04b1ef9c60873c444a27c4afd3197be1

“That’s exactly true. Which just goes to show that whatever they write about her, the vast majority of the population sees right through those lies.”

“Her rise has certainly been meteoric,” said Chase. “Until a few months ago I’d never even heard of Tessa Torrance.”

Dante looked up sharply.“What do you mean? She’s Odelia’s cousin.”

Oops!“What Chase means is that I never told him about her,” said Odelia.

“Right. And why is that?” asked Dante, a little crossly, it seemed.

“It’s complicated,” said Odelia. “Family stuff. You know.”

Dante nodded.“Oh, I do know. Family is both the most wonderful and most frustrating thing in the world.”

“It is,” said Odelia, staring at her grandmother, who stood practicing her regal poise, and had started waving to anyone who would pay her attention.

Tessa now called for silence.“I would like to say a few words,” she said with an engaging smile. “I think what you’re doing here at the center is both important and incredibly inspiring. And being with you here today has certainly inspired me to do more—to be more. I can’t imagine the situations some of you have endured, and the courage it must have taken you to live through them and still be the amazing, gracious people you clearly are.”

And she would probably have said more, if not suddenly there was a loud crack, and suddenly something seemed to explode behind Tessa. And then all hell broke loose, as more cracks sounded, which Odelia now recognized as shots being fired. Tessa and all those present ducked for cover while the people from her security team all huddled around her, keeping her safe.

People were screaming and yelling and as Chase growled,“Too bad I couldn’t bring my gun!” suddenly the lights in the room were doused and for a moment it seemed as if fear was the only thing Odelia knew.

Being on the floor, in the dark, a crazed shooter on the loose, she flashed back to the most crucial times in her life. And as she lay there, Chase right next to her, she suddenly heard herself ask,“Chase, if we make it out of here alive—will you marry me?”

“We will make it out of here alive,” he said, “and yes, I will marry you. But damn it, you kinda stole my thunder, Poole!”

“I’m sorry! I just thought if I don’t ask now maybe we’ll both be dead and I’ll regret not asking!”

“When you’re dead you have no regrets. Or at least that’s the consensus.”

“I know! I’m not thinking straight right now.”

“Thinking straight or not, I’m going to walk you down that aisle, babe, and I’m going to kiss the bride, if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Me, too!”

Suddenly the lights in the room flashed on again, and when Odelia glanced around, her eyes adjusting to the light, she saw that Tessa was still alive, and seemingly not hurt. Dante was with her, and he, too, seemed to be all right.

Gran, meanwhile, said,“Will someone save your queen, for God’s sakes!”

She was stuck to the floor, a rather voluminous lady pinning her down.

Chase removed the lady by yanking her up, thereby saving‘his queen.’

“Thank you, my loyal subject,” she said, and extended a hand for him to kiss.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” he grunted.

“Hey—I could hold you in contempt!” she shouted.

Police came charging into the room, and one by one everyone was led out.

“Did you get the shooter?” asked Odelia when she found herself being jostled out along with Tessa’s cousin Nesbit, the beefy security man.

“No, we didn’t,” he said, looking grim. “But by God, we will. And when we do, he’s going to wish he was never born.”

Chapter 21

When Tessa and Dante piled into the house, followed by Angela, Chase, Odelia and Gran, they were all atwitter. Apparently something had happened.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, lifting my head from my paws. I’d put in a solid couple of hours of sleep and I was slowly starting to feel like myself again.

“There’s been another attack,” said Odelia as she sat down next to us on the couch. Tessa switched on the TV, and we could all see firsthand the pandemonium at the homeless shelter. People were screaming, shots were being fired, and suddenly the lights went out and the place went dark. A grave-looking newscaster announced that the Duke and Duchess of Essex were safe, but that for a while there things had looked very hairy indeed.

“It’s a miracle you made it out alive,” I said, riveted by the images.

“Turns out it was just firecrackers set off by a couple of kids. At least that’s what the police are saying. There actually was an attack, only Tessa opted not to tell the police, for the same reasons she mentioned earlier.”

Tessa and Dante were conferring with Angela, and judging from the heated argument they weren’t seeing eye to eye.

“So there was an attack?” I asked, greatly concerned.

“While the lights were out, Tessa says she felt something graze her cheek.”

Odelia was right. There was a band-aid on Tessa’s cheek.

“Someone fired a shot at her but missed,” said Odelia.

“Could whoever is responsible set off the fireworks?”