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  Lieutenant Addlestein stood right next to them, looking as if he wanted to puke. “Can we continue this later, little lovebirds? I’ve got an investigation to conduct. If you want me to nail down a case against Linda Bell, you’ll cooperate.”

  Beth and Mitch parted self-consciously, and Beth realized the detective had overheard everything. Mitch took her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. “Go to the hospital. Get yourself checked out, okay? I’ll see you there.”

  “It’s a date.”

  EPILOGUE

  “SMACK HIM IN THE HEAD, that’s it!” Celeste was standing on her chair, screaming encouragement to Mitch at the top of her lungs. She’d worn one of her most fetching outfits—a leopard print minidress with a belt made from rifle cartridges, and thigh-high snakeskin boots—for the occasion of Mitch’s first fight as the reigning light-heavyweight champion of South-Southeast Texas—and his first official fight using his real name.

  Daniel had purchased an entire section of the arena, and everyone at Project Justice had been given free tickets. He’d also sent tickets to Myra and Davy, at Mitch’s request. Dwayne had wanted to come, but his health, not to mention the conditions of his bail bond, made that impossible. But he’d promised to watch on TV.

  “Run away!” Raleigh called out, but not loud enough for anyone but Beth to hear. When she’d seen Mitch’s muscle-bound opponent with his neck-to-ankle tattoos, shaved head and fierce expression, she’d been more unnerved than Beth. But Beth, who’d watched Mitch train and spar with practice partners, knew more about what was going on than Raleigh did.

  “Size and strength don’t matter nearly as much as leverage,” she’d explained. “Watch, see how Mitch is looking for an opening? The other guy is just punching blindly. Mitch is wicked accurate with his kicks. You won’t see it coming—there!”

  Mitch had just spun so fast he’d become a blur, whacking his opponent in the ribs with a powerful kick. As the guy reeled, Mitch was on him and had him on the ground.

  “Now he’s gonna ground and pound,” Beth said proudly. Her shoulder injury hadn’t been serious, and after a couple of weeks to recuperate, she’d signed up for Brazilian jujitsu lessons from Mitch’s trainer. To her surprise, she actually enjoyed it. If Linda ever tried to put a choke hold on her again, Beth would be able to easily escape. If Vince or any man tried to break her jaw, she knew how to defend against that, too.

  Theoretically, anyway, but she felt confident she would gain more skills, in time.

  Mitch’s opponent wasn’t done yet. He wiggled out and somehow managed to flip Mitch onto his back.

  “Kick him in the family jewels!” Celeste shouted.

  “That’s not allowed, Celeste,” Beth shouted back, laughing at her coworker’s antics. She’d never seen Celeste cut loose like this before—which was saying a lot because Celeste wasn’t known for holding it back.

  “They oughtta let me in the ring with that slimy snake. I’d show him what-for.”

  Beth didn’t doubt that Celeste could hold her own in a fight. She was solid sinew, and rumor had it she’d collected black belts in several disciplines.

  Beth watched, literally chewing her nails, as Mitch struggled to get out from tattoo man, who was sprawled with all four limbs spread, just like Beth had instinctively done with Linda.

  But Mitch somehow swiveled around, wrapping one of his arms around his opponent’s shoulder and neck, and all of a sudden the guy was wincing in pain and tapping the mat, signaling the fight was over. He was crying uncle.

  Mitch immediately loosened his grip. The two men parted, and Mitch popped to his feet and gave his opponent a hand up. The two men quickly embraced. MMA was a small world, and though the guys might look like they wanted to kill each other when they competed, out of the ring most of them were friends.

  Only then did Mitch clasp both of his hands together and raise them into the air in the classic victory gesture.

  Mitch had successfully defended his title, and the crowd went wild for the Cagey Cajun, who smiled broadly, then blew a kiss to Beth and mouthed, “I love you.”

  “Did you see that?” Celeste said excitedly. “He loves me. I knew this new lipstick would do the trick.”

  “Don’t tell me,” Beth said. “Is it Youthful Coral?”

  Celeste climbed down from her chair. “How did you know? I stopped at the drugstore on the way out of Coot’s Bayou, after I delivered Mitch’s car, and they had these lipsticks on sale for a dollar!”

  Beth had become intimately familiar with the color. It turned her stomach every time she looked at it. “Truthfully, Celeste, I like your signature fire-engine-red better.”

  “Hmm.” She took a compact out of her purple, faux lizard purse and inspected herself critically.

  Mitch headed out of the ring and toward the dressing room, and Beth went after him. He’d said if he won tonight, he had a very special present he wanted to give her, and she was hoping it was her engagement ring.

  They’d already decided to get married. The ring was just a formality, but Beth felt a giddy, girlish thrill at the prospect of wearing that symbol of their commitment for everyone to see.

  They’d also agreed that he should keep fighting, so long as he was winning. He wanted to see how far he could take it, because each victory meant a bigger paycheck—to be socked away for some future child’s college education. But his attitude about fighting was completely different than it had been.

  Part of it was gaining new insight into his mother—and his brother. Mitch had put himself inside the head of that scared rookie cop. Though hiding the fact that Dwayne had killed Robby was an awful crime, Mitch realized Dwayne might have done the right thing if he hadn’t been pushed by the woman he loved to hide that he’d shot Robby.

  Whatever the reason, Mitch no longer felt he had anything to prove. The angry beast inside him was now more of a quirky family pet—with sharp teeth. He’d been a little worried that without the anger he might lose his edge. But he obviously still had it—in the cage, at least.

  Beth found a crowd of groupies waiting at the dressing-room door, but the guy standing guard there recognized her and let her past. “Go on in, Beth, if you don’t mind a few half-naked guys.”

  “Nuh-uh.” Mitch came out the door, his hair damp from a shower and wearing only a pair of jeans and carrying his shirt. A couple of young boys thrust MMA magazines for him to sign, and he obliged them. Then he swept Beth into a hug. “Sorry, darlin’, but I’m the only half-naked guy you get to see tonight.”

  “Don’t forget the party Daniel and Jamie are having for you. We have to put in an appearance. Then we’ll see about half-naked. Or maybe even full naked.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. I told you if I won, I was gonna give you a present.” He released her and pulled her farther into the hallway, out of earshot from the fans as he continued to dress, shoving his arms into the sleeves of his bowling shirt. “I want to give it to you in front of everybody.”

  “What if you’d lost? Would you have taken the ring back to the store?”

  His face fell. “You know?”

  “For someone who maintained a secret identity for years, you’re not very good at keeping secrets.” She buttoned his shirt for him. “You showed the ring to at least half the staff.”

  “I couldn’t help it.” He grinned. “I’m like a little kid.”

  Maybe the little kid he never got to be when he was young.

  He stroked her hair, then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Let’s fly to Vegas tonight. We could be married by morning.”

  Tempting though the invitation was, she shook her head. “My mother and sisters would take out a contract on us if they didn’t get to plan this wedding.”

  “C’mon, champ,” said the security guy from the door. “We gotta clear out of here in ten minutes so they can mop the floor. Unless you want to mop it.”

  “Glamorous life I lead.”

  Mitch took Beth’s hand and they strolled out the back exit
toward the El Camino, parked in its reserved spot. She knew their future still had a few rough patches to navigate through. They would both have to testify in Dwayne’s and Linda’s trials, if they didn’t plead out.

  But their lives were intertwined now, just like their fingers were. Neither of them would ever again have to face a challenge alone.

  She squeezed Mitch’s hand, as she’d done dozens of times since they’d pledged their love to each other. Beyond the momentary clouds on the horizon, she saw a future that burned bright with hope.

  * * * * *

  ISBN: 9781459223660

  Copyright © 2012 by Karen Leabo

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