Dance With Me (10 page)

“
I remember Melanie,” Caleb jumped in. “Pretty little redhead.”

“
That's the one,” Kat confirmed with a laugh. “About a year and a half ago, she and her husband came to the studio to learn to dance before their wedding. I knew Mason wasn't seeing anyone, so I made all my deposits in person for a month or two, hoping to catch his attention.”

Caleb slid a pointed look over Kat's curvy figure. “That couldn't have been too hard.”

“
Horndog,” Cassidy admonished with an elbow to her brother's middle.

“
You have eyes, sis,” Caleb protested through a grunt.

Kat watched the exchange, amused by the interplay between the siblings. She supposed she should be offended by Caleb's appreciation, but it was Cassidy who drew her attention; she wasn't all hard edges, at least not with everyone. She smiled before continuing the story. “One day I walked in the door when he was walking out while juggling a coffee, his cell phone, keys, and a large accordion folder.”

“
Uh-oh,” Carolyn remarked.

Kat laughed. “Uh-oh is right. Let the record show Mason Everett is not good at juggling!”

The room erupted in giggles. “I love him, but I still don't trust him with coffee.” She slumped. “God, I hope he's okay.”

Carolyn and Charles scooted over to flank Kat. “He's strong, that boy,” Charles told her. “He played his championship tennis match with broken ribs, he—”

Carolyn grinned as she cut her husband off mid sentence, “Tell her why his ribs were broken, Charlie.”

This was a story she hadn't heard. “What happened?”

“
It seems he forgot he was a tennis player, and ended up in a not-so-touch football game. They were down a player, and Mase stepped right up without even thinking.” He slapped his knee. “Played good, too, till he was thrown to the ground by Tanner Jamieson.” He shook his head. “Our Mason is tough, I tell ya.”

“
You've been friends with the Jamiesons for years, haven't you?”

“
Sure have. Booker and I play poker once a month, and Juliette and Carolyn used to watch each others kids.” He chuckled. “'We lucked out there, with four kids to their six.”

The Jamieson talk had her thinking about Carter, which made her think about her trial. She turned to Cassidy. “I know it doesn't matter, and we have more important things on the table right now, but please know I love your brother and I don't deal drugs.”

Cassidy sucked on her teeth for a second while she contemplated her brother's fiancee. “I have to remain impartial, Kat. The evidence is the evidence, and Carter is a great attorney.”

“
We believe you, dear, even if Cassidy isn't allowed to,” Carolyn assured with a squeeze of Kat's shoulder.

“
Thank you. I appreciate the support,” she told Mason's mother with a grateful smile.

Alec interrupted the cozy picture they made, phone in hand. “Sean and Dylan are there, and they've just reported gunshots.”

~*~

Dylan recognized Priscilla's screaming from his position outside. How did so much noise come from from such a small person? The good news about her tirade was she likely hadn't killed Everett—otherwise, she'd have no one to shriek at.

Sean crept toward the window. He had to see what was going on before he could do anything. Briefly he wondered what Black was doing on the other side of the cabin and dismissed it. Black could handle himself and had proven to be very useful. The crunching of gravel pulled his attention. The detectives were headed their way.

~*~

Priscilla stopped mid-sentence in disbelief. She swore she heard a car coming down the gravel road. Tightening her grip on her pistol, she turned her head and heard nothing. Her ears had to still be ringing from shooting. There was just no way anyone could have found them—she had planned so well, so meticulously. She gave her body a shake. No one had found them, she was just paranoid and mad as hell at Mason. She could wait. She'd waited sixteen years, she could wait a little while longer.

Mason didn't know how much time passed as he watched Priscilla's heels pace back and forth in front of the bed. When she finally stood still, it was his only chance. He exploded beneath the bed, hurling it at Priscilla. It caught her in the middle, sending her flying and knocking her on her ass. He wasted no time bolting for the door. He didn't know where he was going, but he sure as shit wasn't staying where he was.

He was getting away! All the waiting, all the plans; everything was falling apart! She didn't think, just pulled the trigger over and over until she was slammed into the ground by a large, hard body. It couldn't be Mason, she had shot Mason, he had to be dead. She fought against her attacker but it was no use. She had failed. Her life was ruined. Her life was over.

Sean pinned the woman to the floor while he wrestled the gun from her grasp. He'd counted four shots she had discharged before he could tackle her, and with her shaky shooting he wasn't sure where any had landed. Finally, he was able to wrench her arm behind her and plant a knee in her back, subduing her until the police could arrive on scene. He wondered if Dylan had caught up with Everett in the woods, and what was taking them so long. It sounded like the detectives had been only minutes away before all hell broke loose.

~*~

Dylan's side burned where the bullets had penetrated. He wished he'd worn kevlar, but he hadn't expected to be shot at when he'd dressed that morning. He let out a low groan. Years in hellholes and war zones and he was shot by a crazy woman in the wilds of Virginia? At least he'd protected Everett. He hoped.

Mason didn't know who had thrown him to the ground, but he was heavy and groaning. He guessed his protector had been hit, and hoped help was on the way—at least one of them needed medical attention. He hoped someone had captured Priscilla, and prayed Kat was safe. If anything had happened to her, he didn't know what he would do. Whatever it was, first he had to find his way from underneath the huge man on his back.

Detectives Chris Delmonico and Jason Monroe ran up the path to find Dylan Black nearly unconscious and bleeding atop a barely clothed Mason Everett, tape dangling from Everett's wrists and ankles. Chris stayed with the two, calling in paramedics from Aylesford, removing Black from Everett's back as gently as he could. It looked like the Ranger had blanketed his larger body over Everett's, taking a round to the lower back and one to the shoulder, very likely saving Everett's life. “Stay with us, Black. You didn't kill a bunch of terrorists overseas to be taken out by a crazy woman.” Happy when his comment elicited a grunt from the other man, Chris crouched to apply pressure to the wounds.

Inside the cabin Jason found a cursing, spitting Priscilla McClaren pinned to the floor by a completely unharmed Sean O'Dell. “Thanks for joining us,” Sean greeted when Jason walked in.

Monroe relieved Sean of Priscilla, cuffing her and reciting her rights. She screamed and flailed, blaming Mason for ruining her plans and killing her children. When that garnered no response from the detective, she switched tactics. “My father will get me out of this. He can buy and sell you.”

Monroe, not amused or threatened in the least, tossed back, “I don't care what your Daddy can do. You are still under arrest, and anything you say
 
will
 
be used against you in a court of law.”

That quieted her for a moment, until Delmonico yelled from outside the door. “Haul the bitch in without me, I'm waiting for Finnegan with the medivac.”

“
Who needs a medivac?” Sean asked, fists clenched as he ran out of the cabin. He landed on his knees next to Dylan.

Monroe jerked Priscilla out the door after O'Dell. He didn't know what exactly had happened up here, but he had a downed Army Ranger and a mostly naked man who had very obviously been bound. He tossed her in the car. She could scream and rail at him all she wanted from inside, he wasn't leaving until the helicopter arrived.

EIGHT

Kat waited with three of the four Everetts at Aylesford Memorial Hospital, leaving Alec to debrief with various law enforcement and Caleb to scrub in to work on Dylan Black. Two bullets from Priscilla's gun had hit him, and although the man was supposedly strong as an ox, she worried for him. He had been shot saving Mason's life, and she would be forever grateful. She sighed. Caleb promised Mason wasn't too hurt, but he needed to be checked out before he could go home. She stared at the clock. How much longer would she have to wait before she could see him? She glanced at Cassidy. Her lips were in a thin line, her knuckles white. “He won't blame you, ya know,” Kat assured.

Cassidy's eyes narrowed. “But it's my fault. Why wouldn't he blame me?”

“
How is it your fault? You didn't abduct him, you didn't shoot at him.”

Cassidy shook her head, sending the chestnut strands flying. “I encouraged her.” She stood, then quickly sat down again. “I'm supposed to be an officer of the court, I'm supposed to know when someone is crazy.”

“
You are not psychic, Cassie,” Carolyn admonished. “You knew she wanted to renew her relationship with your brother, and you might have encouraged it, but you did not help her kidnap him and you didn't shoot at him.”

Cassidy's face blanched at that. “Dylan Black,” she croaked. “He could die because of me.” She stood again, took a few steps away from the waiting area. “Does he have any family? Anyone to worry about him?”

“
Cassie, honey, we'll all worry about him, pray for him, stay for him. He saved your brother's life,” Charles promised.

“
I want to sit with him when he comes out of surgery,” Cassidy said. “He deserves to have someone with him.”

Carolyn smiled at her daughter. “No one is going to stop you, honey.”

Everyone stood a few minutes later when Caleb arrived in the waiting area, and despite everything, Kat had to admit the green scrubs were a good look for Mason's younger brother. “They want to keep Mase overnight since he was drugged multiple times.” He took a breath and that was enough for Cassidy to jump in.

“
What about Dylan Black?”

He tilted his head. “Dylan Black is a lucky man. God must watch over heroes, because both bullets barely—microscopically—missed major organs. It'll take a while and rehab before he has full range of motion with his shoulder, but he'll recover.”

“
Can I sit with him?”

Caleb's eyes widened at Cassidy's question. “Uh, yeah, I guess you can. He'll be out of it for a while with the anesthesia, but I don't see why not.”

She walked away before her brother finished speaking. “Where?” she asked over her shoulder.

He pointed toward the hallway, and she nearly ran away from them. With a shake of his head, he eyed his family, silently asking for help. It was Kat who finally explained Cassidy's actions, telling him Cassidy felt guilty about everything and was concerned Black didn't have any family to worry about him. He smiled at that. His sister might play the stone cold bitch, but she wasn't. Not really. Cassidy was a superhero. Sometimes she was annoying, or preachy or, well, bitchy, but she was the first one to fight for what she thought was right. He stared after her for a moment until his mother finally asked about seeing Mason.

With a nod, he told his family and Kat they were allowed to see his groggy older brother, and he was afraid he'd be trampled. Damn, maybe he should get kidnapped if it earned this kind of affection.

~*~

Mason couldn't believe less than twelve hours ago he'd arrived at the office and gotten jabbed in the ass with a sedative. Now, he lay in a hospital bed, the man who had saved his life in surgery. He was having a hard time believing most of the last few days. Kat framed for drugs, Priscilla losing her shit and kidnapping him, running for his life while almost naked, and now his family walking in to his hospital room with tears in their eyes.

Kat was the first to reach him, dropping kisses all over his face. “Oh my God, Mason. I knew you shouldn't have gone to work today. I knew it.”

He cupped her chin and kissed her properly. “Next time, I'll listen to you.”

“
Next time? There better not be a next time!” she exclaimed with a smack to his arm.

“
Sounds like a plan to me, bro. No getting kidnapped again,” Caleb quipped from the doorway.

Mason managed a chuckle. “Not looking for a repeat. I just meant I'd listen to Kat.”

“
Start now, boy. You're getting married—you'd do well to listen to her all the time,” Charles advised, rousing laughter from the group.

Carolyn squeezed Mason's hand in hers. “Women are rarely wrong, dear,” she told him in a conspiratorial whisper. “And even when we are, we almost never admit it,” she added, a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.

Mason laughed at his mother's tongue-in-cheek joke, happy to see his family in good spirits. Earlier that day he'd been afraid he'd never see them again. He shook his head. It didn't matter now. He was home, he was safe, and Priscilla was in custody. It was only a matter of time before Kat would be cleared of the drug charges and they could plan a wedding. He couldn't believe he was looking forward to wedding planning. He winced. He might have to turn in his man card if that last thought was ever mentioned aloud, but it was true nonetheless. In theory, at least.