by Lisa Worrall
“I did not run out on you!” Ally snapped. “I had no choice!”
“Choice?” Scott all but spat the word. “Oh, so you chose to leave me. You wouldn’t leave Jenny up there in the dark, all alone,” Will flinched at Scott’s parody of Ally’s voice, “but you sure as hell didn’t worry about me when you left me with that bast—!”
“He wanted me to kill my baby!”
The silence that fell was so complete, Will felt the heaviness of it against his skin like a blanket. He looked at Ally, on her feet, staring down at Scott, her tiny hands clenched into fists at her side. Her dark eyes were alight with anger and her dark hair fell into her eyes. Will wondered if she knew, in that moment, how much she looked like Scott. He shifted his gaze to Scott and saw the confusion written into every line and curve of his face. His immediate reaction was to get up and put his arms around him, but Will forced himself to remain seated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Matt begin to rise, but he waved him back down. This long overdue confrontation was between brother and sister, Matt and he were merely spectators on the sidelines.
“B-baby?” Scott stammered. “What baby?”
Ally sank back down onto the couch, holding Scott’s gaze. Scott, Will noticed, wasn’t looking away this time.
“That night at Jackson’s Creek,” she began. “I told Matt I was pregnant. Then Jenny died and we didn’t know what to do. Of course, I couldn’t tell Mom and Dad, but it turns out I didn’t need to.” She sighed heavily. “Mom caught me throwing up and told Dad for me.”
“Good old Mom.”
“He wanted me to get an abortion. Said if I didn’t get rid of it, he’d do it for me. That God invented stairs for a reason.” She looped a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Said he didn’t want a bastard in his house, especially a….”
“Let me guess,” Scott growled. “Especially a black one?” Ally nodded. “Cocksucker.”
“Don’t you see,” Ally reached out a hand toward Scott, then dropped it back into her lap, obviously thinking better of it. Will’s heart cried for her. “I had to leave. Matt arranged to meet me a couple of blocks from the house two days later, so I packed a bag and snuck out in the early hours.” She closed her eyes. “You were asleep when I came into your room,” she said softly. “You half-awoke when I stroked your hair and I whispered to you that I would send for you soon. That we’d be together again. You mumbled an ‘okay’, not really awake, but when I said, ‘I love you’, you said it back.”
Scott frowned. “I always thought I’d dreamed that.” Ally opened her eyes. “It was real? You did say you were going to send for me?” She nodded. “Then why didn’t you?”
This time Ally reached across Matt and laid her hand on Scott’s knee. “I did,” she replied. “I wrote you letters and put money in them for you to buy a ticket to New York. I wrote you letters and put tickets in them, begging you to come.”
“Letters? I never got any letters.”
“I promise you, I sent them.”
Will watched, his heart in his mouth, as Scott placed his hand over Ally’s. “He took them.” It wasn’t a question. “He kept you from me. Let me think you didn’t want me.”
“We even drove back to get you once, about five months after we’d settled in New York.” Ally turned her hand under his and held onto Scott as though he were a lifeline. “You weren’t there, he said, and he threatened me and Matt with a gun. Said awful, awful things. Said you hated me. Never wanted to see me ag—”
“That’s a lie! We weren’t even allowed to say your name after you left! I never said that!”
“I know,” Ally soothed. “I knew you wouldn’t, so we kept writing and sending money, which obviously never got to you. I rang the house in the hope you’d answer, but after a while it said the line was no longer in service.”
“He had it turned off.”
“I know I left you, Scottie,” she said, her gaze pleading with his. “But in here,” she placed her hand over her heart, “in here, you never left me.”
Will’s eyes widened as Matt managed to scramble out of the way just in time before Scott pulled Ally into his arms. He watched Matt wipe away his own tears and had a little trouble keeping his own in check as Scott held Ally tightly, stroking his hand through her hair and murmuring soothing nonsense while she sobbed into his shirt.
The four of them sat quietly—for how long, Will wasn’t sure—until the ringtone of Matt’s cell cut through the silence. He indicated that he needed to answer it and left the room. Will sat back in his chair, watching Scott and Ally. His heart swelled with joy. Scott held Ally with a tenderness in his eyes that Will had never seen. It was as if he had found a piece of himself that he didn’t even know was missing. Will had felt anger toward Paul Turner on many occasions, but this was deeper, colder than anything he’d felt before. Growing up in that house, all they’d had to cling to was each other, and he took that away from them. So many years lost, so many memories never made…. He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. He’d never been a violent man, but if Paul Turner were in front of him, right now, he might actually kill him.
“Ally?” Matt came back, waving his phone. “Jesse called; the girls are running rings around him.”
Ally smiled and her tear-streaked face lit up. “I’m impressed,” she said, not letting go of Scott’s hands. “I was expecting a call before we’d even made it off the drive.”
Scott frowned. “Jesse?”
“Your nephew,” Ally replied. “We left him in charge of the twins.”
“Twins?”
“Four-year-old girls.” She smiled up at Matt. “Hannah and Grace.”
“Twins!” Scott laughed out loud, looking at Will. “I’m an uncle! We’re uncles!”
“Holy crap.” It wasn’t the most eloquent response Will had ever come up with, but in the circumstances, he thought he could probably be forgiven. “I think that’s the most terrifying thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Don’t worry,” Ally reassured him. “We’ll only expect you to babysit every other weekend and public holidays.”
“W-w-what?” Scott stammered.
“She’s joking, Scott,” Will interjected, smiling at Abby, whose arched eyebrow made his stomach flip ominously. “Wait, you are joking, right?”
Ally laughed out loud. “Of course, I’m joking. They’d eat you alive.”
Will looked at Matt, who shrugged and said, “She’s not wrong.”
“Well.” Scott cleared his throat. “I think we’ll probably be busy anyway.”
“You cannot believe how happy I am you guys have re-connected,” Matt said, his tone apologetic. “But we really should rescue the boy.”
“Yes, we should.” Ally reluctantly let go of Scott’s hands and stood up.
“Hold on.” Will pushed himself out of the chair. “Can we get back to the other reason we’re here? You know, the whole being picked off one by one by some whack job? I’m sorry, guys, but we need to get you to a safe house.”
“A safe house?” Ally frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“He’s right,” Scott said, running a hand through his hair. “You can’t stay there. He found Rachael and Jack, and Kimberly. He probably already knows where you live.”
“What about you?” Matt motioned between Will and Scott. “Won’t he know where you live, too?”
Will’s gaze met Scott’s and for a split second he saw the flash of fear that coursed through him, reflected in Scott’s eyes. “We can take care of ourselves,” Will said firmly. “But we need to get you and the kids somewhere safe, tonight.”
Scott stood up and nodded to Will. “I’ll take Ally to get the kids. You and Matt stay here.”
“I’m going with you.” Matt grabbed Ally’s hand.
“No.” Scott was adamant. “We need to get in and out as quickly as possible, Mattie and, no offence, I’ve seen you pack a bag, dude.”
“He’s right, honey.” Ally put her palm to Matt’s cheek. �
��We’ll be fine.”
Will knew Matt had no choice other than to accept the situation. Scott had used the same move on him more than once. It must be hereditary. “Okay.” Thoughts pinwheeled around Will’s head, already planning their next move in his mind. There were plenty of safe houses in and around the city. He’d need authorization from Glenn, but once he explained the situation, he knew he would get it. Kimberly. And a guard at the hospital outside Kimberly’s door. He reached into his pocket for his phone, jumping when Scott’s hand closed around his. Lost in his own head, he hadn’t seen Scott’s approach. Before he could speak, Scott’s lips were on his in a hard, dirty, open-mouthed kiss. Will vaguely heard Ally’s surprised gasp, but only vaguely, he was far too busy trying to keep his knees from buckling under the intensity of the assault Scott was making on his mouth. When Scott finally let go of Will’s lips, he pulled him close and whispered in his ear.
“Thank you, for giving her back to me.”
“Does this mean I can keep interfering?” Will whispered back.
Scott chuckled, the timbre of it washing over Will’s skin. “You’d better.” He released Will and turned to his sister. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Ally squared her shoulders. “We’d better take the minivan, though.”
“A mom mobile?” Scott shook his head. “We’ll take mine.”
“That matchbox on wheels?” Ally laughed out loud. “Do you have any idea how much crap three kids come with?”
Will bit the inside of his cheek at the look on Scott’s face, but couldn’t smother the smile when Scott reluctantly acquiesced and took the keys dangling from Matt’s outstretched fingers.
“Okay,” Scott threw Will a smile over his shoulder. “We’ll be right back.” Will rolled his eyes and Scott tipped him a wink. “What? Isn’t that what they say in all 80’s horror movies?”
After the front door closed behind Scott and Ally, Will plucked his phone out of his pocket and pressed the appropriate number on speed dial. The call was answered almost immediately.
“What!” Glenn didn’t sound happy.
“I need a favor.”
“What the fuck have you two done now?”
Will ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “You might wanna sit down for this.” Matt waved a hand to attract Will’s attention and mimed drinking. Will nodded gratefully. Yes, they were definitely going to need more coffee. “You remember that overdose case I said I was going to have a look into?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s just say there’s been some progress.” Will heard Glenn sigh heavily.
“How upset am I going to be and how much is it going to cost me?”
“We have reason to believe that someone is targeting Scott’s sister’s old high school frie—”
“Scott doesn’t have a sister.”
“Yes, he does, but I’ll explain that later. Two people have already been killed and we believe their killer is also responsible for what happened to Kimberly.” He heard Glenn’s sharp intake of breath and the unspoken words filling the pregnant pause that followed until Glenn uttered the gruff words he knew were coming.
“What do you need?”
“An officer outside Kimberly’s room, twenty-four-seven, starting right now,” Will said, sitting back down in the armchair. “And a safe house for Scott’s sister and her family. Scott’s taken her to pick up the kids. Her husband is with me.”
“I’ll pull a few strings and get it set up,” Glenn replied. “What about you and Scott?”
“We’ll be fine here.” Will reassured him. “If we can’t protect ourselves, we’re in the wrong line of work.”
“Will—”
“We’ll be fine, Glenn.”
“Okay.” Glenn sighed heavily. “It might take a while to set up, but I’ll text you the address as soon as I’ve got it.”
“Thank you.”
“Make sure you’re early tomorrow,” Glenn snapped, his tone switching from friend mode to superior officer. “I want details.”
“Yes, captain,” Will said with a grin.
“Do I have to tell you to be careful?”
“Glenn—”
“Good.”
Glenn hung up and Will sank back against the cushions, a little of the tension across his shoulders easing a little. Wheels were in motion. Relief flowed through him. Thank God for Glenn and his act first ask questions later attitude and, knowing Glenn, there would be a shit ton of questions. All of which Will would be happy to answer, once Ally, Matt and the kids were safe, and Scott was in his arms.
“Everything okay?” Matt asked as he walked back into the room, carrying fresh cups of coffee. He handed Will’s to him, then got comfortable on the couch before taking a sip of his own.
Will nodded. “Yes. Glenn is sorting out the safe house as we speak.” He took a mouthful of his steaming coffee and closed his eyes as the hot liquid slid down his throat. It burned its way down into his stomach, but he didn’t care. Right now, it was like nectar. He moaned low in his throat.
“Would you like me to leave you two alone?” Matt drawled.
Will opened his eyes and gave Matt an apologetic grin. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.”
“I get that.” Matt narrowed his gaze as he looked Will over from head to toe, making Will squirm nervously in his seat. A nervousness that escalated when Matt said, “So, what exactly are your intentions toward my brother-in-law?”
“My intentions?” Will snorted at the choice of words. “You probably don’t want to know.”
“You’re probably right.” Matt’s smile was thoughtful. “He loves you. And Scott Turner does not let his walls down for just anyone.”
“Tell me about it,” Will drawled. “The feeling is more than mutual.”
“When I fell for Ally, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” Matt stared down into his coffee. “But one look in those big blue eyes and I was gone, man.” His smile was wistful. “I knew about her home life. Hell, the whole town knew, not that any of them was ever man enough to do anything about it. She said it wouldn’t work, couldn’t work, that I should find a nice girl who I could date in the open, instead of behind closed doors. But I didn’t care. The only time I was ever scared of the great Paul Turner, was when we drove back to Tivoli for Scott. He had this look in his eye when he pointed that gun at his own daughter… it was then I realized he might actually be crazy.”
“And you left Scott with him?” Will could see both signs of the coin but, obviously, Scott was always forefront in his mind.
“We didn’t want to,” Matt returned defensively. “We called the police, DCFS, everyone we could think of. Nothing was done. We couldn’t get to him. I think Ally resigned herself a long time ago to the fact that if she ever saw Scott again, it would be because he found us. She so desperately wanted him to find us… but he didn’t.”
“Because he thought you’d abandoned him.” Will scrubbed a hand over his face. “What a clusterfuck.”
“That’s one word for it.” Matt took another slug of coffee. “Loving a Turner is not a walk in the park, Will. They’re frustrating, fiery and stubborn as hell but, take it from me, it’s worth it.”
“Believe me, I know.” Will curled his fingers around his cup and narrowed his gaze. “What was he like, growing up?”
“Scott?” Matt laughed out loud. “Well….”
It was almost an hour and mid-way through a story involving Scott and the principal’s Volkswagen later that Matt’s phone rang. A smile lit up his face when he looked at the screen and he answered it. “Hey, Jay, are you on your way back?” Matt sat up straight, a frown creasing his brow and Will felt the ice-cold fingers of fear scratching at his spine. “What? Of course, not. I’m sure it’s nothing. Listen, do me a favor, go next door to Donna’s and ask if you can wait with her until I get there. Yeah… I’ll call you back. Go now. Okay… ‘bye.”
“What’s wrong?” Will frowned, leaning forward to set his cup down on the coffee ta
ble. “Matt?”
“They’re not there.”
“What?” Will’s pulse picked up a notch.
“They never arrived.”
Chapter eleven
Scott opened his eyes, just a crack, thought better of it and shut them again. A marching band had set up camp in his head and were currently on their fourth rendition of the Macarena, as the heavy thump of drums beat in time with the blood rushing in his ears. His brain told his hand to rub at the intense ache centered on the back of his head, but the required appendage did not comply. This time, Scott knew he had no choice but to open his eyes fully, albeit reluctantly, if he was going to discover why his hand was refusing to follow instructions. When he did, however, it became crystal clear why his limbs had gone on vacation, his hands were tied to the arms of a wooden chair. The fog that surrounded his brain cleared immediately as it all came rushing back in amazing technicolor.
Scott reluctantly slid behind the wheel of the minivan and closed the door. If Ally thought he’d missed the smirk on her face as she got in the passenger seat, she was sadly mistaken. He shot her a glance that sent her a clear warning about never mentioning this again, then started the engine. The seven-seater purred into life and Scott grimaced. He felt like a soccer mom.
“Stop pouting,” Ally said, chuckling. “It’s just a car.”
“Believe me,” Scott griped. “It is not just a car. What about my reputation? The neighbors will think I’ve knocked up Will. Mrs. Whitcombe across the street will be horrified, she thinks I’m a nice boy.”
“Maybe if I tell her about Principal Wagner’s Volkswagen she’ll come to a different conclusion.” Amy arched an eyebrow.
“I wondered how long it would take you to bring that up.”
Scott backed off the drive and pointed the car eastwards. He kept his eyes on the road, mostly, unable to resist glancing at Ally every now and then, just to make sure she was still there, which of course, she picked up on.
“I’m not going anywhere, Scott,” she said softly. “I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again.”
