Hell's Hilltop

by J. A. Dennam

  Oh, how the tables had turned. Rena let go of the railing. “Go ahead,” she said stiffly. “I’d prefer it.”

  Derek’s sister showed her disgust in the droop of her shoulders. “Unfortunately, I’ll need a better reason than ‘she wanted me to.’ ”

  Then why the hell was she here?

  As if the woman could read her mind, Danny looked down, then out at the landscape. “Everyone’s looking for you. The pictures on your computer had this coaster in the background of your house, and… I don’t know, something told me I’d find you here.”

  “Like a voice in your head?” Rena suggested with a hint of ridicule.

  The pained look that crossed Danny’s features gave the answer no verbal response could have. Well, well. Wasn’t that interesting? It appeared her ghostly companion was pulling more strings than just her own.

  “Careful,” Rena said, tapping her temple. “People might think you’re crazy.”

  In answer, Danny leaned her forearms against the railing and looked out at the twinkling skyline.

  Rena did the same from her spot, keeping the five-foot distance between them. “Ty already found me a while ago,” she said with a frown. “I’m surprised you weren’t told.”

  “Maybe I didn’t trust him to keep you.”

  What a bitchy thing to say. Then again, here they were. Motivated by loyalty to Ty, Rena sniped, “Does your husband know where you are?”

  Danny moved a shoulder. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

  “Then apparently you don’t know where he is.” She met Danny’s narrowed look with aplomb. “Austin brought me here. I left him in the maintenance parking lot. He’s probably still trying to figure out how to get in.”

  Danny’s jaw tightened and her entire stance changed to one ready for battle. “That’s all you did? Leave him behind?”

  Rena rolled her eyes. This wasn’t going well, far from what she’d planned. It was supposed to be her last hurrah, a chance to take back a piece of her past while she still had the freedom to do so. The fact Danny Cahill had ruined it was karma at its best. Rena leaned against the rail and glowered at the stunning view surrounding them. “You should go check on him. I have no idea how you got in the park, but if you follow the path to the left, you’ll end up at a gate. He’s on the other side.”

  The tension ebbed somewhat. Danny’s shoulders relaxed. “I jumped that gate,” she said offhandedly.

  Rena’s glare called her a liar. “It’s twelve feet.”

  The woman cocked her head, regarded her thoughtfully. “You really don’t remember anything from the third time you tried to kill me, do you? The falling tree house? How I got up there to rescue Melanie? How you tried to literally shoot me down?”

  Too tired to confirm or deny, Rena simply expelled a heavy breath. “I don’t need the playback, Danny. I’m turning myself in, so spare me.”

  “I can’t let you turn yourself in.”

  What? Rena gaped at her. “Are you high?”

  “Not that I don’t think you belong in prison,” Danny said on a sigh, “but my brother needs you.”

  Should she tell her the sample was no good? Rena sat down, straddled a beam below the handrail, let her feet hang listlessly toward the ground.

  Yes. Danny should know her brother’s time would eventually run out. “Not anymore,” she murmured. “The sample was spoiled.”

  If not for the consistent breeze, all would be silent. Then, Danny asked, “How do you know?”

  Rena guessed by her tone that she wasn’t convinced. “I gave it to Frost and he tested it.”

  “And you trust him?”

  “As much as anyone.”

  “Which means no.” When Rena threw her a dirty look, Danny scoffed. “You’re always taking off, doing things your way, secretive about everything, you lie through your teeth… which means trust is completely beyond you. What makes you think this Frost guy is telling the truth?”

  Rena braced herself for the fallout of her answer. “Because he was one of the scientists on the project at Pharm Corp.”

  Danny straightened and faced her. “The pharmaceutical company your father stole the sample from?” When Rena nodded, Danny’s lips tightened into a thin line. “I thought you said all those scientists died.”

  “I lied.”

  “Of course you did!”

  “Isak Frost was still very much an option for me when I explained the history of the sample to you and the others. He was counting on that sample as much as Sophie, but he wanted to use it for its intended purpose. To heal people like me. The reason Sophie took Elsa was to provide me with incentive to give the sample to her and not Frost. But Sophie’s gone now. Isak has no reason to lie about the condition of the sample.”

  “So, you’re telling me,” Danny said almost calmly, “Derek has no chance.”

  Unable to voice the words, Rena only nodded.

  Small hands flexed and fisted. “Now I should throw you off this hill.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Rena rested her head against the post and closed her eyes. “You’re right, you should. It’s all my fault for exposing Derek to IGP.”

  And if Danny were going to throw her off the hill, now would be the time. But the woman didn’t so much as move.

  “Why the hell am I even considering the possibility you’re genuinely remorseful?” she said instead.

  Because he was the only man Rena trusted. No, that wasn’t true. Ty had actually earned that spot beside Derek. “Despite what I did to him, he took a chance on me. Gave me back my control. I owe him everything and all I’ve done is doom him to a gruesome end.”

  “Jesus, Rena,” Danny blasted, “quit the gloom and doom crap, okay? We just need to find Sophie’s basement chemist. He can provide the drug and buy Derek at least a few years. I’m sure we’ll come up with a solution by then.”

  But not without the basement chemist. How did she admit she’d just possibly shortened Derek’s life to a few measly months? A wave of helplessness overtook her and a sob burst forth. No! Not in front of Danny, of all people! She’d managed to avoid a breakdown until this very moment and what were the odds it would happen in front of the woman who loathed her most.

  There was a dash of horror in Danny’s voice next time she spoke. “I really… really hate to ask this, but… are you in love with my brother?”

  Rena palmed her eyes, took some time to recover before she answered. “Derek is one-of-a-kind. He’s strong, determined, rebellious. A little wild. Extremely hot. But he’s not my type.”

  A sound of disgust. “Oh, right. Austin’s your type.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Ty, then,” the woman prodded, pacing the walkway behind her.

  Rena hid her smile. “What makes you say that?”

  “He’s helped you almost as much as Derek has. He’s easy to manipulate, sinfully sexy and he has this uncanny determination to save you. Why wouldn’t he be your type?”

  Rena turned, fixed her with a glare. “It sounds like you have a crush.”

  Danny’s eyes got big. “Oh, I did. About eight years ago. He had the blond-god-hero thing down pat even then. I had our wedding all planned out from the princess gown to the ‘I do’ bungee jump.”

  That made Rena laugh. “Let me guess. He wouldn’t have anything to do with you.”

  Danny waved away the notion. “I wouldn’t know. Derek forbade me from seeing any of his friends.”

  Still amused, Rena pulled windblown hair from her eyes. “If Derek wouldn’t trust him with his sister, why should I trust him?”

  Danny shrugged again. “You tell me.”

  The mood faded away and Rena returned her attention to the mountains. “Once you’ve had your life screwed with like mine has been, you’d understand why.”

  After a moment, Danny settled down and straddled her own post a few feet away. “So make me understand.”

  Was she kidding? “Like you even want to.”

 
Refusing to meet her gaze, Danny’s scowl intensified. “For some reason, your support group is growing. Hell, even Melanie is defending you and she has as much reason to loathe you as I do.” She finally looked over at her. “I want to know you aren’t snowing the people I love. You say you weren’t in control of your actions. Convince me it isn’t just a convenient excuse.”

  “You won’t believe a word I say,” Rena muttered, putting her forehead to the weathered wood. “Why bother?”

  A hand shoved her shoulder. “Then humor me. You owe me that much.”

  Boy, the audacity of that woman. Somehow, it reminded her a little of Crystal. But, what the hell. Since she had nothing to lose by it, Rena gave Danny what she wanted and relayed the entire sordid story. From the moment she discovered her father’s history with a little-known security firm called IGP, to the moment Rafferty uttered his last words. She held nothing back, even described Rafferty’s abuse down to the details. The sex. The horror. The confusion. And finally, the awakening. For some reason it was easier, verbally rehashing it to someone absent of sympathy. Maybe Danny would even be glad she’d suffered. Take it as a sort of tit-for-tat.

  “So, when I stole the poison pill, I planned to give it to Rafferty despite Isak’s wishes.”

  Until that point, Danny had listened in complete silence. “Did you give it to him?”

  Rena nodded, feeling the other woman’s attention on her.

  “Thank God. I never understood why Derek kept him alive.”

  “Me neither,” Rena agreed easily enough. “When I helped Rafferty out of your basement, I told myself I was doing you all a favor.”

  Laser beams practically shot from Danny’s eyes. “We agonized for hours, wondering when he would show up. You should have told us you had him.”

  “I had my reasons not to,” Rena retorted, even though she knew her defense was weak. “They may not be good enough, but I don’t have the strength to try and explain them.”

  Danny reached into her pocket, checked the lit screen of her cell phone. “Austin found out I left the apartment.” She released a heavy sigh and her thumbs flew across the screen as she texted him back. “He’s not gonna like that I’m up here.”

  “Something tells me he’s used to it.”

  “You would be right.”

  The back-and-forth between them had eased to a tolerable level, but Rena was anxious to continue on as she’d planned. “You need to go, Danny. He’s worried about you and I want some time alone.”

  The woman angled her face as she watched her closely. “I can’t let you fling yourself off this thing.”

  Oh, please. “I didn’t come here to kill myself. That would tickle you too damned much,” she ended in a mutter.

  A small nod. “Right. You just came to sit on your hilltop and look out at the world one last time.” Danny shrugged, made herself more comfortable. “I guess I can believe that. It is quite stunning from up here. Especially at night.”

  Great. Mrs. Cahill all of a sudden wanted to hang out. “You shouldn’t be climbing roller coasters,” Rena admonished. “Not in your condition.”

  Brown eyes widened in surprise, then grew suspicious. “Who told you about my condition?”

  “Your husband.”

  Danny choked on a laugh. “See? Even Austin’s letting his guard down. It scares the hell out of me.”

  Rena glanced at her, watched the loose tendrils whip and dance around her face. In the dark, the similarities to Crystal were there. An unwanted sense of duty prodded her to lend small assurance. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve let him go.” A strong gust came up and Rena hugged the post a little tighter. “I know I’m his past. I just needed time to accept that he’s mine.”

  Undaunted by the wind, Danny’s legs began to swing. “Did Ty help you with that?”

  Jeez, why couldn’t she just reciprocate? “Would you lay off me about Ty?”

  The attitude was shrugged away. “I just want to make sure you won’t backtrack.” Danny checked her phone again when the screen lit. “You know, start spewing that crazy possessive shit about how my husband will ‘always be yours’,” said with quoting fingers.

  Rena leaned away, horrified.

  “With that freaky blond streak in your hair,” Danny finished her text, looked up, “and those ginormous boobs spilling out of your clothes.”

  What! Rena blinked as an image of her ‘hanging out’ infiltrated her brain. “How did my boobs get out of my clothes?”

  Now Danny was the one who leaned away with a look that said she should know. “Don’t you remember our big wrestling match in the woods? Your little blouse didn’t stand a chance against all that pressure.”

  “Oh god.” Rena’s face went into her hands.

  “By the time the police got there, you were all undone.”

  A shudder ran through her. “No one ever told me that.”

  “Austin thinks you used them as a distraction to disarm that one cop.”

  Her hands came down and she wrapped them around her arms instead. “That is… really sick.”

  “Completely nuts,” Danny agreed without pause, her head bobbing as she looked around. “And… it’s a total load of crap.”

  It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they did Rena sent a scowl toward the other woman that would melt steel.

  Danny’s mouth twitched, again undaunted by the dangers around her. “I had to dig my cellphone out of your cleavage. Other than that, nothing else happened with your boobs.”

  “So… you just lied to me,” Rena surmised with attitude.

  Danny waved it away. “I was testing you.”

  She held up her thumb and forefinger. “I was this close to apologizing, but now you can fuck off.”

  A burst of laughter escaped Danny’s lips, but the humor was short lived. “Before I do that, there’s one thing we need to get straight. If, by some miracle, I were to believe your story—that you weren’t in control of your actions when you nearly killed my brother, Austin, Melanie and lastly me—that in no way makes me your friend.”

  “It would be awkward otherwise.”

  “But I won’t consider you an enemy, either.” Their eyes met. “That’s as far as I’m willing to go.”

  “Should that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside?” Rena said through fluttering lashes.

  “Depends on the density of your guts.”

  Well, there was something at least. “I used to be soft,” she admitted with a sigh. “My guts have hardened considerably since then.”

  Danny studied her behind an unreadable gaze. “I’ve seen glimpses of that softness in you. It throws me off. Austin tells me it’s the old you.” When Rena didn’t respond, she shook her head noncommittally. “I grew up with eight brothers. I understand men better than I do women. They can be a rough breed.” Her voice waxed philosophical. “Despite the different types, they’d all love to control us, but most of them respect the boundaries. Even when Austin held me against my will, I wouldn’t let him truly control me. I always had the option to leave and he knew I would if he pushed me too far. Men like Rafferty have no boundaries. They push because they can. The question for you is… did Rafferty push you too far?”

  It almost sounded as if Danny Cahill cared. Rena lowered her shield a little. “You know he did.”

  “Then leave.”

  With a small frown, Rena looked up and met Danny’s intense gaze.

  “Leave what he did behind you,” the woman continued firmly. “Understand that he wants to control you for the rest of your life. That he doesn’t want you to find happiness with another man. That he’ll win despite the fact you took his life. If you give him that control, he’ll always have the last word. Is that what you want?”

  No, of course not, but…. Rena waved away the possibilities. “Whether I end up with a man at all is a pretty moot point, don’t you think?”

  “Why, because you’re going back to prison?”

  “Well… yeah.”


  Danny drew up one leg and shifted so that she was facing her. “Or you’re running because you don’t think you can do it.”

  Rena’s eyes crinkled with annoyance. “I said it’s a moot point, not that I can’t do it.”

  “No matter.” The woman threw up her hands and her voice changed to one of casual indifference. “It’s all good with me. I’d personally consider it a shame for a man like Ty to get stuck with a neurotic nut job like you. He deserves better.”

  Rena’s spine instantly stiffened. “You are really starting to get on my nerves.”

  Danny drew up her other leg, rested her arms on her knees. “I have this friend, Darla, who I always thought would be perfect for him. She’s about my height, gorgeous red hair and she’s wanted Ty ever since she saw him in that fireman calendar. May be a bit of a groupie. I think she’s already done Mr. December and Mr. August, but you never know. Mr. February might stick.”

  Rena gaped only to get a mouthful of hair. She angrily dug it out and snapped, “You’d set him up with a woman like that? What kind of friend are you?”

  Affronted, Danny dropped her hands. “He could be the perfect guy for her. So what if she’s a little flawed, he’s obviously a sucker for the fixer-upper.”

  “Screw you!”

  Danny shrugged. “Tell me I’m wrong. I mean, look at you. Why on earth would he put up with your shit when he can have any woman he wants?”

  Rena’s mouth opened and closed as she searched for a good reason. “Maybe he likes a challenge over some superficial… fireman calendar groupie. I mean, what could they possibly have in common?”

  The seconds ticked by as Danny thought about it, then her back straightened. “Darla has just as many groupies as he does. That’s something right there.”

  Rena smoothed out her expression. “Why, is she a pole dancer or something?”

  Danny nodded. “Down at the Pritty Kitty. It’s an honest living, and Ty isn’t the type to judge. Obviously.”

  Holy shit. Not only wouldn’t he judge, he’d let her practice on the pole at his house! “You’re doing this on purpose,” Rena shouted as the wind hissed against their ears. “You know how I feel about him and you’re torturing me before I go back to prison.”