Prisoner and Together: All of You series complete set (35 page)

“Never!” she hisses.  “I’m never going to prison.  I know what they’ll do to me.  The prisoners, the guards, the executives, they’ll all have it out for me.”

“We can protect you,” I try to assure her, but I’m not sure I mean it.  Prison justice would be an almost poetic end for Louise Drake.

“No one can protect me now,” she argues, and I think I see a tear running down her cheek.  She’s scared.  I have to get through to her somehow, before she does something crazy and hurts someone. 

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tony

“Where is she, Constance?  What building?” I yell.

“You don’t need to shout,” she replies.  “She’s in the stables, south west side of the compound.  Drake’s there.  Killian and a couple of other agents have the building surrounded.  Drake isn’t getting away this time.”

I try to keep my voice down, and say, “Thanks.”

I drive past the open gate, and several agents try to stop me.  But I don’t stop.  I just keep going.  I should have known Drake wouldn’t be at the factory.  I should have known she’d send her henchmen to do her dirty work for her. 

Killian’s fancy SUV’s headlights catch him, waving his hands at me to stop.  So I do.  I park, and jump out without turning off the motor.  Killian tries to stop me as I walk past him, but it’s like an ant trying to stop a train, it’s just not happening.

“Tony, her father is in there with her.  She has a gun.  She’s not chained up.  She’s trying to talk Drake down.”  My strides don’t falter.  I’m almost to the door.  “Tony, you’ll just escalate the situation, and someone might get hurt, or worse.  You don’t want that, Tony.”

My hand is on the door handle.  I’m ready to pull it open.  But something stops me.  I remember telling Lani’s father that I will do what she wants me to do, that I will trust Lani above anyone else.  I have to trust her.  She’s trained for this kind of situation.  She’s in there with her father, who has more experience than me and her put together. 

“I trust Lani,” I growl, as I back away from the door.  “But if I hear gunshots, I’m taking your gun and going in.”

“Fine,” Killian agrees, as he takes the spare gun out of his ankle holster, and hands it to me.  “You don’t have to take it.  I’ll give it to you.”  Our eyes meet, and he nods and smacks my shoulder.  I’ve made a friend.  I glance over at Riley who finally joins us, and realize I’ve made several friends here.  Better yet, I’ve found a home. 

Lani

This is not going the way I expected it to.  She should have dropped her gun by now.  She has no more moves.  She’s stuck.  “You should have run when you had the chance, Drake.  But no, for some reason, you had to try to get your revenge on me and Tony.  You could already be on a beach in some South American country that doesn’t have an extradition agreement, sipping alcoholic drinks with your girlfriend.  But you couldn’t give up, could you?  And now look where we are.”

“Do you really think the decision is mine, Vaden?  There are powerful people out there, and they control the prisons, and the jails.  They decide who goes, and who stays.  They have their fingerprints everywhere, in every state in the country.  When prisons are a business, they’re open to corruption.  You have no idea how deep this goes, Vaden, and how far up the food chain it reaches.”  She laughs as she says it.  “If you think this begins and ends with me, you’re delusional.  Where are we standing?  Inside the horse farm of a politician, a guy who was broke ten years ago.  Think about it, Vaden.  Think!” 

I watch her put the gun to her own head, as if in slow motion.  I move toward her, not worrying about myself, or my child.  I have to stop her, so that she can face justice for what she’s done.  I have to question her, to find out how far this conspiracy goes.  I can’t let her take the easy way out.  But I am still several feet away from her when the gun fires.  I watch her eyes, which are focused on me, go blank.  And then she falls over, as if pushed by an invisible hand. 

“No!” I cry out, but it’s too late.  She’s lying on the ground, she’s motionless, and her eyes are empty.

I take her pulse, it’s slow but it’s there.  “Help me!” I scream at my dad, as I roll her over and begin chest compressions.  “Help me!”

Tony

As soon as I hear the shot, I pull the door open.  I have Killian’s gun drawn, and I’m ready for anything.  The scene I find inside the stables is not what I expected.  Lani is sitting on the floor beside Drake, trying to give her CPR.  It’s obvious that Drake is gone. 

I bend down beside her, and place my hand on her shoulder.  “Lani, stop.  It’s no use.”

“I can’t let her get away this easily.  She needs to pay!” Lani sobs.  “She needs to pay for what she did to you, for what she did to Addison!” 

I glance up at her father, who appears to be almost as shocked as Lani is.  He takes a step toward her, and grabs her hands.  “Lani, she’s gone sweetheart.”

She pounds her fist against Drake’s chest, once, twice, then she screams, and turns toward me.  I wrap her in my arms, and pull her into my body.  “Shhh, baby,” I whisper against her ear.  “Shhh, it’s okay.  You’re okay.”

She cries against my chest, sobs full of grief for her sister.  I’m sure she hasn’t cried over the loss of Addison, until now.  She wraps her arms around me, and holds on as if she’s never going to let go.

Everything else melts away, except for me and Lani.  She will need me now, more than she realizes.  I will always be there for her, just like she’s been there for me. 

“You’ll pay for this, Vaden,” I hear a female voice shriek, breaking through Lani’s tears.  “We’ll get to you, one way or the other.  There are many more of us out there.  You’ll never be safe!”

Lani calmly stands, and turns toward the voice.  Killian is leading a woman out in handcuffs, the woman I noticed sitting in the corner near the chief when I first entered. 

Lani walks toward her, as Killian stops.  Silently, without a word, Lani swings, and lands a punch against the other woman’s cheek.  The punch is so hard, the other woman stumbles into Killian and falls down to one knee.

“Keep coming, Hughes, because I’m not backing down.  I’ll be right here, waiting.”

Killian gives Lani a sly grin, and pulls up on the woman’s forearms, until she’s standing.  “Let’s go, Hughes.  Don’t piss her off any more.  It’s hard to tell what she’ll do.”  He winks as he leads Hughes out the door.

“So, it looks like we’re not done here,” I say.  Lani returns to my side, and I wrap my arm around her shoulder.

“We’re done, for now,” she says, as she lays her cheek against my chest, and her arms encircle my waist.  “I need a bathroom, really bad.”

I chuckle, and release her.  She gives me a quick hug, then walks off toward her father, who has already located the facilities for her.

This, right here and now, is everything I’ve fought for.  I watch her tuck her arm around her father’s waist, and rest her head against his shoulder.

“Your girlfriend is pretty amazing,” Riley says, from behind me.  I turn, and find Jamie standing beside him.  Killian joins us, and reaches out to shake my hand.

“Jamie’s wife is pretty amazing, too,” I point out. 

“Thanks, Tony.  I appreciate that,” she says in my ear.

“How fast can you guys put together a bachelor party?  Because I think we’re going to have a wedding very soon,” I say, as I wrap my long arms around all of them, and bring them in for a group hug.

“Oh, my God!  I need to plan a bachelorette party!  And I’ll have to take Lani out to try on dresses!  And…” I remove the earpiece quickly.  Lani can deal with all of that. 

The guys all pull away, and walk toward the door together.

“You coming?” Riley calls back to me.

“Yea, in a minute,” I reply, as I watch Lani walking toward me, arm in arm with her father.  She stops when she’s standing in front of me.  The chief kisses her forehead, then makes his way toward the exit.

“If you ever try anything like this again, young lady,” I growl at her, and try to give her my most stern, most intimidating SEAL stare.  She rolls her eyes, and tries to wrap her arms around my shoulders to pull me in for a kiss.  But I pull away.  I’ll be damned if I let her get away with this, and then kiss me as if that will make it all better.

“Why are you always fighting me?” she murmurs, as she glances up at me with her gorgeous green eyes.  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, really I am.”  I frown down at her, and tip my head back slightly.  “I didn’t get myself kidnapped, I just made sure that
if
I was taken, Connie would be able to find me.  I knew I was in good hands, hers and yours.  I knew you’d come for me, Tony.  I knew, no matter what, you’d save me.”

She flattens her hands against my chest, and somehow her fingertips find my nipples automatically.  I sigh, and give up trying to resist her.  I lean forward, slightly, just enough to allow her to kiss me.  She giggles happily, as I groan.

“Let’s get married, Lani.  Let’s not put it off any longer.  Life is always going to throw things our way, but it will be so much better if we do it together.”  I drop down to one knee in front of her as I say it.  Her eyes light up, and the smile that covers her face is brilliant.  She has to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.

“Yes, soon,” she sighs, and bends down to kiss me.

But I stand up, and grab her waist, and pull her feet off the ground.  She kisses my face, and my neck.  I’m in heaven, but it’s not a dream.  It’s real, and I have a real angel to share it with me.

“I’m not moving to a hut in Fiji,” she pulls away from the kiss to inform me.

“Don’t worry, baby.  I’m never running away.  We are going to face whatever comes our way, together.”  I smile at her, as we walk together, hand in hand, toward our friends and family.

Epilogue

“Wait, that can’t be the end!” Kris, the young woman who the publishing company sent to write Tony’s story, exclaims loudly.  “You have to tell me about the wedding, and Lani’s dress, and about the work you’re doing as the president’s new prison czar.  And what about all of the guards, are they in prison?”

I nod.  “After Drake’s suicide, one by one they all pleaded guilty.  I guess who ever was pulling the strings was tired of all the heat, and made sure the underlings knew it was time to plead guilty or get sacrificed as well.

“And you are investigating who is behind all of this in your new job?” Kris continues. 

Tony chuckles, and baby Mara Addison Vaden Roman stirs against his chest.  “Shhhh, baby, everything’s going to be okay.  Daddy’s got you,” he whispers against her cheek, then his eyes find mine.  They are sparkling with pride, and love, and the most happiness I’ve ever seen in my life.  “Oh, yea, we won’t stop until the prison system is upended from the top down.  Some politicians have had to resign under pressure.  The fire has definitely been lit under the right people.”

“And you have to tell me about the baby.  Was she really born on the Fourth of July?” Kris asks, as she smiles at Mara.

“Yes, I almost had her in the back of a police car, with Jamie driving.  I went into labor during a softball game between the Winston police force and the FBI, at Winston’s Independence Day community picnic,” I inform her.  “Tony had just hit a home run, and I stood to cheer and my water broke.”

“And the wedding?” Kris prompts.

“We planned it all in two weeks.  We had it at my mom’s house, by the pool.  It was all really gorgeous.  Mom bought these beautiful Chinese floating lanterns, and we released them after the ceremony.  The night sky was full of light,” I tell her, my eyes growing wide with the memory.

“Lani looked absolutely beautiful in her white dress, with her hair done in long curls.  I’ve never seen a woman look more beautiful in my life.  Lani, show Kris the pictures,” he says, and he looks so proud I grab my phone and scroll through the wedding pictures with Kris.  He looked so good, in a tux and the biggest smile I’ve ever seen a man wear.  He was happier than I’ve ever seen anyone on their wedding day, bride or groom.

“Didn’t Tony look terrific?” I ask proudly.  She nods, but Tony merely shakes his head.

“I was nervous about everything.  I was afraid Lani would come to her senses and bail on me.  I was afraid no one would show up.”  Tony’s voice grows low and deep, showing his emotions. 

“The day couldn’t have been more perfect.  The weather was beautiful for fall.  Everyone had a great time,” I proclaim, enthusiastically. 

“Lauren and Max were there, and they both fell in love with Winston.  But Max starts college in the fall, and he’s decided to go to a university in Ohio, which is halfway between here and Pittsburgh,” Tony says.

“Lauren’s moved in with us.  She loves her little sister,” I continue happily.

“You travel a lot, for your new job, all over the country visiting prisons.  How does that gel with your family life?” Kris asks.

“I love coming home to Lani, and my daughters.  It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of.”  Tony gets a little choked up as he says it.  I smile, and lean down to kiss the top of his head.

Kris leans forward, and asks in an almost hushed voice, “Are you ever worried that, you know, the mole will come after her?”

“The mole was Jamie’s temporary partner, Peters.  He actually let it out himself, the moron, while asking Jamie where the wedding was going to be.  He was fired, and he lives in Louisiana now, with his mother,” I say.

“Lani can take care of herself, and the baby.  But when I’m gone, her father comes over and spends the night.  He likes having the extra time with Mara,” Tony continues.  “The new house is built like a fortress, just like Lani’s cottage.”

“We sold the cottage in anticipation of Mara being born, and Lauren moving in.  We live in my mom’s neighborhood now.  Tony can afford it,” I remark with a grin.

He grabs my hand, and kisses it quickly, before holding it against his cheek.  “My life couldn’t be more perfect, and it’s all thanks to this woman right here.”

I blush when he says it, but I’m also proud of myself, and our love.  Tony acts like he’s the one who was given a gift from the heavens when he met me in that prison cell.  But he has given me the best gift of all.  He continually gives me all of himself, and I will try my hardest to give him the same in return.

“So, that’s it, huh?  Happily ever after?” Kris murmurs, as she taps a button on her tape recorder. 

“We certainly do hope so,” I answer, with a bright smile.

“Sure, there will be bumps in the road.  But we’ll face them together.”  Tony pats my hand.  I touch Mara’s forehead, and look down on the two of them.  I couldn’t ask for any more.

“Now can we talk about the SEAL stuff?” Tony demands, a bit grumpily.

“I’ll take the baby.  He always gets loud when he talks about his SEAL team,” I say with a grin, and reach down for Mara.  He hands her to me, almost reluctantly. 

“Alright,” Kris agrees, and returns her attention to her laptop.

Tony smiles, and begins talking in that loud, proud tone I’m so fond of.  I kiss his forehead, and carry Mara toward her bed.  I’ll return after I get Mara comfortable in her crib, with a beer for Tony and a drink for Kris.  I love to listen to his stories. 

My life couldn’t be more perfect, even after the unconventional way I met the man of my dreams, the father of my child, my everything. 

He has given me everything I’ve ever wanted, and I intend to spend the rest of my life doing the same for him.  Together.

The End