Deadly Christmas

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I don’t think you need to do anything,” James said. “I just thought you should know she’s as desperate to make this the perfect Christmas for you as you are for her. In the end, it’s not about the presents. It’s about … your hearts.”

  “That’s pretty interesting coming from the guy who is literally sitting behind a mountain of presents.”

  James rubbed the back of his neck. “This really is sick.”

  “You could always put some of it away and give it to her for Valentine’s Day,” Finn suggested.

  “Screw that,” James said. “I’m spoiling my baby on Christmas and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

  “You two are even starting to sound alike,” Finn said. “It’s creepy.”

  James shrugged. “I can live with that.”

  Sixteen

  “What are you doing?” Mandy asked, popping into James’ office and scanning the room.

  It was Friday afternoon, and after spending the morning in bed, the duo finally welcomed the first day of their Christmas break with a nice breakfast and some heavy groping on the couch. After two hours of doing nothing but each other, they agreed to separate so James could get some work done and Mandy could … do whatever she was trying to do now.

  “What are you doing, wife?” James asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

  “I missed you and wanted to see what you were doing.”

  James rolled his eyes. “You just saw me an hour ago downstairs,” he reminded her. “In fact, you saw a heck of a lot of me because I was naked and on top of you.”

  “Maybe I missed that,” Mandy suggested.

  “Maybe you’re snooping,” James countered. “Your gifts are already wrapped and locked in that safe.”

  “How did you manage to get my gifts wrapped without me noticing?”

  James could tell Mandy was annoyed because he managed to outsmart her. “While you were out shopping Jake and Finn into comas, I was here wrapping … a fricking lot … of Christmas presents.”

  “Is my big one here?”

  “No,” James said. “I’m not getting it from the office until Christmas Eve. You’re fresh out of luck, honey.”

  Mandy jutted her lower lip out. “Can I just see the wrapped presents?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “How about you let me open one early?”

  “No.” James loved how desperate Mandy looked. She was adorable.

  “Puh-leez?”

  James was on the verge of giving in when his phone dinged with an incoming text. “I have to take this, baby.”

  “Saved by the bell,” Mandy grumbled.

  “I’m sorry,” James said. “Finn ran a background check on Ryan Carmichael when he got back to the office last night. We want to be sure that he’s not responsible for the attempted robbery on the store.

  “If he is the guilty party, no amount of security is going to be able to stop him because he has keys to everything,” he continued. “If he isn’t the guilty party … well … we can take him off the list.”

  “I’m not saying he’s guilty,” Mandy said. “I just think it’s weird someone would carry cash like that around.”

  “And that’s why we’re running a background check on him.”

  “What happens if you find something?”

  James pursed his lips. “Then I guess Art and I have an uncomfortable conversation in our future,” he said. “I can’t lie to him. He’s my client.”

  “Can you smack his wife for me next time you’re there?”

  James grinned. “I love you, wife.”

  “Handle your work, because once today is done with, I want your undivided attention,” Mandy said, shuffling toward the door. “That means no clothes, constant takeout, and new and interesting massage oils are in your future.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I am going out to my studio to wrap all of your gifts,” Mandy replied. “Ally was supposed to help me because … well … I’m horrible at it … but I’ve decided that it doesn’t matter. You probably love me enough to put up with my horrible wrapping skills.”

  “I love you enough for anything,” James said. “How long do you need?”

  “Is that your way of asking how many gifts I have to wrap for you?”

  “It wasn’t, but it is now,” James said.

  “Um … I’m going to need at least an hour,” Mandy said. “Before your head gets too big, though, I don’t need that time because I bought you so many presents. I need that time because I’m inept.”

  “You are literally my favorite person in the world,” James said. “Do you know that?”

  Mandy winked as she slid through the door. “Right back at you.”

  “I’m coming out to that guesthouse in exactly one hour,” James warned. “Be ready … and be naked.”

  “You say the sweetest things!”

  FINN’S background check on Ryan Carmichael brought up more questions than answers, causing James and Finn to chat over Skype as they studied the report.

  “He’s got a record that – while not serious – should be enough to knock him out of the running to be a jewelry store manager,” Finn said. “Drunk driving and shoplifting aren’t big in the grand scheme of things, but they’re usually nonstarters in this line of work because of the amounts of money involved.”

  “Art is in charge, though,” James pointed out. “There are no state or federal laws that say a jewelry store manager’s record has to be clean. Art clearly knows about it. It’s his son, though. What are you going to do?”

  “I think this is the answer to the obvious question, though,” Finn said.

  “Which is?”

  “How did Ryan get stuck in the Detroit area when Art and Ava clearly hate it?”

  “I never thought about that,” James said, rubbing his chin as he glanced out of his office window. He could see directly into Mandy’s studio, and while he wasn’t sure what she was wrapping, the way she was staring down the wrapping paper was almost comical. “I don’t think Ryan was at the party the other night.”

  “That would seem odd to me,” Finn said. “That’s his father and stepmother.”

  “Ava is pretty far from his stepmother,” James argued. “From Ava’s point of view, Ryan is probably stopping her from inheriting everything once Art dies.”

  “And from Ryan’s point of view, Ava is probably an interloper,” Finn said. “If I had to guess, I would say odds are that they hate each other. The question is: Why would Ryan steal from his own father’s store?”

  “Maybe he needs money,” James suggested.

  “We only did a cursory background check,” Finn conceded. “I’ll set up the computer to do an intensive search. It could take a full day, though, which is going to get us close to Christmas.”

  “Run it,” James instructed. “We don’t necessarily have to do anything about it until after Christmas. I’m not uprooting my Christmas to take Ryan in – even if I think he’s guilty. He’s not smart enough to be able to disappear.”

  “Okay,” Finn said.

  “Did you talk to Emma?”

  “I pretended I didn’t know,” Finn replied. “She doesn’t need to be embarrassed.”

  “I agree,” James said. “I didn’t tell anyone but you.”

  “Does that include Mandy?”

  “Mandy wouldn’t say anything when it comes to something like this, but I didn’t see any reason to tell her,” James explained. “It doesn’t affect our marriage or lives. This is your thing.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Just try to concentrate on having a good Christmas,” James said. “You can’t force the perfect Christmas, but I’m betting if you’re willing to take a breath and let Christmas come to you, you can slide into one.”

  “You’re a good brother,” Finn said. “I’m not sure I tell you often enough.”

  “You’re a good brother, too,” James replied.

  The Hardys eyed each other sheepishly.
>
  “I love you, man,” Finn barked out, taking on a mocking tone.

  “I love you, too,” James called back, smirking. His attention shifted to the monitor on his office wall – and the unexpected vehicle pulling into the driveway. “On that note … I have to go. Someone is here.”

  “Is it a delivery man bringing Mandy a new pile of stuff?”

  “I have no idea who it is,” James said. “Run the search and see what you come up with. I’ll be in touch later.”

  “You got it.”

  JAMES hopped down the stairs, landing on the hardwood floor of the front hallway as he moved toward the door. No one had knocked yet, but it was coming.

  As if on cue, a hand tentatively banged against the door three times.

  James was stunned to find Ryan Carmichael standing on the other side. “I … what are you doing here?”

  Ryan was white on a normal day. For some reason, he looked downright invisible against the snowy backdrop today. “Can we talk?”

  James pursed his lips. He had no idea how Ryan discovered they were investigating him, but this actually might be a good thing. If he could talk Ryan into admitting the truth to his father, they might be able to wrap this up before Christmas – and that was something that would benefit everyone.

  “Sure,” James said, motioning toward the stairs. “My office is on the second floor. I think it would be better if we talked in private.”

  Ryan nodded, ascending the steps first when James inclined his head by way of instruction. Ryan didn’t appear dangerous, but James knew better than turning his back on an enemy – any enemy.

  James directed Ryan to his office, frowning as the man glanced into the bedroom he shared with Mandy.

  “That’s nice,” Ryan murmured. “Is your wife here?”

  “She’s not in the main house,” James replied. “You don’t have to worry about her overhearing us.”

  “What does that mean?” Ryan asked. “Is there more than one house on this property?”

  “There’s a guesthouse out back,” James said. “My wife is out there wrapping presents. Apparently it’s going to take her all day.” He moved to his chair and sat down, giving himself the power position as he gestured to one of the smaller chairs on the other side of the desk. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

  Ryan opted to pace instead. James could practically feel the nervous energy rolling off of him.

  “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  “Why did you run a background check on me?” Ryan asked.

  James jolted at the question, stunned. “How did you know that?”

  “I paid money to have a trap and trace set up on my name,” Ryan replied, his expression serious. “If anyone runs my background I know about it. Someone in your office ran me last night.”

  “We did,” James replied, debating how to proceed. Somehow Ryan had managed to wrestle the power position from him. “We’re running an even more intensive search today. We’ve had some debate about your … status … in the store.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “My understanding is that you weren’t there the day of the robbery,” James said. “Then you were seen yesterday with a huge wad of cash. While none of the store’s inventory was taken, the robber did manage to relieve all but two of the customers of their cash and jewelry.”

  “There’s no need to play coy,” Ryan said. “I know your sister and wife were the two women in the store who tasered … the robber … and caused him to flee.”

  James narrowed his eyes. “I think you’re the robber, Ryan,” he said. “I want to know why, though.”

  “How can you possibly think I would rob my own father?” Ryan was all wide-eyed innocence now.

  “You’re a decent actor, but I don’t believe you,” James said. “You’re gutsy to come here knowing that we ran a check on you. Most other people would have taken advantage of the Christmas holiday and ran.”

  “I … I’m innocent.” Ryan wasn’t done pleading his case yet.

  “I don’t believe you,” James said. He pushed himself up from his chair and leaned forward. “Because it’s the holidays – and only because of that – I’m willing to let you tell your father the truth. After twenty-four hours, though, I’ll be the one explaining things to him.”

  “What if I give you money?” Ryan offered, changing tactics.

  “I can’t be bought.”

  “Everyone can be bought.”

  “I can’t,” James countered. “I don’t need your money. I have money of my own.”

  “I guess I should have seen that coming given this house,” Ryan said. “I guess I don’t have any other options, do I?”

  “Not really,” James replied. “I … ugh.” James jumped back, completely taken by surprise as Ryan whipped out a small, handheld device and pressed it to his arm. James knew what it was even as his brain jolted.

  “It hurts, doesn’t it?” Ryan snarled as James lost his footing and tumbled to the ground behind his desk. “Now you know how bad it feels to be tasered. I’m going to make that bitch out back know, too.”

  James couldn’t make his mouth work. His tongue was tied, and he was desperate for Ryan to realize Mandy wasn’t the one who tasered him. His mind was jumbled, though, and his body refused to work correctly.

  “Now, Mr. Hardy, I’m not going to kill you,” Ryan said. “Mostly because I think more than one person knows your suspicions and I don’t want to become a murderer and incite a nationwide manhunt.

  “I’m going to leave you here to ponder the stupidity of what you did, though,” Ryan said. “While you’re doing that, I’m going to go and collect your wife. I’m really looking forward to spending some time with her.”

  James reached for Ryan, but he was so slow the other man had no problem dodging him despite his lack of athleticism.

  “I can’t wait to explain the basics of an electrical current shooting through her body when I stick her,” Ryan said. “I know you’re going to be angry, and it’s going to take you a few hours to gather yourself, but after that I’m going to expect you to put all of your money together so you can trade it for your wife.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow morning,” he continued. “I promise not to kill your wife. Unfortunately, after what she did to me, I can’t promise not to … play with her.”

  “I’m going to kill you,” James spat, finally gaining control of his tongue. “Don’t you dare go near her.”

  “You’re in no position to make demands,” Ryan said. “Now, you have a nice rest on the floor there.” He leaned over and patted the top of James’ head. “I’m going to go and play with your wife. If you want to see her face in time for Christmas, you’d better have a million dollars for me tomorrow morning. Otherwise … .” Ryan shook his head. “You’re not going to like what you get back.”

  James struggled to find his footing as Ryan left his office. His body was coursing with excess energy and yet he couldn’t force his muscles to work in the manner in which they were engineered.

  Finally, through sheer force of will, James managed to grasp his phone and hit the speed-dial button that would ring Mandy’s cell phone.

  “Do you miss me already?” Mandy asked, teasing as she answered the phone. She had no idea anything was wrong, and James’ heart flopped as he realized how close danger was to taking her.

  “Run, baby.”

  Mandy was confused. “What?”

  “You have to run,” James said, fighting to catch his breath as his body throbbed, pain threatening to overwhelm him. He had to hide that. If she knew, she would never leave him. “Ryan Carmichael is on his way to the guesthouse. He wants to take you so I’ll pay him money. He has a taser. Get out now. Please.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll be right behind you.”

  “I … .”

  “Run, baby. Run!”

  Seventeen

  Mandy raced to the window and peered out, her gaze landing on Rya
n Carmichael as he slipped on a patch of ice at the far end of the patio area.

  She left James’ gifts in the middle of the floor and hurried down the spiral staircase that led into the saloon. There was only one exit in the guesthouse and Mandy was determined to get to it before Ryan could trap her inside.

  Mandy bolted through the door, not stopping to stare at Ryan or give him a chance to engage her in conversation.

  “Hey, blondie!” Ryan sounded surprised at Mandy’s sudden appearance.

  Mandy rounded the guesthouse on the far end – moving away from the house and racing straight into the woods that surrounded the property. Harrison Township wasn’t exactly rural, but the area James and Mandy settled offered hints of privacy. Unfortunately for Mandy, that was working against her now.

  The ground in the shallow cropping of trees was bare of snow in some places, and those were the ones Mandy aimed for as she ran. She didn’t want to leave footprints behind for Ryan to follow. If she was lucky, he would give up his pursuit after a few minutes of chase because he had nothing to follow.

  Mandy pulled up short as she caught sight of a car on the far-off road. She could race through the open field – leaving a trail for Ryan to follow – and hope the driver saw her and picked her up. It was far more likely she would miss the driver, though, and without a coat, hat, and gloves – she was going to succumb to the cold if she was out in the open too long. Plus, while the trees offered bare spots, the open field was another stories. She would have at least six inches of snow to contend with if she opted for that route.

  She had to hide. She had to hunker down and wait Ryan out. She couldn’t make it to the road without drawing attention to herself, and if another driver didn’t pass she would be opening herself up to be taken. That would really ruin Christmas for James.

  Mandy glanced over her shoulder as she heard Ryan traipsing around behind her. He was still a good five hundred feet away. Given the curse words escaping his mouth, he didn’t appear to be having a good time.

  Mandy didn’t have a lot of options. The one that offered her the best hope of going without discovery was staring her in the face – literally. There was a small hollow beneath one of the pine trees, and the area beneath the boughs would offer her cover and a mild break from the biting wind. Since she didn’t have a coat, she figured that was the best she could do.