Vows of Silence (22 page)

His face fell slack again and he remained silent for so long that Lacy feared he’d lapsed into a coma.

Lacy moistened her lips. Did she dare try to leave now? Would he snap out of his intense reverie and shoot?

She decided to take the chance.

She eased back a step. Just one step toward the door. Toward escape.

The senator’s face turned crimson with rage. “This whole thing is Bent Thompson’s fault,” he snarled.

Lacy froze. She didn’t dare move a muscle or say a word. The senator didn’t actually appear to be talking to her. He spoke to the room at large.

Would he notice if she took one more step back? “That piece of trash tried to blackmail me simply because I asked him to purchase an untraceable weapon for me ten years ago. And then he kept it when I paid him to dispose of it. He was worthless.” He said the last with sheer loathing. “After all I’d done for him. I’d paid him far more than he was worth just to watch my son. I should have gotten rid of him ten years ago.”

“You killed him?” Lacy bit her lips together. She couldn’t believe she’d said the words.

“I had no choice.”

Enough. She needed to get out of here before he decided that she had left him no choice as well.

“Senator, you’ve been through a lot.” She struggled to steady her voice as she eased back one more step. “I should go and leave you to come to terms with all that’s happened.”

He fixed his aim more firmly on her, letting her know he had no intention of allowing her go. “I tried to end it.” He lifted his shoulders in a resigned shrug. “I used Nigel Canton for a scapegoat. He’d been abusing my son’s memory for years. He deserved exactly what he got. I thought the confession was ingenuous.” He exhaled a weary breath. “If I’d only known that Renae was executing her own revenge, I could have used her instead.” He made a tsking sound with his lips. “Too bad for Canton.”

“Senator, my parents are expecting me back home.”

His full attention leveled menacingly on her. “Then they will be sadly disappointed.”

An alarm blared deafeningly. It paused and a computerized voice announced, “The north perimeter has been breached.” The squeal of the alarm punctuated the announcement.

The senator rushed to the window to look outside.

Lacy didn’t waste any time. She ran like hell. She burst into the long hall that would lead her to the front door.

She was out the door and sprinting across the cobblestone driveway before she heard the drum of running footsteps on the steps behind her.

The sound of a gun exploding forced her to glance over her shoulder.

The senator dashed after her, then took aim to fire again.

Lacy cut first right, then left. Her heart hammered so hard she couldn’t breathe.

Vivid flashes of that night in the woods with Renae darted before her eyes. Not again.

God, she didn’t want to die.

Lacy dove into the shadows of the trees. Let her senses guide her. She’d come this way before…she could do it now.

She slammed headfirst into something hard and unyielding. Her injured arm throbbed.

“Get behind me.”

Rick.

Thank God.

Relief rushed through her. It was short-lived. Another blast of gunfire.

“Drop the weapon, Senator.” Rick stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight.

She didn’t know how he’d known she was here, but he was here and that was all that mattered.

“She’s trumped up all these wild allegations, Chief,” the senator said. “She has to die or she’ll never shut up.”

“Put the gun down,” Rick repeated, “and we’ll sort all this out.”

For one long moment, Lacy was certain the senator might just go along with Rick’s suggestion, then he shoved the gun against his temple and fired.

Lacy couldn’t move. Couldn’t blink away the image.

Rick checked to see if there was anything he could do. There wasn’t.

The senator was dead.

Lacy dropped to her knees on the ground, her entire body trembling with the receding adrenaline.

She told herself that it was really over now, but she was wrong.

It would never be over. The memories would always be right here, inside her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Two of her closest friends were dead…nothing would ever be the same again.

Chapter 21

L
acy stored the last of her things into the back of her Explorer.

“You’re sure this is what you want to do?” her father asked. He and her mother stood on the sidewalk looking a little nervous and maybe a little shell-shocked.

“I’m sure.”

Lacy had made up her mind. Nothing anyone said was going to change it. Not that her parents had tried to change her mind. To the contrary, they had always respected her decisions.

“Well,” her mother ventured, “you know where we are if you need us.”

Lacy hugged her folks. That part was right for sure. They were there for her. This would always be home.

She climbed into her SUV and headed out to get on with her life.

The nightmare decade was over and she had survived. Thank God, Rick’s ongoing investigation had included surveillance of both Rossman and the senator. Otherwise she might not be getting this chance in life. A lot had changed, including her, and she was ready to get on with whatever the future held.

She waved as she drove away. Her parents waved back just as they had hundreds of times when she’d left home.

But this time was different.

Emotion thickened in her throat. She’d visited Kira’s and Cassidy’s graves yesterday, had said her goodbyes to Melinda.

Melinda was going to be okay. Her children were both back home with her now and she’d made peace with Gloria. The kids were all Gloria had left. Maybe that fact made Melinda more palatable to her.

Lacy shook her head. Some aspects of her hometown would never change.

She’d just turned onto Norman C. Ashland Boulevard, wiggled her nose at the smell of the old paper mill and started out of town when blue lights flashed in her rearview mirror.

Rick. It had to be him.

Sure enough, his truck pulled up behind her when she eased onto the shoulder of the road.

He got out and strode up to her window. She’d already powered it down in anticipation of his doing just that. Her pulse quickened as she watched him move toward her. She did love looking at the man.

“I’m certain you didn’t intend to leave town without saying goodbye.”

She sighed, couldn’t help herself. Truth was she could look at him all day, but that didn’t change what she knew she had to do: get on with her life. She had to keep telling herself that or she’d let sentimentality hold her back.

She shrugged. “I guess you caught me red-handed, Chief. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Leaving town isn’t that unusual for me. I’ve done it lots of times.” She had intended to call him…eventually.

He braced his hands on the door and leaned in closer making her heart skip a traitorous beat. “I guess I was hoping this time would be different.”

There was something else that wasn’t fair—the deep, rich sound of his voice. As if looking at him weren’t enough. Oh well, Rick Summers was like the finest chocolate, too damned good to resist.

She reached into her purse with her right hand. The arm was still on the mend, but she could at least use it to some extent now. She drew out a business card and pen, jotted her home number on the back of the card and handed it to him. “Call me sometime when you’re in the big city. I’ll show you a good time.”

One corner of that sexy mouth hitched up into a smile. He tucked the card into his pocket. “I’ll do that.”

“Good. I was hoping you’d say that.”

She gave him a wink, powered up her window and drove away.

She did look back just once.

He stood there, watching her go, as he’d no doubt done before.

But this time was different. This time she would be seeing him again. Soon.

Everything you love about romance…
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Bonus Features.

V
OWS OF
S
ILENCE

Alternate Ending

Southern Girls’ Top Five Rules for Finding Mr. Right

Growing Up with Debra Webb

Sneak Peek: Investigating 101 by Debra Webb

After reading
Vows of Silence,
did you wonder if the story could have ended differently? If so, read on and find out what could have been…

ALTERNATE LAST CHAPTER

L
ACY STORED
the last of her things into the back of her Explorer.

“You’re sure this is what you want to do?” her father asked. He and her mother stood on the sidewalk looking a little nervous and maybe a little shell-shocked.

“I’m sure.”

Lacy had made up her mind. Nothing anyone said was going to change it. Not that her parents had tried to change her mind. To the contrary, they had always respected her decisions.

“Well,” her mother ventured, “you know where we are if you need us.”

Lacy hugged her folks, climbed into her SUV and headed out to get on with her life.

The nightmare decade was over. A lot had changed, including her, and she was ready to get on with whatever the future held. No more secrets…no more keeping quiet. From this point forward her life was going to be an open book.

She waved as she drove away. Her parents waved back just like they had hundreds of times when she’d left home.

But this time was different.

She’d just turned onto Norman C. Ashland Boulevard, wiggled her nose at the smell of the old paper mill, and started out of town when blue lights flashed in her rearview mirror.

Rick. It had to be him.

Sure enough, his truck pulled up behind her when she eased onto the shoulder of the road.

He got out and strode up to her window. She’d already powered it down in anticipation of his doing just that. Her pulse quickened as she watched him move toward her. She did love looking at the man.

He tore off his sunglasses and eyed her suspiciously for a moment. “I’m certain you didn’t intend to leave town without saying goodbye.”

She sighed, couldn’t help herself. The idea that she had ignored what she felt for him all those years seemed unbelievable now. So much had happened…so much had changed in the past few days. Except the one truth that she had never really been able to deny, not even after ten long years. She could look at him all day. Still, she’d learned her lesson where Rick was concerned. She couldn’t live four hours away and expect to have a real relationship with a guy like him. It was just too much to expect of a mere woman.

“I know your mama raised you better than that, Lacy Jane,” he prompted when she didn’t readily respond.

Lacy shrugged. “I guess you caught me red-handed, Chief. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Leaving town isn’t that unusual for me. I’ve done it lots of times.”

He braced his hands on the door and leaned in closer making her heart skip a beat. “I guess I was hoping this time would be different.”

The low, husky sound of his voice sent shivers dancing over her skin. Oh, it was different. Very different. He just didn’t know it yet.

Maybe she should put him out of his misery.

“You don’t have to put up a fuss, Chief. I’m only going as far as one hundred and nineteen.”

A frown furrowed across his handsome brow. “One hundred and nineteen? Your grandmother’s place?”

She nodded. “I’ve decided that my future is there. It’s where my heart has been all along. I’ve given up my partnership, but I’ll still be consulting for the firm. Otherwise, my only plans are to find a man who wants to worship me and perhaps procreate if things work out.”

One corner of that sexy mouth hitched up into a smile. “Do I need a résumé to apply for the position?”

Lacy grinned. “Absolutely not. I’m quite familiar with your skills. All you have to do is follow me home. We can iron out the details later.”

“I’ll do you one better than that.” He straightened away from her vehicle and before she could fathom his intent he’d skirted the hood and climbed into the passenger seat. “I’ll ride along with you, just to make sure you don’t change your mind.”

“I’ve been known to do that. But, you don’t have to worry, Rick, I won’t be changing my mind. I’m not running away anymore.”

His eyes locked with hers and she saw the emotion there that she’d felt in his arms the night they’d made love. Love. Unconditional. He reached across the console and kissed her then. Kissed her the way a man should kiss a woman, thoroughly and with every part of his being.

“You know,” she murmured when they came up for air, “it wasn’t necessary for you to show off like this.”

“Baby,” he whispered against her lips, “you haven’t seen anything yet.”