Bombshell: A BWWM Billionaire Amnesia Romance Suspense Novel (18 page)

Chapter Twenty Eight

Jana’s whole body ached, when she came to.
Where am I?
One minute she was having a little fun watching her plus-size figure go Twiggy in the mirror, and the next minute, a familiar voice was shouting for her to watch out. She was suddenly yanked away from the mirror, into the arms of a stranger with a beard.

Then the gun went off. At first she thought he’d shot her, but then she saw the face of the man falling towards her. She recognized him and screamed. She tried to reach for him, to go to him, but the man who was holding her, pulled her away.

He shoved the gun against her neck and clamped a hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming.

“Don’t move or scream again, or I’ll kill you here and now,” he promised.

She knew that voice and terror and sadness overwhelmed her. He’d killed Merrick. He propelled her out of the park, the gun in her ribs. The threat to stay quiet or else on his lips.

When they got outside, he shoved her towards a waiting taxi cab. She recognized that is was the same cab that had dropped her off. Had she asked him to wait for her? He was standing outside smoking, Jana tried to tell with her eyes that she needed help, that she was in trouble. Harold Buck opened the back door to the cab and pushed her inside so hard, she banged her head against the passenger door and started to pass out.

Before, she lost consciousness she heard the sound of metal striking skull, and she knew that Harold had hijacked the cab.

When next she came to, she was sprawled across the back of the taxi cab as it sped down a dark road. Fear gripped at her heart. She didn’t want to let him know that she was awake, so she very carefully reached for the door handle, testing it. It gave as if it wasn’t locked.

In the distance she heard the sounds of sirens and perhaps a helicopter. Maybe they were looking for her?

Moving with extreme care she rose up high enough to look out the window. No lights, no buildings. She wondered where they were.

She settled back down and tried to keep her breathing calm. She listened hard.

He was breathing heavily as if he’d just been in a fight. Maybe it hadn’t been too long since she’d passed out. She heard the steady strum of waves crashing and knew they were still close to the ocean. She tried to ponder what to do. If she could pull herself up into a ball without him noticing, she could open the door and jump out. But, if the fall didn’t kill or severely injure her at this speed, he’d certainly notice and just come back and put her inside the car again.

The car lit up as a vehicle passed going the other direction. Jana pressed her face against the sticky pleather, and hoped.

Suddenly the car jerked as he abruptly pulled off the highway. He slowed quickly to stop the cab from shaking and bumping against an obviously unpaved road. The engine made a coughing sound and died.

She heard Harold cursing as he started the engine up again. He raced the engine, but the car didn’t move. He did it again, and Jana could feel mud pelleting the car.
He’s stuck in the mud?

Jana’s hopes grew. That hadn’t been part of his plan. Maybe she could take advantage of this.

She could hear him moving, rising out of his seat. She feigned as best as she could being knocked out, and lay motionless. “I should make you get out and push,” he growled.

He opened the car door. “It’s your fault, you goddamn bitch.”

Jana’s lungs ached as she prepared herself for him opening hers and dragging her out of the car. He was mad. Fear ripped through her.

She played dead, hoping he’d leave her alone. He opened his door and stepped out.

“I’d so like to kill you now bitch, but I have a movie to make. I’m going to make you a star.”

Jana’s insides turned to mush, and she had to stuff her fist in her mouth to stop from screaming. Her eyes squeezed shut, but she couldn’t stop the memory from rushing back – the one thing she’d been able to forget.

She’d seen the last star in one of his movies. Tears ran down her face as she returned.

Gagged and bound, Jana had sat in a director’s chair, as the video camera rolled behind her.

Jana couldn’t do anything but close her eyes as he made the poor teenage runaway the star of his porn. When it was over, after she’d heard the brutal rape and the almost compassionate bullet to the head, he’d untied her from the chair.

He forced her to open her eyes. “Look at this,” he screamed.

“This is what’s in store for you, if you ever try to leave me again, but just so you don’t forget, I’m going to let you stay here for a while.”

And then…. Oh, God, No.

Jana couldn’t bear the memory. Tied to the top of the dead girl. Forced to spend the night.

When he’d come back for her, she’d pretended to be obedient. But, when he was busy, burying the body in the back, she’d managed to get away. She didn’t know how she got out of the mountains, or how she’d made it to Holly’s apartment.

The car moved again, and Jana’s mind came back to the present. She couldn’t let him do that to her. She couldn’t let him make her his star. She had something to live for now. Merrick.

“Oh God,” she said as a pain kicked her gut. He’d already shot Merrick. If he’d killed him, she’d rip out his heart. Anger and a desire for revenge vibrated through every cell in her body. Where there was a will, there was a way. In a flash of inspiration, it occurred to her that his gun might not be on him. Carefully, she changed her position and inched slowly up so she could peer over the passenger seat. Adrenaline surged as she spotted the gun, sitting on the seat, assuming she was passed out. She made a lung for it.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

The back of the car dropped causing Jana to miss the gun and throwing her back. With all her strength she heaved her body over the seat again and this time grabbed the gun. When he yanked the back door open, she felt his hands grabbing her hips. He didn’t know she had the gun. She twisted her body around, distracting him with an elbow to his face. He pulled her out of the car violently and flung her back into the marsh. She managed to get off a shot before she fell painfully on her ass and one elbow. She heard him scream and saw him fall.

Gasping for breath she staggered to her feet in the mud, holding the gun in both shaking hands. She moved towards him, staying away from his long arms. He was still alive, breathing hard, a rattling in his chest. He lay on his back in an awkward position, the marsh water seeping up over him. His eyes were wide with rage, but he didn’t seem to have the capacity to move or speak. Maybe she’d paralyzed him.

The sound of a helicopter coming close, made Jana look up. Lights swept through the marsh, someone was coming. She heard brakes squeal and a car door open, and people talking loudly in the distance.

People were coming. They’d be here soon. They’d take him to a hospital, fix him up, and give him life in prison. He didn’t deserve that.

It didn’t matter. She couldn’t worry about that now. She had to rid the world of this cancer. She had to get her revenge. For the dead girl’s sake. For Merrick’s sake.

“Bombshell, don’t.”

Her face hardened.

“No,” Tony shouted. But she didn’t care. She fired and was almost thrown back into the mud from the kick back. His hands grabbed at his bleeding member, and his scream ripped through the marsh, sending a flock of birds crying up into fading clouds.

“Jesus,” Tony said.

The sheriff was in agony, but he was still alive.

“That was for the girl.”

She widened her stance and held the gun with all her strength. “And this one’s for Merrick, you monster.”

She emptied the gun into his chest, then dropped the useless gun into the mud as strong arms supported her no longer working legs.

Bombshell let Tony support her. She’d be strong for him. He’d lost his brother.

The sirens grew louder and emergency lights flashed across the wetlands. Jana felt numb as men in uniform ran over.

Tony hissed into her ear. “Bombshell, let me handle this. Sit in the car and act like you’re in shock. Don’t say anything.”

She nodded. She was in shock. That wouldn’t be hard to fake. She crumpled into the backseat, and burst into tears. Her world was over. Merrick was dead.

Chapter Twenty Nine

But, as the crime scene tape was being set up, Jana heard something over the din of her pounding shattered heart that made the tears stop. Tony was standing outside the cab door, keeping people away from her, and she heard him speaking on the phone. “How’s Merrick doing?”

He was still alive? Her chest contracted.

No one was around, so she tapped on the window. Tony opened the door. “Don’t speak,” he whispered, “you’re still in shock.”

“Is Merrick’s still alive?” she whispered, hardly believing it could be true.

“Yeah,” he said and a smile passed over his face. The smile that could only mean, that the man she loved had somehow survived. “Shhhh,” he added and put a finger to his lips. “Someone’s coming.”

Jana sat back in against the seat and tried to look like she was in shock.

A women dressed in a pant suit stepped into her line of sight, then opened the door. “Are you Jana Peters?” she asked.

Jana made her face go blank and let her tongue loll out of her mouth a little.

“Don’t pull that shit with me, ma’am. I heard you talking a minute ago.”

Jana’s shoulders drooped and her heart started pumping fast. She was about to get arrested. She was going to spend the rest of her life in jail because she had murdered a monster. Her chest tightened as she realized what that meant. Merrick was alive, but she’d never see Merrick again, or kiss him, or feel his warm body next to hers. He wouldn’t want her. Not after Tony told him what a cold-blooded killer she was. A tear fell down her cheek. It wasn’t fair.

“Ms. Peters?” the woman said in a voice quieter and gentler than she’d expect from the law. She peered at the woman and caught her glancing around, as if she didn’t want anyone to overhear them. She drew closer.

Tony tried to intervene. “Give her a break.”

The woman put out an authoritative hand out, telling Tony to back off or face her wrath. In a clear and quiet voice, she spoke to Jana. “Listen, let me do the talking. Don’t say anything.”

Jana gulped and let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Maybe she wasn’t about to go to jail after all. Tony looked relieved as well and took guard duty, making sure that no one was coming close enough to overhear.

“Here’s what I think you should say when they start questioning you.”

Jana gulped and prepared herself to pay attention. This woman was trying to help her. “After he kidnapped you, he got stuck in the mud. He thought you were knocked out cold, so he left the gun on the seat while he tried to push the car out of the muck.”

Jana nodded. That was exactly how it had gone down.

“But you weren’t knocked out, so you took the opportunity and grabbed the gun. He tried to take it away, so you shot him in self-defense. But you don’t remember where you shot him, or how many times. You were too scared. Okay?”

She remembered exactly how many times and exactly where, but she nodded again.

Tony hissed. “Someone’s coming over.”

Several officers were walking towards them. The woman quickly leaned down and whispered into Jana’s hear. “Don’t worry about these yahoos, I’ll get rid of them,” she said.

As soon as the officers were within earshot, the woman spoke in a sharp authoritarian voice. “I’m taking this woman to the hospital,” she announced and helped Jana to her feet. Tony took Jana’s other side and they started moving towards one of the cars.

“Wait, just a minute,” the officer said. “We need to question this young lady. This is a crime scene. She doesn’t look that bad off.”

The woman in the suit, released Jana into Tony’s supportive hands. “Look, Officer—what’s your name?” she said as she peered at his badge. She reached into her coat and whipped out her own. “This is an FBI matter. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere.”

The officer’s face went from irritated to worried, then morphed into respectful. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. But this is a crime scene, and that dead body back there is in my jurisdiction. I need to know what to file in my report.”

“Isn’t it obvious? You know she was kidnapped, right?”

“Yeah, lots of witnesses testifying to that.”

“Well, clearly he got stuck in the mud, must have thought she was knocked out cold, so he left the gun on the seat when he went to try to push the car out, she grabbed it, and killed him in self-defense. Simple. Can we go now?”

The officer pressed his lips together, then said, “Yeah, I guess.”

And Tony and the FBI agent helped Jana to her car.

As soon as they were on the road, Jana let out a gasp. “Thank you,” she said. “Please take me to see Merrick.”

Chapter Thirty

When they got to the hospital, Jana refused to worry about herself. She had some bruises, and her whole body ached, but she was going to be just fine. She had one thought and only one thought on her mind. She had to see Merrick.

Merrick looked like hell lying on the hospital bed, with the center of his body wrapped and bandaged. When he looked up, his face broke into a pained smile. “Bombshell,” he said.

Jana rushed to his side, leaning over him, staring into his eyes, as her eyes teared with happiness. He was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay.

Merrick took her hands. “I love you, Bombshell. Please never leave me again.”

“I love you too, Merrick, I promise I’ll never leave you.”

A moment later, she had to break her promise as a nurse came in and shooed them both away. They didn’t have permission to be back in this part of the hospital, the nurse said as she scolded them outside his door.

“I love you, Bombshell,” Merrick shouted from inside the room.

“I love you,” Jana shouted back, as they left the restricted area. When they got into the waiting room, Holly almost tackled Jana.

“Jana, you’re alright, thank God,” hugging her so hard Jana lost her breath.

“Bombshell?” They all turned around. Jana was surprised to see her psychologist standing before them. “Doctor Garcia.”

“You missed your appointment, dear,” the shrink said in a mock serious tone.

They all laughed.

“I’m sorry, Doctor, I was a little busy.”

“I can see that. In fact, I heard all about it in the hallway. So, you’re in love with Merrick Flynn, is that correct?” she said, and motioned Jana to a long empty couch in the waiting room.

Jana got the gist and lay down on the couch, resting her back against the uncomfortable straight edge. “Yes, doctor, I am,” she said.

The psychologist sat on the edge of a heavy marble coffee table. She grabbed a magazine and plucked an imaginary pen out from behind her ear, then started making notes on her imaginary patient file.

“Very interesting, Bombshell, tell me more.”