RETURN TO ME

by Christy Reece

  Jerked from his thoughts, Noah looked over at Jordan, who was driving. “What?”

  “Samara … she’s in love with you.”

  Noah lifted a shoulder and stared blankly out the window. “She thinks she is. Last year she was in love with you and got over that pretty damn quick.”

  Jordan snorted. “She wasn’t in love with me. I recognize when a person’s in love … maybe because I’m so much in love with my wife … I don’t know. I do know that Samara might have had affection for me, but it wasn’t love. You, however, she loves.”

  His jaw clenched, Noah remained silent. What the hell was he supposed to say?

  “So, what are you going to do about it?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Why?”

  “What the hell do you expect me to do? Samara’s not meant for this kind of work and I can’t do anything else.”

  “Hell, Noah. I’m not talking about her working for you. I’m talking about spending her life with you.”

  “My life is LCR. It’s all I know … what I am. She was meant for a normal life, not one filled with subterfuge and shadows.” Noah slid down into his seat and closed his eyes. “Now drop it or stop the car and let me out. I don’t need advice on my love life.”

  Jordan didn’t bother to hide his amusement. “No, what you need is a hard kick in the ass. But I think I’ll wait and see if someone else will handle that for me.”

  Noah didn’t bother to ask Jordan what he meant. He didn’t care. The pain in his side had moved up and set up a dull thud in his chest and head. So what if Samara thought herself in love with him … so what if he had strong feelings for her, too. That knowledge only intensified his belief that he needed to stay the hell away from her. He’d determined his course long ago.

  Sharing his life with anyone, especially a woman like Samara, was impossible. She’d already suffered because of his stupid mistakes and selfish motives. He’d be damned if he hurt her any more. And if he tried to continue anything with her, she would be hurt. He knew that without a doubt. He just didn’t have the necessary emotions to love another human being. Samara deserved all the happiness in the world and staying away from her was his contribution to that happiness, whether she wanted to believe it or not.

  “There’s something else we need to talk about,” Jordan said.

  “What?”

  “An op went sour yesterday. Cole’s dead.”

  Noah jerked upright in his seat, the ache in his chest intensifying. Cole had been a damn good operative and a good man to boot. “What happened?”

  “I won’t know all the details till Shea and Ethan come in for a debrief. From what I’ve pieced together from the others who were there, Cole ignored a direct order from Ethan, went off on his own, and walked into a trap.”

  “Shea bringing his body to Florida for burial?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Nothing left. Building exploded … demolished. Nothing left to bury.”

  “Damn.” An intense throbbing in his head had him reaching for the aspirin again. “How’s Shea doing?”

  “I haven’t talked to her. Ethan had to sedate her … so I’d say not well.”

  “This has got to be doubly hard on Ethan.”

  Jordan shot a puzzled look at Noah. “Why?”

  “Ethan and Shea had a relationship. I think we all assumed they’d get married someday. Then, the next thing we know, she and Cole are married. Cole was once Ethan’s best friend.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Ethan was in charge of the op. Why would he choose to work with Shea and Cole?”

  Looking out at the flat Mississippi landscape, his mind’s eye saw the young, ravaged man Noah had saved all those years ago in prison. “That’s Ethan for you. His way to show he’s got total control of his emotions. Nothing touches him. Puts himself in the damnedest situations … mostly to punish himself.”

  “The way Eden used to?”

  “Yeah … until you came along. She’s settled down now.”

  Jordan swallowed a snort. “You’d better not let her hear you say that.”

  Noah’s mouth lifted in a small smile. “I’m not that crazy.”

  “You want to be there for the debrief or you want me to do it?”

  Jump right back into running LCR after leaving a woman like Samara, on top of having finally sent his brother to prison? Even Noah wasn’t that emotionless. He needed downtime after this was over. Major downtime. He’d see Ethan and Shea when he got back, but wouldn’t be any use to them right now.

  “You handle it. I’ll be on call in case something comes up.”

  “Where’re you headed?”

  “Don’t know.” Jordan wouldn’t be insulted by his lack of sharing. They knew each other too well to worry about that. Besides, Jordan knew how it felt to get your heart ripped out of your chest. Reclining his seat, Noah closed his eyes and wondered how a heart could be ripped out when it never existed in the first place.

  He jerked awake when the car stopped. Surprised to have fallen asleep, but immediately alert, he got out of the car and headed toward the operatives gathering out in an open field. Time for a brief scenario meeting and to deal with any remaining concerns and questions. They were about fifteen miles outside of Biloxi. Thanks to Mitch’s cellphone, he had Bennett’s number and would call to announce their arrival. Adrenaline pumped through him. This was his life, what he lived for. One more person saved, one less bad guy out of business, one less shadow on his soul.

  Samara squirmed. Lying still on the couch was killing her, but as weak as she was, if she tried to get up, she’d probably collapse. She’d come home, gone straight to bed, and had slept surprisingly deeply for almost three hours. Then, as if a lightbulb went on inside her brain, she had jumped up, somehow knowing that at this moment, the raid was going down. She’d run out of her bedroom and found Eden sitting in her living room, calmly reading the newspaper. It had been Eden’s suggestion that she lie down before she fell.

  “Why didn’t you go with Jordan on this operation?”

  Eden’s mouth lifted in a small, wry smile. “He was afraid of how I’d react when I see Bennett again.”

  The welts on her back still bothering her, Samara wiggled, searching for a more comfortable position. “Why’s that?”

  “He got away from us last year. … He’s responsible for Milo’s death. Jordan knows I have a tendency to forget myself when someone I love is involved. He just thought it’d be a good idea to spare Bennett.”

  “Milo was Noah’s best friend, his mentor. Will he be able to handle this?”

  A flicker of sadness passed over Eden’s face. “Noah is the best I’ve ever seen in shutting down emotions to do what needs to be done.”

  Samara’s breath hitched with a half laugh, half sob. “Why do I feel like you just gave me a warning?”

  “Not at all. You already realize how stubborn Noah is. I’m not telling you anything you haven’t seen firsthand. You have your work cut out for you.”

  “Can you tell me more … about Noah and LCR, without breaking a confidence?”

  Curled up in a chair across from Samara, Eden looked young, carefree, and the total opposite of what she was, a highly skilled mercenary for Last Chance Rescue.

  “I met Noah a few days after I was attacked. I was in and out of consciousness those first few days, but I remember seeing this incredibly beautiful man standing over my bed.” She laughed softly. “I never told Noah, but at first I thought I’d gone to heaven and he was an angel.”

  Both women giggled at that, knowing full well Noah had few angelic qualities.

  “When I became more aware, Noah would just come sit in a chair beside my bed and talk.”

  “About what?”

  “Anything … nothing.”

  “But didn’t you wonder who he was?”

  “He told me he was the hospital psychologist.”

  “But that’s against the law.
”

  Eden raised a brow at that and Samara rolled her eyes. How stupid. Like Noah really paid attention to legalities.

  “Anyway, we talked about all sorts of things. He realized my gift for languages. He has an amazing gift as well, so we conversed, sometimes using one language per day. Anyway, I’d been seeing him for a few weeks when he finally revealed who he really was.”

  “Were you angry?”

  “Furious. And do you know what he did?”

  “Laughed?”

  Eden chuckled. “Ah yes, you do know Noah well. He seemed delighted at my anger. When he told me who he was, what he did, I was immediately intrigued. He asked if I’d like to come to work with him. Of course, I wanted to say yes, but I was so horribly disfigured, I couldn’t see what value I would have for LCR.”

  Her full lips lifted into a small smile. “Even to this day, I still remember those black eyes flashing at me when he told me it was my choice. I could be a victim of my circumstances or become a champion to others. He said my scars were fixable, but it was my attitude that would either make or break me.”

  “So, you decided to be a champion.”

  Eden lifted a slender shoulder. “I made a choice. I had but one life, and the way I lived it was up to me. Noah took me to Paris, hired the best plastic surgeons he could find, and …” She gestured at her breathtaking face. “This is the result. While I healed, we trained.”

  “Trained how?”

  “You name it, Noah was determined I master it. He brought in a tutor to teach me a couple more languages. He and Milo showed me how to defend myself. Wherever he thought I might have a need, he supplied someone to teach me.”

  “Why do you think he took such a special interest in you?”

  A tiny line appeared on Eden’s brow. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, he spent so much time and money on you, I just …” Samara shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable with Eden’s stillness. Had she asked an inappropriate question?

  Leaning forward, Eden caught Samara’s gaze and answered softly, “Noah does that with every LCR operative.”

  “That can’t be possible. He’s got to have at least a hundred people working for him. How could he—”

  “Because he’s Noah. It’s all he knows, all he does. He takes people in and molds them into being the best they can be … then he sends them out to save other victims.”

  “Are you telling me that every LCR operative has the same kind of background as you?”

  “Hell, I hope not … since mine really sucked. But yes, though I don’t know any details and don’t want to, I know for a fact that Noah rescued them from some kind of horrific circumstance, and he gave them a choice, just as he did me.”

  “But what if they said no?”

  “I only know of a few who have and he did what you’d expect a man like Noah to do. He helped them start a new life and went on his way.”

  “But … but not every person would be physically able to do what you do. How …?”

  “Noah believes everyone has a gift and can make a contribution, if they so choose.”

  Emotion bubbled inside her, looking for an outlet. This man who acted as though he were so unworthy was the worthiest of all men. Tears spilled from her eyes and she didn’t try to stop them. Eden knew how she felt about Noah. Now, knowing even more, made the love even deeper.

  She pulled in the careening emotions that would get her nowhere. Instead she focused on Eden’s tranquil demeanor, amazed at her serenity. “How do you just sit there, knowing that Jordan is up to his neck taking down some very bad men? Aren’t you afraid for him?”

  “I don’t allow myself to think about that. Jordan is one of the best there is and he has a lot to live for. I know he feels the same way when I’m on a mission, but we don’t allow that to eat at us.” Beautiful gray eyes took on a faraway look. “Once you’ve seen hell, you have a much greater appreciation for heaven.”

  An odd stillness permeated her body at Eden’s words. The love Eden and Jordan shared was the kind of love to last beyond death … beyond anything the mortal mind could comprehend. Without question, this was the kind of love she had for Noah.

  “Do you think I could be an LCR operative?”

  Silky white-blond hair brushed Eden’s shoulder as she cocked her head and gazed speculatively at Samara. “Do I think you could be an operative? Absolutely. You’re smart, savvy, and gutsy. Do I think Noah, the head of LCR, would ever allow that to happen? Not a chance.”

  She’d figured that, but she wanted to get Eden’s opinion. An idea was beginning to form. … It was mushy and gooey, so she didn’t mention it yet. But she had been through a hell of a lot the last few days and other than wishing with all her heart she’d been a six-foot, four-inch, three-hundred-pound linebacker so she could kick the shit out of Mitchell and his men, she’d handled herself pretty well. With the proper training, what could she accomplish?

  She would wait because despite everything, she still prayed Noah would come to his senses and realize what they could have with each other. If he didn’t, then she’d damn well convince him in another way.

  Noah pushed the car door open and stepped out. A man of medium height with thinning, brown hair and cool, mean eyes stared at him. Since four men surrounded him with automatic weapons, the small man in the middle would be none other than Thomas Bennett, human trafficker, murderer, and all around evil bastard.

  As the truck rolled into place inside the warehouse, Noah plastered on his best Mitch impersonation and held out his hand. “Mr. Bennett … good to see you again.”

  As Bennett shook his hand, his eyes flickered over the bruise on Noah’s face. “Looks like you had a little trouble.”

  A cocky Mitch smile. “One of my employees got a little out of hand. He got in a good shot. I got in the last one.”

  “Good. So no real trouble?”

  “Naw.” Noah gestured toward the truck. “We got fifteen of the finest young bitches you ever set eyes on.”

  A slimy, lascivious look slid over Bennett’s broad face. “I’ll be the judge of that.” He jerked his head to the back of the truck. “Open it.”

  Jumping up on the rear of the truck, Noah slid the door open. Jordan and ten other armed LCR operatives, with weapons on ready, jumped down. Bennett and the four men with him were completely surrounded.

  His face flushed with fury, he whirled toward Noah.

  “What the hell …?”

  “Change of plans, asshole.”

  “You’re making a major mistake, Mitch. One that’ll cost you big. Nobody betrays Thomas Bennett and lives to tell about it.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing Mitchell’s in jail, isn’t it?”

  “Whaddaya mean? You’re Mitchell.”

  “Wrong again.” Allowing a small smile to lift his lips, he added, “The name’s Noah McCall. I think you’ve heard of me.” Without taking his eyes from Bennett’s shocked face, he addressed the men beside him. “Get the equipment out and set it up in that small office behind you.”

  Thomas Bennett huffed and puffed beside him. His arms in restraints, he could do nothing but watch while Noah’s people went to work. When the portable heart monitor was rolled from the truck, Bennett’s eyes widened. A good setup for what was to come.

  “Jordan, why don’t you and Dylan escort Mr. Bennett into the office and get him comfortable?”

  He looked at the remaining LCR people. “Take these four gentlemen and lock them in the truck. We’ll chat with them later.”

  Bennett locked his body, refusing to walk. Jordan and Dylan each grabbed an arm and carried him inside the small room.

  Going over to a small corner in the warehouse, Noah took a minute to prepare. Gearing himself up for what lay ahead. This was his least favorite part, but it had to be done. There were at least a dozen children, if not more, in Mexico and Brazil, praying for rescue. He was determined to do what he could to bring them home. According to Mitch, Bennett had other side businesses going, t
oo. They would learn about all of them today. By the time they were through, Thomas Bennett would be sharing every secret he’d had since grade school.

  Bennett was already tied to a chair and gagged when Noah entered. Jordan had hooked him up to the heart monitor and a blood pressure cuff was wrapped loosely around his arm. A small television set, along with Noah’s interrogation tools, sat beside him on a table.

  Bennett’s nervous eyes flickered back and forth from Noah to the table. He’d probably be cursing if it weren’t for the tape over his mouth. They’d tear it off soon enough, but fear of the unknown was an important part of interrogation. By the time he finished with the initial questioning, hopefully Bennett would be in the mood to sing.

  Pulling a chair in front of their prisoner, Noah slumped into it and crossed his legs. “Here’s the thing, Tommy boy. We’ve shut down this little operation, but we know about the two similar ones you had before. I’m sure, like any good businessman, you’ve kept records. So, we’re going to want to see those records. And we know you have some other things going. We’ll want to know about those, too. If you want to make it easy on yourself and avoid any pain, then cooperate. We’ll save a lot of time and you’ll save yourself a hell of a lot of hurt.”

  Bennett’s eyes glared hatred as he gave a violent shake of his head.

  “Normally, I don’t like to hurt people, but I’m more than willing to make an exception with you.” Noah leaned forward and locked eyes with him. “Tell us … before it’s too late.”

  Bennett mumbled something. Noah stripped the tape from his mouth.

  “Go to hell, you son of a bitch. I’m not going to tell you anything. I’ll kill you for this, you good-for-nothing piece of slime-sucking—”

  Jordan slapped a fresh piece of tape over the screaming mouth.

  Noah sighed. “Tommy, gotta say, I’m a bit disappointed in you. I really thought you’d be smart enough to know you don’t have a choice.” Noah picked up a hypodermic needle and pushed out the air. Jordan held the wild-eyed, squirming man while Noah injected the drug into his vein.

  His voice gentle, Noah explained what was about to happen. “The first few seconds, you’ll feel a little flush go through your body. Not too unpleasant, but that’s just a setup for what’s to come in about a minute.”