Gwen popped open her right eye.
“I’m resting.”
“So, I’m not going to find your laptop underneath the covers?”
Gwen decided it was best not to answer, but instead to draw his attention to a more important matter.
“Would you please hand me my planner?”
Gwen ignored the sharp look he shot her way as she carefully propped herself up on the pillow. She ran a hand through her hair, hoping that it was tame enough to go downstairs and pay a small visit to her family.
There was something that she needed to do first.
“You don’t need your planner or that laptop.”
“Yes, I do.” Gwen gave him a smile of innocence. “If you don’t go get it for me, you’ll force me to get out of bed and retrieve it myself.”
“Like I don’t know you’re thinking about walking downstairs right now,” Chad muttered, walking over to the leather bag he’d brought in from her Jeep after they’d gotten home from the hospital. “Stubborn, pigheaded, obstinate, tena—”
He most likely would have continued on like a thesaurus, but her plan to make him speechless had worked.
Last night, hearing those three words he’d uttered at a time when she’d been so close to breaking down had been a gift that she would treasure for the rest of her life. She hadn’t been given the chance to respond, but she was doing so now. She didn’t want to wait for everyone to leave, because their days hadn’t exactly been going as planned.
It was a good thing she jotted down her daily goals in pencil, though Chad was currently staring at the letters she’d written in black ink.
“What does it say I have to do at one-thirty this afternoon?” Gwen asked, having planned this down to the second. She’d noticed since zero eight hundred that he’d been checking on her every half hour…to the minute. The digital clock on her bedside read thirteen hundred hours. “It should be written on there.”
“Tell Chad Schaefer that I love him.” Chad read the words aloud, his voice thick with emotion. He cleared his throat as he continued making his way to the bed. “This is written in ink.”
“Yes, it is.” Gwen scooted over an inch so that he could sit with her on the bed. She did her best not to wince at the slight discomfort, knowing full well he’d fawn all over her and attempt to get her to stay in bed for the rest of the day. She leaned forward until her lips were inches from his. “I love you, Chad Schaeffer.”
“Are you sure that you don’t want to be with one of those city boys your mother used to brag about?” Chad asked, resting his forehead against hers.
“This was my mother’s dream. And mine, since you asked.” Gwen closed her eyes and savored the warmth of his lips when he pressed them against hers. He tasted of coffee. She wanted more, but her family was downstairs. Besides, they had all the time in the world. “And who would finish my list of things to do to the house?”
Chad’s shoulders rocked when he tried to stop his laughter.
“Seriously, it’s a never-ending list. You might as well move in and reap the benefits of your handiwork.”
“Oops.” Lance was standing in the doorway with his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. You were taking so long we thought there might be something wrong.”
“He’s the baby of the family,” Gwen explained with an apologetic expression, taking another kiss from Chad before shooing him off the bed. She did take his hand for some leverage as she climbed off the mattress, grateful that she’d worn a pair of shorts and t-shirt to bed last night. “He never did have any patience to speak of.”
“Gwen, maybe you should—”
She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. She didn’t want to hear him say she should be an invalid. That wasn’t going to happen, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t wait on her hand and foot. She deepened their kiss, lifting her left arm around his neck while minding her right.
“You win,” Lance declared, backing up and heading down the hallway. “I’m out.”
“What I’d really like is some coffee,” Gwen whispered, looking up at Chad to force him to see that she was okay. “Please.”
Chad sighed in acceptance, tossing the planner on the bed. It landed with a thud, right on top of her laptop that she’d stuffed underneath the comforter. She didn’t have to glance up at him to know that he was shooting daggers her way.
“And maybe one of those pain tablets the doc gave us last night.”
“That’s cheating,” Chad berated, letting her take him by the hand anyway and guide him down the stairs behind Lance. The delicious smell of bacon became stronger with each step. “One hour. Then back to bed.”
“Only if you join me,” Gwen replied, raising her eyebrows up and down in unison as she teased about what the afternoon could hold. He’d given her one hour, and she would make the best of it. There was information she wanted from one person in particular. “Where’s Mitch?”
“Mitch is outside on the phone,” Gus replied, coming over to Gwen and gently kissing her forehead. “How are you doing, pipsqueak?”
“I’m fine, Dad. Just a few stitches.” Gwen tensed a bit, wondering if Chad would let her get away with understating her wound. The stroke of his hand leaving her back as he walked over to the coffee pot had her breathing a bit easier. “I just wish my aim had been a bit better.”
“From the sound of it, your aim was just fine. He shifted at the last second, but you still managed to clip him.” Jace was sitting on one of the barstools that she’d ordered and expected to receive this morning. Chad must have put them together, and the cream cushions looked exceptional against the oak wood. “Let’s hope forensics can pull some DNA on the slug.”
“How long is Agent Thorne expecting that to take?” Gwen asked, shaking her head when Shae was going to slide off her stool. “I need to stand a bit, Shae. But thank you.”
Chad set a hot cup of coffee in front of her with a floating ice cube shrinking into nothing rather quickly, all the while standing close enough that his warmth soaked into her. She rested her left hip against him in comfort, not missing the small white oval pill he’d set alongside the mug.
“A couple of weeks, maybe more depending on the size of the sample,” Mitch responded, turning everyone’s head as he joined them in the kitchen. “How are you feeling, sis?”
“Angry that he got away,” Gwen answered honestly, scanning the faces of her family. Her father’s wrinkles were a little deeper than yesterday, while Noah was being way too quiet standing in the corner of the kitchen. Lance was at the stove making eggs and bacon, while Brynn was at the refrigerator pulling out the orange juice. Reese was setting the table, though it wasn’t big enough to seat all of her siblings and their significant others. That would explain the plates on the counter, but more importantly, it signified that they’d all banded together once more. “Tell me you found something, Mitch.”
“Nothing we don’t already know.” Mitch had walked to the other end of the island and leaned his palms against the granite. “The perp knows this area like the back of his hand. We’ve pieced together from what Chad told us about his hit and run that it was done on purpose. Unless a person is from the area, he or she would not know about the dead zone about an hour out from here. Delaying his return to town was done with intent, just as was Chester and Sheila’s accident. Their vehicle was run off the road and into the utility pole that specifically took out the grid on the east part of town.”
“It was the only way he was going to get me to enter the house without being suspicious of the lights being out.”
“Exactly,” Mitch responded, giving Brynn a smile when she set a glass of orange juice in front of him. “You contacted me, I told you the reason for the power outage, and that caused you to feel safe entering your home. All the events leading up to your attack were created with the intent of being able to abduct you without any undue suspicion.”
“Why me?” It made no sense. Gwen could see that the others were struggling to find answer
s. “Didn’t Agent Thorne say the profile indicated this psychopath only targets women who aren’t happy with their home life? Everyone who knows me knows how much I love each and every one of you.”
“Which is why I’m calling in a favor,” Mitch confessed, glancing toward the stove. “I got her voicemail, but I’m going to have a friend come out and see if we can get an update on that profile Agent Thorne gave us a few weeks ago.”
“I thought your friend couldn’t join Agent Thorne’s team because of some political issue within the Bureau.” Gwen finally picked up the little white pill. The longer she stood, the more her wound began to ache. She needed this time with her family more than she needed her rest. “Has that changed?”
“No, but we’ll work around that.” Mitch picked up the glass and drained half the contents. “In the meantime, we’ve taken your description and released it to the press.”
“A lot of good that will do you,” Gwen muttered, wanting to close her eyes and enjoy the effects of the white pill. She knew full well that the pain medicine would take at least twenty minutes to reach her system, but the rich coffee made it seem almost instant. “I wasn’t able to provide you much. Just height and build. I didn’t see his face. He could be one of my neighbors, and I wouldn’t know it.”
“You provided the police with more information than I could.” Shae lifted her cup in a salute. “I wasn’t much help at all.”
“You both contributed to this investigation,” Mitch corrected over the other rebuttals from the rest of the crew. The ringing of his phone signaled that his wait was over. “Go ahead and start eating. I’ll join you in a minute.”
They all remained silent as Mitch walked out of the kitchen and toward the front door, worry etched in his face much like that of their father. The new sheriff didn’t like being made a fool of and it was only a matter of time before retribution was had. Gwen wished she’d been able to dish it out for him, but that chance had passed.
“You’d make me feel better if you’d sit down.”
“Then I’ll sit,” Gwen relented, giving Chad some peace of mind. “But only if you join me.”
She had a feeling he’d put together the stools as a way to keep his mind off of what could have been. She hadn’t missed the throw pillows placed strategically on the couch in the living room, either. Chad had kept himself busy, but she had other ways to do that for both of them later this afternoon.
There was one thing she wanted to put on her schedule tomorrow.
“Dad?”
Gwen reached out to capture his hand when he would have gone to sit at the table. He immediately stopped, and she understood then that he would have given her the world in that moment if he could have.
That’s what parents did for their children.
But she had something simpler in mind, and something that was long overdue.
“Maybe after work tomorrow we could take a walk over to the cemetery?” Gwen squeezed his hand, hoping that he’d recognize that she’d finally come to terms with her past decisions. “I’d really like to visit with Mom.”
Gus had to swallow a couple of times before answering, but he nodded his head. She was once again rewarded with a kiss on the forehead before he joined the others at the table. It took another minute before she could speak herself.
“Chad?”
“I’m right here, city girl.”
Gwen turned around, right into his open embrace. She lifted her left hand, not surprised when he realized that she wanted to ask him something private. He leaned down closer, searching her gaze to give him some idea of what she was about to say.
“Did you happen to look at the time I blocked out in the planner for later this afternoon?”
“I did,” Chad murmured, the warmth of his breath making promises that she fully intended to make sure he kept. “Did I happen to mention I’m getting myself a planner? And every day from here on out is going to include…”
Gwen laughed out loud when Chad continued to let her in on his plans…in colorful detail. All of this could have been taken away from her last night, but fate had seen to it that her family had remained intact. It could very well have been her mother, watching out for all of them from above. It was impossible to know the reason, but there was one irrefutable fact—Gwen was finally home where she belonged.
~ The End ~
It’s hard to believe that the Keys to Love series is coming to an end, but the last book—Unlocking Darkness—will be in your hands soon! Click below for all the exciting details!
CLICK HERE
USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne brings you the thrilling conclusion to the Keys to Love series that will leave you wondering…who can you truly trust?
Mitch Kendall was welcomed home after sixteen years by a murder investigation that plagued every member of his family. He wanted the dark cloud lifted that hung over his return, so he did the only thing he could—he called in a favor from an old friend.
Allie Delaney spent most of her adult life building her career as a special investigator solving cold cases for the New York Police Department. She loves her city and would never consider leaving the bright lights, but she was willing to take a well-deserved vacation to pay back an old friend.
While Mitch and Allie work together to hunt down a rural serial killer, their attraction spirals out of control. As they begin to mix business with an intense pleasure, they draw nearer to a malevolence that has been secreted away for over a decade. They might find themselves wishing the sins of the past had stayed buried when the evil in the darkness reaches out for them.
Books by Kennedy Layne
Office Roulette Series
Means (Office Roulette, Book One)
Motive (Office Roulette, Book Two)
Opportunity (Office Roulette, Book Three)
Keys to Love Series
Unlocking Fear (Keys to Love, Book One)
Unlocking Secrets (Keys to Love, Book Two)
Unlocking Lies (Keys to Love, Book Three)
Unlocking Shadows (Keys to Love, Book Four)
Unlocking Darkness (Keys to Love, Book Five)
Surviving Ashes Series
Essential Beginnings (Surviving Ashes, Book One)
Hidden Ashes (Surviving Ashes, Book Two)
Buried Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Three)
Endless Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Four)
Rising Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Five)
CSA Case Files Series
Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files 1)
Sinful Resurrection (CSA Case Files 2)
Renewed Faith (CSA Case Files 3)
Campaign of Desire (CSA Case Files 4)
Internal Temptation (CSA Case Files 5)
Radiant Surrender (CSA Case Files 6)
Redeem My Heart (CSA Case Files 7)
A Mission of Love (CSA Case Files 8)
Red Starr Series
Starr’s Awakening(Red Starr, Book One)
Hearths of Fire (Red Starr, Book Two)
Targets Entangled (Red Starr, Book Three)
Igniting Passion (Red Starr, Book Four)
Untold Devotion (Red Starr, Book Five)
Fulfilling Promises (Red Starr, Book Six)
Fated Identity (Red Starr, Book Seven)
Red’s Salvation (Red Starr, Book Eight)
The Safeguard Series
Brutal Obsession (The Safeguard Series, Book One)
Faithful Addiction (The Safeguard Series, Book Two)
Distant Illusions (The Safeguard Series, Book Three)
Casual Impressions (The Safeguard Series, Book Four)
Honest Intentions (The Safeguard Series, Book Five)
Deadly Premonitions (The Safeguard Series, Book Six)
About the Author
First and foremost, I love life. I love that I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister… and a writer.
I am one of the lucky women in this world who gets to do what makes them happy. As long as I have a cup of coffee
(maybe two or three) and my laptop, the stories evolve themselves and I try to do them justice. I draw my inspiration from a retired Marine Master Sergeant that swept me off of my feet and has drawn me into a world that fulfills all of my deepest and darkest desires. Erotic romance, military men, intrigue, with a little bit of kinky chili pepper (his recipe), fill my head and there is nothing more satisfying than making the hero and heroine fulfill their destinies.
Thank you for having joined me on their journeys…
Email:
[email protected]
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Twitter:
twitter.com/KennedyL_Author
Website:
www.kennedylayne.com
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www.kennedylayne.com/newslettertext.html
Unlocking Shadows (Keys to Love, Book Four) Page 19
