“That’s the thing, Emily. I do have proof it was you.”
Emily stopped clutching with Mike and pushed him away. “What did you say?”
“Those are some pretty yellow flowers in your front yard. And I think I saw the same ones in the pictures Hudson has of Mike’s house. Seems to me, I remember you telling the dogs to get out of those flowers more than once because they would send them to doggy heaven, or some other bullshit. Why would you and Mike have the same flowers growing in front of both your houses?”
Emily’s makeup couldn’t hide the way her face paled by the second. Feeling bolder, Tess kept going, even though it might get her a bullet to the brain. She was pretty sure she was a dead girl anyway. Might as well get some digs in while I can.
“You know, Hudson Marks is a real good lawyer and a smart guy. He’s handy with the internet and a search engine too. I betcha those flowers are just as deadly to humans as they are to dogs, aren’t they?”
“Shut up, you bitch!” Mike roared, backhanding Tess across the face.
Blood pooled in her mouth and she spat it at him, wondering at the same time where she got the ovaries to do such a thing. “Fuck off!”
Emily found her voice then, as she placed a restraining hand on Mike’s arm. “Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Most plants or flowers are harmful if ingested.” Emily fiddled nervously with her bangs, swiping some loose hair behind her ear.
“Maybe so,” Tess growled. “But how many of them exactly mimic a heart attack? I’m kind of guessing Hudson could make the connection between the poison found in Jack’s body and those flowers in about four key words on Google.”
Emily took a step backward as if Tess’s words were the slap the young widow’s bound hands so wanted to deliver.
Tess stared in horror as Emily’s arm rose, arcing toward her face. Instinctively, Tess turned away, unable to use her arms to deflect the blow. Emily’s small fist had the advantage of anger and momentum. It caught Tess on the side of the head and a shimmering of stars exploded before her eyes. She slumped a little to the side, her head filled with buzzing.
Emily bent over, but did not try to hit her again. Instead, she shook a finger in her face as if Tess were a small child who had just done something naughty. “I don’t care what you think you know. You will be dead before anyone can listen to a word you say.”
Emily straightened up and then turned on her heel to march toward the door.
“You won’t get away with this,” Tess called after her.
Chapter 56
“Are you fucking crazy?!” Ford whispered hoarsely into the phone, trying to keep his voice under control. “They’re going to kill her and then make a run for it!”
“Settle down son,” Detective Isham replied calmly. “That’s not going to happen.”
“You aren’t here, are you? I’m hearing a lot of shouting going on in there, most of it between Emily and Tess. But that asshole Andrews is there too and he’s got a fucking gun!”
“Ford, listen to me–”
“I’m through listening!”
“FORD!” Detective Isham’s voice boomed through the phone so loudly, Ford was worried the occupants of the cabin would hear it and he clamped the cell to his ear with both hands to muffle it. “Are you listening to me now?”
“I’m listening.” Ford gritted his teeth and bit down on the side of his tongue, trying to get himself under control.
“I want you to get back on your motorcycle and go back out to the lead-in of the path. Meet the local sheriff’s deputies. Give them the status of the situation. I’m already on my way to you and should be there in about 15 minutes.”
“Tess doesn’t have fifteen minutes,” Ford growled.
“She does, I promise. There are things you don’t know and I don’t have time to get into it now. You have to trust me.” Detective Isham’s voice was mild and smooth. “I know about your history, Ford, the time you did in Jackson. I also know your brother is unaware of where you were while he was in school. I won’t say anything to him as long as you work with me and not against me. Am I clear?”
Fuck! Ford wanted to crawl through the phone and choke the life out of the cop on the other end. “Clear.” Crouching low, he made a beeline for his bike. When he got there, he knew he would have to push it for at least a hundred yards before he could safely start the engine.
“Are you still there?”
“Yeah.”
“Get out to the main road as fast as you can. The cavalry is coming.”
Ford ended the call and wanted to throw the phone out into the field so he’d never have to talk to Butch Isham again, but he fought the urge and pocketed the device instead. Grabbing the handlebars, he pushed hard to get the machine moving and then jogged alongside as it gained momentum. It didn’t take long to get a safe distance away so he could start it, but he had to drive slowly so as not to gun the engine and giving away his presence.
Just as he reached the lead in, four cop cars screeched to a halt in front of him. Fully expecting to be arrested on the spot, Ford raised his arms in the air in full surrender mode, a holdover instinct from prison.
A tall, broad-shouldered officer approached him. “Put your arms down, Marks. We know who you are. I’m Sheriff Walker. What’s the situation?”
Ford climbed off the bike and gave the officer all the information he had. As he finished with the last of the details, a S.W.A.T. van pulled up with another unmarked sedan. Butch Isham climbed out of that and jogged over to join the conference at the side of the road.
Ford’s legs felt a little wobbly with the relief coursing through him. The serious looks on all the faces around him and the immense amount of man– and firepower displayed gave him the hope that everything would be okay.
Chapter 57
“We need to kill her now, baby.” Mike paced back and forth across the room, running his free hand through his hair while his other hand waved the pistol around.
“Soon, darling,” Emily soothed. “Let’s wait until it’s dark so no one will see when you bury her body.”
Tess listened to them, feeling her hopes sink a little more with every word. Her whole head and face throbbed in time with her racing heart and she could feel the blood drying on her chin. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Never in a million years would she have ever thought her life would be ending in a cabin in the woods at the age of twenty-five. And I thought being widowed five minutes after getting married was the shit. A maniacal giggle tried to force its way out of her mouth, but she swallowed it and then let herself flop over onto the couch. Her movement caught Mike’s attention but he turned away when he saw she was still tied up.
Tess felt tears come into her eyes and she let them drip out and onto the scratchy cushion she lay on. I’m sorry, Jack. I was supposed to get justice for you. I’m sorry it was your mom that did this. I think we’re going to be together again soon. She could feel her nose beginning to run and sniffled loudly.
“Shut up!” Mike yelled, stamping his foot and firing the gun into the ceiling. He then pointed it inches from her face. Tess could feel the sizzling heat from the barrel.
“Darling, calm down,” Emily said softly as she went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Tess scrunched her eyes shut, trying not to hear their noisy kissing.
Oh Jack, I hope you can’t see this. I hope you haven’t seen any of this. It would break your heart. I hope you’ll forgive me about the thing with Ford, too.
Ford. Just thinking about him brought his face into her mind. The way it had a little bit of five o’clock shadow before lunch. The green, penetrating eyes that knew what you were thinking before you did. The sultry, dangerous look about him that was everything Jack had never been. Tess began to weep in earnest. For all her bluster about not wanting to pursue anything with him, she realized now she was never going to get the chance to change her mind. She could think all the apologies to Jack she wanted. She could mentally c
ount all the things she wished she had done or said to everyone she loved. She could pray to whatever God was up in heaven to forgive her for any sins she was guilty of. But she would never be able to speak the words she wanted Ford to know. I wish we’d gotten to know one another better. I wish I could have been more than just a client to you. I wish–
The sound of glass shattering and wood splintering interrupted her thoughts and Tess’s eyes flew open. She stared mutely at the S.W.A.T. team busting in through the door and windows. Emily let out a blood curdling scream and gave Mike a gigantic shove, sending him pin wheeling toward the nearest cop who riddled his body with bullets.
“He kidnapped us both!” Emily shrieked. She shuffled over to Tess and tried to cover the girl in a protective way. Tess saw the gun in her mother-in-law’s hand and opened her mouth to scream a warning. Using every ounce of strength she could find, she lunged up and bumped Emily away, then landed hard on her shoulder next to Mike’s dead body. Waiting to get shot, Tess squeezed her eyes closed and balled herself up tightly in a fetal position.
Thunderous, roaring voices filled the room and her head until Tess couldn’t even hear her own thoughts. Gunfire erupted around her and she felt a stabbing pain pierce her leg as she felt many, heavy-booted feet clomping around her. Beneath all the male voices, Tess could hear Emily’s nasally, tearful protests. Daring to open an eye, she watched as the evil woman was physically dragged from the room, her hands shackled behind her in handcuffs.
She dropped her head to the floor and began breathing heavily, until she was sobbing with relief. Thank you God, thank you God, thank you God was all she could manage to think or feel until a familiar pair of motorcycle boots appeared like magic in her line of sight. She couldn’t find any more strength to lift her head, but moved her eyes to see if it was really true.
“Ford,” she whispered.
“Shhh.” He held a knife in his hand and he hacked away at the duct tape binding her hands.
She tried to reach for him, but her hands wouldn’t work. She didn’t have to, because he was already pulling her into his arms and burying his face into her hair. “You’re okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
Tess wanted to say thank you, but she was already sobbing again as she clutched him tighter and pressed her face against his chest.
Chapter 58
Ford rocked Tess as he held her, not caring how much she cried or how wet he got from those tears. He wasn’t about to let her go, now that she was safe in his arms again. It wasn’t until he felt them begin to relax and a warmth spreading on his leg that he pulled away from her. Tess had passed out and he saw the blood spreading from a wound in her leg.
“We need some help over here!” he bellowed and one of the other cops yelled for the paramedics.
Ford was shoved out of the way by the large male medic and the female professional stepped over him like he wasn’t even there. He watched as they got to work on the gunshot wound in Tess’s thigh, expertly cutting away her pants leg and assessing the damage. Their hands whipped back and forth across her body and in their bags for the tools of their trade.
Oh Jesus, please let her be okay! He got to his feet and shifted from one foot to the other as his heart tried to climb out of his throat. Ford could feel the sweat pouring out of his body as another set of EMTs brought in a stretcher and then loaded Tess on it. She was carried out to the waiting ambulance and it sped off into the dark, lights flashing and sirens wailing.
Ford turned around in different directions, searching frantically for Detective Isham. He was standing next to the car where Emily Kingston sat in the backseat, her head hung low. He sprinted over to the detective and grabbed him by the shoulders.
“I need my bike! Someone needs to take me back to my bike!” Ford panted. “What hospital are they going to?”
“Calm down, son.” Detective Isham took him to the patrol car that was first out to the path leading back to the main road. “Officer, can you take Mr. Marks back to his motorcycle and then escort him to the hospital?”
“Yes, sir.”
Ford hopped into the car and slammed the door shut. Detective Isham was about to say something to him, but he couldn’t get the words out. The deputy already had the car in gear and was accelerating down the road.
“Go!” Ford encouraged, and the deputy gave him a sneer.
“Don’t tell me how to drive, fella.”
Ford clenched his teeth shut but said nothing more. He couldn’t afford to piss the guy off and slow things down any more. All he wanted was to get to the hospital. All he wanted was Tess.
Chapter 59
Tess gazed dreamily at the faces of her family hovering around her and gave them all a dope-filled grin. “Hi guys!” Her words were slightly slurred, and it was clear to Lilly that her sister was not in any pain.
“Hey, sis,” she sniffed, swiping at the tears streaming down her face. “You sure gave us a scare.”
“Bah, I’m okay.” Tess tossed her IV riddled hand over the railing of the bed and waggled it. “Don’t cry.” Lilly laced their fingers together and squeezed. “You look terrible.”
“Thanks.” Lilly chuckled and continued to snuffle.
Tess flopped her head in the other direction to find her parents on the other side of the bed. “Hey guys, yer here.”
“Of course we are, sweetheart,” Ruth whispered, leaning in to kiss the top of her forehead. She brushed at the tangled mess of blond curls at her temple. “We’re right here and we’re not going anywhere.”
Tess giggled, another goofy grin spreading across her face. “I got shot. Did you know that?”
Harry Langford, who looked about a decade older, burst out laughing. “Yes, we know. Thanks for telling us, Padunkin. We thought you were just here for the food.”
Tess squinted at him for a second and then the joke made its way into her fuzzy brain, past all the medicine. She snorted and giggled again. “Thas a good one, Daddy.” She struggled to sit up a little straighter, and several pairs of hands reached out to push her gently back onto the bed. “Stoppit, I wanna go home.”
“Here we go,” Lilly muttered. “Tess, Tess, look at me.” She watched as her sister tried to focus and see clearly.
“Whut.”
“You can’t go home, sis. You have to stay tonight. The doctors just want to watch you.”
“Don’t wanna. You can watch me.”
“No, I can’t, the doctor has to,” Lilly insisted. She pressed a little harder on Tess’s shoulder, not worried about hurting her. The gunshot wound was to her upper thigh and luckily nothing too serious.
Tess didn’t look so comfortable anymore, and even though she didn’t struggle, she looked pissed off, like a child about to throw a tantrum. “I wanna go home. I want mah kittehs and watch TV. And a cookie. Can I have a cookie?”
Lilly smiled and leaned in close to her baby sister. “If you promise to stay, I’ll bring you all the cookies you want.”
Snuggling back down on the pillows, Tess nodded her head. “Okay. Oreos. Losof ’em.” Her eyelids began to droop.
“Okay, sweetie.” Whew, crisis averted.
A nurse walked into the room just then to check on Tess’s vital signs. “Who’re yew?” she mumbled. She came awake the slightest bit.
“I’m Gale.”
“Gale who?”
“Gale, your nurse.” She deftly strapped on a blood pressure cuff and began the process.
“Ow,” Tess sighed.
“Almost done.” Gale smiled at her and within seconds, removed the cuff and noted the results on the chart. “How are you feelin’, kid?”
“Fantabulous.” Tess tried to give a thumbs up, but got trapped in the tubing again. Lilly stifled the giggle in her throat.
“You having any pain?” Gale picked up her wrist to check the pulse.
“Nope. I wanna go home.” Tess tried to pull away and glared at Gale, but the seasoned nurse held firm and looked her in the eye.
“That’s n
ot going to happen. I need you to lie still, okay?”
“But–”
“No buts. Don’t make me sit on you all night. I have other patients, ya know.” Gale smirked and gave her a wink.
Lilly was amazed when Tess giggle-snorted again and stopped fussing. “Gotta listen to the nurse, sis. They make the rules.”
“Fine.” Tess pointed at Gale. “You jus’ make sure I get that cookie.”
“You got it, kid.”
Gale patted her on the shoulder and smiled kindly at the rest of the family before casually exiting the room.
Her minor set-to with Gale the nurse forgotten, Tess closed her eyes and yawned. Within seconds, she was sleeping peacefully and snoring through her open mouth. Lilly watched her for another couple of minutes before deciding it was safe to leave. She gathered her mom and dad and ushered them into the hallway, where Hudson and Ford Marks were waiting patiently.
“How is she?” they asked in unison. The brothers scowled at one another, then shuffled their feet in embarrassment.
Lilly chuckled. “She’ll be fine. The bullet went right through and she didn’t need surgery.”
Ruth threw herself into Ford’s arms and noisily kissed his cheek. “Thank you for finding my daughter,” she whispered into his ear. Lilly struggled not to tear up again, watching her mother squeeze the very unsqueezable Ford Marks.
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Langford.”
“Are you all right?” Ruth asked, when she pulled away, studying his face.
“I’m okay.” He took her hands in his and squeezed. “Really, I’m fine.” Lilly didn’t think he looked fine. He still seemed scared and anxious. He won’t be okay till he sees her.
Lilly cleared her throat and turned to her folks. “Detective Isham’s waiting downstairs for you guys. He’ll take you home. Go on and go, get some rest. I’ll stay with Tess.”
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