by Arianna Hart
“She started barking when Mary Ellen was trying to put Hunter down, so I let her out in the yard.” He ran through the kitchen to the back door and flicked on the outside lights. The back door crashed open and Hornblower burst in holding Hunter—and a wickedly long Bowie knife.
Chapter Seventeen
Nadya heard the back door crash open, Hunter cry and Sydney barking her head off all at the same time. Panic clutched at her throat as she heard J.T. tell Hornblower to put down the knife. This was not good. Her first impulse was to run away, until Mary Ellen made a move to go past her down the hall.
Stepping in front of her, Nadya pushed Mary Ellen toward the bedroom door. “Take Billy and hide. Get out if you can and go for help, but don’t risk yourself,” she whispered.
“Get out of my way, that’s my baby crying.”
“J.T. and Bill will protect Hunter. You need to protect Billy and the baby you’re carrying. Please, Mary Ellen. Listen to me. J.T. and Bill can handle this, but not if they’re worried about you. I won’t let anything happen to Hunter. I swear it on my life.” And she meant it too. She’d happily risk her life if it meant saving Hunter’s.
“He’s only a baby,” Mary Ellen said as tears ran down her face. Billy clutched her leg and began to cry too.
“Go! See if you can get out a window.”
Nadya shoved her into the bedroom and pulled the door closed silently.
Now what? Obviously, Hornblower was here for her, unless he’d just gone completely around the bend. How was she going to save Hunter? It wasn’t like she had mad ninja skills or even a weapon.
But she was smart and she knew how to negotiate. Would it be possible to talk her way out of this?
“Get that gypsy whore in here right now!” Hornblower shouted.
The time for deliberation was over. She walked to the kitchen praying for divine guidance.
Hornblower stood between the kitchen table and the back door. Sydney lay way too still halfway across the kitchen floor, as if she’d been kicked there. J.T. had his hands up in front of him, and Bill stood in the doorway to the den.
“Why is it whenever a man wants to insult me, he always calls me a gypsy whore? Which is supposed to be the worse insult, gypsy or whore?” Nadya moved to J.T.’s right, close to the counter and the knife block.
“You! You’ve been a thorn in my side since before you were even born. I had that idiot Masterson ready to sell me his hunting cabin when your whore mother told him she was pregnant. Next thing I know, I’m drawing up trust papers so he can give it away.”
“Why would you have wanted the property thirty years ago?” Nadya asked, stalling for time. The longer he talked, the more time Mary Ellen had to get help.
“I had been buying up properties all over the area. If I could have gotten Woody’s piece, it would have been worth millions. But you ruined everything. Now the rest of the properties aren’t worth the paper the deed is printed on, and I’m overextended to people who apply their late fees with a baseball bat to your knees.”
“If I sign the property over to you, will you put the baby down?”
“Do you think I’m stupid? I know the second I put this brat down, your man over there is going to play hero.”
“Then what do you want?” She inched closer to the knife block. If she could distract him, maybe J.T. could do something without hurting the baby. What, she wasn’t sure, but something.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You see this paper right here in my pocket? You’re going to sign it, transferring the custody of the trust back into my hands. Then you two heroes will witness it. Once the paperwork is signed, me and the baby will disappear. I’ll call you and tell you where to get him.”
“No deal. We have no assurances that you won’t kill him the second I sign the paper.”
“This isn’t a negotiation!”
“Everything’s a negotiation.”
“Nadya,” J.T. said, the warning clear in his tone.
“Leave the baby here with Bill. I’ll go with you as your hostage.”
“No!” J.T. shouted.
“You can drive me somewhere out in the woods and I’ll sign the paper. By the time I get back to civilization, you can be long gone.” Nadya used every ounce of control left in her to keep her face blank. Both men were to her left, so they couldn’t see what was happening on the patio. Her heart lodged in her throat. This could go terribly, terribly wrong if she didn’t do something.
“No way. You are not leaving the house with him.” J.T. vibrated with fury.
“In case you haven’t noticed, you aren’t in charge here.” Hornblower appeared to think about it.
Nadya didn’t take her eyes off him. If he managed to see the movement right outside the door, she wanted to be able to react quickly. There was no telling what he was capable of. His eyes were wild, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He was definitely not operating on all cylinders.
“Put the baby down. This is the only way and you know it.” She kept moving towards him, keeping his attention on her and not what was going on behind him.
“Come out on the patio. I’ll put the kid down when we get to the fence. Neither of you better take one step out the door until the kid is loose, or I’ll slit both their throats. I got nothing to lose.”
“Nadya, no. Don’t do it.” J.T. pleaded with her, but she steeled herself.
“I know what I’m doing. I can handle myself.” She really hoped he got the hint.
“Let’s go. I’m calling the shots. Out the door.”
Walking away from J.T. was the hardest thing she’d ever done.
“If you ever show your face around here again, loan sharks are going to be the least of your problems.” J.T.’s voice was rough with anger.
“You’re in no position to make threats, pretty boy.”
Nadya drew closer to Hornblower, and his stink almost overpowered her. “At least let me hold the baby so he’ll stop crying. I’m sure he’s getting heavy too.”
“Take him.” He thrust Hunter at her. “Just remember, I’ve got the knife on you.” He grabbed her arm and pushed her out the door, pressing the knife against her side.
As soon as they were clear of the frame, Mary Ellen smashed a flowerpot over his head. Nadya clutched Hunter to her chest and ran for her life. She heard a roar and spun in time to see J.T. fly out the door and body slam Hornblower, who’d only just made it to his knees.
Mary Ellen skirted the brawling men and ran right to Nadya and Hunter. She hugged them both so hard Nadya thought they’d suffocate. “I have never been so scared in my entire life. Oh my baby, I was so scared.” She took Hunter from Nadya and collapsed on a lounge chair.
“Where’s Billy?” Bill asked, stroking Hunter’s hair.
“I put him out the window and had him run to Mrs. Harrison’s house to call the police. My damn cell phone was dead.”
Nadya’s knees buckled and she sat right next to Mary Ellen. Her heart raced, and adrenaline made her light headed.
J.T. had Hornblower face down on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back. The wail of sirens in the background was music to her ears.
The next hour was a rush of confusion and noise. The police took Hornblower away. J.T., Bill, Mary Ellen and Nadya had to give statements. The EMTs looked Hunter over to make sure he hadn’t come to any harm, and Mrs. Harrison brought Billy back home.
Through it all, J.T. maintained his distance, the consummate professional. He walked the on-duty officers through the scene, showing them where Hornblower had burst through the door and where Mary Ellen had hit him with the flowerpot.
The night dragged on and Nadya was fading fast. She was sore, tired and really, really scared she’d blown things with J.T. He wouldn’t look at her. With so many people around, she was afraid to approach him, but as time passed she got more and more anxious. If he was going to get mad at her every time she thought for herself, he was in for a long, bumpy road.
She must h
ave fallen asleep on the couch, because she woke in J.T.’s arms and he was carrying her out to the truck.
“You’re always carrying me,” she murmured sleepily.
“It’s the best way I know to get you where I want you to go.” He deposited her in the truck, then hurried around to the driver’s side. Lights were still on up and down the street as they made their way out of Mary Ellen’s neighborhood.
J.T. hadn’t said a word since he got in the vehicle. The longer he was quiet, the more nervous she got.
“Are you mad at me?” she asked finally when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer.
“I should be. You scared the hell out of me. I damn near shit myself when you walked over to him calm as you please. If I hadn’t seen Mary Ellen’s shadow on the patio, I don’t know what I would have done.” His hands clenched the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. “Seeing him with that knife next to Hunter was one of the worst things I’ve seen. And I’ve seen some pretty bad things.”
“I’m sorry I scared you. I just couldn’t think of any other way to get Hunter away from him. I knew if I could hold Hunter you could do something. I wasn’t sure what, but I had faith you’d figure it out.”
“I’m glad you did. Short of shooting the bastard and hoping Bill could reach Hunter in time, I was out of options.”
“I’m just glad it’s over. Or at least the part where people attack me and smash my car is over. I hope.”
“I think it is. Just about everyone in town stopped by the station or stopped me on the street to tell me how sorry they were about what happened to you. I think you have more friends here than you realize.”
“Maybe I do.”
They bumped up the drive and the cabin had never looked so welcoming.
It felt like coming home.
Chapter Eighteen
J.T. sipped his coffee and watched Nadya sleep the sleep of the dead. She’d had a rough couple of days, and things were going to get rougher now that half the town had found out about her father and the land deal.
Part of him wouldn’t blame her if she wanted to go home and get away from the craziness of Dale. All of him hoped she wouldn’t.
Okay, McBride. Time to lay it on the line. If you don’t tell her how you feel, how can you expect her to do it? She’s been torn down and beat up half her life. The least you can do is spill your guts first.
He crossed the room to his dresser and pulled out the ring he’d bought in Canton when he’d gone down to talk to her brothers. He’d thought about giving her his mother’s ring but decided she deserved something that had only ever been hers. No more hand-me-downs.
A million different scenarios came and were rejected. Should he wait until she woke up and had a cup of coffee? What if she slept until noon? There was no way he’d last that long.
“Good morning, handsome,” she said, her voice still husky with sleep. “Is that coffee for me?” Her eyes were warm and sexy, and the flannel shirt she’d borrowed from him slid off one shoulder, hinting at the full curve of her breast.
“That depends on your answer.” He took the two steps needed to reach the side of the bed and put the mug on the nightstand.
“What’s the question?”
“I love you. Will you marry me?” He flipped open the ring box and held it out to her.
…
“What?” She scrambled up in bed and reached for the box but didn’t take it. “I haven’t brushed my teeth, I have no makeup on and I’m not wearing any underwear and you want to marry me?” Nadya couldn’t believe what she was hearing, seeing. The ring was gorgeous and glittering in the morning light, and she still had sleep in her eyes.
“Yes, to all the above.”
“Oh my God.”
“Well?”
“Yes! Of course, yes! I love you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her.
“I don’t know if it’s the right size. I had to guess. The jeweler said he can resize it if it doesn’t fit.”
“Put it on me, please.”
She held out her left hand and he slid the diamond solitaire over her knuckle.
“It fits. It’s perfect,” she said, holding her hand up to admire it, her heart melting as she watched it twinkle.
“Just like you’re my perfect fit.” He leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him.
“I really need to brush my teeth. I am not having our first engaged kiss ruined by morning breath. I’ll be right back.” She nearly flew to the bathroom.
She’d never brushed her teeth so fast in her entire life. J.T. loved her and wanted to marry her. They’d be together forever. He’d be hers forever. Her heart felt full to bursting with love and happiness.
As soon as she finished wiping her face, she raced back to the bedroom and dove on J.T. who lay on the bed. Nadya rained kisses over his face until he speared his fingers in her hair and held her head still.
“We still have a boat load of decisions to make,” she said as he trailed kisses to her ear.
“Uh huh.”
“Like where are we going to live?”
“Wherever you want.” He unbuttoned the flannel shirt, exposing her breasts to his gaze.
“I was thinking here. But maybe we could add on to the cabin, you know for the children.”
“Lots of children.”
“We can start with one.” She gasped as his mouth captured a nipple. “In fact, let’s practice right now.” She reached down and unbuttoned his fly.
“It may take lots of practice,” he said as he shucked his jeans.
“Darn.”
As she eased him inside her, she knew as long as he was with her she’d always be home.
Epilogue
“I’m really nervous.” Nadya paced the tiny outer office, wearing a hole in the carpet with her Jimmy Choos. She was dressed in full lawyer battle gear, but that didn’t stop the butterflies from doing acrobatics in her stomach. “What if they don’t want to see me?”
“Then I’ll go in and beat them up.”
“Like you did to Mr. Taylor?” She gave him the look, but before she could say anything more the secretary returned.
“They’ll see you now. Right this way.”
J.T. held her hand as they followed the secretary down the hall. Pictures of horses lined both walls. A trophy case held gold plates and trophies of various sizes and more pictures of horses. A brochure on a bulletin board advertised riding lessons and trail rides coming soon. An idea began to form in her head, but before she could pursue it, the secretary opened the door and showed them into the office.
“Miss Sarov and Mr. McBride to see you,” the woman said before backing out of the room and closing the door.
Nadya looked at the two men facing her. One stood behind a desk, the other against a bookshelf nearby. The one behind the desk looked a bit older. He had thinning brown hair and blue eyes, and his stomach hung out over his jeans in a bit of a beer gut.
The second one was closer to her age. He had the same blue eyes as his brother, but he had laugh lines around his. His hair was darker and thicker, and he looked more bookish than outdoorsy. He stepped forward first.
“Hi. I’m Lloyd and this is Winston.”
“I’m J.T. McBride and this is my fiancée, Nadya.” He shook their hands. When Nadya just stood there frozen, he gave her a little nudge.
She didn’t know what to say. Oh God, she couldn’t think of anything. Her mind was blank. Finally, she blurted out the first thing that came to her head. “Do you two look like your father? My father? Our father?”
They exchanged a startled glance, then Winston took a picture off the desk. “This is our dad with our first Kentucky Derby contender. It’s an old picture, but he looked pretty much the same when he died.”
Nadya took the glass-framed picture and tried to find something of herself in the man standing next to the horse. His sons did indeed resemble him, but he’d passed very little genetic material along to her.
“I
remember your mother. You favor her,” Winston said.
“You knew her?” Nadya was shocked.
“I was ten and loved hanging around the barn listening to the stable hands. Your grandfather and uncles worked with the colts and fillies. Your mama would bring lunch every day. I still remember the way she’d pet the newborn foals. They loved her, came right up to her. Your grandfather said she had the gift and it was too bad it was wasted on a girl.”
“That sounds about right.” Bastard.
“I don’t mean to sound crass, but what exactly can we do for you?” Lloyd asked.
“Two things. First, I wanted to make sure you weren’t going to contest the will. I can understand how you’d be upset about a portion of your inheritance going to someone you never knew existed.”
“We knew about you,” Winston said, shocking her.
“Excuse me?”
“After Daddy had his first heart attack, he told us what he’d done and how he regretted treating your mother that way. Said when he died he didn’t want us finding out about you from someone else.”
“And it didn’t bother you?” She had to sit down.
The brothers exchanged another look. “You didn’t know our mother. She had a very delicate constitution. It didn’t surprise us at all that Daddy found greener pastures, so to speak.”
“I see.” What did you say to something like that?
“We’ve had five years to process your existence. We have no interest in contesting your right to the hunting cabin or the land.”
“Thank you.” That was one worry off her mind. J.T. smiled at her reassuringly. They weren’t exactly killing the fatted calf, but neither were they throwing her out.
“You said two things. What’s the other?”
“On the way in, I noticed in addition to training thoroughbreds, you also offer riding lessons and trail rides.”
“That’s more of a side project. With the economy being as bad as it’s been, a lot of folks around these parts can’t keep horses anymore. When we can, we try to take horses in so they don’t have to be destroyed. Lloyd here had the idea that we should use them to offer riding lessons. It’s been a big hit. We even have an equine therapy program for disabled children.”