by Claire Adams
Kyle Johnson stood behind her, waiting to strike.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Luna
Alarms sounded in the distance, and I wondered if my father had set them off on his way in. It seemed everyone had been on high alert.
I spun around and stopped as I came face to face with a man I’d never seen, and before I could react, he charged, pushing me face-down to the ground. His knee jammed hard against my back as something went around my neck. I’m going to die. This is the killer.
I gripped at the thin cord closing tight and fought as best as I could, twisting around, clawing and scratching at his face, my feet kicking at his chest until my limbs grew weak and finally, I resigned myself to the blackness that splotched my vision.
This was how it would all end for me. Not with a happily ever after, not with Gabriel and me staying married until we grew old. With one last swipe of my hand, trying desperately to hold onto life, I heard a gunshot. Darkness fell upon me with a warm, wet thud.
I woke some minutes later, rousing to my body being shifted and the tight cord being pulled free of my neck. Intense pain burned in my throat. I dared not to make a sound or breathe too deeply.
Joe stood close, looking down with a grim expression as he met my eyes. “She’s awake,” he said to someone behind me.
Gabriel, whose arms I was gathered in, shifted me against one side, cradling me like a baby. “It’s okay, Luna. He can’t hurt you. He can’t hurt you.”
His eyes were mad and feral and as I leaned against him, I realized what sounded like choking sobs weren’t coming from him or Joe. Suddenly the world had color and things became clearer around me. Blood. It was everywhere. Red, slick, and wet, it soaked my clothes and as it cooled, my temperature dropped, giving me chills.
“Is he dead yet?” Gabriel mumbled to Joe, who shook his head and stopped when he realized I was looking.
All of a sudden, there were others coming in. They pushed Joe aside to get to the killer. He’s breathing. Pulse is weak. Let’s get him out of here. Okay on three. One. Two. I blacked out before the next number was spoken, and when I woke again, I was being loaded into an ambulance. Gabriel’s voice shouted above all the other noises around me.
“I want to ride – she’s my wife!” Moments later a warm hand rested on mine, and we were moving. I’m his wife, I told them. I’m his wife. But I wasn’t sure I’d actually spoken at all.
I woke up in the hospital hours later with an IV in my arm and an urge in my bladder. I sat up, and as I did, Gabriel jumped from the chair beside me and grabbed my arm. “Take it easy. They’ve got you plugged in.”
“I need the bathroom,” I said, my voice still rough from… I put my fingers to my neck and felt the welt that remained from the cord I’d had around it. “He tried to kill me, didn’t he?” I met Gabriel’s eyes and he looked away, his expression grim and angry.
“Yes, and I’m so, so sorry, Luna. I’m sorry I put you in that position.” He gripped my arm to steady me as he helped me to the bathroom and left me with my dignity. Once I was done, I called for his steady arm as he led me back to the bed.
“It’s not your fault. Besides, you saved me. You killed him, didn’t you?” His eyes ringed red, and I wished I hadn’t asked.
Surprisingly, he shook his head. “He’s down the hall in ICU barely hanging on. But I wanted to kill him. I hoped he’d die before they came for him. I begged Joe to let me finish it.” His eyes closed tight and tears of anger wet the corners.
I found it hard to believe that even if the man had hurt me that Gabriel would want to take another human’s life. He didn’t have the heart of a killer. “You did good, Gabriel. You saved my life; that’s all that matters.”
He tucked me under the covers and held my hand. “I’m never letting you out of my sight.”
I loved the sound of that. I hoped we’d never have to be apart again, too. “I just realized something.”
“What’s that?” He leaned down closer as my voice grew weaker from so much use.
“I got out of the house.” I flashed him a weary smile, but he didn’t laugh.
“Yeah, but not the way I’d have liked. It’s been a long time, but I promise I’ll take you anywhere you like. Name it.”
“Las Vegas?” I smiled so wide it hurt, and that time he did laugh.
“You must be feeling better. You’re making jokes.” He brushed his fingertips across my cheeks as I glanced around the hospital room.
“How long do I have to be here?” I worried it might be a while with the bouquet of flowers that decorated the table next to my bed.
“Until you’re ready to go home. You’re only here for observation.” I wondered if any of the other patients had a nice big room like mine. The thing looked more like a small apartment than a hospital room. Money couldn’t buy everything, but it could buy a lot.
“Did you call my father?” I hoped he had and wondered if he’d shown up to get me or if he’d been called.
“He’s downstairs. He said that someone from his congregation was admitted earlier today and while you were sleeping, he wanted to check in on them. Kim was here, too, but she had to go home. She said she’d call later and figure out where you are.” I hated that I’d made them all worry, but thankful that I had people who cared.
I wondered how my father had reacted. “Did you and Dad get into it?” I held my breath as my throat burned.
“I’m supposed to tell you that you need to be quiet, Luna. Your throat will be sore for a few days and your doctor wants you to take it easy and only talk when necessary.” He avoided my question.
“What happened?” I narrowed my eyes.
“Luna.”
“Gabriel?” I frowned and opened my mouth to speak and he put his finger over my lips.
“Fine, I’ll tell you, but it’s all better now so you have to promise me you won’t get upset or angry, and you won’t try to yell at either of us.” He tilted his head and waited for my promise.
I nodded and he smiled.
“When he showed up and saw you were injured, he took a swing at me. Joe had to pull him off and convince the cops not take him in. Once he saw you were okay and found out that I’d shot that asshole, your dad apologized and followed us to the hospital. I told him about us. That we decided to honor the marriage.”
My eyes widened. I held my throat and fought the urge to speak. I doubted he’d ever be okay with that. But Gabriel smiled and leaned in for a kiss.
He pulled back and met my eyes. “I already told you, it’s fine. He’s okay with it as long as we renew our vows, which I told him shouldn’t be a problem.”
I pulled him back to my lips for a long deep kiss that left him breathless and panting.
“I’m glad that doctor didn’t say anything about kissing. It’s the perfect way to keep you from talking.” He lowered himself to the chair and leaned his head against my arm.
“I’m so thankful you’re okay. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d gone up there and found you dead. I think that’s what he wanted. To sneak in and do it so it would be pinned on me, an open and shut case. Joe is trying to find out how he got in. He thinks he’d been in the house for hours.” He closed his eyes and I placed my hand on his head and stroked his hair. I wasn’t sure he’d had any sleep and so I tried to soothe him.
“Shh,” I whispered.
He turned his head and glanced up meeting my eyes. “I love you, Luna.” He took my hand and squeezed it, but hearing those words had been the best feeling in the world.
“I love you, too,” I spoke softly, with barely a breath. He stroked his cheek against my hand.
We sat that way for quiet moment until my father came back into the room. “Have you been awake a while?” He crossed the room and stopped at the foot of my bed.
I nodded and held my hand out for him so he came closer and took it, standing beside me. “Not too long.”
Dad looked at Gabriel. “Long enough to know she’s not suppo
sed to be talking?”
“That long,” said Gabriel. “But she’s being stubborn.”
He chuckled. “She gets that from her mother.”
Gabriel and I exchanged a glance and smiled. I had gotten many things from my mother, but no one could deny that the stubborn parts of me came from the pastor himself.
Suddenly, the alarm sounded over the speaker in the hall as Code Blue was announced in ICU. There was a rush of people past my door and Gabriel took my hand and glanced at my father.
The two exchanged a nod and I pretended not to notice. Gabriel took a deep breath and looked up to the ceiling and Dad patted my arm to comfort me. I wondered if they thought I didn’t know what happened, but moments later, an officer stuck his head in the door and called for Gabriel.
“I’ll be right back, baby. Close your eyes and get some rest.” He kissed my forehead and left me with my father.
Through a crack in the door, I saw Gabriel’s face; his jaw was clamped so tight it twitched and he pulled his lips into a straight line. He lowered his head as he nodded. A few moments later, the officer clapped him on the back as they shook hands, and Gabriel returned to the room and approached my bed. He and my father exchanged another glance and Dad retreated to the window.
“He’s dead now, isn’t he?” I searched his eyes and found my answer before it fell from his lips.
“Yeah. The police know everything that happened. It was all on our cameras.” He stroked my hair.
I remembered the warm splatter of blood as he fell against me and though I hadn’t seen the bedroom’s aftermath, I could imagine it was a mess. My gut twisted in knots as I relived turning from the bed to see him standing there in the bathroom doorway.
“I don’t want to go back there.” I didn’t want to see the red stains on Gabriel’s carpet or look into that bathroom doorway, ever fearing the killer would be standing there. Even though he was gone, the nightmare would live on.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Gabriel
I stood at the window of my Los Angeles penthouse and stared out at the palm trees in the distance. I’d missed the place more than usual, and though glad to be back, I hated the reason. I couldn’t bring Luna back to the vineyard to recover with the renovations already in progress.
As soon as the investigators gave me the all clear, I had a team of contractors go in and tear out the carpet and knock out the wall that separated my bathroom from the bedroom. A little rearranging would be good for our future stays there, but I didn’t want to make it our permanent residence.
I turned and glanced around my bachelor suite and decided this wouldn’t do, either. Luna needed a proper home, not a penthouse apartment.
Mason and Joe were right at home, lounging on my black leather couch and watching ESPN updates while Luna chatted with Kim in the bedroom, their laughter so loud at times I cringed knowing Luna’s throat must have been on fire.
It had only been three days since the incident, and I’d called us all together when I’d heard that Detective Hatcher was in town and wanted to stop by with his final report.
I had been more anxious than the others, pacing from the window on the far wall and back to the door for the past hour. I’d waited all these long weeks to get my name cleared, and it couldn’t come fast enough.
A knock at the door had me crossing the distance and Mason turned down the sports report as Joe, being the protector he was, stood and stepped to stand near the window.
I opened the door to find the graying cop with his cold stare. He’d dressed up for the occasion, or whichever one had brought him all this way.
“Good afternoon, Detective. I appreciate you stopping by.” I waved him in, and he took a seat in my favorite leather recliner.
“I wanted to come by and talk with you about my final report and what we’ve concluded from statements from his family and roommates, if you’re interested.”
I nodded, but wasn’t really interested in the whys. Nothing could justify the animal’s actions in my eyes, but I’d spare myself from later curiosities by being informed.
I took a seat next to Mason and hoped Luna stayed in the room. I didn’t want to upset her with any of it. Ever since I’d given her that first glass of champagne, her life had been turned upside down and I’d vowed to myself to keep things as stable as possible from there on out.
Hatcher pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and glanced down at it. “You said Kyle Johnson had a beef with you over your rejection for his invention?” I nodded, knowing I’d already told the police that, but hoped he’d get away from questioning me because I hadn’t invited him for an interrogation.
“He was more upset about his layoff, which I think was the actual catalyst. He spoke to a friend about you, another ex-employee, who told us he took the layoff as a slap in the face and made some remark that you’d stolen his idea. He said he was sick of the likes of you always getting ahead. So there you have your motive. My report will lay out how he tried to set you up with the murder of the first victim, Tammy Stapleton, who he assumed had some relationship to you.”
He shook his head. “Sad what a little white lie can do to a person.” I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat and other than sadness for the girl, I didn’t know what to make of it. If she hadn’t lied to her family and friends, she’d had never been involved.
Hatcher cleared his throat and flattened the paper out on his knee before he met my eyes. “In regards to Cindy Clarke and Stacey Boyd, when his first attempt here in Los Angeles failed to get your attention, he went after them.
“Stacey’s mother said she’d been offered a job and went down to Vegas to meet with the owners, who, it turned out, didn’t exist. I kept that from you in case something slipped, but in Cindy’s case, she hadn’t told a soul what she was doing there. I imagine it was the same situation: Johnson had already killed Stacey when Cindy showed up. Poor girl walked right into a trap. He’d timed it all perfectly and there was no trace of him at the Serendipity other than that clip you found.”
Mason placed his hand on my shoulder and we exchanged a look. The work I’d done had paid off.
“Did you ever find out how he got into your home?” Hatcher folded the paper and placed it back into his coat.
Joe came forward and stood behind me. “We’ve determined he came in on the truck that distributes from the winery. It was the only logical explanation, and turns out that the driver had noticed some of his stock had been disturbed sometime earlier.
“My guess is, after he came in on the truck, he made his way up to the house and slipped inside using the glitches as cover.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if I almost caught him sooner. If Luna hadn’t changed rooms, if I hadn’t stayed up all night… There were a million ways I could have prevented it.
Seeing him in that doorway behind her, I’d grabbed my gun and ran. My feet were like lead as I ran up the stairs and my heart pounded in my ears so loud that the gunshot was nothing but a faint pop. Luna had turned blue around the mouth; her eyes were bulged with fear and helplessness as he loomed over her with his face twisted. She clawed at him, lazily as if in slow motion.
I cringed. I hated having that memory and worse, when the first bullet made contact, he’d jerked backward and hovered as the blood spattered before he lurched forward, landing on her chest. I sprang forward to get him off of her, and that’s when Joe jerked the guy up and hammered on his face so hard I heard his jaw break.
I scrambled for Luna and took the cord, which had gone slack, from her neck and cringed again at the marks he’d put on her flesh.
My attention was brought around by Luna, who walked out with Kim behind her. The room fell into a hush as she crossed the room and sat beside me. Kim stood with Joe.
Detective Hatcher shifted in his seat toward the edge and regarded Luna with a smile. “How are you, Ms. Spencer?”
“I’m fine, thank you. And, it’s Mrs. Grant now. Remember?” Pride swelled in my chest. I liked m
y name on her.
The detective laughed. “That’s right. I do remember. As a matter of fact, I brought something for you.”
He reached into his other coat pocket and pulled out a small yellow envelope. Luna’s eyes lit up, and she leaned forward, taking my hand for support. The good detective didn’t have a habit of handing us good news, so she approached with caution. I leaned forward with her as the detective placed a small stack on the table in front of us but he kept his hand over them.
“There were quite a few people who came forward with evidence, and while most of it was useless, I had to document it all. As you know, the wedding chapel’s cameras were on the blink, so there wasn’t any footage recovered other than the two of you going in.
“There was a lovely couple who witnessed your marriage, though, and the woman had taken several photos of the experience.” He pushed the stack toward us, and Luna gasped and picked them up.
“Wedding photos!” She flipped through them, and Kim leaned down over her shoulder as Mason and Joe chuckled.
I looked up to find the detective smiling ear to ear. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to us after everything.”
“Trust me, I do. I’ve been waiting until the day I could officially give you the all clear so I could give them to you, and when I found out I had to come down for business, I figured it was the perfect time.” Seeing the smile on Luna’s face, I had to agree: the perfect time.
She glanced up from the photos. “So you knew he was innocent all along? Even when you asked us to stay in town?” Her brow rose and she gave him a scolding glance.
Hatcher met my eyes and shrugged. “Rich billionaire bastard like you, I figured someone was after your money. I could also tell that you two needed more time together, especially when these photos showed up.”
“You knew we were married?” I glanced at Mason, who shrugged. I thought I’d done a good job of hiding it, but I should have known with all the camera phones, someone would have taken pictures.