“You are panning the audience, right? Anyone show up with their head covered?”
The cameraman spoke into his microphone to the other camera, and Morgan heard the term asshole come up.
Just then, Halley turned to the side and pointed at the teleprompter. With Taylor squawking in one ear, he and Gibril read the note on the screen and gasped in unison.
“Taylor, get off the fucking phone and tell J.J. something’s wrong. Halley just got a threat on the teleprompter.” He hung up and was about to grab Halley and drag her off the stage when the cameraman pulled his arm.
The woman in the front row dressed in a light aqua headscarf draped around her shoulders. Underneath, she wore a raincoat with pockets, open down the front. As she began to rise, she opened her coat wide, revealing she was packed with explosives.
“Fatima!” Gibril shouted and headed toward Halley.
Morgan was trying to get her to run back toward him, but she was transfixed. Almost in slow motion, she looked between Gibril and the pretty girl in the front row.
“J.J. We need a shooter quick. Front row. Headscarf.” Morgan commanded.
Before he could finish, a crack rang out, and Fatima fell to the ground with a mortal head wound. Her hand gripped a trigger device.
The bomb squad couldn’t wait for an evacuation, and panic set in all around the stage. One very brave agent searched her setup and wiring, peeled the device from her now limp hand, and unscrewed the cylinder, letting a couple of batteries fall to the ground. He snipped two wires, on her chest, nodded to his backup behind a shield, and the two of them moved Fatima out of the arena.
It was over in less than thirty seconds. Halley was still in the light, but her audience was in bold retreat.
“Please, ladies, calm down. Slow down and be safe.”
But the thunderous stampede would not be abated. Several guards were culling through the audience, helping people who were tripping over the thick carpeting and trying to climb over the padded seats to get to the exit. All the doors had been opened to allow everyone to get out.
Morgan heard J.J. report that the control room had been secured. They’d arrested the young disciple of the Imam.
He also got a report that no one who wasn’t supposed to be there was on the catwalk above. All the doors backstage were reported secured.
The event was over. Halley slumped to the canvas floor, pulling off her headset. The cameraman came up behind her and kept filming. Morgan yanked his arm and barked, putting his face right in the lens.
“Turn that fucking thing off.” would be the last anyone would see of the night’s event.
He came over to Halley and knelt beside her, pulling her to his chest. Only then did she start to cry.
“I didn’t get to finish,” she sniffled.
“No, but you got the job done.” He squeezed her hard, placed his hands beneath her jaw and tilted her to look at him. “Message delivered, Halley. You were right. Nothing will ever be the same again. You showed up. You did your part, and the fucking message was delivered.”
He kissed her tear-stained lips gently until she began to unthaw and rise to him. The woman with the hair trigger had the strongest will to live and also the strongest libido he’d ever known.
“I’m here, Halley. I’m always going to be here, right beside you.”
Gibril walked slowly over to the two of them, covered in blood. He too was crying.
“I am so sorry,” he said as he bowed his head, touching both their heads.
Halley grabbed his hand and used it to lever herself up. She placed her palms on his cheeks and wiped his tears away with her thumbs like Morgan had done to her so many times. “You didn’t know, Gibril. They used you. I am so sorry. I am sorry for your family. Please give my prayers to her mother.”
In a little beauty parlor in Stockton, Imam Al-Moustafi soaked in a tub with rose bath salts. His dead eyes watched the events on the news from a flat screen mounted at the foot of the tub. The drama played out there wasn’t anything he’d expected.
The water dripped peacefully from a rusty, leaky faucet, and the room filled with steam. It wouldn’t be long now before they came for him. His guards outside had been sent away earlier so he could savor his victory in private. His weakened condition left him lethargic as he watched his betrothed, the child already ripped from her body, receive the communion of the sharpshooter and fall to the ground.
In the end, she’d done it to save her family from disgrace, with the protection he’d offered them. Otherwise, he suggested he could take her little sister. She knew she’d never get away from the community and it was her duty to fix the stain she’d caused.
It wasn’t going to be up to him to spin it like it was a successful mission, though. Perhaps if he were healthier, he thought. But life had ceased to be for him when he found out that she’d defiled herself and him by killing his child.
Could he escape? Perhaps. Did he want to? He wasn’t sure.
The door burst open, and the redhead demon boy entered, his eyes just as red. With two powerful gloved hands he grabbed his neck, forcing him under water. He chose not to struggle or fight. He would have rather died fighting, but the statement was made. Now the infidels knew that there was no problem finding people to carry out the plan. If he was gone, another would take his place. And then another and another. It was going to be a war of wills. Whoever stopped fighting first would lose.
The water was milky from his skin cells and the bath salts so that the bubbles his lips released looked like those he’d blown as a child when the young serviceman had given him the purple plastic bottle with the wand. This man was a soldier too. Not the same one, but this man would bring him peace. He had opened the Golden Gates for him. His soul would be going to Allah, and indeed, everything was good and as it should be.
Chapter 24
In the aftermath of the event, news crews didn’t take long to arrive. The film taken by the freelance cameraman had gone viral on social media, even in all its graphic display, just minutes after the shooting.
Morgan managed to get her out of the auditorium, whisking her away to a suite provided by the Grand Fordham itself. It was on the opposite side of the property, facing the bay, with no view of the auditorium.
They told her she could stay as long as she liked. All she wanted was a shower and a good night’s sleep with Morgan at her side, if he could be. So many questions and interviews he’d have to do, but in the end, they’d acquiesced and let them leave with the promise to be available in the morning. They also were told Stanley was going to pull through, due to the quick actions of the paramedics at the scene.
“Where would you like me to take you next?” he asked her as he dried off. She was halfway disappointed he hadn’t made love to her in the shower. But his tenderness and attentiveness, she appreciated. It made her smile to think he’d been acting like Gibril. He was a gentleman, careful to treat her like the delicate flower she was not. But for however long it would last, she liked it. Here was another side of the man she knew she’d always loved. Even before she’d met him.
She slung her towel over the bar on the shower door and walked naked to the bed, thinking.
“You know? Gibril had this client once, just for a short time. He said the guy had met the girl of his dreams and had bought an island in the Caribbean and was going to just drop out. Somewhere near Antigua.
“I’ve been there. Admiral Nelsons’ old dockyard is at English Bay. Beautiful place.”
“He even showed me some of the pictures of that bay, the blue water and that street sign planted in the sand with directions to places like Berlin, New York, and Rio. He told me you could have a cheeseburger and a beer in Paradise.”
“What happened to the client? Did Gibril ever go there and meet him?”
“No. He said he just disappeared one day.”
“Maybe he was successful. Maybe he took the girl and he lived on that island Happily Ever After.”
“I’d li
ke to think so, except that he left a lot of money in his account. Gibril’s been waiting nearly two years for him to return.”
“That’s a fun story.”
“Morgan, would you take me to Paradise?”
He slipped under the covers to join her. His long hard body pulsed with heat and desire. Hers caught hold of the rhythm and her heart started racing in anticipation.
“Close your eyes, Halley. I’m going to take you to Paradise tonight and every day for the rest of your life. Will you promise to never bring me back if we get lost?”
She wrapped her arms about his neck. “That I can do.”
She accepted his deep kiss and then how his hungry mouth traveled down her neck, then back up to her ear as he positioned his groin, begging for entry.
He whispered, “I’m nearly there right now.”
If you enjoyed this book, won’t you consider leaving a review? Thanks so much and may all your dreams be happily ever after.
Make sure to pick up ALL the books in the Sleeper SEAL series. These can be read in any order and each stands alone.
Protecting Dakota by Susan Stoker
Slow Ride by Becky McGraw
Michael’s Mercy by Dale Mayer
Saving Zola by Becca Jameson
Bachelor SEAL by Sharon Hamilton
Montana Rescue by Elle James
Thin Ice by Maryann Jordan
Grinch Reaper by Donna Michaels
All In by Lori Ryan
Broken SEAL by Geri Foster
Freedom Code by Elaine Levine
Flat Line by J.M. Madden
About the Author
Sharon Hamilton
NYT and USA Today best-selling author Sharon Hamilton’s award-winning Navy SEAL Brotherhood series have been a fan favorite from the day the first one was released. They’ve earned her the coveted Amazon author ranking of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance categories, as well as in Gothic Romance for her Vampires of Tuscany and Guardian Angels. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love.
Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany are not like any vamps you’ve read about before, since they don’t go to ground and can walk around in the full light of the sun.
Her Guardian Angels struggle with the human charges they are sent to save, often escaping their vanilla world of Heaven for the brief human one. You won’t find any of these beings in any Sunday school class.
She lives in Sonoma County, California with her husband and two Dobermans. A lifelong organic gardener, when she’s not writing, she’s getting verra verra dirty in the mud, or wandering Farmers Markets looking for new Heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.
She loves hearing from her fans:
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Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.
Series Overview
SEAL BROTHERHOOD SERIES OVERVIEW
SEAL Encounter (Prequel Novella)
Accidental SEAL (Book #1)
SEAL Endeavor (Novella)
Fallen SEAL Legacy (Book #2)
SEAL Under Covers (Book #3)
SEAL The Deal (Book #4)
Cruisin’ For A SEAL (Book #5)
SEAL My Destiny (Book #6)
SEAL Of My Heart (Book #7)
BAD BOYS OF SEAL TEAM 3 SERIES OVERVIEW
SEAL’s Promise (Book #1)
SEAL My Home (Book #2)
SEAL’s Code (Book #3)
BAND OF BACHELORS SERIES OVERVIEW
Lucas (Book #1)
Alex (Book #2)
Jake (Book #3)
Jake2 (Book #4)
TRUE BLUE SEALS SERIES OVERVIEW
True Navy Blue (prequel to Zak)
Zak (Includes novella above)
NASHVILLE SEALS SERIES OVERVIEW
Nashville SEAL (Book #1)
Nashville SEAL: Jameson (Books 1 2 combined)
FREDO SERIES OVERVIEW
Fredo’s Secret (Book #1)
Fredo’s Dream (Books 1 2 combined)
PARADISE SERIES OVERVIEW
Paradise: In Search of Love (Book #1)
SLEEPER SEALS SERIES OVERVIEW
Bachelor SEAL (Book #1)
GOLDEN VAMPIRES OF TUSCANY SERIES OVERVIEW
Honeymoon Bite (Book #1)
Mortal Bite (Book #2)
THE GUARDIANS SERIES OVERVIEW
Heavenly Lover (Book #1)
Underworld Lover (Book #2)
Underworld Queen (Book #3)
FALL FROM GRACE SERIES OVERVIEW
Gideon: Heavenly Fall (Book #1)
Box Sets
SEAL Brotherhood Series Prequel Novella, SEAL Encounter, and Book 1, Accidental SEAL, are available in a convenient digital box set format
SEAL Brotherhood Box Set 1
SEAL Brotherhood Series Prequel Novella, SEAL Endeavor, and Book 2, Fallen SEAL Legacy, are available in a convenient digital box set format
SEAL Brotherhood Box Set 2
SEAL Brotherhood Series Books 1-4 (plus 2 prequel novellas) are available in a convenient digital box set format
Ultimate SEAL Collection 1
SEAL Brotherhood Series Books 5-7 are available in a convenient digital box set format
Ultimate SEAL Collection 2
Golden Vampires of Tuscany Series Books 1-2 and The Guardians Series Books 1-3 are available in a convenient digital box set format
Immortal Valentines Box Set
Audiobooks
All of Sharon Hamilton’s books are available as audiobooks narrated by J.D. Hart.
Reviews
PRAISE FOR THE
SEAL BROTHERHOOD SERIES
“Fans of Navy SEAL romance, I found a new author to feed your addiction. Finely written and loaded delicious with moments, Sharon Hamilton’s storytelling satisfies like a thick bar of chocolate.” —Marliss Melton, bestselling author of the Team Twelve Navy SEALs series
“Sharon Hamilton does an EXCELLENT job of fitting all the characters into a brotherhood of SEALS that may not be real but sure makes you feel that you have entered the circle and security of their world. The stories intertwine with each book before…and each book after and THAT is what makes Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood Series so very interesting. You won’t want to put down ANY of her books and they will keep you reading into the night when you should be sleeping. Start with this book…and you will not want to stop until you’ve read the whole series and then…you will be waiting for Sharon to write the next one.” (5 Star Review)
“Kyle and Christy explode all over the pages in this first book, [Acci
dental SEAL], in a whole new series of SEALs. If the twist and turns don’t get your heart jumping, then maybe the suspense will. This is a must read for those that are looking for love and adventure with a little sloppy love thrown in for good measure.” (5 Star Review)
PRAISE FOR THE
BAD BOYS OF SEAL TEAM 3 SERIES
“I love reading this series! Once you start these books, you can hardly put them down. The mix of romance and suspense keeps you turning the pages one right after another! Can’t wait until the next book!” (5 Star Review)
“I love all of Sharon’s Seal books, but [SEAL’s Code] may just be her best to date. Danny and Luci’s journey is filled with a wonderful insight into the Native American life. It is a love story that will fill you with warmth and contentment. You will enjoy Danny’s journey to become a SEAL and his reasons for it. Good job Sharon!” (5 Star Review)
PRAISE FOR THE
BAND OF BACHELORS SERIES
“[Lucas] was the first book in the Band of Bachelors series and it was a phenomenal start. I loved how we got to see the other SEALs we all love and we got a look at Lucas and Marcy. They had an instant attraction, and their love was very intense. This book had it all, suspense, steamy romance, humor, everything you want in a riveting, outstanding read. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.” (5 Star Review)
PRAISE FOR THE
TRUE BLUE SEALS SERIES
“Keep the tissues box nearby as you read True Blue SEALs: Zak by Sharon Hamilton. I imagine more than I wish to that the circumstances surrounding Zak and Amy are all too real for returning military personnel and their families. Ms. Hamilton has put us right in the middle of struggles and successes that these two high school sweethearts endure. I have read several of Sharon Hamilton’s military romances but will say this is the most emotionally intense of the ones that I have read. This is a well-written, realistic story with authentic characters that will have you rooting for them and proud of those who serve to keep us safe. This is an author who writes amazing stories that you love and cry with the characters. Fans of Jessica Scott and Marliss Melton will want to add Sharon Hamilton to their list of realistic military romance writers.” (5 Star Review)
Bachelor SEAL (Sleeper SEALs Book 5) Page 18