“George.My name is George.”
“That’s a nice name, George.”
He snarled, and she flinched.“Nice name?Nice name!It’s not a nice fucking name!It’s a name that got me picked on in school!And did that bitch care she gave me a faggot name?No!”
Spittle shot from his lips as his face turned red.
“I-I’m s-sorry!”
As he took another step forward, the rage on his face told Grace he would kill her no matter what.She’d fucked up.
“You have no idea what sorry is!Sorry?That’s a fucking laugh!Do you know what that slut did?How she sold herself for drugs while giving me spare change, telling me to go to the fucking movies while she fucked her johns?Then she’d be high as fuck when I got home and couldn’t even feed me!Instead of buying her own son food with her sex money, she just blew it up her damn nose!That fucking cunt!”
His arm swung up, holding the knife high, and Grace screamed.This was it, she was going to die!
A loud bang startled both of them as the door splintered open.Yelled orders, Grace’s shrieks, and George’s roars were drowned out by the sound of gunfire.The man’s body jolted as the bullets entered his chest, and bright, red blood shot out from his back in spurts, soaking his shirt and the wall behind him.He teetered on unsteady legs for a second or two before collapsing in a heap on the floor.His lifeless eyes stared up at Grace.
“Grace!Grace!It’s me!Hush!You’re all right!Sh, baby!”
She hadn’t known she was still screaming until Sean’s shouts finally reached her ears.Her body had also thrashed uncontrollably, but now as her gaze met Sean’s, her movements eased, but she still trembled.
Sean cupped her head in his hands, demanding she focus on him.“It’s okay, baby.It’s okay.I’m here.”
Suddenly her arms and legs were free, and it was then she noticed Brian, Rafe, and Brad Lynch were in the room.She burst into tears as Sean helped her sit up.Placing an arm under her knees and another at her lower back, he lifted her in his arms.As she buried her face in his chest, he carried her out of the room.
It was over.She was safe.And she never wanted Sean to let her go again.
Epilogue
Sean held Grace’s hand as they sat with Bonnie and Dan in the hospital’s Labor and Delivery waiting room in Little Creek, Virginia.Moriah was going on her ninth hour of labor, and still no sign of the next generation of Malones.She’d woken KC up at 4:00 a.m., and after a mad dash to the hospital, he’d texted everyone.Their little convoy of vehicles had arrived just after 9:00, and four hours later, they were still waiting.
Sean’s thumb caressed the back of Grace’s hand as he watched the news.Three days after rescuing her from that bastard’s clutches, his heart still hadn’t begun beating normally yet, and he was constantly finding ways to touch her.He needed to reassure himself she was alive and unharmed.Her sleep had been interrupted multiple times by nightmares, and every night he held her close, doing his best to banish them from her mind.
Through Grace’s recount of what Wallace had said to her, the evidence they’d found in his lair, and the man’s background they’d been slowly piecing together, the making of a serial killer was coming to light.The Philadelphia Police Department and Special Agent Karen Winslow had investigated Wallace’s history in their area.
The man had been born and raised in a poor area of the city.His mother had been a junkie who’d been in and out of jail, while he’d been placed in temporary foster homes.It appeared the system had failed him because he was repeatedly returned to his mother’s care even though it was clear she’d neglected him.
According to the PPD, Lisa Wallace had been murdered in 1993, when her son was fifteen.It had been an unsolved case all these years, with the assumption one of her johns or drug connections had done the dirty deed.
But now, it seemed George had murdered his mother.She’d been strangled with a scarf, the same way he’d killed his other victims, and loose change—dimes, nickels, quarters, and pennies—had been scattered around her body.From Grace’s interview, they’d learned the significance of the coins.For some unknown reason the killer had focused on the pennies, and Dr.Suki Ralston believed it was because the penny was worth the least.
Suki also believed that the reason Wallace had waited so long between his kills in Pennsylvania and North Carolina was that he’d hoped his newfound windfall would make up for the life he’d grown up in.But the murders had already become an irrational way to get back at his mother, and it had just been a matter of time before the craving to find a new victim was too potent to ignore.
His aunt’s lawyer had come forward after hearing what had happened on the news and explained that Susan Wallace had left instructions in her will for her nephew to be found.They would never know why she’d waited until after her death to have him contacted.
Sean glanced over at Bonnie and Dan.Like Grace and him, they were holding hands, and Sean grinned.It made him happy the two had finally realized there was more to their relationship than just friendship.He wouldn’t be surprised if they beat Grace and him to the altar.
Yeah, he was definitely going to be asking her to marry him someday, but first, he wanted her to recover from this ordeal.Matt Griffin had given Sean the name of the psychologist his department used for any of the deputies who experienced a horrific call or were involved in a shooting.The female doctor was pleasant, and Grace felt comfortable speaking with her yesterday.She was scheduled for one-hour sessions, three times a week, for the next month.
In the meantime, Tim was doing his best to hold down the fort at Grace’s business while she dealt with the aftermath of being kidnapped by a serial killer.With her approval, he’d asked another therapist he’d known for a long time to fill in for the next week.If the woman worked out, Grace was going to hire her part-time.
Sean’s boss had told him to take the rest of his vacation time if he wanted to after the case was officially closed.He’d decided to take the offer so he could spend as much time with Grace as possible, getting her through the nightmares and everything else.
Footsteps in the hallway had him looking up, and Brian came in with several bags from a nearby deli.He was just about to start handing out the sandwiches when KC stuck his head around the doorjamb.“Anyone want to meet little Megan Malone?”
“Yes!”Bonnie and Grace squealed at the same time.
Everyone stood as the new dad stepped into the room holding his daughter who was wrapped up in a pink blanket with a matching pink cap on her head.KC cradled her like an expert.“I can only keep her out here for a minute.She came out healthy and screaming at the top of her lungs.”
