Touched by Lightning [Dreams of You] (Romantic Suspense) Page 23

  “We all worked together to make sure we got your money for this project. Heck, you weren’t using it. Then, after I think everything’s worked out, there you are in the hospital parking lot. I was there to talk to Adrian.”

  “You’ll burn in hell for what you’ve done.”

  “Until then, I’ll make a ton of money. It’ll be a lot easier to get investors when I have a nice chunk of it in the deal myself.”

  “Where did you get the explosives? Not everybody has the makings of a pipe bomb in his garage.”

  He drew the knife to his lips, pressing the flat part of the blade against them. “They’re surprisingly easy to make; smokeless powder, some pipe, and an electronics background, and viola...a pipe bomb is born.”

  “You’re going to screw up, Jack. Somewhere along the way, you’re going to mess up and someone will figure it out. Like finding out about your background.”

  He didn’t look worried. “My background isn’t easy to trace, darling. I jumped around so much, doing different things at different companies, they’d never put together the total of two years I worked for an alarm company.”

  “They’re going to find out.” She didn’t really believe that, but she didn’t want him to feel so comfortable with murdering her.

  “I won’t screw up. I haven’t yet. And you know what’s so darn funny? Here you were all this time living right under our noses, and now you’re in the most obvious place, yet no one is looking for you.”

  “I don’t quite find the humor in it.” She softened the edge in her voice. She didn’t want to beg, but she had to take a chance. “Jack, if I married you now, and signed over the money to you as soon as I took possession of it, would you let me live? I mean, how could I ever prove all this, even if I did say something to the police, which I wouldn’t?”

  “Sorry, Nik. I couldn’t take that chance. Don’t think I like doing this. It’s nothing personal. You’re just worth more to me dead. Like your brother, I want to make something of myself. Only I’m smarter than he is. And it’s true, that you have to have money to make it. When Devlin inherits your money, I will have control of it. Before we know it, I will be a very rich man.” He leaned over and pinched her cheek. “And darling, I will toast to you when I make my first million.”

  “You’re so kind. I hope someone poisons your champagne.”

  “Now, now. Don’t get hostile. I told you it’s nothing personal.”

  Her heart fell. There really was no hope. No one knew she was alive, Adrian might have been part of it ... her heart ached at the thought of him. How could he have done this to her? She didn’t want to believe it, but it fit too well. The meetings, his aloofness ... heck, the police had him under arrest for her murder. There were witnesses to the fact that he had purchased the pipe needed. And the partial cigarette in the ashtray in her mother’s bedroom. He had been there, plotting her murder along with Devlin and Jack. Right there in her parents’ bedroom.

  A tiny part of her didn’t want to believe it, but she forced herself to face the truth. She had given her heart to a murderer. In fact, the only men she had ever cared about had tried to kill her. And her own brother had been part of it, if not the first time, then at least the second. Her life meant nothing but the money she was to inherit.

  She bowed her head. “Then why don’t you just get it over with?” Her voice sounded thick, strangled in her throat.

  “I will. Tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “We’ll take a little cruise on the Madsen yacht. And then won’t it be a pity that you’ll fall overboard.” He grinned, and she swore that a devil had possessed him. “And didn’t I tell you not to wear those anchors? Tsk tsk.”

  She was going to drown tonight. The thought shot panic through her, but she refused to give Jack the satisfaction by showing it. She simply raised her head and said, “If God allows me, I’m going to put a curse on whatever project you’re doing with my money. I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life.”

  His smile disappeared as his head snapped to the left. “That wouldn’t be Wilde, now, would it?” he said, backing up and closing the door behind him.

  The darkness shrouded her, and she sucked in a deep breath of panic. Would she see Adrian before she died? Would she see his betrayal in his eyes? She couldn’t think about him.

  The ocean she had always loved looking out to would take her life. She took some comfort that it would be an old friend who would not take her life, but welcome her into its comforting arms. Yes, that’s how she would look at it.

  “God,” she whispered. “Let it be quick.” Her mother had almost drowned when she was a teenager, and had told Nikki of the peace that enveloped her when she realized she was going to die. Then hands had reached in and pulled her to the surface. She hoped it would be peaceful.

  Jack prowled the hallway, intent on the tiniest sound. The front door closed, and he heard a sigh as a bag was dropped on the tile foyer. A careful peek around the wall revealed Devlin standing there, his head cocked for noise, too. The van parked out front probably tipped him off that someone was in the house, and Jack had no business being there. Damn, this complicated things a bit. Jack couldn’t let him know he was there. How was he going to get Nikki out of the house now? He was going to have to get Devlin out of the way. Not permanently, of course.

  Jack gingerly lifted a thick, ceramic vase from an ornate table. With it poised, he made a sound with his nail against the wall. Devlin’s footsteps sounded in his direction. All Jack had to do was knock him out before Devlin could recognize him in the dark hallway. Just as Devlin rounded the corner, Jack slammed the vase over his head. His eyes glazed over, meeting his for a second before he slumped to the floor. Hopefully, if he remembered seeing Jack later, he could explain it as some strange delusion. After all, Jack had no reason to break into Devlin’s home.

  Jack dragged Devlin’s heavy form to the wine cellar door and opened it. Nikki’s eyes widened at the body. He pulled it in and left it in a heap next to a row of wine bottles.

  “Devlin?” she whispered.

  “He almost ruined our little party.”

  She was staring at the still form. “Is he dead?”

  “How would he inherit your money if he’s dead? He might have come in here and found you, and then it would be all over.”

  “He doesn’t know about me?”

  Oops. Jack had wanted her to think Devlin and Adrian were in on the scheme, so he didn’t seem like the only bad guy. He’d let Devlin’s innocence out of the bag.

  “No, he doesn’t. He was actually quite upset about your murder, and that will work best as he processes the paperwork to inherit your portion of the money. When I find him in the cellar, after getting worried when he doesn’t report to work tomorrow, he’ll tell me about some burglar who knocked him over the head. We’d better get going, before he wakes up and really complicates matters.”

  That phone call haunted Ulyssis all through the day. Even in the peacefulness of his home, he couldn’t stop hearing Nicolina’s voice. The strain was getting to him. She was dead, even though his heart wouldn’t allow him to accept that as fact. But that voice …

  What would the police say if he told them what had happened? They’d think he suffered from dementia. Maybe he did. Nicolina had been like a daughter to him, and he was the only person she trusted throughout her horrible ordeal. That photographer had come into her life, stolen her heart, and then brutally killed her. Now the madman was on the loose. Ulyssis prayed they would catch and electrocute him. Not that it would bring his Nicolina back, but it would help to heal the anger in his soul.

  The doorbell rang, and Ulyssis made his way slowly to the door. He didn’t even check through the peephole before opening it. He was sure that he was seeing things when that very man walked into his home. The blood ran cold through Ulyssis’s veins, but he managed to reach for the button on the alarm pad that notified the police they were needed. Adrian’s words stopped him.

  “Nikki’s alive, and I need your
help. You’re my last hope.”

  Ulyssis knew Adrian had a gun. The hand poised for the button slowly dropped. Those words seemed preposterous, and yet …

  “What do you mean she’s alive? You killed her.”

  Adrian dropped his head for a moment, then looked up at him with pleading eyes. “I love her. All I wanted to do was protect her, and instead I led him right to her. But it wasn’t Nikki who died in that van.”

  “Wait a minute. You led who right to her?”

  “Devlin. He planted the pipe bomb, just like the first time. Think. He has the most to gain from her death. I don’t know how he managed an alibi; maybe he had someone else do the deed this time. But she isn’t dead. I met with Jack and Devlin because I knew about the building in Tampa and wanted to find out how desperate Devlin was to find Nikki. Hell, I should have kidnapped her and taken her back to New York with me like I’d threatened to. She would have been safe there.”

  Adrian crackled in a rush of energy, and his forehead was dotted with perspiration. Ulyssis couldn’t deny the emotion he saw in the man’s eyes. Was he a lunatic? A lunatic who had made sure Nicolina’s dog was taken care of?

  “You said she is still alive? How do you know this?” Could he dare believe?

  “Nikki and I are connected in a way that’s hard to describe. Since the first explosion.”

  Ulyssis felt the blood drain from his face. “I know about the visions. She told me.”

  “Ulyssis, I saw her being kidnapped after the second explosion. This morning. I think she was coming to see me at the hospital, but someone grabbed her and threw her into a white van.”

  Ulyssis’s hand went to his mouth. “Oh, my God. It was her, then.”

  “What was her?”

  “The phone rang earlier today. It sounded like her.” He shook his head. “I thought it was my imagination.”

  “What did she say?”

  “Just my name, then she was cut off.”

  “When Nikki is in a highly emotional state, I can see through her eyes, feel what she’s feeling. But I can’t seem to connect with her. You know Devlin better than I do. Where might he take her? Someplace near water.”

  Ulyssis had to believe the love he saw in Adrian’s eyes, the desperation to save her. He thought about calling the police but still wasn’t sure they’d believe him. And if Adrian was innocent, they might kill him on sight.

  “There’s an abandoned warehouse near the Intracoastal, one of Devlin’s acquisitions. We can try there first. My car’s in the garage.”

  A thumping, whining noise made them both look where Crackers stepped out of the hallway. Crackers went nuts when he saw the tall man, jumping up and talking in dog language. It was so much better than the plaintive whining Ulyssis heard day in and out.

  Adrian knelt down and gave the dog a hug. “We’ve got to save our BlueFire, Crackers. Then we’ll be back for you.”

  Adrian turned back to the door where Ulyssis was waiting, and they jumped into his Jaguar and headed to town. Adrian was leaned forward, as if trying to make the car go faster. Ulyssis pushed the gas pedal farther down.

  Adrian’s heart pounded faster than he’d ever felt it. The thought of her being held at some warehouse against her will pumped fierce adrenaline through his veins. For some strange reason, he pictured the sandcastle they had made together on the beach, and the princess in distress in the tower. Now he was going to be that prince who’d come to save the fair maiden. If they made it there in time.

  Adrian was rocked by a fear so deep and vivid, he knew it wasn’t just his own. Nikki was still alive. And scared to death. Her heart beat rapidly, and her breath came in deep gasps. Dark images flashed in front of him, jerky and shadowy. Then he saw the back end of a large boat, a glimpse of letters before the vision disappeared.

  “Life’s Too Short.”

  “You got that right,” Ulyssis said, taking a sharp turn.

  “No, I see a boat, and that’s the name of it.”

  Ulyssis turned to him. “The Madsen yacht. Addington, Nicolina’s father, took me out on it a few times. Are you saying she’s on the boat?”

  “She’s standing next to it.” His throat tightened. “And he’s going to drown her.”

  Ulyssis had already turned the car around, making the tires screech into the quiet night air. “I know where the marina is.”

  Adrian didn’t know if Nikki could feel him when they connected, but he concentrated. Nikki, I love you. Hold on, baby, we’re on our way.

  CHAPTER 19

  Nikki knew how those old pirates felt when they were told to walk the plank. Through her shoes, she could feel the planks of wood that led to the Madsen yacht. The marina was closed at this time of night, but Jack had expertly picked the lock that kept the gates closed.

  Even at the late hour, the marina was an orchestra of noise, from the water lapping at the pilings to the squeak of boats rubbing against bumpers. She could have raised a scream to obliterate all those sounds, but her mouth was gagged with a handkerchief. Her hands were bound behind her.

  Under the circumstances, Nikki could hardly remember family parties on this boat. Jack walked her to where the yacht was docked. Life’s Too Short, her father had named his favorite toy. How right he was.

  Jack had a grip on her arm as he maneuvered the walkway down to the dock. Through the pain and anger and fear that gripped her, she felt something else: hope. Adrian.

  She shook her head, pushing it away. It was a trick, or her imagination. Hold on, baby, he seemed to say. She wanted that hope so badly she couldn’t help the tears that streamed down her face.

  “Stop crying,” he snapped.

  Rage filled her. She rushed at Jack, shoving him against the boat and running across the dock to the gate. Then what? She could hardly climb the fence with her arms tied, and Jack had locked the gates again. Find a place to hide. Crevices, nooks and crannies, and more than a hundred boats, there were plenty of places she could duck into until the marina opened the next morning.

  Jack’s footsteps pounded on the boards behind her. “Nikki, don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he growled, his voice growing nearer. Fingers reached for her hair, tangling in it, pulling her backwards until she slammed against his body.

  “Hold it right there.”

  That rich voice blasted through her as though he had shot her with the gun he was holding. Adrian stood there, taking deep breaths, gun pointed at them. But at whom?

  Jack dropped the knife in his surprise. He grabbed Nikki and shoved her toward Adrian. With a quick twist of his body, Jack kicked Adrian into the water. The gun flew out of his hand.

  Nikki only had a second to realize Ulyssis stood there, too. In one quick swoop, Jack grabbed the knife and pressed it against her throat. Then he jerked her to her feet and down the dock toward the yacht.

  Ulyssis looked as horrified as she must have. Why was he there with Adrian? She wouldn’t believe that he had been in on the whole thing, too. But no, Jack was fighting off Adrian. He wouldn’t be fighting a cohort.

  As if expelled from a gun, Ulyssis ran toward them. Jack shoved her down and lunged at Ulyssis with the knife, catching him in the upper chest.

  His face contorted in pain, and Jack kicked him into the murky water. She screamed, but it came out as only a muffle. She searched the water for either man. Her gaze found Adrian’s gun balanced on the edge of the planks. She tried to shove herself at Jack, but he pushed her aside and grabbed the gum, aiming several shots where Adrian had plunged into the water.

  The screams continued to tear from her throat. Jack tossed the gun in the water after wiping it on his pants, and slapped her. “Shut up.” He jerked her to her feet and dragged her back to the boat.

  “Now you’ve made a mess of it. If you’d come along peacefully, those men wouldn’t be dead. And that means I’ll have to dispose of them when I come back. I hate touching dead bodies.” They reached the walkway. “Actually, I don’t have to do anything with them,” h
e said, shoving her along in front of him. “I’ll throw the knife in the water when I’m done. The police will think Ulyssis tracked Adrian here, and they had it out, with both of them dying.”

  He pulled her onto the yacht and dragged her up to the steering wheel on the top deck. The engine wheezed a few times before starting, and he held the knife to her throat as he backed out of the slip. As soon as they cleared the marina, he kicked up the speed. He maneuvered through the choppy Intracoastal, then through the pass leading out to the ocean. The waves rose in great swells, dragging the boat down, then lifting it high on a crest.

  “Almost there,” he said, his fingers gripping the teak steering wheel. “Believe me, I want to get this over with as fast as you do.”

  She twisted her head and spit out the gag. Not that screaming would do her any good now. “You bastard. How can you value money more than human life?”

  He patted her cheek. “I don’t suppose you would understand. You never even took advantage of the money you had. I thought you were incredibly weird, not indulging your every whim. I was worried you’d squirrel all that money away and not let me spend any of it when we were married. Or even worse, donate it to charity.”

  “I would never have married you, Jack. Never.”

  “Doesn’t matter, darling, now does it?”

  “Adrian didn’t have anything to do with this, did he?”

  “He obviously wanted it all for himself. I knew he’d try to double cross me and sweet talk Devlin into letting him control LandCorp. Now he’s dead. Don’t you think he got what he deserved?”

  Nikki wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Could she have been so wrong about Devlin? She looked at Jack but couldn’t remember being infatuated with him. Yes, she could be so wrong. She didn’t dare think about Adrian.

  When she had looked at Jack, he was staring right through her. His eyes narrowed.