OBSESSION (The Bening Files (Novella) Book 4) (19 page)

What?
Amanda’s hand stilled.

Sandra’s gaze flicked to her, a hint of guilt there. “I paid a charity in her name. I paid her to join the trial. It wasn’t fixed.”

“I don’t believe you.” He raised his gun “You took my brother from me.”

Sandra shook her head as she backed into the table, both hands raised.

“I’d love nothing more than to shoot you and be done with it. But then those girls’ lives would’ve been in vain.” He leveled the barrel under her chin.

“You didn’t have to kill them.” She gave a harsh swallow. “You don’t have to kill anyone.”

“A matter of opinion.” He backed away, turned and headed toward Paige and Eileen. He gripped a handful of Paige’s hair and pulled her upward. She reached above her head, didn’t make purchase. Her full-blown scream sent chills straight to Amanda’s heart.

Her uninjured hand circled the gun. In her left hand it felt foreign. She’d only practiced shooting southpaw a handful of times.

You’re not afraid.

“Let her go.” She stood. Raised the gun as if she shot this way all the time. A slight tremor rippled down her arm. Pain screeched through her as she gripped the gun with her injured hand. “You’re okay, Paige. I’ve got you.”

The teen nodded. Took in a quick breath and closed her eyes.

Killian had his gun prepared as he circled the room. Drawing closer. Leaving little time for Amanda to do what she needed to do.

Eileen got to her feet. “She’s innocent, Seth. You don’t want to do this.”

“Not much stopping me.” He aimed the gun toward Eileen now, his free arm around Paige’s neck. “And you won’t remember this in fifteen minutes, anyway. Which is why you’re perfect to pin a crime on. Two birds, one stone. I get away, Sandra’s trial fails. You know, because it causes murderous rampages.”

Behind him, Sandra gripped a chair and raised it over her head. Killian shot off a round. The bullet pinged against the metal rung of the chair. Glanced off. Amanda flinched.

Beside her, her mom started to fall.

No.

A hand gripped hers. Pulled the trigger. Seth went down. It took aim a second time. Repeated. Killian hit the tiled surface with sightless eyes.

Next to her, Davis took a breath. Released Amanda’s fingers.

The door to the room burst open. A dozen armed officers filed in.

All Amanda saw was Eileen’s crumpled body on the floor. A blotch of red covered the area surrounding her heart.

“Mom.” Tears clouded her vision as she sank to the floor beside her. Amanda lifted her up and finagled her cuffed arms around her. Paige hurried over with the towel that had been around Davis’ head and pressed it to the area.

Robinson crashed down next to them, his hands no longer bound. “Eileen, stay with us.”

Her mom’s eyes focused on Amanda. “You got a good partner there.”

“Mom. Tell me how to help.”

A sad smile fell over her lips. “You’ve done everything you can. It’s best this way.”

A sob came from Paige. “Grandma, no.”

“You won’t have to wonder when I’ll come back.” A tear tracked down her cheek. “You can just remember me before the AD.” She sucked in a short breath. “Take care of Paige and those babies. I’m so proud of you. Remember that.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Three weeks later.

BABY JACKSON WIGGLED in the sling strapped across Amanda’s body, letting out the tiniest sound. An identical moan came from baby Claire hanging across Robinson’s midsection.

They’d come into the world on the heels of tragedy, Paige writhing in agony not long after Amanda’s mother took her final breath. And as the SWAT team took control and the FBI sorted out the details, she’d sucked up the wrenching grief and been the pillar her niece needed.

And then they’d placed a little boy on Paige’s chest, his sister not far behind. They’d looked up at her with the most beautiful, trusting eyes.

Mom, you would have loved these guys.

“It’s strange.” Robinson glanced up at Amanda with a warm smile that did funny things to her heart. Made her hope for things she’d thought long lost. A future she hadn’t imagined. A family that came together in heartbreak.

“What?”

“Twins.”

Yes. Having twins
and
a teenager was hectic and crazy. Exhausting and emotional. And just about the best feeling ever. “Is that a good or a bad thing?”

He tugged her toward him as far as the two infants between them would allow. “It’s not obvious?”

“Between the midnight feedings, diaper changes and—”

“The cutest infants in the world and one really awesome teenager.” He wound a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face closer. Put his lips against hers and kissed her slowly. The contact sent a zing through her system. It made her think of the first time she’d ever shared the intimacy with him. How it was unrivaled. Then he released her. “Best wife, too.”

Uh-huh. “That sounds like a favor I’ll need to relinquish.”

A twinkle lit his eyes. “Maybe. You up for the challenge?”

She tilted her head to the side. “Is that code for all-time diaper duty?”

The chorus of cherub voices sounded again.

“Their vote is in, A.J. You’re outnumbered. Bet I could get Paige on my side, too.”

She sent him a glare, but couldn’t muster any anger to go behind it. “That wasn’t anywhere in the marital contract.”

He laughed. “Mm-hmm. How you holding up today?” His gaze scanned the empty living room as if he’d asked her what color the next occupants might paint the walls.

He didn’t have to ask, because he was there when she lost it. When she raged. When she thought about calling Sandra and demanding the reason why she hadn’t stepped forward to help. But her mom had been right. The wound was fatal, their minutes precious. “Another day, another adventure.”

The twins gave out another round of moans.

“Think they communicate like that?” Paige appeared beside them in a t-shirt and shorts. She brushed a lock of hair from her face. Only a few boxes remained, then the house would be someone else’s to make memories in.

“Not sure, honey.”

Robinson opened his mouth as if he meant to make good on the diaper duty.

“Got everything?” Amanda threw him what she hoped was an I’m-smarter-and-quicker smirk.

A sigh came from her niece. She glanced around the room. “I thought I’d be more upset.”

Amanda sobered. She tucked another lock of Paige’s hair behind one shoulder. “It might come and go.” That she knew firsthand. Knew she’d feel the loss of her mother for years. Maybe forever. But the woman who’d raised her—the woman pre-AD or post-AD—wouldn’t want her to wallow in fear and regret. “This doesn’t mean you have to forget your parents. It means you keep moving forward for them.”

“I know.” Amber eyes met hers. Paige chewed her bottom lip. “I’m gonna make sure I got everything out of my room.”

Amanda watched her retreat. They’d keep moving toward being okay. More than okay. Whatever it took.

“One day at a time, A.J.” He whispered. “You’ve got company.” He nodded toward the silhouette in the open front door. Then he disappeared farther into the house.

Davis wandered inside. “Hey.”

“Where have you been hiding for the past few weeks, Davis? Or should I refer to you as Vi, now?”

“Your mom used to call me that. Don’t ask me where it came from. It sort of caught on.” She glanced around the room. “I’ve been at my aunt’s house on the coast. Major Fritz made sure he tracked me down yesterday. Seems I forgot to sign my official IA report.”

“Your aunt?”

“Not biological. Just a good woman who knows where I’ve been and loves me anyway.”

She could relate. “Thank you.”

Davis jammed her hands in her pockets as if the praise made her uncomfortable. “When you coming back?”

She didn’t know. Maybe never. “After my FMLA leave.”

Davis nodded. Watched Robinson and Paige deep in conversation as they headed toward the living room.

“Mr. Hunk-of-Love still in a snit about all the secrecy?”

“Maybe, but that comes with the job. The more you know, the safer and more prepared you are.”

Davis nodded. “It would have been weird. You know, if I’d waltzed up to you and said hey, your mom is like my mom too. And I knew your sister—even decked her once. I’m a cop. You’re a cop. Captain Dentzen hates us both. And Archer Brink can’t wait for the day we fall off the face of the earth. I’m an amazing shot. Working covert ops right now. Wanna hang out?”

Amanda checked the reflex to laugh. “When you put it like that—”

“It would have freaked you out. Especially after the last couple of years.”

“Probably.”

“And it would have been a code violation for me. Some IA officers know how to get chummy with their persons of interest. I’m just not wired that way. So I kept my distance.”

“You’re missing out, Davis.”

She rocked back on her heels. “Can’t miss what you don’t know.”

Amanda shook her head. Glanced down at little Jackson. A soft smile had formed on his lips. “I used to say the same thing. It’s a cop-out.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. I see what Jordan and Rupert are going through—trying to manage an odd sibling relationship. Not sure I want in on that side of the fence.”

“You could have told me about Rupert—everything from your shared paternity to how he and Juliana found my mom. I would have understood.”

Davis shrugged. “I’m sure if anyone
would
get it, it’d be you. It all goes back to IA, though. And the paperwork was already pretty complicated. Wouldn’t want to get carpal tunnel or anything.”

“Did cuffing Dexter have to do with IA as well?”

Green eyes glanced up at her. One blonde eyebrow raised higher than the other. “Nope.”

“So, what
was
it about?”

“You ask him?”

Only a hundred times as he recovered. “He said it wasn’t his story to tell.”

A small smile covered Davis’ face. “Sounds about right.”

Dear Reader,

The first time I wrote this letter, I wasn’t sure what to say or how I could convey the depth of gratitude I felt about the journey they’d decided to take a chance on.

Today, I still don’t have any eloquent words, but I feel that same way. Thank you for spending your time with Amanda and Robinson in
Obsession
.

For me, writing the book (in my head) is the easy part. Now ask me how I feel about everything else. Editing, rewrites, perfecting front and back matter—finding the time to do any of the aforementioned tasks during the hectic busyness of life—and you’ll find me in a colorful meme bashing my head on my desk or the nearest hard surface.

I’m kidding. Sort of.

So, here I sit, hoping you’ve enjoyed the latest Robinson/Amanda saga as much as I did. Hoping you found yourself wishing it wasn’t over, that there was more to the story.

There might be. You never know. These two are sort of like the scab I can’t stop picking. Every time I think their story is complete, I find another interesting facet I’d like to uncover and explore with new characters I can’t help but see a future for.

Stay tuned for Charleen Davis and Dexter Knight’s story in
Knight Revival: A Guardian Time Travel Novel
.

Until then, if you’d like to keep up on what I’m working—ahem, what my
characters
are working on—please join my
mailing list.
If you can’t get enough of my novels, consider joining my
launch crew
. You can also find me on the
web
,
Facebook
,
Twitter
,
Pinterest
,
Instagram
,
Google+
and
Goodreads
.

I’d love it if you left a review wherever you purchased the novella from. Reviews help an author so, so much and I can’t tell you how humbled I am every time I read one. You make this endeavor so enjoyable.

God Bless,

Rachel Trautmiller