Jamie Hill Triple Threat (58 page)

"Papa, no!" Gina cried at the same time Danny shouted, "No Pop!"

The gun went off, hitting Morrow in the shoulder and knocking him back.

Rocko growled and aimed his shotgun at Victor.

Danny grabbed his gun from his father, shoving the older man to the floor as the shotgun blast rang in the air. He pointed his gun at Rocko and fired three times at the man's chest.

Rocko fell in a bloody heap to the floor.

Morrow struggled to get up, but Danny took a step closer and took careful aim at him. "Stay right where you are, Dominic. This is over,
now
."

Morrow slumped back to the floor.

Danny fished a phone from his pocket and tossed it to Gina. "Call the cops."

"Don't be stupid!" Morrow snarled. "You're in this as deep as I am."

"No, I am not," Danny replied firmly. "I didn't kill anybody. You've taken a lucrative drug running operation and turned it into something completely different. Something much more sinister."

Morrow smiled and shrugged. "Things happen. When problems pop up, you have to take care of them."

"Not that way." Danny shook his head. He looked at Gina. "Call the cops. This has to end." He glanced across the room. "Pop, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little bruised. You didn't have to shove me so blasted hard, you
scemo
." Victor climbed to his feet.

"I thought some bruises might be preferable over a shotgun blast to the head." Danny retorted.

Brady mumbled, "Morrow!"

Danny spun around just as Morrow pulled a gun from his jacket. He aimed at Danny, who quickly took aim and fired into the man's chest. Morrow dropped the gun and slumped to the floor.

Danny panted to catch his breath. He looked at Brady. "Thanks, man. You saved my life."

Brady looked from one family member to another. "Right back atcha. Do you think someone could untie me?"

"We need handcuff keys." Danny turned to Gina. "Do you think you might call the cops now?"

Frozen with fear, the phone pressed tightly in her hands, Gina nodded.

* * * *

Brady opened his eyes and looked around. The sterile, white room looked familiar, and he knew he was in the hospital.

Gina jumped from her chair at his bedside and got in his face, looking into his eyes. "Hey! You're awake!"

He blinked. "Are you a dream?"

She smiled. "Nope, I'm real. Why, you been having dreams about me?"

He swallowed. "Every god damned day. Every time I close my eyes. I can't get away from you. You're always there."

"Well, maybe that should tell you something,
scemo
."

He turned away from the intensity of her gaze. "What happened? I was in a car accident, right? Is Costa okay?"

A look of confusion crossed her face. "Costa's still in a coma, no change. The car accident was last week, Brady. Do you remember anything after that?"

He closed his eyes, trying to think. "Warehouse. Gunfire." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Were you there?"

"Yeah, baby. I was there." A tear glistened on her cheek.

"You saved me."

Gina climbed into bed with him and snuggled up to his good arm. "No, you saved me. Ah hell, maybe we saved each other."

His head ached and he had no idea what she was talking about. Brady didn't care. He wrapped his arm around Gina and drew her close, kissing her forehead.
She's here. This is no dream.
Holding her tight was the only thing he cared about. He never wanted to let her go. He closed his eyes and sighed.

* * * *

On the last day Brady spent in the hospital, there was a party-like atmosphere in his room. The lieutenant and a bunch of people from the department brought in a cake. Everyone stayed long enough to enjoy a slice and give Brady static for breaking the rules, almost dying, but solving the case.

He sat up in bed, Gina by his side, and listened to the lieutenant fill in the blanks for him.

"Dominic Morrow is going to pull through," the boss said. "His hired hand, Rudolph 'Rocko' Haskins is dead. What we've been able to piece together, from various statements, is that Haskins killed Roy Watts and Richard Allen. We found Allen's body yesterday. We also believe he killed Xavier Tesco, though we've yet to find the body. Oh, we just found your Explorer, Marshall. They left it in long term parking at the airport, probably trying to throw us off. You'll be thrilled to hear it's been stripped, right down to the pack of gum you kept in the console since you quit smoking. Everything's gone."

"Figures." Brady shrugged, tightening his one-handed grasp around Gina's waist. "Hey, it's only stuff. I'm alive. I've got everything I need, right here."

Gina's eyes were bright and her face flushed as she smiled up at him.

Damn, she's beautiful. She's almost glowing.
He smiled back but tried not to get too mushy in front of everyone.

Forrest went on, "It seems the three import agencies were colluding in a drug running and stolen goods operation. By working together, they kept the heat off any one company. Morrow was the ringleader. Allen was obviously dispensable; as I'm sure your brother would have been, eventually." He looked at Gina. "He's lucky to have made it out alive."

"I don't know if he calls it lucky." She raised her brows. "He's looking at prison time."

"We're working with him on that. I think by the time he tells us everything he knows, and if we can convince Detective Marshall here to testify on his behalf, we might get his sentence down to three to five years. He might do twelve months of that with good behavior."

Her face lit up. "Twelve months! That wouldn't be so bad! Oh, Brady, do you think you might?"

He smiled. "What, testify for him? He came through in the end and saved my hide, so yeah, I think I could be persuaded."

She planted a kiss on his cheek. "You saved his hide, too. My family will never forget that."

"Oh, good. Maybe your father and I can be buddies. Play golf together or something."

"Or something," Gina teased, still smiling at him.

Forrest chuckled. "For now, we're going to try this bed rest thing again. You're on departmental leave for thirty days,
Marshall
. No work, just rest. Think you can handle it this time?"

Brady looked at Gina. "Thirty days at home in bed? Um, yeah. I believe I can follow those doctor's orders."

She kissed him full on the lips this time. Brady kissed her back, and then pulled away, feeling a heated blush creeping up his face.

"Take it easy." Forrest smiled and stepped back. "I've got one more man to visit, so I'm going to take off."

Brady nodded soberly, still feeling bad about Costa. "Give his wife my best."

"Will do." Forrest left, and Mel approached the bedside, eating a piece of cake.

"Great to see you up and around,
Marshall
."

"I feel great," he admitted truthfully. "Thanks for all your help with everything."

"Anytime." She swatted his shoulder affably. "You take care, now."

"Will do." He watched her walk out, and said goodbye to the other cops who were now being politely shooed out by a nurse.

When they'd all gone, the large black woman tidied up the trash and shook her head. "Thought they'd never leave!"

"Sorry, Thelma," he smiled at her congenially. "I know I'm not supposed to have that many people in here."

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him. "I just wanted a piece of that cake!"

Brady and Gina chuckled. "Take the rest of it out to the nurse's station," he suggested. "Enjoy."

"Thanks. We will!"

Gina hopped off the bed. "Hang on, Thelma. Brady, you didn't have any cake, sweetie." She cut one last piece, setting it on a paper plate.

"I don't want any. You're all the sugar I need." He patted the spot she'd vacated, encouraging her to come back.

She grabbed a fork and returned to his bed. "Okay,
I
want more cake, then."

He smiled, and nodded to Thelma as she left with the tray. Turning his attention back to Gina, he teased, "Isn't that like your third piece?"

She shrugged slyly. "I need to keep up my strength. I'm eating for two these days."

His jaw sagged open, but before he could say anything someone rapped on his door. He tore his gaze away from Gina to see who it was.

"You up for a visitor?" Joey Costa asked from a wheelchair, being pushed by his wife.

"Junior, you son-of-a-bitch!" Brady sprang from the bed and went to give his partner an awkward, one-armed hug. "You're awake! You're talking! Nobody told me."

"I asked them not to. I wanted to surprise you myself."

Brady hugged Rose and returned to his bed, where he sat on the edge. "So you're really okay?"

Rose smiled and answered for him through her tears. "He woke up asking for a cruller, can you believe that? Like nothing ever happened."

Costa added, "Doctor's say the river must have been cold enough to keep me intact all the time I was under. They're still running tests, but so far, there doesn't seem to be any impairment."

"It was damned cold, I remember that." Brady nodded.

"I don't know how to thank you, man." Costa's eyes welled up. "If it hadn't been for you—"

"Some other good Samaritan would have come along and saved you, stealing all my thunder. You would've been fine."

"You saved me, Brady. Rose and I, and the family, can never thank you enough."

"Just get better. I've got thirty days sick leave, and I want you beside me when I go back to work."

"I've got thirty days, too." Costa nodded. "When we get back, we'll both be raring to go."

"We'll give 'em hell then." Brady raised his hand for a fist bump and Costa knocked knuckles with him.

"See you later."

"You bet." Brady smiled at Rose and watched her wheel his partner out. He turned back to Gina and grinned. "Did you know about him?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "I wanted to tell you, but he was adamant about surprising you."

He stood and placed his good hand on his hip. "Besides, you had something else to tell me. Did you really say you were eating for two?"

"Yep." With her finger, she swiped the last bit of frosting from the now-empty plate. "I'm assuming it's just one kid. Twins don't run in my family, anyway."

"Gina." Brady took the plate from her and set it aside. He raised her chin so she faced him. "How did this happen? I mean, I
know
how it happened, but I thought we were so careful."

"I was surprised, too. Your boys must have busted right through one of those drug store condoms." She winced. "Are you angry? I really wasn't sure how you'd feel."

"Of course I'm not angry! I have no idea how I
do
feel, yet, but I promise you I'm not angry." His fingers still under her chin, he brought her face forward to meet his.

"I didn't want the baby to be the reason we got back together," Gina murmured, their lips touching.

"And it wasn't. We got back together because we love each other, and both of us realized all that other stuff didn't matter." He pressed his mouth on hers.

Gina uttered a pleasure-filled moan, sinking into the kiss.

He wrapped his good arm around her and squeezed, thinking just how wonderful it was to hold her close again.

"Excuse me," someone said from the door, adding a loud knock for good measure.

Brady dragged himself away and faced the door, where Jack and Crystal stood.

"You two need to get a room," Jack teased.

Brady waved his hand. "We have a room. We just can't get any privacy."

"We can leave," Jack offered. "We heard you were going home today and wondered if you needed a ride." He eyed Gina's possessive grasp on Brady and smiled. "Looks like you've got that covered."

"We do," Brady agreed. "Gina and I are back together."

"Wonderful!"
Crystal
clapped her hands.

Jack smiled and nodded. "Glad to hear it. Congratulations, you two."

"So, do you want a big wedding?"
Crystal
asked.

"You sound like my father." Gina rolled her eyes playfully. "He's ready to book a cathedral and invite the whole town. We haven't even begun to discuss a wedding, yet, though we might have to soon."

"Her father, eh?" Jack raised his brows at Brady.

Brady nodded sheepishly. "He's come to visit me twice. Truth be told, he's a pretty nice guy."

"Interesting. Gee, maybe you can go into the family business."