Mataus and Mo sat on the couch and sipped some wine. It had been a long, eventful day and they needed to decompress. Mo put her head on Mataus’ shoulder. “I can’t believe this is happening. I know you saw danger coming, but I guess I didn’t really believe it.”
Mataus tipped her chin up. “I thought you believed in me?”
Mo shook her head. “I do. I guess I just—I don’t know—I blocked that part from my mind. I didn’t want to believe it was true or I thought we changed it, by knowing about it.”
“I’m afraid not. I haven’t had any new dreams.”
“Well, that sucks.” A wicker came from the barn, then another and another. Mo set her wine glass on the table and moved to the front window. “Something is spooking the horses. Turn out the lights.” Mataus followed her directions and stood behind her at the window. Carefully moving only one slat of the window blinds, Mo peeked through.
Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and she scanned the yard, calling on all her military training to detect movement in the shadows. “There, by the barn, I see him,” she whispered. “Call 911.” Mataus pulled his cell from his pocket and began to dial as Mo moved toward the front door.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he demanded.
She gave him a stern look. “You know how far out in the country we are. I need to detain him until the police get here or he’ll be long gone before they arrive.”
“Oh, hell no!”
“Yes, Mataus. It’s the only way.”
“Mo, he had a gun when he confronted Susan.”
She walked to an end table and pulled a 9mm from the drawer. “So do I.”
“Fuck!”
“I have a permit.”
“Jesus Christ, Cara, that’s not the point!”
“Mataus, I am an expert marksman and I have a black belt in Krav Maga. I can defend myself. Now make the call.” She slipped out the front door before he could voice any other objections, silently closing it behind her.
The dark figure crept around the side of her truck and on cat feet she padded up behind him. The barrel of her gun pressed into his ribs and she said, “Stand up, slowly. Keep your hands where I can see them.”
Hector slowly raised his hands and began to stand, but she should have known the man wouldn’t give up without a fight. In a move faster than she expected, Hector brought back his elbow, connecting with her stomach and turned, slamming his forearm into her right arm and causing her to lose her grip on the gun. It flew out of her hand and landed several feet away on the gravel drive. Fuck!
Mo took an attack stance, moving back slightly from Hector and securing her center of balance. When he came at her this time, she was ready for him. She hit him with a kick that connected straight to his sternum. Hector sailed backwards several feet, arms pin wheeling, a scream tore from his throat as he failed to maintain his balance and he fell—
* * * *
Mo woke slowly, every bone in her body ached and her eyelids felt like they weighed three hundred pounds. The smell of antiseptic tickled her nostrils, crap. She was back in the hospital. What the hell happened? She needed to pry her eyelids open and figure out what the hell was going on. Groaning she forced her eyes open, blinking at the bright lights. Oh God, it was like a million needles stabbing into her head.
Mataus grabbed her hand. “She’s awake,” he called.
“Shhh,” she said. “Not so loud. Can you turn down the lights?” she whispered.
“Of course, cher.” Mataus hopped up and turned down the light. A nurse came in and began to take her vital signs.
“Glad to see you awake, Ms. Konklin,” she said.
“How long have I been out?” Mo asked.
“Almost twenty-four hours,” the nurse said.
“Well, shit,” Mo said, she looked at Mataus. “What happened?” The nurse looked from one to the other. “I think I’ll excuse myself while you explain, Mr. Montoya.”
“Thank you.” Mataus nodded to her as she left the room and moved back to Mo’s side, again taking her hand as he sat in the chair beside the bed. “God, you gave me a scare, cher.”
“What happened? The last thing I remember is fighting with Hector Padillo, then…nothing.”
Mataus sighed and rubbed her hand, “Like I saw in my vision, Hector was there to plant a bomb in your truck. The bomb was in the duffel bag he had around his shoulders. It had a mercury switch. That meant if it tipped to the side it activated…When you knocked him down—”
“The bomb exploded.”
“Yep.”
“Holy shit.”
“That about sums it up.”
“So, Hector?”
“Is in itty bitty pieces.”
“That’s a lovely graphic. Thank you.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about him anymore. I’m not sorry. I’m just glad you were far enough away to only get hit by the blast wave and not by the actual explosion. Thank God you weren’t hurt worse.”
“So what are the damages?”
“A lot of bumps and bruises and a mighty concussion.”
“Great. How long do I have to stay in the hospital?”
“Now that you’re awake, probably only another twenty-four hours for observation.”
“Good, I want to go home. Where is Grace?”
“Harley has her.”
“Okay. Is she all right?”
“Yeah, she’s doing fine.”
“Does she know what happened?”
“No. She only knows there was an accident. Not about her father or the explosion. Thank goodness she slept right through it. Though I don’t know how.”
“That kid sleeps like a rock when she sleeps.” Mo laughed. “Oh, that hurts.”
“I’m sorry,” Mataus said, he cupped her face. “You really did scare me you know.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I can’t bear the thought of ever losing you.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I know you said you needed more time, but cher, please, I need you in my life. Will you marry me?”
Tears pooled in Mo’s eyes. “When I was facing Hector, two things were prominent in my mind. You and Grace. That I needed to protect you. Keep you safe. And that I loved you–I do love you, Mataus. I’m sorry it took me so long to admit it. I never meant to hurt you. I’ve just guarded my heart for so long…”
Mataus leaned forward and kissed the words from her lips. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is now.” He kissed her long and deep. Mo felt peace and calm enter her soul like she hadn’t felt since she was a child. She was safe, she was secure, she was loved.
When Mataus finally pulled away he gazed into her bemused face and stroked her cheek. “You are so beautiful, I can’t believe I get to wake up to your face every day for the rest of my life.”
Mo shook her head. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy for you.”
“What am I going to do with you?”
Mataus waggled his eyebrows. “I have some ideas. When you’re feeling better.”
“Oh, brother.”
He stroked her cheek again. “Why don’t you try and get some sleep. You look like you can barely keep your eyes open. I’ll be right here.”
“Okay,” she said, letting her eyelids drift closed.
* * * *
As Mataus sat beside the bed in the dark, quiet room his own eyes drifted shut and he fell into a dream.
Moonlight shone through the window, bathing the figure beside him in a pool of light. She lay on her back in a pale pink gown, Mataus’ hand rested on the rounded curve of her distended abdomen and he felt a kick. He sat up in bed and ran his hands over the baby bump, sliding the nightgown up and out of the way. He leaned forward and kissed his way across Cara’s stomach.
Her hands slid into his hair, caressing and stroking. “That’s my baby in there,” he whispered.
“Yes, I know,” she said.
“It’s a miracle.” he said.
“Yes, he is,” she said.
He smiled up at her. “I’ve never been so happy.”
“Me either. Now come up here and kiss me.”
Mataus woke with a smile on his face. He wasn’t going to share this vision with Cara. Some things were meant to be joyous surprises, and this was one of those things.