Jagger didn’t want to let Justice out of his sight, too afraid that she would disappear again. He knew it was going to take some time for things to feel “normal” again, but he was willing to give her all the time she needed. Norma Jeane lived up to being just as vivacious as Justice had described her. He couldn’t believe that she single-handedly ran that big ranch since Justice’s grandfather died. She was truly a remarkable woman, and he appreciated her offer to let them all stay there for a few days. Dean refused to be away from Jules any longer than he needed to be and headed back to Dove Creek. Even though they didn’t have their come-to-Jesus talk yet, Jagger could see just how much Dean loved his little sister. He would deal withthat mess later. Right now, he needed to concentrate on Justice and their future together.
Norma let him and Justice stay in one of her rental cabins, and he appreciated the privacy. He and Justice needed to have a long talk about their future together now that she was finally free from her father’s control and the threat of having to marry Wolf. He knew they started their lives together as a way to keep her safe, but he wanted everything that they promised to each other on the day they exchanged their vows. Jagger wanted forever with Justice, and almost losing her had only driven that point home for him.
They had a big dinner, and Justice looked about ready to collapse. He wanted to get them back to their cabin and hold her in his arms all night long. Everything else could wait until tomorrow, when they both had clear heads and a good night’s sleep behind them. They said their goodbyes, and he wrapped his arm protectively around Justice’s waist and pulled her into his side. He kissed the top of her head, loving the way she felt against his body. When Jagger woke up after the explosion, he was sure he would never see Justice again. Hearing his worst fears confirmed by Dean—that Wolf had her and had dragged her back to Goose Creek- nearly gutted him. The thought of Wolf putting his hands on Justice made him want to tear him apart. Today, he regretted not getting the chance to do that, but Wolf would suffer so much more behind bars. Dean got an update that Wolf and his men were booked and facing enough charges to keep them behind bars for a very long time, and Jagger felt some relief knowing that this whole nightmare was behind them.
“We need to talk,” Justice croaked.
“I have a better idea, honey. How about a hot shower, and then we get a good night’s sleep? Whatever you want to talk about will keep until tomorrow.” He unlocked the cabin doorand waited for Justice to enter. She hesitated on her way through the front door.
“It feels like just yesterday that you were carrying me over the threshold on our first night together. So much has happened since then,” she whispered. “My news will keep.” She paused and looked up at him, her smile nearly lit up the tiny cabin. “For another seven months or so.” She walked into their cabin, leaving Jagger standing on the porch, dumbfounded. Had she just said what he thought? Was she pregnant? How was that even possible? He followed her into the small cabin and walked back to the bathroom, where he found Justice stripping out of her clothes as she turned on the shower. He looked her up and down, noticing some of the subtle differences in her body that he had missed days before. “Are you saying that we’re going to—” Jagger swallowed hard, not able to speak past the lump in his throat. Justice nodded and stepped into the shower, letting the spray wash over her body. He wasn’t sure what his next move should be. The only thing he was sure of was the fact that he wanted Justice and this baby. Nothing else mattered. He stripped out of his clothes and joined her in the shower, wrapping his arms around her to let his hand rest on her flat belly.
“So, a baby?” He asked again. Justice giggled against him, and he thought he had never heard a sweeter sound. He didn’t know what he did to deserve her or their new little family. He didn’t know if he would ever be worthy of Justice, but he wanted to spend the rest of his life trying to prove he was.
“I love you, Justice,” he whispered, turning her in his arms.
“I love you too, Jagger, so much.” She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his mouth. “I’m so happy that you kidnapped me and changed my life, Jag. You fought for me and saved me. I couldn’t imagine my life without you or this little one.” She rubbed her belly. His hand followed hers, and he smiled down at Justice.
“Well, Mrs. James, you are welcome, and I’d happily kidnap you all over again. You are worth fighting for, Justice.”
The End
Don’t know what to read next? How about Jules Jagger’s story? You can find it in the first book of the Mountain Men Mercenaries Series, Eagle Eye. Here’s a sneak peek!
DEAN
PROLOGUE
Seven Months Earlier
Dean sat in his SUV waiting to get the green light to go into the fucking compound that Wolf’s family owned. If his intel was good, his team was about to find about ten women locked away in a storage shed, ready to be sold to the highest bidder. Jordan Wolf was a major player in the sex trafficking business, and with any luck, Dean’s team was about to bring down his whole organization. That idea had him chomping at the bit to get in there and start tearing through Wolf’s house because he knew that he would find Jules James somewhere in there, too. The thought of Wolf having the woman that he was in love with held hostage, in his big fucking house, made him want to go in hot, but he knew that would be a bad idea. Especially since his boss was still riding his ass for his last assignment, where he risked his entire team, nearly getting them all killed.
He wouldn’t be given another slap on the wrist this time; his boss would make sure that he learned to follow the rules or get the fuck out. The CIA was a stickler for following the rules, andDean Quinn was the guy who liked to push the envelope and break a few of them if that was what it took to get the job done.
“Quinn,” his team leader barked over the radio.
He pulled it free from his Kevlar vest and answered, “Quinn.” The radio crackled, and he held his breath, anxious to hear the orders to move in. He had about ten of his best guys with him, and he knew that his team would make sure to get every one of the women to safety. He was going into the main house to get Jules. His source told him that Wolf had her gagged and bound to a bed in the master bedroom, and the thought of finding her like that made his blood boil. He would tear Wolf apart for laying a finger on her. Dean would make sure Wolf paid for every ounce of pain that he caused his girl.
Dean knew that he was overstepping in thinking about her that way. Hell, they had only spent one night together before he was sent on a mission that took a little longer than he promised. Jules freaked out and told him that she couldn’t live that way. She wrote it all in a short but sweet note and left it on his fucking kitchen table. That was the only trace of her left at his place when he got back into town. That letter and the memory of the one perfect night that she had given him.
Honestly, he had been in love with Jules since he could remember, but his friendship with her brother, Jagger, always stopped him cold every time he thought about pursuing her. His best friend even had him swear an oath that he would keep his hands off his little sister, but that all went south about a year back. He knew that she wanted him, and he felt the same way. Dean decided to stop fighting his natural desires for Jules and just fucking have her. He thought that they were on the same page when he left on his mission, but he was wrong. All the late-night talks about Jules wanting to build a future with him were bullshit. That didn’t change the way he felt about her; he stillwanted her with every fiber of his being. Hell, he was in love with her even after all this time, and that burned his ass.
When her brother called him asking for his help to keep his woman, Justice, safe and help find where Jules was being held, he couldn’t help but say yes. A part of him, the part that was still pissed that Jules could throw him away so easily, wanted to tell his friend to fuck off, but he wouldn’t do that to Jagger or Jules. They were like his family—always around, even when everyone else had given up on him and moved on. Jagger and Jules were his family now, and he took care of family.
It felt like an eternity before his team leader gave the command over the radio to go in. The words almost sounded foreign until everyone erupted into a synchronized movement around him. They were a well-orchestrated machine, and he needed to get his ass in gear and do his part. Jules' life depended on him keeping his shit together.
“Quinn, you good?” his partner barked. Dean gave a curt nod and pushed his door open. With any luck, they would be in and out of the compound without shots being fired. He didn’t want to take any chances with the women hostages, and especially not with Jules.
They rounded the house as a unit, breaking off into two smaller groups. One went off to find the outbuilding where the majority of the hostages were being held, and the other group was led by Dean to the main house. He waved the first two guys in, covering their asses, and then followed them through the back patio doors. He was surprised that the place wasn’t more heavily guarded. They took down two guards on their way to the second level, and he was starting to feel like this was all too easy. If Wolf were at the compound, he would be surrounded by guards. Something told him that the chances of finding Jordon Wolf at home were going to be slim to none. Right now, he didn’t give a fuck where that asshole was; he just wanted to get to Julesand get her the hell out of there. Wolf could run, but he wouldn’t be able to hide for long. Sooner or later, he would catch up to him and make him pay for all his heinous crimes.
Dean took the lead, wanting the be the first one into the room to find Jules. He wanted to be the first person that she saw when she realized she was being rescued. Hell, he wanted to be the last person she saw every night before she closed her eyes to go to sleep, but they would get to that. His priority now was to get her out of there and make sure that she was finally safe.
He tried the doorknob and found it locked from the inside. He silently cursed to himself and sighed, knowing that he was going to have to make some noise, breaking down the door, and that was the last thing his team needed. Alerting every bad guy in the vicinity that his team was on sight wasn’t the smartest idea, but he refused to sit back and wait for the lock to be picked. It was as if he could feel Jules in the next room, and waiting wasn’t an option.
“Stand back,” he whispered. His guys took up their positions behind him, and he shouldered his way through the door and damn that hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but seeing Jules bound and gagged, naked on Wolf’s bed, nearly tore his heart out of his fucking chest.
“Stay here,” he barked and went into the room. There was no way he was letting his team anywhere near Jules. He was going to free her and wrap her in a blanket, but the terrified look in her eyes told him that the thought of even him touching her was going to be too much for her to handle. Judging from the bruises and marks covering her body, she wouldn’t want anyone touching her for a long damn time.
“Jules, sweetheart, it’s me—Dean,” he choked. He took his knife out of his utility belt and started cutting the crude ropes that held her wrists and ankles to the four-poster bed. She whimpered, and the sound nearly tore him in two. He removedher gag, and Jules sobbed but made no other sound. He wanted to ask if she was all right, but he could see that she wasn’t. Dean wrapped the bedding around her body and pulled her slight form into his arms. She felt like she weighed less than nothing, and the thought of Wolf mistreating her made him see red.
