Chapter Thirty-Seven
Pulling down the drive of the farm, my nerves are absolutely fucking shot.
Logically, I know that Wyatt wouldn’t bring a million cruisers and leave them out in plain sight. But what if I was wrong and Cooper didn’t pick up on what I said?
“I’m not even shocked that Aggie and Tommy sent you to live out here in some fucking shack.” He stares at the farmhouse as we drive by.
“It’s not a shack. You’ve been inside so you should know. And at least it’s safe.”
“Was. It was safe. But not anymore, darling wife. Now you’re under my mercy, and I don’t have much to give you. Remember the deal. Don’t fuck this shit up.” He places the gun on his thigh, the metal glinting in the setting sun.
I’m almost to the house when he stops me. “Park over here.” He points behind Cooper’s truck and next to the woods. “You didn’t think I’d let you park with me right here out in the open did you?”
“No.” I pull over, parking where I’m instructed to.
“Hurry up and get my daughter.” He jabs the gun into my arm. “I’ll be watching you the whole time.”
With shaky hands, I climb out of the car. Circling Cooper’s truck, I see him on the front porch waiting for me.
I don’t waste any time I rush into his open arms.
He immediately pulls me in for a kiss. “Wearing. Wire. Where. Is. He?” he says between kisses without being loud enough for anyone else to hear.
“Car. Lily?” I ask.
“Inn with Ma.” He pulls apart from me the smallest bit, still using my lips to block the fact we’re talking. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“Not yet.”
He picks me up, carrying me inside and slamming the door shut with his foot. The living room is filled with cops.
“Holy shit.” I utter.
One of them stands to greet me. “Ms. Peterson, I’m Chief Bellows, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but to save time, I need all the information you can give me. We have eyes on him now, but I need to be filled in before I send my men in.”
“I don’t really know where to start. I woke up on the plane, Jack was next to me then, but not at the beginning.
I never saw him at the gate or on the plane when I boarded.
He told me that he was hired by Cooper’s boss, and that he needed me and my daughter.
He wanted me to get her and give her to him and I was going to be brought somewhere.
But I don’t know where. He threatened that he had someone else watching Cooper and Lily, he showed me a video of them outside.
Someone was going to kill them if I didn’t cooperate. ”
It all rushes out of me in one breath. No one moves or speaks.
The Chief speaks first. “Is he armed?”
“Yes. A gun.” Cooper squeezes my hand tight. “Someone must have stashed it for him at the airport. It was at baggage claim in a bag.”
“And do you know who his accomplice is?” Another officer asks, looking at a small notebook.
“He never said. And I honestly have no idea unless it’s someone from the Black Key Ranch. Those were his dealers, but I don’t have a clue who that man is so my guess doesn’t mean much.” I hang my head.
A radio crackles. “Sir, the subject is getting out of the car. What do you want us to do?”
“Game time, boys,” the Chief says to everyone inside the living room. Pressing the radio call button, he says, “Move into position.”
Cooper grabs me by the elbow and tugs me into the bathroom.
“What are we doing in here?” I ask.
“It’s the safest room. It has no windows. No way to see in and if a gunshot goes off, it’s not near the living room.” He sits in the bathtub, motioning for me to join him.
“How did this all happen?” Sitting close to Cooper, with his arms around me, the tears fall freely. “I don’t understand how he’s alive, or how he’s here, or why he’s doing any of this to his daughter.”
“It’s my fault. All of it. I knew it was from the beginning. I should have shut the blog down and walked away from the two of you. But I was too selfish to do it. Nolan is a powerful man when he isn’t getting what he wants. I knew that and chose to stay anyway. But, Wyatt found the connection.”
My head snaps up to his gaze. “Jack was telling the truth?”
“The PI you hired, Nolan found him. Turns out he was paid off to hide the truth from you. Jack faked his death, and used a cadaver at the scene of the accident before running away, off grid mostly but he had some new IDs and cash. The PI knew where he was and Nolan extorted the information from him. Turns out Jack was more than willing to help him make our lives hell.”
A loud bang comes from the living room and I freeze, not even breathing, just listening.
“I know she’s fucking in here. I’m not leaving without her. I’m getting everything I was fucking promised.” Jack’s voice booms in the small space.
“Do not take one more step.” A voice I don’t recognize sounds. “We will shoot.”
Jack’s sinister laugh is loud and menacing, sending goosebumps along my arms. The bathroom wall shakes, causing a photo to fall to the floor, followed by a gunshot.
“I told you to not fucking move, asshole.” Wyatt yells at Jack.
Cooper and I stay in the bathroom, listening to the commotion on just the other side of the wall. There are things crashing to the floor and glass shattering. And so much yelling. We sit and wait until there’s silence and a knock on the door.
“It’s safe for you two to come out, just watch your step.”
He stands first, pulling me up. On the way out, he never lets go of my hand. Holding me close, and silently supporting me. My nerves are getting the best of me with the anxiety of what my home looks like. How much of Aggie and Tommy’s was ruined because of me. Well … Jack.
Oh God, how are they going to handle the news?
As much grief as he gave Aggie, she loved him like a son.
She took his death harder than anyone else.
Now she has to find out that he’s not in fact dead, and learn of all the awful things he’s been doing that I tried to shield her from because I knew she’d be disappointed and hurt by him.
Something I didn’t want to see in her eyes.
We turn the corner and the living room is a disaster. A mirror sits on the floor in thousands of tiny pieces, mixed with drops of blood that turn into pools of blood.
“Oh my God!” I point to the floor. “Is everyone okay?”
The chief steps in front of Cooper and I, opening his mouth to speak before he’s interrupted by Wyatt coming into the house.
“I’m fine. Just a little blood.” He’s holding a towel to his cheek.
“You’re not fine. You’re going to the hospital.” The Chief says to Wyatt.
He pulls the towel away and there’s an actual hole in his cheek that goes along almost to his ear. “Wyatt! What happened?” I rush to him, inspecting the wound that won’t stop bleeding. “Put this back on, apply pressure, and get in that damn ambulance.”
I start pushing him out the door without asking any questions about Jack. “Ambulance or we’ll drive you, but make a choice now or I’m making it for you.”
Wyatt stares at me. “Who knew you were so fucking bossy?” He smirks.
“Three. Two.” I count down.
“Fine, fine. Cooper can drive me.” He climbs into the truck without another thought and Cooper meets us in record time.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Peterson, would you mind staying to give your official statements?” A cop who looks like he’s about twelve, asks me.
“We can get that at the hospital when we go check on our boy here.” The Chief answers for me.
“I’m sorry. If you go knock on the door at the farmhouse, Aggie or Tommy will be able to help you with anything.
I’m sure they’re already texting everyone about what’s going on, unless someone called them.
” Looking at Cooper and Wyatt I see sheepish little boy looks on their faces.
“I’m going to say they’re unaware.” I add, then pull out my phone to call Aggie myself.
Chief shuts the door and we’re speeding down the road.
“Wyatt, what were you thinking? He was armed! You shouldn’t have jumped on him.” I admonish him.
“Please, it’sh my dob.” His eyes widen at the change in his speech.
“Okay, don’t talk. I think the right side of your cheek has some nerve damage. You might have facial paralysis. Just keep holding pressure.” I hand him a new towel from the back of the truck.
“That’s pretty specific.” Cooper says.
“I worked in an emergency room once upon a time when I thought I could get my RN. You learn a lot.”
Cooper pulls up in front of the emergency department doors and I hop out, helping Wyatt into the hospital even though he doesn’t actually need my help, it makes me feel better.
One of the triage nurses runs over to us. “Male, GSW to the cheek, possible facial paralysis, slurred speech,” I shout.
He nods, taking Wyatt back through the locked double doors immediately. I collapse into one of the waiting room chairs, pulling out my phone and see at least twenty missed calls and a matching number of texts from Aggie.
I sigh, standing again. “I’ve got to go call Aggie. And probably Anna to check on Lily.”
He wraps his arms around my shoulders. “Take a breath. A lot of shit just happened.”
Together we take a few deep breaths. “I’m good. Really. I just want to call Aggie.”
“Okay. Do you want me to come with you, or wait for you in here?”
“I think I’m okay to do it alone. I’ll be quick. Promise.” I drop a quick peck on his cheek before stepping toward the doors that open automatically.
The phone rings for all of half of a ring.
“Aubrey, honey!” she exclaims.
“Hi, Aggie. I’m sorry. I should have called you. There’s so much—”
“Jack’s alive?”
“That seems to be the case.” Tears well in my eyes and I try to hold them back. “I don’t really have the whole story, but Wyatt said he used a cadaver for the accident and then fled. He got money and fake IDs from somewhere.”
“Oh my gosh, honey.” She is crying, her voice is wobbly and I can hear her sniffling. “How are you doing?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t let myself process anything.
We’re at the hospital with Wyatt because Jack shot him and the bullet hit his cheek.
” I’m speaking as if it’s just another day.
The emotions are trying to creep in but I won’t let them.
I won’t break down here at the hospital while Wyatt is in pain.
“How is Lily? Have you gone to the inn?”
“I’m here now, Liam has her in the riding ring with one of the gentler horses. She’s riding like she always asks to.”
A smile graces my face. Even though I’m sad to be missing it, I’m happy that this day won’t hold any bad memories for her, only good ones.
“Thank you, Aggie. I’m going to go back in and talk to the doctors with Cooper. I see them together now.”
“Oh yes, go! Let us know what’s happening. Anna is on her way.”
Anna is going to hate me. All of this will be for nothing because she isn’t going to want me anywhere near her family.
My breaths are coming short and shallow now. The panic is taking hold of my chest and squeezing tight. I step backward until the rough feel of the concrete podium hits my back.
I slide down, letting it scrape my back.
“Miss, are you okay?” A sweet older lady stops in front of me.
I nod. Not having the words to answer her, but pulling myself together long enough to take five deep breaths and ground myself.
Just when I think she left me so I could calm down on my own, Cooper walks outside.
“Someone is concerned for you. I told the nurses we didn’t need a wheelchair and you didn’t need to be triaged.” His eyes roam over me. “But now I’m second guessing that. Do we need to get them?”
“No. I’m fine.” Reaching up to him, “Help me up?”
Tugging on my hand, I stumble into his chest. “You sure you don’t want them? I bet Wyatt would be good company later. He’s going to be on some heavy duty pain meds. I bet the comedian will shine through.”
“I’m good. I’d rather just be a guest.”
“Cooper!” Anna yells, running up to us completely out of breath.
“Hi, Ma. How many laws did you break to get here this fast?” He holds on to me with one hand and hugs his mother with the other.
“You hush. There are no laws when my baby boy is hurt. What did the doctors say?”
With an arm around each of us, Cooper ushers us inside. “They took him back for surgery. They want to fix the nerve damage to give him the best possibility of recovery and make sure there isn’t more severe damage.”
“Oh, that boy. When are you all going to stop giving me gray hairs?”
He pulls her in for a hug. “Never, Ma. If you stop gettin’ em it means you don’t love us anymore.”
She rolls her eyes before taking the seat next to me. “Sweetheart, how are you holding up? Please forgive me for being so rude.”
My mouth falls open. “Rude? No. I don’t blame you if you never want to see me again. This is all my fault. I did this to Wyatt.”
Cooper’s eyes bounce between both of us. “I think I’m going to let you get yelled at while I go get coffee.” He kisses the top of both our heads and looks at Anna before walking away. “Go easy on her, Ma.” Then he tosses a wink in my direction before leaving.
“Young lady.” Her stern voice gets my attention back on her.
“You absolutely will not do this. You are not at fault. Nolan and Jack are at fault. This is Wyatt’s job.
He’s a frequent flier here and I’ve had to get used to it.
I used to sit here and bite my nails until they bled.
I’m worried for him of course, but if I wasn’t whisked back right away, and I know this from experience, I’ve learned to not worry too much. ”
“But if it weren’t for me…”
“Nope. Because technically Nolan, my son’s boss, was the one who started all this. So that makes Cooper at fault really. And I can’t kick him out so you don’t get to be kicked out either. We love you. And Lily. You’re not allowed to go anywhere. I forbid it.”
Squeezing her hand, I settle back in the chair. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that. That she doesn’t blame me.
She pats my leg with her free hand before settling back into her own chair and together we sit. And wait.