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“My husband.” Elizabeth sat down on the floor and told her that it wasn’t Jamie, whom she’d met today, but a man by the name of Howard Douglas. “Howard? He’s the one that came to me telling me that Jamie has found out…Why would Howard want me dead?”
“Would you believe me if I told you that Howard wants to take over the presidency after you’re killed, and Jamie kills your two children as well as himself in a fit of rage? He is supposed to do that so that Howard, the shit, can become president and rule the country. I’ve seen it in his mind. I don’t believe that he planned this happening from the very beginning of knowing all about you, but he’s got it all worked out now.” Carol said she’d known Howard all her life, and he’d never do that. “Come on, my dear, let’s get you out of this tub and dressed before people come into this room with us. By the way, they won’t be able to see me. Just you. You’ll hear me as well. I’ll help you out because of my friendship with your sister-in-law.”
Carol got out of the tub and wrapped a large towel around her body. Walking into the bedroom that she shared with Jamie, she stepped into her closet and pulled out the first thing she touched. It just happened to be a summery dress that she had loved since she bought it several years ago. After she was dressed, she went into the bedroom again to find Elizabeth sitting in front of the television while it blared about some kind of commercial about traveling to Mexico. She turned it off as soon as Carol sat down on the couch across from the television.
“All right. Here is what I know. Jamie is at his sister’s home. He and the kids aren’t aware of the things that are going to happen here, but Amy is. She’s pissed off if you want to know the truth and the reason that she called me in to help. I owe her so much and would do anything, and I do mean anything, to try and repay her for her saving my life several times over the years. Do you know her?” Carol admitted that she didn’t know her as well as she wished she did. “You’ll have time once this is straightened out for you and Jamie. I promise.”
“You said things that are going to happen here. What is that exactly?” Elizabeth smiled and told her. Carol was still reeling in shock when Elizabeth asked her if she believed her or not. “I don’t know what to believe. I mean, I have no reason to believe or not believe you, but it seems a little far-fetched that Howard would want me dead because he doesn’t like Jamie.”
“True. It does seem that way, but I swear to you, on Amy’s heart, that it’s true. Just as I’ve said, he wants to take over your husband’s job and is going to go to great links to make sure that it happens. He’s planned this since the moment that Jamie put in his bid to be president and won. He didn’t expect him to win. His plan is to—ah. There he is now. Don’t move, Carol. Please. Just sit still and let him talk. I swear to you that it’ll make more sense when he is arrested.”
The door to their private wing opened, and she turned to see Howard and four people with them. With the exception of Howard, the others were dressed from head to toe in a stretchy-looking material that only showed their eyes. In their hands were weapons. Around their waist on a belt were other weapons such as knives, guns, as well as what looked like a tazer. She stood up when Elizabeth asked her to.
“Carol? I thought you would still be lounging in the tub. It’s a habit of yours that I was counting on.” She said that she wasn’t tired but waiting for Jamie to call her so she could speak to the kids. “Oh. Well, that’s a shame. He and…the kids and he are at his sister’s house. Did you know that he had a sister? I didn’t.”
“Yes, I’m aware that he has a sister. Amy is a good friend of mine.” It was a lie but one that Elizabeth told her to say. She continued to tell Howard all the things that the vampire told her to say. “Why are you in my home? I mean, I know for a fact that I locked the door. What reason could you have for coming in here unannounced?”
“We had a call that you were dead.” She laughed and told him that it was obviously a lie. “Yes, well, it’s a lie right now. Carol, you’re going to have to resume your bath now. I’m disappointed that you’ve cut this one short. You usually take an hour or longer. That’s what I was counting on.”
“Counting on? Why Howard, it sounds to me like you’re up to no good. You didn’t answer my question as to why you’ve come into the private residence like this. So I’ll ask again. Why are you in here? And what do my bathing habits have to do with you? For that matter, why is it any of your business that I’ve cut this one short?” He sat down on the couch, jerking her to the couch by her hair. Carol looked over at Elizabeth. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“Please go and refill the tub for Carol, will you please? Also, make sure that once it’s filled, that you make the water nice and hot. She won’t care once she’s bleeding out. Oh, and make sure that you hang her towels up so that they’re nice and dry.” He jerked her hair again. “You just had to make it hard on me, didn’t you, bitch. Christ, when I think of all the times that I could have ended you and didn’t. But once this night is over, things will be just perfect. I’ll be living here on my own, and your parents will be released.” Carol asked him what he was talking about. “Your parents are going to do me a world of good once they’re released. I’ve got a list of people that they’re going to take care of for me. One of them being that stupid sister of Jamie’s. He’s not supposed to keep secrets from his speaker of the house. Now that I know, however, it’ll just be a matter of time before she’s as dead as you’re going to be. I really hate when killers monologue before they kill someone, but I think that in this case, I do give you some information that you can take to your grave. Did you know that your mother was my sister? You were supposed to be killed that night, too. I haven’t any idea why you survived, but I plan on making it a reality as soon as I can.”
The door to the room they were in burst open. Not only was Jamie there, but so were a lot of men dressed much like the group that came in with Howard. She stared for her husband but was jerked back to the seat when Howard started talking.
“You’ve no idea how happy I am to see you, Jamie.” Jamie told him that it was Mr. President to him. “Yes, yes. Pardon me for that. But I was only just able to find Carol here trying to kill herself. I had heard that she was planning it from her—”
“Do shut the fuck up.” She couldn’t see Howard, who was holding her tightly against him, but she could see Jamie. “Are you all right, honey? I came home as soon as I could. I had a feeling that something was wrong, and I wanted to see you. Elizabeth, I can’t thank you enough for your help in this.”
“It’s all fine. I have it on good authority that this entire conversation hit the airways right away, correct?” Instead of answering her, Jamie picked up the remote and turned on the television. “Great. It certainly does pay to have people around you that can work a little magic, don’t you think?”
“What the hell is going on here?” Howard jerked her again and was suddenly airborne across the room. He wasn’t dead; she could see him breathing, but it felt good that she was able to hit him hard enough to shut him the hell up. Carol went to Jamie.
“I’m so sorry.” He told her to hush. He had her. Then he whispered in her ear that they were still being recorded. “I didn’t know he had a key. He came in while I was talking to Elizabeth like he owned the place. Are the kids all right?”
“Amy has them.” That was all she needed to know to know that they were safe. Holding onto Jamie, she felt better than she had in years. Or what felt like years. It had only been a few months with things going to shit, but she was all right now and was glad that Jamie was with her.
It was nearly six in the morning when they were finally alone. Elizabeth said that she’d keep an eye on things while they were resting, and she hugged the woman. After the embrace, she asked for some of her blood as she had some of Jamie’s and the children. Carol didn’t hesitate. She put out her wrist and told her to take all that she needed. The small bite didn’t hurt, but she felt the connection to her immediately. And she also felt like the connection was going to give her a good friend too. At least, she hoped so.
Chapter 5
The mattresses arrived about an hour ago, and Dallas was ready to drop into bed and not wake up for months. He didn’t even care that it was two in the afternoon. He was too exhausted to care about much of anything. As soon as Amy entered the room, he opened up the blankets on her side and asked her to sleep with him.
“No hanky panky. I’m so tired that I could sleep for a month.” She giggled, a sound he’d not heard since he’d met her and would love to hear more often. “Come on. We’ll get a good night’s sleep, wake up only to eat or go to the bathroom, then sleep again. I don’t know that I’ve ever been this tired before.”
“Me either. It’s like I’ve been running on empty for days. Oh wait, I have been. Christ, I hurt. I’m so tired.” He pulled her body to his and spooned in behind her. “Yes, that’s just what I needed. To be close to you and being held.”
“Good.” He closed his eyes and was nearly asleep when Amy turned in his arms and looked at him. “I’ve come to a couple of decisions. I know that it’s a dumb time to tell you, but I love you, Dallas. With all that I am.”
“It’s never a dumb time to tell me that. I love you, too. As of the moment that I met you, my heart only beats for you.” He then asked her what else she’d been thinking about. “I mean, unless that was all. I can live with that.”
“I want to have children with you. Soon. Being around Carrie and Connor for the last few hours has made me want to have the kind of love they have for their parents. Jamie was right when he told me that a child’s love is incomparable to anything else in the world right after Connor was born.” He pulled her closer to him and kissed her on the shoulder. “Also, you should know that Jamie has decided not to run for the next election. He said that he’s going to spend the rest of his life getting to know his family again. I think that is an excellent idea.”
“I agree.” When she didn’t say anything for several moments, he looked down at her and could see that she’d fallen asleep. Closing his eyes, letting the exhaustion take him under, he knew that for the rest of his days, he’d be the happiest man in the world. He had a good mate, the love of his life, and his family right here.
Dallas was making his way back to bed when his mom reached out to him. Glancing at the clock, telling him that it was only seven in the evening if the darkness beyond the window, black as pitch, was any indication. However, he was nervous when she asked him if she could tell him something. He told her that so long as it wasn’t terrible, he was fine with it.
“Good. Your brothers are here for a visit. All of them are at the house. I was wondering if you and Amy could make it to dinner with us tomorrow night.” He told her that if he was given enough time to wake up, he was fine with that but would need to ask Amy if she had plans. “Good boy for not just assuming that she’ll want to go. Yes, I’ve spoken to her. Actually, this was her idea. She said that she wanted to celebrate having a family. We’re meeting at our house. All right?”
