“She was right behind me in the hallway when the alarm started going off,” Heidi offered, clasping her hands. “When I got to the lobby she was just … gone.”
James moved toward the building, a sheriff’s deputy cutting him off. “Sir, you can’t go in there.”
“My wife is in there,” James said. “I’m going in. If you try to stop me … .”
Finn put a hand on James’ arm to quiet him. “Don’t put yourself in a position where they haul you away,” he warned.
“Let him in,” MacIntosh said, stepping forward. “There could be a situation with Lance Pritchard in that building. I’m ordering you to clear the way.”
“Why would Lance Pritchard risk coming to the courthouse in the middle of a fire drill?” the deputy asked, dubious.
“I’m pretty sure he’s the one who pulled the alarm,” James spat. “I’m going after my wife. Don’t try and stop me.”
Macomb County Sheriff Aaron Morgan appeared next to the deputy, his face grave as he listened. “You think this is Pritchard?”
“I think my wife is the only one who didn’t come out of that building,” James said. “I’m finding her right now.”
“Let him through,” Morgan said, falling into step with James and Finn. “Let’s find her. Everyone fan out. I want the building searched from top to bottom. No one is to leave this area.”
James was a bundle of nerves by the time he hit Mandy’s floor, he stepped out of the elevator with Morgan, MacIntosh, and Finn flanking him and almost cried out in relief when he saw Mandy standing in front of one of the conference rooms. James raced toward her, tugging her into his arms. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Why didn’t you evacuate with everyone else in the building?” Morgan asked, his words accusatory, but his tone calm.
“He was here,” Mandy said, burying her face in James’ neck. “It was Pritchard.”
“I knew it,” James hissed, tightening his grip on Mandy. “Did he hurt you?”
“Just a little.”
James stilled, pulling his face back so he could study Mandy’s features. “How little?”
“He just pulled my hair and slammed me into the wall of the conference room,” Mandy replied, frowning as James growled. “I didn’t see him until he already had me. I’m … sorry. I should’ve realized what was happening.”
“I’m going to kill him,” James muttered, rocking his wife as Morgan got on his radio and demanded his deputies start a search grid for Pritchard.
“He’s already gone,” Mandy volunteered. “He said he had a way in and out.”
“I want him dead,” James seethed.
“Son, you need to calm yourself,” MacIntosh said. “Mandy is obviously safe.”
“That animal put his filthy hands on my wife,” James shot back. “I want him dead.”
Finn shot a small shake of his head in MacIntosh’s direction. He recognized James’ state of mind for what it was: terror. “What did he say to you?”
“He wanted me to take a message to Emma for him,” Mandy replied, shifting so she could meet Finn’s troubled gaze. “He wants her to know he’s coming for her.”
“I don’t understand why he would risk coming here,” MacIntosh said. “He had to know he couldn’t drag Mandy out of this building. He didn’t even try.”
“It’s psychological warfare,” James said, keeping Mandy in his arms but swiveling to face the others. “He wants to mess with us. It’s a game to him. He wants us to know that he’s figured out our relationships to one another and that he can get to us if he wants to do it.”
“I tried lying about seeing Emma, but he knew what I was doing,” Mandy said. “I told him I would die before sending her a message, but … .”
James narrowed his eyes. “You did what?”
“Um … .”
“Don’t yell at her,” Finn said. “She did the best she could in a bad situation. If you yell at her, I’m going to yell at you.”
Jams pressed Mandy’s head to his chest. “You drive me crazy, wife. This is my fault, though. We should’ve known he would be bold given who he is. He likes the notoriety.”
“We need to announce he was sighted here to the population so they’ll be on the lookout,” Morgan said. “We’re going to get thousands of calls because the residents are going to see him on every street corner, but it’s also going to make it harder for him to navigate this area. What was he wearing?”
“Jeans and a flannel shirt,” Mandy replied. “It was blue.”
“He’ll probably ditch those clothes,” James said. “Maybe someone will see him before he has a chance.”
“We need to go over all the cameras on the main floor, too,” Morgan said. “I want to know how he got in this building and then back out without anyone noticing. There’s a flaw in the security here that Pritchard managed to exploit. I want it fixed and business is done here until it is.”
“Do you think he’ll come after Mandy again?” MacIntosh asked.
“If he can’t get to Emma, he’s going to try and take Mandy or Ally,” James answered. “In theory Sophie might make an enticing target, but Pritchard has done his homework. He’s going to know that Peter Marconi is her foster father.”
“And Marconi is going to do a lot worse to him if he catches him than we are,” Morgan added. “I’m actually surprised Marconi isn’t working with you on this.”
James and Finn exchanged a look.
“He is,” James said finally. “In fact … where is the man he had watching you in court, baby?”
“He wasn’t watching me in my office,” Mandy answered. “He probably went down with everyone else when the alarm went off. He couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”
“Well, that’s another hole that needs to be plugged in our security,” James said.
“I’m going downstairs to coordinate,” Morgan said. “Let me know if you get anything else.”
James nodded, absentmindedly pressing a kiss to Mandy’s forehead as he swayed.
“Are you going to make Emma aware of her father’s deeds this afternoon?” MacIntosh asked Finn.
“Of course not,” Mandy scoffed.
“No, I’m doing it,” Finn said. “She has to … snap out of this.” He offered Mandy a wan smile. “She needs a kick in the pants. I think this will pretty much do it.”
“She’ll feel guilty about this and it’s not her fault,” Mandy protested.
“Maybe that’s how she’ll find her strength,” Finn suggested. “It doesn’t matter, though. I’m not lying to her. We’re going to have a talk as soon as I get back to the office.”
“We’re going to have a talk, too, wife,” James said, tilting Mandy’s chin up. “We’re going to talk about being the last one to leave during an emergency when a potential killer is on the loose, and we’re going to talk about telling a criminal that you would rather die than send a message.”
“Can we do that after dinner? I didn’t get to finish my lunch.”
“Sure,” James said, smoothing her hair down. “It will be more fun if we’re already naked anyway.”
“You two have issues,” Finn muttered. “I guess it’s time to work out my own issues before commenting on yours, though, huh?”
Mandy reached out and squeezed his hand. “You guys are going to be okay.”
“I hope so.”
EMMA sat on the couch, her hands clasped in her lap as she watched the afternoon news. She didn’t look up when Finn let himself into the apartment.
“Hi, sweetie,” Finn said, dragging her attention to him. “How was your day?”
“Jake came up and put all of the new baby furniture together and arranged the nursery,” Emma answered.
Finn stilled, surprised. “He did? He didn’t have to do that. I would’ve gotten around to it.”
“I think he wanted to check on me and that was a convenient excuse to hang around,” Emma admitted, her dark eyes thoughtful as they searched Finn’s face. Fo
r some reason even she couldn’t explain, she was more settled today. She was trying to identify the reason why, but she couldn’t. “Did you talk to Lupo?”
“We did,” Finn said, moving to the couch and sitting next to his fiancée. He picked up her hand and rubbed his fingers over it, ultimately settling with rubbing her tense joints as he decided how to approach the conversation. “Lupo says that your father wants revenge on your mother, Jeff, and you. Since he can’t get to Jeff and your mother, he’s focused on you.”
“I don’t think that’s a surprise to anyone.”
Finn was bolstered by the lack of tears and hysterical energy. Something was different today. “I have something else to tell you, and I’m afraid to do it. I’m more afraid not to do it, though.”
“Then I guess you should tell me.”
“Someone pulled the fire alarm at the circuit courthouse today,” Finn said, opting to go to the heart of the matter instead of dallying. “Mandy was grabbed in the hallway. It was your father. She’s fine, but she had a nice talk with your dad.”
Emma’s already pale face drained of color. “Did he hurt her?”
“He pulled her hair and tossed her into a wall.”
“Is she okay?” Emma asked, leaning forward. “Please tell me she’s okay.”
“She’s fine,” Finn said, squeezing Emma’s hand. “Mandy’s biggest worry right now is the fight she’s going to have with James regarding her stupidity when trying to leave the building and the way she mouthed off to your father.”
“He better not yell at her,” Emma grumbled. “I’ll force my water to break on his foot if he does.”
Finn chuckled. He couldn’t help himself. There was something … stronger … about Emma’s demeanor. He had no idea where that strength was coming from, but he was thankful and pleased with her new resolve. “You seem different, sweetie.”
“I know,” Emma said, rubbing her free hand over her stomach. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. It’s not right and it’s not fair to you.”
Finn arched an eyebrow. “Fair? I don’t care about you being fair right now. I care about you being okay.”
“I know I’ve been a basket case the past few days, and I’m ashamed at the way I’ve been acting,” Emma said. “Jake and I had a talk today.”
Finn remained quiet, although he was intrigued that Jake managed to get through to Emma when he couldn’t. He was also a little jealous, but he would never own up to those feelings.
“Jake suggested that I was hiding because I had something to lose now when I didn’t have anything to lose before,” Emma explained. “Death would have been welcome at a certain point when my father was terrorizing me. Now I have everything to lose and it caused me to shut down.”
“You’re not going to lose the baby or me,” Finn cautioned.
“I’m not,” Emma agreed. “I never knew what it was like to love someone with my whole heart. That’s how I feel about you. That’s how I feel about the baby, too, even though I haven’t met him yet.
“Jake said I was living my life like I’d already lost it and that I might want to consider living my life with the determination to survive instead,” she continued. “I was kind of irritated with him when he first said it, but now I think he was right.”
“I think I’m going to give Jake a big kiss next time I see him,” Finn said, causing Emma to giggle. Finn’s heart soared at the sound. She hadn’t laughed in days. “I kind of want to give you a big kiss, too.”
Emma leaned into him, pressing her lips firmly against his. Finn cupped the back of her head and lengthened the kiss, basking in Emma’s warmth and the way she melted into him. When they separated, Emma’s smile was rueful.
“I wish we could celebrate my return to sanity another way, but the doctor says it could be any day now and I do not want to start the story of our son’s birth with ‘well, Daddy and I were having sex and my water broke.’”
Finn barked out a laugh, delighted. “Sweetie, you’ve already given me the best gift in the world today just by being you,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about anything else. I’m a little surprised you’re not more worked up about your father approaching Mandy at the courthouse. I’m not going to lie. I was worried that was going to cripple you.”
“I know Mandy is okay,” Emma countered. “I know James is going to kill my father if he gets his hands on him. For some reason that makes me feel … stronger. I also know you’re always going to be right here with us.” Emma pressed Finn’s hand to her stomach so he could feel the baby kick. He spent hours each night talking to her bump and pressing his hands to the soft flutters so he could marvel at the reality of a baby being inside of Emma. “This is what I want to focus on. I know you guys are going to get my father. I know he’s not going to ruin this for us. I have faith.”
“No one is ever going to ruin this for us,” Finn said, kissing Emma softly and then lowering his mouth to her stomach. “Isn’t that right, baby? We’re in this for the long haul. I can’t wait to hold you, buddy.”
Emma smiled as she ran her fingers through Finn’s hair. “I can’t either. I just hope my father is in prison when he arrives. Before I wanted to deliver right away because I was desperate to hold him. Now I want him to stay in there until everything is safe.”
“He’s going to be safe either way, Emma,” Finn said. “I promise. Now, since you’re in a good mood, how about we draw a hot bath and I will rub your stomach? Then we’ll have dinner, and after that I’ll rub your feet.”
“You’re planning on doing a lot of rubbing,” Emma teased. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll get spoiled?”
“You’re the least spoiled person I know, sweetie,” Finn replied. “I like taking care of you. After today, that sounds like the best thing in the world to me. I want to spend my night with my two favorite people and lock out the rest of the world.”
“Let’s do that,” Emma said. “Can we order pizza, though? I have a craving.”
“Absolutely,” Finn said. “In fact, why don’t you start the bath and I’ll order the pizza and tell Jake to get it and pay for it so we can lock everything down before dark. I think that will make everyone feel better.”
“Yay!” Emma said, clapping her hands. “Make sure you get pineapple on the pizza.”
Finn made a face. He hated pineapple. “Sure.”
“Get wings, breadsticks, and a salad, too.”
Finn smiled. Her appetite was a recent thing, and while he knew it wouldn’t last, he enjoyed her whims. “You’ve got it.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Emma said, winking. “If you hurry into the bath, I might be convinced to rub something of yours so you won’t feel left out. Just because we can’t have sex, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself.”
“You are the love of my life,” Finn said.
“Right back at you.”
Eleven
“Hey, my baby, what are you doing?”
James forced one eye open so he could watch Mandy climb out of bed the next morning. Her hair was a mess, robust making up after their fight the previous night taking a toll, but she was still adorable as she shuffled toward the bathroom.
“I thought you were still asleep,” Mandy grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and pushing her breasts up in a manner that had James considering picking a fight just so they could make up again.
“Is that why you’re sneaking into the bathroom?” James asked, propping his head up with one arm as he studied her. “You’re not going to work. If you think you are … .”
“Don’t tell me what I’m doing,” Mandy snapped. “I am going to work. I heard you on the phone with Peter last night. You’ve made sure I won’t even be in my office alone. We both know I’m going to work. That’s why you and Peter talked last night.”
James opened his mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. She was right. There was no sense trying to bully her.
“Peter didn’t kill that guy who was in the courtroom yester
day, did he?” Mandy asked, taking James by surprise.
“I don’t think so, baby.”
“Make sure he didn’t,” Mandy pressed. “I can’t live with the idea of killing someone.”
“You wouldn’t technically be the one killing him,” James pointed out. “Peter would have someone else do it.”
“You know what I mean,” Mandy said, her voice low. “I … had nightmares.”
James stilled. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I wasn’t going to wake you up and admit to being worried about a mobster killing another mobster because he didn’t watch me properly,” Mandy replied. “I’m not joking, James. I can’t take it.”
“Mandy, don’t worry about that,” James chided. “Peter understands what happened. It was a flaw in our design. We didn’t think Pritchard would go to those lengths. It’s been fixed. You’re going to be safe. I promise.”
“I kept picturing him being killed because I was a dumbass.”
James opened his arms and gestured for Mandy to return to bed. “Come here, wife,” he said, tugging her to him and pulling the covers over their naked bodies so he could warm her. He was bothered by the idea she’d struggled during the night and he was unaware. “I promise Peter didn’t kill that guy. He was unhappy, but he understands what happened. We’ve plugged that hole.”
“As much as I want Pritchard dead – and seeing how bloodthirsty Sophie was the other day was a real eye-opener – the thought of someone dying because of me is too much.”
James smoothed Mandy’s hair down and kissed her forehead. “The thought of you dying is too much for me,” he said. “I’m going to bring you lunch at the courthouse today if I can. If I can’t, you have to promise to sit in your office and talk to Peter’s guy whether you like it or not. I won’t be able to focus if I don’t know you’re safe.”
“I promise.”
“I’m also driving you to work and picking you up,” James said, realizing his mistake and correcting it almost immediately. “If that’s okay with you, I mean.”
Mandy giggled. “You’re trying really hard not to be bossy, and I appreciate it,” she said. “I’m really sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Deadly Arrival (Hardy Brothers Security Book 16) Page 8
