Unknown Enemy (Love Inspired Suspense)

by Michelle Karl

  Everything seemed to be working out all right, with one exception. After he’d lost consciousness at the airfield, Colin had been rushed to the hospital for surgery, too. When she’d asked the doctors about his progress, they’d told her that he’d need about two weeks before regaining minimal mobility. She’d thanked God every day that the bullet had hit only muscle alongside his stomach, unlike the wound of the man who’d shot him.

  She’d visited Colin every day for the first week—though she’d had to stay in the hospital for a day of monitoring herself, thanks to the library fire and the coughing fit she’d had out of panic once Colin had slipped from consciousness—but the past few days when she’d gone to the hospital, the nurses had refused to allow her to visit his room. And he wasn’t answering his phone. Had she said or done something wrong? They’d barely spoken during her visits, but that had been due to Colin’s recovery. She’d been happy to sit there with him, and he’d seemed to enjoy her presence.

  Had he turned out to be like all the other men who’d rejected her after all? Had he realized that he didn’t want someone damaged, that someone like him who would risk his life for another human being deserved someone better? Someone without scars.

  But, no. That didn’t seem like him, not after all they’d been through and after everything he’d said. There had to be another reason. If only she could figure out what so that she could stop worrying. Her heart ached too much at the thought of no longer having him in her life.

  She sighed and leaned back in her chair. Tossing the pen onto her desk, she bowed her head and prayed to the only one who could ease her worry. Lord, I know you brought Colin into my life for a reason. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even be here today. I trust that your plans for the future are good, but sometimes it’s hard to remember that you are in control. Please help me to lean on you first, no matter the situation.

  “Am I interrupting?” A knock on the door startled Ginny out of her moment of contemplation. Colin stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame with his arms crossed across his stomach. His eyes darted around the room, then landed back on her.

  “Colin!” Ginny shot to her feet, heart pounding. “You’re all right.”

  He nodded, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. It was strange. She’d never seen him look so nervous before. Perhaps his wound was bothering him and he was afraid to show it?

  “Sorry I haven’t been very communicative lately. I had some things to figure out.”

  Ginny’s heart sank at the graveness of his words, but she remembered the prayer she’d just offered up. Whatever came of this conversation, she’d trust that God’s plans for her were good. If he’d changed his mind about her, she would simply have to accept that. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried. The nurses told me you’d be up and walking this week, but then I didn’t hear from you and they wouldn’t let me visit.”

  Colin moved farther into the room, but kept his arms crossed. Ginny swallowed, her throat growing dry. Normally Colin was much more animated and affectionate, so it felt strange not to have him offering a hug or a gentle touch on her shoulder.

  “I’ve been in physiotherapy for the past few days, regaining strength so I could come over here, actually.” The pinkness of his cheeks deepened as his shoulders tightened. Ginny braced for the bad news. “But truthfully, I’m tired of walking. I’d much rather kneel.”

  Kneel? “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

  He knelt on the office floor and uncrossed his arms. In one hand he held a small blue box that he opened and extended to her. Shock rippled through Ginny as she recognized what he was doing. In her office. Right now.

  Inside the box sat a diamond ring in a simple white gold setting. She could scarcely believe her eyes. She met Colin’s hopeful gaze, seeing her own nervousness and love and yearning reflected back at her.

  “I know we—” He stopped as his words hitched. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Virginia, we haven’t known each other all that long. Every day I wish, for your sake, that you’d never had to suffer through the events of a few weeks ago. But if there’s anything good that’s come of this, it’s that it brought us together. I replay that moment at the airport over and over, wondering if there was anything I could have done differently, but if I know anything, it’s that I’d jump in front of that bullet again and again if it meant keeping you safe. Lord willing, there won’t be any more bullets in our future, but if there are, I want to be there stopping them for you.”

  Ginny could hardly speak, surprise utterly consuming her senses. She barely managed a whisper. “Oh, Colin.”

  Colin took a deep breath and continued. “Ginny, I’ve had a few weeks to think and pray, and that’s been long enough for me to know with certainty that there’s no one else I want to spend my life with. So, with that said...will you marry me?”

  Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, and Ginny let them come. Thank you, Lord.

  She launched herself forward, intending to hug him, but stopped herself when she remembered his injury. Instead, she joined him in kneeling on the floor, unable to keep the smile from her face. “Yes. I will.”

  EPILOGUE

  Ten months later...

  Ginny stood in her office, surveying the nearly empty room. No, she had to stop thinking of it as her office—she had a new office to finish moving into today, still inside the department but down the hall. Beverly Dorn’s old office, in fact. When Ginny had been approved for the tenure-track position in the spring, the woman had packed up and left without another word.

  Ginny’s first act in her new promotion had been to work with the local museum and the college to establish a scholarship in memory of Mr. Wehbe. She still missed the cheerful curator, and would be forever grateful to him for giving her a chance to study the Amaran tablets. If not for Mr. Wehbe’s faith in her, she might never have achieved her goal. Or had the chance to fall in love with an amazing man. God really did work in mysterious ways.

  She’d miss this little office, too. It was full of memories from the events of last year, both good and bad.

  “We’ll make new memories,” said Colin as he entered the department, seeming to read her mind. He came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders, then kissed her cheek and pulled her against him. “You ready to close the door and make this official?”

  Ginny twisted in his grasp and wrapped her arms around her new husband. They’d waited until Colin had made a full recovery and until the media storm surrounding Empress Oil’s deception had blown over before planning the wedding, which had happened on a perfectly sunny—but not too warm—June afternoon.

  After returning from a brief and completely nondramatic honeymoon exploring ancient Mayan ruins, Colin had resigned his position from the college. The school had been perfectly willing to rehire him for another year’s contract in the Criminology Department, but he’d admitted to Ginny that helping the local police force the year before had reminded him of what he felt was God’s purpose for his life. Protecting others.

  “Did you talk to the deputy director?” Ginny asked, not entirely ready to move on just yet. She held her breath, hoping for good news. The final verdict on Colin’s future at the Secret Service had been due to arrive this morning. The deputy director had been highly impressed by Colin’s work in protecting her, taking down the false Hilden and uncovering Empress Oil’s scheme, but unfortunately the decision wasn’t solely in Bennett’s hands.

  Colin laughed and kissed her forehead. “You’re very skilled at stalling, you know that? But yes, I did talk to him.”

  “And?”

  Colin shrugged, and Ginny’s heart broke for him. He must not have good news. “They were incredibly impressed by my work and cooperation last fall. Remember how the team from the Philadelphia field office came through for us at the airfield? Their willingness to put it on the line
for me was a big deal. But Ginny, as much as I enjoyed my career at the Service, speaking to Bennett helped me to realize something.”

  She shook her head, bewildered. “But is that a yes or no on your job?”

  “It’s a yes. They offered me my position back. But I didn’t take it.”

  It felt as though the air had been sucked from the room. She trusted he’d made the right decision, but hadn’t he been waiting for this for years? “What? Why on earth not?”

  His tiny smile, just for her, sent a wave of love rushing through her veins. “I’d rather stay here and build a life with you now, not years from now. There’d be a lot of travel involved if I returned to the Service, and we’re newlyweds.” He kissed her again, sending a thrill down her spine. A giggle escaped and she clamped her lips together to rein it in.

  “Oh, Colin. If you’re sure that’s what you want, I’ll support you. And trust me, I won’t complain about having you around more often.” Ginny hugged him tighter, wishing she knew the right thing to say. They’d both placed a lot of hope on Colin possibly being able to return to a position with the Secret Service, and living on only one income now would be a challenge. “I know how much you originally wanted to go back.”

  Colin shrugged and let his arms drop. He leaned against the door frame, looking dejected. “That’s not all, though. I got a call from Chief Black this morning.”

  Chief Black? That couldn’t be good news. What could the police chief possibly want to talk to Colin about? Her throat began to close up, anticipating terrible news. “It’s not about anyone we know, is it? Please tell me nothing bad has happened.”

  “That depends.” Colin sighed, reaching out to stroke her cheek. “How do you feel about having a policeman for a husband?”

  Her stomach dropped in surprise. “What?”

  Colin’s sad expression morphed into a mischievous grin. “He offered me a job. There’s a position opening at the station, and while it will require some training—apparently my Secret Service training isn’t exactly the same as police training—they’d like to have me on in a specialist position. Since we’re not too far from Philadelphia, there’s also the opportunity for promotion to a larger department in the future.”

  Ginny threw her arms around her husband for a second time. “That’s wonderful!”

  “And that’s not all.”

  Could her heart handle any more? Having Colin work on the police force would be quite the change—and of course she’d worry about him every single day while he was on duty—but protecting others was the desire of his heart. He’d been right, that afternoon last October when they’d shared their first kiss. Everyone had scars, whether inside or outside, but no one needed to live a life defined by them.

  He hadn’t let his mistake stop him from pursuing a return to the job he was born to do. And Ginny, with his encouragement, had reached out to her mother and sent her a wedding invitation. She hadn’t come to the wedding, but she’d phoned to offer her congratulations. Ginny had been surprised to discover how much that simple gesture had meant to her. It was a start to reparations.

  “Don’t tell me, you’re also going to work part-time at the doughnut shop?”

  Colin grinned again. “Close your eyes.”

  “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”

  “Trust me.” He took her hand and led her out of the office. “Close your eyes for a minute.”

  Biting back a witty retort, Ginny did as he asked and allowed him to lead her. They didn’t walk far before stopping. She heard the sound of a door being unlocked. “Colin, that wasn’t very far.”

  “I know. We just had to get to your new office.”

  Ginny was tempted to open her eyes and glare at him. “It’s being painted! We’re not supposed to open the door until the fumes are gone. Mrs. McCall is highly sensitive to chemical smells. It’s why the window is open instead.”

  “The smell has been gone since this morning, Ginny. You just didn’t notice or check because you’ve been teaching classes all day. You can open your eyes now, though.”

  Ready to scold him for acting ridiculous, Ginny opened her eyes. She gasped. On the far side of the room, a large cabinet aquarium had been set up. At least fifteen gorgeous tropical fish swam inside, flitting among aquarium decorations set up to look like ancient ruins. A low rumble from the tank told her it had been set up properly, with filtration and heating and everything tropical fish needed to thrive.

  Ginny was speechless.

  “Do you like it?” Colin’s excitement had notably diminished, replaced by worry. “I did have to get special permission from the school to put this in here, but I’d hoped—”

  With a heart full of gratitude and joy, she wrapped her arms around her husband yet again and rested her head on his firm chest. “It’s perfect, Colin. Thank you. I don’t know how, but you always seem to anticipate what I need before I even know I need it.”

  He kissed the top of her head and Ginny shivered with happiness. “It’s because I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispered, knowing full well that since the first day they’d met, and despite everything they’d been through, God had been in control. And always would be. “I love you, too.”

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES by Lenora Worth.

  Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!

  Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003

  Dear Reader,

  If there’s one thing most of us struggle with on a daily basis, it’s our appearance. Right? Our weight, our height, our features...too big, too small, wishing we had curly hair or straight hair or a different complexion. Ginny’s car accident left a lifelong scar that caused her to struggle with feelings of low self-worth, and she needed to learn that true self-worth comes from the inside. We are all precious and beautiful in God’s eyes—He looks at the heart, and that’s where we should place our focus. Then our inner beauty can reflect outward, and what’s lovelier than that?

  And I know you perfectionists in the crowd (me too, me too...) identified with Colin’s anguish over what he perceived as a moment of failure that would forever define him. But we all make mistakes. We have to own them and learn from them, and accept what God teaches us through those moments. It’s easier said than done, though—it’s a lesson I’m constantly relearning.

  While the Kingdom of Amar and the Ashmore Museum are fictional places, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford with its massive collection of ancient tablets is not. I love ancient history, and I hope you enjoyed this suspenseful spin on its study. Thankfully, the job usually isn’t so fraught with danger—or so my friends working in the field tell me!

  I love hearing from readers. To contact me, visit michellekarl.com or find me on Twitter, @_MichelleKarl_. Thank you so much for reading Unknown Enemy!

  Blessings,

  Michelle

  Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!

  Do you want to earn Free Books and More?

  Join Harlequin My Rewards points program and earn points every time you shop.

  You can redeem your points to get more of what you love:

  Free books

  Exclusive gifts and contests

  Book recommendations tailored to your reading preferences

  Earn 2000 points instantly when you join—getting you closer to redeeming your first free book.

  Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!

  Click here to sign up

  Or visit us online to sign up at

  http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

&nb
sp; 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!

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  HarlequinBlog.com

  Truth and Consequences

  by Lenora Worth

  ONE

  “Next stop, Desert Valley, Arizona.”

  David Evans took a deep breath and got up to exit the passenger train, glad to finally be at his destination. Now if he could locate the woman he’d come here to see.

  There were only two other people left in this car. Two men wearing baseball caps and dark shades. They’d kept to themselves most of the trip from Los Angeles, and so had David. There was something about these two.

  They grabbed their carry-on duffels and rushed out of their seats so fast they stumbled upon the car attendant coming up the aisle. Startled, one of them dropped his tattered black bag, causing it to rip open.

  Several colorful bundles covered in shrink-wrap crashed onto the floor. Everything after that happened so fast—David’s blood pressure spiked, and he felt himself slipping back into the arid mountains of Afghanistan.

  The attendant’s surprise turned to realization, his gaze moving from the two men to the packages spilling from the duffel.

  “Keep moving, old man,” one of the men told the attendant. “Don’t you have someplace else to be?”

  The attendant stared at the bag. “No, can’t do that. I’m afraid I’ll have to report this immediately.”