With everyone getting up from their desks to greet him with a handshake and pat on the back, Trevor made a point to express his thanks to all of them. He gave a special shout-out to Jae for risking her life and career to rescue him.
“Looks like you’re letting the hair grow back, Doc,” Darius said.
“Yeah, it’ll give you more ammunition to call me ape-man.” Trevor chuckled as he shook Darius’s hand. “Thank you, Darius.”
“That’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge Darius Hall to you, Trevor,” Darius said, nodding.
With everyone laughing, Jae stood up as Trevor made his way over to her desk. “Hey,” she said, her throat suddenly dry. “You look better.” She pointed to his face.
“Hey, yourself. You okay?” Trevor asked, searching her eyes and lifting her hand in his.
Jae was surprised at the tenderness of his voice. It was like a remembered kiss, and just as sweet. Her eyes settled on his face and caught his crystal blue eyes searching hers. The cut to his lip had healed as had the awful bruises that had been on the side of his face and chin. When the warmth of his touch had her thinking of the night they’d made love, Jae pulled her hand back. She didn’t need her team to have any more ammunition on her than they already had.
Suddenly Grainger returned to the unit and closed the door behind him. When he turned and faced Trevor, Trevor crossed the room, standing in front of him. He simply extended his hand and clasped Grainger’s extended one.
“I’d thought we’d have this conversation in private, Trevor, but what I have to say needs to be heard here in this room and amongst this group. Do you mind?” and when Trevor shook his head no, Luke told everyone to have a seat.
In less than ten minutes, Luke explained how as a sergeant stationed in Iraq, he had taken a soldier named Greer Cole under his wing, and how Greer had often talked about his older brother, Adian. “He’d say how he and Adian were going to start a brothers’ jazz band or laugh and say if that didn’t work out then he was banking on Adian making history and not just by delivering babies and stitching people up.” Luke paused. “He said, ‘My brother, Adian, will be a great doctor and I admire him, and I admire you, too, Sergeant Grainger, because you remind me a lot of my brother.’” Luke paused again as if choosing his words carefully. “Greer didn’t die alone, Trevor. After the accident, he was brought back to the hospital and I was there. He was sedated, but he knew he wouldn’t make it. The nurse and I held him as he talked. He asked me to look after his brother.”
Jae could see the tears collecting in Trevor’s eyes.
“Before I had a chance to contact you, things started to spiral out of control. You contacted Dr. Harold Sinclair, a teaching professor of yours. But prior to that, I couldn’t chance anyone connecting me to you. It was for your protection in the event anything happened to me and those men came looking for you, or that formula.”
“Jae, I mean, Special Agent Randall told me, Dr. Sinclair had been killed,” Trevor said.
“Yes, and although it’s not proven yet, we believe Randy Cross found some information I had thought hidden and sold you out to the highest bidder. We also believe he killed a lot of people, mainly those who knew of the formula to keep the promise of money to himself. The investigation is still ongoing, but it’s all pointing to Randy and Dr. Otis Holmes.”
When a knock sounded at the door, Darius opened it to find two MPs that Luke waved inside.
Luke continued. “There’s a process that we cannot ignore, Trevor. You already know this, so let’s start there to set things right, but trust that you’re not alone in this, not anymore, okay?” Luke stood as Trevor did and the men embraced before shaking hands and stepping apart.
“Thank you, Luke, for everything. Can I have a few minutes with Agent Randall?”
Jae almost sank to the floor. Her throat was so tight from swallowing back tears listening to Luke tell Trevor about his brother. Now, seeing the MPs Jae struggled to keep it together. She heard one MP tell Trevor he had less than one minute before they had to leave to catch their flight.
Walking over to Jae, Trevor said, “I’m so sorry for the hurt I’ve caused you, but I’m glad I got to meet you…and Regina James.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Lingering there, he whispered, “I lied that morning, Jae. I want that fantasy living in my head and I want it with you.” After kissing her cheek again, Trevor turned to the MPs and they escorted him from the unit, but not before she heard the agents wish him well.
Luke explained that Trevor would be transported to an undisclosed military prison where he would stand trial for desertion of his post.
Jae was shaking like a leaf. Her heart was aching, her mouth dry as sand as she struggled to control her feelings. Hot tears slid down her cheeks, soaking her blouse and yet she couldn’t move her feet. But, oh God, how she wanted to!
Jae wanted to run from the building and throw herself into Trevor’s arms so he could take away the gut-wrenching pain and unhappiness that was causing her chest to cave in.
She wanted to tell Trevor that she loved him, but she couldn’t forget his words uttered during his drugged-induced state when he had proclaimed to love Gina, though he’d never told her. She wanted to say she was sorry for starting the argument they’d had that morning—that blissful morning when he’d joined her in the shower, where he’d held her and not expected anything other than to comfort her.
She wanted to tell him that she was afraid of the feelings she had for him.
When Luke came over and handed her an approved, stamped transfer request and said, “Good assignment, JR,” before leaving the unit, Jae could only nod.
Not wanting to bawl, such a girly thing to do in a room full of men, Jae hurried from the unit and ran into the ladies’ room.
There, with her face buried in her hands she cried, giving in to all the feelings she had suppressed. Afterward, she splashed some cold water on her face and feeling drained but better, headed back to the unit, where the guys were waiting to console her.
Epilogue
Six months later, on an unseasonably mild and sunny day in October, Jae stood beside a glowing Jeanie as she became Mrs. Luke Grainger.
In lieu of heels, Jeanie was wearing satin flats and she was two months pregnant. The positive results had come two weeks ago as Jae and Jeanie paced the floor in the ladies’ room at work. When the test finished processing, they screamed with delight.
Jae caught Luke lovingly looking into Jeanie’s eyes and smiled. Oh, you’re going to be smiling big time tonight when she gives you your wedding present, Daddy, she thought.
As she looked out into the sea of faces bearing witness to this blessed event, Jae believed that life really did move on as it was meant to, and tomorrow would begin anew.
Yes, she believed that now. Despite the fact that her own heart remained broken, she worked many long hours to forget. To forget the brief time she had experienced pure joy when she’d allowed her heart to open up to a man and in the process lost herself in his blue eyes and dazzling smile.
When a tear slipped from her eye and landed onto the maid of honor bouquet she held between nervous palms, Jae refused to be sad on such a wonderful day. Then she thought it was okay to cry today, happy tears for a sweet couple. Only she knew her tears masked her heartache.
Her gaze landed on Darius and Sheila’s six-month-old baby boy, Darcel. He lay snuggled in Darius’s arms as Sheila adjusted his blanket. Her godson was just perfect and so sweet.
Yes, life went on, she thought, catching Amil and Iverson standing as Luke’s groomsmen. She didn’t miss their sidelong glances out at the sea of faces also. She knew they were already scoping out the pretty ladies they would try to hook up with at the reception.
Happily married McGuire, also a groomsman, winked lovingly at his wife. And then there was Mike. He was also a groomsman. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the woman he had
been dating for several months now, none other than Rita West. Another shocker…nobody saw that one coming either but they all could see a twinkle in Mike’s eyes.
The guests were too numerous to count, but Jae smiled at the couple, Jude and Betty, who had rescued and helped Luke. But Jae did have to pinch herself just then to keep from laughing at the wedding present they gave Luke and Jeanie—lots and lots of smoked meats and corn, which went fine with the wedding gift from the teammates, an upright, full capacity freezer.
As the church choir sang a lovely selection, Jae caught sight of Luke’s newly adopted family. It was Trevor’s family. She thought back to a few months ago after the tragedy, when Luke had asked her to take a ride with him to close a loose end on a case. She had been shocked to see they’d arrived at the Cole family estate. It was a further shock to see just how wealthy they were.
With Luke taking the lead, Jae listened again to what he’d told Trevor. In turn, the family shared letters and pictures they’d received from Greer, referring to Luke as his adopted brother. When Luke told them that Adian was alive but had been in a hospital following an accident and had thus lost his memory, their shouts and cries of joy overflowed. An hour later, his sisters Robin and Lynette showed her their brother’s old bedroom. It was a suite actually and Jae couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter.
It was there she had finally got answers to two gnawing questions. Buck Rogers was Trevor’s hero and he played the saxophone.
* * * * *
The wedding reception was in full swing and Jae smoothed out her cocktail length, sapphire blue dress with gold beading adorning the cap sleeves. Sitting, she swayed to the nice jazz music coming from the live band across the room.
She was slightly miffed that she hadn’t seen the seating chart earlier because then she would have known she had the worst seat in the ballroom. She couldn’t see the dance floor or the band, but as luck would have it, the five-tier, white buttercream wedding cake with tiny bluebell edible flowers, wasn’t far enough away. Her mouth had been watering the second she sat down at the large round table with her teammates and their partners.
To her right, Iverson was spinning his best rap and trying to persuade a pretty woman to have after-wedding drinks. When she agreed, Jae rolled her eyes at him. She wished they would get up and go dance or something, but they all seemed to want to stay with her, despite her telling them that she was fine.
Luke and Jeanie made their way over to their table. Luke came up behind her and said he wanted to introduce Jae to a friend who was also standing in for a member of the band.
Turning with her hand primed for a handshake greeting, Jae’s eyes moved up from the man’s hand to his face. Her mouth dropped open at the same time her heart skipped a few beats.
“Special Agent Jae Randall, I’d like you to meet Dr. Adian Cole,” Luke said, tugging Jae up from her seat. “I think you two might get along real well.” His chuckles mingled with the others.
“Uh-huh, got yourself a doctor, Jae,” Rita sang out then batted her lashes at Mike.
Adian held out his hand and smiled when Jae shook it slowly. He didn’t let it go. “So, do you want to talk to me now?” When she bobbed her head yes, Adian caressed her cheek. “Good answer, good answer. Do you love me as much as I love you?”
“Yes, I do,” Jae whispered.
Jae and Adian pretended to be oblivious to the silent finger pointing, fist pumps, and hushed “I told you so’s” that echoed around the table from her teammates.
“Good, and just so you know, I found me, Jae. And when I did, I got justice for those soldiers. But there was this empty space inside of me because the woman I’m in love with wasn’t by my side and didn’t know that I loved her,” he said.
“I-I did know and…I love you and I’ve missed you so much, Trevor.” She watched him shake his head. “No? What?”
“What’s my name?”
“Tre— Adian,” she said. “I like that name, too.”
“Will you have breakfast with me tomorrow morning, Jae?”
“But I said I didn’t date White men.”
“Well, not after tomorrow morning you won’t,” Adian said, drawing her steadily nearer. “Elaine and Drew invited us for breakfast, and they’re looking forward to hearing all about your job. They’re very proud of you, even Nina, who wasn’t such a bully to me.”
Jae felt that her feet were beginning to spring wings again and she couldn’t stop the smile stretching across her face. “That’s Mr. and Mrs. Randall to you, and you’re on for breakfast.”
“Great. Now that that’s out of the way, I’ve been waiting months to do this,” he said, easing back and reaching into the breast pocket of his suit.
Jae feared he was going to pull out a ring and drop down to one knee, only to think that wasn’t such a terrifying scenario. Instead, he pulled out a sheet of hotel paper bearing the logo of the hotel where they’d shared a night together. He held it up. It read, “Hi, my name is Adian. I think you’re really nice looking and I’d like to get to know you better.” He had scratched out the word “whatever” and written in his name.
With pure happiness settling in her chest, Jae’s feet lifted off the floor and with a squeal she jumped up into Adian’s waiting arms. She was happy beyond words as she buried her face into the hollow of his neck. Holding him tight, she allowed her love to flow freely for him. She didn’t care who looked on or who might not approve or who might judge. She didn’t try to hide her tears or red, puffy face because of them.
Jae was totally happy.
“Ah, come on, Jae, kiss the ape-man already. It’s time to cut the damn cake,” Darius teased with mock grumpiness.
“Gladly,” she said and when she claimed Adian’s lips, she was surprised to hear applause and the tinkling of little bells. It wasn’t for Luke and Jeanie because they were leading the charge. It was for her and Adian. It all mingled together with Adian’s family and her family of her teammates and it was the best thing she’d ever heard until…
“I love you, Jae, and if you ask me to dance with you now, I promise I’ll say yes and dance with you for a lifetime,” Adian said.
And so…Jae asked Adian to dance.
About the Author
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Bernice Layton works full-time and is an avid reader of romantic suspense novels. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland, Inc. Happily married, Mrs. Layton resides with her husband and is the mother of one daughter, NaTiki, who inspires her to keep writing with this phrase in mind: “All things are possible with love and friendship, and the endless possibilities of past, future, and present encounters.”
Mrs. Layton has published four other romantic suspense novels and is delighted to have her fifth novel, Jae’s Assignment, published by Samhain Publishing.
Mrs. Layton plans to write many more romantic suspense novels. You can visit her at www.bernicelaytonauthor.com. You can also find her on www.facebook.com/booksbyb, on www.instagram.com/booksbyb, or by email at [email protected].
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