“Never mind. I take it back, you’re not surprising. You’re arrogant.”
“Can’t take back something you never told me.”
“Well, I was gonna say, I never knew you had a sweet side. But now I’ve realized it was a momentary glitch in the Matrix and you’re back to being you.”
“Right.” He chuckled. “Then it’s a good thing you love me, arrogance and all.”
“If you say so,” I grumbled.
“You gonna marry me, Laney?”
“Aren’t you gonna be late to work?”
“Marry me.”
“Maybe.”
His smile was so broad it nearly split his face.
“Progress,” he mumbled, and leaned in for a hard closed-mouth kiss. “Can’t give you more than that or I’ll be more late than I am. Test?”
“I’ll pick one up. I’m going to my parents’ house this afternoon to talk to Quinn.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. All part of Operation Check Up on Delaney.”
“It’s because they love you,” he reminded me.
“I know and I’m grateful.”
But the constant calls were starting to drive me crazy. I hoped in a few more weeks they’d all cut it out and we could get back to business as usual.
“Love you, baby.”
“Love you, honey. Have a good day at work.”
Carter stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me.
“That was oddly normal,” he noted.
“I know. It’s kinda nice.”
“Better than nice, baby. It’s perfect.”
* * *
I drove to my parents’ in a daze. I had a pregnancy test sitting on the seat next to me, the box was like a flashing beacon begging me to take it. I’d actually contemplated postponing visiting my sister and driving to Carter’s work and sneaking into the bathroom with him. He’d totally do it, too. I knew he wanted to know just as badly as I did.
And since he’d brought it up this morning it was all I could think of. My once apprehensive attitude had transformed into excitement. The more days that passed, the more I knew I was finally living the life I was meant to have. And Carter was, too.
Our journey had included a detour, sometimes through Crazy Town, other times through Heartbreak City. We’d also hit a major roadblock that required a total reboot. But we’d finally made it to Bliss and it was a perfect place to be.
A place I wanted to live in forever.
I was thinking about this as I pulled onto my parents’ street. I was also thinking that I was going to have Carter ask me to marry him one more time before we took the test. This time I’d say yes. That way we both knew my answer had nothing to do with us having a baby—or not. Whichever answer the test showed didn’t change my answer.
I thought we’d played the game long enough, and while Carter looked like he was enjoying it as much as I was, all good things have to come to an end.
I parked at the curb, got out, and was immediately startled, causing me to bang my elbow on the car door as I let out a small cry of pain.
“Shit. You scared me half to death.”
“Hey, Delaney.” Natalie smiled.
“What are you doing here?”
“Jeez, is that any way to talk to a friend?” She scowled.
“It is when that friend scares the shit out of you and is standing in front of her parents’ house—uninvited.”
“Maybe I’m just visiting a friend who lives across the street, saw you pull up, and wanted to say hello.”
“Well, are you?”
“No.”
Belatedly, warning bells started ringing—as a matter of fact they were blaring. Natalie looked different. Crazy different. Like maybe she hadn’t showered, brushed her hair, and was off her meds, crazy.
“Sorry to be so rude.” I tried to smile. “You startled me and I banged my elbow. You know how much that hurts.”
“Wanna go to lunch?” Natalie asked.
What the hell? Was she serious?
“Can we do it tomorrow? I have plans with my sister and I’ve already rescheduled twice,” I lied.
“It’s rude to reschedule,” she snapped.
“Hey, Laney,” Quinn said from my parents’ porch.
Shit, fuck, goddamn. She needed to get back into the house.
“Hey, do me a favor, yeah?”
“Sure.”
“Call Carter and tell him I’m gonna be home late tonight.”
Confusion was clear on my sister’s face.
“Oh-kay.”
That’s when it happened. And it happened so fast, in the blink of an eye, I couldn’t stop it.
Natalie pointed a gun at Quinn and without hesitation she fired three shots. My hands went to my ringing ears and I watched in horror as wood splintered from bullets hitting the porch balustrade and the front window shattered. Quinn turned and thankfully disappeared into the house.
“Get in,” Natalie demanded and shoved me across the driver’s seat into the passenger side. “Try and get out and run, I’ll shoot you, then your sister.”
I had no doubt she would. Carter was right. Natalie was fucking nuts.
“It’s showtime, Delaney.” She laughed and started the car. “Finally showtime.”
How had today started with me being the happiest I’d ever been in my life, to this?
“Please don’t do this, Natalie,” I begged.
“Do what? You have no idea what I’m going to do.” She pulled away from the curb.
The happiness in her voice scared the shit out of me. She was giddy with it.
“Please, whatever it is, don’t do it. I have no idea why you’d want to hurt me but—”
“Of course you wouldn’t because you’re a self-absorbed bitch who ruins people’s lives and doesn’t care. You just do whatever you want and when people die you go on with your life like nothing happened. Like it isn’t your fault.”
What the hell was she talking about? I’d never killed anyone.
“I think you have me mixed up with someone else,” I whispered.
“Delaney Lillian Walker. Twenty-five. Graduated from Berry College. Teacher at Parkside. One older brother Jason married to Mercy. Three younger sisters. Youngest two are twins. Your parents are Jasper and Emily Walker. Your boyfriend is Carter McGrath Lenox. His parents are Lillian and Carter Lenox. Brother Ethan, sister-in-law Honor, niece Carson.”
What the hell? “How do you know all of that about me?”
“I know everything about you. Everything, bitch. I’ve watched and waited and you didn’t even know I was there. I sat right next to you in a bar once, I even talked to you.”
Realization slammed into my chest, why she looked familiar. She’d changed her hair color but it was her. She’d bumped me with her purse when I was on my first date with Steve. I swallowed down the fear and she continued.
“I watched you moping in Myrtle Beach but, just like always you were too self-absorbed to notice me, despite the fact I was sitting right in front of your house. I even saw your boyfriend show up.” I wasn’t self-absorbed, I was mourning my child, you crazy bitch. “I needed to make sure you and your boyfriend would be out while I slashed your tires, so I followed you to that restaurant and you never noticed until I came right up and introduced myself. You saw my handwriting on the job applications but never matched it to the envelope I sent you. But the best was in Virginia. I know you saw me. I wanted to do it then, but I had to wait. Finally you’ll get your punishment. You’ll know my pain.”
You’ll know my pain.
Ohmygod.
I glanced down at my feet, at the pregnancy test there, and I knew what I had to do. When Derek took me, I shut down. Completely and totally in shock and fear. I couldn’t shake it and Mercy had almost died because of it.
Not this time.
No fucking way.
Fear slipped into anger and I was not going to wait to see if she was going to kill me or possibly my baby.
/> I was mad as fuck she’d shot at my sister and was holding me at gun point. As soon as this car stopped, I was going for it.
No way was I letting anyone hurt my baby. Not again. Not ever.
29
Carter
“Can you please repeat that?” I asked Patrick Duffy.
With nothing adding up about the letter mailed to Delaney, and Steve coming back clean, that left Natalie to check and the only solid piece I had on her was the car she was driving and the registered owner. So, I decided to call him.
And from what he just told me, I knew I should’ve called weeks ago. I’d been right. The woman was fucking crazy.
“Listen, she’s harmless. I’ve known Dana for a long time.” Yeah, Dana was her name, not Natalie. “We met in art school. She’s…sensitive.” There was nothing sensitive about her, she was plain nuts. “She’s one of those people who feels too much. She can’t turn it off, man. After her brother was murdered, she kinda lost it. But she’s better now, only gets sad every once in a while. He’s buried in Georgia. She used to drive up there once a week to sit at his grave. But she’s getting better,” he repeated like he felt the need to hammer that home. “Now she only goes up every couple of months. But his birthday’s today, so she went up a few weeks ago, spent some time with her parents.”
“And she took your car? All this time?”
“Yeah. She doesn’t have one and my studio’s in my garage. I walk everywhere or ride my bike. My car just sits, sometimes for months. So what did I care she was gonna be gone a few weeks. She’s coming back tomorrow.”
“What’s her brother’s name?”
“Derek.”
Time stopped.
Everything stopped.
Cold rage hit my soul and I knew. I knew before what happened next. I knew in gut, my heart, my soul, I was too late.
“Carter!” Jasper bellowed from the other room.
I was on my feet before my brain had caught up with my movements.
I met Jasper and my dad in the hall and I didn’t need them to tell me. I didn’t even need to see the extreme anger.
Dana Lowe had Delaney.
“Fuck!”
“Not now,” my dad clipped.
“Shots fired at my house,” Jasper started. “Three to be exact. Missed Quinn and she called it in though Brady was already on his way to tell me, he watched it all go down. Natalie got Delaney into her car and she took off.”
“Whose car? Laney or Dana?”
“Who the fuck is Dana?” my dad asked.
“Natalie’s real name is Dana Lowe.”
I watched Jasper jerk back and his face paled.
“Whose goddamned car?” I roared.
“Delaney’s,” Dad answered.
“She has a tracker, is someone tracing it?”
“Brady,” Dad spoke again.
“I’m in my truck, call me when he has something.”
“I’m coming with you,” Jasper said, coming out of his stupor.
“You think that’s a good idea?”
“About as good as it is for you.”
Jesus, I didn’t have time to talk my uncle down. If he lost his shit, we’d all deal with the blowback later. For now all I could worry about was Delaney and her being with a crazy bitch who was out for revenge.
I was in a flat-out run with my dad, Jasper, Uncle Levi, and Uncle Clark following behind. I had no idea where Levi and Clark had come from and wasn’t gonna waste time asking.
We all piled in and I flew out of the parking lot of Triple Canopy not knowing which direction to head, when my phone rang and I hit the button on the steering wheel to answer.
“Yeah.”
“She’s at Porter’s Cemetery.”
“Sick fucking bitch,” my dad muttered.
“Dillion came in early. He’s taking over here, I’m headed to Quinn. Nick and Ethan are en route to the cemetery.”
“’Preciate it, Brady,” Jasper said. He was feeling like shit, both of his girls needed him and he had to make a choice between them. A choice I was sure no parent wanted to ever have to make, but the child in gravest danger was the only option. “Lenox called Lily and briefed her. Em is supposed to stay there, but if I know my wife, she’s on her way home now. I don’t care if you have to cuff my girls to lock them down—no matter what, they don’t leave the house.”
“Copy.”
Brady disconnected and the cab of the truck grew silent.
“Carter—”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Son.”
“Dad. Respect. But do not speak to me. I have one objective and that is to get to my woman before that bitch hurts her. I don’t need warnings or reminders. I know who I am and where I am. So I am fully aware, the law is not on my side. I also don’t give the first fuck. And if any of you try to lock me down we’re gonna have problems. Big fuckin’ problems. I know you have my back, but you gotta give me room to work.”
“Roger that,” my dad muttered.
My jaw was clenched and I was grinding my molars down as I made my way to the cemetery.
“How we playing this?” Clark asked from the back.
I figured my dad or Jasper would speak up but when they didn’t, I answered.
“Call Dillion and ask him to find the grave marker location for Derek Lowe and have him send a map.”
I glanced in my rearview mirror and Clark already had his phone to his ear making the call. Thank God Dillion had come into work when he had, we needed all the help we could get.
After he was done explaining what we needed, he hung up and his phone beeped.
“Graveyard’s a grid with one main road leading up the center. Lowe is buried in the second block on the right. No cover. Not even a damn tree.”
“Can’t fan out. With no cover, there’d be crossfire,” my dad said.
He was right, if care was taken it could be done without one of us shooting in the direction of someone else, but in this case, none of us were in the right frame of mind to chance friendly fire.
“Without elevation can’t say for sure, but if it’s not uphill we could take her out from a hundred yards. Anything beyond that with the weapons we have would be too dangerous. We miscalculate bullet drop and there are others in the cemetery…” Uncle Levi trailed off.
He wouldn’t miscalculate, none of us would. However, if Dana moved a few inches in either direction after we’d taken the shot, we could miss her altogether and hit an innocent.
“We’re gonna play this by ear. If she doesn’t have the muzzle pressed against Delaney, I’m gonna rush her. She’ll swing around toward me and one of you can cover Laney.”
“That’s suicide, Carter,” my dad growled.
“No, it’s not. She won’t hit me. She’s emotional. She’ll be startled by my approach, her hands will shake, her heart rate will be out of control, she’ll shoot in my direction but she’ll miss.”
“Listen—”
“She won’t hit me,” I cut my dad off. “And you know it. You know her adrenaline will spike, she won’t know how to control it. She was aiming less than twenty-five yards away from Quinn and couldn’t hit her. Easy shot and she missed. I come at her wild, yelling, dodging, she’ll never fucking hit me.”
There was a growl from behind me and I knew it’d come from Jasper and I knew why. I was pleased as shit Dana had missed Quinn but the point was, she missed. And if I was hit, I’d gladly take a bullet or two for Laney. With Dana’s full attention on me, one of the guys could get to Delaney.
“One thing.” My jaw clenched again. “Whoever gets to Delaney, take care with the impact.”
“Fuck,” Jasper clipped. “There a reason that will be necessary?”
“Strong possibility.”
“Jesus Christ Almighty—”
Jasper’s tirade was cut off by my phone ringing.
“Yeah?”
“How close are you?”
“Two minutes.”
“You better m
ake that one. Emergency is blowin’ up. Shots fired at the cemetery.”
Cold fury took over and the mud and muck cleared from my mind and I slipped into an all too familiar place.
I’d never wanted this day to come. I’d gone to great lengths to ensure it would never happen. For eight years I pushed Delaney away so she never saw this part of me. She’d never see the man I’d become.
All for nothing.
My veins filled with ice and gone was Delaney’s Carter.
Today she’d see Special Operator Lt. Lenox.
Today she meets the devil.
30
Delaney
I really wished I’d paid more attention when my dad was teaching me how to shoot. I was more interested in learning how to aim and fire, not to mention gun safety, and hadn’t been paying much attention to lessons about the gun.
He’d gone into great detail about what each one was named, the caliber of bullet the shot, barrel length, all sorts of crap I wasn’t interested in. Probably why beyond knowing how to handle a weapon safely and how to shoot I knew nothing about guns. What I really wished I’d paid attention to was the capacity of ammunition a revolver held.
I would count the holes in the cylinder if she’d quit swinging it around in front of me, but she wasn’t stopping and I could hardly focus, my temple and cheek hurt so bad. And I could feel blood dripping down my face.
I was on my knees in front of Derek Lowe’s tombstone.
Natalie had been blathering on about how I’d murdered her brother and how she was going to kill me. I knew she was going to do it. Her eyes had gone dull and dim. There was something missing, like, maybe her soul. Whatever it was, I wasn’t waiting for her to explain why she’d snapped. I didn’t care. I went for the gun, we struggled, and she’d fired two shots. Then she’d swung the gun and hit me in the face with it. Pain bloomed and I dropped to my knees.
Now I was staring at the man’s grave who’d killed my baby.
Beloved son and brother.
Fuck. That.
Drug dealing killer was more like it.
I continued to scan the granite and I understood why Natalie decided today was the day she was going to turn full-out loony tunes. Today was her brother’s birthday.
Adoring Delaney: The Next Generation Page 22
