The Blue Lion, page 17
part #1 of Cape Danger Series
"Pierce is innocent. We know that. But he's resigned his position as coroner." He sighed. "I'm exhausted, as all of you are, but we couldn't wait any longer to tell you. It broke my heart to see you last night, Meg, going from one lion to the next and thinking the remains of your friends were inside them. We were getting ready to close in on the ring before, but once we figured out what was really in the envelopes, we knew we had to act fast. Once word got out Hicks was in custody, we knew they'd all conveniently disappear." He raised his hands and yawned. "I'll be back soon. But Meg, you need to stay hidden for a while. We'll need you to testify. The ring is all behind bars at the moment, but they do have contacts."
Meg leaned back, and Matt hugged her to him.
"She'll stay hidden." He affirmed. "I'll see to it."
Mason glanced at the door as the two men exited, glaring after them.
"Well, hell," he muttered.
Epilogue
Five months later…
Meg and Matt walked out of the courtroom and into the sunshine, along with Nikki, Mellie, Amber, and Hannah. Even Andrea tagged along.
Heather would be behind bars in a mental institution for a long time. She had gone into a raging fit in the courtroom under pressure and begun babbling incoherently, which prompted the judge to order a psychiatric evaluation, resulting in her sentencing. The trafficking ring, hopefully, would be behind bars forever. But the girls Heather had set up over the past years and arranged to be sold were still being rounded up and brought to safety.
Even little Abby had been there and testified. A friend had found her a job working at a coffee café, and she'd changed jobs just before Hicks had attempted her kidnapping.
This time, Stacy had invited them all to come to the house for lunch, and they immediately accepted.
"Any place but The Blue Lion," Andrea said. But this time, the sarcasm was gone from her voice as she followed the others out. The restaurant had been closed since Heather's arrest. A For Lease sign was now on the front door.
Matt, however, had other ideas. "Meg can stay for a few minutes, but we have plans for this afternoon. Mason will lead the way to his place. We'll meet you all there."
No one questioned him.
Matt observed his darling wife as she chatted gaily with the others. He hadn't seen her this relaxed in months, and it was wonderful. Her blue eyes sparkled behind her glasses, and her long dark hair shone in the afternoon light as the ladies discussed their plans for the future.
"Hannah? What will you do now?" Meg asked.
Hannah leaned forward. "I'm getting married again. My ex is no longer going to be my ex. Now that Mom's gone, I realized how much I care for him. I think I let my priorities slip a bit, and although Mom needed me, so did he. And he's never stopped caring for me or providing for me."
Everyone gasped their congratulations, followed by Amber's voice. "Well, I decided not to go back to Kenneth. I'm filing for divorce." She glanced from one to the other. "No, please don't feel sorry for me. It took me years to realize I shouldn't be treated this way, and I can't take any more broken bones or any more beatings from him. All of you have been such an encouragement to me. I finally had the nerve to do something about it. It's all good."
When the crowd grew quiet, Mellie said softly, "I'm going back to my antique shop, but I gave Jim a choice. He can either pay off his debts and we can live as a normal couple without being afraid all the time, even if we have to live on beans and rice the rest of our days. Or I can sell the shop and go my own way and disappear from his life forever. He seems to be taking his time thinking about it. I'm hoping he decides he wants us to stay together and live like normal folks. It really scared him, when I was kidnapped and he thought I'd be killed."
Nikki laughed. "Well, I'm so excited about going back to work with my sweetie," she said, glancing across the room where Scott sat quietly, grinning at her.
"Meg? You?" Mellie asked.
"I think I'd like to take off a few months and just be home," she said softly. "I've missed being there, so much." She leaned forward slightly. "And Matt and I are going to try to make babies!"
Everyone leaned back and clapped with enthusiasm, until Andrea spoke. "Well, I guess it's my turn. Johnny and I have decided to get back together. We're going to try to make it work this time. Meg, you remember him, the guy with the dark hair and brown eyes?" At her own joke, she threw her head back and howled with laughter. There was no maliciousness there now, and the others joined, laughing, including Meg.
Matt waited patiently for her until he sensed she was ready to go. When she caught his eye, he raised a brow in question.
She gave a slight nod, and he stood. "Sorry, ladies, but I need to take my wife away from you."
"Only, this time, I'm not going with them," Nikki threw out.
"No. You're going with me." Scott's voice spoke up from behind them. Nikki turned, smiling up at her husband as he engulfed her in his arms.
The group broke up, and Matt brought Meg's coat to her, wrapping it around her shoulders. "Here, princess. You'll need this. It's snowing outside."
Immediately, the whole group of ladies moved to the great room window to see the snowfall.
"I love snow," Mellie said. "It's like a new day with new life and new possibilities."
"Yes." Amber nodded.
Andrea added quietly, "A new day for the smashing seven?"
And Nikki answered last, "No. No more smashing seven. Just friends, enjoying each other's company and being there for each other."
That was the last thing Meg heard as Matt led her to the car and fastened her in.
"I've missed you," he said, starting the engine as he backed out into the street. "I've missed us."
Meg reached over and rested her hand on his thigh. "I've missed us, too, and the way we…" her voice trailed off.
"The way we used to be," he finished. "So, did I, my little submissive girl. I can't tell you how much." He studied her face, giving her a lopsided grin. "Hungry?"
She shook her head. "Oh, no. After Stacy's lunch, I may never need to eat again." She glanced at his hand as he moved the heater to full blast. "What are you doing?"
"Making sure you're warm enough." His grin grew wider.
"Actually," she lifted her chin in a challenge, "I'm hot." Her voice was full of temptation.
Matt glanced at her. He knew that look in those gorgeous blue eyes. "All right, then," he said, his commanding voice back in full force. When Meg tilted her head seductively up at him, he raised a brow.
"Panties off."
The End
Tessa Carr
Tessa Carr has been writing since she was a child and entertaining her friends with stories about them. In the back of her mind, however, always lurked stories about romance filled with mystery and adventure. Being a Navy brat and moving frequently to new places and meeting new people brought on new stories that hovered in her mind.
The excitement of it never went away. Even today, those stories still hover. She loves writing historical books, and for many years has written romantic historical stories as Pippa Greathouse, but recently has begun writing in the new genre of erotic contemporary mystery – suspense-thrillers that often involve the Highway Patrol, FBI, and police and sheriff’s departments.
Don’t miss these exciting titles by Tessa Carr and Blushing Books!
Cape Danger Series
The Blue Lion - Book 1
Blushing Books
Blushing Books is one of the oldest eBook publishers on the web. We've been running websites that publish spanking and BDSM related romance and erotica since 1999, and we have been selling eBooks since 2003. We hope you'll check out our hundreds of offerings at http://www.blushingbooks.com.
Tessa Carr, The Blue Lion
