That did it.
She had to get back into the car. Her gun rested in the storage compartment between the seats. Decision made, she reached for the car door.
The ceiling above her opened up in an ear-shattering crash. A figure dressed all in black with a black ski mask came through and landed like a cat on the top of her vehicle. White plaster and insulation fell like rain around him.
Not bothering to waste her breath screaming, she yanked the door open and vaulted into the seat. When she tried to slam the door after her, a black-gloved hand reached down to stop it.
“No!” she cried. She struggled for a brief second then a desperate idea crossed her frantic brain. She gave in to the hand pushing the door open and went with it. As soon as the figure stopped pushing and moved his hand to the top of the opening, Cassidy slammed the door as hard as she could on the fingers still gripping the top.
The furious scream of pain sent a shaft of satisfaction through her that overrode her fear for a brief moment. As soon as the hand jerked back, she quickly pulled the door shut and slapped the automatic lock. She hoped every bone in his fingers was broken.
The black ski mask appeared in front of her face through the windshield. This time, she couldn’t hold back the scream that ripped from her throat. Evil stared at her. She knew those eyes. Had nightmares about those eyes.
Rafael! From the jungle. How had he found her here?
Oh, Jesus, protect us.
Alexis started crying in the background, scared and confused about all the commotion. With shaking fingers, Cassidy shoved the keys into the ignition and turned the car on.
A black-gloved hand rose as if in slow motion and pointed a snub-nosed pistol against the glass. Cassidy slammed the car into Reverse and stepped on the gas but kept herself upright in case he pulled the trigger. Her body would have to be Alexis’s shield. There was no time to grab the gun from the storage compartment.
Wheels screamed against the concrete, then caught traction, and the car shot from the garage, bringing the door…and Rafael…down with it. Cassidy didn’t care about the door or the car. She just wanted to get herself and Alexis away alive.
Gabe sped to Cassidy’s subdivision. He drove fast. Weaving in and out through traffic on Highway 9, he finally made two more turns and arrived at the gated community.
He pulled up and flashed his military badge to the security guard. He hoped the man wouldn’t question him. “Let me through, will ya? Cassidy McKnight’s in trouble. Police are on the way.” Gabe stuffed down his impatience, tapped his right foot against the gas pedal, his left rode the brake. Nerves zinged along his spine.
The guard frowned at him. “She just came through here not ten minutes ago. She thinks someone’s in her house?”
The bar raised as though in slow motion and Gabe didn’t bother answering. He sped through the minute he could get under it and wove through the streets until he came to the number Marguerite had given him.
The garage door exploded.
“What the…?”
Slamming on the brakes, Gabe threw his car into Park and jumped out without bothering to shut the door. Cassidy’s battered SUV came to a stop at the end of the driveway.
Dirt and debris littered the area.
He started toward her, when he noticed a figure dressed in black stumbling through the hole left in the garage door.
“Hey!” Gabe hollered.
The figure halted, swore and lifted his hand in Gabe’s direction.
A gun.
Gabe dived for protection behind his car door and flinched when the bullet shattered the driver’s-side window. Glass rained down on him, but he ignored it and scrambled for the glove compartment.
Another shot sounded.
He managed to get the .45-caliber weapon from its case. He rolled back out of the car and ignored the glass crunching under his shoes. Slowly, he peeked around the edge of the door—and blinked.
Cassidy crouched behind her open car door with the window rolled down. A gun rested on the top edge where the window disappeared into the door.
The man in black lay amidst the mess in the driveway, blood flowing from the wound in his right shoulder. His left hand covered it while he groaned and cursed.
Gabe wanted to go to Cassidy, but first quickly approached the wounded man to kick the gun out of his reach. No sense in tempting him to try target practice with his left hand.
“The police are on the way,” Cassidy’s shaky voice assured him.
Gabe held his gun on the man while he spoke through gritted teeth. “What just happened here?”
Trembling, Cassidy slid the safety on and lowered the gun to her side.
Sirens screamed in the distance as Cassidy answered Gabe. “I got home and pulled into the garage. Somehow he managed to cut a wire or something after I pulled in and shut the door. He had us trapped.” Gabe heard the hysteria bubble close to the surface, but she managed to continue. “He was in the attic above the garage and then he just…burst through it onto the car…and somehow I managed to get back in the car…and…”
Three black-and-white cruisers pulled up; tires screeched on the asphalt. Six uniformed officers jumped out with guns pulled. Two covered the man on the ground. Another ordered, “Freeze! Hands in the air. Now!”
“Cassidy, raise your hands and keep your gun in plain sight,” Gabe ordered.
She did as directed. Gabe did the same while explaining, “Officer, I have my ID in my back pocket. Is it all right if I get it?”
The man responded, “Put the gun on the ground and move slow.” Again, Gabe did as ordered.
Another officer had already cuffed the masked intruder and yet another retrieved Cassidy’s weapon. She dropped her arms and scrubbed her eyes, then told him, “I need to get my daughter from the car. She’s probably scared to death. Is that all right?”
The officer’s head whipped around toward her car. “Daughter? Come on.”
Gabe watched the officer and Cassidy head for the SUV. She pulled a confused but quiet Alexis from the backseat. An ambulance screamed to the curb and paramedics jumped out.
Gabe fished his ID from his pocket and flipped it open to his SEAL military identification. Then he pulled out his weapons permit.
The officer visibly relaxed and handed everything back to Gabe, who said, “Cassidy lives here. This guy broke into her home and tried to kill her.”
“Why?”
“Good question. Why don’t we find out.”
Approaching the silent, sullen handcuffed figure, Gabe ripped the mask from the man’s head.
“Rafael.” The whispered word brought Gabe’s attention to Cassidy who stood with Alexis on her hip. She stared at the man and asked, “Why? Who hired you to kill me?”
He answered her by spitting in her direction and looking away. Gabe grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him up. Rafael winced at the stress on his wound but didn’t make a sound. “The lady asked you a question. Who are you working for?”
Hard black eyes stared back at Gabe and he knew the man wouldn’t talk. Demands were useless. Gabe shoved him back down and resisted the urge to kick him.
“Get this scum out of here.”
FOURTEEN
Rafael had been hauled away, and after Cassidy provided appropriate documentation, her gun had been returned. Charges against her assailant ran from breaking and entering to attempted murder. Cassidy’s shot was definitely self-defense.
Foremost in her mind was the breaking-and-entering aspect. How had Rafael gotten inside her attic? Obviously, he’d climbed over the hedge and fence surrounding her community to gain access to her home, but how had he got ten past her security system? No wires had been cut other than the one that operated her garage door. Rafael had used her home code.
It took a while to give their statements to the police, but finally Cassidy was able to make the necessary arrangements to have her garage cleaned up and the door replaced first thing in the morning. And her alarm recoded.
<
br /> At eight o’clock, the sun was just disappearing beyond the horizon and darkness slowly crept up on them. Coils of tension began to unwind themselves in her stomach. Gabe walked into the kitchen as she hung up. She felt like throwing her arms around his neck and having a good cry. Instead she reached up to rub the tense muscles in her neck.
Gabe walked over and pulled her against him. At first, she resisted, then gave in as he gently replaced her hand with his and took over the massage. She said, “That feels wonderful. Is Alexis okay?”
“She’s fine. But you need to lie down, put your feet up and relax.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to close my eyes all night.” She gave a shudder and Gabe squeezed tighter for a brief moment then let her go only to reach up to cup her face. She leaned into it, relishing the comfort he offered. He told her, “You need to go back to your parents’ house. You need that security.”
Cassidy protested, “I left there for a reason.”
“Well, I would think almost getting killed would overrule that reason,” he snapped, and stepped away from her.
Instead of snapping back, Cassidy sighed. “I do have more than myself to think of now, don’t I?”
Gabe’s expression eased and he nodded. “Yeah, that little girl in there,” he said, indicating the living room. “Not to mention my peace of mind. Come on. Let’s keep an eye on Alexis and talk about how Rafael got in here.”
“I don’t suppose he would have signed in at the gate.” Weariness dripped from her words.
Gabe sat on the couch and smiled at her attempt at levity. Cassidy grimaced and pulled Alexis away from the fireplace tools. The DVD no longer held her interest. “You need to be in bed sleeping.”
Alexis grinned up at her and shook her blond head. “No, no sleeping. Play.”
Gabe stood back up and took her from Cassidy. “I’ll put her to bed while you rest. After I get her to sleep, we’ll talk.”
Fatigue pulled at her. “I’ll take you up on that. Her room is down the hall and to the left. You can’t miss it.”
“You want to call Amy and see if she can stay with you tonight?”
“Let me think about it.” Cassidy closed her eyes and thought about the scene being played out down the hall. It felt like family. Very cozy. She liked it and wanted it on a daily basis. With Gabe. Guilt speared her. Could she let herself fall in love with the man who wouldn’t tell her about Micah? She knew she needed to hold her emotions in check as long as Gabe wasn’t right spiritually. But she thought he seemed to be coming to terms with whatever it was that had him so moody all the time. He smiled more. And she loved being with him. But he couldn’t stay all night. That wouldn’t look good for either of them.
He came back into the room and announced, “Got the munchkin settled. You call Amy yet?”
Cassidy opened her eyes. He looked tired. “No, I haven’t felt like moving.”
“I’ll get the phone.”
“Thanks.” He could be so sweet sometimes for such a bossy person.
He returned in seconds and handed her the cordless. “Here. While you’re talking to Amy, I’m calling in some reinforcements. Your dad can spare a couple of guys to stand watch over you.”
Cassidy knew she could count on him to make the necessary arrangements. She took the phone from him and dialed Amy’s number.
April 8
Saturday
Cassidy’s scream woke her from the nightmare. Sweat beaded above her upper lip and her breath came in short gasps.
Amy rushed in. “Hey, you okay?”
Cassidy closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillow. She was still on the couch. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Just a nightmare about some guy jumping out of my ceiling.”
A knock on the door startled both of them then Amy smiled. “That’s probably the guard. I’ll go let him know everything’s okay. Then I’ll check on Alexis.”
Cassidy voiced her thanks and Amy opened the door to the guard.
She ignored the muffled voices and shuddered against the images that still flashed like a slide show. She pushed the dream firmly aside and prayed for peace. Please, Jesus, continue Your supernatural protection.
Amy finally came back with Alexis in her arms, and Cassidy, glad for the distraction, sat up and patted the cushion beside her. “Have a seat. Oh, I wanted to ask you. Did you leave the window above my garage open when you were fixing up Alexis’s room? The one that leads to the attic?”
Amy frowned. “No, I didn’t even go in your attic. Why?”
“Because we think that’s how Rafael got into my house. But we can’t figure out how he got in my window.” Cassidy shrugged, then said, “I guess Gabe and Craig will have to figure it out. Tell me what happened after I crashed last night.”
Alexis crawled over onto Cassidy’s lap and Cassidy hugged her tight, inhaling her sweet little-girl scent. “Hey there, sweetie. You hungry?”
“Hungry,” Alexis agreed.
Amy said, “I stuck a waffle in the toaster. It’ll be ready in a minute.”
Cassidy had never been so grateful to have Amy for her friend as she was at that moment. “Come on, munchkin, let’s get you that waffle.”
“Mmm. Waffle. Yummy in my tummy.”
Cassidy grinned at the tot, happy to see that she was picking up more English sayings every day. She placed Alexis in the booster seat and while she filled a sippie cup with milk, Amy swiped the waffle from the toaster and placed it on a kidproof plastic plate. After cutting it up into smaller pieces, she squirted syrup over it and placed it in front of Alexis.
While Alexis entertained herself with the sticky treat, Cassidy waited for the coffee to finish brewing and once again pressed Amy for details from last night.
Her friend answered Cassidy’s question. “Nothing exciting. You were asleep when I got here, Gabe left and I crashed in your guest room. Your mom called to check on you.”
Cassidy smiled. “I’ll call her later. She’s such a great mom. I just wish…” She didn’t finish the sentence, but Amy filled in the blanks.
“You wish she was a Christian and that she understood your faith.”
“Guilty.”
Amy nodded. “I know the feeling.”
“How’s it going with your mom?” Cassidy probed the sensitive subject gently.
Amy grimaced, but didn’t dodge the question. “I don’t know, Cass. I get around her and she just…it’s all about money, appearances, climbing the social ladder. I’m not into that, so she doesn’t understand me. I don’t understand her. Nothing is easy with us. Did I tell you she crashed my laptop. I wish I had the patience to sit down and give her some computer lessons. I got it working again, but…”
“Ooh, not good,” Cassidy sympathized. “How’s your dad doing?”
“Okay, I guess. I think when he lost the ambassadorial appointment to your father, he just kind of rolled over. I also think he’s just marking time until your dad retires or moves on so he can be up for consideration again. You know, it’s funny, my mother is from Brazil but has absolutely no desire to ever return to that country. And yet, she wants my father to be the ambassador. True, the salary would be bigger, but my family has no need for more money. Like I said, I have no understanding of the woman. You just know it’s all about the status.” Amy rolled her eyes and Cassidy ached for her friend.
She wished she could do something, but Amy was the only one who had the power to do anything about her situation. Cassidy refused to feel guilty about her father’s appointment to the ambassador job. The two families had discussed the situation when the two men had been in the running for the appointment and both families agreed they’d not let this ruin years of friendship. So far, it hadn’t.
Amy jumped up and said, “All this bonding is wonderful, but frankly I’ve had enough, and right now, this munchkin needs a dunking in the tub.”
Alexis gave a toothy grin through the syrup she’d managed to smear all over her face. She even had it in her hair. Dodging the s
ticky hands, Cassidy released the safety belt and pulled the child from the chair. “I’ll do it.”
“Are you in the mood to do some shopping?”
“Ha—” Cassidy laughed “—when am I not in the mood for shopping?”
“Well, Easter’s coming up and we need to get Easter dresses.”
Cassidy squealed. “Wonderful! Let me give mom a call, then we’ll go.”
Amy took Alexis from Cassidy and said, “You go call your mother. I’ll try to find this baby’s face somewhere under all that syrup.” She carried Alexis into the bathroom and Cassidy grabbed the cordless phone from the base to dial her parents’ number.
After a conversation with her mother, who asked Cassidy to find her something to wear for Easter Sunday, Cassidy hung up and turned to face her friend and child. “Ready?”
“Yep,” Alexis said. “Go. Go now.”
They went.
Amy insisted on stopping by her house to pick up her other credit card. While there, Cassidy kept Alexis on her hip and wandered into the den where she found Amy’s mother, Cecelia Graham, reading the latest crime novel.
“Hello, Mrs. Graham.” Cassidy wondered why she’d never felt comfortable calling the woman anything else. Amy called Cassidy’s mother Aunt Chris. But, for Mrs. Graham, nicknames just never…fit, she supposed.
“Cassidy!” The woman pulled her glasses from her nose and rose to give Cassidy a loose hug. “What a pleasure to see you. How are you?”
Cecelia had her dark hair with blond highlights pulled up into a smart bun. The hunter-green designer jumpsuit complemented her dark complexion and dark eyes. Cassidy knew the sparkling diamond earrings and bracelets she wore were genuine.
Cassidy responded, “Just fine right now. I’m sure Amy’s filled you in on all of my troubles lately.”
“She’s told me some of it. I do hope everything gets resolved soon.” She looked at the child in Cassidy’s arms. “Now, is this the delightful Alexis I’ve heard so much about?”
Cassidy laughed and introduced them.
Cecelia sighed and stated, “One day, I hope to have grandchildren.” She smiled at Alexis and asked her, “Do you want to color?”
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