by Avery Gale
Jax’s group text to the team had reached them as they’d been packing to leave Costa Rica last night and it had only taken them a couple of hours to secure the equipment they’d needed. Pressing the ear bud in, he listened as Heckle and Jeckle ordered their drinks and flirted with the barmaid. He was about to decide they weren’t an issue when their attention returned to Jen. The more he heard, the more grateful Sam was he’d insisted their equipment “live feed” back to Micah because there wasn’t any doubt these guys were responsible for the missing American student.
*****
Micah listened to the live feed from Costa Rica was glad he’d decided to record it when the men who had been following Jen began discussing their boss’s plans for the two young women. He’d immediately sent messages to both Kent and Kyle requesting their help in the control room. Micah knew Jen was safe as soon as Sam and Sage had reported in that they were “eyes on with their target”. What they hadn’t known was just how close they’d come to being too late. One more day…hell a few more hours, would have made all the difference. And none of their team was foolish enough to tempt fate a second time—Jen was leaving Costa Rica no matter how hard she argued with Jax. But first, they needed to make sure someone got Danielle Brandt out of Raphael Baldamino’s compound and safely back in her family’s care. And Gracie’s knowledge of the layout of the man’s home and the grounds surrounding it were going to be invaluable to the rest of the team he knew was already headed that way. Hang in there, Danielle, the Calvary is on its way.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jen listened as Jax detailed all the reasons he had already planned for her return to Texas, and silently fumed. Sure, his reasoning was sound. Hell, it was probably even logical, but that didn’t mean it didn’t piss her off to no end that he’d already made all the arrangements without so much as even asking her opinion. When she was finally able to squeeze in a word and made that observation, he’d directed her to check her phone’s history for all the missed texts and calls. Deciding that she’d formulate a plan of escape before his SEAL pals showed up, she finally managed to get him off the phone by pleading a dead battery. Sighing to herself, she got up and moved back toward the lobby.
Her room was on the second floor so she took the stairs, the elevator was just too unreliable and creepy. The wide staircase curved gently and had a wide landing halfway up featuring a small seating area. It gave the lobby an old world feeling of days gone by when life was slower paced and a lot more formal. Not that the Costa Ricans ever seemed to be in a hurry or that formality seemed anything they were interested in, but she still appreciated the ambiance of the old hotel. Stepping into the hallway, she pulled her key from her front pocket just as she felt hands grasp her upper arms in a bruising grip that warned she’d made a huge error by not paying attention. Crap on a cookie, Jax is going bitch about this forever.
“Señorita, not a sound. Let’s go.” They’d all but picked her clear up off the floor so any attempt to run was out of the question.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I’m not going anywhere with you two ass clowns.” Jen opened her mouth to scream just as everything seemed to explode all around her. Suddenly the hands that had been tightened around her upper arms loosened and fell away at the same time she heard thuds and grunts as the men dropped like stones. The first hands were quickly replaced by two others and even though the grip wasn’t as punishing, she still found herself on her tiptoes.
“Let’s go, darlin’. Give Sage your key. We’ll give you three minutes to pack out.” True to form, Jen stiffened at the man’s audacity, but at the same time she was grateful for the help because this guy was definitely American. Her mind was so programmed to assess language that she’d known immediately he was not only a native Texan, but she’d likely be able to pinpoint his hometown within a hundred mile radius. Definitely eastern Texas, my bet’s on Houston.
*****
Sam McCall felt a surge of electricity race up his arm the instant his fingers had connected with Jen’s softly tanned flesh. A quick glance to his right told him Sage had felt it too. He’d wanted to kick the asses of the two thugs who had followed her into the lobby and his anger had escalated when they’d followed her up the wide stairway. And the little doll needs her ass paddled for not being more aware of her surroundings as well. Christ, it fucking terrifies me to think about what might have happened if we hadn’t been here. Hell, we’d be looking for two women instead of one.
Sage had slipped the key from between her clenched fingers as Sam had told her she’d have three minutes to pack up her things. Distract and conquer. The instant he noticed she’d kicked off her sandals, he growled knowing exactly what the tiny tigress was planning. And as if she’d known the perfect moment, she’d shoved her pointed elbow into his ribs, squirmed from Sage’s grip, and sprinted up the hall. Sam caught her in four steps—two more than it should have taken, but she’d actually stunned him for an instant with her quick jab. Sam heard Sage’s chuckle as he opened the door and headed into her room.
“Put me down you big oaf. God save me from gulf coast jockeys and SEALs.” What? How the hell did she know where I’m from? Three fucking sentences and she knows where I’m from? Damn.
Sage was already talking on his phone when he carried the whirling dervish into the room. “Yeah, we’ve got her. Heckle and Jeckle tried a snatch and grab, but we were only a couple of steps behind them. We’ve given sweet cheeks three minutes to pack out and she’s already wasted a good share of that hissin’ and spittin’ at me like a pissed off kitten.” Sam laughed when Jen crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping her foot. Oh doll, if you think we were kidding about the time deadline you best be thinkin’ again and getting that curvy ass into motion.
Sam leaned against the door of her room and watched as she tried to take the phone from Sage’s hands. It took everything in him to keep from laughing at the sight of Miss Five Foot Nothing trying to snatch the phone from his brother. Sage was within an inch of his own six foot three inch frame so she really was fighting a losing battle. “I’ll show you hissing and spitting, you Neanderthal crawdad cowboy. Give me that damned phone.” Sam wasn’t sure whether it had been her words or the dumbfounded look on Sage’s face, but he lost the battle and burst out laughing.
*****
Gracie sat in the West brothers’ office and listened to the men discuss the American student who had disappeared in Costa Rica and her heart sank. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe Raphael hadn’t expanded his business to human trafficking because it would have been a logical step for someone as warped as she knew he was. She hadn’t been able to tell Micah and Jax everything she’d seen and heard while she’d been held at the Baldamino estate because her mind had blocked so many of the details for so long that her memory had seemed sketchy and she hadn’t wanted to seem like a flake. But recently, her subconscious started bubbling with details and as she listened now, more pieces of the puzzle emerged and for a few minutes she worried she might actually be physically ill. One of the maids had described the parties Raphael held at various locations around the estate and the sexually deviant acts were certainly not consensual.
Thinking about Raphael setting up a sex club where she was certain the safe, sane, and consensual rule wouldn’t be adhered to, sent shudders up Gracie’s spine. She listened as Jax answered his phone, it was obvious he’d been expecting the call and she hoped his friends had found Elza’s friend. Watching as his worry lines smoothed away and were replaced by a boyish grin, Gracie felt herself release a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.
Micah leaned over and squeezed her hand, “Baby, I know Jax as well as I know myself and I can tell you that smile means Miss Jen isn’t taking any shit from the guys we sent to escort her home. I can hardly wait to hear about it.” Gracie had turned to him when he’d started speaking and the softness in his expression spoke volumes to her about how fond both men were of Jen. Just as she started to speak, his phone
chirped in his pocket. “Drake,” his one word answer had told Gracie that Micah had shifted to all business in the blink of an eye. “Hot damn. Yes, if she and her family want to come back on the McDonald’s jet, have them call Jax so he can coordinate it. That’s great news, thanks for calling.” He’d paused and then his smile had gotten much more strained and Gracie felt her anxiety begin to accelerate again. “Okay. Yes, we appreciate the heads up. Better to know than to see it on CNN. Hey, I’m not going to lie to you, this doesn’t break my heart and doubt anyone else will give a rat’s ass either.”
By the time Micah had stopped talking, Gracie was wringing her hands together. Once Jax had confirmed the McCall brothers had indeed made contact with Jen everyone in the room turned their attention to Micah.
Micah explained that Danielle Brandt had been found wandering along a back road a few miles from Baldamino’s estate. She was dehydrated and obviously had been beaten, but she’d been able to escape and walk over the rocky road barefoot until she’d been found by a local minister. Everyone had cheered, but it hadn’t been hard to see that Micah wasn’t finished relaying what he’d heard.
Listening to Micah describe the little bit of information he’d been given about the fiery explosion over the Costa Rican rainforest that had claimed the life of Raphael Baldamino had felt surreal. Gracie couldn’t seem to sort out all the emotions rushing through her mind simultaneously. A part of her felt guilty for the joy she felt knowing she was finally free of the man who had cast a shadow over her life for more than ten years, but the relief she felt for her family and friends’ safety was nearly overwhelming.
The room erupted into shouts of congratulations, which quickly turned to planning and phone calls to arrange for the rescued young woman and her family to return to U.S. soil. Gracie found herself sitting on the sofa wrapped in Tobi’s embrace as she cried tears of relief. Looking up into her friend’s eyes, all she could say was, “I can’t believe it’s finally over. After all these years…I’m finally free.”
Tobi pulled back and looked at her with a rare intensity before saying, “You’ve always been free, Gracie. You always had the power within you to feel that freedom, it has never depended on that asshat. And don’t you dare forget that everything you’ve ever dreamed of is within your reach, and there are two men in this room that very much want to help you reach every one of your dreams.”
Epilogue
Four months later
Gracie lay back in soaking up the warm sunshine sipping her drink and twirling the paper umbrella between her fingers as she watched Jax and Micah race jet skis just off the coast with their friends. Her men had been asked to participate in a ceremony honoring a fallen teammate and the three of them had taken a little extra time to unwind while they’d been in San Diego. Gracie had instantly fallen in love with southern California. It was the first time she’d been able to visit the waters of her beloved Pacific since she’d fled Costa Rica so long ago. It felt wonderful to bask in the gentle ocean breeze and relax in the salty familiarity surrounding the ocean.
The past few weeks had been a flurry of activity filled with wedding planners, fittings, questions about a thousand details Gracie just hadn’t been able to manage to care about. She’d finally abandoned everything to Tobi, Lilly, and “the mothers”, as they were quickly becoming known. Her own mother had quickly bonded with both Jax’s and Micah’s mothers, and watching her mom and brother blossom had been one of the biggest blessings to come out of the chaos surrounding her. Well, except for the two men she was slated to marry in less than a week.
Waving as the men zipped past her yet again, Gracie couldn’t believe how much her life had changed since the night of the fire in Tobi’s apartment. She’d be moving into her own beautiful home this next week and their new home took her breath away every time she walked through the door. The remodeling of the building had been completed in record time and Gracie had gotten a fast lesson in how quickly money could speed things along. Lilly had helped coordinate that project as well and it had quickly become obvious why the men had allowed her to “help”. It seemed no one was able to say “no” to Hurricane Lilly and stick to it. Gracie had watched in awe one afternoon as the woman had dealt with electricians, flooring specialists, and florists with the same iron-willed grace. The irony that Kyle and Kent West had married a woman so much like their mother hadn’t been lost on Gracie.
She’d been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t even noticed one of the nearby bar’s servers standing beside her chair holding a tray. There was something about the young man’s unease that had her sitting up straight. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Miss, but I’ve been tasked with delivering this to you. The gentleman who left it, declined to leave his name. He assured me you would know who it was from.”
When he lowered the tray, Gracie felt all of the air leave her lungs. Her entire body began to tremble and she couldn’t breathe. A single red rose lay diagonally across the tray…and it was the last thing she saw before everything faded to black.
The End
Books by Avery Gale
Published with JK Publishing, Inc.:
The Wolf Pack Series
Mated
Fated Magic
Coming Soon - Book Three
Masters of the Prairie Winds Club
Out of the Storm
Saving Grace
Coming Soon – Book Three
Published with other publishing companies:
The ShadowDance Club
Katarina’s Return – Book One
Jenna’s Submission – Book Two
Rissa’s Recovery – Book Three
Trace Tori – Book Four
Reborn as Bree – Book Five
Red Clouds Dancing – Book Six
Perfect Picture – Book Seven
Club Isola
Capturing Callie – Book One
Healing Holly – Book Two
Claiming Abby – Book Three
I would love to hear from you!
Website: http://www.averygalebooks.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avery.gale.3?fref=ts
Twitter: @avery_gale
Excerpt from Fated Magic
The Wolf Pack Book Two
by Avery Gale
Kit paced the length of her husbands’ office like a caged animal during the entire meeting regarding the boy her mother simply referred to as Braden. Jameson hadn’t hesitated a moment in his agreement to take the teenager in and the rest of the meeting had been taken up with logistics and planning for his safety as well as the safety of everyone else living at the estate. Kit was in favor of taking him in and knew her friend well enough to know where he’d be staying once he arrived. It was obvious that Angie had felt a very real connection to the young man and Kit was relieved that everyone was rallying around him. Her restlessness had nothing to do with Braden…no her frustration was directed entirely at her two Alpha mates.
Trying to tell me that I have to wait for the next full moon to run. Damn wolves think they can rule the world just because they are the Alphas of the pack. Don’t think so, fellas, I am running tonight if I have to leap out of a damned window naked and fly into the forest on a damned broom. She’d always detested the image of witches on brooms because it was about the most ridiculous bit of imagination in history if you asked Kit. Brooms? Really? Like any self-respecting witch needed a damned broom.
Spending the past four months cooped up in the estate was taking a toll on her sanity and if she didn’t get out soon she was going to be a loon. At first she’d been too busy with the babies to worry about the fact she often spent the entire day in her pajamas. But the only thing that had kept a lid on her growing frustration was the fact she’d been spending a lot of quality time in the gym expending copious amounts of energy in every sort of physical outlet she could find. Well, all but the one she wanted to be enjoying. Her husbands had, for some reason, decided vanilla sex was more acceptable for a “mother” and she wa
s seriously considering drowning them both.
How can anyone who can be replaced by a battery operated device consider himself the Lord and Master of his Kingdom? I didn’t even get a honeymoon. Nope I went straight from caught to mated to knocked up. Once they got what they wanted all was well in the Wolf brothers little Alpha paradise. Whoever decided men should be the leaders of a pack or any other group really needed to study ancient history. Fat fairies will fly over Philly before I settle for vanilla sex for the rest of my life. It’s just mean. Show me all the fun of kink and then take it away? I don’t fucking think so.
She’d finally received the go-ahead from the doctors to shift and run tonight and then Jameson had “suggested” that she wait until the next full moon because of the meeting she was currently ignoring. Well she’d be showing them a thing or two in a couple of hours because she had already made arrangements for the twins to spend the night with a couple of their nannies and she planned to make an appearance in the forest come hell or spell.
Excerpt from A Place for Her
Hades Temple Book One
by Lynn Ray Lewis
As Ventura walked into the building that her father helped build, she tried to feel a sense of pride. Not an ounce would come to her call. She didn’t remember the place at all. She told herself it was just as well she had no emotional ties to the company. Obviously, the building had been redecorated and refitted several times over the last twenty years. Everything was sleekly modern and shiny. Even the reception desk was new, and the receptionist was a man who tried to stop her from entering the elevator to get to the fourth floor.