“But you don’t know for certain Harry’s got him, do you?“
“Hell have him by now.“
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Harry was expecting only Colby, but instead he’ll have had to deal with Brandon as well. Brandon’s a lot like Colby, you know. Colby taught him everything he knows. Brandon even drives like his father.
Think your friend Harry could handle two Savagar men?“
“Shut your mouth, you little bitch,“ Eddy shouted. He took his eyes off the road to glare at her.
“Watch out!“
The Corvette swerved sharply as Eddy quickly brought it back in line. “Don’t say nothin’ more about how Colby might have taken out Harry. It didn’t happen that way. Couldn’t happen that way.“
“Why not?“
“Harry has a gun. He knows what he’s doin’ with it. Harry and me been huntin’. I’ve seen him handle a gun.“
Diana sucked in her breath and wrapped her arms around herself as the next contraction hit her. “Oh, my God.“ She tried not to think of Harry’s gun, but the image kept getting mixed up in her mind with the rapidly escalating pain of her contractions.
No, not pain, she reminded herself with grim humor. Discomfort. Intense discomfort.
The real pain was yet to come.
Colby, where are you? I need you. You promised you’d be here with me. It’s happening too fast, Colby. It’s not supposed to happen this fast.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?“ Eddy asked. “Is it the baby? You’re not having it now, are you?“
“Yes, it’s the baby. I’m in labor, Eddy.“
“Damn. Goddamn it to hell. I got to get this done. Harry didn’t say nothin’ about what to do if this happened. I got to hurry up and get it over.“
“Get what done, Eddy? Are you going to kill me?“ She was surprised at how calm the question sounded. It was probably because she had too many other things to think about. It was hard to get worked up over a mere murder threat when you were in labor and you were trying to deal with the fear that the man you loved might be dead.
No. Colby wasn’t dead. She’d know if he were dead. A light would have gone out somewhere in her mind. He was still alive and as long as he was alive, he would be there when she needed him. He would move heaven and earth to get to her. She just had to keep going until her warrior found her.
“Don’t say nothin’ else, okay? I don’t want to talk.“
Diana kept her fingers wrapped around Specter’s collar. He waited, tense and expectant, making no sound.
Somehow Diana wasn’t surprised when Eddy pulled into a familiar parking area. She sat staring out at the starlit veil of water and knew that this was the way it had been meant to be.
“Chained Lady Rails,“ she said quietly. “What are we going to do here, Eddy?“
“You’re gonna have an accident from the top of the falls.“ He opened the car door and as the overhead light came on, he showed her the small handgun in his fist. His eyes were glittering.
“The same kind of accident your father had?“
“He deserved to go over those falls. Everyone in town said so at the funeral. I heard ‘em.“
“Do I deserve to go over the falls, Eddy?“
“You got to. No other way. I’m sorry, if you want to know the truth. You’re a real classy lady. But you belong to Colby Savagar and everything of his has to be destroyed. Don’t you see? Everything of his has to go.“
“Including my baby?“
“Don’t say nothin’ more, you hear me? Now get out of the car.“
Specter’s lips peeled back, revealing his teeth, but he made no sound. He followed Diana out of the car. She had never seen him quite like this. There were no threatening growls or angry, warning whines. The dog was deadly silent.
She knew Specter was ready to attack. For the first time she wondered just what Specter had done for a living in his former life. Colby had said once that he’d probably been a junkyard dog. According to the old saying, there wasn’t much that was meaner than a junkyard dog.
Eddy eyed Specter as he came around the car but when the dog made no move, he ignored him. He trained the gun on Diana.
“We got to climb to the top of the falls.“
“Don’t be a complete ass, Eddy. I’m in labor. I can’t possibly climb up to the top of the falls.“
“You got to. Harry said this is the way it has to be.“
“Probably because Harry wants you to take the blame for my death. I’m sure he’s got this all figured out so that he won’t have to split the money with you.“
“Move.“
She started forward and then screamed. The cry was only partially faked. The contraction that went through her was strong enough to generate a very real shriek. Diana doubled over in pain.
The sound totally unnerved Eddy. He jumped and leaped back involuntarily. “Damn you, don’t yell like that. Don’t yell like that again.“
“Specter, get him.“
She wasn’t sure what the dog would do. She had never given him permission to attack anyone. She didn’t even know what constituted a proper attack command.
But Specter knew a threat to his mistress when he saw it. Her fear and anguish were more than enough to guide him. He sprang toward Eddy, fangs glinting in the starlight.
This time it was Eddy who screamed. He fell back, frantically waving the gun as a club. The dog’s big body bowled him over. Eddy broke free for a moment, rolled on the ground and tried to get to his feet. This time he aimed the gun at the charging dog.
But Specter reached him an instant too soon for Eddy to squeeze the trigger. Animal and man tumbled over the edge of the rocky pool and into the churning water at the base of the falls. They both disappeared.
“Specter!“
There was a terrifying pause, during which Diana could see nothing in the cold starlight. The roar of the falls blanked out all sounds of a struggle. Then Specter’s head appeared briefly amid the foam.
“Specter. Here boy. Come here, Specter.“
He responded to her call, swimming toward her with great, surging movements. A moment later he pulled himself up out of the pool and stood shaking the cold water out of his coat.
“Good dog. Good boy. Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.“ Diana was halted on her way to the car by another contraction. When she got moving again, she yanked open the door and discovered the keys to the Corvette had gone into the water along with Eddy and the gun.