“I can’t,” Emma said, shaking her head as sweat poured down her brow. “I can’t push again. If I do, he’s going to take him.”
“If you don’t push, I’m going to yank him out myself and take my chances,” Pritchard warned.
“Stop tormenting her,” Mandy ordered. “You’re not helping.”
“Who says I want to help?”
Mandy gritted her teeth to stop herself from saying something hateful and fixed her plaintive eyes on Emma. “You have to push him out,” she said. “I have no idea if this is bad or good for him, but he can’t stay the way he is. You need to push him out so I can make sure his airway is clear.”
“What does that mean?” Pritchard asked, interested despite himself.
“Emma has a book about giving birth, and I looked through it the other night because I was curious,” Mandy replied, tugging on her limited patience. “The book said I have to make sure there’s no mucus in the baby’s mouth once he’s born. Otherwise he could choke and die.”
“I’m definitely keeping you alive to do that,” Pritchard said.
“We also need something to cut the umbilical cord,” Mandy said, an idea forming. “You need to be ready with your knife. Go and wash it in the sink behind the bar.”
“If you try to run … .”
“Yes, I’m going abandon Emma in the middle of birth,” Mandy said. “That’s exactly what I was planning.”
“You know you can’t escape with her in tow, right?”
“Do you honestly think I’m stupid enough to try and run when she’s got a baby poking out of her … loins?”
Pritchard made a disgusted look. “I’m going to enjoy cutting that tongue out of your mouth.”
“Clean your knife,” Mandy instructed. “We don’t want germs in case they get into the baby’s bloodstream through the chord.”
“I didn’t know that was a thing,” Pritchard said, moving to the sink. Mandy paid particular attention to his gait and noticed he was listing to the side. That was good news.
“I didn’t know that was a thing either,” Emma whispered.
“I have no idea if it is,” Mandy replied, keeping her voice low. When Pritchard switched on the water she leaned closer to Emma. “Once the baby is out I’m going after Pritchard. I’m going to put the baby on your chest and make my move. I have no idea if you’re going to be able to walk, but if you can manage to crawl inside that bathroom and lock the door, you need to do it.”
Emma’s eyes filled with fear. “He’ll kill you.”
“I have a better shot of fighting him off than you do,” Mandy replied, her voice eerily calm. “If I don’t survive, tell James I love him. Never blame yourself for what’s about to happen. Promise me.”
“Mandy, don’t.” Emma was crying again.
“We don’t have a choice,” Mandy said. “He’s going to kill me if I do nothing. At least this way we have a shot.”
“It’s clean,” Pritchard said, shutting off the water. “What should I do with it?”
“Wait until I tell you to cut the umbilical cord,” Mandy replied. “Do not get too close to the baby. Cut it in the middle so you don’t make any mistakes. I’m not sure what’s too close, so don’t make a boneheaded move.”
“I’m really going to enjoy killing you,” Pritchard grumbled.
Mandy focused on Emma, clamping her hands over the woman’s knees for a moment. “I need one more big push,” she said. “Once the baby is out, I’ll clean his mouth and nose. If I do it right, he should cry. That’s how we’ll know he’s okay.”
Emma bit her lip and nodded, horrified. If Mandy died and she somehow survived, she knew she would never forgive herself for bringing Lance Pritchard into the Hardy family’s lives.
“Push!”
Emma screamed as she leaned forward, gripping her knees and pushing with all of her might. Mandy slipped her hands beneath the baby’s head, marveling as he appeared into the world. Once Emma managed to pass his shoulders, Mandy carefully put her hand under his head and pulled him the rest of the way out, Emma screeching for the duration.
Mandy’s heart pounded as she turned the baby over and immediately started clearing his mouth. “It’s a boy, Emma. You were right.”
“Why isn’t he crying?” Emma asked.
“I … .” Mandy lifted the baby and exhaled heavily when his high-pitched shriek filled the room.
“Holy cow,” Pritchard said, his eyes widening. “That was amazing.”
Mandy handed the baby to Emma, giving him one long look so she could know what the future of the Hardy family resembled in case she died, and then squared her shoulders. She was out of time. “We need to cut the umbilical cord.”
Pritchard shook himself out of his reverie and took a step away from the bar. “Right. Where should I do it?”
Mandy met Emma’s gaze. “I love you. Don’t forget to tell James I love him, too.”
“Mandy … .”
Mandy waited until Pritchard was right behind her and then she quickly turned and slammed her hand into his groin, grim satisfaction rolling through her when he howled and doubled over. She hopped to her feet and reached for the knife.
Despite the pain, Pritchard refused to leg it go and Mandy gave up after a few seconds of fruitless struggling. She grabbed Pritchard’s glass off the bar and slammed it into his head, following up with the half-empty bottle of bourbon.
Emma struggled to stand, but she didn’t have the strength. All she could do was watch.
“I’m going to kill you!” Pritchard bellowed, the bourbon burning his eyes as he reached out to grab Mandy. She took a step away from him, causing him to stumble forward.
Mandy realized too late that his momentum was going to be her downfall. She desperately tried to sidestep him – and failed. Pritchard landed on top of her, toppling both of them to the ground behind the bar.
“I’m going to gut you, you bitch!”
Mandy instinctively bit his hand when he raised the knife, using her hip to roll him to his side. She used her free hand to struggle over the knife, knowing the only thing standing between Emma and death was her strength.
She had to fight … so she did.
“EMMA!” Finn and James barged into the guesthouse minutes later, guns drawn, and scanned the room.
Finn’s gaze immediately fell on his fiancée, his mouth dropping open when he caught sight of the baby she held in her arms. She was sweaty and exhausted, her auburn hair matted to her face, but she was alive.
Finn raced to her side, dropping to his knees and marveling at his family. “He’s here.”
“He’s okay,” Emma said, her voice cracking. “We’re okay. You made it.”
James looked around, his heart rolling. “Where is Mandy?”
Emma inclined her chin in the direction of the bar. “She’s over there. I think she might be … .”
“What?” James asked, terror rooting him to his spot.
“She was so brave,” Emma said, dissolving into tears. “She delivered the baby and then fought my father. I don’t know what’s over there. I haven’t heard anything since they landed on the other side.”
James pressed his eyes shut, willing this to be a nightmare so he could wake up. When he opened his eyes again, he thought he was going to crumble. He took a step toward the bar. “Baby,” he whispered.
“I’ll look,” Finn said, his heart breaking. “I’ll … .”
James shook his head and took another step. He could see the blood pooling out from behind the bar. It was too much volume for one person to survive losing.
“Pritchard might be back there,” Finn said, pushing himself to his feet and grabbing James’ arm to still him. “I … she might still be alive.”
James jerked his arm away and continued walking forward, placing one step in front of the other. If Pritchard was alive, he was going to choke the life out of him. If his wife was dead …. .
James forced himself to look around the corner, his eyes lan
ding on Pritchard’s still form and the knife sticking out of his neck. Then his eyes found what he searched for.
“Mandy!” He dropped to his knees and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms and holding her as she silently sobbed and shook. “Baby … baby … baby.”
“She’s okay,” Finn said, nodding at Emma. “She’s okay.”
Grady picked that moment to burst into the room with Emma, Ally, and Jake on his heels. “The house is empty.”
“They’re here,” Finn said.
“Omigod! It’s the baby.” Ally rushed to Emma.
“Where’s Pritchard?” Grady asked.
James lifted Mandy off the ceramic tile and hoisted her into his arms as he stood, carrying her away from the blood and mayhem as she incoherently cried against his chest. “He’s dead.”
“Good riddance.”
Twenty-Four
“Pritchard’s body has been removed from your house, but it’s still an active crime scene,” Sheriff Morgan informed James an hour later. “You can’t go back there tonight. We should be able to turn it back over to you tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll go to a hotel,” James said dully, his eyes fixed on the bathroom door. Mandy was on the other side, insisting on cleaning herself up when she finally regained her voice. She’d barely said five words to him since he picked her up from the floor. He couldn’t take being separated from her for much longer.
“Is Lassiter dead?” Grady asked, his fingers linked with Sophie’s as she clung to his side.
“He died a few minutes after you guys took off,” Morgan replied. “I … I am sorry all of this happened. I feel like we should’ve realized this was going to occur and somehow stopped it. How are Emma and the baby?”
“They’re being checked over now,” Grady answered, his worried eyes scanning James as he watched his brother rest his head against the bathroom door. “The paramedics said the baby looked healthy and Emma should be fine despite the traumatic labor.”
“It sounds like your sister-in-law did one heck of a job given the circumstances,” Morgan said.
“She was a hero,” Grady agreed.
“Where is she now?” Morgan asked. “We need to question her.”
“You’re going to leave her alone,” James said. “She’s not in any condition to talk.”
“We need a statement about Pritchard’s death,” Morgan pressed. “This story is going to be all over the evening news. It’s going to go national.”
“You can have Emma’s statement,” James said. “She saw everything but the actual … event. You can talk to Mandy in a few days. I don’t want you grilling her now. She can’t take it.”
“I know you’re upset, but … .”
“Don’t push me,” James warned. “My wife held off a madman today. She delivered a baby. She protected his mother. She fought off and killed a murderer who was bent on wiping out half of our family. She needs time to decompress. Don’t even think of going near her.”
Morgan held up his hands in a placating manner. “I’m sorry.”
“He doesn’t mean anything by it,” Grady said, his voice low. “He wasn’t sure what he was going to find behind the bar. Mandy has barely spoken. He’s a wreck.”
“I understand that,” Morgan said. “Ms. Pritchard’s statement should suffice for now.”
“I still don’t understand how Pritchard got into the guesthouse,” Sophie said.
“Emma said he admitted to crawling on the ground in the dead of the night to get to the trees,” Grady said. “Peter’s men would’ve only seen him if they were directly looking at that spot. None of those streets are well lit.”
“Peter is going to be angry,” Sophie said.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s angry or not,” Grady countered. “It’s over and done with. Pritchard is dead and our family is alive.”
“Speaking of your family, where is everyone else?” Morgan asked.
“They’re with Emma,” Grady said, internally sighing when James gave in to his own needs and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. “My sister isn’t going to let that baby out of her sight.”
“Have they named him yet?”
“I don’t think so.”
JAMES thought he was going to burst into tears when he found Mandy sitting on the bathroom floor, her clothes caked with blood as she leaned against the wall and silently sobbed into her knees.
He sat down next to her on the cold linoleum and slipped an arm under her legs. He tugged her on top of him, turning her so she was facing him and he could position her legs on either side of his hips. Then he dragged her to his chest and wrapped her in his arms.
“You’re okay, my baby,” he murmured, rubbing her back. “I have you.”
“I killed him.” It was the first time she’d spoken in almost a half hour and James wanted to weep in gratitude even though he didn’t agree with the sentiment behind her tears.
“You didn’t have a choice, baby,” James said, tangling a hand in her hair as he rocked her from side to side. “You did what you had to do to survive. You saved Emma. You saved the baby. You saved yourself. You saved me, too. I can’t survive without you.”
“I feel … numb,” Mandy said. “It doesn’t feel real.”
“You’re in shock,” James said, kissing her forehead. “You’ll feel differently tomorrow.”
“I’m a killer.”
James fought the urge to scream. She was entitled to her feelings, but he couldn’t understand grief for a child-molesting murderer. “You’re not a killer, baby,” he said. “You’re a hero. You saved our entire family today. You did it all on your own. I’ve never been more proud of anyone in my entire life.”
“I want to go home,” Mandy said, burrowing her face in the hollow of James’ neck.
“Our house is a crime scene,” James explained. “We can’t go back there tonight. I’m getting us a hotel room.”
“Fine. I want to go, though. I don’t want to be here.”
James licked his lips and rubbed her back. “We have one thing we have to do first,” he said. “Pull yourself together.”
“ISN’T he perfect?” Ally cooed, sitting on the bed next to Emma and staring at her nephew with adoring eyes. “I can’t wait to hold him. In fact … gimme.”
“Not now,” Finn said, slapping Ally’s hands away. “Emma isn’t ready to give him up. I only got to hold him for five minutes. She doesn’t want him taken away.”
“So other than your five minutes, Emma is the only one who gets to hold him?” Ally challenged. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“Mandy held him for a second,” Emma said, her voice sad. “She cleared his mouth and nose and then handed him to me. She was amazing.”
“We owe Mandy everything,” Finn agreed, pressing a soft kiss to his son’s head. “I can’t believe how tiny he is.”
“He didn’t feel tiny coming out,” Emma said. “I thought I was dying.”
The unintended joke fell flat and everyone shifted uncomfortably.
“Where is Mandy?” Jake asked, fixing Grady with an unreadable look as he tried to change the subject. “Did James take her home?”
“They can’t go home because the house is a crime scene,” Grady replied. “He’s in the bathroom with her. She’s … shaken up.”
“I don’t understand why,” Ally said. “She did the world a favor.”
“It’s not that simple, angel,” Jake said. “I’m pretty sure she thought she was going to die tonight. She was willing to do it to save Emma and the baby. Give her some space.”
“James is getting a hotel room,” Grady said. “I think as a family gift, we should band together and gut the saloon and redecorate it as a surprise. I think we should change everything.”
“That’s a good idea,” Ally said, brightening. “Can I be in charge of decorations?”
“No,” Grady said. “James is making the decisions. I just thought it would be a nice surprise.”
“What
will be a nice surprise?” James asked, moving into the doorway with Mandy pressed tightly to his side. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her clothes were completely covered with Pritchard’s blood.
“We were just talking about a few things,” Jake lied, moving to the side to make room for the new additions in the tiny room.
“How are you?” Emma asked, her eyes wide.
“I’m fine,” Mandy choked out.
“Thank you for what you did,” Finn said, moving to her and drawing her in for a smothering hug. “You saved my family.”
“She saved all of us,” James corrected. “We need to be going, but I thought Mandy should see Emma and the baby before we leave. We’re staying in the hotel for two nights. Don’t come over there bothering us tomorrow. I want the whole day just for the two of us.”
“Of course,” Emma said, lifting her bundle of joy and extending her arms. “Do you want to hold him?”
Mandy looked down at her hands. She’d scrubbed them, but blood still remained close to her fingernails. “Not until I’m clean. I don’t want him near the blood.”
Emma blanched. Mandy’s demeanor was painful to watch. “I understand,” she said, pulling the baby back. “I … thank you for what you did. I wouldn’t have survived without you.”
“You’re strong, Emma. You can survive anything.”
“I couldn’t have done that alone,” Emma countered. “You’re my hero. You’re my baby’s hero, too.”
Finn cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Speaking of that … ,” he said. “Isn’t it about time you told everyone his name?”
Emma glanced down at the slumbering infant, his sweet face pressed against her chest, and smiled. “That’s a good idea.”
“Do you know his name?” Ally asked.
“I do,” Emma said. “Meet Avery James Hardy.”
A small smile played at the corner of James’ lips as he risked a look at his wife. She was awed … and confused.
“You named him Avery? Why?”
“Because he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you,” Emma answered. “I can’t very well name him Mandy. I thought this would be a nice way for your last name to live on.”
Deadly Arrival (Hardy Brothers Security Book 16) Page 19
