by Elle James
The woman dried her hands on a paper towel, her brow furrowing. “There was a woman headed down the hallway with a man when I entered the bathroom. She looked upset. And yes, she had strawberry blond hair.”
“Which way were they going?”
The woman stepped out of the bathroom and pointed. “That way.”
Christine stood in the hallway. “Megan wasn’t in there?”
“No.” Daniel grabbed her arms again. “If you know where Josh might be, tell me now.”
Christine’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. I thought he’d find you.” She squirmed under the intensity of Daniel’s stare. “You’re hurting me.”
“Are you the one who has tried more than once to kill Megan?” Daniel shook her. “Are you?”
Christine’s eyes widened. She shook her head. “Of course not. I love Megan like a sister. I would never hurt her.” She flung her hand in the air. “I didn’t even know she was being targeted. Does her father know?”
“Four times already. Someone broke into our room on our honeymoon in Vegas. Then she was poisoned before we left California, and someone sabotaged our plane.”
Christine started to cry. “Josh wouldn’t do that...would he?”
“Who else other than you stands to gain from Megan’s death? You inherit her father’s wealth. If Josh is married to you, he benefits.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you want, but help me find Megan or your fiancé. I have a feeling he’s behind the attempts.” Daniel set her to the side and raced down the hallway, ducking into every unlocked room along the way and banging on the ones that were locked. “Megan!” he yelled. Dear God, where was she? If Josh was the one responsible for all of the attempts on Megan’s life, he had her and could possibly succeed this time.
Daniel couldn’t let that happen.
* * *
The deeper Josh led her into the maintenance corridors of the arena, the more terrified Megan became. Finally she pulled to a stop. “If we’re going to the hospital, we should be working our way out of the arena, not deeper into it.”
“This is a shortcut,” he insisted.
“I don’t think so.” Megan yanked her hand loose. “I’m going back out the front and catching a taxi to the hospital.”
“Sorry, that can’t happen. I’ve spent too much time and money chasing after you.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her so close his cologne nearly overpowered her. A scent that sparked a dark memory.
“What do you mean you’ve been chasing me?” The scent memory of that cologne hit her, and an image of being in the hotel in Vegas with an intruder washed over her. “You!” This was the man who’d attacked her in Vegas.
Despite Josh’s boy-next-door good looks with his sandy-blond hair, tailored jeans and white cotton shirt, the glare in his eyes turned Megan’s blood to ice.
“Yeah, what about me?” Josh jerked her around and clamped her to him with his arms, dragging her deeper into the darkened corridors.
Megan fought him, twisting and turning, but he had her arms pinned and her body pressed tightly to his. She didn’t have room to lever herself free. “You were the one who attacked me in Vegas,” she said.
“Says who?”
“I recognize the cologne.”
“And you think the scent of cologne will stand up in court?” He dragged her into a room and shut the door behind him. “Look, you’ve already been enough trouble. We end this now.”
“Damn right we do.” She stomped on his instep and dug her elbow into his gut.
He loosened his hold long enough for her to break loose and dart past him to the door.
She was twisting the knob when Josh cursed. His low voice cut across the room. “Open the door and I’ll shoot you.”
Megan glanced over her shoulder.
The man held a small but deadly-looking pistol pointed at her.
“What have I done to make you want to kill me?” she asked, refusing to remove her hand from the knob.
“Call it an accident of birth.”
She snorted. “If it’s my parents’ wealth you want, I never wanted it in the first place. But you’ll have to take it up with them.”
“I will, once you’re out of the picture.”
A chill slithered down the back of Megan’s neck. The man was insane. To think he could get away with one murder was bad enough. “What makes you think you won’t be caught?”
“You’re a wealthy man’s daughter. Anyone could take a potshot at you.”
“The Tulsa and Las Vegas police departments are already searching for the person responsible for the attacks on me. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I left no trail.”
“Are you certain?” She raised her brows, twisting the knob on the door so slowly, she hoped he didn’t notice. “They’re already looking at Christine as a possible suspect because she stands to inherit my father’s wealth if I die.” Megan shook her head. “Did you ever really care about her?”
“She’s a means to an end.”
“The end being that you want my father’s fortune.” Megan had the knob twisted around. All she had to do was jerk the door open and dive out into the corridor. “How do you know my father hasn’t already changed his will? I told him I didn’t want his property and that he could leave it all to the charity of his choice.”
“He hasn’t changed his will. I’ve seen it.”
Anger shot through her. “My parents trusted you in their home.”
“Yeah, and your cousin is gullible enough to marry me. Seems the entire family is too trusting.” He shrugged. “Makes it easier.”
“You might have gotten away with poisoning me or sabotaging the airplane. But you won’t get away with shooting me.”
“No? Are you willing to bet your life on that?” His eyes narrowed, and he leveled the gun on her.
If he was going to shoot her, she’d be dead, anyway. Megan threw open the door, dove into the corridor and rolled to the side and onto her feet.
Josh lunged for her, snagging her long hair. He jerked her back and locked an arm around her throat.
Megan bent double, trying to throw him over her. The man was bigger and stronger than she was and had her in his grasp, tightening his hold.
Her vision blurring, Megan knew she couldn’t give up. Her parents would be next and then Christine. She wouldn’t let this greedy bastard win. But she couldn’t quite shake him loose, and her own strength was waning.
A shout down the hall made Josh twist around, still holding her throat.
“Let her go, Josh. You won’t get away with it.” Daniel stood several feet away, holding his hands up in surrender. “Everyone knows you’re behind the attempts on Megan’s life.”
“If by ‘everyone’ you mean you, that’s hardly a threat.” He whipped his gun out and pointed it at Daniel, tightening his arm on Megan’s throat.
Her voice cut off with the air to her lungs. Megan could do nothing to help Daniel.
“Oh, Josh.” Christine stepped up beside Daniel, tears flowing down her cheeks. “You didn’t need my uncle’s money. You were doing so well on your own.”
“What do you know?” Josh said. “You see what you want to see.”
She swiped at her tears. “You’re right. I saw a man I thought loved me and wanted to marry me because of me, not my uncle’s fortune.” She walked toward him. “You were going to kill me, weren’t you?”
“Christine, don’t.” Daniel grabbed her and flung her behind him.
Josh shifted his aim from Christine back to Daniel. “You all deserve to die. You certainly don’t deserve to inherit Talbot’s millions.”
Yeah, and neither do you. Megan did the only thing she could and let her knees buckle so suddenly, Josh didn’
t suspect it. Her weight tipped him forward along with the aim of his weapon.
Daniel dove at him, knocking the gun from his hand. It hit the floor and slid out of reach. Before Josh could recover, Daniel swung a fist at the man’s face, hitting him so hard he fell backward, taking Megan with him. She landed on top of his chest.
His hold loosened. Megan rolled to the side and away from him, the dizziness fading as she filled her lungs with gulps of air.
Daniel yanked Josh up by the collar and slammed his fist into his face again. Josh fought back, but Daniel was bigger, faster and stronger.
Megan crawled across the floor, reaching for the gun.
Christine grabbed it first and pointed it at the two men fighting. “Stop it!” she screamed. “Stop it or I’ll shoot.” Tears ran down her face.
Daniel rammed his fist into Josh’s gut one last time and stood back.
Josh, a hand pressed to his belly, his face a bloody mess, looked across at Christine. “Give me the gun.”
“Don’t, Christine,” Megan said. “He doesn’t love you. He only wants your money.”
She shook her head. “I trusted you.”
He looked up at her, the charming man Megan had first met, a desperate battered face now. “I did it for us.” He took a step forward.
Christine pointed the gun at his chest. “You tried to kill the only family I have left.” She held the gun out, her finger on the trigger.
Megan’s breath caught and held. “Christine, don’t shoot the bastard. He’s not worth it. It’s over. Let the police take him.”
“He lied to me.”
“He lied to all of us.” Megan stood and inched her way toward Christine, sliding an arm around her waist. “What’s important is that you still have your family.”
“He would have killed you.” Christine looked to Megan. “You’re the sister I never had.”
“I’m okay, sweetie. Let me have the gun.”
Her hands shaking, Christine gave Megan the gun and buried her face in Megan’s shoulder.
Josh made a fast move toward Christine and Megan.
Daniel grabbed his arm and yanked it up behind his back, between his shoulder blades. “Give it up. This is over.”
Within minutes they had the Reno police collect Josh and take him away. Megan called her parents, and her father agreed to fly out to bring Christine back to the Triple Diamond. When the dust cleared and the police assured Megan and Daniel that they were free to leave the arena, Daniel pulled Megan into his arms and held her for a long time.
“I didn’t think I’d find you in time.”
She laughed, the sound choking on a sob. “I didn’t think you would, either.”
He set her at arm’s length and pushed a strand of her long hair back behind her ear, his touch so gentle it made Megan want to cry. “The attempts on your life made me realize something.”
She looked up into his deep brown eyes and gasped at his expression.
“I love you, Megan Talbot Colton.” He cupped her cheek and brushed his lips across hers. “I can’t give you what your parents can, but I can love you more than I love to breathe.”
“How many times do I have to tell people that I don’t want what my parents have?” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “I have everything I want, as long as I have you.”
“Well, it’s a good thing, because that’s all I can promise. You can have me, and all of my wealth, which isn’t much, and my whole heart.”
“Then I’d have all I’d need, and I’d still be the richest woman in the world.”
His lips descended on hers, and he held her wrapped in his warmth and strength.
A discreet cough brought them back to the arena, and Megan lifted her head.
Marshall Kennedy stood with his arms crossed and a big smile spreading across his face. “I heard what happened, and I’m glad to see you both aren’t too worse for the excitement.” He stuck out his hand. “I can offer you two a ride back to your hotel or to the hospital.”
Daniel tucked Megan in the curve of his arm and shook Mr. Kennedy’s hand. “Thank you, sir.”
“I also want you to know,” Marshall said, “I’m ready to sign whatever deal you want to make. You’re the kind of people I want to work with. You’re smart and tough and believe in taking care of your family.”
“That’s right.” Daniel grinned down at Megan. “And I want Megan to be part of my family for a very long time.”
She stared up at him, butterflies beating in her stomach. “You mean that, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Like I promised in front of God and Elvis, I do.”
Chapter 19
Daniel sat in the chair of honor, the most comfortable easy chair in Jack’s living room, with his feet kicked back and a bowl of popcorn in his lap, happier than he’d been in...well...forever.
“You didn’t think you’d get by without letting us throw you a bachelor party, did you?” Brett tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in his mouth.
“You guys didn’t have to go to all this trouble.” Daniel glanced around the room at his brothers, gathered in front of the large television screen at the halftime of the football game.
“Now that we’re getting so many females in the Colton family, it’s nice to have an excuse for a guys’ night out,” Jack said.
Daniel knew Jack was perfectly content to spend all his evenings with his beautiful wife, Tracy, and his son, Seth.
“It also gives us a chance to impart our wisdom on you without getting slugged,” Brett said. “Like, if your wife asks you if the outfit she’s wearing makes her look fat, you tell her what you know she wants to hear, or go to bed in the guest room.”
“Never go to bed mad,” Jack said. “Makeup sex is so much better than a cold shoulder.”
Eric dropped onto the end of the couch nearest Daniel’s seat. “If you want to make your marriage last, just remember to tell her you love her. A woman never gets tired of hearing that.”
Daniel nodded. “I appreciate all the advice. Megan and I are so new to this marriage thing. I don’t want to screw it up right out the chute.”
“What about you, Ryan?” Brett nudged Ryan with his foot where he lay sprawled on the floor in front of the television. “Got any advice for Dan?”
Ryan shrugged. “Since I’m the lone stag at the stag party, don’t go with any advice I’ve got to say. Apparently my methods aren’t working.”
“That’s right,” Jack said. “You’re the last single man standing. Tracy and I are hitched, which is a good thing considering she’s pregnant.”
“No kidding?” Brett grinned. “Hannah will be happy to hear there will be another little one to play with.”
Daniel leaned forward and clapped a hand on his older brother’s shoulder. “Congratulations.” He couldn’t wait to start a brood of his own. A couple of strawberry blond-haired girls and strapping boys were what he had in mind. More family to love.
“Well, Ryan, that puts the pressure on you to find a woman to love and marry.” Daniel sat back in his chair. “My advice to you is to elope. It’s much easier than all the planning and trouble Greta’s going through in pulling her wedding together.”
“I’d love to skip all the hoopla,” Jack admitted. “But I told Tracy that whatever she wanted was fine with me.”
“Speaking of Greta.” Ryan sat up. “I swear I saw her the other day. Is she back in town and no one bothered to let me know?”
All heads shook.
“Not that I know of,” Daniel said. “I’ll be glad when her wedding’s over. I never would have thought Greta would go for a big wedding. She struck me as a tomboy.”
“Well, I guess we can’t all go as classy as our man Daniel and get Elvis to officiate.” Ryan laughed.
/> Daniel threw a piece of popcorn at him. “As far as I’m concerned, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m married to a helluva woman, I love her and she loves me.”
Jack sat back, staring at the television commercials. “Can’t ask for more than that.”
Daniel couldn’t agree more. He loved Megan so much, he wanted to be with her every waking moment. The party couldn’t end soon enough. He pushed to his feet. “Boys, thank you for the party. But I have a beautiful wife waiting for me back at the cabin and...well, she’s a lot better looking than the lot of you.”
He hurried out the door, climbed into his truck and drove the short distance to the cabin.
Before he could climb out of the vehicle, the door to the cabin opened and Megan stepped out on the porch, her brows knit. “What’s wrong? The game’s not over yet. I’ve been watching it.”
Daniel strode toward her. “I couldn’t concentrate on the game when I knew you were here. Alone. I thought maybe we could make good use of our day off and get a little naked.” He swept her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold.
“Sweetheart, you know how to sweep a woman off her feet.”
“I’m full of interesting talents,” he said, nuzzling the curve of her neck. “Wait until you see what I can do when I get your clothes off.”
Megan’s laughter was low and sultry, her fingers already working at the buttons on his shirt. “I didn’t know I’d be marrying an insatiable man.”
With a full heart, he laid her on their bed and kissed her, finally coming home to the start of his very own family. “Darlin’, you bring out the beast in me.”
* * * * *
Don’t miss the next story in
THE COLTONS OF OKLAHOMA,
SECOND CHANCE COLTON
by Marie Ferrarella,
available October 2015.
And if you love Elle James,
be sure to pick up her other stories:
HEIR TO MURDER
DEADLY ALLURE
DEADLY LIAISONS
DEADLY ENGAGEMENT
DEADLY RECKONING
Available now from