Page 124 of Raging Inferno

It still hurt her heart whenever she thought about what Jessie and the others had done. Maybe in time, she could forgive them since they had been young, but she would never forget.

“Gwenie, I’ve fallen in love. It’s Dominic Bianchi. I hope you aren’t upset. I know how much you loved him once. He grew up to be an incredible man, so brave, successful, and, oh my, handsome. He has the sweetest daughter, Gia. We’re going to be a family.”

It still blew her mind that he loved her.

“I won’t be able to visit you here, but I can talk to you anywhere. Your soul is in Heaven, not in the ground. And you are always with me in my heart.”

An orange and black monarch fluttered by, landing on Presley’s knee. Gwen had loved butterflies. Presley wiped a tear. Gwen was giving her blessing.

When it flew away, she stood and brushed the grass from her pants. She’d been out of the hospital for two days, and though it was still hard to breathe sometimes, she felt a hundred percent better. She was going home, but not alone. Dominic, Gia, and Major were making the trip with her.

Jessie King had been arrested for admitting to killing Gwen on tape. There was no statute of limitations for murder, so she was on the hook, but every other girl who had been present was gone. Jessie’s defense was that the confession was coerced through drugs, and she planned on getting it thrown out. She had enough money that it would probably happen. She mightnot stand trial for murder, but she had to live with it for the rest of her life. So far, Sam was sticking by his wife. It remained to be seen if he would continue to do so.

Tamera Watts’s family planned a funeral, but Presley opted not to attend. Poison was found in the cigarettes she kept out on her desk, which was the cause of Dwight Grubb’s death. Rena Robbins admitted to lacing them under Val’s direction.

The death toll for Val was mind-blowing. Margy Binder, Nancy and Gene Babcock, Charmaine Dunn, Tamera Watts, Dwight Grubb, the two firefighters who’d perished in a fiery crash, and the former medical examiner of St. Louis County. Nine people had lost their lives in her quest for revenge.

Under oath, Rena stated that she’d never met Eddie Smith and didn’t know who he was. That meant it was a significant coincidence that he’d arrived in Serenity Shores to lure Presley back, yet Val had done the job for him.

Presley’s old boss, Ed Senior, had threatened to sue over his son’s death. When presented with overwhelming evidence of his crimes, he’d backed off.

Reggie Branch was going to make a full recovery. He’d gotten a tip from someone who had spotted Eddie Smith’s truck. Reggie had gone to investigate when Eddie shot him. He acknowledged he should’ve worn a bulletproof vest, but he didn’t think Eddie would shoot him. Presley had tried to tell him the man was evil.

Since Presley had driven to Serenity Shores over a week ago and didn’t want to leave her SUV, Monique Sherrod and Chas Bray, two employees of TKO Productions, drove it back for her. They’d flown up to handle the press, and they’d killed it. She winced at her unintentional pun.

Kayne had left yesterday, taking a vehicle full of the Bianchi’s belongings with him. Until they decided if they wantedto stay, Dominic had not taken any steps to list his house. There was time for that later.

It was a ten-and-a-half-hour drive. She’d done it herself on the way there, but with Gia and Major, it would make for a long trip. Plus, Dominic insisted they not push it since she wasn’t fully healed. They decided to stop north of Chicago for the night.

Presley was excited for them to visit the COBRA Securities complex. She knew they would fall in love with it.

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Dominic’s heart was whole. Everything he loved was in the vehicle with him. His precious baby girl, Gia. His beloved dog, Major. The love of his life, Presley. How did he get so lucky?

He’d wanted to submit his resignation, but Presley had convinced him to hold off in case he or Gia didn’t like where she lived. Instead, he’d taken another week of vacation. He had plenty of days accrued.

Dominic loved his job and the men and women who worked for him. He’d been shocked to get a call from Presley’s bosses, Logan Bradley and Luke Colton. They’d told him of an opening for a local fire inspector. He’d been planning on moving into that role. However, they’d also offered him a job with COBRA Securities. He would be their own fire chief, overseeing all aspects of fire safety within the complex, including private homes, and for cases that required an expert. It was better than anything he’d ever dreamed. He knew he had Presley and Kayne to thank for the opportunity. However, everything depended on Gia. If she didn’t like it, that was it. He would do anything to make sure his daughter was happy.

They’d spent the night in a pet-friendly hotel outside of Chicago. Now, as they neared the complex, nerves assailed him. He wanted everything to work.

The road was winding and scenic, with lots of trees and views of the lake. Presley instructed him to turn into a driveway,and he approached a massive gate. She made a call on her phone, and the gate clicked open.

Dominic followed the drive through a dense forest until he came to a guardhouse. A man with two prosthetic legs came out. Dom rolled down his window.

“Hey, Tucker,” Presley greeted.

“Presley! It’s so good to see you. How are you feeling?”

“Much better. This is Dominic, Gia, and Major Bianchi.”

“Welcome,” he said to them. “Let me get some info, and then you can go in. Everyone is set up in Duquesne Park.”

Presley had told him about the connection with the President of the United States. She’d also warned him about a welcome party. Everyone who wasn’t working on a case would be there with tons of food, music, and fun. He was looking forward to it.

Once Tucker had the information he needed, Dominic motored forward. Presley pointed out the different buildings, including a massive gym. There was a dog training facility that Gia was excited about and a structure where they trained in war games, as she’d called it. There was even a small hospital.

So far, everything he’d seen was incredible. It felt like home. The offices were made of limestone from local quarries that Presley told him had also been used to build, among other things, the Empire State Building, the National Cathedral, and the Pentagon. The view of the lake was expansive and picturesque.

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