skin had gone an ashy grey. A pool of blood was spreading out behind him. Jesus, Kyle had been shot, not him. He snapped instantly into cop mode. “You’re going to be just fine.” He pulled back Kyle’s jacket to see he’d been hit in the upper left side of his chest. “This is going to hurt like a motherfucker.” Ronan used both hands to press down on the wound.
Kyle howled in response. “Don’t let me be her last victim,” Kyle pleaded.
“You’re not going anywhere. Stay with me!” Ronan commanded as Kyle’s eyelids fluttered and closed.
“Ronan!” Cisco shouted as he came into the ballroom. EMTs rolled a gurney through the door.
“Here!” He held up a hand to signal to Cisco. The ballroom dance floor was empty now, save for him, Kyle, and Jude.
The medics ran to Ronan, shooing him out of the way to work on Kyle. He didn’t have a minute to catch his breath.
“Ronan?” Fitzgibbon called in a voice he knew well. Back in the old days, it was the tone Kevin used when Ronan was in deep shit.
“Yes, Captain.” He bounded up the three short steps to the stage to see Lisa McRoy’s right shoulder bloody. She was whimpering as Fitzgibbon used his balled-up jacket to put pressure on the wound. The handgun was fifteen feet or so behind them. Kevin must have kicked it out of the way.
“You tricked me!” Lisa screamed, wincing after the effort.
Anger like Ronan had never felt before welled up in him. He wanted to go at Lisa hard, but knew he had Tennyson and Everly depending on him. “No, Lisa. I prompted you to tell a story you’ve been dying to spill for thirty-five years. You tricked a lifelong friend into leaving the safety of her home so you and your jealous friends could kill her in cold blood. Over what? Some teenage boy with acne?” Ronan shook his head. “I’m done here. Have you got this, Kevin?”
“You bet.” Kevin stepped aside as a second team of medics moved in to help Lisa.
“I’ll write my report in the morning,” Ronan said as he approached Cisco.
“I’m stunned,” Cisco said, the look on his face said as much. “Who knew reading Shakespeare would give teenage girls the idea to commit a murder like this?”
“This is what jealousy does to people.” Ronan took a deep breath. The medics had taken Kyle out of the ballroom, but a puddle of his blood remained. “I’m going home with my husband. I’ve had enough.” Ronan meant it. He’d had enough of blood and jealousy. Of rage and wounded pride. He was going home to be with the people who loved him the most.
Christmas was only a week away. There was still time to wash the stench of this case off his soul and give his Little Miss the merriest Christmas ever.
EPILOGUE
Tennyson
Christmas morning…
It was the best Christmas morning ever. Ten and Ronan had woken up before Everly, giving them time for a cup of coffee and some last-minute adjustments to the presents before their daughter woke up. They’d been sitting in the hallway outside her bedroom, waiting for her to stir.
“Dada!” Everly shouted, bouncing out of her toddler bed and running to the door. She shrieked when she saw Ten and Ronan sitting on the floor. “’Anta?” Everly asked, her eyes glowing with happiness.
“Santa left you something special, but before we can go see what it is, we need to see what present you left for us in that diaper.” Ronan’s grin turned to a grimace.
Everly frowned. “Tinky.”
Tennyson already knew. He’d smelled her from the moment Everly had run into the hall. After a quick change, she was ready to go. Ronan was waiting at the bottom of the stairs filming them. Everly stopped when she was low enough on the stairs to see the Christmas tree. “Wow!” she whispered, sounding just like Ronan. “Beep! Beep!” Everly broke free from Ten and ran down the last few stairs. The first thing she ran to was the electric car. “Me?”
“It’s all yours, princess.” Ronan’s eyes had gone glossy. He pointed his phone at Everly as she climbed behind the wheel and made car sounds.
Ten grabbed Ronan’s hand and pulled him over to the sofa. He knew Everly would be occupied with the kiddie Cadillac SUV long enough for them to have a bit of a chat. “Have you made up your mind about working for Cisco?” It had been on the tip of his tongue to ask for the