“I’m sorry.” The man cleared his throat.
Assassinated. How? Why?
Suddenly, the world had tilted.
Lies. Patrick’s last word. Zach had believed his father had referred to Zach’s failures. He hadn’t. His father hadn’t been killed in a robbery. The kid convicted hadn’t done it. It was all lies.
He replayed the most painful moment in his life—up until Jenna had been taken from him. He understood his father’s expression now. Patrick had looked at him the way Zach hoped he looked at Sam. With hope.
Not disappointment.
His father had believed in him.
More than Zach had ever believed in himself.
He met Jenna’s gaze. The way he would always have faith in her and in Sam. He lifted her hands to his and kissed her palms.
“You were right, Jenna,” he said softly. “About my father, about me, about everything.”
Sterling cleared his throat. “If you change your mind about coming back, Montgomery, give me a call. I hate to lose a good operative.”
“You heard him. He’s not interested.” Gabe rolled his way into the room, his leg immobilized on the wheelchair. “Besides, Zach and Jenna already have new jobs lined up, so you can leave.”
“We do?” Zach stared at Gabe like he’d lost it.
“Sure you have new jobs. Jenna’s my new cook and you’re my hardworking busboy. Treat me right and I may promote you to bouncer.”
“And that’s my cue to leave. Good luck, Zach. Thank you for your service. You’ll be missed.”
Sterling exited the room, his footsteps stealth.
Zach threw a pillow at Gabe’s head. “You’re an idiot, but thanks for getting rid of him.” He looked over at Jenna, his smile vanishing. “Now, get out, Gabe.”
His brother studied Zach’s face. “I’ve seen that look before. Don’t screw this up, big brother.” He wheeled out and let the door close.
“Are you going to mess up, Zach?” Jenna asked softly.
He turned to her. Zach stared down at Sam in misery. “I caused this to happen to your son, and to you.” He ran a gentle finger over her cuts and bruises. “How can you forgive me?”
“I’m still here, Zach,” she said. “And unless you tell me you don’t want me, I’ll always be here.”
“You really think this will work? We met under crazy circumstances. Are you sure it’s real, that I’m real, because I have to admit, sometimes I don’t know.”
“I’m not on the rebound. What I feel isn’t gratitude. Everything within me was destroyed, Zach. I thought my faith was gone. But every action you took, every decision you made, you did it for me, and for Sam. When Farzam…” She swallowed. “When I thought he would kill me, I knew if anything happened, you would love my son. You’re the best man I know, Zach.”
“Zach?” Sam was beyond groggy. He blinked his eyes. “Mommy?” he whispered.
“Oh, my God. You’re awake.” Jenna sat down and nuzzled Sam’s cheek. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Are you all right, baby?”
Sam squirmed a little. “I’m not a baby anymore, Mommy.” He looked up at Zach. “I hit the bad man who hurt Mommy, Zach. Right where you told me to. Just like you showed me.”
“You did a good job, buddy.” Zach felt the sting of tears in his own eyes. “I’m proud of you.”
“I ran to find help, but the house blew up. When I came back, I saw that bad lady with Daddy. She wanted to hurt me, but he protected me from her.” Sam’s eyes filled up. “Is it OK if I’m not mad at Daddy anymore?”
Jenna held him tighter. “Of course. Your daddy saved you. He…loved you.”
Sam turned slowly in Jenna’s arms. He nodded and motioned to Zach.
He sat beside Jenna and leaned in. “You were very brave, Sam.”
“I wanted to tell Daddy that you don’t hit people you love,” Sam whispered, “but the bad lady shot him first. He kept bleeding on me and saying he was sorry. Then he stopped talking. Is my daddy dead?”
Zach’s throat closed against the building emotions.
Jenna rubbed Sam’s back. “Yes, honey. Daddy’s gone.”
Sam bit his lip. He placed his small hand on Zach’s face. “You saved my mommy. Didn’t you? You brought her back to me?” he asked.
“We kind of saved each other, buddy. She saved me inside.” Zach pointed to his heart.
Sam’s lips quivered. “I’m glad you’re both still here.”
Zach clutched Jenna’s hand. “Me too, buddy. I’m glad we’re all here.”
“I’m really sad and tired right now.” Sam yawned. “Zach, will you be in my family?” Sam closed his eyes. “Mine’s all broken.”
Zach watched Jenna’s son drift off to sleep.
She brushed her son’s hair away from his face, her palm cupping Sam’s cheek. Tears of relief and joy brimmed from her eyes when she looked up at Zach. “See, Sam chose you,” she said, gripping his hand with hers. “Sam loves you. You showed him how a real man treats his family—with love, strength, and patience. As long as we’re together, we’ll be all right.” She hesitated. “I love you. I want to be with you. And Zach, my love is real.”
Jenna took in a deep breath. “But I do have one condition. No more lies. None. Can you live with that?”
“I’m a very good liar,” he said. “My life depended on it. How will you know?”
“Because I saw you lie to your brothers without blinking, but when you lied to me…let’s just say, I can tell.”
Zach frowned, then recognized the glint in her eyes. He smiled. “I don’t believe you. Prove it.”
“Oh.” She drew back and smiled. “Is that a challenge, Mr. Montgomery? Just try me. Tell me something untrue.”
Zach stepped forward and framed her face with his hands. “How about this…” His heated gaze captured hers. “I don’t love you with everything I am,” Zach whispered and kissed her cheek. “I don’t love your son, Sam, as if he were my own, and I don’t want us to be a real family.” His lips touched her forehead. “I don’t want to make love to you for the rest of my life, or to give Sam a baby brother or sister, as soon as possible.” He pressed his mouth against hers, gently, reverently. “Most of all, I don’t want us to be together. Loving each other. Forever.”
He lifted his head and stared into her green eyes. The love shining there warmed his very core. Jenna had healed his soul and filled his heart.
“How’d I do?” he said.
“Wow,” she whispered. “You are an excellent liar. Thank God, you’re all mine.”
* * *
Epilogue
* * *
The voices over the airport’s public address system droned on and on. Jenna stood just outside of security, searching for Zach’s distinct ginger hair. Sam held on to his mother’s hand and danced at her side.
“Where is he? Is he here yet?”
She tightened her grip as Sam became even more energetic. “Not yet…”
Then she saw a very familiar, very tall, strong figure striding toward her, a duffel thrown over his shoulder. She smiled. “There he is.”
Sam let out a whoop and started running.
By the time Jenna reached Zach, her son had already leapt into her new husband’s arms. Husband. The husband she’d dreamed of, the one she now called hers. Three months of wedded bliss down and fifty years to go.
“Did you take care of your mom?” Zach asked Sam.
“Yep, and I didn’t even have to hit anybody in the you-know-where,” he whispered way too loudly.
“Whoa,” Zach said, laughing. “Speaking from experience, I’m glad about that, buddy.” Zach grabbed Jenna by the waist and plastered her against him. “Hey, there. I missed you, wife.” He pressed his mouth against hers, his lips warm, wonderful, and oh-so-full of promise. “And I love you. Two weeks is much too long to be away from my family.”
“Did you bring me a present?” Sam asked, shoving between them.
Zach smiled at the boy’s eagerne
ss. “Didn’t I promise?” He knelt down and pulled a small tabla drum from his bag. “I love you, buddy. I missed you.”
“I love you, too.” Sam grinned and pounded his hands on his new toy.
“A real drum?” Jenna groaned. “You’re kidding.”
“I couldn’t resist.”
Jenna sighed with resignation. “Then you get to tell him to quit pounding on it when he gives us all a headache.”
Zach tugged out a vibrant pashmina scarf and let the soft cashmere flutter around her head and shoulders. “Emerald green to match your eyes.” He kissed her temple above the red scar from one of the knife wounds. “You’ve almost healed.”
Self-conscious, Jenna covered the injury. “Does it look terrible?”
“No, sweetheart, I see that scar as a badge of honor. To me, you’ve never looked more beautiful.”
“Flatterer,” she scoffed, but couldn’t stop the smile, knowing he told her the truth—even if he was wrong.
His warm eyes met her gaze, revealing the heat that always burned just beneath the surface, and she shivered in anticipation.
Zach clasped her hand, then kissed it. “By the way, the movie director was ecstatic to have Matt back as the lead on the film. Sterling and I explained what we could and sort of paid off any other questions. As a thank-you, the director introduced me to a contact in Bollywood, who offered to send me an authentic Indian belly dancing costume for nighttime entertainment. I accepted,” he said with a grin.
Jenna slapped her hand over Zach’s mouth and tilted her head in Sam’s direction. “Small ears. He’s embarrassed me enough recently. Your brothers all know about our favorite morning pastime.”
“I hate to tell you it probably didn’t surprise them all that much,” Zach chuckled, taking her hand as they strode through the airport and into the parking lot. “Except maybe your penchant for whipped cream.”
He tossed his duffel into the back end of the car. “Do you mind if we make a quick stop first?” he said. “I need to see Mom, and I asked my brothers to stop by.”
Sam started pounding on his drum.
“I told you,” Jenna yelled over the racket.
“That’s all right. I like that he’s happy. It was touch and go for a while there.”
Zach’s eyes went solemn and Jenna reached out her hand to him. “Did you get everything done…over there? Is it over?”
He fiddled with his phone, then passed it to her. The screen showed a news flash that a terrorist camp had been destroyed in Afghanistan. Khalid, the man responsible for hundreds of deaths, was among those killed by a smart bomb.
She squeezed Zach’s hand. “You did it.”
“Actually, Farzam’s wife and son did. Hamed hid a small GPS in his cloak when he was taken. He smuggled out the coordinates to his mother. She gave them to me. I got her son out before the strike.”
“Hamed’s alive?” Jenna was shocked, remembering Farzam’s grief.
“Sterling found records of several of Theresa’s last phone conversations. She’d gotten desperate and careless. She lied to Farzam to push him over the edge to justify killing him.”
“It worked,” Jenna shuddered, trying to block the memories. “So, where is the family now?”
“I used my Bollywood contact to help them relocate to India. It’s one of the more progressive countries in that part of the world for women’s rights. Setara and Pendar’s daughters will have an opportunity for a good life—and Farzam’s son might have a shot at living without a constant threat. I just hope he stays on our side. He’s an amazing kid.”
Jenna kissed Zack’s cheek. “You’re a good man, Zach Montgomery. Not everyone would have helped them.”
“They didn’t deserve the life they inherited because of their parents’ beliefs.” Zach swallowed hard. “It was my fault Pendar was killed. I could have stopped him.”
“Pendar made a choice to try to change things. Farzam made a choice to destroy lives. Theresa made her choices, too. You can’t own every mistake, Zach.”
He couldn’t let the doubts go, but when Jenna looked up at him with such trust in her eyes, he knew whatever had happened in the past, he’d do everything in his power to keep her faith in him strong.
“What about the debrief? Are you still OK with resigning?” Jenna asked quietly.
“No regrets.” He took her hand in his. “Sterling confirmed they’ve found all Theresa’s moles. There’s nothing left to tie Zach Montgomery to Zane Morgan. And Zane Morgan was officially killed in the blast that took out Khalid. I’m through. Now I get to be an annoying ex-movie-star and house-husband.”
“And busboy,” Jenna snorted. “I doubt that lasts long.” Her smile faded. “What about Theresa?”
“She had ten million dollars in offshore accounts, but that’s not the worst of it. She was more than greedy and power hungry. She’d turned traitor. She’d begun to put together a network of buyers and sellers of technology. Somewhere along the line she lost her soul.”
Zach pulled into Captain Garrison’s driveway. His mom had moved in with John to take care of him during his rehabilitation and never left.
“Do you think you’ll miss the excitement?” Jenna asked quietly. “You’ve had three months to get bored.”
He turned and pulled Jenna into his arms. “I don’t need any more thrills, except maybe when I’m chasing after that guy.” He tilted his head toward their little drummer boy.
“Uh, Zach?” Jenna took his hand and pressed it to her belly. “Sam’s not the only little one you’ll be chasing around in about seven months.”
“What?” Amazement and delight filled his voice. “Are you sure?”
She nodded happily. “I just found out this morning.”
Zach pulled her close and held her for a moment. “I couldn’t love you more if I tried.”
A hard rap on the window and a loud cough broke them apart.
“Get a room,” Gabe said with a wink, leaning on his crutches.
“Looks like we’ll need more than one room. Jenna’s pregnant!” Zach exited the vehicle, then strode to his brother and grabbed him in a fierce bear hug. “I’m going to be a father…again. Sam and a new bambino!”
“Damn,” Gabe shook his head in disgust. “I guess they let just anybody do that job nowadays. Good thing I’ll be the favorite uncle, so I can straighten those poor kids out.”
Zach and Jenna laughed as they walked into Captain Garrison’s home, Sam trotting at their heels.
Zach’s mother sat next to the man who had saved her life.
John rose to his feet slowly and held out his hand to Zach. “Welcome back. Did you find out anything more? Did my digging into Patrick’s death stir up these snakes?”
“You and me both, John,” Zach muttered. “Dad’s past drew a huge red flag for Theresa. Sterling discovered an uncategorized file that I accessed. It recorded a payoff. Five million dollars. Sterling tied the transaction to her. When you started asking questions about Dad, she panicked even more. We think that’s why she hired Brad to kill you.”
“Makes you wonder what else we don’t know,” John mused. “Patrick had more secrets than even I realized.”
He looked down at Anna with a sympathetic and loving gaze. For the first time Zach recognized the strain in his mother’s eyes.
“Mama—”
“I’ll be fine, Zach. I have faith in Patrick. Whatever he did, he had good reason. Someday we’ll know why.”
Before Zach could respond, Sam let out a loud huff. “You guys talk too much about grown-up stuff.” He raced over to Luke. “Is Joy here?”
“She’s in the den, watching a movie.”
“Can I go see her, Mommy? Can I?”
Jenna smiled then nodded, and Sam hurried out the door.
“Sam and Joy have become the best of friends,” Jazz said. “He informed me yesterday that he’s going to marry Joy someday.”
Luke frowned. “Wait a minute. He’d better keep his hands to himself. He’s older
than she is.”
“He’s five,” Zach said. “I don’t think you need to start worrying yet.”
“Yeah, well, never too early to be careful. I’ve got a nice convent picked out for her, with high walls and broken glass embedded in the top.”
Jenna looked at Zach and laughed. “Neither the high wall nor the embedded glass stopped me—or Sam—from climbing into Zach’s backyard.”
“That’s different,” Zach said softly. “You both were coming home…to me.”
Zach drew her in for a passionate kiss and Jenna returned it in full measure.
“That’s it,” growled Luke. “If Sam is going to be hanging around these two lovebirds, I’m packing Joy’s bags for the convent today.”
Zach turned to Luke and grinned. “Liar.”
Jenna laughed and Zach kissed her again. “Guess that trait runs in my family.”
Smiling, she looked around the room at her new family. The Montgomery clan. “Just like love.”
He held her close and kissed her temple. “Exactly like love.”
THE END
* * *
Acknowledgments
* * *
I am blessed with the most amazing support system imaginable. So many held my hand and propped me up along the way. I wouldn’t be here without them.
Kelli Martin – you took a chance on the Montgomery Justice novels, and I can’t thank you enough. I am blessed to have an editor with such faith in me.
Jill Marsal, my amazing literary agent – your belief in me and in this book kept me going in more ways than you can possibly know. Jill, I couldn’t do this without you.
Charlotte Herscher, editor extraordinaire – your patience on this one astounds me. Your insight and skill made the book what it is. Thank you.
Tammy Baumann, Louise Bergin, and Sherri Buerkle – my talented, honest, and insightful critique group who are always there for me. Not many are blessed with not only great friends but giving critique partners. You are my rock!
Claire Cavanaugh – how many people are blessed enough to have a best friend who can read their heart and mind? You have a gift for story and for brainstorming that is unparalleled. You know me and what I intend sometimes before I do. Thank you for once again navigating with me through the strange world of my imagination. You remain the wind beneath my wings. Always.
Behind the Lies (A Montgomery Justice Novel) Page 28