Her hand connected with the doorknob just as another larger, and stronger, hand landed on her arm, yanking her back roughly. Tom had caught up with her and he was pulling her kicking and screaming back down the hall. Would anyone hear her? They were so far from the road that the chances were remote.
But she wasn't going to let him kill her and make it look like an accident. She was going to fight tooth and nail until the bitter end. If both she and Tom were covered in bruises and scratches, she had to depend on Knox to know that she hadn't gone quietly. That is was no accident. She'd been murdered in cold blood.
I might be dead but Tom? You're going to prison. Knox will make sure of that.
Raking her nails down Tom's arm, she kicked out at him, exhausting herself but managing to connect with his legs several times. He growled and cursed, slapping at her face as he dragged her down the hall and stairs, and into the living room where Michelle was waiting.
"Stop it," Tom ground out, pulling Jenna to her feet. "Just fucking stop it. You're already dead. None of this matters."
"Knox will never believe it was an accident," Jenna spat back, sucking air into her starved lungs. She was completely exhausted, covered in sweat and dirt. "You'll go to prison. Both of you."
"I don't think I will. Let's just say that the police are on my side," Tom said with a mocking smile. "Knox will go back to where he came from and life will go on."
Tom picked up a gun that had been sitting on an end table. He immediately pointed at Jenna's temple. "Now settle down or this might accidentally go off."
Trying to be as still as possible, Jenna looked up into her brother's face. She barely recognized the man she saw there. Angry and hateful. So different than the person she'd grown up around. Had he been hiding his true self all this time? And what of Michelle?
"Why did you kill Lori?"
Jenna's voice was quiet, not wanting to spook Tom, but she couldn't stop herself asking the question. All of this didn't make any sense.
"She stuck her nose where it didn't belong and now so have you. That was a mistake."
"And Brett, what about him?"
"He's served his purpose. Your boyfriend caught him and that's exactly what was supposed to happen. He just wasn't supposed to link him to me."
"You ruined a man's life."
"He didn't have much of one to begin with. Now stop stalling." His fingers tightened painfully on her arm and the muzzle of the gun felt cold against her skin. "This is going to look like a murder-suicide."
"No one will believe that I killed myself. Or murdered anyone else, for that matter. Knox won't believe that."
Her voice shook but not because she was unsure of what she said. She was terrified, her heart racing, thundering in her ears. Sweat poured down her back, her shirt sticking to the damp skin.
I don't want to die.
"I'll make them believe it."
"Michelle, don't let him do this," Jenna said, her tone full of desperation. Just how far into this was her sister? Did she truly understand what Tom had done? "We're sisters. We're family."
"We're not family," Michelle said indignantly, her lips curled into a sneer. "We were never family. Lori picked you up like a stray dog and then I had to share her and everything else with you. You took my twin sister away from me. You took my parents away from me. You got all of their attention and I got none."
"That's not true," Jenna protested. "They loved you. You're their daughter."
"And you're not," Michelle shot back. "But they treated you like you were. No one asked me if I wanted to share my sister or my parents. No one cared what I thought. They only cared about you and Lori. Now Mom is going to care about me. I'll be all she has left. I'm going to make her beg for my attention."
Jenna truly had no idea that Michelle hadn't welcomed her into the family. She'd never acted as if Jenna joining in was an issue. Had she? Now she was questioning everything. Every look, every smile, every curse. It had all been a lie, and she'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
"Shut up, both of you," Tom roared, pressing the gun more firmly against her temple, the metal icy cold even in the heat. "Just shut the fuck up. God, I hate to hear your fucking whine, Michelle. That's all you ever do. At least now you'll be quiet."
He pulled Jenna closer and then swung his arm out, pointing the firearm at Michelle instead of Jenna. "First the murder. Then the suicide."
She didn't have a clue what he was talking about until the gun went off and Michelle stood there, her eyes wide with shock and a growing crimson blood stain on her abdomen. Jenna screamed as her sister pressed her hands to her belly and then crumpled to the ground.
He shot Michelle. He just...shot her.
"Are you insane?" Jenna cried, tears blurring her vision. "Have you lost your mind? You shot our sister."
"Why do you care? She hated you, Jenna. And she hated Lori for bringing you into our family and replacing her. She's hated you all these years."
"I don't believe you." Jenna struggled but his grip was like iron. "What about you? Do you hate us too?"
I don't want to die. I want to see Knox again. I want to feel his arms around me.
"I do. All of you, especially that bitch Anita. She took my father from me and then she took everything else. I'm going to get it all back. She'll be living on the streets and wishing she'd never been born when I'm done with her."
"You are crazy," Jenna choked out. "You don't make any sense. Anita loves you as if you were her own son. Just drop the gun, Tom. We'll call an ambulance for Michelle. I'll tell everyone it was an accident. You don't have to do this. Just let me go. I won't tell anyone what happened."
She was pleading for her life now, knowing that Tom could easily shoot to kill. She wouldn't have a chance of surviving either at point blank range.
"It's too late for that."
Sirens. She could hear sirens in the distance. They were faint but audible. Were they coming here? Or heading to some unknown destination, passing by the real and true emergency.
"They're coming," Jenna said, more tears falling down her cheeks, the words choked. "They're coming and they'll know that you did this. They won't believe any of your lies. Not anymore."
"They're not coming."
But they were. Getting louder with every passing second. She could feel Tom beginning to tremble next to her, drops of his sweat falling on her neck and shoulder.
"They're coming for you. It's too late."
Tom's breaths were coming faster, his shoulders heaving with each exhale.
"It's not too late. It can't be too late."
"The police are coming. They'll shoot you, Tom. They'll kill you and not think a second about it. Do you want to be dead? Or do you want to live? I don't think you want to die."
"I'm not going to die."
His head swiveled so that he was staring at the back of the house.
"You can't run," she said, the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She wanted to run too but he was holding her far too tightly. "They'll catch you. It's too late."
"Shut up. Just shut the hell up."
This time he sounded far more frightened and desperate. She could practically hear the wheels turning in his brain, trying to figure out his next move. The world had slowed down to a crawl, and the seconds felt like hours as she waited for what he was going to do. She could hear her own heartbeat like a marching band in her ears, yet she could also hear and see every single breath that her brother took. Every twitch of his fingers, his furtive glances. She just needed him to lower his defenses for a single moment.
"Give yourself up, Tom. Maybe they'll go easy on you if you surrender. We can tell them that the gun went off and it was an accident."
His head jerked back and forth between the front door and the back, his entire body shaking. The gun muzzle slid lower onto her jaw and she was able to pull her head away slightly.
The sirens were louder than before, definitely coming closer. Tom’s face contorted, his throat making a garbl
ed sound that wasn't any recognizable words. With a loud yell, he shoved Jenna down onto the floor before bolting for the back door.
Stunned, she didn't move for a moment, still not believing that she was alive. But she was alive, and Tom was on the run. She was going to go in the absolute opposite direction. Levering up from the floor, she stumbled out of the front door and into the long driveway before pain and exhaustion drove her to the ground. Her limbs weren't taking orders from her brain anymore. Her body was shutting down.
The sirens were incredibly loud now and vehicles began to fly onto the property, careening to a stop near her. She sobbed in relief when she saw Knox's SUV and then he was jumping out of it, running straight for her. He lifted her into his arms, his hands cradling her head, examining the wound.
Nothing in this world had ever looked or felt better than this man holding her at the moment. She'd thought she'd never see him again but here he was. She was alive and she could feel him. His touch, his nearness. She could trust him and lean on him while she was weak. Later she'd be stronger.
"Are you alright? Are you okay? Fuck, we need to get you to the hospital. You need to see a doctor."
She didn't disagree, but there was one more pressing thing to be done first. She pointed toward the backyard, trying to speak but what came out didn't even resemble a coherent sentence.
Eli knelt down next to her. "Is that where we need to go, Jenna? Do we need to go that way?"
"Tom," she croaked, her throat like sandpaper. "He shot Michelle. He was going to shoot..."
She didn't have the energy to continue but the guys seemed to get the message. Eli took off after Tom, but Knox didn't budge. His hands were soothing, rubbing her back and crooning sweet words softly as if she was a child.
"You...have...to...get...him."
"Eli and the others will get him. He won't get away. We won't lose him. I have to take care of you, babe."
Someone wrapped a blanket around her and Knox lifted her to her feet. She saw a gurney being rolled into the front door and she prayed that Michelle was alive. No matter what she'd done, she didn't deserve to be shot down like a dog in the street.
Clinging to Knox like a life preserver, she laid her head on his chest, his heart pounding underneath her ear. Strong, but fast. He'd been scared too. Had he thought he wouldn't make it in time?
"How did you know?"
"I knew you weren't where you were supposed to be, along with Michelle. I knew for sure that Tom and Brett were in the same history club. Jason called me with that information on the way here. And I don't like coincidences. I also knew that your purse was found on the side of the road and there was blood there. Your mother pulled her doorbell camera footage and we saw that Michelle hit you on the head with a tire iron. From that, we called the police."
"Tom and Michelle killed Lori, but I don't know why."
Knox glanced over his shoulder, his expression grim. "We'll find out why. In the meantime, we have to get you to the hospital."
She didn't argue, letting him sweep her up into his arms and carry her to the ambulance. He gently placed her on the gurney and then stepped away so the paramedics could do their job. But she didn't want him that far away. She needed him close.
"Hold my hand. Please."
Smiling, he did as she asked, his flesh warm and comforting.
"I love you, Knox."
She didn't have any clue as to whether this was the right moment to say it. They had several witnesses but they were acting as if they heard stuff like this all the time.
She only knew that she felt it. So...overwhelmingly. In every bone, muscle, and pore. This man was everything. Far more than she'd ever hoped for, to be honest.
"I love you too, babe. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you."
There was no better place to be than by Knox's side.
31
Two months later...
"How about spaghetti? Or we could order in."
Just home from work, Knox held up a few takeout menus, waving them in the air. Jenna pulled a face and shook her head.
"We've ordered in too much lately. Let's fix dinner. I'll help."
Not that Knox needed help making an easy dish like spaghetti but they'd found that they liked cooking together. They liked working together too. Jason had offered Jenna a temporary job helping to work up profiles with his investigators. It was good work and she enjoyed it, but her long-term plan was to head back to school for her doctorate.
"Sounds good to me. I'm starving."
They both shuffled around the kitchen getting the boiling water and the ground beef started. Knox popped open a bottle of beer and then poured a glass of wine for Jenna. She accepted it gratefully, taking a sip.
"Am I going to need this? You haven't said a word yet."
He took a long draw from the bottle before answering. "Michelle made a deal with the prosecutor. She tells all against Tom for a reduced sentence."
"What sort of a reduced sentence? A few years?" Jenna was pissed off. "Is that all they think Lori's life was worth?"
"More like a few decades. Fifteen to twenty-five. That's a hell of a lot better than life without parole, which was what she was looking at. She has to tell the whole story and also reveal where Tom hid Lori's body."
Jenna squeezed her eyes together, a few tears slipping out. Tom had been captured that day but he'd stubbornly kept quiet, only saying that he was innocent and Michelle was guilty. That was easy while Michelle was fighting for her life in the hospital. No one had thought she would make it but she had. Now she had turned the tables on her half-brother and taken a deal.
"She gave a statement, Jenna."
Taking another fortifying sip of her wine, she then placed the glass on the counter.
"I assumed she would have to before they'd negotiate."
"I can tell you about it or not. It's up to you, babe."
She wanted to know. She'd had so many questions but hardly any answers. How many nights had she lain awake trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her two siblings were cold-blooded killers? How many times had she wanted to visit Tom in prison and ask him why he'd done it? Not that he would have told her.
"I do want to hear about it. I have to know the truth."
Knox sighed and pulled her close, letting her head rest on his chest. He was solid and warm and comforting. "I don't want you to hurt anymore. I want to make this better for you."
He'd been saying that almost daily for the last few months. She'd started into therapy about four weeks ago and he would often attend as well. She had much to grapple with when it came to her family - or what was left of it - and he did too. It was healthy for both of them, especially if they wanted to have a future together.
They both wanted that. Very much.
They hadn't known each other long but they both knew that what they had was special and important. They wanted to build something together that would last.
"You make everything better," she replied with a smile. "And you weren't the one to hurt me."
"I hope I never hurt you."
"We'll hurt each other at times. I'm not sure we can completely avoid that. I think the important thing is that we don't do it on purpose." She stepped back and looked up into his soft blue eyes. She could see the love there, revel in it. It was still so unbelievable that something good had come out of such complete shit. "So what did she have to say?"
Knox leaned a hip against the counter, rubbing the back of his neck. "Apparently, Tom had been angry ever since his father married Anita. It only got worse when they had Michelle and Lori."
Jenna nodded. "Lori said once that Tom had some anger issues in the beginning."
"He did and he went to therapy for them. It looks like all he learned was how to hide all of the anger that he had. Otherwise his father would have drummed him out of the family. It simmered in him for years until Lori brought you home. That's when he realized that Michelle resented you. From what she says he
stoked that hate for years, constantly saying that someday they were going to do something about it."
It was hard to believe that Jenna had been the catalyst for all of that hate and anger. She'd honestly never suspected, although now looking back she could a few tell-tale signs in Michelle, but nothing overt. They'd been excellent actors. It had helped that the Waters family frowned on displays of anger. Jenna could now see that there had been a great deal of repressed emotion in that household.
"What were they going to do?"
"Michelle didn't say. Just that Tom was furious when his dad left almost everything to Anita and not to him. He was even more angry when he found out that Anita intended to split the inheritance four ways - Tom, Michelle, Lori...and you. He said that he wouldn't stand for it."
Poor Anita hadn't taken the news about Tom and Michelle well. She'd collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital, staying overnight for observation. Her memory issues now seemed even worse and she rarely smiled. She didn't, however, blame Jenna. Instead she was clinging to her last remaining child like a lifeline. Jenna and Knox had already talked to Anita about possibly moving to the Seattle area so they could stay close and visit often.
"But he didn't do anything."
"Actually, he did. He started stealing from the family company, siphoning money into dummy corporations with phony invoices. He was bankrupting the family but taking it all for himself. Then he got found out. Lori was at his house and accidentally knocked over a stack of papers. When she went to tidy them up, she looked through them and realized that Tom had been sending money into offshore accounts. She told Michelle about it, thinking that her sister would be on her side. Trusting was her mistake. Michelle and Tom had to get rid of Lori or be found out."
Physically shaking, Jenna had to sit down on a kitchen chair. "Oh my God, I still can't believe that they killed Lori. How does Brett come into this?"
"Tom sort of knew Brett from the history club. He got Brett a job at the same company Lori worked for. It wasn't difficult. He'd helped Lori get a job there too."
Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) Page 24
