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ed on whether or not Vince is in the building, than on what I am doing .
“Boss, no one downstairs is answering. I think something is wrong,” one of the guys from outside the elevator says .
“No shit, you think?” Adelardi answers angrily. He crosses back to his desk, opens a drawer, and pulls out a shiny Desert Eagle .50 caliber handgun. I take a few steps back toward the wall; I’ve seen that gun before, and I know what it does to human targets. The autopsy photos have come across my desk more than once .
Be careful, Vince. Please be careful , I send up as a silent prayer. The room goes deathly quiet as all of the men inside begin to assess the situation in earnest. I can almost hear their hearts beating. Then, out of nowhere, we all hear a grunt, a groan, and the crack of bones from out by the elevator. It’s followed by what sounds like a gun clattering to the floor and the thump of a body hitting a wall .
“Get out there! Go!” Durante screams at the men in his office. They all hesitate for a second, looking at each other as if they wish they’d chosen a different profession, but it’s too late now. The henchmen rush in a clump out to the hall, and the cacophony of hand-to-hand combat echoes into the office. Sounds of smashing, crashing, screaming, and cracking bounce off the walls of Adelardi’s office, and even in the darkness of the room, I can see the look of barely concealed panic on his face .
In the corner of the room, Alexander shrieks, “Do something! Why are you just standing there? What the hell is the matter with you? You’re the big bad criminal mastermind, aren’t you ?”
Everything happens in slow motion. Adelardi rolls his eyes, lifts his gun, turns to Alexander, takes aim, and fires. I swear I watch the bullet inch across the room, and when it makes contact with Alexander’s chest, I spin around toward the window, unable to handle the horror it creates. I hear Alexander crumple to the floor .
“He was a pain in the ass anyway,” Adelardi mutters as he turns back to the door. I don’t even have time to say anything before the door to his office explodes open, the wood shattering in pieces, as Vince dives inside .
“Harlow! Harlow, are you okay?” Vince yells as he squats on the floor, trying to make out the shapes of who is left in the room. I see him look over at Alex, in a heap on the floor, his chest a crime scene, and Vince’s face contorts into an expression of pure disgust. In fact, he’s distracted enough that he doesn’t notice Adelardi lifting his gun again, and aiming it in his direction .
“Vince! Look out!” I scream .
Vince spins around, and dives to the left, just in time to avoid being shot. In an instant, he is across the room and leaping on top of Adelardi, punching him in the face so hard that I can hear his jaw shatter. I have to concentrate to keep from throwing up all over myself. Then Vince knocks the gun out of Adelardi’s hand and pins him flat to the desk .
“You may have eliminated one problem, but you can’t get rid of me that easily, you garbage heap. I’m going to take you down so hard, your great-great-great grandchildren will know my name .”
I know this isn’t the time, but I feel a flutter of lust rush through me. Damn, that man is a beast . I rush over to him. Adelardi is moaning on the desk, holding his jaw and groaning out words that I’m sure would be profane if he could form them properly. Vince keeps a strong knee on Adelardi’s chest, then pulls me into his arms, and kisses me. The lust returns, and I have to remind myself of Alexander in the corner to bring myself back to reality. When I pull away, I see blood trickling down Vince’s shoulder .
“Oh, my god! Baby! You’ve been shot !”
Vince looks over at his arm. “As long as you’re okay, I could fly .”
Police sirens outside sound like music to my ears as we wait for someone to arrive and help us sort through this mess. It’s going to take a long time to explain what has happened in the office, but as long as we are together, I am sure we can manage to survive anything .
Epilogue
Six Months Later
I t’s been three weeks since Durante Adelardi’s trial concluded, with the mob boss being sent to jail for twenty-seven life sentences, one for each murder that Vince’s evidence proved, including the murder of District Attorney Alexander O’Connell. With Alexander gone, especially after everything I did to prosecute Adelardi and bring down his criminal empire, the governor has asked me to run for the open district attorney seat next year. And with my new husband at my side, I’m tempted to say yes .
But not until after we’ve had a proper honeymoon .
Despite the sentimental objections of my family, Vince and I were married in front of a judge at the courthouse. After everything we went through, the last thing we wanted was to wait while we planned a huge ceremony. Every day feels like a gift, and I can’t imagine a scenario where I loved this man any more that I do in this moment; my champion, my protector, my savior, my hero .
I’ve only just moved into Vince’s apartment officially, though I only spent a few nights in my old place after “the incident,” as we’ve come to call it. Every time I went to sleep, I dreamed those men were coming back, and Vince would have to come over and stay with me. It just got easier to sleep at his place. And what a place it was. As soon as Adelardi was behind bars, Vince started making arrangements to move his practice to Manhattan, and then took the New York bar. It turned out that my man wasn’t just a warrior; he was a genius. He didn’t even study for the bar… he just showed up on the day of the test and got one of the highest scores in the state’s history. Firms from all over were begging him to join, but instead, he opted to open his own practice focusing on entertainment, for the most part. In his downtime, he does pro bono work for veterans in need of a helping hand, and if it’s possible, it just makes me love him even more .
I never in a million years imagined this is how my career-making trial would end up…with me in the arms of my husband. Who would have guessed that I would be here, with this man, my one-night stand, a handsome stranger I was never supposed to see again after that fateful night in a dive bar. I look around and shake my head with a smile; his shiny new high rise is the quintessential New York lawyer’s bachelor pad. It’s decorated beautifully, and sparsely, but in need of a little bit of my feminine touch. Every inch is full of the things that make Vince who he is, from memories of his time in the service hung on the wall to the instruments he plays for fun. My fingers itch to play across the keys of his priceless Fazioli Brunei piano, but... Maybe later. Right now, I’m thinking of all the things my hands can do to Vince’s magnificent body .
We are supposed to meet my parents at my favorite restaurant in Central Park in an hour. My dad is in town for a meeting with the governor and he’s convinced me to go with him so I can get some face time, should I decide to go through with this “running for office” craziness. But suddenly, Vince is behind me, his arms wrapped around me, holding me close to his strong, warm body. I feel like I’m melding with him. Every time he touches me, it’s like the first time .
“I thought you were taking a shower. We’re going to be late,” I say as he trails kisses down my neck and over my earlobe, sending shivers straight to my core .
“Then we’ll be a little late. They’re your parents. What are they going to do? Ditch you ?”
I laugh as he spins me around into an embrace. Vince runs his fingers along my jawline, making me shiver. His finger under my chin, he tilts my head up to him. His lips are warm and soft as he presses them against mine. I sigh and melt into him; I can’t help myself. He knows just how to touch me, physically and emotionally .
His big hands smooth all over my body, wrapping around my curves. Vince makes me feel like a well-loved woman. When we touch, it’s as if everything, the outside world, our jobs, the stress of everything we’ve been through, gets quiet and fades away. We’ve become addicted to each other and I love the feeling. Our kisses soon go from comforting to wild .
Vince’s tongue plunges between my lips and I lightly draw his tongue into my mouth, as my hands clutch onto his shir
t. His broad shoulders tempt my hands to explore once again, and I find them rubbing across his chest and gripping onto his biceps .
