Innocent Target Read online

  Mason took over Nina’s care and led her away. The moment the door closed behind them, and he was with his team inside the safehouse, James felt on the verge of collapse and without a word, went to Mercy. After kissing her brow, he did what he’d dreamed of doing for the last two days, and cradled his sleeping niece in his arms.

  Tears immediately welled in his eyes and fell down his cheeks, but he didn’t care. Abbie was safe. It was challenging to breathe as all the fear and guilt inside him burst and finally dissipated.

  With Mercy by his side, rubbing his back in a show of support, James lowered his head to kiss Abbie’s tiny one, silently promising her that he’d never fail her again, and that he’d be the most perfect uncle in the world.

  With his angel niece in his arms and the love of his life by his side, James felt steady again. He couldn’t wait to reunite Bethany with her daughter and be surrounded by his precious family once more.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  James hadn’t slept since finally getting Abbie in his arms. Mercy had offered to take care of the baby while he rested, but there was no way he’d keep mother and daughter separated any longer than necessary.

  The reunion, later that night, had put James’s remaining anxiousness to rest. When Bethany arrived with Miles, she had launched herself at Abbie and at that moment, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Cuddling and cooing at her baby, Bethany looked at James with such deep gratitude it surprised him.

  Only much later, when dawn was slowly bringing on a new day did he allow Mercy to drag him to bed.

  A day later, they were back in Miami, sitting around the conference table with the entire team, James knew that he had to face the music. Shane and Emme had been informed of everything that happened. It was clear that several of his decisions had bypassed asking for help, which, unless there was a reasonable explanation attached to it, wasn’t encouraged. James had called a private meeting with Shane and Emme. He’d needed to explain his motivations and prevent Mercy and Nick taking flack for his decisions. Surprisingly, both of them had been understanding. They agreed with most of his choices. Family was a weak spot for any agent.

  Emme smiled at the assembly, maybe to counteract Shane’s frown. “Thanks for being here for the debrief on James’s sister’s case.”

  Mercy, who was sitting by him, discreetly touched his knee with hers as a show of support. It was clear she was prepared for explanations, so was Nick, who’d been by his side for most of this.

  “Let’s start by saying that Abbie and Bethany are alive, well, and safe. She agreed to remain in a safehouse for now, at least until we settle this problem with the FBI.”

  A groan spread around the table and Shane lifted a hand. “I know, but it’s an annoyance we need to deal with. On that note, I’ve relayed all the information we gathered about Agent Rao and his relationship to the Havoc Henchmen. I’ve presented the case to my contact, and let’s say they were dumbstruck by it and never saw it coming. It took a few hours, but the news traveled up the chain, and they’ve requested we hand over Rao. They weren’t expecting we’d negotiate on Bethany’s behalf to make sure she’s left out of any games they want to play. I’d say they’ll see reason in a couple of days because I won’t let that go. None of us will.”

  The determination in Shane’s voice settled James. Bethany needed to be protected, and the Agency was doing precisely that.

  “Now, about Hull. We have the police report on his death. This is where we need to tread carefully. As per what we could read, his death has been classified as a gang war casualty. With Rao unconscious, there’s no way he could testify to what happened, or accuse any of us of killing Hull. Unless new evidence comes up, I suggest we ride this and let it go. With Hull gone, the organ trafficking falls. None of his lieutenants will survive the power struggle brewing in and out of the gang. However, we’ll keep an eye on it just to be safe.”

  “What about Nina?” Mercy’s voice was full of concern for the traumatized girl.

  Emme sighed. “Poor soul. After the first evaluation, it was clear Hull and his men had abused her in awful ways I won’t explain here. I’ve contacted a therapy center that specializes in that type of victim to take care of her. Again, this will be kept under wraps to protect her. I doubt any sort of accusations would help her heal. Once she’s better, we’ll see how we can help her more.”

  Mercy immediately relaxed, nodding in approval. James noticed the soft spot she had for the broken and vulnerable. No wonder that, even without knowing Nina, Mercy had taken her under her wings, even if her hands were already full.

  “Which brings us to the next point of the debrief. Hull’s mother. We got an update on her. She died this morning when the police went to see her with to tell her that her son had died.”

  Nick arched an eyebrow. “Broken heart?”

  Shane shook his head as Emme winced. “No, she jumped out of her bed to attack the cops, but her heart shut down because of the effort. That was the end of her.”

  The general silence around the table was both impressed and shocked.

  Shane continued by giving an update on Ian, but Mercy had already spoken to her former partner over the phone. He was well and had made Mercy promise to come to spend a weekend with his family soon.

  “Now, the most important part of this meeting. It’s a roundtable on how to save the Alliance Agency.”

  Everyone froze as Shane shook his head and continued. “Yeah, we need to think about ways to get money, maybe a bake sale or a bikini car wash, so we can pay for that fucking boat James blew up and swore to replace.”

  The entire room boomed with laughter, and James relaxed a bit and shook his head. “Come on, Shane. You know there wasn’t any other option. And I said I’d take out a loan for that.”

  Emme winked at him, clearly not wanting to stretch the joke too much. “Easy, James. We’re only teasing you. In fact, someone here may have a solution for you.”

  Imari swerved in her chair, a smile on her face. “When I saw the price of that thing, I knew I couldn’t let you cash in your 401(k), and I realized that Hull wouldn’t really need his anymore.”

  The agency’s hacker placed a file on the table and slid it to James. “Not that Hull had a 401(k), but he had money stashed away. It’s a bit of a gray area, but I guessed it was for a good cause, and I want you to spoil your niece as much as you can.”

  James opened the file to see the picture of a white boat. “I put the boat in your name and made sure everything was legit so you can do the transfer to Ray.”

  This team had his back like no other. “Expect to have a chocolate overdose delivered to your office, Imari. Thank you.”

  As the meeting was dismissed and everybody walked out, Nick slapped his shoulder, his usual show of support before leaving the room.

  Mercy stood, running her fingers through his hair, before cupping his cheek. “Well, Uncle James, I think you should be proud of yourself. You saved your sister and niece. That was great work you did.”

  His hand went to her hip until he grabbed her ass, pulling her forward. “I think it was great teamwork, and we were incredibly lucky. Me, most of all, to have you by my side this whole time.”

  Mercy smiled before settling on his lap. Her beautiful mouth took his as his hands caressed her back. This delightful woman ended the kiss way too soon for his liking.

  “Let’s agree that all those answers are right and that even if we redid the entire mission, we couldn’t have done it better. In fact, I wouldn’t change a single thing, because if I did, we might never have found each other.”

  James’s heart softened and he leaned forward for a kiss but was blocked by Mercy dangling a key between them.

  “What’s that? The key to your heart?”

  With a laugh, she swatted him, amused. “It’s a given with you. No, that’s the key to your new boat.”

  “Okay. You want to go give it to him? We can go now.”

  He gazes turned sultry when she shook her head.
“Maybe we could test it out first? You know, me, you, alone in the boat in the middle of the ocean. Preferably naked.”

  His skin felt too tight as his hands roamed her curves. “Oh, baby, I love your brilliant mind. And I love you, Mercy.”

  The words felt so right when he spoke them, he knew he was the luckiest man on earth.

  His woman, his love, his partner, leaned forward for a last whisper on his lips. “And you are the love of my life, James. Never forget that.”

  Epilogue

  “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. What was I thinking?” Mercy sighed as she shot her husband an exasperated look and dove for her son’s diapered butt as he climbed up the port side hull of the Mercy.

  James leaned down, a grin playing on his lips as he held their daughter in his arms and touched his mouth to hers. The kiss still managed to give her that sharp edge of desire every single time. Even after five years, a wedding, and the birth of their twins Ben and Paige, two years ago.

  The days after Abbie had brought them together had been the best of her life. She’d even reconciled with her parents, although she recognized they’d always be poles apart. Which was why, when they got married, Ian had walked her down the aisle. He was more a father to her than her own had ever been. Mercy had no problem bucking tradition, and Ian was the father she should’ve had.

  As her husband lifted his head, a sexy promise in his eye, she shivered. “You were thinking about how much you love to see me in swimming trunks.”

  Mercy snorted. “I do love your arrogance.”

  “I love you.”

  “Yeah, I know, and for some crazy reason, I love you too.”

  Moving Ben to her other hip, she rubbed his nose with her own as her son stuck his thumb in his mouth and laid his head on her shoulder. Getting to this place hadn’t been easy; fertility treatments were heartbreaking each time they failed. James had held her as she cried after each one and decreed that if the third attempt didn’t work, they’d find another way to become parents.

  His love for her was in everything he did, and he proved time and again that she was the only woman for him. Thankfully, at the third and final try at IVF, she’d caught with these two angels. Her heart felt so full of love for the man at her side and her children, that she frequently pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

  James lowered Paige, and Mercy bent and let her son go after his sister toward their Aunt Beth and Uncle Miles as they climbed on board the boat where they were docked. But it was their older cousin Abbie who held the twin’s attention. Abbie smiled and bent to the babies, and Mercy knew she’d always have a special place in her heart for that child. Much as she loved all her nieces and nephews, including the one Beth carried, it would always be because of Abbie that she got her own happily ever after.

  Warm, strong arms slipped around her waist from behind, and she leaned back into the strong, familiar body that made her feel so safe and loved.

  “Can you believe she starts school soon?” His lips at her ear made her shiver and being the devil he was he chuckled, knowing he could play her body with such ease.

  “It seems like yesterday that you held her in your arms and we both had no clue what to do.”

  “Worst time of my life, yet it brought us together, so I’ll always see the positive in what happened.”

  “I was thinking the same thing earlier, and Beth met Miles too.”

  “Good always comes out of evil, Merc.” He kissed the shell of her ear, and she sighed in contentment.

  Soon after, King and Sydney arrived with their brood, then Mason and Cleo, followed by Frida, Malco, and their son. Alex, Imari, Cain, Wolf, Caitlin, Nick, and his family arrived together, and lastly Shane and Emme with their latest addition joined them.

  Raymond had left them the boat when he’d suddenly died from a heart attack, and it was full of the family they’d chosen as well as that of blood. With everyone on board, they set sail for the cove they’d found, where they’d celebrate the twin’s second birthday.

  With noise and laughter abounding, it was in beautiful chaos that they dropped anchor near the blue belt cove. The sun was high as Mercy climbed into the water with Paige and James helped her take Ben to the beach. Some of the other men swam back to get the food for the barbecue.

  Mercy grumbled, but this was her favorite place in the world and the perfect spot to celebrate. A day spent playing games on the beach, eating good food, swimming, and laughing with friends—there was nothing better.

  As the sun began to set and her babies slept in the sun shield, she leaned back against her husband as he sat behind her and wrapped her in his arms. The sky was a bruise of blues, purples, and pinks, and it was hard to think of a better moment to tell him what she’d been hiding for days.

  “You were right.”

  Her hands rubbed his arms that held her as James cocked his head in question. “I was?”

  Mercy laughed at the surprise in his voice and turned to look at him fully. “Yes, the best things happen when you stop looking. First, I found Alliance, then I found you, then the twins and now,” she halted and took his hand, sliding it to her belly, “and now there’s going to be another blessing for us to love.”

  His eyes widened in surprise as she’d known they would. They hadn’t been trying to get pregnant, but they hadn’t been using protection either.

  “You are?” James asked, his voice thick.

  “Yep.” Mercy nodded and watched his eyes grow glossy with tears before he flipped her to her back with care and, holding her, kissed the breath from her. She knew she was home. He was her home. James, the kids, and the family she’d made at Alliance and there was no place else she would rather be.

  “Fuck, I love you, Mercy Valentine.”

  “I love you too, my Romeo.”

  THE END

  Sneak Peek: Knight Watch

  Kingsley Knight and Sydney Rutherford

  Kingsley Knight crossed his arms over his chest, as pride and contentment settled inside him. He never could have imagined this feeling of achievement twelve months ago. The last year had been one of the most difficult of his life, but in some ways, he didn’t regret what had happened or the choices he’d made because they’d led him here.

  He looked out across the training field at the fantastic team he was part of as Cain Davies showed Emme Harris, his boss lady, how to adjust her aim for a larger caliber weapon. Cain was an ex-undercover ATF agent and had been a recommendation by Lance the head of the Purgatory organization where Shane, his other boss, had started his career outside the military. At thirty-two Cain was considered young to have burned out, but Kingsley knew the strain that undercover work could have on people. Cain had jumped at the chance to sign with the Agency, and they were lucky to have found him.

  Knight felt Shane’s best friend Nicholas Hale move to stand beside him. Shane and his fiancée Emme co-owned Alliance Agency. They had founded the company after getting together a few months earlier, following a joint op between Purgatory and Fortis Security. The op had gone wrong in so many ways, but it had also brought the couple together, and nobody could doubt the team they made—both personally and professionally. Nick had served with Shane in the Navy as a SEAL, and it was his baby sister’s murder that had been the focus of the joint op.

  “Still can’t believe you’ve made the jump to join us Yankees.”

  Kingsley turned, lifting his eyebrow at Nick in greeting, before turning his attention back to the field. Rubbing his hand over his full beard, he wondered again if he should shave it and the mop of wavy midnight hair on his head that desperately needed a cut. The heat was already sticky in the early spring of Miami compared to the much lower temperatures of the UK. He finally answered Nick. “Indeed, I’m still coming to grips with it. This heat is relentless. The food is good though, although I may need to slow down on the burgers and tacos,” he replied with a smirk as he patted the flat muscles of his abdomen. The fact was Kinglsey Knight was in perfe
ct shape. Years in the Navy as an underwater explosive expert had honed his body so it was all muscle and sinew with not an ounce of extra fat.

  Nick rolled his eyes, but Kingsley could still feel a shadow on the man. Shane had told him that his friend had gone through a lot and still needed time and work to recover fully.

  His eyes caught on Caitlin Carter as she took Killian, her German Shepard, through his paces. When he had met her, she had been training Killian to replace her last dog Mayhem who had recently retired. As a K-9 handler with the LAPD, Caitlin had years of experience to go with her well-earned reputation as one of the best handlers and trainers on the force. Growing up with two prestigious veterinarians as parents had set her in good stead for her job. He watched as she gave Killian—who for shits and giggles she called Kill for short—a series of commands that he obeyed with a blinding loyalty. Knight thought that a few more K-9s on the team would be a good call. That was something to discuss with Shane and Emme for sure.

  Over on the assault course, the rest of the team were going through their paces. Malco Aguilar, another member of the group, was stretching his muscles off to the side before he attached the running prosthetic that gave him more absorption and energy return than a regular one. As the hostage rescue expert, he was one of the best and had an unparalleled reputation. Losing his right leg below the knee from a land mine trying to save an eight-year-old girl from her crazy, drugged up father, while working for the Green Berets, had not stopped him in the least.

  However, Kingsley knew better than most that people only allowed you to see what they wanted you to see. The new team was a mix of different backgrounds that perfectly fit the diversity of work the Alliance Agency wished to attract.

  Emme and Shane wanted to expand hard and fast, and they had a flight out of Miami that night to meet a contact of Shane’s about a contract with the FBI. It was lucrative and would involve them signing an NDA which wouldn’t be a problem as most of them still had top security clearance from their previous lives.