Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Finnigan kept vigil at Tawny’s bedside. She’d been airlifted within minutes to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. It had a Level One trauma unit well equipped to deal with an overdose of heroin, though he wished she could be closer to home.
He’d almost lost her.
No. He had lost her. More than once.
When he’d carried her out of that small room in the drug distribution center, she didn’t have a heartbeat or a pulse. The EMTs brought her back, only to lose her again during the flight to the hospital. In the ER, a special trauma team labored for over an hour to save her life. The last time she crashed, they almost gave up on her.
Now, three days later, she lay unconscious, hooked up to various machines that monitored her vitals and helped her breathe. Her low heart rate and pulse concerned the doctors in the ICU. They wouldn’t know the extent of internal damage the heroin had caused until Tawny regained consciousness.
Miguel touched his shoulder. “Finn, if you need a break, I can sit with Tawny.”
Though only family members were allowed in the ICU, Tawny’s parents had insisted that her closest friends and colleagues be allowed to visit her for short periods.
“Nah, man. I’m good. Will you stay for a while?”
“Absolutely.” Miguel sat in a chair on the other side of Tawny’s bed.
They listened to the sound of the ventilator and gazed at Tawny’s gaunt face as they held her cold hands.
“I lit a candle for her in the chapel and prayed to God to heal her,” Miguel said in a quiet voice.
Finnigan rubbed his cheek with his free hand. It itched. He had yet to shave off his thin beard. “Thanks, Miguel. I haven’t been able to pray.”
“God knows your heart.”
“We made an error, not arresting Whitcomb and Macintosh after we took Dee Rogers and Barbie Lewis into protective custody. What they forced them to do was enough probable cause. Now Whitcomb and Macintosh are dead, killed during the drug bust.” Finnigan gazed at Tawny, lying so still on the bed, her face pale and drawn from her recent ordeal. “She wanted so badly to have the satisfaction of seeing Whitcomb’s expression when he realized she was the one who brought him down. Macklin and I didn’t have a choice but to kill him as we took gunfire.”
“Don’t feel sorry for them. They got what they deserved. Besides, look at the outcome. We prevented millions of dollars’ worth of heroin from hitting the streets all over America. We brought down a crime network with tentacles that reached all the way up the ladder to Director Jerry Dickinson himself. He, Judge Cohen, Perry Jones, Warden Stoltz, and Wendy Corrigan have been arrested and arraigned. Cameron insisted that the DOJ assign a special prosecutor due to the corruption uncovered in the judicial system. And we wouldn’t have been able to do it without Tawny.”
“None of that will mean a damn thing if we lose her.”
“We won’t.” Miguel rose to his feet. “I’ll be back with the good coffee from that diner down the street.”
“Thanks, Miguel.”
Finnigan removed Tawny’s diamond engagement ring from the pocket of his jeans. He’d asked his future father-in-law to bring it to him. Before Tawny went undercover, Finnigan had secretly asked for Mr. Westfall’s permission to marry his daughter. He’d given his blessing and welcomed Finnigan to the family. The first thing he intended to do as soon as Tawny opened her gorgeous eyes was place this ring on her finger.
“Want to see your sparkly ring, Red? Please open your eyes. Please. I can’t do this life thing without you. I can’t.”
Only the machines answered him.
The next day Moira visited and brought Finnigan a gym bag with toiletries and clean clothes. The ICU nurses generously allowed him to sleep in Tawny’s room and use the bathroom shower. She set the gym bag on the sofa beneath the window and handed him a cup of coffee and a box of his favorite pastries.
He thanked her, and they sipped their coffee.
“Have you been given an update on Tawny’s condition?” Moira asked.
“Yeah. Her doctor came by an hour ago. He said her vitals are improving. Her heart rate is almost normal, and her pulse is stronger. Late last night, they took her off the ventilator. It’s just this damn waiting, Moira. It’s really getting to me.”
“Take a break, Marcus. Tawny will understand.”
“No, absolutely not. I need to tell her that we didn’t leave her alone to die in that hellhole.” He paused. “What’s the news with you?”
“Well, no one is shutting down the fire program. The Titans are heroes, as far as everyone is concerned. When Tawny is up on her feet again, we’ll have a graduation ceremony. The governor has pardoned all of them, and I’ve found placements for everyone in fire stations around the state except for Yolanda.”
“Oh, God. What did she do?”
Moira smiled. “Yolanda has suddenly discovered that she wants to be a cop. A SWAT officer, no less.”
“Because of me?”
Moira laughed. “No, silly. Because of Tristan Ferguson.”
Finnigan frowned. “Ferguson. Is that?—”
Tawny made a strange, gurgling noise. “That’s my girl. My blood sister,” she declared in a dry, raspy voice.
Finnigan and Moira stared at each other, then at Tawny. A glimmer of pride danced amidst the dullness in her hazel eyes.
Hearing Tawny’s voice hit Finnigan hard in the gut, as if he’d been sucker-punched. His breath left him in a rush, like air being expelled from a balloon.
“Thank God!” He dropped to his knees by the edge of the bed and squeezed Tawny’s hand in his. “Tawny...” All the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.
Moira moved to Tawny’s bedside and gave her a quick hug. “Welcome back, T. I’ll leave you two alone.”
Pure, unadulterated joy swept through Finnigan’s entire being with the strength of a tsunami and carried away his fear and remorse for not doing enough to protect the woman he loved more than life itself. He rose to his feet, leaned down and kissed Tawny with all his fiery passion.
“Baby, I can’t breathe!”
“Oh, Jesus. Shall I call for a nurse?”
“No. Just give me a minute.”
He waited for her to say she was fine, and then everything he wanted to say poured out of him. “Red, you weren’t alone. We were there with you and went in as soon as we had everyone in place. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry we weren’t quicker. You almost died, and I blame myself.”
She reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’ll admit I had my doubts when I didn’t catch sight of you, but I was determined to fight if I had to. Please don’t blame yourself.”
Finnigan didn’t want to waste any more time. He pulled the engagement ring from his pocket and presented it to her. “Tawny Westfall, I’m in love with you. Have been from the moment we met, though it took me a while to figure it out. Will you accept this ring as a token of my love and fidelity?”
Tears glittered in her eyes. “Yes, of course I will.”
He lifted her ring finger and slipped it on. The facets reflected the morning sunlight, and the colors danced on the dull walls of her hospital room. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“You’re beautiful.”
She smiled. “I’m crazy about you.”
Finnigan grinned. “I know.”
Tawny patted the bed and scooched over, though she emitted a small gasp of pain. He slid beside her and tucked her close to him.
“Finn, tell me everything I’ve missed while unconscious. I heard you and Moira discussing Yolanda. Is she really okay?”
“Yes. Yolanda administered CPR when you went down until I was able to get to you. She was released from the hospital within twenty-four hours after the doctor made sure she didn’t have any ill side effects from swallowing and expelling the balloons. And, yes, you heard correctly. She wants to be a cop.”
Tawny smiled. “I’m glad. What else? Were Whitcomb, Macintosh, Cohen, Stoltz, and Jones taken into custody?”
“Macklin and I killed Whitcomb and Macintosh. The dominoes fell, Red. Cohen, Stoltz, Jones, and Wendy Corrigan are in jail. Turns out, she was a plant for the network after all. Unfortunately, the corruption went up the ladder to Director Jerry Dickinson himself. It took Tex a while, but he finally discovered the money trail.”
“I knew it. Did I hear Moira also mention that the Titans have been pardoned, and they have secured positions as firefighters?”
“Yeah. You saved the program, Tawny. And Moira wants to continue to oversee it.”
“That’s wonderful. She’s a great leader. And did you discover who murdered Gary Colfer and attacked me?”
“A hired assassin. We’re still looking for him. And before you ask, yes, the network set up that bogus killing of Bette Simpson.”
“That makes no sense at all.”
“None. But it’s over, and as soon as you’re released, you’ll be back home where you belong. Back in my arms.”
“Right where I want to be. Always.”
Finnigan tilted her chin and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Red?—"
He broke off when a familiar voice declared, “Get a room. And not in the hospital. There are sick people here, ya know?” Yolanda breezed into Tawny’s ICU cubicle with a wide grin. She went to the other side of the bed, leaned over, and gave Tawny a hearty squeeze. “I ran into Captain Finnigan, and she told me you were awake. Jesus, T! You gave me a scare.”
Tawny returned Yolanda’s grin. “You’re here! I’m relieved to see for myself that you’re okay. I owe you my life, Yolanda. Finn said you performed CPR until he could get to me. I’ll never be able to repay you.”
“Blood sisters, remember? No repayment is necessary. Besides, you freed us, got us all pardons, and for the first time in my life, I have hope.” She grinned again. “See? More new dental implants!”
“I see. Your smile is gorgeous. So, is it true? You’re going to the police academy?”
Yolanda winked. “Can you believe it? Me? Something else, too. Remember when I said men like your guy here wouldn’t be interested in a convict like me? Well, um, I just might be the subject of a corny Hallmark movie after all. Seems like SWAT officer Tristan Ferguson has takin’ a likin’ to me.”
Tawny wiggled her ring finger. “Looks like we both got a happy ending.”
Yolanda let out an excited squeal. “Girl, look at that rock ! You have good taste, Finnigan.”
He grinned. “Aw…thanks. Best thing I ever did was fall in love with Red.”
Tawny brought his head down to meet her mouth, and Yolanda declared again with mirth, “Get a room!”
A week later, the LBPD threw Tawny a welcome-home party at Justice and Brielle’s house. The celebration was twofold because Brielle had safely delivered a healthy baby boy they named after his father. As Justice proudly showed off his newborn son, Brielle beamed at him, her amber eyes aglow with love and happiness.
Owen and Savannah came home from Massachusetts to attend the celebration and share the good news that they were expecting a baby. While his wife cooed over Justice and Brielle’s newborn, Owen pulled Tawny aside for a heart-to-heart scolding.
“How could you do that to us? To the department? It was bad enough when Axel Anderson, Jr., tried to kill you.”
“I love you, too, Owen.”
Her simple response drew tears from him, and he tugged her into his arms for a bear hug.
“Careful, big guy. My ribs are still healing.”
“I love you, Tawny. I’d be crushed if anything ever happened to you.”
“Same.”
“Okay, enough of this mushy stuff.” Owen grinned his goofiest grin. God, she missed it! “It’s almost Thanksgiving, and I heard there’s fried turkey and all the fixings.”
“I’ll wrestle you for a drumstick,” Tawny challenged him.
“And you’d probably win, too. I hear you can kick some serious ass.”
When everyone found a place to sit with their plates heaped high with food, Justice asked for their attention.
“As the holiday season approaches, I just want to say how grateful I am that we’re all together, even if it’s only for a short while. We’re safe, we’re happy, we’re healthy, and we have each other. Always.” He lifted his glass of wine. “To friendship!”
“Hear! Hear! To friendship!” Their glasses clinked.
“And to love and family,” Brielle added.
They toasted again and spent the rest of the night in fellowship.
The following day, Tawny and Finnigan signed the visitors’ log at CIFW and left their guns with the guard. They were led to the visitors’ area and waited for the inmate they’d come to see. When Jo caught a glimpse of Tawny, her eyes widened in surprise, and she burst into tears. She rushed toward her, intending to hug her, but a guard warned, “No touching!”
Finnigan stared him down. “Let them share a hug.”
They embraced, and Tawny held Jo at arm’s length. “You look well.”
Jo laughed. “Look at you in your uniform! I heard the rumors that you were a cop, but I didn’t think they were true.”
“Sergeant Tawny Westfall, Laguna Beach. This is my fiancé, Sergeant Marcus Finnigan, LA SWAT.”
“Wow! That’s so awesome. And so, well, you .” Her eyes twinkled at Finnigan. “Well, hello .”
He flashed her a grin. “Hi. Tawny has spoken a lot about you.”
“Guess what, Jo? Yolanda’s attending the police academy in LA.”
“No way! Really? I didn’t think anyone with a record could be a cop.”
“The governor pardoned her and expunged her record. And you know what else?”
“What?”
“Because you were a victim of Judge Cohen and Perry Jones, you’ve been pardoned, too. Get your stuff, Jo. You’re free.”
Jo let out a cry and fell to her knees. She covered her face with her hands and rocked back and forth. Tawny dropped to the floor and held her as she sobbed.
When the tempest passed, Jo lifted her head and sniffed. “But what will I do? I don’t have anywhere to live and no money.”
“Yes, you do. You’ll be rooming with Yolanda at her apartment in LA. We’ll set you up with a bank account and arrange a job for you. A friend is willing to train you to be a 911 operator if you’re interested.”
Her eyes lit up. “Yes! I’m interested!”
“All right, then. Finnigan and I will wait right here while you get your stuff.”
“I’ll hurry!”
Much later that night, as they lay entwined after making love, Tawny marveled at the ring on her finger. “I’m still in awe that we’re engaged.”
“I’m in awe that you said yes.”
“Finn, I thought I was going to die. And all I could think about was how I’d failed you. Failed everyone I swore to protect.”
He wrapped his arms tighter around her. “You made it, Red. You’re here. I’m here. Our hearts are beating in unison. And I’m so in love with you I can hardly breathe. Do you know what I want more than anything?”
She leaned up on one elbow. “A motorcycle? I saw you eying Brielle’s and Justice’s matching Harleys.”
He chuckled. A rich, deep sound that always thrilled her. “Yes. That, and a bigger house on the beach because I want a houseful of children with you.”
Tawny captured his mouth in a warm kiss and grinned. “Wow! That was just flamin’ hot, Finnigan.”
“I have my moments.”
“And I think you should prove it.”
“As you wish, Red.”