Allison Brennan - If I Should Die

She handed him three Tylenol and an antibiotic. He took the pills and a swig from the water bottle she offered.

“Learn anything interesting about what’s going on around here?” he asked.

“We need to talk to Adam,” Lucy said. “He spent every summer here, but Tim hasn’t been here since he was sixteen, not until his father’s funeral last year.”

“We should go into town tomorrow as well.”

She glanced at his leg.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I doubt you’ll be able to walk.”

“I didn’t say walk to town.”

“Can’t you just take it easy for a day?”

Sean took her hand and squeezed. “The kid on the ATV is in some sort of trouble. I can help him.”

“That kid nearly killed you.”

“He’s scared.” At the look on Lucy’s face, Sean quickly added, “I’m not saying he had no choice, I’m just saying I can get to him.”

“You think if we just drive through town you’ll be able to spot him?”

“Not really, though I might. But I want to have a drink at the local watering hole, talk to people, watch them, see what we can learn.”

Lucy frowned. “That tone-what do you have planned?”

“Nothing specific-yet.”

“Now that the Sheriff’s Department knows about the vandalism, they’ll be on it.”

“I haven’t seen a cop since we got here. They didn’t exactly rush over here after the arson fire, but I’m not going to step all over their investigation.”

“All right, we’ll go if you’re feeling up to it. I don’t want you making yourself sick.”

He ran his fingers down her cheek. “I’m fine, Lucy. Just sore. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

“Maybe not first thing-the coroner and a search-and-rescue team will be here tomorrow morning. To retrieve the body from the mine. Can you wait to go to town until I get back from there?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Not back down in the mine!”

“Tonight, I feel like shit. But tomorrow, it’s back to work.” He paused, seeing the worry in her eyes. “What about you? Sure, my body took a licking, but that dead woman really shook you up.”

“I think she was murdered,” Lucy said. “Her body was posed. She was fully clothed, but something was wrong. If I hadn’t suddenly lost my nerve and run away, I might have noticed what struck me as off.” Lucy stared at a blank wall, but Sean knew she was picturing the morbid scene.

“You’re cold.”

She shook her head.

“Then why are you shaking?” He pulled her down to lie at his side. The tension in her body was from more than the gruesome memory.

He rubbed her back until she finally relaxed. When she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, he breathed easier. “What happened down there?” he asked quietly.

Lucy didn’t immediately answer, but Sean knew she wasn’t asleep. Her heart was beating too fast, and her hand absently rubbed his chest.

“If we hadn’t found you, you would have died.” Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence. “For a split second, I saw you instead of the woman. Lying in that alcove.”

“But you did find me. And I’m not completely helpless.” She didn’t respond to his reassurance, and he kissed the top of her head. “Princess, I understand.”

Lucy had been scared of losing him and she didn’t like being scared. She didn’t know how to interpret or respond to the complex emotions about their relationship. It was as if admitting she loved him would jinx it, or put one or both of them in physical jeopardy.

Sean understood all this about her, even though she had never voiced her fears. They lived dangerous lives, and that wouldn’t change. Sean would no more tell Lucy to dump the thought of becoming an FBI agent and take a nice, safe teaching job than she would demand he quit Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid and sell computers.

And even if they did take an easier road? Sean suspected trouble and danger would follow them-or they’d seek it out. Lucy could not turn away from someone in need, nor could Sean ignore someone being bullied.

Lucy’s deep compassion for others was one of the many reasons Sean had fallen in love with her.

Her breathing evened out as her body relaxed. “I love you, Luce,” he whispered and closed his eyes.

All the years I spent learning how to control my reactions, and in less than ten minutes Reverend Carl Browne had me enraged .

“What the fuck were you thinking!” I shouted, my voice echoing in the large open space .

We sat in a church pew in the chapel, just him and me, though now I rose in fury, standing in the aisle. If I didn’t get this anger out of my system, I’d kill him, and that would be disastrous .

I simply couldn’t believe the pathetic reasons Carl gave for his decision to torch the Hendrickson place. It all boiled down to panic .

“You were scared,” I continued. “You freaked out. If you were anyone else, you’d already be dead.”

He bristled. “Remember who you’re talking to, little girl.”

“Just because you were my father’s closest friend doesn’t give you a free pass to be an idiot,” I said .

He reddened, his hair looking even whiter. Twelve years ago Carl might have been called distinguished; now he just looked old .

This day had exhausted me. I’d spent twelve hours checking and double-checking on every cog in my operation. Amazingly, everything was running perfectly smooth, except for the issue with the Hendricksons. But I had figured out how to handle that, and while it would be some time before I exacted my revenge on the family, I could wait .

Business took precedence over revenge .

“I have a plan,” I told Carl, “and for it to work, you need to call off your dogs. No more petty vandalism and definitely no more fires.”

“If the resort isn’t shut down by Sunday, we lose everything,” Carl said .

I stared. Damn, I wanted to kill him. Just for stating the obvious, as if I were some kind of imbecile .

“Thank you,” I said, looking down at him in the pew. “What would I do without you reminding me of my own business plan?”

He didn’t flinch, nor did he look scared as he stared up at me defiantly .

I slapped him hard. Not expecting it, he almost fell out of the pew. A red mark darkened his skin. A spot of blood welled on his lower lip .

“This is my town, Carl . Mine. Just because I left doesn’t mean I handed it over to you. Remember, Preacher, I know what you’ve done, so don’t think one second about going against me.”

If my first plan didn’t work, I had another. But I wasn’t about to strategize with Carl. He’d pissed me off. Instead I said, “The resort will be shut down before Sunday because the Hendricksons want to close it, or are forced to, but it will be done without the ridiculous shit you’re pulling.”

“You’ve been gone too long.”

“That sounds like a threat, Carl.”

He hesitated. Good. Maybe he had finally realized I was dead serious. Maybe he saw in my eyes that I wanted to gut him .

My cell phone vibrated. It was my stupid brother .

“What?”

“We have a problem,” he said with deep seriousness .

“Oh for shitsake, don’t be so melodramatic! Spill it.”

“A woman’s body was found in the mine.”

I closed my eyes. I felt like I was on a roller coaster. “Don’t tell me it was the bitch.”

“I don’t see who else it could be.”