“This is the entrance to the Manor,” she said, keeping her voice even, though her pulse jagged a warning. “I thought you said Katie was at Tommy Benson’s place.”
“I need to stop for something. It’ll just take a minute.” He completed the turn and started on the long drive, but he didn’t stop in front of the door.
Her pulse picked up and rushed through her head so that she could hear it. “Cliff, I’m really concerned about Katie—”
“You’ll see her soon enough.”
But Lexie didn’t think so. Had Simon been caught? Was the game up? Was that why Cliff had brought her here? Had she been wrong about him all this time?
Cliff stopped the BMW near the guesthouse. Thinking she could run, then call the police, Lexie tried the door handle.
“You won’t get it open, Lexie.”
“What are you doing, Cliff?” Lexie kept her voice as even as she could. The words fought her as she spoke. “Where’s Katie?”
“Katie?” He opened his door and hopped out. “At the ball, I assume.” Slamming the door, he walked around to the passenger side and opened her door. “Get out.”
“No. Take me back, Cliff.” She stiffened when he grabbed her arm. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing—”
Her words were cut off when he jerked her out of the car. Lexie fought him, but despite his playboy persona, Cliff was every bit as strong as Simon.
“Why are you taking me here?” Pulling against him only meant she tripped as he dragged her to the guesthouse. “What’s going on, Cliff?”
“I don’t have to tell you, Lexie. You already know.”
Simon…Dear Lord, he’d been caught!
Suddenly breathless, she stopped fighting and stumbled after him. Once inside the guesthouse, she saw Simon in a chair facing the door. He didn’t even look her way. He was slumped in his chair, hands behind his back, and his head lolled to the side. His eyes were only half-open.
Directly opposite Simon, Doug Heller held a knife as if he knew how to use it.
Feeling like a fool for believing in Cliff, she looked to him, unaffected by his regret-filled expression. “You’re in on this together?”
“Not exactly.”
“Old Cliffy works for me,” Heller said.
“Not exactly!” Cliff repeated, this time with more emphasis.
“Oh, right. We’re business partners. I do all the work and he takes half the money in exchange for access to his ships and yachts and properties.”
So they’d done it, Lexie thought. They’d nailed the heads of the human trafficking operation.
Now the question was this: would she and Simon live long enough to tell the authorities what they’d learned?
THAT HELLER WAS TALKING so freely made Simon’s gut roll. The killer wouldn’t be admitting to anything unless he planned to get rid of both him and Lexie.
Not that Simon would go down without a fight. He’d stop the bastard any way he could, and if he went down with Heller, so be it. He probably deserved to die.Why hadn’t Heller killed him already?
What was he waiting for?
Heller had used a Taser on him—the reason he hadn’t been able to get his hands on the man. Simon remained half-slumped in the chair, his eyes at half-mast, so Heller wouldn’t realize that he was starting to recover from the powerful shock. For several minutes now, he’d been working at the knot in the rope that tied his hands behind his back, and it was starting to loosen.
“What are you going to do to us, Cliff?” Lexie asked. “Kill us?”
“The two of you pose a real problem, Lexie.” Cliff shook his head. “I saved Simon’s hide once, but I don’t know if I can do it again.”
“You saved my hide?” Simon echoed, making his voice sound unsteady, as if he were still weak from the Taser blast.
“I wouldn’t let Heller kill you. I agreed to let him ship you off to be part of a paramilitary army that would keep you busy and away from here for a few years. He arranged everything.”
Though he was sure he already knew, Simon asked, “Why?”
“I didn’t want you to die. I figured you didn’t see anything really, and by the time you came back to Jenkins Cove, any evidence would be destroyed and your memory of that night would have faded. Killing people wasn’t part of the deal.”
“But people did die…Dad.”
Cliff locked gazes with Simon. “Wh-what?”
Though he appeared shocked, he didn’t deny the relationship, making Simon’s gut tighten.
“Rufus and I had a heart-to-heart this morning. He spilled his guts.” But Rufus hadn’t known the identity of Simon’s biological father, and now Simon wished he didn’t know, either. “So, you couldn’t kill your own flesh and blood?”
“No! I never killed anyone, Simon. I swear to you, my hands are clean.”
“Clean? You knew what was going on. You made money on people’s misery!”
“They wanted to come here, to live in this country. They have better lives here. They’re happy—”
“Maybe those who are still alive. What about the ones who didn’t make it because they didn’t have the proper medical follow-up? Who died of complications, like Lala Falat? Or those who were shot to death like the kid in the woods? Or bludgeoned to death with a yachting trophy?”
“I wasn’t responsible for any of that!”
“Stop whining,” Heller demanded. “It doesn’t suit you.”
“Now I know why you’ve been so good to me and my family over the years,” Lexie said to Cliff. “You knew Katie was your granddaughter. After all you’ve done for us, surely you won’t let Heller kill us now.”
Simon stewed inside. They couldn’t kill Lexie. She was innocent. He’d gotten her mixed up in this. He couldn’t let her pay for his sins. Even as he thought it, the knot gave and the binding holding his wrists together loosened. He worked one hand out, then the other.
Cliff asked, “Simon, are you willing to drop this investigation of yours and remain silent about what you’ve learned? I could make this as financially rewarding for you as it has been for me.”
Insulted that this man who was of the same blood thought they were anything alike, Simon felt heat creep up his neck. “No way in hell. Too many people were harmed or killed because of you.”
“All I did was rent my ships and properties to Doug and—”
“Knock off the sanctimonious act, Cliff!” Heller shouted. “It’s not going to get you a pass.”
Cliff turned on his partner. “The human trafficking operation was your idea. You ran it!”
“But if the authorities found out about us, you’d be held equally responsible for everything that happened.”
“We won’t tell,” Lexie suddenly said.
Heller cocked his head and seared her with his gaze. “Now, why don’t I believe you?”
Simon didn’t believe her, either. She was stalling for time. What was she up to? Finally, his head clear of the effects of the Taser and his hands free, though still behind him, Simon gathered himself together and waited for an opportunity to strike. Heller should have done a better job of restraining him.
His mistake.
“Really,” Lexie said, inching closer to Heller. “I mean the operation is over now, right?”
“For the time being. We don’t have a doctor who can do the surgeries.”
Which sounded like he was planning on starting up again as soon as he found one, Simon thought. He wondered what Lexie was planning to do by getting close to Heller, who held the knife as if he was looking forward to gutting someone with it.
Too bad Heller had searched him and found the knife in his jacket, Simon thought. Too bad he had no other weapon on him other than his bare hands.
They would be enough, he vowed.
“Cliff, I’ll make a deal with you,” Lexie said. “I believe you when you said you never meant for anyone to be hurt. You don’t have to go on letting this man use your resources. Agree to stop doing that and we’l
l forget everything we learned. You’re my daughter’s grandfather. I don’t want to see you go to jail. Heller can take off, disappear to another country or something.”
What the hell was she saying? Simon almost protested when she turned her attention to him.
“Cliff’s your father, Simon. You don’t want him in prison any more than I do, right?”
Though her words sounded like a capitulation, the tension in her expression and the denial in her eyes when she locked her gaze onto his told Simon otherwise. She was playing Cliff to get closer to Heller.
Simon’s muscles coiled.
“This is bunk! Don’t believe a word out of her mouth!” Heller said, charging to his feet and coming too close to Lexie for Simon’s comfort.
The way he was handling the knife—like he was getting ready to use it on someone—made Simon prepare to launch himself at the bastard. But Lexie was too close. And Heller wasn’t stupid. He kept a sharp eye on Simon.
“Lexie has never lied to me,” Cliff argued. “She’s the most honest person I know. Her child is my blood.”
Simon indicated that Lexie should get out of the way. Though understanding colored her expression, she ignored him. Her eyes flashed to a nearby table.
“Then take her damn child!” Heller yelled at Cliff. “Adopt the kid. I don’t care! But you’re not going to let these two go. I’m not going to prison because you’re a gutless wonder, as usual!”
As the men argued, Lexie reached for a heavy metal sculpture on the table—a Maryland crab.
“Watch what you say!” Cliff warned.
“Or you’ll what? If you hadn’t convinced me to let your bastard live thirteen years ago, we wouldn’t be in this situation!”
Lexie grabbed the crab and swung it at Heller’s knife hand. The man’s sixth sense must have warned him because he stepped away and the sculpture barely brushed him. While Heller’s attention was diverted, Simon lunged at him and made contact, knocking him back and away from Lexie.
Heller struck out at his gut with the knife, but Simon was faster and arched away so that it missed anything vital, only slicing through the leather sleeve of his jacket and nicking his arm.
Pain seared him, but Simon was blinded with hatred and the need to make this man pay, not only for putting him on that transport ship to hell, but for threatening Lexie’s life, for taking the lives of people he didn’t even know.
He kicked out and made contact, knocking the knife from Heller’s hand. Heller tried to go after it, but Simon tackled him. They went rolling across the floor, trading punches. Heller was heftier and definitely strong, but Simon was trained for battle and a black rage coursed through him. Rolling on top of Heller, he hit the man in the face with a series of stunning blows, then grabbed him by the throat and put pressure on his airway.
“Do you have any idea what it feels like to know you’re going to die?” Simon demanded, totally focused on his enemy. He squeezed tighter so the other man was choking, trying to get air. “I do. I was certain of it day after day. I felt like I was already dead and living in hell. A place that will welcome you with open arms.”
He increased the pressure on Heller’s throat even more. The man’s face turned red and he tried to say something, tried to pry Simon’s fingers away, but he couldn’t budge Simon.
“Simon, stop before you kill him!” Lexie’s cry unnerved Simon just for a second. It was all Heller needed.
Heller ripped Simon’s hand from his throat and knocked his arm on a nearby table. The knife wound came in contact with the table’s edge and pain reverberated through Simon so that he saw stars and gasped for breath.
Heller threw him off, got up and ran straight through the open front door. By the time the pain lessened enough to allow Simon to get to his feet, the man was gone. His mind focused on only one thing, he stopped in the doorway to visually track the man’s footprints, visible in the night. The snow had cleared and the moon was out. The footprints ran straight into the fog coming off the bay.
“Heller’s headed toward the boathouse,” he said, feeling invisible hands pushing him in that direction. He heard a silent chant in his head, urging him to stop Heller. “There’s a speedboat docked at the pier.”
“Don’t go after him!” Lexie pleaded, hanging on to the back of his jacket. “What if he has a gun?”
An invisible struggle pulled Simon in two different directions. The dead wanted their justice. Lexie wanted him alive.
As he looked at the woman he loved, Simon felt the darkness and the voices in his head recede. He couldn’t leave Lexie here alone with Cliff. He had to protect her.
Turning, he saw Cliff pick up something from the floor where Simon had attacked Heller. When the man straightened, his brow was furrowed. He crossed the room, holding out a delicate chain with a gold and emerald pendant.
“Wasn’t Katie wearing this tonight?” he asked.
Lexie grabbed it from him. “Oh my God, Katie! Where is she?”
Simon’s gut rolled. “Not here. Heller must have her.” He made for the door. “He’s headed for the pier.”
“I’m coming with you!” Lexie said, rushing to catch up.
Cliff was right behind her, but Simon couldn’t deal with the man right now, not when his daughter was in danger. He grabbed Lexie’s hand and ran full-out, the chorus of ghostly voices in his head growing in urgency. They were three-quarters of the way to the boathouse when the door flashed open. Through the mists, Simon saw Heller drag Katie down the pier. She was a little spitfire, fighting him with everything she had, but she was just a kid.
His kid.
“Heller! Let go of Katie now!”
Ignoring him, Heller forced the girl into the speedboat, then jumped in beside her. Simon let go of Lexie’s hand and raced for the pier so fast, his feet seemed to skim the earth as if he were about to take flight.
“Don’t try to follow me and I’ll let the girl live!” Heller shouted, starting the engine. “I’ll even call you to tell you where to find her!”
The speedboat nearly jumped as it took off.
Simon reached the pier too late to climb aboard, but not too late to see his daughter’s tear-stained, frightened face before it disappeared into the fog.
A face that would haunt his every waking moment…
Chapter Eighteen
Lexie screamed in horror as the fog swallowed her daughter, perhaps forever. For a moment, she remained frozen, her mind a void, as if she were dying.
But she wasn’t dying and she refused to let Katie go without a fight. Whipping around to find Cliff coming up behind her, she shouted, “That new speedboat—the fast one—tell me it’s here.”Cliff nodded and ran past her into the boathouse.
Lexie ran to Simon and as he turned to her, she saw an unfamiliar sheen in his eyes.
“Lexie, I’m sorry,” Simon said. “I should have gone after that bastard Heller right away.”
“You couldn’t have known he’d stashed Katie in the boathouse. We’ll get her back. We have to.” The reassurance was as much for herself as it was for him.
“He won’t let her go. She’s seen his face.”
Though Lexie already knew that, she couldn’t lose hope. “We’ll catch up to them.”
“How do you think we can catch him with the head start he has?” Simon asked, even as an engine roared to life from the boathouse.
Lexie took Simon’s hand and pulled him farther along the pier, while Cliff edged the futuristic-looking craft out of the boathouse and toward them.
“That’s how.”
As the speedboat came alongside them, Simon leaped onto the hull then held out a hand for Lexie. She grabbed it and jumped, her stomach shaking as the boat rocked on contact. He helped her navigate the hull and climb into the seat behind Cliff, then jumped into the one next to her.
“Go!”
The speedboat practically flew into the fog. Lexie had no idea how Cliff knew where he was going or even what direction he should take as he ripped
through the blinding wet cloud.
Dear Lord, let them find Katie…let them get their daughter back safely.
Lexie knew it was her fault that Katie was gone. If she hadn’t distracted Simon, Heller would never have gotten away. But if she hadn’t done so, Simon might have killed Heller. Simon had been so focused on the man, she’d feared he would do something he would regret. Killing in combat, even as a soldier in a private army, was a whole different thing from killing someone in civilian life.
Had Simon done that, he would have been held accountable. To the authorities. To her.
To himself.
For, no matter what he said about his past, Simon was truly a decent man. He had a conscience. Had he taken a life when he could have restrained Heller and handed him over to the authorities, Simon never would have rid himself of that ghost.
Right now, though, with Katie in danger, Lexie wondered if she hadn’t made a mistake in stopping Simon. And if something happened to her daughter…Lexie could see how easily a person could get caught up in dark, dangerous thoughts like revenge.
A moment later, they tore through the fog into open water and rough seas. Through the remaining trails of mist, she could see the wake left by the other speedboat.
And then the boat itself.
Simon squeezed her hand and, tears forming in her eyes, Lexie met his gaze.
“We’ll get her back,” he promised.
She had to believe him. Had to believe there could be a happy ending, at least as far as Katie was concerned. Nodding, she forced down the growing lump in her throat and focused straight ahead.
Cliff guided them through the other boat’s wake like it was child’s play, yet the seas were rough, the ride nearly painful at times when the boat lifted into the air and then slapped down hard. Water sprayed her, but Lexie hardly noticed. She could see the people in the other speedboat now—her daughter huddled in a rear seat, Heller standing behind the wheel.
Heller kept looking back as they inched closer. Lexie could almost feel his panic increase as Cliff tried to bring their boat alongside his.
“Get as close as you can!” Simon shouted, letting go of Lexie’s hand.
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