Love Inspired Suspense July 2015 #2

by Terri Reed

  Daniel slid the windowpane all the way up.

  “Come with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her back through the attic, away from the window. “I have a plan—”

  “Plan? What plan?”

  “No time to explain.” He turned them back toward the window. “Just get ready to jump.”

  “What?”

  Jump? What kind of plan is—

  “Go!”

  She felt the pull of his hand on hers and held on to him tight.

  They ran, pelting across the attic floor.

  The window grew closer.

  “Lord, You are our ever-present help in danger… Now!”

  Daniel leaped through the window. Olivia followed one footstep later.

  They plunged through the air. Then hit the top of the porch. The sagging wood smacked hard against her body. The breath was knocked from her lungs. She lost hold of Daniel’s hand.

  The roof gave way and they fell through. Wood splintered around them.

  Jesse glanced up in horror as Daniel, Olivia and the entire porch roof fell in on top of him.

  Lord! Save us! Please don’t let us die—

  But porch beams crumpled in around them before she could finish the prayer.

  TWENTY

  “Olivia? Olivia!” Daniel scrambled over the broken pile of timber that had been his front porch, searching the wreckage. He couldn’t see Olivia anywhere. “Shout if you can hear me!”

  Oh, Lord, where is she? Was she buried underneath all this? Is she even still alive?

  There was a groan to his left. He turned. Jesse was trapped under a support beam.

  Daniel picked his way over quickly and checked Jesse’s pulse. It was strong, and there was no visible head trauma. Daniel grabbed Jesse’s hands and duct-taped them together.

  His eyes snapped open. “You’re dead. You’re both dead. When I catch you and that—”

  He slapped a piece of duct tape over Jesse’s mouth.

  Then he saw her. Olivia was lying deep inside a pile of crumbled wood. He ran toward her. Her eyes were closed. Her face was pale. Lord, please let her be okay. He knelt down and gently pulled her body out of the wreckage. He cradled her into his chest. His eyes brushed the side of her face. “Olivia? Honey? Can you hear me?”

  Green eyes fluttered open. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

  “Hey!” A smile crossed her lips but her voice was faint. “That was some plan.”

  “Yeah.” He chuckled softly. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so.” She took his hand and tried to pull herself to her feet. A cry escaped her lips. She fell back onto the wood. “I hurt my ankle.”

  “Hopefully it’s not broken, just sprained.” He slid his arms under her limbs and picked her up. He carried her through the rubble and out into the trees. “We’ll get you to the car and to a hospital.”

  Her hands slid around his neck. Her heart beat into his chest. “Where’s Jesse?”

  “Trapped well enough that he can’t chase us. But alive. Looks as though Jesse and the Faceless Crew will all live to face justice.”

  Branches pressed up against their bodies. Her arms tightened their grip on his neck. “When you said you had a plan, I was expecting something a little more complicated than jumping out a window and dropping a roof on top of him.”

  “Well, we didn’t have that many options.” He chuckled softly. “You’re the one who taught me it was sometimes good to be impulsive.”

  Dazzling blue spread across the sky above them. The world was silent except for the sound of his feet moving through the underbrush and her breath against his neck.

  “So now what?” she asked.

  “Now we drive to Barrie. Trent lent me a disposable cell phone. As we go, you can keep trying your sister. She’ll be so thrilled to hear your voice. Then the cops will come to arrest Jesse, Shorty and Brute. We’ll provide the authorities with some really good information. You’ll end up with a pretty major story.” He bent closer to her. “And I’ll ask you out for dinner. Somewhere you and I can sit alone, with quiet and candlelight, without anyone shooting at us and nothing exploding.”

  “Dinner?” Her breath teased his skin. “Last I heard, you just wanted to grab a quick coffee.” Her lips brushed against his jaw, sending a shiver down his spine, then up into his heart.

  He pulled her tighter into his chest. “Let’s just say I’ve realized I want to get to know you better.”

  Then, before another word could escape her mouth, he brought his mouth down toward her, and their lips met in a kiss.

  EPILOGUE

  Spring sunlight streamed through the picture windows and spilled out onto the living room floor where Olivia knelt spreading Torchlight News page proofs all over Daniel’s freshly installed hardwood floor.

  His Olivia. His bride.

  It had been six and a half months since their whirlwind romance had led to marriage. So many times, in what now felt like the distant past, he’d told himself he’d never trust his heart to another fast-burning romance. But now, as he woke up every morning amazed to find her there, asleep against his chest, he knew he’d never felt happier.

  Daniel stood in the kitchen doorway and watched her for a moment as she shuffled the papers out across the floor and back again. Less than a day after the Faceless Crew had found justice, Vince had driven all the way up to the Barrie hospital to visit the two recuperating members of his battle-weary staff.

  Olivia was shocked when Vince had told her the real reason he hadn’t seen her in the writing pool was he wanted her as a key member of his administration team, but Daniel hadn’t been surprised for a moment. Olivia wasn’t just good at one thing. She was like a firefly, shining in a million different places at once.

  “You going to come in or you just going to stand there?”

  He chuckled. “You looked busy, Madame Editor.”

  “I’m always busy, and you should see the photos Ricky’s sent me for the cover. They’re spectacular.” She glanced up and grinned. Soft red hair fell around her face. Bright eyes looked up into his, filled with far more love than he’d ever thought he’d deserved to find. “Also, I’m only an assistant editor now. Don’t have me taking over Vince’s job too soon. I’m just barely managing to juggle the number of tasks and responsibilities I have as it is.”

  “The job suits you perfectly. Anything less than constant chaos and you’d get bored.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Maybe.”

  Yeah, Vince had known exactly what he was doing when he’d made her his second-in-command. He’d never met someone so capable of juggling everything at once.

  “He says as long as I can email him next week’s layout by tonight, I’m welcome to work from home tomorrow instead of driving in. Vince is really open to letting me split my time between here and the city.” She slowly climbed up to her feet. “Did you manage to talk to Sarah?”

  He shook his head. He’d driven in to visit her once a week since her arrest. She hadn’t agreed to see him once, even when he’d sent her a gift for her eighteenth birthday, or when he’d written her a letter telling her that he and Olivia were getting married.

  Last he’d heard, Sarah had stayed true to her childish threats and wasn’t cooperating with the police investigation. Not surprisingly, neither of them had heard a word from Trent since giving their final statements. But Daniel’s new sister-in-law, Chloe, had told them that Shorty had been quick to turn on the remains of the Faceless Crew, Sarah and Jesse. She seemed confident their trial would end in a guilty verdict and justice for everyone involved.

  “Not yet, and apparently she’s fired yet another lawyer.” Which was no longer his concern now that the eighteen-year-old had control over her inheritance. Not that it would do her much good behind bars. “I’ll keep trying.”

  “I know you will. I love that about you. I’ve never met anyone as steadfast as you.” She crossed the floor toward him. His arms spread apart to make room for her
as her hands slid around his waist. “I know you said we were finally going to be rebuilding the porch this weekend. But I think we should really start on the second floor. There’s only so long you can expect me to live on just a main floor.”

  His lips brushed across her forehead. “We have a plan—”

  “I know. You taped it to the kitchen wall and color-coded it and everything—”

  “It involved my first finishing the living room, erecting a temporary tent garage and converting my office into a master bedroom before we got married.”

  “Which you did.” Her lips brushed his neck. “Which was a huge amount of work considering you proposed on our third date and we got married four months later.”

  “Which was quite enough to tackle before the worst of the winter hit. I’m exhausted.”

  “I know.” Her mouth brushed against his ear. Her lips travelled up his jawline.

  She was teasing him and he couldn’t figure out why.

  “Then we’re agreed that we’re building a new garage and porch this summer.” He pushed her back and held her there with his hands on her waist. “Your home will have a lovely new second floor in two years’ time.”

  She took her hands in his and slid them over her stomach. “I’ll give you nine months. Well, eight months and a bit.” Tears of joy filled her eyes and lit up every corner of his heart. “We’re having…” Her voice caught in her throat.

  He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her.

  “A baby?” He whispered the word. A baby? A child of his own. Oh, Lord, but I’d given up on that dream so many years ago. “We’re having a baby? But I’m turning forty in less than two years, the house is nowhere near finished, I’m still doing contract work, we were talking about my going back into private security and you’ve started a new job and—”

  “We’re going to have to make a whole new plan.” She laughed through the tears.

  “Yeah, guess we will.” He pulled her tighter. “And I can think of no one else I’d rather have beside me.”

  Then his lips found hers again, and he kissed the woman he loved as a deeper, stronger joy than he ever expected to feel filled his core.

  *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from DETECTING DANGER by Valerie Hansen

  Dear Reader,

  I’m so glad you decided to pick up this book and share Olivia and Daniel’s story with me.

  Like Olivia, I started my writing career as a journalist, working mostly for small independent papers like Torchlight News. Looking back on those fun and busy times, I’m very grateful for the journalists and editors who mentored me and helped me improve as a writer. While I never chased off after a murderer, there were several times when I, too, needed an editor to come along and remind me to balance my enthusiasm and energy with some good old-fashioned patience and planning.

  After telling Luke’s and Jack’s stories in Silent Hunter and Deadline, I got to thinking about how their happily-ever-afters might have impacted the colleagues they left behind. My former coworkers are now spread around the world having families and adventures of their own. I’m excited for them and I miss them sometimes, too.

  Like Olivia and Daniel, I hope you’ll find the strength, joy and faith for whatever changes and new adventures you face.

  Thank you for sharing the journey with me,

  Maggie

  http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

  Enjoy six new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

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  Detecting Danger

  by Valerie Hansen

  ONE

  “Capitol K-9 Unit Five, safety check at Washington Monument complete,” Isaac Black radioed via the com-link he wore. “DC police are also on scene for crowd control.”

  “Copy,” echoed back into his earpiece. “Stand by.”

  Isaac turned his attention to Detective David Delvecchio of the DC Metro squad and smiled. “You look like something’s bugging you. What’s the matter?”

  “I’m just not fond of congressmen who throw their weight around and cause unnecessary overtime.” He eyed the gaggle of news vans and cameramen surrounding Harland Jeffries. “If he wants to grandstand he should do it on his own turf.”

  “And preferably during office hours,” Isaac added. He glanced down at Abby, his brown-and-white bomb-detecting beagle. She had stretched out on the grassy verge skirting the Washington Monument, panting and cooling off after the excitement of doing her job. “At least one of us is happy to be working tonight.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure glad we have you and the rest of the K-9 team on call. My men didn’t have time to do a proper sweep of this area. By the time we got the word about the congressman’s impromptu press conference, we only had an hour to deploy.”

  Isaac nodded. “Not to worry. If Abby says there’s no bomb on the grounds, it’s safe. You can trust her.”

  “I do,” Delvecchio replied.

  Curious tourists were gathering outside the police line, milling around and straining to get a peek at whoever was the center of attention. Politicians and their aides in dark business suits stood out against the colorful garb of the bystanders as Secret Service agents would have at a three-ring circus performance.

  Isaac was about to withdraw to his SUV and wait to be released when he noticed his dog stiffen and ease to her feet. Since he had not given the command, her independent actions drew his attention.

  “Abby?” He crouched, following the beagle’s line of sight. She was clearly focused on the small group nearest to the congressman. “What is it, girl?”

  Instead of relaxing, the dog froze in place, her hackles bristling. Her nose quivered. Her tail was half-raised and still. If they had not just completed a search of the premises Isaac would think…

  He stood and grabbed the detective’s sleeve. “Pull everybody back. Clear the area. Now!” Isaac’s commanding tone left no doubt of his seriousness.

  “Why? What do you see?”

  “Nothing,” Isaac said. “But Abby senses something’s wrong and that’s good enough for me.”

  Delvecchio was already shouting into his radio. Patrol officers immediately began to shoo bystanders farther away from the monument.

  Isaac moved forward with Abby. “Seek it, girl. Seek it.”

  They didn’t have far to go. The little beagle cut straight across the inner circle, zeroed in on a briefcase leaning against the base of one of the concrete benches that ringed the obelisk and plunked down into a sit.

  “I have a suspicious object on the west side, at about two o’clock from the police staging area,” Isaac reported via the com-link.

  His new orders followed in moments. “Secure the area and pull back to a safe distance. Bomb squad is on its way.”

  “Copy.”

  He scooped up his dog, checked to make sure no one else remained nearby and would be in danger, then began to jog away.

  As he ran, time seemed to slow unnaturally. His feet weighed a ton, making him feel as if he were slogging through cold molasses.

  Tension grew with every step, pressing against him and making his heart pound.

  Abby was trembling as though she sensed impending doom.

  Suddenly, a concussion rocked the atmosphere. Isaac saw the flash through his closed eyelids an instant before he heard the blast.

  Instinct made him hunch over his dog’s body to protect her as he was knocked to his knees by the force of the explosion.

  Most of the de
bris it created fell like fistfuls of tossed pebbles, but a few chunks of concrete were heavy enough, large and jagged enough, to do damage.

  One piece grazed his shoulder. Another hit the back of his lower leg. Both stunned him rather than caused immediate pain.

  How could this have happened? Abby is never wrong.

  Which meant that the bomb had to have been placed there after he and the dog had made their rounds. That fact should narrow the list of suspects considerably.

  Propping himself on one elbow with the other arm gripping his wiggling partner, Isaac tried to blink the grit from his watering eyes. Gray, cloudy residue filled the air. People coughed and wheezed. Many were in full flight while a few others had paused with cell phones to take macabre pictures of the chaos.

  Isaac rolled into a sitting position and brushed himself off. He first checked to make sure Abby was all right, then peered back toward the source of the blast to check for casualties.

  “Please, God,” he prayed, “let my warning have been in time.”

  He rubbed his smarting eyes on the sleeve of his uniform jacket. It looked as if there were some injuries but the apparent victims were all on their feet. A few were reeling and being assisted by police and friends. Others appeared merely stunned. A cacophony of horns and sirens filled the night.

  Ears ringing, head spinning, Isaac knew what he must do. There was no time to waste. Where there was one bomb there could easily be another. And another.

  He wanted to lie back on the cool grass, close his eyes and wait for full recovery of his senses, but that was not how he and his fellow K-9 officers operated. The public came first. He’d tend his wounds later. As long as Abby was all right, they’d keep doing their job.

  Isaac tightened up on the leash, struggled to his feet and took a step forward. His calf muscles knotted.

  Intense pain radiated from his boot to his hip and dropped him where he stood.

  *

  The flow of patients through the ER at DC General Hospital had been surprisingly sparse for a balmy spring evening. Daniella Dunne stifled a yawn and smiled at a fellow RN who was also battling to stay alert.

  “Every time we have a slow night I wonder why I like this shift so much,” Daniella remarked.