Sacrifice Love: Saints Protection & Investigations (37 page)
Read Sacrifice Love: Saints Protection & Investigations Online
Authors: Maryann Jordan
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance
“What was Ethan’s motive? What was he doing?” Cam asked.
“Looks like he’d been targeted by the terrorist group…they have their eyes and ears open for anyone that might be of assistance to their cause. Ethan fell for the oldest trick in the world,” Mitch explained.
“Holy hell,” Jude bit out. “He screwed around and was blackmailed.”
The others looked to Mitch for confirmation and were greeted with his nod. “Yep, he stepped out on Cybil, who was not only his girlfriend but also his boss. It seems he was more than willing to do what he could to keep that piece of information hidden.”
Marc, his expression thoughtful, asked, “You think he had any idea of the scope of what he agreed to?”
Shrugging, Mitch answered, “I’ve got no idea. Probably not. Probably panicked and, once in, always in.”
“And Adam?” Chad asked.
“It’s like what you heard from Roscoe. It appears that Adam entered the dating site as a joke, but when he realized what was happening with the recruiter, he went to his superiors at the ATF. They had him continue to play along to acquire as much information as possible. That was supposed to be his only involvement with the task force, according to Roscoe. But then, things began to heat up and Adam got nervous.”
“Nervous? Adam nervous?”
“Yeah. It seems he became afraid that the recruiters would catch on to what he was doing and he was afraid of blowback on Dani. So, he resorted to an attempt to leave clues for her to believe in him if things went wrong.”
“The key. The note in the safety deposit box. The notebook,” Chad stated. “Any one of those things might have easily been missed by her.”
Mitch and the others nodded. “Yeah, it seemed as though he had watched one too many bad mystery movies. But he desperately wanted her to know that he wasn’t one of the bad guys…and certainly didn’t work for terrorists.”
Jack glanced at Mitch and said, “Why didn’t Roscoe speak to Dani when Adam was killed? He could have alleviated a lot of her angst.”
“Got no idea, man. I’m so disgusted with the taskforce right now. I’m afraid it’s tainting everything I’m feeling about my government job.”
Chad sighed heavily, shaking his head, gaining the gazes of everyone in the room.
“You okay, man?” Marc asked, looking into the tired face of his friend.
“Gotta tell you, my mind’s still reeling,” Chad admitted. “I felt all along that the Adam I called friend would have never become involved with terrorists, but when the evidence began to pile up, I wondered what the hell he was doing.” Rubbing his hand over his face, he continued, “But no matter what a cock-up he was with his marriage, the truth of the matter was…he was a good man.”
The Saints were quiet a moment before Monty asked, “How’s Dani?”
Chad leaned back in his chair, the fatigue evident from having been up all night with Dani. He gazed around the table, noting the concerned faces of every person there. Smiling despite the exhaustion, he replied, “She’s fine. The baby’s fine. I took her to see her doctor early this morning and everything’s good.” Sighing, he admitted, “We didn’t sleep much last night. The events continued to play over and over for both of us, so rest was elusive.”
He looked over to Mitch and added, “She’s going to want to know everything he was doing, but I don’t know what the taskforce will allow.”
Shaking his head, Mitch grimaced as he replied. “We’ll tell her anything she wants to know. Fuck the taskforce!”
That drew laughter from the group along with sounds of
Hell, yeahs
calling out. As the Saints completed their debriefing, Jack nodded toward Chad and said, “How about we continue this meeting at your house. The women are there with Dani already.”
Eyeing his boss, Chad gave him an appreciative chin lift. “Thanks, man. I know she’s anxious to hear everything.” Looking over at Mitch, he added, “Come on over and join us at my house.”
Breathing easier having the case close successfully, the Saint adjourned, smiles all around.
*
Later that night,
after everyone had left, Dani and Chad lay in bed, processing everything they had learned. Utterly exhausted, she lay her head on his chest, enveloped in his strong embrace.
“It’s all over, babe,” he said, his hand stroking her lustrous hair, easing the tension from her body. “I want you to have sweet dreams for our baby and know that I will keep you safe.”
“I know,” she murmured, “thanks to your willingness to sacrifice yourself for me.”
“Dani, I would walk through fire for you. Live and breathe and die for you. I’ve felt this way a long time and refuse to let one single day go by that I don’t tell you…show you…prove to you that my heart is yours.”
Five months later
T
he sound of
a cry filled Chad’s ears, as he supported Dani’s back during her final push. He had stayed by her side during the long labor, his body aching while knowing her body had done all the work.
The doctor held up their daughter, red and squalling, her little arms and legs moving with indignation before being taken by the nurse. Chad wiped the perspiration from Dani’s face, peering into her green eyes, sparkling with happiness as well as unshed tears. Kissing her lips, he said, “You did it, babe. God, I love you so much.”
Laughing through her tears, she turned her gaze over to the corner where the nurse was weighing and measuring their newborn, before bringing her over.
“Is she all right?” Dani asked, suddenly nervous. She eyed the nurse carefully, her hands reaching instinctively for her baby as they laid the infant on her chest.
“She’s absolutely perfect,” the smiling nurse answered. “She’s seven pounds, eleven ounces and nineteen inches long.”
The baby blinked at the lights and Dani could have sworn she looked right at her. Chad lowered his head, gazing at his daughter. Hesitantly he reached out his large hand, placing it on her back. A blanket was brought and wrapped across the back, allowing their daughter to snuggle tightly to her mother.
The nurse smiled at the new family and asked, “Do you have a name picked out?”
Dani cooed to the baby, lost in the world of new mothers, as Chad glanced up at the nurse. “Her name is Amanda,” he replied. “It means
beloved.
” He leaned over, placing his lips on the top of his daughter’s head and whispered, “And you are, little one. Beloved.”
Four years later
Amanda sat on
the couch, her reddish hair glistened as the sun shone through the window, shining on the silver framed picture held in her chubby hand. Staring at the three, smiling faces in the photograph, she grinned. She knew their story by heart, having heard it so many times as her favorite bedtime story. Her little finger reached out to touch each figure.
First was the tall man on the left, with dark hair and a big smile. Amanda thought he looked as though he had just told the others a joke. Or maybe thought of something funny but had kept it to himself. Adam, her father.
Strong and brave, mommy tells me. He was a hero and would have loved me very much.
Her gaze moved to the pretty woman standing between the men.
Mommy.
Grinning, Amanda loved seeing her mother’s smiling face between her two favorite men. She thought her mommy was the prettiest girl in the world.
I want to grow up to be just like you.
Next, her finger moved to the tallest of the group…
daddy.
His eyes were not focused on the person with the camera, but were glancing down at the woman in the middle, a small smile curving his lips. Amanda loved that expression. She saw it many times when her daddy would look at her mommy. Grinning, she realized he looked at her with the same smile.
Her heart leaped, just then, as she heard his old truck pulling into the driveway. Yelling in delight, she gently tossed the picture frame onto the sofa as she barreled out of the door, running to greet her daddy coming home from work. Waving her hands wildly in the air, screaming her greeting, she giggled when he swooped her up into his strong arms, swinging her around.
“Hey, baby girl,” he greeted, kissing his daughter’s head before seeing Dani walking out onto the porch. Her titian hair, pulled back from her face, showcased her porcelain complexion, the sprinkle of freckles still across her nose. Black leggings hugged her legs as a long blue shirt hung below her ass. Chad’s eyes immediately dropped to his wife’s arms, where she held a small, dark-haired baby.
His son.
Hugging his daughter tightly in his arms as he walked to Dani, not stopping until he moved directly into her space. Continuing to hold Amanda with one arm and wrapping the other around Dani and his son, he surrounded his family in his embrace and in his heart…
and life was now complete
.
The End
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(all standalone books)
All of my books are stand-alone, each with their own HEA!! You can read them in any order!
Saints Protection & Investigation
(an elite group, assigned to the cases no one else wants…or can solve)
Alvarez Security Series
(a group of former Special Forces brothers-in-arms now working to provide security in the southern city of Richland)
Love’s Series
(detectives solving crimes while protecting the women they love)
The Fairfield Series
(small town detectives and the women they love)
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www.amazon.com/Maryann-Jordan/e/B00JIAMYN4
As an Amazon Best Selling Author, I have always been an avid reader. I joke that I “cut my romance teeth” on the historical romance books from the 1970’s. In 2013 I started a blog to showcase wonderful writers. In 2014, I finally gave in to the characters in my head pleading for their story to be told. Thus, Emma’s Home was created.
My first novel, Emma’s Home became an Amazon Best Seller in 3 categories within the first month of publishing. Its success was followed by the rest of the Fairfield Series and then led into the Love’s Series. From there I have continued with the romantic suspense Alvarez Security Series and now the Saints Protection & Investigation Series, all bestsellers.
My books are filled with sweet romance and hot sex; mystery, suspense, real life characters and situations. My heroes are alphas, take charge men who love the strong, independent women they fall in love with.
I worked as a counselor in a high school and have been involved in education for the past 30 years. I recently retired and now can spend more time devoted to my writing.
I have been married to a wonderfully patient man for 34 years and have 2 adult very supportive daughters and 1 grandson.
When writing, my dog or one of my cats will usually be found in my lap!