“I love you, too, sugar,” Grady said. “I’m fine.”
“You could’ve died in that house,” Sophie pointed out.
“Are you the reason they rushed us to arraignment?” James asked, collecting his gun from the smug deputy. “I don’t know why you’re smiling,” he said to the deputy. “These charges are going to be dropped and then who are you going to laugh at?”
“I’m pretty sure it will still be you,” the deputy deadpanned.
James rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s get out of here.”
“How did you help us?” Grady asked, slinging an arm over Sophie’s shoulder.
“I merely made sure the sheriff knew that I was going to call the whole media circus over here and report on you guys being locked up for trying to protect your family,” Sophie replied. “I told him I was prepared to trot a crying pregnant woman out for good measure and he agreed to push through the arraignments.”
“Too bad he wouldn’t drop the charges,” Jake said.
“He’s going to,” James said. “We owe you for getting us out, Sophie.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Sophie said. “I can’t live without my love muffin.” She pinched Grady’s cheek for good measure, causing him to blush.
“Technically I’m his boss until they drop the charges,” Ally offered. “If you want him to do something, just tell me.”
“Why are you his boss?”
“A family member had to take responsibility for them,” Finn explained. “The sheriff insisted on it because he’s a jerk. I got James and Ally got Grady.”
Sophie snorted. “Where is Mandy? I’m surprised she didn’t jump at the chance to be James’ boss.”
“She’s already my boss,” James said, reaching for his phone. “Speaking of that … .”
“Mandy had to stay with Emma,” Finn explained. “The doctor said the baby will be here soon. We couldn’t risk Emma being in the house alone even though Peter’s men are watching over things.”
“Hey, if we’re lucky this is going to be over before Emma goes into labor,” Sophie said. “That’s the best baby gift any of us could give her.”
“We need to end this today,” Finn said. “I want my baby.”
“HI,” Mandy said, smiling when she heard James’ voice on the other end of the phone. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, baby,” James said. “We were outside when the house blew up.”
“Is Marcus dead?”
“He never moved from his chair,” James answered. “We’re going to meet Morgan and his men out at the cabin right now. Hopefully we’ll have Pritchard in custody within the hour. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Mandy said. “We’re a little antsy waiting for word on all of this, but I’m going to take Emma out to the guesthouse and show her what I’ve been working on in my studio for the baby’s room.”
“You won’t show me what you’ve been working on for the baby,” James argued. “How come Emma gets to see it?”
“We need something to do,” Mandy admitted. “I’ll let you paint me later if you get this taken care of today. I’ll be naked.”
“Sold,” James said. “Stay safe and call an ambulance first and then Peter if Emma goes into labor. Peter’s men should be at the front door to make sure you guys get inside the vehicle safely. Once you’re in the hospital, you’re untouchable.”
“Hopefully that won’t be an issue,” Mandy said. “Call me as soon as it’s over.”
“I will.”
“Don’t put yourself at risk, James,” Mandy said. “I can’t live without you.”
“Don’t worry about that, baby,” James said. “It’s you and me forever. I told you that.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more than anything,” James said. “Have fun in your studio and be careful. We’re almost done with this.”
Mandy disconnected, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth until she realized Emma was staring at her. “James said they’re on their way and they’ll call us as soon as it’s over,” she said. “Do you want to go out to the studio?”
“Anything to get out of here for a little bit,” Emma said. “No offense, and I love your house when we visit, but I’m starting to feel closed in.”
“Join the club,” Mandy said, pocketing her phone and opening the back door. The air was crisp and cool, but the sun was shining. It was a beautiful day to get their lives back in order. “I’m so glad spring is finally here. I hate winter.”
“Do you think you and James will spend your winters in a warmer climate once you’re done with your job at the courthouse?” Emma asked, falling into step next to Mandy.
“I honestly don’t know,” Mandy said. “I can’t see us ever being gone for Christmas. I can see us taking off every February to get out of here, though. I love Michigan for three seasons, but that fourth season can be a real pain in the ass.”
“I hear you,” Emma said, walking into the guesthouse in front of Mandy.
“I mean, look at this,” Mandy said, bending over in front of the open door and picking up a huge clump of sidewalk salt. “This can’t be healthy for anything or anyone.”
Mandy walked into the guesthouse, frowning when she saw Emma’s chalky face. The woman had her hand pressed to her lips … and it was shaking.
“What’s wrong?” Mandy asked. “Please don’t tell me you went into labor between the house and here. That’s going to suck. I’m not good under pressure.”
“Behind you,” Emma whispered.
Mandy froze when she realized what Emma was insinuating, finally shifting her head to the figure resting against the wall next to the door. She hadn’t seen him when she first entered, and now there was nothing she could do to change their situation.
“Hello, Mrs. Hardy,” Lance Pritchard drawled. “I told you I would be seeing you again.”
Twenty-Two
“How did you get in here?” Mandy was dumbfounded and terrified, her heart hammering as she tried to figure a way out for Emma and herself.
“Is that any way to greet an old friend?” Pritchard asked, his smirk evil. “Where’s my hug?”
“You don’t want to hug me,” Mandy replied. “I’ll shove my hug up your ass and start it on fire.”
“You’ve got a mouth on you,” Pritchard said. “I like it.” He turned his attention to his shaking daughter, his expression unreadable. “You, on the other hand … .”
“Don’t you even think of taking a step in her direction,” Mandy warned, her heart rolling at the look on Emma’s face. “Just … don’t.” Mandy kept an eye on Pritchard and moved to Emma’s side, rubbing the terrified woman’s back as she racked her brain for an exit strategy. “Emma, you need to sit down.”
“We have to run,” Emma said. “I … .”
“Oh, don’t run, Emma,” Pritchard taunted. “You’re too fat to run. My word, how much do you weigh now?”
Despite the situation, Mandy was offended on Emma’s behalf. “She’s pregnant, you half-wit,” she hissed, moving Emma to the gaming table. “Sit here.”
“He’s going to kill us, Mandy,” Emma said, her eyes filling with tears. “He’s going to kill my baby.”
“No, he’s not,” Mandy countered, smoothing Emma’s hair. Mandy knew Emma was useless in the face of her father’s wrath. Mandy was going to have to protect both of them. Once James found the cabin empty, he would return home. There was still a lot of time to fill between now and then. “You and the baby are going to be fine.”
“I can’t believe you’re having a baby,” Pritchard said, pushing himself away from the wall and stepping closer. “Is it a boy or a girl? That could impact my plans for you.”
“Don’t you come any closer,” Mandy warned. “I’m not kidding.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Pritchard shot back. “I’m sick of people telling me what to do.”
Mandy knew she had to buy time. Pritchard was a man who liked to talk about himsel
f. That was the tactic she would need to employ now. “How did you get in here? The property is being watched.”
“I know,” Pritchard said, shifting on his heel and studying the pool table. “What’s the deal with the purple?”
“I don’t like green felt,” Mandy replied. “You were about to tell us how you got in here,” she reminded him. “I’m just dying to know how you managed that.”
“Dying being the operative word,” Pritchard said, rolling his eyes when Mandy refused to even register a change in her expression. “You are a real pill, aren’t you? Well, if telling you how I got in here is the only way to loosen you up, I guess I don’t have a choice.
“It wasn’t easy,” he continued, walking around the edge of the pool table. He was practically daring Mandy to make a move toward the door. She didn’t even consider it because she knew Emma couldn’t move fast enough to make a break for it. “It took me longer than I would’ve liked to track Emma down. My original plan was to grab her the night I escaped. That didn’t work out.”
Mandy’s mind was busy. “We know the warden helped you guys escape,” she said. “Did he tell you where the laundry truck was going to be?”
Pritchard lifted an eyebrow, intrigued. “How did you know that Lassiter was involved?”
“Marcus Gibson told us.” Mandy saw no sense in lying.
“I figured it had to be him or DeAngelo,” Pritchard said. “I thought for sure DeAngelo was going to squeal like a pig. I left the cabin when he was caught because I expected it to be raided. When the cops didn’t show up, I figured he was biding his time until he could get a proper deal. I knew my time was running out, but I still didn’t have a fix on my baby girl.”
“Don’t call me that,” Emma whimpered.
Mandy wanted to console her, but she had no idea how to do that, so she remained focused on Pritchard. “So you broke out of prison as a foursome and separated,” Mandy prodded, trying to keep Pritchard on task. “You split up and went your separate ways. Did you know when you escaped that Lassiter had plans for Gibson and DeAngelo?”
“I did,” Pritchard replied. “They didn’t tell me, but Lassiter wasn’t as smooth as he thought. I found out his plans from him and he didn’t even realize he told me what was going to happen because he was too stupid to see the trough I led him to feed from.”
“How is that possible?”
“He thought he was playing me, but I was in control of that situation,” Pritchard answered. “He let a few things slip about his wife, and when he mentioned a jailbreak, I realized what he was really after.
“He wanted DeAngelo to kill his wife and he was using Marcus as backup,” he continued. “Marcus was a mess because he was raped so often. That’s a powerful factor when you want to control someone.” He winked at Emma for good measure, causing Mandy’s stomach to twist. “Lassiter wanted to make sure he had two soldiers in case one of them failed. It looks like that was a good idea. I could’ve told him DeAngelo would muck things up, but I didn’t really want to help him, so I kept that to myself.”
“DeAngelo wasn’t supposed to kill the guard,” Mandy said. “That’s what turned all of this to crap, isn’t it?”
“You’re fairly smart. I’ll give you that.”
“DeAngelo killed the guard and realized things were out of control, so instead of doing the job Lassiter sprung him for, he ran,” Mandy said, ignoring the statement. “That left Marcus to do Lassiter’s bidding and you to act as camouflage.”
“Very good,” Pritchard said. “Lassiter told me he believed I was innocent and had been railroaded. He was trying to appeal to my ego by telling me how smart I was and how he knew I could escape and start a new life.
“He underestimated my intelligence, which is exactly what I wanted him to do,” he continued. “I knew he wanted the police to focus on me. It wasn’t a coincidence that he picked two lower-level criminals and paired them with a high-profile one.
“I played Lassiter’s game to get what I wanted,” Pritchard said. “I wanted out. He thought I would be captured right away so he gave me access to his cabin. He was under the misguided notion that DeAngelo would kill his wife within twenty-four hours. Those were his instructions. Of course, we all know that didn’t happen.”
“Lassiter had to know that his plan was shot when DeAngelo killed that guard,” Mandy said. “What do you think his plan was after that?”
“That’s an interesting question,” Pritchard said. “Why do you ask it?”
“Honestly? He was trying to feel out one of our associates when they had a meeting regarding your time in prison,” Mandy said. “I think he was trying to decide if he could somehow blame your escape on Emma.”
“You people have no idea what you’re doing, do you?” Pritchard challenged. “That’s not why he was asking about Emma. He didn’t want to blame my escape on her. He wanted to kill me himself and use her as a scapegoat so he could get away with it.”
“Oh,” Mandy said, realization dawning. That actually made sense. “Why did you stay at his cabin if you knew he was going to try and kill you?”
Pritchard shrugged. “I didn’t know where else to go,” he said. “Besides, I knew Lassiter would come for me when it was time. I was ready for that. He was the one who ended up with a surprise in the end.”
Mandy stilled. “Is he dead?”
“He wasn’t when I left, but he will be soon,” Pritchard said, chortling. “You should’ve seen his face. It was glorious. Right up until the end he thought he had the upper hand. Then I slid that knife into his gut and … it was beautiful.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Emma muttered.
“You’re not the only one,” Mandy said.
“OKAY, here’s the situation. We managed to track down this cabin through land deeds,” Sheriff Morgan said, spreading a map out on the hood of his vehicle. “The cabin wasn’t easy to track down because it’s not in Lassiter’s name. It’s in his sister-in-law’s name. It’s closed in on two sides by trees and the back opens up to the lake.”
“Do you think Lassiter’s brother knows what it’s being used for?” James asked, rolling his neck until it cracked. He was getting antsy.
“I have no idea,” Morgan answered. “He’s being taken into custody at his place of business in Sterling Heights. We won’t have anything from him for a little bit.”
“What about Lassiter himself?” Jake asked. “Has he been taken into custody?”
“That’s the state police’s jurisdiction,” Morgan said, grimacing. “We don’t have the authority to arrest Lassiter. We had to share information with the state police. They’re in charge of taking him into custody and they’re heading toward the prison now.”
“You can’t get everything,” James pointed out. “You’re about to get Pritchard and you helped uncover this whole thing. Once we have Pritchard, it will be over with.”
“It will,” Morgan said. “I appreciate everything you guys have done. I’m working on getting the guys out in Oakland to drop charges against you. Sophie was very … persuasive … so I don’t think it’s going to be an issue.”
“Thanks for that,” James said. “Speaking of Sophie, where did you stash Ally and her?”
Jake made a face. “They’re in the car over there.” He pointed to the spot where Ally sat with her face pressed against the window. She looked furious … and kind of like a morose puppy dog. “I engaged the child locks and told her if she tried to escape I was going to break up with her.”
James snorted. “She won’t believe that.”
“She knows this is important and she promised to stay there with Sophie,” Jake said. “I’m hopeful that means she won’t be a pain. I also told her I’m going to let the sheriff arrest her if she tries anything funky.”
“Oh, you’re not going to get any loving for a long time if that happens,” Finn quipped.
“Tell me about it,” Jake grumbled.
“We should assume that Pritchard is armed and dang
erous,” Morgan said. “My men are going to move first. I’m going to allow you inside once he’s in custody to question him. I can’t let you guys go through the door first. Not on this one.”
“As long as we get to talk to him – or see his dead body – we’re good,” James said. “We just want our lives to go back to normal.”
“Okay,” Morgan said, folding up the map. “We’re moving in five minutes. Let’s get this guy. I would love to put this one to bed before the evening news.”
“YOU still haven’t told me how you got on my property,” Mandy said, rubbing the top of Emma’s hand as she stood next to her. “Did you kill some of the men out there?”
“I’m not stupid,” Pritchard scoffed. “I know who those men work for. Do you think I want to take on Peter Marconi?”
“You decided to take on Peter Marconi the second you went after us,” Mandy said. “I think you might be stupid.”
“That mouth is going to get you in trouble before the day is out,” Pritchard chided. “I would be careful if I were you.”
“You’re not me. How did you get in here?”
“Part of my deal with Lassiter involved him feeding me information on Emma,” Pritchard explained. “I wasn’t allowed computer access because they were worried I’d look at naughty pictures. What a bunch of rubes.” Pritchard looked momentarily amused. “Anyway, he managed to glean information about Emma through news reports. I especially loved the one where my ex-wife got arrested.”
“She was evil,” Mandy said.
“She’s a whore, too,” Pritchard said. “She got what she deserved. The only reason I divorced her was for the money she paid me to sign the papers. I didn’t want to make her happy, but I needed that money so I cut her loose. It wasn’t doing me any good to be married to her.
“Lassiter managed to keep up on your family pretty easily,” he continued. “You guys are in the news a lot … especially you.” Pritchard sneered at Mandy. “Trouble just loves to find you, doesn’t it?”
“I have a gift.”
“I laughed my ass off at that story about the island mobsters invading your home,” Pritchard said. “I was stunned when I read the part of the article about Sophie Lane. I didn’t put it together that she was Peter Marconi’s daughter until the final sentence in the story.”
Deadly Arrival (Hardy Brothers Security Book 16) Page 17