A few minutes later, the curtain moved and she thought Damien had returned. “That was fast.”
“Oh Sammy. I came as soon as I heard you got shot. How are you? Are you okay? What happened?” A frantic Mrs. Gideon rushed into the room and stared down at her daughter, genuine concern and alarm on her face.
“I...yes. I’m fine. It was just a graze. You didn’t…didn’t have to come.” Samantha sat up straight in surprise. “How did you find out?”
“Gina called me.”
Her best friend, Gina? The very same who knew how complicated her relationship with her mother was. She found that hard to believe. Her eyes sought out her friend and saw her signaling something to her. Was that ear something… no. She was telling her to listen. Frowning, she turned to face her mother.
“I didn’t know you two had gotten chummy.”
“It’s not like that,” Mrs. Gideon, said almost guiltily. “Sweetie, you might not be talking to me but I’m still your mother. If anything happens to you, it concerns me. I know you don’t believe me, but I…I care for you. I want to make things right. I want to explain why things happened the way they did. I just want you to think about some things. You don’t have to say anything immediately. But please, I’m begging you. Give your mother a second chance.”
Samantha stared at the earnest face of the woman who had given her birth. She felt very forgiving just then. She was not the type to give up but the woman had caused a lot of pain in her life. Giving her a second chance would mean an opportunity to inflict more of that pain. Her mind rebelled with her heart. She felt a shift in the atmosphere and a second later, Damien walked into the room.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize someone was…” he began.
She cut him off. If she was to give her mother a second chance, she had to do it with Damien by her side. He was her crutch. She did not have to fear rejection with him there with her. “Damien…this is my mother, Melissa Gideon. Mother, this is my boyfriend, Damien.”
A polite smile appeared on his handsome face as he extended a hand for a quick shake. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
“Please…call me Melissa. I’m glad to finally meet the man who has put that sparkle in my daughter’s eyes,” Mrs. Gideon said, warmly.
A deep flush spread across his cheeks and he squeezed Samantha’s hand, gazing down at her fondly. “I can see you two are in the middle of something important. I’ll wait outside.” He leaned down to press a quick, soft kiss on her lips and then walked out.
“I like him,” Mrs. Gideon quickly assessed. “I’m happy for you.”
Samantha nodded and gestured for her to sit. It was still difficult for her to process that her mother was in the hospital beside her and she was not hurling insults at her yet.
“So I want you to know the real story. For years we hid the truth from you because we didn’t want to hurt you. But it was our mistake because we ended up hurting you anyway. We should have started with the truth from the start,” her mother started, a look of regret on her face. “Your father and I…our marriage was not normal. It was hardly consensual.” At the alarmed look on Samantha’s face, she hurried on. “I don’t mean it like that. It was not your father’s fault. My side of the family was very strict about certain things. They were very…Christian. So when I was discovered frolicking with my date on my twenty-second birthday, I was given the ultimatum. Take him to the chapel and marry him or suffer the consequences. In my family that meant being stripped of any material possessions and being thrown out of the house.”
She smiled ruefully at Samantha and then glanced away, a faraway look of deep sorrow in her eyes. “I was young and afraid. I was also late. If something as minor as a date set my parents off, what would they have done if they had found out I was pregnant? So I laid it down to your father and he was such a gentleman about it. He wanted to do right by me. So under the pretence of being madly in love, we got married. We should’ve known it wouldn’t last. But for your sake, we kept trying and trying to make it work. Before long, the strain got too much. And you know the rest.”
“Then why the charade of running away to be with your man?”
“Oh honey. It wasn’t a charade. You were young and obstinate. You didn’t want to believe that your mother was leaving you. Somehow our communication got messed up along the line and you got an idea fixed in your head. We tried to change it. When you refused to see me anymore, your father tried to make you understand but you were too hurt to listen.”
Samantha’s guilt stirred up and she realized how right her mother was. When her mother had announced the divorce to her, she had been in the rebellious stage. She had not wanted to accept that she was leaving then. When that became a reality, maybe she had conjured the whole scene of a runaway mother who abandoned her child. Her father had tried indeed. But she shut him out just like she had shut her mother out.
“I’m sorry for pushing you away all these years.”
“I don’t blame you. Sometimes, things are just meant to be. I blame myself for the decisions I made that led to hurting you so much.”
“Can we start over? I know it won’t be easy. I know I was not a nice person to you but I would like a second chance as well.”
“Oh of course. I would love that,” her mother cried out beaming, pulling her in for a hug. The daughter mother duo exchanged a few stories when, out of the blue, her mother advised her.
“Tell him.”
“What?”
“Tell him about the baby.”
Shock colored Samantha’s face. “How did you…?”
Her mother smiled and stroked her fingers over her cheek. “I’m your mother. I know these things. I can tell. I know you’re afraid. I understand it. I was afraid too. But then I had your father by my side. You’ve a good man there. Don’t hide it from him. He’s deeply in love with you. I can see it in the way he watches you even from across the room. That’s a man worth keeping forever. So tell him. Don’t be afraid. Take the jump. He’ll catch you, sweetie.”
Samantha turned to look at Damien and found him staring back at her concern written all over her face. When their met, he smiled at her reassuringly, as though providing comfort. Her heart swelled with love and she knew her mother was right. She had to take the leap. Damien would never let her fall.
Chapter 6
The tips of Damien’s ear turned red as he first stared at the stick lying in the box and then at Samantha. A hesitant smile spread on her face making him suck in a sharp breath. Tears glistened in his eyes as he stared into her eyes directly.
“Are you really…?” he asked, getting all choked up.
Biting her lip in the adorable way she did when was unsure of something, she nodded. His lungs filled with a whoosh of air and for a second he felt slightly dizzy. Then it hit him in the gut. He was going to be a father. A father to the child that the love of his life was carrying. A huge grin spread on his face as he yanked Samantha towards him and engulfed her in a hug. His hand cupped the back of her head and he buried his face in her shoulder, his body shuddering.
“Samantha Marie Gideon. You’ve made me the happiest man ever,” he said, gently cradling her face in his hands. His eyes crinkled at the corners as the slight fear got replaced with relief in her eyes and her lips formed a dimpled smile.
“You’re not mad?”
“Mad? Why would I be mad? You love me and you’re making me a father. I can’t think of any other way I would have it.” He brushed his thumb across her cheek and smiled as she titled her face towards his palm. “You’re happy, right?”
“I am.” Samantha tightened her arms around his waist and smiled a tiny smile. “I was worried when I found out. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how you would react or how I should tell you. Then all hell broke loose. That’s when I knew. No matter what happened between us, I was not going to let anything happen to this little one. You were the best thing that happened in my life and I’m sure the baby
would be just as good as you at making my life brighter.” She rested her head over his chest and listened to the soothing beat of his heart pumping against the wall of solid muscle. “If life had been cruel enough to take you away from me, at least I still would have had a piece of you with me…giving me strength.”
Damien’s chest constricted painfully at her words and fresh wave of tears glistened in his eyes. His blinked them away rapidly, his arms tightening around her, enjoying the warmth her closeness provided. The time they were separated had been the most painful time of his life. When he had glimpsed the look of betrayal in her eyes, it had cut him the deepest.
Now, holding her in his arms, he felt like he could never let go. He was still in disbelief that this wonderful woman was giving him the perfect life he had envisioned for himself from time to time. He never thought it would come to being. He would go to the ends of the world for her. He was not just smitten. He was irrevocably and insanely in love with her. And he was never going to let anything come in between them ever again.
“I spent most of my life in the darkness. I had a crappy childhood, even worse teens and adulthood was always a struggle to get to the top. Once I was there, I didn’t want to do. There was nothing further to attempt. But then I saw you on the dance floor that night, dancing like a sweet, tantalizing angel. And the spark awakened in me. All it took was a glance. And I was a goner,” Damien smiled softly. “It was pure bliss. Spending nights in your bed and then spending the days getting to know you. Every bit of information you gave me about yourself just solidified my love for you. I didn’t know it was love until one night I lay awake thinking about you and I realized how much it would hurt if you ever left me. I saw how you filled my dreary life with sunshine. That’s when I knew that I needed you like I need air. You’re my anchor. You’re my life support system, Peaches.”
“Damien…”
He put a finger to her lips and shushed her. “No, let me finish. I love you, Samantha. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. You’re the one for me. You’re the light to my darkness. You balance me. I would still be wandering about like an uncaring idiot if you had not come into my life and given me a chance. You believed in me when no one else did. You breathed life into me, Peaches. And for that, I promise to spend my entire life making you the happiest woman ever.” He dropped to one knee and held a small jewelry box towards her. Samantha clapped her hands to her mouth and stared at him with wide eyes. Grinning so broadly that it started to hurt his cheeks, he asked, “Samantha Marie Gideon, will you do the honor of becoming my wife…someday?”
He waited with bated breath for her answer. Deep down inside his heart, he knew her answer. But he still wanted to hear it from her lips. He knew she was not ready for the big commitment just yet. But she would be in the future. They were having a baby. That was a big enough step for now. He did not need some papers to tell him that she was his. He already knew that. As did she. They belonged to each other and that was fine with them.
“Yes, you silly man. Of course, I would love to be your wife…someday!” She grinned, her eyes misting with happy tears. Damien removed a beautiful silver cuff decorated with diamonds and snapped it on to her slender wrist.
She cupped his face and leaned on her toes to kiss him sweetly. He was so perfect. It was like his mind was in sync with hers. He read her so accurately. She could not ask for anything more in life. She was happy and in love with the most amazing man. It did not hurt that he was super-hot like Haley said and knew exactly what he did in the bedroom or anywhere else. She was just blissfully content.
Four weeks later – Damien’s birthday.
“Thanks man, I appreciate it,” he accepted a gift and placed it on the table that was already crowded with other shiny wrapped boxes.
He had wanted to spend a quiet day with his beautiful woman but Zack and the publicist had said a party with some key players would be helpful to boost his image that had taken a slight hit after being arrested for murders he had not committed. His scanned the crowd for his girlfriend and his face lit up as he zeroed in on her standing by the fountain in the garden.
“Hey man…”
“Not now, Zack,” Damien brushed him aside as he strode towards Samantha.
“I didn’t think I would see the day a woman would hold your attention like she does. I’m almost envious,” his best friend said, grumbling.
“Green is not a good color on you, Zack,” Samantha said teasing, her eyes on Damien who was grinning at her like he wanted to gobble her up.
“No, but it’s a beautiful color on Haley…excuse me,” he murmured, his eyes drawn to the tiny woman by the bar.
“Do you think something is going on with those two?”
“Definitely. Neither of them are good at hiding anything. But come over here. I’ve something for you.”
He stared wide eyed at Samantha who suddenly dropped to her knees, holding a box in her hand, and grinned up mischievously at him.
“What’re you doing, Peaches?”
“Damien Black, would you do me the honor of moving in with me?” she snapped open the box, inside which lay a shiny silver key and blinked at him, waiting for his reply.
He chuckled and nodded, pulling her to her feet. He dipped his head to lock her lips in a searing kiss. “Yes, Peaches. I would love to move in with you.”
She and Zack had worked on one of the condos that the company owned. It had seemed to be the perfect gift to give him on his birthday. His own space was impersonal and he spent more time in her apartment than his own. Even together, he preferred the warmth of her walls than the clinical feel of his own. He was going to love what she had done in their new space. It was the perfect mesh of both their personalities.
She kissed him back with fervor and grinned against his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Peaches.”
The crowd around them cheered and clapped. They smiled back at their friends and leaned against each other, their fingers entwined as they watched the merriment from further away. Damien placed his big tan hand over hers on her small bump that was carrying their child and could not believe his luck at having the brave and beautiful woman standing beside him. His grey eyes locked with her blue ones and a spark sizzled between them, electrifying the atmosphere around. They stood gazing lovingly into each other’s souls as the skies became ablaze with the orange glow of the perfect ending to the day. Everything in their universe was perfect again and they could not be any happier.
Book 6: Dead Men Don’t Talk
Summary
When Tommy Fokler is found dead in his apartment after a date with the “most amazing girl on Earth”, his friend Mike takes on the responsibility of finding the murderer. When Arnold Banks is found dead in his house a few days later, the whole town is thrown in an upheaval. And then there’s the matter of the one link between the two: their jobs. Determined to find out just what is going on with a certain building company, Mike locks horns with Detective Cole and soon comes up with the most unlikely theory of all. From a jilted assassin who was kidnapped when she was a teen, to a manager with lavish taste, to the arrest of a concerned elderly neighbor. Nobody in this town feels safe. And it’s up to Detective Cole and his nosy sidekick Mike to find out just who wanted Tommy and Arnold dead. And soon the question changes from ‘Who is the murderer?’ to ‘Who is the murderess?’ After all, guys aren’t the only rotten apples out there.
Chapter One
Tommy Fokler was nervous. It wasn’t that he had no reason to be nervous. He did. This was completely new to him. As much as it shamed him to admit it, he had never picked up girls from a club before. All his friends and his friend’s friends had done it. Tommy didn’t feel comfortable with it but then, he was meeting Jenna for the second time at the club. Even though he didn’t feel safe there, he didn’t want to stand up such a nice woman. Every decision he had ever made was always for a reason, but this time he didn’t have o
ne. Tommy simply felt that Jenna was the right woman for him.
Tonight, the atmosphere was different. He felt more energetic, as if his batteries had been fully charged. The club was loud, but he waited very patiently for Jenna, despite the fact that the music was killing his eardrums. Jenna walked in; she was more beautiful and elegant than he remembered. Her hair cascaded gracefully down her back. She kissed him on the cheek, and leaned against the counter.
“You look lovely,” Tommy said.
“Thank you,” she replied while she seductively ran her hands through his hair. This made him nervous, even if he did feel horny.
“What do you want to do?” he asked. Then he cringed. That sounded wrong. He hadn’t meant to come across as impulsive. What if she decided he was too forward?
“This place is so noisy, can we go somewhere private?” She rolled her lips into her mouth. Or not.
“I live two blocks from here, we can go to my place, and it’s more private.” He held out his hand to Jenna, hoping against hope that she would take it. She did. They walked, holding hands, and it felt so nice.
Jenna knew that her time had come but she wanted to enjoy herself first. The apartment was not far from the bar. He pointed at the main door and led the way into the lobby. She didn’t want to do what she had to.
“I must admit, this is a spectacular place,” she looked him in the eye.
“Thanks.” They stopped in front of the elevator and waited. Once they were in the elevator, Tommy explained that his apartment was “the second door on the first floor.”
“I feel horny already,” she whispered in his ear. He could feel his body react to her words. He watched her, his hands wrapped around her slender waist. He tried to suppress his smile. Tommy simply couldn’t believe that this beautiful creature liked him. She nestled her head against his chest and he jerked away.
She pouted up at him, a question in her huge eyes.
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