by Karen Kirst
I have no choice but to praise You, Father. You are good all the time, no matter what. You’ve protected us from evil. You saved us from the fire. That’s what matters.
A glance around reminded him that the property itself had been the selling point, not the house. It was a gorgeous piece of land in a good location. He still had the trees, the creek and the mountain view. He could envision Lily running through the yard, a puppy yipping at her heels.
When he rejoined Tessa, her sadness was almost palpable. “Are you okay?”
“I will be.” He’d work with an architect to design an even better layout, a home with his child in mind. “You know that verse about God making beauty from ashes? Lord willing, I’ll have a new and improved home one of these days.”
“Where will you stay until then?”
He shrugged. “I could rent a camper and stay here on the property or rent one of Silver’s cabins. My mom’s is an option, too.”
Any response was swallowed up by the insurance agent’s arrival. Again, Tessa gave him space, taking refuge in the truck cab while he and the agent discussed the next steps.
When he climbed behind the wheel, he angled toward her. “Promise me you won’t leave town. You’re not alone anymore. We’re going to face Dante together.”
Her startled gaze slid from his to roam the damaged structure outside the windshield. Her thoughts weren’t hard to decipher. He expected a tally of his losses and the close calls, the reasons why coming here had been simultaneously beneficial for her and detrimental to him. Instead, she looked at him and nodded.
“I promise.”
He swallowed his hastily prepared arguments. “Good.”
Officer Bell, who’d been waiting at the driveway’s edge, waved as they pulled onto the road. At the stable gates, he punched in the code Cruz had messaged to him. Dante’s attack had helped them identify weaknesses around the stables, and they’d responded with intensified security measures. Once he’d parked the truck, he and Tessa hurried to the front entrance and entered another code. The lock deactivated, and he pushed open the new, bulletproof glass door. Music filtered through the building, punctuated by conversation.
Cruz and Raven were grooming their horses. They both looked surprised to see him.
“I thought you were supposed to rest today,” Raven chided, her long braid swinging in defiance. Her horse, Thorn, seemed to send him a baleful glare.
“Too much to do,” he responded. The dip between Tessa’s eyebrows deepened, and he felt compelled to explain. “The chest tightness is almost gone. I feel almost fully restored after a full night’s sleep.”
Her concern didn’t immediately fade, and he had to admit it was nice to know she cared that much.
Hearing his voice, Scout moved to the door of his stall and whinnied. Mason greeted his partner with a hearty pat and a peppermint. Tessa asked Cruz about his wrist.
“It’s mending just fine.”
“What about your Jeep? Silver mentioned something about possibly being able to repair it?”
Mason turned and caught the negative shake of Cruz’s head. “It was on its last legs. I’ll go vehicle shopping when I get the chance.”
“I need a truck. Maybe we can go together,” Mason chimed in. “What’s the plan for today?”
“Patrolling the square and Glory Pond,” Cruz responded. “We’re going to show Dante’s picture around and see if we get any tips.”
He prayed they received solid leads. Dante and his men would continue to spread their destruction. Mason was troubled by James’s ruthless actions. Dante’s goons were willing to turn on each other, and that didn’t bode well for the citizens of this town.
“I may join you on patrol tomorrow.” He led Scout out of his stall. The horses were used to a certain routine, and these past several days had been anything but.
“Not a good idea.” Raven had that obstinate set to her chin. “You have to stay with Tessa and Lily.”
As the unit’s senior officer, he had the final say. He respected his fellow officers, however, and took their opinions into consideration.
“You do have a target on your back,” Tessa reminded him.
He didn’t like to think of the cases and other responsibilities that were taking a back seat because of his personal problems. He also felt like he owed his officers and the patrol unit, along with countless deputies, a huge debt of gratitude.
“We’ll take it on a day-to-day basis.”
Raven didn’t have a response to that, which he accepted as agreement. She and Cruz went to the locker rooms to change, and he located his grooming tools.
“Want to help?”
Tessa eagerly accepted the curry brush and went to work while Mason gathered a bucket and muck fork. He was inside Scout’s stall when Cruz poked his head in.
“We’re headed out. Want us to wait for you?”
“Bell is out there. We’ve got to make a quick shopping run after this.”
“I forgot to mention that the Houston Falls High School principal called yesterday. He had questions about Friday.”
Mason had forgotten that his unit was to take part in a regional event. Various law-enforcement agencies and first responders would be on the school campus for a meet and greet with students and citizens of the community. “We’ll have to skip this year.”
“Skip?” Lieutenant Hatmaker’s voice drew them both out of the stall. He was in uniform and had taken off his hat. Thumping it against his thigh, he stared at them in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. Serenity’s mounted-police unit attracts scores of interested students, teachers and parents. You bring positive press to our department. You can’t skip.”
Tessa stopped in midstroke and leaned into Scout’s bulk, disquiet covering her features.
Raven had hold of the truck keys, and they jingled as she approached. “Are you aware that Mason’s home burned down the other night?”
“I heard.” He looked at Mason. “I’m sorry that happened. Were you able to save any of your belongings?”
His grip tightened on the muck rake. “I haven’t gotten permission to enter yet.” The fire chief was supposed to contact him. Mason held out hope that a few mementos, like family photographs and his father’s Bible, could be salvaged.
“At least you survived.” Hatmaker’s attention flickered to Tessa. His nose pinched, as if he was annoyed by her very presence. “And since you didn’t suffer life-threatening injuries, you won’t have a problem fulfilling your obligations.”
Cruz took a step forward, a vein bulging at his temple. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the host school’s principal is your brother-in-law, would it?”
“You’re out of line, Castillo.”
Mason put a staying hand on Cruz’s shoulder and addressed Hatmaker. “What about our Mafia problem?”
“The campus will be crawling with law enforcement. Your man would be an idiot to try something then.”
Mason noticed Tessa’s scowl and eye roll. She had lived with the villain and was intimately acquainted with his arrogance and audacity. But once Hatmaker settled something in his mind, it would take the force of dynamite to change his mind.
“We’ll be there,” he said, feeling Cruz’s shoulder bunch with annoyance.
“Good.” His fingers tightened on the hat. “Now that we have that squared away, how about you explain exactly how the stables came under attack. Did you sign off on the security upgrades?”
Cruz shook off Mason’s hand and took a step forward. Mason grabbed his arm. “You and Raven go ahead and patrol. The horses are probably getting antsy.”
His jaw clenching and unclenching, he nodded and stormed out of the building. Steam practically spewing from her ears, Raven pivoted on her heel and followed.
“Tessa, do you mind finishing up with Scout? Take all the time y
ou need.”
Mason took Hatmaker through the scenario, literally walking him through the stables and taking extra time in the tack room, emphasizing the danger to Tessa, his mom and Lily. Just as these men had no qualms hurting Mason’s family, they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt innocent bystanders. But Hatmaker seemed unfazed. While Mason agreed a last-minute withdrawal would be unfortunate, the potential for violence couldn’t be ignored.
Before the lieutenant left, Mason broached the subject once more. “The chief is aware of our participation on Friday, I assume?”
He pulled on his hat and stared at Mason from beneath the brim. “He is aware, and he and I are in agreement. This is an event we can’t afford to miss.”
Schooling his features, Mason bade him goodbye and rejoined Tessa as she was returning Scout to his stall. She’d finished the mucking for him.
“He didn’t change his mind, did he?” She gave Scout a final pat.
“Unfortunately, he doesn’t often change his mind about things. You and Lily will have to come with me. There won’t be anyone to guard the cabin. Don’t worry, we’ll work out a plan.”
“I trust you.”
Mason registered several things at once. They were alone. She was very close, and her face tilted up, her golden-green eyes wide and clear. Her lips shone with her favored gloss. Was it his imagination, or did he smell coconut?
Reaching out, he plucked straw from her hair, taking his time while doing so. The strands were fine and springy. He outlined the fresh bandage with his fingertips. “How’s this healing? Any sign of infection?”
Her eyes were transfixed on his face. Was she leaning toward him? “It’s, ah, fine. Just fine.”
Scout chose that moment to demand attention, butting Mason’s shoulder with his face. Tessa blushed and ducked her head. Mason didn’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved. Relieved, his cautious mind urged. Kissing Tessa? Big mistake.
“We should go. Bell’s waiting.”
Without a word, she accompanied him into the overcast day. Bell was waiting in his cruiser, and he gave them a thumbs-up.
There was no traffic on the secondary street. Everything seemed serene, but he couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched. He stayed close to Tessa as he walked with her to the passenger-side door and ushered her inside.
“Mason—”
A distinct whistling pierced the air. The door window exploded. He lunged for her, shoving her down on the truck seat and shielding her with his body.
Above his frantic heartbeat, he heard Bell return fire and shout on the radio for backup.
“Mason.”
He shifted the bulk of his weight onto the seat’s edge, looked down and got a nasty shock.
Blood seeped through her shirt.
“You’re hurt.” He tugged aside her collar to inspect the damage. There was a deep wound right below her collarbone and too much blood for him to guess the cause. “Have you been shot?”
“N-no, I don’t think it’s a bullet wound. The pain would be worse.” Her ravaged gaze snagged him. “Right?”
The volley of bullets had stopped. Staying as low as possible, he pulled the door closed and rummaged in the dash compartment. He got a fistful of fast-food napkins and pressed them against the wound. She gasped and went paler.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. We have to slow the bleeding.” He took her hand and pressed it against the napkins, which were already turning a deep crimson.
Bell brought his cruiser alongside the passenger side and rolled down his window. “You guys good here? I have to look for the shooter.”
“Tessa’s hurt. I’m taking her to the hospital.”
“I’ll follow you through the gate.”
When Tessa made to sit up, he put a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Stay put.”
If there was a bullet lodged inside, movement could jar it and nick a vital organ or artery. He climbed over her on shaky legs and started the engine, aware that the curvy road to the hospital would be its own nightmare. They had at least a forty-minute drive, and that was if he was doing average speed. He would have to drive below the limit in order not to jar her. But by then, she could bleed out.
Please, God, don’t take her away. Lily needs her.
I’m afraid I do, too.
* * *
Tessa was lying in an awkward position, one leg bent with her ballet flat propped on the bench seat, and the other braced on the floor. Wind whipped through the busted window. Forested hills hemmed them in on either side, and she watched the trees flash past.
The searing pain around her wound site was severe, but it was limited to the surface. She could breathe unhindered, and she was alert.
“Silver, is my mom there yet?” Mason demanded in a terse tone. “Good. Keep her and Lily away from the windows, and be ready to defend the cabin. We don’t know how many Dante is working with. He could’ve flown in more of his own people or hired local criminals.”
He guided the truck through a series of tight, high turns, and Tessa’s stomach cramped. She closed her eyes and inhaled the earthy, mossy air in an effort to keep the nausea at bay.
The shooter had to have been surveilling the stables and would know Lily wasn’t with them. Dante could use this opportunity to try to snatch her.
Mason ended the call. “Silver will guard her with his life.”
When she didn’t answer, he lightly touched the top of her head. “Tessa? You with me?”
“I’m going to sit up now.”
“Don’t.”
She grabbed the headrest and pulled herself into a seated position. The nausea intensified for a few seconds, but she closed her eyes again and willed away the panic.
“Lay back down before you pass out.”
The tendons in his arms stood to attention where he gripped the wheel. His dark eyes were stark.
“These curves are making me sick,” she said, keeping the napkins snugly in place. “Sitting up will help.” When he started to protest, she said, “Mason, the wound site is the only part of me that hurts. I must’ve gotten grazed by the bullet or stray glass.”
“You’re still going to the hospital.”
Tessa couldn’t argue the wisdom of that, even though she’d rather be on the way to Silver’s cabin. Being apart from Lily right now was not ideal. When anxiety threatened to overwhelm her, she started praying. God loved Lily even more than Tessa did, which was tough to wrap her mind around. He had a plan for her daughter—a future and a hope. If she didn’t cling to His promises, fear would consume her.
The road evened out, and they entered a picturesque valley with emerald green fields and soaring, blue-green mountains. The smooth ridges were dotted with cabins. Campgrounds, shops and mom-and-pop restaurants welcomed visitors.
She lowered the sun visor and used the mirror to evaluate the wound. Carefully lifting the napkins, she saw that the uneven gash was no longer oozing blood.
“How bad is it?”
“Deep enough to require stitches,” she sighed. “I’m not about to poke around to find out if something is embedded inside.”
“We may have to postpone the hospital visit.” Mason checked the side mirrors and frowned. “That sedan has been following us since the outskirts of Serenity.”
“Didn’t you say this two-lane road is the main link between Serenity and Pigeon Forge?”
“True, but this is a top-of-the-line Cadillac with a rental sticker. Could be nothing, but my gut’s telling me otherwise.”
As they approached another steep set of curves, this time headed down into the outer limits of Pigeon Forge, the sedan sped up. Tessa twisted in the seat for a better look and recognized the driver.
“That’s James,” she exclaimed.
He held out his phone. “Call 911. Stay on the line with them.”
Tessa did
as he asked, relaying pertinent information while Mason navigated the curved roads with increasingly excessive speed. Perspiration dampened her nape beneath her hair, and that sick feeling in her stomach returned.
As they came around the last kink in the road, the sedan bumped into the truck’s bumper, jolting them.
Mason kept the vehicle steady. The next hit shuddered through the cab, knocking Tessa sideways into the door. The phone slipped from her fingers and sailed through the open window. She reached out in vain as the truck left the road and the tires caught on bits of gravel.
Mason jerked the truck into a hard right, careening between two ramshackle buildings onto a cracked, paved road. A billboard that was partly covered with ivy advertised a tourist attraction. A high, kudzu-choked hill hugged one side of the road. On the other, spindly trees were all that stood between the road and a deep crevice.
“I lost your phone.”
“They have our last location,” he responded. “This road dead-ends at an abandoned water park.”
“What happens when we reach the dead end?”
Mason’s gaze penetrated hers. “We ditch the truck and lose them on foot.”
FOURTEEN
The property owners had erected a chain-link fence around the water park to keep out trespassers. Not to be denied, someone had used wire cutters to open a makeshift entrance, where a welcome banner and turnstiles stood. Mason punched the gas and aimed for that opening. The truck’s front end split the fence wider, and the jagged metal fingers scraped like nails along the sides.
In the rearview mirror, he saw the sedan emerge into the parking area and hurtle toward them.
“Time to bail.”
Slamming on the brakes, he brought the truck to a stop mere feet from the old pay booths. Tessa’s seat belt dug into her wound, and she cried out. Waving off his apology, she popped the door latch and scrambled out. Mason met her at the front bumper as he unholstered his weapon. He grabbed her hand and they started running.