When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions) (35 page)

She winced, then said, “But you don’t hate me now?”

“Nope. Like I said, you saved my life. I ended up moving in with Marcus and seeing how a father was supposed to treat his children. I went to the police academy, got my life together, then went on to join the FBI.”

“Is that why you didn’t contact me?”

“Yeah. I figured you were better off not involved in my life. For the past ten years, I’ve been mostly undercover. One assignment after the next. If I’d contacted you and the wrong person found out about it . . .” He shook his head. “That would have been ugly.”

She understood. Sort of. Still, it seemed like he could have at least let her know he was alive. “I just figured you hated me,” she whispered.

He grimaced and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Lexi.” She almost smiled at his little pet name. Lexi. “But I need to make something really clear here. That fire was not your fault.” He swallowed hard.

“But I remember everything. It was my fault. I threw the beer can and it hit—”

Dominic was shaking his head. “About five years ago, I tracked Dad down to the jail in Washington State.”

“But he’s out now.”

“I know. But before he got out, I went to see him.”

A pang hit her in the heart. He went to visit their father, but couldn’t contact her? Anger wanted to bud, but she refused to let it. “What did he have to say?”

“A lot.” His lips twisted and regret filled his eyes. “Keep in mind, I had no idea you were blaming yourself for the fire or I would have . . .” He looked away and shook his head.

“What, Dom?”

“Aw man, this is hard.”

Impatience flooded her, sparking the anger. “Just spill it, will you?”

He barked a short, humorless laugh. “Dad finally talked. He refused at first, then admitted that if you hadn’t thrown those beer cans at him, he was going to kill everyone that day.”

Alexia lurched to her feet and stumbled from her brother. What was he saying?

Dominic waited until she turned to face him once again. “What?” she whispered.

“He said he had it planned. He was going to wait until everyone was asleep, then kill all of you. Mom, Karen, and you.”

“I . . . I . . .” She couldn’t find any words. But she began to shake. A chill swept over her.

“Because of the fire, Mom and you are still alive.”

“Karen’s dead.” Alexia felt her emotions start to freeze. It was all too much.

Hunter walked in and pulled her into his arms. But even his warmth wasn’t enough to chase the chill invading her.

Dominic continued. “Dad blamed you for the fire, and I suppose if you hadn’t thrown the beer cans, the fire wouldn’t have started, but if you hadn’t started the fire, you’d be dead.”

She didn’t know what to think. In fact, she was having a hard time thinking anything. Pulling out of Hunter’s arms, she turned to find Chad staring at them.

Ignoring him, she looked at Dominic. “What was Dad doing in Washington State?”

Dominic’s throat bobbed and he exchanged a look with Hunter. Something passed between the two men and she planted her hands on her hips. “What?”

“Dad was coming after you.”

She felt the blood drain from her face and her knees went weak. She stumbled back to the couch and sat. Hunter hovered nearby.

“After me?”

“Yeah. He found out where you went and was coming to get you, but he said he lost track of you. He was in a bar one night and killed a guy. He’s been in prison until a few months ago.”

“If he hadn’t landed in prison, but instead found me—” She shuddered at the thought.

“Exactly.”

Alexia rubbed her arms to ward off the chill.

Dominic reached out and stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry I went off and left you and Karen in that house to deal with Dad.”

“It doesn’t matter now.” She looked into her big brother’s eyes. “You forgive me. That’s all that matters.”

“I’ll admit, that took awhile, but if you hadn’t called Marcus, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

“And you forgive me? Just like that?”

“Just like that. Just like God does.”

“God?” She nearly squeaked the word. “You too?”

Puzzlement pulled his brows together. “What do you mean?”

She shook her head and muttered, “It seems like every time I turn around, I’m running into God.”

A strange-sounding snort came from Hunter, who had moved into the kitchen, and she turned to glare at him.

Dominic laughed. “Then I suggest you give in. He always wins in the end.”

Somehow she thought he might be speaking from experience. “You ran too?”

“As far and as fast as I could. It didn’t matter. God was always waiting for me when I had to stop for a rest.”

Alexia simply stared at him. “Have you talked to Mom?”

“No.” Pain flashed in his eyes. “She’s next on my list.”

“Why now?”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“Why are you here now? Telling me this.”

“Oh.” Dominic cleared his throat and glanced in the direction of the kitchen. “Your boyfriend tracked me down.” A respectful gleam appeared in his eyes. “And trust me, I’m not easy to find.”

Boyfriend? She let that slide. “I know. I tried.”

Another anguished look. “The average person would have run up against a brick wall. I’m sorry. I should have . . .”

He sighed and Alexia squeezed his fingers.

“Don’t.” She paused. “Has Hunter filled you in on anything going on right now with me?”

His jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed. “A little. That’s one reason I’m here. I’m going to be unofficial, but I plan to help find out who’s after you.”

“That’s what we’re all here for, Lex.” Hunter stood in the door, Chad behind him.

She gulped. And then silently thanked God for placing these people in her life right when she needed them. The thought hit her that maybe God didn’t hate her after all. Maybe it was possible that he did love her. Something she promised to discuss with him the next chance she had.

Alexia glanced at the clock. “Will someone please take me home so I can get ready for tonight?”

Hunter laughed and held out a hand. “Come on. I’ll take you. We’ll stop by Serena’s house and get whatever you need, then we’ll go by my parents’ so you and Christine can get ready together. Dominic’s heading for the hospital to visit your mother.”

“Wait a minute.” His parents’? “Uh, I think I’ll just get ready at Serena’s if that’s all right with you.”

“My parents won’t be there, Alexia.”

“Oh.” She shrugged. “Then that’s fine.”

Chad snickered and Hunter glared at him. Dominic’s gaze ping-ponged between the three of them.

When nobody bothered to explain, he said, “Right. Then I guess I’ll see you all at the dinner. I have a feeling Alexia’s tormenter will be there too.”

He stood and so did Alexia. Her heart swelled when Dominic leaned over and gave her a hug.

“Good to see you again, Lexi.”

“You too, Dom.”

Dominic left.

She eyed the brothers, then looked at Hunter. “We need to talk.”

39

Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

“You knew what Dominic was going to tell me, didn’t you?” she asked.

“That the fire wasn’t your fault?” Hunter lifted a brow. “Yes. I talked to him earlier today.”

A frown flickered on her forehead, then he had to look away and back at the road. “How did you know I was at Chad’s?”

He paused, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to tell her exactly the truth either. “No one answered at Serena’s. Chad didn’t answer his cell phone. Process of elimination.”

“Oh. And I don’t have mine. I guess it’s still at Serena’s.”

“We’ll get it.” His fingers tapped the wheel. “Anyway, I’d already talked to Dominic’s supervisor once. When I explained the situation, he had Dominic call me immediately. We had a long conversation last night while you were still snoozing in the hospital. He arrived in town via FBI helicopter shortly before you were released from the hospital this morning.”

“And you didn’t think you should tell me all this earlier?”

He felt his jaw tighten. “Not until I saw him face-to-face.”

She didn’t know whether to be grateful or annoyed. He’d been protecting her physically, doing his best to keep her from harm from her attacker practically from the moment they’d met.

Now, he was doing it on an emotional level.

A man protecting her was a new concept. One she hadn’t totally come to terms with. Or was even sure she was comfortable with.

He pulled into Serena’s drive.

She started to open the door when she felt his hand on her arm. He said, “Wait. Not yet. Give me the key, would you?”

“Why?”

“I’m going to open the garage door and pull in when the guys get here.”

She felt the frown on her face. “Guys? What guys? And Serena’s car is in there. She took a cab to the airport.”

It was his turn to frown. “It’s a three-car garage. What about the other two spaces?”

Now she fought a grin. “Her boat and jet ski.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep. And you just punch in the code for the garage door. You don’t need a key.”

Still frowning, he said, “Okay. We’ll just have to form a wall around you.” He sighed. “You wouldn’t consider leaving the city, would you?”

She stared at him. “Are you crazy? After all we’ve already been through? Absolutely not.” She paused. “I think we both know that if I leave, he’ll just follow.”

“Or she.”

Alexia tilted her head. “You really think it could be a woman?”

“I suppose we have to take it into consideration, although I don’t know if I believe anything . . .”

When he stopped, she looked at him. “You don’t believe Chad when he says the person ran like a woman?”

His jaw firmed. “I didn’t say that.”

“Yeah. You kind of did. Anyway, I still think it’s my father,” Alexia murmured as a car pulled up to the curb. Then another in the drive next to them.

Puzzled, she asked, “What’s going on?”

“Your protection detail. The guys.” His lips tightened. “They want this perp off the street just as bad as we do.”

Her throat tightened and she realized it was doing that a lot these days. “I can’t believe they’re just willing to give up their personal time to help someone they don’t even know.”

He nodded. “These guys are the best. They’re also working security detail tonight at the dinner. They’re our escorts. Then after the dinner, I want to know if you’ll be open to a safe house.”

“A safe house? Like a comfortable jail?”

Hunter sighed. “I don’t want you to think of it like that. Try to think of it more along the lines of doing your best to stay alive. It will only be until we catch the guy.”

Alexia groaned. “I don’t know. If I disappear, the person after me isn’t going to know where to strike next. How will you catch him?”

“We should be getting some DNA information back on everything processed. The knife, the van, Serena’s house. Hopefully, we’ll get a hit on something. If we don’t . . .” He shrugged. “Yeah, it’ll take a little longer.”

Alexia watched Hunter as the guys cased the house. “Maybe I shouldn’t go tonight. I don’t want to put anyone at risk because I show up at a dinner.”

Hunter nodded. “I thought about that, but the security there is going to be top-notch. If there’s any place in Columbia that you would be safe, it’s at the dinner tonight. And since that’s where I’m going to be . . .”

She smiled and he continued, “I really think you need to consider it. Let us put you in a safe house.”

Her smile turned south. “I still have some things I need to take care of back in Washington. If my father is out here and I go back there, I should be fine.”

“You’re contradicting yourself now. You just said he’d follow you if you left the city.”

Alexia groaned. “I know.”

An officer appeared in the doorway of the house and signaled the all clear. Hunter turned the car off. “Let’s get inside and get what you need. We can finish this conversation on the drive to my parents’ house.”

She nodded. “All right.”

Then Hunter organized a human wall of Kevlar-vested officers who escorted her from the car to the house.

Once inside she expressed her thanks to the men and quickly fed the animals, watered the plants, and gathered her things. All of her things.

And Serena’s Bible.

Hunter watched over her. Or rather hovered over her. She decided that was all right.

For now.

With the bag slung over her shoulder, her dress folded neatly across her other arm, she walked back into the den. “I’m ready.”

Hunter took the dress from her and nodded to one of the four men scattered at various positions around the house. “Let the boys know we’re ready to roll.”

The man, whom Hunter had introduced as Erik, spoke into the air and got an immediate response. If she squinted, she could see the microphone in his ear.

Just as they entered the house, they made their exit, the men surrounding her, one big wall of bulletproof. Erik hung back and rearmed the alarm system with the new code. Alexia wondered if the new four-digit number made any difference at all. Whoever had gotten the first one probably already had the second one.

The thought chilled her.

Back in the car, Alexia asked, “Has anyone been able to locate Jillian?”

Hunter shook his head. “Nope. I’ve got Brian and Katie working on it and so far nothing. The guy who bought the phone said he lost it.”

Alexia pondered that. They’d finally been able to contact Serena again, but accessing her phone records didn’t help. The phone number was a prepaid cell phone no longer in service—a dead end. If Jillian wasn’t ready to be found, she didn’t need her old friends sending someone after her. And if the person after Alexia was also after Jillian . . . it was a good thing no one knew where she was.

Hunter drove, following behind one of the vehicles driven by his friends and co-workers. The second car followed on Hunter’s bumper. Close enough so that another car couldn’t get between them and far enough to allow Hunter to stop quickly if he needed to.

Everything seemed rather surreal to Alexia all of a sudden. Was this really happening to her? Was it possible her father had been waiting ten years to extract his revenge on her?