Blind Justice

by Gwen Hernandez

  Her concern had been unwarranted. Evan wasn’t always easy to handle, but nothing could have stopped him from stealing her heart.

  More giggles and shuffling feet came closer as they rounded her chair. Her legs cooled as the two Pataravas moved between her and the fire.

  “Can I look now?” she asked with a slight shiver.

  “Yes!”

  Tara opened her eyes. Evan stood in front of Jeff, a blush chasing up his neck into this cheeks, and unfolded a large piece of poster board.

  WILL YOU MARRY US? had been pasted across the poster with colorful letters. Stickers and artwork decorated every inch of white space, including a drawing of a man, woman, and child holding hands inside the outline of a house.

  She gasped, her heart leaping so high into her throat she couldn’t speak. Yes! Tears flooded her eyes and she laughed. What a mess.

  Jeff dropped to his knee, right there in the dirt and produced a red velveteen box from his jacket pocket. No longer smiling, his cheeks and ears bright red, he cleared his throat and opened the box to reveal a large ruby surrounded by diamonds in a vintage gold setting.

  “Six months ago, I asked you to marry me in probably the least romantic proposal imaginable. In fact, I’m pretty sure I ordered you to do it and then told you to ignore me.”

  She gave a watery laugh, wiping her eyes.

  He held her gaze, his eyes warm and full of love as Evan bounced on his toes next to him, the dog barking and running in circles around them all. “I’ve been basically tongue-tied around you since day one. You amaze me with your strength and intelligence, your loyalty and compassion. If someone made a pro/con checklist, they might think we were incompatible, but that’s because things like whether you prefer the city lights or the forest moon don’t really matter. I’d go anywhere to be with you. You’re my perfect match, the missing piece to make my life complete.”

  She sobbed and covered her face. She was making such a hash of this incredible moment.

  “Was it something I said?” Jeff deadpanned.

  Tara laughed, shaking her head at him.

  “Please say yes!” Evan dropped the sign in the dirt and flung himself at her, wrapping his arms around her neck. “I want us to be a family.”

  She took a shuddery breath and hugged him back. How’d she get so lucky? “Yes. Yes, of course.”

  “Yay!” Evan released her to jump up and down and hug Jeff. Then he hugged Lulu. “Dad, do the ring.”

  “Oh, right.” Still watching her, Jeff gently lifted her left hand and slid the ring onto her third finger.

  The stones glittered in the firelight, the ring a perfect fit. Just like the three of them. And the dog.

  Jeff rose and kissed her. “Thank God.”

  She raked a hand through his hair. “You were worried?”

  “Maybe a little. A lot has changed since the first time I proposed.”

  “I haven’t stopped loving you. I think it’s gotten worse, actually.”

  He grinned. “I love you too.”

  Tara’s heart swelled. The only thing that could make this moment better would be calling Emily to share her news.

  Thanks for bringing me and Jeff together, sis. I miss you.

  At least she and her parents had begun to repair their relationship after they’d visited her in the hospital and had a long talk. Things between them would never be perfect, but both sides were making an effort, listening, trying to understand. She wanted to enjoy having them in her life. Wanted them to be part of her important moments and to be part of theirs. The jury was still out on Lauren, but Tara had made overtures.

  Jeff wiped the tears from her face and kissed her again.

  “Hey!” Evan patted her and Jeff on the back and they jumped, breaking the kiss. “I’m hungry.”

  With a chuckle, Jeff looked deep in to her eyes, making her heart pound madly in her chest as he raised one eyebrow. “You sure about this? It means a lot more camping, city girl.”

  “Of course I’m sure. It turns out your snoring is the perfect stand-in for a city bus.”

  His eyes widened as he gave an incredulous laugh.

  Pulling her to her feet, he kissed her hard, and then took her and Evan by the hand, as Lulu jumped back and forth in front of them. “Welcome to the family.”

  * * *

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Child pornography is devastating to its victims. Want to help? The Innocence Justice Foundation, has suggestions for how you can help stop child pornography.

  In addition, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offers tons of information on child safety, and operates the Cyber Tipline for reporting information you may have about a child being exploited online.

  Also, if you think someone you know is considering suicide, encourage them to get help or call a lifeline. (If it’s you, please talk to someone in person or on the phone who can help. The world needs you.) In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor. Use that same number and press "1" to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. The Mayo Clinic has more suggestions for how to help a friend in their article entitled “Suicide: What to do when someone is suicidal.”

  * * *

  Thank you for reading BLIND JUSTICE! I hope you fell in love with Tara and Jeff. If you missed Tara’s earlier adventures, go back to where it all started with BLIND FURY. Get BLIND FURY free in ebook!

  And if you were intrigued by Kurt and Caitlyn, check out RUNNING BLIND, where they get a second chance at a love worth dying for.

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  For more behind-the-scenes info and fun facts about this book, check out the Blind Justice page on my website. And keep reading for an excerpt from BLIND FURY…

  CHAPTER ONE

  In the land of dust and sand, things got messy when it rained. Mick Fury’s boots made sucking sounds in the mud left behind by a morning shower as he strode along the graffiti-covered blast wall that ran the perimeter of Kandahar Airfield.

  He kept pace with Rob Ryan, ignoring the kerosene scent of jet fuel assaulting his nose as they headed to meet up with their Claymore Security teammates. They were scheduled to train local police recruits in tactical shooting techniques today. A worthy exercise if the trainees stayed alive long enough to use their new skills. Unfortunately, cops in Afghanistan were one of the Taliban’s favorite targets.

  Rob waggled a large rip-proof envelope addressed to his sister in Virginia. “Let me drop this in the mail on our way.”

  They detoured to the makeshift post office. “Did I forget Jenna’s birthday or something?” Mick asked.

  “Have you ever remembered it?” Rob ribbed him.

  Actually, he had. Every year. November twenty-fifth.

  “No,” Rob said when he didn’t answer. “It’s just some notes and stuff that I don’t have room for in my bag.”

  “So you’re really not coming back?” A lead weight settled on Mick’s chest. He and Rob had been best friends and teammates for twelve years. They’d had each other’s backs through boot camp, pararescue training, and now at Claymore. If Rob left in two weeks like he planned, then Mick would be left here with only his friend Dan Molina and a bunch of assholes, the kind who thrived in an industry where the rules of civilization didn’t apply.

  The brotherhood he’d experienced in the Air Force—putting the members of the team above all else—had been hard to find in the world of private security contracting. Any one of them could walk away at any time, and some of the guys were outright criminals who’d never be allowed to carry a gun in the
States.

  “I’m really not coming back,” Rob said, stuffing the envelope into a slot in the shipping containers that masqueraded as a post office. “And you shouldn’t either.”

  It was an old argument. The constant stress, the poor management, and the barren surroundings chafed like a tight shoe. But there was no substitute for the adrenaline rush. There was something about cheating death that made him feel alive like nothing else could.

  “What else can I do?” Mick asked. “Every time we go home, I’m happy for about two weeks. And then it all starts to seem so pointless, so boring.” And quiet. There was nothing worse than being left alone with his thoughts. At least here in this hellhole he knew without a doubt that he was good for something.

  Rob shoved his hands in his front pockets and rubbed a heel in the mud while they waited for the others to show up. “You think I don’t feel the same way? But every time I leave, the look in Jenna’s eyes nearly rips my heart out. I can’t do that to her anymore.”

  Mick knew that look. Had memorized it long ago, along with everything else about the one woman who was off limits to him…and not just because Rob had threatened to permanently end his sex life if he tried anything.

  He couldn’t toy with the heart of a woman who’d suffered so much already. Jenna was the kind of girl you married and took home to Mom. Not Mick’s usual type. She was smart and sweet, hardly a seductress. But somehow he couldn’t get her pale, almost-gray eyes and schoolgirl freckles out of his head.

  “What will you do?” he asked Rob, bringing himself back to the ugly reality of Afghanistan. “I can’t see you settling down to a desk job and a white picket fence.”

  Rob laughed, but the humor didn’t reach his eyes. “Screw that. I was talking to Dan, and he knows a guy who’s a flight medic for one of those MedEvac helicopters. They also do search and rescue missions. I’ll have to go to school first, but it’ll be worth it. It will be like being in the PJs again, but without anyone shooting at you.”

  “Then where’s the thrill?” Mick asked, not entirely joking. He plastered on his trademark carefree smile and tapped his rifle. He never should have left pararescue, but the money he’d been offered to join Claymore had been impossible to resist.

  His friend shook his head. “Just think about it, okay?”

  “Sure.” He’d think about it. In fact, he already thought about it almost daily. Jesus, why couldn’t he be normal? When he was here, he wanted to go home—drive his new Camaro, flirt with girls, party with his friends; and when he was back in Virginia he could hardly stand it. The tedium and pettiness of Stateside life was suffocating. At least things made sense here.

  His job was to survive. Simple as that.

  “Hey.” Rob grabbed Mick’s arm as a large armored vehicle rumbled past, leaving deep grooves in the mud. “Promise me one thing.” He looked way too serious for Mick’s taste. Even more serious than usual.

  “What’s that?”

  “If something happens to me, you’ll leave Claymore and take care of Jenna.”

  Oh, hell no. They were not going to have this conversation. Not right before going outside the wire. He bounced his eyebrows at Rob and forced a smile. “Take care of her, huh?”

  “Yeah, and that includes protecting her from guys like you.” Rob ran a hand through his close-cropped hair. “Come on, man. I mean it. I’ll feel better knowing that she wouldn’t be left alone.”

  “We’ve been here for two years. Why are you asking me this now?” Mick wrinkled his nose as the wind shifted, bringing with it the pungent odor of the sewage treatment plant—aka The Poo Pond. “Did something happen?”

  Rob glanced around and shook his head with feigned indifference that didn’t fool Mick for a second. “No, I’m just being, you know, superstitious now that I’ve given my notice. If I don’t leave any loose ends, then nothing will happen.”

  He was full of crap, but Mick let it go. “Dude, you don’t even have to ask. She’s the closest thing I have to a sister of my own.” Except for the very un-brotherly thoughts he had about her. “But you’re the one who’s going to be there for her, so it doesn’t matter. You’re going to go home, find a job, get a dog, and meet a girl. In another year, I won’t recognize you. You’ll probably even own a minivan.” Mick pulled a face, like he couldn’t imagine a worse fate.

  Rob’s shoulders visibly relaxed and the line between his eyebrows softened. What the hell was going on with him? He’d never been this tightly wound before.

  “Thanks. I owe you one.”

  Mick consulted his palm as if it were a notebook, and pretended to cross something out. “By my calculations, that makes us even.” He grinned. “Hell, if I’d known you were this easy to get square with, I would have offered months ago.”

  Rob finally laughed, and the knot in Mick’s chest loosened.

  “Hey, ladies. You ready to run the gauntlet?” Three of their crew trudged toward them, nine millimeters in their thigh holsters and M4s strapped to their chest rigs, always at the ready. Dressed in khaki pants and polo shirts, they looked like an army of muscle-bound frat boys.

  Mick and Rob fit right in.

  “As long as you brought your diapers this time, Beavis,” Mick called out, using the nickname the man had earned for his rat-like resemblance to the animated character. “I don’t want shit to get all over the seats if we take fire.”

  Beavis flipped him off and they walked toward their armored vehicles to meet up with the rest of the group for the briefing.

  Just another day in paradise.

  An hour later, Mick dropped to his knees in the mud next to Rob. “No, no, no!” He tore at his friend’s mangled body armor and sticky, wet shirt and—oh God, no. He spread his hands over the ragged mess that used to be his friend’s chest, as if he could hold him together by magic. His skills as a medic were of no use to him with an injury this bad… All he could do was try to stop the alarming flow of blood. “Damn it, Rob, hang on for me. You’re going home, remember? Come on, come on.”

  Fucking Murphy and his law. Rob should have known better than to announce that he was going home right before they went outside the wire. Everyone knew a convoy was an easy target for roadside bombs and insurgent attacks.

  Today, they’d managed to find both.

  This can’t be happening. Mick adjusted his position and pressed harder. Rob couldn’t die; he was one of the good ones. Jenna needed her brother.

  Mick needed him.

  “Jenna,” Rob whispered, clutching weakly at Mick’s arm. His look said he knew he wouldn’t make it.

  Mick blinked against the burn of hot tears and nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll watch out for her until you’re on your feet again. Just stay with me.” But the blood wouldn’t fucking stop. It bubbled through his fingers, warm and sticky and relentless.

  Rob closed his eyes and mumbled.

  Mick leaned close to hear him over the noise of engines, men shouting, and the buzzing in his ears left by the ricochet of gunfire. “What’s that?”

  “Don’t tell her.”

  Sharp smoke stung his nose as Mick surveyed the carnage surrounding them. The barren ground was covered with lifeless figures slicked with mud and blood. He closed his eyes briefly to block out the images, but like so many other horrors he’d witnessed, the scene would haunt him forever.

  No way in hell would he ever want to talk about it. Keeping this horrific moment from Jenna was an easy promise to make. “Never.”

  Want more? Get BLIND FURY in e-book or paperback at your favorite online retailer.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to Serena Bell for the late-night chat that broke this story loose for me. To Rachel Grant for making the introduction, for all the behind-the-scenes support you give for every book, and for being all-around awesome.

  To Jaycee Lee for making my new city friendly, and for your cheerleading and help on this book. I’m so glad we met!

  I’m lucky and grateful to have the support of my husband an
d kids on this crazy writing adventure. Thanks to the no-longer-little ones for their stories. Love you!!

  Ultimately, there’d be no point in writing if not for my readers. You make the hard work (and fun) worth every minute. Thank you from the depths of my heart for your continued support.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Growing up, Gwen Hernandez wasn’t brave enough to share the stories in her head with other kids, but they usually involved intrigue and romance. She was raised in the Army and Navy, and married an Air Force engineer, so it’s natural that her Men of Steele series features military heroes and heroines who must overcome danger to find true love.

  In her free time, she likes to travel, read, jog, flail on a yoga mat, and explore southern California, where she currently lives with her husband and a lazy golden retriever.

  BOOKS BY GWEN HERNANDEZ

  MEN OF STEELE: These security specialists will steal your heart.

  Blind Fury

  Blind Ambition

  Blindsided

  Running Blind

  Blind Justice

  BLIND JUSTICE

  ISBN: 978-0991607341

  Copyright © 2019 by Gwen Hernandez

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from this book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the author at gwen@gwenhernandez.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.