by Imogen Wells
“JJ, I almost lost you, and now I’m seizing the day. And just so we’re clear this is the question.” He winks, earning several more laughs from everyone, including me, although mine comes out more like a sob as my emotions get the better of me. “Marry me, JJ?”
With barely an inch of space in my throat for the word to pass through and tears running down my cheeks, I say, “Yes.”
There’s a deafening cheer as I’m lifted off my feet and swung around. As Rick stops spinning and my feet finally touch the ground again, his lips meet mine in a kiss that has me spinning in a whole other way.
Out of breath and choked with emotion, I break the kiss. Rick slides the ring onto my finger, and I hold out my hand, staring at it in wonder.
A finger beneath my chin, raises my head, and I look up into the eyes of a man who owns me. We share a brief kiss before Max barrels into us and we pick him together, giving him a kiss on each cheek before letting him go again as we’re swept away in different directions.
During the beautiful chaos that follows, my heart soars to see Max so happy. Rick told me what Max said about his mum, and had I not experienced something similar with Christian, I would have just put it down to a child’s active imagination.
I’m so grateful that he didn’t see much of what happened in that field and is doing well with no lasting damage.
When I left the hospital, Rick took me to visit Lottie’s grave. I cried a river of tears for her. Even more so when I heard that Tobias had absolutely nothing to do with Garcia, other than an employee using it to place the dark web back doors on websites for Rendezvous. Knowing that she was snatched because of me, just makes it hurt even more.
I don’t know if I’ll return to work as a CPO or if I’ll take Rick up on his offer to work with Triple R, it’s something we need to discuss more. But I do plan to set up a memorial fund and even a charity to help victims of trafficking. Be it themselves or family members.
Finding five minutes to sneak away and use the loo, I quickly grab a water too. As I undo the bottle, Jamie comes in.
“Hey, how’s the future Mrs Sullivan doing?” she asks with a laugh, as I take a mouthful of water.
“Hey, I’m good.”
In the last couple of weeks, Jamie and I have spent a considerable amount of time together, and as I thought, we have become good friends. Her and Cam have filled me in on everything, and it’s bonded us in a way that will never be broken.
Cam wasn’t surprised when I told her about Sean and wouldn’t accept my apologies for what part Archie played in the death of her mother and daughter. From what we know, they were already involved in trafficking together at that point.
We don’t know how Marcus got involved but assume it happened when he went to Mexico. Seems that it was his way of making a name for himself in the underworld while he worked on destroying Jamie’s dad.
“Have you thought anymore about your mother?”
I raise an eyebrow over the top of my bottle. “Rick put you up to this didn’t he?”
She shakes her head, but I know it’s a lie. “Maybe. Look, he’s doesn’t want you to regret not speaking to her, Jess. You know my story, and I regret so much not being able to tell my mum how much I love her, and that I forgive her. I’m not saying it will be like that for you, but you need to get some closure.”
I huff. “Maybe, Jamie.” I move around the counter, coming to a stop next to her as we look out over the back garden. Max is riding on the back of Ryder and brandishing a plastic sword as they chase Seb around.
“I’m not saying you’ll be best of friends but do it for yourself not for her.”
“I’ll think about it, okay. Happy now?” I snipe at her good humouredly. Threading my arm in hers, I pull her towards the garden. “Come on, let’s celebrate.”
The evening passes in a blur, and by the end of it, I’m gloriously happy but utterly exhausted. I’m just emptying the rubbish and ready for bed when the heavens open and thunderclaps in the sky, making me jump.
I’m hurrying back to the house before I get too wet when out of nowhere, an arm wraps around my waist, dragging me away from the dry warmth of the house.
“Rick, we’re getting wet, and it’s cold. What are you doing?” I laugh, as he drags me towards his car.
“We’re definitely getting wet, JJ, and you’ll be warm in no time with what I have in mind.” I’m swung around, my back meeting the side of the car. Lips crash to mine, swallowing anymore protest, not that there was any. His hands roam wildly, driven by a desire so immense that were it not matched by my own, I’d be consumed by it.
Reaching between us, I pop the buttons on his jeans and slip my hand inside, wrapping around the hot, hard length of him, just as his pull open the cord of my dressing gown to reveal a surprise of my own.
A growl ripples through Rick’s chest as one hand skims up my silk-clad torso and the other skims down my leg, running over the tiny little clasps of my suspenders.
“Fuck me,” he gasps, as his hips thrust forward, pumping in and out of my hand. “I need to be inside you. Right. Fucking. Now.”
I can’t help but giggle as I push his jeans down over his taut arse and raise a leg, wrapping it round his hip, which he catches expertly. “And you called me bossy and demanding.”
“Are you going to prove me wrong?” he drawls, pushing my hand aside and lining himself up.
“Oh no, my bossy turns you the fuck on,” I say as the sky lights with a bolt of lightning, showcasing the stunning man before me.
Now it’s Rick’s turn to chuckle. “And you called me arrogant,” he says, bringing us full circle to our first time together before thrusting inside me as the rain continues to fall and thunder crashes above us.
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THE END
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Coming Soon.
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Keep reading for a sneak peek of what’s coming next.
Sneak Peek
Roxy
I watch as Rick and Jay gun it down the road. “Fuck!” Pulling my phone free, I send the number that Jess called me from to a buddy at the station and ask him to track where the call came from. Well, as damn near as we can get from the pings off the telephone towers.
I know that Rick will go to Collins’ house, and Jay will be looking for other properties Collins owns, so I have a little time but not much.
I stroll back to my car, muttering and cursing. Jumping in, I head towards the station and pull into the carpark just as a call comes through on the radio. With nothing better to do while I wait for a location, I tell dispatch that I’ll check it out. As I’m spinning the car round, my phone rings.
“Whitmore,” I snap, feeling ever so slightly tetchy.
“I’ve got that location you asked for,” comes a voice down the line.
“Grand. Send it to me.” I don’t bother with any other niceties or a goodbye. I drive to the warehouse while I wait for the location to come through. My phone pings with a message just as I turn into the carpark.
When I pull up to the warehouse, there’s no sign of anyone and the alarm has stopped ringing. I quickly check the message with Jess’ location and knowing exactly where she is, I decide to have a quick look around just to be sure. After a walk by of the whole building and no sign of anything suspicious, I turn back towards my car.
Suddenly, the car park is lit up as headlights switch on from somewhere to the left of me. I can’t see jack shit with them glaring in my face. It’s probably the keyholder for the warehouse having been alerted of the triggered alarm.
“You mind turning your damn lights off, buddy,” I yell across the carpark as I move forward, trying to step out of the light.
The squeak of car doors opening and then slamming shut reaches me, and I reach for my phone.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” rumbles back to me at the same time as the s
nick of a gun echoes.
A feeling of disbelief and shock and something else, which I can’t quite name, shivers down my spine at the sound of the voice.
It’s a voice I recognise, but one I’ve not heard in almost eleven years.
Just as I’m wondering if he’s here too and at what point my mouth will form some fucking words to find out, the deep baritone that used to make me weak at the knees and light up my fucking world, booms out over the empty space.
“Long time no see, Roxanne.” The sound of my name on his lips and the way he rolls the R are like a song you haven’t heard in an age but know every word, every little cadence to. It’s almost enough to eclipse the shock and quickly building anger, but not quite.
“Fuck you, Maddox.” I begin walking to my car, my phone vibrating in my pocket, only to be halted as a gunshot rings out, and the bullet narrowly misses my foot, kicking up dust from the ground. I spin on my heels and march towards them.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, huh?” Another shot, again just missing my feet. I don’t stop. “You going to fucking shoot me, Maddox?” There are no more shots, as I knew there wouldn’t be. If he wanted me dead, I’d be six feet under already.
Stepping past the beam of the headlights, I get a clear view of two of the most well-known brothers in London. Notorious for their ruthlessness and ability to demand respect, even from those above them in the underworld.
Maddox and Zachary Lawler.
I knew this day would come. I’ve been waiting for it.
But I was not prepared for the two men that now stand in front of me.
Two men that threaten everything I’ve built.
The only men that have the power to unravel me.
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Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed Rick and Jess’ story as much as I enjoyed writing it. There were a few tears shed whilst writing this story. It is a bittersweet ending to a series that I’ve loved writing and one that started my own journey as an author.
If you’ve read the sneak peek, then you’ll know that whilst the main characters have their happy ever after, there’s another character whose story is ready to be told.
There are so many people to thank for making Redemption possible, but the biggest thank you must go to my amazing husband and children. Without their continuous faith and support none of this would be possible.
Thank you to my fantastic Betas, Sophie, Clayr, Marnie, Karina, Megan, Robyn and Jamie. Your comments and advice are invaluable to me. Love you all hard.
I need to say a special thank you to all my Breachers! You know who you are, and I’m thankful every day that you are in my life. Always there when I need a ridiculous question answered or the metaphorical ledge is too close. Your continuous support and help is very much appreciated, and I may have jumped off the ledge without you all.
Special thanks to Wendy Saunders, who not only takes time out of her own busy schedule to format my books but is always at the end of the phone to offer advice, support and answer a barrage of questions.
Huge thanks to Lou at LJ Designs for another stunning cover and beautiful graphics. You truly are a special lady, and I can’t thank you enough for all that you do for me.
A huge thank you to all my ARC readers for reading and to all the bloggers and bookstagrammers for your continued support.
And lastly, but by no means least, a massive thanks to my readers. Without you all none of this would be possible.
About the Author
Imogen Wells is a dark romantic suspense author from the East of England, where she lives with her husband, three children and the family dog and cat.
After being a stay at home mum to her three children, Imogen decided to go back to school. Much to her teenage son’s amusement. And last year she graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in History and English Literature.
When she is not reading or writing, she loves to binge new shows on Netflix or catch up with old favourites, such as Friends.
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