"Same Vincenzo," Joe said with a sigh and a heavy accent. "You never could keep your nose clean."
Vince narrowed his eyes on Joe. "I'm not the one who went to jail."
Something passed between them. Something that was laced with pain and sadness.
Joe cocked his head slightly and narrowed his eyes on Vince. "I thought you knew better than to let Gino get his hooks into you."
Vince gave Allison a sheepish look before he answered. "He dangled a carrot I couldn't refuse."
"And that was?"
"He said he knew who killed my father."
Joe scowled at him. "Gino's the one who killed your father, Vin, and most likely, mine too. Didn't you know that?"
"Yeah, I learned it a few months back when I went to kill Jimmy Tatalia. Lucky for him, he came clean and I let him live."
"Jimmy is a lying sack of shit," Tony snarled from the floor.
"Yeah, right," Vince yelled back. "He had proof that you and your father took out mine. It was a fucking initiation for you." Vince started for Tony, but before he could reach him, Joe pulled him back.
Vince glared at Joe. "Give me a gun, Joe, and let me blow his ass away."
"I can't do that, Vin."
An angry tic worked in Vince's jaw.
Allison saw the pain in Vince's eyes and it made her ache for him.
"I just wanted out and away from you people," Vince snarled at Tony.
"Yeah, sure. You were going to the Feds to rat us out. Little Sal heard the whole thing."
Vince looked ill at that as he scowled at Tony. "I don't know why Sal lied, but he did. I had no intention of going to them. Ever. But I will now."
"And we'll kill you," Tony snarled.
"Hey, hey," Joe snapped, holding up his hand. "If anyone here is going to make a threat against someone's life, it's going to be me. Besides that, both of you are talking to the Feds right now and that'd be me too." He curled his lip at Tony. "Now why don't you be a good boy and just lie there quietly and bleed." He glanced over to Tee. "He opens his mouth again, shoot him."
Tee's dark eyes twinkled as she moved to stand over Tony. She pulled out her gun and checked the clip. "With pleasure."
The door opened to admit a small group of paramedics who quickly went to Frankie, Tony and Vince.
Allison stepped back as they had Vince lie down on a gurney so that they could cut his shirt off and apply a pressure bandage to his wound.
She didn't say anything while they worked on Vince, but she hoped he'd be okay. Given how well he was dealing with the wound, she took it as a good sign.
Joe came over to stand beside her. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay, I think."
"Good."
She glanced over to Tee and the other agents. "Just who are you people anyway?"
Joe laughed, but didn't answer. "You want to ride to the hospital with Vince? I'm sure they'll have to air-lift them out of here to the mainland for a hospital."
She glanced nervously at Vince, not sure what he'd want. "I would like to."
"Yo, Vin," Joe said as they lifted the gurney up. "You want some company for the ride to the hospital?"
"Not if it's your ugly ass. I'd rather be alone. But I'll take Allison in a heartbeat."
Joe made a noise of disagreement. "My ass may be ugly but at least it ain't hairy like somebody else's I know...."
It was Allison's turn to duplicate Joe's snort. "Trust me, his butt's not hairy. I know that for a fact."
Joe gaped while Vince gave him a shit-eating grin. Smiling, Allison followed the medics out to the helicopter that was just coming in for a landing.
While they waited, she moved to Vince's side. He took her hand in his and offered her a tender smile. "I'm glad you didn't get hurt."
"I'm sorry you did."
"Ah, it's okay. Better since you're still speaking to me."
"Why wouldn't I speak to you?"
His eyes darkened with shame. "I've had a bad past, Allison."
"You ever beat small children?"
He frowned at her. "No."
"You ever knock around a girlfriend?"
"Hell no!"
"You ever shoot someone who was defenseless?"
"No. Never."
She reached out and took his hand into hers. "We all make mistakes, Vince. All of us. The past shapes us, but it's what we do with our future that defines us."
He gaped as he looked at her. "You're an amazing woman, Allison."
"I have my moments," she said with a smile and a wink.
The medics returned to lift him into the helicopter. Allison didn't get a chance to say much more to Vince as they flew to the hospital and as soon as they landed, he was whisked away for surgery to remove the bullet in his shoulder.
She paced the waiting room and was on the verge of complete boredom when the doors opened to admit Joe, Mr. Zimmerman and Tee.
Mr. Zimmerman headed straight for her. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
"I told you," Joe said.
Mr. Zimmerman glared at him. "Yeah, but you lie."
"Only to Tee."
Tee snorted. "No you don't. You know I'll shoot you if you do."
"Well, there is that."
Mr. Zimmerman ignored them. "I want you to know that the actor playing Harry has been fired and if you'd like to go on with your fantasy--"
"That's okay," she said, feeling a strange sense of peace. "I think I'd rather stay here with Vince, just in case he needs something."
Mr. Zimmerman looked pleased by that.
Joe and Tee handed her a picnic basket that had a sweater and food inside. But more than that, it had a portable DVD player and a case full of movies.
"I've spent way too much time in one of these things," Tee said. "I know how tedious the wait is and there's never anything good to eat or watch."
"Thank you." Allison set it aside and as time passed while they waited for word, she found out that Mr. Zimmerman--Z--was Vince's brother-in-law and Joe was his cousin.
It wasn't until the next morning that they were able to see Vince again.
Allison paused in the doorway of his room. He looked groggy and tired, but at least his color was good and the doctor had told them that he would be back to normal in no time.
Vince froze as he saw Allison hesitating. Her clothes were wrinkled and her face flushed. It was obvious she'd spent the night here. He didn't know why, but that thought made something warm run through his veins.
"Hi, angel," he said softly.
Her smile made him forget about the pain of his wound. But it started a whole other pain that wanted a taste of her.
"Hi." She came into the room, followed by Joe and Z.
The men moved to the foot of his bed while Allison came to stand beside him. "You need anything?"
He took her hand into his and kissed her knuckles before he rubbed it against his cheek. "Nope, what I need just came in."
Her blush deepened.
"You know," Joe said, exchanging a look with Z, "there are some of us in here who don't want to go blind from the PDA. So could you two be a little less sweet before my teeth rot out?"
Vince shook his head at him. "By the way, where the hell have you been all these years, Joey?"
Joe shrugged. "I got out and I got legit."
"And you just forgot about all the rest of us?"
"No," Joe said, his eyes dark in sincerity. "I didn't. I've kept in touch with Z, which is why I'm here now. He's the one who got my head on straight back when I was working for Gino. He tossed me a lifeline and I took it."
Vince looked at Z as his gratitude swelled. "Then we have a lot in common."
"Yeah, we do."
Vince took a deep breath. "So you're one of the federal agents who rents the island from Z?"
Joe gave a solemn nod.
And Vince could see where this was headed. His stomach knotted as he stroked Allison's palm with his thumb. "So what are you going to do with To
ny and the rest?"
"Don't worry. They won't be coming after you again. Ever. They're going to have much bigger problems to worry about. I called my friends in the FBI and Treasury Department. They're already here and watching them." Joe shifted uncomfortably. "It's why I made myself scarce and cut all ties to the family. Had I stayed in New York, I would have done my job and brought down all of you."
The knot tightened even more. "So you're sending me to jail too, I take it."
"No." The word stunned Vince. "Z handed me his file on you last night. He told me the two men you took out were under indictment for various illicit crimes and that they tried to kill you first. That makes it self-defense in my book."
Vince couldn't believe it. "You're just going to let me go?"
"Not exactly."
Vince narrowed his gaze. "What?"
"I could use you in my division. I run an interesting government task force. When you're feeling better, we'll talk more about it."
Vince looked up at Allison. "What about Allison?"
"I'll be talking to her too."
"But I don't have any education," she said, hanging her head. "All I did was graduate high school."
"Hey," Vince said, shaking her hand until she looked at him. "You're the smartest woman I know. Don't you ever be ashamed that you didn't go to college."
Joe agreed. "We can educate you on the job. But for a woman with no academy training, you handled yourself incredibly well under pressure. You have a natural ability to cope and that makes you desirable for what we do."
Z stepped forward. "Well, now that we know you're going to live, we'll leave you two alone."
Joe nodded. "We'll be back to harass you later."
"I'm sure you will."
Vince watched as the two men left, then he turned his full attention back to Allison, who absolutely took his breath away. "I can't believe you haven't gone back to your fantasy."
"Why would I want to do that?"
Before he could respond, she leaned over and whispered softly in his ear. "Baby, you are my fantasy and there's no place else I'd rather be than right here with you."
Epilogue
Six months later
A llison had a strange sense of deja vu as she entered the Wal-Mart where she used to work. She hadn't been home in almost five months...not since she and Vince had rented an apartment in Nashville so that they could begin training to be agents for the Bureau of American Defense.
The last few months had all been a whirl in her mind. Between training during the day and spending her nights with Vince, she hadn't had any time to spare.
But now it was time to put her past to rest. She'd come back home to sign the papers to sell her house and she'd wanted to say goodbye to a couple of friends who'd worked here with her.
As she neared the book aisle, she paused. There was a new employee who was holding a Rachel Fire romance novel open and reading a passage out of it. The woman was probably a couple of years younger than her with long dark hair. Allison knew the wistful look in her eyes.
Before she could stop herself, she walked over to her. "It's a great book, isn't it?"
"Yeah," the woman said, smiling.
Allison flipped to the last page where the entry form for the contest was. "You should definitely enter."
"Nobody ever wins those things except women who don't need them."
She smiled knowingly. "Oh hon, trust me, they do.... I did."
The woman gaped at her. "Did you really?"
"Oh yeah, and it was the best time I've ever had."
She saw the woman's gaze go past her, toward someone else. Allison turned her head to find Vince drawing near. He didn't pause until he pulled her back in his arms and kissed the back of her head. "Are you ready?"
"I am."
The woman's gaze dropped down to Allison's hand, where her engagement ring rested. "You're a lucky woman."
"Believe me, I know, but never, ever stop thinking for one minute that you can't be too. Dreams really do come true. You just have to have the courage to see them through."
The woman scoffed. "That's easy for you to say."
"Maybe, but you know, my whole life was changed because of one postage stamp." Allison reached into her purse and pulled out a stamp book. "I hope it brings you the same luck it brought me."
"Carla, cleanup on aisle eight."
She saw the woman cringe as Dan's voice sounded over the PA system. She tucked her book into the pocket of her apron. "I better go."
Allison stopped her. "Oh no, honey, let me handle this."
Vince frowned as she pulled away from him. With determined strides, Allison went to the cleaning station and pulled down the broom and dry solution. Then she made her way over to where Dan was at the front of the store.
His eyes widened as he saw her. Before he could say anything, Allison handed it to him. "You know, Dan, for once in your life try and be a decent human being to someone. People work a lot better and harder when you treat them with dignity."
And with that said, she headed for the doors.
Vince took her hand as they entered the parking lot. "Are you all right?"
Allison nodded as she took her last look around. "Yeah, I am." She pulled him to a stop and faced him. "You do know how much I love you, right?"
"I hope as much as I love you." Then, he pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss and as their lips met, Allison realized that what she'd said to Vince really was the truth. The past had definitely left its mark on her, but the future was entirely up to her and she planned on making it a great one.
And it was one that would definitely include him.
Hunter's
Oath
Jaid Black
To Patty Marks,
a graceful fighter in every sense of the word.
Thanks for everything, Mom.
Prepare thyselves for the inevitable demise of the wicked. Hunt down and steal as many wenches from the Outsiders as needed for the continuity of our line. To prevail, we must breed women and bear much fruit.
'Tis not I, a humble servant of the gods, who decree this, but the gods themselves:
Go forth and hunt, men.
--VIKING LEGEND
Chapter One
Alaska
T hirty-two-year-old Sofia Rowley sat in the back of the taxi, gazing out the window but seeing nothing. Leaving Alaska today wasn't possible, since Fairbanks was at least two hours from the army base. She'd have to stay in a motel near the airport and catch the first flight back home tomorrow.
She welcomed the thought of the sun beating down on her face when the plane landed in Tampa. Alaska in February was bone-chillingly frigid.
This is where Sam died, she thought, gazing at the treacherous, icy terrain all around her. Snowcapped mountains thrust up everywhere, creating a picturesque but deadly panorama. She didn't know how the cabbie was plowing through this stuff. Experience, she supposed--and strong chains on his tires.
Exhausted from jet lag, grief and lack of sleep, Sofia raked her crimson fingernails through her long blond hair and sighed. She itched to tie the wild mane of curls back into a ponytail, but she hadn't remembered scrunchies when she'd hastily packed. Word of her brother's death had driven everything else from her mind.
I don't know what to do, Sam. I don't know how to go on without you.
Her life, so driven and purposeful, suddenly felt unfocused. Rowley Travel no longer held any allure. Her twenty-two-year-old brother's death had forced her to recognize that work and Sam had been her sole sustenance.
It was time to start anew, to live instead of merely existing. Sam would have demanded no less. Indeed, her brother had been harping on her for years to go out and enjoy herself more often. She recalled a conversation they'd had just a few months ago, while he was here on a classified assignment.
"You should get out and date more, Sis," Sam told her. "I've always seen the way guys look at you. And while it kinda grosses me out--I mean, you are my siste
r, after all--I know why they do. You're the type of woman every man wants for his own: smart, kind, hardworking, gorgeous, and as much as I hate to say this out loud, you've got a killer body."
Sofia chuckled into the phone. "I think you're being generous. The looks in the family all landed on you, kiddo."
"That's a bunch of bullshit and we both know it."
"Oh? Then how come men rarely ask me out?"
"Because you always put out you-don't-stand-
achance-with-me vibes. Men are basically pathetic and insecure. Trust me on that one, Sof."
She shook her head and grinned. "Am I really that bad? I don't mean to be."
Sam's voice grew serious. "You raised me after Mom and Dad died, and I can never thank you enough for it--"
"Sam, you don't need to--"
"--But I'm grown up now and you deserve to find your happy ending. Don't waste your life behind a desk, Sis."
Sofia smiled sadly. Her brother had been her best friend, her only real friend. His death had left a gaping hole in her heart and her life that might never be mended.
Fatigue overwhelming her, Sofia's eyelids slowly closed, thick dark lashes fanning down. The pain inside was raw and powerful; she welcomed the respite a short nap would bring.
No matter how old I live to be, Sam, I will carry you in my heart and memories forever.
Sofia's eyelids slowly batted open. She stretched and yawned, feeling a bit more refreshed. Wondering how long she'd been asleep, she glanced at her wristwatch. She stilled.
Four hours?
They should have reached Fairbanks by now.
Her gaze darted outside the taxi. Sofia's pulse soared when she realized that nothing looked familiar. It was dark outside, but she could see that the terrain had become impossibly harsher and more mountainous. The road--were they even on a road? Sofia's eyes widened. She didn't think they were.
"Sir," she called out to the back of the taxi driver's bald head. "I don't think you're going the right way. I wanted to go to Fairbanks."
He said nothing. Her heartbeat picked up as an ominous feeling stole over her.
"Sir!" Sofia yelled, her voice sounding hysterical even to her own ears. "Where are you going?"
Their gazes locked through the rearview mirror. Again, the cabbie said nothing. His driving increased in speed, and true panic set in.
He was kidnapping her! The thought was stunning, numbing. A sense of surreality set in. This just couldn't be happening. She had to be dreaming!
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