by Lynn Shannon
No! The angle was wrong. She couldn’t reach the knife.
“Let them go, Nolan.” Avery adjusted her position on the chair. “This is between you and me.”
He pinned her with a look. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? Avery, Avery, Avery. I thought you would be a worthy opponent. Now, I’m starting to think you’re as stupid as the rest.”
Nolan circled closer and his gaze narrowed. Avery froze. The knife was her only chance. If he discovered it, there would be no stopping him.
She forced herself to meet his gaze. “You’re angry about your dad’s death.”
“My dad’s murder.” His hands balled into fists. “Your father shot him in cold blood.”
Not true. Her father had killed Jack Starin in self-defense. But arguing that point would be frivolous. Nolan was beyond logic.
“I was just a kid when your dad died,” Avery said. “I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Blood vengeance. Isn’t that what they call it?” She flinched as Nolan grabbed the badge pinned to her shirt. He ripped it off. “You and me. We’re stand-ins for our fathers. I continued my dad’s work. You continued yours.”
“You kill innocent women while I work to put monsters like you away.”
He threw her badge to the ground. “Something like that.” Nolan leaned down until they were face-to-face. The look in his eyes iced Avery’s blood. “I will destroy your spirit, and then I’ll take your life.”
He placed a hand around Avery’s throat. Her heartbeat thrummed against his fingers, and although she tried to hide her fear, she knew Nolan could sense it. He squeezed her throat.
“Soon,” he whispered. “Soon, I’ll watch the last breath leave your body. But first, the game we’ve been playing isn’t over yet.” He released her, his lips forming a cruel smile. “I’m going to kill Mike and Savannah. And, Avery, you’re going to watch.”
Twenty-One
Avery’s insides quaked as bile rose in her throat. What Nolan described was her own personal nightmare. She couldn’t watch him kill her sister and Mike.
She wouldn’t.
Lord, help me find a way out of this.
Nolan whistled as he crossed the room and touched a button on the wall. A noose, attached to a pulley system on the ceiling, lowered. Dread washed through Avery. Mike glared from his corner of the room, hatred oozing out of every pore.
Avery needed to delay Nolan long enough to get the knife, or until help arrived. She racked her brain, thinking about everything she knew about Nolan. He and his father had strategized crimes together. They’d been arrogant and believed themselves better than everyone else.
People were capable of change. Nolan had gotten much better at killing and hiding his crimes, but deep down, she bet he was still the same. Cocky and prone to flashes of anger.
Avery shifted lower in her chair. “Was Mike in on your plan?”
The detective’s glare shifted to Avery, but she ignored him, keeping her focus on Nolan. She already knew Mike wasn’t involved, but she needed a distraction.
Nolan arched his brows. “Are you stalling for time? Help’s not coming, Avery.”
“I know, but color me curious. We’ve been opponents this entire time, and you’ve played the game beautifully.” She shrugged. “Figured you would want to share the details of each move. So, was Mike in on your plan?”
Nolan was quiet for a long moment. Avery held her breath. Come on. You know you want to tell me.
Nolan cast Mike a dismissive glance. “No, Mike wasn’t involved. Not exactly. He’s angry because I befriended and used him.”
Avery let out the breath she was holding. “How?”
“After I faked my death, I took a little vacation in Mexico. Had some work done.” He ran a finger down his nose. “Got a fake ID, then moved to Union County. I’d studied law enforcement procedures while in prison, but I had questions.”
Avery’s gaze snagged on Savannah. The two women had always been close and shared an innate ability to read each other’s minds. The terror in her sister’s expression had shifted to purpose. Savannah jerked her chin toward the door closest to her.
The exit? Had to be.
Avery twisted her fingers under her shirt. “Mike could answer your questions.”
“Told him I was writing a book. You’d be surprised what people will share with a reporter. Of course it helped that we played chess together sometimes.”
Avery’s gaze darted to the detective. “After we confronted Mike in his home, he suspected you knew something, but he wasn’t sure. He came to question you.”
“I was counting on it. You had enough information to make him wonder. But we were friends, so he didn’t give you my name.”
“Mike didn’t want to drag you into the investigation if you were innocent.”
“Foolish mistake there, Mike. You should never trust anyone.” Nolan raised a hand and pulled on the noose, testing the resistance. He grinned at Avery. “When Mike arrived, I got the drop on him.”
So much started to make sense and fall into place. “When you told me about the notes outside Rachel’s house, I thought the information had come from Mike. But it hadn’t. You knew their contents because you’d written them.”
He laughed. “Yes, but I played the part of a local reporter well. Didn’t I?”
Her fingers brushed against the hilt of the knife. Almost there. “Why now? I’ve been a cop for a long time.”
“Well, I was in prison for a while. That took up some of my time.” He smirked. “I also wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. I’d learned from my past, unlike my dad. Killing needs patience. Strategy. Planning. A lot like chess. When you moved back to town, I knew fate had presented me with the right opportunity.”
Avery shifted a little lower in her chair. Her wrists were going numb from the awkward positioning, but she refused to give up. She flexed her fingers and stretched. “What about Tom? How does your half-brother fit into all of this?”
The ties cut deeper, and warm liquid dripped across her skin. Two of her fingers grasped the hilt. She shifted and the knife slid partly out of the sheath.
Careful, careful.
She took a deep breath. “Tom kidnapped Savannah, but I don’t think he did it willingly. You ambushed him outside of the post office and terrorized him. The church had cameras. You couldn’t risk taking Savannah yourself.”
Nolan’s expression darkened. “Tom was an embarrassment to the family. My father gave him chance after chance, but Tom was a weakling. I manipulated him into helping me, and then I got rid of him.”
Nolan was demented. How many people would he kill? She had no illusions. This wasn’t about vengeance, not really. It was the thrill he was after. Nolan had a taste for murder, and he’d keep going until he was in jail or dead.
Her fingers trembled, and Avery inched her way up in the chair. More of the knife came out of the sheath. “I saw Tom in the theater building. When did you have time to kill him?”
Nolan arched his brows. “While you were fishing Rachel out of the pool.”
That explained how she was able to do CPR. But…had Nolan killed Rachel after attacking Avery? Her stomach clenched at the thought. “Aren’t you worried Rachel will be able to identify you?”
He waved a hand dismissively. “She never saw my face. I wore a mask. Besides, that’s a loose end I can clean up later.”
Avery sent up a prayer of thanksgiving. Whatever else, Rachel was alive. Weston would keep her under protection.
“Enough chit chat.” Nolan released the noose, and clapped his hands together. “Time for some fun. Now who wants to be first?”
Avery jerked upward in her chair. “Wait, you haven’t told me everything. What about the phone calls? How did you manage to hide where they were coming from?”
She let desperation bleed into her voice. Nolan wanted her fear. Well, she would give it to him. Anything to buy more time. The knife wasn’t free yet.
Nolan grinne
d. “Don’t worry, Avery. After we kill one, we can talk some more.”
He turned on his heel, and Mike lunged at him. Nolan sidestepped and grabbed the man in a choke hold. “Ah, a volunteer.”
Avery’s heart went into overdrive. Time was up. Sweat dripped down her back as she blocked out everything in the room and focused solely on getting the knife out of the sheath. She wiggled in the chair.
Almost. Almost.
She held her breath and slid left. The knife came free and she gripped it. She met Savannah’s gaze briefly and then sliced through the ties on her wrist as Nolan slipped the noose over Mike’s neck. He tightened it.
“Don’t look away, Avery.” Nolan hit the button on the wall. Mike’s feet left the ground and he clawed at the rope. “You don’t want to miss it.”
Savannah flung herself at Nolan. Avery used the distraction to cut through the bonds on her legs. Her movements were jerky and she slit her calf. It started bleeding. She ignored it, launching herself across the room, but her feet had gone numb.
She tripped. Nolan rushed her, and she slashed at him with the knife. It sank into his thigh. He screamed, his face turning red.
She ducked as he swung a fist. Keeping hold of the knife, she ripped it from his leg and shoved his body with her shoulder. He fell to the ground, cursing. Avery staggered to her feet and raced to the button on the wall. She slammed the heel of her hand into it.
Mike dropped to the ground. He came up on all fours, coughing.
Avery’s vision swam. She was going to pass out. The knocks to her head, coupled with whatever drug Nolan had pumped her full of, was still affecting her. She blinked to clear her vision.
A muffled scream came from Savannah. Avery half-turned in time to see a flash of color as Nolan tackled her. Together they went sliding across the room. The knife flew out of her hand and skittered across the floor.
Nolan punched her in the face so hard her teeth knocked together. He wrapped his hands around her throat. “I’m going to kill you.”
She bucked and struggled to free her own hands. They were trapped on either side of her body by Nolan’s legs, and she was too weak to fight him off.
Avery grew lightheaded, dark spots growing across her vision. Her sister’s muffled screams disappeared. She desperately shook her head and kicked her legs. Nolan smiled, and his grip tightened.
Air. She needed air.
A primal roar echoed in the room one heartbeat before Nolan was flung away. Avery dragged in a breath. Then another. A swirl of commotion surrounded her, but none of it made sense. Voices barking out orders, someone yelling. Darkness still clouded her vision. She couldn’t do anything but focus on drawing oxygen into her lungs.
“Avery.” The word was a whisper, almost a prayer. “Open your eyes. Look at me.”
Weston. He touched her face, brushing hair off her cheek. It took effort, but Avery opened her eyes a slice. The edges of his face were blurry. He’d found her. He’d saved her.
I love you.
Tears dripped on her face. His tears.
“I need an EMT now! I think her windpipe’s damaged.” He cupped her face. “Keep breathing, Avery. Just keep breathing.”
Twenty-Two
One month later
Sunshine streamed across the backyard. The scent of hamburgers drifted on the wind. There was a nip in the air, but not enough to dissuade anyone from enjoying the outdoors. Weston tucked the blanket around the baby nestled in his arms. Ava studied his face with wide eyes. “It’s okay, sweet girl. I’m giant-sized, but I’m no ogre.”
Luke shook his head. “Don’t listen to him, Ava. He used to tackle people for a living.”
“True, but my guess is, in about sixteen years, your daddy’s gonna be grateful for my skills at knocking men out of the way.”
The two rangers laughed. Ava fussed, and Luke held out his hands. “That’s our cue to find Mama. I think Ava’s hungry.”
Weston passed the baby over and watched as Luke carried his daughter across the yard and into the house. Grady was stationed behind the grill, tongs in hand, wearing a ridiculous hot dog apron. His wife, Tara, said something that made him laugh. Troopers and sheriff’s deputies filled paper plates with food. Neighbors chatted.
He spotted his boss, Lieutenant Rodriguez, and Emilia at a picnic table. Weston moved to join them.
“Uncle Weston, Uncle Weston.”
The voice carried across the lawn. Weston braced himself as a ball of cyclone energy in pigtails tackled his leg. Grady’s daughter, Maddy, grinned up at him. “Avery and I colored a new drawing for you.”
“Did you now?” He craned his neck. “Where is Avery?”
Avery appeared on the back porch. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and when she caught sight of him, a smile lit up her face. It reached inside Weston and squeezed his heart tight. He loved her smile. Loved making her smile.
Avery brushed a kiss on Weston’s cheek before turning to the little tyke still hanging on his leg. “Maddy, should I give him the picture?”
The little girl nodded. Avery flipped the paper around. A couple holding hands was standing in a field next to a house. Maddy pointed to the woman in the dress. “That’s Avery.” Her finger moved to the giant man standing next to her. “And that’s you.”
Avery winked. “Did you notice you’re the same size as the house?”
He chuckled. “I see that. Thank you, Maddy. It’s wonderful. I’ll hang it on my fridge at home.”
The little girl scampered off to play with some of the other kids. Weston wrapped his arms around Avery. It centered his world to have her close. “How’s your sister? Is she feeling better?”
Avery nodded. “She just needed to lie down. The pregnancy is making her a bit green around the gills.”
Savannah had found out she was pregnant a few days before Nolan kidnapped her, but didn’t share the news with anyone. Not even her husband. After walking out of Nolan’s house, it was the first thing she said when Henry called. He was due to be home before the little one was born.
Avery tightened her hold on his waist. “Rachel called a little while ago. She’s back from vacation and asked if we could get together soon.”
“I’d like that.”
Rachel Long had become a good friend in the last few weeks. She’d recognized Greg Kilbourne aka Nolan Starin as her captor from his voice alone. She told investigators later that when she heard him on the news, it triggered a panic attack.
Weston didn’t like to think about those harrowing moments when he’d broken into the rear bedroom of Nolan’s house. Seeing the killer on top of Avery, choking the life from her, was seared into his brain. He’d slammed into Nolan and set him flying so hard into the opposite wall, it’d left a hole in the sheetrock.
Avery had nearly died. Her windpipe had been severely damaged, but she’d made a full recovery. So had Savannah and Mike. Nolan was charged with multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, and other charges. He would be behind bars forever.
Weston pulled Avery closer, cupping her cheek. “What are the chances we can sneak away for a candlelight dinner later?”
Her eyes sparkled. “I think that can be arranged.”
He ran a thumb over her bottom lip and bent his head to kiss her, but a voice called his name. Weston rested his forehead against Avery’s. “Whose idea was it to invite all these people anyway?”
Avery chuckled. “I think it was yours. And Nana’s.” She slipped out of his arms but took his hand. “Come on. Nana wants to say a few words.”
Weston swallowed hard and let Avery lead him across the yard. His heartbeat increased with every step. His boots thumped against the porch steps, and he tamped down the jittery nerves flapping in his stomach.
Avery’s grandmother, Marla, clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, okay. Thank you all for coming. We wanted to celebrate today, because there is so much to be grateful for.” Tears filled the older woman’s eyes. “My two granddaughters a
re here with me, safe and sound, and all of you had a hand in making that happen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The crowd clapped and cheered. Marla waved them into silence again.
“An especially big shout-out goes to this handsome ranger right here.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Weston Donovan, I said it before, but this time, I’m making it public. As far as I’m concerned, you’re an honorary member of the Madison family.”
“Hear, hear,” yelled Savannah.
Weston took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. “Thank you, ma’am. And while I appreciate being an honorary member of the Madison family, I was actually hoping to become more.”
He turned to Avery and took both of her hands in his. Weston dropped to one knee. A collective gasp came from the crowd, and a sudden lump formed in his throat. He’d practiced these words a hundred times, but now that the moment was here, Weston wasn’t sure he could say them.
How could he explain how she’d changed him? Describe the wealth of emotion that swept over him whenever he saw her? Words weren’t good enough, but they were all he had. They would have to do.
Avery’s hands shook and he squeezed them gently.
“Avery, from the moment we met, I knew you were someone special. I’d abandoned the idea of love or marriage or a family. Completely. Then you marched up my driveway armed with a murder case, and changed the course of my life.”
There were a few chuckles. Weston kept his gaze locked on the woman in front of him. He had to get this right.
“You’ve blown me away with your kindness and your bravery. A good friend once told me, love is like faith. It’s a choice. Well, I choose you. Every day. Every minute. For the rest of my life. And I’m hoping and praying you feel the same way.”
Tears filled Avery’s eyes and her chin trembled. He released her hands and reached into his pocket to pull out a black jewelry case. He opened it. The diamond nestled inside winked.
“Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”