Wanted
Page 14
Hannah wondered that she could still speak over the fury that threatened to choke her. “Why did you spare the boys?”
“I heard a door slam nearby and thought a neighbor may have heard the gunshot. I didn’t want to spoil my timetable, so I let myself out of the garage and drove away. When I’d had time to think about it, I realized that it might work to my advantage to have the boys alive. I figured Ethan would be so locked in grief, he would need my help with them in the future. Especially since his own family and friends began to distance themselves from him.” She smiled. “With a little help from me.”
“It seems you thought of everything.”
Selena looked Hannah up and down with contempt. “Everything except the possibility that my soul mate could actually lose his heart to yet another woman so completely unworthy of him.” She sneered. “A woman who…grovels in the dirt.”
Hannah wasn’t troubled by the insult. For now it didn’t matter what Selena thought of her. What mattered was finding a way to stop her.
“If you love Ethan, how can you bear to bring him such pain?”
“What about my pain? When is it my turn to find a little happiness?” Selena’s voice rose on a thread of hysteria. “I’ve finally realized that Ethan Harrison isn’t worthy of me. He deserves to die like his wife did.”
Hannah nodded. “You’re angry with him.”
“And with you, you slut, for stealing what was rightfully mine.”
“Is that why you laced my water with poison?”
“I wanted you to suffer a long, painful death.” Selena turned the gun on Frank and Bert, who had watched and listened in stunned silence. “But I think I know another way to make you suffer. The lives of these two old fools ought to be just the thing to make you beg and plead before you die. As for you—” she fixed her gaze on Ethan “—you’ll get to watch your sons die. That ought to be punishment enough for the man who so callously broke my heart.”
Ethan grasped the only thing that seemed to have penetrated the pain that clouded his mind. “Are you saying that Danny and T.J. aren’t dead yet?”
“Not yet. But soon.”
For the first time he felt a flicker of hope. If his sons were alive, he had to survive, for their sake. “Where are they?”
Selena smiled. “They’re safe. For the moment.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
“The younger one is asleep. I told his older brother that if he behaved, and didn’t move until I returned, I’d have a wonderful surprise for him.” Selena actually threw back her head and laughed as she brandished her weapon. “Isn’t this a lovely surprise?”
Ethan was staring at her through narrowed eyes. “You’re mad.”
Her laughter died as abruptly as it had begun. “That’s exactly what your wife said. But you’re both wrong. I’m a woman scorned. I have a right to demand justice.”
“You call murdering an innocent woman justice? And what about all these innocent people? I won’t let it happen again.” Ethan could feel the last thread of his temper unravel as he started across the room toward her.
“Stop.” Selena pointed the gun at Ethan’s chest. “I don’t want to have to kill you first, Ethan. You have to die last, so that your pain is greater.”
“Sorry to spoil your timetable.” Almost blind with rage, he lunged and drove her back against the door.
As they came together, a single shot echoed through the room, and both Ethan and Selena seemed to stiffen before they fell to the floor in a
“Ethan. No.” Hannah saw the pistol fall from Selena’s hand and skid across the floor. Picking it up, she waded in to pull Ethan and Selena apart.
The minute Selena was free of Ethan’s weight, she regained her footing and kicked viciously at Hannah, sending her sprawling. Then she was on her like a wild creature scenting blood.
“This is all your fault.” Selena’s arm swung in an arc. Before she could connect with flesh, Hannah’s fingers closed around her wrist.
Selena looked shocked at the strength in Hannah’s grasp. Tears sprang to her eyes as, in one quick move, Hannah flipped her over and pinned her, all the while squeezing the bones of her wrist.
Through clenched teeth Hannah pressed the pistol to Selena’s head. “If you were looking for an easy target, you made a big mistake. Just the way you did when you misjudged a mother’s love.”
Selena went very still, awaiting the sound of another gunshot. She closed her eyes. “Go ahead. Kill me.”
“It’s tempting. But far too easy. I want you to suffer a long, humiliating trial instead, during which you can give back Elizabeth Harrison her good name.” Hannah scrambled to her feet. “I want you to tell the world that Elizabeth Harrison was a hero for sacrificing her life for her sons. I want you to tell the world that Ethan Harrison had no hand in the hideous thing you did.”
Hannah tossed the gun to her grandfather. “Watch her, Poppie. And don’t hesitate to shoot if she moves.”
As Frank took up a position over Selena, Hannah hurried to Ethan’s side.
Seeing the blood staining his shirt, she clutched at him, cradling him in her arms. “Oh, Ethan, where were you hit?”
He managed a weak smile as he stared at the torn flesh of his arm. “I think the bullet passed clear through.”
“Thank heaven.” She was already tearing the sleeve of his shirt and tying it around the wound to stem the flow of blood while Bert, ever efficient, returned from the bathroom with a wet cloth.
They looked up when the door was roughly kicked open and Chief Boyd Thompson rushed in, pistol drawn. He took in the scene before him, then knelt to handcuff Selena before handing her to a fellow officer.
As she was being led away, Frank Brennan said, “She admitted that she killed Elizabeth Harrison and had planned to kill all of us, as well.”
Boyd gave him a grim smile. “I’d hate to be her defense attorney, knowing she has one of the finest judges in the country as a witness to her confession.”
“My sons…” Ethan began, but stopped when Boyd held up a hand.
“They’re safe and sound and in the squad car with two of my officers.”
“Where were they?”
“Downstairs, in Ms. Crain’s rental car.” He glanced at Ethan’s bloody shirt. “I’ll phone for an ambulance, Mr. Harrison.”
Ethan“I don’t need one. Right now I just want to hold my sons.”
Boyd Thompson nodded. “I’ll have them brought up.” He spoke into his phone. Minutes later two burly officers entered, each holding one of the boys.
T.J.’s head was cradled on an officer’s shoulder. When Hannah reached out for him, he snuggled into her arms, yawned and closed his eyes.
“Daddy.” The minute he was set down, Danny danced across the room and into his father’s waiting arms. Seeing the blood he said, “Did you cut yourself?”
“I guess I did. But I’m fine, now that you’re here.”
“I did what Selena said. I didn’t move the whole time she was gone. Now can I have my surprise?”
Ethan closed his eyes on a wave of relief. “Oh, yes, Danny. I think my good boy deserves the best surprise of all.” He smoothed the blond hair from his son’s forehead and stared down into his eyes. “If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?”
“Anything in the whole world?” Danny’s eyes grew round.
“Anything, son.”
The little boy glanced shyly at Hannah, holding his little brother, then turned to stare into his father’s eyes. “I know we’ve got a mommy in heaven. But could Hannah be our mommy here on earth?”
Ethan looked into his son’s eyes before walking over to Hannah. “Why don’t you ask her?”
Danny nodded. “Hannah, would you be our mommy?”
T.J., waking at that moment, echoed, “Mommy?” He looked up at Hannah with those big, trusting eyes, and she felt her heart nearly explode with happiness.
“I can’t think of anything I’d like more. But I thin
k we need to hear from your daddy.”
“You mean, ’cause you’d be his mommy, too?” the little boy asked.
Ethan found himself laughing. Despite all the horror they’d been through, all the pain, all the fear, his heart was suddenly lighter than air. “No, Danny. She’d be my wife.” He reached out to touch a hand to her cheek. “I know it’s a lot to ask, Hannah, but would you consider it? Being my wife and their mommy?”
She met his eyes. Her own sparked with humor. “I’m awfully tempted.”
Danny looked from one to the other, then took his father’s face in his chubby hands and said, “I know how you can get Hannah to say yes, Daddy.”
“How?”
“You should offer to take her to the Dairy Devil for hot dogs.”
“You think the hot dogs will do it?”
“Not the hot dogs,” Danny said solemnly. “You have to carve our initials and Hannah’s in the table. Then the whole town will know that she’s our girlfriend.”
“Girlfwend,” T.J. echoed, half-asleep.
Ethan bit back a smile. “That’s pretty serious stuff.”
Danny nodded. “Ask her, Daddy. If she says yes to the Dairy Devil, she’ll say yes to being our wife.”
“My wife,” Ethan corrected.
“Wife,” T.J. echoed before yawning again.
“I think it’s too late to go to the Dairy Devil tonight.” Hannah saw her grandparents watching and listening with matching smiles. “But maybe tomorrow, after we all have a good night’s sleep, we could pick up Bert and Poppie and we could all go for hot dogs and milkshakes and carve our initials.”
Danny rubbed at his eyes. “And then the whole town will know we belong together.”
“That’s right, son. We do belong together.” Ethan met Hannah’s eyes and felt the thrill all the way to his soul. “It was fate that brought us here. And fate that brought you into our lives, Hannah. I want the whole town to know that we belong together.”
“Why stop with the whole town?” Hannah’s laughter rang on the air. “I think the whole world ought to know.”
“Is that a yes?”
She leaned close to brush her mouth over his. “How can I resist being your garden angel for a lifetime?”
Frank Brennan cleared his throat, causing Ethan and Hannah to glance over with matching looks of guilt.
“It’s time Bert and I headed home.”
Still holding T.J., Hannah crossed the room to press a kiss to each of their cheeks. “What would I do without you?”
Ethan stood beside her and offered his handshake. “There aren’t enough words to thank you for all you’ve done. You welcomed us into your home, even when you knew nothing about us.”
“We knew enough.” Frank clapped a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Our granddaughter has always had very good taste.”
Bert stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to Ethan’s cheek. “Take very good care of her heart, young man, because it’s going to be yours for a lifetime.”
When they were gone, Ethan turned to Hannah. The look in his eyes, so hot and fierce, had her heart tripping over itself. “I can’t believe my good fortune, Hannah. I never thought I could be this happy.”
She settled T.J. into one side of her bed, then lifted a sleeping Danny from his arms and laid him beside his brother, before taking Ethan’s hand and leading him toward the balcony.
The midnight sky was awash with stars.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, brushing his lips with soft, butterfly kisses.
“My beautiful, beguiling garden angel. I believe we’ll need more than one lifetime for all the love we’re about to share.”
At the purr in his throat she sighed. “All right. How about an eternity together
“That’s much better.”
“I agree.” Then, because words seemed inadequate, she began to show him, with long slow kisses, all the feelings of love that were in her heart.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7757-5
WANTED
Copyright © 2004 by Ruth Ryan Langan
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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§The Wildes of Wyoming
**The Sullivan Sisters
‡‡The Lassiter Law
ΔDevil’s Cove
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16