Web of Deceit

by Susan Sleeman

  Rhodes tucked his gun into his waistband and dragged her to the car. A cyclone of anger twirled in Sam’s gut. He took a step to go after Rhodes, but Nina’s warning came back to him. Wait for backup.

  Rhodes approached the car, but suddenly came up short at the back door. He whirled around, slamming Kait into the side panel.

  “He’s discovered Lily’s missing,” Sam said to Nina.

  “Sweetie, where are you?” Rhodes continued to move in circles, dragging Kait behind him. “It’s not time to play hide and seek.”

  “Daddy,” Lily called out, but Nina quieted her.

  Rhodes dropped Kait’s cuffs and shaded his eyes as he continued to search.

  Kait took a step back. She had to be terrified for Lily. Sam didn’t want Rhodes to see him, but he had to let Kait know Lily was safe. When Rhodes turned his back, Sam stepped out far enough to wave at her and draw her attention. He mimed holding Lily, and she nodded her acknowledgement. Then he signaled for her to run away and take cover.

  She turned and with a swift kick, knocked Rhodes to his knees. She bolted across the yard. Sam lifted his gun and charged, but by the time he got close enough, Rhodes was hot on Kait’s tail in the neighbor’s yard.

  “Freeze, Rhodes,” Sam shouted.

  Rhodes didn’t respond.

  Sam kicked into high gear. Faster. Pushing to his limit, but Rhodes was gaining on Kait. She glanced back then leapt over a shrub and took a tumble. Rhodes flew through the air and crashed down on top of her. They scuffled. He came up with his weapon planted against her temple. He jerked Kait up and placed her in front of him, shielding his body with hers.

  “Stop, or I’ll kill her,” he screamed wildly.

  Sam froze in place and tried to slow his racing pulse. What a coward. Using a woman for protection. Not just any woman. Kait. His Kait. The fear in her eyes cut him to the core. He couldn’t just stand here. He had to help her or die trying.

  So what did he do?

  With Kait’s eyes imploring him to act, Sam tried to think. Every idea that flashed into his head ended with Rhodes killing Kait. Except one scenario. A crazy one. But still more promising than anything else. He knew Kait’s Glock took 9mm ammo, which meant her vest would, at a minimum, stop that caliber bullet, and his plan could work. He’d give Rhodes one more chance to surrender. Then he’d act.

  “Let her go, Rhodes,” Sam yelled and assumed a firing stance.

  “I’ll kill her.” Rhodes’s eyes sharpened for a moment before going mean and ugly.

  “And then I’ll kill you,” Sam warned. “You don’t want Lily to lose her father, do you?”

  Rhodes considered it for a moment. “Nice try, detective, but I’m not stupid.” He started shoving Kait toward his rental. “I’ll expect to see Lily at the car by the time I get there.”

  “Don’t do it, Sam,” Kait begged. “Let him kill me, but leave Lily where she is.”

  He looked her in the eyes, trying to convey the love he felt for her. “Do you trust me, Kait?” he asked, knowing it was a loaded question.

  She didn’t hesitate. “Completely.”

  At her utter and complete trust, Sam reconsidered his move. But when Rhodes shoved her forward, Sam curled his finger around his trigger. His heart stopping, he pulled. His gun discharged, the boom exploding though the quiet. His shot hit her dead center, stealing his breath. Her eyes flashed with surprise before she crumpled to the ground.

  Sam ignored the worry for her and swung his weapon to Rhodes. The creep stood there his mouth gaped open, the gun dangling from his hand just like Sam planned.

  “Drop the gun, Rhodes!” Nina yelled, coming up behind him. “Now!”

  Fenton glanced at Nina as if surprised to see her still standing there. Then he slowly raised the gun and aimed at her.

  Sam reacted, firing two rounds center mass and taking Rhodes down. Sam’s only regret was that the guy wore a vest, too, and the bullets couldn’t pierce his flesh and send him to eternity for the lives he’d taken. For the terror and pain he’d inflicted.

  “Get his gun, Nina,” Sam called to her, keeping his weapon trained on Rhodes’s unmoving body.

  Nina grabbed Rhodes’s gun. “Clear.”

  Sam raced to Kait and dropped to the ground. The biggest danger she’d face was the force of the bullet stopping her heart. He pressed his fingers against her neck. Her pulse beat hard. He looked her over. Her chest moved in a regular rhythm. She was alive. Relief nearly had him collapsing beside her, but he focused on breathing and removed the cuffs from her wrists. She’d still need to be checked by a doctor, and she’d have a nasty bruise, but she was alive. And safe. With him.

  Sirens sounded in the distance, winding their way closer.

  “That should be Vance and the cavalry,” Nina announced as she checked Rhodes’s pulse. “He’ll make it.”

  “Lily,” Sam said, his gaze shooting in the direction of Nina’s SUV. “Where’s Lily?”

  “Relax. I left her in the car.” Nina slapped the cuffs on Rhodes.

  Kait stirred. She moaned, and her hand went to her vest. She opened her eyes, then tried to sit up, but fell back. Her gaze connected with Sam’s. “Lily? Fenton?”

  “Lily’s in the car, and Nina has Rhodes in cuffs.”

  “Don’t worry, hon,” Nina soothed. “She’s playing hide and seek with me. I left her covering her eyes on the floor in the backseat, so she won’t have seen a thing.”

  Kait struggled to a sitting position and winced as she ripped the Velcro from her vest. “I’m gonna have a whopper of a bruise. Hurts like crazy.”

  Once the adrenaline wore off, the pain would increase. Exponentially. Watching her suffering and wishing he could take it away had all but masked Sam’s lingering pain from the gunshot wound.

  He helped her out of the vest. “Sorry about shooting you. It was the only thing I could think of that didn’t end with you being dead.”

  “Then thanks.” She winked at him. “I so don’t like the thought of being dead.”

  “I don’t either.” He caught her cheerful mood and grinned back. “I mean, I might need an FBI connection in the future, and I’d hate to have to depend on Nina. She’s kind of bossy.”

  Kait laughed and threw her arms around him pulling him close. “Not sure this is appropriate with all your buddies charging in on us, but hey, I almost died, so I can do whatever I want.”

  He pulled back to look in her eyes. To touch her face. To memorize her smile. Then he grinned. “My heart almost stopped when I saw the gun to your head, so I can do whatever I want, too.” He lowered his head and kissed her soundly, not coming up until he heard his lieutenant clearing his throat behind them.

  “Umm, Sam,” Kait said as she tried to pull away. “Vance is watching you.”

  Sam drew her closer again. “Not to worry. He nags us about developing interagency relationships all the time. I always do what I’m told, so you should expect a lot of fraternization in the near future.”

  KAIT’S ADRENALINE had worn off, and she was sure this was what a hangover that wouldn’t end felt like. Her chest was bruised and aching, and she just plain wanted to leave the antiseptic hospital smell behind and take Lily home to crash.

  Not that Lily needed to crash. She’d had a long enough nap to ensure she’d be wide awake until bedtime, as evidenced by her bouncing on Sam’s knee in the small ER bay. Kait saw him wince a few times when Lily grabbed onto his injured arm, but he didn’t complain. Not once. But he also didn’t say anything more about their future. Something she’d expected once they were alone.

  “Knock, knock.” Her mother’s voice came from outside the room before she poked her head inside.

  “Nana!” Lily hopped off Sam’s lap and ran to her grandmother who knelt to receive her.

  “You’re squishin
g me, Nana,” Lily cried.

  “Sorry, I’m just glad to see you.”

  “Did you bring our cookies?”

  Kait’s mother smoothed Lily’s hair back from her face. “Papa has them in the waiting room.”

  “Can I have one?”

  She tweaked Lily’s nose. “I’d like to talk to Kait first, but maybe the nice detective will take you to see Papa.”

  “’Tective?” Lily asked.

  “Me, Squirt,” Sam said, ruffling Lily’s hair. “She means me.”

  She looked up at Sam. “Will you take me to my Papa?”

  “Absolutely,” he said. “Just give me a second to say goodbye to Kait.”

  He crossed the room, sat on her bed, and looked into her eyes. His feelings for her were plain to see, but Kait wanted more. She wanted to hear him say he cared for her. “You wanted to talk?”

  He leaned closer, and she caught a whiff of his musky scent. “Not with an audience and with you in the hospital.”

  She tried hard to keep her disappointment from her expression, but when his eyes darkened, she was sure she hadn’t managed it.

  He took her hand, threading his fingers with hers, but his focus never strayed. “Why don’t you give me a call after you’ve gotten some rest, and we can meet up?”

  “Sure,” she said, but she had to force herself to sound cheerful.

  He released her hand and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. Her heart raced at his touch. He ran a thumb along her jaw. All of her senses fired, and she waited for a kiss. For any sign that he hadn’t simply been succumbing to the heat of the situation when he’d kissed her.

  “Later,” he said, letting his thumb trail away before leaning close and whispering, “When we’re alone.”

  “Later,” she replied, still feeling the heat of his touch, the hint of so much more to come in the softness of his voice, telling her there was something real between them. That he hadn’t simply let his adrenaline take over. That he didn’t regret kissing her and promising more.

  He turned to Lily, his smile wide and earnest. “Okay, Squirt, ready to go.”

  She clapped excitedly, then took Sam’s hand. Her miniature fingers wrapped around his large hand. Perfection—a picture Kait would willingly see day after day for the rest of her life.

  “Thank you, Detective,” her mother said sincerely. “And thank you for bringing both our girls home safe and sound. I am forever in your debt.”

  “It’s Sam, and it was no problem.” He looked at Kait for a long moment, then departed with a chattering Lily.

  “He’s a good man.” Her mother perched on the side of the bed.

  “He is indeed,” Kait said, but didn’t add another word despite her mother’s obvious hope of hearing more.

  “Are they keeping you here tonight?”

  “No, not for a simple bruise,” Kait said. “I only came to the hospital because department regulations require it, but the nurse is finalizing my discharge papers now.”

  “I’d like to keep Lily tonight.” Instead of her usual demanding stare, her mother looked down and twisted the blanket between her fingers.

  Fidgeting or not, she was her impatient old self, bringing up the subject of Lily’s custody before Kait even had a chance to think of a way to tell her mom she’d changed her mind. “After everything that’s happened, I don’t want to be away from her tonight.”

  “You just . . .” Her mom looked up, her eyes filling with tears that had been absent since Abby died. “You seem so tired. I thought having a good night’s sleep would be good for you.” She dropped the blanket and gently, almost shyly, touched Kait’s hand, something she hadn’t done in years. “If you’re worried that I plan to take Lily and not give her back, I’m not holding you to what you said about giving me custody. In fact, I think Lily should be with you.”

  Kait’s mouth dropped open.

  “While your mouth is hanging open, I might as well say I’m sorry for the last three years as well. There’s no excuse for my behavior, but I blamed you for losing Abby, and I was beyond mean to you. I thought if Lily was with you, something would happen to her, too. But when Fenton took both of you . . .” Tears rolled down her cheeks, carrying rivers of mascara that settled in creases Kait hadn’t noticed before. “That’s when I saw how I’d been behaving. I can’t lose you, too, Kait. Can you forgive me?”

  Kait knew her heart should swell from the confession, but so much had happened between them that she simply felt wary. So many hurtful words had been exchanged, and it would take time to heal, but she could offer her forgiveness.

  “Of course I can forgive you.” Kait grabbed a tissue from the table and handed it to her mom.

  She grabbed Kait up in a hug. The sweet, flowery perfume she’d worn since Kait could remember brought back laughing, smiling memories with Abby.

  Kait closed her eyes. Let her mom hold her. I did it, Abs. I got him. Now you can rest. And I can take care of your baby like I promised—good care of her, the way you would have. Maybe with Sam. Or maybe not. I don’t know yet.

  Her mother set Kait away, and Kait opened her own eyes now filling with tears.

  “What’s wrong?” her mother asked.

  Kait wasn’t about to discuss her potential future with Sam with her mother, so she offered a tremulous smile. “Nothing. Things are better than they’ve been in a long time.”

  “Have you thought at all about how you’re going to explain all of this to Lily?”

  “I’ve already told her Fenton had to go away for a while, and I’ll deal with the long-term consequences after I’ve located a counselor for her.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” she said. “I’d still like to take her tonight. Not because I don’t think you’re fit, but because I want you to get some rest. You’re a good mother, and Abby would be so proud of you.”

  Kait had longed to hear these words for years, but after all she’d just been through, they didn’t mean what she’d once thought they would. “I’d like to think you’re right.”

  “What about Lily tonight?”

  “Let me get home, and then I’ll decide.”

  Her mother gave a curt nod and stood. “Then I’ll wait to hear from you.” She turned, and after a quick squeeze of Kait’s arm, she strode away.

  Kait knew her mother was disappointed in her, but not in the same way as she’d been for the last three years. Who knew, maybe she was disappointed in herself for all the wasted years and their strained relationship.

  One thing was for sure. Kait knew that any power her mother once held over her was gone for good. Now they could go about getting to know each other as adults and form a relationship that would have made Abby proud.

  Kait rested her head back and closed her eyes again.

  Love you, Abs. Always have. Always will.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  AT THE DEBRIEFING on Monday afternoon, Sam watched Kait from across the table. He’d had his eyes on her for the last hour. All the questions surrounding Rhodes had been answered. Including that it was Toby Bradley who Rhodes killed after the WoW game. Attorneys felt the team had a solid case against Rhodes, and their evidence would send him away for life—something that had brightened Kait’s face until Sulyard had given Rhodes’s photo album to her a few minutes ago.

  She turned another page while the rest of the task force collectively held their breath. She cringed and pressed her lips together, sending Sam’s anger flaring. He’d thought when he’d rescued her from Rhodes that the creep had hurt her as deeply as he possibly could, but the pain kept on coming. Today, with these pictures of his victims, she had to look at her own photo in the album and relive the ordeal of her abduction. He hated to think about what would have happened if they hadn’t stopped Rhodes.

  Pain. More pain when all she des
erved was happiness. Something Sam aimed to spend the rest of his life ensuring she found. If she’d have him. Something he wasn’t one hundred percent sure of right now.

  He’d wanted to go home with her Friday night and ask her that very question. But that would have been pushing things. So he’d delivered Lily to her grandfather and departed. Instead of heading to his house, he’d gone straight to the cemetery and had a long chat with Hannah. This whole incident proved life was too short to carry recriminations and guilt, and he’d left them laying with the flowers at her grave.

  Now he was ready for more. Much more. A wife and children. Kait and Lily.

  So he’d patiently waited for Kait’s call, which came Saturday morning. She needed a few days to process, she’d said. He was disappointed, but he understood. She’d been through a lot.

  Now, here they were. Unspoken words needed to be said, but a crowd surrounded them. Rhodes once again sat between them.

  She passed the book on to Nina and looked at Sulyard who stood at the head of the table as usual. “We should be thanking Fenton for keeping these records. It will certainly aid in his conviction.” Professional. Shoulders back. Agent Kaitlyn Knight through and through. Not the Kaitlyn Knight Sam wanted to talk to.

  “Murdock,” Lieutenant Vance said. “Are you going to answer?”

  Sam jerked his eyes from Kait to his boss. “Sorry, what?”

  Vance rolled his eyes. “Sulyard asked if you had anything to add.”

  Sam shook his head.

  “Then we’re adjourned,” Sulyard declared.

  Hoping to talk to Kait, Sam shot to his feet and picked his way through the others. She must have had the same idea as she moved toward him. They met in the middle.

  “Hey,” he said, a dopey teenage boy smile finding its way to the surface. “You doing okay today?”

  “I’m sore, but otherwise fine.” She smiled shyly. “Are you available tonight? For that talk?”

  His heart soared ridiculously high for such a simple question. “Absolutely. Do you have to pick up Lily?”