Three Weddings and a Murder

by Milan, Courtney

  He released his hold on her, and she sat up, drew in a deep breath and rubbed the back of her skull. Charlie had parked his car off the side of the road in a spot partially concealed by a grove of cypress trees, but the moon was full, and she could see the lake house up ahead. Nate’s car was parked a few yards distant from the drive, perhaps to ensure a surprise approach. How the hell had Nate tracked Simone to the lake house?

  “I’ve got signal.” Without warning, Charlie grabbed her and kissed her on the forehead with such force he may as well have bitten her—it was that gentle and that full of teeth. “Wait here and talk to the police. Do not get out of this car.”

  He pressed 911, shoved his phone in her hand, and jumped out of the Camaro.

  “Nine-one-one what is your emergency?”

  “Charlie!”

  He’d left the .45 on the dash.

  WHERE THE HELL was Charlie? During the brief moments Anna had spent on the phone with the 911 operator, she’d completely lost track of him. But if he thought she was going to wait for him in the car while he rolled up to the house unarmed…

  Cuh-rack.

  A branch snapped beneath her feet, and she froze. Pivoting her head from side to side, she surveyed her surroundings. As far as she could tell she was alone. But of course, she was relying on patches of moonlight to illuminate the way, and there were plenty of places Charlie…or Nate…might conceal himself; in that copse of chinaberry bushes to her right, for example, or maybe inside that antique wagon to her left.

  The door to the lake house stood open, and lights flared through the curtains. Once inside, she’d make an easy target, but Simone would be a sitting duck too, and she wasn’t leaving her friend to fend off a killer on her own. Gingerly, she resumed her approach. A gang of crickets provided cover for the creak of the porch steps beneath her weight. Straight-arming Uncle Joe’s gun, she sucked in a blast of oxygen, crept inside the house, and ducked behind the other side of the door. Her ears pricked at the sound of a masculine timbre.

  Nate.

  His voice, sharp and angry, was coming from an adjacent room.

  And crying.

  She heard crying too.

  Bobby!

  With her gun stuck out in front of her, tracing the circumference of her path, she spun across the room until she reached the half-closed door that led to the sound of Nate’s voice. Silently, she positioned herself to peer through the crack.

  Nate perched on a hard-back chair and, as she’d seen him do on many occasions, bounced his young son on one knee.

  Oh dear God.

  She had to cover her mouth to muffle the wheeze that escaped her lungs. Nate held Bobby on one knee and a pistol on the other. And that pistol was pointed at Simone, who huddled against the opposite wall. As Anna tightened her grip on her Colt, her arm trembled all the way from her shoulder to her wrist.

  She hadn’t lied to Charlie. She really did know how to fire this gun, but it’d been years since Uncle Joe had taken her to the shooting range. No way would she risk firing at Nate with Bobby on his knee.

  She tried to catch Simone’s eye, but it was no use. Simone’s gaze was locked on Bobby. Anna held her breath as Simone uncurled her body into a full stand and took a dangerous step toward Nate. “Please, just put the gun away before you hurt Bobby. I promise not to run.”

  “Mommy wants Daddy to put the gun down.” Nate’s knee bounced up and down fast and then faster, and Bobby stopped whimpering and substituted squeals of delight for his father’s deadly game.

  “Please, Nate. You don’t need a gun, and you know it. I—I’ll do anything you say.” Tears streamed down Simone’s face, carrying with them most of her mascara. The dramatic black streaks on her ghostly white skin made for a macabre picture almost as disturbing as Bobby innocently riding a killer’s knee.

  “That’s right, Bobby. Daddy doesn’t need a gun, does he? Daddy doesn’t need a gun when he’s got baby Bobby.” Nate’s heartless chant sent a chill down Anna’s spine.

  Simone wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Let’s just go home. I haven’t told anyone about…” her voice trailed off, and her eyes seemed to glaze over. “Let’s just go home. I won’t try to run away again. Not ever.”

  “I’d like to believe you, babe. But I thought we came to an understanding earlier, and well, that didn’t really work out, now did it? You’re quite the little actress. In fact, you deserve a nod from the Academy for that performance you gave in Drex’s office.” The corners of his mouth curved cruelly. “Hell, you almost had me convinced you were a child abuser.”

  Simone took another step forward. “You’ve got it all wrong. I tried my best to make Drex understand we’re both good parents.”

  Nate hunched one shoulder. “You tried your best to convince him we’re liars. Clever, going on the defensive like that. You wanted Drex to put Bobby in the hospital. You wanted social services to take him out of our home just so you could get him away from me—his own father. And when you realized your little scheme wasn’t working, that protective services wasn’t going to take Bobby after all, you grabbed him, and you ran.”

  “No. I—”

  Nate clucked his tongue and bounced his knee higher. “Don’t lie to me, babe. It’ll only make things worse between us.”

  Simone clasped her hands in front of her, like a supplicant in prayer. “I’m sorry. But try to put yourself in my place. I found out about Megan and Sally on Sunday, and then the next day in Drex’s office, I panicked. I realize now that you never meant to hurt those girls. I just needed more time to adjust, that’s all, Nate.”

  “You won’t try to leave me again?” His posture softened along with his tone.

  Simone’s hand covered her throat. “I promise.” And then her voice went dead. “I love you.”

  “It feels good to admit the truth, doesn’t it?” Nate asked, and Anna heard real emotion coming through his voice. Was it possible Simone could convince her husband to hand Bobby over to her? If so, Anna needed to be prepared to act. She crouched and aimed the pistol through the crack in the door—just in case she could get off a clear shot.

  Nate had a faraway look on his face, and his hold on Bobby loosened. “I didn’t have to admit the truth to you, babe. I could’ve easily convinced you I made Megan’s charm myself, and that I bought Sally’s emerald necklace at Haltom’s. But I was tired of hiding the truth from my wife. When you came home from your snoop-fest at the library, you asked me a question, and I gave you an honest answer, because I wanted you to love me for who I am. You did promise for better or for worse.” His voice turned eerily cheerful. “And after all, I killed those girls for you.”

  Simone pulled distractedly at her hair. “Please don’t say that.”

  “Why not? It’s the truth. Megan was going to tell you a pack of lies about how we had some big thing going on, when all that ever really happened between us was fucking. I couldn’t let her break us up, babe. Not to mention how pissed Drex would’ve been if he found out I was doing his girl.”

  Simone reached her arms out for Bobby. “I won’t tell, and I won’t run away. Only please stop talking now.”

  But Nate couldn’t stop talking. He kept vomiting the truth like it was a deadly toxin he had to expel or die. “Sally was even worse than Megan. Sally knew we had a brand new baby at home, and yet she still tried to steal me away from you. I only went with her because I didn’t want to touch you when you were pregnant. What if loving you had caused a miscarriage?”

  “You’re a good husband, Nate.” Simone got down on her knees. “Bobby wants his mommy now.”

  Nate chuckled under his breath, and his eyes darted about the room. “I bet I know what you’re thinking, babe. You’re thinking I went with Sally because she looks like Megan. You’re worried I’m still carrying a torch. But you got nothing to be jealous of. I hate Megan. In high school, she actually pretended to be pregnant and tried to get money from my father. I could never love a whore like that, and I killed her for y
ou, so you should say thank you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Nate tilted his head. “Mind you, I’m not saying I’ve done nothing wrong, but I did give you those presents to make amends. Megan and Sally took something away from you when they fucked your man, so I took something from them and gave it back to you. Now everything’s square.”

  Anna gritted her teeth to hold back a retch. Lowering her head and her gun at the same time she tried to fend off her queasiness. Her mind was racing even faster than her heart. How the hell was she going to take Nate down with Bobby in the line of fire? And where was Charlie? He was unarmed, and she didn’t want to think about what Nate might have done to him. Just as a dry heave she could no longer suppress roiled up inside her, she felt his hot breath on her neck.

  Charlie.

  A vicious pinch to her wrist, and her gun slid to the floor with a plop.

  A punch in the back shot excruciating pain down her spine, and a kick knocked her feet out from under her. She landed on her back, and there they were, planted ominously in front of her face.

  Hand-tooled black leather shafts. Silver hornback alligator vamps.

  Boots.

  Boots bent, grabbed her by the hair, and blew his foul, liquor-soaked breath in her face. “Hello, Anna. Welcome to the party.”

  She blinked hard, and a slick-skinned, bloated face came into focus. Nathan Carlisle Senior yanked her to her feet and stuck the cold barrel of her own .45 against her temple.

  THE CRUMBLING BRICK of the lake house scraped Charlie’s palms as he hugged the wall and crept toward the voices. He popped his head around the corner, took a split second to memorize the lay of the land and jerked out of sight once again. A sliding glass door on the back patio of the lake house provided both a curse and a blessing. It afforded him the opportunity to observe what was going on inside that back room, but it also afforded those inside that back room the opportunity to observe what was going on outside on the patio, which, quite unfortunately, was lit by a pair of floodlights. And as more rotten luck would have it, a stick was wedged in the door, eliminating his ability to enter that way. In order to launch a rescue, he’d have to travel the perimeter of the house and go in through the front.

  He popped his head around the corner again, and this time, he dared press his face against the glass and peer inside the house.

  His hands tightened into fists.

  Nate and another man had Anna and Simone backed against the far wall. Nate stood with his back to the glass. He had a gun in one hand and Bobby on his hip. At Nate’s side, the other man brandished a Colt. And because the guy had his back to the door, it took Charlie a catch-up minute to recognize him as Nate’s father.

  Goddamn it.

  Charlie jerked his face off the glass and ducked out of sight.

  He’d left Anna in what he’d believed to be the safest place for her—inside the car with a pistol to defend herself if need be. His intentions, to scout the land and the situation and come up with a plan for rescue, were good. But now he cursed his fool-headedness. Not only was Anna not waiting safely in the car, her weapon appeared to have been transferred to Carlisle.

  He should’ve known Anna would never hang back and allow him to take all the risks. It was a mistake not to include her in his plans. He should’ve trusted her. But it was way too late now to kick his own ass for being a guy. He’d have to settle for doing right by her once they got out of this mess.

  If they got out of this mess.

  Carlisle and Nate had two guns and one infant in hand, and he had—well—he had his wits.

  He’d strongly prefer a gun, but sometimes you gotta make do.

  Ha! A realization pulled his chin up.

  He didn’t just have his wits, he also had Anna, and Anna was one helluva partner. His heart slowed down a beat or two, and then he smiled, yeah, actually smiled.

  CARLISLE LED ANNA to Simone’s side and waved his gun at them. “Backs against the wall, girls. I’ll get back to you in a minute.”

  The only thing worse than being cornered by two assholes with guns, Anna thought, was being cornered by two assholes with guns who wouldn’t stop bickering.

  Carlisle turned to his son—for the third time by her count. “You can’t seriously be thinking of taking your whore of a wife home with you?”

  Simone straightened her spine and stared proudly at Carlisle. “You knew about Megan and Sally. What kind of a father are you?”

  Carlisle stroked his cheek with his weapon. “The kind who looks out for his family’s good name. Lord knows Nate never has, and if I weren’t around to help him clean up his messes, he’d be sitting in a prison cell right this minute, and I wouldn’t have my blessed little Bobby.”

  Carlisle paced a circle around Nate, wagging his pistol the whole time. “I don’t know what the hell kind of bargain you think you’re making with Simone, but she’s no less a whore than the rest of them.”

  “Stop calling my wife a whore, Sir.” Nate’s lower lip started to tremble.

  “They’re all whores, son. Even your mother tried to leave me back in the day. And you know how I turned that situation around don’t you?”

  “No, Sir.”

  “Well, I sure as shit didn’t say sorry for putting my dick where I wanted. I sure as shit didn’t give her any apology jewelry, now did I?”

  “No, Sir.”

  “I gave her a boot in her face and held a knife to her throat and fucked the fight out of her. It only took the one time to get your mother to fall in line, and I didn’t have to kill a single slut to do it. You, on the other hand, son, have killed two whores and your wife is anything but under control.”

  Carlisle aimed his gun at Simone. “Could you cover me please, son? Point your pistol at the blond hellcat, while I take care of your wife for you. It’s too late to train Simone now.”

  Nate pointed his gun at Anna.

  She looked at Nate and stopped breathing. But not from fear. This time it was hope that took her breath away.

  Charlie.

  She saw his face pressed to the sliding glass door, and then he was gone.

  Nate narrowed his eyes at Anna suspiciously, and she quickly dropped her gaze.

  Nate turned his head toward his father, and she took the chance to look back at the glass.

  She hadn’t imagined it. Charlie was at the patio door, and this time he was miming rock-the-baby and pretending to lead a marching band—or something like that. She didn’t know precisely what he was up to, but she nodded her support anyway . Her heart grew lighter and stronger at the same time. They’d already beaten Boots at his own game once tonight, surely they could do it again.

  Boots went back to bickering with Nate, and Bobby whimpered for his freedom. With a distracted sigh, Nate finally let Bobby down to crawl.

  “You never were too bright, son. So let me spell this out for you. Your wife knows you killed two women, and worse—now two people, three counting you, know I helped you cover that up. Thanks to your pansy-ass need to confess everything for no good reason at all, except your wife asked you about the jewelry, you’ve put us both in jeopardy. I risked my hide tailing Anna and Drex to the library.”

  “I never asked you to hurt them.”

  “I couldn’t take a chance on what they knew, boy. You don’t seem to understand it’s my freedom at stake too. I’m afraid you’ve left me no choice in the matter of what I have to do next.”

  “Please don’t hurt my wife, Sir.”

  “You really believe she loves you?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “And you really want to take her home and give things another try?”

  “Yes, Sir. I do, Sir.”

  “Then you’re even dumber than I thought.” Carlisle lifted his arm.

  Crack!

  A muzzle flashed.

  She heard a soft cry from Simone.

  Scarlet bloomed onto the front of Nate’s white T-shirt.

  “Dad?” Nate folded to
the ground.

  “You stupid son of a bitch.” Carlisle sidestepped to where his wailing grandson crawled in a pool of Nate’s blood. He bent and patted Bobby on the top of the head. “Let’s hope I do a better job raising you, cowpoke.”

  And that’s when the patio chair came crashing through the sliding glass door.

  CHARLIE DID THE DISAPPEARING head-bob thing again, and this time, luck was with him. Anna noticed him and flared her eyes at him. In his mind, the biggest obstacle to staging a rescue was not the fact that the men had two guns. It was the fact that they had Bobby. He didn’t want to initiate a fight without getting Bobby into some safer place than the crest of Nate’s hip. He was clear on step one, even if he had no clue what would be step two.

  Step one—get the baby away from Nate.

  Charlie had never been good at charades, but he was pretty sure rocking his arms meant baby. He darted in front of the glass door, made a rock-the-baby motion with his arms and darted back behind the side of the house.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  He jumped back to the patio, rocked the baby, and this time he brought his knees up in an exaggerated tiptoe. Anna slid her chin down and then back up. That was a nod—he hoped.

  He darted behind the cover of the bricks once more. He’d been miming a complex message to Anna: I’m going to sneak around and come in the front door. Be prepared to grab the baby and run.

  Anna had nodded at him, as if she’d understood. Maybe Anna had deciphered his code, or maybe she’d simply been planning to grab Bobby at her first opportunity all along. Either way, now was the time to get back to the front and sneak inside.

  He drew in a deep breath and started his silent trek around the side of the house. But he didn’t make it three feet before a thunderous crack reverberated through the bricks, nearly deafening him.

  He didn’t hesitate or try to reason things out. He just ran like hell back to the patio, grabbed a chair and smashed it through the sliding glass door. Following the chair, he dove into the room in a hailstorm of glass and thunder.