by Geri Krotow
She rubbed her temples, eyes closed. “I’m fine. And I’m not about to admit to you that marrying Hamlin wasn’t my idea at all. I mean, in the long run, Daddy is looking out for all of us, right? And plenty of people get married for sheer convenience.”
“Give me a break, Layla. Listen to yourself. You’re selling yourself out, like a slave or a prostitute. Unless...did Hamlin agree to a platonic marriage?”
She shook her head. “No, he hasn’t. We haven’t...you know, done much, and I don’t think there’d be a lot in that department after we’re married. He’s in his midseventies.”
“Do I have to remind you of basic biology, dear sister? Or tell you about Viagra? If you don’t want to have sex with Hamlin now, nothing will change after the vows. Stop letting Daddy use you like this!”
Layla’s eyes filled with tears, but while Patience ached for her sister’s struggle, she wasn’t backing down.
“See this?” She grabbed a white napkin from the table and waved it like a banner. “It’s my BS flag and I’m throwing it on your belief. Daddy isn’t going to accept you or outwardly love you any more or less because you go along with one of his dirty financial schemes. He doesn’t have it to give, Layla. You could sell your firstborn to appease him and he’d still be Daddy.”
Layla sniffed, took a sip of her iced tea. “You’re right. Of course. It’s just that...”
“What is it, Layla? Underneath your need for Daddy’s approval?”
Layla looked at her with huge eyes and Patience picked up on her half sister’s sorrow. “What will happen to me if Daddy’s business goes belly-up? I’m not like you, with a skill I can take anywhere. All I know how to do is follow Daddy around and clean up his financial messes.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s a huge gift. Not everyone can take the tangle he makes of things and unknot it, transforming it into something useful. You’ve single-handedly turned around dozens of his damaging business deals, and kept the loan sharks from eating away at his earnings.”
“I haven’t done a good enough job or Hamlin wouldn’t be my future husband.”
Finally, Layla admitted her motive for marrying Harrington: she blamed herself for the problems at Colton Energy. Patience had felt that, but for Layla to voice it was huge.
She reached across the table and grasped Layla’s hand. “Honey, you’re doing a wonderful job for Daddy. But you have to do it for yourself first. Trust me, I learned that the hard way when I went off to college.”
“And vet school.” Layla wiped her eyes and managed a laugh. “I thought Daddy’s head was going to explode when you refused all that money he offered you, wanting you to stay in Red Ridge and work for him.”
Patience smiled at the memory. “He’s never understood me, has he? All I’ve ever wanted to do, I’m doing. Work with animals and serve the community. Win-win.”
“Daddy’s all about the power. Yet underneath it, I have to believe he has a heart or else he wouldn’t have endowed the clinic in your mama’s name.”
“No, he wouldn’t have. But he’s run out of funds, from all accounts. Care to comment?” Patience didn’t expect Layla to divulge corporate secrets, but Fenwick had named all his children as heirs to his fortune. Which at the moment was at risk.
“If you’re asking about your inheritance, don’t worry. He put a good chunk of his wealth away for safekeeping. As for Colton Energy, yeah, he’s in a boatload of trouble. Hamlin’s not his only lifeline, you know. He’s calling in favors and IOUs left and right.”
“But it’s not enough?”
Layla took a bite of fajita and chewed, obviously stalling. “We’ll see.” She poked at her food with her fork. “What about you, Patience? I know you’re happy about the babies, but something’s bugging you.”
“Since witnessing the murder at the lake, I’ve been jumpy. That’s all.”
“And they still haven’t caught the creep?”
“No.” She didn’t want to tell Layla how much the Lake Killer had affected her. No need to burden her sister with her concerns.
“I worry about you. I’m glad Nash is taking care of you. I have to admit I was afraid you’d let your independent streak keep you from agreeing to police protection. Even though you’re obviously involved with Nash, it’s a good sign that you accepted his professional help.”
“What do you mean, good sign?”
“Maybe you’ll break down and let him be the father and partner he wants to be.”
Patience stared at her sister. Not from annoyance or humor, but flat-out shock.
Because she didn’t know for sure what Nash wanted, but hearing the words father and partner fall out of Layla’s mouth made her see the truth.
She wanted all of Nash. Friend, lover, father to her twins. Their twins. And she wanted it to be a permanent arrangement.
Had she waited too long to realize it?
* * *
The sun began to set after she arrived back at the clinic, washing the sky a pale peach and rose.
“Come on, Ruby.” Patience led the stunning Irish setter, who’d had dental work done earlier, to the fenced-in area outside the clinic. She’d finally gathered the courage to walk out here on her own, the first time by herself since she’d witnessed the Lake Killer. In spite of her feelings of being watched, she felt safe at the clinic. And it wasn’t night yet, so that helped.
Ruby walked carefully around the grounds, but got down to business in short order. Patience stood near her, looking out at the mountains beyond the lake. The water was as still as a mirror, reflecting the sky and stratus clouds.
A movement at the corner of her vision caught her attention and she instinctively tensed. And then laughed when she saw a herd of eight deer. They leaped over the fields just outside the woods that bordered the far left side of the clinic property. Something had spooked them. Probably a fox or coyote.
She eyed the fence that surrounded her and Ruby. Its purpose wasn’t just to allow the recuperating dogs, when not on leash, to roam about without wandering off, but to keep predators out.
The deer darted back into the forest and she marveled at their speed and agility. Then froze. A tall man stood at the far edge of the woods. A man with silver hair stared at her. Even without binoculars, she had no doubt who he was.
“Ruby, come here.” She tugged on the leash and got herself and the dog back into the clinic, locking the door behind her. One of the night-duty vet techs was down the corridor and she shouted for him to call 9-1-1, then get out of there. The Lake Killer didn’t want anyone but her.
Patience hit the emergency siren button, located in the hall outside the kennels, and issued the command to hide in place and take cover. Then she handed Ruby over to another vet tech, instructing her to run, too.
Finally, Patience ran back to her office and got her weapon out of the safe. No way was the Lake Killer hurting her or her babies.
* * *
Nash strode through the K9 clinic, Greta at his heels. He’d made it there in record time after the emergency call came in. After checking in with the officers on scene, he’d convinced Finn that he and Greta were the ones to bring Patience out of the clinic. All the other K9 training center staffers were accounted for. As the evacuated team looked on, he’d donned body armor and suited up Greta, too. He was armed to the hilt. Nash’s place was next to Patience, protecting her.
As was Greta’s. The dog’s gait resembled an eager trot as they approached Patience’s office. Nash shoved aside the myriad emotions battling for position in his heart. Saving Patience required nothing less.
He knocked on her locked door. “Patience, it’s Nash.” He counted to two, prepared to break the door down. But she opened it first, and her face broke into a warm smile, just for him. Heat unfurled at the center of his rib cage and lit up his entire body.
Patience was a part of him. And she was alive.
“Hey yourself.” Pulling her into his arms was as natural as breathing.
They embraced briefly, then he let Greta get some Patience love. She held the huge black, furred head in her hands and spoke sweet words to the canine. Her fingers gently explored where the cut had healed in record time.
“I hate that you saw that bastard again and I wasn’t here.” Nash’s heart thumped in heavy agreement. He knew that Patience could take very good care of herself, no question. And she’d done the right thing, calling the RRPD.
“You’re the reason I kept my cool enough to call it in and immediately come and get my weapon. It sounds like he’s either been scared off or is waiting to break back in.”
“We’re not hanging around to find out. Let’s get you out of here.” Nash tapped his comms unit and spoke to Juliette, who waited outside the clinic with the other officers. “I have Dr. Colton with me. Leaving now.”
“Not so fast, Nash. Sit tight. Give us another minute.”
Frustration pierced Nash. He knew he had to trust Juliette, for Patience’s safety.
“Looks like we’re holding in place.”
“They’ve got it, Nash.” She leaned against him. “How did your time with the Harringtons go? Let me guess—Hamlin’s an arrogant ass and Devlin acted like he knows it all?” She was so good at distracting him, calming him down.
He laughed. “Pretty much, yes.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “You know that Demi was really there, on his property. Technically, she broke into his house.”
“If she did, it was for good reason. Trust me, now that I’m this far along with the twins, I understand what she’s feeling, at least as far as being pregnant goes. No way would she risk her life or her baby’s unless compelled to do so.”
“I’m not arguing with you. Just saying that we need her statement at the RRPD.”
“She doesn’t trust anyone right now, Nash. I get that. To be honest, besides my sister, you’re the only one I can fully trust. It’s a tough place to be.”
“You trust me?” He tried to go along with her attempt at conversation, but the whole time his mind was waiting for the signal to get her out of here.
“Of course I do. What I don’t trust, who I don’t trust, is the man I saw dumping that poor woman in the lake. Who I feel the RRPD may be apprehending as we speak. And I don’t trust Hamlin Harrington marrying my sister. What kind of a man allows a woman to be bartered for his financial support to her father? A dowry is an archaic concept.”
“It may be, but your sister is a grown woman. She has her choices to make, too.”
“That’s just it—she won’t do anything to hurt Daddy.” Patience sighed. “My sister and I are products of an absentee father. He was often physically there, for meals and such, but emotionally, mentally? All Fenwick Colton thinks about is how to keep himself at the top of the heap. Financial, political, community-wise, whatever. He may have been a kinder person when he was younger, when my mother was still alive. Who knows?”
“You think he married women so that they’d have a baby for him?” He saw that their dialogue relaxed her, so he continued to go along with it. What the hell was the rest of the RRPD doing? Where was the signal from Juliette?
“No. I think they figured out he wasn’t all he’d sold himself to be. When they realized they couldn’t fix him, they left.”
“Yet you’re in touch with your half siblings.” The Coltons had a reputation as a tight-knit family. He’d never known the drama behind the billionaire clan.
“Yes, we all share a common bond, in that we survived having Fenwick Colton as a father. You saw him at the cabin, Nash. He’s so self-centered.”
“He might change when he meets his grandkids.” Nash nodded at her belly. “How are you doing today?”
A smile wider than the lake spread across her face. “Wonderful. I felt them kick earlier. Lots of little flutters. At first I thought it was from drinking ginger ale—you know, the bubbles. But it was more definite. As soon as it happens again and you’re with me, you’ll have to feel for yourself.”
His hands tightened into hard balls. The thought of feeling his children in her tight belly filled him with a sense of completeness he’d never known.
An explosion pierced the stillness and they both jumped. Patience screamed, “Nash!”
“Get down!” He watched as she grabbed her weapon and got under her desk. Hated that she’d already been through this, and had to again.
“Nash, we need you and Greta to clear the back hallway.” Chief Colton’s command boomed over the audio system. “Leave Patience in her office.”
Nash leaned across Greta and grasped Patience’s face. He kissed her firmly, conveying his total confidence in her. “I won’t be gone long—I won’t even leave the clinic building. But I have to make sure no one out there needs help. I’ll be on the line with dispatch.”
“Okay.” Their gazes held and the words that matched the emotions he’d been afraid to name were on the tip of his tongue. But not here, not in the midst of this kind of danger. He’d tell her he loved her on his terms, not some criminal’s.
“Sit tight. I’ve got to take Greta, but we’ll be right back.”
“I know you will. And, Nash?”
“Yeah?”
“I—”
“Don’t say it, Patience. Not yet.” He stood up and left, before he couldn’t.
* * *
“I’m approaching the back entrance.” Nash spoke into his mic as he cleared the corridor, as ordered by the chief.
“Be careful, Nash. We still don’t have him.” Finn’s voice sent fear rocketing through his system, but he relied on his training and years of experience to ignore it. Patience’s and the babies’ lives depended upon him.
“Copy.” Greta stayed at his side, ready to attack as she kept stride with him.
They came up to the kennels.
“Clearing the kennels.” He opened the door and motioned for Greta to go ahead of him, to use her nose to find any sign of the Lake Killer.
“Copy.” Juliette’s tense voice let Nash know they were still looking for the killer. They all were.
He moved to follow Greta into the kennel, but a blinding strike to his skull sent a shaft of pain through his body, just as he was pulled backward, the kennel door slamming shut with Greta inside.
Patience!
Before he had a chance to resist, darkness captured him.
* * *
Patience sat under the desk for what seemed like hours, but according to her watch was only eight minutes. She regretted not using the restroom before Nash left. The babies were continually pressing against her bladder and it’d been foolish to not empty it before going into full lockdown.
But the Lake Killer was out there. Staying safe took priority over bathroom needs.
There’d been no other sound from outside, nothing from dispatch over her phone or clinic intercom. She trusted Nash and the RRPD security patrol implicitly. But it didn’t keep the cold snake of fear from coiling in her gut and making her want to scream. She gripped the weapon in her hand, missing Greta’s protection.
The silence grew along with Patience’s trepidation. No further explosions or gunshots sounded from outside. Even the patients in the kennel were ominously quiet. She tried to reassure herself that it was a good sign; if Gabby, the parrot, remained still and not a squawk left her formidable beak, then chances were no one was hiding there.
Patience forced herself to draw in deep breaths, hold the air and then release it forcefully in an effort to center herself. She couldn’t ignore her bladder any longer. The bathroom was just off her office. She’d be in and out in a flash. Quickly and quietly she used the restroom, making it back into her office within two minutes. She huddled under her desk again, weapon ready.
Greta’s sharp, protesting barks shatter
ed the silence and sent chills of fear through her. The sound reverberated across the clinic as Patience held her weapon in front of her, ready to shoot.
Two gunshots in swift succession sounded a split second before glass rained down on her office’s tile floor. She’d been here before, knew what it meant. The Lake Killer was back.
It was now or never. Patience eased from under the desk, keeping her body behind the furniture, but enabling a clear shot at the intruder.
She balanced her arms on the desktop and faced the man she prayed she’d never see again. Not free and threatening like this. She wanted him behind bars. Now she’d kill him before he hurt her or her babies.
The Lake Killer pushed her office door open and stepped inside, dragging a limp body behind him.
Nash. Her entire life, her future, her love. He’d killed Nash.
His cold killer eyes hadn’t changed, except to have gained more evil in their depths. He held his pistol but, instead of pointing it at Patience, aimed it at Nash as he dumped him on the floor.
“Put down the gun or I’ll kill both of you.” His voice chilled her even more than his eyes.
Clarity kept her panic at bay. She had to keep the babies safe. “Drop your gun. You’ve already killed him.” She gripped her pistol, waited for him to comply, while never expecting him to. She took aim.
“He’s still alive.” The killer kicked Nash, who let out a harsh grunt, even unconscious. “The dog’s dead, along with all the animals in your kennel, unless you come out now.”
Nash was alive! She didn’t believe for one minute the killer wouldn’t harm her, but she also knew Red Ridge police officers were just outside, and hearing everything over her phone. Somehow, they’d make it through this.
“Put your weapon down.” She repeated her demand.
“We put them down together.”
She’d never trust him. Where were Finn, Juliette, the rest of the RRPD? She didn’t know how long she could keep the killer talking, or if she’d be able to distract him from what he want. Her. Dead.