Killer Love (51 page)

Abby felt like Indiana Jones, having to make a choice between a pit of vipers and sword-wielding assassins.

She hesitated only slightly before continuing toward her mother. As she drew closer, she marveled at how her mother never seemed to age. She’d put on some weight, the bulges showing in the grape-colored linen pantsuit she wore, but she was still a strikingly beautiful woman. Tall, with silvery blonde hair that sparkled like gold dust in the Florida sun, Charlene easily looked ten years younger than her fifty-seven.

When Abby reached her side, Charlene extended her arms and pulled Abby into a hug. Her cool, soft lips planted a kiss on Abby’s cheek. “I’m so glad to see you here, darling. I was so hoping I would. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Mother, you?”

“Actually, I’m a little concerned about you.” Charlene glanced toward the crowd, and tugged Abby a few feet away, out of hearing range of the other people. “Ross told me you came to the hospital.”

Abby let out a frustrated breath. They’d asked him not to tell anyone what was going on, but obviously, they’d made a mistake in trusting him.

Charlene must have seen that Abby wasn’t pleased, because she rushed on quickly, “He didn’t tell me why, but I know you, and something must be terribly wrong or you never would have gone to Ross.”

Abby shook her head, giving a small sigh of relief. “I’m fine, really. Nothing to concern yourself about.”

Her mother’s blue eyes peered intently at Abby. “There’s something we should talk about. Something I need to tell you that I should have told you a long time ago.” She frowned, and the lines in her face deepened, adding a few years to her youthful appearance. “I wanted to shield you, but that wasn’t fair to me, or to Ross.”

Abby frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s about your father.”

“Look,” Abby said quietly, her body tensing. “This isn’t really the time or place.”

“Maybe not, but it needs to be said. Ross was so happy to see you, yet at the same time, he was quite disturbed about something, although he wouldn’t say what. I’m afraid you’re going to take off again, and I don’t want to lose you, but I‘m getting too old to keep chasing you all over the country.” She gave a faint smile. “Besides, I really like it here.” Abby didn’t return the smile and Charlene continued, “I know you haven’t forgiven Ross and me for being together while I was married to your father.”

“You mean while my father lay dying?” Abby asked, failing to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Her mother’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded. “Yes, but you have to understand. Stuart was a wonderful father, but he was an awful husband. He was nasty, cruel and abusive. It’s true,” she rushed on when Abby shook her head. “You remember that Christmas when you were ten and I was too ill to get out of bed? I wasn’t able to get up with you on Christmas morning.”

Abby nodded slowly. “I remember.”

“I didn’t get out of bed because your father had kicked me so hard in the kidneys I couldn’t stand. I didn’t find out until later that day, when I finally went to the hospital, that I was bleeding internally.”

Tears stung Abby’s eyes and nausea rose in her throat. “He didn’t...he wouldn’t...” She shook her head, not able to finish.

“I’m sorry, honey, but he did. It’s the truth. That was the day I met Ross. He wanted to report it to the police, but I wouldn’t let him. I didn’t want your world destroyed.” She sighed and swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “Ross and I fell in love. Ross showed me what it felt like to be
truly
loved. He treated me like something to be treasured, unlike your father, who treated me like a punching bag, like something to be ground under his boot heel. I was trying to gather the courage to divorce him when he became ill. I couldn’t leave him, but I couldn’t give up Ross, either. I know it was wrong, but I wanted you to see that it wasn’t as wrong as it might have seemed.”

Abby didn’t respond. She stared at her mother in silence. As awful as it was, as unbelievably horrific, Abby did believe. She saw the truth in her mother’s eyes and she felt sick.

She heard a crackle of static, followed by a voice over the speaker announcing that the ceremony was beginning.

“Thanks for telling me,” Abby finally managed.

Turning away from her mother, Abby made her way to where the crowd was settling in for the ceremony. She had to make herself visible so Perry would know she was there.

As Abby took her seat, it occurred to her that she should have told her mother she forgave her and Ross, and that she loved her.

She should have told her mother she understood. That when you find the kind of love she had with Ross, you should do whatever it takes to hold onto it.

Even if it meant risking your life.

****

Wil listened to the speech on the radio as he sped toward the beach house, sixty miles from Blue Harbor. He should be there in less than half an hour.

Matt was introducing his brother and was currently relating a story from when he had been six and Micah eight. Micah had poured water on the mattress beneath a sleeping Matt, making their parents think Matt had wet the bed.

This was the fourth such anecdote Matt had shared. Even over the radio, Wil could detect the sounds of restless shuffling and throat clearing. Wil gave a wry grin. At the rate Matt was going, Wil could be all the way to Texas by the time his stories reached their teen years.

Wanting to ensure the speech was delayed, Wil had enlisted Matt’s help. If Micah finished, alive and well, before Wil reached Lindsey, Perry would kill her.

Wil was making record time, pushing the speed limit extra hard. He hoped like hell he’d gotten Lindsey’s message right. Otherwise, Lindsey—and Abby—would still die.

When Wil and his family had lived in the rat race that was Miami, Tara had pleaded with him to buy a house on the ocean so they could live in a safe, peaceful area. He’d kept promising her he would, but never had.

As often as she could, Tara would take Lindsey and escape to the beach house. It had ended up being the place where she died. Afterward, Wil had decided to honor Tara’s wish, too little, too late—as usual. But he couldn’t live in the house where she’d died, so he’d sold the beach house and bought the one in Blue Harbor.

Had Perry been the one to buy it? Wil had sold it through a realtor and had never met the buyer. It was definitely a possibility. Either that, or Perry had simply broken in.

Or, he wasn’t at the beach house at all, and Wil was fucked.

When Wil was less than a mile from the house, he heard a female voice on the radio diplomatically cut Matt off, thank him, then introduce the mayor. It didn’t matter now. Wil would be there in a couple of minutes.

He parked a few streets away and made the rest of his way on foot. He approached from the southwest corner, remembering from his brief visits that there were no windows on that side.

The house’s white paint was peeling and weeds sprouted in the too-tall grass. Tara’s garden she’d so lovingly tended was now a patch of dirt and dead plants.

Wil looked out over the water, not seeing any swimmers or boaters in the area. The nearest neighbor was almost a mile down the beach.

They were alone, he and the occupants of the beach house.

Hopefully, Perry and Lindsey.

With gun drawn, and his back to the outside wall, Wil slid around to the front of the house and halted.

Perry’s beloved Firebird was in the driveway.

Chapter Sixteen

Wil stood next to the large picture window, staying flush against the house. If Perry were inside, even if he looked out the window, he wouldn’t see Wil.

Standing motionless, Wil listened. He heard a male voice but the words were muffled. He thought the sound might be coming from a television. Perhaps the mayor’s speech.

Lifting his head, Wil glimpsed curtains drawn over the windows. He couldn’t look inside, couldn’t pinpoint Lindsey’s location. Couldn’t run in with gun blazing.

He’d have to make Perry come outside.

Wil crouched and stayed along the outside edge of the house. He skirted the far side of the driveway and crept to the car, where he removed his jacket and wrapped it around his hand. He scanned the area, ensuring there were no onlookers who might be caught in the crossfire, then rammed his fist through the passenger window, shattering glass that rained like diamonds on his head. A strident, uneven wail pierced the silence, sounding so loud, Wil had to cover his ears against the assault.

The door to the beach house flew open and Perry half stumbled, half ran out, wildly waving a pistol, bellowing, “What the fuck. Who’s there? What the fuck did you do to my car?”

Perry pressed the button on a key fob, silencing the alarm. The sudden stillness was almost as deafening as the incessant noise had been.

Perry sprinted to the Firebird and placed both palms on the hood, his expression one of confusion and grief. Before he could notice the broken window and make his way to the other side of the Firebird, Wil dropped into a prone position on the ground, aimed underneath the car, and fired two quick rounds into Perry’s ankle.

Perry made a sound somewhere between a groan and a shriek, falling to the ground. Wil rounded the car and jumped on the downed man, slamming his fist into Perry’s face so hard, his head slammed against the pavement.

Perry yelped and thrashed beneath Wil, blood mingling with the snot and tears that poured from his nose and eyes. Perry fiercely scrubbed his hands over his face, struggling to get away, attempting to see his attacker.

When his vision cleared, he recognized Wil and his terror and bewilderment morphed into fury. “You motherfucker!” he raged. “What the fuck did you do? How did you find me?”

Wil climbed off him and jerked him to his feet by the collar of his grass-stained polo shirt. When Perry’s injured foot touched the ground, his leg buckled, but Wil pulled him upright.

“Move,” Wil growled into Perry’s ear. He shoved him toward the house. Perry stumbled through the door and Wil followed.

Wil scanned the room. The decor was different than he remembered. Tara had filled the beach house with white wicker furniture and paisley print cushions. There’d been lots of tropical plants, and brightly colored throw rugs had adorned the shiny, hardwood floor.

Now the floors were bare, the wood faded and peeling. A blue sofa rested against one wall, facing a twenty-inch TV on a black chrome stand. Adjacent to the sofa was a wooden kitchen chair with a slatted back.

In the chair sat Lindsey. Her hands were behind her, a gag duct-taped over her mouth. When she saw Wil, her eyes became enormous liquid pools. A look of such joy and relief filled them that Wil felt tears surface in his own.

His happiness at seeing Lindsey alive was momentarily replaced by a white hot fury more intense than anything he’d felt before.

He tightened his hold on Perry’s collar, choking him for a moment before slamming the butt of the .38 into the back of his head. Perry went down like a discarded bag of garbage.

Wil rushed over to Lindsey and peeled away the tape as gently as he could, but she still winced as it pulled at her delicate skin. When her mouth was uncovered, she said, “Daddy! I knew you’d come. You got my hint, didn’t you?”

Wil spoke as he worked at the ropes binding her to the chair. “Yes, baby, I did. That was very clever of you. I’m so proud.”

When Lindsey was free, she tore from the chair and threw herself against him. Wil’s arms closed around her and he squeezed her tightly, holding her while she sobbed into his chest.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “God, I’m so sorry. I love you, baby. I’m so glad you’re okay.” He placed a kiss on the top of her soft hair, smelling the faint scent of shampoo and sweat.

“It’s okay, Daddy. Everything’s okay now.”

He reluctantly separated from her and took her shoulders, looking her in the eye. “Listen, I want you to go, run. My truck is parked out on Ballinger Road. Get to it and lock yourself inside until me or the police come, you understand?”

But Lindsey was already shaking her head. “I’m not leaving you. Come with me. Please, come with me.”

Perry moaned and Wil turned. Perry was on all fours, trying to rise to his feet. Wil turned back to Lindsey and gave her a little shake. “Run, honey, run now. I’ll be fine.”

Wil placed a quick kiss on her forehead and went back to Perry. His eyes were batting open and their glazed reddish orbs shot fire at Wil.

Wil jerked him to his feet and slammed him against the wall. He shoved the gun into Perry’s ribs. “Where’s the detonator?”

“Fuck you.”

“You shithead little cocksucker,” Wil bit out softly, aware that Lindsey hadn’t yet obeyed his command. She was still in the room. “Tell me where it is, or the next few minutes are going to be very painful for you.”

“Go to hell,” Perry screamed, unconcerned about Lindsey’s delicate sensibilities. “I don’t give a fuck what you do to me. The bitch is still gonna die. You’re gonna pay for murdering my sister.”

Wil gripped Perry’s throat and squeezed, still jamming the gun into his side. “Wanna know something? You’re right. I killed your sister. And here’s the beauty part of it. This will give you something to think about when your fellow inmates are shoving a broom handle so far up your ass you get splinters in your throat. I know about the money you got from your parents’ deaths. I know they got the money from the life insurance policy on your dead sister. We searched your apartment and I found it. And, guess what? It’s mine now.” That was a lie. The cash had been found, but it was locked up in evidence. Wil hadn’t touched it. “So, you might say, not only did I kill your sister. I’m actually getting
paid
for it.”

Perry let out an enraged scream, bucking and jerking at Wil’s hold. Tears poured from his eyes and a string of expletives flew from his lips.

Still aware of his daughter behind him, Wil said, “Lindsey, dammit, run. Run now!”

“Abby’s gonna die, no matter what.” Perry choked out the words around the grip Wil had on his throat. A satisfied gleam came into his eyes. “Right after I hung up the phone, I set the timer on the explosive. I knew it would give me time to get away, and you’d still pay, maybe die, maybe not. The blast will kill Abby and whoever is around her.”