Dangerous Waters (31 page)

He pulled her in for a full body hug. She expected to feel weird, or uncomfortable, but the tight squeeze of his embrace actually felt right. She heard more rotors in the distance. “I need to go after Finn.” She gripped his hands, stared into comforting pewter eyes. “I promise we’ll have time to get to know each other, but right now I need…”

He nodded. “I love Finn like a son. I’ll follow as soon as I can.” He grimaced. “First I need to tell Brent what’s happened. That’ll be fun.”

Holly nodded, and a numb feeling of cold stole over her. The chopper arrived, and she ran toward it, bending low. To her surprise Furlong got in beside her. Once they were settled in with headsets, he told her, “This way I can interview you without any delay.” He gave her an almost regretful smile. “You ended up solving the whole damn thing on your own.”

“I did everything wrong—”

“But you found the murderer, Holly. And that’s what the job is all about. Getting the bad guys off the street.”

She could barely speak, but she started talking him through the events of today, even as her mind focused on the man in the other helicopter. If he died, she didn’t think anything would ever matter again.

Mike opened his eyes to find Thomas Edgefield standing beside his bed. His head throbbed and pain sliced through his eyeballs.

“What happened?” But then the memories flooded him in a wave of horror and he wished he could slip back into a coma.

“Your parents…” Edgefield tripped over the word. “Grant and Anita were taken into custody.” His features pinched tight as he took the chair beside the bed. “This must be a hell of a shock for you—”

“I’m not your son,” Mike bit out angrily.

Thom rocked back slightly in his chair. “I watched you grow in your mother’s tummy and helped deliver you into this world. You think I care whose sperm created you?”

“Bianca betrayed you. Don’t you even care?”

The pallor in Thom’s skin deepened. “I care, but it was a long time ago.”

“They raised me.” Mike’s chest tightened, and he felt like someone had driven a sword through his heart but it just kept beating.

“I loved you, Mike, as a baby. I still do even though you probably don’t want to hear it.”

Mike flinched. He didn’t deserve love. He thought about Gina and what his father had done to keep his cruel secrets. He’d killed two women in cold blood. Two women who’d done nothing but fall for Toben men. His chest quivered as he thought about Gina’s pretty eyes and soft smile. If he hadn’t gotten involved with her, she wouldn’t be dead. The knowledge seared his brain like a branding iron.

A wealth of sadness was visible in Thom’s eyes. “I thought Grant was my friend. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”

Except he could.

Mike knew that if anyone understood misery and suffering it was this man. And it was his father’s fault. His father was a killer, and his mother—the woman who’d raised him—had known about it. All those years he’d admired their happy marriage, it had hidden a rotten core of brutality and murder.

Where did that leave him?

“You have a sister…”

Holy mother, he’d forgotten about Holly. He tried to sit up. “Is she all right?”

“She’s fine and said she’ll come talk to you later.” Thom grimaced. “Finn got the worst of it. He was shot, but he’s going to pull through.”

Shit
. Like a dark shadow, Brent Carver passed his doorway. The usual fear had disappeared. Nothing Brent did to him could make him feel worse than he already did.

“Finn’s a good guy. I’m glad he’s going to be OK.” He frowned. “I stole his gun.”

Thom cleared his throat. “I think the cops do have a few questions.”

Mike looked toward the door and noticed two Mounties, jaws clenched, waiting patiently by the door.

“You better let them in.” Mike braced himself.

Thom stood and handed him a glass of water. “Just give it another minute, until your lawyer gets back from the restroom.”

“Lawyer?”

“Laura Prescott has agreed to represent you.” He gave him a look. “You’re not alone, Mike.”

Mike didn’t know how to respond. He felt alone. In fact, he’d never felt more alone in his whole goddamn life, but that was what he deserved. It was what he wanted.

Thom reached out and squeezed his hand. “Give it time, son. Give it time.”

There was enough pain packed inside his head for Finn to wish he wasn’t drifting into consciousness. Then he opened his eyes and saw Holly sitting beside his bed, staring at him intently, holding his hand so hard his fingers hurt. And the pain was fine. Better than fine. Because it meant he wasn’t dead and she did, in fact, love him.

“Hey,” he said.

She blinked rapidly. “Hey, yourself.”

“Are you OK?”

She shook her head. “Yes.” She pressed the call button for the nurse.

He laughed, but fuck, that
hurt
. “How am I?”

“Thankfully, the bullet missed all vital organs.”

“Well, it wasn’t
that
low.”

“Hey,” she raised her voice. “I’m being serious here. You could have died. What the hell did you think you were doing, throwing yourself at a man with a gun?”

He stared at her until she stopped being angry. “There is never a time when that’s not what I’d do. If you can’t deal with that part of me, you better get out now.” Although there was no way he was letting her go.

She held her face in her hands, looking beyond exhausted. His getting shot hadn’t helped. “How are we going to make this work? Your job is in Bamfield. I don’t even know if I’m still going to have a job when this whole thing is over. Maybe I should just quit.”

“Don’t you dare quit. I’m
so
proud of you. You are such a good cop.” And like that she was back with him in the present. Dealing with him rather than her fears and worries. Who didn’t have fears or worries? He stroked her fingers with his thumb. “I can work anywhere. And something tells me Thom doesn’t need me to protect him anymore.”

“Dryzek and company have been arrested,” she confirmed. “He told officers that Milbank was responsible for beating up Thom that time before you got out of the army. Both he and Ferdinand deny smuggling, but the cops from narcotics are all over them. They are going down.” She offered him a small smile. “Mike Toben has a nasty concussion, but he’s going to be fine—well, as fine as he can be, considering what he just learned about his parents. I still need to talk to him.” She bit her lip, clearly reluctant after everything that had happened.

He spotted Thom in the corridor with Laura. But what made him stare was Brent, in deep conversation with a tall, broad-shouldered man in a police uniform. Talk about worlds colliding.

He turned back to the complex and special woman at his side. “I don’t care much about money, which might make me a bad bet for the long term. Trust and loyalty are all that have really ever mattered to me, and now love. I love you. I trust you and I will be loyal to you until the day I die. We can figure out all the other stuff as we go along, except for me jumping in front of bullets for you. That’s a given.”

She tried to smile, but she was an absolute mess, hair straggly, faded yellow-tinged bruises around her eyes. Wearing a blood-splattered shirt—his blood, thank god.

“I should just ask you to marry me right now. The guilt from getting me shot should carry you down the aisle before you get cold feet and change your mind.”

She opened her mouth, indignant. “I did not get you shot. And if that is your idea of a healthy relationship—based on guilt—you’ve got a lot to learn.”

He swallowed the huge lump that formed in his throat. “I know. I’ve never done this before.”

Her eyes swam in tears again, but thankfully they were saved by the heavy tread of the big guy in the fancy uniform heading their way. Holly turned and looked up and threw herself into the man’s arms.

“You must be Finn Carver.” The man held out his hand to shake.

“You must be my future father-in-law.”

The man laughed, and Holly rested her hand on the man’s uniformed arm. “You need to teach him the art of romance, Daddy.”

“Oh, I don’t know, from what I hear you guys have got that covered.”

Holly colored up fire engine red, and even he felt heat in his cheeks.

“I wanted to thank you, son.” Brown eyes shone with sincerity. “For saving the life not just of one of my officers, but for saving the life of my child.”

Finn was pretty sure he was crying now too and figured he could probably get away with it because of the gunshot wound. “You’re welcome, sir.”

And then his brother came forward. Followed by Thom and Laura. Brent said nothing, but leaned down, ruffled his hair, then went to stand by the window.

“Dad.” Holly touched her father’s arm. “I want you to meet my other father. Thomas Edgefield.”

The two men shook hands, both visibly upset.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you and your family, Professor,” the deputy commissioner said.

“Thank you. And thank you for raising her so beautifully.” Edgefield’s eyes shone like silver. “She turned out absolutely perfect.”

“Hardly.” Holly rolled her eyes.

“Perfect for me,” Finn said.

Brent grunted. Holly shook her head and Laura smiled. Everything was going to work out, Finn realized suddenly. After years of being alone, he now had a family. A big, funny-looking family and Holly was the center of it.

The beginning.

I set this story in the gorgeous community of Bamfield, BC, but feel the need to reassure anyone who might visit the area that the locals are, in fact, very friendly, the scenery is stunning, and the wildlife bountiful. Also note I tweaked some of the local topography to fit the story so I apologize if you fail to find my mythical shipwreck, or if you inadvertently ground your boat trying to navigate a too-shallow river.

A special thank you goes to Cpl. Darren Lagan, senior media relations officer, BC RCMP, who answered my many questions about murder investigations with painstaking detail, enviable patience, and a much-needed sense of humor. Any mistakes are mine though I hope I’m forgiven a little artistic license.

Writing can be a lonely profession but I’m lucky to have numerous, wonderful, online writer friends who keep me relatively sane. Especial thanks go to Loreth Anne White, Skype buddy extraordinaire, who always forces me to ask the hard questions. Also my incredible critique partner, Kathy Altman, who sees the roughest first draft and doesn’t tell me to quit while I’m ahead.

Massive amounts of love to my family who support me every single day and thankfulness to my readers who make me strive to write a better book each and every time.

Huge gratitude to Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC, for believing in me and this story, and to my editors, Kelli Martin (Montlake Romance), Charlotte Herscher, and Renee Johnson for their diligent eyes and boundless enthusiasm. Thanks also to the rest of the team at Montlake Romance who have been wonderfully helpful.

JAMES HARE, © 2012

A former marine biologist who completed her PhD at the Gatty Marine Laboratory in St. Andrews, Scotland, Toni Anderson has traveled the world with her work. She was born and raised in rural Shropshire, England, and, after living in five different countries, she finally settled down in the Canadian prairies with her husband and two children. Combining her love of travel with her love of romantic suspense, Anderson writes stories based in some of the places she has been fortunate to visit. When not writing, she’s busy walking her dog, gardening, and ferrying the kids to school, piano, and soccer games. She is also the author of
Storm Warning
and
Edge of Survival
.