Sam suddenly stopped, his hands clutching Cal’s head, and his gaze bore down on his betrayer. ‘I am going to kill you, but there’s just one more thing, Cal, and I want you to die knowing it.’
Cal was smug. ‘And what’s that?’
Sam smiled then and bent his head, so his lips were at his brother’s ear. ‘Isa’s not dead.’
Cal’s eyes widened in stunned horror, but just for a millisecond before, with all his might, Sam slammed his head hard against the marble fireplace and cracked Cal’s skull wide open.
A few minutes later, Halsey arrived – alone. He took one look at Sam, sitting against the far wall away from his brother’s body. Halsey checked Cal’s pulse. Dead. Good riddance. He glanced at Sam.
‘Sam, go, get out of here. I’ll deal with this.’
Sam looked at him, confused. ‘John, I did this. I’ll come along with you; I won’t make a fuss.’
Halsey looked at him. ‘Sam, after everything you’ve been through…look, I should have…god; I don’t know but this I do. You’ve been through enough. Let me deal with this. Go see Isa. Tell her I hope she feels better soon.’
Sam scrambled to his feet and shook the other man’s hand. ‘Thank you, John, thank you. From the bottom of my heart.’
John Halsey nodded. ‘Get out of here.’
With a grateful smile, Sam shot one last look at his dead brother, and rushed out of the room. John Halsey looked down at Cal Levy’s body and shook his head.
‘Motherfucker,’ he said quietly and went to work.
Isa sat up in the hospital bed, feeling sore, wounded but relieved to be alive. It had been a close call, they had told her, but after being airlifted to the city, and taken straight into a seven-hour surgery, she’d pulled through.
When she woke two days later, she found Sam by her side and they stared at each other for the longest time before kissing.
‘What happened?’ She touched his bandaged shoulder. Sam shrugged.
‘He managed to get a shot off. It’s not bad. Nothing to what he did to you.’ He gave a strange, strangled laugh. ‘How the hell you’re still alive? Jesus. You’re made of strong stuff, baby.’
She laughed but then her face turned serious. She hesitated, looking away from him.
‘The body in the fire…’
Sam’s hand tightened on hers. ‘Honey. It was Karl. Cal murdered him weeks before, kept his body in a deep freeze.’
They looked at each other for a long moment. Isa swallowed the lump in her throat and asked the question she didn’t know if she wanted the answer to.
‘Is Cal in jail?’ Her voice was small.
Sam shook his head. ‘No, baby, he’s gone. Gone.’
‘Dead?’
‘Yes. Very, very dead. This time it really is all over, darling. All over.’
She let out a breath. ‘Good.’
He covered her mouth with his, feeling her respond and smiled. When they broke apart, he became serious.
‘Marry me.’
She stroked his cheek, chuckling. ’We’re already married.’
‘I mean, properly, in front of our friends, you in a big meringue dress, me in a morning suit, Zoe giving you away.’
Isa grinned, tears in her eyes. ‘You know what, just this once, yes. Okay. Let’s be ostentatious. I think we earned it.’
He kissed her. ‘God, Isa, I’m so sorry I didn’t stop him from hurting you. I just couldn’t believe he would do this.’
Isa shook her head, stroking his face. ‘None of us did, baby. At least no-one else died.’
Sam looked down and she frowned.
‘What?’
Sam was silent for a minute. ‘Casey’s dead too. Cal killed her. Halsey found her before he came for us. Cal shot her.’
Isa was shocked. ‘Oh, my God. I’m sorry.’
Sam’s hand tightened on hers. ‘I’m not.’
‘Sam!’
‘I’m sorry, Isa, but she got what she deserved. She was screwing him for years, even when I was married to her. She wanted you dead as much as he did. Together they planned your murder, Isa. They designed your murder.’
‘And paid with her own life.’
Sam nodded. ‘I guess she’d outlived her usefulness. After all, that was his endgame. Neither you nor I were meant to survive. I’m surprised he didn’t go after Zoe too.’ He sighed. ‘If Casey…. I want to blame her for everything. But I can’t. I blame myself.’
‘Don’t you dare do that, Sam Levy, just don’t. We all make mistakes and if you’re to blame then so am I. But the fact is Cal was psychotically jealous of everything you had. I was just an object for him to possess. And when I fell I love with you, the only way that his deranged mind could deal with that was to kill me.’
Sam flinched, and Isa reached for him, holding his face between her palms.
‘And he failed.’
‘He nearly succeeded. Look at you.’
Isa glanced down at the heavy bandaging around her abdomen. ‘I’m fine. How’s Louisa doing?’
‘Better. She’s already up and walking around.’
‘I’m so glad. God, when I think of what Cal did to her.’
‘I know. That’s how I felt when I saw you in that basement. I never want to see that again.’
‘You never will. It’s me and you now, for always.’
Sam stroked her face. ‘Do you want to go back to that house? I understand if you don’t.’
Isa’s face was fixed. ‘I do want to go back to our home. He doesn’t get to spoil that too. It’s perfect for us. Really, Sam, we need to remember – we survived him, so we get to win.’
‘Marry me.’ He said again, and she kissed him.
‘Yes, Samuel Levy, I will marry you.’
A while later, the nurse looked into the room and smiled. Both asleep, the young man was curved around the girl, holding her like he’d never let go. The nurse shut off the light and closed the door. She grinned at the other nurse at the station outside the room.
‘You ever see love like that?’
Her friend smiled back. ‘I wish.’
Epilogue
Three years later
‘Stop being a nag, I’ll do it,’ Isa grumbled, as Sam held her waist. She was standing on a chair trying to push the star on top of their Christmas tree.
‘You realize I can reach that without a chair?’
‘It’s my turn,’ Isa grumbled, ‘You did it last year.’
‘Yup, but I’m not the one who is eight months pregnant, am I?’
Isa placed the star and Sam lifted her from the chair and stood her on her feet. She grinned up at him.
‘Superhuman strength, Mr. Levy.’
They studied the tree. ‘It’s kind of lop-sided,’ Isa said, her head on one side.
‘Such problems,’ Sam muttered, and Isa poked him with her elbow, grinning.
‘Nice to have such problems,’ she said softly. Sam ran his hand down her silky hair.
‘You want me to go get another tree?’
‘Nah, I like it like that. Life is lop-sided. Ours, for sure. But at least we’re on the good side now. Oh...’ She put a hand on her belly. ‘He’s kicking again, the little slugger.’
Sam laughed, and she guided his hand to where his son was kicking him. Sam pulled her closer. ‘There was a time,’ he whispered, his face in her hair, ‘when I never thought we would get here.’
‘I know, me too,’ she said, ‘but we did, baby. We did.’
Later, Zoe and Louisa came over from the city. The two women had bonded during Louisa’s recovery, and Isa could see Zoe going into her ‘mom’ mode- just had she had for Isa all those years ago. Isa was delighted for them both – she adored Louisa, and they too had spent a long time together while they both recovered from Cal’s violence.
It was Christmas Eve and Sam and Isa were hosting a small party for their friends and neighbors. They had settled into the island community with ease – and even bought a rescue dog home with them, who wa
s a much part of their family now as anyone. Bill and his wife Marilyn came over from the school; John Halsey came with his partner, Ryan. The detective had made Cal’s death look like a suicide - Sam would never know how he did it but he was eternally grateful.
Later, Zoe came to find Sam and led him outside onto the terrace to talk privately. She turned to him with concern in her eyes.
‘Sam, we need to talk. I know, this probably isn’t the right day, but in a way, it is. So near to the birth, and all I can think about is Isa and the baby and how wonderful this all is.’ She conceded when he grinned. ‘But I can’t stop thinking about Cal.’
Sam hugged her. ‘Zoe, he’s gone, he’s dead. He can’t hurt us anymore.’
‘Then why do I feel like this?’
Sam was silent for a moment.
‘Did you know that ghosts can't cross water? I didn’t. Isa told me that one night, another one of her useless factoids she’s gleaned from God knows where.’ He laughed, shook his head. ‘Ghosts can’t cross water.’ He looked inside to Isa, who was laughing with Bill and smiled at his sister. ‘Cal is dead, Zoe, and no-one will ever change that. He’s gone.’
‘And you killed him.’
‘Yes.’
‘And she doesn’t know.’
Sam shook his head. ‘No. There’s no reason to tell her.’
‘How can you live your life like that?’
‘I can live like that for her.’
‘But you’re starting your new life off with a lie.’
‘It’s a lie worth telling, don’t you think?’
Sam grinned at her, but Zoe was serious.
‘You can’t keep this from her, Sam. She trusts you completely. Again. At last. If she found out…’
‘She won’t.’
‘Isa’s smart.’
‘Yes.’
Zoe just shook her head at her brother. ‘I don’t even want to think about what would happen if she found out. What it would do to the both of you.’
‘She won’t. And is it worse than a life lived in fear?’
‘But you have to live like that.’ Zoe whispered to him, her eyes filled with worry. ‘Not knowing if they find Cal’s body if they’ll come for you.’
Sam smiled and shook his head. ‘No. I know what my life will be. That gorgeous girl over there, my darling love with my son growing in her belly. Building a life with her. A family. You. You and Louisa with any luck. This island. Cal doesn’t even figure into it. He’s a dead man. Ghosts can’t cross water. Now, let’s get to enjoying Christmas, Grandma.’
She swatted his butt. ‘Less of the Grandma – not yet I’m not.’
Isa and Louisa were waiting for them in the kitchen, and as Sam put his arm around his pregnant wife, he put his mouth to her ear. ‘I love you.’
Isa grinned up at him. ‘Right back at ya, big guy.’
‘Forever?’ He asked, and she chuckled and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him.
‘I promise,’ she said, ‘forever…’
The End.
Innocent Lies A Billionaire Romance Story
A ‘HIS BROTHER’S WIFE’ SHORT STORY
By Michelle Love
Autumn Keller stared at Pete Ford in disbelief. For years she had loved this man, even though he’d broken her heart a decade ago, dumping her in college to marry her nemesis, Dee-Dee Swofford. And now, this. For the past few months, after Pete had finally left Dee-Dee, the woman who made his life a misery for ten years, he and Autumn had reconnected and Autumn had fallen hard for him. Again. And now he was breaking her heart.
Again.
They sat in the small diner across the street from Autumn’s guesthouse and Pete over-stirred his coffee while telling her, in a broken voice, that Dee-Dee had told him that she was pregnant.
“I can’t leave her now, Auttie. I can’t be like my dad and leave her with a child to raise on her own.” He attempted a smile. “After all, can you imagine how the kid would turn out if it just had Dee-Dee to influence it?”
Autumn gritted her teeth. “Probably no worse than having a lying, cheating scumbag for a father.” She couldn’t believe he was taking this so lightly. He had promised her faithfully that he and Dee-Dee no longer had sex …so was this the Second Coming? A virgin birth? She pushed back her chair and stood, and Pete, his eyes alarmed, stood too.
“Hey, hey …this doesn’t have to change things between us.”
Autumn gaped at him, her violet eyes alive with anger. “You actually think I’d have anything to do with you now? You played me, Pete. More fool me for letting you do it twice. Don’t ever come near me again.”
She stalked out of the diner and across the road, willing herself not to burst into tears. She was angrier with herself than with Pete; how did she, Autumn Keller, college graduate and independent business woman, fall for this crap?
At twenty-eight, Autumn had plowed her own path through life, working three jobs to pay for college because her parents couldn’t afford it, then moving across the country from New Orleans to Oregon because she had fallen in love with the West Coast after Berkeley. She had also fallen in love with Peter Ford, the ‘aww shucks’ country boy from rural Oregon. She’d moved with him to his small town near Nesika Beach, met his younger sister Sally, who had quickly become her best friend, and bought the old guesthouse on Main Street and renovated it. Now the Mahsie Guesthouse was always busy, nearly always fully booked, with its reputation spread by word-of-mouth recommendations.
It didn’t hurt that its owner was gorgeous. Autumn had the bright violet eyes and dark brown, wavy hair of her father, and the creamy café-au-lait skin and voluptuous curves of her Creole mother. Tall and leggy, she knew she was considered a beauty, but would always get embarrassed by the compliments. She gave the outside impression of being calm and collected, a professional businesswoman, but inside, she was a geeky tomboy, never happier than alone with a book and her beloved dog, Clem.
As she entered her guesthouse now, she heard the toot of a car horn. Dee-Dee Ford grinned nastily at her as she drove past. Autumn gave her the finger.
Sally was at the reception as Autumn returned to the guesthouse. Catching sight of the defeated look on her friend’s face, she followed her into the kitchen.
‘Uh-oh.’
Autumn dumped the bag on the counter. ‘I’m finding it very, very difficult not to hate your sister-in-law.’ She told an appalled Sally what had happened with Pete.
Sally hugged her.
‘Don’t fight it. Embrace the hate.’ Sally loathed Dee-Dee as much as Autumn did.
Autumn laughed. ‘It’s certainly an option.’ She started to unpack the groceries. Sally helped her.
‘It’s okay to be mad, Autumn. She’s a waste of good air. You know he’s only with her because of the baby.’
Autumn was silent. Sally put a hand on her arm.
‘You know, right? You know it’s you he loves. Always has.’
‘Please don’t. Just makes it harder.’
‘Sorry.’
Autumn sighed and went out front. Pete was in front of his house—also across the street. She watched Dee get out of her car, barking at Pete to get the bags. Sally came and stood next to Autumn.
‘God, this is a mess.’
Pete turned as if he had heard her. His gaze met Autumn’s. She looked away, tears threatening. ‘Yeah, it is.’ Her voice broke and she retreated into the kitchen again. Sally looked back at her brother and shrugged at him, holding her hands out in defeat. Pete tried to smile at her, but he failed and turned away. Sally’s heart ached for them both and she cursed Dee-Dee. Autumn came back out, carrying her coat and bag.
‘I don’t like to ask, especially after last week, but …’
‘Go.’ Sally said. ‘Take as much time as you need. Really. You know how much I like to be the boss.’
Autumn grinned at her. ‘I do know. Thank you, honey. You are the best friend anyone could have. I just need a day.’
She hugged Sally tightly.
Her friend kissed her cheek.
‘Go heal your heart. Come back when you’re ready. We’ll go to the city and make out with some boys.’
A week later, Olivier Gallo cursed as his Porsche belched thick, black smoke from the engine and the car ground to a halt. He managed to glide it to the side of the road and get out.
“Goddamn it.” Oliver, despite his love of cars, knew absolutely nothing about them mechanically, something he regretted now.
He looked at his surroundings. On a whim that morning, he had driven north from his San Francisco home, having thrown a few clothes and toiletries into a bag, intending to go wherever his instinct would take him. Single life meant you could do that, he said to himself. His last relationship, with a wonderful woman named Hannah, had fizzled out and they’d both decided, with some sadness, to go their separate ways. Since then, he’d been to Italy to see his brother, Enda, and his lovely wife, Amalia where he had played with his niece, Serafina. He had loved the time he spent with them, but now felt isolated and alone. In the last few years, he’d lost his father and his brother Jackson—although the latter was no loss to anyone-- and while he had had plenty of friends, they were all coupled up.
So he’d taken to throwing a few things together in a bag and exploring the West Coast. Today he’d intended to drive along the coast road to Portland, but the Porsche had developed problems and now he was stuck …where?
He could see a few houses along the road. He checked the GPS on his phone. Nesika Beach, Oregon. Olivier knew he could call the roadside assistance people, but …there was something tempting about just pitching up to this small town and seeing what he found there. He could call out the recovery people another day. The car wasn’t impeding the highway.
Making his mind up, he grabbed his bag from the boot and walked toward the town.
There were a few homes dotted here and there, but as he walked, he found himself on what he presumed to be the town’s main street. Stopping to take in the businesses, shops, and markets, Olivier smiled to himself. There were certainly a lot worse places to be stuck in. His eye was caught by a coffee shop, which he saw doubled as a bookstore, and he headed for it.
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