Her eyes turned into narrow slits. “You broke my nose. I hate you.”
“Right back at you.”
29 Twenty-Nine
I sat on Fawn — no, really, I sat on her — until Eliot and Jake pushed through the front door. I’d called Eliot because he was first on my speed dial. He obviously called for the cavalry as he’d promised.
“Are you okay?” He stopped in front of me, his chest heaving. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
I grinned at the bafflement etching across his features. “I am totally fine. I also caught a murderer.” Something occurred to me as I glanced down at Fawn. I was so excited when she admitted to trying to kill Tad that I’d forgotten about one detail. “Wait ... you told me why you went after Tad. What’s the deal with Ingalls? Why did you kill him?”
“Because he knew about the file Tad had on me,” Fawn replied, bucking her hips as she tried to dislodge me. “The one that painted me as a whore because of what we were doing, making it seem I was getting paid for having sex with Tad. Get off! You weigh a ton.”
“Yeah, I’m good.” I remained seated on her, considering what she’d told me. “You know, if you’d just grasped the fact that Eliot could never love you, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Eliot could’ve loved me,” she snapped, bucking again. “You stole him.”
I smiled for Jake’s benefit as he slowly circled Fawn to get a better look at her face. “What happened to her nose?”
“I punched her.” I was proud of it. I nodded toward the embedded slug in the ceiling. “She was going to shoot herself — well, I thought she was going to shoot herself — but I stopped her.”
Eliot followed my gaze and frowned. “Well, that’s going to be a pain to fix on a cathedral ceiling.”
“It could’ve been worse,” Jake pointed out. “That hole could be in your girlfriend.”
Eliot growled. “I didn’t say I wasn’t grateful for the hole being in the ceiling rather than in Avery. Don’t give me grief.”
“Sometimes you don’t give me a choice,” Jake shot back. “You’re lucky this turned out the way it did. We could’ve ... .” He trailed off as his eyes found mine. He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. They could’ve lost me. But that didn’t happen.
I’d won.
Again.
“I’m not sure she ever had any intention of killing me,” I said as Fawn fought my weight. I was having a good time keeping her pinned to the floor and was reluctant to give up my position. “She knew it was over. Apparently Tad is waking up soon.”
“He’s conscious,” Jake replied. “They’re weaning him off the drugs right now.”
“She thought there was a chance she might be able to sneak into his hospital room and finish him, but he was being watched too closely. She never got the chance.”
“Uh-huh.” Jake hunkered down to stare into Fawn’s eyes. Apparently he was in no hurry to save her from me. “And she shot Tad because?”
“He’s bad in bed,” I answered automatically.
“That’s not why,” Fawn snapped. “I mean ... that’s not the only reason.”
“I would really appreciate it if you put the ‘bad in bed’ stuff in the news release when you send this out,” I implored Jake. “I mean ... think of it as a gift to me.”
“No promises,” he countered. “I need to know why she shot him.”
I hesitated before looking to Eliot. The answer would hurt him most of all, but only because he would have to carry the guilt. He wasn’t to blame and yet he would feel differently. Still, he had to know.
“She was in love with Eliot.” I blurted it out. “She carried a torch for him even before I entered the picture. She assumed she had time to make him feel the same about her because he wasn’t interested in a relationship with anyone.”
“Until you,” Jake mused.
“I guess that explains the weird photo in her house,” Eliot noted dully.
I nodded. “I’m sorry. This isn’t your fault. You know that, right?”
He worked his jaw. “Right now it feels like my fault. I can’t help but think that if I’d fired her sooner, before she really had a chance to work up so much hate for you, that things might’ve turned out differently.”
I cast a sidelong look in Fawn’s direction. She’d given up struggling against me but the scowl on her face remained. “I think we were probably destined to end up here regardless,” I countered. “We were both too oblivious to see what was right in front of us.”
“And she came here to kill herself?” Jake asked. “I don’t understand.”
“She knew Tad was about to come out of it. She thought she could frame me for his death and that would allow Eliot to escape my clutches ... and apparently run into Fawn’s open arms. Once it became apparent that Tad was going to recover, Fawn knew her days were numbered.”
“And Ingalls?” Eliot looked stricken.
“Tad had a blackmail file on her, too. She removed it from his house the night she shot him. She didn’t realize until after the fact that Ingalls had a copy. Tad was using their sexual relationship against her. It wasn’t bad enough that he’s incapable of satisfying a woman, he’s a douchebag blackmailer to boot.” I looked to Jake. “Seriously, please include the part about him being bad in bed in the news release. For me. Please.”
Jake opened his mouth — I was positive to tell me no — and then changed course. “I will do my absolute best to include it.”
I beamed. “Thank you.”
“Now get off her,” Jake instructed, leaning over to grasp Fawn’s arm before she could lash out at me. “That will be enough of that,” he instructed, his voice stern. “I think you’ve done enough damage for one lifetime.”
Once I was on my feet, Eliot caught me around the waist and pulled me in for a hug. “I couldn’t believe it when you called.” He buried his face in my hair and sighed. “I thought you had to be joking.”
“Why would I joke about something like this?”
“Boredom?”
Well, he had a point. I would totally do something like that. “She had your missing garage door opener. She stole it. I think maybe she’s been in our house more than a few times.”
“I wasn’t stalking you or anything,” Fawn shouted, her eyes flashing as Jake slapped a pair of cuffs on her. “I was just ... waiting. I knew you would see through her eventually. I hoped it would be sooner rather than later. I just thought I could help things along.”
“By killing two men,” Eliot shot back, his temper on full display. “By framing Avery for something she didn’t do.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. She’s done plenty of horrible things. Even if she was locked up for something she didn’t do, she’s not innocent.”
Eliot stared at her for a long moment and then shook his head. “I can’t even look at you.” He kept his arms around me and turned us so his back was to her. He understood that was the cruelest response he had at his disposal. I almost felt sorry for her when Jake hauled her to her feet and directed her toward the door.
“Eliot.”
He didn’t respond, so she tried again.
“Eliot.”
She sounded desperate.
Eliot kept his eyes on me, his fingers gentle as they brushed against my cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded without hesitation. “I had the upper hand the entire time.”
“Oh? Then why didn’t you run when you realized she was in the house?”
Of course he would ask that. It was just so ... Eliot. “Because Rocky was on the couch and I couldn’t leave him. He’s our ... cat son. He needs protection.”
He smirked and shook his head as he blew out a sigh. “Well, I guess that’s over. I didn’t think we would finish it today, but I’m glad it’s done.”
“Yeah.” I was quiet a beat. “How soon do you think it will be before Fish begs me to come back?”
He barked out a laugh. “Oh, baby, if he doesn’t c
all you by the end of the day I’ll drive down there and threaten him.”
“I don’t need you to threaten him. I’m more than capable of doing it myself.”
“Fair enough.” He rested his forehead against mine as Jake read Fawn her rights and started leading her toward the door.
“I’m going to transport her myself,” Jake explained. “Once I get her secured in the car, I’ll be back for the gun. Please don’t touch it.”
“It’s not loaded,” I said. “She basically came here to put on a show. I think she hoped that Eliot would be here so it could all play out in front of him, but she got stuck with me.”
Jake’s forehead wrinkled. “It’s not loaded?”
I shook my head. “One slug. It’s in the ceiling.”
Jake looked to Fawn. “Why?”
She shrugged. “The dramatic always has an impact.”
“Uh-huh.” Jake’s lips twisted. “I’ll give you guys a few minutes before coming back for the gun. Try not to drag out the mush.”
Eliot smirked. “I’ll do my best.”
I waited until I was certain Jake was out of earshot to speak again. “I was never really in danger. She wasn’t here to kill me.”
“That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have done it if you’d said the wrong thing.” Eliot pulled back and stared at me. There was an emotion in his eyes that I couldn’t quite identify. “I’m sorry this happened because of me.”
“Oh, don’t do that.” I just knew this was how he was going to play it. “I’ve gotten you in plenty of trouble. Now you’ve gotten me in trouble ... once. I think I’m still ahead.”
“Not everything in life is a competition.”
“Yeah, well ... I’m still winning.”
He smirked and leaned in to give me a soft kiss. When he pulled back, he somehow looked lighter.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, instantly suspicious.
“Oh, my beautiful, trusting soul.” He pinched my flank lightly and laughed when I squirmed. “I’m looking at you like that because something occurred to me today when I ran through that door and found you sitting on Fawn as if you owned the world.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“I realized that I’m going to ask you to marry me.”
My heart stuttered. “I ... what?”
He never broke eye contact. “That’s not what’s happening right now, but it’s coming. It’ll happen soon. You need to prepare yourself.”
What did he expect me to say? “But ... .”
“No.” He shook his head before I could start whining. “I warned you it was probably going to happen months ago. Now I’m certain it’s going to happen. I want you to be my wife.”
I felt as if I’d been run over by a snowmobile. “Why would you possibly want to marry me?” I asked finally.
“Because you’re it for me.”
“But ... why?”
“I don’t know.” His grin was warm and mischievous. “The heart wants what the heart wants ... and my heart wants you forever.”
The declaration made my stomach flutter. “Eliot.” I shook my head as I pulled away from him. “I don’t even know if I want to get married.”
“You do.” He sounded sure of himself and that certainty only caused my frustration to mount. “Avery, we’re already basically married. Absolutely nothing will change.”
“Then why get married?”
“I want to be able to say you’re my wife. I want a commitment that’s going to last forever. I need it.”
“I never realized you were so old-fashioned.”
“I didn’t either, but I guess I am. I want you with me forever. I also know that you abhor change and you’re freaking out. That’s why I’m giving you time to adjust. I will propose in the next few weeks ... and you will say ‘yes.’”
Oh, well, that had to be his ego talking. “And what if I don’t?”
“You will.” He grinned as he folded his arms over his chest and regarded me with sparkling eyes. “I’m going to make a big deal out of it, too. It’s going to have a theme.”
Oh, geez. This was pure torture. “A theme?”
He nodded. “In a marriage far, far away.”
Ugh. He knew exactly how to suck me in. “What if ... ?”
“Don’t.” He stopped me with a head shake. “It’s going to happen. I’ve known that for a long time now. You have too. I’m giving you time to adjust so ... do it. Adjust. This is what I want and I intend to get what I want.”
“What about what I want?”
“You want this too.”
It was infuriating that he could say that without a whiff of doubt. “What if I’m bad at it?”
“You won’t be. It’s no different from what we’re doing now. We’re just adding rings and a joint checking account to the mix.”
“What makes you think I’m any good at this?”
“I live with you. Do you know what I was thinking when I was driving here?”
“I left her alone and she found trouble again.”
“That and ... I can’t live without her. That’s all that was going through my head. Today could’ve been so much worse, but now we have forever in front of us. I want forever to start soon.”
“But ... I’m not wearing a white dress.”
He laughed, even though I was deadly serious. “Princess Leia wore a white dress.”
Oh, that was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard. “Han Solo didn’t.”
“I bet he would’ve if Princess Leia would’ve asked nicely.”
I held his gaze for a long beat. “My mother will be so happy about this when it happens. Do you want to make my mother happy?”
“I want to make you happy.”
“I’m already happy. I have Twizzlers.”
“You’re going to be happier. I promise.”
I chewed my bottom lip and turned my eyes to the window. I couldn’t believe this was happening. “Resistance is futile, huh?”
“That and we’re going to live long and prosper.”
Ah, well, there were worse things.
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About the Author
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
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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 Amanda M. Lee
An Avery Shaw Mystery
Who, What, Where, When, Die
If it Bleeds, it Leads
Buried Leads
Shot Off The Presses
The Preditorial Page
Misquoted & Demoted
Headlines & Deadlines
Misprints & Mistakes
Bylines & Skylines
Off the Record
Unwritten & Underwater
Extra! Extra! Dead All About It
On Deadline & Under Fire
Above the Fold & Below the Belt
Oracles & Obituaries
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Myster
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Any Witch Way You Can
Every Witch Way But Wicked
Witching You Were Here
Witching on a Star
Something to Witch About
Witch Me Luck
Life’s a Witch
Charms & Witchdemeanors
The Trouble With Witches
Murder Most Witchy
A Witch Before Dying
A Breath of Witchy Air
Witch, Interrupted
Flip the Witch Switch
Witchin’ Around the Clock
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short
Careful What You Witch For
Wicked Brew
On a Witch and a Prayer
You Only Witch Once
The Christmas Witch
Bewitched
A Solstice Celebration
Witchdependence Day
Happy Witchgiving
Merry Witchmas
Four-Leaf Clover
Thistle While You Work
Landon Calling
I Dream of Twila
How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy
Witchy Tales
A Witch In Time
Make A Witch
A Witchmas Carol
All My Witches
Close Encounters of the Witchy Kind
An Aisling Grimlock Mystery
Grim Tidings
Grim Offerings
Grim Discovery
Grim Reunion
Grim Expectations
Grim Holiday
Grim Rising
Grim Tempest
Grim Vows
Grimlock Family Shorts
Grim Like Me
Grim & The City
Now & Grim
Grim & Bear It
Grim & The Dead
Death Gate Grim Reapers
Only the Lonely
Only the Quiet
Only the Lost
A Mystic Caravan Mystery
Freaky Days
Freaky Lies
Freaky Hearts
New Media & Old Grudges Page 28
