Page 24 of Let It Burn (The Barrington Billionaires 4)
There wasn’t time to argue. Andrew jumped in the driver’s seat while Art took the passenger side. They started off across the rescue, kicking up dirt as they flew down the unpaved roads.
“He’s telling me to open the door. He says he’ll get me out of here. Hurry, Andrew.”
Andrew was using both of his hands to drive, and Art heard his daughter’s fear.
“What are you two involved in?” he demanded.
“Later,” Andrew said and threw the phone to Art. “Right now, we need to make sure this isn’t who she thinks it is. Ask her to put her phone on video.”
Art caught the phone even though he was being thrown around while Andrew took tight turns. “Honey, we’ll be there in one minute. Hang on. Can you switch to video?”
“I’ll try,” Helene said in a rush. “I’m so sorry, Dad. I shouldn’t have come home.”
A moment later Art held up the phone for Andrew to see. Andrew slammed on the brakes, and quickly grabbed his phone back. “Shit. Helene, you’re safe, but I have to call off my men.” He sent a quick text to his team to stand down and fall back.
“What the hell is going on?” Art growled.
Andrew let his next words to Helene also be his answer to Art. “Helene, you’re safe, do you hear me? That’s Dax Marshall, my brother-in-law. Kenzi’s going to kill me. My men just shot at her husband. Stay there. We’re coming.”
Chapter Fourteen
Andrew had people up in the trees? People with guns? And the furious-looking man banging on her window was his brother-in-law? She unlocked the car doors and the suited man jumped in the passenger seat.
“Are you hurt?” He scanned her as if expecting to see blood.
“No,” she said, her mouth almost too dry to speak. “They were just warning shots.”
“We need to get out of here. Do you want me to drive? You don’t look so good.”
Helene bet she didn’t; her hands were shaking so much she’d dropped the phone onto the floor of her car, and she felt like she was about to throw up. “Andrew’s calling off his men. We’re safe. I think.”
“Andrew’s men? What the hell is going on here?”
Before Helene had time to answer, the gate of the rescue opened and a truck sped through it, coming to a dusty stop beside her car. Both her father and Andrew came running to her side of the car.
Her door was pulled open and Helene attempted to step out, not sure her legs would hold her. She looked up at the trees, half expecting more gunfire. Not because she didn’t trust Andrew, but because she once again felt like she was in a nightmare, and nightmares didn’t follow the rules of reality.
Andrew pulled her out and into his arms, but she didn’t stay there long. Her father grabbed Andrew by the back of the neck and yanked him backward.
Helene thought she knew what her father looked like when he was angry. She’d seen him go toe to toe, sometimes fist to fist, with some nasty people in the past, but she’d never seen him look as close to real violence as he did in that moment. He shoved her behind him and said, “No. You don’t go anywhere near my daughter.” He looked up from the man in the suit who was walking toward them to the trees and back at Andrew. “I let you in my house. Trusted you with my baby.”
“Dad,” Helene stepped out from behind him. “Andrew—”
“What have you gotten yourself mixed up in, Andrew?” the man Andrew had called Dax demanded.
“Who are you?” Art yelled at Dax.
“Family,” Dax yelled back with more than a little impatience in his voice. “Who are you?”
Helene went to stand with Andrew. “Dad, Andrew is only trying to keep us safe.”
“Safe from what?” her father barked into Andrew’s face.
Instead of answering, Andrew put an arm around Helene and pulled her closer. He buried his face in her hair. “I will hire a hundred men to guard you every day for the rest of your life if it means never feeling like this again. All I could think was what if I didn’t get to you in time.”
Dax growled. “I came to check on you, Andrew, to make sure you’re okay. I’m glad I didn’t bring Kenzi with me. This is as far from okay as I’ve ever seen anyone.”
“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” her father demanded and Andrew raised his head.
In a tight voice, he said, “Anyone we tell has a chance of finding themselves in the same danger.”
“Tell what?” Dax asked.
Helene met Andrew’s eyes. Always the hero, he’d take a beating if it meant keeping others safe, but that wasn’t what she wanted and she no longer saw it as their best option. “We need to tell them. I mean, what if it had been them today? People are safer if they’re prepared.”
“And I’d like to not be fucking shot at again by snipers you apparently haven’t bothered to show photos of your family to,” Dax said harshly.
Art was looking at Andrew in disgust. “My daughter never got so much as a speeding ticket. What did you drag her into?”
Helene stepped out of Andrew’s arms, but took his hand in hers. “He didn’t drag me into anything. It’s not his fault. It’s mine.”
Her father shook his head, clearly not believing her.
“No,” Andrew said, “it’s not, Helene. Your uncle did this. It’s all on him.”
Maybe, but a part of her wished she’d never gone to Aruba. “Dad, Uncle Clarence isn’t the man you and Mom thought he was. He isn’t who I thought he was either. He did some very bad things and warned us not to tell anyone, but maybe the advice of a coward is advice that shouldn’t be taken.”
“Who the fuck is Uncle Clarence?” Dax asked.
Art turned toward him. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t swear in front of my daughter.”
Dax threw his hands up again. “Yes, I can see that’s what we should be concerned about right now.”
Andrew snapped, “Go back to Boston, Dax. I didn’t ask you to come here.”
“That’s it,” Art said in a stern, authoritative voice. “Andrew, get in the truck. We’re returning it to Dr. Robbins. If we’re lucky, he hasn’t already called the sheriff. We’ll tell him whatever we have to, to get him out of here. He has a panther to release so he might swallow whatever we tell him. As soon as he’s gone I want everyone back in the main house. No one goes anywhere before we talk this out. Are we clear?”
Helene had no idea what kind of reaction to expect from Andrew, but he held her father’s eyes and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Art turned to Dax. “You and your fancy car can follow Helene to the main house, but don’t go in.”
Dax nodded his head once.
Art stood there, still tense and looking ready to punch someone. Helene let go of Andrew’s hand and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m so sorry, Dad. I should have told you everything.”
He hugged her to him. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out, Lenny. I just had my whole life flash before my eyes. Your mom and I pushed you out into the world, and if that had taken you away from us, I would have never been able to forgive myself.”
If squeezing harder could have erased the last few minutes, Helene would have kept hugging her father, but there were things they all needed to do. “I’m fine, Dad. I’ll meet you back at the house.”
Her father took the keys from Andrew and took the driver’s seat of the truck. He gave Dax a long look as if he considered demanding that he come along with them, but maintained his original plan.
Helene got back into her car and Dax walked slowly back to his. He pulled off to one side and let Helene take the lead. All three vehicles drove through the gate. The truck with her father and Andrew kept going, but Helene stopped in front of the house and Dax parked his car beside hers.
Her mother was beside the car, waiting for her as she stepped out. “You scared Dr. Robbins half to death. I convinced him to give you all a minute to sort things out.” Her eyes went to the tall, suited man getting out of the Maserati. “What was happening out there and who’s that
?”
“Dax something, Andrew’s brother-in-law.”
“That’s what this was all about? We had a visitor at the front gate? The way Andrew and your father peeled past the house I thought there’d been a crash or something.”
Dax walked up and put out his hand. “Dax Marshall.”
