Page 73 of Too Lethal to Love

“You plan on chipping your woman?”

“Damn straight I am. If she’ll let me. This rash of terrorists kidnapping beautiful scientists is going to send me to an early grave.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” He’d like to put one in Beth too. Oh, she’d put up a fight, but he’d welcome her fiery resistance.

“I’d say you’re bothloco.” Nic opened his eyes from where he’d sat quietly next to Chris. “Crazy, like in the batshit kind. But I see Scarlett agreeing to that, if only for research purposes.” He looked at Kane. “Not sure about your woman, though.”

“Me neither.” First, he had to get her to agree to officially be his.

Beth paused on the stone stairs of the old church and inhaled the crisp scent of impending snow. Sure enough, fat flakes fell from the clouds, blanketing the night sky. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at the Washington Monument and wished upon the tall, graceful monolith that Kane would return to her soon.

She turned her gaze back to the entrance. Welcoming organ music filtered through the doors flanked by two-story high pine trees. Smiling, she linked her arm through Scarlett’s. Gage and Hudson lingered closely behind, their heads on a swivel. She didn’t see any of the other security detail Scarlett mentioned but didn’t doubt their presence.

As she and Scarlett entered the vestibule, a precocious eight-year-old from her science class bounded toward them.

“Hi Miss Beth. I like your shirt. I wish my mom would have let me wear something comfy instead of this stupid thing.” She tugged at the sleeve of her deep-red velvet dress.

“You look beautiful, Madalynn.” Beth smoothed her hands over her black pants and bent down to look the child in the eye. “But I get not wanting to be uncomfortable. My favorite coat got dirty last night.”Burned to a crisp probably.“I’m so bummed I couldn’t bring myself to wear another one.”

“Oh no. Not the purple sparkly thing.” She touched Beth’s shoulder. “But this shirt is so pretty, and it’s the same color as my outfit. We can be pretty and uncomfortable together.” Madalynn leaned close to Beth’s ear. “Bummer we can’t play hide-and-seek in the basement, though. Mom saysI’ll get dirty and it’s not appropriate on Christmas Eve anyway.”

“She’s right.” Madalynn would ruin her dress playing in the dusty basement. Worse, she’d hurt herself trying to bust the boarded-up entrance to the underground tunnel that led to the pastor’s old residence across the street. The kid had a betting pool about who would be the first to break through.

Madalynn rolled her eyes. “Okay. Mom and Dad saved seats for you and your friends up front.”

“Thanks, sweetie. Be there in a—” Her secure phone buzzed in her purse. She pulled it out and frowned at the unknown number. She sucked in a hopeful breath. Maybe it was Kane. “Hello.”

“Beth, this is Gran. I hope you don’t mind me calling you.”

Beth’s shoulder slumped. “No, not at all.”

“Kane gave me your number. I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas.”

“Thanks. Merry Christmas to you too. Please hold on a minute.” She turned to Scarlett as she put the call on mute and pointed to a door off the vestibule. “I’m going to go in the office and talk to Kane’s grandmother, where it’s quiet. Go find Madalynn and her parents and I’ll meet you up there.”

Scarlett nodded. Gage followed her down the aisle.

Hudson entered the office and scanned the area. Crossing the small space, he checked to make sure the door that led to the basement was locked. “We secured down there earlier, but don’t leave this room. I’ll wait for you outside.”

“Thanks.” Beth ducked into the tiny office that housed a rickety desk, a rack of white choir robes, and a bookshelf with coloring books and crayons to occupy the younger kids during the service. “I’m back, Mrs. Darren.”

“No worries, dear, and call me Gran.”

“Okay, Gran. Are you looking for Kane?”

“No. I know he’s working. How are you holding up with him gone?”

Beth opened her mouth to say she had no right to worry about him, but he’d been inside of her just a few hours ago. She had every right, and she had a feeling that Gran would see through her facade. “I’m worried sick.”

“I’d like to tell you it gets easier, but it doesn’t. Do you love my grandson?”

“Yes.” The answer rolled off Beth’s tongue before she had time to think about it. “But?—”

Gran huffed. “I know you think you’re cursed. Kane has his ungrounded fears as well, but the two of you are so worried about death that you aren’t living. Do you regret loving those boys?”

“No. They were wonderful human beings, but Gran…” Calling her Gran felt natural as if she’d known and trusted the woman her whole life. “I don’t understand why they were taken from me. I didn’t do anything wrong to deserve it.”

“Did those nasty women in your town say you did? Kane told me all about them. They sound like a bunch of unhappy hags who have nothing better to do with their lives but make up malarkey about others. Am I right?”

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