Galen's Gemma Read online

  Once Galen had the young man restrained and their weapons secured, he climbed the ditch and wrapped her up in his arms. She hugged him tight. “It’s over now,” he said. “I’m so sorry you and Becky were snatched out of that cabin.”

  Nodding, she smiled. “Oh, but Becky was brave and did a great job of getting me untied.”

  He crouched in front of her. “Now that was an awesome job. Thanks for helping Gemma.”

  She beamed and smiled up at him. “Thank you,” she said. “I wanted to help.”

  “You were a big help,” he said. He chuckled when she threw her arms around him. He picked her up and held her close. “Soon this will just be a bad memory.”

  She looked at him solemnly. “I won’t see my mommy again, will I?”

  “She’ll spend a lot of time in jail,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see her.”

  “Or not.” Her hard voice came from down below. And there was Rebecca, holding a gun on Zack. “You guys all just move away from that vehicle, and Zack will drive me a long way away. We’ll have nothing to do with each other, and I’ll be able to live some kind of a life. I am not going to jail. That would kill me.”

  Becky looked at her and trembled. “But then we won’t see each other. If you go to jail, I can see you.”

  “Nope. We won’t see each other. You’ve already made a choice to be more like Gemma,” she said in disgust. “There’s no hope for you anymore.” Her voice was cruel and cutting and brought tears to her daughter’s eyes.

  Immediately Gemma stepped forward. “That’s not true,” she said. “She’s already a way better person than you ever were.”

  “Oh, you’re such a goody-goody,” she said. “Just shut up for once, won’t you.”

  “Put the gun down,” Galen said. “You’ve got no reason to hurt Zack.”

  “Of course not,” she said. “Zack was my lover once. He’s also the only one I couldn’t manage to keep on a string.” She glared at him. “Why the hell was that?”

  “It took me a while,” he said, “but eventually I did see through the sparkly veneer to the poison beneath.”

  With a quick and seamless move, he reached up, smacked her hard across the side of her face, then grabbed her wrist and took the gun from her hand. While she stood there sputtering, he pulled her arms behind her, secured her, and sat her down beside James. “You’re going to jail, whether you like it or not.”

  Glaring at him, she screamed obscenities.

  Finally James looked at her and said, “Shut the fuck up.”

  Stunned, she collapsed against the vehicle, weeping.

  Zack looked at Galen. “If there wasn’t a cure before, this has been one hell of a good cure now.”

  “You were already pretty free and clear,” he said. “That just put an end to all the last little bits and pieces.”

  “Can we get some bloody help now?” James called out. “I’m not climbing up on my own. My wrist is killing me.” He chuckled, though his mirth was short-lived because another vehicle came up the road. He waited for it to pull by, but it slowed.

  Galen was tense until he realized who it was. Tim hopped out and looked over the group. Gemma walked over to him.

  “Do you guys always leave a trail like this?” Tim asked.

  “Thanks for coming,” she said. “And I promise this is all of them.”

  He nodded and said, “Well, I’m bringing in the cops too,” he said to the group as a whole. “I sure as hell don’t want them at my place very long.” He looked back at her and said, “You are welcome to visit again, but you can leave the rest of them behind.”

  With a smile, she walked closer and gave Tim a hug.

  “You can bring Becky, though.”

  Galen watched as the two embraced gently. An obvious affection and respect were there. He heard an exchange between them but didn’t know exactly what was said. Still, he was grateful their relationship would survive this violent intrusion into Tim’s peaceful oasis.

  It took another forty minutes for the cops to show up, and, when they did, all kinds of hell broke loose. It took time for the statements and the ambulances. By the time the prisoners were taken away, the cops followed the rest of them back to the cabins to look for forensic evidence. One team broke away to investigate Joe’s cabin.

  By the time everything was cleared away, it was just Galen, Zack, Gemma, and Becky. The only reason Becky was still with Gemma was because Gemma had said that she was the child’s guardian.

  As they stood outside, tired and exhausted, Galen looked at the receding taillights of the law enforcement vehicles. Then turned to Gemma. “You’ll look after her?” Galen asked.

  She looked at him steadily, and he knew that she would.

  He smiled and nodded. “Then I know she’ll be okay.”

  She gave him a bright smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. It’s one thing to be an aunt but another thing altogether being a parent.”

  “Particularly the parent of a little girl who has been through a lot of trauma,” Zack said. He walked over and smacked Galen on the shoulder. “Man, you sure leave a lot of bodies behind.”

  “Not me,” Galen said. “Generally I’m a neat and tidy guy.”

  Tim joined them, obviously happy the place was clearing out. He looked down at the little girl and Gemma. “So now what?” he asked Gemma.

  She smiled at Tim and said, “Well, now that the chaos is over, would you allow us to stay for a day or two to recover?”

  He considered her for a long moment, studied the others, and finally spoke. “No more fights? No more weapons? No more shootings?” They all nodded. “Fine,” he said. “Two more days, that’s what I’ll agree to.” He looked down at the little girl and reached out a hand. “Did you know we’ve got kittens?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Baby kittens?”

  “Yes. Born just this morning, if you want to come see them.”

  She immediately put her hand into his.

  He looked at them. “Enjoy your time.”

  “Will do.”

  Zack laughed and said, “Well, I’m pretty sure what that meant,” he said. “I’ll go get some rest. I’ll take the cabin with the bloodstains. You guys take the other one.” He walked into the little cabin where Gemma had been earlier.

  Galen looked at her. “Do you want to lie down? You must be exhausted.”

  “I’m tired, wound up, frustrated, angry, devastated, sad, and, at the same time, incredibly overjoyed that it’s over.”

  He walked her into the other cabin and right back to the bedroom in the rear.

  “What about here?” he asked. “Can you rest here?”

  She smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said, “You really don’t want to waste the time that we’ve been given by sleeping, do you?”

  He looked around and said, “Was that deliberate?”

  She chuckled. “For a smart guy, you’re pretty obtuse sometimes.”

  “Seriously?”

  She reached up, put her lips softly against his, and whispered, “Seriously.” She knew he was shocked, but she’d understood Zack’s meaning and knew that Tim was giving them time alone. She would take whatever time alone she could get, now that she’d have a little one with her all the time.

  When she kissed him, she wasn’t kissing him to make the best use of their time but to let him know that she cared. As she finally pulled back, she hooked her arms around his neck. “Did I say thank you?”

  He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her up close. “No need,” he whispered. “I came as backup to Zack, and apparently we were both your backup. Though I have to admit that you did a pretty damn good job right from the beginning.” He reached out and kissed her again. “I came over expecting to investigate some problem in the brewery, not to find you’d already got wind of something dangerous and had spirited away your sister and niece.”

  “Too bad I wasn’t willing to see what my sister was truly like.”

&nbs
p; “Not sure anyone could have seen that,” he whispered, holding her close.

  “It’ll be a mess to clean up.”

  “Yes, it will. More so to shield Becky from the worst of it.”

  She nodded. “I’ll move back to the USA too,” she said. “Becky needs a new home to make new memories, while we build her a whole new life. She wants a pool. Maybe I can find a house with a pool. And I’ll shift my job, so I can stay home and can work remotely, now that I have her full-time.”

  “I agree with that,” he said. “Perfect.”

  “And maybe you’d like to consider being part of her life going forward?”

  “I would be honored,” he said gently.

  She knew that he meant it. “And maybe part of mine?” she whispered, gently rubbing her nose against his.

  “I am so looking forward to that,” he said with a chuckle. His hands slid up under Gemma’s shirt, coming to rest against her ribs.

  “I’m not the Lolita my sister is,” she said half hesitantly.

  His eyebrows shot up. “Thank God for that,” he whispered fervently. “I’d much rather have someone like you in my life over someone like her. Please, don’t ever think you’re less than her. You are so much more—and in all the ways that matter.”

  She smiled, tightening her arms around his neck. “Thank you for that.”

  “Don’t thank me,” he said. “If we all learned anything this weekend, it’s the difference between the two of you. You are somebody to spend the rest of my life with,” he said. “I wouldn’t even give someone like Rebecca the time of day.”

  Gemma pulled him closer and kissed him passionately. She poured everything she had within her into it, including all the insecurities her mother and sister had filled her with. But his response left her with no doubt, as he held her close. Before she was aware of it, she was stretched out on the bed. Her shirt was off; her jeans were off, and she was there in nothing but tiny panties. She looked down and back up at him in surprise. “Wow, are you ever smooth.”

  “No,” he corrected gently. “Just needy. I’ve wanted you since I first met you. I might be slow on the uptake, but now that I understand what we have between us, I’m not letting you go.”

  He joined her on the bed, his arms careful and gentle, yet the look in his eyes made her feel so beautiful. It was as if he’d never even seen her sister. She smiled and stroked her finger across his lips. “I love that look in your eyes.”

  His gaze moved slowly down her long, lean body, his fingers trailing right after it. He looked up at her words, then smiled. “The look in my gaze is one of disbelief,” he said with passion. “Because you are stunning. Absolutely gorgeous.” He leaned over, his tongue flicking across her collarbone, up her neck to her chin. Then he dropped kisses along her bottom lip. His fingers slid underneath her head, and she arched into them. He trailed kisses down her neck, then across the plump top of her breast, and suckled gently. She twisted and moaned in his arms. He repeated the action on the other side, his hands holding her firm while he explored the valley between them.

  “That feels so damn good,” she whispered.

  “It’s supposed to,” he said. “But it’s supposed to feel good for you, not just a case of seduction with a purpose. This is supposed to be because we want and need each other.”

  She smiled and realized it was another reference to her sister and her manipulations. “The only reason I want to be here is because I want to be with you. But if you’re going to tease me,” she whispered, “you’ll have to do it fast, because I’m not waiting.”

  He chuckled. “What will you do about it then?”

  She flipped him over in a move that had him lying here, gasping in surprise, but he was already completely nude, and his erection stood tall and proud.

  “Well, that was easy,” she said. “So I’ll take my turn.” She lowered her head and kissed him gently on the lips, then let her hand stroke his heavily muscled body, the scars each receiving kisses and strokes of concern as she slowly worked her way down his body, completely ignoring his groans and attempts to grab her. She stroked his thighs and his calves, even his toes, tickling them until he was laughing.

  When she covered his erection with both hands, he groaned, his hips coming off the bed. “You can’t do that,” he whispered.

  “Oh, I understand,” she said, her voice thick, “because I feel the same way.” She slowly crawled up his body again, so she was astride him, and, with his hands at her hips for support, she lowered herself on his shaft, both of them moaning in joy as they came together. When she was fully seated, she looked down at him and said, “You know one of the things that I learned to do when I was here years ago?”

  His gaze unfocused, he stared up at her. “No, what was that?”

  She smiled. “I learned to ride.”

  And ever-so-slowly she leaned forward and started to rise and fall. Slowing at first, then faster, when she finally took them over the edge, sharing the fall together. Something was so damn special about this. It wasn’t just a physical meeting but also a meeting of their minds and hearts. She felt like she’d just met someone she didn’t know she’d been waiting for.

  She slowly collapsed on top of him, groaning at the movement.

  He pulled her close. “That was so good,” he whispered.

  She chuckled as she stretched out fully on top of him. “It just feels so very good after the stress and the horror of the last few days.”

  “While we’ve been through hell,” he said, “you have come out the other side as a strong and wonderful woman.” He stared into her beautiful eyes, his fingertips grazing her face. “It’ll be tough for a while, but you can survive this.”

  “I will,” she said. “But I want to do more than survive. I want to thrive.”

  He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Are you in any doubt over that outcome?”

  She smiled and shook her head. “No, not really. I just suspect that we’ll have some rough times.”

  “I’m not planning on ditching you,” he said. “So I’ll be at your side when the rough patches arrive.”

  She smiled and looked at him. “Really?”

  “Really,” he said. “I don’t have to look at somebody like your sister to realize what’s precious in you, and, once I found you, no way I’ll let you go. So, not to worry. We’re in this together.” And he wrapped her up close, holding her tight.

  They didn’t have long because the rest of the world would intrude, but, for the moment, it was pretty hard to imagine anything interrupting this perfect moment.

  She curled up in his arms and kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  His chuckle rumbled up his chest. “No, thank you.”

  She flushed as she realized what he meant. “It’s your turn next.”

  He slid a hand around her backside. “Oh, I’m not done,” he said. He flipped them over, him atop her now. “I just don’t know how much time we have.”

  Even in the distance, Gemma could hear the little girl’s voice. “Apparently we don’t have any time at all.” She giggled, hopping off the bed and quickly redressing. She leaned over and kissed him hard. “Save it for later.”

  She went out to greet Tim and Becky, who were still laughing over the kittens. As she reached the front door, the little girl turned to her with a big smile on her face.

  “Auntie Gemma, can we come back here next summer?” She looked up at Tim hopefully.

  “Honey, you know what? We might just have to come for a week every year. I know some of my best memories were created here.”

  Tim chuckled. “So the three of you would be welcome to visit us.”

  Epilogue

  Zack Higgins walked into the coffee shop, took a look around, and realized neither Levi nor Ice were here yet. So he walked to the front counter and ordered himself the largest darkest coffee he could. With that in hand, he turned to look for the most isolated table and found it in the far back right corner of the
coffee shop. He headed there and sat down. He tried to get here a few minutes early just because he refused to be late for meetings. He knew the last job had been only okay as far as he was concerned, having dealt with Rebecca. And the case itself had turned out all right, but the end results left him feeling very wounded in many ways.

  Even now he still felt stupid, since he hadn’t had a sexual relationship with Rebecca in a very long time, and the one that they had been left with for the last many years had been platonic and friendly at best. But because he’d always been hanging on to the wonderment that maybe her daughter was his, his emotional entanglements with Rebecca hadn’t been severed. And that was too damned bad because he was sitting here now feeling more than a little sorry for himself, and that was as unacceptable as anything.

  “There you are.” Ice’s warm voice broke through his musings.

  He looked up and smiled. “Aren’t you a picture,” he said, nodding toward her obviously pregnant belly.

  “Wow, thanks, I think,” she said, sitting down with a hard thump. “One day the baby turned, and all of a sudden I look very pregnant. And yet the baby is somehow poking all my organs. So any jokes now are not amusing.” But her bright laugh that followed belied her words.

  He smiled at the two of them, noting that Levi had come up behind him. He stood, shook Levi’s hand, and asked, “Are you ready to be a father?”

  “Probably not,” Levi said amiably. “But, like everything, we learn as we go.”

  “That’s a good way to look at it.”

  Ice looked to the coffee in front of him and asked, “Did you order anything to eat?”

  “No,” he said. “The traveling has been pretty rough. I’m here now though.”

  “Right,” Levi said. “What was your analysis of the last job?”

  “A shitstorm,” he said instantly. “Not the job itself but for the emotional baggage that I had to get rid of.”

  “And have you now?” Ice asked. “With another month under your belt?”

  More than curiosity was in her voice, and he wasn’t exactly sure what it was. “I think so,” he said with a nod. Then he grimaced and said, “I should have been. Definitely I know so. But you don’t have relationships with people for years like I had with Rebecca and wonder just why you couldn’t leave until this stage.”