“You did well, Bruce. This will certainly be easier to explain than killing her in her bed and breakfast.” Malone shoved her into a chair and Cara immediately felt rope burn into the sensitive skin of her wrist. She prayed Bruce would not feel the knife when he tied up her ankles.
Suddenly Malone’s face was in front of hers. “Now I have a question for you, Ms. Hunter. What tipped you off?”
Again Cara ran through her options. He obviously didn’t know about the cufflink and telling him might make him speed up whatever his plan was, so she kept that information to herself. Instead, she shrugged. “A lot of things, actually, but mostly the fact that you knew where Steve and I were and missing the meeting an hour ago seemed uncharacteristic for you.”
“Ah, yes, I knew I was taking a risk doing that, but it was unavoidable. I am sorry it has to come to this, Cara, but if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish up this transaction and get back to Virginia. I’ve been gone too long as it is.”
Malone joined the other men who appeared of Arabian descent and disappeared through another doorway leaving her alone with Bruce. Cara closed her eyes and did something she hadn’t done in a long time. She prayed.
28
Cole
“Al, ping Cara’s phone. She may not be answering, but she never goes anywhere without it. Hopefully, it will show her location. Albright, call the B&B and see if anyone’s seen her. Givens, get me anything you can on Bradley Malone. I want to know if he owns any businesses out here.” Jordan began barking out orders as soon as Cole delivered the information that he couldn’t get Cara on the phone.
Stone entered from his office and Jordan updated him on the intel. “Have we identified the shooter from the hospital yet?” Stone added after he was caught up.
“Not yet, sir,” Al spoke up, “but I’ve got Cara’s phone. It’s at the old heating and cooling warehouse on Wabash Avenue.”
“All right, let’s suit up. Givens, I want you to stay and keep looking into Malone. I want more than a cufflink to pin on him, especially considering he’s military.”
Makenna stepped forward. “I know we haven’t met sir, but my name is Captain Drake of the Woodville police department. What can I do to help?”
Stone looked her over for a moment as if deciding if he could trust her. “Stay with Givens. I want the ID on the shooter. Hopefully, we can link the two.”
His eyes turned to Cole, and Cole stepped forward. “Cole Davenport, sir. Criminal investigator for Clarksville. I’d like to come.”
“Absolutely not,” Stone roared. “This team is highly trained. Inexperience is dangerous.”
Cole clenched his jaw. There was no way he was sitting this out. If Cara was in trouble, he was going to be there.
As if sensing his thoughts, Jordan stepped forward. “Captain, he’s been helping Cara with this case from the beginning. Plus, he’s met Malone and a few of the other players. It might be a good idea to bring him along.”
Stone’s expression grew even fiercer if that was possible, but after exchanging a glare with Jordan, he let out a sigh and relented. “Fine, but he stays at the back and follows orders.” He shot the last two words directly at Cole who nodded. He didn’t care what orders he had to follow as long as he was there to help save Cara.
Twenty minutes later, Cole adjusted his bulletproof vest as he stepped out of the car and joined Jordan and the others.
This time Al took the lead. “Okay, there are two entrances to the warehouse.” She tapped on her cell phone and Cole leaned closer to Jordan to see the schematics they all had on their phones.
“Al and Jordan, you take Cole and enter at this closest entrance,” Stone said. “Albright and I will go around the other side to head them off. Now, we don’t expect there are any innocents besides Cara inside, but keep your wits about you. Flash bangs as much as possible. Let’s try to keep the body count down and bring these guys to justice.”
The men and Al nodded and then Stone and Albright jogged out of sight. Jordan turned to Cole. “You ready for this?”
Not in the least, but there was no way Cole was saying that out loud. His throat was parched, and his heart beat thudded in his ears, but he nodded. He and Cara were not officially involved, but there was no way he was waiting outside and getting the news - good or bad - second hand. He gave Jordan a curt nod and fell into step behind him.
Al took the lead, and after scouting the area for cameras, she opened the door and stepped inside. It took a few blinks for Cole’s eyes to adjust to the light. They were in a dimly lit hallway. He pulled his gun, enjoying the heavy feeling in his hand. It was just a weapon and no guarantee of survival, but it had saved him more than once.
The building was quiet as they made their way down the hallway. Cole hoped they weren’t too late. Visions of Cara’s dead body floated across his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut to remove them. “God, please let her be okay,” he whispered softly.
Light appeared ahead of them and Al paused. She held up a hand for them to stop as she scoped around the corner. Cole held his breath as he waited.
“I see Cara,” she whispered. “She’s tied up to a chair and some large guy is guarding her.”
“That’s probably Malone’s driver. I’m fairly certain he’s also his bodyguard.” Cole was glad he was able to supply some helpful information.
“Okay, I’ll throw a flashbang. Jordan and I will run in first to neutralize the driver and anyone else who might be around. You get Cara.”
Cole nodded and stepped behind Jordan. Al threw the flashbang. There was a loud noise followed by a bright flash of light and then chaos ensued. Gunshots sounded, but unconcerned for his own safety, Cole followed Al and Jordan into the larger room. The acrid smell of smoke burned his throat and stung his eyes, but he made his way over to Cara who was still very much alive.
“Malone’s in the other room with the terrorists. They still have some of the virus.”
“Stone and Albright came in the other way. I’m sure they’ll find them,” Cole said as he holstered his gun and pulled out a knife to cut her ropes. When she was free, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the entrance.
She dug her heels in, halting their escape. “We have to help them.”
Cole turned to her and found her eyes. There was no time for this, but he knew he would have to say it to get her to leave. “You aren’t armed, and I’m not losing you. They’ve got this. Now, come on.”
A flood of emotions crossed over her face, but a smile won out in the end. “You can’t lose me?”
Cole returned the smile and shook his head. Of course that’s what she focused on. “Can we talk about this later? Like maybe when we aren’t in danger of getting shot?”
Her eyes twinkled, but she squeezed his hand and ran with him out of the building. Cole didn’t stop until they were back to the cars. He had no idea how long Jordan and the others would take, but he felt this was at least a safe enough distance from the warehouse that they could stop for a minute.
He turned Cara to face him and placed his hands on her cheek. “You stubborn woman. Why did you come here alone?” Anger at the actions that had put her in danger conflicted with the relief he felt that she was okay.
Her eyes widened and filled with emotion. “I’m sorry. I was just going to follow Bruce to see if I could find anything out. I didn’t know he was leading me into a trap. How did you even find me?”
“Makenna and I did some research on Malone and found pictures of him wearing the cufflinks. I tried to call and warn you, but when you didn’t pick up, I knew you were in trouble. Al pinged your phone, and the rest is history.” He ran his thumb across her cheek as if to assure himself she was real and safe.
“I can’t believe Stone let you come.” Her words were quiet and breathy, and her eyes bored into his soul.
“There was no way I was staying, Cara.” His husky tone declared his desire to kiss her, but he didn’t care. She was alive, she was in his arms, and if he had his way,
that’s where she would be staying in the future.
“Because you couldn’t lose me?”
It was a question, but not one that needed a verbal answer. Her gaze fell to his lips, and he knew that the truest way to convince her of his feelings would be with actions and not words. As his lips pressed against hers, she leaned toward him. Her hands pulled at his hair as her body melded into his.
The wall that he had been so carefully constructed around his heart after his fiancée was killed exploded into a million pieces. It had been years since he had considered letting love in again, but in less than a week, Cara had ignited the fuse and the desire burned within him now.
“Ahem.” A throat cleared behind them and reluctantly Cole pulled away from Cara.
“Sorry to interrupt you two.” A light pink colored Jordan’s cheek and he appeared unable to look either of them in the eyes. “We’ve apprehended Malone and three other men. Stone and Albright are clearing the building, but I wanted to make sure you both had gotten out all right. I see that you have.”
Cara stepped forward and threw her arms around her embarrassed friend. “Thank you for coming for me, Jordan. For everything, really.”
He nodded. “I’ll call for backup to help with transport. Why don’t you take my car and go back to the B&B.? You could both use a little rest.”
“Not yet,” Cara said, shaking her head. “I need to get to the hospital and let Nick know what I found out. I’m sure it will help him cure the rest of the patients.”
“And we should probably check on Makenna,” Cole added.
Jordan shook his head. “I’ll take care of Makenna. You stop at the hospital and then rest. That’s an order.”
“Yes sir.” As she popped a salute, a wide smile filled Cara’s face and Cole thought she had never looked more beautiful. He decided he would do whatever it took to make sure that smile remained.
The Epilogue
Cara
“Do I have to do this?” Cole asked as he tucked his green button-down shirt in.
Cara smiled as she turned from the mirror she had been checking her makeup in and crossed to him. She loved the green color on him. It brought out the green flecks in his brown eyes. “It’s just a small party.” She placed her hands on his chest and brushed a speck of lint from the right side. “Ginny hasn’t celebrated her birthday in years, so this is important to her.”
He rolled his eyes good naturedly. “I know.”
Actually, he didn’t. He’d never dated an abuser, but Cara had, and she’d slowly told him about her last relationship over the past few days. She appreciated that he was trying to understand.
Ginny had overcome an even worse experience. She’d come to Fire Beach a little over a month ago after getting the courage to leave her abusive boyfriend. He hadn’t allowed her to work or celebrate in years, but Cara and her friends had accepted Ginny into their fold. She now worked at Fire Dreams and was dating Jordan’s brother, Graham.
Cara returned her hands to rest on Cole’s muscular chest and flashed a teasing grin up at him. “Besides, we have a lot to celebrate, don’t you think?”
The last week had been a whirlwind and one Cara was glad was over. The information she had given Nick had allowed him to administer an effective treatment for the people who had been infected at the pool. Everyone, including little Robbie, had recovered, and Malone, Bruce, and the terrorists were now behind bars. The remaining samples of the virus had been collected and returned to the military where they were placed under lock and key.
Due to her work, the military had agreed to allow Cara to finish her remaining contract in Fire Beach, and Cole had turned in his notice. He would have to go back for another few weeks to pack and get everything situated, but he was planning on making Fire Beach his new home. While he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do yet, Cara knew that with his background in advertising that he could find a job in town.
He wound his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “The only thing I need to celebrate is finding you.”
As he placed a soft kiss on her lips, she thought of how lucky she was, how lucky they both were. She had never thought she deserved a good man - having been put down by her father and others growing up. He had lost the woman he’d planned to marry to a drunk driver. They were both damaged, but God had brought them together to find healing. She had never believed in love developing so quickly, but as the thought of losing Cole tore her to pieces, she knew she was there.
Summoning all her resolve, she gently pulled back, breaking the kiss. “Come on, we have to go or we’re going to be late. We can continue this later.”
Cole let out a reluctant sigh, but the twinkling in his eyes told her he wasn’t really upset. “I’m going to hold you to that Ms. Hunter.”
Smiling, Cara shook her head and led the way out to the car.
A few minutes later, they pulled into the nearly full parking lot of Fire Dreams. Jordan and Graham had closed the restaurant early for Ginny’s private party, but as their group of friends seemed to keep growing, it didn’t surprise her to see so many cars.
She pulled into an empty spot and turned off the car. After grabbing Ginny’s present and locking the car, she took Cole’s hand and smiled up at him. “Are you ready for this?”
Though he’d been spending as much time as he could in Fire Beach the last few weeks, most of these people were still mostly strangers to him. She knew how hard it was for him to loosen up around people he didn’t know well.
“Just don’t leave me alone, and I’ll be fine.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and pulled the door open.
Lively conversation carried out as soon as they stepped inside. The corners of Cara’s lips pulled up as she took in the group. Ginny and Graham sat at the head of the table. Jordan and Cassidy were next to them followed by Bubba and Makenna. Across from Jordan and Cassidy were Tia and Brody. Nick, Ivy, and Al rounded out the group leaving just two spaces for her and Cole. Jordan and Graham had already had to pull three tables together to accommodate everyone. If they got any bigger, and Cara had no doubt they would, they would need to add a fourth table.
Cole’s grip on her hand tightened as she led the way toward Ginny. “Happy belated birthday, friend.” Cara held out the present and surrendered when Ginny threw her arms around her.
“Thank you, Cara. I’m so glad you guys could make it.” She turned to Cole. “I know I don’t know you well, but I hear that you’re staying in town, so hopefully we can remedy that.”
“Uh, yeah sure,” Cole said with only a slight stutter.
Cara had never seen Ginny so excited, but after hearing about her past, she could understand why. The girl had a lot of missed celebrations to catch up on. After handing off the gift, Cara and Cole took their seats - Cole next to Makenna and Cara next to Al.
Cara wondered what Al’s story was. She didn’t know the female officer well, but she was pretty with her blonde hair and ski-sloped nose. Plus, Cara knew she was loyal to a fault. She had heard enough stories about her from Jordan to know that. Cara had no doubt a romance was in Al’s future. Perhaps with Nick? Her eyes flicked between the two of them, but she couldn’t really picture them together.
Al’s phone buzzed on the table, and she picked it up. Cara had assumed she was going to silence it as the party was just beginning to get started, but instead her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.
Cara leaned over to whisper, “Are you okay?”
Al shook her head. “That was my mom. My sister is missing.”
The End!
Want to find out what happened to Al’s sister? Be sure to read Rescue My Heart coming soon and if you want to catch up on Ginny’s story, be sure to read Love on the Run.
It’s not quite the end!
Thank you so much for reading Secrets and Suspense. As I said in the beginning, this was a hard book to write as when I got to it, I was living through an outbreak and it wasn’t fun. However, I like the way this ended up, and I think it stayed t
rue to my intention. I love the characters of Fire Beach, and I always enjoy developing them more. I hope you enjoyed learning about Cara and meeting Cole. If you did, would you do me a favor and please leave a review? It really helps. It doesn’t have to be long - just a few words to help other readers know what they’re getting.
I’d love to hear from you, not only about this story, but about the characters or stories you’d like read in the future. I’m always looking for new ideas and if I use one of your characters or stories, I’ll send you a free ebook and paperback of the book with a special dedication. Write to me at [email protected]. And if you’d like to see what’s coming next, be sure to stop by authorloranahoopes.com
I also have a weekly newsletter that contains many wonderful things like pictures of my adorable children, chances to win awesome prizes, new releases and sales I might be holding, great books from other authors, and anything else that strikes my fancy and that I think you would enjoy. I’ll even send you the first chapter of my newest (maybe not even released yet) book if you’d like to sign up.
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God Bless,
Lorana
29
Not ready to say Goodbye yet?
Me either, but I do have a few other books I have to write before I come back to Fire Beach. In the next book, we’ll see what happened to Al’s sister and of course meet a handsome new leading man. Be sure to order your copy today of Rescue My Heart!
The Reality Bride’s Baby
Rescue My Heart Page 13
