Intimate (30 page)

His kick to her ribs knocked the air out of her, and then he was on her, punching and hitting, growing more incensed with each blow.

She knew she was losing consciousness. Knew she wasn't going to survive. Her last thought was of Jake, and how he'd never know that she'd figured out he hadn't taken those pictures. He'd never know how much she loved him.

*   *   *

Nate Dunagan, manager of the Intimate vineyards, was stepping out of the shower when his wife rushed into the bathroom. “Cassie? What's wrong?”

“I heard a woman scream. She's close—I heard her over the sound of the TV.”

He grabbed a towel and quickly dried himself. “Where? North or south?”

“Near the barn, I think.” She grabbed his arm as he slipped back into the dirty jeans he'd just taken off. “Be careful. I'll call 9-1-1, but it could take a while before anyone gets here.”

He gave her a quick kiss and laced up his boots. “I will be. I'll have the gun and my phone. It'll be on vibrate, but call me if anything alarms you. Please stay inside, okay?”

“What if something…”

He stood and unlocked the gun safe, took out an older but fully functional revolver, and loaded it. “I'll be careful.” He passed his hand over the slight protrusion just below her waist. “I've got too much good in my life to risk any of it.”

He kissed her again and quietly slipped out the front door of the house, which faced away from the barn. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and then he began working his way through the overgrown garden, moving quietly in the direction of the barn.

He heard an engine running and looked toward the road as a big SUV swung into the service driveway on the other side of the gate and stopped.

The gate was open. He'd locked it just a couple of hours ago.

Nate stood in the shadow of one of the big oaks on the property. It wasn't one of the sheriff's deputies, but the vehicle looked familiar. The car door clicked, the overhead light went on and immediately shut off, but he recognized the man in that brief second before he turned out the light.

What the hell was Jake Lowell doing here late on a Friday night? He'd finished the photo shoot two weeks ago, while Nate and Cassie were visiting family back east. Tonight was the launch of Marc's new jewelry line. He and Cassie had wanted to go, but there was too much work here to leave.

Nate waited in the shadows, just in case.

*   *   *

Jake opened the car door just as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a number he didn't recognize, but he answered anyway.

“Is that you, RJ?”

The moment he heard that voice, Jake knew exactly who Russell Norwich was. The image of the man, staring at him all through his trial, made his blood run cold. Norwich had tried too hard to play the grieving widower, but the prosecuting attorney had made the point that, while Ben and RJ's car had killed her, not all of Mary Norwich's injuries had been caused by the accident. Her husband had beaten her so badly she would have been permanently scarred. The fact that she was escaping abuse to be killed by a kid out joyriding had added even more gravity to the crime.

“I thought you looked familiar, Norwich. Where's Kaz?”

“You do remember! Good boy. Hope you've enjoyed my little messages, but I thought a call was more appropriate this time. I'm not going to tell you where I took her. Not all at once, anyway. I want you to leave that fancy party of yours in San Francisco and head north. I will call you in half an hour's time and give you further instructions. You will not call the authorities, and you won't try and pull anything over on me. I have her, and I fully intend to hurt her. Badly. It's only fair since you love her, just like I loved my wife, you bastard.”

Jake heard harsh breaths and a curse. “She's quite lovely, though I imagine she'll be much prettier after you clean the blood off. The gold chains are a nice touch.”

“If you hurt her, if you harm her in any way…”

“Oh. I'm sorry. It's a little too late for that, RJ. Let's see how much more I can do before you get here. Drive north.”

The line went dead. Heart pounding, Jake slowly, quietly got out of the SUV and slipped through the open gate. The chain with the lock still attached had been cut through and was lying in the dirt. Jake had blocked the driveway, so Norwich wouldn't be able to escape without going across the property to the entrance by the house. There was a light on at the big house. He hoped Nate and Cassie were home. He had a feeling he was going to need any help he could get.

Keeping to the shadows, he quietly ran down the driveway.

“Jake! It's Nate.”

Jake turned as an arm snaked out of the shadows and grabbed him. “Thank God. Nate!” He slipped into the darkness beside the man.

“What the fuck's going on, Jake? Cassie heard a woman scream near the barn. I was headed down there to check on things when you pulled in.”

“Shit. C'mon. Here's what it is.” They slipped between two rows of old, twisted grapevines and worked their way closer to the barn. Jake whispered enough of the story to give Nate a good idea of what they were dealing with.

“You think he wants to kill her while you watch? That's sick.”

“I know.” Jake looked down at his hands. They shook so badly he clenched his fists to find some control. “The thing is, almost twenty years ago, I was in an accident where this guy's wife and son were killed. I served time for it, but I guess he's been waiting to find me after all these years. He's not entirely innocent, either. He'd beaten her badly. The night the car I was in hit her, she and the little boy were trying to get away from him. It was a cluster fuck any way you look at it, but he's twisted enough that now he's the grieving widower and I'm the bastard who killed his family.

“So why go after the girl?”

“He wants to hurt her because I love her.”

They'd reached the side of the barn, away from any windows. Nate brushed Jake's shoulder and whispered, “Here's the key to the main door, but once you open that, he'll know we're here. I'll go in the back and try to distract him. I'm armed, but I really don't want to use a gun. Cassie's called for help. If we can stall him, keep him from hurting her until the deputies get here, we do that, okay?”

Jake nodded. None of this felt real. Kaz was in horrible danger, all because of him. This was his fault.

“Does he have a weapon?”

“I don't know.” Jake leaned against the barn. All his fault. Everything. “He tried to shoot her this morning. He could be armed.”

“Give me a minute to get inside.”

“Yeah. Be careful, Nate. I've ruined enough lives.”

Nate gave him a quick glance and then disappeared around the side of the barn. Jake moved toward the front. He knelt low to pass beneath the window that opened into the tasting room. Slowly he raised his head, looking through a corner where shadows hid him from view.

What he saw made him ill even as it scared the crap out of him. Kaz was tied to the opening of the same stall where they'd made love. Rope knotted around her wrists looped over the overhead beam, her legs were stretched wide, ankles lashed to the lower posts. Her head was down, her chin resting on her chest, and he couldn't tell if she was dead or alive.

All she wore was a tiny teal blue thong. The gold chains glinted obscenely from her bare breasts in the overhead light. The one that should have run from her ear to her nostril hung loose from her earlobe. Blood dripped from a head wound, falling in dark streams over her chest and belly, but the tattoo glowed brightly through it, almost as if the ink was lit from inside.

Norwich stood to her right with one hand on her tattoo. He appeared fascinated by the thing, tracing the outline with his fingers. Kaz slowly raised her head and glared at her captor. Blood ran from her nose and mouth; one of her eyes was swollen shut.

Thank goodness she was alive. He'd seen enough. More than enough. Jake dipped low and moved beneath the window to the main door. Quietly, he unlocked the door, and just as quietly, eased it open far enough to see through the narrow crack.

“If you're going to kill me, what are you waiting for?” Kaz's voice was breathless, her words garbled through swollen, split lips.

“You don't seem to get it, girly. I want him to watch. He won't be here for at least a couple more hours. You might have missed it, but traffic is terrible. We have plenty of time.” His hand slid higher on her torso and rested just beneath her breast.

Jake sucked in a breath. He couldn't see Nate from here, didn't know if he'd gotten inside yet or not. He had to get Norwich away from Kaz. Then she spoke again.

“You don't honestly think he's going to stand by and watch you hurt me, do you?”

“You told me he doesn't love you. Which way is it going to be? I bet he's really pissed off at you, with you not trusting him to keep his promise and all. Maybe he'll want to help me rough you up a little. Now that's something I hadn't thought of.”

Jake put his finger to his lips and slipped through the door with his eyes on Kaz. She glanced his way, obviously saw his signal and lowered her head once again. Norwich continued staring at the tattoo, running his fingers over the underside of her breast. Jake noticed there was blood on Norwich's face. Both eyes were turning black.

Had Kaz gotten in a punch? Damn. He sure hoped so.

Nate stood in the hallway with his gun pointed at Norwich, in full view should the man turn his way, but so far the bastard's concentration was all on Kaz. He was too close to her for Nate to get a clean shot.

Jake slipped closer and dipped down behind the bar. Somehow, they had to get Norwich away from Kaz.

The fact he might be armed made them more cautious.

As if she'd picked up on Jake's worry, Kaz spoke up. “Is that the gun you used when you shot at me?”

That's when Jake saw the ugly automatic in Norwich's left hand. He'd been holding it behind the post, out of sight. Now he held it up in front of Kaz's face. “Hollow points. In case anyone gets any ideas.”

There was a metal corkscrew on the shelf behind the counter where Jake was hiding. He grabbed it and tossed the thing toward the partially opened door. It skittered across the concrete floor. Norwich jerked around and turned toward the clatter. Jake rushed him.

Norwich turned with the gun raised. Jake heard the explosion of gunfire, heard Kaz scream. Fire lashed his shoulder, but it didn't slow him a bit. Snarling a curse, arms outstretched, he dove at Norwich and took him down.

The gun slid across the floor. Nate kicked it out of the way.

*   *   *

“Jake! Be careful!” Kaz struggled against the ropes, then a man she'd never seen was at her side, releasing her feet and then reaching overhead to untie her arms. Her legs wouldn't hold her, and she crumpled. “Careful, honey. Here.” He caught her gently before she could fall, and helped her down to sit on the blanket covering the straw. “I'm Nate Dunagan,” he said. “I live here.” He shoved a gun into her hand.

“Take this, okay? The safety's on.” Dizzy, maybe in shock, she stared at the revolver she was holding as Nate joined the fight. Jake had gotten a couple of punches in and Norwich was bleeding, but Jake was bleeding even more. Desperation had to be driving Norwich. He managed to free his hands and wrap his fingers around Jake's throat.

Nate grabbed Norwich from behind in a choke hold and pulled him back, but he was twisting and turning, kicking out and cursing.

And still choking Jake. Jake grabbed Norwich's wrists with both hands and pulled.

Kaz watched the fight as if from a vast distance. Jake was here, but how? He shouldn't be here for a couple more hours. That's what Norwich said, and then he'd told her he was going to hurt her. But he couldn't. Not anymore, because Jake was here. How'd he find her?

Her legs tingled and burned and so did her arms as circulation came back. She rubbed at her ankles as Jake broke away from Norwich while Nate held him back. Jake ran to her.

“Jake?”

She reached for him, and he took her hand, planted a kiss on her palm, and whispered, “Hang on, sweetheart. I'm sorry, Kaz. I'll be right back.”

She was trying to process what was happening, why he was apologizing, when he grabbed the rope Norwich had tied her with and went back to help Nate. Norwich twisted and spun in Nate's grasp, and then Jake got back into the fight and punched Norwich a couple of times. Kaz was so woozy it was hard to follow the three of them moving so quickly, but Norwich was still kicking and cursing, and she was afraid he'd get loose.

Then Jake punched him again, harder this time, a right to his jaw, a left to his nose.

Norwich went limp when Jake hit him a third time.

“Well, that was certainly effective.” Breathing hard, Nate took the rope Jake shoved into his hands and went to work tying Norwich.

“I'd rather kill the bastard.”

“So would I, Jake, but I hear sirens coming up the valley, and Cassie would never forgive me if I ended up in jail for assisting in this bastard's much-deserved death.”

“I hear them, too. Thanks, Nate. I owe you big-time.”

“That you do, buddy.” He raised his head and grinned at Jake. “Baby pictures when the little one arrives?”

“You got it.” Jake slapped Nate on his back like they were old friends. Kaz remembered Jake telling her how he'd helped Nate and Cassie with the grape crush last fall. She blinked and tried to focus, but it looked like there were two Jakes coming toward her.

She sat there in the straw, propped against the side of the stall, knowing she looked like hell, feeling even worse. She wanted to stand up, to think clearly and process what was happening, how Jake had gotten here so fast, how he'd known where to find her, but all she could do was sit in the straw all crumpled and broken, covered in blood and bruises.