table, tracking Jarrod's movements, my pistol lying beside me on the table. Jarrod was in our area, a few blocks from our home. "Girls."
Kourtney and Kyra walked into the room. "You two, go upstairs with your father, and don't come out until I tell you to."
"Are we playing hide-and-seek, momma?" Kourt asked.
"Yeah, go make sure you two find places to hide. If you two win, we will do whatever the two of you want. If I win, you have to watch crime shows with me for three days."
"We don't want to watch that, momma." The girls frowned.
"Then I suggest you don't let me find you then."
The girls ran from the room.
I got the remote from my pocket, pressed the button blocking off every room upstairs and windows, sitting back in my chair as Jarrod's dot was just outside the home. I looked at my gun with a grin, and stood to my feet, hiding in the pantry, closing the door as I released the nerve gas.
Soon the sound of the front door being kicked in and guns going off alerted me. "Find them, and when you do kill them." Jarrod's voice rang out.
The sound of multiple footsteps running across the floor, as I heard a faint beep before an explosion, and the groans of pain. I looked at the heat radar as Jarrod was now alone. I stepped from the pantry, pointing the gun at him with his gun pointed at me. "Any last words, Graceona."
I continued to look at him. "Yeah, a few."
"Speak."
"You just blew my mind."
He looked at me, his brow raised as I pressed a button on the side of my gun as two explosives outside the door detonated. I continued to look until the smoke cleared. Laying there in a pool of blood was a decapitated Jarrod. I exhaled a sigh, lowering my weapon. The room became open once more. I saw Leonard leaning against the door frame; he looked at the bodies that littered the floor, then at me. "It's over, isn't it? Our nightmares are over. We're finally free."
I looked at Jarrod's body. "It is."
The two of us were silent. "It was you or Jarrod. Charmaine will understand. Where are Kourtney and Kyra? They didn't see you do this?"
"They're upstairs. I sent them to hide before this."
"Girls."
Leonard and I walked upstairs. "Girls, come on out. I'm going to take you out for ice cream." Leonard said.
"Ice Cream!" Kourtney gleefully yelled.
"Shh, Kourtney, I don't wanna watch momma's shows," Kyra said, as the two of us walked over to the crawl space to the attic. I opened the door as the girls poked their heads out.
"Did we win, momma?" Kourtney asked.
"I'll let it slide this time."
The girls jumped from their hiding spot, giggling and leaping for joy.
"It's over Mother, Audra, Virginia. You girls can finally rest in peace." I closed my eyes, smiling, taking in the laughter of my children.
THE END