First Do No Evil: Blood Secrets, Book 1 (33 page)

The scratching sounds disappeared. Katie must be holding her breath. Scotty filled his lungs deep, wishing he could breathe for Katie too, and his lungs started to spasm. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d needed his inhaler. But he needed it now.

Sky raised her head and made eye contact with Novak. In an eerily steady, almost soothing voice, she addressed her brother, “Put down the gun. You don’t want to do this.”

Novak’s sneer curled the corners of his mouth. “Sure I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’re my brother. And…” a vibrato of emotion rang through her voice, “…and no matter what you’ve done, I’m still your sister.”

Scotty’s lungs stopped seizing, and he gasped in exquisite relief.

“Touching. But not relevant,” came Garth’s mechanical reply.

Psychopathic bastard didn’t have a heart or a soul. No use trying to appeal to his human side—he didn’t have one. But if Scotty could somehow goad Novak into aiming his gun away from Katie, and toward him instead, he could get a round off. It would surely cost him his life, but at least he might save the girls. “Hey asshole, talk to me, not her. I got a bullet with your name on it.”

“And I got a Glock on a little girl. So you do your own arithmetic. But by my calculations, you’re not the one in charge.” Then with the stone cold nerve of a grave digger, Novak said, “Now suppose you drop
your
weapon, and I let
one
of the girls live.”

Pointlessly, Scotty searched the room for cover. He couldn’t make a move unless Novak turned and aimed at him. Novak bumped the barrel of his pistol on the underside of Katie’s chin, and the sound of metal against bone obscenely intruded on the taut silence in the room.

It was sickening, to have to watch and to have to listen. But that was exactly what Scotty had to do. Reacting with the disgust and rage he felt, would only play into Novak’s hand, maybe push him into escalating violence. He made his voice all business. “Look me in the eyes, and let’s talk about this man to man.”

Novak kept his gun beneath Katie’s chin. He was too smart not to. “Man to man, then. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

“You’ve been waiting a long time for what? Tell me exactly what you need to let the girls go, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“I’ve been waiting a long time to give you exactly what you deserve.”

Scotty scrambled to decode this statement and failed. He didn’t know what the hell crazy idea Novak had in his head. They’d known each other since school, and far as Scotty knew, they’d never been enemies. He’d never done any harm to the man. At least not that he recalled. “I’m sure sorry for… I’m sure sorry. But let’s not let personal animosity get in the way of you and me making a deal. Just tell me what you need to let the girls go.”

“You’re sorry you fucked my sister? That’s a bit insulting, don’t you think.”

“Whoa. I didn’t fu— I didn’t touch Sky.” He heard scratching and sobs, and glanced over at Katie. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s gonna be okay.”

Once again, Sky tried to intervene. “Let them go, Garth. You can keep me as hostage. I’ll go anywhere with you. I’ll stand by you. But please…just please don’t hurt anyone else.”

Garth ground his boot heel deeper into Sky’s back. “Not another word, Sky. Not unless you want me to lose my patience altogether. And I promise you, if I do lose my patience, it won’t be good for Katie.” Keeping his gun beneath Katie’s chin, he rotated his face ever so slightly in Scotty’s direction. “Well isn’t that sweet. My whore of a sister is begging me for your life. If she doesn’t want me to kill you, she shouldn’t be fucking you.”

“What the hell—”

“Drop the innocent act. I saw the two of you balling in the back of your dad’s Impala.”

High school
. But this guy was talking like it was yesterday. “That was a long time ago. We were just kids.”

Scotty could tell by his roving eye movements that Novak was becoming disoriented. He wanted to nudge Garth back to the present. Only thing worse than a motherfucker with a gun was a crazy motherfucker with a gun. “I’m sorry. I wish I could
go back in time
.” He put a hard emphasis on the words, hoping to anchor Garth to reality. “And undo that mistake.” That wasn’t true. But this next part was, and he hoped Sky would know which was which. They had dated a full year. She was the first woman he’d ever been with in that intimate way, and he’d never even told her… “I loved her.”

Garth bared his teeth like a rabid skunk.

“But I never deserved her.”

Garth nodded.

Okay, they’d found common ground. They both agreed that Sky was too good for Scotty. “Maybe we could
get back to the present
. Just tell me what you need.”

Garth’s eyeballs seemed to vibrate as he jerked them back and forth around the room. “You’ve got nothing I need. And if you did, I’d simply take it. Drop your weapon and kick it across the floor.”

Scotty might not be an egghead like Garth, but he was no Barney Fife either. If he relinquished his weapon, he’d have no leverage. And disoriented or not, Novak was goddamn smart enough to know that. If Scotty agreed to drop his gun, Garth would see right through him. He’d know he was being played. And if he thought he was being played, he’d kill them all.

But maybe by
not
giving in, he could convince Garth of his sincerity. If he could get him to let his guard down, even for a second, Novak might turn his gun away from Katie. “No can do. If I drop my weapon, I got no more leverage, and you got no incentive to give up the girls… But I am willing to compromise.”

“And just exactly why would I want to compromise? I believe I’m the one with the upper hand.”

“Because if you don’t, you won’t get out of this alive. Sure, you can shoot the girls and turn on me. But if you do, I’ll take you out before I go down.” Choking back real tears, he said, “They’ll cart us both outta here in body bags unless we come up with a deal. I got a duty to the girls, and I can’t back down. But if we compromise,
you
could maybe survive this. I’m giving you one chance—”

“You’re giving me one chance? Such a comedian.” Garth’s tone held no amusement. His words were dead and empty, like his eyes.

With no other ideas offering themselves up to him, Scotty persisted with this one, ill-received though it had been. “I’m giving you one chance to come up with a solution. I’m not the brightest star in the night, but you’re a regular goddamn Jupiter. So you’re the one who has to come up with a plan to get you and the girls out of here alive.”

The corners of Garth’s mouth twitched. “At least you know your limitations.”

“Backup’s on the way. So think fast, genius. We need a plan and we don’t have time to screw around.”

“No, I suppose we don’t.” Garth rapped the pistol on Katie’s chin bone again. “I can think of something…but it won’t save your sorry ass.”

Scotty’s mind went to a white sand beach, Corrine and the kids splashing in the waves. “It’s not my sorry ass I aim to save. All I ask is that you come up with a way to set the girls free. Don’t say drop the gun again, ‘cause like I said, I know you got no incentive to let them go if I do. If your plan doesn’t include me walking out on my own two legs, that’s okay by me. Now, you got a way or don’t you?”

Garth chewed his lower lip. “What about this? You turn away from me—somewhere between a full back-turn and sideways. Just enough to give me a second to make an adjustment and prevent you from taking me out while I do. Lower your gun, but don’t drop it. That way I’ll still have what you’ve so eloquently referred to as ‘incentive’. I’ll aim my pistol at your head. Then, after the girls make a run for it, I’ll walk over to you real slow. When you feel the barrel of my pistol on the back of your skull, you drop your gun. Then I take you with me…to Mexico. As my honored guest. Holding a law enforcement officer hostage will ensure my safe passage across the border. Let’s try it, shall we? It’s a win-win.”

Closing his eyes, he thought of Sissy and Scotty Junior.

“Do you want me to repeat the instructions?”

“Just give me a second to think.” He didn’t need to think. But he didn’t want Garth to know he was ready to surrender his own life. “You’ll kill me sure once we get across the border.”

“Why would I? You’ve apologized. But regardless, you did say you only intended to get the girls out of this alive…”

You can’t trust the devil, but in this case, there was no other chance for Sky and Katie. At least not that he could see. “Let the girls go, then. You take me hostage and then we’re square.” He narrowed his eyes at Garth. “You fucking bastard.”

“You don’t seem properly grateful.”

And yet, he was. He was grateful for every moment of life he’d been given. “I said it’s a deal.”

“But I want you to be grateful. Say pretty please with sugar on top.”

It didn’t even gall him to say it. It was easy. “Pretty please with sugar on top.”

Garth clucked his tongue. “Sky, how could you possibly let this pathetic fool deflower you?”

“The pathetic fool is lowering his gun.” Hand spasming around the butt of his weapon, Scotty lowered his arm and rotated halfway between a back and side turn, just as Garth had specified. “Now, point your shooter my way and let the girls go.”

“Sure. It’s a good plan. After all, I thought of it myself.”

This just might work. Scotty had lowered his gun just below gut-level on Garth before turning sideways. Once the girls were clear, he still had to whip around, but he could fill the bastard’s belly full of lead without raising his arm. His shots always went high anyway didn’t they? He might be home tonight after all. And tomorrow he could pick up Corrine’s watercolors…

With his finger pulsing against the trigger of his gun, Scotty held his breath. His body hummed with adrenaline. This just might work…

He heard a soft pop.

Felt a sting in the back of his skull.

Before him soared the image of a beautiful face. His very own angel, on loan from a gracious God.

Corrine
.

The delicious zing of Scotty’s cranium hitting the floor resonated through Garth’s bones like the ringing of a church bell… His lower parts vibrated with excitement of a less holy variety. Unfortunately, this was neither the time nor the place to satisfy his carnal instincts. But he could store this memory for later use when he had more time to savor it.

Greedily, he drank it all in. The dank odor of gunpowder and death, the crown of coagulated blood around Scotty’s head, the pallor of Sky’s lips—he was especially pleased with the way their fullness trembled.

Cocking his head to the side, he studied his sister’s countenance. Typical, the way she bravely jutted her chin to hide her fear. Of course she might fool Katie with that stoic act, but she could not fool him. He could plainly read both the sorrow and the unmitigated horror in her dilated eyes. And though, at first, her terror added to his excitement, eventually a deflating awareness dawned: Sky wasn’t merely terrified. She was terrified of
him
.

And that was a problem.

Sky was not supposed to have been here, not supposed to have seen…
this
. And though some part of him delighted in the fact that she had witnessed him at his most magnificent, he realized it would now be more difficult than ever to obtain her forgiveness. And obtain her forgiveness he must. For he could not send her to heaven until he possessed it.

He could stand to live without Sky’s physical presence, but she was the daughter of his angel, a real part of Isabella. Losing her love would be like losing Isabella’s love, and that was more than even a man like him could bear. Without Sky’s forgiveness, he could not let her depart this world.

He looked at his sister looking at Katie. Sky’s huge eyes were fierce, protective. And he knew. If she witnessed him meting out Danny’s punishment on Katie, brother or no, she would not forgive him. No explanation on heaven or earth would comfort Sky or convince her that the child’s death was justified.

There was only one solution.

His breathing grew ragged. He squeezed his thighs together to ease the pulsing tension in his cock. The pistol trembled in his hand.

Sky would be the first to die
.

Yes, that would take care of one problem.

But there were others. Thanks to Scotty’s intrusion, Garth’s plan was shot to hell. And he had always been a planner. Never had impromptu action appealed to him. Since boyhood, each and every one of his crimes had been carefully crafted. But now, he had to scramble, and he hated scrambling. Scrambling led to mistakes.

The back of his neck grew damp with sweat. His teeth chattered like a common fool’s. The muscles in his legs felt weak and watery. Disgusted by his body’s ridiculous display, he bit his tongue through, and then spat out a mouthful of blood.

He had to come up with a new plan, and fast.

Sky and Katie could not be sacrificed here in this house. Not now, not with backup on the way. He lifted his foot from Sky’s back, and she began to drag herself across the room, combat-style, toward Scotty. The floorboards squeaked a protest, but Garth did not.

For here he perceived his first opportunity to begin restoring his brotherly relationship with Sky. His body shook from the effort of tamping down his true self, but resuming his role as
the good brother
, to the extent that circumstances permitted, was imperative. “That’s right. Go to Scotty. Perhaps you can revive him. I never anticipated his presence here…nor yours. I never intended to harm him, but you were here. You saw for yourself. He left me no choice. Hurry though, because we have to move, and move fast.”