The Maker Page 28

  “Yes, that’s the one. What made you look for it?”

  “As I said, I’ve been researching on the Internet. I found some very interesting facts. Did you know ricin can be injected?”

  A sudden wariness crept up inside him. There was something about his wife’s calm expression that he didn’t like. Still, he offered her a nod. “Yes.”

  “It’s usually more lethal that way. You can be assured the recipient receives the full dose. Injected straight into a vein, it quickly works itself around the body. Soon, every tissue is filled with it. It almost certainly leads to death.”

  She leaned forward as she spoke, until their faces were just inches apart. Her eyes glowed with excitement and something else. He stared at her, transfixed, like a field mouse poised before a snake.

  The tiniest prick of pain in the side of his neck was all he felt. He reached up to touch the skin and a spot of bright red blood stained his fingers. He frowned in confusion and focused back on his wife. The syringe was barely visible, clutched inside her hand. A second later it disappeared into the vastness of her handbag.

  Panic fluttered inside him and built into a flood of dread. She couldn’t have…? Surely, she didn’t…?

  He shook his head back and forth, his movements becoming more frantic. No, he was mistaken. She wouldn’t dare. Besides, God would protect him. God would keep him safe. With that, he relaxed and the tension eased out of him. He had nothing to worry about.

  When his wife stood and pushed back her chair, he even managed a tiny smile. She smiled back and he relaxed some more. He even offered her a wave as she collected her bag and turned and headed for the door.

  All was good. All was fine. God would see him through.

  * * *

  Susan Baker slid her handbag over her shoulder and smiled at the young officer stationed outside the door. He flushed, just like he had when she’d greeted him upon her arrival. Her practiced charm worked then as it did now and he grew flustered once again.

  “I’ll see you out, Mrs Baker. Do you have everything?”

  “Yes, I only came in with my handbag. Thank you once again for letting me bring it in. It cost five thousand dollars and is very dear to my heart. My children bought it for my birthday last year.”

  “Well, I’m sorry I had to check through it, but it’s standard procedure.”

  She shot him another brilliant smile. “I understand. I do. And I appreciate that you didn’t paw through it. A woman’s handbag is an extension of herself. It’s a very private thing. You don’t know how nice it is to find a man who understands.”

  She pressed her hand to her heart, making certain her cleavage was elevated to full advantage. She was rewarded when his gaze lowered to her chest.

  “I was happy to help, Mrs Baker. You deserve better than that man in there.” He indicated with his head the room where she’d left her husband.

  She nodded. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I thank you once again for doing what you could to make this whole experience a little less awful.”

  “My pleasure. It’s the least I could do for a beautiful woman such as you.”

  She smiled and dropped her gaze and pretended to blush at his words. “Thank you, officer. You’re very kind to an old woman.”

  The officer opened his mouth as if to protest, but Susan pressed a finger against his lips.

  “Hush, let’s just leave it there. It’s been nice meeting you, officer and I thank you once again.”

  He stammered out a few words on his way out into the main part of the station, but she paid them no heed. She’d accomplished her mission. It was done. It was time for Leo Baker to meet his Maker.

  * * *

  Bryce pressed a satisfied kiss on the tip of Chanel’s nose and sighed. “You’re going to kill me if you keep going like that. I’m not sure I can keep up.”

  She chuckled and snuggled against him, as naked and replete as he. His hand found the curve of her hip and idly caressed her. They’d only just finished making love and yet he still craved her touch. It was like she was a drug and he was an addict. He couldn’t get enough.

  “How did things go with your interview yesterday? Did Doctor Baker give himself up?”

  He shook his head. “Believe it or not, despite the fact we played him the recording, he continued to deny everything. Lucky for us, his wife wasn’t so good at keeping her mouth shut.”

  “Really? What did she say?”

  “We spoke to her this morning. Apparently she visited her husband in the cells last night. She told us about a house in Mount Druitt. We executed a search warrant on the place a few hours ago. It was empty, save for what we found in the basement.”

  He went on to tell her about the equipment they’d found, including a supply of castor beans full of seeds. Coupled with the evidence from the tape, a guilty verdict was almost guaranteed.

  “You did good,” she said and pressed a kiss against his chest.

  “You did good,” he declared firmly. “If you and Tanya hadn’t gotten him to talk, we would never have known. We’re going to be busy for many months going over old records from the morgue. It’s possible he hasn’t stopped killing since he was in medical school.”

  She nodded her agreement and sighed. “I’m afraid that might be true.”

  “I was going to talk to him again this afternoon, but he’s taken ill. He’s been sent to the prison infirmary. Not that it matters. I can catch up with him when he’s brought back to the cells. It’s not like he’s going anywhere. With the evidence we have against him, there’s no way in hell he’ll make bail.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  With a sudden movement, Bryce rolled Chanel over and kissed her softly on the mouth. “Let’s not talk about it any longer. I can think of far better things to do.”

  He pressed himself against her, leaving her in no doubt as to his intentions. She moved to accommodate him. Her legs fell open and he eased his cock inside. They sighed in mutual satisfaction.

  “I love being inside you,” he whispered against her lips.

  “I love having you inside me.”

  He moved slowly, enjoying the exquisite feel of her warmth surrounding him. Eventually, passion overtook them and by the time they reached their peak, they were panting. Chanel cried out as she toppled over the edge and a moment later, Bryce followed her over.

  When they’d caught their breath, he kissed her sweetly on her lips. “I love you, Chanel Munro.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise and she sat up on one elbow, half dislodging him. “You love me? You mean it? You really love me?”

  He grinned. “Yes, I really mean it. I love you.”

  She turned and threw herself against him, her arms tight around his neck. “I love you, too. You can’t imagine how much.”

  He kissed her again and then again. “I think I can.”

  She sighed and relaxed back against him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

  “I know I haven’t. Don’t get me wrong; Angela and I loved each other, but we were still kids when we met and fell in love. We didn’t have a clue how we’d grow and change as adults. We weren’t quite the same people in our twenties as we’d been in our teens.” He shrugged and continued quietly. “Maybe if we hadn’t had the strain of having a baby, we would have made it without the added pain, but we’ll never know. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

  She was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was low and uncertain. “How do you feel about babies now?”

  He was a little taken aback at her question, but the fact that she’d voiced it told him how important it was to her. He answered as honestly as he could.

  “I love babies. I always have. The fact that it didn’t happen for Angela and I saddened me at the time, but I guess I resigned myself long ago that fatherhood wouldn’t happen for me. I haven’t given it any thought since. Why do you ask?”

  “I’ve always wanted a big family. I have five brothers and a sist
er and between them they have about a hundred kids. Family gatherings are loud and noisy and crowded and I love every minute of it. I’d love to have a heap of kids, if you’re willing.”

  He eased her away from him until he could look into her eyes. The hope in them stole his breath. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have a heap of kids with. I love you, Chanel, with every breath that I take and I’ll love our children just as much.” He grinned. “Can we get started on one now?”

  EPILOGUE

  Nine months later

  Bryce turned the car into the driveway of Chanel’s parents’ place and switched off the ignition. She let out a sigh of relief and turned to him and smiled.

  “I can’t believe it. We made it. Our first long road trip with the girls and we’re here.”

  Bryce glanced at the three babies who slept peacefully in their capsules, blissfully unaware of the stress they’d put their parents through over the twelve-hour haul from Sydney. The trip had taken almost double the time it usually did because they’d had to stop and feed the infants three times and then Zoe had developed a gas pain and had refused to settle down. Charlotte had gone out in sympathy and had exercised her lungs with such ferocity, Chanel was sure she’d suffered permanent hearing loss. Only Ginny, the smallest of the triplets, slept through the whole ruckus, much to her parents’ amazement and relief.

  “I can’t believe it, either. Remind me next time to book plane tickets. The distance between Sydney and Grafton is mammoth, way too far for a road trip with three new babies. I thought with them being barely a week old, they’d sleep most of the way. Boy, was I wrong.”

  Chanel reached over and ran a hand tenderly through his hair. “Thanks for driving us. It wasn’t easy. I’m not sure how you managed to concentrate over all that crying, but you did and you got us here, safe and sound. I love you.”

  He turned his head and pressed a kiss against her palm. “I love you, too, but remind me again whose crazy idea it was to do this?”

  Chanel rolled her eyes at him. “It’s Christmas. Okay, I didn’t exactly plan on driving up with week-old babies, but that’s the way things turned out. They arrived a month early.” She smiled and offered him a helpless shrug. “What was I supposed to do?”

  He shook his head, but grinned back at her. “You’re a cheeky girl, Chanel Sutcliffe. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

  She widened her eyes and stared at him, her expression a picture of innocence. “I’m sure you’ll think of a suitable punishment.”

  Bryce growled low in his throat and his eyes darkened with desire. He pulled her closer and kissed her hungrily on the mouth. His hand reached down to cup her breast, full and tender. Her nipple jutted out against his fingers and he brushed it back and forth. Chanel gasped into his mouth and angled her body toward him. He took advantage of her silent invitation and pressed against her as much as possible in the confined space of the car.

  “We’d better get inside. Mom and Dad will have noticed our arrival. Any second we’ll be surrounded by about one hundred Munros vying to get a look at the girls.”

  Bryce groaned against her mouth, but reluctantly pulled away. “I’m going to find you later and steal you away so that you can attend to this.” He grabbed her hand and rubbed it against his cock. It was hard and thick and pulsing.

  “I’m sorry I got you in such a state. How are you going to manage to ignore it while we play nice with my family?”

  “Hey, they’re my family too, remember? They claimed me from the time you introduced me at the engagement party. Are you done with sharing them already?” he teased.

  “Of course not. Everyone loves you, Bryce and they’ll be besotted with the girls. I can’t wait to meet Josie’s little boy. Mom says he looks just like Chase.”

  “I can’t believe their baby and ours were born just minutes apart. How freaky is that?”

  “Freaky or not, I couldn’t be happier for them. They’ve wanted a baby for so long.”

  “What did they call him? Has anyone heard?”

  “Clancy Duncan Barrington, I believe.”

  “Your family’s going to have a tough time with our three. They look so much alike, even I get mixed up.”

  Chanel giggled. “Me, too. Especially when they’re dressed the same.” She glanced over her shoulder at the triplets. “I couldn’t resist those little Santa suits. They were so tiny and cute. I just had to have one for each of them.”

  “They’re beautiful, just like their mom. Grandma thinks so, too.”

  “How is she? When did you see her?”

  “I dropped by her cottage yesterday afternoon on my way home from work. She was thrilled we’d named Ginny after her.”

  “How’s that cough she’s been suffering from? Is she over it now?”

  “Yes, I think so. She seemed in high spirits when I spoke to her, talking about the bus trip she’s taking over Christmas with some of the other senior villagers. Moving her into that retirement place was the best thing we’ve ever done. She has people her own age to talk to, a social life that’s busier than ours and medical care at her fingertips. She’s thrilled with her cottage and is already talking about expanding the garden.” Bryce shook his head and smiled. “She might be nearly eighty-four, but you wouldn’t know it. She’s amazing.”

  Chanel’s chest tightened with emotion and she had to blink back tears. She blamed it on the hormones that were still pumping through her body. Nowadays, the slightest thing turned her into a blithering idiot.

  “You’re amazing, too,” she whispered in a husky voice. “I love every moment of our life together.”

  Happiness beamed from his face. “I love you, Chanel Sutcliffe, more than I dreamed possible. I’ll love you forever and ever and ever.”

  “Amen.”

  The Munro Family Series

  (in order)

  THE PROFILER

  (Book One—Clayton and Ellie)

  THE INVESTIGATOR

  (Book Two—Riley and Kate)

  THE PREDATOR

  (Book Three—Brandon and Alex)

  THE BETRAYAL

  (Book Four—Declan and Chloe)

  THE DECEPTION

  (Book Five—Will and Savannah)

  THE NEGOTIATOR

  (Book Six—Andy and Cally)

  THE CHRISTMAS VIGIL

  (A Munro Family Series Novella)

  THE RANSOM

  (Book Seven—Lane and Zara)

  THE DEFENDANT

  (Book Eight—Chase and Josie)

  THE SHOOTING

  (Book Nine—Tom and Lily)

  THE MAKER

  (Book Ten—Bryce and Chanel)

  Sign up for my newsletter and keep up to date with new release dates, exclusive content and other offers at: http://www.christaylorauthor.com.au/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/

  Read the back cover blurb of each of the Munro Family stories by visiting Chris Taylor’s website at: http://www.christaylorauthor.com.au/about/books

  NOTE TO READERS

  I do hope you have enjoyed reading Bryce and Chanel’s story. If you’ve enjoyed this story, please feel free to leave a review for The Maker. Every review is very much appreciated.

  Click here to sign up for my newsletter if you would like to receive news on upcoming stories, release dates, book launches and other snippets. I love to receive feedback from my readers. Please feel free to contact me at chris@christaylorauthor.com.au

  The Perfect Husband is the first book in my next series. The Sydney Harbour Hospital Series follows the lives and loves of the men and women who work in the Sydney Harbour Hospital, many of whom you’ve already met in the Munro Family Series.

  Here’s a sneak peek:

  Isobel Donnelly has a perfect life. Married to a renowned orthopedic surgeon who’s employed at the illustrious Sydney Harbour Hospital, she also has a successful and satisfying career as a pediatric nurse. Life couldn’t get any better.

  But then her babies arrive and the husband s
he adores turns into a cold and angry stranger. Her perfect world is shattered the first night he hits her.

  Now, she’s trapped in a violent marriage with nowhere to turn. Her husband has threatened to kill her and the kids if she ever dares to leave. In public, they’re the perfect couple, but inside, she’s slowly but surely dying.

  Mason Alexander has relocated to the city to take up his dream job as a pediatric doctor at the prestigious Sydney Harbour Hospital. Recovering from a failed marriage, he’s determined to put the change of scene to good use. The distractions and demands of his new job are just what he needs to get his life back on track.

  Then he runs into Isobel Donnelly and his world is once again turned upside down. He’s loved her since they were children. She’s the reason his marriage failed. But Isobel’s still married to his nemesis: the incomparable Nigel Donnelly. From all accounts, the two of them are still blissfully in love.

  Vowing to steer clear of the woman who’s haunted his dreams for far too many years, Mason does his best to avoid her, but Isobel continues to seek him out and he can’t help but notice her assurances about her happy marriage appear a little forced.

  When she arrives at work with a blackened eye, he’s immediately suspicious: There’s no way she fell over toys left in the way.

  The thought that Nigel might be abusing her is abhorrent, but the signs are there for all to see. Will Mason be able to convince her to leave her husband…or will they both die trying?

  * * *

  The Perfect Husband will be released on 1 November, 2015 and is AVAILABLE NOW for pre-order from your favorite digital retailer.