Because You're Mine(84)

Grady rushed his half-brother at the same time Alanna leaped for the gun, but the gun went off, and a red spot bloomed on Patricia’s blouse. She fell forward without a sound, and Grady stepped back when Barry swung the gun toward him.

Grady held up his hands. “Easy, brother.”

Pete bellowed behind her and thrashed in the water as if smelling the coppery blood in the air.

Barry motioned with the gun. “You’re next, Jesse, old man.”

Behind her, Alanna heard a rustle in the bushes. A black nose peeked out, and she realized Prince was watching. She saw the dog creep out from under the bushes. The wind picked up the blood scent from Patricia and blew it toward him. He whined his distress.

“Distract Barry,” Grady whispered to her.

Behind her back, she waggled her fingers at the dog. He crept out a few more inches, and his whining grew louder. Loud enough that Alanna thought Barry would hear it any second. She waggled her fingers again, and the whining went up a decibel.

Barry frowned and his gaze cut to the sound. He took a couple of steps in that direction.

“Prince, come!” Alanna called. The dog dashed from under the cover of the bushes surrounding the water. In reflex, Barry fired off a shot that went wild.

While his attention was on the dog, Liam stepped around Alanna and grabbed a downed branch. At the same time, Grady tackled Barry. Obviously nearly spent, Liam swung the branch, and it connected solidly with Barry’s head. He reeled back and stepped into mud in the slope toward the water, then lost his balance and tumbled into the water onto his knees. The gun flew from his hands and landed at Liam’s feet.

Barry bellowed and lurched from the water toward Liam. He grabbed the gun before Liam had time to react and seize it. Bringing up the barrel of the revolver, he narrowed his eyes. Before he pulled the trigger, a movement shot out from the bank. Prince! He ran past Barry, and the movement shifted his focus for a moment. In that instant, Liam leaped forward and wrested the gun from Barry’s hand. In his weakness, he fell back as Barry turned to reclaim it. Fire barked from the barrel of the gun, and blood began to spread over Barry’s shirt. His eyes wide and astonished, he fell back into the murky water and disappeared.





Thirty-Four


The fragrance of peaches from the crushed tea roses along the porch wafted to Alanna’s nose. She sat on the porch holding Liam’s hand as he lay on the swing. He was pale, but the bleeding had stopped. She could hear him struggle to breathe and prayed for help to arrive soon. The storm had blown for several more hours, and the flooded driveway cut them off from civilization.

Alanna had tried to comfort Grady, but he’d stalked away from her to grieve in private, and she saw his shadow under the trees as he paced back and forth.

Trees and limbs littered the saturated ground. Leaves and branches lay on the porch floor. Mud coated everything as well. The destroyed garden was a different place from the perfectly groomed space she’d first seen. The hot tea she’d made on the gas stove warmed them as the air was still cool. Their suitcases sat inside the door awaiting their departure once help arrived. She’d taken the music box too.

Alanna didn’t intend to ever let it go.

The whup-whup of a helicopter overhead brought her to her feet. The chopper landed in the garden to the left of the manor where the least amount of limbs littered the yard. The door opened, and Detective Adams jumped out and ran with his head down toward the house. Paramedics jumped down and they all went to Patricia’s body.

After several minutes, Adams left the body and walked toward Alanna and Liam. The bags under his eyes were even more pronounced than usual. Alanna decided he’d likely gotten no sleep last night. She rushed to the top of the steps to greet him.

Adams’s gaze flickered from her to Liam on the swing. “I came as soon as I could. Your message said Kavanagh killed your sister and tried to kill you? What about Barry’s mother? She appears to have been shot.”

Alanna nodded and stepped aside to allow him onto the porch. “Liam needs to be getting to a hospital at once. I’ll explain what happened on the way.”

Adams stepped aside as the paramedics approached. “Let them stabilize him for the trip first. You got anything to eat? I haven’t had a bite since lunch yesterday.”

The last thing Alanna wanted to worry about was Adams’s stomach. “I think there are bennes in the kitchen. You can help yourself.”

“Much obliged.” The screen door screeched when the detective stepped into the house. He returned a few minutes later with his cheeks puffed out. Two more bennes were in his hands. He chewed and swallowed. “There’s a lot of explaining to do here.”

Alanna kept her gaze on her husband. The paramedics had inserted an IV line and were checking Liam’s blood pressure. “How is he?”

“He’s going to be fine, ma’am,” one of the paramedics said. “Don’t you worry.”

“Did the blade get his lung?” she asked.

“Don’t think so. We’ll get some X-rays at the hospital though.”

Alanna let out the breath she’d been holding. “When can we get going?”

“Just a few more minutes,” the man said.

Grady appeared from under the trees and walked slowly toward them. “Everyone is dead. I can’t quite wrap my head around it.” He sank onto a step and buried his head in his hands.