by May Gordon
“Sounds like a plan, now let’s get going before we’re late.” We head outside and I load Rowan into her booster seat. I look over and see a black SUV on the street, and a man leaning against it. He’s wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses. I get Rowan settled and shut the car door.
The man now has his sunglasses off and is staring at me. “Can I help you?” I call out to him. He gives me a smile and walks towards me. It looks friendly, but I have a bad feeling about him. As he gets closer, I see one side of his face is scarred. They look like burn marks. He could be military. “Are you a friend of Royce’s?”
He stands in front of me, a little too close. “I was, but then I found out he killed my brother and took everything away from me, and now I’m going to do the same to him.” I don’t have time to react before there’s a prick in my neck, and I instantly feel drowsy. All I can think about is Rowan, and I hope Royce comes to our rescue.
Royce
I walk into our building, having just come back from one of our jobs. I see Ruth working in her office and the Commander is at a different job site. I walk to Alice’s studio, planning to take her to lunch, but she’s not there. I visit Ruth’s next.
“Hey Ruth, where’s Alice?”
“Oh, hi, dear,” she says when she looks up from her papers. “She said she’d be right over after dropping off Rowan.”
I pull my phone out and call her. “Voicemail,” I tell Ruth.
“I’m sure she just caught up at the school,” Ruth suggests.
I have a bad feeling in my gut once again. I dial Rowan’s school and ask if Alice is there. They tell me that they haven’t seen either of them today. “They didn’t show up,” I tell Ruth as I start to panic.
The Commander comes into the office and he must see the distress on our faces. “What’s going on?” He demands.
“I can’t get ahold of Alice, she didn’t drop Rowan off, and yesterday there was an unknown man outside our house twice,” I tell him.
“Let’s stop by the house,” he suggests. I’m way ahead of him.
We jump in my truck and I gun it. When we arrive, the Charger is in the driveway. We get out and I see Rowan’s backpack and Alice’s purse when I glance inside.
I run into the house and look around. There is no sign of a struggle. “Where can they be? Who would do this?” The Commander asks.
“It was that guy. He took them.” I walk to the laundry room and pull the security tapes for the cameras I set up when I came home. “I got them,” I tell the Commander and run back to the Charger and grab her purse. I look through it, not finding her phone. “Her phone isn’t here,” I yell over my shoulder.
“Let’s get to Fort Carson, they can help,” he says. My mind is thinking up all the worst-case scenarios. The two most important people in my life are missing, and whoever took them is a dead man.
Chapter 13
Royce
Commander Jonathan and his unit agreed to help us, so we’re standing in the War Room at Fort Carson looking at the tapes, while one of the IT guys tracks her phone. We see when the kidnapper pulls up both times yesterday, then this morning. He walks up to Alice and I finally get a good look at his face, and all the air leaves my body.
I see him prick Alice in the neck and drag her to his SUV, then he grabs a kicking and screaming Rowan from the Charger,. I growl and slam my hands on the table.
“What is it? You recognize him?” The Commander asks.
“It’s Fergus.”
“Your cellmate when you were a POW? I thought he died in an explosion when you escaped?” Commander Johnathan asks.
“I thought so too because the cave fell in,” I explain to him.
“Why would he kidnap Alice and Rowan?” Johnathan asks.
“What’s his full name?” The tech guys asks.
“Samuel Fergus. He was military,” I reply.
A few minutes goes by before he finds something.
“Well, maybe it’s because you killed his brother.”
“What?” I practically yell.
“Scott Fergus, AWOL US Army. I can’t tell you much, most of the files are redacted.”
“Do you have a picture?” The guy nods and spins his laptop to face me.
I recognize him instantly. Ten years ago, we went on a mission to stop arms dealer. We were told there was an inside man from the military. Turns out Scott went AWOL and started working for the bad guys. We wiped out all the enemies, including Scott.
“So, he found out somehow, and now that you’re both free he decided to get revenge.” Commander Fisher sounds like he could spit nails.
“I have a lock on her phone,” The tech calls out.
“Let’s get a plan in order. Now!” I yell.
The men scramble, pulling up blueprints and gathering equipment.
I’ll do whatever it takes to get my wife and daughter back.
I enter the abandoned steel mill. We have the building surrounded, but I wanted to go in alone. I have no idea where Fergus has Alice or Rowan, or if they’re hurt.
“Havoc, how good of you to come,” I stop when I hear Fergus. He steps from the shadows, so I can see all of him. He’s got burn marks on his face.
“Is that how you found out? My code name? When we were escaping, I felt you tense up when I told you.” I try to keep my anger a bay. Beating the shit out of him won’t help find my girls.
“You always were perceptive,” he chuckles. “Come, the show is this way.” He walks off.
It takes all my power not to shoot him in the back, even if it’s not my style. I prefer up close and personal. I follow him through the maze of machines until it comes to an opening. I see Alice and Rowan tied to chairs, and a heavy looking piece of machinery dangling above them. I start to run to them, but Fergus stops me. He holds up a device with a button.
“One wrong move and I’ll press this and it drops. They both go splat.” He grins.
“What the fuck do you want from me?” I look at Alice and Rowan. Alice is crying, and has a rag over her mouth, so does Rowan but she’s passed out. “Kill me instead,” I tell Fergus.
“Now that would be too easy. I want you to suffer, like I did when you killed my brother,” he yells at me.
He looks unhinged, completely crazy. For the first time in my life I’m scared, but I’ll do everything in my power to take him out and save my family.
Chapter 14
Alice
I see Royce talking to the man that kidnapped me and Rowan. I look above us and see the machinery. The guy is yelling at Royce, shaking the button in his hand. I have no idea how sensitive that thing might be. I continue working on my ropes. I’ve been trying to for the last few hours, thankfully Rowan is still passed out from the drug she was given.
I feel the rope snap and freeze, glancing at Royce and the other man. They aren’t looking at me. I quickly untie my legs and sneak over to Rowan. I do the same to hers and pick her up and run behind some machines, clutching her tightly. I hear more yelling, louder this time, then a giant crash. The noise jars me. I hear a few shots ring out, and I duck my head and cover Rowan with my body. There’s more yelling and additional voices. It sounds like all hell is breaking loose.
Suddenly I hear Royce yell my name. “Over here,” I try to holler, but my voice is faint and full of pain. I see Royce running towards me and burst into tears.
“Oh, Alice. Are you okay?” He looks Rowan and I over quickly.
“Give me Rowan,” I hear the Commander say. I slowly loosen my grip and Royce passes her to Michael.
Royce pulls me into his arms. I’m shaking, and sobbing uncontrollably.
“Shhh, it’s all over Alice. No one’s ever going to hurt you or Rowan again,” he promises. Being in his arms, I can finally relax. I knew he would come for us.
Rowan and I were checked into the hospital after Royce and the Fort Carson team rescued us. Luckily the sedative didn’t harm Rowan. She slept through the whole thing. I have a few bumps and bruises, but a clean bill of health
overall.
Rowan is cuddled up with me on my hospital bed sleeping. Ruth, Michale, and Royce are all in my room. We’re just waiting on some last minute tests before we’re discharged.
Royce comes up and kisses Rowan on the head. “How are you feeling?” He asks for the tenth time since we got here.
“Royce, I’m fine. I told you that.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you two.” His voice is shaky, and I see his eyes glaze over with tears. He kisses my lips lightly.
“What happened to that man? Why did he even take us?” I finally work up the courage to ask. I’ve been wondering since it happened.
Royce sits in the chair beside my bed and looks down, obviously having a hard time telling me. Michale answers for him.
“Fergus was Royce’s cellmate. About ten years ago I sent my unit on a mission and there were casualties, Fergus’s brother, Scott, was one of them. He took you as revenge against Royce, but he’s dead now. You don’t have to ever worry about him again,” He explains to me. I look at Royce and see shame covering his face.
“Royce, it’s not your fault. I understand the cause and effect when it comes to war sometimes,” I try to reassure him.
“Alice, I promise this will never happen again. I swear it,” he pleads.
“Royce, I know. I trust you. Completely.” He grasps my hand and kisses it.
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
We hear a knock on the door and the doctor walks in.
“Hello again, I got the result of the last set of tests.” He pauses and glances around the room. “Am I free to talk openly?” He asks looking at me.
“Of course, doctor. We’re all family here.”
“Alice, your suspicions were correct. Congratulations! You’re pregnant!” I’m not surprised. When I was first submitted, I told the nurse I thought I might be.
“What?” Ruth, Michael, and Royce all yell, jarring Rowan awake.
“I’ll bring the discharge papers. You’re free to go,” the doctor says before leaving.
“Mommy, Daddy?” Rowan rubs her eyes, finally awake.
“A baby?” Ruth asks coming close to the bed, tears in her eyes.
“You knew about this?” Royce sits beside me.
“I had my suspicions,” I smile at him.
“Mommy are you having a baby?” Rowan asks.
I smile at her, “Yes, you’re going to be a big sister.”
“In your belly?” I laugh at her question.
“Yes, in my belly”
Royce leans in and gives me a kiss on my lips, eyes, and nose “I love you so much, I can’t believe you’re giving me another gift,” he says to me.
“Let’s get you out of here so we can go home and celebrate,” Ruth suggests.
“Good idea. I think we all need some quiet family time,” Michale says.
Right now, going home sounds like heaven.
Once we got home, everyone treated Rowan and I like China dolls. Ruth and the Commander made dinner and Royce kept busy by pampering us. Now I’m lying in bed, trying to sleep but I just can’t. Royce comes in and crawls into bed with me.
“I just had to check on her,” he says before kissing my lips.
“Royce, you already did three times. She’s fine.” I kiss him back.
He looks serious as he reaches up and cups my face. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you two.” His hands trail to my belly. “You three.”
“You’re happy about the baby?” I know the answer, I just need to hear him say it.
He kisses me passionately, clutching me to him. “I fucking love that you’re giving me another miracle. I can’t wait to experience it with you this time.” He kisses me as I wrap my arms around him, pressing my body closer while rubbing against him enjoying the friction.
“Alice, we shouldn’t. You just got out of the hospital,” Royce groans as I slide my hands down his naked chest.
“Please, Royce. I need this,” I beg him. I need this connection, I need him to fill me up body, mind, and soul.
I think he needed the same thing because I didn’t have to ask twice.
Epilogue One
Alice
Six Years Later
I gather the hamburger toppings and put them on a plate as well as I can with my free hand. I’m holding Olivia, our one-year-old daughter, on my hip. She’s babbling away while chewing on a piece of my hair. I look out the window and see Royce at the grill and Ruth with Michale playing with Rowan and our four-year-old son, Oliver, in the backyard.
The years have been very kind to us. Our business is booming and we’ve expanded a lot. Rowan is now eleven and we’ve added two more kids to our family. Our lives have been perfect. Royce has given me everything, but most importantly a full heart.
I walk outside and place the plate on the patio table. Ruth comes up the steps.
“Okay, Grandma needs some Olivia time,” she coos as she takes her from me. I smile as I watch her carry Olivia to Michale. He smiles and kisses her chubby check.
“What you are thinking about?” Royce comes behind me wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Just happy how full my life is,” I sigh.
“I don’t think you understand how much you gave me,” he whispers in my ear.
“I was thinking the same thing about you.” I turn in his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck as I kiss him.
We smell smoke, and see the hamburgers are now very well done.
“Oh shit!” Royce jumps to the grill and tries to salvage dinner.
“Daddy, you said a bad word,” Rowan pipes up.
“Yeah, yeah. I know, honey,” Royce grumbles, making us all laugh. Something we do a lot of.
Epilogue Two
Royce
Another Seven Years Later
I watch Rowan like a hawk. She’s eighteen and we’re celebrating her high school graduation in our backyard. We invited her friends, which unfortunately includes boys, lots and lots of them.
I growl when I see yet another one walk up to Rowan. I’m just about to storm over there when I see The Commander intercept. Thank God, he’s on top of it too.
“Here, Daddy. Try my cookies.” I turn to see Olivia with a plate of them. She’s another one I’ll have to worry about. After Olivia was born I realized Alice must be part copier. Olivia, like her sister, is the spitting image of Alice. Curly blonde hair, big blue eyes, and a smile that takes your breath away. She’s only eight, and I’m dreading when I must go through this again with her.
“Thanks, darling.” I pick up a cookie and eat it. As expected, its delicious.
“Can I have one?” Oliver, my eleven-year-old, grabs a cookie. “That’s good, Liv.”
“Mommy and I made them.” She smiles at us.
That reminds me of the core of my problems, their mother. If she wasn’t so goddamn beautiful this wouldn’t be a problem. “Where’s your Mother?”
“In the kitchen talking to a guy,” Olivia states, making my blood boil.
I bolt from the deck and enter the kitchen. Alice is smiling nicely at some man. I walk behind her and push her against the counter before kissing her passionately. Not subtle, but over the years I found marking my territory this way was the easiest. Shows the mother fuckers who she belongs too.
I pull back and glare at the man. He doesn’t say a word, just leaves. Good, I’d hate to knock someone out at my daughter’s graduation party.
I feel Alice give my arm a little slap. “Royce, he’s married. His son is going to the same college as Rowan. I was just asking some questions.”
“I don’t fucking care, you know that,” I grumble at her.
She smiles at me and wraps her arms around my neck, giving me a kiss. “You’re such a caveman,” she whispers.
“For you, always.” I give her plump ass a little squeeze, making her giggle. She gets back to organizing food for the party.
When I look back on our y
ears together, it’s nothing but love and happiness. Time with her has eradicated all my thoughts and feelings from my time as a POW. But I realized that I’ve been another type of prisoner since the moment I laid eyes on Alice. I’ve been a prisoner of love, and for her, I’d gladly serve a life sentence.
The End
About the Author
Warning: Sweet, sexy and safe reads! Happily ever after guaranteed! This author writes what she likes to read. That means there will be instalove, OTT Heroes, and, brace yourselves, virgin characters at times. If none of those float your boat, you might want to find another book. If they do, you're in the right place.
Author Website
Praise for May Gordon
Second Chances
Prisoners of Love (Book 1)
Road to Redemptions (Book 2)
Set Free (Book 3)
Crime Kings
Dark Souls (Book 1)
Fighting Irish (Book 2)
Red Willow (Book 3)
Deep Devotion (Book 4)
Sheltered Spirits (Book 5)
Forced Vows (Book 6)
Cherished Love (Book 7)
Bosses In Love
Their Salvation (Book 1)
Love and Lies (Book 2)
Perfectly Suited (Book 3)
CIG
Cannon (Book 1)
Phoenix (Book 2)
Haunted
Haunted Desire (Book 1)
Forever Safe Series
July’s Love
Love’s Valley Duet