Without A Trace

Twenty-Seven.

The next morning I open the door to Lewis, leaning against his car drinking the warm coffee thats in his hand.

"Lewis you can come in and get out of the rain," I say with my arms crossed leaning in the doorway.

"I know but I dont want to track mud into your cottage Cor. You know how you fuckin are with mud and blood," he says with a chuckle, "Besides, I'm just picking the girls up and going back home."

"Nobody told him where I am right?" I ask as the light rain spatters against the ground.

He shakes his head, "But he knows where you are. You're not very original in your escape plans Cor. Especially when you always retreat to the same place. Spice it up once in a fuckin while," he says with a slight smile.

I cant help but laugh at his remark, "Yeah you're not fuckin wrong about that."

The girls come out with their bags and toss them in the back before turning to face me, "You sure you don't want to come home?" Anna asks leaning against Lewis.

"Nah," I say biting the inside of my cheek. "I'll meet you guys at your party. And you both better look fuckin breath taking." I say with a smile.

Lewis walks up to me and sticks my wedding ring in my hand before closing my fingers around it. "Tom asked me to return this to you," he says softly before walking back to the car opening the door for the girls. Ivy and Anna share one more quick glance with me before getting into the car.

I stand in the doorway and watch it pull away before walking back into the cottage, closing the door behind me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the house, Michael knocks on Thomas door before walking in, stepping over the broken glass all over the floor.

"Coras gonna have your fuckin head if you dont get this cleaned up before she gets home," He says taking a seat in the chair in front of his desk. Thomas just sits there not saying a word as he brings his cigarette to his lips taking a puff on it.

"Lewis is on his way back home with the girls," Michael says breaking the silence. He sits there for a minute looking at his brother before looking down at the desk, "Cora told me to tell you thank you."

Thomas looks over at his brother, "So she has her ring back?"

Michael nods, "I also set up security measures around the cottage since shes there by herself now. We did a sweep of the area and there were no threats found or any signs of any threats around the place."

Thomas nods his head watching the smoke come off the end of his cigarette,"We're really like fire and petrol eh Michael?"

"Nah," Michael says leaning back in his seat, "You're more like Fire and Oxygen truthfully. But I have to tell you something important Thomas," Michael says lowly.

Thomas meets his brothers gaze and nods his head slightly for him to continue.

"One of our scouts saw Grace and Campbell having a meeting just outside of the arena. I think its worth looking into," he says clenching his jaws.

"When Ivy and Anna get home call Grace and tell her to come over. I want them to listen into the meeting I have with her," He says standing up walking around the side of his desk. "Next time you talk to my wife Michael, tell her I love her eh?" He says sharing a look with his brother before walking out and heading towards the gambling room.

A few hours later Anna escorts Grace to Tommy's office and shuts the door behind them. She walks over to the side and takes a seat next to Ivy. Thomas leans against the desk looking at Grace, "I thought you were on my side Grace."

"I dont know what you're on about Thomas," she says coldly.

"I'd start saying the fuckin truth if I was you," Ivy says lighting her cigarette before handing it to Anna. Anna crosses her leg over the other one and coldly stares her green eyes into Grace.

"Wheres your wife Thomas?" Grace asks in a petty tone.

"Out, but thats none of your fuckin concern now is it?" Anna says twirling her lighter around between her fingers.

"You knew my wife was out Grace," Thomas says smugly. "All I did was ask you to come over since Cora was gone," he says looking up at her.

Grace turns uncomfortably in her chair. Ivy and Anna get up and make their way over to Grace.

"What did I tell you would happen if you did this shit again?" Ivy says sitting down in front of her. "You have one chance to tell us why you were with Campbell at the races, and one chance to tell us why you came here."

Anna walks over to the fireplace with a stack of papers in her hand. She holds them up, "You see these? These are the papers with your account information, and the agreement Thomas signed with you when he bought the horse from you. You dont answer truthfully, no more money, and no more protection agreement. So get fuckin talking," Anna says leaning against the wall.

Grace looks over at Thomas with pleading eyes. He looks back at her with empty blue eyes, "I'd listen to them if I were you Grace," he says sitting down lighting a cigarette.

Ivy takes the deadly sharp pin out of her hair and pushes it against the back Graces hand, "What the fuck did you meet Campbell for.."

Grace winces in pain before looking over at Ivy, "Campbell wanted information about the horse and about the protection agreement. He told me he would double the money to my son if I told him about the horse. I was going to go on with the agreement but I changed my mind at the last minute and I gave him false information about Patience and your plan at the derby. I told him you were just trying to show Kimber up, nothing more than that I fuckin swear."

Ivy nods pulling her pin away and sticking it back in her hair, "Now tell me why you came here."

"Because..." Grace pauses, "Because I still love you Thomas," she says. "I know you still love me deep down past all the anger and hurt. You can't deny what we had wasnt something impeccable."

Thomas sits there in awe. He looks over at Ivy and looks back at Grace before getting up. He walks over to Anna and grabs the papers from her hands before throwing them in the fire and walking over to Grace. Ivy moves out of the way and leans against the door along with Anna to block the exit.

"So you almost blow my cover with my horse to the man who is trying to kill my family, and then come in here and tell me you watch you essentially patch shit up?" He asks sitting in front of her. "Grace do you mistake me for a fucking fool?" He asks coldly. He raises his hand back like hes going to hit her and she flinches, but doesnt say anything to him.

He smirks before lowering his hand and pointing at her, "You're a fuckin fool for coming here Grace. You don't fuckin fight. You're nothing but a fuckin coward. You best fuckin hope you can carry on a normal life. Because you're fuckin dead to me now." He pauses, "I think I'm going to let the girls show you out."

Ivy and Anna walk up behind her and snatch ahold of her before dragging her outside to the back alley behind the house. Ivy punches her across the face and Anna pins her arms against her back so she can't try and fight.

Ivy throws a blow to her stomach before Anna throws her against the ground, kicking her in the stomach. She leans down and grabs a fist full of Grace's hair, pulling her head up to look at her and Ivy, "You better fuckin pray you're safe and protected. Because when Cora comes home, we're fuckin coming for you." She throws her head back down on the cobblestone before walking back to the house with Ivy. Leaving Grace bleeding and battered in the rain.