Nowhere to Run

by Jeanne Bannon

  Trudging up the hill toward the cabin, her boot-clad feet crunched in what was left of the snow. Her thighs ached and burned as she made her way up the incline until finally, she was at the front door of the cabin. Breathing heavily, she crept onto the porch and peered through a sidelight. No lights on, but Lily’s and Aiden’s vehicles were in the driveway. They were home. Probably in bed. She shook her head in disgust. The Valier sisters were quick to hop into a man’s bed.

  Damn, how much easier it would have been if Lily had gone to her own home, alone. But she’d been to blame for that. She’d forced Lily out of her house and into Aiden’s cabin by breaking in and trashing the place. Stupid move, yes, but what was done was done. It would have been easier to do what she came to do without a man around, especially one the size of Aiden O’Rourke, but she reminded herself that a gun was a great equalizer and she wasn’t afraid to use it if she had to.

  She tried the door handle. It clicked open.

  Lily awoke with a start and sat up, her heartbeat like a sprinter’s. It took a moment to gather her bearings, but once she realized she was with Aiden, in Aiden’s cabin, in Aiden’s bed, she calmed.

  Moments of terror charging at her like a stalker in the night had been plentiful at home in her own bed, the fear clawing its way to the surface of her mind so forcefully at times, it stole her breath. Things were different now.

  Lily looked over at a gently snoring Aiden. It was not an annoying snore, but a cute and comforting sound that made her feel safe.

  She heard Rex walking around downstairs. They’d made a bed for him in front of the fireplace so he’d be comfortable and warm for the night. It wasn’t just the click of his nails that carried up to the open loft but a low growl too.

  Was Rex really growling? He was usually so quiet, never even barked when someone came to the door. Lily cocked her head, listening hard.

  It came again, this time louder, followed by a bark.

  She jumped out of bed, quickly dressed and contemplated waking Aiden but thought better of it. Maybe being in a strange house made Rex uneasy. After all, he’d never slept anywhere but at home. She peered over at Aiden, who’d stirred but hadn’t woken. Must be nice to sleep so soundly, the sign of an unburdened mind.

  Lily padded down the stairs, the only light coming from the embers still burning in the fireplace. Once at the bottom, she ran a hand along the wall, feeling for a light switch, but wasn’t familiar enough with the layout of the cabin to find one.

  “Don’t move,” came a furious whisper.

  An icy-fingered tendril of dread traced its way down her spine, and a small sound came and died in her throat. Someone was crouched by the front door.

  “Not much of a watchdog you’ve got, Lily.” A woman. It was a woman! Her fear fell a notch until the figure stood, and Lily caught sight of the glint of metal in her hand.

  Her breath caught in her throat and she stepped backward. “Who are you? What did you do to Rex?”

  A laugh. “Your stupid dog’s outside. Don’t you people lock your doors? All I had to do was open it, and your mangy mutt came out to greet me.”

  Concern for Rex momentarily overrode her fear, and Lily peered past the woman through the sidelight in an effort to spot her dog. Then came the familiar scratching of a paw against wood, Rex’s way of asking to be let back in. He’d be cold, but at least he was alive. Relief washed through her.

  From what Lily could make out, the woman was tall, and despite the puff of her unzipped winter jacket, she looked scrawny.

  “Who are you?”

  “Keep your voice down. I know that PI is upstairs. You don’t want me to have to shoot him, do you?”

  Lily’s heart leaped into her throat. This time when she spoke, it was a whisper. “Please, just tell me what you want.”

  The woman stepped toward Lily and stuck the gun in her ribs. “Move,” she growled, pushing her toward the living room. A knitted hat was pulled down low on the woman’s forehead, making it difficult for Lily to get a good look at her face. Did she know her? There was something familiar in that voice.

  “Sit,” the woman commanded once they were by the couches.

  When she sat, the stranger stood in front of her. The burning logs in the fireplace threw more than enough light for Lily to finally see the woman’s face. She was just a girl, not a woman. “Natalie?”

  “Shut up.”

  The Natalie Lyons that Lily knew was needy and lonely, certainly nothing like this crazy-eyed girl in front of her now.

  “Sara destroyed my life,” Natalie began. “Your slut of a sister gets herself pregnant and ruins my parents’ marriage, then the stupid bitch gets shot and everyone thinks my dad did it.”

  A flush of anger burned in Lily’s chest and crawled its way up her neck to her cheeks. “Don’t you think your dad had a little something to do with my sister getting pregnant? And maybe even with her murder?”

  Pain speared Lily as the butt of the gun crashed into her jaw, sending her sprawling across the couch. A scream started to form in her throat, but for Aiden’s sake, she let it die there.

  “Shut up, bitch. Your sister was nothing but the town slut. My mother’s going to prison because of her.”

  Lily worked her jaw, not sure if it was broken. A knife-like jab tore into her temples when she opened her mouth. Slowly, she pushed her way back to sitting. “What did you say?” Each word sent another stab of pain through her head.

  “My mother is being blamed for your sister’s murder. She’s probably been arrested already.”

  Lily’s suspicions had leaned toward Zander, but as she and Aiden had discussed earlier, Gabrielle had a damn good reason to want Sara dead too. “Then justice is served.”

  Natalie sat on the coffee table in front of her, their knees so close they were touching. “No, it hasn’t been and do you know why?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Because my mother didn’t kill your sister. I did.” She spoke slowly and with purpose, words meant to shock.

  Lily was struck again—the blow this time to her heart.

  “But you’re going to take the blame. You’re going to confess.” Natalie jabbed a finger at Lily’s chest.

  Fury pushed Lily to her feet, hands fisted by her sides. She swung at the girl and missed. Natalie, younger and faster, moved quickly out of the way, turning and twisting to her left. Now she had the gun jabbed into the small of Lily’s back.

  “You’re coming with me, and we’re going to see Deputy Deluca. You’ll confess or I’ll kill you and the man you just slept with.”

  Lily straightened and planted her feet defiantly, rooting to the spot. “I’m not going anywhere. You need me alive. How can I confess if I’m dead?”

  She heard the girl’s labored breaths and sighs of exasperation. With the barrel of the gun pushed uncomfortably into the hollow of Lily’s back, Natalie grabbed her phone and punched in a number. “I’m at Aiden’s cabin. Get over here now.”

  “Who’d you call?” Lily asked, trying to inch away.

  “Stop. Don’t take another step.”

  Lily kept moving. Slowly, slowly, she moved away from Natalie. Once she was a safe distance away, she turned to face the girl. The gun was no longer aimed at her but at Aiden, who stood stock-still halfway down the stairs.

  “Time for Plan B,” Natalie whispered.

  CHAPTER 30

  Aiden’s heart beat steady and strong, his instincts on high alert as he crept slowly down the stairs. In the dim light he could make out Lily and another woman. Both had their backs to him as he carefully moved forward and that was good. He cursed himself for not locking the front door, and although he didn’t know what was happening yet, his gut told him it was nothing good.

  He’d only had time to pull on jeans, and although shirtless and sockless, pinpricks of sweat erupted all over his body in the cool air.

  He wondered where Rex was. Why hadn’t the dog protected Lily? Where was he now? Aiden’s heart sank at the prospect of his demise.
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  The stairs creaked beneath his weight, stilling him. Something else stopped him too. The woman faced him, and a glint of metal flashed, revealing itself as a gun pointed at his chest.

  “Sit,” she said, but it was Lily she was talking to. “You move; I shoot him.”

  “What do you want?” Aiden called.

  The woman walked slowly backward and reached out with a hand, feeling for the light switch. Finding it, she flicked it on. Her eyes darted between Aiden and Lily, keeping the gun trained on the more dangerous of the two, Aiden.

  “Come down here and sit on the other couch.”

  He held his hands up where she could see them, walked the rest of the way down the stairs, and did as he was told.

  “Hey! I know you. Natalie Lyons, right?” He tried to sound as harmless as possible, even friendly as he took a seat. He threw Lily a look, sending a message everything would be OK. After all, he could handle Natalie. She was just a scrawny, young girl.

  “Why are you here, Natalie? I’m sure whatever’s bothering you can be discussed civilly. You don’t need that gun.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Why don’t you put it down and we’ll talk.”

  Natalie’s lips turned up in a snarl. “I’m not just some troubled kid who needs a hug to make everything better.”

  Aiden noticed her finger tightening on the trigger. He had to say something to calm her and fast. “Look, we all know you don’t intend to use that thing. Please, Natalie, put it down before you accidentally hurt someone.” He smiled warmly and patted the spot beside him. “Come sit, and Lily and I will help you.”

  She steadied her arm by grasping her wrist. “I have no use for you.”

  “This is ridiculous,” he tried again.

  She pulled the trigger. Two shots rang out. One caught Aiden in the shoulder, the other bored into the flesh of his abdomen, sending him flailing backward. Surprise registered momentarily before his face shriveled in a look of pain. This couldn’t be happening.

  “No!” Lily screamed and ran to him.

  Natalie didn’t bother to pull her away, only opened her pill bottle and downed three more. She’d just shot a man. So what? It really didn’t feel as if she’d done something wrong. It was the right thing to do under the circumstances. He was dangerous and might have jumped up and grabbed the gun off her at any moment. After all, he’d been trained for such things. She smiled inwardly. She’d just outwitted him, and it felt damn good.

  He’d underestimated her. People did that all the time, and she was sick of it. Always trying to placate her. Mother plying her with those stupid cupcakes; Dad, hugging her and calling her honey, taking her to doctor after doctor as if something was wrong with her. She shrugged off her satchel and set it on the floor, opening it.

  “How does it feel to be alone again?” she said to Lily. “Alone, just like I am?”

  Lily was too preoccupied to answer. With blood-slicked hands, she tried to staunch the flow bubbling from Aiden’s abdomen. She grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and pressed it onto the wound in his gut. His shoulder was a mess too, but Lily kept her hands rooted to the worst of the wounds.

  “Won’t do you any good. He’s as good as dead.” Natalie’s words were punctuated by a sigh of contentment.

  Headlights lit the room, and a moment later, the door flew open. Deputy Antonio Deluca ran in with Rex behind him. The dog sauntered over to his bed by the fire, turned in a circle, and curled up.

  “Thank God!” Lily yelled. “Call an ambulance. Call the sheriff. She just shot Aiden!”

  “Holy shit, Natalie. What the hell?” Antonio bellowed, taking in the scene.

  Natalie smiled, her eyes heavy-lidded. “I shot the private dick and now I’m watching him die.” Her words were flat as if she were reading off a menu.

  Antonio’s hand flew to the butt of his revolver.

  “Draw that gun and you die too,” Natalie said. The drugs may have dulled her senses but not enough to make her careless. She noticed Deluca was out of uniform. He had no cuffs, no radio, no Mace.

  “I don’t understand why you want to hurt these innocent people. If you put the gun down now, I might be able to help you. But if Aiden dies, you’ll go to prison for the rest of your life.” He moved to grab his cell. “I have to call an ambulance.”

  A bullet sent him skittering backward. He crashed to the hardwood, the back of his skull no longer there, splattered instead on the wall behind him.

  CHAPTER 31

  A nightmare was unfolding in front of Lily. Deputy Deluca was dead. There was no doubt about it. Blood and brain matter speckled the pale pine wall beside the fireplace, absurdly bringing to mind an abstract painting she’d once seen in a museum, a Jackson Pollock. Nothing seemed real. She felt nothing, not even fear. Time seemed to have slowed, and the only thing Lily was aware of was the whoosh of blood pulsing in her ears.

  With effort, she pulled her attention from Deluca and Natalie. She had to think about Aiden now. Had to focus, gather her wits. Was he still breathing? She felt for a pulse and found one, slow and weak, but it was there! She wanted to cry with relief.

  Natalie was standing by the fireplace, staring at her, grinning at her. Eyes half closed, watching and waiting for Aiden to die.

  “What do you want me to do, Natalie? I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll confess to murdering Sara if you want. I’ll say Aiden came at you and you protected yourself. That you shot him in self-defense, just please call an ambulance!”

  Natalie bent to her haunches, letting the gun dangle playfully from a finger. “He’s taking too long to bleed out, maybe he needs another bullet. To the head this time?” She seemed not to be addressing Lily, but to be giving voice to her thoughts. She raised the gun and Lily scrambled to cover Aiden with her own body. It would do no good, she knew. The bullet would just kill them both, but it was all she could think to do.

  “Nah, I’ll let him die slowly.” She lowered the weapon. “Better that way.” Her expression was one of deep contentment, as if she’d never been happier in all her life.

  Lily tried again. “I promise I won’t go back on my word. I’m sorry for all the things that happened to your family, but if you don’t act fast, your mother will be arrested. She’ll be sent to the maximum-security prison in Bangor. You don’t want that, do you? You never know what could happen to a woman like her in a place like that. She could be killed or raped. You wouldn’t want her to spend even a single night there, would you?” Lily was grasping but could think of nothing else to say. Maybe the mention of Natalie’s family would bring her back to herself, make her see reason.

  The girl stood, and a laugh bubbled out of her. “This is Plan B,” she said, her words slurred. “Plan A was Antonio coming over to take your statement, you know, the one where you confess to killing your sister. I’ve been paying him to do my bidding. But let’s be honest, I kinda knew Plan A wasn’t gonna pan out. Plan B is more exciting and dramatic.” She gestured toward Antonio’s body and waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about him. He was a shitty cop anyway.”

  Natalie took the bottles of alcohol out of her satchel. Each was plugged with a rag. Liquid dripped from the bottoms of the soaked fabric.

  With the gun on the floor in front of her, Natalie eyed Lily as she took a lighter from her pocket and teasingly held it up for Lily to see. A tight smile lit her face as she flicked it, and all at once, a long flame appeared, dancing and dangerous.

  “What are you doing?” Lily’s voice rose with panic.

  Natalie threw her a look of annoyance. “What do you think I’m doing?”

  “If you set the cabin on fire, you’ll die too. This whole place is made of wood. For God’s sake, it’ll be engulfed by flames in minutes.”

  She threw Lily a look of incredulousness. “That’s Plan B.” Then she held the flame to a wick. It lit instantly. For a moment, she studied it, looking at it from different angles, fascinated, then catapulted the bottle against a wall. It exploded on impact, licks of
flames shot up, catching the curtains, and small pools of liquor burned in dozens of spots on the tinder-dry floorboards. Another landed in the kitchen on the mat in front of the sink. Flames flared up as high as the ceiling, and shards of glass sprayed down like ice pellets.

  Natalie held a third bottle, ready to light it. “This one’s for you.” There was a smile in her voice.

  No time, no thought, no fear. Lily ran at Natalie, knocking the homemade bomb from her hands before she had a chance to light it. The girl fell backward, hitting the hard stone of the fireplace, but gained back her feet in seconds. With hands entwined in Lily’s hair, she smashed her head downward with a mighty thrust, toward an upraised knee. The sharp crack of cartilage echoed in Lily’s head, and pain seared her brain.

  Blackness fell.

  Natalie slid to the floor, her legs rubbery, her energy spent. She leaned against the wooden column between the living room and kitchen. The flames were spreading quickly, engulfing furniture now. They were pretty, so pretty, she thought in amazement as the heat and the pills lulled her into contentment.

  She saw the dog flee upstairs to the loft, instinct driving him to a safer place, at least for the moment. Soon there would be no such thing as a safe place.

  It was hot. Hot as hell, and Natalie yanked off her hat and tried to remove her jacket, fighting with it as it twisted and tangled in muddled-up arms that didn’t do what she wanted them to. She took the pills from her jacket pocket, then tossed her winter gear into the flames. Everything was right with the world. Justice had been done, and soon her pain would be over. No more worrying about her parents fighting, wondering when they were going to divorce and leave her, or be hauled off to prison. No more loneliness. No more disrespect. People would remember her now, know what she was capable of. She’d wait just a bit longer, enjoy the moment, and wonder at the beauty of the fire raging around her, then she’d down what was left of the pills and drift off. Her death would be painless. Just a calm, deep slumber.