Epilogue #2
This was going well. Very, very well indeed.
Nick’s small smile indicated he thought so, too.
Even though it was hard for her to relive and harder for him to hear, they were in this together, like always.
She needed to get through this, and then she would be taking a few days to spend alone—or as alone as they ever were with the Secret Service underfoot—with him and the kids.
She’d let Lilia know she wasn’t up for socializing after the week she’d had, and Lilia had promised to hold another dinner party with the same guests as soon as Sam felt up to attending.
“Did you find out more about Stahl’s actions while you were his hostage?”
“Yes, I learned from what Marissa said that Stahl had tipped the Springer family that we were closing in on their son Billy as the perpetrator of the murders that had occurred in their basement, which had included their younger son, Hugo.” Sam’s niece Brooke had also been gang-raped that night.
“After Stahl shot Marissa, when she asked him why he would do this to her when she’d been his friend, he said she’d outlived her usefulness. ”
“Did he say anything else that indicated why he was attacking you?”
Sam nodded. “When Marissa continued to criticize him, he dumped gas on her, too, and made sure to get it in her wound. He said, ‘I’m so fucking sick of women who think they should have an opinion. Shut your fucking mouths and do what you were put on this earth to do—spread your legs and breed.’ He also indicated that he’d given Lori Phillips, a known drug addict, cocaine in exchange for sex.
He said, ‘Worst thing they ever did was let bitches into the police department. Ruined everything.’”
“Objection.”
“Your Honor,” Faith said, “Lieutenant Holland is quoting the official police report from the incident in which the defendant’s words were documented.”
“I’ll allow it.”
The defense attorney sat but was clearly pissed with the judge.
“How did the incident end?” Faith asked.
“He began lighting matches and teasing me that he was going to drop them on the gas he’d spread all over the place. He went through an entire box that way and was down to the last one when SWAT burst in through the windows and took him down.”
“Can you detail your injuries?”
“I was told my face was unrecognizable, and I had cuts all over my body, several that required stitches.”
“One final question, Lieutenant. Did you determine a motive for the defendant’s actions?”
“Other than satisfying his vendetta against me, we believe he was out to discredit the department and the people who ordered him arrested for leaking sensitive information during an investigation, among other things he held against them, such as their success while his career had stalled—no pun intended.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. Nothing further.”
Now came the fun part, the cross-examination from Stahl’s attorney.
The man stood, gave her a steely look that had her stomach pinging with nerves.
“The defense has no questions for Lieutenant Holland.”
Shock zinged through her, quickly followed by relief so profound it made her light-headed. It was over.
She could walk out of there and never have to see that revolting bastard’s face again.
The judge turned to her. “Lieutenant Holland, you’re dismissed.”
She stood, gave herself a second to get her legs under her and then stepped down from the witness box, walking directly into the arms of her husband. He kept one arm around her as they exited the courtroom, which had gone completely silent.
Neither said a word as the Secret Service whisked them out of the courthouse and into one of the waiting SUVs.
“You were fucking brilliant,” Nick said as the car pulled away from the curb. “I’ve never been so proud of you. If your testimony doesn’t put that bastard away for life, I don’t know what will.”
“It’s out of my hands now.”
“The jury was outraged by what he did to you.”
“It seemed that way.” She relaxed into his embrace and took a couple of deep breaths as adrenaline continued to zip through her.
For so long, she’d dreaded having to face off with Stahl in court, but now it was done, and she could finally put it behind her.
“This has been a rather monumental week. We solved my dad’s case and Steven’s, and hopefully disposed of Stahl once and for all.
We got rid of a whole bunch of scumbags. ”
“A good week indeed, but a tough one for my love.” He kissed the top of her head and ran his hand up and down her arm. “What can I do for you?”
“I want two days with you and the kids and nothing to do.”
“Let’s go to the cabin and take them to the farm to ride horses.”
“That sounds like perfection.”
As usual these days, it took some doing to organize an impromptu getaway to the cabin in Leesburg that John O’Connor had left to Nick. The cabin was located a short distance from the home of John’s parents, Graham and Laine O’Connor, who’d been like extra parents to Nick over the years.
The press had been relentless in their attacks against the department, shining the light on the “cancer” that had been permitted to fester under the watch of Chief Joe Farnsworth, who had been equally criticized and lauded for pursuing the truth that had led to arrests in cold case killings of two respected cops.
No one knew for sure whether Farnsworth would be able to hold on to his job or if he even wanted to after the sickening discoveries about his deputy chief.
Having Stahl’s trial happening at the same time hadn’t helped to take the heat off the department.
Faith had told her it would be at least another week before the trial went to the jury.
Sam had avoided all requests for comment about the arrests in her father’s case and didn’t plan to speak publicly about it until after the trials had been completed.
In the meantime, she hoped and prayed that her beloved chief and uncle Joe would weather the storm, even if she wouldn’t blame him if he decided to retire.
In the good news department, she’d heard that Kevin Viera was expected to make a full recovery, and his girlfriend had delivered a healthy seven-pound baby girl.
Sam had personally called Lorraine Davis and told her why her father had been killed, making a point to thank her again for what her father had done to save Skip’s life that day on G Street.
Sam had received the green light from both the department and the White House to pursue her grief group for victims of violent crime and had mentioned the group to Lorraine Davis. With Trulo’s help, she hoped to have it up and running in the next couple of months.
On the second night they were at the cabin, Graham and Laine invited Scotty and the twins to spend the night, so they could ride the horses some more and make the homemade ice cream Laine was known for.
At first, Aubrey and Alden had been hesitant to go, but Scotty had convinced them, telling them Sam and Nick would be right down the road and could come get them if they missed them too much.
Aubrey had taken a liking to one of the horses, so she’d been easier to convince. As usual, Alden seemed wiser than his years as he carefully considered the invitation before agreeing to go, but only because Scotty was there.
“Alone at last,” Nick said when they returned to the cabin after having dinner with Graham, Laine, their longtime housekeeper, Carrie, and the kids.
“How long do you think Alden and Aubrey will hold out before they want us?”
“With Scotty there, we might get the full night. But since it’s possible they could call us at any minute, what do you say we make very good use of the time we have alone together?”
Sam gave him a blank look. “To do what?”
His wolfish grin was the sexiest thing ever.
She whipped her top over her head and unbuttoned her jeans.
Nick followed suit, kicking off his shoes, removing his sweater and stripping down to boxers in record time. He wrapped an arm around her waist, taking her by surprise when he lifted her.
“If you throw your back out, you’ll put a damper on things.”
“Oh please. You’re light as a feather.”
Sam snorted with laughter. “Sure I am. Where’re we going?”
“Right here.” He lowered her to the soft carpet they’d bought to put in front of the fireplace.
“This carpet was the best idea I ever had.”
“Mmm,” he said, kissing her, “definitely one of your best.”
“You know what my very best idea ever was?”
“What’s that?” He released the front clasp of her bra, his eyes going dark with lust when her breasts sprang free.
“Marrying you. Single best thing I ever did in my entire life.”
“That was a pretty damned good idea you had.” Cupping her breast in his hand, he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard, the way she liked it.
Sam squirmed under him, pushing at his boxers until she could wrap her hand around his erection. “Now. I want you right now.”
“Whatever my baby wants.” He withdrew from her only long enough to remove her panties and his boxers before coming down on top of her again, making her gasp from the pleasure of his skin rubbing against hers.
If there was anything better than this, she’d yet to find it and had no desire whatsoever to look for it.
He slid into her in one deep thrust that nearly made her come. “Scream.” His lips brushed against her ear, setting off goose bumps. “I want to hear you. There’s no one around.”
“The agents…”
“Are next door.” They’d rented the houses on either side of the cabin, so they could provide security when the second family was in residence. “I told them to give us some space tonight.”
“God, you think of everything.”
“Not everything. Only the important stuff.”
She raised her hips to meet his deep stroke. “And this is very important.”
“The most important thing.”
Sam clung to him as their lovemaking took on an intense, almost desperate tone that came from being entirely alone.
He held her so close she could barely breathe, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She loved him like this, when there was no one around and they could give in to the ravenous desire that raged between them.
Sam reached down to where they were joined, which drew a deep groan from him.
“Do it, babe,” he said, his breathing choppy. “Touch yourself.”
She pressed her fingers to her clit and felt him get even harder inside her, as he always did when she coaxed herself. It didn’t take long for her to bring herself to a screaming orgasm.
He pounded into her, coming right after her with a shout of pleasure before sagging into her arms. For a long time, they were quiet as their bodies cooled and their breathing slowed.
Sam broke the long, contented silence. “I want to tell you something.”
“What’s that?”
“I tell you all the time how much I love you, but…”
“That’s never a good word to add after you tell me you love me.”
Sam laughed and poked him in the ribs, drawing a laugh from him, too.
“It’s a good ‘but.’” She took a second to gather her thoughts, which were scattered after he’d made her see stars.
“I never could’ve gotten through the immediate aftermath of losing my dad, of working his case, of finding out the truth, of testifying against Stahl, without you there beside me.
Knowing you’re there, even when you’re not physically there, it makes all the difference.
” She looked up at him looking down at her, his eyes always so gorgeous but even more so in the firelight.
“What I’m trying to say is I love you even more than I did two weeks ago, and that was an awful lot. ”
“I feel the same way—anything is possible and I can get through anything, as long as I have you. You’re the one who makes it all happen for me.”
Sam drew him into a sweet kiss and felt herself settle somewhat into her new reality.
Her life would never be the same without her dad, but she was somehow surviving the loss of her dad because she had Nick by her side to take the journey with her.
She pictured Skip as he’d been before the shooting.
Had he been able to walk her down the aisle at her wedding, he would’ve stood tall and proud as he placed her hand in Nick’s and nodded with approval of the man she’d chosen to marry.
It was an image she would carry with her always as she continued on without her dad.
She would strive every day to make him proud—at home and on the job.
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