Dangerous Protector (Aegis Group Book 5) (29 page)

“My apartment’s that way.” He pointed down the side of the building.

Fiona started the SUV and pulled around into the lot for the guys who lived on the campus.

“How long have you been here?” he asked.

“About two hours.”

“In the parking lot?”

“Yeah. I…I lost my nerve for a bit.” Fiona got out and he followed suit.

She had a small bag in hand. He took it from her and led her into the stairwell via a secured door, up the stairs and down a hall to his little home-away-from-home. He couldn’t imagine what it looked like to her. Barren. White walls. Sparse furniture.

“Looks like a hotel,” she said.

“It works.” He set her things on the coffee table.

“What now?” she asked.

He stood there, taking all of her in.

She wasn’t the corporate drone anymore. Her clothes were funky, more her. The way she looked at him though… That just about broke his heart.

“That’s up to you,” he finally said.

“I don’t know what comes next.” She shrugged and bit her lower lip.

Marco took several, slow steps toward her. He wasn’t that drunk.

“What do you want, right now?” he asked.

Fiona jigged her knee and stared up at the ceiling.

She wasn’t looking at him. Because she couldn’t? Because he was—

“You. I want you,” she said.

He should shower first, sober up, but she’d pulled him into her orbit and there was no going back. He took two slow steps until he could cup her cheek.

“I’m yours,” he whispered.

She stared up at him. He knew that look. She’d looked at him like this before.

“I don’t mean for just now.” Her voice broke under the weight of so much feeling.

“Sweetheart, I will always be yours. There’s no one else for me, and I’m sorry I’m a pathetic son of a bitch. You deserve better than me.”

“You are not pathetic.” She swatted his arm.

“Without you? I sure as hell am. I love you, Fiona. Is it still Fiona?”

“Yeah.” She flashed a smile. “Fiona…feels right.”

“I think she feels right, too.”

“Marco—I love you, and that scares me.”

“You think this doesn’t scare me, too? The moment I realized…” He bent his head, resting his forehead against hers. “That was the most terrifying moment of my life. I realized I was in love with you…and that you were going to hate me. I just kept thinking…if I can get her safe, she can hate me as long as she’s alive. That was pretty dumb.”

“What? Why?” She swiped at her cheeks, damp with tears. Only this time they were the right kind. The happy kind.

“Because…I’m nothing without you. I didn’t know how to feel until you were here and now…I don’t feel anything. I’m worthless.”

“You are not worthless.” She poked his chest with a finger.

He wrapped his hand around her finger and kissed her knuckles. Okay, so maybe he was a little drunk if he was going to go that far, but it was the truth. For the last few weeks he’d walked around in a daze, because nothing else mattered.

“I love you, Marco, and…can we make this work?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart, but I want to try.”

Epilogue.

Fiona shoved one box
over on top of the next and pulled the lid off the second.

There it was!

She lifted out the new sheet set she’d been saving for the last few weeks. Marco had laughed at her when she refused to use it on the apartment bed, but she’d held firm. She unfolded the sheets and tried wrestling them onto their brand new bed.

This—all of it—was their new home.

Together.

Well, it was their home away from Moab. All the doors and knobs worked, the windows shut, and her future mother-in-law didn’t announce breakfast, lunch, and dinner over the intercom at the most inopportune moments.

Arms wrapped around her from behind.

“Need a hand?” Marco asked.

She grinned and leaned into his warm embrace. It was freakishly cold outside, worse than Denver, but he had body heat to spare. Something she greatly appreciated, especially at night.

“You just want to mess the bed up before I can make it.” She elbowed him in the stomach.

“Hey, we need to break this puppy in.” He toed the box spring.

“After I get the sheets on.” She wiggled out of his grasp and tossed one corner of the fitted sheet at him.

He grabbed it and helped her make the bed, even though the way he stared at her let her know that very soon…that bed would be very un-made. She welcomed the warm, fuzzy feelings.

To think, she’d almost shut the door on this, on them. But they were making things work. It wasn’t perfect, but they had each other. And deep down that was what mattered. Marco might not be the perfect Prince Charming, but he was the man her heart had chosen and he didn’t take that lightly.

She set the pillows in place and stepped back to admire the set-up.

New bed.

New sheets.

New blanket.

New nightstands.

New them.

Marco scooped her up and though she’d expected it, she still yelped. He grinned and carried her to the bed, dumping her unceremoniously in the middle.

She loved this wild, crazy man, and he loved her.

It was her new reality. Her new life. And very soon, she’d have a new name.

Fiona Benally.

She liked the sound of that.

Marco watched the sway
of Fiona’s hips. She was wearing that damn skirt again. The one with the pinstripes and slit up the back. He sipped his beer and contemplated the when and how he would remove the garment. He’d ripped the zipper out the first time she’d worn it. His mistake.

Maybe on that padded coffee table cushion thing in front of the Christmas tree? All those lights on her skin…

Yeah, he liked that idea.

“Hey, man.”

“Zain.” Marco cleared his throat and shifted. Damn inconvenient time to spring a boner.

“I take it you made a decision?” Zain had one hand in his pocket, the other around his cell phone. This close to the holidays it was a wonder the guy was even there. He’d all but moved to Seattle in the last week.

“Yeah, sorry, I meant to talk to you about that.” Marco tore his gaze from Fiona’s ass and focused on Zain. “We’re going to stay here.”

“You know Crawford has you earmarked to take over training someday?”

Marco nodded. He’d figured as much.

“Fiona and Abigail get along well.” Zain nodded at the woman who was his replacement.

“Yup.” Marco hadn’t volunteered much information on Fiona, both at her request and also because it was none of their fucking business. “You ever need me for a job, you know where to find me.”

They slapped shoulders and Zain moved off, no doubt saying goodbye to the guys who were staying.

Though the Seattle office was simply a different set of offices, it did feel like they were saying goodbye to a lot of great guys. Still, it was a new opportunity to explore business. Marco had glazed over listening to Zain and Mason discuss things. He was far happier in th trenches doing the dirty work.

His phone buzzed deep in his pocket.

Probably Mom wondering when the hell her new daughter was coming home.

Christ.

Marco had half a mind to cancel their trip back to Moab. Once they got to the homestead, he wouldn’t see her. Fiona was the family hero. The woman who’d put NueEnergy down, like the sick animal it was. None of them knew how it’d happened, but they knew Fiona was involved and that Marco had protected her. They had no idea the mess was entirely Marco’s making.

He stared at the text.

The number was unknown, but he didn’t need a name to identify that message.

He could hear Ghost’s deadpan voice in his head.

Merry fucking Christmas. You owe me.

The picture was of a woman with tanned skin and dark hair. The image was blurry, but he’d seen that profile before. Where?

Where r u?

Marco stared at Fiona’s smiling face. He’d never met anyone so…happy. So alive. Until her. And he did owe Ghost. For helping him. For making shit happen. They would have all been dead if it weren’t for him.

Wherever he was, Marco hoped Ghost wasn’t alone.

Marco stared at the text.

DC. OMW to India. Standby.

Shit.

The girl.

Zain’s girl’s friend or something. The sister of someone’s boyfriend. Lost in India while on…vacation? A trip?

If someone took Fiona from him, Marco would move heaven and earth to get her back. He knew the pain of losing her, and hedidn’t wish that on anyone.

10-4

If he had to head to India at the drop of a hat the last place he wanted to be was at some, damn party.

Marco crossed the room, sliding up behind Fiona, and wrapped his hands around her waist. Being with her had taught him to appreciate the moments they had, and he sure as hell wanted to spend a few more with her.

“Let’s go home,” he said against her ear.

“Marco—”

“I might have to leave for a little while.”

Her body stilled, then she turned in his arms, her eyes searching his face.

“Ghost?” she asked.

“Yeah. Looks like he’s going to call in the favor.”

“Let’s go home.”

“I can’t wait to peel that skirt off you.”

She swatted his arm and glanced around, her cheeks turning the slightest bit pink, but no one was watching. They were too engrossed in their own significant others or tossing back a few beers to pay them any mind.

He led her to the front door and helped her put on her coat. Someone had salted the walk outside so it wasn’t as slippery on their way out. He started his new truck by the fancy remote key and held the door for her.

“I feel like I’m climbing a mountain getting into this thing.” Fiona sighed.

He grabbed her by her hips and lifted her into the cab. She squawked and sputtered, but it was for show. He knew how much she liked his caveman antics.

Marco leaned into the cab, reveling in this sense of rightness he’d found only with her.

“I love you, Fiona Benally.”

“We aren’t married yet.” She prodded his shoulder.

“I don’t need a God damn piece of paper to tell me you’re mine.”

Fiona pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes. The look was probably supposed to be disproving, but he knew she felt the same way. They belonged to each other in a way that went beyond marriage and ceremonies, and he’d spend every day for the rest of her life showing her just how well they fit. Together. Forever.

You can stay up to date on the whole Aegis Group team in
Dangerous Attraction
,
Dangerous in Training
,
Dangerous Games
and
Dangerous Assignment
.

Stay tuned for
Ghost
in 2017!

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See where it all started…

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He recognizes the darkness in her. It’s in him, too.

Detective Jacob Payton knows the clock is ticking down. Someone is about to die, and his best suspect is also his only source of information. He’s known Emma Ration’s story for years—after all, a brutal serial killer left his mark on both their lives when they were still young. Meeting her is another experience altogether. She challenges his control and entices him in ways no other woman has.

But is she the killer? As the bodies pile up and their passion ignite, Jacob runs the risk of losing his control. Falling for Emma was never in his plan, but now that she’s part of his life he’s not about to give her up. Not even to the FBI on the trail of the very same killer.

Jacob must figure out if it’s Emma in danger, or himself. If he can’t uncover the identity of the copycat killer, it could be the end for both him and the woman who has fast become the center of his life.

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Dangerous Attraction: The Complete Serial

Ex-Navy SEAL Travis Ration is an expert hunter. Whether his prey is criminal or victim, he always gets his mark. He's no hero, just a man doing his job. It’s all he has after a felony conviction after a bad judgment call. When the FBI call in a favor and ask him to look into a serial killer over the holiday break, he jumps at the opportunity to fill the long, cold days with something besides regret and bad movies. In Las Vegas, he's on the hunt for a prolific serial killer no one wants to admit exists. The leads are dry and the evidence gone, until she walks into his life. Bliss Giles—curvy, sassy and everything he can't have.

What’s worse, Travis knows Bliss’ sister is the killer's latest victim. She fits the profile. Time is running out and the fastest way to retrace the killer's path is with Bliss at Travis' side. In the seat of danger. He vows to keep Bliss safe and his hands to himself, after all, a nice girl like her doesn't need a guy like him in her life. Too bad no one told Bliss Travis was off-limits. She tests his boundaries and pushes his control every minute they're together until he can't remember why wanting her is a bad idea.

The hunters become the hunted in this tale of serial killers and SEALs for hire. One broken man must unpack his baggage, a woman has make a leap of faith and a sister chooses to live in this new, romantic suspense serial by NYT & USA Today bestselling author, Sidney Bristol.

Warning: Hold onto your panties, because nothing is safe.