The Unrelenting Tide (Islands of Intrigue: San Juans - Christian Romantic Suspense)

by Bonner, Lynnette

  He sighed. “Dev. I don’t think Dawson knows much about this other guy. I didn’t get a chance to finish interrogating him, but he looked shocked when I asked him about your sister and the bomb that ended up on your doorstep. He admitted to being hired to scare you, but said he never met the man who hired him.”

  She collapsed back against the wall and rubbed her temples with trembling hands. “Carcen, I’m so afraid.”

  “Shhhh,” he snagged her waist and pulled her into his chest, praying she didn’t feel his own terror shuddering through his torso. This lowlife was as slippery as an eel. Perps always made mistakes. He just hoped no one else got hurt before he could discover what this one’s were.

  He rested his cheek against Dev’s and spoke low in her ear. “That’s exactly what he wants. He’s feeling desperate or he wouldn’t be acting out. If you’re right and he did kill Kent, he’s known where you were for four years and hasn’t made a move. So something has set him off. Something has him worried. I just need to figure out what it is.”

  “Carcen,” Devynne laid her palm against his cheek and bit her lower lip. She gave him a look so full of emotion his heart threatened to crash through his ribs.

  “What?”

  “I think it’s us.”

  “Us?” his mind was a spinning cursor – trying hard but going nowhere fast.

  “You and me. I think he doesn’t like the thought of me being with anyone but him.” He felt her tremble. Tears balanced on her lower lids, shimmering, one blink away from cascading into rivulets.

  “But you said strange things have been happening around here for several weeks now. And you and I only…”

  A blush heated her face so swiftly his eyebrows rose.

  “You remember I told you my books would go missing?”

  He nodded.

  “My diary…”

  A jolt of warm sentiment lasered through him at that revelation. She’d written about him in her diary? Okay that could be a—

  A gunshot reverberated through the night. He flinched. Please God, don’t let me lose anyone else tonight.

  Chapter 20

  Carcen jolted upright, his hand firming around her upper arm. “Dev I need you to get in with Marissa.” He snagged her gun from his waistband and pressed it into her palm. “Here. Don’t open the closet for anyone but me, got it?”

  He was going out into the shooting! Metallic fear prickled across her tongue and she clutched at his wrist. “Carcen, you can’t go out there!”

  “I have to.” He touched her cheek but his attention had already turned from her to assessing the curtained sliding door as though his mind was walking through what he would need to do once he got to the other side. He didn’t give her a chance to say more, but thrust her into the dark interior of the closet and pulled the door shut with one last command. “Pray.”

  Her breathing sounded loud and rapid in the tight space. From the floor Marissa’s soft snores came gentle and steady. Devynne tried to emulate the child’s serenity. Oh to be able to rest so peacefully at a time like this!

  Digital beeps sounded as he unarmed the alarm system. Then the sound of metal rolling on metal as the slider rolled open and she felt a cool puff of air blow under the closet door. She heard the soft scuff of his boots against the deck. And then silence.

  Holding her breath she tilted her head to listen. He was out there alone. He needed someone to back him up. And she was the only one left. But she couldn’t leave Marissa!

  Still, she wouldn’t be able help him at all while hiding inside a closet.

  Softly she eased open the door and stepped out pushing it shut behind her. Outlined by the doorframe, Carcen stood still scanning the back yard. The curtain, pushed open at one side of the frame, billowed inward on a draft of air. Outside, the porch light was on so she doubted anyone would be able to see her in the darkened room, but what if Marissa woke up and made a noise?

  She wouldn’t go far, but she wanted to be able to help Carcen if she could. She pressed her back to the wall next to the glass doors and listened.

  A deck board groaned under Carcen’s weight and she heard the slider start to roll shut, but stop suddenly. “You there! This is Sheriff Lang. Freeze!”

  Bushes rustled and then a man’s voice called, “Carcen, it’s me. Listen—”

  “Randy?” There was an edge of hurt in Carcen’s tone. But there was also something that indicated he’d halfway expected the man.

  Devynne let her breath go in a whoosh and such a dizzy spell hit her that she had to lean her head back against the wall for support. Randy? Carcen had to have had some suspicions because he’d asked Shannon to run a background check on him earlier. That would explain the resignation she heard in his tone.

  “Dear Jesus,” she whispered. She’d been out on a date with the man!

  But of course. Everything made sense. He’d lived on the island since just about the time that Kent had been killed.

  Had he been keeping tabs on her for all those years? A shiver sluiced down her spine.

  Why had he only recently evidenced a renewed interest in her?

  It had to be what she’d reasoned earlier with Carcen. He’s jealous. And Carcen, the man he was jealous of, was out there with him, right now. Nausea clenched a fist around her stomach.

  He’d known so much about her at the restaurant. And he’d invited her out to his boat to watch a movie!

  She shuddered. What would have happened if she’d gone with him that night?

  The strength left her legs and she sank into a crouch, suddenly praying like she’d never prayed in her life. Lord, if ever there was a time we needed your protection it’s now. Keep Carcen safe, please. And Marissa. And the other officers.

  “Get down on your knees. Hands behind your head.” Carcen’s low words emerged gravelly and hoarse, as though they were the hardest thing he’d ever had to say.

  “Carcen listen—”

  “Don’t listen to him!” That was Donny Sanchez. Brush crackled and snapped as he apparently bounded down the hillside. “He shot her!”

  Shannon? Or Honey? Devynne’s eyes widened and then slammed shut. One more person’s death credited to her account.

  No, she reminded herself of Carcen’s words. These choices weren’t hers. Someone else had chosen this.

  Randy had chosen this.

  She simply needed to make the most of a bad situation. She was only accountable for her own choices and this was it. She was choosing to stand up for the one’s she loved. She was terrified to leave her sleeping daughter in a closet across the room, for mercy’s sake! If she didn’t stand up to this man right now, that might be the way she had to live the rest of her life!

  God help me!

  She adjusted her grip on the gun, fingered the safety off, and slid closer to the door. Which side were they talking from? She eased the curtain back a little more and peered around it. The room was dark, and the men all stood in a pool of illumination cast by the porch light, so it was easy to see them.

  There. To the left. Randy on his knees just off the front edge of the ground-level deck. Carcen between her and Randy. And Donny at the far left edge of the deck.

  “Carcen…” Leaves rustled as Randy shifted. “I need you to listen to me. I know I should have told you sooner but—”

  “Hey!” Donny yelled, dashing a couple steps closer, his gun firmly extended toward Randy. “Shut up! He shot her, Lang! He shot Niemeyer!”

  Devynne swallowed. So it was Shannon. The woman had deserved better than that. But was Honey okay, then? Had it really been her screaming?

  Sanchez glanced back at the house, but standing out in the porch light as he was, his gaze skimmed across the doorway where she stood without seeing her. “Where’s Devynne? We have to keep her safe!”

  Devynne’s heart pounded. Her safety had to come second to anyone else who might get hurt by Randy Wiseman.

  “Donny, calm down!” Carcen snapped the words but his voice remained cool. He shifted
to the right and she could partially see Randy’s face now, hands lifted in the air by his side. Carcen cleared his throat still speaking in a soothing tone to Donny. “How badly is she hurt?”

  “She’s dead! And that’s not all. We found Boyd. He’s been killed too!”

  Air hissed from Carcen’s lips. “Alright, Donny we aren’t going to panic, you hear? Pull it together for me.” His took another step to the right and she could see Randy clearly now, outlined in a shimmering strip of buttermilk moonlight reflecting off the sea.

  Thoughts of all the agony that man had forced on her drifted through her mind. The death of her sister. Her career. Her marriage. The terror she’d lived with day in and day out for years.

  She raised her gun, but was careful not to squeeze the crimson trace.

  “Randy, lock your hands behind your head. I’m willing to listen to your side, but first you’re going to have to come down to the jail with me.”

  Listen to his side? Did the man deserve to have his side heard? Her sister hadn’t gotten the chance to have her side heard! She’d died in a flaming ball of fire and gouging metal debris. Kent hadn’t gotten a chance to have his side heard. He’d died before he hit the floor, a bullet through his head. She gritted her teeth, hands trembling.

  Then a soft whisper caressed her spirit.

  She was not like this man. Didn’t want to be like him. And if she couldn’t trust God to bring about righteous judgment, who could she trust?

  A slow breath eased through her pursed lips and she dropped the point of the gun toward the ground. She would not become evil in order to stop it.

  “Donny,” Carcen jerked his head toward the house, “Devynne’s in the house. Go in and make sure she’s safe.”

  “You got it, Boss.”

  Relief flooded her. Everything was going to be fine. She shoved her gun into the waistband of her jeans and pulled her shirt over it.

  Donny jogged over and stepped through the doorway. “Hey,” he whispered. “Where’s Marissa? We should get you guys away from here.”

  She tipped her head toward the closet. “In there. I’ll get her.” Pulling open the bi-fold doors she bent down and scooped Marissa into her arms.

  “Carcen,” Randy’s voice coming from outside sounded strained, “think things through here. Think of the angle. I was coming from the south. The shot was on the north side and only a couple seconds before you came out. I’m in private security. I was hired by Devynne’s agent years ago to protect her. And I’ve—”

  “Come on, come on, come on!” Donny motioned for her to hurry up the stairs.

  Marissa rubbed her eyes sleepily and peered over at Donny. “I knew you’d find him, Mommy.”

  One foot on the first stair, Devynne froze. She glanced from Donny to Marissa and back. A cold wash of horror sluiced down her spine.

  The truth of Randy’s words registered. The shot had come from the north and from where Randy had been the house would have totally blocked his view of the two officers who were up near Honey’s.

  Donny blinked and something hardened in his features.

  Her face blanched.

  “Devynne!” Panic laced Carcen’s call as he obviously made the connection she’d just made.

  Sanchez swore. “This ends now!” He bolted back toward the sliding doors, his gun raising.

  “Carcen!” Devynne screamed.

  Marissa started to cry and shoved her face into the crook of Devynne’s neck.

  Randy dove to his right. His hand snatched for the pistol he’d laid down moments earlier.

  Donny’s gun belched red flame as he burst out the door.

  Randy’s body jerked backward. Tumbled off the first tier of her back yard. Landed next to the fire pit, still and unmoving.

  “No!”Carcen dropped to one knee, swinging his Glock toward Donny as he barked, “Donny! Drop your weapo—”

  “Not a chance!” His expression glacial, the young officer kicked out. The sole of his boot connected with Carcen’s wrist. Carcen grunted in pain even as his gun careened into the darkness.

  Carcen’s hand immediately dropped toward his ankle.

  “Ah, ah, ah!” Donny waved the gun in Carcen’s face and he stilled. “You take that back-up piece you carry out nice and slow using two fingers. So much as a twitch and you’re a goner.”

  “Mommy, what’s happening?”

  “Shhhh.” Devynne put Marissa back in the closet. “Stay here, okay?”

  “Mommy—!”

  “—I’ll be back I promise.” She had to help Carcen. Devynne flicked on the closet light but pulled the door closed.

  She could almost see defeat settle over Carcen’s shoulders as he gingerly pulled the pistol from his ankle holster and tossed it over the deck’s edge.

  Gun leveled at Carcen’s head, Donny clearly held all the power now. And there wasn’t even a hint of panic in his eyes. Just cold calculation.

  Carcen slowly lifted his hands to shoulder height, palms out, his focus zipping from Donny’s gun, to Randy’s body, to the open doorway, and back.

  He was unprotected!

  The red splash of her laser cut through the night and danced on Donny’s chest before she even realized she’d pulled out the .38 and stepped into the doorway.

  “There you are. I was afraid you might have run off.” Some of the tension seemed to ease from Donny’s shoulders. “Shania, darling, I suggest you put that little ol’ Smith and Wesson down before your friend here gets hurt because of it.”

  Devynne’s mouth had about as much moisture as the cotton batting on her sewing table. One shot and she could take him out. The man she loved might be killed if she didn’t do something.

  She swallowed. Loved? Yes. Try as she had to fight it, she loved Carcen.

  God what do I do? A verse from the book of John flashed through her mind.

  Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends…

  Suddenly she knew a little of what Kent must have felt that day at Island Grocers. She would do anything to keep Carcen and Marissa safe. Anything. Even if it meant giving her life. Or taking one… Her finger tightened on the trigger.

  But killing him in cold blood from the shadows wasn’t right either. She’d almost shot an innocent man only moments ago. She eased off on the pressure.

  How did she reconcile putting her life on the line for those she loved with other verses about not killing or paying back wrong for wrong when one seemed diabolically opposite the other in this situation? How did she do the one without doing the other when a madman was holding a gun to her loved one’s head? If she could take him out, wasn’t that the better choice to make? Yes. But not like this. Not without giving him a chance to rely on the justice system first.

  She didn’t move, but kept her aim centered and steady on his chest. “Whatever your beef is, Donny, it’s with me, not with Carcen. Let him come in the house and you and I can go wherever you want to.”

  Carcen darted her a glance. “Devynne…” There was a low note of incredulity and anger in his tone.

  Donny barked a laugh. “Wish I could believe you. I really do. But you’ve spent a lot of years ignoring me. After awhile a fellow kind of gets the message, you know?”

  “Ignoring you? I never met you before Dawson attacked me.”

  Donny sighed. “You’re making my point for me, darlin’.”

  She shrugged away the shiver his endearment elicited. “I don’t understand?”

  Donny’s gaze skittered toward her before he snapped it back to Carcen. “I knew the first time we flew to South America together you were my destiny.”

  “South Amer—” She felt her jaw go slack. “You worked on Genesis Expedition?”

  “You really don’t remember me?” Hurt slithered through his words. “I was your body guard, a job I’ve maintained despite getting no pay for the past several years, you should know.” Donny’s attention remained fixed on Carcen, even though he w
as talking to her. “I’m afraid we aren’t going to be able to keep your lover-boy around. Nothing should be allowed to come between us. Not after all I’ve done for you.”

  Devynne’s heart thrashed as though trying to escape her chest. “Don’t shoot him, Donny. I don’t want to shoot you. Let’s just leave and get away together, you and me.”

  Carcen’s feet shifted and his eyes narrowed.

  Sanchez kept his gun trained on Carcen, but turned a soulful look toward her. “Maybe you could change. Do you think you could learn to love me?”

  Devynne forced every acting lesson she’d ever taken to the fore. “I don’t know, Donny. To be honest you haven’t given me a lot of chances to get to know you. But I’m willing to give it a shot. What do you say we get out of here?”

  “Devynne!”

  She ignored Carcen’s aggravated snap and stepped out onto the lighted deck being sure to stay back out of Donny’s reach. The last thing they needed was for him to get his hands on their only remaining means of protection.

  She just needed to distract him long enough to keep Carcen and Marissa safe. Think! She eased a little further out. “What do you say? Where should we go?”

  “Dev, don’t—”

  “Stop it! Step back right now or I will shoot him, I swear!”

  With a quick hop, she placed herself directly between Carcen and Donny’s gun. “I can’t let you do that. You are going to hav—”

  “Mommy I’m scarwed.” Marissa shuffled out the door rubbing red puffy eyes, her blanket clutched haphazardly under one arm.

  No! “Marissa go back!”

  But she was too late. Donny snatched up the little girl and clutched her to his chest with one arm, using her as a shield even as his other hand pressed the muzzle of his pistol into her tiny ribcage.

  Terror bowled over Devynne with the force of a tsunami. She took a stumbling step back, and only the fact that Carcen caught her by the elbows saved her from falling.

  “Don’t shoot, Sanchez!” Carcen thrust her to one side and stepped forward. “You can take me. Do whatever you like. Just don’t hurt her.”