by Lea Hart
“How long do you think it will take before he’s taken to trial?”
Sam shrugged and then drank some of his scotch. “It’s going to take years, as far as I can tell. The discovery phase is going to take at least eighteen months and, after that, it depends on how many continuances each side requests as they slog through the initial motions.”
“Is the news about the Besiaj shooting accurate?”
“I had a brief conversation with Theo this afternoon and apparently the shooting did happen, though no one knows if he survived. The police were never called and he didn’t show up in any hospitals.”
“How did the news outlets get ahold of it?”
“Eyewitness accounts and then an ambitious blogger acquired the footage from the CCTV cameras that are on the street.”
“This is a huge vacuum and it will be interesting to see who rises to the top to take over.”
Their shrimp cocktail was delivered, and Sam ordered their meals. Handing her a fork, he pushed the dish closer. “The next couple of months should be very illuminating because whoever takes over probably is responsible for the hit.”
“Has any of the intel from the Trojan I installed been useful yet?
“Absolutely. The financial transactions from Vazov’s account at Societe Generale alone were enough for the arrest warrant. The sheer amount of money backwashing from numbered accounts indicated he was laundering funds. The level and breadth of evidence the Federal Police wanted weren't typical, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. It was their jurisdiction and their rules. Here in the States, it’s more a matter of convincing the AG to pursue the case and, for that, you need an airtight case because they hate to lose.”
Popping a shrimp into her mouth, she chewed slowly and congratulated herself for staying in the private sector. “I don’t know how you have the patience to jump through the hoops to accomplish your goals.”
“We both know that I don’t always manage that part of my job that well, but knowing that the rules are in place so that the constitution doesn’t get trampled on motivates me to do the best I can.”
“Yeah, that little document certainly is a good thing to defend.” She took a sip of her drink then asked, “What about Yolkin?”
“Owen and I are going to start digging into the evidence we collected last week and see what we have to build a case. I think between the intel from Vazov and what we’ve been collecting here, it won’t be long before we can make a move.”
“I hope so because I know how important it is.” She pushed the shrimp toward him and nodded. “You finish because I want to have enough room for dessert.”
Scooting closer, he put his arm around her shoulder and dropped his mouth against her ear, “I thought we were going to go home and have dessert.”
“Possible but not guaranteed,” she said as she patted his leg.
Kissing her gently behind her ear, he then moved his mouth back to her ear. “Guess I’ll just spend the rest of the meal trying to convince you.”
Feeling her face heat and her panties dampen, she cleared her throat and straightened her spine. “I’m playing hard to get right up until the minute we get home. So, you behave and treat me like the lady I am until then.”
Turning her face gently, he cupped her cheek and smiled like the devil. “I wouldn’t dare do anything less.”
He gave her a quick chaste kiss and then released his hold and sat back. “Are we a couple that dresses up for Halloween or not?”
Glancing over, she let out a snort and knew she was never going to be able to keep up with Sam and his quick-moving mind. “If we’re invited to a big party, we will and, if not, we’ll skip it.”
“Okay. Thanksgiving here or in Washington?”
“Here because it’s a short holiday, but we can host your family.”
“Christmas in Washington then.”
“Every other year,” she replied.
“I can live with that.”
“What are we doing, Sam?”
“Negotiating the rest of our lives.”
Pushing her empty glass away, she signaled for another one. “I may need a second drink.”
“It certainly won’t hurt.”
“I knew when I saw you in the Athletic Club you were going to cause me trouble and I was right.”
“Honey, I’ve only gotten started.”
Throwing her head back, she let out a laugh and then looked over at Sam’s sexy smile and knew he meant every word. “Good thing I like trouble.”
“I love you and I promise to keep your pieces together when you fall and to love you to pieces when you’re together. This is it, Lucky, you and me until the end of time.”
“All right.” He cupped her face with his hands, pressed their mouths together, and made the sweetest promise with his tender kiss. “I love you and I’m ready to take you on.”
He tipped his head against hers and nodded. “I won’t let you regret it.”
“I know.” Pressing her hand against his chest, she felt the steady beat of his heart and knew he’d be true to his word. Sam Barton was her answer and for that, she would be eternally grateful.
EPILOGUE
February
Lucky tugged her coat closer as they walked out of Felony Franks and thanked the good Lord that none of the people Sam had put away over the years were employed at the restaurant. The food was yummy but going to a place where they employed ex-felons probably wasn’t a place a fed should frequent on a regular basis.
“What did you think?” Sam asked as they walked to the car.
“It was great, but I’m not sure why we're in Oak Park eating hot dogs when we could’ve stayed closer to home and eaten something similar.”
“I think it’s good to get out of Bucktown on the weekend and see what other neighborhoods have to offer.” He looked around and grinned. “This is a pretty hip place to live and I think we’d fit right in.”
Scoffing, Lucky pulled her scarf tighter and stepped over a patch of ice. “Sam, not to burst your bubble, but we’re not all that hip.”
He opened the car door and grinned as he helped her in. When she was settled, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I think we’re hip.”
Shaking her head, she watched him walk around and get in. Once the key was in the ignition, she turned the heater on full blast. “When you think you’re hip, you never really are.”
“Not really the point, but I’ll let it go.”
“Where to next?” she asked as Sam pulled away and drove down the street.
“I have something I want to show you.”
“In Oak Park?”
“Yes, Lucky. Your birthday is coming up and I think I’ve found the perfect present.”
Looking over, she studied him as they made their way through the neighborhood. “I told you that you don’t have to get me anything.”
Snorting, he glanced over briefly. “Yeah, right.”
Looking out the window, she looked at the people populating the street and knew that everything she heard about the village was probably true. It was considered a great place to live, close to the city with a suburban feel and good schools.
Sam hummed as he made his way through the streets with a familiarity that she didn’t expect him to have. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
“Mysterious.”
“All will be revealed before you know it.”
Shrugging, she looked out the window and knew he wasn’t going to say anything until he was good and ready. She’d discovered that about him over the last several months and accepted it. They’d been together six months and she was no longer surprised by how easy it had been for them to become entwined.
“Almost there,” he commented as he turned down a quiet residential street. He parked in front of a brick-fronted house with mullioned windows across the front. “What do you think?”
Looking out the window, she was befuddled. “Of what?”
“The hou
se,” he said as he leaned forward and draped his hands over the steering wheel. “It has a nice backyard.”
“It’s lovely.”
The satisfied smile he gave her told her he was up to something. “Do you know who lives here? Are we visiting someone?”
“Come on, let’s go look.” He got out and came around, opening her door and holding out his hand.
She took it and got out and noticed his cheeks were flushed and his green eyes were unusually bright. “Sammy…”
“Come on, Lucky.” He took her hand and tugged her up the sidewalk and produced a key and opened the door.
As they walked in, she noticed that it was warm, as though someone had left the heater on, even though the house was empty and clearly no one lived there. Looking at the beautiful wood floors and large windows, she let out a little laugh. “What’s going on?”
He took both her hands and smiled. “Welcome home, Lucky.”
Stepping back, she put her hand over her heart and looked around. “What?”
“Happy Birthday!”
“You bought me a house?”
“I put an offer in and, as long as you like it, it’s ours.”
“Sammy…”
“Let me show you around.” He took her hand and led her around the house. “It’s got three bedrooms and two baths, and I think this is a great starter house for us. I know you’ll want to change the paint colors in the some of the rooms, but I think it’s got good bones and would be a great place to start our lives together.”
“Together?”
Tugging her over to the kitchen window, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Together, Lucky. You and me for the rest of our lives.”
Turning in his arms, she looked up. “What are you saying?”
He pulled a small black box out of his pocket and looked down, swallowing loudly. “Lucky, I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and making you as happy as I can. Will you marry me?”
“Marry you?”
“Yes, honey.” He slipped the ring out and held it up. “What do you say?”
“Oh, Sammy…”
He lifted her hand and placed the ring next to her finger. “Say yes and make me the happiest man in the world, so I can spend the rest of my life loving you.”
Looking up into his beautiful face, she nodded. “I love you, Sam, and I would love to marry you.”
He slipped the ring on her finger and then kissed her like his life depended on it. Once he’d ravaged her sufficiently, he let her go. “I promise, you’ll never regret it.”
Holding him tightly, she wiped the tears that had slipped down her face. “I know nobody could love me the way you do and I can’t imagine why God has blessed me, but I promise to do my best and love you as hard as I can for as long as I’m alive.”
“Same,” he replied, as he kissed her again and again.
Feeling a tidal wave of love, she surrendered and knew there was no better man to trust her future to. Sam Barton, Special Agent was the one she’d been waiting for.
Author’s Note
It wasn’t easy, but Lucky and the fed finally have their HEA. When I introduced them back in Whirlwind, I didn’t see them as a match and was, in fact, going to put Ivy and Sam together at some point. Well, we know how that turned out since Ryan got there first and swept Ivy off her beautifully shod feet.
But then something happened in Besiege and I knew Sam was Lucky’s perfect match, and here we are at the end of Barrage and it turns out I was right.
I want to take a moment and share some of the places where I found inspiration, education, and illumination as I went about writing Sam and Lucky’s tale.
The inspiration for the hack that SAI’s client experienced was gleaned from an article in Vanity Fair written by William Langewiesche about a master hacker. I was inspired by the idea of entering a network and it led me to research the concept extensively. The language was new, the concepts foreign, and it wasn’t until I read an obscure academic paper in the International Journal of Science and Research on Autonomous Network Security for Detection of Network Attacks by Pragati H. Chandankhede and Sonali U Nimbhorkar that I finally could grasp how the hack was achieved.
After I was done twisting my mind around those concepts, I moved on to the Russian Bratva and the Albanian Fis and found a multitude of information and sources. Though there are too many to mention here, I will say that an internet article on the “Brothers’ Circle” on inmoscowsshadows.wordpress was especially helpful and led me to further research how transnational criminal groups are treated by both the U.S. and foreign governments.
And, you can see where I’m going with this because then I started looking into how the United States has changed the way we treat international threats and have changed our view of extrajudicial killings. Robert Young Pelton’s book, Licensed to Kill, Privatizing the War on Terror and John Rizzo’s book, Company Man have both proven to be excellent resources and I’ve only just started them.
The final source that I want to mention is Chris Whitcomb’s book, Cold Zero, The FBI Hostage Rescue Team. His account of his days on the Team was illuminating and it helped me conceive of who Sam might have been before the explosion.
Ideas and inspiration come from many different sources when writing a book and sometimes it’s as complicated as digging up the right research paper to understand a topic and other times it’s as simple as waiting in the pickup line at school to get the answer I needed to move the story along.
I never know where something is going to lead, and I can say with all certainty that I didn’t think the uptight FBI agent and sassy hacker that were introduced in Whirlwind would end up here. Though I’m happy they did, and I think Gladys and Agnes would be too.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am enormously grateful for the love and support of my daughters, for whom all of this is done and would like to acknowledge my youngest daughter’s cooperation. It wasn’t always easy for her to understand why Mom’s computer was constantly at her side, and I appreciate her willingness to go along with the program. Mostly.
Next, I would like to thank my editorial team for all they do in making my books come to life. Barrage marks my seventeenth book and my editor Janell Parque has been with me since book one and I couldn’t be more grateful. She fixes my grammar, commas, and missing words and often picks up on a story glitch that no one else has. It takes a tremendous amount of trust to pass on your work to someone and having that with Janell is invaluable. I would also like to thank my editor Jacy Mackin for her willingness to reunite and work together again. She edited many of my first books and gave me a ton of good advice and guidance that has contributed to the author that I’ve become today.
Finally, I would like to stand on the roof and shout out my appreciation to my readers. Without your willingness to pick up a book and join me on this journey, I wouldn’t have a chance at a second act, and for that, I am forever grateful. Thank you!
INSPIRATION
Every story has a playlist and here is the one for Barrage
If you would like to see the storyboard for this book Pinterest
STAY IN TOUCH
Leahartauthor.com
Twitter
Facebook
BOOKS BY LEA HART
CORONADO SERIES
The Coronado Series are fun, sexy contemporary military romances that are set in San Diego, California. These stories are fast-paced, emotionally satisfying, and feature bad-ass SEALs who fall for their girl…almost instantly.
Alpha heroes crash to their knees in love and lust when they finally meet their match.
So…if you enjoy a fast-paced, sexy adventure with hot heroes and sassy heroines then this is the series for you.
Latched
Betrayed by her ex–fiancé, Birdie James decides a sexy fling will give her the excitement she needs without the problems of a relationship. Luckily for her, Mr. Right Now is gorgeous, interested and curls
her toes with one look. There’s just one problem.
Lieutenant Commander, Mark Frazier sees Birdie, and he only wants one thing. Her, forever. As a SEAL, he flourishes beneath both trials and adventure. However, changing the mission directive of this woman may be the biggest challenge of his life.
What happens when a woman whose life is based on certainty targets a Navy SEAL who thrives on the unknown? Can Mark find a way to overcome her stubborn mindset and convince her to give them a chance? Or is her heart latched against him?
Snatched
When a stalker targets Rory Basso, she thinks she can handle the situation on her own. Then it escalates. Fearing for her safety, she takes the advice of her best friend and hires a security professional to help her track down and eliminate the threat. But Max is more than she expects.
Max Bishop hasn’t met a target he can’t acquire or a mission he can’t complete. Until Rory. As a retired Navy SEAL and CEO of Security Alliance International, he has spent most of his life in charge. Now his mission is to convince this headstrong woman that he can protect her….and love her.
Can Rory trust Max with her safety and her love? Will he convince her to place her protection and heart in his hands? Or will the person terrorizing her snatch the opportunity away?
Attached
Cary Simmons is a kindergarten teacher. Her boring life leaves her craving a summer of adventure, a kick start into an exciting future. However, when her car breaks down in the middle of the California desert, she decides to make the most of it. After all, a biker bar holds some pretty adventurous men, right?
Travis Mathers can’t believe his eyes when a pretty little thing walks into the roughest bar in Ripley wearing a flowered sundress. Instantly, the retired Navy Seal knows this woman needs his protection, and he’s going to give it whether she wants it or not. Besides, who could possibly have more to show her about adventure?