by Debra Webb
Dawn went to the table where Kayla’ s answering machine sat. She jotted something onto the message pad there. “ If you need to contact me leave a word at this number.” She turned back to the Kayla, Alex and Justin. “ Don’ t do anything that will jeopardize my cover. Forget I exist for now.”
When she would have disappeared the same way she’ d come, Kayla stopped her with a question. “ How will we know you’ re safe?”
Dawn turned back to her, those gold-green eyes glimmering with a knowing quality. “ Don’ t worry about me, I’ m pretty much kill-proof.”
“ If you need us we’ re here,” Kayla said. She moistened her lips, sucked in a breath. “ That’ s a promise.”
For a seemingly endless beat Dawn stood there, her eyes full of uncertainty. And then she was gone.
For a long time, no one spoke. Then… .
“ What if we never see her again?”
Kayla shook her head. She had no answer for Alex’ s question. Dawn O’ Shaughnessy was a complete mystery. “ If she’ s anything like her mother, she’ ll keep her end of that bargain.”
Alex suddenly pulled Kayla into her arms for a hug. “ It’ s almost over.” She drew back. Her usually cool exterior was not so cool now. “ We’ re on the verge of bringing this whole empire of evil crashing down.”
Kayla tried to work up more enthusiasm. She felt utterly drained. “ We still don’ t know exactly who is behind all that’ s happened.”
“ But we’ re getting closer. With Dawn’ s help we’ ll get there.”
Justin walked over to the two of them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “ I don’ t know about you two but I think it’ s time we ordered some dinner. We’ ve got a lot to discuss. People to call.”
He was right. She and Alex had to pull themselves together… had to follow through on their pact. The other Cassandras had to be updated on the situation. An agreed-upon strategy for their new role in this continuing investigation— the wait-and-see role.
Kayla couldn’ t have agreed more on the dinner suggestion as well. And she knew just the place to go.
Her kitchen. There was nothing else on the planet like Ryan cuisine.
Chapter 14
“ I don’ t think he’ s coming out.”
No kidding. That was just swell. Kayla flattened against the wall next to the front door of the subject house. Her partner had taken up a position on the opposite side.
“ It’ s Christmas Eve, dammit,” she muttered. “ Don’ t these people have presents to open or something?”
Jim shrugged. “ Beats the hell outta me.”
Perfect.
Here it was 6:30 on Christmas Eve night, her folks were already gathering for Kismus and she was stuck trying to defuse a domestic disturbance.
“ Maybe he had a little too much eggnog,” Jim joked.
From the shouts going on just the other side of that door, she felt relatively sure he’ d had a little too much something.
“ Let’ s give it another try.” Kayla whipped around, kicked the hell out of the bottom of the door in an effort to make herself heard over the ruckus. “ Open up! Sheriff’ s Department!”
She flattened against the wall next to the door once more in case the guy bellowing inside decided to shoot first and ask questions later.
The abrupt silence inside the house had her and Jim exchanging skeptical looks.
“ Who the hell is it?” the husband of the woman who’ d called in the complaint roared through the door.
“ Santa,” Jim muttered under his breath.
Kayla had to laugh. She stifled the hysteria and shouted, “ Sheriff’ s Department, open up, Mr. Mitchell.”
The door jerked inward and a mountain of a man towered in the open doorway. He appeared unarmed so Kayla took the lead. Jim moved up beside her, his hand resting on his sidearm.
“ We received a complaint about the noise, sir,” Kayla said with all the politeness she could muster for a guy wearing a wife-beater T-shirt and swizzling a can of beer while he waited for her to answer. His eyes, red-streaked from his alcohol binge, resembled road maps.
He gulped down the last of the beer in his can then crushed it in his fist. “ What noise?” Two days’ beard growth and a greasy mop of tousled hair suggested that hygiene was not a priority.
“ Sir, my partner and I heard you ranting at someone inside. May we speak with your wife?”
He threw down the damaged can. “ What the hell for? Did that bitch call you?”
Not good. Kayla stepped closer to the door. “ I’ m sure your wife wasn’ t involved with the complaint, sir, we’ d just like to speak with her.”
“ Well, come on in then.” The big burly ape suddenly grabbed Kayla by the shirtfront and jerked her inside.
Oh, hell was her first thought. I’ m gonna have to hurt this guy her second.
She didn’ t want to shoot him. She’ d only just gotten squared away after the last two shootings.
“ Release my partner and put your hands up, Mr. Mitchell.”
Ignoring Jim, the gorilla slammed Kayla against the closest wall. “ She look okay to you?” He jerked his head toward his wife.
Shit. Kayla’ s hopes of getting through this without excessive force withered and died at the sight of Jim leveling his weapon on the brute who’ d pinned her to the wall.
“ Look at her,” Mitchell repeated. “ Don’ t she look just fine?”
Kayla glanced toward the sofa where a woman, midthirties maybe, sat. Her eyes were wide with fear. Her long brown hair disheveled. There were no obvious bruises, but that didn’ t mean a thing.
“ Let go of me, sir, and we’ ll get this cleared up.”
“ You women,” he snarled, “ you think you can treat us guys any way you want to and we’ re supposed to put up with it without a fight just because you’ re women.” He glanced at his wife. “ Get me a beer, bitch.”
Merry Christmas, Kayla mused.
“ Mr. Mitchell, I’ m only going to ask you once more to release my partner.”
Mitchell didn’ t flinch, didn’ t even bother glancing Jim’ s way. “ Bitches,” he muttered, then burped.
Time was up. If Kayla didn’ t do something quick Jim might just shoot this guy on principle.
Kayla heaved a sigh. “ You know what, Mr. Mitchell, you’ re right.”
He snickered. “ Damn straight.”
“ We bitches,” she added, “ just don’ t know when we’ ve got it made.”
Mitchell laughed loudly. “ Now that’ s what I’ m talking about.”
At that exact instant Kayla drove her right knee into his unsuspecting balls.
Big, bad Mr. Mitchell was suddenly on the floor howling in agony and curled into the fetal position.
Jim winced. “ Man, that had to hurt.”
“ Book him, Jim,” Kayla said, grinning from ear to ear.
While her partner restrained the asshole on the floor she walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Mrs. Mitchell.
“ Ma’ am, are you all right?”
She nodded. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap.
“ You’ re sure?”
She turned to Kayla then, tears spilling down her pale cheeks. “ I’ m glad you came so quickly.”
Kayla placed a hand over hers. “ That’ s what we’ re here for. Don’ t ever hesitate to call for help when you need it.”
The woman swiped at her eyes and let go a shaky breath. “ I didn’ t call you to help me,” she said, her gaze connecting to Kayla’ s in a look that sent a new burst of adrenaline into Kayla’ s bloodstream.
“ But he was hurting you? That’ s why you called, right?”
Mrs. Mitchell reached beneath the throw pillow next to her and withdrew a handgun. She offered it to Kayla, watched her accept it. “ I’ d decided to use it this time.” The woman’ s gaze lifted back to Kayla’ s. “ I called you to save him. I wasn’ t sure I could let him to do this to me again.”
Kayla
couldn’ t decide what to say, except the necessary. “ I’ m sorry, ma’ am, but I’ m going to have to bring you in as well for questioning. I hope you understand.”
It was almost ten before Kayla and Jim headed back to their small Athens office. Mr. Mitchell was sleeping it off in county lockup and Mrs. Mitchell had been admitted to General for psychological observation.
Dammit. Kayla’ s family had probably given up on having her show up for dinner. Jazz would be intensely disappointed. She could imagine the whole clan of Ryans gathered around the table. Lights lining the driveway for welcoming the Christ child in celebration of the traditional Navajo Kismus. She was going to miss everything.
Oh, well, one of the many hazards of the job.
“ Can you believe she was going to kill him?” Jim asked, dragging Kayla’ s attention back to the interior of her Jeep.
Kayla laughed dryly. “ Sure looked that way.”
“ You’ re positive you’ re okay?” he asked, his tone somber.
“ I’ m good.” She was a little shaken but she’ d live.
Every home in Athens was lit up with Christmas lights. Beautifully decorated trees glowed from the front windows and wreaths hung on the doors. ’ Twas the season to be jolly. No point in being depressed.
Kayla made the turn down Main Street toward the office. She had so much to be thankful for. Her daughter, her family. A great deal of the mystery behind Rainy’ s murder and the egg mining had been solved. Dawn had promised to keep the Cassandras in the loop as she progressed in her own investigation. Hell, Kayla had even worked out visitation arrangements with Mike. She had every right to feel damn good about her life right now.
“ Kayla, there’ s something I should tell you,” Jim said abruptly.
She parked behind the office they used as a station house for the small sheriff’ s department detachment here in Athens. “ Yeah, what?” She shook off the worry that immediately launched. “ It’ s Christmas Eve, don’ t sound so ominous.” She’ d had all the bad she wanted for one night, especially this night.
“ You know there’ s a lot of talk around the community about incorporating.”
Kayla shrugged. “ Yeah, so?” The way Athens was growing she’ d expected as much. The only thing that prevented the little community from becoming an incorporated city was the official steps.
“ You know that means a full city council and mayor.” He opened his door and got out. “ The whole works.”
Kayla emerged from the Jeep. She knew what he meant. “ Which would include a city hall and city police force,” she said for him since he appeared to want to dance around that aspect.
“ Uh-huh,” he grunted.
“ We’ ll still have our jobs.” She figured that’ s what he was worried about. The sheriff would likely reallocate the assets used in Athens. Pinal County was a large, thriving area. It wasn’ t like the two of them had to worry about being laid off. Athens had been her territory for a long time now, she would miss being so close to home and her daughter, but she couldn’ t stop progress.
“ A couple people mentioned a candidate for police chief.”
She reached for the rear door of the building that housed their small detachment, but hesitated. “ Anyone we know?”
“ You.” His face split into a broad smile. “ They want you, Kayla. The sheriff’ s all for it.”
Too stunned to speak, Kayla just shook her head. She jerked the door open and went inside, grappling with the unexpected news.
She stopped and turned back to him as the door closed behind him. “ That’ s nuts. Why not you?”
Jim gave her that look. The one that said don’ t be stupid. “ We both know who’ s the best man for that job,” he told her bluntly. “ I don’ t have the finesse required. I’ m not chief material.” His expression turned petulant. “ But I do want to be your deputy chief.”
Kayla had to laugh. “ Okay, big guy. Consider it done. If, by some crazy stroke of fate, I’ m asked to be chief of police when the time comes, I’ ll make sure you’ re my deputy.”
The sound of a voice clearing jerked Kayla’ s attention down the corridor to the lobby. She blinked, looked again. What the… ?
“ Mom, what’ re you doing here?”
The next thing she knew her whole family, including the extended Ryan clan, had dragged her and Jim into the lobby. The room was packed with her loved ones.
“ We decided if we couldn’ t bring Mohammed to the mountain, we’ d— ”
“ I get the picture,” she said, cutting off Mary’ s dramatic metaphor.
“ Mom!” Jazz pushed through the crowd and wrapped her arms around Kayla’ s waist. “ We didn’ t think you guys were ever going to get here. I’ m starved!”
Just then the wonderful and varied scents of her mother’ s cooking filled the air. In the room they used as a sort of conference room, every available surface was lined with food for the “ big feed,” another Navajo Christmas tradition.
Jim didn’ t waste any time; he grabbed a plate and headed up the line. Meat, beans, potatoes, breads, sweets, all the things her family pulled together for this special holiday.
“ Merry Keshmish,” her father said as he hugged her close. “ I’ m very proud of you, Kayla.”
She kissed his cheek. “ I know you are.”
Kayla blinked back the tears and accompanied her father to the food line. She was starved.
By midnight the celebration was over. Everyone had hugged and kissed and said their good-nights.
Two more deputies had taken over, and each had been left with an overflowing platter of celebratory foods.
At home, Kayla watched as her daughter opened the one present she was allowed to open the night before Christmas, though technically it was Christmas already.
“ Mom, this is great!”
Kayla had figured out the one thing she could get that would complement the laptop Mike had given their daughter. She’ d traded in the laptop she’ d purchased and gotten two state-of-the-art video cameras made for computers. She’ d sent one to Mike and wrapped the other for Jazz. Now she and her dad could do the video-calling thing. See each other as they talked. Mike had been thrilled at the idea when Kayla had called and told him about it.
Jazz gave her another big hug and a mega kiss. “ You’ re the best.”
Kayla tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter’ s ear. “ Nope. You’ re the best.” Another of the prettily wrapped boxes beneath the tree contained the invitation to Athena Academy. She and Jazz would discuss what it meant tomorrow. That would be the most special gift of all.
“ Time for bed.”
Jazz didn’ t put up a fuss. She knew the rising sun would bring lots more Christmas fun and going to sleep was the fastest way to usher sunup.
Kayla kissed her daughter once more as she tucked her in, then she backed out of the room, closing the door as she went.
Time for a weary mother’ s kind of celebration, Kayla decided. She located the bottle of wine she’ d picked up the day before and uncorked it. With the bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, she trudged into the living room to collapse on the sofa.
She filled her glass and stuck the bottle between her legs. Might as well keep it close. This was the kind of night that, as wonderful as sharing it with her friends and family had been, left her feeling lonely in the end. She was the one who’ d have to crawl into an empty bed all by herself. That was a little depressing.
Oh well, there was always next year. Not that she considered having a man in her life the only way to feel complete, definitely not.
But it sure would be nice from time to time.
Just like the other night.
She could deal with that on a regular basis.
But she and Hadden hadn’ t spoken since he’ d left that night after Bradford’ s shooting. He’ d probably been too busy. She certainly had been.
Still, a call would have been nice. He’ d said he would call.
A soft rap
at her door tugged her from her troubling thoughts. Who the hell would show up at her door at this time of night? Maybe her sister, or even her mom. Both had sensed she was a little off tonight. As hard as she’ d tried to be all smiles, her loneliness had apparently been visible to those who’ d wanted to look closely enough.
Who wouldn’ t be lonely after a night of great sex with Hadden? Having him around could become addictive.
She set her wine aside and lugged herself up and across the room. Opening the door put her face-to-face with the man in question.
Speak of the devil. Anticipation made her heart beat faster.
“ Merry Christmas,” he said, his expression schooled.
“ Your turn to play Santa?” she said, deadpan. It was after midnight after all. But, God, it was good to see him.
He smiled. “ I know it’ s late.”
“ It’ s not that late.” She opened the door wider. “ Come in.”
Hadden stepped inside and waited for her to close the door before saying, “ This is for you.”
She stared at the delicately wrapped box in his hands. The white wrapping looked like silk. A fragile pink organza ribbon completed the package.
“ Thank you.” She accepted the box feeling like a complete heel for not buying him a gift, but how was she supposed to have known?
He hitched a thumb toward the door. “ There’ s a much larger box in the car for Jazz but I thought I’ d better check with you before I brought it in.”
Kayla couldn’ t open the box just then, she was too busy soaking up the sight of him. So tall, so gorgeous. So damned sexy. Navy trousers and a pastel blue shirt that complemented his eyes. Wow.
“ Open it,” he urged.
She shrugged. “ I don’ t have anything for you.”
He moved closer, pulled her into his arms. “ Yes, you do.” And then he kissed her, long and deep. No hurry, no hot frantic rush. It was just a kiss, soft and sweet and yet totally mind-bending.
“ Open it,” he whispered against her lips.
She licked the taste of him from her lips and nodded. She took him by the hand and dragged him back to the sofa. Sitting down was necessary since she wasn’ t sure if her legs would hold her up much longer.