Remember Love: Saints Protection & Investigations

by Maryann Jordan

  The men chuckled as Bart said, “You need to pull back on the caffeine, man. That hard stuff you slam down will kill you.”

  Shooting him a glare, Luke proclaimed, “Yeah, well, I’ve already been cutting back. I’ve only had one cup and it’s fuckin’ decaf. I think that’s why I’m shaky!”

  “Caffeine withdrawal alert,” Chad quipped. “Better get the lock down room ready.”

  The air lightened for a moment as the men smiled for the first time since the meeting began. Jack never held them back when they released some tension, but it only took a moment for the seriousness of the situation to settle over the group once more.

  “Okay,” Luke began again, “here’s what’s weird, and, Mitch, maybe you can shed some light on this.”

  Alert, the Saints gave Luke their full attention. “I’m locked into some satellites and can see basically what the CIA can see—”

  “Jesus, don’t tell me your illegal shit,” Mitch bit out.

  “Hey, man, I worked for the CIA…hell, I developed some of these programs for them,” Luke protested.

  “Yes, but that little clause you signed as an employee that said…oh, hell, just keep going and I’ll pretend I don’t know where you get all your intel!”

  The Saints chuckled under their breaths, as Luke continued. “Every single time the satellites get to a certain point, there’s a blip.” He paused, looking around the table in expectation. Everyone’s blank faces stared at him. Lifting his arms up for emphasis, “Don’t you get it? A blip?”

  The stares continued, now with expressions of confusion. Blaise growled, “Luke, we don’t get it! What the fuck do you mean by a blip?”

  “Oh, yeah, right,” he muttered. “Well, the image simply disappears for just a moment. Now, normally, that wouldn’t mean too much…it could be atmospheric problems, equipment failure, human error—”

  Blaise, anxious to get on with the explanation, huffed. “Why are you concerned about the blip? What does it mean?”

  “Because it happens over the same part of the area every time. Every. Single. Time.”

  “Okay,” Jack acknowledged. “Why do you think that is happening and how big of an area are we talking about?”

  “I know I call it a blip, but the area is large enough that I don’t think a simple drive by will let us know what’s going on. And the why? My best guess is that whoever is down there doesn’t want to be seen and has a way to interfere with the signal.”

  “Goddamn drug cartels!” Cam burst out again, slapping his hand down on the table.

  Mitch nodded and said, “Okay, I’m going to my superiors at the FBI and also the DEA to see what they know about this.”

  “Is there any way we can scope it out on the ground?” Jude asked, “Like we did looking for Grace’s car?”

  Luke shook his head and said, “I think it would be too hard. Might not be off a main road.”

  “Why don’t we take a plane?” Marc asked, a gleam in his eye.

  “You want to take your Cessna up and scout the area?” Jack asked.

  “I was thinking of something that wouldn’t draw any attention if it flew lower,” Marc answered, grinning at Blaise.

  “Cropduster?” Blaise asked.

  “We could go back and see if that farmer would let us take his up. Pay his gas and give him some money to rent it. I bet he’d be good with that.”

  Monty grinned, saying, “You can fly lower and don’t need a flight plan. Brilliant.”

  Marc added, “We get up in that man’s plane and no one around will think anything about it. It’ll give us a chance to scout out the area.”

  The men grinned, the idea of the mission moving forward re-energizing the group. Jack said, “Marc, you’re on point with that. Take Patrick with you. He’s been with the Army Corps of Engineers and has the training to scope out areas and how to mark an aviator map. Once complete, report to us so we can plan a little nighttime recognizance if needed.”

  *

  “Why don’t you and Gypsy come to visit my grandmother with me today?” Bethany asked Grace.

  “Doesn’t she live in an assisted living facility?”

  “Yes. Well, actually she lives in the section for residents with memory care problems, like Alzheimer’s.”

  Twisting a lock of hair around her fingers, Grace pondered the offer. “I’d love to, but I’m not sure about bringing Gypsy. She’s perfectly trained, but she’s a big dog. What if the residents are afraid of her?”

  “I know she’s not a companion dog, but I think the residents would love her.”

  Grinning, Grace relished the thought of getting out with Bethany today. Blaise did not mind her being out, as long as she was with someone he trusted, but she hated to impose on her new friends. Looking at the hopeful expression on Bethany’s face, she agreed, “Then, we’d love to!”

  Dressed in white capris with a robin’s-egg blue, sleeveless blouse, Grace walked into the facility with Gypsy, leashed, at her side. Bethany, comfortable in the summer sun with khaki shorts and a navy t-shirt, led the way.

  The elderly residents immediately looked up from their chairs or wheelchairs and watched the trio as they passed by. Making their way to a covered outdoor patio where ceiling fans rotated in a slow movement, circulating the air to keep the residents cool, Bethany walked toward an older woman sitting on a cushioned seat.

  “Gram, I brought you a visitor today,” Bethany greeted and introduced Grace. Ann’s eyes immediately latched onto the dog, sitting obediently at Grace’s feet.

  “Dog,” Ann pronounced. “Pretty dog. Pet.”

  “Yes, you can pet her, Mrs. Bridwell,” Grace said, moving closer and directing Gypsy to sit quietly.

  Ann’s thin hand moved slowly toward the dog, not out of fear, but all of her movements were now slower. She placed her hand on Gypsy’s head and began to pat her fur.

  “You can rub her, Gram.” Bethany took her grandmother’s hand and moved it down the dog’s back.

  Grace watched carefully, proud of Gypsy’s training and obedience. Looking up, she noticed that several others were gathering around.

  “Hey girls,” Miriam called out from behind.

  Whirling around, Grace smiled widely. “I forgot you worked here as a nurse.”

  “The residents were all curious about Ann’s new friends,” Miriam laughed, assisting a man with a walker to come closer to the dog.

  Miriam, Bethany, and Grace finally decided to have the residents sit in a large circle and Grace walked Gypsy around to them. Each one petted the large, patient dog and several smiled or conversed, something many of them had difficulty doing on their own.

  “I don’t suppose I could convince you to bring Gypsy around to us more often, could I?” Miriam asked, her expression full of hope.

  “Really?” Grace asked. “You’d like us to come back?”

  “Absolutely,” Miriam and Bethany said at the same time.

  “I’ll be going on maternity leave soon, but I’d love to know the residents were getting good visits in while I’ll be gone. I plan on bringing the baby out when I can so they can be reminded of little ones, as well.”

  Ease spread through Grace’s mind as she recognized what their words meant to her. For weeks she had felt in limbo—discovering she and Gypsy had been a working pair gave her a clue into her past, but no longer performing those tasks left her adrift. Squatting next to her dog, she leaned her face into Gypsy’s neck and whispered, “What do you think, girl? Could we make some other people happy?”

  A sharp bark was her reply and, as Grace stood, her smile lighting her face, she had her answer.

  *

  Blaise felt Grace jerk and braced himself. He had come to learn that jerks were only the beginning of her dreams, which sometimes led into nightmares. She slowly remembered more of her childhood and even adulthood, but so far they stopped after the time she and Gypsy trained for K-9 work. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand—two a.m. Then his eyes landed on the pictures
next to the clock, a grin on his face. One frame held a picture of Grace and her parents, brought back from her apartment. The other, a photograph of Grace smiling widely at the camera, kneeling by Gypsy, the K-9 graduation certificate in her hand.

  He had encouraged her to put her things in his house wherever she wanted, hoping the more she integrated into his world, the more at home she would feel. At first hesitant, she had slowly added her small touches and the two pictures on the nightstand were a start.

  As she jerked again, he tightened his arms around her. Fighting the urge to wake her, he knew her memories often came back in her dreams. It chewed at his protective nature, but he allowed her to sleep, vowing to assist her through the memories as they came when she awoke.

  Fast asleep in his arms, Grace was unaware of Blaise’s musings as her dreams crept up slowly on her.

  “Why doesn’t he like me?” I wondered. “Maybe it’s my imagination.”

  Just then, Preston yelled again, “Come on, Grace. You and Gypsy have to work faster. This isn’t just a training exercise anymore. You’ve got to keep up with the baggage that’s coming down the conveyor. No, no, you missed one!”

  I glance over at the others around and notice they are not working as fast as Preston is pushing me. “Come on, Gypsy, don’t let him rattle you. We got this.”

  I turn and look at the conveyor belt, filled with suitcases and packages, and they keep moving past us…more and more…faster and faster. Never ending.

  The conveyor turns into a long hall that appears to have no end. Gypsy and I are walking down the hall. The doors on either side pass in slow motion and my limbs feel heavy. I hear voices from behind one of the doors.

  “She can’t keep up.”

  “She’s fine, it’s you who don’t want her here.”

  “I had someone else in mind who would be a better fit.”

  “Get over it. I want her here and here is where she’ll stay.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got some kind of agenda.”

  “Just do your job and stay out of my business. She’s the one we need.”

  I try to hear more of the voices but they fade away as the hall lengthens and I begin to run, Gypsy staying at my side. Then, suddenly, the hall drops off and we can’t stop, so we fall into the black…

  “Grace, wake up, sweetheart,” Blaise called, gently shaking her shoulders. His attempt to let her keep sleeping was overridden by his desire to not have her scared. The beginnings of thrashing had him waking her.

  She blinked her eyes open, once more finding Blaise’s concerned gaze on her face. Breathing deeply, she blurted, “I’m sorry—”

  “Babe, you never have to say you’re sorry.” He watched as she licked her dry lips and he leaned over, nabbing the water bottle now kept on the nightstand. Satisfied when she gulped down half of the bottle, he replaced it before asking, “Do you remember anything?”

  Rolling to face him, she slowed her breathing. As much as she hated the nightmares, she loved lying in bed, close to the man who now held her heart. Breathing deeply, she nodded. “I remember the airport…or what seemed like the airport. My dreams are a bit muddled.”

  Allowing the quiet of the night to flow over her, she closed her eyes for a moment, the remembrances seen again. “Someone named Preston was yelling at me and I kept thinking that the others weren’t working as hard as Gypsy and I. He didn’t like me and I felt that very strongly.”

  Preston? Blaise’s jaw grew tight as he thought of her TSA trainer. The little shit…acted like she was wonderful to my face. Suddenly, he felt her hand over his cheek and he refocused on her again.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, concern etched on her face.

  “Nothing, babe. Sorry, this is about you, not me. Go ahead.”

  “Well, the next thing I remember was being in a long hall, hearing voices argue. They were arguing about a woman, I assume me. I couldn’t see them, but one wanted me gone…probably this Preston person, and the other one wanted to keep me. But I have no idea who they were, other than being Preston’s boss.”

  Preston and Bernard…interesting, he thought. So not everything was perfect in the RIA TSA.

  “That’s all I remember,” she added, her voice full of regret.

  Cupping her face with his large hand, he smiled. “Sweetheart, that’s amazing. Honestly, you’re starting to remember things that were unpleasant which could mean that your mind is beginning to accept what might have happened that night.” Holding her gaze, he added, “We’ll figure it out, babe. I promise.”

  Chapter 21

  Leaning forward, she rested her head on his chest, her hand absentmindedly moving across his tight abs. Her fingers wreaked havoc with his attempt to quiet his erection. She appeared lost in thought, while his dick ached to answer the call of the wild.

  Her fingers now moved with more purpose as they continued to trail across his tight stomach, following the sprinkling of hair leading down the muscular V toward his straining cock. Slipping her fingers around his girth, he groaned, having lost the battle to remain unaffected.

  Before he knew what was happening, she curled up, moved to her knees, and took him in her mouth. Sliding his length into her warmth, she swirled her tongue around the tip before moving him in and out. Too large for her to take all of him in, she fisted the bottom of his shaft while sucking.

  “Oh, Jesus,” he moaned, his hands fisting first in the sheet next to her before traveling to her hair. The silky darkness bunched in his hands as the dangling strands teased his thighs.

  Digging small crescents with her fingernails into his thigh, she held on as she concentrated on pleasuring him; and from the satin tightness of his cock, she succeeded. Sparing a glance up to his face, she watched as his head pressed against the pillow, the veins in his neck standing out. Her lips curved around his erection, smiling her delight.

  Blaise, awash in sensations, felt his balls tighten and, as much as he wanted to come in her mouth, the desire to come in her pussy was stronger. With effort, he pushed himself up just far enough to grab her shoulders to pull her up.

  Staring at him, her lust-induced face turned into one of confusion. “What are yo—”

  “As much as I love your mouth, babe, I wanna come, buried balls deep inside of you.”

  His words sent a jolt straight to her sex as she clenched her legs together, instinctively providing pressure on her clit.

  With a smirk on his face, he executed a quick twist, rolling her under him as his knees moved her legs apart. Rolling on a condom, he groaned, “We need to get you on birth control as soon as you’re ready.”

  “I’ll go tomorrow,” she rushed, earning his wide grin.

  “Got no argument here,” he chuckled, the tip of his straining cock teasing her slick opening. Pushing in an inch, he added, “I want to feel this…and this…” As he slowly stretched her tight, accepting walls, he continued to whisper in her ear, “I want to claim every inch of you…every wet, delicious inch.”

  Shivering at the sound of his seductive voice by her ear, she welcomed the feel of his thick cock, throwing her legs around his narrow waist, pulling him closer. Her desire matched her need to be connected to him.

  His movements began slowly then increased in tempo as he lost himself in the sensations surrounding his cock. Her walls pulled against him with every outward motion and welcomed him with every thrust. Her nipples pebbled against his chest, the soft mounds of her breasts pressed tightly.

  His lips found the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulders and he sucked, marking her. Feeling the nip of his teeth on her pulse sent convulsions through her core and she grasped him closer. His trail of wet, open mouth kisses continued down her shoulder, where he nipped again before dragging his lips down her breasts.

  Latching around a hardened nipple, he pulled it deeply into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tight flesh. Letting go with a pop, he blew his breath across the bud, watching her shiver in delight.

  Body
on fire, Grace felt every nerve-ending tingle in anticipation and desire. Her senses were heightened as he played her body perfectly. Where he nipped, her neck still felt the slight sting of his bite. Her nipples, distended and hardened, tingled from his sucking. As his hand slid down her waist, her stomach quivered with his fingers gripping her hip. But most of all, where they were connected held her attention.

  As he continued to thrust, she felt every movement as her inner walls reveled in the electricity that bolted outward. Her legs ached from clinging to him so tightly, but her desire to join with him as closely as she could, had them trembling. She could feel the orgasm nearing as her core pulsed. Crying out his name, she threw her head back against the pillow, her sex convulsing around his dick.

  “Look at me,” he ordered, and watched in satisfaction as she tilted her head forward and her eyes jerked open. “I want to watch you come.”

  As her body shuddered in ecstasy, her orgasm washing over her, a slow grin curved her lips as she held his gaze. He continued to grind against her clit as he thrust several more times before his neck tightened, the muscles cording as he powered through his own orgasm, emptying deep inside her body. Moving in and out, he continued until drained. Falling forward, he crashed half on her body, half on the mattress.

  She welcomed his weight, the feel of his heaviness on top of her, his cock still nestled between her legs. Smoothing her hands over the muscles of his shoulders and down his back, noting the hard planes melding into the dips and curves.

  Their breath ragged, hearts drumming wildly, both lay, neither speaking…only reveling in the fading physical sensations and heightened emotions.

  With his head still pressed into the pillow, she whispered into the night, “You don’t have to say anything back…and I know this might not be what you want to hear…but I’ve fallen for you, Blaise Hanssen.”

  His head lifted from the pillow and he pierced her with his blue-eyed gaze, not saying anything.

  Rushing on, before she lost her nerve, she continued, “I know I haven’t remembered everything, but I’ve recalled enough to know who I am…and what I feel…and what I want.”