As she finishes the sentence, there's a loud explosion. The cottage. Jack. I can't move. I can't breathe. The man that has me pinned is looking at the big black cloud hanging over the studio. I turn my face and realize I'm close enough to bite him. I sink my teeth into his wrist. He releases me with a howl of pain. I twist to the side, but I don't get very far. I see flashing lights and know they're there. The police saw it, but in my heart, I know it's too late. She did something to Jack and left him inside. That's why she wasn't at her desk when Kate and I were in the gallery.
With the explosion ringing in my ears, something snaps. Instead of tears, I feel rage. I don't stop kicking, scratching, and screaming. When I'm twisted on the ground, Cara tries to brand me again. I grab the iron and smack the man holding my legs, hard. He collapses, muttering a slew of swears as he falls. The man with the gun looks at Cara and then back at me. He yells for the other man to get up. Everything happens so fast after that. I skitter away, keeping the iron clutched in my hand. The tip is cooling off, but it still glows dimly.
Cara stomps her foot and hisses, "Fix this, now, or I swear to God, you'll never work for me again."
Just as I get to my feet, I see hands reaching for me, but they don't connect. The man stops suddenly and his eyes roll back into his head. He falls forward. I jump out of the way and see Kate standing behind him with a brick in her hand. "Okay, where's the bitch that tied me up? This brick is for her." Kate's gaze locks on Cara. Her arm winds back and she hurls the brick at Cara's head. Cara turns to run, but the brick still connects. It smashes into her arm and we hear a loud crack.
The man with the gun turns and points it at me. Kate and I put up our hands and start saying, "Don't shoot." The man is large with big hands. His pale bald head is covered with sweat. Cara is gripping her arm, trying not to scream. She snaps at him.
The man slowly steps toward us, but says to Cara, "This isn't part of the plan. Last night you killed that kid, and he had nothing to do with this. Now you're doing it again. The mark was Jack Gray. We got him. Let's just get out of here." As he talks, he moves toward us. Kate and I stare at the barrel of the gun. My throat is so tight that I can't breathe. She grips my hand and I squeeze, thinking that he's still going to pull the trigger.
Then everything changes. There's an angry cry that comes from beside us. The man with the gun turns to look, but it's too late. A dirty figure races straight toward him. Kate and I drop. I finally realize what I'm seeing. The man attacking the gunman is smeared with soot. It's Jack. The gun goes flying through the air. Kate rushes forward on her hands and knees and grabs it. Jack's fists slam into the man below him over and over. His body is pumped with rage; his muscles are corded tight, ready to pop.
I run to him and pull him away. Jack takes me in his arms and holds me tight. He has a nasty gash where blood is dripping into his eye.
"Where the f**k is everyone?" Kate yells, turning on her heel. There are flashing lights, but they haven't found us yet. The property is big, but not that big.
Jack is coughing, leaning into me. "They're at the cottage. The explosion lured them all there."
Kate gets to her feet at the same time as Cara. The man Jack punched is breathing hard on the ground, and the one Kate hit with the brick still can't stand. There's a lot of blood dripping down his neck. Cara starts to back away, but Kate points the gun at her. "Where is Gus?" she asks, her voice shaky. "Did you kill him, too?"
Cara lifts her hands and holds them, palms out, toward Kate. She shakes her head. "I didn't have a problem with you or Gus. You both got in the way."
Kate steps toward her with murder in her eyes. "Tell me you killed him. Say it and I'll pull the trigger so fast - "
"Drop the gun," a male voice booms behind her. We all look, our hands going up slowly. It's a cop. Finally. Kate takes a deep breath and drops the gun to the ground. "Step away, Miss." The policeman has his weapon drawn. It's still fixed on Kate. She does as he says and he puts her in handcuffs and calls for assistance.
As soon as help arrives, the world goes blurry. I hear things, but they sound far away. When the police ask what happened, I feel so heavy that I can't stand up. I fall forward, slipping between Jack's burned hands and hit the ground. The grass feels cold on my cheek. I blink once and the world goes black.
Chapter 36
JACK
Jack stares at Abby's bandaged hand while she lays in the hospital bed in the emergency room. He's supposed to be in another room, but Jack won't leave her. He can't believe that she is safe, even after knowing that Cara was the one gunning for him. The police have been able to confirm her identity as Wrath, now that they've taken her into custody. The woman was caught because she was cocky. She never thought anyone would think it was her. Everyone thought Wrath was a man. In the past, by the time things went to hell, Cara always disappeared. This time, she stayed too long, hell bent on branding Abby.
Jack looked at Abby's arm and her hand when they were admitted. She's going to scar. That memory will haunt Abby for the rest of her life. Abby stirs in the bed. Her eyes blink open slowly.
"Hey, lover," he says with a soft smile on his face. His head feels like it's been hit by a frying pan. That bitch knocked him out when he was in the cottage. Jack looked up, saw her, and didn't suspect her of a thing. By the time he saw the brick in her hand, it was too late.
Abby smiles and then winces. "Jack," she breathes, "you're alive."
He nods and strokes the hair out of her eyes. "So are you."
"Gus and Kate?" she asks, coughing. Jack hands her a cup of water to sip.
"Are both fine."
"I thought I heard you in here," Nate says.
"You were standing on the other side of a sheet. I'd be worried about you if you didn't," Jack says. Every inch of his body hurts, but it'd be impossible to be any more thankful than he was right then. Abby is safe. Kate didn't shoot the dick that stuffed Gus into a closet.
"I'm glad you're alive, Jack. I'd miss those witty little comments of yours." Nate smiles at him and shakes his head. "Listen, I know you've had a rough night, but I need your testimony. The people who did this to you are locked up and we want to keep them there. Abby, we need to know what happened. Yours is the part of the story that's missing."
Abby presses her lips together and nods. She holds the cup of water in her good hand and recounts what happened. It takes every ounce of restraint that Jack has not to react. This already happened. It's over now. When Abby is finished, Nate thanks them. As he leaves, he turns back to Jack, "This had nothing to do with your paintings, by the way, well, at least not the way you'd originally thought."
"What do you mean?" Jack asks.
"Cara Popadoplis has worked in many different places over the years. It was one of the ways that she got in and out without being noticed. Some of these attacks were years in the making, including yours. A few years back, her sister modeled for you. Cara had pictures from that shoot on her computer along with a rejection letter from you. Apparently she applied for the same gig and you picked her sister instead. Rather than deal with the jealousy that was there, Cara started to build a record against you. We think the media coverage of you and Abby put her over the top. She's not all there, Jack. She thought she had the right to do what she did."
"You think she's going to plead insanity?"
Nate laughs. "I doubt it. This whole thing was premeditated. She was obsessed with you, Jack. I can't imagine what she would have done if you did hire her back then." He nods his head and leaves.
Jack sighs and sits next to Abby on her bed. "I wish I could fix this." He takes her bandaged hand and gently turns it over. "I'm so sorry, Abby."
"Jack, you're alive." Her eyes are glassy as she looks at him. "When Cara told me what she did, that when I heard the explosion, you'd be..." She sucks in a raspy breath, shaking. "Then it happened and I thought I lost you."
Jack wraps his arms around her. "I'll always be here for you, Abby. I'm not going anywhere."
___
For the next few weeks Jack and Abby took things slow. Kate and Gus on the other hand, were sucked into a whirlwind wedding. When Kate thought she lost Gus, she realized how much she loved him. After that night, the two of them couldn't be pulled apart with a crow bar.
Kate sits at the table with Abby every day, planning her wedding for the following spring. "My mother is driving me crazy, Abby. I can't take it anymore." Kate sighs and drops her head to the table, resting her face on the side of a bridal magazine.
Jack watches them from the counter. He pours Abby a cup of coffee and then gets his own. Kate thumbs through the pages, watching them fall. "What does Gus think?"
"Gus thinks we should just elope, but I don't know. I wanted you to be there."
"So, we'll come," Abby says. She elbows Kate and grabs the magazine. She flips back a few pages and points. "You can get married at this place." Kate's eyes glance over at a picture of the crystal clear water. "It's really pretty and I heard they do a good job. You don't have to do anything but show up."
Kate perks up. She snatches the magazine, looks over the ad, plucks her phone from her pocket, and wanders away without another word. Seconds later, Abby can hear her voice from the hallway asking about dates.
Jack laughs and sits across from her. "Kate's mom is going to kill you."
Abby shrugs. "Maybe, but this will make Kate happy, and I see her more than her mom."
"How are you feeling?" Jack asks. He's noticed she's sleeping better, but that doesn't mean anything.
"I'm fine, Jack."
He takes her hand and says, "You're amazing, you know that?"
Abby smiles softly. After a moment, she says, "Is the new painting going to be displayed next week?" The tour ends in New York next week, and the new painting of Abby has been added to the exhibit. Kate's boss loved that they got something no one else did. And since it was Jack revealing a new piece, it means lots of press for them.
"Yes, they were happy to take it. Gus was out there this morning."
Abby is quiet for a moment, then asks, "Were there protesters?"
"None." They both smile.
"Holy ass cakes, Abby," Kate says, rushing back into the room. Jack laughs, but Kate talks over him. "I booked it. Pack your stuff. We are going to Bermuda." She screeches and jumps up and down.
"Does Gus have a passport?" Jack asks, breaking into Kate's happy dance.
"Oh, shit. I don't know." Without another word, Kate races out of the room, dialing as fast as she can.
Chapter 37
ABBY
A couple of days later, I'm wearing an ugly lime green gauzy bridesmaid's dress with a huge bow on my head. Kate loved getting even for the gown I picked out for her. Jack walks down the sandy beach aisle with me on his arm. We smile at each other. Jack moves to stand by Gus, as his best man.
Kate appears, dressed in a slinky white gown. It's understated, and exactly what she wanted. She looks like a 1940's Hollywood starlet. I can't help but smile at her. Kate is beaming. She tries to walk slowly, but gives up about halfway down the aisle. She bounces on the balls of her feet and then runs to stand next to Gus.