Chapter 24
Nikki focused on staying calm while she held her grandmother’s hand under the table. The house was surrounded by police and other public safety personnel, not that they could do much about what was happening inside the house.
It was her own fault. She hadn’t locked the door, which had allowed him to come strolling into the house, taking them by surprise when he pulled a gun on them. “Tell Jordan I’m here, and I want to see her right now.” His eyes had been wild and unfocused, making her realize he was high on something.
“She’s not here.”
“Yes, she is. Don’t fucking lie to me.”
“I’m not lying. She flew home to LA yesterday for a meeting with the network about the show.”
At about five-foot-nine and thin as a rail, Brendan had close-cropped blond hair and hazel eyes that bugged out of his gaunt face. He looked terrible as he stared at her in disbelief. “That’s not true. I was told she’s here.”
“She was here for three weeks. She’s not here now.”
“You need to get her here.”
“I’ll need my phone.” She pointed to the kitchen counter, where she’d left her phone earlier.
“Don’t call her. Get someone else to do it. Tell them to tell her your life and Evelyn’s depend on her getting here. No tricks.”
Nikki got up from the table and went to get her phone. She texted Riley. Zane is here with a gun. He wants us to get Jordan here asap. Call her. Tell her what’s going on. I love you. We are fine. He’s too much of a coward to kill us. Try not to worry.
Riley wrote right back. Jesus, Nik. Are you fucking kidding me? I can’t bear that you’re in there with him.
Just get Jordan here. That’s what he wants, and tell the cops not to do anything crazy. He doesn’t have the stones to hurt us.
Sorry if I don’t believe that after what he did to Jordan.
It’s okay. I promise. I love you.
Love you so much. I’m dying.
Don’t do that. Need you.
“That’s enough,” Brendan said. “Shut the phone off and go back over there.”
“Let my grandmother go.”
“No,” Evelyn said. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”
Nikki returned to her seat, and Evelyn took her hand again, holding on tight. “Don’t ask me to leave you in here alone with him.”
“Shut up. Both of you.” He went to the fridge, opened the door and pulled out a bottle of water that he downed. Then he found a package of deli turkey and began eating that as he paced the kitchen. At least the gun was tucked into the back of his pants. For now, anyway.
Nikki started thinking about how she could overpower him, get the gun and end this thing. She had every confidence that she could do it and would’ve risked it if her grandmother hadn’t been there, too.
Maybe she’d get the chance at some point. If she did, she wouldn’t hesitate to act.
Riley paced the yard, his entire body racked with tension that made him feel like he’d been put through a wood chipper.
That Nik was in the house with Jordan’s malicious, gun-toting ex was more than he could bear to think about.
If anything happened to Nik or Evelyn, Riley would murder that son of a bitch with his own hands.
The yard was full of cops and other first responders he’d summoned. They couldn’t do a goddamned thing until the state police’s hostage unit arrived. He’d been told they were en route. It wasn’t happening fast enough for Riley’s liking.
A hand on his shoulder halted him. He spun around to find his dad there. The sight of his father’s concerned face nearly reduced Riley to tears. Somehow, he managed to just barely hang on to his composure as Kevin hugged him.
“I came as soon as I heard,” Kevin said. “What’re they saying?”
“State police are on their way with a hostage negotiation team.”
“Good God, what is he thinking showing up here with a gun? Does he think he’ll get Jordan to reconcile after a stunt like this?”
“Who knows what he’s thinking? All I know is what Nik told me when she texted that he had shown up with a gun.”
“I’m so sorry, son. That’s horrifying.”
“If anything happens to her…” Riley’s voice broke along with his heart. He couldn’t imagine life without her. Not anymore.
“She’s smart and resilient and strong. She’s going to get through this and be totally fine. I know it. In fact, I’ll bet he ends up sorry that he messed with her.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m always right. You know that.”
For once, Riley took comfort in the fact that his father was usually right.
Mason Johns approached them, looking as undone as Riley felt. “What the fuck?”
“No idea,” Riley said, conveying what he knew to Mason.
“So he showed up with a gun looking for Jordan?” Mason’s usually robust complexion had gone pale.
“Yeah, and now he’s got Nik and Evelyn in there and isn’t happy to hear that Jordan is in LA.”
“She called me. She’s on her way. I tried to call her back, but the call wouldn’t go through.”
Overhead, a state police chopper came swooping in, landing in the field across the street from Eastward Look.
“Here comes the cavalry,” Kevin said.
Riley felt like he was going to be sick. If they went in there with guns blazing, would everyone come out alive?
The flight to Gansett seemed even more endless than usual as Jordan waited to hear something—anything—about what was going on there. She’d tried to call Mason again from the air, but the call wouldn’t go through, so she texted him via the plane’s Wi-Fi.
I’m on my way. I hope you get this. What’s happening there? I’m losing it.
Hey, sweetheart. It’s okay. The state police are talking to him. They’re letting him know that he can end this right now before anyone gets hurt and walk out of there.
Please don’t let anything happen to Nik and my grandmother. Please, Mason.
Blaine and his entire team are here, and Jack from the state police as well as their hostage negotiation unit. Keep breathing. It’s going to be okay.
I’ll die if anything happens to them because of me.
It wouldn’t be because of you. He’s the one doing this. Not you.
I brought him into our lives. It’s on me.
I can’t wait to hug you.
I need that so bad.
I’m here, and I’ll be here for as long as you need me.
Might be a while.
Not going anywhere. Tell me when you’re landing. I’ll pick you up and get you to them.
I will. Can’t wait to see you.
Same, babe. Keep breathing.
Knowing he was there, helping out where he could and waiting for her, made Jordan feel slightly better.
She hit up Davy by text. Do you know what he’s doing? He’s got my sister and grandmother held hostage at our home on Gansett. WTF IS HE DOING???
Davy responded quickly. OMG, no way.
YES! He’s got a gun. Where did he get a gun!?
I don’t know. He went off the grid a couple of days ago, and I haven’t been able to find him.
She’d known he was hiding from her and the server but not that his own people had lost track of him, too. And you didn’t think I needed to know that? Seriously!?!
I’m so sorry. I’ve been so busy trying to track him down that I never thought to tell you.
He came to my home with a gun. If I’d been there, I might be dead. I thought you said rehab worked.
I thought it had. I’m so sorry, Jordan. I totally should’ve called you.
Yes, you should have.
Please keep me posted.
She was fuming that he hadn’t given her a heads-up that Brendan had fallen out of touch with even his closest circle right when she was trying to serve him with divorce papers. That was not a coincidence.
“What’re you hearing?” Gigi asked.
“That he went missing days ago, and Davy never thought to give me a heads-up that he’d gone off the grid for even them.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“Right? He came to find me with a gun, G. Was he going to kill me for wanting a divorce?”
“I can’t even go there. My God. What was he thinking, and why didn’t anyone tell you?”
Jordan sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “How much longer?”
“Two more hours.”
“I’ll go mad by then.”
Nikki and Evelyn remained vigilant as Zane talked on the phone with the state police hostage negotiators.
“I just want to see my wife. That’s all I want. I’m not looking to hurt anyone.”
Nikki glanced at Evelyn, who raised her eyebrows.
“He’s not paying any attention to us,” Evelyn whispered. “We need to make a move.”
“What kind of move?”
“Did you get rid of the cast-iron frying pan when you renovated?”
“No, because I knew it was your favorite.”
“Can you get it?”
Brendan had moved to the foyer, where Nikki could see him looking out the front door at the law enforcement officials positioned all over the front lawn.
“I can get it.”
“Get it and come back. We need to bide our time. Move nice and slow so he doesn’t notice.”
Nikki’s heart was in her throat as she kicked off her flip-flops and moved across the kitchen on bare feet.
She retrieved the cast-iron frying pan from under the stove without making a sound and was back to her seat at the table within seconds.
Adrenaline pumped through her body, making her feel light-headed and supercharged.
“Good job,” Evelyn whispered, her gaze fixed on Brendan, who hadn’t moved.
“If I come to the door, you’ll shoot me,” he was saying. “How do I know I can trust you?”
Evelyn leaned forward. “He’s going to the front door.”
“I’m going for it.”
She grabbed Nikki’s arm. “Nik, honey, please—if you don’t have a clean shot, don’t do it. It’s all or nothing. You have to knock him out.”
“I’ve been waiting years for this opportunity. Don’t worry, I’m not going to miss.”
Evelyn bit her lip as if trying not to laugh and gave Nik a thumbs-up.
Taking the heavy cast-iron pan, Nikki got up and tiptoed toward the doorway that led to the foyer. Brendan stood in front of the storm door, talking on the phone and looking out at the police presence in the yard.
Knowing she would never get a better chance, Nikki ignored the pounding of her heart and moved quickly but quietly, coming up behind him, raising the pan with both hands and bringing it down on his head with all her strength. She put everything she had into making sure she took him down.
He collapsed like a felled oak, landing in a pile at her feet.
“Well done, darling,” Evelyn said from behind her as she clapped her hands.