by Brenna Lyons
“Won’t the police get upset?”
“They’ve got what they need. They wouldn’t let you back in until they had.”
Matthew nodded. “I can’t thank you all enough. I don’t understand why you do what you do, but I appreciate it.”
“We care about each other. We’re a family.” Jason hesitated. “Can I talk to you?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I wanted to explain a few things. I love Liz, but she lacks tact. Hell, I lack tact.” He glanced at Matthew over his coffee cup and launched into his speech.
“Our job was to keep Kyla safe. By the time we reached the college, people were already dead. There was a war going on, and we were outside looking in on a bloodbath. Harris’s men were fighting Cole’s men, and they were outnumbered. Kyla and Joe were going down without a little intervention.
“I’m not saying we’re saints. We’re not. I could hide behind the idea of holy war. I won’t. I’ll hate some of those memories for the rest of my life.
“We all love Kyla. She didn’t ask for any of this. She was sort of pissed when she found herself in the middle of the whole thing.” Jason stopped and smiled. “She had a nice comfortable life, then a bomb got dropped on her. Granted, they gave her the love of a lifetime in return for her blood, sweat, and tears. Gave me one too, I think.
“The point is, none of us could have walked away. We have a connection. I don’t mean Kyla’s gift. I mean a real connection. Faced with the choice of either watching your family die or doing what we had to do to save as much of it as we could— I think you understand what I mean.
“I don’t want you to think we’re heartless. We’re not. I don’t want you to think Kyla ordered anything we did. She didn’t. The only two orders she ever gave me were to go away and keep safe. Liz asked her why we should stick by her. Do you know what she said?”
Matthew shook his head. Everything Jason was telling him was new information at this point.
“She said, don’t. Kyla refused to ask us to. She tried to push all of us away. She said she’d rather face death alone than drag a single one of us down with her.”
“Well, it’s a decent paraphrase anyway,” Liz said from the doorway.
Jason poured another cup and handed it over to her, black. Liz accepted it and kissed him on the cheek.
“Why did you stay?” Matthew asked.
“She inspires,” Liz answered. “I saw the most wondrous things. She really is incredible. She cracked a few times, but even then, she was formidable.”
“What do you mean when you say cracked?”
Jason took over again. “You have to picture the scene. She was injured, sick, trapped in a situation she didn’t ask for and didn’t want, incapable of giving you peace, incapable of accepting us because she knew Harris would kill us if he could, and purposely pushing away Joe for the same reason. She was miserable all the way around. She couldn’t eat. She couldn’t sleep for the nightmares. Her body and mind couldn’t handle the stress.”
“What happened?”
“She snapped several times in the first few weeks. Joe refused to stop Kyla from doing whatever she felt she needed to do short of suicide. He let her call you, sort of. She hung up by herself without completing the call. He knew what would happen if she completed that call, but something had to give, and he wouldn’t let it be her.
“Eric joked that Kyla could never make a convincing case for pushing Joe away, because every time her guard was down, she clung to him. In the end, Gram sedated her for a few days until she got her center back. Kyla spent most of that time in Joe’s arms. I think that did her more good than the sleep. Once she stopped pushing him away, she could handle anything. She bent a lot after that, but she never cracked again.”
Liz nodded. “Maybe she needed to break then so she wouldn’t break later.”
“Maybe,” Jason agreed. “Well, we’re wasting time. Let me know where the key is, and I’ll finish putting those guns inside the other safe.”
“What? You didn’t pick the lock?” Matthew tossed the key he retrieved from his jeans pocket.
“No, I didn’t.” Jason smiled as he caught the key. “That’s Eric’s job. How do you think I planted the bugs in your house?”
“Jason,” Matthew called after him.
The younger man stopped and looked back.
“Welcome to the family,” he told him. “You too, Liz. Now, get rid of those bugs.”
* * *
Kyla stretched and opened her eyes. Joe was in the chair next to her. It wasn’t as good as waking up with him in bed next to her, but it was better than the first hospital days last time.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Better than you, I’m sure. Nap today?”
“With you? Absolutely.”
Eric chuckled. “While you’re at it, order him to get his crutches and start using them. That limp of his bothers me.”
Kyla raised an eyebrow at Joe, and he rolled his eyes in Eric’s direction.
“Mother hen,” Joe snapped at the other man.
“Joe?” Kyla crooned to him. “If you hurt that leg, I’m going to be very upset. You have a threshold to carry me over.”
His face was suddenly serious. “Crutches it is. Nothing is ruining that wedding.”
A knock on the door caught everyone’s attention.
Eric checked and pulled open the door. “Waters,” he announced.
Kyla smiled at the man coming in. “Good morning. What’s the news?”
Leo gave her an appraising look. “You look much better.”
“What’s the story, Leo?” she asked. “I know you have one.”
“You’re not going to believe it. Those two idiots wanted to ransom you.”
“Ransom?” Kyla asked. “From whom? My family doesn’t have that kind of money. Did they want our inheritance?”
Leo shook his head. “Small potatoes. The fund is over a million and getting ready for the first disbursement. They wanted that. We found a note made out to Charles Colston all ready to go.”
“Where did they get the syringe?” she asked.
“A little inside help at the hospital. She’s sitting in a jail cell next to them.” Leo sobered. “The dosage wasn’t an accident. The men thought you’d survive. They didn’t even know what was in the shot. Their actions were heedless of life, but they weren’t trying to kill you, at least not that we can prove. She knew it would kill you. There’s no question about that.”
Kyla swallowed a sour wave.
Joe wrapped an arm around her and asked the question she couldn’t. “Why?”
“I believe you’ll remember her. The last time you were here, you had a run in with a nurse.”
“Karen.” Kyla barely breathed the name, but Leo nodded.
Eric stepped in. “What is she facing?”
“Attempted murder first, conspiracy to commit a kidnapping, drug charges, theft of the drugs. She’s not going anywhere for a long time. No judge will allow bail, especially after your doctors talk to the prosecutor today.”
Joe nodded. “Good. Make sure she’s a grandmother before she gets outside again.”
Leo nodded. “Well, I better go. I just stopped by to tell you.” He waved and turned toward the door.
An idea occurred to Kyla. “Leo?”
He looked back at them.
“We’re having a wedding on the seventh.” She glanced at Joe, and he nodded. “We’d love it if you’d come.”
Leo smiled widely. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Just tell me when and where.”
Joe shook his head. “Are you sure you can make it? You seem to live the job.”
Kyla elbowed him. “You have room to talk,” she grumbled.
Leo laughed. “No, I lived this case. I don’t know why, but I’ve been stuck on it since Matthew walked into my office for the first time.” He smiled at Kyla. “Maybe it’s your magic.” Leo turned toward the door again.
Kyla sucked in her breath
. Should she answer him? Why else would she connect with him? She reached out. “Maybe it is. Gram’s house — our house at noon.”
Leo whirled around to stare at her, and she smiled widely. “Don’t be late.”
Eric laughed and clapped the older man on the shoulder. “Yeah, you’re in the club now. She really trusts you.”
Leo looked from one smiling face to the next and relaxed. “Magic,” he said quietly.
* * *
Much to Kyla’s dismay, the doctors insisted on keeping her until late afternoon to accomplish another battery of tests before she left. She had that same trapped feeling she always had when trouble was close, but they were already planning for it, so there was nothing more to be done.
When Eric left to get armed, Joe set about calming her down. By the time Eric returned with a fresh bag of clothing for them, she was smiling again.
“I’m afraid to ask,” Eric commented.
Kyla laughed. “Nothing that would raise my heart rate much. After all, we can’t even lock the door.”
“Oh, like that stops you?”
Joe shook his head. “Hey, give me a break. I’m on duty here.”
“Yeah, they have laws against that, you know,” Eric retorted.
“They have laws against lots of things. How’d you do?”
Eric grinned. “The car is armed and waiting. I didn’t try to bring one in. Waters was pretty clear about that. I’ll go to the car and wait in the garage outside the elevator they’re taking you down in. I think those bozos can be trusted for two floors.”
Joe smiled. “I guess so. Got one for me?”
Eric shook his head. “Negative, Ghost Rider. Waters will let this show go on, on one condition. You don’t carry.”
Joe looked at him in shock. “Why? I don’t get it.”
“You’re right. You don’t. He’s seen your ‘highly emotional state’ to quote him. He thinks you’ve lost your objective edge. What we do in the privacy of our own homes doesn’t concern him, but he doesn’t want you arrested for firing at someone in public.”
“Okay, we’ll play it his way.” Joe looked at Kyla. “You’re sure you trust Waters?”
She nodded.
* * *
Eric was waiting below. Kyla verified it before they stepped into the elevator with the officer Waters had assigned to them.
A sudden image hit Kyla. Two men were standing at the elevator doors below.
“Get off,” Eric commanded.
Kyla looked at the display, but they had already passed the first floor. She launched forward and hit the emergency stop button. The alarm was deafening, and the elevator lurched when it stopped, but it did stop.
Joe froze for an instant. “This is a bad place to have to protect her, especially if Barney Fife is the one.”
The officer tried to drag her off the button, but Kyla fought him. The elevator had to stay where it was. Whatever waited below them was much worse. Joe grabbed him and threw him against the opposite wall of the elevator. Kyla looked at Joe gratefully.
“I wish I did have a gun. It would be much easier to keep Barney at bay that way.”
“What are you doing?” the officer raged. “Are you both nuts?”
Joe realized his logic error. This was a very young officer, and he was scared. If Joe pulled a gun on him, he’d panic and someone would end up dead, most likely the young man. He had to calm the officer down long enough to get clear.
Joe glanced at Kyla, then back at the young officer. “No, we’re not. Calm down for a minute. We all want to survive this ride, right?”
The officer wasn’t being attacked, so he was miserable but calm. “You are nuts.” He sank into the corner, but made no further moves toward them.
Joe sighed. “It’s the best I can hope for, I suppose.”
Kyla barely breathed while she waited.
Eric was back. “You two okay?” he asked.
“Fine. Can I let this go?”
“Do it. Waters got them.”
“He knew?” Kyla asked.
“He suspected. See why Joe couldn’t have a gun?”
Kyla looked at Joe. “Yes, I think I do.”
She punched the emergency button again to release it, and the alarm went silent. Kyla wrapped her arms around Joe and buried her face in his chest. She barely noticed the young officer launching out of the elevator at Leo once it stopped.
Joe swung her up and walked unevenly out of the elevator. Had Kyla been thinking, she would have made him stop. Carrying her was the last thing he needed on his leg, but she was shaking and scared. Would this ever end? Kyla could see Eric past Joe’s chest.
“Let’s go home,” Joe ordered.
The young officer was still raging about Joe, and Leo was trying his best to explain what had happened. “We used radios,” Leo explained. “She had to stop it somehow.”
“Why me?” he demanded.
“I was fairly sure I could trust you and that Reggie was our weak link. Of the two of you, I wanted the one I trusted in that elevator.”
“You couldn’t have warned me?”
“What if I was wrong?” Leo asked quietly.
Joe started talking, but Kyla was beyond listening. What if Leo had been wrong?
* * *
Leo was still arguing with the young officer. Joe could see his nametag. His name was Baxter.
He knew Leo was lying to Baxter. Leo put him in that elevator because he knew Reggie was his man. Leo wouldn’t have taken a chance like that, as he couldn’t take the chance that Joe would kill Baxter for his inexperience. Leo was a smart man.
Joe decided Baxter deserved something, even if it was an apology. He nodded in Baxter’s direction. “Sorry about that. I couldn’t let you release it until I knew it was safe.”
Baxter nodded, and he met Joe’s gaze gratefully. “We all wanted to survive the trip, right?” He understood what Joe meant perfectly.
Joe smiled at Leo. “You did good, man. Thanks for everything.”
“Still mad about the gun?” he asked.
Joe flicked a glance at Baxter. “No. I think I understand.”
Leo nodded in return. He jerked his head toward Kyla, and Joe kissed the top of her head and turned away.
In the car, he tried to talk to her. “Kyla, you have to stop shaking or I have to take you back to Victoria.”
Kyla managed a thin smile. “Try it. I dare you.” She started sobbing in relief.
“Are we staying or going?” Eric asked.
Joe looked up at him. “Going. She’ll be fine.” He pulled her flush to his chest as they started moving.
During the drive, Kyla regained her control. She was still tense, but she was much calmer.
Joe laid feathery kisses on her forehead, on her swollen eyes, and on her tear-streaked cheeks. “It’s over,” he whispered to her.
“Is it?” she asked.
“Yes. What kind of a fool would try again?”
“He’s out there. You know he is.”
“So am I.” Joe started wiping her cheeks with a tissue. “We have to clean you up, or Dad is sure to worry.”
“And the reporters,” Kyla groaned.
“Just nestle into my chest like you did as we left the hospital. They’ll only be able to see me.”
“You’re not supposed to be carrying me,” she reminded him. “Where are your crutches?”
“At the house. I’ll be fine, and I’ll use them once I get inside. I promise.”
* * *
Matthew watched Eric pull the car in through the line of reporters and sighed. He raised the garage door and hit the switch again before the car had even cleared the threshold.
Leo had called ahead, so Matthew knew what happened at the hospital. Would this ever end?
Kyla crawled out of the car. She had obviously been crying. She hugged him, then broke away and looked at him with a tired smile. “Still sure you want me to stay here?” she asked.
Matthew laughed. “Sure you won�
�t let me build an extension on the house so you can stay forever?”
Kyla looked past him. “Where’s Molly?”
“In her room with Liz. Want me to call her?”
She shook her head. “No, I want to hit the downstairs bathroom and wash my face first.”
Matthew nodded and moved aside to let her pass. Eric helped Joe out of the car, and his son-in-law limped toward him. “I’m not accustomed to giving you orders, but if you go in that house without these crutches, my wife is going to beat me with them.”
Joe accepted them with a nod. “Like stepmother, like stepdaughter. While Josie was beating you with one, Kyla would be beating me with the other.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow. “Do me a favor. Next time you guys try a sting, let me in on it, okay? It almost stopped my heart when I heard.”
Joe smiled at him and shook his head. “It wasn’t my game. Leo and Eric cooked this one up. They told me precisely nothing.”
Matthew looked at Eric, but he put up his hands in denial. “Not me. Waters told me he was planning something, but he didn’t give me the playbook until the two-minute warning. I wish he had. It could have gone much smoother than it did.”
Joe shook his head. “Tell me about it. I ended up throwing a cop as young as Kyla against a wall to get him off her, and he was the good guy.”
Eric grinned. “Okay, I will tell you about it. I had a gun to the other cop’s skull and Waters calling off his boys before they could ventilate me.”
Joe laughed. “Rough day. You’re right. It could have gone much smoother than that.”
Matthew shook his head in awe. “Okay, I admit it. I’m out of my league here. How can you two be so calm?”
Joe gaped at him. “Calm? Hardly. I was sweating bullets. Every time Kyla is in danger, I’m scared to death. Losing her would be worse than death.”
Eric was the joker. Matthew knew that, but he still marveled at Eric’s answer.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Eric drawled in a fake southern accent, “a half dozen cops try to shoot me, I gotta go see if Jason has any clean drawers for me.”
