by Lois Kay
“I appreciate that, Mrs. McDonnell.” Inspector Wong smiled tiredly. “Why don’t you take your friends and family with you? It seems like you could all do with some rest. Be back tomorrow at noon for statements and paperwork and you won’t hear me complain.”
Joan McDonnell smiled. “Thank you. I’ll round up the troops.” She was about to turn around, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. “I know what happened between you and your husband. It pains me to see anyone go through something like that. I need you to know, that if you ever feel threatened, you can call us and we’ll be right there. You’re a courageous woman, Mrs. McDonnell. I can see where your daughters get their strength from.”
Joan McDonnell, touched by Inspector Wong’s words, sent her a sad smile. “Thank you.” She turned and headed toward Jody and Sam. “Are you two ready to get out of here? The Inspector says the paperwork can wait until tomorrow. I think we all need a rest and a good meal.”
“And I know just the right place for that,” Sam said in a tired voice. “I need a phone, though. I left mine in that ancient Toyota.” She didn’t have to get up to get one, because Fiona, who was hovering close by, immediately reached into Jody’s purse and pulled out her sister’s phone, silently handing it over. Sam chuckled. “Thanks, Fi! Okay, let’s see.” Sam’s fingers tapped a number, which Jody recognized. She sent Sam a smile and nodded her approval.
“Hi, Miriam, this is Samantha Stevens. How are things going? No problems? That’s excellent. Jody told me you’d do a great job. Have you heard anything from Brian today? Oh, that’s good news. You’ve got no idea how happy I am to hear that. Listen, Miriam, I need rooms and food for, let’s see…. seven people, including me. I’d really appreciate if I could get some rooms for tonight. Three rooms would be enough.” Sam looked up and saw Lucy’s raised eyebrow. She let out a laugh. “Miriam? Make that eight people and four rooms.” Lucy turned around to hide her face, but Sam had seen the blush and she grinned mischievously. “Okay, girls, let’s get out of here.”
Lucy was the last one to walk out the door. She looked back to Trishia and for a moment she hesitated. When a pair of tired green-blue eyes looked at her, she walked back and stopped in front of Trishia. She touched her arm. “Thank you for keeping Sam and Megan safe.”
Despite the shadows in her eyes, Trishia managed to smile. “It’s part of the job,” she answered.
“No matter how casual you make it sound, you saved their lives. There’s nothing we can do to repay that.”
Trishia covered the hand on her arm. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Will you be okay? I mean—” Lucy swallowed and felt uncharacteristically insecure. “Is there… anyone…you can stay with? It must be hard to go through all of this alone. Don’t get me wrong, but—”
“It’s just me,” Trishia answered. Her eyes were searching Lucy’s with an unspoken question in them.
“If you’d like to come over later, after you’re done here, you’re very welcome to.”
Their gazes locked and a slow smile found its way to Trishia’s eyes. “I’d love to. Thanks.”
“Good.” Lucy was visibly relieved. “I’ll see you later then.”
“Definitely,” Trishia whispered.
Chapter 27
It was hours later. The sun had lost its sting and was about to set, coloring the sky a bright orange. The Pacific displayed its never-ending motion, with white crowned waves, crashing on the beach and then slowly retreating, an eternal, powerful movement. Sam and Jody were standing on the balcony of one of The Reef’s rooms. Their arms were wrapped around each other and their bodies pressed close. They silently enjoyed the beautiful scenery and each other’s presence.
“How does your leg feel, Sam?” Jody asked. She snuggled closer to the warm body behind her.
“Not too bad,” Sam answered. “It’s amazing what a hot bath, a handful of Advil and some TLC can do.” She paused and kissed Jody’s cheek. “How’s your face?”
“Not too bad,” Jody mimicked, chuckling when she heard Sam growl. “Tough chick”
Sam turned Jody, put her hand underneath her chin and lifted her face. “Who is the tough chick now? Maybe I should try and kiss it better.” Without waiting for a response, Sam gently pressed her lips against the bruise on the side of Jody’s face. “Does that hurt?” she whispered against the discolored skin.
“Oddly enough, no, it doesn’t,” Jody breathed. Sam’s small gesture had made her entire body tingle.
“Good.” Sam’s lips travelled across Jody’s cheek, kissed her nose and finally landed on her lips. Jody’s response was immediate. Sam was very gentle, afraid to hurt Jody’s face, but Jody didn’t want any of that. She wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck and pulled her even closer. She playfully bit Sam’s lower lip and let out a soft chuckle when she heard her moan. She deepened the kiss and when they finally had to come up for air, Sam pressed her forehead against Jody’s and gazed into a pair of eyes that were darkened with desire.
“Jody, honey, I’m about to have a meltdown.” Sam’s voice was husky. Her hands had found a way underneath Jody’s shirt and caressed the soft skin of her lower back.
“Keep this up and I’ll spontaneously combust,” Jody whispered against Sam’s lips. “I love you, Sam and right now I want to show you how much.” She pulled Sam in for another passion filled kiss, nibbling her way down to her collarbone. Her fingers expertly unbuttoned the cotton shirt Sam was wearing. Cool wind touched Sam’s skin when Jody’s hand slid the fabric off her shoulders.
“Jody,” Sam moaned. “I don’t think I’ll be able to stand up for much longer. I really need to lie down soon. Like, right now.”
Jody chuckled and pulled a totally aroused Sam toward the huge bed in the middle of the room. She playfully pushed her down on the firm mattress and crawled up the tall body, straddling her hips. Her ocean green eyes were dark with desire and Sam realized that, despite the dark bruises on her cheek, Jody never had looked more beautiful.
“Now, where was I?” Jody whispered. She ran the flat of her palms over Sam’s already highly sensitized skin, thoroughly enjoying the effect her touch had. Underneath her, Sam was squirming and her breathing had become rapid. Jody replaced her hands with her mouth and felt Sam arch her back into the touch. “Tell me what you want,” she whispered, teasingly biting a soft earlobe.
From her position underneath Jody, Sam saw Jody’s eyes had taken on the color of a stormy ocean. They stared in each other’s eyes for a long moment, until the skin around Jody’s eyes wrinkled and a smile creased her face. “I think I know what you want,” she chuckled.
The only sound in the room was the distant breaking of waves on the beach, soft moans and softly whispered words. Two bodies moved against each other in the middle of the big bed. They were totally engrossed in each other, not aware of the world around them. They were celebrating life and their love for one another.
* * *
Hours later, tired but happy and satiated after numerous sessions of lovemaking, Sam and Jody were back on the balcony, once again wrapped in each other arms. The sun had set hours earlier and the clear sky was sprinkled with millions of stars. A bottle of chilled, white wine was on the table. Jody was leaning against Sam’s chest, who had her arms protectively wrapped around her.
“I wish this moment could last forever,” Jody stroked the skin of Sam’s hand with her fingertips. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life.”
Sam kissed the top of the head that was resting against her chest and tightened her grip on the body in her arms. “I’m so relaxed I have a hard time standing up.’
Jody laughed. “And I’m not even finished yet. We’re only having a break,” she teased.
Sam gasped. “You’re wicked”
“Isn’t that why you love me so much?”
“Well,” Sam drawled. “That and a few other things.” She shifted her body, making Jody yelp, because without Sam’s quick reflexes, she would have ended up
on the ground. Sam laughed out loud when she noticed the indignant expression on Jody’s face and she quickly kissed her. “Sorry, honey, but I wanted to see your face.”
“Why? Do bruises turn you on?” Jody quipped.
“Not exactly.” The expression on Sam’s face turned serious. “I want to ask you something.”
Jody looked up into eyes that almost looked silver in the light of the moon. She reached out and cupped Sam’s face, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “What is it?”
“So much has happened these last few days and because of all that we didn’t really have much time together, which, I swear, we’ll rectify starting a few hours ago,” she chuckled. “Anyway, I never could imagine my life without you, and now, being together again, I don’t want to leave you behind. I have to go back to The Netherlands and I—”
Jody’s body jerked and the expression in her eyes was close to panic. “You’re leaving?”
“I have to go back, yes, for now, but I want you to come with me,” Sam answered. “I want you to meet my parents and brother…and…Jody?” Sam took a deep breath. “I know this sounds crazy, because we’ve been separated for eight years and I’m sure anyone hearing me talk right now would lock me up in an asylum and throw away the keys, but—”
“Sam, you’re rambling.” There was a laugh in Jody’s voice. “And the answer is yes.” Jody’s eyes twinkled when she looked at the dumbfounded expression on Sam’s face. She patted her side. “Breathe,” she said.
“How do you even know what I was going to ask you?”
“I guess you telling me you want me to meet your family was one clue,” Jody said. “You don’t want to leave me, I don’t want to leave you, so, it sounds like we’re stuck with each other. Making that official seems to be a logical next step.”
Sam bit her lip, but then threw her head back and laughed. “You sure know how to take the romance out of a proposal”
Jody wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck and claimed her lips in breathtaking kiss.
“I love you, Jody,” Sam finally managed to croak. The happiness that bubbled up inside was making her giddy. “I want the whole world to know that you and I belong together. I don’t ever want to leave you behind again, ever.”
* * *
In the next room, Megan was wrapped in Sarah’s arms, her head was resting on her shoulder, and a hand threaded through her unruly hair. Two pair of eyes looked at the ceiling, sprinkled with moon-cast shadows. Their evening had been quiet, filled with closeness. They were content to be in each other’s arms, feeling alive and grateful. Happy to be reunited and safe.
“Sam was great,” Megan told Sarah. “You should have seen her, Sarah. I was scared out of my wits, but she tried to bluff her way through the whole thing. I think even they were impressed. She constantly tried to protect me.”
“I know, you told me,” Sarah smiled and kissed Megan’s cheek. “I don’t think I can ever thank her enough.”
“I guess we’ll have to postpone our anniversary party,” Megan said. “The house will be a mess, with the kitchen damaged by the fire.”
“That’s no problem, sweetheart. All it takes is a few phone calls. Our friends and family will understand.”
“Yeah, they will,” Megan sleepily answered, snuggling closer. She needed to feel Sarah as close as she could. It was the best cure for the demons that were lurking in the back of her mind.
“Go to sleep, love,” Sarah whispered. She pressed another kiss on the smooth skin beneath her chin. “I’ll be right here, holding you. You’re safe now.”
“I know.”
Sarah smiled, feeling her heart fill with love and tenderness. “Rest now.”
Within a few minutes, Megan’s breathing had become deep and even and Sarah knew she was asleep. Finally. She stared at the ceiling, thinking back on all the events of that day. She realized she could have easily lost the woman she loved, who was now sleeping in her arms. A lone tear rolled down her cheek and landed on the crisp, cotton pillowcase.
* * *
Lucy and Trishia were sitting in the sand, barely out of the reach of the waves. They had talked for hours, casually strolling down the beach, walking close together, but never touching. Until they had found a quiet, secluded spot and decided to sit in the sand, watching the waves.
“Thanks for listening, Lucy,” Trishia said, drawing pictures in the sand. “I know it wasn’t a pleasant story.” Every time Trishia closed her eyes, she heard the echo of her gun, felt the recoil after the shot and saw the body of Little Steven fall to the ground. She was responsible for taking a life and nothing in her years of experience and training could have prepared her for the impact it had. Lucy had patiently listened and there had been no judgement in her eyes.
“I’m here whenever you need or want to talk,” Lucy said. “You know where to find me. I hate to think of you not being able to talk to anyone about this.”
“Well, there’s always the police shrink,” Trishia joked. “But that’s mandatory.”
“That’s different,” Lucy replied. She glanced aside. “Isn’t it?”
Trishia looked at Lucy. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a braid and her flawless skin was almost silver in the light of the moon. She swallowed hard and tried to come up with a reason for the closeness she felt to a person she had just met. “It’s very different.” She finally answered, staring at her bare toes that had dug a little hole in the cool sand.
“Trishia?”
“Mm?”
“I like you,” Lucy confessed. She sounded shy, an emotion that was usually alien to her.
Trishia smiled. “I like you, too.”
Lucy shifted so she could look Trishia in the eye and suddenly she felt nervous. “I don’t know what’s happening here. But I really like you and that’s so weird, because two days ago, I didn’t even know you existed. And I…it’s confusing.”
“Why?”
“Because…this is me we’re talking about,” There was a laugh in Lucy’s voice. “I’m the sarcastic representative of our clan, the one who always has an answer to everything, much to my family’s frustration. I’m the big mouth of the McDonnell’s.” She paused for a moment. “Actually, I think I share that trait with Fiona.” She paused. “But right now, I’m at a loss for words.”
“Then try to feel,” Trishia replied. She moved so she and Lucy were facing each other. It was as if an invisible force slowly but surely drew them closer and Trishia heard Lucy gasp. The expression on her face was one of wonder.
“I’ve never kissed a woman before,” Lucy confessed when she saw Trishia’s lips come closer.
“But do you want to?”
“Oh, yes,” were Lucy’s last words, because their lips met in a tentative kiss, that slowly increased in passion and intensity. Trishia took her time, letting Lucy set the pace and she was anything but disappointed when a pair of hands gently pushed her down in the sand, and a slender body laid down next to her. She wrapped her arms around Lucy and pulled her close. Her world started spinning and she forgot everything, except the woman in her arms and the lips that were turning her into a puddle.
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Two days later.
Inspector Wong closed the door behind her, feeling the effect of a very long day that had left her drained. All reports were written and Joe Michaels had been officially indicted for extortion, murder, kidnapping, and laundering money. He was facing at least a lifetime in prison.
Fred had told the investigators everything and even though Inspector Wong had not shown any signs of pity, she felt for the young boy, who obviously had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time. His cooperation had been appreciated, though, and she knew his sentence would reflect that.
William Jenkins was dead. When the police had arrived at the scene where he had been shot, it was clear that he had died as soon as the bullets hit his chest. They had ripped through his coronary artery, draining the life from his body within seconds. In
his house, they had found evidence that proved what they had expected; he did have huge debts, due to gambling. Joe Michaels had offered him a way out, giving him money to pay his debts, but demanding cooperation in draining money from The Reef. He had gone as far as to hire undocumented immigrants, who Joe Michaels had also used for drug trafficking between Australia and Indonesia.
Little Steven had died as soon as the bullet that Trishia had fired hit his brain. Ballistic reports indicated that he had been the one who had killed the two police men that had been assigned the task of protecting Sam Stevens and Jody McDonnell. Inspector Wong would have loved to see him spent the rest of his life in prison, but his death had provided its own kind of justice.
Joan McDonnell had informed her husband she was filing for divorce and Inspector Wong smiled when she remembered the look on her face when Sam had offered her a job at The Reef. They needed someone at the front desk and Sam said she was convinced her mother- in- law would do a great job. For practical reasons, Jody’s youngest brother, Michael, had decided to stay with his father but he had made it clear he supported his mother. Joan McDonnell and Fiona would move into Jody’s apartment, as soon as it been cleaned up and whatever was destroyed had been replaced. Until that time, Sam had offered them a room at The Reef.
Inspector Wong’s smile grew even bigger when she remembered the look on Sam’s and Jody’s faces after announcing their plans to get married and, eventually, take over the management of The Reef.
The puppy dog look on the face of one of her best police officers, when looking at a certain dark- haired, green-eyed woman, had made the Inspector chuckle. Trishia had fallen head over heels and it was clear that Lucy McDonnell already had wrapped Trishia around her little finger.
