well.”
Her mouth curved into a slight smile. “Don’t patronize me. I could barely hold on to it. But that wasn’t because I’m weak or fragile. It’s because I don’t like guns.”
Probably with good reason. Had her mother been shot? Or worse...
And at a young, impressionable age, Sharon had seen that and survived. “I don’t think you’re weak or fragile,” he assured her.
She narrowed her eyes and stared at him suspiciously. “Are you still patronizing me?”
“No,” he said. “I know how strong you have to be when you lose a parent.”
She gasped. “Oh, that’s right....” Her face flushed a bright red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry....”
“You know about my dad?” he asked.
“Brenda told me that he died when you were a teenager,” she said. “And then I saw on the news that it was just discovered that another man killed him than the one who’d been in prison for his murder.”
“Garek’s dad was the man in prison for his murder,” he said, “until he died there.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “And his sister is married to your brother?”
Parker laughed. “They used to hate each other—or so they claimed. But Stacy always knew it wasn’t her dad who had killed ours.” A twinge of pain struck his chest over the betrayal that had led to his dad’s death. “She was right. It wound up being another officer—his partner.”
She nodded. “Brenda told me not to trust the police.”
“I can’t argue with her now,” he said. “I’d like to say they can’t be bought. But some of them can be more greedy than honorable.” He wondered about Sharpe and that kid that Sharpe had sent to follow him. Why hadn’t he identified himself as an officer when he’d pulled the gun on Parker? What might have happened if Logan hadn’t shown up?
“And the reward to kill us is a lot of money?” she asked nervously.
He wasn’t going to patronize her with a lie, so he answered honestly. “An obscene amount, according to Garek.”
Her arm tightened around Ethan protectively, and she glanced around the condo as if looking for more intruders. He glanced around, too, just in case....
Since Garek had so easily followed him and broken in, someone else could, too. They really weren’t safe anywhere. And because they were in danger, so was his son. And if something happened to either one of them or both, what would become of Ethan?
Would Parker’s mother be able to get custody or would the baby go straight into the foster-care system? He had to protect his son and Sharon.
Her skin had grown pale, her eyes wide and dark with fear. Her voice even trembled a bit when she asked, “What do we do now?”
Ignoring the twinge of panic striking his bachelor heart, he replied, “We get married.”
Chapter Eleven
Sharon stared at herself in the oval mirror—unable to believe that was actually her reflection staring back at her. How was that her in the lacy, strapless white dress and veil? She had pulled back the veil so that she could see, so that the image would be clear.
But nothing was clear to her. Why did someone so desperately want both her and Parker dead? With the reward for their murders doubled, it was probably only a matter of time before one of the attempts was successful.
Her stomach pitched. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten. She wasn’t worried about marrying the notorious playboy Payne, either. She wasn’t about to give him her heart. The only thing she really had to lose was Ethan. And her life.
“I’ve seen a lot of brides in this room, but I have never seen one look as scared as you do,” a female voice remarked. “But then, you’re the one marrying Parker.”
Sharon turned to see the young auburn-haired woman who had been at Brenda’s house and at the police station and at the hospital with her. The young woman had been nearly everywhere that Sharon had, so maybe she should have expected her to show up here. But still, she gasped in
Her mouth curved into a slight smile. “Don’t patronize me. I could barely hold on to it. But that wasn’t because I’m weak or fragile. It’s because I don’t like guns.”
Probably with good reason. Had her mother been shot? Or worse...
And at a young, impressionable age, Sharon had seen that and survived. “I don’t think you’re weak or fragile,” he assured her.
She narrowed her eyes and stared at him suspiciously. “Are you still patronizing me?”
“No,” he said. “I know how strong you have to be when you lose a parent.”
She gasped. “Oh, that’s right....” Her face flushed a bright red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry....”
“You know about my dad?” he asked.
“Brenda told me that he died when you were a teenager,” she said. “And then I saw on the news that it was just discovered that another man killed him than the one who’d been in prison for his murder.”
“Garek’s dad was the man in prison for his murder,” he said, “until he died there.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “And his sister is married to your brother?”
Parker laughed. “They used to hate each other—or so they claimed. But Stacy always knew it wasn’t her dad who had killed ours.” A twinge of pain struck his chest over the betrayal that had led to his dad’s death. “She was right. It wound up being another officer—his partner.”
She nodded. “Brenda told me not to trust the police.”
“I can’t argue with her now,” he said. “I’d like to say they can’t be bought. But some of them can be more greedy than honorable.” He wondered about Sharpe and that kid that Sharpe had sent to follow him. Why hadn’t he identified himself as an officer when he’d pulled the gun on Parker? What might have happened if Logan hadn’t shown up?
“And the reward to kill us is a lot of money?” she asked nervously.
He wasn’t going to patronize her with a lie, so he answered honestly. “An obscene amount, according to Garek.”
Her arm tightened around Ethan protectively, and she glanced around the condo as if looking for more intruders. He glanced around, too, just in case....
Since Garek had so easily followed him and broken in, someone else could, too. They really weren’t safe anywhere. And because they were in danger, so was his son. And if something happened to either one of them or both, what would become of Ethan?
Would Parker’s mother be able to get custody or would the baby go straight into the foster-care system? He had to protect his son and Sharon.
Her skin had grown pale, her eyes wide and dark with fear. Her voice even trembled a bit when she asked, “What do we do now?”
Ignoring the twinge of panic striking his bachelor heart, he replied, “We get married.”
Chapter Eleven
Sharon stared at herself in the oval mirror—unable to believe that was actually her reflection staring back at her. How was that her in the lacy, strapless white dress and veil? She had pulled back the veil so that she could see, so that the image would be clear.
But nothing was clear to her. Why did someone so desperately want both her and Parker dead? With the reward for their murders doubled, it was probably only a matter of time before one of the attempts was successful.
Her stomach pitched. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten. She wasn’t worried about marrying the notorious playboy Payne, either. She wasn’t about to give him her heart. The only thing she really had to lose was Ethan. And her life.
“I’ve seen a lot of brides in this room, but I have never seen one look as scared as you do,” a female voice remarked. “But then, you’re the one marrying Parker.”
Sharon turned to see the young auburn-haired woman who had been at Brenda’s house and at the police station and at the hospital with her. The young woman had been nearly everywhere that Sharon had, so maybe she should have expected her to show up here. But still, she gasped in
Similar Books
