Good. Wendy relaxed a little.
But Amber clearly wasn’t ready to set aside all of her questions. “Where do you work?”
“I’m starting my own photography business.”
“I like that. Women need to take charge of their careers.” She nodded with approval, then narrowed her eyes. “For my realty work, I take adequate pictures for the Internet listings, but the finer homes need flyers. That means staging and a professional photographer. Can you do something like that?”
“Absolutely,” Wendy said.
“So what do you like most about Joe?” Amber switched the topic again.
Wendy tried to hold against whiplash. “He’s kind. Honest. Dependable.”
Amber raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t say hot.”
“Not the most important thing.”
“What do you like least about him?”
Wendy pressed her lips together for a second. “That I’m attracted to him,” she said miserably.
Amber laughed out loud at that. “Join the fan club. I’m pretty sure he has one.” She shook her head. “I like you.”
Wendy stared at her. “Okay, no offense, but I have no idea what to think about you. You’re like a whirlwind.”
Amber laughed again. “Yeah. I get that sometimes. I think you’re special to him. My brother. He called to talk to me about you, and he told me to come over to meet you and Justin.”
Okay, and…?
“I think he’s finally met his match,” Amber said with undisguised satisfaction. “My brother and women…. Okay, we have twelve cousins, all boys. Joe was grandson number thirteen. The grandchild novelty worn off by then. And then I came along, the youngest and the only girl, and everybody spoiled me rotten. I think Joe looked to girls for that extra attention he wasn’t getting at home. And, of course, he got it in spades. That’s where he got spoiled. He needs a good, strong woman to set him straight.”
Wendy winced. She was so far from strong, it wasn’t even funny.
Amber leaned forward. “Do you want to hear something creepy about my brother?”
Mr. Perfection had a dark side? Wendy leaned forward too, all ears.
Amber said, “His exes don’t hate him. They’re all friends.” She rolled her eyes. “What woman doesn’t hate her ex? I can’t stand my high school ex. I hope my college ex has chicken pox right now. On his balls.”
Wendy winced.
Amber didn’t wait for a comment. “When are you due? I’m going to throw a baby shower. But it’ll be a surprise. I don’t want to run out of time here.”
There went the whiplash again. Wendy swallowed. “In the fall. Around Labor Day.”
“Ha.” Amber grinned. “Well, that’s kind of appropriate. Do you have a big family?”
So then Wendy told her about her parents in Florida, who didn’t even know about the pregnancy yet. She needed to tell them in the next phone call. She resolved to do that as she kept replying to Amber’s random questions.
She was incredibly nosy but somehow super sweet about it. And she volunteered information about herself too. As an hour went by, Wendy was beginning to feel as if they’d known each other for years.
The boys raced their toy trucks around the sandbox. Max even showed Justin where some other toys were buried in the sand. They kept digging them in and excavating them out until it was finally time to get out of the cold and go inside.
By then, another chunk of Wendy’s loneliness had lifted. She’d made a new friend. Justin too. “All right, guys. Let’s go and see about some hot chocolate.”
“Have to put the top on the sandbox,” Max insisted and grabbed the sheet of plastic they’d cast aside when they’d come out.
“How come?” Justin asked even as he went to help.
“If you don’t cover up the sand, Pirate Prince poos in it.”
Justin’s eyes went wide. Wendy could tell he thought that was a very piratey thing, and he liked it quite a bit.
The kids played another hour inside before Amber and Max left. Wendy locked the door behind them, then cleaned up the toys. Since Justin seemed all tuckered out, she set him on the sofa and put on the cartoon channel. She thought of Joe and started to get restless. Thought about calling him, but if he was doing some kind of undercover work, she didn’t want to interrupt or somehow get him in trouble.
As she glanced out the window, Max’s red scarf out on the swing caught her eyes, so she ran out to get it. Joe could give it back to his sister. Wendy unwrapped the scarf from the swing and was turning around when Keith stepped out of the holly bushes that separated Joe’s property from his neighbor’s.
“Hey, babe.”
Her heart lurched into a mad rhythm. Her muscles froze. For a moment, she was unable to move. “What are you doing here?”
“Where’s my warm welcome?” He spread his arms. He wore a fake smile and his black wool coat, the one he liked for work. Fresh out of jail, dressed every inch the successful businessman. Did he think that was going to impress her?
She edged toward the house. “I’m glad they let you go,” she lied. The key was not to get him angry.
The smarmy smile never wavered on his face. “That’s odd, considering you called the cops on me.”
“I didn’t. I swear. Somebody broke into my apartment. I told them it wasn’t you.” She would have said anything to reach the back door safely. Mike was up front in his car.
“Damn right.” Keith advanced. “All they have is fingerprints. Can’t put anything on me with that. I’m over there all the time. Of course, my prints are on everything. You’re my girlfriend.”
She wasn’t, hadn’t been in a long time, but Wendy didn’t correct him. She had maybe twenty feet to the door. “I think Justin is crying.” She lurched forward. Her cell phone was on the kitchen counter.
But Keith caught her before she could make it.
His fingers dug into her arms. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Visiting with a friend.”
“Screwing cops now? Who the hell is Joe Kessler?”
“He’s Sophie’s friend.”
“The kind of friend that knocks you up?” He shook her hard. “You’re a cop’s whore.”
“Please let me go. You’re hurting me.”
“You’re a freaking whiner. You were lucky I ever looked at you twice. You thought you could hide from me with your new lover?” He flashed a frightful grin. “He came to see me in jail, the little bastard. Took me a second to realize he wasn’t a local cop. Wrong uniform. Had his name on it. Turns out, plenty of people in Broslin know where Officer Kessler lives. They were happy to point an old college friend in the direction of his house.”
Oh God. How was it possible that she kept underestimating Keith? Maybe she was as stupid as he said she was. “Listen, Joe’s a friend. I was scared of staying at the apartment after the break-in.”
“You’re knocked up. I know this one’s not mine. You keep your legs crossed when I come over.”
“Sophie took the test. It’s hers.” She would have said anything to calm him a little.
He shook her so hard her teeth chattered. “Are you lying to me?”
“No. I swear.”
“I’ll know if you’re lying, you cheating whore.” He threw her against the picnic table.
On instinct, her arms went around her belly to protect it.
He caught the move. “I know you’re fucking lying!”
She tried to run, but he caught her by her hair and yanked her back, slapped her so hard she fell to the ground.
“Please don’t. It doesn’t have to be like this. I’m sorry. Let’s go inside and talk about it.” If she could get him near the front window, Mike would see him.
“With me, you want to talk. How come everyone else you fuck?”
“I’m sorry, Keith. I’m sorry.” She scrambled back, trying to get to her feet.
He seemed to calm. Even extended a hand to help her up.
She took it because she
didn’t dare anger him any further. “Thanks. Hey, you want a beer?”
He backhanded her so hard she fell again. “You think I want your new boyfriend’s beer?” And then he kicked her in the back.
She screamed as pain sliced through her.
A fist-size stone lay by her hip. Fear gave way to anger, hot and fluid. If he touched her one more time, so help her God—
“Hey!” Someone was shouting from the front. “Wendy?”
Amber’s voice.
Stay quiet or he’ll hurt you worse. He’ll hurt Amber. “Back here!” Wendy screamed as she reached for the stone. She threw it, missed. Oh God.
For a moment it looked like Keith was going to kick her in the face. But instead, he spit at her, then strode around the other side of the house, disappearing in seconds.
She closed her eyes and lay there, trying to catch her breath. She couldn’t just jump up this time and dust off, pretend that nothing happened. And she no longer wanted to pretend. She opened her eyes in time to see Amber rushing toward her.
“What happened?” She had her son in her arms. “Did you slip? Thank God we left Max’s scarf here. What did you hurt?”
She set the little boy down and reached to help Wendy up.
“My back.” Wendy shuffled to the steps to the deck and sat, tried to breathe evenly, tried to keep calm. If she let those nasty stress hormones flood her system, everything would just be worse. “I think I need to go in and get checked out.”
“Yes, of course you do. I’ll drive you to the emergency room.”
“Thanks. Could I ask another favor? Could you please tell Mike that Keith was here?”
“Who is Keith?” Amber glanced around wildly. “Did somebody hurt you?”
“Just tell Mike, please.”
“Okay.” She told Max to stay with Wendy, then she ran.
In the end, Mike took her to the hospital and Amber stayed at the house with the boys. Wendy called Sophie from the car on their way to West Chester.
“I was about to call you,” Sophie said as soon as she picked up. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but Joe was in some big shootout last night.”
Wendy’s heart lurched. “Is he okay?”
“They don’t know. They can’t find him.”
Breathe slowly. Breathe evenly.
“Want me to come over?” Sophie offered. “Bing can keep us up-to-date.”
Wendy closed her eyes. Breathed in and out slowly. “Could we meet at the hospital? I had another accident.”
Deathblow: Chapter Sixteen
By the time Joe finished with all the briefings at the Philadelphia Police Department, had a private meeting with Chief Gleason, then got sewn up at the hospital, his dashboard clock read close to noon.
Ramos and his crew had been arrested. So had most of J.T.’s gang. J.T. was dead. Rashard had gotten him before he’d been killed himself. Ramos had been shot in the arm. Twenty pounds of cocaine had been confiscated at J.T.’s warehouse, more drugs at Ramos’s place, and about two dozen illegal weapons.
One innocent bystander was also killed, a jogger.
Out of the major players, only Paco slipped through the dragnet, but the cops were looking for him.
Joe’s new cell phone was in pieces, took the brunt of the bullet that had ripped into his thigh. His torn pants were hanging off him, but he couldn’t care less. He was ready for a shower, lunch with Wendy and Justin, then some sleep.
The only good part of the morning was that he’d gotten his car back. The Camaro was shot up, but it was running. He’d worry about the damage tomorrow. He was too drained to even put in a call to Artie today.
Joe was tired to the bone, beaten up and bruised all over, starving to death. The first thing he noticed when he turned down his street was that Mike’s undercover car was gone. His sister’s car stood in the driveway, along with Sophie’s.
Maybe Mike had to go out on a call and the captain sent Sophie over so Wendy wouldn’t be alone. Joe had asked Amber to check in on Wendy, so her car in the driveway didn’t surprise him.
Looked like Wendy was having a girls’ get-together. She deserved a break.
He pulled over by the curb in front of his house so he wouldn’t block the women in. An enthusiastic Peaches greeted him when he stepped inside, nosing his hands for an ear scratch. He took care of that, then walked toward the voices in the living room.
The second he saw them, he knew something was wrong. Wendy was lying on the couch, pale. Sophie was putting a bag of frozen peas on her face while Amber kept the boys busy with a toy train. Then Sophie spotted Joe, and she stepped back.
“Hey. What’s going on?” He went to kneel next to Wendy and took her hand. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“Keith stopped by.”
He tamped down the cold anger that filled him. “How bad is it?”
“I’m fine. A little bruised.”
He glanced at Justin, who was showing off his plastic dinosaur to Max. “What about him?”
“He wasn’t there.”
Thank God for that. He turned back to Wendy, and when she shifted the frozen peas, he caught sight of the reddish bruise on her face before she covered it up again. The cold anger inside him heated to hot fury.
“The baby?”
“The baby’s fine. The doc did an ultrasound. I’m just supposed to take it easy for the rest of the day.”
Sophie and Amber took the kids quietly out to the kitchen with promises of treats. Peaches followed after them.
Joe looked Wendy over more carefully, trying to see where else she might be hurt. “Tell me what happened.”
“He came through the neighbor’s yard and caught me outside. He knocked me down.”
He rolled his jaw. “Did you file a police report?”
She nodded. “Mike never saw him. It’s still my word against Keith’s. Mike was up front, and Keith came through the back. It’s not Mike’s fault. I didn’t even think Keith could track me here.”
Joe kept holding on to her hand. He should have been here with her. “Where is Mike now?”
“Bing has the whole department out, looking for Keith. I told him I’d be safe here with Amber and Sophie and Peaches.” She held his gaze. “What happened to you? Bing said you were in a gunfight and then disappeared. I was worried.”
“I should have called. My phone got shot. Long night. Even longer paperwork. You have to fill out a stack of forms for discharging your firearm. Then another stack for getting injured in the line of duty. Then I had to get a bullet wound disinfected at the hospital.”
She came upright. “You’re shot!” Her gaze searched him, settled on his torn pants. “How bad is it?”
“Hey.” He pulled her into his arms. “It’s barely a nick. Don’t worry about me.”
She laid the frozen peas on the couch next to her, buried her face into his neck, and hugged him back. He kept holding on to her, as if she would disappear if he let her go. “How did Keith find you? Did he say anything?”
“He figured out I was with you. Everyone in Broslin knows where you live.” She pulled back to look at him. “Bing was mad. He called the Wilmington police too. He’s calling in every favor.”
He’d have to thank the captain for that, Joe thought, torn between staying and going after the bastard.
Then Wendy said, “Could you stay home? Just today.”
And that decided it for him.
“I’m right here. If I have to go anywhere tomorrow, there’ll be someone in the house with you. Twenty-four seven.” The captain probably had the protection detail authorized already.
The cordless phone rang on the side table. The captain.
“I just caught up with Chief Gleason,” he said. “I’m glad you’re home in one piece.”
“Anything on Keith Kline?”
“Not yet. But I have a warrant for his arrest. We’ll find him. Everybody is out looking. You stay with Wendy today. I’ll send someone to take over in the morning. I want to s
ee you at the station.”
“I’ll be in.” He clicked off the phone, then turned back to Wendy. “I want to hear the whole story from the beginning.”
And she told him, from the moment Keith had stepped out from behind the holly bushes. The muscles in his shoulders pulled tighter and tighter as Wendy recounted the attack, her face pale, her voice brittle with emotion.
“I’m going to get him.”
“I know.”
“He’s not going to get custody if he’s filing from prison.”
“That’s good.” Her gaze brightened a little.
He glanced at her middle. “Do you think I could?”
Surprise flickered across her face. “Yes.” And then she took his hand and placed it over her belly. “No kicking yet, but soon.”
He acknowledged his disappointment. He wanted, badly, some kind of a connection, to know for sure the baby was fine too.
As his stomach growled, he glanced toward the clock on the entertainment system. “Have you eaten?”
“Your sister made me lunch. She and Sophie were trying to outdo each other spoiling me.” A faint smile curved her lips. “They can be scary bossy together.”
Seeing her smile loosened some of the tightness inside him.
The kids were laughing in the kitchen, the dog barking. Happy sounds filled his house. It would have been idyllic if not for the bruised and battered woman in front of him. It was the last time, he swore to himself, the very last time the bastard would ever touch her. Whatever Joe had to do to stop him. Whatever. If he lost his badge in the process, so be it.
Amber walked over from the kitchen. “Max is getting pretty cranky. I think it’s time for a nap for this little bandit.” She looked at Joe holding Wendy’s hand. Smiled. “Are you going to be okay here?”
Wendy smiled back, but her smile was tight, as if holding something in. “I’m fine. Thank you so much for your help. Thank you for everything.”
“Are you in pain?” Joe asked.
“I got acetaminophen at the hospital.”
Amber bent to hug her. “I’ll stop by tomorrow to check on you. And then we’re going to have a long discussion about me becoming an aunt. I so love you for that.” She grinned.
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