Marissa cast a glance over at Cade Watson who was standing off to the side. They all followed her line of sight as the young man made his move, coming to stand beside Rose as he nibbled on a piece of wedding cake. Rose stood there stiffly, a deer-in-the-headlights look coming over her face as she nervously waited for Cade to move on. Instead, he spoke, the words dying on the slight breeze. Rose blinked then stared at him as though he was an alien for a moment.
“Maybe we should—” Jackie began.
Marissa patted her almost full-term stomach. “No. Rose is quite capable of handling this herself.”
“What are you talking about? What is Watson saying to my sister?” Nick glared at Cade, watching him as if waiting to pounce should his sister need protecting.
“My guess is something like ‘want to dance?’” Monique said, and the other three Doyle women seemed to agree.
“What?” Nick’s eyes narrowed to mere slits as he watched Cade Watson escort the youngest Doyle sister onto the dance floor and into his arms. “I don’t want my sister married to a cop.” He started forward, fully prepared to break up the twosome.
Riley grabbed hold of Nick, effectively stopping him. He turned to glare at her. She settled her hands on her hips. “Oh, so it’s good enough for me but not good enough for Rose, is that it, Detective Doyle?”
Nick huffed. “I didn’t mean it that way and you damn well know it.”
“Do I? It’s just one dance, Detective, not a proposal so don’t you go spoiling this for Rose. If she didn’t want to dance she wouldn’t have accepted.”
“I just don’t want Rose to be up all night worried that she’ll get a call informing her that her husband is dead.”
She didn’t want that for Rose either. It was one of her own fears. Between him and Declan, she had more than enough to worry about. Declan had already been shot—was death really that much farther away?
“Rose is stronger than she looks. None of you see that but I do. You just don’t give her the chance to shine. You’re all so boisterous and loud she is dwarfed in comparison but pull a fast one on her and you’ve got the Doyle temperament.”
Jackie smiled. Marissa, Monique, and Kimberly all looked at each other as if wondering if Riley was right.
Nick pulled Riley into his arms, taking her lips with bruising force. His tongue swept inside and gave her mouth the kind of in-depth examination only her dentist ever did.
“Ta tu go halainn.” The Gaelic rolled off his tongue and sent her heart fluttering. You are beautiful. He grinned at her obvious delight. “Declan taught me a few choice phrases.”
Knowing her brother, she doubted they were all good or as sweet.
“Tapadh leat,” she thanked him with a promising smile.
Her heart thumped as she cupped his smooth cheek. She loved this man so much. Riley would be forever thankful they had found each other. She couldn’t wait to begin the rest of their lives together.
***
Declan sat, his gaze roaming over his sister, amazed at just how truly happy she was. Her eyes were lit up, her face flushed with joy. His new brother-in-law stood by her side, his arm wrapped tenderly but possessively around her waist. Nick leant down to Riley’s ear and whispered something with which his sister’s response was a slow, deep smile. A secret amongst lovers. He was glad Riley finally had someone worthy, Nick was obviously very much in love with his sister, and he hoped they fared better than the previous generation.
He rotated his shoulder, wincing in pain as the movement brought about twinges of pain as the muscles and nerves stretched. The bullet had hit just west of the dark blue strap of his bulletproof vest that had hung over his shoulders, imbedding in the soft tissue at the joint.
He’d been damn lucky. A few inches north and he’d be a dead man although sometimes the pain almost made him wish he was one. But pain reminded him that he was alive, able to witness his sister’s wedding to the man she loved and start a life that had once been denied her. He liked to think he had a hand in the making. After all, it was his guidance and tutelage in her youth that helped mould Riley into the beautiful, loyal, warm, and loving woman she was today.
A blonde woman sat down beside him at the empty table, most of the guests dancing or mingling around. She glanced over at him and smiled. Laugh lines bracketed her mouth and eyes. She was older than he’d originally thought, perhaps somewhere in her late forties. Her blue eyes sparkled with warmth. Instinctively he knew she was a special kind of woman. A mother and wife that all men and children wanted—even him.
He took a swig of beer from the bottle in his hand, ignoring the woman as she leaned back in her chair, and watched the festivities like him—from the outside. They sat in silence for a few minutes before she turned to him. “Hi, I’m Caitlyn Harris. You’re Riley’s brother, Declan O’Neill, right?”
“I would shake your hand but—” He raised his arm, still in the sling in an effort to restrict movement giving his shoulder a proper chance to heal.
He had heard rumours about Caitlyn Harris, the previous superintendent’s wife—not all of them putting her in a good light, but he wasn’t one to cast dispersions against someone he didn’t know personally.
“That’s quite all right. I understand. Do you know when you might be getting back to work?”
Why was she so curious? People tended to ask how he got injured, very few ever wondered when he might be able to get back to doing the one thing he was good at. “I still have another month before I have my physical and psych review.”
Caitlyn shuddered delicately. “Horrible things. So, I guess at the moment you’re out of the job?”
Declan studied her carefully. Where was she headed with this line of questioning? Wherever it was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go with her. He was already a little more than afraid for his future. Not for monetary reasons, an injured cop always had someone looking out for him, but what he might do should he lose the required movement in his shoulder. An injury which would see him forced from the Tactical Operations Unit.
As each day passed, and his shoulder still ached like a bitch, hope slowly died and anger swelled inside of him. He’d been a cop for over fifteen years. Had done nothing else since he was nineteen and he wasn’t the sit around type. He was one who wanted and needed action in his life. But there were overwhelming odds that he would fail his physical. Then his only options would be to either sit at a desk for the rest of his career, or to retire early and find another line of work.
“Yeah,” he admitted to her and himself also. It was an ugly truth, but a truth nonetheless.
“Have you ever thought of going into private security?”
Declan scoffed. “You mean a bodyguard?”
Caitlyn nodded.
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Because in private security you set the rules to what you can and can’t do. No waiting for a doctor’s approval. Even if you do happen to heal, what are the chances you’ll have full mobility?”
She hit him right where it hurt. Caitlyn Harris didn’t throw any punches. She gave him a look filled with compassion. She’d been a career cop’s wife; therefore, she knew the score. How the men who trained for jobs like his live for the job and aren’t much use as anything else. She scooted her chair closer to him.
“I know of a position open. An old friend of mine is looking for someone to keep his daughter safe. Apparently, there have been some threats made and he’s very concerned. He’s leaving the country soon and wants to know his child is safe. I said I might know of someone who’d be a perfect solution to his concerns. The money is good. Give it a thought.”
She stood, obviously having said all she planned to, and damn did she give a good pitch.
“Who’s this daughter?” The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to bang his head against the table. If there was ever a job he didn’t want it was being a bodyguard to some spoilt princess who didn’t have a lick of sense. But he was caught between a rock and a hard place
and he really had to start thinking about his future—his future that may or may not include a position with the LAC.
“Her name is Bethany Bennett…”
***
Thank you for reading Fatal Fiction. I would appreciate it if you could help other readers find my book by leaving an honest review at the e-retailer you purchased it from and/or Goodreads.
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Other Books by the Author
Harbour Bay Series:
Not Forgotten
Open Wounds
The Dead Don’t Lie
Doppelgänger
Law Series:
Russian Law
American Law
No Law
Heavenly Series:
Bella Italia
Forever With Me
Town of Secrets
Melting Her Heart
About the Author
Camille Taylor is an Australian sexy romantic suspense author who lives in the Nation’s Capital with her fluffy sidekick. She spends her time reading, writing, blogging and procrastinating on Pinterest looking at nail art, books, home improvement tips and cake decorating. A bookworm, she enjoys most genres, particularly romance and mysteries and is HEA chaser so you’ll always find one in her books. She started writing at sixteen and is currently working on her Harbour Bay and Heavenly Series, both set in Australia. Camille is also an incurable genealogist and has traced her heritage to England, Scotland, Ireland and Russia. She loves scrapbooking, hockey, tae kwon do and travelling.
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Fatal Fiction is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Cherrie-Anne Forrest
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorised editions.
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Fatal Fiction (Harbour Bay Book 5) Page 23
