by Rosanna Leo
Alex. She looked toward the lobby, but of course he wouldn’t have arrived yet. The elevator in her building was notoriously slow. As for the security guard, he was nowhere to be seen, and was likely on his rounds.
She couldn’t get in the car. No one would know where she was.
Hell, she didn’t even know who this person was.
The man took a step. “Ms. Hamill, I haven’t really decided if I want to hurt you or not. Please don’t make that decision for me.”
“Who are you? At least tell me who I’m getting in the car with.”
“I’m Gordon Dean.”
“Gordon, please. You don’t have to do this.”
“Get in. Don’t make me say it again.”
As much as she wanted to stall for time so Alex would find them, she also didn’t want him to confront a man with a gun. Alex might be strong, but he was no match for a firearm, and Gordon’s sad face was lined with desperation.
He was at the end of his rope.
“You’ve suffered a great loss. I’ve lost people too. Maybe we could talk.”
“I’m done talking.”
From down the walkway, a couple approached the condo. They were far enough away to be oblivious to Dana’s situation, but it would only be a matter of seconds before they became aware.
“Where are we going?”
Gordon grunted. “For fuck’s sakes, lady. Get in the car!”
Dana glanced back one more time.
Alex appeared in the lobby. Smiling, he waved his wallet.
And then he saw Gordon, and the gun.
His eyes widened in terror. Calling her name, he broke into a sprint.
“Now,” shouted Gordon.
Stifling a cry, Dana got into the Escalade’s front seat and slid over to the passenger side. The man got in next to her, shut the door, and turned the key in the ignition.
“Dana!” Alex banged on the back of the SUV.
Gordon tore away.
Once more, Alex started running, but it was no good.
They veered into traffic and headed for the highway.
Chapter Eighteen
It didn’t take long for Gordon to become agitated. They hadn’t been on Interstate 15 for more than a few minutes before he was banging his palm on the steering wheel.
She didn’t dare reach for her phone. Alex would have called 9-1-1 for her anyway.
Alex.
The fear in his eyes had just about destroyed her.
She couldn’t let it. She had to stay calm and keep Gordon as calm as possible as well.
He said himself he didn’t know if he wanted to hurt her.
There was a way out of this. She just had to find it.
“So,” she ventured, “where are you taking me?”
He didn’t respond and just stared ahead.
“I’ve always hated this route. Nothing to see. Unless you like gravel at the side of the road, of course. The mountains in the distance are nice, though.”
Gordon was silent.
Dana decided to follow his lead. He still held the gun in his right hand, steering with his left. If she annoyed him enough, he might strike out and hit her.
They drove past the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. Dana knew for a fact Nevada Highway Patrol had a tiny office near the rest stop up ahead.
Would Gordon know that? He wasn’t from around here.
They might very well be driving into a trap. Once he realized it, would he lash out?
Call her crazy, but Dana wasn’t ready to go out in a blaze of glory.
“I’m, um, I’m sorry about your sister. I’ve heard some good things about her.”
“Who told you that? Alex?”
“Yes.”
“That’s bullshit. He couldn’t wait to get rid of her.”
“That’s not true. He tried to make things work. He loved her, but sometimes love changes. People change.”
“You really believe that, lady? People don’t change, not for anyone.”
“Maybe not, but circumstances change. Gordon, in your heart of hearts, do you honestly believe Alex wanted to kill your sister?”
His eyes watered.
“I’ve gotten to know him. He doesn’t have a violent bone in his body.”
That would change if he ever caught up with them.
When he caught up with them.
Alex would kill Gordon for doing this.
Mile after mile of road stretched before them. From this vantage point, it looked like the road to nowhere. The odd car or truck passed them on the other side of the road. Dana flirted with the idea of grabbing the wheel or banging on the horn but she doubted either option would serve either of them well. And with that gun between them, she dared not make any rash moves.
“Alex told me you waited for him in that alley with a crowbar.”
His laugh held no joy. “Yeah. I decided to upgrade my weapon.”
“You could have hurt him that day. No one would have known. No one would have seen. You could have gotten away with it. But you didn’t. You made the right choice that day.”
His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, showing white tips.
“You can still make the right choice here, Gordon. You can just drop me off at the side of the road. I won’t tell a soul.”
“Bit late for that, don’t you think? Alex saw us.” He shook his head. “No. I need to see this through.”
“And what exactly does that mean?” Dana tried to hold her voice down, but now she was getting pissed. “What’s your end game? Shooting me in the desert? Is that how you want to hurt Alex? Or is this our Thelma and Louise moment? Because if you’re searching for a cliff, I can check Google Maps for you.”
“Shut up.”
“No, I will not shut up. Do you even know where you’re going?”
“I said, shut the fuck up.”
Dana opened her mouth to speak again but another noise caught her attention.
From somewhere in the distance, she heard a faint wail. It was so far away she couldn’t tell if it was behind them or in front of them.
Sirens.
Help me, Jesus.
She could not allow this to turn into a stand off.
Forcing calm into her being with a series of quiet breaths, she brought the conversation back to the one thing that seemed to give Gordon pause.
Shannon.
The man was grieving.
“I lost my grandmother a while back. She was more like a second mother to me. There are days when I feel like everything is okay and I function like usual. But then, out of nowhere, I’ll get hit by a memory. It always seems to happen at the worst times, the inconvenient times. I’ll remember her smile or the way she used to sneak me extra desserts when we visited. She loved butterscotch ice cream and she knew I loved it too. When my parents weren’t looking, she’d always give me and my sister an extra scoop.” Her voice caught. “I can’t even look at butterscotch ice cream in the damn grocery store anymore.”
Gordon glanced at her, his eyes red and full of tears.
“Grief is horrible, isn’t it?”
He nodded.
“We’re never the same after we lose someone. They leave a mark. It’s like a fingerprint burned into our skin. And even though no one sees it, we still feel the imprint. We feel the burn.”
He let out a cry. “She was my baby sister. I was supposed to protect her.”
Dana wiped her eyes. “Shannon loved you with all her heart, and I have no doubt you always made her feel protected. But Gordon, what you’re doing here…she wouldn’t want this for you. She would want you to get help.”
“I don’t know.”
The sirens grew louder, closer. Dana wasn’t sure, but she thought she spied parked cars up ahead.
Police officers?
“You can’t bring Shannon back, but you can do one last thing for her. Pull over, Gordon.”
His speed dropped.
Several police cruisers veered up behind them, k
eeping a distance. Sure enough, another set were parked up front. Officers stood outside the cars, aiming their weapons.
“Think of your parents. They’ve suffered enough, and so have you. If you surrender, they’ll go easier on you.”
“No one’s going easy on me.” He laughed. “We both know that.”
“Please.” She didn’t like the look in his eyes.
With a sigh, he pulled over. Reaching across her, he opened her door. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and smiled. “I’m sorry, Dana. Go.”
“But—”
The tendons in his neck strained as he hissed, “Just go.”
Dana scrambled out of the SUV, her hands in the air. Despite the tremors in her legs, she ran toward the police cars in back. “He has a gun!”
When she heard the single shot, she dropped and covered her head.
But the shot hadn’t been intended for her. Gordon had turned his weapon on himself.
Somewhere in front of her, feet scuffled. The gravel kicked up as a couple of officers helped her to her feet and brought her to a waiting ambulance.
Sirens.
So many sirens.
And yet she couldn’t shake the sound of that single gunshot. It reverberated in her head, over and over.
Alex emerged from one of the cars, his face drained of all color. He flew to her and she collapsed in his arms. Together, they fell to their knees.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so, so sorry, my angel.”
Comforted in his arms, Dana wept.
Epilogue
One year later
Dana had never walked a red carpet before.
Of course, this one was turquoise.
In planning the Tranquility Ball with Alex, she had tried to come up with a life-affirming theme, and it only made sense the carpet should echo that theme. She loved the turquoise carpet. It stretched before them like a peaceful river, representing waters she no longer feared to enter.
She still had to make it down the carpet. Considering every news outlet in Nevada had sent reporters, ones whose cameras were flashing at an alarming rate, the task was daunting. She’d attended some charity lunches and the odd benefit concert, but none of those events had ever involved strutting one’s stuff on a length of rug, smiling for the cameras.
As their limousine approached the Fashion Show Mall, Dana whistled. The shopping area had been closed for the event and pale blue lights shone around the entrance, welcoming guests to the ball. On either side of the carpet, photographers stood at the ready. Tourists craned their necks, hoping to catch sight of celebrities.
It wouldn’t be hard. Alex had reached out to every VIP he knew and they had all come out to support them. Even from inside their car, Dana could see them up ahead on the carpet. Hollywood actresses posed with athletes and politicians. Everywhere she looked, she saw manicured hands on jutting hips, and perfect angles. These were people who understood how to work a camera. Several of them had stopped to talk to reporters about the foundation she and Alex had created.
The Tranquility Project was getting a lot of buzz.
Every dollar from tonight’s event would go directly to funding programs for those struggling with infertility and related diseases, and Dana couldn’t be happier.
She glanced at her date. Alex looked amazing. Clad in a designer tuxedo, his hair cut short and his face clean shaven, he outshone any of those people on the carpet.
He couldn’t stop looking at her.
He reached for her hand and kissed it. “You look beautiful.”
She’d splurged for the occasion, treating herself to a fancy updo and a strapless black gown. Although tight around the bodice, the skirt billowed with a design of appliqued red roses. It was the prettiest dress she’d ever seen and it made her feel like a prom queen.
Forget prom queens. She felt like a princess.
“I may have to wear this dress for the rest of my life.”
He leaned over and dropped a soft kiss on her cherry-stained lips. “There might be moments when I have to pry the dress off you. Do you think you can bear to let it go every so often?”
“Hmm. Let me see.” She kissed him again, sighing into his mouth. “I think I’ll manage.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
There may have been a time when she’d doubted her heart, but that time was over. She loved the man with everything in her and it only grew stronger every day. She knew it in the quiet moments, when he held her in his arms and played with her hair. She knew it when he trailed kisses down the length of her body, whispering in awe that she was the most remarkable thing he’d ever seen. To Alex, she was the woman he treasured. To her, he was just Alex, the man whose past no longer had control over him.
They still had bad days, of course, and the last year had been a journey full of triumphs and rocky moments. In many ways, they were both still grieving their losses, but they now knew they had a safe space in which to grieve.
She had finally caved and accepted a job with Alex’s company. By the time he made his third job offer, she figured she might as well stop fighting. He wasn’t about to give up. It made sense for them to work together and she was still doing the same sort of work, just from a different angle. Phil hadn’t been happy to see his protégée go, but he’d understood. She was thrilled to be part of the Vice team and loved getting visits from Alex in her cushy new office. Thank God the door had a good lock on it, because no one on her team needed to know what they got up to in that room.
A sturdy desk was a wonderful thing.
Dana wasn’t sure what the future would bring. They’d set a date and her family was now looking forward to another wedding, even Anise. In fact, Anise had accepted Alex wholeheartedly.
Hearing her sister had been held at gunpoint helped any old grudges dissipate.
Now she just had to discourage her sister from texting them all day long with her suggestions for flowers and tuxedos and wedding marches.
Life was good and she cherished everything she shared with Alex.
Dana knew the day would come when she and Alex would make a decision about whether or not to adopt, but right now, neither of them saw a need to make any changes. They were happy. No matter what the future held, they would embrace it together.
As their driver opened the back door on his side, Alex took a deep breath. Releasing it in a long stream, he stepped out of the limousine.
Photographers turned in their direction. There were flashes everywhere, blinding Dana as she took his hand.
“Alex! Dana!” Several paparazzi called their names.
One day, she would get used to his surreal life, but it probably wasn’t today.
Alex drew her to him, kissing her on the cheek. “Ready?”
“Ready, but can you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Show me Zeus.”
Alex laughed, his lips curling into the broad smile she cherished.
“There. Now, I’m ready.”
They stepped onto the turquoise carpet and posed, as a hundred camera flashes recorded the moment.
THE END
Acknowledgments
When I originally wrote Vice, Vegas Sins 1, I had intended it as a stand-alone romance. However, Jennifer O’Neill and Lori Whitwam of Crave Publishing encouraged me to return to Las Vegas and expand the story into a series. I’d like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Jennifer and Lori for showing such confidence in my work and for the kind support.
Thank you to my wonderful editor Toni Rakestraw. You always manage to teach me something new and valuable, and I’m so pleased I get to work with you.
In tackling this novel, I knew I had to do a lot of research. I also wanted to ensure it was seen by eyes other than mine. I’d like to thank Anise Eden, Rosemary Rey and Gryffyn Phoenix for reading my manuscript and for offering so many words of wisdom. I could not have done this without you.
There were several other writer friends wh
o helped me as I worked on certain elements of this story. I had lots of questions for lots of people and I truly appreciate the feedback and honesty of their answers. Thank you to the wonderful writers in All The Kissing, in particular Gwynne Jackson, Zoe Ashwood, Michelle Geel, Madi Dearson, Allison Temple, Savannah J. Frierson, Tara Watson, Anne Terpstra, Madison Diaz, Belinda McBride, Kristine Yarwood, Stephanie Arrache, and Jill Keller.
Thank you to everyone in the Crave Publishing team for always making this so easy and such a pleasure.
Last, but not least, I must offer my continued thanks to my readers. Your support means the world and I hope you enjoy this story.
About the Author
Rosanna Leo is a multi-published author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Winner of the Reader’s Choice 2015 in Paranormal Romance at The Romance Reviews, Rosanna draws on her love of mythology for her books on Greek gods, selkies and shape shifters.
From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her long-suffering husband, their two hungry sons and a tabby cat named Sweetie. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.
A library employee by day, she is honored to be a member of the league of naughty librarians who also happen to write romance.
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