He did, eventually, and that’s when she first noticed the healing gunshot and stab wounds. How many had actually been inflicted by her father and brother before they died she didn’t know, but she was certain Gavin had added a few of his own to make it look as though he had tried to protect them. As far as she knew, no one ever questioned it.
Over the next few months he told her not to feel too bad about her family. They were all going to be assassinated anyway, and she should be grateful that he saved her. He loved her, he told her, and would take care of her, always.
At first she didn’t believe any of it, but over time he had told her too many details, known too many specifics, mentioned too many names for her to believe he had acted alone. And she knew that if – when – she escaped, she could never go public. She would be killed before she could open her mouth.
Over the years, Taryn would occasionally hear of the deaths of those Gavin had admitted were involved in the plot to take down her father. She suspected that Gavin was taking them out, one by one, securing his father’s place in office. From everything she’d been able to glean, however, the elder Howard knew nothing of his son’s plots.
Now there was only one other person who knew the truth, and someday, somehow, Taryn would bring him to justice. Only then would she know peace. But until then, this was a burden she had to bear alone, lest someone else’s blood fall upon her hands.
* * *
“I can’t,” she answered Kane finally, her voice heavy with a sadness so profound his chest tightened.
“Why not?”
Taryn pushed back onto her knees, and this time, Kane allowed it. The look on her face unnerved him; he had never seen so much pain in another’s eyes before. “Because you are a good man, and your family shouldn’t have to lose you as I lost mine.”
“I’m not so easy to get rid of,” Kane told her. Taryn smiled at him and kissed his cheek, but said nothing more on the subject.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Enjoying yourself?”
Jake’s voice, whisper quiet, was as cold as ice. Kane sighed as Kiara shifted in his lap at the sound of Jake’s voice. Even in the dim glow of the embers, Kane could see that the expression on his brother’s face was not a happy one.
“Yes, actually,” he goaded, simply because he was the older brother and old habits were hard to break. Knowing it would only inflame Jake further, he gently pushed a strand of hair away from her face. She looked much younger in sleep, without all of the fear and worry weighing on her features. Usually she placed herself behind him or across his back, so he didn’t get to see her clearly. “She’s quite soft and warm.”
Jake growled low in his throat, just as Kane knew he would, satisfying that deeply ingrained piss-off-your-little-brother need that he had.
Very carefully so as not to disturb her, Kane extracted himself, tucking a pillow beneath her head and covering her with a blanket before leading Jake toward his bedroom where they could speak. The lamps were already lit, allowing Kane to clearly see the daggers Jake was shooting at him with his eyes. Even with several yards between them Kane could hear the grinding of his teeth.
“I asked you to guard her, Kane,” Jake hissed, “not seduce her.”
Kane pinned hard eyes on him, all traces of the softness Taryn had managed to put there quickly evaporating. Having a little fun at his brother’s expense was one thing, but Kane would not tolerate any question of his honor. “I did not seduce her.”
“Yeah, right,” Jake snorted. “I suppose she just crawls into your lap on her own.”
“No. She usually crawls onto my back or sneaks behind me when I’m sleeping. This was a first.”
Jake’s eyes snapped to his. There was no trace of amusement or sarcasm in Kane’s expression, just simple truth. “Jesus Christ. You’re not kidding, are you?”
Kane shot him a look intended to make Jake feel stupid for even asking. Kane was not known for his sense of humor. “She has nightmares,” he said by way of explanation, blowing out a breath. “I don’t think they’re as bad when she’s not alone.”
“Since when have you grown a heart?”
Kane offered him a ghost of a smile. “Don’t kid yourself, little brother.”
“She gets to you, doesn’t she?”
Hell, yes, she got to him. Those big purple eyes, her maddeningly stubborn demeanor, the way she curled up to him at night when she thought he was sleeping. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“How’s our girl?” Ian asked as he joined them from the hidden entrance. Two sets of blue eyes remarkably like his regarded him. Kane couldn’t help but wonder how Kiara would respond to their blatant claim of possession.
“Kiara is fine,” he said pointedly. “Sleeping now, but she senses something. She’s been wired ever since you guys started showing up early this morning.”
Jake nodded, as if he expected no less. “We’ll have to wake her soon. It’s best to move before dawn.”
“To where exactly?” Kane asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought the Pub was being watched.”
“She’ll be safe enough with me,” Jake growled, his posture stiffening.
“With us,” Ian corrected. “We’ve got everyone in on this one, Kane.”
“She’s safer here. With me.”
Jake glared at him, the sheer emotion in his eyes proving Kane’s point. Jake’s objectivity was questionable; he was too close to the situation be effective.
“Kane,” Ian said, clearly sensing the approaching shit storm that was about to break loose. “Thanks for looking out for her, really. But we’ve got this.”
Kane ignored him. “You’re thinking with your dick, Jake, and that’s only going to get her killed.” Kane spoke quietly, but there was no mistaking the authoritative tone of his voice.
“Excuse me?” Jake asked incredulously, sure that he had heard wrong.
“Kiara stays put until the threat is identified.”
Blue flames lit Jake’s eyes. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he hissed.
Kane met Jake’s stare evenly. His stance was relaxed, casual, but no one was fooled. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
“You didn’t even want her here!” Jake spit out. “We know the only reason you agreed to babysit is because Dad called you on it, Kane, until we shook off the feds. If I recall correctly, you chewed my ass out for saddling you with such a – how did you put it? Oh yeah – a ‘tremendous pain in the ass’.”
In his peripheral vision, Kane caught the slight movement in the shadows as the bedroom door opened slowly, forcing him to bite off the acidic retort before he could speak it. How much had she heard? If the stunned look on her face was any indication, she had heard more than enough. For a brief moment, he felt a stab of sympathy for her, then reminded himself that sympathy wasn’t going to keep her safe.
Ian misunderstood Kane’s silence. He and Jake were facing Kane. They hadn’t seen Taryn emerge noiselessly behind them. “Kane, you fulfilled your part of the bargain. I’ve got your new sat system out in the truck, state of the art. I’ll even hook it up before we leave.”
“You. Fucking. Bastard.” Taryn’s voice was one of utter disbelief as she glared toward the three of them, focusing on Kane. “I trusted you!”
“Kiara –“ Kane started, taking a step forward, but she pulled a 9 mm and pointed it right at him, stopping him in his tracks.
“Whoa, hold on there,” Jake said, holding his palms up to calm her.
Ian spoke up, using his most soothing voice. “We are only trying to help you.”
As the reality of the situation sank in, her eyes grew impossibly wide. “You know who I am?” she whispered.
Ian nodded. Jake took a tiny step forward. Taryn squeezed the trigger and buried a bullet in the hardwood flooring half an inch to the right of his extended foot. “Don’t move,” she warned. “How?” she glanced at Ian. “How did you know?”
Ian exhaled heavily, then exchanged a glance wi
th Jake. “Jake lifted a print from your car and I ran it.”
“You did what?!?” The color drained from her face.
“We knew you were in some kind of trouble. We can help you.”
“The feds... you said the feds... they know?” She swayed a little, looking like she was going to be sick any minute, but her gun hand remained rock-steady.
“We think someone had your files tagged.”
“Oh, God.”
“We can protect you,” Jake said.
“Oh, God.”
She fired off two more shots with blinding speed, one at Ian’s feet and another at Jake’s as they attempted to move toward her once again. “I said don’t move!” she said forcefully. “All I wanted was to be left alone, to live in peace. Why?” She looked at each of them in horror. “Why have you done this?”
Taryn began to cry. Hot, angry tears coursed down her cheeks. She looked at Kane, the betrayal in her eyes a tangible thing. “You knew! You fucking bastard! This was all a big set up, wasn’t it? You knew all along and you let me believe... that you actually...” Tears rolled down her face unchecked. “Say something!” she yelled at him.
Kane stepped away from the wall, toward her, his face unreadable. The Iceman was once again in place. “Put the gun down, Kiara.” He took another step.
“Stop!” she warned him, planting a bullet near his foot. He kept coming.
“Damn you, don’t make me do this,” she pleaded, backing into the doorway. Kane took another step. This time so did Jake.
The gun discharged; Jake went down. “Son of a fucking bitch!” yelled Jake. “She shot me!”
Mid-step, Kane twisted. Another shot rang out, then Kane went down, too.
The sound of the front door slamming against the wall resounded throughout the room. “Go after her, Ian,” Kane barked, before she gets herself killed!”
Ian was out of the room in a flash. The 9mm lay on the sofa where she had flung it. A cold breeze drifted in from the wide-open door. Ian scrambled through it, looking left and right. There was no sign of her.
* * *
“She couldn’t have shot you better,” Michael said as he secured the bandage around Jake’s thigh. “Clean shot, straight through. Missed all bones and major muscles and tendons. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she didn’t want to hurt you.”
“She didn’t,” Ian said easily. “Except maybe Kane. She was real pissed at him.”
Michael couldn’t hide the smirk. “Yeah, explain that one to me.”
“He said she was a pain in the ass,” Ian said, grinning. Michael burst into gales of laughter. For Taryn had given Kane a flesh wound as well - right in the left buttock.
“I love that woman,” chuckled Jack Callaghan. “She was made to be a Callaghan.” The others looked at him strangely. The older man tapped his left shoulder with a wistful look on his face. “You know that scar I have across the back of my shoulder?” They nodded, bemused. “Your mother gave me that,” he laughed. He looked pointedly at Kane. “If I’m not mistaken, it was the same night you were conceived.”
* * *
Taryn stumbled through the brush, functioning on a combination of pure adrenaline and white hot rage. She refused to feel the hurt. The betrayal. There would be time for that later, once she had put enough distance between her and those damned Callaghans and found someplace to hole up.
She paused briefly beside a large evergreen to catch her breath. How many miles had she come? Seven? Eight? It was so hard to tell on the mountain, especially at night, but she could barely feel her legs and her lungs were burning like she had inhaled acid fumes.
Truthfully, she couldn’t believe she’d made it this far. A brief pang of guilt shot through her. What if she’d done some serious damage? What if she’d really hurt one of them? Not that they didn’t deserve it. Meddling, arrogant, self-serving bastards. Her heart clenched.
No, she told herself, she hadn’t missed. She was an excellent shot. They hadn’t counted on that at least. They seemed to know everything else about her, though.
She checked the GPS again. Not too far now. God bless you, Charlie, she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Taryn walked around the entrance at least four or five times before she saw it for what it was. It was brilliant, absolutely brilliant - a lodging built right into the mountain, like something right out of Tolkien’s Shire. Reverently, she lifted the Celtic cross from around her neck. If fit perfectly into the keyhole. Though it must have been a while since the place had last seen use, the door swung open noiselessly.
Total darkness engulfed her when the door swung shut behind her. Taryn was ready with her Maglite, shining the beam to look for the lamps she knew would be there. She quickly located one right inside the door, along with a clickable lighter. Taryn smiled. Charlie always thought of everything.
Taryn lit the oil lamp. It provided a soft but surprisingly bright glow, illuminating other lamps placed strategically around the room. One by one she lit them all, bathing the room in soft, warm light.
It was a small but decidedly cozy room, furnished with comfortable, practical pieces – a sofa, recliner, a coffee table and some end tables. Two huge bookcases filled with everything from leather-bound classics to paperback novels flanked an unusual-looking fireplace. To the far left, an archway led into a fully functional kitchenette with minimally-sized appliances, like those one might see in an RV. A small table and two chairs sat tucked in the corner, reminding her of a romantic little café.
There was a fair-sized bedroom to the back, complete with a bed, a dresser, night stand and closet. Some well-worn, comfortable looking men’s clothes still hung there. Taryn pressed her nose against one of the dark flannelled plaid shirts, instantly recognizing the scent of Old Spice – Charlie’s favorite cologne.
Wrapping the shirt around her helped her feel like Charlie was there with her as she completed her initial tour. The bathroom was minimal but functional, with a commode, vanity sink, and shower. Another small room off to the right revealed a storage area. Floor-to-ceiling shelving held airtight plastic bins, all meticulously labeled – linens, dry goods, paper product, candles, etc. It was so organized. So very Charlie.
The last room she examined contained a small washer and dryer, tools, weapons, and – Taryn blinked – a satellite-based communications system and several security monitors. It was here that Taryn spotted a well-used stack of notebooks. She took one off the top and opened it up, recognizing Charlie’s neat, draft-style writing. Her grin grew wider with each page she turned. Charlie had left step-by-step instructions on everything.
She would go through everything eventually, but at that point she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She pulled out the notebook labeled “Quickstart”, knowing that Charlie had created it especially with her in mind.
Within an hour, she had a small fire going in the fireplace. A specially designed fan pulled the smoke through the chimney, dispersing it among several smaller tubes so that no smoke would be visible outside the structure and it would be impossible to determine exactly from where the aroma had originated.
Tomorrow she would figure out how to get the geothermal pump running, a whisper-quiet creation modified by Charlie to suit his needs. She’d tackle the generator as well, which powered the water heater and major appliances. According to Charlie’s notes, it was fueled by solar and wind energies and could run indefinitely.
He was a certified genius, Taryn thought as she snuggled into the thermal sleeping bag in front of the fire. Thankfully, sleep took her quickly, before she had time to reflect upon the events of the day.
* * *
“Nobody just disappears,” Jake spat in frustration, pacing back and forth across Kane’s living room, despite the wound to his thigh. All of his brothers and his father were there, taking shifts in the search for Taryn, which had so far been unsuccessful. “Jesus Christ. Eight specially-trained operatives against one tiny female on our own goddamned turf...
”
“How cold is it out there now?” asked Ian for the tenth time. He knew, as did everyone else, that Taryn had taken off with her little pack and nothing but the clothes on her back, which, they had not failed to notice, consisted of Jake’s blue shirt, sweats, and a pair of thick socks. His eyes glanced toward her jacket, which still hung just inside the door. It was below freezing in the woods by now.
No one answered.
Jack Callaghan pulled out his cell and studied it. The hint of a smile graced his expression.
“What’s that you got there, Dad?” asked Ian curiously. The old man had been pulling it out and checking it every ten minutes or so.
“He’s checking for messages from Mrs. Kelly,” teased Kieran with a grin. “He’s sweet on her.”
With a quickness that belied his age, Jack’s hand shot out and cuffed his youngest son at the base of his skull.
“Mrs. Kelly?” said Ian, shaking his head in disbelief. “Really?”
“Your mother was and will always be the only woman for me,” Jack said firmly. “Not that any of you would have enough sense to know a good woman if she fell into your lap.” His pointed stare found Jake.
Jake had remained apart from the others, a permanent scowl etched across his features. At his father’s words, he pulled on his coat and limped toward the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Michael asked, blocking the door with his own substantial frame.
“Get the fuck out of my way, Mick,” warned Jake quietly.
“Sean and Shane are out there now. When they come back Ian and Kieran are up.”
“She’s still out there.”
“She shot you, Jake. Do you really think you should be the one to find her? Because I’m thinking you are one of the last people she’s going to come to right now. I’m no expert on women, but it seems more likely to me she’ll run off in the opposite direction and right over a cliff.” Ian held Jake back when he lunged for Michael.
Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 Page 19