Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(73)

Trevor had wanted to give Alex time to run. Instead, Alex ran inside like a bull. His chest puffed out. “Let the kid go.” Alex looked at Hailey, his eyes widening when he saw the knife in her hand. “What is going on?”

Jane shoved Trevor away from her. He stumbled backward and fell to the floor. In a flash of movement, before he could blink, Jane spread her arms outward, tucked her knee up toward her shoulder, and extended her leg straight out into Alex’s face, sending him flying backward and smacking into a wall. It happened so fast, Trevor wasn’t sure what he’d seen. To him it seemed as if Jane was the one who had superpowers.

Alex was dazed. Blood dripped from his nose to his chin as he pushed himself to his feet. He touched his face. “You broke my nose!”

Jane smiled.

Shivers ran up Trevor’s spine. He thought of Grandpa out on that pontoon alone. He had to help him before it was too late. Trevor jumped to his feet and ran from the house without looking back. He didn’t want to leave Hailey, but he had no choice. He needed to get help.





CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Nora’s SUV had been going about thirty miles an hour when she jumped. She had hit the ground hard and rolled for several feet. Despite landing on soft earth, her jacket had been ripped to shreds. Her head had hit a large rock, and she could feel a knot the size of a golf ball on her forehead.

Her SUV had gone over the cliff’s edge, all buckling metal and violent crackling sounds that shook the earth. But she hadn’t stuck around long enough to see where the vehicle had landed. She didn’t need to see it to know that if she had remained in the car, she would have died.

Her right ankle was swollen and bruised. She had removed the lace from her shoe rather than take the shoe off, but the pain was excruciating. She ground her teeth and continued on. Nothing would stop her from getting home. She knew the area well enough to know it would be quicker to go through the woods rather than try to make her way back to the main road.

For the past fifteen minutes, Nora had been trudging her way along the top of the mountain. Squirrels chattered. Branches creaked, and leaves rustled as the wind whistled through the tops of myriad trees. Every so often, she could see the roof of the lake house peeking through the woods ahead.

She hadn’t been able to call home, since her phone had been inside the SUV when it went over the edge of the mountain. Limping her way through a row of perfectly lined pine trees, she nearly cried with relief when she found herself on familiar ground.

Shivers coursed over her as she rounded the bend in the driveway. Not from the cold but because of the dark, billowing smoke rising beyond her house. Picking up her pace, she meant to hurry past the main house to the cottage but stopped outside the door after hearing a crash inside.

She heard Hailey shout, “No!”

Nora looked from left to right, spotted the axe leaning against the side of the house, and headed that way, dragging her bad leg with her. She grasped the wood handle, surprised by the solid heaviness of it, and stepped inside.

Jane stood near the sliding glass door leading onto the deck.

Their gazes locked. The look Jane gave her was piercing and intense. Her eyes were dark. She no longer resembled the woman Nora had met in a restaurant only months ago. Her hair was tangled, her shirt bloodied and torn.

“I just can’t seem to get rid of you,” Jane said.

Hailey was tending to Alex, who was on the floor, bloodied and dazed. “Hailey,” Nora said. “Call the police.”

“Your mother killed my family,” Jane told Hailey.

Hailey peered at Jane through narrowed eyes. “She told me everything. It was an accident. The boy who slipped something into her drink was arrested. He’s responsible for what happened. Not my mom.”

Jane grunted. “Your mother killed my parents and my little brother. What would you do if someone killed Trevor?” she asked Hailey. Without waiting for a response, she said, “She met her Prince Charming, had two beautiful children, and forgot all about the lives she’d destroyed.”

“That’s not true,” Nora said. “I lived a life of guilt and shame because of the accident, but you don’t want to hear the truth, do you? My parents spent their lives struggling to deal with what happened. A piece of my father died along with Lucas.”

A sob came from Jane’s throat. “You killed my brother. He was my best friend. My everything.”

Nora’s heart ached for Jane. She couldn’t begin to imagine the pain of losing her parents, let alone a beloved younger brother. “I wish I never got behind the wheel,” Nora said. “If I could turn back the clock, I would. The boy who gave me the punch was someone I had known since elementary school. I trusted him. I am sorry for your loss. You have to believe me, Jane. I want to help try and make things right.”

Jane shook her head. “I’m sorry that you have to die. It’s the only way. An eye for an eye.”

Jane’s threat triggered an acute response, forcing Nora to wake up. She had to protect her family. “Go!” Nora said to Hailey, glad when she finally ran off. Nora returned her attention to Jane, her brain humming. The woman was dangerous, but she needed to get Jane’s mind onto something else. “Did you hire that man to snatch my purse in San Francisco?”

“I think you know the answer to that. But stalling isn’t going to work.” Jane aimed the knife she was holding at Nora.