by Jenna Jacob
“She’s told me plenty about you, too, you evil little bastard.” Pushing past Katie, Gran moved in close as she railed at him. “Get your dirty, drug-addicted, womanizing, alcoholic, abusive, raping carcass back into your fancy car and get the hell out of my sight.”
Doug threw back his head and laughed. His familiar patronizing tone made Katie’s blood boil.
“Well, I know who Kaitlin gets her gutter mouth from.”
Doug’s condescending smile fell as he darted a crazed glance between Gran and her. She felt Sky shift subtly beside her and the muscles in his arms bunch as he clenched his fists.
“Kaitlin, you and Granny go get in the car. And if you’re really good, I’ll let you watch me crush the old bitch’s windpipe when I strangle her scrawny fucking neck!” Doug screamed. His eyes bulged and spittle flew from his lips.
Before Katie could tell him to go fuck himself, Sky slammed his fist into Doug’s jaw with a solid right hook. His head snapped back, and he sailed off the porch, landing flat on his back in the grass with a sickening thud. Sky jumped off the porch as Doug writhed and screamed. With one hand at the scruff of Doug’s neck, he pulled him off the ground. His expensive Italian loafers glistened in the moonlight as he kicked and flailed. Pulling back his fist, Sky roared.
“No. Don’t,” Doug screamed. “You hit me again and I’ll call the cops and have you arrested for assault.”
“Who says you’re going to be alive to make that call, fucker?” Sky’s eyes had gone as dull and as lifeless as Doug’s. “I’ll be the one making a call…to the coroner.”
Katie stood in horror as Sky slammed a mighty fist into Doug’s gut. The air left his lungs in a sickening grunt. Still suspended off the ground, he curled up like an armadillo. She raced down the stairs unable to reconcile what she would do if Sky ended up in jail for the murder he was sure to commit.
“Stop. Stop. Please, Sky,” she begged as she gripped his rock-solid bicep. “Let him go. He’s not worth it…not worth losing you.”
Sky snapped his head in her direction. It took several long seconds before she saw life flicker back into his eyes.
“I love you. You can’t spend the rest of your life in prison over him,” she jeered at Doug.
With a feral roar, Sky slung Doug into the air. Once more on the ground, he recovered quickly and jumped to his feet as Sky’s long strides ate up the distance between them.
“Thank the lady for saving your life, you pussy-assed bitch,” he roared at Doug. “Then get the hell out of here, because if I see your face again, you’ll get no mercy a second time.”
Satisfaction pulsed in her veins. She’d never seen Doug scared or contrite. It was a glorious sight.
“I—I’m sorry, Kaitlin,” Doug choked as he ran to his car.
Without looking back, Sky tugged her to his side before they and Gran walked inside the house, closing and locking the door behind him.
“Thank you, Sky.”
He smiled tightly and kissed her forehead, still seething in rage. “My pleasure,” he replied on a heavy sigh, as if expelling his anger. A smile kicked up the corners of his lips. “I mean truly a pleasure.”
Reaching up, he flipped off the lights, plunging the room into darkness.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Making sure the asswipe leaves,” he replied, pulling back the curtains and peering outside.
Katie inched in next to him and watched as Doug whipped the Bentley onto the gravel road. Instead of driving away, he turned up Gran’s drive once again.
“That bitch doesn’t use the brains god gave him, does he?” Sky grumbled.
“He’s waiting me out.”
The protection order lying on Gran’s kitchen table did her no good. She could call Devin Carnes and present him with the paperwork, but once Doug posted bail, he’d find a way to kidnap or kill her. An icy shiver leapt up her spine.
“Let him wait. You and Gran can spend the night. If Doug’s still up there in the morning, we’ll call Devin.”
“Why don’t we just call him right now?” Gran asked, pressing her nose to the glass window. “Now who’s come to join the party?”
Katie and Sky both watched as a long black limousine pulled in behind Doug’s Bentley. A man appeared wearing a long dark trench coat and a black Fedora pulled low over his face.
“Looks like someone followed him,” Sky murmured as the three of them stared across the road.
Katie watched as the man from the limo approached the Bentley. Doug climbed out quickly, pausing to exchange words before he turned and hurried toward the center of Gran’s yard. The other man followed, but she soon lost them behind the old oak tree blocking her view.
“Did you recognize the guy in the hat?” Sky asked.
“No. I couldn’t see his face. Can either of you still see them?” she asked before being met with a resounding no from them both.
Suddenly Sky sprinted down the hall. “Where’s he going?” she asked Gran, who shrugged as Greg and Brooke joined them at the window.
“Nina finally crashed. She’s in her bed,” Brooke relayed to Gran, stroking her frail shoulder.
“Doug didn’t leave. He’s up at the house and now there’s a limo—”
“We know,” Greg interrupted. “Sky told us. He’s getting geared up to head up there and see what’s going on.”
“Geared up? What does that— No! Hell no. He’s not going up there,” Katie spat.
“Yes, I am,” Sky announced as he darted back in the room dressed from head to toe in a black bodysuit with weapons strapped across his body. He looked like a killing machine. “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful.”
“You’ll be careful?” Katie shrieked. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
“Only when I’m alone with you, darlin’,” he drawled.
Panic swelled inside her. With each passing second, the nightmare unfolding kept getting more and more frightening and surreal.
“You are not going out there,” she huffed. “What if the guy in the limo is a hit man sent by one of Doug’s loan sharks? You think he’s going to hesitate to kill you, too?”
“Sweetheart, you watch too many movies,” Sky soothed.
“No.” She shook her head. “You can’t do this.” Turning, she homed in on Brooke. “You can’t condone this…this insanity. Stop him.”
The woman issued Katie a compassionate smile, all but confirming her approval for Sky to risk his life for…nothing.
“Fine. If you won’t stop him, then I’m calling Devin.”
Spinning on her heel toward the kitchen, Brooke reached out and snagged Katie’s wrist, a placid smile on her face. “He’ll be all right. Sky was a Recon Marine. Flushing out the enemy is what he was trained to do. I have faith in his abilities and so should you.”
“This is Connor, for fuck’s sake, not Iraq…and I do have faith in him, but christ…you can’t let him just waltz over there. That’s… You’ve all lost your damn minds.”
Sky winked at Brooke as a smug expression settled over his features. She seemed to be losing a war she’d never wanted to wage.
“Fine. If you’re going out there, then I’m going with you.”
Sky pursed his lips in a frown. “No. Your sexy little ass is staying right here. That’s nonnegotiable,” he informed her as he tugged one of the guns from the weapons belt cinched around his waist. “Keep my loved ones safe while I’m gone.” He smiled as he handed the pistol to Greg.
“I’ll guard them with my life,” he assured, pulling back the slide and chambering a round.
The sound of the cold metal sent a fresh wave of rage and panic rising inside her.
“My shooting skills are exceptional,” she boasted in an effort to plead her case and accompany him.
“Good. If Greg gets shot, grab the gun and fire away,” Sky said with a chuckle.
“How the hell can you laugh about this?” she railed as she stormed toward the front door to block him from leaving. �
��I won’t let you go out there.”
Sky’s expression softened as he pressed in close against her body, forcing her back flush against the door. The sinful heat bled through their clothing. His masculine scent wafted over her, igniting a fire between her legs.
Jesus! How can you think about sex at a time like this? she chided inwardly.
Reaching up, Sky brushed his knuckles down her cheek. The sensation only served to weigh down the already crushing need to keep him alive. She gave serious thought to reaching down and grabbing his cock and then dragging him to his room. Tying his ass to the bed and fusing her body to his until morning.
“Please don’t go out there,” Katie begged in a barely audible whisper.
Sky bent and brushed his lips against her neck. “If you truly trust me, then you need to trust me all the way, sweetness.”
“I do. It’s Doug I don’t trust,” she replied beseechingly.
“Neither do I.” Sky eased back, wrapping his fist around the rifle. “That’s why I have this.”
Beyond pissed, she wasn’t shy about hitting him below the belt. “What about Nina? What happens to her if you die?”
Sky clenched his jaw in anger at her tactic. “Do you honestly think I’d be so reckless as to leave my family? Leave you? Dammit, Katie, I just got you back. I’m sure as hell not going to lose you now.” His rich, buttery promise slid through her. It actually smoothed some of the raw edges within, but not nearly enough to alleviate any of her fears.
“The only way you—”
Sky slammed his mouth over hers, cutting off her protest with a brutal kiss. But all too soon, he pulled from her lips and pressed his forehead against hers. “I love you. I will be back. That’s a promise.” Lifting her off her feet, Sky plucked her away from the door and darted out into the night.
Her lips were still tingling as she stared at the closed door in front of her. As her mind filled with flashes of Sky’s bullet-riddled body lying in the road, she wanted to fly out into the darkness and chase after him. Instead, she turned and shot Brooke a hateful glare.
“I can’t believe you let him pull such a dangerous stunt,” she growled.
“Oh, honey.” Brooke sighed. “He’ll be just fine.”
“You don’t know that,” she cried. “Accidents happen. People die. I don’t want Sky to die. Do you?” Tears stung her eyes and her voice cracked. “Doug isn’t worth it…isn’t worth any of this.”
“No. I don’t want him to die, and he won’t. Sky’s not doing this for Doug, honey.” Brooke smiled lovingly. “He’s doing this for you.”
Katie didn’t feel worthy of the risk he was taking. A fat tear slid down her cheek. Hopelessness warred with anxiety. Katie’s heart thundered in her chest, and bile rose in the back of her throat. Overwhelmed and terrified, she wanted to scream, vomit, and stomp her feet, but it wouldn’t do any good. Sky was gone…out there facing god knew what.
Gran hugged her tight. “Everything is going to be all right. Try to relax, honey,” the old woman cooed.
She couldn’t relax. Closing her eyes, she stayed in Gran’s arms as she strained to hear anything outside the house. A noise…anything that might give her some indication of what was going on. But all Katie could hear was the mad chirp of crickets.
Damn you, Sky. You’re not some invincible superhero. Come back. Please come back.
The minutes ticked by like hours. Each nerve ending in her body felt raw and exposed. Even Gran’s loving arms chafed. Katie felt as if she were suffocating. Tearing from her grandmother’s embrace, she paced the room like a caged tiger.
“Honey.” Greg’s voice was soft and gentle as he rose from the couch. He approached her as if trying to tame a wild animal. “You’re letting yourself get worked up for nothing. Sky’s a decorated Marine. He knows what he’s doing.”
As she opened her mouth to speak, a single gunshot split the night. Her guts turned to liquid, and her heart lodged in her throat.
“Sky! No. Oh, god, no. Please don’t leave me. I love you!” Katie wailed as she hobbled toward the door on rubbery legs.
“Grab her, Greg,” Brooke cried in a panicked tone.
As Katie’s fingers gripped the doorknob, strong arms cinched her from behind. Greg plucked her up as if she were a bundle of hay and hauled her away from the portal. Struggling to break free, Katie cursed and kicked, landing a hard heel to his shin.
“Stop!” Greg barked. “You’re not going out there.”
Suddenly, Gran was there once more, smoothing a hand over Katie’s hair.
“Let me go. I need to see if Sky’s hurt,” she hissed.
The sound of gravel spitting beneath tires drew everyone’s attention. Greg quickly released Katie and killed the lights. Gran whipped the curtains back as they all clustered at the window. They watch in silence as the long black limo lurched like a rocket down the road. Doug’s Bentley remained parked beside her Jag, but neither he nor Sky was anywhere in sight.
“Do you see him?” Katie asked as she maniacally scanned the yard and overgrown brush along the edges of the road. “Do you see Sky?”
“Not yet,” Greg replied, handing Brooke the gun. “I’ll be back. Lock the door behind me, love.”
Tearing away from the window, Katie lifted her chin. “I’m going with you.”
“No way.” Greg shook his head adamantly. “Sky would skin me alive if I let you leave this house.”
“There he is,” Gran cried from the window. “I see Sky.”
Relief exploded inside her, and a burst of air rushed from Katie’s lungs as she pressed in close to the window. Across the street, she saw Sky bent at the waist as if studying something in the yard. She caught movement from the corner of her eye and spied Greg running toward Sky. A feral growl rolled from the back of her throat as she turned and bolted out the door.
The sound of their footfalls caused Sky to jerk upright and raise the big rifle in their direction. When it registered that she and Greg posed no threat, he lowered his weapon with a ripe curse. His face was lined with rage.
“Stop,” he yelled, raising his palm. “Don’t come any closer. Katie, I want you to go back inside and call Devin. Doug’s dead.”
Doug’s dead. Doug’s dead. The words echoed in her brain, like lyrics of a song without a tempo.
“Dead?” she gasped. Skidding to a halt, she bumped into Greg, who reached out and snagged her around the waist to steady her.
“Yes, baby, he’s dead. Go back inside. You don’t need to see this.” Sky’s voice resonated with sorrow.
A tsunami of emotions tore through her. Rage. Guilt. Relief. Grief. Feelings she couldn’t process all culminated to form a swirl of disbelief. A strangled cry tore from her throat, and as her knees gave out, she buckled against Greg.
Sky raced across the road. Slinging the rifle behind his shoulder, he swept Katie up into his arms. Shock pinged through her system like a pinball as he held her tightly against his rugged chest. He was whispering words of comfort, but she couldn’t string their meaning together. It was all simply white noise in her head. The only thing breaking through the chaos was Sky’s arms and the safety and refuge she found in them. Burying her face in his shirt, Katie wept. Not in sorrow but in relief. The monster who had tried to destroy her was dead.
“I’ll go call Devin,” Greg announced grimly.
Slowly lifting her head, she dried her eyes. The branches and leaves of the trees rustled, painting macabre shadows to dance in a chilling ballet all around them. Fear inched up her spine.
“I’m scared,” Katie whispered as she gripped Sky tighter.
“I know you are. But you’re safe. It’s all over. He can’t hurt you ever again.”
“Did you…did you kill him?”
“Unfortunately, no. Someone else took that pleasure from me.”
“It was the guy from the limo, right?”
“Yes. I only caught a glimpse of his face for a split second. I’m not sure I could identify him again if I had t
o.”
“But you saw him pull the trigger?”
“Yes.” Sky nodded. “I worked my way down the road, then crossed and slipped into Gran’s field. I could hear Doug arguing with the other man, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. By the time I crawled to the back of the gazebo, all I saw was the muzzle flash, heard the recoil, and watched Doug fall as the dude in the limo turned and ran. I tried to get a license number, but he’d kicked up too much dust from the road as he tore out of here.”
A strobe of red and blue lights pierced the darkness. She and Sky watched the police car speed toward them, sans the siren. As Devin slowed to a stop, Sky eased her to the ground but kept his arm wrapped protectively around her waist.
“Greg called in a murder,” Devin announced with an uneasy tone. “I thought he was fucking with me, but by the looks on your faces…a murder? In Connor?”
“Yes,” Sky answered soberly.
“Holy shit.” Devin shook his head. “Greg told Dispatch I should keep an eye out for a limo. I came straight here from Main Street and didn’t see another car at all. What’s the story about that? And where’s the body?”
“Up there.” Sky jerked his head toward Gran’s. “In the yard.”
Katie followed Devin’s gaze as he shoved the cruiser into park and turned off the engine. The hollowness inside her expanded, numbing her limbs, her fingers, and toes.
“Do either of you know the victim?” he asked.
“He’s my…was my business partner and ex…ex-boyfriend,” Katie stammered. “His name is…was Doug McCarthy. He was thirty-eight years old.”
Devin shot Sky a sideways glance. “You sure you didn’t kill him?”
“If you don’t believe me,” Sky snarled as held up his hands, “bag me now and test for powder. Check the weapons, too. They’re as clean as a whistle, just like I left them when I locked them in the gun safe.”
Devin’s expression turned sour. “I was just fucking with you. Lighten up. You sure he’s dead?”
