Random Acts of Iniquity

by Christy Barritt

  Olivia’s gaze darkened. “Enough talking. I know what you’re doing. You think if you talk to me long enough, that your friends will get here and save the day.”

  I couldn’t argue with that.

  She stepped back from Drew. “Here goes nothing.”

  I glanced around, looking for something—anything—that I could use to protect Drew. There were no lamps. No knickknacks. Nothing.

  And she was too far away to lunge for her gun. By the time we reached her, she could pull the trigger on Drew and on Chase and me.

  There had to be something.

  I glanced down, my mind still racing.

  “Olivia,” Chase started, obviously trying to keep her talking.

  The moment of distraction was all I needed.

  I reached down and grabbed the rug she stood on. Giving it everything I had, I jerked it.

  It slid out from beneath her feet.

  She flew into the air, taken off guard. Her gun clattered to the floor.

  As she landed on her back, her gaze jerked toward her weapon.

  The gun lay on the floor between Olivia and Chase.

  I only hoped Chase got to it first.

  Chapter Thirty

  Chase dove for the gun. His fingers wrapped around the weapon just seconds before Olivia reached it.

  He stood, holding the barrel toward her, and ordered, “Get up.”

  With her hands raised, Olivia did as he ordered.

  Could this really be over? Did I even dare hope that?

  Just as the thought entered my mind, the doors burst open. Officers rushed into the room. They cuffed Olivia, despite her grumbling.

  As Chase went to oversee her arrest, I hurried to Drew and pulled the gag from his mouth.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He nodded, still looking pale and shaken. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “I’m so sorry, Drew. I never expected you to get pulled into this.”

  “It’s not your fault, Holly.”

  I began working the binds at his hands. Chase came over and sliced through them with a pocket knife before I could get the first knot out.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” he told Drew.

  Drew rubbed his wrists, his eyes appeared glazed as he glanced around. “Yeah, me too. Good police work back there. You two do make a good team. And you know what? This kind of life . . . it’s not for me.”

  We all looked back at Olivia as she was being led away. She’d had everything in the world, yet all she’d wanted was more. That selfishness had led to her demise, and I, for one, was happy to see her go to jail for it.

  “Who would have thought a rug could save the day?” Chase asked. “That was some fast thinking, Holly.”

  I shrugged. “My Good Housekeeping inclinations are to thank. All I’d been able to think about earlier was how slippery the rug was. Of course, it was still a risk. She could have accidentally pulled the trigger. But I knew I had to do something.”

  “You did the right thing.”

  I glanced at Chase. “You know, if what Olivia said was true, then your brother could have easily accepted that money from Axon to pay off his debt to the dealers he was working with. I don’t know what was going on in his life when all of this happened, but it sounds like he was trying to do better. To be better.”

  “That is how it seems, isn’t it?”

  The paramedics came to examine Drew. As they led him away, Chase turned to me and cupped my face with his hands.

  “I wasn’t sure how that was going to turn out for a minute,” he said.

  “Me neither. To think all those people died . . . for no good reason—other than selfishness,” I muttered. “It seems like the ultimate act of iniquity.”

  “Unfortunately, there are a lot of those moments in life.” He stepped back and took my hand in his. Gently, he rubbed my ring finger before planting a soft kiss there. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again. I hope you’re okay with that.”

  A grin spread across my face. “I’m more than okay with that.”

  “Whatever the world throws at us . . . whatever friction might form between us when we feel passionate about something . . . as long as we decide to be in this together, we can make it work.”

  My heart turned into a puddle. “You’re absolutely right. I love you, Chase. Always and forever.”

  “I love you too, Holly.”

  His lips met mine in a brief kiss, and for a moment everything around us disappeared. As we pulled away, I fell into his arms, glad I had a safe place to fall during those times when life was nearly too hard to comprehend.

  It had been a long journey to get here, but things were finally balancing out. Chase and I could finally move on . . . together.

  Life didn’t always turn out the way you envisioned. But, when you were open to it, sometimes the detours ended up making the future even better than one could have ever expected.

  Epilogue

  I’d always thought that spring was the perfect time for a wedding.

  I’d also always thought that a traditional wedding in a beautiful church full of stained-glass windows was ideal. I wanted three bridesmaids, a dress with a long train, and roses. Lots of roses.

  But more than that, I’d wanted the man of my dreams to be waiting at the end of that long aisle—the man of my dreams being someone who loved God, who loved me, and who loved others.

  I’d found all of that in Chase.

  I’d abandoned some of my fascination with all things old-fashioned, but not all of them. I’d started wearing my dresses again. I still loved baking, and making meals for people who were homebound, and even showing some of the teens in the neighborhood who were interested how to sew.

  Some things couldn’t be taken away from me—they’d only been temporarily put on pause.

  After Olivia and Lars had been arrested, the police had found a video in their files. Indeed, they had set it up to look like Chase and I were responsible for everything that had happened. They’d even managed to use effects to make a grainy video that made it look like we’d killed Drew.

  Thankfully, their plan hadn’t worked. They’d be spending a long, long time behind bars.

  I readjusted the bouquet in my hands as I stared nervously at the sanctuary. In a moment, I’d walk that aisle. Ralph would be at my side. Jamie, Alex, and Sarah would be going before me.

  Sarah . . . who was now living back with her mom. We tried to get together once a week so I could still be a part of her life. I missed her terribly, but I was happy for her—happy that her little family had been restored.

  Kari Leblanc was also here. Over the past six months, we’d taken strides in our relationship. She really was my cousin on my father’s side. It would take a long time for me to be able to fully trust her, but I liked our progress so far. My family had also taken her in, and, in some way, I knew my father would be proud if he were here today.

  Drew had even said he’d be here today. Our friendship had been able to continue, even though we weren’t a couple. I’d even seen him and Kari talking a few times, and I suspected they’d come to the wedding together.

  “You look stunning,” Jamie said, pausing beside me in her wine-colored bridesmaid gown. Her own wedding was coming up in two months, so this would be great practice for her.

  “Thank you.”

  “And I do believe that Chase is glowing up there on stage. I’ve never seen him look so happy before.”

  I grinned at her words. “That’s great to know.”

  The song began playing, and Jamie gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Then she started down the aisle behind the other bridesmaids.

  I slipped my arm through Ralph’s, and we waited our turn.

  “Dad would be so proud of you right now, Holly,” Ralph whispered. “You know that, right?”

  I swallowed back tears. “Thanks, Ralph. I wish he could be here.”

  “We all do. At least we know he’s not suffering anymore.”

  I tho
ught he was going to take the breakup with Olivia hard, but he’d said he’d actually wanted to end things between them anyway. He seemed content to be by himself, waiting for the right woman to come along. And, if she didn’t, Ralph seemed okay with that also.

  As the music changed, I felt my cheeks flush. This was it. This was my big moment.

  Everyone rose as I stepped into the sanctuary. But I hardly noticed.

  Mostly, I noticed Chase waiting for me.

  It had been a long journey for us to get here, filled with a lot of twists and turns. But I had no doubt that this was what I wanted. That Chase was who I wanted.

  After Ralph gave me away, I stepped up to Chase. He looked handsome in his classic black tux.

  He leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

  “Not yet,” the minister joked.

  Everyone laughed.

  I handed my flowers to Jamie and took Chase’s hands in mine.

  The ceremony seemed to be both a blur and something that I’d always remember every single moment of.

  Especially when the minister got to the end and said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  Chase stepped toward me, his eyes filled with love. He drew me closer, and his lips covered mine—tastefully so.

  But a million fireworks exploded in my head.

  Chase and I . . . the fact that we were together wasn’t by random chance. No, it was because God had brought two broken people together.

  And I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him. I’d do my best to stay out of trouble . . . maybe.

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you’ve enjoyed coming alongside me for Holly Anna’s journey. I know I’ve enjoyed getting to know her and her friends.

  The whole idea for this series started with a dream—a dream where someone broke into my house and cleaned it for me. The idea continued to grow from there, and eventually Holly Anna Paladin was born.

  You may be asking if this is the last book in the series. The truth is that I hate ending a series. The characters all start feeling like real people to me, and wrapping up their stories is like closing the door on a long friendship.

  But it’s time for this series to at least take a break.

  Let’s not say goodbye for good; let’s just say goodbye for now. Who knows when she might make another appearance in the future?

  Much love,

  Christy Barritt

  Also by Christy Barritt:

  Other Books in the Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries:

  When Holly Anna Paladin is given a year to live, she embraces her final days doing what she loves most—random acts of kindness. But when one of her extreme good deeds goes horribly wrong, implicating Holly in a string of murders, Holly is suddenly in a different kind of fight for her life. She knows one thing for sure: she only has a short amount of time to make a difference. And if helping the people she cares about puts her in danger, it’s a risk worth taking.

  #1 Random Acts of Murder

  #2 Random Acts of Deceit

  #2.5 Random Acts of Scrooge

  #3 Random Acts of Malice

  #4 Random Acts of Greed

  #5 Random Acts of Fraud

  #6 Random Acts of Outrage

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