by Dana Mentink
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“The right question is ‘How did you know I would be here at this moment, Candace Gallagher?’ The answer is I am a brilliant detective and I asked a friend who works the hospital to call me when you reached the end of your tolerance and broke out.”
“Didn’t break out. I left.”
“Did you fill out discharge papers?”
He shrugged, a small gesture so she wouldn’t see him wince. “Don’t like paperwork.”
“Naughty, Mr. Quidel. Very naughty.”
He watched the wind play with her hair. Those curls had a life of their own in spite of all her efforts to mash them down. The wild coils suited her, so full of energy and fun. He shrugged, covering his pain as best he could.
She saw through his bravado, jumping down from the railing and moving to him, a frown of concern on her face. “Did they give you pain meds?”
“Yeah.”
“But you didn’t take any?”
“Don’t need ’em.”
She sighed. “You’re going to be a difficult patient, aren’t you?”
“Not a patient anymore,” he said. “I’m going to cast off and head for Mexico.”
“My mother sent orders that you are to stay with her until after Thanksgiving.”
He chuckled. “I’m afraid this time I’m going to have to disobey the admiral.”
“Risky.”
“Yes, but I need to go. Thanks for coming to see me off.” She was silent and he wasn’t sure what else to say, so he walked slowly up the pier toward the Semper Fortis. “Oh, hang on.” He fished the pink rabbit from his pocket. “Can you give this back to Tracy? Somehow it keeps winding up with me.”
“Sure thing,” she said. “Boo-boo Bunny.”
Marco froze and his mouth dropped open. “Dev?”
She was laughing. “Yes, Dev.”
“I’m gonna clobber him when he’s stateside.”
“He’s counting on it.”
Marco could only smile, but he tried his best to hide it. Oh, how he was going to miss this woman who could make him grin like no one else in the world. Best not to think about it. He turned again to go.
“Since I know your deepest secret,” Candace said, “it’s time for you to know mine.” The laughter died away from her expression and he was struck by the sincerity that seemed to shine from her like a searchlight on the water. “I have to tell you something, and if you still want to leave after I say it, that’s okay.”
His stomach tensed up in that way that meant his life was about to change. He wasn’t sure what to think, or what to hope for.
“I’ve been doing a lot of praying and soul searching about what I said to you in the hospital, and I want you to know how much you mean to me,” she said.
He was confused. “I know you and Tracy care about me.”
“Yes. I mean, no, that’s not what I’m trying to say.”
He was going to rub a hand along his chin to give him something to do, but it hurt too much, so he lapsed into silence, the best way he knew how to deal with uncertainty.
She looked past the boat into the churning surf. “When I lost Rick, I thought my life was over, but it wasn’t, things continued on without him and I didn’t know what to do with the pain. I thought that in order to honor him, I had to hold on to his memory and wrap myself and Tracy in it, to keep away anything or anyone who might take our lives in a different direction.”
A bird skimmed the water beyond the boat.
Candace sighed. “But that’s not what Rick would have wanted. It’s not what God wants for me and for my daughter.”
Something was dawning inside Marco that felt very much like hope, but how could that be? His past was such a wreck, his only solace came in knowing that Candace and Tracy had survived, unlike Gwen. “What...what do you think He does want?”
She turned her gorgeous eyes fully on him and he thought his heart would stop right then and there.
“He wants me to love a good man, a God-fearing man.” She gulped. “You, Marco.”
He stared, his breath growing short.
“God put you into my life and Tracy’s, and my own stubbornness and fear has kept me from acknowledging the truth. The whole thing with Rico sort of blasted away any fears I had. He took me to the depths, where everything I leaned on was taken away and you were the one standing next to me, Marco. And you know what?”
“What?” he managed to rasp.
“I would not have wanted anyone else to be beside me but you. I finally understand that loving a good man does not take away anything I had with Rick.” She put her hands around his neck. “I love you, Marco.”
I love you, too, more than any other person in this world. He thought he’d said it aloud, but it must have been his soul shouting the words. He tried again. “I am not sure I’m worthy. I—I messed things up so badly the first time.”
She cupped his cheek. “But God’s given us both a second chance. Will you take it with me?”
He couldn’t answer, so he found her mouth with his and kissed her, lighting a trail of joy that blasted away the past, the pain, the guilt. “I love you, Candace, and I love Tracy. I will always honor Rick’s memory, but I want you to marry me and I want us to be a family, officially.”
Her eyes shone as she looked up into his. “Are you sure you can handle marrying into the Gallagher clan? We have a lot of determined women, you know.”
“Yes, ma’am, but I’m a navy SEAL, so maybe I can hold my own at least from time to time.”
“Good guys for the win,” she said, eyes filled with tears as she looped her hands around his neck and encouraged him to kiss her again.
“I love you,” he breathed against her neck, thanking God almighty for putting Candace Gallagher into his life.
“And I love you, too, Boo-boo Bunny.”
Marco knew he would never hear the end of that atrocious nickname, never stop loving this determined, funny, faithful, earnest woman. He nuzzled her neck, relishing the brush of her curls against his cheek.
Boo-boo Bunny for the win.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed DANGEROUS TESTIMONY, look for the other books in the PACIFIC COAST PRIVATE EYES series:
DANGEROUS TIDINGS
SEASIDE SECRETS
ABDUCTED
Keep reading for an excerpt from GUARDIAN by Terri Reed.
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Dear Reader,
I have had such a great time writing this series that takes place here on my beloved California coast. It was satisfying to explore the lives and loves of the four Gallagher sisters. Sisters are especially important to me, as I am one of four daughters. I am greatly blessed in that all my sisters live very close and I see them often. They are the people who share my joys and triumphs, and they are also the “3:00 a.m.” people, as I like to call them. They are the folks you can call on in the middle of the night when disaster strikes, and they will be there to help in any way they can. Is there any greater blessing than that? I once heard someone say that friends come and go, but sisterhood lasts from cradle to grave.
I hope you have women like this in your life, dear reader, whether they are friends or sisters. It is a great joy to share this life journey with faithful women who will hold your hand, share your laughter and shoulder your pain.
Thank you again for journeying along with me through this series. As always, I enjoy hearing from my readers. You can find me on various social media spots—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest—but I also have a physical address on my website in case you would like to correspo
nd by mail. Thank you for taking the time to read this book.
God bless you!
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Meet the FBI special agents of the elite Classified K-9 Unit in this exciting new novella, AGENT IN TRAINING!
These FBI agents solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners
Collect all 6 titles:
GUARDIAN by Terri Reed
SHERIFF by Laura Scott
SPECIAL AGENT by Valerie Hansen
BOUNTY HUNTER by Lynette Eason
BODYGUARD by Shirlee McCoy
TRACKER by Lenora Worth
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Guardian
by Terri Reed
PROLOGUE
The daylight broke over the horizon of the Los Angeles industrial district and muted morning light slashed through the high windows of the large two-floor warehouse. FBI agent Leo Gallagher pressed his back to the wall inside the cavernous structure’s south entrance. The air was cool, but heavy with a mix of anticipation and vigilance.
His heart rate increased, not much, but enough that he took a calming breath. He tightened his hold on the leash of his canine partner, a chocolate Labrador named True.
The open floor plan of the bottom level was filled with containers and pallets that provided too many hiding places. That could be a problem. Shadows lurked above and in the recesses of the corners. No one said this job was easy. Far from it, and sweat beaded on his forehead behind his helmet.
Almost time? Leo glanced at fellow FBI agent Jake Morrow and his canine, a Belgian Malinois named Buddy.
Behind his tactical face guard, Jake nodded and signaled for Leo and True to proceed into the murky depths of the purported hideout of the notorious Dupree syndicate, the criminal organization that the elite FBI Tactical K-9 Unit had been working around the clock to bring down for months.
But every time the team got close, the crime boss, Reginald Dupree, and his uncle and second in command, Angus, managed to escape.
Not going to happen again. The first time could have been coincidence, but after the second and third instances, he knew something else was going on. That was why Leo’s boss had been tight-lipped about this raid. No one outside the tight circle of the team knew of today’s operation in case there was a leak somewhere in the Bureau.
The Tactical K-9 Unit was a special, classified branch of the FBI that had settled in a nondescript building in downtown Billings, Montana. The secret nature of the team’s cases needed anonymity to function. They worked across the country, under the radar, to solve tough crimes and deliver swift justice.
The thought of someone they knew and trusted double-crossing them burned, and Leo hoped that wasn’t the case, but lives were at stake, either way. He took a silent step. True stayed at his side.
Eerie silence scraped along Leo’s nerves. The anonymous tip they’d received, sending the team to this location, had guaranteed them that Reginald and Angus would be here. Plums ripe for the taking.
Across the expanse of open space, Leo saw fellow team member Harper Prentiss, along with Star, her German shepherd, and their boss, special agent in charge Max West and his canine, a boxer by the name of Opal, slip through another door and climb a staircase to the second floor.
A strange itch at the back of Leo’s neck had him tensing. He’d been in this situation many times before, but this didn’t feel right.
Glancing upward at the second-story balcony that rimmed the edges of the warehouse, he narrowed his gaze on the office doors. That itch worsened. Were Reginald and Angus Dupree up there? Waiting? Planning an ambush? If so, his team members would be in trouble.
Needing to provide his boss and fellow agent cover, Leo gestured to Jake. Morrow gave him the thumbs-up sign. In tandem they carefully moved farther into the warehouse, not wanting to draw attention to their presence.
True’s ears perked up. The scruff of his neck rose. A deep growl emitted from his throat.
Breath stalling, Leo paused as he scanned the perimeter for whatever threat his partner sensed.
Then total pandemonium broke out.
Four men with automatic weapons appeared from around the sides of the two containers. A barrage of gunfire erupted. The deafening noise bounced off the walls.
Leo’s heart revved into overdrive. Adrenaline surged. His pulse pounded in his ears as he dropped to one knee to return fire.
“Down!” Leo shouted to True. The dog dropped to his belly.
“Take cover!” Jake yelled.
Leo grabbed True’s collar and tugged him behind a large container.
Something metal hit the concrete floor and a hissing filled the air, followed by a cloudy haze. Leo gritted his teeth and fought past the stinging in his eyes and nose from the pepper-infused smoke sneaking beneath the face shield on his helmet.
The sound of a dog’s yelp jolted through Leo. His heart slammed against his ribs. True! He quickly checked the dog’s taut body for injury. None.
It had to be Buddy. Leo searched the gloom for Jake and his dog. He couldn’t see either one. Had they retreated? Was Buddy hurt? Jake?
Leo flattened himself on the ground next to True, then tapped the canine on the flank. Together, they scuttled backward toward the door, keeping their heads down and out of the line of fire. A squad of Los Angeles police officers, dressed in tactical gear, filed past them.
With the arrival of backup, relief flooded through Leo.
Outside, he found Buddy lying on the ground, blood oozing from a wound in his hindquarters. Leo’s stomach dropped. He knelt beside the dog, tore off his glove and used it as a compress against Buddy’s injury. The dog whimpered.
“Where’s Jake?” Leo rasped, wishing the dog could speak.
The whir of rotors close by had him jerking to his feet.
Buddy barked and, in a burst of energy, jumped up and took off, leading Leo and True around another building just as a black helicopter with no markings lifted from the ground. Buddy whined and continued to bark, his agitation clear as he sniffed a puddle of blood near where the helicopter had sat. Jake’s blood?
A vise tightened around Leo’s heart. He shaded his eyes but couldn’t see inside the tinted windows of the bird as it disappeared from view. This wasn’t one of theirs. That meant...
“Gallagher!”
Leo turned to see his boss escorting Reginald Dupree from the warehouse while other officers brought out several of Dupree’s henchmen.
Agent Harper Prentiss jogged ove
r. “Angus Dupree escaped but we got Reginald.” She tilted her head. “You okay?”
“No.” His voice sounded ragged, the way he felt inside. He glanced at Buddy. The dog’s distress tore at Leo. “Jake’s been taken.”
The team had captured the head honcho of the Dupree crime syndicate, but they’d lost a good agent in the process.
Guilt ate through Leo’s gut like acid. He’d failed his team. He’d failed Jake. With fists clenched, Leo vowed he’d track down Angus Dupree and rescue his comrade, if it was the last thing he did on this earth.
ONE
“Mommy, where are the fishies?”
“Hey, be careful, buddy. Don’t slip off the rock.” Heart lurching, Alicia Duncan grabbed her son, Charlie, by the back of his green life vest. If he leaned over any farther, he would go headlong into Wyoming’s Blackthorn River. His fishing pole clattered against the outcropping of smooth rocks, where they’d plopped down to fish. The exact place she’d fished from as a kid and teen. “Hang on to your pole, sweetie.”
Heat bounced off the stones and reflected off the river water from the unseasonably warm April morning sun, making perspiration break out at her nape beneath her long dark hair. It was a beautiful spring day for spending time outdoors with her son in the middle of Wyoming’s northwestern mountain range. The clear, smog-free air smelled sweet with the scent of ponderosa pines. So different from city life. A welcome change.
Alicia had always loved the river. About five miles downstream, the lazy flow of water cut a path through the rural town of Settler’s Valley, where she’d grown up. There was something soothing, comforting even, about the way the mountain runoff filled the riverbed.
Especially in this particular area, where the river pooled into a deep canyon with high cliffs across the bank and more cliffs a little ways upstream. The water was deep enough here that she and her friends would jump off the cliffs into the river. Those had been the days when her husband had been her boyfriend and had promised her the world.
She sighed wistfully, as the bittersweet memories washed over her.