Lasting Shadows: Shadows Landing #3

by Kathleen Brooks

Finally someone came in and she heard Dylan’s voice. “Do you need something?”

  “I think this messed up,” Penn said.

  Dylan silenced it. “I’m just an orderly. I’ll see if I can find the nurse. Between you and me, it might be a while. Is it an emergency?”

  “I don’t think so. I think a wire fell out, but I don’t know how to fix it.”

  “The nurse will be in when she can. There’s only one nurse on the floor and they’re finishing up their shift change. The night nurse is something to look at, but that’s when you actually see her. You didn’t hear it from me, but she tends to nap most nights.” Dylan scoffed and Savannah could practically hear his eyes rolling.

  “Will my wife be taken care of? Do I need to transfer her?” Penn asked as he tried to hide the glee from his voice.

  “She comes around every hour on the hour. Sets an alarm. Nothin’ ever happens on this floor so I’m sure your wife is fine. Need anything else, bro?”

  “No, thank you for helping quiet this. I’d hate to wake my wife up.”

  “No problem. Have a good night.”

  Savannah heard Dylan leave the room and then felt the tightness of Penn’s hand around her arm. “Wake up!” he snapped.

  Savannah’s eyes popped open. “Oh, no. Did I oversleep?”

  “No, pet. I just wanted to thank you for all you do for me. Goodbye, pet.”

  Savannah felt her heart stop. Was he going to kill her himself?

  “Goodbye, Penn. Have a wonderful day at work. I’ll clean the house in just a moment.” And then she closed her eyes. She heard Penn let out a huff as he pulled out his phone. “Savannah?”

  Savannah didn’t move. She heard a photo being taken and then he was texting. Before she could pretend to be awake, he was leaving.

  “Savannah,” Ridge said and her eyes popped open. “He’s gone.”

  “So, now I wait for someone to kill me.”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Abby stayed hidden in the bathroom. Agent Castle stayed across the hall monitoring all the hidden cameras. Dylan was similarly in the room next door. And Ridge sat by her side holding her hand, but they didn’t talk. Savannah couldn’t. She didn’t know what to say. She was overwhelmed that this could be the last time she was with him and yet was at a complete loss of words.

  The sun had just set. Her nerves couldn’t decide what to do. Relax or get worse. “Potential suspect spotted coming up the stairs.”

  Ridge squeezed her hand. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she whispered desperately as Ridge hurried from the rom. But not before she heard him tell Abby, “I’m trusting you with the life of the woman I love.”

  Then there was silence. She could hear the swirling of the air conditioner. She felt every ounce of the weight of the bulletproof vest she had on under her gown. It felt as if it were pressing every breath from her body. And then there were the footsteps. They were practically silent as the rubber soles of the shoes came into the room.

  There he paused, and in the darkness of the room, the bright screen of his cell phone lighting up was seen even through her closed eyelids. She’d been afraid of breathing too much, but instead her breathing stopped. Her lungs burned, but she couldn’t make herself inhale.

  Then she heard rustling and felt his hand moving to hers. His grasp was warm, strong, and steady as he took hold of her hand. She felt the pressure of him sliding a needle into her port and then it was suddenly done—the pressure and his hand. Just gone.

  Savannah’s eyes popped open and the man was fighting Abby who had him in a headlock. He was kicking and trying to pull her hair. Savannah didn’t think. The red haze of anger was back.

  “How much am I worth?” she yelled as the room filled with people. “No, don’t!” she yelled at Abby who instantly loosened her hold to prevent him from blacking out.

  “The other guy was paid twenty thousand. How much were you paid?”

  The man lunged, dragging Abby with him. His hands reached for a knife and then he was just inches away as Dylan and Castle leaped forward. Savannah was on her knees on the bed and the second she saw him narrow his eyes before he lunged, she’d reached under her Kevlar vest.

  Zap!

  The man stopped. The knife dropped as Savannah held the stun gun the size of a lipstick container Abby had given her against the man’s arm. Then, just for fun, she pressed the button again. The man dropped to the floor and farted.

  “Abby, you didn’t,” Dylan groaned.

  “It was the best stun gun to hide on her,” Abby defended. The man farted again. Loudly. “Sorry. Dylan’s cousin developed this. It was a practical joke, but it’s actually a very good stun gun.”

  Bruumpht.

  Savannah snorted as she tried to not laugh like an eight year old boy at someone farting. Dylan let out a huff. Abby snickered. Agent Castle broke out laughing. And Ridge wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

  30

  Dylan used the man’s finger to unlock the phone before the FBI hauled him away. While Dylan worked, Ridge stayed with Savannah as she changed. The worst was over. All they had to do was pick up Penn. Then this nightmare would be over.

  There was a knock at the door and Savannah’s eyes shot to Ridge’s as she pulled out that small stun gun again. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Kord. Can I come in?”

  Ridge and Savannah both visibly relaxed. “Come in,” Ridge told him.

  “I’m so happy to see you both. Agent Castle told me they caught the assassin and that you both can go home. I’m your ride.”

  “Thank you for coming all the way from Shadows Landing to get us,” Savannah said as Ridge slipped his hand into hers.

  “Ready to go home?” Ridge asked her.

  “More than ready.” When Savannah smiled at him, he saw his whole future in her face. He couldn’t wait to get home and wake up tomorrow together, with nothing holding them back. No danger, no ex, nothing but love and potential.

  “How’s Granger?” Ridge asked as they headed out of the hospital room.

  “Recovering really well. He’ll come home in two days. Walker has already asked his wife to come evaluate Granger. They’ll be arriving next week and staying for a week so she can show Granger exactly what kind of physical therapy he needs to be doing.”

  Ridge nodded and turned to Savannah to explain. “That’s how our friend Walker met Layne Davies. She’s a doctor of physical therapy and specializes in gunshot wounds, especially for military personnel. She was a keynote speaker for a convention here and Gavin went to get her help. Walker gained a wife and the Faulkners gained the Davies family.”

  “Your cousins, like Dylan?”

  “And aunts and uncles. Our families had been estranged because of some pettiness on my great-grandmother’s part. But thanks to Walker and Layne, we’re all family again now.”

  Ridge and his small group stopped where Dylan, Abby, and Agent Castle stood with a team of FBI agents. Dylan turned to them and nodded. “Agents verified hours ago that Penn was at the hotel. His location has just moved. He appears to be leaving the hotel.”

  “Are you picking him up now?” Ridge asked as he held Savannah closely to him.

  “Leaving right now,” Dylan told them with a wink. “It’ll be fun. We’ll come straight to your home in Shadows Landing afterwards, Savannah.”

  Savannah nodded next to him and Ridge felt her take a deep breath. “That’s good. We’ll see you there.”

  “Be careful,” Ridge told his cousin. “Aunt Tammy would kill me if anything happened to you.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing. See you all soon. I’ve been dying for some barbeque. Abby hasn’t had any, so I thought we could grab some from The Pink Pig and Lowcountry Smokehouse for a late dinner tasting.”

  “We can make that happen,” Ridge told his cousin before shaking his hand and pulling him in for a quick thump on the back. Dylan wasn’t really a touchy-feely guy, but Ridge needed to express more than he cou
ld with a handshake. “Thank you for all your help.”

  “You’re welcome. See you soon.”

  They followed Kord out to his cruiser and slid into the backseat. Savannah wasn’t talking as she kept her eyes directed out the side window, but she did reach for Ridge. He laced their fingers together as Kord talked about what was going on in town and how everyone was doing. He asked about their trip and Ridge answered for them both. It was clear Savannah was in her own world, and Ridge wanted to give her the time she needed.

  “Savannah’s house or yours?” Kord asked Ridge as they grew closer to Shadows Landing.

  “Mine, please,” Savannah answered, finally coming out of her thoughts. It had been an overwhelming week and while she knew others would think it was silly, she was worried now that the threats had been taken care of, Ridge might find the dinner-planning, fall-decorating, social-chair Savannah boring. Also, now that the threat was gone, there was no reason for her to stay at Ridge’s house. She loved him, yes. But they’d just started dating. She was just now coming into her own.

  She saw Ridge look at her and then at Kord, and she knew Ridge was going to talk to her as soon as they had some privacy. Kord pulled into her driveway and Savannah’s eyes went wide. Ridge’s crew had completed so much in only a couple of days. Her window was fixed. Her kitchen was completely framed and covered so her house was protected from the elements.

  “Wow, I can’t believe how much they’ve gotten done,” Savannah said as they waited for Kord to let them out of the backseat.

  “I had two crews working so it could be livable for you.”

  Savannah’s heart sank even when she didn’t want it to. Here she was at her house because she didn’t want to push Ridge into a relationship, but having him get her house ready so quickly made her feel that maybe he was rethinking their relationship. Savannah took a deep breath and physically shook her head as she got out of the cruiser. She was being silly. She was inventing problems where they weren’t any.

  “Kord, do you think you could grab a bunch of barbeque for the team when they show up?” Ridge asked as he took out his wallet and handed Kord some money.

  “You’re sure you don’t want me to stay until everyone arrives?” Kord asked.

  “It’s okay. I’m actually starving,” Savannah told him. And she really just wanted a moment alone with Ridge. They needed to talk and she didn’t want to have to play hostess too.

  Kord took the money, and as he drove away, Savannah led Ridge onto the porch. “Thank you for asking Kord to get dinner.”

  “I could tell you wanted to talk,” Ridge said, giving her space, for which Savannah was equal parts grateful and angry. She wanted his arms around her, but she wanted to stand on her own two feet as well.

  “I do. I learned the hard way there should be no secrets between couples. That I should trust and be trusted completely. And because I love you, I trust you with my feelings.”

  “Savannah, you have my love. Do you doubt that?” Ridge asked, and she gulped. How did she put this so she didn’t hurt him, yet express her fear.

  “No. I just don’t know what to do with myself right now. We fell in love under intense and unusual circumstances. I’m afraid of making the wrong move and messing it up,” she admitted.

  Ridge was quiet for a moment and then reached for her. Savannah exhaled and moved into his arms. He wasn’t mad. The way he was looking at her told her he understood. “I don’t want you to be worried about being anything other than yourself. Always be honest with me. I’d rather you feel momentarily uncomfortable by talking to me so that we can resolve what’s worrying you, than having you try to hide it or second guess yourself. Trust me to tell you the truth. Trust me to support you. Trust that my love for you encompasses not only your outstanding qualities, but also the ones you or I might not like. I love you, the whole you. All your feelings, all your quirks, everything.”

  Savannah gasped. “Quirks? You mean there’s stuff you don’t like?”

  Ridge grinned. “I don’t like that you wear a nightgown to bed, but I can live with it if it means I have you in my bed.” Savannah busted out laughing and swatted him. “So, what’s worrying you?” Ridge asked.

  Savannah was no longer scared that Ridge would be angry. She should have known he was different. He talked, he shared, and he listened. Savannah was going to trust in their relationship enough to be completely herself. “I think we’re moving too fast. I was equally afraid you’d ask me to move in with you or you wouldn’t ask me to move in with you. If you asked me to, I’d feel pressured to say yes when I want to stand on my own two feet first.”

  “Okay,” Ridge said slowly. “I understand things have happened fast. If it makes you feel better, we’ll slow it down. I love you, and I want to be with you. Any way you’ll have me. What is it you want, Savannah?”

  “I’ll tell you what I really want,” Savannah said, feeling empowered. She’d taken a risk and told Ridge what she felt and he wasn’t upset. Instead, he was listening to her. “I want to flip this house over the next month and sell it. I want to use the proceeds to finish my bachelor’s degree in design and try my hand at starting my own interior design company.”

  Savannah held her breath as she watched Ridge listening. Then he nodded. “I don’t know how much help you want, but the second floor above Tinsley’s art gallery is empty. I bet she’d rent it out to you at a very reasonable price. And then, if you really want—and no pressure—you can always use some space at my architectural firm in Charleston. I’m never there, but it’s in Ryker’s building and has a secretary.”

  “You’d let me use your office? And you wouldn’t mind me going back to school?”

  “I’d let you use anything of mine. And why wouldn’t I support your dreams?”

  The look of confusion on his face made Savannah kiss him. “I love you. I’m so excited!”

  “I love you too,” Ridge said against her lips before taking her with his mouth again. His lips were warm, soft, and demanding as he pulled her to him. Savannah placed her hands on his chest and curled her fingers into him. She felt his heart beat, she felt his muscles tense, and she felt the man she loved.

  “Someone’s been a naughty little pet.”

  Savannah didn’t have time to respond. Ridge shoved her behind him, sending her rolling down the wooden steps of the porch. Pain shot through her as she curled into a ball trying to protect her head. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. She counted as the breath was shocked from her body with every step she fell down.

  She stopped bouncing with a hard crash to the walkway. Everything hurt. Her lungs burned as she fought the panic and forced herself to realize she was still breathing. Her eyes focused on the setting night sky and then to the sounds of a fight.

  “Ridge!” she thought she yelled, but it was really just a ragged gasp for air as she saw Penn and Ridge fighting.

  “Savannah, run!” Ridge ordered as he ducked the knife Penn swung at him.

  He saw her get to her knees and begin to crawl away. Penn did too. He swung the blade at Ridge, but Ridge blocked it, sending it onto the porch. Ridge followed up with a punch to the stomach, causing Penn to double over. When he went to knee Penn in the face, Penn grabbed his leg and fell backward.

  Ridge was yanked forward as he and Penn crashed to the porch floor. The house shook as the battle resumed. Ridge had the upper hand and slammed a fist into Penn’s cocky face. Penn rolled, sending Ridge tumbling to the side as both men scrambled to their feet. Only this time, Ridge wasn’t fast enough.

  Penn grabbed one of the potted plants. As Ridge tried to stand, Penn slammed it onto his head. The last thing Ridge saw was Penn jogging down the stairs toward Savannah. Then everything went black.

  31

  Savannah had just dragged in her first full breath when she felt a hand slide into her hair from behind. The hand fisted her hair and yanked her backward. Savannah screamed, although it was weak even to her ears because she was so short of breath
.

  “What a surprise I got I when I emailed Ocean Waters Bank and found out my accounts had been withdrawn and closed. Somehow I’d cashed them out the same day I made a deposit. Where’s my money, pet?”

  Penn yanked her up to her feet by her hair and spun her to face him. Savannah would have been fearful, but the moment she saw Ridge unmoving on the porch she lost her mind. Her heart broke and the anguished cry that tore free from her throat sounded like a dying animal. “Ridge!”

  Savannah was so focused on Ridge she didn’t see the hand flying toward her. The slap had her eyes watering and her cheek feeling as if it were about to explode. The scream died as her head snapped to the side with the force of the hit.

  “Focus now, pet. Where did you put my money?”

  Savannah’s hand was resting on her stinging cheek. Tears had stopped halfway down her cheek as anger replaced her pain. “Go to hell!” Savannah spit in Penn’s face and braced for what was coming.

  Penn didn’t disappoint. The punch to her stomach knocked her to the ground, gasping for air once again. He grabbed her hair and began to drag her back toward her house. “Let’s go inside where we won’t be disturbed, pet.”

  “That money belongs to your firm. I gave it back to them,” Savannah said as soon as they reached the steps. Lying on the patio was the knife Penn dropped. If she could get her hands on it, she’d kill him.

  “You did what?” Penn snapped as he threw her onto the steps. The edge of the steps hit her hip and ribs, sending shooting pain through her body.

  “I gave it back in exchange for your firm’s agreement not to file charges against me.”

  “Eleven and a half million dollars?”

  Savannah shook her head. “Eleven million. The exact amount you embezzled.”

  Savannah sat up and inched her way up to the next step. She looked over to Ridge and saw blood on the back of his head in the glow of the porch lights and gasped. She made a move to run to him, but Penn grabbed her shoulders and threw her down onto the porch away from Ridge. And away from the knife.