The Secret Life of Bryan (25 page)

Barb had always looked cross and a little mean.

Now she looked downright evil.

The second Bryan said hello, Bruce blurted, “It’s Barb. Not Amy. And she left hours ago and—”

“No shit.”

That lethally calm reply filled Bruce with sick dread. Worry became a lead weight in his stomach. “She’s there?”

“Yeah.”

Oh God, oh God, oh God.
“With someone?”

“You betcha.”

Bruce was driving like a madman, holding the phone with one hand, choking the steering wheel with the other. At her insistence, Amy rode with him. He hadn’t at first wanted to tell Amy that they had suspected her, but after she’d found Barb’s room empty, her things gone, he’d had to explain.

Think, Bruce. Don’t waste time.
“Hang on, Bryan. I already called Joe. He’s on his way. He said he’d take care of the backup, but I still had to call. I hoped to catch you in time…”

“You didn’t, but don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”

His brother was always so confident, so capable. Bruce envied him—and respected him more than any other man he knew.

Bruce heard someone hiss, “That’s enough. Hang up,” and he started praying. “I’ll be there as quick as I can, Bryan. We’re already on the way—”

The phone went dead.

Numb, sick at heart, Bruce handed it to Amy. “She’s already there.”

Amy sat as still as a frightened rabbit, then she seemed to calm. “It’ll be okay.” She looked at him and took a deep breath. “Barb is…different. Harder. But she’s vulnerable, too. I don’t know what it is, maybe the way she always watched Shay. But Shay has helped me to see everything differently, including people. I know Barb won’t hurt her. She won’t.”

Bruce reached for her hand. “I pray you’re right.”

Barb held the flashlight, leading the way to the creek. With every step she took, she grumbled and groused, so typical of Barb. Shay stared at her back and wanted to weep. She’d thought Barb was a friend. She’d thought Barb liked her.

Bryan followed behind Shay, with Chili trailing them all. Shay was very aware of the gun, of how easy it would be for Chili to lose his fragile grasp on control and hurt, or even kill one of them. Her life had been an odd one, filled with the pleasure of giving and the heartache of insults and misunderstandings. But not since she’d been adopted had she dealt with any violence.

That was Bryan’s forte, and she sincerely hoped he knew what to do, because she didn’t.

Like a line of soldiers, they made their way across the dew-wet grass. Insects buzzed around them. An occasional bat scooped low and then soared away. The creek, sparkling with the reflection of a million stars and a fat bright moon, was about eight feet wide, winding and twisting across the land.

Chili said, “That’s far enough.” His voice was high with excitement, making Shay’s stomach churn. “Turn around.” He breathed hard with glee. Licked his lips. “Now get naked.”

The air crackled with menace.

Bryan stood very close to Shay, half shielding her with his wide shoulders. “I don’t think so.”

“I wasn’t talking to you!” Flustered and too anxious, Chili waved the gun around. “I want to see her. From the first night she showed up, soaked to the skin, I’ve been planning this. If you hadn’t interfered, she’d have been mine that night.”

Though her muscles felt brittle with fear and her throat was dry, Shay managed a credible laugh. “Not a chance.”

“I wouldn’t have given you a choice, bitch.” He stared at her breasts. “Lose the clothes.”

Shay lifted her chin. “No.”

Barb moved to Chili’s side, holding the light at her side. She didn’t shine it on them, but then, the night was so bright, and they were in such a wide clearing, that it didn’t matter.

Shay didn’t know what to do, so she took her cues from Bryan. He had a plan, she just knew he did. What, she couldn’t imagine, but she refused to believe there’d be any outcome other than good over evil.

The way Barb watched her, like she wanted her to understand, tore at Shay. She knew she couldn’t get through to Chili, but perhaps Barb would relent. “I’m your friend, Barb.”

Barb shook her head. “You put up a good show, I’ll give you that. But sooner or later, you’d have moved on. Real friends don’t do that.”

“No, they don’t,” Shay agreed. “Just as real friends don’t betray you. Or threaten to shoot you, or—”

“Christ,” Chili yelled. “Quit yakking and get the clothes off.”

Shay took comfort in Bryan’s nearness, in the knowledge that he dealt with criminals all the time. “Frankly, I’d rather be shot than do that.”

As if his patience had reached an end, Chili huffed. “Stupid whore.”

“Pathetic excuse for a man.”

He actually staggered back. He wasn’t used to women standing up to him. His mouth opened twice, and nothing came out.

Barb stared at Shay, too, but with exasperated disapproval. When Shay met her gaze, Barb gave a small, urgent shake of her head. But Shay had no time to ponder Barb’s silent message.

“You don’t want to play nice?” Chili whispered. “I’ll just shoot
him,
then.” He turned the gun on Bryan, and Shay saw the intent in his gaze.

“No, wait!” He wouldn’t shoot her, Shay decided, not until he got what he wanted. At least, Shay hoped that was the case, because she didn’t want to die like this. Not when she’d just found Bryan.

She threw herself in front of Bryan, watching Chili in case he squeezed the trigger. Did it really matter if he saw her nude? Undressing would give Bryan more time to figure out how to get them out of this mess.

Bryan all but tossed her behind him. “Damn it, Shay, don’t do that.”

To put off the inevitable—her nakedness—Shay squared off with Bryan. “Stop trying to boss me around. You’re always doing that and I’m sick of it.”

Bryan looked first incredulous, then thunderous. Through set teeth, he growled, “Do what I tell you.”

“I’ll do what I think is right. Chili wants to see me naked, don’t you, Chili?” She glanced at him, saw that Chili was excited by their argument, and said, “There. See?” She reached for the top button of her blouse. Maybe she could do this
really
slow. Like…take forever. “He won’t shoot me, so it makes sense for me—oof!”

Bryan jerked her around behind him. Shay had never seen him so livid. His eyes fairly glowed with menace, his face was dark with rage. “Don’t…” His jaw worked. “Don’t do that.” He gave her a hard shake, practically rattling her teeth. “Trust me, God damn it.”

“Hey,” Chili complained. “I can’t see her. Move.”

Bryan lowered his nose to hers. “Everything will be okay.” He drew a breath, and their lips almost touched. “When I turn back around, run. It’s dark, they won’t see you.”

“I can’t hear you,” Chili complained. “Stop that damn whispering.”

Appalled, Shay realized that Bryan planned to sacrifice himself. The big dope. “No, I will not run. I’m not leaving you behind.” And then, softer still, “I love you, remember?”

Chili bounded forward two steps. “Enough of that shit. I’m done waiting.”

Bryan closed his eyes, pained. “Shay, when I get us out of this…”

“Unless you want your blood all over her, Preacher, you better move away. Right
now.”

Slowly, Bryan opened his eyes, and Shay saw in his gaze that he did indeed have a plan. But what could it be? To sacrifice himself so she could scurry off like a coward?

Bryan was already turning, his gaze sharp with purpose, his muscles tensed. Poised to lunge.

Chili laughed, held the gun in both hands to steady it, and began to squeeze the trigger.

Everything seemed to happen at once.

Barb screamed, so high and shrill that the treetops came alive with birds or bats fleeing into the night sky.

Like a great hulking shadow of death, Joe Winston exploded from the bushes. In a blur of motion, a knife left his hand to sail through the air and sink deep into Chili’s upper arm.

The gun went off, the blast echoing around the area again and again, before Chili howled and dropped the weapon.

All of this happened in an instant, and then Bryan’s body hit Shay hard, taking them both to the ground with bone-jarring impact.

He didn’t just land with her, but rolled until she was pinned under him with his arms clamped around her head, his body completely blanketing hers. Her nose was smashed into his granite chest while sticks and pebbles dug into her spine.

But not for long.

“Stay down,” Bryan ordered, and then he was gone, moving with lightning speed. An approaching siren split the night, and new voices began shouting.

Chili, silent as death and just as resolute, was up on his knees. His glasses were askew, and Shay couldn’t see his eyes behind the lenses, but his mouth was twisted, his expression a frozen mask of hatred. His left arm gushed blood from the knife wound, but he’d retrieved Bryan’s 9mm from his pocket, and had it aimed point-blank at Bryan’s head.

Bryan’s thunderous footfalls rattled the earth as he took a running tackle toward Chili. Shay knew he’d never reach him in time. She struggled to her feet.

Then a wild banshee cry split the night, and Barb swung the heavy flashlight at Chili’s head. The light danced wildly around the clearing, Chili ducked, and the light connected with his shoulder. He howled again—and the light died out.

Everything looked even more macabre in the moonlight.

Bryan plowed into Chili, taking him to his back. The gun flew out of his hand. Shay didn’t get a chance to scream. Bryan’s fist pulled back, and landed with bone-crushing impact. Once, twice.

Joe yelled, “That’s enough, Bryan. Leave something to send to jail.”

Barb slumped back. She was crying, great tearing sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I had it all planned out. When he took you into the trailer, I was going to hit him with the cast-iron skillet, but then he didn’t come back inside and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to do! I thought he was just going to drive you away.” She gulped more tears, babbling, sobbing. “When I found out he planned to shoot you, I came with him. I came along to
help.
I swear it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Joe leaped over Chili and Bryan, caught Barb’s shoulders and pushed her to the ground. Shay heard him say, “Ah, shit.”

Barb continued to chatter and explain even as Joe restrained her. With Chili knocked out cold, Bryan retrieved his weapon, then checked Chili’s pulse. “He’ll live. The bastard.”

Shay didn’t spare Chili a single thought. Bryan could have been killed. If Barb hadn’t hit him with the light…

Then Bryan was there, wrapping his arms around her, holding her back. “It’s okay, Shay. We’re okay.”

She gripped him tight. She felt like she should cry, yet no tears came. “Bryan…” she ran her hands over him, his chest, his throat, his beautiful face. “Oh God, Bryan…”

“Shh. I’m here. I’m all right. I swear.”

Barb let out a long moan.

“Oh no,” Shay said, her concern shifting. Barb had helped them, just as Jamie Creed said she would. But Joe didn’t understand. He would hurt her. She started to pull away from Bryan, only he wouldn’t let her.

He was still squeezing her tight. “Joe knows what he’s doing.”

“He’s hurting her.”

“No, baby.” He caught her face in both hands, his dark eyes boring into hers, forcing her to comprehend. “He’s trying to stop the bleeding.”

“The bleeding? But…” Shay’s heart stuttered to a standstill, then lurched back into a frantic pace.
Chili had fired the gun.
“Barb!”

Bryan didn’t let her go. “You’ll only get in the way, Shay. Hear the sirens? That’d be Scott, the deputy. They’ll get her to the hospital.”

A terrible chill went through Shay. “We have to go with her.”

“Of course we will.” Bryan rubbed his hands up and down her arms, kissed her temple, then her cheek.

Shay knew she was shaking all over, but she couldn’t seem to stop. They’d almost been shot. Barb could still die.

Joe pulled Barb’s blouse loose, then stripped it away from her chest. “I think it went through her shoulder,” he shouted. He whipped his own shirt off in record time and began wadding it up. The deputy’s car pulled right up into the lot and stopped with the headlights shining on them. Thankfully, he silenced the siren.

Activity erupted all around. The deputy was speaking to the ambulance, Joe issued orders—and Chili came around. He saw the chaos and tried to creep away. He hadn’t gotten farther than a foot or two when Bryan kissed Shay’s cheek and said, “Hold on, honey. I’ll be right back.”

Chili was on his knees now, holding his injured arm, almost into the thick tangle of bushes that lined the creek. His glasses were gone and blood from his nose smeared the left half of his face.

Grinning, Bryan stepped over him, then crouched down. “Give me a reason, you bastard. Any reason.”

Chili cowered.

Grabbing him by the shirt, Bryan hauled him to his feet. Chili kicked and struggled, but he was no match for Bryan. Finally, he tried to lurch free and run.

Bryan said, “Thanks.” And hit him hard in the gut. Wheezing, Chili slumped over, but Bryan held him upright by his shirt.

Joe glanced up. “You probably shouldn’t have done that.”

“Probably not.”

“I’d have been happy to do it for you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Neither of the men acted like anything out of the ordinary had happened, while Shay felt nauseous and cold and shaken to her core. Never in her life had she felt so ineffectual. Her knees were so weak, she either had to kneel down or collapse.

Bryan frowned at her, then just let Chili drop. He reached Shay in two steps. “Hey.” He knelt down by her. “You okay, baby?”

Barb had stopped crying and now just stared at Joe with wide-eyed awe. Joe crooned to her, reassuring her as he kept pressure on her wound, and Shay could have almost sworn she heard Barb sighing.

Shay didn’t realize that tears were tracking her cheeks until Bryan pulled her into his lap and brushed them away. Loudly, he said, “Tell her you’re all right, Barb.”

“I’m…I’m okay.” Barb winced. “Really.”

“There, you see?” And to Barb, “Hang in there, kiddo. The ambulance is on its way.”