Kill for Me

Luke took the book from her hands and flipped toward the end. “ ‘Pham is sick. It won’t be long now. He said I should go home, find the man who left me to die. I want to kill him, but Pham says there are better, wiser ways. Find what a man loves best, then take it from him.’ Three days later he writes, ‘Pham is gone.’ It starts back up again a week later. ‘It is long past time for me to go home. Ellis wanted to get home, to find his son. I will find Ellis and his son will die. Ellis will watch. I will have my revenge.’ ”

“But he didn’t kill Paul,” Chloe said. “Why not?”

Susa

Talia sighed. “In his own way I guess Charles loved him.”

Luke shook his head hard. “No. Charles possessed him. He used him. He manipulated him for his own purposes. That wasn’t love.”

Talia’s eyes widened at the vehemence in Luke’s tone. “Okay…”

But Susa

Ed was sober. “That sounds like good-bye, Susa

“To New York? No. There’s nothing for me there.” She huffed a chuckle. “And certainly not to Dutton. I’ve had enough of that town for a lifetime.”

“Haven’t we all?” Chase asked wryly. “What will you do?”

“Well, Daniel and I have a lot of catching up to do.” Under the table Luke held her hand tight. “There’s the issue of all the people my… that Arthur extorted over the years. There needs to be righting of those wrongs. Restitution. I’ll need a good civil attorney.” Wryly she looked at Chloe. “And a criminal attorney, too, I suppose.”

“We’ve dropped the concealed-weapon charge in return for your cooperation in the resolution of Arthur Vartanian’s crimes.” Chloe smiled. “You had a good lawyer.”

Susa

Beside her, Luke let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Thank you, Chloe.” He stood. “My mother said she’s made di

Dutton, Thursday, February 8, 2:45 p.m.

It had been a quiet funeral service, few media and fewer mourners in attendance. A handful of deputies who’d served under Frank Loomis bore his coffin. There were no official honors, no twenty-one-gun salute, no taps.

Daniel sat in a wheelchair, pale and sober, Alex behind him and Susa

“He was my father,” Susa

Daniel looked up at her, muted grief in his eyes. “He was a far better father to me than Arthur, Suze. I’m sorry you never knew him.”

Frank Loomis had one other mourner. Angie Delacroix stood off to the side, also pale and sober. A uniformed officer stood behind her.

Susa

Luke walked with her and she was grateful for him. Hand in hand, they stopped in front of Angie Delacroix. “Miss Angie,” Susa

“Everything I said was true. Frank never knew what happened to you. He would have come forward. It haunted him that you were his and he couldn’t claim you.”

Somehow that helped. “Why did you tell me?”

“Because Charles told me to.” Then she lifted her chin. “But I would have anyway. For Frank. You have his eyes.” She sighed. “Frank was a better man than he knew.”

By now Susa

“She had money. Charles wanted it. I’m so sorry you were caught in the middle.”

“Why? Why did you do his bidding all those years?”

Angie’s eyes filled. “Whatever Charles made him do, Paul was still my son.”

Luke tugged Susa

The family. The very words were enough to chase away the sadness. Susa

“Come,” Mama Papa said, taking her left arm. “We go home now.”

Mitra slipped her arm through Susa

Luke waved her on. “I’ll push Daniel. You and Alex have girl time with my sisters.”

“That’s nice to see,” Daniel said huskily as the women chattered to raise Susa

“She’ll have it for as long as she wants it,” Luke said, muscling Daniel’s chair forward through the soft earth with his good arm.

“So what do you intend to do with my sister?” Daniel asked, very seriously.

Luke had to swallow his grin. Exactly what I did last night and this morning. But he kept his voice serious. “I could say it’s none of your business.”

“But you won’t,” Daniel said dryly.

“I want her to be happy. I don’t want her to wonder who her family is, ever again.”

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest. “You do realize this could make us related.”

“If I do it right, yes. I can deal with it if you can.”

“I can.” Daniel was quiet a moment. “I wouldn’t mind being an uncle. Just sayin’.”

Luke smiled. “Then I guess I really have to do it right.”

About the Author

KAREN ROSE is an award-wi