Prophecy: Rapture Page 19

  Robbins knew the answer before Raines spoke. It would be suicide for the reporters to break and lose the chance to ask more questions. What if the couple decided not to hold another conference at all?

  “I don’t mind going on without her for awhile. I do have some questions for Kyla later, if she feels up to it.”

  “Like what?” Joe asked.

  “I wanted to ask her about her plea for donations.”

  “I have her notes, if you’re interested.”

  “Tell us about it.”

  Joe spoke for several minutes about the purpose of the fund, the fact that Charles Colston was organizing volunteers, the phone number, and the PO Box for donations.

  “Should donations be made out to Charles Colston?” she asked.

  “No, they should be made out to the Samantha Allen Fund.”

  Bourne spoke up. “Kyla really loved Gram, didn’t she?”

  “We all loved Gram. Even Stacie, as much as she tried to deny it, couldn’t help but to admire her for her kindness and strength. That may have been what changed Stacie’s mind about what side she was on. She said after— Stacie said it became personal.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Howard and Stacie were both plants. They pretended to help keep Kyla safe while they were literally setting us up for the kill.” Joe sighed deeply. “Howard was what he was until the end. Stacie was confused. In the end, she made a choice to try to end the violence instead of creating it.”

  Kaye jumped in again. “What choice?”

  “I wasn’t the only one who took a bullet in Kyla’s place.” Tears shone in his eyes, but didn’t fall. “When she moved, she gave me the time I needed to shield Kyla. She shot one of her own, one of Cole’s men. She stopped Cole from killing himself when he cracked, and she died in his arms.”

  “Why did Cole crack?”

  “For the same reason as Stacie, I think. I don’t know what Cole expected, but he suddenly found himself Harris’s prisoner. All of his followers were dead or dying. One turned against him. Guilt is a powerful motivator. He got—what? — nine or ten of his own people killed and found himself face to face with a semi-conscious, one-hundred-ten pound young woman who was incapable of even standing up.” He shook his head. “Who knows what he was thinking?”

  Steadman was next. “What happened to Howard Anderson?”

  Joe shook his head. “We were still separated, so what I’m going to tell you, I heard second hand.”

  “From Kyla?”

  He nodded. “And from Harris. After Howard shot Gram, he turned his gun on Kyla. Harris shot him.”

  “Why would he do that? Why would he kill Anderson when he wanted Kyla dead anyway?”

  “For the same reason he had his men kill Cole’s men.”

  “Religious war?” Raines asked.

  Joe shook his head. “Nothing so complex. Harris still needed information Kyla had. Until he had it, no one was allowed to kill her. After she broke his nose, I think Harris decided no one was worthy of that honor but himself. No one else was allowed to touch her. He hit one of his men for slamming her against a wall. It wasn’t out of any love for her. It became personal to him. He had a score to settle.”

  Joe’s jaw was set angrily. Robbins could see that he took his job as bodyguard very seriously.

  “What did Harris do after he shot Howard?” Raines asked.

  “That was when Cole’s men attacked. Kyla was in shock. The whole thing was falling apart. He decided to centralize. He rebound Kyla’s hands and moved her, Stacie, and me to the library.”

  Kaye stepped in again. “Why? Did he want to use you to make Kyla talk?”

  Joe grimaced. “No, he couldn’t afford the guards to watch us. He brought all of his prisoners together and guarded us himself while his men fought Cole. Even when he killed Blake for helping Cole, the scales were tipped in Harris’s favor, and he knew it.

  “I couldn’t see the fight, but I could hear Harris’s conversation. Cole started off in a complement of nine, plus Blake and Stacie on the inside. By the time Harris captured Cole and Simmons, the two of them, Stacie, and one last man were all that were left alive of the original eleven. That meant Harris and two of his men took out seven of Cole’s men almost immediately with the loss of only one on Harris’s side. Fergerson was wrong. Harris was the best and he knew it”

  “What went wrong?”

  “He got sloppy. He was standing guard over all but the one loose cannon Cole had out there. Even when Harris lost his final man, he thought he had the upper hand. Cole’s man was smart. He used one simple trick that ended it for Harris. When he burst through the door, he did it on his knees. Harris overshot, and Cole’s man was left with a clean shot.”

  Bourne was entranced again. “What next?”

  “Cole had seen enough. He untied Stacie’s hands and tried to get his man to stop. The other man went insane. He backed away and started shooting. Stacie grabbed a handgun out of his beltline. She stepped between him and the two of us and shot back. I dove over Kyla.” Joe shook his head. “One of Stacie’s shots took him down, but she was already down. I was busy taking a bullet, so I didn’t see that part.”

  Steadman stepped up to bat again. “Why didn’t Harris try to use you to make Kyla talk? Knowing how she felt about you, it had to have crossed his mind.”

  Joe gazed down at the woman in his arms. “He might have eventually, but he had something else in mind for me. You see, Kyla balked him when Harris thought he had the upper hand. She did it for me. Harris didn’t like someone ruining his well laid plans.” Joe wiped away the first tears any of them ever saw him shed. “Before he knocked her unconscious that first night, Kyla was crumpled against the wall with broken ribs. Harris made Kyla a promise. She would see me die as a punishment. When Kyla was trying desperately to push people away, she wasn’t harboring any illusions.”

  No one spoke for several long moments, so Joe continued. “Mr. Robbins, I think we should end now. If anyone has any more questions, can they just write them down?”

  Robbins stepped into the picture. “I’ll take care of it Joe.” He signaled the cameraman to wrap it up. As Robbins started away to order the tapes for the reporters, he realized they were still staring at the screen with tears in their eyes.

  The other camera was turning off, and the final image was one of the couple curled together with Joe’s arms wrapped around Kyla and his cheek on her hair, much like the way they were found.

  Robbins grinned as he left the room. Maybe CNN wouldn’t get that image.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  June 1st-2nd

  Leo asked Greg Robbins for a copy of the original tapes. After he watched them, Leo packed them away in the boxes where he was storing all of his files from the case. He typed in a few more lines and printed out the final report to have the Sergeant sign.

  As far as Leo was concerned, the only important unanswered question was why Jessup would have the Parks attacked in the first place. As he explained in his report, whatever the reason was, it obviously died with Jessup.

  Leo decided that his work was done. Thanks to the fire, he had absolutely no conflicting evidence. That in itself was unusual for a case this complex, but what possible excuse could he give for investigating further in light of it?

  The DA’s office decided not to attempt to charge any of Kyla’s protectors. Given whom they were dealing with as an adversary, the DA decided to chalk it up to poor decision making under extreme duress.

  They announced their decision Friday morning. Before five o’clock that evening, a few more friends showed up at the hospital. That brought Leo’s count of who was hiding her to at least seven.

  * * *

  The police car pulled out behind them, and the cameras were rolling. Hospital security guards barely maintained a channel for the two cars to pass through.

  Kyla watched the crowd surging toward them. This love-hate reaction of the masses was downright frightening. She didn’t under
stand how real celebrities could stand it, but they probably liked people a lot more than she did. It was half a block before the road cleared, and Kyla sighed in relief.

  Joe reached out for her hand and squeezed it gently. “It can’t last forever,” he told her.

  “We hope.” Kyla cracked a grin at him.

  The rest of the trip to her parents’ house was uneventful, until they approached the driveway. A police officer ordered people away from the barrier he removed to allow the cars in. Matthew pulled directly into the garage and shut the door by remote. Everyone sat quietly for a moment.

  Kyla broke the stillness. “Are you absolutely sure you want us to stay here?” she asked her father.

  “Absolutely,” Matthew affirmed. “You can’t possibly go back to your apartment.”

  “No, but we could drop out of sight for a little while. It wouldn’t be all that hard, either. And this time, we could stay in touch.”

  “It would only start up again when you came home.”

  Kyla nodded. “Nowhere to hide. I’ve been here before.”

  Joe laughed. “I remember this conversation. As I recall, you were no happier about it the last time. It will work out. Someone will create a new and interesting scandal, and we’ll be old news.”

  Matthew nodded. “Well, let’s get inside.”

  Kyla crawled out from under Joe’s leg and out of the car. Matthew insisted on helping Joe to his feet so she wouldn’t strain her stitches.

  When he was on his feet, Joe looked at her wearily. “At least they gave me the type of crutches I asked for.”

  Kyla grinned at the half height orthopedic crutches. “What I wouldn’t have given for those when I broke my ankle,” she decided.

  “Used those before?” Matthew asked.

  Joe blushed, and Kyla took over. “He had a hiking accident a few years back and broke his leg in three places.”

  Joe nodded gratefully.

  They went in. Molly came rushing down the stairs. Matthew scooped her up before she could collide with Joe.

  Josie stuck her head out of the dining room. “Hi guys. Go sit at the table. Dinner will be out in a few minutes.”

  Dinner was the most relaxing time Kyla could remember in almost a week. Josie thought of everything. She had an extra chair pulled up with a pillow on it for Joe’s leg. She’d cooked his favorite meal, based on Kyla’s intel: steak, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob.

  “I didn’t used to eat vegetables,” Joe confided, “but I find I’m becoming a connoisseur.”

  “Really?” Josie asked. “Why the change?”

  Kyla laughed heartily. “Call it a bet. So far I’ve convinced him to eat high starch veggies, but I’m working on it.”

  “What exactly did you bet?” Matthew asked.

  “A kiss,” Kyla answered, “but he lost.”

  “He lost a kiss? You won on purpose?”

  She grinned. “Hey, a bet is a bet. You taught me that.”

  Joe laughed that time. “It’s a long story.” He looked at Kyla. “And, as I recall, I got that kiss anyway.”

  Kyla blushed and glanced at Matthew out of the corner of her eye.

  “Speaking of that bet, I never did get you those shoes,” Joe continued.

  Kyla shook her head. “Don’t start that again. I told you, you had already lost when you raised the stakes. It wasn’t a fair bet.”

  Matthew looked from one to the other. “He lost, but he didn’t know he lost?”

  Kyla raised her eyebrows at her father.

  “How did you manage that?”

  Molly stared at him. “The same way she did it with me. Jeez Dad. I saw that one coming.”

  Matthew grinned at his younger daughter. “You would.”

  Josie cut in. “Have you thought any more about the wedding?”

  Kyla smiled. “Yes, I have.”

  “Good,” Joe commented. “You’re not going to make we waste that license in our bag.”

  “I might, if you keep making jokes.”

  “Well, fill us in,” Josie invited.

  “I want to keep it simple. Just us and friends. I’ll find a dress.”

  “You’re not wearing white are you?” Joe asked. Kyla glared at him, and he backtracked quickly. “After all, it is a second wedding.”

  Kyla favored him with a cool look. “Dear Abby says a woman should wear whatever she chooses on her wedding day.”

  Joe laughed heartily. “Am I in a tux?”

  “I guess the groom can wear whatever he wants too, within reason. I’m marrying you again whether you’re in a tux or jeans. It’s not important, in the long run. You were wearing jeans the first time, and I married you.”

  Joe kissed her forehead. “No more joking. I promise.”

  Josie shook her head. “How many guests are you figuring on?”

  “Twenty or less total,” Kyla said.

  “What kind of cake?”

  “Simple—a couple of tiers so I have a cake top to save, with yellow roses.”

  Josie nodded. “What about a caterer?”

  “So we don’t have to worry about it,” Kyla agreed. She furrowed her brow. “I want to do something a little underhanded, though.”

  “Like what?” Matthew asked.

  “I don’t want any uninvited guests. I want to have one of our friends arrange the caterer and cake, so no one knows it’s for us.”

  Joe smiled in her direction. “Brilliant, as always.”

  Matthew nodded. “I can see the point of that. Work out the details, and pass me the bills.”

  “Where is it going to be?” Josie asked. “If we have to find a hall, we’ll have to do it soon.”

  Kyla shook her head. “Private property. No rental involved.”

  “Have you confirmed it with the owners?” she asked.

  “We are the owners,” Kyla answered.

  * * *

  The adults stayed up for more than an hour after Molly was put to bed, talking about the last six weeks. Kyla and Joe found themselves burying the worst of it and skipping a few choice encounters. From the looks they got from Josie and Matthew, Joe surmised the older couple wasn’t entirely fooled.

  Kyla yawned deeply and muttered an apology.

  “I’m sorry,” Josie said. “You two must be exhausted. Joe, can you make it upstairs all right?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine.” Joe yawned in the usual chain reaction. “Thank you.”

  “We’ll see you two in the morning then. Kyla, your room is made up for the two of you, and there are towels in the bathroom. Your duffel is on the dresser. We can pick up more of your things when you’re ready.”

  Kyla thanked her parents. She looked at Joe. “Do you need any help?”

  “I’ll be fine. Go on up, and I’ll catch up in a minute.”

  Kyla nodded and gave her parents each a kiss on the cheek before heading for the stairs. Joe vaguely heard her thank Matthew as she hugged him. Both men watched her climb the stairs.

  Joe met Matthew’s gaze. “Thank you,” he told the older man.

  “For what?”

  “For being so accepting. It’s been a long time since I was part of a family. I didn’t know what to expect, but you’ve all been wonderful.” Joe paused.

  Matthew stepped in. “Molly told us about the nightmares. We wouldn’t have separated you two anyway. You need each other. I think Kyla’s right. You’re incomplete alone. Go to bed, Joe. Don’t keep her waiting. It’s been a long, hard road, and it’s time the two of you got some peace.”

  Joe nodded to them. “Thank you anyway.” He made his way upstairs.

  At the top, he saw Kyla coming back from the bathroom with a large basin of water and towels.

  “What are you up to?” Joe asked.

  “I have an idea for how you can get a shower tomorrow. For tonight, I thought I might give you a sponge bath.”

  Joe raised an eyebrow. “But you know I don’t like sponge baths.”

  Kyla looked at him innocently. �
��You’ve never had one of mine.” She turned and went down the hall into her room.

  Joe smiled. It wasn’t really her room. It was their room.

  His breathing hitched as he watched the sway of her hips. He didn’t know what Kyla was up to, but even in that bulky robe, Joe found her arousing. By the time he reached the bedroom, Kyla had set up his bath on the nightstand. Joe decided she might be able to make even a sponge bath interesting.

  Kyla invited him to the bed and locked the door. Joe raised an eyebrow at her.

  She smiled. “You want Molly charging in here at six o’clock in the morning?”

  Joe shook his head and settled on the bed. Kyla took off his clothing and sat behind him. She caressed the hot cloth over his neck and back. When she was finished, Kyla massaged his back. Joe shivered as he felt her feathery kisses along his spine. Kyla moved beside him and eased him onto his back on the bed. Joe tried to pull her down to kiss him, but Kyla smiled and guided his hands away.

  “Just close your eyes and enjoy,” she said.

  Joe did as she asked. The sensations were exquisite. Kyla washed and massaged every inch of his body. Every time Joe thought it couldn’t possibly feel better or more erotic, her hands caressed or her lips brushed over him and he found himself at a higher level. When every inch of him not covered by a cast had been tended to, she set her washcloth aside and kissed him. Joe opened his eyes and looked at her.

  “Feel better?” she asked.

  Joe found it hard to speak. While Kyla was bathing him, she had slipped off the robe. Underneath, she had on the elusive lace nightie he had wanted to see for so long. Even with the fading bruises on her face, she was stunning.

  Joe nodded as he continued his assessment. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her crimson curls brushed across her nearly naked shoulders, and her breasts mounded neatly in the bodice.

  “Good,” Kyla breathed, leaning close to nip at his ear.

  When Kyla kissed him that time, Joe knew she was serious. He brushed his hands through her hair and pulled her closer. As their kiss became more fevered, Joe lifted her easily by the waist and set Kyla astride his hips.