Jack sprang forward and hit Eve with a running tackle. At the same moment, Eve fired the gun into Enid, who lay unnaturally twisted in the thorns.
Jack saw Enid’s bone-white face and gasped. Blood seeped out from the right side of her body.
Fury burned through him. He grabbed Eve’s arm and twisted it until she screamed. He felt her hot breath as they grappled. He gave a brutal twist that sent her to her knees. The gun fell from her hand.
Eve went after the gun but Jack punched her, sending her sprawling into the dirt.
She tried to crawl away but he came after her, grabbing her hair and dragging her away from the gun.
Eve kicked and clawed at him like a wild animal, twisting from his grasp.
Jack lunged for her and, with a violent effort, she eluded his grasp and hurtled herself away from him – and over the cliff’s edge.
She made a mad grab – at nothing.
He dove forward, grabbing her wrist. As she went over, the force of her body dragged him to the edge. He grabbed at a root, which pulled them to a stop with a jerk. His shoulder felt like it was being ripped from the socket and he could hear Eve’s feet kicking at the side of the cliff – not finding a foothold.
Using the root as leverage, he tried to pull her toward him but found he couldn’t. The root loosened and he slid forward until his eyes were looking over the edge. He found himself looking down on her and the massive drop under her dangling body.
Eve looked up and their eyes latched on to each other.
Like a kick to his stomach, Jack felt the truth combust through every fiber of his being. A stranger stared up at him.
A predator.
Jack gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might. Laura was there, struggling with him, helping him save Eve.
They pulled Eve onto the dirt where she lay gasping – eyeing him with the desperation of a ensnared animal.
There was a click of the gun.
Jack and Eve turned.
Laura was taking aim, her sights locked on Eve.
Eve jumped to her feet, hideous with fury.
Cowering, Laura threw down the gun and backed away.
Eve sprang forward but Jack grabbed her ankle and jerked her back, slamming her into the dirt. He pulled her toward him, her fingernails dragging through the dirt as she resisted.
Jack climbed on top of her, pinning her.
Eve tried to twist free, reaching for the gun.
Jack put his hand around her neck and squeezed.
She stopped fighting and lay still. She gazed up at him, eyes softening.
Jack stared down at her, horrified to feel that he still wanted her. He took his hand away.
“You love me,” Eve said.
Her lips were on his and he jerked his head back, hating himself for wanting her.
Eve said, “You and me, we’re cut from the same cloth.”
Jack said in a hoarse voice, “I do love you.”
Her eyes lit up, triumphant.
Jack said, “Not enough.”
Eve’s face contorted into a grotesque mask of rage. Her curses were drowned out by the sounds of a helicopter that came in from the west and left them in a cloud of swirling dust.
Jack squinted toward Enid, wanting to help her but too afraid to loosen his grip on Eve.
“If Enid dies – I’ll kill you,” he said.
Eve gave him a look of such tenderness that it took his breath away.
He realized that everything else before that had been cheap acting. This, like her eyes meeting him over the ledge, was real.
It was the only moment she ever loved me.
And then it was gone.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX
Now comes the mystery.
–Henry Ward Beecher, on his deathbed.
“I wish I could have been there,” Bud said to Jenson, who stood at the foot of his hospital bed at John C. Lincoln Hospital. “I would have given money to see her face when they cuffed her.”
Jenson said, “It doesn’t get much better than watching Eve Hargrove cuffed like a common criminal.”
“She is a common criminal,” Bud said, wincing as he placed his hand over the pacemaker that was lodged under his skin.
Jenson said, “Vivian is facing federal kidnapping charges for Laura – I mean Lani. Not to mention the charges she racked up for running an underage sex trafficking operation out of a girls’ home.”
Bud said, “Lani Mulberry – what’s she going by? Laura or Lani?”
“Laura,” Jack said as he entered the room, pushing Enid in a wheelchair. “At least for now.”
Jenson tipped his hat and headed for the door. “I’ll be going. Nice seeing you all.”
Everyone said their goodbyes as he left.
Enid said to Bud, “Am I allowed to say I told you so?”
Jack said, “Say what you want about Eve, but if your mom had been pimping you out to your stepfather you’d end up a sociopath too – so don’t go throwing ‘I told you so’ at glass houses.”
Enid snorted.
Bud said, “Eve hired the best defense attorney out of New York – real shark.”
Jack said. “I don’t care what anybody says – she never stood a chance with a mother that used her as pedophile bait.”
Bud said, “What I figure is that Vivian, when she was stripping, was dressing up like a little girl to lure in the pedophiles. Once she found Daniel, she used eight-year-old Eve as bait to get him to marry her.”
Jack said, “Upstanding businessman Daniel Hargrove wasn’t about to marry a stripper, so Vivian had to sweeten the deal. She took in Jeni – then made up a cockamamie story about another daughter in Oklahoma that she would bring to Phoenix once she was settled.”
Bud said, “I wonder if she went so far as to cut him a deal? Give me the life I want and I’ll give you three beautiful little girls.”
Jack said, “Eve should have cut off his balls.” He looked at Enid, “You didn’t hear that.”
Enid said, “She cut out his heart. I bet she had two special blowtorches made named ‘right’ and ‘left’ for his balls.”
“Jesus, Enid,” Jack said.
Bud said, “Eve and Laura learned that if they faked sick, they could get Daniel to focus on Jeni – until Jeni couldn’t take it anymore and ran away. It was Jeni who never stood a chance.”
Jack said, “I thought it was Petunia’s husband who hired Frank Ficus to follow me. It was Eve. Laura told me that she had told Eve that Jeni asked her for money so she could hire a private detective to find her real mother.”
Bud said, “Eve knew that Jeni wasn’t her biological sister and didn’t want Jeni to find out the truth.”
Jack said, “Eve and Vivian must have had a pact – spoken or unspoken – who knows? Eve knew what her mom was doing and, as she got older, was in on the cover-up. Eve hired Frank to follow Jeni, which he did – right to my office. That’s when Eve lands on my doorstep, offering me money to drop Jeni’s case.”
“Ten thousand dollars,” Bud said.
Jack said, “You didn’t really think I was a hit man, did you?”
Bud said, “I rule nothing out.”
Jack said, “If Jeni hadn’t told me that story about her writing her tell-all autobiography – if I hadn’t told Eve – Jeni would still be alive.” He shook his head, pained. “I might as well be a hit man. I got Jeni killed.”
“What do you mean?” Enid said.
Jack said, “Jeni made me promise not to tell anyone she was writing a tell-all book about her family and what do I do? I tell Eve. The one thing Eve can’t deal with is the truth. She’d do anything, even kill, to make sure no one ever finds out the truth about her. The thought that anybody would ever even think that she wasn’t pure as the driven snow – she couldn’t stand it.”
Enid said, “But she slept with you and Chip – how does that make her pure?”
“I don’t know,” Jack said.
Enid said to Jack, “Why’d you tel
l Eve – after you promised Jeni you wouldn’t tell anyone?”
“Because I’m a fucking idiot,” Jack said.
Enid looked at Bud, questioningly. Bud was examining Jack with a frown. Enid said to Jack, “It can’t be your fault. You’re not the bad guy.”
Jack said, “Good guys and bad guys are for fairy tales, kid.”
Bud said, “No. There’s a line.”
Jack said to Bud, “Which side was I on?”
Bud remained silent.
Jack said, “A book that didn’t exist – I broke a promise and made it exist. I’m the one who got Jeni killed.”
Enid stared at him, disturbed. “So you’re a scumbag. Don’t do it again. Then maybe you won’t be a scumbag.”
Jack gave a pained smile. “Thanks, Enid. Leave it to you to rub salt in the wound.”
Bud said, “We got evidence that Eve murdered Frank. She was setting you up for the murder of Jeni and Frank. She told Frank to be there and, after Eve shoots Frank, she planted bogus records showing that he had been following you for weeks and that you were the last person to see Jeni alive.”
Jack said, “Even after she tried to frame me – we were together.”
“You were a loose end,” Bud said. “So was Laura. Eve planted Laura’s suicide note – and Daniel’s finger. She told Laura to meet her on the mountain and fed you the story of her fight with Laura – probably blackened her own eye – and then made damned sure that you went with her to ‘save’ Laura.”
Jack said, “Laura believed that Eve loved her. Like I believed Eve loved me.”
Bud said, “You can’t blame yourself about Jeni. You broke a promise but you didn’t pull the trigger.”
Jack said, “First time I met Jeni she told me she’d rather be crazy on the truth than drunk on lies.”
Bud said, “We got to the truth.”
“Did we?” Jack said with a frown.
Enid said, “What about the guy in the canal?”
“Dennie Dutter,” Bud said. “The connection was Vivian. Maybe she started the home to help girls in need – maybe she had bad intentions right from the start – we’re not sure. What we do know is that she was high-profile enough to keep the donations coming in, and at some point she needed more money and decided to get into the sex trafficking business.”
Enid said, “She was rich. Why would she do that?”
Bud said, “I never met anybody who thinks they have enough money. Vivian had a school full of girls with no one to report them missing, and Dennie was the man on the street with the connections to get the girls trapped into sex slavery.”
Enid said, “What’s going to happen to them – the girls?”
Bud said, “Child Protective Services.”
Enid said, “Eve should have killed her mother.”
Bud said, “There’s no justification for murder.”
Enid said, “Eve murdered her stepdad because he molested her, but her mother was responsible for hundreds of girls getting molested – she’s the one who deserved to get murdered.”
Bud said, “No one deserves to get murdered.”
Jack said, “With Eve it was personal and to hell with anyone else. Vivian was in it for the money.”
Enid said, “What about the therapist? The one that drugged me?”
“Gone,” Bud said, “but not forgotten – at least not by the authorities.”
Enid said, “Was he a real doctor?”
“We’re not sure,” Bud said. “There is a doctor by that name with all the right credentials but we’re not sure it’s the same guy.”
Jack looked at his watch and said, “I’m meeting with the insurance guy about my house.”
Bud said to Enid, “When are they letting you out?”
“Today,” Enid said. “They keep telling me how lucky I am to be alive.”
Bud said, “You were lucky for me. You saved my life. Thank you.”
Enid blushed and looked down.
Jack said, “You’ve done the impossible – she’s speechless.”
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN
There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.
–Jane Austen
Alone in her hospital room, Enid sat waiting for the doctor to give her the official heave-ho. She felt like her butt was becoming welded to the wheelchair and she was itching to leave. All morning, Jack had been patiently waiting with her, which had surprised her.
Twenty minutes ago, he’d gone to the cafeteria to get coffee, and she was beginning to get scared that he wasn’t coming back. His patience had set her nerves on edge – like he was playing nice before he ditched her again.
Ever since she woke up from the surgery, he’d been nice.
Too nice.
The nurses had insisted that she not stand or walk until she started physical therapy, but she felt an overwhelming urge to get out of the wheelchair and go looking for Jack.
She wheeled herself to the side of the bed and, gripping the rail, she stood. She was startled at how shaky her legs felt but she smiled in triumph. She took a step toward the door and felt her legs falter. She grabbed the table and, forgetting it was on wheels, she and the table hurtled forward.
She rammed into something solid and warm. Strong arms encircled her and eased her back to the bed.
“Enid Iglowski. You are fucking dangerous.”
She looked up.
Chip was shaking his head in exasperation. “Alone in a room – you still manage to find trouble.”
Enid flinched, thinking about the last time she saw him – running up the street after she hijacked his car. She thought of him kissing Eve and felt a stab of jealousy.
Was he still in love with Eve?
Enid cleared her throat and said, “Um, Chip.”
“Um, Enid,” he said, imitating her.
She looked at him, unsure.
Is he making fun of me?
He was smiling. Not just any smile but the most beautiful smile ever. Like the first time she ever saw him.
Enid said, “I’m sorry I hijacked your car.”
“But you’re not sorry you wrecked it?”
“That too,” she said.
Chip said, “That was a mean trick you played, kid.”
Her heart sank at the word “kid.”
Chip said, “Dad says you saved his life. I guess I should be the one thanking you.”
Enid said, “Are you still in love with Eve?”
“Have you ever pulled a punch in your life, kiddo?”
Enid reached up and said, “Help me up.”
“I just helped you not fall down. Shouldn’t you stay put?”
Enid said, “You want to thank me? Help me stand up.”
Chip helped her stand and, as he turned to get the wheelchair, she grabbed his arm.
He turned to her with a questioning look.
Before she could think better of it, Enid threw herself into his arms and kissed him.
Horrified, Chip’s arms flew out to the side as if he was denying any involvement.
Enid held him fast, determined that if she had one stolen kiss – she was going to make it count.
After what seemed like eons, Enid pulled away. She was surprised to see that his eyes were closed and his face dreamy. His hands were gently resting on her hips.
When did that happen?
Chip opened his eyes and looked at her as if for the first time.
“Enid,” he said softly.
She smiled, kissed him again. When she was done, she pulled away.
“Jesus,” he said in a wondering voice.
Enid grinned and said, “Don’t get any ideas, kid.”
His eyes widened.
She laughed, feeling suddenly carefree.
Chip leaned in to kiss her and she stopped him and said, “When I�
��m older – if you try hard enough – I might give you a chance.” She grinned mischievously into his startled face, “Maybe.”
Jack walked in carrying his coffee. He stopped, frowning. “What’s going on?”
Enid pushed Chip away and sat on the bed, “It’s about time – I’m starving! Let’s get out of here.”
Chip stepped out of the way as Jack got the wheelchair and helped Enid into it.
Jack said, “We got the go-ahead to leave.”
“Cool beans,” Enid said.
Chip said, “Enid, I – ”
Jack pushed her out the door and, not able to resist, Enid looked back at Chip – and winked.
Enid decided that the only thing more beautiful to her than Chip’s beautiful face – was the startled expression that splashed across his beautiful face when she winked at him.
Two days later, Jack and Enid stood in front of Laura’s house. A rental car was loaded with luggage and Laura had Faith buckled into the baby seat when she turned to face them. The early morning sun shone on her pale face as she smiled shyly. “Thanks again for seeing me off.”
Enid said, “Are you going to be okay? I mean – with the baby and all?”
Laura said, “I thought about flying but I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have a family in Oklahoma. They wanted to fly out but I talked them into letting me drive there. I guess it’s my way of giving myself more time.”
Jack nodded at the baby. “When she’s older – what are you going to tell her? The truth?”
Laura said, “If you were her father – would you?”
Jack frowned, unsure.
Laura reached into her purse and pulled out a photograph, held it out to him. “Maybe you want this. Maybe you don’t.”
Jack took the photo but didn’t look at it.
Enid leaned in to see it. It was a black-and-white photo of Eve. Her eyes looked out from the photograph, dark with mystery.
Jack put the photo into his shirt pocket, unseen. He said to Laura, “If you need help, I hope you know you can call me. I can’t promise anything – but I can try.”
Gunning For Angels (Fallen Angels Book 1) Page 34