by Aliyah Burke
He held up a hand. “Don’t, Chase. I have to know that this is wrapped up and those fuckers aren’t going to come back and try this again. Sarah is a Marine, more than that, she’s my Marine and she doesn’t know how to give up. She’ll pull through, we will then make it through to this goddamn wedding that is years late and make her mother happy.”
The man who looked at Grey’s wife as a sister nodded and dropped his gaze back to the maps that were sprawled over the desk. Leaning forward, Grey looked over the topographical maps of Bolivia.
A smile broke out as another packet of maps fell on top of the ones there. Satellite images. Using the paperweight that Sarah brought back from one visit she had in Equatorial Guinea, he allowed his fingers to drift over it twice as he used it to anchor one of the corners.
Get your shit together. This is no time to worry about the woman lying there fighting for her life.
He took a deep breath and pushed everything to the back of his mind except for the upcoming mission.
Chapter Six
Grey kicked in the door, weapon high while beside him, Chase Ellery went low. Grey wanted him there with him, and they had paired up together. The man loved her like his little sister and wanted the blood of the bastards who’d done this to her with a passion that was second only to Grey himself.
The log cabin hiding away in the depths of Bolivia had its own dock onto a huge lake, near one of the rivers and a five-car garage. Okay, so it was less like a cabin and more like a goddamn vacation home. He didn’t give a flying fuck how much money they had, there was one thing on his mind. Revenge.
“Clear,” Chase stated as he went left while Grey went right.
Rifle at the ready, the smooth material stock pressed tight to his cheek as the butt lodged into his shoulder as he swept, he wanted to kill them all. They worked methodically yet swift and cleared both levels of the cabin. Owl, Livingston and Jamieson had found two of the three guys and had them cuffed and on their knees in the living room.
Holding his HK MR556A1 before him against the Kevlar vest he wore, Grey stared with disgust at the two men. Their suits were well tailored and expensive. Wiping the back of his glove beneath his nose, he glared at them both.
He gestured with his chin. “Why are you after Sarah Mallery? What is your reason for killing her?”
“Who the fuck are you?” one snapped.
Grey narrowed his gaze. Language wasn’t going to be an issue, not that he cared. He spoke Spanish and knew a few of the others here spoke Portuguese if they wanted to say they only spoke that language. “I’m not the fucking dead asshole on my knees and secured. Answer my goddamn question.”
“Get fucked.” The same man made the comment.
“You’d like that wouldn’t you,” he said, a feral smile tugging up his lips. “Tell me what I want to know and I won’t shoot you.”
“You have no right to even detain us. Let us go. You have no right to be here capturing us. This isn’t American soil. You’re not even in that country. This is Bolivia. I don’t know who you are but I know you’re not the CIA.”
Grey gave a full on feral grin. “You’re right I’m not. And unfortunately for you, that means I won’t even play by their rules, as liberal as they tend to be when dealing with hostiles. However, who I am is the husband of the woman you put the hit on and I will get my answers, your choice if it’s easy or hard.” He narrowed his eyes. “Please pick hard.”
“Let’s go,” Chase stated. “Get the other one, leave these two alone.”
Grey never looked at him, just stared at the fuck who’d gone after Sarah. As Owl and Chase dragged the other man out, fear began to spread over the lone guy’s features. Again, Grey didn’t give a flipping damn.
“You talk before him or I will kill you. Whoever gives information first stays alive.”
“You can’t do this.”
He looked around. “I can’t? Pretty sure I’m doing it right now.” He ran his gloved fingers along the length of his HK then reached down to the handle of the large twelve-inch knife secured to his side. “Who’s going to stop me? So, let’s try this again. Tell me who ordered the hit on her. And where the third man is from your little operation? Believe me when I say, I won’t ask again.”
The silence in the room, ominous and it didn’t get any better with the sound of him pulling the razor sharp blade free.
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“I’m sorry, Mama.” Sarah held her mother’s hand with as much strength as she could. Honestly it wasn’t that much but it was better than nothing in her opinion. Her mom’s too, for she wasn’t letting go.
“Baby,” Mrs. Mallery said brushing her free hand along the side of her face. “Let it go. I’m just so glad you’re okay now. That you’ve come back to me.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she stared at Sarah. “To all of us.”
She looked around the room, disappointment filling her when she didn’t spy Grey there. Where was he? That act alone exhausted her.
“He was here but he said he had to go away for a bit. But he left this note for you, made me promise to give it to you when you woke up. Grey never had any doubt you would be coming back to us.”
Mrs. Mallery got up from the chair she occupied and moved to her purse where she pulled out a sealed envelope.
“Do you need me to read it to you?”
“No ma’am.” Sarah took the paper, hating how weak she was at the moment. She longed to tug the tubes out of her nose and rip out the IV in her. Every inch of her hurt and all she wanted to do was find Grey and crawl into his lap and sleep. Her vision was a bit blurry but she was not going to have her mother read a private letter from Grey. Not so long as she was alive and could partially see.
“I’ll be right over here.”
While Sarah would have preferred to be alone while she read a note from her husband, she understood that her mother had nearly lost her daughter and wasn’t going to be leaving her alone. However, she did give her a mediocre amount of privacy. Something Sarah appreciated.
With a deep breath, she opened the envelope and pulled out the folded letter. Her heart thudded within her chest. She knew that Grey had written a letter to be handed out if something happened to him on a mission and for a brief moment, that’s where her mind went. That this letter was his final words and tears sprang up into her eyes. Furiously blinking them away, she bit the inside of her lower lip.
Keep it together, Sarah. He wrote this for you when you woke up, not for if he never came back. Plus he’s not a SEAL anymore he works for Tungsten.
Didn’t mean the man wasn’t in danger. Hell, sometimes he could be in even more given what they did. She let that go, it wasn’t time to think about that at all, she needed to focus on what was before her. The letter.
Slowly, she unfolded it and stared at his small script.
My Sarah,
If you’re reading this then I wasn’t there when you woke. For that I’m so sorry, you know there would only be one reason I wouldn’t be there at your side when those stunning eyes of yours opened once more. I’ve gone after the fuckers who dared come after you.
Thank you for coming back to me, I would hate to think you were taking the coward’s way out to avoid having to pick a cake frosting flavor and decide on a dress for our wedding. I fully expect you to be walking down the aisle to meet me in a couple of weeks. I’ll be the handsome one at the end in the tuxedo, who only has eyes for you.
I love you so much and I will see you soon, before the preacher. Don’t be late, Marine!
Solely yours for eternity,
Grey
Sarah read the letter twice, ignoring the tears that streamed down her cheeks. Her mother crouched by her side and took her hand.
“Is everything okay?”
“I have to walk down the aisle to Grey.”
Mrs. Mallery’s expression showed her doubt ever so briefly before it was wiped away. “And you will, baby. You will.”
Her days leading up the wedding passed in a blur, she
pushed herself hard. Didn’t see Grey at all but did what she could to make final decisions. Her mother asked if she wanted to move the wedding date, but she refused. She couldn’t take any more planning of this thing. She wanted to be done with the chaos.
The doctor visited her daily and had learned it was best he just shake his head and not tell her to slow down. She refused to not be able to walk down the aisle to her husband. Tobias Latner came out and built a ramp for the house so she could wheel herself in and out on her own and make it a bit easier for her mother.
Chase had also vanished, and no one would tell her where he’d gone off too. Not even his wife, Vicki. When the man finally showed it was the night before her wedding, and all he did was hug her hard, and promise to be back in the morning. She went to bed, not even knowing if Grey was back in town.
The day of the wedding, she sat in the wheelchair at the church while her mother did her hair. Her palms were sweaty and she had so many butterflies in her belly she was surprised she wasn’t belching them up. What the hell is wrong with me? It’s not like this isn’t something new to me.
But it was. This was before the entire town and their family and friends. With a kiss, her mom left her alone in the room.
Please, let me not fall flat on my face or do something else to embarrass my mother.
Chase stepped in the room after a sharp knock. She smiled at him as he stood there in his tuxedo looking so handsome. He skimmed a hand down the side of her face then brushed a kiss to her cheek.
“I think they’re playing your song, little sister.”
He was walking her down the aisle since her father wasn’t alive anymore. She looked at him and nodded. “Can’t be anymore ready than I am now, I guess.”
Chase pushed her out the door and to the beginning of the nave.
This was it. Time for her to see Grey.
He remained beside her as the music began to play. She saw her friends and family up there and wanted to touch Grey to ensure that he was okay. To show him, she was okay.
Chapter Seven
The music filled the church and Grey couldn’t keep his eyes off the doors at the back of the room. The moment they began to open, he inhaled sharply. He’d barely gotten in last night, Chase had arrived a few hours ahead of him. They’d had to wrap up all of this shit surrounding the assassins that had been assigned to take out Sarah. Two were caught one more was still out there.
A pissed off Colombian drug lord hired them after Sarah and her team had eliminated a major chunk of his crop as well as killing his two oldest sons. He’d been after revenge for a while and it had leaked out who she was. So, while the drug lord was not going to be an issue any more, the single assassin may in the future.
He’d been in contact with Sarah’s mom and she told him she was progressing slowly; her scars were healing. She also told him that some of the light that had made Sarah who she was had gone missing.
Grey didn’t give a damn if she was in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, all that mattered to him was that she had survived and was still up for putting on this show for the town.
Two little girls in gold double layered mesh skirts and a sequined bodice with a red flower attached on the waist. Behind them was a little boy, Jordan, who was carrying the rings on a gold, red, and blue pillow. He wore a black tux with a blue vest and a gold flower in the lapel.
The music changed and straightened, Jamieson beside him swore beneath his breath. Grey followed suit after that. Chase stepped into the nave and on his arm, was Sarah, not in a chair, but up on her feet, walking. Sure, small steps and he knew she was leaning on Chase a lot, but she was up.
Then he took in her dress and swore again. He’d never seen her so beautiful in his entire life. It fit her curves, showing them off. Lace adorned it as well as the sleeves had spots of lace or applique on it, creating a stunning package. It gathered in the back and trailed out behind her.
Her hair had been gathered up in some amazing updo that he longed to release so it would tumble around her shoulders and face. A few scratches on her face but for the most part, he didn’t see any sign of her having been in that accident, aside from how slow she moved.
Chase walked her up to him and Grey took her hands when the preacher asked who gives this woman. She held his gaze and Grey tightened his arms, so he supported more of her weight.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“We get that son, that’s why we’re here,” the preacher said, interrupting. “Let me finish then you can tell her all you want.”
The congregation, which comprised of nearly the entire town, laughed and he merely smiled. They could all laugh all they wanted, he had what he needed right here in his arms. The only woman in the world for him.
They recited their vows and exchanged rings. Beneath his touch, he felt her trembling more and knew her exhaustion had just about reached its limit. The preacher told him he could kiss the bride, and he didn’t wait any longer. He wrapped his arms around her, drew her close to him, and took her weight off her feet as he kissed her. All the while he was mindful of her injuries.
“Are you okay, Mrs. Sorenson?” he murmured against her lips. More than ten years had passed before he could call her by her legal name in public where others could hear. Their road had been bumpy and sometimes, he hadn’t been sure they’d make it.
“Tired,” she replied softly.
“May I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. Grey Sorenson,” the preacher announced.
Grey swept her up in his arms and met Chase’s gaze. The man dashed up the aisle to get the wheelchair for him to settle her in.
They did pictures and went to the school for the reception. It was all decked out for them and he lifted her out of the back of the limo and carried her inside.
“I could get used to this treatment,” she said as he put her down in the chair at the wedding party table.
“I’ll carry you every day if you want me to. I’m just glad you’re back and here with me.”
She gazed at him and kissed him. “I love you, husband.”
He took her hand and spun the ring on her finger. The ring he’d given her so many years ago when they’d gotten married after a night of drinking. The ring he’d kept on his person since then for the chance to get her back. The rings he put on her when they worked an undercover op together over in Hamburg. They were back on her finger where they belonged and for his money, they weren’t coming off again.
“And I you, Sarah. I’m guessing this whole ball and chain thing won’t be so bad. Here’s to the next few decades.”
Despite the tiredness he saw in her gaze, she smiled at him. “Ball and chain? Humph. I’ll hold you to that, Navy.”
The end
About Cottonwood Falls
I’m sure by now you’ve figured out there are a few in this series. Below I’ve posted the series link as well as individual titles and links in case there was one or two that you may have missed.
Thank you again and I truly hope you enjoyed reading about the events leading up to Sarah and Grey’s wedding.
Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MBNKSQP/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
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Relentless, #1
Not everything new is best
Tobias Latner has come home to buy up property and build a new mall. With the misguided belief it will be best for the town, he’s shocked by the amount of resistance he receives. More than that, he’s shaken by the intense attraction he feels to one of the residents.
Dr. Melinda Glazer comes home when her father is diagnosed with cancer, to work the clinic so it doesn’t have to close. Her lust for Toby Latner is a distraction she feels she can move beyond if she gets it out of her blood. She doesn’t realize how wrong she is, nor how relentless the businessman can be when he sets his sights on something he wants.
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Fracture, #2
Homecomings can be wonderful in breaking down old walls
Once the princess of Cottonwoo
d Falls, Vicki Boshay had exchanged her crown and dresses for a badge and a gun as a deputy in her hometown. Disowned by her family for her decisions she has moved on and carries her head high. One foggy night she’s reunited with a man who lived on the wrong side of the tracks but had always interested her.
Chase Ellery is out of the Army and has come back home. He is shocked to see Vicki Boshay wearing a uniform when she gives him a ride into town. Some memories are harder than others to get rid of and despite the passion arching between them, their past is still there. Will they be able to move on or will it fracture the budding relationship?
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Ravish, #3
There are times when you just need to return to your roots
On the heels of landing his largest part yet, Brody Paget, has returned from Hollywood to Cottonwood Falls, to share the news with a family he’s not seen in years. Still, sometimes it’s harder to let go of what you’ve run from than expected and he learns that when he is reunited with the one woman he’s ever loved. She just also happens to be the woman he left at the altar.
Hermione Windsor can’t believe it when he walks into the bank. Even ten years wasn’t long enough for her to move on. Now, he was back and wanted to rekindle what they had. She’s changed since he’d bolted and isn’t sure she has what it takes to be part of his fast life. Brody is determined to prove to her he’s still the only man for her.
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Spark, #4
Sometimes that first touch is the only spark needed
Vance Hendrickson works hard at his garage, content with his life, right up until he gets a call that leads him into the life of one Kendria Bonher. She’s running from something and he wants to protect her with a ferocity that stuns him.
Kendria is used to a different world than one gets in the small town of Cottonwood Falls, Georgia but finds herself falling not only for the town but the mechanic who makes her emotions race off the chart. Can his quiet confidence help her find the bit she needs to confront her past allowing her to have a future?