Cupcake Overload (Cupcakes 2)

Carlton’s back was almost to the wall, and Bran was inching closer, but I didn’t like the way he was squeezing Carmen’s arm. She was utterly silent as she watched what was happening around her, and I worried that she was in some sort of shock.

Carlton bared his teeth and squeezed Carmen’s bicep hard enough for her to flinch, but she still didn’t utter a sound.

“Sammy wouldn’t listen to reason. She said she’d found a way to help Tony, that she was going to take him and move out of town. Move away from me … I couldn’t allow that to happen.”

“So you killed her,” I said, my voice even and calm, as if I were discussing the latest episode of Game of Thrones, rather than first-degree murder.

“It was an accident,” Carlton replied. “I was trying to make her see reason, but she was going to leave. She didn’t even want to listen to me, so I stopped her. We fell into the pool … and then, I held her there. I kept her still so she would listen to me.”

Carlton’s admission of guilt was all it took to shake Carmen from her trance. At the same time I heard the front door being busted in and Bea call out that the police were on the premises, Carmen busted out a move that Bran had taught us.

She lifted her leg and brought her heel down on Carlton’s foot, hard, then she swung her head back so that the back of her skull clocked Carlton right in the nose, and finally, she twisted, turning her arm so she could yank it out of Carlton’s grasp and bringing her knee up to catch him right in the nuts.

It was a proud moment.

After that everything seemed to happen in a flash. Bea and her officers entered the room and had Carlton against the wall and cuffed before I could blink, and Carmen crossed the room and ran straight in to Bran’s waiting arms.

Wait … what?

Bea looked at me, eyebrow raised, but I just shrugged and gaped at the couple standing next to me.

Carmen was visibly shaking in Bran’s arms, and he was holding her tightly, murmuring how proud he was of her.

I had a feeling they’d have a date planned by the end of the day.

“And then I walked up to him, poked my finger in his chest, and said, guess I found the fucker who did this to Sammy, and you sure as hell are gonna pay,” I recounted, smiling when everyone around me broke out in a cheer.

I was back at Cade’s compound, this time for a barbecue to celebrate Sledge no longer being a suspect in Samantha’s murder, and me catching the bad guy.

It was much better than the last barbecue I’d attended.

I was happily buzzed, with Cade’s arm around my waist. He’d introduced me to everyone officially as his Old Lady, solidifying my status as his woman in the eyes of the club. According to their rules, we were as good as married, and although that freaked me out a little, I had to admit, it felt fantastic.

“That’s so crazy,” Peaches, the woman who’d been kind enough to give me a ride home my last time here, said. “You’re so brave.”

I smiled happily at her, then tightened my arm around Cade to pull him closer.

When he leaned down to give me a kiss, I turned my face up to him, then sighed when he kissed me sweetly on the lips.

“You about ready to get out of here?” Cade asked, his eyes conveying that he was ready to go.

“You don’t need to stay?” I asked, wondering if there was some rule about attending celebrations when your VP was found not guilty of murder.

“Nope.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Before we could turn, Sledge stopped us and slung his arm around my shoulder.

“Thanks, Red, I owe you one.”

I smiled at my unlikely ally, then took Cade’s hand as we made our way around, saying goodbye to everyone. Once we were done, we walked outside of the compound, hopped on his bike, and headed back to his cabin.

The twins were with Eric for the weekend. He and Mary were going to tell them the big news of their engagement and start making plans for the wedding. Next weekend they’d be with me at Bea and Shannon’s reception, then the following week, we were bound for Hawaii.

I couldn’t wait.

I held on tight, loving the warm, strong feeling of Cade’s back against my torso and the wind in my hair as we wound our way to his house.