Dead of Winter_Aspen Falls Novel

by Melissa Pearl

  Billings let out a frustrated cry and pulled the gun from his holster. “You conniving bitch!”

  “Drop the weapon, Billings!” Blaine commanded, his voice steady.

  It sounded like he was still running toward them. Was he within range? Could they stop Billings before he fired?

  Rosie couldn’t look over her shoulder to check where he was. All she could do was stare at the gun pointed at her.

  “Matt, don’t do this!” Blaine yelled. “It’s not worth it.”

  He was closer. He was coming to get her.

  She was safe.

  Her shoulders slumped with relief and she looked to the dirty cop. He’d be arrested soon, and those bright blue eyes could grow dim behind cell bars, right beside his daddy or uncle…or whoever the hell that detective was.

  Justice.

  The thought made her smile.

  “You think this is funny?” Matt screamed.

  And then the gun went off.

  “No!” she heard Blaine shout, and then she jolted as a sharp pain pierced her torso.

  She lost her footing, slipping on the ice and slumping to the ground.

  Her elbow hit hard and then she rolled onto her back, trying to figure out what had just happened.

  Another gunshot rang out.

  A grunt.

  A scampering of feet.

  “Billings, freeze!”

  More gunshots.

  Sounds of breaking glass.

  “Rosie!”

  Running feet. They were getting closer, trying to reach her.

  Gunfire. Rapid shots.

  A bullet pinged off the pillar near her head. She flinched and closed her eyes.

  Pain was radiating from her core, like a hot fire spreading through her body.

  The ice beneath her was growing colder, and she was wet.

  She reached for her stomach, trying to stop the pain, and wondered how her clothes had gotten saturated so quickly.

  She pulled her hand away and gasped when she saw it.

  Red. It was red.

  39

  Monday, February 26th

  12:25am

  “Rosie?” Blaine puffed as he faltered to a stop beside her.

  She was touching her stomach, murmuring about being wet.

  “It’s okay. Don’t move.” His heart jackknifed as he shone his flashlight over her abdomen and spotted the growing red circle.

  No!

  Panic tried to crawl up his throat and debilitate him.

  But he couldn’t let it.

  He shrugged out of his jacket and pressed the fabric against the growing red circle. He gave Rosie a shaky smile. “You’re gonna be fine,” he whispered fiercely, his eyes ablaze, his jaw set so tight it hurt. “You are going to be fine.”

  She whimpered at the pressure added to her wound but didn’t fight him off.

  By the look of fear in her eyes, she’d no doubt worked out that she’d been shot.

  Brushing the hair off her forehead, he tried to reassure her. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

  “Dispatch, we need an ambulance at the outdoor rink on Banner, ASAP.” Kellan was already talking into his radio as he ran across to them. “Victim has been shot.”

  Dispatch replied while Kellan crouched down beside Blaine and assessed Rosie.

  “I’ll stay with her. You go back up Nate.”

  “No, I…”

  Blaine had never refused his boss before, and Kellan gave him an odd look before repeating, “Go back up Nate. You’re faster than I am. I’ll stay with her. Don’t worry.”

  Blaine grimaced, shooting Rosie a pained look before jumping to his feet.

  She gave him a weak smile but it did nothing to hide her pain.

  Anger shot through him, the adrenaline sending him in pursuit of Nate and Matt. Pulling out his gun, he careened around the squad car in the direction Matt had fled.

  He couldn’t believe the guy had been the secret mole this whole time. Like an insidious virus infiltrating their peaceful town, spreading those blue pills around and infecting everything Blaine held dear.

  He paused between two buildings to listen for noise and to track where his brother had gone.

  “Billings, freeze!” Nate shouted again.

  There was more gunfire, and Blaine charged after the noise.

  As he drew near, he pressed his back against the wall and prepared for battle. Taking deep breaths to slow his heart rate, he followed procedure and carefully approached the scene.

  He spotted Nate first, tucked around the edge of the building. He was reloading his gun when he glanced up and saw Blaine. With a little sign language, he told Blaine where Matt was taking cover and then instructed him to head down the alley to their right so they could box him in. Nate would distract him while Blaine crept up from behind.

  “I’d rather take him alive if we can,” Nate whispered.

  Blaine only just caught the words and nodded as he snuck down the side alley and worked his way around to Matt. Nate kept shouting and drawing Matt’s attention to him, the perfect distraction while Blaine snuck up from behind.

  It wasn’t until he was a few feet away that he spotted the rookie. Matt was crouched behind a row of trash cans, breathing hard as he gripped his weapon. Blaine could feel the guy’s panic. He was twitchy and tense, like a ticking bomb ready to blow.

  Shooting Rosie had been a knee-jerk reaction…and a huge mistake.

  Blaine fought to keep his anger in check as he calmly approached the suspect and surprised him from behind.

  “Matthew Billings, you’re under arrest.”

  The rookie flinched and went to spin.

  “Lower your weapon or I’ll shoot.”

  Blaine stood over him with the perfect shot. He wouldn’t miss. Matt would be dead before his head hit the concrete.

  And Matt knew it.

  His hand trembled as he wrestled with the fact that he’d lost.

  “Lower your weapon and put your hands behind your head. I’m not gonna ask again.”

  Nate’s slow footsteps made Blaine glance up. His brother approached from the other side, his weapon drawn and ready to fire. “Give it up, Billings. Don’t make it worse.”

  Matt sucked in a ragged breath, his shoulders slumping as he lowered his weapon and followed Blaine’s instructions.

  He knew the drill, laying down on his front with his hands behind his head. Blaine cuffed his wrists while reading him his rights.

  Nate called it in and they marched back to the squad car.

  When they arrived, the area was lit with flashing lights. Two officers were chatting with Kellan while an ambulance pulled away.

  Blaine jerked, scanning the area for Rosie, desperate for an update.

  Kellan glanced up as they walked Matt forward. He didn’t say anything, just tipped his head at the squad car and indicated that they take Matt to the station.

  “Wonder if your Rosie made it,” Matt muttered.

  It took everything in Blaine not to punch him. Shoving him roughly into the back of the car, he leaned down and seethed, “You better pray she does. Your life is already over, but if anything happens to her, I’m gonna make it a hell of a lot worse. You hear me?”

  Matt swallowed but put on a tough facade. “I’ve got friends in higher places than you, man.”

  “Oh yeah? Then why do you look so worried?”

  Blaine didn’t wait for an answer. He slammed the door and spun to find Kellan.

  His boss finished up with the two officers, directing them to follow Nate and the suspect to the station.

  Blaine tensed, ready to argue if Kellan directed him there too.

  But the police chief held up his hands before Blaine could say anything. “She’s on her way to the hospital.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I can’t tell you if she’s going to make it. They’ll be rushing her into surgery.”

  Blaine closed his eyes, nausea sweeping through him as he bent over.

  Kellan patted his s
houlder. “You can go wait at the hospital if you need to. I’ll deal with this mess. We’ll get your report and official statement tomorrow.”

  Blaine nodded, standing tall on legs that felt like the skinny twigs he used to run on in high school. He stumbled forward and Kellan grabbed his arm to steady him.

  “Come on, I’ll drop you at the hospital first.” Steering him to the van, Kellan took charge in that silent, calm way of his.

  They didn’t talk much on the way to the hospital.

  Kellan murmured a few things about the case, saying how he’d check in with Brookvale PD and make sure Detective Monroe was arrested immediately. Hopefully Matt would give up the connection between them.

  “Nate will get it out of him,” Blaine murmured.

  Kellan snickered. “Oh yeah, he will.”

  They pulled up to the emergency room and Blaine jumped out.

  “Keep me posted,” Kellan called after him.

  Blaine didn’t answer, just ran to the entrance, nearly taking out a mother with a wailing baby.

  “Sorry, sorry.” He caught himself against her and steered her to a seat before running up to the counter. “I need an update on a patient who was just brought in.”

  His voice shook and he breathed in, willing his heart to slow the hell down.

  “Officer Hartford,” the receptionist greeted him. “If you’re talking about the woman who was brought in about ten minutes ago, they’re prepping her for immediate surgery. I can’t tell you any more than that because I don’t know.”

  Blaine closed his eyes, gripping the counter to keep himself steady.

  “Take a seat. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Twenty torturous minutes later, Sally appeared from out back. She gave Blaine a kind but sad smile as she quietly approached him.

  Her waves of golden hair were tied back in a messy ponytail. She looked tired, but still managed to radiate a sweetness that was all hers. Blaine had never met such a big heart or kind soul.

  “Nate texted me and told me you might be here.” She squeezed his arm as she sat down beside him. “How you holding up?”

  “Tell me something good, Sal. Please.”

  She glanced down the hallway and then brought her head in close to Blaine’s. “She’s lost a lot of blood, and the bullet nicked her bowel. She’s in surgery now and… Look, I don’t want to promise you anything. We’re just going to have to wait and see.”

  Blaine let out a strangled groan and held his head.

  “She’s with the best surgeon we have. As long as everything goes smoothly in the operating room…” Sally’s smile turned hopeful.

  Blaine sniffed and nodded, his throat too swollen to say anything.

  Sally leaned her arm against his. “Rosie Sweet. I remember her.”

  “Yeah. She was…” Blaine couldn’t finish.

  “She was always stronger than she looked.” Sally smiled when he turned to look at her.

  Her bright green eyes shone with kindness and before he could stop himself, he pulled her into a grateful hug. “So glad you’re my sister.”

  She laughed softly in his ear. “Yeah, well, maybe one day…if Nate can ever stop working long enough to marry me.”

  “He loves you. He says you’re perfect.”

  She squeezed his shoulders before pulling out of the hug. A look of torment flashed across her face, her eyes glistening before she blinked the tears away. She opened her mouth to say something, but then changed her mind.

  With a little swallow, she shook her head. “I need to get back to work, but do you want me to call someone. Your dad?”

  “No, I’m cool.”

  “It’s going to be a long haul, Blaine. Minutes feel like hours in this room.”

  Blaine sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I might give Lucas a call.”

  “Okay.” She rubbed his shoulder and stood. “I’ll be back to check on you again soon.”

  Blaine watched her walk away, her sneakers squeaking on the shiny floor. Slumping back against the hard plastic chair, he stared up at the ceiling and whispered under his breath, “Please make it, sweet Rose. Please be strong.”

  40

  Monday, February 26th

  1:35am

  Sally was right. Waiting for news of Rosie was slow and torturous. Blaine bobbed his knee, paced the floor, bought himself a drink from the vending machine. His thick hair began to stand on end as he continually scraped his fingers through it.

  He texted Nate to check in, then called Kellan for an update and something to do.

  Matt was holding out in a cell, refusing to say anything without a lawyer. The Brookvale PD had been alerted and were picking up Detective Monroe for questioning before dawn. They didn’t want him slipping away. As soon as he heard news of Billings, he’d probably split.

  A full investigation would be underway by week’s end, and hopefully they would be able to close this case and charge the people who were responsible.

  Nate and Cam would pick both Riley and Bianca up in the morning. Once they found out Matt had been arrested, they’d no doubt open up and spill all. As soon as they felt safe, the truth was more likely to tumble free.

  It felt good.

  But then it didn’t, because Rosie was lying on an operating table, getting stitched back together.

  She might not make it, and Blaine’s fantasy-turned-reality would soon be a nightmare.

  Scrubbing a hand over his growing whiskers, he tapped his foot on the linoleum and waited.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  “Hey, man.” He nearly jumped out of his skin when Lucas appeared beside him. He’d been staring into the abyss and hadn’t even heard his friend come in.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Lucas plunked down in the hard plastic chair. “Kellan called me. Question is why didn’t you?”

  Blaine huffed out a sigh and mumbled, “I thought about it. Didn’t want to wake you.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  Leaning back, he shot Lucas a wry smile and gratefully took the cup of coffee his friend was holding out to him. “McDonald’s?”

  “Don’t look at me like that. Their coffee is awesome.” Lucas took a big gulp as if to prove his point, and Blaine had to concede that his friend was right.

  The coffee was good…and exactly what he needed.

  “So, any updates?” Lucas asked after a long beat of silence.

  “Nothing yet. I just have to wait.”

  “Painful.”

  Blaine choked out a laugh and then closed his eyes, suddenly feeling sick. Exhaustion was covering him like a thick blanket.

  What if she didn’t make it?

  “Don’t go there, man.” It was as if Lucas could read his mind. “Just wait. Talk to me. Tell me what happened. I want details.”

  After a reluctant pause, Blaine gave in to Lucas’s request and walked his friend through the night. Together they unpacked the mysteries and came up with a few theories.

  “I wonder if Billings visited Riley in the hospital after her OD. Maybe he threatened her with something bad.”

  “What do you bet he showed up in his uniform and said all the right things to shut her up?”

  “Asshole.” Lucas shook his head. “That’s why Bianca wouldn’t trust you guys.”

  “What’s going to happen with her? You still on the case?”

  “Actually, I’m going to call her parents tomorrow. It’s time they took things into their own hands. They need to get their butts up here and have a one-on-one with their daughter. They’re so afraid of losing her or pushing her away, but maybe they just need to give it to her straight. Sure, she’s an adult now and she can make her own choices, but if she keeps making stupid ones, then they should withdraw their financial support.”

  “She’s going to love that.” Blaine sipped his coffee while Lucas snickered.

  “It’s tough love, man. If nothing else, it’ll at least make Bianca sit up and think about prio
rities. I think Riley’s overdose and the other death really spooked her. She’s close to coming around.”

  “I hope so, man.”

  Lucas finished his coffee and set the cup down between his feet. “And I hope I can get some better cases.”

  “Student stalking not your style, huh?”

  Blaine won himself a warning glare, but Lucas’s lips soon twitched. “I miss the force.”

  “You could always come back.”

  “At a desk?” Lucas made a face. “Kill me now.”

  Blaine went silent, sensing the underlying seriousness to Lucas’s jesting. He wished so badly for his friend that he’d never been wounded.

  But life’s shit could not always be prevented.

  His thoughts immediately jumped to Rosie.

  The way her body jerked and then fell would be burned in his brain forever. The images flashed through him once more, strong and debilitating.

  “Blaine?” Sally’s voice broke through and he startled, quickly spinning for news.

  Her soft smile said it all and he sagged with relief, tears burning his eyes when he closed them.

  “She’s still fragile and will spend the night in ICU. The doctor will be out to chat with you in a minute.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “Technically family is supposed to take priority, but since hers aren’t around…”

  “Has anyone called them?”

  “We don’t have their contact information.”

  “Rosie would probably want Louanne before them anyway.”

  Sally’s expression was pained. She came from a close-knit family so would never truly understand what it was like to be distanced from parents or siblings.

  “When can I see her?”

  “She hasn’t woken up yet, but I’ll see if you can sit with her while we wait.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sally walked away and Lucas’s hand landed on Blaine’s shoulder. “She’s alive, man.”

  “Yeah.” He still felt heavy and wrung out.

  Only a few minutes later, Sally returned, beckoning him forward. Lucas took his leave after making Blaine promise to call him with an update.

  Blaine raised his hand in farewell and chased after Sally, who led him through to the ICU where he found a porcelain Rosie asleep in a large hospital bed.