“She lied to you. Then the bitch lied to me. She told me she stole your daddy’s money and she wanted to run away together. I agreed to meet her. Of course, I lied to her, too. I planned on taking the money and getting rid of her but she double crossed me. She had a gun and demanded to know where Grace was. She even offered to give me the money if I’d hand over the kid. She apparently had a change of heart and wanted to help you.”
Taylor’s heart wept. Cassie tried to do the right thing. She would focus on those feelings later. “If she had the gun, how did you poison her?”
“I didn’t. That was the handiwork of your comrade. Personally, I would’ve just killed her but it was Gina’s idea to inject her with enough morphine to slowly kill her and then leave her for you to find…too late to save her, of course.”
Morphine. Taylor needed to get the information to the hospital so they could administer an antidote. “She’s not dead.” Yet.
“Pity.”
“Where did Gina get morphine?” She knew the answer...she worked in a nursing home where she would have plenty of opportunity to steal the drug.
“I didn’t ask and frankly I don’t care.”
“So where is my daughter, Sweeney?”
“Oh, I got rid of her, too.”
“How?”
Sweeney lifted his brows. “You want to know the gory details?”
“No, I just want to see what kind of lies you come up with. Grace is safe, Sweeney. That boy you said wasn’t with you…guess what? He was. He hid right in front of your eyes and at the first opportunity, he took Grace from you. You were outsmarted by a nine-year old.”
The blow that came this time blurred her vision. “I win, again,” she choked, her voice clogged with tears. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me, my daughter is safe. You will never see her again.”
Glass shattered in the kitchen and Sweeney yanked her in front of him like a shield as he swung around to the sound. A gun blasted and he cried out as Dorian made an incredible shot to blow the weapon from his hand. It was the opening Taylor needed.
She yanked the knife out of Gina and with a feral scream, she turned around and plunged it into Sweeney’s heart with both hands.
Sweeney’s eyes widened in horror, his mouth gaping in shock. He looked from the knife protruding from his chest to Taylor. A stream of blood started to trickle from the corner of his mouth and drip to the floor. He was dead, he just didn’t know it yet. With a look of pure malice, he ripped the dagger from his chest. Blood spurted. He lunged at Taylor and she closed her eyes as another shot rang out. She snapped them open to watch Sweeney topple over and crash on top of Gina. Dante’s shot had blown a good portion of his skull away.
Dante raced to her side and dropped down to the floor, easing her into his arms. “Honey, are you okay? Are you hurt?” His hand gingerly cupped her swollen face.”
Shock was setting in and it was all she could do to shake her head. Her cheek throbbed but she said, “I’m not hurt, at least not physically.” Her gaze strayed to the woman who’d been her best friend for most of her life. Gina’s lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling. The pain of betrayal was overwhelming. Taylor threw her arms around Dante and held on for dear life.
Epilogue
“Why was Cinderella thrown from the team?”
“I don’t know, why?”
“Because she ran from the ball!” Grace grabbed her stomach and doubled over in her seat, her childish laughter floating through the cabin.
Kai rolled his eyes. “Jokes are my shtick, kid.” He jammed his headphones on and focused on the animated movie playing on the screen in front of him.
“Shtick?” Taylor raised an amused eyebrow at Dante.
He shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know where he comes up with half of his vocabulary. I grilled hamburgers the other day and he said, and I quote, “Pop, this burger is on fleek.”
Taylor burst out laughing. “What does that mean?”
He chuckled. “I had to look it up. Apparently it means very good.”
Taylor smiled and relaxed against the leather seat. They were one row behind the kids in the first class section of a plane headed to New York City to meet Kendall’s former roommate for a prime-time interview. Olivia Larrson was an award-winning reporter for a major television network and all of the arrangements for transportation and lodging had been provided free of charge. While first class was nice, she preferred the elegance and luxury of the COBRA Securities corporate jet.
When the news broke of Sweeney’s escapades and subsequent death two days ago, the world had been captivated by the story of the nine-year old boy who saved a little girl from the hands of a sadistic serial killer. Kai became an overnight sensation. The President even called to congratulate him. There was talk of a movie.
The next few days would be a whirlwind of activity, all arranged by Kendall. Olivia would get the first interview, which was a huge coup. Tomorrow they’d hit the morning show circuit and then afternoon talk shows. From there, they were flying to Disneyworld. Word got out that the kids had been headed there after their escape but they didn’t actually get to visit, so Disney executives pulled out all the stops to make their trip happen. Kai would be the Grand Marshall of a parade and they were even spending the night in Cinderella’s Castle. Grace was bursting with excitement.
Kendall and Dorian were seated in the row behind them. Kendall was in her element organizing all of the details for the television appearances. Taylor had no doubt the show she was producing for CuisineTV would be a huge hit…the first of many.
Dante called his parents after Sweeney’s death and they drove all night to return the children home. The next morning, after all four finished with the police interrogations, Kendall organized an impromptu press conference to tell the story. The response had been immediate and overwhelming. Everyone wanted to interview the captive and her hero. She and Grace spent the last two days holed up behind the walls of Dante and Kai’s house. They’d been pretty much sequestered behind the iron gates. Double the amount of media that showed up after Grace’s abduction descended, hoping for an interview or picture or sound bite.
Grace had been mortified by her short, dark hair and didn’t want to do any interviews until it grew back. She thought she looked ugly and no matter what Taylor or anyone told her, she wouldn’t listen. She found one of Dante’s baseball caps and refused to take it off. Jade Bradley flew in her hairdresser from Hollywood and she stripped the color off to reveal Grace’s natural red. She evened out the choppy ends and styled it into a cute pixie cut that looked adorable. Grace loved it. Thankfully the woman was also a make-up artist and she showed Taylor how to cover the bruise on her cheek from Sweeney’s fist.
She glanced out the window to stare at the tops of fluffy white clouds. Right after Sweeney died, she was able to contact the hospital to let them know Cassie had been poisoned with morphine and they were able to administer naloxone. Cassie improved so quickly, she was released this morning. Since she technically didn’t jump bail and miss a court date, Maureen wouldn’t lose her money. They were able to recover the cash she stole from their parents as well. Cassie was subdued and remorseful. Taylor spoke to her attorney about working out a plea deal where Cassie would get probation instead of jail time. She didn’t know what kind of relationship they would have in the future, but her sister had tried to correct her mistake. They would take it one day at a time.
Sawyer Oldham had been rushed to the hospital for his wounds. He lost a lot of blood but the doctors were able to repair the damage. He was hit in his non-shooting arm and a bullet found its way beneath the arm-hole of his vest to pierce his torso. He also suffered a concussion from slamming his head against the porch when he fell. He would be on desk duty for a few months until the injuries healed completely. Taylor wouldn’t be surprised to find him on the COBRA Securities roster in the very near future.
Marla Ortiz and Laurie Nichols had been horrified to discover what Gina had done. Neither had seen
signs of her apparent animosity towards Taylor or psychotic tendencies. They were both understanding when she explained that she had to keep Grace’s rescue a secret. Jane Wallis had stopped by on her way out of town. She’d hugged Taylor and Grace and wished them well in the future. Taylor asked that she keep in touch but she doubted she would hear from her again. She prayed she was able to find peace and happiness again.
Authorities at the prison were notified of Rocky Skillman’s involvement in Sweeney’s escape. Someone tipped Skillman off and before they could arrest him, he took his own life. He left a note apologizing for his part in the crime and stated that he knew he would never survive in jail with the double whammy of being a former guard and a gay man.
Once the trip was over and they returned home, she’d be able to finish her latest novel and fire it off to her editor. The publishers wanted it sooner rather than later to capitalize on the exposure of the Sweeney fiasco. She was a hot commodity right now and her books were flying off the shelves. Once it was done, she’d have plenty of time to work with Kendall on her new venture.
Unbeknownst to her, Dante arranged for Morris Milburn to be transferred to a facility in town. He didn’t want the old man to spend the rest of his days alone with no visitors. She teared up again just thinking about it. Dante was so thoughtful and considerate and as much a hero as his son.
They hadn’t spoken of what living arrangements would be when they returned home. Grace claimed a room across the hall from Kai and made herself at home, so she didn’t want to leave. Taylor didn’t either. They hadn’t talked of the future or even said I love you, but she did…she loved Dante with all of her heart. She prayed he felt the same way.
#
Butterflies were taking flight in Kai’s tummy. He was so nervous, he was gripping his dad’s hand like a lifeline. He wished Midas was with them but he stayed back in Indiana with his grandparents. They were in a stretch limo—super-cool—on the way to the television station. He wanted to gawk at all of the skyscrapers but he couldn’t focus. He prayed he didn’t say something stupid on national television.
He stuck a finger beneath his collar and tugged. His new suit was trying to kill him.
“Stop,” his dad chided. “You’ll stretch out the collar.”
“Good, then maybe I can breathe.”
“Here, let me fix it.” Taylor was seated across from them and she leaned over to loosen the knot. That was something a mother would do for him. He looked sideways at his dad, hoping he was noticing. Oh yeah, he was. Taylor looked beautiful. So did Kendall. Gracie looked like a pixie princess. His dad looked pretty darn spiffy, too. Of course, he always did, but when he dressed up in a suit, women couldn’t keep their eyes off of him. Yeah, he noticed. Even his bud Dorian looked like a million bucks.
The limo pulled up to the curb outside the television station and his heart started to pound.
“Ready?” his dad asked, squeezing his hand.
No! He wanted to shout. Instead, he took a deep breath and nodded. “Ready.”
The driver opened their door and his dad scooted out first. He helped Taylor out, then Gracie and Kendall. He hopped out next, followed by Dorian.
Lights exploded in his face and he threw an arm up to cover his eyes. People were yelling and screaming. What was that about? He lowered his arm and gaped at the crowd that had gathered. There were thousands of people waving their hands and cheering. Girls held up signs asking him to marry them. Him! What the heck?
Barriers had been set up to keep people back as they walked to the doors. This must be what Jade and Logan Bradley felt like walking the red carpet. People held out their hands so he jogged over and slapped them some skin.
“Way to go, Kai!”
“I love you!”
“I lost my Barbie…will you help me find her?”
“You’re my hero!”
People were screaming at him and snapping his picture. Oh man, this was so boss!
Dorian smacked him on the back and ushered him in the door. “Little C, my man, you are a bona fide rock star.”
Olivia Larrson met them inside and Kai’s mouth dropped open. Woah. She was stunning. Not as ace as his pseudo-babysitter/love-of-his-life Lauren Dianetti, but a definite hottie. Hum, she was older so he guessed that’d make her a cougar.
Suddenly he was blindsided with surround-sound squealing as Kendall and Olivia ran to each other and hugged. They were rocking back and forth and babbling and lots more squealing ensued. Man, they could burst an eardrum. Finally they calmed down and Olivia released Kendall to hug Dorian, then she hugged his dad, whom she met a few months ago when he helped Dorian out on a case. He slid a glance at Taylor to judge her reaction. She was smiling but her eyebrows were scrunchy. Interesting. Olivia shook Taylor’s hand and then Grace’s, who was acting shy. Probably still nervous about her short hair. Olivia fawned over the cut and told the girl she wanted hers to look just like it. Grace’s face lit up like she’d just been handed the key to the Magic Kingdom.
Finally she padded over to him. Now he was feeling shy. He darted a glance at her blue eyes and then looked away. She bent down and held out her hand to him. She wasn’t a heck of a lot taller than he was, so she didn’t have to bend far. He made sure to wipe the sweat off before he clasped her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kai. I’m a little nervous meeting a real hero.”
Kai’s head jerked up. “Huh? You’re nervous?” He slapped a hand to his chest. To meet me?”
She nodded. “It’s an amazing thing you did and I am honored you’re allowing me to introduce you to the world.”
Gulp. “I’m not a hero,” he protested. “My dad and Dorian, they were SEALs…they saved thousands of lives, millions. They’re the true heroes.” He indicated his dad and oh, wow, his eyes were all shiny. He swiveled to Dorian and his were, too.
“Little C, you trying to make two grown men cry?”
Olivia stood and escorted them to the green room to wait. Kai wanted to scarf down the assortment of food displayed on a long table but, one, his tummy was in knots and two, he didn’t want to appear on national television with tomato sauce on his chin. Or tie. Or both. He planned on hitting it up as soon as the interview was over.
A producer came to talk to them. She ran over some of the basic questions and explained the format. They shot footage of the truck where he hitched a ride under the tool chest and lots of his hidey-hole. She wanted him to explain everything that happened starting with him masterminding—that’s the word she used—getting the other kids off the school bus. He really hoped he didn’t slip and call it a loser cruiser. He didn’t know it, but they’d interviewed Kobe and Molly to hear their sides of the story and they both sung his praises. All too soon, someone came in and indicated it was time.
“You ready, Gracie?”
She nodded and grabbed her mom’s hand. He wanted to hold his dad’s hand but he didn’t want to ruin his new-found bad-butt reputation.
His dad crouched down and straightened his tie and collar, then brushed a lock of hair off his forehead. “Let’s go, son. It’s time for the world to see what an amazing young man you are.”
Kai hugged him and then spun around and walked towards the bright lights.
#
Dante placed the bouquet of daisies in front of Leilani’s headstone. They were her favorite flower. He’d brought his son by earlier but he was alone this time. He needed closure.
Easing to the grass, he stared at the words carved in marble: Leilani Kealoha Costa, loving mother, beloved wife, precious daughter. She was all of those and so much more, but she was gone. She would always own a piece of his soul, but he now realized that it had the capacity to love two women. He didn’t think he’d ever open his heart again but when Taylor came into his life, he didn’t have a choice. He hadn’t told her he loved her yet, but he would, soon. He was pretty sure she felt the same way.
He not only loved Taylor, but he loved Grace, too. She’d been his shadow the last c
ouple of days. Everywhere he went, she went. She wanted him to help her mom tuck her in at night and even asked if he’d read her a story. He figured it was her way of erasing all the bad memories of Patrick Sweeney. He patted the two small boxes in his pocket. He planned to ask Taylor to marry him and if she said yes, he would then ask Grace if he could adopt her. It didn’t matter that Sweeney was her biological father, he would raise her as his own.
Five days ago, they were sitting on a sound stage on the fortieth floor of a high-rise in NYC, telling their story to the world. The aftermath had been mind-boggling. Everyone wanted a piece of his son. After they finished with the interviews, they headed to Orlando for two non-stop days of activity. Everywhere his son went, little girls were screaming and begging him to take pictures with them. He had offers to guest star on television shows, endorse products and he was even invited to ride in the official pace car at the Indianapolis 500 next week. Heck, some king of a Mideast country even offered his five-year-old daughter’s hand in marriage. It got so bad, Jade Bradley arranged for her agent to handle the inquiries. His son had an agent! It was going to be a very busy summer.
It also forced him to tack on this impromptu visit to Hawaii to the end of the Florida leg of the journey. Things were about to get crazy and he didn’t want to wait any longer. He needed to let go of the past so he could embrace his future. A light breeze blew and his lids drifted closed. He could almost hear Leilani whispering for him to be happy, to love again. When he opened his eyes, a rainbow arced across the sky. Leilani loved rainbows. She was telling him it was okay to let go. He stood and placed a hand on the cold marble. “I’ll always love you.” With one last look, he headed back to the rental car.
Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to the hotel. Taylor and the kids were waiting for him, Kai in disguise. He wore sunglasses and an Indiana University baseball cap pulled low over his face. Dante hated to tell his son that only made him stand out more, especially since it was getting dark. They piled in and buckled up.
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