Wanted for Life

by Allison B Hanson

  “I have to get out of this house.”

  Every time he came home, he expected to see her sitting on the sofa. He couldn’t sleep because he was still hoping she would sneak into his house. Into his bed. Every time he let the dog in, he prayed she’d be waiting on his porch.

  He needed to find his own place. Without ghosts. Somewhere she wouldn’t be able to hack the address and show up just as he was trying to make a new life. He needed to cut the remaining thread between them.

  Thorne nodded. “What does this mean for your position with the team? The doctor’s about to clear you for active duty.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve done some more thinking, and I’ve changed my mind about that. There’s something else I want more.”

  Thorne just nodded, and didn’t push for details, which was a good thing because Colton didn’t have any. All he knew was it was time to start over.

  Completely over.

  After a few more minutes, Thorne stood and let out a breath. “Let me know where you want to go and what you want to do. I’ll do my best to set it up.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” He opened his mouth to ask about Angel, but then closed it. He didn’t want to know.

  He walked the man out and waved goodbye.

  Thorne was just pulling out of the driveway when another visitor showed up.

  Kenny practically bounced into the house carrying a piece of paper with him. Pudge came closer and flopped over on the boy’s feet looking up with sad puppy dog eyes.

  “Don’t fall for it. He’s taking advantage of the situation.”

  “Are you sure? He looks legit miserable.”

  “And you look legit excited about something. What’s up?”

  “I’m top of my class.” Kenny held out the paper with a wide grin. It was good to see him excited about his future.

  “Good for you.” Colton smiled, genuinely happy that something good was happening for someone. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks.” The kid’s cheeks flushed and he glanced away. There was something else.

  “And?”

  “And Morgan is my girlfriend. Like official. She even changed her relationship status on Facebook.”

  Colton really wasn’t sure what that last part meant, but if Kenny was happy, Colton was happy. “Wow. That’s big. Congratulations.”

  Kenny took in the state of the living room, and looked back at Colton in surprise. “You’re moving? Did you get back with The Mantis? I hear she got cleared and everything.”

  “Yeah, I’m moving. I’ll miss you, kid.”

  “Have you talked to her?” Kenny asked eagerly.

  “Nope.”

  Kenny’s expression turned puzzled. “Are you going to tell her you want her back?”

  “No. I’m not.”

  “Come on man. I am 99.753 percent sure she will be happy if you reach out to her.”

  Colton couldn’t help chuckling at the exaggerated prediction. “Too bad. I might have been willing if it was 99.8 percent.”

  “Don’t you know about rounding?” Kenny wagged his finger at him, making them both laugh.

  Kenny pulled out his wallet and handed Colton two twenty-dollar bills.

  Oh shit.

  It was never good when people used your own advice against you. Especially smart-ass kids.

  “Find her and ask her out to dinner,” Kenny ordered, as though he were the adult. “If she says no, you can use this to buy yourself a steak dinner. If she says yes, you can take her”—he looked at the twenties and made a face—“for a burger.”

  If only it were so simple.

  Colton shook his head and admitted, “I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again.”

  Kenny looked genuinely disappointed by that. “Promise me, if you do, you’ll try your best.”

  What the hell. It wasn’t like he would see her.

  He ruffled the kid’s hair. “Yeah, okay. I promise.”

  “Thank you for helping me,” Kenny said after Colton reluctantly took the money. “I wouldn’t have figured out what I wanted to be if it weren’t for you. And I wouldn’t have known how to start if you hadn’t helped me fill out the application. You’re the best teacher ever, Mr. Willis.”

  Colton swallowed down a lump of emotion at the unexpected praise. The best teacher ever, who’d held a gun on him, and intentionally sabotaged his ability to construct a bookcase.

  But… Despite his questionable tactics, Colton had managed to help this kid. He’d guided him to a path where he could excel and succeed.

  He smiled, and slapped Kenny on the back.

  And knew they’d both found their purpose.

  Chapter One Hundred Fifteen

  Angel sat in her hotel room looking through the files in front of her. Each one contained a new life in the form of a different house and community. All she needed to do was pick one, and she would be able to move and start living like a normal person.

  Or as close to normal as someone like her could get.

  Did she want to live by the beach, or in the mountains? The northeast or the southwest? It was a bigger decision than she’d expected, and she found herself wishing she had someone to discuss it with.

  There was one area of the map that had been moved off to the side, removed from the options before her.

  Oregon.

  She knew if she was close enough to Colton, she would end up at his house. He deserved better. He deserved an exciting career. He wanted a life full of adrenaline and danger, and she was done with both of those things. She wanted peace and quiet. She wanted to snuggle up on the sofa in front of a fire and know she was safe.

  She pursed her lips, perused the choices again, and cleared out the homes that didn’t include a fireplace.

  She let out a sigh, the selection still too daunting.

  Normally when people went into protection, they weren’t given options. They were simply placed where they knew the fewest number of people. Where there would be the least chance of running into someone from their old life.

  For Angel, that wasn’t a concern. For one thing, she didn’t have any family, and her friends were all deputy marshals. Secondly, her face had been spread across every media outlet in the country, so there wasn’t anywhere she could go where she didn’t risk recognition.

  After eliminating everything that didn’t have a fireplace, privacy, or a moderate year-round climate, she was left with five choices. Employing the methodical way of making a decision, she shuffled the files, closed her eyes and pointed to one.

  “Good. That’s done,” she said to no one.

  Instead of being happy to have made a decision—however random—she was stunned by the feeling of emptiness that overwhelmed her.

  She was all alone in the world.

  Again.

  She’d have to get a dog. As soon as she was settled, she’d head to the shelter and pick out a companion. Maybe she’d get a female and name it Pudgette.

  Before she changed her mind, she texted Thorne her choice, and waited for his instructions.

  Three days. See you there.

  Three days later, she was standing in front of her new home. It was a log cabin deep in the woods. A large deck took up the right side of the house and wound its way to a hillside that ran along the back side. She knew from the photos there was a workout room in the basement and a bunker off in the woods.

  The whole front of the structure was glass. The entry door led into a great room with a two-story stone fireplace as the centerpiece of the space.

  “Welcome home.” Her unenthusiastic voice echoed back at her, reflecting the loneliness she was suddenly feeling.

  She walked in, and frowned at the overpowering scent of bleach.

  Great. Someone had probably been shot in her new home. She pushed the thought away to focus on the positive.

  The house was furnished and clean—obviously—but she would clean it again and bring in some pieces that fit her style better. Maybe that would help make it feel
like home.

  As expected, a manila envelope waited on the island.

  She knew what was inside. Her new identity and the credentials to back it up. What would her new name be?

  Please don’t let it be as bad as Dunking Willies, she thought to herself as she opened the flap and pulled out the document.

  “What the hell?” She read the words two more times. They hadn’t changed.

  Cassandra Larson.

  It was her old name. The one she’d been born with. Except the middle name, Angeline. Thorne had assigned her her old name. Tears filled her eyes, and she laughed at how emotional she was feeling.

  But the laughter fell away when she flipped to the next document. There were two identities in the envelope.

  The second one was for a man.

  Jack Colton.

  Without wanting to, she read the address. Trying her best to shake away the knowledge of where she could find him, if she so chose, she pushed the paper away and went back to her vehicle to start unpacking her things.

  She stood in the parking area, looking at the trees around her. She’d wanted someplace secluded, but now that seclusion felt a bit like…solitary confinement. There was no nice next-door neighbor who would bring her apple dumplings. There was no neighborhood kid to take to the shooting range.

  There was no one.

  Damn. This was not a home.

  It was a prison.

  Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

  Colton’s new home reminded him of the place he’d just moved from—a modest rancher on a quiet street in a rural neighborhood. The backyard was fenced and shaded.

  He would start working immediately on an escape plan. Old habits, and all.

  Justin, his handler, showed up the first morning to make sure everything was in order.

  “You’re all set up to start teaching in the fall,” Justin announced as he plopped onto the sofa. “I have some great news. You might want to sit down.”

  Colton fought the urge to run out of the house screaming. What if the great news was about Angel? What if she was getting married? He wanted her to be happy, but he didn’t know if he was ready for her to be quite that happy.

  It had only been a few weeks. Not enough time to meet someone and fall in love.

  Not that it had taken him long to fall for her.

  “Viktor Kulakov was arrested yesterday.”

  Colton whipped his attention back to Justin. “Are you serious?”

  The other man nodded with a grin. “It will be a few months until he goes to trial, but once you testify and he’s locked up, we might be able to relax some of your cover enough to make contact with your family.”

  Colton wouldn’t mention he was already in contact with John via Messenger. It still wasn’t the same as seeing his family in real life.

  “You’re sure the charges will stick?” he asked hopefully. Viktor was a slippery bastard.

  “Yes. It was a good arrest.”

  Which meant he must have been caught with hard evidence. The trial wouldn’t just come down to Colton and his testimony.

  He let out a breath and rested his head back against the sofa in relief. At least this part of his life was working out. “Thank you.”

  After a beer and some more easy conversation, Justin smacked him lightly on the leg, stood, and headed for the door. “Let me know if you need anything else to settle in.”

  For a brief moment, Colton almost asked about Angel. But he let it go, knowing it wouldn’t matter. She was gone from his life. He was moving on.

  When Justin left, Colton slumped back onto the sofa and turned on the television.

  Pudge sniffed the house and came back to stand in front of him, looking unimpressed. The dog was getting better with time. They both were. They were still a little gloomy, but he hoped they’d be all good in a month or two.

  “Yeah, I know. But it’ll be okay. We’ll make some friends in the neighborhood and soon you’ll be the center of attention again.”

  Colton swallowed, unable to talk about his other plans. Especially the one that included finding someone to move on with. He wasn’t ready now, but he was making it a goal. Maybe in a year or two. He didn’t want to be alone for the rest of his life, pining over someone he couldn’t have.

  Pudge whined at the back door and Colton opened it to let him out onto the large deck. Pudge trotted down the steps and ran across the yard as Colton went back inside to start the task of unpacking.

  He was just opening the first box when Pudge was already barking at the back door. The quickness of his excursion could only mean one thing. Colton rolled his eyes and opened the door, ready to stop the dog from running inside with some dead offering locked in his jaws.

  But Pudge was just sitting on the deck looking at him, his tail wagging.

  “Where is it?” he asked the dog. “Where’s the disgusting carcass you’re so proud to show me?”

  Pudge barked once and went to the steps.

  It wasn’t a dead squirrel.

  It was Angel.

  “I know I’m not at my best,” she said with a lopsided smile. “I’ve been driving for twenty straight hours. Even so, ‘disgusting carcass’ is a little harsh, don’t you think?”

  My God. She was here. Grinning at him.

  He didn’t grin back.

  How could she do this to him? Rip his heart out over and over and over?

  “You broke my dog,” he accused, unable to give voice to what he was really feeling.

  Though, it looked like Pudge was fixed now, his tail wagging and that sparkle in his brown eyes as he gazed lovingly at his true master.

  Damn her.

  “I didn’t break him. He loves me,” she said.

  So did Colton, but he didn’t say it. He was trying so hard not to love her.

  “Did you wake up next to another dead guy?” he asked.

  He was only half joking. With Angel, you never knew what she might get into.

  “No. I woke up alone. And I don’t like it much.”

  He swallowed. She looked…serious. Like she had something to say to him. That maybe involved not waking up alone.

  A trickle of optimism ran through him.

  “I don’t like it much either,” he said honestly. “Do you want to come in and tell me about it?”

  She stepped into his kitchen and looked around, brows hiked. “I thought you wanted an exciting life. This is not going to be exciting.”

  “I changed my mind,” he told her. Then he decided to take a big risk with the truth. She was here, and he’d be damned if he let her walk away without knowing how he truly felt. “I decided I want a normal life. No guns. No excitement. Well, no excitement other than maybe my students winning the next State Math Bowl, or something.”

  “So do I. Want a normal life, that is.” Her voice was casual, but her eyes were serious and intent on his.

  This was too good to be true. He tamped down the hope that surged through his body.

  “What if you change your mind again?” she asked. “About the guns.”

  “Then we’ll figure it out.” He shook his head. “But I won’t.”

  “I don’t know if I can sit here waiting for you to come home after some dangerous job. I’ll worry myself to death.”

  His heart swelled. She’d worry. About him.

  That must mean—

  “Can you wait for me to come back from class?” he asked, his whole body filling with a brand-new kind of excitement. “I generally get home about four, but I was thinking about maybe coaching basketball. I was always good at it. That might take me away some evenings. Of course, you’re welcome to watch. Do you like basketball?”

  “Yeah, I like basketball. A lot.”

  They gazed at each other. And he wondered what she was really trying to say.

  Then he remembered his promise to Kenny. That he would go for it if he had the chance.

  This was his chance.

  “I love you,” he said. That was what they should
be talking about. Not basketball. “I love you. And I need you in my life.” He swallowed and kept going. “I don’t need action and danger to make my life exciting. I need the challenge of helping my students achieve their dreams. I need someone to talk to about my day when I get home. I need an engaging sex life, and someone to hold at night. I need you. You’re everything I want. And hopefully, you’ll be my everything for the rest of our lives.”

  Her eyes grew shiny and a wobbly smile broke out on her face. “I love you, too. I wish I would have stayed with you when you asked last year. I wish I would have shown you how important you were to me. How important you still are. I’m ready to show you now, if you let me.”

  He stepped up to her and took her hands in his, joy filling his entire being.

  “Hell, yeah. The last time I asked you to stay with me, I wasn’t clear about what that meant. I know now. Will you marry me, Angel?”

  Somewhere in one of the moving boxes was the diamond ring he’d purchased in the hopes of convincing her to stay with him. He’d find it later. Now it was just about them. This moment.

  “Yes. God, yes, I’ll marry you. But actually, it’s Cassandra now.”

  He shook his head and smiled down at this woman who was his life. “Maybe. But you’ll always be my Angel,” he whispered. “You were sent to save me.”

  She smiled and pulled him closer. “We’ll save each other, every single day for the rest of our lives.”

  Epilogue

  As soon as she woke, Angel realized something wasn’t right. It was still dark, and her husband was pressed up against her back, his arm draped over her like every other night since they’d moved here.

  His hand rested protectively across her stomach. Not that his large hand had been able to cover her stomach for months.

  Pudge lifted his head and whined from his spot at her feet.

  The alarm clock next to her reported it was only two in the morning. She’d been sleeping through the night since she’d been pregnant, but now she was wide awake.

  Unlike all the times she’d awoken in the past, it hadn’t been a dream, a worry, or a sound that had stirred her. Not this time. She wasn’t sure what it had been.