Someone was coming, the crackle of leaves and twigs floating through the thick foliage.

  No. No. I hung my head, willing myself to move. To fight to the death. I wouldn’t allow him to take me willingly.

  An exasperated rush of breath pushed up from my chest. I ran. Hard. Fast.

  Stumbling.

  Getting back up.

  Clinging to a tree. Another hiss. A snap of jaws. I twisted my head from side to side, unable to see anything but ominous shadows. My heart was in my chest.

  Run. Run. Run!

  Another roar.

  Maverick. Maverick…

  The monster was coming and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  CHAPTER 24

  Maverick

  Maverick…

  My God. The sweet softness of her voice tickled my inner ear. I spun around in a circle, praying that I’d see her. There were only ugly shadows and flashes of lightning, highlighting ancient trees and moss.

  Then another sound, deep and full of anger.

  “What the fuck was that?” Hudson snarled.

  We all stopped and I did my best to control my breathing. “Sounded like a roar.”

  “Yeah,” Kendrick snickered. “A man’s roar. Maybe she got away from him.”

  That would account for the obvious sounds of frustration.

  I could see her face in my mind. I could almost feel her touch.

  She was close.

  “I think we have the right place.” Chase was beside me, swinging the light back and forth in the dense swamp.

  The area was eerie as fuck, shadows creating false monsters everywhere. I had my weapon and the flashlight in both hands, scanning the surrounding area.

  “The damn shed should be right up there if the Google map is correct,” Gabriel said as he stared at his phone for a few seconds.

  “Then we keep going.”

  I took off again, forced to tear my way through dense foliage and fallen limbs, fighting to get to her.

  Run. Run. Run.

  That’s what I continued telling myself even as the minutes ticked by and there was no sight of her.

  Hope was fading, my mind spinning.

  Rage was screaming through my body, the ache in my muscles intense.

  I swung the flashlight from right to left, motioning for the others to fan out. We had to cover as much ground as possible.

  On alert, I rolled through the trees, running through muck and mud as the storm continued, bolts of lightning flashing across the sky and lighting up the entire area. I wanted to call out to her but feared he would find her if she screamed.

  I rushed forward, remembering the formations I’d learned, the training provided by Hudson who’d been in the military for years.

  We continued fanning out, but I was headed straight for the cabin.

  Another noise, a crackle of something in the distance. I took off running, refusing to back down.

  She was here. I could feel her.

  I could sense her with every ounce of my being.

  Nothing was going to stop me. She was here. And she was in danger.

  Pushing harder. Moving faster.

  More. Run. Now.

  Another roar.

  Then something else.

  A scream. Her lilting voice.

  There was no holding me back. She was close, only fifty yards away. I pushed and clawed my way, lunging through the swamp to the other side just as an alligator snapped at my leg.

  Fuck. Dealing with them was the last thing we needed.

  Although…

  Another jolt of current flashed across the sky, the electric powerful enough to bounce across the forest of trees.

  Allowing me to catch movement. With a swing of my flashlight, I caught sight of her just as the monster grabbed her by the arm.

  The light blinded him but didn’t stop his actions. He grabbed her around the throat, dragging her backward. In his hand was a machete.

  “Over here!” I called, keeping the beam in his face.

  Steven was confused, but seconds later when both Chase and Hudson came crashing through the woods, flanking my sides, he roared again. His eyes were wild, blood streaming down one side of his face.

  From what I could tell, she was safe, uninjured. Just terrified. But I could also see the gleam in her eyes, the same one I’d enjoyed studying night after night.

  Yet it wasn’t long enough for me.

  Not nearly enough.

  If the bastard believed he was going to take the enjoyment of growing old with her away from me, he could go fuck himself.

  “You didn’t play by the rules,” Steven called out.

  “You should know by now I don’t play well by anyone’s rules. Didn’t you learn that when we worked together?”

  A fucking machete.

  I glanced quickly at Chase. There was no need to converse about how to handle this. Kendrick and Gabriel remained out of sight. They were already moving to surround him.

  Chase took a step away, but Steven noticed, pressing the blade of the machete against her neck.

  Movement caught my eye and I took another step closer. “She doesn’t belong to you, Steven. She belongs to me.”

  “No! She doesn’t. She’s mine. She’s always been mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.”

  “Yes, she does.” I shifted my gaze toward her. She’d managed to fight her way free of the bastard a second time. I’d be damned if he was going to be given another opportunity to hurt her. “She deserves more than you can give to her. But I’ll keep her safe. I promise you. She’ll always be safe with me. Isn’t that what you want? You protected her before. With the job. You kept watch on her.”

  I took careful steps closer while Hudson and Chase continued moving to the center point. Steven was lost in a haze, confused as to what he wanted to do. The man’s manic tendencies meant his personality could switch at any moment.

  When it did, her life would be in danger. I had to get closer before it occurred.

  With solid steps, I kept my eyes locked on both him and the weapon. She had her hands on his arm, her eyes never leaving me. Maybe I needed to change tactics.

  “You care about her, Steven. You won’t be able to do so soon. Why don’t you give her to me to protect while you’re gone? You won’t be gone forever. Just a few years. Then I’ll give her back to you.” The ploy was risky and I was no fucking psychological expert, but I did understand human nature. In his twisted way, he cared very much about her.

  Panting, he wasn’t certain what to do, but he could feel us crowding in on him. “Why didn’t you play by the rules? Why didn’t you come alone?” He took a step backwards, closer to the edge of a deeper body of water. The line ran through the property. I’d seen that on the map.

  “Because she’s too important to both of us. You don’t want anything to happen to her.” I sensed the others were completely in position. With a nod, he’d be blown away, but it was still too risky given the machete.

  So I pushed him even more, taking a decided step closer.

  He teetered back and forth, uncertain what to do. A string of blood was bothering one eye and I could imagine the stench was a distinct appetizer to the creatures of the swamp.

  “Do you? I know you care about her, Steven. Just let her go. Everything will be alright.” I took another step, and he finally stiffened. He looked at me, slowly allowing a smile to cross his face.

  “I always thought you were my friend, Agent Callahan. I admired you and your work.” Very slowly, he loosened his hold, even dropping the machete.

  He was ready to die.

  I’d seen it before. When a man knew there was no other choice, but it was one he wanted to make.

  As soon as he released her, Alexia pulled free, spinning and using both hands to pitch him backward.

  Directly into the body of water.

  I rushed forward, sweeping her into my arms, immediately kicking the machete away. The others stepped from the thick foliage while I pushed her toward safety.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, pushing her back enough to be able to look her in the eyes.

  “I’m fine. I knew you’d come. I knew you’d save me. The other girl. She’s close. The trunk of his car. You need to find his vehicle.”

  “We’ll find her, baby. Don’t worry. We will find her.”

  A loud sweep of water was followed by a horrific scream. As soon as the sound of agony erupted, I pulled her face into my chest, wrapping my arm around the back of her head.

  “It’s okay. Don’t look. Just don’t look.”

  “Don’t do this. Help him. Help him.” She pushed away, her voice imploring. I shook my head, hissing because I knew she was right. My God, she was the best of all of us. Sweet. Kind.

  Forgiving.

  “Kill the gator. Kendrick. We need to find his vehicle. We might locate the other girl.”

  A single shot pulsed through the darkness, reverberating in my ears.

  She clung to me, her breathing shallow.

  Steven’s moans were followed by a single plea. “Maverick. Please.”

  Fuck me.

  I rubbed her face, debating what should be done. “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you.”

  Chase headed toward me, shaking his head. “He’s asking for you.”

  No shit.

  With rain still coming down, I peered into her eyes. I had a choice to make. This one wasn’t as easy as I’d wanted to believe.

  Yet there was only one choice.

  “Stay here, baby. I’ll be right back.” I backed away, exhaling as I did. When I turned around, I took a deep breath and walked straight toward him.

  Bloodied and ripped apart by a true predator, he held the same imploring look but for an entirely different reason.

  “Take care of my brother for me. Will you? He doesn’t deserve to die for what he did.”

  There was a line that had been crossed over a year ago, but up until now, doing so had never been personal. I’d felt a sense of urgency, same as the others, but I’d performed our missions based on friendship, trust, and the need for justice.

  Now, all I could think about was how much the lines had been blurred. So much so, I couldn’t recognize myself any longer.

  “I was wrong,” he added just before coughing up blood.

  “What were you so wrong about?”

  “You’re nothing like me. You’re a just man.”

  “No. You weren’t wrong, Steven. Not at all.”

  Pop!

  I stood on the deck of my house staring out at the ocean. The dark stormy night had given way to a beautiful sunrise with the promise of a glorious day. Warm. A light breeze. Gently rolling waves.

  Everything that someone would call paradise.

  Yet I felt nothing inside. Nothing but a coldness that would take time to dissipate. I’d saved a life but in doing so, had taken another. Was I justified in doing so? Some might argue given I was no longer a man of the law that I had no place. That I should be arrested. There was no way of hiding what had happened with Steven or his mother. Hell, with Jameson either.

  The city would soon be rocked by yet another scandal. I could take the heat. I honestly didn’t give a shit. I only cared for a single reason, the beautiful woman whose life I’d saved.

  Alexia had been so quiet, huddled under a blanket all during the time the cops had remained on scene.

  There’d been dozens of questions asked, but at the end of the interrogation, the police had left, satisfied justice had been done.

  I half laughed as I stood studying the water. Sensing a presence, I was surprised when my old partner joined me on the deck.

  “Carrie,” I said, and the tone brought a smile to her face.

  “A very nice woman let me in. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course. Just surprised to see you.”

  “How is Alexia doing?”

  Shrugging, I wasn’t certain how to answer because I honestly didn’t know. “As well as can be expected. She’s safe. She’s alive. She just found out her boss harbored a fugitive for years. She was almost killed with a machete after being kidnapped again by the same man who avoided being on death row because some people didn’t want to either admit a mistake or were following the mayor’s directions. But I’d say in all, she’s doing pretty well.”

  She leaned against the railing, staring out at the ocean just like I’d been doing. Five seconds passed. Another ten.

  “Not that I don’t enjoy your company, but did you drop by for a visit, or did you have something on your mind?”

  She turned slightly, chuckling under her breath. “The other girl who was kidnapped is doing just fine. I thought you’d want to know. She was taken to the hospital for observation, but you saved her life along with Ms. Martino.”

  “I’m glad and thank you. What else? I know that’s not it.”

  “You left me a long message. Remember? You spouted off a lot of information that yes, I’ll use with discretion. As you might imagine, there’s a lot to process and several careers that could be ruined.”

  “I know. I just thought you could use some background in what I’ve been dealing with.”

  “You do know you’re no longer a member of the agency. Right?” There was a hint of admonishment in her tone, yet she was genuinely amused at the lengths I’d gone to.

  “Yeah, I get it. You know what kind of man I am.”

  “Always seeking justice. I admired that about you. Even when you stalked me. Bastard.”

  We both laughed and at least the tension that had comprised our relationship for years wasn’t nearly as strong as before.

  “As crazy as it sounds, doing so helped me get inside his head.”

  “I’m glad for that. You saved Alexia. Twice. That’s something special.” When she looked over her shoulder at the door, I knew exactly what she was doing since the other four members of Raven Intel were still inside my house. We were supposed to be decompressing.

  Preparing for another mission should it rise in ranks.

  Even though I wasn’t certain if I was interested.

  “So you’re going to tell me there’s no truth to the rumor that you and those guys in there are part of some covert organization who goes around demanding justice. Right?”

  I glanced toward the door, able to see Hudson and Kendrick in a heated conversation. “They’re just my poker-playing buddies.”

  “Uh-huh. Whatever you say.” She took a few seconds. “I will admit. Whoever the Justice Served guys are, and I assume they’re men. Maybe I’m wrong, but they’re heroes within the agency. I just wanted you to know that.”

  “Interesting. Good for them. Whoever they are.”

  Her laugh was short. “All kidding aside, Maverick. You should be careful. Take care of yourself. It looks like you have a lot to live for. Thank you for the information. I’ll handle it with kid gloves.”

  “Any idea what might happen to Samuel Wells?”

  “I haven’t heard officially yet, but my guess is the execution will be put on hold, and new trial set in motion although with your evidence of his actual involvement, my guess is he’ll be set up in a secure setting where he can get help.”

  I took a few seconds, rubbing my jaw. “That’s for the best.”

  “Alright then. I’ll leave you alone.” She walked to the door. “Just one last thing. You felt your life was in danger, which was why you shot Steven Wells. Correct?”

  After all these years, we still had each other’s backs. “Yeah, correct.”

  “Good. Understood. Take care, Maverick. Maybe I’ll see you some day at a book signing.”

  As she left, I shook my head, only to realize I was being watched by the woman I’d fallen in love with. How did I know I was in love? Because all I’d thought about was protecting her without care for my own life. Truly. I would have lay down and died for her.

  But I had to admit, I’d much rather enjoy the time spent together very much alive.

  Alexia walked closer, taking her time as she did. “What did your old partner want?”

  “Just to see if we were okay after our ordeal.”

  “You know the reporters are making the five of you out as heroes. I have to agree. They’re also curious if you left a message anywhere like you did with dealing with some other criminals. What was it you used to write on buildings and trees, cars? Oh, yes. Justice served.” She wrapped her arms around me.

  As soon as she did, I pulled her close. “No, of course not. That would be a crass thing to do.”

  She shook her head and rubbed her hands up and down my arms. “You’re not a very good liar.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” I lowered my head and she lifted hers, but for now, just being close was all we needed.

  Sighing, she tipped her face toward the ocean, sadness streaming into her eyes. “Looks like I might be out of a job.”

  “You never know.”

  “You know what? I’m okay with that. For now. I need a little time for myself and to learn how to live again. Who knows. Maybe I’ll take up writing, become an author. I might even rival a guy I know.”

  “A guy, huh? Who is this guy? I already hate him.”

  “Oh,” she purred while rubbing her fingers across my shirt. When she curled the material in her fingers, I drank in her perfume. “He’s very handsome. A little rough around the edges, but brilliant if you ask me. I find myself falling madly for him.”

  “You are, huh?”

  “Yes. I am. Although I need to take it a little slow right now until I’m sure about myself.”

  I rolled my hand down her hair, marveling in the silky feel. “Lady. Take all the time you want. I’m not going anywhere.”

  With my lips hovered over hers, I waited for a few seconds, maybe to give her a chance to back away. Yet she leaned further in, offering her permission.

  I captured her mouth, enjoying the incredible sensations and the sense of relief by having her safely in my arms. Yet the moment took on a life of its own, passion roaring between us. The kiss became rougher, my needs more intense and the way she melted in my arms was everything I’d ever desired.

  When I finally pulled our lips free, we both took gasping breaths, laughing when we heard four pairs of hands clapping.