by Fifi Flowers
I just had to wait and pray that they weren’t done with me. I really wanted nothing more to do with them and, yet, I was hoping for more questions. My thoughts about ransoms and phoning to prove I was alive didn’t seem like the route they were taking. I was thankful when they finally returned my phone and asked me for more information.
“What do you have about the restaurant on your phone?”
“These...” I opened another doc in my phone app and turned the screen to them again. “...are orders from the restaurant.”
“Do you have a record of who delivered items or who picked them up?”
“That’s another record,” I said, clicking out of the one and scrolling to find what they wanted when the lights went out.
“What the hell?” They moved away from me.
“Who hit the lights? What... who...” I heard those words at a distance.
Possibly left alone in the room, I sat still on the chair waiting until I heard what I imagined were gunshots. Then I rolled onto the floor and tried to scurry to a corner or a wall...any place to take cover. Only there wasn’t really anything to protect me in the crazy room, but at least I thought I was away from the commotion that was going on around me in the dark.
I silently prayed that the intrusion was someone coming to rescue me.
“Alice.” I heard my name called, but was too afraid to answer.
I had no idea who was who as I vaguely made out outlined figures that seemed to be struggling—maybe fighting. I would’ve attempted to crawl on my hands and knees to get out of the room but I had no perception of which way to go or if I could get by without being noticed. So I waited huddled up with my knees to my chest and my arms around them with my head down.
“You’re going to be alright. You’re going to make it out alive,” I mumbled softly.
I had to believe my own hushed words. I had to stay calm. I had to stay still. I don’t know how I knew, but I had a sneaking suspicion that my wonderful cowboy was behind the sudden darkness and the loud sounds that were getting a whole lot quieter.
Had my captors been killed? Was I about to be saved? Should I call out?
Just when I was about to panic, not knowing what was coming next in the silence besides the shuffling of feet, a voice I knew so well spoke up. “You’re safe, Alice” I heard in my ear as his strong arms reached for me and encircled my upper torso.
“Is this real? Am I dreaming? Am I really getting a happy ending?”
“I’m real, nature girl. You’re safe.” His touch and tone had instantly calmed my racing heart in one way. No more terror. Just pure contentment.
“You’re my hero...my very brave cowboy.”
There was a hint of a chuckle in his response, “I’m just returning the favor.”
I started to ask him what he meant when I clued into the time I had saved him on the river one ominous day. There was an angry, nasty storm that had made the river turn into an evil beast that threatened to claim lives. All of the river rafting guides had their work cut out for them and I was one of them battling to keep my raft afloat and its passengers inside. A few people were tossed out of various rafts and sent downstream along with a few kayaks and kayakers who were floating down separate of each other. Guides were scrambling to get their people and help others bobbing over the rocks and turbulent rapids.
Colt had been one of those unfortunate kayakers, but luckily I was able to get my craft to him. He had hit the back of his head as he went over rocks and was semi-conscious when we were finally able to pull him into my raft. Making it down to our usual rendezvous spot, help was standing by. Abandoning my safe passengers, I went along with him to the hospital to make sure he was going to be okay. I couldn’t imagine losing him...
I couldn’t imagine being without him again as he held me tight in the glass encompassed room and pulled us both up to stand. Within minutes, the lights came back on, a man entered the room and said, “Everything’s clear. If you want to follow me, I can get you out of here without trying to figure out this crazy place.”
“Right behind you,” Colt replied, grabbing my hand and gently pulled me along, leading the way as we traversed through the glass maze to an exit.
Outside, local law enforcement was present and body bags were lined up on the ground. Four people had taken me, three were bagged and one was handcuffed—Mr. Barefoot sat off to the side, being questioned.
My cowboy guided me to where a group of guys—uniformed like he was—stood. Introduced to everyone, I thanked them for coming to my rescue and then they dispersed, leaving us alone.
“I need to get you back to San Diego. The precinct wants to question you—”
“Is it safe? Officer Pedro...are there more?”
“I hate to say it, but I think they used you as a pawn.” I looked at him shocked. “It seems that several arrests of their own people were made as soon as they took you. They nabbed people from the restaurant...next I think is your work if they haven’t been there already. There was talk about drugs smuggled through the restaurant’s garden.”
“Wow! I thought it was maybe something like that. Is that why they want to talk to me? My captors were asking me about people at the nursery. I’m not sure I have what they need, but I’ll show them what I have... I know my boss would cooperate too.” As Colt was about to help me into the car, I sighed heavily. “The last thing I want to do is return to my life... I love the nursery but it is going to be a reminder of what just happened to me...” I swallowed hard as I continued, “They talked about throwing me in a wood chipper.”
Finally the tears came as my body sagged and my cowboy enveloped me in his big, strong arms. “Had I known they were planning to kidnap you and... I can’t even think about what they planned.” I felt his whole body tense against mine. “Fuck! I would’ve... I should’ve driven us in the opposite direction three state-lines away. No one would’ve touched you at the resort.”
Sniffing and whimpering, I managed a few words. “Not even you?”
“Oh my God, Alice. I’d never let go of you... Only me... No one but me will ever touch you again.” His grip tightened as my cheek rested on his massive chest where I could hear the beat of his heart. “As soon as you’re in the clear with the police, I’m taking you away... far from bad memories.”
“If you’re taking me back to the place where I have the fondest memory ever...” I looked up at my cowboy’s handsome face. “I’d like that.”
“No more bodyguarding for me. No more transporting for me.” A serious look...a loving look...a sincere look...not sure if those were the right words, but he sounded as if he was resigning and signing up for a new position. “The only person I plan to shield from harm for the rest of my life is you and...” His gorgeous, full lips crushed to mine before he finished his sentence and I welcomed them. It had been far too long.
The “rest of my life” part was enough for me and sounded perfect.
Epilogue
Colt
“Hey, Cowboy!” I never got tired of hearing Alice call me that. “What are you doing here...and what’s with the empty toddler backpack you’re wearing?” She stood up from bending over a row of planters, leaving a hand shovel in a pot filled with soil, and walked toward me.
“It’s not empty. It contains some delicious gourmet food. I swapped our kid out for grub. They agreed to put him to work.” I grinned as she shook her long, chunky, blonde pixie cut hair—her words to describe it, not mine.
“And exactly what type of jobs do they have for our two-year-old?”
“They mentioned horseback riding and a rope lassoing lesson to get ready for the next cattle drive.” I laughed and pulled Alice into my arms for a quick kiss. “More likely Aiden is finger-painting and eating warm chocolate chip cookies with a group of kids under Jade’s direction.”
“That sounds more like it...now give me a better kiss, Cowboy.” Her request matched with her beautiful sparkling blue eyes looking up at me made me want to honor her command. I
wasted no time and hungrily attacked her perfect lips with mine.
“Hey, give it a rest there. She’s still on the clock,” Sage, Alice’s boss and the owner of the greenhouses and the dude ranch next to our property, chuckled behind us.
Being back in Durango at the family water sport resort we experienced many great times. Unfortunately, there were a few not so great times in store for us when my mother unexpectedly passed away from a brain aneurysm weeks after Alice and I got married. My father couldn’t handle it or being surrounded by her memory and opted for a change of scenery. I had yet to sell my condo in San Diego so we kind of switched places.
He got the easy life: surfing lessons, sunset yoga, bike riding, and even took up photography. I got his life: running the family business and remodeling the inside of the family home to eliminate my mother’s touches—leaving only family photos around the large log cabin with her in them.
“How long do we have?” Alice asked as we walked to the dock where we launched our rental water toys and moored a good-sized pontoon boat we used to rescue renters in need of help.
“There is never enough time with you...” I kissed her lips, instructed her to fire up the boat and moved away from her to untie it from the wooden dock. “I take whatever I can get before I have to share you.”
“Speaking of sharing, your dad messaged that he was coming for a visit and...” I watched her bite her lip. “So is my mother.” Alice reached out and stroked my arm as I drew near her side. “Are you going to be okay?”
Life goes on. The circle of life. How could I tell my father not to find love again? I had pretty much pushed him right into the arms of Alice’s mother. I told him to contact her. I told him to take surf lessons. I told him to go with her to yoga. I told him to take photography classes with her... What did I expect? I didn’t quite anticipate that she would finally—according to Alice—give up the notion that she needed to stay in her big house waiting for her ex-husband to come to his senses, divorce his young wife and return to her in favor of moving in with my father.
A visit together would be the first time as a couple...a married couple—they eloped without telling me or my two older sisters. I guess that’s how it worked: you ran off and didn’t tell anyone until after you did it.
That was not how we did it. I proudly and loudly asked Alice to marry me and asked that everyone we knew intimately join us to celebrate our union. I wanted the entire world to know that we belonged to each other from that day until the end of time. Together is where we were meant to be and I was sure we could conquer anything.
“I’ll be just fine.” I switched places with Alice and took over driving with her firmly planted on my lap. “I can do anything as long as I have you beside me.”
“Or on you.” She grinned, threw her arms around my neck and wiggled her pretty little body.
Staying in control and not attacking her in public, I returned her naughty grin. “With me any way and every way is probably the best way to express how I want you.”
“Yep, you can have me forever...I’m with you for the long haul, Cowboy.”
The End
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Susan Stoker for creating the Special Forces: Operation Alpha world and thank you to THE READERS interested in reading more books in this world.
Thank you to the people that helped bring this book to life… Max Anthony, Lizzy of LKO Designs, Nickiann, Debbie, Roxanne, and Tammy, along with everyone that has supported me… ma maman, bloggers and my Cafélicious Reader Group—you are ALL truly appreciated.
Be sure to join Susan Stoker’s Kindle World - Special Forces group to find more great authors and books.
About the Author
Fifi Flowers, an internationally known artist turn author from the Los Angeles area of California, writes romance novels and paints fantasies with a Parisian flair while daydreaming of her time spent sipping cafe crème in the cafes of Paris.
She penned her love of Paris and romance to the pages of her first novel, A Window to Love, published in 2013, when she sat down, and instead of putting paint to paper, put her pen to paper and began her first novel. Since that first novel, Fifi has self-published several steamy contemporary romances and has many more in the works.
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Other Books by Fifi Flowers
WINDOWS:
A Window to Love
DOWNTOWN:
Just A Number
BROTHER DUET:
Drawn to a Cowboy
ENCOUNTERS:
Reclining Nude in Chicago
Taming the Curator
Falling in Paris
ENCOUNTERS HOLIDAY:
Love Me Now
HOOKUP CAFÉ:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
HEARTS:
Clashing Hearts
FOOLISH HEARTS:
Arranged (Imperfect Love crossover)
Deceived
UNEXPECTED DELIVERY:
Unexpected Bliss (Yeah, Baby Crossover)
BILLIONAIRE COMMUNICATION:
Controlling the Billionaire (Billionaire Universe Crossover)
SPECIAL FORCES:
Protecting Maya
CORDAY PEACH FAMILY:
Raising Veeta (Yeah, Baby Crossover)
STAND-ALONES:
Awakening to You Trilogy
Making Waves
Martini Sunday
For more updates: www.FifiFlowers.com