Jon heard Jaya scream and his heart rate spiked like he’d base-jumped off the side of a mountain.

As his boots covered the wet stones of the cave, his heart sank to his knees when he realized the direction her scream echoed from.

The bone yard.

The Bureau had labeled it that when they came in with their gloved hands and masked faces to collect and sort the piles of bones. Years later, Agent Strickland had told him all about the countless hours to run DNA tests and match the bones to identify the dead.

Jon motioned at Miles to stay a few steps back as he jetted into the main area of the cave, too far for Colton to be able to see them or have any kind of shot.

A faint light came from a side tunnel that ran to the bone yard. Stopping at the edge of a jagged corner, Jon eased around it enough to see what was going on.

In the light from a dropped flashlight, giant shadows played on the wall. Jaya swung a long, pointed object at Watt. On the ground behind her sat her brother, hands bound behind his back.

Watt ducked and punched her in the hip, sending her flying to her right. He lunged at her but her feet slipped and sent her falling over Finn’s legs and out of Watt’s reach.

Jon raised his gun, ready to fire, but with a loud roar of anger, Jaya jumped back up and took another swing.

She hit Watt in the shoulder and sent him cartwheeling backward.

It wasn’t enough though to knock him down, only angering him. He whirled, finding his balance, and grabbing the stalactite from Jaya’s hands.

The piece of rock clattered to the floor as Watt grabbed Jaya by the neck, pushing her back, back, back, and jamming her into the wall. Bones crunched under both of their feet, the sharp snaps echoing over the noise of the water outside.

“You little bitch,” Watt said, and then seeming to sense Jon’s presence, looked in his direction. “I can’t wait to watch you die.”

He had no shot that wouldn’t endanger Jaya too. Jon stepped forward with meticulous care as she struggled in Watt’s grip, her feet flailing as he lifted her from the ground. “Let her go, Dalton. Your beef is with me, not her.”

Watt laughed, a high-pitched sound that made the hair on the back of Jon’s neck lift. He squeezed tighter, Jaya’s eyes going even wider and rough gurgling noises bubbling out of her throat.

Goddamn it. Jon angled sideways, putting Watt’s forehead in his sights. Focused on the man, he distantly sensed Finn dragging himself across the floor.

Finger on the trigger, he was ready to end the man’s life when Watt pulled Jaya in front of him and produced his own gun, pointing it at Jaya’s temple.

She coughed and gagged, Watt’s arm around her neck, but her eyes focused on Jon.

Fuck. He still couldn’t take the shot. Not with Watt using her as a shield.

“Back. Away.” Watt pressed the gun so hard to Jaya’s temple it pushed her head sideways. “I prefer to kill her slowly while you watch but I can, and will, end her right now if you want to play chicken.”

“Take the shot,” Jaya wheezed, keeping her head as far to the side as she could. “Kill him!”

Watt used his leverage around her neck to pull her head in front of his face. “Try it, Jon. You know you want to.”

Compartmentalize. Don’t let him goad you into something you’ll regret.

“You have the cross,” Jon said. “And you have me. Let her go.”

“Put down the gun and tell your buddy to get out.”

Shit. He knew Miles was there. “You’re not walking out of here, Watt, unless you let Jaya go. You do that, and I’ll call off my friends. It’ll just be you and me. You can do whatever you want to me.”

He sensed the man’s contemplation though it was brief. “I took your daddy from you and now I’m going to take this piece of shit whore—umph!”

The man’s knees buckled, not all the way, but enough to knock him off balance. He swore, and Jaya elbowed him, taking advantage of the moment.

That’s when Jon realized Finn had kicked the bastard in the back of the legs.

“That’s my sister, you asshole,” the kid wheezed.

Watt swung the gun at Finn, but he was out of reach.

“Down!” Jon screamed and Jaya ducked, covering her head with her hands.

Jon fired, and Watt’s head snapped back, his arm in mid-swing at Finn again.

The weight of his upper body and the slippery floor worked in conjunction to flip him completely off his feet, his body suspended in air for a second as the gunshot echoed around them.

When Watt hit the floor, it was like one of the giant trees in the woods falling. The floor reverberated, his head smacking into the stone and his body jerking with the impact.

Before he finally went still, Jon ran to Jaya, dropping to his knees and sliding the last few feet. She threw open her arms and he grabbed her to him, cradling the back of her head and hugging her tight.

Miles ran in, kicking the gun away from Watt’s body and checking him for signs of life. “Nice shot,” he said to Jon.

But all Jon could hear was the sound of Jaya’s ragged crying. She clutched his jacket, sobbing into his shoulder. He rubbed her back and the second Miles cut the bindings on Finn’s restraints, the young kid scooted over and wrapped his arms around Jaya as well, enveloping her from behind.

Stupid kid. He could have gotten his sister killed, but in the end, his attempt at saving her had worked. As Jon hugged Jaya even tighter, he couldn’t help but tap Finn’s shoulder. “You did good, kid.”

“Oh my god,” Jaya rasped, turning in Jon’s arms and smacking her brother upside the head. “You idiot, you almost got me killed.”

And then she hugged Finn like there was no tomorrow.

Jon couldn’t help it. As Jaya and Finn hugged and cried together, he laughed.

Families.

Did anybody ever have a normal one?

Two days later…

Five Oaks Plantation, Virginia

Jaya placed the final crystal bobby pin into Savanna’s hair. “Now don’t forget, the netting on your veil might get hung up on these when you take it off after the ceremony. Be patient and let me remove the veil once you’re at the reception, okay?”

Savanna preened in the mirror, grabbing Jaya’s hand at the same time and giving it a hard squeeze. “It’s beautiful. All of it. The makeup is just right and this hair…” She pulled Jaya into a hug. “Thank you.”

Jaya patted her bare shoulder, trying to keep space between them so she didn’t wreck Savanna’s gown or makeup. “Trace is one lucky fellow. He’s going to drop in his boots when he sees you.”

“You can’t imagine what this means to me, Jaya.” Tears glistened in Savanna’s eyes. “You saved the wedding, you know. And after everything you went through.”

Jaya and the baby were okay. Finn was recovering and was here to see the wedding, Savanna and Trace graciously inviting him. Charlotte had also recovered, her spark and wit a constant, no matter her injuries. She’d become a trusted friend.

Jaya had given her statement to the local police, and then again to the Feds, about what Dalton Watt had told her. He’d admitted to killing the kids whose bones were in that cave, and the hunt for others along the interstate from Good Hope to the survivalist compound had begun.

Jaya shivered a little under her red dress. The good thing was that Beatrice had hired a new attorney for Jon’s dad and the man had presented Jaya’s statement and the truth about Dalton and his framing Jon’s father to the state officials earlier that morning. Jeremiah Wolfe was being released at three p.m. and Jon planned to be there to pick him up.

Jaya was going with him.

“No tears,” Jaya said, relief over the fact everything—including Trace and Savanna’s wedding—was working out just fine. “You’ll ruin your makeup and I worked damned hard on it.”

Which was a lie. Savanna had the natural beauty of a model, much like Shelby.

Shelby had arrived back in the States, bringing Jaya’s dad with her. He was sitting in jail for the time being, but because he’d agreed to cooperate with the authorities, Shelby and Percy had been able to get him a deal. It didn’t hurt that Jaya had turned the fated cross over to Percy on the condition her father’s name be cleared by the Garda and Interpol. Percy had returned the cross to Ireland, where it belonged, and he and his bosses were fighting with the French and the Vatican over legal possession.

Parker burst in the door, a modest version of Savanna in red instead of white. “Van, it’s time. Let’s get the show on the road already.”

The bride, resplendent in her designer wedding dress, rose from her seat and ran her hands down the elegant fabric of the skirt. “How do I look?”

“Perfect,” Jaya and Parker said at the same time.

Savanna faced Jaya once more. “Thank you for joining the wedding party.”

“I’m honored.” And she was. She’d never dreamed that Savanna would ask her to be a bridesmaid and that Beatrice could somehow pull a miracle from her hat and find a dress for Jaya that nearly matched the others. “But you people are killing me. I don’t know how you do it. One life-threatening crisis after another, and you manage to pull off a wedding? After your reception, I’m going to need a honeymoon before I have a nervous breakdown.”

The other women laughed and Savanna took Jaya’s hand, pulling her toward the door. “Save that thought. I have a little surprise for you.”

Parker grinned and Jaya frowned as the sisters hustled her into the hall, where she heard music swell, and down to another room.

As Parker threw open the door, Savanna pushed Jaya through. Jon, in full tux, waited for her. Colton was there too, along with Ruby and her fiancé, Jax, and Beatrice with Sloane on her hip. Sloane was dressed in a pretty red dress with white leggings and black leather shoes. She clapped and waved at Jaya, smiling.

Jaya stopped, the sight of Jon looking so handsome taking her breath away.

“Jon?” Her hand went to her lower abdomen as she saw the serious look on his face. Had something happened with his dad’s release from prison? “What is it? Is everything okay?”

He came to her, pulling her into his arms. “Everything’s fine.”

She drew back. “Then what is it?”

Taking a small jeweler’s box from his inside pocket, he popped it open, revealing a huge, sparkling diamond ring. “Jaya Hottie O’Sullivan?” He went down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

Jaya’s fingers shook as she lifted them to her mouth. She’d never seen such a beautiful ring. It had to be a couple carats, set in a titanium band that sported smaller diamonds around the sides.

How could he afford this?

They’d discussed a few things surrounding the baby, but with everything else going on, they hadn’t had many quiet moments alone to talk about their relationship. Of course, in the few moments they did have, there hadn’t been much talking. Kissing, sex, sleeping—plenty of that, but words hadn’t seemed necessary.

She searched his face, looking deep into his eyes, as the corners crinkled from his big smile. This man meant everything to her, and even though they had some tough obstacles to overcome, she couldn’t think of anyone she wanted more.

“Jon Wolfe, I would love to be your wife.”

A cheer went up from those around them and Jon took the ring and slipped it on her finger. He caught her up and kissed her deeply, and when he released her, she was pretty sure her lipstick was smeared.

As another round of the music swelled from the hallway, Beatrice handed Sloane to Jax and clapped her hands together. “All right, let’s do this people. Let’s marry these two couples.”

“Two?” Jaya looked between Jon and Savanna, their faces full of deviousness. “You mean, we’re getting married too?”

Savanna nodded. “Might as well. You’re both dressed for the occasion and Jon’s friends are all here. A lot of yours too, as well as Finn.”

Jaya shook her head. “We’re not stealing your thunder. It’s your wedding day, Savanna, and while I appreciate everything you and Trace have done for us—”

Jon stopped her. “We’re not stealing anyone’s thunder. Trace and Savanna are getting married as planned in front of several hundred people. After their ceremony, the minister is meeting you and I, and a few of the Rock Stars, back here. We’ll say our vows, and then we can have another ceremony wherever and whenever you want. Our parents can be there and you can have any kind of wedding you’d like, maybe even honor our native peoples. But I’m officially making you my wife today, J. I’m not letting another day of my life go by without being bound to you.”

Her eyes burned with tears. It wasn’t just her lipstick that was going to be smeared. “We’re already bound, you goofball. How did I get so lucky to find you?”

Jon touched her cheek and brushed a light kiss over her lips. “I’m the lucky one.”

Colton appeared in her peripheral vision rolling his eyes and interrupting their perfect moment. He slapped Jon on the back. “Enough with the mushy stuff. People are waiting.”

“I second that,” Beatrice said, kissing Sloane on the forehead and fluffing her bridesmaid dress. She waved a hand and led the procession.

As everyone filed out, Jaya looked down at the ring on her finger. “How in the world did you afford this? You didn’t sell the cross on the side, did you?”

He drew her forward, following the others as they made their way to the church’s ornate nave. “Yeah, about that. I have money. A lot of it, in fact. I need to invest some, according to Beatrice, and she has an idea for your business that I think you might like, if you’re still looking for investors.”

Jaya’s mouth fell open. “You’re rich?”

One tuxedoed shoulder shrugged. “One of my uncles ran a casino in North Dakota, and when he died, he willed his estate to me. I gave half to my mom for her dog rescue, but I still have more money than I know what to do with.”

She whacked his arm. “And you were going to tell me this when? What did I say about no more secrets?”

He chuckled. “We haven’t had our pepperoni pizza yet, so I didn’t get around to it. I’m going to spend a lot on you and our baby, so get over it. We’re going to upgrade your mom’s living arrangements too. Trust me, I’ve got it all planned out.”