“We’re sisters, so I wouldn’t doubt it. As weird as that is to say.” Lisa laughed, then she sobered. “We need each other to deal with Mendez. The man is annoying.” She stood. “Hey, are you hungry? I was just about to make some dinner, before you interrupted my pre-dinner snack.” She glanced to the side, sheepish about getting caught with a donut.
“Actually, I need to run home and grab my things. Can I take a rain-check on dinner?” Mary jingled her keys. Elated that she and Lisa were back on track. “But I will take any leftover pre-dinner snacks.”
Lisa approached her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. “You bet. Will you be back tonight?”
“Yeah, in about three to four hours? I have something I’d like to open with you.” She didn’t tell Lisa about the box. Mary didn’t know if she was ready to open it yet, but if she had Lisa with her, facing Devlyn and his legacy might be easier to handle.
~~~
Mary let herself through her back door, unlocking the deadbolt and the handle. She closed the panel behind her. The interior of her home was dark with the setting sun slipping down over the mountain range.
The locksmith had called, leaving a message that he’d be there the next day because of a sickness. She locked everything tight, even though she wouldn’t be there long. Edward might have a key, but she’d hear him trying to get in and she could at least run the other way.
She dropped her purse and phone on the table and rolled her shoulders. The day had been long but productive. Time with Ian would cement her feelings for him. She couldn’t stop picturing a life with him – a man who complimented her and cared, who didn’t degrade her or make her feel like a child.
More importantly, a man who pushed her to be herself and see her loved ones.
A man who didn’t control her.
The floor squeaked in the living room and Mary’s back tightened. She turned, inclining her head to hear better.
Edward stepped into the doorway.
Mary jumped, pressing her hand to her heart. “What are you doing? This is ridiculous. Edward, you need to leave, now.”
He raised his hand, a gun pointed at her chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Dread resounded throughout Mary’s body. She reached for her phone, fingers outstretched.
“I’ll let you dial whoever you want, but you’ll be dead before you connect.” His expressionless eyes killed any hope she had of pleading with him. When had she missed the soullessness of his gaze?
“Why are you doing this?” Mary lowered her hand to her side.
“You’re going to marry me or I’m going to start killing those bastard girls of Caracus’s one by one, and then I’ll go to your mother’s and drop her, and then, last but most definitely not least, I’ll go to that British guy’s place and shoot him and the old woman.” Edward leaned against the door frame, the gun unwavering. “Do you understand me? I already called Father Thompson and told him we need a hasty wedding because you’re pregnant and I want to do the right thing. He said if we had a marriage license, he’d be happy to do it. Guess we’re going to the courthouse Monday.” He lifted s flask and swigged.
Fear filled Mary’s limbs with lead. He’d threatened everyone she cared about and promised to marry her in one breath. The man was crazy and fast on his way to becoming drunk. She shook her head. “I don’t want to marry you. Why would you want to marry someone who doesn’t want you?”
He straightened, moving inside the kitchen to stand beside the fridge. “You think I care what you want? Let me make things perfectly clear. I don’t. I want the money. That’s the only reason I’m here. It’s the only reason I’ve ever been here.”
Confusion captured Mary’s tongue and she worked for a moment to speak. “What money?” He knew she had a trust. Maybe he thought she had the hidden treasure. Why would he think she had that kind of money around her place? She only had fifty dollars in her purse. She jerked her thumb toward the table. “I have some cash. Do you want that?”
Edward scoffed, taking another drink. “No. Don’t be stupid. I want the money Caracus stole from all those banks and gave to you.”
“What? I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.” She could only pretend to be ignorant so long and she sensed her time was running short. Mary folded her hands, a chill covering her arms and legs in goose bumps.
“Don’t act coy. The money you live off every month. I want it. I have debts to pay off and I’m sick of working as a manager.” Something tightened the skin around his eyes and he jerked the gun toward her. “I made a bunch of promises and you’re going to help me deliver.”
Mary allowed a tremor into her voice. “What about a family? I thought you loved me.” Could she convince him she would marry him? Or would she be better off fighting?
Chortling, Edward shook his head. “Love? Who could love you?” Checking his watch again, Edward continued. “Nothing matters, anyway. I’m going to get killed by the reservation mob if you don’t marry me and give me that money. Money makes people happy and you have plenty to go around. If we get married, then the trust will be in my control as well and you won’t be able to give it to Mendez. I’ll be able to pay everything off and you’ll get to keep your daddy’s hard-earned cash. Everyone wins.” Desperation roiled off him in greasy waves of fear.
“Mendez wouldn’t get my trust. I didn’t get it from Dad. It’s my money.” Not yours, she wanted to yell. Fighting back was her answer. She was done lying down and taking his abuse – verbal or otherwise.
Edward narrowed his eyes. “No. It’s Devlyn’s. It has to be. Mendez said it was.”
“If that money was Devlyn’s, don’t you think Mendez would be around me all the time? The guy is relentless. I’d never see any of it. He’d lock my trust up in judiciary or something.” Mary’s words dripped in scorn. Her fear morphed into anger and she crossed her arms. If he wasn’t careful, Edward was going to start a tic in Mary’s eye.
Edward started pacing, the muzzle trained on Mary, but not steady. “I don’t…” He ran his hand through his hair, glancing at the ground and then back at her. “This is too much. You’re trying to confuse me.”
“Okay, Edward. Calm down.” Mary watched the gun move across the short distance – back and forth. She held up her hands. “How much do you owe?”
“Two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand. Mendez said you have at least twice that.” He glanced at her, seeking confirmation Mendez was at least right about the amount.
She didn’t tell him she had more than eight times that. “Wow, that’s a lot of money. I don’t have access to anything that high, even if I wanted to give you some. I only get a set amount every month. The terms can’t be changed until I turn twenty-five.” One more year. Edward and she weren’t going to last that long.
All of his efforts were wasted.
He stopped pacing, staring at her in a mounting panic. “But… No, this isn’t right. You can get the money. I only have forty-eight more hours. You have to have the money. We have to be able to withdraw the amount.”
Mary shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I tried pulling out enough to pay for this house when I bought it, and it was significantly lower than the amount you want and they laughed at me. The funds are tightly controlled. I can’t do anything but wait to get my check.”
Rage darkened his face, bringing a ruddy hue to his pale skin. He rushed Mary, a low guttural growl coming from his mouth.
But where she would normally drop down, Mary stood, bringing her hands up in front of her. Edward struck with his open hand, the flat of his palm cracking the side of her head. She didn’t balk, but kicked out at him, connecting with his shin. She ducked to the side, but didn’t escape his boot as it slammed into her side.
Falling down, she shrank back. With the breath knocked out of her, Mary didn’t have energy to protect herself from the handle of the gun as he brought it down on the top of her head and back of her neck.
Over and over.
Until she blacked
out.
Chapter 20
Ian
The phone on the nightstand vibrated. Buzzing through his dreams and the haze left over from thinking about Mary too late into the night. She’d left him with some over-heating problems and he hadn’t fallen asleep until early morning.
He blinked at the flashing screen. Closing his eyes, he grabbed it from the table. “Yep?”
“Good morning, Dawson. Is Mary there?” Lisa’s playful voice also had an edge to it, like she didn’t appreciate having to call so early, but she tried keeping things civil.
“Mary? No, should she be?” Ian lifted his head, looking at his bed. What if he hadn’t only dreamt her last night? What if she’d actually been there, with him? He pushed himself to his elbows and searched his room. Could he be so lucky?
Lisa paused, filling the line with tension. “No. She’s supposed to be here, with me, but she never showed up last night. She came here to see if she could stay with me for a while – so she would have more time with you – and then she left to get some things from home. She was supposed to be right back, but I never saw her.” She inhaled sharply, worry marking her syllables. “I just assumed she’d stopped to stay with you or I would’ve called you earlier.”
“Is Mary the type who would stay with some guy this early in their relationship?” He didn’t have a problem calling what they had a relationship. He wanted to work on it and he didn’t mind the label. Plus, establishing himself in Mary’s life early on with Lisa would make a bigger supporter of her sister than if he didn’t.
“No. Actually, she’s not.” Lisa’s voice changed to desperate. “I think something’s happened, Ian. We need to find her. She’s not answering my calls. Do you think she’s okay?”
“I’m sure she’s fine.” Ian didn’t pass along the terror filling his stomach with an icy chill. He slid from the sheets, pulling on his jeans and an undershirt. “Let me try calling her and if I don’t get an answer, I’ll head to her place. Why don’t you try her mom’s?”
“Okay.” Lisa’s pitiful agreement worried Ian further.
What wasn’t she saying? He had to ask. He had to know what Lisa thought. “Do you think she went back to Edward?” The possibility scraped his nerves raw.
“Not willingly.” Lisa’s whisper whipped Ian’s worry into anxiety.
Mary wouldn’t forget to tell Lisa, if she wasn’t going to show up. Mary wasn’t that type of woman.
If Edward was involved, Ian wouldn’t leave anything to chance. He strapped on his holster and Smith and Wesson. The weight against his hip comforted him. It’d been so long since he’d worn it. Worry he might kill someone after Elena died helped him keep the weapon put away. Ian had always worried he’d run into a Caracus gang member and lose it, killing them and then having that on his conscience.
Now, though, he needed the security a gun would afford.
Because if Edward had Mary, Ian wouldn’t settle for just fists this time.
~~~
The porch light was still on when Ian pulled up. Which wouldn’t be weird, but in the middle of the morning?
Edward’s truck was nowhere in sight, but Mary’s car rested peacefully in front of her fence.
She was home, but all the curtains were closed, the light was on, and warning prickled the back of Ian’s neck. Something wasn’t right.
Leaving nothing to chance, Ian dialed nine-one-one and reported the address to the operator. He didn’t have any facts to relay, but they said they’d send a patrol to check things out.
He couldn’t wait for them to show up. Mary could be injured inside or be fine. The not-knowing wasn’t acceptable for another minute.
Sliding from his rig, Ian touched the butt of the gun protruding from the holster to make sure it hadn’t budged. The street and house were a little too quiet.
His boots scuffed on the sidewalk and he glanced around. Climbing the steps, Ian squinted as the light reflected from the large glass windowpanes.
Rapping on the door with his knuckles, Ian shallowed his breathing to listen for any movement inside. Slight shuffling caught his ear and he leaned his head closer to the door.
No one answered.
He knocked again.
And again, waiting moments in between each one.
Finally, Mary opened the door, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto a bright pink apron which she had on over nothing else.
Her nudity took Ian by surprise. “Mary? What’s going on? Are you okay?” Ian didn’t want to think about the creamy curve of her shoulder or the pale skin showing of her waist, but thinking straight when he’d thought about her all night was difficult. Her tears gave away the seriousness of the moment and he narrowed his attention on her pain. “Seriously, Mary, are you okay?”
Glancing over her shoulder, Mary turned back quickly to Ian. She swallowed, swiping at her cheeks. She spoke robotically, her voice only breaking on two words. “I’m sorry, Ian. I didn’t mean to lead you on. I don’t like you. I want you to leave.” Her words pushed him away, but her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
The dark interior prevented Ian from seeing anything inside. He bit down on the hurt her words drummed up. “Can you at least answer your phone? Lisa has been worried about you.”
“I must have left my phone somewhere. Please let her know I’m fine and I want to be alone.” Her monotone syllables starkly contrasted with the playful tone she usually used with him.
“Well, I’m going to text her to tell her you’re fine.” Ian pulled out his phone and started texting. He glanced at her, careful to allow his hurt to come through, but only enough to seem sad. “What did I do? Can you at least tell me that?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t realize how much I was going to miss my old life. I was happy.” Mary shifted her gaze to the phone screen Ian held out between them.
The screen displayed an unsent text.
If you’re in trouble, blink twice.
Mary looked up, meeting his gaze.
With exaggerated slowness, she blinked her eyes.
Twice.
And held up her fingers in the universal sign for gun.
Ignoring the panic welling inside him, Ian nodded shortly. “Okay, fine. If you’re sure that’s how you feel…” He wanted to grab her and run, but he had no idea what was going on, who had her or how she was being held. Plus, running with her might put her in more danger, if there was shooting involved.
“I am sure.” She lifted her chin, tears filling her eyes again. Her lip trembled and Ian couldn’t help touching it with his forefinger. He dropped his hand.
She turned to close the door on his face, baring her back and thighs to his sight. Angry red slashes split her soft skin, blood dried and caked in places. The curve of the slashes had a widened point which screamed of a belt beating. Ian had only seen those a couple times and they’d all been on his sister.
Worry turned to rage in less than the span of a heartbeat. He couldn’t wait for the police, and if he killed someone, then let it be the person holding her hostage.
Ian slid around the back, careful to keep himself pressed to the walls of the house. All the curtains were closed, even into the back, leaving only the kitchen door with its partial curtains clear.
Loud music suddenly pulsed from inside, the bass trembling the glass in the door. Ian didn’t wait, turning the knob and pushing on the panel. But it was locked.
Of course, it was locked. Saving Mary wasn’t going to be easy.
He peered through the window. The kitchen was empty and the door closed to the rest of the house.
Ian tore off his flannel, wrapping it around his elbow. Placing the bent part of his arm against the glass, he pushed through the single pane with little effort. Glass tinkled to the ground as if in silence because of the music filling Mary’s home.
Unlocking the door, Ian pushed inside.
A short scream pushed under the music to him and he rushed to the next door. Who was hurting Mary? Edward was too m
uch of a coward to go after anyone like that.
But Ian had been wrong before.
He drew his gun, holding the weapon by his side. As if conjured by thought there was Mary, pushing through the kitchen door with a tray in her hands. A fresh cut bled from her eyebrow.
Startled at his presence, she froze as the door closed behind her. Placing the tray on the counter, she shook her head and whispered, “Go. You need to get out of here. He’s crazy.”
“Edward?” Ian raised his free hand and touched her upper arm to make sure she was solid and real.
She nodded, leaning into his touch and searching his face.
Regretting Redemption Page 12
