Chapter 21
Hide And Seek
Nash’s feet moved even before Charlie’s shout clicked in his brain.
At the far end of the rink, Olivia stood with her back to them, arms spread wide, Oggie at her side howling at whatever they faced.
Charlie held Ella in his arms as he raced toward Nash. Terror widened his son’s eyes. “Dad, there’s a man. He’s got a gun. He called Olivia Mary Mae. She told me to take Ella and run. You gotta help her.”
Nash gathered his son and Ella into a quick hug. “Good job, Charlie. Take Ella Mae inside the farmhouse with Amber. Call the others.”
Amber already had her phone to her ear. She gathered Charlie and Ella in front of her as Boomer herded the group to the house.
Even if Parsons somehow got past Nash and Gray, the dog would help protect Amber and the kids, giving the others time to arrive.
Because of the threat Parsons posed, Nash carried at least one weapon at all times. He pulled his gun from the holster hidden under his jacket and held it down by his leg as he ran toward Olivia.
Gray melted off to the left, and Nash knew he’d be sneaking around to get behind Parsons.
Nash didn’t want to waste the extra time, but going straight toward Olivia and Parsons wouldn’t be smart. He needed to outthink the man.
Which wouldn’t be the easiest thing to do if the man had lost his grip on reality. Logic was easier to combat. But if the man was calling Olivia Mary Mae, he wasn’t working from a place of logic.
From the photos Olivia had shown him, the two women weren’t similar enough to mix up.
Both were beautiful women with obvious Latina backgrounds, but the similarities ended there.
Mary Mae’s short hair had curled around her face while Olivia’s flowed straight past her shoulders.
Olivia was taller, and their faces weren’t similar at all.
The rink was in a wide-open area in front of the barn, across the driveway from the farmhouses and the field that would be Gray’s garden. Nash wished there were more trees along the side, but he crouched low, hoping the snowbanks helped cover his movements.
It only took a few seconds to close in enough to see the man holding the gun. Black clothes, balaclava. Focused on Olivia.
“You belong to me, Mary Mae. We both know it.”
Yep, the guy had lost it. But he hadn’t seen Nash or Gray and didn’t seem to care about the kids leaving with Amber. His entire focus was on Olivia.
That had to change. Nash couldn’t waste any more time. He could only hope that Claus was moving into a position to help and that Amber had called in back up.
“Let’s go, Mary Mae. It’s time to go home. You knew I’d come get you once I saw the pictures you posted online for me. I knew you’d send me a message. It’s time for us to be together the way you always wanted. He can’t keep you here anymore.”
Nash slowed his pace and kept his gun down. “Hey, buddy, this is private property. You need to leave.” As he’d hoped, the gun swung in his direction.
Even through the balaclava, Nash saw the fury.
Parson’s aimed the gun at Nash’s chest. “Back the fuck up, asshole. I’m taking Mary Mae home with me. She’s mine, and you can’t keep her here.”
“You’re mistaken. This is Olivia, and she belongs here.”
“Bullshit. You can’t fool me. She was always supposed to be mine. She was supposed to come with me when that loser died. Instead of dying alone, he took her with him. The bastard never could follow my plans. You can’t have her. She’s mine. She’s finally mine. Come on, Mary, it’s our time now.”
Nash heard Olivia’s soft gasp as her fears were confirmed.
It sounded like Parsons had been the one to send her friends over the guardrail in the hopes of killing Liam.
It also sounded like something in his mind had snapped.
In one breath he spoke about Mary Mae being dead. In the next, he called Olivia Mary Mae.
Nash hoped like hell that Amber had included Chief Ramirez in the calls she was making.
Nash held up his left hand as if he was unarmed. “Put down your weapon and we can figure out what’s going on.”
Of course, Parsons didn’t. They rarely did.
Nash kept closing the distance between him and the other man. He didn’t step closer to Olivia, hoping Parsons would focus on him.
That would give Nash time to attempt to talk him down. It would also give his buddies time to surround him and ensure that the kids were safe.
Nash shoved that thought away. He needed all his focus here. Amber and Boomer would protect the kids.
Nash moved closer. “There’s no one here for you, Parsons. It’s time to go home. Time to move on.”
Rage sounded in the scream. “No! Mary Mae is mine. She always been mine. You can’t have her. She’s mine.”
Nash kept his gun angled away from the man. “I have no interest in Mary Mae.”
Triumph lit Parsons’s eyes. Nash couldn’t see much beyond the balaclava, but it didn’t matter. The man’s eyes and body language were enough. They’d telegraph his intent. It took years of training to stop the body doing that and Parsons didn’t have it.
Maybe talking about Mary Mae would get him to lower the gun. “Tell me about Mary Mae. I haven’t had the chance to meet her.”
Those eyes widened, and Nash realized his mistake as the man looked back toward Olivia. Nash took another step closer, almost close enough to take him down without a weapon. “When did you meet Mary Mae?”
Thankfully, Parsons turned his attention back to Nash. “We were kids. I knew she was the one from the moment I saw her. She was perfect for me. The prettiest one. Mine.”
“What kinds of things did you do together?”
His eyes narrowed. “She was stuck with my brother. He wouldn’t let her free. He wouldn’t let her choose. She was stuck with him, and I couldn’t get her free. She was supposed to be mine. Mine and I’m getting her free, now.”
The obsession was loud and clear. Nash had to use it to keep Parsons’s attention off Olivia. He hoped she was backing up and getting the hell away from danger, but he didn’t dare spare her a glance. He needed Parsons’s attention squarely on him. Although he wished the man would lower the gun.
Suddenly, Parsons whipped his head back in Olivia’s direction.
Nash didn’t waste any time checking to see what had changed.
He needed to neutralize the threat because the gun was swinging away from Nash and back to where Olivia had been standing.
Nash fired into the man’s shoulder even as he heard two more shots.
One from beyond Parsons, probably Gray, and the other from Parsons’s gun.
Terror consumed Nash, but he continued to do his job. Parsons sank to the ground, screaming and clutching his shoulder, but he still held his weapon, and his eyes were searching for a target.
“Drop the weapon, Parsons. Drop it now.”
Similar shouts echoed around the clearing as he saw his friends move in from various positions.
Parsons wasn’t looking at any of them though. He narrowed his eyes and aimed the gun again.
Nash jumped in front of Olivia.
Olivia shrieked as Nash threw himself at Adam. Right in the path of the gun.
She raced forward even as she saw Gray, Ford, and Knox converge from wherever they’d been. Her entire focus had been on Nash and Adam.
She’d been afraid to move, afraid to distract Nash from his plan. Afraid that Adam would shoot him. Or her.
Tears streamed down her face as she screamed Nash’s name again. He couldn’t be hurt. Or worse.
If he was, it was all her fault. He and Charlie would be fine if she hadn’t stopped in Phail Way Park that day.
She’d been selfish to stay. Selfish to put them all in danger.
He couldn’t be hurt.
The men were huddled in a group, struggling in the snow. She couldn’t see Nash.
Olivia slogged through the snow with as much speed as she could manage. She wasn’t fast enough. Not strong enough.
She was almost to them when the group shifted, and Nash stood.
Her body wobbled. Was she imagining it?
He turned to her and their eyes locked. Relief swept through his features even as she battled to believe she wasn’t hallucinating. “Nash?”
He took a couple of steps and wrapped himself around her. The hug was real. He was real. “You’re okay? Did he hurt you?” She couldn’t say shot. Couldn’t say worse.
Nash pulled back and placed his hands on her cheeks. “Are you hurt? Did the bullet touch you?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. Are you? You threw yourself on top of him as he was firing his gun. You could have been killed. Did he hurt you?”
She moved her hands over every part of him she could reach. With the thick jacket, it was hard to tell, but she couldn’t find blood or injuries. “Are you okay?”
Olivia doubted he could even understand her words through her sobs.
Nash wrapped her in his strong arms again and simply held on and kept her bones from shaking loose.
He kissed her hair and murmured. “We’re fine. We’re both fine. It’s over, Olivia. It’s over.”
And that had her sobs coming harder. Was it over? Was it really over?
It took her a minute to control her tears and her breathing. Then she lifted her head. “You’re really okay?”
His smile was full of everything she’d ever dreamed. “I’m really okay, Olivia. The bullet didn’t hit me.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Okay. I’ve never been so scared in my life. He was going to kill you. Because of me.”
Nash kissed her forehead. “He didn’t. And he’s going to be spending the foreseeable future in a jail cell. He’s out of our lives.”
Our lives.
That sounded amazing. Nash didn’t blame her for Adam nearly killing him.
“I love you, Nash. So much.”
His eyes warmed. “I love you, too, Olivia.”
His lips were warm and wonderful. Home. She was home.
The sound of sirens had them turning to see two police cruisers pulling in the driveway.
Marcus Ramirez stepped out of one and took in the entire scene with a glance. He nodded at them and crossed to where the other men were huddled.
Olivia forced herself to look. She wouldn’t be a coward. Adam lay on his stomach with his head turned away from her and his hands zip-tied behind his back. “Is he alive?”
Nash tucked his arm around her. “He is. He’s got a shoulder injury that’ll hurt like hell, but he’s not dead.”
The growl in Nash’s voice had her leaning closer to him. “I’m glad you don’t have to live with his death.”
He turned, eyes serious. “I would have lived with it if it had been necessary. We’re trained to neutralize threats and that includes taking extreme measures to keep innocents safe. I would do anything required to keep you safe, Olivia.”
That had more tears coursing down her cheeks. Nash smiled softly and wiped them away. “No more tears, he’s not worth it.”
Gray moved closer and blocked her view of Adam. “Marcus is going to transport the asshole to Phail. He’ll have the doc patch up his shoulder while under guard.”
Olivia shuddered and Nash squeezed her. “Tell Marcus we’ll come in to give our statements after we check on the kids.”
And her knees wobbled again. “I didn’t even think to check on them.”
Gray smiled. “You were a little busy. I’ve talked to Amber. Everyone is good. Charlie wanted to come out and help, but she kept him there. They’re all good, but I think Charlie needs to see you both to believe it.”
Nash nodded. “I need to see him, too. All of them.”
Olivia couldn’t agree more.
They hurried to the farmhouse, and she didn’t spare Adam another glance, even when she heard him shouting for Mary Mae. “Do you think his mind snapped?”
Nash shrugged. “Sure sounds like it. Or maybe he was always skirting close to the edge of sanity. Sounds like he’s always had issues. The docs will figure it out while he’s in jail.”
And then Charlie flew down the porch steps and leaped at Nash.
Nash caught him easily and squeezed him tightly, making Olivia’s throat close with more tears.
Nash walked him up the stairs and kicked off his boots without letting go of his son, who was wrapped around him like an octopus.
Olivia kicked off her own boots and was relieved when Amber stood in the kitchen with Ella in her arms. “Mama.”
Olivia gulped and took her daughter into her arms. “My Ella Mae. I love you so much, Ella.”
And then Nash and Charlie wrapped their arms around them and the four of them stood as one.
“Mama. Lee. Na. Mama.”
The babble was punctuated with squeals of laughter and claps, making them all laugh.
When Nash set Charlie down, the boy turned to Olivia and hugged her and Ella. “I’m glad you’re okay, Olivia.”
“Thanks to your dad. He’s a hero, Charlie.”
“I know.”
The answer, so strongly and confidently said, brought more tears to her eyes.
She swallowed and kissed the boy’s hair. “You’re a hero, too. You kept Ella safe for me and got help. Then you helped keep Ella safe. I love you, Charlie.”
He lifted his eyes to grin up at her. “Good. I love you, too. Does this mean we get to be a real family?”
Olivia looked at Nash and found him grinning back at her. He ruffled his son’s hair. “Way to ruin my thunder, bud. But yes, we’re going to be a family.”
Charlie laughed. “You’re getting married?”
Nash leaned in and kissed her softly. “Will you marry me, Olivia? Marry us?”
Her heart nearly exploded with joy. “Yes. Absolutely yes.”