Badge of Honor (The Town of Pearl 9)

“They’ll get caught. There are enough people looking for them besides the police. As far as Maxwell is concerned, he’ll hide out somewhere and run his black market. He’s probably out of the country by now. So precautions in this city are necessary, Lauren,” Galvin told her in a serious tone.

“Okay fine. We’ll heed caution. But I really hope this is over. I just want to go back to Pearl with the five men I love and feel safe and happy once and for all,” Lauren said, and her, Mace, and Galvin headed out the door as Gus, Harper, and Orin headed to get the SUV.

“That’s the plan, sweetheart,” Galvin said as they headed out.

As they exited the back door on the side street a few minutes later, Lauren smiled up at Mace and Galvin as she saw their firm expressions and how they moved so military-like.

“Have I told you how turned on I am watching you guys in action?” she asked, holding onto Mace’s arm. Mace and Galvin looked at her very seriously.

“Turned on huh? Maybe we should take advantage of those tinted windows in the SUV and fill you with cock, baby,” Mace teased. Galvin chuckled.

“Get her across the sidewalk and into the vehicle,” Galvin ordered as he smiled and looked around the streets.

Lauren stepped forward and saw a van skid around the corner.

Several men popped out of the side door and she caught sight of Miklos as he jumped forward.

The bullets whizzed by her and her men, hitting the SUV and the concrete around them and they all pulled their weapons and fired.

“Die, bitch!”

She heard the man yell and she pulled the trigger as Miklos charged her, gun firing.

He fell backward and everything went quiet as her men took out the guys in the van and she killed Miklos. She was in shock and wondered how they knew where she was and that she would be in the city today. Was this really over, or were there others out there aiding men like Miklos in succeeding in killing a cop like her? Or maybe they were working for Maxwell. He had the major connections despite the Russian mafia wanting Maxwell for questioning.

“Baby, are you okay? You weren’t hit were you?” Mace asked her as he and Galvin put away their weapons and reached for her.

She shook her head. “Oh God that was crazy,” she whispered and put her gun back into her holster.

“Lauren, are you okay?” Orin yelled from by the van and she nodded her head.

“I thought this was over. How did they know we were here? What about Orlando and Rafael? Please tell me they didn’t get away this time.”

“Are they all dead?” Galvin asked, rubbing her shoulder then heading toward the van.

Lauren followed along with Mace.

“I don’t think any more leaders of the Tenth Street gang will be looking to avenge any brothers,” Harper told them and Lauren saw Orlando and Rafael dead inside of the van along with two other men.

“I think not,” Galvin said and placed his arm over her shoulder as sirens filled the air and the police arrived on scene.

Epilogue

Lauren and her sisters couldn’t stop hugging one another. Carly and Daisy kept winking at her and were completely impressed that Lauren snagged such hot guys. Galvin teased Daisy and Carly about the guardianship rule and how there were already men interested in staking claims to each of them. That seemed to upset both of her sisters as Daisy and Carly were very shy and timid, and had a lot of fears stemming from that frightful night their parents were killed.

“So, have you decided on the location for the sweet shop you both are going to establish here in town?” Harper asked them as Lauren smiled at Galvin, who pulled her onto his lap.

“We’re still debating about the spot between the stores. But I don’t think it will really matter. This town is as wonderful as Mary and Lauren had described,” Daisy told him.

Lauren sat back and listened as her sisters talked about the sweet shop and any possible names for it. Lauren watched her men as they smiled and engaged in conversation, and how Aunt May and Mary whispered and more than likely planned to set Lauren’s sisters up with some special men. It was all so nice and comforting. They were all a family now and life didn’t seem so tragic and violent anymore to Lauren. Instead she thought about things she’d never considered like family, children, settling down, and enjoying life instead of letting it pass by in a blur of violence as a workaholic.

Out here in Texas, and the town of Pearl, there was time to breathe, to appreciate the simpler things in life and most importantly be consumed by the love of her five men.

Deciding to hang up her badge of honor had been difficult. But leaving the police force wasn’t so hard because of her men. She knew she’d made the right choice to settle here in Pearl and finally enjoy life. She didn’t have to worry about money anymore or struggling to care for her sisters and Aunt May. Life was good. She no longer had to look over her shoulder and she finally felt like she was safe again, instead of having to always be on guard.

“How about just calling it the Sweet Shop?” Aunt May suggested as Daisy and Carly rambled off possible names and then the men added some ideas, too.

“I don’t know. This town seems so special and stands for a lot of great things. We want something that fits in well,” Carly stated.