Guarding the Socialite

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Time to end this, you bloody bastard. Dillon reared back and punched West in the face, bloodying his nose and possibly breaking the orbital bones in his eyes. Although the man seemed subdued, Dillon wasn’t taking chances and punched him again. Grabbing the semiconscious man by the collar he said in a harsh tone, “That was for Charlotte and Ursula and all the other girls you butchered.” Then he leaned in closer and whispered for West’s ears alone, “And if you’d laid a hand on Emma…you’d be dead right now.”

  West gurgled what sounded like laughter and Dillon had to restrain himself. Perhaps it was a good thing he didn’t have his gun, because right now, he had an itchy trigger finger. “Officer,” he called out. “Come cuff this piece of shit and put him in the car.”

  The uniform rushed over and did as Dillon instructed, his young face pale in the moonlight. Jerking West to his feet, the man looked to Dillon. “Thanks. I kinda froze,” he admitted shamefully, gesturing to the wound seeping blood from Dillon’s shoulder. “And I didn’t mean to shoot at you. I’ll radio for EMS.”

  Dillon waved away his thanks and the offer. “It happens, kid. We all have those moments we wish we could do over differently. Don’t let it eat at you. Now put that POS away before he stinks up the place.”

  “You got it.” The officer pushed West to the car and locked him in. Dillon knew he’d radio for backup. He turned to Emma; she had shock written all over her face.

  “It was Isaac West,” she said numbly. “I never imagined…I’d hoped we were wrong. I thought he was such a good man. Now I don’t know what to believe about anyone.”

  Dillon knew that feeling. Going to her, he said, “Let’s go inside and see about that tea. Tea and a biscuit does wonders for the disposition.”

  She nodded, but he could tell she was on autopilot. He just hoped to God Bella was okay. Otherwise, he didn’t know if Emma would come out of this funk.

  Chapter 22

  Emma cupped her tea mug and let the warmth seep into her bones, but her teeth had started to chatter nonetheless. Dillon had responded wordlessly by draping a blanket around her. “You’re in a bit of shock, love. It’ll pass but we should keep you warm. I could call the ambulance if you like.”

  She shook her head. “I’m f-fine.”

  Was it over? She looked to Dillon. “Any word on Bella?”

  “Not yet. Give it a few more minutes,” he instructed softly.

  She nodded and sipped her tea, not really tasting the blend but thankful for something to do aside from cry. Another thought came to her. “Are my parents all right?”

  “I’m assuming because I haven’t heard otherwise. But let’s focus on one crisis at a time.” In perfect timing his cell phone trilled and he answered immediately. Emma held her breath, not quite sure if she was ready to hear the verdict. Dillon looked grave, his mouth setting in a tight line. Her eyes started to water of their own accord, and she began to shake her head against the news she didn’t want to hear. Dillon hung up and he drew a deep breath before coming to her.

  “No,” she breathed, the tears flowing harder. “She’s not dead. She’s not. Tell me she’s okay. Dillon,” she wailed, clutching at his shirt. “Tell me she’s okay.”

  “She’s alive,” Dillon answered, his eyes fierce. “She’s in the hospital. She was hurt pretty bad. It looks like she fought her attacker.”

  Bella. She sagged against Dillon and heaved a ragged sob that was part relief and part horror, but even as she wanted to collapse, she forced herself to stand and wipe her eyes. “Let’s go,” she said, her voice weak and a bit wild. “I have to see her.”

  “Of course,” he agreed, and she wanted to kiss him. So she did. Pulling him to her, she sealed her mouth to his even as the salt from her tears dried on her cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered against his lips. “Thank you, Dillon McIntyre. I love you with everything I have and always will.”

  She didn’t give him a chance to respond. She was already leaving him behind, anxious to get to the hospital.

  While Emma sat with Bella in recovery, Dillon got the rundown from Sanford.

  “Man, that kid’s one tough cookie. She fought hard. He beat her pretty badly,” Sanford said in a low tone in the hospital waiting room. “I didn’t think she was going to make it but she’s a fighter. Her testimony will go a long way toward putting away that sick freak.”

  Sanford gave Dillon a sidewise glance. “I couldn’t have closed this case without your help,” he said. “Hell, it was mostly your case anyway. I just sewed up the loose ends. Either way, I’m just glad this psycho is off the streets. I have a feeling he wasn’t ever going to stop.”

  Dillon agreed, the closure felt good but he was bone tired. He and Sanford traded verbal notes for later, but Dillon was ready to find Emma and take her home. He stopped and wondered what that meant, if anything.

  He found Emma sitting beside Bella, her hand caressing Bella’s even though the teen was still out cold.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked softly.

  “She’s pretty out of it because of the painkillers, but she needs her rest.” Her eyes welled with tears and she paused to wipe away the moisture. “I’m just so happy she’s alive. I can’t pretend that she’s just a boarder any longer. She’s a part of me and even though I’m not old enough to be her mother…I love her as much as I loved my sister.”

  Dillon nodded, letting the admission rest between them. “So now what?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “How about this…let’s focus on getting her back on her feet before we try to figure out the heavy stuff. Okay?” he suggested, and she agreed with a soft nod. “How about we come back in the morning? You could use a rest.”

  She looked ready to protest, but as he held his hand out to her, something seemed to click within her and she didn’t resist. Instead she smoothed Bella’s hand with her own and then rose to accept Dillon’s.

  “We’ll come back first thing in the morning, though?” she asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  And he meant it.

  Wherever Emma needed to be, was where he wanted to be.

  Emma crawled into bed after a long shower, where she and Dillon shared the hot spray yet didn’t do much more than hold each other, and she realized as Dillon climbed in beside her, that this felt real and right. She’d thought that after tonight she’d be numb inside, but as Dillon’s arms wrapped around her and drew her against him, warmth filled the cold spots in her body and she knew there was no place she’d rather be.

  The logical part of her—at least the part that wasn’t frazzled and short-circuited—was asking all the questions that seemed important in her life before today. Where was this going? Did they have a future together? What did they really have in common? Would she be able to handle being the girlfriend or wife of an FBI agent? Would he want her to give up Iris House? She’d never even been to his apartment yet she was contemplating a blended life with him.

  There were all those questions and more, yet, snuggled up to him, she drowsed in complete satisfaction, succumbing to the soul-deep fatigue that dragged on her eyelids—and she realized all those questions…didn’t mean a thing. Somewhere along the way, she’d fallen for an agent who should’ve been the last thing she needed in her life, but had turned out to be the best.

  Everything else would fall into place in its own time. And she was ready to quiet her brain and trust her heart.

  Epilogue

  Six months later…

  Dillon leaned in for a quick kiss as Emma finished the last of the day’s work before they could leave for Bella’s big day. Today was the day that Bella would move in with her new adoptive parents.

  It was a tough one for Emma, but she was brimming with happiness for the girl even if it meant letting go of her in the short term.

  “Bella, let’s go,” Emma called out, surprised her voice didn’t crack from the ache in her heart. “We have to get going if we’re going to make the airport on time.”r />
  “I can’t find my lucky necklace,” Bella hollered back. “It was just here and now it’s gone. Evie! Did you take my heart pendant? I know you were eyeing it last week….”

  Emma smiled through a wash of tears. She’d miss this. Truly… She winced as Bella shrieked at Evie as she stomped down the stairs. “I know she has it! That thieving liar!” she huffed, dragging one last suitcase and handing it over to Dillon, who was waiting patiently to put it in the car with the rest of her luggage. “If you see her wearing my necklace—”

  “I will put it in the mail and send it to you right away,” Emma promised, lifting a wash of hair from Bella’s eyes. Since her ordeal, Bella had worked through her aversion to touch. It was backward thinking, but Bella made a bit of a transformation when she emerged from the hospital. It was almost as if she was determined to grab on to life and all it offered. The first thing she did when she was well enough to be moved from ICU was grab Emma and hold on to her.

  Emma and Dillon had managed to find a family for the teen, and, after D’Marcus had done a thorough background check, preparations were made to remove Bella from the state’s care and relinquish her into that of the Baker family.

  Dillon tapped his watch. “Clock’s ticking, ladies.” Then he disappeared outside.

  Emma was getting ready to follow when she noted that Bella had stopped and was staring at the house.

  “Anything wrong?” Emma asked, worried.

  “I’m going to miss Iris House,” she said softly, turning to Emma. “But mostly, I’m going to miss you. Thanks for never giving up on me.”

  Emma didn’t have the words for the emotion spilling over in her heart. She swallowed and nodded, gathering her in a tight hug. “You have to promise to email me every day. I want to know everything about your day, your school, your new parents. I want to hear about it all.”

  “You will,” Bella vowed, breaking the hug to stare at her. “And you have to promise me that you’ll let me know when the wedding is because I’m going to be your bridesmaid, right?”

  Emma smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Bella grinned and bounded for the car, looking every inch the teenager she was and should’ve had the chance to be before life dealt her a crappy hand. It meant the world to Emma that Bella was getting that second chance she deserved, and she had Dillon to thank for it.

  She’d since started to allow Chick to take over most of the duties of running Iris House, and while her style was different, donations to the house had doubled, which allowed Emma to sleep at night without worrying about the house’s closure. To her amazement, letting go of some of that control had actually been a good thing for everyone. Chick was coming into her own as the director and she was damn good at it, while Emma was learning how to live her life just for herself. It was liberating and not the least bit as scary as she’d feared.

  She allowed the love she felt for the two people closest to her to warm her soul. Like Bella, she was learning to embrace life and all it had to offer.

  And that life definitely included the sexy Brit who stole her heart when she wasn’t looking, filled her life with joy and made her toes curl when the lights went out.

  Oh, and the accent didn’t hurt, either.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-7629-5

  GUARDING THE SOCIALITE

  Copyright © 2010 by Kimberly Sheetz

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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