“Like hell,” Trevor said into her ear.
Ignoring Trevor, Risa lowered her arms. “There’s no reason to hold Wendy hostage. I’m here. What do you want?”
“You know what I want,” he said, spittle flying from his mouth. “I want my family back. I want my precious Rhonda back.” He waved the gun in Risa’s direction. “You ruined my life. You killed my wife.”
“Mr. Compton, put the gun down, and we can talk. I’m sorry about your wife. I did everything—”
“Bullshit,” he yelled. “If I’d had money, you’d have cured her. You let her die because I couldn’t pay you for the drugs only rich people get.”
“You can’t reason with him, honey,” Trevor said into her ear. “Step a little to your left.”
“I am so very sorry about your wife, but I did everything I could for her.” She moved a couple of inches to her left as though nervous, which of course, she was. Given how bad her knees were shaking, she was surprised she was standing, much less able to follow directions.
Mr. Compton’s face crumpled. “My sweet Rhonda was my reason for living. Without her, I have nothing.”
“You have your children, Mr. Compton. They need you.”
He shook his head, his long, greasy hair coming loose from the ponytail at his neck. “My kids don’t need me. I’m no good without Rhonda.”
As soon as she’d seen him, she’d realized he’d been the man following her the day she’d gone into Manfrey’s to pick up the necklace. He’d changed in the year since his wife died. He’d been a clean-cut salesman back then. Now, he looked as though he hadn’t bathed in weeks. The stench from his clothing wafted toward her. It took all her acting skills to not flinch at the smell.
“I can’t bring your wife back, but let me help you.” Risa took a step toward him, her hand extended.
“Stop right there,” Compton said.
Risa froze. “Okay. Then why are we here? Now. Tonight.”
“I’ve seen you on television, promising to help people like my Rhonda. Lying and taking their money. The only way you’ll understand what you’ve done to me and hundreds of others is for you to feel what I’m feeling.” His lips lifted in a sneer. “I’m going to kill the one person you love most in the world, and you’re going to watch. Watch her life fade away just like I had to watch my Rhonda’s life fade, because you didn’t care. You didn’t save her.”
“Step left,” Trevor said in her ear. “Now.”
Risa scooted to her left.
“I said don’t move,” Compton shouted.
“I can’t help it,” Risa said, wringing her hands for extra effect. “I’m nervous, and when I’m nervous, I rock back and forth.” She demonstrated by moving a little more to her left. When she did, Compton jerked Wendy around so that both he and Wendy were still in front of Risa.
“Trust me, sweetheart,” Trevor said. “Drop to the floor when I say ‘go.’ If you understand me, say something to Wendy now.”
“Wendy, I love you,” Risa said.
“Now,” Trevor said. “Go.”
Risa fell to the floor like a puppet whose strings were cut. At the same time, a loud blast from a gun echoed in the hall. Wendy dropped to the floor in a heap.
Chapter Nine
The Wee Hours of Sunday Morning
Risa took a sip of hot coffee and shivered, not from any cold temperature but from the adrenaline still filling her cells. She glanced at Wendy beside her, and the tears flowed again.
“You’ve got to stop crying.” Wendy draped her arm around Risa. “I’m okay.”
“I almost got you killed.”
“Not your fault.” Wendy hugged her.
“I knew Mr. Compton was falling apart. I completely underestimated how far unstrung he’d become.”
“No one else did either. Not his parents, nor his in-laws. I’m sorry that he died. His poor children.”
Risa leaned into Wendy. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Wendy squeezed her sister’s shoulder. “I’ll always be a pain in your ass. Trust me.”
Risa chuckled softly.
Trevor joined them in the living room, stowing his phone inside his pocket. “We’ll need to go down to the police station on Monday and sign our statements, but it’s a closed case.”
He sat beside Risa, who turned toward him and slugged his arm. “I can’t believe you shot him with Wendy standing right there. You could have hit her.”
“I didn’t.”
“But you could have.”
“I told you to trust me, babe,” he said, one corner of his mouth lifting. “I’m good.”
Risa growled and lifted her coffee back to her mouth.
“Look at tonight this way,” Wendy said with a wide smile. “The Breast Cancer Gala raised more money this year than in the last two years combined.”
Risa’s shoulders relaxed. “Isn’t that wonderful? Think of all the women we can help.”
“So, what’s next for you?” Wendy asked Trevor.
He hugged Risa to his side. “I’m seeing all the Dallas Cowboy games with my dad and my brother in a fancy box next season.” He kissed Risa. “Thank you. Dad was beyond thrilled.”
“Thank you for letting me do this for you…and your dad.”
“Not that,” Wendy said. “I mean, where are you going next? This case is over.”
“We still have to get that damn necklace out of here and to the museum.”
Risa fingered the pink stone. “You mean this one?” she said, widening her eyes in innocence. “No rush. It’s only worth a couple of thousand.”
Trevor frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t think I’m crazy enough to wear a necklace worth twenty or so million dollars, do you? This is a copy. The real one’s in the vault at Manfrey’s.”
“What?” Trevor yelled. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have saved a fortune in manpower hours.”
Risa gave him a beatific smile. “But you ended up needing them.”
Wendy lifted the heavy necklace to study it. “How do you know this one is fake? It looks so real.”
“Easy.” Risa removed the necklace and handed it to Wendy. “Look at the pink stone closest to the clasp. See it?”
“Yep.”
“In the real necklace, that stone is a white diamond. In the copy, it’s a pink stone. Because that stone is fairly hidden by the clasp, it’s not that noticeable.”
Trevor rubbed his face. “I swear, clearing landmine fields is an easier job than understanding women.”
Risa patted his arm, enjoying his consternation. “But less dangerous.”
“I’m not sure.”
Wendy stood and handed the necklace back to Risa. She lifted the buzzing cellphone from the end table. “Mom and Dad are on the way up. I’m going out to the hall to head them off and take them to my place. I think Trevor will melt if Mom keeps kissing him.” Wendy leaned over and kissed Trevor’s cheek. “I’m thinking you’re going to be around for a while, right?”
Trevor glanced at Risa then back to Wendy. “Yeah.”
Once they were alone, Risa snuggled into Trevor’s side. “What a night.”
He shook his head. “You were pretty awesome.”
“So were you,” she said softly. Now that the danger was past, she liked how solid and safe he felt against her.
“I know trusting me with your sister’s life was hard for you.”
“Not really.” She looked up at him. “Don’t you get it? I love you. You hold my heart in your hands. I trust you with everything.”
He sighed. “Sometimes, I don’t think I deserve you.”
“You don’t.”
He chuckled.
“But you’re stuck with me,” she said, tilting her chin.
“Is that a threat?” he asked with a grin.
“I let you walk away fifteen years ago. I didn’t fight for us then, but I’m older and smarter now. I hope you are, too.”
“You know I’ll always b
e uncomfortable with your money.”
She frowned. “Yeah, but I don’t understand. Why is it a problem for you?”
“Take this necklace.” He lifted it. “Not only couldn’t I ever afford the original, paying a few thousand for a copy would stretch my budget. I want to be able to give you the world, but I don’t need to since you can afford to get anything you want without me.”
She shook her head and let out a breath. “Oh, Trevor. You’re so wrong. Only you can give me what I want.”
His eyebrows lowered a bit, and his expression went still. “And that is?”
“Your love. There isn’t enough money in the world that could buy your love. You’re so honest and true. If you were a man who could be bought, don’t you think you would have taken my dad’s offer to fund your college?”
He shook his head. “I couldn’t do that.”
“I know. I understand that now. I didn’t then. Having him pay your tuition seemed like the answer or staying on scholarship and letting me pay for our dates.” She shook her head. “You knew your worth back then even if neither of us understood that.” She pulled her legs up and got on her knees beside him on the couch. “You’re more valuable than every dollar I have in my trust fund. I love that you love me for me.”
“I do love you, although you drive me crazy at times.”
She smiled. “I know.” She let her gaze drop to his chest. “Do you know when I knew that you loved me?”
“When?”
She raised her head to lock with his intense gaze. “When you left for the Navy. You told me you needed to find your way in the world. A man who could be influenced by my money wouldn’t have joined the military, much less the SEALs.” She chuckled softly. “I was so furious when I heard about the SEALs. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t study. Even though I logically understood, emotionally, I was a wreck. I thought if I wrote you that letter and wrote you out of my life, I could move on.” She rested her forehead against his. “I never moved on because there’ll never be another man for me other than you.”
He kissed her. “I would slay dragons for you,” he said, his voice roughening.
“You did.” She kissed him back.
“One question.”
“Shoot.”
“Do I get to pick out your engagement ring?”
She smiled. “If you insist. Is that a proposal?”
He kissed her, this time deeply, holding her tightly to his chest. “No. That wasn’t a proposal.”
He released her and slid to the floor on one knee. “This is.” He took her hand. “I love you, Risa McCool. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you marry me?”
His eyes were so serious. His mouth, his beautiful mouth, pulled into a nervous straight line as he waited for her answer.
“I will if you’ll give me something else I cannot buy.”
He rolled his eyes. “You have my love, what else do you want?”
She laid her hand on her abdomen. “I want your baby, our baby.”
“Oh, darling, I’ll give you a dozen children if that’s what you want.”
She wrinkled her nose. “We’ll start with one.”
He smiled. “I hope it’s a girl, and that she’s just as stubborn and wonderful as her mom.”
She laughed and threw herself into his arms. Happiness flowed through her, warming her all the way to her toes. They’d taken years to come full circle, and oh, the wait was worth it.
Trevor stood and hugged her, then turned slowly in a circle as they both laughed.
All the money in her trust fund could never equal the worth of this moment. The love of one good, honest man gave her riches beyond measure.
Photo by Tom Smarch
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Cynthia D’Alba was born and raised in a small Arkansas town. After being gone for a number of years, she’s thrilled to be making her home back in Arkansas living on the banks of an eight-thousand acre lake.
When she’s not reading or writing or plotting, she’s doorman for her spoiled border collie, cook, housekeeper and chief bottle washer for her husband and slave to a noisy, messy parrot. She loves to chat online with friends and fans.
Send snail mail to: Cynthia D’Alba PO Box 2116 Hot Springs, AR 71914
Or better yet! She would for you to take her newsletter. She promises not to spam you, not to fill your inbox with advertising, and not to sell your name and email address to anyone. Check her website for a link to her newsletter.
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SEALs in Paradise Series
Hot SEAL, Salty Dog
by Elle James
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Hot SEAL, S*x on the Beach
by Delilah Devlin
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Hot SEAL, Red Wine
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Hot SEAL, Cold Beer
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Hot SEAL, Rusty Nail
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Hot SEAL, Single Malt
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Read on for excerpts from
Whispering Springs, Texas books
by
Cynthia D’Alba
TEXAS TWO STEP
Whispering Springs, Texas Book 1 ©2012 Cynthia D’Alba
Secrets are little time-bombs just waiting to explode.
After six years and too much self-recrimination, rancher Mitch Landry admits he was wrong. He left Olivia Montgomery. Now he’ll do whatever it take to convince Olivia to give him a second chance.
Olivia Montgomery survived the break-up with the love of her life. She’s rebuilt her life around her business and the son she loves more than life itself. She’s not proud of the mistakes she’s made—particularly the secret she’s kept—but when life serves up manure, you use it to mold yourself into something better.
At a hot, muggy Dallas wedding, they reconnect, and now she’s left trying to protect the secret she’s held on to for all these years.
* * *
Read on for an excerpt:
The woman stood on tiptoe in the baggage-claim area of the Dallas/Fort Worth airport looking for all the world like someone who’d been sent to collect the devil. Mitch Landry had expected Wes or one of the other groomsmen to come for him. Instead, his gaze found a statuesque blonde arching up on her toes, a white T-shirt with Jim’s Gym in black script stretched across her lushly curved breasts and long tanned legs extending from tight denim shorts. His heart stumbled then roared into a gallop.
Blood rushed from his brain to below his waist. His nostrils flared in a deep breath, as though he could smell her unique fragrance across the crowded lobby.
She hadn’t looked in his direction yet, which gave him an unfettered opportunity to study her without having to camouflage his reactions.
No make-up covered her creamy rose complexion, not that she needed any. Not then and not now. No eye shadow was required to bring out the deep blue of her eyes. Nor did her mouth need any enhancement. Her lips radiated a natural pink, although the bottom one grew redder as her upper
teeth gnawed on it.
Six years had passed since he’d seen Olivia Montgomery, but he’d swear she was more beautiful today. She had an appeal that came only with age and maturity. A smile edged onto his mouth. He was surprised—pleasantly surprised—to admit how glad he was to see her.
He watched as her glare bounced around the room, searching faces until it fell on him. As a look of resignation flashed across her face, she frowned.
His smile faded. Not exactly the reaction he’d hoped for.
TEXAS TANGO
Whispering Springs,Texas, Book 2 © 2013 Cynthia D’Alba
Sex in a faux marriage can make things oh so real.
Dr. Caroline Graham is happy with her nomadic lifestyle fulfilling short-term medical contracts. No emotional commitments, no disappointments. She's always the one to walk away, never the one left behind. But now her grandmother is on her deathbed, more concerned about Caroline's lack of a husband than her own demise. What's the harm in a little white lie? If a wedding will give her grandmother peace, then a wedding she shall have.
Widower Travis Montgomery devotes his days to building the ranch he and his late wife planned before he lost her to breast cancer. The last piece of acreage he needs is controlled by a lady with a pesky need of her own. Do her a favor and he can have the land. She needs a quick, temporary, faux marriage in exchange for the acreage.
It’s a total win-win situation until events begin to snowball and they find, instead of playacting, they’ve put their hearts at risk.
Read on for an excerpt:
Friday afternoon, Travis Montgomery pulled his truck under the only shade tree in the Montgomery and Montgomery Law Offices parking lot. He hoped his brother had some news for him about Fitzgerald’s place. After ten years of unsuccessfully trying to get Old Man Fitzgerald to sell, Singing Springs Ranch would finally be his. He could feel it in his bones.
Hot SEAL, Black Coffee Page 10
