by Susan Stoker
“It’s over, bro. Put down the gun and let’s figure this out. Together.”
“No. It’ll work. It has to!”
“Don’t listen to him, Malcom. He’s trying to confuse you,” Tracy told her younger lover.
“How am I doing that?” Bubba asked. “I’m telling him the truth. He wants the business, but if he kills us, he’s never going to get it.”
“We don’t want the fucking business!” Tracy yelled a little hysterically. “I’ve got a buyer already lined up for our half of Heritage Plastics. He’s ready to pay cash. We’ll be able to leave this shit-hole town and start over somewhere else.”
Bubba turned his head to stare at his brother. “I can’t fucking believe this. If you wanted to leave, why didn’t you just leave?”
“It wasn’t that simple,” Malcom argued, the despair and frustration easy to hear. “I’m not like you. I’m not strong. I didn’t have a choice but to stay and work for Pop.”
“There are always choices,” Bubba said sadly. “And I can’t believe you thought that killing me, your own flesh and blood, was your best option.”
“Tracy said—”
“Listen to yourself, bro,” Bubba demanded forcefully, interrupting him. “Forget about her for a second. She’s a desperate woman, sick of life with her boring husband and wanting some excitement. She picked you, and you fell for it—hook, line, and sinker. She talked you into killing Pop! Into trying to kill me. Look me in the eye and tell me you’re okay with killing me.”
Bubba stared at his brother and willed him to snap out of whatever trance Tracy Eklund had cast over him.
Behind his back, he felt Zoey slip the handle of his knife into his palm.
Everything slowed down then. The familiar weight of the weapon in his hand made him feel a hundred times more confident in the outcome of the situation. He could take Malcom out with a flick of his wrist—and then deal with Tracy.
But the thought of hurting or killing his brother was devastating. No matter what decisions he’d made in the past—even though he’d admitted to killing their dad, and what he was planning right that second—Malcom was his brother. His twin.
“It’s over, bro,” Bubba said softly. “This needs to end now. I’ll help you. Get you the best counsel possible. You weren’t the brains behind this, we both know it. You’ll probably get some jail time, but I’ll do everything in my power to help you make a deal. A few years. That’s it. Put down the gun, Mal.”
“Don’t you listen to him, Malcom,” Tracy bitched. “You killed Colin. There won’t be any deals. And you were the one who hired that pilot. He’s lying to you. You’re the one who’ll go down for this, not me. Kill him now and we can leave tonight! We’ll take the cash in Kenneth’s safe and disappear.”
An engine sounded from outside the house, and Bubba knew Phantom had returned. It had seemed like hours had passed since his brother appeared in the house, but he knew it had probably only been minutes.
“Do it!” Tracy screeched. “Don’t be a pussy and fucking shoot him already! If you don’t, you’re going to jail for the rest of your life!”
Just as Malcom raised the gun once more, Bubba moved.
The knife in his hand sailed through the air and hit its mark dead on.
Even as Malcom was falling to the floor, Bubba turned and took a step toward Tracy.
But he’d been too slow. Zoey had beaten him to the punch.
He lost ten years off his life when he saw Zoey reach for Tracy’s hand—the one holding the knife.
He took a step forward but Zoey was already executing the most perfect self-defense moves he’d ever seen.
As Tracy tried to bring the hand with the knife down to stab her, Zoey kneed her in the crotch as hard as she could. She obviously knew the move worked just as effectively on women as it did on men. Predictably, Tracy immediately hunched over in pain, the knife forgotten, and Zoey then rammed her knee into the older woman’s face.
Tracy fell like a sack of potatoes to the floor, blood pouring from her nose, knocked out.
Zoey pried the knife out of Tracy’s hand and spun as if she was ready to enter any fight going on between Bubba and his brother.
Bubba didn’t have time to be impressed, because when he heard Zoey gasp and look behind him, he turned, ready to defend both himself and Zoey from Malcom.
But he didn’t have to.
The knife he’d thrown into Malcom’s thigh had done what he’d wanted…made Malcom drop to the floor. His brother could’ve started shooting wildly, but he hadn’t.
Instead of training the pistol on Bubba, Malcom was holding it to his own head.
The front door opened, and Bubba knew Phantom would have his back. He didn’t have to worry about Zoey, his teammate would make sure Tracy wasn’t a threat.
“Put down the gun, Mal. We can work this out.”
“No, we can’t. She’s right. I’m going down for this. All of it. As I should.”
“She was the puppet master,” Bubba told him. “We’ll find a good lawyer who will show a jury that you were led astray. I’ll even testify on your behalf.”
“I will too,” Zoey said from behind him.
Love swelled up inside him, but Bubba couldn’t breathe. Not as long as his brother had that gun to his head.
“It’s no good. I killed Pop!” A sob escaped him. “She’s right about that. I could’ve said no. I could’ve stopped her when she came up with the plan to kill you and Zoey. I’m weak. And I’m tired. I’m so fucking tired.”
“Tired? Mal—”
“Tired of being second best. Of this town. Of people looking at me like I’m worthless.”
“No one does that,” Zoey said.
“Everyone does that,” Malcom countered. “Even you. I knew you liked Mark back in high school, but I didn’t care. I wanted you for myself. But you still chose him in the end, just like everyone does. For what it’s worth…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being a dick to you, Zoey. I’m sorry for what I did to Pop. He didn’t deserve it. And I’m sorry for hiring that pilot to do that to you guys.”
“I forgive you,” Bubba said. And he wasn’t lying. He loved Malcom. He hadn’t been the best brother, but then again, Bubba hadn’t tried very hard to be there for Malcom either. Maybe if he’d gotten home more often, things between them would’ve been better. He could’ve seen the poison that Tracy had been to his brother.
“Thank you,” Malcom said. His finger twitched on the trigger of the pistol…
And before Bubba could do more than yell “no!” the standoff was over.
Zoey screamed when the sound of the gunshot echoed through the room, and Bubba immediately turned to shield her from the horror that had unfolded in front of them.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Zoey chanted. “Call 9-1-1! We need to get him an ambulance.”
“It’s too late,” Bubba told her. He didn’t need to turn around to know what a bullet to the head looked like. What it did to the human body. He’d seen more than his fair share of gunshot wounds.
Walking slowly toward the front door with her, Bubba’s only goal was to get Zoey away. To make sure she didn’t get a glimpse of what was left of Malcom.
“I’ll take care of the trash,” Phantom said quietly as Bubba passed him, nodding to Tracy on the floor.
Nodding back, Bubba only stopped long enough to grab his phone from the kitchen counter. It was vibrating once again with an incoming call.
He looked down and saw that it was Tex calling. He had a feeling the retired SEAL had finally had his talk with Eva Dawkins. But it was too late.
Feeling wrung out and empty inside, Bubba hustled Zoey out of the house. If it was up to him, neither of them would step foot inside it again. He was done with Juneau. With Alaska. It had brought him Zoey, his greatest gift, but also the greatest heartbreak of his life.
He heard Phantom talking to an emergency dispatcher from inside the house, but all Bubba could do was hold Zoey and thank God that she was
all right. Malcom could’ve easily shot her. Or if she wasn’t as fast as she’d been, Tracy could’ve sunk the knife into her body, killing her.
Burying his face in her hair, Bubba held on. When he began shaking, Zoey only held him tighter. He didn’t know when the tears started falling from his eyes, but the woman who he loved more than anything in the world didn’t let go, simply squeezed him tighter, giving him the stability he needed so he could fall apart.
Chapter Nineteen
It had been a long day. The longest of Bubba’s life. The police had arrived, and at first they’d thought he’d been the one to kill Malcom. He’d been cuffed and stuffed in the back of a police cruiser, and Zoey had absolutely lost her shit.
Apparently she knew most of the officers, and she told them if they didn’t let him out, she was going to sue the hell out of them, the department, and the entire city. Bubba been proud of her, but he felt numb. He couldn’t muster up the energy to be grateful when the officers had apologized and released him from the cuffs after they figured out Malcom’s wound was self-inflicted.
Then he, Zoey, and Phantom had to tell their sides of the story at least four more times. Bubba’d been separated from Zoey, which had almost made him go ballistic. The detectives had asked him the same questions over and over until he wanted to scream.
Tex had gotten involved in the end, and he made some calls, and finally Bubba and Zoey had been free to leave. They were now in a hotel room in downtown Juneau, as neither wanted to go back to her house, or his pop’s.
Phantom had been typically reticent, but he’d also been a solid pillar of strength for both him and Zoey, which Bubba could never repay him for. He’d forced them both to eat something, since they’d never gotten around to eating the breakfast he’d picked up earlier. He’d called the team back in California and informed them of what had happened. Rocco had immediately offered to fly up to Alaska, but Phantom told him that wouldn’t be necessary, as they’d be coming home as soon as they could.
Phantom had also called Sean Kassamali to let him know about the ordeal. He’d come down to the station and reassured Bubba that he’d take care of the business, not to worry. The ironic thing was, now that Malcom had killed himself, all of his shares in the company would go to Bubba. It was almost laughable, considering everything that had happened, but Malcom had been so sure his and Tracy’s plan would work out. He didn’t have a will of his own.
And since Bubba still didn’t want anything to do with the business, Sean would end up owning one hundred percent of the company sooner rather than later.
Bubba was going to sell his shares to the older man for a buck…just to make it legal. Zoey planned on doing the same with her small percentage. If Malcom had come to the meeting with Kenneth, he would’ve found out Bubba was going to sell his shares to him for only a dollar as well. Not for some exorbitant price, as Malcom had assumed.
Bubba should’ve felt relieved he’d be done with the business once and for all, but instead he just felt sad.
“None of this should’ve happened,” Bubba murmured.
He was sitting on the couch in the suite Phantom had reserved for them in the hotel, and Zoey was curled up against him. The only time he felt as if he wouldn’t fly into a million pieces was when she was in his arms. He’d never forget the look of despair in Malcom’s eyes as he’d held that gun to his head.
Phantom stuck his head into the room. “Tex is on the phone. Feel up to talking?”
Bubba nodded. “Yeah, let’s finish this.”
Zoey tightened her arms around him, and her presence made this so much easier. Not okay, but better.
“You there?” Tex asked over the speakerphone.
“Yeah.”
“I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t get to Eva faster.”
Bubba shook his head, even though he knew Tex couldn’t see him. “Don’t do that. This isn’t your fault. It’s my brother’s. And Tracy’s. None of this is your fault.”
“You say that, but it doesn’t make it true,” Tex said. “Anyway, Tracy somehow knew Eva’s ex. The connection is a little unclear. Malcom touched base with her for the first time and offered her money to do a job. Once she agreed, because she was desperate for cash, Tracy took over the arrangements. Apparently, Eva’s ex said he’d give her kids back if she paid him three hundred thousand dollars. She, obviously, didn’t have that kind of money, and Tracy and Malcom were easily able to convince her to do their dirty work.
“After leaving you guys in the middle of nowhere, Eva landed the plane in a tiny little town. The plane itself wasn’t discovered until recently, confirming her story. Anyway, she went to Seattle, as she was ordered to do, to wait for things to calm down here, and was expecting to get paid for her part in the plot.”
“Let me guess, she didn’t get the money,” Phantom said dryly.
“Nope. Tracy and Malcom had no intention of giving her any money because they thought she’d be dead right along with the two of you. In fact, there was no money to give her. Eva spent two weeks hitchhiking back to Anchorage. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but that’s where her kids are. She got hired at a strip club and has been living in her car.”
Bubba couldn’t help the twinge of pity for the woman. She’d made some horrible decisions, that couldn’t be denied, but if someone took his children, he knew he’d do whatever it took to get them back. “Her kids?” he asked Tex.
“It’s being taken care of.”
Bubba thought back to what Tex had told them earlier. About the team of men he knew who had no problem taking care of scumbags like Eva’s ex.
“The question now is…are you going to press charges?” Tex asked.
Bubba opened his mouth to respond, but Zoey beat him to it.
“No.”
Bubba turned to her. “Zo—”
She held up her hand to stop him. “I know, Mark. I know what she did. We could’ve died. You almost did die. But we’re okay. And honestly, what other options did she have? I’m not excusing what she did. It was horrible, and she should’ve gone to the cops before going through with your brother’s plan, but…” Her voice trailed off.
“Is she sorry?” Bubba asked Tex.
“For what it’s worth, yeah, I think she is. She seemed almost relieved that she’d been found. The first thing she asked was how you two were doing. She knew you had a bunch of shit in your pockets, Bubba, and she’d convinced herself that you’d be fine.”
Bubba closed his eyes. He couldn’t care less about Eva Dawkins. But for the sake of her kids, who would have no one if their mom went to jail, he sighed and asked, “What now?”
“I’ve gotten her a job in Florida,” Tex said. “Nothing huge, but enough to keep her solvent. She and her kids will be flying there tomorrow. She won’t have to worry about her ex ever coming into the picture again. With your blessing, she’s getting a new start to her life. I told her not to blow it, because I’d be watching. One misstep, and I’ll have her kids taken away and her ass thrown in prison faster than she can even blink.”
Bubba couldn’t help it. He grinned slightly. There was the Tex he knew and loved. “Good.”
“Zoey? You okay?” Tex asked.
Bubba saw her look up at him, study his face, then she finally said, “I’m okay.”
“I’ve got some paperwork to get done, so I’m going to get going. I’m sorry about your brother, Bubba.”
“Thanks.”
“Tex?” Phantom asked.
“Yeah?”
“Any word on that thing I asked you to keep your eye on for me?”
“Not really. I’ve heard rumblings of something interesting, but I don’t have enough information to share yet. I’ll be in touch the second I know anything concrete.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Whatever. Don’t be strangers, guys. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye, Tex. Thanks for everything,” Bubba said quickly before Tex hung up.
“Yeah,
thanks, Tex,” Zoey echoed, but her words fell on deaf ears as Tex had already ended the connection.
“Anything you need to tell me?” Bubba asked Phantom.
The other man shook his head. “Naw. It’s nothing. Just something I asked Tex to look into for me.”
Bubba studied his teammate for a long moment. It wasn’t nothing. If Phantom had reached out to the computer genius, it was serious. But if Phantom didn’t want to share, he wouldn’t make him. He’d let him and the others know what was up when the time was right.
“I feel kind of sorry for Eva,” Zoey said quietly.
Bubba rested his chin on the top of Zoey’s head. He wasn’t surprised at her words. She had a tendency to see the good in people. That was one of a million reasons why he loved her. A part of him had wanted to tell Tex to make the pilot’s life hell, but it sounded as if her life was already hell. She was as much a victim in this entire thing as he and Zoey had been.
“Any word on what’s going on with Tracy?” Bubba asked.
“Last I heard from Sean, her husband had contacted one of his big-time lawyer friends in Anchorage to take her case,” Phantom said.
“Seriously?” Zoey asked. “That’s bullshit. I mean, I get that they’re married, but one, she was having an affair for who knows how long, and two, she had no problem killing us, your dad, and who knows how many other people! She was going to leave Kenneth and go to Mexico with Malcom!”
Bubba reached up and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and brushed his thumb back and forth reassuringly. “Easy, Zo.”
“No. Seriously, he’s stupid! He should’ve immediately filed for divorce instead of supporting her. Mark, if I ever do anything like what she did, don’t you stay with me. You need to get the hell away from me and cut your losses.”
Bubba couldn’t help but chuckle. He also couldn’t believe he was laughing after the day he’d had, and after everything he’d found out about his brother, his pop, and the reason why he and Zoey had been left in the wilderness, but he was. “You couldn’t kill someone, sweetheart. No way, no how.”
