Ragan's Song (Fairfield Corners #2) (16 page)

Adam dropped to his knees next to Ragan, avoiding the spot where the entity had stood only moments before. “Hey, Baby, did he hurt you?” he asked after he had pulled the gag off. He reached around and struggled to loosen the knot in the rope locking her hands behind her.

“Look out!” she yelled as a shot rang out, echoing through the house. Adam landed on top of her on the bed as she screamed. Closing her eyes, she wept for the life she almost had.

Chapter 36

“Wake up, Ragan. It’s over.” Adam touched her face, his hand shaking. “Come on, Baby, you’re safe now.”

She opened her eyes and looked at Adam as he hoisted her to her feet. “He shot you. Where are you hurt? We have to get you to the hospital.”

“I’m okay. I’m not shot.”

“But, I saw him fire the gun at you…” She ran her hands up and down his arms, motioning him to turn in a full circle so she could see for herself.

“See? No holes,” he said with a sad smile. Adam pulled her closer and swept her into his arms, blocking her view of the room. He carried her out the door and into the hall as Logan appeared at the top of the stairs.

“What happened? I heard a shot,” the deputy demanded.

“We’re fine.” He leaned toward Logan and whispered, “I got her out before she could see the results.” Sirens blared, getting louder as they neared the house.

Adam walked out onto the porch, glad to see an ambulance pulling in behind Logan’s cruiser. He hurried in that direction, wanting Ragan to get medical attention as soon as possible.

Logan stepped into the room and blanched at the sight of what remained of Billy lying in the middle of the floor. “What the hell happened?” His voice stammered as he walked around the cluttered space, trying to piece together the sequence of events. After snapping a few photos, he glanced out the window at the scene below; the overgrown yard appeared crowded with the growing number of officials and vehicles responding to the call.

“Billy, no,” he heard from the doorway. Mark stood, frozen, his eyes wide at the sight of half of his brother’s face splattered across the wooden surface.

Logan pulled him out of the room, “What are you doing here, Mark? How did you get up here?”

“The coroner is out of town on an emergency; I’m covering for him. Let me at least cover him up, leave my brother some dignity.”

“Your brother? Jesus, Mark, I’m sorry. I’ll have James call for someone else to handle this. Let’s go, there’s nothing you can do to help him now.” He put his hand on Mark’s shoulder, “Don’t mention this to Ragan,” he said as he motioned to the middle of the room. “Adam said she didn’t see it, and she’s been through enough. Why don’t you go check on her?” He hoped that Mark could keep her busy while he questioned Adam about the events.

“Yeah,” Mark replied as he shuffled down the hallway toward the stairs, with Logan close behind. When he walked down the porch steps, he could see Ragan’s blanket clad form curled in Adam’s arms.

“Are you okay, Ragan?” Mark asked as he walked up to a gurney with Adam sitting on it, and Ragan in his lap.

She reached over and patted his arm in acknowledgement. “I’m good; they want me to go to the hospital for some tests, but I just want to go home.”

“Adam, I need to ask you some questions,” Logan interrupted as he joined them. “It shouldn’t take too long. We can do an in-depth interview in a couple of days, but right now I need to know the sequence of events.”

“Do we need to do this now? I don’t want to be away from her.”

“You know I do.”

“I’ve got to go talk to Logan,” Adam placed Ragan on her feet to stand. “We’ll be just over there,” he said as he pointed to Logan’s cruiser a few feet away. “Mark, can you stay with her while I take care of this?”

“Sure, Adam,” Mark agreed grimly.

Adam helped Ragan lie down on the gurney and brushed the hair off her face before kissing her forehead. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’ll try to make this quick so I can get you home to Skylar and Jenna.”

Mark sat on the gurney next to her. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Ragan. I knew Billy was sick, but I never guessed it was this serious. I thought he was down in Indianapolis, as a matter of fact.”

She squeezed his hand, “It’s not your fault.”

He noticed the bruising on her ankle, Gentle and soothing, his fingers probed the area.

“It’s just a bruise. Most of the time, he treated me very well, except for the manacle and the chamber pot.” She shivered, the cold temperature of the house seemed to have seeped into her bones.

Mark adjusted her blanket, wrapping it more snugly around her, “You might be going into shock.” He checked her vitals and felt somewhat reassured when they were all normal.

Ragan pulled him into a hug, “Thank you, Mark. You’re such a good friend.”

Deciding it would be the most discrete location, Logan opened the cruiser’s passenger door and motioned Adam to sit there. “What the hell happened up there?”

“When I got here, I searched the first floor. Then I heard Ragan’s voice, so I ran upstairs and into the room where she was bound and gagged. The kidnapper was with her and had a gun to her head.” He cleared his throat, unable to go on.

“Hey, no reason to fall apart now, Ragan’s safe and she seems to be okay.” Logan motioned to one of the EMTs for a bottle of water. Once Adam had a few swigs, Logan signaled for him to continue

“Shit. I keep seeing her with the gun pressed up against her head and it makes me sick to my stomach.”

“Just breathe, Cuz. She’s safe.” He waited a few minutes for Adam to pull himself together. “So, what happened next?”

Adam wiped his mouth, “I think I saw a ghost,” he looked anxiously at the deputy, gauging his reaction. “When Logan appeared to accept the explanation, he continued. “The door flew open and something, not human, manifested in the middle of the room. Ragan’s kidnapper seemed to recognize it. He dropped the gun and backed up and slid down the wall, his eyes looking crazy.” Adam’s hands shook as he spoke, “The ghost, or whatever it was, tipped its hat to me and disappeared. A feeling of calm washed over me. Whatever it was would protect us. I rushed to Ragan’s side and started to untie the ropes. My back was to the spirit or whatever he was, and I didn’t see what happened next.”

“You were saved by a ghost?” Logan asked as he scribbled in his notebook.

“Yeah, I guess that’s what it was.” He took another drink from the bottle of water before pushing on, “Ragan screamed and I looked up and saw the guy fire the gun at me. I still don’t know how he missed me. I fell forward onto Ragan, trying to shield her. When I realized I hadn’t been shot, I turned…” Adam paused and frowned at Logan. “You’re not gonna believe this, but I swear it’s the truth.” Logan nodded his encouragement. “The bullet was hanging in midair and I watched it turn and hit the guy in the eye.”

“The bullet turned around and hit him?”

“Yeah. The air shimmered with this weird light effect, almost as if the bullet hit an invisible wall.” He glanced over at Ragan and saw her hugging Mark. A flash of jealousy caused him to clench his hands.

“Easy, Adam. She loves you, Mark’s just an old friend. He’s feeling guilty about all of this…”

“What does he have to feel guilty about? The stalker was after me, not him.”

Logan frowned, worried about how Adam was going to handle the rest of the facts. “The kidnapper was Mark’s brother, Billy.”

One of the EMTs approached Logan. “Deputy? We’re ready to take her to the hospital now.”

Adam stood, indicating to Logan that he was done giving his statement. “I’m riding with her. You ready to go, Ragan?” he called as he marched towards her.

At Ragan’s nod, the EMTs strapped her onto the gurney and acknowledged to Adam that he could climb into the back of the ambulance.

A single tear slid down his face. “I thought I had lost you for good this time.”

Chapter 37

When they reached the hospital emergency room, the staff bypassed normal procedures for the crowded ER. A crowd of reporters waited for the ambulance to arrive, and Ragan was whisked away to a private room upstairs.

Once she had settled in, Adam reached for his phone. “I need to call your family. They’ve been going crazy.”

“Where’s Skylar and Jenna? I want to talk to them first.”

He dialed the call for her, smiling when he heard his daughter answer. “Jenna, we found Ragan,” he informed her, and she screamed so loud he had to hold the phone away from his ear. When she had subsided yelling to Ragan’s mom, he said calmly, “Jenna, put Sky on the phone. Ragan needs to hear his voice.”

A moment later, Skylar said, “Hi, Mama. Come home?”

“Yes, Sky boy, mama is coming home soon. I love you.”

“Ragan, is it really you?” her mom asked once she had commandeered the line, “I’ve got to call your dad. He’s down at the sheriff’s office. Oh, he probably already knows. I need to call Robbie…”

Ragan laughed at her mother acting so flustered; she was usually the calm one. “You can meet us at the hospital if you want.”

“Hospital? Are you okay?”

“Yes, Mom, I’m okay. They just want to run some tests and make sure the baby is okay.” That’s when she remembered she hadn’t told anyone about the baby except for Mark and Adam.

“The baby? Is it Adam’s? Or is it Mark’s?”

“Geez, Mom. It’s Adam’s.”

“I guess that doesn’t matter. Are you happy?”

“Yeah, Mom, very happy.” She smiled up at Adam.

Adam grabbed the phone and gave her the room number before ending the call. He paced the length of the room, waiting for news. When a doctor entered, he startled him. “Is the baby okay, doc?”

“Yes, everything looks fine. I want you to take it easy for a few days.”

“No worries there, doc. I’ll take her away for a while and let all this die down.” Taking Ragan’s hand, he asked, “How about a trip to someplace warm and sunny, where the kids can play in the sand without us worrying about the paparazzi?” He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his contacts, knowing just who he needed to call.

Ragan’s eyes lit up when the door opened and her mom entered with Skylar in her arms and Jenna beside her. “Mama,” he cried as he shimmied down the front of his grandma, trying to get to her.

With tears in her eyes, she set Sky down on the bed next to Ragan, “Sorry for the interruption, doctor, but this little guy needed to see his mama.”

“I was done anyway. I’ll get your discharge paperwork signed so you can get out of here. Remember what I said, Ragan, take it easy.”

“I will. Thanks.”

Peggy motioned Logan to the far side of the room. “There’s a mob of reporters in front of the hospital. Is there any way we can get them out of here without going through them?”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Newlin, I’ll take care of it. I worked security for Adam for a couple of years, so I know how to handle the paparazzi.”

Adam grinned at Ragan as he slid his phone back in his pocket. “I just got off the phone with Fletch Carmichael. He’s letting us use his beachfront house in Key West and offered to fly us down there in his private jet.”

“That sounds perfect. Do you think anyone will find us there?” Ragan asked with a frown, worried about the reporters waiting downstairs. All she wanted was some peace and quiet with Adam and the children.

“Colt and Will can come with us to make sure no one gets close.” He pulled out his phone again and started dialing, “I’ll get everything set and we can leave tomorrow morning.”

The door swung open and Cassie stepped into the hospital room and grinned at Adam. She was escorting the hospital chaplain, who followed her. “I’ve got it, Adam,” she whispered as she walked over to hug Ragan. Pulling a box out of her pocket, she handed it to him behind her back and out of Ragan’s line of sight.

Robbie and Ragan’s dad joined them, filling the small room to standing room only. After everyone had settled down, Adam cleared his throat and started to talk. “This last week was terrible and I am thankful to have Ragan back safe and sound. Ragan, we’ve wasted so much time already and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you.” He bent down on one knee, “I know this isn’t the most romantic of settings, but I don’t want to wait any longer. I love you, Ragan Newlin. Will you marry me? Right here, right now?”

Through tears of joy, she nodded, “I want nothing more than to grow old with you, Adam. Yes, of course, I’ll marry you right here, right now. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” That’s when she noticed the hospital gown she was wearing. “Hope you don’t mind my wardrobe choice.”

Cassie winked at Ragan as she raised a duffle bag in her hand. “Come on, little mama. I have some clothes for you in here. Let’s go get you ready to get married.”

A short time later, Cassie wheeled Ragan onto the elevator for their trip to the chapel, “I don’t know what it is about those two that we are willing to marry them anytime, anywhere. I was really looking forward to planning your wedding.”

Hurried footsteps at the end of the hall caught their attention, and Mel appeared with a bouquet of flowers tied with a blue ribbon. “Here’s your something blue; now for something new and something borrowed.”

Cassie pulled the pearl ring off her right hand and handed it to Ragan. “I’m sure Gram is looking down and smiling, and I would love for you to wear this ring as your something borrowed. It meant so much to her.”

Ragan sniffled, trying to keep the tears from falling and ruining her makeup. “I would be honored.”

“Oh,” Mel said, “I also stopped and picked this up on my way here for your something new.” She pulled out a blue garter and helped Ragan pull it up her leg.

“Thanks, Mel,” Ragan sobbed as she hugged her. “What would I do without such wonderful friends?”

Arriving in front of the chapel, the trio were joined by Ragan’s mom and dad. Her father slipped his arm over her shoulders and asked, “Hey, baby girl. You ready to walk down the aisle?”

Considering the question, Ragan ticked off the list, “New, blue, borrowed…”

“Now, just hold on a minute, you almost forgot something old. I have the perfect thing,” her mom said as she opened a box she’d been fiddling with in her hands. “This is the veil I wore when I married your dad.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she put it on Ragan’s head and adjusted it. “There, you’re all set, sweetie.” She gave her a quick kiss and slipped into the chapel.

Ragan stood and smoothed out the skirt of the dress Cassie had brought for her to wear. “You ready to do this, Dad?”

He pulled her into a hug, “Love you, baby girl. Let’s get you married.”

The chapel door opened and everyone turned to watch as the smiling pair walked arm in arm down the aisle. Adam stared at Ragan, his gaze locked on hers.

Ragan’s pulse sped up when she saw the look of love in Adam’s eyes. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. When they reached the front of the chapel, she wiped away a tear from her father’s face. “Love you, Daddy.”

He put her hand in Adam’s and kissed her cheek. “Be happy, baby girl.”

The ceremony went quickly, at least until the preacher had Adam put the ring on her finger. The sleeve of her dress rode up, showing the abraded skin from her hands being tied behind her back. Adam’s eyes darkened as he pulled her hand up and kissed her wrist before putting the ring on her finger. “No one will ever hurt you again, Baby.”

She smiled up at him as she slid a plain gold band on Adam’s finger and repeated the vows that would bind them together for eternity. Then Adam pulled Ragan into his arms and kissed her, and finally feeling that it was safe to breathe normally, he murmured in her ear, “Love you forever.” Forgetting where they were, they stayed locked in the embrace until the minister cleared his throat. “Oh, sorry. Carry on.”

Nodding, he turned to the small group that had assembled before him, “I am happy to present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Bricklin.”