“That was just childish boasting,” Isaac replied. “Deep inside, we knew there would be difficulties. No one liveswithout sorrows and hardships. Even the very rich have their burdens to bear.”
“I suppose. But I really believed we could have things fall into place without nearly so much trouble. Perhaps they would have if not for my brothers.”
“Perhaps, but even so, I’d say things are falling into order now despite them.”
“I do want to say that I’m so proud of you,” Addie began. “You set out to get your education and become a college professor, and now you’ll be that. I know you had to work hard.”
“It was surprisingly pleasurable, except that you weren’t there.” He kissed her fingers and pressed her hand to his cheek.
“No, I was mostly here, and the life I had was good, thanks to Pearl and Otis. They were so dear to take me in. I would have been all alone to face who knows what kind of fate without them.”
“For that, they have my deepest gratitude. I hope we shall always be good friends.”
“I think they would like that very much.” Addie suppressed a yawn.
“You need to get some sleep. The doctor said that rest was the most beneficial thing to aid in healing. You sleep, and I’ll stand ... or, rather, sit guard.” He kissed her hand again and moved to the nearby chair. “I’ll be right here beside you.”
“Isaac, thank you.” Addie searched his face, satisfied that his feelings were all that he had declared them to be. “Thank you for not giving up on me, even after I’d given up. My hope was so depleted, and my relationship with God wasn’t at all what I needed it to be. You are an amazing man of God tohave kept such faith over the years. I shall always remember that and thank God for it.”
“I love you, Addie. I will always love only you.”
“And I love you, Isaac. More than I ever thought I could love anyone.”
She closed her eyes, secure in the warmth of that love and so much more. God had brought her to this place and time, not without difficulty, but perhaps with just enough that Addie could see how precious this love was. Not only Isaac’s love but also God’s.
Addie awoke with a start. She heard a commotion outside. The room was dark, and she had no way of knowing if Isaac was there except to call for him.
“Isaac!”
“Hush, I’m here. But from the sounds of it, I think your brothers are too.”
A shot rang out. Shaking, Addie curled into a ball on the bed, wishing there were somewhere else to go. The police had listed her as being in a room down the hall. They emptied everyone else out of the area, and Addie wished they’d moved her far away from the scene as well, but they thought she needed to stay just in case her brothers managed to get help from one of the hospital staff. They kept her in the same hallway, but told as few people as possible which specific room. Hopefully there wouldn’t be anyone to help Hiram and Shep.
The shouting and noise increased. Addie pushed her face deeper into the pillow and prayed.
She felt Isaac’s hand on her shoulder and reached out to take hold.
“Don’t be afraid, Addie. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Another shot sounded—this one closer than the other. Addie edged toward Isaac and prayed again.Please, God, deliver us from this evil. Please don’t let the innocent be hurt.
Everything went silent, and for several minutes, Addie wondered what had happened. When the lights came on in the hall and then her room, she ducked her head against Isaac.
“It’s all over.” Detective Carnegie strolled into the room as if nothing of importance had just happened. “Your brothers were both shot, Miss Bryant. We will need you to identify their bodies.”
“Bodies?” Addie sat up in bed. “They’re ... dead?”
“Yes.” He frowned. “I may also lose a good man. They stabbed him, and he’s been taken to surgery.”
“I’ll identify the bodies,” Isaac said. “I know them both, and I don’t want Addie having to be a part of something so gruesome.”
Carnegie nodded. “Then come with me, and let’s get this done. I’d like to wrap things up here so that the hospital can go back to their normal routine, and I can get some sleep.”
Addie loosened her grip on Isaac, although she didn’t want him to go. She knew that things would be all right now, but still knew she’d feel better when they were reunited.
About twenty minutes later, Isaac returned to her and gave a nod. “It was them.”
She waited for some sort of emotion other than relief. When none came, Addie wondered if she was just as cold-blooded as her brothers.
