Crazy Butte

5

Asher's pov**

"No! Go away! Go away! Ashhh help! Ashh make him go away! She's mine!"

"Tara, honey love, wake up! You're safe, sweetheart!" I woke Tara up from the nightmare. She was breathing hard and sweating. "I've got you Tara, honey. You're safe."

"He had my baby, Ash. George had my babygirl and he was...he.. he was... Oh my god she was crying for me and I couldn't get to her. Danny was holding me back and I couldn't get to my baby. I didn't see you at first. You were tied in a chair. I kept screaming and then you woke up broke free." Tara was shaking and sweating. I pulled her onto my lap holding her close.

"Honey, listen to me. Your baby is with God. He's got her. George and Danny are in hell. They can't get to her. Do you hear me? They can't get to her. She's safe. I promise you. She's totally safe." I rock back and forth with her as her breathing slows down.

She nodded. "I named her. They told me not to, but I did. Her name is Heaven Grace Wilks. She's buried in an unmarked grave. I paid for the funeral, but didn't have enough for a headstone."

Her voice was so small and sad. It was killing me. "Honey, we will buy the most beautiful headstone for her. It will have her name in big letters."

She scrambled off my lap and put on my t-shirt. She pulled something out of the drawer of the nightstand and came back to my lap. I saw that she was holding a picture. "This was my last sonogram. She was already gone. It was when I was in the hospital in a coma. They were trying to see if she was alive. She wasn't, but they saved the picture for me. When I woke up, she was already buried. I go to her grave every Friday. That's the day she was delivered. Friday, February twenty-fifth, at two-twelve in the afternoon, the day after I was put in the hospital. My baby was already dead." She paused for a minute to catch her breath and wipe her eyes. "They did a c-section. I didn't know about it for three weeks. I still feel empty sometimes. Every time I see the scar, it hurts."

"The angel is safe. And she's looking down at mommy and is so proud of her."

"You think so?" She looked up at me as I nodded.

"I know so, sweetheart. What's not to be proud of? You are strong, smart, brave, funny, and a great cook. Most importantly, you have some great taste in men now." It's time for her to get out of this funk. Time to bring her back to the sunny side of life.

"You think so?"

"Of course, you have me now. Enough said!" I gave my cockiest grin.

It worked! "Well there goes the idea that I was smart!"

"Seriously?"

"Well you said it." I set the sonogram down and tackled Tara on the bed. Then started kissing her. I pull her shirt off and started licking down her neck to her beautiful breast. Then my phone rings. "Damn it! Stay right there!" I get my phone. "Yeah?"

"Governor just called. Darren called him and is asking questions."

"Like?"

"Where we would stash a body. How we would kill a man. Shit like that."

"Oh really? He's trying to start shit. He may not like the results."

"How you want to handle that?"

"Meet me at the bar in an hour."

"Later."

I hung up and explained the situation to Tara. We shower and dress for the bar. "I'll drive you on the bike. Lets go."

"Don't get all caveman on me, Asher. I'm not one of the sluts at the compound. If you want to marry me, I will be respected. Do you understand me?" Her fists are on her hips as she is trying to rip me one.