Chapter 3 The Ex-Con

Everything hurts.

That was my first thought when I woke up. Not where I am or what happened. Just pain everywhere, like my whole body had been put through a grinder.

I tried to open my eyes, but the light was too bright. White and sterile. It stabbed into my skull and made the throbbing in my head worse.

Hospital. I was in a hospital.

Little pieces of memory drifted back. The warehouse. The fire. The heat. Thinking I was going to die. And someone pulled me out. A man with dark hair and concerned eyes. A stranger.

Why would a stranger risk his life for me?

I finally managed to get my eyes open. The room came into focus. White walls. Machines beeping. An IV in my arm. Bandages on my wrists.

I was alive.

Vincent had tried to kill me, and I had survived. The thought brought a strange mix of relief and terror. Relief because breathing still felt good even when it hurt. Terror because Vincent did not fail often. And when he did, he tried again.

The door opened.

A man walked in who was definitely not a doctor. Cheap suit. Tired eyes. A detective.

"Ms. Ubud," he said. "I am Detective Morris. How are you feeling?"

Like I was hit by a truck, set on fire, and left to die. "I am okay."

"Good. I need to ask some questions about what happened."

I had expected that. Cops always had questions, especially when it came to me.

"Can it wait?" I asked. "I am tired."

"I am afraid not. The sooner we talk, the better chance we have of catching whoever did this."

I almost laughed. Catch Vincent. They had five years to catch him for what he really did and instead they locked me up. But I kept that to myself.

"What do you want to know?"

He pulled out a notepad. "Let us start with how you ended up in that warehouse. Do you remember?"

"Not really. It is fuzzy."

A lie. I remembered every detail. But telling the truth meant admitting I had gotten into Vincent's car. That I had trusted him for one stupid moment. And it meant painting a brand new target on my back.

"Nothing at all?" he pressed. "Who took you there? Who tied you up?"

"I do not know. I was unconscious most of the time."

He did not believe me. I could read it in his eyes. Still, he wrote something down.

"Do you have any enemies? Anyone who might want to hurt you?"

Where do I even start? "No."

"Ms. Ubud, someone tried to kill you. That is not random. That is personal."

"I said I do not know."

He sighed, already tired of me. "What about Vincent Hale?"

My heart skipped. I kept my face neutral. "What about him?"

"You two have history. He testified at your trial."

"That was five years ago."

"Have you seen him since your release?"

"No." Another lie that slid out too easily.

"Are you sure? Your parole officer says you missed your check in yesterday. She has not heard from you at all."

There it was. The real reason for his visit. Not to help me. To remind me of what I still was in their eyes.

"I was going to call," I said. "I just needed time to adjust."

"Time to adjust." He repeated it slowly. "Ms. Ubud, you violated parole. That is serious."

"Someone tried to kill me."

"Which is why I need your cooperation. Tell me what happened. Tell me who did this."

I closed my eyes. "I do not remember. I am sorry."

"You are protecting someone."

"I am protecting myself."

He seemed surprised by that. He stared for a long moment before sliding the notepad away.

"Fine. Have it your way. But you need to contact your parole officer within twenty four hours or there will be consequences. Understand?"

"Yes."

"And Ms. Ubud. If someone tries again, they might succeed. Think about that."

He turned toward the door.

That was when I saw someone standing in the doorway. The man from last night. The stranger with the concerned eyes. The one who had pulled me from the flames.

He had heard everything.

Our eyes met for a moment before I looked away.

Detective Morris brushed past him without a word. The stranger stayed. He stepped inside slowly as if unsure he belonged there.

"You saved my life," I said softly. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." He kept a respectful distance. "I am Ethan. Ethan Cross."

"Anastasia."

"I know. The detective said your name."

Silence stretched between us. What do you say to the person who dragged you out of a burning building? Sorry for the trouble.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I was set on fire." I tried to smile. It hurt. "But alive. Because of you."

"I just happened to drive by. Anyone would have done the same."

"No. They would not have."

He did not argue. Maybe he knew it was true.

"The police questioned me too," he said. "I told them what I saw. I told them I found you tied up." He paused. "But you told them you do not remember anything."

It was not a question. But the question was hidden underneath.

"I do not remember much," I said, eyes drifting away. "It is all a blur."

"Right." He did not believe me either. "Well, I wanted to make sure you were okay. I should go."

"Wait."

I did not know why I said it. Maybe because he was the first person in years who had done something kind without wanting anything from me.

"Why did you come back?" I asked. "To the hospital."

"I wanted to make sure you made it."

"You do not even know me."

"Does that matter?"

I had nothing to say to that.

He gave me a small smile. "Get some rest. The doctors said you will be here for a few days."

Then he left, and the door closed quietly behind him.

I stared at the ceiling. The tiles were white and speckled. I counted them, anything to avoid thinking.

The door opened again. A nurse walked in. Older woman. Kind eyes. Her name tag said Linda.

"How are we doing, sweetie?" she asked as she checked the machines.

"Okay, I guess."

"You gave everyone a scare. Lucky that man found you."

"Yeah. Lucky."

She adjusted my IV and made notes. "Anyone you want us to call. Family. Friends."

"No. No one."

Pity flashed across her face. I hated that expression. I had seen it too often.

"Just rest," she said. "You are safe here."

Safe. The biggest lie in the world.

She left, but the door stayed cracked. I heard voices in the hallway. Linda speaking to someone. Ethan.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

"Physically, yes. Emotionally..." Linda sighed. "That poor girl. Five years for murder. Everyone knows she did not do it, but the system failed her. Then she gets out and someone tries to kill her. It is not fair."

Silence. Then Ethan spoke.

"She was in prison. For murder."

"You did not know. It was all over the news. Vincent Hale's business partner was found dead in his office. They convicted her on circumstantial evidence. Most think Hale did it himself, but he had money for good lawyers."

"Vincent Hale." Ethan's voice tightened. "The real estate developer."

"That is the one. Powerful man with powerful friends."

"And she just got out?"

"Just a few days ago. Poor thing probably thought she was finally free. Now this."

More silence. I imagined Ethan reconsidering everything. Regretting that he ever stopped his car.

"Thank you," he finally said. "For telling me."

"She could use someone on her side for once," Linda replied.

Footsteps faded.

I lay still with my eyes closed, pretending I had not heard any of it.

Everyone knew I was innocent. Everyone except the people who mattered five years ago. And now Ethan knew too. I knew I was an ex-con. Knew I had been convicted of murder. He would not come back.

Why would he? I was troubled. The kind that destroyed anyone who got close.

My phone buzzed.

I opened my eyes and searched for it. The sound came from the small bedside table. My belongings had been brought from the warehouse.

The phone buzzed again.

I reached over, ignoring the pain in my ribs. The screen lit up. One new message from an unknown number.

My stomach dropped.

I knew exactly who it was.

The message opened.

"I know where you are. Finish what I started. V"

Vincent.

My hands trembled as another message arrived. An attachment this time. A photo loading slowly.

When it appeared, my entire body went cold.

A house. A modern one in a wealthy neighborhood. And beneath it, an address.

I did not recognize it at first. Then I remembered Ethan's wallet and the address on his ID.

It was his house.

Vincent was threatening him. Because Ethan had saved me. Because he had gotten involved.

Another message appeared.

"Tell him what you are. Or I will."

Vincent wanted me isolated. Wanted me alone. I was afraid.

And the truth was simple. If Ethan learned everything about me, about Vincent, about what being near me meant, he would run.

They always ran.

I deleted the messages. Set the phone down. Lay back on the pillow.

The machines continued their steady beeping. Life in the hospital moved normally outside my door.

But everything was wrong.

Vincent was out there. Watching. Planning. Waiting.

And I had no idea how to stop him.