by Dale Mayer
Chapter 14
She was back in the compound, even though she had protested how she was perfectly capable of going to the clinic. Instead they’d hauled her straight back here. Nancy had called in Jimmy to take her spot, giving the briefest of explanations. Now Alfred appeared to be in his element: fussing over her. Ice had cleaned the wound, determined it didn’t need any stitches, but, because it would look ugly if it wasn’t closed properly, she popped in a couple while Louise watched.
“You’re very good at that.”
Ice smiled. “I probably have more field experience than you have clinical experience.”
Louise nodded. “Sometimes life is like that, isn’t it?”
“You did good,” Ice said. “Happy to have you on my team any day.”
Louise smiled, feeling the warmth of friendship she hadn’t expected. She hadn’t really expected to find any of this actually. She’d spent the last five busy years building a business. After she had completed her education, it had seemed like a natural progression. But she hadn’t imagined that progression to take every waking moment of her day. Between staffing issues and building new clients who came and went, she’d found herself working all the time.
Until she saw the camaraderie and friendships that had formed at Levi’s compound, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted more of that in her life. And how much else she might have missed out on because she’d been so focused on work. As much as she wanted these people as friends, she didn’t want them to look at her and always see a woman in need.
She said as much to Ice.
Ice looked at her in surprise and chuckled. “That’ll never happen. We are a fully vibrant, dynamic unit. Everybody here has a place. We don’t knock Bailey because she doesn’t want to go out on a mission because her mission is in the kitchen, and we are all delighted to eat her efforts. Everybody here has a place, and everybody here revels in doing what it is they are good at. They have to learn a lot of things they aren’t good at too,” Ice said quietly. “It’s part of living in a compound that has been under attack before. We all have alarm stations to go to. We all have things we do in emergency situations.” She smiled, stood and said, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll fit in just fine.”
Louise wasn’t sure what that meant. But Rory stepped around the corner and smiled at her. “Ice said I could come in.”
He held a wiggling puppy who, even though she was full of energy, was also fighting off sleep. It was the nature of a young animal. They played and played until they dropped. Louise wondered if it wasn’t the nature of all the animals here. She reached out her arms for the puppy. As soon as the puppy was transferred to her, she dropped her head and just cuddled her.
“This is Rose,” Rory said.
Louise raised an eyebrow. “It’s probably not a good idea to name them.”
“Too late,” Rory said. “As far as I’m concerned, this gal’s mine.”
“Only if Levi lets you keep him, right?”
“Well, there are six of them. Michael wants one, and he’s got his own place. Of course Flynn and Anna have their own place but don’t need any more animals. Alfred is insisting on two. A couple of the guys who will live in the apartments want to have one. I highly suspect not one of these pups will leave this complex.”
She shook her head. “Then we better get them fixed and fast.”
He chuckled. “Exactly.”
She handed the big-bellied Rose back to Rory and said, “Interesting that you chose her.”
“Oh, why?” Rory asked. “I’m not sure I chose her as much as she chose me.”
“That’s the thing, isn’t it? I was there that day you arrived. She’s the one that waddled over to you as if she already knew you would be a sucker for her.”
He gently cuddled the sleeping pup in his arms and said, “I didn’t realize how prophetic that day would be. But now that I look back on it …”
She hopped off the gurney. Even though Ice had given her some topical anesthetic, her arm was stinging pretty good. She focused on him and tried to keep any evidence of pain from registering on her face. She titled her head at him and raised her eyebrows.
“Because that’s also the same day I met you,” Rory said. “I didn’t understand Levi’s words at the time. He said something to me after you left about me fitting right in, and I might as well just get used to it. And I’ve come to realize what he meant.”
She stopped and stared at him, now with a frown crinkling her forehead. “Explain?”
“Everybody here is paired up. Everybody here has met somebody very special in their life, most of them while they were working at the compound. I didn’t understand that’s what he meant at the time, but I do now. Because he’s right. I do fit in. And he’s right in another way. I will get used to it.”
Suspicious now, she narrowed her gaze and said, “What’s it?”
“Having you in my life,” he said quietly. “Having a relationship with you and seeing where it goes. Seeing if we can find the same magic everybody else here has already found.”
She smiled, the corner of her lips tilting up. She hadn’t dared hope he would have the same kind of feelings she had. That he appeared to was almost beyond believable. She felt truly blessed.
“What’s that smile for?” he asked. “You know, when a guy starts talking about his feelings, you are supposed to at least reassure him or give him the cold shoulder, so he knows where he stands.”
She chuckled. “I’m glad you finally told me where you stand.”
“Hey, that’s not fair,” he protested. “You haven’t told me yet where you stand.”
She shook her head and wrapped her good arm around him. “Sure I did, when I invited you into my shower last night.”
“But that wasn’t …” and then he stopped and said, “Oh, that’s why it took five years.”
She nodded. “Exactly. I don’t love lightly. But, when I do love, I love deep.”
With Rose tucked into his arm, he closed the other one around Louise and held her close. “In that case I’m doubly blessed.”
She whispered against his heart, “And so am I.”
Epilogue
Brandon Horton wasn’t sure what to make of Legendary Security. He’d been here two days, and so many people had been coming and going, it was hard to keep track of who was who. And then there were the puppies. Six of them. Although several were going to individual apartments on the property when they were old enough. But all the homes were connected to the men here.
Brandon only really felt comfortable in a chair propped up against the back wall out of the way. The trouble was, they weren’t letting him stay there. Then Michael, and Rory sporting his new cowboy hat, had stuck close to not make him feel isolated.
Ice had walked over several times to get him to fill out paperwork. He’d done that and had passed it back and then continued to stay quiet in the background. He was getting paid, but he sure as hell didn’t know why or what for. He’d expected to be shipped out on a job immediately, but so far that hadn’t happened.
The phone rang in the house. He wasn’t even sure who was supposed to answer it. He knew it wasn’t him. He barely knew what was going on from day to day.
When Ice walked in, her tone clipped and urgent, the atmosphere shifted. Something was up. She turned on the big screen in the kitchen and hit an alarm on the side of the door. People poured into the room. He pulled farther back, watching curiously.
An image filled the screen.
“Kasha, you’re on the screen. Go ahead.”
“Ice, Bullard has gone missing,” said a tall, lean young woman with long black hair, worry creasing her face and fatigue pulling on her features. “Six days ago, five of us traveled to his new property on the Tunisian border. He said he wanted to stay for another day alone. Get a feel for it. So he sent us away. We expected him back the next day, but when the pilot landed to pick him up, there was no sign of him. He hasn’t answered his comm. Our men are out on multiple
missions, so we’re shorthanded here.”
“We’ll send four men. Two from here but Merk and Stone are in Europe. They’ll arrive within a few hours of each other.”
Brandon watched the relief light up Kasha’s eyes. With her long dark hair and slightly honey-toned skin, she was a knockout. He could see some of the room behind her. It looked like the command center of a big military operation. He’d never seen anything like it in a personal home.
“How long?” Kasha asked in clipped tones.
Ice looked at her watch as if mentally calculating and said, “Twelve hours for the first pair. Faster if I can.”
Kasha looked like she wanted to argue, then conceded quietly.
“In the meantime,” Ice said, “gather as much information as you can. Who saw him last? Where? Did he have plans to go anywhere? What is his weapons situation like? Understand?”
“Understood.” Kasha clicked something in front of her, and the screen went dark.
Levi stepped up beside Ice, their two heads bent in conversation.
Brandon watched the others explain about Bullard to those who weren’t in the know. He actually knew Bullard, had met him a couple times. Not Kasha. He’d have remembered her.
Ice walked out of the room, Levi behind her. Brandon grabbed another cup of coffee and watched to see what, if anything, would come of this. After another hour, he headed to his room.
Levi caught up with him in the hallway. “Brandon, in three hours, you’re leaving for the airport.”
“Where am I going?” he asked, interested to see what his future with the company would hold. He’d been afraid he’d be stuck babysitting stars in California.
“Africa to find Bullard. And the time frame is yesterday.”
And just like that Levi was gone.
This concludes Book 12 of Heroes for Hire: Rory’s Rose.
Book 13 is available here.
Brandon’s Bliss: Heroes for Hire, Book 13
Buy this book at Google Play.
Reconnect with unforgettable secondary characters from SEALs of Honor in a brand-new spin-off series. Previously Levi and his team were caught unaware by a cartel in Mexico and suffered the consequences of betrayal. That event drove Levi to establish his own company, Legendary Securities, on property inherited from a reclusive uncle. In the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he employs former SEALs he trusts implicitly to work with him on dangerous, covert private missions.
Brandon, the newest member of Levi’s team at Legendary Securities, heads to Africa. Bullard purchased a new holding there, but, shortly after arriving, went missing.
Kasha has worked for Bullard for five years. She’s familiar with most of those who work for Legendary as well. Brandon proves his worth almost immediately, planning her boss’s rescue and staying right by her side in the days that follow while they determine what imbroglio Bullard’s stepped into. Accident or a deal gone horribly wrong, it seems Bullard was running guns and now his newest holding is under attack. Their emotions, heightened by danger, run hot as Brandon positions himself instinctively at Kasha’s side—which is exactly where he hopes to be permanently if they can just find a way out of this rapidly escalating mess.
Heroes for Hire Series
Levi’s Legend: Heroes for Hire, Book 1
Stone’s Surrender: Heroes for Hire, Book 2
Merk’s Mistake: Heroes for Hire, Book 3
Rhodes’s Reward: Heroes for Hire, Book 4
Flynn’s Firecracker: Heroes for Hire, Book 5
Logan’s Light: Heroes for Hire, Book 6
Harrison’s Heart: Heroes for Hire, Book 7
Saul’s Sweetheart: Heroes for Hire, Book 8
Dakota’s Delight: Heroes for Hire, Book 9
Tyson’s Treasure: Heroes for Hire, Book 10
Jace’s Jewel: Heroes for Hire, Book 11
Rory’s Rose: Heroes for Hire, Book 12
Brandon’s Bliss: Heroes for Hire, Book 13
Heroes for Hire, Books 1–3
Heroes for Hire, Books 4–6
Heroes for Hire, Books 7–9
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading. By now many of you have read my explanation of how I love to see Star Ratings. The only catch is that we as authors have no idea what you think of a book if it’s not reviewed. And yes, every book in a series needs reviews. All it takes is as little as two words: Fun Story. Yep, that’s all. So, if you enjoyed reading, please take a second to let others know you enjoyed it.
For those of you who have not read a previous book and have no idea why we authors keep asking you as a reader to take a few minutes to leave even a two word review, here’s more explanation of reviews in this crazy business.
Reviews (not just ratings) help authors qualify for advertising opportunities and help other readers make purchasing decisions. Without triple digit reviews, an author may miss out on valuable advertising opportunities. And with only “star ratings” the author has little chance of participating in certain promotions. Which means fewer sales offered to my favorite readers!
Another reason to take a minute and leave a review is that often a few kind words left in a review can make a huge difference to an author and their muse. Recently new to reviewing fans have left a few words after reading a similar letter and they were tonic to a tired muse! LOL Seriously. Star ratings simply do not have the same impact to thank or encourage an author when the writing gets tough.
So please consider taking a moment to write even a handful of words. Writing a review only takes a few minutes of your time. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy book report, just a few words expressing what you enjoyed most about the story. Here are a few tips of how to leave a review.
Please continue to rate the books as you read, but take an extra moment and pop over to the review section and leave a few words too!
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Cheers,
Dale Mayer
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