Retribution (5 page)

Colton's heart raced as they pulled up to what used to be his aunt and uncle's house. Carmen, their only child, had inherited everything. Memories flowed through him and he shuddered as he pushed them away. The last time he'd been here, Jillian had almost been killed.

Law enforcement arrived, sirens off, earpieces on. The plan was for Colton to approach the house and see if he could get Carmen to come to the door. Authorities would then present the warrant that had been signed in record time by Judge Harmon.

Hunter and Dominic took up positions on either side of the front door. Officers covered the other exits. Colton received a nod from Dominic and he pressed the doorbell. His nerves twitched. Everything in him wanted to kick the door in, grab his cousin, and demand she tell him what she thought she was doing.

Instead, he rang the bell again.

Meg grabbed Jillian's hand. “Behind the door.”

“Why?”

“Because it worked before. When she pushes the door open, we'll be behind it.”

“This is it, Meg. We have to get her when she comes in. It's two against one now.”

The door opened silently. “Come out from behind the door. Now.”

Jillian considered pushing it shut in one hard shove, but figured Carmen was smart enough not to place herself in the spot where she would be hit by the door. “Why are you doing this, Carmen? We've
never done anything to you except want to love you and include you in our family.”

“I had a family.” Her flat monotone scared Jillian more than if the woman had yelled. “Emphasis on
had
. But thanks to you and your snooping, my mother is in jail and my father is dead. What
family
do I have now?”

“You have cousins, aunts, and uncles who love you.”

“I thought so too.” Her last word caught on a sob and Jillian winced. “I thought I could handle it, but the dreams kept coming. My mother accusing me of interfering. I went to see her in prison every chance I got, but it was never enough. She said I had to avenge her. It was my duty as her daughter.” She hiccupped. “And she was right.” Jillian blinked at the sudden change in Carmen's voice. Nothing but ice. “I realized she was right.”

“And so you decided to ruin my family? My daughter?”

“Not just yours, Jillian. Colton's.”

Loathing dripped from her husband's name and a wave of nausea swept over Jillian.

“Do you know I went to see my mother yesterday? I told her what I had planned.”

Jillian's brain twitched. She had to do something. They couldn't stand behind the door any longer. She stepped around it and came face-to-face with Carmen.

Meg gasped and Jillian shot her a warning look.

She turned her attention back to the pretty girl who could have been anything. She had beauty, money, talent, intelligence.

And she'd chosen revenge.

“Meg and I are walking out of here. We're going home.”

Carmen's lip curled and she lifted the weapon. “You see, Colton just pulled up and is standing on my front porch ringing the doorbell. No one is going anywhere because it's time for all of us to die.”

Colton pounded on the door. “Carmen!” She wasn't going to answer. They were going to have to get in another way. He tried the knob. Locked, of course. There was no more full-time staff working in the house.

And right now, the place looked deserted. He knew Carmen was there, her car sat at the top of the U-shaped drive. He looked at Dominic. “Let's go around back.”

“I'll stay here in case she comes to the door,” Hunter said.

Colton and Dominic headed for the side of the house, then around back. Colton tried the sunroom door and, to his immense shock, found it open. He stepped inside. “Carmen? You here?”

Dominic slipped in behind him and shut the door. “I'm going to start exploring.”

“I'm going to figure out where she could keep two people prisoner.”
Please, God, let them
be alive.

On silent feet, he started a search. Then paused. Up in the attic? Or down in the basement? Which way?

Jillian stared at Carmen. “What do you mean, we're all going to die?”

A sly smile crossed the woman's lips. “My father tried to blow you up in the high school gym, remember that?”

“Of course.”

“Well, he failed.”

“Had he succeeded, he would have blown you up too, remember that?” She couldn't help the sarcasm.

Carmen ignored it, her eyes narrow and cold. “In exactly—” she glanced at her watch, then back up before Jillian could pounce—“five minutes and twenty seconds, this house goes boom.” She sneered. “And so does everyone in it.” The gun never wavered. “Now back up into that corner or I'll shoot through the door.” She shifted and the weapon now aimed directly at Meg. The door wouldn't stop a bullet.

Jillian backed up with slow, even steps.

“Now you, Meg,” Carmen ordered. The gun shifted once more. “Or I shoot your mother.” A pause. “You might want to hurry up.”

Meg looked at Jillian, her terror a tangible thing. Her fury and determination just as evident. Jillian read the intent on her daughter's face, bit her lip, and gave a slow nod. Meg didn't hesitate.

She dropped into a low crouch, then swung around the edge of the door, her hands on the floor, propelling her body forward, her feet in the air. Jillian ducked to the side as Carmen pulled the trigger a millisecond before Meg's heel connected with her abdomen.

Colton was halfway down the basement steps when he heard the pop. He raced the rest of the way down and came to a stop at the bottom. Which way? The wine cellar to the left? The gym to the right?

A yell reached him.

The left.

He bolted toward the wine cellar, rounded the corner of the hallway, and found his daughter on the floor, fingers wrapped around his cousin's wrist, fighting for her life. The relief he felt at seeing her alive was overshadowed by the fear that she was about to die in front of him.

He darted forward, punching his cousin in the head.

Carmen staggered, her fingers loosening around the weapon. Meg jerked it from her grasp and rolled to her feet. “Mom! She shot Mom!” Colton took the gun from Meg, who spun and raced back into the wine room. His heart thudded an anxious beat in his chest. He held the gun on a stunned Carmen who still blinked from the blow to her head. He hoped he gave her a concussion.

Feet clattered on the cement floor and he looked up to see Dominic and Hunter followed by a number of other law enforcement agents. He handed Dominic the weapon and raced to check on Jillian and Meg.

He found Meg pressing on Jillian's shoulder to stem the flow of blood. Jillian's pale face and closed eyes nearly sent him into cardiac arrest. “Jillian!”

She winced and turned to look at him. “Don't yell, it hurts my ears.”

Relief flooded him. “I need an ambulance!”

“Dad,” Meg said, her sharp tone snagging his attention. “She said don't yell. And there's a bomb. We need to get out of here.”

Jillian gripped Colton's hand and leaned heavily on him as he guided them from the room and up the stairs. Meg raced ahead, looking back over her shoulder as though afraid her parents would disappear. Jillian bit her lip against the pain each footfall sent jarring through her. “How much time do we have?” she gasped.

“I don't know. That would be a question for Carmen,” Colton said.

“How much time, Carmen?” Dominic asked as he shoved the woman in front of him.

She laughed. “Not enough.”

Jillian stumbled and Colton caught her against him. Her feet left the ground and he carried her up the rest of the steps.

“Where's the bomb, Carmen?” Colton demanded.

“Like I'd tell.”

Darkness pressed in on Jillian and she fought it. They reached the top and headed through the hall, the goal the front door.
Please don't let us blow up.
The prayer slipped through her mind. Memories of another run through a building just before the explosion flashed through her mind. Seven years ago, she'd found herself in exactly the same situation. One Carmen probably hadn't planned on ending the same way. With escape.

Jillian caught a glimpse of Meg darting through the front door, pausing on the porch to make sure they were following.

“Go,” Jillian rasped. “Go.”

Meg stayed and waited, then grabbed her hand. Colton still carried her as they all raced down the front porch steps, across the top of the U-shaped drive, and into the grass.

“Keep going,” Colton called.

They ran. Farther, faster, away.

And then the ground shook as the blast ripped through the home. The force against Colton's back propelled him forward. He stumbled, but didn't lose his grip. He went to his knees and Jillian hit the ground with a thud. She cried out as Colton tried to shield her. “Meg!”

“I'm okay!” her daughter yelled.

He rolled away from Jillian and looked down at her, fear and relief mixed in his gaze. “Are you all right?”

“Other than the gunshot wound and the ringing in my ears?”

“Yes.”

She drew in a deep breath and grimaced. “I'm lovely, thanks.”

He leaned his head against hers. “Tell me that didn't just happen.”

“I wish I could.”

“Twice, Jillian. Who runs from a bomb twice in their lifetimes?”

Jillian gave a choked laugh and let the tears flow. Her head hurt, her shoulder ached, and she felt like she could fall into unconsciousness at any moment, but she was so grateful to be alive. “Only us, Colton, only us.” She fought the dizziness and nausea and glanced at the burning house. “Is it over?”

He looked around and she forced her gaze to follow his. Law enforcement, fire trucks, ambulances lined the area. Shouts rang in her ears. She saw Carmen handcuffed and being led to a nearby police car. The woman looked back and caught her eye. And frowned. “Almost,” she mouthed silently. “Almost.”

Jillian swung her gaze back to her husband and daughter. Meg was safe. She had her girl back once again. “Thank you, God,” she whispered. “Thank you.” And then let the darkness take her as Colton's strong arms held her.

“Do you think we'll ever just be a normal family?” Meg asked her mother as she set the table for dinner.

Jillian looked at her and considered the question. She moved her shoulder, satisfied it was healing nicely. “What's normal?”

Meg snorted. “Normal is no one trying to kill us.”

“Well, in that case, probably not. Your father is always making someone mad.” She sighed.

Meg's eyes went wide. “Seriously?”

Jillian laughed. She was so glad she could laugh. She hugged Meg. “Oh Meg, honey, I love you so.”

“I know. I love you too.”

“I think now that Carmen is in jail for a very long time, we can pretty much live normal lives.”

The door slammed and Colton entered to find them embracing. He lifted a brow. “Is this a private party or can anyone join in?”

Jillian smiled and slid over to make room for him. He'd moved heaven and earth to find them, and she still couldn't get over the love he made sure to shower them with each and every day. She shivered and Colton's arm tightened around her shoulders. “We're safe.”

“I know.” She smiled.

A knock on the door separated them. Hunter and Alexia, followed by Dominic and Serena, stepped into the kitchen. The three children with them raced in.

“Meg!” Six-year-old Brynn wrapped her arms around her favorite babysitter's legs.

Meg dropped to her knees to hug her and the twins.

“We brought Chinese,” Alexia announced.

Serena laughed. “We brought Japanese.”

“And we fixed Thai,” Jillian said, her grin spreading.

“I'm sensing a theme here,” Meg said from her position on the floor. All three children scrambled for room on her lap.

Colton laughed. “Well, since we decided on a vacation to somewhere Asian, I can see everyone brought their favorites. So what will it be? China, Japan, or Thailand?”

“I really don't care,” Meg said. “As long as it's boring. I've had enough adventure to last me a lifetime.”

Colton patted her on the head. “Amen, sweetheart. But I'll warn you now. Our lives will never be boring.”

She sighed. “I was afraid of that.”

Jillian shook her head. She could see the twinkle in Meg's eyes and thanked God they'd all survived. And as long as her family stayed safe, she was ready for the next adventure. She lifted her chin and picked up the glass of water she'd poured a little earlier. “Here's to adventure.”

Everyone cheered and Jillian couldn't help the sense of contentment and gratitude that washed over her. Quietly, she breathed, “Thank you, Lord, for bringing us through.”

“Amen,” Colton whispered in her ear.