Killing Secrets (45 page)

Patrick sighed heavily. “The folks are probably going nuts wondering what happened to Rachel. We should call—”

“Already done.” His brother waved his phone. “I talked to Dad the moment we got you out of the building. He’s spitting mad he was sleeping and didn’t protect Rachel.” He shrugged. “He’ll feel better after he lays eyes on the two of you.”

“Is Amanda okay?” Rachel put her arm on Jack’s forearm. “Knowing she was safe with your parents was the only thing that got me through.”

Jack patted her hand. “She slept through the entire uproar at the hospital. She’ll be glad to see her mama in the morning when she wakes up, though.”

~~~

Two hours later, Patrick watched Rachel sitting in the chair on the other side of Amanda’s hospital bed stroking her sleeping daughter’s baby fine hair. She yawned, and he felt an answering yawn pull at his mouth. They were both exhausted, yet neither would give up the fight to stay awake.

They’d both been given a clean bill of health. He’d talked his mom into taking his dad home to their own bed. The police office was no longer stationed outside the door. He and Rachel were finally alone and he didn’t know what to say to her. He just knew he had to say something. Do something.

Rising from his chair, he walked around the end of the bed to tug her to her feet. “It’s time to get some sleep,” he said, indicating the chair bed his dad had vacated.

Rachel shook her head. “I can’t sleep. My mind’s still going around in circles.”

“Then, don’t sleep…with me.” Patrick tugged her toward the converted bed, sat down and pulled her down to lie with him.

“Oh.” She snuggled back as he wrapped his arms around her so they wouldn’t fall off the narrow bed.

Patrick groaned as her bottom finally stilled against his hard length. “Comfy?” he growled.

“Very.”

The humor he heard in her voice was almost his undoing. “You won’t be quite so comfortable when I turn you over and have my way with you.”

She looked over her shoulder at him. “You still want me?”

Sinking into her doe-brown eyes, he said what was in his heart. “Every day for the rest of my life. I’ll never stop wanting you, Rachel.”

When she didn’t say anything, Patrick searched her expression and wished he knew what she was thinking. They hadn’t been alone together since the night they’d made love. When they were together, she’d been distant. They’d argued. “At Southgate, you said you loved me.” He paused, suddenly feeling insecure. “Did you mean it?”

Maneuvering around to face him, she nodded. “I meant it.”

The tight knot in his check began to unravel. “Then, you’ll marry me.”

“No.”

His heart stopped. “What do you mean, no?”

“I mean, yes, I love you. But no, I won’t marry you.”

He reared his head back like he’d been struck. “Why not?”

Rachel sighed, her heart cracking. She did love Patrick but she couldn’t live with a man who just “wanted” her. Robby had said Patrick loved her, but Patrick hadn’t said the words. “I don’t need a protector anymore,” she said. “You don’t have to marry me because of the baby, either. I won’t keep you from him, or her, if you want to visit. It’s not that far to Dallas and—”

“Shut up,” he said. His hands dove into her hair and pulled her into a kiss that started out hard, but quickly evolved into a caress that teased, cajoled…tempted.

She gave into temptation and met him touch for touch, reveled in each stroke of his tongue. There was no doubt he wanted her. It was on his lips, in the power of his arms around her back, and his hands exploring the curves of her bottom. His desire for her was in the hardening length of him against her belly, where his baby grew.

Patrick whispered against her throat. “Stay with me, Rachel. Don’t leave me.”

Her resolution was wavering. She longed to stay, wanted to marry him. Yearned to bear all of his children and spend the rest of her life loving him. But, she couldn’t do it.

Pulling back, she stared into Patrick’s eyes. She saw hurt and hesitation and, God help her, love. She grabbed his face in her hands and demanded what she wanted. “Then, tell me you love me.”

He looked at her like she was nuts. “Of course, I love you. Didn’t I just say that?”

“No.” Her lips curved. “But now you have.”

Patrick smiled and kissed her tenderly, with so much love that she had to believe him. They were both panting by the time they drew apart. “You’ll marry me now, right?” He nibbled on her ear.

She gasped when he nipped it. “Why do you want me to?”

His assault on her neck ended as he lifted his head to look at her. “Are you serious?”

Rachel settled back to rest her head on his arm. “Yeah, I guess I am,” she said with a sigh. “You left me behind at the zoo after you heard about the baby.”

“The baby scared me, Rach. Hell, loving you scared the hell out of me. But,” he snugged her closer when she tried to get up, “I want to marry you. I’d want to marry you even if the baby wasn’t mine. I love you.”

“You’re not just feeling an urge to be the protective rescuer, with me the damsel in distress to fit the bill?”

“What?”

“We’ve only known each other a couple of weeks. Jack said Karly kicked in your protective instincts, that you married her a few weeks after you met. So I—”

Patrick groaned, understanding her worry. “Jack has a big mouth.” And he’d chew his ass out when he saw him. “But, let me clarify something.

“Yes. I married Karly with some vague idea that I could rescue her. She was sweet and helpless and she appealed to my protective instincts,” he admitted. “I knew very quickly that I’d made a mistake.”

His hand cupped the bruise over her face. “I need to protect you, Rachel. But not because you’re weak.” His finger traced a line down her jaw. “You’re strong and independent and sexy. You’re the mother of my child.” He settled his hand on her stomach. “I love you for so many reasons, and I promise we’ll explore each one for the rest of our lives.”

“I want to protect you, too,” she said, lifting a hand to his heart. “I love you. You’re strong and make me feel like I’m strong, too. You’ve taught me what real love means and I can’t wait to learn how to grow old together.”

“Does that mean you will marry me?” His gaze searched hers. “I don’t want to misunderstand.”

She smiled. “Yes, I’ll marry you for all those reasons.”

“Good,” Patrick said, then tugged her close enough to feel his hardening length. “But, just in case there’s still any question of what I want, let me show you a few more reasons.”

“Oh! I think I see another one right now.” Rachel sighed. “Show me more.”

And he did.

~~~

One Week….

Three Days….

Ten Hours….

…
after death
.

“He’ll be back,” Skip whispered the moment the doctor’s white coat disappeared from view down the corridor in the psychiatric wing. Through the glass windows of his locked hospital room, he watched the guard scratch at his neck. “That doctor’s one of the persistent ones.”

A menacing growl reverberated from the depths of his pounding skull where the monster threw himself impotently against his cage.

“I won’t tell him Robby’s dead…if you don’t.” He chuckled and looked around, at the restraints that strapped him down despite the fact he was recovering from his bullet wound. “Besides, he wouldn’t believe us. He thinks some of us are insane.”

He searched the darkness in his mind. Saw the shadow where Robby lay. Poked at it to see if anything stirred. “Nope. Doc’s not going to find him.”

The monster watched him through the bars inside his mind.

“Robby would be so disappointed to know he’s missing the anniversary of Karly’s death. He had such plans, was so sure he’d found his Karly this time. Stupid Robby was going to ride off into the sunset with his little tart of a sister.”

He plucked at the sheet beneath his fingertips, and considered the isolated corridor outside his viewing window. “I have to say, I’m a little disappointed myself,” he said. “I was really looking forward to seeing what he’d do when he realized you didn’t kill her. That you didn’t kill any of them.”

Skip, the Angel Killer, smiled while the monster roared.

Epilogue

The moment Evelyn Thorne handed over the ten-day-old baby, Rachel felt her heart swell. Evelyn helped her son, Jack, with his boutonniere in the next room, and left Rachel gently rocking the little girl to sleep in the church nursery. They were all waiting for Jack’s wedding to begin. Rachel didn’t mind. She could sit with this little one for hours while she remembered how it felt to hold Amanda in her arms, how much she longed to hold Patrick’s baby in the spring. This raven-haired child was a stranger’s, headed for foster care until she could be adopted, and all Rachel wanted to do was gather up the poor thing and take her home.

Evelyn had broached the idea with her and Patrick the previous evening at Jack’s rehearsal dinner, suggesting they take up where his parents left off and foster children after they were married. Apparently, Rachel was the last to know that Patrick had the diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket. Patrick took a knee in front of his entire family, and officially sealed their engagement. Once he put it on her finger, the time for talking was finished. They’d spent the night making love, making it official…again.

Rachel smiled happily at the ring on her left hand, then up at Patrick leaning on one of the low counters that ran the length of the wall of windows. The man was so sexy, as hot in a dark suit and matching tie as he looked in his jeans and work shirt. Although she did prefer him naked.

He watched her rock the baby, a crooked smile on his face. “You’re considering it, aren’t you?”

She searched his expression, not surprised he’d read her mind. He seemed to do that regularly. “What do you think?”

“It won’t be easy with her health issues.”

Patrick’s comment didn’t sound like he was opposed to the idea, just concerned about what they might be taking on. The baby was a preemie taken to a local hospital by the teenaged mother who couldn’t take care of her. Baby “Jillian,” as she was named by her mother before she signed her over to the state, was born with a heart condition that would demand surgery, maybe more than one, before she was six. No, raising this baby wouldn’t be easy. “You’re already taking on a wife and two kids,” she added. “Jillian should have a permanent home.”

“We’ll still have four empty bedrooms once I move my exercise equipment into the basement. That’s without touching the playroom.”

“Last night we were talking about
making
babies.” Rachel grinned when desire flared in his eyes at the reminder of how many times he’d made love to her. “You didn’t mention a number.”

He straightened and approached her. Her heart beat faster and desire settled low in her stomach. He hunkered down next to her chair and leaned over until his lips were a heartbeat away. “I love you so much I can’t imagine a limit,” he whispered, “for the
making
of babies.”

“Oh, Patrick,” she said. “I love you so much.” Her feelings seemed to intensify every day, and every day she had to pinch herself to prove that it was all real.

Their lips joined and she was lost in sensation. She’d almost forgotten what they were talking about by the time he lifted his head. “Let’s take the babies as they come,
however
they come. How does Jillian Thorne sound to you?”

“Like your mother may have to give up planning another of her son’s weddings. Jillian isn’t going to wait for her mama and daddy until September.” They’d planned the wedding in the fall so her father could walk her down the aisle. He’d need the time to recover after his hip surgery.

Patrick tenderly dragged his knuckles over the infant’s cheek before wrapping his hand behind Rachel’s neck to draw her near again. “Mama and daddy can’t wait that long either,” he nuzzled her neck. “I told Mom this morning she has two weeks to pull off the wedding she wants or we’re running off to Vegas. And your dad’s prepared to wheel you down the aisle on his walker if necessary. Although, as well as he’s doing in therapy, I’m betting that thing will be gathering dust in the garage before long.” He caught her ear in his mouth and suckled it.

When she moaned, Patrick leaned back and looked at her with satisfaction shining in his dark eyes. “Given the impetus of another baby in the family, I can see our family working miracles.”

“Hear that, Jillian? Daddy says you can have a whole family to protect and love you,” Rachel murmured to the baby.

She picked up Patrick’s hand from where it rested on the bundled baby in her arms, and gave his calloused palm a lingering kiss.

Her reward was a deep groan. “Daddy wants to love mama right now,” he growled. “If we didn’t want Father Sebastian to perform our wedding—” he straightened abruptly and dragged his fingers through his hair. “It will be a miracle if I get through
this
wedding and reception without dragging you into a dark closet.”

Rachel sighed when he went back to his previous position, leaning on the counter with his arms crossed. Jillian stirred in her arms and she resumed her rocking, watching the man she loved watch them.