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“Hell.” He lowered his head, shaking it slowly. Then he raised it again and lifted the gun.
Something flew out of the trees and hit him hard, knocking him to the ground. The gun went off, but the bullet flew wild, hitting a tree near Kara’s head. She ducked instinctively, then realized the missile had been Jimmy Corona. He was rolling on the ground and wrestling with Vinnie, who was still clutching his gun.
When they stopped twisting, Vinnie was on the ground on his back and Jimmy straddled him, pinning his hands to the ground above his head. Vinnie still held the gun in his right hand, and that was the one he was struggling to raise.
“Drop it. Just let it go,” Jim told him. His lip was bleeding.
“Thought you didn’t love her,” Vinnie said, grinding out the words.
“You thought wrong. Drop the gun, Vinnie.”
Kara looked around for a weapon—a stick or a club she could use to help—but saw nothing... and then she saw a gun lying on the ground a few feet away. It had to be Jimmy’s. She went to it, picked it up, but then the men were in motion again. Vinnie got a leg up between them and kicked Jim off him. Jimmy landed on his back, and Vinnie sprang to his feet and pointed the gun at him.
Kara aimed and fired.
The shot rang and echoed amid the trees, and for a moment everything seemed to freeze in place. And then slowly Vinnie dropped to his knees. She saw the dark spot on his shirt. It was spreading. His hands went limp and his gun fell from his grip, and then he toppled forward and lay still.
Jim got to his feet, picked up the fallen weapon, tucked it into his jeans and then he came to her. She stood there shaking, holding the gun on Vinnie still, even though he was no longer moving. Jim put his hands over hers, gently took the gun away. “It’s okay. It’s all right, Kara.” He started to pull her into his arms, but she tugged herself away from him.
“Is he...? Did I...?”
Jimmy nodded, understanding her question, and he went to lean over the fallen man, touched his neck. After a moment he gripped Vinnie by one shoulder, lifting him off the ground enough to get a look at the front of him, though she couldn’t see past him. His body blocked her line of sight. A second later he let the man drop back onto the ground facedown and he rose and returned to Kara. His hands closed around her shoulders. “He’s dead, Kara.”
“Oh, my God.”
“You didn’t have a choice. He would have killed me. Both of us.”
“I know that.” She met his eyes, staring into them for a long moment. And then she just gave in to the shock that was fighting to take over and hurled herself into his arms. The tears came, the sobs with them.
Jimmy wrapped his arms around her and he held her so hard she didn’t think he would ever let go. His hands stroked her hair, his lips touched her cheek, her jaw. He kept telling her it was going to be okay, and before long she realized they were moving. He’d picked her up in his arms and was carrying her through the woods.
They emerged onto the dirt road just as police vehicles came screaming onto the scene. Tires skidded, dust clouds rose, men emerged from cars and fired questions.
He told them where to find Vinnie, but he never let go of Kara, not once. And then he was putting her into his pickup and driving her away from there, from the horror, from the death.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
The hospital’s waiting room was decked with red and green paper chains and popcorn garland, courtesy of the kids in the pediatric unit. It was also was full of Brands. Vidalia hadn’t stopped pacing since they’d arrived, even though Kara’s injuries were minor. Kara hadn’t wanted to come to the hospital at all, but Jim had insisted. She needed checking out. And he needed some kind of validation that she really was okay.
So Vidalia paced. Selene sat on the floor outside the treatment room, legs crossed, eyes closed. He didn’t know what she was doing, but he knew she was definitely doing something. Maya and Caleb had a row of chairs to themselves. They had their hands full trying to manage the twins, but nothing had wiped the worry from their eyes. The kids were on the floor—Dahlia, Cal and Tyler—up to their elbows in the toy chest some helpful nurse had brought out for them. Mel and Alex sat quietly waiting, holding hands. Mel looked mad enough to do someone serious damage. The fact that Vinnie Stefano was already dead didn’t dampen her anger a bit. Edie and Wade were coming down the hall now, each carrying a cardboard tray full of foam cups. Six each. Nine cups held coffee and three, hot cocoa for the kids. Jim took his from Wade’s hand, then returned to his post near the treatment-room door, trying to get a glimpse inside.
He’d taken no more than three sips from his cup when the door nearly hit him in the nose as it opened. He stepped back, startled.
The doctor looked at him and smiled, then looked past him at the others, all of whom were jumping to their feet and rushing forward.
The doctor held up two hands. “Kara is fine. The most serious injuries are two cracked ribs. She’s going to be sore for several weeks, but there’s no other damage, aside from various bruises.”
“Can we see her?” Jim asked. He had unfinished business with Kara Brand and he’d waited about as long as he could stand to get on with it.
“She’s getting dressed. Says she wants to go home.”
Jim nodded. “All right. Okay.”
Kara came out of the room then and he was pushed aside by the oncoming tide of bodies, each rushing to get to her, to hug her gently, to touch her.
Hell, he couldn’t blame them. He’d been burning to do the same things, so he understood. They had the right. He didn’t. He’d managed to convince Kara that he didn’t even love her just before realizing that he did. So he stood out of the way and let them all hold her, assuring themselves that she would be okay.
But eventually, after she’d spoken to each of them and the sea of bodies parted, she looked up and met his eyes. “Take me home.”
