When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions)

by Lynette Eason

  “You think you can take my children away? Oh no. No. No. No.”

  Alexia didn’t bother arguing with the woman. She was loony tunes. She just needed her to come a little closer.

  Lori took two more steps toward Alexia.

  “You don’t have to do this, Lori, we’ll get you some help.”

  Alexia held her breath. Lori lifted the gun and stared at her with cold, emotionless eyes. “I don’t want or need help. I just need for you to be dead.”

  And Alexia knew she had no choice.

  She brought the old-fashioned gas can from behind her and threw the contents at Lori.

  The woman yelled and gasped as the gas hit her in the face and down her front. Her finger twitched on the trigger and the bullet slammed into the wall behind. The candle on the table behind her rocked.

  Lori thrashed, frantically wiping the gas from her eyes. She hit the table again and the candle landed against her.

  The small flame lit the gas with a whoosh and Lori screamed as her skirt caught fire. Shrieking, she turned the gun on Alexia, who had darted for the steps.

  Another bullet hit just above Alexia. Looking back, she saw the small rug catch fire, then a paint tarp. Horror hit her as the woman screamed in pain. Alexia paused, wondering if she should somehow help her. But those crazed eyes glared at her even as Lori frantically beat at the flames with an old rag. The gun cracked again and Alexia felt the bullet whiz by her head.

  She didn’t have much time before the entire room would be engulfed. She had no way to help Lori without getting herself killed. And she needed to find the children. She raced upstairs and looked for the children, first one room, then the other.

  Finally, she found little Mary Ellen asleep in her bed. She shook the little girl. “Come on, we have to go. The house is on fire.”

  “I’m going to kill you!”

  Alexia froze. The words came from the basement, but she could hear them even up on the next floor.

  Mary Ellen looked up at her, blinking sleep from her eyes. “You were at Aunt Lori’s party.”

  “Yes, sweetie, I was. Where’s your brother?”

  “Alexia!” Lori’s frantic shout echoed through the townhouse.

  Mary Ellen said, “He’s probably in Aunt Lori’s room. Why is she yelling?”

  Had Lori managed to put the fire out?

  It didn’t matter. She had to get the kids out of the house.

  “Something’s going on,” Hunter said into his microphone. “What is it? I can see activity through the windows.”

  “There’s a fire in the basement” came the report from one of the SWAT members. He thought it was Harry.

  Hunter frowned and shot a look at Dominic. “A fire?”

  “The woman, Lori, is yelling she’s going to kill Alexia,” Harry said. “We’ve got to get in there. The fire’s moving up to the main floor. Lot of smoke, hard to see.”

  Hunter shifted his bulletproof vest and nodded. “Go.”

  He and Dominic stood behind the two who rammed the door.

  “No, Aunt Lori! Stop!” A child’s cry pierced the heavy smoke.

  “Put her down! Put her down!” Lori screamed the words as spit flew from her lips.

  Alexia froze once again. She held the little girl in her arms and angled her away from the woman with the gun. She knew as soon as she put Mary Ellen down, Lori would fire the weapon.

  Blood dripped from her scorched face and neck. She held the gun in her blistered hand that shook with each trembling word.

  The woman had to be in horrible pain. She’d managed to put out the fire on her clothes, but not before it had done considerable damage to her. How was she even still functioning?

  Mary Ellen kept a death grip on Alexia’s neck and turned her face away from the grotesque image of her aunt, screaming her fear. “She’s a monster! Don’t let her get me!”

  “It’s okay, baby,” she whispered, her eyes on Lori’s.

  Lori seemed shocked at Mary Ellen’s cry. Then furious, the fire of hate blazing hotter than the fire now licking at the hot boards under Alexia’s feet.

  Trembling, heart thudding, Alexia made sure the child wasn’t in the line of fire. But she had nowhere to go. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Smoke swirled and she choked.

  She had to get the kids out.

  “Don’t do this, Lori, think about the children. We have to get out of here!”

  “You’re not going anywhere!” Lori swayed and Alexia could tell she was weakening. But her finger was still on the trigger.

  Alexia bit her lip. God, please? Tell me what to do.

  Then before she could blink, Lori was on the floor, cuffs on her wrists. A swarm of officers descended on her, sweeping past her, searching.

  Hunter appeared before her and she gasped. Relief nearly swept her to her knees, but she still had one more child to find. The smoke was getting thick.

  She shoved Mary Ellen into Hunter’s arms and said, “I have to find the little boy.” She realized she didn’t remember his name. She looked at Mary Ellen. “What’s his name, honey?”

  “Brad.”

  “Alexia, you’re hurt.”

  She ignored him, desperate to find the other child. Thundering down the hall, she coughed, but pressed on. “Where are you?”

  Lori’s room. The master.

  She turned right. And saw the little boy huddled on the bed. When he saw her, he jerked, fear written all over him. She held out her hand. “Come on, Brad, sweetie, the house is on fire. We have to get out now, okay?”

  “What’s going on? Where’s Aunt Lori?”

  “I’ll explain on the way out. Come on.”

  Hunter reached around her and picked up the boy in his other arm. A child on each hip, he nodded toward the door. “Let’s go.”

  44

  Sunday, 12:36 p.m.

  Alexia picked at the blanket on her hospital bed as she cut her eyes to Hunter. “I’m ready to get out of here. I’m fine.” Hunter had insisted she get checked out because of the punches to her head and face. They’d kept her overnight for observation.

  And frankly, she’d had enough of being observed.

  “You’ve had a rough time. Let yourself be pampered.”

  Alexia chewed on her lip, then said, “I told them to test me. To see if I’m a match for my mother.”

  He lifted a brow. “And?”

  “I’m not. I went to see her this morning to tell her.” Grief twisted her insides as Hunter gripped her hands.

  “I’m sorry.” He paused. “I’ll get tested too.”

  “Seriously? You will?” A lump formed in her throat. Of course he would, he was that kind of guy.

  “Seriously.” He gave her a tender smile and she wanted to throw herself into his arms.

  “Thank you, Hunter,” she whispered.

  “You bet.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

  “How’s Katie?” she asked.

  “She’s doing all right. Should make a full recovery.”

  Her cell phone vibrated and she grabbed it. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Alexia, it’s Paul Sanders.”

  Taken aback, she fell silent.

  “Hello? Are you there?”

  “Uh, yeah. Hi, Paul.”

  “I . . . um . . . was given the honor of making this call.” She could hear the wariness in his voice.

  “Okay . . .” What was her nemesis from Winthrop, Washington, doing calling her?

  “You’ve been cleared,” he said.

  “What? How?” Elation chugged through her.

  “It’s a long story, but evidence was found. The captain poked the holes in your mask hose.”

  “But why?” Confusion and a sense of betrayal flooded her.

  “He confessed to the fact that someone contacted him a few weeks ago and asked him if he was interested in making a lot of money. Someone wired fifty grand to his account. You weren’t supposed to live. After you died, he would have gotten rid of the faulty mask, replaced it wi
th one that would pass inspection during the investigation, and no one would be the wiser. It would just be considered a tragic accident.”

  “Hold on a second, Paul, will you?”

  She stared at Hunter. “Someone paid my captain to kill me. I wonder if it’s the person who knocked me around in the townhouse.”

  His eyes narrowed. “It’s a good possibility. I’m thinking this whole thing is bigger than we’re seeing.”

  “You mean it’s not over?” Dread threaded through her even as she asked the question she already knew the answer to.

  “Unfortunately, no. Someone hired Lori.”

  “She wanted to kill me because someone convinced her I was going to take the children away from her.”

  “She’s mentally ill. Avery said he prescribed her some anti-anxiety medication.”

  “She needs more than that,” Alexia said, her voice flat, eyes narrow.

  Hunter nodded. “I think this all started in Washington, but when you ran from Washington, you ran straight toward the killer. How convenient for him—or her.” He rubbed his face and she could see his mind churning.

  “That’ll teach me to run from my problems,” she muttered.

  “Hey, I’ve gotta go,” Paul said, and Alexia started.

  “I’m so sorry, Paul, I didn’t mean to be rude. I was telling someone what you said.”

  “No problem. I just wanted to let you know the good news. You can come back anytime.”

  She shot a look at Hunter, thought about her mother, wondered where her father was. “I don’t think I’ll be coming back. But thanks for everything.”

  “Take care.”

  “You too.” He hung up and Alexia leaned back against the pillows. “So, it’s really not over.”

  “Not completely.”

  She flinched, knowing what he meant. “They never caught the man who was in the townhouse with me, did they?”

  “No.” His jaw looked tight and she knew every time he looked at the bruises on her face, he thought about the man who put them there. “We’ll get him, though.”

  “How did he get out?” she asked.

  “There was an opening in the attic that ran the length of the townhomes. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure he—or she—had an escape route.”

  Alexia grimaced. “Sounds like something a paranoid person would do.”

  “And Lori definitely fits that description.” Hunter said, “All your guy had to do was keep walking through the attic, find an empty home, come down through the attic opening in the ceiling, and walk out of the house.”

  “I’m worried about Jillian.” Alexia looked away, then back at him. “I know she’s not ready to be found. I don’t know what’s going on with her, but if she feels like she’s in danger, I sure don’t want to send the wrong people after her.”

  “I’m the wrong people?” His brows knit in confusion.

  “No, of course not, but look what happened to me. The whole reason they came after me was to find Jillian. When they decided I couldn’t help, they were willing to kill me.” She paused. “And I’m scared Serena’s next. This is all about the night of graduation and what Jillian saw.” Biting her lip, she looked at Hunter. “What if they decide to go after her next?”

  “We’ve warned her and we’re ready to have some kind of protection in place for her.”

  The doctor finally entered and declared her ready to leave. She stopped by her mother’s room to find Dominic and Michael already there.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  Her mother looked much better. Alexia had managed to do a little research into aplastic anemia and knew now that her mom had been accurately diagnosed, the drugs would help for a short time. But she really needed to find a donor.

  “Hi, darling.” She gave a radiant look at her son. “Dominic was tested. He’s a match.”

  A thrill shot through her. “That’s great, Mom.”

  “The procedure will be soon,” Dominic said.

  “Let me know what I can do to help.” Alexia was amazed that she could feel this way. From hate to forgiveness to a resurgence of love for a woman she thought she never wanted to see again. She now agreed with Hunter. God was truly amazing. He cared, and while she knew she was unworthy of his love, she accepted that he found her worth loving.

  Just as Hunter had said—and shown her through his own actions.

  Forty-five minutes later, Hunter pulled into the driveway of his house. His phone rang and he pulled it out. “Hello?” He listened for a few minutes. Then his disgusted sigh made her stare at him. “Okay, thanks for letting me know.”

  When he hung up, he closed his eyes and shook his head.

  “What?” she asked.

  “That was my captain. Lori Tabor was murdered this morning.”

  “What?” She nearly screeched the word. “How?”

  “She was found dead in her hospital bed. Strangled.” His fingers fisted on the wheel.

  “By who?”

  “Don’t know yet.”

  Alexia swallowed. “And she never said who the man in the townhouse was, did she?”

  “Nope.”

  “Great.”

  “Yeah.”

  They sat for a few seconds pondering the news, then Alexia asked, “The day of the shooting at the hospital, how did she manage to fool you guys in the parking garage?”

  Hunter’s jaw tightened. “Her car. Rick called this morning. Her trunk had a false bottom. In it were the mask, a long-sleeved black T-shirt, and gloves. She had time to stash everything before we got there, then she just hunkered down to play the part of victim.”

  “Very convincingly.”

  “She was sweaty and shaking and . . .” He shook his head in disgust. “I never thought anything about her being there.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

  Alexia got out of the car and followed him. “Avery’s taking Lori’s involvement in all of this pretty hard, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. Finding out his sister murdered his wife was a stunning blow. And then add to that the fact that she killed anyone who got in her way.” He sighed. “Yeah, he’s pretty devastated. When she complained of anxiety attacks, he just prescribed some rather strong meds for her. Now he’s kicking himself for not insisting on having her evaluated.”

  “At least he’s got his kids to help him through it.”

  “They’ll be all right.”

  Where was he going? He led her around to the side of his house, then down the hill to a small stream with a bridge. A bench sat off to the side, overlooking the water.

  “It’s beautiful here.”

  “Thanks. When I need to shut out the world, I come down here and sit on that bench and read or just think and pray.”

  Alexia settled herself on the bench. Hunter sat beside her and took her hand. She felt the butterflies take flight. What was he doing?

  He said, “I can’t believe it’s only been a week since you’ve been back. I feel like we’ve lived a lifetime together.”

  She gave a shaky laugh. “I know what you mean.”

  He turned and pulled her to him. Leaning over he kissed her. A long, slow, sweet kiss. When he pulled back, his eyes were soft, a longing there that warmed her. “I want more time with you. I want to see where we’re headed.”

  “I want that too,” she whispered.

  A satisfied smile crossed his lips. “Great.”

  She smiled. “Your parents’ reaction to me at the dinner was surprising.”

  “I know.” He laughed. “I guess my dad decided to let it rest.” He fell silent for a moment, then said, “I told him what really happened with the fire. He said he wasn’t terribly surprised, that he never really thought you started the fire on purpose, but that your father was so adamant and my dad felt like he owed him . . .” Hunter shrugged. “Anyway, he said the next time he saw you, he was going to apologize and ask your forgiveness.”

  Alexia grinned. “Really?”

&nbs
p; “Yes. He’s nervous you’re going to tell him off.”

  Sobering, she stared out over the creek. “Last week I would have.”

  “But now?”

  “So much has changed inside of me. Now, I’ll tell your father that I accept his apology and hope we can start over.”

  Hunter hugged her and planted kisses across her eyelids. “You’re amazing.”

  She shifted in his arms and looked away as she asked, “Will you help me find my father?”

  He turned her back to face him. “We’ll find him. Just like we’ll find the creep from the townhouse.”

  “Thanks.”

  Hunter slid his hand through her curls and she felt his palm against the side of her head. The look in his eyes made her pulse kick it up a notch.

  He said, “Alexia, I’m falling in love with you. I care about you more than any woman I’ve ever met before.”

  That silly lump formed in her throat. “I know, Hunter. I feel the same for you.”

  He kissed her, a light, sweet kiss that left her wanting more. But another big obstacle stood in their way.

  “I feel bad for Chad. Once again he’s going to feel like he lost out to you.” Trouble stirred inside her and she regretted it. This wasn’t what she wanted to be concerned about when the man she loved told her he loved her. But she was genuinely concerned about Hunter’s brother.

  Hunter pushed her back to arm’s length. “I told Chad how I felt about you.”

  She tensed. “What did he say?”

  “He said that he wishes us the best.”

  “Really?” She was surprised. And glad. She liked Chad and hated the fact that he felt like he had to compete with Hunter in all areas of his life.

  “Yep. I think he’s doing a lot of soul searching.”

  “I’m glad. He needs to find peace.”

  Hunter sighed and pulled her back into a tight squeeze.

  She giggled. “You’re squishing me.”

  Loosening his grip, he said, “So, you’re not interested in returning to Washington?”

  “No.” Alexia looked him in the eye. “I’ve got everything I need here in Columbia. Family. Friends. You. I’m not running anywhere anymore.”

  “Thank goodness for that. I’m too old to be chasing you across the country.”