Protecting His Brother's Bride

by Jan Schliesman

She might have been able to avoid the pain of Josh’s rejection, but the truth was, he’d been having an affair with his brother’s wife. On the other hand, Dalton might not have been privy to every dirty detail if it wasn’t for her discovery of Lauren’s diary.

  Kira shivered beneath Dalton’s jacket, pressed her face into the collar and inhaled his scent. The urge to feel his arms around her was overwhelming. If she had one more chance, she wouldn’t let him think she was immune to the chemistry between them. She should have told him.

  The sun was shifting low on the horizon as Kira was driven down the road to the Matthews family cemetery for the second time in less than a week. The newly fallen snow made everything look so different...

  She let her eyes roam the vehicle’s interior, wishing she could search the glove compartment or the console between the front seats. Leaning her head against the passenger-door window, she noticed something shiny lying in the armrest. She quickly looked away and held her breath. Was it a knife of some sort wedged in the small space?

  Josh was flipping through the satellite radio stations and finally stopped on one of Lauren’s songs. The bastard. His lips were moving, as if he’d memorized every word. He and Lauren had probably sung a couple duets for fun.

  He was paying little attention to Kira, and she glanced to the armrest again. It was a nail file. Was it sharp enough to do any damage? No matter, at least it was something to use against Josh. Her eyes darted to the left. For the first time she noticed the emergency-communication button.

  If the vehicle was in an accident, the deployment of the air bags would alert someone in a call center to send help. But if you had a flat tire or needed directions, you could also push the button and someone, somewhere, would answer. Kira itched to press the button and scream for help.

  A few minutes later, after the final chords from Lauren’s song faded, the bumpy lane they were traveling curved and she spotted the gates of the cemetery. Josh stopped the SUV and backed into a stand of trees about a hundred feet from the entrance.

  Now what?

  He sat quietly for a moment and then exited the SUV and stood by the hood, staring eerily at the cemetery. Kira quickly pushed the emergency-assistance button with her thumb.

  “Range Rover client assistance. What is your emergency?” The voice was so calm, almost as if the woman was asking for her order at a McDonald’s drive-through. Surprisingly, Josh wasn’t paying any attention.

  “I’ve been kidnapped by a man named Joshua Kincaid...I mean Matthews. He is armed and I need help.”

  “Ma’am, are you injured?” The woman’s voice was louder now and Kira was almost certain the sound could reach Josh’s ears.

  “No, I’m okay. But we are near a cemetery and...” She knew he wouldn’t let her live. Knew she’d never see Dalton again.

  “Ma’am, I need you to stay on the line with me, okay? For as long as it’s safe, I need you to keep this line open. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” Kira had to get out of the SUV and distract Josh so he wouldn’t notice the emergency-alert button was flashing.

  “I’m notifying the county sheriff and state highway patrol. They will be en route to your location very shortly.”

  “I have to go,” Kira insisted.

  “Tell me your name.”

  “Kira.” She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, probably less than a minute. The panic was subsiding and her anger was building. “Don’t let this vehicle leave here. He’s a killer and you can’t let him hurt anyone else.”

  “Kira, I’m disabling the vehicle, but I need you to stall the kidnapper. Don’t do anything to place yourself in danger. I promise I’m doing everything I can to help you.”

  Josh turned and stared at her, as if he knew he’d already won the game. Kira held her bound wrists up in front of her face. “He’s coming for me. I have to go.”

  She swiped the nail file from the armrest before prying the door open and stumbling out of the SUV, right into Josh’s arms. She quickly shoved the object up her coat sleeve before leaning against the door. It closed with a quiet thud, effectively preventing him from noticing anything out of the ordinary.

  * * *

  “What if she’s gone by the time we get there?” Dalton tried turning in the seat to see Tate’s expression.

  “For the tenth time, hold still. Like I need you moving more than the helicopter,” he complained.

  “Your people skills are rusty.”

  “And your gratitude is underwhelming.”

  “You two are a riot,” A.J. interjected with a grin.

  “Shut up,” they said in unison.

  Dalton held perfectly still so Tate could finish up a few stitches to his head. Dalton couldn’t stop thinking about Kira. Was she hurt? Was she scared?

  There was a minute’s silence before A.J. spoke again. “I’ll do a flyover and make sure the SUV is there before I find a place to land.”

  “That kind of thinking earns big bonuses, right, Dalton?” Tate paused long enough to trim the thread to another stitch before gliding the needle through Dalton’s scalp again.

  “Definitely.” He grimaced, fairly certain Tate was playing tic-tac-toe on his skull. But the pain and the price were inconsequential. Dalton had to find Kira. Had to tell her he couldn’t imagine living another day without her. And give her the happily-ever-after she deserved.

  “It should be just beyond the plateau.” Grayson rummaged in the console and retrieved a pair of binoculars. He handed them over the seat to Dalton.

  “If you can’t see anything from here, I’ll take a lap and try to get closer.”

  Dalton removed them from the case and raised them to his gritty eyes, hoping he’d be able to see anything at all. The sun’s reflection on the snow was blinding and he was forced to stop and rub his eyes for relief. Then the chopper crested the final mountainside, where forest covered the land beneath them.

  It took him several moments to gauge the copter’s location and recognize the landmarks they passed. The county highway ran parallel to their route and Brookstone Creek flowed from north to south. The cemetery’s location was exactly two point three miles from where the two intersected.

  “Hand me those.” Tate gestured to the binoculars.

  Dalton passed them over and waited impatiently.

  “There,” Tate exclaimed. “Beyond those fir trees. It’s your Range Rover.”

  Dalton grabbed A.J.’s shoulder. “Get me on the ground.”

  “Calm down, man,” Tate said. “You can’t run in there half-cocked and think this is going to end well.”

  Dalton ignored his statement. “Tell me you brought along some extra firepower.”

  A.J chuckled into his headset. “I’m always prepared. But with all your injuries and bandages, I’m thinking you should sit tight in the chopper.”

  “Not a chance.” Dalton twisted again to look at Tate. “Are you done yet?”

  “You’re a horrible patient, but yes, I’m done.”

  The munitions locker in the chopper held a wide variety of handguns, rifles and assault weapons. Dalton chose a Sig Sauer 1911-22 and several clips of ammo. Tate took a handgun and a rifle. The decision was also made for Grayson to stay on board and radio the county sheriff to request assistance.

  “Jeez, A.J., I’m almost impressed,” Dalton said.

  “Almost?”

  “Yeah. Get us through this in one piece and I’ll toss some real hero worship your way.”

  * * *

  The snow surrounding the grave was pristine. The wind had blown a slight drift against the lower half of the headstone, but her husband’s full name, Joshua Kincaid Matthews, was clearly visible. Kira was afraid to step any closer.

  “You are the most determined woman I’ve ever known.” Josh’s voice startled he
r, even though she knew he was right behind her. “Aren’t you going to ask me about the birth date?”

  Her gaze jumped from his name to the dates etched on the stone. She’d never known the day Josh had supposedly died—August 29, according to this. But she’d celebrated two of his birthdays, on the fifteenth of July. So why did the headstone read March 21? She turned to face him.

  “July 15 is Rembrandt’s birthday.” Josh shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m surprised you never made the connection.”

  She almost swallowed the retort. “Oh, because you painted two pictures, you’re in the same league as Rembrandt?”

  “Kira, Kira, such resentment.” Josh mocked her in the same tone he’d used to imply she wasn’t smart enough to tie her own shoes. There was absolutely nothing appealing about either his appearance or his personality. What in the world did she ever see in him?

  “Should I thank you for all the lies?” She scanned the cemetery, hoping to see any evidence law enforcement was nearby.

  “Of course not, but you should have known when to let it go.” He shook his head. “When to admit defeat.” He smiled in a predatory way, all his teeth showing as if he was promoting a new brand of toothpaste. His hands were tucked in the pockets of a white ski parka and the collar was turned up against the cold wind. She’d seen the outline of a handgun in his jacket pocket, but evidently he believed she posed no threat at the moment.

  He’d changed his hairstyle, made it much shorter and added some highlights, probably meant to make him look a bit more distinguished.

  It was pure vanity. He thought he’d won their battle of wits. “You son of a bitch.”

  He laughed. “I don’t remember you being this feisty. It would have made things so much more interesting. Maybe I’d have stayed around a bit longer.”

  She laughed in response. “Well, thank God for small favors.” She felt the rage building in her chilly toes and radiating up her legs. How dare he imply she’d done something to drive him away?

  “You should have been smart enough to leave it alone.” A cold mask slipped over his face and disgust radiated from every pore. He took another step toward her and she backed into the headstone.

  “I should have ignored all the money you embezzled, Griffin? Or maybe I should have covered your tracks?” One of her hands came loose beneath the material he’d used to tie her wrists and she carefully retrieved the nail file from her sleeve.

  “Life has a way of evening the score, wouldn’t you agree?” He smirked in obvious pleasure, a move meant to infuriate her further.

  “You tell me. What would a good wife do?”

  “You were never supposed to be my wife,” he bellowed. “But you got yourself knocked up.” He shrugged. “What choice did I have?”

  He couldn’t have said anything to cut deeper than those words. She’d gotten herself pregnant and he had to marry her. Or what—the game would have ended?

  “You should have been man enough to tell the truth instead of walking away.”

  “Eventually, I did.” His smile of triumph was what sent her over the edge. Kira palmed the nail file and lunged forward, stabbing his thigh. He stumbled backward and she raced for the gate, not bothering to check to see if he followed.

  She could hear his shout of outrage, knew he would trail her. But it wasn’t until a gunshot whizzed past her and ricocheted off a headstone that she realized he’d kill her before she ever reached the exit.

  She swerved to the left, dropped behind Great-grandpa Matthews’s diamond-dusted headstone and worked her other hand free from the twine. The sun had finally set. The surrounding trees still held enough leaves to cast shadows. The walls around the family graves prevented the wind from doing more than swirling the snow around like a cotton candy machine. If she avoided the areas with heavier drifts, Josh wouldn’t be able to follow her tracks. She needed to stay away from him long enough for help to arrive. Or maybe make her way to the larger cemetery, which would provide a few more hiding places.

  “You bitch,” he hollered. “You’re not leaving here alive.”

  Hopefully, neither are you. She kept her mouth shut, scurrying to the other end of the monument and peeking around the corner. Josh was nowhere in sight, but she spotted a trail of blood leading in the opposite direction. Was it wrong to hope he’d bleed to death?

  An unfamiliar noise sounded in the distance, and Kira prayed the woman from the Range Rover’s emergency assistance had followed through on her promise to send help. Kira should have told her she was a wanted felon. Surely that would have gotten the FBI’s attention.

  Something rustled behind her and she quickly shifted to the other side of the headstone. Where was Josh? She narrowed her eyes and listened closely. Another sound came from the same direction, so she darted toward the mausoleum.

  She needed another weapon. Her hands shook as she brushed away the snow on the ground in front of her and felt for anything sharp or heavy. The best she came up with was a thick branch about two feet long. There were several small rocks she scooped up and dropped in her pocket. She’d seen a movie once where the hero had thrown something in the opposite direction to distract the villain, while he escaped.

  The distant rumble of a helicopter came progressively closer and Josh’s taunts resumed. “Why don’t you surrender before my security team gets here?” His voice was less robust than earlier. She knew he was blowing smoke. “No one’s coming to save you, Kira. Dalton’s dead.”

  She swallowed the first wave of panic and ordered herself not to react. Josh was a liar.

  Josh was a good liar. He would lie to extract himself from any situation.

  The helicopter was definitely landing somewhere nearby. Snow flew from the tree branches and softly fell to the ground as the whomp, whomp, whomp of the copter’s blades dominated the air. And then, just as quickly, it retreated toward the highway.

  Was it Josh’s band of semicompetent armed killers? She’d already survived two attempts on her life, and wasn’t the third time the charm?

  Luck be a lady. Kira swiped her runny nose across the sleeve of Dalton’s coat and waited. All sorts of crazy ideas filled her head. If she killed Josh, would they charge her with murder, or would it be self-defense? Could she dig up his grave and roll his body in there without anyone knowing the difference?

  “On the bright side, Kira, you gave me a beautiful son.” His voice seemed closer. “Such a shame you didn’t get to watch him grow.”

  She was ready to dig a hole with her bare hands and toss Josh’s lifeless body into it.

  Josh is a liar. Liar.

  “He used to ask for you.”

  What? Josh truly was crazy if he assumed she’d rise to the bait. Brandon had been stillborn. Tears of anger filled her eyes and she counted how many ways she could kill this man for such extreme cruelty.

  “He loves football.”

  She heard Josh’s footsteps on the mausoleum stairs, so she tossed a handful of stones in the opposite direction, before retreating behind another headstone several feet away.

  “Josh?” Tate Wilson’s voice called. “We know you’re in here. Let Kira go.”

  Silence.

  “Kira, baby?” Dalton’s voice was about the sweetest sound she’d ever heard.

  “She’s already dead,” Josh yelled in triumph. “Kind of poetic, isn’t it, her dying in our cemetery?” His voice was muffled, sounding more distant than before. “She wasn’t worth saving, anyway, dear brother. Not a loyal bone in her body.” His chilling laughter left her searching for another hiding place.

  She had to be quiet, but tears of anger and resentment were washing down her face with renewed vigor. Dalton was alive and he must truly love her if he was risking his life, if he was facing down his own brother to protect her.

  “Let her go, Josh. Or do you prefer Grif
fin?” Dalton questioned.

  The cemetery was turning a somber gray as the last bit of light disappeared from the sky. Kira inhaled Dalton’s scent from the collar of his coat again and began praying. If they survived this day, she wouldn’t squander another chance at happiness. She’d tell him she loved him, and she’d do whatever it took to make things right between them.

  “It took you long enough to figure out,” Josh said. He chuckled. “Guess we know who got all the brains in the family, huh?”

  “Josh, you didn’t have to kill anyone.”

  “I wouldn’t have if those two idiots I hired had done their jobs. Sometimes if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

  “I understand.” This time it was Tate’s voice, continuing to pacify him. “The sheriff is on his way and you can explain the whole story to him.”

  Silence prevailed and Kira’s thoughts became jumbled. She could barely remember to breathe in and out. There were at least two silhouettes moving within the walls of the cemetery, but she couldn’t tell the good guys from the bad.

  She wanted to call Dalton’s name and reveal herself. Wanted to run directly for the gates and keep running until she was miles away. She tightened her grip on the stick, ready to whack the next person who caught up with her. But the cool metal of a gun barrel was suddenly pressed against her temple, and she froze, too shocked to react.

  “Shhh,” Josh whispered against her frigid ear. “One word and you’ll be dead.”

  Her muscles contracted in fear as he plucked the stick from her shaking hands. It was over. He would kill her before making his escape, and she was helpless to stop him.

  “Call to my brother.”

  She shook her head, and Josh trailed the barrel of the gun down her temple and along her jawline.

  “Now, before I splatter your brains against this headstone.”

  “Dalton,” she whispered.

  Josh grabbed her in a headlock. “Louder.”

  “Dalton,” she repeated, a noticeable quiver in her voice. Blood dripped from Josh’s leg onto her borrowed boots.

  “Kira? Are you all right?”