Renewed Faith (CSA Case Files 3 / Military Romance) (36 page)

There had to be someone around, maybe someone walking their pet or taking out the trash. Reformation was in a relatively iffy neighborhood, but it still contained residences that were close together. Elle kicked off her heels, adrenaline rushing through her to the point she didn’t even feel the bitter cold snow on her feet. She was almost to the back of the house when she saw the kitchen light shining through the window. If Max admitted his guilt, then that meant Cam and Eric were innocent. She could hear his pounding feet getting closer, so she veered off but miscalculated the turn. Her foot slipped and there was nothing to grab hold of as she fell into an abyss.

Hitting her shoulder, back, and hip on the cement stairs, Elle landed directly on her back. Air whooshed out of her lungs as she stared up and into the cloudy sky. The darkness was lighter above, allowing her to see the shadow that formed at the top of the steps.

“This couldn’t be more perfect,” Max stated with complacency, standing there with his hands on his waist. “See, all I have to do is snap your neck and they’ll think you got yourself killed. This is priceless.”

Elle’s eyes watered as she tried to drag oxygen into her lungs. When she saw Max’s shadow move closer, she knew that he was descending the stairs and he would not hesitate to do what he said. Panic seemed to spur her on like a jackrabbit running from a predator. Air hissed through the small hole that appeared in her trachea and she lunged for the door handle, astounded when it actually turned and she stumbled inside the darkened basement.

“Why make this harder, Elle?”

Max’s question appeared closer and Elle quickly turned and shut the door, fumbling with the handle and praying there was a lock. Not finding one, she whimpered and quickly felt with her fingers up the seal until locating a metal latch. She’d just started to slide it through the bolt when she felt the door shake and spring toward her. The pin had been far enough in that the door held, but her finger got caught and she yanked it back in pain. She instantly felt wetness and knew she was bleeding, but she didn’t care. She reached back up and secured it in place, all the while hearing Max’s expletives through the wood.

“Cam! Eric!” Elle continued to yell their names as she tried to maneuver around in the darkness. She bumped into countless items as she tried to make her way across the room. It was pitch black, but she knew there had to be stairs somewhere that lead up to the kitchen. “Cam!”

Elle forced herself to stop and listen to see where Max had gone. Was he still at the door? Would he be able to use his strength to break it down? All she could hear was her own breathing. As she stood there a little longer, pain started to radiate through her body from the impact she took falling down the stairs. There would be time later to see what her injuries were, but getting to a phone and calling for help came first. She spread her arms in front of her to prevent herself from running into anything else when blinding light had her holding her hands up to her eyes.

“Elle?” Cam’s voice came from her right and Elle turned quickly, trying to get her eyes adjusted to the brightness. “Is that you?”

“Cam!” Elle still had no idea where Max had gone and she was afraid he’d make his way into the house. “Call the police. Right now. The man who murdered those girls is outside.”

“What? Oh my God, Elle,” Cam exclaimed, finally appearing in front of her. Concern was written across his features. “You’re bleeding. Come upstairs and tell me what happened.”

“I’m telling you, Cam,” Elle insisted, shoving his hands away as he reached for her. She smeared the blood that was running down her forehead. “Max Higgens is outside and he just confessed to the murders. I know you don’t know him but—”

“Max? Of course I know Max.” Cam once again extended his hand but Elle stepped back, not believing what she was hearing. “He’s our brother, Elle. He didn’t kill anyone.”

“Yes, he did,” Elle stressed, lowering her voice as she tried to look around Cam to see if anyone was coming down the stairs. “Cam, I don’t care if that man is your brother or not, but he just confessed to me that he’s the killer. We have to call the police. Now.”

“Cam, why don’t you go upstairs and make sure that the women didn’t hear anything.”

Elle jumped upon hearing Max’s voice and once Cam stepped to the side, she could clearly see him standing a few feet away holding a gun pointed in her direction. Eric was standing next to him, shifting his stance from side to side as if he was uncomfortable with the way this situation was shaping up. Elle didn’t like it either, but for obviously different reasons.

“Max, what are you doing?” The incredulity in Cam’s voice was evident, but at the moment, Elle wasn’t sure what was going on. Her instinctive need to survive was all that she was certain of and she glanced back to look at the exit, wondering if she could make it before being shot. Would Max shoot her, taking the chance the girls would hear the sound upstairs? “Put that thing away.”

“Cam, you always were too soft.” Max took a step forward, but Eric placed a hand on his arm.

“Don’t. He’s innocent and this is all my fault.”

“Somebody needs to tell me what is going on,” Cam exclaimed with a tremor in his voice and reached out for Elle’s hand. She didn’t want to take it but she was afraid of the consequences if she didn’t. She still didn’t know if any of them were innocent. “Eric, say something.”

“I – I couldn’t help myself,” Eric stuttered, a pleading tone in his voice that made Elle’s stomach revolt. “I’m the one that raped them. I was just trying to show them what would happen if they started down that road, Cam. The one Mother took. Every time I would see that date on the calendar, I would fight the urge to do something…but eventually my rage finally took over.”

“You sexually assaulted those girls?” Cam sounded appalled, but Elle didn’t know if this was some other trick they were playing on her. Her best bet was to let them continue to talk while she figured a way out of here. “Why would you do that?”

“To
show
them,” Eric stressed with a sick intensity that made Elle’s stomach hitch and her skin crawl. “Mother was raped repeatedly until she died, Cam. The same will happen to these women if they don’t learn. I was teaching them a lesson.”

“You murdered them!” Cam directed his accusation toward Max while he tightened his grip on Elle’s fingers. She had been watching Max the entire time and his weapon didn’t waver. The barrel was steady as she looked down the opening. “Eric, you have to turn yourself in.”

“He’s not going to do that, Cam.” Max tilted his head as if he were talking to a child. He was the youngest, yet it seemed as if he were in charge of the sibling relationship. Elle shifted her feet to give her a better view of the stairs but realized that she and Cam would never be able to get around Max and Eric. She looked around for some type of weapon. “He didn’t murder the women. I did. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the dates. After all, Mom would go out to make extra cash every three weeks. I knew it was Eric, but he was getting careless by putting lipstick on the women. He didn’t beat the third victim unconscious. She saw his face and she was going to go to the police. So I took matters into my own hands, just as I took care of that homeless man who’d called the station to give them a description of me.”

Cam dropped Elle’s hand and placed his palms over his face, as if he couldn’t accept what Max was saying. She didn’t blame him. The more this ludicrous conversation continued, the more certainty settled over her that this wasn’t going to end well. Her teeth were starting to chatter, but she wasn’t sure if it was due to the cold, her bare feet, or the fear of dying.

“This isn’t happening. We can fix this,” Cam said desperately, his hands dropping to his sides. The devastation of what he was finding out was evident in his voice but Elle couldn’t worry about that now. She took a step back as Max extended his arm. “Don’t! Not like that. I meant if the two of you turn yourselves in and confess, the authorities might be lenient. You’re one of them, Max. They’ll give you a light sentence.”

Max laughed and shook his head while Eric seemed to be loosing his grip on sanity. The man’s eyes were shifting back and forth and the more worked up he became, the more Elle felt panic rise up within her. Regardless of how Cam thought he could talk rationally with his brothers, it was a losing battle.

“First, I was careful and left no trace of evidence.” Max stepped forward. “Eric isn’t in the system, so they’ll never tie the assaults to him. The only thing I couldn’t let go was leaving them without Mom’s calling sign. Eric was a genius. They looked just like her, lying there all pale with nothing on but red lipstick.”

“Oh, Max.” Cam’s words were almost a plea for Max and Eric to say this was all a nightmare. “Mom wouldn’t have wanted this.”

“Mother only thought of herself,” Max spat out in disgust. “This is how tonight’s going to happen. I’ll let you handle this
need
Eric has to teach the hookers a lesson while I deal with Elle. She’s the only one who’s between us and freedom.”

Cam shifted between her and Max, concealing her from his view. Elle quickly looked around and saw a crowbar sitting in a wooden crate. Grabbing it, she held it behind her back and gauged the distance to the back door. It was too far. Regardless of how of cold the air was in the basement, she felt her palms perspire and she prayed that she wouldn’t lose her hold on the steel weapon.

“Listen to what you’re saying, Max.” Cam backed up a step causing her to do the same. “You took an oath to uphold the law. This is wrong. You are not a murderer.”

“I’m a brother. I’m Eric’s brother. I’m your brother. I will do what I have to in order to protect my family.” Max’s voice seemed to be getting closer and Elle brought the crowbar in front of her, ready to swing should Cam move out of the way. “You might be the older one, Cam, but I’m the one who’s in the position to make this go away. All you have to do is walk up those stairs as if nothing has happened here and let me take care of the rest.”

“Eric, can’t you see how wrong this is?” Cam’s desperation was evident and Elle knew they only had seconds before the decision was taken out of his hands.

“Don’t be this way, Cam,” Eric pleaded. “Max understands how family works. Come upstairs with me.”

“I’m not letting you kill Elle.” Cam altered his stance and Elle twisted so that she would be able to run when he did. That was their only choice. “Put the gun down.”

“That’s not going to happen, brother.”

“Run!”

With that one scream, Cam threw himself at Max. Elle immediately turned to run for the back door but Eric grabbed her by the arm. Instinct took over and she swung the crowbar. The metal made contact with his shoulder hard enough that he released her but she knew that it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t get the momentum behind the tool for another swing and did the only thing she could. Eric lunged and when he came at her once more, Elle used every ounce of strength she had to jab the straight end directly into his stomach.

It seemed as if time stood still as Elle connected her gaze with Eric, whose eyes were wide with surprise and disbelief. Releasing the crowbar, she stepped back and watched in horror as he fell to his knees. His hands grabbed the metal protruding from his stomach and a strangled cry came from his parted lips.

“What have you done?” Eric whispered.

Chapter Thirty-One

K
evin entered the residence with Crest by his side. They covered each other as they maneuvered into the house through the front door. Side table lamps were lit and there were cups on the table, but no one was in sight. Silence hung in the air but was interrupted by a shuffling sound in the kitchen. Taggart had entered behind them and had taken position on the far side of the room. Crest and Kevin both waited for his cue before proceeding toward the kitchen.

Upon arriving at Reformation, Kevin felt stark terror shoot through him upon seeing Max’s undercover vehicle parked at the curb. Had he been tipped off? Did he know that they were after him and his brother? Elle was inside with both of them and Kevin didn’t know if she was fine, hurt, or worse…dead. His first instinct was to rush inside, but Crest had pulled up the moment Kevin opened the door of his truck. Connor had phoned on the five minute trip and relayed that the taxi service had definitely dropped Elle off at the center. He was already in his vehicle and headed to their destination, saying he’d join Taggart’s men at the back of the house. Kevin thought they’d only have to deal with Bennett, but now that he knew Max was on the premises, all bets were off.