Do-or-Die Bridesmaid

by Julie Miller

  She tugged against his grip. “That’s not what we agreed to on the phone. The flash drive for our lives.”

  “How about I take both?”

  “Why didn’t you take out Vinnie instead of my friend? Chloe was a good person.” She refused to back down from the man who wanted to kill her. Conor began to wonder if there might be a little crazy fueling her bravery. He wondered if there was a little crazy flowing through his veins, too, because while she lectured the two men, he worked on loosening up the last screws holding the brass railing in place. “Or does Carla Adams still have feelings for her son? Is that why he gets to live and stay out of prison while the trouble around him just disappears?”

  “You think you’re smart.” Contempt colored Boltz’s voice now. “You know what I do with women who have smart mouths?”

  “You beat them to death.”

  “That’s right. I enjoy it, too.” He pointed a finger at Cobb, reminding him to keep his eyes on Conor. “Shoot him and dump him in the river.”

  “And risk never getting your hands on that flash drive?” Conor could play the taunting game, too. “You let Laura go. You and your goons never come near her or her family again. And I’ll hand you that flash drive on a silver platter.”

  Laura’s head swung around. “That’s not what we agreed to. Conor has to go free, too.” She looked back at Boltz. “The flash drive for both our lives. And know that I’ve made a copy. If there’s even a whisper of a threat, I’ll send the video to the press. Vinnie’s mother and the senator won’t survive the scandal. You’ll be out of a job covering up Vinnie’s mistakes.” She included Cobb in the threat, too. “You’ll be out of a job playing lackey to this bully. How do you think they’ll treat a sheriff’s deputy in prison?”

  Cobb switched the barrel of Conor’s gun over to her. Hell. She was taking this too far. “Give us the damn flash drive and I’ll kill you quick, missy. Keep playing these stupid games and I’ll let Marvin take care of you. Trust me, it won’t be quick or easy.”

  Laura uttered the next words loud and clear. “There’s another option.”

  The dead television screens suddenly lit up at the prearranged code phrase. Even through the haze of dust motes and the clouds of their warm breath in the cold air, the picture on every screen was crystal clear.

  “This is Vanessa Owen with Kansas City Secrets.” The dark-haired reporter read her story at her desk while the video from that night in the alley played on the screen behind her. “This tidbit of gossip goes far beyond our fair city. This reporter has gotten her hands on a juicy little video. My sources have confirmed that Vincent Orlando, the stepson of Florida senator Webb Adams...”

  “What the hell?” Cobb spun around, taking in the damning evidence playing from every corner of the bar. “My sources said this place was abandoned.”

  “Apparently, your sources aren’t as trustworthy as mine,” Conor said.

  “Is this live?” Boltz asked, cursing at the TV screen over the bar.

  Vanessa Owen was sharing the story of her career on her gossip TV show. She mentioned Senator Adams and his wife, along with the names of Boltz and Cobb, before warning viewers that the video would blur to protect them from seeing the most graphic images of their crimes. The tabloid broadcast continued with new videos of Rico Martinelli and Vinnie Orlando being arrested in Arlington in association with drug dealing and covering up the death of an overdose victim.

  “Smile, Mr. Boltz.” Laura took a step away from the stunned men, moving closer to Conor. “You’re on camera.”

  Conor nodded toward the camera hidden among the junky old bottles of booze behind the bar. “We were busy today, wiring this place for sound. We just made our own video of your confession.”

  Vanessa Owen continued with her report on her local entertainment and news show. “Even now, members of KCPD have cornered the suspects at the Riverboat Bar...”

  “Cornered?” Cobb holstered his weapon and hurried toward the door. “I’m out of here.”

  He quickly backed up as the doors opened and the Watsons, along with several other KCPD officers stormed in to disarm him and put him on the ground to cuff him.

  They froze in their tracks when Boltz grabbed Laura and pulled her to him like a shield. He pressed his gun to her temple and retreated behind the bar, warning the others to drop their weapons and move back.

  Uh-uh. Not on his watch.

  Conor ripped the railing loose, and even with the brass bar awkwardly caught between his arms, he pulled his weapon from its hiding place beneath the bar and leveled it at Boltz. “Get your hands off her. Now.”

  Boltz whirled around, keeping Laura in front of him. “You’re not going to shoot me, not with your girlfriend in the line of fire. What if you miss me and hit her?”

  “You want to take the chance that I won’t? I’m pretty pissed off that you hit her. So, I’m not feeling real reasonable right now.”

  He had to give Boltz credit for being a smart man. Realizing he was surrounded by cops and facing down the barrel of Conor’s gun, he decided to err on the side of caution. He wisely set his own weapon on the bar and raised his hands. Laura shoved him away and hurried over to Conor while Duff Watson handcuffed the older man and led him out the door after Cobb.

  Thomas was right there to set Conor’s gun safely on the bar top and help Laura pull the brass rail from the loop of his arms and toss it away into the dust. “Where are your keys?”

  “Front pocket.”

  But Laura was already reaching inside his jeans to retrieve the keys and free him from his handcuffs. She frowned at his wrists before reaching up to gently touch his chin. “You’re bleeding again.”

  As soon as he was free he inspected the abrasion on her cheek. “So are you.”

  “The ambulance is en route,” Thomas reported. Then he chided them both. “You two took your sweet time getting to the code word. I was about to order the men to breach the scene.”

  Laura grasped Conor’s hand and hugged herself around his arm. “I wanted to make sure they confessed to everything.”

  “You did good, Squirt.” Conor pressed a kiss to the crown of her hair. “You got the two men who were with Boltz and Cobb?”

  Thomas nodded. “They never made it to the parking lot. They surrendered easily once they saw the firepower we had. The tech team recorded everything. I made sure this was a sanctioned operation, so we can use everything they said here in court. Their secrets are out. There’s no hiding in the shadows for Boltz, Cobb, Orlando and their friends, anymore.” Conor knew there was a reason he admired this man so much. “Besides, I’ve already sent a copy of that flash drive to the attorney general’s office. He’s contacting his counterpart in Virginia to launch an investigation into Cobb. See if there are any other investigations he’s mishandled for the right price.”

  A uniformed officer interrupted the conversation. “Sir? Ma’am? Paramedics would like to take a look at you.”

  “They’ll be right there.” Thomas pulled out his phone. “KCPD just got a call from Senator Adams’s office. He’s disavowing all knowledge of what’s been going on. He claims he had no idea his wife even had a son—says Boltz works for her office. I imagine a murder charge will make Boltz a little chattier about Vinnie’s crimes and the work he’s done to cover them up. And there’s a call from your parents. Maybe you’d better fill them in on what’s going on.”

  Laura nodded. “I will. Thank you. For everything.”

  “Not a problem. I owe Conor a lot. Glad I finally had a chance to return the favor.” He put his phone to his ear and followed his sons toward the police cars waiting outside in the parking lot.

  “It’s over, Squirt.” Conor looked down and brushed her bangs off her forehead. His heart hurt at the tears he saw in her eyes.

  She wound her arms around his waist and he flinched at the pain that stabbed him in the side.
Instead of hugging him, she switched positions and slipped his arm over her shoulders to help him out to the waiting ambulance. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

  * * *

  LAURA WAS LEAVING HIM.

  Conor sat on the rear bumper of the ambulance while a paramedic packed off the gash on his chin and rebandaged his bruised ribs. For nearly half an hour, she’d been in the ambulance next to him, getting thoroughly checked for any hidden injuries and holding an ice pack against the strawberry swelling on her cheek.

  Camera crews had shown up in droves and taken over the far side of the parking lot with bright lights and satellite dishes and way too much talking. Some of the official vehicles still had their lights flashing, and if he listened to the quiet beneath the chaos, he could hear the river lapping against the shore off in the darkness just a few yards behind him.

  They’d already given their brief official statements of tonight’s incident to Thomas’s son Keir, and promised to relate a more detailed report at the station on everything that had happened since Chloe’s phone call back in Arlington. In fact, Keir was escorting Laura to his flashy silver sports car now. The paramedics wanted to take Conor to the ER for X-rays to determine if any of his ribs were cracked or broken. He felt exhausted, beat up and sore in places he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt before.

  But all that paled in comparison to the huge ache in his chest as he watched her walk away. She was going down to the precinct station now. Tomorrow she’d be getting on an airplane and flying home to her family in Arlington. He had no reason to go back to Virginia. He had no home there, no family. He’d have a buttload of paperwork to fill out over everything he’d been involved with over this so-called vacation. What if he never saw her again?

  “Hey, Squirt.” His mouth called to her before his brain even had an idea what he would say. He shooed away the medic tending to him and stood. “Laura?”

  She said something to Keir and turned around and came back to him. “What are you doing on your feet?” She eased him back onto the bumper and studied him with a worried expression. “I thought they were taking you to the hospital.”

  Now that they were relatively alone, he didn’t hesitate to put his hands at her waist and draw her between the V of his legs. “I guess you’ll be heading back to Arlington now. Once KCPD is done with you. Back to Ron and Leslie, your sisters, your job. It should be safe for all of you to go home now. This has been a crazy few days. A lot of ups and downs. But you can relax. Those men have no reason to come after you now that we’ve aired their dirty laundry.” He feathered his fingers into her hair, feeling the sting of tears in his own eyes. “I’ll miss you.”

  She framed his face between her hands. “Ask me to stay.”

  “Your home is in Virginia.”

  “And yours is here.” Right. That was a problem, wasn’t it? Her hands tightened on his skin. “Damn it, Conor Wildman, if you won’t fight for your happily-ever-after, then I will. If you won’t listen to your heart, then listen to my logic. Kansas City would be a great place to do my job. Most of what I do is online or over the phone. As far as the traveling? Hello? Kansas City International Airport? How convenient would that be. And guess what? They have these things called phones now. I think you still have two or three of them in your go bag. There are cars, buses, trains, airplanes—I can call my family. I can visit them. They can visit me here. I love you, Conor.” She leaned in to kiss him. He closed his eyes to breathe in her sweet, exotic essence. When he opened his eyes, she was looking deep into his. “Ask me to stay. If you can. If you’re willing to risk your heart one more time. If not... I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’ve given up on the fight to be happy. Because you deserve happiness more than anyone I know. But I’m not sorry that I’ve loved you. I will never be sorry for that.” She pulled away. “There. I don’t think I can say it any plainer than that.”

  Fight for his happiness? Fight for her? Believe in her love? Was it really that easy? Could anything be harder?

  Before he could break through the wall surrounding his battered heart, Thomas came up behind her. “Laura? Before you go down to HQ, maybe you should call your parents. I’m guessing they saw your face on the news. They called the department again, asking for Conor, asking about you.” He thumbed over his shoulder to the cars and lights and cameras illuminating the parking lot. “And that Vanessa Owen is waiting to talk to you, too. Looks like a lot of reporters want a statement from you.”

  She nodded, gave Conor one more look, but didn’t say anything. She turned and walked away with Thomas.

  “Thomas, wait.” Conor stopped them. He was on his feet, crossing to her. “Could you give us a minute?”

  His friend smiled and squeezed Laura’s arm. “Take all the time you need. I’ll keep the press away.”

  Once they were alone, Conor pulled Laura into his arms and kissed her deeply, tenderly, thoroughly. Every touch of her lips, every inhale of her scent, every needy hum in her throat crumbled the protective armor around his heart and restored his faith in the future. “Honey, I’m sorry—”

  “It’s okay. I know you struggle with commitment, that you worry about losing—”

  “No.” He gently cupped her face. “When Boltz hit you, and you went down, I thought I’d lost you. I’ve lost too many people, and I don’t want to lose you, too. I put a timeline on us. I was going to let you leave because...that’s what people do.”

  “I’m not people, Conor. I’m your Squirt. You can’t get rid of me unless you’re the one who walks away from us.” He considered that, and finally embraced the truth. He was the only obstacle to finding real happiness. “You have never left me, not when I needed you. Not once. What makes you think I won’t do the same for you?”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t say I love you when you said it to me at Mom’s house. I wasn’t brave enough. Not like you. I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you—in us—as much as you always have. I love you, Laura. You’re my best friend and completely frustrating and totally courageous and the sexiest little dynamo... I laugh when I’m with you. I reminisce and get worked up, and it feels like it’s okay to feel whatever I do when I’m with you. I haven’t scared you off. I don’t have to change who I am to please you. And I think you might really need me. Me. I wish I’d woken up and seen you for the treasure you are sooner.”

  “Conor—”

  “I don’t want to lose you. Not to Cobb or Boltz. Not to my own stubborn self-preservation. I want to take a chance on us. I want to risk being happy. I’m scared spitless to do it, but I want to try. I want to love you.” He touched her chin. “We’ve got the matching scars and everything. Stay with me in Kansas City. Marry me. Love me.”

  She smiled, a sweet little curve on that bow-shaped mouth that filled the darkest part of his soul with sunshine. “Well, I’d hate to waste the matching scars.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  Laura stepped into his arms, nestling right against his heart. Right where she belonged. “Yes.”

  * * *

  Look for more books from USA TODAY

  bestselling author Julie Miller and

  Harlequin Intrigue later in 2019.

  And don’t miss some of her previous titles,

  also set in Kansas City:

  Protection Detail

  Military Grade Mistletoe

  Kansas City Cop

  Rescued by the Marine

  Available now from Harlequin Intrigue!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Rules in Rescue by Nichole Severn.

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  Rules in Rescue

  by Nichole Severn

  Chapter One

  “I need your help,” she said.

  Four simple words had ripped weapons expert Anthony Harris away from his current surveillance assignment and into downtown Anchorage at three in the morning.

  And there she was. Glennon Chase—his ex-fiancée—needed him after all this time.

  “I haven’t heard from you in almost five years and now you need my help?” The weight of the Beretta M9 in his shoulder holster kept him focused on the situation at hand and not on the shadows under those hazel-specked green eyes. He shouldn’t have come. Too much history between them. Too easy to get wrapped up in her again. “Don’t you have an entire team of soldiers to help you with whatever investigation you’re working?”

  The muted beam from her flashlight streaked across the pitted hardwood floors of the abandoned house. She’d given him the address over the phone, insisted he couldn’t be followed. Because she wasn’t supposed to be there. According to his contact, the Military Police Corps had assigned her to investigate the theft of a weapons shipment out of Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. So why had Glennon told her superior officer she was on base when, in reality, she was about to be charged with breaking and entering downtown?