Chapter 31
Several Days Later
The Saints gathered around the table with Mitch on video-conference, finalizing the case records.
“With Angel’s witness statements and Cindy’s confession, the case will proceed to the grand jury. I want to thank you for all your help,” Mitch said. “I know you’ve reported to the Senator, as have I, and he’s grateful for us solving his daughter’s and the other women’s murders.”
Jack nodded and threw out, “Glad we have you to work with, but if you ever decide to call it quits, you know where we are. There’ll be a place for you at Saints any time you want.”
Mitch laughed, saying, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ending the video, the Saints finished their reports as quickly as possible, wanting to head upstairs.
Chad’s phone buzzed and he excused himself, walking to the side of the room to take the call. “Oh, fuck,” he swore softly. “Yeah…yeah…I’ll leave as soon as I can. Funeral is the day after tomorrow? Got it. I’m sorry, honey.”
Chad disconnected and turned, seeing the concerned faces of the other Saints. “Jack, I’m gonna need some time off.”
“You know that’s no problem,” Jack replied. “Family?”
“No…well, yes and no. Not my real family, but that call informed me that my former ATF partner was just killed on the job, trying to detonate a bomb.”
Collective fucks and so sorrys, were sounded around the room. Chad scrubbed his hand over his face. “That was his wife who called. Jesus, this is going to be agony.”
Marc stood and walked over to place his hand on Chad’s shoulder. “You need company, bro?”
Smiling, Chad shook his head. “No, no. I’ll be fine. But I want to stay for a couple of days to be with his family and wife. I was real close to them…at one time.”
With hugs and handshakes, Chad left the conference room. The others left their reports on the table as Jack said, “Let’s go upstairs and unwind. Nothing here that can’t be done later.”
The Saints smiled at Jack, each knowing their tough boss knew when to work…and when to take care of each other. They made their way upstairs where the women were waiting.
Bethany was just saying, “It’s so hard to believe the lengths some people will go to in the name of love.” She smiled at Jack as he approached her, linking his fingers with hers.
“Oh, I think love has been the reason…or excuse…for many things,” Faith added. Bart walked around and pulled his fiancé against his front, kissing the top of her head.
Miriam stood up from the sofa, allowing Cam to sit, and then settled back in his lap, smiling as she nestled in closely, his large hand on her baby bump. He pretended to groan at her added weight, but his grin was a testament to his true feelings.
Jude and Sabrina were already sharing a chair as the others piled onto the sofas, chairs, and even cushions, in front of the fire.
Each remembered to speak clearly so Angel could hear what they were saying. Monty kept his mouth close to her left ear in case he needed to repeat what someone said.
“As angry as I was,” Angel said, “I’m mostly filled with the most unbelievable sense of sadness for Cindy and the futile way she was living her life. Yes, we sorority sisters were close, but we only got together about once a month. We all had other friends…other people in our lives. But Cindy couldn’t accept that.”
“Don’t you think that was because she was in love with Marcia and jealous of everyone else?” Bethany asked.
“I don’t know. The sexual relationship she wanted made her angry that Marcia was only into men. The obsessive relationship she required had no room for former friends.”
“What will happen to her?” Sabrina asked, looking over at Jack.
“She’ll be indicted and go to trial. She’ll also have a psychiatric evaluation beforehand.”
“Well, I need to bring out my thanks for everyone’s help,” Angel said, moving over to the kitchen counter where white boxes tied with pink, purple, and teal ribbon were placed. The men jumped up immediately, heading over to peer down into the boxes. Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes topped with huge swirls of vanilla bean frosting, Angel’s signature colors mixed into each one. The Saints dove into the moist treats, no one minding if the colorful frosting covered their lips as they devoured them all.
Angel looked over at Monty, shoving the last bite into his mouth. Laughing, she walked over, wrapping her arms around his middle. Moving in closer while standing on her tip-toes, she kissed-licked the extra frosting off of his lips. “Was it good?” she murmured.
His eyes flared in lust as he discreetly patted her ass. “It was great, but you’re the best cupcake of them all.”
Four Years Later
Angel waddled in from the kitchen, the platter of cupcakes in her arms. Monty looked over at his wife and hustled to take the tray from her. “Babe, you should have called out for me,” he gently chastised.
“I carry trays every day, you know,” she said, rolling her eyes at him. Her blonde hair still had the signature color stripes but was now trimmed to just below her shoulders.
He placed the colorful cupcakes onto the table, watching the children scream and clap in delight. Felicity moved among the group, assisting with the children. Her three were in attendance, as well as several of the Saints’ children. Monty’s father tried to get the children to stay still while he snapped pictures, while Angel’s father simply let his IPad video do all the work.
“Angel, I simply can’t get the top off the ice cream,” Lois said. “And like I was saying earlier, I don’t know why you insist on making so many muffins to give away. If you had a better eye for your profit margin—”
“Mom,” Monty interrupted, as Felicity and Angel shared a knowing grin. “Angel runs her business exactly the way she wants to.”
“I know,” Lois agreed, “I was just making a suggestion. Now where’s the birthday girl?”
Monty and Angel’s three-year-old daughter giggled as her two grandmothers fawned over her. Soon mouths were all covered in pink, purple, and teal icing, including most of the adults’. Angel moved toward the back to press her aching back against the back wall. At eight months pregnant, she was feeling the effects of being on her feet all day. Helen would once again take over when she gave birth, this time to a son.
Monty walked over to her, kissing the top of her head as he lowered his hands to massage her lower back. His eyes roved past her shoulder to the mural on the wall, the bullet hole still visible if someone knew where to look. Angel had refused to have it patched, insisting St. Honoratus had saved them both.
He confessed, “It used to bother me that I didn’t have a Saint’s name when the others I work with do. Not that it mattered to the job, but…well, I have to admit that finding out my name meant something, besides just my grandfather, means a lot to me.” Gazing back into her eyes, he saw her staring at him, smiling. “What are you thinking, Cupcake?” he asked, his lips a whisper away from hers.
Kissing him softly, she pressed her body close to his, until their son kicked. Monty’s laughter was drowned by the children’s shouting, but Angel leaned in closer to whisper in his ear.
“When Patrick gave me the Saint Honoratus medal on the opening of my first bakery, he said it would give me protection. But it really sent you to me. You’re my very own Saint…and love.”
The End
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Other books by Maryann Jordan
(all standalone books)
All of my books are stand-alone, each with their own HEA!! You can read them in any order!
Saints Protection & Investigation
(an elite group, assigned to the cases no one else wants…or can solve)
Alvarez Security Series
(a group of former Special Forces brothers-in-arms now working to provide security in the southern city of Richland)
Love’s Series
(detectives solving crimes while protecting the women they love)
The Fairfield Series
(small town detectives and the women they love)
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