Beautiful Storm (Lightning Strikes Book 1)

by Barbara Freethy

  But how on earth would she ever find out now? Jerry was dead. And he'd killed everyone who knew what he was doing.

  Perhaps not everyone…but she suspected he'd covered his tracks extremely well.

  It was after midnight by the time Alicia got Michael home and into bed.

  Michael had no fight left in him to protest. His face was a mix of black and purple bruises with a good-sized cut on his forehead. Judging by the way he winced every time he moved, she suspected he had some aches elsewhere.

  "Did they check your ribs?" she asked him as he slid under the covers wearing boxers and a T-shirt.

  "Just bruised, like I thought." He gave her a tender smile. "I've been beat up worse than this."

  "When was that?"

  "When I was a kid."

  "I don't think I believe you."

  "The important thing is that I'm okay and you're okay."

  "I came out way better than you."

  "I'm glad about that. I couldn't stand the thought of him hurting you. When I got out of the car, I heard you scream. I was afraid I wasn't going to get to you in time." His jaw tightened. "It was unthinkable."

  "I was stupid to go to the park alone."

  He ran a finger down the side of her face. "Stupid or brave? Remember that fine line?"

  "I crossed it again."

  "You showed enormous courage, babe. And let's be honest. If you hadn't gone to the park, Jerry would have found another opportunity to get to you and probably also to me."

  "I wish he would have lived. I know that sounds strange to say, but I really wanted to ask what he meant about my father. Now I'll never know."

  "He wanted to hurt you. He couldn't kill you, so he gave you as much pain as he could."

  "That makes sense. Jerry told me that MDT owed him. That they'd grounded him after his crash, threw him away like a piece of trash. I guess that was his motivation for stealing their secrets and selling them."

  "Revenge and greed are a dangerous combination. Why was Connie involved?"

  "He said it was for the cash. I guess Bryer caught her doing something. And obviously Paul Sandbury also figured out she was stealing secrets from the company."

  "He should have come forward when Connie was killed. Then Liliana would still be alive," Michael said harshly. "What a coward."

  She nodded. "I have a feeling that it wasn't cut and dried."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Sandbury's wife is sick. He needed the insurance. Maybe he wasn't going to turn Connie in, perhaps he was going to blackmail her."

  "Or get a cut of the action," Michael said. "It makes sense, but then Connie died."

  "He kind of tries to imply that she wasn't having an affair at the trial, but he gets shot down by the prosecutor who doesn't want any other versions of the story."

  "Then when Liliana goes to see him, he decides to free himself of his guilty conscience."

  "I don't think his photos got her killed. Jerry said that she was making too many waves, talking to too many people."

  "I wonder why she got in the car with him," Michael said.

  "He might have told her that he'd come to Florida to tell her what really happened. If she didn't suspect him, she would have wanted to hear what he had to say."

  "Yeah. So I guess that's it."

  "Except for the part about my dad."

  He gave her a compassionate look. "I know it's going to be difficult to let that go, maybe impossible, but nothing will change what happened to your father."

  "If it wasn't an accident, then I need to get my dad justice."

  "If Jerry was the one who made sure your father's plane went down, then justice has already been served, Alicia."

  She hadn't thought about it that way. "That's true. Jerry was always such a friendly, outgoing guy. When we saw him yesterday, he was so nice to me. He was like my uncle. But he was so evil and twisted. I wonder if my father ever saw that side of him."

  "He was very skilled at hiding his true nature." Michael paused. "I know you wish you could have five more minutes with Jerry, but his death means Liliana's parents and family won't have to live through a trial. They won't have to look at his face. They won't have to relive it all again."

  "You're right about that."

  "Theresa and Dominic will probably want to talk to you, though. They'll want to know what Jerry said about her murder."

  "He really didn't tell me anything specific, and when he did speak of her, he had no humanity in his voice. She didn't matter to him. She was just an obstacle. I would never want to tell Liliana's family that."

  "Then don't. All they need to know is that their daughter was trying to stop a killer. And in a way, she did that, because if she hadn't gone missing in Miami, we never would have gone to Texas. In the end, we stopped Jerry from hurting anyone else."

  She did feel good about that. "That's what I'll tell them." She paused. "How are you doing, Michael? And I'm not just talking about your injuries. You've had a lot of emotions to deal with today."

  "Too many to make sense of tonight. We can talk about it tomorrow." Michael patted the bed next to him. "If you're staying, I think you should get into bed."

  "I would like to stay, but…" She didn't know exactly what she wanted to say.

  "But I need to apologize," he finished.

  She looked at him in surprise. "I wasn't going to say that. I just want you to rest."

  "No, I need to say I'm sorry. I pulled away from you after Diego called with the news about Liliana's body. I barely spoke to you on the way home. You called me earlier, and I didn't call you back."

  "You were upset."

  "Don't make excuses for me."

  "Okay, I won't," she said, meeting his gaze. "You did cut me out, and it worried me. I knew you were upset, but I wanted to comfort you, and you wouldn't let me. That hurt."

  "I felt an enormous wave of guilt when Diego told me Liliana was dead. I'd actually forgotten about her last night. I was so happy with you. She didn't cross my mind once. Then I got the call, and I felt bad for feeling good."

  "I guess I can understand that," she said slowly.

  "I felt like I had to distance myself from you, so I could focus on what I needed to do and that was to find her killer. But I have to tell you that it felt really strange to be without you. After I dropped you off at your house, I missed you."

  "I missed you, too, Michael."

  "Good, because I have something important to tell you. I love you, Alicia."

  A tingle of surprise shot through her body. "You love me? Are you sure it's not the pain medication talking?"

  He smiled. "Not a chance. Love was an emotion I locked away a long time ago. But somehow you broke that lock. You pushed past my walls. You made me feel free again." He picked up her hand and tightened his fingers around hers. "You're the one, Alicia."

  "It's fast."

  "Like a lightning bolt," he teased. "But you love lightning, so maybe you can love me, too."

  "No maybe about it. I do love you, Michael. Like you, I wasn't sure I could give in to love, because the thought of losing someone else I cared about was too frightening. But when you and Jerry were fighting, I was overwhelmed by the need to protect you, to save you."

  "I told you to run."

  "I couldn't leave you. I didn't want to live, if you weren't going to live, too."

  "Well, we both made it."

  "So what happens next?"

  "I'm thinking you get under the covers with me," he said. "And I'll show you exactly how I feel about you."

  "With a concussion? No way. I will sleep with you, but that's it."

  "I'm fine, Alicia."

  "I intend to make sure of that." She stripped down to her underwear and got into bed with him, resting her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her and pulled her close.

  "We can take things slow," she told him. "We can get to know each other better. I won't hold you to anything if you change your mind."

  He laughed. "I w
on't change my mind, and I'm very clear on how I feel about you, but slow is good. I want to get to know you when we're not trying to track down a killer, when our life is normal and maybe even a little boring."

  "True."

  "But knowing your penchant for chasing lightning, I have a feeling life is always going to be exciting where you're concerned," he said.

  "I don't think I'll be chasing the lightning anymore."

  "Why not?"

  She lifted her head so she could look into his eyes. "Because I know now why I ran toward it. I was looking for you. I found you, and you're all I need. The lightning didn't call me to see that tag in the dirt; it called me to you."

  He smiled at her. "I actually believe that, too."

  "And just so you know, I don't have to stay in Miami, Michael. I can go wherever I need to go, wherever you need to be."

  "I'm open to the possibilities. I talked to my father earlier. We called a truce. I wouldn’t mind being closer to him, to my sisters and Veronica. I don't know if I want to live next door, but I definitely want to spend more time here."

  "Liliana's disappearance brought us both closer to our families. I'd really like you to come to Texas with me next month for my sister's party. My mother will be thrilled to see you."

  "I like your mother and your brother, too. I'm interested to meet your sister as well, so I'd love to go. Family is important, but what's most important is that I love you and you love me. We'll figure out our future together."

  "I like the sound of that."

  "And I like the sound of your voice, the sweet curve of these lips." He touched her lips with his finger. "The silky feel of your hair, your beautiful brown eyes, always filled with curiosity and fearlessness, and then there's your body."

  "Michael," she said, a little breathlessly as his body began to harden against hers. "You need to rest."

  "Later," he said, moving so suddenly she was on her back before she knew it. "But right now, I'm going to love you."

  "And I'm going to love you back."

  EPILOGUE

  Two weeks later

  Liliana's memorial service was held at St. Peter's Church with the burial of her ashes in a beautiful cemetery overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. A reception at Paladar for family and friends followed the service.

  Alicia held Michael's hand throughout the emotional day. While there were sad moments, there were also happy memories shared. By the time they settled in at a table in the restaurant for a late lunch, the pain was gone from his eyes. He was free now—from fear, suspicion and guilt.

  "That wasn't as bad as I expected," Michael said. "It felt like we were celebrating her life, instead of mourning her death."

  "It was really well done. I know her family will grieve for a long time, but I hope they can start to move past the worst of the pain."

  "It helps for them to know that Liliana was trying to stop a killer. She was a hero. And her death wasn't in vain. It's not much compensation, but it's something." Michael paused as Detective Kellerman and Diego walked into the room. "I can't believe Kellerman is here."

  "Maybe he finally wants to apologize to you." Despite all the meetings they'd had with the police since Jerry's death, Detective Ron Kellerman had never admitted he'd been wrong about Michael.

  "I doubt it," Michael said.

  While Diego stopped to chat with Theresa Valdez, Kellerman saw them and walked over to their table. "Mr. Cordero, Miss Monroe."

  "You surely can't have more questions for me," Michael said.

  Kellerman sat down in the chair next to Michael. "No. I wanted to tell you that I was wrong about you."

  Michael looked stunned by his words. "Seriously? You're finally going to admit that?"

  Kellerman nodded. "I should have done a better job looking into the criminal case in Texas, but the police in Corpus Christi assured me that the right person was in jail for the double homicide. Obviously, they were wrong. I was, too. I didn't think people could change. It certainly hasn't been my experience, but you did change. You're not the punk I remembered."

  "No, I'm not," Michael said, not letting Kellerman off the hook.

  Alicia couldn't blame him. The detective had put Michael through hell the past two months. "Has Mrs. Bryer been released from prison?" she asked.

  "Yesterday," Kellerman answered. "It took a few days to work through the system. The Corpus Christi district attorney is now satisfied that Jerry Caldwell killed Thomas Bryer and Connie Randolph, thanks to your statement, Miss Monroe, as well as the pictures found in Lieutenant Valdez's coat and a statement from Paul Sandbury."

  "What's going to happen to him?" Michael asked.

  "I'm not sure yet. The extent of his involvement with both classified information and obstructing justice is still under review. However, he's being quite cooperative now that Jerry Caldwell is dead."

  "Was there anyone else at MDT involved?" Alicia asked.

  "According to Sandbury, no. He said Connie and Jerry were working together. Bryer found out what she was doing. Then Sandbury got suspicious and started following Connie around. He was thinking of blowing the whistle on her or blackmailing her for a cut of the action. He was desperate for money. His wife needed some experimental medical treatments not covered by insurance."

  "So he does a bad thing for a good reason," Michael said. "Doesn't excuse what he did."

  "He'll pay," Kellerman said. "But I have to warn you that he'll probably plead out, because corporate theft of classified information that could affect national security probably won't go to trial. At any rate, it's over now. It wasn't the outcome any of us wanted, but I always think knowing the truth is better than living with uncertainty." Kellerman tipped his head, got up and left the table.

  "At least he apologized," Alicia said.

  Michael shrugged. "His apology means nothing to me." He turned in his chair to face her. "I think we should get out of here."

  "Really? We just got here."

  "We've talked to everyone. We've paid our respects. It's time to move on."

  She liked that idea a lot. "All right," she said, getting to her feet. "Where are we going?"

  "It's a surprise."

  "You're being mysterious."

  He gave her a wicked smile. "I know how you love a mystery, and I like to keep you on your toes."

  "Yes, you do," she said, grinning back at him. "Let's go."

  They managed to slip out of the restaurant without having to say too many goodbyes. They got into Michael's car, and he lowered the convertible top for the first time, which gave her another reason to smile.

  She really liked the carefree side of Michael, and she intended to see more of it in the days, weeks and years to come.

  They drove for a good twenty minutes before turning down a long driveway. At the end of the road was a very old, run-down two-story house. The land was beautiful and the view of the bay in the back of the house was even more amazing, but the structure itself was practically falling down.

  "What's this?" she asked.

  "A steal," he said, as they got out of the car. "The house was recently vacated by its elderly owner. As you can see, it's a tear-down, but look at the land it's on."

  "It is beautiful."

  "Let's walk around the back. As you can see, it also needs an upgrade."

  She had to agree. The grass was dead and overgrown with weeds. The swimming pool had been emptied, probably years ago, and the tiles were cracked. An old gazebo was barely standing in the far corner of the grass.

  "What do you think?" he asked.

  "Well, it has possibilities, but it looks like it needs a lot of work."

  "Definitely, but it could be something spectacular, wouldn't you agree?"

  She could see by the gleam in his eyes that he really wanted her to agree. "Did you buy this house, Michael?"

  "I've put in an offer," he admitted.

  "Really?" She was stunned. They'd started to talk about the future and going to New York had definitely been par
t of the discussion.

  "It's a great location. You'll be able to see the lightning storms coming off the coast, and you won't have to drive to a park to get your pictures."

  "That's true." She was touched by how much he'd thought about her needs.

  "And the house itself will be amazing." He pulled a piece of folded paper out of his pocket. As he unfolded it, she could see a drawing. "It's not a blueprint, but it's my design, one I've been working on for a while."

  She was impressed by the beauty and detail of his sketch. "When did you have time to do this?"

  "I've actually been drawing this house for years. I just didn't know when or if I'd ever build it, and if I did, who would live in it with me. Now I do."

  "It's a beautiful home, Michael. You're so talented."

  "I'm glad you like it, because I want you to live in it with me. I want to marry you, Alicia."

  "I thought we were going to date for a while, go slow."

  "We can date as long as you like, but I want you to know this is where I'd like to end up, if that's what you want, too."

  Images of a future with Michael filled her head: the beautiful new house, the swimming pool brimming with water, the gazebo refurbished and romantic, kids playing around the pool, a boy with Michael's blue eyes, and a girl with her unruly brown hair, maybe another baby girl sleeping in a playpen.

  "Alicia, what do you think?" he asked, a worried note in his voice.

  "It's perfect. I want to marry you, too, Michael. I want to have kids and live here and be really, really happy."

  His smile was bigger than she'd ever seen it. "Kids, too?"

  "You want children, don't you?"

  "Sure. I would love a little crew of lightning chasers."

  She laughed. "I don't need to chase the lightning anymore. I told you that. I've seen what I need to see—you. I only chased the light because there was a hole in my heart. It's not there anymore."

  "I'm glad." He lowered his head and gave her a long, loving kiss. "But I would never try to stop you from being yourself, Alicia. That's all you ever need to be with me."

  Tears pricked her eyes at the statement of unconditional love. "I feel the same way about you, Michael. I know you've felt torn between cultures and cities and families, but your home is with me, whether it's here or anywhere else."