Twisted and Tied

by Mary Calmes

  “You knew him?” I asked.

  “Only by reputation. We never actually spoke. I’m now the curator of a service that clients use to deposit things for safekeeping, and that’s what this watch was. There were instructions for it to be delivered as soon as possible after his death was announced. I wasn’t notified until this morning, but I came as quickly as possible.”

  I nodded. “May I ask the name of your business?”

  “There’s not a name, per se. It’s just a service where people—”

  “Criminals,” I suggested.

  “Some, yes,” he allowed, his voice deep and resonant, “but not all.”

  “I’m sorry, that was rude. Please go on.”

  “People entrust me with all manner of treasures, and I hold on to them until they remove them or I’m asked to do something else.”

  “Huh.”

  I turned back to Ian. “What?”

  He moved closer to Harris, studying his face. “You know what you sound like.”

  “No, what?” he asked, but he smiled, which was weird.

  “That’s a real thing? The Vault is real?”

  “You didn’t think it was?”

  Ian shrugged. “It’s a fairy tale. Stuff like that doesn’t actually exist.”

  “There are more things in heaven and earth, as it were,” Harris said, grinning at Ian, passing him a card I hadn’t even seen him holding. But maybe ex–CIA operatives were good with the whole sleight-of-hand thing. “If you ever want a job… or if you need help outside of what you can do… feel free.”

  Ian took the card and met Harris’s remarkable eyes. “Thank you.”

  Harris turned back to me. “The key opens an actual vault in Switzerland, so you’ll have to travel if you want to look through Dr. Hartley’s possessions.”

  “Okay.”

  “He didn’t want the bank’s information coming with the key in case you were pressured into surrendering both to the authorities. So if you decide you want to go through it, use the card I gave your husband, call me, and I’ll have someone meet you in Zürich and take you to the bank.”

  “And that’s all part of the process?”

  “It’s the process that Dr. Hartley set up specifically for you. My understanding is that even with the key, if it’s not you with the key, there’s no entry.”

  “And if I never go?”

  “Then I suspect that the contents of his vault will simply remain there until the bank itself is torn down, though I think the oldest bank in Switzerland was built back in the 1800s, so it may outlive you.”

  “And if that happens?”

  “Then that’s not your worry anymore, now is it?”

  I nodded. “True.”

  “Anyway, you let me know,” he said kindly, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder before looking at Ian. “And you as well.”

  Ian gave him a nod.

  “I don’t know if I should thank you for bringing me the watch or not.”

  “I’m glad it was given into my keeping so I could meet you. It’s been my pleasure.”

  “And mine,” I said, offering him my hand. “Any friend of Ian’s.”

  “Friend might be a stretch.” Harris smiled one more time, and wow, it struck me again that he was a really handsome man.

  “Good to see you, Miro,” Efrem said quickly, patting my shoulder, “and to meet you, Ian.”

  “You as well,” Ian said as he shook Harris’s hand and then Efrem’s before they turned and headed back across the street, then down the sidewalk. They must have parked on another street, because they turned at the next corner and disappeared from view.

  “It’s cold for them to not have parked closer,” I said, draping my arm around Ian’s neck.

  “Fuckin’ Harris,” he growled.

  “What?”

  “If he wanted us dead, you know how easy that would be for him?”

  “Why would he want us dead? He seemed like a good guy.”

  “Jesus, Miro, your life is filled with scary-ass men.”

  “No,” I corrected him. “My life is full of one good man with a scary skill set.”

  He grunted.

  I tightened my arm, curling him close so I could kiss his cheek and then his lips, playfully biting his lower lip, sucking on it before letting go.

  “What’re you gonna do with the watch?”

  “Go put it in our safety deposit box on Monday. I don’t want it in the house, but I don’t want to lose it either.”

  “Good plan. I’ll go with you.”

  Inside our Greystone, I carefully put Hartley’s watch in the pocket of my topcoat to be ready for Monday, then started stripping.

  “Hey,” I said, a thought hitting me, walking over to the railing to look down into the living room. “You never got to finish about Lorcan. What’s going on with that?”

  Ian walked over by the couch so I could see him. “My father was pissed because Lorcan has to do a thousand hours of community service, volunteer at one of those free legal help places for the next six months, and submit to biweekly drug testing for the next two years.”

  I leaned over on the railing. “That’s the deal Stafford gave you?”

  “Yep.”

  “That’s really fuckin’ great.”

  “Yeah, no shit, but my father says that he didn’t pay for him to go to the University of Chicago Law School to use his degree to help drug addicts and prostitutes.”

  “What?”

  “I know. He’s living in a bad seventies police drama—who does he think does drugs, just poor people in the ghetto?”

  “Lorcan should be kissing Stafford’s ass.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “And so, what, you and Stafford are buddies now?”

  “‘Buddies’ is pushing it, but I think we’re gonna work together, yeah.”

  “Huh. The marshals and the DEA,” I said, grinning. “Lookit you already building bridges and shit.”

  “That’s what Kage hired me to do, jackass. Build fuckin’ bridges.”

  “Oh, you diplomat, you.”

  He flipped me off and went back to the kitchen, and I heard him talk to Chickie. “Oh, you do not need to go out, it’s like twenty degrees out there, you stupid dog.”

  And it was nice, after the craziness my life had been over the past two days, to hear the normalcy of Ian arguing with our werewolf.

  “I love my life,” I yelled down to him.

  “That’s lucky ’cause you’re stuck with it.”

  “And I love you.”

  “Same principle applies.”

  Lucky.

  IT HAD to be early in the morning when I woke because it was still dark outside. The sheet and heavy quilt were tucked around me, and I realized the temperature had dropped and my skin was icy. Ian had gotten up to turn off the lights at some point, and it was nice, serene in the quiet and dark. I heard the toilet flush, and then he was back in bed, diving under the covers, snuggled to my back, his face in my hair as it started to rain outside. I could hear the drops pelting the skylight, and my sigh was long.

  “What?”

  “I’m having a perfect moment.”

  “Jesus, you’re easy to please.”

  “Shuddup and go back to sleep.”

  He made a contented noise and fell silent.

  I had almost drifted off.

  “Hey.”

  I grunted.

  “I love you too. Marrying you was smartest thing I ever fuckin’ did.”

  “Oh, you romantic, you,” I said, turning my head to kiss him over my shoulder.

  He made sure to find my lips in the dark.

  More from Mary Calmes

  Marshals: Book One

  Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they’ve gone from strangers to professional cow
orkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.

  As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn’t working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn’t work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn’t being tied down at all.

  Marshals: Book Two

  Deputy US Marshals Miro Jones and Ian Doyle are now partners on and off the job: Miro’s calm professionalism provides an ideal balance to Ian’s passion and quick temper. In a job where one misstep can be the difference between life and death, trust means everything. But every relationship has growing pains, and sometimes Miro stews about where he stands with his fiery lover. Could the heartstrings that so recently tied them together be in danger of unraveling?

  Those new bonds are constantly challenged by family intrusions, well-intentioned friends, their personal insecurities, and their dangerous careers—including a trial by fire when an old case of Miro’s comes back to haunt them. It might just be enough to make Ian rethink his decision to let himself be tied down, and Miro can only hope the links they’ve forged will be strong enough to hold.

  Marshals: Book Three

  Miro Jones is living the life: he’s got his exciting, fulfilling job as a US deputy marshal, his gorgeous Greystone in suburban Chicago, his beloved adopted family, and most importantly, the man who captured his heart, Ian Doyle. Problem is, Ian isn’t just his partner at work—Ian’s a soldier through and through. That commitment takes him away from Miro, unexpectedly and often, and it’s casting a shadow over what could be everything Miro could ever dream of.

  Work isn’t the same without Ian. Home isn’t the same, either, and Miro’s having to face his fears alone… how to keep it together at the office, how to survive looming threats from the past, and worst of all, how to keep living without Ian’s rock-solid presence at his side. His life is tied up in knots, but what if unknotting them requires something more permanent? What would that mean for him and Ian? Miro’s stuck between two bad choices, and sometimes the only way to get out of the knot is to hold tight to your lifeline and pull.

  Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.

  Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.

  Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….

  Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, explore new relationships, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way—until he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.

  Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business and encourage it to thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and they have not talked since.

  If Hagen’s going to trust him again, Mitch needs to show him how he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go. They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not reviving a relationship with Mitch. Then again, you never know.

  Readers love the Marshals series by Mary Calmes

  All Kinds of Tied Down

  “This book is classic Mary Calmes, from the characters that are easily lovable down to the quick and witty banter.”

  —Joyfully Jay

  “…a lot of laughs, some serious hotness, wrapped around action/adventure and an incredible story.”

  —Rainbow Book Reviews

  Fit to Be Tied

  “Mary Calmes takes us on a fast-paced, action-packed ride that will have you holding onto to the edge of your seat. You will be so wrapped up in the drama you will forget to breathe.”

  —MM Good Book Reviews

  “All in all, this book was better than the first and possibly one of the best layered stories written by Queen Calmes.”

  —Boys in Our Books

  Tied Up in Knots

  “This story grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Tied Up in Knots is an absolute gem in this series, polished to a brilliant, glittering shine…”

  —Gay Book Reviews

  “Mary Calmes is absolutely smashing it with this series, and she has hit another home run with Tied Up in Knots.”

  —The Novel Approach

  MARY CALMES believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a five-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders, and the neighbor’s dogs.

  To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja), follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.

  By Mary Calmes

  Acrobat

  Again

  Any Closer

  With Cardeno C.: Control

  With Poppy Dennison: Creature Feature

  Floodgates

  Frog

  Grand Adventures (Dreamspinner Anthology)

  The Guardian

  Heart of the Race

  Ice Around the Edges

  Judgment

  Just Desserts

  Kairos

  Lay It Down

  Mine

  Romanus • Chevalier

  The Servant

  Steamroller

  Still

  Three Fates (Multiple Author Anthology)

  What Can Be

  Where You Lead

  Wishing on a Blue Star (Dreamspinner Anthology)

  You Never Know

  CHANGE OF HEART

  Change of Heart • Trusted Bond • Honored Vow

  Crucible of Fate • Forging the Future

  L’ANGE

  Old Loyalty, New Love • Fighting Instinct • Chosen Pride

  MANGROVE STORIES

  Blue Days • Quiet Nights • Sultry Sunset

  Easy Evenings • Sleeping ’til Sunrise

  MARSHALS

  All Kinds of Tied Down • Fit to Be Tied

  Tied Up in Knots • Twisted and Tied

  A MATTER OF TIME

  A Matter of Time: Vol. 1 • A Matter of Time: Vol. 2

  Bulletproof • But For You

  Parting Shot • Piece of Cake

  TIMING

  Timing • After the Sunset • When the Dust Settles

  THE VAULT

  A Day Makes • Late in the Day

  THE WARDER SERIES

  His Hearth • Tooth & Nail • Heart in Hand

  Sinnerman • Nexus • Cherish Your Name

  Warders Volume One • Warders Volume Two

  PRINT ONLY ANTHOLOGIES

  Mangrove Stories

  Perfect Timing

  Romanus & Chevalier

  Tales of the Curious Cookbook (Multiple Author Anthology)

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

&nb
sp; Published by

  DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Twisted and Tied

  © 2018 Mary Calmes.

  Cover Art

  © 2018 Reese Dante.

  http://www.reesedante.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-172-1

  Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64080-171-4

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2017916039

  Digital published March 2018

  v. 1.0

  Printed in the United States of America