Vendetta Read online

  VENDETTA

  Also by Fern Michaels…

  Payback

  Picture Perfect

  Weekend Warriors

  About Face

  The Future Scrolls

  Kentucky Rich

  Kentucky Heat

  Kentucky Sunrise

  Plain Jane

  Charming Lily

  What You Wish For

  The Guest List

  Listen to Your Heart

  Celebration

  Yesterday

  Finders Keepers

  Annie’s Rainbow

  Sara’s Song

  Vegas Sunrise

  Vegas Heat

  Vegas Rich

  Whitefire

  Wish List

  Dear Emily

  FERN

  MICHAELS

  VENDETTA

  ZEBRA BOOKS

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Epilogue

  VENDETTA

  Prologue

  Myra Rutledge’s eyes snapped open but she lay still so as not to wake Charles. Gradually she inched her way to the far side of the bed. She looked over at Charles to see if she’d disturbed him. His breathing was deep and even. Satisfied, she slipped out of bed.

  Today was her day. For five years she’d waited for this day, longed for it, even lusted after it. In less than twelve hours it would finally be in her grasp. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Like one could really grasp hold of a day!

  Myra glanced behind her to make sure Charles was still sleeping soundly before she pulled on her robe and padded downstairs. The first thing she did was turn the thermostat to eighty degrees. Shivering inside her fleece-lined robe, she hugged her arms across her chest. Although the farmhouse she lived in was old, the heating unit was modern, recently installed, and top of the range. She knew the kitchen would heat up in just minutes.

  The moment Myra felt the warm air circle around her ankles she made her way to the counter to make a pot of coffee. This was her special time, this early part of the day when the sun was just about to creep over the horizon. It was a brand new day in which anything could happen.

  She sat down in an old cane-backed chair with red checkered cushions to wait for the coffee to finish dripping. She noticed that her hands were trembling. Without thinking, she sat on them to stop the shaking. Too bad she couldn’t sit on her entire body; she was shaking all over.

  Myra could hardly believe that, later today, the Sisterhood — the secret organization she had started after her daughter Barbara was killed by a diplomat’s son — would convene once again in the secret room beneath the old house.

  Within hours of the hit-and-run accident that killed Barbara and the child she carried, the young driver was whisked out of the country, leaving Myra to grieve and die a little each day. She’d had no recourse for retribution.

  Until now.

  She got up, poured some coffee and carried it back to the table. She’d done this exact same thing hundreds of times over the past few years, drinking her coffee and reliving her daughter’s tragic death…

  Myra had turned sixty that day and they were celebrating at the Jockey Club in Washington, D.C. It had been her restaurant of choice. She’d been the first to arrive and had allowed Franklin to seat her party in the smoking section; back then you could still smoke in restaurants. Not that she or her two girls smoked; they’d given up the ugly habit, but on special occasions they still had a cigarette with a drink.

  She remembered being thrilled at Barbara and Nikki’s idea to celebrate with just the three of them. Not even Charles had been included. He had grumbled a bit, but he understood about Girls’ Night. God alone knew how much she loved those two girls. She’d adopted Nikki at a young age, but she couldn’t love her more if she was her own flesh and blood.

  It had started out such a wonderful evening, with Barbara confiding that not only was she getting married, but that she was pregnant as well. She wanted to get married in the living room at Pinewood so she could slide down the bannister in her wedding gown. What was it she’d said? “If I can’t do that, the wedding is off.” Myra had promised to catch her at the bottom. How they’d all laughed at that image.

  “We need pictures of this celebration,” Barbara had said. She remembered that Nikki had a camera in the trunk of her car, and before anyone could object, she was up and out of the restaurant and running across the street. Myra and Nikki had smiled as they watched her from their table by the window.

  And then the unthinkable happened. Barbara looked up, waved at them and started across the street. The car bearing diplomatic plates came from out of nowhere. A second later Barbara was sprawled on the road, cars screeching, people screaming, and then the police and the ambulance arrived.

  And that was the end of Myra’s world as she knew it.

  Myra sipped at her lukewarm coffee. This part of her reverie was where she always floundered. The year following Barbara’s death was a total blank. Somehow she’d survived, first with Charles’s and Nikki’s help, and then by seeing a CNN news report. A woman named Marie Lewellen had taken the law into her own hands when the justice system failed to convict the man who raped and killed her only daughter. Right there on the courthouse steps, with the whole world watching, Marie Lewellen had pulled out a gun and shot her daughter’s killer. Myra then hired Nikki to defend Marie Lewellen. Nikki’s fiancé, Jack Emery, was the prosecutor. Even though they were engaged and on opposite sides of the fence, Nikki took the case — much to her fiancé’s chagrin.

  Myra had posted a million-dollar bail for Marie so that she could be at home with her family. Knowing in her heart and gut that Marie would be convicted, she’d asked Charles to help her whisk the entire family to safety. With Charles’s expertise from his background as a covert operative for Her Majesty in MI6, they had successfully hidden the Lewellen family. To this day, their disappearance was still a mystery to anyone who cared enough to inquire.

  So yes, Myra was out a million dollars, but in her opinion, it was the best million dollars she’d ever spent. What did bother her was how relentless Jack Emery had become and how determined he was to get to the bottom of what he called “Myra’s duplicity.” Because of his zeal, Nikki eventually broke off their engagement, and she and Jack were now bitter, angry adversaries.

  Myra got up to refill her coffee mug and saw Charles standing in the doorway. She rushed over to hug him. He gathered her close to kiss her cheek.

  “Is it a good morning, Myra?”

  “The best, Charles, the very best. I was just sitting here thinking and remembering.” At the look of concern in his eyes, she hastened to add, “I know, I know, but I wasn’t dwelling on the past. Remembering is all right. I don’t ever want to forget, but I can handle it now. Sit down, dear, and let me get you some coffee. I just love this time of day when it’s only the two of us…Oh, we’re getting old, aren’t we?”

  Charles’s eyes twinkled. “A little, but that’s not something we’re going to think about. It’s how we feel that’s important. It will be so goo
d to see our girls again. I have everything ready.”

  Myra set the coffee cup in front of Charles. “Do you…do you ever regret letting me talk you into forming the Sisterhood?”

  “Not one little bit. I do miss my days in Her Majesty’s service, but what we’re doing here with the girls makes me miss it less and less. It gives me a chance to renew old acquaintances, to ask for their specialized help. Make no mistake, Myra, without your money we could never do what we’re doing.”

  “Charles, let’s be fair. We each bring something to the Sisterhood. Your expertise, my money, Nikki’s legal abilities, Kathryn’s eighteen-wheeler, Alexis’s red bag of tricks, Julia’s surgical skills, Isabelle’s architectural expertise, and of course, Yoko’s Eastern philosophies. Oh, and let us not forget Murphy, whose superior canine instincts warn us when Jack Emery is getting a little too close for comfort.” She paused. “I told you when we started the Sisterhood that I would gladly give up every cent I owned to get justice for Barbara. I meant every word of it back then and I still mean every word of it today…Are we ready for the girls’ arrival?”

  “We are on target, Myra. This is…What does Kathryn call it? Oh, yes, your gig. The big question is, are you ready at last to get the justice that was denied you when Barbara’s killer returned to his own country?”

  “Charles, I am so ready. I couldn’t sleep all night just thinking about it. I can’t wait to see the girls again. It’s been a few months. Phone calls and emails aren’t enough, but you’re right, the less they come out here, the better. I wonder if Nikki has any news on Jack and his partner. Oh, we have so much to catch up on. It’s a wonderful day, isn’t it? I said that already, didn’t I? I’m just excited, overwhelmed. I thought this day would never come and here it is, right in our faces.”

  “Yes. Even though it’s only forty-two degrees outside. It is toasty in here, though. So toasty warm I’m thinking we should go upstairs and take a shower together. When was the last time we did that?” Charles led the way to the stairs.

  Myra doubled over laughing. “Yesterday.”

  “Way to go, Mom!”

  Myra whirled around, her eyes wide. “Barbara!”

  “Yeah. Just stopped in for a little visit. I miss Willie. This is the big day, Mom. I wanted to wish you luck. Go get ’em, tiger. You better hurry, Charles is waiting for you.”

  “Are you coming, Myra?” Charles called from the top of the stairs.

  “I’m coming. I’m coming.”

  One

  Myra walked over to the kitchen door to peer outside. She eyed the temperature gauge and gasped. “Charles, it’s twenty-seven degrees! Good heavens! Do we have enough wood for all the fireplaces? We did have an oil delivery, didn’t we? We’re going to freeze down in the war room.”

  “Darling, relax. We have two full cords of wood. I carried several loads in earlier this afternoon. Oil was delivered three days ago. We are not going to freeze. Don’t you remember, dear, we had special heaters installed in the war room in early September?”

  “You’re right, I forgot. I am just so overwhelmed that I am finally…. Never mind, it’s all I’ve been talking about today. Your ears must be sore by now. The girls are late, aren’t they?”

  “No, Myra, the girls are not late. We said seven and it’s only six-thirty. Please try and relax. Do you think they will like my dinner? I thought about doing something fancy and elegant but decided, that, with the weather, the girls might like some comfort food. And I know how you like my pot roast.”

  “It smells wonderful, Charles. The potato pancakes are my favorite. We have both sour cream and apple sauce, right?”

  Charles wagged his wooden spoon in the air. “I have it all under control, right down to the wine, salad and dessert — and no, I did not forget Murphy.”

  “Oh, Charles, whatever would I do without you? Never mind, I don’t even want to think about that. They’re almost late.”

  “Almost doesn’t count, my dear.” Charles pointed to the security monitor positioned over the back door. “I think they’re here now. I see Kathryn’s rig in the lead. I think they wait at the end of the road so they can all arrive at the same time.”

  “I think so, too. One car is missing, Charles. The girls will want to know all about Julia.” Myra started to fret again. “It’s not going to be the same without her. The empty chair is going to…Oh, Charles, I feel like crying.”

  “There’s no time to cry, Myra. I hear Murphy barking. I think that means he’s glad to be back. Open the door, welcome our guests. We’ll talk about Julia later.”

  There were squeals of delight, backslapping, high-fives and hugs galore as the five women and Murphy raced into the kitchen. The jabbering was so high-pitched that Murphy went into the huge family room to lie by the fireplace.

  “Oh, I missed you all,” Isabelle said happily.

  Alexis dumped her red bag by the door and ran to Myra. She hugged her so hard, Myra squealed for mercy. Yoko, always subdued, clapped everyone on the back and then hugged them all. Kathryn ran around the counter to the kitchen window to see if Julia’s plant was still there. It was.

  “Oh God. Oh God, it has two new leaves! Hey, everyone, Julia’s plant has two new leaves! We have to move it, Myra. It’s too cold on the windowsill. See how the leaves are limp. Where can I put it? Yoko, you’re the plant expert, what should we do?”

  The women crowded around to stare at the plant Julia had left behind when she went to Switzerland, hoping to find a cure for her deadly disease. Myra looked stricken, as though she had somehow personally failed their missing sister.

  Yoko picked up the plant, stuck her finger in the soil and then touched the leaves. “Some light, a little warmer area and it will be fine,” she said.

  It was finally decided to place the little plant on a small folding table directly under the kitchen skylight. Everyone sighed with relief.

  “Any news about Julia?” Nikki asked as she filched a strip of bacon that was to go into the arugula salad. Charles pretended to swat her with his wooden spoon.

  “Julia is doing well,” Charles said. “She’s gained eight pounds in the last four months. She’s tolerating her meds and she misses us all terribly. She’s coming home for Thanksgiving, and again for Christmas, but then will go back for another six months. What that means is, she’s holding her own and she has not regressed or gotten worse. She’s happy. She reads, takes walks, rides her bicycle. Her stamina is better than it’s ever been. I spoke to her yesterday. She misses you all and she sends her love. She wants you to give Murphy a big hug for her. The first thing she asked about was the plant. To say she was overjoyed at the two new leaves would be putting it mildly.” This last comment was addressed to Kathryn, who was busily wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

  “Everything smells wonderful,” Nikki said as she carried candles and napkins into the dining room. “Anything new these past few weeks?” she asked Myra.

  “Nothing, dear. Charles and I have just been rattling around out here all by ourselves. No one has called or stopped by. Is there any news on Jack?”

  “No. That’s why I thought…I assumed he would…. Damn, I don’t know what I thought or assumed. I check his and Mark’s new website daily. I have no clue what the two of them are doing. That could be good or it could be bad.”

  “I can’t believe Jack gave up his job as assistant district attorney, and I can’t believe his friend would give up his job as a federal agent just like that,” Isabelle said.

  “Well, he did.” Nikki clicked a lighter to light the scented candles. Within seconds the room smelled like blueberries.

  “Are we celebrating something special tonight?” Yoko asked.

  “Yes. The good news on Julia, your arrival and anything else we want to celebrate,” Myra said. “Goodness, how I’ve missed you all. But before I forget, Charles and I want to invite you all for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Please say you will come.”

  “You bet,” Kathryn said.r />
  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Alexis said.

  “I will be glad to attend,” Yoko said. “My husband will spend the day sleeping so he will not miss me.”

  Isabelle and Nikki smiled and nodded.

  “We go out to the woods and chop the tree down,” Myra said. “If it snows, we pull the tree on a sled, but if there’s no snow we pull it on a wagon. We cut all the evergreens the same day so they’ll be fresh. We haven’t really celebrated Christmas here at Pinewood for some years now. I think it’s time to get back to our traditions.”

  “Christmas here at Pinewood is a marvel. The house smells heavenly with all the balsam,” Nikki said. “The vaulted ceiling allows us to have a twenty-foot high tree and balsam twined around the bannister going all the way to the second floor. Lots of red velvet bows and our own mistletoe. Myra always made it like a fairyland for Barbara and me. One year, Lu Chow, Myra’s gardener, played Santa. She thought we wouldn’t notice a Chinese Santa. We pretended not to for her sake.”

  “You knew? You little rascal!” Myra said. Nikki laughed.

  They could have been simply a group of young people getting together to play catch-up, or a group of old friends enjoying dinner together.

  “I had a date!” Kathryn blurted out, her face rosy pink. She looked around the table at the stunned looks.

  “Tell me you didn’t wear that flannel shirt and those Frye boots,” Alexis said.

  “No, I didn’t wear them. I got dressed up. Panty hose, makeup, the whole magilla.”

  “And?” the others chorused as one.

  “And nothing. Murphy didn’t like him. By the end of the evening the guy was all over me. I had to deck him, at which point he got a little pissy with me. He was so good-looking, he made my eyes water. But I won’t be seeing him again. Now, don’t ask me any questions because I told you the whole thing.”

  “I had a date, too,” Alexis said. “One of the women I shop for fixed me up with her nextdoor neighbor. Nice guy. He manages La Belle, that new restaurant in D.C. The food was excellent. He asked me out again. I said yes.” Everyone clapped their approval.