NRoberts - G2 Black Rose

 The guests broke into spontaneous applause as Logan swept Stella off her feet and spun her in a circle. And Harper topped off the moment by popping the first bottle of champagne.

 “I don’t know when I’ve seen a happier couple,” Mitch commented, and tapped his glass to Roz’s. “Or a prettier family. You do good work.”

 “I didn’t do anything.”

 “It’s like a family tree. These two come from one of your branches. May not be blood, but it comes to the same. It’s their connection to you that brought them together. They did the rest, but the connection started it.”

 “That’s a nice thought. I’ll take it.” She lifted her glass, sipped. “There’s something I want to talk to you about a little later. I wanted to wait to bring it up until after Stella had her day. A wedding day, by rights, belongs to the bride.”

 “What’s it about?”

 “I guess you could say it’s about connections.” She rose on her toes to kiss him. “We’ll talk about it after we go home. Fact is, I’ve got to run back real quick. With all this commotion I forgot the special bottle of champagne I have back home for the bride and groom and their wedding night.”

 “I can run get it.”

 “No, it’ll be quicker if I do. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

 As she got to the car, she stopped as Hayley called her.

 “Roz! Hold up. Is it okay if we ride with you?” A little breathless, she stopped at the car with a crying Lily in her arms. “I’ve got a cranky girl here, needs a little nap. But she won’t go down. Car ride’ll do the trick. We can take mine, it has the car seat.”

 “Sure. It’s going to be a quick run, though.”

 “That’s all right.” She walked to her own car, battled an objecting Lily into the seat. “Rides always calm her down, and if she goes to sleep, I can just sit out here with her until she wakes up. Then we’ll both have a better time at the party.”

 As advertised, the crying stopped, and Lily’s head began to droop before they were down the lane to the main road.

 “Works like a charm,” Hayley said.

 “Always did with mine, too. She looks so sweet in her pink party dress.”

 “Everything looked so beautiful. If I ever get married, I want it to be just like that. Springtime, flowers, friends, shiny faces. I always thought I wanted a big church extravaganza, but this was so romantic.”

 “Just right for them. It’s nice to—Slow down. Stop the car!”

 “What? What’s the . . . oh, my God.”

 They looked over at In the Garden. Roz had closed for the day so everyone could enjoy the wedding. But someone, she could see, had been there. Someone, she thought, still was.

 Several of her outdoor displays were overturned, and a car was parked sideways, crushing one of her beds.

 “Call the police,” Roz snapped and was already out of the car. “You and the baby get out of here now. Go back to Logan’s right now.”

 “Don’t. Don’t go in there now.”

 “This is my place.” And she was already running.

 Her flowers, she thought. Plants she’d started from seed or cutting, babied along, nurtured and loved. Destroyed, beaten down, ripped to pieces.

 Innocent, she thought as she took only a moment to grieve for the loss and waste. Innocent beauty crushed to nothing.

 There would be payment made.

 She heard glass shatter, and charged around the back of the main building. She saw Bryce, swinging a baseball bat at another window.

 “You son of a bitch.”

 He whirled. She saw the shock first, then the rage. “Thought you were busy today. Figured I’d be done before you came by.”

 “You figured wrong.”

 “Doesn’t matter a damn.” He slammed the bat into the next window. “Time you learned a lesson. You think you can humiliate me in public? Set the cops on me?”

 “You humiliated yourself, and if you don’t put that down and get the hell off my property, I’m going to do more than set the cops on you.”

 “Such as? Just you and me now, isn’t it?” He slapped the bat against his palm, took a step toward her. “Do you know what you cost me?”

 “I’ve got a general idea, and it’s going to be more. Trespassing, destruction of property.”

 He didn’t use the bat, though she saw in his eyes, just for an instant, that he considered it. But he swung out with his hand, cracking her across the cheekbone and sending her sprawling.

 That was all it took. She was up like a flash and launching herself at him. She didn’t use nails and teeth as Mandy had. She used her fists, and took him so by surprise, he fell to his knees before he managed to block her, and strike out at her again.

 But the blow didn’t land.

 The wind came up so fast, so cold, so furious, that it flung Roz back against the building. Her head rapped sharply against wood so she had to shake it clear.

 When she did, she saw Amelia sweeping across the ground, dirty white gown flying, hands curled like lethal claws. Murder in her eye.

 And so did Bryce.

 He screamed, a single high-pitched shriek of terror before he began to claw at his throat and gasp for air.

 “Don’t. For God’s sake.” Roz tried to push forward, but was slapped back by the pressure of the wind. “Don’t kill him. It’s enough, it’s enough! He can’t hurt me. He won’t hurt me.”