Chloe was more than aware of that. Her face remained calm and neutral as she nodded in acceptance of his words, though her insides were seething. She would give anything to see his sorry dumb ass lying motionless, moaning in agony on a couch with a bucket before him.
Chloe took down a sauce pan. “Why not use the kettle?” Deegan asked, his demeanor helpful. “It’s easier.”
Chloe turned. Calmly, she took two carton containers from the double stainless steel refrigerator, splashing a generous amount of first one into the pan followed by a dollop of the other. “I like to cook it slow, it tastes better with lovely warm milk and a splash of cream instead of flavorless water.”
Chloe took down the hot chocolate mix from the cupboard. She added two heaping tablespoons to the sauce pan, stirring slowly, deliberately concentrating on the task at hand. Once in motion she realized there would be no going back. Do or die. She was committed. For a second she clutched her medallion to give her the strength of her family. She could do this; she needed to be home.
Hiding her actions with her back turned to Deegan, she turned up the natural gas as high as it would go, scalding the chocolate milk to a rolling boiling point. If she failed, Deegan was certain to kill her. She took a deep breath and set her plan in motion.
“Oh dear, I spilled some.” Chloe reached for the tea towel, unobtrusively bringing it closer to the flames. Her heart hammered under her breast. Her hands shook; it was time. Now or never.
Chloe lit the fabric. Once the towel was engulfed before her, Chloe screamed as though terrified. She dropped the towel onto the counter and moved back, taking the boiling hot chocolate with her.
Deegan was in action immediately. He dropped his paper, spilling his coffee when he jumped to his feet. His mug smashed into pieces when it hit the ground, the chair clattered to the floor behind him. He raced to her side and reached for the towel, intent on throwing it in the sink, but screamed himself when Chloe threw the scalding milk directly into his face, burning his eyes.
His hands came up too late. He dropped heavily to his knees, howling out his agony. The sauce pan whacked him across the back of his head, sending him face forward into a cupboard, then clattered to the ground.
Chloe was running. Her breath came in labored gasps as she shoved her way behind the armoire. She could hear Deegan’s bellows of furious rage and she gritted her teeth. She didn’t have much time.
With a strength born of desperation, Chloe heaved her weight against the solid piece of furniture. It tipped slightly, then settled back into place. Chloe heaved again, her panic rising. She hadn’t realized it would be so heavy. No wonder Deegan hadn’t worried about the vent. He must have been certain she would never be able to move the heavy piece of furniture.
“Chloe, you’re dead!”
Chloe shoved harder and harder, bracing her legs back behind her against the wall, gaining leverage with each inch, pushing, shoving. The armoire teetered, and then tipped while Chloe screamed with exertion. She then jumped to the side as the massive oak cabinet crashed to the ground, parts of it smashing and flying free, glass shattering. Chloe was on top of it instantly. She pulled at the metal covering she had loosened and threw it to the side when it came free.
“Dead, Chloe, dead, dead, dead!”
Deegan was coming for her. Chloe wriggled her way into the narrow vent, her elbows pulling her along, pressed to the insides of the metal, her sneaker-clad feet climbing and slipping up a small slope of the almost horizontal cave tunnel, trying to gain a good grip. It was a tight fit.
As her feet disappeared inside, she heard Deegan jump onto the fallen armoire with a loud bang; more glass shattered. Chloe had never crawled so fast on her belly in her entire life.
“Chloe!”
Deegan reached into the vent as far as he could, but she was just inches beyond his grasp, his long fingers stretching, wriggling, reaching, to no avail. His fisted hands then bashed the inside walls brutally, smashing down in his enraged frustration. The noise vibrated up through Chloe’s knees and elbows. His enraged face was a twisted, hate-filled death mask of pure evil intent.
“You’ve killed us, Chloe, all of us! I’ll get you up top, down here. You can’t stay in there forever! I’ll smoke you out. I’ll fill the vent with poisonous snakes, scorpions, bats. You’re dead, you hear me, dead, dead!” Deegan thundered. His voice trailed after her as though an echo, yet Chloe realized it was because he was screaming the same word over and over.
Chloe crawled faster, shuddering. She needed to make it out before he did. She had no idea how long the tunnel was; she could be crawling for hours, days. She would be doomed if he were waiting for her at the other end.
It was then Chloe heard a familiar sound. A sound that shot terror into her soul. At first she had thought Deegan had fired his weapon into the vent, but he hadn’t. It was the sound of an explosion, and it was coming from behind her. She paused, listening, wondering if he had tossed a grenade into the enclosure.
Chloe heard a terrific rumbling from within the cave. A tremor vibrated up through her fingers, toes, reaching her teeth to chatter them together. An eerie creak rattled around her. The vent shifted and groaned. Her breath all but stilled, Chloe turned to look behind her. Her eyes widened in horror as the vent behind her slowly began to close. The sound of twisting metal as it crushed together almost stopped Chloe’s heartbeat. The explosion had set off a chain reaction. The mountain’s weight was collapsing the vent.
Chloe pushed forward faster, her hands clawing the metal, her grip slippery from her sweaty palms. “No, no,” she whimpered. An image of being crushed to death invaded her thoughts. She dug her toes in harder, propelling her further. She clamped her lips shut.
The noise of the twisting metal was deafening as it came closer, closer. Chloe was screaming. She could see the light of day at the end of the vent streaming through foliage. It wasn’t too much farther, perhaps she would make it. Maybe…The noise following her didn’t instill much hope for her survival.
Chloe reached the end, panting heavily. She pushed at the metal cover. She couldn’t turn to kick at it and she hadn’t much leverage. The vent continued to collapse behind her, gaining on her quickly.
“No!” Chloe screamed. Her hands rattled the cage she was trapped within. The cover wouldn’t open; it barely moved with her frantic pummeling. It was bolted on the outside; she wasn’t nearly strong enough, Chloe was about to be crushed to death.
“No! No! No!”
“Chloe!”
“Salvator!” Chloe screamed. Hope washed throughout her entire being; he had come for her. “Help me, please! It’s collapsing on top of me!”
Damien was suddenly before her. She could see his face; his frantic expression mirrored her own fear. Blue eyes locked with brown eyes. For one second time stood still, until reality crashed about them like a tidal wave. Chloe knew the vent was twisting behind her, could hear the metal grinding, whining, as it squished shut.
“Salvator,” Chloe whimpered. Their fingers entwined through the metal. Their eyes held. She grew even more desperate, seeing the love radiate from his face. “I love you, Damien. I love you so very much. I always have. Please, tell James it wasn’t me, it was Deegan all along, tell him I’m sorry. Tell him I love him and he was a wonderful father to me. Tell him…”
“Tell him yourself!” Damien snarled furiously. He released her fingers and wrapped them into the cover. Bracing himself, Damien pulled.
Chloe screamed as the vent pushed into her feet. She tried to yank them higher, pressing herself painfully into the metal grate before her, but she was out of room.
“Oh, God! It’s crushing me, Damien!”
* * * *
Damien gave a mighty heave. His face burned red from rage, sweat dripped from his eyes. Christ Almighty! She was dying right before his eyes. He couldn’t lose her again! He had promised so many times never to fail her, why was he always failing her?
“Nooo,” Damien screamed in agonized p
anic. The metal cover gave way suddenly, ripping from the vent, flying from his fingers in a fury. He reached for Chloe and yanked her powerfully from the grasp of her would-be grave. The two collapsed onto the ground within each other's arms. Her running shoes were left behind. The vent was gone, destroyed. Dust rolled out to billow in heavy sheets, surrounding them; a quiet eerie stillness settled.
“Damien, Damien,” Chloe cried. She gripped him tightly, crushing him to herself.
“I have you, sweetheart. It’s over,” Damien soothed. They buried themselves within one another's arms. He trailed his hands everywhere over her body, looking for any hurts. Gently, he stroked her bruised throat. He kissed her tears away, while swiping at a few of his own. He had her, he had not failed her this time.
“How did you find me?”
Damien reached out and fingered the gold infinity medallion. “It would seem my dad’s overprotective instincts came in handy. When you disappeared for those six months he went a little loopy. I didn’t know until recently, Chloe, but this little trinket appears to be equipped with a tracking device, a beacon of sorts. It took us a while to figure out you were underground, but it did its job well.
“Both Dirk and I were relentless. He and Wolf and Tyr went into the cave while I covered the back. Chloe, I’ve never seen my brother cry until he showed up at the chalet and discovered you stolen. The last time I saw him so efficiently and beyond quickly organize a rescue, it was for Candy and Sammy. He blames himself. He loves you so much, Chloe. He’s so sorry.”
It was so important to him she believe him.
* * * *
“James was keeping track of me?” Chloe asked hesitantly. And though feeling grateful for Damien saving her, she wondered sorrowfully if James would ever trust her as a real member of the family.
His hand cupped her chin as he explained.
“You see how much he loves you? Dad never wanted to lose you again. Neither do I. You can be mad at him all you want, but when we get home I’m going to give him a big hug and thank him for being neurotic and helping to save your life.”
“So the bastard still lives,” Came an evil voice.
To Chloe’s horror, Deegan stood no more than a few feet away from them. His gun was leveled on Damien.
“No, please don’t,” Chloe whimpered, hands splayed. Damien tried shifting her behind him to shield her. Deegan stilled his actions with a wave of his gun.
“Oh, he’s going to die this time. Now he’s just being a damned nuisance. And you’re going to pay for what you did to me. That was cruel, evil. You hurt me. When all I’ve ever done is take care of you and want to protect you.” Deegan lifted a hand to rub at his scalded, blistered face. Even from a distance Chloe could see the redness inside his eyes. She felt sorry for his hurt, but she didn’t deserve to be stolen away, hurt by him. He had no right blaming her for her father’s wrongdoings.
“Let her go, Deegan, this isn’t her fault. It’s not my fault. Let it go, she’s an innocent,” Damien said angrily.
“Not for long she’s not,” Deegan declared. “Stand up, both of you.”
The couple rose to their feet. Deegan stepped back a few paces. “Now, Chloe, take Damien’s gun,” Deegan instructed. “You’re going to kill him. I want you in as much agony as I am. Even you can’t miss from that close,” he finished scornfully. “I saw you shoot once when you were younger. Remember when James tried to teach you? I know you hate weapons. You’re terrified of them.
“You should have picked us; we would have watched over you. Now you’re going to be just like your father, like me, a killer. Only you’re going to kill someone you love.”
“Please, Deegan, no,” she begged.
“Take it,” Deegan snarled. “Take it or I’ll shoot him piece by piece until you do as I say!”
Tears falling at the image he painted within her mind's eye, Chloe reluctantly took the large silver weapon from Damien in her shaky hands. “Now step back one pace and aim for his heart.” Chloe did as he said but refused to fire the weapon.
“You tell her it’s okay, or I swear I’ll make her suffer the most violent death you can imagine, and, Damien, in our line of work, you can imagine real well,” Deegan threatened.
* * * *
Damien held no hopes for their survival. He was weaponless. Deegan was too far for Chloe to get a good shot, even if she could aim properly. In Chloe’s innocence she would be unable to even begin to comprehend what Deegan hinted at. He couldn’t let her suffer; she had been through enough. He had failed her after all.
“It’s all right, sweetheart. I love you, I always have, I always will, forever,” Damien said. His gentle smile shined onto her with love, his arms spread wide.
* * * *
“I love you, too, Salvator,” Chloe whispered. She had always known he would give his life to save hers; he did so now willingly. Chloe swallowed heavily, concentrating, resolved. One shot only. She didn’t want him to suffer needlessly. Her hand steadied. Chloe cocked the weapon, took careful aim, spun, and fired.
Deegan’s gun slipped from his grasp, his expression frozen on his face. He dropped to his knees, then fell face down into the dirt. He was dead. Chloe had shot him right between the eyes. Damien stood staring, stunned, mouth gaping. His eyes darted in different directions, looking for the shooter who had saved them. His gun was smoking in Chloe’s hands. Chloe had fired the weapon.
Blinking hard, he turned to face Chloe. Chloe took a deep breath, then shrugged. “I’ve known since I was four years old we would get married, Damien. If I’m going to be the wife of an assassin I thought it best I learn to defend myself. The letter from Deegan was an eye opener. I spent those six months in exile learning how to shoot guns,” Chloe informed him.
“Holy crap!” Damien exclaimed. “Remind me not piss you off.”
“Maybe you could take the gun from her before I come any closer,” Came a wry voice.
“Dirk,” Chloe whispered. She spun about to confront him. Her emotions were mixed. She knew he would come for her. She had wondered what to say to him. She saw he had Salvare within his grasp. A peace offering of sorts, no doubt.
“I should shoot you myself,” Damien snapped, taking his weapon from Chloe’s loose hands to holster it. “The damned mountain almost collapsed on top of her, you bloody moron, and you let Deegan get by you! He could have killed us.”
“The explosives were needed to blow the iron door, and Deegan must have had an alternate escape route. I always do, that was why you were sent around back,” Dirk said lightly.
He looked to Chloe, Damien all but dismissed, his face softening. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t send you away because I wanted you away from the family. I always knew you were innocent, although I will admit to having small doubts, very small, in the beginning. I couldn’t stand to lose Dad. I needed you both separated. I thought you’d be safer with Mitch.”
“And you always figured you could track me if I somehow got away,” Chloe snapped, holding the medallion away from her chest. Her agonized eyes narrowed onto him hurtfully.
“I guess Damien mentioned Dad’s gift,” Dirk replied somewhat irritably.
“Yes, he did.”
“I’m sorry, Chloe. I swear I will never doubt you again. I love you. Even when I had briefly thought you might have shot Dad, I loved you. I have loved you from the minute you were born. It almost killed me to send you away, please believe that. I felt certain Mitch was the perfect man to protect you under the circumstances. I should have realized there would be no stopping you, you are family. Please forgive me, please, Chloe…please.”
Chloe was speechless. She had never heard Dirk beg before. The commanding powerhouse before her looked somber and alone, standing there clutching the old doll to his broad chest. She could see he was earnest in his remorse.
Her mouth opened, then closed, waiting on the words to form within her stupefied mind. She had practiced them over and over so many times in her thoughts while she lived in exile an
d anger. Now they seemed to vanish. Her anger evaporated. She would be forced to speak from the heart.
“I never stopped loving you, either,” Chloe admitted tearfully, her voice choked with emotion. “You hurt me; you’ve never hurt me before. My heart broke.”
All the times he had held her cuddled close while she cried, all the times he had looked out for her came to mind, all the secrets they shared, the safety of his loving embrace and soothing words, his beautiful, gentle, brilliant blue eyes, so much like Damien’s, so much like Samantha’s.
She couldn’t just forget those times, all the loving years together. It might take a while but she knew she would forgive him eventually. Their history was too strong; they were family.
Dirk carefully placed the doll onto a rock, then stepped forward, arms outstretched, wanting her to decide, a pleading expression radiated from his sorrow-filled eyes. His body trembled visibly with his need for her to love him again.
Chloe was in his embrace within seconds, clutched to his chest, sobbing. She was lifted from the ground in his happiness. His lips kissed her hair, her cheek, he thumbed her tears away, speaking gently, soothing her. Again he told her how much he loved her, how important she always will be to him.
They were family, they would work it out. She was too important to lose. She struggled to breathe for a moment when he crushed her to himself. But she was loath to complain, fearful he would release her, and so she clutched back just as fiercely.
“Okay, you two, stop. All right, that’s enough,” Damien voiced, annoyed. He pulled Chloe to himself while Dirk chuckled.
“I’m taken, remember?” Dirk laughed, chiding his younger brother. “It looks like Chloe is too.”
“She sure is.” Damien’s gentle hand trailed down her disheveled hair.
Chloe looked up into Damien’s jealous, annoyed expression. She reached for Salvare, securing the battered old familiar doll in her own embrace. “Please, Salvator, take me home.”
“Home sounds like a great idea,” Damien replied.
Assassin Deception Page 21