“No, it definitely wasn’t Damien. The police found his body down in the basement of the house you were held in. He was in the freezer. It was actually a guy by the name of Patrick Harris.”
Stunned by the news, she didn’t know what to focus on first. “Damien’s dead?” At his nod, she closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her chest. “Is it bad I feel so much relief?” she asked, opening her eyes again.
“Not at all,” he said, his expression grim.
“Patrick, shit. I vaguely remember him from the trial. I didn’t know him all that well from when I was… Well, you know,” she said with a sigh. When she was dating Damien, she’d met Patrick but hadn’t seen a lot of him.
“On the outside, he’s a hard working CPA. He keeps in close touch with his mother, who’s a widow, and yet isn’t in a clingy relationship. He visits his sister’s home twice a month for dinner with her and her husband and their three kids. He plays on the company softball team and volunteers at a local soup kitchen every other Sunday.”
“Okay.” Tamara shook her head. “So why the hell did he do this?”
“The cops found a room, up in the attic, where he had a shrine dedicated to you. He’s been stalking you for a while, planning this for a long time, from the looks of things. Best we can figure out, though, was that he waited on Damien’s release to act. That way it would all be blamed on Damien, and had it gone according to plan, the two of you would have vanished without a trace. With Damien being blamed for killing Patrick. We’re thinking Patrick would have used Damien’s body to set it up to look like Damien had gone off on his old friend.” Shawn hugged her closer to him.
Shivering at that thought, Tamara turned to face him. Yes, it put pressure on her sore cheek, but she didn’t care. She needed to hold onto Shawn. He was her rock, and damn it, she was going to use him to anchor herself.
“So where the hell is Patrick?” she asked. She really hated the idea of him being out there. He’d obviously cracked a wheel or something. Which meant he was dangerous, very dangerous.
“Don’t know. Rhonda said the cops have bulletins out to all the local and statewide law enforcement agencies. He’s on a no-fly list and the train and bus depots have also been given the heads up. Rental agencies have been warned, too, but, really, if he wants out of town, he’s got a slew of friends to troll from to get what he needs.”
“So he’s lying low,” she muttered. When she felt him laugh, she shot him a look. “What? Isn’t that the right term?”
Shawn nodded, chuckling. “Yeah, it’s the right term. You obviously are spending way too much time with Rhonda, though.”
“Maybe a little,” she said, smiling a bit. Too much and her face hurt.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she relaxed even more. Snuggling in closer, Tamara rested her wounded cheek on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. “Shawn?”
“Yeah, love?”
“I’ve been wondering something.”
“Hmm, what would that be?”
“What are your feelings on modern women?” Her lips twitched as she fought to keep from smiling.
She felt him still and nearly burst out laughing. Which would have been bad. Her face would have hurt so damned much.
“I’m not quite sure what you’re asking,” he said, his tone very cautious.
Pressing her lips together, she fought down the laughter. When she was in control, she looked up at him and met his suspicious gaze. “Well, I’m thinking that I should exercise my right as a modern woman and just pop the question.”
He frowned at that and pushed up on an arm. “What question?”
Smiling a little, she reached up to touch his cheek. “Shawn Camden,” she said softly. “Would you do me the greatest of honors and become my husband?”
The expression on his face said she’d shocked him. Then he blinked and grinned down at her. “Well, hell, I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “This is all so sudden. And there’s no ring, either? What the hell, woman? You drop a question like that, and you don’t even have any bling for me.” He clicked his tongue at her.
Snickering, she smacked his chest before pressing her hand to her cheek. “Quit hedging and just answer the question.”
“You were serious?” he asked.
Nodding, Tamara bit the inside of her cheek as she watched him.
He stared down at her for a little longer before he nodded. “Yes, Tamara Karen Phillips, I will become your husband.” Leaning in, he kissed her gently.
Throwing her arms around his neck, she held on and kissed him back. Letting him draw back, she rubbed a hand to his cheek. Everything would be fine. She had her man and she always would. Life was going to be amazing.
Epilogue
Five weeks later…
“During a search and seizure by SFPD’s Vice squad at a known drug house, the police were stunned to find a fugitive they’ve been combing the city and state for. Patrick Harris, the man wanted in relation to the kidnapping of Tamara Karen Phillips and murder of parolee Damien Hofstadter, was hiding out in the drug house. The owner of the house, a known drug dealer, just happened to be an old high school friend of Harris’s. Apparently, the owner allowed Harris to hide out there until the, and we quote, heat died down.”
****
Turning off the TV, Shawn let out a breath. Finally. Finally, the bastard would be put where he belonged. Shaking his head, he went to the mirror and glared at the tie. He fucking hated ties. Always had, always would.
Looking up when the door opened, he grinned at the sight Robyn made. Whistling, he turned to look at her. “Holy shit, I thought Tamara had been kidding when she said she’d convinced you to wear a dress.”
“Shut up,” his best friend said, blushing no less.
“No, no, this is big. I fucking owe her a hundred bucks now,” he said, quite seriously.
“You bet your fiancée?” she asked. When he nodded, she decked him in the arm, like he’d expected anything less. “You are a grade-A jerk.”
Laughing, Shawn rubbed his arm and shrugged. “I honestly thought she wouldn’t have a snowballs chance in hell, Rob. But—” He looked her up and down. “You look good, very lady-like.” Then he jumped back and pointed a finger her way when she lifted her fist again. “No more hitting, that’s not very lady-like, woman!”
“Whatever,” she muttered. Huffing out a breath, she checked herself out in the mirror and made a face.
He hadn’t been kidding. Robyn looked good. The deep red color of the cocktail-style dress suited her coloring and showed off her legs. Not that he was checking out his best friend’s legs. God, that was just so many ways of wrong.
Tugging at the tie, he started to work at it again until it frustrated him and he just tore it off. “Fuck it, I’m not wearing the noose.”
“You have to,” Robyn said. Picking it up, she set it around her own neck and began to tie it. She then loosened it and came to him. Looping it around his neck, she tucked it around his collar before tightening it up. Flipping his collar back down, Robyn stepped back. “There, you have your tie and Tamara won’t have a conniption.”
Checking his appearance in the mirror he had to admit that it looked good. “How’s she doing?” he asked as he fixed his cuffs.
“A little nervous. She was pacing and had to keep waving her mother off. I think the sooner we get this show on the road, the better. So, get your ass out there and don’t embarrass us by fainting or some shit,” she said.
Laughing, he looped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “Not going to happen.”
Robyn snorted. “You say that now, but you haven’t seen her yet.”
“Okay, I’ll give you that. But I won’t do anything to ruin her day,” he said. “So I will stay on my feet and we’ll get through this without incident.”
“Good plan. Now get,” she said as they reached the doors that led out onto the deck and the yard beyond. “I’ll go and get her and we’ll see you so
on.”
Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Shawn hugged her once more and then let her go about her business.
Stepping outside, he headed toward the where everything was set up. Taking up his spot, he grinned at Vincent, similarly trussed in a suit and looking just as uncomfortable. Grant, Robyn’s fiancé, was the only one that looked at ease.
“You going to survive?” he asked his friend.
“Only if this show gets on the road sooner, rather than later,” Vincent muttered.
Grant looked away, but not before Shawn caught the amusement on his face.
Glancing to the house, he spotted Robyn in place and grinned. About time. Like Vincent, he was more than eager to get everything underway. Unlike Vincent, it was for very, very different reasons.
Winking at his best friend as she joined them, he looked to Rhonda and smiled at her as she made her way closer. Then the music changed.
Looking to the open doors he felt his breath catch. She was stunning, magnificent, an angel given human form.
He couldn’t bear to look away as she walked toward him, her stepfather guiding her along. Shaking the man’s hand when they reached him, he then took hers gently in his and turned to face the minister.
“You look amazing,” he said softly.
“And you’re wearing your tie.” I guess I owe Robyn some money,” she said, smiling ever so slightly.
Shooting his best friend a dirty look, he squeezed Tamara’s hand and forced his mind to the purpose of the day.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”
The End
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