He stopped his truck and got out, taking his gun and phone. He had the audio plugged into just one of his earbuds so he could also hear what was going on around him. He knew where he was headed, and now he just needed to keep listening in on the phone call between Tim and Angela. It had been better when Tim had had it on speaker and he’d heard Jill’s voice.
His blood had turned to ice water when Tim said that if he couldn’t have her, then nobody else could live, either. He was close to the end of his very short rope. But Angela had kept it together—she’d lied her ass off and said she would come to him.
Law edged around one of the three large motor graders and found the white van. Tim was either extremely smart or just stupid. He had parked the van in the middle of an open space—that meant nobody could sneak up on him. But at the same time, he was out in the open and totally vulnerable. Law would’ve given anything to have his sniper rifle.
Law was spot-on accurate with his Glock at fifty yards. But he didn’t know the situation in the van, and then there was the problem of getting that close.
Fuck!
“Tim, I’m never coming back to you if you hurt those two women.”
“But you still love me, right?”
God, the man’s crazier than a loon. He killed her kid—she’s more likely to castrate him than ever return to him.
“The only way we can work this out is if you let them go. They’re my friends, let me talk to them. I want to talk to Jill.”
“No,” Tim’s voice was petulant. “I’m not going to let you talk to Jill.”
Law could swear he could hear Jill in stereo, both over the phone and in real-life. “Let me talk to Angela,” Jill was saying.
Law felt himself able to really breathe for the first time in forty-five minutes.
Jill screamed.
“Shut up, bitch, don’t interrupt me!” Tim yelled.
“If you hit me again, I’ll find a way to break your neck,” Jill yelled back at him.
The asshole laughed. But it was good news in Law’s opinion. It meant that Jill was still in good enough shape to be issuing threats. It also meant that they were keeping one another occupied as he crept up on the van. Please just don’t let her go too far.
“Don’t hurt my friend,” Angela cried.
“A black eye is nothing. Wait ‘til I use my knife on her.”
“I dare you to use your knife. You don’t have the stomach for it.” Jill laughed.
What the fuck is she doing?
“Don’t you see what I’ve done to that bitch Lesley? I guess you need a lesson. Listen to this, Angela.”
Law rushed the van. He had the back door yanked open in a heartbeat, and then his heart stopped beating. Tim was straddling Jill, blood was on her shirt, and Tim had the tip of his knife pointed at her stomach. Tim looked up at the back of the van. Law took three shots—head, heart, head.
Jill screamed.
Lesley screamed.
Tim never made a sound.
“What’s going on?” A man’s voice he didn’t recognize came through his earbud. He yanked it out of his ear and skidded on his knees to Jill.
“Why the fuck did you taunt him to use a knife?”
Why is Law yelling at me? She hurt bad. And the man she loved was yelling at her. She couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She knew she had blood and brains sprayed all over herself.
“You could have gotten yourself killed!”
“I was saving us,” she whispered. She wanted to wipe the gunk off, but Law’s arms were holding her down as he searched her for injuries.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Woman?”
“I’m fine. Call an ambulance.”
“Ash and Kane are on it. Where are you hurt? There’s so much blood, I can’t tell.”
“Not my blood and guts.” Jill heaved up and lunged for the bag of rags. She wiped her mouth and spit as she pulled out a rag.
“Hey, I’ve got that,” Law said softly, as he gently wiped her face and neck clean. When her eyes were clear and she could finally see into his, Jill saw that beneath the anger there was fear.
“Law, he had a gun. I had to get him to put it down so you could save us. I knew that you and your fancy friends were behind Angela calling Tim. I knew it.”
Law nodded. “That’s true.”
“That also meant you were listening in to the conversation.” Jill took another rag out of the bag and wiped her tongue.
“Yeah, we all were listening.”
“So, how were you going to know when it was safe to come and rescue us? Tim had just talked about shooting us. He couldn’t hold the gun, knife, and the phone. You’d know that. So, I had to taunt him into using his knife, and then you’d know you could come to the rescue.” She heard sirens. She wiped her tongue again and started to gag. Jill turned her head and vomited onto the floor of the van. When she was done, she turned back to Law.
Jill gave Law a watery grin. “See? Easy peasy.”
Epilogue
You done good.
Law’s arm froze in mid-stroke as he cleared the condensation from the bathroom mirror. He waited to see if his brother would say anything else, but Xavier always was a man of few words. Law finished wiping down the mirror and grinned when he smeared the new shaving cream that Jill had given him onto his face.
He took a deep breath as he made the first swipe of the razor along his neck. He and Asher had finally had a long talk about Xavier. It had been a long time coming. Turned out, Law and Maman weren’t the only ones who occasionally suffered from auditory hallucinations. Of course, if anyone was ever going to be tough and stubborn enough to make themselves known from beyond the grave, it would be their big brother.
He heard Xavier laugh.
“Who laughed? Are you on the phone?” Jill asked as she came up behind him.
“You look gorgeous, and you packed the night before. Is it any wonder I’m in love?”
Jill stood up on her tiptoes and looked over his shoulder so she could meet his eyes in the mirror as she watched him shave. “I thought you loved me for my cookies and the sexual favors I provide.”
This time, Law chuckled. “Your cookies come in a sad, sad third, that’s for damn sure.”
“Third?” She kissed his bare shoulder. “Sex is first, cookies are third, so what’s second?”
He wiped his face clean and turned around.
“Uh-uh. You got it wrong. Your kind and beautiful heart is number one. It always has been and it always will be.” He liked the way her eyes went soft and dreamy. He didn’t like the way she then bit her lip.
He pulled it loose and gave her a long, slow kiss. She tempted Law to do a lot more, but if he did, they’d be late getting to the airport. With the way security was these days, that could be a real problem with an international flight, and he still had one more thing planned before leaving.
“What’s got your tail in a knot?” he asked.
“Can’t a girl be worried about meeting her guy’s mom?”
“You’ve already met my mom,” he teased. “Zoom and Skype count. After all, you met Angela’s Rancher Man via Zoom and gave her a thumbs-up.”
Jill rolled her eyes. “So not the same thing. I’ve been on the phone with her probably three times a week for the last two months since the Battle of the Van.”
“Hey. We discussed that.” Law knew his voice was sharp, but he couldn’t help it.
Jill giggled. “Sorry, but what else can I call it? The name is perfect.”
He pulled her in tighter. He still had nightmares of that day.
Law went into the bedroom and he shook his head. “You better not have taken any of the suitcases out to the truck.”
“Just out to the living room. I needed the bedroom cleared out so I could make sure I hadn’t missed anything.”
“We’re only going to be in Belgium for ten days and you’re packing four suitcases. How in the hell could you be missing anything?” He went to the
closet, got dressed, and grabbed what he needed out of his dresser drawer, then he watched as she sat on the bed and pulled on her socks.
“Hey, two of those suitcases are yours,” Jill protested.
“Yes. And those two are filled with mostly your stuff.”
Jill glanced over her shoulder at him as she tugged on a boot. “You know, a lot of men would be upset, but the weird thing is, you’re not.”
He sat down next to her. “I like that you know that.” He kissed her temple. “I like that you know me.”
She leaned into him and sighed.
“Getting to know you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, Lawson Jacob Thorne.”
“God, Jill, you choke me up when you say things like that. You always seem to have the right words.” He pulled her off the bed and onto his lap.
She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I thought sometimes my smart mouth upset you.”
“Except for the Battle of the Van, you’re good.” His eyes twinkled. She traced his dimple.
“Okay, I’ll cool that for a while. It upsets Lesley, too, and she’s finally getting better.”
“Glad to hear it.”
He didn’t say anything else. Just stared at her.
“Uhm, Law, either we get naked, or we pack the car.”
Now the second dimple showed up. “See, you’re perfect, always willing to get naked.” He stroked back her hair. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“You asked me to go out for coffee and dessert.” She winked.
“Maybe.”
She let her head drift against his chest. “Have I ever told you what I really think?” Jill asked tentatively. She knew she hadn’t, but she now felt secure enough with Law to tell him her fanciful thoughts.
“What, Baby?”
“I think that maybe Lorraine and Xavier wanted us to be happy and arranged for us to meet that night.”
He tipped her chin back and she looked into his deep blue eyes. “I like that idea. I like it a lot.”
She sighed, knowing that somewhere her cousin was happy for her.
Slowly, Lawson lowered her onto the bed. “Oh, the naked option. Lucky me.”
“Jillian Lee, you little hussy, we just got dressed. Naked is not an option. As a matter of fact, you’re not dressed enough for our trip.”
“Huh?”
“Jill. The best thing that has ever happened in my life has been meeting you. Laughing with you. Loving you.”
His voice had that smokey quality that went straight to her heart.
“I love you, too.” She wound her arms around his neck. She needed to say more, but his gaze was too intent. She lost her breath.
“Every damned day is better with you in it. Every moment is brighter and I’m happier. Baby, I couldn’t survive if I wasn’t able to spend the rest of my life with you. I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to make you happy and keep you safe.”
He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a blue box, and flicked it open. “Will you do the honor of marrying me?”
Oh my God, he looks unsure.
“Yes!” Jill kissed his neck.
“Yes!” She kissed his chin.
“Yes!” She kissed his lips.
Their kiss was sublime.
“You’re crying. Stop crying, Baby.”
“I can’t, Law. These are happy tears. You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wished for.”
He brushed away her tears. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve finally come home.”
THE END
Also by Caitlyn O’Leary
Do You Want to Read Asher Thorne’s Story? It’s Available for Pre-Order.
HER CHOSEN PROTECTOR
A NAVY SEAL ROMANCE, NIGHT STORM 3
Can he overcome his pain and heartbreak in time to save the woman he loves?
Life had always come easy to Navy SEAL, Asher Thorne, until an overwhelming loss made him doubt his ability to protect the ones he loved. Devastated, he has no choice but to push on and do his duty.
Eden York’s job as a translator took a dangerous turn when she was asked to work on a highly confidential project in Venezuela. She thought she knew the risks, but with the fate of a nation at stake, they didn’t matter—she had to help.
Eden’s international team of experts is targeted by terrorists, trapping her in an unimaginable situation. When Asher’s team is sent in to rescue them, he wants to believe that this time will be different, this time he can protect someone worth saving, even if he has to sacrifice his own life to do it.
http://caitlynoleary.com/books/night-storm-series/
Read the first two Night Storm books, that are available NOW!
Kane McNamara’s book, Her Ruthless Protector
Cullen Lyon’s book, Her Tempting Protector
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Breaking Away by Elle James
A DELTA FORCE STRONG NOVELLA
New York Times & USA Today
Bestselling Author
Chapter 1
“This is Kylie Adams reporting to you from the Logar Province of Afghanistan where Taliban forces have attacked an Afghan security outpost in a town only forty kilometers from the capital city of Kabul.” Kylie squatted behind the remaining wall of what had once been a school in the province, talking in low, clear tones into the microphone, while staring into the video camera.
An explosion rocked the earth nearby, shaking dust loose from the jagged wall.
“Did you get that?” Kylie asked, glancing upward.
“Yeah. Can we get out of here before the battle comes to us?” Josh Bolton, her young cameraman, cringed every time a mortar exploded nearby.
Kylie straightened and looked over the broken wall. “I want to get a little closer to the actual security building to show the damage.
“Ma’am,” Sergeant Garcia, the Army Ranger assigned to escort her through the battle, pressed a hand to her shoulder. “You need to get down. Those are live rounds exploding, and those guns going off are using real bullets.”
Kylie fought to keep from rolling her eyes. Just because she was a female on a battlefield, didn’t mean she was an idiot. She knew the risks and didn’t mind taking them to get the stories she had built her reputation on.
Because she was in excellent shape and so good at being right down in the action, showing the human side of the conflict, she had earned a spot working with the Army Rangers while they were on maneuvers. She was sure it didn’t hurt that she was giving the U.S. Army Rangers some positive press on their war against terrorists.
The current mission was to extract an Afghan informant whose cover had been blown. The U.S. owed him protection, and the man had vital information about the location of one of the Taliban leaders notorious for kidnapping women and children and selling them into the sex trade.
She was going to be there for that extraction, if she had to low-crawl to the next location.
“What? Seriously? Fuck!” Garcia said behind her.
Kylie ducked below the wall and looked back at the soldier.
The man who’d told her to get down touched his hand to his helmet and tilted his head slightly. “Roger. Will do.” His focus aimed at her, his lips thinning into a grim line. “Time to bug out. The point men are being overrun by bogeys. We have to get you out of here, before they get to us.”
“But we haven’t gotten to Faaid, your informant.”
“It’s my job to make sure you’re safe. Besides, they didn’t find him where he said he’d be. More than likely, he left when he saw it was getting hot.” He jerked his head. “We need to move quickly.”
Garcia herded her and Josh back the way they’d come, zigzagging through the rubble of a bombed-out village.
Shouts sounded behind them.
She heard the soldier curse behind her, and then he yelled, “Run!”
Kylie’s pulse jumped. She took off, scrambling over crumbled walls, piles of brick and rubble, followed by her cameraman.
“We can’t outrun them,” her soldier said. “Make a left. We’ll find a place to hole up until they pass.”
Kylie jagged left onto a street she could actually run down without tripping over stones and brick. The buildings on either side were damaged, and appeared unoccupied, but they were fairly intact.
“On your left! That door,” Sergeant Garcia barked. “Get inside.”
Josh burst through the door into the building.
Kylie blew through behind him.
Shots rang out in the street.
Her heart in her throat, Kylie spun to check for the good sergeant.
She was about to go out and look for him when he fell across the threshold and tried to drag himself inside.
Kylie’s heart leaped into her throat. The man had been shot in the arm and leg. He wasn’t moving fast, and he couldn’t hold the rifle that fell through the door with him.
“Help him,” Kylie shouted to her cameraman.
Between Josh and Kylie, they dragged Sergeant Garcia into the building and slammed the door.
“They’re coming,” the sergeant said through gritted teeth. “I. Can’t. Shoot.” He grimaced as he pressed his good hand to the wound in his leg.
“We need to apply pressure to these wounds,” Kylie said to her cameraman.
“You apply pressure, I’ll shoot anyone coming through the door.” Josh pulled off his T-shirt. “Use this.”
“Bullshit.” Kylie shoved the shirt back at him. “I’m a better shot, and you know it.” She took the soldier’s rifle from him. “Drag him back behind that wall. I’ll take care of anyone coming through the door.
Danger and Desire: A Romantic Suspense Anthology Page 62