“Noah?” she called.
Knowing Jack was secure, she raced toward the garage, horror replacing fear as she opened the door and got a heavy whiff of fumes.
“Noah!” she screamed, hitting the open button on the garage door and hurrying to free him from his vehicle. He was slumped over, unconscious, his mouth taped shut. She ripped the tape off his mouth and slapped his face. “Noah? Noah, wake up!”
Hands gripped her shoulders from behind, and she shrieked, startled, turning to defend herself if needed.
“I’ve got this,” Connor said, grabbing her hands between his. She moved so he could slide his arms under Noah’s and drag him out of the car.
Together, they managed to carry him to the front lawn.
“Where have you been?” Spider demanded as she worked to free Noah’s hands. Police sirens in the distance signalled help was on the way.
“Long story. Tell you later.” Connor leaned down and pressed his ear to Noah’s chest. He swore. “His pulse is weak, but it’s there. The ambulance is on its way. Don’t worry.”
Noah moaned something incoherent, but didn’t wake up.
A police car came speeding around the curve, blue lights casting an eerie glow over Noah’s face. Tears welling in her eyes, Spider met Connor’s gaze. “Kate?”
Connor nodded. “She’s here. Her hand’s on your shoulder.”
Spider didn’t feel a thing. “Good.”
“Remind me never to piss you off.” Smirking, he nodded toward the house.
She glared at him. “Could have used some help.”
“You had it on your own. Nice work.” He stood to go greet the officers now on the scene.
She searched Noah’s face, cupping it in her palm, happy to feel the warmth returning there, comforted by the increasingly steady rise and fall of his chest. Love for him almost overwhelmed her. Wait. Love? The realization stole her breath and startled her.
She loved him.
Holy cow. Love. That was big. Huge!
“Emma!”
Her father’s voice was followed by the slam of a car door, and she turned to see him striding, out of uniform, toward her across the lawn. She scrambled to her feet and flung herself into his arms, grateful when he squeezed her in return.
Her frantic phone call to her dad had been the last she’d made before setting her rescue plan in motion, rushing out the events she’d witnessed and begging him to come.
“Did he hurt you?” Her father’s gruff voice sounded tortured.
“No, but I might have put him down kind of hard.”
“Jack?” He looked skeptical. Pushing her aside, he marched up the steps, following his men into the house. She hung back, waiting, wondering what he’d think until curiosity got the best of her. Casting a glance at Noah, who was being attended to by the paramedics now, she hurried up the steps and found her father leaning over a still-unconscious Jack. Trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. In uniform.
“Well, I’ll be,” he said and glanced up to look at her, standing tentatively in the doorway, half-in, half-out, not certain if she should run or stand tall.
She pushed her shoulders back and met his eyes, standing her ground.
A half smile curved her old man’s lips as he looked her up and down as if seeing her for the first time. Walking over, slowly, he engulfed her in another hug, patting her on the back. In a proud voice, he uttered the words she’d rarely heard him say.
“That’s my girl.”
She laughed and hugged him back, sobering only when she got another glimpse of Jack behind him. This was the man who’d once brought her a copy of Halo when she’d been too sick to go out on midnight launch and get a copy herself. He’d always been so kind.
How could he be a killer?
She sobered. “Dad, what’s going to happen to him?”
“Don’t know yet. Still not sure what the hell happened here.” He pushed her toward the door. “Go ahead. Tell me everything you know.”
And she did.
Chapter 21
“You look like you need this.”
Spider glanced up and saw a cup of something that smelled like hot chocolate inches from her face. She grabbed it with greedy hands and smiled at Connor, bless his heart. He sank into the waiting room seat beside her and sipped from his own cup. “How’s he doing?”
He nodded toward the Emergency Room sign over the hallway where Noah rested.
“Fine. They’re releasing him, but my father wanted to talk to him first. Alone.”
“Ah. No wonder you look so messed up.”
She smiled, wondering if she looked half as terrified as she felt. There was no telling what her father was asking Noah. About her. About them.
Her stomach rolled again and she groaned, lifting the mug and hoping the liquid soothed her nerves.
“Hey.” Connor bumped her knee with his. “You saved someone’s life tonight. Be proud of that.”
A sad smile tugged at her lips in answer to his. “I still can’t believe Jack was responsible for all of this.”
“He flat-out panicked,” Connor told her. “He’d worked to put his past behind him. When he realized Kate’s body had been found … it dredged it all up again. All of the guilt and the fear.” He shook his head. “He knew it was only a matter of time before Noah found something to reveal the truth.”
“How do you know? Did you talk to him?”
“I hung around while they read him his rights and put him in the car. Picked up on a few things.” He tapped the side of his head. “I don’t think he would’ve hurt you, Emma. He went after Noah because he thought if Noah was out of the picture, you’d go back home and drop the investigation. Something tells me he doesn’t know you very well, does he?”
That was something the old Emma might have done, but no. Jack didn’t know Spider at all.
“If it makes you feel better, I think he would have ended up pulling Noah out of that car if you hadn’t done it. Guilt was already eating him up.”
That did make her feel a little better. “Is Kate here with Noah?”
Connor glanced around, smiled, and met her eyes again. “No. She’s sitting here with us right now.”
“With us?” Spider sat up straighter. “Why?”
“She wants me to tell you something. Something important.” He stopped as if listening. “There’s a guy named Paul. A cop. You know him.”
Spider felt her body tense.
“Kate says to trust your instincts there. He’s bad news. Talk to your father. Get him out of your life. She said you don’t know it, but he’s been following you, watching you more than you realize.” His expression sobered. “She says that if she had trusted her instincts she might still be alive. She doesn’t want to see the same thing happen to you.”
Spider took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you, Kate. I’ll talk to my father.”
Her gaze strayed down the hallway again. Her father had been in the room with Noah for an awfully long time.
“They’re just talking about the case. That’s all.”
She blinked at him. “How do you do that?”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Knowing what I’m thinking.” She gestured down the hall. “Knowing what they’re talking about. It’s … freaky.”
“About that.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. “You’ve earned this.”
She glanced at the IP address, username and password written in barely legible handwriting. “What’s this?”
“You asked me about the Bellator de Lux, remember?”
“How could I forget? You ditched us after that.”
“We have a lot to talk about. All of us do. When will Alexandra be back?”
She shrugged. “Soon. I think. She’s got appointments lined up next week she hasn’t asked anyone to cancel.”
“Good.” He sighed, glanced around, and moved to his feet. “Walk with me?”
Reluctant to leave her spot, she chewed her lip a
nd stared toward the ER.
“I can tell you when they’re done. Come on.”
Intrigued, she moved to her feet and followed him. “How can you possibly know that? I was right about you being some kind of experimental soldier, wasn’t I?”
“So, the Bellator de Lux,” he reminded, and she zipped her lips, eager for any information. “You’ve figured out it’s a lesser-known organization.”
“If by lesser-known you mean secret, then yes,” she couldn’t help but insert sarcastically. She tacked on “Sorry” in case he was offended by the sarcasm.
His grin widened. “We’re more of a network of people. Special people. People like me and Alexandra and your boss, Zachary Collins.”
She stopped dead in her tracks. “Shut the front door! Alexandra and Zach are part of your group? No way.”
Glancing around to see if anyone had overheard her, he grabbed her arm and tugged her forward. “No. Not yet.” He bent closer. “The thing about a secret organization is that it’s supposed to stay secret. Got that?”
Nodding, she made a zipping motion over her mouth. Then she immediately made an unzipping motion to ask, “I was right, wasn’t I? It’s a secret government organization. Black ops or something.”
He heaved a sigh. “No. Privately funded by—”
“The Vatican! I knew it.”
“No. Not the Vatican.” His voice was growing impatient, although she sensed amusement in there somewhere. “By people who’ve been running the Bellator de Lux since before Rome fell.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.” He led her to a park bench in the courtyard and gestured for her to sit. “They’re very selective about the type of people they involve. When I met Alexandra, I knew she was the best candidate we’d found in ages. Thing is, it’s not my decision.”
“Oh.” Spider pinched her face at him. “Why are you telling me all this? Oh, no. You’re going to kill me, aren’t you? I know too much.”
He chuckled and sat down beside her. “No. I’m not killing anyone. Would you shut up and listen?”
She pretended to zip her lips again.
“When I recommended Alexandra, it brought Zach to their attention, too. Thing is, they don’t just walk up to your door and ask you to pay membership fees. They do an intense background check. Watch you for a while. Judge if you’re a good fit. Only, they don’t always do it themselves.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Noah.”
“Noah? Wait. He’s a member?” That lying piece of—
Holding up his hand, Connor shook his head. “For such a smart girl, you jump to way too many conclusions. No, he’s not a member. The Bellator – without my knowing, I might add – hired him to spy on Zach and Alexandra. They hired an attorney he was familiar with to be a middleman and fed him some line about an insurance claims case. Total nonsense. They always hire the best people they can find in the area. It’s their way of making sure potential candidates can do what’s needed. Last line of the application process, you could say.”
The pieces of the puzzle began to slip into place. Except for a biggie.
She leaned closer. “So what exactly is the Bellator?”
“Don’t worry. You’re going to find out.” He grinned.
“I am?” She wasn’t sure if she liked that grin.
“You’re the first person to get through their super secret firewall. You only have yourself to blame for bringing yourself to their attention.”
Oh, crap. He was going to kill her.
He laughed. “No! They want you to work for them.”
Oh, thank God. Her shoulders relaxed, and then tensed again. “But I like working for Zach.”
“Keep doing it. I’m kind of hoping he’ll take me on part-time. It was my suggestion that we make a base out of his agency, if he’s willing. A place for other Bellators to come and go when they’re in the area. It’ll make a good cover.”
That actually sounded kind of … cool.
“So it would be two jobs?” She really needed to be clear on this now that she was pretty certain she had a boyfriend. Priorities and all.
“We help people. There’s a lot going on in the world that shouldn’t be, and we’re kind of the guys who go in and make things right. Sometimes it’s ghosts or demons. Sometimes it’s other people with abilities like us taking advantage of people who don’t have the same skills. You choose your cases. I’m guessing the Bellator will pay Zach and his people well for whichever cases they work, so no second job. Just sort of expanding on your current one.”
“That’s what managers always say when they give you a promotion without a raise.” She grumbled. “Okay. One more question. Can I tell Noah about my super secret new job as a superhero?”
He chuckled and stood. “That’s up to you, but you need to ask yourself if he can be trusted. No one without reason can know about the Bellator, Spider. I’m serious.”
She held up her hand and gave him a Scout’s promise. Bouncing to her feet, beyond excited to share the news with Noah, she demanded, “Are they done talking yet?”
“I have no idea.”
“But—”
“I only said that to get you to come with me. I have to be in close proximity to know what a person’s thinking or saying.”
She punched his arm. “You jerk!”
He laughed. “Come on.”
“One more question.”
“I’ll believe that when I hear it.”
Another punch to his arm. “Do you have a girlfriend or wife? Like, how do they deal with this? Does she feel left out?”
She didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her newfound relationship with Noah. It meant too much to her. Poor man had so much to deal with already.
“There’s a woman out there,” Connor began, only to hesitate. “I haven’t met her yet, but I know she’s the one. I’ve seen her up here.” He tapped his head. “Until I meet her, I have no idea how she’ll deal with everything. Can’t help you there.”
Spider stopped walking, grabbing his arm to make sure he stopped too. “That sounded all kinds of crazy.”
“What I’ve seen of love, totally crazy.”
He had a good point.
She looped her arm through his and dragged him toward the ER. “You intrigue me, Connor Manning. Tell me more.”
***
“I think there’s something you should know about your daughter, sir.” Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, Noah gripped the side and forced himself to meet the eyes of the man sitting across from him. It was not the most ideal situation to do this, but having a near-death experience had improved his courage. He might as well. “I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with her. You should be aware that I intend to get to know her better. A lot better.”
“Hmph.” Eyes so similar to Emma’s looked him up and down. “She know that?”
“I haven’t told her yet.” He wasn’t seeking the man’s permission, but the proper thing to do was let her father know his intent. Hell. He was new to this. Maybe he was doing it wrong. Running a hand though his hair, he decided to put all of his cards on the table. “You’re her father. She loves you. I don’t want start off on the wrong foot with the man who raised her. That would be stupid, and she wouldn’t thank me for it. She’d dump me, and I don’t want to lose her.” He took a deep breath. “Basically, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. She’s got me all tied up in knots.”
“Hmph.” Something close to a smirk lifted the man’s lips. “She’s a handful.”
Noah smiled. “Yes, sir. She is.”
If the way Emma’s father looked him squarely in the eyes with such an intimidating perusal was any indication, the city was a lot safer with this man overseeing its police force. Noah kept his chin level, refusing to look away, even though he wanted nothing more.
Chief Fisher finally moved to his feet. “You don’t treat her right, you’ll have me to deal with. You hear that?”
“Yes, sir
.” Noah stood to shake hands with the police chief, but the man didn’t oblige.
“I’ll go and let her know you’re ready.” The chief quickly moved out the door.
Noah had just sat in the chair the older man had abandoned when Emma stuck her pretty head through the doorway. He rose to meet her embrace.
They said nothing for several seconds, simply stood there, holding each other tightly, her warmth seeping into him and soothing that anxious, jittery feeling that had been threatening to return. Noah wondered if her father had had time to tell her what he’d said, but he guessed not. Chief Fisher had looked a little pole axed there at the end.
She lifted her head and looked at him. “How do you feel?”
“Killer headache. Otherwise, pretty good.”
“Awesome.” She pulled away. “Ready to go?”
He noticed someone lingering in the doorway and glanced up to find Connor Manning watching them. Noah held out his hand. “Thank you for pulling me out of that car. The chief told me the parts I didn’t know.”
Connor returned the gesture, his grip strong and firm. “Glad I could help, but Spider did most of the rescuing.”
“Yeah, I know. I heard about what you did to Jack. Poor guy.” He squeezed her to his side, proud as all hell.
Emma looked down, her eyes filling with a touch of sadness. “I hope he’ll be okay. I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
He exchanged glances with Connor, whose eyes were narrowed, intensely focused on Noah’s face. “I think Noah needs to explain what happened with Kate and how she died.”
Noah would never get used to the other’s man’s uncanny knowledge. “I’ll explain in the car. Okay?”
By the time he was finished explaining the events he’d dreamt, they were home – or at least, at the Collins house. “I’m glad it was an accident.” Emma’s sad expression had waned some. “I didn’t think Jack could be a killer, but then again, he tried to kill you. Guess I was wrong about him.”
Noah’s tone was harsh. “If he hadn’t kidnapped her for only God knows what purpose, she might still be here.”
“True.” She sighed and looked at him. “Will you stay with me tonight? I don’t think you should go home yet.”
Spirited Away Page 24
