The car was pulled up right next to the plane on the tarmac, so Declan wouldn’t have far to walk. David was holding the door to the back seat open for us. I climbed in first, and when Declan was situated, I sat next to him hugging his arm. My mind was still reeling from the nightmare.
When David was in the car, he handed a phone back to Declan, and Declan handed it to me. “David picked up a new phone for you.”
I took it from him. “Thank you, David. You two really do take care of me.”
David smiled back at me. “My pleasure, Brooke.”
I rested my head against Declan’s arm again. “Let’s go home.”
We rode in silence back to Shaughnessy Farm.
I bribed Declan with talk of his favorite pasta from the Black Tulip in Midland. He promised he would get into bed while I went to pick up takeout. He, of course, wanted to have David go get dinner, but I insisted I needed the drive to clear my head.
I was thankful to be back in Midland, where I was finally establishing some roots, whether I was ready to accept this fact or not. As I entered the Black Tulip, several people waved and said hello—people I’d met since arriving in Kentucky.
“Hey, Brooke,” said Cheryl, the manager of the restaurant. “Give us about ten more minutes. You’re welcome to wait in the bar.”
I thought about it a second. “No, I think I’ll take a walk. I’ll be back.”
“Take your time. We’ll keep your food warm.”
I exited the Black Tulip and turned left as if I were going to walk back to the Julep Hill Inn, where I had rented a cottage when I first moved to Midland, Kentucky—a temporary move at the time.
I’d walked along this sidewalk many times, but always as a visitor to Midland. I had never truly stopped and thought about the prospect of Midland, Kentucky, becoming my permanent home.
I realized I had felt the same way about Declan’s house. Though I was living there, I always though of myself as a visitor—his guest. He never treated me that way, of course. He wanted me to consider his home my home.
But I had resisted. I had hesitated to truly let myself fall in love with the man who had done nothing but welcome me into his arms and into his home.
Leaves blew across the sidewalk and into the street. A cool breeze had moved in. Full autumn colors were still on display all around the town, much as they had been in Georgetown, but winter was on its way.
So much had changed in my life. I had left the FBI after Teddy was killed, only to return over a year later. Then I was offered the job of Kentucky’s Director of Homeland Security, a job many said I was meant for. Taking that position, in a way, was an act of commitment to this state I was quickly falling in love with.
Yet I still hadn’t truly committed to Declan.
Why?
Because of Teddy?
Because I still owned a house in Virginia?
I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and closed my eyes. When I did, I saw Declan lying on the floor of Full Court Press with a gunshot wound to his stomach.
I gave my head a shake. Swallowed hard. I had to get rid of that sight.
And I would. But I knew I would have to do something big to change the picture that came to me every time I closed my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again, I knew what I needed to do. I smiled as the breeze hit me again. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, giving myself a little hug.
I heard a scuffle of feet behind me, but I didn’t turn fast enough before one hand circled around my waist, pinning my left arm. The other hand went to my mouth. “Don’t scream, Brooke, or I’ll disappear and you’ll never figure out who I am.”
I recognized his raspy voice. Romeo.
He pulled me backward into a nearby alley. Had no one seen us? Seriously?
He removed his hand, and I willed my breathing to slow.
“What do you want this time?” I asked. “I’m not even working a case right now.”
“Aren’t you?” he asked.
I thought about that. “You were there, weren’t you?”
“Of course I was there. I’m everywhere you are, Brooke.”
“You were the second shooter. You set up Jeremy Lanister.”
“You give me too much credit.”
“Do I? I credit you with Anya’s death, even if Bradley Archer pulled the trigger.” I was feeling way more confident than I should have. “You were behind the shooting. I’m going to prove it.”
“Oh, I hope you do.” He breathed hot on my neck. “So, what do you think? Want to play our favorite game? You ask me one question. I’ll answer it honestly. Anything but my identity, because that takes all the fun out of our little game. And knowing my identity didn’t work out well for your friend.”
One question. What one question did I want to know more than any other?
I thought about it for several beats before I finally spoke. “Why me?”
He pressed his face into the side of mine and kissed my cheek. “Because, Brooke, you were meant to be mine.” He nuzzled his face into my neck and inhaled. “That is, until you ruined everything by lying to me. And then you did the dishonorable thing by telling your roommate my secret.”
“What?” On instinct, I tried to turn, but Romeo was fast. He shoved me forward, hard. I miraculously stayed on my feet, but by the time I whipped around, Romeo was turning the corner at the opposite end of the alley. He was gone.
And I knew exactly who he was.
Chapter 13
Brooke
I pulled my phone from my back pocket as I walked as quickly as I could back to the Black Tulip.
Safely inside the restaurant, I hesitated. Did I call Ty? Beg him to return to Kentucky and help me hunt down Romeo? I so badly wanted to question Romeo about the night he caused me to miscarry. I wanted to know what he knew about Teddy.
But before Romeo had approached me on the street, I had come to a very different conclusion about what I wanted to do next with my life.
I looked down at my phone as I woke it up. I had put a new picture on my home screen: a photograph taken by Marti of me sitting on Declan’s lap in a chair on his back patio. Declan was smiling toward the camera, and I was gazing down at his smiling face. I was obviously happy. The photo didn’t lie.
I ran my fingers along the picture. Then I scrolled through my contacts until I found the right name.
“Brooke?” Mike said.
“It was Romeo. He was the second shooter. I don’t have hard proof other than that he didn’t deny it when I talked to him just now.”
“What do you mean, you talked to him?”
“He followed me back to Midland. He grabbed me on the street and allowed me to ask him a single question. He finally made a mistake, Mike. I have a picture of him.” I thought of the party photo in Anya’s yearbook, and the one man I didn’t recognize or remember—until now. It was definitely Woodford Clay Harrison.
I proceeded to tell Mike everything I remembered about Woodford Clay Harrison. “Anya set me up with Woodford for a party our senior year, and I refused to go at the last minute. I lied when he called me—told him I was sick. I didn’t know him well, but I had just discovered earlier that same day, that he’d been kicked out of UVA on an honor code violation. According to my friend on the Honor Code Committee, Woodford had stolen or plagiarized several lines of coding for some computer engineering class. When I heard that the Committee expelled him, I no longer wished to attend the party with him.
“He kept the Honor Code Committee’s decision to expel him quiet; never even told any of his friends that he’d been kicked out. He pretended to attend classes all the way until graduation.
“I was told later that it was those very friends who had turned him in. I’m willing to bet that Woodford knew his friends had caused him to get kicked out. One of those friends was Jeremy Lanister.”
“You never told anyone about this?”
“I only talked to Anya about it, to explain why I didn’t go on the date. It wasn’t
like it was important to me—he was just some guy I didn’t know. But now, I’m almost positive that the list Anya left for me was a list of the friends who turned him in.”
“So. You think Romeo has been following you around because you turned him down in college? That’s quite the grudge.”
“There could be more to it—but I’m telling you, Mike: Woodford Clay Harrison is Romeo. I’m certain of it.”
“And you have no idea what happened to him after college? What would make him able to track your cases and send you evidence?”
“No. Obviously, I never gave him another thought until now.”
“Can you send me everything you have?”
“Of course. But I have one request. If you find him before I do, I want one hour with him.”
“Brooke.”
“One hour, Mike. For Teddy. For the child I’ll never know.”
Mike paused. “Okay.”
Chapter 14
Brooke
Declan’s mansion was silent when I returned. Declan was sleeping, so I put our pasta in the oven to stay warm, and got to work.
Before Romeo had rudely dragged me out of my thoughts, I had been on the verge of deciding something important—and after my conversation with Mike, I had worked hard to get back to it.
I scanned the yearbook photos and Anya’s list, and I emailed Mike. I didn’t have much on Woodford Clay Harrison, but it would at least get Mike started.
More importantly, turning details over to Mike would put Romeo out of my thoughts for now. I was officially handing the matter over to Mike. Declan was my second chance at life, and I had almost lost him to my obsession with Romeo. That obsession ended here, tonight. And though I would continue to search for clues as to what happened to Teddy, that, too, would no longer consume me.
Now I rushed around the house, making sure everything was perfect. When I was satisfied, I opened a bottle of wine, poured myself a glass, and walked outside on the back patio.
I didn’t hear Declan’s approach. When he slid his arms around my waist, I flinched at first, but immediately welcomed the touch.
“You’ve been busy,” he said against my neck.
I turned in his arms. “I have.”
He leaned down and kissed me gently. He tasted of mint from freshly brushed teeth. “Not fair,” he said. “You taste of my favorite wine.”
I smiled. “You can identify your favorite wine from a kiss?”
“If my taste buds are correct, you’ve opened a lovely cab.”
“You would be correct. How long has it been since you took your pain medicine?”
“Long enough that I can join you in a glass. But I won’t overdo it.”
I kissed him again. “I’ll get it—and dinner. You go sit.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He walked gingerly over to the table where I had lit candles all around. By the way he hadn’t fought me, I knew he welcomed the order to sit.
Thirty minutes later, we had enjoyed a dinner of pasta, salad, and bread. Declan had switched to water, and I knew he was in pain.
“I think this is my favorite spot,” I said.
“Oh yeah?”
“Although I do like your ridiculously oversized tub. And your little cabin on the back of the farm.”
He slipped a hand under mine. “Our ridiculous tub and our little cabin.”
“What?” I turned my head and looked at him. “Oh, yes. Right. Ours. Which brings me to a conclusion I’ve reached.”
“Do tell.”
“I was working on it tonight when Romeo disturbed my walk outside the Black Tulip.”
Declan’s face hardened. “Romeo was here? In Midland?”
“Isn’t he always nearby?” I waved a hand. “I’ll tell you all about it, but I’ve decided not to let him interfere with the other decisions I’ve made.”
“You have?” He wiggled his jaw back and forth, loosening the anger that had flared at the mention of Romeo.
“I have.” I pulled my hand away from him and grabbed my wine. I was on my second glass; he’d stopped after one.
I stood and paced. When I looked at Declan, he was smiling.
“What are you smiling at?” I asked.
“You. You’re obviously thinking hard about something. You’re wearing a path in my limestone.”
I walked away again, then came back to the table. This time I circled around the chair and sat. Took another drink of wine.
Declan didn’t move. He looked relaxed.
I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “Okay. Here goes.”
Declan picked up my glass and took a sip.
“I’m always going to think lovingly of Teddy. And I know you know that, but I struggled to reconcile how I can love another man as much as I loved him. Also…” I took my glass back and took a sip of my own. “There is always going to be some case that preoccupies my mind. I think even if I gave up a job in intelligence or law enforcement, I would still be drawn to that type of work.
“Look at this past weekend. I wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the investigative part of that shooting, and there I was searching through Anya’s apartment for clues the investigators might have missed. And I found them, too. Clues left specifically for me because Anya knew I would be looking.”
“What clues?” Declan asked.
I held up a hand. “That’s not the point. Romeo, my job, my past… those things have kept me from believing I could be truly happy again. But no more. I’m not going to let those things get in the way of how I want to live my life.”
Declan reached out and grabbed my hand. He pulled me closer, inviting me to sit in his lap. If it hurt him when I climbed on and put my arms around his neck, he showed no sign of it.
“And how do you want to live your life, my dear Brooke?”
“When I was walking—”
“Before Romeo interrupted.”
I angled my head, chastising Declan for bringing him up again.
“Sorry. You were saying.”
“When I was walking, I started wondering what would have happened if you didn’t come looking for me after I left here—after I ran away scared.” I tilted my head side to side. “Well, besides the obvious—you wouldn’t have been shot.”
“Oh, what’s a little gunshot wound?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Please don’t joke about it.”
“Too soon. I get it.”
“However, you being shot was the worst and best thing that could have happened to me—to us.”
“Now you’re losing me.”
“I lost Teddy because he was shot. I’ve had nightmares wondering what I could have done differently to ensure that didn’t happen.”
“It wasn’t your fault. Just like the shooting the other night wasn’t your fault.”
“I know that. But the idea that I could lose you really sank in when I saw you lying there bleeding. And I hated that feeling.” I pressed a hand to my heart. “Before, when I thought of that possibility, I wanted to run, because I never wanted to feel that kind of pain again—the pain I felt when Teddy died. But when I saw you lying there, I just kept wondering: What if I said goodbye to you? What if I tried to save myself from that kind of pain by leaving you?”
Declan’s face turned serious.
“And I realized: the thought of leaving you, of not giving us a chance… it hurt just as much as if I had lost you to a gunshot wound. Because choosing to leave you would have been my own doing. I was throwing us away by not letting you in. So.” I took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
Declan’s eyes softened. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, I’m ready for you to ask me that question again.”
“The question that, even now, you won’t say out loud?”
I nodded. “Only because I’ve been afraid you might never ask it again. And that thought terrifies me.”
Declan snaked a hand around my neck and brought me in for a long and passionate kiss. When he released m
e, he said against my lips, “Brooke Fairfax, I love you. I want you to spend the rest of your life with me. Will you marry me?”
A Note from the Author
Now that you’ve finished Shot in Darkness, you’re ready for Desired in Darkness, Book Five of the In Darkness series. CLICK HERE to download Desired in Darkness immediately, or keep scrolling to read the first four chapters.
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Heather
Desired in Darkness
In Darkness Book Five
Desired in Darkness - Book Description
Former FBI agent Brooke Fairfax is on the verge of starting a new, simpler life with Irish mogul Declan O’Roark. But when tragedy strikes the night of Brooke’s and Declan’s engagement party, Brooke has no choice but to track down Romeo, the serial killer stalking her for years. And Declan vows to help her put an end to the man who desires Brooke so completely he’s willing to kill to possess her.
When a woman from Declan’s past emerges, promising nothing but grief for the already struggling couple, Declan is faced with a dilemma: take the time to get the troubled woman from his past the help she desperately needs or join the woman he loves in the struggle to stop Romeo before he makes Brooke his next victim. The problem? Declan’s love for Brooke might not be enough to stop Romeo from killing them all.
CLICK HERE to download Desired in Darkness, or keep scrolling for the first four chapters.
Chapter 1
Romeo
Shot in Darkness Page 8