One Millhaven Lane (15 page)

"Grove Police Department. How may I direct your call?"

It surprised Asia that Stacey answered. Someone else must be watching over Asia. She introduced herself. "Nate wouldn't be around, would he?"

"No, he's not. Last I heard, he was checking on you."

Asia smiled. Stacey would know that firsthand, since she had been on the street outside Asia's house when Nate walked her home. "He wouldn't be on a call?"

"No calls came through here and if he is, he hasn't checked in with me."

"Okay, thanks, Stacey."

Asia wouldn't let her know she'd seen her keeping watch. Stacey would probably feel the need to amp up her surveillance technique and where Carter hoped to quell her desire to become a police officer, Asia wouldn't encourage her.

She dialed Nate's cell and the call went straight to voice mail. She didn't find that too unusual. She often did the same.

If Nate were dealing with a flood, he wouldn't want to be interrupted.

Ten minutes passed with still no word from Nate, Asia traveled from room to room, peering through windows at the street and hoping to see Nate's squad car pulling into the driveway. She never sat or stayed in one place for more than a few seconds. She couldn't. Frayed nerves. Understandable in the circumstances, she told herself. Who wouldn't be nervous in her situation?

Enough!

Asia jumped into action. She grabbed her coat from the banister, her car keys from her backpack and shoved her feet into her boots.

As she ran out the door and down the steps, she used the remote to unlock her car doors. Seconds later, she was behind the wheel of her car and driving the winding road that led to Nate's.

 
She prayed nothing had happened to him. A horrible thought crossed her mind, then. If the leak was in the basement, as they always seemed to be, and if the light was on a pull chain, as they most often were in those old houses, Nate could have electrocuted himself.

Oh God. Please don't let anything happen to Nate.

From a distance of a quarter mile, Asia could make out Nate's squad car parked in front of his house. She pulled her car to a mad stop behind him and climbed out of the car, her heart beating frantically.

Asia dashed up the walkway and took the steps two at a time, feeling her skin pull tight over her healed wound.

At the door, she didn't hesitate to let herself inside.

"Nate," she called out. He didn't answer.

From where she stood, she could see an open door and thought it led to the basement.

In her mind, she pictured Nate dead at the foot of the stairs. She screamed his name, but he didn't answer.

Asia ran through the hallway until she came to the open door. She looked into the semi-darkness and saw stairs leading downward. Without a moment's hesitation, she moved slowly down the stairs, calling Nate's name and wishing she had the foresight to bring a flashlight.

She stepped from the last step onto the concrete floor.

Something grabbed her around the ankle. Her heart nearly jumped up her throat. She let out a screech and yanked her foot clear.

"It's me, Asia," Nate said.

"Nate. Oh my God. I knew something was wrong. What happened?" She pulled on the cord dangling over her head and the light came on. She knelt beside him and helped him to a sitting position.

He massaged the back of his head. "I don't know. I must have tripped coming down the stairs and fell."

She looked around at the dry concrete floor. "There was no water leak," she said, her thoughts immediately turning to Bobby and thinking the entire story had been a ploy to separate her from Nate, her protector.

"Listen," he said.

She did and could hear water running. "I don't understand."

"The leak's in-ground outside."

"I hope it's on the town's property. It could be costly, otherwise."

He shrugged. "This is a rental."

"The poor owners then." She examined his head. "You've got a nasty bump. We should get you to the hospital. You might have a concussion."

"I'm fine."

"Men," she said. "Let's get you upstairs, then." The basement was creeping her out. There were too many dark corners to hide in.

Chapter Eleven

Back at her mother's house, Asia insisted Nate take two acetaminophen tablets and settled him on the sofa. She didn't think he suffered a concussion, but gave him strict orders to let her know immediately if he experienced dizziness, blurred vision or nausea.

While he phoned in his situation to the station, she tidied up the foyer, putting away boots and hanging coats on the hooks at the front door. She didn't want to stray from Nate's side too long or far and hurried around the house.

"Hello, Asia."

At the sound of his voice, she stopped, her stocking-ed feet sliding on the hardwood floor a few inches ahead of her.

Without losing momentum, she righted herself and though her heart hammered wildly, she managed to keep her voice even when she looked at him only five feet away in the kitchen doorway.

"Hello, Bobby."

"Long time no see."

"Not so long," she said. The areas of the wounds he'd inflicted throbbed as though she needed reminding that Bobby wanted her dead.

He laughed. "I messed up," he said. "I won't this time."

From nowhere it seemed, a knife appeared in his hand. He waved the weapon in the air before her face. That was menacing enough, but what terrified her was his sparkling eyes. He not only intended to kill her, he looked forward to doing so.

Bobby made a move toward her.

She darted out of his way, thinking she needed to keep him talking until Nate could get to her.

"You don't have to do this, Bobby. I'll sign over my share in the house to you. You can have it all. The insurance — "

He snarled. "This isn't about money."

"What is it about then? Tell me. Let's sit down and discuss it. Whatever problems we have, we can work through. We're family, Bobby. You're my brother, my twin. You're all I have left. Mom — "

"Don't you dare!" He screeched, spittle flying his mouth and landing on his chin. "Don't you dare bring her into this. This is about you and me and all those years of looking down your nose at me."

"Bobby, I never — "

"Shut up." He flicked the knife toward her and closed his eyes. "Just. Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

"Calm down, okay?" She recognized the sound of feet hitting the living room floor and knew that Nate had been alerted. She looked at Bobby. He didn't seem to have noticed.

She raised her voice for Nate to hear. "Bobby, whatever you want, tell me and I'll get it for you." Please hurry, Nate.

"You have it too, you know."

"Have what?"

"The devil. It's inside you, just like it is me, and it's only a matter of time before he takes over, like he did me."

Asia shook her head. "No." She wasn't anything like her twin. She would never believe she was capable of the atrocities he'd committed, the pain he'd inflicted on others, the torture...no, she was a good person.

"Hit the floor, Asia," Nate said behind her.

No, she couldn't. Nate would kill him. She didn't want her brother dead. Bobby ran toward her, raising his arm high in the air, the switchblade clutched in his hand. He gave an ungodly shriek as he lunged at her.

"Asia, drop," Nate said.

She dove to the floor and covered her ears against the gunshot she knew was coming. The sound of the blast penetrated through her hands and into her ears. Bobby fell on top of her, a dead weight that flattened her against the floor. She flailed her arms and legs from side to side but couldn't move out from under him.

"Get him off me." Her chin and cheek rubbed against the floor as she turned to look into the hallway for Nate. Time seemed to drag on in the seconds she waited for Nate to reach her.

"I'm right here, baby," Nate said. "Right here." He set his fingers on Bobby's neck.

"He's dead." She didn't need to check for a pulse to know.

Nate grabbed Bobby's arm and rolled him off Asia. She threw herself into Nate's arms, sobbing. "I thought I was dead." Her body shook uncontrollably.

Nate rubbed her back. "Shh. Everything's okay now. Bobby's not going to hurt you anymore."

She closed her eyes and mind to the sight of her brother's lifeless body on the floor beside her. "Did you have to kill him?"

"Maiming him would have only temporarily immobilized him. I couldn't take the chance that I'd get to him before he tried to kill you again. He was crazy on drugs. Didn't you see his eyes?"

She did, but had thought he was thirsting for her death. "What took you so long? I thought you'd fallen asleep."

"It wasn't that long. A few seconds, maybe."

"Really?"

"I swear." As though not wanting to waste another moment's time when life could be so unpredictable, Nate asked, "Will you marry me?"

She came out of his hold to look at him. "Are you all right?" He had to be insane to propose marriage now. Maybe his head was more injured than she thought.

"Yes, of course, I am."

"That's a strange question to ask at a time like this," she said.

"Not if you've been waiting for the best moment and never getting one." He reached into his breast pocket and came out with a velvet purple bag tied with a gold drawstring. She watched as Nate took a ring from the bag and held it between his fingers.

"Will you marry me, Asia Rae McDevitt?" He offered her the engagement ring.

"Yes!"

The door to the closet at Nate's back flew open. A second later, a woman jumped out.

Nate reacted with the speed and agility of a panther. He threw Asia to the side and stood.

Asia righted herself and peeked out from behind Nate. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Crystal. My God, what are you doing in my closet?"

"You bitch," Crystal yelled. "You wanted him dead. He never did anything to you. It's time you pay."

Everything happened fast then. Crystal brought around the arm she held at her back. She screamed and held the knife high in the air and charged. Asia grabbed Nate's gun from the floor, took aim and fired. Crystal hit the floor like an anchor.

She looked at Crystal laying motionless on the floor. A horrible thought occurred to Asia. "Is she dead?"

"You only grazed her," he said.

"Why isn't she moving?"

Nate shook his head and frowned. "She must have knocked herself out when she fell."

Asia wasn't so sure. "Check her carotid artery. Something's not right."

Nate pressed his fingers against the pulse in Crystal's neck. A second later, he rolled Crystal on her back.

Asia shrieked when she saw the knife protruding from Crystal's midsection. "Oh God. Oh God. I killed her."

Nate stood and took Asia in his arms. "No, you didn't. She killed herself."

She let Nate take her into the living room and onto the sofa. "I've got to call this in. Are you going to be all right?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Do what you need to do."

Asia sat back and sorted out the last few months in her mind.

Crystal popping up at her shop, looking frail and waif-life, Asia had wanted to help her. She gave her a job, invited her into her heart and home. She trusted her with her most valuable possessions, trusted her with her friends and she'd been Bobby's accomplice, probably all along. Crystal, her long-time employee, who she treated like a sister was working with Bobby against her. He couldn't have found a more fitting partner in crime. Crystal knew everything there was to know about Asia, because she'd confided in her. Crystal knew Asia's whereabouts at all times and who she was with. Then after the stabbing, Asia had kept her abreast of all developments, not only because Crystal was her friend and someone to talk to, but because she needed to know in case there was an emergency at
Aphrodite
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