Page 59 of Unwanted Vows

“Your medicine,” I ask. “Where is it?”

“Left it . . . sneaked away from the nurse . . .”

His head falls back, his breath becomes harsh and labored. “Med kit,” I say. “The car . . .”

There is the sound of running feet. Someone places my bag in my hand. Maddy kneels beside me, both of us intent on the old man.

I open my bag, and pull out the things I need. It is touch and go, but between us Maddy and I soon have him breathing easier. Color returns to his face. He opens his eyes and looks at me.

“Damn you,” he says. “It would have been so much easier just to go right now.”

“Oh, no,” I say. “You don’t get off that easily. You’ve got to tell me where all the bodies are buried, all about the secret accounts, and who has to be paid off each month to keep my people safe. So you got to stick around for a while.”

“All right,” he says. “But I want to sleep a while first, if you don’t mind.”

Old Emily begins to laugh. It’s a wild nasty cackle that has Maddy looking around with a worried expression.

“Who let her in?” Grandfather Aims muttered.

“Let who in?” I ask.

“Emily. My harridan of a sister. She insisted on following you to Africa, and when she found Leland nothing would bring her back. ‘More precious than diamonds’ she says. ‘More valuable than gold.’ Well, maybe she had something there.”

Old Emily cackles even louder. “What’d I tell you, you old fool?” she asks.

“Family. Gah,” the old man mutters. Then the paramedics come in and take him away. I go with them, to make sure no one in his entourage got ideas about hastening his time.

SEEKING SECURITY

MADDY

As the paramedics take Grandfather Aims out on a stretcher, and Andrew goes with them, I simply sit crossed-legged on the floor. I think my legs have gone to jelly. Dimly, I hear voices around me.

“This is horrible,” I say. “I gave up my scholarship, and ran all the way out here to California. I thought if we lived quietly, Paul and I would be safe. Instead, we’ve led the old monster here so he can hurt everyone.”

“Shush, shush,” Kate says, sitting beside me, and wrapping an arm around me. “It is not your fault.”

“Isn’t it?” I ask, twisting toward her. “I should have packed up Paul and run the minute I recognized Andrew. Instead, I worked with him, half hoping he would remember me, and half terrified that he would. I think I should have been more terrified than I was.”

Kandis folded down into a fashion model kneeling pose beside Rylie. “No, you didn’t,” she says. “We all made the mistake of not taking Aims more seriously. We wrote him off as a sick old man who no longer had any power. We forgot that even an aging viper still has plenty of venom.”

While I am trying to catch my breath, someone escorts all the armed men out of the room. Andrew, Leland, and Austin enter from the same door the band had used. They are accompanied by three large dogs, and several security guards.

Andrew comes straight to me, kneeling in front of me. “How are you, Maddy?” he asks, concern clear in his voice. He looks sad and tired, as if he is the older brother, not Leland.

“Tired,” I reply. “Scared. Will he live?”

He wraps one long-fingered hand around the back of my neck in a gentle caress, and rests his forehead against mine. “For a while,” he says. “Hopefully, long enough for me to dismantle the worst of his extensive criminal domain and convert what remains into legitimate businesses.”

“Is that safe for you?” I ask. “Doesn’t it put you in danger of criminal charges?”

“I’ll help,” Richard says, pulling up a chair. “I’ve got experience with cleaning up the shady side of a business. And I’ve a good stable of lawyers.”

“I have political connections,” Charles adds, bringing another chair and settling in beside Richard.

“As do I,” an older gentleman says, standing beside the two younger men. “I feel a certain responsibility for all of this, since it was started through my desire to have a good marriage for my daughter. Matchmaking is a tradition in Ildogis.” This must be Tulok, I realize.

“Would you like to go home?” Andrew asks me. “There will be much to be done, but I think it will go better after some sleep.”

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