In the Shadow of Malice Book 3

by Nancy C. Weeks

  Thomas and Mary stood from the booth. Thomas reached for Adam first, drawing him into a huge hug and kissing both his cheeks.

  Jennie eased around the group, dropped into the stool next to Calista, and shot her a huge smile.

  “Surprise! We didn’t know if all the paperwork would make it through the different channels, so we didn’t say anything.” Jennie studied Calista. “Breathe,” she said, running a hand up and down Calista’s back. “He’s really here.”

  She took that breath, but the sob in her throat kept it from reaching her lungs.

  Adam’s hard frame drew close, the fabric of his sport coat brushing against the thin cotton of her T-shirt. Part of her screamed for his hands on her, but he kept them down at his side.

  “Calista?”

  A shiver sliced through her. Jennie reached for Anna’s plate and placed it on the table behind them. She then approached Adam and held out her arms.

  “Sweetie, why don’t you finish your breakfast? Your dad needs a moment alone with Calista.”

  Anna placed both of her hands on her dad’s face, drawing his attention back to her. “You’re not leaving again, are you?”

  Adam hugged Anna, and said, “No, sweet girl. You’re stuck with me.”

  “That’s what she said. I just had to hear you say it.” Anna squirmed out of his arms and her uncle lifted her into the booth. The McNeils all sat down.

  Calista could feel their eyes on her. In fact, the entire diner was staring. As Adam’s warmth ignited every cell in her body, she remained immobile. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what to do.

  “Aren’t you even going to look at me?” he asked, his breath caressing the tender skin at her neck.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  He let out a deep chuckle. “Why?”

  “It’s easier this way.”

  “Calista, please turn around.”

  “No. When do you leave again?”

  He moved in closer and his voice grew rough. “I’m not leaving. I’m here to stay.”

  And I don’t believe you screamed in her head as she noticed his fisted hands at his side. His entire body trembled and his fingers turned almost white from clenching his fists. Adam was holding it together by a thin thread.

  Four months ago, she would have drawn him into her arms and held him until she relaxed. In fact, she had dreamed of this moment a hundred times over the last few weeks. Of course, in her dreams, she was wearing something incredibly sexy, instead of a washed-out T-shirt, and there weren’t twenty-five people watching her every move, or in this case, lack of movement.

  “If you can’t look at me, then answer Anna’s question.”

  The tears building in her throat let loose and streamed silently down her cheeks.

  Damn man! He had no right to do this to her again.

  Calista took the sheet of paper, and with care, folded it in half. She fought to stay calm as her finger traced over the fold. She didn’t know how many times her finger ran back and forth across the sheet of paper before Adam placed his hand over hers.

  “I know I have no right to ask, but I need your answer.”

  Calista sucked in a breath, closed her eyes, and said the first thing that came to mind. “You are such a dumbshit, Adam Blake. After everything we have been through, how could you not know the answer?”

  He twirled her stool around and lifted her against him. She still fit. Burying her face into his shoulder, his herbal scent surrounded her as the pent-up sobs took over. Adam cradled her head against his chest until they slowed, and the world around them disappeared.

  Grabbing a fistful of napkins from the dispenser, she dabbed her eyes and finally faced him. “What happened? How are you here?”

  He brought his lips over her eyes and rained kisses down her cheek until he was only inches from her mouth. “They decided I was more valuable to them on the outside than behind bars.” He gave Thomas McNeil a quick nod. “And some powerful people came to bat for me.”

  “How are you free, and why didn’t anyone tell me this was in the works,” she said, glaring at Thomas and Jared.

  “There were so many ways the deal could have gone to hell. I didn’t want you to get your hopes up and end up being hurt again.” He brushed his lips across her forehead. “I’m sorry.”

  Heat began to rise in Calista’s cheeks. The disquieting thoughts erupted without warning, and she tried to push them away. “We’ve done this before. What are you sorry for, Adam? Are you sorry you never mentioned that you could end up in a cell next to Ludis?” She clinched her hands into a fist. “Or are you sorry for telling me to move on with my life, like that could ever happen? Or are you sorry for denying me a chance to see you, to check on you, and to make sure you were okay, even if a sheet of glass separated us?” At that moment, she never wanted to strike another person more. “Or are you finally sorry for never having enough faith in me, not believing I had the strength to stand by you no matter what?” Calista covered her face and rested her head against his chest.

  No tears.

  “Which one is it? What are you sorry for?”

  “All of it, Calista, and none of it.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Adam cupped her head in his hands. He caressed her forehead with his lips, then rested his head on hers. “I’m not sorry for the time we spent together. If all that crap didn’t happen, you wouldn’t be standing here in my arms. I’m sure as hell not sorry that you wedged yourself so deep into my heart, I can’t tell where I begin and you end. As for not trusting you or believing you would stand by me, that’s bullshit.” He looked at his daughter and lowered his voice. “That’s crazy. You are the bravest person I have ever known. You went at Ludis with a damn stick.”

  He lifted her chin so they were eye-to-eye. “And I trusted you with Anna, trusted you to love her and help her understand how much Rina loved her. I trusted you to help me keep her mother alive in her heart.” He gave her a quick, tender kiss. When he broke the kiss, his eyes grew a deeper shade of blue. “Don’t ever accuse me of not having faith in you. I have never believed in anyone like I believe in you.”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. “I didn’t tell you about the possible arrest because I just couldn’t get the words out.” He swiped the tears off her cheek with his thumb. “I never want to make you cry again.”

  So many questions plagued her, but one stood out. “What was so important on that damn tape?”

  “Does it really matter now?”

  “Yes, after everything we went through, after what Ludis did…”

  “Right before Annija’s death, my grandfather decided to go completely legit for her. He sent her to a rival family baptism to broker a deal. He was no longer in the business, no longer a threat. Ludis stormed the celebration and killed almost everyone in the church. It was all recorded. Annija survived the massacre, believing her father set her up. She grabbed the camera and ran.” Adam met Calista eye-to-eye. “I think she was leaving her family for good and had nowhere else to go but to my parents. The disk was proof that Ludis orchestrated the whole thing on his own.”

  “Good God, why did he do that?”

  “You know the answer.” He removed her hands and brought them to his lips. “It’s over. Ludis will never hurt anyone again.” He paused a moment, then said, “What else is bothering you?”

  “What deal?”

  “I have agreed to work for them.”

  “Who are them?”

  “The guys at Langley.”

  “More secrets?”

  “Not to you, never again to you.” He massaged the tender area behind her ears. “I’m going to oversee training for field operatives in areas that I specialize. I have given up my passports, agreeing to stay stateside until they can trust me again.”

  “That’s it? You have to stay here?”

  Her mind raced trying to figure out what the hell was so wrong. It sounded perfect to her. “What are
you not telling me? I hear this huge but.”

  Calista had no idea why she asked the question. Maybe she just wanted a heads-up. It really didn’t matter what he said, because she wasn’t going to allow fear of the unknown to chase away Adam Blake. She could deal with anything with Adam at her side.

  “It just means that if you had dreams of honeymooning in Paris or some other romantic European or Far Eastern location, it can’t happen if you marry me. And that’s what I want. I need you as my wife, my life partner, because I’m so damn in love with you, Calista Martin. I took the deal not because I had to, but because there is nowhere else I want to be. I’ve kept my emotions hidden for so long that I just don’t know how to express them, but I’m a fast learner. I won’t be clueless for long.” He reached for the sugar jar on the counter and placed it in front of her. “This might be a good object to smash over my head. Maybe you want to keep it close.”

  With a tearful laugh, Calista pushed the sugar jar out of reach and wrapped her arms around Adam’s middle.

  Adam’s heart beat steadily and strong against her cheek, as his warm hands traced a pattern up and down her spine. She slid her arms up over his neck and tangled her fingers into the thick curls that rested at his collar. Pulling his head down, she moved her lips over his, flicking her tongue along his lower lip. He sucked in a breath and took control.

  The clinking sounds of plates, the odors from bacon frying, and the familiar voices of a diner full of customers disappeared. Adam was her world at that moment. He brought his arms around her waist, lifting her until there wasn’t anything but a layer of clothing separating them.

  A child’s voice called her name, and she broke away from Adam. Anna stood next to her and tugged on her arm.

  Calista swallowed and untangled her body from around the child’s father as heat rushed into her cheeks. The best make-out kiss she ever had was just viewed by almost the entire café. Maybe the busboy loading the dishwasher in the kitchen missed it, but that was it. And Adam was too pleased with himself. She didn’t know what to say, so she stayed quiet. The four-year-old didn’t wait long to let her know what was so important.

  “Is Daddy done telling you he’s sorry?”

  Biting back a laugh, Calista nodded, her gaze meeting Adam’s. He tightened his hold on her.

  “Then is the problem that you had to fix done?”

  “Yes, I guess it is.” What a difference a few minutes could make.

  “Now can you go to the zoo?”

  “Yes, I would love to come to the zoo with you.”

  Anna sighed. “Then can we please leave?”

  Adam lifted his daughter into his arms and they both hugged her tight. The restaurant erupted into laughter. Instead of hiding her face in Adam’s shoulder, she faced her friends and family. This time, the smile on her lips was a real, heart-beaming smile that went to her toes.

  Anna squirmed out of her father’s hold and climbed onto the stool. “One thing first,” she said, reaching for Calista’s pen. She unfolded the sheet of paper and scratched out her father’s name. In large block letters, she wrote his name next to hers. Then she set the pen on the counter. “That’s better. We’re all together now.”

  Adam pulled her into his arms as he held Calista close. His tear-filled eyes scanned his family. “That’s right, Anna. We’re all together,” he said, taking Calista’s mouth for one more scorching kiss, a promise of what was to come.

  This time, the kiss was interrupted with the clang at the door. Calista broke off the kiss. Father Anthony stood with his hands on his hips. Adam stepped away and pulled his best friend into a hug.

  The priest quickly smiled at Calista. “So, when am I performing the vows? After what I just witnessed, I figured you don’t want to wait long.”

  Adam slapped the priest on his back. “Today, after the zoo, or tomorrow at the latest.”

  A Note From the Author

  To my dear Readers,

  Thank you for taking time to read In the Shadow of Malice, book 3 from the Shadows and Light series.

  * * *

  I would really appreciate an honest review of what you thought of In the Shadow of Malice on KOBO, Goodreads and BookBub. If you would like to be considered for my select Advance Readers Team, the easiest way is to join my newsletter on my website and sign up.

  * * *

  What’s coming up next: In the Shadow of Pride, Jonathan (Mac) McNeil’s story. Mac is my lone wolf McNeil brother and was introduced in the series during In the Shadow of Greed. Pride is a crazy exciting read, and single mother, Lexie Trevena, is the perfect match for Mac. You don’t want to miss this story. Just take a moment to read the free except I left you.

  * * *

  You can find my current news on book releases, contests and giveaways on my newsletter here, Nancy’s Newsletter. It will only hit your inbox once a month unless something exciting comes up that I have to share.

  * * *

  For a closer relationship, become a member of my private Facebook group, Nancy’s Corner. You can also find me blogging on my Website where you’ll meet fascinating people, both real and fictional. You can also find my #FreeRead Friday post where you can check out my books before you buy them.

  * * *

  Hugs to all,

  Nancy C. Weeks

  * * *

  Email Address

  nancy@nancycweeks.com

  * * *

  Where else you can find me:

  facebook.com/NancyCWeeks

  * * *

  twitter.com/NancyCWeeks

  * * *

  instagram.com/nancyc.weeks

  Books by Nancy C. Weeks

  Shadows and Light

  * * *

  In the Shadow of Greed

  In the Shadow of Evil

  In the Shadow of Malice

  In the Shadow of Pride

  In the Shadow of Vengeance

  His One Wish—Modern Day Novella Retelling - Aladdin

  * * *

  The D’Azzo Family

  * * *

  The Eyewitness Book 1

  The Analyst Book 2

  The Protector Book 3

  *The author highly recommends that The D’Azzo family be read in order.

  Excerpt from In the Shadow of Pride

  Austin, Texas

  Just when she thought the day couldn’t get any worse, fate stepped in and placed the jerk in her line of sight.

  Special Agent-in-Charge Mac McNeil.

  He stood several yards from her, his piercing, hazel eyes locked onto hers. Lexie Trevena stared at the ground, cutting off their connection.

  A warm gust of air blew across the cemetery, surrounding her with a hint of freshly mowed grass and the roses from Rico’s coffin. The two scents had always brought a smile to her face, but from this day forward, they would yank her back to this place, this moment.

  Taking a shaky breath, Lexie peered into the freshly dug grave inches from her. The crowd behind her began to shift, making their way back up the hill toward the line of cars. Her best friends, Cole Guzman and Marcus Aziz, stood behind her. Cole cleared his throat and eased next to her, taking her hand in his.

  “You don’t have to stay. I—”

  “The café can survive a little longer without us,” he interrupted.

  “You can’t be closed during your busiest time of day. I’ll be fine.” Lexi glanced over Cole’s shoulder at the sea of mourners and planted a fake smile on her face. “I’m just waiting until some of the people leave.”

  “We’ll take off if you promise to drop by and eat something,” Marcus chimed in.

  “Maybe you can just bring me a sandwich at home. I need to be alone for a while. You understand?”

  She reached up and kissed Cole on the cheek and repeated the gesture with Marcus. The men’s expressions were so easy to read, and their concern touched her heart. They wanted to make this all better. That was impossible.

  “If you change your mind, or if you need one of us,
just call, Lexie.” Cole tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear then reached for her hand.

  “Go before you make me cry.”

  They didn’t move. The push had to come from her. “I’m going to be fine, and you both will be a large part of that tomorrow, the day after, and months from now. I crazy love you both.”

  She gave them another quick hug before they strolled up the hill.

  Two groundskeepers stood off to her left, waiting patiently to lower the coffin into the ground. The thought of Rico’s strong amazing body buried under six feet of Texas clay was hard to digest. As long as she stood rooted to that spot, her nightmare couldn’t turn into her reality.

  Mac trudged his way through the crowd of mourners toward her. She twisted away from him. Escape. Before she could make a move, a man whose name she couldn’t recall blocked her path, placing a hand on her arm.

  “Mrs. Trevena…”

  “Lexie, please.”

  “Lexie, I’m so sorry for your loss. Your husband was a good man, a fine agent. He’ll be missed.”

  He seemed to want some sort of acknowledgement from her, but she had nothing to give. He finally dropped his hand to his side and left her alone.

  He was a good man, a fine agent. He’ll be missed.

  How was her broken heart supposed to be consoled by strangers? Lexie had no idea what to do or say to the people around her. She couldn’t focus long enough to reason it out. Grief festered into a pool of staggering anger, sending her emotions into a tailspin. It was all so senseless.

  The moment Rico told her he was going back undercover, that voice in her head screamed, no, don’t leave―the sense of dread overwhelming. It was as if her heart foretold this day would come, but her pleas, arguments, nothing she said kept him from walking out that door.