The Renegade Returns (Mill Town Millionaires) (14 page)

Opening the second-floor entry, he winced as a squeal assaulted the eardrums. The sound echoed through the stairwell. He glanced toward the loading dock below. He couldn’t see clearly through the iron mesh of the walkway, but there was definitely a truck. Not one of theirs, though.

He’d have to get closer.

Glancing around, Luke found a wedge to prop the door open. He scooted it closer with his foot, then forced it into place. He could always come back and close it later if this was nothing, but his niggling senses said something was up.

He took the last of the stairs to the ground floor. A turn to the left led down a long hallway to the security entrance. He could jog down there and see if anyone was home, but if no one was, he’d have wasted precious time and legwork. Right would take him down a short distance to the loading dock floor. Better to just take a cautious peek.

Thankfully the lower-level door had been oiled. He eased through with very little noise and stepped out beneath the elevated walkway. He had to lean out for a good look, because of pallets blocking his view. But then he saw the back end of a work van very clearly.

Click.

Luke froze. Anyone from the South recognized that noise—the clear sound of a gun hammer being cocked. He glanced over his shoulder to see Mark watching him with a cool gaze and pointing a pistol directly at him. And if Luke remembered correctly, Mark had taken marksmanship with Jacob in high school. They’d captained rival teams.

“Well, I didn’t expect anyone to be here this late, but the fact that it’s you is a nice bonus,” Mark said.

The snide tone grated across Luke’s senses. He turned completely as Mark stepped out of the dappled shadows beneath the walkway.

“Mark, what’s going on?” he asked, attempting to keep both his voice and his body loose, casual.

“You showed up just in time,” Mark said, his grin stretching a little too far.

“For what? A hunting party?”

Apparently Mark didn’t find him funny. “No, you lazy bum. It’ll be a celebration, but I doubt you and your intrusive family will see it the same way I do.”

“How’s that?”

“A giant fireball to celebrate the ruination of the Blackstone brothers and their legacy in Black Hills.”

Luke’s blood ran cold. Did Mark mean to blow something up? “So you’ll destroy the mill in an effort to, what? Get back at me for something?”

Mark jumped forward, the threat of the gun forcing Luke to retreat. “Not ‘something,’ you ignorant ass. I’ve spent years working a menial job, always blocked from moving up. I finally got the chance to take my rightful place in management, and you and your brothers decide it’s time to ride back into town and save the day.” The disgust on his face was perfectly plain. “This place should have been mine. Mine.”

Luke’s stomach sank. Even though he’d known Mark needed money, he’d still held on to the idea that his anger at Luke himself centered around Avery. This went far deeper than either of those issues.

He gestured for Luke to turn around. A sharp poke in the back from the gun got him moving forward. Luke tried to keep his steps slow, exaggerating his slight limp. He needed time to figure this out and find a way to get clear.

“I’m not a murderer,” Mark said. “Normally I’d say that’s taking things a bit too far, you know?” He herded Luke closer to the truck. “But for you, I’ll make an exception.”

“What makes me so special?”

He jabbed Luke hard in the back, a reward for his smart mouth. “I almost had her where I wanted her, was ready to put a ring on her finger. Then I’d have had all of Avery’s money at my disposal and she’d have been none the wiser.”

Luke snorted. “Avery Prescott? Are you serious?”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Luke glanced over his shoulder, just as much to see what Mark was up to as to emphasize his point. “Avery is way too smart to just hand her money over to someone because she married him. She’s a good businesswoman. She’d find out about the gambling way before the wedding day.”

Luke wasn’t sure if the silence that greeted his statement was good or bad. He decided to push his luck.

“Thought you’d kept that pretty secret, didn’t you? Why do you think I’m here tonight, Mark?” Luke’s disgust hardened his voice. Maybe if he could get Mark riled up, push him off-kilter, he could get the upper hand. “I’ve been upstairs, going through your computer. All your files. All your emails. I know what you did.”

Mark’s flush deepened from red to purple. “Doesn’t matter. In about fifteen minutes, I’ll be the only one who knows. And all that evidence, including you, will have gone up in smoke.”

Or so Mark thought. He actually thought Luke wasn’t smart enough to have made copies. But Luke
was
smart enough to let him keep believing that…for now.

“And don’t bother calling for help. The great advantage of doing this on maintenance weekend is the only people here are the outer guards.” Mark laughed. “The local cops haven’t figured me out yet and they aren’t going to, either.”

Maybe Luke could still do something if he could get to a radio and reach a guard, depended on how soon the bomb was set to blow. Fifteen minutes. Luke’s adrenaline kicked in hard enough to summon a wave of nausea. This was not gonna be fun.

Without turning his head, he tried to look around, figure out his options. Mark didn’t give him enough time. Reaching out for something nearby, he then held it up for Luke to see.

Zip ties.

“Now back up to the door. Nice and slow.”

Luke moved himself up to the rear of the van. The whole time, he pumped his fists, hoping to create space once Mark tied him down. As he grabbed at Luke’s hands, Luke lifted his wrists slightly against the bar, hoping Mark wouldn’t notice.

Luke waited until Mark stepped away with a smirk. Then he disappeared around the front of the van. Luke heard a door open and some noise. The smell of fertilizer grew. Luke couldn’t help but wonder about the size of the bomb.

Mark spoke from inside. “Amazing what you can learn to do on the internet, isn’t it? Looks like I’m just making a little delivery for my parents’ gardening company and oops—I had an accident.”

“Why not just ask them for money?” Luke asked, curious about that since hearing Mark’s side of the conversation the other night.

“You know, my older brother reminds me a lot of Jacob. He’s soft. Protective. Like my parents don’t have more than enough wealth to share. Like I don’t deserve it—I’m the one stuck here with them, after all. But not for long. I’ve found someone else who will pay me very well.”

Luke let him ramble while trying to work his hands free. Heaven help him, he would not leave his family, Avery, like this.

“Hasn’t done you a lot of good so far, has it?” Luke prodded.

“This one last job and I’ll hit the mother lode of payoffs—with a new job to boot. Now shut up and let me work.”

While Mark was busy, Luke let his arms straighten once more. Then he squeezed his hands through the extra space he’d created in the ties. Not as much space as he’d like, but luckily he’d started to sweat from nerves and heat. Five minutes and he’d managed to wring his big hands back out.

Luke looked for a weapon, but footsteps told him he’d run out of time. Mark stepped around the corner. “Time to leave—”

“Yep.” Luke swung the heavy half door of the van in Mark’s direction, catching his face with a weighty
thunk
.

He didn’t stop to check the bomb—he simply grabbed the gun and ran. Adrenaline kept his body from resisting, though Luke had a vague thought he’d be hurting tomorrow.

If there was one.

He reached the door to the hallway, only to find Mark had locked or jammed it somehow. He had to detour to the next door down the line. Damn—why was this room so long? Through that one and back down the hall. This one wasn’t a straight shot, so Luke had to guess which turns to take.

He’d maneuvered his way back to the main hall before he heard a voice behind him. “Where are you going, Luke? You’ll never make it out in time.”

Luke wasn’t giving up, but a sudden hard rumble erupted from the middle of the building and Luke knew his time was up. He wasn’t going to reach a radio or phone or even a door. He saw the entrance to a room and threw himself into the doorway just as the building seemed to explode around him.

FIFTEEN

A
very stood in the hallway just outside the emergency room, though she wasn’t quite sure how. She didn’t remember driving, didn’t remember coming inside. Heck, she didn’t remember much past Jacob’s quick explanation that Luke had been in an explosion at the plant and was being med-flighted to a hospital over an hour away.

She remembered a few choice words from a special newsbreak on the radio—namely
bomb
and
explosion
and
serious injuries
—before she’d turned it off. Not knowing was better than letting vague info whip her into sheer panic.

Common sense told her she shouldn’t even be here. After the way Luke had spoken to her the last time they’d been together, it was clear he didn’t have a very high opinion of her. Unfortunately, that didn’t mute the love that had grown in her heart. Her need to know he was okay overrode all the arguments to stay away that her brain could come up with.

So here she stood. She hadn’t been allowed behind the big metal doors to where the family had already gone. After all, she wasn’t family, just the woman Luke had been sleeping with for a few weeks. She didn’t know if anyone knew she was here. Christina wasn’t answering her phone. But she’d wait as long as she had to, until someone came through those doors who could give her news.

It took another forty-five minutes before a familiar face appeared. Christina paused at the nurse’s station before looking in her direction. Then she rushed over. Her arms around Avery were the first warmth Avery had felt since she’d received that phone call.

“I’m so sorry,” Christina said. “We were speaking with the doctor then Luke woke up and I just didn’t think about them not letting you come back to the family waiting area.”

“He’s awake?” she asked, focusing on the important part.

Christina nodded, her eyes welling with tears. “He has a concussion where some debris hit his head, but he’s very lucky. No broken bones, only a few stitches. No internal damage.”

“What happened?”

“He was at the mill when a bomb went off.”

Avery quickly reached out to the wall, because she knew she was going down. Her knees hit the floor with a painful sting, but at least they stopped her descent.

“Oh, Avery, I’m sorry,” Christina said, kneeling down, too. “I thought Jacob had told you.”

Avery only managed to shake her head. “Not much,” she murmured. Images of broken bones, surgeries and traction had raced through her brain while she’d waited. “He didn’t give any details. Just that Luke had been hurt.”

“Men.” Christina helped her to her feet, then led her down the hallway with an arm around her waist, though Avery couldn’t really tell who was supporting who. All too soon they breached the forbidden doors that Avery had stared at for so long. “I’m so sorry he left you guessing, Avery. I guess he was freaked out by it all, too.”

“I bet.”

“From what we can tell,” Christina said as they walked, “he was at the accounting office doing some work during the night. As he left, he heard a truck on the loading dock, which wasn’t supposed to be there during mandatory shutdown. He found the makings for a bomb in there—”

Oh, lord.

“Mark is involved somehow, too.”

“Mark?”

Christina nodded. “The police are with them now.”

“Mark made it out, too?” she asked as they came into a waiting room filled with Blackstones, including KC with little Carter, Nolen and Mary.

“Yes,” Jacob said, reaching out to pull her close for a quick hug. “I’m so sorry. All I could think about was Luke.”

“I understand.”

“I was there while the police spoke with him,” Jacob said. “Looks like Mark drove one of his parents’ work vans into the mill loading dock, intending to blow it up with a bomb made from fertilizer. Luke found evidence of embezzlement on Mark’s computer.” Jacob shook his head. “Mark tied Luke to the truck and was gonna leave him there.”

“Why?” Avery gasped.

Jacob took on a very uncomfortable look. The women glanced at each other. “Jacob, hon, you can tell us,” Christina said.

KC appeared at his side. She looked at Avery in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Avery, but from Luke’s account, it seems Mark was trying to marry you for money. He resented Luke’s interference.”

She rubbed up and down Jacob’s back with her palm. “Mark called the Blackstones the golden sons. Said that they came back and took over everything he wanted. Said he’d ruin the whole town rather than let them take it.”

Avery squeezed her eyes shut, unable to process it all. “What about the mill?”

“Zach is there now, assessing the damage,” Jacob said. “But it’s confined to the admin building, so fingers are crossed that it’s minimal.”

“Thank goodness,” Christina said, echoing all their thoughts.

A doctor came into the room and called for their attention. Everyone turned. “Luke has asked to see his family, and I’ve granted permission, but only immediate family for now, please. He’s not in serious danger, but I’d like to keep him overnight to observe him. The rest of you will get your chance soon enough.”

Murmurs of relief spread through the room. There were hugs before the men gathered near the door. Aiden spoke quietly with Christina, who came and took Avery’s hand, leading her down the hallway with the men. Avery’s heart pounded. After all, she wasn’t family.

“Christina, maybe I should go back,” she whispered.

The other woman squeezed her hand. “Don’t be silly.”

Maybe Christina didn’t know what had happened the last time she and Luke had seen each other. “Christina, really, this is a bad idea.”

The men paused outside a door. Aiden turned to look at her. “No, Avery, it isn’t. Luke needs you here, just as much as he needs us.”

Only he didn’t.

There was no time to explain as everyone moved inside. The beep of monitors made Avery wince. She’d been around many patients before who were hospital-bound in serious condition or in a coma. But this, this was different. This was Luke. Thoughts of him hurting and near death were almost her undoing.

He lay still on the bed, bandages around his head and one arm. Avery studied his body, looking for signs that would tell her about the damage, but couldn’t find them. Her gaze traveling back up, and she found his amber eyes open and trained directly on her. Then his unhampered hand lifted, reaching out to her.

Despite what had happened between them, Avery couldn’t stop herself from moving forward. She parted the crowd, resting with her hand in his, fingers laid lightly against his wrist so she could feel that life-giving pulse for herself. Even so, she couldn’t lift her eyes to his. Then he might see the utter devastation she’d been through over the past few hours. She blinked away the wash of tears. But she couldn’t let go of that hand.

Not yet.

“Good to see ya, brother,” Aiden said. Jacob murmured the same.

Luke let his bandaged head drop against the pillows with a wince. “Glad I’m still here to be seen.”

Christina’s tears were much freer than Avery’s. She skirted around Jacob to give Luke a hug. “The doctor says everything will be okay?”

“Yep. There was absolutely no reason for them to med-flight me here. An ambulance would have been perfectly acceptable.”

Jacob smirked. “Especially since Luke hates flying.”

“Well, it did wake me up hella quick.”

“I bet.”

Avery could see Luke’s hard swallow before he asked, “The mill?”

“Zach is there to evaluate the fire, last I spoke to him. If everything’s sound, the plant floor and outbuildings will be saved with only smoke damage. The admin building wasn’t so lucky. It will have to be rebuilt.”

“I got electronic copies of the emails. Zach has the log-in info. Make sure the police check his home computer.”

Aiden straightened, his height imposing. “Then we’ll nail Mark’s ass to the wall.”

“He made it out?” Luke asked.

His heartbeat sped up beneath her fingertips.

Jacob nodded. “From what the police chief said, he had a spot all picked out to shelter in when the bomb went off, so he could claim it was an accident. Didn’t work out so well for him.”

Luke glanced around, then zeroed back in on his twin. “Why?”

Jacob looked to Aiden for confirmation before he said, “Part of the concrete wall came down on his legs.”

Avery gasped, shocked, but found little sympathy in her heart. Mark had made his choice; he got what he deserved.

Christina laid her hand on Aiden’s arm. “I think that’s enough business for now, right, guys?”

Aiden covered her hand with his own. “She’s right. I’m glad you’re gonna be okay, Luke.”

“Me, too,” Jacob added. “This is one hospital too many, in my opinion.”

“Mine, too,” Luke agreed.

The others turned to the door, but Luke refused to let go of her hand.

Avery studied their clasped hands, unsure of what to do or say to avoid tears she wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Thank you for coming,” Luke said.

“I couldn’t not come,” Avery conceded.

Because it was the truth. No matter how Luke felt about her now, she wouldn’t have been able to stay away, knowing he’d been hurt. She wanted to ask about his legs, his previous injuries, but she daren’t open that can of worms.

“I appreciate that, Avery. Especially after the way I treated you the last time we were together.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ve been trying to find a way to apologize, to let you know I didn’t believe those things I said, but I didn’t know how. So I took the coward’s way out and stayed away.”

“If you didn’t believe them, why did you say them?”

“Because I was angry. And, I think, because it gave me an excuse to dismiss your concerns without having to evaluate their merit.” He kissed the back of her hand, drawing her tears closer to the surface. “I wanted you to support me, to agree with me wholeheartedly. When you didn’t, I lashed out. I’m sorry.”

Avery wished the apology meant more. Luke had almost died. She didn’t want him to be sorry. She wanted him to say he loved her, that he would stay for her. But she couldn’t ask him for that, wouldn’t.

“Does it really matter?” she asked. The
yes
bloomed on his face, but he’d just been through a terrible experience. Two in a year. He was thinking about now. She was thinking about the future. She squeezed his hand. “I just don’t think I can do this, Luke.”

Now that she knew he would be okay, she had to find the strength to end this. “I love you, more than I ever thought I could, but my life is here. My home, my job, these people.” Her throat closed, choking her for a moment. To her chagrin, a tear marched a single line down her face. “Your dreams are elsewhere. And I don’t want to be the one who holds you back.”

Luke lay against the pillow, exhaustion graying his face. She was a horrible person to do this now. But she simply couldn’t support him through recovery, then watch him walk away from her.

“I’m so sorry, Avery. The other day I made a mistake.”

“I did, too,” she said with a sad smile. “But I can’t say I’ll ever be sorry.”

She made it to the door, but she couldn’t force herself to open it. Maybe deep down, a part of her still wished he would say he loved her. That she was worth not walking away from. But she knew that wasn’t the answer in the long run, either. So she took a deep breath and put her hand on the doorknob.

“It really was fun, wasn’t it?” she asked.

He nodded, his face grim.

She let herself out the door, down the hall and out to the parking lot. Her car provided the solitude she needed. She cried all the way back to her house. Only when wrapped tightly inside bedsheets that still smelled like Luke did she close her eyes, and let herself wish it was all a dream.

* * *

Luke finally spotted that unique combination of blonds in Avery’s gorgeous hair at the far side of the ice rink at Rockefeller Center. He’d been searching for an hour in the crowds of New York City holiday visitors. The doorman at Aiden and Christina’s New York apartment had been extremely helpful, since he’d recognized Luke and had helped Avery plan her route before she’d left today.

When Luke had finally returned home for the woman he couldn’t live without, it had never occurred to him that he wouldn’t just waltz into Avery’s clinic and sweep her off her feet. What an arrogant dumbass he was.

Now he was hot on her trail, rueful and jealous. He’d have loved to have traveled with her, but he’d never told her that… He’d never told her a lot of things.

How could she reciprocate when he’d offered her nothing in the first place? Not even a phone call since he’d left Black Hills. So she’d set out to find adventure on her own.

He’d resorted to begging his brother for info. The connection between Luke and both his brothers had strengthened in the past month. Though he and Jacob had always been close, they were now never out of touch for more than a day. He and Aiden texted a lot, and called more often than they ever had.

Luke had missed them while he was in North Carolina, more than he’d thought he would. He’d gone home to share his news, and was grateful that Christina had helped him find his little homebody in New York City for the holidays. Now he only had to convince Avery to accept his humble Christmas gift.

She stood twenty feet from him, wrapped in a thick suede jacket and wearing black gloves. But that gorgeous hair was loose to the cold breeze in his favorite style. Not a hair band in sight.

As he angled toward her, he caught a glimpse of her face. Her gaze jumped around as she took in the people skating below her, then it moved up the giant Christmas tree and across holiday decorations. She seemed interested, happy, but not engaged in her surroundings.

An observer, not a participant.

Like she’d always been, from the first time he’d known her. Little Avery that watched everything from the sidelines. Never jumping in with both feet. Never forcing people to notice her. Never owning the excitement and life that were hers to enjoy.

Except for a short time…with him. He wanted to see that Avery again.

She’d turned in the other direction, so he navigated the crowd until he found a spot next to her and leaned against the rail. “Happy holidays, Avery.”