I’d felt her pain as she’d told me about her scars and her deepest fears, yet I’d seen her courage shine through. It would be that same courage that brought her through the most horrific event of her life as she fought to keep herself and our baby safe.
I’d sent her away, thinking it was best for her, never realizing that harm was coming to her so far out of reach. I would never forgive myself for what she’d suffered.
My only goal had been to protect her from all that was evil, and yet, I’d sent her into the fire without me. For this, there was no clemency…
Chapter 33
Justin hit the gas hard to get away as quickly as we could, but when we reached the main road behind his property, there was a white truck blocking our way. As we got closer, two armed men jumped out and headed for us.
“Duck down, I’m going through them.”
I shoved myself as far down in the seat as I could, with my seatbelt holding me. I heard him hit something and then gunfire.
Glass shattered from the assault. Then Justin lost control of the truck.
When we stopped, I looked up and saw we were pinned between the other truck, the fence line, and a deep ditch.
Justin’s door was yanked open, and an unknown man stood in the opening with an assault rifle pointed at Justin’s head. “Bitch, get out slowly and come over here. Make any funny moves and he dies.”
I slowly exited the truck and put my hands in the air. I noticed one of the men lying on the ground, but I couldn’t tell if he was dead or not. I hobbled around to the driver’s side of the truck.
“Both of you get in my truck in the front seat.” He poked Justin in the shoulder. “You, drive back up to the main house and don’t try anything, or she gets shot first.”
Justin was stoic. I couldn’t read his expression and was unsure if he planned a move.
As the man sat behind Justin, I could sense his glaring eyes on my flesh. I dared not to look at him or Justin. I felt the small thigh holster and so wanted to protect us, but my small gun was no match for his assault rifle.
Justin pulled the truck up to the carport.
“Get out, both of you, and stand in front of the lights.”
We did as he said, and when he joined us, we were marched into the house, where we saw Stella and Carl having a chat.
“Well, the stupid little bitch didn’t learn her lesson,” Stella snarled.
Carl grabbed Justin and tied him to a kitchen chair.
The other creep forced me down on the sofa. “What do you want to do with her?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“She’s my bait. I can’t kill her just yet.” Stella grabbed his gun and pointed it at him. “But you, you stupid ass, you almost let them get away. You are a menace. Carl, you know what to do with him, don’t you?”
“If you want him dead, do it yourself.”
And just like that, she pushed the man out the front door and unloaded several rounds into him. I heard a big thump I could only assume was the man falling and landing on the wood risers of the porch.
When she walked back in, the look of satisfaction on her face was disgusting. She laid the assault rifle down on the antique buffet over on the far wall of the kitchen.
I looked at Justin and watched as his eyes bounced from our assailants and back to me. Stella darted about, while Carl stood in front of the door. I wasn’t certain if I should speak or wait until something else was demanded of me.
As Stella moved around the kitchen, getting herself a drink of water, she appeared too comfortable about the way she navigated my home, suggesting she’d been here before.
“I still don’t understand what you want from me?” I needed to know if Dane and Asher were safe. It had been weeks, since I’d spoken to either of them. “You’re here for a reason. So, what is it?”
“You’re going to be my bait. I want the new microchip that I developed. It’s worth billions, and it belongs to me. If he cares for you at all, he’ll give it up.”
“So, that’s the ransom?”
She sat down at the table. Carl walked over to her and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. When he did, I saw the pistol in the back of his jeans.
“You ask too many questions,” she grumbled. “Carl, tie her up.”
I quickly stood. “Please, may I go to the bathroom first?”
She laughed, and it was a bit sadistic sounding. “Really?”
“Yes, I have this, um, condition, and I need to pee all the time.”
Carl grabbed my upper arm and yanked me down the hall as if he was going to watch me actually go to the bathroom, but he didn’t stop me when I shut the door behind me.
I used the bathroom, turned off the safety on my gun, and loosened the cover strap on the holster. It was now or never. With my skirt smoothed back down, I opened the door to find Carl standing against the far wall of the hallway, wearing a smirk.
With my right hand in my opened pocket, I slowly pulled the gun from the holster and aimed it at one of his knee caps as best I could.
When he reached for me, I pulled the trigger.
With a loud boom, he fell to the floor, crying like a little bitch.
Stella came running, but by this time, I had the gun out of my clothes in front of me. “Take another step, and my aim will be much better.”
“You don’t have the guts to shoot me,” she popped off.
“You don’t know me very well.” I took in a breath, and as I slowly let it out, I squeezed the trigger.
Stella fell backwards to the floor and looked like she was dead.
Carl wasn’t incapacitated as much as he let on and grabbed for my ankle. I fell, but managed to kick him in the face with my other foot. Scrambling to get away, I moved past Stella and reached for my gun on the floor. When I rolled over with it in my hands, I pointed it straight at his head.
“Don’t move.” Slowly, I got to my feet.
By this time, he’d managed a sitting position against the wall.
Step by step, I slowly backed away, keeping the gun pointed in his direction until was able to reach Justin, where I quickly untied him.
He used the ropes to tie up Carl, while I called 911. My hands shook at the realization I may have just killed someone.
“She’s still not moving. Is she dead?” My words were almost a whisper.”
Justin put his fingers to her neck and then put his hand over her face. “She’s got a pulse and she’s breathing.”
“She’s lucky my aim was off.”
“The gate’s locked. Go down and open it,” Justin commanded.
“And leave you here with them?”
Stella was unconscious on the floor, but even in her state, I didn’t trust her. There was blood on her right shoulder and a good bit pooling beneath her.
I ran up the stairs and returned with Stephan’s pistol. I handed it to Justin.
“What are you, some kind of Bonnie reincarnated?”
“No, a momma bear protecting her unborn cub. These assholes need to learn the law of the jungle.”
By the time I got midway to the bridge, I could hear the sirens coming, and as I limped toward the gate, I saw their flashing lights appearing through the trees in the darkness.
I opened the gate and crossed the bridge to get out of their way. The first deputy pulled up and asked me to put down the gun through the car speaker.
Like I was the fucking criminal?
I dropped the gun, and he exited the car with his gun drawn on me.
“I’m the victim. The bad guys are in the house. Justin is in there with them. He has a gun on them, in case they try anything again.”
The deputy lowered his gun and approached me. “Are you okay? What on earth happened?”
“It’s a long story, but we need to get up to the house, and we need an ambulance.” I got in the front seat and rode with him, while he radioed for paramedics.
There was county and state police entering my house with guns drawn. An officer kept me outsi
de behind the car, where they brought Justin out to me.
That was when a helicopter landed on my property.
Chapter 34
Men wearing FBI jackets emerged from the chopper. Then I caught a glimpse of Dane coming around the front of the helicopter. Even the pain in my foot couldn’t stop me from getting to him.
Dane wrapped me in his arms. “Thank God, you’re alive. I’m so sorry. I love you so much and I—”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Nothing in my life mattered if the three of us weren’t together, safe. The feel of his soft lips against mine, the strength of his arms wrapped tightly around me, all was finally right with my world.
When we broke for air, he picked me up and carried me to the police car before putting me down. “I saw you limping. Where else are you hurt?”
“Nowhere. I think it’s just a sprain, but God, it hurts like hell. A few days and I’ll be fine.”
As daylight approached, events unfolded. The ambulance arrived and took Stella and Carl away, while Justin and I repeated our statements over and over. Every inch of my house and barns were surveyed and photographed. My purse was emptied, and the tracking device, a small rubber ducky on a key chain, was removed for evidence.
I’d been so wrapped up in my life lately I hadn’t cleaned out the ten pockets of my big purse. It was embarrassing to see the junk I’d accumulated on display for everyone to see.
Dane listened intently as I told the story. He rubbed my back in show of comfort and support. I knew there would be private time for the two of us to simply reflect and adjust to everything.
Dr. Palmer arrived. He made a big fuss about me, checking my foot and ankle, and that was when I introduced him to Dane and told him about the baby. I watched as Dr. P turned away, and I was quite certain he wiped away a tear or two. He insisted I go to the hospital and let them x-ray my foot and ankle and check out the baby. Dane promised we would definitely be going as soon as the police and FBI released me.
Dane never left my side, and he quickly became friends with Justin. For the first time in my life, I had no desire to ever go back inside my home. I was ready to drive my bug away and never come back.
“Are you ready to go to the hospital?” Dane nudged me, while I was still sitting on the hood of my car, after the FBI had finished questioning me.
“You two go ahead. I got this here,” Justin said.
“I can’t leave this for you to clean up.”
“Ma’am, it’s going to be hours before you can get back inside,” one of the agents said. “He’s right. You all go on ahead to the hospital, and we’ll get this all taken care of by the time you come home.”
Home. A simple four-letter word that represented so much, and yet right then, it appeared to offer so little. This wasn’t my home any longer. My place was beside Dane, wherever our life took us. I never wanted to be apart from him again.
“Come on, you two. I’ll drive you to the hospital and make sure they do everything right,” Dr. Palmer said with a bit of sarcasm. He was always my protector, my guardian, like a father to me.
I couldn’t wait to get to the hospital. My foot was throbbing like hell and very swollen by this point.
Dr. Palmer had presumably called ahead, and the hospital was expecting us. Dane carried me inside, where they had a wheelchair waiting. I wanted to chastise him for his overly dramatic care, but at the same time, I realized he might need to be that way, and I let the man do what he needed to do.
Dr. Ainsworth came and checked on me herself, even though she wasn’t on call. “You know, I believed your story when you came into the office for your first visit,” she said as she moved the ultrasound wand around.
“I know.”
She looked at Dane, then back at me. “Have you told him the sex yet?”
“You know?” Dane asked with excitement. He glanced over to the screen and back to me. “Please tell me she’s okay.”
“Yes, Momma is okay, and so is your son, Mr. Lawrence.”
“A son, we’re having a son.” He ran his finger from my brow to my jawline. “I adore you and would move heaven and earth for you.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
“Okay, I’m going outside to talk to your friend, Dr. Palmer, and I think x-ray has been waiting in line to take a look at that foot. In the meantime, you still have the blood pressure problem, and now, it’s no wonder. I need to keep you for a few days, and I don’t need an argument. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
X-rays determined I had two small fractures in my foot that required surgery. Since I hadn’t eaten anything, they decided to go ahead and do it with a spinal block and a few drugs to knock me out.
Dr. Ainsworth agreed that doing it while I was in my second trimester was the safest time and the drugs wouldn’t harm the baby. She also said she would be in the room to monitor the baby just to make me feel better; although, I knew it probably wasn’t necessary since they had the fetal monitor on me.
I woke up to several hours later with lots of pain in my foot and someone holding my hand. The room was full of flowers, and Karina and Justin were sitting in the corner of the room.
“Good afternoon, sunshine,” Dane said before kissing my forehead.
“How did—”
“I called them. I promised I would, and they wanted to come. I thought it might make you feel better. Dr. Palmer left after they took you into surgery, but he’s called numerous times, and I promised him you would call as soon as you woke up.”
I reached for Karina and Justin. When they got to my bedside, they both hugged me. “You’ve seen me, now you both have to go. Karina has boards tomorrow, and Justin, you have the cattle and—”
“Shhh. I’m taking boards with you the next option, which is in two weeks. If you pull any more shit between now and then, I’ll leave your ass and go without you.”
“Deal.” I laughed in spite of the pain in my foot.
“And Ben gave me some time off and sent a couple of guys down to replace me,” Justin said. “My folks want me to come home to Oklahoma for a while. My mom kind of needs to do that smothering-mothering thing that mothers do, and well, I kind of need her to, but I’ll deny I ever said that. It wouldn’t be manly.”
The room erupted in laughter. Dane did a fist bump with Justin over my bed.
“Sweetheart, I’m gonna step out and pick up some things, as well as a car for us to drive. I think you are in good hands for a bit.”
“Okay.” But as quickly as Dane walked through the door, emptiness filled me. I wasn’t ready for him to be away from me, even for a second.
Karina and Justin looked at each other and then toward me. They had to have read something in my expression.
“What is it? Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s only that I just got him back, and I wasn’t prepared for him to leave so quickly. I’ll be fine. It’s stupid and clingy.”
“No, it isn’t. I’ll go catch him,” Justin said, darting from the room.
The tears came. Hormonal? Perhaps, or maybe even a touch of PTSD. Karina sat down on the end of my bed and held my hand until Justin and Dane returned.
Dane’s face was full of fright as his brows drew together. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“It’s the stupid drugs. I’m just a little clingy right now. I’m sorry.”
“Well, if it takes drugs to make you cling to me, I want an arsenal of that stuff. Nothing would make me happier than for you to need me the rest of your life.”
His words were so sweet, but it was more than that. I knew he was worried—stressed beyond measure. The ransom, the confession from Carl that Stella had planned to kill me—all of it.
Chapter 35
Dane loaded me into the rented Tahoe, with crutches in the backseat and a trailer attached.
“A trailer. Really?”
“Yes, be patient and you’ll see why soon enough.”
He drove while I gave him dir
ections back to Hatman.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” The way his hand gripped mine, I wasn’t sure who was more worried about visiting Forgiveness Creek, him or me.
“Yes, I’m certain.”
He slowly crossed the bridge, and my heart began to race a bit. Anxiety took up residence in my consciousness.
“Stop,” I commanded abruptly.
He did as I asked.
I stared at the barn and knew the tears welling in my eyes would soon make tracks down my cheeks, but I didn’t try to stop them. It was a cleansing cry.
As I looked over my right shoulder at the red-painted wood, I didn’t see a place of pain and sorrow. I saw strength and courage and reminded myself that my father had given me that. He’d made sure I wasn’t a weakling, and for that, I was proud. I was no longer bitter—I was better.
“I’m okay.” My voice was soft, but not shaky.
Dane carried me to the porch. I noticed it had a fresh coat of paint on the banister, and the floor had a nice coat of stain. Everything looked new and clean.
When I opened the door, I let escape the breath I’d been holding. There were no bloody stains on the walls or the floor. Again, everything was fresh and clean.
“Did you do this?” I asked.
“No. Dr. Palmer and his wife, Justin and some amazing people from town came to help paint, stain, and make sure everything was ready for you to come home to.”
“This isn’t my home any more. My home is with you. I’ve decided to sell everything, including Stephan’s place. I’m ready to leave this life behind.”
“You’re sure about that? You can take all the time you need.”
“I know, but yes, I’m ready. There’s somewhere I’d like to take you, though.”
I noticed Justin had parked a new four-wheeler out by the carport. “Will you go see if there’s a key in that?” I pointed out the window.
“I don’t have to go look. I know there is. I got it for you, so you could get around on the property. Not exactly a place for someone on crutches.” He laughed. Then he scooped me up and carried me outside, almost knocking my boot into the door jam.
The Creek Series: Complete Set: Parts I, II, & III Page 20