“Eden, will you hurry up. The one day sale is going to be over before we get there at the pace you’re moving,” Taylor Warner complained, waiting on the sidewalk outside Trust American Bank of Hilton. It was Wednesday and she and Eden had taken the day off, Eden for a doctor’s appointment and she to be her sister’s chauffer for the day.
“I’m doing the best I can. You try carrying another person around and see how fast you move,” Eden snapped.
“Hey, I had nothing to do with that. You and Chase should have taken your asses to sleep.” Taylor laughed, catching her sister rolling her eyes.
“What makes you think we created this child at night?”
“Ewww, too much information. The last thing I need is an image of you and Chase doing it. Just reassure me my little niece or nephew wasn’t conceived on your kitchen island.”
Eden pulled up short. “How did you know about the island?” Her cheeks were rosy with embarrassment.
Taylor giggled. “You’re kidding right?” She cut a glance in her sister’s direction. “Eden, who places a table cloth on a kitchen island unless they’ve been doing the nasty on it?”
“You really are crude,” Eden fired back. “You need to find a better group of friends besides the Neanderthals down at the precinct. You’re becoming just as vulgar as they are,” Eden complained.
“Oh, please, I wasn’t the one getting freaky in the kitchen. Talk about serving it up.”
Eden laughed so hard she had to hold the bottom of her stomach. “Be quiet. I’m already embarrassed enough. God, I thought no one noticed. Does Mom know?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I swear that woman is a mind reader,” Taylor remarked, matching her steps to her sister’s. She looked at Eden with admiration. At seven months pregnant, Eden Mathews didn’t do anything fast. She was big and round and dressed in a pretty plum colored coat with boots. Her naturally long auburn hair had grown a few inches more and shined with healthiness. And her Hershey Kiss-brown skin, the same hue as her own was simply radiant. She was by far the most beautiful pregnant woman Taylor had ever seen. She pulled the bank door open and waited for Eden to waddle through. Although she teased her sister about her pregnancy, she was envious of her happiness. Oh, she knew things hadn’t been easy for Eden and Chase. An African American schoolteacher and a white mayoral candidate had really stirred the political, as well as social waters of Hilton, Georgia, but through it all their love never wavered.
She wanted what Eden had, but was afraid it wasn’t in the cards for her. Being a police detective didn’t fit into most men’s idea of the perfect wife; however, being a police detective was who she was. She followed her sister into the warmth of the bank and groaned. The branch office area was crowded and the teller lines were as long as the drive-thru outside. “Why don’t we come back?”
Eden shook her head. “Stop being so impatient. I want to place these papers back in the safety deposit box. It won’t take long. Mr. Mason told me I would be able to get right in.”
Taylor sure hoped so. Their schedule was full today. They were headed to Pampered Babies for the finishing touches to the nursery. From there they were meeting Skye, the youngest at the jewelry store to select a birthday present for their mother, followed by lunch and shopping at her favorite boutique, Allure. She followed her sister absently back into the office area of the bank, taking a seat in the waiting area. She watched as Mr. Mason, the impeccably dressed, thirty something, branch manager spotted Eden and came rushing forward with an outstretched hand. His dark face was lit with an eager smile. No doubt that kind of service came with being the Mayor’s wife.
Her thoughts drifted to handsome FBI Agent, Stone Patrick, while she waited. She wondered where he was and if he thought of her. They had agreed to stop fighting their attraction after Eden and Chase’s wedding months ago, but before they could make good on their agreement, he was assigned to a case which took him to places unknown. She had heard through the law enforcement grapevine he was back or headed back to the Atlanta Bureau office. She had hoped to hear from him, but hadn’t, and didn’t know what to make of it. Perhaps, absence didn’t make the heart grow fonder. She chewed on her thumbnail deep in thought.
“I bet I know who you’re thinking about,” Eden said, meeting Taylor’s surprised gaze as she came to stand beside her. “I heard a rumor that a particular agent was back in town.”
Taylor was caught red-handed and blushed. She was surprised to see her sister back so soon, but didn’t miss what she had said. She sprang from her seat. “Did Chase speak to Stone?”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Eden said with a chuckle. “Am I right? Were you thinking about Stone?”
“Okay, I was thinking about the man,” Taylor admitted honestly. She adjusted the shoulder strap of her purse. “I’ve missed him. We had agreed to give dating a try when he was pulled away on assignment, but I haven’t heard from him. Not a word.”
“Well cheer up because the handsome agent is back in town.”
“He is? When? Why I haven’t I heard from him?” Taylor looped her arm through Eden’s and headed toward the door. Rounding the column separating the office space from the banking area, the women were met by distressed screams followed by running bodies and four masked men waving guns. Taylor’s hand instantly went to her hip feeling air. She quickly remembered her weapon was secured inside her handbag. Locating each armed man, noting their position, it became clear she was outnumbered. A man in a black mask was at the front door. The robber wearing a blue mask hurried behind the teller counter. Another robber in a red mask ran toward Mr. Mason, and the one sporting a white headed toward the vault. She looked for the lone security guard sitting in the corner and seeing him eyeing his weapon, willed him not to do it.
“Touch that weapon and you die old man,” Black by the door, growled with lethal intent at the guard. To make his point, he turned his weapon in the man’s direction.
“Oh, my God!” Eden wailed, clutching Taylor’s arm.
“Do what they say and don’t draw attention to yourself,” Taylor whispered, shoving her sister behind her.
“What are you doing?” Eden whispered back.
“Protecting you and that baby.” Taylor ran a hand over the side of her purse, cursing her desire to be one of the girls today. Any other time she would have her weapon in easy reach, but in this case, with so many suspects, her weapon would be ineffective.
“Everybody against the wall,” Black ordered in a menacing tone causing wails of fear to be unleashed. Husbands and wives huddled together. Mothers attempted to protect their children by placing their bodies in front of them. Others tried to hide behind the person in front of them. The tellers were waved from behind the counter to stand with the terror filled customers along the wall.
Taylor watched intently as the men systematically cleared the teller drawers of money, then rushed into the office area divesting those desk drawers that held cash of their loot, while Black returned to the door counting off the minutes. The red masked man in the office area practically dragged Mr. Mason from behind his desk, pushing him toward the rear of the bank in the direction of the vault.
“You have thirty seconds to get that vault open,” Black warned from the front door. He looked in the direction of the huddled customers. “Blue,” he called to the tall lanky man who had emptied the teller drawers. “Grab that woman.”
Panicked filled voices filled the air as the customers drew closer together.
“Which one?” Blue replied, looking at the frighten faces.
“The one hiding in the purple coat.”
Taylor clutched Eden’s hand praying there was someone else wearing a purple coat. As the man in the blue mask grew near, she felt Eden’s grip tighten with fear. She caressed her purse once more trying to figure out a way to get her weapon without drawing attention or endangering anyone.
“You, come here,” Blue ordered, pointing to Eden.
“No. I’ll go,” Taylor spoke up. She knew what would happen if these men searched and found her weapon, but protecting her sister was worth the risk.
The man at the door called out two minutes as he charged across the room, pointing the barrel of his gun at Taylor. “Open your mouth again and I’ll place a bullet between your eyes.” He leveled Taylor with a steely gray stare letting her know he meant business. “Now you in the purple coat; get up here,” he demanded through clenched teeth.
“It’s okay,” Eden whispered as she squeezed by Taylor’s tense body. She glanced at the man in the blue mask that came forward, and was unprepared for the rough tug to her arm. She toppled awkwardly to the floor.
“My God, Eden!” Taylor cried, bending to reach for her sister. “Are you alright?” Taylor stilled as she suddenly felt the barrel of a gun shoved against the base of her skull, followed by a hard push.
