Being Lovers

by Rachel Carrington

  Adam’s teeth grind together. “What about against me, Gary? You think you could go one on one with me and walk away?”

  The sole of Gary’s sneaker rasps against the brick as he presses it against the side of the house. “She’s not always going to have you to protect her.”

  “She’s not always going to have you to worry about.” There’s no mistaking the promise in Adam’s voice. Or maybe it’s a warning. Either way, it pulls Gary away from the wall.

  He stands straight, waving the detonator back and forth in front of the light. “I don’t think I want you to come inside after all, Sheriff. In fact, why don’t you just stay out here while Emily meets her sister?”

  “You have a better chance of kissing a ghost. She’s not going anywhere near you.” He snags hold of my hand and grips it tightly.

  “Adam, I can’t let him hurt her.”

  “You can’t save her by sacrificing yourself, Emily. This is his swan song.” Adam dips his head so his voice doesn’t travel. “He knows he’s trapped, and he doesn’t intend to go to prison. That’s why he wants you inside. So he can finish what he started.”

  My fingers squeeze his, needing his strength more than ever before. What am I supposed to do? Could I do nothing knowing my inactivity will kill the sister I’ve never met?

  “What’s the hold up? Don’t you want to meet the one your parents didn’t want to keep? I’ll bet that makes you feel special, doesn’t it? You don’t come in, Emily, and I’m liable to lose my grip here. Then you’ll never get a chance to meet your beloved sibling. I’ll bet it was a bitch finding out about her, wasn’t it? Here you was thinking you were an only child.”

  Adam eases his stance, and I see his head tiling to one side. His eyes narrow, and one hand clutches his Glock.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I only need one bullet to drop him. I just have to make sure I can catch the detonator before he hits the ground.”

  My nails dig into his arm. “No! That’s too unpredictable and dangerous. Not only could the sister I never met get killed, but you could die. You’re not taking that risk.”

  “I’ve made worse calls.” The faint sound of sirens draws his attention. “Looks like the Calvary’s here. They’ll have a sniper.”

  “You called the police?” Gary’s voice rises. “Didn’t figure you’d want anyone else to get the glory, Sheriff.”

  Flashing lights illuminate the grass in front of the house as a line of vehicles slow to a stop. With engines idling, several troopers pour out of the SUVs, weapons drawn. Adam turns partially, still keeping Gary in his line of sight.

  “What’s the matter, Emily? You can’t decide anything for yourself? Have to wait for your boyfriend to give you permission to come inside?”

  “Why are you doing this, Gary? This has to be about more than the money.”

  “Does it? You don’t know what it’s like growing up poor, scrounging for every dime and hoping you could have something to eat that night besides onions. So you’re wrong. It doesn’t have to be about more than the money.”

  “So Mark waves a wad of cash in your face, and you decide to switch sides? This doesn’t make sense.”

  His laugh is high-pitched and frantic. “It wasn’t your boyfriend that called the hit; it was good ole Ike. When Mark found out about it, though,” he whistles through his teeth,” boy was he pissed. Well, I shouldn’t say found out as much as his daddy couldn’t wait to share it with him. Guess Ike expected Mark to be relieved he wouldn’t have you to worry about much longer. At first, he didn’t believe his daddy would do something like that. So Ike had to go and show him the contract. The second I saw him in the town square, I knew he wasn’t going to allow me to kill you. I saw it in his eyes just like I saw my money fading away.”

  Nausea claws at my stomach, just like old times. “But it wouldn’t have. Ike Metgzer had a lot of money, and he could have made your life a lot easier if you’d continued working for him. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person he wanted dead. ”

  “I’m nobody’s bitch, Emily. I call the shots and decide my own fate.” He swipes at the back of his brow with his forearm. “Ike and I had a good deal going until your boyfriend got his nose twisted out of joint. He decided to drop the charges against you because he wanted to get back at his daddy.” Gary kicks the wall repetitively while focusing on the wooden slats of the porch.

  “I think you know what happens when you cross Ike Metzger. He wanted me to teach his son a lesson, just slap him on the hand good and hard. I took it another step.” He grins as though the memory pleases him. “Ike didn’t like that.”

  “Which is why you had to kill him, too.” He’s confessing to every crime, but in the end, will it matter if he is on a mission to commit suicide?

  Gary shrugs. “He said he wasn’t going to pay me even though he knew that money was going to help me get out of Juniper Springs for good. So I had to take control, something my daddy never did.”

  “So that’s what this is about? Daddy issues?” My disgust is liberal. “Do you even know how many people you’ve killed? How many lives you’ve destroyed? All because you never got therapy.”

  “You shut up! Just shut up! You know nothing about me!” Gary dances from one foot to the other, his fury practically tangible. “This money was supposed to be my retirement. I wasn’t going to have to work another day in my life. Ike’s the one who changed things.”

  “The notes you sent me were a nice touch. How’d you get him to write those?”

  “A person will do just about anything when they think their life is in danger. As tough as Ike Metzger was, he wimped out in the end.”

  I consider his words, trying to read between the lines. He couldn’t have gotten paid yet. If he had, he would have gotten out of town the second he realized Adam and I knew about him. So maybe there’s still something I can do.

  Adam leans over and whispers in my ear. “Good job. Keep him talking. SWAT is going to come up behind him.”

  Talking is one thing I can do well. “You must haven’t gotten paid now so why not get out of town instead of trying to kill me? You could have been long gone by now.”

  Gary’s laugh sounds maniacal. “Because I wasn’t supposed to get a red cent until I could prove you’re dead. Ike left that weasel of an attorney in charge of all funds, and that bastard had my feet nailed to the floor. Of course, he sang like a soprano when he thought he could save his life. Told me where the money was and all about your sister.”

  “If all you want is the money, you can take it. I’ll give it to you, and you can get in your truck and get out of here. We won’t stop you.”

  He moves toward the steps, descending them slowly, carefully. “That ain’t going to happen now. You know better than that. I’m not getting one dollar of that money. Not with all these cops out here. Hell, the sheriff would rather put a bullet between my eyes than arrest me. “

  “You could turn yourself in. Then no one else has to get hurt.” I know the plea is falling on deaf ears. It’s just like Adam said. Gary has no interest in going to prison. Maybe he knows he’d never survive the brutality.

  “Cops don’t survive in prison, Emily.” Gary’s fidgeting, switching the detonator from one hand to the next. “No, my options are limited.”

  “Why kill my sister, though? She’s not the one who’s given you all the trouble. I am.”

  “True, but losing her, well, that’ll make you suffer just like I’ve suffered. Figure that’s the only legacy I can leave behind.”

  “The hostage negotiator is here.” Adam slips an arm around my waist. “He’ll take over.”

  I thought I’d be relieved to stop the conversation, let someone with experience make the effort, but there’s no relief in knowing Gary isn’t interested in negotiation. Like Adam said, this is his swan song. He’s going out on his own terms, and there’s no way for any of us to stop him from taking my sister with him.

  “I know what’s going on,” Gary calls out,
dragging our attention back to him. He’s now standing at the bottom of the steps with his hand aloft. “Just like I know I’m not walking away from this. But then,” he sneers at me, “neither is your sister.”

  I don’t see him squeeze his hand before the house explodes in a fury of wood and glass.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The screams come from deep within my soul, and only Adam’s strong arms prevent me from running toward the house. He holds me tightly against his chest, his hand pressed against the back of my head to shield me from the scene behind us.

  I hear sirens in the distance and voices talking over one another. I lift my head to see the neighbors streaming out onto their lawns to watch in horrified fascination as the local firefighters attempt to battle the blaze.

  Tears rain down my cheeks as the flames devour the house until the frame collapses. The air mixes with a scent of scorched wood and plastic.

  “Sara is going to be devastated.”

  I close my eyes, knowing someone would need to tell my sister’s neighbors that she was in the house. It wouldn’t be me. Standing exhausts my strength, and I can’t imagine having to deliver the horrifying news.

  “She loved that house.” An elderly woman moves into my line of vision. “But I’m sure she’ll just be thankful she and her young’un weren’t here.”

  “Well, she told me her instincts were telling her to take that trip. She wasn’t even sure why, just kept saying the beach was calling her.” Another woman sniffed loudly and sauntered up to stand to my right. “Now me, I don’t put much stock in psychic nonsense, but this might just make me a believer.”

  My breath is stalled in my throat as I listen to the conversation. Could it be true? Had Gary been bluffing about having my sister inside? I reach for the arm of the woman closest to me. “Excuse me, but are you sure Sara wasn’t home? I was under the impression she was.”

  The woman looks down at my hand then back to my face. “Who are you?”

  Adam flashes his badge. “Could you just answer the question, Ma’am?”

  “Sara left three days ago heading down to Charleston. She wanted her little girl to see the beach. I know she’s gone because she called me not more than an hour ago to check on things. I’ve been picking up her mail and keeping a watch on things. She’ll just be devastated by this.”

  My legs weak, I wrap an arm around Adam’s waist as relief pours through me. “Thank God.”

  “Oh, honey, you have no idea,” the elderly lady continued. “It was almost eerie the way she said she knew she had to go. Like something was controlling her mind. I told my Howard that she had this look on her face like, oh, I don’t know what you would call it, desperation, maybe. Anyway, she took her daughter and hauled buns so fast I could practically see a trail of smoke behind her.”

  “Could you…would you give me Sara’s number?” I suspect the woman’s going to give me a hard time about providing the information, especially when her eyes narrow. But she bobs her head and tells me she’ll have to go back to the house to get it.

  The relief transforms my tears, and I’m weak with it, still needing Adam’s strength to hold me up. “He was bluffing,” I whisper over and over. “I can’t believe it.”

  Adam tightens his hold on me and kisses the top of my head. “Believe you have your life back. Now come on, let’s get out of here.”

  “I should call Francine. She needs to know this is over.” Over. The word resounds in my head like a gong.

  With Gary’s death, I’m completely free of Ike and Mark Metzger and their residual evil. There is no more danger lurking around every corner, no shadow behind me.

  Adam opens the passenger door and helps me into the truck. He stands in the opening, one hand on my leg. “We should get a hotel room tonight. There’s no sense driving back this late. You need to get some sleep.”

  I slide my palm against his face. “So do you.”

  He closes his eyes and smiles. “I think we’ll both manage that now.”

  “Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo!” Sara’s neighbor waves a piece of paper in the air as she whisks toward us, her bright blue robe flapping out behind her. She’s panting when she reaches the truck. “I have Sara’s number for you.” When I reach my hand out for the paper, she snatches her hand back. “But I called her, and she told me I could only give it to you if you call her right now while I’m waiting.”

  Adam glowers at the woman. Neither he nor I want to explain to her why now isn’t the time for a phone call to the sister I’ve never met, who doesn’t even know I exist.

  “Thank you for your help, Ma’am,” Adam fills in the silence, “but that’s not possible right now.” As she holds the paper close to her chest, he continues. “If you’d be so kind, let Sara know she’ll be getting a call from Emily soon, just not tonight.”

  “Well, but how are you going to call her without the number? I can’t give it to you now.” The woman sounds disappointed, as though she’s been deprived of hearing juicy gossip.

  Adam walks around to the driver’s side. “That’s okay. We’ll take care of it. Thank you again.” He slides into the seat and leans forward to see her through the open passenger door. “If you haven’t already told Sara about her house, you might want to wait and let the police do that.”

  She nods her head then shakes it. “Yes, I mean, no, I haven’t told her, and yes, I’ll wait. I certainly wouldn’t want to be told over the phone that I’d lost my house.”

  “Thank you again.” I give her the brightest smile I can summon before pulling the door in.

  Adam hands me his cell. “Call Francine and let her know it’s safe to go home.”

  Safe. I’d never thought of a word as beautiful before now.

  “You’re sure he’s dead?” Francine’s voice wobbles, and it breaks my heart.

  I know she cared for Gary. She may have even loved him. It was difficult enough for her to hear he was a killer. Confronting his death as well has to be painful.

  “Yes, I’m sure.” I give her a few moments to collect herself before continuing. “I’m sorry.”

  She sniffs again then gives a broken laugh. “Well, it ain’t like we had a future once I found out what he was.”

  “You know you and Art don’t have to leave tonight. Adam and I got a hotel room for the night. He won’t mind you staying at his house.”

  “Oh, honey, it’s not the place. I reckon I’d feel this sad at home, too. I thought I loved him. So when are you two coming home?” She changes topics quickly. “I’m ready for things to get back to normal around here.”

  “Normal. Yeah, about that. I think Adam and I are going to stay until Sara returns.”

  “That’s your sister?”

  “She’s going to need some help with her house burning down and all. I know she doesn’t know me, but at least I’ll be a friendly face.”

  “She’s more than welcome to stay with me since it’s apparent I have an empty room again.” The slyness in her voice isn’t lost on me.

  “I don’t live with Adam.” The bathroom door opens, and he walks out with a towel riding low on his hips. My mouth goes dry. It seems like a lifetime ago that we made love.

  Francine snorts in my ear. “Whatever you say. But if y’all aren’t heading home, who exactly is supposed to be the sheriff around here?”

  “Oh, you didn’t hear?” I wish I could see her face when I drop the news. “Adam deputized Sgt. Henley this evening. The guy seems to like Juniper Springs and said he wouldn’t mind hanging around there for a bit.”

  “Sgt. Henley?” She squeaks out the question. “Why on earth would he do that? That man has to go. He’s about some kind of ornery. Do you know he told me to go lie down like I was a five year old?”

  “I’ll bet your side was bleeding, wasn’t it?”

  “That’s beside the point. It wasn’t his business.”

  Adam lies down on the bed next to me, propping two pillows beneath his head. His arms folded across his chest, he closes his eyes whic
h is my signal to wrap up the conversation.

  “I need to go. Adam and I are both tired and ready for this day to be over with. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Once I toss the cell behind me, Adam’s eyes open. I slide down close to him. “I thought you were going to wait until I got off the phone to shower.”

  “You were taking too long.” He slides my hair back away from my neck and lifts his head to caress my skin with gentle kisses.

  I smile at him and kiss his cheek. “I’ll have to grant it to you, Sheriff. You’re good.”

  “Well, there are a few places where I excel.” He transfers his attention to my neck once more.

  “I’m well aware of those, but I still need to take a shower.” I drop lower, giving him access to my shoulder.

  “You smell perfect to me.”

  Before the moment can intensify, I roll off the opposite end of the bed. “Well, I don’t feel perfect. Give me ten minutes.”

  He groans. “You’ve probably never taken a ten minute shower in your life.”

  “You could always come with me…to time me.” I begin peeling off clothes on my way to the bathroom.

  His interest piqued, Adam gets to his feet. “It definitely won’t be a ten minute shower if I join you.” The warning in his voice teases me, and my toes curl against the carpet.

  “Well, hopefully, this hotel’s water heater can take the workout.” My saunter is cut short when Adam catches me next to the granite countertop. He lifts me in his arms then settles me on the edge of the counter.

  “The shower can wait. I have a different workout in mind.”

  I link my arms around his neck and lower my head to kiss him. I love his taste, the feel of his arms around me, and his strength. One kiss is all it takes to shut out the world around us. I never thought love could be this way, so powerful, overwhelming. I’m lost in his touch, and the more I feel him, the more I crave him.

  He carries me to the bed, and I melt into his arms, holding him tightly against me for fear of losing what I’ve found. Sensing my desperation, Adam lifts his head and locks gazes with me.