Bishop's Queen

by Katie Reus

  “I love you too,” she whispered. “God, I was so scared. I didn’t know if anyone would come for me. I just… I didn’t know how anyone would know.”

  He felt wetness on his chest as she quietly cried. “I’ll always come for you.” Always. He’d walk into hell itself for her.

  Eventually all the tension in her body eased and she fell asleep while he held her close. He hadn’t thought he was tired, but as soon as she fell asleep he dropped off too, his mind at peace since she was safe and in his arms.

  Chapter 29

  Isla startled awake, jerking up in bed, her heart racing after the nightmare she’d had. Thankfully it was just a dream and she was at her childhood home. Safe.

  “You’re okay,” her mom said, making her turn.

  Isla found her mom sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, a well-worn paperback in hand that she quickly set aside. Sitting up, she pushed the covers off. “What time is it?”

  “It’s three in the afternoon on Saturday. You slept hard. Evan didn’t want to leave your side but I convinced him to go take a shower in one of the guest rooms. I’m sure he’ll be back here in a few minutes.” Her mom got up and slid into bed next to her like she’d done when Isla was a child.

  Despite all the issues she’d had with her mom, this was exactly where she wanted to be. Isla curled up against her, resting her head on her mom’s shoulder.

  “My sweet baby girl, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Her voice wobbled slightly. “We almost lost you.”

  “Evan saved me.” She had a feeling she was going to need some therapy to come to terms with everything.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  “Good, but I feel like I need more of it.” She might have slept a long time but she was still exhausted, as if she’d run a marathon. When she closed her eyes, she kept seeing Ollie’s crazed face and that knife.

  “You take all the time you need. Listen…I don’t know if this is the right time to tell you, but I’ve gone to two AA meetings recently.”

  She shifted slightly. “Seriously?”

  Her mom rubbed a gentle hand down her back. “Yes. I wasn’t going to tell you until I’d been sober a month but…I’m trying,” she whispered.

  More tears sprang to Isla’s eyes but she stayed where she was, curled up against her mom. “What brought this on?”

  “One of my new bunco friends has been in AA for twenty years. She agreed to be my sponsor. I’ve tried over the years, you know. To get sober, I mean. Sometimes I’d be sober for a month or even six months. But I’d always go back.” Exhaustion colored her mom’s voice. “I probably shouldn’t even be telling you, but I just wanted you to know.”

  Surprised, Isla sat up, leaning back against her pillows as she turned to face her mom. “I never knew that.”

  “I know. Your father did. And he always gave me chance after chance. I’m not sure why.” Her eyes clouded over with tears for a moment.

  “Because he loved you.”

  “Yes, he did.” She patted her daughter’s cheek gently. “And it’s clear that Evan loves you. I know it’s not my business, but I hope you give him a second chance. He deserves it.”

  “I know.” He did deserve it. The man had screwed up, and yeah, it was a big deal. But he’d been trying to make things right ever since he’d come to his senses.

  And he’d saved her life. If that wasn’t a sign, she wasn’t sure what was.

  Chapter 30

  Five days later

  Isla stepped out onto the lanai, surprised to see Evan sitting with her mom, enjoying breakfast. He’d been staying here the last week, but had left late last night because he’d had some international work conference calls to make down at the office. She’d thought he might head back to his condo when he was done.

  She’d completely stepped back from work since her attack and had let Madeleine take over for right now. She trusted the other woman and could admit that she wasn’t ready to deal with the media storm or people in general anyway. Well, most people, because Evan’s family—all of them except Ellis—and Jemma had been over a lot the last few days, bringing food and just keeping her company. So she’d been staying put at her mom’s house and ignoring the news and anything related to what had happened. She was ready to step back fully, to let others take over the reins of her father’s business even before she sold it.

  Evan stood when he saw her, smiling that sweet, charming smile she felt all the way to her toes.

  “How’d you sleep?” her mom asked. It was the first question she’d asked her every morning since her rescue.

  “Much better.” Though the truth was, she would have slept better if Evan had stayed the whole night through. But she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that and make him feel guilty. He had a job and a life and couldn’t abandon it while she dealt with things. He’d been her shadow the last few days but that couldn’t continue long-term.

  “Are you ready for some coffee? Fruit? Eggs?” He was sort of hovering, looking nervous as he watched her.

  The nervousness was a little weird given that they were officially and truly back together.

  “If you two will excuse me, I have to go talk to Rosa about something.” Her mom left, but not before giving Isla a kiss on the cheek as she passed.

  “I’m actually not hungry right now,” she said, leaning up on tiptoe to kiss him. She’d had another fitful sleep and didn’t feel like eating or drinking anything.

  Well, she could eat Evan up, but that was different. This morning he was dressed in a sharp business suit, looking as if he’d already conquered the world. Which he probably had.

  Now she was glad that she’d pulled on a jersey wrap dress, deciding to actually put on something a little nicer than the yoga pants she’d been living in. She felt fresh and a little more human this morning, even with the bad dreams. She wasn’t ready to go back to work and definitely not ready to face the world, but she felt better. And she would take the progress.

  “Want to take a walk?”

  “That sounds good.” It was early enough that the sun was low in the sky and there was a nice breeze in the air. She wanted to be outside, to take advantage since Florida weather could be fickle. Linking her arm through his, she leaned her head on his shoulder as they started along the little stone path that led around her mom’s huge estate. “So how did your meeting go?”

  “Good. Everything is in order, but I won’t bore you with the details. I talked to Detective Duarte today too. The case is officially closed.”

  The tightness in her belly loosened the slightest fraction. “Good.” That word seemed so simple for how she felt, but she was glad this nightmare was over. It seemed as if Ollie had taken an obsessive interest in her six months ago when his girlfriend had dumped him and left the country, moving to Europe with her now husband. She and Ollie’s ex had a similar look, willowy and slender with auburn hair. At least that’s what the police had gathered from digging into computers and other facets of his life. He’d been part of some horrible online forums with members who seemed to hate women in general so they’d been able to piece together a fairly good—if disgusting—picture of Ollie.

  He’d somehow latched onto her and, using his insider’s track with security in the building, had been watching her closely. His hacking had been the reason for the security glitches as the system tried to figure out what was wrong. He’d also been stealing from the company, which wasn’t exactly a surprise since he had the moral capacity of a rock. He hadn’t been lying about Rodney either.

  If Ollie hadn’t hacked into the security, however, the rest of the team would have caught Rodney sneaking into her office and leaving that cookie—among other things. And it turned out that Logan did not have a gambling problem. Ollie had been planning to set him up for her murder. And now the police thought they might be able to link him to the deaths of some high-level escorts who had a similar look to Isla as well. Apparently when she’d hired Red Stone to do an audit of the security syst
em it had spurred him into taking her. He’d been so damn worried they’d figure out what he’d done and that he would lose his chance to take her.

  The guy was a grade A psychopath, and knowing all she did now—especially the fact that he’d gotten her father killed, and almost killed Evan—she was glad he was dead. It felt savage to even think that, but she wasn’t sorry for it.

  “Let’s sit here.” Evan guided her to the little bench in a private part of her mom’s garden.

  It was like a little fairyland back here, all bright, cheery and full of jasmine and lavender. Even though it was fall, flowers were still blooming, colorful and wild everywhere, a tropical paradise.

  “How long do you think you want to stay at your mom’s place?” His question was softly spoken and one she was pretty sure he’d been holding off on asking.

  “It’s been nice staying here. Peaceful. But I can’t hide here forever. I was actually going to see what you thought about…”

  “What?”

  “Look, I’m just going to put it out there. I don’t want to move back into my condo. You and I had planned to live together and I’m pretty sure we’re on the same page now.”

  He kissed her, hard and fast, nearly startling her, but she leaned into it as his tongue teased against hers. He’d been so gentle with her the last few days and she hadn’t realized how much she needed this from him. As usual, he had a knack for taking her breath away. All too soon he pulled back, his eyes fierce. “We are definitely on the same page. Move in with me. I don’t want to spend another night without you. We were practically living together before anyway. It just wasn’t official. So let’s make it official. And if you don’t like the condo, we can buy another place. A house. Wherever. I just want to live with you.”

  More tension inside her eased at his words. She wasn’t even sure why she’d been nervous about asking him. “I want that too.”

  “Isla…I love you. I know I’ve said it, but I want to keep saying it. I’ve never stopped loving you and I’m not going to. You’re my other half.” In an unexpected, fluid movement, he slid off the bench and got down on one knee in front of her.

  It took a moment for her brain to compute what he was doing as he pulled out a familiar-looking box. When he opened it she saw her engagement ring. She stared at him as he held the box out, and she was surprised to see his hand trembling.

  “It’s probably too soon. Every therapist in the world would say it was too soon. But I love you. There is no one else in the world for me. I want you beside me for the rest of my life.”

  “Is there a question in there?” she whispered.

  His grin was slow and sexy as he pulled the ring out. “Marry me?”

  She nodded, her throat tight with emotion. “Yes,” she managed to rasp out as he slid the ring into place. Yes, yes, yes.

  She didn’t care if it was too soon. And she didn’t think it was anyway. She’d almost died. Was definitely on the same page as him. There was no one else in the world who fit her like he did. Whether he asked now or months from now, the answer was going to be yes, so she wasn’t going to delay the inevitable. She wasn’t going to put a stop to something she wanted with every fiber of her being. Life was far too short. Something they both knew well.

  “I love you,” she said as she leaned forward and brushed her mouth over his.

  He deepened the kiss until he was sitting on the bench and had pulled her into his lap.

  “I think we need to get out of here now,” he growled.

  “Yes.” She hadn’t been ready for sex the last few days and it had felt weird, anyway, being at her parents’ house. Now she was ready to get back to their home, to start their life. They’d been given a second chance and she was going to grab it with both hands. “Take me home, Evan.”

  Epilogue

  “This came for you,” Isla said as she strode into the kitchen—their kitchen. It felt kind of weird to think that after she’d had to come to terms with her and Evan not being a couple. But now they were engaged to be married as soon as humanly possible and she’d officially moved back into his condo. Their condo.

  He glanced over from the stove where he was cooking something that smelled delicious. And he was shirtless, just like he’d been before the bombing, before everything. His scars were fading, but the puckered skin had a long way to go until the red was completely gone. Thankfully he was comfortable with her now, seeming to barely notice his scars when they were together. She was glad, because she wanted all of him.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I grabbed the mail on the way up. There’s a postcard from Montana.”

  He took it from her, his eyebrows rising as he read aloud what was on it. “I think I found a way to make things right.”

  She’d already read it, but wasn’t sure what it meant. “Who’s it from and what does that mean?”

  “Pretty sure it’s from Ellis. It’s his handwriting anyway.”

  She sucked in a breath at the mention of his brother, who’d gone on the run after being accused of murder. “You think he’s found a way to clear his name?”

  “I’m guessing that’s what he means. At least I hope so. I just wish he’d reach out.”

  “Well, it kind of looks like he did.”

  “I mean in person. Or by phone. I miss his voice… I miss my brother.” Evan let his wall down with her, let her see his agony at missing his brother.

  She crossed the short distance and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. “This postcard has to be a start, right? He’s found a way to clear his name and we’ll help him any way we can.”

  “We?”

  She pinched his side gently. “Of course, we. He’s my family now too.”

  “Thank you.”

  He didn’t need to thank her, not for this. Before she could respond, he leaned down and kissed her, soft at first before deepening it. And before she knew it, he’d turned off the stove and lifted her into his arms.

  Dinner was definitely going to have to wait.

  Dear Readers,

  Thank you for reading Bishop’s Queen! If you’d like to stay in touch with me and be the first to learn about new releases you can:

  • Sign up for my monthly newsletter at: www.katiereus.com

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  Also, please consider leaving a review at one of your favorite online retailers. It’s a great way to help other readers discover new books and I appreciate all reviews.

  Happy reading,

  Katie

  Acknowledgments

  As always, I owe a lot of thanks to Kaylea Cross, Sarah and Julia. Thank you guys for helping me whip this book into shape. To Jaycee, I’m grateful for another wonderful cover. For my readers, thank you guys for your wonderful reception of book one in this trilogy. I hope book two was all you hoped for! For my family, thank you for all your support. And of course I’m grateful to God for everything.

  About the Author

  Katie Reus is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Deadly Ops series and the Redemption Harbor series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.

  However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. If you would like to be notified of future releases, please visit her website: https://katiereus.com and join her newsletter.

  Complete Booklist

  Darkness Series

  Darkness Awakened

  Taste of Darkness

 
Beyond the Darkness

  Hunted by Darkness

  Into the Darkness

  Saved by Darkness

  Guardian of Darkness

  Sentinel of Darkness

  A Very Dragon Christmas

  Darkness Rising

  Deadly Ops Series

  Targeted

  Bound to Danger

  Chasing Danger

  Shattered Duty

  Edge of Danger

  A Covert Affair

  Endgame Trilogy

  Bishop’s Knight

  Bishop’s Queen

  Bishop’s Endgame

  Moon Shifter Series

  Alpha Instinct

  Lover’s Instinct

  Primal Possession

  Mating Instinct

  His Untamed Desire

  Avenger’s Heat

  Hunter Reborn

  Protective Instinct

  Dark Protector

  A Mate for Christmas

  O’Connor Family Series

  Merry Christmas, Baby

  Tease Me, Baby

  It’s Me Again, Baby

  Mistletoe Me, Baby

  Red Stone Security Series

  No One to Trust

  Danger Next Door

  Fatal Deception

  Miami, Mistletoe & Murder

  His to Protect

  Breaking Her Rules

  Protecting His Witness

  Sinful Seduction

  Under His Protection

  Deadly Fallout

  Sworn to Protect

  Secret Obsession

  Love Thy Enemy