Justice Undercover

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Justice Undercover Page 18

by Connie Queen


  Staggering across the yard, he saw her, and his heart constricted. She was lying in the grass, gagging and choking. And she was alive. “Are you okay?”

  She coughed once more before she nodded. “My ears are ringing, but other than that, I think I’m fine.” She swiped at her eyes and blinked. “Is it you?”

  He smiled. “Of course, it’s me. Let’s get you out of here.”

  “Luke. Kylie.” His dad’s voice boomed across the yard. “Are you all right?”

  She struggled to sit. “I think so.”

  Luke looked up as his dad rushed to their sides.

  The older man’s gaze took them both in, relief in his eyes. “Son, you’re all right, too?”

  “Banged up a little.” And he realized in that moment, Sam Dryden would be the only dad he ever needed. As much as it hurt to be deceived, his parents had always loved him. They’d made mistakes, but being a father to Luke wasn’t one of them. “Mom and the twins make it out safely?”

  He nodded. “Everyone is safe except for the marshal. Wheeler didn’t make it.”

  Luke bent down and helped Kylie to her feet.

  She buried her face into his chest, and he breathed in the feel of her. Never had anyone felt so right in his life. He could cradle her in his arms like this forever. Luke felt more than saw his dad walk away. For a few moments he simply held Kylie, neither saying a word, only the sound of their breathing.

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  She looked up into his eyes, and softly said, “Thank you.”

  The words were simple, but her expression told him much more. “No. Sweetheart, you’re the one who helped me through this. Not just saving the twins, but helping me see my dad for what he is. I’d been fighting everyone.”

  “And am I finally free?” she whispered. Fatigue was clear in her face. “What happened to Hal?”

  “He’s been arrested for Megan’s murder. He claims Wheeler committed the killings of Lori Coffey and her two kids, but it will take some digging to find out the truth and all the players. With Wheeler dead and Alcott in jail, you’re free.”

  Kylie released a sigh and looked away. “I can go back to my family and to being Melody Garner. Who is that person?”

  His hand lifted her chin, making those beautiful blue eyes connect with his. “I’ve never met Melody, but if she’s anything like Kylie, I’d...” Even sprinkled with dirt, her pink lips called his name. He bent down and kissed her showing her how much she meant to him. Nothing or no one had ever felt so right. She sank into his arms, into his embrace. For a moment, they stood there, simply holding on to each other.

  He didn’t want this to end. “Before I chicken out, I need to tell you what you’ve done for me.”

  “Luke—”

  He placed a finger against her lips. “No. Hear me out.” He removed his finger and took her hands into his. Kylie squeezed his hand in return. “I know I haven’t been easy to get along with. You’ve helped more than anyone should have with Zoe and Braden. I want more. I realize you’ve got a family. I’d never ask you to give them up. Or your job. But I’d really like to get to know you better.”

  She smiled, and it almost undid him. “I gave you plenty of reasons not to trust me and you were grieving your sister’s death. I hid the truth from you, but you stuck by my side and continued to investigate. You made me believe in my ability again, believe in myself.”

  His chest swelled, glad he’d been able to help her.

  Jax came around the corner of the house carrying his cell phone, and interrupted them. “Dryden, Lieutenant Adcock wants to talk to you.”

  “Give me a sec.” Nothing was going to stop him from what he had to say. Luke turned to Kylie and pulled her close. “Kylie Stone. Melody Garner. I don’t care what you call yourself, I love you.” He planted a firm kiss on lips, savoring the taste of her, and then broke contact.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jax spin on his heel and disappear back around the house.

  A smile stretched across Kylie’s face and her eyes glistened. “You love me?”

  He’d never been good at expressing himself and maybe he was making a fool of himself, but he needed her to understand. “I realize I haven’t known you long, but I feel like I’ve known you forever. When I realized Wheeler was at the house, I’d never been so scared in my life. I was afraid I’d lost you. I don’t want to go through that again. You’ll want to see your family, but please don’t let this be the end to us.”

  She continued to smile. “I’ve got another secret.”

  “Oh, no. What’s that?”

  “I’m not that easy to get rid of. I love you, too.”

  EPILOGUE

  Five weeks later

  Melody sat in her old place at the dining table, the noise from her family filling the room. Her mom ran into the room carrying a platter of ham and set it in front of her. She had aged a bit since Melody had gone undercover, but some of that was due to her health problems.

  “Let me help you, Mom,” she offered and stood.

  “Nonsense. Sit down. This may be hard to believe, but I enjoy working.” Her mom whisked back into the kitchen, grabbed a few more dishes and then took her seat at the table.

  Tina clinked her fork on her glass. “Excuse me. Could I have everyone’s attention? I just want to say we’re so blessed to have everyone around the supper table again. First, Melody was brought back from the dead, and second, Mom’s surgery was a success. Welcome home.”

  Her mom smiled. “Thanks, Tina. It’s wonderful to be home. Doug, would you say grace?”

  Everyone held hands, five siblings plus her mom, while Melody’s brother blessed the food. As soon as he said “amen,” her family dug into the food and the room filled with laughter and chatting.

  Melody knew it didn’t make sense, but loneliness continued to fill her. Things were going better than she ever hoped for. Her mom had recovered from the surgery and completed therapy. The doctors believed they’d removed all the cancer. A follow-up CAT scan had been scheduled in three months to monitor the progress. As much as she hated to admit it, her mom didn’t need her help, at least not daily.

  All of her family had been shocked but blissfully happy she was alive. Strange hearing so many people call her Melody. As happy as she was to be back, a sadness crept over her at the loss of Kylie. Who was she and where did she fit in?

  “Mel, pass the biscuits.”

  “What?” She glanced up and found everyone staring at her.

  Ben grinned. “The biscuits...”

  “Oh.” She smiled and handed her younger brother the bread.

  “You’re a million miles away, sis,” Doug spouted. He stared at her a minute. Always her champion when she was a little kid. He taught her how to throw a football and even to shoot a gun. Now he had two daughters of his own.

  “I figure her distraction has something to do with that handsome Ranger.” Emma, just seventeen, giggled. “He needs to get on social media.”

  “He’s a private type of guy.” Melody passed the butter without having to be asked. The old family habits had returned to her almost immediately after moving back. “Luke’s a nice guy.”

  Tina burst out laughing. “Seriously? ‘Luke’s a nice guy,’” she mimicked. “He’s hot and you know it.”

  “Tina...” Melody shook her head.

  Her mother said, “Don’t be crude, young lady.”

  “I’m twenty-nine, Mom. Not exactly a kid anymore.”

  Melody appreciated her mom’s interruption. Honestly, it was great to be home again. But if so, why did it feel like something was missing? Maybe she just needed a little more time. Braden and Zoe had stolen her heart more than she wanted to admit.

  Emma leaned forward on her elbows. “So when are we going to meet this Texas Ranger?”

  “He has work and twins to
take care of.” A lump formed in Melody’s throat. She had her life back and was happy. This is what she’d wanted. Isn’t it?

  “So, big brother, what’s this I hear about a job promotion?” Ben asked.

  “Nothing’s for certain yet.” Doug launched into a conversation he’d had with his boss two days ago.

  Melody wasn’t really listening and was glad for the change in topic. She ate her food, but had a difficult time concentrating with wondering what Luke and the twins were up to. She stood and gave her mom a kiss on the cheek. “Lunch was great, Mom.”

  She wandered outside and sat on the back-porch swing. The sounds of her family inside the house drifted out to her. She couldn’t do this. Couldn’t just sit here. Too much energy. Where did she fit in? Several people from the US Marshals had called her to tell her how glad they were that she was back. She’d been offered her former job as Deputy US Marshal, and she had promised to give them an answer by tomorrow.

  What was she waiting on? Undoubtedly, she should go back to work. She’d be almost two hours from Rocky Creek. Of course, she could transfer districts and be a short commute from Luke’s hometown. He had called daily and come to visit a couple of times and once while her mom was in the hospital, but she was still restless. She would go back to the Marshals. There was no need to wait until tomorrow. She’d call them right now. She dug in her pocket for her phone.

  Her sister yelled something, but Melody was too preoccupied.

  “Ky-ee. Ky-ee.”

  The little voices caused her to jerk around.

  Luke was striding toward her in his boots and cowboy hat, along with the twins.

  Her heart swelled with joy. She didn’t wait for them, but ran to meet them. “Braden. Zoe. Oh, I’m so glad you came to see me.” She dropped to her knees and gave them a hug. Both of them kept their hands behind their backs. “I’ve missed you.”

  “We brought you something,” Braden yelled.

  Zoe grinned. “Yeah.”

  Melody glanced up at Luke. “Oh, really. What did you bring me?”

  Braden and Zoe whipped out a handful of daisies from behind their backs.

  “Oh.” She gathered the flowers together in her hands. “They’re beautiful. I love them.”

  Luke stared down at her, his eyes connecting with hers. “So you got everything figured out yet?”

  She came to her feet. “What do you mean?”

  His lips curled upward into a grin. “Your family. Me and the twins. We’ve missed you, but you needed time to reconnect with your old life. When we were working the case, you had a lot on your plate, and I didn’t want to pressure you. Are you ready to move forward? I need you to be certain because I want it all.”

  She smiled. “What does that mean?”

  “First, I have something for you. Actually, I have two things, but this one first.” His gaze held a mysterious gleam as he pulled an envelope from his back pocket.

  Curiosity swept through her, but she remained silent waiting for him to explain.

  “This one is for you and your mom.”

  “My mom?”

  He handed her the envelope. “A vacation package for two to Niagara Falls.”

  Her heart melted and her hand, clutching the gift, went to her chest. “You remembered.” Unbidden tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done!”

  “And this one...” He slid a small box from his shirt pocket as he went down to one knee.

  Her throat went dry and her knees shook.

  “I love you, Melody, and I want you to be my wife. The whole package. Be a mom to these two ornery kids and let’s spend the rest of our lives getting to know each other.”

  “I love you, too.” She looked into his hopeful expression and realized she wasn’t complete without him. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

  Cheers sounded from the porch.

  She laughed. “You sure you know what you’re getting yourself into?”

  He scooped the twins into his arms, along with her. “Like I said, I want it all.”

  * * *

  Uncover the truth in thrilling stories of faith in the face of crime from Love Inspired Suspense.

  Look for six new releases every month, available wherever Love Inspired Suspense books and ebooks are sold.

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Deadly Connection by Lenora Worth.

  Dear Reader,

  I’m so excited you could be part of my debut novel with Luke Dryden and Kylie Stone. Luke has been dealing with trust issues since he learned his parents kept a secret from him his entire life. Kylie is in hiding and keeps her true identity a secret. It takes protecting Luke’s twins and fighting to stay alive to realize what is truly important.

  Have you ever been in a situation where you built a wrongdoing into gigantic proportions and struggled to forgive? Have you ever done something you wished you could take back, but couldn’t? I hope you can relate to Luke and Kylie’s story and you can overcome like they do. Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you.

  Connie Queen

  WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM

  Courage. Danger. Faith.

  Find strength and determination in stories of faith and love in the face of danger.

  6 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!

  Deadly Connection

  by Lenora Worth

  ONE

  Brooklyn K-9 Unit Officer Belle Montera glanced back on the shortcut through Cadman Plaza Park, her K-9 partner, Justice, a sleek German shepherd, moving ahead of her as she held tightly to his leash. She had a weird sense she was being followed, but it had to be nothing. Checking her watch, she noted it was almost 5:00 p.m. Still plenty of summer light left, but the skies were darkening with the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm. Brooklyn in the summer—always full of surprises. Rain showers could be one of those.

  Belle was used to the ever-changing weather and she was used to keeping her radar on full speed. She always felt safe in her city, but she never let her guard down, either.

  Justice lifted his black nose and sniffed the humid air, then gave a soft woof. He might have seen a squirrel frolicking in the tall oaks, or he could have sensed Belle’s agitation. Still on duty, she kept a keen eye on her surroundings. Justice could always use the exercise, and she loved having him with her all the time, but this was official business.

  “No time to go after innocent squirrels,” she told Justice. “We’re working, remember?”

  Her faithful companion gave her a dark-eyed stare, his black K-9 unit protective vest cinched around his firm belly.

  They were both on high alert.

  Her service weapon sat nestled in its holster around her duty belt, her NYPD badge shone on her black uniform shirt and her partner was highly trained in protection.

  The entire department had been a little antsy lately, so no wonder she had a trace of the jitters.

  This meeting could provide the lead the Brooklyn K-9 Unit had been waiting for. A recent double homicide had been eerily similar to one that had taken place twenty years ago in Bay Ridge. Thanks to new technology, evidence in the cold case—an old leather watchband—had finally provided DNA on the killer. If this meeting panned out, Belle could help the unit get closer to finding that killer. And if he’d struck again two months ago.

  Sergeant Gavin Sutherland, the head of their unit, had warned her to be careful. He’d explained to the entire team that their suspect perp could be watching and waiting. Two members of their K-9 unit, brother and sister Bradley and Penelope McGregor, lost their parents in that twenty-year-old cold case, and either the killer had returned or they had a copycat on their hands. The team needed to stay alert.

  Belle intended to do just that.

  “It’s okay, boy,” she
said, giving Justice’s shiny black-and-tan coat a soft rub. “Just my overactive imagination getting the best of me.”

  She had a meeting with a man who could have information regarding the McGregor murders. The DNA match from that case had indicated that US Marshal Emmett Gage could be related to the killer.

  The team had done a thorough background check on the marshal to eliminate him as a suspect, then Belle had been assigned to meet with him.

  Justice lifted his head and sniffed again, his nose in the air. The big dog glanced back. Belle checked over her shoulder.

  No one there.

  After a few years as a beat cop and now one year into working as an Emergency Services officer, Belle had cross-trained to be tough and unemotional no matter the situation. But added to the grueling training, sometimes her anxieties kicked in and turned things up a notch. Since she did have good instincts in spite of those anxieties, she slowed and listened to hear if any footsteps hit the strip of pavement curving through the path toward the federal courthouse near the park.

  But the only sounds were the birds chirping in the rustling trees and the swish of a hot summer breeze moving over her skin. The never-ending traffic noise echoed out over the trees and distant laughter followed but, for the most part, she was alone on this path. Rain clouds formed overhead while humidity covered her clothes and moistened the short ponytail at the nape of her neck.

  Slowing her pace, Belle listened. She heard through the trees what sounded like a motorcycle revving, then nothing but the birds chirping. Minutes passed and then she heard a noise on the path, the crackle of a twig breaking, the slight shift of shoes hitting asphalt, a whiff of stale body odor wafting through the air. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and Belle knew then.

  Someone is following me.

  Justice let out an aggressive growl and Belle turned around, ready to draw her hidden Sig Sauer pistol. Nothing there. No one behind her. Maybe a jogger who’d left the path?

 

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