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  “Can I at least see Ari or Zoey?”

  “I don’t see why not.” Nick turned toward the door.

  “Wait.” Alex looked down at the too-tight mustard sweat suit that had to be older than him. “If I give you my locker combination, will you grab me some of my extra clothes?”

  Nick glanced at the two-way mirror. “You want to get dressed in here?”

  “It’s better than having to wear this for another moment, especially if I’m going to be released soon.”

  “What’s the combo?” Nick asked.

  Alex recited the numbers, and his friend left. Full of nervous energy, Alex paced around the table, pulling and tugging at the stiff fabric. As soon as this was all over, he would do the world a favor and burn the outfit.

  After what felt like forever, but was only five minutes according to the clock, Nick returned with a pair of jeans and a police academy sweatshirt.

  “You’re a lifesaver.”

  Nick tossed the clothes to him. “Don’t thank me yet. You’re still in here.”

  “At least the end is finally in sight.”

  “Yes, it is.” Nick left again.

  Alex picked up his clothes and breathed in the familiar scent of home before pulling off the sweatshirt. He eyed the two-way mirror. “Enjoy the show.” He said it despite the fact he doubted anyone was on the other side, since he was about to be proven innocent and he didn’t think any of his coworkers would refuse him privacy.

  Once he was dressed, he continued his pacing, stopping each time he passed the door and listening but not hearing anything.

  The hands on the clock seemed to move slower and slower each time he hurried past.

  Finally, the door opened again. Nick stepped inside, grinning.

  “You have good news?” Alex didn’t want to hope, but couldn’t help himself.

  “Have a seat.” Nick motioned toward the chair.

  Alex sighed. “Am I free to go or not?”

  “Sit.”

  He complied, but not without a dramatic eye roll.

  Nick chuckled. “Yes, you’re free to go—”

  Alex leaped up.

  “But first, I want to go over everything with you.”

  “Can’t it wait? I want to see my wife and daughter!”

  Nick gestured toward the seat. “Ariana is still finishing up her questioning. Weiss is with her, but Garcia is the one asking the questions, so Ari’s in good hands either way.”

  “And Zoey?”

  “She could come in, but you’ll be able to leave faster if I just tell you what I’ve learned.”

  “Fine.” Alex sat just so he could get out of the room as soon as possible. “And what about Damon? Is he okay?”

  Nick nodded. “He’s more worried about Ariana than himself.”

  The door flung open and Zoey rushed in.

  It took Alex a moment to realize his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He leaped up and threw his arms around her. She squeezed him back. “I was so worried about you!”

  “I missed you so much.” He clung to her, taking in her citrusy scent. “Have you talked to Ari? Is she okay?”

  “Nick let me look in through the two-way mirror. She’s been through a lot, but she’s a strong girl. She sounds like she’s handling it all so well.”

  “Oh, good.” Alex sighed in relief.

  Zoey whispered in his ear, “And I did enjoy the show.”

  He turned to her, a slow smile forming despite all the stress.

  “Would you two like to hear my updates?” Nick asked, snickering. “I can always come back.”

  “No!” Alex took Zoey’s hand, and they sat. “Tell us everything.”

  Nick pulled out a pad of paper and looked over messy notes. “Let me make sure I don’t leave out anything important.” He glanced at each of them. “Our lady in red, her name is Lucinda, and she’s a meticulous note-taker which works out to our benefit. Agent Kutcher found almost everything she needed on the laptop.”

  “Alex is completely cleared?” Zoey asked.

  “Yes, but I want you to hear all of this. Her notes laid out all of her plans—including excruciating details on framing you for all of her crimes.”

  Alex tried to make sense of that. “Even though I’m a man? And I’ve never worn a dress?”

  Nick nodded. “The entire plan was elaborate. She had to have been working on this for many months. And it’s all to make you pay for your blog.”

  Alex clenched his jaw. “I knew it!”

  “Kutcher also found extensive evidence of her being involved with the dark web.”

  “You found the kidnapping ring?” Alex exclaimed.

  Nick shook his head, frowning. “Unfortunately, no. Everything she ever accessed has been deleted.”

  “How convenient,” Zoey muttered.

  “It’s typical of the dark web,” Nick said. “I’m hardly an expert, but from what I do know, sites go down all the time in order to keep from being discovered. New ones pop up just as quickly, so with a team on this, we will find them. It’s just a matter of time.”

  Alex frowned. While it was good news to have this immediate threat out of the way, the fact that the criminal empire had moved all of their websites meant this entire thing was still far from over. One important unanswered question was if they were going to leave Alex alone now.

  In their minds, they wanted him to pay for not taking his blog down as soon as the threats came in. Was what he’d been through enough?

  Would they not stop until he really was behind bars? Or worse?

  Chapter 37

  Nick’s heart leaped into his throat as Tinsley stared at him with her wide eyes. He clutched the couch cushion and took a deep breath.

  “Is something wrong?” Tinsley asked.

  Genevieve, who sat between them, patted the girl’s knee. “No, sweetie. In fact, we have good news.”

  “You do?” Tinsley’s gaze darted between her and Nick. “What?”

  Nick smiled. “The lady in the red dress is in jail.”

  Tinsley frowned.

  “This is good news,” he insisted. “She can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

  “She never hurt me.” Tinsley just stared.

  Nick turned to Genevieve for help. Maybe their daughter simply didn’t understand the magnitude of the events. Because of the trauma of her early childhood, she didn’t process things like other kids her age. He needed to have patience.

  Genevieve leaned over and gave Tinsley a hug. “And we’re so glad she didn’t hurt you, but she did hurt other kids. Now she can’t anymore.”

  “Oh.” Tinsley’s eyes lit up with understanding. “That’s good. Can I go now?”

  “Sure, sweetie.” Genevieve smiled.

  Tinsley rose, meandered to the hallway, and disappeared from sight.

  “What do you make of that?” Nick asked.

  “It’ll take her some time to come back to us with questions.” Genevieve smiled. “Then we won’t get her to stop talking.”

  Nick took Genevieve’s hand in his. “I hope so.” Then his heart raced out of control as he thought about the next question he wanted to ask.

  She tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”

  His mouth dried. “No, but I have a crazy question to ask you.”

  Genevieve glanced at her engagement ring. “You’ve already proposed, so I know it isn’t that. What’s on your mind?”

  Nick played with her ring. “Actually, it does involve this.”

  She lifted a brow.

  “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

  “I doubt that.”

  He chuckled, his nerves settling slightly. “You might not think I’m nuts, but you’ll think this idea is.”

  “Spit it out!” She laughed.

  “What do you think of getting married in the next two weeks?”

  Genevieve’s expression froze.

  “Hear me out,” Nick said quickly. “I checked the weather, and the warm, dry streak is su
pposed to last until at least Halloween. Half the trees out in our field are showing off their fall colors, so it’ll be beautiful. And think about this—with such short notice, only those who care about us the most will attend. You were worried about it becoming too big of an affair.”

  She still didn’t say anything, didn’t give any indication of what she was thinking.

  He struggled to think of something to say to convince her. “And besides all that, we could move into the same bedroom sooner than planned. If you’re worried about the flowers or cake, I’ll move mountains to make sure you have your dream wedding. Nothing will stop this from happening exactly as you want it. I’ll take as much time off as necessary.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he spoke first.

  “And I was also thinking about something else. Instead of waiting to see if you get your period, we could try for a baby. What do you think?”

  Genevieve leaned over, kissed him passionately, and pulled back with a dazed look in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you don’t think I’m crazy.”

  “Not at all. It’s perfect. There isn’t anything normal or tidy about our relationship or family, so a whirlwind engagement is the only thing that makes sense.”

  Nick beamed. “Can’t argue with that logic.”

  She threw her arms around him. “We should tell the kids about the wedding.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, his heart soaring. Before the month’s end, the most beautiful woman on the planet would be his wife. Maybe then he could convince her to transfer back to his police station so they would never have to be apart.

  Stay tuned for the next book, White Wedding, available in early 2020.

  Author's Note

  Thanks so much for reading Lady in Red. I hope you’re enjoying this series as much I am! (Since you’ve made it to book nine, I hope that’s the case.) I really enjoy getting to know the characters more with each book, and I’m excited about the wedding and Halloween party coming in the next book. The question is, which one will be scarier?

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review wherever you purchased it. Not only will your review help me to better understand what you like—so I can give you more of it!—but it will also help other readers find my work. Reviews can be short—just share your honest thoughts. That’s it.

  Want to know when I have a new release? Sign up for new release updates:

  http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/

  I’ve spent many hours writing, re-writing, and editing this work. I even put together a team who helped with the editing process. As it is impossible to find every single error, if you find any, please contact me through my website and let me know. Then I can fix them for future editions.

  Thank you for your support!

  ~Stacy

  About the Author

  Stacy Claflin is a USA Today bestselling author who writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone saga of psychological thrillers, her various paranormal romance tales, or her sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional characters shine through.

  Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time bestselling author.

  When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching a wide variety of shows like Reign, Supernatural, Walking Dead, The Originals, Designated Survivor, Pretty Little Liars, Stranger Things, Haven, and Once Upon a Time.

  For more information:

  stacyclaflin.com/about

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  Did you love Lady in Red? Then you should read The Only Things You Can Take by Stacy Claflin!

  What could be worse than your boyfriend dying in your arms?

  The night of their graduation, a car wreck takes Kade's life. Sutton's world is shattered. But then everything spirals out of control when, at his funeral, she discovers she's pregnant.She turns to the one person who understands her devastation—Anchor, Kade's best friend. He pushes past his own anguish to help Sutton navigate her impossible decisions. Feelings and attraction intensify, but so does guilt. Despite the tangled emotions, they manage to fill the Kade-sized hole in each other's hearts.Then life hits them with another devastating blow. Anchor and Sutton grew close through tragedy, but this time it could be what ends them… unless they can muster the strength to fight for what they've built.The Only Things You Can Take explores the depths of grief, loss, and true love.

  Read more at Stacy Claflin’s site.

  Also by Stacy Claflin

  An Alex Mercer Thriller

  Girl in Trouble

  Turn Back Time

  Little Lies

  Against All Odds

  Don't Forget me

  Tainted Love

  Take On Me

  Danger Zone

  Lady in Red (Coming Soon)

  Curse of the Moon

  Lost Wolf

  Chosen Wolf

  Hunted Wolf

  Broken Wolf

  Cursed Wolf

  Fall Into Romance

  Lost in Romance

  Gone

  Gone

  Held

  Over

  The Gone Trilogy

  Dean's List

  Indigo Bay Second Chance Romances

  Sweet Complications

  Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series

  Sweet Dreams

  Sweet Reunion

  The Hunters

  Seaside Surprises

  Seaside Heartbeats

  Seaside Dances

  Seaside Kisses

  Seaside Christmas

  Bayside Wishes

  Bayside Evenings

  Bayside Promises

  Bayside Mistletoe

  The Hunters: A Collection

  The Transformed

  Deception

  Betrayal

  Forgotten

  Ascension

  Duplicity

  Sacrifice

  Destroyed

  Transcend

  Entangled

  Dauntless

  Obscured

  Partition

  Fallen (The Transformed Prequel)

  Silent Bite: A Transformed Christmas

  Hidden Intentions

  Saved by a Vampire

  Sweet Desire

  Valhalla's Curse

  Renegade Valkyrie

  Pursued Valkyrie

  Silenced Valkyrie

  Vengeful Valkyrie

  Unleashed Valkyrie

  Wildflower Romance

  When Tomorrow Starts Without me

  The Only Things You Can Take

  When You Start to Miss Me (Coming Soon)

  Standalone

  The Transformed Series - Four Books

  The Transformed Box Set

  No Return

  Tiny Bites

  Haunted

  Dex

  Lies Never Sleep

  Alex Mercer Thrillers Box Set 1-3

  Gone Saga Standalones

  Watch for more at Stacy Claflin’s site.

 

 

 
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