Live Past The Edge (Dark Eagle Book 2)

by Julia Bright

  “Like what?”

  “It’s hard to describe, and I know I sound petty when I talk about it. I’ve tried being decent to my father, but nothing I do or say matters. When I didn’t sign up to re-up with the Army, Dad threw a fit. He yelled and screamed, then threatened to sign me back up without my permission. I defied him, and now he hates me.”

  “Makes no sense. It’s your life.”

  “Yes, it is. I saw too much action, too much pain. War was too real, and I couldn’t be a part of it and live. I like the ranch and how quiet it is.”

  She lowered her voice and hit him with a serious stare. “So even if you stopped doing the side jobs, you’d still love Wyoming?”

  “Even without those, I’d want to stay there. It’s peaceful. I like working with my hands. I seem suited to being a rancher. We’re learning, but I think this year we’ll be profitable.”

  “I like it there.”

  “It is quiet, but with you by my side, I think it will have just enough fun in with the peace.”

  She chuckled and was about to say something when the waiter delivered their food. Her hunger was back in full force, and she enjoyed the burger like she hadn’t had one in years. Food tasted better after being abducted. Heck, everything good was better.

  They finished their meal and Jackson ordered a car to take them to the airport. It was odd leaving the FBI. She’d worked hard to become an agent, and once there, she’d busted her ass to get the best job. Her life had been the agency. Sadness for what she’d given up twisted through her, opening a huge hole inside.

  She turned and stared at Jackson, realizing that maybe she’d gained more than she’d lost. The FBI was good, but it wasn’t perfect. This man beside her made her feel things she’d never had before.

  The sadness didn’t leave, but with Jackson by her side, she knew happiness for a different type of life would soon fill her. She wasn’t running away from the FBI, she was running to an incredible life with an amazing man.

  Jackson met her gaze and warmth filled her. The sparkle in his eyes made her heart jump. Together they could work through anything. With Jackson as her man, standing beside her, the problems she faced were tiny, and she knew she would be fine.

  27

  Jackson ran his hand over his stubbled jaw. They’d shown up last night to find that Randy had gone into town and gotten drunk and broken a table and a few chairs. Even before they made it to the ranch, he was in Cheyenne picking up his drunk brother, praying the owner of The Broken Spoke didn’t press charges.

  Kelsey knew the bartender, so maybe they could work something out to pay for the table Randy had broken.

  He’d woken too early, and the sun was barely coming up when he heard the door behind him crack open. Randy stepped out on the porch, looking like he’d lost his best friend.

  “I fucked up. I’m sorry.” Randy looked up at him, his brows wrinkled.

  “You can’t go into town and get rip-roaring drunk,” Jackson said.

  “I can’t go to the Naval Academy.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I was thinking of heading to Arizona. There’s a community that needs a full-time gardener. I put in my application a few weeks ago, and they want to interview me.”

  “A gardener? Do you know anything about gardening?”

  “I took a few classes in high school and ran the school’s community garden during my senior year.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “No one did. That’s not the type of thing you tell dad.”

  Jackson stared at his brother, wondering how much stuff he’d been keeping from them. “When are you heading out?”

  “Today.”

  He threw his head back and roared with laughter. Randy looked a little hurt. Jackson pulled his brother into a hug to soften his reaction.

  “Little brother, I’m glad you’ve found something you love. Maybe Dad will accept what you’ve chosen for your life, maybe he won’t. Just don’t let him give you hell.”

  “Why did you laugh?”

  “Because I just got here and you’re leaving. We haven’t spent much time together. Maybe this winter I’ll come down and spend a month with you in your garden.”

  Randy nodded, then his expression went serious. “I don’t know what you have going here, but be careful. I know I saw you in Italy when they rescued me.”

  “It wasn’t—”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

  The door opened behind him, and he turned to see Marissa stepping out. His heart swelled with love for her. She made everything sweeter. No doubt, his life with Marissa would never be dull, but it would be fulfilling.

  “Hey Randy, it’s good to see you again.”

  “Thanks.”

  Randy pulled her into a hug. He saw tears fill Marissa’s eyes and stepped close, hugging both of them. The man who’d orchestrated the slave network that had captured Randy had sought revenge by kidnapping Marissa. He’d almost lost both of them to the same bastard.

  The hug ended, and Randy looked awkward, but he chuckled as he reached for his coffee. “I’m headed to out this afternoon.”

  “Oh, I thought we’d get to spend more time with you,” Marissa said.

  “I think I did enough damage here last night. I have a job interview in Arizona in three days. The drive will take a day, and I want to take a look around the town.”

  “Oh, what’ll you be doing?” Marissa asked.

  “There’s a gardening position open. I’d like to spend a few days hanging out, getting to know the town.”

  Marissa glanced to Jackson first then Randy. “What about your dad? Doesn’t he want you to go to the Naval Academy?”

  “I can’t.” Randy took a sip of his coffee and shuddered.

  “I get that. Trust me, I really do.” Marissa put her hand on Randy’s shoulder. “I quit the FBI yesterday. I just can’t stay at the job.”

  Randy nodded and met Jackson’s gaze. “I’m afraid to tell dad.”

  “He’ll be pissed and probably threaten you with stuff, but this is your life. You only get one shot at it.”

  Marissa stepped close to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Life moves fast. Be yourself. That’s why I moved out here to be with Jackson.”

  “It’s weird hearing you call him Jackson,” Randy said.

  “Just don’t ever call me by my first name.” Jackson shook his head, thinking about how that name had been used against him. Soon, he’d tell Marissa everything.

  Randy shrugged. “Well, I’ve already showered and said goodbye to Adam and Kelsey. I’m taking off.”

  Jackson set down his mug and wrapped his arms around his little brother. “You’ve turned out to be a good man, brother.”

  Randy chuckled. “I’ve not spent much time as a man. I’m passable. Give me a few years to determine what type of man I’ll be.”

  Jackson tapped him on the shoulder. “You’re standing up to dad, so you already have some sort of backbone.”

  “Thanks, I think.”

  “Take it as a compliment. I love you, little brother.”

  “Love you too, Reg. I’ll send you a text when I get to Arizona.”

  He followed his brother to the gate, unlocking the chain so he could leave. Pride filled him as he watched his brother drive away. Their dad would be pissed, but the man would have to learn to live with disappointment.

  The gang was seated around the kitchen table when he got back to the house. Adam had made eggs, and Kelsey had prepared bacon. Their talk centered on the FBI obtaining a warrant for the house.

  “So have you all checked for bugs?” Jackson asked.

  “Time and time again. We’re clear,” Adam said.

  “I was thinking about the ranch and hiding the computers. We need a location they won’t find,” Jackson said.

  Kelsey shook her head. “Any structure we build will be visible, and they’ll ask to see inside.”


  Marissa brought the bacon over, placing it in the center of the table. “Well, Hardy is out of a job. He won’t be looking into our operation.”

  “That’s good, but what about the next person who decides we need to be taken down?” Adam set the platter of eggs on the table.

  “So hear me out. What if we rented some equipment for building the new house and while we’re putting up the new place, we dig a hole in the ground over here and put in a basement.”

  “Where would we put the basement? The house is already built,” Kelsey said.

  “We’d build a barn over the basement and make a secret entrance. If law enforcement came out, they’d have no reason to look for a basement in a barn. Then our main work area could be over there,” Jackson said.

  “What if they get a photo of us using the equipment to dig the hole?” Adam asked.

  “Next to the computer area, we could have a storm shelter. So if some satellite catches us digging a hole and they ask what we did, we can show them the storm shelter. We need a basement to protect us against storms.”

  Kelsey held up her hand and shook her head. “Gramps already built a basement in this house, and it’s solid.”

  “Could we use that as our computer room?” Marissa asked.

  “It’s a small and temporary shelter. I don’t think it has air conditioning piped to it. We’d be miserable in a few days. Also, no internet.”

  “I like the idea of building an underground room where we could work. But I don’t want it separated from the main house,” Adam said.

  “How about we connect the two?” Jackson asked.

  “Do you think we could do that?” Kelsey asked.

  “Sure. It would just take time,” Jackson said. “So did Hardy and his men even go to the basement?”

  “No, they skipped over it,” Kelsey said. “Holy hell, they skipped it. I hadn’t even realized that before.”

  “Well, maybe that’s a good sign. I think building a room connected to the house by a tunnel is a great idea. We can start the build in a few weeks and work mainly on that. We won’t hire in any help while we’re doing the basement.”

  “I agree with Adam. We can do this. It will take a few months to get the main part of the structure built, but once we get it built, the dirt back in place, we can finish out the inside.”

  Kelsey cleared her throat. “You two will have to work hard on this. Seriously, the baby is coming in a few months so it will have to be done before then.”

  “And that’s why I want it all connected,” Adam said. “We need easy access and the ability to cut off the entry point. We can hide the entrances, make it impossible for anyone other than us to find.”

  Jackson bit into the bacon and moaned. Kelsey knew how to cook. He glanced around, satisfaction filling him. “I know this is an ambitious project, and we need to brace the roof of the room, but if we engineer it properly, it should be stable enough to withstand almost anything.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll work up some plans,” Kelsey said.

  “You know how to build?” Jackson asked.

  “Not yet, but I think we can work together to figure this out. Also, I’d rather have this over-engineered than under engineered. We want this to be solid.”

  “I’ll help you,” Marissa said.

  Jackson lifted his coffee mug. “To the success of our project.”

  “Success,” they all replied.

  Now they had a goal. Having Marissa with him made everything better. They finished breakfast and jumped on the chores while Marissa and Kelsey looked up plans for their project.

  That evening he and Marissa headed up to the canyon rim. The sunset had painted the sky vibrant orange. He lowered the tailgate, and they sat together. His stomach turned because he knew what he would say. She’d asked to hear what had happened, and he needed her to know before… well, before they really committed their lives to each other.

  “My father used to whip me with a riding crop. He liked to beat me, a lot. He’d call me by my name and beat the shit out of me. I begged him not to beat me. I tried to make it stop, but no matter what I did, he wouldn’t.”

  Marissa wove their fingers together and leaned her head on his shoulder. “That’s awful.”

  “I still don’t know why he beat me so much.”

  “Did he ever beat Randy like that?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” Jackson cleared his throat. “But I didn’t tell you so you’d feel sorry for me. I told you so you’d know I’d never do that. I’d never hit you or any kids we have. I want you to understand I’m not like him.”

  She lifted her brows, her lips turning up in a sexy smile. “Any children?”

  “Well, I figured that since we’re together, we’d probably be having kids, eventually.”

  Her fingers played over his face as wonder filled her eyes. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

  “In a roundabout way, I am. I love you and want you with me forever.”

  “I think forever will be good with you, Jackson.”

  He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, drinking in her sweetness. Life was full of complications, twists, and turns that made him wonder what he’d gotten himself into. With Marissa, he was walking into this relationship with his eyes open. He had no doubts she was the woman for him.

  Love filled him, making his heart squeeze. “I love you, Marissa. And I swear I’ll do what I can to show you that love every day.”

  Her lips stretched wide as love filled her eyes. “Forever my love, forever.”

  They held each other close as the sun sank, and stars filled the sky. Together they would conquer the demons of their past, building something better than what they could have accomplished alone. He was Marissa’s, and she was his, and nothing would ever come between them.

  About the Author

  Julia Bright loves romance and novels. She enjoys the escape a good book provides. Her favorite pastime is sitting on a lounge reading while sipping a cool drink.

  Writing is a passion for Julia. She’s spent years people watching and being fascinated by their quirks. Now she’s putting that skill into writing dashing romances and tempting suspense novels.

  For more information

  www.juliabrightauthor.com

  juliabrightauthor@gmail.com

  Also by Julia Bright

  Acting The Part

  Saving Lorelei

  Rescuing Amy

  Survive the Fall

  Live Past The Edge

  All Business