“No, Doctor Jace. I’m good. Dylan saw—I didn’t head-butt anyone. Did I, Dylan?” Porter asked as his cousin loaded an unconscious man into the back of an SUV.
“Nope. Not a single head-butt. Just like I wasn’t here,” he said as he got in and drove off.
“Abby’s going to be so mad she missed this,” Annie said with a low whistle.
“Ahmed is, too,” Bridget, Ahmed’s wife, said. “So, y’all didn’t see me either. I don’t want to watch him pout.”
“I’ll drive you. I’ll say we were having girls’ night,” Annie said as they ran to a car parked down the drive.
“Girls’ night?” Cade, Annie’s husband, called out. “Hey, wait a minute. You said you and Bridget were having a girls’ spa weekend two weeks ago. What were you really doing?”
Annie turned with a confused look on her face. “We were at the spa, darling. Where else would I be?”
Then she got into the car and drove off, leaving a trail of dust.
“Wasn’t there a huge drug bust two weeks ago involving a shoot-out as two boats raced down the Kentucky River?” Marshall asked the group as all the men’s brows creased.
They were all quiet for a moment, then Cade chuckled. “Nah. It wasn’t them. Right? Didn’t the boat crash after a sniper shot out their engine?”
“Yeah, no way was it Annie and Bridget. Can you see them in a boat race while engaging in a shoot-out?” Miles asked. “They’re in their sixties, for crying out loud.”
The husbands all chuckled and Willa noticed the wives were awfully interested in the ground and even saw the smiles they were hiding when Gemma looked up and caught her eye. “The important thing is everyone is safe, right?” Gemma asked.
“Of course, honey. I forgot you were at the spa with them. You all were,” Cy said as he slung his arm over Gemma’s arm.
“Yes, it was very relaxing,” Paige said with a far too innocent grin that mirrored the one her daughter, Greer, gave sometimes. It was then Willa saw Paige hide the sniper rifle she was carrying behind her back.
“I feel as if we’re missing something,” Porter whispered to her. “But as long as you’re safe, I don’t care. I love you, Willa.”
“I love you, too.” Willa said, turning her head and kissing him. She didn’t care if the entire family was there. She was madly in love with Porter and she didn’t care who knew or how many bets were being placed right now.
31
“Lioness?” Kale asked with pursed lips. “I know her.”
“So do I,” Sebastian said, crossing his arms over his chest.
It was late and all Porter wanted to do was take Willa home and make love to her. But as soon as things started to calm down, Kale and his team flew up the drive. Roxie hurled when she got out of the extended SUV. Brian staggered a little. Sebastian wiped a wrinkle from his suit. Alex just said, “Dude.”
Then they spent ten minutes filling everyone in on the capture of the assassins and the news that they were hired by a woman going by Lioness.
“She gives women hackers a bad name,” Roxie said with a sneer of disgust.
“She thinks she’s as smart as The Panther, but she’s nowhere near it,” Kale said as he went through the assassin’s phone. “See, she left a trail.”
A second SUV drove up and Abby and Dylan jumped out. “What did we miss?” Abby asked. Everyone went quiet and found their boots very interesting.
“I stabbed someone,” Willa said into the silence.
“Way to go!” Abby said, giving her a high five.
“Found her,” Kale said, handing the phone to Brian who nodded and handed it to Sebastian’s outstretched hand.
“I’ve had run-ins with her, too. She’s not particularly good at hacking, but she’s good at getting other people to do her dirty work,” Brian said. “I didn’t think she’d gotten this powerful or had this kind of financial backing.”
“I know where the money comes from,” Sebastian said cryptically, but didn’t expand further. He looked back at his phone and nodded. “Abby, Dylan. Humphrey is on the line for you.”
“Humphrey Orville? President Stratton’s chief of staff?” Porter asked.
Sebastian didn’t reply. Instead he handed the phone to Dylan and Abby. A second later Abby snagged the assassin’s phone from Sebastian and headed for her SUV.
“We have a quick errand to run. We’ll be back in time for the show tomorrow. Good luck, Willa!” Abby called out with a smile as she got behind the wheel.
“Who do they work for?” Willa asked, turning to Sebastian. “You or the president?”
“I’m curious about your role in this, too,” Greer said, looking at Sebastian with narrowed eyes.
“I’m here because I’m good at everything I do,” Sebastian said cockily as he crossed his arms back over his chest and blatantly checked Greer out.
Porter had to hold Jackson back, but then Kale got their attention. “Oh, the reason we’re here. We found The Panther. Well, we found all his or her assets and servers. We took them out. The Panther has lost everything. They have no money, no servers, and no network. And that means no power.”
“What does that mean for us?” Porter asked.
“No money to pay assassins. You’re safe for now while we track him or her down in person,” Kale told them.
“Wait,” Willa said from where Porter held her to his side. “Does this mean it’s over? We’re safe?”
“As safe as you were before The Panther entered your life,” Sebastian told her.
“Dude, you’re good,” Alex said, giving them two thumbs up.
“I’m more than good,” Porter whispered into her ear before swinging her up into his arms. “You’ll find out as soon as we can get rid of them all.”
Willa yawned loudly. “All this chasing, shooting, and stabbing has really worn me out. What a relief it’s over. I have to get to bed. Tomorrow is a big day. You have a Panther to hunt, I have a horse to ride, and boy, am I exhausted.”
“And I have a grandbaby to get ready for,” Porter heard his mother whisper.
“I have another wedding to help plan,” his father whispered, and it only made Porter smile because the words wedding and baby were the best things he’d ever heard.
“Willa can—” her father began to say, but Porter’s mother cut him off.
“Get right to sleep,” she finished for Brian. “Everyone, we can retire to our house for some champagne.”
In an expert move, his mother had the area cleared in less than a minute.
“So, your parents want a wedding and babies?” Willa asked with a little laugh as they walked back to his house. “How do you feel about that?”
“I think words are overrated,” Porter said, scooping Willa up into his arms. “I’d rather show you.”
And he did.
Porter held his breath. This was the most nerve-wracking moment of his life. No bull could worry him as much as watching the woman he loved leaping over fences almost as tall as she was.
His hand gripped the box in his jeans pocket as Willa guided Apollo into the last jump. He held his breath until she was over the jump and her beaming smile reminded him to resume breathing.
Brian and Porter hugged each other as they cheered for Willa.
“Are you going to do it now?” Brian asked.
“Or at the barn?” his mother asked.
“I’d run out into the middle of the ring and do it,” his father told him.
“I have a plan if y’all will hush and not spoil it,” Porter hissed. What was he thinking about being traditional and asking for their permission to marry Willa?
The final rider, who was currently in first place, began the course and everyone went quiet again. If the leader had a clean ride, Willa would finish second. Porter couldn’t watch. He kept his eyes on the ground, but then he heard it. The hollow sound of a hoof hitting a pole.
Porter’s head shot up as the arena groaned in disappointment as the pole was knocked to the ground.
His eyes shot to where Willa was standing with Apollo near the ring and her face said it all. Willa was going to win.
The rider finished and people applauded as he left the ring. “Wait for it,” Brian said, gripping Porter’s upper arm as they all stared at the scoreboard. The number flashed up and Brian let out a whoop.
Willa had done it! She’d won! Porter raced over to her and wrapped her up a hug while spinning her around. “I’m so proud of you!”
Willa laughed with happiness as he set her down. “Medal ceremony and then we’ll all celebrate!” Willa went up on her toes and kissed him before the top-place finishers walked into the middle of the ring as the press set up their interview station.
Porter watched as Willa was handed an enormous ribbon rosette the size of a turkey platter and then stepped from the podium to head over to be interviewed. Porter looked over at his brother who gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.
Porter moved in closer to hear the interview as friends, families, trainers, coaches, and staff all began to mingle around the ring. Porter came up behind Willa, but stayed out of camera shot as she talked about Apollo’s championship jump.
“It was a championship ride for sure. You must be thrilled. How are you going to celebrate?” the reporter asked.
“With a bottle of my sponsor’s champagne, of course,” Willa said with a laugh.
“There are reports you are dating rodeo star Porter Davies, who also finished second here in the roping event.”
Porter saw Willa scanning the crowd looking for him. “Um, yes. I am.”
“I thought you might also celebrate with a marriage proposal from your very handsome boyfriend,” the reporter said.
Willa laughed again and Porter saw the reporter point to him. Willa turned around to find Porter waiting behind her on one knee. He smiled up at the shocked look on her face as he lifted up the ring box. The entire arena had gone silent as he spoke to her. “Willa, I have fallen so deeply in love with you that I can’t imagine a day without you ever again. Your humor, your intelligence, and your love are more than this cowboy deserves. But I’ll spend every day showing you how honored I am to have it. Willa Aldridge, will you marry me?”
Porter saw the tear slip from her eye as she nodded her head. “Yes! There’s nothing that would make me happier.”
Porter felt clumsy from nerves as his large fingers took the delicate ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. The second he got it on, Willa dropped down into the dirt of the show ring and threw her arms around him. “I love you,” she whispered into his ear.
“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” The crowd chanted.
“I’ll forever kiss you every chance I get,” Porter said with a grin, making the arena cheer by giving Willa a kiss that might have to be censored for the broadcast.
Epilogue
Four weeks later . . .
Porter held Willa’s hand as he looked at his bride. Happiness couldn’t describe the feeling of overwhelming love he had for this woman at his side. The last four weeks had flown by as his father and Brian helped plan their wedding. Brian had pushed for a giant wedding at an exotic location, but Willa stood firm. She wanted her wedding in Keeneston. So her father had surprised them with a two week trip on a private yacht for their honeymoon instead of the giant wedding.
Now, with the setting sun as their backdrop, they stood in a flower-covered gazebo that Porter, Parker, and his cousins had built in the meadow behind his house. Wildflowers filled the meadow and Willa looked lovely with them in her hair.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Father Ben said beaming at them.
Porter cupped Willa’s smiling face with his hand and dipped her back for a kiss that showed her how excited he was for the rest of their life together.
Hand in hand, they walked down the grassy aisle to the cheers of their friends and family. Tonight the air, the town, and their hearts were all filled with love.
Greer smiled as her cousin danced with his new wife. She hadn’t been back to Keeneston for three weeks and it felt good to visit for a couple of days. She had flown to meet Abby and Dylan in the Bahamas two days after Porter proposed to Willa and hadn’t been back since.
They’d found what was left of The Panther’s operation in an obscenely large oceanfront Bahamian mansion. He was in the wind. However, Abby and Dylan had already caught the woman trying to climb the ranks as the Lioness before Greer started her time with their team.
The president had had some backroom talks with the countries that had sent assassins. He worked out deals with some and not with others. Either way, Greer had spent the last three weeks deep in the thick of black ops with Abby, Dylan, Dalton, and Lizzy. And even Sebastian had been there.
Greer let out a deep breath as the object of her annoyance strode toward her looking sexier than any man had a right to. Tonight was one of the rare social events Greer had seen him at without the ever-rotating lineup of models on his arm.
That wasn’t what annoyed her, though. Okay, maybe it annoyed her a little. What really annoyed her was his superiority complex. Ariana and Abby swore he was a good guy under the stony stares. But that wasn’t what Greer had found so far. In the last three weeks, they’d butted heads on everything from his questioning her ability to be part of the team, his disinclination to share information, her moral compass, and consequently his lack of one.
“Miss Parker,” Sebastian said as he handed her a glass of champagne.
“Mr. Abel,” Greer said back in the same cold formal tone Sebastian used.
“I hear congratulations are in order. Your team did well in Venezuela.”
“Thank you.” Greer took a sip of the champagne and kept her eyes on the dancers.
“I was hoping to talk to you about something,” Sebastian said as he turned to stand next to her, similarly looking out at the dancers.
“Why do you act so high and mighty?” Greer asked with innocence.
“Because I am. Remember who you come to when you need a private jet or fake documents to get into a country,” Sebastian said with his same cold tone.
“Which makes me wonder, Mr. Abel.”
“Wonder what?” Sebastian asked, turning to face her.
Greer looked up into his steady gray eyes that seemed to peer into her soul. “Whether you’re the good guy or the bad guy?”
Greer watched as Sebastian’s lip twitched, but just as fast as it appeared, it was gone and his serious stare was back. “What do you think of your cousin Ryker Faulkner?”
Greer hid the surprise she felt at the question. “What’s it to you?”
Sebastian took a sip of his drink, but didn’t answer. Greer knew enough to realize he wasn’t going to answer any question he didn’t want to. And this was obviously one of them. She’d never met a man who played his life so close to the vest. Even Ryker shared more than Sebastian, and that was saying a lot.
Greer looked across the reception to where Ryker was talking to her family. “He’s a loyal cousin who would do anything to help his family.”
“That’s what I needed to know. Thank you, Miss Parker.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Abel.”
Greer watched as Sebastian turned on his heel and crossed the reception area. Ryker’s head turned as Sebastian neared. They didn’t smile as they shook hands. They were two powerful billionaires with more secrets than the CIA.
“Ladies,” Gemma said, raising her champagne glass. “Another one for the books!”
Dani opened the old worn matchmaking notebook the Rose sisters had handed down to them and put Willa’s name with Porter’s.
“Look at how well we’re doing,” Kenna Ashton said with a smile as they turned the pages of all the matches they’d made.
“Porter and Willa are so perfect for each other,” Katelyn said to Gemma. “You’ll have more grandbabies in no time.”
“Now the question is, who’s next?” Dani asked as she held the pen to a blank page. It was just another love matc
h waiting to be made.
“Cassidy is still coming into her own and Cricket isn’t out of preschool,” Tammy said with a little frown. “I fear it’ll be a while for me.”
“I’m out. I got them all married off,” Kenna said with a smirk as she looked to her children, Sienna and Carter.
“Me too,” Dani added as her children Zain, Gabe, and Ariana were happily married.
“Me three!” Katelyn laughed. Sydney and Wyatt were blissfully happy with their spouses.
“I was a one and done,” Morgan said as she looked at her daughter, Layne.
“I still have Parker,” Gemma said. “He’s settling down with the marshals so his time is nearing.”
“I have Colton and Landon,” Annie told them. “Landon is far too busy trying to establish his restaurant. Colton? I don’t know. He’s settled in Keeneston now, but the firehouse sure has a bachelor pad feel.”
Bridget nodded her head. “I think that’s where Kale is. Total bachelorhood.”
“Kale sure has changed this summer,” Annie said to her friend.
“He’s been working out with Ahmed and Nash. He’s put on twenty pounds of muscle. I also know he’s thoroughly enjoying becoming eye candy to young women. I fear he’ll be out of the marriage game for a while,” Bridget said with a sigh.
“What about Greer?” Tammy asked Paige.
All eyes went to where Greer stood with Porter, Parker, Jace, and Ariana.
“Maybe,” Paige said. “I just feel as if something is still off. Her future isn’t clear and she doesn’t like that.”
“Well,” Dani said, looking at the book. “Why don’t we just put down Greer on this page and Parker on the other page. Then we can’t go wrong.”
“Great idea. We’ll work on them both to determine which is next,” Kenna said with a nod of finality. She raised her glass again to her friends. “To more love, marriages, and babies.”
“Your father-in-law went all out for the reception,” Parker said as Porter finally got a moment alone with his closest family and friends.
Forever Thrown: Forever Bluegrass #16 Page 24
