BlackJack (A Standish Bay Romance Book 1) (28 page)

Chapter
Twenty-Two

“I can’t take
it anymore,” Shannon said as she stared at the snow falling fast and steady
outside her home in Standish Bay. “When will it end?”

“I don’t know,”
Cole answered, clearly as frustrated as she was.

Perhaps we need
to meet with the head of the security company and plan a sting operation with
me as bait.”

“No way.”

“If we don’t do
something, it may never end. I don’t know about you, but I can’t go on living
like this. Tip-toeing around, looking over my shoulder and expecting Cameron to
be killed every time he leaves the house,” she sobbed. “I can’t do it anymore.”

Cole grabbed
her and engulfed her in his strong arms, rubbing his hands up and down her back,
trying to soothe her. “Shhh. I know it’s wearing on you. You’ve been so strong.
I don’t know how you’ve done it.”

“Please call
John and security. Perhaps they can have someone pretend to be me and Cameron
to draw the killer out?”

“Good idea.
I’ll see if they can get here this afternoon, weather permitting.”

Shannon paced
her great room early that evening as she listened to Cole, John and a Mr. Nash,
who headed up her security detail, discuss plans for a sting operation.

“Ms.
Gallagher,” said Mr. Nash. “We will sneak you and your son out of the house and
to a safe location and replace you with two of our best officers. With any
luck, this will be over in a day or two. We’ll make it look as though you’ve
cancelled your bodyguards, which will open the doors for the culprit to make
his move. Any questions?”

“No. Just end
this. I want to get on with my life.” She took a seat beside Cole and placed
her hand on his thigh. “Our life.”

“I’ll do my
best.”

***

Cole checked
and rechecked the gun John had given him to protect Shannon and Cameron with,
if need be. Just holding it in his hands had them shaking. Could he honestly
pull the trigger and take another person’s life? He hoped to God he never had
to find out. John risked a lot, probably his career, by providing him with the
weapon, but sometimes desperate times called for breaking the law. Not to
mention he could go to jail for carrying a gun without a license. Small price
to pay if he saved the people he loved with it. Technically, he was still an
ex-con on parole and not able to get a gun permit, but once again semantics
aside, it was worth the risk.

Shannon and Cameron
played cards in the hotel room while he tried, unsuccessfully to remain calm.
They’d been here for two days already and the walls were closing in on him.
John, along with the lone bodyguard posted outside their door, kept them
informed on what was happening at Shannon’s house. Too bad there wasn’t much to
report.

At
eleven-thirty, Shannon and Cameron slept soundly in the bedroom while he paced
in the adjourning living room, barefooted and trying to be quiet when his
stomach growled. Sure, why couldn’t he have been hungry when dinner had come at
seven? He flipped through the hotel’s room service menu and was surprised he could
order until midnight. Ordering up a cheeseburger and fries, he flipped on the
TV to the Late Show and muted the sound as he ticked off the minutes until he
heard the knock on the door and the words from the guard, “Your food is here,
Mr. Jackson.”

Cole opened the
door and stepped aside while the security guard wheeled the dinner cart into
the room. Just as Cole was about the grab the metal cover off the plate a loud
crack reverberated in the room, lights flashed in his eyes and his head
exploded as he crumpled to the ground, darkness swallowing him up.

“That was easy,
good job,” Kyle Ward said as he entered the room and shook the hands of the
guard. “Thanks for your help.”

“No problem.
The extra money’s come in handy, and I owe my boss nothing.”

“Did you have
your food delivered as well?” Ward asked as he handed the guard some sleeping
pills.

“You bet.”

“Eat most of it.
Take two pills, open the other one and sprinkle it on the food that’s left.
That will insure you’re not accused.”

Ward closed the
door behind the guard, pulled Cole’s body up against the wall and entered the
bedroom, grinning at the two sleeping people. “It may have taken longer than I
planned, but I’m gonna enjoy this,” he muttered to himself.

Killing Lindsey
had not been planned. She’d pulled a knife on him when he wouldn’t take no for
an answer. For some reason, she’d wanted to break it off with him and go back
to her fucking asshole of a husband. He’d shown her, hadn’t he? And when Cole
had been convicted of the murder, he’d laughed his ass off.
My, how the
mighty had fallen.

Now he would
get to enact his revenge against Cole once again. He walked across the room and
placed the barrel of a gun against Shannon’s temple, waking her up. “Shhh,
don’t say a word or I’ll shoot your precious son.”

***

The second
something cold and hard rested on her temple, she’d opened her eyes to find a
middle aged man leaning over her with hatred in his dark, almost black eyes.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and fought the panic threatening to take
over her body and mind. Who was she kidding, she was in total panic mode. Her
heart thumped wildly inside her chest, her body trembled violently as she
stared, wide eyed, at the man she knew had come to kill her and Cameron. Oh my
God, where was Cole? Had he already been killed?

Tears slid down
her cheeks onto the pillow as her mind screamed
do something
.

“No, no, no.”
The man pressed the gun deeper into her temple, causing her to wince. “Don’t
even think about it. And in case you’re wondering, your lover is very much alive,
for now.”

“Why?” she
whispered.

“Why?” he
repeated. “Because I hate the mother-fucker. Now get up and don’t do anything
stupid.”

Fighting down
the bile rising up her throat, Shannon sat up slowly, afraid if she went too
fast he might shoot Cameron.

“Move into the
other room.”

Her knees
almost gave way when her eyes found Cole, slumped against the wall with blood
dripping down the side of his face. “Please God, let Cole and Cameron live,”
she prayed internally to herself.

“Sit down on
the desk chair with your arms behind your back.”

Shannon did
what he asked. She knew if she didn’t someone she loved would die. The man made
quick work of using zip ties to secure her hands and feet and duct taped her
mouth.

He swung the
chair around, caressed his hand down her cheek and cupped her breast, causing
her to cringe in revulsion.

“Too bad I
don’t have time to sample you. What I wouldn’t give to take you and make
Jackson watch. But alas it’s your lucky day, as I’ve a plane to catch.”

He exited the
room and Shannon watched in horror as he came back with her son. The barrel of
the gun now against his temple. Cameron’s eyes were full of fear as the man
restrained him as he’d done her, only on the sofa.

“Now what to
do?” the man said as he strolled over to stand in front of Cole. “Do I wait
until he wakes and make him watch as I kill you both, or should I make you
watch as I kill him? Decisions, decisions?” the man’s deranged laughter reverberated
throughout the room.

He kicked
Cole’s feet and slapped him across the face, sending his head and body reeling
to the floor. “Wake up Jackson, time to pay the piper.”

She heard Cole
moaning, then he pushed himself up, using the wall for support. “What the fuck
are you doing here Ward?”

“Come now
Jackson, you’re not that stupid?”

“What happened
with AJ?” Cole asked as he wiped the blood out of his eye with his hand.

“Power of
suggestion is well—a powerful thing.” Ward shrugged. “Add some drugs and you
convince a man he killed someone. Put suicide in a wounded soul’s brain, and
you get them to commit it.”

“You bastard,”
Cole yelled.

What happened
next happened so fast Shannon’s eyes could hardly keep up. Cole moved at
lightning speed. He swung his leg out tripping Ward, causing him to fall back.
The gun discharged and Shannon screamed against the tape as blood pooled on
Cole’s shoulder. They fought on the ground each grappling for control of the
gun. Where was the gun John gave Cole?” Shannon wondered as she and Cameron
both struggled with their bonds. Her wrists burned as the zip tie cut into
them. It was no use. She’d never get free.

The struggle
continued. Ward managed to get control of the gun but lost it when Cole punched
him in the face and it skittered across the room. People were pounding on the
door. But Ward had flipped the dead bolts, keeping everyone out.

Would it never
end? She struggled to kick the rug and move the chair on wheels toward the two
men. Her heart pounded because it was working. She had no idea what she’d do
when she got close to them, but she intended to do something to aid Cole. As
she made headway, she watched as Ward raised up his arm, holding a deadly
looking switch blade. Once again, her scream was strangled in the tape, and she
stared in horror as he tried to stab Cole in the neck. Cole deflected it with
his arm, which now bled profusely.

She swallowed
the bile crawling up her throat, she couldn’t throw up or she’d drown in her
own vomit. “Please God, she prayed, please help Cole.”

Determined to
get closer, she scooted the chair and when she was in kicking distance of Ward,
she gave it her all and swung her legs out, hoping to connect with his knees
and take him down. Unfortunately he saw her coming and his hand snaked out to grab
her feet, but it gave Cole the chance he needed. He rolled across the floor, grabbed
the gun, aimed at Ward’s leg and pulled the trigger. The man’s screams went on
and on.

Cole stumbled
to the door, flipped the lock and fell back as an array of people entered, guns
drawn.

Chapter
Twenty-Three

Two weeks had
gone by since their fight for their lives, and Shannon couldn’t be happier.
Snow was falling again and she turned to Cole, who had his arm in a sling, the
one that had been shot. His other arm had had forty stitches removed yesterday.

Cameron’s body had
healed nicely since the accident and he now sported a walking boot, so getting
around was much easier. This upcoming weekend they had plans to go to Newport
and visit with Amber and her father. Cameron was beyond excited. His cast
should come off his arm in several more weeks. But all in all, they had much to
be thankful for and not a day went by that Shannon didn’t remind herself about
that.

“Come on you
two guys, let’s bundle up and head to the beach,” Shannon said. “The snow’s
beautiful, and I’ll bet big bucks I can whip your two sorry butts by making the
best snowman this town has ever seen.”

Cole and Cameron
glanced at one another and nodded. Cameron grabbed his jacket, carefully pulled
the sleeve over his cast, struggled into one boot and put a plastic bag over
his walking boot to keep his foot dry. He grabbed hat and gloves and left
Shannon and Cole in the dust as he waded through the knee deep snow. After Cole
removed his sling, Shannon helped him into his jacket, then they headed down
after Cameron and forgot about building snowmen as a snowball fight ensued. Cameron
against her and Cole, and poor Cameron didn’t stand a chance as he was pelted
continuously with one snowball after another. Shannon was proud of the way Cole
managed to make snowballs with two injured arms. Too bad Cameron didn’t have as
much luck, his cast hindered him big-time.

“I’ll get you
next time,” Cameron yelled and laughed as he lay on his back, his arms blocking
his face as snowball after snowball bombed him.

Then Shannon
turned on Cole and threw half formed snowballs at him and it was music to
Shannon’s ears when she heard him laughing. Really laughing and looking happy
for the first time in an awfully long time.

Then Shannon
watched with love bursting inside her heart as Cole and Cameron pounded each
other with half formed snowballs. They were acting crazy and laughing loudly,
making her realize how fortunate she was to have these two in her life.

Her son, born
during her teenage years, unplanned and not at a convenient time, was always
wanted and loved. She would never do it differently if she could go back. He
was the best thing that ever happened to her.

The second best
thing was Cole Jackson.

Her body
tingled as she watched him. And, regardless of the freezing temperature, she
felt warm and tingly all over. Warm from the love she had that overflowed for him
and from being loved by him. Loved with the kind of true love that would stand
the test of time and never die.

Epilogue

Cole Jackson
took the stage to accept his Grammy Award for Best Solo Artist. He held the
Grammy up in his hand and beamed. “You all know my life is an open book thanks to
my talented wife, Shannon, who told it so honestly and emotionally with her
words. Thank you my darling for freeing me from my past.

“I dedicate
this to my friend, AJ. I love you man. To Brad and Ted, thanks for everything,
and to my incredibly talented stepson, Cameron.” Cole gestured toward Cameron
in the audience. “This is as much yours as it is mine. Your magical fingers are
in every single song on this album. And one day you will stand in this very
spot, and I can’t wait.

“To my
beautiful wife, who is at home with our daughter, I love you with every fiber
of my being. Thank you for believing in me and giving me your unconditional
love. I wouldn’t be standing up here tonight if it wasn’t for you. To my one
week old daughter, Olivia, I love you a thousand fold.” He held up the award
and yelled out. “Welcome to this glorious world.”

THE END