Ball & Chain (Cut & Run 8)

Chapter 11

When they approached the front door of the mansion, the feeling of foreboding once again crept into Zane and settled in his stomach. This time, though, he was pretty sure he had a good reason for it.

They slowed as they came to the door, left ajar to reveal the gaping black hole of the interior. Both of them took out the weapons they’d stolen from the Snake Eaters, checking that they were loaded, making sure the safeties were off. It was something they’d done a hundred times before, maybe a thousand times: readying themselves to head into danger, taking that last moment to prepare. As partners. Sometimes side by side, sometimes with only a voice on an earpiece to let Zane know Ty was with him.

Zane glanced at Ty, who was shoving the clip back into his gun. They would never be partners again. The realization hit Zane hard. Ty met his eyes.

“I love you,” Zane said quietly.

Ty stared at him for a few breaths. “Should I ask you to marry me now?”

Zane couldn’t stop himself from grinning, but he shook his head. “Ask me after we live through this.”

Ty stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on the back of Zane’s neck as he kissed him. “I love you too,” he whispered.

“You find Amelia,” Zane said, his voice hoarse when Ty moved away. “I’ll go for Stanton, make sure he’s safe. He’s probably the next target.”

Ty nodded, and they headed into the house.

In a few steps, Ty was gone, vanished into the darkness. It was a not-so-gentle reminder of what his lover was capable of, but it comforted Zane in ways he didn’t want to examine too closely.

He made his way to the dining room, where he could see the flickering light of the fireplace, candles, and hurricane lamps. He lowered his gun when he stepped into the room.

Earl was sitting in a dining chair facing the doorway, a rifle aimed at Zane. He lowered it and nodded to him, setting the weapon across his legs again.

Zane gave the room a quick glance.

Mara sat with her arm around Susan Stanton, who was crying quietly. Mara’s cheek had been roughly bandaged. Several others appeared to have been wounded by the falling glass. They needed to get Kelly in here to tend to them.

Stanton sat with his son, Theo, their heads bowed over a table as they spoke quietly. They were examining a map or blueprint, making marks on it. A dozen other guests were huddled around dining tables, some with blankets or coats wrapped over their shoulders, others conversing quietly or simply staring at Zane.

The Snake Eaters were gone.

“Where’s English and his boys?” Zane asked Earl.

“Did you find the kids?” Earl asked.

“No.”

Earl’s shoulders slumped. He looked older than he usually did, but the shadows from the fire did odd things to people’s appearances. “Stanton ordered them to search the house for Amelia. He told them her safety was more important to him than his own, so they went out.”

“Shit,” Zane hissed. “Ty’s off looking too; if they run into each other there’s going to be some—”

“Blood,” Earl provided wryly.

Zane grunted.

“I figure if Stanton’s a target, then you’re looking at last line of defense,” Earl said with a tap to his chest. “We found this rifle on the wall above the fireplace. It’s loaded, but I don’t even know if it’ll fire.”

“You have a knife?” Zane asked. Earl nodded and patted his hip.

Stanton had noticed Zane there and was making his way to them.

“Did you find Nick?” Earl asked.

Zane nodded, waiting until Stanton and Theo joined them. “He interrupted the nanny and the groundskeeper trying to kidnap Amelia. He stopped them, and sent the kids into the passages within the walls. He hid them somewhere inside the walls and then ran as a decoy for Fraser.” He met Stanton’s eyes. “Did you know those passages were there?”

“Yes, we used to play in them when I was a boy,” Stanton answered. He was nearly mumbling, frowning so hard his eyebrows were touching. “Jockie Fraser? I’ve known him since he was little. He was Theo’s playmate on the island during the summers when we’d visit.”

“Jockie did this?” Theo asked, looking horrified. It was the first time Zane had seen the man with any sort of expression. “I don’t believe it.”

“We caught him with a gun, threatening to send pieces of Amelia to your father. Believe it,” Zane growled.

Theo and Stanton both blanched. Zane could hear Earl growling, and he took a deep breath, sorely tempted to go off the rails with them and rage about the threat to the little girl. Others had drifted closer, listening in, probably wanting to know if they were safe now, if it was all over. Zane looked over them and raised his voice to be heard.

“Nick couldn’t tell us where he stashed the kids, so it’s simply a matter of finding them before anyone else does now. Who else knew about the walls?”

“My wife. Some of the older staff. We never told the kids when they were little, we were afraid they’d play in them and get hurt or lost. Frankly, I’d forgotten about them. What about Jockie? Did he talk? Tell you who else is involved?” Stanton asked.

“He’s not capable of much of anything right now,” Zane admitted. “But when he is, we’ll get everything we need out of him, I can guarantee you that.”

Hamish Boyd, the butler Zane had only met the day he arrived, forced his way through the crowd. He used a cane to do it, shoving at people with it to clear his path. “Did I hear you say Jockie and Maisie are responsible for this?”

Zane met the old man’s eyes. He’d lost his wife to this ordeal, possibly the greatest loss of anyone on the island. Zane wasn’t sure how to answer him.

“How were two locals connected to the bodyguard lady?” Earl asked. “Or the maid of honor?”

“We don’t know yet,” Zane answered, mirroring their growing frustration with his own. “All we know is the target, and that is the information Mr. Stanton is protecting.”

There was a ruckus from several of the people standing in front of Zane, and when Zane looked over his shoulder, Kelly, Nick, and Emma were there, Jockie Fraser supported between Nick and Kelly. He was unconscious. And very, very bloody. Kelly had really worked him over. Zane was beginning to see the doc in a new light.

“Has he said anything?” Zane demanded.

Kelly shook his head. Nick didn’t much look like he should be supporting anyone’s weight at this point, not even his own, and Emma was having a hard time helping him. They cleared off one of the dining tables, and Zane helped Kelly heft Fraser onto it as Emma and Earl guided Nick to a chair.