Authors: Karpov Kinrade
I HASN'T USED
my gun in a while, not since I'd been attacked by the Midnight Murderer, and Ash didn't want me to get rusty in my shooting practice. He felt that, even in the midst of wedding prep and crazy family drama, we should go "shoot shit."
As it turned out, it was great stress relief
—which he probably knew, that sneaky bastard.
I squeezed the trigger,
once, twice, three times. And then pulled the target toward me to see how I did. The bullets had circled the center target but hadn't quite landed there. Still, it was an improvement over my last efforts and I smiled, proud of my progress.
Ash whistled. "Not bad! Pretty soon I'll have to start calling you 007."
My pride faded into a small twinge of jealousy and a large dose of awe when Ash unloaded his clip into a target I could barely see. All of his bullets landed so close to the center that the paper there was shredded. "Are you sure
you
aren't the guy 007 is based on?" I asked.
He laughed. "That's right
, baby! You're about to become the ultimate Bond Girl."
He leaned me against the wall and kissed me, running his hands up my legs and side, hands teasing at my ribs and the outer curves of my breasts.
I pushed him away. "Aren't we supposed to be shooting things?"
"I'd rather be fucking my soon
-to-be wife."
"I'd rather you be fucking your wife,
too," I said. "I can't wait to be married to you."
He kissed me again and we packed up the leftover ammo and rolled up our targets. "My mom said the yacht is all set for the
reception cruise."
"That'll be fun."
"I hope Jon doesn't screw up being the best man."
"He won't."
Ash looked deeply into my eyes, our bodies close enough to touch. "We can't have any secrets between us, Catelyn. Full honesty. It's the only way for a marriage to work."
"Of course, Ash. Full honesty."
Ash excused himself to use the bathroom. While I waited I put one more target up and loaded my gun. My frustration built inside of me. Too many lies. Too many secrets. Jon could ruin it all.
I aimed at the target and imagined the real Midnight Murderer.
And then I shot and hit. Dead center.
"OH, THIS IS
just bullshit!" I screamed at Detective Gray as he dragged my husband away from our wedding.
Mr. Davenport glared at us, then addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, there's been a misunderstanding. We'll get this sorted and see you all at the reception tonight."
Maxwell drove as we followed Ash and the police to the police station. My hands shook and I fought back tears. How many bad omens could one couple handle on their wedding day—their wedding
days
?
"It's going to be okay," he said as he pulled into the parking lot. "We both know Ash is innocent, whatever it is. So they've got nothing."
Detective Gray met us at the front of the station. "I'm sorry, Catelyn," he said, before I could chew him out. "This wasn't my call. I got pressure from higher up to make the arrest, and to make it when I did."
I swallowed my anger just a little. Gray didn't usually apologize, but he looked genuinely sorry.
Maxwell asked, "What are you charging him with?"
"The murder of Jonathan Davenport
. We're also questioning him about the disappearance of his private investigator. We—they—believe that Jim discovered something linking Ash to the crime, and Ash got rid of the P.I. to save himself."
I crossed my arms over my chest, the wedding dress stretching around my ribs. "Why would he hire a P
.I. if he was guilty?"
The detective shrugged. "Maybe to keep up appearances. Maybe he thought he'd covered his tracks so well he wouldn't be discovered."
"You have no evidence to keep my husband here. He didn't kill his brother. He loved Jon even if they weren't always close. And his life was threatened that day, as well."
Detective Gray looked around like someone might be listening, then usher
ed us to an interrogation room and closed the door. "We have a recording of Ash threatening to kill Jon."
I sucked in my breath and Maxwell sighed. "Why?" he asked.
Gray looked at me. "They were fighting over you, Catelyn."
I shook my head, too confused to think straight. "I want to talk to Ash. Right now. You shouldn't be questioning him without his lawyer, and I'm assistant to legal coun
sel, so we'd like to see our client immediately."
Maxwell raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn't object to me inserting myself into Ash's defense team
. When Gray left to get Ash, however, Maxwell leaned in. "Bold move, but you know you can't be part of his defense if this goes to court."
I sank into a chair, my feet killing me from the heels and my skin irritated by the too
-tight, itchy dress. "I know, but I need to talk to him."
Ash came in and closed the door behind him. "This is all a lie," he said, before kissing me.
"Of course it is," I said. "But there's a tape of you threatening Jon?"
He sat next to me and held my hand as he talked to us both. "It was back when you were spending a lot of time with
him. I got a bit jealous and Jon rubbed it in how much you had in common—law school and golf and whatever. So I called him back, but he wasn't home and I left a stupid message. Afterwards, I regretted it immediately and knew that nothing was going on between you two, of course. I'm a fool, Catelyn, but I'm no murderer. Please believe me."
He begged with his eyes as he held my hands and I pulled him to me and hugged him. "You don't have to tell me that, Ash. I always believe in you. I'm your wife."
Maxwell stood. "If that's all they have on you then they have nothing. Let's get you out of here."
We followed Maxwell out and Ash held me. "I loved Jon. Despite our differences, he was a great guy. I wish things had been different."
It seemed Jon was a better guy in death than he had been in life, but I kept my thoughts to myself as Maxwell got Ash out of there with remarkable speed. I wondered if he'd greased some pockets or used threats to get Ash released. Either way, we had enough time to change and make it to our reception. But before we left, I found Detective Gray and pulled him aside. "You don't actually believe that Ash killed Jon do you?"
He looked around again and then shook his head. "No, I don't."
"Then come to our reception tonight. Maybe you'll find a new suspect."
***
I'd packed my bags the night before, but I still had to change out of my wedding dress and redo my hair and makeup before the cruise. Ash hurried next to me, shedding his tux for a suit. But while he stood there, dress shirt unbuttoned revealing his chiseled abs, I nearly forgot why we ever had to leave this bedroom.
My hands fumbled at the buttons on my dress and I turned my back to him. "Can you help me get out of this?"
Rather than rush, he took his time with each button, sliding his fingers down my back as he slowly peeled my dress off me. Then he pressed his chest against my skin, wrapping his arms around me so he could fondle my naked breasts.
The television hummed in the background, stuck on a news channel as he kissed my neck and used his teeth to stir me to greater need.
A name mentioned on the news caught my attention, and I looked up, shocked to see a familiar face staring back at me. I listened more intently to the newscaster, who wore the feigned expression of one mildly sad at a tragedy that had no effect on his life.
"Earlier this evening the body of Molly Winthrope, age twenty-five, was discovered in her apartment. The detective on the scene said the young woman from Boston had allegedly cut her wrists while taking a bath. The death is initially being ruled as a suicide
, according to Detective Aaron Gray of the Boston Police Department, though no suicide note has been found. She appeared to be seven months pregnant; the child did not survive. In other news…"
"Oh my God," I said, pulling away from Ash.
"What's wrong?"
I looked back at the news. "
That's the woman Jon got pregnant. She killed herself."
Ash turned up the television but they'd already moved on to a new story. "That would have been my niece or nephew."
It hadn't occurred to me that the baby would be our family, though of course it should have. I frowned. "I met her a few times, I don't know if I told you. At the club, and once while I was out with Bridgette. Ash, she didn't seem the type to kill herself. She was curious about Jon, wanted to know everything she could about him and his family to tell her baby. Why would she do this knowing she'd be killing her baby, too?"
He shrugged, pulling on his coat. "I don't know."
I didn't know either and the problem of that wiggled in my mind like an irritating worm as we finished getting dressed.
I pointed to the clock. "W
e're almost late for our own reception. We should get going."
I thought about Molly all the way to the yacht, my heart breaking for the girl who had carried Jon's child.
***
The night held the perfect balance of warmth and cool breeze with a full moon reflecting off the water and lighting everything with a soft glow. I'd changed into a different dress for my reception, a midnight blue spaghetti
-strap with rhinestones that looked like shooting stars working their way down the length. I felt like a princess.
Ash looked dashing in his black suit as we climbed aboard the yacht
, which had been decorated with thousands of lights for our reception. As our few guests began to show up, the captain told everyone we'd be taking off shortly.
Bridgette checked her phone and sighed. "My parents aren't here yet."
When Detective Gray arrived, Mr. Davenport balked. "What's he doing here? Who invited him?"
I went out to greet the detective. "I did. He's just trying to do his job and I figured this would give him a chance to see we don't have anything to hide."
Mr. Davenport grunted but said nothing more.
We were just about to take off when the Beaumonts arrived and Bridgette smiled in relief. "I knew they'd come."
But that relief didn't last. The moment Mr. Beaumont saw Mr. Davenport, the shouting began. "You son of a bitch! How dare you touch my wife and think you can get away with it?"
The other guests stepped back, stunned as Mr. Beaumont lunged at Ash's dad and punched him in the face. Detective Gray stepped in to break the two apart. "Am I going to have to arrest another one of you tonight?"
This settled the men down, but I couldn't believe they chose this moment to start something.
Mrs. Beaumont wiped away tears and dragged her husband off the yacht. "I'm so sorry, Catelyn and Ash. So sorry we ruined your beautiful night."
Bridgette ran to them, but didn't leave. "I have to stay," she told her mom.
"Of course you do, dear. We'll see you later."
"Wait!" Bridgette held up her hand to stop her parents and turned to all of us. "Before my parents leave, I have an announcement. I'm sorry to steal the limelight on your night, Catelyn, but this may be the only time I have everyone together to tell them my news."
She rested a hand on her stomach, and suddenly it all made sense. How she always seemed to have a full glass of wine or champagne. How devastated she'd been at Jon's death. How crazy she'd gone when Molly tried to talk with her.
Bridgette saw me make the connection and nodded. "I'm pregnant with Jon's child."
THE DEADLINE IS
approaching. Are you ready?
My text beeped and a reply from Jon came up.
I'm still in. I want to meet.
I replied.
We can't. Too dangerous.
I was making a cup of tea and waiting for Ash to get home from some errands when the doorbell rang.
Jon stood on the porch, a sheepish look on hi
s face. "I had to see you."
I looked around, hoping no one had seen him, and pulled him in. "You shouldn't be here. This is crazy!"
He tugged on his hoody. "I stayed covered."
"Yeah, a hoody. No one will ever see the face under the hoody. Nice try
, Superman." I smacked his arm. "You're about to blow this whole thing."
He looked up and frowned. I followed his eyes to our back window. "I thought I saw something," he said. "But, it must have just been a shadow from a
tree." Jon stepped closer, his body an inch from mine. "I need you, Cat."
"Not yet." I put my hand on his chest. "First, we finish what we started."
Jon opened the front door and ducked out, but before he left and turned to me. "And then,
I
get what
I
want."