Married by Monday (Weekday Brides)

by Catherine Bybee

  No more words were necessary and Cash hung up.

  Carter called Blake’s home number and met with a busy signal. The next call was to his pilot.

  Thank God, he’d bought the damn plane.

  ****

  The door to Eliza’s room slammed shut and jolted her out of her sleep.

  Zod darted to his feet and whined.

  The wind outside rattled the frame of the house—not a small feat considering the size of it. Must be a window open somewhere.

  Eliza pushed off the covers and patted barefoot into the bathroom. She attempted the light switch but nothing happened. Luckily, the glow off the nearly full moon illuminated the window, casting light inside.

  Sure enough, the bathroom window was open by an inch. Just enough to make the bedroom door slam.

  Eliza turned, nearly stumbling over Zod who followed silently behind her.

  She walked to the east window, made sure it was shut, and then walked to the north window and checked that one, too.

  Her eyes caught something moving in the backyard. One of the glass tables teetered on the edge of the swimming pool.

  “Oh, man,” she whispered. Shattered glass inside a body of water would be a nightmare to clean up.

  With a flashlight in hand, Eliza donned her bathrobe and called Zod to her side. She passed her purse sitting on her dresser and quickly tucked her gun in the pocket of her bathrobe.

  “Might as well let you out to pee while we’re out here,” she murmured to the dog. She walked by the security room down the hall from hers and poked her head in. “I’m taking Zod outside.”

  “Want me to do it?”

  “No, I got it.”

  Russell pushed out of his chair to go with her.

  “I can manage,” she told him.

  “The power’s out, the wind is blowing, and the battery backup died twenty minutes ago. Pete isn’t outside walking the yard. With all respect, Mrs. Billings, I’m going with you.”

  “Well, when you put it like that,” she said with a little laugh. “Bring some muscles with you. The yard furniture is making its way into the pool.”

  Russell had to push against the back door to open it. The chimes that normally rang when the door opened didn’t sound. She hoped the power company could get the juice back on soon. She’d grown used to all the security measures of late. Not having them left her feeling naked in some strange way. It didn’t help that her husband was hundreds of miles away. Strange how quickly Carter had wiggled under her skin.

  Zod braved the wind, and Eliza made sure the back door wasn’t locking behind them when she closed it.

  The wind was a typical warm Santa Ana. Her hair flew in all directions as she cast her light on the patio furniture in the yard. Sure enough, one of the glass side tables tipped close to the water’s edge. She sat the flashlight on the ground and said, “Take the other side and let’s move it close to the house.” After moving it safely beside the house, she retrieved one of the chairs, and Russell followed her lead with the others. No use fishing anything out in the morning.

  Zod barked from behind them, his growl carried off by the wind. Then his bark changed and the hair on Eliza’s neck stood on end.

  Oh, God.

  Zod’s bark grew vicious.”

  “Get down!” Russell dropped the chair in his hand as he yelled.

  Before Eliza could turn around and call a command, a flash of light and the sound of a gunshot filled the night.

  ****

  “I need you to go get Eliza. Take her back to your house. Anything.” Carter’s words were as frantic as his stomach. He barked orders at Blake as if he had the right to.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I heard from my dad. Sanchez called out a hit on Eliza.” Carter was already in the air before he managed to connect with Blake via cell phone. “The power is off at the house, and I can’t get a hold of anyone there. I called Dean, he’s on his way there now.”

  “Son of a bitch. We’re not there, Carter. Sam and I are headed toward you.”

  “You’re what?”

  “It’s Harris. There was a fight. They rushed him to San Francisco General for surgery.”

  Carter clutched his fists as frustration filled his every cell.

  “What about Neil?”

  “He’s with Eddie. Gwen’s on her way to the house. I’ll ask Neil to go get Eliza.”

  “Please.” Carter would beg if he had to. “Jesus, Blake. It’s all going to shit.”

  “Deep breath. You don’t know if anything is wrong.”

  Yes, he did. Deep in his bones, he knew something wasn’t right.

  ****

  Zod tore into the shadows as Eliza grabbed her left arm and fell to the ground. Heat and searing pain followed warm, sticky blood oozing between her fingers.

  A female scream lifted in the wind when Zod stopped barking and starting growling.

  Russell rushed to her side with his gun drawn. One look at her and he shielded her with his body and shoved her into the safety of the house.

  Outside the frantic screams of a woman yelled for Zod to stop.

  Lightheaded from the wound in her arm, Eliza removed her gun and turned off the safety

  “Go,” Eliza told Russell. “Don’t let them get away.”

  Russell swore under his breath, clearly torn with the decision to leave her side.

  “I’ll shoot anyone who walks through that door other than you.”

  Russell nodded and slid into the dark.

  She curled up behind the center island and waited for Russell to return.

  Her heart pounded in her chest as the reality that she’d just been shot washed through her.

  She started to tremble and couldn’t control the fear that followed. “Carter.”

  ****

  The wind settled long enough for the plane to land.

  He broke every speeding law en route to his home, and as he rounded the corner of their street, his worst nightmare unfolded before his eyes.

  Red and white flashing lights illuminated the night. Emergency vehicles filled the street and his driveway. The only thing missing was the coroner’s van. Eliza!

  He jumped from his car, engine running and barreled through the uniformed policemen on scene. “Eliza!”

  “You can’t go in there.”

  Carter shoved at the cop. “It’s my house. My wife.” Someone grabbed his arms and started to wrestle with him.

  “Let him in.”

  The arms holding him let go, and Carter ran toward Dean. “Where is she?”

  Dean glanced toward the gurney being wheeled from the house. “Oh, God.”

  He stumbled toward the paramedics and heard his name.

  “Carter?”

  Eliza? She can talk?

  “Carter it’s okay. I’m okay.”

  Even with the light of the moon he could see how pale she was, how frail. She lifted a hand with an intravenous tube running into it.

  “Where are you hurt? How bad is it?”

  Another gurney emerged from the house, this one bearing another woman Carter didn’t recognize. What the hell? “What happened?”

  “Sir, we need to get her to the hospital.” The twenty-something paramedic pushed ahead toward the back of the waiting ambulance.

  “I’m her husband. I’m coming with her.”

  The medic nodded. “You can ride in the back, but you need to give me room to work.”

  They loaded her into the van and before the medic could shut the door behind them, Russell appeared. “The police have questions,” he told Carter. “I’ll be at the hospital as soon as they’re done.”

  Carter glared at the man who failed to keep his wife safe. He didn’t trust himself to speak, so Carter gave one curt nod and then focused his attention on his wife.

  The bright lights of the ambulance added a little color to her face. She forged a smile but winced when the van started to move.

  “Hey, watch it,” Carter yelled at the
driver.

  The medic frowned and turned to Eliza. “It’s bumpy back here. We’ll be at the hospital in ten minutes.”

  “It’s only a flesh wound, Carter. I’m okay.”

  “Flesh wound?” His eyes scanned her torso and found a blood soaked bandage on her left arm.

  “The bullet went through. Nothing to worry about, right?” Eliza asked the medic.

  “Bullet?”

  “She was shot in the arm, Mr. Billings. The ER will take some x-rays, clean her up… She’ll probably be able to go home tonight.” The medic adjusted the IV as he spoke.

  Some relief eased into Carter’s bloodstream, but until Eliza was given a blessing from a doctor, he would hold his breath.

  “What happened?”

  “The wind blew the furniture around in the backyard. We went out to push it against the house. Zod started barking and the next thing I know I was on the ground with this.” Eliza glanced at her arm. “Russell tried to shield me, but the bullet traveled faster than he could run.”

  “A woman shot you?”

  “It appears that way. Wait, how did you get here so fast?”

  “I was told you were in danger. I tried calling…”

  “The power was out.”

  He kissed the tip of her cold fingers. He had so much to say, so many more questions to ask. He tried to hide the tremor in his hand, but knew she felt him shaking. She’d been shot. His wife, the woman he’d sworn to protect was lying on a gurney in pain, and he couldn’t make that right.

  A nurse and a doctor met them at the back door of the emergency room. Carter was whisked off to sign papers and check Eliza in. Less than ten minutes later, he was at her side while the doctor examined the hole in her arm.

  He wasn’t one of those people who melted when they saw blood, but when the doctor probed Eliza’s arm, he felt lightheaded and ill.

  “An x-ray will let us know if the bullet hit bone. How bad is the pain?” Dr. Solomon asked.

  “I’ve felt better,” Eliza attempted a joke.

  “I’ll have the nurse bring you something. You’re not allergic to anything?”

  “No.”

  Carter sat to the side of her gurney and squeezed her good hand.

  “She’s going to be okay?” he asked the doctor.

  “Your wife will be fine.” Dr. Solomon left with the chart in his hand. Outside the door, several uniformed police were talking with the staff. He remembered the shooter on the gurney at the house.

  “You’re squeezing too tight,” Eliza said.

  Carter released her hand instantly. “I’m sorry.” He offered a pained smile. “I’ll go see what’s taking that nurse so long with your pain meds.”

  “The doctor just left,” Eliza said.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  He closed the door behind him and motioned to one of the cops. The officer broke off his conversation and addressed Carter.

  “Do you know who I am?”

  “Billings, right?”

  “Right.” Carter glanced around the department, wondering what bed they placed the woman who attempted to murder his wife. He clenched his fists and sucked in a deep breath. “The person who shot my wife…she’s here?”

  The officer stepped in front of Carter and blocked his view. “Let us do our investigation. We don’t want any trouble.”

  Carter shook off his retort. “A professional hit was put out on my wife tonight. Make sure your investigation checks that out. I want someone at this door.”

  The officer glanced over his shoulder to his partner. The other officer asked one of the nurses for a chair.

  Once the officer stood guard at the door Carter asked, “Where’s Detective Brown?”

  “He’s on his way.”

  Carter nodded and followed the nurse back to Eliza’s side.

  Eliza forced a smile to her lips when Carter returned. She hoped the nurse brought some happy juice of some kind. The pain in her arm was getting worse, not better.

  Every time he opened his mouth to talk, he lowered his voice and spoke in calm even strokes. His tone kept her calm, despite his shaking hands.

  “I’m giving you morphine and something for nausea. You’ll feel better in a few seconds.” The nurse used the IV to administer the drug, and Eliza quickly felt the effect. Her limbs felt heavy and the pain started to float away.

  “Better?” the nurse asked.

  The burning pain muted. “Much.”

  “X-ray should be here soon.”

  The nurse left them alone in the room.

  She needed to get her mind off what was happening. “Tell me again why you came home early?”

  “Now’s not the time.”

  “C’mon, Carter. No secrets.”

  He tilted his head to the side and gave her his Hollywood smile. “The medication is working?”

  “It is. And you’re changing the subject.”

  Carter ran a hand over her face and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. She attempted to sit up farther in the bed and shake some of the fog the medication produced in her brain.

  “Not now.”

  “Carter…someone shot me tonight. You keeping secrets is gonna piss me off.”

  The expression on his face told her he didn’t like being put in a corner. “My dad called me. He heard from someone about a hit. I panicked when I couldn’t get a hold of you.”

  The medication numbed the effect of his words. Still, something didn’t feel right. “The woman who shot me was at point blank range. If she was a professional, she sucked.”

  Carter released a nervous laugh. “You’re joking. You were shot tonight and you’re joking.”

  Eliza lifted her bloody arm, surprised it didn’t hurt. “Flesh wound.” A warm trickle ran down her arm.

  “Stop moving it. You’re making it bleed again.” Carter moved to the other side of the gurney and placed fresh gauze to her arm.

  “My hero.” He certainly was more gorgeous then any of the doctors who came in to help.

  “A hero wouldn’t have let anyone get close enough to hurt you.”

  Eliza opened her eyes, not aware that they had closed. “You couldn’t have known. Don’t blame yourself.”

  The door to the exam room opened and Dean walked in. Eliza remembered seeing him briefly before Carter arrived at the house. “Hey.”

  Dean winked. “How’s the patient?”

  “They have good drugs here. I don’t know why people go to the street looking for them.”

  “She’s feeling better,” Carter said for her.

  “I am.”

  “Your man, Russell is outside. I told my uniform he could go.”

  “Tell me the shooter is dead.” Carter said.

  Eliza heard the venom in her husband’s voice.

  “Have a seat, counselor.”

  Carter took Deans advice and started asking rapid-fire questions. “Do we know who she is? Was she working for Sanchez?”

  “We know who she is, and no, she doesn’t know anything about Sanchez.”

  The drugs must be really working, because Eliza was having a hard time following the conversation.

  “What?”

  “Here is what I know. The shooter is Michelle Sedgwick. Name mean anything to you, Eliza?”

  She shook her head. “Wait, Sedgwick?”

  “Yeah. Sedgwick is a rich old guy dating one of your clients.” Dean added air quotes around the word clients. “Miss Sedgwick is a misguided rich girl, but she isn’t a hit man. She told us she was looking for her cell phone in your yard.”

  “Why is her phone in our yard?” Carter asked.

  “She dropped it there last week. Apparently, she and her siblings decided to spy on you after her grandfather started seeing a younger woman. They thought if they could find some way to blackmail you, you’d stop their grandfather from marrying the woman you set him up with.”

  “Blackmail me? With what?”

  “They didn’t think that far. And obviously
their time at the university was spent drinking instead of going to class for an education. Michelle doesn’t know anything about you outside of Alliance.”

  “Bullshit. I don’t believe it. Why did she have a gun?”

  “Zod. Apparently she lost the phone when Zod found her in the bushes. She tossed her shoe at him and ran.”

  Eliza remembered the week prior when Russell showed them the tapes of Zod barking in the yard. Eliza didn’t question the chewed up shoe Carter told her he tossed in the trash. She assumed he tossed both of them.

  “She told us she had a gun to scare the dog and get her phone and run. I’ve questioned her, and I think she’s telling the truth.”

  “Why would she risk coming back at all if she knew an attack dog was there? That doesn’t make sense.”

  “She said something about her grandfather announcing his engagement, and how if anyone did anything remotely scandalous, he’d remove them from his will. If her phone was found in your yard…”

  Carter growled. “She still shot my wife. Could have killed her.”

  “That isn’t being disputed. She admitted squeezing the trigger. She said she pointed it at the dog. Not that it matters.”

  “Sedgwick said his kids were clueless, spoiled rotten. I assumed his grandchildren were younger.”

  “Just out of college, apparently.”

  How sad. “How bad is she hurt?”

  “Zod took a couple bites out of her legs. He doesn’t alter his attack for sneakers, apparently.”

  Eliza felt a smile tug at her lips. “Is Zod okay? He wasn’t shot was he?”

  “No. Zod’s fine.”

  “If she’s not the hit man, then someone is still out there,” Carter pointed out.

  Eliza didn’t want to think about that.

  “Why do you say that?” Dean asked Carter.

  Carter told him about the call from his dad…about the hit.

  “That’s odd.”

  “Why?”

  “Earlier tonight Mrs. Sanchez talked with me from a station in San Francisco. Apparently, her husband directed her to give orders for a hit. Instead, she went to the cops, asked for their protection, and turned her husband in.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Your statement to the press humbled her, the way you protected her children at your expense. Between Mrs. Sanchez’s testimony and the brawl in the prison tonight, Sanchez is going to be in a very dark hole for a very long time. He won’t fart without me knowing about it. He’s virtually cut off from the world.”