into his arms, weeping.
“I told him not to go after Nico, but he wouldn’t listen.”
Parker eased her off and led her to a set of chairs, as Heather stayed behind with Jo.
“I’m sorry you have to go through this, sorry for you and Hearn.”
“The doctors say it will take months for him to recover, and that he’ll need plastic surgery too.”
“Nico Umbria plays in a different league. I told Hearn that.”
“Rick, I’m scared, what if he comes after me too?”
“He won’t. Don’t worry,”
Rachel moaned.
“Oh Tim, I... I love him, Rick, not as much as I love you, but I do love him.”
“I know, Rachel,”
After talking a little longer, Rachel left to return to Hearn’s side and Parker walked over to speak with Jo.
“I can’t work this case, only you can,”
“I know.”
“I told Rachel she was safe, but we both know that Nico is capable of anything.”
He leaned closer and both Jo and Heather saw the hate in his eyes.
“Ex-wife or not, if he harms her I will kill him.”
Jo reached out and gripped his arm.
“I’ll get him, Rick. One way or another, I’ll put him away.”
Parker exhaled loudly,
“Thank you,”
Heather took his hand.
“Let’s go home, baby, Jo will handle this,”
Parker nodded in agreement, and then he and Heather went home.
***
T hey arrived at Heather’s house at noon. Parker was taking a scheduled day off and the two of them were going to spend the time planning their wedding.
Heather’s mother was working, but Heather wanted to check the mail, hoping to receive her acceptance letter into the research program, however, when the mail came, she received disappointing news.
“I didn’t get in,” she said in a dispirited voice.
Parker took her in his arms.
“I’m sorry, baby; I know how much you wanted it.”
Heather sniffled, as she fought back tears.
“This would have meant so much to us financially, now I’ll be burdened with student loan payments until retirement.”
Parker kissed her.
“ You won’t be burdened by anything. We’ll just have a debt to whittle down, and the two of us will pay it off together.”
“It’s just so much money, Rick, and it’ll be years before I make a good salary. How will we handle it?”
Parker led her to the sofa, where he snuggled with her.
“We’ll handle it; we’ll take it day by day, live simply and get to where we want to go. We’ll just handle it. People do it every day while earning even less than we do. All I care about is you. I have you and life is good.”
Heather stared at him, a look of wonder lighting her face.
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too, baby, and we’re going to have a great life together,”
Heather balled up the rejection notice and tossed it onto the coffee table.
She smiled. “Let’s plan our wedding,”
***
H ours later, Nico Umbria sat in one of the white interrogation rooms at police headquarters.
He had slept the day away, and after teaching Hearn a lesson, some of the old cockiness was back, so much so, that he had decided not to ask for a lawyer.
Nico held up a hand to Joanna Knight, who sat across from him.
“Before we start, has Tim Hearn pressed charges?”
“No, Mr. Hearn has remained silent on the matter.”
“And that hot wife of his?”
“Mrs. Hearn has made a statement. Would you like to read it?”
Nico looked surprised by the offer.
“Sure, I’ll read it.”
Jo slipped a sheet of paper out of a manila folder and passed it across the table to Nico.
As Nico read it, a smile formed on his lips.
“She just backs up what I told you, that Hearn hit me first when I visited their office.”
“Yes, she says he struck you three times.”
“I wasn’t counting, but okay, sounds about right,”
“The doctors estimate that Mr. Hearn was struck over a hundred blows last night.”
“One or a hundred, he came at me with a bat and I defended myself.”
Jo smiled.
“If your goal was to make him terrified of you, it
“I told him not to go after Nico, but he wouldn’t listen.”
Parker eased her off and led her to a set of chairs, as Heather stayed behind with Jo.
“I’m sorry you have to go through this, sorry for you and Hearn.”
“The doctors say it will take months for him to recover, and that he’ll need plastic surgery too.”
“Nico Umbria plays in a different league. I told Hearn that.”
“Rick, I’m scared, what if he comes after me too?”
“He won’t. Don’t worry,”
Rachel moaned.
“Oh Tim, I... I love him, Rick, not as much as I love you, but I do love him.”
“I know, Rachel,”
After talking a little longer, Rachel left to return to Hearn’s side and Parker walked over to speak with Jo.
“I can’t work this case, only you can,”
“I know.”
“I told Rachel she was safe, but we both know that Nico is capable of anything.”
He leaned closer and both Jo and Heather saw the hate in his eyes.
“Ex-wife or not, if he harms her I will kill him.”
Jo reached out and gripped his arm.
“I’ll get him, Rick. One way or another, I’ll put him away.”
Parker exhaled loudly,
“Thank you,”
Heather took his hand.
“Let’s go home, baby, Jo will handle this,”
Parker nodded in agreement, and then he and Heather went home.
***
T hey arrived at Heather’s house at noon. Parker was taking a scheduled day off and the two of them were going to spend the time planning their wedding.
Heather’s mother was working, but Heather wanted to check the mail, hoping to receive her acceptance letter into the research program, however, when the mail came, she received disappointing news.
“I didn’t get in,” she said in a dispirited voice.
Parker took her in his arms.
“I’m sorry, baby; I know how much you wanted it.”
Heather sniffled, as she fought back tears.
“This would have meant so much to us financially, now I’ll be burdened with student loan payments until retirement.”
Parker kissed her.
“ You won’t be burdened by anything. We’ll just have a debt to whittle down, and the two of us will pay it off together.”
“It’s just so much money, Rick, and it’ll be years before I make a good salary. How will we handle it?”
Parker led her to the sofa, where he snuggled with her.
“We’ll handle it; we’ll take it day by day, live simply and get to where we want to go. We’ll just handle it. People do it every day while earning even less than we do. All I care about is you. I have you and life is good.”
Heather stared at him, a look of wonder lighting her face.
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too, baby, and we’re going to have a great life together,”
Heather balled up the rejection notice and tossed it onto the coffee table.
She smiled. “Let’s plan our wedding,”
***
H ours later, Nico Umbria sat in one of the white interrogation rooms at police headquarters.
He had slept the day away, and after teaching Hearn a lesson, some of the old cockiness was back, so much so, that he had decided not to ask for a lawyer.
Nico held up a hand to Joanna Knight, who sat across from him.
“Before we start, has Tim Hearn pressed charges?”
“No, Mr. Hearn has remained silent on the matter.”
“And that hot wife of his?”
“Mrs. Hearn has made a statement. Would you like to read it?”
Nico looked surprised by the offer.
“Sure, I’ll read it.”
Jo slipped a sheet of paper out of a manila folder and passed it across the table to Nico.
As Nico read it, a smile formed on his lips.
“She just backs up what I told you, that Hearn hit me first when I visited their office.”
“Yes, she says he struck you three times.”
“I wasn’t counting, but okay, sounds about right,”
“The doctors estimate that Mr. Hearn was struck over a hundred blows last night.”
“One or a hundred, he came at me with a bat and I defended myself.”
Jo smiled.
“If your goal was to make him terrified of you, it
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