“You and Father Anthony have to come with me.”
“We can’t.” She hugged him close. “Please trust me and go. I promise we’ll be okay.” Her eyes bore into him, her plea frantic. When she released him, he allowed the guard to escort him from the room.
Mendoza stood aside, observing the exchange, shaking his head. “You and your lost pups, Jennifer Marie. I’ll never understand it.”
“You have to own a heart to understand, Elías.”
“Now is that any way to speak to me? I just gave you a gift in a show of good faith.” His eyes turned black.
Jennie cringed and took a stepped back. “No, it isn’t, I apologize. It was very kind of you to allow Danny to go home,” she responded. The words Stop pulling his fucking tail roared in her head. Turning, she glared at Noah, who glared right back.
Mendoza didn’t miss the exchange between the two.
“It appears you two don’t even like each other. When did that happen?” he asked, almost to himself. “Care to explain why you didn’t plead McNeil’s release as well?”
“I don’t understand what you want from me. You don’t need them for me to remain.”
“Jennifer, you make that sound like you have a choice whether you stay or go. You don’t, you know. You’re here because I wish it. They are here because I wish it. If I wish to put a bullet between McNeil’s eyes, I’ll do that as well.”
He pressed his revolver at Noah’s forehead and pretended to pull the trigger.
Jennie swallowed, the fear choking the air from her lungs. Don’t pass out! Closing her eyes, she silently screamed, Jared hurry!
Jared punched the hood of his car. He had received the message from Jennie loud and clear. He and the SWAT team were waiting two blocks down from Mendoza’s residence, on a deserted two-lane country road. Fighting the panic, he yelled into his radio mic to the team back at St. Luke’s.
“Damn it, I need that power cut now,” he demanded. The agents had removed several guards positioned around the property. Jared delayed breaching the residence until the power was cut, disrupting the detection devices Mendoza installed close to the house. Once those were down, they could move in, taking out Mendoza’s extra men.
“A car is on its way out of the driveway, Lieutenant McNeil,” came the orders from the radio.
“Move in on it.”
“Power is down on the grounds,” the agent interrupted.
Jared ordered his men to hold their position until he received a report from the men following the car. The wait was excruciating. “Well,” he roared into the mic, “Who’s in the damn car?”
“It’s the boy, Danny Merlot, Lieutenant. He’s pretty shook up, but physically okay. He said Mendoza is holding Jennie, Father Anthony, and Noah in the large study at the back of the house.”
“Get the boy to his mother. The rest of you, we’re moving in,” Jared ordered, ending communication.
Mendoza’s face distorted with rage. Jennie couldn’t prevent the tremor that raced through her body.
“Do I have your attention, Jennifer?” he asked, touching her hair and running the back of his hand down the side of her face.
“Yes.” She stepped away from his touch, unable to hide her revulsion. The nausea in the pit of her stomach coiled.
Mendoza clenched his fist. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. She could almost smell the hatred seeping from his pores.
Turning to Noah, he lifted his gun and fired. The bullet pierced Noah’s shoulder just below the collarbone.
“Want my touch now?”
Jennie screamed and rushed to Noah. A large bloodstain formed on the front of his shirt. She knelt in front of him, removed her scarf, and wadded it into a ball.
Mendoza came up behind her, aiming the gun at Noah’s forehead. “Go ahead, Jennifer Marie, touch him,” he murmured.
“You’re not helping, Jennie,” Noah said, through clenched teeth.
Jennie dropped her arms and faced Mendoza. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I wanted to,” Mendoza lashed out.
Father Anthony moved toward Jennie, but a guard pulled a gun on him, stopping him in his tracks.
“Back away, Jennie,” Father Anthony pleaded.
“I would listen to your priest if I were you.” The venom in Mendoza’s voice was clear.
“I was just trying to help him.”
Jared, please hurry. He shot Noah.
“God helps those who help themselves. Isn’t that true, Father Anthony?”
Jennie wrapped her arms around her middle. “What do you want from me?”
“Everything, mi querida, and you will give it to me, willingly.”
Someone knocked on the door, and Mendoza nodded for the guard to open it. His assistant entered, carrying a large dress box. Mendoza took the box, set it on the coffee table, and ran his hand over the delicate cover.
“Tell them we will begin in ten minutes,” Mendoza ordered. He smiled and reached for Jennie’s elbow, drawing her close. “I have something else for you. A gift for you from the heart you claimed I don’t possess. Come see. I think you will like it.”
Something had to give, and it had to come from her first. She loosened the tension in her shoulders and neck before lifting the elaborate lid. Nothing could have kept the gasp from escaping her throat.
Mendoza reached inside and removed a white satin and tulle ball gown, with elegant crystal appliqués and beading. “It was made to your exact measurements. It should fit you like a glove.”
“What’s it for?”
“It’s your wedding gown, designed especially for you, under my supervision, of course.”
“My what?”
“We are to be married,” Mendoza announced to the room. “Today.” He checked his watch. “Now.”
“I will die first,” Jennie yelled, at the same time Father Anthony responded, “That’s impossible.”
Grabbing her upper arm, Mendoza spun her around to face him.
“You will accept my generous offer. Look at the monitor.”
Jennie peered at the screen. Her godfather had a gun jammed into the back of his head.
“He was the one who dared take you from me first.”
He hauled Jennie across the room and moved behind Noah. “We will then move to your friend, here.” He pressed down on Noah’s wounded shoulder. “He’s very protective of you. That ends today.”
Mendoza jabbed his fist into Noah’s wounded shoulder, glowing when Noah couldn’t keep the scream of pain from escaping his lips.
“My wife won’t have male friends. It will be my job to protect you. Do I need to continue?” He sneered at Jennie. “Fourteen years ago, I allowed you to live. That day, you became mine.”
Jennie stepped back, stumbling into the coffee table.
He yanked her up against him, forcing her head back. “Today, we seal our connection, for better or worse, until your death.”
As his mouth crushed her lips, the lights in the room flickered several times.
Before Mendoza could react, Jennie grabbed hold of his right hand, twisting his thumb to the breaking point. The gun dropped to the floor. With her free hand, she grabbed the crystal vase of roses off the end table and smashed it into his left temple. As he fell toward the floor, she yanked his arm behind his back. Right before he hit the floor, she used her body weight to dislocate his shoulder.
“That’s for Jared, you vicious bastard.”
He screeched in pain.
She retrieved the gun and placed it at the back of Mendoza’s neck. The assault lasted less than three seconds, taking the guards by surprise. From the corner of her eye, she watched Father Anthony send a hard kick into one of the guard’s temples, and when he dropped, he took down the second guard. When he tried to get back up, Anthony’s foot again made sure he too stayed down. In the meantime, Noah stood and rammed the leg of his chair into the abdomen of the third guard.
“I’m sorry, Elías, but I must decline your gene
rous offer.” With each word, she jabbed her knee into his spine. “I’m already married to Jared!”
He exhaled with an animalistic snarl. Then he roared, wrenched his back, and threw Jennie onto the floor. She landed on her rear, her legs in front of her, facing him. She scooted backward.
“You will pay for that, you bitch.” He grabbed his cell phone and raised it above his head. “The weapon for your precious school.”
In one fluid motion, she rose to her knees, lifted the gun, and fired. The shot struck the palm of his hand, severing his thumb. The cell phone fell to the floor. Shock replaced the rage for an instant before he advanced toward her.
“Stop, you sick bastard. I. Will. Shoot.”
Jared! Don’t make me kill him.
“You don’t have it in you,” Mendoza scoffed.
Jennie fired a warning shot just above his head, hitting one of the monitors. Glass rained down over him.
His sanity cracked. He rushed her.
The first bullet hit him in the right shoulder, at the exact spot he shot Noah. He paused for a second and came at her again.
“Fine, you bastard, this is for my father,” she said, and fired again, the bullet blasting his right knee cap. “This is for my mother,” she said, the third shot landing on his left shoulder. The last slug took out his left knee, and he buckled onto the floor. “That was for Nick and Quinton!”
Blood poured from his wounds, but he didn’t stop. Moving out of his reach, she aimed the gun at his head and yelled, “The next one will be right between the eyes. Don’t make me send you to hell, because I will, gladly.”
“Then do it,” he screamed, reaching for her.
Jennie opened fire and didn’t stop until Jared knelt down and wrapped her in his arms.
“I think you made your point, sweetheart,” he said, unclenching her fingers from around the revolver.
She had emptied the chamber and was compulsively pulling the trigger. The shots landed in a spot half an inch from his head, leaving a small crater in the gleaming hardwood.
Mendoza was sprawled on the floor, yelling profanities in four different languages, as agents swarmed into the room.
Jared handed the gun to one of the men and picked Jennie up.
“Jared, Michael is… Noah…” She searched the monitor.
“We have Michael. We always had him. And Noah is being helped. Our agents deactivated the bomb. It’s your turn,” he said, holding onto her. “Dear God, Jennie, when I heard the gun fire, my heart stopped,” he said, rocking her in his arms. “You have put ten years on me in a week. I’m not going to last long if you keep this up.” He cradled her head in his hands, kissing her over again. The adrenaline drained out of her, and she began to shake.
“It’s over. I have you and will never let you go again,” Jared whispered.
“Mendoza—”
“You got him. He’s not going to hurt anyone ever again. We’ll find a deep hole to throw him into and let him rot.”
“I didn’t kill him. I wanted to, God, I wanted to, but I didn’t.” Her voice quivered.
“Hey, brother hurt over here, if anyone cares,” Noah whined from the sofa.
Removing Jared’s arm, Jennie dived into Noah’s left side and hugged him fiercely. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. He could have killed you because of me. Oh, Noah, I’m so sorry.”
While Father Anthony tended to his right shoulder, Noah wrapped his other arm around Jennie. “Don’t cry. You got him back for me.” He turned to his twin. “Make her stop,” he pleaded.
“It’s the worst, isn’t it?” He grinned at his wife crying in his brother’s arms. Noah moved over, pulling Jennie with him so Jared could sit next to her. “Just give her a minute to cry it out. She’s earned it.”
“Damn it, I don’t like it.”
“I know, but it won’t last long,” Jared said, leaning down and kissing the back of her head.
“Stop talking like I’m not in the room,” Jennie said, through her tears. She reached out to Father Anthony. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Noah’s going to be fine, too. The bullet went right through.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No,” he said, nodding toward the monitors. “It’s over. Danny’s safe, Michael’s safe… everyone is safe.”
“I did your thumb trick. It worked great,” she said, smiling through the tears.
“I noticed.”
Wiping the tears on her sleeve, she glanced at Mendoza, moaning on the floor. How could one man cause so much hurt? But he meant nothing to her now.
“I really hate this room. How long before we can get the hell out of this place?”
“I’m for waiting outside,” Noah added.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Jared replied, pulling Jennie from the sofa with him.
“Then let’s get out of here.” Anthony helped Noah to his feet.
Jennie paused at the doorway and turned for one more glance at Mendoza. Jared stood over him, his voice low and hard.
“We belong to each other and were married last night at St. Luke’s by Father Anthony, witnessed by our families, by the Holy Catholic Church, and the eyes of God.”
Jennie clutched Jared’s arm and brought her lips to his ear. “He lost before he ever began. Leave him to his own misery. It’s what he deserves.”
Jared cocooned her into his body and turned his back on Mendoza.
Thirty-Four
Three months later…
* * *
Jennie removed the last Hummel figurine from the top shelf, wrapped it in tissue paper, and placed it carefully in the box with the others. She taped the lid shut and looked around the empty apartment. Sun rays spilled through the window, casting a golden glow over the bare hardwood floors. It took only a few days to pack away all the evidence of Louise Cunningham’s life in this home. Jennie was taking the small stack of boxes by the door to the new home she and Jared had closed on the previous week. Raw grief of Louise’s death would take much longer to settle in a warm spot of her heart.
She rose and moved toward the front window. So much had changed since the last time she stood in this spot. Nothing she experienced in her life prepared her for the love and contentment of being Jared McNeil’s wife. Even now, several miles away, she could feel him moving closer toward her. Soon they would be into each other’s arms, and the rest of the day would be theirs.
“Oh, excuse me,” the man in the doorway said quietly. “I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”
Turning slowly, Jennie came face to face with Raúl Ibarra. He stood in the entrance from the foyer with his shoulder in a sling, leaning on a cane, looking much thinner than the man in her vision. They both stood their ground, waiting for the other to make the first move. Jennie took it.
“Why are you here?”
She hated the anger in her voice. He didn’t deserve it.
“Again, I thought the place would be empty.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Special Agent Ibarra.”
“I wanted to see the brownstone from the inside.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m having a hard time separating the man I thought you were from the man you are supposed to be.”
“I can understand that, Jennifer Marie.”
The sound of that name sent a chill down her spine. “Never call me that. Jennie, my name is Jennie.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you. Look, this is a bad time. I’ll leave, okay?”
Raúl limped toward the foyer. The front door opened, and a woman with a tiny baby in her arms and a young boy around eight years old entered.
“That little market is incredible. Wait till you see what I found―” Anita stopped and studied her husband’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Papa, are you okay?” the young boy asked.
“Nothing is wrong. We’re intruding and will come back another time.”
Anita walked through the double doors and stopped. The three adults s
tared at each other. Raúl leaned over and whispered in his wife’s ear, and Anita approached Jennie.
“I’m Anita, Raúl’s wife, and this is our son TJ. I’ve wanted to meet you for quite some time,” she said and offered her hand to Jennie. Jennie shook it and tried to smile.
“Because of you, my family’s safe, and this little miracle will have a chance to get to know her father.” She kissed the sleeping baby’s head tenderly. “I know it doesn’t seem possible right now, but one day, we will be great friends.”
Anita surprised Jennie with an affectionate hug. Before she released her, she whispered in her ear, “Please give him a chance. He’s earned it.” She then took hold of her son’s hand and headed toward the doorway.
“I wish to stay with Papa,” TJ said, standing at his father’s side.
“Come, Thomas. Your papa is fine; he just needs to talk to Mrs. McNeil.”
“You’re a McNeil?” TJ asked, smiling.
Jennie was comfortable with children, and this one was no exception. “Yes. I’m married to Jared McNeil. Jennie McNeil,” she said, holding her hand out.
“You’re my Uncle Jared’s wife? I’m named after him but in reverse. He’s Jared Thomas and I’m Thomas Jared.”
Jennie smiled. “Nice to meet you, Thomas Jared.”
“Are you my Aunt Jennie, since Jared is my uncle?”
Jennie didn’t know what to say. Anita took the heat off. “TJ, let’s go check out the neighborhood. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other soon.” She gave her husband a peck on his lips and left.
“My Anita is a fireball. My son, TJ, is quiet like me. It will be fun to see who my daughter resembles,” Raúl commented.
“You look like you could use a place to sit. All I have to offer is the floor.”
“Thanks, I’m fine.”
He rubbed his neck muscles, something Jared did often. “So, again, why are you here?”
“I bought this building.”
“You bought this building? Why?”
“It wasn’t to hurt you. I wanted something good for my family. This building―this neighborhood―is that place. I will never forgive myself for what I’ve put them through the last few years.”
In the Shadow of Evil Book 2 Page 21