How long had Joe been killing? She’d written in her profile that there had to have been an inciting incident that started the killer on his path. “Your wife cheated on you.”
Joe started. He stepped back, pulling the brush from her hair. “Yes. I gave the bitch everything, and she preferred the gardener. She even got herself pregnant.”
That explained it.
“Marla was exactly like my mother. Dear mother left me with an alcoholic, abusive father because she needed to follow her heart. She also left me with my waste of a brother. He came in handy, though.” He took a step back, the brush at his side. “Now, little rabbit, it’s time for some punishment. Do you know what the Marquis used to say? He said it is always by way of pain that we arrive at pleasure. He was right. Your pain is my pleasure.”
He snapped the brush back, and Laura cried out when she felt the sting along her skin.
She tugged at the ropes, but they wouldn’t come loose.
Another strike and she cried out again. Fire licked along her flesh.
“We’re going to have a fine time, you and I,” Joe said with a ghastly smile on his face. “And I have a note written out for those dolts you call lovers. They weren’t smart enough to find me, and now they’re going to lose you.”
“Think again.”
Laura’s head came off the table at the sound of Rafe’s voice.
Rafe stood in the doorway that led from the kitchen to the dining room. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Her breath caught. There wasn’t a single thought that he could be hurt. He was here to save her. Everything would be fine now.
Joe shrank back. He dropped the brush, an almost bored look on his face. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I’m sure you didn’t. You never expected anyone to put it together,” Rafe replied.
A smirk lit Joe’s face. “It took you long enough. Do you have any idea how much fun it’s been to watch you chase your tail?”
Rafe ignored him. “Does he have a gun, bella?”
Laura shook her head. “Not where he could get to it before you could shoot.”
Joe shrugged as though he’d been caught in a minor lie rather than exposed as a serial murderer. “Well, I suppose you’ll take me in now.”
Cam moved in from the opposite direction, from the living room. Both of her men carried guns leveled at Joe. “That would be the procedure.”
Cam looked down at her, his eyes seeming to take in every mark on her body.
Joe chuckled, a wicked sound. “And you’re a good boy, aren’t you? Both of you. I’m counting on that, you know. Let me tell you how this is going to go. You’re going to take me in, but you’ll find most of the evidence is utterly tainted. Good luck pushing through a case where the lead investigator is also the suspect. You won’t have a shred of evidence that will hold up. I made sure of it. I’ll get out on a technicality, and you should know, I’ll come for her again.” He smiled. “Perhaps this will be a fun game, too. I know I’m smarter than any judge.”
Laura wanted to be sick. He really would. And he was right. All of the evidence was contaminated.
Joe reached a hand out for her. “You’re mine, little rabbit. Bars aren’t going to keep us apart. This game isn’t over until I hold your heart in my hands.”
“We’re not playing games, Joe,” Rafe said, his eyes cold.
He nodded at Cam and fired. Her men fired one shot a piece. Joe’s body staggered under the impact. Two holes opened up in his chest, bright red blood blooming through his clothes. His eyes flared, and he looked down at her. He reached a hand out toward her.
Rafe moved quickly, shoving the dying man away. “You don’t touch her. Not ever again.”
Cam’s face came into view. “Baby.” He put a hand on her hair, and she could hear the emotion choking his throat. “Baby, are you okay? God, he hurt you.”
She shook her head, wanting so much to get her arms around him.
“I need a knife!” Rafe called out.
Cam pulled off his own shirt and covered her with it. “Wolf and Logan are here, baby.”
Wolf entered the room, looking down at the body on the floor. Logan followed after him. Wolf passed Rafe a knife, and he went to work on her bindings.
“I’ll have you out in a moment, bella,” he promised.
Logan was already on his radio. “Yeah, Sheriff, we’re going to need to call in some help. We found her. Laura’s fine, but Deputy Briggs and Special Agent Kincaid were forced to put the suspect down. He was going to kill her.”
Rafe turned back and sent the deputy a grateful smile. He passed the knife across to Cam, who cut through the last of her bindings, and she was free. Rafe pulled her up and into his arms. She was deliciously crushed. Even the pain from the strikes she’d received now reminded her that she was alive and they were here.
“Bella, I was so scared.” Rafe didn’t seem to care that her ass was hanging out, but Cam came around the other side and covered her with his body. His arms wound around her.
“I was terrified,” Cam admitted.
“I’m fine.” She sighed and let herself sink into their warmth. “I knew you would come for me.”
She felt a tremble go through Rafe’s body. “Always, bella. Never, ever doubt it.”
When they carried her out, she didn’t look back. That part of her life was done, and it couldn’t hurt her again.
Chapter Twenty
Laura watched as Stef and Jen Talbot had their first dance as husband and wife. They were wrapped up in each other like vines twining together, swaying to the music. The Bliss Reception Hall had been completely decked out to look like a romantic forest complete with greenery and trees along all the walls. Stef Talbot was a billionaire who could have bought his own private island to have a wedding, but he and his bride had insisted on the Feed Store Church and the Rec Center.
“They look good together,” Holly said, locking arms with Laura. For days, Holly had tried to keep a hand on Laura. Laura hadn’t been able to miss the way her best friend refused to let her out of her sight.
She leaned over, brushing Holly’s head with her own. “Those two definitely belong together. Jen is the perfect woman to deal with King Stef. She makes him laugh.” And she put him in his place from time to time. Everyone needed that.
“Caleb never laughs,” Holly said with a sad sigh. “Why do I like him so much? I’m starting to wish I didn’t.”
Her poor friend. Caleb Burke was a puzzle and a half. He’d been all over Holly when there was a threat, but he’d backed off the instant the threat was gone. He was right back to sitting in Holly’s section at Stella’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and staring without ever asking her out. She didn’t envy Holly dealing with Caleb, but it was obvious her friend was totally into the doctor. “Give him a little time. When is Micky coming into town?”
That was the way to get Holly’s mind off her heartache. She lit up at the mere mention of her son spending a week with her. It had been a long time since Holly had been able to spend time with her seventeen-year-old son. “He’ll be here in a couple of days. He’s got a tiny bit of time between his summer pre-college camp and football camp. I’m so excited. And now that the serial killer is gone, I don’t even have to worry about him being murdered.”
“Always a good thing.”
Bliss had settled back into a peaceful, sleepy existence. They’d only added two murders to their total this time around. The mayor of Bliss had called it a win.
Laura had gone back to work, but only until Bart found a replacement for her at the Stop ‘n’ Shop. She’d promised Rafe she’d get her PI license and join him in building a real business. She meant to keep that promise. He was passionate about finding missing persons and reuniting loved ones.
Cam was finding his place. He was a hard-working deputy and spent every night perfecting his software. Callie was rapidly approaching her due date, and Cam had already been told he would be in charge of Bliss while Nate was on patern
ity leave. Given Cam’s longtime law enforcement experience, he’d been given the second in command job. Logan had taken the news well. Or rather he’d seemed to. He’d shaken Cam’s hand, and then Cam had had to pick him up at a bar two towns over later that night. Cam was busy with his new job. Well, when he wasn’t busy making love to her. He and Rafe seemed happy to spend as much time in bed as possible.
Nell joined them, her face shining in the twinkle lights of the reception hall. “Hey, you two. Stef had a vegan cake brought in. It’s delicious.”
Trust Stef to make sure everyone had what they wanted. There were three different cakes. A bridal cake, a groom’s cake, and a vegan cake. Not a one of them was vanilla. “That’s great, Nell. I’m glad you decided to give up your nude protest in order to attend the wedding.”
Nell shrugged. “Well, friendship is more important, isn’t it? Rachel gave me her blessing. She said she found a nice cover on the Internet that allows her to see Paige when she feeds her. I think she should be allowed to run around topless if she wants to, but I got outvoted. Besides, the bunker was too quiet once Mel and Cassidy left. Henry was completely irrational about the whole topless thing. I was surprised.” She turned, and her face went from bright and shiny to serious. “But he’s being reasonable about one thing.”
“Really?” In Laura’s opinion, Henry’s response to Nell’s topless protest was one of the more rational things he’d ever done. She knew what would happen if she tried that. Rafe and Cam would do way worse than take her to a bunker. “What is that?”
“I know what happened to you. I know that you can’t carry a baby anymore,” Nell said quietly, her eyes softening.
Laura felt Holly’s hand on her shoulder. Being reminded of what she’d lost didn’t hurt the way it used to, but the thought still brought tears to her eyes. “When the time comes, we’ll see about adoption.”
“And that would be great,” Nell said, taking both of Laura’s hands in hers. Nell’s brown eyes shone as she looked up at Laura. “If that’s what you decide to do, I am all behind you. But if you want to, you could choose a different path. You kept one of your ovaries. I could be your surrogate. My womb works, at least I think it does. And Henry and I decided a long time ago that we would forgo having children, so you wouldn’t be intruding.”
Laura was utterly shocked. Nell had many principles, but this was one of her most sacred. “Because of population control. Nell, you believe in that.”
Nell gave her a watery smile and squeezed her hands. “I believe in you more. Like I said, friends are more important. And you and Rafe and Cam would raise an amazing kid. It’s something to think about. If you want to, we would like to give you that gift.”
Now Laura cried for a different reason. She hugged Nell, pulling the delicate woman into her arms. “Thank you.”
Laura might never take her up on the offer, but it was a balm to her soul that Nell had offered.
“It’s something to think about.” Nell pulled back, and a little smile curled her lips. “And if we need to do it the old-fashioned way, you know I think Rafe is cute as a button.”
“Bad girl!” Laura said playfully as Nell winked and scurried away to dance with her husband.
Holly had tears in her eyes as she leaned forward and kissed Laura’s cheek. “I’m going to get a drink. I love you, you know. You and Nell, you’re my lifelines. Now you get out there and dance with those hot hunks of yours.”
Holly turned and started a conversation with Marie and Teeny.
“So, this is what a wedding’s like in Bliss, huh?” Cam asked, nodding to Holly as she walked off. He handed Laura a glass of champagne.
She stared at her loves. Rafe was right beside Cam. They looked amazingly gorgeous in tuxedoes. Rafe was tall, dark, and broodingly handsome. Cam was an all-American hottie. What had she done to deserve them?
“Were you surprised when the bride danced down the aisle? I think Stef was,” Laura said.
The ceremony had been joyous, utterly reflecting the quirky beauty of the couple involved. There hadn’t been a dry eye in the house. Laura had even caught Max wiping his eyes when Stef had pledged to love his bride forever.
“I liked the bales of hay,” Rafe admitted with a broad smile. “I haven’t been to a wedding where all the guests sat on hay.”
“That’s because you’ve never gotten married in a Feed Store Church before,” Laura replied. “You get a beautiful wedding ceremony, and all the attendees get ten percent off their next feed order. I think that’s the only reason James Glen came. He says he’s allergic to commitment of any kind.”
She looked across the room where the said commitment-phobe was talking up Brooke Harper. He might not want to get married, but he was definitely looking for some company. Wolf stood beside his closest friend. He didn’t look like he would mind spending some time with Brooke Harper, either. Two cowboys strode up, trying to get into Brooke’s space. Laura searched her memory. They were brothers. Shane and Bay Kent. They were friends of Stef’s, but Max and Rye Harper couldn’t stand the two cowboys. Brooke was about to get herself into a very interesting situation. Wolf stepped back like he didn’t want to get too involved. When he saw her, he smiled and raised a glass.
She smiled back and did the same.
And found both of her men frowning down ferociously at her.
“Hey, I was just saying hi,” she said.
“See that you keep it that way,” Cam replied.
She threw back her head and laughed. “Because I need a third guy. Trust me, baby, my dance card is totally full.”
“It’s full of us,” Cam said, getting close to her. He invaded her space, his hips moving. He bumped against her in time to the music. “We can keep you dancing, baby.”
She felt Rafe at her back. “We can dance all night, bella.”
They could dance forever. They would dance forever.
The music flowed around them as they swayed together. Laura was surrounded by her men and her friends and her future.
She almost didn’t notice when the double doors to the reception hall opened, and a big, broad figure filled the doorway.
“Oh my god,” she breathed as she realized who it was. “Alexei?”
“Who’s Alexei?” Rafe asked as he looked around at all the people staring at the new guy. Everyone had stopped.
The big, gorgeous Russian walked in, a broad smile on his handsome face. He glanced around the room, and his focus lasered in on Holly. The room seemed to stop, every eye following the former mobster as he made his way toward the woman he’d saved.
Laura watched as Holly turned, and her eyes widened. Alexei had dressed for the occasion, wearing a perfectly tailored suit that clung to his muscular form. He was hotness personified, and Laura wasn’t surprised that Holly practically drooled.
Alexei walked up and stopped mere inches from his target. He towered over Holly.
“Hello. My name is Howard, and I am be coming from Orlando.”
Holly seemed breathless as she looked up. “Is that your witness protection name?”
“Yes.” Alexei started to reach a hand out. “But we can pick new one if you do not like this one. The trials are over. I am free to go where I like to go. I go with you.”
“No!” Caleb Burke’s favorite word didn’t fall out of his mouth this time. It was pushed and with great force. Caleb’s face was a mask of indignation. Unlike normal, his emotion could be read plainly on his face.
Another song started. This one a happy, bouncy tune.
Holly was in a mess.
“Dance with us,” Cam whispered.
“Be with us,” Rafe said just as provocatively. “We found a closet that’s unlocked. There’s plenty of room. We need you, bella.”
Their hands were on her hips and getting dangerously close to her breasts. Laura’s heart sped up. It always did when they were around. “Take me there.”
Holly would figure it out. She was caught in between two men, and that was an amazing
place to be. Laura gave her best friend a wave as Cam and Rafe led her off.
It was time to dance.
* * * *
Caleb, Holly, and Alexi and all of Bliss will return in Found in Bliss. Click here to purchase.
Author’s Note
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Found in Bliss
Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book 5
By Lexi Blake writing as Sophie Oak
Coming October 9, 2018
Click here to purchase
Re-released in a second edition with new content.
Holly Lang has a hard time trusting men. Eight years ago, her husband tossed her aside and took her son away from her. Finding the little town of Bliss has given her a second chance at life, new friends, and sense of belonging. Unfortunately, Bliss also seems to have filled her days and nights with dreams of two beautiful men. She can’t stop thinking about the gentle but haunted Dr. Caleb Burke, and the exotic and dangerous Alexei Markov.
Caleb Burke isn’t your ordinary town doctor, but he’s always dedicated himself to trying to be a good man. His journey to this quirky little town was not an easy one. Some of the stops along the way left him scarred in more ways than one. But when he first sees Holly, it’s like someone threw open the blinds and let the sunlight into his life for the first time in years.
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