Chapter Thirteen

 

Seated in the plastic building, Tori jolted at the ball of fur that swished with self-created wind. Sherlock trotted over to her.

“Tori!” Shane’s eyes met hers.

At that moment, all the fear, all the nerves and anxiety melted away. His small arms closed around her. “Shane.”

Sherlock pushed onto her lap. His brown eyes seemed to look right into her soul. With his lopsided grin, the bloodhound looked like he was laughing. Even his soulful eyes twinkled with some untold secret.

“Hi there, Shane,” Tori said in a calm voice, so as not to upset him. “You and Sherlock found me. Come. Sit beside me.” Tori let herself breathe.

Slurp! A pink tongue lapped her across the face.

“Sherlock looks happy. His tongue’s hanging out.” Shane giggled, and the bloodhound’s black tail thumped.

“You’re my hero, Shane,” Tori said.

“I’m Iron Man.” Shane settled against her. “Well, I was yesterday.”

“You’re Iron Man even without the costume.” Sherlock slobbered on her face and neck. She felt…safe, and even safer when she glanced up to see Grady.

“Hey.” Grady nestled on her other side, his hand gently cradling the back of her head.

“Oh, Grady. I need to go to church and officially thank God. Next Sunday I’ll head to the Waterfront Community Church.” Ebony had told her Pastor Fred preached there.

Her words caused Grady to pause. “Tori.” He whispered her name. “I’d like to go to church with you.”

The tension she’d held in check for years slowly began to drain from her body. Suddenly, she remembered why she’d come here. “Did you find Vivienne?”

“Yes, in your sailboat.” He skipped over his misgivings from before and their truth. “We came for you.”

“How did you get here?” She saw him transform from rattled to composed.

“My cousin Danker invited us fishing.” Grady stared at her, but surprisingly didn’t appear angry that she’d come.

“You took a side trip here.” Her belly fluttered at the intensity of his hazel eyes.

“Not a side trip.” He looked…hungry. Hungry for her.

“Who came with you?”

“Maeve, Vivienne, and Shane,” he said.

Sherlock barked, and she watched father and son look at each other.

“Oh, and Sherlock,” Shane said.

“Of course. Sorry, Shane.” He arched an eyebrow questionably at her. “You met up with Misty at some point.

“She’s outside with Maeve.”

“McGinn abused her, too.” She squeezed her eyes closed against tears that threatened. She nudged Shane. “I knew you’d come for me.” She rested a hand on Grady’s. “It’s nice, sitting here with you two with our backs against the wall.”

“You know,” Grady said, his tone serious, “the three of us could snuggle on a sofa. Drink Coke, eat popcorn, and watch a movie.” He grinned down at her, and she smiled back.

“You don’t have a sofa.”

“Okay, you’re right, Miss Landlord. We need a room for a sofa. Can we join forces, maybe put on an addition?” Grady asked.

“Join forces? Our partnership is over.” She understood news traveled fast between Donahue cousins. She also understood where Grady was going, but sometimes a strategic retreat was necessary to win the war…or the man.

“We need to talk.” Grady stood up.

She saw Maeve peek around the door and cut him off. “We’ll talk later.”

“Tori,” Maeve said. “Everyone’s coming from the house. The FBI, the coastguard, the mob in cuffs, everyone. I’m escorting Misty and Vivienne. Our first stop is the hospital. The coastguard is transporting us.”

“Therapy follows,” Tori said, hoping Vivienne accepted help. “All good, Maeve.” Bright midmorning light came from the open door. The rumble of voices came from outside, and she stood up.

Shane braced his hand on Sherlock’s back and struggled to his feet. “We’re going fishing with Danker.”

“That sounds super fun.” Tori clapped her hands together and saw a flash of desire shoot across Grady’s face. She knew exactly what she’d do about their kind of fun, but their romantic entanglement would hinder the work she needed to do for Vivienne. Why was her cousin so hard to read?

Shane, Sherlock, and Maeve led them out of the building. They caught up with Misty. The coastguard and the FBI guarded the prisoners, who were connected with cuffs and plodded along like a slow-motion conga line.

Gary Guhleman parted company with Vivienne and Danker, and slid beside her. “Tori, we couldn’t have done this without you.”

“Your words mean so much, Gary.” Her heart swelled. “I appreciated being part of this.”

“The extortionists will go quiet,” the agent said.

Tori tilted her head. “No more thugs collecting protection money.”

Out of nowhere, Vivienne rushed at her. “Shut up. You! You ruined everything,” she screamed, clenching a large book in her hand.

“I know what I did,” Tori said. “I’m trying to put you back together.”

Her cousin opened the book. A shiny surface flashed in her hand. She raised a meat cleaver high over her head, poised to plunge it down on her.

There was a momentary break as it crashed down. The break Tori was looking for. For every action, there was a reaction, equal and opposite. Like a slingshot, Tori slammed her fist up against Vivienne’s forearm, barely missing the edge of the blade. Tapping into all the strength within her, she took hold of Vivienne’s arm. In seconds, she pressed the blade against her neck.

Grady grabbed Tori’s shoulders. He yanked her off, recovered the cleaver, and dragged her against his chest. “I had to stop you.”

Tori looked at him. His speech had been firm, unyielding, but his eyes seemed to implore her to understand. “I’m glad. I never would have forgiven myself.” She hugged him, holding him as tightly as she’d held the cleaver. She wouldn’t let go of him, and tears came to her eyes. “You think you know someone.”

“I’m truly sorry.”

“Catch of the day,” exclaimed Danker. “That was the right move, Grady. Tori was about to slit her throat.”

Guhleman, as pale as a ghost, leaned toward Vivienne. “Wonder how your sentence will turn out.” His voice trembled, conveying disbelief.

Vivienne smirked. It became clear there was nothing funny about what she whispered into his ear.

The agent shook his head and then yelled, “Hey! Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Holy Mother of God.” Tori froze as Vivienne sprinted toward the tall building. Navy SEALS pounded after her. With their tight T-shirts and shaved heads, they looked all the same. She tailed them, but the SEALS didn’t go inside. “Fire. Get back,” one of them screamed.

The first thing she was aware of was the intense heat, red-hot. It scalded her hair and skin as she tumbled through the air. Everything about the blast was unreal.

She crashed down on a jagged piece of heavy plastic. Like everything else, it broke from the building. She looked up. The building was gone. All she could see was black smoke rising, bits and pieces in raging flames. Billowing smoke filled her lungs. “Grady!” Her voice was muffled, like a hollow ringing in her head. Oh, God, where was Grady?

“I’m here.” Grady rushed to her side. Felt her arms, legs, for broken bones.

He lifted her and carried her away from the wreckage.

All Tori could think about were the other two people she loved. “Shane! Maeve!”

“They’re fine,” Grady said. “Maeve led Shane, Misty, and Sherlock ahead. They were near the trawler when the building exploded.”

“What about the SEALS?” She tasted blood on her tongue. Did she bite it when she crashed?

“Looked like one broke a shinbone.” He coughed. “They’ll make it.” His voice cut through the wall of smoke and filled her with the good news.

“What the hell was that?” she asked.

“A diversion tactic,” he said. “Look. Over there, the boat speeding off.”

The smoke still hovered like a dense fog, but as the wind shifted, she caught a glimpse of what Grady saw. Was Vivienne in a getaway boat? “What boat goes that fast?”

“The Dartagnan, for one. It’s powered by a Rolls-Royce turbojet. I doubt if Vivienne is driving it.” He pulled out his cell. “I’m texting Guhleman.” He punched in a message, waited for one in return.

“Jeez.” An FBI helo would go after them.

Grady blew out a breath. “Guhleman suspects Timothy Noonan took off with Vivienne.”

“At least they’ve got Seamus McGinn.”

* * *

Danker stood in the cockpit of the fishing trawler, his eyes darting from Tori to Grady, and over to Shane. “It’s just us and a very important dog.” His cousin was the captain, responsible for their well-being. “Be happy. We’re alive, and we’re going fishing.” He turned to wave at a coastguard cutter.

Maeve and Misty waved back. The swell from their boat sloshed water over the gunnels.

“We got a little wet.” Tori leaned back on the cushioned seats behind the helm, wrapped warmly in a fleece blanket. Head to toe, and all parts in between, she was exhausted and disappointed. Disappointed in Vivienne.

Grady flashed a grin. He lunged forward with a mischievous laugh, grabbed Shane by his life jacket, and swooped him high into the air. “What do we do now, sonny boy?” he asked. “We go swimming, that’s what!”

“Right now, Dad?”

With a heave-ho, Grady launched Shane over the railing.

“Noooooo,” Shane screamed all the way down. He hit the water with a splash.

Tori dashed to the edge of the boat, pretty sure Shane would be in tears. Or worse.

But Shane was just fine. Actually, better than fine. Against the neon-bright orange of his life jacket, he smiled, his teeth whiter than white. He looked up at the boat and shook a playful fist at his dad. Then he splashed around, having a ball.

Grady spun on his heels, casting an eye on Tori and Danker. “Who’s next?”

“She’s the easiest,” Danker said, nodding toward Tori.

Like a bug under a rock, Tori scurried across the floorboards.

Grady sang an old Blondie song off-key. “One way or another, I’m gonna getcha, getcha.” He lifted her over the edge.

She wiggled to break free, laughing uncontrollably!

Grady yelled, “Overboard,” and over she went.

She came up for air. A white cap came toward her, and she plowed over it. “Guess I haven’t lost my touch.”

“Okay, hotshot.” Danker snuck up behind Grady, grabbed him around the waist, and flung him across the railings.

“Yeah, good one,” Tori yelled.

Shane gleefully paddled back to the bow where Danker pulled him aboard. “I’ve got your dry change of clothes.”

Grady angled his way toward Tori and spun her around in the water.

She kicked to spin faster. For a quick moment, their eyes met, and memories of their passion flooded to the surface. She said, “So this is how Donahue cousins act.”

“That’s right. You’d fit in just fine.” Treading water, he said, “Don’t I deserve a kiss for rescuing the damsel in distress?”

“Yes, and you’ll chase away nightmares I might have.”

“Let me take care of you. Tonight, and always,” he said, and pulled her into his arms.

She kicked hard to stay afloat and kissed him.

He deepened the kiss. “Your lips were made for kissing.”

Danker whistled and brought them back to reality. He threw down a rope ladder.

She saw Shane smile when she climbed up. “Um, you’re nice and dry. Hope you don’t mind sitting by a wet person.”

Shane held out a fleece blanket. That meant he cared.

“Thanks for the blanket.” She snuggled it around her.

“I’m mad at my mom. She didn’t invite me to their wedding.”

“You’ll be at your mom’s party. It’s called a wedding reception.” Tori didn’t know that for a fact and dropped it.

“If you marry Dad, I want to come.”

“Yes, of course, but we haven’t discussed the future yet.” Did she see Grady wink at Shane?

“Well, Dad,” Shane said, “you better hurry up and tell her you love her.”

“Do you think we’re in love?” Grady directed his question at Tori and rubbed his hand across his chin, now sporting a day’s worth of sexy stubble.

“We’ve only known each other a few months.” That was the closest she was going to get to coming clean. She’d fallen in love the first month she knew him. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Grady laugh. “What?” she asked.

“Your turn, Tori. Tell him you love him,” Shane said.

She looked around at the amused faces. Who was she kidding? Yes, she was totally in love.

“I agree with Shane,” Danker said. “These two are crazy about each other. Don’t be delusional. Grady.”

“I admit it.” Grady was under attack. His cousin and son were the insurgents and far more dangerous. “I love you, Tori.”

Tori almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d steeled herself for the moment he told her their attraction was physical but not permanent. “I don’t feel worthy.”

“Believe me, Tori. You are more than worthy.” Grady wore an old pair of jeans and grubby T-shirt, now sopping wet. He looked younger and more carefree after the fun they’d had in the water. “Just tell me you love me.”

“I love you, and I will prove that in many ways.” Many pieces of her life fit together. Some didn’t, like the hope she’d had for Vivienne, but all in all, she’d never felt this content.