by Mary Burton
Richard walked toward the ax and picked it up, then moved beside Lindsay. Glancing at Nicole, he steadied his grip on the ax handle. ‘This is what happens to bad girls, Christina.’
‘Don’t do this Richard, please,’ Nicole said. ‘If not for my sake, then the baby’s.’
His gaze didn’t waver. ‘What baby?’
Nicole swiped a tear from her face. ‘Your baby. Our baby.’
Richard’s gaze narrowed. ‘You’re lying.’
‘I’m not. I just found out.’
Lindsay drew in a breath. Maybe they could use the baby to connect with him. ‘It’s true.’ She started to spin lies. ‘It’s a boy. The ultrasound just confirmed it.’
‘A son?’
Tears streamed down Nicole’s face as she slid her hand protectively to her belly. ‘Yes. A son. Yours and mine.’
‘A simple test will prove if you’re lying.’
Nicole lifted her chin. ‘I’m not lying, Richard.’
Richard’s gaze glistened with pride. ‘All the more reason to get rid of her.’
Pete knew he had to act now. There was no telling when the cops would arrive. He had to save Lindsay. She had to know that she wasn’t alone.
Swallowing the pain, he held his gun straight. In a split second he took in the scene. Richard had grabbed Lindsay’s hair, yanked her head back, and was pressing the ax blade to her neck.
In that moment, Pete pictured Debra’s last moments. She’d been alone. Afraid. He raised his gun. This was his moment of redemption. ‘Let her go.’
Richard’s gaze snapped up. ‘Back the fuck off or I’ll kill her.’ He pushed the blade against Lindsay’s neck, slicing her skin. Blood trickled.
‘Kill her and I’ll kill you and your wife,’ Pete said. He moved into the room so that the wall, not the door, was to his back. He didn’t want to kill Nicole but he would.
‘No!’ Lindsay struggled to get free.
Pete didn’t take his eyes off Lindsay. ‘You come first, Lindsay. If she has to die, then so be it. I came to save you.’
Richard heard the sincerity in Pete’s voice. He hesitated, understanding that Pete would kill his wife and child. ‘Who the hell are you?’
‘I’m Lindsay’s Guardian.’ Pride welled inside him. He’d waited so long to say those words.
Outside, police tires screeched to a halt. Footsteps raced toward the barn.
Richard sneered and lowered his gaze to the blade. He was going to kill Lindsay.
The Guardian fired.
Guns drawn, Zack and Warwick burst into the barn as Pete’s bullet whirled past Lindsay’s head and struck Richard in the face. Blood and brains splattered Lindsay’s face and body. She screamed.
Warwick’s face twisted with anguish. ‘Pete!’
Pete backed up, his gun still drawn.
‘Drop your weapon!’ Zack ordered.
Lindsay turned away from Richard’s body. She didn’t chance a glance down at his body. Instead, she looked at Pete. ‘You’re my Guardian?’
Pete’s gun didn’t waver. ‘Yes.’
Understanding dawned in Lindsay’s eyes. ‘My mother’s brother.’
Pete nodded. ‘I wasn’t there for you when you needed me then. But I’m here now.’
Zack inched closer. ‘Pete, drop the gun. Give Lindsay a chance to get to know her uncle. It doesn’t have to end for you.’
Warwick’s face looked carved from stone. ‘Please, Pete. Don’t do this.’
For an instant, Pete’s stance relaxed a fraction and it looked like he might give up. Then he shook his head. ‘This is the end of the line.’ He raised the gun at Nicole, ready to fire.
Warwick hesitated.
Zack didn’t. He fired. His bullet hit Pete in the chest. Pete dropped to his knees, the gun still in his hand. He turned his face toward Warwick. ‘You’re a good kid.’
Warwick froze, his weapon pointed forward.
Pete raised his gun a second time.
Zack fired again. This time the bullet struck Pete in the head, killing him instantly.
Adrenaline pumped through Zack’s veins. For several seconds he didn’t move. He wanted to run to Lindsay to take her in his arms, but he resisted the urge. He swept the room with his gaze. There didn’t appear to be anyone else there.
‘Lindsay, is anyone else here?’ Zack asked.
She shoved her hands through her bloody hair. ‘I don’t think so.’
Zack looked at Nicole. Her skin was as pale as porcelain. ‘Anyone else?’
Nicole shook her head. ‘Richard said he’d come alone. He didn’t want anyone to know where I was.’
Outside the distant sound of sirens began to grow louder. Backup would soon arrive. Still, Zack let his gaze roam over the rafters and in the shadowed corners.
Warwick cleared his throat. ‘I’ll cover you.’
‘You can handle this?’
Warwick looked like he’d aged a decade. ‘Yes.’
Zack searched the room, and only when he was satisfied that the danger had passed did he holster his weapon and go to Lindsay.
She was covered in so much blood that he was afraid he might hurt her if he touched her. ‘Lindsay, are you all right?’
Green eyes locked on his. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face. ‘Yes.’ She wrapped her arms around him. ‘I thought I’d never see you again.’
Zack held Lindsay tight. ‘It’s okay, baby. I’m here.’
Warwick, careful not to look at Pete, moved to Richard’s body and searched his pockets for the key to the handcuffs that held Nicole. Finding it, he moved to her and unlocked them. He had a white-knuckle hold on his control and he wouldn’t be able to hold it forever. He guided Nicole out of the barn.
Lindsay stared at Pete’s body. ‘How did he know we were here?’
‘He’s the one who had been watching you on the cameras. There are cameras at Ruby’s house too.’
‘My God.’
Zack wrapped his arm around Lindsay and held her tight. Her heart beat rapidly against his chest. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
‘Yes.’ In the harsh sunlight, Lindsay squinted and tucked her head against his chest.
As the backup cops arrived and fanned into a tight perimeter, he kissed her. ‘Lindsay, I love you.’
She clung to him. ‘I love you too, Zack.’
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Saturday, September 20, 1:05 P.M.
‘That’s the last of it,’ Zack said as he kicked the front door of the saltbox house closed with his foot.
‘Still glad I’m moving in?’ Lindsay said as she eyed the stack of boxes and furniture in the living room.
Zack set the box down and pulled her into his arms. Light from the transom above him shone into the hallway, giving the house a bright, cheery feel. He kissed her long and hard. ‘Absolutely. You’re exactly where you belong.’
Lindsay snuggled close to him. In his arms everything felt so right. After her nightmare experience in July with Richard Braxton and her uncle, Pete Myers, she’d realized just how much she loved Zack. No matter what their problems had been, she’d known she’d work with him to solve them.
Together, they’d gone into marriage counseling and had started to work on the issues that had kept them apart. The sessions weren’t always easy. There were tears and some anger, but through it all they kept communicating and trying to find their way back to each other. And they had. Their relationship wasn’t perfect, but then no relationship was. They both still had busy, demanding work schedules but they both understood that no matter what, they belonged together. Their love would carry them through anything.
Lindsay laid her head against Zack’s chest. She savored the steady thud of his strong heartbeat against her ear.
So much had happened in the last couple of months. Kendall had survived her injuries. For reasons no one understood, the Guardian, Pete, had not cut off her hand. He’d left her to die, expecting her to bleed out. But because Zack and Warwick had foun
d her in time, she’d survived the gunshot wound to her shoulder. She had lost a great deal of blood and was near death when they’d found her. It had been touch-and-go for Kendall for a couple of days. Lindsay had visited her daily, feeling an odd connection to the woman who’d nearly been killed by Lindsay’s own flesh and blood. When Kendall had awakened for the first time, she had been surprised to see Lindsay. She had been even more shocked by Lindsay’s concern. However, as the days had turned into weeks and Lindsay had continued to return to the hospital, Kendall and Lindsay had forged the beginnings of a friendship.
The news media had swarmed all over the story. Their coverage had been relentless. Kendall was used to covering events herself and had hated being the center of attention. Ironically, Lindsay was one of the few people who understood how wrenching such coverage could be.
‘I don’t like this,’ Kendall said as she laid in her hospital bed, her right arm in a gray sling. She was pale and drawn, fragile even, but still held her chin up as if she were queen of the world. Lindsay had to give the woman credit. She was a survivor.
‘Another story will come along,’ Lindsay said. ‘You’ll be forgotten soon enough.’
Kendall’s face tightened as she absently plucked at a loose thread on her blanket. Tears welled in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry.’
Lindsay frowned. ‘For what?’
‘I wasn’t fair to you when I was covering the Guardian story.’ She smoothed long fingers over her thigh. ‘But I’ve had a taste of what I put you through. I’ve been the story for the last month and it’s not been pleasant. I was willing to sacrifice you for my career. I’m sorry.’
‘You were doing your job. I understand that it wasn’t personal.’ Lindsay was trying her best to let go of her anger.
Kendall shook her head. ‘I was doing my job a little too well. And no, it wasn’t personal, but that kind of media coverage can be hurtful. I see that now.’ An awkward silence settled between them.
That one apology had banished a good bit of her resentment. She managed a soft smile. ‘How’s the shoulder?’
‘Stiff and it really throbs at night. I’ll be in rehab for months.’ Kendall wiggled all ten fingers. ‘But I’m very grateful to have both my hands.’
‘When does rehab start?’
‘Two weeks. The doctors are pretty sure I’ll regain full range of motion.’ She smiled. ‘I’ve heard my physical therapist is the best, but other patients say she can be a bit of a sadist.’
Lindsay nodded grimly. ‘It’s going to be her job to make your arm move in directions it doesn’t want to go. I’m sorry it’s going to be so painful.’
She shrugged. ‘The pain doesn’t bother me. It will just feel good to have my life back.’
‘Are you going to take that job at the New York televison station?’
Kendall shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I don’t have to make a decision for a few weeks. By the way, how’s Nicole? I hear she’s back in Richmond.’
Lindsay gave her the recap. Nicole was also moving on with her life. Her bullet wound had been superficial and had not impacted the baby. She’d chosen to carry the child to term but hadn’t ruled out adoption. Her biggest fear was that she could never love Richard’s child.
Nicole had flown back to San Francisco to reclaim her life. With Richard gone she was free to reclaim her old studio and the bank accounts she’d not been able to access. But she’d quickly discovered that the city no longer felt like home. There were simply too many bad memories. So, she had returned to Virginia within weeks and had announced she was reopening her business on the East Coast.
Kendall nodded. ‘She’s welcome to stay with me. I’ve got a huge house to myself.’
‘Thanks, I’ll tell her.’
Later, Nicole had agreed to room with Kendall, knowing she’d not be able to make any firm living arrangements until she decided about the baby.
When Lindsay thought back on all that had happened she still felt overwhelmed. But what always brought her down to earth was Zack. ‘I love you, Zack Kier.’
‘I love you, Lindsay O’Neil.’ He kissed her on the forehead. ‘I have something for you in the kitchen.’
‘Please tell me it’s lunch,’ she said, teasing. The appetite that had eluded her this past year was returning. ‘I’m starving.’
He grinned. ‘I’ll grill us some hamburgers in a minute but first I want to give you this.’ He guided her into the kitchen. He reached in the drawer beside the sink and pulled out a small black box.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she accepted the box and cracked it open. Inside was a ring. It was a thick gold band with three small sapphires and two diamonds embedded in it. ‘Wow.’
Zack took the ring from the box and slipped it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly. ‘When we got married, we never bought rings. I thought it was time I gave you a proper wedding band.’
Tears glistened in her eyes. For so many years, she’d felt an emptiness that had cut to her bone. Now, her life and heart felt so full. ‘It’s stunning.’
‘You really like it?’
‘Yes.’
‘I knew you wouldn’t want anything fussy, but I wanted the ring to have some sparkle.’
Emotion tightened her throat. ‘It’s gorgeous.’
He pulled a second ring out of his jeans pocket. ‘I picked up one for me as well.’
Grinning through tears, she took the ring from him and slipped it on his ring finger. His hands were warm, calloused, and already she was imagining them on her naked body. ‘I guess this makes us official.’
He laughed. ‘I want the world to know we’re married.’
She had come so far. There’d been a time when she had feared marriage, even love. And now she embraced them both.
Lindsay’s counseling sessions with her therapist had focused not only on her relationship with Zack but with her uncle, Pete Myers. Police investigations had revealed that Pete had retired from the military twenty years ago and had settled in Richmond. He’d opened his gym and had become a foster father to Jacob Warwick. By all accounts, he had been a model citizen and father to Jacob. What no one realized was that Pete had harbored bitter disappointment and guilt over his estrangement from his sister, Deb, Lindsay’s mother. When Deb had been brutally murdered twelve years ago, Pete’s mental health had suffered a severe blow. Jacob was in the army and there’d been no one to ground Pete.
Pete had traveled to Hanover searching for Lindsay. When he’d discovered she’d run away he’d gone to the Hines house and burned it to the ground. From then on, Pete’s mental health never fully recovered. All outward appearances suggested he was fine, but video journals found by the police revealed that he had a very troubled mind.
In the video diaries, Pete had ranted about his dead brother-in-law, about his own rage and his need for revenge. In fact, arson investigators were able to link several unsolved fires to Pete.
Seeing Lindsay’s picture in the May article in Inside Richmond had snapped Pete’s hold on reality. He had believed the article had been a sign from God for him to become Lindsay’s Guardian. He had planted the cameras in Lindsay’s town house and had obsessively followed her. His surveillance had alerted him to Sam Begley. Pete had surreptitiously known of Sam’s obsession with gambling and it had been easy to lure him into a couple of bets on boxing fights. Pete had seen to it that Sam had lost. And then he’d used the doctor’s debts to force him to supply confidential information about patients. Police later found Sam’s body in the back of Pete’s van.
In the end, Pete’s obsession with Lindsay had destroyed Sanctuary Women’s Shelter, the haven Lindsay had created as a tribute to her mother. But ironically, she’d not have been alive today to rebuild another shelter if not for Pete’s fixation on her. If he had not been following her that hot day in July and figured out where Richard had taken her and called Jacob, Zack would never have found her alive. Richard would have brutally killed her, as he’d killed Claire, and Nicole and her baby
would be back in California suffering under Richard’s iron hand.
Even the loss of Sanctuary was only temporary. A month ago, Dana and Sanctuary’s board of directors had given Lindsay the go-ahead to find a new location for another women’s shelter.
Lindsay stared down at her ring, and despite her best efforts to remain positive, thoughts of the teenage boy who had died because of Pete haunted her.
Zack detected her shift in mood. ‘What’s bothering you? Is it the ring?’
‘No, it’s perfect.’ She blew out a breath. ‘I still think of those boys my uncle shot.’ One had survived his wounds but the other had been buried. The wrenching funeral had attracted more than 500 mourners including Lindsay, Zack, and Jacob. ‘I just wish I could have stopped Pete from going over the edge.’
He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. ‘You hadn’t seen the guy in over twenty years. How could you be responsible?’
‘Intellectually, I get that. Emotionally, I feel awful about what happened.’ When she was close to Zack, she felt as if she could get through anything. ‘I saw Jacob yesterday. He opened up a little about his feelings, but I can see the guy is a wreck.’
‘I’m glad he at least talked to you. He’s gone to the department shrink but I don’t think he’s saying anything more than he has to. He needs someone to trust.’
‘Trust is a tall order for him to fill right now. His mother left him scarred and Pete shattered what little trust he’d regained.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s odd. If my uncle had found me right after Mom’s death, Jacob would have been a kind of foster brother to me.’
Zack laid his hands on her shoulders. You’re good at getting people to open up. Keep talking to him. He’s going to need you.’
‘We’ve pieced together some of his life but not all of it. Peter Henry Myers was a complicated man.’
‘He cared about you both.’
‘Yeah.’ Lindsay felt the need to talk about something cheerier. ‘Enough sadness. Today is a happy day. Let’s get those burgers on the grill. I’m starving.’
He smiled warmly. ‘And after that, I vote we bag the boxes for today and try out that new bed.’
