Magnificent Folly - Iris Johansen [36]
“Cassie.”
“Cassie.” Andrew straightened his shoulders as if shifting a burden. “I just thought you should know.” His hand released the drapes, and he turned away from the window. “Will you ask Gunner to come in now? We’ll have to make a few plans while I dress.”
“A few plans? You can’t expect to walk in and overpower those men without a struggle.”
He turned on the lamp on the table beside the bed. “Don’t worry—it will be over in a matter of a few minutes once we’re in the room. We just have to be sure that neither man is near Cassie when Gunner attacks.”
She shook her head. “You’re making it sound too easy. These are vicious men, Andrew.”
His lips tightened as his gaze went to her cut and bruised temple. “I know. They hurt you. I didn’t think I believed in revenge, but I was wrong. I’ll see that they suffer for it, Lily.”
“I don’t want anyone to suffer. I just want Cassie safe.” She turned and opened the door. “And then I want answers to a few hundred questions.”
“You’ll get those answers,” Andrew said quietly. “But you probably won’t like what you hear.”
• • •
“I should have gone along.” Lily paced the length of the room. “Andrew said it would only take a few minutes, and—”
“It’s only been fifteen minutes,” Quenby said soothingly. “I’m sure they’ll be back soon. There’s truly very little danger, Lily.”
“How can you say that? Those men hit me over the head and kidnapped a helpless little girl.”
“Gunner will take care of them. He’s handled men far more dangerous than they.” Quenby hesitated. “It should be over by now. Do you want to go see what’s holding them up?”
Lily stopped short. “Could we? There would be no danger to Cassie?”
Quenby got to her feet. “We can at least walk over toward the chalet and see if there’s any sign of—”
The door opened, and Gunner walked into the room.
Lily whirled to face him. “Cassie?” Her gaze searched eagerly over his shoulder. Andrew wasn’t with him. Her heart lurched sickeningly. “What’s happened to Andrew?”
“They’re both still at the chalet,” Gunner said. “She’s not hurt, Lily. Andrew will bring her as soon as he finishes working with her.”
“Working with her?” Lily ran toward the door. “You’re not telling me the truth. Something’s happened to her.”
“No.” Gunner stepped in front of the door and grasped Lily’s shoulders. “Andrew will fix it. You don’t want to go there now.”
“The hell I don’t.” Lily tore herself from his hold and ran out the door and down the path toward the chalet next door. The lights were streaming from the casement windows, and the chalet looked as innocent and cozy as a gingerbread house. What had happened to Cassie in that house? She threw open the front door. “Andrew? Where’s Cassie?” She entered the foyer. “I have to see Cas—”
Two men were lying crumpled on the floor of the living room.
Lily froze, staring down at them. She recognized the scar-faced man at once as the intruder in the cottage. The other man was heavier, older.…
They were dead, she thought with sick horror. They had to be dead. No one could be alive and still be so rigidly inert. And their faces … features contorted with pain, mouths open in a silent scream, eyes glassy and staring straight ahead.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Andrew stood in the doorway across the room. “Dammit, I told Gunner to keep you away.”
“They’re dead,” she whispered.
Andrew shook his head. “They’re only locked.”
“But they look …” She tore her gaze away from the pain-racked bodies on the floor. “I want to see Cassie. What’s happened to her? Did they hurt her?”
“No, they didn’t hurt her.” Andrew hesitated. “It would be better if you’d go away and leave me with her for a while longer.