by Rhonda Lott
Pierce was desperate. That was a huge problem. The man wanted lucrative government contracts. Greed was Pierces greatest vice. West Haven and everyone he loved were in more danger than he’d thought. If Pierce had to walk through the fires of hell and kiss the Devil’s ass for a buck, the dick would smile as he walked through the brimstone.
Pierce might have a healthy fear of “Trigger Man”, but he loved money beyond his own life and Elliot had invited the murdering maniac into West Haven, into his home.
**
Charred wood scent lingered in the afternoon air. Clouds heavy with the promise of snow covered the sun, casting the town in a sad gray shadow. Gabby sat the last of the bottled water on an extended folding table. Brook and Raven chatted as they helped her put refreshments out for the town folk who were busily cleaning up debris from the burnt out buildings. Some of the men were using bulldozers to carry off the blackened remains of what was once staples of the community.
A pang of guilt pierced her heart at the destruction of her home. A gaping open wound to the body of West Haven. What will the owners of these shops do without the help of their neighbors? Everyone turned out to help them clean up and rebuild. Sale baked goods and crafts to donate to them to replenish their stores. This was the grace of her home. The generosity of her people. The healing had begun and with care West Haven would recover.
The question on everyone’s mind and on their lips was how could this have happened? There were no answers. Gabby knew the ugly truth and the churning guilt of it weighed a ton on her shoulders. Brady and Night Corp’s message for Elliot at the expense of the town left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Spill it girl.” Raven demanded, bumping Gabby with her hip.
“Huh?” Gabby sputtered, jolted out of her somber thoughts. “Spill what?”
Raven gave a dramatic eye roll, while Brook slung an arm over Gabby’s shoulder. “Explain why you’re so quiet and sullen today and why your man and ours took off this morning on some hush, hush meeting.” Brook asked.
Gabby opened and closed her mouth, but words failed her. What in the world was she to tell them? Well ladies. Elliot was a killer for hire and his former company blew up our town. Not. The men were off making plans. What plans she didn’t have a clue. Her insides were twisted in knots. Wanting to confess what she knew to her close friends, get some advice and direction. The longing to unload on them rode her hard as hell. Unloading on them would have her friends freaking out needlessly. There was nothing any of them could do.
“You see Brook, she’s stalling. She knows something.” Raven accused.
Gabby felt trapped. “I had sex with Elliot.” She blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
Both women stared at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. Brook frowned and Raven grinned, then they both whooped with laughter.
“That’s what’s got you all sour faced today.” Raven hugged her up tight and jumped up and down. “My girl did the dirty with El. Hot damn. It’s been so long, did you remember how?”
Gabby screwed up her face. Getting herself out of talking about the men and the town landed her in more trouble. Raven was on a roll and when Raven got started there was no stopping the questions and jokes and outlandish remarks.
Brook wedged herself between them. “If you had sex and now you look like you’re about to cry that can only mean you regret it. Do you?”
“No, I don’t regret anything. Can we just drop it for now, and that means you keep the dirty comments to a minimum.” Gabby pointed at Raven, who gave her a wide eyed innocent look.
Brook chuckled. Her gaze traveled beyond Gabby and Raven. A slow grin spread across her face and her chocolate brown eyes lit up.
“Speak of the Devil.” She said.
Gabby swiveled her head around. Carter, Dean, and Elliot got out of Carter’s Jeep. Gabby caught her breath at the sight of the three glorious specimens of masculinity. Tall, broad, and ruggedly handsome each in their own way. Elliot, in her humble opinion was by far the most dangerously appealing.
“You see what I see, ladies. Tell me, how did we get so lucky?” Brook said.
Raven back peddled in the guy’s direction. “I don’t know what you two did, but I almost got burned alive to get my knight in kaki armor.” She backed right into Carter’s chest. Then squealed with delight when he picked her up and planted a kiss on her neck.
“Oh please, you’re not the only one.” Brook shouted.
Dean grabbed Brook by the waist and hugged her up tight. The two couples were instantly engrossed in each other. Gabby smiled at the love her friends had for their partners.
Then he was there. Elliot’s shadow blocked out everything else. She swayed, pulled by unseen strings into his waiting arms.
Her stomach fluttered. With one finger, he tilted her face up. Her heart beats kicked up a notch, thumping against her ribs. Elliot kissed her, lips cold, firm, and delectable. Gabby was lost, suspended in the moment. She absorbed him into herself. He sipped from her, long sweet strokes of his tongue across hers. He demanded nothing, but offered so much in his kiss.
Gabby pressed into his hard body. Thick arms slid around her waist as El deepened the kiss. When they pulled apart, Elliot smiled down at her.
“I missed you, my Sweetheart.”
“I missed you, my El.” She took a deep inhale and his fresh pine scent tingled down to her toes. “How’s the plans coming along?”
Elliot’s relaxed features tightened. “Plans are fine, but won’t work for Pierce. We’ve been over and over what to do, but in the end it comes down to Pierce accepting a peaceful, non-violent exchange. He’s in this for billions of dollars. No amount of negotiations will work for a man like him.” Elliot released her and stepped back, turning away.
Gabby grabbed hold of his elbow. “What will work?” She asked.
“A bullet right between the eyes. Pierce has to die, Gabby.” Elliot’s voice sliced through her like shards of ice.
“Elliot, you can’t kill him in cold blood.” She demanded.
Elliot’s eyes glazed over and a look of pure evil crossed over his face. The sun hid behind the darkened clouds and the noise of the working crowd dimmed. Elliot wasn’t just talking about taking Pierce’s life. The look on his face told her he’d made up his mind.
“Oh, but I can kill him, and I will.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Gabby let her hand slip from his arm and quickly stepped away from him. Equal parts revulsion and shock on her face. He’d fucked up. Never should have told her about killing Pierce. Innocent, loving Gabby had no idea the kind of people they were dealing with. She believed in reason and most of all honesty.
Pierce and his cohorts wouldn’t know honest, if the word was tattooed across their foreheads. A knife in the back, yeah. A slit throat in the night, sure, but honesty, not so fucking much. The damage was done. Gabby’s beautiful face turned ashen with the knowledge he planned to kill again. Condemnation, her body hummed with it.
Gabby frowned at him from under her winter hat. Her thick locks ruffling as the breeze kicked up. People all around them worked hurriedly to complete as many tasks as possible in repairing the destroyed stores before the snow returned. Which by the look of the sky, would be soon. Elliot felt as bleak as the day around him. The demolished Main Street resembled his self-demolished life. When he walked away from Night Corp, he was so full of himself. He had the upper hand and if Pierce knew what was good for him, he would stay far away. Life has a way of turning on you and now Pierce was holding all the cards.
Pierce built a company on death. What could a small town and a washed up mercenary do against his heavy hitters. Elliot planned to leave West Haven, find Pierce, and do what he did best.
Telling Gabby about killing Pierce wasn’t in his plans. The truth was out there now and he wasn’t about to take it back. She would be hurt if he killed the man and possibly dead if he didn’t.
This was his cross to bear. Losing Gabby was the b
asic outcome anyway. He knew that from the beginning. If he took Pierce out she would live, even if that meant she would be living without him.
“Never mind. Let’s not have this discussion here.” He said, moving away.
Gabby grunted behind him and shifted around to face him. “Hold the phone Mr. You don’t just spit out your about to kill a man and get to walk away.” She placed her hand on his chest. “Elliot you told me you’ve changed. I believed you. How does this shit work?”
“The game has changed, the rules are out the window. Nothing I say will get Pierce to back off.” He argued.
Gabby pulled her hands away from him and crossed them over her chest. Elliot pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. The coldness of the afternoon seeping into his very bones. Avoiding this conversation and heading home to a warm fire was out of the question.
Gabriella was sweet and kind of heart, but she was also tenacious when it came to those she cared about. A fierce fighter in your corner completely. She’d kick your ass if she needed to, then kiss it better because her heart was just that way. His Gabby.
He took in the determined set of her brow and knew she had her teeth firmly lodged in this fight and wasn’t letting him slide.
“Gabs listen I…”
“Nope, no way. Not listening to bullshit El. How long have you been fighting the demons of your past?” She held up her palm before he could answer. “Too damn long. Now you want to add to the death toll. What on the face of this planet could cause you to automatically choose to kill again?”
“You and mom, that’s what. You’re the reasons. Pierce will keep coming back threatening, possibly hurting either or both of you. I have to stop him. This is the only way.” Elliot grasped her shoulders. Why didn’t she understand? “Dead don’t come back.”
Elliot pushed away from her. He wanted to take her into his embrace and promise anything to get rid of the look of disappointment on her beautiful face.
“We can find a way without you having to do this. I know you want this to be over. So do I, but who will you become once the deed is done? We can give him what he wants, then he won’t have any reason to cause us trouble.” She all but pleaded.
His irritation rose to a boil. How hard was it to understand? The choices were gone. His fucking back was against a wall here. Did she honestly believe that he wanted to go there, pulling the trigger again after vowing to never kill again?
“That isn’t an option any longer. Money is Pierce’s motivation now. Even if I give him the evidence. I still hold the knowledge up here.” He tapped his forehead. “And he can’t be certain who I’ve passed it on to. Pierce has to die for any of us to be safe.” He pulled her gloved hands back to his chest. “I can live with Pierce’s death by my hand, but I cannot live with you dying because of me.”
Elliot craved with every fiber of his being her acceptance. She shook her head slowly back and forth as if she didn’t recognize him. He knew he had lost her. Gabby couldn’t or wouldn’t accept this.
He should have known he was just too fucked up for a woman as good as Gabby. Elliot knew it from the start, but to have a taste of her love only to have it snatched away, pissed him off to high hell and back.
Anger and regret filled him. Not at his Gabby, at Night Corp, at Pierce, but mostly at himself. He was the nail in the coffin. The final answer to the question. He was death personified and there would never be peace in his heart.
“Elliot,” Gabby placed her palm to the tick in his cheek. Her eyes awash with tears. “The man I know would find another way, other than killing. The man I know isn’t the fucking Trigger Man.”
Elliot’s heart squeezed, then froze. “Then you don’t know me, because that’s all I am.”
She sucked in a shocked breath and it sounded harsh and painful on the frigid air. Gabby pulled away. The tears that threatened to escape, fell, streaking down her face.
“No, I guess I don’t know you after all.” She choked out.
There in the midst of a destroyed West Haven Gabby, back straight, head high, and without another word, walked out of his life.
**
Gabby and Brook started their four wheelers.
“Tell me why we’re doing this again?” Gabby asked sharply.
Brook ignored Gabby’s snippiness as she tied a mean looking ax to the back of her bike.
“Because Dean and his ranch hands, Gavin and Tony are busy with the horses and I want my Christmas tree now.” Brook climbed on and hit the ignition.
They were both dressed for the weather with thick layers, hat, boots, and gloves. Even so, the crisp air stung Gabby’s exposed face. She was more than use to driving the bike in such conditions.
Gabby took off after her friend with nagging concern in her heart. Brook wasn’t very talkative during Sunday dinner. To be honest, Gabby wasn’t either.
The two of them had the house to themselves. Dean was only there for a brief time before taking off to deal with a horse problem, or some ranch emergency. Chris was spending the night with a friend. The joyous evening she had expected didn’t materialize. Brook was still uncharacteristically silent as they raced towards the tree line.
They made it into the cover of the trees, following a well-used trail. The earthy fragrance overwhelmed her senses as they slowed down, because of overhanging snow laden tree limbs. The pine scent reminded her of Elliot. He was all she could think about for the past two days.
“You don’t know me.” His words replayed over and over again in her mind. Did she not know him? Was it all a lie? No Gabby dismissed the thoughts.
She couldn’t bring herself to believe Elliot was a cold blooded killer, no matter how much he professed that was all he was. He helped the people around him. Was a loving son. He wasn’t heartless in the least.
He made her happy with his sexy as hell smiles and rough but gentle hands. He was her El and she knew him. A small nugget of doubt still remained.
What if he killed Pierce and went back to his old life. What if this last kill pushed him over the edge? By breaking his vow and in turn breaking the man himself.
Brook came to a halt and pointed a gloved finger at a fat Red Fir not far off the trail.
“That’s the one we want.” Her boots hit the ground and she untied the ax leaning it on her shoulder. “Now, let’s get er done.”
Gabby chuckled. “You’ve been around those ranchers too long. They’re rubbing off on you, Teacher Lady.”
Brook cast her a grin over her shoulder. “Here you go.” She handed Gabby the ax.
“What? You want me to chop the tree down? I thought this was your thing and I was here to supervise.” Gabby said, taking the handle from her friend.
“Yeah, I’m sure you did think that.” She shrugged, giving the fir a good once over. “It’s not too big and the base isn’t overly thick. You can get it down, no problem. I have a feeling this is just what you need.”
Gabby’s head swiveled, gazing at the tree and then the mad woman who had taken the form of her friend.
“This is not what I need, swinging a damn ax in the freezing cold. Ever heard of a chainsaw, huh?” Gabby grumbled in Brook’s direction before taking a whack at the tree trunk.
Snow cascaded to the ground and a burst of pine scent filled the air. The effort felt satisfying somehow, so she took another chop, then another.
“What’s got you upset Gabby?” Brook asked.
Gabby didn’t stop swinging at the tree. Brook held up her hand when Gabby did open her mouth to speak.
“Keep on working, but give me some honest answers. Dean is grumpy when he has a lot on his mind. Yeah, I know he looks grumpy most of the time, but I can tell there’s something seriously bothering him. I’ve got a feeling he’s worried about you. Judging by the sadness coming off you, my gut tells me you’re in deep trouble. Am I right?”
There was deep concern in Brook’s bright brown eyes. Gabby couldn’t hold back the words. She started with the first time she’d met Elli
ot and the instant attraction she felt for the handsome newcomer.
Chop after chop, she told of their budding relationship, his confession about his past, and ending with the argument that pulled them apart. With each swing of the ax she opened up more. It was a relief to expel all her fear and uncertainty. Gabby unleashed all her pent up frustration on the poor defenseless evergreen.
The fir fell to the snow and Gabby dropped the ax. The muscles of her arm burned and fell like limp noodles to her side. Gabby was drained of energy, but felt remarkably unburdened. Heaving a deep sigh, she glanced over at Brook. A gloved hand covered Brook’s mouth, eyes wide.
“Wow! You did need this. I’m speechless.” She hugged Gabby tight to her chest for a few quiet moments, before sliding back. “You’ve been going through all this and didn’t come to me? Gabby why?”
The look of betrayal on Brook’s face ripped into Gabby’s heart. The woman had become like a sister to her. Her biological sister was gone and Brook was now the mother of Nat’s son. Brook didn’t try and take Nat’s place in any of their lives. She simply made her own place. Dean and Chris loved her and so did Gabby. They were family.
“I didn’t want to reveal Elliot’s secret, it’s his to tell. I’m so confused and holding all that back was eating me up.” Gabby couldn’t hold herself upright another second. “I don’t know how to fix this mess.” She moaned, her body sagged to the ground. She sat there in the snow not feeling the cold. It was a mighty relief to talk to Brook but the anxiety still coursed through her.
Brook remained silent for a long while, studying the fallen tree. When she looked down at Gabby, her face was drawn and stern. Her boot began a steady tapping on the ice.