by Kelly Moore
I hear Miles laugh from behind me, a deep, menacing sound. Without thinking, I snatch up the gun that John slid over and spin around, pulling the trigger without even aiming. The gun fires and the bullet hits him in the shoulder, his white jacket staining crimson.
Before I can process what is happening, he’s lunging for me. The gun flies from my hand and slides across the deck, into the ocean, as Jake jumps toward Miles, knocking him away from me.
I crawl over to John while Jake and Miles fight for the one remaining gun. I place my hand on either side of his face, and his head lulls lifelessly to the side. “John!” I scream. His eyes flutter open.
“Brook, I’m sorry,” he whispers.
I shake my head, with tears running down my cheeks. “Stay with me, John. We’ll get you help.”
He nods slightly before his eyes close completely.
“John! No!” I apply pressure to his chest wound and grab his wrist to feel for a pulse. There’s nothing.
He’s gone.
My head falls to his chest, and I continue to cry, to plead and beg for him to come back to me, but it does no good.
John is gone.
The commotion going on around me brings me back to the present. Someone has the gun and is firing. Jake rushes to me, limping while his pant leg soaks with blood. He sees me and then his eyes fall to John. He collapses at his side.
“He’s gone,” I tell him.
Another shot goes off, and I realize that it is Miles who has the gun. I turn to look for him, but he’s hiding around the corner.
I lean over and press a kiss to John’s dry lips. I feel no air passing them. My eyes fill with more tears, and my chest feels constricted. I hold his hand in mine, not wanting to ever let him go.
“Come on. We have to go before we all end up dead,” Jake says as we crawl toward the railing. Just before we jump over the side, two agents rush the door with their guns drawn.
“I love you, John.” I stand and take a step back.
Jake places his arm around my shoulder and pulls me against his chest. “He knows,” he whispers. “He would be so proud of you and little J here.” He fluffs his dark hair, and John looks up at him with a scowl.
We both laugh. “That look right there is his father.” I bend down and pick him up. “Are you ready to go cook out?”
John claps his hands together.
The three of us walk back to the house, and I place John in the outside play yard while Jake gets busy firing up the grill. “Do you have any lighter fluid?”
“No, but I can run down to the corner and grab some. Keep an eye on John?”
He nods before walking over to him and climbing inside the play yard with him. I watch as they roll a ball back and forth.
Jake is so good with John. He comes over to visit him almost every day. They play together just to give me a little time to myself. Being a single mother isn’t easy, but with Jake living next door, it’s much easier.
Jake and I both promised John that we would take care of each other if anything happened to him, and we’ve lived up to that promise. I couldn’t imagine my life without Jake in it. He’s become more than the brother of the man I love. He’s like my brother now too, and I know he will make such a difference in his nephew’s life.
Smiling to myself, I turn and head into the garage. Pulling out the spare key to the MV-Augusta, I climb on and fire it up. I pull on my helmet and put the bike in gear. I swear I can feel him every time I get on this bike.
There are times when I just come and sit in the garage and look over all his bikes. They were the first thing I made sure to move. Finding his letter on the Augusta nearly crippled me, but I’ve carried it with me every day since.
It’s been two years ago today that we lost him, and not a day goes by that I don’t think of him. I miss the feel of his rough fingertips gliding down my neck as he slowly moved in for a kiss. I miss the way his brow would furrow and his eyes would narrow whenever he was in deep thought or when he felt challenged. But most of all, I miss his strength. He was the strongest man I’d ever known. He fought for what he believed in and loved with everything he had.
As I speed down the road, I think about how far we have come. The world is nearly cancer free now, and that’s all thanks to John.
He may have died, but he didn’t die in vain. He saved millions of people by protecting me and the cure. He gave me the best gift anyone could ask for.
He gave me protection.
He gave me love.
And, he gave me a piece of him.
He gave me my son.
K.B. Andrews’s Acknowledgments
First of all, I want to thank Kelly Moore. Without you, this book wouldn’t have been possible. I came to you with an idea, and because of you, it turned into so much more. It’s a better story than I could’ve imagined, and that’s all because of you!
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My hubby, I love you so much and want to say thank you for supporting this crazy dream of mine even if you don’t understand it. Thank you for everything you do for us.
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To my kids, I love you both so much. You’re getting so big, and you make me proud every day. Always remember, anything is possible.
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To the ladies in the Piece of Forever group. You guys are awesome and never stop surprising me. I love reading all your comments and messages. Thank you all for your kindness and support.
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To my best friend, Sarah, thanks for being you.
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To my parents, I love you both and thank you for everything.
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To Dusty, at Reviews by Reds, thanks for becoming a good friend and joining my review team! I hope you like this one!!
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And to my readers, thank you for all your love and support! I couldn’t do this without you!
Kelly Moore’s Acknowledgments
Thank you, K.B. Andrews. This has to be one of the most exciting books that I’ve ever written. I loved that neither one of us knew what the other was going to write, then we had to play off each other and create a story. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next chapter. You are an amazing author, and you pushed me to do better, to be more creative. I can only hope our readers enjoy it as much as we both enjoyed writing it.
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Always, to my hubby, thank you for always encouraging me, especially when I want to throw in the towel. I love you for supporting my crazy dream.
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To my daughter, for helping me come up with cover ideas and being honest about the outcomes. Thank you for taking the time to read my books and always being positive. I love you with all my heart.
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To our Facebook group, Pieces of Forever Romance, thank you for sharing and supporting us and putting up with our silly antics. I appreciate each and every one of you.
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To my readers, reviewers, and bloggers, you encourage me and teach me something new almost every day. I couldn’t continue to publish great books without your input. Thank you.
Also By Kelly Moore
Broken Pieces
Pieced Together
Piece by Piece
Pieces of Gray
Syn’s Broken Journey
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Next August
This August
Seeing Sam
Taking Down Brooklyn
Also by K.B. Andrews
The Chance Series
A Chance at Forever
A Second Chance at Forever
Our Last Chance at Forever
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Standalones
Finding You in the Darkness
Losing a Piece of Me
Taking Down Brooklyn
Stalk Us!
K.B. Andrews Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkbandrews/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorKBAndrews
Webpage: https://
authorkbandrews.wixsite.com/authorkbandrews
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Kelly Moore’s Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenpiecesbookseries/?ref=br_rs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellymoorebp
Webpage: www.kellymooreauthor.com