The Necklace Pt. 03

I watched as Allie stood straight up, adopting a defiant posture that filled me with pride. "I've found someone who I love more than life itself. More than anything you could even imagine. That's why I'm wearing the necklace."

What happened next came too quickly for me to react. In on quick motion Ken raised his fist and struck Allie on the side of her jaw. I watched in agony as she crumbled against the snowy gravel, letting out a small yelp at the pain inflicted. I didn't have a moment to think—my body just reacted.

I stepped out from around the corner and leveled the empty gun barrel at the piece of garbage that just struck my Allie. Ken's face ranged in a variety of emotions from betrayal to rage and now finally to confusion and fear. He took a few steps back as his eyes locked on the gun.

"Move away from her. Now," I said, issuing instructions that I didn't intend to be challenged.

Ken recovered from his confusion and the sneer returned to his face. The pistol, which had been aimed at Allie, now moved in my direction. Thankfully I was able to see her struggle back up to her feet after that blow while clutching her jaw.

"So you're the bastard who's been sleeping with my fiancée? I ought to kill you," said Ken while waving the pistol.

"And I ought to fill you with enough lead to make you unsuitable even for vultures," I said, while slipping the bolt into place. The audible sound and sight of me doing so caused Ken to take another step back.

"Do you know who I am? I'm Ken Reynolds! My family owns half of this state. I'll make sure you never have a job better than the local dogcatcher just for pointing a gun at me."

I let him ramble on while I kept the gun fixed on him. I wasn't exactly sure what I'd do if I couldn't scare him away. I couldn't even fire a warning shot for lack of ammunition. I began to look around, searching for something or anything to give me an edge in my private war with Ken Reynolds but I was having a hard time seeing how anything else could help.

It was then that my eyes swept up toward the cabin roof and noticed something that brought a smile to my lips. I returned my attention back to Ken.

"You're dead! You're nothing and a nobody. I'll even tell anyone who listened that you abducted my fiancée. I'll send you to prison for this! Why on earth are you smiling at me, you fuck?" Ken's rage exploded once more as soon as he saw me smile but I'd finally found my trump card.

"I know exactly who you are. I've heard all the stories about your family. All about your corruption and your hunger for power. One thing that I learned just recently from Allie is that to you people, image is everything."

Ken's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

I pulled the gun up past Ken's head until the barrel was facing nearly vertical. I used it to point toward the security camera in the corner of the building.

"That's my security camera to this property. It feeds directly to a server back in Denver so even destroying it right now would do nothing to the recording. Every word you just said, every action, has just been recorded to a place where you can't touch it. You just hit a woman and I have it on tape. Not just any woman but your fiancée. You berated her, called her a whore, and then pointed a gun at her. Not great actions to get you elected, Ken."

Ken's eyes drifted back and forth between me and the camera. He didn't speak but instead took another step back.

"You have political enemies, don't you, Ken? I'm sure your whole family has a long list of people who'd love to see you come down several pegs. I bet they'd love to get a copy of that video, don't you think, Ken?"

"You wouldn't. You're bluffing," said Ken.

"Am I? You just happened to strike the woman I love more than anything. I could kill you right now and I'd still feel no remorse for it. But to people like you, there's a worse thing than death. And that's the destruction of your image."

"So here's the deal, Ken. You leave Allie's life forever. You can think of some excuse for your engagement failing. Frankly we don't care what it is as long as you don't slander her name. But you'll make no more contact with her or I. You'll let her go her own way. And if we catch you trying to make contact or interfering in our lives, copies of that video will get sent to every news outlet in Colorado. Your career will be destroyed permanently."

I watched as he grew more enraged with each successive word. By the end of my speech he was almost frothing with madness. I thought for a moment he might take a shot at me just out of spite but eventually his political mind recovered and a neutral look composed on his face.

"Fine. Keep the whore. But I'll tell you this—if any copies of that tape appear in the press otherwise, I'll use my family's last dime to bury you completely. We'll sue both of your asses out of existence."

"The tape will be kept in a secure place. Remember our deal. Leave her alone and you'll be free to run for any office you choose."

Ken's eyes narrowed but then he eventually lowered his pistol and put it back in his pocket. He turned away from me and faced Allie. "Well, this is it for you and I, Alexandra. What a pity. You could have been a senator's wife."

Allie rushed over and enfolded her arms around me. She clung to me tightly before turning her face in Ken's direction. "I'd rather die than spend another moment being youranything.

Ken pursed his lips and stared daggers at her for a few moments until he had enough. Without another word he turned heel and marched back to his silver BMW. Before he sat down in the driver's seat, he turned to both of us. "You haven't heard the last of Ken Reynolds."

With that proclamation, he started the car and then backed down the driveway. As soon as he was out of sight, I leaned the rifle against the cabin and embraced Allie lovingly. Her emotions let loose as soon as I did.

"I'm so sorry, baby. He was just there when I was loading the bag! I was so scared as soon as I saw him. I didn't know what to do!" Allie sobbed against my chest, and I did my best to console her. Eventually I pulled her face back to stare into those wonderful emerald-green eyes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't out here sooner. As soon as I saw his pistol, I knew I had to get something to stand him down."

"I'm just glad you intervened before he dragged me away," she said, leaning up to kiss me.

I returned the kiss and looked at the red mark on her jaw. "How much does it hurt?"

Her hand reached out to rub it. "It's a little tender but luckily he's never exactly been to a gym. I'm sure nothing's broken."

I smiled at that comment. "He doesn't seem like the type, does he?"

Allie looked up at me with concern. "Do you think he'll really leave us alone? Does that video do everything that you said it would?"

"I had to bluff a little and work with what I have. That video feeds directly into the cabin but we can grab the tape before we leave. There's also this problem." I pulled back the bolt and showed the empty chamber of the gun to Allie.

"It's not loaded?"

"Another bluff," I said with a smile.

"You played a dangerous game with dangerous people, Jim," said Allie, a small smile forming on her lips.

"It was worth it. You're worth it, Allie."

"I love you, Jim." She pressed in tight against me. In our moment of tenderness, I reflected on just what had been gained and what had been lost. Even though this trip started with the loss of a brother, I had gained a love. In finding Allie, she'd let me learn to forgive myself. In finding me, Allie was able to stand up to her past and put it truly behind her. We both had our internal demons but together we could overcome them all. My eyes focused on her necklace worn proudly against her chest. It was the ultimate symbol of what we've overcome. It had become the symbol of our love.

After she stopped sobbing, Allie pulled out of my embrace. Her hand slipped into her pocket to pull out her cell phone. With a quick release of her fingers it dropped into the snowy gravel. To my surprise, she reared her leg up and then brought it crashing down forcibly on the phone, destroying it with her boot. She then reached down to pick it up.

"I'd say you pulverized it, babe," I said with a chuckle.

"Just making sure. I don't ever want to be tracked again."

"Let's make sure of that," I said as I opened my hand to receive the phone. Allie placed it in my palm, and with all my strength, I threw it as far as I could manage down the mountainside. I saw it shatter on a rock before I lost sight of it, entirely satisfied to solve another problem.

"So what do we do now?" she asked, turning her head to look at me.

"Now we go home," I said, ending with a kiss.

Epilogue — Two Years Later

"What am I going to do if they don't like me though?"

I chuckled at her nervousness. "How could they not like you? They'll love you—just like I do."

Allie bit her lip. "Yeah but you're a little biased on that subject."

"I would hope to be biased in favor of my own wife, yes," I said, pulling her into my embrace. She came willingly and wrapped her arms around me. Even though we'd now been married a little over four months, calling Allie my wife was still a novel concept for me. Truthfully I loved how the word rolled off my tongue. I loved even more how her face lit up when I did.

"I really hope I'm prepared enough. I don't want to quit on my very first day."

"You've prepared for this your entire life. I think once you really get into it, you'll find out you love it."

Allie looked at me with questioning eyes. "And if I don't love it?"

I chuckled again. "Then we'll figure out another plan for us."

We both stared out of our front kitchen window. We'd only been in this house less than a year, buying it together once we got engaged. This year had taken a tremendous toll on our finances with a mortgage and a wedding to factor into the bills but I couldn't remember a time when I'd been happier. My cramped apartment in the city just wasn't enough for us anymore and our new house was just perfect.

It worked out even better that our new house was out in the mountains as well. The first time Allie laid eyes on it, she mentioned how it reminded her of our first week together in the cabin. I think that was the deciding factor in our choice to buy and memories of that first week together still filled our new home. I looked at one of the pictures of us on the mantle, a silly selfie that we'd taken together in that first week shortly after the first time we made love. It filled my heart with pride that it now decorated our forever home.

Right next to that selfie was the picture from our wedding day. Surprisingly for both Allie and I, her father didn't take the news of her failed engagement too hard. There had been a few thrown items, and a permanently destroyed set of china, but he recovered after a few days. While him and I weren't exactly close, I received fair treatment from him regardless of the fact that his new son-in-law had threatened his former bankroll.

As expected the mutual relationship between the Reynolds and the Harringtons dried up, and Allie's father found himself setting up many new fundraisers to attempt to fill the void. For my wife and I, it was all just white noise compared to the happiness we'd found in one another.

Allie got up from the kitchen table and then began to pace around the room. I finished my last drop of coffee and started to gather my things for work. Once I had everything I needed, I turned to face her.

The last thing I did was pull her into my arms and give her a deep, tender kiss.

"Mmm, what was that for?" she asked with a moan.

"That's wishing for good luck today although I know you don't need it."

"Thank you, baby. I love you."

"And I love you." I kissed her one more time and gazed into the emerald-green eyes of my wife. She looked so radiant today with her beautifully done blonde hair and her light blue dress. Of course her necklace was proudly worn against the dress itself, visible for all to see.

I leaned down and gently rubbed her stomach as well. "I love you too little one," I said before leaning back up again.

"I'll be thankful when she decides to come out. This is starting to get uncomfortable," said Allie, clutching at her pregnant belly.

I laughed. "I hate to tell you but you still have three more months to go."

"You didn't need to remind me," said Allie with a playful eye roll.

"Someone had to break the bad news," I said, earning a swat at my arm. I laughed and headed toward the door but the ringing of the bell beat me to the punch. I opened the door to find a young mother holding a little boy in her arms. The boy looked a little fearful.

"Good morning," I greeted while Allie shuffled in behind me.

"Hi there. I'm Brittany Vaughn and this is my son, Danny. This is the O'Connell day care place, right?"

Before I could answer, Allie stepped forward. "Yes, it is! I'm Allie O'Connell and this is my husband, Jim. I'm so glad to have you and Danny for the first day of my day care!"

I watched as the young mother and her son came into our kitchen while I walked out the front door to start the drive to work. At one point I looked back to watch Allie now holding Danny through the kitchen window. The smile on her face was the same one she wore on our wedding day. I knew she'd be truly happy doing what she'd always wanted to do. Together, we made it happen.

Her dream had come true.