Page 8 of Legally Loved

"What you should’ve done was kill her!” The lady shouts. As my vision finally focuses, I notice that she’s in her forties with stringy blonde hair. She looks wild and unhinged.

"You're the murderer, not me." She screams at him that it’s all his fault.

"Me? You killed my father, then made me clean up after you. I got lucky when that loser showed up.” Anger roars through me at how nonchalant he is at admitting to setting Harry up. Though it’s almost matched by my shock when I learn who she is.

"I'm CeCe Benson." The mayor’s wife? He had at least three or four different ones to my best recollection. The police report didn’t mention that she was in town. Then again, that file left out a lot, so I shouldn’t be that surprised. “This is on you,” she declares. “He was in love with your mother and wanted to divorce me to be with her. I blackmailed him into staying and forced him to dump her. After she offed herself, he was a mess. Over a stupid waitress,” she scoffs.

"You bitch!" Even Sean looks a bit nervous at how crazy she is. She slaps me, making my ears ring and my cheek burn.

“Why couldn’t you just drop it? But no, you had to be persistent like your whore mother." She glares at Sean and calmly tells him they have to kill me.

"Wait," Sean urges her. "We need to talk about this. Doing that could lead back to us."

"Then we dispose of her and disappear. It's not like we don't have the money." A phone rings in the distance, causing them both to head in that direction. That gives me a chance to look around, though it doesn’t tell me much. I have no idea how long I was out nor how far we traveled. I could be anywhere. Either way, I need to get out of here. CeCe is dangerous.

Thankfully, they only used a simple knot to tie me up and it was a rush job, so it isn’t as tight as it should be. I quickly start working on freeing myself, wanting to shout for joy when they finally begin to loosen. Once I’m able to, I stand and flex my hands in an attempt to wake them up. A peek through the window shows that I’m on the second floor. I could make it without leaping to my death, but the landing will hurt like a mother.

When their arguing doesn’t seem as strong, I shove the frame up and crawl through it. My gown makes it difficult to shimmy onto the roof. I carefully go to the other side and smile when I see the swimming pool below me. The water should soften my fall, though the impact of hitting it still stings my skin. Coming up for air, I swim to the edge and start to climb out only to feel hands grab my forearms and lift me. I make a fist, ready to punch Sean, only to realize it’s Caleb. The relief at seeing him is overwhelming.

"There you are, my little thief." His smile warms me, easing all my aches as he yanks me against him, his body heat helping to warm my chilled body.

"I love you. Forever." I couldn’t hold back the truth even if I’d wanted to. It needed said.

He slams his mouth on mine, then pulls away and declares, “I love you, too. Always.” And just like that, after years of turmoil and misfortune, of feeling as if I didn’t belong, I’m home.

Chapter 9

Caleb

Cops swarm the house Sean rented, as do ambulances to tend to the injured. Our questions at the gala caused him to act irrationally and he grabbed Halo on impulse. That, at least, was a blessing as it made it easier to find her.

"He folded like a deck of cards," Clive tells me as Sean and CeCe are placed in separate cars. Halo, a blanket around her, is being checked over with Grace by her side, holding her hand. Clive notices and grumbles how his woman never listens. “He not only gave up CeCe, there’s also evidence of everything.”

"This will put your department on the map."

"Yours, too,” he states. “Will you be trying CeCe?"

"I’m too close to the case,” I respond. “Besides, I’m taking time off to take care of Halo."

"A vacation already? Did you even start?" He jokes. I flip him the bird, then tell him they’ll do just fine without me until after I return from my honeymoon.

"I don’t see her going anywhere until her brother is released.” I agree with him there, nor would I attempt to take her away before he is. “I’ll do my best to make that happen soon.”

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it." Unable to resist being near Halo another second, I walk toward her and embrace her. “How you feeling?”

"Relieved," she admits with a sigh. "Harry will be exonerated."

"I'm so happy for you, Halo," Grace says with a smile. I glance at her and warn her Clive is upset she disobeyed his wishes. She harrumphs and informs me he should be used to it by now. “I’ll go soothe him, though.”

Then Halo and I are alone an she wants to know, “If you knew I’d be so much trouble ahead of time, would you still have done it?”

"Nothing in this world could change the fact that you’re mine.” She asks if we can go home now. My apartment wasn’t one at all before she was inside it, but it’ll do while we search for a true one. She’s everything I wanted and more. I can’t wait to start a family with her, knowing neither of us will be anything like our respective parents.

Once her parole is done, we’ll make both of our dreams come true. This criminal stole my heart and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Epilogue

Halo- Five years later…

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