Drown Her Sorrows (Bree Taggert)

by Melinda Leigh

  Bree’s arm ached, but there was nothing wrong with her legs. She tucked her arm close to her side and turned on the speed. Adrenaline pumped into her bloodstream. Ahead, Holly was stumbling. She’d sprinted the first fifty feet on pure instinct, but her lack of fitness was showing. Bree gained on her.

  She caught up with her before the end of the bridge. Headlights approached.

  Backup!

  Charged with anger and determination, Bree dived forward. She threw an arm around Holly’s waist and took her to the ground. They hit the pavement in a tangle of arms and legs. Bree felt her stitches pop. Warmth rushed out of her wound, but she didn’t care. After a quick burst of white-hot agony, adrenaline blunted the pain. She flipped Holly to her stomach.

  “You’re under arrest.” Bree pulled the handcuffs from her belt. In her peripheral vision, she saw the headlights of the approaching vehicle come to a stop. She glanced over her shoulder at the approaching vehicle, but the LED lights blinded her.

  Holly tried to crawl away. On her hands and knees, she kicked out at Bree’s face.

  Bree caught the kicking foot and yanked hard. Holly went down on her face, and blood spurted from her nose. Panting, Bree planted a knee into her back.

  Holly lifted her face from the road and spat blood. “Fuck you.”

  Bree snapped one cuff around a wrist, then reached for the second.

  “Hold it!” a male voice shouted.

  Bree froze.

  Not backup. Owen.

  She looked over her shoulder. He stood about fifteen feet away, a gun in his hand. Rain plastered his hair to his head.

  “Is that Paul’s gun?” she asked, trying to stall. Backup should be there any moment.

  “Yep,” he said. “Slide your gun toward me.”

  Bree slid her Glock from its holster, set it on the road, and gave it a half-hearted push.

  Owen frowned as the weapon stopped just three feet from Bree, a dozen feet short of him. “Get off my wife.”

  Slowly, Bree slid off Holly. Bent forward, she rested her hands on her thighs and worked to catch her breath. Holly turned, sat up, and slapped Bree across the face. Bree overexaggerated her response, falling to the side and onto her hands and knees on the wet road. Holly jumped forward and kicked her in the ribs. Pain exploded in Bree’s abdomen. Her lungs expelled all their air and locked up. She dry heaved in the road.

  Holly spat on her. “Get up, bitch.” She turned toward Owen. “Love you, baby.”

  “Love you too.” He smiled. A siren sounded in the distance. Bree braced one foot under her body, as if ready to lever herself to her feet.

  “We’d better kill her quick and get out of here.” Owen held out his free hand for his wife. “Come here, baby.”

  “One second.” Holly kicked Bree in the thigh. “You broke my nose.”

  Bree drew her backup piece from her ankle holster and dived for the street. Owen fired at her. A bullet ricocheted off the blacktop a few feet away. Her good shoulder hit the pavement. She rolled over once, leveled her weapon at Owen, and pulled the trigger three times. His body jerked. Three dark spots bloomed on his chest. He dropped his gun, collapsed onto his knees, and face-planted in the road.

  “No!” Holly’s voice echoed with despair. Water and blood sluiced down her face.

  Bree walked to her and grabbed the handcuff dangling from one wrist. She spun her around and levered the other behind her back. The second handcuff closed with a resounding snap.

  Bree tightened the cuffs, then forced Holly onto her knees. “Don’t move.”

  She leaned down and pressed two fingers to the side of Owen’s neck, but his blank stare told her he was dead.

  Bree didn’t allow herself to process what had just happened. This nightmare wasn’t over yet. Matt, Cady, and Brody were still in danger. Bree clamped down on her emotions.

  Later.

  The blue and red lights of a cruiser approached. Todd got out of his vehicle, and Bree called him over. “Lock her in the back of your vehicle and bring a rope down to the riverbank.”

  Bree ran around the side of the bridge and scrambled down the bank toward the river. She headed toward the place where Shannon’s body had washed up and hoped that was where the current would deposit Matt, Cady, and Brody.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Matt broke the surface of the water and gasped for air. “Cady!”

  Treading water in the shifting current, he scanned the surface but didn’t see his sister. He looked up at the bridge overhead and estimated where she had hit the water. A few bubbles broke the surface. Matt dived, his hands sweeping out in the darkness. Nothing.

  He shot for the surface again, tossing water off his eyes and yelling over the river. “Cady!”

  As a rower, Cady was very strong. She had to be here. Unless she hadn’t survived the fall. But he would not give up until he found her.

  “Matt!” a weak cry sounded.

  For the second time that night, he thought, She’s alive!

  He followed the sound and saw her—and Brody—next to a cluster of rocks. The dog had the back of Cady’s hoodie in his mouth, and his front paws were on a boulder. Cady was neck deep in water. The upper half of her face was barely above the surface. She had to tip her face backward to breathe. Without Brody holding her afloat, she would have been swept under the surface. The current lapped and a small wave broke over her face. She sputtered as Matt swam over.

  “I’m—stuck,” she said between mouthfuls of water.

  Matt went under and followed her leg to the end. Her foot was jammed between two rocks.

  He came back up. “I need room. You have to go under so I can free you.”

  Cady nodded.

  He gave Brody the release command, and the dog opened his mouth.

  “One, two, deep breath in, three.” Matt inhaled and dived under, pulling Cady with him.

  He tugged her foot down and pulled it from between the rocks. They surfaced together in the middle of the current. It swept them into the center of the river, right toward a cluster of boulders. A splash sounded behind Matt. A few seconds later, Brody’s head appeared next to him. Weak, Cady floundered and almost went under again. She was barely conscious as Matt pulled her closer.

  White foam churned around them. Matt turned her in his arms and put her back to his chest. Then he wrapped one arm around her and turned his back to the rocks. Brody grabbed Matt’s sleeve in his mouth and stroked toward the bank, pulling Matt off a direct collision course with the rocks. Matt’s shoulder glanced off the boulder instead of hitting it head-on. He took the impact across his back, shielding his sister in his arms. The blow knocked the air from his lungs. He wheezed as the current swept them through an eddy. It tugged them under. Water closed over their heads and sucked them toward the bottom. His chest burned with the need for oxygen. Matt pushed off the bottom with both feet, holding tight to Cady and propelling them back up. His head broke the surface. He coughed and gasped.

  Brody was right there at his side, pulling them both toward the shore.

  “Cady?” Matt yelled.

  She didn’t answer. Her body was limp in his arms. He turned on his back, hauled her against his chest, and stroked with his free arm.

  They’d popped out of the eddy at the foot of the rapids. Just ahead, the river forked. To one side, the rapids continued. The other branch led to a quiet, flat inlet. With Brody’s help, Matt headed for the calm water. He spotted Bree and Todd on the shore near the place where they’d found Shannon’s body.

  “Almost there, Cady,” he shouted.

  His sister didn’t answer. He turned her face to him. Panic pushed him to swim faster. Her lips were blue, and she wasn’t breathing.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  As Bree and Todd waded out toward the trio, Todd made a lasso and flung the coil into the water. Matt grabbed it, and they pulled him and Cady in. As soon as she was within reach, Todd pulled Cady closer. He bent over her face and started rescue breathing while he towed her
on her back in the water. When he was only thigh deep, he scooped her up and carried her to dry ground. Laying her on the rocky shore, he went back to mouth-to-mouth. Bree rushed from the water, dropped to her knees beside Cady, and checked her pulse. Nothing. She began administering chest compressions.

  Matt stumbled out of the water and fell to his hands and knees beside them. His shirt was torn and bloody across the backs of his shoulders. Brody emerged and shook himself, sending water spraying in all directions.

  Bree counted compressions and stopped for Todd to breathe into Cady’s mouth. They had completed two cycles when Cady choked, gasped, and coughed. Todd rolled her to her side and held her as she retched and coughed up water. Bree sat back on her heels. Her pulse hammered in her veins, and nausea swirled in her stomach. Matt collapsed at her side, with what seemed to be tears of relief in his eyes. Brody barked and wagged his soaking-wet tail.

  On the road above, more lights and sirens signaled the arrival of the ambulance and rescue crew. Todd lurched to his feet. “I’ll get them.” He turned and jogged up the slope and into the trees.

  Cady coughed. A hard shiver shook her whole body. Bree took off her windbreaker and draped it over her. The rain stopped, but the night air remained cold and damp.

  Matt crawled closer to his sister. “You’re going to be OK.” He turned to Bree. “What happened with Holly?”

  “Long story short, Holly is handcuffed in the back of Todd’s vehicle, and Owen is dead.” Bree gave him a quick summary.

  Matt lifted his brows. Then he took her hand and held it against his chest. “But we survived.”

  What would she have done if he hadn’t? Her heart stuttered. Don’t think about it. Not even for a second. He’s fine. Bree locked away her fears. At this rate, she was going to need an internal vault to compartmentalize all her emotions.

  “We’re a pretty good team.” She squeezed his fingers.

  The EMTs followed Todd to the riverbank. Todd glanced at Matt’s and Bree’s joined hands. He smiled, then coughed into his fist to hide the grin. Embarrassed, Bree released Matt’s hand, stood, and backed up to give the EMTs room to work on Cady.

  Lights and sirens signaled the arrival of additional emergency vehicles on the road above. Deputies scrambled down the embankment. Someone brought blankets. Matt took one and rubbed down Brody before accepting a blanket for himself.

  A short time later, Cady was carried to the road on a gurney. Bree and Matt climbed up the slope behind the EMTs. The bridge was full of deputy vehicles. An ambulance was parked on the shoulder, and the medical examiner had arrived. Cady was loaded into an ambulance.

  Matt hesitated at the back doors. He clearly wanted to go with his sister. “I need someone to take Brody.”

  “I’ll do it,” Bree said.

  Matt shook his head. “Your arm is bleeding. You need to go to the ER.”

  She glanced at the wet, bloody bandage. “I know.”

  “I’ve got Brody, Matt.” Todd stooped and picked up the end of the leash, which was dragging in the mud.

  “We’ll also need someone to pick up Shannon’s dog,” Bree said.

  “I can call one of Cady’s volunteers to take him,” Matt offered. “If you send a deputy to pick him up.”

  “I’ll take care of that too,” Todd said.

  “Thanks. We’ll find him a new home.” Matt climbed into the back with his sister. He pointed at Bree. “I expect to see you at the ER ASAP.”

  “I’ll be there.” She gave him a short wave as the ambulance doors closed. As much as she wasn’t looking forward to having her arm cleaned and restitched, she wanted to face Owen’s dead body less. But she walked toward the bridge and the medical examiner’s van. She had a job to do. As usual, she would put aside the emotional fallout over killing a man until the work was done.

  The medical examiner stepped away from the body and walked to the rear of her van. She removed her gloves and set her kit inside.

  Bree approached. “Do you need anything?”

  “No. You’ll get my report, but I didn’t see any surprises.” Dr. Jones assessed Bree. Her gaze stopped on Bree’s arm. She raised a brow.

  “I know,” Bree said. “I’m headed to the ER next.”

  “Good.” Dr. Jones closed the back of her van. “Take care, Sheriff. We need you.”

  Bree turned and scanned the swarm of law enforcement personnel for her chief deputy. She spotted him standing next to his vehicle, talking on the radio. Brody sat at his side.

  Bree crossed the pavement.

  Todd leaned into his vehicle and replaced his radio mic. “Deputy Oscar took Holly Thorpe to the station and put her in holding.”

  “Good. I need to interview her tonight.”

  “Sheriff,” Todd said. “No offense, but I think you should get that arm seen to.”

  Bree scanned the scene again, then looked back at Todd. He was perfectly capable of doing the job, and it was time she let him. “You’re right. You’re in charge, Chief Deputy.”

  “Oh. OK.” He blinked, as if surprised she’d agreed. “Any instructions?”

  “You know what to do.” Bree gave Brody a pat on the head, then turned toward the direction of her vehicle. She glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll see you at the station later.”

  Todd stood straighter. “Yes, ma’am.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Matt stood outside Cady’s ER cubicle. A nurse had found him a set of dry scrubs. A plastic bag held his wet clothes. The abrasions across the backs of his shoulders had been cleaned and dressed. Except for his wet socks and shoes, he felt almost human.

  The doctor emerged from behind the curtain. She raised her glasses and looked Matt over. “Your sister has a concussion, two broken fingers, and a whole bunch of bruises. Between that and possible complications of near drowning, we’re going to admit her tonight for observation. As long as the CAT scan comes back clear, she can probably go home tomorrow. Someone should keep an eye on her for the next few days.”

  “She’ll be going to our parents’ house.” Something Matt had not told Cady yet. “My father is a retired physician. She’ll be in good hands.” Their parents had been insistent—their dad was a softy, but not when it came to their health.

  “Excellent.”

  “Thanks.” Matt knocked on the wall next to the curtain’s edge. “Cady? It’s Matt.”

  “Come in.” She reclined on the gurney. Blankets were piled on top of her, and an IV dripped into the back of her hand. A small patch of hair on the side of her head had been shaved, and an inch-long gash stitched.

  “Nice hairdo.” He perched on the edge of the gurney and took her hand.

  She smiled. “Maybe I should shave my whole head.”

  Matt grinned. “You’d still be cute.”

  “Thanks for saving me.”

  “You’re welcome.” He squeezed her fingers. “Mom and Dad and Nolan are on the way.”

  “I need clothes.”

  “The ’rents just left your house. They packed you a bag.”

  “I’m going home with them tomorrow, aren’t I?” Cady grinned.

  “Yep.”

  She rested her head back. “Maybe Dad’ll make his homemade mac and cheese.”

  “I’m sure he’ll make whatever you want.”

  She closed her eyes. “Sweet.”

  “Cady?” Mom’s voice sounded from the hallway.

  “In here,” Cady called out.

  The curtain opened and Matt’s parents and Nolan walked in. At seventy, George Flynn hadn’t lost an inch of his broad six-foot-two frame. His thick white hair and trimmed beard made the blue of his eyes look even more brilliant. Their mom was only a few inches shorter and robustly built. No one would call her frail.

  “You should have called me sooner.” Nolan ran a hand over his bald head.

  “There wasn’t time,” Matt said.

  Dad immediately checked Cady’s vital signs on the monitor. Another knock sounded outside the cubicle, and Bre
e stuck her head in. “I just wanted to make sure you were OK.”

  Cady smiled. “I am. Do you need to question me?”

  “No.” Bree shook her head. She still wore her wet clothes but held a small duffel bag in one hand. The bandage on her arm hadn’t been changed. “Tomorrow will be soon enough. You rest tonight.”

  Matt introduced his parents and brother. They all shook her hand.

  Their dad held on an extra few seconds. “We’d like to thank you with Sunday brunch.”

  “This weekend is Mother’s Day,” Bree said, her eyes turning sad. “But I’ll take a rain check.”

  Matt’s dad held up a hand. “Don’t answer now. Think about it.” He nodded. “Bring your whole family. I’ll make extra cinnamon buns.”

  “Thank you.” Bree stepped back.

  A nurse came in. “Sheriff. We’re ready for you in bay six.”

  Bree excused herself. “I need to get this restitched. It was nice to meet you.” She ducked out into the hallway.

  “Go with the sheriff.” Matt’s dad motioned toward the exit. “We know you want to. Your mom and I have things in hand here.”

  “Thanks.” Matt kissed his sister on the head and went looking for Bree.

  The curtain was closed in bay six. When it opened, Bree had changed into a dry uniform. She smiled at him as she hopped onto the gurney to sit sideways. “I wish I had dry shoes.”

  “Same.” His shoes squished as he walked in. He closed the curtain behind him. He leaned down and kissed her softly, then he wrapped both arms around her, careful of her injured arm. She leaned into his chest for a minute. When the squeak of rubber soles signaled a nurse’s approach, they broke apart.

  Matt stepped back.

  “Knock knock.” The curtain opened and a nurse entered. She cut away the bandages.

  “I’ll be questioning Holly Thorpe after this.” Bree held out her arm as the nurse inspected the wound. “You want in?”

  Matt straightened. “Damned straight I do.”