Comes the Night (Entangled Suspense) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Zach skidded to a stop in front of the house. His home. It was dark, the overly quiet silence unnerving.

According to Reade, Sam was safe inside with Grant. Sophie had explained that Sam had been taken from school and then returned to the playground with a note from Lizzie letting them know she was on the run with Zach and Daniel. That Zach’s associates had picked up Sam, but instead of joining Lizzie and Zach, Sam had been sent back home when Lizzie determined they could not keep her safe. Grant had been furious, Lizzie’s family disbelieving. Weston believed the note was a forgery, albeit a very good one. They’d all agreed Sam was better off spending as much time as possible in her home, so Grant had moved into a guest room. He, Sophie, or Kyle was always with her. Grant had hired a bodyguard and Weston had carefully vetted the man.

They’d learned little from Sam, the little girl repeating only that Mommy was running from danger, that the man hadn’t hurt her. That he’d bought her lots of ice cream.

Lizzie was the unknown. Zach had been certain she would arrive before him, had even dreaded it, knowing Sam’s father blamed her for what he perceived as Lizzie choosing Daniel over Sam. But now he realized he preferred her facing Grant’s anger to this eerie quiet. Because if she wasn’t here, she was still under Alistair’s control.

Reade stood guard somewhere in the trees. Why hadn’t he made his presence known?

Scanning his surroundings, Zach approached the house and rang the bell. Nothing. The night wind blew harder and he turned up the lined collar of the overcoat Sophie had provided, thankful for its warmth. He left the coat unbuttoned in case he needed his gun.

Concern mounted when Grant failed to answer the door. He fumbled in his pocket for the paper with the access code and disengaged the dead bolt. Cole had updated the codes before Grant and Sam moved back in and changed them weekly. The mechanism gave with a
clunk
that, though quiet, sounded ominous in the darkness. Pulling his gun, he slipped into the entryway, alert for danger.

“Freeze!” Bright light flooded the hall and Zach found himself face-to-face with a blond man. Although his face was pale and drawn, there was no mistaking Grant from Sophie’s pictures. The man lowered his gun slightly, glancing over Zach’s shoulder. “Damn it, Zach. I could have shot you. Where’s Lizzie?”

“Where is she? Where’s my wife?” Zach’s words overlapped Grant’s, and his hope that Lizzie was safe inside their home died. He’d been so sure this was where Alistair would bring her. Fear that he’d run too soon, before she was safe, grabbed at his heart. “Sam?”

“She’s upstairs sleeping. What…”

His phone vibrated. Caller ID read Reade. “Weston.”

“Zach. Hey, it’s Reade.”

He frowned at Reade’s labored breathing. “Have you seen Lizzie?”

“She should be there. I saw her approach the house. Look to your left.” A big man exited the tree line, carrying an unconscious man over his shoulder. “I was coming to meet her, but saw this jackass watching her through the far trees so I circled back. He’d pulled a gun and started forward so I took him down.”

As they drew closer, Zach saw blood trickling from the corner of Reade’s mouth.

“I’m sorry. She was almost to the house. I thought she was safe while I tied the guy up.”

Zach rounded on Grant. “You said she wasn’t here.”

Again, color had leached from Grant’s face. He stared as Reade dumped his prisoner on the ground. The man landed with a thud and remained silent, a ski mask covering his face. “I heard the bell, but didn’t answer the door. Reade checked in when he arrived and I knew he was outside. He didn’t call to tell me Lizzie was here.” All three men scanned the surrounding woods, before Grant continued defensively, “Look, our guard quit today and I wasn’t going to just open the door when some maniac out there might try to hurt my daughter.” He glared at Reade. “I sure as hell wasn’t expecting Lizzie to show up at the door unannounced. My only priority was Sam, and I didn’t answer the door.”

Zach was already moving. He rushed back into the night, vaguely registering Grant’s words, sprinting to the end of the sidewalk, searching the falling snow for some sign of Lizzie.

There! Faint footsteps in the snow, small. A woman’s shoe. “I think she went this way. I’m going,” he tossed over his shoulder. He raced forward, yelling over his shoulder, “Make sure Sam stays safe in the house. Check in with Cole. Call the police.”

Once he entered the woods, his steps slowed as a sense of déjà vu overtook him. He’d seen this path before…

She ran along the path to the lake, laughing, her hair flowing behind her. If he ran just a little faster, he could catch her. The crisp winter air exaggerated the sound of their footsteps, and her curls sparkled with tiny snowflakes that fell faster and faster until he lost sight of her in the swirl of white. “No!” he cried. “Wait for me.”

Swallowing hard at the dream memory, he jogged down a path he didn’t remember traveling before, yet he anticipated the sharp right, the sudden incline, the graceful turn around a stubborn evergreen that refused to give up its place for a man-made trail.

Throwing her arms wide, she laughed in delight, spinning in a slow circle, her glorious hair flowing sensuously in the winter breeze…

He was so close; just a few more steps and she was his. He reached for her…and grasped nothing but air. Pivoting, he searched frantically, but she was gone. For a moment he thought he heard her in the distance, calling his name, but the breeze whipped it away.

His dreams fueling his sense of urgency, he increased his speed as a clearing became visible through the trees.

He must not be too late.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lizzie had stumbled to a stop in front of the small outbuilding near their lake. Opening its door with trembling hands, she went inside and fell to her knees, overwhelmed by the loss of her family. With her head in her hands she gasped repeatedly for air. When her breathing calmed to a series of tiny shudders, she lifted her head, pushing her hair back from her face before looking around her. Oh, the hours of planning Zach had put into this shed.

”Shed! This isn’t a shed!” The mock outrage in his voice caused her to laugh even harder as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside, seating them both on the hard wooden bench. “This is the Team Weston equipment room, woman.” He growled low in his throat, nuzzling her neck, and her laughter gave way to passion as they properly christened the new addition to their property.

Wiping tears from her eyes with the backs of her hands, she ran her fingers lovingly over the names of her husband and children, remembering the care with which Zach had carved them. No carpenter was good enough for the task—it had to be done personally. She’d loved the results, from the little gouge in the “Z” to the lopsided “D” in Daniel. Finally turning her attention to her own nook, she reached inside and removed her skates, lost in her memories.

Oblivious to the cold, she walked outside and sat on the bench beside the lake. Zach…she felt close to him here, close to her family, here in this winter paradise that they’d built. Although she knew her actions were illogical, she returned to the shed with a sense of purpose to gather Zach’s skates as well. She hurried back to the bench, kicked off her shoes, and pulled on her skates.

Zach had promised to take her skating as soon as she was ready. Well, she was ready now—and he always kept his promises.

When she rose to wobble toward the lake, unsteady on the unfamiliar blades, she set his skates next to the bench, where he would be sure to find them.

…

Zach burst into the clearing and stopped. Snow swirled in the wind. An eerie glow from the full moon reflected off the lake. His heart clenched when he saw her standing alone on the ice. Tears glistened on her checks.

His breath caught in his throat, and he stood frozen by the unreality of the night. As in his dreams, moonlight caressed her skin. The night wind lifted her hair, and the curls blew wild and unchecked, like her sorrow.

“Lizzie!” he cried, only to have the words carried away by the wind.

Time suspended, he watched as she stumbled onto the ice and began to skate with careful steps toward the center of the lake.

He started to call her name again and then hesitated. There was something about her. Something otherworldly, something almost frightening.

Advancing toward the edge of the lake, he watched her make her way awkwardly across the ice, clearly uncomfortable in her skates.

He trod carefully across the ice, closing the distance between them with long strides. When he stopped in front of her, she stared unseeing into the distance, lost in her own world, shivering in her light jacket. He wrapped his arms around her trembling frame.

“Lizzie…”
Lizzie.
For the first time since he awoke in the clinic, he addressed his wife by her true name, and it felt
right
. He inhaled a shaky breath. Lizzie
.

Even as he savored this moment, his eyes scanned the trees for danger.

Her luminous eyes focused on him and her face lit with happiness. “
Zach
…” His name slipped out on a sigh and lingered in a silence fraught with anticipation. She raised one cold hand to caress his face. He searched her eyes, running his fingers along the curve of her cheek, wiping away tears while he held her close.

She rose on tiptoe, her legs unsteady on her skates. Pressing her lips to his, she kissed him, stopping when he failed to respond. She pulled back as he again scanned the tree line. Her smile faltered. Pushing away from him, she looked in confusion at the running shoes on his feet and swallowed hard. “Zach…?”

The questioning plea in her voice broke his heart. Running his hands up and down her arms to warm her, he whispered, “Shhh, it’s okay.” He stripped off his overcoat and wrapped it around her, helping place her arms in the long sleeves and turning her so that he could button the garment. She kept her head bowed, eyes on his hands while he fumbled blindly with the buttons. He lowered his head to rest against her fragrant hair, grateful that she was safe.

When he stepped back, she raised her head to look at him closely and the last remnant of joy faded from her face as she acknowledged him, “Thomas.”

Thomas.

That one despondent word pierced his heart. He turned her gently and guided her toward shore. “Come on, let’s get you out of the cold.” Head down, she went without speaking, moved where he directed her, accepted his support to steady her. When they finally reached their destination, she sat on the bench, looking blankly out at the frozen lake. The frigid wind whipped her hair with renewed intensity.

Chapter Thirty

Lizzie was in shock.

Zach squatted in front of her and unlaced her skates. Removing the first one, he grimaced as he held her icy foot, protected only by a light sock. “Can you feel this?” He squeezed lightly, receiving no response. She continued to stare into the night. A lone tear traced a path down her cheek.

Without stopping to think about his actions, he rose to his feet and jogged to the shed, entering to find a series of nooks labeled
Zach
,
Lizzie
,
Sam
, and
Daniel
. Overwhelmed by this fresh evidence of their family unit, he forced himself to focus and grabbed warm socks and a pair of gloves from Lizzie’s nook, a blanket that lay folded neatly on a top shelf, and a pair of rubber boots that sat near the door. On his way out he stared at the plaque that hung above the door.
Team Weston.

He sprinted back to the bench. Reluctant to stay out here where they were exposed, while also hesitant to take her back to the house before she had her emotions under control, he slipped the gloves on her hands and shoved the socks deep inside his own sleeves to warm them. Next he removed her other skate and both damp socks. Lifting his heavy sweatshirt and the shirt underneath, he placed her bare feet against his stomach, inhaling sharply at the icy cold touch.

Scooting as close to her as he could, he wrapped the blanket around her lower legs, enclosing her in warmth and protecting her from the wind. He slipped his hands under the heavy coat and massaged her legs.

“Lizzie, hey honey.” Again, he examined the surrounding area.

When she failed to respond, he continued to rub warmth into her calves and spoke in a soothing voice. “Thanks to you the kids are fine. Sam is asleep now, but we’re going to get her and take her home…uh, well I guess actually she is asleep in our home. It’s you and I who aren’t home yet.”
She turned to stare at him, blinking. He saw the moment she began to focus on him. Suddenly her eyes widened and fear etched fresh lines into her face. “Sam!” she gasped. “Alistair promised to take me to her but…”

“She’s fine. She’s in the house sleeping.”

“No, no one’s home.”

“Honey, Grant was home. He didn’t answer the door because he was with Sam. She’s been safe at home. Alistair lied to control you.”

“I need to see her.”

“Okay, we’ll go see her now…”

“Daniel…” she interrupted. “I…I left him…and you.”

“He’s fine, honey. Daniel’s fine, Sam is fine. We’re all fine…thanks to you.”

“No, no, no!” She shook her head, increasingly agitated as full awareness returned. His heart broke to see how emotional and physical exhaustion took its toll on rational thought. “I didn’t do enough…”

He looked at her in disbelief. “Didn’t do enough? You were amazing.”

When she continued to protest, looking frantically around her, he gently grasped her chin.

“Look at me,” he insisted. “Look at me.”

She looked at him reluctantly as the wildness receded from her eyes. She calmed, although her hands twisted restlessly in her lap and her breathing continued in shuddering rasps.

“You were amazing,” he repeated sincerely, dropping his hand to rest on hers, squeezing them reassuringly.

“I found your message on the crib rail.” He took a deep breath, remembering. “
Run
. And I found the photo.”

When she continued to watch him uncertainly, he nodded. “I read your note and understood your message—you were keeping your fingers crossed. You were so clever…so brave.”

She watched him intently, biting her lower lip.

“And I trusted you. So I took Daniel and ran.” He reached up to brush her hair from her face.

“Lizzie…everyone’s safe. Sam, Daniel, you, me. We’re all safe…” Somehow he managed to keep her feet tucked under his jacket and the blanket in place as he wrapped his arms around her, relieved when she accepted his embrace.

The tension gradually drained from her body until, finally, she relaxed.

…

Lizzie calmed, collapsing into her husband’s warmth as she absorbed the truth. Everyone was okay. Both of her children were safe. She exhaled in relief and then sucked in her breath. Her feet had begun to sting. “Ouch!”

Zach leaned back. “Are your feet starting to hurt?”

At her nod, he relaxed slightly. “That’s good.”

“Easy for you to say,” she snapped and frowned at the small smile that appeared on his face. “What?”

“Sorry, it’s just…it’s good to see you’re feeling better.” He massaged her feet through the layers of clothes. “What were you doing out there…on the ice?”

She looked out at the lake, embarrassed, and a small, sad smile graced her lips. “I was skating with Zach.”

He remained silent. The wistfulness of her reply hung in the air between them.

He reached up to touch her face. “Are you ready to head back?”

“Yeah, except I don’t have any shoes on.” She wiggled her toes, her eyes widening when he inhaled sharply. Suddenly aware that her naked toes rested against his bare skin, she stilled even as she yearned for more of the intimate contact.

He squeezed her fingers and then slipped his hands under the blanket, pulling socks from his jacket and enclosing her feet in the thick material, still warm from his body. Next, he grabbed the much-too-large boots, and placed them on her feet where they dangled precariously. Looking up, he saw her slight smile, and his lips curved in response.

“You make a good lady’s maid.”

“Wait until you see my transportation skills.”

“What…” Her question ended in a small gasp as he swept her up in his arms, dropping the blanket on top of her.

“Put me down. I can walk.”

“I know you can walk. However, at the moment, you don’t have any shoes that fit.” Holding her close, he nodded toward the blanket. “Tuck that blanket around your legs and feet.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, her protest undercut by an involuntary shiver. “You’re the one without a coat. You take the blanket.” He stared at her until she finally reached down and tucked the blanket around her lower body. Settling back into his arms, she raised a questioning brow, and, with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, he headed toward the path.

Relaxing in his embrace, she thought about his tender care. The way he anticipated her needs, saw to her comfort, stubbornly waited until she agreed with the wisdom of his plan. He was so much like Zach.

Whatever his name, the man carrying her felt good. He felt right. She allowed herself a brief moment of contentment, imagining a world where they were together again, a family, happy and safe.

She nestled into his comforting embrace, soothed by the peaceful motion of his stride, and blocked out the growing sounds of chaos as they drew closer to home.