Stronger Than You Know--A Novel

by Lori Foster

  Hurt, but alive, and the relief nearly did her in.

  He slid in the snow, recovered, then bellowed her name.

  Tears welled up, blurring her vision. Damn it, she’d held it together so far, and by God she wouldn’t fall apart now.

  “I’m okay,” she said more softly, glancing back at Delbert, hoping Reyes hadn’t roused him.

  She screamed when she saw his eyes open. He stared right at her.

  Reyes reached in, caught her under the arms, and easily lifted her out. Standing her behind him, he withdrew his own weapon and looked in at Delbert.

  Whatever he saw took some of the tension from his body. “Should I fucking kill you now?”

  Unable to help herself, Kennedy peered around Reyes.

  Delbert tried a laugh that mixed with a groan. Blood and spit seeped from his lips. “Might as well, because I’m dead either way.”

  “I have his gun,” Kennedy whispered, touching Reyes’s arm. “I threw it out the window.”

  Giving up on Delbert for the moment, he turned to her, glanced over her body, and his mouth flattened. “Come here.” Sweeping her up into his arms, he took a few steps until he reached a jutting, snow-covered rock. Carefully, he set her down and brushed back her hair with a shaking hand. “If his legs weren’t already broken, I’d break them slowly and with pleasure.”

  “What?” Delbert had broken legs? “How do you know—”

  “You didn’t notice the bones?”

  When she quailed, he muttered, “Never mind.”

  Dear God. Delbert’s bones were showing? A convulsive gag shook her, making her head ache even more.

  Keeping his voice soft, Reyes supported her. “Do you need to be sick?”

  “No.” If she puked, her head would likely roll right off her shoulders. “No, I’m okay.”

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Where are you hurt, baby?”

  She started to say, Pretty much everywhere, but he looked so stricken, she whispered instead, “You’re bleeding.”

  “It’s nothing. My face hit the pavement when they tried to run me over.”

  “Reyes.” The tears suddenly overflowed. “I didn’t know if you were—”

  “I’m all right. Jodi is okay, too. I left her with Sterling. Cade is right behind us.”

  “Actually, I’m here now,” Cade said.

  Kennedy jumped, felt the startle everywhere, and scowled. “Where did you come from?”

  Gently Cade tipped up her face, staring intently into her eyes. “Pretty sure you have a concussion.”

  She was pretty sure she did, too. “I think Delbert hit me with his gun. It feels like he knocked something loose. Didn’t help that I made him wreck—”

  “Made him?” Reyes asked, while nudging Cade aside.

  Remembering how she’d attacked him, she started shivering uncontrollably. The cold wind didn’t help, sending icy snow to continually pelt her face. Tears filled her eyes again, making her madder than hell—at herself. Her lips trembled, too, and her voice emerged in an agonized whisper. “I thought you were badly hurt. I wanted to get back to you, but he was driving away... I couldn’t let him do that, so I started kicking and hitting him.”

  “Jesus,” Reyes murmured. “He might have killed you.”

  “That was his intent anyway, right?”

  Cade’s gaze swept the area, then settled on the car. “So it is Delbert O’Neil?”

  Reyes nodded. “He’s banged up pretty badly. Broken legs, looks like a dislocated shoulder, too. Face is scratched to hell and back.”

  “The last was me,” Kennedy said, wanting her due. “I also punched him in the nuts.”

  Both men stared at her.

  “That’s when he completely lost control of the car.”

  “That could do it.” After pressing a kiss to her forehead, Reyes peeled off his flannel shirt and wrapped it around her, leaving him in only a thermal Henley.

  “You’ll get cold—”

  “Shh, babe, let me do something, okay?” He bent his knees to look into her face. “You saved yourself. You realize that, right? The least I can do is give you my shirt.”

  Cade cleared his throat. “Want me to do the honors?”

  Reyes cupped a hand to her cheek. “We have to question him, and fast. How about you go with Cade—”

  “I want to hear, too.” She deserved to hear. Damn it, she felt so wretched, but she had to know it all.

  “You’re cold.”

  “No colder than you,” she insisted.

  After a split second, Reyes nodded and then lifted her in his arms again. With Cade at his side, he walked over to the car. Cade lifted Delbert’s gun, dusted the snow off it, and then leaned into the car.

  Delbert’s eyes were closed but they opened real fast when Cade jostled his foot with the muzzle of the gun, causing him to hiss out an agonized breath.

  “So,” Reyes said. “You and Rob Golly.”

  The weirdest thing happened.

  Delbert’s eyes flared, then he managed a sickly smile. “Rob Golly? That’s what you think?”

  “It’s what we know,” Cade said.

  “You’re wrong. Rob is dead.”

  Held in Reyes’s arms, Kennedy felt a little warmer, and yet she still couldn’t stop shaking. The violent tremors racked her whole body. “I thought he was dead,” she admitted, unable to look away from Delbert’s battered face. She’d done that. Well, she and the wreck, which she’d instigated, so—

  “I suggest you start talking,” Reyes growled, “or I’ll make you talk, and I guarantee you won’t like my methods.”

  “I only wanted her,” Delbert murmured, staring at Kennedy.

  Reyes tried to put her down then, his intent obvious. Kennedy held tight. God only knew what he’d do if he touched Delbert right now.

  She didn’t think she could stomach more exposed bones or blood.

  That didn’t stop Cade from reacting. He grabbed Delbert’s leg just beneath a break. “Look at her again,” he whispered, “and you’ll regret it.”

  The pain must have been unbearable, because Delbert screamed around a string of rank curses.

  “Cops will be here soon.” Reyes hugged her a little tighter. “You’ve got one minute to tell me what you know, otherwise you’ll be dead when the law arrives.”

  Kennedy stared at Reyes, whose gaze remained on Delbert. Would Reyes kill him? She honestly didn’t know—and she didn’t really care.

  “Rob Golly’s death is what started it all,” Delbert babbled. Despite the cold, sweat dripped down his white face.

  “Then where’s the body?” Cade asked.

  “His brother took it.” Delbert’s breathing became shallow. “Bet you didn’t know about the brother, did you?” Blood bubbled out of his mouth. “He and Rob look enough alike to confuse anyone.” Del struggled with a shaky breath and his eyes sank shut. In a rasping voice, he said, “He’s insane. I knew if he got to Kennedy first, there’d be nothing left...” Grimacing, he paused. “He’ll kill all of you now. He wants Jodi bad for what she did to his brother. He’ll make her pay. You’ll all pay.” They could barely hear when he whispered, “Everyone you know will pay.”

  Cade stiffened.

  “Go,” Reyes whispered, and just like that, Cade was scaling the hill back to his SUV.

  Near her ear, Reyes said, “Sterling could be at risk, even in the parking lot at the diner.”

  So much trouble she’d brought to all of them. Her head was pounding as she made herself nod.

  He lowered her, then pulled her to his side as he stepped in close to the car. “Stay right next to me, and don’t interfere.”

  “All right.”

  “Where is Golly?” Reyes asked.

  Delbert didn’t respond. He looked like he might not be able to.
<
br />   Mouth tight, Reyes snapped, “Answer me.”

  Delbert’s eyes barely opened. “Motel.”

  “He’s still there?”

  “It’s where I left him...” Head slumping to the side, he said no more.

  His face was so white, Kennedy didn’t know if he’d gone into shock or if he’d died. In the distance, she heard sirens.

  Very softly, Reyes said, “Be glad she destroyed you, or I’d be taking you apart right now.”

  Surprised by that, she tried to figure out what to say. Reyes already had out his phone, and she knew who he’d called when he said, “Dad. Yeah, we’re all okay.” His attention moved over her with a worried frown. “Kennedy’s banged up, probably a concussion... Yeah, I’ll tell her.”

  “Tell me what?”

  Briefly he covered the phone. “That you’re going to need a lot of rest.”

  Right. She could seriously use that rest right now.

  Reyes uncovered the phone and shifted his gaze to Delbert. “Pretty sure this prick just died on me and cops are almost here—What? Why is he coming?”

  Wondering who “he” was, Kennedy hugged herself and waited, resisting the urge to collapse onto the ground.

  Reyes groaned. “So it was you, not Madison? No, I’m not questioning you.” He looked up the hill, prompting Kennedy to do the same. “They’re here now. Later. Yeah, I will.”

  “Who’s here?” She instinctively moved closer, pretty sure she’d already used all her reserves for dangerous situations.

  “Detective Albertson.”

  Oh. That wasn’t so bad. In fact, it reassured her a little—as long as the presence of a cop didn’t get Reyes into trouble.

  Sure enough, Crosby started down the hill, followed by two uniformed officers.

  Reyes called up to him, “Ambulance here?”

  “Yes.” Using a skinny, barren tree branch for support, Crosby finished his descent. “Kennedy, are you okay?”

  Leaning into Reyes, she nodded.

  “She needs medical attention,” Reyes said.

  “Looks like you do, too.” Crosby surveyed them both, then said to the officers, “Help her up the hill.”

  “She goes nowhere without me,” Reyes stated.

  Crosby accepted that, then moved to look in the car. “Jesus.”

  One of the officers removed his coat and held it out. Thanking him, Reyes tucked Kennedy into it and then said to Crosby, “A word?”

  Scowling, Crosby moved away from the car as paramedics reached them.

  Reyes, keeping Kennedy with him, stepped closer to Crosby so no one else would hear. “That’s Delbert O’Neil, scumbag trafficker.”

  “O’Neil,” Crosby murmured, and a heartbeat later, his gaze shot to Kennedy. “That’s how you’re involved?”

  “Medical care first,” Reyes insisted. Then he asked, “You can clean up this mess?”

  That earned Reyes a snort. “I can follow the law, yes.” His gaze again went to Kennedy, who stood there shivering despite the layers she now wore.

  She was too damn miserable to care how much attention she drew.

  Sympathetic, Crosby said, “Give me the bare bones first so I know what I’m working with.”

  “We’d just pulled into the diner. Soon as I stepped out, someone tried to run me over. While I was diving for cover, O’Neil cracked her in the head, stuffed her in his car and took off. I was right behind him, but when Kennedy came to, she attacked him and the car went off the road.” He gestured at the wreck. “This is how I found them. You saw O’Neil, with the results of the wreck.”

  “You didn’t touch him?”

  “Wish I could take the credit, but no.”

  As if he knew Reyes had skipped a lot of pertinent info, specifically about Jodi, Crosby frowned.

  Kennedy thought he’d say more, until he again looked at her.

  His expression eased from doubt to concern. “We can talk after you’re feeling better. I’ll be along to the hospital shortly.”

  “Thank you,” Kennedy said, glad for the reprieve. At the moment, all she wanted was to close her eyes...after she got warm.

  “Thank Madison,” Crosby said. “She clued me in enough that I’m giving you some leeway now, as your father requested. Don’t abuse it.”

  “I’ll be in touch.” Reyes guided her toward the hill. “Can you walk, babe?”

  “Yes,” she said, though she wasn’t sure if that was true.

  “Good. The fewer people I have to trust, the better I like it.” After waving off the paramedics who had started toward her, he casually asked, “Did you know my father is a doctor?”

  “No.” Yet she wasn’t surprised. She’d already learned to never underestimate the McKenzie clan.

  “He was a renowned surgeon, actually. He’s retired now, but still one of the best.”

  Unsure what that meant, she asked, “Why are you telling me this now?”

  He steered her toward his truck instead of the ambulance. “Because we aren’t going to the hospital.” He opened the door to get her inside. “That’s what Dad really wanted me to explain to you.”

  “But Crosby—”

  “Will figure it out soon enough.”

  * * *

  HE HOPED DELBERT was dead. It would save him the trouble of hunting him down and torturing him to death, the cowardly worm. How dare he interfere? It was because of him that Jodi got away once again.

  Oh, how he’d wanted to grab her. There’d been enough chaos in the parking lot, combined with the snowstorm, that it probably would have been easy for his men to accomplish.

  That is, until the other big man had shown up. That one looked as if he chewed thugs for breakfast. He had to be related to the one watching Kennedy. The size and overall facial features were the same.

  Perhaps he needed a bomb, something that would indiscriminately destroy them all.

  Everyone except Jodi.

  When she’d killed his brother, she’d sealed her own fate.

  He would always remember finding his brother broken, stabbed and bleeding in that dank basement cell, murdered by a worthless tramp.

  Yes, it would be better if Delbert was dead. Then he could put all his considerable concentration on Jodi.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  NEVER IN HIS life had he been in such a killing rage.

  Once his dad had started to examine Kennedy, he’d found severe bruising everywhere. Earlier, she’d stood there in the freezing snow allowing him to prioritize everything and everyone—except her.

  “She’ll be fine,” Parrish said as he moved Reyes out of the way yet again.

  Fine, although she continued to shiver uncontrollably, wore a perpetually pained expression on her face and had obviously taken a battering when the car crashed.

  Walking around the exam table, Reyes tucked the blankets over the side of her that his father had finished checking. His heart hurt. His eyes burned.

  He seriously wanted to kill some bastards.

  And he wanted to comfort Kennedy.

  The conflict of two such disparate emotions made him shake.

  He took her hand in his. She looked so small and delicate on the hospital bed, wearing no more than a loose, sleeveless gown that tied in the back.

  With her eyes mostly closed, Kennedy gave him a wan smile. “Other than my ears ringing, and the pain in my head, I really am okay. I was hardly aware of the bruises.”

  Hardly aware. That was her being brave again. “I’m so sorry, babe.”

  “Not your fault,” she whispered. “In fact, I should be apologizing. I brought this whole mess into your lives.”

  Parrish spoke before Reyes could react to that nonsense. “She has a concussion for sure, and she’s going to be incredibly sore as the aches and pains sink in, but I don’t think there are any fr
actures.” After gently prodding the worst of the bruises on her thigh, he stared down at Kennedy. “How did you hurt your leg?”

  Her eyes sank shut. “I don’t remember.”

  “Hmm.” Parrish gently examined her wrist and forearm. “And this?”

  “I tangled my hand in the seat belt when I realized we were going to wreck.”

  Ever so carefully, Parrish manipulated her fingers and then her hand. “No pain?”

  “Nothing too bad. Mostly my skin.”

  “It’s like mat burn,” he explained, and he put a light wrapping over it. With that done, he covered the rest of her with the blanket, all the way to her chin, then pulled up a rolling stool and sat near her. “Can you tell me what you do remember?”

  She frowned for a long moment. “I saw Reyes hurt. He’d left the rifle with me, so I was getting out of the car, thinking maybe I’d scare them...”

  Parrish glared at Reyes, looking furious again. “Cade grabbed the rifle,” Reyes explained. “My only thought at the time was getting to her.”

  Nodding, Parrish turned back to her.

  “Delbert told me he’d have the others kill Reyes if I didn’t drop the rifle, so I did.” She briefly closed her eyes. “I didn’t know how to use it anyway.”

  “You’re going to learn,” Reyes said. Soon as possible, he’d teach her a hundred different ways to better protect herself. Not that she’d need to, because he wasn’t ever letting her out of his sight.

  “I guess he hit me, because I woke up in the car and there was Delbert.” She drew a shuddering breath. “I was so afraid.”

  It was torturous for Reyes, seeing her like this. Yet he understood the need to have all the facts. She’d get through them soon, and then he could hold her.

  She opened her eyes a fraction. “I knew Reyes had been attacked and I didn’t know if he was—” Her hold on his hand tightened.

  “It’s okay, babe.” Reyes wished he could take the discomfort for her.

  “It’s not okay. Look at your head.”

  Of all the...

  “It was a small cut,” Parrish said. “No stitches needed, just a few wound-closing strips. He’ll be fine.”