by Sandra Owens
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN “You got through more than I expected,” Court said, flipping through the stack of translated emails Taylor handed him. She’d only had the printouts for three days, and it looked like about a hundred pages in the folder. “I tried to hurry and get them back to you, so I didn’t take the time to think much about what I was translating.” “No problem. I’d want to read them myself, anyway.” Sitting at the dining room table with him and Lauren, Taylor glanced between them. “Nate explained to you that, as far as you know, I don’t speak Russian.” “Your secret’s safe with us.” He glanced at Lauren, who nodded. “We really appreciate it, Taylor.” She stood. “That’s about half of what you gave me. I’ll have the rest to you in two or three days.” “You’re the best.” He grinned. “But we already knew that.” “Thanks, Taylor,” Lauren said. “If anything in those emails helps Court build a case, I’ll owe you big-time.” “You don’t owe me a thing. I have no use for men who can’t take no for a
CHAPTER NINETEEN Court walked out, refreshed from the shower, ready to tackle the emails again as soon as they finished their pizza. Lauren wasn’t at the table, and thinking she had gone out on the balcony, he checked there. He searched his entire condo, including his safe room. He stood in the middle of his living room, fighting down panic. Had she decided to run after all? No, she wouldn’t have taken off. She’d said she wouldn’t, and he trusted her. The realization that he really did settled over him, but at the same time, his panic grew. He walked to the door. The dead bolt wasn’t closed. Maybe she’d gone up to see Madison. That had to be it. He grabbed his cell from the dining room table, and called Alex’s home phone. Lauren was going to get an earful about taking off without letting him know. Right now, even the condo’s hallways weren’t safe. She knew that. “Hey, Madison,” he said when she answered. “Can you put Lauren on the phone?” “She’s not here. Is she supposed to be?” The pa
CHAPTER TWENTY “Got her,” Court shouted. He pushed away from the desk, going to his weapons wall. “Where is she?” Alex asked, choosing his own weapons from Court’s collection. “A house not thirty minutes from here. Where’s Nate?” He filled a pouch with grenades, smoke bombs, and extra ammunition. Whether he’d need all that, he didn’t know, but he believed in being prepared for every scenario. “He got a phone call.” Nate walked back into the room. “Bad news. Stephan Kozlov was released a day early. A clerk anxious to start his vacation mistakenly put the wrong date on the paperwork.” Court whipped around. “Tell me you’re joking.” “Wish I was,” Nate said. “What’s happening?” “I found her.” Without asking more questions, Nate loaded up his body with weapons from Court’s stash. Christ, he loved his brothers. They were going rogue, yet neither one hesitated or attempted to tell him he needed to call it in and get approval from their bureau chief. “How long ago?” Court asked. Nate grabbed th
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE “Wow, this isn’t what I’d expected Nate’s place to look like,” Lauren said, surveying his living room. Court snorted. “Let me guess. You imagined something dark and gloomy to match his personality.” It always amused him the first time someone saw Nate’s condo. No one ever expected the beach décor, the pale mint-green walls, dark green leather couch, and various creamy yellow accessories. “Yeah, I guess that’s what I pictured,” Lauren said. Madison picked up a pale pink conch shell from the coffee table. “Surprised me, too, the first time I was here. I think Nate has had so much darkness in his life . . . still does, that he needed a calm place to come home to.” “It’s calm all right.” She took the large seashell from Madison. “This is beautiful.” Madison had nailed it. Nate had always found peace at the beach, and this was his big brother’s refuge. It was why they’d bought condos on the ocean. Because it was where Nate needed to be. He still carried internal scars fro
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO “Because of the Kozlovs, you’re on our radar now,” Court said to Alexi Ivanov, the owner of Xander’s Bar and Grill. The bar was a hangout for Russian nationals, but the bulk of Ivanov’s income came from gambling. Court had made a list of everyone living in the area who’d had contact with Peter, Vadim, or Stephan through emails or phone conversations. He and Nate were paying each one they could find a visit with the intention of isolating Peter and Stephan. Nate leaned on the bar, leveling a cold gaze on Ivanov. “It wouldn’t be in your best interest to offer assistance if either of the Kozlovs should ask.” “I don’t appreciate being threatened by the cops,” Ivanov said as he wiped down the bar counter. “Did you hear either of us say we were cops?” Court raised a brow at Nate. Nate shrugged. “He didn’t hear that from me.” “If not cops, what are you?” The rag in Ivanov’s hand moved faster over the same spot he’d been cleaning since they’d started talking. The man was get
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE On their drive home, Court had been on the phone with his brothers. As soon as they’d arrived back at his condo, he’d gone into his safe room to work and had stayed in there until he’d wandered out a few hours later, saying his stomach was growling. Something was bothering him. He’d been quiet all through dinner, except to thank her for cooking. The kitchen wasn’t her favorite room, but there were a few meals she had mastered. When she’d started to get hungry, she’d searched through his pantry and freezer, finding the ingredients to make chicken fettuccine. They’d cleaned up the kitchen together, and then had brewed a pot of coffee, and now sat out on his balcony. She’d stayed quiet, hoping he would tell her what was on his mind, but he seemed content to sit there and stare out into the night. “What has you so deep in thought?” she asked, when she finally couldn’t stand it anymore. Court glanced over at her. “Your father.” He sat in silence a bit longer. “I like hi
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR “That was gunfire,” Lauren cried. “What’s happening up there? What if Court’s hurt?” When Court had tossed her into his safe room, and closed the door behind her, she’d stood there for a moment, still half asleep, wondering what was happening. Then his order for her to go to Alex had sunk in. It had taken a few seconds to remember the sequence she was supposed to use when pressing the buzzer, but as soon as she had, the trapdoor below her had opened, Alex’s face appearing beneath her. Apparently, some kind of alarm had gone off, letting Alex know there was trouble. About the same time, the trapdoor above her had opened as well, and Nate had appeared. “Stay with Madison and Lauren,” he’d called down to Alex. Then he’d closed the trapdoor in Court’s closet when she was halfway down the ladder. After Lauren had descended into Alex’s safe room, he had closed and bolted the trapdoor behind her. Now she sat on the sofa next to Madison, wearing the robe her friend had loan
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Tired from being up half the night, Lauren decided to take a nap after Court left. It was either that or sit and worry. He hadn’t said where he was going, which left her imagination to run wild, wondering if he was out looking for Stephan. She put her phone on the nightstand, turned on the fan over her bed, crawled under the covers, and closed her eyes. How long was she going to be a prisoner, unable to walk down the street or go to work without worrying that Stephan would show up? She was going stir-crazy and missed being at the bookstore. Missed Hemingway. Was he lonely at night, all by himself in the store? She should talk to Madison about bringing him home in the evenings. With her mind spinning in a thousand different directions, she gave up on taking a nap. At home when she was worried or restless, she cleaned. No reason she couldn’t clean Court’s condo. He was a neat guy, didn’t leave shoes scattered around or clothes draped over chairs, but she’d noticed a t
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Court estimated he was only minutes behind Lauren in getting to the hospital. On the drive over, he’d calmed down considerably since talking to her. She was understandably upset and concerned about her father. He shouldn’t have taken her suggestion that he not come to the hospital so personally. Part of it was because he couldn’t figure out where he stood with her, and it made him crazy. A few blocks from the hospital his phone buzzed, his Bluetooth announcing that it was Nate. “Wh
at’s up?” he said, answering. “We got lucky on the car the Kozlovs are driving. It’s a rental, a dark blue Buick Regal.” Nate gave him the license plate number, which Court repeated, memorizing it. As he pulled into the hospital’s parking lot, looking for a space, he noticed a girl kneeling on the grass, crying. There was something familiar about her, and he drove toward her. When she looked up at his approaching car, he recognized her. Why was Lauren’s sister out here alone, crying? Had he
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN “If I didn’t know better, I’d think we really were having engine trouble,” Court said as the pilot banked the plane to return to Miami. “Is there any reason I can’t use my phone?” “Not really. Make your call, but finish it before we land.” Court called Nate. “It’s me. I’ve got you on speaker so the pilot can hear. His name’s Gabe Kerrigan. We’re headed back now,” he said. “We should be landing in Opa-locka in . . .” He glanced at Gabe. “Twenty minutes.” “Since we’re coming in for a supposed emergency landing, I think you could put some of the SWAT team guys on a fire truck and also have some pose as airport personnel.” “Gabe, give me five minutes to talk to the tower so they know what’s going down before you radio in,” Nate said. “Will do,” Gabe said. “I think you’re right about one of the men having a gun. He kept his hand in his pocket when they were boarding.” Court nodded. “Nate, the trick will be separating Lauren from the Kozlovs. Peter will recognize me, so
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Court reached for the wine bottle rolling toward him. Stephan Kozlov was a mean sonofabitch and outweighed him by a good thirty pounds or more, but Court had rage on his side. The fucker had shot Lauren. When he’d been sure Lauren was on her way out of the plane, he’d jumped out of the cockpit, deciding that the risk of taking Stephan down using the element of surprise outweighed letting him walk down the steps, still in control. He’d expected a fight. The man was obsessed beyond all reason with having Lauren. Because of his strength, Kozlov managed to angle the gun at Court’s chest. It was too confined in the cabin to use his martial arts skills or this fight would have already ended. Court grabbed the bottle, bringing it up and smashing it down with all his might on the man’s head. The gun went off, the bullet whizzing past Court’s ear, and then the weapon fell out of Stephan’s hand. That was too damn close. Before Court could grab it, Nate whisked it away. “Shou
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Eight months later . . . They’d met at the beach and would get married at the beach. Court glanced at his watch again. In four hours, he and Lauren would exchange vows. About damn time. It had taken seven years for them to get to this day, and he wanted to get the wedding over so they could start on their honeymoon. “I think the battery in my watch is slowing down.” Alex snorted. “Your battery is fine. You’re just anxious to put a ring on her finger.” “Truth.” Court lifted his bottle of beer, taking a swallow. It was Sunday, the day they always closed Aces & Eights. Madison, her mother, and Julie had kicked him out of his condo this morning. Apparently, it took all day to get a bride ready for her wedding. Who knew? He’d talked his brothers into hanging out with him for a few hours, and after lunch, with nowhere else to go, they’d ended up at Aces & Eights. “Nah,” Nate said. “He’s anxious to get the wedding over so he can get to the honeymoon.” Court clicked his bot
EPILOGUE Kinsey Landon unfolded the letter she’d found in her mother’s Bible. She’d read it a hundred times since her mother had died, and each read still knocked the ground out from under her feet. Wanda Landon had once been Wanda Gentry, something Kinsey had never known. Why had her mom kept her past a secret? Kinsey picked up the pages she’d dropped and read the letter again from the beginning. My Darling Kinsey, If you are reading this, then I am no longer with you. Please don’t cry too much, sweetheart. I’ve been blessed to have you in my life, and having you has kept me sane. You see, I had three sons who were taken from me, and my heart has cried each day from missing them. Without you in my life, I don’t know how I would have gone on. I know I should have told you about your brothers, and I planned to, but I kept putting it off, unsure of how to explain walking away from my sons. You see, I left them for you. The first time you asked about your father, I told you his name was J
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The book world is a fascinating place. My first book was published in 2013, and the biggest thing I’ve learned since then is how much I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that I’ve made so many amazing friends—some I’ve met and some I probably never will meet, but they are all just as dear to me. I now have friends in close to every state in the United States and in countries all over the world that I talk to almost daily on social media. I am truly blessed. Thank you to the readers who write me, telling me how much you love my books, especially my heroes. Thank you for leaving reviews! You have no idea how much an author appreciates that. Thank you for the online chats we have about everything under the sun. I love those so much. Thank you all for just being awesome! There is one special reader and now a long-distance friend I want to tell you about. Her name is Brandy Morrison. Brandy has Turner’s syndrome (look it up). It’s not easy for her to read my books, but
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Photo © 2015 Cat Ford-Coates Bestselling, award-winning author Sandra Owens lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her family and friends often question her sanity but have ceased being surprised by what she might get up to next. She’s jumped out of a plane, flown in an aerobatic plane while the pilot performed death-defying stunts, gotten into laser-gun fights in Air Combat, and ridden a Harley motorcycle for years. She regrets nothing. Sandra is a Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member and a 2013 Golden Heart Finalist for her contemporary romance Crazy for Her. In addition to her contemporary romantic suspense novels, she writes Regency stories. You can connect with Sandra on Facebook at Sandra Owens Author, on Twitter @SandyOwens1, or through her website, www.sandra-owens.com.
ALSO BY SANDRA OWENS
Aces & Eights Series
Jack of Hearts
K2 Team Series
Crazy for Her
Someone Like Her
Falling for Her
Lost in Her
Only Her
Regencies
The Duke’s Obsession
The Training of a Marquess
The Letter
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2017 Sandra Owens
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
www.apub.com
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781542045803
ISBN-10: 1542045800
Cover Designer Credit: Letitia Hasser
This book is dedicated to Melody Guy because after editing six of my books, believe me, she deserves at least one of them dedicated to her. So thank you, Melody, for being an awesome editor and for never saying, “Have you ever considered a different career?”
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PROLOGUE
Lauren Montgomery slid the key into the lock of her small off-campus apartment, happier than she’d ever been in her twenty-one years. As soon as she got inside, she’d call Court, let him know she’d arrived home safely. Court. Just thinking his name sent a spine-tingling sigh through her. It didn’t matter that she’d only known him for six days. He was her soul mate, and even though she’d seen him nine hours ago, she missed him terribly already.
She’d left for spring break on the spur of the moment to celebrate her divorce, never expecting to fall in love. After Stephan, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with men. But she had fallen in love. The insta-love kind that she’d always rolled her eyes at. It had been like right out of a romance novel, the way her gaze had connected with Court’s. From that moment until they’d parted, each to return to school, they had been inseparable.