Fatal Fiction (Harbour Bay Book 5)

by Camille Taylor

  “All right. We’ll do this your way, but so help me O’Neill, you die and—”

  “I know.” The gravity of the situation lay heavily around them. “Now, let’s go get my sister.”

  They clasped hands and slapped the other on the back in a show of comradery. They were on the same team and they were going to get Riley back. Each would gladly go to hell and back for that woman and she deserved nothing less.

  Nick took off down the street toward the back entrance as Declan flew up the internal stairs, two steps at a time. By the time Nick reached Riley’s floor, he had barely broken a sweat, his body in pristine condition.

  He started working on the lock to her bedroom window, in time to hear Declan shout out Riley’s name.

  Chapter 36

  Dyson Richards covered Riley’s mouth with his hand, silencing her. She watched with horror, her heart in her throat, as the knob turned and the door began to open. Dyson moved in her peripheral vision. She noted the drawn weapon. Panic bubbled inside her. She strained against her constraints when she saw the glint of metal. The stakes were far too high. It wasn’t a knife in Dyson’s hands but a gun.

  Riley moved her head beneath his hand. She had to warn Declan. She would never forgive herself if she merely sat and watched as her brother died. She bit Dyson’s hand. Her teeth sank into the soft flesh of his palm and tore at the skin. Dyson yelped and released her.

  “Declan, no!” She was too late. The door opened wider and Declan stepped through. A shot blasted out, the sound vibrating in her eardrums. Dyson spun around and smacked her hard in the face with the barrel of the gun. Stars burst in her vision and she cried out.

  The force of the bullet impacting knocked Declan off his feet. Tears burned her eyes as he fell to a heap on the floor, blood staining his shirt. She couldn’t be sure but she thought she might’ve screamed. She held her breath, her lungs screaming for air as she spied Nick creeping up behind Dyson. He removed the safety from his Glock. The sound echoed in the silence of the room.

  “Don’t think about,” Nick growled. “I’d love the chance to shoot you.”

  Dyson froze. Riley understood why. Nick’s voice barely sounded human. His tone was enough to snowboard in hell. There was no way anyone would dare take him on. Dyson dropped his gun to the floor. It landed with a thud. “I know a man who would like to meet you. You may have heard of him—Aidan Carmichael. He’s one hell of a prosecutor. No way will you ever see the light of day again as a free man.”

  Declan stood, wincing. He gritted his teeth as he jerked Dyson into the wall—head first. Patting him down, he relieved him of his knife, kicking it across the room, out of temptation.

  Nick kept his gun trained on Dyson as Declan handcuffed him. Satisfied that Dyson was no longer a threat, he turned to Riley and released her from her binds. Lifting her into his arms, he hugged her tight. Tears ran down her face as she locked her arms around his neck. For a moment, she hadn’t thought she’d get to see him again, let alone hold him in her arms.

  He kissed her, soft and sweet, making her body hum. “You scared the hell out of me.” His arms tightened around her body. She made a squeal of protest. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

  Riley hiccupped and opened her mouth. Her lips moved, shaping words but nothing came out. She tried to clear her throat and whimpered as she brought the pain to an excruciating level.

  ***

  Fear spread over Riley’s face and cut him deep. “It’s all right, Ri. You screamed yourself hoarse is all.” He frowned at the finger marks on her throat. He clenched his jaw. He was glad Riley was in his arms and that she needed him right now because he was close to killing the bastard.

  “Riley O’Neill can’t speak. This is a moment to savour,” Declan muttered.

  She glared at her brother.

  “Riley.” Nick regained her focus. “I’m going to take this blessed opportunity to say some things that should’ve been said long ago. I love you. God how I love you. You drive me wild. I never want to be without you again. I’m sorry for keeping us apart for so long.”

  Riley stroked his cheek, love shining in her eyes.

  “Oh, and by the way, we’re getting married.” Satisfaction filled him when her blue eyes widened in surprise. He grinned cheekily at her. “You can bet your sweet arse we are. I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

  She shook her head. Stopped. Frowned. Then nodded her head enthusiastically.

  “Is that a yes?” He couldn’t help smiling, humour in his voice as a weight lifted from around his heart. Again, Riley’s head bobbed up and down. Her smile lit up her face briefly before pain replaced her happiness.

  “Rest now, Ri. You need to focus on getting better.”

  Darryl, Matt, and James appeared at her door, weapons drawn. Nick turned to them. “It’s all clear.”

  Matt nodded toward Riley, held securely in his arms. “She all right?”

  “She will be.” After several moments of tugging, Nick let out a put-upon sigh and set Riley down. Her legs wobbled for a second before they took her weight.

  James studied Riley, as though not quite believing she was okay without witnessing it for himself. “I’ve called for an ambulance. One should be on its way.”

  “Good, how about helping the man who’s bleeding?” Declan’s voice, a mix of humour and pain had Riley’s eyes going wide again. She stepped forward, toward her brother before Nick caught hold of her hand, stopping her. He glared at Declan for frightening her.

  Declan seemed to realise his mistake. He sent a reassuring smile to his sister. “It’s fine, Riley-O. Just a flesh wound.”

  James moved forward and escorted Dyson outside roughly, presumably to take down to the car. Darryl followed, providing back up since he was no longer needed on scene for containment.

  Outside sirens grew louder as they approached. A little too late, but the sooner this was all wrapped up the better. He had a wedding to plan.

  He smiled down at Riley who was once again enclosed tightly in his arms. He leaned his chin on the top of her head and breathed in apples and cinnamon. As far as he was concerned the only man lucky to be alive was the Novel Killer. Did the man have any idea how close he had been to losing his life tonight? Nick’s finger had been poised above the trigger, hoping for an excuse. Every time he looked at Riley or heard a sound of pain he wanted to turn back the clock and pump him full of bullets.

  He glanced over at the camera and frowned. He released Riley temporarily and stormed across the room with purpose. He yanked the cord out of the socket, before turning off the device. He wanted to drop the camera to the floor and grind the pieces into the wood but it was evidence. Not that they’d need it for a conviction. Between kidnapping and torturing Riley, and shooting her brother, they already had enough for a life sentence. Tack on the four other murders and there was no way the man was seeing freedom again. His threat to Richards was hardly idle. Nick knew he didn’t want to watch a second of the footage. There was no way he would be able to stomach watching Riley endure his punishments. He placed the camera on the table, not at all gently and went back to Riley, pulling her back into his arms.

  By the time the ambulance arrived to take the O’Neill siblings to the hospital, Riley’s apartment was swarming with LAC staff, photographing and documenting the scene. No matter how open and shut the case was, her apartment would be a crime scene for a while. Nick didn’t care. He was glad to see the last of her apartment. No matter what Riley said there was no chance in hell she was going back there to live. It was a good thing they were getting married. He smiled as he imagined their future together. One thing he knew without a doubt was it would never be boring. Hell, he was already anticipating their first fight, wondering who will win. Who was he kidding? They would both be winners in end.

  Epilogue

  Riley said her vows a month later in the same church Donald and Jacqueline Doyle had married in over forty years earlier. It had been decided they had already wasted enough time avo
iding each other over the past year and a half, that they hadn’t wanted to wait a second longer to be joined together forever. Nick, devilishly handsome in his black suit and a midnight blue tie that matched his eyes. She wore a beautiful ivory halter silk ankle length dress with small pearls hiding the back zipper. Her ruby hair had been elaborately pinned to her head and covered with a gorgeous matching veil.

  The wedding was a small affair; only a few friends and family—mainly Nick’s, his parents, and his sisters, their husbands and children. Declan, her only blood relative had walked her down the aisle and now sat off to the side. They were joined by the rest of her ‘extended’ family, Matt Murphy with his wife, Natalie and daughters, Hallie and Madeline. Darryl Hill with his blonde beauty, Kellie and two sons, Cam and Tyler, the latter a darling three-week-old baby. James and Aimee Hawke along with Dean Matthews, her best friend, Megan and hers and Nick’s goddaughter, Heather had accompanied Megan’s cousin, Stacey Bailey and Amelia Donovan, the families blending in together like old friends. A few Harbour Bay officers had also joined the festivities, Cade Watson stood with Michelle, Alec Harris—the LAC’s previous superintendent—and his wife, Caitlyn, chatted away happily after the photographs had been taken.

  Riley smiled, deliriously happy as she and Nick cut the cake that her new mother-in-law had baked especially for the occasion. After stuffing a handful into Nick’s mouth and he doing the same to her, they had found themselves a secluded spot where they had started their honeymoon early.

  Quickly re-joining the others in the garden where their reception was being held, they smiled at each other, love and desire in their eyes. Riley knew that no matter how many more years she lived she would never get enough of Nick.

  He pulled her closer to his side, his lips moving over her ear. “Who’d have thought that when we had met here almost two years ago, we’d be here again only this time celebrating our marriage and not our friends’ engagement?”

  Riley had specifically asked for the reception to be held in the same hall as Dean’s and Megan’s engagement party for sentimental reasons. She’d been overjoyed to learn they could fit her in. Getting married in the heart of winter had helped with the reservations. Thankfully, the day hadn’t been cold. The sun, only now slowly making its descent in the sky had kindly warmed the earth allowing for a magical day for her and Nick to become husband and wife. The lush green garden with its tall hedges provided privacy. Small twinkling white lights woven into the branches and leaves, provided light that in an hour or so would be needed more than just being decorative. It was a fitting end to one of the most stressful years she had encountered in her young life.

  One thing she knew, she and Nick were meant to be. Despite the hurdles they had to jump, the self-sabotage of her darling husband. In the end, they had come together and nothing would ever tear them apart.

  She had cut her hours at B&G down to a manageable number, her desire to work on her life with Nick eclipsing that of her career. While hard at first, she’d finally settled into a suitable work-life balance. Michelle had been promoted to an editor in her own right and while Riley would miss her competent assistant, she was happy for her. Michelle, like her, worked hard and would certainly become even more of a valuable asset to B&G.

  Dyson Richards had been incarcerated and now awaited trial. Aidan Carmichael had assured her that there was no way a slimy defence attorney could win the case and that Dyson will be going away for a very long time.

  It wouldn’t bring back the four sweet girls or the cop he’d killed but it was justice at least. She shivered as she remembered his interview, how he had smirked when he told them that they had each come to him. Brittany at the grocery store when he’d been shopping for his grandfather. Olivia, he had met at the hospital. Mallory, at La Café where he had stopped one day to get out of the rain, and Addison on the bus she took to school each day—the same one he happened to ride to meet his parole officer. Riley’s heart broke for those poor women who because of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time and caught the eye of a sadistic killer. And poor Mr. Lennox. She had wept for the nice old man who had died of a massive coronary after hearing what his grandson had done.

  Riley moved her thoughts away from Dyson Richards and his victims—and she included his grandfather among them. Today was supposed to be a happy day and she was going to be happy. She was Nick Doyle’s wife—wife! A year ago today, it had seemed impossible. A year ago, Nick had given her no indication of how he felt. She’d thought him uninterested. Boy, had she been wrong. Delightfully so. For the first time in years, Riley felt free and giddy. She had Nick, a family, and a career she loved. Everything she’d ever wanted and more.

  But she wasn’t stopping there. The contracts on her apartment had been exchanged a few days before and despite liking Nick’s place, they were looking for a place of their own to share. Maybe not too far from the Matthews family where Heather could play with the Doyle children. And there will be children. Of that she was absolutely sure, having received a positive result on the EPT she had taken that morning.

  “Not me. I thought you hated me. For a while, I wondered why I was the only woman you didn’t want.”

  Nick held her tight. “You were the only woman I wanted. Period.”

  “I know that—now. But back then I didn’t. If only I had followed Aimee’s advice earlier.”

  “And what advice was that?”

  “That I should seduce you.”

  Nick grinned. She guessed he was thinking that sounded like Aimee. He kissed her slow and completely. “Oh, but you did my darling wife. I never even saw it coming.”

  Squeals of delight broke the sexual haze moving around them thickly. Riley turned to watch Cameron Hill chase after Maddie Murphy who ran into her sister Hallie’s open arms. Stacey Bailey reached down and lifted Cameron off the ground, spinning him around. Nick’s nieces, twins Cassidy and Imogen and their younger cousin, Billie followed after them, joining in the fun. The youngest Doyle grandchild, Bella slept blissfully in her father’s arms.

  A man’s chuckle to her left had her turning to face Matt and Darryl who were watching their children enjoy themselves. Aimee sat beside Kellie and Amelia in the lawn chairs that were provided. A look of shock washed over her face as Kellie handed over the newly fed and burped Hill as she herself took the plate of food Amelia had been holding for her and began to dig in. Riley smiled as Aimee’s expression changed into uncertainty, before melting into joy once she realised she wasn’t about to make a mistake and hurt or endanger the child. She cradled Tyler in her arms and rocked him gently back and forth. James knelt down beside her and stroked the baby’s palm with his finger and spoke softly to his wife, the words for her ears alone.

  Donald asked Riley to dance and she floated across the oak flooring that had been added to the garden behind the reception hall for outdoor gatherings like this. Over the past four weeks, she had become close with Nick’s family, amazed at how quickly they had accepted her into their lives as Nick’s woman. She had later learned that they had known about her for some time, Nick unable to utter a few words without mentioning Riley They’d all understood then Nick was a goner.

  “You’re going to give me some grandsons, aren’t you?” Donald asked as they moved in line with the beat of the music that wafted down from the speakers set up in the four corners of the garden.

  Riley blushed. “That’s not really up to me, Donald. You should be speaking with Nick about that. But I’ll do my best.”

  Donald smiled at her. “It’s not that I don’t love and appreciate my granddaughters, but we need some more testosterone about the place.”

  Riley patted his shoulder beneath her hand. “Like I said, I’ll try my best.”

  Donald bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “A man couldn’t ask for a better daughter-in-law. I knew the moment I met you that you were a fine woman.”

  Tears burned in her eyes. She willed herself not to cry. The last thing she wanted was to have
mascara tracks down her cheeks. “Thank you, Donald, that means a lot to me.”

  “Call me Dad.”

  She hugged him tightly. “Dad.”

  She left Donald to go inside, found the bathroom and dotted a tissue at her eyes. Laughter, childish screams, and general merriment floated in from outside. She smiled. Life didn’t get much better than this. How had she gotten so lucky? Years ago, she had never thought she’d get to this point, standing in a white gown, among family and friends, declaring her love for a man but here she was and she couldn’t be happier.

  Riley returned to the garden, having corralled her emotions under control. Her gaze sought out her husband—her husband, how she loved that word and all it entailed. She found him deep in conversation with the four members of his team, Alec Harris and his three brother-in-laws swapping old war stories. The group looked imposing, each over six feet. She chuckled to herself when she saw Donald slowly easing away from his wife to join the men.

  Riley turned and started towards the small huddle of Doyle woman who were acting rather suspiciously, whispering to each other, casting quick glances around to see if anyone was near. Jackie smiled when Riley approached and held out her hand. Riley grasped the woman’s small hand and squeezed gently. Jackie pulled her close, in amongst the three other dark haired, blue eyed beauties. “What is going on here?” She glanced around at the slightly flushed faces of Kimberly, Monique and Marissa.

  They didn’t have a chance to speak when Riley was suddenly yanked back into a hard chest.

  “What are you all whispering about?”

  “That’s what I just asked.” Riley wrapped an arm around Nick’s waist, leaning into him.