Morgan feigned infinite patience. “And who shot at Ms. Gray and Mr. Davenport?”
Mitchum looked like a man beaten down by life. He exhaled heavily and then shook his head. “Does it matter? She’s obviously fine.”
“I want to know,” Morgan pressed. “It most definitely matters.”
“It was Winchester,” Mitchum replied after a beat. “Patrice saw you a few houses down and assumed you were spying. That was after the motion sensors picked up movement in the trees earlier in the day, but we couldn’t find anyone on the cameras.”
Rowan pressed her lips shut and slid her gaze to Quinn, who simply offered her a wink and a hand squeeze.
“I’m guessing it was just wildlife,” Morgan said dryly, although something about his expression told Quinn he knew more than he was letting on in that department. “How did it go down?”
“Patrice complained, said that Davenport was spying on us. Said that he was trying to get dirt so he could shake us down. Since I’d already stopped to see him, offered money as a reward, I didn’t think that was true. I guess he could’ve been shaking us down, but that didn’t seem realistic.
“I told her that it was probably a coincidence but there was no talking her down,” he continued. “She wasn’t having the best time of things after the rescue took longer than it should have. She’s been a real pill, and I’m pretty sure she was planning my death as soon as possible, too.”
Rowan thought back to the omen she saw on the photo she snapped of Mitchum and merely shook her head. “I think you’re right on that front.”
“I’m going to shove my pill up your … .” Patrice didn’t finish what she was saying because Morgan picked that moment to slap the cuffs in place. “What are you doing?”
“You’re under arrest,” Morgan replied simply. “You have the right to remain silent.” He ran through the rest of the spiel and then handed Patrice off to a nearby uniformed officer. That’s when he turned his full attention on Mitchum. “Did Winchester do the shooting himself, or did they hire someone?”
“He did it himself. He claimed he was a crack shot. It turns out, he wasn’t a crack shot. She’s barely hurt.” Mitchum almost sounded disappointed about the turn of events, which infuriated Quinn to no end.
“Calm down,” Morgan instructed, jabbing a finger toward Quinn. “You managed to take everyone down without a shot being fired. That’s a win. You should be celebrating.”
“My girlfriend was still shot,” Quinn pointed out. “I think I’ll save the celebrating until all of these guys are behind bars.”
“It won’t be that long.” Morgan wrinkled his nose as he shifted from one foot to the other. “I do have one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Did you know that night on the beach?”
“Know what?”
“That it was these guys.”
Quinn hesitated. “I don’t know. I was confused for a little bit … like really confused. My head was muddled. I didn’t think I could get that way given the fact that I served overseas and saw live action numerous times.”
“It’s different when it’s someone you love.”
“Yes, it is.” Quinn slid his hand to Rowan’s back. “When I was talking to you, I didn’t suspect them. After the fact, I thought about it some and I legitimately wondered if they might be to blame. I had no proof, though.”
“Why didn’t you come to me and relay your suspicions?”
Quinn’s smile was sheepish. “You know why.”
“You thought I was being rude to you the night of the shooting.”
“I know you were being rude to me. You were being purposely difficult.”
“And I stand by my statement that night. You weren’t shot at for no reason. You might’ve been innocent, but there was still a reason.”
“I guess.” Quinn wasn’t in the mood to concede. “Is there anything else? We want to get out of here.”
“That should do it … at least for now.”
“Well, then have fun with the lot of them. They’ve earned whatever is coming their way.”
“On that we can agree.”
IT WAS ALMOST DARK WHEN Quinn and Rowan parked in front of the beach house. Nick and Paul hurried outside to greet them, worry creasing their faces.
“Are you guys okay?” Paul asked, pulling his daughter in for a hug.
“We saw all the police lights and heard the sirens,” Nick explained. “We were worried. We didn’t stick around, though. We got back here as soon as possible. We figured it was safer.”
“It was definitely safer,” Quinn agreed. “It’s all over. The Sterlings have been arrested.”
“Which one?”
“All of them,” Rowan answered. “I need to run inside and get my clothes. I’m going to make a trip to the restroom, too. You can tell them the story.”
“I’ll walk you inside,” Nick offered. “I put your garment bag in the closet and I’ll help you get the gown ready.” He was all smiles when he disappeared inside the house with her.
That left Paul and Quinn outside to converse. Quinn told him everything he could, leaving nothing out. When he was finished, Paul was flabbergasted.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Yeah, it was a little disappointing for me, too,” Quinn admitted. “I was hoping at least one of them would turn out to be loyal. They were all terrible people, though.”
“What will happen to them now?”
Quinn shrugged. “Mitchum will most likely testify against the rest of them. He will get a lighter sentence but still do time. Winchester will probably carry the brunt of the sentence. Patrice, Ben, Leona, and Vicky will all see time behind bars. The same with Ariel.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“As compared to what?”
“I thought maybe you would want to exact revenge for what was done to Rowan.”
Quinn studied Paul’s face for a sign he was being tested and came up empty. “I want to protect her, not avenge her,” he said finally. “I can’t change what happened, but she’s safe, so that’s what matters. She’s going to be next to me when I wake up tomorrow, and she’s going to be smiling when she eats her omelet. Isn’t that the most important thing?”
“It is,” Paul agreed without hesitation. “I’m glad you can see that. I worried you might overlook the obvious because you were shaken by what occurred. I’m glad you’ve moved past that.”
“Yeah, well … I’m a work in progress.” Quinn brushed his sweaty palms over his pants and double-checked to make sure Rowan and Nick were still inside the house before speaking again. “When this is over, when you’re both safe, I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
Paul didn’t react with surprise. “I figured.”
“I’m going to have a ring before that happens. I’m going to plan something big and I’m going to make her happy forever. I want your blessing.”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t give it to you? Come on. You’ve done nothing but love her from the start. You’re good for her. In fact, you’re the best match I ever could’ve imagined for her. Of course I give my blessing.”
The weight Quinn had been carrying on his shoulders lifted. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
They lapsed into silence for a few minutes. It was surprisingly uncomfortable.
“This just got weird, huh?” Paul said after a beat.
“A little bit,” Quinn conceded. “We’ll get used to each other, though. For her.”
“Definitely. She’s worth it.”
“See, we’re already getting along.”
“That’s exciting, huh?”
“It’s only going to get more exciting.”
And that was the one thing they could both agree on moving forward. There was plenty of excitement to come.
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Acknowledgments
/> I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Books by Lily Harper Hart
A Maddie Graves Mystery
Grave Homecoming
Grave Insight
Grave Delight
Grave Misgivings
Grave Concerns
Grave Discovery
Grave Decisions
Grave Seasons
Grave Holiday
Grave Haunting
Grave Paths
Grave Danger
Grave Missteps
Grave Demands
Grave Wedding
An Ivy Morgan Mystery
Wicked Days
Wicked Dreams
Wicked Times
Wicked Places
Wicked Warning
Wicked Fog
Wicked Season
Wicked Winter
Wicked Hearts
Wicked Wishes
Wicked Whimsy
Wicked Haunts
Wicked Delight
A Harper Harlow Mystery
Ghostly Interests
Ghostly Issues
Ghostly Deceits
Ghostly Worries
Ghostly Images
Ghostly Wrecks
Ghostly Asylum
Ghostly Tricks
Ghostly Distress
Ghostly Despair
Ghostly Holiday
A Rowan Gray Mystery
Welcoming Seas
Murky Seas
Stormy Seas
Sunken Seas
Choppy Seas
Churning Seas
Dangerous Seas
Crossovers
Wicked Ghosts
Wicked Seas
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings
Deadly Christmas
Deadly Desperados
Deadly Arrival
Deadly Rivalry
Deadly Memories
Deadly Adventure
Deadly Reunion
Deadly Conflicts
Deadly Payback
Deadly Waves
Deadly Forever
Perilous Seas Page 20
