WindSwept Narrows: #4 Alice Branch

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “Alice…you have to stay with me…you promised…” the little boy curled up against her, putting his head on her chest and closing his eyes with a weary sigh. “You promised, Alice…”

  Nick stood up and pulled the blanket over them both, moving to the other side of the bed, his palms surrounding her cold fingers. He brushed them with his lips, closing his eyes. Slowly his head drifted to the bed, her fingers falling free and his arm curled beneath his head.

  Anya stepped into the cubicle in time to see a shaky palm rise from the bed and come to rest gently on Nick’s head, stroking softly before stopping. At the same time, her other arm slid from beneath the small boy, wrapping him close, her head falling to the side. All three of them sleeping peacefully. Anya hung her head, breathing a long sigh before quietly turning and issuing instructions to the staff.

  Nick groaned, lifting his head and rubbing his neck, his eyes looking at his watch. He felt her palm sliding off his head and frowned, looking over to find a pair of silver grey eyes watching him. A soft smile tilted her lips.

  “Hi…” Alice said quietly, her other palm resting gently on Matthew’s head. “I’m glad you found us…”

  Nick felt all the words crashing with all the emotions inside him. For a long minute, he couldn’t speak, unaware of the hot tears running from his eyes until she brushed them gently away with her palm.

  “I’m okay, Nick…”

  “I’m not…” He whispered hoarsely, taking her palm between his and taking it to his lips. “Anya said…you scared us, Alice…”

  “I’m so sorry…I don’t…I know I hit my head…” She watched him slide the chair closer, his mouth brushing hers gently. “Matthew was very brave…”

  “What happened?” He asked, his voice shaking with emotion.

  “We went to the shop I told you about for the British sausages I wanted…and were coming home when someone…started…bumping us…they did it again on that curve and…I couldn’t get the car to stop, Nick…I pushed but nothing happened…I had no brakes…” She closed her eyes with a sigh. “Until I hit the tree…then I couldn’t move…”

  “How did Matt get out of his seat?”

  “I taught him how to open the snap…then I kind of twisted my arm to the back and had him put the buckle in my fingers,” Alice explained, her head shaking. “I didn’t see the car…it was mostly dark and they had no lights on…”

  “The police towed the car to their investigations site,” Nick told her.

  Alice tipped her head to the side, brushing Matthew’s head with her lips. “He’s okay…that’s all I was worried about…keeping him warm and staying awake…I guess I hit the window pretty hard…what time is it?”

  “A little after eleven…longest damn night of my life…” Nick stood up and stretched, his fingers brushing the long hair around her ear. Just staring.

  “Can I go home? I’m alright, honestly…I feel fine…tired, a little…”

  Nick closed his eyes, almost laughing. “Let me see if I can find someone to talk to, Alice…” He kissed her gently.

  The doctor on duty looked over the chart next to Alice, his shrug easy going as he signed off on the paperwork.

  “Dr. Miller left instructions…when you wake up, you’re free,” he said with a smile. “Nothing on the x-ray…no swelling…you might have a headache…a mild concussion, so take it easy for a few days.”

  “Thank you very much,” Alice said, slowly sitting up, untangling herself from Matthew. She watched the little boy slowly stir, dark lashes fluttering over sleep filled eyes. He saw her and immediately went into the open arms, cuddling against her and slipping peacefully back into his dreams.

  Nick took him from her, holding his hand out to help her down from the bed, patiently waiting to see if she needed more help. He buckled the sleeping child into the car seat, watching as Alice settled back, surprised at the child’s back pack and her own pack sitting on the floor of the SUV.

  “I guess I have to deal with insurance…I don’t believe I’ve ever had a claim before,” Alice commented as Nick drove them quietly home. She reached over, covering his hand on the shift between them. “We’re okay, Nick,” silence followed the strength in his fingers when he carried her hand to his lips.

  “He can sleep in his clothes tonight,” Nick decided, removing the shoes that seemed so very small and dropping them to the floor. He vaguely heard her on the phone on the other side of the house, getting the insurance stuff started. He leaned against the door opening, just staring at his son. His eyes closed, his mind churning through the anger and fear and need he felt swirling in the pit of his stomach.

  “Nick?” Alice stepped to his side, her palm out to touch his arm lightly.

  “It has been a damn long time since I felt like…like tearing something apart, Alice,” the words came out low and hard.

  “I’m sorry…I…” she stopped when his hands came up suddenly, gripping her shoulders and lifting her from the floor.

  “This is not your fault,” he told her, dark eyes piercing and alive. His palms loosened slightly, sliding over her throat to her face. “I…I don’t know how I could live if I lost either one of you, Alice…”

  “We will be with you a long time, Nick,” she took his hands, backing out of the room and taking him with her. “Let’s go to bed…”

  Nick felt the wisp of thoughts that he was too rough; too demanding and too hungry. But Alice matched his passion and sent his senses soaring even higher. The lay facing one another a short time later, her fingers gently brushing the damp hair from his forehead.

  “Alice…I…” Nick closed his eyes, the intensity inside him not yet abated, he realized when he felt himself caught in the silver stream of her gaze. “Huh…I have a damn college degree and can’t seem to find the right words…”

  “Urgent,” she supplied with a soft grin, her fingers drawing slow lines along his jaw. “There was an…incredible urgency…a need…you were quite intense.”

  “I…did I hurt you? Alice, I swear…” Nick moved to sit up but found himself on his back, staring up at her, long blond hair draped down her back.

  “Listen to me…you did not hurt me, Nick. I know you would never intentionally hurt me…you must trust that I am not the kind of woman who would allow it to continue,” Alice leaned over, kissing him gently. “I believe…in such a short time…you have become my friend and lover and partner….I think without words, we would not have been able to find that place. You were scared. Perhaps scared isn’t a strong enough word…”

  “Terrified does a good job,” he supplied with a long sigh, tugging her back to the bed and turning to his side to stare at her. “I…I needed you…I needed to know you were real and I…I hadn’t fallen asleep next to the hospital bed…that you had come back to us…and the instant you kissed me…it was like the dam broke…nothing felt…enough…”

  “Promise me…you will never tire of talking to me, Nick…no matter how small or how…angry we might get…” Alice accepted his kiss as his promise, softly whispered long into the night.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nick gave the large dresser a final shove and leaned against it, his head on the top.

  “Seriously…Dad…it’s not necessary…” Nick went into the kitchen and pulled a tall bottle of water from inside.

  “Nick…I can afford to pay rent.”

  “You know…I just finished this talk with Alice over breakfast…”

  “Lost, did you?” His dad remarked from the expression his son was sporting.

  “The woman’s a damn accountant…she’s throwing out all this…school for Matthew…tax breaks for…” Nick stopped and shook his head. “We’re working on our budget, let’s put it that way. I’ve been supporting the house and Matt without help…”

  “No one called it help,” Darren interrupted. “It’s a contribution to the household.”

  “You been talking to Alice?” He demanded with a glare that slowly turned to laughter. “Okay…fi
ne…you get with Alice and work it out.”

  “How’s she doing?” He lifted the end of the sofa, sliding it carefully off the truck.

  “Better than I did…I’ve never felt like that…” He moved carefully over the stairs. “The police were here this morning…then her insurance adjuster. They’re totaling the car…and she’s supposed to go select another one on Monday. They got chips of blue paint off her bumper…and her brake line was cut.”

  “Cut? Who the hell is after Alice? Shit…”

  “A name from her previous job came up…she sent them to talk to Jack Garrett and Emily…evidently the guy is on the run. Jack and I aren’t doing so hot,” Nick admitted flatly, heading down the stairs for another box. “We got some nut case after our women and we got women who don’t like being on a leash.”

  Nick placed the call while Alice was wrestling with Matthew in the tub, laughter and giggles reaching him while they had a water battle with the pistols she’d found.

  “Jack…Nick Hunter here…we need to talk,” Nick said simply.

  “I heard about Alice…is she alright?”

  “She’s wrestling with a three year old…so, yeah…she handled it better than me,” he admitted quietly.

  “I know the feeling,” Jack replied.

  “How about noon tomorrow? We can grill some food and talk…the police aren’t much help with this whole Demming thing…and I get that they really can’t do anything unless he surfaces,” Nick paced the evolving family room.

  “That sounds great…we’ll bring some steaks…it looks like a great day tomorrow,” Jack grinned at Emily. “Nick’s invited us over to barbecue tomorrow…about noon….”

  “Ahh…I checked the mirror…my independent woman is gonna make me grey,” Nick remarked. “Okay…noon…I’ll shoot you the address. See you then.”

  ****

  Emily went running along the sand with Matthew, tossing the ball to Alice with a bright laugh. They settled on the large quilt after a few minutes, watching Nick handle the juice box.

  “You know why we’re here,” Emily said softly, watching Jack and Nick talking. “And it’s not about the steaks….”

  “Demming,” Alice said quietly, nodding. “I know…”

  “Is that who they’re looking at for the car accident?”

  “Yes…but I’m not so sure it was him, Emily,” Alice lowered her voice a little more. “Please…don’t tell Jack this…but Nick’s mother drives a blue Monte Carlo.”

  “His…you don’t think…” Emily closed her eyes, digesting the information and shifting to sit cross legged. “Good grief…”

  “As if things aren’t complex enough,” Alice sighed. “First she believes I’m controlling her son, then her husband files for divorce and moves into the garage apartment…”

  “Wow…and all I got is a crazy robbery suspect and a shared lunatic…”

  “The thing about Demming…he’s about…about the money and the conquest,” Alice concluded. “I honestly don’t believe he would bother with us without the chance of either of those. We appealed to him because we were…new,” Alice frowned around the word.

  “As in unused,” Emily supplied with a quiet nod. “We can give them piece of mind…”

  “I feel like a poodle about to be chipped,” Alice mumbled as they climbed to their feet together, laughing with Emily. She sighed heavily, nodding. “But you are right…”

  “Ordinarily our phones would do the trick…but there’s always the chance…like when my father had me brought home…the phone was sitting in my bag,” Emily dusted off her fingers and shook out the blanket.

  “And I was barely able to reach mine in the accident,” Alice agreed.

  Jack looked over, watching the pair slowly walking.

  “I don’t know an answer, Nick,” he said honestly. “How do you deal with the unknown and remain sane?”

  “And part of a couple,” Nick added, glancing over at Matthew playing with a large pile of round stones and his little cars.

  “I’ve only got one to try and keep safe…” Jack felt the smile on his face, watching the little boy.

  Emily nudged Alice and winked. “Watch this,” she kept her eyes on the ale bottle in Jack’s palm. And just before he was ready to take a drink, she said, “I want one…”

  “One of what?” Jack asked, tipping the bottle up for a swallow.

  “One of those,” Emily answered and pointed to Matthew.

  They watched the ale sputtered over the wall and the empty stretch of deck.

  “See, Alice, it’s all about the timing…”

  Jack glared, his palm quietly setting the bottle down before he scooped up Emily. “Nick, got a spare room we can borrow to begin the new project?”

  “Jack Garrett! You put me down this instant!”

  Squeals of laughter went out, Emily blushed bright red before he kissed her and set her back on her feet.

  “Don’t try and out maneuver me, sweetheart,” Jack suggested with a wink.

  “Ohhhh…” She sunk onto the wide stone wall next to Alice.

  “We’ve been talking…” Alice began after the laughter drifted off. “We know you worry…both of you. We also know our phones are only good as locators, if they’re with us.”

  “This is to say that neither one of us thinks Demming is behind these problems,” Emily smoothed out her shirt and accepted the large glass of ice water Alice poured.

  “Who the hell else has been terrorizing you, Emily?”

  “Hello? Crazy guy with knife and bat?”

  “Demming is about the money and the…the unattainable,” Alice said tactfully. “I’m going to guess you shut down all financial access to Tri-Seas?”

  “First step after the board meeting,” Jack acknowledged.

  “Even the executive credit cards?” Alice saw doubt.

  “Damn…it’s Sunday…” He pulled his phone out.

  “I can fix that,” Alice went inside and came out with her computer, setting it up for all to see. Her fingers moved quickly over the keyboard. “There are also…” she tapped on some keys, opened some windows and brought up the corporate bank records.

  “How…Alice, you weren’t in that section of accounting,” Jack said quietly.

  “No…but I floated,” she said with a casual shrug. “Jeremy Cook was head of that department. But he had…personal…issues…and was gone a lot.”

  “And you covered for him?”

  “I filled in for him,” she corrected flatly. “Believe me, were I in charge, he would have been out of a job in a thrice.” She signed in and opened another screen. "These are the other accounts. I was told they were for expenditures by the owners and very high executives.” Alice winced at the hard curse beside her.

  “Another damn hole…”

  “I can close them and order the cards picked up if they’re used,” Alice looked up to see him nod, her fingers moving expertly over the keys. She continued on, creating another account with his name on it, transferring all the funds from the other three checking accounts. “I’ve set up a private access account only in your name, Jack. And transferred all the funds there. The credit cards are closed and marked detain and retrieve. The account will receive messages if someone attempts to access them and the bankcard will be taken by either the teller or machine.”

  Alice pulled a piece of Matthew’s coloring paper to her, writing clearly over the surface. “Account number and access code.” She folded it and handed it to Jack. “There’s over fifty million dollars in that account, Jack.”

  “Thank you…you know, this was supposed to be nothing more than a simple acquisition for Northstar,” Jack shoved the paper into his pocket, his palm up and rubbing over the new growth on his face.

  “I have to ask…why did Jeremy not close all these?”

  “Because Cook hasn’t been seen or heard from since the board meeting,” Jack growled, pacing the deck, one hand up and rubbing his neck. “I’ve had that section running on high since
the meeting. It never occurred to me to find someone from another section to help.”

  Alice looked over at Emily. “This isn’t a good thing…”

  “I wish I could disagree,” Emily said softly, watching the older gentleman approach from the side of the building, Matthew up and running to him.

  “Hi, gran’pa! We’re having a party…”

  “We got extra, Dad…Darren Hunter, Jack Garrett and Emily Temple Garrett,” Nick said carefully laying out the steaks on the hot grill.

  “Has anyone contacted the police about Jeremy?” Alice looked at Jack.

  “He’s been terminated,” Jack said flatly. “I haven’t heard from him and as far as I know, no one else has either. And as for the police…I don’t know.”

  Alice moved her hands skillfully over the keyboard, her pen out and writing an address on another sheet of paper.

  Jack looked uncomfortably at Nick.

  “What are you going to do with that?” Nick knew he was going to regret the question.

  “We’re going to pay him a visit,” Emily answered firmly.

  “The hell you…” Jack began, grinding his teeth and finishing the ale in the bottle he held.

  Both women looked up, each with brows arched.

  “Darren…would you be busy this evening?” Alice asked carefully.

  “Not a thing on the schedule, Alice,” he moved to the wall, watching the couples. “A little tension here…”

  “Would you stay with Matthew? We need to take a little ride with Jack and Emily to check on…a friend,” Alice said easily.

  “The hell we do,” Nick glared at her.

  “You either come with us…”

  “Or we’ll go alone and let you know how it goes,” Emily finished with a bright smile.

  “I’d be happy to kid sit, Alice,” Darren said with a chuckle.

  “Hey! Can we watch a movie?” Matthew climbed onto the wall, holding onto Alice’s hand as he teetered along the wide stones.