the baby.
She and Erin opened the car doors in unison and took off running into the field to divert the men’s attention from the child.
They only got a few feet before Kate heard a sound like a sneeze, and watched as Erin fell face down into the field.
“Oh, God, no,” was all she had time to think before a second bullet caught the back of her head, severing her connection with the world.
* * * *
As Alan drove, he constantly looked into his rearview mirror. So far, he’d not noticed anyone tailing him.
Traffic was light, which was how he came to notice a black car careening crazily down the opposite side of the highway. It was going so fast it nearly ran up the back of a semi-truck. Blaring horns sounded as it changed lanes and cut off a small blue compact.
The sight set off a clang of alarm in his head. On impulse, he turned off at the next exit. He watched the white lines flash by and tried not to think about anything except the task at hand, getting to safety, wherever that might be.
A car lay angled in the field next to the ditch. He brought the Volvo to a screeching halt on the shoulder. That was the Mercedes. He remained at the wheel, frozen with fear, until his panicked mind ordered him to move.
He jumped out and ran towards the car. In his rush, he tripped over something at the foot of the embankment. Oh, God. Joe. Noting the large amount of blood puddled beneath the body, he checked Joe’s pulse, only to confirm what Alan already knew in his heart.
Heart pounding painfully in his chest, he raced for the Mercedes. As he approached, he saw the tires were flat. The car doors hung ajar. He ran forward and then spotted something fluttering in the field. Cloth?
A guttural, whining sound escaped him as he hurried toward what he now realized was his wife’s body. When he reached her, the scream that rose in his throat got caught. It came out as the whimpering of a wounded animal instead.
Oh, Kate.
Where was Erin? He scanned the field and saw another limp bundle laying less than twenty feet away.
His daughter, too, was dead.
He stood in the middle of the field and cursed himself.
This was his fault. A terrible rage ripped through him. He’d done what was asked of him and still his family had been taken. Why? Anger turned to hopelessness as he knelt on the wet ground clutching his murdered wife’s body. He was too numb to move until the sound of a crying child penetrated his pain.
Catherine.
He stumbled back to the car as the cries grew louder. He peered inside, but couldn’t see her. Frantically, he searched the back seat, lifting the coats away.
“Grandy. Want Mommy. Where’s Mommy?”
He burst into tears of relief when he found her unharmed. Not waiting for an explanation for this miracle, he removed the distraught child from the car and pressed her face against his chest to block her vision.
Moving Catherine to his hip, he popped open the trunk. The duffle of money he’d given Joe was still in there, and he picked it up. If he’d needed any further confirmation that this was not a robbery gone bad or some other random misadventure, he had it. He ran up the embankment, placed Catherine in the Volvo, and then slid behind the steering wheel.
Within minutes, he was on the road and only God knew where he was going.
Chapter 6
New York City – Present Day
“Really, Cat, do you mean to tell me if he asks you tonight, you’re going to tell him you need to think about it? What’s to think about? I mean, what more could you ask for? Matthew’s hot. Plus, he’s got a great job and makes oodles of money. Not to mention, any idiot can see he’s totally in love with you. Besides, what a great way to celebrate your birthday—with a diamond ring. And if I know Matthew, it’ll be a good-sized rock, too,” Amy gushed.
Catherine smiled at her long-time confidante, the very first friend she had made after arriving in New York to attend school. Amy, a good-hearted and vivacious New Yorker, had immediately recognized Cat’s culture shock and took her under her wing to educate her on how to survive in the big city.
Seven years had gone by since graduation, but not much had changed between them. Except maybe for Amy’s hair. Amy changed her hair the way other women changed their shoes, and Cat never knew what to expect if she hadn’t seen her friend for a while. Tonight, Amy had walked in sporting a straightened do, dyed flaming red. Not bad, although she’d always preferred Amy’s naturally curly brown hair to anything she’d done to it since. Hair aside, Amy remained her constant friend, the one person she trusted.
After graduating, their chosen careers had taken them in different directions. Cat landed her job at Rathburn and Sons, and Amy had found her niche as an events planner, which Cat thought perfectly suited her social personality.
“I’m just not sure if this is what I want.” Cat toyed with the olive in her Martini. “I mean, I do love him. And the chemistry is, well, fantastic.” She rolled her eyes a little to make the point. “But what if things don’t stay the same after? I like being in charge of my own life. And things are good the way they are now. Why rock the boat?”
Amy shook her head and smiled. “You haven’t even brought him home to meet your granddad yet. Maybe that’ll help you to decide.”
“I’ve asked him to come with me when I go home for my birthday on the weekend,” Cat said. “To tell you the truth, though, I’m a little worried about it. I don’t think he’ll like it down home. He’s a city boy. Who knows what he’ll think about the bayou, what with the swamps and alligators and all. It’s pretty isolated, a lot different from New York.”
“Cat, he’s probably dying to see where you grew up and meet your grandfather. Besides, your granddad sounds so neat. Did he send his special present yet?”
Cat’s face lit up. “Yes, and it’s the best one yet. The Archangel Michael. Carved in stone and hand-painted. Wait until you see it, it’s absolutely awesome.”
“It sounds beautiful.”
When Amy steered the conversation back to Matthew, Cat gave a small laugh and said, “Looks like I’ve got a decision to make.”
“Well, it’s your call, honey, and you’ll do what’s right for you. Either way, you know I’m here for you.”
“Thanks, Amy. And I mean this, you’re the best.” The room shifted slightly. On an empty stomach, the after-work martini had more than done its job. She glanced at the time. “Jeez, I’ve gotta get going. I have to whip myself into shape. He’s picking me up at eight.”
Grabbing their purses and jackets, the two women got up to leave the noisy bar.
“Have fun tonight. Let me know what happens, the suspense is killing me,” Amy said, as Catherine followed her outside.
“You and me both,” Catherine laughed. “Thanks for the birthday drink.”
They
