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Deadly Rescue, SCVC Taskforce Series Novella, Book 10
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Deadly Rescue, SCVC Taskforce, Book 10
SCVC Taskforce Romantic Suspense Series
Misty Evans
Amy Manemann
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Romantic Suspense & Mysteries by Misty Evans
PNR & UF by Misty
About the Author
Letter from Misty
Deadly Rescue, SCVC Taskforce Series
Copyright © 2019 Misty Evans; Amy Manemann
ISBN: 978-1-948686-03-7
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Cover Art by Sam Fanderclai
Formatting by Beach Path Publishing, LLC
Editing by Cheryl Giebel
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By payment of required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of copyright owner.
Please Note
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
The reverse engineering, uploading, and/or distributing of this eBook via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.
To all the first responders, law enforcement, and medical staff who provide emergency services on a daily basis.
Acknowledgments
From Amy: Thank you's never seem to go out of style and this one is no exception. First and foremost to Misty for partnering up with me on these Deadly novellas. I adore writing Celina and Cooper and am always excited to see where their next adventure will take them.
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I'd also like to say a big thank you to my family for letting me forgo dish duties, laundry baskets and vacuuming to get this book written.
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And lastly, to Sam, Melissa and Tasha for always being there, even when I'm babbling nonsense and need talked off the ledge. Thank you for grounding.
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From Misty: To all the SCVC Taskforce Series fans, a heartfelt thank you for always wanting more stories. This one is special in so many ways, and we hope you enjoy it!!
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Thank you to Amy, my writing partner, for diving into Cooper and Celina’s world with me again, and for readers, Amy and Elisa, for their excellent proofreading skills. A big hug for the beta readers in Misty’s Rockin’ Readers, who always have time for these characters and leave amazing reviews!!
1
The brush of feather-like kisses moved over her bare shoulder, and a smile curved Celina’s mouth.
“Did you fall asleep?” A husky whisper grazed her ear and she shivered. Former FBI agent, Celina Davenport Harris, rolled over on her side, her eyes finding his. Cooper. The man, the myth, the legend. Not only was he the finest specimen of a man she’d ever laid eyes on; he was also her husband and father to their seven-month-old daughter, Novia.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been loved to exhaustion.” A while, as in they now survived on quickies since Princess Via didn’t like being left alone for long periods of time. This was their first time being away since Via was born, and though she missed their princess terribly, Celina was looking forward to having Cooper all to herself.
With a sweep of his muscular arm, he pulled her beneath him, rubbing his naked body over hers. Celina bit back a moan, the junction between her legs instantly moist. They’d made love multiple times since checking into their hotel room, and she still couldn’t seem to get enough of him.
“Perhaps another round is in order.” He grinned, rubbing himself against her tender center and creating the friction that drove her out of her mind.
“We...”—she swallowed when he slipped inside her and began moving at a teasingly slow pace—“said we’d be down soon.”
“Oh, we’ll be down soon enough.” His eyes darkened, passion sweeping over his handsome face. “When we’re damn good and ready.”
It didn’t take long for them to sweep up and over the edge of ecstasy, leaving them both sated and panting in the aftermath. Cooper rolled onto his back, taking her with him so she lay across his body. Her fingers splayed over his broad chest, savoring the feel of the muscles that bunched beneath her touch. How she loved this man.
“Do you think Via is all right?” Celina lifted her head to find his eyes. The tenderness in his smile made her heart turn over in her chest. What a difference a little love could do to a person, even one as gruff as the Beast.
Celina had been a rookie FBI agent working her first undercover operation when she’d met the seasoned DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce. One look and Celina knew Cooper was the only man for her. Cooper, on the other hand, had needed more convincing. Hung up on the fact that he was fourteen years her senior, Cooper had been hell-bent on keeping her at arms-length, until a life-threatening situation ignited the fire inside him. And once the flames between them were lit, there was no turning back for either of them.
“Why don’t you call your mom and check on her,” he murmured, the back of his knuckles brushing her cheek. “You aren’t going to be satisfied until you do.”
Celina grinned, already halfway out of the bed. “You know me so well.”
As if she were expecting the call, her mother answered on the first ring. “That didn’t take long.”
“How did you know?” Celina laughed. She wasn’t sure if she should feel sad or embarrassed that her mother was expecting them to check up on Via so soon. It had only been five hours since she’d kissed the baby’s sweet round cheeks goodbye, and yet it felt like a lifetime ago. Strange how her perspective changed after having Via.
“Do you really have to ask?” The smile in her own mother’s voice was palpable through the phone line. “I’m not certain who is more protective of Via—you or Cooper. She’s fine, by the way. Your father is showing her how to build a sandcastle.”
While Celina and Cooper were away, her parents had rented a condo on the beach to enjoy some surf and sand. Celina’s heart pinched at the mental image of her father building a sandcastle with Via, and she ached to be there with them. “You’re taking pictures, right?”
“Yes,” her mother sighed dramatically, “and video too, as promised. Don’t worry, m’ija. Your father and I have it all under control. Princess Via will be spoiled rotten by the time you come home.”
Yeah, that’s what she was worried about. “Okay, well don’t forget to—”
“I’m sorry, Celina, the phone is breaking up. We will talk to you tomorrow.” The connection went dead, but not before Celina heard the sound of her mother’s muffled laughter. Dumbfounded, she stared at her phone. “I don’t believe it.”
From his spot on the bed, Cooper frowned. “Don’t believe what?”
“My mother just hung up on me.”
His burst of laughter was qu
ickly swallowed when she shot him an icy glare. “I don’t know why. It’s not like you were interrogating her or anything.”
“Nope,” Celina’s mouth twitched with a grin. “I save those mad skills for you.” Scrolling through her messages, Celina noted she had missed one from Sophie Diaz-Cruz. “Looks like everyone headed downstairs a while ago.”
“And that made you frown because?”
She hadn’t even realized she was frowning. With a sigh, she dropped her phone on the bedside table next to Cooper’s and climbed back into the warmth of his arms. “Because I’m not ready to share you with anyone else yet.”
The rumble of laughter from his chest jarred her from the warm snuggly spot she had just reclaimed. “We don’t have to go at all. We can stay up here the rest of the night and ravish each other.”
Steal a whole night away from the demands of everything with Cooper? It was a tempting thought. He was pretty hard to resist. Then again, it wasn’t often that they got to hang out with everyone without being on parent patrol. Besides, they hadn’t left Via with her folks to take a vacation. In conjunction with the director of the Domestic Terrorism Taskforce, members of Cooper’s team had joined the San Diego FEMA certified Urban Search and Rescue Unit, California Office of Emergency Services, the FBI, and several other law enforcement agencies for a training exercise. They were learning how to handle a dirty bomb involving radioactive or biological materials. The training session would help them understand what to expect should an incident occur, and aid them to be better equipped to deal with it.
“I’ll let you ravish me later.” She shoved his chest playfully. “Let’s go down and hang out for a while. I wouldn’t want anyone to accuse us of being anti-social.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I’m the Beast. Anti-social is my middle name.”
There was a time when Celina would have agreed. Now, she knew better. When she’d first met him, anti-social hadn’t even come close to describing Cooper Harris. The man was a fine-tuned working machine who barked first and asked questions later. It’s why Celina had nicknamed him the Beast, to begin with, which caught on pretty quickly with the rest of the taskforce. Little by little she’d managed to chip away at his gruff exterior until she unearthed the man underneath—the one who cared deeply for those around him and would do anything to protect his friends and family.
“But, since you’re going to make me go anyway, I might as well save my breath,” he added, a smirk taking the sting out of his words. His hands encased her upper arms as he hauled her to him. Capturing her mouth with his, the kiss left her breathless. “Don’t expect me to share you for long, though. You know what a jealous bastard I can be.”
Cooper’s hand stayed at the small of her back as they wound their way downstairs and into the hotel bar. Celina could feel the heated stares from the men around her, but with one hard glare from Cooper, they quickly returned to their drinks and conversation. She stifled a laugh. Lord, how she loved this man and his pain-in-the-ass, overprotective instincts. Jealous bastard indeed.
They were last to arrive, or so it seemed judging by the large crowd that had gathered. Celina’s eyes danced over the room, taking in the overflowing bar and tables as she tried to locate their friends. Her trained eye caught on more than one telltale bulge hidden beneath a jacket. Not that she was surprised. The room was filled with agents cutting loose before the training session starting in the morning.
Bursts of boisterous laughter and conversations filled the air, which is why Celina nearly missed it when a familiar voice said, “It’s about time you guys showed up.”
She turned to find Nelson Cruz studying them through dark, brooding eyes, a beer bottle in each hand and a smug grin on his handsome face. An ICE agent for Homeland Security, Nelson was six-feet of brawn and muscle, and Celina had no doubt he knew exactly why they were late.
“Had I known you were pining for me, I would have come sooner.” Cooper clapped his friend on the back, taking one of the beers when Nelson held it out to him. “Thanks, man.”
Celina accepted the other, flashing a smile. “Where is everyone?”
“In the back. Sophie’s bladder isn’t what it used to be, so we camped close to the restrooms.” Nelson led the way through the crowd, weaving between tables and patrons until they reached the rest of their group, seated at a large table. “I’m going to grab some more drinks, be back in a few.”
“I hope it’s with more beer,” Roman Walsh quipped good naturedly, training his eyes on Cooper and Celina’s bottles. “Glad to see you found us. I think everyone in the training sessions came here tonight to blow off steam.”
He rose to his feet, clapping Cooper’s hand warmly before wrapping Celina in a hug. The head of the Domestic Terrorism Taskforce had a PhD in criminal justice, and when he wasn’t interrogating the bad guys with those icy blue eyes of his, Roman was playing house with his anthropologist girlfriend, Dr. Brooke Heaton.
“It’s good to see you again, Roman. No Brooke?” Celina slid into the chair Cooper pulled out for her before he took his own seat. His thigh brushed against hers a second before his hand followed, and the warmth of his palm through the thin fabric of the dress pants she wore sent all sorts of deliciously naughty thoughts to her brain.
Roman shook his head. “She’s on a dig in New Mexico, but said to tell you hi.”
As if he knew the effect he was having, Cooper’s fingers began to trace a lazy pattern on her leg. Celina had to force her brain to function as she turned to the other woman at the table. “And you let him drag you along, Polly?”
A cyber geek by nature, Polly O’Donnell was a crime scene expert on Roman’s taskforce, and his right-hand gal. Her infectious smile and upbeat personality could literally brighten a room. Celina recently learned her full name was actually Polly Ana, which Celina found rather sweet, but rumor had it that the woman would maim anyone who dared to call her by it.
“Come to the coast, he said.” Polly spread her arms wide. “All expenses paid, he said.” She rolled her eyes, which held barely contained laughter. “You would think I would have learned my lesson after the last training session he dragged me to.”
Laughter rose around the table as Nelson reappeared with two more beers and a Diet Coke. One of the beers went to Roman while the Diet Coke went to Polly. She thanked Nelson and poured it over the ice in her nearly empty glass.
Polly wasn’t much of a drinker. She claimed she didn’t like her brain to be as fuzzy as her hair, so she generally stuck with soda when she was out.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Roman took a long pull from his beer bottle. “You were dying to come along, said you needed to get out of the office for a while.”
“Don’t let him kid you, Polly.” Nelson laughed. “You’re here because Walsh can’t function without you.”
The jabs continued, and Celina leaned into Cooper’s side, sighing contently. His arm went around her, naturally tucking her beneath his shoulder without even breaking conversation. Celina smiled, her heart melting a little. It was such a natural movement that he probably didn’t even realize he’d done it. Even on a subconscious level, Cooper seemed to know exactly what she needed and made it happen. She couldn’t love this man more if she tried.
This is exactly what they needed—a night out with friends before they dug into things tomorrow. It’s been too long since we’ve been out together without the baby.
Stealing a glance at Cooper’s laughing face made her heart swell even more. He looked so relaxed and happy as he added snarky commentary to the jabs that were rolling around. They had both given up a lot when they’d had Via. Celina moved from fieldwork to crime scene photography, while Cooper managed his team on the home front, rarely going into the field on missions anymore. They seldom went out without Via, and never had they both gone to meet friends for drinks. Putting family first was important, but Celina wondered if it wasn’t time to start making more time for their friends again, and for each other.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Sophie smiled as she waddled towards the table. “I’m huge, I know it.”
Celina jumped up to give her an awkward hug, laughing softly. “I would never call you huge, you are absolutely beautiful. I just can’t believe how much the babies have grown in the month since I’ve seen you.”
“That’s the understatement of the year.” Sophie rubbed her belly. “I feel like I'm as big as a bus.” As she returned Celina’s hug, she flinched, drawing back to press a hand to her back. Everyone at the table froze, and if Celina didn’t know any better, she could have sworn the color in Nelson’s face faded three shades.
Spotting Nelson’s worry, Sophie waved a hand through the air, one hand rubbing her large belly, the other supporting her back. “Relax everyone. The babies are stretching. Not every pain means I’m going into labor.”
Nelson rubbed his forehead wearily, looking more tired than he had moments before. “She keeps saying that, but the doctor said she could go any day now. Maybe it wasn’t such a good time to leave home.”