It was true that the McKenna from years ago had changed. The young and innocent girl from Nebraska had morphed into a spitfire. Damon found himself looking forward to the challenge of taming her. He might have eventually tired of the docile, lifeless McKenna she’d been before. This new, strong-willed McKenna fired his blood and made him pulse with a passion he had never felt before. She would be like a wild filly; he could barely wait for the breaking-in to take place.
Hearing a sound, he turned and lost his breath. The bride was a vision in white. The most beautiful bride ever, and she was his. The designer wedding dress had cost a small fortune, but Damon hadn’t minded. A girl only had a special day like this once in a lifetime.
Fortunately, the dress, though sleeveless, was high-necked and hid the bruises from their little spat last night. And the bruises on her right cheek had been successfully covered. Their wedding photographs would only show a beautiful woman on her wedding day. Years later, when McKenna looked at their wedding album, she would be grateful he’d been so considerate.
Gratitude wasn’t what he saw in her eyes at the moment, but that didn’t matter, either. She couldn’t yet speak, so that smart mouth she’d developed over the years wouldn’t get her into trouble.
Her eyes glinted with hatred and her expression was one of revulsion. He had considered trying to figure out a way to freeze her face into a smile and had even gotten one of his pharmacist friends out of bed this morning to discuss the possibility. The man had advised against it; the risk of possible side effects, such as permanent nerve damage, was a bit too great.
Didn’t matter. Damon knew his own smile was big enough for both of them. As she drew closer, he held out his arms in welcome. “Darling, you look beautiful.”
Being his stubborn McKenna, she stopped walking, which meant he had to either lower his arms or walk with them outstretched. His smile went brighter as he lowered his arms. Once he reached her, he pulled her close and whispered, “Darling, the anticipation of our honeymoon almost overwhelms me. You will know such agony that your screams will be heard for miles. The sedative on your vocal cords will be gone by then, which means I’m going to relish every single cry of pain.”
When she tried to jerk away from him, he said softly, “The minister is waiting for us. He was told you have laryngitis, so all that will be required of you is a simple nod of your head at the appropriate time. If the wedding goes without a hitch, he’ll be handsomely compensated and go on his way, happy, healthy, and completely oblivious to our relationship problems. If, however, there’s a glitch of any kind, his brain will be splattered at your feet. The choice is yours.”
Satisfied he’d made his point, Damon led her toward the arched trellis he’d had erected just for this event. The aforementioned minister stood waiting for them. He looked mildly curious but apparently saw nothing wrong with the bride and groom having a small chat before the ceremony.
He would soon get a bit of a shock, but Damon had chosen this man with great care. He might be an ordained minister, but he had more than a few secrets Damon would gladly expose. After the wedding festivities had passed, they would visit and he would learn what would happen if he ever revealed what he saw today.
Sad, really, that there were no guests to witness the grand event, but he hadn’t wanted to risk his friends and business acquaintances seeing McKenna’s reluctance. Talk of her defiance would spread and he would become a laughingstock. Other than four of his most loyal men, he had sent everyone away for the day, including his dear Margret. The poor woman was heartbroken that he was getting married, so it was a kindness that she was missing the ceremony.
Additionally, the special event he planned for after the ceremony needed to be witnessed by as few people as possible. Not because he feared retribution, but because this was an intimate gift, straight from his heart. How much more intimate could it be than to present your wife’s former lover to her and then disembowel him in front of her?
Once McKenna was fully in line and tamed to his satisfaction, he’d throw a party so all his business acquaintances could meet his sweet and very obedient wife. He smiled in anticipation of how he would soon begin those lessons in obedience.
Standing at the side of the closed door, Lucas waited. It was mid-morning. He’d been in the damned room for well over twelve hours. Was it Hughes’s plan to leave him here to die of dehydration and starvation? That didn’t seem in keeping with the bastard’s psychotic tendencies.
No. Damon Hughes would want to use Lucas as a focal point for something. His best guess was that he intended to do away with Lucas in front of McKenna. Not only would it amuse the creep, but if he had gauged Hughes correctly, it would feed his ego to have killed one of the wealthiest men in the world. These two things were mere by-products of the real reason he’d been abducted and brought here: Hughes wanted to hurt McKenna as much as he could. By killing Lucas, Hughes would be delivering one more lesson.
For the first time since he’d come up with this idea, Lucas doubted himself. It had seemed so damn simple when he’d been at home planning the bastard’s downfall. But that was when he had thought it would be a somewhat simple kill. Having McKenna anywhere close when he took the man out wasn’t something he felt comfortable with. Not only because she still didn’t know Lucas had the skills to do the job, but because McKenna had been exposed to too much violence already. He had wanted to get this over with and then present her with some sort of evidence that Damon Hughes could no longer hurt her.
The click of the door unlocking alerted him. Whether he was comfortable or not, it was time to do what he’d come here to do. Adrenaline surging, Lucas moved several feet away from the door, prepared to strike the moment it opened. Seconds later, Simon’s large bald head peeked inside. Lucas sprang.
Simon turned just in time. He swung his big fist, catching Lucas’s jaw with a glancing blow. Determination fueling him, Lucas took the punch. Whirling his body, he kicked Simon in the gut, followed immediately by a kick to the man’s chin. Another whirl and kick had Simon down on the floor. Lucas leaped on top of him and pressed his forearm against the man’s neck.
“What does Hughes have planned?”
His eyes saucer wide, Simon looked too stunned to speak. Lucas pressed harder till the man gurgled. Lucas eased the pressure and snarled, “Talk.”
“He…he’s having a wedding in the courtyard. I’m supposed to bring you to him.”
Shit!
No time for finesse. Lucas punched Simon’s jaw hard once, twice, till he lost consciousness. Grabbing plastic ties from the man’s pocket, he ran out the door, slamming it behind him. Racing toward the front of the mansion, he had only one thing on his mind: Damon Hughes would die before he had the chance to become a bridegroom.
Her mouth clenched in fury, McKenna’s eyes roamed the elaborate setup as Damon led her down the aisle. The creep had spared no expense. The overdone courtyard looked as though an entire florist shop had vomited. As far as the eye could see, there were flowers. The overwhelming fragrance created a sickening, cloying scent that made her want to gag.
After the humiliation of being bathed and dressed by a grim-faced Margret, she had to sit still as a woman and her two teenage daughters giggled and chatted excitedly while they styled her hair and applied makeup. How she wanted to scream at them to get out as fast as they could. Instead she had smiled and done her best to appear happy. Getting them away from Damon without any suspicions had been her priority.
There were no guests to witness the spectacle, which was a small blessing. Other than Elliott, she saw only two other men. With a weapon, she could take them out fairly easy. Since her clothes had been missing when she woke this morning, the letter opener she’d stolen was no more. Without a weapon, taking all the men out would be much harder. She assured herself it was possible.
A dark-suited older man holding a Bible and wearing a benign smile waited for them under the flowered arbor. There was no indication the minister knew that anything was a
miss. His life was important to her. No innocent person would die today, but the others wouldn’t be so lucky. She still wasn’t sure of her strategy. Since Damon had to stay alive, she’d have to find a way to incapacitate him and then get rid of the others. How, she didn’t know, but she was good at improvising.
First she’d disable Damon, then Elliott, who stood a few feet to her left. He was rather large and she might have some difficulty, but he was the closest to them and should have a gun; she’d steal it and disarm Damon’s other men. Then she and Damon would have a very serious talk.
Her adrenaline surging, McKenna tensed, gearing herself up to attack.
Damon came to a sudden halt and hit his palm against his forehead. “How could I have forgotten our most honored guest?” His facetious grin told her it was all an act. “Must be wedding jitters.”
Before she could react, she heard what sounded like feet shuffling toward them.
“Ah, here he comes…our one and only guest. My wedding gift to you, my love.”
McKenna looked over her shoulder. Her heart stopped in her chest, then dropped like a ton of cement to the ground.
A tall, blond man shuffled toward them, a fierce expression on his bruised face, his hands and feet bound. Not just any man, but the man who held her heart. Lucas!
twenty-two
Maintaining an expression of cold impassivity, Lucas took in the scene. McKenna stood in the middle of an aisle in a wedding dress. Somehow Damon had gotten her this far. Why the hell had she gone along with this? He’d seen her in action. The woman could kick ass with the best of them. What the hell was she waiting for?
Frowning, Damon’s eyes searched behind Lucas. “Where’s Simon?”
Lucas shrugged.
Indecision and arrogance were strong enemies. Arrogance won. Apparently not suspecting that Simon had been incapacitated, Damon jerked his head over at another big lug standing close. “Elliott, why don’t you go stand by Mr. Kane?”
The man marched toward him and took his place directly behind Lucas.
As he looked around the elaborate wedding setup, Lucas had some decisions to make. Damon’s expression was once again stamped with arrogance. McKenna’s face had gone from pale to sheet white, her expression horrified. Apparently this was her first knowledge that he was here.
“Looks like I’m a bit underdressed for the occasion,” Lucas said.
Damon grinned. “Nonsense. We’re just thrilled you could join us.” The look he shot McKenna was one of sly superiority. “Aren’t we, my love?”
Oddly enough, McKenna didn’t speak. She gave a frantic shake of her head, her expression panicked. Even though Lucas had set this scenario up, guilt seared him. McKenna was reliving her worst nightmare: having someone she cared for die at Damon’s hands. That wouldn’t happen, but she didn’t know that.
But why the hell didn’t she say something?
Damon gripped McKenna’s arm and whispered something to her. Her eyes grew even wider; she jerked away and took a step toward Lucas. Damon grabbed her again.
Lucas growled, “Let her go, Hughes.”
“Let her go? She’s mine. Has been from the moment I met her.” Turning around, he pulled her with him to the arbor, where a man holding a Bible waited. “I think we can get started now.”
The bewildered minister seemed stunned to see a tied-up man attending the wedding. His worried gaze moved from Damon to Lucas. Apparently he wasn’t in on this. If not, Lucas wouldn’t touch him. Everyone else, though, other than McKenna, was fair game.
“Did you hear me?” Hughes snapped. “Let’s get started.”
The man’s eyes were round with fear. “But…I…”
“You what?” Damon asked. “You’re hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, you’ve fathered two children by two different women in your congregation, and you’re addicted to three types of prescription drugs. That information can stay with just the few of us here or it’ll be in tomorrow’s newspapers. Your choice.”
The minister’s audible swallow was loud in the tooquiet courtyard. His hands shook so hard, the Bible he held looked as though it would jump out of his grasp. In a high and squeaky voice, he began, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered…”
Lucas stopped listening. It was time to act. Damon’s arm was around McKenna’s shoulders. He was apparently coercing her with something, the way he had with the minister. Damned if the man would get a chance to finish the ceremony.
Since Lucas had been standing here like a whipped puppy, Elliott had backed away slightly. He had secured his own hands and ankles, so the bonds would break with one good jerk. Bending quickly, Lucas pulled the knife he’d stuck in his sock earlier.
Hearing the words “Do you take this man…” Lucas sprang into action. He turned and with a flick of his wrist sliced Elliott’s throat. He caught the giant before he could fall, preventing a thunderous crash.
Turning back to the display in front of him, he noted two other men. Both had their eyes focused on McKenna and Hughes. Lucas crept closer, preparing to spring into action.
McKenna’s heart pounded so loudly, she could barely think. Not since her parents were killed had she felt such fear. Damon had whispered an ultimatum: marry him or Lucas would die. How had he even known about Lucas? She’d never gone out in public with him. Had made sure she was never followed when she went to his home. How had this happened?
And now what could she do? If she didn’t marry Damon, Lucas would die. She wasn’t stupid enough to believe that Damon would let Lucas go if she complied. No, once they were married, he would kill Lucas anyway. Somehow Damon had discovered her feelings for Lucas and this was a lesson. And once again, someone she loved would die because of her.
It was too much. She couldn’t let it happen again; she couldn’t. Even if she had to die, no one else would suffer because of her mistakes.
Twisting slightly, arm up, McKenna slammed her elbow into Damon’s face. Screaming, he fell to the ground, clutching his busted nose. McKenna turned to go free Lucas. Only Lucas was no longer tied, no longer being held hostage. And he definitely didn’t need her help. Elliott lay on the ground. And a grim-faced Lucas was headed determinedly toward Damon.
One of Damon’s men leaped toward Lucas. She barely had time to comprehend the swiftness of Lucas’s movements as he whirled and kicked, knocking the man backward and then leaping on top of him.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw another one of Damon’s men pull his gun. McKenna pirouetted and kicked, knocking the gun from the man’s hand. He swung a fist at her; she ducked, turned, and side-kicked him in the chest. He stumbled slightly and came at her again. She waited until the last second, made a half twist with her body, raised her arm, and elbowed him in the throat, following it with a hard kick to his groin. Screaming in pain, the man fell backward; she heard a satisfying crack. Hopefully that would keep him out for a while.
Seeing that the minister was cowering in a corner, she nodded at him and held her hand up as a signal that he needed to stay put.
She turned, looking around for Damon. Where was he? Where the hell—
The blast of a gun had her whirling around. Lucas had a gun and was shooting at someone. She saw a dark head peeking from around a statue. Damon! Lucas was shooting at Damon.
Oh God, Damon couldn’t die yet. She made a mad dash toward Lucas, stumbling in her shoes. Dammit, she couldn’t even scream at him. Stopping abruptly, McKenna pulled off her shoes and threw one at Lucas’s head. It was a poor throw, landing in front of him, but at least it got his attention. He turned and saw her coming and whispered harshly, “Stay put. I’m going after Hughes.”
McKenna flew at Lucas, leaping onto his shoulders. His gun went skittering across the brick tile.
Dropping her to her feet, Lucas faced her, his expression one of furious disbelief. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
Shaking her head frantically, she gestured at her throat, trying to make him understand she couldn’t talk.
&
nbsp; Before he could speak, a noise a few yards away told them Damon was on the move again. Lucas pushed her into an alcove. “Don’t move.”
She pulled at his shoulder and shook her head again.
“McKenna, I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m not going to argue with you. Stay here.” He took off toward where Damon had disappeared inside the house.
Having no choice, McKenna ran after him. She had to get to Damon before Lucas did.
Something came at her from the side, slamming her sideways against a brick column. Temporarily dazed, she looked up to see Damon glaring at her. He’d apparently gone in one door, run through the house, and come out behind them. McKenna told herself to shake off the pain. A bruised shoulder and hip were nothing compared to what he had done to her before.
Damon’s bloodied nose had doubled in size; the wickedness in his eyes matched what she had seen the night he’d killed her parents. “Bitch,” he snarled. “Did you think you were going to get away from me that easily?”
Taking a breath, she raised her fist and with all her strength punched him in the face. He staggered back.
“Hughes, get away from her!” Lucas shouted.
She turned; Lucas headed toward them, gun in hand. No, she had to find a way to make Damon talk. The cold, murderous expression in Lucas’s eyes told her she wouldn’t get a chance.
An arm wrapped around her throat. Damon. He stuck a pistol to her head and shouted, “Put the gun down, Kane, or she dies.”
“You damage one strand of her hair and I’ll tie your balls into knots.”
Holding her as a shield, Damon began to back away. “She belongs to me. No one takes what’s mine.”
Last Chance Page 25