In the Shadow of Vengeance

by Nancy C. Weeks

  Lightning flashed across the dark sky, illuminating the mountains in the distance. Even though the storm was too far away to hear the thunder, Elizabeth’s heart still jolted. She was raw inside, every nerve and emotion pulled to its extreme.

  Derek, his hand resting on a cane, stood by the door. Laughter erupted downstairs where Noah’s family gathered. It was a celebration, and Danny and Erin were right in the middle of it, having the time of their lives. Elizabeth needed to talk to them, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull them away. After the day they had, they needed something to laugh about again.

  Once back at the cabin, Noah’s parents, who had arrived while they were on the trail, ushered everyone into hot showers and had a feast ready that would have fed her family for a month. Mac and Jason, with their families, arrived within the hour. Emma, Jason’s twin sister, fussed over Derek’s wound. He wouldn’t have received better medical care in an emergency room. But a shower, clean clothes, and painkillers did nothing to improve his mood. The glare he gave her spoke volumes.

  “I’m doing the right thing,” she whispered, praying he would understand.

  “Your idea stinks. Give us a chance to see if the threat is over.”

  “Four marshals died today, Derek.”

  “I know. They were my friends. How is your leaving the program and going through with the craziest plan I have ever heard going to make that right?”

  She slammed her eyelids shut for an instant to stop the tears. “I can’t take one more death on my conscience.”

  “Your plan is crazy—it’s suicide, and I can tell you right now, there is a certain detective who will never go for it.”

  “It’s my choice.”

  The silence that followed was palpable. He shifted his weight and his expression softened. “It’s been a rough day. Just sleep on it, okay? Let’s see how you feel in the morning.”

  There was so much she needed to say to Derek, but all she could manage was a nod. Before she could get the words past the emotions clogging her throat, he raised a hand.

  “No more thanks. I’ve been part of Danny’s and Erin’s lives since they were babies. I would have gone after them without the badge. I just want you safe, Elizabeth.” He turned and left the room.

  There would be no changing her mind. She’d made her decision. The scope of the problem had grown, limiting her options to one.

  She’d originally agreed to stay dead and enter witness protection to protect her family from the De Rousses’ retaliation. As long as she never resurfaced, there would be no reason to go after those she loved because everyone thought she was dead. Mendoza changed that.

  She couldn’t hide behind the U.S. Marshalls Service any longer. Everyone she loved now had a target on their heads. They were leverage. Elizabeth had one chance to keep them all safe. Drawing the sweater tighter around her had no effect in keeping the chills at bay. Derek was right. Her plan was crazy, but what choice did she have?

  The arm that came around her waist almost made her jump out of her skin. “Noah,” she let out an airless whisper as she settled into his warmth. “How does someone your size move so quietly?”

  “What’s wrong, Elizabeth? What did Marshal Ramon do to upset you?”

  “He didn’t do anything. I pulled him away because I needed to discuss something with him.”

  “When I met him in the hallway, he told me to talk some sense into you. Have any idea what that’s about?” He lowered his mouth to the curve of her throat.

  She turned and threaded her hands through his wavy hair. Everything about the man, from the feel of the strength in his muscles to the scent of his shower gel, overloaded her senses, ricocheting need into every cell. Her mouth came down on his, hard, demanding. This was what she needed. After years of going without, she took and then took more. Noah lifted her, placing her back to the wall, and slammed his length against her body. He matched her need with his own, claiming her mouth, his hands roaming.

  As quickly as the moment rose, it dropped hard. Something inside her broke open, overwhelming her. Grief. Fear. Regret.

  It pressed down on her heart, and the embarrassing tears began to fall. Turning her head, she broke the kiss and pressed her hands on his chest, shoving him off her.

  “Sorry,” she choked out.

  Noah didn’t allow her to shove him far. He cupped both of his hands around her neck. “What is it? Tell me.”

  She filled her lungs with air and tried to bring herself under control. Swiping her hand over her eyes, she held his stare. “I want you, want this so bad.”

  “I’m right here, sweetheart.”

  “All around me I see people living the fairy tale. Just downstairs, your parents, brothers and sister, they all live it. But I don’t believe in it anymore. And the instant I begin to think maybe I can have it, too, the rug gets yanked out from under me. Each fall is harder than the last, you understand?”

  His expression softened, but he shook his head no. “Try again.”

  Elizabeth closed her eyes and rested her head against his beating heart. “I stopped trusting in my own ability to find a good man. That’s the reason nothing ever happened between me and Derek. I couldn’t even trust him. He saved my life over again, but I placed wall after wall between us.”

  “I hope you don’t expect me to feel sorry for the guy.”

  She let out a soft laugh. “No, you came into my life and shredded each of my walls one at a time.”

  He took his thumb and caught a lone tear. “Why the tears? We want the same thing. I love you so much.”

  “And I love you, Noah.” She spread her fingers over his chest. “I didn’t even know love like this existed.”

  Noah brushed his lips over hers, taking her mouth once again. A low noise rumbled in his throat. He was so tender, her knees shook. Before she was ready, he broke away.

  “Then marry me, allow me to become part of your family. We can have that dream,” he said.

  “I can’t. It isn’t over, and I can’t drag you into what I have to do.”

  His body tensed under her fingers, and his striking blue irises morphed into pools of black. “Don’t do this, Elizabeth.”

  “I have no choice.”

  “Are you trying to piss me off?”

  She swallowed and shook her head. “I’m coming back. I promise you that. I just have something I have to do first.”

  “Whatever it is, we’ll do it together.”

  “We can’t do this together because I’m leaving Danny and Erin with you. I have no one else.”

  “Damn it to hell. You gave me your word you would not walk away again. Does anything that comes out of your mouth mean anything?”

  “God, Noah, how could you think I would lie to you again?”

  “Did you ask Derek to relocate you?”

  “I told him I was leaving witness protection.”

  He yanked both hands through his hair and slammed his fist at his hip. “What the fuck was I supposed to talk you out of?”

  Elizabeth ignored his choice of words. He was angry and had every right to be. Her heart twisted with grief. “Mendoza let the world know I’m alive. That places targets on everyone I love.”

  “Mendoza is in hell, and Spencer placed that contract on your head. Since his assets will be frozen, the hit is void.”

  “He placed the hit for the De Rousse family. They left my family alone because I was supposed to be dead. I’m sure Spencer’s one phone call was to them.”

  “Just what in hell are you planning?”

  “I’m going to meet with the head of the De Rousse family and settle this once and for all.”

  “Like hell you are.”

  “Who are the De Rousses?” Erin asked from the doorway.

  Danny edged passed her and stormed into the room. “What do you mean, you’re leaving us with Noah?”

  Noah took her hand. “Come with me,” he said, and charged past the kids.

  She yanked her hand free. “They deserve answ
ers.”

  “I’m in love with your mom,” he said to the teens. “Do either of you have any problem with that?”

  “Noah,” she gasped.

  Erin spoke up first. “Does she love you?”

  “Yes.”

  Elizabeth let out a loud sigh. “Will you let me talk?”

  “I would like to hear what he has to say.” Danny straightened his spine, his expression mimicking Noah’s to the tea.

  “I want to marry your mom, become part of your family. She has some harebrained idea that is going to get her killed.”

  “Noah, stop!”

  “No, I promised Danny I would never lie to him.”

  Erin crossed the room and stood by her mother. “What’s going on, Mom? Please just tell us.”

  Elizabeth dropped down onto the ottoman at the foot of the bed. Erin joined her. Danny and Noah stood facing them, their stances identical. Elizabeth couldn’t help but notice the slight color in Noah’s cheeks, and she wanted to kiss away the tension pulsing at his forehead.

  In order for her children to understand her decision, they had to understand what was at stake. It was hard to get the words through the lump in her throat, but once she was able to reveal that Spencer was alive, the rest spewed out fast, one sentence slamming into the other. Noah filled in what he understood about Spencer’s relationship with Mendoza.

  Danny’s eyebrows narrowed. “Do we have to see him?”

  “No, never,” Noah barked out. He shot Elizabeth a glare, daring her to argue with him.

  There was no argument. She never expected her children to have any contact with that monster.

  “How did Mendoza connect with Spencer?” Danny asked.

  Noah placed a hand on her son’s shoulders. “My guess is that Mendoza knew everything about your mother: witness protection, who your father was before he ordered his enforcer to kidnap you. While he didn’t need the data at the time, he stored it away. Information was his greatest weapon, and he had a huge network. He probably began planning all of this the moment the cell doors closed. He wanted vengeance on Jennie and Jared, so he orchestrated this crazy-ass plan to escape prison and get them alone, isolated.”

  “But he didn’t succeed,” Erin whispered.

  Noah sucked in a breath and released it. “And that’s because Danny has an open mind. Mendoza’s plan fell apart the instant you told me about Evan Nash.”

  “I stopped him?”

  “Without you, Danny, my mind would have been closed and Mendoza would have caught all of us completely by surprise, taking us down one at a time. Part of me wanted to believe the tape was real because it meant that bastard was out of our lives. Had I not known about Evan Nash, Mendoza would have killed Jared and Jennie and then disappeared. I would have never looked at him for the murders. Mendoza had a noted doctor witness his death. I’m sure he planned to have everyone involved killed, including the man who attacked your mom, the prison doctor, and your father. Spencer was just too stupid to realize that he signed his death warrant the moment he decided to work with Mendoza.”

  From under his breath, Danny said, “I wish he got to Spencer. I know that’s a horrible thing to say.” He shot a glare at Elizabeth. “He’s not my father.”

  “Nor mine,” Erin whispered.

  Danny stood taller, straighter. “There is nothing of that man in either of us.”

  There was such pride in her son’s expression. Knowing he was part of what took down Mendoza restored Danny’s dignity. Elizabeth wanted to kiss Noah silly for giving her son what he needed to begin healing.

  “Why can’t you marry Noah? Mendoza is dead and Spencer is going to prison.”

  If she had any doubt what her son felt, his pleading eyes told her everything.

  “Spencer didn’t work alone. He worked with an organized crime family named De Rousse who is as vicious as Mendoza. They are still out there and a serious threat to all of us.”

  Noah reached for Elizabeth’s hand and tugged her off the ottoman. “And you are never going anywhere near them, sweetheart.” He nodded to the kids to join him as he charged toward the door.

  “Noah, what are you doing?” She tried to pull free, but his grip was firm.

  He paused and kissed her hard on the lips. “You have carried the burden of all this shit for years. It’s going to take time for you to learn how to lean on others.”

  This time, when his mouth took hers, it was with a new tenderness that rocked her to her core. When he broke the kiss, he held her gaze. There was something in his expression that she hadn’t seen before, a firmness, determination.

  “This crazy-ass plan of yours is a gut reaction. I get that, and this time, you’re not going to send me over the edge. Instead, I’m going to show you just how patient and understanding I can be.”

  “Really? I haven’t met that side of you yet.”

  “You’re meeting him now. The Noah you think you know would have locked you up until you came to your senses.”

  “Locked me up?” Her temper began to simmer.

  “Hell, no one would blame me. Do you actually think you can just mosey up to the De Rousses’ front door and ask them to pretty please to leave you alone?”

  Before she could get a word out of her mouth, he tugged on her hand and raced out of the room. At the bottom of the stairs, she planted her feet together and forced him to a stop.

  “Again, what are you doing?”

  “I’m keeping you from getting your beautiful head blown off your incredibly sexy shoulders.”

  “Damn it, Noah.”

  “This isn’t just your problem anymore. It’s our problem.”

  “No, it isn’t. The De Rousses don’t know who you are yet, and I’m keeping it that way.”

  “Well, I’m screaming it to the world just how involved we are, sweetheart, and you’re going to have to deal with that.”

  He charged through the kitchen doors where the family had gathered. Conversation stopped. Elizabeth couldn’t help feeling a little overwhelmed by the crowd.

  “Hey, where did you guys disappear to?” Jared studied Noah and his expression grew hard. “What’s wrong?”

  “Elizabeth thinks I’m going to allow her to meet face to face with the De Rousses. No fucking way that’s happening. I have a better plan.” He turned toward Adam. “You’re a McNeil through and through, and I’ve been a dumb shit.”

  Adam, who sat sharing a huge sundae with his wife and daughter, grinned. “True, that. So what’s this plan?”

  “I was wondering if you would mind slipping out of your McNeil skin and become your grandfather’s heir for a few minutes.”

  “Noah, stop it right now,” Elizabeth said, pulling on his elbow. She didn’t have to be filled in on Adam’s history to know that what Noah was asking was unreasonable.

  Jared stepped forward. “You can’t ask him to do that, bro.”

  Adam cleared his throat. “Yeah, he can.” He squared his shoulders. “You got him. What do you need?”

  “Does your grandfather’s name still have the same effect it had two years ago?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you scare the shit out of the De Rousse bastards and keep them away from Elizabeth and her family?”

  Adam chuckled. “It would be my pleasure.” He turned to Sarah, who held her two-year-old daughter on her lap. “Would you like to play?”

  She handed the child over to Noah’s father. “I came prepared. I began doing a full work-up on the name the instant Noah filled us in. There are all kinds of ways we can have fun with the De Rousses.” She rounded the kitchen island and grabbed her laptop. “We can begin by giving away large amounts of that old money to charities. That should get their attention fast.” Color rose in her face and she scanned the room. “I don’t intend to really steal the money but make it appear like it’s gone.”

  “We knew that was what you meant.” Adam again chuckled. “Do we do this here or in my office?”

  “Your office, and now,” Noah
demanded.

  This time, Elizabeth was fast and strong enough to jerk free when he reached for her. “Just wait a damn second.”

  Noah crowded her between him and the island. “For shame, Elizabeth.” Lowering his mouth until his lips just brushed hers, he whispered, “I’m sure that word is on your list.”

  Taking in a calming breath, she searched for patience. “And you just said—”

  “I don’t have a cussing rule for anyone except for you. Go on, say damn again. This is fun.”

  Heat rose up her neck and into her cheeks but she didn’t back down. “Please tell me what’s going on.”

  “I’m fixing your problem.”

  “By involving your sister-in-law and brother? Can’t you get it through that thick, stubborn head of yours that I will not stand by and allow one more person to be harmed by my nightmare?”

  “We’re going to play with some of their money, then give it back. At most, it’s just a phone call,” Adam murmured.

  “No, it’s not. You and your family will become associated with me. Thank you, Adam, but no, thank you.”

  Noah scrubbed both hands over his face. “What happened to us dealing with this together? You go upstairs for a half hour and revert back to this I can take care of myself shit. Well, sweetheart, you can’t do this on your own. At some point, you have to start leaning on me, trusting me. We’ll never work if you don’t.”

  “This isn’t about me not trusting you, Noah. It’s about—”

  “Protecting you and everyone that matters to you because she loves you so much,” Jennie interrupted.

  “And that love is so overwhelming, the thought of losing you makes her willing to sacrifice anything to keep you safe,” Sarah added.

  Calista rose and placed a hand on Noah’s arm. “You think it’s okay to jump in and take a bullet for her because you’re a big, macho, badass cop. It’s your right because she’s yours to protect. You don’t have the right, Noah, to keep her from loving you just as much.”

  Elizabeth hadn’t even had a chance to meet Mac’s wife yet, but she moved away from the island to join Sarah. “Elizabeth has been taking care of her family for a damn long time, and from what I have seen, doing a great job. She’s strong, independent, resilient.” She lightly punched Noah in the arm. “Dumb shit, you can’t barrel in like a bull and fix her problems for her.”