The Fire You Hold (Heritage Series Book 2)

by Ciana Stone

  "I heard her tell Delaney that you're going with her to Kal's arraignment tomorrow."

  "Yes, I am."

  "You're that convinced of his innocence?"

  "Yes."

  "I wish I was as certain."

  Naomie didn't feel this was the time to get into a discussion on Kal's innocence, so she kept her mouth closed on the subject. "Get some rest, sir."

  "Sir? We're back to that?"

  "Old habits..." she couldn't finish the lie. "No, that's dishonest."

  "Then what's the truth?"

  She considered her words for a moment. Honesty could be painted in many shades of emotion and she wasn't sure she could let her feelings be bared to him. At least not completely.

  "The truth is, it's my shield, Russ. My armor. It's how I protect and remind myself that I'm only a breath away from falling and that fall just might end me."

  "Naomie–"

  "No." She put the fingers of one hand lightly against his lips. "Don't. Please. You wanted truth and I've given it, but don't press for more. We're both raw and that makes us weak and I don't think I could stand to be a mistake for you. I have to go."

  "I know, but can I say thank you?"

  "For what?"

  "Today. For what you said at the service. For standing with me."

  "No thanks are necessary."

  "Still. I do thank you, Naomie."

  "You're welcome, Russ."

  He leaned in, brushed his lips over her cheek and whispered. "I like the way you say my name."

  Naomie was a heartbeat away from kissing him. She sure wanted to. But she knew it would be wrong. Wrong place, wrong time. So, she turned the moment into a tease and whispered back. "If you think it sounds good now, just imagine … well, you know. Good night, Russ."

  With that, she slipped around him and hurried to the family room door. "Cici? You ready?"

  Cici looked over at Amber, who sat across the room. "You coming with?"

  "Yes," Amber stood, bade goodnight to her parents and then hurried to the door, a step behind Cici.

  Cici stopped to hug her father. "Good night, Dad."

  "Good night, honey," Russell said and looked at Amber. "You sure you don't want to stay here?"

  "No, but thanks. It's been a while since I've had time with Cici, and I reckon you and Dad could use some time."

  "As you wish," he agreed and then looked at Naomie. "Good night, Naomie."

  "Good night, sir." Naomie headed for the door with Cici and Amber one step behind. When they walked out of the house, Cici stopped. "Hold up. Mace is staying with Nash. I said we'd head over when we left here. Mace left his truck and I have the keys. Is that okay?"

  "Works for me," Amber agreed.

  "Sure," Naomie didn't argue. After the moment with Russell, she needed something to turn her mind away from thoughts of him.

  She got into the back-passenger seat as Amber took the front. Cici got in, started the truck and then leaned her head back and blew out a breath.

  "You okay?" Naomie knew the day had been extra hard on Cici. Not only was she grieving the loss of her grandfather, but the man she planned on marrying was charged with murder.

  "I'm trying to be."

  "I feel like the odd-man out here," Amber commented. "I know you were dating the man charged with shooting Gramps but–"

  "Engaged to." Cici cut in.

  "Sorry." Amber reached over to touch Cici's arm. "My point was, I don't really know the whole story."

  "You tell her," Cici looked over her shoulder at Naomie.

  "If that's what you want."

  "Yes." Cici put the vehicle in gear and started down the driveway.

  Naomie did her best to give a brief, but accurate account of the events of that night. It took all she had to stick with the facts and not let emotion swallow her. Try as she might, she couldn't keep from being engulfed in the memory. It consumed her, making her feel she was reliving that awful time all over again.

  Russell, Mace and Nash had gone to Heritage South to oversee fire operations. Someone set fire to buildings there and they'd lost buildings and stock. DeLyn, Russell, along with Cici and Kal were staying at Heritage for the night.

  Naomie and Cici were outside, getting luggage from Kal's car. Kal had accompanied Robert for a walk. It was a habit for Robert and gave Kal the chance to spend some time with Robert and hopefully win his favor, or at least his approval on Kal wanting to marry Cici.

  Naomie and Cici just returned to the house when they heard it. Gunfire. Naomie's heart leapt in her chest. She dropped the suitcase she was carrying and ran outside. Cici followed and they both stood there, holding their breath and listening.

  Naomie wasn't keen on dragging Cici out into the dark. Russell might be peeved with Cici, but she was still his daughter, and he loved her. If anything happened to her, it would break Russell's heart. So, she sent Cici inside in search of flashlights. Just as Cici ran inside, DeLyn ran out.

  "What's happening?'

  “I don’t know. We heard shots and–” Voices from the area of the barns stopped Naomie in mid-sentence. She heard someone yell, “Call an ambulance,” and that had her taking off at a run with DeLyn on her heels.

  She reached the paddock beside the small barn ahead of DeLyn. Two Heritage men she recognized were crouched over a prone body on the ground. She climbed the fence and raced over to them.

  “Oh god, no.” Fear swelled so fast and hard inside her, she thought she was going to pass out, or throw up, she didn't know which. All she knew for sure was she was terrified. She threw herself down beside Robert. Blood pumped through his shirt in two places on his chest. His mouth worked to speak, but nothing emerged.

  “Just hang on. You hear me, Robert? Stay with me.” She placed a hand over each of the wounds and looked at the ranch hands. “Call Jordan and the pilot. We need the helicopter now. We can’t wait for the ambulance. And someone get me some towels.”

  Naomie choked back a sob when Robert's gaze connected with hers. He nodded and tried to smile. Her throat and chest hurt from holding back the scream that wanted to erupt. "Please, stay with me," she pleaded. "Please, please, don't go."

  That was the moment DeLyn arrived. She screamed Robert’s name and threw herself down beside him. He looked at her, and his hand moved, seeking hers.

  “I love you, Robert. Don’t you die on me. You hear? You stay with me.”

  “I. Love. You.” The words were spaced apart, as he had to work to draw in air after every syllable.

  Cici arrived, out of breath and pale-faced and knelt beside Naomie. “Gramps? Naomie, do something.”

  “I’m trying, Cici.” Sweat dripped into Naomie's eyes and ran down her back. Her arms and shoulders ached, and she didn't know how much longer she could hold back tears.

  “Robert!” DeLyn screamed as Robert’s eyes widened and his body stiffened. Then his body went slack.

  "No! No, no, no!" Naomie flew into action and started CPR. After a minute or so Jordan arrived and edged her aside. “I was a medic in the service, let me take over.”

  Just as she scooted to the side, another of the hands yelled. “This guy is alive!”

  “What guy?” Naomie turned to look.

  “This guy!”

  Naomie ran over, and one look had her screaming “Cici!”

  It was Kalvin Burton. She knelt to check him. He’d been shot in the upper right area of his chest. She didn’t think the bullet had hit anything vital, but he’d lost a lot of blood. A handgun lay two feet from his body.

  “Whose gun is that?” She looked up at the men as she put pressure on Kal’s wound.

  “This?” One of the men picked it up as she screamed, “Don’t touch it!”

  He dropped it like it was on fire. “Sorry. I guess it’s his.”

  “Kal!” Cici’s scream nearly deafened Naomie. She fell to the ground, patting Kal’s face and fluttering her hands over him. “Kal. Kal?”

  “Cici.” Kal’s voice was a mere whisper
>
  “Oh, thank you. Naomie don’t let him die.”

  “He’s not going to die. Can you put your hands here? Over the wound. Keep pressure on it, okay? He'll be fine. Just keep the pressure on it, okay?"

  "I will. I will.” Cici did as instructed.

  "Would someone call a fucking ambulance?" Naomie yelled as she hurried back to Robert. Jordan looked at her as she knelt beside him and shook his head.

  “Don’t stop trying.” She demanded. “You take care of the compressions. I’ll breathe.”

  She lost track of everything except counting the compressions Jordan performed on Robert’s chest and then breathing into his mouth. When someone put a hand on her shoulder, she started and looked up.

  “He’s gone, Naomie,” DeLyn said.

  “No, no. We have to-”

  “He’s gone.” Jordan echoed.

  She sat down hard, ran her hand over her face and back through her hair and then just stared at DeLyn over Robert’s still body. Tears streamed down DeLyn’s face as she sat there with one hand on the side of Robert’s face. Naomie reached across Robert’s body to take DeLyn’s free hand and sat there, in the dirt, finally letting the tears free.

  When someone ran over to say the helicopter was ready and they were flying Kal to the hospital, she nodded and asked Jordan to make sure no one touched the gun that was lying close to Kal. They needed to wait for the authorities to arrive to bag it and Robert’s gun so it could be determined who shot who.

  Cici left with Kal and Naomie continued to sit with DeLyn. She didn’t know how long it was before the ambulance and law arrived, but their appearance shook her into action. The first thing she did was call Russell.

  “It’s mighty late for you to be–”

  “You need to get home, Russell. As quickly as possible.”

  “What’s happened?”

  “Just come home, please. Now. And bring your boys.”

  Because she could see it in her mind as she told Amber, something jumped to the forefront with enough power to have her gasp."Oh shit, why didn't I think of that?"

  "What?" Cici pulled to a stop in front of Nash's house and looked over her shoulder at Naomie.

  "What did the detectives or the DA give you? In terms of their evidence? Ballistics and a crime scene report?"

  "Yes."

  "And did they have the scene recreated for accuracy? The angle of bullet entry and that sort of thing?"

  "I don't think so. Why?"

  "You need to hire experts for Kal." Naomie opened the door to get out.

  "Why?" Amber asked as she climbed out of the truck.

  Just then the front door opened, and Nash stepped out onto the porch. "Hey, I was starting to think you'd changed your mind."

  "No," Cici replied. "And I talked Amber and Naomie into joining."

  "So back to what you said," Amber said to Naomie.

  "I'll explain." Naomie walked up the steps, crossed the porch and gave Nash a kiss. "Hiya handsome. How're you stocked on tequila?"

  "New bottle of top shelf waiting on you, gorgeous."

  "You sure you don't want to marry me?"

  "As if you'd say yes," he responded to the tease and waited for all the women to enter. Once inside he led the way to the kitchen. Mace entered from the family room.

  "Oh oh, tequila," he looked at Naomie. "What's wrong?"

  "Oh, you immediately look at me?"

  Mace chuckled. "Hey baby, don't blame me for knowing your poison."

  She smiled. "Can't argue with that."

  "Shots?" Nash looked around at everyone and was rewarded with a chorus of "yes" from everyone.

  They all took seats at the table while Nash gathered shot glasses. Naomie loved Nash's kitchen. The cabinets were a warm golden oak and the table was a big oak affair with seating for eight. It was homey yet pristinely clean and functional.

  "Okay, why are we doing shots?" Mace asked as Nash started filling glasses.

  "Because Naomie has something to explain to everyone," Amber answered.

  "Okay," Nash passed around the glasses and took a seat. "So, drink or talk?"

  Naomie raised her glass. "A toast."

  "To?" Cici asked.

  "To Robert," Naomie said. "And the Walker family. A finer bunch of people I've never known."

  Everyone drank their shot and as Nash refilled the glasses, Amber turned the conversation to Naomie's earlier comment. "Okay, what were you going to explain?"

  "Oh, yes." She looked at Mace and then Nash. "Before I launch into it, you need to know that I'm convinced Kal didn't shoot Robert."

  "Why?" Mace asked.

  "That's where the explanation comes in. Are you willing to listen?"

  "Absolutely. I like Kal and I don't want to think he's guilty."

  "And you?" She asked Nash.

  "I'm all ears."

  "Okay, so first. I was thinking about where we found Robert and Kal. The police say that Kal fired first, and hit Robert at least once, if not twice before Robert fired back. In all, Robert was shot three times. Are you with me?"

  "Yes, that's their claim," Cici said.

  "Okay, but it seems off to me. I mean if Robert didn't see Kal at first, then how did Kal shoot Robert square in the chest if he was standing where he fell? From that position, he would have been at an angle to Robert."

  Cici gasped and reached for Naomie's hand. "Oh my god, Naomie! That’s why you said we need to hire experts, to recreate the event."

  "Yes. Not only where they were found, but we need to get the medical reports for the angle of entry of the bullets."

  "Why?" Amber asked.

  "Because Robert was tall, like all the Walker men. At least six, three. Kal is about six feet. So – wait. Mace stand up."

  Mace stood, and so did Naomie. She looked around and spotted a step stool. "Can I use that?"

  "Sure, it's just Rusty's stool so he can reach the glasses."

  "Thanks." She got the stool and put it on the floor about three feet from Mace, stepped up on it and raised her right arm like she was holding a gun. "Okay, so this is about the difference in height, right?"

  "About," Cici said.

  "And look at my arm."

  "Damn!" Nash exclaimed. "I see where you're going. Depending on the angle of the bullet entry, we should be able to determine the height of the shooter, right?"

  "Yes. At least I think so, but I don't know much about the science, so we need an expert."

  She hopped off the stool and replaced it where she'd found it. "Okay, so there's that, and then, we should all consider this question. How could it possibly benefit Kal to kill Robert? I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been asking that question since it happened.

  "Why is someone working so hard to make trouble for Heritage and for Kal as well, and to make it appear as if Kal's behind it? If the goal is for Kal to take the blame, then the person behind all the trouble is following faulty logic."

  "How so?" Amber asked.

  "Well, think about it. It makes no sense for Kal to have sabotaged Heritage. Poisoning his own stream could create more problems for him than Heritage. You could simply move the stock until the water was clean. Kal, on the other hand, could lose funding for the most ambitious project of his career, namely his green, organic city.

  "Just like the pesticides in the water and food and the arson as well. All evidence points to Kal, but it's illogical. All these events do is hurt him."

  "Then what are you suggesting?" Amber asked.

  "That we're looking in the wrong direction. What we need to do is figure out who stands to benefit by framing Kal, and why they want to harm him and Heritage as well. What do they stand to gain?"

  She fell silent and looked around the table. Cici was doing the same. Mace and Nash looked at one another and then at Cici. "I'm sorry, Little Bit," Mace said. "We were wrong, and I apologize."

  "Same here," Nash added.

  "Then you believe him?" Cici asked. "Kal, I mean?"

  "Yeah
," Mace said, and Nash nodded.

  "Oh, thank god."

  "You might want to make that, thank Naomie." Amber offered and shrugged when everyone looked at her. "Just sayin'. She makes a hell of a case."

  "Indeed, she does," Nash agreed and picked up his glass. "To Naomie, and to getting some experts working for us so we can prove Kal's innocent."

  Naomie raised her glass and saw the tears gathered in Cici's eyes. This moment didn't wash away all the bad that'd happened, and it wouldn't bring Robert back, but maybe it could help bring the Walker family back together again.

  And if it did, then she knew it would have made Robert very happy.

  Chapter Three

  "Okay, that's it for me," Richard's wife, Sharon announced and stood. She carried her empty glass to the bar and put it in the sink. "Are you ready to go up, Rich?"

  "Not quite. Thought I'd bend Russ's ear a bit." Richard looked at Russell. "If he's up to it."

  "Sounds good." Russell agreed and looked at Sharon. "Sleep well. Thanks again for making the trip."

  "I loved him too, Russ." He heard the tint of acrimony in her tone but let it slide. Sharon had always assumed that Rich's family resented her from taking him away from the ranch. That wasn't the case. Robert had been nothing but proud of Richard and Russell had never begrudged Richard his life's calling.

  "And he loved you, Shar."

  The expression on her face softened, and Richard was struck by how lovely she still was. In her mid-fifties, she still could turn heads. Tall, statuesque, with warm honey-blond hair styled in a flattering manner, she was a beautiful woman.

  She nodded and pressed her lips tight as her eyes filled with tears. "Thank you."

  "Sleep well."

  "You too." She looked at Richard. "Don't be up too late. We have an early flight."

  "The helicopter will be waiting to take you to the airport," Russell remarked.

  "Still…" She looked at Richard.

  "I hear you. Be up soon, babe."

  That's when Russell saw it. The look that came on her face at his words and the tone in which he spoke them. He'd seen that same expression the day he stood as Richard's best man and watched his brother exchange vows. Sharon's face wore a look of love so deep, it made Russell ache to have that, to have a woman look at him that way.