Invidious Betrayal (19 page)

Ian drove for miles before turning the car around and heading back to Land’s End. It was getting dark out, and he needed to get back before it got too late. He needed to talk to Aria and her parents before he left her alone forever. If that was what she wanted, he would give her that. If she wanted to have the baby—his stomach knotted at the thought—he wouldn’t protest. He would let her dictate his involvement and make sure she and the baby had everything they needed for the rest of their lives. Aria deserved to be happy, taken care of, and free of him. He would give her that too.

The bubbly water covered her body completely. Aria pushed up and wiped strands of her damp, clinging hair away from her face, then took a breath. The air was thick with steam and the water so warm she had to fight to keep her eyes open. Taking a hot bath was the one way she could relax and think without being distracted. Letting her head fall slowly back to rest on the rim of the tub, she let her feet float up until her toes surfaced. Internet radio somehow knew her mood and played to it, filling her ear buds with instrumental music that shattered and soothed her soul. Aria closed her eyes and listened, really listened to each note as she wondered where Ian was right that moment.

Sheriff Gavin Cole stalked to his house. He’d had a long day, and it was only going to get worse when he spoke to Aria. This morning, the Baltimore City Police Department called to inform him that they’d found the body of Gail Dobson in a seedy motel. Her neck had been broken. Gavin had asked BCPD if they had any suspects, but the authorities had nothing other than they thought it was drug related.

Even though he thought Gail was trouble, he knew that Aria liked her. Why Aria liked her was beyond him, but his daughter had thought of the girl as a friend. And that was why he dreaded telling her that Gail was dead. He’d already had to tell Gail’s mother. That visit hadn’t gone well.

Marcy Dobson belonged to their church, and was one of the nicest women he had ever met. It was a shame she’d been dealt such a bad hand in life. As a cop, he’d seen many who had been dealt such a hand, and that made him appreciate what he had even more.

Opening his door, he took off his hat and hung it on the coat rack.

Dianne was in the kitchen standing over a pot. He took wide strides and reached her before she looked over her shoulder. “Hey beautiful,” he said, as he wrapped his arms around his wife’s waist from behind. Gavin spun her around and gave her a kiss, then held her tightly in his arms.

Dianne pulled back. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just blessed is all,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “Where’s Aria?”

She frowned. “Taking a bath. What’s wrong, Gavin?”

He took her hand in his and was about to tell her when a knock on their front door drew his attention. Gavin kissed her hand then placed it at her side. “We expecting someone?” he asked, as he moved to the door.

“Ian might be dropping by,” she called over her shoulder, returning her attention to cooking.

Good
. With Ian here, Aria would have more support for what he needed to tell her. Gavin unlocked the door, turned the knob, and opened it. It wasn’t Ian. Gavin was face to face with a stranger who had a gun pointed at his chest. He quickly moved behind the door, pushing it closed, but not before he heard a silenced shot and felt the burn of metal entering his right shoulder.

Dianne screamed.

“Get to the basement,” Gavin called out. He used his weight to prevent the man from entering, but had to slide to the floor as the stranger shot holes into the door. He rolled away letting the man gain entry as he pulled his sidearm free and shot the assailant in the chest three times.

The man fell back into another two men. With them occupied for a moment, Gavin shot at them as he ran for the kitchen. He slid behind the breakfast bar and checked his clip as bullets flew over his head. Getting to his knees, he returned fire. Gavin was reloading when he felt a tug at his leg. He spun around raising his gun, but he didn’t shoot.

“Damn it, Dianne, get out of the house.”

“I’m not leaving you or Aria,” she said, as broken dishes and glass rained down on them. She pushed a shot gun at him and began to return fire with her own handgun.

Gavin wanted her safe but couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride that his wife was standing with him. He turned as he heard hurried footsteps heading for the stairs. Shit, Aria was up there, and with him knowing she put those damn ear knob things in her ears when she bathed, he was sure she probably might not register what was going on. He stood and fired his shotgun at the man running up the steps. Wood from the stairs splintered, but the bastard made it up unharmed.

A burning force threw Gavin back and off his feet. He slammed against the refrigerator then fell to his knees feeling like his insides were being ripped open.

Dianne screamed, but he couldn’t breathe in enough air to let her know he was okay. Every muscle in his body felt numb as he rolled his head to look at her. Her beautiful face was pale and streaked with tears as she stared back at him. She moved to his side, grabbing a dish cloth from the stove and covered the bullet wound in his stomach.

“Don’t,” he grunted as he pushed her hands away. “Pick up that damn gun. Protect yourself,” he grunted, spitting out blood. Dianne’s beautiful face was a picture of determination and fear as she peered down at him. Gavin saw something move behind her and before he could warn her... “No,” he shouted as she collapsed on top of him.

Ian got out of the car and was halfway up the walk before he picked up that something was wrong. He ran the rest of the way to Aria’s house. He stepped over a dead man that lay on the porch as he eased open the bullet-riddled screen and entry door. He was startled by a gunshot blast, but a woman’s scream was what sent chills down his spine and through his veins. Ian burst through the doorway. He didn’t think as he ran for the man standing over Mr. and Mrs. Cole.

Three things happened at once. Mr. Cole cried out as Ian tackled the man just before the gun aimed at Mrs. Cole’s head went off.

Rolling a few inches away, Ian got to his hands and knees. He kicked the man’s hand that held a gun aimed at his chest then kicked out the arm the man was using to balance himself. The gun had flown across the room, but the man didn’t miss a beat as he recovered and punch Ian in the jaw, then pointed another gun at the Coles.

Quickly shucking off the sting of the blow, Ian grabbed a skillet that was burning from the nearby stove and brought it down on the gunman’s hand that held the gun, then head butted him. They both stumbled back.

Ian recovered at the same time his opponent did and the two squared off. Before the man could pull another weapon, Ian advanced. Calm had settled over him as he called on his training—clear mind, think of nothing. He moved faster than his opponent could react, landing debilitating blows, and before he even knew what he had done, the man dropped to the floor.

Ian kicked the man hard to make sure he was dead. He was. The sound of coughing shook him out of his head. He went to the Coles. Mrs. Cole was sitting up over Mr. Cole, whose eyes had begun to roll in the back of his head. Ian looked over her body for damage. She bled from a wound on her side, and her head was dripping blood too. Mr. Cole had passed out during Ian’s inspection of his wife.

“Go help Aria,” she wheezed, as she moved Mr. Cole to a lying position. As Ian got to his feet, he saw her preparing to do CPR on her husband as she dialed 911.

Ian bolted up the stairs to the second floor. He looked into Aria’s room from the doorway, finding it empty. He was about to turn away and check the rest of the upstairs when he noticed movement under her bathroom door. Ian stepped into Aria’s room just as the door opened and Carlos came out of the bathroom with Aria as his shield, his arm around her neck and a gun to her head. She was dripping wet with only a short thin robe to cover her.

Carlos is a dead man
, Ian thought to himself, but he first had to ensure Aria was safe.

“Carlos, don’t hurt her,” Ian begged. With his hands up, he slowly stepped forward.

“She’s already dead, Ian.” Carlos shrugged with a grin. “What we need to settle is”—he kissed Aria’s temple—“what way she dies. I didn’t know you were a part of Jasper’s Warriors, Ian, very sneaky of you, keeping such a secret from me, an honored member. No one expected you to be here with her either but here you are.” he said mockingly. “Mr. Howl wants you alive but I have to say, I really want a go at you.”

Carlos tilted his head from one side to the other. “But as I’ve said, Mr. Howl wants you alive. So if you’ll be a good boy and come along with no fuss, I’ll pop two in her skull and we can be on our way, painless and instant.” Carlos dropped his arm from around Aria’s neck, then he slowly pulled out a medium-sized knife from behind him as he kept the gun to her temple with his other hand. “But if you think you can best me, you can try for the girl. But when I win, you’ll have to watch her die…painfully. You’ll be badly wounded, of course, maybe even maimed, but you’ll live. You feeling lucky, Ian?”

“A little,” Ian nodded, as he held out his hand for Aria. Carlos lowered the gun as Aria took a step toward Ian.

Nothing, think of nothing
.

When Aria took another step, Carlos pointed the gun at her head again. “Don’t.” Ian rushed forward. Before he got to her, Carlos threw the knife downward, effectively pinning Aria’s foot to the floor. She cried out as blood bloomed from the top of her foot. She dropped to the floor and wrapped her hands around the hilt of the knife.

“Stick around, love. I’ll just be a minute.” Carlos chuckled.

Ian’s calming chant disappeared the moment he heard Aria scream. There was no clearing his mind so Ian did the only thing he could. He used the fear of Aria’s dying to drive him, power him. He slammed into Carlos, grabbing the hand that held the gun, forcing it between them while grabbing hold of the hand that now held a second knife. He shoved Carlos through the open bathroom door, slamming him against the wall. Ian banged the hand that held the knife against the wall four times before Carlos dropped it.

Carlos laughed as he whipped his head sideways, making contact with Ian’s face just above his eye.

A little stunned and bleeding, Ian backed up a step, but managed to twist the gun out of Carlos’s hand. Kicking the weapon away, Ian wiped the blood from his brow. No guns; he wanted up close and personal. Looking critically at Carlos, who was a few years older and supposedly some kind of expert fighter, Ian felt confident. He gave the bathroom a quick once over, memorizing the layout. The space wasn’t too big, that was a plus. With that in mind, he stalked forward, leaning back to avoid the first blow Carlos threw.

Ian raised his knee and brought his foot down sideways and hard on Carlos’ right knee. When Carlos buckled to one side, Ian punched him on the temple with such force that Carlos’ head hit and cracked the vanity mirror. Not done, Ian grabbed a fist full of pretty boy’s highlighted hair and pulled him up to sideways head butt him. When Carlos groaned in pain, Ian grinned devilishly. Payback was a bitch.

Limp, and bleeding from his right eye as well as the left side of his head, Carlos was out of it, but Ian had no mercy. Ripping the metal towel bar from the wall, Ian rammed it into Carlos’s left foot to remind the asshole that he’d fucked with what was his. Carlos cried out as bones splintered.