A Dark Horse

by Cooper, Blayne

  And then Landry was gone.

  Natalie wanted to unzip Adele’s skin and climb inside. She couldn’t get close enough, but she settled for gently wrapping an arm around her waist.

  Adele glanced back in the direction of Al’s body, but not directly at it. She had to clear her throat a few times before she could speak. “There is no payment big enough for what he’s done.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Three days later…

  Adele and Natalie waved goodbye to Adele’s lawyer, one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the state of Louisiana, courtesy of Adele’s parents, as they exited the police station. They climbed into the backseat of Amelia’s car so they could sit together.

  “Bastards,” Amelia seethed, sending a death glare to the building and its occupants, as she slammed down on her accelerator and pulled away from the curb.

  Natalie couldn’t agree more. The moment Adele had been discharged from the hospital she was taken into police custody for questioning. Eighteen grueling hours later, she was released without being charged for Al’s death.

  Amelia asked whether they wanted to be taken to Ella’s inn or the rental carriage house. Exhausted and ambivalent, Natalie just shrugged, but Adele immediately selected the carriage house.

  Amelia made a U-turn, and Natalie laid a hand on Adele’s knee and began to trace a lazy pattern with the tip of her finger. She snuggled deeper into the buttery leather seats, and began to replay the last three days in her mind.

  The first forty-eight hours after the shootings were a blur of doctors, nurses and police interviews, with plenty of breaks in between for each woman to sit in her own hospital room on separate floors, miss the other, and watch the local news in awe. Lieutenant Peter Xavier had been arrested the same night as Al’s death, and the press gobbled up the story.

  The next morning, Xavier was found hanging dead in his holding cell from a state-issued blanket. So far the police were calling it a probable suicide. And just like that, everything changed again, and the twisted trail of corruption that had only just begun to come to light, was plunged back into darkness.

  All hell broke loose at the NOPD, and Natalie couldn’t even find it in herself to be surprised or care. So long as Adele was alive and free, none of the rest really mattered. They needed time to heal and figure out what would happen next. Now it finally appeared that they would have it.

  Natalie’s lower lip was treated with a butterfly bandage rather than the stitches she’d predicted, but she did have a concussion. It was diagnosed as mild to moderately severe, and because it was Natalie’s second head injury recently, her doctors were extremely concerned.

  After two-and-half days of close monitoring, good test results, and nearly having to tie her to the bed to keep her from sneaking out to visit Adele, Natalie was released from the Tulane University hospital. She was now free to take the elevator two floors down and openly spend her time in Adele’s hospital room.

  Adele had surgery to repair the bullet wound and its damage. The round had struck her basilic vein, but missed her humerus and the most critical nerves. Still, she faced at least eight weeks with her arm in a sling and physical therapy to deal with the muscle damage. Even worse, this was the arm she needed to use her cane.

  It was going to be a long, hard winter, and while Adele was grateful to be alive, to Natalie’s eyes, she was struggling. She’d overheard one of Adele’s nurses asking if Adele had ever talked to someone about PTSD. Adele’s negative response had been blunt and definitive. And Natalie knew that, for a while at least, she might need to have enough faith in Adele and her recovery for the both of them.

  Then there was the sensation of dread that had been brewing in Natalie since the first morning she woke up in her hospital room all alone. It left her slightly ill and hollow. The solitude of the empty room was quiet agony. It reminded her of the way she awoke every day back home. How had she learned to crave something so different in such a short amount of time? This new sense of belonging and connection seemed so critical to her very survival that she didn’t know how she was going to get along without it.

  As the car smoothly navigated the streets of the Garden District, Adele gently nudged Natalie with her shoulder. Her voice was low, the words for Natalie’s ears only. “What are you thinking about? You look so serious.”

  “I’m thinking that if I never see the inside of a police station or hospital again, it will be too soon. I’m thinking about…everything.” Natalie rubbed her temples with her fingertips, the dull headache she’d had for the past three days only just starting to fade. “I still can’t believe what happened.”

  Adele stared out the car window, her smile strained. “You and me both.”

  Natalie saw the start of tears in Adele’s eyes and was certain it would be her undoing. Adele both warmed her heart and broke her heart at the same time. She took Adele’s hand and brought it to her mouth, kissing the palm and resting it against her cheek. “I know you’re a little lost right now, but please let me help you find your way back.”

  Adele’s watery gaze looked skyward, then back at Natalie. “I’d really like that.”

  “You solved Josh’s murder and got justice for Crisco and Misty, too. I’m so, so proud of you. Anyone at the NOPD who doubted you is going to know just how wrong he or she was. They lost the best when they lost you, and they all know it. Take your moment, Ella. It’s well deserved.”

  Adele actually looked a little embarrassed. “You might be a little biased.”

  “You saved my life and you’re pretty much my own personal hero. I’m a lot biased. But that doesn’t mean I’m not right.”

  “I just wish I could have managed to do it without getting myself shot.” Lovingly, she traced Natalie’s bottom lip with the pad of her thumb taking extra care around a cut that was already nearly healed. “And without you getting hurt.” She frowned. “Plus you were up all night at the police station waiting for me when you should have been in bed. You need to rest.”

  “I wouldn’t have slept while you were at the station anyway. Besides, starting right now the both of us are going to rest and heal. It’s just going to take a while. Maybe we can all finally stop looking backward and just move forward?”

  An unexpected, eager look dropped years away from Adele’s face and put a twinkle in her eyes that Natalie hadn’t seen for too long. “Forward sounds really good.”

  The corner of Natalie’s mouth quirked as she nodded. “To me, too.”

  “Besides, we make a great team.”

  A team. Natalie’s stomach sank like a stone. A team whose members had put down roots in cities a thousand miles apart. Like it or not, she did have a life back home and Adele’s was here and included a business and a child. She needed this to work. She needed them to work. But how?

  Adele shifted in obvious discomfort and adjusted her sling.

  Natalie checked the clock on her cell phone, torn between willing time to stand still and wanting to push it forward for Adele’s sake. Today was Adele’s first day off prescription pain meds, and the transition to simple ibuprofen obviously hurt. “You can have a tablet in just a half an hour more.”

  Adele nodded, her mouth set in a grim but determined line.

  Amelia, who had been uncharacteristically silent during the drive, slowly eased down the white stone driveway of the rented carriage house and stopped as close to the stairs leading up to the apartment as she dared. “Okay,” she announced, shifting the car into park. “Here we are. Mama figured you’d want to spend at least one more day here until Logan comes home tomorrow, so she put on fresh sheets and brought by some milk and food this morning.”

  Natalie unbuckled her seat belt then reached over and helped Adele by unbuckling hers. “But how did she—?”

  “She knows everything,” Adele told Natalie seriously, shivering as though someone just walked across her grave. “Just leave it at that, or you’ll drive yourself mad wondering.”

  Amelia nodded furious
ly. “Our witchy motherly powers aren’t nearly as advanced yet.”

  Natalie chuckled, thinking that she’d like to witness this nascent witchy power in Adele herself.

  Adele leaned forward to grasp Amelia’s shoulder. “Thanks for the ride, sis. See you soon?”

  Amelia reached over her shoulder and patted Adele’s hand. “Landry mentioned he was bringing Logan back late morning tomorrow. I was thinking of bringing your nieces by tomorrow in the late afternoon or early evening. That will give you time to open Christmas gifts with Logan and still let the kids play together before it gets too late. What do you think?”

  Adele nibbled the corner of her mouth and turned to Natalie. “Natalie, what do you think?”

  Natalie blinked a few times. “About what?”

  Adele’s smile was gentle. “About what Amelia suggested. It would mean having three little girls plus Logan all hyped up on Christmas candy running through the inn tomorrow afternoon and evening.”

  Suddenly this felt like a test. And Natalie had no idea what the right answer was. She wrung her hands together. Adele needed to rest. On the other hand, time with people who unconditionally loved her was probably better than medicine. “I-I…it’s up to you.”

  “I know it is,” Adele said patiently. “But I’m asking your opinion. It might get kind of loud and with your head and all…”

  “I’ll be fine.” Any chance for Adele to continue to reconnect with her family, Natalie decided, was too good to pass up. She was grateful, but felt a twinge of nervousness that Adele had cracked the door open for her to play a tiny role in anything that had to do with Logan. “Let the kids come. After picking out the Christmas trees, it’s obvious they’re dying to spend more time with you. Besides, the inn is plenty big and I can make myself scarce, if necessary.”

  The skin around Adele’s eyes tightened and her voice dropped to a deeper register. “I don’t want you to be scarce.”

  The intensity of Adele’s expression caused Natalie to sit up a little straighter. “Then I won’t. Logan would like to play with the girls, right?”

  Adele nodded.

  “Then the answer is easy. Christmas should be spent with family.”

  Adele frowned a little at that, but said, “Okay.”

  Amelia finally exhaled, looking supremely satisfied. “Good. I’ll see you both then.” She patted Adele’s hand once more. “Now get inside and into bed.”

  Adele rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Amelia? It’s the middle of the day. I think I can decide when I’m sleepy and when I’m not.”

  Natalie had no idea why Adele was stubbornly protesting. She’d been up all night being questioned by the police, and then spent the morning repeatedly yawning. She was clearly dead on her feet.

  “You’re all banged up, and you look wretched.” Amelia scowled at her sister. “Well, you look wretched. Natalie just looks adorably worn out. So no shaggin’ each other’s brains out until you’re at least semi-recuperated. I am not spending another night in the hospital waiting room because of your lack of self-control, Ella.”

  “Amelia!” Adele groaned, covering her eyes with one hand.

  Natalie felt her face grow hot.

  “What?” Amelia waved off her sister’s concern. “Just continue with the eye-sex that you two have apparently perfected. That’s nice and safe.”

  Natalie burst out laughing.

  “O-kay,” Adele pushed open the door, “time to go inside. I apologize for my family, Nat. They’re barbarians.” She stood with a soft moan.

  “They’re wonderful,” Natalie countered a little wistfully as she exited the car. She already adored Amelia. And while in the hospital she’d spent a little more time with Adele’s reserved but sweet younger brother Jackson. She’d met Adele’s parents yesterday. They were levelheaded and a bit more serious than both Amelia and Adele, but also involved, openly supportive, and so warm that just talking with them felt like being wrapped in a loving hug. In short, they were the type of parents she had absolutely no experience with. That reminded her, she needed to call her mother. “You don’t know how blessed you are.”

  “Yeah, Adele,” Amelia piped up from her open car window, grinning like mad. “You’re blessed. And don’t be such a prude. There’s nothing wrong with a little good old-fashioned eye-fu—”

  “I know how lucky I am,” Adele broke in. Her eyes met Amelia’s and they traded knowing grins.

  With a wave, Amelia drove away.

  Natalie fell into stride alongside Adele for the few paces to the stairs, then wrapped an arm around Adele’s slender waist to help her walk. She carried a small bag of things they’d accumulated while in the hospital and that Georgia had supplied. Natalie opened the door and peered inside…and gaped. “Holy…”

  “Christmas.” Adele let go of a contented sigh as she took in the room. “Holy Christmas.”

  The fresh scent of pine rolled out of the apartment like a tidal wave as they entered. In the very center of the room was a tall, completely decorated Christmas tree, colored lights gently twinkling. Beneath it on a deep red Christmas tree skirt were several wrapped packages and two Christmas stockings. Adele’s name was sewn on one that looked well used, and Natalie’s name was written on a Christmas card and pinned to the fabric of a new one. The stockings were full.

  Natalie’s throat closed. They’d stopped putting out Christmas stockings at her house when she wasn’t much older than Logan. She never knew why and had never asked. Even as a child, she sensed it was something best left alone. One year the stockings simply weren’t there. Now, as an adult, she suspected that the holiday had arrived during one of their leaner times, and there was nothing to fill them. After that first disappearance, despite their financial situation going from bleak to simply poor, they were never used again.

  It was the same with the Christmas tree, though her mother always made sure she had a gift of some kind, and a special holiday dinner, no matter what the circumstances. “Is that for me?” Natalie felt a tingle of excitement for the holiday that she hadn’t experienced since she was a child.

  “You’re the only Natalie I know. C’mon.” Adele reached for her hand and dragged Natalie away from the tree and to the sofa, where they both kicked off their shoes and dropped down with heavy sighs.

  Natalie tucked their bag alongside the sofa, noticing that her belongings had been retrieved from the inn and neatly piled on the kitchen table. “I can’t believe your parents did this,” she whispered, a little overcome. Adele’s family was thoughtful and kind and seemed to accept her without question, simply because Adele did. After a lifetime of doing her best, and going far, but somehow always managing to disappoint, she wasn’t quite sure how to process something as simple and profound as acceptance.

  “Don’t be silly. It’s just a tree and a few gifts,” Adele chided, but her voice was gentle and full of understanding. “They love the holidays, and they really liked you. Trust me, they were happy to do it. Tomorrow is Christmas, after all. And I hope you can enjoy being here.” Adele’s brow creased. “Unless you’re going home tonight and just hadn’t gotten a chance to mention it?”

  Natalie shook her head. She’d thought about it, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She wanted more time together. She gestured to the tree and gifts. “You knew about this?”

  “Someone had to give them the keys.” Adele nervously fiddled with her sling and her gaze slid away. “Besides, I, um, I thought if it was nice enough, you might not want to leave just yet. I know you said that Christmas should be spent with family, but I’d love it if you’d spend it with Logan and me. I will understand if you’d rather go home. I’ll hate it, but I’ll understand.”

  “I-I didn’t book a flight. It’s so close to the holiday and—”

  “I can get you on a red-eye flight tonight. Coach is sold out, but there’s one seat left in first class. It would be my Christmas gift to you. You’d have to stop in Chicago first, but you could be home by morning.” Adele audibly swallowed a
nd couldn’t quite stop the wishful note in her voice. “Or you could stay?”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Nat,” Adele paused and thoughtfully cocked her head to the side, “how can you not know? I want you to stay. I never really believed in that bullshit ‘if you love something set it free’ expression. I want to chain you to the sofa. Seriously, I’m only barely holding myself back. If I still had my handcuffs you’d be in deep trouble.”

  Natalie’s deep peal of laughter felt good, and Adele’s hopeful, teasing expression made her want to kiss her. So she did. “I would love to spend Christmas with you,” she murmured against now-smiling lips, the surge of happiness singing all the way down to her toes.

  “It’s sort of romantic, don’t you think?”

  “What? The tree? Or your threats to handcuff me?”

  “No.” Adele bumped her shoulder against Natalie’s. “You and me. Here. Or, really, wherever we are so long as we’re together.”

  The sudden ache under Natalie’s breastbone was unbearable and she let out a half laugh, half sob. “Are you trying to make me kiss you again?”

  Adele chuckled softly and batted her eyes. “You should pretty much assume that’s the case going forward.”

  With a satisfied murmur, Natalie pressed her lips against Adele’s. She couldn’t help but deepen the kiss, feeling the familiar, heady rush of heat and longing as their tongues danced together. If she hadn’t already been sitting, she wasn’t entirely sure her legs would have held her. The kiss tapered off slowly, and it took a few seconds for Natalie to gather her wits and remember that they’d been talking about…something. Kissing Adele was enough to make her forget…everything.

  Natalie fanned herself with one hand. “Are-are you ready for Logan tomorrow?”