Trust No One

by Velvet Vaughn

  Between reports she'd been interviewed by the FBI for hours, as had Dorian. She'd recited the events many times to many people. Her head throbbed and her heart ached. Dorian's strong arms were the only things holding her upright.

  Her boss practically proposed to her when she called with the latest developments. He ordered her back to the office immediately. He was terrified someone would try to lure her away, so he wanted to renegotiate her contract for a huge raise. She agreed that she would return…after Stefani's funeral.

  "Let's get Alex back to the hospital and then head to the cabin." He waggled his eyebrows, eliciting her first smile of the night.

  "Sounds like a plan."

  "No it doesn't." Alex hobbled over with a glare. "I'm not going back to that place and you can't make me."

  "What are you, ten? And no I can't…but they can." Dorian pointed to an area cordoned off with crime scene tape.

  "Hell." Alex reluctantly waved to his family. "What are they doing here? Is that Daphne with them?"

  "Yeah, she called your sister and they swung by the cabin and picked her up. Your mom said she could stay with them until my mother returns from Greece. The reason they're here is they saw your ugly mug on TV and wondered what you were doing out of bed."

  Alex's shoulders slumped and he marched forward as if facing a firing squad. He stopped and turned around. "How much longer are you here, Kendall?"

  "Stefani's funeral is Thursday. I have to be back in New York on Friday."

  "I'll see you before you go. Call me, Demarchis. I'll probably need you to rescue me from my overprotective mom."

  "Will do."

  Dante sauntered over. "Since this is wrapped up, I think I'll drop you two off at the cabin and head home. The FBI has my number if they have any other questions."

  "It's a four hour or so drive, not counting construction. You sure you don't want to wait until the morning?"

  "I miss my son."

  "We're ready to go so you can get on the road." Dorian guided Kendall to the truck and helped her in. Dante navigated back to the cabin and parked long enough to grab his bag. Kendall hugged him tightly and thanked him. With a wave, he drove away.

  Dorian bent down and picked her up. She didn't even realize she'd been sobbing until he kissed her tears away.

  "Don't cry, baby, it breaks my heart." He carried her into the cabin, closed and locked the door, stripped off her clothes and gently placed her in bed. He removed his clothes and slid in beside her, just holding her, letting all the grief pour out of her soul. He stroked her back and murmured comforting words until she fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Thirty

  Thursday, September 30

  The sun shone brightly in a clear blue sky on the day of Stefani's funeral. Kendall wore her favorite black Versace dress and Christian Louboutin's that Olivia had overnighted to her after Kendall vehemently objected to her bringing them herself. Her friend wanted to be here to support her and that meant the world to her, but Olivia had already spent the money to fly to Chicago twice. Kendall appeased her by agreeing she could take her to dinner when she returned to New York.

  She'd planned on leaving tomorrow but the scandal surrounding Senator Hofstra and Governor Denton was still big news and since she broke the story, all of the major networks were clamoring for an interview. She had to leave tonight so she could hit the morning show circuit early. She had absolutely no desire to do so, but she was still under contract.

  Cassie had decided against any kind of viewing, so they were headed to the church for the service and then on to the cemetery where Stef would be laid to rest next to her parents. Kendall had warned her when she arrived on Tuesday of the damage to Stefani's apartment, but true to his word, Dorian had a crew clean the mess up and salvage what could be saved. They even put clean sheets on a new mattress that Kendall was pretty sure Dorian paid for, though he would admit nothing. Just another in a long list of reasons why she loved him.

  Kendall helped Cassie sort through everything that wasn't destroyed. They picked out an outfit for Stefani to wear…a beautiful blue ball gown and matching shoes that she had loved. Then they packed up the rest of the apartment and moved the belongings to a storage facility that Cassie rented.

  The limo pulled to a stop in front of the church. Dorian stepped out first, looking amazing in a black suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a red tie. He was by far the most handsome man she'd ever seen. He held out his hand and assisted her out first and then Cassie. Stefani's sister had taken to him instantly. They bonded over their military backgrounds and Kendall could tell that Cassie had fallen under his spell. He held out one arm for each of them and then he escorted them up the steps and into the vestibule.

  They were the first to arrive and they took their seats at the front of the church. She heard people file in but didn't turn around to look. She kept a tight grip on Dorian's hand, needing his strength to get her through the service.

  A pianist played a haunting tune and then the priest conducted a brief but moving memorial. When the piano started up again, an usher appeared to escort them out of the pew. Kendall gasped in shock, surprised when she turned to see the church packed with mourners. She recognized several of their former cheerleading teammates from both college and the pros. Seated on an aisle was Daphne and Mama Demarchis, who'd flown home on Tuesday to reunite with her family. Kendall broke away to hug them. Alex sat a few rows back, looking better than the last time she saw him. He was still bruised, but both eyes were now open. She hugged him, too. The two FBI agents who assisted with the arrests sat beside him and she squeezed each of their hands in thanks. Dante Costa was in the next row, a young carbon copy standing next to him. Kai. She hugged Dante warmly and thanked him. She didn't recognize the other people in the row, but Dorian seemed to know them. Wait a minute…wasn't that Juliet LaRue, the movie star?

  Before she could ponder that thought she was guided down the aisle and outside to the waiting limo to be whisked away to the cemetery. They sat under a tent as the priest blessed the casket and it was lowered into the ground. Cassie had held strong throughout the service but as dirt was shoveled into the hole, she broke down and Kendall joined her. They both clung to Dorian, his arms strong enough to hold them both up.

  When the tears dried, most of the mourners had left. Cassie spotted an old friend and headed over to talk. Dorian's family was standing off to the side with Alex, talking with Dante and the group of people she didn't recognize.

  Dorian handed her a white handkerchief to dry her eyes. "There are some people I'd like you to meet. They have to leave soon. Do you feel up to it?" She dabbed at her eyes, thankful she remembered to apply waterproof mascara and nodded. He guided her to the group. "Kendall, this is my boss and good friend Logan Bradley." She shook his hand, her mouth almost dropping open in awe. The man was devastatingly handsome. "And his wife, Jade." Kendall's gaze moved to his wife and her eyes widened. She hadn't been mistaken.

  "Jade, you mean Juliet? Juliet LaRue. You just won an Oscar."

  The woman smiled warmly and clasped her hand. "It's Jade. Juliet's my stage name. I'm so sorry for your loss." Kendall choked back the lump in her throat and thanked her.

  Dorian continued down the line. "This is Peter Dennis and his wife, April." One side of Peter's face was scarred from what she would guess were burns, but his smile was infectious and when he looked at his petite wife, the love between them was palpable. "We couldn't have solved this without you," she told him sincerely. He brushed away her praise, an adorable blush creeping up his face. His very pregnant wife hugged her.

  Dorian guided her to the next person. "And this is…I'm sorry, I don't know you."

  A man with a shock of platinum white hair sticking straight up smiled. "Tyler Redmond."

  "Ah, so you're the hacker extraordinaire." Dorian shook his hand. "Nice to finally meet you."

  "Dude, I prefer to be called a white hat." He snapped his lapels. "All of my impressive skills are used for good,
not evil." He eyed Kendall and wagged his brows. "But you can call me anything you want, just call me." He used his thumb and pinky to mimic a phone to his ear.

  The woman standing next to him smacked him upside the head. "Seriously, Redmond, at a funeral? You're disgusting."

  Dorian smiled at her. "Though you met on the phone, this is Maggie Addison."

  Kendall started to reach out a hand but before she could, Maggie pulled her into a tight embrace. "I admire you, Kendall. You are so strong and composed and you helped solve a case that made world-wide headlines."

  Before she could dispute the praise…she didn't feel strong or composed…an adorable boy thrust out his hand. "I'm Kai." She shook and smiled at him, totally charmed. His grin was the spitting image of his father. Dante beamed proudly and threw an arm over his shoulder. She thanked Dante again for everything.

  Stepping back, she addressed the group including Mama Demarchis, Daphne and Alex. "I want to sincerely thank you all for coming today, and for all you've done to help with this case. I can't tell you what it means to me. I'd be honored if you would let me treat you to dinner."

  Mama Demarchis stepped forward waving her hands. "No, no, it is on me. Come, let me take care of all of you, my son's family."

  They rounded up Cassie and piled into two waiting stretch limos. Kendall sat with Dorian on one side and Logan on the other. She wanted to talk to Dorian's boss about sending her the bill for COBRA's services but he kept changing the subject. Now he was deep into conversation with Alex.

  Someone tapped her knee. "Kendall, do you know what happened to the frog's car when he couldn't find it?"

  She pondered the question and shook her head. "No clue, Kai. What happened to it?"

  "It got toad!" He threw himself against the seat laughing, his arm clutching his stomach. She laughed with him. He was too adorable for words. He tugged Dorian's sleeve as he talked to Dante. Dorian raised a brow. "Trade me seats, Dor. I want to chat with your lady."

  "Okay, but don't you be trying to steal her from me. I'd have to kick your behind." Dorian and Kai maneuvered around each other to switch.

  "I'll try not to, homes, but I'm totally charming. She might fall for me instead."

  Dante raised a brow at his son. "Homes?"

  Kai shrugged. "You know homie, home-slice, brother from another mother."

  Dante closed his eyes and shook his head. "Where do you get this stuff?"

  The rest of the ride was spent with Kendall laughing at Kai's silly jokes. She never would've thought that she would be able to laugh so soon after saying goodbye to Stefani, but Kai had a way of working his little boy magic on her. Dante pulled her aside later and told her that Kai's way of dealing with sadness was laughter. Knowing they were coming to the funeral, he memorized jokes to tell her so she wouldn't be sad anymore. She had to excuse herself to the ladies room so Kai wouldn't see her cry and think she was sad again. These tears were for the thoughtful motives of a young boy who had never even met her.

  Mama Demarchis had a private dining room all set up for them. The food was abundant and delicious. The company was wonderful. She discovered that even though Jade Bradley, aka Juliet LaRue, was an Oscar-winning Hollywood mega-star, she was down-to-earth and sweet and Kendall knew they could easily become good friends. Jade told her how Logan had saved her from a demented stalker and they fell in love. They had a daughter, Isabella, who was back home with a babysitter. Jade produced a purse-full of pictures, beaming with pride.

  April, Peter's wife, was shy but incredibly nice. Kendall was shocked to hear the story of how her step-father drugged her and had her committed to a mental institution until Peter rescued her. Her face glowed with love when she spoke of her husband. Their baby was due in a couple of months.

  Maggie was a dynamo. She was full of energy and spunk. They chatted and gossiped and Kendall felt a strong kinship. She knew they also could be good friends. Maggie told her that everyone in the office wanted to be here, especially Jake Kincaid, but they had cases to work. Kendall withdrew the picture of Hank Colbert's family that she found in the storage shed. She showed it to Maggie and asked her thoughts on how to track them down. Maggie picked up the photo. "May I?" Kendall nodded. "I'll find them for you."

  "Oh, no, I didn't mean for you to do that."

  "I want, too."

  Kendall acquiesced and hugged her.

  She'd been worried that Cassie might not think it was appropriate to be having a boisterous, spirited dinner filled with laughter after the service but she pulled Kendall aside and thanked her, telling her this was exactly what she needed. She was currently in a heated conversation with Tyler Redmond. They were going back and forth at each other, their voices animated. She hoped it was friendly.

  As desserts were being passed around, Logan called out, "Mama Demarchis, what would it take to get you to move to Bloomington? I could eat like this every night."

  Jade smacked him in the stomach. "Are you implying I can't cook?"

  "Of course not, honey." He kissed her. When she turned her head, he nodded vigorously and everyone laughed. She spun back around and mock-glared at him.

  Mama stood up and Daphne leaped up beside her, practically vibrating with happiness. "Actually, Logan, I have talked this over with my daughter," she pulled Daphne close, "but I have not mentioned it to my son." She cleared her throat. "Daphne and I have decided to move."

  "You're selling the restaurant?" Dorian asked in disbelief.

  "No, I will keep it. But I'm thinking of expanding. Opening in a new location, say Bloomington?"

  Dorian looked stunned and stood. "You and Daph are moving to Indiana?"

  Daphne squealed and jumped into his arms. He hugged her and then his mom. Kendall had tears in her eyes again. He needed his family close.

  "This ordeal has reinforced in me the need to be close to my family," she said. "When Daphne was taken, I could not breathe. When I think of the danger you put yourself in every single day, I cannot sleep. I need to be close to my children."

  Dorian hugged his mom. "I couldn't be happier, Mama."

  "Say that after we wear out our welcome in your home," she teased.

  "You can stay as long as you want."

  "You can share a moving van if I can talk this guy into working for us." Logan indicated Alex, who looked more than ready to accept the offer.

  All too soon, dinner was over and it was time to say goodbye. The COBRA team had to fly back to Bloomington…apparently they just purchased a small company jet and this was the first time they'd used it. She had a plane to catch to New York.

  Saying goodbye was much harder than she thought. The COBRA family took turns hugging her and telling her to visit. Jade and Maggie exchanged contact info. Mama Demarchis and Daphne both cried and promised to keep in touch. Dante pulled her in for a hug, followed by Kai.

  "Did you hear about the man with the broken left arm and broken left leg?" Kendall shook her head, trying not to let the tears fall. Kai almost couldn't get the punch-line out. "He's alright now." He doubled over and she hugged him again.

  Alex was last pulling her into his arms. "It was a pleasure to meet you, but I’m sorry of the circumstances."

  "Me, too. Thank you, Alex, for everything."

  "No thanks necessary." He jerked his head at Dorian who was talking to Logan. "He loves you, you know."

  The tears gathered again and she wiped them away. "I love him, too."

  Alex nodded. "Something this case drove home for me is that life's too short and there's so much bad out there. Don't let the good get away." A shadow crossed his eyes and then was gone. She nodded in understanding. "Give my best to your roommate."

  "I will."

  Dorian guided her to his truck and helped her inside. Neither knew what to say so the drive to the airport passed in silence. He parked in short-term parking and carried her suitcase inside. She checked her bag and picked up her ticket and they walked hand in hand to the security checkpoint. She turned into his arms and he
held her as if he would never let her go. People rushed by but it was if they were alone in their own world.

  "I wish you didn't have to leave."

  "I don't want to leave."

  They both spoke at the same time and they smiled at each other. He framed her face and leaned down to kiss her. "I love you, Kendall." His lips met hers and she sighed into him.

  She pulled back to tell him, "I love you, too, Dorian."

  His thumbs brushed tears away. "Call me when you land so I know you arrived safely."

  "I will." She reluctantly stepped away and moved into line at the metal detector. She passed through and gathered her belongings. Sliding her purse strap over her shoulder, she glanced at him. He hadn't moved. He lifted a hand and she waved back, tears blurring her vision. She walked down the concourse, turning for one last look before she rounded a corner. He still stood watching her and she waved and headed to the plane.

  Epilogue

  Friday, October 15

  "This is Kendall Buckley signing off for the last time. Good night and Godspeed."

  Kendall tugged out the earpiece and exhaled deeply. After a whirlwind tour of morning and talk show interviews two weeks ago, she returned to the station to meet with her boss. He praised her outstanding reporting, predicted numerous journalism awards, and offered her a substantial raise. It was a dream come true…everything she worked for in her career. She opened her mouth and instead of accepting, she gave two weeks' notice. She hadn't even realized that's what she would do when she walked into his office, but after the words were out, it felt right. Her dream was being offered…a month too late. Her dreams had changed and a certain tall, dark, sexy ex-SEAL had everything to do with them. She loved her job, but she didn't love the backstabbing competition that is television news. She loved New York but she didn't love the crowds and the traffic and the high cost of living. She loved living with Olivia but there was someone else to consider now. She no longer wanted to be on the top of the journalism heap…she just wanted Dorian.