When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions) (2 page)

And she made it impossible to hold her wealth against her. Although Alexia often wondered what attracted Serena to the two girls from the wrong side of the tracks, she’d never worked up the courage to ask her. It was enough to bask in the friendship and Serena’s loving family.

So different from her own.

“Are we going?” Serena demanded. “The party’s starting.”

“I’m in,” Alexia said.

“I’ll be there too,” Hunter Graham said over Alexia’s shoulder.

She shivered as his breath caressed her left ear. And his bright blue eyes had that little glint in them that she’d started seeing every time he looked at her. The little swoop in her stomach failed to take her by surprise this time. But she’d sworn off guys forever after Devin’s betrayal.

She frowned as she pictured her ex-boyfriend. She’d thought Devin was different.

Obviously, she had lousy judgment in guys and wasn’t to be trusted when it came to picking one out. Although she had to admit, if she were interested in trying the whole boyfriend thing again, Hunter would be the one she’d choose.

But she wasn’t.

Besides, he was only going to the graduation party to keep an eye on his brother and sister, who’d just graduated with Alexia. Chad and Christine Graham were twins who had a penchant for trouble. Which was why Hunter often drew the short straw and got chaperone duty. She wondered how they felt about his big brother eye now that they were eighteen.

She considered him again. He was already a junior in college. Alexia knew she’d never be worthy of his interest.

Not that she wanted his interest, her mind insisted.

Right?

Right. Besides, she was on the next bus out of here.

Frowning at him, she started to tell him to get out of her space—in a nice way, of course—when Jillian said, “I’ll be there in a little while. I have to run an errand first.”

The girl’s voice trembled and Alexia shot a glance at Serena to see if she’d caught it. The frown on her face confirmed she had.

Glancing at Hunter, Alexia said, “Excuse me.” Taking Jillian’s arm, she pulled her to the side.

Serena followed.

Hunter got the hint and walked off.

Alexia rubbed her hand up her friend’s arm and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Tell us what’s wrong, Jilly.”

Jillian waved a hand. “Later. I need to go. I’ll catch up to you at the party, all right?”

Serena grabbed Jillian’s hand. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

Jillian whirled and headed for the door.

Alexia looked at Serena. “What’s her problem?”

“I have no idea. We’ll get it out of her when she gets to the party. Now let’s go!”

They raced for Serena’s car—a sweet little BMW Roadster—and within ten minutes arrived at the school gym.

Alexia looked around and smiled. The decorations looked great, the music was loud, and her friends were at her side. Life was good.

Soon she’d be on a bus to wherever, USA, and she’d never have to come home again. No more living with the craziness of her home life. The thought of her mother shot pain through her. She really didn’t care if she never saw her dad again, but her mother . . .

Memories of her mother’s arms around her when her dad had been gone—or passed out—flitted through her mind. Whispered words of her mother’s brand of encouragement flickered.

But the woman didn’t want her at home. Had been pretty definite when she’d told her she needed to leave.

She shook her head and focused on the music.

Life had just improved 110 percent. And the fear churning in her gut had no place in that new life.

Serena danced with Jacob Styles, her on-again, off-again boyfriend. Alexia gave a regretful sigh as she watched Serena fold her head into Jacob’s shoulder.

Even though she’d just convinced herself that she wasn’t interested in having a boyfriend, she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be able to lean on someone. To let yourself go enough to trust another person with your heart. To believe that person would never betray you. Alexia blinked back tears.

Allowing someone that close hadn’t been an option. Not with her home life. The one time she’d allowed someone to cross the barriers to her heart, he’d betrayed her. Devin Wickham. It hadn’t taken him long to show his true colors.

But now?

No. She had a life to make for herself. She had goals. Plans. Dreams . . .

But maybe one day.

Her throat clogged. Would she ever find someone to love her? To believe in her?

Alexia’s eyes strayed to Hunter, dancing with his sister, who didn’t seem to care that he was there. He caught her eye and winked. She flushed and looked away.

Then back.

If he was interested . . .

A hand gripped hers and she turned to see Jillian standing beside her, wide-eyed and frantic, tears streaking her cheeks. “Jillian! What’s wrong?”

“I need your help,” she gasped. “I don’t know what to do . . . I saw . . . I’ve got to leave!”

Alexia looked for Serena, snagged her attention, and motioned her over with a mouthed “Help!”

Frowning, Serena whispered something to Jacob and moved to join them. Alexia pulled Jillian into the relative quiet of the hallway. Serena followed two steps behind. “What is it?”

Jillian burst into tears and sank to the floor. “I’m dead,” she whispered. “I’m so dead. I can’t believe this. I don’t know what to do.”

“What happened?” Serena ignored her expensive dress and sank to the floor beside her friend.

“He’s going to kill me. He’s going to . . . because I was there and I think he saw me and what I saw . . .”

Jillian stopped and slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted to the door as the tears flowed. Frustration with Jillian started to sprout inside Alexia—not to mention a sprig of fear at her talk of killing. “Spill it, will you? You’re talking in circles. How can we help you if we can’t understand you?”

The girl went still. Her tears stopped as though turned off with a switch. She looked up, horror on her face. “I can’t. I can’t be here and I can’t tell you. He knows we’re friends . . .”

“Wh—?”

“I’ll just put you in danger too.” She jumped up, eyes wide with sudden renewed horror. “Oh no! I can’t believe I didn’t think . . . I didn’t—” She shot a desperate look toward the exit. “I’ve got to get out of here. They’ll find me. And then they’ll find you. They’ll think I told you . . .”

“Who? What?” Alexia nearly yelled.

“I can’t go home . . . I’ll need some money.” Grief and terror flowed from her. “Please, I’m sorry to ask, but . . .”

“Here.” Alexia dug into her purse and pulled out a hundred dollars.

“Never mind, I have to get out of here.” Jillian started for the door and Alexia grabbed her arm.

“Here,” she said, shoving the money into Jillian’s hand.

Serena did the same and handed her a handful of fifties. Jillian didn’t even blink as she grabbed the cash and took off.

“Hey! Come back!” Alexia called.

But Jillian’s feet pounded down the hallway toward the exit at the other end.

“Jillian!” Serena yelled. “Wait!”

Jillian didn’t even turn as she hit the door at a full run. The alarm sounded and Serena and Alexia took off after her.

By the time they got the door open again, Jillian was nowhere to be seen.

1

Ten Years Later
April 6, 2012
5:45 p.m.

He suspected what was in the envelope. Shaky fingers opened it and pulled out the single white sheet with the block-style printed words.

I KNOW.

Senator Frank Hoffman leaned back in his plush leather chair and drew in a deep breath.

It was Jillian; he knew it. She’d decided to come out of hiding. He’d searched high and low for the girl ten years ago, when she simply dropped off the face of the earth.

But the letter proved she wasn’t dead. She was back, taunting him with the skeleton in his closet.

Jillian Carter. The one person who could kill his career, ruin his shaky marriage, and sabotage his future.

He’d rather put a bullet in her brain than let that happen.

Again, he read the words.

I KNOW.

Amazing that two small words could instill such terror.

Jaw tight, he started to crumple the letter into a ball, then thought better of it.

Pulling out a large brown envelope, he added it to the one that had come two weeks ago. The one that said, “HELLO FRANK. I’LL BE IN TOUCH.” The one he’d been praying was from anyone but her.

He shoved the envelope into the top drawer of his desk, shut the drawer with a snap, and twisted the key to make sure it was locked. He did
not
want his wife finding those notes.

What did Jillian want? There’d been no blackmail demand, no reason given for the subtle threat.

Just, I KNOW.

And only two people on this earth knew his secret.

Of course one wasn’t talking. Were there others?

He doubted it. The fact that the last ten years had flown by without a peep from anyone was proof of that. With dread in his heart, he knew the truth of his situation. A truth he had avoided facing for ten years. Now that truth stared him in the face, mocking him. Letting him know that his comfort zone had just been penetrated.

He had to find Jillian Carter.

There was only one way to restore peace to his life. He picked up the phone and called the one person he trusted with absolute confidence to bury this secret so deep it would never stir again.

2

April 10, 4:35 p.m.

The flames reached for the ceiling, consuming everything in their path. Sprawled on her belly and forearms, staying as low as possible in the burning house, Alexia paused and listened. Visibility was almost nonexistent. She heard an ominous creaking and raised her eyes to the ceiling. It splintered, cracked. The fire had been burning up there a lot longer than reported if the ceiling was ready to go.

“Joel! Get out from under there!” She shoved herself toward him, still staying low and knowing she wouldn’t reach him in time to push him out of the way.

On his knees, testing the door in front of him, Joel looked up—just as the ceiling caved, sending a large piece of wood crashing down on his shoulder, then glancing off the side of his helmet.

With a cry, he went down flat against the rapidly heating floor.

“Joel!” She made her way back through the smoke to reach him. Into her radio, she called, “Joel’s down, Captain, I need help!”

“On the way,” he reassured her. “Lex, the mother just showed up. Little girl, three years old, name’s Maddy. In the back bedroom, last door on the left.”

Alexia froze. A kid?

She scrambled over to Joel, grabbed him under his arms, and started hauling him to the exit, her exertions using more air. How much time did she have left? Plenty. They’d been in the building less than two minutes. “Joel, there’s another kid in here somewhere. I’ve got to find her.” But she couldn’t leave her partner. Not yet, not ever. She made sure his air tank was functioning. He looked dazed, stunned, but not seriously injured.

Looking up, she made out the shape of another firefighter. “Get Joel, he’s hurt. The girl’s in the back! I’m going to look.”

“I’ve got him.” Alexia recognized Snoop’s voice.

“I’ll be right out,” she said.

“I’m coming with you.” Sanders. Great. The one man in the department she didn’t want to work a fire with.

Another groan sounded from above.

Alexia looked up just in time to jump back from the crashing beam. Sanders muttered a curse and dove to help cover Joel. “Get back, Alexia! RIT’ll be coming for you!”

The Rapid Intervention Team. Two firefighters whose only duty would be to get her out. But until they reached her, she still had a job to do. She was trapped between a wall of flames and the back of the house.

“I’m looking for that kid!”

Without waiting for a response, she turned and crawled toward the bedroom. She paused and listened.

Nothing but the sound of the burning building.

Pounding on the closest door, she hollered, “Maddy?”

No answer.

Raising up on her knees, she tried the knob.

Locked.

She rose to her feet and stepped back. Lifting the axe in her right hand, she brought it down on the knob. The door shuddered and the molding around the door cracked as the knob fell to the floor. Lifting her booted foot, she gave the door a hard kick and it slammed in against the wall. Smoke swirled out, but no flames. Breathing in the life-giving air from the tank strapped to her back, she used the thermal imager device in her left hand to search for anything that pumped blood and put off heat.

Nothing.

She filled her lungs again and headed for the closet.

Flames licked down the hall behind her. Great, she’d have to find another way out. She reported in. “I’m in the small bedroom on the left.”

“We’ve got Joel, Alexia. You find the kid?”

An alarm sounded. Alexia pulled in another breath of air. And stopped. No air. She looked at her gauge. Out of air. That was the alarm going off.

Panic hit her. “Captain, I’m out of air.”

“What?” His voice roared in her ear.

Dizziness hit her.

“Get out, Alexia. Now!”

“Just going to check the closet first, sir.”

“Get your tail outta there. Immediately!”

She needed air. She reached up to disconnect the hose from her tank, then shoved it up under her heavy turnout. The coat would protect her as much as possible from smoke inhalation. And she sure didn’t want a blast of hot air in her lungs. She caught a breath. The dizziness receded.

The countdown was on.

The decision: leave or check the closet?

She scanned the imaging device over the door. Bingo. “I’ve got something. Definitely a child.”

“Alexia! Get out!”

“She’s here, sir. Can’t leave without her.”

Alexia went to the door and turned the knob. A little girl. “Maddy?”

The child looked up at her, eyes wide, stark terror stamped on her tear-streaked features. Then she coughed and her eyes rolled back. Alexia slung the imager over her shoulder and leaned in to pick up the little girl.