Tyler clapped a hand on the medic’s shoulder. “Just tell me Sara is going to be okay.”
“Her vitals are strong and steady.” The medic smiled. “We’ve got it from here.”
“Dad, I’m going to the hospital. Tell Layla I’m really sorry.”
“Hey!” Tyler grabbed Daxton and hugged him tight. “Take care of your girl, and call me later. Don’t worry about Layla. I’ve got plenty to keep her happy and thoroughly occupied.”
Daxton mustered up the energy to flash a quick smirk. “I don’t need to hear any more about that, thank you very much.”
“I’m coming with you.” Finn slung an arm around Daxton’s shoulders. “Someone has to protect you from your scorned lover.”
“You know, you joke, but that crazy bastard got away. He’s still out there.“
“They’ll find him, man. He won’t stay away, trust me. Your ass is too hot. He won’t be able to help himself.”
“You’re a real dickhead.”
Outside the guesthouse, a team of medics loaded Sara’s stretcher into an ambulance. Throngs of wedding guests spilled onto the lawn, watching the emergency medical team at work. Sean had dispersed the security team over the property in search of Merrick. Nobody had anticipated he’d stick close to the strike zone, at least nobody other than Finn.
Crack!
A large terra cotta planter a few feet from the ambulance shattered into pieces as the bullet tore through it. Screams resonated as people fell to the ground to take cover.
Finn pulled Daxton to the grass as a window shattered behind them.
“Let me go! Sara!” Daxton struggled to his feet. The ambulance door was still open. The shots were getting closer. He stumbled toward the vehicle, falling against the doors. Sweat drizzled down his back, soaking his shirt. The only thing that mattered was keeping Sara safe. Hell, he’d give his life for hers in a hot second.
“You betrayed me, Dax!” Merrick’s voice carried over the grounds. Daxton’s eyes scoured the expanse, searching for Merrick, but all he saw were tuxedos and ball gowns scattered on the grass. “You chose her over me. I loved you so much, and you never even noticed! You destroyed me, Dax. My life is nothing without you, and if I can’t have you, nobody can!”
Pop!
Daxton fell against the ambulance as another planter shattered. “Get the hell out of here!” he shouted to the driver and slammed the doors shut.
The engine roared to life and the tires peeled away, headed down the hidden driveway.
“I can’t watch you with her anymore, Dax.” Merrick emerged from the shadows, his face twisted into a grimace. “You may have saved her this time, but you can’t save yourself. And me?” He raised his arm, pointing the gun at Daxton’s chest. “I’m already dead.”
“Drop the gun, you mother fucker!” Cooper’s voice rang into the air. He hurled himself at Merrick, knocking him against the stucco wall of the guesthouse, the gun still tight in his grip.
“Get the fuck off me, Cooper!” Merrick smashed the gun against Cooper’s jaw, but it wasn’t enough to slow him down. Cooper pounded his fist into Merrick’s throat and then into his temple.
Daxton ran toward the struggle. His leg muscles were so tense; it was a miracle he could even move.
“Dax, get back!” Sean grabbed his arm and yanked him to the ground. Sharp pains sliced through his abdomen as if they were machetes. “Ahh! Goddammit, Sean!” He twisted out of Sean’s grip and struggled to pull himself up. “I have to help Co—”
Pop! Crack! Bang!
An explosion of bullets shattered his eardrums, the lingering echo ricocheting through him as he pitched forward onto the dewy grass. Blinding white light flooded his periphery, the putrid stench of chemicals stinging his nostrils. Searing heat singed his insides, numbness creeping along in its wake. Daxton lay in a crumpled heap; the ability to move, to breathe, slowly escaped. A sharp breath lodged in his throat, eyes struggling to focus, waiting and praying for the mercy that might never be granted. His heart skidded to a stop. He choked on the scream forming in his throat, but his lungs couldn’t grasp the air to push it out. Please, God, no.
Merrick didn’t move. Neither did Cooper.
Six Months Later…
LIGHTS IN THE SPACIOUS BALLROOM dimmed, a spotlight focused on the life-sized photo behind the podium. Daxton gazed into the bright, blue eyes of his beloved brother. He swallowed past the golf-ball sized lump in his throat that always seemed to lodge itself there when he saw the image of Jase’s smiling face, before he’d gotten sick. Before the cancer consumed him and claimed his young life.
A hush fell over the crowd as Daxton adjusted the microphone. “This is my brother, Jason Cole. He died eighteen months ago of inoperable brain cancer. He was only eighteen.” A painful ache took up residence in his heart, his eyes falling to the table right in front of the stage, filled with the most important people to him. Sara’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her hands entwined with Tyler’s. Finn and Liam sat on either side of them. But one seat was empty…glaringly so. A pang in his chest served as a warning, a red flag that could no longer be ignored. “Tonight, we come together to celebrate his memory, and the memories of other children who’ve succumbed to terminal illnesses. The Jason T. Cole Foundation was established to provide financial support to the families of these afflicted kids, so they can focus their energy on making memories, instead of worrying about medical bills.”
Daxton scanned the faces in the darkened room. His lips curled into a small smile as his gaze connected with Luke’s parents, their tearful expressions illuminated by the soft candlelight of the centerpiece. It had been eight months since Luke’s passing, and that was one of the main reasons why he’d started the foundation. Too many young lives had been lost due to this devastating disease, too many families burdened with financial difficulties because of it. Taking Sara’s advice, he’d decided it was time to raise awareness with the public and help ease the trauma these families experienced. “I’d like to thank you all for being here tonight for our first benefit. Your generous donations will bring a great deal of comfort to so many families, and we are very grateful for your support. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these families, bringing them comfort at a time when they feel like all hope is lost. Thank you for being part of our mission.”
He turned away from the podium amid the thunderous applause, casting a final glance at Jase’s photo. “Check it out, buddy,” he murmured, lifting his pant legs to reveal one purple dress sock and one blue and white striped mismatch. “Your favorite non-pair.”
Sara, Tyler, and the guys stood up when he rejoined them at the table. Still no Cooper. He wrapped his arms around Sara’s lithe frame and squeezed tightly, burying his head into the smooth skin of her neck.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“I am now.” He pulled back to brush his lips against hers before giving Tyler a quick hug.
Finn clapped him on the back. “He’s right here with us, buddy.”
“Always.” Liam nodded, a somber expression on his face.
“Where’s Coop?”
The guys exchanged a look. The same concern reflected in their gazes. “He’s at the bar with Laney.”
“This has been really hard for him. It’s tearing open the old wounds,” Finn murmured. “He was good for a while, but Laney…”
Daxton ran a hand through his slicked back hair. It hadn’t been the easiest six months. Layla evidently didn’t subscribe to the belief that a shootout at your first wedding was a harbinger of good things to come, and she’d taken off only a few months after gushing her “I dos” to Tyler. Gold digging bitch. Then he’d had to deal with burying Merrick, his former best friend turned psychopath. Cooper’s downward spiral after the wedding attack that they’d both miraculously escaped unscathed. Luke’s untimely death…God, there had been so much loss and devastation surrounding him. The foundation provided the anchor he’d needed to remain grounded, hopeful, and focused
on the future.
But Cooper had let go of his anchor and was now floating off into the abyss. A rescue fleet couldn’t save him. Daxton let out a deep sigh. They couldn’t lose Cooper, too, but dammit, he was almost out of reach. The one person who could have pulled him back was the one person who’d ended up driving him further away. Damn you, Laney.
“I’m so proud of you,” Tyler said, his voice cracking.
“You’re doing a really special thing here.”
“Thanks, Dad. That means more than you know.” Amazing how only a few words could have such a big impact. Christ, they’d wasted so much time, but the regrets that littered his past were way too many in number to count. Looking forward was his priority. Getting lost in the past, and succumbing to the disappointment over things beyond his control…that part of his life was over. It was time to start a new chapter, and this was the perfect occasion. Well, almost.
“Go talk to him,” Sara whispered. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Have I told you how lucky I am to have you?”
“Only about five times today. But don’t worry, I’ll let you tell me again later.” With a wink, she nudged him. “Go.”
It wasn’t hard to spot Cooper at the bar in the back of the banquet room, hunched over in a corner with a few empty shot glasses lined up on the shiny mahogany wood. “What happened to you, man?”
Cooper looked up, his expression vacant, distant, just…lost. It was a shitty place to be; something Daxton knew all too well. But he’d been lucky enough to find someone who believed in him enough to bring him back from the edge. Who was going to save Cooper from being swallowed up by the regret and the despair that clouded him?
“Laney left.”
“Again?”
“Yep.” Cooper lifted a full shot glass to his lips.
“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.” Treading lightly was a must. Cooper’s pupils looked like saucers, and too many words would send him spiraling into the unknown.
“Stay out of my fucking business, Dax.” He downed the amber-colored liquid and slammed the glass on the bar. “You think you get the right to judge because you’re living the fairy tale?” His speech was slurred, courtesy of the liquor, combined with whatever the hell he’d popped or smoked.
“She’s not good for you, Coop. You know it as well as I do. You’re in a bad place right now, I get it. But you need to walk away. I’m afraid she’ll drag you back to—”
“Drag me back where? To the place where my life is complete shit? Guess what? I’m already there.”
“You need help, Coop. Please don’t push everyone away. Let us help you through this.”
“I don’t want anything from you. I’m not your next charity case. You take care of your own life and stay out of mine.” He pushed away from the bar and struggled to his feet.
“Look, you should get some rest. Let me call a car.” Daxton gripped his shoulder to steady him.
Cooper shook off his hand. “I have a phone.” He pulled it from his pocket, stumbling into a nearby table in the process. “See?”
“Hey, man. I think it’s time to call it a night. Car’s here.” Finn’s approaching voice sliced through the tension looming in the air.
Cooper let out a loud snort. “Guess you’re the babysitter tonight, huh?” He rolled his eyes, slinking toward the exit. “Do I get a snack before bed if I’m a good boy?”
“Thanks, Finn,” Daxton murmured. The drugs and the alcohol turned Cooper into a guy he didn’t know; a guy he didn’t want to know, truth be told. And that made it damned hard to want to help him when all he did was push away with his scalding rhetoric. “He’s in bad shape. He said some pretty shitty stuff.“
“Stop. You know how he gets when this crap with Laney hits. Let him sleep it off. We’ll deal with it tomorrow. Enjoy tonight. You guys deserve it.” Finn punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t stay up all night celebrating. We’re meeting at the studio at nine. The new manager is supposed to show up, too.”
“Don’t worry about me. Just make sure Cooper sobers up by then.”
“On it. Now you get on it.” Finn snickered as he sauntered out of the bar in pursuit of a staggering, belligerent Cooper.
Daxton walked over to where Sara was waiting and grasped her hands. She was so beautiful, so perfect, inside and out, a true beacon of light whose rays never faltered. He was going to make sure she heard those words every day for the rest of her life. The rest of their lives.
“How is Cooper?” She bit her lower lip. “What happened with Laney?”
“Same shit, different day. I wish she’d stay the hell away from him. He was finally getting over the hump, and she sent him reeling back into the past.”
“You can’t live his life, Dax. He has to want to get better.”
“I know. I’ve tried so many times, but it’s no use. The further away he gets, the more I think he’ll never come back.” He shook his head. “And tonight, the tribute to Jase…”
“It hasn’t been easy for him. You know that. Give him some time. He’ll come around.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I hope so, too.”
He curled a loose tendril of her hair around his finger. “Take a walk with me.”
“And disappoint your public?” She smirked, waving her hand around. “There are a lot of people here looking to corner the most devastatingly handsome philanthropist in the room. How do you expect to escape unnoticed?”
“I know how to fly under the radar.”
“Yeah, thanks to my expert publicity guidance.” She giggled. “Glad you finally paid attention.”
He snaked an arm around her slim waist and led her to a set of tall glass doors. They stepped out into the cool night air, the sky brightened by a blanket of stars. Moonlight danced atop her soft, silky blonde hair. It looked like spun gold skimming her bare shoulders. “You’re breathtaking.”
Her face relaxed into a smile. “You’re biased.”
“No, I just love you.” He tightened his grip, pulling her closer.
“I love you, too.” She let out a deep sigh and rested her face against his neck.
Sara had been more relaxed and settled over the past few months than he’d ever seen her. After so much time had passed, she and her parents had finally reconciled and begun to work through their issues. Daxton had always encouraged her to reach out to them, but in the end, it was Sara’s mother who initiated the contact. Ever since then, they’d made several trips back to Minnesota. And after their latest visit, he’d received several anxious phone calls from her parents. Tonight, he and Sara would be the ones making the call with the exciting news they’d been waiting to hear.
“So, you’ve gone from being my publicist to my girlfriend to my foundation co-founder. Some progression, huh?”
“It’s been a fun ride.” She snickered. “You know, for the most part.”
“Yeah, aside from being stabbed, shot at, injected with poison…”
“I never expected a rose garden.”
“But you deserve one.”
“That’s very sweet, but I’m actually allergic.”
“I think I can come up with an acceptable substitute.” He stroked the back of her head, the shiny strands so smooth against his fingers.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the grape-flavored ring pop that had been burning a hole in his pocket since he’d picked it up from the store earlier that day. “You believed in me when nobody else did, Sara. You inspired me to get my life in order, to find purpose and meaning, and to look forward instead of choking on the past.”
Sara’s mouth dropped open. “Dax?”
He fell to his knee on the cobblestone path. “Everything was dark before you plowed into me that night in Houston. And ever since then, you’ve been my bright and shiny, the one sparkling star in a world of gray. You’re my best friend, my everything. Marry me, Sara. Be my wife. G
ive me the chance to make you as happy as you’ve made me…forever.”
Her large eyes shone in the moonlight, pooling with tears as she spoke the single word he longed to hear, “Yes!”
“So this makes it official, right? No more threat of tourmance?”
A giggle escaped her lips and she sniffed. “I think we’re beyond that hurdle. But what happens when I finish sucking on this delicious ring pop?” She smirked. “Is there a substitute for that, too?”
“Oh, I can definitely find other things for you to suck. But you’re right, it won’t last forever. Not like this one.” He pulled out a tiny velvet Harry Winston box and popped open the top.
“Or like us.” Her eyes sparkled as bright as the tiny facets on the five-carat. “It’s gorgeous,” she breathed.
“Not as tasty as the first one, though.”
“Not as sticky either.” She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Good thing I had a backup handy. I wouldn’t want any competition for that mouth of yours.”
“Just wait until we get home. My mouth has exciting plans for you.”
“Do they involve the grape ice pops in the freezer?”
“Well, I know you prefer cherry, and I can be flexible.”
Her teasing tone made his cock twitch. Drizzling fruit juices on his skin, having that greedy tongue mop up the sugary sweetness, tasting those lips in every sense of the word. The countdown to when they could slip away unnoticed had begun. “I like where this is heading.”
“To the shower?”
He smiled, stroking the side of her face. “To forever.”
The End
Kristen Luciani is a self-proclaimed momtrepreneur with a penchant for Christian Louboutins, Silicon Valley, plunging necklines, and grapefruit martinis. As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…
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