by Pat Warren
“Okay, you’re going to have to help me here,” Nick said. “Try to find some footholds for your feet, because I can’t support your weight with one arm unless you help.” Nick noticed that for once Adam had set aside his arrogance and was following Nick’s directions.
It took some time but, inch by inch, Nick managed to pull Adam up over the ledge. “Keep the gun on him, Tate,” Nick said as Adam eased himself onto solid ground. There he lay, pulling in great gulps of air.
Nick scrambled to his feet and went over to him. Without a word, he took handcuffs from his back pocket, flipped the big man over and cuffed him, all the while reciting his Miranda rights. He didn’t want any screw-ups, wanted to do this by the book, because he knew Adam would call in his high-priced lawyers at his first opportunity.
“I’m arresting you for the attempted murder of Tate Monroe, along with several other charges that will be explained to you later,” he told Adam. “Do you understand your rights as I’ve said them?” When Adam didn’t respond, Nick grabbed his shoulder, the one that had been nearly dislocated on the way up. “Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Adam snarled.
Nick checked his watch, then took a small notebook and pen from his pocket, jotting down the time. “You’re my witness, Tate. I read him his rights and he said he understood them.”
“Yes,” she murmured, still unable to believe the events of the last couple of hours.
Nick took the gun from Tate, glanced over to make sure Rafe was still incapacitated, then took her in his arms. “It’s over. It’s finally over.”
“Your arm must be killing you,” she said, holding him.
“Small price to pay.” He let her go and dug out his keys. “My car’s parked up the street from where the path begins. I need you to radio in for a patrol car while I guard these guys. My code number’s 682. Just press the button and the dispatcher will answer. Tell her the story and give her our location. Explain that I have a suspect in custody and we’ll need an ambulance, too.” He touched her lovely face. “Can you remember all that?” He hoped she wasn’t in shock, though she looked okay.
“Yes, but one question. How’d you know where to find me?”
He smiled at her and the smile took the weariness from his face. “When you love someone, you can almost crawl into their mind at times. But logically, I could think of no other place he’d take you where he knew you’d be frightened enough to sign. Or so he thought.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, kissing him, then giving Rafe wide berth, she started down the path.
The moon helped, but it was still pretty dark, Tate thought as she slowed her steps. The path was quite narrow in spots. After all that had happened up there, she didn’t want to fall and ruin everything.
It was past nine by the time the patrol car arrived, took down Nick’s story and arrested the senator. The EMS wagon drove off with Rafe still moaning, leaving Tate and Nick at the foot of the mountain, strolling to his car.
“I wonder how long before the media gets wind of this,” Nick mused out loud. “I think Adam can kiss his career plans goodbye.”
“Did you hear him just now yelling for his lawyer, reminding everyone he was a senator? Do you think some hotshot attorney can get him off?”
“We’re going to see to it that that doesn’t happen. I was a witness to him threatening you if you didn’t sign the papers. I heard every word clear as day. He may be a senator, but a cop’s word goes pretty far in court, too. Then there’s Maggie’s testimony about Rafe—he didn’t bother to wear a ski mask this last time. We’ve got the note, the phone recording. And maybe, if we’re lucky, we can persuade Rafe to give up his boss.”
She looked at him, puzzled. “You think Rafe will turn against the hand that’s been feeding him?”
“To save his own skin and get a lighter sentence? You betcha.” He opened the door for her, then got behind the wheel, rubbing the sore muscles of his right arm. “That guy weighs a ton.”
“What will happen to Adam now? Jail?”
Nick shrugged as he started the car. “Hard to say. Depends on his lawyer and how he pleads. Prison is very likely. Attempted murder is a serious charge. He’ll be kicked out of the senate and, with a felony conviction on his record, there go his chances for further political office. Maybe his important connection with his father-in-law will end once the venerable old senator discovers what his son-in-law’s been up to. And maybe even his little wife will take a hike. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”
Tate leaned her head back and sighed. “I can’t believe it’s finally over and we can live without fear. I can go get Josh and…”
“We can go get Josh, tomorrow.”
She smiled. “Right. For now, let’s just go home. I could curl up in bed for a week.”
Nick grinned as he turned onto the highway. “That can be arranged.”
It was close to midnight, but Tate didn’t feel tired. She felt invigorated after they’d made love on Nick’s rumpled bed in his mobile home. It had been a long day, but for the first time in years, she felt safe.
They’d driven to Maggie’s and told her the whole story, finishing with the best news of all, that the threats and stalking had come to an end. They’d called up north and talked with Helen, informing her as well, and saying they’d drive up to get Josh tomorrow. Then, knowing they could leave Maggie alone without fear, they’d decided to spend the night at Nick’s place.
Lying on his side watching her, Nick wondered what she was thinking. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Tate turned toward him, smiling. “Do you remember that first evening when you took Josh and me to Giovanni’s?”
“Sure. You were scared of me and I was intrigued with you.”
“You were? Well, anyhow, do you remember that after tasting the pizza, you said it was almost better than…and you paused and said, better than most pizzas?”
“Yeah, I remember.” He was smiling.
“Uh-huh. What you’d almost said was better than sex, right?”
“You guessed it.” He snuggled closer, nuzzling her. “Only it wasn’t, was it? No pizza’s better than this. But that was before I’d made love with you.”
She smiled, admiring his quick come-back. “Fast on your feet, aren’t you?”
“Fast?” He pulled her to him, his hands swooping down her body, still heated from their lovemaking. “You want fast?”
“No, I kind of like slow better. Long, lazy and slow.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He kissed her playfully. “Oh, wait. I have something for you.” Turning, he picked up his jeans that he’d dropped on the floor in his haste to get to bed, and searched in his pocket. Finding the little velvet box, he rolled back to her and held it out. “Do you have any idea what this might be?”
What woman wouldn’t recognize a jeweler’s box? Tate thought, taking it from him. Even though she’d suspected this moment was coming, she hadn’t known when. “I have a pretty good idea.” With fingers trembling, Tate opened the lid. “Oh,” she murmured. “It’s beautiful.”
“I was wondering if you’d wear it for a while.”
She raised a brow in surprise. “Like, how long?”
“Oh, fifty or sixty years.” He took the ring out, slipped it on the third finger of her left hand. The emerald had a fire of its own in the soft lamplight, and the two diamonds, only slightly smaller, winked and glowed.
Admiring it, Tate held her hand out. “What happens then, after fifty or sixty years?” she asked.
Nick aligned their bodies so they were barely touching yet beginning to come alive again, his eyes on hers. “Then we renegotiate,” he replied before kissing her.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1740-9
THE LAWMAN AND THE LADY
Copyright © 2000 by Pat Warren
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* Reunion
Table of Contents
Letter to Reader
Dedication
Books by Pat Warren
About the Author
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Copyright
