Page 81 of Mistletoe Missus
Mitt wouldn’t move a muscle. Although he maintained steady breathing, I could tell he was frightened. He knew what his father was capable of because he’d lived through it. He’d seen unimaginable things no child should ever see, and he never talked about them. But he’d still protect me from a cold-blooded killer.
“No.” Mitt glared at his father.
“Goddamn it! Move, Son!”
I jumped. Fright rushed through me.
“You don’t have the guts to shoot your son, do you, Dad?” Mitt asked a risky question.
Cyprus groaned. An icy shiver ran down my spine. The sound was as icy as death.
“You’re a fucking damn disgrace for a son, Mitt. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”
“No!” I panicked.
The echo of my desperate plea for my husband’s life rang out in my ears as time slowed down, and I pushed with all of my might. Mitt never suspected my daring attempt to save him, and I forced him out of range. The bullet sliced through the air as it headed straight for me, and a sharp pain hit my shoulder. The strength of the impact knocked me off my feet, and I fell to the ground.
“Tinsley! Tinsley!” Mitt yelled frantically.
My husband grabbed my body and curled me into him. He protected me from another shot as police sirens wailed in the distance and my breathing came out heavy. I was going into shock. The agony from my gunshot wound was unbearable, but it was worth it for my husband.
“Shit! Shit!” Cyprus cursed while I laid bleeding in his son’s arms.
The wailing sound grew louder as my eyes blinked and threatened to close while Mitt pressed his hand against my shoulder to stop the bleeding. I could feel myself slipping away as everything became blurry and Mitt’s worried face spun in circles. He loved me so much, and I wanted him to never go away again.
“I’m right here, angel, don’t you dare go,” Mitt begged me.
I heard a commotion from behind Mitt and Cyprus told someone, “Get your fucking hands off me!”
Metal clicked as I heard Cyprus being read his rights, and Mitt cried for me while we swayed. He rocked his angel back and forth, but he didn’t dare let me go. I choked on something, spit, blood; I didn’t know. All I knew was the man I wanted more than life itself was with me, and he had found his way back to me. His grumpy, gorgeous ass was mine forever.
I touched Mitt’s cheek and whispered, “I love you.”
“Please, Wife, don’t do this to me...” Mitt pleaded and kissed my forehead. “Heaven isn’t ready for you because I need my angel. I love you so damn much, Tinsley.”
Mitt completed me.
My heartbeat slowed even though I cherished my husband. He was my future, which was bleak as my strength grew weak, and my hand fell from Mitt’s cheek. All I heard was him wailing for me to stay, but everything around me went away and darkness engulfed me whole.
BONUS EPILOGUE
4 Months Later
Mitt
“Rough day at work, Mr. Morgan?” Albert asked as I climbed into the backseat of his limousine and poured whiskey into a glass.
I sighed, “Something like that.”
Today was the first time I saw my father since that horrific day and the police took him away in handcuffs. The sorry son of a bitch shot my wife and left her wounded in my arms. His awful tale had made headlines for weeks, and I got sick of seeing his face. Prison aged a man like Cyprus and revealed an old, weak senior with wrinkles, beady, evil eyes, and he was missing several teeth from one too many fights.
He didn’t deserve one moment of fame after what he had done, and I made sure the articles about him went away. I paid two million dollars to make the stories about Cyprus Morgan disappear. I didn’t need to view the horror Tinsley had gone through on repeat because I replayed that damn day too many times in my head. A reminder for a day like the present when I got to watch the bastard sentenced to a life in prison without parole. My father would spend the rest of his days rotting behind bars, never to walk free again.
Dad deserved this punishment. He had earned me owning Morgan’s Law & Associates and being the lawyer to put the nail in his coffin. I hoped the justice I had served hurt something awful because everything he did to Tinsley had haunted me. He was worthy of all the suffering he had caused.
The drive was short from the courthouse to the candy shop, and Albert stopped at the curb on the other side of the street. There were no paparazzi in sight while the sunshine shone brightly on a warm spring day. I adjusted my tie before eyeing the time and realizing I was ten minutes late.
Crap.
