A SEAL Wolf Christmas

Chapter 26

A week later, Yale called Anna as Bjornolf and she were getting ready to prepare Christmas Eve dinner. Bjornolf knew at once that Yale had some forensic results. Anna put him on speakerphone so Bjornolf could hear.

Jessica and Nathan were out doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. Bjornolf was glad they weren’t here at the moment.

“I know this is bad timing with it being Christmas Eve. But the DNA test results came back and I wanted to let you know they were positive,” Yale said. “The young lady is Jessica Silverstone, daughter of Jenna and Oliver Silverstone. The blood we found using the luminol in the basement of their home proved to be both Jenna and Oliver’s blood. And… some of Roger Wentworth aka Roger Everton’s blood. He was probably wounded when he killed the couple. Their daughter was right.”

Anna listened, not saying a word, her jaw clenched tight.

Bjornolf wrapped his arm around her shoulders, grateful that Yale hadn’t revealed the gory details in front of Jessica. “What about the DEA agents? Any word on what happened to them?”

“They were checking into allegations that William Wentworth was dealing in illegal drugs. Their investigation led them to the Christmas tree farm. They were in the house at some point or another. We didn’t find any of their blood there, but they appeared to have been caught as soon as they entered the house. The only place they had been was the front foyer. I almost missed smelling a vague hint of their scent there. If you came in the back door, you might have missed it, too.”

“We did. Did Hunter tell you what Jessica heard when she was home sick from school that one day?”

“Yes. The time corresponds to the approximate time of death. Both of them were shot several times. They bled out before their wolf’s healing abilities could come into play.”

Anna took a deep breath.

“I’ve informed their families. Not the kind of news anyone wants to hear at Christmastime, but they need closure. William and his family had an alibi for that time. They were with you in the Amazon.” He took a deep breath. “You have the hardest job—giving the news to Jessica.”

“What about Everton’s condition? Any word?” Anna asked.

“Intensive care still. He had a heart attack. He’s in a coma. So no questioning him yet.”

They said good-bye, and Anna looked at Bjornolf. “I should have aimed better.”

“Hell, Anna,” Bjornolf said, taking her into his arms. “You were drugged, and he intended to shoot and bury you. If you’d hit somewhere less vital, I might not be holding you here now.”

“You’re right. I just wish they could have interrogated him and learned what all this was about. As to Jessica, she has to be told. I hate being the one to tell her. She’ll want to know the truth, but it comes at a price.”

“If you want me to…”

Anna shook her head. “She knows my parents were murdered. So I kind of have a connection.” She hesitated, her gaze drifting to his chest.

He kissed her and hugged her tight. “I know, Anna. I don’t want you to be sad about any of it any longer.”

She sighed and gave him a small smile. “I don’t want to be, either. I want this first Christmas to be really special. And it will be,” she said with determination, dragging him into the kitchen. “If we get to cooking.”

They should have known that something was wrong when the kids didn’t come home for dinner on time. Not when Jessica and Nathan had proved how responsible they could be. Not when they were just doing some last-minute shopping and most places were already closed for Christmas Eve.

“I’m worried about them.” Anna turned off the oven.

Bjornolf glanced outside at the dark and the snow falling. “The mall’s closed by now.” He tried to get hold of Nathan by phone again.

Anna left another message on Jessica’s phone. A text message back from Jessica made Anna’s heart leap.

At farm. Getting stuff. Be quick and home soon.

What would they be doing at the farm? Getting more of her clothes? Or something else?

Dottie, Jessica’s adoptive mother, was still unaccounted for.

Concerned that someone else was using Jessica’s phone, Anna called Jessica and got her message machine. “Jessica, answer the phone.” Jessica had to hear her voice and know it was Anna.

But Jessica didn’t respond.

Anna shook her head at Bjornolf’s quizzical look.

“Maybe they’re just fooling around,” Bjornolf said, rubbing Anna’s arm. “Nathan told me he’d meet her at the house when her parents were away. They might have wanted to get away from us for some privacy. They’re young.”

“Maybe,” Anna said, but she still didn’t think they’d be that irresponsible when they all had planned on having a nice dinner together.

“If we go to the house to check up on them, there’s no telling what we might find. On the other hand…” Bjornolf said, his words trailing off.

“They could be in trouble,” she finished for him.

“We’ll leave a message to let them know we’ve gone out to the farm in case they arrive here, and we miss them somehow.”

Anna was already headed for the bedroom. “We’re going armed,” Anna said, breaking into his thoughts as she jerked on a white turtleneck and switched her blue jeans for white to blend in with the snow.

“Absolutely.” Bjornolf called Hunter to give him a heads-up in case there was trouble, while he and Anna strapped on knives and guns and headed out to the Land Rover. “We don’t know if there’s any problem. We’re on our way to check out the farm.” Anna had already called Hunter about Yale’s conversation, so he knew what was up with that.

“I’ll get Finn to notify the troops. Don’t get yourself and Anna killed, Bjornolf,” Hunter said with a stern warning. He meant for them to wait for backup.

“There may be nothing to it. Just a couple of parents worried about their teens,” Bjornolf said as he glanced over at Anna.

She was tense and ready for a fight.

“I hope so. But wait for backup,” Hunter said again. But he knew that Bjornolf and Anna couldn’t wait. Not if the kids were in danger.

They drove a little slower than they wanted because the roads were icy. Anna kept trying to call Nathan and Jessica with no result.

Bjornolf said, “We’ll park outside the fence.”

“We’ll keep to the trees until we reach the back side of the house. You got your lockpicks?” she asked, but then patted her pocket. “Forget it. I have mine.”

“Text Jessica and tell her the food’s getting cold, so we’re going to go ahead and eat. If someone else has her phone—”

“Incoming,” Anna said as he parked the Land Rover next to the fence. She read the message: Flat tire. Tow truck coming. Later.

“They’re in trouble,” Anna said.

“Or this is a setup, figuring we’ll assume they’re in trouble and come to help them.”

Anna texted back. Got a flat where? At farm, or on the way back?

They answered. Farm. We’re fine. Take 2 hours. Roads bad. Get there when can. Eat.

She called Hunter and told him the messages they’d received. “We’re going in.”

Bjornolf leaned over and kissed her mouth. “Keep low until we get close to the house.”

The chain link rattled as they climbed the fence. They both ran at a crouch through the trees.

Gunshots rang out inside the house, and Bjornolf and Anna forgot stealth. At a dead run, they headed for the back of the house.

When they reached one of the basement windows, Bjornolf made Anna stand back while he got a look.

Helen Wentworth looked like a crazed woman as she waved a gun at Dottie Everton, who was seated on one of the couches. Dottie was glowering at Helen, her face splotchy with anger. The kids were sitting nearby. Nathan’s arm was wrapped protectively around Jessica. There were small-caliber holes in the sofa only inches away from Dottie. Helen started to pace. The kids looked pale faced.

Nathan saw Bjornolf out of the corner of his eye, turned his attention more fully on him, and sat up a little taller. Bjornolf shook his head, indicating for him to look away. Nathan did and squeezed Jessica a little. She looked up at him as if trying to read some message in his action.

Bjornolf and Anna were going to have a devil of a time getting to the kids and Dottie without Helen witnessing their arrival on the basement stairs.

Bjornolf was concentrating so hard that he didn’t realize Anna wasn’t close behind him any longer. He turned and saw she was gone. Shit.

Then he saw her inside the house at the top of the basement stairs. The wall hid her from everyone in the room, but Bjornolf had a clear view of her. “Shit,” he said again, this time under his breath.

Weapon ready, Anna was already moving down the stairs. She carefully placed a boot on one step after another, using Helen’s screaming and Dottie’s crying to cover her approach.

Bjornolf’s heart was racing as he held his weapon. He was preparing to shoot through the window and target Helen, but he was afraid the bullet might hit someone else, since she was pacing in front of Dottie and the kids.

Helen shrieked, “I can’t believe it was you who had the affair with my husband the first time. And then started it back up! But that wasn’t enough, was it? No… you had to be in on this scheme to get rid of me and the kids. You couldn’t just divorce Roger. And William couldn’t just divorce me. You had to plan my murder! And the kids’! How could you? After you’d lost your own baby!” Helen choked up.

Dottie wiped away tears. “You’re wrong. William said he’d ask you for a divorce.”

“You weren’t mall shopping that day when your daughter was killed,” Helen said as if she hadn’t heard her. “William said he was on a business trip. But you were together. He arranged to have your baby murdered because it was his baby, too.”

Dottie sobbed. “He wouldn’t have.”

“If I had learned he was having an affair with you, I would have taken him to the cleaners. He knew that. His father loved Roger and would have cut William out of the will if he’d known he was screwing you. William had to get rid of the baby. The proof you two were having an affair. He arranged for the nanny, didn’t he?”

Dottie just stared at her as if she was in shock.

“He cut off the affair. Or you did after you lost the baby. Then last year you and he started it back up again. Right after William cut Roger out of the will. That’s when William starting acting cold toward me again. Being married to Roger was fine until the will was read, and he only got a dollar from his father. You wanted what William got. You think he would have let her live?” Helen asked, motioning the gun at Jessica. “He never wanted kids.”

Dottie quickly looked at Jessica and shook her head. “No. She was going away to college.”

“You think so? You think that if William had no trouble having his own kids killed, he wouldn’t have Jessica murdered once he got rid of me? He only had to get rid of Roger. He’d used him to kill the couple who owned the tree farm. Once Roger killed the DEA agents, if he got caught, he’d permanently be out of the picture this time.”

Four more steps. The stair Anna stepped on creaked. With their wolf hearing, both Jessica and Nathan turned their heads slightly toward the stairs. Anna immediately stopped.

Dottie and Helen were too wrapped up in their own drama to hear her. Thank God.

“Roger tries to kill a woman. The two dead DEA agents are unearthed. Another couple was killed, the owners of this farm. Coincidence that your adopted daughter came to you at the same time? You murdered her parents and raised the baby. You didn’t buy this place.”

“William said the baby needed a home. I took her in. That’s all!” Dottie shouted.

Bjornolf heard a truck pull up out front.

Helen turned her head toward the stairs. “Showtime.”

Bjornolf frowned. His people wouldn’t drive up that close to the house, alerting Helen that they had arrived and set her off.

“Front door’s locked, Jessica. Get it, won’t you? Don’t think of running or telling anyone what’s going on here or your boyfriend gets it. Okay?” Helen said.

Jessica looked at Nathan. He nodded, kissed her cheek quickly, and let go of her.

Her whole body trembling, she headed for the stairs. As soon as she turned the corner and put her foot on the first step, she covered a startled gasp and froze, staring up at Anna.

Bjornolf prayed she wouldn’t give Anna away.

Then, as if she realized her mistake, she dashed up the stairs, gave Anna a really quick hug, then slid past her to the landing.

Bjornolf didn’t want Jessica to get hurt. But he didn’t want to leave Anna, either. He had no choice. Anna was trained for this kind of work and was armed. Jessica wasn’t.

He raced for the front of the house.

William was at the front door, gun in hand, finger on the trigger, safety off, waiting like a wolf who was about to pounce on the unsuspecting.

Bjornolf slammed into him. William fired off several rounds as he went down. Bullets hit the door, the door frame, and the siding of the house before Bjornolf wrested the gun away.

Gunshots rang out inside the house at the basement level, and Bjornolf’s blood went cold.