Married After Midnight

once upon a time

   Richard was searching his mind for an answer. He was too rattled to create a lie but the truth wasn't enough. He was staring at a man almost 20 years younger than him and he could barely breathe. But she told him this would happen.     

     "I swear to you," Richard pleaded, "it was the seal. My contact saw it and told me who to ask for."

     "And who is your contact?"   

     "The woman who put blood on your wife's hands."  

     Kalon's brows raised.     "Will you kill me if I tell you?"  

     Kalon pointed the business end of his gun at Richard's forehead, pressed the metal against his skin. "If I fire from here you have no chance of living." 

     Richard nodded, he understood the terms. Speak or die. 

     "You're not Amara's first husband. When Amara was sixteen she was married off to a retired mercenary. She was young but smart and understood what was happening, she never complained. And for the first few months they were great she was Marcus's doll. But..."  

     Richard paused, thought carefully for his next words. Took in the man that was listening. Kalon's face was blank. His eyes held nothing, but the surrounding air was suffocating. His trigger finger was growing anxious. Kalon knew better than anyone that silently understanding didn't mean acceptance.  

     "But?" Kalon pushed.   

     "But Marcus was a drunk and he wasn't like her father. He saw her as the person she should have been, the person he wanted to marry. Before a year into their marriage, Amara was pregnant. She was happy about it. She went to classes, bought books; learned everything she could about child care. Told me she wanted to be a good mother, the best mother." Tears dared to fill Richard's eyes. "Through my years I've seen a lot of pregnant teenagers, but Amara was more prepared than a grown woman. She had gotten accounts and finances together for the child's education, put everything in place so she..."  

     "Get to the point!" Kalon snapped.   

    This was getting to him more than he wanted it to.     Richard sighed. "When she was around four months pregnant Marcus was drunk and got pissed about something. He was drunk, sexually starved, angry, and he took it all out on Amara. Muscles with the memory of decades of combat training, mixed with alcohol and anger came down on her. She didn't fight, had nowhere to run, had nowhere to take a hit. She wanted to protect the baby more than herself. But she lost the baby."

     Kalon's jaw tightened. "The baby was killed."    

     "It didn't survive the force and pressure of the beating."   

     Kalon dug the barrel of the gun into Richard's skull, steadied it. "That baby was killed. Say it correctly."     Richard swallowed, fear and regret making his mouth dry.   

     "At 16 years old, and 15 weeks pregnant. Amara was beaten till unconscious and her baby was killed." Richard corrected. "Less than a week later she snapped, killed him, left no trace or evidence, and left France." 

     Kalon breathed. "Who place did she take? Who married her off?"

     For a moment silence.

     "Her mother. Amara's mother married her off to replace her as Marcus's wife."

     Kalon holstered his gun and placed the glass of wine in front of Richard. He had heard enough, couldn't calmly listen anymore. His control was melting away faster than ice in hot water. He had made his wife a promise, a simple one, and it was becoming so hard to keep.