Deadly Forever (Hardy Brothers Security Book 24) Read online

  “Then we’re telling it wrong,” Grady said dryly. “As one of the grooms in the triple wedding, I can tell you that it’s a lot of work.”

  Darcy made a face. “You’re a dude. Dudes don’t do the work. The women do all of the work.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Mandy said, smiling. She admired the girl’s resilience and attitude. “Anyway, I was at the mall when the alert went out that there were gunmen on the premises. I called my husband and told him what was happening before we hid in the dressing room.

  “One of the boys – Nate Graham, I believe – happened into the store by chance and I talked to him for a few minutes,” she continued. “He seemed resigned to dying and threatened me and then my husband shot him to keep me safe.”

  Darcy’s gaze was appraising when she shifted it to James. “Did he say anything when he was dying? Did he say he was sorry?”

  James shook his head. “He died right away,” he answered. “He didn’t speak. He was dead by the time he hit the ground.”

  “Too bad, I guess,” Darcy muttered, rubbing her cheek. “That still doesn’t explain how you ended up at my house.”

  “We wanted to learn more about the boys,” James supplied. “I felt … guilty … for killing Graham. He was a young kid. I expected an adult to be under that mask and I was wrong. It shook me a little bit.”

  “If you knew he was a teenager, would that have stopped you from killing him?” Darcy asked.

  James didn’t hesitate before answering. “No. My wife was in danger. I love her more than anything. Knowing Graham’s age wouldn’t have changed the outcome.”

  “We still want to know why they did it,” Grady explained. “It’s not easy to take a life. When we did some research on the kids – and to my knowledge the fourth boy hasn’t been identified yet – we found a sealed file for Dakota Landers.”

  “Why would it be sealed?” Darcy asked, confused.

  “It’s a court thing,” Mandy said. “Dakota was a juvenile when the charge was dismissed. The file was still there for anyone to read, though, and someone must’ve petitioned the court to seal it so only law enforcement could read what was inside. Whoever did that was trying to protect Dakota, so I’m guessing it was a parent.”

  “You’re not the police, though,” Darcy pointed out. “How did you see the file?”

  “We know people,” James said, grinning. “We can’t tell you how we saw it because we don’t want to get anyone in trouble. We saw it, though, and then we went to your house to … I don’t know … talk to you, I guess.”

  Darcy widened her eyes. “Do you think they took the guns to the mall because of me?”

  “I can’t answer that,” James said. “We’re not even sure what exactly happened to you.”

  “But you said you saw the file.”

  “We did,” Mandy said, drawing Darcy’s attention back to her. “The file is just a list of charges and actions, though. It doesn’t tell us what really happened.”

  “We would like to hear your story,” James interjected. “That is, we would like to hear your story if you’re willing to tell it to us. If you’re not, if you’re uncomfortable and don’t want to share information with us, we totally understand.”

  Darcy looked conflicted as she chewed on her bottom lip. She looked younger than her eighteen years. “I don’t know.”

  “Think about it,” Mandy prodded, dumping her almost completely melted ice cream cone into the garbage can and smiling. “We can order more ice cream while you’re thinking and make Grady fetch it for us.”

  Grady made a face. “I am not your slave.”

  “Oh, look at this girl,” Mandy said, resting her hand on Darcy’s arm and internally smiling when the girl didn’t flinch. “She’s sad. She needs ice cream. I need ice cream, too.”

  “You just had ice cream,” Grady protested.

  “I got distracted and it melted,” Mandy said. “I want another cone.”

  “I want one, too,” Maverick called from the office.

  Grady scowled. “Why do I have to get it?”

  “Because I’m the boss and I said so,” James answered. “Get everyone ice cream cones. Get that pain in the ass in the office one, too. In fact, I think Emma is upstairs with Avery. Get her and the baby ice cream, too.”

  Grady was beyond annoyed. “And how am I supposed to carry all of this ice cream?”

  “You’re a smart boy,” Mandy said, smiling brightly. “Figure it out.”

  “I DON’T know where to start,” Darcy said, dipping her spoon into her Oreo blizzard and avoiding eye contact as she focused on her dessert. “It’s so … embarrassing.”

  “It’s not embarrassing,” Mandy countered. “It’s not even remotely embarrassing. You didn’t do anything to deserve what happened to you.”

  “You definitely didn’t,” James agreed. “Those boys were in the wrong. You weren’t in the wrong.”

  “But … I wore a short skirt that night,” Darcy admitted. “My father said that was the reason it happened.”

  Mandy’s stomach twisted. She expected someone to blame the girl. For her father to do it, though, was depraved. “That’s not the reason it happened,” she said. “None of this is your fault. The reason it happened is because those boys felt a sense of entitlement and they took something that wasn’t freely given.”

  “Mandy is right,” James said. “I don’t think that blaming yourself is healthy. You didn’t do anything to deserve this. Some people are simply broken.”

  “I don’t want to go into a lot of detail,” Darcy clarified. “I was at a party at the Kaspar house when it happened. Mr. Kaspar is a guidance counselor at my school, but his son Jacob was in my grade. Mr. Kaspar was out of town for the weekend so Jacob threw a party.”

  “Did Jacob die at the mall?” James asked. “We still don’t have one of the kid’s names.”

  “It’s not Jacob,” Darcy answered. “It’s Chad Barlow. He hung with that group. I have no idea why they’re not releasing his name, though. His parents travel a lot and he’s always home alone. Maybe that has something to do with it.”

  “Maybe it does,” James agreed, filing away the name so he could run it later. “Go back to your story.”

  “There isn’t much to tell,” Darcy said. “I was in the living room and someone handed me a drink. It was Dakota. I’m sure of that. I didn’t think anything of it, though. I always had a crush on him and he seemed to be flirty so … I drank it.

  “It only took a few minutes for me to feel woozy,” she continued. “Dakota made a big joke about me not being able to hold my liquor and helped me upstairs. I thought he was going to take me to the bathroom so I could throw up or something, but instead he tossed me on a bed in one of the guest rooms.”

  “Did you black out?” Mandy asked. She hated grilling the girl about her ordeal, but she needed a clear picture painted if she expected to understand everything.

  Darcy nodded. “I thought I was dreaming at first, but I knew I wasn’t because of the pain,” she said. “I was a … um, virgin … before that night.”

  Mandy risked a glance at James and saw the grim set of his jaw. The admission only served to infuriate him further.

  “I saw Dakota on top of me and I begged him to stop because it hurt,” Darcy said. “I could hear voices and know that at least four people were in the room. I cried and begged them to stop, but they didn’t. Er, well, they didn’t until they all had their fun with me.”

  “And you don’t know who was with him?” Grady asked. He looked as if he was on the verge of tears.

  “I just remember Dakota,” Darcy replied. “That’s probably because I had a crush on him.”

  “Probably,” Mandy said. “When did you wake up?”

  “Not until they were dumping me out of the car and into the ditch in front of my house,” Darcy answered. “I don’t remember much of that either. I was all banged up and bruised when I got home.

  “My parents asked me what happened the
next morning and they were angry because they thought I got drunk,” she continued. “I told them everything I remembered, though, and they took me straight to the hospital.”

  “Did they do a rape kit?” Mandy asked.

  Darcy nodded. “They collected samples and stuff. I know the police have the samples because they wanted to run them against possible suspects. They needed warrants to do that, though, and there was a lot of arguing about how they were going to get them. They showed up at the hospital that morning for a statement and I told them what happened. I wanted Dakota and the others to pay until … .”

  “Until what?” Mandy prodded.

  “Until the story got out at school and everyone called me a slut,” Darcy replied. “They called me a slut … and a liar … and they said that I was jealous. They thought that was my way of getting attention because I wanted to be in with the popular kids.”

  “That sounds terrible,” Mandy said, licking her lips. “I … don’t know what to say to that at all.”

  “I do,” James said. “You make a list and I’ll beat up every single one of those kids … er, well, as long as they’re over eighteen. We’ll have to wait for the rest of them to become adults.”

  “I’ll help,” Grady offered.

  “If there are girls, don’t worry about that,” James said. “I have a scrappy wife and a mean sister. They’ll take care of it.”

  Mandy made an exaggerated face. “Ignore them,” she said, grabbing Darcy’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “When they get uncomfortable they say stupid things.”

  Darcy flashed a smile that didn’t make it all the way up to her eyes. “It’s okay. They’ve been nicer than anyone else who’s heard the story. At least they’re not calling me names and accusing me of lying.”

  “They would never do that,” Mandy said. “They’re good boys … for the most part. Is that why you recanted your accusation, though? Did everyone going after you at school make you want to run and hide?”

  “You would think that, but no,” Darcy said. “I was going to pursue it until the end because I wanted them to pay but … my parents had other ideas.”

  Mandy scratched her neck, confused. “Your parents?”

  “The Landers family offered my parents a million bucks to have me take it back,” Darcy explained. “My parents have money, but they don’t have that kind of money. My father said that I would be able to go to any college of my choice now and it would be easier on everyone if I told the police I imagined it.”

  Mandy felt sick to her stomach. What kind of parent sells out his or her own child for a profit? “Did you try and talk them out of it?”

  “I refused the first two times they brought it up, but my father said I didn’t have a choice,” Darcy said. “He said they wouldn’t stand with me if I testified and that everyone at school would think I was a slut before it was all said and done if I didn’t agree. They said people at college would find out and think I was a skank, too.

  “I thought about it and I couldn’t imagine doing it myself and I didn’t want people to hate me so … I took it back,” she continued. “I called the police and told them I was confused. The sheriff’s deputy who interviewed me was a woman and I think she knew I was lying when I said I made it up. She gave me her business card and told me she would be there if I should ever need her. She’s the only one in this entire thing who doesn’t make me sick to my stomach.”

  “Oh, Darcy, that’s terrible,” Mandy said, stroking the back of the girl’s hair as Darcy leaned forward and sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”

  James and Grady watched Mandy soothe the tortured teenager, exchanging the occasional furious looks as they silently allowed Mandy to make things better. Or, well, make things tolerable, at least.

  After a few minutes of sobbing, Darcy pulled herself together. “I want to know why the boys were in the mall as much as you do,” she said. “I want to know if it had something to do with me. I want to know why that had to happen to me and why they went into the mall with guns that day.”

  “We’re going to figure it out,” Mandy said, forcing a smile. “I promise.”

  Darcy looked hopeful. “How can you be sure?”

  “Because my husband has never let me down yet,” Mandy answered. “He’s not going to start now. He won’t let you down either. I have complete and total faith in him.”

  Despite the serious nature of the conversation, James puffed out his chest. “My wife makes me out to be something of a hero sometimes, but she’s not wrong. We are going to figure this out. I promise you that.”

  11

  Eleven

  “I don’t want to send her home.”

  Mandy watched Grady and Maverick entertain Darcy through the glass window that separated James’ office from the rest of the Hardy Brothers Security office. Her face was pensive when James walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

  “Do you want to tell me something?” James asked, his tone teasing. “Are you saying you want to keep her?”

  “No. I’m saying … .” In truth, Mandy had no idea what she was saying.

  “We decided not to have kids, baby,” James reminded her. “I think a teenager – even one as sympathetic and seemingly easygoing as Darcy – is going to tax our happy home.”

  “I don’t want to take her home,” Mandy said, shifting in James’ arms so she could see his face without pulling away. “I don’t want to send her back to those people either, though. We should be able to figure out a way to make her comfortable and safe.”

  James pursed his lips as he tugged a strand of his wife’s blond hair. She was so earnest it almost pained him to look at her. “Baby, she’s not our child,” he said. “She’s a teenager who has been through something terrible, but we can’t fix this for her. All we can do is figure out why the boys did what they did and hope that gives her some closure.”

  “I get that, James,” Mandy said, her eyes flashing. She wasn’t a fan of his tone. “I’m not asking you to take over as her emotional support system.” Mandy moved to pull away, but James stopped her.

  “What do you want to do?” James asked, refusing to let Mandy put distance between them and start a fight he had no intention of finishing. “Do you want to take her home for the night? We can take her home if you want. You know I’m not going to deny you so … just tell me what you want.”

  Mandy opened her mouth to respond and then snapped it shut. She had no idea what the right answer entailed.

  “Why are you two fighting?” Emma asked, appearing at the bottom of the stairs with Avery in her arms. The infant, a goofy grin on his face, squealed when he saw Mandy and extended his arms. “Oh, you’re such a traitor,” Emma complained to her son. “I swear you wish Mandy was your mother instead of me.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” James countered, reluctantly shifting his arms so he could take the baby from Emma. Avery loved his uncle, but he was far more interested in Mandy. Of course, she was agitated with James so she could only muster a wan smile for the infant’s benefit.

  “You know Avery loves you, Emma,” Mandy chided. “He just likes James and me because we give him sugar when you’re not looking.”

  Emma made a face. “Yes, you guys are the world’s most indulgent aunt and uncle. It’s probably good you’re not having kids.”

  “That’s what I thought until Mandy decided she was going to adopt a teenager,” James said, chuckling as Avery tried to chew on his chin. “I think this kid might be a zombie or something.”

  Emma ignored the joke and focused on Mandy. “You want to adopt a teenager?”

  Mandy shook her head and pointed toward the office. Emma shifted her gaze there, her eyes landing on Darcy for the first time.

  “You want to adopt her?” Emma asked, confused.

  “She was gang raped,” Mandy said, keeping her voice low. “She went to a party and the boys drugged and then raped her. Then the father of one of the boys offered her parents money to make the charges go away. They
pressured her so she recanted.”

  “That’s awful,” Emma said, disgusted. Her own father raped her for years and her mother knew it was happening and didn’t lift a finger to stop it. She knew a little something about parental betrayal.

  “The boys who raped her were the ones in the mall,” Mandy added. “We figure the two things must be related … although we can’t figure out how.”

  “Well, now I don’t feel so bad about them dying,” Emma admitted, her expression thoughtful as she watched Darcy. “I want to adopt her, too.”

  James made a groaning noise – which made Avery giggle – and shook his head. “She’s strong, you guys,” he chided. “She’ll be okay. She already survived the worst this life has to offer. She doesn’t need you hens clucking her to death.”

  Emma and Mandy ignored James.

  “You know, Jeff moved into his new place yesterday,” Emma pointed out. “We have that empty room at the back of the office. It’s not exactly a house, but Darcy would probably be put off if we offered to bring her into one of our homes anyway.

  “I remember after I finally got away from my father,” she continued. “All of these nurses and social workers offered me spots in their homes, but I felt uncomfortable, like it was charity. Darcy might feel the same way.

  “If we offer her the office and give her a key so she can sleep there whenever she wants, she might take it as a safe haven,” she said. “She might look at it as a place where she can get away from her parents.”

  James’ eyebrows flew up his forehead. “You want me to give her a key?”

  “What do you think she’s going to do?” Mandy challenged. “You’ve got eight firewalls on your computer. You can lock your actual office. I happen to think it’s a great idea. Emma will be right upstairs if she needs to talk.”

  “And who understands what she’s going through better than me?” Emma asked, her somber eyes landing on James. She was practically daring him to argue with her.

  “Uncle,” James barked, causing Avery to giggle again due to the exaggerated face he made. “You win, ladies. Darcy can stay here and come and go as she pleases. I think you’re both deluding yourselves if you think she’s going to want to hang around with virtual strangers, though.”