Beach Rental(99)

Frantic, she got to her hands and knees. She had to get to the other side of the bed where the telephone sat on the nightstand. She’d call the police. She had to do the right thing and if it caused her trouble, she’d live with the consequences. Time to fly above the radar.

She scrambled around toward the end of the bed. There was a crash downstairs and within seconds feet were running, pounding up the stairs. Angry, urgent voices shouted.

Frankie was returning too quickly. In her haste to reach the phone, her leg hit the corner of the bed and she fell again, onto her knees.

From the floor, she reached up to the phone and was scrabbling for the handset when he came in the door.

No tousled hair.

Luke.

He dropped to the floor beside her. She reached out to him and he drew her into his arms. His face was in her hair, his lips kissing her temple. “My darling, my love, are you injured? Did he hurt you?”

Juli delighted in his arms around her, his lips brushing her face and neck. She drew strength from his touch. It steadied her and somehow, things seemed clearer, like the air after a storm.

“You said love. Do you love me, Luke? In love with me, I mean.”

“Loving you has never been a problem. It was other things I had to come to terms with. For the rest, we’ll work it out.”

“I love you, too.” She hugged him tight and her lips were meeting his when she remembered there’d been a crash and shouting voices—voices.

“Where did you come from? How did you get here so quickly?”

He continued holding her, but with less frantic energy. “I’ll tell you later. And I’ll collect that kiss later. Now, I have to go back downstairs.”

She grabbed his shirt, not willing to let him go. “Where’s Frankie? Did he get away?”

“No. The police will be here any minute. In the meantime, the ladies have him cornered.”

“The ladies?” She frowned. “Give me a hand up. I’m going with you.”

“You stay here.” He rested his hand on her belly before he helped her stand, then pointed to the bed. “Sit and rest. I’ll yell when it’s safe to come down.”

“Not this time, Luke. I’m not hiding.”

He measured her resolve by her firm stare. “Okay, but stay behind me. I’m serious. Don’t put anyone at risk by trying to be brave.”

She clutched the rail expecting to be afraid, but as they descended the stairs only calm filled her. She stood at Luke’s side just out of Frankie’s sight. Out of everyone’s sight, in fact, because their backs were turned. Her viewing angle was narrow, but it was enough to give her a good look at Pat holding a gun on Frankie.

One hand was positioned to brace her gun hand and her stance was no-nonsense. Frankie was crouched on the floor in the far corner of the kitchen. Juli could just see his knee and shoe.

Maia stood outside the kitchen holding the fireplace poker two-handed and swaying slightly as if ready to bat.

“I didn’t do anything to anyone. Juli and I are old friends. She double-crossed me.”

Luke moved forward and Juli did, too, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him, never taking her eyes from the scene before them. She needed to see this. This was the thing she had feared, wasn’t it?

Frankie shifted his weight and his hand moved against the cabinet door. It squeaked.

“Don’t move,” Pat warned.

An unseen woman spit out, “Shoot him.”

The hard voice sent a tremor through Juli. Her fingers dug into Luke’s arm as Adela walked into view. She was hugging the backpack and a big webbed runner decorated the back of her leg. Juli thought she moved like a bouncer or a pit bull, but wearing heels and a suit. Definitely, someone not to be toyed with on any level—apparently a truth Frankie understood because he settled back on his heels.

“Go ahead and shoot him.”

“I can’t, Adela. Not unless he tries something. Then, I can and will. The police will be here any time now.”

“Juli’s guilty—guiltier than me. It was all her idea. She planned everything. I do the deed, she sneaks it out in her backpack. No one would ever suspect her of anything.” He switched his wide-eyed look from Pat to Adela. “Jules is a smart chick. She’s the brains. I did what she told me. You let me go, or she’ll be in jail like me. Maybe for longer.”

He turned his best pleading, boyish expression on Maia. “I’ll slip out the door. I’ll disappear. None of you, not even Jules, will ever see me again.”

Maia’s weapon wavered.

Luke had moved down the last step onto the landing. “Stay where you are.”

A swift movement and Frankie’s position changed to something like a modified sprinter’s stance. He spoke to Luke. “You’re running out of time. If you want to help her, protect her, let me go. Her fingerprints are on everything. They’ll nail her. She was at every location. It’s all about opportunity and finger prints. She’ll be having that baby in prison.”