Our First Christmas (10 page)

“You don't look well.” She thought about the code she'd broken. Kyle could have written it.

“I'm fine.”

Kyle raised gray eyes that narrowed a fraction, like an outlaw sizing up the sheriff. His hand slid behind his back, and he removed a gun.

 

Marisa took a step back. “You were at the accident.”

Kyle nodded. “You heard the phone that night, didn't you? They were calling to see if I'd done the job.”

Her stomach turned and threatened to upend. “You were sent to kill me.”

He glanced from side to side, as if to make sure no one was watching. He swallowed, and his gaze grew heavy with sadness. “Not kill you. Scare you. Buy some time.”

“Why?”

“Because the shipment had to get through. Once it was delivered, I would be off the hook.”

Kyle's familiar face didn't jive with the words of a stranger. “Why?”

“I owe them.”

“We've been friends for years.” This betrayal struck directly into her heart.

“I knew you were alive in that car. I planned to send help in the next day or two. Like you said, we were friends.”

She pressed trembling fingertips to her forehead. “Who do you owe money to?”

Sweat dampened his brow, and his face had paled. “Bad men who bought out my gambling debts with the promise that I do them a favor.”

“Gambling. I thought you'd quit.”

“I thought I had, too. And then, well, the itch returned while you were in Mexico.”

“Why didn't you come to me? I would have tried to help.”

A bitter smile curved the edges of his lips. “You've bailed me out enough. And I couldn't come to you again and see the look of disappointment on your face.”

The realization chased a chill through her body that left her cold and numb. “So you did this one favor.”

“Make a simple code. That's all I thought I was doing.”

“They'll never want one favor.”

The scorn in her voice hardened his expression. “I could have told them the Rangers had come to see you, but I didn't. I thought if I could buy some time, this would all be over soon.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I can't believe this.”

“I like you so much,” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I respect you. But I had to do this. You don't know what they do to people who say no.”

Overwhelmed with sadness for a friendship she'd never had, she asked, “So what now?”

He squared his shoulders. “Get in my car. We need to go for a drive.”

“Where?”

“You'll see.” Kyle jabbed the gun. “Move. Now. If I don't get this right today, I'll be sent home to my parents in pieces.”

“So I'm supposed to just walk to my death?”

“Don't be dramatic. Just walk.”

“No.”

“I'll give them the name of your father and stepmother and your brothers.”

Blood drained from her face as she thought about what they'd do to her family. “You're a monster.”

“No. I'm not a monster. I'm just a guy trying to get by.”

The Rangers raided the warehouse just after twelve noon and found huge stores of drugs as well as two dozen men moving and packing boxes for shipment. There'd been gunfire, blood had been shed, but in the end, the drug dealers were no match for the Rangers.

Lucas, as commander, had held back, letting the local SWAT team handle the actual takedown. A deep satisfaction burned inside him as he watched the collection of drug runners led to squad cars. When the building had been secured and declared free of explosives and traps, he'd gone in and inspected the stash. Millions and millions of dollars in neatly bound bundles lined the floor.

Brody Winchester approached, carrying a cell phone. “You might be interested in this.”

“What?”

“This is a phone from one of the guys we arrested. Someone called in just before we raided the place. He left a message warning of the raid.”

“Who would know?”

Winchester grinned. “It's got me curious, as well.” He held up the phone. “Do you recognize the number?”

Lucas glanced at it. “No.”

“Does the name Kyle Stone mean anything?”

“Marisa Thompson's assistant's name is Kyle.”

All traces of humor vanished. “Kyle's made a lot of calls to this group.”

“Shit.”

Lucas reached for his phone and dialed Marisa's number. She didn't answer. “I don't like this. I left her at home hours ago.”

 

Kyle's gun trained on Marisa, she drove through the Hyde Park neighborhood, past several homes with children playing in the front yards. He dialed a number and when there was no answer, cursed. “So what's next, Kyle? What happens? Do I just disappear, and you keep working at the university?”

“No one is answering my calls. That's bad. It tells me that the Rangers did a lot of damage.”

She laughed as she gripped the wheel and turned the corner that led out of the neighborhood. “You really believe your drug dealing friends will forgive this?”

“I can make another code if I have to. And with you gone, there will be no one to break it.”

“Bradley might be able to.”

Kyle shook his head and almost looked amused. “He's nowhere near the scholar you are. Without you his work has suffered.”

Up ahead, she spotted a Christmas tree lot on the side of the road. This close to Christmas it looked almost deserted because most anyone wanting a tree by now would have gotten it. Before she stopped to think, she slammed her foot on the accelerator and the car zoomed forward. Kyle couldn't react fast enough as she twisted the wheel hard and drove straight for the trees. They plowed through several rows before slamming into the side of a small concrete building. At the moment of impact, the airbags deployed. She braced, remembering the feel of the impact.

Kyle grunted when his airbag hit him in the face.

Stunned, Marisa felt for her door handle, and unclicking her belt, rolled out of the car as her bruised body groaned and screamed from old and new injuries. She stumbled several steps, nearly tripped and fell, but caught herself and kept going.

“Marisa!” Kyle screamed her name as if it had been ripped from his chest. She didn't look back. Kept running.

In the corner of her eye, she spotted the flash of lights. The squeal of sirens pierced her fear, but she didn't dare stop, not knowing who else had arrived. She ran along the side alley of a Mexican restaurant. A dog barked. Her heart felt as if it would explode out of her chest. And as she rounded a corner, she stumbled to a stop when she saw the dead end. She had nowhere to go. Trapped.

She turned, fingers fisted, ready to run toward Kyle. When he appeared at the lip of the alley, he bore a red welt on the side of his face. Rage darkened his bloodshot eyes.

Kyle leveled the gun. “Bitch.”

Screaming, she ran toward him. She would die trying to stop him.

And then, a shot fired. Adrenaline kept her moving forward, and she didn't stop until she saw Kyle fall to the ground. He dropped his gun and gripped his thigh, which had been torn and mangled by a bullet.

Sweat dripping from her brow, she looked around until she spotted him. Lucas. He'd held his gun outstretched, trained on Kyle, ready to fire again.

She stopped, her heart pulsing, her hands now trembling.

Lucas kept his gaze and gun on Kyle, who lay on the ground screaming. He kicked the gun away and cuffed Kyle seconds before more cops and Rangers arrived. When the Ranger had control of Kyle, Lucas lowered his weapon and holstered it.

Tears welled in her eyes. She wanted to touch Lucas and hold him. When his gaze locked on her, he crossed to her in three quick strides and wrapped her neatly in his arms. “I thought I'd lost you.”

She gripped handfuls of his shirt. “I'm too mean to die.” His shirt felt smooth against her cheek. “I love you.”

He pulled her back and studied her face. “Did you hear what you just said?”

She nodded. “I meant it. I love you, Lucas. I loved you in Mexico. And I think that's what scared me.”

“I love you. Marry me. Now.”

She rose on tiptoes and kissed him. Excitement hummed through her body. “It's Christmas Eve.”

“I can find someone.”

“I'd like my dad and stepmother to be there. And Sherry and the boys.”

“That can be arranged.”

She laughed. “If you can make it happen, cowboy, I'm there. I'm ready for new Christmas memories.”

 

Lucas Cooper's booted feet clipped hard against the tiled floor of Garrison Hall. Two teaching assistants spotted him, but their smiles died instantly when they saw his dark expression.

Not bothering to remove his hat, he moved past them and a collection of colored lights decorating the entrance and climbed the steps to the second floor two at a time. His entire focus rested on one thing: finding Marisa. Memories of arriving home and finding it dark and empty still haunted him and set his heart to racing anew. When he'd called out her name and she'd not answered, he'd called her cell. The instant her phone had gone to voice mail, he'd thought the worst as he'd raced toward her campus office. He'd already decided if he didn't find her here, he'd put out an all-points bulletin.

At the second floor landing, he spotted the light in her office. Relief doused the dread. “Damn it,” he muttered.

He found her at her desk hunched over a collection of photographs that she'd taken during the spring dig at her Mayan ruin. They'd taken a belated two-week honeymoon in Mexico, one week on the beach and the second week exploring her ruins. She'd taken thousands of pictures.

As he moved toward her ready to scold he saw her hand slide to her very pregnant belly. She winced and the color in her cheeks faded from rosy to ashen white.

“Get your coat, Marisa. The doctor says you aren't supposed to be here.”

She looked up, took several deep, even breaths, and nodded. “I know. I hadn't planned to come in to work today. I'd planned to rest, but I had a breakthrough while I was napping today.”

He crossed to her desk in three quick strides and closed her laptop. “We're leaving now. Doc says no more work until the baby is born.”

Her lips flattened into a thin line radiating a mixture of frustration and pain. “I'm nearly done.”

“Don't care, darlin'.” He took her gently by the elbows and helped her to her feet. She leaned into him heavily, a sign she was exhausted. His tone softened. “You can take the laptop home and work. But you need to be in bed. Baby's due any day.”

She smiled and smoothed her hand over her belly. “That's what the doctor said last week.”

“Coopers are always on time,” he teased. “This baby has inherited his late timing from you.”

“I'm on time. For the most part.” She snatched up her satchel and tucked her laptop inside it as he wrapped her coat around her shoulders.

He took her bag and slung it on his shoulder. “Car's out front.”

She tossed him a withering glare. “I'm not an invalid. Women have been having babies for millions of years.”

“Don't care. This is the one and only as far as I'm concerned. Let's go.”

He guided her slowly out of her office and down the hallway to the main doors. She wasn't talking or complaining, both signs that she'd overdone it. She loved her work, and he was proud as hell of the passion she had for it. But enough was enough. Time to rest.

He opened the car door, and she lumbered into the seat. He was reaching for the seat belt when she winced again and this time closed her eyes as she breathed quickly.

His heart skipped a beat. “Damn it, Marisa, how long has this been going on?”

When the spasm passed, she released a relieved sigh. “A few hours. I was hoping to get my notes finished before we went to Dad's for Christmas dinner.”

He muttered an oath. “We're not going to dinner. We're going to the hospital.”

She looked up at him and instead of arguing nodded. “Their Christmas presents and yours are in my car. I haven't wrapped any of them.”

“Don't worry about it. I'll send someone for your car and the presents later.”

She smiled at him. “Okay.”

If he wasn't so damn worried about her and the baby, he'd have made a joke about her agreeing so easily. But jokes were the last thing on his mind.

Behind the wheel he gunned the engine, cut through evening traffic, and had them at the hospital emergency room entrance in fifteen minutes. She gripped her belly as he came around to her side of the car. He could feel his own heart constricting as he stared at his wife, whom he loved more than anything in this world.

He spotted an orderly and ordered a wheelchair. The man hustled inside and returned moments later. Lucas helped Marisa from the car into the chair.

The next five hours became a blur of doctors, nurses, and more and more contractions. It was close to midnight when they wheeled Marisa into the delivery room. At her side Lucas did his best to look unworried as he reminded her to breathe and not push.

Not long after arriving in the delivery room, the action sped into overdrive. The doctor arrived and on her fifth push Marisa delivered their son. Jacob Alexander Cooper, eight pounds, one ounce, arrived in the world wailing and carrying on like a bronco rider.

When the nurse laid Jacob in Lucas's arms, he figured he'd never seen such a beautiful sight. He knelt close to Marisa so she could see the baby. Smiling, she studied the baby up close, taking inventory. “He's perfect,” she said.

He kissed her. “You did a real fine job, Mrs. Cooper.”

She glanced at the clock and then smiled at him. “He's officially a Christmas baby,” she said.

“And the best damn present I ever will get.”