Far from Done: Far Series Book Six, page 31
I hit the floor, landing on my stomach with no way to brace my fall because my arms were outstretched. Elizabeth was in them a millisecond after I went down, still screaming, but safe and sound. I rolled to my back, cradling her against me as she cried, pressing my lips to her face. Whispering I loved her, telling her she was okay. Telling her she was safe. Promising her I’d never let anything happen to her. Tears sprang to my eyes when I thought about what could have happened, but I told myself she was okay. It was enough to block out the pain of my fall, and I barely registered the throbbing in my elbows and knees. Elizabeth was okay. I had her. She was safe.
I switched gears the second the certainty set in, looking around in desperation. Praying Rowan, too, was all right. She still sat where she’d fallen, looking dazed but not too injured, her hand pressed to her head where Peters had slammed the gun against her skull.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded, winced, then shook her head. “I’ll be okay. What about her?”
I looked at my still crying daughter, then at my wife. “She’s fine. Just scared, I think.”
Rowan nodded again, still holding her hand to her head.
My focus was pulled from her when Peters stumbled back and dropped to his knees. The knife was still lodged in his stomach, and he stared at it like he didn’t know how it had gotten there. Blood, dark in the shadowy room, saturated his shirt, the spot growing larger by the second. He touched it, blinking when his fingers came away red, an expression of disbelief on his face.
He pulled the knife free and tossed it aside. It clattered to the floor, and he covered the now gushing wound with his free hand. I wasn’t a doctor and had no real medical knowledge, but I’d seen enough movies set in the old west to know an injury to the gut was a death sentence. Peters seemed to know it, too, because he didn’t even try to get up or fight back. He just leaned against the wall, his hand over the wound as it continued to bleed.
“Devon,” Gabe said, pulling my attention to him. He shifted, struggling against the ropes like he was trying to get free. “Do you mind?”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
I stood, my gaze darting to Peters in case he got a second wind. This wasn’t a horror movie where the killer came back for one final scare, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep my eye on him. If he moved, I wouldn’t hesitate to pull my gun and shoot him. I might even enjoy it.
Rowan got to her feet, her expression still contorted in pain, and crossed to Elizabeth and me. “Let me have her.”
Our daughter had settled down a little, and her sniffles subsided even more once she was in her mother’s arms. Rowan pressed her face against Elizabeth’s, closing her eyes as she breathed her in.
“You’re okay,” she whispered. “Mommy has you. You’re okay.”
Watching them made my throat tighten with emotion. Tonight could have been so bad. I could have lost everything. Rowan. Elizabeth. Even my own life, although that was minor compared to the other things. In fact, there was a good chance I would have welcomed death if Peters had taken them from me. A year and a half ago, I didn’t even know Rowan, and I had zero aspirations of becoming a father anytime soon, but now, I couldn’t imagine life without them.
It didn’t take long to untie Gabe. He rubbed his wrists, first one and then the other, wincing in pain. There were red marks where the rope had dug into his skin, telling me I’d done a good job of securing him. I felt bad but knew not only would he not hold a grudge, but also that there would be no permanent damage.
“You okay?” I asked anyway.
“Fine.” Gabe jerked his head toward Peters. “What are we going to do about him?”
I turned to face the injured man. He was still bleeding, still holding his hand to the wound like it would somehow help. A puddle had formed beneath him, though, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before he bled out. Not long enough, if you asked me. The man deserved to suffer more than this.
“He’ll bleed out in a few minutes,” I said. “Let him. He can use the time to prepare himself for hell.”
Gabe grunted in agreement.
“Devon,” Rowan said, pulling my focus to her.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears that spilled over the second my gaze locked with hers. I crossed to her, wrapping my arms around both her and my daughter, letting out a ragged breath, closing my eyes. Saying a prayer of thanks.
“You did a good job,” I said into Rowan’s ear. “You protected her. You kept her safe.”
“I was so scared,” she said. “When he picked her up, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to stop him.”
“Yes, you did, because you did stop him.” I pressed my lips to the side of her face. “Elizabeth is okay because of you.”
“Because of both of us,” Rowan said.
A creak on the steps made me pull back, and I turned to find Zara standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide, her body trembling, and she held a gun in one hand.
“What happened? Is everyone okay?” She looked toward Peters, and her eyes doubled in size. “Is he dead?”
“Not yet,” I told her, “but he will be soon, and believe me, we’re all going to be better off without him.”
38
Kiaya
The building bustled with noise as the kids settled in for the night, spreading out blankets and adjusting their pillows. Some crying. Some staring off into nowhere, expressions of shock on their faces. Being here would take some getting used to, and it wouldn’t be easy for the ones who didn’t understand what had happened, but they were better off. One day, they’d see that. One day, they would understand.
At least I hoped so.
“It’s okay,” Mike said to a boy of about four. “It’s safe here. I promise.”
The boy sniffed and blinked, tears falling from his eyes, but said nothing.
Mike patted him on the head before moving to another child.
He acted like comforting every kid in the place was his job. He tucked in younger kids, brought them cups of water, told them they were safe when they started to cry. I had a feeling he’d done the same thing for the last nine months, especially when I saw how attached Allie was to him.
She was an orphan. All these kids were. And I didn’t know what would become of them after today. There were so many. Dozens, all of them between the ages of three and fifteen. Did we have space for them? Who would take care of them? I didn’t have a clue, and it was all so overwhelming.
“They can’t stay here forever,” Doug said as if reading my mind.
“I know.”
I watched as Lisa knelt in front of one boy so she could take his temperature, while Ryan examined another. They hadn’t been fed enough and they’d been worked too hard, and it showed in their bony arms and legs. A few had coughs and runny noses; some even had fevers. As far as we could tell, they’d barely been allowed to bathe, and there had been zero medical attention. Mike’s story about getting sick last winter and still having to work confirmed that.
“We’ll figure something out,” I said, turning to face Doug. “The important part is they’re safe.”
“Yeah,” he said, blowing out a breath.
He looked around, his gaze stopping on something on the other side of the room. I turned and was shocked to discover it was Jace who’d caught Doug’s attention. I hadn’t known the teenager came with us to the bank, and I was surprised not just to see him, but to find him helping a little girl spread her blanket out.
“He saved me,” Doug said. “At the school, Adam jumped me, and Jace stepped in. I hit my head on the floor pretty hard and don’t know if I would have been able to fight Adam off without Jace’s help.”
I switched my focus to Doug. “And?”
“And what?” He shrugged. “You want me to say I was totally wrong about him? I’m not sure I can. Not yet, anyway. He helped. He’s helping now. That’s a step in the right direction, but Jace has a lot to make up for.”
“I know that,” I replied. “He knows that. He just needs someone to give him a chance.”
“Well, I guess I can agree to that. It’s not like I don’t owe him.”
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Doug shook his head like he still didn’t get it, but he put his arm around me and planted a kiss to the side of my head. I leaned into him, thankful we were safe and sound. Thankful Mike was back. Thankful we didn’t have to worry about the vultures anymore.
Once the kids were settled, the adults met at the front door to discuss what would happen next.
“We can’t leave them here by themselves,” Lisa said, looking around. “Some are sick, and most are traumatized.”
Doug put his hand on Mike’s shoulder. “We need to get Mike back to the house, and I want to check in with Devon and Gabe. Find out what happened with Peters.”
“And I should check in with Dr. Summers,” Ryan said. “I’m sure he could use a break by now.”
Lisa twisted her hand around her hair, nodding. “Good idea.”
“I can stay.” Eden elbowed Rick. “Want to have a sleepover?”
He gave her the crooked grin that had become more and more common lately. “Only if you tell a ghost story.”
Eden gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes.
“I can relieve you in a few hours,” Lisa said, giving them a grateful but exhausted smile. “I’ll bring meds with me, make sure the kids who need them get antibiotics.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Rick replied, nodding.
“I can stick around tonight,” Jace said, shocking even me. “Lend a hand. It might be easier on some of the kids if someone closer to their age is here.”
“That’s actually a good point,” Lisa replied, eyeing him like she wasn’t sure she trusted him. “Thanks, Jace.”
He gave an unconcerned shrug. “I know what it’s like to distrust adults. Spent most of my life that way.”
Lisa and Eden exchanged a look I couldn’t read.
“Okay,” Lisa said after a few minutes. “Since that’s settled, I guess the rest of us can head home for the night. Tomorrow we’ll have to meet, obviously, and figure out what happens next.”
“Not just with the kids,” Doug pointed out. “But with the supplies back at the school and with Peters and the town.”
“It’s going to be hard for some people to accept,” Eden said. “He has a lot of fans in Elizabethtown.”
“Well, they aren’t going to have a choice,” Rick replied. “You can’t hide from the truth when it’s staring you in the face. Peters has to pay.”
Heads bobbed, but no one responded.
Doug slung his arm around me, his other hand still on Mike’s shoulder. “Let’s get this kid home. It’s late, and I know how exhausted I am, so he has to be beat.”
“I’m okay,” Mike said with a shrug.
We headed out anyway.
Despite his assurances, a yawn broke out of him less than a second after stepping out of the building. Brian had his arm around Ryan’s shoulder, who leaned against him as they walked toward the square so they could check in with Rowan’s dad, while Lisa walked silently at my side. Mike, who had only been here one other time—when Doug and I brought him and Lexi to see a movie—studied the buildings we passed, taking in everything that had changed over the last nine months. There was a lot, and not just with the town. It had to be as overwhelming as it was exciting, and even though Mike seemed to be taking it all in stride, it would take him some time to get used to things. And to heal from his ordeal.
We reached our street and said goodnight to Lisa. She continued to her own house while Doug and I led Mike up the steps to ours. A flicker of firelight danced in the windows, telling me someone was up. I wasn’t surprised. If I had been in Rowan’s shoes, I wouldn’t have been able to go to bed until I knew what was going on either. Even if Devon had already returned home and filled her in, she’d want to wait up to see Mike.
Doug pushed the front door open and waved for Mike to step in. He did, pausing for a few seconds to look around before moving deeper into the house. I followed, and so did Doug, and the door clicked shut.
The soft murmur of voices floated from the living room, but they cut off at our approach, and a second later, Devon stuck his head into the hall. “Hey.”
“Everything go okay with—”
The words died on my lips when I reached the doorway and saw Peters on the floor, a puddle of blood beneath him, his eyes blank and lifeless.
I looked from Peters’ body to Devon, then around the room. Rowan sat in the oversized chair, Elizabeth wide awake and in her arms. Zara was up, too, and at the sight of Mike, she jumped to her feet and rushed toward him. She threw her arms around the little boy, but I barely noticed because I was still taking in the scene. Gabe stood next to Devon, and there was a pile of rope at his feet. There was a gun on the floor, a bloody knife next to Peters, and what appeared to be a bullet hole had fractured the front window.
I turned on Devon. “What the hell happened?”
“Peters.” He waved to the dead man. “He figured we might learn the truth, so he came here thinking he would be able to get away if he held Rowan and Elizabeth captive. Rowan stabbed him, and he bled out.”
My eyes doubled in size, and I switched my focus to Rowan. “But you’re okay? No one was hurt?”
“He hit me on the head.” She pressed her fingertips lightly to a bump on her forehead and winced. “Nothing too horrible, though.”
“Oh, my God,” I said as I hurried across the room and threw my arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I can’t believe this.”
Rowan hugged me back while Elizabeth tugged at a few tendrils of my hair.
“We’re okay,” she said.
I pulled away when Doug asked, “Did he suffer?”
“Not enough,” Devon replied, “but at least it’s done, and we don’t have to worry about him or the vultures ever again.”
“That’s something,” Doug agreed, then to Gabe said, “Lisa just went home.”
“I should go fill her in on what happened.” He turned to Devon. “You think you can handle the body without me?”
“Doug and I can take care of it,” he replied. “Although I’m not sure what to do with him.”
“Burn him,” Gabe spit out. “He doesn’t deserve anything better.”
Heads bobbed in agreement.
Gabe headed out, and Rowan got to her feet. “I need to get Elizabeth to bed.”
“And I should check on Lexi,” Zara said. “I don’t know how she slept through the gunshot, but thank God she did.”
Mike perked up. “Can I see her?”
Zara hugged him again. “In the morning, okay? You both need some rest.”
“Yeah,” he said, sounding a little disappointed, but not too much. “You’re right. I should let her sleep.”
“She’s going to be so happy to see you,” Zara said.
“My dad isn’t coming home tonight, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you took his bed. Want me to show him which room is his?” Rowan asked Mike.
He nodded, and the two of them headed for the stairs, Zara behind them.
“I’ll be up in a minute,” Devon said when Rowan passed him.
He watched her walk away, his expression thoughtful like he was replaying what had happened tonight or maybe even thinking about how differently it could have turned out. I thought about that as well, replaying everything that had happened at the school. The fire and smoke, the gunshots and close calls. We’d done what we needed to and succeeded, but it could have easily gone the other way, and we could have ended up losing everything.
“You all right?” Doug asked, putting his arm around me.
I leaned into him and closed my eyes. “Just glad it’s done.”
“We all are,” he said, then pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
39
Doug
Devon, Kiaya, and I worked together to get rid of Peters. We were going to leave him on the porch for the time being since it was the middle of the night, and we were too exhausted to do anything else right now. But first, we needed to wrap him up.
We moved the furniture off the rug and positioned the body at the edge. Peters had bled all over the thing anyway, so it had to go, and it would make carrying him a hell of a lot easier. Rolling him was the easy part.
Devon, positioned near the head, counted down. “One, two, three.”
I grabbed Peters around the knees, grunting in surprise. He was heavier than I’d expected, but we were more than practiced at taking care of dead bodies, and it took Devon and me no time at all to carry him outside and lay him on the porch. Kiaya had already pushed the furniture back into place by the time we got back inside.
“I’m exhausted,” she said as we headed for the stairs, “and there’s still so much to do.”
She leaned into me as we climbed to the second floor, dragging her feet as if to emphasize how tired she was.
I wrapped my arm around her waist. “We’ll worry about that tomorrow. For now, let’s get some rest.”
Kiaya nodded in agreement.
Upstairs, Devon gave a small wave before slipping into his room, pulling the door gently shut behind him. Kiaya and I continued down the hall, but she paused outside the door to Rowan’s father’s room like she was considering going in.
“He’ll be fine,” I whispered, urging her to keep walking.
“I know.” She pushed the door to our room open when we reached it, and I followed her inside. “He’s strong. But he’s still a kid, and I don’t want to forget that.”
“We’ll make sure he gets everything he needs.”
I pulled the door shut gently and turned to face Kiaya, momentarily distracted when she pulled her shirt over her head. We’d been butting heads over Jace so much lately that I felt like we’d barely spent any quality time together, and it suddenly hit me how much I missed her. Not just that, but how stupid it was. We could have died tonight. All of us. Did I really want to waste time arguing over things as idiotic as that stupid teenager? No.
