Dumbstruck, Chase could only stand there gawking at him.
"Well, I think it's pretty clear what happened here.”
“Yeah?”
"It looks like your friend, Harry, shot your father and before your father died, he took Harry out with a hidden gun." Thorne's eyes were steely. “Right?”
Actually, I came over here to kill my dad, but Harry beat me to the punch. It’s okay though, because I killed Harry.
"Why are you helpin’ me?"
"I ain’t. I’m just goin’ through the facts. From what I can see here, we got a double homicide—two dead mobsters. It’s nice when the trash takes itself out."
"No, I killed Harry in self—"
"Shut your mouth. No prosecutor in his right mind would believe it, given your criminal associations. So stop before you incriminate yourself, fool." Chase had been ready to accept responsibility. “If you confess, I’ll be obliged to investigate and I’d rather not.”
“Er, okay.” Seriously? The agent was giving him a pass?
"Now, the cavalry will be here in about five minutes, so if I were you, I’d get out of town.”
"I don't understand."
"Well, I think one of us deserves a happy endin’. And by us, I'm referrin’ to myself and Mary, not you. Mary Cobb could do a hell of a lot better than a former mafia thug, but the heart wants what it wants. She's dealt with a lot of tragedy, and it's about time something went right for her. Don't you think?"
"She's back with her family."
"That a fact?"
"Wait a minute. What are you saying? Is she okay?"
"From what I hear, she's already in the wind. Don't rightly know where she went, but I expect you might."
California. She must be headed to California.
"What about her granddad?"
"The damnedest thing happened earlier tonight. Tucker Cobb was shot by a prowler."
Good riddance. As far as Chase was concerned, the man should've been six feet under years ago.
“Now get goin’.”
"Why are you lettin’ me go?"
"I ain't. As a matter of fact, when I arrived on the scene, you weren't here, according to my official report, you’d taken off long before this crime happened. Although I've got a word of warning for you. You'd best keep your nose clean."
“I intend to.” Chase hadn’t wanted to become a criminal in the first place. Somehow, against all the odds, he’d gotten a second chance, and he wouldn’t waste it.
“If I were you, I do my best not to screw this up. Find a nice job in a quiet corner and stay out of sight.”
"So the FBI won't be searchin’ for us?
"No promises, but I don't see a reason to form a posse.” His brows rose. “Unless you give me one.”
“I won’t. Goodbye, agent, I’m lookin’ forward to never seein’ you again.”
“Likewise.”
Chase walked to the door, and for a second, he paused by his father’s body.
Goodbye, old man. Enjoy the fiery flames of hell, you sick bastard.
And then he knelt by Harry’s still form. You can keep him company. His eyes were open, lifeless.
Like I said earlier, I’m a sheepdog, and I just took down a wolf.
And Chase didn’t feel guilty about it. Harry had nothing to offer the world. He was a waste of space. Although, it wouldn’t bring Faith back. Punishing her murder gave him closure, though, and that was something.
Before walking out, Chase grabbed Faith’s urn from the mantle and tucked it under his arm. The locket he’d given her hung around the neck of the vase. He’d make sure she had a proper burial far away from her abuser, and he’d lay the necklace to rest with her.
He turned back to the agent. "You should check the top desk drawer. There might be some valuable information in there."
His lips curled into a smile. "Thanks for the tip. You're a lucky sonofabitch and don't you ever forget it."
Chase didn't need Thorne to break the news because he already knew.
And now it was time to go to the Golden State.
Epilogue
Two weeks later…
“Would you like some cotton candy?”
“Yes, please.” Mary bought the pink sugary confection from the vendor, for the bargain price of a dollar. As she ate the sticky sweetness, Mary drank in the sights and sounds of the carnival. She’d moved to California and rented a studio apartment a few miles from Stanford. It was pricey, but thanks to the emergency stash she’d been able to afford the first month’s rent.
In the meantime, she’d gotten a “floating” position in the lab at a local hospital, so Mary would basically be filling in for the full-time people whenever necessary, but it was a start. Once she had a foot in the door, Mary would apply for other positions while she waited for medical school to start in the fall.
Thanks to Vick, she had all the necessary documentation, but deceiving everyone made her nervous. Like when she went to apply for her medical license, what if they discovered her paperwork was false? But she’d take it one problem at a time. For now, Catherine Archer had applied to medical school, and she’d worry about the rest later on.
She’d looked up the Crimson Creek news online and saw Tucker Cobb had been shot by a burglar in the middle of the night and Mary Cobb was listed as missing and believed to have been abducted by his killer.
So, evidently, Byron’s coup had gone off without a hitch.
Mary had cut her hair and dyed it black as a precaution, in case anyone recognized her. She assumed the case would go cold and no one would search for her, and maybe then Mary could relax. Until then, she’d be vigilant and ready to run, if need be.
She kept waiting for a rush of guilt or maybe even a sense of relief, but it never came. If anything, Mary was numb, and she preferred not to think about her past and instead focus on her future.
And now she was all alone in the big bad world—no family, no friends, and no Chase either. She had no idea what had happened to him, but Mary doubted he’d survived. She’d searched the web, but hadn’t found anything about him, or his family.
She took a seat in the third row to watch the clowns juggle. Mary tried to focus on them, instead of her wayward thoughts, hoping they’d make her laugh.
“Has anyone ever told you clowns are creepy?” a voice said. It came from directly behind her.
Before Mary could reply, a stuffed polar bear appeared right in front of her face, as if by magic.
“Snowy?” Heart beating, Mary gaped at the stuffed animal.
“You left him with me, and I thought you might like him back.”
Chase!
Mary sucked in a breath. Please, don’t let this be some sort of daydream.
“I almost didn’t recognize you.” A low voice whispered in her ear. “Pleasure to see you again, Catherine.”
Sure enough, she turned to see Chase.
“Where did you…? How…?”
He smirked. “Ah, for once she’s speechless.”
Mary launched herself at him, spilling her cotton candy in the process and he held her tight.
“Thank God, you’re okay. Byron told me Harry was taking over and I thought he might have—”
“Oh, he tried, but forget about him for the moment.” And then his mouth was on hers, and they kissed each other hungrily. Mary thought she’d never see him again and she was relieved to be wrong.
“Come on, take a walk with me.” Chase held her hand, and they perused the tent together, but she barely noticed.
Hmph, her parents had been right. There was something romantic about the organ music, the smell of freshly popped popcorn, and the sound of laughter in the air.
Chase told her everything, and she filled him in on her grandfather.
“So the Sin City guys were indicted?”
“Yep. I gave your friend, Thorne, a tip on where he could find some useful info.”
“Thorne’s not my friend.”
It wasn’t fair, but Mary
hated the messenger, and while she was grateful to be free of Tucker Cobb, Thorne had changed her life forever. Not only had he told Mary the truth, but he’d also persuaded her mother and then her father into testifying.
“I haven’t heard anything on the news.”
“Well, I reckon the FBI is keepin’ this one quiet for a bit, flippin’ mobsters and gettin’ intel on bigger fish.”
Mary imagined they could provide a treasure trove of information on all kinds of criminal activity.
“And Thorne let you go?”
“Yeah.” Chase pulled her over to the side so they wouldn’t be disturbed. “He said you deserved a happy ending.”
“Is that right?” Maybe the agent wasn’t so bad after all.
“Yes, besides, I need a fresh start, in a new place. I’ve got a promisin’ military career ahead of me.”
“It’ll be hard to do that without some identification.”
He frowned. “Yeah, I know. I don’t want to get involved with criminals again, but I’ll put out some feelers and see if I can find a decent forger.”
Mary grinned. “Or you could ask me, Peter Archer, because I’ve got you covered.” Mary was grateful she’d had Vick make the IDs.
“What?”
She waggled her brows.
“Well, aren’t you full of surprises?”
“That makes two of us.”
“So, I haven’t found a place to stay yet. I’ve been living in a hotel room. Do you have a spare bedroom?”
“No.”
His face fell.
“Yeah, I’ve just got a tiny studio apartment, and there’s only one bed.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, but you’re welcome to share it with me.” Mary glanced up at him hopefully.
“For how long?”
“How does the next fifty years or so sound?”
“Perfect.” And then Chase kissed her under the big top.
Thank y’all for readin’!
Out for Blood is next
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Books in the Series
Flesh and Blood (Dix & Belle)
Blood in the Water (Byron & Jane)
Blood Money (Jasper & Vick)
Cold Blood (Justice & Etta May)
Bad Blood (Mary & Chase)
More coming soon!
Check out my other series here.
About the Author
Cynthia Rayne is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Lone Star Mobster Series and the Four Horsemen MC Series. While Cynthia was born and raised a damn Yankee in Ohio, her parents hail from Dixie, and she grew up on homemade buttermilk biscuits and southern wisdom. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, reading way too many romance novels, and drinking a truly obscene amount of coffee.
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Copyright
© Cynthia Rayne 2017-2018
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review or book discussion, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
Editing
Grammarly
LY Publishing Services
Stock Photos
Can Stock Photo
Cover Art
Mayhem Cover Creations
Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s wicked imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and frankly a bit creepy.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Bad Blood (Lone Star Mobster Book 5) Page 20
