Her Dark Web Defender

by Dana Nussio

  She’d admitted out loud that she still loved Tony. Nothing he’d done or said could change that. He loved her, too. His plan to bring her and Emily together displayed that more clearly than any rooftop pronouncement ever could.

  But was love enough for them to overcome their fear of trusting a second time when they’d already burned each other once? She didn’t know the answer to that, and she wasn’t positive that Tony’s effort to help her reconnect with her friend was more than a parting gift.

  It was like diving into a swimming pool in a pitch-dark natatorium, unsure of the water’s depth or even if the pool had been filled at all. Well, she was tired of living cautiously and sick of being afraid. She didn’t know about Tony, but she was ready to close her eyes, spread her arms wide and dive.

  Chapter 30

  The squawk of his doorbell caught Tony off guard as he was attaching wires to his new modem, and he whacked his head on the underside of his desk. He was still rubbing the side of his head and blinking back dots dancing before his eyes when he reached the front door and pulled it open.

  Kelly was standing there, looking ethereal in a filmy, light blue sundress and silver sandals, her long hair left loose, its ends catching the breeze. He blinked a few more times, just to make sure she was real. He’d never seen her in a dress before, which was probably a good thing, given how hard his pulse pounded then.

  “Hi,” she said through the partial screen in the storm door.

  “Hi?” His greeting came as a question, but how could it not when so much hope was crammed into a single word? Why was she there? Why now? Had she come because she was braver than he was, and she was ready to say that she wanted to be with him? Or had she come for the closure they’d never had?

  She offered no answers as she stood there, shifting her feet and chewing her lip.

  “What’s going on?” he asked when he couldn’t stand it anymore. “What are you doing here?”

  She flinched, as his comment must have sounded harsher than he intended.

  “I stopped by the task force office today. Eric told me everything.”

  She didn’t ask to come in, but he pushed the storm door open, and she stepped inside. The scent of her shampoo struck him as she passed, and, as usual, he was helpless but to breathe her in. Images so sweet and so painful fluttered in his thoughts, but he pushed them away as he had each day since he’d seen her. The longest period of his life.

  He gestured for her to have a seat on his replacement sofa as he sat in the new side chair. She did as he asked, but instead of saying more, she straightened her dress several times and crossed and uncrossed her legs. Randomly, he recalled she’d only been to his house once before, after Stevenson had wrecked it, but she wasn’t looking around now. Clearly, whatever she had to say was important.

  “I thought you’d just wanted a transfer out of the task force. Maybe to the Detroit field office. I didn’t think you’d planned to leave the agency completely.”

  Was that it? Had she only come to discuss his career plans? Like an intervention or something?

  “Plans change.” Like when he’d tried to avoid falling in love with her.

  She nodded, as if she at least understood that. Then she looked around, her eyes wide, as if seeing the place for the first time.

  “You haven’t started packing.”

  “Packing?”

  Her gaze had been on the hallway that led to the bedrooms, but then she turned back to him.

  “You’ll be moving now, right? Since you left the FBI?”

  Did she not want him to leave? Was that it? Hope tried to peek out from behind his determination to control it, but he couldn’t risk that yet. “I hadn’t thought about it. I guess Eric didn’t tell you everything.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve decided to become a consultant, helping schools, parents and kids learn how to be safe when online and to avoid online predators.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  She must have realized she’d gushed, as she cleared her throat and started again.

  “No, really, Tony. That’s a wonderful thing you’ll be doing. So many families will benefit from a program like that.”

  “I thought so, too. I’ve already booked appearances in several school districts, and community organizations are funding my presentations, so I don’t have to work for free.”

  “Local school districts?”

  He nodded, grinning. “It looks like I’ll be staying in this area for at least the near future.”

  “That’s good.”

  She wiped her palms on her skirt and shook her crossed leg in a fast, constant rhythm.

  “Was that the only reason you came? To ask me about my choice to leave the agency?”

  She shook her head. “I saw Emily yesterday.”

  So that was it. This was a thank-you call. “Oh, she came. I didn’t know when she planned to do it. Was it a good visit?”

  “The best.”

  Her face lit up, and he could only hope that after this meeting with her childhood friend, she would be free to experience that kind of delight far more often. That was all he wanted. At least, he told himself it was.

  “You were right about her. She doesn’t blame me. And she’s happy and stable. She’s really okay.”

  “That must be such a relief for you.”

  “It is. I’ll never know how to repay you for reaching out to her. I wouldn’t have done it, though I should have a long time ago. She said the same thing. It was the kindest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

  He leaned forward in his seat and rested his hands on his knees.

  “I didn’t locate Emily because I wanted you to feel indebted to me or tied to me somehow. That’s not what I wanted at all.”

  She drew her brows together.

  “Then what did you want to happen?”

  “I wanted to free you from your past. You’ve been living with handcuffs tying you to a situation over which you had no control. I just wanted you to be free.”

  “Is my freedom all you want for me? Or from me?”

  Her voice caught on the word that could mean so many things. It also couldn’t begin to cover all he wanted with her in his life.

  “What are you trying to say?” He held his breath, not knowing what was coming but finally allowing himself to hope.

  “Can we at least try to be together? Can we try to rebuild our trust in each other?”

  She paused, licking her lips, her eyes imploring.

  “No secrets. No agendas. Just try.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to try.”

  The second that Kelly’s tears spilled over her lower lids, Tony realized she’d misunderstood. Her elbows planted on her knees, she buried her face in her hands.

  He scooted from his chair to kneel in front of her and gently pulled her hands away from her face. Her skin was damp with her tears.

  “Don’t you see? I don’t want to just try anything. I want to risk everything with you.”

  Which one of them moved first, he wasn’t certain, but suddenly she was in his arms, kissing him with the same desperation that flooded through his veins. He couldn’t hold her close enough or kiss her deeply enough to show her just how he felt about her.

  By the time that Kelly slid her mouth to the side and drew in a ragged breath, he had pulled her across his lap on the floor. When she pressed her cheek to his and chuckled, he could feel the rumbling of her contentment everywhere.

  Careful so that he didn’t squeeze too hard on her healing arm, he moved her back from him so he could look into her eyes.

  “I’m in love with you, Trooper Roberts.” Her beautiful smile, her already-swollen lips, only made him want to kiss her again.

  “And I’m in love with you. Desperately.”

  “I
want to be with you and marry you and, someday, make babies with you.”

  She blinked since a lot of this was new information for her, particularly the part about kids, but then she leaned her head back and laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Can we just be a couple first? For a few days? Three weeks, tops.”

  “Fine. But there’s one more thing I have to ask you.”

  “Okay, but if you’re asking what I want printed on the stone for our side-by-side burial plots, I’m going to say you’re rushing it.”

  “No, this is serious.”

  “Okay.” She straightened as much as she could while draped across his lap and used her hand to draw down her smile into a blank expression.

  “I need to know if you can be with me now that I’ve left law enforcement and all of my job security to follow my heart.”

  She smiled again.

  “Do you really think I fell in love with you because you were in law enforcement? That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

  “No. I guess I didn’t, but I just don’t want you to be disappointed in me.”

  “I could never be disappointed in you, but just so we’re clear here, I’m not in love with the badge. Only you. Whether you carry it or not. And the fact that you’re choosing to help people to avoid becoming victims? I didn’t think I could love you any more than I did, but I was wrong.”

  He covered her mouth with his again, kissing her gently, longingly, with every promise he could offer, every hope he could share from his heart.

  This time when he lifted his lips away, she was smiling.

  “When are you going to show me the rest of the house?”

  “But you already saw it the day we were here getting—” He stopped as he got the true meaning of her request. She’d made a similar offer once at her apartment. “Oh.”

  “I need a better tour.” She giggled this time as she scrambled from his lap and stood.

  He climbed off the floor and reached out a hand to her.

  “Please allow me to give you a tour, my dear.”

  Their fingers laced together, he led her down the hall to his bedroom.

  He turned to face her as he crossed the threshold into the room and released her hand as she stood just outside the door.

  “Are you ready for this?” He meant far more than just their lovemaking, and her smile signaled she understood.

  She stepped through the doorway and slid her hand up his chest and around his neck. “I’m in. All the way.”

  * * *

  The passenger door of the minivan popped open, and Nick’s grinning face appeared in the opening.

  “Ready to play the blushing bride, Miss Kelly?”

  “Oh, knock it off, or I’ll shoot you. And I have my ankle holster under this dress to do it.”

  That earned another laugh from her colleagues who’d crowded into one borrowed car so as many of them as possible could deliver her to the church. Or Mill Pond Park, where they’d planned their fall wedding, anyway. There’d already been enough one-liners in the car that she’d probably cried off most of her eyeliner.

  “Here, let me.” Dion elbowed his way in front of Nick. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

  He held a hand out for her and even assisted in pulling the rest of her train from beneath the dash, signs he’d probably been an in-demand prom escort.

  The park couldn’t have looked more perfect, its trees all decked out for an autumn party. Even if it was a little chilly today, and everyone’s hair would be more windblown than in other wedding photos. She wouldn’t have done it any differently. This was the place she and Tony had begun to fall in love, and it was the place to make it legal.

  The other car doors opened, and several fellow officers climbed out, all spiffy and shined in their dress uniforms. Another set of guests wore dress slacks and ties, along with their badges, anther uniform of sorts.

  Ben took several steps ahead. “Looks like everyone else is already here.”

  Nick frowned at Trevor. “I wonder why. A whole carload of cops, and you couldn’t push the speed, even a little?”

  Trevor grinned. “Well, we’re here, aren’t we?”

  Kelly took in the line of chairs arranged just beside the duck pond and then a group of people in suits and dresses near the playground area. “I see my parents. I’d better get over to them.”

  “You’re going to need this.” Delia, who’d just climbed out of the back seat, helped her put on her veil, which she’d managed to keep hardly mussed.

  Kelly blinked back tears as Delia pulled the blusher down over her face.

  “You make a beautiful bride.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Sure.”

  The others chimed in, suddenly awkward when all of them usually had a joke to tell. Particularly Vinnie.

  “Thank you all for bringing me here today. I really appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome,” Vinnie said. “Now go get married.”

  She made her way over to her parents and brothers. “Anyone seen Tony yet?”

  Her brother Sam pointed, and whatever anyone else said fell away as she caught sight of her amazing groom, decked out in a smart black tuxedo, already pulling at the collar. He was watching her, too, and the look of love in his eyes could carry her through whatever joys and mishaps took place throughout the day.

  “Could everyone take your places?” the minister called out.

  Tony stood next to him, and Kelly stood at the end of the makeshift aisle, her arm tucked through her father’s.

  The rest of the events took place in a blur. Words spoken. Vows repeated. The only thing she would remember clearly was the feeling of approaching Tony, step by step, and knowing that her love was waiting there for her.

  There would be a huge party later where they would celebrate with laughter, dancing and more than a few adult beverages, but the part Kelly looked forward to the most was the slush machine she and Tony had insisted on when planning the wedding. She would be enjoying her favorite flavor: blue.

  * * *

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  Colton’s Secret Investigation

  by Justine Davis

  Chapter 1

  She’d only capped off a few rounds, but Deputy Daria Bloom already knew her range score was going to suck. But she kept firing.

  Fire.

  A new missing girl.

  Fire.

  Bodies. Too many.

  Fire.

  Idiot media nicknames for monsters.

  Fire.

  Blue Eyes.

  Fire.

  Deputy Gates.

  Fire.

  Her mother.

  Fire.

  Stefan.

  Fire. Fire. Fire.


  She set down the Glock 19, still undecided whether the purchase had been worth it. She preferred her Springfield XD(M) because it fit her hands better. Her boss cut her some slack and let her carry the XD(M), since with it she was the best shot in the department. But the Glock was the official weapon of the sheriff’s office, and so she had to qualify with it, as well.

  At the thought of her boss, she would have fired another round if she hadn’t already emptied the magazine. What if Trey Colton lost the election that was less than a week away now? She couldn’t imagine working for someone else. Not to mention that if he didn’t win, it would be so egregiously unfair. He was the best sheriff this county had ever had. But there was a serial killer still on the loose nearly ten months after the first body had been found, and the outcry was mounting. And while it was hardly Trey’s fault, he was the public face of the department, so all the blowback hit him.

  Daria pushed the button that brought the target silhouette back to her. She studied the pattern of holes. It wasn’t as bad as she’d feared, but it wasn’t pretty. She’d visited the ten ring a time or two, but otherwise she’d been wide and high. She smothered a sigh.

  For a moment she went through the postshooting routine, focusing on every step as if she’d never done it before. She knew she was trying to stop thinking about everything that had crowded into her mind, throwing off her concentration. Her frustration about this case was uppermost, but a certain FBI agent was nearing the top of the list, as well.

  And to think she’d been pleased when Trey had selected her to be the local liaison with the Bureau. But that was before she’d laid eyes on Stefan Roberts. In all his tall, broad-shouldered, hard-muscled glory. She’d never really thought of herself as a woman who would go for a younger man, but that guy would give any breathing woman pause. In a twisted sort of way that made her not particularly happy with herself, she was glad his domestic situation was a mess, because it had enabled her to get over the initial shock of this gorgeous creature and put him where he belonged.