Piper lifted her eyebrows, her eyes dancing in amusement. “Pretty much.”
Addie connected the rest. “Dr. Gentry said he had to meet with the funeral director, but he’s the one who stole the hard drive.” It all came rushing back with a hard slap in the face. She’d thought the voice of the masked gunman was familiar, but had pushed it to the back of her mind. Regret punched through her. Maddox had been suspicious of Piper the entire time, but she’d dismissed his assertions, confident Piper was innocent. The sting of betrayal hit her so strongly she felt like her chest might collapse. “Jordan was never having an affair with Blanche Richey, was he?”
Piper giggled like a teenager. “That’s the part I was most surprised about—your willingness to believe that. Your opinion of Jordan was almost as high as his opinion of you. I’m sure the two of you would’ve ridden off happily into the sunset had it not been for your SEAL.” An expression of mock pity masked her face. “Poor Jordan. He never did get over you falling in love with another man.” She sighed. “He tried to make do with his consolation prize—” she touched her hair “—me. That was so kind of you to throw your leftovers in my direction,” she pouted.
“The money trail that led to Brent Barrett, you framed him.”
“See, you’re getting it, Addie. You’re not as dumb as you look. Blanche was all too happy to help implicate her former boss.”
“Because Brent Barrett fired her for embezzlement.”
“Yes.”
“Blanche was in cahoots with you.”
“Blanche got a hefty payment for her assistance. She’s living it up in Mexico.” She frowned. “Too bad she’s greedy, always wanting more money to keep quiet.” She pursed her lips, cocking her head. “I guess I’ll have to deal with her when the time comes.”
It was at that moment that a chilling realization swept over Addie. Piper wouldn’t be telling her all this if she planned to let her go. She didn’t want to die! Not now, when she’d finally found happiness. She forced away the fear, willed her mind to concentrate on the details. Piper still needed something from Addie or she’d already be dead. She’d said earlier that Maddox could hear her, but that he couldn’t do anything about it. Hopefully, that meant he was still alive. Even if I have to die here today, please let Maddox be okay, she prayed. “What was on the hard drive?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” Piper answered gleefully. “Because I’m about to show you.” She grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the TV. A video of Jordan came on.
Tears rose in Addie’s eyes when she realized he was speaking to her.
“Hey, Addie,” he began, offering a slight smile into the camera. “If you’re seeing this, then it must mean that the situation has escalated.”
A sense of horror rose in Addie’s chest as she listened to him outline the events in a dispassionate, cool tone—telling her everything Piper just had. When he got to the part about giving PZT to Gram, his voice choked. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am,” he uttered.
Tears rolled down Addie’s cheeks.
“How touching,” Piper cooed, her voice dripping with venom.
A scorching indignation pulsed through Addie’s veins as she glared at Piper.
Piper fast-forwarded the video. “You already know all of this part,” she explained. “This is the part I want you to see.” Her voice hardened to flint. “That way, you won’t waste my time trying to deny that you don’t have the formula.” The video slowed to normal speed, Jordan’s voice commanding Addie’s attention.
“Addie, you’re the only one I can trust. This drive contains Therapia’s lab results for PZT, including how the damaged tissue samples were switched. I’m putting this into your hands because I trust you will get it to the right people to stop PZT from hitting the market in its current form.” A pained look came over him. “I’m so sorry I failed you.” He smiled thinly. “My intentions were good. You have everything you need, including the formula for PZT. I suppose a part of me hopes that you can get it in the right hands, so the formula can be refined.” His face radiated optimism. “Think about what it would mean to the world, Addie, if we can cure this horrible disease once and for all.” A boyish smile tugged at his lips as he pushed on his glasses. “You were my hope and inspiration. I love you.”
“How sweet,” Piper purred, turning off the TV. Her face went hard. “Where’s the formula?”
Confusion swirled around Addie. “You said you kept the formula for PZT on a single computer, locked in a vault. You killed Jordan, stole the hard drive. You already have everything you need to move forward. Why am I here? Unless …”
“Jordan broke into the vault and messed up the formula.” Piper smirked. “Yeah, unfortunately, I didn’t realize that part of the equation when I killed him.” She stepped forward and got in Addie’s face. “Where’s the formula?”
“I don’t know,” Addie admitted.
The hard slap against her jaw took her by surprise as she yelped in pain, the force of the hit jerking her head sideways.
Piper eyed her. “I was afraid that might be the case.” She sighed. “Well, let’s see if I can jog your memory.” Piper left the room and returned a minute later, holding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other.
Revulsion swelled over Addie like something rotten as she swallowed. She had no idea where the formula was. Even if by some miracle she found it, Piper would kill her. She prayed silently for help. Piper stepped behind her. Addie realized she was using the knife to cut the zip tie.
As she stood, Addie felt the cold press of metal in her back. “One wrong move, and you die,” Piper growled. “Hands up where I can see them!”
Addie complied, raising her hands into the air.
“Move,” Piper ordered, pushing her forward.
Addie’s wrists burned, and her legs felt like wobbly toothpicks. Her thoughts rushed back to when she was kidnapped as the same feeling of desperation cloaked her. Maddox had rescued her then. Not likely to happen this time. The notion sank like lead in her gut.
“We’re going to my bathroom,” Piper said.
Piper’s bathroom? Fear iced down Addie’s spine. A strangled cry sounded from Addie’s throat when she saw him. Maddox was lying in a large Jacuzzi tub filled with water up to his face. His eyes were open, his body motionless. For an instant, Addie feared he was already dead, then saw the distress in his eyes. “What did you do to him?” She moved to rush to his side, but Piper grabbed her sweater, yanking her back.
“Not so fast.” Piper jabbed the gun in her back.
Trembles started in Addie’s hands and rippled through her body, snaking down to her toes. “Oh, my gosh,” she uttered, her hand going over her mouth.
Piper stepped around to face Addie, pointing the gun at her.
Rage trumped the fear as Addie glared at Piper. “What did you do to him?”
“I gave him a nice cocktail of drugs to render him motionless but allow him to comprehend everything with excruciating detail. Don’t worry, if you do exactly as I say and get me the formula, the drugs will wear off and Loverboy will be just fine. If you don’t …” A vicious smile twisted her lips as she went over to the tub and turned on the faucet.
Addie screamed as the water rose higher. “Stop!” The water was an inch shy of entering Maddox’s nose and mouth. She could feel his despair spilling out between them. It couldn’t end like this! Maddox was a kick-butt, former Navy SEAL who’d survived torture and imprisonment by ISIS. Addie couldn’t let Piper do him in.
“Of course, if the threat of drowning isn’t enough to sway you, there are other means.” Her voice had the controlled hiss of a viper about to strike. She reached for her blow dryer, resting on the nearby vanity. Addie followed the trail of the cord and realized there was an extension cord leading from the bathroom to the bedroom.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Piper said with a laugh. “I thought about just plugging the blow dryer in here. Then I realized all the outlets in the
bathroom have GFCI switches, hence the extension cord.”
Addie felt like she was having an out-of-body experience when Piper turned on the blow dryer. Keeping her hand with the gun trained on Addie, she held the blow dryer with the other hand. “One drop is all it will take,” she taunted.
“Okay,” Addie screamed, tears pooling in her eyes. “I’ll give you the formula.” She squared her jaw, her eyes burning with wrath. “Know this though, if you kill Maddox, you’ll never get it no matter what you do to me.”
After what seemed like an eternity, Piper turned off the blow dryer and placed it back on the vanity. “All right,” she said lightly. “Where is it?”
“In the jewelry Jordan gave me,” Addie blurted, not knowing what else to say.
Piper studied her with a keen eye, trying to decide if Addie was telling the truth.
Addie didn’t flinch. “It’s at the cabin.”
Piper cocked her head. “Maddox said the jewelry was being examined.”
“I lied.” She gave Piper an unyielding look. “You’re not the only one who can keep secrets.”
Piper laughed. “All right. We’ll go to the cabin and get the jewelry.” Her eyes turned to black slits. “But for your sake and his, she motioned at Maddox, you’d better be telling the truth.”
“What’s going on here?” Hamilton asked as he came into the bathroom and stepped up beside Addie.
“Dad, you were supposed to be taking a nap,” Piper said, giving him an annoyed look.
Shock came over Hamilton’s features as he looked at the gun and Maddox in the bathtub. “You said you were only going to hold Maddox so Addie would be more inclined to help us find the formula. This has gone too far.”
Piper gritted her teeth, her voice rising. “I told you to let me handle this!”
Hamilton’s voice was heavy with regret as he continued. “I went along with your plan because I felt like a cure for Alzheimer’s outweighed the negative effects of PZT. But this,” he shook his head, his face draining, “it’s too much. You need to put the gun down and stop this before more people get hurt.”
“Shut up!” Piper screamed. Rage boiled in her eyes as she zeroed in on Hamilton. “You’re weak, just like Jordan. I’m the only one who has the courage to do anything!”
Act now! Addie’s mind screamed. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she lunged forward and attacked Piper. They toppled to the ground, wrestling for the gun. A shot went off. Piper let out a cry of anguish as Hamilton fell to the floor.
Addie wrenched the gun out of Piper’s hand. She scuttled back, holding it with both hands, aiming it at Piper as she got to her feet.
“You shot Dad,” Piper croaked, a crazed look coming into her eyes. She crawled to Hamilton’s side as she cradled him in her arms. “Oh, no.” she cried. “What do I do? How do I fix this?”
Hamilton fought to get a breath. His hand was over his chest, a pool of red spreading in a large circle over his white dress shirt.
“Dad, tell me what to do?” Piper screamed, hysteria coating her voice. “Oh, my gosh!” she kept repeating.
“I think my artery has been hit,” Hamilton breathed, then coughed, wincing in pain. “Use my cellphone. In my pocket.” The words came out in gasps. “Call 911 before I bleed out.”
“I’d do what he says,” Addie demanded. “Better yet, hand me his phone.”
Piper’s upper lip curled, making her look more monster than human. “Or what? You’re gonna shoot me?” She let out a derisive chortle. “You don’t have the guts.”
Time seemed to slow as Addie saw herself clearly for the first time. Yes, she had the guts to shoot Piper, or anything else it required to save Maddox. Addie flinched as she pulled the trigger, the bullet firing into the wall just to the right of Piper’s head. Piper jumped, her head slumping into her shoulders. “The next time, I won’t miss,” Addie said savagely. “The phone. Now!” she barked.
Piper reached in Hamilton’s pocket, then handed her the phone.
“4348 is my passcode,” Hamilton managed to get out in halting breaths before closing his eyes.
“Dad!” Piper screamed. “Dad!”
“911. What is your emergency?” the operator asked.
“A man has been shot.” Addie glanced at Maddox. “Another man has been drugged. We’re at the Gentry Estate in Liberty Falls. Hurry!”
Piper’s anguished wails echoed off the hard wall of the master bath. “Dad’s dead! You killed him!”
“No, you killed him,” Addie replied softly. She wanted to feel pity for Piper, but the bitterness of her betrayal was too overshadowing. She glanced at Maddox. “It’s okay,” she assured him, “the police and paramedics are on their way.” She wasn’t sure but thought she saw relief in his eyes.
“I love you,” she added, gratitude welling in her chest. Her prayers had been answered. It was a miracle that they’d made it through this. Her heart clutched. Hopefully, the drug cocktail wouldn’t have any lingering effects on Maddox.
He blinked, the corners of his mouth twitching.
Intense relief surged through her when he made a noise. At first, it was guttural grunts. Then finally, he got the words out in slurred groans. “I love you too.”
22
The three of them stood silently, looking out at the gentle sloping hills framed by trees donning their finery of brilliant yellow, orange, and cinnamon brown. Addie’s gaze trailed up to the jagged line of silvery blue mountains, their tips touched with ribbons of pink from the setting sun. A light breeze ruffled her hair, bringing with it the crisp scent of fall.
“Lou Ella loved it here,” Pops said quietly, his declaration interrupting the stillness of the evening.
“Yes,” Addie agreed.
Maddox stepped closer, concern coloring his eyes a deep blue as he assessed her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she sighed, offering a dim smile. After Jordan’s funeral, they decided to go to one of Gram’s favorite places to honor her life. Maddox slid an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into the curve of his arm, appreciating his warmth. “I’m just glad you’re here with me.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Me too.” He chuckled dryly. “You’re stuck with me now. It’ll take a lifetime to repay you for saving my life.”
“No repayment necessary.” She turned and looked into his eyes. “I mean that.”
The effects of the cocktail Piper concocted to temporarily paralyze Maddox wore off in less than twenty-four hours, leaving his physical body whole. However, Addie could tell that he blamed himself for being taken unaware and not being able to protect her. She shivered, knowing it would take a long time before she would stop seeing the tortured look in Maddox’s eyes when he was in that wretched bathtub, unable to move. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when you tried to warn me about Piper.” Remorse filled her throat, seeping down and tightening her chest. It would take a lifetime to get over her best friend betraying her—both of them, actually. At least Jordan meant well. Still, it didn’t erase the fact that he’d caused Gram’s death.
Piper was arrested and being held without bail, awaiting trial. Hamilton died before the paramedics arrived. Addie still had no idea if Jordan had given her the formula for PZT. At this point, it hardly mattered.
“You know what I think?” Pops asked, eyeing them.
Addie was the first to speak. “What?” She could feel a lecture coming on.
“It’s time for the two of you to let bygones be bygones. You’ve been given a great gift—the chance to start over fresh.” A smile tugged at his lips as he laughed softly. “If Lou Ella were here, she’d tell you to be happy.”
Addie jerked in surprise, tears glistening in her eyes. There it was, that same advice … again.
Maddox tightened his hold on her, giving her a significant look. “Be happy,” he uttered.
She tipped her head. “That seems to be a recurring theme, doesn’t it?” As she looked at the handsome face of the man she loved more tha
n life, a feeling of pure and undiluted joy bubbled in her chest.
“Maybe it’s time we took it to heart,” Maddox said, his face splitting into a wide grin that showcased his dimples.
“Absolutely,” she proclaimed, winking at Pops.
Epilogue
Three weeks later
Addie looked sideways at Maddox. “Where are we going?”
A lopsided grin tugged at his lips. “You’ll see.”
She groaned. “You know I hate being kept in the dark,” she lamented. “Give me a hint.”
He pursed his lips, tightening his hold on the steering wheel. “Hmm … let’s see … a hint. Okay, how about this? I think it’s time we took our relationship to the next level.”
Electricity zinged through her when he reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips. Anticipation licked through her veins. Was he talking about proposing?
When they pulled up to a pet store a few minutes later, she frowned, her hopes of an impending proposal going down the drain. “You’re getting a pet?”
He laughed lightly. “Don’t look so enthusiastic.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Are you seriously considering getting a pet? What kind?”
“A fish.”
“Oh, okay.” She scrunched her hair, a thought occurring to her. “Who’s gonna take care of it while you’re gone on your jobs?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “I was thinking you could help with that. Please.”
“Just because you’re handsome, doesn’t mean you get the world handed to you on a silver platter,” she grumbled. It was fine for Maddox to get a fish if he wanted, but why make a big deal about it? Why tell her he was taking their relationship to the next level? She folded her arms over her chest. “You go ahead. I’ll just wait for you out here.”
“Come on, Squirt. Go in with me. I need you to help me pick out Nemo.”
She rolled her head back, hating when Maddox called her that. He’d been teasing her about Pops’ nickname for weeks. It was starting to get old.
The Diehard Warrior Page 21