Chapter Seventeen
Jack wasn’t sure if it was a good sign that he did not feel anything but relief that Kingston was dead.
As a lawman, he knew it would be a more fitting punishment for a killer to live out his life in a cage.
But because there’d been the possibility of a mental facility rather than a prison, Jack was having a hard time seeing the man’s death as a bad thing.
What was bad was that Grace would have to pay for what she had done.
She might be spending the rest of her life in prison, and while that did bother him, Jack knew there’d been nothing he could have done to stop it.
He hadn’t seen Grace in time because he’d been so focused on getting help for Caroline and Clarie.
Still, he wished he could have done something.
“Mentally beating yourself up?” Caroline asked.
Jack stopped his pacing so he could look at her.
She was still on the treatment table in the ER while a nurse finished up the three stitches she’d needed for her head.
Four more stitches had already been put on her arm.
Jack knew the nurse, Mary Ann Colley, and knew she was good at her job. She’d even stitched him up a few times.
Caroline’s injuries were minor, he reminded himself, but Jack knew there was nothing minor when it came to Caroline. For the rest of his life, he’d see Kingston cutting her, and that was yet another reason he wasn’t sorry the man was dead.
He nodded in response to her question, causing her to frown. Probably because she didn’t believe beating himself up was necessary. But it was. He should have done a better job protecting her.
They’d gotten lucky. Not just with Caroline’s injuries but with Clarie’s, too. The deputy had also needed stitches and had a concussion, but she was going to make a full recovery and would only end up missing a couple days of work.
It could’ve been a lot worse. And not just with the injuries. Grace could have hit someone else when she’d been aiming at Kingston. Gunnar had been right there, but thankfully Grace’s shot had hit only her intended target.
“Are you okay?” Caroline asked. She reached out, caught his hand and gave it a squeeze.
He knew what she was asking. This wasn’t about the injuries now, or the aftermath of dealing with the attack.
She wanted to know if Kingston’s confession was eating a hole in him.
In some ways, it was. The grief was right there at the surface.
As fresh as it had been a year ago. But there was another side to this particular coin.
“I needed to know the truth,” he settled for saying. “It’s the start to dealing with this.”
Caroline nodded, and he hated when he saw the tears she was blinking back. She quickly swiped one of them away. “Eric claimed a lot of lives,” she whispered. “Kingston’s included.”
Jack huffed. “Now who’s doing some mental beating up?
” He got right in her face despite the fact that the nurse was there next to him.
“I won’t let you blame yourself for anything Eric did.
And as for Kingston, he had a choice. He didn’t have to do anything for Eric.
Kingston did it because he wanted to do it. Hell, he took pleasure in it.”
No way could she argue with that. Caroline had been there, with Kingston’s knife to her throat, when the man had gloated and bragged. He likely would have turned into a killer even without Eric.
“All done,” the nurse finally said. She stepped back from Caroline and took her hand to help her off the table.
The woman handed Jack a piece of paper. “That’s a script for some pain meds in case she needs it.
The pharmacy’s closed for the night, but if you give them a call, they’ll open for you.
” She patted his arm. “Take good care of her, Jack. Give her lots of TLC.”
Mary Ann added a wink, which meant she probably knew that Caroline and he had started up their relationship again. Heck, everybody in town probably knew. Jack frowned at that, not because of folks knowing, but because he wasn’t sure exactly what his relationship was with Caroline.
He loved her, yes, and heck, they’d had sex twice since she’d gotten her memory back, but there hadn’t been time to talk of the future and such. No time to do anything except try to hunt down a killer. With that done, Jack figured it was time for Caroline and him to have a long talk.
A talk that would apparently have to wait.
Jack realized that when he led Caroline out of the treatment room and spotted his brothers.
All three of them. And they weren’t alone.
They had their fiancées, significant others and kids with them, too.
On the surface, it looked to be an impromptu family reunion, but they were all there to try to deal with the grief of losing a father.
His brother Owen stood from one of the seats where he’d been sitting with his fiancée, Laney. She was holding Owen’s toddler daughter, Addie, who was sacked out and totally unaware of the storm they’d all just weathered.
Eli stood with his girlfriend, Ashlyn. He was holding Ashlyn’s adopted daughter, Cora. Cora was only a few months old and seemed entertained by all the people milling around.
Kellan was there with Gemma, and it was Gemma who came forward first and pulled Caroline into a gentle hug. She, too, was blinking back tears, and Jack figured Gemma was remembering her own nightmarish past with Eric, when he’d tried to kill her.
“I’m all right,” Caroline assured her. Jack didn’t know how she managed it, but Caroline even added a smile. One that looked surprisingly genuine.
“Caroline stood up to Kingston,” Jack told Gemma. It wasn’t pride in his voice. Okay, maybe it was a little of that, but it was mostly relief. It would likely make Caroline feel stronger now that she had done that. She hadn’t been a victim tonight.
“I heard.” Gemma glanced down at his raw knuckles. “And I heard you got in some punches. Good,” she added before Jack could say anything. “I wish we could have all punched him a time or two.”
So did Jack, because it had indeed helped to take out some of his grief and pain on his father’s killer.
When Gemma stepped to the side, the others swarmed in. There were more hugs, more whispered words of comfort. His brothers and he all shared that silent conversation. A pact and a promise that they would get past this and get on with their lives.
Exactly what their father would have wanted them to do.
“Gunnar took Clarie home about ten minutes ago,” Kellan explained. “She’s fine, but I wanted her to get some rest.”
That sounded like a darn good idea to Jack. He wanted the same for Caroline. “I’ll need a vehicle.” That was because Caroline and he had come to the hospital in an ambulance.
Kellan nodded. “Figured as much. You’ll be taking Caroline to your house?” But Kellan waved that off. “Of course, you will be,” his brother added at the same moment Caroline said, “Yes.”
Jack looked at her to see if she had any doubts about that. Apparently, she didn’t, since she brushed a kiss on his mouth. “Yes,” she repeated.
Fighting a smile, Kellan took a key from his pocket. “Take my truck. Gemma and I can get home in one of the cruisers.”
Jack thanked him and took the key. On the way to his place, he’d call the pharmacy and get those meds for Caroline. She didn’t seem to be hurting, but that might not last. He fully intended to give her the meds and that TLC.
“The San Antonio cops have picked up Lily,” Kellan continued a moment later. “The CSIs are going through Kingston’s office. They’ve already found some things. Doctored files and such. She’ll be charged with multiple felonies.”
Jack knew he should probably care a whole lot more about that, and later he would. He wanted the woman punished for anything wrong she’d done. But for now, he had enough issues to deal with. And speaking of dealing, one of his current issues came through the door and into the hospital waiting room.
Zeller.
Hell. Jack hoped this didn’t turn into a big blowup.
Caroline didn’t need that, and he wanted to get her out of there so she could rest. Apparently, his family had the same idea, because they, too, started to file out.
All except Kellan. His brother stayed back, maybe because he thought there’d be some trouble between Zeller and him.
If it was left up to Jack, there wouldn’t be.
Jack went to Zeller and met him eye to eye. “I’m sorry,” Jack told him.
Zeller opened his mouth. Clearly, the man had geared up for some kind of argument, but then he groaned softly and shook his head. “Everything was pointing to me. I looked guilty.”
“Yeah, because Kingston paid Scotty to set you up.” Jack didn’t point out that if Kingston hadn’t confessed, there might still be a dirty smear on Zeller’s reputation. Or at least the questions and gossip.
“How’s Grace?” Zeller asked.
Before Jack could answer, Caroline came to his side and slid her arm around his waist. Showing her support, no doubt. Jack appreciated it. Heck, he needed it, but he didn’t like that Caroline was going to have to listen to what would likely turn into a chat about the wrap-up of this investigation.
“Grace is in custody,” Jack told him. “I’m recommending a psych eval. Her mental state definitely played into what she did tonight.”
Ironic, since Kingston had been planning on using that card for his own defense. In Grace’s case, though, it might be true. Still, even if she went to prison for the rest of her life, it had been her choice to pull the trigger. That was something Jack needed to remember.
Zeller nodded. “Good, but don’t hold it against me if I say I’m glad that Kingston is dead. He tried to set me up. And he nearly succeeded.”
Yeah, he had, and Jack figured there were a lot of people who wouldn’t be mourning Kingston’s death.
When Zeller stepped away to talk to Kellan, Jack knew that was his cue to get Caroline out of there. Unfortunately, the rain hadn’t stopped. It was no longer coming down in buckets, but it was still drizzling.
“Wait here,” he told her. “I’ll bring Kellan’s truck up to the door.”
She glanced out the glass doors before turning to him and catching on to his hand. “We can walk. The fresh air and rain will feel good.”
No, it probably wouldn’t. It would just get them wet—again. But Jack really didn’t care. The only thing that mattered right now was that Caroline was safe. And that she wanted him.
He had no trouble figuring that out when she leaned in and kissed him. Long and hard. Just the way he liked his kisses from Caroline. Of course, it stirred the heat. Always did, and when she finally eased back, they were both smiling.
And clearly eager to get home.
Jack grabbed a newspaper from a rack by the door, and he used that to cover their heads as they walked out.
Not a mad dash but a slow stroll with Caroline’s uninjured arm around his waist. They stopped long enough for another kiss.
Then, another. By the time Jack finally got them in Kellan’s truck, it felt as if they’d just gone through a round of foreplay.
Foreplay that continued when Caroline dragged him back to her.
After he got his eyes uncrossed from the intense heat of it, he winked at her. “Are you just trying to get in my pants?”
“I’ve been in your pants. It’s a nice place to be. In fact, I can say that your pants are the only ones I’ll ever want to get into again.”
Jack had been about to start the truck, but that stopped him so he could look at her. And kiss her again. “That means you’ll have to marry me,” he said.
She shook her head. “We don’t have to be married for that.”
He looked at her, making sure she saw that her answer would mean everything to him. Everything.
“Marry me,” he insisted. “And don’t make me repeat that whole outburst about me loving you more than I’ve ever loved anything or anybody.”
“What if I want it repeated? What if I say it to you this time?” Caroline added before he could speak.
The corner of his mouth lifted, and he could have sworn his heart doubled in size. “I think I’d really like to hear that,” he said.
She didn’t take her eyes off him. “Believe me when I tell you that I love you. More than anybody else. More than anything. More than I ever thought it possible to love someone. Believe me when I tell you I’ll marry you and that I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you.”
Smiling, Jack kissed her, his words whispering over her lips. “I believe you.”