Page 103 of Tessa's Trust

“It was deer blood. No worries.” Jonathan waved it away.

My frozen brain reeled. “Why did you tear apart my entire place? You ruined my furniture.”

Jonathon nodded. “I needed to make sure you called the police.”

Sadie grinned. “You said you wanted new furniture, remember? So now insurance will have to get you new stuff. I thought we were doing you a favor.”

I frowned. “I don’t have insurance on the furniture.”

Her expression sobered. “Oh. Well. Then I guess I’ll take some of that cash you paid me and buy you all new furniture. It’s the least I could do.”

Louise stepped even closer, her boots crunching on both ice and glass. “Why did you have a knife on you in the first place?”

“I always carry one,” Sadie said. “I mean, come on. I run, or at least I used to run, an illegal gambling den. Guns aren’t my thing, so I always had a knife with me.” She leaned over. “A kitchen knife will do just as good as any other.”

“I did not know that.” I looked up at Louise. “Louise, you still haven’t hurt anybody.” I chose to forget the fact that she had killed Lenny Johnson.

“I killed Lenny,” she spat.

Sadie gasped. “You did what?”

Louise had the grace to blush. “Yes. I thought Bobbo and I were going to get married…” She let her voice trail off.

“So you thought Bobbo would inherit my fortune?” Sadie said, rearing up. “What was your plan…to kill all of us?”

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Louise said in a rush. “I just knew that Lenny couldn’t have half of the building. It was that simple.”

This was such a fiasco, I didn’t even know what to think.

Louise set her stance. “I am tired of all of you. Go get the money, or I’ll shoot your brother.”

Sadie stiffened. “I told you. I don’t have the money. I left it in Silverville.”

“You’re a liar. I know you better than that.” Louise’s jaw tightened. “There is no way you would leave that much money and go on the run.”

“Are you on the run?” I asked.

“Not really. We were just waiting until we made sure you were safe before we left town. I figured we’d come back in about six months and they would’ve given up on finding Rudy’s murderer,” Sadie said quietly. “I don’t have the money.”

Louise fired a shot, and it hit the refrigerator. “Last one,” she snapped. “Next one’s in your brother’s head.”

Sadie sighed. “Fine.”

Even freezing cold, shock still rumbled through me. The woman had the money and she’d been bluffing? This was way out of my league. “Louise, don’t do this.” There was no doubt she’d shoot the three of us once she had the money. She had no choice. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Too late,” Louise said. “I’m sorry. There’s no way out of this.”

Sadie stood. “All right, I’ll get it.” She walked by her brother, and I saw my chance as Louise followed her with the weapon. I threw the blanket at her and then rushed forward in a tackle, hitting her center mass and throwing us both out onto the snowy deck. The gun fired, and pain exploded in my abdomen, and then all hell broke loose.

Nick Basanelli leaped over the deck, grabbing me and tumbling us back inside. Aiden Devlin burst through the front door while Anna ran around the back with her gun pointed at Louise. Sirens echoed in the distance. We rolled over, and Nick put me on my back, running his hands over my body.

“Are you okay? Were you hit?” he asked.

Everything hurt. I looked at my arm. “My arm and my stomach hurt.”

He flipped up the shirt and ran his warm hands over my abs. I groaned.

He pulled a chunk of ice away from my skin. “It’s just ice.”

---