Nora picked up immediately. “Has she been watching me…all this time? I don’t understand. She started this. She ruined her own career.” She sounded frantic. Her words ran together, but Kelli was able to translate.
“I know. She’s fucked up, remember? It’s not you, and it’s okay to be scared. I’m on my way.” Kelli gathered the rest of her stuff.
“I wanted to believe that this was over. She said she wasn’t a killer. She regretted what she did to Rader. I saw it in her eyes.”
Kelli rushed toward the elevator. “How could you know? None of this is your fault, Nora.”
“You knew.”
“I deal with pieces of shit like her every day. I know crazy when I see it. I think it’s good that you don’t. This is gonna be over soon. I promise.”
“You can’t make a prom—”
“The fuck I can’t.”
Kelli got to Nora’s house in record time; having her siren on during the drive helped a shitload. It was hard to hear Nora over the noise, but she refused to hang up until she got closer. Kelli bolted from her car. She passed the vehicle in the driveway and almost stopped to rip into the officers inside. Rather than letting her anger control her, Kelly continued to the house. Tearing them to pieces wouldn’t do a damn bit of good. The damage was done. Besides, feeling this way wasn’t helpful for Nora. She needed Kelli to be the steady one. Somebody had to be. It was obvious that Nora wasn’t her usual unflappable self.
Nora. This was all about Nora. The door opened before she rang the bell. As always, Nora was dressed impeccably, but her eyes were wide, frightened, and somewhat unfocused. Kelli pulled her into a hug. Nora sobbed and began to tremble as if she knew it was finally safe enough to fall apart.
*
It took a while, and a lot of reassurances, but Nora was finally able to calm down. Besides, she had to make sure Nora was completely taken care of. Kelli set a plate in front of her. It wasn’t much, just a sandwich and salad. That’s where her expertise ended in the kitchen. She was no Giada. “You should try to eat something.”
“I know. So should you.” Nora handed her half of the sandwich, and Kelli accepted it gladly. “So, what do we do now?”
“It’s a waiting game at this point. At least for us.” Kelli eased an arm behind Nora and pulled her close. “I’m staying right here. So if she tries anything, she’ll have to go through them and me.”
“I know you’re not allowed on this case, but it doesn’t bother you?” Nora looked at Kelli, and her gaze was much clearer than it had been an hour before. She was a lot less shaky.
“What?”
“That you’re not out there taking care of things yourself. I know you. It must be driving you crazy.”
Kelli actually smiled. Regardless of the circumstances, it was nice to be known so well. “I’m where I need to be.”
Nora stared and swiped at the corner of Kelli’s mouth. “Crumbs. That was nice and polite, but what’s the real answer?”
She took a bite of her sandwich and chewed it before going further. “Yeah, it did at first. To me, the best way to deal with the threat is to take it out before things get bad, not wait until it’s right in front of you. Then, she came after you. I had to delegate. I meant what I said. I’m where I need to be.”
Nora laid her head on Kelli’s shoulder. “If someone told me a few months ago that my life would be like this, I would have laughed in their face.”
Bullshit. Kelli snorted. “Not then. It would have been a very icy glare. You’re good at that.”
“Maybe.” Nora tilted her head and looked up at Kelli. “And if someone had told me I’d be here with y—”
Kelli didn’t let her finish. Leaning in, she kissed Nora softly. The situation they were in wasn’t the least bit funny, but Kelli refused to let Taylor Fuller derail their lives.
A cell phone chirped, and Kelli recognized the ring. Untangling herself from Nora, she reached for her phone. Williams’s name flashed across the screen.
“Yeah? You got something?”
“We might. It’s a long shot, but Rader’s place is, give or take, ten blocks from Whole Foods.”
“That’s…Jesus that’s actually smart as hell. I’m guessing the landlord didn’t—”
“No, I called him. After being splashed all over the news, the place has been impossible to rent no matter how much he cleaned it out. No one has even called to look at it. I bet Fuller has a key. We’re on our way there now. I wanted you to know. I think we got her, Kel.”
Kelli closed her eyes and let a sense of relief wash over her. He sounded so sure. “Bruce, I—”
“I have your back. I’ve got this. I’ll try to text or something when I get more info.”
“Yeah, okay.” As she hung up, Kelli turned to look at Nora. “You heard?”
Nora nodded. “I did.”
Kelli reached for Nora’s hands and entwined their fingers. “This could all be over soon.” As she said the words, reality set in. Kelli’s energy level spiked as it usually did when an important case was coming to a close. Dammit. It was suddenly hard to keep still. She took a breath and tried to keep her antsiness contained.
She could feel Nora watching her. “You should go.”
Kelli swallowed. “No, I need—”
“You need to go.” Nora was firm. “You seem sure that he’s right. I’ll be fine.”
Kelli looked at her quietly for several seconds, assessing the situation. There was no way Fuller would show up here again. She had balls, but they couldn’t be that big. It would be a death sentence. Still, she’d been wrong before. “Yeah, maybe.” Despite her doubt, she felt a rush of warmth in her chest. Nora really did understand her. Kelli brought Nora’s hand to her lips and kissed her palm. The whole conversation was pretty much pointless. “Thank you, but I have to make sure you’re safe. Plus, me being part of that arrest could compromise the whole case.”
“Then stay outside of it. Just get close enough to see.”
Kelli stared. She did think about that, but would it be enough?
“It’s better than waiting to see it on the news,” Nora said, as if she read her mind.
Holy shit, she was right. “Okay, yeah.” Kelli kissed her again. This time on the lips. “Yeah, but I’m still not going anywhere until we know for sure.”
“That’s understandable.”
Kelli didn’t want to leave a mess for Nora to clean up. She cleared the dishes off the coffee table, intent on getting them rinsed and put in the dishwasher. When she pushed the door to the kitchen open, Phineas was there. He glanced in her direction and moved toward her. Kelli put the dishes on the counter and rubbed his snout. “What’s up big guy?”
Phineas nuzzled her, and Kelli smiled. “I’m gonna be around more often now.” She gave him one final scratch and then turned on the hot water in the sink. When she was done, he was still sitting there, looking at her.
“You know something is up, don’t you?” Kelli sighed. “Hopefully it’s all gonna be fixed in the next hour or so. I was scared.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared, not since my dad was sick. Your mom didn’t need to see me freak out, but I can tell you right?”
“You can tell me too,” Nora said.
Kelli glanced toward the kitchen door. She didn’t say anything, but she couldn’t look away from Nora. Her gaze was soft, understanding.
“Okay?” Nora asked.
“Okay.”
Less than thirty minutes later, Kelli’s phone chirped. The message was short and simple.
We got her.
*
Kelli had to park a block away from the scene. There were quite a few cop cars in the area, and blue lights lit up the night. A small group of nosy people stood out in the street, watching. Some press had even arrived. Kelli pulled out her ID to show to one of the uniforms at the perimeter.
“Heard they got Fuller.” Kelli hooked her badge onto her belt. She should have had it there in the first place
.
He nodded. “Yeah. They found her car a couple blocks down. It’s already been towed.”
“Thank fucking God. Why haven’t they come out?” There was hardly any movement inside the house.
He shrugged and turned. “Hey Dan!”
The officer at the door answered, “What?”
“What’s taking so long?”
Dan checked his area and started jogging their way. “She had a knife. Threatened to off herself. Fucking cliché.”
Kelli had to agree. Taylor was way too selfish to kill herself. It was all an act. It had to be.
The crowd murmured, and the press rushed forward. Kelli turned as Williams and Johns escorted Taylor Fuller out in cuffs. Kelli almost laughed. She’d died her hair red…the irony. As they got closer, Kelli waved to catch Williams’s gaze. This time, she did smirk as they walked her way.
Taylor started to struggle, and she looked at Kelli as if she wanted to rip her fucking face off. The feeling was so very mutual.
“Hey, Taylor.” Kelli’s tone was deceptively casual.
“Fuck you!”
“No thank you, but say cheese.” Kelli held up her phone to take a picture. She sent it to Nora.
Taylor shrieked and spat in Kelli’s direction. It missed completely. Kelli smiled. “Nora says hello.” She hadn’t really, but Kelli couldn’t resist hammering the nail in. It felt so fucking good.
Taylor tried to lunge forward, but she ended up crying out instead, as Williams subdued her. For whatever reason, the press tried to surround Kelli, but she pushed herself clear. Kelli needed a moment alone. She walked back toward her car.
She felt drained and energized at the same time, but most of all, she was so fucking happy that this bullshit was over. It took a second for Kelli to realize that she was shaking.
Nora was safe.
Kelli leaned against her car and took a long, cleansing breath. Nora was safe.
*
Kelli walked up Nora’s driveway. It was blissfully empty. She looked toward the night sky. Stars twinkled back at her. Kelli was starting to think that somebody up there was listening. That thought made her feel a tad more at peace.
Nora opened the door. Compared to the mess she’d been a few hours ago, Nora’s gaze was warm and thankful. She smiled, and Kelli smiled right back.
Nora held up her cell phone. “Would it be bad manners to make Taylor’s picture my new wallpaper?”
Kelli snickered as she wrapped her arm around Nora and ushered them inside. “Hell, that’s what I would do.”
“I don’t find it disturbing at all that we’re starting to think alike.” Nora sounded sarcastic, but there was something sincere in her tone, as well.
Kelli laughed out loud and pressed a kiss to the side of Nora’s head before pulling her into a full body hug. Nora returned it without hesitation.
“It’s over,” Kelli said with a happy sigh.
“Yes, it is.” Nora squeezed tight. “Thank you.”
Kelli moved away slightly. “For what?”
Nora’s eyes widened in surprise. “For this…for us…for everything?”
Kelli stared. “I didn’t—”
“Don’t you dare. Just nod and let’s move on.”
God, she was just…perfect. “You’re starting to sound like me, too. Pretty soon, I’m gonna be using ten dollar words.” Kelli smirked.
“I can’t wait for that, but right now, I bet you’re exhausted.”
“I am, but I’m wired as hell.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing there’s a pizza place nearby that delivers late.”
Just perfect. “Mmm, sounds great.” Kelli brushed her mouth against Nora’s forehead before dipping to taste her lips. She stayed for a while, reaffirming that everything was real.
CHAPTER 14
Sharp pinpricks and tingles in her legs woke Nora. She inhaled deeply and slowly became aware of her surroundings. The large flat screen flickered, filling the living room with muted light. Wine and beer bottles, plus a pizza box, littered her coffee table. This wasn’t an unusual sight. Yet, there was something different. Shifting slightly, she became aware of the weight on her lap. That was definitely different.
Nora looked down, and the light from the TV flashed, illuminating Kelli’s relaxed features. She couldn’t help but stare at Kelli’s sleeping form, drinking in the vulnerable sight. Her forehead was smooth, and her mouth was slack. It wasn’t the prettiest picture in the world, but it was precious. Kelli slept as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Even though that wasn’t true, at least with Taylor’s arrest, Kelli had less of a burden to bear. Nora sighed, and so did she.
She basked in the peacefulness. It was a concept she was never taking for granted again, and Kelli helped it all happen. Grateful was not a strong enough term. One thing Nora knew for sure, Kelli had become a vital part of her life. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to maintain it. Nora’s leg muscles protested their position, but she didn’t move. She didn’t want to disturb the moment.
The current situation was simple. Kelli had fallen asleep on her lap, but there were layers to this. Nora was not an expert in socialization, by any means, but she knew Kelli. Like this, Kelli was unguarded and unfettered by their recent history. This equated to trust.
Kelli trusted her.
Nora’s heart constricted.
It was a huge responsibility that she had been given…earned. Nora knew she had to cherish it and treat it as the fragile treasure it was. Nora’s breath hitched, and she accepted the responsibility gladly. Her gaze followed the defined lines of Kelli’s face. She was in awe of this woman, of her boldness, confidence, and capacity to give. Nora didn’t understand what Kelli saw in her. She was damaged, but obviously not beyond repair.
Kelli turned and pressed her face into Nora’s stomach. Her arms snaked around Nora, and immediately, she felt the heated buzz that always existed between them. Kelli’s arms tightened, and Nora had never felt so protected…so safe. There was nothing outside her door that they couldn’t handle together.
Maybe that feeling was something she wanted…had needed all along. Nora wasn’t going to do anything to squander it. She raked her fingers, gently, through Kelli’s hair and luxuriated in the warmth that surrounded her. There was nothing else that mattered more.
Kelli moaned softly and returned to her original position, on her back. Her forehead scrunched together, and her eyes blinked open, slowly. The haze of sleep slowly cleared from Kelli’s gaze and became something else entirely. The intensity in Kelli’s eyes was breathtaking.
Nora shivered. Her fingertips went from short auburn tresses to the features that had mesmerized her earlier. She traced over Kelli’s eyebrows, down the bridge of her nose, and stopped at her mouth.
Kelli pursed her lips. She grabbed Nora’s hand and kissed her open palm. “Hey.” Her voice was scratchy, thick. “I fell asleep on you.”
Nora smiled.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Sleep was bound to catch up with you… Both of us, really. Besides, I liked waking up like this.”
Kelli cleared her throat. “Yeah?”
“Yes.”
Kelli shifted, presumably to a more comfortable position. “Mmm, what time is it?”
“I don’t care,” Nora answered.
Kelli grinned and continued to hold Nora’s gaze. “That means it’s probably late. We both have—”
Nora didn’t want this moment to end so she held on to it. “I know. I have guest rooms.”
Kelli’s gaze became penetrating. There was no need. Nora opened herself freely.
“Actually, there’s plenty of room in my bed. It’s a king.”
“I remember. Is that what you want?”
Nora nodded. “Yes.”
For a few seconds, they were quiet, but Nora didn’t look away. She couldn’t.
“Are you s—” Kelli started to ask.
“I don’t want you to go,” Nora said breathlessly. “Just
sleep.”
“Just sleep.” Kelli nodded. She reached up and twirled a strand of Nora’s hair around her fingertip.
Nora’s stomach knotted.
“What happens in the morning?” Kelli asked.
Dear God, more of you? More of this? More of us? “We go to work?” Nora meant it as an intentional moment of levity. She wasn’t avoiding the issue, just trying to keep it at a simmer.
Kelli’s eyes widened, and she chuckled. When she stopped, her mouth remained turned up at the corners. “We’ll see.”
Her grin was infectious, and the urge to kiss her overwhelmed Nora. She leaned forward to graze Kelli’s smiling lips with her own.
“Mmm.” Kelli was the first to pull away, yawning. “Sorry. You have something I can sleep in?”
“I still have a few of your things, and that Metallica T—”
“No, you’re wearing that,” Kelli said with a smirk.
“I guess I am.” Somehow, Nora knew Kelli was going to make that request.
Nora was hyperaware of Kelli’s presence behind her, as they headed toward her bedroom. It was a heady feeling, fraught with anticipation, but very little fear. She searched through one of the dressers in her walk-in closet. When she came back out, Kelli was untucking her shirt and giving her a tantalizing view of toned abdominals. Nora remembered what that bit of skin tasted like and how Kelli’s muscles tensed and jerked underneath her mouth.
When Nora met Kelli’s gaze again, Kelli’s eyes were dark, but they glittered with amusement.
Unashamed, Nora grinned and threw the sleepwear at Kelli. “Would you like to use the shower first?”
Kelli snatched the clothing out of the air. “I’ll just use the guest bathroom.” She yawned once more and blinked groggily.
Now alone, Nora moved around her bedroom leisurely. She waited for residual nerves to come, but they were absent, as they should be. She gathered panties and the Master of Puppets T-shirt.
Nora walked out of the bathroom into almost total darkness except for the bedside lamp and a bit of moonlight filtering in through the curtains. Kelli had her back to her. She was still and breathing heavily. Nora moved quietly. She stopped and peered down at Kelli. She was back in Nora’s bed, and that’s where she belonged. The flutter in her chest told her so.
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