Chapter Seventeen
“R un, Collin! Run!” Hannah didn’t recognize the shriek that ripped from her throat. Regina had snagged her foot on a dried branch and Hannah used the opportunity to lurch forward and tackle her. The gun flew out of her sister’s hand and into the dried brush. She glanced up, heart pumping furiously. Collin had listened to her. Thank God. No hesitation, only trust. Hunter would find him—of that she had no doubt.
Regina had approached them outside. She’d seen Vivienne climb into the SUV with Silver and Iron—not that she knew who they were. She’d raged at Hannah, and then when she’d tried to push past Regina, she’d pulled a pistol out of her silk satchel and told them to walk into the wooded area behind the venue. That was her big mistake. She never should’ve let her sister lead them into the woods, but one look at Collin with a gun pointed in his direction made her choke on fear. She would’ve done anything she asked, and that was right where Regina wanted her.
With her sister on the ground, she started to run. Fingers closed around her ankle and she barely had time to get her hands in front of her before she slammed into the ground face-first. The wind was knocked out of her and she silently gasped, waiting for air to fill her lungs. Regina yanked on her leg, dragging her down the sandy hill. Something sliced into her arm, tearing open her skin. Her sister crawled toward her on her hands and knees and drew her arm back. She tried to roll away when she saw the rock in her grip, but Regina had a hold on her leg. She brought the heavy stone down hard on Hannah’s knee. The crunch of bone was followed by a pain so piercing, she could do nothing but open her mouth in a silent scream. She was paralyzed in pain as Regina scurried into the brush. Don’t find the gun. Don’t find the gun.
She returned with the weapon in one hand. “Between that heavy dress and your knee, you won’t be coming up from the bottom of the lake.” Regina stood up and dusted off her dress, then yanked Hannah up. When her crushed knee hit the ground, her cry pierced the air.
“Shut the hell up.” Regina dropped her back on the ground, grabbed the hem of the mermaid dress, and began to drag her. With each movement, the fragments of bone in her knee slid and scraped together. She tried to breathe through the agony in short pants. Passing out when Regina wanted to drown her wouldn’t give Hannah much of a fighting chance.
“Why?” She had so many questions. Ones she couldn’t get straight in her head with the sand and gravel biting into her exposed skin.
Regina looked back at her, eyes wild. “Think of how much trouble you would’ve saved if you didn’t care so much about poor Vivienne’s goddamn feelings. Our family has never been the same since you screwed everything up.” Regina was breathing heavily. “People gossip about us, because of you! Wasn’t bad enough that you had to go and get knocked up, but then you throw in that he was a caddie? You have no idea how much embarrassment—”
“So,” she panted through the pain. “You killed him?” Her voice was a breathless, anguished whisper.
“What?” The outrage in her tone was ironic seeing she was dragging Hannah down a steep hill with intent to murder. “I wouldn’t waste my time on him. He was a nobody.” Regina stopped, let go of her dress, and bent forward with her hands on her knees. She was gasping for breath. Maybe she’d pass out before they got to the lake.
The red stain from her wounded knee was spreading through the fabric of the dress like spilled wine. She took a gulp of air. “His death wasn’t an accident.” Her voice was so weak, she thought Regina had missed it.
“No shit,” she said through clenched teeth. “That was just one more blow you left us with. When Dad went to offer Russell money to disappear from your life, he was already dead. His parents had come into some money and put it into a bank account for him. Russell’s uncle ran them off the road to gain custody. He couldn’t let him survive with a baby on the way, because that’s who would stand to inherit the money. Imagine killing someone for a measly hundred grand?”
“How do you know all this?”
“Because Russell’s uncle has been blackmailing our family ever since. Dad was over the house, so his prints were on everything. Then Russell’s uncle forced him to help take the body to a boat. I don’t particularly like you, Hannah, but I didn’t want to have to kill you. This is on you.”
“Why?” she repeated.
“Because, Mom and Dad are out searching for Vivienne, and when they find her they’ll drag her right back. If it gets out that she got cold feet and ran, Scott can’t take over as CEO of his father’s company. His father can’t take his seat in the Senate. Our family will be cast in a bad light again, and my husband might lose his position as an elected official. But, if Vivienne left the wedding search for her nephew who wandered into the woods and then tried in vain to save her sister when she went into the lake after him? Well, then she’s a hero.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she shouted as loud as her voice would carry. Between the drag marks and blood, there was going to be quite a trail left behind. Hunter would find her. All she had to do was hang on. If she couldn’t, at least he understood that she loved him. And not only that, she trusted him. So much that when he said he’d always watch out for Collin, she believed him. Absolute conviction that Hunter would care for her precious son was the biggest gesture of trust there was.
“Regina! Stop.”
Her older sister stiffened, then stood. It was Vivienne’s voice.
“Let her go.”
Hannah struggled to sit up as she tried to locate the source of her younger sibling’s voice. Vivienne was standing at the bottom of the embankment in front of the lake, which was far closer than she expected. Her heart clutched. Viv was supposed to be safely tucked into the vehicle with Silver and Iron. Something must have happened. Sickness pooled in her stomach. If the men were hurt or worse, she’d never forgive herself for pulling them into this dangerous situation. Her sister’s chest was heaving. How long had she been running? Vivienne’s perfectly styled locks were tangled around her shoulders. There was a streak of blood on her face, and she was in danger of losing her wedding dress. She’d never looked more beautiful. Fiercer. There was so much more to her little sister than anyone gave her credit for. Hannah just hoped she’d live long enough to get to know her as a person.
“Stay where you are.” Regina’s voice was feral.
Hannah opened her mouth to scream that she had a gun, but it was too late. A shot rang out just as a blur flew past Vivienne, knocking her down. Iron. Regina repositioned the weapon. She would kill them both. Hannah glanced around and spotted a fallen branch. Using the last of her strength she whipped it at the backs of Regina’s knees, taking her legs out from under her.
All hell broke loose around them. There were shouts and the barks of dogs. Heavy footsteps crashed through the woods. A group of police officers surrounded Regina. She struggled wildly as they placed her in handcuffs.
Hunter was at her side, dropping to his knees. “Hannah. Oh my God, baby.”
“Did you find Collin?” Her breath bottled up as she waited for him to answer.
“He’s the reason we were able to locate you so fast. Collin…he ran through the woods and into the street right in front of Silver’s car. Also dropped a trail of UNO cards through woods starting at the parking lot.”
She dropped her head back on the ground and let the breath rush from her lungs.
“God, I love you both.” Hunter ran a hand over her hair. “But, baby, we are never coming back to Texas.”
Despite the pain in her knee, she smiled. “That’s fair.”