When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions)

by Lynette Eason

  Not waiting to see if Karen obeyed her or not, she turned to focus on her mother.

  The woman had passed out. Alexia shook her shoulder. “Mom?”

  The first bullet shattered the window above Karen’s head. The second plowed the floor beside Alexia and her mother.

  Karen screamed and Alexia whirled to see her father standing at the top of the steps, his hunting rifle held in his hands.

  His eyes were on her.

  “Get. Me. A. Beer.”

  The cold words sent shivers darting up her spine, terror clawing at her soul.

  She didn’t move, her only thought was that she should have kept the knife instead of throwing it in the sink.

  He stomped over, kicked the paint can out of his path, and aimed the rifle at her head.

  The shakiness returned.

  Fear now took hold of her, but it was a fear laced with something more, something she couldn’t define. But she wasn’t moving. Even as her eyes dared him to shoot her, she couldn’t stop staring at the cigarette still hanging from his mouth.

  Her father moved the gun and placed it against her sister’s head. He looked her in the eye. “Get me a beer.”

  Alexia shot to her feet.

  The fear faded.

  A strange buzzing filled her ears. She nodded, never taking her eyes from his. Her sister sat frozen to the spot, her face bleached white. Alexia said, “Okay, Daddy, I’ll get you a beer.”

  A cruel smile pulled his lips apart.

  Some silly part of her wondered why, when he smiled like that, he never lost the cigarette that still burned.

  Like a robot, Alexia turned on wooden legs and walked into the kitchen. The buzz grew louder. Her pulse hammered. The hate intensified.

  She went to the refrigerator and pulled the case of beer from it, turned and set it on the bar.

  When she looked back, her father had the strangest look on his face. An expression she couldn’t explain, but one that sent horror straight to her heart.

  He lifted the gun, sighted her sister’s face, and wrapped his finger around the trigger.

  “No!” she screamed. Reached into the case and pulled out a can. With all her strength, she fired it at her father.

  The can slammed into his shoulder.

  He jerked the gun in her direction. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!”

  She threw another can. And missed.

  But it made him flinch. He pulled the trigger and the bullet splintered the cabinet above her head. She ignored the wood falling into her hair, stinging her cheeks.

  And fired another can at him.

  She caught him in the face. He screamed and the cigarette finally fell from his lips as his foot knocked the can of paint thinner over.

  The cigarette landed on top of the old tarp.

  She glared at the man with murder on his mind. Her chest heaved, her hands shook. She had to get him to put that gun down. Blood dripped from the gash on his forehead where the last beer can hit him.

  A soft whoosh sounded and she looked at the floor. The cigarette had sparked a flame. And the flame quickly multiplied, devouring the tarp and heading straight to the paint thinner.

  Then toward the couch and her mother and sister.

  Alexia took in the sights, the smells, the sounds. Her sister huddled against the couch, weeping. Her mother was still out cold. “Karen, get Mom and get out!”

  Her father lifted the gun and took aim at her once more. She hurled another can in his direction while she ducked behind the counter. The bullet screamed above her to plant itself in the wall behind her.

  And still she felt no fear. “Karen! Do it!”

  Another scream rent the air.

  Smoke filled her lungs and made her choke.

  Alexia raised up to see the living room on fire, the flames burning straight up, reaching for the ceiling.

  And her father running like a madman in circles in the midst of it, his pants on fire, turning the gun in her direction every so often.

  Karen beat at the flames now licking along her sleeve.

  Horror now filled Alexia as the buzz faded and left her gasping. Racing to her mother, she grasped the woman by the shoulders. And pulled her toward the door. Heat enveloped her. Smoke again invaded her lungs.

  Her father’s screams echoed in her mind. Or were those Karen’s?

  “Karen,” she screamed, “come on! Get out of the house!”

  “It’s burning me!”

  “Get out!”

  “Alexia, where are you? Alexia! I’m gonna kill you!” Her father’s hoarse scream exploded her hate into a rage she’d never felt before.

  But she ignored him. Her mother and sister needed her help. This was her fault!

  She pulled her mother across the lawn to the street where people were already racing from their homes to see what was going on.

  “Alexia! Help me!”

  Karen’s cries echoed through her. She turned. And tackled her burning sister. Rolling her in the grass until the fire was out.

  “It hurts,” Karen whispered, then mercifully, she passed out.

  Alexia blinked, her vision clearing to see Chad’s shocked expression. She looked around to find herself back in his kitchen, where he stood watching her, his eyes puzzled, curious, slightly scared.

  “Alexia?”

  She stared into his eyes and whispered, “I remember. It was my fault.” With the beer can still clutched in her right hand, she sank to the floor, never taking her eyes from Chad. “Oh no. It was my fault.”

  She buried her head in her knees, felt the tears push at the back of her eyelids. She refused to let them fall.

  Then strong hands gripped her upper arms and she looked up.

  Chad helped her move to the leather couch in his den. “You want to tell me about it?”

  She shook her head. “No. I want you to take me home. Now.”

  His eyes narrowed and anger flitted briefly across his face. “You remembered something about the fire at your home, didn’t you?”

  Alexia stood. “Yes. And now, I’m ready to leave, Chad. So, will you please take me home?”

  “Not just yet.”

  She felt another flicker of fear. “You’re refusing to take me home?”

  “I’ll take you home when I’m ready.”

  Alexia gulped. “Are you the one who’s been causing me all this trouble?”

  Confusion stopped Chad for a moment, then a burst of humorless laughter erupted from him. “Me? You think I’ve been trying to kidnap you? Kill you?” Without giving her a chance to answer, he raked his hands through his hair and shook his head. “Man, all I wanted was for you to give me a chance to beat out Hunter just one time in the woman department.” Regret twisted his face. “No, Alexia, I’m not trying to hurt you or kill you or kidnap you. I just wanted you to—” He broke off with a snort. “Never mind. You can leave if you want.” He pulled his keys from his pocket. “Come on.”

  He walked back to the front door and Alexia followed him. Then he stopped and turned. “Before we go, though, would you mind telling me what you know about the fire? The one at your house?”

  “Why?”

  After his incredulous response to her question as to whether he was the one after her, she felt herself relaxing. He wasn’t out to hurt her. He was being a jerk, but he wasn’t a dangerous jerk.

  “Because—” he paused and rubbed a hand over his mouth—“even my father admitted to me he wasn’t really sure what happened that day. It’s been one of those things that’s haunted him, still bugs him to this day. If I could find out the true story . . .” He blinked and broke off. “Your father was his friend. They grew up together.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, do you know the reason why my father was so loyal to yours?”

  She shook her head. “No, why?”

  “Because your father saved my father’s life.”

  Surprise shot through her, chasing away the initial squiggle of fear. “What? How?�
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  “Back before you were born, your dad was going to be a firefighter.”

  Alexia jerked and she gave a short laugh of disbelief. “No, it’s not possible.”

  “Yep. He and my dad went through the training together.”

  “How do you know all this? You’re the same age I am.”

  Chad nodded. “My dad filled me in on most of it. Plus, I was there when my dad went to see yours in the burn unit in Georgia right after the fire. I overheard the conversation. Your dad was still barely lucid, in and out of consciousness. But one thing he made abundantly clear was that the fire was your fault.”

  “And it was.” She still saw the flash of the beer can hitting her dad’s face, the cigarette flying through the air. The flames leaping, grasping.

  All in slow motion.

  “No, it wasn’t, Alexia.”

  Alexia froze at the familiar voice. Whirling, she saw Hunter standing on the other side of the screened door. And a stranger standing next to him. A stranger she’d longed to see for years. A stranger who wasn’t really a stranger.

  “Dominic?” she whispered.

  38

  Saturday, 11:58 a.m.

  Hunter saw the shock, longing—and wariness—flicker one by one over Alexia’s distraught face.

  Chad simply looked furious at the interruption. And yet, he’d passed the test. He wasn’t the one after Alexia. Hunter had pulled more strings and called in more favors than he really had to prove it, but it was worth it.

  Thankfully, while Chad’s actions hadn’t been exactly gentlemanly, he hadn’t done or said anything to lead Hunter or the ones on Chad’s tail to believe he was the one after Alexia.

  Guilt momentarily blindsided Hunter. He’d put a GPS on his brother’s vehicle, tapped his phone, and bugged his house. Had fellow officers in on the plan. Officers who couldn’t believe what Hunter was doing but were willing to help—if only to prove Hunter wrong.

  But, in Hunter’s opinion, it had all been necessary to clear Chad of Hunter’s awful suspicions. Alexia couldn’t have played along more perfectly. She’d asked Chad the question that had been burning in the back of his mind, haunting his dreams and kicking his denial button for a while now.

  He wondered how Alexia would feel if she knew he’d basically used her for bait. That awful feeling in the middle of his gut said he might not live to share another kiss with her if she ever found out.

  But she was never in danger. Never.

  At least that’s what he told himself.

  What if Chad had been guilty and decided to just kill her and be done with it?

  It had been a calculated risk. One he’d been reluctant to take but was relieved had paid off. And he’d be honest with Alexia about what he’d done. Soon. He winced at the thought.

  Then saw Alexia moving toward Dominic and pushed all other thoughts out of his mind as he watched the reunion of brother and sister.

  She came to the screen door.

  Dominic pulled it open.

  Hunter could see the family resemblance. Both tall, athletic, with emerald eyes and fiery hair.

  They stared at each other for a brief moment. Then Dominic made the first move and pulled his sister into a tight hug. “I’ve missed you.”

  Hunter thought he saw Alexia’s shoulders give a shake. A spasm. Something. But she didn’t make a sound.

  Alexia couldn’t find her voice. She was being hugged by her big brother. And hugged. And hugged.

  Finally, she pulled back and looked up into his eyes, drinking in the sight of him. “You look older, harder.”

  He smiled and nodded. “You don’t.”

  A surprised chuckle hiccupped from her. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t disowning her, refusing to have anything to do with her.

  But no. He was looking at her with love in his eyes. She gulped. “Why aren’t you furious with me?” she whispered.

  From behind her, she heard someone clear his throat.

  Chad.

  He said, “Y’all want to come in and sit down instead of standing in the foyer?”

  Dominic nodded and led a still-reeling Alexia to the couch. She slumped onto it and Dominic sat beside her.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch with you.”

  Alexia bit her lip. “I guess I understand. I’m sure you hated me for a long time.”

  Dominic sighed. Alexia vaguely noticed Hunter motioning to Chad to leave them alone. The brothers left the den and walked into the kitchen.

  Alexia focused on Dominic. He was saying, “I owe you a huge apology.”

  What? First her mother and now Dominic? Had the world spun off its axis?

  She simply stared at him, once again searching for words in a brain that was pretty close to shutdown mode.

  Dominic took a deep breath as though trying to figure out where to start. She decided to help him along. “Where did you go when you left home? After you were arrested because I called the cops?” There. She got the words out.

  “Marcus Porter was the officer who arrested me. Lucky for me.”

  She lifted a brow.

  Dominic nodded. “I’d met Marcus a couple of times. You remember Mom used to call the cops on Dad occasionally when he got really bad. Marcus just happened to be on duty the last three times.”

  Alexia wondered at the way he said the words “just happened.” But she didn’t want to interrupt him. She knew Marcus well. He was the one she’d called to inform him of her brother’s impending drug sale. He said, “When you called him, he set up a sting. I walked right into it.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered and hung her head. His hand came out and lifted her chin.

  “Don’t be. You probably saved my life.”

  Dumbstruck, she met his eyes. “How?”

  “I didn’t realize it until much later. I was a pretty angry guy for a while. But Marcus managed to talk me into working with him. He finagled a deal with the DA and got the charges dropped, but only if I followed a few of his rules.”

  “Rules?”

  “Yep. I had to keep my nose clean and go to church with him and his wife.”

  Alexia stared in disbelief. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. Marcus became like a father to me. But I’ll admit, I hated you for a long time.”

  She winced, then said, “But you don’t hate me now?”

  “Nope. Like I said, you saved my life. I ended up moving in with Marcus and seeing how a father was supposed to treat his children. I went to the police academy, got my life together, then went on to join the FBI.”

  “Is that why you didn’t contact me?”

  “Yeah. I figured you were better off not involved in my life. For the past ten years, I’ve been mostly undercover. One assignment after the next. If I’d contacted you and the wrong person found out about it . . .” He shook his head. “That would have been ugly.”

  She understood. Sort of. Still, it seemed like he could have at least let her know he was alive. “I just figured you hated me,” she whispered.

  He grimaced and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Lexi.” She almost smiled at his little pet name. Lexi. “But I need to make something really clear here. That fire was not your fault.” He swallowed hard.

  “But I remember everything. It was my fault. I threw the beer can and it hit—”

  Dominic was shaking his head. “About five years ago, I tracked Dad down to the jail in Washington State.”

  “But he’s out now.”

  “I know. But before he got out, I went to see him.”

  A pang hit her in the heart. He went to visit their father, but couldn’t contact her? Anger wanted to bud, but she refused to let it. “What did he have to say?”

  “A lot.” His lips twisted and regret filled his eyes. “Keep in mind, I had no idea you were blaming yourself for the fire or I would have . . .” He looked away and shook his head.

  “What, Dom?”

  “Aw man, this is hard.”

  Impatience flooded h
er, sparking the anger. “Just spill it, will you?”

  He barked a short, humorless laugh. “Dad finally talked. He refused at first, then admitted that if you hadn’t thrown those beer cans at him, he was going to kill everyone that day.”

  Alexia lurched to her feet and stumbled from her brother. What was he saying?

  Dominic waited until she turned to face him once again. “What?” she whispered.

  “He said he had it planned. He was going to wait until everyone was asleep, then kill all of you. Mom, Karen, and you.”

  “I . . . I . . .” She couldn’t find any words. But she began to shake. A chill swept over her.

  “Because of the fire, Mom and you are still alive.”

  “Karen’s dead.” Alexia felt her emotions start to freeze. It was all too much.

  Hunter walked in and pulled her into his arms. But even his warmth wasn’t enough to chase the chill invading her.

  Dominic continued. “Dad blamed you for the fire, and I suppose if you hadn’t thrown the beer cans, the fire wouldn’t have started, but if you hadn’t started the fire, you’d be dead.”

  She didn’t know what to think. In fact, she was having a hard time thinking anything. Pulling out of Hunter’s arms, she turned to find Chad staring at them.

  Ignoring him, she looked at Dominic. “What was Dad doing in Washington State?”

  Dominic’s throat bobbed and he exchanged a look with Hunter. Something passed between the two men and she planted her hands on her hips. “What?”

  “Dad was coming after you.”

  She felt the blood drain from her face and her knees went weak. She stumbled back to the couch and sat. Hunter hovered nearby.

  “After me?”

  “Yeah. He found out where you went and was coming to get you, but he said he lost track of you. He was in a bar one night and killed a guy. He’s been in prison until a few months ago.”

  “If he hadn’t landed in prison, but instead found me—” She shuddered at the thought.

  “Exactly.”

  Alexia rubbed her arms to ward off the chill.

  Dominic reached out and stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry I went off and left you and Karen in that house to deal with Dad.”

  “It doesn’t matter now.” She looked into her big brother’s eyes. “You forgive me. That’s all that matters.”