He slowly smiled. "Yes, you should have."

"225-6469 spells CAL-MINX."

"Well, what do you know..." He laughed at her expression.

"I only saw it because I was bored and was doodling. You weren't going to tell me, were you?"

"Nope."

"You're terrible."

"I love you too."

They shared a smile. Shari tilted her head to one side, considering him. "I'll need a private code for you, for when I want you to call me back immediately..."

"Why do I get the feeling you thought of one?"

She had a hard time containing herjo7. "484-8463."

He pulled out his phone, looked at the keypad, putting letters to the numbers. He laughed softly as he figured it out. "Minx, I like the way you think."

"Not too subtle?"

"I'll remember it," Marcus promised.

"Can you use the phone while we're flying?"

"Briefly."

She unclipped her pager from her belt to see the display. "Page me."

He smiled at her as he dialed. "Just wait until we get on the ground, Shari."

The numbers flashed on the pager.

HUG TIME.

The publisher and author would love to hear your comments about this book. Please contact us www. multnomah, net/theguardian cafeteria forTwenty-two

T.

he federal courthouse in Richmond had become a secure fortress. Shari watched Connor through the one-way glass of an interview room as Dave and Quinn faced off with him one more time over the shooting. She would go before the grand jury at I P.M., and unless Connor plead guilty, she faced at least a year of protective custody until the trial was over.

A year would not destroy a chance at a relationship with Marcus, but it added more uncertainty than Shari could accept.

Jesus, let this end. Let there be justice now, and strong justice. Against ever -one involved. Please.

She watched as a series of photos were laid down on the table. Crime scene photos. Frank. The place his body had been found. The brutal way he had been killed. "Tell us about your father," Dave said.

Connor's glaze flickered to the photos, then back up, his face remaining impassive. "Why?" He smiled. "You'll never convict me."

It was the cool confidence in his voice that pushed Shari over the edge. Before Marcus could grab her arm and stop her she had pulled open the door to the room and stepped inside. Her color was high, her pulse up, her anger hot.

"You look surprised to see me," she remarked, seeing the startled look on Connor's face as well as on Dave and Quinn. She planted her hands on the table and focused on Connor. "Don't wor That big future payment you thought you would have to make will never come due. Lucas is dead. And I'll even tell you where I'm going to be from the grand jury testimony to the end of your trial. Quantico."

Dave grimaced, and Marcus took her arm. "Shari."

"No. I want him to know. I want him to try again. It will ensure he gets a death penalty when the next fool sent to kill me gets captured alive. Just try it, Connor."

Marcus pulled her from the room.

She paced, hot anger triggered at being a foot away from the man who had killed Carl and her dad burning off.

"You shouldn't have done that."

She sent Marcus a frustrated glance. "He's so confident he going to walk."

"He won't. Your testimony along with what else we have will be enough." Marcus looked back into the interview room, where Quinn was stepping in to take advantage of the unexpected moment.

Quinn laid down photos of Connor brother Daniel after the execution. "You are going to join him for killing a federal judge. The only way you can escape a death penalty sentence is to plead guilty and start talking. We want to know about your father, about his involvement, about his business."

Connor moved the photos around on the table and finally picked up one. "He didn't deserve to die."

"You do."

Connor set the photo down, then looked toward the one-way glass. He looked at Quinn. "Titus ordered Frank killed."

Titus was working at his home office, very aware of the date, the time, and ruthlessly keeping himself occupied. Lucas would strike, swift, like a cobra, and the news would begin to come out in rumors-"The witness is dead, the grand jury has been postponed."

The call came an hour later than he had expected.

Titus listened to the lawyer on the phone, his expression growing cold, his fingers on his pen tightening. He didn't say anything, just hung up the phone.

Anthony had joined him.

"Connor is talking. And I won't pay for his mistakes. Kill him."

They were on the way to Quantico. Shari watched the countryside pass by along the interstate.

Marcus reached over and gripped her hand. "Relax. Frank is dead. Connor has turned against his father. We've got enough to bring down Titus. Once he's in custody the threat to you will be contained."

"I know. But I'm still stuck at Quantico until Connor and Titus go to trial. All Connor gave up was that Titus had Frank killed. He admitted nothing about Carl."

"Shari, we take it a day at a time."

She didn't know what to say She didn't want to face a potential separation of several months.

The car phone rang. Marcus reached for it. "Yes?"

Shari looked over at him when the silence lasted. Something had happened. The distant look was there in his gaze. "How?"

She reached over and touched his knee. His hand came over and firmly grasped hers.

He didn't say anyZhing after he hung up the phone. "Marcus?"

"Connor was just killed at the jail as he was being processed back into solitary."

She started. "He's dead?"

"It looks like an ordered hit: Titus just killed his son." Marcus leaned up to speak with the driver. "Tell our escorts to pull in tight. And get me every cop car in the area converging on us, now!"

Shari didn't think she would ever get accustomed to Quantico. After what had turned into a tense drive to reach the safety of the compound, she had found herself joined by a group of very grim bodyguards.

It was a fascinating if intimidating place. She had been there three days when she came down from her room to the cafeteria for lunch to find Marcus waiting for her. She didn't care who was watching. She wrapped him in a hug and kissed him.

He didn't let her go. "l think I'll show up for a welcome again." "Thanks for coming."

"Feel like sleeping in your own bed tonight?"

Emotions washed over her-relief, hope, intense joy that this long nightmare was over. "You're serious?" she whispered.

"Titus has been arrested. The FBI came down on his organization like a hammer, and people beneath him are already rolling, giving evidence against him to get an easier deal themselves. There are strong rumors there is now a contract out on him. There are a lot of people in the world who fear what he might say. He'll cooperate eventually, if only to get the government's protection to prevent his associates from reaching through the prison doors to kill him." "He'S reaping what he sowed."

"Yes."

"Watch how fast I can pack."

They were on a private plane flying to meet her morn and brother who were arriving in New York an hour later.

"Who's this?" A rather beaten-up raccoon sat in one of the plane seats, a big red bow around his neck.

"lugsby. He'S about to reappear. I was dispatched to lachel's home to retrieve him."

Shari picked up the raccoon, delighted with it. "No ransom?"

"It has to be paid next week. And you'll notice I just kidnapped you from Quantico to pay my part."

She grinned. "True. tate mentioned there was an O'Malley dinner scheduled."

"I thought you might like to join me."

"I would."

She relaxed in her seat and watched the ground become smaller below them.

"What are you thinking about?" Marcus asked.

She looked over at him and went out on a limb. "The future."

He leaned back, folded his hands across his chest, and lazily looked back at her. "So...do you want to run for state legislator or go straight for what you really want, a congressional house seat?" "You're determined to get me to go for it." "It's your dream."

"You have to be married to run for congressional office," she reminded him.

He cluirked a grin. "I guess that means you'll just have to marry me before the elections."

She blinked. He just proposed.

"I love you, minx, with all my heart."

"I love you too," she whispered back.

"I know." His warm smile curled around her heart. His foot nudged hers. "The O'Malley family thinks you should run for the open house congressional seat. Lisa wants to be your field managerl she sees it like running a military campaign, tate will organize your volunteer staff so she can boss around Jack and Stephen, and Dave volunteered to handle transportation. Oh, and Jennifer thinks we should make the wedding be the event of the Virginia social calendar so everybody will love you, and they'll vote for you because they adore you."

His entire family was saying welcome. She loved them all. "What do you want to do?"

"Elope."

Shari laughed.

"But since the O'Malleys will never let us get away with that, a social event of the year sounds like a good second choice."

"My morn will love it."

"I know." His expression became serious. "Shari, I'm not threatened by the idea of a smart wife with great ideas and a passion for her job. You have to dream big if you're going to fit with me."

"You're serious."

"You're one of us now. So start defining your dream, and we'll help you get there, tids, a political career-we are a family that believes in fulfilling dreams. And Shari...we don't believe in small dreams."

She knew that was true. She considered him. "What's your biggest dream?"

"I'll tell you on the honeymoon."

She blushed but didn't mind. "I'll probably convince you to sleep in." She laughed at the look he gave her. She was going to enjoy the permanence of a marriage with him. Just getting to tease him would fill her days with laughter. She picked up the aged raccoon. "I like your family." "You're fishing for compliments. They love you."

"It's important that they feel like I'm joining your family and not taking you from it."

"They know it," Marcus reassured. "You want to surprise them at the family gathering?'"

"How?"