Epilogue
Six Months Later
Mia grasped a small rock protruding from the face of the cliff and cast a quick, worried glance at the river twenty feet below her.
“Don’t look down. Do that again and you’ll sit this one out, Kodak.”
It wasn’t the first time Sam McCall had warned her to keep her eyes on her goal, but it was the first time he’d added the caveat of pulling her from the mission.
Son of a biscuit, she wanted to slap Tucker silly for teaching their teammates that nickname. The first time he’d called her that in a team meeting, she’d known she was doomed. The mischief had danced in their eyes, and she’d groaned some vague threat of revenge she’d paid for later that night.
“Stop worrying about the water and spider monkey your way to the top. This isn’t any different from the training wall in the gym.”
Mia was grateful for Sam’s encouragement, he’d been the most patient trainer she’d worked with. He’d stepped in the first time he’d seen her reduced to tears when Tucker shouted at her on the obstacle course. Mia would never forget what he’d said to her that afternoon.
“You won’t care when I yell at you to get your butt in gear because it won’t be personal. Sage and I learned some hard lessons training Jen, I’m not going to stand by and watch you go through that.”
Reaching up for the next handhold, Mia shifted the heavy pack on her back, careful to keep the precious contents from crashing against the rock wall. The cameras she’d be taking would send the pictures via satellite back to Prairie Winds. Thinking about the teenager being held in a cave sent a surge of determination through her. She’d been working her fanny off getting ready for an assignment and today was her first test she knew was geared to a specific mission, and she wasn’t about to let her fear hold her back.
“I thought you said she could swim?” Sage McCall’s taunting question made her blood boil.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not dangling from the side of a rock pile right below you. I swear to Pete, I’m going to take a blow gun and shoot you with poison darts when we go to BFEistan.”
“I’m going to paddle Tobi’s ass for teaching her that.” Dammit, she’d forgotten about the com unit she was wearing. Casting a quick glance down to where Kent West watched from a nearby boat, she breathed a sigh of relief at the boyish grin on his face. God in heaven she loved the Prairie Winds team. “Make it worth her time, Mia. Show us what you can do.”
Kent’s words of encouragement were all it took, Mia scrambled to the top in record time. Crouching down after reaching the top, she surveyed her surroundings, anticipating the unexpected, just as she’d been taught, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her.
Standing a few feet away, Brock and Tucker leaned against a truck loaded with luggage and bags of equipment. Kyle West stood closer to her with his arms crossed over his chest. His pose was formidable, but his smile put her at ease.
“Well done, Mia,” Shifting his gaze to Sage, Kyle nodded, “you might want to check her gear for those poison darts. You’re wheels up in an hour.” Mia almost felt bad when the men all cringed at her happy squeal. Fruit salad, I really need to remember these blasted com devices.
*
Lakyn dropped to her knees, huddling in on herself at the side of the road, trying to protect her bare arms and legs from the blowing dirt and small rocks pelting her. They said it was windy, but no one said anything about this. Holy fucking hell, this is nuts. At this rate, there won’t be any need to worry about being recognized because I’m not going to have any skin left. She’d heard about the wild Texas wind, but she’d never imagined anything like the hurricane threatening to sandblast the top several layers from her body. Should have stayed in the car. Should have stayed in the car. Shit. Shit. Shit. Why didn’t I stay in the fucking car?
She hadn’t wanted to stop because, invariably, she was recognized at hotels, either by the staff or another guest, and within minutes, the place was crawling with photographers and fans. It defied logic if you asked her, she barely recognized herself without all the crap the studio’s makeup artists plastered on her face. When she looked in the mirror, she saw Lakyn Hicks; the rest of the world saw Lakyn Storm.
Her manager was going to have a stroke when he figured out she’d slipped out from under his watchful eye. Right, more like Scrooge guarding his investment. She didn’t care, she’d needed a break, and the woman she’d been talking to online had graciously offered her a place to stay if she was ever in Texas. Of course, she only knew Lakyn as the younger sister of one of her husband’s former teammates. I hope she doesn’t think I misled her… but I guess I did. Damn, is this fucking wind ever going to stop?
Lakyn loved her brother to distraction, but she wasn’t naïve, Cooper was a player of the first order. Any woman getting involved with Cooper Hicks was doomed to heartache. Her brother was going to be pissed when he found out she’d driven across country alone. For some reason, he was convinced she was the same girl who got lost in the woods behind their family home when she was four.
It had been ten-year-old Cooper who’d found her battered and bruised at the bottom of a small ravine. He’d carried her up the steep incline and over a mile before other searchers spotted them and pulled her from his exhausted arms. In Cooper’s mind, Lakyn would always be the helpless little girl he’d carried to safety.
Shaking her head, she blinked as beads of sweat rolled into her eyes. Hiding beneath her heavy jacket had seemed like a great idea when all she’d been worried about was the vicious sting of blowing dirt. Now, she wondered if it was possible to suffocate under lined nylon. Suddenly, using the coat as a shelter didn’t seem like the stroke of genius it had a few minutes ago. Should have stayed in the damned car.
*
Juan Rivera turned to his longtime friend, Trac Hughes as he slowed to get a better look at the Mercedes parked at the edge of the road.
“What the hell? Who leaves their fancy ass car along the road in this wind? There won’t be a speck of paint left on the passenger’s side by morning.”
“I didn’t see anybody in the car, so they probably called for their auto club. Hell, nobody would try to walk in this. You know this is blowing up a fucking storm. Keep going, I want to get to the club before it hits.”
Juan continued driving but something about the abandoned car continued to plague his thinking. A couple of miles down the road, the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end as he fought to see through the blowing dust crossing the highway in reddish-brown clouds. He barely caught a glimpse of what looked like someone dropping to the ground before his view was obscured again. Slowing, he edged closer to the side of the blacktop while being careful not to run over whatever was huddled a few yards ahead.
“What the hell is that?” Trac was leaning forward, but it was Juan who jumped from the truck as soon as it rocked to a stop. As he approached, he could hear a muffled voice, but whoever was hiding beneath what looked like a winter coat didn’t respond when he asked if they needed help. Who the hell wears a winter coat in Texas?
The question was quickly erased from his mind when he moved to block the wind, lifted the coat, and looked into the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. The unique variations of blue reminded him of the deep violet lilacs his mother loved so dearly, but the deep outer rings faded to the palest blue he’d ever seen. The effect was haunting, and his breath caught when the woman blinked in surprise that quickly morphed to fear when he didn’t speak for several seconds. Before Juan managed to speak, Trac’s booming voice sounded over the howling wind.
“What the fuck, Rivera? If it’s a critter, you’re not picking it up. No more fucking strays, our place is already a damned zoo.” As a former Special Agent with the FBI, he and Trac had worked together for longer than Juan wanted to think about.
The angel with the beautiful eyes pulled the coat back over her, ducking out of sight.
“Damn it, Hughes, you scared her.”
“Her?”
“Yeah, her as in person. Two legs, not four.” Pulling the coat back up, Juan smiled and held out his hand.
“Come, Chiquita. Let’s get you out of this wind before we all get run over.” Standing on the edge of the highway wasn’t safe, and he was anxious to get back in the truck because once the lightning started, the danger would increase exponentially. Juan was relieved when she finally laid her small hand in his. Her fingers were so small and delicate in his palm. The bolt of electricity that streaked through him made him suck in a quick breath.
Helping her to her feet, Juan had the strangest feeling he’d seen her somewhere, but her face was so smudged with dirt, it was difficult to tell. She was petite, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder, and she was wearing a ridiculous pair of heels. When she stumbled against him, murmuring an apology, he heard Trac swear, “Holy shit.”
Before Juan could ask Trac what was wrong, the woman surprised him by asking, “Do you know Tobi West?” When he and Trac both stopped and stared at her, the woman ducked her head and grimaced. “Sorry, I was hoping perhaps you knew how close I was to her house. She told me if I was ever in Texas, I was welcome, and well, I was hoping to surprise her. She said her place was… well, special. You know… safe.” Safe? Why did the angel with the beautiful eyes need a safe place?
Without answering her question, Juan took her hand in his and led her to the truck. Opening the driver’s door, he lifted her effortlessly into the center of the seat.
“Yes, Cariña, we know Tobi. We were headed to Prairie Winds ourselves.” He wanted to smile at the pink blush that spread beneath the dirt smudges on her cheeks. Obviously, she wasn’t completely clueless about Prairie Winds.
“What’s your name, darlin’?” Trac’s southern accent was more pronounced when he was aroused, and Juan was relieved to see he wasn’t the only one attracted to her.
“Lakyn. Lakyn Hicks.” She’d added her last name so quickly, Juan couldn’t help glancing over her head at Trac and raising a brow in question. The shit-eating grin on his friend’s face should have been a clue, but he had no idea what Trac was chuckling about.
“Want to amend that, Princess?” This time Trac’s voice sounded amused despite his stern reprimand.
“Damn,” the whispered curse came just as Juan turned onto the long drive leading to Prairie Winds.
Pulling to a stop in the recently built parking garage, Juan turned off the ignition and turned in his seat to look at the pair sitting next to him. The smudged angel looked frustrated or guilty, he couldn’t decide which while Trac looked like the cat who swallowed the fucking canary.
Juan had been mildly annoyed a heartbeat earlier because he hated feeling like an outsider looking in, but the defeated look spreading over her face brought his protective nature surging to the surface.
“Spit it out, Cariña.”
Rather than answering him, she looked at Trac.
“Do you think she’ll be angry?”
Now it was Trac’s turn to look confused.
“You mean Tobi doesn’t know who you are?” She shook her head, and Trac leaned his head back and laughed out loud. “Oh, this keeps getting better and better.” Juan was losing patience with the side conversation, and his snarl of frustration drew his friend’s attention. Nodding in his direction, Trac grinned.
“Juan Rivera, meet Lakyn Storm.”
Lakyn Storm? Fucking seriously?
The End
*
Books by Avery Gale
The ShadowDance Club
Katarina’s Return – Book One
Jenna’s Submission – Book Two
Rissa’s Recovery – Book Three
Trace & Tori – Book Four
Reborn as Bree – Book Five
Red Clouds Dancing – Book Six
Perfect Picture – Book Seven
Club Isola
Capturing Callie – Book One
Healing Holly – Book Two
Claiming Abby – Book Three
Masters of the Prairie Winds Club
Out of the Storm
Saving Grace
Jen’s Journey
Bound Treasure
Punishing for Pleasure
Accidental Trifecta
Missionary Position
Another Second Chance
Star-Crossed Miracles
The Wolf Pack Series
Mated – Book One
Fated Magic – Book Two
Tempted by Darkness – Book Three
The Knights of the Boardroom
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
The Morgan Brothers of Montana
Coral Hearts – Book One
Dancing with Deception – Book Two
Caged Songbird – Book Three
Game On – Book Four
Well Bred – Book Five
Mountain Mastery
Well Written
Savannah’s Sentinel
Sheltering Reagan
The Christmas Painting
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