by Dale Mayer
The ambulance arrived five minutes later. While she watched, Robert was quickly loaded into the back of the vehicle and driven off. She turned to face Rhodes. “Should somebody go with him?”
Rhodes shook his head. “I believe he has a married daughter in this area. The police will be calling her. She’ll likely make it to the hospital shortly after the ambulance.”
Sienna said, “I hope so. At times like this, nobody should be alone.”
The last thing she wanted was for the man who’d done so much for his city to recuperate on his own. As she glanced back at the cops all around the place, she realized it would be another long night. “I guess there’s no chance in hell we’ll get to bed anytime soon, is there?”
“Nope. It’ll be a while.”
*
And he was right. It was. But it could’ve been so much worse. Still, it was another three hours before they drove into the compound once again. Alfred and the other two women met them at the door.
Alfred took one look and said, “To bed, all of you.”
Rhodes wouldn’t argue with that. He was beat. But he made sure he didn’t go alone. He grabbed Sienna’s hand and headed for the elevator. At his suite, he didn’t even give her a chance to comment as he dragged her inside. He closed and locked the door and said, “Sleep. All I need is sleep.”
She stood in the middle of the room and watched as he stripped down and collapsed on his side of the bed. She took off her clothes, tossed them on the floor and crawled into bed beside him. He lay there, resting. She reached up and kissed him. “Thank you for being you.”
His eyes popped open. “You’re welcome, but that’s a very interesting thing to say. I’m nobody special. I’m just me.”
“That’s not true. You’re a hero to me.”
He winced. “Remember, we don’t use that word.”
She reached up and placed a finger across his lips. “Levi can say whatever he wants. But for me, you’re my hero and always will be.” She threw her arms around him and kissed him hard, pressing her breasts against him, her hips cuddling his growing erection.
When he finally came up for air, he brushed his nose against hers, his heart swelling with an emotion he barely recognized. “Have I told you that I love you?”
Her gaze widened in delight. She shook her head. “No, you haven’t. But it’s a damn good thing because I love you too.”
Their gazes locked and slowly he turned his head, his warm breath washing over her as he whispered, “Maybe I was a little too quick to say I needed sleep.”
His hand slid down her back to cup her butt and tug her hard against him. “I think sleep can wait a little longer.”
And he lowered his head and kissed her, knowing for the first time what it was to make love to the woman he loved. He was a one-woman man, and Sienna was his. Forever.
Epilogue
“Hey, Anna,” Flynn Kilpatrick said as he walked up to the pallet of dog food she was unloading. “I just came from Levi’s compound. Figured, since I was in town, I’d give you the good news in person.”
She straightened, brushed the hair back off her face. “Hi. That’s a crazy place to be these days. Katina told me about Rhodes and Sienna. I’m going down there this afternoon if I can get away.”
“Good.” He reached down and hefted several bags over his shoulder, walking inside to stack them in the shed. “But I wanted to tell you that the last of the men involved in Katina’s kidnapping have been locked up. We heard this morning. Even better, several are talking, and the DA is expecting everyone to go away for a very long time.”
“Great,” she said with a big smile. “I’m so happy to hear that. I’d hate to have anything else bad happen to Katina.”
“Merk won’t allow it.” He grinned at her. “Looks like the two of them are fairly matched up.”
“They matched up a long time ago. They are just now realizing how perfect they are together.”
Flynn laughed. Anna had told him a little bit about Merk and Katina’s relationship. He’d heard the rest from the guys. It was all good. As a matter of fact, it was looking damn rosy around the compound. He’d been there just this morning. He heard about all the chaos with Rhodes and Sienna. But he’d been out on the West Coast with Logan on a short job for Levi and had missed all the fun. Typical. But damn. Rhodes and Sienna—who knew they were a thing?
“That is great. Thanks for stopping by,” she said. “I know how much you were hoping to get hired into the company.”
He was indeed. And this next job would be short and sweet. With any luck he’d get over to Saudi Arabia, handle this problem and get back home again. The timeline was tight, but that was the way they liked it. And he wasn’t going alone; his buddies—Logan and Harrison, were going. That worked for him. He’d left his jacket at Anna’s to give him a reason to come back. But as the good news had come in, he hadn’t needed it – this time. Now he had an excuse to stop by after his next trip.
He wondered if she’d seen it. He’d hung it on the back of the door. Hopefully obvious enough for a man to see and understand but not so obvious that Anna would see.
He brushed the dirt off his hands, checked out the shed’s roof and realized the dog food would be nice and dry here. He closed the door, snapped the simple lock closed. Then he picked up the empty pallet, moved it to the stack with the others behind the shed. “Anything else?”
She shook her head but kept her face away from him. “That’s it. Thanks for the help.” Her voice was overly cheerful and bright as she turned to face him with a big smile. “I appreciate your timing for a visit. I have to admit, it was great to have your muscles for the couple weeks you were here. This last week, well, I missed that.”
“You need to get yourself an assistant. You know that, right?”
She laughed. “I need a lot of things. But it all takes money.”
He nodded. “Just don’t be thinking about hiring that Jonas character.”
She glared at him. “You won’t be telling me what to do any longer, thanks. You can leave again now.” It was said in a joking manner. They’d done a round or two about Jonas, a guy who kept coming on to her.
“I can’t believe you actually dated that guy.”
“It was hardly a date. I ran into him at the mall, sat down and had a coffee with him,” she protested.
“In Jonas’s mind that was a date. Obviously, as he’s come around, what? Five times since I’ve been here? He’s bad news. Stay away from him.”
“He’s not that bad.”
“He’s worse,” Flynn countered. For the weeks while Flynn had been guarding over her, he’d watched her, lived with her, inhaling the scent that was so Anna. And not touching her. But now he was leaving. But not without a taste of her. Especially when he wanted so much more …
Before she had a chance to protest he tugged her into his arms and said, “There’s really only one way to say good-bye.” And he lowered his head and kissed her.
Only neither expected the flash of passion that threatened to consume them both. Fireworks exploded in his head. And damn if he didn’t hear music.
Anna broke away, gave him an uncertain look, then headed inside her house.
Leaving Flynn wondering what the hell just happened.
This concludes Book 4 of Heroes for Hire: Rhodes’s Reward.
Book 5 is available here.
Flynn’s Firecracker: Heroes for Hire, Book 5
Buy this book at Amazon.
Welcome to Flynn’s Firecracker, book 5 in Heroes for Hire, reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Honor in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer.
Some jobs are more pleasant than others…
Flynn agrees to do a security job for Levi as a trial run for more work. Looking after Anna and her animal shelter is a breeze. Trouble free. Until he leaves…
Having Flynn around was both good and bad.
To have the help at the shelter was huge, but they drew sparks just being around each other. She tells herself she’s relieved when he’s gone but when a dead man shows up, she’d do anything to have him back.
Someone is after Flynn… and he doesn’t care who he kills in the process…
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
Dakata’s Delight: Heroes for Hire, Book 9
Michael’s Mercy: Heroes for Hire, Book 10
Jarrod’s Jewel: Heroes for Hire, Book 11
Author’s Note
Did you know that Authors never see Star Ratings? When Amazon asks a reader to “Rate this book” on their kindle, Amazon is the only one to see those ratings. This is not what an author means when they ask for a “Review.”
Reviews are important for an author. From a business standpoint Reviews 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. And with only “star ratings” the author has no chance of participating in promotions to bring sales to their favorite fans!
A few kind words left in a review can make a huge difference to an author and their muse. Sometimes those review words might be what drives an author to write until two in the morning or to forget to stop and eat in order to finish that book.
This is why authors keep asking for reviews. So please consider taking a moment to click on the links when offered and 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 (as little as five is acceptable) expressing what you enjoyed most about the story is a huge help.
Please do continue to rate the book on your kindle as that helps Amazon, but take an extra moment and pop over to the review section and leave a few words!
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed Rhodes’s Reward, and I look forward to hearing from you.
I love to hear from readers, and you can contact me at my website: www.dalemayer.com or at my Facebook author page. To be informed of new releases and special offers, sign up for my newsletter. And if you are interested in joining Dale Mayer’s Fan Club, here is the Facebook sign up page.
Cheers,
Dale Mayer
COMPLIMENTARY DOWNLOAD
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Touched by Death
Adult RS/thriller
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Death had touched anthropologist Jade Hansen in Haiti once before, costing her an unborn child and perhaps her very sanity.
A year later, determined to face her own issues, she returns to Haiti with a mortuary team to recover the bodies of an American family from a mass grave. Visiting his brother after the quake, independent contractor Dane Carter puts his life on hold to help the sleepy town of Jacmel rebuild. But he finds it hard to like his brother’s pregnant wife or her family. He wants to go home, until he meets Jade – and realizes what’s missing in his own life. When the mortuary team begins work, it’s as if malevolence has been released from the earth. Instead of laying her ghosts to rest, Jade finds herself confronting death and terror again.
And the man who unexpectedly awakens her heart – is right in the middle of it all.
By Death Series
Touched by Death – Part 1 – FREE
Touched by Death – Part 2
Touched by Death – Parts 1&2
Haunted by Death
Chilled by Death
By Death Books 1–3
Vampire in Denial
This is book 1 of the Family Blood Ties Saga
Get this book at Amazon.
Blood doesn’t just make her who she is…it also makes her what she is.
Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn’t hard enough, Tessa’s throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can’t get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the…blood.
Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle—high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He’s smart and fun and oh, so cute. But Tessa’s dream of a having the perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date.
Once again, Tessa finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what?
Warning: This book ends with a cliffhanger! Book 2 picks up where this book ends.
Family Blood Ties Series
Vampire in Denial – FREE
Vampire in Distress
Vampire in Design
Vampire in Deceit
Vampire in Defiance
Vampire in Conflict
Vampire in Chaos
Vampire in Crisis
Vampire in Control
Vampire in Charge
Family Blood Ties Set 1–3
Family Blood Ties Set 1–5
Family Blood Ties Set 4–6
Family Blood Ties Set 7–9
Sian’s Solution – A Family Blood Ties Short Story
Broken Protocols
Get this book at Amazon.
Dani’s been through a year of hell…
Just as it’s getting better, she’s tossed forward through time with her orange Persian cat, Charmin Marvin, clutched in her arms. They’re dropped into a few centuries into the future. There’s nothing she can do to stop it, and it’s impossible to go back.
And then it gets worse…
A year of government regulation is easing, and Levi Blackburn is feeling back in control. If he can keep his reckless brother in check, everything will be perfect. But while he’s been protecting Milo from the government, Milo’s been busy working on a present for him…
The present is Dani, only she comes with a snarky cat who suddenly starts talking…and doesn’t know when to shut up.
In an age where breaking protocols have severe consequences, things go wrong, putting them all in danger…
Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy Series
Broken Protocols
Broken Protocols 2
Broken Protocols 3
Broken Protocols 3.5
Broken Protocols 1-3
About the Author
Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).
She honors the stories that come to her – and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!
To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.
Connect with Dale Mayer Online
Dale’s Website – www.dalemayer.com
Twitter – @DaleMayer
Facebook – facebook.com/DaleMayer.author
Also by Dale Mayer
Published Adult Books:
Psychic Vision Series
Tuesday’s Child – FREE
Hide’n Go Seek
Maddy’s Floor
Garden of Sorrow
Knock, Knock…
; Rare Find
Eyes to the Soul
Now You See Her
Shattered
Into the Abyss
Seeds of Malice
Eye of the Falcon
Psychic Visions Books 1–3
Psychic Visions Books 4–6
Psychic Visions Books 7–9
By Death Series
Touched by Death – Part 1 – FREE
Touched by Death – Part 2
Touched by Death – Parts 1&2
Haunted by Death
Chilled by Death
By Death Books 1–3
Second Chances…at Love Series
Second Chances – Part 1 – FREE
Second Chances – Part 2
Second Chances – complete book (Parts 1 & 2)
Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy Series
Broken Protocols
Broken Protocols 2
Broken Protocols 3
Broken Protocols 3.5
Broken Protocols 1-3
Broken and… Mending
Skin
Scars
Scales (of Justice)
Broken but… Mending 1-3
Glory
Genesis
Tori
Celeste
Glory Trilogy
Biker Blues
Biker Blues: Morgan, Part 1
Biker Blues: Morgan, Part 2
Biker Blues: Morgan, Part 3
Biker Baby Blues: Morgan, Part 4
Biker Blues: Morgan, Full Set
Biker Blues: Salvation, Part 1