Healing Hearts 6: To Love Again Read online

  “Yeah, something went down at Corporal’s. She was upset, but her men calmed her down.”

  “About those men, Martin has been looking into them, and considering his potential involvement in the death of not only her boyfriend Westin but also this cop Costano who was killed during a raid, I’m not sure how far he’ll go to get to Emma and maybe hurt those men. We have a lot of different information coming in, and the feds are waiting on catching the two heads of this operation West is possibly involved in.”

  “So she is in danger, and her men, too, but the feds want the big fish? Seen this before, but the difference is, these are my friends, Ice’s friends, and this is my town.”

  “I understand that, but saying too much too soon could make matters worse. Martin was caught in the raid last night and took a hit.”

  “What?”

  “It was his plan. His phones are tapped, and we got the whole thing on tape. The guy who went in undercover was told to shoot Martin by Martin himself.”

  “Holy shit, why?”

  “To retire, to get out, and to gain Emma’s sympathy because of Westin. We need two more days, Caden. There’s a job, and Martin needs to pull it off.”

  “You’ll keep eyes on him, though, so he won’t be able to come here and hurt Emma?”

  “Yes. Just two more days and I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Okay. We’ll do what is needed on our end.”

  Caden ended the call and called Ice. He explained what was going on, and they decided to tell Eagan.

  “I’m not taking a chance. You know as well as I do about the feds. They don’t care about the innocent bystanders. They want their big fish.”

  “Exactly. Let’s talk to him and come up with a plan.”

  * * * *

  Emma gripped the phone tighter, and instantly her eyes filled up with tears. “How bad? Are you sure that you’re okay? Do you need me to fly out there?” she asked, and Houston looked at her, listening to her side of the conversation.

  “I’m fine, Emma, but I’m done. It was a close call. Too fucking close, and I put my papers in. Thinking of heading out your way, unless you don’t want me to.”

  “You’re coming here? When?” she asked, and Houston was definitely angry.

  She wiped her eyes.

  “Where else would I go? You’re all I have, Emma. It’s why I was so disappointed in you for the decision to let those three men into your bed.”

  “Martin, I love them.”

  “What do you know about love? You said Westin was the only man you would ever love and trust. Listen, if you don’t care about me anymore and everything I’ve done for you, or if it’s that I remind you of Westin and seeing me, having me in your life, makes you feel guilty, then I won’t come there.”

  “No, Martin, it isn’t that. You’re a good friend, but that’s all. Just a friend, and I don’t want you to think that you’ll change my mind, my feelings for these men.”

  “You say that now, but perhaps they aren’t so honest with you. Listen, we’ll talk when I get there. I leave tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes, so I’ll be by tomorrow.”

  “I can get a room for you at the hotel.”

  “Don’t worry. I took care of that. Obviously I’m not welcome at your place. I told you something like this would happen. I was thinking about you, about Westin and what he wanted, and I got shot because of it. The least you could do is see me and be there for me.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I will be here for you, Martin. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She ended the call.

  “What the fuck happened?” Houston asked, and Rocky looked at her, appearing angry. He was a good friend of Houston’s and his brothers, and he was also a soldier.

  “He got shot in a raid. He is retiring from the PD and heading here.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “He could have been killed, Houston.”

  “Don’t let him manipulate you. He’s trying to make you feel guilty. We all talked about this,” Houston said to her.

  “I do feel guilty though. He is still a part of me, of Westin, and I’m upset that he was shot. It makes me think about Westin, Houston.”

  Houston stepped in front of her by the bar where she sat on a stool. Gordon’s was opening up in thirty minutes for a lunch crowd. It was Sunday.

  He cupped her cheeks and held her gaze. “He’s jealous over us, and he will use the guilt you feel to try and put a wedge between us.”

  “No, he won’t because I won’t let him, Houston. I love you guys. He knows that, but I can’t turn my back on him. I can’t unless he forces me to by trying to come between us.”

  “I don’t like this. You aren’t going to be alone with him, understood?” he asked firmly.

  “Understood.”

  He kissed her, and she hugged him. “Miller and Eagan are going to be angry.”

  “I know, but it will work out. You’ll see. Martin will do the right thing.”

  * * * *

  “What? Are you fucking kidding me? You tell me this, Ice and Caden, and then you want me to do nothing? How are we going to let her out of our sights even for a minute?” he asked, shocked at what they were informing him about.

  “You have to in order to make sure he gets caught and the feds and Internal Affairs can wrap up this case and put him away,” Ice said.

  “They believe he killed Westin. Do you know what that is going to do to Emma? He killed other cops, men in the way of him being corrupt and making money, and he could hurt or kill Emma.”

  “That’s a concern, but considering he was investigating the three of you, it could be one of you he might try to hurt or all three. We don’t know, but we weren’t going to let the feds and I.A. keep this to themselves. There are precautions we can take, and Emma won’t need to know quite yet,” Caden said.

  Then Eagan got a text message. A long one. “Fuck, this isn’t what the feds told you. Martin is coming here. He’ll be here tonight and made plans to see Emma tomorrow morning,” Eagan said.

  They were silent a moment.

  “My brothers need to know. So does Emma.”

  “Let me call Felix and see what he knows and then make a plan of action,” Ice said, and they agreed, but Eagan was immediately on edge. All he wanted to do was hold Emma in his arms and know she was safe.

  * * * *

  Emma walked down the hallway to the lady’s room. Miller was on his way, along with Eagan, who had to meet with Caden and Ice over something. It made her nervous, and she worried about Eagan. She hoped he wasn’t getting involved in anything illegal. As she walked out of the bathroom, she heard her name. She was shocked as she spotted Martin. A mix of emotions hit her. He was here, and things were different. He’d lied and said he was flying in tonight. Why? What was Houston going to do when he saw him? He pulled her into his arms and hugged her to him. His arm was in a sling, but it didn’t seem to matter as he squeezed her tight.

  “Thank God,” he said, and she pulled back and looked at him. He looked frantic, tired.

  “You said you were coming tonight.”

  “Come with me. We need to talk.”

  “Wait, I have to tell Houston.”

  “No, just fucking come with me now.” He pulled her along with him.

  “Martin, stop it. I don’t know what you’re thinking—”

  He showed her a gun. “Come with me now, or I’ll fucking kill him. There’s shit going on.”

  She was shocked but she could tell that he was serious.

  “Why the gun?”

  “Just fucking come with me now.” He pulled her along the back deck and into the parking lot. “Get in. We have to do something, and then it will work out fine. I have a plan.”

  “Martin…”

  “Drive the fucking car, Emma, now.” He pointed the gun at her, and she pulled out of the parking lot.

  Tears filled her eyes, and she was so confused. As she drove to the right, she saw in the
rearview mirror that the sheriff’s patrol car was pulling in along with Eagan’s truck and Miller’s BMW. Something was going on.

  What has Martin done?

  * * * *

  “Where is she? Where is Emma?” Eagan yelled at Houston and Rocky.

  “She went to the lady’s room,” Houston said, and then Eagan began to explain the situation as Miller and Caden ran down the hallway.

  “She isn’t there. Fuck, he was here. He took her,” Miller yelled.

  “What the hell is going on?” Houston asked

  “We got cameras. Rocky,” Houston said, and Rocky went into the back room as the others filled them in on what was going on.

  “He killed Westin? Emma knows none of this. My God, he’ll manipulate her and lie to her. He was after Emma the whole time,” Houston said.

  “Plus these two men, Bosen and Dixen, were found murdered. The feds didn’t tell Detective Fountine. They were after the money that was laundered and the other people involved with this. They’re heading here to help catch Martin,” Caden told him.

  “He had her at gunpoint, and they took off in a black sedan. Couldn’t get the plates from the front cameras,” Rocky told them as he returned from the back room.

  “We need to put out an APB on this car and get everyone on the lookout for Emma.” Caden radioed into the department.

  “He’s going to hurt her.” Miller paced.

  “What do you need? What do we do?” Houston asked.

  “We aren’t waiting for the fucking feds. We need to figure out where he’s taking her,” Eagan said.

  “I got a hit on the car. It’s parked outside of the train station and the storage unit he took out in Emma’s name. He’s grabbing what he shipped here,” Caden said.

  “Let’s go,” Eagan said.

  They all headed out.

  * * * *

  Martin held the gun to Emma’s side as she unlocked the storage unit. “Why are you doing this? After everything we’ve been through?”

  “It’s all part of the plan, and you fucked it up by screwing those men. You were perfect. I waited to take Westin’s place and provide for you. I did all of it for you, and you blew it all away because you’re weak. Those men manipulated you.” He shoved her to the ground. She gasped and turned around to face him.

  “I never did anything to make you believe we were more than friends, Martin. It was in your own head. How could you hurt me like this!” She screamed at him, and he yanked her up and shoved her hard against the wall inside of the storage unit.

  “You should have been with me, not him. I wanted you since the day we met, but he was always with you. I did all of this to have you as my woman, my lover, and that’s what you’re going to be. We’re taking the money, and we’re leaving together.”

  “No. No, I’m not going anywhere with you. You can’t take Westin’s place. I’m in love with three other men and not you.” She screamed as she went to walk out, and the gun went off. She covered her ears and lowered down.

  “I will kill you just so they can’t have what is mine.”

  Then they heard the sirens, and a moment later, the storage unit was surrounded.

  “Fuck.” He struck her with the gun, and she fell to the ground, stunned from the hit.

  “It’s over, Martin. Put down the gun and let Emma go,” Caden yelled from the short hallway right outside the unit.

  “It isn’t over.” He shot his gun down the hallway.

  “Hold your fire. We aren’t shooting back. We want to talk this out!” Caden yelled.

  She could hear the cursing, and she knew her men were there. She could feel them. She thought about what was going on and wondered how this was even happening.

  “How could you do this to me, Martin? You were Westin’s best friend and partner. We’re friends, Martin, and now you’re holding me at gunpoint, hitting me and demanding things that I can’t even understand. What the hell happened?”

  “You happened. You got into my fucking head. Westin couldn’t love you like I can. You should have been on my arm at the police events. On my lap at the parties and in my arms on the dance floor, not fucking Westin,” he yelled.

  She sat up, her head spinning, and he was right there with the gun on her. He unzipped a bag and she saw a whole lot of money.

  “You want to kill me because you had feelings for me that I didn’t know about and because I was in love with Westin? Really, Martin?”

  “You were supposed to fall in love with me. You are mine. We belong together. Can’t you see I did all of this for you, for us so we could be one?” He waved toward the bags of money and the other boxes unopened.

  “No, I don’t know what you did. I don’t understand where all this money came from and why there are police and federal agents here. I don’t know.”

  “I killed for you,” he said to her, shocking her.

  “Put down the gun, Martin. There’s no need to hurt Emma. She doesn’t know what you went through. She doesn’t know about Rosen and Dixen and them sucking you in.” She heard a voice she didn’t recognize.

  “Give it up,” the voice said, and Martin grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the entrance. As he pulled her out, she saw there were so many police and men in plain clothes with guns drawn, plus Eagan and Caden with their guns out, too.

  “It all ends here. I’ll kill her because nothing else matters.”

  She was shaking, and she could see the fear on Eagan’s face as Martin kept a gun to her neck as he raged.

  “She’s going to know the truth, and then she’s going to die. How do you like that? Her men she screwed to dishonor Westin are going to see her die because she was meant to be with me.”

  “No, Martin. This isn’t what Westin would have wanted. He trusted you to take care of me. He told you to protect me, and you did.”

  He pulled her up to her knees, his body slightly covered by the storage unit so the police couldn’t take a shot and kill him before he killed her.

  “I fucking killed Westin.”

  As the words left his lips, she felt dizzy with shock. The tears rolled down her cheeks. “Why?”

  “I killed him so we could be together. You’re mine. He was in the way.”

  Something came over her. All that guilt she lived with, the fear, the need to keep Martin close because he was with Westin when he’d died filled her with so much rage and anger that she didn’t think straight. She reacted.

  “You bastard!” she screamed, and she slammed her forearm up into his balls and against his groin, and he hunched over, and she pounded on him with all her might as she screamed and cried and banged her fists against his chest. “I loved him. He trusted you! He was mine!” She cried as he covered his face with his hands as she continued to bang her fists and scream until she had no voice and no more strength, until men were pulling her off of him and putting him in cuffs, and she cried and couldn’t see straight.

  “Emma.” Eagan held her against his chest, and she shook and sobbed with such emotion she felt like she blacked out.

  The next thing she knew she was surrounded by her men. By Houston and Miller, who were rubbing her back, and Eagan, who squeezed her to him as she slowly calmed down. She felt like passing out, and she didn’t lift her head. She just kept thinking, Martin killed Westin. He killed my lover, my best friend, and the man I was going to marry.

  Epilogue

  “How is she?” Miller asked, walking into the kitchen.

  “She’s dressed and ready to go to Gordon’s.”

  “Is that a smart idea, Eagan?”

  “She wants to put it all behind her. She was just making a phone call and asked for some privacy.”

  “Does that have something to do with the picture she had us take last night?” Miller asked.

  “She said she wanted one for her desk at work. That she wasn’t going to hide her relationship with us from anyone and that she loved us and we were meant to be together, no matter what. That no one, nothing, could keep us apar
t.”

  “She’s all fired up still. I won’t ever forget the rage she showed, the emotion as she reacted to the news to Martin. Caden, Ice, and the guys are still talking about it,” Miller whispered. “Ice thinks it was a good thing for her. That it probably helped to bring closure to Westin’s death and also to what Martin did to her over the years. She’s so shy and timid. She broke and at the right time to save her life. She wants to put it behind her, and I’m good with that.”

  A few minutes later Emma came out of the room. She looked lovely as usual, wearing a beige flare skirt, high-heeled wedges, and a sexy, sleeveless blouse in black that accentuated her breasts. Her long brown hair was down, her green eyes looking stunning as usual, and she smiled.

  “When did you get here?” she asked Miller and went right to him and hugged him.

  He hugged her, closed his eyes, and inhaled against her neck. He didn’t like being away from her. His protectiveness was up several notches more, and she would give him hell.

  “Just now. You look incredible. Are you sure you want to go?”

  She pulled back. “Miller, I’m fine, and Houston is expecting us. He just texted me again while I was on the phone.”

  They headed out and drove together to Gordon’s. “So, who were you on the phone with?” Miller asked her.

  “It was just a call I needed to make to wrap things up completely.”

  She wasn’t telling him, and he didn’t like secrets. It bothered him even an hour later as they stood with her and Houston by the bar at Gordon’s and enjoyed the warm beautiful night, the sound of the live band, and her gorgeous smile.

  “Emma, I hate to be a pain, but seriously, why can’t you tell me who you were on the phone with?” Miller said to her.

  She looked at Eagan and Houston, and then she pulled out her phone. “I sent this picture of us, to share the positive news after everything came out about Martin killing Westin.”

  “Shared with who?” Eagan asked.

  “With Westin’s parents and family. I have spoken to them since Martin came here and the investigation that has been going on. They were as devastated as I was about the news and about Martin killing others. I explained about not letting anyone into my hear for the last four years out of respect for Westin, guilt mostly, I suppose, and also manipulation from Martin. I told them all about meeting the three of you, about resisting you, but how you broke through the wall around my heart and healed it. How you introduced me to true love again, and they were very receptive and wished me all the best.”