Killer Romances

by Dana Delamar, Talullah Grace, Sandy Loyd, Kristine Mason, Dale Mayer, Nina Pierce Chantel Rhondeau, K. T. Roberts, H. D. Thomson, Susan Vaughan

  He had that right, she thought, letting her eyes close as he continued talking. “It was all so easy. Really, just fell into my lap when right before I quit the force I got reprimanded with a month-long stint working a middle school. I saw all kinds of X-rated action. You’d have thought I’d walked into a porn movie. I caught more girls hiding in boys’ bathrooms sucking off ten or twelve guys during their lunch hours. All I did was direct their using sex to be in control to making money. I mean, hey, if you’re going to do it, why not get paid top dollar for it? The stupid bitches were so easy to manipulate and I found others through the teenage grapevine. Their peers all know who’s giving head and are quick to point it out to anyone who’ll listen. And good old Manny was instrumental in helping me develop the business.”

  Mike’s hand stroked her face. It seemed odd to be unable to feel his fingertips moving up and down.

  “Manny and I go way back,” he said, continuing. “Every cop’s got to have one snitch in his pocket, and he was mine. I knew he was into Internet porn and had some sick clientele. He just tapped into his database to find a few perverted, clean-cut men who wanted what I provided. They were willing to pay big money for the thrill. We used the Internet and its anonymity to our advantage. And it all worked out until Reecie got greedy. I had to take care of her.” He nodded to Cassie. “Then that bitch had to butt in and try to scare my girls into coming clean. Only I couldn’t risk a string of deaths. That would stir up too much interest. So I got even more creative in finding a home for them. Hence the guy from Mexico, compliments of Manny.”

  Lucy realized he’d stopped stroking when he gripped her chin. “You were quite the avenging angel, and for a while I was amused,” he said, forcing her to look at him. “Then you had to go and stick your nose into places it didn’t belong. So I knew I had to get rid of you too. I thought for sure you’d die in a car accident.”

  Mike shook his head and sighed as his sick smile returned. “However, this new plan will work even better, not that the plans I had in mind for those two wouldn’t have made them wish they were dead. And now you’ll all die and join my good friend Manny. I hated to kill such a font of information and such a useful business partner. Regrettably, he’d become a liability. An explosion will solve my most pressing problem and he’ll become a scapegoat. Those investigating will assume he was the ringleader and I’ll be free to move on. In six months, I’ll start again somewhere else. Now that I know what I’m doing, it won’t be all that hard.”

  “Who’s the kid?” Lucy asked about the girl lying next to Cassie, who hadn’t moved an inch. Her pale face wasn’t a good sign. “Why kill her?”

  “You mean Lindsay, who had the balls to blackmail me too? You saw what happened to Reecie. I had no idea they were partners, but both obviously thought I was a fool. No one messes with me, and those who do regret doing so, including you, Lucy.” He breathed out an exaggerated sigh. “If only you’d given me the time of day, I might be willing to spare your life. But now I’ll derive immense pleasure from killing you and watching him grieve once your ashes are discovered.”

  “Ashes?” Lucy swallowed hard and, without the ability to move a muscle, let her eyes wander around the room, thinking of how she could escape.

  “Are you getting weaker?”

  “Yes.” The drug had completely immobilized her system.

  “I’ve got it timed and rigged perfectly for the place to blow.” He smiled, holding up a cell phone, clearly pleased with his news. “Gas. Can you smell it? Once I’m in town, where everyone can see me, I’ll detonate it.”

  The cloying smell registered. Lucy shivered as he added, “I doubt there will be anything left to sort through when it’s over. I want you to think about that, while you’re lying there unable to move and waiting to die.”

  Another of his sinister laughs sent more alarm throughout her body and she fought once more to move her arm. Nothing happened.

  “Sweet dreams, Lucy. May you rot in hell.” Then he left, closing the door behind him. Demented laughter echoed as he descended the stairs, eventually fading to total silence.

  Gritting her teeth and using all her might, Lucy tried to raise an arm. Sweat broke out on her forehead. She felt it trickle down the side of her face, a good thing, she reasoned. Hoping the drug was wearing off, she increased her efforts and elevated her hand off the bed an inch. Encouraged, Lucy worked on the other hand. It took a few minutes, but eventually, she was able to move both hands, then struggled to raise them up higher to gain more movement.

  Next, she focused on lifting her head off the bed. Concentrating, she slowly raised her head, then her shoulders, and after a few attempts, she was able to sit up. Nausea rose up and she had to place her head in her lap until it passed. Once it did, she took a deep breath, feeling stronger, more in control. Willing herself to move, she rolled off the bed and reached for Cassie to check for a pulse. Strong and steady. At least she was alive. So was Lindsay, she realized after checking the girl.

  “Come on, Cassie. Wake up. We have to get out of here,” Lucy said, gently slapping her face and shaking her. After doing the same to Lindsay, her gaze flew to the door as more of the noxious odor filled her nostrils and another wave of nausea overtook her.

  “Please.” Her slaps and shaking grew frantic. “You two have to wake up.” But none of her shaking, slapping, or pleading did any good. Oh God! Lucy glanced at the door again. They were obviously drugged with a much larger dose than she’d received. She tried to stand, but her legs gave out. On the ground, she jerkily crawled to the door. She finally was able to grab on to the doorknob after three tries. It was locked. The bastard had reversed the knob to lock from the outside. Lucy didn’t have the strength to jimmy it. Worse, her purse with her credit cards, or something that would do the trick, were in her car.

  Damn.

  She sank to the floor. Her shoulders slumped. Lucy leaned against the wall and took deep breaths, unable to muster any more energy. The smell of gas permeated her senses, reminding her the clock was ticking. Think, Lucy, she mentally yelled.

  ~~~

  The first thing Jack noticed when he pulled up the driveway at Cassie’s safe house was Lucy’s small Kia along with another car, a red Mustang. At Manny’s, he’d found the pictures left in the open file and had recognized this house in one of them, knowing without a doubt that Lucy had probably found the same pictures. Jack had driven here as fast as he could.

  “Lucy?” he called, after emerging from his rental car. Jack walked to the Mustang, finding the car unlocked. He opened the door and checked inside the glove box for an ID. Cassandra Harding. Questions swirled in his head.

  Her car is here, so why isn’t she? And where in the hell is Lucy?

  “Lucy?” he shouted again, bounding up the steps. He halted at the door and did a three-sixty, listening. His heart rate increased. It was quiet. Too quiet. Tingles raced down his spine. Even the birds and insects weren’t making any noise.

  Warily, Jack turned the doorknob and gave the door a gentle shove. He carefully eased inside, searching for anything out of the ordinary. That’s when he smelled gas. “Lucy? Are you in here?”

  A noise from above drew his attention. Jack charged upstairs. He rounded the corner and a sharp pain registered at the side of his head. Then his world faded to black.

  ~~~

  Anger toward Lucy’s past seemed to dissipate into gratitude when Jack called her name. He’d come to save her, a knight in shining armor when she needed him most. She would make it up to him for sneaking off. That is, if she made it out of this room alive.

  Lucy was about to return his shout, but froze when what sounded like a scuffle came from the other side of the door. Please, Jack, be okay, she prayed, when the sound changed, as if someone was dragging a large object. She crawled back to her spot on the bed, barely making it in time before the door jerked open. Seconds later, Mike tossed an unconscious Jack into the room. Jack landed on the floor with a hard thump.

  Mike p
aused at the door and flashed a smug smile. “Sorry, Lucy. No heroics today. He’ll just have to die with you. I’ve already wasted too much time.” He closed the door behind him.

  Lucy’s heart sank deeper when the lock clicked into place again.

  She wasted no time to make it to Jack. By now, she’d gained full control over her arms and legs, and though she was still moving slowly, she could move at will.

  “Jack. Jack.” Lucy gripped his shirt and shook him. “Wake up. Please wake up,” she urged, shaking him again. When he didn’t respond, she slapped his face. “Please, get up. We have to get out of here before the place blows.”

  He groaned as she gave him another shake. “Damn. What hit me?” His hand moved to the back of his head where he rubbed and a second groan slipped through his lips.

  “It was Mike and we don’t have much time.”

  Slowly he sat up, still rubbing his head.

  Lucy grabbed his arm and pulled. “Hurry.” Ten years ago, she’d spent quite a few nights in this house, sharing it with a couple of vagrants. Many times she’d had to escape out the window when one or more would come in drunk, thinking her easy prey, there for the taking. Yet she was no one’s toy. “We’ve got to get out of here.” All feeling was back now. Thankfully she could stand. And walk, just not nearly as fast as she wanted. “The place is going to blow,” Lucy said, trying to tug Jack with her to the window. He resisted, and once free of her hold went to check out the door.

  “It’s locked,” she said as he tried it. She strained to open large paned glass, but the damn thing wouldn’t budge. “There’s a porch roof below.” She couldn’t believe someone had painted the window shut.

  “Is that gas?” he asked, coming up behind her.

  Lucy nodded. The smell had only grown stronger, more nauseating. “Mike’s rigged a detonator with a remote control. We only have minutes.”

  The sound of a car starting drew their attention.

  As if suddenly realizing their dire situation, Jack shook off more of his sluggishness and grabbed a ladder-back chair. “Turn your face away,” he said, before hurling it at the window, smashing the glass in one fell swoop and using a broken chair leg to punch out the jagged edges.

  Fresh air poured into the room, mixed with the cloying scent, and made it easier to breathe. Fueled with an adrenaline surge, Lucy rushed to the two women. “They’re still out cold.” When Jack glanced at Manny, she shook her head. “You can forget him. He’s already dead.” Mike must not have cared whether he suffered or not.

  “Let’s get them over to the window.” He lifted Lindsay to the window and set her down while Lucy grabbed onto Cassie’s upper arms and dragged her the short distance.

  Careful to keep in the center of the cut glass, Jack hunched his shoulders, stepped outside, and reached in for Lindsay. Lucy helped lift the girl into his arms. Once he’d placed her near the edge of the roof, he returned for Cassie, securing her over his shoulder with Lucy’s help. Lucy followed him out.

  “I’ll climb down first and you can try to lower them to me one at a time.” He grabbed onto a downspout and quickly made his way to the ground. Looking at her, he held his arms out. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  Nodding, Lucy was able to roll Cassie to the edge. Then, gripping her by the jeans she continued rolling, struggling to keep upright as Cassie’s weight practically pulled her off the roof. Jack caught her seconds after Lucy let go.

  Then she went back for Lindsay, who was heavier and taller than her friend. Fighting with the dead weight, she rolled her to the edge. “I don’t think I’m strong enough to hold her like I did Cassie,” she yelled to Jack. She looked back at the house, expecting it to blow any second. Hell, she was ready to jump.

  “That’s fine. Just drop her and I’ll catch her to break her fall.”

  Lucy did as he suggested. After letting her fall, she didn’t hesitate to reach for the same downspout Jack used and slid the rest of the way, not paying any attention to the pain in her hands from the friction.

  “We’ve got to get away from the house.” Lucy reached for Cassie’s arms.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Jack secured Lindsay over one shoulder, then turned to Lucy, as she started to drag Cassie. He squatted. “Here, help me get her over my other shoulder.”

  They headed away from the house, using the brush as camouflage in case Mike was still lurking close by.

  When the blast hit, Lucy flew through the air as if someone had picked her up and tossed her.

  “Umph,” she cried, landing on Jack, who’d dropped to the ground and rolled, pulling Lucy with him, using his body to shield all three women as best he could.

  Even with Jack’s efforts, the force of the fall stole her air for a moment and her ears were ringing. For long moments, neither moved. Finally she was able to sit up and disentangle herself from Jack.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Nodding and brushing at the debris covering her arms, Lucy looked back as he checked the two unconscious women. There was little left of the house and what was left was now burning, but they were alive. “We survived,” she said once she was able to speak. Barely.

  “They’re scratched up a bit, but both have a steady heartbeat, so I think they’ll live.”

  Tears streaked down the sides of Lucy’s face. Without Jack’s help, she never would have been able to save Cassie. Hell, she might not have been able to save herself. “Thanks for coming for me.”

  The hurt look he gave her made her ashamed for doubting him. “Why’d you leave?”

  At that moment, Lucy knew she’d misjudged him, not only now, but all those years ago. He really was one of the good guys and had always been on her side. She knew that now. Amazing how facing death puts everything into perspective. “Because I was stupid. Can you ever forgive me?”

  Jack smiled and nodded. “If you’ll forgive me for doubting you.”

  More tears threatened. She blinked them back. “We almost died.”

  “Yeah, we did.” He reached for her. “You know what this means?”

  “No, what?” Lucy stared into eyes that mirrored all the love that burst from her heart. Suddenly, the hurts from her past fell away like a molted skin, and what was left underneath felt new again.

  “It means we’re stuck with each other. After all, we saved each other.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “So, how about it, Maddox. Do you think we can manage a relationship?”

  Cassie groaned just then. Lucy looked over at her just as Lindsay offered a moan. As sirens sounded in the background, she smiled. “That sounds like a good plan.”

  Epilogue

  Lucy opened the door to Jack’s knock.

  He held a bouquet of red roses. “Hey, beautiful.” He bent to kiss her.

  “I love roses.” She turned to put them into water as Jack scooped up Sadie and followed her. Lucy found a vase, filled it with water, and added the roses.

  As she set it on her dining room table, Jack looked at his watch. “We need to get going. Our reservations are for seven.” He’d planned a night out in Louisville. Dinner and dancing.

  Jack placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the door, as Lucy’s mind flashed an inward smile, noting his comforting strength. She marveled over all that had happened in the last few weeks since that horrible day.

  Both Cassie and Lindsay had fully recovered. Cassie was more motivated than ever to continue her life’s work, saying that kids still needed saving and the more screwed-up the world became, the more they needed her help. Lucy’s friend planned to rebuild her house, also vowing to the watch the comings and goings more closely so that no one could ever misuse her generosity again.

  There had also been quite a shake-up in Oakmont. Judge Cardello withdrew from the governor’s race to take a leave of absence. He went into seclusion with his family shortly thereafter.

  The Banks family put their house up for sale. After all, the entire world now knew what had happened, thanks to the me
dia’s voracious appetite for a story. According to the news accounts, Marci and the others were undergoing extensive counseling for their part in the tragedy. Still, they’d survived intact and hopefully could overcome their actions.

  “It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?” Lucy said to Jack as she locked the front door. “To think kids were used in such a way.”

  Jack shrugged. “They just got caught up in something they weren’t prepared to handle. Who knows why. Maybe no one took the time to teach them right from wrong. And in today’s world, every kid has to have a solid understanding of it before they hit middle school.”

  Lucy nodded. “Yeah. I guess.” Seemed even the haves had problems and didn’t have it all that easy. At least she’d known what was right and what wasn’t. That knowledge alone was worth all the pain she’d endured as a kid. Maybe she was the lucky one after all.

  Mike hadn’t been so lucky. The moment he discovered that Lucy and the others survived, he put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Good riddance was the way Lucy saw it. His suicide saved those girls more humiliation with a lengthy trial.

  On a lighter note, Jack had decided to partner with Cassie and be the legal voice for kids who had no one on their side which pleased Lucy no end.

  Even Gerald Duncan had come around and apologized to her, saying she could have her job back with a bonus for his jumping to conclusions so easily. Her life seemed so perfect, she thought, glancing at Jack and his outstretched hand.

  “Are you ready?” Jack asked.

  She smiled. “I’m ready.” She was definitely ready for the next phase of her life as one of the haves. Somehow in mere days, she realized she’d become one. Mainly because she had Jack’s love. And once you had love in your life, you had everything. The rest really didn’t matter.

  She ran to keep up with him, laughing at the absurdity of life. Never in a million years could she have foreseen the twist her life had taken, one where those who supposedly had everything, in reality had less than she.