Hostage of the Heart

Big Bad Blonde (Thirty-One)

Tick tock tick tock. Besides her elevated breathing, the ticking of the clock placed on the wall next to the sliding glass door leading out to the balcony was the only sound she heard. Feeling a bit tipsy when she walked into the apartment, Desiree could have sworn that she was now completely sober although she was aware that was impossible. Only time would sober her up and speaking of time, she desperately wished she could alter the current time. Of course, since she couldn't, she was stuck seated with a deer in the headlights expression as her incensed lover stared at her, the remote continuing to creak in her hand.

A nervous tongue swiping across her lips, she glanced between Piper and the woman frozen on the television screen, it occurring to her that they definitely looked like they were related. "Piper, I can--"

"What?" Piper interrupted, that word resembling a hiss. "You can explain?" When she shifted Desiree flinched. However, instead of moving toward her, Piper settled back into the couch, raising one leg until she could rest an ankle atop her knee. "What can you explain? That you looked straight into my eyes and shared such a huge bald-faced lie?"

Voice library quiet, Desiree replied, "I did it to protect you."

"Oh!" Eyes comically wide, Piper nodded. "That makes perfect sense! Lying to me protected me. Guess I should thank you, but first I'm curious...what exactly were you protecting me from?"

"Yourself. Mostly."

"Meaning?"

"I wasn't certain what you would do with that information. I didn't want you to..." Seated on the edge of the couch, hands clutching her knees, Desiree studied the deceptively reposed woman.

"What did you think I'd do? Go to your father, make him write a suicide note followed by forcing him to blow his brains out otherwise I would kill you? Oh wait." Piper snapped the fingers not wrapped around the remote. "My evil brother already achieved that technique." Head cocked to the side, she appeared thoughtful. "Perhaps a pillow over his face until he stops struggling?" She slowly shook her head while ignoring the tears pooling in Desiree's eyes. "No. Not that either as," she pointed the remote toward the television, "big sister used that with their mom.

"So, maybe I would do something else like...poison his coffee or there's the good old-fashioned strangling, wrapping my fingers around his throat. Though that's a form of asphyxiation, which Emily did, and in my murderous rage I wouldn't want to copy them. I could pop Richard over the head with a potentially deadly object...oh, but that might fall into the category of bludgeoning, which as you know I achieved with our father.

"Huh," Piper tapped the edge of the remote against her chin, "guess the three of us having something in common. We've all killed either our own parent or someone else's. Alan made some crazy ass kids, right?"

Desiree swiftly disagreed with a head shake. "You're not crazy, Piper."

"You're treating me like I am. Protecting me from myself means you're really protecting Richard from me since you think learning about your father's involvement would make me go after him. Hurt him, possibly kill him. Let me tell you something," lowering her leg, she sat forward while maintaining eye contact, "if I wanted your father harmed or worse, I would have done it already. What I wanted was the truth and I was entitled to it. You tried robbing me of that because you obviously had no faith in me to not sink to that level."

Although her stomach was tangled in knots, Desiree experienced a burst of anger. "How much faith did you have in me by not revealing your Caribbean love affair with my sister?" She wished she hadn't asked the moment Piper jumped up from the couch as though sharply poked by something. She flinched again when the remote sailed toward the television screen, thankfully not breaking it.

Hands balled into fists at her sides, Piper glared down at her. "Don't you dare throw that in my face. You're trying to compare a light rainfall to a fucking Category 5 hurricane!" Taking a couple steps backward, she focused on deepening her breaths. "Desiree, there's a difference...a huge difference between my keeping the secret that I slept with your sister so many years ago that you were barely a teenager and you intentionally not telling me that your father sentenced me to the maximum years in exchange for having his illegal gambling debt wiped clean."

"He was protecting his fam--"

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it. He was protecting himself from losing his judgeship and respect of everyone who deemed him so honorable including his family. He said to hell with me, collected the money and went on with his life. Now you're choosing to protect him too--shield him from me because I'm just so unstable."

Because she felt vulnerable as the only one seated, Desiree rose to her feet. "Need I remind you that you went after a corpse?"

"Excuse me?"

"When I told you what Victor did concerning your mom. You ripped out your IV and stormed into the hall despite my trying to stop you. Although you were aware Victor was dead, you still wanted to get to him. For what? I'm not sure, but in that moment I was one-hundred percent positive I couldn't tell you about my father. After all, he's the only one left alive who was involved in why the trial turned out the way it did." An open hand pressed to her chest, Desiree's expression pled with Piper to understand. "I was honestly afraid of your reaction, but at the same time I don't think you're unstable. You have every right to be pissed off, but I thought you might be running on emotion and react without first thinking."

Piper checked her watch. "Well, I discovered that your father was truly involved about half an hour ago and I haven't gone after him yet. Guess I must be using my brain at least a little bit."

Arms folded over her chest, Desiree sighed. "Piper, I'm sorry. Shouldn't have handled it the way I did, but my intentions were good. I hid it because I care about you and regardless of how angry I am with my father, he's still my father and I didn't want to risk him being hurt."

"As far as I'm concerned he's been hurting me since he delivered that eleven year sentence and now so have you." When Desiree attempted to speak Piper informed her none too gently to shut up. "I remember." She began to pace back and forth, occasionally looking toward Desiree. "I remember that entire conversation in the hospital when I asked about Richard and when you told me he wasn't involved I didn't readily believe it. 

"For so many years I've known something was off about my sentencing, but I told myself that I had to be wrong. I told myself if you said it wasn't true then it wasn't. I studied your face and forced myself to let it go and put my faith in you, so I said okay and that was that." Eyes glistening, Piper turned toward her and stopped walking. "And tonight I learn there was a disc to go along with that letter. You lied to me. You said that you loved me and yet you could drum up such an incredible lie when you've known since the cabin how important it was for me to discover the entire truth.

"You kept one piece of the puzzle to yourself and something I can't figure out is why you actually kept it in your possession." While twin tears fell Piper pointed toward the hallway. "Right in my bedroom on my dresser like some part of you wanted me to find it. If I were you, I would have destroyed the last bit of evidence that could convict my dad." She shrugged. "Guess you have a problem with thinking too."

Ignoring when Desiree called out to her, Piper headed toward her bedroom where she grabbed a jacket from the closet. First sliding into it, she opened the upper drawer of her nightstand and pulled a heavy black object from it, which she tucked into one of the interior pockets stitched into her jacket. Meeting Desiree in the hallway, she brushed by her without comment, seconds later grabbing her keys from the bar.

Asked where she was going, Piper's chuckle was devoid of genuine humor. Eyes meeting Desiree's she jingled the keys. "Since you know--or think you know me so well, I'm positive you're capable of figuring that out. If you hadn't been drinking and therefore had to leave your car at that bar suppose you would follow me." The landline phone also on the bar, Piper plucked the cordless from its base and tossed it toward Desiree, waiting until she caught it. "Be my guest to call and warn him that the big bad blonde wolf is coming to huff and puff and blow his damn house down." Before the other woman could gather a response she was out the door slamming it in her wake.


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She doubted Piper had even reached her car when she punched in her father's cell number. Heart pumping faster than usual, it was her turn to pace while she waited for him to answer. Once he did, Desiree cut right to the chase, explaining that Piper was now aware of his involvement and was therefore on her way to his house to confront him. When several seconds passed without Richard replying, she thought the connection might have been lost until she finally heard a slowly emitted breath.

"Dad?"

"I'm here." His voice was a combination of resignation and calm, neither of which his daughter had expected. "Thank you for telling me."

"Just so you know, I didn't tell Piper. I withheld a disc from her--Emily Gibson's confession and she found it earlier. Emily of course mentioned why you sentenced Piper to eleven years."

He wearily sighed. "Desiree, I'm sorry to have put you in that position."

"You didn't. Regardless if it was the right or wrong thing to do, it was my decision. What are you going to do now?"

"Wait for her. If she wants to talk we'll talk."

Eyes shutting, Desiree sent a quick prayer that even if her words were heated talking was all Piper intended to do. "Will you do me a favor? Call me when it's over? I mean after Piper leaves."

"Of course, honey. I...I love you, Desiree. I understand you're upset with me, but I want you to know that. You and your siblings have been my greatest accomplishments."

Glad when Tobias chose that moment to jump on the couch and climb onto her lap, as she could greatly use the comfort, Desiree massaged the top of his head, a pair of round eyes closing with enjoyment. "Love you too."


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His heart instantly warming as he hadn't expected her to say that she loved him too, Richard snapped his phone shut after realizing she had hung up. Placing it on his desk, he walked out of his office. Recalling the last room he spotted his son was the den where he relaxed on the couch playing video games while being perfectly comfortable with his mother waiting on him hand and foot, Richard headed in that direction.

Upon arriving, he watched his namesake slouched on the couch, legs up on the coffee table with one ankle crossed over the other. Eyes appearing glazed focused on the large screen as thumbs expertly manipulated the game controller he held. When clearing his throat several times to gain his attention didn't work, Richard finally just said his name. The younger man glanced in his direction though continued to play, blowing something up, the realistic sound exploding through the speakers.

"What's up, Pop?" Asked to paused the game he did so, dropping the controller on his lap.

"Want you to do something for me." Wallet pulled from his back pocket, Richard selected a couple twenty-dollar bills, which he handed to his son. "Take your mother out for ice cream with that and whatever is left over you may keep. Please take your time. Also, ask her to go like it's entirely your idea. She'll love that you're choosing to spend quality time with her."

"Okay," Richie slowly stated while staring between his father and the money. "Why am I doing this?"

"Because I asked you to."

Richie nodded, familiar with that tone of voice. It hinted that he didn't wish to be questioned. In other words, it was Richard's 'just do what I say without comment' tone. "Okay. Cool."

Richard indicated the coffee table with a nod of his head. "You care to remove your size nines from the furniture now?"

"They're size tens, Pop." A grin appearing, Richie placed his sneaker sheathed feet on the floor. His father's resulting chuckle released some of the mysterious tension between them. He wanted to inquire what was wrong as Richard was obviously troubled over something and wanted to ask why he wanted his son and wife out of the house, but Richie kept his mouth shut about it. Fingers closing around the money, he walked up to him. "Could I bring you some dessert back?"

Richard shook his head. "Thanks, son, but no. Just...go spend some time with your mom."

"Okay." Richie shoved the money into his pocket as he flashed a smile. "I'll go ask Mom on a date. See you later." He was about to move passed him when his father surprised him by pulling him into a robust hug. That surprise tripled when three heartfelt words were whispered near his ear. Touched yet frowning, Richie tightly hugged him back. "I love you too, Pop. You okay?"

"I'm fine, Richie." Releasing him, Richard took a step back. "I just don't tell you that enough." Large hands cupping a clean-shaven face, he offered his son a smile. "If something were to ever happen to me I can depend on you to take care of your mother, right?"

With those hands still on his face Richie shook his head. "Don't say that. Nothing is gonna happen to you. You're going to be around for a long time to come."

Richard smiled again. "I hope so. Just in case though, I'm counting on you to be the man of this family." Letting go of his face, Richard slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

"In spite of a lack of testosterone, in my opinion Larisa would be better qualified to fill that position." A grin showed after his father chuckled. "But I'll do my best though I won't need to for many years to come. Like thirty at least."

"God willing, son."


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Seeing Richie and a beaming Sandra out the front door, Richard returned to his office. A drink already poured, he took a seat behind his desk before draining the remainder of it, teeth gritting as it burned on its way down. Jacket removed moments after he arrived home, Richard began to loosen his tie as it suddenly felt tight around his neck. Figuring that was due to nerves, he tugged the tie away from his collar and dropped it on the desk.

Richard was a man to often rely on his gut instincts and those instincts currently told him that this impending talk with Piper Redding would not end well. Several scenarios ran through his mind including the SFPD handcuffing and ushering him into the back seat of a police car or either him or Piper winding up on a stretcher in desperate need of medical attention. If he had his way it wouldn't be him.

Opening the lowest drawer to his right, he pulled out a rectangular steel box. Its key taped to the bottom of a container of pens, Richard unlocked the box, his expression grim as he raised the lid. A gleaming six-chamber revolver within, his fingers grazed its coolness. Although he had the gun over twenty years, he thankfully only used it when practicing at the gun range. Hopefully there wouldn't be a reason to use it tonight, but just in case he inserted a bullet into every chamber.

Loaded gun carefully dropped into the drawer directly in front of his chair, Richard returned its box to the drawer and picked up his phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he selected his eldest child's number, not surprised when it went to voicemail. Neither she nor her sister appeared near forgiving him, but Larisa had been just a tad chillier.

Listening to her prerecorded voice and awaiting the beep, Richard left a message. Phone returned to the desk, he left the office, arriving in the living just a couple minutes before the doorbell rang. Detesting his pounding heart, he headed toward the door while feeling like a prisoner on their way to receive the lethal injection while certain they wouldn't be issued a pardon at the last minute.

Not bothering to look through the peephole or inquire who the visitor was, Richard took a deep breath, unlocked and opened the door. There she stood hands in her jacket pockets and wearing an unreadable expression. It occurred to him that he hadn't been that close to her since the day he sentenced her. Time had been quite kind to her as she hadn't aged much, yet she appeared bigger, stronger and utterly intimidating. Richard wished he had inserted that revolver into his waistband.

"You don't seem shocked to see me. Desiree give you a heads up?"

Richard nodded, moving out of the way so she could enter. "Said you found an incriminating disc."

"Yes. Thanks to the late sister I didn't know existed until a few days ago I know the truth." Stepping into the house, a hard gaze settled on his face. "All of it." Relieved when she looked away, Richard observed as her eyes swept the nearby living room. "Are you home alone?"

Piper missed a difficult swallow. "Yes. Sent my wife and son out for ice cream." Instructing her to follow him, he headed back to his office, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to find that she walked just three or so feet behind. So far, this confrontation was much quieter than he assumed, but he swore he could feel Piper on the verge of exploding. Desiree and Larisa already having gone off on him, he could only imagine how much she had to say...or do.

Walking into the office he pointed toward the small bar located to the left of the entrance. "Could I interest you in a drink, Ms. Redding?" A fresh glass grabbed, he began to pour himself another brandy.

"No thanks. I'm just interested in learning straight from your mouth how you found it so easy to screw me over."

Hand beginning to shake, Richard returned the top to its decanter. "I don't call my actions screwing you over." Glass in hand, he forced himself to make eye contact. "I was merely trying to survive and take care of my family...keep them safe."

"Keep them safe from what?" Her eyes remaining on him, Piper watched as he carried his drink to the other side of his desk. Once he took a seat, he indicated for her to occupy one of the pair of chairs placed before the desk, however, she selected to stand.

"First from that bookie and then an unknown danger. I hadn't any idea who these people were who forced me to give you the maximum sentence."

"If your gambling hadn't gotten out of hand there wouldn't have been a bookie on your ass and those unknown people didn't have to twist your arm that much. Surely you breathed a sigh of relief once your bookie was paid and you were given money for your savings account?"

Richard reluctantly agreed with a nod. "I was very relieved, but I never forgot about you. Thought of you often and I quit gambling cold turkey. I swear to you," he tapped a couple fingers to the desk for emphasis, "the night I was blackmailed was the last time I've gambled."

Pulling them from her pockets, Piper began clapping her hands though it was obviously a sarcastic action. "Fantastic job, Judge. At least that bit of good came out of tossing me behind bars for eleven years. Question though." Taking a few steps forward she clutched the back of the chair she refused to sit in. "How is it you believe you never forgot me? Because it looks to me like you got on with your life. No doubt you felt guilty. I plainly read that in your eyes the day of sentencing, but after that you kept on truckin'."

"That's not true, Ms. Redding. I thought about you constantly. The guilt threatened to overwhelm me."

"And yet that guilt didn't prompt you to actually do anything to help me so forgive me if I'm not touched." Since she had such a tight grip on the chair her knuckles whitened. "The way I see it, you allowed a frightened teenager to spend the majority of her 20s in a prison because you were too much of a cowardly, selfish prick to tell the goddamned truth!" Before she was even aware of what she was doing, Piper picked up the chair and threw it across the room where it struck a window. Fortunately, it didn't break.

Unfortunately, it impelled Richard to withdraw the revolver from the drawer. Although he didn't point it at her, he gripped its handle with a finger grazing the trigger in preparation. He noticed the gun immediately had her attention yet Piper failed to show an ounce of fear. Instead it seemed to have the opposite effect as she looked ready to throw the desk next. 

"You're going to shoot me now? After everything you've done, after everything that's happened lately you're responsible for, you're going to threaten my life?"

Leaning back in his chair, Richard stared with great caution. "I admit that I gave you a longer sentence than I would have if not blackmailed, but what do you think I've recently caused? You kidnapped my daughter and put her life in danger. Are you saying that's my fault?" His heart attempted to escape his chest when the long-legged incensed woman marched toward him. Just as she rounded the end of the desk he raised the gun, aimed and pulled its trigger.

Piper didn't even flinch, looking over her shoulder to briefly examine the clean and tiny hole created in the window. From a distance it resembled a spider web, many thin cracks extending away from the hole. Turning back to him with a glare in place, Richard wished to bolt from the office yet his legs felt like jelly. "Either you need to have your eyes checked by an optometrist or that was a warning shot. Which is it?"

Gun pointed toward the floor, Richard audibly swallowed. "Warning."

"Why? I haven't attacked you. I throw a chair and you threaten to shoot me?"

"You were headed toward me. I can't read your mind. Had no idea what you planned on doing once you reached me."

"Headed toward you like this?" Piper further lessened the distance between them while Richard bolted from the chair. When he raised the revolver she reached out for his wrist and tugged it toward her so the barrel met her chest.

Eyes wide, he glanced between the gun and her face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Making it easier for you. Go ahead and pull the trigger. Not like there hasn't been enough bloodshed already. What's one more body to add to the count, Judge?" Upon releasing his wrist Richard didn't lower the gun yet he also didn't threaten to pull its trigger.

"You are responsible for much more than my bogus sentencing. I take full responsibility for what I did. Yes, I kidnapped your daughter and yes, her life was in danger once Victor discovered my whereabouts. I hate that. I hate what he put her through and I blame myself for bringing her there, but I'm not the only one to blame." Piper pointed toward him. "You could have prevented all of that just by telling the truth years ago."

Although he was primarily afraid, some anger bubbled to the surface. "You're not too much better than your siblings, Ms. Redding. You took my daughter against her will and put her through God knows what in that cabin. She had to suffer all those--"

"Suffer?" Eyes narrowed, Piper took another step causing the barrel to press more firmly against her chest. "I caused Desiree to suffer? You must not be aware of the definition of the word suffer. If she suffered, she wouldn't be living with me. If she suffered, she wouldn't have taken up for me. Was I a one-hundred percent sweetheart to her?" She shook her head. "No. Held a gun on her to make her drive to the cabin, handcuffed her to a refrigerator a couple of times when I went out and that last day..." Nibbling her bottom lip, Piper didn't want to say it aloud, but since she expected Richard to be truthful, she figured the same should apply to her. "That last day we had a horrendous argument when hearing something in particular on the news she changed her mind and thought I was guilty. Tried convincing her that I wasn't, words were exchanged and I...I hit her."

A fistful of her jacket grabbed, Piper's back slammed into a wall, the gun's barrel now painfully digging into her upper chest. Glaring, Richard had to focus on unclenching his teeth. "You put your hands on my daughter and still have the nerve to tell me you didn't make her suffer? The abused becomes the abuser."

"I didn't make Desiree suffer. Considering she was my captive overall I treated her well. She had her own room with her own bed, clothes, toiletries and could walk around the cabin as she pleased. I provided her with three delicious square meals per day, she could watch television, we played games, I taught her how to fish and we talked...a lot. Desiree even admitted that it felt more like a vacation than a hostage situation."

Blinking away tears, she matched Richard's steady stare. "I quickly came to care for her a great deal and I thought the feelings were mutual. Wished that I hadn't kidnapped her to get her there, but I was desperate to figure out the truth before I was thrown back in prison and that time for crimes I didn't commit. You were my only lead as I remembered how guilty you looked on sentencing day, so I decided to kidnap one of your children in the hopes you would admit what you knew. But you still kept your trap shut."

"There wasn't anything I could tell you."

"How in the hell do you figure that?" Shoving him, while he stumbled backward Piper snatched the gun from his hand. Richard was the precise definition of tense until she turned the safety on. The chamber release switch manipulated, she pushed out the chamber and began to remove the remaining five bullets, dropping them one by one onto the carpeted floor. "You could have told what you knew. Maybe it would have helped, maybe not, but you didn't even try. You wanted your part in this to remain a secret at any cost." Piper put his revolver back in the drawer and closed it. "Even let your beloved child keep your dirty secret. So concerned with how I treated her yet you allowed that to remain on her shoulders. A dishonorable judge and not much of a father either."

With the gun unloaded and tucked away Richard felt a little more bold. "I apologize for my part in your incarceration, but that is all I'm responsible for unlike you and your psychotic siblings. If you hadn't killed your father in the first--"

"No! I can't believe you're gonna stand there and say that when I know you were on my side. That makes what you did even worse." Head shaking, Piper combed her fingers through golden locks. "You sympathized with me. You understood why I did what I did and yet you allowed them to use you as their puppet."

"To protect my--"

"I am so sick of that tired excuse!" Piper slammed a fist on the desk hard enough to feel pain radiate along her forearm. "You realize what the price of 'protecting your family' all these years cost? Sit down and I'll tell you." When he refused, she grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the chair, pushing him into it. Hands in her pockets, Piper stood near enough that it would have been difficult for Richard to rise without moving her.

"Because you failed to tell the truth your nineteen year old son was shot and the previous jurors Sally Harris, Douglas Foxx, Walter Simpson and Michael Lowell were brutally murdered along with Officer Elton Bassett who stood guard in front of the Lowell household. Their deaths are on your head. Granted they accepted money from my siblings years ago and they also kept their mouths shut, but they didn't deserve what happened to them.

"My mom..." The tears returning, Piper was incapable of blinking them away that time. "With my being out of the way due to your locking me up, Victor was free to terrorize her." Noticing as Richard's forehead began to shine with perspiration, a different moisture stained her cheeks. "Try to put yourself in her shoes. She had to be trembling with fear as this stranger explains that she should kill herself otherwise her only child's life would be in jeopardy.

"All these years I thought it was on her own terms, that she was so disgusted with me she would rather die, but then the other day I learned she had two options--blow her brains out or bury me." Voice cracking, Piper moved out of his personal space. "She protected me. That's a prime example of protecting your family, Judge. Unfortunately, in the long run it didn't do much good as Victor made certain I went through hell anyway. The only thing is I didn't die though there was this particular day I ended up wishing I had." Head slightly cocked, Piper studied the seated man. Sweat ran along a reddened face as a hand massaged along his left arm. "I doubt it's close to your bedtime, but would you care to hear a little story?"

Swaying back and forth, Richard of course wanted to say no, yet figured it wouldn't do him any good to decline. "What...is it?"

"Once upon a time there was a young woman named Piper who had been in prison nearly two years. She tried her best to stay out of trouble, but this bitch named Silver just wouldn't leave her alone. Stole her food, knocked her around, chopped off her hair, made fun of her--even when her mother died--thought it would be humorous to put a dead rat in her bed and set her up by putting a shank in her cell shortly before inspections. As weapons were a no-no that meant young Piper was sent to the hole for three months despite swearing up and down that the shank wasn't hers and even encouraging them to test it for fingerprints, but till this very day she doesn't think they did.

"Now the hole was this magical place where Piper was given the opportunity to be alone around the clock except for those days she was escorted to the shower. She looked forward to those times as they were the only occasions she was able to see other people. Thankfully, there was a nice guard who would talk to her during her outing, which made her feel just a wee bit less alone.

"The rest of the time she stayed in an extremely small room that wasn't much longer than her height. Inside this room was a mattress on the floor that often poked her while she tried to sleep, a toilet and a sink. That's all--no television, radio, books or any other form of entertainment. Just Piper and her thoughts, which increased in disturbance seemingly by the day. Her favorite part of the day became when meals were pushed through a slot as it reminded her someone was on the other side. Plus, eating gave her something to do.

"Less than a month after being allowed back into general population young Piper had another run-in with the evil Silver and her minions. Paying off a guard not too guard them so well, they trapped Piper in a cell, stripped her and bent her over a bed and...they..." Blurred eyes closing, the heinous events from that day vividly replayed in her head. "They took turns using a broken broom handle to...penetrate her while she bled and sobbed. She wanted to plead with them to either stop or put her out of her misery yet the pair of socks stuffed in her mouth prevented speech. As if that wasn't enough unnecessary punishment, they beat her afterward. Thankfully, she finally lost consciousness just after Silver passed along the message 'he says to tell you hello', which Piper recently discovered was from her even more evil brother. It's a wonder Piper isn't a stark raving lunatic. Anyway, the end, you son of a bitch." 

"Piper..." Richard whispered, fingers fumbling with the buttons of his dress shirt. It felt so tight. Everything felt tight.

"What?" He issued a brief apology. "For what? Unintentionally helping to create those chains of events by concealing your deception? Maybe my mother's life could have been spared, maybe those jurors didn't have to be killed, maybe I didn't have to be tortured in prison until I learned to grow a backbone and stand up for myself...if only the used to be honorable Judge Richard Love had went to the police soon after my trial and shared what he knew. Everything could have been different."

Bending over with hands planted on her knees, a heap of negative events slammed into her all at once, the images rapidly soaring. First, she grew up in a house filled with abuse, found love and abruptly lost it in Jamaica, beat Alan to death with a hammer, had the trial, went to prison for much longer than she expected and was targeted by Silver. After release she was faced with the possibility of being sent back when jurors from her trial began dying, kidnapped the judge's daughter, was tied to a tree for four days while thinking she would die and hoping the woman she had fallen in love wasn't already deceased, learned that her mother had been forced to commit suicide and the judge on her case was paid to put her away for eleven years.

Legs weakened as every bit of fight drained from her body, Piper collapsed to her knees, shoulders violently shaking while countless pained tears fell saturating the carpet. Fingers digging into the thick carpet, she mentally coached herself to stop crying, but she couldn't. It was as if something inside her broke preventing her from doing anything except shedding tear after salty tear. Once he called out to her several times, she looked up observing that Richard appeared just as miserable as herself.

"What is it?" she hoarsely inquired.

Repeatedly wincing, Richard grabbed his left upper arm. "Sorry," he breathlessly replied. "I'm so sorry about...everything...you've..." That thought was interrupted when he tumbled to the floor, gasping for breath, his expression pained.

Tears significantly slowing, Piper crawled toward him, stopping when her head hovered his. On hands and knees she stared at him upside down. "Are you having a heart attack?"

Richard faintly nodded. "Think so," he wheezed.

"Another question--considering you never lifted a finger to help me, why should I help you now?"