A Place to Rest My Heart (Crimson Romance)

by Galen Rose

  Finally I had enough and went on the offensive, attacking, blocking, and finally getting the knife out of his hand. James had one surprise up his sleeve for me. He was well trained in martial arts; my equal or better. Time lost its place in my head. The only thing that mattered was making sure he did not hurt anyone again.

  I threw a kick to his face but he caught my leg and dropped me to the floor and fell on me, trying to pin me with his weight. His hands gripped my throat and I beat against him with my fists, arching my back as I tried to throw him off. I scratched, raked, and gouged but still his grip tightened. I raised my knee to his groin but he shifted and blocked it.

  The look on his face was a combination of maniacal glee and lust. Both emotions were fueling his strength. I tried bucking him off me again, ramming my fists in his ribs. I felt something give way beneath my fist as it connected, but his resolve didn’t waver as his hands tightened further around my throat. My head started to fill with a gray mist as I fought to find some focus to stay alive.

  My arms felt like lead as they fell to the floor, my hands grasping for anything to use to stop him. There. I touched the handle of the knife with my fingertips. But it was too late as my world slipped from gray to black.

  I tried to say Sean’s name, but a warm feeling of contentment was seeping along my bones as a bright light came closer to me. What? No, not now! I know I screwed up, but I had been trying to do the right thing. No, I’m not ready to go! I’m not done yet! Hell, I had only just started. I heard what sounded like breaking glass, then nothing but oblivion.

  Am I dead?

  “No, not yet.”

  I knew that voice. It was William. I was talking to William? We were standing on the bluff at Cowell’s Beach in Santa Cruz, looking out over the ocean. Cowell’s had been our favorite place to go and watch the surfers ride the crimson waves with the setting sun, when the lights of the boardwalk would cast their neon rainbow glow across the water.

  So heaven was Santa Cruz. Cool. I could live with that.

  William stood a few feet away from me, looking out on the surf. He appeared the same as if no time had passed. Same tall, lanky build, cropped blonde messy hair, and laughing blue eyes. “Hello, Laney,” he said, a trace of sadness touched his voice.

  I stood there not quite knowing what to say. So many questions ran through my head at once, but all I could do was look at him. He had always been so damn handsome and cocky. He loved a good joke and had always laughed easily.

  “Life’s too short to be blue,” is what he always said. We’d been together two years before he had died. We had never talked about getting married or having a family. It had been enough to be together. But now I knew those things were important. Damn it, I wasn’t going to get them now.

  He turned to look at me, “It’s not your time yet, sweetheart. As much as I miss you and have longed to see you again, you have to go back.”

  I stared out at the waves. “I do? I’m not dead?” Wow. This was good news.

  William laughed. “You have no idea how happy that makes me feel to hear you say that. Watching you suffer over me was beyond bearable. Laney, you put me on a pedestal and I was not worthy of that. I am not, nor was I ever, a saint. If I had it to do it all again, I might not have gone in after those people.”

  “Yes, you would have! You would, because I know the man that I fell in love with, and although you had a selfish streak in you a mile wide sometimes, you didn’t like people to hurt.”

  He stared at me for a moment. “You’re right. I never could stand to see people hurting. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my family. I just didn’t see the point in letting that back in my life and into yours. I had left them and their money years before. I didn’t need it or want it. But I never meant to hurt you with it.” He looked out over the cliff and took a deep breath.

  “You’ll live, Laney. You have a wonderful future ahead of you. Sean loves you and his heart is pure. I was never so happy for you than when you loved again. Keep on loving, Laney. Love is a gift worthy of the angels. Now breathe, honey. Breathe and be happy.”

  I nodded and reached a hand out to him but time was altering and he was stepping away from me.

  Breathe. I heard a voice calling me. “Breathe, damn it!” Had to be Sean. No one else cursed me so well. “Breathe!” I did, one long intake of air, reaching upward through the mists.

  “Laney. Damn it, Laney, please don’t leave me.” I was wrapped in Sean arms as he rocked me back and forth. I tried to talk but I had no voice. No, I have to say something.

  I swallowed and almost wished I were dead again, the pain was so intense. I tried to whisper to Sean as I raised my hand to his face. He lowered his head to mine. “Don’t try to talk. It’s okay. He’ll never hurt you again. You’re safe now.”

  I whispered to him.

  “Laney, I didn’t understand you.”

  I tried again. “I love you,” I managed to croak.

  “What did she say?” I heard Tommy ask from somewhere in the room.

  Sean didn’t answer them, just pulled me closer to him. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was squishing me. As I drifted off, I wondered why it was raining inside. Then I realized it was Sean’s tears I felt on my face.

  Sometime later I awoke to Sean’s arm thrown across me, his breath was warm on my neck. He had lain down next to me in the bed, clothes and all. I moved my head slightly so I could look at him. Unfortunately this proved quite excruciating. It felt like my neck had steel spikes being ratcheted along my spine as I tried to turn. I could not hold back the groan of agony.

  My God, is it possible for one person to hurt so much? Sean muttered in his sleep and pulled me closer to him. Well at least he was with me. I could damn well live with the torment as long as he was there. Carefully I turned just a bit so that I could just look at him. I did not want to wake him he looked so peaceful. If my memories of the night before were real then I doubt he had gained any rest.

  “What are you looking at?” he said softly.

  “You,” I whispered. I doubted I could get much more above a whisper.

  “Don’t talk. Doc said it might be a few days before you get your voice back.” His hand stroked my cheek as he rose up on to his elbow and looked down at me. His gaze fell to my neck and his green eyes flashed in anger.

  “Tell me.” I whispered.

  Sean looked away from me. I reached up and caressed his face. “Please, tell me what happened.”

  He touched his forehead to mine and then kissed it. “If you promise to keep quiet I’ll tell you. James is dead.”

  I nodded. Not surprised. Just confused. How? I wasn’t able to ask, for at that moment there was a knock at the door. “I swear when we get married, I am moving us to the middle of nowhere so no one can interrupt us,” he muttered, as he got up to open the door. Molly came bustling in carrying a tray laden with tea and honey for me and coffee for Sean.

  “Merry Christmas,” she said with a smile on her face. Her eyes though were red rimmed and I was afraid something bad had happened.

  “What?” I croaked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Hush now. Nothing’s wrong. Can’t a mother have a little cry on such a happy day?”

  Sean pulled Molly into his arms and held her. He looked over the top of her head at me.

  “She’s just happy you’re alive, Laney. She gets like this every Christmas when all of us are together.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “I’m sorry.” I tried to clear my throat and tears fell down my cheeks it hurt so much.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” Molly scolded me. “When you are ready we are waiting for you downstairs. Connor Sweeney called. He’ll be here in an hour to talk to you.”

  I nodded. I knew I would have to try and explain what had happened and how I managed to kill James. I just didn’t remember doing it.

  With Sean’s help, I managed to get up, showered, and dressed. I hurt all over. My forearms were a mass of bruis
es but my neck was the worst. I had a ring of bruises all around it. I remembered James choking me and me not being able to get free but after that was a complete blank. Maybe Sean could tell me what happened, but Megan was waiting for me by the time I was done dressing. She escorted me down the stairs to the dining room where everyone was waiting.

  Tommy and Molly were setting the table while Ryan and Fiona were watching TV in the family room. Chase and Mason were just coming in the front door.

  “Purple looks good on you, Laney,” Chase said as he kissed my cheek.

  “Thanks. I think it’ll be all the rage soon,” I croaked.

  “Still a smart ass,” Mason said with a smile and a hug.

  Sean started to take my hand when the doorbell sounded. Detective Connor Sweeney and his partner, Detective Bridger, were at the door. We all adjourned to the dining room, as it was the best place to fit everyone together. I sat between Tommy and Sean, both looking quite concerned at me.

  “I’m fine,” I whispered to them both, taking Sean’s hand.

  Molly offered Connor and Nathan coffee as they sat down opposite me. “Sorry to get you guys out on a holiday,” I whispered.

  Connor didn’t answer as he got out his notepad. Nathan smiled. “No problem as long as Molly has some of her cranberry bread?” She patted his arm and went into the kitchen. Connor looked at his partner. “Your stomach ever full?”

  Nathan shrugged with a smile. “Not so far.”

  Connor grumbled and looked at me. “Laney, let’s start with you. I know it’s painful for you to talk but do the best you can. Out of consideration for you and the family I held off bringing you to the station to be interviewed but if this gets out of hand I will ask you to come down.”

  “Out of hand?” Tommy muttered.

  Chase looked at Connor. “That was very considerate of you, Detective Sweeney.”

  I took a drink of honeyed tea and began with being at the party and then to what happened once I got in my room.

  “Detective, I don’t know how he died. I have a vague memory of reaching for the knife that was on the floor but I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up with Sean holding me and telling me to breathe.” I had a faint memory of talking to William but I wasn’t going to mention that.

  “James Prescott was shot in the back. The bullet that was removed from him came from a high-powered rifle.”

  “I think that might have been difficult for Laney to accomplish,” Tommy said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm.

  “The shot was taken from the building directly across the street from the pub. There was no other evidence left behind.” Connor looked over at Mason. The look on his face was hard to read.

  “Elizabeth, can you account for your whereabouts last night?” The room went dead quiet and Sean squeezed my hand as I started to say something.

  Chase was sitting next to Mason and placed his hand on hers and brought it to his lips. “I can vouch for her whereabouts, Connor. She was with me last night.”

  Mason blushed to the roots of her hair. I damn near fell out of my chair and Tommy had to get a drink of water he was coughing so hard.

  Chase looked over at Connor. “She and I were on her boat. Tommy called us about the attack and we came right over. That was about nine o’clock. We stayed until midnight and then went back to the boat. Together.”

  Connor rubbed his hands over his face and shook his head. Mason looked at him. “I know what you were thinking. Connor. I didn’t do it. If it’ll help, I’ll even bring my rifle in to be tested.”

  He nodded and looked at me. “Can’t hurt. At this point we have no suspect in the murder of James Prescott. Perhaps it was whomever he had been dealing with? We know he had an overseas contact besides Boris, who was shipping him the stolen jewelry. We checked all the phone calls on your cell phone but all of his calls to you came from throwaway phones. If you remember anything, Laney, you will let us know?” He stood up.

  I nodded.

  Connor looked at Mason. “I’m sorry.”

  “No you’re not. You’re just doing your job. I’d have expected no less from you. I just wish you didn’t look at me that way.” Mason looked so sad when she said that. “I will see you tonight though, I am bringing Chase over to Mom’s.”

  If the news of Chase and Mason being together didn’t floor Connor this certainly did.

  Nathan tried to smother a laugh and not succeeding he got up and went into the kitchen before busting out with it. The stunned look on Connor’s face was priceless.

  Connor glared at the closing kitchen door before looking at Chase. He started to say something and then finally smiled and shook Chase’s hand. “Tell Nathan, I’ll be outside. I want to see if hell has frozen over.”

  Tommy walked Connor to the door. I looked at Sean. “I guess it is finally all over, huh?”

  He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I think it is.” He brought my hand to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine, “I believe you said you loved me last night.”

  “Hmm. Did I? I can’t remember.” I tried to say it with a straight face, I really did, but it was impossible. My heart was near to bursting. It was over. The monster in the closet was truly gone. I don’t know who killed him and I didn’t care. James could never hurt anyone ever again. That was all that mattered.

  “So, Laney Murphy, when will you marry me?”

  “Well, Sean Michael Muldoon, I’ll marry you when you ask me properly.”

  “I did ask you.”

  “No, as I recall you told me you were going to marry me.”

  “Same difference.”

  “It is not.” I drank more tea trying to get some volume in my voice.

  “Jesus, Laney.” Sean said, standing up and turning away from me, hands in his pockets. “Are you ever happy?” He turned back around and got down on one knee. “Laney Murphy, will you do me the honor of marrying me?” He opened up my hand and placed a small velvet box in it. I looked around the room at all the shining faces of my family and then opened the box. I almost closed it back up and handed it to him. Inside was a golden band encrusted with small emeralds.

  “This is … this is too much.”

  Sean shook his head. “I see I am going to have my work cut out for me in showing you just how much you mean to me.” He took it out of the box and took my hand in his. “Will you marry me?”

  I could have sworn at that moment I heard William’s voice in my head saying, “You’re damn right you will.” I laughed and answered him, “Yes.”

  Sean slid the ring on my finger and kissed it. His eyes were as bright as mine. All the love he felt lived there within his eyes. It flowed between us as deep as the ocean and just as strong.

  The celebration of family and friends began and went well into the night. Eventually we exchanged Christmas presents but they were almost anticlimactic after the past twenty-four hours. Eventually, I found a few minutes alone with Tommy. “You know, I don’t think you’re quite happy enough.” He teased.

  “You know,” I said with feigned seriousness, “you’re quite right. I think all would be right with the world if you would give me away.” For the first time since I met him, Tommy was speechless.

  “I think Dad would approve of you standing in for him.” Tommy nodded and enfolded me in his arms with surprising gentleness. “I would be honored, little girl.”

  That night as I lay in Sean’s arms and listened to the rain on the roof, I thought back at how far I had come. When I arrived at Muldoon’s almost a year ago, I would have laughed in your face if you had told me I would have found peace and contentment here. So much had come before arriving here and so much after that. And there was still more to come. There would be difficult times and we would handle them. We would. I liked the sound of that. We.

  “You should be sleeping,” Seam said, pulling me closer.

  I turned to look at him. “I’m not tired.”

  “Woman, you should be exhausted after the last twenty-four
hours.” He gently kissed me. “God, Laney, I was so scared I had lost you. You weren’t breathing when I found you.”

  “Tell me how it is that you did find me.”

  “When I arrived and couldn’t find you, Mike said that you had gone upstairs to fix your face. So I got a beer and waited around by the stairs hoping to surprise you when came down. I was just about ready to come up and tell you your face was perfect, when I heard the sound of breaking glass. Mike was just starting down the hall when he saw me dash up the stairs. I went right through the door, locked or not. I found you on the floor, with James lying on top of you. I pulled him off and Mike turned on the light by your bedside. You weren’t breathing at all. I gave you mouth to mouth, and yelled at you a lot.”

  “I know. I heard you cursing me. I dreamed I was talking to William. He and I were standing on the beach in Santa Cruz. He told me I had to go back.”

  “I thought I heard you say his name when you first started breathing.”

  I touched Sean’s cheek. “Did that bother you?”

  He smiled and ran his hands over my back as he pulled me closer still. “Sweetheart, I should thank him profusely for sending you back to me.”

  “When do you want to get married?” I yawned and snuggled closer.

  “How does springtime sound?”

  “Fine. Just fine,” I mumbled as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  Epilogue

  Three Months Later

  Sean and I were married on the first day of spring in Tommy and Molly’s backyard. The reception, of course, was at Muldoon’s. There was no other fitting place. Tommy and Molly both cried as Sean and I drove off to begin our honeymoon.

  “I have a stop to make,” Sean said, his face serious but his eyes merry. “You need to put on this blindfold.”

  “What are you up to, Sean Muldoon?” I took the scarf from his hand. I shook my head but tied the scarf over my eyes and hoped I wasn’t going to be on an episode of America’s Funniest Videos.