by S. J. Bishop
I paused, the gun pointed right at him. At this distance, there was no way I could miss. His eyes looked frightened, though, not angry.
"What do you mean you're ‘just the messenger?' "
"I mean what I said, man. My name's Toby. Some guy paid me to come down here and grab this bag. I don't know anything."
I hesitated, trying to decipher whether his voice was the one I'd heard on the phone. It was higher than I remembered, though he could have disguised it on the phone. I put the gun down.
"Who paid you? What's his name? Where is he?"
"I-I don't know his name. He never told me. He's waiting for me at a house a few miles away. I'll take you to him if you want. We can go right now."
Toby turned back toward his car. He took two steps.
"Wait," I yelled. I was still uncertain. He stopped moving and put his hands down.
"Wait for what?" he asked.
But I wasn't sure. Maybe Raina had been right. Maybe I should've waited for the cops. Just then, a police cruiser came racing down the street, lights blaring. Raina came to a screeching stop and jumped out, running toward me with her gun drawn.
"Caden! Get down!"
"Raina, this guy knows where Woodman is."
"Caden!" she screamed. "That man is Woodman!" I heard terror in her voice as the man turned back toward me. He was holding a gun. It must have been hidden under his shirt the whole time. He smiled at me before he fired.
Raina's gun went off first, catching him in the shoulder. It threw off his aim. The bullet ended up grazing my ear instead of hitting me in the chest. I fell to my feet as he fired a second time. This time, I got off my own shot. I missed and hit the dirt at his feet instead.
"Caden, run!" Raina yelled, but I wasn't going anywhere.
I jumped up, firing a second time. I got him in the leg, just below the kneecap. He fell but righted himself almost immediately, like he was invincible to pain. I went to pull the trigger a third time, but the gun jammed.
"Shit!"
I heard Woodman's gun go off again and instinctively darted for an old bench that I thought might cover me. I looked up to see whether Woodman was coming for me. But it wasn't me he'd been firing at. He'd missed Raina the first time, but now, he was steadying his aim.
It happened in less than a second. The gun sounded, there was a flash of light, and Raina fell to the ground.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!"
I forgot all about the jammed gun in my hand and ran as fast as I could. Woodman was still facing her, gun in his hand. I saw his finger on the trigger, ready to pull again and finish the job. I hit his back, and it went flying. He fell to the ground with a grunt, and I started punching him. First his nose, then his jaw, then his eyes. I didn't stop until I felt a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back.
Detective Forster had me locked in his grip. I turned to look for Raina. "Where is she?!" I cried. "Where is she?!"
Then I saw her lifeless body lying on the ground. Blood oozed from her chest. The paramedics were lifting her onto a stretcher. My life was over.
49
Raina
I could hear Caden calling me. His voice sounded far away, though. It kept fading in and out. I tried to talk to him, to tell him that I was right here, but I couldn't make my mouth move.
"Ssh," he said. "Don't talk. I'm here." I heard sirens blaring in the distance. They were so far away, but they were still making my ears hurt. I felt Caden's hand on my face, stroking my cheek. My hair. I felt safe again. I closed my eyes and fell back to sleep.
When I awoke, I couldn't figure out where I was. I had to blink several times for my eyes to adjust.
"Hey!" a voice shouted. "She's awake!"
"Eli?" my voice croaked. It didn't sound like my own. My head hurt like a bitch, and I didn't think there was any amount of painkillers that could make it stop.
"I'm here," Eli said, grabbing my hand and holding tightly to it. Things began to focus.
"Me too," came a second, deeper voice.
I looked toward it. "Dad!" I was so surprised to see him that it didn't occur to me to ask what he was doing here. I reached for him, happy that he and Eli and I were all in the same room and no one was killing each other.
Someone stopped me as I reached for my father. "You're not supposed to move," said a man's voice—a voice I knew better than my own. Caden was sitting beside me. His hand was clenching my bed sheet. His face was red and puffy. It looked like he'd been crying for days.
I didn't stop to think about it. I kissed him. Right in front of Eli and my father. Caden's lips were warm and soft and everything that I felt like I'd been missing. I didn't want to let him go, but Caden gently pushed me away.
"You need to rest," he said.
"Rest? I feel fine."
In order to prove my point, I kicked one leg over the side of the bed and tried to stand up. My legs didn't want to work right, though. They moved, but they felt weak. Caden, my father, and Eli all converged on me at once. They simultaneously pushed me back against the mattress, lifted my leg, and bundled me up in the blanket so that I was in some kind of cocoon.
It suddenly occurred to me that maybe they were right. Maybe I wasn't fine.
"Where am I?" I asked, looking around at the beeping machines that were checking my pulse and the IV dripping down into my arm. "Am I okay?" Tears began to prick at the backs of my eyes.
Eli looked at my father, who looked at Caden, who nodded.
"You're okay," Caden said. "You... you were shot." His voice grew heavy at the word.
"I was?" Images of that night came back to me. Nothing concrete. I remembered running toward Woodman. I'd spotted him the instant I'd pulled up in my car. He looked the same as he had fifteen years ago, except older. I didn't remember the feel of the bullet as it hit me, but I did remember falling to the ground.
"How long have I been here?"
"Almost a week," my father said.
"A week!" I cried. I couldn't believe I'd been out for so long. "Oh my God!" My hand instinctively went to my stomach. I looked at Caden as tears overflowed my eyes.
"It's okay," he told me reassuringly. "The baby's okay."
I was so relieved it didn't occur to me to care what my brother or father might think. When it finally did occur to me, they were grinning.
"Don't worry," Caden told me. "They know everything. Everyone knows everything."
"What do you mean?"
"When Mac arrived after that asshole shot you, he kept saying it was all a mistake. He kept looking at me as if he thought that I would back him up on it."
"Since when did you start calling him Mac?" I grinned.
"Since he stopped me from killing that guy and getting myself into deeper trouble. Look, there was no way in hell I was going to take a chance of that asshole getting set free. I told Mac and your Captain everything. I showed them the photographs. I gave them the blackmail letters. All of it."
My mouth dropped open. "Does the press know?"
"Oh, the press knows," Eli laughed. "I was gonna kick Caden's ass the first night I got here. I warned him once not to play around with you, but did he listen? No."
Eli was grinning as he told his story, so I knew that no matter what he said, he wasn't really mad.
"He was already so broken up worrying about you and the baby... then the shit with the press on top of it... I didn't have the heart. I let the scumbag live."
Caden wiped the tears from my cheek. "When I thought I'd lost you and the baby... I lost my mind a little. I never want to go anywhere that dark again."
"Really?" I asked, trying to get the words out through my tears. "You were worried about the baby?"
He kissed my head. "Of course I was," he said. "I love you both, more than I ever thought possible." I pressed my mouth to his, feeding off him like he was air.
A woman's voice squealed from the back of the room. "Why don't you talk to me like that?" I looked over to see Lyla, my dad's wife, sitting in the corner. Her stomach was bulg
ing. She looked ready to burst.
"Lyla?" I cried. Harper sat beside her. She helped Lyla up. It was hard to believe she was only a year younger than me. She playfully smacked my father's arm.
"Next time you tell me you love me, say it like you mean it," Lyla pouted.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," my father said, kissing her hand.
Lyla grinned at him. "That's not too bad."
I couldn't believe that Lyla was here. And pregnant.
Eli wrapped one arm around Harper's waist and blew her a little kiss. She caught it with one hand and smiled back at him. For the first time since my mother died, everyone I loved was in the same room, and things seemed like they were going to be okay.
50
Caden
"I'm not huge," Raina said. "I'm medium-sized."
"Are you teasing your wife again?" Gavin asked. "It's dangerous to joke with a pregnant woman. You never learn, do you?"
Gavin shook his head as I rubbed my hand on Raina's belly. We were sitting together in the courthouse with Eli and her father, who cradled his newborn daughter in his arms. She wailed and he gently touched her nose, playing a game that only they shared. Lyla sat beside him, her hand wrapped around his elbow. Harper was beside Eli. Their wedding was next week.
Due to the amount of press coverage which my name had afforded things, the case against Woodman had progressed swiftly. His apartment was searched, and overwhelming evidence against him had been discovered. Not just in the case of Raina's mom, but the husband and wife he'd murdered as well. Along with what turned out to be thousands of burglaries. They were now referring to him as "The Thief of the Century."
It turned out that on the night he'd killed Raina's mom, he'd only gone there for what he thought would be some quick cash. He'd heard her mom say that she was taking them all for ice cream, only they had never gone. Her mom had decided to save it for a weekend treat instead. It was a simple as that. Had they all gone out, they never would have been there when Woodman and Kendricks broke in.
In the end, he pled no contest to avoid the death penalty.
Everyone rose as the judge came out from his chambers. He stopped and looked around the room at the cameras. Everyone knew what the sentence was going to be. There was no way it could be anything else, but still... I could tell that Raina's nerves were shot. It wasn't just the pregnancy; it was everything this case had brought up.
The one good thing to come out of it was that Eli and Raina had finally made peace with their father. It seemed that whatever his intentions had been when he’d married Lyla, he really did care for her. And for whatever reason, she seemed head over heels for him.
"You may sit," the bailiff said.
The judge took his seat, made a short speech he'd probably practiced all night long given the number of cameras here, and declared that Logan Anderson Woodman would serve back-to-back life sentences. The crowd that had gathered cheered, and everyone filed out of the courthouse as Woodman was taken away. Raina shot him one last glance before taking my hand and walking out the door.
Outside, reporters swarmed on us. We were all prepared for it. Mac, Skeecher, Bell, and Hernandez circled us as we descended the courthouse stairs. Reporters were throwing out questions left and right.
"Do you think Woodman got justice?" one of them shouted.
"Yes," we all answered together.
"What about Steven Kendricks? Do you think it's fair that he's being released next month?"
The reporter was addressing whomever chose to answer. Eli stepped up for that one. "Fair? Maybe not. But he helped us to get justice. We never would have had it otherwise. He didn't kill my mom. Maybe he deserves a second chance."
A murmur ran through the crowd, followed by a fresh round of questions.
"Caden! How do you feel about the league's decision not to penalize you for your past steroid use?"
I shot Raina a confused look before answering. "I feel pretty good about it. How the hell do you think I feel?"
"Ms. Parker! Ms. Parker! Do you think your family will be able to put this behind you now?"
Raina squeezed my hand tightly. "Absolutely."
"Alright, keep moving," Mac shouted, pushing the reporters out of our way.
"Caden!" a female reporter shouted. "Does your involvement with Ms. Parker mean you're off the market?"
"Absolutely." I paused on the stairs. Eli pushed on my back, trying to make me move. I looked at Raina. "I love you," I told her.
"Love you, too," she said. Flashes were going off like mad. I kneeled down on the courthouse stairs. Raina's eyes widened. "Caden, what are you doing?"
"I was going to do this later tonight, but I just remembered that I made a promise to myself never to waste another second with you."
I looked at Gavin, who gave me a wink before handing me a black velvet box. I took out the ring. "Raina Parker, I never thought I'd find a woman whom I could love better than football." She giggled. "I love you more than the game itself. To me, our love is the game. And I want to spend the rest of my life playing it with you. Will you marry me?"
The silence was deafening. Everyone was holding their breath.
"Of course I will," she said. I stood up and pulled her into my arms. For the first time in my life, I felt whole.
Epilogue
Raina
"Are you sure Molly's alright with Lyla?" I asked.
Caden rolled his eyes as he pulled up in front of the restaurant. "Yes, Raina. For the twelfth time. It's not just Lyla. Your dad is there, too. And Molly loves their daughter."
"I know," I told him, biting my lip. "I guess I just worry."
"Then you're just like every other mom in the world, except prettier. By the way, I think it's a lifetime job—this worrying thing. I do it, too."
I laughed and took his hand as he helped me out of the car.
"She's not even a year old yet. I'm sure I'll loosen up by the time she's a teenager."
Caden shot me a crazy look and wrapped his arm around my waist. We walked into the restaurant together.
"SURPRISE!" a thousand voices yelled at once. I jumped two feet in the air. When I came back down, Caden was laughing and smiling.
"Are you surprised?" he asked.
"I'd say that's the understatement of the year," I told him. I looked around the room. A huge banner had been strung up that ran the width of the restaurant: CONGRATS, DETECTIVE SCOTT!!
I beamed at Mac and Maria as they came toward us. I hugged each of them in turn. "Don't blame me if you're mad," Mac said. "It was all his idea." He pointed to Caden.
I slapped Caden's arm playfully. "You scared the crap out of me. I thought we were having a quiet evening alone."
"How many husbands do you know who would rent out an entire restaurant to throw their wife a surprise party?"
"Hey!" Eli called out. He was standing just behind Mac. "I would if I was as rich as you."
"Show up to that tryout I got you, and you will be," Caden said.
Eli grinned and curled his arm, showing off his muscles. His new workout routine had really paid off. I was so glad he and Harper had moved back to Boston. I'd been positive she'd stay in Los Angeles, but she was interested in getting her fashion designs in some New York-based department stores.
Skeecher and Hernandez came walking up to me, holding a box about the size of a box of tissue. "The guys at the station all chipped in to get you a little something." Skeecher held the box out for me.
"Oh, you didn't need to do that," I told them, giving them each a hug. "But thank you."
"We're all gonna miss you," Hernandez said. "Those bastards in homicide better treat you right."
Yeah," Skeecher agreed. "If they don't, just let us know. We'll kick their asses for you."
"Thanks, you guys. That means so much to me. Actually, I have a little something here for you, too."
Skeecher and Hernandez exchanged a look. "For us?" Skeecher asked.
"Yeah, it's nothing. Just a little g
oing away present. I was gonna give it to you at the station tomorrow, but since you're both here now."
I produced two small velvet boxes about the size of the ring box Caden had given me when he proposed. I handed one to each of them.
"Sorry they're not wrapped," I said.
Skeecher actually looked like he was choking up. "Raina, you didn't have to do this. Really."
"I know. Go on. Open them."
"You first," Skeecher said.
"No, you."
"No, really, you go ahead."
"No. I insist. You first."
"Gentlemen, ladies," Caden said, "why don't you both open them together?"
I looked at Hernandez and Skeecher. They nodded.
"On the count of three," I said. "One... two... three."
I opened my box and a fake snake jumped out at me, almost poking my eye.
"Classic," I said. When I looked up, Skeecher and Hernandez were standing there with their mouths open. Their faces were a bright sky blue. Hernandez took one finger and wiped it along his cheek. It left a blue streak on his finger pad but did little to remove the paint from his face.
"I think my joke was better," I told them. "That paint you're both wearing takes three days to come off."
"Why you..." Skeecher said. He was grinning. "Next April Fool's, you better watch out. I don't care what department you're working in. I'm coming for you."
Caden grabbed my hand and ran away with me before Skeecher and Hernandez could think of a way to retaliate. I was laughing so hard by the time we stopped that I could hardly breathe. When the dust finally settled, we sat down, and Caden handed me a lemonade.
"Are Jax and Treena still coming down next weekend for your award?" I asked him.
"Yeah. They wanted to be here for your celebration, but Treena has that big case she's working on."
"I get it. As long as they make it next weekend, that's all I care about."
Caden's face was red. "I'm not sure I deserve an award just for helping kid athletes."