by Debra Webb
“I didn’t have to try and overhear this time. Mr. Armone asked me to join them. He told me to stand by the window so he could look at me as he and Harrison spoke. I was very uncomfortable. Harrison only laughed. I suppose he had bragged to his father about how he was punishing me.”
She paused to draw in a deep breath.
“Mr. Armone suddenly announced that he was aware of what Harrison was doing—attempting to take over the business. Harrison denied the allegation. He stood and paced the room, ranting about how someone was only trying to cause trouble between them. Mr. Armone ordered him to sit. He did as his father said. Then Mr. Armone circled him as if considering what to say next. He paused, drew a handgun from his jacket and fired a single shot into the back of his son’s head. Harrison slumped forward in his chair.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.” She blinked. “I stood there the way I’d been told.”
Outrage burst inside Jax, so powerful that he couldn’t stay seated. He pushed to his feet, his hands searching for a place to land.
“What happened next?”
“Mr. Armone looked at me and told me that now I belonged to him.”
Jax hit Pause, his gut pulsing with the need to vomit up the sick details he’d just heard. He stared at her face...at her pale skin, her weary blue eyes.
He had been wrong. Dead wrong.
The one thing he knew for an absolutely certainty was that the bastard would never get his hands on Ali again.
He’d have to go through Jax to get to her, and that was not going to happen.
Chapter Nine
“Everything go okay?”
Jax asked even though he was aware that it had. He’d caught the last fifteen minutes of the meeting. Ali had sounded strong and calm. The AUSAs had sounded satisfied that she was ready for trial.
The two of them had left the building the same way they arrived. He’d had the driver circle the lot where his SUV was parked three times before he stopped. During those slow circles, he had carefully surveyed their surroundings as well as his SUV. When the other car had driven away, he’d checked the SUV more closely before they loaded up.
For the first fifty or so miles, she hadn’t spoken and he hadn’t, either. On some level he had known if he said anything he would say too much. The things he’d read...the words she had said in that video had ripped him apart inside. A whole new guilt had settled on him then. It was his fault this had happened. If he hadn’t left...if he had stayed, she would never have gone to Atlanta and met the SOB.
But he hadn’t stayed. He’d left her alone. He hadn’t even come back when he’d learned her father had passed away. It was days after his funeral when Jax discovered that he’d died. Why hadn’t he come back then? There had been nothing left holding her in Georgia at that point.
Pride. Plain and simple. He had practically begged her to go with him ten years ago, and she’d said no. He wasn’t going to ask again. This time she would have to make the decision on her own. What a fool he’d been. He should have realized she was devastated by the loss. Overwhelmed with settling her father’s estate. He should have come back, been supportive. Then if she hadn’t mentioned wanting to try again with him, he would know he had done all he could do. He would have done the right thing.
Too late now.
His pride had kept him away, and the longer he’d stayed away the easier it had become.
“Yes,” she said in answer to his question. “It was basically the same as the last conference call. Nothing I wasn’t expecting.”
“Good.”
He clenched his jaw before words he couldn’t say burst out. If he said he was sorry, she would ask about what, and then he would have to tell her something. Anything he said would likely lead her to understand that he had seen the video. He was in hell. Trapped in this place where he now knew the truth but couldn’t tell her. She would feel humiliated and betrayed. He didn’t want to add to the pain she had already suffered.
What he wanted was to kill Harrison Armone Jr., except the bastard’s father had already done that. His gut clenched at the idea that the old man had dared to kill his own son and then assume he could claim his widow for his own.
“You want to stop for food?” He hadn’t intended to stop, but he was confident they were in the clear. He had taken a different route, still back roads, but not the same ones they had used on the drive up.
“I’d just like to get back to Bob.” She turned, allowed her gaze to meet his but only briefly. “If you don’t mind.”
“No problem. We should reach Huntland in about thirty minutes.”
The silence closed in on them again. He didn’t attempt to restart a conversation. Maybe later.
He had to find a way to say the words burgeoning in his chest. He owed her an apology. He needed her to understand that he hadn’t meant to...
What?
Leave her vulnerable? Be a coward?
That was the real problem. He’d blamed her for not choosing him over everything else in her life when the truth was he had known she wouldn’t desert her father. He had been a coward. She had consumed his entire existence. He hadn’t been able to think of anything but her. They had both been so young.
He’d needed time.
But he’d taken too long.
It was far too late to make that right now.
* * *
ALI WAS GRATEFUL when they started the precarious climb up that narrow mountain road. Not really a road, she decided. Just a really long, infinitely tight driveway. The snow was gone now. But the sun was slipping downward and the temperature was dropping. This gravel and dirt road would be truly treacherous with a layer of ice on it. The drop-off on the cliff side provided no leeway for mistakes.
At the top of the rise, the house came into view. No matter that it was still daylight, the gloom that hung from the darkening sky warned that more snow might just show up. The last few minutes of the trip, she hadn’t been able to bear the silence any longer, so she’d turned on the radio. When the hour rolled around, the local news had included a weather forecast. The meteorologist mentioned the possibility of another dusting of snow. Probably not more than an inch.
Jax parked and got out, locking her in until he was certain the house was clear. Per the usual protocol, she waited while he had a look around. He checked the front door and started around the house. He would make a complete circle and then take her inside.
She glanced toward the woods. It would be dark soon. It had been a long day. She didn’t like reviewing the horrors of the past five years, but it was necessary to ensure her testimony went smoothly. It wasn’t like she would ever forget a single moment of the horror—not if she lived a thousand years.
Movement at her door made her jump.
Jax.
She pressed a hand to her throat, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest, then reached for the door.
“Get down,” he ordered through the glass. “Stay down until I tell you otherwise.”
Fear pulsing through her, she scrambled to the floorboard, hunkered down to make herself as small as possible.
She kept her eye on the window of her door and reminded herself to breathe. The idea that any second she might hear gunfire seared through her. Jax could be killed. She would be next.
What about Bob?
What felt like long minutes later but was likely only a few, Jax appeared at her door once more. This time he opened it and extended his hand to help her out.
“What happened?” She struggled to ease her hips between the seat and the dash.
“The back door was standing open.”
That fear that had twisted deep inside her expanded now. “Where’s Bob?”
“He’s not inside.”
Ali rushed to the house. She started to call his name the instant she was through the door. J
ax had told her he wasn’t in the house, but she needed to see for herself. She bounded up the stairs and checked the bedrooms.
No Bob.
Jax waited for her at the bottom of the stairs.
“We have to find him.” She shook her head. “Why would someone break in and take him?”
His eyes told her the answer without him having to say a word.
“No.” She shook her head.
“Let’s not go there just yet,” he said gently, more gently than he had spoken to her since he walked back into her life. “I checked the lock. It doesn’t stay latched every time, so it may not have been an intruder. I locked and unlocked it several times. If the latch doesn’t catch properly, it doesn’t lock. Bob may have swiped past it and caused it to open. Maybe the house has settled and the door is no longer square in its frame.” He pushed it to and showed her how the door drifted open on its own when the lock wasn’t fully engaged.
Her heart slowed to a more normal rate. “So he’s probably out there in the woods somewhere.” Her gaze sought his. “Lost. It’s going to be cold tonight. We have to find him.”
“We’ll look for him. Let me get the flashlight from my SUV just in case it gets dark on us before we find him.”
“Thank you.”
She didn’t know why he had suddenly started to be so nice to her, but she didn’t care as long as he helped her find Bob.
They walked around the perimeter of the property and called the dog’s name. The third or fourth time, they got a response. Bob started to bark.
Ali scanned the tree line. “Where is that coming from?”
They moved faster now, calling out to him to prod him to bark again.
“This way,” Jax said as he turned and hurried toward the side of the property that overlooked the valley below.
Ali’s heart dropped into her stomach. If he was on that side...
The barking was louder now.
Jax called out to him, and Bob barked as if he understood they needed to follow the sound.
Please let him be okay.
The cold had cut through her clothes and invaded her bones. Her fingers felt numb, but she didn’t care. They had to find him.
At the edge of the cliff, Ali stood, her heart pounding as she stared into the gloom enveloping the trees and brush that covered the mountainside.
His bark was more enthusiastic now. He was close, and he recognized their nearness.
“Where are you, boy?”
“I can’t see him,” Jax muttered, roving his flashlight over the area below them.
“I need to climb down,” she said, worry clawing at her. It was the only way to find him. Obviously he was trapped somehow. Or possibly injured. Otherwise he would have run to them by now.
“You stay put,” he ordered. “I’ll go down.”
He removed the weapon from his shoulder holster and handed it to her, butt first. “Don’t hesitate to use it. Holloway says you’re a good shot.”
Ali nodded. She couldn’t have spoken if her life depended upon it. She turned around a dozen times, checking behind her, while Jax disappeared below. Bob’s bark had grown frantic.
Her body started to shake from the cold and maybe from the fear. Adrenaline or something.
Finally, she heard Jax coming back up.
Even in the darkness she spotted the big old black lab in his arms. She rushed to help him.
“We have to get him to a vet,” Jax said. “I believe he has a broken leg.”
* * *
ALI SAT IN the back seat holding Bob as Jax drove toward Winchester. He had called Holloway, and he’d made arrangements. Burt Johnston was more than happy to meet them at his veterinary clinic in Winchester.
“Did you get lost or spooked, boy?” Ali rubbed his head and wished she could do something for the pain. His nose was warm, and his respiration was quick and shallow. She felt so helpless.
“I’m thinking he got outside and chased some animal that wandered into the yard. He got too close to the edge and slipped over. Broke his leg in the fall.”
Ali cringed. Couldn’t bear to picture him falling.
“Considering the drop, I’m surprised he’s not hurt worse.”
“Are we almost there?” She had no idea where the clinic was. Wherever it was, getting there was taking far too long.
“According to my GPS, we’re almost there.”
Ali stroked the animal and hummed softly to him. It was the strangest thing, but he liked when she hummed to him—like a kid. She smiled. She wondered if Bob was the closest thing to a child she would ever have. How could she have gone her whole life and not known the love of a dog?
“Here we go,” Jax said as he slowed for a turn.
Relief rushed through her. “It’ll be okay soon, boy.”
A man who looked to be around their age met them in the parking lot.
He opened the back door and reached in to stroke Bob. The dog tensed. “Easy now.” He looked to Ali and then to Jax. “I’m Tommy Wright, one of Burt’s vet techs. We should get this guy inside.”
It took some maneuvering, but they finally got him out and into the man’s arms. “What’s his name?”
“Bob, and I’m Ali—Alice Stewart,” she said. “He’s four years old and, to my knowledge, in good health. I hope he’s not hurt too badly. He fell quite a distance.”
Holding the door, Jax said, “About eight feet.”
When Tommy had gone through the door, Ali followed. Jax closed the door. She heard the click of the automatic lock.
“What do we have here?” A tall, older man asked as they entered what looked like an operating room.
Tommy repeated what Ali and Jax had told him.
“I’m Burt, by the way.” The older man glanced at her and smiled. “The best vet in these parts, and the county coroner.”
A smile spread across her lips despite the worry twisting inside her. Burt Johnston was seventy-five if he was a day. His demeanor was kind and even a bit charming. She was grateful.
“Why don’t you two have a seat in the corridor beyond that door and we’ll take care of Bob.”
As much as it pained her to leave him, Ali did as Burt asked. Jax sat in the hard, plastic chair next to her. When they had sat in silence for a while, her gaze glued to the activities beyond the open door, she pulled her attention to the man beside her.
“Thank you for rescuing him.”
“Holloway says he’s in the best hands available with Burt. He’s been taking care of animals his entire life.”
Another smile tugged at her lips. “I wonder how he became the coroner.”
Jax chuckled. “I don’t know the answer, but I guarantee you it’s quite a story.”
She sighed. “I miss this.”
He turned to her. She didn’t have to look—she felt the heat of his stare.
“Sitting in a cold corridor with me?”
She smiled again in spite of herself. “No. I mean, the small-town way of life. Everyone knows everyone else. Neighbors help each other out. I didn’t realize until now how much I missed that sense of family.”
“I know what you mean,” he said.
She turned to him, surprised. “I thought you were all about the city.”
Wasn’t his desire to go to Seattle in part about being part of a thriving city atmosphere?
“Seattle is a nice city. Going there was about being close to my family. As you recall, they live only an hour outside Seattle, in a small town very much like Winchester.”
“Right.” She wanted to throw in that she’d forgotten, but that would be a lie. She remembered everything about his family.
“Why did you move to Nashville?”
She shouldn’t be asking personal questions since she certainly didn’t want to answer any of his, but she had to know.
He’d wanted to get back to Seattle so badly ten years ago. Why the sudden change of heart?
He shrugged. “It was a career move. I won’t be here long. Maybe another year at the most. If all goes well, I’ll end up back in the Seattle area with the experience I need for a supervisory position. If it works out, I’ll be there for the rest of my career.”
“Oh.” It was the only thing she could think to say. He had a long-range plan.
“What about you?”
“I just want to get through Thursday, and then I’ll go from there.”
They both fell silent, staring straight ahead. The urge to ask him if there was someone in Nashville or back home—someone special—prodded her.
No. She wouldn’t ask.
“You can start over. Put all this behind you.” He looked at her but she couldn’t meet his gaze. “You never have to look back, Ali.”
Burt started toward the door, and she stood. Anything to move on from the moment.
“Is he going to be okay?”
Burt nodded. “He surely is. We’ll need to keep him overnight. Make sure nothing else crops up considering he took quite the tumble. You can pick him up tomorrow afternoon.”
Ali wasn’t sure what to say to that. Tomorrow afternoon she would be in Atlanta, readying for trial.
“We’ll actually be out of town for the next couple of days,” Jax explained. “Can he stay until we’re back?”
She darted a glance at Jax. He was awfully confident she would be coming back. Her stomach suddenly rolled, and she fought the urge to heave.
Nerves, she reminded herself. She would get through this.
“Certainly. We’ll take very good care of him.” The last part he directed to Ali. “Would you like to say goodbye? He’s sedated now so he might be a little woozy.”
“Thank you.”
Bob didn’t raise his head as she came nearer, but his eyes followed her movement. She stroked his head and whispered in his ear.
She would be back for him.
Somehow.
Chapter Ten
It felt strange to be completely alone with Jax.
