Page 65 of This Christmas

“Ally!” Joe shouted, his voice echoing as the darkness swallowed her whole.

“What do you want?” she said as they made their way down the narrow tunnel. She could feel the gun in her back and knew better than to try and escape. Yet.

“Access to those offshore accounts,” he said, grunting when his shoulders hit the stone walls.

“What offshore accounts?”

“You know the ones,” he hissed. “The ones I had you open when that brat was born. I moved everything over to them. But the Feds have my computer and I don’t have access. You do.” His grip tightened on her arm as he dragged her down a few passages, then doubled back as if he was lost. “When we have the funds, we can get out of the country. Together.”

Ally shook her head, trying to steady her breathing despite the cold, damp air in the tunnel and the speed at which Ted was pulling her along.

“I never opened an offshore account, Ted. I never did. Besides, do you think I would hand over anything that would help you escape justice?” She tried to slow their pace, praying, hoping that Aiden and everyone else would catch up with her in time.

His eyes darkened as his jaw tightened. “You think you’re so fucking clever, don’t you? You were always playing me. You opened the account and took all the money I embezzled from the clients. All those high-paying bastards that think they own me. But I will get them back. I will get all that money and be more powerful than they are in this town. And no one, not even your fucking lover boy or the Feds, can stop me.”

The wind howled louder as Ted dragged her out onto the snowy beach. Snow whipped around her, stinging her face and making it almost impossible to see. The dunes were blanketed in white; the ocean beyond was gray and angry. Ted shoved her forward roughly.

“I warned you what would happen if you left me.” He laughed.

“I’m not yours, and I don’t have anything for you!” she shouted over the wind, pulling her coat closer to block the worst of the cold. “And even if I did have access to whatever money you think I do, you don’t deserve it! You’re a criminal, a liar, a coward, a horrible father, and a crappy husband. You’ve hurt everyone you touch! You should be paying for your crimes, not running away!”

He swung the gun toward her and she flinched, but the cold steel cut through her cheek. She fell into the snow as the wind blasted her. Pain shot through her entire face, but she’d dealt with far worse. She steadied herself after she landed on the frozen beach on her hands and knees. Ted stood over her. “Don’t you fucking ever talk to me that way!” he roared.

Her hand went instinctively to her jacket pocket as he moved closer. The kitchen knife that she’d hidden there before she’d followed Joe into the basement was cold and solid in her grip.

“You think you can talk to me like a fucking…” He lurched, reaching for her, and she rolled aside and drove the knife into his forearm with a sharp, desperate motion.

He screamed and stumbled backward, but she didn’t stop. She slashed out with the knife and dug it deep into his chest when he jerked toward her again. She watched him stumble as he grasped at the knife sticking out of his chest.

“Run!” she shouted to herself. Then she jumped up and sprinted through the blinding snow. The cold bit at her exposed skin, and the frozen sand crunched beneath her boots, slowing her escape.

Ted roared from somewhere behind her and gave chase. She stumbled in the drifted snow as her lungs froze, but she pushed forward, desperate to keep the distance between them. Snow was plastered to her hair, to her cheeks, and her coat was slick with frost and was wide open.

Her vision blurred from the snow hitting her face. She stopped running blindly and listened, but she couldn’t hear anything but her own heavy breathing. When she heard footsteps behind her, she turned and saw a dark shadow coming closer to her.

She turned to run away, just as a bright light cut across the darkness, lighting up the snow surrounding her.

“This is the coast guard,” a voice boomed over the sound of the wind. “Ted Garrison, you’re surrounded. Surrender now and drop your weapon!”

For a moment, Ally felt a wave of sheer relief. But then Ted rushed toward her. When he lunged at her again, his eyes wide and crazy, Ally completely froze. She knew this time she couldn’t outrun him.

Just as he reached her, his hands stretched out toward her, a single gunshot rang out. The sound echoed across the snowy beach.

Ted’s eyes jerked up to hers. His mouth was opened as if he’d been screaming at her. He stumbled once and faltered. The light swung around and illuminated his face, which was twisted in both shock and pain.

“You bitch,” he whispered before falling face-first into the snow at her feet.

Ally’s heart was hammering as she jerked back a couple steps. The snow turned red at her feet.

“Ally.” She heard her name somewhere behind her, an echo in the darkness.

Then warm strong arms wrapped around her, holding her, shielding her against the cold as she collapsed.

Charlotte was safe, she told herself over and over. Her daughter was safe. She hadn’t witnessed this. Would never know the horrors.

The bitter taste of adrenaline swirled inside her, and she began to shake uncontrollably.

She sank to her knees in the snow, gasping for air. The wind and waves drowned out every other noise.