Kay David: Obsession

Using the opportunity to twist away, Kelman jumped to his feet. His wrist dangled uselessly before him, but he suddenly lunged forward. Raul followed his movements with his eyes, his heart stopping as he saw what had happened. The gun had lodged beneath the tub, caught by one of the old-fashioned legs. In one quick motion, Kelman bent down and picked it up with his good hand, swinging around to fire.

Raul searched for a weapon. Strangely enough, he saw a cane lying in a corner. He didn’t stop to wonder about it; he picked it up and gripped it with both hands. The gleaming silver top hissed through the air with the force of his swing.

It connected with Kelman’s head. And the other man went down without a sound.

Raul turned instantly to Emma. She was a crumpled ball in the corner, her limbs splayed, her body slack. Then he saw the empty bottles and understood. He lifted her head gently. “Emma? Emma, can you hear me?”

Her head lolled sideways and his heart almost stopped. He started to scream her name again, but then he saw her throat move, saw the faint pulse at the base of her neck. Too slow to be okay, too faint to last long. He picked her up and ran from the room.

TWO DAYS LATER, it seemed like a dream. A very bad dream. Emma’s throat still burned from the attentions of the doctors, but it wasn’t important. Her children were safe, she was alive.

And Kelman was dead.

The Bolivian police had been exceedingly cooperative. Emma knew it had more to do with Raul’s friend Wendy Fortune and her position than it had to do with the situation. The consul had gotten involved, and everything had been handled so smoothly Emma had been shocked.

Chris had been happy to have the whole thing resolved without the bank’s name being mentioned. He’d had no idea of Emma’s machinations. No idea that she’d rigged Kelman’s account. No idea she’d planned everything. Including Kelman’s death.

She wondered now what she’d been thinking. Had she really been prepared to kill him? She’d fired, yes, but she’d missed. Had that been deliberate? She’d never know now and she wasn’t really sure she wanted to.

Sitting on the terrace at the back of the house, Emma held the portable phone to her ear and closed her eyes, the sunshine on her face warm and healing, the voices she was listening to, even more so. Jake was babbling about catching a fish, and Sarah was saying something about a sand castle and the princess who lived inside it. Emma let them talk. She didn’t care if the conversation made sense. They were perfectly fine and thought they’d simply had a great vacation at Gulf Shores the week before. After another minute, Todd came on the line and shooed them away.

“Emma, you gonna be all right? Were you hurt bad?” Someone hearing his question might have thought he was concerned; Emma knew it meant just the opposite. Todd would be thrilled if she died and he didn’t have to factor her into his plans anymore.

“I’ll make it.” Her voice was whiskey hoarse and raw. It was painful to talk, and as she spoke, she moved, then winced. Her whole body was bruised, black and blue marks everywhere she looked. Kelman’s last legacy. “I need a few days to rest, that’s all.”

“The man who killed this Kelman fellow. You know him well?”

“He’s a friend,” she answered in a neutral voice.

Raul had come by to see her numerous times, but Emma had been so out of it Reina had sent him away each time. Emma had heard their voices downstairs, though. Reina had told him about Emma’s hours in jail. Raul’s reply had been too low to hear. They still hadn’t talked, but when they did, Emma didn’t know what she’d say.

Todd broke into her thoughts, and the minute he spoke, Emma knew she was in trouble. He had that gloating, I’m-in-the-catbird-seat kind of tone to his voice. “Listen here, Emma, I want you to know, I’m very upset about this situation. You have, once again, put our children in danger, and I don’t intend to let this slip by. I’ve already talked to the lawyers, in fact, and we’re considerin’ some kind of action.”

A clamp tightened around her heart, making it hard for her to breath. It had nothing to do with her injuries. “Some kind of action? What does that mean?”

“It means we know you’re up to your same old tricks. You’re bein’ irresponsible and not thinkin’ about your children.” He took a self-important breath, dragging out the moment. “It means I’m gonna have to do something about this again, just like I did before.”

Through her fear, Emma heard his words. She wasn’t surprised by his reaction, but instead of the defeat she usually let overcome her when he talked like this, a new emotion suffused her. Anger. Total and complete anger.

Her fury mounted, and when Todd finally ran out of steam, she spoke through clenched teeth. “I handled this situation the best way I knew how, and frankly, I did a much better job taking care of it than you ever could have done. If you think you’re going to use what happened to your advantage, you-and your lawyers-have got another think coming.”

He made a scoffing sound. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Emma. You screwed up-again-and the judge will see right through this, just like he did before.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so.” He mocked her, speaking in a higher voice. “And just what makes you think that, Emma Lou? Nothing’s changed, you know.”

“You’re wrong,” she said quietly. “I’ve changed. I’m a different person than I was the last time we spoke, and I’m not taking your crap anymore.”

He started to sputter a response, but she didn’t give him a chance to finish it. His entire life he’d gotten what he wanted by using his name and his family and his money, but deep down inside, he had nothing. No courage, no heart, no strength. None of the qualities Raul possessed, she realized. None of what she needed.

Fueled by a sudden determination, she spoke again, her voice grim and gritty. “I made the biggest mistake of my life when I let you take my kids and run me out of town. I don’t know what in hell I thought I was doing, but I can tell you one thing. I never should have let you get away with it. And you won’t again, I can promise you that.”

“You’re full of-”

“I’m coming home, Todd.” She sat up straighter and ignored the pain that ripped through her body. “I’m coming home, and I’m going to fight you for those kids, and I’m going to win, because I’m going to have help this time. I won’t be alone, so don’t think your old tactics are going to work anymore.”

She didn’t let him reply. Her heart pumping, her hands shaking, Emma hit the disconnect button with a decisive click as a righteous courage washed over her. She would defeat Todd. She would!

Just as she had the thought, she heard steps coming up the walk. Still jumpy, she tensed, then when she saw who it was, she tensed even more.

He stopped beside the gate. He had on a white shirt that contrasted with the brown of his skin, and soft black pants with loafers and no socks. The afternoon sun glinted off his black hair. He looked more handsome and sensual than he ever had, and a shot of pure electric desire moved inside her as she met his dark eyes. But immediately Emma realized there was something different about Raul.

The tightness around his eyes was gone, his stance looser, his body language completely unlike what it had been before. At his side, his hands hung open and unfisted; his walk as he’d approached was fluid. The single thing that remained from before was his intensity-that stark ripple of energy that always surrounded him-but even this had a different feel to it.

Then she realized why. She was seeing who Raul had been before. The man he’d been all those years ago, the man he’d been when they each had yet to be shaped by the pain they now felt.