Fatal Series 00 - Fatal Destiny

this, the kids are getting restless,” Tracy said. “We’ll wait for you outside.”
    As her sisters stepped out, the men came in with Shelby.
    “Sam,” Graham said. “You look positively gorgeous.”
    “Radiant,” Harry added.
    “Beautiful,” Leo said.
    “Thank you,” Sam said, embarrassed by the praise. “We have a problem.” She explained about Nick’s mother crashing the wedding and watched their smiles fade. Leo looked down at the floor, his face unreadable. “We have to keep her away from Nick. Whatever you have to do, no matter how rude you have to be, keep her away from him.”
    “Don’t worry,” Graham assured her. “We’ll take care of it.”
    Sam focused on Harry. “It’s very important that she not get anywhere near him. You understand why.”
    Harry nodded somberly. “It won’t happen. I’ll personally make sure of it.”
    Sam turned to Shelby. “Do you have a copy of the invitation?”
    “Of course.” Ever efficient, Shelby crossed the room to her pink leather briefcase and produced the green and lavender invitation Sam had loved on first sight. “Here you go.”
    “Thanks. Will you please go get Nick’s mother? I’d like a word with her.”
    “Sam,” Skip said. “Are you sure about that?”
    Ignoring the concern coming from the other men, she nodded. “Go ahead, Shelby.”
    “I’ll point her out to you,” Leo said, following Shelby.
    While she waited, Sam vibrated with tension. She deeply resented Nick’s mother intruding—uninvited—on their special day. But she would take care of it and get on with the wedding with him none the wiser.
    Shelby and Leo returned a minute later with a beautifully dressed woman who, as Nick had once said, resembled Sofia Loren. As she came closer, however, Sam saw the hard edges lurking beneath the shiny surface. This woman had nothing on Loren. Nick’s parents were just fifteen years older than him, and while Leo remained youthful, Nicoletta appeared worn. She cast a hateful glance at Leo, who looked away from her as if he couldn’t stand the sight of her. Sam could relate to that.
    “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Nicoletta said, extending her hand to Sam.
    Sam ignored the proffered hand and held up the invitation. “Did you receive one of these?”
    “I did not, but I figured it had to be a mistake. How could I not be invited to my own son’s wedding?”
    “You were not invited,” Sam said, “because neither of us wants you here.”
    Nicoletta’s face turned bright red. “How dare you speak to me like that minutes before you marry my son?”
    “You’ve done nothing but hurt and disappoint him his entire life. You will not do that today. I won’t allow it. You may sit quietly in the back of the church for the service, after which you will leave—quietly—or security will have you removed. From now on, you will stay far, far away from him or you’ll deal with me. Do I make myself clear?”
    Nicoletta glared at her. “My son is marrying a bitch!”
    “Hey now,” Skip growled. “Watch yourself, or you won’t be watching a wedding.”
    Nicoletta appealed to Leo. “You have nothing to say about this, you spineless excuse for a man?”
    Leo shook his head. “I don’t want you here any more than they do.”
    “I’m about to change my mind and have you removed before the wedding,” Sam said, glowering at her. “What’s it going to be?”
    “I’d like to see my son.”
    “That’s not going to happen.”
    “You can’t decide that for him!”
    Sam smirked. After what this woman had put Nick through, Sam was rather enjoying this. “You don’t think so?”
    With Harry, Graham, Leo and her father united as one behind her, Sam stared down the older woman. “You have one minute to decide because I have no intention of keeping my fiancé waiting. He’s waited long enough for a family of his own.”
    She often used the same time limit with perps when giving them the choice between cooperating with an investigation or going straight to jail. This woman had emotionally abused Nick his entire life. Her crimes were nearly as egregious as those of the criminals Sam dealt with.
    “Fine,” Nicoletta huffed. “You may think you’ve won this round, but you haven’t seen the last of me.”
    “Yes, I have. And believe me, you don’t want to try me on that.”
    “God help my poor son,” Nicoletta said as she turned and stalked from the room. “He’ll need all the help he can get married to a