JAKE LIFTED THE gun and saw the old man’s eyes flash. Good. He should be scared. Jake wanted to kill him for what he’d done to Natalia, and his mom and dad. Jake’s whole life went the way it did because of this guy’s selfishness. Standing there in a shirt and slacks and his socks, Holden Arturo didn’t look like much. Certainly not the killer everyone said he was.
“You’re a monster.”
“You don’t know me, kid. You can’t show up at my door like this and barge in and insult me. Put the gun down before you hurt someone.”
“You’re wrong. I do know you. Grandpa.”
The old man’s eyes widened. “No.” Then something dawned on him. “Jenna Cartwright. I knew that little—”
“Don’t call my mom that!”
“Hmm…you do look a little Cartwright. Though I can see a measure of my son in you. Blood does tell.”
“I’m nothing like you! You might be my grandfather, but you’re a monster!”
“And that’s reason enough to want to end me?” He chuckled, a low dark sound. “Perhaps you do know me after all. Perhaps a little closer than you’d like, eh?”
“This isn’t a joke! You killed Natalia Silver. You burned down my dad’s car garage and nearly killed him and my mom. Aunty Elenor might have been in the hospital, but you probably had someone kill her too. An old lady who only had a stomach bug, and now she’s dead.” Jake sucked in a breath. “What did we ever do to you? Well I’m not going to let you do it anymore. Not to us and not to anyone else.”
He adjusted his grip on the gun. He knew enough of the basics he’d managed to load it and everyone knew you just pulled back the slide and then you could fire. He was going to do it. He was going to put a bullet in this murderer, just like Caisey would if she could. Take down the bad guy. Protect the family, even if it costs you everything. Jake didn’t have anything left, not now that Natalia was gone. The future was black. His mom would be sad, maybe even disappointed or mad at him, but in the end she would see he’d done the right thing.
“So you’re going to shoot me in my living room.” The old man’s eyes were hard. “What will you do with the body?”
“What do you care? You’ll be dead.”
“True.” He sniffed. “And you’ll be in jail for the next twenty years, if you don’t get the death penalty.”
Jake’s stomach clenched. He shook his head. “I have no future without Natalia. What do I care what happens to me?”
“You think I destroyed your family? I don’t know this Natalie person.”
“Her name was Natalia. She was Lazlo Silver’s granddaughter and your men shot up his restaurant last week and killed her.”
“Ah. You have to know, with men like that it’s almost inevitable that an innocent will get caught in the crossfire.”
“And Nic’s garage?”
“I heard it was vandals who started the fire.”
“They could have been killed! They were in there that night. You just don’t like the fact that Nic wants to have a life. Just because he won’t jump when you tell him to isn’t reason to kill him.”
Arturo motioned to a cabinet topped with a silver tray, glasses and multiple glass bottles filled with colored liquid. “Do you mind if I pour a drink? Your rambling is making me dizzy.”
Jake clenched his teeth together. “Don’t move!”
“Honestly, if you were going to shoot me you should have done it already. Stand there long enough and you’ll lose your nerve.”
“I said don’t move!”
“Jake.”
It was Caisey.
**
When he heard her speak, Liam blew out the breath he’d been holding. He turned to Burkot and motioned to his phone, the line open to Caisey’s cell. “I’ve got ears inside the house.”
Burkot nodded and trotted across the street to the van. The strike team was in place, ready to take down Holden Arturo, but Caisey had wanted five minutes to try and diffuse the situation first. He hoped she was able, because Jake was a good kid who didn’t deserve all the trouble he would surely be in if he did what they thought he was planning to do.
“I don’t give a crap what Agent Lyons said.”
Liam’s head jerked away from the house and he looked at the SWAT team leader. “We’ve been working this case for months. The bureau has had this guy on radar for years. There’s no way we’re going to let Arturo be taken out by a kid. She can have two minutes and then we’re going in.”
**
Caisey bit her lip. The gun jerked, but Jake kept his aim and didn’t look back. Caisey kept her voice soft as she moved to him. “Jake, what are you doing?”
“If you’re here to arrest me, don’t bother. I’m not done yet.”
She came close, but he saw her and stepped back. She halted and raised her hands. “Give me the gun, Jake.”
She needed to get closer. He was still nearer to Arturo than her.
Jake shook his head, eyes on his grandfather. “I’m going to kill him.”
Arturo didn’t look convinced. In fact he looked smug, like things had just taken a turn for the better. Caisey almost wanted to let Jake shoot him, just to prove him wrong.
She looked at Jake. “Why do you want to kill him?”
She knew why, but he needed to talk it out and she needed to get the gun. He needed to be distracted enough she could get close.
“You know why! Grams and Natalia, they’re both dead because of him. I’m only doing this because you couldn’t. Otherwise, I knew you’d be here. It’s what you do. Protect us.”
“I don’t kill unarmed people. Regardless of what they have done.” Caisey sighed. “I can’t protect you if you do this. He won’t pay. It’ll just be over for him and all you’ve done is destroy yourself. This isn’t the way, Jake. It’s not the answer.”
God, it’s not helping. You have to do this. If he kills Arturo I can’t protect him.
“I don’t care. He’ll be dead and that’s all that matters!”
Caisey saw his finger flex on the trigger. She rushed at him, the shot went wide and she slammed into Jake. They hit the floor and he brought the gun up again. Straddling her godson, Caisey slammed his wrist with her left hand so he dropped the gun, and punched him in the face.
“FBI!”
“FBI!”
“Freeze! Hands in the air!”
Arturo went for the gun. There was a scramble and she was pulled back up by her jacket.
“Caisey!” Liam’s voice came on the heels of the strike team.
Jake was pulled aside and Arturo lifted the gun.
Pointed it at her.
Inches from her chest.
God—
Jake gasped. Arturo’s finger twitched and the muzzle flashed. Gunshots filled the air, like bowling pins knocked down by a strike.
Caisey fell backwards.
She hit the floor and all the air in her body rushed out. The room filled with a cloud of gun powder and smoke. Air rushed through her ears and she heard only muffled yelling. Her chest screamed with fire. She gasped for breath and Jake was flipped on the floor beside her, his cheek to the rug. His arms were pulled behind him and he was cuffed by an agent in full body armor. She wanted to stop them, tried to tell them he was her godson. He wasn’t a criminal. What were they doing?
“Calm down.”
She blinked and black spots peppered the edge of her vision. Liam’s face got right in front of her. “Seriously, Case. Take a breath.”
She tried to suck air, but only a rasping sound filled her ears. How bad was it? Was she bleeding out? Caisey lifted her hand and ran it over her front. Where was she hit? How long did she have?
She wasn’t afraid to die, so long as Jake was going to be released. She tried to say his name.
Liam shook his head. “You need to breathe. You’re just winded.”
Her vision blurred and she tried to blink.
“Breathe Caisey. You have to breathe.”
Darkness descended on her. It wasn’t warm or cold, just a thick black she knew was the end. She’d done it. She’d protected her family all the way to the end. Just like her dad.
Dad.
He might not have been perfect, but she missed him like crazy. She didn’t want to leave Jake and Jenna…Gabe and even Nic. Liam and Andrea. But they would live without her. Grief hurt, but they would pull through it together and become a new family. They didn’t need her.
God, they don’t need me. Did they ever? Why did I think I was so irreplaceable, like I was the only one who could take care of them? I’m so stupid. I’m sorry I didn’t learn that earlier. I could have spent more time just loving them.
Help them. They’ll need each other now. Bind them together and show Jake that the future can be wonderful. I’m so sorry. But I know they’ll be fine without me. I trust You.
**
Gabe covered his mouth and watched them work on Caisey, cutting off her vest with a knife and peeling her shirt back to reveal the red welt in the center of her chest, above her sports bra.
Nic put his hand on Gabe’s shoulder and squeezed. Liam sat back on his heels while the EMT did mouth to mouth, leaned down and listened to her chest, and then continued to breathe into her mouth.
Gabe bit his lip. He’d only just found her. He couldn’t lose her now.
The agents all crowded around. Jenna stood by Jake, still cuffed and being held onto by a tight-end FBI agent who had a grip on his elbow. Tears streamed down Jake’s face and Gabe watched his lips move.
God, we’re all crying out on this one. I don’t want to lose her now and I don’t think her family can afford another loss. We want Your will, even when we don’t understand why someone like Grams had to die. Or Natalia. Don’t take Caisey. Please.
Gabe’s breath hitched.
The EMT sat back. “She’s breathing. Let’s go.” He nodded to his partner and Caisey was loaded onto a stretcher.
Gabe walked beside her to the ambulance. Several of the agents started, but Liam waved them back and nodded to Gabe. “Go. We’ll meet you there.”
**
Nic held on to his son and squeezed his eyes shut.
Jake sobbed. “I’m sorry.”
Nic leaned back and looked at him. “We all make mistakes.”
“But they killed your dad.”
“And he would have killed Caisey if she wasn’t wearing a vest.”
Jake’s face crumpled and he looked like the little boy Nic had missed. “She nearly died and it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come here. I shouldn’t have done this.”
Nic touched both hands to his son’s cheeks. “We all make mistakes. We’ll figure this out and we’ll go from there. A fresh start, okay?”
The special agent holding on to his son snorted. Nic didn’t care if he didn’t think that was going to happen. He would do everything in his power to clear this up for Jake. Because that’s what fathers did.
“Time to go.”
Nic ignored the agent and kept his eyes on his son. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
Jake dipped his head and was led away. Jenna watched him go and Nic went to stand by her. Eyes bright, Jenna blinked and looked at Jake and then the direction the ambulance had gone.
“They’ll take care of Caisey. Gabe is with her and Liam will be there too. Focus on Jake and we’ll check in on her later. Okay?”
“She nearly died. She couldn’t breathe.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. Cops walked by them, talking and making like they had super important things to do. Like stuff like this happened every day. Which for them, maybe it did.
Nic pulled Jenna close. “She’ll be okay.”
“What if she hadn’t been wearing a vest?”
“But she was.” He rubbed her back. “Let’s go. We aren’t helping standing here.”
Jenna sighed. “I think I need to call my son a lawyer.”
“We’ll figure it out.” He tried to lead her out the door, but she didn’t move.
“He nearly got her killed.”
Nic nodded. “I know.”
“I’m so angry at him right now I don’t hardly want to help him out of this. Maybe he should realize how bad that was. Sit in jail for a while and think about what he’s done. What was he thinking?”
“I know.”
“Is Caisey really going to be okay?”
Nic kissed her forehead. “Let’s go see about our son.”