For Auld Lang Syne (Navy Book 1)

Chapter 18

"It will be fine, I promise, just do what I say and it will all be over soon." Devon pushed a little more.

Annabelle squared her shoulders and nodded. Devon led her back to the center of the room.

"We're ready Eugene, let's go to the library, there's a lock on the door and no one will follow us," Devon said.

Eugene nodded. "What about all of them?"

"They'll stay here until you and Annabelle are ready to go." Devon looked around the room and everyone nodded their agreement. Everyone but Kellan and Josh.

"Eugene, may I say goodbye to my boyfriend, Josh?" Devon asked.

He looked at her calm smile and nodded.

Devon walked over to Josh who pulled her close for a hard kiss. "Boyfriend? This is a new development."

"Shut-up, it was the only thing I could think of, what do I do now?" Devon clenched her jaw to keep control of her panic.

"Take him to the library, make sure the curtains on the French doors are open, keep him in front of the doors, and the two of you stay as far away from him as you can." His instructions we short and to the point.

Devon nodded as he rested his head against hers. "Be careful Firefly, we still have to have our talk."

"Maybe you'll actually finish what you start for a change," Devon attempted to tease him but it fell flat.

"We'll never be finished Firefly." He kissed her again. "It's gonna be quick and messy so keep your head down."

"Let's go!" Eugene called as he grabbed Annabelle by the arm and motioned to the door with his gun. "You all better stay here!"

Devon opened the door and led the way down the hall and towards the library, watching the staff in the house duck behind doors. Eugene was entranced with Annabelle being so close to him, he only had eyes for her so he didn't notice any of them as they stayed hidden.

Devon peeked at the hall clock, they had only been held at gunpoint for fifteen or twenty minutes, and the staff had probably called the police, but they were at least half an hour away, and once they hit the library, she didn't think it would take more than five minutes for Josh and Kellan to finish the job.

*******

Josh's heart felt as if it was being squeezed out of his chest as he watched Devon leave with the gunman. He had been proud of the way she had handled the situation but was mad at the fact that she had had to handle it at all.

As soon as the door closed all hell broke loose in the room, the women were crying and Ford, the idiot, was calling for a lynch mob to go save his wife. He had started to direct the men as to what he wanted to be done, and Josh wasn't having any of it.

"Stop!" Josh commanded and everyone stopped turning to look at him as they did. He was used to commanding men and having them listen to him, and he demanded it of everyone in the room.

"Kellan and I will take care of this." Josh had to do one thing first, he reached under the tree and pocketed the gifts that were between him and Devon. He wasn't going to have them go missing, his was too important.

"How? By saving the Christmas presents!" Ford yelled. "That's my wife!"

Josh rose and moved towards him full of power and fight, and Ford took a few steps back at Josh's full-on approach with his chest barreled and his eyes hard. It was what Devon called his warrior look.

"We will handle this and no one but the gunman will be hurt, you have my word! Now, open the gun cabinet," he growled.

Ford reached into his pocket and handed him the key with a shaking hand. "You don't know anything about guns, someone who can shoot should go with you."

"Neither one of us said we didn't know anything about guns, we only said we didn't hunt innocent and wild animals, but trust me we've done plenty of hunting," Kellan said as he took the key from Josh and opened the gun cabinet.

"You know what you want?" Josh asked.

"Yes, here." He threw Josh a gun and he caught it and the ammunition that followed.

"If you want Devon and Annabelle to live you will all stay here!" Josh looked around the room, "You will all stay here!"

"Five minutes, ten max. I mean it, don't screw this up by playing hero!" Josh warned watching Ford closely. He decided he didn't trust Ford and his ego, so he walked back over to the gun cabinet and took out a revolver handing it to his father. "Dad, if anyone tries to leave shoot them in the leg." He then locked the gun cabinet, pocketed the key, and he and Kellan quickly left the room.

*******

Devon, Annabelle, and Eugene entered the library, and Eugene pushed them both further into the room, shutting the door and locking it before he put the key in his pocket.

"I need you to distract him while I open the curtains a little," Devon whispered to Annabelle as she guided them away from the sofa in front of the fireplace, which would have put Eugene out of the men's sight-line

"How?" Annabelle asked, suddenly game to do anything.

"Thank him for allowing you to spend yesterday and this morning with your son then ask him if it's alright if you attend the wedding together." Devon thought quickly.

"No whispering!" Eugene demanded as he pushed Devon away from Annabelle, she pretended to fall dramatically towards the curtains, grabbing onto them as if to catch herself. "Sorry!"

"Eugene?" Annabelle softly asked, getting his attention as he turned his back towards Devon. "I want to thank you..." Devon tuned out what exactly Annabelle was saying as she slowly worked the curtain with her fingers, she had to move slowly, but little by little she got the curtain open about two feet before Eugene noticed she was there and told her to get away from the door.

Devon nodded and moved towards Annabelle, putting her arm around her and moving them away from the French doors, putting their backs against a bookshelf.

Eugene had just opened his mouth to say something when they heard a gunshot and cracking glass then Eugene crumpled to the floor. Annabelle screamed and looked away from Eugene's lifeless body which lay on the floor in front of them; the pool of blood around his head growing rapidly.

The next instant the French doors were kicked open, and Josh was standing there surveying the scene. "Clear!" he yelled as he looked at Devon and Annabelle. "Are you two alright?"

Devon didn't run to him. At that moment he wasn't Josh he was someone else, and she was unsure of the reception she would get if she were to throw herself into his arms.

Kellan stepped into the room, looking at Eugene lying on the floor his face void of expression. "I hear the sirens."

"Devon, take Annabelle back to the living room and tell my dad to put the gun away." Josh handed her the key to the gun cabinet. "Then all of you go out front and meet the police"

She grabbed Annabelle, who was crying and dragged her from the room, through the busted French doors, not looking back at the two strangers that she left behind.