by Kym Roberts
“Enclose his hands inside the two circular layers.”
“Don’t do it,” Tiny whispered.
“Shut up!” Dallas lunged in our direction as he yelled. I flinched, expecting to be hit or worse, but he pulled up abruptly when Cade moved.
“Don’t even think about being a hero, Mayor. Your day has come and gone.” Dallas continued with his instructions, “Now pull the end of the belt tight.”
I did as he told me to, but not too tight.
Dallas wasn’t going to fall for it. “I said ‘tight’ Princess.”
It was the first time Dallas had used my nickname. It felt dirty. Subservient and all wrong. I pulled the belt tight and knew immediately that the improvised cuffs would hold all too well.
Fuzz buckets. The moments to save us were dwindling.
“It’s the mayor’s turn.”
I moved to Cade and he began to stand up.
“Let’s keep you on your butt, Mayor. I saw that tackle. You haven’t lost your touch in the last decade.”
Cade stayed seated on the roof with his legs out in front of him and bent at the knees. I removed his belt and tried to establish eye contact, but he refused. He stared at Dallas the entire time, as if the two of us didn’t know each other, had never met. I created the loop once more, and Cade held out his hands with his palms together as I tightened the leather around his wrists. It was only then that he looked at me and he had forgiveness in his eyes.
That look was nearly my undoing. My hands shook as I realized Cade didn’t believe we were going to get out of this one.
“Come over here, Princess,” Dallas ordered. Again, I followed his directions without hesitation. I moved toward Dallas wondering when that moment was going to come that I could change our fate. When I got within five feet, Dallas raised his elbows and exposed his waist. “Time to remove my belt.”
My heart began pounding so hard, I thought for certain that he could see it. There was only one person that belt could be for, and if it went on my wrists, we were all dead. Mateo wouldn’t make it in time, and I would have blown any moment we had left. I removed his belt and tried to think of a way to knock the gun away, but he had his finger on the trigger, and the gun was pointed directly at Cade. If I messed up, Cade was dead. I unbuckled his belt, and Dallas seemed to get an inordinate amount of pleasure from that small gesture.
“You do that well, Princess.”
I ignored the jab and waited for his next instruction when I had his belt in my hands.
“Go on. Make a loop and then place it around your wrists.” He said. “You’ve become a master at this bondage thing. I think you kinda like it.”
The only bondage I had a desire to see was Dallas Dover trussed up and hog-tied. I would enjoy that.
“Now, pull it tight with your teeth.”
I did as I was told, still waiting for that moment to arrive when I could do something, anything. But the moments were disappearing before my eyes. I was beginning to feel that same sense of hopelessness Cade felt.
I looked down at the belt and recognized it from the first time I saw him at the recycling center. At that time, the front of Dallas’s belt had two 1947 five-peso Mexican coins attached to the front, but today there was only one.
“There’s only one coin on your belt.”
Dallas paused. “Did you find the other?” he asked. He genuinely wanted to know if I’d found it. There was a hopefulness in his voice that I wanted to dash. I wanted to crush his dreams the way he was destroying ours.
Yet I wasn’t sure if he’d known how long it’d been missing. Did he know he lost it the night he killed Maddie? Or was he uncertain which day and where it’d gone missing? If I didn’t make it out of there alive, I wanted Mateo to be able to trace his belt, and if I told Dallas I didn’t have it, he might think twice about leaving it behind. Yet if I did have it, that might make him fear it being traced back to him as well. I wasn’t sure what to say. I went with my gut.
“What? No. I was just trying to say I couldn’t get it any tighter because of the coin.” I held up my hands and kept my eyes on the loose wrap twining around my wrists.
I could feel Dallas eyeing me, trying to see if I knew something about his missing coin. Then his misguided chivalry returned. “Here, let me get that for you.”
Dallas shoved the gun in the back of his waistband, and a shot rang out. I immediately looked for Mateo near the door, but there was no one there. Dallas jumped and yelled. The smell of gunpowder surrounded us. He pulled the gun out to his side, and blood covered his hand and the gun barrel. He dropped it like it was poisonous and stumbled backward.
It was the moment I’d been waiting for. The moment my fate was finally in my hands. I screamed and ran at him with everything I had. My shoulder hit him under the chin, and his head snapped back as we flew across the rooftop. Dallas was laid out prone, bent at the knees with his feet underneath him—digging into the wound where he’d shot himself in the butt.
The noise he made was anything but heroic.
“Princess,” he begged. “You gotta help me. I’m bleeding!”
I rolled off him to find Cade holding the gun trained on Dallas. His hands were still secured in front of him with his belt, but the look in his eyes was deadly. Dallas saw it at the same time I did.
“You can’t shoot me! You’re the mayor! You’re running for Senate!”
“Cade,” I said. “It’s over.”
But it wasn’t over in Cade’s eyes. “He killed a woman because he thought she was unfaithful. He was going to kill you.”
“He didn’t. I’m here. You’re here. And Tiny’s here. It’s over.”
Cade blinked and finally took his eyes off Dallas for just a moment to look me in the eyes. “You’re okay?”
I smiled. “I’m more than okay. I’m great. You should know that by now.” Thankful that Dallas hadn’t had the opportunity to tighten the belt on my wrists, I slipped it off my hands.
Cade took his finger off the trigger, and the corner of his mouth twitched. It wasn’t a smile, just a hint of one.
“Let me take that,” I said as I reached for the gun.
“Don’t put it in your waistband and shoot yourself in the butt,” Cade said.
I laughed. He may not be able to smile yet, but his sense of humor was returning.
Sirens began echoing in the distance, and I suddenly felt better knowing that Mateo was close.
“He’s a lucky man,” Cade said.
I looked at Dallas who had rolled on his side and was trying to stop the bleeding on his backside while tears were streaming down his cheeks. “I don’t think he would agree.” I set the gun down well out of Dallas’s reach and began releasing the belt from Cade’s wrists.
“I wasn’t talking about Dallas. I was talking about Mateo.”
I looked up to find him staring at me in a way he’d refused to look at me when I was putting the belt around his wrists.
“Thank you,” I said.
Cade leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. It was almost as if he knew it was the last kiss we’d ever share. He smiled and walked toward Dallas. For a moment I wondered if I should let him, but he took his shirt off, balled it up, and put it on Dallas’s wound. Then he placed Dallas’s hand over the shirt and told him to hold it tight.
That was more compassion than Dallas deserved.
I walked over to untie Tiny, but he shook his head. “Leave it on. I was going to kill him for what he did to my sister.”
“But you didn’t,” I said.
“I still will if you release my hands. As it is, I can’t get my butt up to even kick him where it hurts. It’s best if I just sit here and wait for the police.”
I understood Tiny’s pain. I didn’t have a sister, but I had a cousin who was like a brother to me, and I wasn’t sure what I would be capab
le of if someone had taken him from me.
“We’ll wait until the ambulance and the police take him away.”
“That sounds like the best plan I’ve heard all day.”
I had to agree.
Chapter 23
Today was the day. My stomach was churning with nerves. The tearoom was decorated with yards of white organza material flowing down from the rafters. The panels were gathered and tied with white ribbon with a cluster of paper roses made from book pages. Each book rose had been painstakingly inked on the edges with the color pink to add a touch of flair.
A chandelier had been hung from the center beam, and I knew as soon as I saw it that I would make it a permanent fixture in the store. The tables had been taken out of the room and moved to the wide aisles in the middle of the Barn for the reception that was to follow. Strands of white lights had been draped from one side of the room to the other, adding another element of romantic ambience to the area. The tables still had their white, lace tablecloths and centerpieces of mason jars filled with bundles of white bulbs.
The sun was going down, which helped with the mood lighting in the room and I had to admit, the Barn made the perfect backdrop for a wedding. Not that I wanted to have another one, but this one time would make it special—for Sugar and Dean.
Mateo walked up to me and bumped my hip with his. “You realize, that we also met here?” he said.
“Shhh. Everyone is watching.”
“But they can’t hear over the music.”
That was the one thing I’d completely forgotten about. Every wedding needed music. Unfortunately, Betty had been the one to step up and fix my error. She was playing her piano, which had been rolled in twenty minutes earlier. I wasn’t sure if the piano had been out of tune before it came, or if the move had jolted things around, but whatever key she was playing in, I didn’t recognize it.
“It’s awful,” I whispered.
“It’s perfect for this wedding.”
I looked at Mateo as we made our way down the aisle together. He wore jeans with a tan vest, white shirt, and brown tie. On our first date, he’d worn a jacket, but no tie. Tonight, was the first time I’d seen him wear a tie, and I had to say I liked it on him. Cade and my daddy had the same outfit on, but somehow Mateo stood out.
“You look beautiful.”
“I think something’s going to pop out,” I said as I adjusted my pink strapless dress with the hem almost as short as my short shorts. There were more ruffles on the skirt than a party-size bag of potato chips. The only saving grace was my shoes. They were comfortable, and my confidence was bolstered by my Unconquerable combat boots.
Mateo’s grin was pure male.
“If that happens, it won’t be funny.”
“I’ll be there to catch it.”
I swallowed back the laughter. “My daddy wouldn’t approve.”
“Your daddy has his hands full.”
It was true. Daddy was going to be walking the bride down the aisle, and he was more nervous than she was. Sugar was ready to get this show on the road and start her new life as Mrs. MacAlister.
“Do you think a woman should take the man’s name?” I asked.
“I get the impression I can’t pass this test.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “With an answer like that, probably not.”
We reached the end of the walkway just as Betty hit the wrong key, and Mateo leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Then I’ll plead the fifth.”
“Chicken,” I said as we went opposite directions to our positions at the front of the tea counter where we would wait for the bride and groom.
Cade and Scarlet were already standing with the preacher and Dean. Scotty followed us. Carrying a pillow with two rings attached to it, he was walking in front of his two older sisters who dropped rose petals made from book pages. Scotty was leading a very special flower girl: Princess. Princess didn’t seem to mind her rhinestone leash or her tulle, ruffled skirt. Between the two of us, I think she was more comfortable than me.
I had been skeptical when Sugar had asked for her to be in the wedding party, but she walked well, as long as we had the petals dropped behind her and not in front of her.
My daddy and Sugar made their way into the tearoom, and cameras started clicking. Sugar’s dress was similar to mine and Scarlet’s, but in white with a short hem in front and a long train in back. The bodice was covered with gorgeous white beading, and the waist with gold-toned beads that accentuated her small waist and matched the tan cowgirl boots she wore with pride. It was as unique as it was perfect for a barn wedding.
Daddy handed Sugar off to Dean who looked like he might cry. His attire was similar to the other men’s, but his vest was off-white, and he wore a brown tweed jacket. I couldn’t help but notice their hands shaking as one as they greeted each other for the first time on their wedding day. We turned toward the preacher, and the ceremony began.
It was simple, yet romantic, and the crowd stood and cheered as the preacher pronounced them husband and wife. It wasn’t long before we were cutting cake and tossing the garter belt. The men gathered like it was no big deal, but the women were eyeing them like they were the last piece of chocolate in the box. They were hungry.
“Please tell me I don’t look like that,” I said as I indicted the crowd of women I wanted Scarlet to see.
“You don’t look like that.”
“You’re sure?”
Scarlet pointed out the signs. “Are you licking your lips like Reba Sue?”
“No.”
“Are your hands sweating as badly as Liza’s?”
I looked at Liza who was wiping her hands off on a table napkin. “Absolutely not.”
“What about Betty? Are you giving your man goo-goo eyes the way she is Franz?”
Franz looked terrified. I covered my mouth to hide the laughter. “No.”
Like most of the weddings I’d been to, the garter belt toss was rigged. Dean shot it straight to his little boy, Scotty who squealed with delight.
“Time for the bouquet!” Dean yelled, and Sugar walked up the staircase toward the loft and stopped halfway up.
Scarlet and I stood next to each other, neither one of us real anxious to catch the bouquet of book roses we’d made for Sugar. The piece had turned out well, but it wasn’t like I couldn’t make another one. Like the roses on the drapes, these were edged with pink ink but also had pale pink ribbon and beads.
“I’m going to let one of Dean’s daughter’s catch it,” I said.
“Then the other one will be upset,” Scarlet whispered.
She had a point. The girls seemed to compete over everything.
“Let Betty catch it,” I suggested.
“Franz might have a heart attack.”
Franz was looking decidedly ill. “Well, we can’t let Reba Sue catch it. Cade will have to leave town.”
“Are you sure he’d want to?”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s not that desperate.”
“What about Liza?”
“No,” I said.
Scarlet quirked her brow. “Why not?”
“Because she doesn’t deserve it.”
“It might make her change her attitude.”
We looked at Liza who looked like she was going to fight dirty to get the bouquet. I scoffed. “You’re dreaming.”
Scarlet nodded in agreement. “Probably.”
“One of us is going to have to catch it, and I think it should be you.” I told Scarlet.
“Why me?”
“Because you’ve been dating Dalton longer. It makes sense that you’re closer to the altar than I am.”
“That makes no sense whatsoever. You should be the one to catch it. Your boyfriend lives in town.”
I glanced at Mateo. He looked completely relaxed. It was as if it would
n’t bother him one bit if I caught the bouquet, but he was good at hiding his emotions, so it was hard to tell. Inside he could be down on his knees praying to the good Lord that I not catch the flowers. I shook my head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want to ruin a good thing with that kind of pressure.”
A drumroll started on the tables. Hands pounded in a steady beat that matched my heart. All the men were eagerly waiting for Sugar to toss the flowers, so they could give some poor schmuck the ribbing of a lifetime. Sugar turned around and pumped her arm to the count of, “One! Two! Threeee!”
Liza pushed Reba Sue as the flowers went up in the air, and Reba went down on her knees. Betty, not wanting to be outmaneuvered, tripped Liza who face-planted at the bottom of the steps. Her only hope was to leap in the air. For a split second I really thought she was going to do it. Scarlet and I looked at each other. We both took four steps backward, and the bouquet dropped to the floor in front of us…at the feet of Princess.
Princess sniffed the bouquet, then bit into it as both of Scotty’s sisters dove for it. Princess was gone before they hit the floor.
Scarlet patted me on the back. “Congratulations! You’re going to have a son-in-law.”
I shook my head. “She wouldn’t do that.” But as I said the words, I wasn’t sure. Princess had given her heart to her prince, and who was I to stop true love?
Fuzz buckets.
I should have caught the stupid bouquet myself.
If you enjoyed Killer Classics, be sure not to miss all of Kym Roberts’s Book Barn Mysteries, including
Running an independent bookstore in small-town Hazel Rock, Texas, doesn’t sound like a high-risk pursuit. But when a fundraiser reveals a story with a truly killer ending, Charli Rae Warren will need to scramble to sort out the deadly plot…
Sponsoring the literacy drive to benefit the foster care system should be a feel-good endeavor, but one of Charli’s helpers is definitely on another page. Charli’s dad is distracted and keeping something secret, which Charli suspects is a harmless flirtation with an attractive county clerk who offered to lend them a hand. It’s nothing to worry about—until the same clerk winds up dead…