Her Only Protector (17 page)

“Some people might call it communicating,” he said. His eyes smiled but his face was serious. “I sat right here holding you close and feeling like there was nowhere else I wanted to be than on this boat with you in my arms.”

She studied his face. She saw light and hope there. He meant what he said.

Sonny sighed. “But what if it's not real, Gil?”

“My feelings for you couldn't get any more real than this,” he said quietly. The wind blew his hair around his face. Dark eyes that seemed determined and gentle at the same time peered into hers.

The lines that made deep crevasses around his eyes suddenly smoothed away and turned into a full smile. “I love you. I don't want this to be the end for us. I can't change what happened in Colombia any more than you can. And I take my job seriously. When Cash gets back, I need to bring him in.”

She swallowed. “I can't let you do that, Gil—he's my brother. They'll kill him. If they didn't kill him in Colombia, they'll do it in jail.”

A tear ran down her cheek.

“I won't let that happen.”

She continued through her tears. “You don't have the power to stop it. You saw what Eduardo Sanchez and his people can do.”

“I know he's innocent. Neither Dylan nor I are going to allow him to be in harm's way. If I have to guard him with my life, I will. And I'm going to do everything in my power to help Cash get the charges against him dropped.”

Her eyes widened. “You'd do that for him?”

“I'd do it for you. For us.”

She wrapped her arms around him tighter, unable to believe God had blessed her by bringing this amazing man into her life. “Thank you, Lord,” she whispered.

He released her gently and looked around the dock at Sonny's family. “My way of life has had me living like a nomad for years. But I've been thinking.”

“Yes?”

“I need a change. I've managed to save some money, enough for me to take time off, maybe reevaluate my options.”

She nodded. “Oh. Where will you go?”

He gave her a half grin. “Don't you worry. It won't be far from you.”

She smiled and kissed him.

Then he looked around. “Do you like this boat?”

Confusion filled her. “It's nice.”

He took a deep breath, as if he needed to draw strength. Then he cleared his throat and looked directly at her. “Look, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to think about it for a while. You know, give yourself time until this whole thing with Cash is over and we have the people from the Aztec Corporation responsible for Cash and Ellie's kidnapping behind bars.”

Sonny groaned. “That may take a while.”

“Your family is not all that thrilled with me right now.”

“They'll get over it.”

“I don't want that to be a source of distress for you, Sonny. I'm not blaming them for the way they feel. I know I'd feel the same if the situation was reversed.”

She shook her head, not sure what he was getting at. “You're my choice, Gil. Not theirs.”

He smiled. “I want to marry you, Sonny. I know it sounds crazy, but I know what I feel and—”

She launched herself into his arms and silenced him with a kiss. When she pulled back, she looked into his stunned eyes. “I'm sorry for what I said last night, Gil. I can't believe I questioned our feelings for each other.”

Gil spun her around on deck. “You're amazing. I think I've loved you since that very first kiss at the airport.”

“Gil, you haven't seen anything yet.” She laughed and kissed him again.

“Good. What do you think about taking this boat out for our honeymoon? I've been wanting some downtime, maybe go scuba diving—”

She threw her head back and laughed. “I've never been.”

“I can teach you or we can take a class so you can get certified. Maybe find some sunken ships in the Caribbean.”

“Buried treasure?”

“As long as I'm with you, I don't need any other treasure, Sonny.”

She nuzzled his neck. “A honeymoon on the Caribbean, huh?”

“We can just enjoy being together. No pirates to worry about or needing to call the Coast Guard for a rescue.”

“Oh, I know I won't have to worry about any of that.”

“Why?”

“Because you'll be there to protect me. What more could I possibly need?”

In his arms, Sonny truly felt blessed. Blessed to be home and to have the love of a man she knew was a gift from God.

Dear Reader,

 

I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the e-mails I received from people who read
Cradle of Secrets
and fell in love with Cash, Serena and Ellie as much as I did. I was thrilled to be able to write this next installment,
Her Only Protector,
so you all could reconnect with familiar characters and find out what happened to them.

In
Her Only Protector,
Sonny needs to rely on her faith and the strength she derives from her family to overcome situations that most of us will never know. As I wrote the story of Ellie's rescue, I thought of different situations in my life where my family and my faith became the rock in my life that grounded me.

I'm currently writing the last story in the series about Cash and Serena's reunion. To find out more about upcoming books, contests and general news, please check out my Web site www.lisamondello.com or visit www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com.

I so enjoyed getting your e-mails and letters. Please keep in touch at [email protected].

 

Many blessings to you all,

 

Lisa Mondello

1. Kidnapping is a serious charge. How does Sonny use her faith to come to grips with “kidnapping” Ellie?
   
2. Sonny needs to travel to a foreign country to rescue her niece. She's all alone, without her family. How does she use the knowledge that her family loves her—and her faith—to get her through her ordeal?
   
3. Trust is a huge part of any relationship. Right from the beginning, Sonny needs to trust Gil, but she struggles with how much she should trust him when he clearly wants to use her to find Cash. How does Sonny deal with issues of trust throughout the story?
   
4. Lucia was killed during Ellie's rescue. How does Sonny use her faith to deal with her guilt over Lucia's death?
   
5. There are times throughout the story that Sonny needed to lie to keep Ellie safe. Have you ever had to lie to protect someone? How did it make you feel?
   
6. Gil grapples with why he distanced himself from his faith in God. He admits that there was no particular event other than his mother's grief over her sister's death that could explain it. Has there ever been a time in your life when you found yourself distant from your faith? If so, what brought you back?
   
7. People pray at different times and for different reasons. Sonny sees Gil in the courtyard alone and thinks he's “talking to the moon.” She's surprised when she realizes later that she'd wrongly assumed he wasn't a faithful man. Have you ever made the mistake of assuming a person is not faithful because they are not open about their faith?
   
8. Gil clearly feels responsible for preventing Sonny and Ellie from getting on the plane to the United States. Have you ever done something that put someone else in danger? How did you use your faith to deal with the responsibility of that?
   
9. Sonny fears that her family won't approve of Gil. Her father is clearly wary of her being involved with a person who put her life in danger and was after Cash. How does Sonny come to terms with this?
   
10. Gil was clearly affected by the death of his former partner. He also admits that he's good at his job and makes a lot of money, but then feels as if his greed for money might have clouded his judgment. Do you think Gil is right?
    
11. After just a week of being together, Gil realized he wants to be with Sonny. Do you think that two people can be that certain of their love that soon?
    
12. Sonny tells Gil that her faith is the backbone of her life and her family's life. She's dealing with extraordinary circumstances that could lead to her death and to the death of her niece. Do you think her strong faith in God helps her get through the trials she faces in the story?
    
13. Sonny naturally feels protective of Ellie because of her circumstances. She has difficulty trusting the baby with the others. How did Sonny resolve those feelings?