by Apryl Baker
“I know it’s scary, but if he was there, honey, I need to know. Can you remember?”
She nodded. “I heard something, and I snuck down the stairs. He was in front of Mason’s door and was pushing stuff against it. I ran upstairs and hid in Mommy’s closet. I was so afraid.”
“Motherfucker,” Conner swore. For once, Sara didn’t admonish them over their language.
“Was Delia’s room blocked off?”
Conner shook his head. “Only Sara’s parents’ and Mase’s.”
“I bet he thought we took her with us to the signing.” Viktor started to pace. “Her bed was empty when he looked in her room, and that was probably his first thought.”
“What is it with these assholes and fire?” Conner muttered. “Come on, let’s go outside. Let Sara calm her daughter down a bit. We need to talk to Uncle Pete.” When Mason tried to stand, Conner pinned him with a stare. “Don’t fucking think about it. You’re going to stay put until the doctor clears you.”
“Fucker!” It was barely discernable because of the mask, but Conner flipped him off and walked out of the room.
“I’ll be back.” He kissed Delia on the forehead and did the same to her mother. She’d stopped shaking as soon as she held her baby. At least there was that.
“How is Gabe?” he asked as soon as he leaned against the wall outside Delia’s room.
“Still in surgery.” Conner checked his watch. “It was bad, Vik. He took one in the chest. There wasn’t an exit wound I could find.”
“Shit.” The bullet could have done a hell of a lot of damage bouncing around inside. “Could his spine be compromised?”
“I don’t know. Fuck. This is bad, Vik.”
“You already said that.”
Conner’s entire demeanor had changed. He was back to the hard-ass who terrified people. How the fuck did he flip that on and off so easily?
“I texted Uncle Pete. He and the county sheriff are on the way over to talk to us.”
“How the fuck did Roger get in the house? The security system was installed.”
“I got a theory about that.” Conner’s hooded eyes followed the night nurse. She flirted right back with her eyes.
“Conner, now is not the time to be hooking up. We got shit to do.”
“There’s always time to make connections.” He flashed a dangerous smile. “But back to my theory. I think Roger did something when he knocked Mason out. A virus, maybe, or a work around the code. I’m not a computer expert, so I don’t know.”
“Did you ask Mason?”
“No.” His fists clenched. “Fucker told me he was fine. We got here, and Delia was so upset and terrified, he demanded to stay with her. Told everyone he was her uncle. I didn’t think anything of it, but an hour later, he was choking. Fucker had smoke inhalation. He didn’t bother to tell anyone. Stupid ass motherfucker. Didn’t he realize that is how people die? Fucker needs to watch Grey’s Anatomy.”
“You watch that shit?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I will punch you in the face for laughing at my shows.”
“Whatever. Are the cops looking for the bastard?”
“The locals aren’t, but the state boys are. Uncle Pete’s making sure of it.”
“You said Kade was coming?”
“Yeah. You’ll get to meet Mateo. Kade won’t let him out of his sight.”
“Can’t blame him. Delia will be lucky to get five feet from any of us after tonight.”
“Yeah.” Conner wet his lips. “I’m hoping meeting his cousin will help him start to adjust to life outside the cartel.”
“Is he dangerous?” Viktor felt like shit for asking, but he had to protect Delia.
Conner’s nostrils flared. “I don’t think so, but we won’t leave them alone together until we can answer that without doubt.”
“If you hadn’t been here…” Viktor slid down the wall until his butt hit the floor. Conner sat beside him and bumped his shoulder like they used to do in elementary school.
“You’re my other half, Vik. You don’t need to say anything. I know.”
“What the fuck you boys doing down there?”
They both looked up, startled at the sound of Pete’s voice. The man stood not more than a few feet away, his beer belly hanging over his belt. He’d filled out more in his old age, but his blue eyes were sharp against the backdrop of his balding white head.
“What do we know?” Viktor didn’t bother to get up. He didn’t know if his legs would hold him yet.
“It ain’t good.” Pete rubbed his chin, looking tired. “Fire department did their best, but the farmhouse is pretty much gone, as is the barn. Gasoline was the accelerant. It was everywhere, upstairs and downstairs. You folks are lucky there weren’t any serious injuries aside from a gunshot.”
“Did you find the bastard?” Viktor bit out, unable to even say his name.
“Roger Riley is an official person of interest in the arson. Sheriff’s office put a BOLO out on him. We’ll find him soon enough.”
“The local PD?”
“Worthless. They kept trying to steer us away from the bastard.”
“He has friends and family in the jurisdiction.”
“He ain’t the only one with friends and family. Nobody messes with my family. I got a few tricks up my sleeve too.”
“The investigating officer needs to come talk to Delia.” Conner scrubbed a hand over his face. “She saw her father barricading Mason’s door.”
“The fuck?”
“It’s partly why she’s so upset.”
Pete pulled out his phone and sent out a quick text. “How are they?”
“Shaken up. Mason’s on oxygen. The fool didn’t tell anyone he was having trouble breathing.”
“That boy. Still thinks he knows ever’thin’.” Pete shook his head. “Officers will be here within the hour to stand guard.”
“Conner, can you go find out what you can about Gabe?” Viktor asked. No matter how much he needed to know, he couldn’t bring himself to step away from this door and his family.
“Of course.” Conner stood. “Uncle Pete, can you come with me? We have a theory we want to run by you.”
Pete glanced at Viktor, and he waved him off. He wasn’t necessarily fine, but he was okay.
All Viktor wanted to do was sit here and get a handle on his emotions. His girls needed him, and he’d lock this shit down if it killed him.
Sara refused to get out of the hospital bed. She faintly heard Viktor arguing with nurses, but as long as they stopped trying to get her to put Delia down, all was good.
Fear unlike anything she’d ever known seized her heart the moment she’d heard Viktor utter, “How bad is she hurt?”
She felt herself crack and shatter. Viktor had done everything. He packed, he got them checked out, and he found a way to get to them home. He even called Dimitri to handle all her book signing related things. He’d held her every second of the way. It was the only reason she hadn’t completely broken down and lost her mind.
Her nerves calmed the minute she’d seen her baby, and reality snapped back into place when she held her.
She could breathe for the first time since they’d gotten the call.
Thank God Conner showed up. She hated to think what might have happened if he hadn’t. She owed him her daughter’s and her parents’ lives. It was a debt she couldn’t repay.
He set the house on fire.
He’d tried to murder her parents.
She’d thought he’d go after her, sure, but not her parents. They’d been nothing but kind to Roger all the time she was with him.
“Hey, baby, how you holding up?” Viktor brushed a kiss across her temple and reached over to slide his thumb along Delia’s jawline. His touch was so gentle, the little girl never so much as stirred. Her child’s own father had never once touched her like that. It broke Sara’s heart. Why hadn’t she met Viktor sooner?
“I can’t put her down.”
“I know. She’s not getting
more than a few feet from any of us anytime soon. How much more school does she have?”
“They get out next week. Why?”
“Can you pull her out early? I can keep a man on the school grounds at all times if you can’t.”
“I think so. Given what’s happened, I think the school should excuse her.”
Her gaze swept back to Mason. He’d ignored his own health to stay with Delia because she was panicking, and her grandparents couldn’t be with her. Ben would have done it as well, but not Roger.
“I owe both your brothers so much.”
“No, baby, you don’t. We’re family, and family takes care of each other.”
“I want that,” she confessed. “I want to be your family, and Mason’s, and even Conner’s, scary as he looks.”
“You already are, moye sokrovishche.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his. She sank into the soft kiss, reveling in how safe he made her feel. When he pulled away, she caught his shirt and pulled him back.
“I think I’m starting to fall for you, Viktor Kincaid.”
“Good thing, baby, because I already fell so hard for you, there’s no going back.”
His words warmed her.
“I need to talk to you about some things, and I don’t want malyshka overhearing it. Think you can come with me for a few minutes? Conner’s right outside the door. No one is getting in without his say-so.”
She tensed. Her body rebelled against leaving Delia, but the seriousness in Viktor’s voice warned her whatever he wanted to tell her would be bad.
Viktor walked over and gently shook his brother awake. Mase blinked bleary eyes at him. “I need to talk to Sara alone. Can you stay awake until we get back?”
Mason nodded and rubbed his eyes. He looked over at the kid, and his face went soft. He really loved her. A week, and she had Mason wrapped around her little finger. She deserved to have all the love she could get, though. Her child had suffered so much.
“Come on, baby.” Viktor gently pried her fingers away from Delia and pulled her to her feet. “We won’t go far, just downstairs.”
She looked back at the doorway and watched Mason lean forward and pick up Delia’s hand. He smiled when she muttered and turned toward him. Her daughter loved him as much as she did her Uncle Ben. She was beginning to see why God finally brought these men into her life. It wasn’t only her who needed them. Delia did too.
Viktor towed her to the cafeteria that was just opening. They got coffee, and he made her eat. It was the last thing she wanted, but she had to admit her stomach wasn’t rolling around like it was on the verge of emptying itself anymore.
“I talked to the fire marshal earlier. The house is gone, as is the barn. The horses were lost.”
Tears sprang to her eyes at the mention of the horses. Her dad loved those animals. Just the thought of what they suffered…her mind skidded away from it. No, she wouldn’t let herself get caught in that.
“The house is completely gone?” Her parents were going to be devastated. It had been in her family for over a hundred years.
Viktor nodded. “He doused the place in so much gasoline, Marshal Page said it was a miracle they got everyone out before it blew.”
Her hands started to shake, and Viktor took them into his own. “Easy, moye sokrovishche. Conner was there. No one was seriously hurt.”
“Except for Gabe. How is he?”
Viktor blew out a breath. “I spoke to his surgeon about an hour ago. The bullet missed his heart, but it ricocheted and did a number on his spleen. One lung collapsed, and they dug the bullet out of his back. It had lodged against his spine. They won’t know the extent of that damage until he wakes up.”
“Good Lord. What was he doing in the barn?”
“Best guess, he saw something on the video feed and went to check it out. Roger waited until he came in and shot him.”
“Do you think the barn was on fire, and that’s what he went to check out?”
“No. He would have woken up Mase and your dad if that was the case.”
“I feel so bad about all this.”
“Don’t you dare. This is all on Roger. I’m just glad Conner, Gabe, and Mase were here, or it could be far worse than what it was.” He scrubbed at his face with both hands. He looked tired.
“You need to sleep.”
“I’ll sleep when we fucking catch his ass. Has he called you?”
“Called me? Why would he call me?”
“Because you’re his end game, baby. He’s going to come after you, and that’s when we’ll catch him. He’s not thinking clearly right now. He’s going to make a mistake.”
“The only mistake I made was not killing this bitch years ago.”
Sara’s head snapped around at the sound of Roger’s voice. He stood a few feet away from them, a gun in his hand. Her brain froze.
Viktor didn’t react. He slowly turned his head and studied the environment. The cafeteria doors that had been wide open were now closed. He’d bet they were locked. How had he not heard the bastard? Because he was trying to keep his woman calm while he delivered devastating news to her.
“’Bout time you showed up.” Viktor stood and turned to face Roger, an older version of his brother Ben. He was unshaven, his eyes bloodshot. The scent of whiskey and gasoline filled the air.
“You. I knew something was off with you when you came by the shop,” he snarled. “Is my mama right? You been fucking my wife?”
“You almost killed Delia.” Sara’s voice shook, and Viktor kept track of her out of the corner of his eye. His focus had to remain on the gun, but he needed her safe too.
Something like regret flickered in his eyes for the barest of seconds before they turned ugly again.
“Did you know she was in the house?” Viktor asked, his tone mild. The cafeteria staff finally noticed what was going on. He saw two of them run into the back, and the rest huddled off to one side, watching what was happening, shocked and afraid.
“I saw her when I was downstairs. She ran up the stairs and tripped. When I went to find her, she was hidden, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t getting out of the fire.”
“You left your daughter to burn up in a house?” Viktor’s rage flared, and this time he embraced it. “She’s six years old.”
“I thought she was with you.” Roger waved the gun toward Sara. “I never meant to hurt her. She’s my baby.”
“You left her in that fire!” Sara shouted, standing up and trying to launch herself at Roger, but Viktor caught her.
“She wasn’t supposed to be there!” Roger shouted right back. “I tried to find her, tried to get her out. I was going to lock her in my truck until I finished at the house. She would have been safe if she hadn’t hidden from me.”
“She hid from you because she’s scared of you.” Viktor started to understand something basic about Roger. He loved Delia. His need to abuse notwithstanding, he did love his child. Didn’t matter, though. She wouldn’t be his for much longer.
Roger shook his head, denying it. “No. She was never afraid of me.” He turned hard eyes on Sara. “You did this. You made her afraid of me. She almost died because of you!”
“You hit her, you bastard!” Sara spat and tried to get away from Viktor, but he only held on tighter.
“I…I can’t have done that. I’d never hit her. Not her.”
“You were drunk, Roger, and you were mad. You knocked her tooth out, you hit her so hard.”
A tear fell from his eye. “She’s mine. I love her.”
“You loved me once, Roger, and you still hit me.”
“Then I was right to do what I did.” He swung the gun around aimlessly and Viktor cringed. He pushed Sara behind him, but she refused to stay there. She came to stand beside him instead.
“What did you do?” he asked, keeping a watch on Sara out of the corner of his eye.
“I never want to hurt Delia. Not her. I couldn’t find her, and I thought that maybe it was for the best. Sara said
I hurt my baby, but I don’t remember it. I was afraid maybe I did, maybe I would hurt her in the future, so I had to protect her. Even from myself. It would be better for her to suffer a little than to have to suffer all her life.”
“So you decided to let her burn.” The censure in his voice made Roger’s eyes narrow on him, and the belligerent abuser was back.
“She’s mine, and I can do what I want to her.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. She’s mine now.”
Roger’s lip curled, and he let out a hollow laugh. “You might be fucking this adulterous whore, but Delia’s my flesh and blood.”
“You’re a sperm donor. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Roger swung the gun toward him and away from Sara. Exactly where he wanted it. The man’s eyes were wild, his hatred so deep, he didn’t care about anything or anyone anymore. He fully believed Sara and Delia were his to do with as he pleased. Taking that option away from him had finally pushed him over the edge. Viktor had seen it so many times before.
Roger was unpredictable right now, and that made him dangerous. He saw the cafeteria door crack open behind Roger. Thank fuck. He’d hoped one of the two who’d run back called hospital security.
The man who stepped in was not who Viktor expected. Dylan Jenkins, his best operative, slid inside the room. He was as good as Conner. He put a finger to his lips and started inching his way closer. Kade just had to keep Roger talking until Dylan could reach him.
“You want another man’s sloppy seconds?”
The slur in Roger’s voice had gotten worse. He was drunk, which made him twice as dangerous.
“She’s not anyone’s sloppy seconds. She’s a survivor, and I love her because of how strong she is. You’re nothing but a bastard who likes to beat on defenseless women and children.”
The growl that rose out of Roger’s throat was the first warning, and without thinking, Viktor turned toward Sara and pushed. He heard more than felt the gunshot. There was a burning sensation in his shoulder, but he tackled Sara and rolled, caging her in so she wouldn’t get hurt.
The scuffle behind him didn’t register. He searched her face for any signs of pain or distress. “Did you get hit?”
Her face paled, and she touched his shoulder. “No, but you did.”