“Well, she worked at a coffee shop, and her brother’s a lowlife thug who can’t stay out of trouble. Totally unsuited for a man like myself. I’d be more suited to someone … Well, someone like you, actually.”
I almost threw up in my mouth, and turned to make a face at Bran, who was looking in the direction of the kitchen like he was about to open a can of whoopass on Carlton.
“Oh, well, thanks, I think,” Carmen said, and I could hear rustling like she was gathering her things. “I should have everything I need for the article. Thanks again for seeing me on such short notice.”
I heard footsteps, then a bit of a scuffle.
“What’s your hurry?” Carlton asked. “Why don’t we have some lunch or something?”
“Um, I’ve really got to go,” Carmen replied, and I heard panic in her voice. “My editor’s waiting for these notes, so I’d better get back. Can you, ah, let go of my arm?”
“That’s it,” Bran said, and before I could react, he rushed past me and into the kitchen.
“Who the hell are you?” Carlton asked, and I hurried after Bran to see Carlton standing in a face off with Bran, his hand clasping Carmen’s bicep.
“Get your hand off of her,” Bran ordered, and Carmen’s wide eyes met mine.
“Hey, Carlton,” I said easily, trying to diffuse the situation. “You seem to be doing a lot better.”
“You can’t just barge into my house this way,” Carlton cried, pulling Carmen and walking backward away from us.
“Actually, we were just checking on our friend Carmen here, when we heard a disturbance from inside your house. We’re doing our civic duty by making sure that everything is okay.”
“Everything’s fine, now get out of my house.”
“Let her go, and we will,” Bran said, stepping forward.
“She’s fine, she wants to be here,” Carlton argued.
“No, Carlton, she doesn’t. You’re holding her against her will. She’s already asked you to let her go. Is that what happened with Samantha too? Were you trying to make her do things she didn’t want to do?” I asked, hoping Bea had received my message and was en route as we spoke.
“Samantha didn’t know what she wanted. She wanted to be with me, but that brother of hers was always around, always calling. She couldn’t give me the time and attention I needed, because she was always taking care of Tony.”
“So, she broke up with you because of her brother and you wanted her back?” I asked, my eyes on Carmen.
“She wanted to be with me, she just couldn’t act like it. She just needed to see that I was more important than Tony. I could take care of her, give her the life she deserved. Her brother brought her nothing but trouble.”
“Is that what you were discussing that night at the pool? Her coming back to you?”
Carlton’s back was almost to the wall, and Bran was inching closer, but I didn’t like the way he was squeezing Carmen’s arm. She was utterly silent as she watched what was happening around her, and I worried that she was in some sort of shock.
Carlton bared his teeth and squeezed Carmen’s bicep hard enough for her to flinch, but she still didn’t utter a sound.
“Sammy wouldn’t listen to reason. She said she’d found a way to help Tony, that she was going to take him and move out of town. Move away from me … I couldn’t allow that to happen.”
“So you killed her,” I said, my voice even and calm, as if I were discussing the latest episode of Game of Thrones, rather than first-degree murder.
“It was an accident,” Carlton replied. “I was trying to make her see reason, but she was going to leave. She didn’t even want to listen to me, so I stopped her. We fell into the pool … and then, I held her there. I kept her still so she would listen to me.”
Carlton’s admission of guilt was all it took to shake Carmen from her trance. At the same time I heard the front door being busted in and Bea call out that the police were on the premises, Carmen busted out a move that Bran had taught us.
She lifted her leg and brought her heel down on Carlton’s foot, hard, then she swung her head back so that the back of her skull clocked Carlton right in the nose, and finally, she twisted, turning her arm so she could yank it out of Carlton’s grasp and bringing her knee up to catch him right in the nuts.
It was a proud moment.
After that everything seemed to happen in a flash. Bea and her officers entered the room and had Carlton against the wall and cuffed before I could blink, and Carmen crossed the room and ran straight in to Bran’s waiting arms.
Wait … what?
Bea looked at me, eyebrow raised, but I just shrugged and gaped at the couple standing next to me.
Carmen was visibly shaking in Bran’s arms, and he was holding her tightly, murmuring how proud he was of her.
I had a feeling they’d have a date planned by the end of the day.
“And then I walked up to him, poked my finger in his chest, and said, guess I found the fucker who did this to Sammy, and you sure as hell are gonna pay,” I recounted, smiling when everyone around me broke out in a cheer.
I was back at Cade’s compound, this time for a barbecue to celebrate Sledge no longer being a suspect in Samantha’s murder, and me catching the bad guy.
It was much better than the last barbecue I’d attended.
I was happily buzzed, with Cade’s arm around my waist. He’d introduced me to everyone officially as his Old Lady, solidifying my status as his woman in the eyes of the club. According to their rules, we were as good as married, and although that freaked me out a little, I had to admit, it felt fantastic.
“That’s so crazy,” Peaches, the woman who’d been kind enough to give me a ride home my last time here, said. “You’re so brave.”
I smiled happily at her, then tightened my arm around Cade to pull him closer.
When he leaned down to give me a kiss, I turned my face up to him, then sighed when he kissed me sweetly on the lips.
“You about ready to get out of here?” Cade asked, his eyes conveying that he was ready to go.
“You don’t need to stay?” I asked, wondering if there was some rule about attending celebrations when your VP was found not guilty of murder.
“Nope.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Before we could turn, Sledge stopped us and slung his arm around my shoulder.
“Thanks, Red, I owe you one.”
I smiled at my unlikely ally, then took Cade’s hand as we made our way around, saying goodbye to everyone. Once we were done, we walked outside of the compound, hopped on his bike, and headed back to his cabin.
The twins were with Eric for the weekend. He and Mary were going to tell them the big news of their engagement and start making plans for the wedding. Next weekend they’d be with me at Bea and Shannon’s reception, then the following week, we were bound for Hawaii.
I couldn’t wait.
I held on tight, loving the warm, strong feeling of Cade’s back against my torso and the wind in my hair as we wound our way to his house.
Once the bike was parked and turned off, I swung my leg over and waited for Cade so we could walk hand in hand up his walkway. I loved his cabin. It was secluded, lovely, and suited him perfectly.
I was surprised when I didn’t see Rufus waiting for us at the door; instead, I looked over to where we’d left CB’s kennel, and saw Rufus laying outside of the door, as if he were her protector. Or, maybe he just didn’t want her to feel lonely.
“Hey,” I called to the dogs, smiling when CB started barking loudly and Rufus slowly got up so that he was no longer blocking the entrance.
I let CB out, and she immediately ran to Rufus and started nipping at his legs, then ran back to me and yipped happily.
“Let’s get you outside,” I cooed, picking the little fur ball up to take her out back, Rufus right on my heels.
I placed the puppy on the grass, then moved to sit in one of the Adirondack chairs on Cade’s porch, to wat
ch her and Rufus play. A few minutes later, Cade came out and handed me a beer, then sat in the chair beside me.
“I love it out here,” I said, turning my head to smile at Cade. “I’ve missed it over the last few weeks.”
Cade nodded, and replied, “It’s peaceful.”
“I’m sorry that I’ve taken you away from it.”
Cade turned to me and said, “I’d rather have you than peace,” then took a sip of his beer.
Laughing, I replied, “That’s good, because with me and the twins, it’s one or the other.”
After a few minutes of watching the dogs in silence, I asked, “Is your family getting excited?”
“Yeah, my mom’s already planning out what she wants to do with you guys while we’re there,” Cade said with a grin. “Snorkeling with the kids, dolphin watching, canoeing … She’s even planning out what meals to make.”
“She doesn’t have to go to so much trouble.”
“She wants to,” he assured me. “She’s never gotten to fuss over a woman for me before. She’s been waiting for this for years.”
“And your dad?”
“He’ll probably want to take the kids out in the fishing boat, have them catch our dinner one night. And, we’ll surf. My dad surfs every morning.”
“I’ve never been surfing before,” I admitted, beginning to worry that Cade’s parents would be disappointed with me. Maybe they were hoping he’d fall for someone who lived on the island, so that he’d come back home permanently.
“I’ll teach you,” Cade promised, his free hand finding mine to hold it in the cool, dark night. “I can’t wait to show you everything.”
“You miss it?”
“I miss the easiness of it. It’s much more laid back, people move at a slower pace, enjoy the little moments. And, I miss my family.”
“I can’t wait to see it, see where you’re from,” I admitted, squeezing his hand slightly in mine.
“I think you’ll love it,” Cade said, a small smile on his face as he watched the dogs chase each other. “And, I know Elin and Lena will. It was the perfect place to grow up.”
“They’re crazy excited.”
Cade nodded, and then we just sat there. Enjoying the night with our hands clasped, beer on our lips, and the sound of happy barks filling the air.
I pulled my T-shirt down over the back of my jeans as I checked out the storefront for Cynthia’s Coffee and Books.
Since things had died down, I decided it was time to check out this new coffee shop that was taking all of the business in three counties.
The door jingled as I opened it and walked inside, my eyes sweeping back and forth as I tried to take it all in. One wall was floor-to-ceiling books, with cute little placards indicating what genre the books on the shelves were. The back of the store had large plush chairs with end tables and individual reading nooks, which were currently occupied with people reading books and drinking coffee. The other side had the coffee counter and a large glass display of different pastries. Breakfast, and dessert.
The register was next to the counter, and a tall, gorgeous brunette with flowing curls and a long, gypsy dress was taking money from the first in a line of customers as she smiled and laughed at whatever he’d said.
The lighting in the place was low, but not dark, and there were twinkling fairy lights hanging throughout the room. There was a small stage toward the front corner of the store, with an acoustic guitar propped up on a stand in the middle.
The overall vibe was kind of hipster, kind of hippie, and I absolutely loved it.
I walked closer to the pastry display, because I had to see what Cynthia had to offer, and let out a little gasp when I saw the giant cupcakes on display.
I was wiping the drool from the side of my mouth when I noticed the handwritten sign on top of the counter.
Register for a “library card” and your first cup is free.
No wonder people had been coming here instead of Starbucks or The Coffee Bean, since their first cup was free, and you got to drink it in this cool-ass store with big-ass cupcakes.
I got in line to register for a library card, get a free coffee, and maybe one of those cupcakes, when I saw a young teenaged boy dart out from across the room.
“Stop!” the woman behind the register called, but I knew she’d never be able to chase after the boy in time. Not in that dress, so I spun on my heel and ran after him.
The door chimed as I stepped outside and looked down the street. I turned my head to the left just in time to see the kid turn a corner and disappear. I took off, thankful to Bran for getting my ass into some semblance of shape.
I turned the corner and looked down the block, just as the teen climbed into a window of a house about four down from the corner. I assumed it was his home and kept after him, slowing as I got close, so the loud pounding of my footsteps wouldn’t alert him to my arrival.
I looked around the neighborhood, which was a little rundown, but still looked well-loved and populated, and noted that there were no cars in the driveway. Keeping my footsteps light, I eased up to the window, keeping my ears peeled for any sign of approach.
At first I didn’t understand what I was hearing. It sounded like slurping or someone getting slapped, so at first I was confused. I looked in the window just as he emitted a low moan, and I realized I was looking at a teenaged boy masturbate.
“Shit,” I muttered as I ducked below the window, thinking of how much trouble I’d be in for watching a kid choke his chicken.
I mean, it’s some sort of rape or something, isn’t it?
“What the fuck?” the boy yelled, and I looked up to see him staring down at me from the open window, a look of horror on his face.
After about a second, the horror turned to something else, and I knew he was getting turned on at the thought of being caught.
Great, I thought, a budding exhibitionist.
“Cover yourself,” I ordered, busting out my best mom voice as I stood and stepped to the side of the window, so as not to involuntarily see prepubescent junk.
“What are you doing?” the kid asked, luckily keeping himself mostly inside the house and covered.
I surmised he was about sixteen, with a shock of red hair and a smattering of freckles.
“What did you take from the store?” I asked, looking down the street and hoping no neighbors had called the cops on a perverted peeping tom.
“What?” Red asked, obliviously shocked that I’d followed him from the store.
“Give me what you took from the bookstore, and I won’t press charges,” I replied, eager to get the hell out of there. “If you give it to me, we won’t call the cops, or tell your parents.”
He ducked back inside for a minute. After two, I worried that he’d called my bluff, but a second later he was back, a stack of books in his hands.
“Jesus, how many times have you stolen from there?” I asked, then bit back a laugh when I saw it was a stack of historical romance novels, the covers portraying women in various stages of dress, bosoms heaving.
“Don’t tell my parents,” the kids begged, and I took pity on him, nodding and taking the books before walking down the driveway.
“Don’t steal again,” I called out, then added, “From anywhere. If I catch you again, I’ll tell your parents and the cops. That’s a promise.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he called, making me feel even more gross and creepy.
When I got back to the store, the brunette met me at the door, her eyes wide as she took in the stack in my arms.
“Wow,” she said, impressed. “You got them all back.”
“He was using them to, ah, pleasure himself, so you may want to check the pages before you put them back on the shelves.”
Her lip curled up slightly, then she threw her head back and laughed merrily.
“Where do you want them?” I asked, hoping there was nothing nasty on the outside of the books.
“Back here,” she said, and I followed her t
hrough a door in the back of the shop to where she had boxes and boxes of more stock stashed. “I can’t thank you enough. I couldn’t believe it when you took off after him. You’re my hero.”
I blushed, pleased, then held out my hands and introduced myself.
“I’m Lila, a local PI. It’s kind of my job to do that kind of stuff.”
“Cool, I really appreciate it. I’m Cynthia, proprietor of this store.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Cynthia. This is a really cool place you have here.”
“Well, Lila, as Coffee and Books resident hero, you get free coffee for life. My treat.”
“Really, that’s so sweet,” I replied.
Then she said, “I’ll even throw in a cupcake,” and I knew we’d be friends for life.
“And now, let’s have a big hand for Beatrice and Shannon Cooper!”
The room erupted in cheers as Bea and Shannon entered the reception hall. Bea was radiant in a white tuxedo with a pale pink vest, and Shannon was exquisite in her A-line wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline.
They were both smiling as if happiness was about to burst out of their fingertips.
I hugged Elin and Elena close to me as we watched their procession. Elin was tucked in to my left, Elena to my right. They looked downright adorable in their new suit and party dress, and they were excited to be at their first wedding reception. Especially since it was Bea and Shannon’s.
“Shannon looks so beautiful,” Elena said wistfully. “I want a wedding dress just like that when I grow up.”
“She sure does,” I agreed, unable to keep my eyes off my friends as they swung onto the dance floor and began the routine they’d been practicing diligently with a dance instructor.
Shannon had pressured Bea into doing it, but I knew Bea didn’t mind. They looked perfectly graceful as they spun around the floor.
“Now, Bea and Shannon would like to invite you all to join them on the dance floor.”
“May I have this dance?”
I looked up, surprised that Cade was asking. He’d agreed pretty readily to come with me to the reception, but I hadn’t thought he’d actually dance.