Ranger's Justice (Rangers 0f Big Bend Book 1)

by Lara Lacombe

  “Did you mean it?” Her question caught him off guard and he shook his head.

  “Did I mean what?” Quinn wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but he knew from her tone it was serious.

  “In your apartment,” she clarified. “After Justin shot you. I was applying pressure to your shoulder and you told me you loved me. Did you mean it?”

  “Oh,” he said dumbly. He felt his cheeks burn and knew he must be blushing.

  “Yes, I meant it,” he said, meeting her gaze. His heart was beating in his chest like a kettle drum as his nerves took hold. “It wasn’t a lie, or a ploy to manipulate Justin. I do love you. I had hoped to tell you under different circumstances, but...” He trailed off, shrugging his good shoulder.

  Rebecca’s eyes were bright. “I hoped you were telling the truth.” She grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly.

  “That’s encouraging,” he said teasingly.

  She smiled. “I love you, too. I don’t know how it happened, but somewhere along the way I realized I need you in my life.”

  A large lump formed in Quinn’s throat, threatening to choke him. He swallowed hard. “I feel the same way about you.” It wasn’t the most eloquent response, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

  He opened his arms and she leaned forward, snuggling against his chest with her cheek pressed to his heart. They fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces custom-made for each other. Quinn stroked Rebecca’s hair, a sense of peace stealing over him as he held the woman he loved.

  He wasn’t sure how much time passed. He could have stayed that way forever, but Rebecca eventually sat up. “So what happens now? Where do we go from here?”

  Quinn shook his head. “I’m not sure. But I do know that I want us to be together.”

  “So do I,” Rebecca said. “But how can we make that work? Your job is here. Mine is across the country. That seems like a pretty big obstacle.”

  “It’s a problem,” Quinn conceded. “But we don’t have to have all the answers figured out now, do we? Can’t we work on things as we go?”

  “I suppose we’ll have to,” Rebecca said. There was a strange note in her voice—a hint of defeat, or perhaps fatalism.

  A spike of fear pierced his heart. Was she already having second thoughts?

  “Hey.” Quinn waited until she met his gaze again. “What’s wrong?”

  She smiled ruefully. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Only to me.”

  Rebecca nodded. “I’m just worried,” she said with a sigh. “You’re the first man I’ve loved since Brandon’s death. I don’t want to lose you. But I don’t know how this is going to work in the long run.”

  It was the same issue that had troubled him since he’d recognized his feelings for Rebecca. But despite all his thinking on the subject, he still didn’t have a satisfactory solution.

  “I can’t answer that.” He shook his head, hating to think they might be over even before they really gave things a chance. “I’m not going to try to convince you to give us a go. You need to want this as much as I do. I’ll understand if you don’t.” It was a lie—he’d be broken-hearted if she ended things here, but he wasn’t going to play on her emotions. If they were going to try a long-distance relationship, they both had to be all in.

  Rebecca shook her head. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she said. “I told you before—I love you. I want to see where this goes.”

  Quinn nearly laughed in relief. “Okay,” he said. “Then we will. But promise me this—we take things one day at a time. Don’t go worrying about the unknown future. Just focus on the here and now. Can you do that for me?”

  Rebecca smiled. “I think I can handle that. But I might need you to help distract me.” She lifted her eyebrows suggestively and Quinn laughed.

  “I know a few things we can do to keep your mind sufficiently occupied,” he said.

  She winked and leaned forward, planting a hot kiss on his lips that left him breathless and yearning for more. “I’m counting on it.”

  Six weeks later

  “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Rebecca smiled at her boss. “I’m only taking a couple of weeks off. I’ll be back.”

  The older man frowned, not trying to hide his reaction. “Are you sure? Because it kind of feels like you’re gearing up to leave. I’d hate to lose you. You’re one of my best.”

  Rebecca tucked another book into her bag. “I haven’t decided that yet. And besides, even if I did move on, you’ll find others. You know there’s always a group of young kids waiting in the wings to replace us older veterans.”

  Frank snorted. “You’re not old. Not by a long shot.”

  “Maybe not. But I feel old. And that’s reason enough for me to take a vacation.”

  Her boss sighed. “If you’re sure that’s all it is?”

  Rebecca nodded. In truth, Frank wasn’t too far off the mark. She was considering a change in course. It would be nice to take a step back from profiling work, go in a different direction. One that would allow her to be closer to Quinn...

  “All right. Just promise me you’ll give me a heads-up before you make any rash decisions?”

  She nodded, feeling a little lump in her throat. She knew Frank cared for her, and she considered him a friend. If she did decide to transfer, she would miss him terribly.

  Frank cleared his throat and nodded. “Enjoy your time off then. I hope you find the answers you’re searching for.” He hesitated, then gave her shoulder a pat as he walked out of her office.

  Rebecca smiled. Had it been up to her, she would have hugged him. But she knew Frank wouldn’t appreciate such an overt physical display.

  She packed up a few more files and carried her bag down to her car. Technically, her vacation didn’t start until Friday, but she had to admit that mentally, she was already out the door.

  Her thoughts wandered as she drove home, landing as they so often did on Quinn. I wonder what he’s doing right now? She thought about calling him, but decided to wait. It was the middle of the afternoon, and he’d still be at work. She’d talk to him tonight, when they’d have more time to chat.

  The past six weeks had been better than she’d expected. The distance had been challenging, but every other weekend they had made time to see each other. Quinn had come to Virginia first, then she had gone back to Alpine. Their visits were never long enough, but it was better than nothing.

  Quinn had enjoyed his first trip to Virginia. Rebecca had worried that the time apart would make things a little awkward, but as soon as they saw each other it was like they’d never been separated. They’d spent all of Saturday in bed, talking and laughing and making love, only coming up for air to eat. She’d taken him out on Sunday, showing him a bit of the area before putting him back on a plane to Texas. Saying goodbye had broken her heart a little, but the knowledge that she was going to Alpine in a couple of weeks had softened the blow.

  Her trip to see Quinn had been a little tougher than she’d anticipated. Seeing him had been wonderful, but she’d had a hard time going to his apartment. Being back in that space reminded her of Justin and that horrible afternoon, when she’d almost lost Quinn.

  He’d noticed her reaction. “I’m moving soon,” he’d told her. “I hate living here now.”

  They hadn’t talked about that day, choosing instead to focus on each other and the time they had together. But Rebecca hadn’t stopped thinking about the case, and she began to wonder if perhaps she might be happier doing something else.

  Truth be told, she’d been wondering if profiling work was really the right fit for her. She was good at her job—or at least, she’d felt that way until she’d mistakenly identified Harry as the killer. But it wasn’t just a crisis of confidence that had her rethinking everything. Losing Brandon and finding love again with Quinn had tri
ggered a tectonic shift in her life, causing her to reevaluate her priorities. Spending more time with Quinn had convinced her that he was the man for her. But she couldn’t make him and their relationship a priority if she remained committed to a job she no longer enjoyed.

  So she was seriously thinking about putting in her notice at work and applying for a teaching position in Texas. The university in El Paso was looking for someone to spearhead the development of a forensic psychology program, which sounded right up her alley. And while El Paso was several hours away from Alpine and Big Bend, she figured she and Quinn could make it work. She wouldn’t mind the commute, if it meant coming home to him at the end of every day.

  She pulled in to her driveway, frowning as she noticed a man sitting on her front porch. That was odd. Then he stood, and she realized with a shock it was Quinn.

  Joy filled her at the unexpected sight of him. She parked and got out of the car as fast as she could. He met her in the driveway, drawing her close for a hug. He bent his head and kissed her, making her toes curl in anticipation.

  “What are you doing here?” She reached up to touch the side of his face, rubbing her fingertip over the stubble on his cheek. “Not that I’m complaining. But I didn’t expect you until Friday.”

  He grinned. “I’ve been doing some thinking, and I couldn’t wait to talk to you.”

  “I could say the same thing to you.” She hadn’t told him about her idea to move yet. She’d wanted it to be a surprise. But now that he was here, she had to share.

  She led him inside the house and they sat on the sofa together. “You go first,” he said. Excitement danced in his brown eyes and she couldn’t help but smile. It was so good to see him happy again—over the past few weeks, he’d lost the haunted look that had seemed to be lurking just under the surface after Justin’s attack on them both. Rebecca was glad to see the changes in him; Justin’s ghost had no place in their lives.

  She took a deep breath. “Well,” she began, feeling suddenly self-conscious, “I’m thinking about quitting my job. There’s an open position at the university in El Paso, and I’m willing to pack up and move to Texas so we can be together.”

  Quinn’s expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  Rebecca nodded, feeling a prickle of unease at his reaction. “I am.” When he didn’t say anything, she prodded. “I can’t tell if you think that’s a good thing or not.”

  Quinn shook his head and laughed. “Oh, I think it’s a great thing, if you’re sure that’s what you really want. But why do you want to quit? I thought you loved working as a profiler.”

  She shrugged. “Not so much anymore. I’m glad I did it for so long, but I’m starting to think the job no longer fits me, if that makes any sense.”

  “It does.” Quinn squeezed her hand. “I’m proud of you for being willing to make a change. I know how hard that is.”

  “Tell me about your news,” she said. “We can talk more about my changes later. I want to know what’s going on with you.”

  A strange expression crossed his face. “Oh. Uh, I think my revelation is going to be a bit anticlimactic after that, but okay.” He reached out to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m ready to apply for a transfer.”

  Rebecca felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. “A transfer? Where to?”

  “Virginia,” Quinn replied. “You guys have a lot of parks and monuments up here. I figured there are plenty of options for a park ranger like myself.”

  “Are you wanting to do that just for me? Or do you truly want to move?” It seemed they were both looking for a change, but she wanted to make sure Quinn wasn’t uprooting his life because he thought she needed him to.

  “It’s time,” he said. His words eased the knot of tension in her stomach. “I enjoyed working in Big Bend, and I’ll always have a soft spot for the park. But it holds too many tough memories for me now. I want to move on, to find a place that isn’t so...emotionally complicated.”

  “I totally get that.” It was amazing how closely their motivations mirrored each other’s. More proof we’re meant to be together, she thought.

  “But I don’t have to move here,” he said. “If you get the job in El Paso, I can apply to work at a park closer to the city.”

  “And I don’t have to move to El Paso,” she said. “If you want to stay in Virginia, there are things I can do here. I could get a teaching position at the FBI academy in Quantico.”

  “So we both have a lot of options,” he said.

  They stared at each other for a moment, then Rebecca burst out laughing. “Why do I get the feeling I’m in an O. Henry story?”

  Quinn frowned, but his expression cleared quickly. “‘The Gift of the Magi’?” he asked.

  She nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “If I remember correctly, the story has a happy ending,” he said.

  “It does,” she agreed. “Which is the best kind.”

  They smiled at each other, and Rebecca’s heart felt so full she thought it might burst.

  “Well,” she said, “it seems as if we’re getting a fresh start. What should we do with it?”

  “I’m not sure,” Quinn said. He pulled her into his arms, and she snuggled against his chest. “But I know one thing—I’ll be happy as long as I’m with you.”

  Rebecca smiled up at him, feeling full of hope for their future together. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  * * * * *

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  Rocky Mountain Valor

  by Jennifer D. Bokal

  Prologue

  Denver, Colorado

  August 21

  5:30 a.m.

  Ian Wallace pressed his back into the wall and drew his semiautomatic pistol. The visor of his helmet was pulled low. Black pants. Black shirt. Black Kevlar vest. He blended into the darkness like a shadow.

  “Ready,” he said, his voice pitched low. His helmet mic transmitted his command to his team of ten, waiting behind him. His words also went to a van, parked thr
ee blocks away, that served as a mobile headquarters.

  There was a singular objective with the raid—arrest the three drug dealers, dubbed Comrades One, Two and Three. Yet he was far more interested in what the trio of Comrades knew about Nikolai Mateev, the godfather of Russian organized crime.

  For Ian, the hunt for Nikolai Mateev was more than a job, it was his life’s work. It covered his skin, raced through his veins and filled his lungs. He hadn’t felt this soul-deep yearning in years. And the memory of the last time stung deeply. Not for the first time, he found the image of Petra Sloane stealing into his mind at the most inconvenient moment.

  He shook his head to clear it, determined to free himself of all thoughts of her. Past was past. They were over. The most important bust of his career—of his life—was about to go down, and he had to remain focused. Eternity passed in the span of a single heartbeat.

  “Go! Go! Go!” he said out loud.

  Two agents rushed forward, swinging a battering ram, breaking the lock and knocking the door off its hinges. Ian lobbed a flash-bang grenade into the room. Turning away, he ducked down. Light and sound exploded as tendrils of smoke wafted over him.

  Comrade Three lay on the floor. A seam had been sliced into his forehead and it filled with bright red blood. Flex-cuffs were immediately slipped around the man’s wrists, and two team members remained as guards. The rest fanned out. Three went upstairs. Ian, with the remaining three, searched the ground floor.

  Voices drew Ian’s attention. He sprinted down a short hallway to the rear of the house. He entered the kitchen in time to see Comrade One slip through the back door and into the predawn mist. Comrade Two rushed after him.

  “You aren’t going anywhere.” Grabbing him by the shoulder, Ian gave a hard pull, throwing the man to the floor. Instantly, three guns were pointed at his head. The Russian lifted his hands in surrender.

  Pulse and breath resonating inside his helmet, Ian ran out the back door in time to watch Comrade One scuttle over the fence. He stopped the chase, his eyes drawn to the ground. The final member of the team writhed in pain, a knife protruding from his thigh.