“That’s part of the life…and he wanted you to be part of us. Don’t you see how important that was? He trusted me to bring you to him…” Tessa lifted the rifle, her head shaking. “Then he only wanted you…and he hurt me because you wouldn’t cooperate. When I came back…he wouldn’t even talk to me…that was all your fault.”
“No. You’re confused,” Eden said from behind Hayley, frowning at her friend when she tried stepping around her. “Hayley tried to make things right.”
“No. She wanted him all for herself,” Tessa came forward, wearing heavy jeans and a thick Shepard jacket, she held the rifle confidently. The point never wavered from Hayley.
“I…oh, hell no…” Hayley answered without much thought. “I have more than I can handle…”
“You should have been with us,” Tessa insisted. “But we can be together now. I’ll make it all right.”
“Umm…Derrick is dead, Tessa. The lieutenant…”
“She found him…I know…but that doesn’t matter. That’s just his outer shell. We’ll join him and be together…I have it all planned out.” Tessa motioned with the rifle. “Step away from her. My truck is parked out behind here…we need to go…”
“I can’t go with you, Tessa. I think you should come with me…we’ll go to the hospital…” Hayley held out her hand but lowered it quickly when the rifle was cocked.
“Or not,” Eden murmured.
“Let Eden leave. She should go back to the party so people believe everything is normal,” Hayley suggested, calmly taking a step forward. She ignored the stunned denial on Eden’s face. “And you and I can go for a drive, Tessa.”
“I told Derrick we belonged together,” Tessa said, nodding slowly. “I told him. He shouted at me…he was so angry…he lost his job and…and it was all your fault. I tried telling him I’d bring you to him. Just give me a little time…please…” her voice slipped to nothing. “But he wouldn’t listen. He hit me and said to get out of his house. He wanted nothing to do with me or…or the other bitch.”
“Tessa…he wasn’t a good person. I’m sorry if he hurt you. You don’t deserve to be hurt that way,” Hayley took another cautious step forward. Her hands hung at her sides, palms toward Eden and waving lightly, urging her to go. “I’ll come with you. Eden has to go back to the party, all right?”
“We don’t need her. Derrick just wants you and me,” Tessa said firmly, stepping back a pace and watching Hayley. “She can’t go. Put her in the room…” she gestured to the tack room off to the right. “Close the door and lock it.”
“I don’t have the keys…” Hayley looked helplessly at Eden. “There’s a heater in there…you won’t be cold.”
“Block the door. Let’s go…”
“I can’t go with you,” Hayley said once the door closed and she knew Eden was safe. She stood in front of the door. “I’m sorry it didn’t work, Tessa. What happened to you? Can we talk? Maybe get some coffee…remember how we used to sit for hours drinking too much caffeine and laughing and talking about our patients? I miss that Tessa…”
“You were my friend…”
“I’m still your friend,” Hayley said softly. “Let me take you to the hospital. You can talk to them…”
Chapter Forty-Two
Jack was leaning on the large polished bar, one boot caught on the slim rail that rounded the bottom. He wasn’t thinking of much. He was scanning the room, watching Dane on the floor with the girls, but no sign of Hayley. Her brother had avoided them since Marshall Russell became involved.
His body went into instant alert when Rafe came striding toward him, weaving around people and not pausing until he was at the bar with Jack.
“Where’s Hayley?” Rafe demanded, a phone in his hand that he tapped over.
“I heard her say she was going to visit the lambs again,” Jack said, his gaze sweeping from the concern on Rafe’s face to the phone he set on the bar top.
“Eden went with her…listen…”
For a few tense minutes, they listened to the unfamiliar voice and Hayley speaking.
Jack pulled his phone from the pocket of his vest, tapping in a text and hitting send to the Lieutenant. Then he put his fingers to his lips, a low long whistle spread across the room. A few seconds later, Dane was at his side, the three of them striding toward the exit.
Jack began talking, his voice low as they moved.
Marshall and Dell joined them, looking puzzled but not asking questions that would slow anyone down. They listened to the ending of the explanation, each man’s frown deepening. Until they reached the outside.
“How many exits in the building?” Dane asked flatly, his gaze skirting the area.
“Three,” Marshall answered without hesitation. “What’s the problem?”
“The woman who shot at Hayley has her and Eden in the barn,” Jack answered, all the while his gaze sweeping the area. “I’ll go around back. If there’s a vehicle, I’ll see about disabling it. I sent a note to the Lieutenant…but she’s easily ten minutes north of here.”
“I’ll come with you,” Dell said firmly. “I know this building like my own house. If nothing else, we can push the vehicle out of the way.”
“We had the gates open. We didn’t think about…” Marshall shook his head.
“She’ll be fine,” Dane told him, willing them all to believe it. “She’s smart and keeping the woman talking.”
The men froze when the side door slowly began to ease open, a dark head appearing in the slight opening. Rafe was across the frozen ground, his hands out and pulling Eden through.
“She locked me in the tack room,” she breathed in relief. “She’s a little on the crazy side. She’s taking Hayley to this guy Derrick…”
“Derrick’s dead,” Dane said flatly. “He was shot with the same weapon that fired on Hayley in her truck.”
“Yeah…I know…Hayley said the same thing…and she has the gun…long rifle…” Eden scowled at Rafe when he tried pushing her behind him. “Hey…easy there…I’m not going anywhere and I’m fine.”
“I know better than to send you anywhere,” Rafe replied, holding her close as they approached the front.
“Jack and Dell went to the back,” Dane moved to the door.
“If you go in there…she’ll shoot,” Eden told them, her head shaking. “She’s seriously in a different world. Hayley’s trying to reach her…but I’m not sure she can.”
No one spoke but Dane reached for the handle, stopping only when Marshall put a hand on his. They looked at one another.
“I won’t let her be hurt,” Dane said simply. “Wait here for the police.”
Dane slipped inside the darkened barn. Low lights were set up along the walls, the ability to turn them on full in the switches. He’d learned that from Hayley. But most of the time, they were kept low for the animals.
He held his breath, moving quietly through the door and easing it silently closed behind him. He stuck to the right. The direction he remembered from his only time in the large barn. The tack room, where Eden had been, was on this side.
He had no idea what to do. He wasn’t sure what he could do. A distraction might work. Jack would move the vehicle or disable it, but it wouldn’t stop her from hurting Hayley if she was close enough.
Or simply shooting randomly.
Merry fucking Christmas.
Somehow he knew their girl wasn’t seeing things that way. It wasn’t the fault of the day. He sighed, long and soft, his body coming to an abrupt stop at the corner of the tack room. He could just see past the edge, the slight sparkle in Hayley’s dress catching the dim light from around the barn.
The animals didn’t seem to notice him, and he really was grateful for that.
Outside, Jack and Dell had quickly found the small truck. The door was open and keys inside. She evidently didn’t expect problems. But to keep from making noise, Dell slipped inside. He released the brake and Jack pushed until it was around the far side of the large barn, out
of sight.
Hopefully, out of sight enough to through her off balance.
Jack moved to the door, one hand up and rubbing the back of his neck. Busting in would make a disturbance, but not the kind he wanted to make when someone unstable held a gun in their hands.
“We need to get Hayley out of there,” Dell said through his teeth.
“No kidding…we have to wait for them to come out. We can’t see where she is…or where Hayley is…” Jack stared at him when he started to speak. “Handing a crazy person another hostage isn’t a bright idea…but if it was, it would be me. Anything happens to you, and she’ll never forgive me.”
Jack took in a long breath and reached for the door after motioning Dell to the side.
“Hayley?” Jack called out loudly. “We’re ready to go home. I think I’ve had enough food…”
He pulled the door wide, feigning surprise at the woman aiming a gun at him.
That’s when things got wild.
Hayley threw herself forward, her hands out and pushing the barrel of the rifle toward the ceiling.
Dane came from the side, grabbing her around the middle and pulling her to the ground, rolling with her out of the way.
The gun went off, but only the ceiling was hurt.
Jack grabbed the woman around the middle while Dell grabbed the gun, tossing it quickly outside and out of the way. Jack had her arms pinned to her sides while she screamed and kicked out at his shins. He was glad of his boots and gave her a sharp shake.
“Shut up,” he ground through his teeth. “Get some rope of something. We’ll bundle her up for the police when they get here. Okay over there?” Jack looked toward the couple prone on the floor, Hayley’s body lying over Dane’s, whose arms were wrapped very tightly around her. “Nice move, cowgirl.”
“Oh, god…I think my lungs are bruised…” Hayley groaned, her head thumping down on Dane’s chest. “No one was hurt?”
“No one was hurt, babe. All is safe and quiet again,” Jack promised, glancing at Dell who brought some twine forward. “Let your dad and Rafe know things are…oh, well…never mind…want to hold her while I do some rope on her hands?”
“Not a problem,” Dell said, his hands strong and firmly holding Tessa in place by her arms, hands behind her.
The fight seemed to have gone out of her and she stood numbly letting Jack secure her hands behind her. He pushed her toward Dell when he was satisfied she wouldn’t break free and hold another weapon on them. A short three steps had him dropping to his heels.
One hand ran over Hayley’s head. The other was held out.
“Need some help off the ground?”
“Naw…I think I’m good…” But Dane groaned when Hayley slipped to the side and onto her feet. “I’m getting way too old for this kind of shit,” he mumbled, taking Jack’s hand and climbing to his feet. Hands dusted at the straw over his back and legs.
“How did you know?” Hayley looked from one to the other, satisfied that everyone was, indeed, safe.
“Eden had her phone in the pocket of her skirt,” Rafe answered, holding her close. “She has one of the older phones with buttons…”
“I’m never giving it up,” Eden murmured from her spot tucked safely against Rafe.
“We heard the conversation,” Jack continued. “I sent a text to the Lieutenant…”
“Who just happened to arrive at the same time as the gun shot went off,” Natalie Templeton stepped into the barn, two uniformed officers behind her. “Tessa Canton?”
Hayley pointed to the woman sitting on a bale of hay. “The rifle…”
“In the yard behind me,” Dell answered, striding out and lifting it with his gloves on. “I take it this is what shot at Hayley?”
“Probably,” Natalie took the weapon, carefully handling it before wrapping it in a cloth brought to her by one of the uniforms. “Take her to the station. I’ll be in later and get charges drawn up. Process her and make sure they know there is to be no bail until we have a psych hearing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the younger man told her, leading Tessa from the room. His partner took the rifle.
“I’m sorry about your holiday,” Hayley winced.
“I think my husband is getting used to it,” she said with a chuckle, the tall man walking into the barn put an arm around her middle. “He insisted on coming along in case there was blood.”
“No blood…thank goodness. But we have tons of food,” Hayley said with a sigh, her arm around Jack’s middle. “Come have some food and dessert and even a cold drink.”
“Now that I think we can handle,” Tre decided for her. He held his hand out to those he didn’t know. “Tre Thorne.”
With introductions being handled as they walked out of the barn and across the yard, they realized that a lot of the inside had moved to the porch. Heads were bent, voices hushed as they watched the patrol car drive off.
“You’re safe now?” Katie asked, looking from one to the other.
“I’m safe now,” Hayley said with a smile. “She’s being taken to the police station. This is Lieutenant Templeton and her husband, Tre Thorne. Since we have tons of food inside…I invited them to share with us.”
Voices, almost returned to normal, filtered back into the large, open banquet room. The tables were still in the large semi-circle and people refilled plates and began asking questions.
Hayley relaxed back in her chair, her eyes closed for a long minute. Jack, Dane and Rafe were handling the answers. Dell spoke now and then, along with her father. They would always be there to take care of her when she needed it most.
And let her fly when she needed that, too.
“That was quite a speech you gave before we went into the brunch,” Jack said when they’d returned to her house. Pajamas were in place and they were all relaxing on the sofa. The fireplace flared with bright orange and heat; the Christmas lights sparkled and twinkled off the surfaces of glass around the room.
Hayley sat beneath a thick quilt, her fingers toying with the angel she’d slid onto the sterling chain that had come with them. This one said LOVE in a delicate scrawl across the otherwise smooth surface.
“That seems like ages ago…” she said wearily.
“The part about loving us…” Dane picked up. When she’d made the declaration, they had stared at her and then each other, more than a little stunned.
“It’s true. It might have happened quickly…but it’s still true. I don’t think you’d have invited me to live with you if it wasn’t…and I certainly wouldn’t have agreed, if I didn’t love you both,” she said, snuggling down against Dane. “It’s been a very wonderful holiday.”
“One of the best ones I’ve ever had,” Jack agreed with a grin that was mirrored on Dane’s face. “I love you, babe.”
Dane kissed her forehead. “I love you…sass and all.”
Independence: #4 Hayley Page 29