In Dark Waters (24 page)

Kelsey's gaze darted between the husband and wife. She suspected he was the only one who could reach her.

"There's no reasoning anything anymore. She knows I killed the others."

Boyd tipped his head back, expelling a breath. "Why did you tell her?"

"Because she knows. Donna knows I killed her."

Boyd looked terribly sad and old as he stared at his wife. He knew she was insane. "I can't keep covering for you."

Tears spilled from Sylvia's eyes as she stared at her husband. Her mascara started to run down her cheeks, making her look all the more demonic. "This is the last time, Boyd. Please. Once she's gone, we will be done. There will be no others. We can leave town."

Kelsey cupped her hand over her throbbing shoulder. "Please, Mr. Randall, you've got to make her see reason."

"Shut up!" Sylvia shouted. "His loyalty is to his wife."

Blood trickled between Kelsey's fingers. "I'm
your
daughter."

Boyd's gaze darted between the two until finally it settled on her. "When Donna told me she was pregnant, I wasn't sure if the child was mine or not. I wasn't sure until you came back to town ten years ago. I came by the dive shop several times just to be sure. You looked so much like your mother, but you have my eyes."

Kelsey's heart ached. "Since I was a little girl, I've tried to picture my father."

He swallowed.

Sylvia moved next to her husband. "Boyd, you've got to help me."

For several seconds he didn't say anything, his gaze locked on Kelsey.

Kelsey's arm throbbed and she needed to sit down. But she kept her gaze on Boyd. Her father. After all these years, he was going to save her.

He nodded. "I'll help you, Sylvia."

Sylvia smiled. "I love you, Boyd."

Kelsey felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. "I'm your child. Your flesh and blood."

He lifted his chin. "She is my wife. I've been with her for thirty years. I can't turn my back on her now. I don't know you." He moved toward her. "Now get in the pool."

Panic shot through her body like razor blades. "Go to hell!"

He winced.

Sylvia's smile looked smug. "Donna is just as crass as ever."

Boyd took the gun from Sylvia. He started to move toward Kelsey. Holding her ground, she glanced hurriedly back at the glistening cool waters. He meant to drown her. She curled up her fingers into fists. "You might kill me, you son of a bitch, but I won't make it easy for you."

With reflexes quicker than she'd anticipated, he grabbed her injured arm and squeezed. She screamed. She drew back her fisted hand and hit him in the side of the head. He yelped and backed away. Her hand throbbed as if she'd broken it.

Sylvia screeched and went to Boyd's side and helped him right himself. He leveled the gun.

"Shoot her!" Sylvia shouted.

A gunshot exploded.

Kelsey winced. For a brief instant, she thought she'd been shot. Then she saw Boyd drop to his knees. He'd been shot in the shoulder. Sylvia screamed and dropped to the ground with her husband.

Mitch stood by the door, his .9 mm Beretta drawn and ready to fire again. Tears welled in her eyes. She'd never been as glad to see anyone in her life.

Mitch didn't look at her. "Drop the gun, Randall."

His gaze was focused on Sylvia and Randall. Sylvia cradled her husband's head in her lap. His blood stained his white shirt and her pink skirt.

Boyd released the gun and let it drop on the pavement.

Kelsey felt light-headed. She dropped to her knees. Her slight movement caught Mitch's attention and he glanced at her for a split second. Concern, fear and love reflected in his eyes.

In that second, Sylvia reacted. She picked up the gun and raised it toward Kelsey. "This isn't right," Sylvia wailed.

Mitch fired again, this time killing Sylvia.

Twenty minutes later, the ambulance and coroner had arrived. Boyd was weeping, calling out Sylvia's name as the deputies loaded her shrouded body into the hearse. Mitch had barely spoken to Kelsey once he'd confirmed she was okay. She'd watched in shock as he'd cuffed Boyd and then tried to save Sylvia. He'd done CPR on her until the medics had arrived. There had been thousands of questions.

The paramedic had wrapped Kelsey's gash. She would need the wound irrigated and there'd be stitches, but she'd live. Exhausted, she laid back on the stretcher. The paramedics spoke calmly to her as they covered her body with a sheet and lifted her into the ambulance.

The paramedic climbed into the back of the ambulance with her and closed the door. He'd only been inside a split second when someone pounded on the back door. It was Mitch.

The paramedic surrendered his seat to Mitch and went to the front cab with the driver.

Mitch yanked off his glasses and sat beside her. He brushed her hair back with his calloused hand. "Are you all right?"

"Yes."

His fingers trembled. "Kelsey, I am so sorry about this. I should have put the pieces together sooner."

"This was the last thing I expected." A tear trickled down her cheek.

He wiped it away. "This isn't a good time for this, but I don't care. I love you."

The morphine had kicked in and she didn't trust herself. "What?"

He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "I love you."

Out of all the insanity and pain came this one perfect moment. "I love you," Kelsey replied.

He kissed her on the forehead. "Stu says you're staying in town for a while."

"Yes. It's time I put down roots."

He kissed her on the lips. "You've saved me the trouble of chasing you around the world."

"You'd have left Grant's Forge for me?"

"Baby, where you go, I go. We're a team now."