“Please, no.” Her body was shaking with sobs. This lunatic just admitted to killing another woman.
“See, I don’t appreciate it when things are taken from me. He tried to take Valarie, but he failed. I’m going to even the score by taking you…but, see I’m not going to fail.” He leaned down and grabbed her chin. She met his gaze again. The pain and hatred seeped form him like a disease.
“Run. Now.” He released her chin. “Or I’ll shoot you right here on his beloved grandfather’s patio.” The cold barrel of his gun touched her cheek and she shrank away from him. She scrambled to her feet, wincing in pain. The cuts on her feet were bleeding badly and she almost slipped going down the stairs.
“Five, four…” He was counting down and her heart nearly leapt from her chest. She jumped the last two stairs to the bottom and started toward the trees. At least in the cover of trees she might have a chance.
“One.” The final number rang through the silent morning. Not even a bird call competed with the evil in his voice.
Pebbles and sticks tore at her feet as she ran into the trees. Hot tears burned her cheeks.
A gunshot rang through the night air, followed by a burning in her left arm. She ducked to the side and kept running.
Leaves crunched behind her. Sticks snapped. She sucked in a deep breath and kept her exhausted and bleeding body moving forward at a breakneck pace. Another turn brought a clearing into view. She stumbled forward and sobbed. It wasn’t a neighbor’s house. She’d circled back around. Ethan’s lake house stared at her hauntingly.
Maybe I can get back inside and get to my phone! A surge of hope filled her lungs and she ran for the stairs to the patio.
Another shot fired and struck the ground near her. She never broke stride. I can make it.
Another crack split the silent morning. It was different. Louder. And it came from the porch, not from the man chasing behind her.
Ethan stood from behind the railing. “Lizzy!”
She cried out and darted up the steps to his side. He wasn’t dead. She paused, noticing the huge rifle propped against the railing behind him. He’d shot his brother to save her.
“Is he…?” The question hung in the air, frozen, waiting for assurance that the terror was over.
“Yes, baby girl,” he said, spreading his arms to welcome her into a safe embrace. She flung herself into him, weeping, and trembling.
“I thought…I…thought you were dead.”
His big arms closed around her and squeezed tight. It hurt her wounded arm, but she didn’t care. They were both alive. She hadn’t lost him.
“Baby, I was so scared when I woke up and you were gone. I’m so sorry. I should never have left you.”
“Shhhh...Just stay with me now. Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
6
She snuggled against his chest. The heartbreaking sound of her sobbing was only partially muffled by his t-shirt. He tightened his hold on her and heard a wince slip from between her lips. She was hurt! Where? He loosened his hold on her and she cried hysterically, begging him not to let her go.
“I have to see where you are hurt. It’s okay. I’m not letting you go.”
Her arms loosened just a little and he found the flesh wound on her left arm. It was bleeding, but it would stop soon. Why was she covered in blood?
“Baby, are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No, just my feet where I stepped in glass.”
The questions seemed to pull her out of shock and the sobs shaking her body slowed just a hair.
“Okay, I’m going to carry you inside and call an ambulance.” As he stood her arms tightened around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. She was stick like glue. He couldn’t say he wasn’t grateful. The only thing keeping him sane right now as that she was alive. He’d lowered his guard for just a second when he’d realized the intruder was his brother. That hesitation almost cost him everything. He clung to her as hard or harder than she was stuck to him.
He picked his way carefully over all the broken glass and grabbed the receiver off the wall mount and dialed.
“What’s your emergency?” The operator’s voice rang out.
“This is FBI agent Ethan Hart. I need to report a break-in, assault, and shooting. Suspect is down. Both myself and a civilian have gun shot wounds.”
“Dispatching now, sir. You said the suspect is down?”
“Yes ma’am. He’s dead on the lawn. My rifle is on the back porch and my service weapon is somewhere in my smashed up living room.”
“I have officers only two miles from your location. Are either of your injuries life threatening?”
“No. We should both be fine.”
“Good. I’ll let the officers know.”
Sirens wailed outside. They really were close.
“The police are here. Thank you.” His shoulder ached from holding Lizzy, but he refused to put her down. She’d calmed a lot, but the sobs still shaking her body from time to time meant she could fall back into a panicked state at any moment.
He hung up the phone and walked slowly to the door, one hand on her bottom and the other stroking her hair.
“Everything is going to be fine. I promise, baby girl. I’m right here.”
She whimpered into his neck, but didn’t speak.
A hard knock at the front door made him speed his pace. He unbolted the lock and pulled open the door.
“Sir, I’m Officer Meisner and this is my partner Officer Parks.”
The officers had their weapons drawn and were giving he and Lizzy a suspicious once over. Being covered head to foot in bloodstains probably looked a lot worse than he thought.
“I’m Ethan Hart, FBI. This is Lizzy MacLaughlin. The intruder is around back in the yard. My rifle is on the back porch and my service weapon is somewhere in the living room.” He repeated the statement he’d given dispatch. No need to have any confusion.
“Agent Hart, how badly are you two injured?” Officer Meisner asked, holstering his gun.
“GSW through the shoulder and she was grazed by on bullet on her left arm. Most of the blood on her isn’t hers.”
Officer Parks relaxed and put away his weapon as well.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to sit down” He turned and walked to the couch in the center of the trashed living room. It seemed to be the only piece of furniture unmarked by he and his brother’s earlier fight. Oh well. He sank onto the light suede cushion and sighed. “Unlock your ankles, baby girl.”
She complied without hesitation and tucked her legs on either side of him, effectively straddling his thighs. Hugging him as close as humanly possible. Her body trembled against his and her heart was still racing. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered into her ear. “I promise you’re safe now.”
“Don’t leave me,” she murmured.
“I’m not, baby.” He rubbed her back and glanced up at Meisner, picking through the broken furniture in the room. Parks had gone out the back, no doubt to document the scene in the back yard and document Simon’s condition —dead. More sirens rang through the open front door. Moments later two EMT’s knocked and entered.
“In here,” he called, waiving them over.
They came and knelt on the floor beside him, opening a red bag filled with supplies.
“We were alerted there were multiple GSW injuries.”
“My shoulder. But patch up her arm first.”
“Sir, you appear to need attention just as much, if not more than she does.”
“Patch her arm first,” he growled.
“Fine,” the man answered. “But if you bleed out in front of me, its not my fault.
“Don’t worry. I won’t. The bullet went straight through. It’s already slowed considerably.”
“Lizzy, I’m going to give you something to help you relax. Okay?” The EMT on his right pulled out a syringe. The EMT on his left tried to pry Lizzy’s arm loose from his neck.
/> It was like flipping a switch. She came alive in his arms, thrashing and screaming hysterically. Damn it.
“Lizzy, baby. It’s me.” He spoke calmly and slowly, grabbing and holding her legs down before she delivered a kick in a very painful area. “Lizzy, listen to me, please.”
Her screams stopped and she opened her eyes. Those beautiful sparkling eyes that normally twinkled with mischief stared back at him with no emotion. They were cold, glassy, and flat. What had he let happen? How could he have been so careless and missed the early release of his brother from jail. He’d gotten too close to Lizzy and too wrapped up in work. He’d let down his guard and allowed his past to reach forward and take a bite out of his future.
He recognized the faraway look. He’d worn it many times himself after tours in Afghanistan. Many soldiers acquired it after seeing or experiencing death and trauma. Some things just couldn’t be un-seen. They haunted you forever. The look of hatred on his brother’s face before he’d taken that last shot would be one of those images that haunted him forever.
“Lizzy, let the nice EMT look at your arm, okay.”
She nodded and finally relaxed a little.
“I’m going to give her something for the pain. It will help her relax too.”
She jerked away and snarled at the EMT. “No drugs, you’ll hurt the baby.”
“Oh, of course, ma’am. I’ll notate that for the hospital. How far along are you?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, turning her head to meet Ethan’s gaze. The life had returned to her eyes. Now they were just glassy with tears.
“You took the test, didn’t you?”
She nodded again. “I found it in the bathroom this morning before…I just…”
“Are you okay?”
She winced and gave the EMT dressing her arm the stink eye. He couldn’t help the smile tugging at his mouth. With her little flair of attitude, his fears were somewhat alleviated. She was going to be fine. She was so strong. They could get past this together.
“I think I am.” She released his neck and slid to the couch cushion next to him. “Work on his shoulder, he’s bleeding all over me.”
The EMT on his right, who’d been waiting to do just that, busted out laughing. Ethan looked over at Lizzy. She sighed and looked down at her bloodstained shirt and underwear. Her bare thighs were also covered in dried blood. Ethan cringed. It imagery was traumatic enough to send even the most sane person into shock. Her laughter was a coping mechanism. It slowly died away. She looked at Ethan again, close to tears.
“I need to shower.” The shock of the situation was returning.
“I know, baby. But, not yet, okay.”
<><><>
Lizzy leaned back against the couch and pulled her stained legs up under her body. The air was warm, but all she wanted was a blanket to cover herself. She was wearing a sticky blood-soaked t-shirt and bright pink panties. Well, they used to be bright pink.
None of the officers stared, but it just felt wrong to sit barely dressed while a bunch of men wandered around, stopping every now and then to ask questions.
Ethan hissed and she turned her attention back to him. He murmured something reassuring, but she couldn’t hear him. Her mind was replaying the events of the last hour. She couldn’t stop seeing his face. Hearing his voice —telling her to run or die. The terrifying sounds of the bullets being fired through the mattress and hitting the floor in front of her face. His hands grabbing at her ankles. She shuddered. The memory still coated her like a layer of slimy grease.
More officers arrived. They identified themselves as FBI. Asked her questions. But, words wouldn’t form. The panic and anxiety was returning. She couldn’t pull herself out. Her breathing became panting and she started to shake again. Somewhere in the background of all the noise in her head, the sound of Ethan’s voice called to her.
A hand wrapped around one of her wrists and it was too much. She screamed, lunging away from whoever was trying to hold her down. She couldn’t see anything but the intruders face. He was telling her he was punishing Ethan by taking her away. More hands grabbed her and she screamed again. She called for Ethan, but he didn’t come. The intruder was winning.
Everything started to blend together. She could hear Ethan bellowing, angry about something. Other voices were arguing with him. There were still lots of hands holding her down. Why were they holding her down?
“Give. Her. Back.” Ethan’s voice boomed and all the hands on her released immediately. She fled the floor and leapt back into his arms, pressing her body as closely to his as humanly possible. “When we are ready to go to the hospital, I’ll carry her out.”
The rumble of his voice drowned out everything else. The arguing voices all ran together like the roar of a thunderstorm. Rain would be nice right about now. Anything to be clean of this entire experience. She dozed off and on until Ethan began to move.
“Hey, baby.” He kissed her forehead. “We are headed to the hospital now.” His arms lifted her, one behind her back and the other beneath her legs, cradling her like a small child. “I’m going to put you on a gurney, okay? But, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
She nodded and murmured okay. They rolled her outside and then lifted her into the ambulance. Ethan climbed in next to her and took her outstretched hand.
“I’m here.”
7
Hospitals visits were never pleasant. Annoying beeps and loudspeakers. Antiseptic smells. White walls and ceilings and bright glaring fluorescent lights. All of it was unsettling.
Lizzy stared at the ceiling and grit her teeth as the man seated next to her bed finished stitching up her arm.
“All done.” The doctor stood from his rolling stool and pushed it against the wall with a quick shove from his foot. He took her chart from the hook on the foot of her bed and scribbled a note.
“Why am I still in a bed when he’s hurt worse than me?”
A smile crossed the doctor’s face. “He’s bigger than the orderlies and not pregnant.”
Lizzy snorted and rolled her eyes. Ethan couldn’t help but smile at the doctor’s attempt to lighten the mood. He’d sat still just long enough for them to stitch his shoulder and bandage it, refusing for even a moment to leave her side, much less be put into a bed.
The hanging sheet around Lizzy’s bed billowed and the metal rings scraped along the ceiling. A female nurse appeared with a big smile on her face. “Lizzy MacLaughlin, what kind of trouble are you getting into now? Gun shot wounds?”
Lizzy smiled at the bubbly redhead. “Amber! It wasn’t my fault.”
“Well…that’s not entirely true for the whole situation.” The middle-aged motherly nurse smirked. “I’m glad you are safe though, I heard what happened to you from one of the ER nurses. Scary.”
“Who are you?” Ethan crossed his arms and stared down at the intruding nurse who seemed to be more than familiar with Lizzy.
“Oh, hi handsome. I’m Amber, one of Dr. Harper’s nurses. I’ll be taking Lizzy down to obstetrics for a sonogram.” She turned away from him and gestured to him over her shoulder. “Is he the one that knocked you up, darling? Cause he is just a slice of heaven.”
He ignored the comment about him, focused on the mention of a sonogram.
“Is something wrong?” Ethan moved closer.
“Not that we can tell,” Amber answered, without turning around. “The doctor caught wind of your condition, honey, and ordered us to bring you down to see him. He wants to run some tests and do an internal sonogram.”
“Sounds like a blast.” Lizzy rolled her eyes. “How many pints of blood is he planning to take?”
Nurse Amber snorted a laugh. “Maybe just one or two if you’re good.” She unlocked the breaks on the bed and pushed her out into the hallway. They went a few yards and stopped in front of an elevator. A quick ride up to the fourth floor and another short jaunt had them entering a different wing of the hospital.
The nurse pointed him towa
rd a seating area. “You can wait here. I’ll bring her back when we finish.”
He bristled and started to object.
“I want him to come with me,” Lizzy said, saving him the trouble of an argument with the dismissive nurse.
“Are you sure, honey?” The nurse eyed him up and down, frowning. What the hell, woman?
Lizzy nodded.
They entered a hallway painted in a softer rose color. The nurses smiled and several babies cried down the hall.
“Normally we’d do this down in the regular offices, but Dr. Harper said just to bring you up here, since he’d just finished a delivery.” They turned another corner and she halted the bed. “Can you get up?”
He stepped forward before Lizzy could move and scooped her into his arms. “I’ve got her.”
“I see that,” the nurse shot back. “You know she will have to walk at some point. Plus, you aren’t doing your shoulder any favors.”
“I’m fine.” He moved past Amber into the room and paused. The dark walls and ceiling surprised him. The bed was short and had strange stirrup-looking attachments on the end of it. Several monitors stood next to the bed along with a few other things he didn’t recognize. If he didn’t know better, his first thought would’ve been torture chamber.
“Put me down, Ethan.” Lizzy’s voice was soft, but calm. She didn’t seem to be concerned by fixtures in the room. In fact, her body had relaxed when they’d entered.
He lowered her legs and let her slide to the ground. The nurse came around from behind. “Just take off your bottoms and put the paper sheet over your lap. Dr. Harper will be here in just a moment.” She flashed him another disapproving glance and then turned back to Lizzy. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with him staying? I don’t mind shooing him out of here.”
Lizzy (A MacLaughlin Family Novella) Page 4
