Until Death Do Us Part

Thirty

~Lost Without~
Shane Guerrette

"So many dark days going right out of my mind.
And I need your love so bad."

Tom leaned his weight against the railing as we descended the stairs of the jet. "Still hurts?" I asked. It was a dumb question. Of course it still hurt, he got shot. But still, I thought maybe asking would make it seem like it didn't look like he was in pain before that moment.

"Like a mother," he mumbled as he reached the concrete. "Speak of the devil," he added as a woman got out of the car on the platform. Tom's mother. My mother-in-law.

"I assume you had a nice flight," she said with a soft smile. She wrapped her arms around Tom carefully, and she even embraced me.

"Other than the throbbing pain in my side? Yes, mother, it was lovely," Tom replied deadpan. I gave him a sharp look. We were going to be living under this woman's roof until we could get our own business off the ground. We didn't need any more enemies, especially not from family.

"It was very pleasant, Mrs. Holland," I replied. It wasn't entirely a lie, but I did have to tend to Tom's wound a few times and try to quiet his anger due to the pain. It was like looking after a temperamental child, but it wasn't all bad. I was glad to do what I could to make his healing process go by faster.

"Please, call me Nikki. You are Mrs. Holland now," she replied, her smile widening. There was something in that smile that made me somewhat uncomfortable. It was as if she was challenging me. Who would be the more powerful Holland woman? Well, good thing I liked a challenge.

"Come, let's get you two home." Nikki waved her hand towards the car. The staff from the plane hauled our bags into the trunk while Nikki got into the passenger seat. Tom and I took the back, and he reached his hand out to grab mine.

When I hesitated, he looked at me with pleading eyes. She can't think anything is amiss. I could hear his words even if he didn't say them. I knew it, too, that if Nikki believed something else had happened in Greece, something that hurt mine and Tom's relationship, it could weaken their resolve on making us powerful. We didn't want to admit it, but we needed them- for now.

I took his hand, lacing my fingers with his. He smiled, looking at me with those dark brown eyes. He was melting my resolve every minute, reminding me every second that he wasn't going to treat me like he did. I allowed myself to smile back.

***

"Home sweet home," Nikki said as the driver pulled through large iron gates. I peeked through the bulletproof glass window to not see a mansion, but a castle. The kind of castle they filmed movies in. The driver pulled around a full-on pond with fountain features that stretched in front of the castle.