Nikki stared at the smashed door and the man writhing on the floor. The echo of the gunshot thundered in her ears and her chest hurt where the gun’s recoil had hit the Kevlar vest, forcing it into her. She panted and her heart beat wildly. The hand holding the gun shook so badly she had to use her left one to steady it. Her mouth was dry, and she struggled to swallow.
Please God, Jason where are you?
She’d flipped the first bed on its side and used it as a shield for the second bed under which she’d moved the others, instructing a terrified Cassie to keep them all as close to the wall as possible. Nikki stood behind the dresser and the cot similarly moved onto its edge to serve as a barricade.
Where are the others?
There were no gunshots now. The house was quiet, too quiet.
Are they dead? Wounded? Captured?
She swallowed the sharp pain at the thought. There was no way that monster was going to get anyone else. She’d shot one man, she could shoot another. The man on the floor moaned. Blood poured from the wound in his upper thigh. Had she hit an artery?
“Bloody hell. Why did you do that?” The New Zealand accent coming from the hallway was annoyed. “I’d planned to let Ross live. I liked the bloke. Oh well.”
The New Zealand accent identified the man. The Butcher! She didn’t recognize the voice, but the sound of it filled her with rage and hatred. He was the monster who’d killed her son and baby, the man who’d almost killed her.
She saw the muzzle of his gun lift, and he fired twice, administering the coup de grâce to the man writhing on the floor. Bile rose in Nikki’s throat, but she forced it back.
“You cold-hearted bastard,” she cried.
“Not so, chick. You’re the one who shot him. Now, where were we?” The man spoke as if nothing of consequence had happened. “I could shoot you right through this wall if I wanted to, but what fun would that be? Besides, my instructions have changed. Last time we met, I was supposed to see to it that you suffered. That’s why I didn’t slit your throat. My instructions were specific, and I always do as I’m told. Stabbing you, letting you watch your children die, beating you and cutting off your finger, and leaving you to bleed out alone suited my employer, but you didn’t die, so now we get to play the game all over again. This time, I’m to bring you and the brat back alive, but we can have some fun first.”
Nikki forced herself to ignore his words and remain calm. Baby Palmer began to cry as only a newborn could, and the puppy whimpered. Was Mandy awake? Was she crying too?
Nikki compelled her mind back to the man standing next to the doorway. She continued to hold the gun with both hands, trying to steady the weapon. She couldn’t let the man’s posturing upset her. She needed to stay focused.
“Go away and leave us alone.” Her voice trembled, but there was enough strength in it to show she was still in control. She swallowed her fear and let her anger rule her. “Sam, or whoever the hell he was, my son, and my infant daughter are dead. That should be enough bloodshed for your employer.”
She didn’t really think a seasoned killer would listen to reason. She stalled, hoping someone would come up from downstairs and save her. If there was ever a time she needed her guardian angel, it was now.
“You know, if it were up to me, I’d let you go. I’ve got nothing against you or your daughter. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. A contract is a contract, and since there’s a performance clause tacked on . . . it’s bad for business if I don’t follow through. It’s unfortunate so many others got involved. I hate giving freebies as you Americans say. Listen carefully. Do you hear the silence downstairs? All of your defenders are dead. Three to one are lousy odds unless you’re on the winning side. Put the gun down, and I’ll let the new mother and baby live. How’s that for a fair offer?”
Cassie gasped, but made no other sound.
The image of Jason lying in a pool of blood like the man in the doorway pierced Nikki. She didn’t believe for a second this snake would keep his word. She wouldn’t give up. The sobs from under the bed helped her stiffen her backbone. There was no way Cassie’s baby would die as hers had. The man edged into the doorway, and she fired again.
Unmoved, the man continued to approach. She saw his shadow on the floor. “I said go away.” She punctuated her words with another shot.
“God damn it! Now you’re just making me angry. You won’t like me when I’m mad.”
The Butcher moved swiftly from beside the door and sprayed the room with gunfire before pulling out of sight once more.
“I can’t kill you, bitch, but I can bloody well hurt you.”
Nikki held the gun steady and fired at the edge of the doorway where she thought he might be standing. “Leave us the hell alone,” she ground out through clenched teeth. How many shots had she fired? Jason had said she had six bullets. Had that last one been four or five?
The Butcher laughed. “Blimey, you’re a stubborn bitch. You just won’t give up will you? Most of the time, I’d admire that.” The muzzle of the gun came around the door and he fired several rounds blindly. Nikki heard the bullets splintering the wood on the top of the dresser. She fired two quick shots and tried to fire another, but the gun clicked. It was empty.
The Butcher laughed, and the sound chilled her.
“I’ve heard that sound before. You’re out of bullets, chick. Well, I’m not.” Another spray of gunfire echoed in the room. Nikki scrunched down behind the dresser and closed her eyes.
Please God, don’t let him win.
She thought of Cassie, the baby, and Mandy. Despair swamped her.
I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you.
“Come on, Mrs. Hart. Game’s over. It’s time to leave. Get your daughter, and let’s go. I’ve had enough of this.” She heard his footsteps as he entered the room. The rasp of a knife being pulled from its sheath was unmistakable. He intended to slit Cassie’s throat. What would he do to the baby?
“I don’t think so.” Jason’s voice, loud and strong, filled with fury, made her gasp, and she jumped up in time to see him fire his weapon into the man’s head. The Butcher fell forward and hit the dresser. Nikki screamed.
“It’s okay, Nikki,” Jason called. “He’s dead. You can come out now. Speak to me, honey.”
“Jason?” Her voice was choked with emotion. She moved the dresser over, stumbled over the body, threw herself into his arms, and burst into tears. Jason pulled her tightly to him.
“You’re safe now.”
He bent his head and kissed her hair. “He’ll never hurt anyone ever again. It almost killed me not being able to get a shot at him. You were so brave. Where are the others?”
“Under the bed,” She managed to answer as her sobs subsided. She could hear Cassie and Mandy crying. The sound of heavy boots on the stairs made Jason shove her behind him. He grabbed an automatic weapon from the floor.
“Jason?” Troy’s voice was loud and clear. “It’s us. We have everything under control downstairs. I’ve got an anxious father here who needs to see his wife and son. It’s all over.”
She felt like she was watching someone else watch the action unfold as he and Nathan moved the furniture out of the way and lifted the bed off Cassie and the children.
“Let’s get them downstairs and away from here. The police are on their way.”
Nathan picked up his wife who held the baby, and Troy carried Mandy. Her daughter, her puppy clasped in her arms, had stopped crying and now had her head buried in the man’s shoulder, hiding her eyes as she’d been told. Jason lifted Nikki into his arms as he’d done so many times before.
“I can walk,” she whispered.
“I know, but I need to hold you right now.” His voice was husky. “You can walk later.” He kissed her forehead. Nikki stared down at what was left of her nemesis’s face. She was strangely disappointed. He wasn’t the bald, diamond stud-wearing monster from her dreams.
• • •
It was over. Nikki could almost believe everything had been another one of her nightmares. The bedroom was just as she’d left it earlier in the day, but sounds from other parts of the house testified to how real the terror had been.
She sat in the recliner beside the bed in the master bedroom. Mandy lay in her arms, finally asleep. The puppy was out cold on the floor next to the chair, while Cassie dozed on the bed, holding her son in her arms.
Hell of a birthday party.
Hammering told her the damaged front door and the living room window were being boarded up. Footsteps overhead and on the stairs belonged to the forensic technicians crawling all over the place. Jason had turned up the gas fireplace and the furnace to heat up the rooms. Open windows had allowed the smoke to dissipate quickly, leaving behind only a slight odor as if someone had set off fireworks indoors.
Despite being tired, Nikki couldn’t sleep. Each time she closed her eyes, the vision of The Butcher’s partially destroyed face flashed through her mind. She thought briefly of the monster who haunted her sleep and wondered how her imagination had ever created such a face. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was The Butcher was the shadowy figure in her dreams. One mystery solved.
Jason had checked on her twice. According to what he’d told her, Troy had called for back-up as soon as the perimeter had been breached, and they’d known an assault was imminent. The local sheriff had sent a couple of men who’d captured The Butcher’s driver. Ivan and others had made the twenty-mile trip from Denver in record time, but by then, everything was over. Troy blamed himself for not evacuating them earlier, but he’d believed his team up to the task and, in the end, he’d been right.
A knock at the door startled Nikki. She took a deep breath, trying to control her breathing.
“Come in,” she called, after Cassie nodded, panting still. The new mother seemed fine, but every unexpected sound made her jump.
Ivan entered the room with two cups, one filled with coffee for her, and another with hot milk for Cassie.
“I brought you both something warm to drink. I thought you’d like to know where things stand. Nine bodies have been recovered in the snow. They’ve captured five others. Counting The Butcher, the assault team consisted of fifteen men. I still can’t believe Troy’s men managed to fend them off.”
Nikki shivered. “The Butcher said the odds were three to one. How did he know how many we were? Did you recognize any of the men?”
“His team was the standard size for this kind of incursion.” Ivan shook his head. “He managed to get more information than Brad suspected. He infiltrated the office as the mail clerk, and was there at least two days prior to the assault at the hospital. The Butcher was a chameleon, something we should have suspected given the way he was able to come and go as he pleased. The real mail clerk’s girlfriend found his body in his apartment late last night. The young man had failed to show up for their date, and she went over to his place to confront him.”
“Poor girl. I can’t imagine what that would be like,” Nikki said, for once grateful she didn’t remember walking into the kitchen that night.
“I didn’t recognize any of the men or the bodies,” Ivan continued, “but I suspect most of them will be American. They’ll question the survivors extensively in the hopes of finding The Butcher’s headquarters in the United States. I doubt those men realize how lucky they are to be alive.”
“He’d have killed them, wouldn’t he?”
“Yes, he would have. The Butcher left no one behind to tell the tale. Once they find his base of operation, the FBI will search for clues pointing to his employer. We’re almost positive it’s Carlotta Scarletti. She left the convent for the first time in years shortly before the contract was issued. She travelled to a clinic in Mexico and then returned to Sicily a few weeks later. When her father died last week, she didn’t show up for the funeral, and that is the most damning evidence of all.”
“If she is the employer, what will they do when they find her?”
“If she’s in Europe, they’ll extradite her to the United States where she’ll be charged with five ‘conspiracy to commit murder’ charges in California, each one carrying a sentence of twenty-five years. If the prosecutor does it right, she’ll never leave prison alive, but they have to find her first.”
“Do you think it’s over, Ivan? Are Mandy and I safe now?”
“I don’t know, but I hope so. We will catch Carlotta. Interpol had frozen her assets and those of her father. Without funds, it’ll be hard for her to move around, and she won’t be able to hire another assassin. Melvici, the new capo, has made it clear Carlotta is persona non grata in Sicily. No one will give her sanctuary. The last thing the new head of the Scarletti family wants is trouble with Interpol because of a crazed woman. I believe Melvici is just looking out for himself, solidifying his position.” Ivan pursed his lips. “Did you remember anything when you heard The Butcher speak?”
“No. Knowing who he was and what he’d done infuriated me, but neither his voice nor his appearance was familiar. If a traumatic event like tonight didn’t bring the memories back, I doubt anything will.”
Ivan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. His face filled with sympathy. “You must be patient. I’ll leave you now. I’m sure others will be in to check on you soon.” He closed the door behind him.
The hammering had stopped, but the house was full of voices, both strange and familiar. She shifted her position and looked down at her sleeping child. It had taken some time for Mandy to stop sobbing. Nikki was certain they’d both need extensive counseling when they got back to Larosa. She still found it hard to believe everything had happened in less than an hour. It felt like an eternity to her. She looked at her watch. It was almost four. Would this night ever be over?
Cassie moved in the bed, straightening one leg and bending the other. She yawned. Nathan had been reluctant to give her anything to relax her because she’d be nursing. All the moving around had caused additional bleeding, and he’d insisted she go to the hospital. They were waiting for the ambulance. As if she knew Nikki was thinking about her, Cassie turned and smiled before focusing her attention on the baby once more.
“You were incredible tonight. I owe you my son’s life and mine. I admired you when they brought you into the hospital, and I heard what you’d done to save your daughter. Moving the beds, creating the barricade. I’d have never thought of that. I’d probably have stayed in bed and pulled the covers over my head. Without you, we’d both be dead.”
“No, you wouldn’t be. If you’d been the one with the gun, you’d have done the same thing. You fight to the death to protect your children and those who need you. That man took my son away from me. I wasn’t going to let him have yours.”
A quick tap came from the door making them both jerk. Nikki sighed deeply. “Who is it?” she asked.
“Jason. Can I come in?”
“Of course.”
The door opened, and her hero stepped into the room. He’d changed his clothes, discarding those covered in blood. The navy wool sweater made his eyes appear bluer than normal. He looked tired, but absolutely wonderful. She wanted to jump up and run to him, a task made impossible by the child in her lap. She longed for his arms around her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to sleep without reliving this nightmare. She shivered. How many times could a person cheat death?
Jason walked over to her and kissed her quickly. The brief touch of his lips on hers energized her as nothing else could have. He smiled at Cassie and turned back to her.
“How are you holding up?”
Nikki shivered. “I can’t get The Butcher’s comments about the new deal out of my head. If Carlotta is the employer, why did she change her mind about killing Mandy and me? That thought frightens me more than the idea of dying. What can she possibly want from us?”
“I don’t know, and that bothers me. I think Ivan’s right. She’s the employer, out there somewhere, and I don’t trust her. With The Butcher dead, the contract is null and void. The man worked alone, so no one will try to finish the job. Carlotta’s out of funds and without money, there’s no way she’ll be able to order another hit. We should be safe now, but I won’t be happy until Interpol has her behind bars.”
Jason cleared his throat awkwardly, preparing to ask her something. It was amazing how expressive a person’s face could be. Had she always been able to read people so easily? Probably not. If she had, she’d never have married Sam or whoever he was. She watched Jason run his fingers through his hair. It was his “tell”—an action he only did when he was frustrated or worried. If he had more bad news, she wasn’t sure she could handle it at the moment.
“Right now, I need to know what you’re going to do next. I need to know that wherever you choose to be, you’ll be safe there. The Butcher may be dead and this case more or less closed, but there are still too many unanswered questions.”
She didn’t hesitate. “I want to go home. Mandy does, too. I want to go back to Larosa.”
He smiled, apparently satisfied with her answer, and she relaxed.
“That works. Carlotta’s on the run in Europe, and although the Larosa Sheriff’s Department isn’t big, I trust my brother to keep you safe. We have to go to San Francisco first. We’ll be there a couple of days. Irene wants to check you over, and there’s paperwork to file to have Thomas extradited to France to face embezzlement charges. I don’t know how you want to handle things with your mother. I know you don’t remember her, but maybe you can build a new relationship with Thomas out of the picture. Once everything is settled, I’ll take you back to Larosa. I’ve got some vacation time coming, and I’d like to stick around until it’s all over.”
He looked as if he were afraid she’d reject his offer.
“I’d like that. If you like, you can stay in the house. I’ll feel better knowing I’m not alone. Besides, if you aren’t nearby, who’ll chase away the demons? You’ve been my guardian angel so far, I need you to stay on the job a bit longer. ”
She watched him relax.
Cassie chuckled, inadvertently shattering the moment.
“Pretty soon it’ll be like old home week,” Cassie said. “Jason mentioned the clinic was still looking for a full-time doctor. Nathan had Brad look into it for him, and it looks like we’ll be moving to Larosa when his six months in Afghanistan are over. Baby Nicholas Jason and I will love having his godparents close by.”
Nikki watched the pride and wonder appear on Jason’s face. “You named him after me?”
“After both of you. We’re going to call him Nick. The name seemed fitting since you made it possible for his daddy to be here when he was born, although I’ll look forward to a little less excitement the next time I give birth.”
Jason laughed. “I’m honored. Larosa is a great place. Almost nothing ever happens there.”
The happiness on his face faded and was replaced by the traces of the guilt she occasionally saw there. He didn’t think he was a great agent, blaming himself for having taken so long to solve the puzzle from that night, but to her, he’d always be a hero.
The door opened. “The ambulance is here,” Nathan said walking over to his wife and kissing her. He turned to Jason. “Troy and Angie are waiting for you three.”
Jason held out his arms to pick up the blanket-covered child from her lap.
“Ready to go?”
• • •
“Wake up, sleepyhead. We’re here.”
Jason’s voice roused her, and Nikki opened her eyes. They’d ended up spending two weeks in a hotel suite in San Francisco. Irene and the doctor who’d set her hand had been amazed at her recovery. She’d visited with Dr. James, and on his advice, had decided not to explore the more intrusive methods of trying to recapture her memories. He encouraged her to continue drawing and reminded her that some of her retrieved memories had been triggered by familiar things and situations—like the puppy in bed. More could easily come back that way.
Jason had helped her file the necessary papers against Thomas Lincoln. The Honolulu police had arrested him, and he sat in jail awaiting extradition. Her mother was in a private clinic on Oahu recovering from shock and an addiction to the “nerve medication” she’d been taking for years. When she was well enough to move, Nikki planned to send her to recover in the family château. Perhaps being in France again would help her heal.
Everything Thomas Lincoln owned had been confiscated by the IRS as they launched an investigation into him and his company. There could well be other charges filed in the United States, especially if some of his money had been used to fund criminal activity. Ivan had finished his investigation into her father’s accident in Switzerland, but it looked like it had been a tragic climbing error and nothing more. Thomas had been lucky—well, his luck had run out.
Nikki yawned, stretched, and got out of the car. The two-story brick and clapboard house with its lovely wraparound veranda and attached two-car garage appeared to have recently been repainted. The dark gray upper story with its black shutters set off the main level’s light gray brickwork well, and appealed to her artist’s eye.
Mandy, with Danny on her heels, ran up the steps and jumped onto the beautiful porch swing suspended from the veranda ceiling. Nikki smiled. She loved swings.
“Mommy, Grandpa didn’t take it away,” Mandy exclaimed. The child had the puppy in her arms, and the little animal seemed right at home with the swing’s to and fro motion.
The door opened and Mandy jumped off the swing, screeching as another child dressed in pink rushed out of the house to greet her. The two little girls bounced up and down squealing and laughing as only five-year-old girls could. Danny ran around them in circles barking.
“She missed her,” said a brunette coming out the door. “Hi, Nikki. I wouldn’t have recognized you, but the moppet was a steady visitor at our house. I’m Trudy, and that’s Lily. There’s a lasagna in the oven, so you won’t have to cook tonight. Maria, your housekeeper, came in early in the week and cleaned the place, too.”
“Thank you,” Nikki was overcome by the woman’s gesture of friendship.
“Jason, Rick brought your stuff over this morning and put it in the spare room upstairs. He wants you to call him when you have a chance. She turned to her daughter. “Come on, Lily. Mandy has a lot to do, and Daddy will be home for supper soon. I’m sure the two of you can have a play date tomorrow.”
“Can I, Mommy, please?” Mandy begged.
Nikki sympathized with her daughter who hadn’t had a playmate her own age in weeks.
“Of course.” She smiled at Trudy. “Maybe Lily could come over here to play. Where do you live?”
“Three doors down the street. Yellow house. Drop in for coffee anytime.”
Lily returned the puppy to Mandy and waved as she followed her mother down the steps.
“Are you ready?” Jason asked holding the door open.
Nikki nodded and followed him into the home she didn’t remember.