Her Master Defender

by Karen Anders

  His love for Amber transcended everything. All his isolation, all the pain and uncertainty, all torment were now healed scars that he would carry always, but were now no longer causing him pain. Like her bruises, they would fade and disappear. So would his strong hold on his fear and doubts, released to stay in the past as he rushed forward to his future with this remarkable woman in his arms.

  She had come into his life and shown him there was something as amazing as giving himself over to the corps, to the men and women who stood by him, ever faithful, ever ready to protect his back. He’d made the decision to leave, right then and there, but he would always and forever be a marine.

  She reached up and smoothed her hand over his jaw. “I love you, Tristan. Whatever it takes, whatever you decide to do, wherever you decide to go, I will go with you. I don’t want to be away from you. Distance is nonnegotiable.”

  “I’m putting in my papers, Amber. I’m going to retire and accept that job with my friend Rock.”

  “That job in San Diego?”

  “Yes.”

  She thought for a moment. “Well, there just happens to be an NCIS field office in San Diego. And I’ve just gotten the word from Special Agent in Charge Richard Barlow, who happens to be Lance Corporal James Connelly’s uncle, that if there is anything he can ever do for me, I shouldn’t hesitate to ask. I think I can manage a transfer from DC to San Diego.”

  He closed his eyes, his chest full, his heart so full of this woman.

  “Thank you for getting me. For understanding who I am. Especially when I didn’t even know myself.” He didn’t know how else to say what he felt, this utter thankfulness to be in this quiet, wild place with her, to be finding his way back.

  “Semper Fi, Tristan.”

  Tristan held her direct and open, beautiful, green-eyed gaze, and he had never felt the meaning of the words more strongly. Semper Fidelis. Always faithful.

  Always.

  Epilogue

  Amber cheered as Vin kicked her boss’s ass at darts. Sky, exotic eyes aglow, kissed Vin and clinked glasses with him as Chris received a consolation kiss from his wife, Sia. Beau sat next to her with his arm draped over the shoulders of his beautiful fiancée, Kinley, her auburn hair glinting in the overhead light.

  “I’m going to miss you, Amber,” Beau said as Vin and Chris started up another set.

  Amber turned to him. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

  “I think we got what we were looking for, mais yeah. You’re not going to miss our wedding, oui?”

  “Oh, God, Beau! Not for anything.”

  He smiled. “Can’t believe this is happening. I can’t wait to see her walk down that aisle.”

  Kinley nudged him and laughed. “Beau, it’s coming up soon. Still time for you to change your mind.”

  Amber reached out and squeezed Kinley’s hand. “Oh, honey. He ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

  Kinley looked at Beau, and Amber was sure that was the exact same besotted look that was in her eyes when she looked at Tristan.

  “Look at him,” Kinley said. “Who could keep their hands off him?”

  “And, on that note, we’re out of here.” Beau rose with Kinley, and Amber stood. Beau embraced her. “Keep in touch, chère, and make sure we’re all invited to the wedding.”

  “He hasn’t asked me.”

  Beau kissed her on the cheek. “He will. Take care, and if you ever need us, call.”

  The going-away party was winding down. Vin sat down beside Amber and clasped her hand. “When you first walked in the office, I thought, Holy cow, it’s Barbie. I wonder how she’ll do.”

  “And how did I do?”

  “Let’s put it this way. I’m going to miss the hell out of you, lady, and not just because you did all the grunt work.”

  Amber laughed and squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Vin. I’m glad to see you happy.”

  He rose and Sky sidled over. “Good luck, Amber,” she said. “I brought this for you. It’s one of my new CDs for stress relief.”

  Amber accepted it and kissed both Sky and Vin on the cheek.

  Vin leaned over and said, “But really, make sure we get an invitation to the wedding.”

  “Again, he hasn’t asked me,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “He will.”

  Sia had already said her goodbye and headed out to their car. Amber and Chris were left. “I broke you in, and you’re going to take all that expertise and all those smart brains and observant eyes to the West Coast.”

  “I thought you gave me that friendly-fire case because I was convenient.”

  “No. I talked the director into giving you that case because I knew you could handle it. We just had to be hush-hush about it. I’m sorry for what you went through. If something had happened...”

  “No, Chris, it wouldn’t have been your fault. I did my job because I wanted to do it. So don’t go there, and besides, it all turned out for the best.”

  He nodded, kissed her on the cheek and hugged her hard. “So, make sure we get a wedding invitation.”

  As he walked out, she laughed and shouted, “He hasn’t asked me!”

  Chris turned back and said with a smile, “Oh, he will.”

  * * *

  Amber had already settled into Tristan’s new home and given her opinion on the decorating. But her first on-the-job alarm hadn’t gone off on time. She burned her breakfast, navigated a traffic jam. By the time she got out of the elevator, she was forty-five minutes late and mortified.

  As she came around the corner, two men and a woman were huddled around a small table in the middle of the office. Two wide-screen monitors were situated on the wall straight ahead.

  The woman turned her head and gave Amber the once-over. She was Hawaiian with a cascade of long black hair and straight bangs. The woman smiled and walked over.

  “Oh, God, I’m so sorry I’m late.”

  “Supervisory Special Agent in Charge Kai Talbot. Traffic?” Her delicate mouth lifted at the corner in a wry smile.

  “Yes, I’ll get used to it. I worked in DC.”

  She turned to one of the men. His hair was a shaggy sandy blond, the poster boy for a California surfer dude, accentuating his really gorgeous whiskey-colored eyes. He had a tight, compact athletic body, and she made a wild guess he was the resident geek. He wore a plain white T-shirt with a black hoodie, black jeans and deck shoes. “This is Special Agent Austin Beck.”

  He nodded and smiled. “Welcome to the team.”

  The second man sat back on the table. He looked as lethal as Tristan. He had very dark hair that he wore short and brushed off his forehead. With intense gray eyes and an elegantly trimmed goatee, he was taller than Austin with broader shoulders. He wore a stylish suit and gorgeous silk tie that said he didn’t buy either on an agent’s salary. Looked like expensive Italian shoes, too. He wore a thick, silver band on each thumb. He resembled the actor who had portrayed the raspy-voiced dark knight, but younger. “And this is Special Agent Derrick Gunn.”

  Where Austin had been friendly and open, this man was anything but.

  “Heard you took out a human hunting ring in the Sierra Nevada,” he said, his voice deep and smooth.

  “Unarmed,” she said.

  Austin laughed and nudged Derrick. Austin looked at Kai and said, “She’ll fit right in.”

  * * *

  Russell “Rock” Kaczewski pulled off seven successive rounds into the target. Tristan raised his pistol and bam-bammed his way through seven, as well. Then Rock’s brother, Dexter Kaczewski, peered at the target. He let out a little laugh, raised his weapon and shot bull’s-eyes every round.

  “Dammit, Dex, you are an A-hole,” Rock said.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, nudging Tristan. “See
what I have to put up with. Are you sure you want to go into business with this guy?”

  The Kaczewski brothers resembled each other from their piercing blue eyes to their big, hard-muscled bodies. Rock didn’t have an ounce of flab on him, still in marine fighting shape, his biceps huge. Dex wasn’t as imposing as his big brother, but as a navy SEAL he was battle-tested, tough and the kind of guy you wanted covering your six.

  “Shut up with that brother bullcrap. Tris and I will take Rockface to the next level.”

  “I have no doubt,” Dex said, loading his weapon with quick ease.

  Lieutenant Dexter Kaczewski was currently serving as a US Navy SEAL stationed out of Coronado. He was on leave, but they expected him to be deployed any day.

  “How is your little hottie NCIS agent settling in?”

  Rock cuffed Dex, who gave him a scowl. “Hey, what was that for?”

  “You don’t talk about a brother’s woman like that, man. Have some respect.”

  “Sorry, Tristan.” He gave his brother a sly look and said, “What about one of those fine twin sisters of yours. Which one is here again?”

  Dex knew exactly which sister was stationed in San Diego. “Neve. Nova has actually just finished Coast Guard flight school. Guess where they’re sending her?”

  Dex grinned. “US Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak?”

  Tristan laughed. “Yeah, can you believe that? Back to Dutch Harbor and Unalaska. She’s going to be pulling fishermen out of the sea.”

  “She’s not a fan?”

  “No.”

  “She can throw back the ones she doesn’t like,” Rock said, deadpan.

  Tristan and Dex burst out laughing. “She thinks fisherman captains are arrogant asses. Fishermen think the Coast Guard is dumb.”

  “Wait. Isn’t your dad a captain? That will make good dinner conversation.” Dex laughed.

  “Yeah,” Tristan chuckled, remembering how irritated and downright pissed she’d been when she called him from Mobile. “Right in our backyard. My parents are thrilled.”

  “How is Neve doing?” Rock asked, trying to keep his voice casual and failing. It was clear to Tristan that Rock had a definite thing for his beautiful younger sister Neve. But the guy would never act on it. She was Tristan’s sister and therefore off-limits. “I heard she had an accident during a rough rescue at sea.”

  “She’s going to be out of the hospital at the end of the week. Broke her collarbone and she’s not being very cooperative, but she needs assistance. She’s not too happy about it.”

  “I bet,” Rock said, looking away.

  “Funny how both your sisters went into the Coast Guard.”

  “Yeah, we feel the same way about you, you traitor.”

  “Hey, I was originally a marine. That still makes me a marine, big brother.”

  “Ooh-rah.”

  “Ah, go play in the surf.”

  Dex’s phone rang and he answered, the smile fading from his face. “Yes, sir. I’m on my way.”

  “You getting deployed?”

  “Gotta head out.”

  “Take care of yourself,” Tristan said, and Rock, who had given his brother only insults from the moment he walked into the range, said, “Come back in one piece. You hear me, Dex?”

  Dex went to full attention and threw his brother a sharp salute.

  “Get outta here,” he said with a laugh.

  * * *

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this? My parents can be a bit overwhelming and they’re big huggers,” Amber said.

  Tristan turned to give her a wide-eyed, I’m-running-for-the-hills look. She nudged him and laughed. “Don’t even jest about it.” She looked at him. “I’m going to knock now.”

  “This is a dire situation, but I’m going to have to ask you to trust me on this. When I was in special ops we were trained extensively for badass hugging. I’m armed and dangerous.”

  She rolled her eyes, giggling in spite of herself, loving this man more every second. But he really didn’t understand because he had never met her parents. “Tristan, you are not taking this seriously.” She really tried to keep a straight face.

  “Oh, I’m as serious as a heart attack.”

  “No, you’re not, and I refuse to engage in any tomfoolery with you.”

  “Tomfoolery? Marines don’t engage in nonsense. We bring the hurt or the hug. That’s just the kind of guys we are.”

  She shook her head and took a deep breath. Tristan was the first man she’d ever brought home to her parents. She’d moved to a different coast. Transferring and leaving Chris, Beau and Vin had been so very hard, but after meeting her new boss and coworkers, she was sure the agents in the San Diego office would be great, too.

  Chris had given her an amazing recommendation, but James’s uncle, Special Agent Barlow, was already happy to have her on board. Tristan had finished out his MWTC teaching and turned in his retirement papers. He already loved working with Rock in San Diego.

  Her life had changed dramatically because she’d been given what had seemed like an open-and-shut case. But she and Tristan had rooted out an evil, heinous group of men who thought nothing of using people for their own sport. Dozens of murders in several states. It would take some time to work out the tangle. Her only regret was that the chief and Garza wouldn’t stand trial for their crimes.

  Tristan had been true to his word when she had been desperately scared in the small cabin in the woods. They hadn’t died, because Tristan’s smart thinking, valor, courage and skill had carried them through. For that she would always be thankful and faithful to this one man who was now her life. And his motto was now hers.

  Semper Fi.

  “Should I get into my badass hugging stance now?” He smirked. “I might need to limber up my hugging muscles.” He danced around her like a boxer with his arms out, thumbing his nose.

  She shoved his shoulder, but that gave her no satisfaction because that rock of a man didn’t budge.

  “You’re forewarned. Oh, and my mom’s a bridge hugger. She’ll go from one person, right to the next without missing a beat.”

  “Damn, do you think she’d teach me how to do that?”

  “You laugh now, but she’s a master at it.”

  “Okay, I’ll watch out for her right cross.”

  Amber broke into laughter. “My sister is beautiful, by the way, so don’t go falling in love with her. She’s married anyway.”

  He cupped her face and kissed her mouth, murmuring, “Amber, I can’t see anyone but you.”

  “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. “I’m just limbering up my hugging muscles,” he whispered against her ear.

  “Sure you are. You are so transparent,” she replied, pulling him close.

  The door flung open and her father was there. Without a word, he dragged her into the house and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Oh, God, Amber. My baby. I’m so glad to see you.” His gruff voice made her press her face against his chest and breathe in his familiar dad scent.

  Over his shoulder she could see her mother come out of the kitchen and make a beeline for her. Her sister jumped up from the couch, and before she knew it, her whole family was holding her tight.

  Tears stung her eyes.

  Then her mother did it. She reached out and bridge hugged Tristan right into the group.

  For a moment they all stood there. Then her mother and sister released her, but her dad held on just a tad longer.

  After he let her go, he said softly, “When Beau called to tell us you were missing, I swear I lost years off my life. I’m so proud of you.”

  “You should be, sir. She was brave, strong, and she survived.”

  “Dadd
y, this is the man who saved my life, the man I’m in love with.”

  “The man who wants to spend the rest of his life with your daughter, sir. If I have your permission.”

  Her dad stuck out his hand. “Thank you, for what you did for my little girl. And if you make her happy, and it’s what she wants—you have our blessing.”

  Amber’s breath caught in her throat when Tristan pulled out a ring box. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and she clasped both hands around the nape of his neck, pressing her forehead to his.

  “Are you asking me to marry you, marine?”

  “What if I am?” he said, opening the box, the diamond inside sparking off the light, dazzling her. “I hope you like it. Rock helped me to pick it out. He kept joking about how the Rock knows about rocks. He, uh, wanted to get you this huge ring, but I knew that’s not what you would want. It’s a decent size, but shouldn’t get in your way. So, I’m babbling because I’m nervous as hell. I’m going to stop talking now.”

  God, he was so cute. “I think you have a pretty good chance of getting the outcome you want.”

  “Is that so?” He smiled and kissed her. Taking the ring out of the box, he slipped it on her finger and the words of her coworkers came back to her. He will. He had.

  “I love the ring. It’s beautiful.”

  “I love you, Amber. I know this is quick, but why wait when I know this is what I want? It seems like it took me forever to get here, but I haven’t met anyone like you in my life and I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. Will you marry me?”

  She met his hopeful, intense gaze. She kissed him oh-so-softly and whispered “Ooh-rah” against his lips.

  He laughed and pulled her close and, without being able to stop it, there was another round of serious hugging. But like the battle-hardened marine he was, he took it all in stride.

  Afterward, after dinner was served, remarked over and eaten, Tristan was dragged into the garage to look at her dad’s ships in a bottle.

  Her sister, Sammy, looked radiant, rested and beautiful.

  “My God, Amber. I’m so jealous of you,” she said, leaning into the counter.