“Want to go for another swim?” he asked her.
“No, I want to make love. Now.”
He glanced around. “Right here? Out in the open?”
“Yes, right here. Out in the open. Not another soul is on this island but us. We can do whatever we want to do, and I want to make love.”
Quasar pulled his future wife into his arms. He was more than happy to oblige.
EPILOGUE
“BY THE POWERS vested in me by this great state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Lamar ‘Striker’ Jennings, you may kiss your bride.”
Striker turned to the woman whose life was now joined with his. Lifting her veil, he whispered words of love before lowering his mouth to hers, sealing the promises they’d made and the love they shared.
Sitting in the audience Randi dabbed the tears from her eyes. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding on the Connelly Estate, the home of the bride’s uncle. During a portion of the ceremony, the bride and groom spoke their own words of love and dedication and pledges they’d included.
Since Quasar was a groomsman, he and Randi had arrived early, and he’d seated her in the spot where he wanted her while he and Stonewall ushered in the wedding guests. She thought her fiancé looked dashingly handsome in his black tux. She was happy to see a familiar face when Detective Joy Ingram arrived and sat beside her. The two of them had become friends while working together months ago on the Erickson case. From the first time they’d met, she’d thought Detective Ingram was as beautiful as she was friendly. And she was a top-notch police detective.
Randi recalled that upon their initial meeting, there had been some unusually strong vibes radiating off the woman, ones that had indicated they would one day share a close friendship. She had felt those same vibes from Margo Connelly, as well, when they’d met. At the time she hadn’t understood why she would feel such vibes from the two women. Now she knew and understood.
Joy congratulated her on her engagement to Quasar and oohed and aahed over her engagement ring. Randi had to admit Quasar had done a great job, and she’d gotten more than a few compliments on her ring.
Randi even got to meet Sheppard Granger, his beautiful pregnant wife, Carson; Sheppard’s sons Jace, Caden and Dalton; and their beautiful wives, two of whom were also expecting. All three women were practically glowing, and Randi thought it was wonderful that three babies would be born within weeks of each other.
It was good seeing Quasar’s boss, Roland, again. They’d met months ago at the crime scene. The same one where she’d first laid eyes on Quasar. A night she was certain she would never forget. A night that had been destined to change her life forever.
Like Joy had done, the Grangers and Roland congratulated her on her and Quasar’s engagement, and she couldn’t help but let them know how happy she was about it.
“Ready to be escorted to the reception, sweetheart?”
Randi glanced up when Quasar appeared by her side a short while later. “Yes, I’m ready.”
The reception was held by the pool, and the setup gave Randi more than a few ideas for her own wedding. She and Quasar planned to have a September wedding on Glendale Shores. Her parents and her entire family were excited and happy for them. She would be keeping her home in Richmond for the time being but would be moving to Charlottesville, where she and Quasar would make their permanent home. She looked forward to all the changes in her life.
Hours later Quasar leaned down to whisper, “The bride and groom have left for their honeymoon. Are you ready to leave?” She smiled up at him. He had mentioned the couple would be honeymooning in Dubai. “Yes.” She glanced around. “I was looking for Joy to say goodbye and don’t see her anywhere.”
A mischievous smile touched Quasar lips. “Joy has been kidnapped.”
Randi lifted a brow. “Kidnapped? By whom?”
“Stonewall. I guess he got tired of things popping up whenever they planned dates and decided to take matters into his own hands.”
“Oh,” Randi said, smiling. She recalled months ago, right before leaving Charlottesville, that Joy had been excited about her first official date with Stonewall. A date that never happened because of a homicide Joy was called away to.
“Well, I’m glad they’re finally going on their first date, but did he have to kidnap her?” Randi asked, chuckling.
“Evidently, he thought so,” Quasar said, taking her hand. “Come on. I have plans for you tonight.”
She smiled as he led her off, and her mind filled with all the plans she had for him tonight, as well. She was happy. The man holding her hand was her future. He was the person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with, and she couldn’t wait to start.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed Quasar and Randi’s story, don’t miss the next book in THE PROTECTORS series, featuring Stonewall and Joy, LOCKED IN TEMPTATION.
Coming soon from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson and HQN Books!
Keep reading for an excerpt from FORGED IN DESIRE by Brenda Jackson.
If you loved Seized by Seduction by New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson, then don’t miss the next explosive tale in The Protectors series!
Locked in Temptation
His job is to protect her...no matter the cost.
Police detective Joy Ingram’s connection to elite security expert Stonewall Courson was instant. Undeniable. Electric. But her commitment to protect and serve has always come first. Everything else is secondary—especially now that a killer is tearing through the city. As the body count rises, so does the pressure on Joy to catch the murderer. She can’t risk a distraction, not even one as sexy as reformed ex-con Stonewall.
There are few things Stonewall values more than a strong woman. But when Joy’s case draws her into a criminal’s game, he must convince her that he’s the best man to protect her. And while he puts his life on the line to save hers, the insatiable attraction between them becomes the one danger neither of them can escape.
Get your copy now!
Can’t get enough?
Collect all of the novels in this sizzling series today!
Forged in Desire
Seized by Seduction
Locked in Temptation
Order your copies now!
“The only flaw of this first-rate, satisfying sexy tale is that it ends.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Forged in Desire
www.BrendaJackson.net
* * *
Did you know that Harlequin My Rewards members earn FREE books and more?
Join
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com
today to start earning your FREE books!
* * *
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Forged in Desire
by Brenda Jackson
PROLOGUE
“FINALLY, WE GET to go home.”
Margo Connelly was certain the man’s words echoed the sentiment they all felt. The last thing she had expected when reporting for jury duty was to be sequestered during the entire trial...especially with eleven strangers, more than a few of whom had taken the art of bitching to a whole new level.
She was convinced this had been the longest, if not the most miserable, six weeks of her life, as well as a lousy way to start off the new year. They hadn’t been allowed to have any inbound or outbound calls, read the newspapers, check any emails, watch television or listen to the radio. The only good thing was, with the vote just taken, a unanimous decis
ion had been reached and justice would be served. The federal case against Murphy Erickson would finally be over and they would be allowed to go home.
As far as the twelve of them were concerned, the prosecution had proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, that Erickson was the leader of a ring of organized crime that had resulted in over a dozen deaths. The majority of them so brutal it had taken everything Margo had to sit there, trying not to show any emotion, while listening to endless testimony about the deaths in gruesome detail. There had even been a family of four that included two children. Innocent victims who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“It’s time to let the bailiff know we’ve reached a decision.” Nancy Snyder spoke up, interrupting Margo’s thoughts. “I have a man waiting at home, who I haven’t seen in six weeks, and I can’t wait to get to him.”
Lucky you, Margo thought, leaning back in her chair. She and Scott Dylan had split over a year ago, and the parting hadn’t been pretty. He liked reminding her that, as a financial adviser on Wall Street making a high six-figure salary, he could take his pick of women and she should be grateful. When she’d felt the relationship had run its course, he hadn’t wanted to end things and had made a damn nuisance of himself.
Fortunately, as a wedding-dress designer, she could work from anywhere and had decided to move back home to Charlottesville. And there was the bonus of being near her uncle Frazier, her father’s brother and the man who’d become her guardian when her parents had died in a house fire when she was ten. He was her only living relative and, although they often butted heads, she would admit she had missed him while living in New York.
“What about dinner tonight?” a deep masculine voice whispered close to her ear.
Margo didn’t have to turn to see who it was. Carl Palmer had made his interest in her known from the first. Because of that wedding band on his finger, she hadn’t reciprocated.
She shifted in her chair to look at him. To keep others from overhearing their conversation, he’d leaned in close as if he was checking out the papers in front of her. Carl was handsome, she would give him that, but she was not a woman who messed around with married men. “I would think after six weeks you’d want to get home to your wife,” she whispered back.
“Soon-to-be ex” was his quick, whispered comeback.
“Doesn’t matter. Not interested.”
Before he could give a retort, the knock on the door got everyone’s attention. The bailiff had arrived. Hopefully, in a few hours it would all be over and the judge would release them. She couldn’t wait to get back to running her business. Six weeks had been a long time away from it. Lucky for her she had finished her last order in time for the bride’s Christmas wedding. But she couldn’t help wondering how many new orders she might have missed out on while on jury duty.
The bailiff entered and said, “The judge has called the court back in session for the reading of the verdict. We’re ready to escort you there.”
Like everyone else in the room, Margo stood. She was ready for the verdict to be read. It was only after this that she could get her life back.
* * *
“FOREMAN, HAS THE JURY reached a verdict?” the judge asked.
“Yes, we have, Your Honor.”
The courtroom was quiet as the verdict was read. “We, the jury, find Murphy Erickson guilty of murder.”
Suddenly Erickson bowled over and laughed. He actually laughed, and it was the kind of laugh that made the hairs on the necks of everyone in attendance stand up. The outburst prompted the judge to hit his gavel several times. “Order in the courtroom. Counselor, quiet the defendant or he will be found in contempt of court.”
“I don’t give a damn about any contempt,” Erickson snarled loudly. “You!” he said, pointing a finger at the judge. “Along with everyone else in this courtroom, you have just signed your own death warrant. As long as I remain locked up, someone in here will die every seventy-two hours,” Erickson threatened at the top of his voice while looking around at the members of the jury, the prosecutors, the clerk reporter, the defense attorneys, media and all others in the courtroom. It was as if his gaze didn’t miss a single individual.
Pandemonium broke out. The judge continued to pound his gavel, trying to restore order. Police officers rushed forward to subdue Erickson and haul him away. But even then the sound of his threats could still be heard.
Margo glanced around and saw everyone was just as stunned as she. She breathed in deeply, trying to control her racing heart. The judge finally established order in the courtroom and began thanking the members of the jury for their public service. His words were lost on Margo. Erickson’s threats were echoing too loudly in her ears.
CHAPTER ONE
LAMAR “STRIKER” JENNINGS walked into the hospital room, stopped and then frowned. “What the hell is he doing working from bed?”
“I asked myself the same thing when I got his call for us to come here,” Striker’s friend Quasar Patterson said, sitting lazily in a chair with his long legs stretched out in front of him.
“And you might as well take a seat like he told us to do,” another friend, Stonewall Courson, suggested, while pointing to an empty chair. “Evidently it will take more than a bullet to slow down Roland.”
Roland Summers, CEO of Summers Security Firm, lay in the hospital bed, staring at them. Had it been just last week that the man had been fighting for his life after foiling an attempted carjacking?
“You still look like shit, Roland. Shouldn’t you be trying to get some rest instead of calling a meeting?” Striker asked, sliding his tall frame into the chair. He didn’t like seeing Roland this way. They’d been friends a long time, and he couldn’t ever recall the man being sick. Not even with a cold. Well, at least he was alive. That damn bullet could have taken him out and Striker didn’t want to think about that.
“You guys have been keeping up with the news?” Roland asked in a strained voice, interrupting Striker’s thoughts.
“We’re aware of what’s going on, if that’s what you want to know,” Stonewall answered. “Nobody took Murphy Erickson’s threat seriously.”
Roland made an attempt to nod his head. “And now?”
“And now people are panicking. Phones at the office have been ringing off the hook. I’m sure every protective security service in town is booked solid. Everyone in the courtroom that day is either in hiding or seeking protection, and with good reason,” Quasar piped in to say. “The judge, clerk reporter and bailiff are all dead. All three were gunned down within seventy-two hours of each other.”
“The FBI is working closely with local law enforcement, and they figure it’s the work of the same assassin,” Striker added. “I heard they anticipate he’ll go after someone on the jury next.”
“Which is why I called the three of you here. There was a woman on the jury who I want protected. It’s personal.”
“Personal?” Striker asked, lifting a brow. He knew Roland dated off and on, but he’d never been serious with anyone. He was always quick to say that his wife, Becca, had been his one and only love.
“Yes, personal. She’s a family member.”
The room got quiet. That statement was even more baffling since, as far as the three of them knew, Roland didn’t have any family...at least not anymore. They were all aware of his history. He’d been a cop, who’d discovered some of his fellow officers on the take. Before he could blow the whistle he’d been framed and sent to prison for fifteen years. Becca had refused to accept his fate and worked hard to get him a new trial. He served three years before finally leaving prison but not before the dirty cops murdered Roland’s wife. All the cops involved had eventually been brought to justice and charged with the death of Becca Summers, in addition to other crimes.
“You said she’s family?” Striker asked, looking confused.
> “Yes, although I say that loosely since we’ve never officially met. I know who she is, but she doesn’t know I even exist.” Roland then closed his eyes, and Striker knew he had to be in pain.
“Man, you need to rest,” Quasar said. “You can cover this with us another time.”
Roland’s eyes flashed back open. “No, we need to talk now. I need one of you protecting her right away.”
Nobody said anything for a minute and then Striker asked, “What relation is she to you, man?”
“My niece. To make a long story short, years ago my mom got involved with a married man. He broke things off when his wife found out about the affair but not before I was conceived. I always knew the identity of my father. I also knew about his other two older sons, although they didn’t know about me. I guess you can say I was the old man’s secret.” Roland tried shifting in bed and suddenly let out a deep moan.
“You okay, Roland?” Stonewall asked in concern.
Roland nodded. “I’m okay.”
“You need to rest,” Striker said.
“The sooner I finish telling you everything, the sooner I can rest.”
“Then finish before we call the nurse to increase your pain meds,” Quasar said, leaning forward.
“One day after I’d left for college, I got a call from my mother letting me know the old man was dead but he’d left me something in his will.”
Striker didn’t say anything, thinking that at least Roland’s old man had done right by him in the end. To this day, his own poor excuse of a father hadn’t even acknowledged his existence. “That’s when your two brothers found out about you?” he asked.
Seized by Seduction--A Compelling Tale of Romance, Love and Intrigue Page 33
