DISCLAIMER: All things KF:TLC are the legal property of Warner Bros. and Michael Sloane. I’ve only borrowed them to complete their paths.
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“Nooooo!”
“Peter!” a familiar voice said sharply. “Peter, wake up!”
The voice penetrated his subconscious and Peter awoke with a sudden start, bolting upright in bed.His body was drenched in sweat, and he could feel the abnormally fast pounding of his heart. Glancing over, he discovered his wife in bed beside him, her sky blue eyes wide with concern as she watched him. His brain still fogged by the last vestiges of his dream, Peter’s handsome face rippled with confusion.
“Sam…?”
“Yes.”
They had been married for three years now, their love having overcome the revelation that Samantha was Tan’s daughter and her secrets about their shared past. Yet their rocky start had only served to strengthen the bond between them, and with Samantha now five months pregnant with twins, each day they spent together made it clear to Peter that the beautiful blonde beside him was indeed his soulmate.
Just then the image of the tombstone flashed through his mind again and he reached over to place his palm against her cheek, seeking assurance that she was real. Samantha could feel the slight tremble in his touch and flashed him a small smile as she placed her hand over his.
“You were having a doozy of a nightmare, Handsome,” she said.“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“It’s all right.Do you want to talk about your dream?”
“It wasn’t a dream.It was more of a vision…a premonition.”
“Of what?”
Hazel met blue.“Your death.”
Surprise flickered across her elegant features.“Tell me what you saw.”
Peter sighed.“It was very brief. It was raining, and I was standing over your grave in the cemetery. I read your tombstone and it was if someone had ripped out my heart.I remember shouting in denial, and then you woke me up.”
“Did the tombstone reflect the date of my death?” Samantha asked.
“No; only that it was this year.”
She fell silent, taking a moment to absorb the information before responding.“It may not have been a vision,” she suggested.“Even Shaolin cops are entitled to an ordinary nightmare once in a while.”
Intuition told him that what he had seen was at the very least a foreshadowing of some future danger to Samantha, but he was unwilling to risk upsetting her in her condition by pressing the issue.“I suppose so,” he demurred.“I apologize again for waking you, Princess.”
She graced him with a brilliant smile.“I fully expect you to make it up to me.”
Peter returned the smile.“It will be my pleasure,” he declared, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Peter checked his watch again and glanced at the rain-splattered window. It was raining in my vision when I was standing over Sam’s grave, he mused uneasily.
“You all right, partner?” Skalany asked from her position beside him.
Peter afforded her a brief glance.“Just wondering what’s taking Sam so long.”
“Maybe her appointment ran longer than she expected,” Skalany suggested.
“I called Doctor Ross’ office and they told me she left over half an hour ago. She’s also not answering her cell phone.”
As if to confirm his fears, another vision suddenly flashed through his head. This time it was of an unconscious Samantha crumpled over her steering wheel, blood trickling down her face. The vision vanished as quickly as it had come; however, it left Peter shivering in its wake. Seeing him blanch, Skalany placed a hand on his arm.
“Peter? What’s wrong?”
He quickly got to his feet as he responded.“Something’s happened to Sam.I have to find her.”
Without waiting for a response, Peter practically bolted toward the exit just as his cell phone rang, and he pulled it out of his coat. “Peter Caine.”
“Peter, it’s Captain Simms.I’m at County General Hospital.”
Dread immediately settled like ice in his stomach. “What’s happened to Sam?”
“There’s been an accident,” Simms said.“Samantha rolled her car at the construction site just a few blocks from Delancey’s.”
“How is she?”
“We don’t know yet, but you should get over here right away.”
“I’m on my way.”
“I don’t know how Peter will take it if he loses Samantha or the twins,” Simms said quietly to the man beside her.
“He won’t,” Kermit declared, glancing at Peter, who was seated beside his father.“Samantha’s a fighter. She’ll be fine.”
The arrival of the doctor tending to Samantha interrupted their conversation and he glanced questioningly at the group.“Peter Caine?”
The detective immediately got to his feet.“That’s me.”
“I’m Doctor Richard Black, Chief of the ER.”
“How’s Sam?”
“Your wife is resting comfortably in a room on the second floor,” Black told him.“She’s pretty banged up but miraculously she doesn’t seem to have suffered any lasting injuries.”
“She’s five months pregnant…” Peter began.
“The babies are just fine,” Black assured him.
Peter closed his eyes as relief swept across his handsome face, and Kwai Chang placed a reassuring hand on his arm just as Black continued.
“Aside from a fractured left wrist, Samantha’s most serious injury seems to be the trauma to her brain she suffered when her head struck the steering wheel on impact. There was no skull fracture, but she does have a severe concussion. We’ve given her some medication that should ease the pain, without harming the twins, and we’ll monitor her for the next twenty-four hours to make certain it doesn’t get any worse.”
“I want to see her,” Peter requested.
“Of course.I’ll take you to her now, and if you’d like, I can make arrangements for you to stay with her tonight.”
“I would appreciate that, thank you.” He turned to the others.“Thank you all for being here. It means a lot to me.”
“We love her too, Pete,” Kermit responded.“Now, go see your wife.”
The detective flashed him a grateful smile, then returned his attention to Black, and the two excused themselves before heading for Samantha’s room. Once there, Black gestured for Peter to enter by himself, allowing him time alone with his wife. Walking inside, Peter found Samantha lying in the bed, her left wrist encased in a cast and a bandage adorning her forehead, with an IV leading into her uninjured arm. He quietly crossed the room to settle himself in a chair beside her. The slight pallor to her elegant features was a stark contrast to her bruises. Careful not to disturb her, he gently caressed her cheek. She stirred at his touch, and opened her eyes to meet his gaze, gracing him with a sleepy smile.
“Hi, Handsome,” she greeted, weariness evident in her tone.
“Hi, yourself.How are you feeling?”
“Tired…and everything hurts.”
He smiled at that.“I imagine it does.”
“Doctor Black said the twins are okay.”
“They’re both fine,” he assured her.“You gave me quite a scare. Keep this up and my hair will turn as gray as Pop’s.”
“I like a man with a little gray,” she teased.“Gives you character.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, Peter stilled his hand and let it lightly settle on her cheek. “When I think how easily I could have lost you…” His voice cracked, and a stray tear trickled down his cheek.
Samantha wiped it away as she flashed him an apologetic smile.“I’m sorry I made you worry.”
Peter lifted her hand from his face and pressed a kiss to her palm. “I fully expect you to make it up to me.”
“So when do you get to spring me from this place?”
“Not until tomorrow. Doctor Black wants to keep you overnight for observation.”
Her lovely face creased into a frown. “I have to stay here alone tonight?”
“No. Doctor Black has given me permission to spend the night with you and is wandering the halls in search of an extra bed.”
Samantha’s smile returned. “That’s very thoughtful of him, but I’d rather share.”
Sliding as close to the edge of her bed as possible, she patted the space beside her, and Peter removed his shoes before easing himself onto the bed beside her. It was a tight squeeze, but they both needed the feel of one another. Peter carefully settled his wife against him, making certain not to dislodge her IV. Pillowing her head on his chest, Samantha closed her eyes as he gently ran his hand up and down her back.
“This is more like it,” she murmured.“I love you, Peter.”
“I love you, too, Sam.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before closing his eyes, and a few minutes later they were both asleep.
“Ready to go home, Lieutenant?”
“Nothing personal, Doctor, but most definitely.”
“Just remember what I told you,” he said. “No strenuous activity for at least two days, and if you have any headaches or dizzy spells I want you back here immediately.”
Samantha smiled.“Trust me, Doc; if I so much as sneeze funny Peter will have me here faster than you can say ‘God bless you’.”
Black returned the smile.“Glad to hear it. Take care of yourself, Lieutenant, and I’ll expect an introduction to your little ones once they’ve made their appearance.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged. Thank you for everything.”
The two exchanged a handshake, then Black headed down the hall as Samantha started for the exit. As she reached the doors, she accidentally bumped into a tall, dark-skinned man entering the hospital.
“Excuse me,” she apologized. “I didn’t see you coming.”
“No harm done…” The man’s accented voice trailed off as he lifted his gaze to hers, and he visibly blanched.“Madre de Dios! Alexandra!”
The lieutenant’s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of her mother’s name, but before she could question the man about it, Peter pulled up in front of the entrance and honked. Samantha shot him a quick glance, then shifted her attention back to the stranger, but he had vanished. Samantha glanced in each direction, hoping to catch another glimpse of him, but to no avail. Stifling a frustrated sigh, she made her way to the car and climbed inside.
“Did you by chance notice the man I was talking to when you pulled up?” she asked.
Peter shook his head. “Not really. I only saw him from the back. Who was he?”
“I don’t know, but when he looked at me he turned as white as a sheet and called me by my mother’s name.”
“Really…that can’t be a coincidence.”
“No. I know I’m not supposed to go back to work for another couple of days, but I’d like to swing by the precinct and have one of the sketch artists draw up a composite of this man.Whoever he is, he’s the first connection I’ve had with my mother in over twenty years.”
Peter nodded and started the car.
“Well, look what the wind blew in. I thought you were supposed to be on a couple days of medical leave, Lieutenant.”
“Technically, I am,” Samantha allowed. “I’m here on personal business.Are any of the sketch artists around?”
“I think Harry is floating around here somewhere,” Broderick replied.“Try the vending machine at the end of the hall.”
“Thanks, Sarge.”
“I’m going to check in with the captain while you track down Harry,” Peter said. “I’ll meet you in your office.”
Samantha nodded in acknowledgement and wandered down the hall as Peter crossed over to the captain’s office.Simms was engrossed in a file when he approached, and he knocked on the doorframe to make his presence known.
“Knock, knock.”
Simms glanced up and gave him a small smile.“I wasn’t expecting to see you today, Detective. Aren’t you supposed to be picking up Samantha?”
“She’s here with me,” Peter revealed, stepping into her office.“Sam bumped into a guy at the hospital who recognized her resemblance to her mother, so she’s recruiting one of the sketch artists to whip up a composite in an attempt to identify him. She’s hoping he’ll turn into some kind of lead on her mother.”
“After almost twenty-five years of no contact?” Simms asked. “That’s quite a leap of faith.”
“What is?”
Simms and Peter turned at the voice to see Kermit standing in the doorway, and Peter answered his friend’s question by giving him the same explanation he had just given the captain.
“What did this guy look like?” Kermit asked.
“I only saw him from behind, but Sam described him as about six feet tall, early fifties, Latino with a strong accent.”
Samantha chose that moment to join them, acknowledging Simms and Kermit with a brief glance as she addressed Peter.“Harry’s doing the sketch,” she said. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah.”
“Mind if I take a look at this mystery man of yours?” Kermit queried.
“Not at all.”
Samantha retreated back to her office with Simms and the men in tow and they waited in patient silence for Harry to finish the sketch.After a few comments from Samantha, he finished the picture in just under ten minutes and handed it to her.
“Is this the guy you’re looking for, Lieutenant?”
“Better than a Polaroid, Harry, thanks.”
“Anytime.”
Bidding the others farewell, Harry exited Samantha’s office as Kermit spoke. “Mind if I take a look at the picture?”
The lieutenant wordlessly handed him the sketch, and the ex-mercenary studied it in silence for a full minute before returning it to her.“His name is Luis Escobar,” he told her.“He owns an import-export company which is a front for his smuggling operation. He runs his operation from a private estate in Venezuela, but travels to the States and Europe when he has to meet with clients.”
“How do you know so much about him?” Simms asked.
“I worked for him, once upon a time.We didn’t exactly part as friends.”
“Do you know how he knows Alexandra?” Samantha pressed.
Kermit afforded her a brief glance, his expression unreadable behind his shades.“Afraid not,” he said.“I’ll see you guys later.”
Without giving Samantha time to respond, Kermit turned sharply and strode from her office.
“He certainly left in a hurry,” Samantha observed, watching as Kermit headed across the crowded outer room and out the front door.
“Something tells me he knows more about your mother’s connection to Escobar than he’s letting on,” Peter remarked.“So the question now becomes, why isn’t he willing to share that information with us?”
She’s been out of my life for fifteen years and yet the mere mention of her name sends me scurrying for cover, he mused.Old ghosts never die.
The approach of light footsteps interrupted his thoughts and a moment later he felt Simms’ arms slide around his waist as she rested her head against his back. He moved his arms to cover hers, neither of them speaking but simply enjoying the feel of each other.After several minutes the captain loosened her hold on his waist and stepped around him to invade his line of vision.“A penny for your thoughts,” she offered softly.
“I don’t think they’re worth that much,” came his response.
“I’ll raise the price to a quarter if you’ll tell me why the mention of Samantha’s mother this afternoon rattled your cage so thoroughly.”
“You don’t want to go down that road, Karen,” he answered evenly.“It leads to very dangerous territory.”
smiled.“When it comes to you there isn’t any other kind,” she replied lightly.“Talk to me, Kermit; please.”
He turned to meet her gaze, curiosity warring with concern in her expression, and he reluctantly complied with her request. “Fifteen years ago, during my stint in Escobar’s private little army, I met a woman who touched my life in a way no one else has, until you. She was warm, funny, and intelligent. And with the exception of Samantha, she was absolutely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her name was Alexandra.”
“Samantha’s mother?”
“And Escobar’s wife.”
Simms’ eyes widened in surprise.“Alexandra Riese was Escobar’s wife?”
“Unfortunately.During the eight months I spent in Venezuela, she and I were lovers.”
“Obviously Samantha doesn’t know about your history with her mother.”
“No.”
“Did you know who Alexandra was when you met her?”
“Oh, yeah.We had met briefly nine years earlier when I returned from Canada with Samantha, and you don’t forget a face like hers. When I told her I knew who she was, Alexandra made me promise not tell her family where she was. Aside from Escobar’s reaction, it could damage Ashton’s career if her relationship to Escobar became public knowledge. Not to mention what it would do to Samantha.”
“Perhaps she should have thought of that before she abandoned her daughter,” Simms remarked.
“It’s easy to judge a dead woman who can’t defend herself,” Kermit responded.
“Dead or alive she has no defense,” Simms retorted.“I’m a mother too and I would die before I let anyone or anything keep me from my son. Whatever her excuses, Alexandra made her decision the day she left Samantha in Ashton Riese’s care and disappeared.”
Kermit’s expression made it clear he was less than thrilled with the captain’s comment, but knowing she was right, he let the argument drop and continued his story.“I was instantly attracted to her, but knowing she was married made her off-limits. In the beginning, I think I was drawn to her because we were both American, and because I knew she was Samantha’s mother. I loved to be with her, but we were very discreet with our friendship, unwilling to risk Escobar’s wrath if he suspected we were anything more. I doubt we ever would have been if he hadn’t gotten drunk one night and taken his frustration over a botched business deal out on her. Alexandra came to me and begged me to take her away from him, back to the States or even Europe. Yet I had nothing to offer her, except a life on the run with fear a constant companion. We argued, and the next thing I knew we were making love.”
He paused then, attempting to gain control of the emotions being resurrected by the memories.I thought I’d buried my feelings for Alexandra with her. After a moment, he continued.
“After that we were together as often as possible. As time passed, I became increasingly frustrated over his treatment of her and my inability to protect her. Eventually, my open defiance of his authority pushed Escobar over the edge, and he tried to kill me. Alexandra intervened and convinced him to spare my life, promising to stay with him if he’d let me go. She made me promise to keep an eye on Samantha and never tell either her daughter or Ashton where she was. Then she told me she loved me, kissed me good-bye and walked away. I never saw her again. I was overseas when Paul Blaisdell got word to me five years later that she had died of cancer and because she had been undergoing treatment in the U.S., there was a very real possibility that the media might learn who she was. I immediately panicked and was forced to tell Ashton what I knew. Needless to say he was furious, but we both agreed that it was vital Samantha not discover what had happened. He contacted a few friends in high places and the knowledge of Alexandra’s real identity was buried with her.”
His tale complete, Kermit fell silent, awaiting Simms’ response. She was silent for several minutes before at last finding her voice. “Why didn’t you just tell Samantha the truth after her mother died?”
“At the time Alexandra died, Samantha was thriving in Virginia. She was excelling at her job on the D.C. police force and had earned her college degree.Unfortunately, it was also when Elizabeth Riese began to exhibit the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease. I wasn’t willing to add to Samantha’s burden by telling her about Alexandra.”
“That choice wasn’t yours to make, Kermit,” Simms admonished gently.“Samantha was an adult, and should have been allowed to make her own decision about how to deal with her loss. Your efforts to protect her deprived her of the chance to properly grieve for Alexandra and gain the closure it would have given her. In any event, she needs to be told about your history with Alexandra, and you need to be the one to tell her.If the man at the hospital was Escobar, it’s only a matter of time before Samantha locates him, and I can’t begin to fathom what the ramifications will be if he tells her about your connection to her mother.”
“The last thing I want is for Samantha to learn of my relationship with Alexandra via second hand sources, Karen, but when she learns I’ve been hiding the truth from her she very likely will never forgive me.”
“Will you forgive yourself if she hears his version of the truth from Escobar?”
“I understand your need to try and solve this little mystery, Sam, but has it ever occurred to you you’re chasing a ghost?”
“Maybe I am,” Samantha allowed. “Literally and figuratively.But I’ve lived with the uncertainty for twenty-four years, Peter. One way or another I need to know what happened to my mother.”
“Well, if I weren’t seeing it with my own eyes I would never believe it,” a third voice declared.
The couple glanced up to see a familiar foe standing beside their table: Tan’s former right hand man.
“What rock did you crawl out from under, Chan?” Peter asked.
“Nice to see you too, Peter,” Chan responded.“Samantha, I must say you are like a fine wine. You just get better with age.”
She acknowledged the compliment with a simple “Thank you.”
Without bothering to ask permission, Chan grabbed a nearby chair and seated himself next to their table. “I heard a rumor a few years ago that you two had gotten married,” he said, and glanced at Samantha. “I imagine your old man’s doing back flips in his grave.”
“Whatever’s left of him is rotting in hell,” Samantha countered sharply, and stood up. “I’m going to the restroom. Excuse me.”
The lieutenant disappeared into the restaurant, and once she was gone Chan returned his attention to Peter.“It boggles the mind to know that Tan fathered someone who looks like your wife,” he replied.
A similar thought had crossed Peter’s mind on more than one occasion, but he had no inclination to reveal that to his nemesis. “What do you want, Chan?”
“I understand you’ve been looking for a man named Luis Escobar.”
“That’s right. Do you know him?”
“I work for him,” Chan revealed.“What do you want with him?”
“Personal business.”
“What kind of personal business?” Chan pressed.
“Personal.”
Chan shook his head. “It’s like talking to a wall,” he mumbled.“Fine; keep your secrets if it makes you happy.But Escobar knows I know you, so he sent me to tell you he’s willing to meet with you.”
“When and where?” Peter asked.
“He has a house on the lake just outside the city, at the end of Cherokee Lane. I’ll leave instructions with the guard at the gate that you’re expected.Eight o’clock.”
“Eight o’clock is fine.”
Chan got to his feet.“I’ll see you then. Give Samantha a kiss good bye for me.”
“Don’t push it, Chan.”
The other man just chuckled to himself as he disappeared into the crowd.Samantha emerged from the restaurant a moment later.“Please tell me he’s gone for good.”
“I wish I could, but he was here on an errand for Luis Escobar. Apparently he works for him.”
“Really…so I take it Escobar knows we’ve been looking for him.”
Peter nodded.“We have an appointment with him tonight at eight o’clock at his house on the lake,” he told her.
“So he does know my mother.”
“It looks that way.” He paused. “We have no way of knowing what he’s going to tell us about Alexandra.Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Positive.I need answers, Peter, and with Kermit unwilling to give them to me I intend to get them from someone who will.”
The idea clearly did not sit well with him, but he knew better than to try and change Samantha’s mind.Why do I have a feeling we’re both going to regret this?
“Has anyone ever told you you’re beautiful when you’re distracted?”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Detective,” Simms returned.“I take it you haven’t spoken to Samantha or Peter.”
“Not today, no.”
Simms sighed.“One of Escobar’s men contacted Samantha this afternoon and told her that Escobar has agreed to give her information about her mother,” she revealed.“She and Peter are at his house as we speak.”
“Son of a bitch!” Kermit exclaimed.
Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the squad room as a concerned Simms watched him go.
“Care to share the joke?”
“The twins are moving,” she clarified.“It’s almost like being tickled from the inside out.”
The detective smiled and walked over to stand beside his wife, then placed a hand on her swollen stomach.As if sensing his touch, the twins immediately stilled, and he smiled at Samantha.“Better now?”
She shook her head.“One of these days you’re going to have to tell me how you do that,” she muttered.
“It’s a Shaolin thing,” Peter quipped.
“Isn’t everything?”
The couple made their way to the front door and a few moments after they rang the bell, the door opened to reveal Chan standing in the foyer.
“Good evening, Samantha, Peter,” he greeted cheerily.
“Spare us the chit chat and take us to Escobar,” Peter said.
“Your wish is my command.”
He led them down a long hallway, then entered a room at the far end. A man stood beside the fireplace, gazing into the flames, and he turned expectantly at the sound of the opening door.
“The Caines have arrived, Luis,” Chan announced.
“Thank you, Chan. Leave us.”
The other man gave a nod of acknowledgement and wordlessly exited the room. Once he was gone, Escobar shifted his attention to his guests.
“Lieutenant, Detective; thank you for coming.”
“Thank you for inviting us,” Samantha responded, earning her a smile from Escobar.
“You are the image of your mother, complete with the same Southern accent.”
“Than you did know her.”
“Of course I knew her,” Escobar allowed, and stepped aside as he gestured at a portrait hanging on the wall.“Alexandra was my wife.”
“Was’?” Samantha echoed questioningly.
Genuine regret flickered across Escobar’s dark face.“I am sorry to tell you, Lieutenant, that your mother died from cancer over ten years ago.”
Samantha went stone still as the color drained from her face, and she stared at the painting of her mother. You never even bothered to say good-bye, she thought bitterly. Several minutes passed and when Samantha remained silent, Peter placed a hand on her arm.“Sam?” he prompted softly.“Are you all right?”
She afforded him a brief glance. “Yes, I’m fine.” She turned to Escobar.“I’m curious as to why you didn’t know who I was to Alexandra until we ran into one another at the hospital.”
“My wife never told me she had a daughter,” Escobar explained.“I never even knew she had a husband before me.”
“Most people didn’t, but her marriage to my father was annulled over twenty years ago.”
“Do you mind if I ask who he was?”
“He was a Chinese crime lord named Xian Tan,” Samantha said.“His…work…was very similar to yours.My mother seems to have had a taste for dangerous men.”
Escobar smiled at that.“An interesting theory,” he allowed.“Does Alexandra have any more long-lost children I should know about?”
“I have a twin sister, but considering she’s wanted for murder, I doubt she’ll make it to the family reunion.”
Escobar chuckled.“I see you have inherited your mother’s sharp tongue as well as her beauty,” he remarked.“An intriguing combination.”
“I’m sure she’s thrilled with your high opinion of her.”
The trio turned to discover Kermit standing in the doorway and he walked over to stand beside Peter.
“Senor Griffin,” Escobar greeted. “It has been a long time.”
“Not long enough,” came Kermit’s retort.
“I take it you knew my mother was married to Escobar,” Samantha directed at Kermit.
“Yes.”
“Any particular reason you neglected to tell me she was his wife?”
“I promised her I wouldn’t.”
“Lieutenant Caine,” Escobar interjected, “Why don’t you ask Senor Griffin exactly just how well he knew my wife?”
Samantha shifted her gaze to Kermit.“What is he talking about?”
“Samantha…”
“Answer the question!”
Bracing himself for her reaction, Kermit said simply, “We were lovers.”
Surprise flickered across Samantha’s refined features for the briefest of moments before being replaced by anger, and she lifted her hand to slap him across the face, knocking off his shades.“You son of a bitch!” she exclaimed.
“Sam, don’t,” Peter said quietly, and wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from striking Kermit again as the latter retrieved his shades. Noticing the lenses were now cracked, he silently slipped them into his pocket.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Samantha demanded.
“There was never any reason for you to know,” Kermit answered calmly.
“Never any reason for me to know?” she echoed incredulously. “For the love of God, Kermit, she was my mother! You know what her disappearance did to me; did it ever occur to you that it might be of some interest to me to know that she was alive?”
“Given the circumstances, quite frankly I wasn’t sure.”
Samantha snorted.“Maybe you should have given it a little more thought before you bedded her,” she replied, and turned to face Escobar. “I appreciate you taking the time to explain your connection to my mother. Under the circumstances, however, I think it would be best if you and I avoided any future contact.”
Without waiting for a response, Samantha exited the room, casting a final angry glare at Kermit as she did so. Once she was gone, Peter glanced at Kermit. “You have some explaining to do,” he said.
“I know, but this isn’t the time or the place,” Kermit replied.“Take Samantha home and I’ll meet you there after I finish with Escobar.”
“Fine; I’ll expect you in about half an hour.”
The detective headed out of the room in search of his wife, leaving Kermit alone with Escobar.
“I’m only going to say this once, so pay close attention,” Kermit instructed. “Stay away from Samantha Caine. If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I’ll kill you.”
“Was that a threat, Griffin?” Escobar asked coolly.
“It was a promise.”
Escobar cast him a knowing smile.“Well, I see some things never change,” he replied. “Not that I blame you. Alexandra was a rare beauty, but her daughter outshines even her.”
“What the hell are you rambling about?”
“Honestly, Griffin, do you think I’m blind? It’s perfectly obvious that you’re in love with Lieutenant Caine.”
Kermit snorted. “In case it’s escaped your notice, Luis, Samantha is married.”
“That didn’t stop you from becoming involved with her mother, did it?”
The ex-mercenary stiffened and his tone turned ice cold.“If you want to live to see the sunrise, I suggest you drop the subject of Alexandra and Samantha right here and now.As for our history, as far as I’m concerned it’s just that. So go back to Caracas and crawl back into your coffin, and stay the hell away from Samantha Caine.”
On that note, Kermit strode out of the house. Escobar watched him go, then smiled to himself as he spoke aloud to the empty room.
“Griffin, my friend, you have just given me the perfect way to extract my revenge against you and my wife.”
“Thank you,” he said automatically.
“You’re welcome.”
The detective blew on his beverage and took a tentative sip before speaking again. “Do you want to talk about it? Or shall I just sit and watch you simmer in silence?”
Samantha shot him an annoyed glance. ”Spare me the sarcasm, Peter; I’m not in the mood.”
“I know you’re upset, Princess, but we have to believe Kermit had his reasons for lying to you.”
“Whatever they are, they’re not good enough.”
“As I recall, you weren’t exactly forthcoming about your own past when we reunited three years ago,” Peter reminded her.
“I know that, but witnessing how close my secrets came to tearing us apart should have given Kermit even more of an incentive to reveal his.”
As if to speak of the devil, the doorbell rang and at Peter’s invitation to enter, Kermit walked inside.Samantha shot him an icy glare as she got to her feet and retreated into the kitchen.The men watched her go before Kermit spoke.“I take it she’s still mad.”
“Royally pissed would be more accurate,” Peter corrected.“Can’t say that I blame her.”
Kermit afforded him a brief glance.“If you were in Samantha’s position, Peter, would you really have wanted me to tell you that I had an affair with your estranged mother, who also happened to be the wife of a South American drug lord?” he prompted.
“I would have wanted to know that my mother was still alive.”
Kermit shook his head and started for the kitchen. Samantha stood by the sink, staring at her mug of now cold cocoa.Both she and Harmony glanced up at his approach, and the shepherd released a low growl.
“Down, Harmony!” Samantha said sharply.
“Teaching her new tricks?” Kermit asked dryly.
“She started growling at everyone shortly after I got pregnant,” Samantha responded quietly.“With the exception of Peter, no one can get within ten feet of me.”
Not wanting to provoke the dog, Kermit remained where he was.“I’m sorry you found out about my relationship with Alexandra the way you did,” he began.“I should have told you a long time ago.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because Alexandra made me promise not to, and I wasn’t sure how you would react to the news of our relationship.”
“The fact that you and Alexandra were lovers quite frankly isn’t the bitter pill to swallow you obviously thought it would be.I’m angry because you kept the truth from me and prevented me from obtaining any closure with my mother.When you showed up in Virginia for my high school graduation you told me that you’d spent most of the previous year in South America.How convenient that you neglected to mention it was spent in my mother’s bed.”
“What was I supposed to do?” Kermit demanded.“Announce in front of Ashton and all his contemporaries that his long-lost daughter was married to a Venezuelan drug lord and having an extra-marital affair with one of his hired mercenaries?”
“Don’t patronize me, Kermit!” Samantha snapped.“We both know damn well that if you had wanted to be honest with me, you could have found a way to let me know Alexandra was alive without going into detail. It certainly would have been preferable to you lying to me for half my life.”
Knowing she was right, the former mercenary remained silent and the lieutenant took a moment to reign in her temper before continuing.
“When my mother first disappeared, I would wake up every day hoping that today would be the day she came back for me.But as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to months, I slowly began to realize that she wasn’t coming back. So I buried my pain and moved on.Yet deep in my heart, there was still a part of me that wanted to see her again, to feel her arms around me and have her say she loved me. Because I thought that as long as there was a chance she was alive, than there was a chance she’d come back.Do you know what that’s like? To spend every day of your life waiting for something that never happens?”
Kermit sighed.“I don’t know what you want me to say, Samantha. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing by protecting you.”
“Maybe that was true when I was eighteen, but at thirty-three it just doesn’t wash.” She paused. “Until I reunited with Peter there was no one in my life I trusted more than you. Nothing you could have told me about you and Alexandra - or her and Escobar - could have hurt worse than knowing you lied to me, by choice. That is something I can’t forget, even if I could forgive it.”
Her sky blue eyes glistening with unshed tears, Samantha left the kitchen without waiting for Kermit’s response. Peter had been propped against the doorframe since the start of their argument and made no move to stop her when she stormed by him. Kermit took a step to follow her, but Peter blocked his path.“Let her go, Kermit. She’s had enough for one night.”
“I can’t just leave things this way.”
“Right now you have no choice,” Peter countered.“Give her some time and space to deal with what’s she’s learned.With enough of both, maybe the rift between you can mend.”
“I hope so.”
“As long as you’re in the mood to bare your soul, I would appreciate an honest answer to a question.”
“What question is that?”
“Are you in love with my wife?”
Do I have a sign posted on my head? Kermit wondered idly. To Peter he said, “That’s a hell of a question, Peter, and last time I checked I was involved with the captain.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Brown met hazel. “Yes,” the older man admitted.“I love Samantha. Not the way you do, but it’s there.”
“Does the captain know?”
“No, and I would appreciate it if you would let me tell her.”
“Your relationship with Captain Simms is no one’s business but yours.”
“What about Samantha? Are you going to tell her?”
“Not tonight, but yes, I am.”
Kermit gave a curt nod of acknowledgement and started for the door, but just as he reached it he turned back to face Peter. “This goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Whatever my feelings are for Samantha, I have never doubted where - and with whom - she belongs. I would never mar any of our respective relationships by attempting to change that.”
“I don’t doubt your respect for my marriage, Kermit, but I won’t pretend that knowing my best friend is in love with my wife doesn’t bother me.”
“What you and Samantha have is untouchable; you know that.”
“I do, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept that under different circumstances history might be repeating itself.”
Not knowing how to respond to that, Kermit merely held his gaze in silence for a long moment before leaving the house. Peter locked the door behind him, then headed into the bedroom. He found Samantha seated on the edge of their bed, staring at the floor, anguish etched in her posture. Closing the distance between them, Peter knelt down in front of her and placed a hand on her leg.
“Are you all right?” he asked quietly.
“No, actually, I’m not.”
The detective wordlessly pulled his wife into his embrace and a moment later she began to cry.
“I take it things didn’t go well at Escobar’s?”
Releasing a heavy sigh, Kermit tossed his coat onto a nearby chair before falling onto the couch beside her. “That may be the understatement of the year,” he allowed.
“What happened?”
“By the time I got there, Escobar had already told Samantha about his marriage to Alexandra and when I showed up, forced me to admit that she and I had been lovers. Samantha went ballistic and stormed out of the house.”
“How did Peter take the news?”
Kermit shrugged.“His concern was for Samantha,” he said simply.“After I finished with Escobar, I stopped by Samantha and Peter’s to try and talk with her, but it only made things worse.I may have irreparably damaged my relationships with my two best friends.”
“Both of them?” Simms echoed.
He nodded. “Peter and I had a brief…exchange after my fight with Samantha and it’s put our friendship on extremely thin ice.”
“What was this ‘exchange’ about?” Simms asked.
Kermit turned to meet her gaze.“He’s upset because I admitted to being in love with his wife,” he admitted quietly.
So there it is. Surprise flickered across Simms’ face, and she remained silent for a long moment before responding.“Well, I suppose I should have seen that coming,” she said softly.
“You knew?”
“Not for certain. You’ve always been a bit overzealous when it comes to Samantha, but I just attributed that to an exaggerated sense of protectiveness.Yet every once in a while I would watch you watch her with Peter, and the oddest expression would pass across your face. Some kind of cross between envy and jealousy.I never really thought much about it until now.”
“To be perfectly honest, neither have I,” Kermit said.“For as long as I’ve known Samantha, her heart has belonged to Peter. Even when she was a little girl, it was obvious she adored him.And once they were reunited three years ago, it was just as obvious that the feeling was mutual.”
“Yet that didn’t stop you from falling in love with her.”
Kermit did not bother to deny it. “In the beginning, I suppose the nature of my feelings for her changed because she reminded me so strongly of Alexandra. But the more time I spent with Samantha, the more I realized what an extraordinary woman she was in her own right. Eventually I realized that I had developed feelings for her that went beyond friendship.”
“You knew Samantha while she was still in Washington,” Simms recalled.“Why didn’t you do something about your feelings then?”
“Partly because of my guilt over concealing my affair with Alexandra, and partly because I knew she would never feel the same way. Even if she and Peter hadn’t found each other again, between our age difference and my chosen profession it would never have worked. And I was unwilling to jeopardize our friendship by telling her how I felt.”
“So where does that leave us?” Simms asked.“Am I just a convenient substitute?”
“No,” Kermit said firmly.“I care about you, Karen. You know that. After Alexandra I was convinced that I could never feel that way about anyone again, but you changed that. You changed me.”
“I’d like to think so, but coming on the heels of an admission that you’re in love with another woman I have a hard time accepting it.”
“The last thing I wanted was for you to get hurt. I’m sorry.”
“That makes two of us.”
Simms got to her feet and walked around the couch, then came to a halt behind Kermit.“I told you when we started this that I would handle our relationship any way that made you comfortable, but I won’t settle for being second choice. And I won’t share you with your unrequited love for Samantha.”
“I don’t expect you to,” Kermit replied.
“So what do we do about it?”
“I don’t know.”
The captain nodded.“Well, obviously you have some thinking to do, and a decision to make. You know where to find me once you have.”
Without waiting for a response, she retrieved her coat and purse and left the apartment.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.What are you doing up and about so early?”
“I needed some fresh air to clear my head, so I took Harmony for a walk. Mrs. Johnson was very disappointed that you weren’t with me.She gave me instructions to ‘pass along her regards to that hunky husband of mine’.”
He smiled at that.“The woman is old enough to be my grandmother, Princess.”
She smiled back. “Doesn’t mean she doesn’t know a good thing when she sees it.”
“Then maybe that explains why Mr. Johnson always needs to mow the lawn or rake leaves whenever you pass by.”
“Actually, this morning he was trimming the hedges.”
Peter shook his head in affectionate amusement as she made her way into the kitchen.“Do you want some breakfast?” she offered.
“Just coffee, thanks.”
Samantha busied herself with preparing the coffee as Peter settled himself on one of the nearby stools, relieved that her mood was considerably improved over last night’s emotional roller coaster ride. Yet as she handed him his mug a moment later, he decided to get Kermit’s final secret out into the open.
“You seem to be in quite a good mood this morning, considering the emotional wringer you went through last night.”
“I’ve never been one for indulging in pity parties, and spending the next several days moping won’t change anything.Kermit made his choice; now we all have to live with it.”
“What about the news that Alexandra is dead?”
A shadow of grief flickered across her refined features.“It hurts, especially because she avoided reconciling with me before she died.But in a strange way it’s also comforting to finally know for sure.Now I can grieve for her and move on.”
“And Kermit?”
“I don’t know. It’s too soon for me to think about that.”
“He and I had a brief talk after your fight last night,” Peter revealed.“It turns out that he had an ulterior motive for keeping the truth from you.”
“I had a feeling there was more to it than wanting to protect me,” she allowed, and settled herself on the stool next to him.“What did he tell you?”
“Kermit admitted to me that he’s in love with you.”
Samantha’s sky blue eyes widened in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“It makes sense in an odd sort of way.The way he’s always been so overprotective of you; his subtle supervision of our relationship.”
“Peter, except for you and your father Kermit’s known me longer than anyone else in my life,” she reminded him.“He’s practically been a father to me. His behavior is perfectly in tune with that.”
“As a man who knows what it’s like to love you, I recognize the symptoms in Kermit,” Peter countered.“You may not see it, but I do.”
The lieutenant released a sigh.“If he cares about me the way you say he does, what does that do to his relationship with Captain Simms?”
“I don’t know. Until last night I was certain that she was the love of his life.”
Samantha afforded him a sideways glance.“How are you doing with the news?”
Peter shrugged.“I admit that it bothers me.I know Kermit has too much respect for both of us to ever make waves, but on some level I can’t help feeling that he’s betrayed me somehow by allowing himself to become emotionally involved with you.”
She gave him a small smile.“Welcome to my world,” she said wryly.
“What does that mean?”
“For the past three years, I’ve had to deal with Jody’s resentment and jealousy because she’s in love with you. Granted she doesn’t display the open contempt she had for me at the beginning, but we’ve hardly found a separate peace, either.”
“That’s different. You and Jody don’t have the history that I have with Kermit and Jody’s feelings for me preceded our relationship.”
“As did Kermit’s for me, but he’s not watching and waiting from the sidelines, hoping that something will happen to break us apart so he can pick up the pieces.”
“And you think Jody is.”
“I know she is.I can see it in her eyes every time she looks at me.”
Peter reached over and gently placed his hand against her cheek. “You are the light of my soul, Sam. No one can touch that.”
“I know,” Samantha responded.“And you know that I love you with everything that I am.But that doesn’t make it any easier for us to deal with this, does it?”
“No.”
They both fell silent then, their gazes meeting in silent understanding before Samantha spoke again. “I think we both need some time to deal with everything that’s happened.Once the fires have cooled a bit, hopefully we can find a way to resolve this.”
“Maybe we should talk to Pop,” Peter suggested.“Get an outside opinion from someone who knows all of us well enough to understand the situation, but can remain objective enough to offer a solution.”
“I think that’s a good idea.After we go car shopping, we’ll drop by your dad’s place and fill him in on what’s happened.”
“We’re going car shopping?”
Samantha flashed him an indulgent smile. “My car is now scrap metal, remember? And we agreed that once the twins arrive we’re going to need something more practical, so the Stealth has to go, too.”
“I like my car,” Peter grumbled.
Samantha slid off her stool to stand in front of Peter’s, wrapping her arms around him.“I promise it make it up to you,” she said.
He smiled back. “How about a preview of coming attractions?”
Her smile widened ever so briefly before she leaned forward to meet his kiss.
“Good afternoon, my children.”
The couple exchanged an amused smile before Peter addressed his father.“Hi, Pop.How’d you know it was us?”
The priest shrugged.“It is a ‘Shaolin thing’.”
A snort from beside him told Peter Samantha was stifling a laugh, which he pointedly ignored as Caine turned to face them.Setting down his watering can, he walked over to stand in front of Samantha and gently placed his hand on her stomach. After a moment, he removed it and gave her a faint smile.
“My grandchildren are well.”
It was more of a statement than a question, but nonetheless Samantha responded. “They are very well.”
“And how is their mother?”
The innocent question triggered the carefully controlled anger and grief still simmering within her and tears began to stream down her face as she buried her face in Peter’s chest. Wrapping his arms around her in a silent gesture of comfort, Peter addressed his father.
“Sam and Kermit had a fight last night,” he explained. “It seems that Kermit had an affair with Sam’s mom several years ago, but never told her. He also knew that Alexandra has been dead for ten years and kept that from her, too. And on top of everything else, he admitted to me that he’s in love with Sam.”
As always, the elder Caine’s expression was unreadable, and he took a moment to absorb what Peter had told him before responding.“What explanation did he give for keeping these truths from you?” he asked of Samantha.
Her emotions once again under control, the beautiful blonde pulled away from Peter and looked to Caine.“He gave some two bit excuse about wanting to protect me,” she said.“He claimed he was worried about how I would react to learning about his affair with my mother.”
“Yet you do not believe that.”
“At this point in time, I wouldn’t believe him if he told me the Pope is Catholic. He may not have lied outright, but he’s been deliberately concealing the truth from me for fifteen years.That’s unacceptable for any reason.”
The priest shrugged.“We often do things to protect the ones we love that under different circumstances we would not consider,” he replied.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Peter declared, earning him an admonishing look from Caine.
“Your anger may be warranted, but it does not help Samantha or yourself,” he stated.
“What am I supposed to do, Pop?” Peter demanded.“Just overlook the fact that he’s in love with my wife? I can’t do that.”
“Kermit is no threat to you, Peter,” Caine declared.“Yet your anger and jealousy pour salt into open wounds.Let them go.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned his attention to Samantha.“You must search your heart and decide for yourself whether or not you wish to salvage your friendship with Kermit. Neither Peter nor I can make that choice for you. But you must first accept that his relationship with Alexandra has no bearing on his relationship with you. While he may have been wrong to conceal it from you, do not judge him for loving her, whatever the circumstances. And do not blame him for her choice to die without reconciling with you.”
“I don’t blame him for that, but if he had told me about their relationship in the first place, I might have at least been given a chance to say good-bye.”
“It was your mother’s wish that you not know how to find her,” Caine countered gently. “As painful as it is, that is the truth.”
“So I’m just supposed to live with it and move on?”
“Yes.”
Her father-in-law’s response clearly did not sit well with her, but knowing he was right Samantha remained silent. Placing his hands on her arms, Peter pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Then, turning, he acknowledged his father’s words.
“Thanks for the advice, Pop. You’ve given us some things to think about.”
“Do not think too long, my son. A tree left too long in the dark will eventually perish.”
detective nodded in acknowledgement, then he and Samantha bid Caine farewell before leaving the loft.
T.J., Jody and Skalany were huddled in the squad room, conversing casually while they skimmed through their paperwork. Hearing a door open, they glanced over expectantly as Samantha walked out of her office and crossed over to the water cooler, deliberately avoiding passing by Kermit’s office as she did so. The action was not lost on them, and T.J. addressed his friends in a conspiratorial whisper.
“I’d give a week’s pay to know what’s going on with Kermit and Samantha,” he said.“They haven’t said more than ten words to each other in as many days.”
“Neither have Peter and Kermit, or Kermit and the captain for that matter,” Jody added.“The past week and a half it’s been like working in an Arctic cold front.”
“If any of them wanted us to know what was going on, they would tell us,” Skalany replied.“I suggest you keep your noses out of it.”
“Has Caine said anything to you?” Jody asked.
“No, and even if he had I certainly wouldn’t betray his confidence by telling you,” Skalany responded.
“Well something’s going on,” T.J. said.“I think it has something to do with that man Samantha ran into the day she left the hospital.”
“That would be a correct assumption, Detective,” Samantha stated from behind him.
The trio started guiltily and glanced up to see Samantha standing a few feet away.
“Lieutenant…” T.J. greeted nervously. “We didn’t see you standing there.”
“Obviously. Since you seem to have enough free time to gossip about my personal business, maybe I should talk to the chief about finding all of you more work to do.”
“Samantha…” Skalany began.
“Save it, Skalany!” the lieutenant snapped. “Since y’all seem to be so concerned with the situation between Kermit and myself, I’ll just enlighten you now so y’all can stop whispering behind our backs.As T.J. so accurately guessed, the man I ran into at the hospital was indeed the catalyst for my conflict with Kermit. His name is Escobar and it turns out that he was married to my mother. Kermit knew both of them while working for Escobar in South America several years ago, yet never bothered to tell me. He also conveniently neglected to mention that he and my mother were lovers, and that she died from cancer ten years ago.”
“I’m sorry,” Jody interjected automatically.
Samantha shot her an acidic glare. “Spare me your false sympathy, Jody,” she retorted.“How stupid do you think I am? Do you honestly think I don’t know that you spend every day hoping something will break Peter and I apart so you can pick up the pieces? Well here’s a news flash; it will never happen.Accept it, deal with it and move on.”
She paused then, allowing them a moment to absorb the news and needing to rein in her temper.Peter chose that moment to make his appearance, and the look on his wife’s face combined with the almost tangible tension radiating from their friends made it obvious he had walked in on something.
Looks like the shit has hit the fan, he observed.
Walking over to join them, he placed a hand on Samantha’s arm.“Is there a problem, Sam?” he asked.
“Yes; three of them.”
On that note, Samantha stormed out of the squad room. Peter watched her go, then turned to face the others.“Which one of you wants to tell me what happened?”
“Hello, Samantha,” Terry greeted.
“Hi, Terry.”
“Aren’t you missing someone?”
“Peter’s at the precinct,” Samantha clarified.“I got into a fight with a few of the other detectives and walked out.”
“Does he know you’re here?”
“No, but if you let me borrow your phone I’ll call him and tell him. In the meantime, I could use a glass of ginger ale, please.”
“Coming up.”
Terry reached under the bar and pulled out a small phone, which he placed on the counter in front of Samantha. The lieutenant flashed him a grateful smile and picked up the receiver as he made his way to the opposite end of the bar to prepare her drink. She dialed the precinct and after a few rings Strenlich’s’ voice came on the line.
“One-oh-one. Strenlich speaking.”
“Chief, it’s Samantha.Is Peter around?”
“Hang on a sec,” he said, and in the background she heard him shout an inquiry to the squad room. “Anybody seen Peter?”A muffled voice responded and Strenlich came back on the line.“He’s not here, Lieutenant. Skalany says he left almost an hour ago to look for you.”
“Okay; I’ll call him on his cell phone.”
She replaced the receiver just as Terry placed her ginger ale on the bar and she took a sip before again picking up the receiver to call Peter, who answered on the second ring.“Peter Caine.”
“Peter, it’s me.”
“Sam…” Peter said, relief evident in his tone. “Where are you? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I’m at Delancey’s. I’m sorry I left the precinct the way I did.”
“We’ll talk about it when I get there. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Peter severed their connection and Samantha placed the phone receiver back on its cradle. As Terry busied himself behind the bar, Samantha sipped at her drink, and a few minutes later turned expectantly at the sound of the opening door. Yet it was not Peter who entered the restaurant but Chan, accompanied by a pair of Escobar’s hired guns.Crossing over to stand in front of Samantha, he flashed her a small smile.
“A beautiful woman should never have to drink alone,” he said.
“What do you want, Chan?”
“Escobar sent me to find you,” Chan told her. “It seems he has some unfinished business with a friend of yours - the ex-mercenary, I believe - and he intends to use you as bait to bring him to heel.”
“You’re seriously delusional if you think I’m going anywhere with you,” Samantha responded.
Chan feigned a sigh.“This isn’t personal, Samantha. I like you, and I like Peter. But business is business, and Escobar is paying me a lot of money to ask ‘How high?’ when he says ‘jump’. So you can either come with me of your own free will or my friends will drag you out kicking and screaming.”
“In front of a half dozen witnesses?”
“Oh…didn’t I mention my friends are both harboring semi-automatic pistols under their jackets?” Chan asked innocently.
“I never took you for a murderer, Chan.”
“I learned more from your father than you think,” came the reply.“I know you don’t want to see innocent people get hurt, Lieutenant, and taking you by force wouldn’t bode well for your baby, either. Do us all a favor and do this the easy way.”
The lieutenant held his gaze for another moment before reluctantly sliding off her stool and starting for the door.Motioning for his accomplices to escort her out, he glanced at Terry.
“Tell Peter that Escobar will exchange Samantha’s life for their friend’s,” he said.“Tell him that they have to come alone or she’ll be dead before they get in the door.”
“I’ll give him the message,” Terry agreed stiffly.
“Glad to hear it. Have a nice day.”
Flashing him a false smile, Chan turned and exited the restaurant. Less than sixty seconds after he was gone, Peter walked inside in search of his wife.
“Hey, Terry. Where’s Sam?”
“That creep Chan has her,” Terry revealed. “He showed up just before you did and threatened to harm her or the customers if she didn’t go with him.” He motioned at the phone he was holding. :”I was just calling you at the precinct.”
“Son of a…”
“He also told me to give you a message. He said to tell you that Escobar will exchange Samantha’s life for Kermit’s, but if you don’t show up alone he’ll kill her anyway.”
Peter immediately pulled out his cell phone and dialed Kermit’s private line.
“Griffin,” came the curt greeting after the first ring.
“Kermit, it's Peter. Escobar’s got Sam. He’s using her as bait to get to you.”
“That fucking bastard!” he snarled.“I’ll meet you at his estate in fifteen minutes.”
Hanging up the phone, Kermit retrieved his personal gun from his desk drawer and strode out of the precinct. In the parking lot, he reached his car just as Simms was exiting hers, and noticing he was armed, the captain shot him a concerned glance.
“What’s going on?”
“Escobar’s taken Samantha,” Kermit answered. “Peter and I are going to get her back.”
“By killing him?” Simms prompted.
“If necessary,” he allowed.
A pause.“Ten days ago you told me that our relationship had changed you,” she said.“If that’s true, you won’t do this.”
“I have to. Escobar and I have been on a collision course for fifteen years, Karen; it has to end here and now.”
“The Kermit Griffin I fell in love with isn’t a murderer,” Simms replied.
Kermit sighed.“If it’s at all possible, I intend to rescue Samantha and take care of Escobar without having to kill him,” he conceded. “But I won’t allow her to be a victim of our private little war. Whatever it takes, I will finish things with him.”
“Then I guess you’ll do what you have to,” Simms agreed.
Their gazes met and held for a moment before Kermit reluctantly climbed into his car.Simms took a step back and watched in silence as he started his car, then pulled out of his space and out of the lot. She remained in place until his car had vanished from sight, then spoke aloud to herself.
“Come back to me,” she whispered.
“Lieutenant Caine; a pleasure to see you again.”
“Spare me the small talk, Escobar,” Samantha retorted.“Do you really think you’re going to get away with this?”
“My own fate is not important. What matters to me is that Griffin spend the rest of his life knowing I took something from him that can never be replaced.”
Understanding dawned then, and Samantha stiffened.“You’re going to kill me.”
“Yes.”
“The fact that I’m pregnant means nothing to you?”
“The child you carry is not of my blood, Lieutenant. Therefore its life holds no significance for me.”
“If Kermit doesn’t kill you, my husband will,” Samantha declared.
“Idle threats from a dead woman,” Escobar retorted, and glanced at Chan. “Take her upstairs and lock her in one of the guest rooms.”
Chan nodded and gestured at his accomplices, who shoved Samantha toward the stairs. As they disappeared from sight, Chan addressed Escobar.
“You really going to kill her, Luis?” he asked.“Murdering a pregnant woman is a bit harsh even for you.”
Escobar cast him an icy glance.“I do not pay you to question my orders, Chan, only to follow them.If you can’t do that then I’ll find someone who can.” Chan wisely said nothing and Escobar continued. “I have work to finish in my study. Notify me the moment Griffin and Peter Caine show up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Across the street from the entrance to Escobar’s property, Peter had just gotten out of his car when Kermit pulled up beside him.Exiting his car, Kermit walked over to stand next to Peter. The late afternoon dusk was beginning to give way to dark.
“What now?” he asked.
“Escobar has Sam stashed somewhere until he knows we’re here.”
“Then the first order of business is getting her out of there,” Kermit said. “I’ll deal with Escobar; you get her to safety.”
The sound of an approaching car interrupted their conversation and the two men turned to see Skalany’s car pull up, then she, Jody and T.J. climbed out.
“Hi, guys,” Skalany greeted. “Mind if we crash the party?”
“What are you doing here, Mary-Margaret?” Peter asked.
“We figured something was up when Kermit bolted from the precinct like a bat out of hell,” T.J. replied.
“The only time he does that is when Samantha or Captain Simms are in trouble,” Skalany added. “And since the captain strolled in almost immediately afterward, we assumed that meant something had happened to Samantha.”
“So you took it upon yourselves to follow me?” Kermit pressed.
“Actually, the captain ordered us to tail you as back-up.”
Kermit glanced questioningly at Peter, who merely shrugged. “Five cops are better than two,” he said.
“Make that five cops and a Shambala Master,” Jody replied, and gestured in the direction they had come from. The others followed the movement and saw Caine walking toward them.
“Pop…” Peter greeted. “How did you know we were here?”
“I sensed that Samantha was in danger,” Caine explained.“It seemed logical that Escobar was its source.”
“So what’s the plan, Peter?” T.J. prompted.
“If memory serves me correctly, there’s two guards at the front gate and the rest are spread out across his estate,” Peter told them. “Kermit, you and T.J take out the two up front and then head for the house. Jody and Skalany, you two scope out the grounds around his house and make sure he can’t send for the cavalry. Pop and I will get inside the house from the back and find Sam.”
The group nodded in mute agreement and started for the gate.
Curiosity may wind up killing more than the cat, she mused. I should have heeded Peter’s warning not to pursue Escobar’s connection to my mother. Now it may cost me my life or the lives of my babies.
As if to mock the beautiful blonde’s morbid train of thought, the twins chose that moment to stir, vying for position within her womb. Smiling down at her stomach, she placed her hands above the slight swell.
“All right you two, I get the message. No moping. Your daddy will be here soon and he’ll get us out of here safely, I promise.”
Her one sided conversation was aborted when she heard a slight thump from the hallway, and a moment later the door swung open to admit Peter.
“Peter!” she exclaimed. “Thank God!”
She got to her feet just as Peter walked over to her and they wrapped their arms around one another in a fierce embrace, then Peter pulled back to give her a quick kiss.
“Are you all right?” he demanded.“Escobar hasn’t hurt you, has he?”
“I’m fine.”
Caine joined them then and flashed his daughter-in-law a warm smile.“Hello, Samantha. I am relieved to see that you and the babies are unharmed.”
Samantha returned the smile as Peter spoke again.“We’ve got to get you out of here. Kermit and T.J. will be coming through the front door any minute and I don’t want to risk you getting caught in the crossfire.”
The lieutenant nodded in silent agreement and the trio exited the bedroom, carefully stepping over the unconscious form of her guard.
“What did you do to him?” Samantha asked.
“I gave him a ‘Vulcan nerve pinch’,” Caine answered.
Samantha and Peter exchanged an amused glance as they made their way down the hall. Just as they reached the top of the stairs, they heard a shout from outside.
“Police!” Skalany shouted. “Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!”
“So much for the element of surprise,” Peter muttered, pulling his gun. There were the sounds of running feet and more shouts. The trio started down the stairs, hugging the wall. Halfway down, the house plunged into darkness - an attempt by Escobar to even the odds, no doubt. The sudden loss of light immediately triggered Samantha’s inherent fear of the dark, and she tightened her hold on her husband’s arm. “I can’t do this in the dark, Peter,” she whispered, fear evident in her tone. “You need to get me out of here or I need the lights back on, now.”
Peter placed his free hand over hers. “I’m right here, Princess. We’re going to get out of here, I promise.”
They reached the bottom of the stairs; scant light filtered through the sheer curtains on the windows. Shadows seemed everywhere. A movement ahead of them stopped them short. Chan and one of his cohorts materialized from the darkness.
“Going somewhere, Peter?”
Caine and Peter immediately stepped in front of Samantha.
“Step out of the way,” Kwai Chang instructed softly.
“Sorry, Caine, but I can’t do that,” Chan responded. “If I let you just walk out of here, Escobar will kill me.”
Peter leveled his gun at Chan - a stand-off of weaponry.“Move out of the way or I’ll kill you where you stand,” he cautioned coldly.
Chan flashed him a smug smile.“You don’t have the guts, Peter,” he taunted.
“I do,” a familiar voice declared, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.
Chan and his accomplice slowly turned around to see Kermit and T.J. standing less than a foot behind them, the former’s gun aimed directly at Chan’s head.
“Give me a reason, Chan,” Kermit said quietly.
The other man wordlessly lifted his hands in mock surrender and Kermit stepped forward to disarm his companion, then handed the gun to Peter.“Take our friends outside and read them their rights. I’m going to find Escobar.”
“I’ll save you the trouble,” Escobar declared, stepping out of the shadows to grab Samantha’s arm, jerking her to him. A glint of silver raised and stopped at her head.“Step out of the way, all of you, or the lovely Lieutenant is as good as dead.”
Kermit and Peter immediately leveled their guns on Escobar. Peter growled, “Let her go, Luis.”
Escobar chuckled.“I don’t think so, Detective. As long as I have your wife as a hostage, neither you nor your fellow officers will so much as look at me sideways.Besides, I have no intention of depriving myself of the pleasure of watching Griffin’s face when I put a bullet in her brain.”
“Try it and you’ll be dead before you can pull the trigger,” Kermit cautioned.
Escobar shook his head. “You truly are pathetic, Griffin. First Alexandra and now her daughter; can’t you find your own woman instead of panting after those who are married to other men?”
His attention focused on Kermit, Escobar did not notice the look that passed between Samantha and Peter, and a moment later Samantha suddenly shouted, “Now!”
She dropped to the floor as Peter fired his gun, and the shot struck Escobar in the center of his forehead. He barely had time to look surprised before he crumpled to the ground, dead before he hit the floor.
“Come in.”
Samantha swung the door open just far enough to poke her head inside.“Hi,” she greeted simply.“May I come in?”
“Sure.”
She stepped completely inside his office and gently closed the door behind her before addressing him.“I owe you an apology,” she began.
Kermit’s surprise was obvious.“For what?”
“For reacting the way I did to the revelation about your affair with my mother.While I was justifiably angry and hurt that you had kept it from me, I should have trusted you enough to listen to your explanation. Instead I just went ballistic.”
“Tell me about it,” the detective returned wryly. “You’ve got a hell of a right hook, Kid.”
Samantha smiled.“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she replied.
“As it was intended.” A pause. “Escobar was right about one thing, though. You are the image of Alexandra.”
“What was she like?”
“Alexandra was warm, funny, intelligent…and she had the greatest laugh. Hearing it made you want to laugh along with her, even if you didn’t know what was funny. And she absolutely adored you and Xia. She once told me that despite everything Tan did to her, she would live through it all again as long as she had you two.”
“I used to wonder how differently our lives would have turned out if Xia had returned to the States with me,” Samantha replied.“As children we were as close as sisters can be, especially given our bond as twins. But growing up under Tan’s influence she couldn’t help but embrace his twisted ideals as her own.”
“I imagine if Ashton hadn’t sent me to Canada after you, you very likely would have turned out the same way,” Kermit suggested.
“And I never would have found Peter again,” she added.“That’s a debt I can never repay.”
“Just be happy, Samantha. That’s all I ever wanted for you.”
“Thank you.”
“So where do we go from here?”
“We go forward. We all make mistakes, Kermit, but if we can learn from them and come away better for it than perhaps that makes them bearable.”
Kermit smiled.“Thank you.So we’re friends again?”
“Always.”
“What about Peter?”
“Peter’s fine.I don’t know that he ever really was mad; just doing a little male posturing to protect what’s his.”
Kermit chuckled.“That’s an interesting way to put it.”
“What about Captain Simms?”
He sighed.“I wish I could say she’ll get over it as easily as Peter has, but I’ve shattered her trust in me and I’m not sure how I can get it back.”
“You can start by telling her that you love her,” Samantha suggested gently.
“It’s not that simple.”
“It can be. Deep down you know that what you feel for me is only the residual feelings you have for Alexandra, and it doesn’t compare to what we both know you feel for Captain Simms.”
“I went down this road with your mother, Kid; I don’t know if I’m willing to put myself through it again.”
“True love is a rare gift, Kermit. Don’t lose it to old ghosts, or pride, or fear.” Without waiting for a response, Samantha exited his office, leaving him to think about what she had said. Spotting Peter talking with Skalany and T.J. by the water cooler, she walked over to join them, positioning herself next to Peter and sliding an arm around his waist.
“Hi, Handsome.”
“Hi, yourself. You feeling okay?”
“A little tired, but otherwise I’m fine. And to answer your next question, the twins are fine, too.”
He smiled as she glanced at the others. “Thanks for coming to the rescue this afternoon, guys, and I’m sorry I snapped at y’all earlier.”
“We’re sorry, too, Samantha,” Skalany said.
“What were you doing in Kermit’s office?” Peter asked.
“Mending fences.”
“Did you settle the issue of Alexandra?”
“It’s as settled as it will ever be.”
“So you two are okay?”
“Yep.”
“Good.Can we go home now?”
“Lead the way.”
The couple bid their friends farewell and exited the precinct.
“It’s me, Karen,” came Kermit’s muffled answer.
Simms unlocked the door and opened just far enough to see him silhouetted in the porch light, sans sunglasses.“It’s one a.m., Kermit,” she pointed out. “Couldn’t this have waited until a more respectable hour?”
“It’s waited long enough,” he countered. “May I come in?”
The captain wordlessly stepped aside to allow him entry and he walked into her living room.She shut the door behind him then turned to face him, her arms folded across her chest as she glanced at him expectantly.“I’m waiting.”
“I came here to apologize, for a lot of things. I’m sorry that I never told you about Alexandra and I’m sorry that I allowed my residual feelings for her to make me believe I was in love with Samantha. I do care about her, and I always will. But I realize now that I’m not in love with her. I think I was just using my confusion over my feelings for her and her mother as an excuse to avoid accepting my feelings for you.I love you, Karen. I have all along. I was just too scared to admit it.”
“Because of what happened with Alexandra,” Simms surmised.
“Yes,” Kermit confirmed.“I loved her so much, and when Escobar forced us apart it killed whatever capacity for love I thought I had.But you changed that. You taught me how to love again, Karen, and if you’ll give me the chance I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”
He finished his plea and fell silent, waiting for her response. She held his gaze for a long moment before gracing him with a small smile.
“I hope you don’t expect any special privileges because you’re sleeping with the captain,” she said lightly.
He smiled back. “Sleeping with the captain is privilege enough,” he retorted.
“Are you sure about this, Kermit?” Simms pressed.
“Positive.”
“Sam, you still awake?”
“Barely,” she mumbled.
“I’m curious to know what you said to Kermit.”
She sighed. “I just told him something similar to what he told me three years ago when I was on the verge of losing you. I told him that if he loves Simms - and we know he does - then he shouldn’t let anything jeopardize that.”
“And what about his feelings for you?”
“Kermit loves me, but he was never in love with me. What he felt for me was simply an echo of his feelings for my mother.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, and hopefully he is, too.”
She felt Peter nod.“I’m glad to hear it,” he replied.“I was afraid was going to have to challenge him to a dual at dawn to defend your honor.”
Samantha smiled and lifted her head to meet his gaze.“This from a man who can barely get out of bed to make the start of his shift at 10:00 a.m.”
Peter smiled back.“Not my fault,” he responded.“I just happened to be married to the most beautiful and desirable woman on the planet and it’s horribly difficult to tear myself away from her.”
She chuckled.“That sounded like a line out of a bad romance novel, Handsome, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
”Do you really think Kermit and the captain will come through this all right?”
“I hope so.I want them to be as happy as we are.”
“So do I.”
They fell into a companionable silence then, with Peter gently running his hand up and down Samantha’s back as she settled against him.After several moments, she released another sigh, earning her a concerned glance from her husband.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m awake now.”
“Really…well, I suppose we’ll have to think of something to tire you out so you can fall asleep.”
He felt her smile against his chest.“Do you have anything specific in mind?”
“Oh, yeah.”
In the waiting room of the hospital’s maternity ward, Annie, Caine and the officers from the 101st were anxiously awaiting word on Samantha, who had gone into labor during that morning’s detectives meeting.
“I wish Paul could be here to see this,” Annie said.“He always wanted to see Peter become a father. And he would have adored Samantha.”
“He is here in spirit,” Caine assured her. “The love and guidance he provided to Peter will influence the way Peter raises his children.”
Annie smiled. “He used to say that Peter’s heart was sometimes bigger than his brain,” she recalled. “It got him into more trouble growing up than both Kelly and Carolyn combined, but it’s what makes him such a good police officer.”
“And will make him a good father.”
Their discussion was aborted by the arrival of Peter, dressed in a surgical gown, fatigue and joy etched on his handsome face. Helping Annie to her feet, Caine walked over to greet him, as did the others.
“So what’s the verdict, Dad?” Kermit asked.“Boys or girls?”
“One of each,” Peter answered with sheer delight.
His fellow detectives let out a chorus of cheers and congratulations, reaching over to pat him affectionately on the arm or embrace him in a quick hug.
“How’s Samantha?” Simms asked.
“Exhausted, but both she and the babies came through the delivery perfectly.”
“That’s wonderful, Peter,” Annie replied. “We’re so happy for you both.”
“Have you chosen names?” Caine inquired.
“Yes. Sam and I agreed that she would name our son and I would name our daughter, so the two newest additions to the Caine clan are Paula Anne and Griffin Ashton.”
Annie’s eyes welled with tears upon hearing the names, and Simms gently squeezed Kermit’s hand in silent delight.
“Paul would be so pleased,” Annie said
“I don’t know what to say, Peter,” Kermit said evenly.
“Actually, there’s one more thing. Sam and I discussed it, and we’d like you and Captain Simms to be the twins’ Godparents.”
Kermit and Simms exchanged a surprised glance, and the latter replied, “We’d be honored, Peter. Thank you.”
“I’d better get back to Sam,” Peter said.“I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
“Give our best to Samantha,” Skalany requested.
Peter retreated back down the hallway and entered Samantha’s room. She was sitting upright in bed, holding Griffin while Paula drifted off to sleep in the basinette beside the bed. Hearing the creak of the door, Samantha glanced up and flashed her husband a loving smile.
“Hi, Handsome.”
“Hi, yourself.”
“Was everyone still here?” she asked.
“Yep, and they all send you their love. Mom cried when I announced the names, and I believe Kermit was actually speechless.”
“Very funny. Did you ask him and Captain Simms about being Paula and Griffin’s Godparents?”
“They said it would be an honor.”
“Good.”
Griffin was sleeping now, so Samantha handed him to Peter, who carefully placed him into a second bassinette. Gazing down at his children, Peter felt tears sting his eyes as a surge of love overwhelmed him.
Such a gift Sam has given me, he mused.
Affording the twins a final affectionate glance, Peter settled onto the chair beside the bed and flashed his wife an adoring smile as he took her hand in his.“Have I thanked you yet for our children?” he asked.
“Yes, and you’re very welcome.” She glanced at the sleeping infants. “We make beautiful babies, don’t we, Detective?”
His smile widened and he pressed a kiss to her palm. “That we do, Princess; that we do.”
Samantha shifted her gaze back to Peter.“I wish there were words to describe what you mean to me,” she said softly.“Our relationship has had its rough spots, but there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t thank God for bringing you into my life. I love you, Peter. Never doubt that.”
Peter freed one of his hands and lifted it to gently caress her cheek.“You are the best thing to have ever touched my life, Sam. I love you, too.”
Getting to his feet, he leaned over to kiss her.
*******************************
The End