Night Break

by Carey Decevito

  Epilogue

  Dalton

  I knew something was going on for a little while now, and I’ve been expecting Devolin to say something, but she hadn’t.

  It’s been two weeks since the wedding, and I can honestly say that I haven’t been happier. What would make me ecstatic would be if she quit living in denial and finally admit it.

  Turning so she could snuggle into me, I heard her, “Good morning, babe,” as she pressed her lips to my chest, kissing it.

  That’s when I would normally flip her onto her back and proceed to ‘greet’ her for the day. This morning was no exception, except that when I leaned down to kiss her lips, her eyes rounded in horrified surprise, she pushed me off her, and made a beeline for the bathroom.

  Well, maybe that’ll clue her in.

  Seconds later, I heard her wretch into the toilet, followed by, “Oh, God!”

  That was my cue to get up and take care of my woman.

  Padding into the bathroom, I grabbed a washcloth and wet it with cold water. I went to crouch down behind her, but she yanked the thing out of my hand and pushed me away. “Go. I don’t want you to see me like this.” Then she began to heave again.

  “Sweetheart, I take the ‘in sickness and in health’ portion of my vows seriously,” I joked, garnering a groan from my wife. “Plus, I’ll have to get used to it, because it might be happening more often from here on out.”

  Once she’d regained her breath from her nonproductive heaves, she held the cloth to the back of her neck, then turned her head to look at me. “What in the hell are you talking about?” she asked.

  “Sweetheart.” I knelt onto the floor, far enough away so that I couldn’t see last night’s dinner in the toilet bowl, and gently pulled Devolin to me. She came easily, straddling my lap. “I think you’re pregnant.”

  She shook her head. “That’s not possible, Kip. You know I can’t—”

  “You said you never had the fertility tests done, baby.” I played with the strand of hair that had fallen into her face. “It is possible. And judging by the fact your tits feel and look larger, you’ve been eating—”

  A hand covered my mouth and my wife gave me a death glare. “Don’t fucking say it. I can’t help it. I’m just hungry.”

  Pulling her hand down from my mouth, I grinned down at her. “Bullshit.”

  Devolin

  I’d been putting off that test Dalton had gone to get me for most of the day now, choosing to ignore the proverbial elephant in the room. On one hand, I didn’t believe that I could get pregnant. After all, my life had never allowed me to be that lucky. Why would my luck change suddenly, right? On the other, I knew that being pregnant was a possibility, no matter how minuscule, but I refused to hope.

  We were now working on movie number two of the evening when I ended up having to rush to the bathroom for my third bout of puking for the day. All because of that stupid fucking bag of Doritos I’d just popped open.

  Feeling Dalton crouch down behind me, holding my hair and dabbing at my neck with the cloth I’d set aside from earlier, he said, “Sweetheart, take the test.”

  “What if I’m not?” I voiced my worries. “What if it’s something else; something bad? It could be my lupus…or what if that anemia is back? Stem cell treatments don’t always work, Kip.”

  “I promise it isn’t.” He kissed the back of my head before straightening himself and heading to the sink to fill me a glass of water and handing it over. “Drink slowly. I’ll go get you some saltines.” He left the room.

  “No! Cookies! I can’t eat any more saltines. Get me the Oreos, please,” I told him as I got up to brush my teeth. You’d have to kill me before you could hope to get those slices of sawdust in my mouth again today. Cure nausea? Oh no they didn’t!

  “Yes, dear!” he hollered from what sounded like the kitchen.

  Four cookies and a full glass of water later, the urge to relieve myself hit.

  Grabbing the test that mocked me since its arrival in our home today, I headed for the bathroom.

  Dalton

  She finally caved.

  The more the day wore on, the more I felt my hopes climb. The symptoms were all there, and some of the physical signs, too.

  My guess is that she never entertained the possibility, simply because of what the doctors told her years ago, but had never actually medically confirmed it.

  “Son of a bitch!” I heard yelled behind the bathroom door, which slammed opened moments later. Devolin’s shocked eyes snapped up to look at me as she mumbled, “You knocked me up!”

  The moment was too comical not to laugh. “You’re damn right I fucking did, baby.”

  She smiled at me. “Baby.” I nodded, moving toward her. “Our baby.”

  “Yeah,” I whispered. “Our baby.”

  “I’m pregnant,” she said as if still in shock.

  “You’re pregnant,” I parroted her.

  “Know what else I am?” she asked coyly, that mischievous glimmer making its way into her eyes.

  “No, what?”

  “Horny.”

  Then she jumped me.

  Devolin

  The exhilaration I felt at that positive test result had me flying high. Seeing Dalton’s face light up with excitement like it had, was a dream come true.

  I was giving him something I never thought I’d be able to.

  It was a miracle.

  The minute I’d wrapped myself around Dalton, he had taken control.

  Now here I was, my hand between my legs, sitting spread-eagled against the headboard while Dalton sat on the lounging chair in the corner, watching me as he jerked himself off.

  “I was right,” I licked my lips. “This is so hot.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but now I have another fantasy.”

  His eyes smoldered. “Tell me,” he growled.

  Pulling my fingers from my pussy, I crooked them. “I want to sit on your face while I suck you dry,” I said, licking my own juices off my fingers.

  The man pounced.

  Dalton

  Hours after our lovemaking, in the break of the night, I smiled to myself as I watched Devolin sleep, our hands entwined over the belly that would soon grow larger with our child.

  I’m not sure what woke me up, but glad for the solitary moment of introspection, I finally could agree with my mother’s words.

  Dream big.

  I didn’t know when I quit living by those words, but somehow, I’d started doing it again, and it all hinged on one dark night when a band of brothers set off to save a damsel in distress.

  In my arms lay the woman I loved, my legacy, my world. My home.

  There’s no better dream than the ultimate one of happiness—and I got mine. Finally.

  THE END

  Stay Tuned

  for the next in the Nightshade series…

  Night Shift

  NIGHT SHIFT

  Chapter 1

  Shane

  The moment I walked through the door, I knew what awaited me: a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

  There was blood everywhere. Forensics would have a field day with this one.

  Just like with the other fifteen, rang in the back of my mind.

  I made my way to the bedroom, wearing the protective gear the lead officer had ordered me to change into when I arrived.

  There, on the bed lay the mutilated body of one Victoria Sparks. The signature ligatures on her wrists and ankles proving that she’d been restrained and alive through most of her torture; the killer leaving her to die in excruciating pain by blood loss.

  The scent of copper on the air thickened as I made my approach, slipping my hands into a pair of plastic gloves. I was looking for something I knew was meant for me.

  I found it.

  The sickening crack of the victim’s jaw set my stomach to roiling as I pulled her mouth open only to find the three pieces
I expected. Fragments of a photograph is what I found. Camera in hand, I shot a few frames. Fishing the objects out one by one, I dropped them in the evidence bag I’d whipped out beforehand, then photographed them yet again.

  The sick, sadistic bastard was playing games with me. He was always one step ahead, and that pissed me off. I have no idea what these fucking tiny pieces are for, but he leaves them at every scene. All I know is that it’s part of some demented form of a countdown. One where he’s after me. Proof had been given after I’d been assigned to his second victim.

  In my career as a detective, I’ve come across a lot of questionable characters. I’ve done my fair share of arresting the dredges of society and making enemies along the way. You can’t be a cop without that happening.

  “I take it that Rosie is in for another disappointing birthday dinner?” Will asked at my side.

  For the last seven years, it had been the same fucking story. That’s how I knew the unsub (unknown subject) was gunning for me. That and the fact that he’d started this spree of his with none other than my fucking wife as his first victim.

  My only problem is that I had no suspect; the perp was meticulously careful. Treating his kills like artwork, from the placement of limbs, to the blood spatter surrounding the victims…even those fucking pieces.

  “I hate going back on my promise,” I growled. “She’s going to be pissed.”

  “I know it’s your case, Shane, but I’m your partner,” Will said. “Take a few hours, go to her, then come back if you have to.”

  I nodded. “I have what I need right now. You sure you can handle everything without me?”

  He pats me on the back as I straightened from the body and backed away. “I’ll call if something comes up,” he said.

  Thanking him, I handed him my evidence bag, then made to leave the scene, my camera in tow.

  Caught up in my own memories, I drove home on autopilot, scenes from eight years ago playing in my head.

  The same black hair. The same look of terror in her open eyes.

  Eva had been bound too.

  And cut up.

  Blood. God! There’d been so much blood everywhere.

  I’d been the one to find her. I hated to think what would have been had my Rosie been there that day.

  “Daddy!” was squealed, knocking me out of my grizzly thoughts.

  Opening the car door and letting myself out, I caught her just in time as she launched herself into my arms.

  My princess.

  The light of my life.

  Buffing my cheek against my now nine-year-old’s hair, then kissing it, I looked toward the house to find my mother standing there, a smile of pride, but the worry and apprehension she’d come to feel over the years—on this day—was evident in her eyes.

  “Happy Birthday,” I rasped. “Did you have a good day at school? Are you ready to go to dinner?”

  Rosie reared her head and looked at me in shock. “We’re still going?”

  Smiling despite my heart breaking at my parental failings, I nodded. “We sure are.”

  Passing my mother as I carried my daughter through the threshold, I gave her inquisitive look a slight nod only to hear her curse under her breath.

  It’s not like I could hide it from the woman. She was a junky for news, and there was no way that this latest murder was going to stay out of it. My nod also confirmed that I’d be heading back to work after our evening out.

  I followed the women out to the car when Rosie headed for the other side of the street toward one of my neighbor’s home.

  “Ember! Ember! It’s my birthday and Daddy’s taking Grams and I out!” My girl was one excited little lady, jumping up and down.

  Considering I was standing in the driveway, and my daughter had basically yelled her news to the entire neighborhood, I didn’t get to hear what Emberlyn had to say. I simply watched as the woman bent down to my daughter with a smile and kissed her cheek.

  Looking at my watch, I hated myself for feeling rushed. “Lana Rose, we need to go, baby girl.”

  Her nose scrunched up as she turned to look at me. “I’m not a baby!” Smiling over at the woman standing next to her, the one who’s eyes were now on me, she nearly lost her balance when my daughter tackled her into a hug. “I’ll see you later, Ember,” she yelled, pausing to look both sides of the street before running back to me. My eyes followed my girl’s progress as she jumped in the back seat of my Escalade before I looked back to my neighbor.

  “Enjoy dinner,” she said in place of goodbye.

  Jutting my chin out in acknowledgment, I turned toward my family and got in the driver’s seat.

  “Do you think they’ll have cake?” Rosie asks, making my mother laugh.

  The sound had me grinning ear to ear. This day could use a few more lighthearted moments.

  “I’m sure they can swing it, princess,” I muttered through my smile.

  For more on Carey’s books, visit www.careydecevito.com

  About the author

  Born and raised in small town Northern Ontario, Canada, Carey Decevito has always had a penchant for reading and writing.

  More than a decade later, with weeks of sleepless nights, where exhaustion settled into her everyday existence, she finally gave in and put pen to paper (more like fingers to keyboard!) She submitted to the dreams that plagued her. And the rest, as they say, is history!

  A member of the RWA, Carey enjoys spending time with family and friends, the outdoors, travelling, and playing tourist in Canada's National Capital region. When life gets crazy, this contemporary erotic romance author seeks respite through her writing and reading. If all else fails, she knows there’s never a dull moment with her two daughters, her goofy husband, and cat who she swears is out to get her.

  She is the author of both The Broken Men Chronicles series and Night Break, the first in the Nightshade series.

  Connect with carey online

  Web – www.careydecevito.com

  Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/carey.writes

  Email – carey.decevito@gmail.com

  Twitter – @ItalRT4u

  Instagram – carey_decevito

  Other books by carey

  The Broken Men Chronicles series

  Once Written, Twice Shy (# 1)

  Almost Forgotten (# 2)

  Play Me to Infinity (# 3)

  To Forgive & Hold Safe (# 4)

  A Heart’s War (# 5)

  Nightshade series

  Night Break (# 1)

  Standalones

  Hot Communications