by Jamie Begley
“They miss the deep snow, but not enough to live in Treepoint during the winter. Our old bones can’t take it anymore.”
Jo smiled at her grandchildren as they gathered around the table, while their mother scolded them for not wiping the sand off their feet before coming inside to eat.
“Leave them alone, Valentine. I don’t blame them. They were probably worried all the cake would be gone with Tom sneaking inside all day to get a slice.” Jo went to her two grandsons, kissing them on the cheeks. The sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys gave her mischievous smiles that reminded her of Rider.
Moving to the end of the table, she kissed her twenty-year-old grandson, who was constantly watching the environment around him with a solemn expression. Jo knew he had been gifted with the same abilities as Rider and Crux. Ridge was the one she worried about the most.
It would take a special woman to see beneath the reflections that were such an intrinsic part of him. She’d had the same worry about Crux before Kiera had fallen in love with him. It would take a discerning woman to see through Ridge and accept his strengths without being overwhelmed by them.
It took courage to love a hero. Maybe more than the man they loved. That was why she had already decided to go back to Rider before he had shown up at her garage, wanting another chance.
“You want my chair, Granny? I’ll go sit on the couch,” he offered.
“No, you stay there. I’m going to bed.” Patting him on his back, she went to Crux, kissing him on the cheek. Then she took a second to catch her breath by resting an arm across Tom’s broad shoulders. “You keep eating that cake, when you get back, the club won’t be calling you Tomcat, they’ll be calling you Garfield.”
“I’m a growing a boy.” Giving his wife a worried glance, he pushed his plate away, rising to stand. “Mind if I get the photo albums out of your room? I want to show the boys pictures of when me and Crux were in high school.”
“You and Crux have shown them those pictures a million times, but if you want to walk me to my room, I won’t mind.” She gave her son-in-law a loving pat as she kissed her daughter and daughter-in-law good night. “We can clean the sand in the morning. They’ll want to go again in the morning before you leave. No need to do it twice.”
“You spoil them too much.” Valentine returned her kiss, giving her a gentle hug, too. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, baby girl. I love all of you. Good night. I’ll see you in the morning. Kiera, don’t keep Crux out too late when you go for your midnight swim.” Winking at Kiera, Jo went to her bedroom that was next to the front door with its own bathroom. She sat down on her bed as Tom got the album she always kept on her dresser.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine. I’m just going to read a bit before I fall asleep.”
“Good night, then.”
“Tom,” she stopped him. “I couldn’t have asked God for a better husband for my daughter. You’ve been a good man to her and a good father. Don’t screw it up.”
“I promised you and Rider when I asked your permission to marry her. I don’t ever plan to break that promise to you and Rider, or the vows I made to Val.”
Jo nodded tiredly. “Night, Tom.”
Her son-in-law gave her a concerned look before going to the door. “The boys have a few more days before they have to be back at school from Christmas break and want to stay a little longer; is that okay with you?”
Jo rolled her eyes heavenward. The man had never been good at lying. “I’ll enjoy having you here longer.” She knew it would be useless to argue.
Left alone, she slowly got up off her bed, making her way to her bathroom, where she got ready for bed. The mirror over her sink showed her snow-white hair. Her blue eyes looked duller. Her lips twisted into a smile at the nightdress she was wearing. Rider had hated flannel.
Her arthritic bones ached as she lowered herself to her bed. Then she lifted the necklace out from under her gown, staring down at Rider’s grinning face. Kissing the picture, she placed it back underneath her gown so it could rest against her heart.
Turning off the light, Jo covered herself, too tired to read tonight. Closing her eyes, she drifted off dreamlessly.
The faint rays coming through her window woke her. She hadn’t been awake to see a sunrise in a long time.
Suddenly wanting to see it from the beach, she jumped out of bed and raced out of her home, running to the beach, feeling as lithe and limber as she did as a young girl.
Sinking to the sand, she curled her hands around her knees, gasping at the beauty before her as the morning sun glistened off the water.
As the sun drew higher, she had to look down to keep her eyes from burning. When she did, she saw a lone figure running along the beach toward her. At first, she thought it was Tom out for his morning run, but the man running toward her was too tall. As he grew closer, she thought it was Crux and was about to tease him for being up so early, until the sun rose higher and the shadows on the beach disappeared. Then she realized it was Rider.
“Rider!” Jumping up, she started running toward him, hurdling herself into his arms when he came close enough. “Rider!” Sobbing, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he swung her around in a circle. “I’ve missed you so much.” Nuzzling his neck, she cried out all the anguish she had experienced since he had been taken from her and all the joy of being reunited with him.
He set her firmly back down on the sand. “Stop crying, Bluebonnet. I’m never going to leave you again.”
“I won’t let you.” She grinned, tears still streaming down her face.
They walked along the beach in the direction she had seen him coming from, holding hands.
“I won’t ever let you get away from me again,” she swore.
“It wasn’t time, Bluebonnet. I have a present for you. A beautiful, glorious present I’ve been waiting to show you.”
“Can I see it now? I don’t have to wait anymore?” she asked excitedly.
“You can see it now. That’s where we’re going.” He indulgently held her back when she would have dropped his hand to run ahead.
“Is it bigger than a ring box?”
“Bigger.” His eyes crinkled in amusement. “So much bigger.”
She quit trying to run ahead, lifting shining blue eyes to his. “Bigger than a bread box?” she insisted, gripping his hand tighter.
“A little bigger.” Rider tenderly caught her lips in a passionate kiss before twirling her around again.
Jo couldn’t resist one final look back along the beach from where they had started their journey.
His smile slipped when he saw what she was doing. “It’s not too late to turn back.”
“No, I’ve been ready to leave since the day I lost you. I have so much to tell you.” Jo’s gaze went to the sand behind them, seeing their footsteps hadn’t disturbed the pristine sand.
“We have plenty of time,” he told her, pulling her even tighter against him as the sun rose higher, exposing the ethereal beauty of the Kingdom that had been waiting for her.
Her lips parted in awe. “Rider, this is definitely bigger than a bread box.”
Rider stopped, cupping her cheek while holding her hand. As he traced her cheek with his knuckles, Jo lifted her other hand, laying it atop his tattoo ring, the exact duplicate of hers.
“It has to be to hold forever and ever.”
Angel
Made Men, #5
Sarah Brianne
Coming January 31, 2018!
1
The Fallen Angel
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
There was a slight pep in her step as she got off the elevator and headed toward his office. To say she was head-over-heels and completely and utterly obsessed with the man she was going to see would be an understatement.
Stop it. He’s with Chloe now.
She stopped in her tracks, the pep in her step suddenly vanishing.
Lucca was w
ith Chloe now, and though she was in love with the dark demon, he didn’t look at her the way he looked at his scarred beauty. In fact, he never had, and she doubted he had ever even seen the way she looked at him.
They’re perfect for each other ’cause … With a longing sigh, she quietly admitted to the universe what she hadn’t been able to before, “They’re soulmates.”
Since finding out Lucca and Chloe were officially a “thing,” she hadn’t been able to look at Lucca the same, knowing she wasn’t meant for him. Now all she could hope for was to find a man who was made for her, a man who could make her forget all about Lucca, a man who could make her forget about the boogieman.
Pft. Yeah, good freaking luck with that.
Resuming her steps toward his office, the excitement gone, she told herself she would now and always at least enjoy the opportunity of being in his presence … and the view.
Others might fear being called into the boogieman’s office for the first time, but not her. It only enticed her. The dark, dangerous part of him was what drew her in more and more each day.
Seeing that his office door was open, she stepped right up to the doorway with a bright smile. “Hey, Lucca, you wanted to see …” Her voice trailed off when she noticed he was already talking to someone. “Sorry, I didn’t notice you were …” Her voice trailed off once more, but this time, it was because her breath had been taken away by the unknown man sitting in front of Lucca as he turned his head toward her.
Holy shit, he’s hot.
Her eyes couldn’t move from his dark orbs. They were black, yet seemed like a light shone from behind them, turning them into a strange shade of dark gray. Drifting her eyes lower, she noticed a tattoo under his left eye, high on his cheek, consisting of four little dots that formed a diamond. When she slowly drifted her eyes farther down, she saw that his neck was completely covered in obscure tats as well. He was unlike anyone she had ever seen, too used to the well-groomed men who made up the Caruso mafia family. One thing was for sure. He sure as hell isn’t a Caruso.
Lucca’s dark voice echoed through the room with a hint of a smile in his words. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”
She hadn’t even realized she was holding her breath until she backed out of the doorway and turned around, walking to a seat outside the door.
Licking her now very dry lips, she couldn’t help turning her head back toward the door, hoping for a glimpse of the unknown man. She could hear Lucca’s muffled voice as he talked to the man who sat there without expression.
He had dark brown hair that was cut close to the skin on the sides, with longer hair that was pushed back on top, and a short, scruffy beard to match his bad boy aura.
Oh God, stop looking at him.
She quickly snapped her head forward, knowing he was nothing but bad news for her. No way in hell would her family let her get within a five-foot radius of him. Hell, her brother was probably on his way here right now—she swore he had a radar that told him every time she looked at an attractive man. She didn’t blame him. The ones she was attracted to were all mostly psychopaths.
She couldn’t help turning her head to look at him again, seeing that his tattoos got lost under his dingy dark clothing, only to reappear to completely cover his hands.
Yep, he’s a psychopath. The pain this man must have endured to cover the little bit of skin she could see made him one.
Grasping her hands together, she closed her eyes tightly and began to pray. Please, Lord, help me not fall into the Devil’s trap.
“What are you doing?” Lucca’s voice broke her feverous praying.
“I was …” She quickly stood up to face the gorgeous demon, only to look behind him to see the tatted man picking up a gold ring off Lucca’s desk.
As he started to slide it into his pocket, his dark gray eyes turned to see her hazel ones watching him. Finally, an expression passed his face, but it wasn’t the oh-shit-you-caught-me one you would think he would give her. Instead, as he finished sliding it into his pocket, it was like his dark eyes dared her to tell on him.
Looking back at Lucca, she opened her mouth, shocking herself at what came out of it next. “N-nothing. I wasn’t doing anything.”
Going back to his desk, Lucca nodded to the thief. “I’ll see you later, Angel.”
Angel? Jeez, she was in trouble with a man like him who had a name like that.
If he hadn’t just stolen something from Lucca fucking Caruso, she might have taken it as a good sign that he wasn’t a trap from Satan himself. But, since he did have the big-ass balls to steal from the boogieman, then it was a sign from God telling her to stay very fucking far away from him, reminding her that Lucifer had been a fallen angel before becoming the king of Hell.
God, protect me from this man, she prayed as he slowly walked toward her like a beautiful dark angel, his eyes piercing through to her soul.
Her breath caught in her throat again when he lifted his hand, putting a long, tatted finger to his lips, the quietest “shh” passing them only for her to hear.
Fuck, I’m doomed. No amount of praying was going to save her. God sure as hell wasn’t saving her from the fallen angel before her, or from herself.
She turned her head, following him with her eyes as he passed her before disappearing.
She couldn’t help feeling a strange sensation, like a piece of herself left with him, and a piece of him stayed with her. Like, when he passed her and slightly grazed her arm, he took a piece of her aura, while she took a piece of his. It had taken her breath away and brought it back in a huge wave. Now she was unable to catch it.
Lucca’s brow rose, his same dark voice with a smile echoing once more through the dim room, asking, “Adalyn?”
2
You’re in Enemy Territory
Trying to shake off the thought of the man who had just stolen a piece of her, she turned back to Lucca, trying to pull herself together. “Yes, sorry. Um, you wanted to see me?”
Lucca stared at her for a moment, the amused look on his face never wavering. “I did?”
“Yes …?” Adalyn stared back at him in confusion. “You asked me yesterday to come by your office at noon.”
“Must have slipped my mind,” he said simply as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m taking Chloe out to lunch in thirty minutes, and I have some work to get done before then, so if you don’t mind.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her brows furrowed, even more confused as she started to head out the door.
“Have a good day, Adalyn.” The smile in his voice gave her a bit of a chill.
“Y-you, too.”
Walking away from the strange encounter, she wasn’t exactly sure what had just happened. What the heck?
She began her journey back the way she had come, heading toward the elevator. Why did he want me here in the first place if he was just going to shoo me awa—
“Ahh—”
A light scream had started to escape her throat, but it was quickly interrupted by a firm palm covering her mouth while she was pulled into a dimly lit cleaning closet.
Adalyn looked up at her captor who was pushing her against the door she had been swiftly pulled through. Staring at the angel before her who held her body spellbound, she could see this was no angel of the light; this angel was of the dark, and his eyes held a promise of wickedness unlike any she had seen before.
“You’re not going to scream, are you?” he asked coolly, already removing the tatted hand from her mouth, which indicated his words weren’t really a question but an observation.
“How did you know I wouldn’t?” Her brow rose. Any other girl he would have pulled into this closet would have in a second.
Angel’s dark eyes traveled over her face. “Because you’re not scared.”
It was true; she wasn’t.
She was unable to keep her eyes off the fascinating man. “And how do you know that?”
A smile started to upturn one side of his lips. “You came into Lucca Ca
ruso’s office, skipping and smiling, so you’re either really fucking stupid or you don’t scare easily.” With the hand holding her wrist, he began traveling slowly up her arm. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
Adalyn stood dangerously still, wondering what he was going to do, until he stopped his hand over her throat, his thumb catching her pulse.
“Strong … but steady.”
It was hard for her not to melt into his light grip. Bad boys were her weakness, and fuck if he didn’t seem like the pinnacle of one.
Trying to stay collected being this close to him, she licked her dry lips. “Well, you must not scare easily either, considering you stole from him.”
The slight smile he had seemed to vanish. “I took something that didn’t belong to him.”
“Does the ring belong to you?”
He reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out the gold ring that bore a horseshoe surrounded by diamonds. He stared at it for only a moment before placing it back in his pocket, returning his attention to her. “No, it belongs to a friend.” His voice cold and sharp, it was more than obvious he didn’t care much for talking.
“Okay, then.”
“So, you won’t tell?”
“I meant I believe that it actually belongs to your friend”—a smile now came to her lips—“not that I wouldn’t tell Lucca.”
Maybe I shouldn—
She saw the lightness behind his dark eyes flash as he used the hand on her throat to force her to look up at him even more. At the same time, he moved his face and body ever so close to her, until there was hardly any space left between them. Then he dropped his voice to a dangerously low tone.
“I don’t think you see that I’m the one with the upper hand in this situation, sweetness.”
Now her heart raced, and she knew very well he could feel it under his grip, but it wasn’t from fear. No, it was from what he was doing to her uncontrollable body. It was putty in his hands, and if she didn’t get out of here and far away from him soon, the bad boy would find out exactly what kind of upper hand he had with her.