Killing Secrets
Page 34
“What?”
“We’ve only known each other a couple of weeks. Jack said Karly kicked in your protective instincts, that you married her a few weeks after you met. So I—”
Patrick groaned, understanding her worry. “Jack has a big mouth.” And he’d chew his ass out when he saw him. “But, let me clarify something.
“Yes. I married Karly with some vague idea that I could rescue her. She was sweet and helpless and she appealed to my protective instincts,” he admitted. “I knew very quickly that I’d made a mistake.”
His hand cupped the bruise over her face. “I need to protect you, Rachel. But not because you’re weak.” His finger traced a line down her jaw. “You’re strong and independent and sexy. You’re the mother of my child.” He settled his hand on her stomach. “I love you for so many reasons, and I promise we’ll explore each one for the rest of our lives.”
“I want to protect you, too,” she said, lifting a hand to his heart. “I love you. You’re strong and make me feel like I’m strong, too. You’ve taught me what real love means and I can’t wait to learn how to grow old together.”
“Does that mean you will marry me?” His gaze searched hers. “I don’t want to misunderstand.”
She smiled. “Yes, I’ll marry you for all those reasons.”
“Good,” Patrick said, then tugged her close enough to feel his hardening length. “But, just in case there’s still any question of what I want, let me show you a few more reasons.”
“Oh! I think I see another one right now.” Rachel sighed. “Show me more.”
And he did.
~~~
One Week….
Three Days….
Ten Hours….
…after death.
“He’ll be back,” Skip whispered the moment the doctor’s white coat disappeared from view down the corridor in the psychiatric wing. Through the glass windows of his locked hospital room, he watched the guard scratch at his neck. “That doctor’s one of the persistent ones.”
A menacing growl reverberated from the depths of his pounding skull where the monster threw himself impotently against his cage.
“I won’t tell him Robby’s dead…if you don’t.” He chuckled and looked around, at the restraints that strapped him down despite the fact he was recovering from his bullet wound. “Besides, he wouldn’t believe us. He thinks some of us are insane.”
He searched the darkness in his mind. Saw the shadow where Robby lay. Poked at it to see if anything stirred. “Nope. Doc’s not going to find him.”
The monster watched him through the bars inside his mind.
“Robby would be so disappointed to know he’s missing the anniversary of Karly’s death. He had such plans, was so sure he’d found his Karly this time. Stupid Robby was going to ride off into the sunset with his little tart of a sister.”
He plucked at the sheet beneath his fingertips, and considered the isolated corridor outside his viewing window. “I have to say, I’m a little disappointed myself,” he said. “I was really looking forward to seeing what he’d do when he realized you didn’t kill her. That you didn’t kill any of them.”
Skip, the Angel Killer, smiled while the monster roared.
Epilogue
The moment Evelyn Thorne handed over the ten-day-old baby, Rachel felt her heart swell. Evelyn helped her son, Jack, with his boutonniere in the next room, and left Rachel gently rocking the little girl to sleep in the church nursery. They were all waiting for Jack’s wedding to begin. Rachel didn’t mind. She could sit with this little one for hours while she remembered how it felt to hold Amanda in her arms, how much she longed to hold Patrick’s baby in the spring. This raven-haired child was a stranger’s, headed for foster care until she could be adopted, and all Rachel wanted to do was gather up the poor thing and take her home.
Evelyn had broached the idea with her and Patrick the previous evening at Jack’s rehearsal dinner, suggesting they take up where his parents left off and foster children after they were married. Apparently, Rachel was the last to know that Patrick had the diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket. Patrick took a knee in front of his entire family, and officially sealed their engagement. Once he put it on her finger, the time for talking was finished. They’d spent the night making love, making it official…again.
Rachel smiled happily at the ring on her left hand, then up at Patrick leaning on one of the low counters that ran the length of the wall of windows. The man was so sexy, as hot in a dark suit and matching tie as he looked in his jeans and work shirt. Although she did prefer him naked.
He watched her rock the baby, a crooked smile on his face. “You’re considering it, aren’t you?”
She searched his expression, not surprised he’d read her mind. He seemed to do that regularly. “What do you think?”
“It won’t be easy with her health issues.”
Patrick’s comment didn’t sound like he was opposed to the idea, just concerned about what they might be taking on. The baby was a preemie taken to a local hospital by the teenaged mother who couldn’t take care of her. Baby “Jillian,” as she was named by her mother before she signed her over to the state, was born with a heart condition that would demand surgery, maybe more than one, before she was six. No, raising this baby wouldn’t be easy. “You’re already taking on a wife and two kids,” she added. “Jillian should have a permanent home.”
“We’ll still have four empty bedrooms once I move my exercise equipment into the basement. That’s without touching the playroom.”
“Last night we were talking about making babies.” Rachel grinned when desire flared in his eyes at the reminder of how many times he’d made love to her. “You didn’t mention a number.”
He straightened and approached her. Her heart beat faster and desire settled low in her stomach. He hunkered down next to her chair and leaned over until his lips were a heartbeat away. “I love you so much I can’t imagine a limit,” he whispered, “for the making of babies.”
“Oh, Patrick,” she said. “I love you so much.” Her feelings seemed to intensify every day, and every day she had to pinch herself to prove that it was all real.
Their lips joined and she was lost in sensation. She’d almost forgotten what they were talking about by the time he lifted his head. “Let’s take the babies as they come, however they come. How does Jillian Thorne sound to you?”
“Like your mother may have to give up planning another of her son’s weddings. Jillian isn’t going to wait for her mama and daddy until September.” They’d planned the wedding in the fall so her father could walk her down the aisle. He’d need the time to recover after his hip surgery.
Patrick tenderly dragged his knuckles over the infant’s cheek before wrapping his hand behind Rachel’s neck to draw her near again. “Mama and daddy can’t wait that long either,” he nuzzled her neck. “I told Mom this morning she has two weeks to pull off the wedding she wants or we’re running off to Vegas. And your dad’s prepared to wheel you down the aisle on his walker if necessary. Although, as well as he’s doing in therapy, I’m betting that thing will be gathering dust in the garage before long.” He caught her ear in his mouth and suckled it.
When she moaned, Patrick leaned back and looked at her with satisfaction shining in his dark eyes. “Given the impetus of another baby in the family, I can see our family working miracles.”
“Hear that, Jillian? Daddy says you can have a whole family to protect and love you,” Rachel murmured to the baby.
She picked up Patrick’s hand from where it rested on the bundled baby in her arms, and gave his calloused palm a lingering kiss.
Her reward was a deep groan. “Daddy wants to love mama right now,” he growled. “If we didn’t want Father Sebastian to perform our wedding—” he straightened abruptly and dragged his fingers through his hair. “It will be a miracle if I get through this wedding and reception without dragging you into a dark closet.”
Rachel sighed when he
went back to his previous position, leaning on the counter with his arms crossed. Jillian stirred in her arms and she resumed her rocking, watching the man she loved watch them.
Her life had been filled with miracles lately. A lot had changed in the last three weeks. They’d escaped death. Robby’s last victim was returned to her family. It was determined that Patrick’s psychologically damaged brother-in-law wasn’t going to trial, but he was getting the help he so desperately needed. Patrick’s guilt over his part in his wife’s death was easing now that he knew she hadn’t killed herself and their unborn child.
Greg not only faced charges for kidnapping Amanda and trying to kill Rachel, but for the murder of her friend, Simon. He’d come out of his coma long enough to tell his wife where to find his safe deposit box. The box not only held proof that Amanda was hers, but evidence he’d gathered on several of Greg’s cons. Bilking people of their life savings was now an afterthought. Since the FBI had recovered most of the stolen money, Katy wouldn’t have to sell off her homestead.
Not that Rachel would have allowed that with the settlement of her Great-Aunt Amanda’s estate. Her uncles had withdrawn their objections to the will once they discovered Rachel’s desire to fulfill their aunt’s commitment to help them build a new children’s wing at a Dallas hospital. Rachel’s needs were simple and she’d still have plenty left over to invest in her children’s futures.
With the help of the specialist Sam found for Amanda, she was working through her PTSD. Rachel cried the day Amanda came home from the hospital and, tucking her into her new bed at Patrick’s, Amanda had hugged her and whispered in her ear, “I love you, mama.”
Rachel hadn’t thought she’d ever hear her little girl speak those words again. Once she started talking, it was like she’d been storing up thoughts the last six months and she couldn’t get them out fast enough. Rachel knew there were still tough times in front of them, but for now, she was cherishing each precious word her daughter uttered.
Amanda chose that moment to come into the room. Her frilly, blue party dress was miraculously un-mussed and Rachel was glad of the help of Patrick’s foster brother, Ben Zancanelli, who’d flown in from San Francisco yesterday. The poor man had been immediately commandeered by Amanda after he presented her with a Chinese, geisha doll he’d picked up for her in Chinatown. It was clutched in one hand, while her other hand was engulfed in her new hero’s much larger one. “Mama, Unca Ben wants cookies.”
He nodded. “Yeah, Unca Ben wants one of those pretty, pink sprinkle cookies.” He looked down at the little girl tugging on his suit jacket. “Can Amanda have one, too? I gather it’s not polite to eat cookies without sharing.”
Rachel would have loved to hear the conversation she suspected went on over the reception table because she knew exactly which cookies Amanda had her eye on. “It’s true we shouldn’t eat in front of others without sharing, but shouldn’t you wait for dessert? Eat some sandwiches and salad first?”
Amanda looked at her mother seriously. “S’posed to eat cookies first.”
She raised an eyebrow at Patrick’s brother, who was every bit as sexy and masculine as the rest of the Thorne brothers. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out why they were called Thorne’s Thorns growing up. Each one could be as naughty as the next. Put them all in the same room and a girl could get overwhelmed.
Ben grinned, non-repentant. “Life’s too short not to eat dessert first.”
Patrick, silent until now, laughed. “Bet you can guess who got the first piece of pie or cake whenever Mom baked.”
Ben shrugged. “With six of us in the house, pre-emptive strikes were necessary.”
“Okay, Amanda,” Rachel said, laughing. “You and Uncle Ben can have one cookie each. But then,” she waggled a finger at Ben, “you eat a sandwich and salad before you can have another one.”
“Yes, Mama,” said both the naughty man and little girl.
Before they could leave the room, Evelyn came back into the room. Rachel saw that she did not look as jubilant as when she’d left twenty minutes ago. “Ben, I’ll take Amanda to get her cookie. You and Patrick go help Jack.”
Both brothers must have picked up on the intensity Rachel heard in Evelyn’s voice. “Something wrong?” Patrick asked, straightening from his slouch on the counter.
Evelyn glanced at Amanda, looking up at all of them with that wary look that Rachel hoped to never see again. Evelyn smiled tightly. “Maggie sent a note. She’s been…delayed.”
Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good. You can’t have a wedding without a bride.
Ben frowned. “For how long?”
Evelyn reached out with one hand and handed him a wadded piece of paper. “It’s all in the note,” she said before smiling brightly to Amanda. “Now, let’s go get some of those cookies, Miss ’Manda. Grandma thinks we should all have dessert first today.”
Rachel watched Ben read the note, his face flush with strong emotion before he handed it to Patrick.
“What does it say?” she asked.
“The wedding’s off.” Patrick looked at her, pain for his brother in his eyes. “She’s run off with the baby’s real father.”
“Go. Rescue Jack,” she said. “Your family needs you now.”
He walked to her and pressed his lips over hers. “You’re my family, too, Rachel soon-to-be-Mrs. Thorne,” he said roughly. “I love you too much to be apart for long. I’ll be back.” He kissed her again. With a groan, he lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “I can’t wait to spend the next fifty or sixty years finding out all of your secrets.”
“The only secret you need to know is that I love you.” She smiled and ran her palm over his face. “Now, get out of here and help your brother. I’ll be waiting.”
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Contemporary Romance by Karen Docter
Satin Pleasures
Catch That Santa (novella)
Copyright
Killing Secrets
Copyright © 2014 Killing Secrets by Karen Docter
Cover Design by RomCon®
Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.
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ISBN: 978-0-9882586-2-4
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
…more
Copyright
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