Harlequin Romantic Suspense March 2016 Box Set

by Carla Cassidy

  After the guests were seated, the string orchestra began to play. The gazebo and yard were very large, but even so, Kayla was astounded that all 250 guests were crammed into a venue of that size. The folding chairs were set close together, and as Cynthia had insisted, everyone fit.

  Charles Blackwell looked handsome standing at the altar, albeit far too old for Cynthia. Kayla checked him out, from his grey hair to the formfitting tuxedo on his slim, athletic form. He’d be a catch for the right woman. Not for a conniving witch like Cynthia, though.

  Not your concern.

  The music swelled as Judge Blackwell’s mother was escorted by a man Kayla assumed was his brother, judging from the strong family resemblance. The woman was clearly an octogenarian, but appeared fit and much younger in a chic off-white dress, not the woman who’d been described as in a nursing home and too ill to attend. She hadn’t been at the rehearsal dinner and Kayla wondered if they hadn’t invited her. Yet another case of Charbonneau manipulation and deceit.

  Gloria followed, escorted by a groomsman, a fill-in with Mickey missing.

  Not missing. Dead.

  Kayla allowed the shudder to pass through her. They had a mission to accomplish and she couldn’t afford to allow her emotions to control her.

  But you can’t control love.

  No, she couldn’t and she’d take that up with Rio after they closed this case. Maybe even right after the wedding, if they caught the second suspect before the day was out.

  CHAPTER 20

  As Gloria approached the gazebo, she tripped on something unseen in the garden, and a groomsman steadied her. Her face was pale and she looked almost...nauseated. Kayla imagined the emotions of the day were getting to her, and wondered if the mayor had told her about Mickey. It would certainly explain the pained expression on her face.

  Gloria was seated in the chair second from the end of the first row of white folding chairs. She was no more than ten feet from Kayla, who remained off to the side in front. As Kayla started to make her way farther back so that she and Jenny could leave the gazebo unnoticed by the guests, Gloria’s hands reached upward as she coughed uncontrollably. What was happening? Kayla broke into a run and reached her side just as Gloria collapsed on the wooden gazebo floor.

  Her breath was wheezy and her face suddenly puffy. Kayla looked at the groomsman who had escorted Gloria. “Call 911 now.” She leaned close to the wheezing woman. “Is this an allergic reaction, Gloria? Do you have an EpiPen?”

  Gloria nodded but couldn’t speak between painful gasps for breath. Kayla stood up.

  “Does anyone have an EpiPen? Is there a doctor here? I think she’s going into anaphylactic shock.” Gasps and murmurs rolled through the seated guests as two shot up and ran toward them.

  “I’m a nurse.”

  “I’m a PA.”

  Kayla stepped back and allowed the medical professionals complete access to Gloria. A woman ran forward, holding out an epinephrine injectable. “This is my son’s, he’s allergic to bees.”

  “Here!” The nurse held up her hand and gave the pen to the PA, who quickly opened it and stabbed it into Gloria’s thigh.

  Kayla watched from a few feet away and was aware of Rio and other uniformed officers surrounding the area. The orchestra was off under a separate tent and finally stopped playing, which Kayla took to mean they’d gotten word to halt the proceedings.

  “They need to wait.” The mayor barked his request but no one paid attention.

  “No, don’t stop for me. I’m fine.” Gloria was struggling to sit up, her breathing more normal and the effects of whatever had triggered her attack fading. “It must have been the risotto.”

  “Are you allergic to anything besides scallops?” Kayla remembered Gloria specifying to Veronique at their planning session that she couldn’t have scallops.

  “No, nothing. I’ve never reacted to anything besides scallops. I tasted the seafood risotto ten minutes ago and I started having symptoms immediately. I thought the tightness and flushing was just nerves.”

  Kayla knew her mic was picking all of this up and hoped that Rio, with his headpiece that everyone assumed was for security, was sending someone into the kitchen and dining room to look for suspects.

  “Put me in my chair until the paramedics get here. As long as I’m getting better, there’s no need to change any of this. Keep on with the wedding.”

  “Maybe this wedding isn’t supposed to happen.” Charles Blackwell, the handsomest groom Silver Valley had seen in a long while, spoke aloud. “It’s all been so rushed. Maybe we’ve been rash to hurry so much.”

  “Now, now, let’s calm down. That’s just wedding jitters talking.” Sylvia, the minister for the interdenominational service—via a license she’d obtained on the internet—switched back into assistant mode. “Gloria, you look better. Sit there, and let’s keep it going.”

  The mayor looked less than eager to continue, but Gloria was adamant that they should. Reluctantly, he pointed and nodded at the orchestra.

  The violinist stood and started the processional. The baroque melody was haunting in the misty yard. Sunlight was just started to peak through the clouds and Kayla wondered if they’d catch a rainbow.

  On cue the flower girl came out of the house, tossing the fresh peach rose petals that Cynthia had insisted upon. Not pink, not blush, but peach. She knew what she wanted, that was for sure. Each of the bridesmaids came out on the arm of a groomsman and took their place at the front. The doors were closed after the last bridesmaid made it down the aisle, and the standing crowd waited, looking at the house’s back porch.

  With a dramatic flourish, the doors were opened by two of the caterers and Cynthia stood at the threshold, the house acting as a backlight for her puffy gown and ridiculous floral tiara. She smiled and started down the porch steps. When she was halfway to the gazebo, the EMTs arrived, rushing toward the guests. Cynthia paused, only a few feet from Kayla.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Gloria is in anaphylactic shock.” She purposely didn’t mention that Gloria was going to be okay.

  Cynthia’s eyes widened and a strange yelping sound came out of her mouth. “But we’re not having the risotto until after the vows are said.”

  Kayla allowed a second for Cynthia to realize what she’d said and then moved toward her. As she did, Cynthia took off running toward the front of the house. Kayla was on her heels and easily took down Cynthia, who wore five-inch Jimmy Choo’s and had a hell of a lot of fabric to grapple with.

  Silk tore as Kayla fought with it as much as with Cynthia. She heard shouts from the other law enforcement, but couldn’t wait for their backup before she neutralized Cynthia.

  A quick, piercing stab to her side made her wince, but she held on to Cynthia, who was stronger than she looked. She flipped Kayla on her back. “You need to mind your own business. You’ve been a thorn in my side since Gloria sent you out to the Weddings and More Barn that night.”

  “It was you.” Kayla felt woozy and her side throbbed, but she wanted Cynthia to confess on the feed.

  “It’s always been me. And it’s going to be me. I’ve got it all planned. Are you dizzy, Kayla? You look really pale.”

  Black spots started to speck her vision and Kayla was almost grateful for them. Being straddled by a suspect she was supposed to be neutralizing was humiliating. Except for Rio, she had nothing to keep her conscious—

  Rio!

  “Get. Off. Me.” She mustered every last bit of strength she had and reached up for Cynthia’s hair, which she grabbed and pulled with all her might. She felt crushed flowers in her palm as she’d managed to get a good portion of the headpiece in with the fistful of hair.

  Cynthia’s scream was the last thing she heard.

  * * *

  “Gunshot victim. Send EMTs to rig
ht side of house, beyond the fountain.” Rio spoke as he ran, Colt right behind him. The sight of Kayla lying on the ground with Cynthia Charbonneau on top of her, blood seeping into the white fabric where it touched Kayla’s side, was horrifying.

  He’d seen blood before. It didn’t prepare him to see the woman he loved in mortal danger.

  “Get off her!” He reached for Cynthia but Colt grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Angry, he tried to shove Colt off until he saw Colt’s weapon pointed toward Cynthia, his expression grim.

  “Drop the knife.” Colt issued the warning as he let go of Rio and took a firmer stance. Rio knew Colt was a split second from firing. He aimed his weapon on Cynthia, too, who held an open switchblade in her hand, Kayla’s blood dripping from it.

  “You heard him, drop it.”

  “Cynthia, stop! What on earth are you doing?” The mayor and groom had caught up to them and Tony was trying to get his daughter to look at him. “Drop it, honey. Listen to them.”

  Rio didn’t give a crap about anything but getting to Kayla. He had to get Cynthia off her before she bled out. But if they messed this up, Cynthia could deliver a fatal blow to Kayla if she hadn’t already.

  The mayor walked closer to his daughter.

  “Stop right there, Tony. We’ll take you both out if we have to.” Colt’s voice was steady and there was deadly force in his tone.

  The mayor froze.

  “Cynthia, please, drop the knife.”

  She looked up from Kayla’s pale face, growing paler by the moment. “I did it for us, Daddy. You and me. We’re a team. We’re going all the way.”

  “You did what for us, Cynthia?”

  “It was only supposed to be Meredith, when we found out she knew too much. You think Mickey was going to take care of her? No, he wasn’t. He was afraid of going too far, of hurting her too much if he lost his temper. And then you know what, Daddy? He was having an affair with Gloria. She was screwing your best friend. I wanted to tell you sooner and he said if I did he’d tell you I killed Meredith. So I killed him, Daddy, and Gloria would be out of the picture, too, if she hadn’t had to shove that risotto in her mouth before she was supposed to.” Cynthia’s face was flushed and bore the markings of someone who had lost all touch with reality. Rio had seen it before.

  “Put the weapon down, Cynthia.” He gave his last warning, knowing that he’d take her out with no regret if she moved the knife anywhere near Kayla.

  Cynthia looked at her father, then briefly at Charles. “We were supposed to have the perfect marriage.” She smiled, a sick, twisted smile. Looking at Rio and Colt, she lifted the knife in front of her. “If you think I’m going to let myself go to prison for the rest of my life, guess again.” A gunshot rang out as Detective Bryce Campbell, serving backup for today’s op, shot the knife out of her hands just as she turned it toward herself. Cynthia started screaming and within two seconds SVPD officers had her cuffed and facedown on the lawn. EMTs rushed in to aid Kayla, but Rio reached her first.

  “Sir, we need complete access.”

  “Kayla, can you hear me?” She didn’t stir and he reached for her wrist, but was pulled off by Colt before he got in the way of the EMTs. “Rio. You have to let them work.”

  He stood, never taking his eyes from Kayla. She had to make it. The ground near her was soaked with a puddle of blood, but he couldn’t—wouldn’t—accept that it was enough to kill her.

  He hadn’t told her he loved her yet. Hadn’t convinced her to lower those strong defenses of hers, convinced her that he’d be there for her no matter what.

  The medics worked on her and loaded her onto a stretcher.

  “They’ve got a life-flight helicopter landing now,” said Colt, his hand on his earpiece. “It’s in the baseball field at the end of the block.” As the medics rushed Kayla toward the helicopter, a cold shroud covered Rio’s heart. His love for Kayla hadn’t been enough to keep her safe today.

  * * *

  Kayla hadn’t ever had surgery before. She’d never experienced the disorientation of narcotics. Her mouth was dry and she felt very, very shaky. The attending trauma surgeon had told her she was lucky in that while Cynthia had hit an artery, she’d only nicked it. No major organs were injured, just some deep-tissue trauma to the surrounding muscles. The doctor had assured her that she’d get stronger each day.

  “You need to rest. You’ll come home with us and I’ll make you chicken soup.” Her mother and father smiled at her on either side of her bed, having come back from their sales jaunt in Europe at about the same time she’d been shot.

  “That’s okay, Mom. We can order out.” Keith chuckled from the side chair where he’d stayed, playing with his tablet to give their parents room to fawn over her.

  “My chicken soup is fine. What’s the problem?” Mom never understood that their only memory of her cooking in their childhood was chicken soup. They’d had a constant string of nannies and housekeepers overseas while serving with the Foreign Service, so she’d never branched out much in her cooking.

  “No problem, Mom. I’ll eat whatever you give me. Has anyone else been by, while I’ve been in here?” She knew she’d been admitted yesterday; the wedding that never happened was Saturday, so she knew it was Sunday now.

  No Rio.

  “No, honey. Your police friend—” she looked at Keith “—what was his name?”

  “Rio Ortega.” Keith’s grin was annoying. No amount of painkillers could make her brother’s teasing anything less.

  “Yes, Rio. He stayed at your side for the entire time you were out. Waited through your surgery, then in here. Once you started to stir, he left. That’s what the nurses told us. They’d asked us to go home last night, to get rest, and he said he’d stay here with you.”

  A memory popped in her mind. Rio’s scent, a kiss on her forehead, a soft statement.

  I’m sorry, he’d said.

  What was he sorry for?

  “Oh, wait, there was someone else. A nice woman with silver hair named Claudia came by earlier today. She left those flowers over there for you.” Keith held up a huge bouquet of pink peonies for her to see. “They’re from Kayla’s Blooms, by the way.”

  “They’re beautiful. Jenny outdid herself.” She longed to be back in her shop, her nose in flowers. Anything besides lying here, waiting to heal.

  Waiting for Rio.

  CHAPTER 21

  “Rio, where do you want me to put these files?” Nika stood in front of his desk.

  “Here, I’ll take them.”

  “You should have more time for them now, right? Are you wrapping up the Charbonneau case soon?”

  “Yes, I’m writing my closing notes on it now, and then all I’ll have left is to testify in court.” At which he expected Cynthia Charbonneau to be put away for life, be it in prison or a mental lockdown facility after murdering two people, Meredith and Mickey, and attempting to kill Kayla and Gloria.

  “You did a great job getting Cynthia’s full confession.”

  “She’s like every other sociopath. They always want you to know how smart they are.”

  “How’s Kayla?” Nika stared at him.

  “She’s better. At home.” At her place, since it was safe for her to go home now. He’d missed her presence in his house.

  “Have you seen her lately?”

  He tried to muster a glare at Nika to remind her that it was none of her business. He failed.

  “No. I’ve been busy wrapping this up.”

  Nika stared at him a moment longer.

  “Don’t wait too long, Detective.”

  “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. How’s your training going, Nika?”

  “I knew you had something interesting going off in your off-hours. I had no idea how much it involved, however.” Nika was the new
est recruit to the Trail Hikers.

  “You’ll be glad for the training when you have to go into Silver Valley High School undercover.”

  “Yes, I will. And it will be my pleasure to bring down those loser drug dealers as soon as I find them, believe me.”

  He suspected the drug dealers Nika was going in to root out would end up being connected to the True Believers. All of Silver Valley’s recent problems seemed to lead back to them. But he wasn’t working that case.

  “Thanks again for your support, Rio. I know I wouldn’t be in TH without your recommendation.”

  “You’ve earned it, Nika.” The use of first names indicated they were both on the same team and same level when it came to the secret agency.

  “See you.” She walked off and he stood up from his desk. His restlessness was getting the best of him.

  More like Kayla had gotten the best of him. All of him.

  He’d been unable to get Kayla off his mind since he’d made sure she’d survived Cynthia’s attack.

  Cynthia had tried to kill Kayla before the wedding, too. He’d gotten the confession from her during questioning. She’d been the one who’d fired at Kayla in the parking lot a week before the wedding. She’d seen Kayla’s van at the end of the drive by the Weddings and More Barn and had suspected that Kayla had witnessed Meredith Houseman’s final minutes.

  And then she’d admitted to killing Mickey, claiming it was because she was angry at him for having an affair with Gloria. She’d gone on to brag about putting the scallops in the risotto after Veronique had finished cooking it. Solely for Gloria’s benefit.

  Obtaining the confession had been satisfying, but Rio couldn’t forget how helpless he’d felt as he watched Kayla lying on the grass, bleeding and unconscious. He hadn’t gotten to her fast enough, and she’d gotten hurt.

  After all his attempts to show her that unlike the places she’d lived growing up, the friends she’d made, that he wasn’t going anywhere, that she could count on him, he’d failed her. He’d left her, too.

  His cell phone vibrated.