“I want the necklace, too.” He pointed his gun at Danica. “Now, bitch, or I’ll shoot your ass.”
She quickly went to work at getting it off.
“You moving too slow,” he snapped at Tyler and then shoved him. “Hurry up.”
“Take it,” Tyler said handing over the wallet and the car keys.
“Here.” Danica handed him the locket with shaky hands.
He snatched it from her. Tyler’s cell phone rang. “What did you do?” he snapped. “You got the cops on speed dial or something? Give me the fucking phone.”
Tyler held it out to him and he snatched it. “I like this shit,” he said.
“Keep it,” Tyler said complacently. “Just don’t shoot.” A bird flew down right then and Tyler moved out of its way and the thief fired at him.
Danica screamed and he fired at him again. Tyler fell to his knees and the shooter looked at her. He fired at her, and she screamed again as Tyler lunged at him knocking him off balance. The man stumbled and looked down at Tyler.
“Son of a bitch,” he snapped and shot at him again before taking off as the few patrons having lunch started to race toward them.
“Tyler!” Danica sank down next to him, her knees hitting the dirt hard. “Tyler! Look at me,” she said in a pleading tone.
He looked up at her. “Love you, Dani.” His eyes closed and she began to sob as she bent over him.
“Tyler, please don’t die on me,” she begged. “I don’t want to lose you. Please!” She screamed.
“Ma’am, let me see what I can do for him.” The black man was a blur even as he gently pushed her back and began checking Tyler over. “Shit. Call 9-1-1! I can’t get a pulse.”
* * * *
Danica rubbed her hands down her arms again. She was freezing even though there wasn’t a chill in the air. She got up to pace the emergency room with tears in her eyes.
“Danica.” Vinessa put an arm around her.
“I didn’t—I couldn’t even tell him I’m falling in love with him, Vin,” she said. “My own fears paralyzed me even then.”
“Shh,” Vinessa said pulling her into a hug.
“No. He didn’t know.” Her voice caught on a sob.
“Honey, listen.” Vinessa shook her lightly a she started to cry. “We need to get you out of the bloody clothes. Come on.”
Danica allowed herself to be dragged to the bathroom where she changed into jeans and a T-shirt Vinessa had brought her. When that was done, she washed her face and hands in the sink. Her stomach churned as she met her anguished eyes in the small square mirror.
“Vinessa—” She met her friend’s eyes in the mirror as tears swelled afresh in her own eyes.
Vinessa held her and let her cry. When she was spent, Vinessa led her out to the waiting room. “Any news, Connor?” Vinessa asked their close friend and co-worker of Tyler’s.
He shook his head and caressed Danica’s cheek. “Nothing. This is Chasen, Tyler’s cousin, and my boss.”
Chasen gave Danica a wan smile. “Tyler couldn’t stop talking about you,” he said. “He made me go with him to pick out that locket for you. It took him forever. He said he had to make sure it was something he knew you’d love.”
“Thief took it,” she said tightly.
“He’s going to come through this,” Chasen said giving Danica’s arm a squeeze. “Hell, he’s so in love with you, he’s not going to let you get off that easy.” He laughed nervously.
“Oh yeah. I can see that,” Vinessa said hugging Danica.
“He didn’t know he made me feel so special,” she said. “I haven’t known him that long, but damn him. He was stealing my heart.” She put her head on Vinessa’s shoulder and started to cry again.
Chasen squeezed her shoulder. “He knew. He wouldn’t have stuck around if he didn’t think there was something there worth fighting for.”
“He saved me,” she told them softly. “The guy was going to shoot me, but Tyler attacked him.” She wiped at her tears. “Tyler Quinn?”
They all turned to face a lanky doctor in scrubs. His brown eyes held a vein of sympathy that made Danica’s eyes water.
“He came through surgery okay,” he said. “A bullet shattered his right leg and his shoulder, but we’ll have to see if there’s any nerve damage.”
“He’s going to be okay?” Danica whispered.
“He lost a lot of blood, but he’s going to pull through,” he said. “He’s resting now, but we’ll have him in a room soon. You can go see him then.”
Danica’s muscles unclenched and she exhaled softly as the doctor walked away.
“You can see him first,” Chasen said squeezing Danica’s arm. “I know he’ll want to see you.”
She nodded. “Thanks.”
Danica was on edge while they waited to be able to see Tyler. When a nurse came to get her, she trembled in fear. What if Tyler blamed her and didn’t want to see her again?
She wrung her hands as she slowed her steps to his room. She may as well save herself some hurt and turn right around and walk out of the hospital.
“He’s still groggy, but he was asking for you,” the nurse said as if reading Danica’s mind. “Having loved ones around is critical to a speedy recovery.”
Danica stepped into the sterile room, nose-blind now to the scent of the industrial-strength disinfectant used in the hospital. Tyler was watching the door and he looked so weak sunk down in the bed with lines attached to machines close to his bed.
“Dani,” he said weakly. “Baby, you’re okay.”
She nodded and choked on a sob. “Yeah.”
“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he said. “I’ll paddle you when I get out of here if you do.”
“Tyler,” she admonished as she put her hand on his.
“We can talk later,” he said. “Love you so much, and I’m glad you’re here.”
“Where else would I be?” she asked and then held her breath and said, “I couldn’t let my man wake up without me being close by.”
He gave her a faint smile. “Say that when I’m strong enough to do something about it.”
She laughed. “Tyler, I’m falling in love with you.”
“I know,” he answered.
She lowered her head to brush her lips across his forehead as his eyes drifted closed.
“Go, get some rest,” he murmured. “You won’t get much after I recover.”
Epilogue
Three months later Danica stared out of the kitchen window into Connor’s backyard watching her friends laugh about something on the patio. She could still smell the meat smoking on the grill as she washed her hands. The music had been turned down, and was hard to hear unless she was outside.
This little party had been Vinessa’s idea. She’d wanted to celebrate the fact that she and her lovers had made it through the rough first three months of their relationship and were now moving in together.
She turned away from the window with a smile as she dried her hands. It had been a good idea, she thought rubbing her hand against her jeans pocket feeling the indentation of the metal against her hand.
“Hey, girl,” Vinessa said from behind her. “Why the hell are you hiding in here?”
“I’m not hiding,” she said with a smile. “I came to get the corn for the grill, remember?”
Vinessa gave her a questioning look. “Right. So, let’s see it,” she said.
“See what?” She frowned.
Vinessa snorted. “The damn ring Tyler picked out. Me and Connor had to listen to his dribble for hours.”
They knew?
“What are you talking about?” Danica demanded.
“Tyler told us he was proposing. He even had me go with him to pick out your ring. He was nervous about picking something you didn’t like but as usual, the silly boy did fine.”
Danica laughed. “I didn’t think you knew,” she said. “I didn’t want to bring it up today because this was about you.”
“Ha!” She made a f
ace. “This is your party. I just told you that so you wouldn’t find some reason to cancel.”
“Vinessa!” she exclaimed. “He just proposed last night.”
“Yeah, well, me and Connor knew he was going to. We wanted to celebrate with you before your mom found out and threw some snotty-ass shindig that we all wanted to kill her over.”
Danica laughed. “Oh, yeah. That’s going to happen unfortunately and she just loves Tyler. When she found out he was vice president of Merchant Jeans and associated with the Merchant family she couldn’t gush enough.”
“Well, she is all about the status quo,” Vinessa said with a roll of her eyes. “Put that damned ring on and get out here. We’re all waiting to toast you two.” Vinessa hugged her. “Damn I’m so happy for you. I better be your maid of honor.”
Danica laughed. “I don’t think I’d be able to have anyone else stand up with me,” she said her eyes misting. “I love him, Vinessa. I know it’s been a whirlwind courtship, but I love him.”
“Then, let’s go out there and celebrate it.” Vinessa took her friend’s hand. “So, you’re going to be designing for Merchant all the time now?”
“Yeah. You’re not mad are you?”
“Hell, no! You’ve dreamed about being really big. Now, it’s gonna happen.”
Danica beamed. “Yeah! I’m so excited. His family seems to like me, too.”
“Of course they do.”
Both women turned to see a smiling Kaela joining them. “You make him happy.”
Danica smiled at her. “I thought you weren’t getting back until tomorrow.”
“How’d you get in?” Vinessa asked.
“Tyler told me to come right in,” she answered. “He invited me. I hope you don’t mind.”
Danica frowned. “Kaela—”
“No.” Kaela waved a hand at her. “I’m happy for you, Danica. You’re glowing and I never made you look so beautiful.” Kaela took her hand. “He’s a lucky man.” Kaela kissed her cheek. “I’m just glad you didn’t let him get away.”
“Yeah, he is,” Vinessa said and dragged her friend out the back door.
“It’s about damn time,” Connor called.
Tyler went to her wearing a smile and her heart flipped over at the love in his eyes. He caressed her cheek. “Put my ring on, girl,” he said.
She laughed and pulled the ring from her jeans pocket. It was a dainty band with a princess cut diamond that she thought was just big enough to call attention to her hand without being ostentatious.
He took it from her and slipped it on her finger as their friends cheered. “I love you, Danica Moss,” he murmured. “You have me heart, body, and soul.”
She swallowed tightly. “I love you, too, Ty. You’re everything to me.”
He cupped her face. “I hope so because I’m never letting you go.” His lips brushed hers as a ray of sun caressed her face and fell onto his lips.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Serenity Snow is a voracious reader of romances and loves a happy ending. Serenity thinks fall is the perfect time of year for romance because the weather is still warm enough for walks in the park and pretty enough to create a romantic atmosphere for outdoor dining.
Serenity loves a good debate, has a quirky sense of humor, and loves a good joke as long as it’s not on her.
For all titles by Serenity Snow, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/serenity-snow
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Embers of Desire [Sequel to Lighting a Flame] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 11