Deadly Deception (SCVC Taskforce) (38 page)

“Never.”

He brushed hair from her forehead where it was stuck to her bandage. “I love you, too. Like I told you, I’ve been in love with you since Des Moines.”

“You were in lust, and before we got to pursue that lust, Valquis interfered. Your feelings got tangled up with your guilt, and that was never going to work. For either of us.”

“I see that now.” He laid a gentle kiss on her lips. “I see
you
now. Not the old Ronni. Not the FBI agent you were projecting when you came here. I see you. Just you. An incredible woman not weighed down by the past. A woman who’s found her brother, remade her career, and has a very bright future.”

“I feel like I belong here. I think I’ve finally found a home.”

Home. With him. “I like the sound of that.”

“Good. Now how about that massage, Boy Scout?”

He pinched her ass. “Are you ever going to stop calling me that?”

“Sure, as soon as you quit calling me pork chop, buttercup, snowflake, little momma…did I leave anything out?”

“Honey-covered jalapeno?”

“Actually, I kinda like that one.”

He barked a laugh. “Me, too. Fits you to a tee.”

Four days later

Ronni helped Adam out of the car. The afternoon was cool and bright, a light fall breeze tickling her nose. The colors of the farm were as vibrant as ever.

People were working as if nothing had happened. Women were in the lavender field. The tractor putted along in the veggie patch. Belinda was watering flowers, Paige helping her, and Ralph and Lance were giving the tool shed a fresh coat of blue paint.

Someone had used the same blue to write “Welcome Home Adam!!!” on a white bed sheet that hung from two of the porch columns.

Adam’s face lit up when he saw it. “They’re happy I’m back?”

Thomas patted him on the shoulder. “Place wasn’t the same without you.”

Ronni and Thomas had hired a service to clean the crime scenes inside the house once the investigators gave the okay. Ronni had worked with Lance and Paige to arrange for Kristine’s funeral.

Kristine’s autopsy had revealed she wasn’t pregnant. They would never know if she believed she
was
or if she was making it up. Adam continued to insist he’d never slept with her or had ever enforced the New Light restriction on sex Anita had claimed to Ronni.

Belinda had taken over the organic products business, and one of the other women, a former hairstylist, was going to run the salon until a buyer could be found. Dr. Elgin had been charged with aiding and abetting Melanie and for buying illegal prescription drugs. Adam’s attending physician at the hospital had put Ronni in touch with a clinic that would provide healthcare and prescriptions for Adam and the farm’s employees, and she’d set up an appointment for Adam to speak to a small business guru about forming an LLC.

But for now, her brother had to finish recovering from his injury and make peace with what had happened. The farm was looking at big changes. The iChurch as well.

The coonhound bayed a greeting from the porch and scrambled toward them. People turned to look, and their faces lit up like Adam’s, seeing his return. Ronni took his arm and helped him to the yard, where those in the vicinity grouped around him. They offered hugs, slaps on the back, and asked a lot of questions.

Adam reveled in the attention, and like always, word spread rapidly. Soon dozens of people were standing in the yard, trying to get close and welcome him home.

“To the chapel,” he finally yelled above the din. His face was flushed with happiness. “I need to say a few words.”

Thomas gave Ronni an
oh, no, not a sermon
look. With one hand assisting Adam, she raised a chastising brow at Thomas. He took Adam’s other arm, and together they guided her brother across the grounds to the chapel.

When everyone was settled, Adam took the stage. “We’ve weathered a rough few days.”

People “amened” and nodded their heads.

“I want to apologize to those I’ve offended. You all know what happened. It’s not pretty. I’m sorry and I’ll spend many days and weeks doing what I can to atone for my sins. But we must bless our enemies. Welcome them into our hearts. It is not our place to judge, and to forgive is the only way to overcome the hurt and the anger they have left us with.”

More nodding.

Adam was sweating, but he continued, his voice and his drive as strong as ever. “Melanie and Kristine brought unique gifts of spirit to us. Jacob served a purpose while he was with us No matter their sins, we will remember them all as friends. We will remember their good points, not bad. That is God’s direction. Love our enemies and those who’ve trespassed against us. Amen?”

“Amen,” the congregation said in unison.

Ronni held her tongue. She wasn’t as forgiving as Adam. She was saddened by the loss of both women, and still angry as hell at Melanie. Melanie had the potential to be the next Martha Stewart from what Ronni had seen.
She could have been my friend
.

“Adam?” Lance, several rows back, stood. “I need to ask your forgiveness. I was wrong about you and Kristine. I was wrong…about a lot of things.”

Paige, next to him, instead of sitting with Belinda, stood and laid her head against Lance’s hip. Lance put his hand on her shoulder. “Paige and I…we’d like to stay on if you’ll have us.”

Adam smiled. “You are always welcome here. Always.”

Clapping erupted. Lance blushed and Paige hugged his leg. “Thank you.”

Once the noise died away, Adam touched his side. “This has been a most miraculous day for me, and I’m grateful for all of you. Now, however, I’m afraid I must sit down.”

Thomas reached him first, guided Adam off the stage and into the pew next to Ronni. One of the women left and came back with water. The men gathered around to give Adam updates of the farm.

Ronni let them talk for a few more minutes, then she interceded. “You should lie down now,” she said to Adam. “Thomas and I will take you to the house.”

“Is there an open bed in the men’s quarters?” Adam asked Lance who was at the edge of the crowd.

“I believe there are two.”

“I’d like to sleep there tonight.”

A round of applause met the announcement and Ralph and Lance were more than happy to lead Adam to the men’s quarters and get him settled. The rest of the group wandered off, back to their jobs and the evening meal’s preparations.

Ronni and Thomas walked the farm as the sun hung low on the horizon. The orchard beckoned and the coonhound stayed close as they walked. Thomas took her hand and peace filled Ronni’s heart.

The brutal memories of her past were still there, but now she had Thomas and Adam. Celina and Cooper. Even Bianca and the rest of the taskforce. She would meet with Dupé in the morning to accept the official offer to stay on the taskforce and work on Project Bliss.

“I could get used to this,” she said, as she and Thomas meandered under the citrus trees.

“Me, too,” Thomas said, but he was staring at her, not looking at the green grass and lush fruit hanging from the trees. “Since you’re staying in San Diego, you can visit whenever you want.”

Staying in San Diego
. “I know it sounds silly, but being here, with you and Adam, is like a fairy-tale ending. I never dreamed I’d investigate my brother and the Heaven’s Gate cult, and end up”—she motioned at the farm with her free hand—“here.”

“It’s good you’re here to keep Adam normal. Well, as normal as he can be, considering his penchant for believing he’s the chosen one.”

She chuckled. “You can’t change a man’s beliefs.”

“Is that a Daniel Karsni saying?”

“Nope. Mine. And I don’t want to change Adam, just keep him on the straight and narrow.”

“He’s lucky to have you.”

“
You’re
lucky to have me.”

“This is true. What do you say we hang out here tonight, make sure Adam’s settled?”

“You’d be okay with that?”

Thomas pulled her into his arms. “As long as you meet me in the honey house later.”

She laughed, relaxing in his arms, and giving his butt cheeks a squeeze. “You’re on, my little ninja Popsicle.”

“Yeah,
no
.” He shook his head, turned loose of her, and ran his thumb over his bottom lip. “That’s not working for me. Monikers are an art form. You can’t just throw together any two words.”

They started walking. Ronni thought for a moment. “Short Stack?”

“Now I’m pancakes?”

“Kickass Kenobi?”

“As in Obi Wan?”

Bingo
. “You are, of course, a younger, hotter version, but yes.”

He stared off into the distance and nodded. “I could live with that.”

And she could live with him and his silly nicknames. “Let’s go see what’s for dinner, Kickass Kenobi.”

“You’re on.”

Together they ran across the compound as the sun set, the coonhound baying at their feet.

Did You Like This Book?

Dear Reader,

If you liked this book, let everyone know by posting a review! You can leave a review on the book page at your favorite ebook retailer, on your Facebook Page, or on your blog. Once it’s up, send me the link and I’ll post it on my Facebook Page!

And if you missed the first book in the Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce series, please check out Deadly Pursuit. You’ll learn all about Cooper and Celina, and find out how Thomas and Ronni met.

Happy reading,

Misty

[email protected]

Now for a sneak peek at

Deadly Force

A SCVC Taskforce novel coming Fall 2014

by Misty Evans

Culver’s Marina, Chula Vista

0900 hours

Cal Reese’s boat rocked hard, waking him. Waves crashed topside and Maggie, his black lab who was lying beside his bunk, whined.

He reached down, patted her head. “Storm moving in, girl. Nothing to worry about.”

Except he wouldn’t be working today. Another day of twiddling his damn thumbs. Maybe that was good considering he’d already overslept.

Since Afghanistan, his internal clock was a fucked up disaster. But he’d never had a chance to set a normal work/sleep routine until now anyway. High school, he’d always stayed up too late, got up too early, working his ass off to get the grades, the girl, and some hope for a future. The day he graduated—twenty-four hours
after
his high school sweetheart tore his world apart—he hustled down to the Navy recruitment center and signed on. Three years later, he was in BUDs, and up until thirteen days ago, he’d headed a special SEAL commando team hot on the trail of terrorism sponsor Otto Grimes.

The only “normal” in his world had been coffee—black—and his deep seated love for water.

The dog nudged his hand. But now he had time to kill and he had Maggie. For the first time in his life, he had a
dog
.

She was the only female in his life he could trust.

Rising, Cal ignored the bottle of Jack on the shelf and the pain in his temples thanks to the brown liquid. He went through the uncomplicated act of filling the coffee pot, scooping grounds, and searching for his single coffee cup.

Normal was…okay. Even good some days. He’d learned to appreciate simple things again. If only the flashbacks would leave him the fuck alone. The goddamn nightmares, yeah, they could go AWOL and he wouldn’t miss them a bit.

Stay in the present.

He breathed in the aroma of grounds and hot water and listened to the sounds of the waves hitting the hull. A glance out the starboard window told him there was no rain yet, but the dark clouds over the ocean were ushering in a doozy.

The incoming storm had just freed up his calendar. No scraping barnacles off yachts or fixing motors for Chewy at the boat yard. Maybe the storm would blow itself out by noon and the Southern Cali tourists would keep him busy at the marina’s rental shop wanting their jet skis.

Maggie whined and Cal set down his cup. Time to take care of the love of his life, then hit the shower.

Pathetic
. His life had dwindled down to the barest of needs, the loneliest of lives. Thirteen days ago, he’d been in nonstop action. His team had been hours away from taking down that bastard Otto…

But now Butcher, Avery, and Tank were dead, and he’d been put out to pasture by his country.

Snagging a ratty T-shirt and a pair of holey jeans, he dressed, tossed on a windbreaker, and hooked Maggie up to her leash.
Bring on the wind and the rain
. He and Maggie loved water. A run would do them both good.

Maggie’s tail wagged furiously as they climbed the four short stairs to the top deck. The dog froze, and Cal looked up. Blinked.