It was over. She was safe. And she never wanted Sean to let her go again.
EPILOGUE
Sean held Grace’s hand as they sat with Bonnie and Dan in the hospital’s Labor and Delivery waiting room in Little Creek, Virginia. Moriah was going on her ninth hour of labor, and still no sign of the next generation of Malones. She’d woken KC up at 4:00 a.m., and after a mad dash to the hospital, he’d texted everyone. Their little convoy of vehicles had arrived just after 9:00, and, four hours later, they were still waiting.
Sean’s thumb caressed the back of Grace’s hand as he watched the news. Three days after rescuing her from that bastard’s clutches, his heart still hadn’t begun beating normally yet, and he was constantly finding ways to touch her. He needed to reassure himself she was alive and unharmed. Her sleep had been interrupted multiple times by nightmares, and every night he held her close, doing his best to banish them from her mind.
Through Grace’s recount of what Wallace had said to her, the evidence they’d found in his lair, and the man’s background they’d been slowly piecing together, the making of a serial killer was coming to light. The Philadelphia Police Department and Special Agent Karen Winslow had investigated Wallace’s history in their area.
Wallace had been born and raised in a poor area of the city. His mother had been a junkie who’d been in and out of jail, while he’d been placed in temporary foster homes. It appeared the system had failed him because he was repeatedly returned to his mother’s care even though it was clear she neglected him. According to the PPD, Lisa Wallace had been murdered in 1993, when her son was fifteen. It had been an unsolved case all these years, with the assumption one of her johns or drug connections had done the dirty deed.
But now it seemed George had murdered his mother. She’d been strangled with a scarf, the same way he’d killed his other victims, and loose change—dimes, nickels, quarters, and pennies—had been scattered around her body. From Grace’s interview, they’d learned the significance of the coins. For some unknown reason the killer had focused on the pennies, and Dr. Suki Ralston believed it was because the penny was worth the least.
Suki also believed that the reason Wallace had waited so long between his kills in Pennsylvania and North Carolina was that he’d hoped his newfound windfall would make up for the life he’d grown up in. But the murders had already become an irrational way to get back at his mother, and it had just been a matter of time before the craving to find a new victim was too potent to ignore. His aunt’s lawyer had come forward after hearing what had happened on the news and explained that Susan Wallace had left instructions in her will for her nephew to be found. They would never know why she’d waited until after her death to have him contacted.
Sean glanced over at Bonnie and Dan. Like Grace and him, they were holding hands, and Sean grinned. It made him happy the two had finally realized there was more to their relationship than just friendship. He wouldn’t be surprised if they beat Grace and him to the altar.
Yeah, he was definitely going to be asking her to marry him someday, but first he wanted her to recover from this ordeal. Matt Griffin had given Sean the name of the psychologist his department used for any of the deputies who experienced a horrific call or were involved in a shooting. The female doctor was pleasant and Grace had felt comfortable speaking with her yesterday. She was scheduled for one-hour sessions, three times a week, for the next month.
In the meantime, Tim was doing his best to hold down the fort at Grace’s business while she dealt with the aftermath of being kidnapped by a serial killer. With her approval, he’d asked another therapist he’d known for a long time to fill in for the next week. If the woman worked out, Grace was going to hire her part-time.
Sean’s boss had told him to take the rest of his vacation time, if he wanted to, after the case was officially closed. He’d decided to take him up on the offer so he could spend as much time with Grace as possible, getting her through the nightmares and everything else.
Footsteps in the hallway had him looking up, and Brian came in with several bags from a nearby deli. He was just about to start handing out the sandwiches when KC stuck his head around the doorjamb. “Anyone want to meet little Megan Malone?”
“Yes!” Bonnie and Grace squealed at the same time.
Everyone stood as the new dad stepped into the room holding his daughter who was wrapped up in a pink blanket with a matching pink cap on her head. KC cradled her like an expert. “I can only keep her out here for a minute. She came out healthy and screaming at the top of her lungs.”
“She’s beautiful, KC,” Bonnie gushed.
“Adorable,” Grace agreed.
KC looked at Uncle Dan with a warm smile. “We’d like you to be her godfather.”
Tears filled the older man’s eyes and he swallowed hard. “I’d be honored, son.”
“Bonnie, that means you’re going to be her godmother,” the new father announced.
The woman squealed again which had little Megan twitching before letting out a yawn that seemed too big for such a little baby. “Oh, I’d love to, KC!”
Sean clapped his eldest brother on the back as he stared at the baby’s little button nose. “You did good, brother. You and Moriah did really good. Congratulations.”
* * *
Later that night, Dan and Bonnie held hands as they walked along the beach. It’d been a wonderful day, and once again all was right in their little part of the world. As they strolled, Jinx investigated every crab, clump of seaweed, and clamshell he could find.
Lifting his gaze to the sky, Dan stopped short. “Look. A shooting star.”
Beside him, Bonnie sighed. “It must be Annie saying hello. Do you want to tell her, or do you want me to?”
Dan chuckled. When KC and Moriah had fallen in love, he’d come to the beach one night to let his beloved Annie know she was doing a good job of watching over their nephews. “I told her last time. You can tell her this time.”
Bonnie looked to the heavens. “Another one of the boys is in love, Annie. Now we just have to find Brian’s happily-ever-after.”
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Samantha A. Cole is a retired policewoman and former paramedic who is thrilled to add author to her list of exciting careers. She has lived her entire life in the suburbs of New York City and is looking forward to becoming a snow-bird between New York and Florida someday. Her two fur-babies, Jinx and Bella, keep her company and remind their mom to take a break from writing every once in a while, to go for a walk, which is the best way to deal with a stubborn case of writer’s block.
An avid reader since childhood, Samantha was often found with a book in hand and sometimes one in each. After being gifted with a stack of romance novels from her grandmother, her love affair with the genre began in her teens. Many years later, she discovered her love for writing stories was just as strong. Taking her life experiences and training, she strives to find the perfect mix of suspense and romance for her readers to enjoy.
While the original planned stories for the Trident Security series have been completed, the seven novels and two novellas have brought many opportunities for Samantha to spread her wings and bring her readers more characters and stories to love. Look for her upcoming Trident Security Omega Team series, Doms of The Covenant short stories series, Blackhawk Security series, and more from the Malone Brothers series, in addition to several standalone projects.
OTHER
BOOKS BY SAMANTHA A. COLE
Trident Security Series
Leather & Lace: Trident Security Book 1 (Devon & Kristen)
His Angel: Trident Security Book 2 (Ian & Angie)
Waiting For Him: Trident Security Book 3 (Boomer & Kat)
Not Negotiable: A Trident Security Novella (Parker & Shelby)
Topping The Alpha: Trident Security Book 4 (Jake & Nick)
Watching From the Shadows: Trident Security Book 5 (Marco & Harper)
Whiskey Tribute: A Trident Security Serie
s Novella (Curt & Dana)
Tickle His Fancy: Trident Security Book 6 (Brody & Fancy)
No Way in Hell: A Steel Corp/Trident Security Crossover Novel – Books 1 & 2
Absolving His Sins: Trident Security Book 7 (Carter & Jordyn)
Option Number Three: A Trident Security Series Novella (Mitch, Tyler, & Tori)
Trident Security Omega Team Series
Mountain of Evil: Trident Security Omega Team Prequel
Coming Soon – A Dead Man’s Pulse: Trident Security Omega Team Book 1
Doms of The Covenant Short Stories Series
Double Down & Dirty (Grayson, Remington, & Abigail)
Malone Brothers Series
Take the Money and Run (KC & Moriah)
The Devil’s Spare Change (Sean & Grace)
Stand-alone Novels
The Friar
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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
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER BOOKS BY SAMANTHA A. COLE
CONNECT WITH ME
The Devil's Spare Change 2 Malone Brothers Page 20