by Carly Fall
20
“I’m going back to Seattle.”
Her spine stiffened as Connor’s words met her ears. They’d been in New Orleans only two days. Dedou and Harper had greeted them enthusiastically shortly after they’d arrived, almost as if they’d sensed they’d needed their space for a few hours to regroup and rest.
A doctor had been called in to examine Connor this morning, and he’d been told to rest because of the headaches and a bit of dizziness and nausea.
She didn’t feel comfortable having him across the country without feeling a hundred percent.
Besides, she’d miss him.
“I’ll go with you.”
He shook his head as he sat down on their bed. They’d taken the two twin beds and pushed them together so they could comfortably sleep with one another. She always managed to slip into the crack between them, but she’d been fine with it as being close to Connor helped keep away the nightmares of Pedro.
She hoped that one day, she and Connor would share one of those big beds like they had in Seattle, but they hadn’t discussed anything about the future. Yes, she’d told Connor she loved him, but he hadn’t reciprocated. Not that she expected him to—she’d found her perfect match in him, and because he was human, it would take a while for him to find his true feelings for her. Maybe he’d never reciprocate. The thought kept her awake at night while imagining her life without him, but she tried to remain positive and push the negativity away.
“No, I don’t want you to go with me, Sami,” he said as he gripped her hand. “I want to make sure all loose ends are tied up, and having you there will only make it difficult for me to concentrate. I’ll just worry about you.”
It hurt that he didn’t want her with him, but she grinned and rolled her eyes as if it hadn’t. “If you don’t recall, I was the one who ended Pedro.”
His face became very serious as he spoke. “I know, and I’ve never been so scared in my life as I was when in that room with you. It almost paralyzed me, and we could have both ended up dead.”
As he stared at her, she could see the concern in his gaze. She didn’t want to be a distraction to him, but at the same time, maybe she could be of help.
“What are you going to do there?”
“I’ll check the clubs, have Harper update me on any new cases while I’m there. If need be, I’ll rattle a few dealer cages, but I don’t think that will be necessary.”
Her stomach clenched as she listened.
“Pedro was the head of the snake. Nothing else is going to be moving as far as the drugs go. They won’t be in business without the Top Dog. I’m just going to make sure that all is calm.”
She nodded, and he stood. A bad feeling settled into her chest, but she tried to push it away. He’d be fine, and when he got back, she knew she would have worried for nothing.
He grabbed a duffel bag from the corner of the room and tossed it on the bed next to her. “Besides, I may call that old friend of mine while I’m there. You don’t want to listen to old war stories.”
As he rummaged through the drawers and threw clothing toward the bag, she caught them and folded them, placing them neatly into the duffel. At least, he wouldn’t look like a wrinkled slob while he was there.
Like her, Connor could be very stubborn and pigheaded, and she knew he’d already made up his mind. He’d be traveling alone. She didn’t approve, but she assured herself nothing would happen. Pedro was dead, and at this point, nothing but a bunch of ashes in someone’s vacuum cleaner.
A few moments later, Connor came over, grabbed her hands, and pulled her to her feet. His lips met hers in a chaste kiss, and he grinned.
“When I get back, I want us to talk about what happens next between us,” he murmured, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Her heart leapt, and visions of weddings and babies ran through her mind.
One step at a time.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Okay. I think that’s a good idea.”
He yanked her flush to his body and kissed her again, this time long and slow.
“When do you leave?” she murmured.
“In the morning,” he answered as he peppered the column of her neck with slow, torturous kisses.
“Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I promise,” he whispered.
As he laid her out on the bed, all her worries disappeared. Connor would be gone for a few days, but then he’d return to her.
For now, she just wanted to love her marine.
Epilogue
Four Days Later
Connor woke, his head throbbing, his body trembling with cold.
He opened his eyes and found himself in some type of cave. Dark stone made up the walls and the floor he laid upon. Torches cast shadows all over the place, and he thought he heard water dripping.
With a groan, he sat up, and then realized he was naked, with metal cuffs around his ankles and wrists.
What the hell?
He heard footsteps echoing in a chamber off in the distance. With no recollection of how he had arrived in this place, his chest clenched in fear. Pulling on his wrists, he tried to break free of the shackles, with no luck—an exercise in futility. Bringing his knees to his chest, he tried to preserve some sort of modesty, but had a feeling that would also be as useless as trying to get out of the restraints.
The footsteps drew closer, and he glanced around for some type of weapon, but found nothing.
A woman came into view, and his heart thundered. Beautiful beyond words, her long, black hair hung around her shoulders just past her breasts while large ebony eyes stared at him. She wore a black robe that covered her from her neck to her ankles, with black flats. With her full lips, high cheekbones, and olive skin, she took his breath away.
“Hello, Connor,” she said, her voice thick with a Middle Eastern accent.
He didn’t answer as he tried to figure out how he’d ended up in a damn cave. He recalled leaving New Orleans, landing in Seattle, and visiting a few clubs. After that, he couldn’t remember anything.
As she approached him, he had a feeling he was truly and completely screwed. He could tell by the way her mouth sat in a thin line that she was not a happy person.
She bent down so they were face-to-face, and she grabbed his chin with enough force that he couldn’t move his head while she studied him for a long moment. His heart thundered in his chest, and sweat broke out over his body.
Pulling back her lips, his eyes widened at the longest, whitest, scariest fangs he’d ever seen. She hissed at him and squeezed his chin harder, like she tried to pop out a few of his teeth.
“My name is Selene Ambrogio,” she hissed, “and I’ve had quite enough of you meddling in my business.”
On to Book 3 …
I hope you’ve enjoyed Books 1 and 2 of the Operation Underworld trilogy, Connor and Sami. Book 3 is located in Heroines and Hellions box set, and I’m sure you’ll love the ending!
Also by Carly Fall
Operation Underworld
(Paranormal Romance)
When paranormal creatures step out of line, Operation Underworld must step in to intervene … because sometimes regular law enforcement just won’t do.
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The Supernatural Renegades Series
(Paranormal / Military Romance)
An explosion deep in the Guatemalan jungle leaves a platoon of marines with supernatural abilities
* * *
The Six Saviors Series:
(Paranormal / Sci-Fi Romance)
Six Warriors. One Mission.
Can they eradicate the evil from their world that has landed on Earth?
* * *
Saint’s Grove Series:
(Paranormal Romance)
When the residents of Saint’s Grove turn out to witness an once in a lifetimes astronomical event, little do they know that the seams of the universe will burst open, bringing paranormal beings from their worst nightmares, and best fan
tasies, to their sleepy town.
* * *
Contemporary Romance
Looking for a read that doesn’t involve paranormal beings? Check out my contemporary romance section!
About the Author
Carly Fall is a wife, a mother and a slave to the dog, Nicky.
She loves to laugh, thinks chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group, and wishes Christmas happened twice a year.
She is the author of the award winning and Amazon best selling series, the Six Saviors, as well as paranormal and contemporary romance.
* * *
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www.carlyfall.com
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