Deadly Christmas (16 page)

“I’m going to kill you,” James spat, finally gaining control of his tongue. “Don’t you dare go near her.”

“You’re in no position to make demands,” Ryan said. “Now, you have a nice rest on the floor there.” He leaned over and patted the top of James’ head. “I’m going to go and play with your wife. If you want to see her face in time for Christmas, you’d better have a million dollars for me tomorrow morning. Otherwise … .” Ryan shook his head. “You’re not going to like what you get back.”

James struggled to find his footing as Ryan left his office. His body was coursing with excess energy and yet he couldn’t force his muscles to work in the manner in which they were engineered.

Finally, through sheer force of will, James managed to grasp his phone and hit the speed-dial button that would ring Mandy’s cell phone.

“Do you miss me already?” Mandy asked, teasing as she answered the phone. She had no idea anything was wrong, and James’ heart flopped as he realized how close danger was to taking her.

“Run, baby.”

Mandy was confused. “What?”

“You have to run,” James said, fighting to catch his breath as his body throbbed, pain threatening to overwhelm him. He had to hide that. If she knew, she would never leave him. “Ryan Carmichael is on his way to the guesthouse. He wants to take you so I’ll pay him money. He has a taser. Get out now. Please.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be right behind you.”

“I … .”

“Run, baby. Run!”

Mandy raced to the window and peered out, her gaze landing on Ryan Carmichael as he slipped on a patch of ice at the far end of the patio area.

She left James’ gifts in the middle of the floor and hurried down the spiral staircase that led into the saloon. There was only one exit in the guesthouse and Mandy was determined to get to it before Ryan could trap her inside.

Mandy bolted through the door, not stopping to stare at Ryan or give him a chance to engage her in conversation.

“Hey, blondie!” Ryan sounded surprised at Mandy’s sudden appearance.

Mandy rounded the guesthouse on the far end – moving away from the house and racing straight into the woods that surrounded the property. Harrison Township wasn’t exactly rural, but the area James and Mandy settled offered hints of privacy. Unfortunately for Mandy, that was working against her now.

The ground in the shallow cropping of trees was bare of snow in some places, and those were the ones Mandy aimed for as she ran. She didn’t want to leave footprints behind for Ryan to follow. If she was lucky, he would give up his pursuit after a few minutes of chase because he had nothing to follow.

Mandy pulled up short as she caught sight of a car on the far-off road. She could race through the open field – leaving a trail for Ryan to follow – and hope the driver saw her and picked her up. It was far more likely she would miss the driver, though, and without a coat, hat, and gloves – she was going to succumb to the cold if she was out in the open too long. Plus, while the trees offered bare spots, the open field was another stories. She would have at least six inches of snow to contend with if she opted for that route.

She had to hide. She had to hunker down and wait Ryan out. She couldn’t make it to the road without drawing attention to herself, and if another driver didn’t pass she would be opening herself up to be taken. That would really ruin Christmas for James.

Mandy glanced over her shoulder as she heard Ryan traipsing around behind her. He was still a good five hundred feet away. Given the curse words escaping his mouth, he didn’t appear to be having a good time.

Mandy didn’t have a lot of options. The one that offered her the best hope of going without discovery was staring her in the face – literally. There was a small hollow beneath one of the pine trees, and the area beneath the boughs would offer her cover and a mild break from the biting wind. Since she didn’t have a coat, she figured that was the best she could do.

Mandy carefully climbed beneath the tree, being careful to wipe away any lingering traces as she moved through the area, and then she huddled against the trunk and crossed her arms over her chest to offer herself a modicum of warmth.

Ryan continued to stumble around, screaming about money, retribution, and getting what was his. Mandy tried to ignore his voice, and because the icy wind was freezing her brain, it wasn’t as hard as she anticipated.

Mandy didn’t know what else to do, so she waited. It didn’t take long for the cold to overwhelm her.

“MANDY!”

James howled for his wife as he trudged through the woods that surrounded the house. He hadn’t seen a lot through the second-floor window, but he had seen his wife make her escape as she booked into the woods.

“You need to rest,” Grady snapped, grabbing James’ arm as he listed to the side. “You were tasered, man. You’re barely standing. I’ll look for her. You need to go back to the house.”

“Are you joking?” James was incredulous. “My wife is out here somewhere. I’m not leaving these godforsaken trees until I have her!”

Grady licked his lips, a difficult truth on the tip of his tongue. “We don’t know that Ryan didn’t take Mandy,” he said.

“He didn’t. She got away.”

“You said she wasn’t wearing a coat,” Grady said, choosing his words carefully. “I … she could be unconscious because of the cold.”

“That’s why I need to find her.”

“James, you’re hurt,” Grady said. “Let me find Mandy. The police have four officers out here, too. It’s not a lot of woods. We’ll find her if she’s out here. I promise.”

“Shut up, Grady,” James snapped, refusing to feel sorry about the hurt look that flickered across his brother’s face. “I am not leaving without my wife.”

“James … .” The voice was barely a whisper on the biting wind.

“Mandy!”

“James?”

The answering voice was weak, and Jams swiveled quickly, scanning the dense underbrush for a hint of movement. “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t just in your head,” Grady said, pushing forward. Knowing James had limited movement because of the taser blast, he slammed a tree branch out of the way and almost cried out in relief when he saw a mass of blond hair. Mandy was curled up in a ball, her skin frigid to the touch as Grady reached for.

“Oh, holy hell, kid,” Grady muttered. “You’re freezing.” He hooked his hands under Mandy’s legs, cringing as she whimpered. The cold amplified every touch and hurt. There was nothing Grady could do about that, though.

“We’ve found her!” Grady yelled, climbing up the slight incline and heading in James’ direction. “Do you want to take her to the house or hospital?”

“Give her to me.” James held out his arms expectantly.

“I’ve got her.”

“Give her to me,” James repeated.

“James, you can barely stand,” Grady hissed. “Do you want to drop her?”

“Give me my baby,” James said, his eyes filling with tears.

The tears were something Grady couldn’t take. He handed Mandy’s shaking body over to James and then moved ahead of him so he could pick the safest route for his brother to get Mandy back to the house.

“Hey, baby,” James said, kissing her forehead. “God … you’re so cold.”

“What happened to the guy?” Mandy was out of it, her eyes closed.

“I don’t know,” James said. “He’s gone, though. You’re safe. I promise.”

“I … it hurts.”

“I know,” James said, walking through the gate Grady held open and striding into his yard. “It’s okay.”

“Is she all right?” Ally asked, breaking into a run and racing toward her brother. Jake was right behind her.

“She’s freezing,” Grady replied. “She didn’t have a coat on and she was out in this cold for more than an hour. With the wind chill, it’s less than ten degrees. I think we should take her to the hospital.”

“No hospital,” Mandy whimpered.

James was caught. “Baby … .”

“No hospital.”

James glanced around, frustrated. Then his eyes landed on the easiest solution. He moved toward the hot tub with clear purpose. “That will warm her up.”

“That’s actually a good idea,” Grady said, moving to his side. “That’s going to do just as good of a job as they have at the hospital. “I’ll get the top off.”

“I’ll help,” Jake said, moving with Grady.

Ally remained with James. “Are you okay?”

“She’s fine,” James snapped.

“I was talking about you.”

“I’m … it’s okay, Ally,” James said. “Everything is okay.”

Ally wisely refrained from pushing him further. Once Jake and Grady had the weatherproof cover off the hot tub, James immediately moved to climb in.

“Hey!”

James glanced at Ally. “What?”

“You have to take that jacket off,” Ally instructed. “Mandy bought it for you. It will crush her if you ruin it in the hot tub.”

“I don’t care about the jacket,” James snarled. “My wife is freezing to death.”

“Hand her to Jake,” Ally ordered, pointing. “It will take you two seconds to take that jacket and your boots off. Mandy would be crushed if you ruined that coat. She had it specially made.”

James wanted to throttle his sister, but he wanted Mandy in the warm water more. “Fine.” He cautiously handed Mandy over to Jake, frowning as the usually taciturn man pressed her close.

“Holy crap,” Jake said. “She’s shaking.”

“Let me get her shoes,” Ally said, grimacing at the mewling noises Mandy made as Ally lovingly removed her tennis shoes.

James kicked off his boots and whipped off his coat, tossing it at Ally’s head and then immediately reached for Mandy again. “Give her to me.”

Jake didn’t bother arguing.

Once James had Mandy back in his arms he didn’t hesitate. He climbed straight into the hot tub, falling to his knees so he could submerge Mandy up to her neck in the steaming water. Her reaction wasn’t what he expected.

“Ow!” Mandy screamed, her head jerking back as she tried to claw her way out of James’ arms. James held her steady, refusing to let her escape the water – which he was convinced would be her salvation.

“What is wrong with her?” Ally asked, frightened.

“She’s got borderline hypothermia,” Jake explained. “Her body’s core temperature has dropped, which is a concern. She’s reacting because her skin feels like it’s on fire because of the heat. After being exposed to the cold for so long … .”

“Get her out!” Ally screeched. “Can’t you see she’s in pain?”

“Take Ally in the house,” James ordered, turning Mandy’s body so he could press her chest into his. He hoisted her up so he could rest her chin on his shoulder and then proceeded to rock her as she fought his embrace. “Get her out of here!”

Jake grabbed Ally by the waist, lifting her so he could wrangle her into the house. Ally was tiny, but the task proved monumental. “Stop it, Ally!”

“She’s being hurt!”

“Grady!” Jake called for help.

Grady cast one more dubious look at Mandy and James and then grabbed his sister’s other arm so he could help Jake drag her into the house.

James impassively watched the scene, tears forming as broken sobs escaped Mandy’s mouth. “I’m so sorry, baby,” James said, holding her close. “This is the fastest way. I’m so sorry.”

Finally, Mandy’s body went limp in his arms. James shifted them so he could sit on the bench, his drenched jeans making it hard for him to move. He slouched low on the bench, making sure every part of Mandy that could be covered was. Then he let her rest on top of him as he continued to offer her a nonstop stream of apologies.

She was beyond hearing him, though.

“YOU’VE
been out here for almost forty-five minutes,” Grady said, braving James’ wrath and returning to the hot tub. “I think you can take her out now.”

James rubbed Mandy’s back as she slept, her chin resting on his shoulder. “I hurt her.”

“You did what you had to do,” Grady countered. “She’s okay now. It was only for a few seconds.”

“I need to get her out of this tub and in dry clothes,” James said. “She needs to be kept warm all night.”

“Okay,” Grady said. “Hand her to me and I’ll carry her inside.”

James ignored him. “I need Ally and Jake.”

“We’re here,” Ally said, appearing out of the darkness. She didn’t look happy with any of the men in her general vicinity, but she was putting it aside for the time being to help Mandy.

“Ally, I need you to go up to our bedroom,” James said. “Get a pair of those thick and fuzzy sleep pants in the dresser. Then get one of the sweatshirts from my closet. Get her a really thick pair of socks.”

“I’ll get you clothes to change into, too.”

“I don’t care about that.”

Ally rolled her eyes. “We need to get Mandy out of those clothes while she’s still in the hot tub,” she said. “That means you’re going to need my help to dress her out here, and then you’re going to let Jake carry her into the house.”

“I … .”

“Shut up,” Ally ordered. “While Jake is carrying her into the house, Grady is going to help you get dressed. I know darned well you’re hurting under your shirt. Don’t bother denying it. The faster you let Grady help you, the faster you can go inside and hover over Mandy.”

James scowled.

“Don’t you even think of arguing with me,” Ally snapped. “I’m going to get the clothes and towels. Make Grady and Jake turn around while you undress Mandy. She would be horrified to think anyone but you or me saw her naked.”

James watched Ally huffily stalk toward the house. “She’s pissed.”

“You have no idea,” Jake said.

“I … I’ll apologize for having her dragged away later,” James said. “Jake, I need you to go into Mandy’s office. There’s one of those little floor heaters under her desk. Take it downstairs and set up a bed in front of the fireplace. Wait … has someone started a fire?”

“Finn did,” Grady replied. “Emma is making a pot of warm soup. Even if Mandy can’t eat it now, she should be able to enjoy it tomorrow.”

James nodded as he watched Jake disappear in the direction of the house. “Turn around.”

Grady did as James ordered, his eyes fixing on the rest of their family as they buzzed on the other side of the sliding glass doors. “She’s going to be okay.”

“I hurt her.” James’ voice cracked.

“James, you didn’t hurt her,” Grady said. “You … did what you had to do to make sure she didn’t get hypothermia and lose a finger or a toe. She’s going to be fine – and keep all her digits – because you thought fast.”