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Chapter 34
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Blind Faith Thank You
Dear reader, I wanted to personally thank you for taking the time to read my story. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a review where you purchased your book, or contact me through Facebook or Goodreads. Not only does it help me improve my craft, it also enables other readers to determine if this story is right for them. Other Books by Rowena PortchSpirian SagaProtectedUnionLegendAeon PneumaIllusionsFealtyShifterSpiriansContemporary FictionFate BeShort AdventureAeneas
Blind Faith Acknowledgments
To my husband, partner, and best friend Gregg, who never fails to support my creative endeavors.To my family, my most loyal fans. Thank you for your support and honest feedback. You all mean the world to me.To my readers. I love reading your comments and getting to know all of you on Facebook.
Blind Faith Prelude
Rainair’s worst day was not the one she woke up blind, but the moment she’d realized she had married a monster.Machines hummed and clicked, their cadence echoing off the walls in time with her heartbeat. Her face felt swollen, and every one of her limbs was numb. The pain that radiated up her spine was like a familiar old friend that frequently called, only its presence was not as comforting.The sharp scent of alcohol and bleach confirmed she had landed back in the hospital for the fifth time in as many months. Each time earned her more severe injuries. Cliff would kill her eventually. She had to leave him for good, but her every attempt left a wake of destruction.Good people who had tried to help her had suddenly disappeared or had their lives destroyed beyond repair. Never again, she had promised herself, yet she couldn’t do this on her own.People entered her room. Hard-soled shoes indicated they were not hospital staff. The sickening scent of Axe cologne permeated the air. I
Blind Faith Chapter 1
Seven years laterRai’s knuckles whitened around her iPhone and that familiar sickness crept from her lower belly up to her chest as if she had swallowed bitter acid. “Tell me.”“There is no record of your filing,” said Anna. She and Rai had become the best of friends, having both come from abusive relationships.“How? I filed it in person.”“Your husband has connections, sweetie.”“Don’t call him that! I’ve been trying to make him my ex for seven years.”Anna cleared her throat. “Cliff hosted one of his famous parties last month. Guess who made the invitation list? Judge Hardey and Sheriff John Ramsey. After that, the paper trail for your divorce decree simply disappeared. He’s bad news, Rai, and he’s in bed with all the right people.”Rai paced back and forth, her white cane tapping out a beat that matched her pounding heart. “I will never be free of him, will I?”“Hey, we’ll find a way, I promise.”“Thanks, kiddo. I appreciate your help.” Rai ended the call,
Blind Faith Chapter 2
Damn, she was cute, thought Z, as he headed toward the lobby. When he saw that lovely bit-of-goods in a blue summer dress talking to a marble pillar in the terminal, his mind got all soft. He rarely reached out to passengers. He did his best to avoid them. This female was an exception. She was easy on the eyes as well. Those pale blue irises and honey-colored hair were stunning. He remembered the feel of those silky strands as they slid between his fingers. The smell of sweet jasmine lingered in his memory.Females were trouble, he reminded himself. It was best to steer clear of this one. After he oriented her to the ship, he would avoid her, regardless of his attraction. It would be best for both of them.This cruise included a fraction of the Taylor Cruise Line corporate staff. The awards ceremony was scheduled five nights from now when a handful of people would receive appreciation for their outstanding contribution to the company. His corporate team occupied deck fifteen, which
Blind Faith Chapter 3
Soon after the engines roared to life, and the ship pulled away, a knock sounded on Rai’s door. She set her braille display aside and scooted off the bed, smoothing any wrinkles from her dress.The scent of bay rum greeted her as she swung the door open.Z opened his mouth to speak, but his words came out like a choke.Rai lifted a brow as if to say, “Excuse me?” Z cleared his throat. “Are you ready?”Rai reached for the white cane she had set by the door. “Yes, I am.” She slipped the card key into her dress pocket earlier so she wouldn’t forget it. As a blind person, she had learned to think ahead and plan for quick and thoughtless departures. It was far too easy to forget where she had placed something when she was in a hurry to leave.Z presented his arm to her as if he had years of practice leading the blind. The way he described the hall and important landmarks were expert and precise. “The elevators to your left will take you to the various floors. The ones on your right are
Blind Faith Chapter 4
Rai’s stomach growled like an angry badger. The scent of food filtered through the air vents, taunting her with savory spices and buttery breads. The day had been perfect; slow and relaxing; a nice break from her usual chaos.Tomorrow, they would reach Victoria, where she would tour the town and have tea at the Princess Hotel. It was something she had always wanted to do, but never had the chance. This cruise offered a perfect opportunity to check a few things off her bucket list. She was only 37 years old, so there was plenty of time to experience several adventures including riding one of the longest zip lines on the west coast.She fired up her MacBook Pro and logged into the ship’s WiFi. Oliver, her British screen-reading voice, obediently read whatever fell under the cursor in a polite and polished accent that would make any professional valet proud. Her mother was British, which is probably why Rai was so drawn to the accent. It was also why she had been attracted to Z, though
Blind Faith Chapter 5
Rai heard the waiter bow slightly. “Yes, of course, May I get you something to eat or drink, sir?”“Two glasses of Porto Rocha 20-year, Charles, and the chef ’s special dessert.”“Right away, sir.”Rai observed the dialog with curiosity. Z could not just be a porter with all the respect he commanded from the crew. “You seem to be well respected,” she commented.“The Taylor crew shows everyone respect.”“Uh, huh.” She replied, sipping the last of herPinot Noir. “Are you off duty?”“Yes,” he clipped, as if not wanting to answer.After a long moment of silence, she finally asked, “What brings you to my table, Mr. Z?”“You looked as if you could use some company.” She scoffed, then reached for her water, equally drained as her wine. “I actually enjoy my solitude.”“Would you like me to leave?”She thought about it for a moment, relishing in the giddiness welling up inside her. She hadn’t felt this way around a man for far too long. What harm would it do to share space with him?
Latest chapter
Blind Faith Thank You
Dear reader, I wanted to personally thank you for taking the time to read my story. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a review where you purchased your book, or contact me through Facebook or Goodreads. Not only does it help me improve my craft, it also enables other readers to determine if this story is right for them. Other Books by Rowena PortchSpirian SagaProtectedUnionLegendAeon PneumaIllusionsFealtyShifterSpiriansContemporary FictionFate BeShort AdventureAeneas
Blind Faith Chapter 34
Gideon laid rai down in bed, her hands were bandaged and her face was slightly swollen, mostly from the tears she had cried. It had been a long week. Hank curled up next to the bed. He would not leave Rai’s side, and that thought made Gideon smile.The fear he had felt when that gunshot rang caused him to sink to his knees. Rai collapsed in his arms. He checked her for wounds, but she was not hit. When he glanced over at Cliff ’s still form, he saw his brother-in-law’s gun smoking. Cliff never fired a round.Gideon closed the bedroom door and joined Ryan on the couch. Two glasses of whiskey waited on the smoked-glass table. Gideon took a long sip and leaned back.“Is she okay?” his brother-in-law asked.“I don’t know. She hasn’t spoken a word since we left the hospital.”Ryan nodded. “She’s still in shock. The rest will do her good.” He sipped his drink and smiled. “Quite the fighter, eh? I wasn’t sure you could pull her off him.”“I’ve never seen her enraged like that.”“Years
Blind Faith Chapter 33
Gideon had been unusually somber over the past three days. They made love, chatted over coffee, but it all seemed clouded with something Rai could not quite place. They sat now at the kitchen table, steaming cups of coffee in hand, and Gideon brooding in silence.“Is there a reason for this somber mood of yours?” She finally asked.“You’re meeting that monster at two o’clock.” There was a hardness in his voice. The meeting might have been the foremost on his mind, but there was something much deeper chipping at him.“Is that all?”She heard him take a deep breath. “You kept the truth from me, Rai. That is the same as lying.”She sipped her coffee, carefully listening to his words, trying to look beyond the gambit of emotions sharpening his tone.“I feel as if you still do not trust me, but for reasons I cannot comprehend. Your insane plan of handling Cliff on your own could have ended you, ended us. Yet, you still did not trust me enough to include me.”She maintained her silenc
Blind Faith Chapter 32
Rai and Gideon entered room 901 to find Simon and Anna laughing and playing a game of hearts.“Rai, you’re here,” Anna laughed, and then winced with pain. “You’re just in time to save Simon here from losing his shirt.”“You don’t entirely play fair, lady.”Rai made her way to Anna’s bed and leaned down to give her friend a hug. “Thank God you’re alright,” she whispered, tightening her hold.“Hey, are you okay?” Anna asked.Rai scoffed and wiped away the tear trailing down her cheek. “Am I okay? Girl, you are the one in the hospital.”“Yeah, for once, I’m not the one staring down at you. That Cliff is a true, sociopathic daemon. The look in his dead eyes was enough to send me into a fear coma. It was like everything I had learned simply vanished from my head. All the things we teach our students did not apply.”“I know the feeling,” said Rai. “I don’t think we address fear enough in our classes. That needs to change.”Gideon and Simon spoke quietly in the corner of the room and
Blind Faith Chapter 31
Gideon brought Rai a glass of wine. “You seem to be a bit out of sorts tonight, love. Want to talk about it?” He sat next to her on the couch.Instead of driving back to Seattle, he had taken her out to dinner, and then rented a room at the Baymont. Not nearly as nice as his flat, but comfortable all the same. She was grateful for the chance to be closer to Anna. The nurse assured her that she would call if things took a turn for the worse.Gideon’s question was more like a command than an inquiry, she thought. She imagined his brows scrunched together and a piercing look in his eyes. Were they brown or blue? She never asked.“You’re frowning,” he commented. “What color are your eyes?”“Brown, and you are changing the subject.” His tone took on a deep resonance that sent chills up her spine.“Brown. Really. Dark or light?”“Rai.”She took a sip of her wine; crisp, bright, and dry—Petite Syrah? “I’m seriously curious. I actually have no idea what you look like. Anna said you are
Blind Faith Chapter 30
The text was short and to the point:I’m coming for you, bitch.Rai nearly dropped the phone, but her desperation to reach Anna was greater than her fear. Her hands trembled so much, she could not manage to dial her friend’s number. She decided to use Siri instead. The tremble in her voice caught Gideon’s attention.He finished drying the morning dishes before stepping by her side. “What is it?” He asked.“Come on,” Rai chanted. “Pick up the phone, Anna girl. Pick it up!” Anna’s voicemail chirped her greeting. Rai left another message.“I have not heard from Simon, either, which is odd. We typically play tennis on Tuesday. I could not reach him to cancel.”“Something is wrong. Anna never takes long to answer my texts and she rarely ignores my calls.”“Come on. Let’s take a drive. We’ll check Simon’s flat first, and then Anna’s.”Rai grabbed her phone and cane. She didn’t care about taking anything else. Hank stood next to her, his tail wagging in anticipation of a ride. He offe
Blind Faith Chapter 29
“The bastard has connections, bro. He never even saw a cell and I doubt he was ever booked. I informed you as soon as I heard.”Gideon glanced over at Rai. By the fear in her eyes, she knew the subject matter of this conversation. “What about the iron-clad evidence against him?”“It was dismissed?”“What? How?”“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. Someone up the chain is dirty. Uncovering them may cost me my job.”“What can we do on our end?”“Just lay low. I have a few connections of my own. I’m sure Vadik will be interested in hearing how Clifford ratted him out, along with a few other Bratva members. A few well-placed rumors should take care of Clifford Bishop.”“Take care, Ryan, and thank you.”“No worries, bro. The more I learn about this bastard, the more I’m convinced he is the worst kind of asshole. It will be a pleasure bringing him down, even if I have to dance with the dark side to do it.”“Tread lightly mate.”“Will do.”Gideon put the car in gear and drove s
Blind Faith Chapter 28
As promised, Wes had Rai’s apartment restored with all of her belongings. Anna’s door would be fixed tomorrow. She was planning to spend the night with Simon, who had refused to let her out of his sight.Rai still felt a bit shaken as Gideon settled her onto the couch with a glass of Bordeaux. “I still can’t believe he is out of my life. I can’t help thinking he will find a way out of this—he always does.”“Not this time.” Gideon placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Anna is making sure your divorce is filed.”Rai chuffed, as if all of this were a dream not close to reality. She shook her head, still in a daze of disbelief.“Cliff told me you were one of the top corporate lawyers in New York.” Gideon poured them both a bit more wine.She took a long pull of the sweet juice. Talking about that time of her life was like recalling another life she wanted little to do with. Her fingers drummed against the smooth surface of the glass. “He and I had a law firm together.
Blind Faith Chapter 27
By the time they reached Taylor Enterprises, she had succumbed to her exhaustion. She awoke to a sharp jab to her ribs. “Wake up.”Nope, it was not a nightmare, it was real. Her overbearing husband was sitting next to her and her face still ached.Cliff got out of the limo and walked around to open her door; not because he was a gentleman. He hauled her out of her seat as if she were a duffle bag he wanted to sling over his shoulder. Instead of being lifted, however, her legs buckled beneath her and her knees slammed onto the cement.“Don’t be so damned clumsy,” he gritted out, pulling her to her feet. “My God, you are an embarrassment.”She tried to fling his hand from her arm, but his grip was like that of an enraged gorilla.“Enough!” He shook her.They made their way up the marble steps and into the lobby. James, from security, greeted them with hesitation.“Uh, good afternoon, Ms. Landry.”“We are here to see Gideon Taylor,” Cliff announced, pushing his way to the elevator
