Twin Peril (21 page)

“But how did you know Caruso was the one who’d wired the warehouse in the first place?” Logan persisted.

Now Jonah understood what was bothering Logan. Logan was the one who’d suggested the warehouse as a meeting place and he couldn’t understand how it had been used against them. “You’ll have to help me answer that one, Logan. You mentioned you had a contact who told you about the warehouse. Is it possible your contact planned on double-crossing you, too?”

“Bruce Dunlop,” Logan said with disgust. “We sent him to work undercover in Salvatore’s business. He’s the one who gave me the idea of using that particular warehouse and he’s the one who was supposed to be helping us from the inside.”

Jonah shook his head. “Plenty of guilt to go around, Logan. I’m the one who left the message with Finley telling him we wanted to meet him at the warehouse in the first place.”

“No matter when you told Finley the meeting spot, he would have told the chief anyway, to keep him in the loop.”

Maybe, but by then they wouldn’t have been trapped inside with the chief holding a gun on them. Jonah hated the way he’d made so many mistakes. “You were right, Logan. I should’ve considered the possibility that the corruption went higher than Finley.”

“It’s all over now, Jonah. We made it out alive. Unfortunately, both the chief and Caruso died in the explosion.”

Jonah nodded. “Yeah, and I still don’t know for sure if Finley is dirty, too. I’d like to think not, since the chief showed up without him, but let your boss know so that there can be a full investigation.”

“You got it,” Logan agreed. He held out his hand and Jonah solemnly clasped it. “Thanks, Jonah. I’ll be in touch. And I’ll get the doctor to come in and talk to you now.”

“Thanks.”

The doctor insisted on admitting him to a hospital bed, and he agreed only if he could be on the same floor as Mallory.

It was several hours later before he was settled in his room on the third-floor surgical unit. Getting out of bed with the IV pump and all his tubing wasn’t easy. But he insisted on walking in the hall, so the nurse and the aide reluctantly helped to disconnect him.

“You can’t stay off the suction too long,” the nurse warned him. “We need to make sure your lung doesn’t collapse again, okay?”

Since he didn’t particularly want that, either, he nodded. “Just a few minutes. I promise.”

With the IV pole in tow, he made his way out to the main nursing station. He found Mallory’s room number, inwardly groaning as he realized she was on the opposite side of the floor.

Walking wasn’t bad as long as he didn’t breathe too much. When he reached Mallory’s room the door was closed. He lightly tapped.

“Come in.”

He pushed open the door. She was lying in bed, looking pretty good except for the blood dripping through her IV and the dark bruises shadowing her eyes. He crossed the room toward her.

“Jonah!” She looked happy to see him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just need to make sure my lung stays good, and if it does, they’ll take this chest tube out tomorrow morning and let me go home.” They’d mentioned the possibility of needing more IV antibiotics but he was sure he could convince them to give him pills instead.

She reached out her hand toward him and he gingerly sat in the chair next to her bed so he could grasp it without too much pain. “Jonah, I’m glad you’re here. God has answered my prayers. I was so worried about you.”

“I was praying for your safety, too. But I wasn’t the one who had surgery in the trauma bay,” he pointed out.

“Not true. Logan told me that you had minor surgery but that you were insisting on going home.”

“The doctor wouldn’t let me. They agreed to put me on the same floor as you so I decided not to argue.” Her hand felt so dainty in his, but he knew Mallory was so much stronger than she looked. The blood transfusions had brought color back to her cheeks, and aside from the bruising, she looked great. He silently thanked the Lord again for keeping her safe. “How’s your head?”

“Hurts,” she admitted. “I feel sick to my stomach, too, but that could be just from seeing the blood.” She kept her gaze on his face, and he realized she didn’t like watching the blood transfusion drip into her arm. “Can’t wait till this one is finished.”

He grinned and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. “It’s all over, Mallory. Caruso can’t hurt you anymore. I’m sure we’ll get a search warrant to go through his house and garage. We’ll find out what happened to Claire Richmond. You’re free to go home once you’re released from the hospital.”

“And what about you, Jonah?” she asked, her gaze serious. “Will I ever see you again?”

He stared into her blue eyes and knew the best thing for her would be for him to walk away. Cops weren’t a good bet in relationships. His own fiancée had walked away—what if Mallory eventually did the same thing?

She deserved better than a wounded warrior.

“I’m sure we’ll see each other again,” he said slowly, sidestepping the real meaning of her question. “But for right now, I think you should call your sister. I know Alyssa will want to be here for you.”

“She’s on her way.” Mallory stared at him for a long moment, her gaze full of hurt.

He needed to get out of here, and soon, or he’d change his mind. Time to let Mallory go, so she could move on with her life.

“I better get back to my room,” he said finally. He had to drop her hand so he could hold on to his injured side as he stood. “The nurses warned me that I need to keep this chest tube hooked up to suction until tomorrow.”

“I understand,” she murmured, although her puzzled expression tore his heart. He clamped his jaw shut and pushed the IV pole toward the door.

“Jonah?” she called out, stopping him before he could open the door.

Steeling his resolve, he turned back to her. “Yes?”

“Thanks for showing me the way to our Lord,” she said humbly. “Believing in Him has helped me work through my past. I never trusted men, but I want you to know I trust you. I trust that someday, you’ll come back to see me. And I want you to know I’ll be waiting for you. Because I love you.”

He stared at her, feeling as if she’d sucker punched him in the gut. He struggled to breathe without hurting himself. “Mallory, you don’t have to say that. You have a concussion. We’ve been through a lot over this past week and sometimes emotions run high—” He forced the words out, even though he desperately wanted to believe she did know her true feelings.

Her smile was sad. “Jonah, please don’t belittle how I feel. I would never say something I didn’t mean, although I certainly understand if you don’t feel the same way. I—I know that I’m not the sort of woman a man like you might want to become involved with. But that doesn’t change how I feel. I love you. And I want you to promise me you’ll take care of yourself, okay?”

He wheeled his IV pump around and came back over to her bedside. He couldn’t possibly let her believe that he was walking away because of what happened to her. “Listen to me. This isn’t about you and your past. I care about you, far more than you can possibly realize. But you don’t have any idea what it means to be with a cop. The stress of the job puts a huge strain on our relationships. Our loved ones watch the news in terror. It’s not fair to you, Mallory. Now that you’ve found God, I’m sure you’ll find another man to care for.”

The last sentence almost got stuck in his throat. Because he didn’t want her to find someone else. He wanted her. He loved her. He loved her!

How could he have been such a fool? All this time, he’d acted as if he was protecting Mallory from being with him, when in reality, he was protecting himself. Protecting his heart from being hurt the way he’d been when his fiancée walked away.

Surely if Mallory could overcome her fears, he could do the same?

“You’re dooming our relationship before even giving us a chance. Yes, your job is dangerous. But I can’t believe there aren’t police officers out there who manage to make a relationship work.”

She was right about that. There were a few cops who had faith and somehow their marriages survived. “Some, yes, but it’s an uphill battle.”

“Maybe it is, but isn’t that where our faith is supposed to help us? Weren’t you the one to convince me that God’s strength helps us to shoulder our burdens? I thought you were a true believer.”

He thought so, too. But hadn’t he known for a while now that God had brought Mallory into his life to strengthen his own faith? She was thanking him for showing her the way to their Lord, when he should be thanking her.

She was the best thing to happen to him, and now that he’d faced his deepest fears, he couldn’t let her go. He lowered himself gingerly back into the chair beside her bed and reached over to take her hand again. “You’re right, Mallory. I have a confession to make. I love you. I love you so much, it scares me. I feel like I don’t deserve such a precious gift.”

Her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears. “Crazy man, we both deserve this precious gift of love. God loves us just the way we are. Which means He’ll watch over us and protect us, too.”

Jonah couldn’t find the words to respond, so he simply reached over and kissed her, vowing to make sure she never regretted loving him.

EPILOGUE

M
allory stood next to Alyssa in the back dressing room of the church, amazed that the wedding gowns they’d chosen were so similar in style. Once they’d dressed completely opposite, but not anymore.

“Are you ready?” Alyssa asked.

Mallory nodded, hoping and praying she wouldn’t start crying like a baby, ruining her makeup. Because if she started crying, Alyssa would, too. And then they’d both be blubbering idiots walking down the aisle.

The double wedding had been Alyssa’s idea, and Mallory was secretly relieved she didn’t have to walk down the aisle alone. They’d agreed that since their parents were gone, they would walk together to the church altar. Gage would be waiting on the left side of the church, and Jonah would be waiting on the right.

“I love you, Alyssa,” Mallory said. “Thanks for always being there for me.”

“Likewise, Mallory,” Alyssa said with a tremulous smile. “Now, don’t get too mushy on me or we’ll both be crying on a day we should be rejoicing.”

“I’m happy,” Mallory insisted, although she could feel the threat of tears pricking her eyes. “Truly happy.”

“Me, too.” Alyssa linked her arm with Mallory’s. “Come on, they’re playing our song.”

Mallory took a deep breath and nodded. Together, they left the dressing room and approached the aisle. The church was surprisingly packed with family and friends. Mallory couldn’t get over how easily the members had welcomed her into their community.

They paused at the end of the aisle and she smiled when she saw Jonah staring at her in awe. Gage had a similar expression on his face, and she knew in that moment, she and Alyssa were the luckiest women on earth to find two guys like Gage Drummond and Jonah Stewart.

She smiled at Jonah, keeping her gaze locked on his, determined to show him just how much she loved him. Jonah’s smile held her steady as she approached the altar. He surprised her by stepping forward to meet her, taking her hand in his. “You look beautiful, Mallory,” he murmured.

Her heart swelled with love as they turned to face the pastor. As they recited their vows, she knew there was nothing on this earth that would keep them apart.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt of
Threat of Darkness
by Valerie Hansen!

Dear Reader,

I’ve always been fascinated by twins, especially identical twins. I’ve seen TV documentaries about twins separated at birth who have the same careers, the same medical problems, even the same hobbies. But what if you had identical twins with completely different personalities?

Alyssa and Mallory are twins, but due to a traumatic event when Mallory was younger, they lead very different lifestyles. Until danger forces them to take each other’s personalities.

You met Alyssa and Gage in
Identity Crisis. Twin Peril
is Mallory and Jonah’s story. Mallory is running for her life and doesn’t trust men, until she meets Jonah Stewart, a Milwaukee police detective. Jonah knows better than to get emotionally involved with a potential witness, but he can’t help responding to Mallory, anxious to help her find faith in God.

Forgiveness is the theme of
Twin Peril
and I hope you enjoy Mallory’s story. I’m always thrilled to hear from my readers and I can be reached through my website at www.laurascottbooks.com.

Yours in faith,

Laura Scott

Questions for Discussion

1. In the beginning of the story, Mallory has trouble believing Jonah is there to help her. Discuss a time when you’ve had trouble believing the best about someone.
   
2. Jonah not only failed his partner in the past, but his failure was captured on the national news. Discuss a time when you failed someone you cared about in a public way.
   
3. Mallory has trouble trusting men. Given her past, do you think her issues with trust are justified?
   
4. Mallory is struggling with forgiving herself for what happened in the past. Discuss a time when you’ve had trouble with forgiving yourself for something you did.
   
5. Early in the story, Mallory is afraid to pray because she doesn’t know how and doesn’t think God will listen to her if she does. Discuss whether or not you think God would listen to a nonbeliever’s attempt to pray.
   
6. As Mallory and Jonah run away from the burning motel, Mallory begins to pray. Discuss the time when you first began to pray and how that may have changed your perspective on faith.
   
7. Jonah tells Mallory that God can help us carry our burdens. Describe a time when you used God’s help to carry a heavy emotional burden.
   
8. At one point in the story, Mallory takes Jonah’s car keys and attempts to escape. Discuss the emotional turmoil that led to this impulsive decision.
   
9. Mallory invites herself to go to church with Jonah and then has a panicky moment when she realizes her life is going to change forever. Discuss a moment when you felt as if you were in a similar situation.
   
10. Mallory feels acutely guilty for her inadvertent role in Abby’s murder. Discuss a moment when you felt as if you were in a similar situation.
    
11. Toward the end of the story, Jonah refuses to allow Mallory to use herself as bait to draw out Caruso. Discuss the pros and cons of his decision.
    
12. Jonah believes a relationship with Mallory won’t work because the stress of being a cop is too much. Mallory believes faith will get them through the bad times. Discuss a time when faith helped you get through a difficult spot in your relationship.