“Your husband attacked Emma,” Mandy said. “I was just asking him why. He wanted to know about some chip. Do you know what he’s talking about?”
“I’m so sorry,” Iris said, wringing her hands. “He doesn’t mean to be this way. He just can’t help himself.”
“What way?” Sophie asked.
“It’s … he has early onset Alzheimer’s,” Iris said. “He forgets things. He forgets where he is. He worked in military intelligence for years. Sometimes he just loses himself. This was supposed to be our last vacation before … well … before we couldn’t travel again.”
“Oh, that’s awful,” Emma said.
Mandy and Sophie exchanged a look. It was a convenient story. It explained everything. Neither one of them believed it, though.
“Maybe you shouldn’t leave him alone then,” Sophie suggested, tugging on Emma’s arm. “Come on. We’re leaving.”
Mandy followed them toward the door, only dropping the book on the table when she was a safe distance away. “If you know what’s good for you, we won’t see you again. I’ll hit him with more than a book if we do.”
“SEE, we’re back at the hotel,” Sophie said, rubbing Emma’s shoulders. “Everything is okay.”
After leaving the haunted house, Mandy and Sophie tried to cheer Emma up with a streetcar ride. After an hour, though, they’d given up and returned to the hotel.
“Maybe he really was sick,” Emma said. “Maybe I overreacted.”
“Maybe,” Mandy said. “I don’t think so, though. I think … I think he was after something else.”
“What?”
“I have no idea,” Mandy said. “Whatever it is, they’ve searched your room for it and they’ve tried to steal your purse for it.”
“Are you sure it’s not just a coincidence?”
“Once might be a coincidence,” Mandy conceded. “Three times, though? No, honey. That’s a pattern.”
“Mandy is right,” Sophie said. “We need to talk to the guys. They’ll know what to do. Right, Mandy?”
“Of course,” Mandy said. “Once James is done screaming at me, he’ll know exactly what to do. It should be fun.”
Sophie made a face. “It was an accident. We had no way of knowing.”
“Something tells me James isn’t going to see it that way,” Mandy said. “I’m kind of glad we’re all eating separately tonight. You guys shouldn’t have your night ruined by our big fight.”
“Just … don’t get worked up about it until we know it’s going to happen,” Sophie said.
A bellhop met the three women in the front lobby seconds after their entry. “Your husbands are waiting for you in the dining room.”
Mandy pursed her lips. “Oh, well good. We’re going to have an audience after all.”
JAMES, Grady, and Finn were reclining at a table, beers in front of them, when their respective loves arrived.
“Hello, ladies,” Grady said, his tone pleasant and charming. “How was your day?”
Sophie forced a tight smile onto her face, but it didn’t last long. Emma immediately burst into tears and threw herself at Finn.
“What’s wrong?” Finn asked, rubbing her back. “Did her hormones take a swing?” He was a making a joke. Emma’s emotions had been a roller-coaster ride since she found out she was pregnant. Commercials made her cry, and just about everything made her jumpy. Finn was getting used to the routine. “You just need something to eat, sweetheart,” he said. “Your blood sugar is probably low.”
“I don’t think that’s it,” Sophie said, casting an apologetic look in Mandy’s direction. “We had a little … incident … this afternoon.”
Finn stiffened. “Define incident.”
“Well … .” Sophie sucked her cheeks in as she considered how to proceed. “Do you want to tell them, or should I?”
“Oh, I think you should,” Mandy said, sliding into the open chair next to James. “I’m not going to be able to finish the story with James’ hands wrapped around my neck.”
James narrowed his eyes. “What did you do?”
“Let Sophie tell it,” Mandy said, sighing. “I’m going to order a drink. I just ask, if you’re going to yell and scream, can we please take it up to the room and not do it in public?”
“No promises,” James said. He turned to Sophie. “Tell me.”
Sophie did as asked, recounting their day from the beginning. When she got to the part about the haunted house, James was disgusted.
“You said you were going to ride streetcars. Isn’t that what you said?”
“She’s not done yet,” Mandy said.
Sophie continued the story. When she got to the part about getting separated from Mandy inside the house, James’ face was flushed with anger. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I know you’re mad,” Mandy said. “I … .”
“Order your dinner,” James said. His tone was cold and stiff. “We’re all eating here tonight. So get comfortable, and order your dinner. Don’t say another word that isn’t about food. I just … order your dinner.”
Mandy’s blue eyes were glued to her plate, and when the waiter showed up, she ordered a generic entrée and then continued to avoid James’ pointed gaze.
“What do you think?” Grady asked once the waiter stepped away.
“It’s not good,” Finn said. “Someone clearly thinks Emma has something they want.”
“Do you have any idea what that is, Emma?” James asked. His anger wasn’t directed at her, and his voice was soft when he asked the question. He knew she’d been through the wringer, and he didn’t want to make things worse.
He was still debating what he was going to do with his wife when they were alone.
“I don’t know,” Emma said. “He kept asking if I had bought anything. He wanted to know if I shipped anything home. It was weird.”
“Have you bought anything?”
“Just the stuff we bought from that voodoo store,” Emma said. “You know the … sex stuff.” She lowered her voice at the end.
James fought the mad urge to laugh when she did it. “I’m familiar with the sex stuff,” James said. “We have three bags of it up in our room.” He glared at Mandy. “Not that we’ll be using it any time soon.”
Mandy remained morose and refused to make eye contact.
“You said he mentioned a chip,” Grady said. “Maybe he really is suffering from Alzheimer’s? Who walks around with computer chips? Maybe he was confused by something that happened a long time ago.”
“I think that’s too many coincidences,” Sophie said. “Think about it. It was Finn and Emma’s room that was invaded. It was Emma’s purse that was stolen. It was Emma that Stanley isolated in the house. One of those things could be a coincidence. Maybe two of those things. Three of those things? No way.”
“She’s right,” Finn said. “Maybe … maybe I should get Emma out of town.”
“No,” James said immediately.
“I know we have a job to do,” Finn said. “Emma is more important than the job.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you,” James said. “The problem is, if I send you home, then I’m going to have to send for Jake to come here. What if someone follows you up there? You’ll be all alone without backup.”
“Oh,” Finn said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“She’s safer here,” James said. “We’ll keep them in the hotel while we’re at work. No one will be able to get near them.”
Mandy opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. James didn’t miss her reaction, but he wasn’t ready to comment on it either.
“We can’t keep them in the hotel for the rest of the week,” Grady said. “It’s not fair to them.”
“I understand that,” James said. “Until I can figure something else out, though, I don’t see another choice.”
“I’m fine with staying at the hotel,” Emma said, shuddering. “I don’t want to go out there again.
People are crazy.”
“It’s my fault,” Mandy said. “We should have stayed on the tour.”
“Yes, you should have,” James snapped.
“That was my fault,” Emma protested. “I didn’t want to go to a second cemetery. Mandy and Sophie agreed to break off from the group because of me. You shouldn’t be mad at her.”
James ran his tongue over his teeth. “Did you also insist on going to a haunted house?”
Emma balked. “I … yes.”
“Don’t lie for her,” James said. “You have no interest in a haunted house. She’s the one who wanted to see the haunted house. Just … don’t.”
“That was my fault,” Mandy said. “It was all my fault. Don’t be mad at anyone else.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” James said. “I’m mad enough at you to fill the rest of the week.”
“James,” Grady said, his voice low. “I think she’s miserable. You don’t have to keep piling it on her.”
“Don’t tell me how to handle my marriage,” James said.
“Fine,” Grady said. “Just … look at her.”
James risked a glance at Mandy. She did look tortured. For some reason, that was little consolation. “Once we eat dinner, I suggest everyone go upstairs and lock themselves down for the night. I think we all need some time to decompress. Agreed?”
Finn nodded. “I have no inclination to leave this place.”
“Me either,” Grady said.
James didn’t bother asking Mandy how she felt. “Great. Let’s eat and … get some sleep.”
Twelve
“When we get a house of our own in a few years, can we make sure it has a big tub like this?” Emma asked, sinking into the steaming water and maneuvering so she could settle between Finn’s legs before leaning her back against his chest.
Finn wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. “Absolutely. I think a big tub is a must. In fact, after hearing James and Grady crow about their hot tubs, I think we should get one of those, too.”
“That sounds fun,” Emma said, snuggling closer to Finn. “This is nice. I’m glad it’s just us tonight.”
Finn rubbed his hands over Emma’s flat stomach. “How is my baby today?”
“Good,” Emma said. “I think he’s getting used to spicy foods. I had a whole plate of it this afternoon, and he didn’t complain once.”
“A whole plate? Why don’t I believe you?”
“Ask Sophie and Mandy. Sophie even commented on it.”
“I’m glad,” Finn said, licking the spot behind her ear. “You need to put some meat on your bones.”
“You don’t seem to mind my meatless bones,” Emma said, giggling as he licked her again.
“I like you however I can get you,” Finn said, rubbing his erection against her rear end. “I’d like you right now, in fact.”
Emma giggled. “I could probably be persuaded to give you what you want,” she said. “I’d rather not do it in the tub, though.”
“How come?” Finn was a little disappointed.
“I have a whole bag of stuff I want to try out with you,” she reminded him.
“Oh, that,” Finn said, sucking her earlobe into his mouth. “We’ve got plenty of time to do both. Now, turn around and climb on. I want to give you a ride.”
“SO, what am I supposed to do with this stuff?” Grady asked, reading the bottle of massage oil carefully. “Oh, wait, this says I can lick it and it will taste like strawberries. Can I lick it?”
“You can lick anything you want,” Sophie said. She was spread out on the bed in front of him, her chest flat against the comforter. “I just want a five-minute massage before you do.”
“Are you turning into Mandy? She loves a massage.”
“Just so you know, it’s not good form to mention another woman when you’re about to have sex with your girlfriend,” Sophie said. “Just FYI.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Grady said, drizzling some of the massage oil on Sophie’s back so he could massage it in. He was naked, except for his boxer shorts, and he was ready to get to the main event. Still, a little foreplay never hurt anyone. “Wow, this stuff is warm.”
“It heats up,” Sophie said, positively purring as Grady kneaded her sore muscles. “Oh, that feels good.”
Grady smiled. “Are you okay after today? Do you want to talk about it?”
“I’m fine,” Sophie said. “I think I’m the one who got off light. You didn’t even bother to yell about us going to the haunted house.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Grady said. “It’s not like you guys knew what was going to happen. They seemed like a nice couple. Not everyone in the world is out to get us.”
“No,” Sophie agreed. “It just feels that way sometimes.”
“It does indeed,” Grady said. “How did Emma take things?”
“As well as can be expected.”
“Should I know what that means?”
“Emma is a survivor,” Sophie said. “She’s already survived the worst this world has to offer. Between her hormones and fear, though, she’s all over the place. She held it together. She didn’t freak out when that guy had his hands on her.”
“You know you should have never gone to that house, right?”
“Mandy wanted to see it,” Sophie said. “It was two blocks away. There were plenty of people on the street. It didn’t seem like a big deal. She was so excited.”
“She’s always liked that stuff,” Grady said. “She and Ally would have slumber parties in middle school and watch as many gory flicks as they could get their hands on. It didn’t matter how bad they were.”
“I hope James isn’t being too hard on her,” Sophie said. “She didn’t mean any harm.”
“She never does,” Grady said. “I think James wanted everyone to eat before coming up here because he needed time to collect himself. He doesn’t like flying off the handle, and he always regrets it.”
“Then he should stop doing it,” Sophie said.
“That’s easier said than done. When you love someone, you can’t always help how you react to things.”
“How come you’re not flying off the handle then?”
“Because I know it won’t do any good,” Grady said. “I’ve decided to pick my battles where you’re concerned. James just opts for too many battles.”
“Oh, so you pick your battles, huh?”
“I do.”
“What battle do you want to fight tonight?”
“The battle for your virtue,” Grady replied, laughing. “Now turn around so I can massage your front.”
“Then what’s going to happen?”
“We’ll see where the night takes us.”
“DID you get enough to eat?”
James was sitting in one of the chairs in front of the television and flipping through the channels. Mandy had taken a bath, plucked her eyebrows and filed her fingernails, and he still hadn’t said a word to her. She couldn’t take much more of the silence.
James merely grunted in reply.
“Are you going to ignore me for the rest of the night?”
James didn’t answer as he focused on the television.
“I would rather have you yell at me than just sit there,” Mandy said. “Scream. Throw something. Do … something. Don’t pretend I don’t exist.”
“I don’t want to scream,” James said. “I promised I would never throw anything again. I have no interest in scaring you. I know you exist. That’s why I’m so mad.”
“I … I’m sorry,” Mandy said. “I had no idea things would go the way they did.”
“I know.”
“Isn’t my apology good enough for you?”
“No.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you to go to bed,” James said. “I’ll … sleep out here on the couch.”
Hot tears flooded Mandy’s eyes, and she fought to tamp them down. “Oh. You’re going to sleep out here?” Her voice cracked, and she ha
ted herself for it.
“I think it would be better,” James said, refusing to look at her. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay,” Mandy said.
James pressed his eyes shut as he listened to her shuffle away. He hadn’t seen the tears, but he’d heard them in her voice. He knew torturing her was not the answer, but he was terrified of picking a fight with her in a hotel. He just needed a few minutes to regroup. Once he could put things into perspective, he would feel better.
After a half hour of watching Sports Center, he flipped off the television and stood up. A glance at the couch told him that there was no way he would get any sleep if he tried to settle there. In the eighteen months they’d been together, they’d only spent two nights apart. One was because she was upset. The other was because he was upset. He’d vowed not to spend another night away from her because of his pride.
James swallowed hard and then pulled himself together. They were going to have this out, and they were going to have it out now.
James was quiet when he entered the bedroom. Everything was dark, and he couldn’t see her in the bed, but he heard an errant sniffle and it almost broke him. He shed his clothes and climbed in next to her, causing her to jump in surprise. She hadn’t heard him when he walked into the room.
“I thought … .”
“I’m not sleeping away from you,” he said. “I can’t do it, so I’m not going to do it. We’re going to have a calm and rational talk, and then this is going to be over with. Do you think you can handle that?”
She didn’t answer, but James could make out the dim outline of her jaw as she nodded.
“I know you didn’t think anything bad could possibly happen when you went to the house,” James said. “I know you didn’t mean for anything to happen. The fact of the matter is, though, I asked you to stay with your tour group. I asked you to stay together.”
“I didn’t mean to get separated,” Mandy said. “I just … I don’t even know how it happened. Sophie and Emma were right behind me.”
“I know how it happened,” James said. “You got excited. When you get excited, you lose all ability to think. You should have waited for me. I would have taken you to the haunted house.”
Deadly Vacation (Hardy Brothers Security Book 10) Page 8
