Deadly Ever After (Hardy Brothers Security Book 6) (21 page)

“You have one other option,” Mandy said.

“Get your ass in that house,” James ordered.

Mandy ignored him, taking another step forward.

Tony looked conflicted, like he wanted to turn the gun on her, but he was worried that it would open him up to attack from James. “Well, well, well. Look who decided to join the party.”

“You’re Tony, right?” Mandy said. “James told me about you.”

“And you’re the lovely Mandy,” Tony said. “The magical woman who somehow managed to claim James Hardy’s stone-cold heart.”

Mandy pretended she didn’t hear the dig. “I’m sorry about what happened to Jeff,” she said. “That must have been awful for you.”

“Awful? Try intolerable.”

“I know the feeling,” Mandy said, moving farther down the driveway. “I would feel the same way if someone took James from me.”

“Well, I’m sorry you’ll be hurt in this,” Tony said. “You chose to be with him, though, so I don’t have a lot of sympathy.”

“Mandy, if you don’t walk your ass back in that house … .”

“Shut up, Hardy,” Tony said, shaking the gun at James for emphasis. “I’m talking to your bride.”

James shook his head angrily. “Leave her alone, Tony. This isn’t about her.”

“It is about me,” Mandy countered. “You can make it about me, Tony. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

A chill washed over James. “No.”

“What do you have in mind?” Tony asked.

“A trade,” Mandy said.

“No!”

“You’re willing to give your life for his?” Tony asked. “That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”

“That is what I’m saying,” Mandy said.

“Dammit, Mandy! Get out of here.” James was desperate. Tony was going to shoot her in front him. He was going to kill her in front of the house they were supposed to share for the rest of their lives.

“If you kill James, it will just be over for him,” Mandy explained. “If you kill me, he’ll know what you feel.”

“Stop that right now,” James yelled. “Go inside!”

Tony considered the offer. “You’re really willing to die for him?”

Mandy took a step to her left, keeping the distance between her and Tony consistent. “I’m willing to die for him.”

“And you think he deserves that?”

“I think he’s the best man I’ve ever met,” Mandy said, her eyes filling with tears. “I know you think that he’s betrayed you, and that clouds your judgment. I don’t happen to agree with you, but I am willing to take his place.”

James swore under his breath. She was going to be the death of him – that is if Tony wasn’t the death of him first.

“My judgment is not clouded,” Tony said. “I was there. I know what happened. You weren’t there.”

“I wasn’t,” Mandy agreed, shuffling a little further to the left, Tony’s eyes trained on her the entire time. “From what I understand, though, there was no way of getting both men out of there alive.”

“Then we should have taken Jeff and left Seth,” Tony said. “Jeff was in worse shape. We could have gone back for Seth.”

“Isn’t your motto to never leave a man behind?”

“So?”

“So how could you pick one man over the other?”

“Jeff deserved to live!” Tony’s face was flushed with rage.

“I agree,” Mandy said. “I think every man who puts his life on the line to protect our country deserves to live. From what I’ve heard, Jeff was a great guy. What happened to him was a tragedy. That doesn’t mean it was James’ fault.”

“Then whose fault was it?”

“How about the people who blew up the truck? How about the insurgents? How about everyone who ever had a hand in sending us into battle over there?”

“Well, I can’t go after all of them, can I?”

“Then why go after James?”

“Because he was there.”

Mandy nodded, realizing that Tony was beyond reason. “I guess.”

“So, do you still want to die for him?”

“Yes.”

“No,” James said. “Tony, you’re angry with me.”

“Shut up,” Tony said. “Your fiancée and I are in the middle of a negotiation.”

“Mandy,” James pleaded. “Run. Run right now.”

“You have to promise me something, Tony,” Mandy said. “When it’s done, when I’m gone, you can’t go back on your word. You have to let James live.”

Tony considered the offer. “It wouldn’t be much fun to kill you both, would it? I want James to suffer.”

Mandy swallowed hard. “Okay.”

“No!”

“You’re just going to stand there and let me shoot you?”

“I am.”

Tony slid a sly look in James’ direction. “You picked a good one, Hardy. It’s too bad she doesn’t realize that she’s giving up everything for a guy who deserves nothing.”

“Don’t you even think about touching her,” James threatened. “Don’t even look at her. She’s not a part of this. You stay away from her.”

“She offered,” Tony said. “It makes things so much … simpler.”

“Tony, look at me,” James said. “Look at me!”

Tony made a face, but he acquiesced. “Yes.”

“Don’t you dare touch her,” James said. “Don’t. Please. Don’t.”

“It’s going to kill you, isn’t it? When she dies, you’re going to want to join her. This is just so … perfect.”

“Please,” James said, his eyes swimming with tears. “Take me. Don’t touch her. Don’t hurt her.”

“I have no choice,” Tony said. “I have to do this for Jeff.”

“Jeff wouldn’t want this,” James spat out. “He was a good guy. He had compassion. Even on his deathbed, he was crying for his mother. He didn’t want her to mourn him. He was more worried about how she would handle his death than he was about dying. He would never want this.”

“I don’t think you knew him as well as I did.” James opened his mouth to argue, but Tony cut him off. “I want to take something from you, like you did from me. I want to take what you love most in this world. That’s her.”

“Tony … please … just, don’t hurt her.”

“Tony,” Mandy said, drawing his attention back to her. “Remember your promise to me. You don’t hurt James once I’m gone.”

“I remember.”

Mandy nodded. “I love you James. I hope … someday … you’ll understand why I had to do this.”

“Don’t you say your goodbyes,” James howled, stepping toward Tony with overt menace. “Don’t you dare say your goodbyes.”

Tony swung the gun around wildly. “You stay back!”

“Shoot me,” James said. “Tony, I’m right here. I’m the one you hate. Shoot me!”

“Tony!” Mandy’s voice was shrill. “Don’t you dare shoot him!”

The sound of a gun going off was deafening. James reared back as if he’d been shot, but the bullet hadn’t penetrated his body. He was still whole.
Mandy!
He swiveled, looking across the hood of the Explorer. Mandy was whiter than he’d ever seen her, and her eyes were wide. She was on her feet, though.

James turned to Tony, figuring the man had merely fired the weapon into the air as a warning. He found his former compatriot on the ground in front of him, a pool of blood spreading out onto the pavement beneath his prone form.

“What the … ?”

James lifted his head as a dark figure detached from the tree line to his far right. It was a Grady, and he had a gun in his hand.

“Is he dead?” Mandy squeaked.

James regained his faculties. He kicked the gun away from Tony’s hand, making sure the man wasn’t a threat should he regain consciousness. Then he knelt down and pressed his fingers against Tony’s pulse point. There was nothing there.

“He’s dead,” James rasped.

Mandy was around the truck within seconds. James regained his footing and drew her into his still shaking arms. “I’m going to kill you,” he said, cupping the back of her head with his hands so he could kiss her. “I’m going to kill you.”

“I THINK
we’re done here, Mr. Hardy.”

James nodded at the police officer, his brown eyes weary. “Thank you.”

“We’re taking your brother’s gun in for processing, but this is obviously a justifiable shooting. He should have it back in a week or so.”

“Obviously.”

Tony’s body had been hauled away almost an hour before, and once the police cleared the scene, Finn and Jake had hurriedly started cleaning the area with bleach. There was no evidence to show a man had died there only hours before, but James knew. He’d never forget the sound of the gun, or Mandy’s face when she offered to sacrifice herself for him.

“We’ll get out of your way,” the officer said.

“Thank you.”

James turned, his hands on his hips, and his gaze found Mandy in the rapidly dwindling light. She was standing on the front porch next to Ally, and she looked exhausted.

“I’m sorry that you were so worried,” Grady said, appearing at his side. “If I could have tipped you off about what we were doing, I would have. There just wasn’t a way.”

James’ stomach clenched with fury. “You would have told me that you were using the woman that I love as bait?”

Grady stilled. “I know you’re angry.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” James said. “Did you consider, even for a second, that you might not have been able to control the situation? What would have happened if Tony would have shot her?”

“She was just supposed to keep his back to where I was,” Grady said. “I wouldn’t have let him shoot her.”

“Yeah, because you’re suddenly infallible,” James said, a nerve twitching in his jaw.

“James … .”

“Don’t talk to me right now,” James said. “I can’t … just don’t talk to me right now.”

Grady swallowed hard. “I’m sorry you’re upset.”

“Me, too.”

James moved away from his brother and toward Mandy. “Let’s go.” His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

Mandy’s face was a mixture of fear and dread. “Go where?”

“We’re going back to the apartment,” James said.

“James, it’s the night before your wedding,” Rose chided. “You can’t spend it together.”

“We are still getting married, aren’t we?” Mandy’s voice was small, worry evident.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” James said. “The wedding is still on, don’t be ridiculous. We’re just not spending the night apart.”

“James,” Rose warned. “It’s bad luck.”

“I don’t care,” James said. “We’ve had all the bad luck that we can possibly have.”

“Mandy is supposed to stay here with us,” Rose said. “All of the women were going to stay here together. She has to get ready here tomorrow. Her dress is here.”

“The wedding isn’t until noon,” James said, refusing to give in. “We can get a good night’s sleep and be back here in plenty of time for her to get ready.”

“But … .”

“I want her with me,” James growled. “I’m not letting her out of my sight. You can argue all you want. You can spout whatever nonsense you want. She’s coming home with me. We’re spending the night together. That’s it!”

Rose took a step back. “Don’t you speak to your mother that way!”

“Then don’t force me to speak to you that way,” James said. “I’ve had a rough afternoon. She is going home with me. You all can stay here and do whatever it is you want to do. We are going back to the apartment.”

“Fine.”

“Great,” James said, holding out his hand to Mandy. “Come on.” He turned back to his mother. “No one, and I mean no one, had better show up at that apartment before nine. Do you understand? If they do, I’m going to shoot them.”

Rose made a face. “Fine.”

Mandy reached forward, taking his outstretched hand worriedly. “Are you going to yell at me?”

“Yup.”

“Are you going to throw things?”

“Nope.”

“Are you … are you sure you still want to marry me?”

James’ face softened as he met her blue eyes. He lowered his forehead to hers and pulled her in close. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”

“But, you’re still going to yell?”

“I think I’ve earned it.”

Mandy sighed. “Fine. Can we pick up dinner on our way home? I might need sustenance if you’re going to yell for a long time.”

“How does Lebanese sound?”

“Good.”

James led her to the passenger side of the truck, sighing when he caught sight of the tuxes. He gathered them together and handed them to Finn. “Can you hang these up?”

“Yeah.”

He grabbed the small jewelry bag. “Can you lock this up in the safe?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s that?” Mandy asked curiously.

“Something you’re not going to get for months at this point,” James said.

“What’s that?” Mandy asked, pointing to the small jewelry box still sitting on the seat.

“You can have that tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? I don’t deserve a present.”