Guts & Glory: Brick (In the Shadows Security Book 6)

by Jeanne St. James

Shooting Kramer right on his front doorstep would not go unnoticed.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. “Pack your shit, we’re heading out of here as soon as Jewel can book us flights.”

  “But Barb—”

  Right now he didn’t give a fuck about Barb. He only cared about Londyn. She was his priority. “Not our problem. You got what we needed for the client. I’m handing that shit over as soon as we land. But in the meantime, I need to call the boss man and let him know what we have, then see what he wants me to do.” No matter what D wanted, they were still heading home ASAP.

  “We need to save Barb.”

  “No, I need to get you away from Kramer. Once that’s done, we’ll worry about Barb.” He’d give her that much. Barb was a good woman and she didn’t deserve whatever Kramer was dishing out to her.

  “It could be too late, Brick! He said he’s doubled the dose.”

  “Of what?”

  “I don’t know. You heard him tell me not to worry about it, so I have no idea what he’s feeding her.”

  “Let me find out what the client wants done with Kramer first. We can’t just go in and evacuate her. Questions would be raised and Kramer could ghost. Then we did this all for nothing. Once we get a handle on Kramer, we’ll deal with Barb.”

  “But—”

  “Londyn. You already did enough. Let it go and let me handle it, damn it.” With that, he took her phone and he went upstairs to make the calls he needed to make and to get away from her, to give himself some much needed space.

  She was pushing him and he was already struggling with keeping his shit together. If she kept pushing, he might take it out on her. And that was the last thing he wanted.

  Because that would not make either of them happy.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Londyn carefully worked her way up the stairs, trying to avoid causing any creaks on the wood steps.

  She had no idea where Kramer was. She hoped in his office, but she wasn’t about to check.

  Her goal was to get in and get out without him knowing.

  Getting in had been a bit nerve-wracking, as she had to make her way through the fenced back yard, past the pool and into the unlocked sliders, all without being caught. Now she just needed to get to Barb.

  When she got to the upper landing, she went directly to the bedroom at the front of the house where Kramer said it was. She only hoped it was true, because with his office at the back, he shouldn’t be able to hear them.

  Even so, she was going to be as quiet as possible.

  While she did have an excuse to visit Barb—to check on her well-being—Kramer had never allowed her upstairs to do that. And she had already knocked on the front door once today to inquire about Barb. Kramer would find it odd if she did it again, not even a half hour later. Especially after she rushed out of his house earlier, using a jealous Seamus as the excuse.

  One door was closed at the end of the hallway. She didn’t bother to knock, instead she turned the knob slowly and pushed it open.

  The curtains were drawn, the lights off, and there was a lump under the covers.

  Londyn’s heart thumped wildly. If the woman was already dead...

  She carefully made her way through the dark room and sat on the edge of the bed. She almost jumped out of her skin when Barb groaned.

  “Barb,” she whispered. She put a hand on the woman’s shoulder and shook her gently. No response. “Barb!”

  “Gertie?” The woman sounded like she had one foot already in the grave. And the way she had looked last night had frightened Londyn.

  This was exactly why she was going against Brick’s order of not helping Barb until they were out of Florida. She could not, in good conscience, allow Barb to suffer at the hands of that monster. She had to do something, otherwise she’d never be able to live with herself.

  “Yes, it’s Gertie. I’m worried about you.”

  “I’ll be okay... I just need... rest.”

  “No, Barb, you need more than rest.” You need a hospital and a battery of bloodwork. And a man who doesn’t want to kill you for the money.

  “I’m surprised he... he let you up here.”

  “He didn’t. He doesn’t know I’m here. So, we need to keep our voices down.” Though, Barb’s voice sounded so faint, Londyn wasn’t worried Kramer would hear her.

  “Did you... sneak up here? Why?”

  God, every word for her was a struggle. She was not only weak, but she was fading. There was no way Londyn was leaving Florida without helping Barb first.

  “Because...” Londyn sucked in a breath. “Because I’m concerned that Chris is trying to hurt you.”

  Not trying. He was. But she had to convince Barb that the man she loved was harming her and not after her best interests. However, she had to do that carefully. She didn’t want Barb just shutting her down and out.

  “How can you say that?”

  “This is more than migraines, Barb. Your skin is yellow, your eyes discolored. You can’t even get out of bed. This is not normal!” She cringed at the rise of her own voice.

  Barb’s hand barely lifted from the mattress. “I... I have a doctor’s appointment... scheduled next month.”

  “You might not make it to next month.”

  “Chris loves me... Why would he hurt me?”

  Because he’s a murdering psycho who’s a greedy bastard, who doesn’t give two shits about you. Londyn reworded that carefully. “Because you dying would make him two million dollars richer. And allow him to pick his next victim.”

  “What?” Barb asked weakly. “His next victim?”

  “Barb, listen. He has two life insurance policies out on you. For a million dollars each.”

  “No,” she whispered. “He would’ve told me that.”

  “Right. Just like he had taken the same type of policies out for Teresa before she slipped in the tub and died.” She air-quoted “slipped.”

  Barb’s breath rattled in her chest. “It was an accident... a freak accident.”

  Londyn wanted to shake the woman but was afraid of breaking her. “No, Barb, it wasn’t. He told me it wasn’t.”

  Barb’s eyes went wide.

  “Do you want to sit up?”

  The pale woman nodded.

  Londyn gently lifted Barb’s shoulders and tucked a couple pillows behind her head. That was as good as it was going to get. The woman had no strength left.

  Jesus. She wasn’t that bad last night. She could at least get around, though, somewhat weakly. What the fuck did Kramer do?

  Hell, what did she do? Did she cause Kramer to rush his process of poisoning Barb?

  Was this all her fault?

  Londyn bit her bottom lip. Did she sacrifice Barb to get the information Brick needed?

  “Please, let me get Seamus over here and we can help you get out of the house and to the hospital to check you for toxins.”

  “What... what did Chris tell you?

  “He told me he killed Teresa, made it look like an accident and he’s poisoning you. Did you know he got two million for her ‘accidental’ death?”

  “Why would he tell you that?”

  Shit. “Because I played him, Barb. He fell into my trap and confessed. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I had to do it. But I needed to get the truth. Let me help you now. You need to get out of this house and away from him.”

  “How do I know it’s not you lying to me? Maybe it’s you who’s trying to steal Chris away?”

  What? Had she seen what Brick looked like? She had no reason to steal Kramer away.

  “I know Seamus abuses you. Maybe you think Chris will be your savior.”

  Ugh! “No, Barb. Seamus... doesn’t abuse me. It’s all fake. He... he...” He what? What the hell did Brick feel about her? Good grief. Now was not the time to worry about what Brick felt about her. “It was a ploy.”

  “Why? Why would you do that? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “I know... Please,” she grabbed Bar
b’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “just trust me.”

  “I’ve only known you for a month. I’ve been with Chris for over a year. He loves me.”

  “And why did he move you guys down here?”

  “To get away from the memories of his late wife... He was devastated.”

  “He wasn’t. He did it, Barb. He moved you down here to you isolate you from your friends and family. Please believe that. You are his next victim.”

  Barb managed to drag her limp hand from Londyn’s and covered her eyes. Her whole body jerked as a sob wracked from her. “I... I don’t know what to think,” she said thickly.

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m too weak to get out of bed myself. Even if this is all true, how can I leave?”

  Was Barb finally beginning to believe her? Relief flooded her. “I’ll be back. With Br— Seamus. I swear. We’re getting you out of this house and to safety.” Even if Brick had to carry her the hell out of this house.

  Or she had to get the police involved.

  Something was going to happen today to get Barb out, either way. No matter if Brick liked it or not. No matter if Kramer ghosted because of it.

  The client would get his information and he could hand it over to law enforcement. Let them track Kramer down. It wasn’t up to Brick or Londyn to see justice served.

  “I’ll be back,” Londyn assured her again. “In the meantime, don’t eat or drink anything Chris gives you, okay?”

  Barb gave her a weak single nod. “Thank you.”

  Good grief, those two words shot a shiver down her spine. Londyn pressed a hand to her shoulder, squeezed and then rose from the bed.

  As she left the bedroom, she mentally bolstered herself for Brick’s reaction. She was sure it would be worse than earlier when she gave him the recording.

  He was military through and through. Not only had she broken “rank,” she disobeyed a direct order.

  She crept back down the steps.

  Her scream, which turned from surprise to terror, was muffled when a large hand covered her mouth, and another grabbed her hair almost ripping her from her feet. Her knees buckled and she couldn’t catch her balance.

  Her eyes went wide, and she tried to scream again but it was impossible as Kramer dragged her through the house, not saying a word.

  Not having to.

  Londyn could read the rage on his face.

  He had heard them talking.

  She wasn’t sure how much. But whatever it was, was enough.

  She couldn’t swallow, she could hardly get a full breath. She couldn’t make a sound.

  Brick didn’t even know she was there.

  Nobody knew but Barb. And since Kramer was being quiet, she probably thought Londyn had left the house already.

  He dragged her through the kitchen, her nails digging into his skin, trying to pry his hand off her mouth and pull the other one out of her hair. She kicked at his shins, but he avoided the contact.

  Every time she began to catch her balance, he jerked her off her feet again.

  He was taking her outside.

  She had no idea why.

  Why? Why the hell was he going outside?

  If she could get his hand off her mouth when they were outside, she could scream her head off and maybe Brick would hear it.

  It was her only hope.

  Once they were out back, Kramer’s words struck her like bullets from a machine gun. “You fucking lied to me, you bitch! You set me up! You’re a lying cunt! No wonder he hits you. You deserved it. You deserve more. I could’ve given you everything, you bitch. Now you get nothing. Now, instead of Seamus dying in an accident, it will be you.”

  He dragged her across the concrete toward the end of the pool.

  Brick could see the pool if he was looking. But he probably wasn’t. He was most likely still on the phone making arrangements and sharing the info she provided. She needed to scream to get his attention.

  She needed to fight free of Kramer to be able to scream.

  When he got to the entry steps to the pool, she realized what sort of “accident” she was going to die of.

  Drowning. Like Teresa. But this time in a pool, not a tub.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. They would eventually find her at the bottom. Possibly with her hair caught in the filter. Something that would hold her under until her lungs filled with water. Until she could no longer breathe. Until she could no longer fight.

  Until she was... no longer.

  Panic made her struggle even harder. She would not let this asshole kill her.

  She tried biting his hand and her teeth scraped his palm but she couldn’t get a good grip.

  And because of that, he jerked her hair even harder, making her eyes water. And not just with tears of panic. From the pain searing her scalp.

  He dragged her down the steps into the shallow end of the pool. And as the water rose around them, she began to float. She kicked hard to try to escape.

  It was futile.

  The man was strong.

  She was not.

  This was the first time she ever regretted not being that gym bunny.

  Not having the strength to break free.

  But she had a set of lungs on her she could use. She just needed the opportunity.

  That opportunity came when he slipped in the pool as he was moving toward the deep end and his hand shifted enough that she could chomp down on his finger.

  Instinctively, he jerked his hand away from the pain and yelled out. And when he did, she did her own yelling. She screamed Brick’s name as loud as she could. Once.

  Because as she sucked in oxygen to scream it again, a fist flew. And she couldn’t avoid the impact to her temple.

  It rattled her brain and made her see stars, and as she gasped, he shoved her under the surface.

  She inhaled out of instinct, but she only breathed in water.

  She clawed at him helplessly until she saw spots in her vision.

  She kicked, pulled and scratched until everything went dark.

  Chapter Twenty

  The hair on Brick’s neck instantly stood. With his phone to his ear, he raced down the second-floor hallway and into the spare bedroom.

  Jerking the curtains open, he glanced out and saw movement in Kramer’s pool. What the fuck was the asshole doing?

  He saw the man close to the deep end, fully clothed, but with his back to Brick. He put his eye to his sight and his heart stopped.

  Dark blonde hair swirled around in the water. But he couldn’t get a good look at who it was.

  Was it fucking Londyn?

  What the fuck? Did she leave the house after he told her to pack?

  “Fucking motherfucker!” he screamed.

  “What?” Mercy’s deep voice came from his phone. He was on a three-way call with him and the boss man. He had played the confession for them and they had been discussing their next steps.

  “I told her to pack and she went back over there.”

  A rumble of a chuckle came through the phone. “Think she listens?”

  He saw Kramer’s body jerking and something splashing as he shoved whatever it was under the water. “Oh fuck.”

  “What?”

  No. Not something.

  Someone.

  He tucked the phone between his jaw and shoulder as he put his eye to the sight again, adjusting the rifle until the crosshairs were at Kramer’s head.

  “I’m taking him out, D.”

  “Don’t got the greenlight for that from the client,” Diesel barked.

  “Fuck the client! He’s got Londyn. He’s drowning her!”

  Mercy’s voice exploded from the phone. “Fuck—”

  “I’m taking him out!” Brick screamed again, dropping the phone to his feet. He threw the window open and with a trembling finger on the trigger, he put his eye to the sight and tried to slow his breathing.

  He couldn’t.

  He couldn’t empty his lungs.

 
But he also couldn’t breathe.

  He had to be careful. Kramer was blocking Londyn but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t get hit.

  The man needed to move away. Brick needed to wait until Kramer had finished what he was trying to do. And every microsecond Brick had to wait seared his gut, tore at his heart.

  It would take him longer to run over.

  He needed to wait it out.

  Wait.

  Breathe.

  Wait.

  Kramer turned to head back to the shallow end and now faced Brick.

  Thank fuck.

  Everything inside him screamed as he had to ignore the lifeless body floating in the water face down. Hair floating around her like a dark cloud.

  He had to ignore it.

  He needed to concentrate on his target.

  Kramer.

  Focus on Kramer.

  He sucked in a breath. Blew it out. And squeezed the trigger.

  Kramer’s head kicked back and he toppled into the water.

  Brick didn’t wait another second.

  He had less than four minutes.

  Less than four because he wasn’t sure the moment her lungs had filled. Wasn’t sure when her world went black.

  He snagged the phone at his feet and ran.

  Down the hallway, leaping down the stairs and almost breaking his neck.

  He tore the front door open and sprinted the distance between the two houses.

  It only took six fucking minutes under water before the brain was dead.

  Six.

  He had six fucking minutes to get her out of the water and get her breathing.

  Six minutes until he lost her.

  Six minutes until she was gone forever.

  But he had to do it in less than four.

  After four minutes without oxygen, brain cells began to die and irreversible damage occurred.

  Four.

  Less than four to be safe.

  He lifted his boot and slammed it into the gate, splintering the wood by the latch. He sprinted to the pool and jumped in, ignoring the blood and brain matter which swirled around Kramer’s head.

  He turned off his brain, the part that wanted to scream, the part that wanted to kill. He let his training kick in. He set everything he knew, everything he learned as a SEAL, on autopilot.