by Elle James
“You’re the only one I’ve scaled a cliff to catch.”
She shook her head slowly. “How could I have captured your heart? We’ve only known each other a few days.”
“One of my buddies once told me that you’ll know when you know. You don’t need a month, a year, two years, you just know.”
“How could you say that to me?”
“What? That I think I’m falling in love with you?”
“Yes.” Tears welled in her eyes.
“Does it bother you?” he asked.
“Yes, it does.” The tears slipped down her cheek.
“Why?”
“Because I can’t turn around and throw my arms around you.” She remained glued to the side of the cliff. “I’m even afraid to turn my face enough to look into your eyes. The ledge I’m standing on is barely wide enough for my feet.”
“I’ve got your back, baby.” He tied off his rope to anchor himself then he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m staying here with you,” he said, “until the rescue team can get here.”
“I heard Stover up there,” she said. “What happened?”
Max’s jaw hardened. “That bastard’s going down.”
“Good.”
“Did they do a rape kit when you were in the hospital in Ramstein?” he asked.
“I assume they did,” JoJo said. “I was just out of it for the first couple of days.”
Max laughed. “Well, don’t tell Stover that. I told him that they had a rape kit, and they could pin him with it.”
“I should have known it was him. During my hypnosis session with Emily, I saw my attacker’s eyes. They were light-colored, and his hair was kind of medium. Fits Stover.”
“I bet we can get Hank and Swede to dig into Stover’s deployments and they’ll find out he was there at the same time you were. Any way it goes, Stover tried to push me over the edge of the cliff. That’s attempted murder, in my books,” Max said.
“My God, Max.” JoJo tried to turn her head. Her foot slipped, and she would have fallen if Max wasn’t holding her tightly
Max’s grip tightened around her. “Don’t worry. This old soldier still has some new tricks. I ended up pulling Stover off his ATV, and he landed flat on his face.”
“Where is he now?” JoJo asked.
“Jake took over. He’s holding him until we can get him down the mountain and into the hands of the sheriff’s department.”
“Hey, JoJo!” Gunny called out. “You hanging in there?”
JoJo laughed. “Yes, I am, Gunny.”
“You better. I need help in the bar, and you’re the best bartender I have.”
“What about RJ?” JoJo asked.
“Oh, she’s good too, but the customers like the way you mix drinks.”
“I’ll be back at work,” she called out, “in time for the evening crowd. By the way, who’s handling the lunch crowd?”
“I left Emily in charge,” Gunny said.
“She’ll be a better bartender than even I was,” JoJo said. “She’s good at listening.”
“Hang in there,” Gunny said. “The mountain rescue team is on its way.”
JoJo leaned her head back against Max’s shoulder. “Now that the man who attacked me has been identified, I won’t need a bodyguard anymore.”
Max squeezed her tighter. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy.”
“Good,” she said. “That’s the last thing I want to do because, you see, I kind of like you.”
“What, you don’t love me yet? It’s been a whole what? Three or four days since we met? That’s practically a lifetime.” Max rested his cheek against her hair
“Based on everything that’s happened to us since then? You’re right.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her temple. “Sweetheart, take all the time you need to fall in love with me. Just as long as you do, because I’m pretty sure I’m well on my way to falling in love with you.”
Chapter 17
JoJo sat on the porch swing at the lodge on Lost Valley Ranch with Max sitting beside her, holding her hand. Her heart was full, and she hadn’t felt this relaxed and happy since she’d returned from her stay in the hospital in Germany.
“So what was it like to be hauled up the side of a cliff in a basket?” RJ asked.
“I’m not exactly sure,” JoJo said. “I closed my eyes for most of it. What I do know is that I never want to do that again.”
RJ frowned. “And I never want to see my dearest friend clinging to a ledge with barely enough room for a foot, much less two to keep her there without falling.”
“I, for one, am thankful for that narrow ledge. It was the only thing between me, and the same fate Miles Curry suffered.”
RJ shivered. “I can’t tell you how hard I prayed that the wind didn’t decide to make a showing at that moment.”
JoJo lifted her chin. “So, what’s going to happen to Stover?”
“For one, he won’t be running for Congress,” RJ said.
Jake nodded. “For another, Hank Patterson’s computer guru, Swede, got hold of the hospital in Ramstein. They did process a rape kit on you. The DNA was a match for Lawrence Stover.”
RJ’s lip curled. “That bastard’s going to jail.”
JoJo nodded. “He’s still claiming he’s innocent.”
“The DNA doesn’t lie. We should get final results within the next couple of days. Swede also determined that Stover and Curry were at the same forward operating base during the time of your attack.”
JoJo’s breath caught and held in her throat. The two men had been trusted members of the US military. How could they have done what they had?
“Did you ever get your memory back from the attack?” RJ asked.
JoJo shook her head. “No, but I got enough back that I remembered the man beating me had light-colored eyes and medium-colored hair.”
“It shouldn’t matter,” Jake said. “The DNA match from the rape kit sample will provide enough evidence to send Stover to prison at Leavenworth for a long time. And Curry isn’t a problem anymore.”
Max slipped an arm around JoJo’s shoulders. “You’re safe, now.”
Emily sat on the porch stairs. “If you want, we can continue our hypnosis sessions to get those memories back.”
JoJo shook her head. “No, I’d rather not. It’s bad enough I have the nightmares without the hypnosis and will for a long time. Why bring it up even more? I know in my mind that Stover and Curry were responsible for what happened to me. Curry admitted it to me before he pushed me off the cliff.”
Max’s jaw hardened. “And Stover refuses to admit it. But we’ll get him in court.”
A car drove up in the lodge driveway.
JoJo glanced toward RJ. “Are we expecting anyone?”
RJ grinned. “Actually, we are. I got a call from Hank last night. He said he was sending Kujo down from Montana on a special mission.” RJ lifted her chin. “You remember Kujo. He’s one of Hank’s Brotherhood Protectors. He’s the one who came down to help set up the Colorado office. He has a special surprise for JoJo.”
Jake smiled. “Swede tracked you back all the way to your unit, and then forward to the flight medics who airlifted you out to the medical staging unit. The flight medics have been taking care of someone special for you.”
JoJo frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Swede spoke to the medics,” Jake continued. “They said that some Afghan women found you and that a dog had been hanging around, protecting you.”
JoJo nodded. “The dog dug me out and pulled on my arm until I rolled over and could breathe fresh air. I remember that. That dog saved my life. If he hadn’t come along, those women wouldn’t have found me.”
Jake nodded. “One of the medics on board that helicopter thought that dog belonged to you. She loaded him into the helicopter with you. They’ve kept him safe and healthy until you could come back for him. When she found out where you’d landed in Colora
do, she worked with a rescue organization to have the dog shipped to the States.”
JoJo leaned forward. “Seriously?”
Kujo stepped out of the SUV and opened the back door. A German Shepherd jumped out.
JoJo frowned. “I’m almost sure that isn’t the dog that dug me out of the dirt. It was more of a mutt. A mixed breed.”
Jake grinned. “No, that’s Kujo’s dog, Six. Kujo rounded to the back of the SUV, opened the hatch and snapped a lead on an animal’s collar.
A moment later, a dog about half the size of Six leaped to the ground. He had short, kind of yellow fur with one perky ear and one floppy one.
JoJo pushed to her feet, her eyes filling with tears. It was the dog that had saved her life. “It’s him. I know it’s him.”
“The medics took good care of him while he was in Afghanistan. He’s had all of his shots, he’s been dewormed and treated for parasites and fleas,” Jake said. “All he needs is a good home with someone who will treat him well.”
JoJo stepped down from the porch, her heart swelling in her chest. “But he’s not my dog,” she whispered.
Kujo walked with the dog to the deck and smiled up at everyone. “Were you waiting for me to start the party?”
Gunny laughed. “Sorry, Kujo, we started the party without you.”
“No worries,” Kujo said. “I brought a friend for JoJo. Seems they’ve met before.” He grinned. “The medics who airlifted you to the medical staging unit have taken care of your dog since you left over six months ago.”
“Actually, that dog doesn’t belong to me,” JoJo said, squatting in front of him to scratch behind his ears.
“He can be,” Jake said.
She looked up at Jake, her eyes shining. “What’s his name?”
“The medics named him Roscoe. But if you decide to take him, you can name him anything you want.”
JoJo smiled. “Roscoe’s a good name. I like it. But what am I going to do with a dog when I move back to my apartment?”
“You’re not going back to that apartment, or any other apartment,” RJ insisted.
“You’re staying here at the Lost Valley Ranch. At least, for now,” Max said.
RJ grinned. “Is there something you need to tell us?”
Max shook his head. “Not yet, but soon.”
“Roscoe is welcome to stay here at Lost Valley Ranch,” RJ said. “From what Swede said, the medics who kept him put him through some training. He’s got some manners.”
JoJo held out her hand for Roscoe to sniff.
After investigating her hand, he let out a slight yipping sound and jumped up on her.
JoJo fell backward on her bottom.
“Are you sure you want this dog?” Kujo asked, giving her a hand up.
“Yes,” JoJo said. “I owe this dog my life.” She bent and tentatively wrapped her arms around the dog and hugged it close.
Roscoe didn’t seem to mind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and panted.
“Thank you for saving me,” JoJo whispered into the dog’s ear.
Max stepped up beside JoJo and the dog.
JoJo looked up at the former Special Operations soldier. “Looks like we have a dog.” She was so happy, she didn’t care who was watching. She flung her arms around Max’s neck, leaned up on her toes and kissed Max.
“What was that for?” he asked. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“You and Roscoe have something in common,” she said.
Max cocked an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And what would that be?”
“You both saved my life.”
Max chuckled. “Whew, I thought for a moment you’d say we smell like each other.” He winked.
JoJo shook her head. “It’s a good thing I don’t love you for your jokes. You’d never make a living as a comedian.”
“You mean my stand-up comedy isn’t even getting a chuckle out of you?”
“Nope,” JoJo said.
Max’s eyebrows drew downward into a V. “Wait. What was it you said?”
JoJo’s opened her eyes wide, looking all innocent, her cheeks heating. “About you never making a living as a comedian?”
“No, the part about not loving me for my jokes.” He pulled her into his arms. “Does that mean you love me for some other reason?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” She twisted her lips.
Max’s frowned deepened. “So what does it mean?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up into his eyes. “It means I love you for all the other reasons I could possibly name.”
He laughed and hugged her tight. “I thought you didn’t think we could fall in love in such a short timeframe.”
“Like you said…when you know you know.” She leaned up on her toes. “I hope you like me, and I hope you like dogs. I’m a package deal.” She rested her hand on Roscoe’s head. “Me and Roscoe.”
Max kissed her and stared into her eyes. “I’ll take the package deal. I love you, JoJo. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know everything there is to know about you.”
“And I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you,” she said. “I feel like my life has been on hold. Until I met you. I’ve faced my fears and conquered them because of you. Now, I want to embrace my life and move on.”
Max rested his forehead against hers. “As long as you move on with me, I’ll be happy.”
THE END
* * *
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Breaking Silence
Delta Force Strong Book #1
New York Times & USA Today
Bestselling Author
Chapter 1
Had he known they would be deployed so soon after their last short mission to El Salvador, Rucker Sloan wouldn’t have bought that dirt bike from his friend Duff. Now, it would sit there for months before he actually got to take it out to the track.
The team had been given forty-eight hours to pack their shit, take care of business and get onto the C130 that would transport them to Afghanistan.
Now, boots on the ground, duffel bags stowed in their assigned quarters behind the wire, they were ready to take on any mission the powers that be saw fit to assign.
What he wanted most that morning, after being awake for the past thirty-six hours, was a cup of strong, black coffee.
The rest of his team had hit the sack as soon as they got in. Rucker had already met with their commanding officer, gotten a brief introduction to the regional issues and had been told to get some rest. They’d be operational within the next forty-eight hours.
Too wound up to sleep, Rucker followed a stream of people he hoped were heading for the chow hall. He should be able to get coffee there.
On the way, he passed a sand volleyball court where two teams played against each other. One of the teams had four players, the other only three. The four-person squad slammed a ball to the ground on the other side of the net. The only female player ran after it as it rolled toward Rucker.
He stopped the ball with his foot and picked it up.
The woman was tall, slender, blond-haired and blue-eyed. She wore an Army PT uniform of shorts and an Army T-shirt with her hair secured back from her face in a ponytail seated on the crown of her head.
Without makeup, and sporting a sheen of perspiration, she was sexy as hell, and the men on both teams knew it.
They groaned when Rucker handed her the ball. He’d robbed them of watching the female soldier bending over to retrieve the runaway.
She took the ball and frowned. “Do you play?”
“I have,” he answered.
“We could use a fourth.” She lifted her chin in challenge.
Tired from being awake for the past thirty-six hours, Rucker opened his mouth to say hell no. But he made the mistake of looking into her sky-blue eyes and instead said, “I’m in.”
What the hell
was he thinking?
Well, hadn’t he been wound up from too many hours sitting in transit? What he needed was a little physical activity to relax his mind and muscles. At least, that’s what he told himself in the split-second it took to step into the sandbox and serve up a heaping helping of whoop-ass.
He served six times before the team playing opposite finally returned one. In between each serve, his side gave him high-fives, all members except one—the blonde with the blue eyes he stood behind, admiring the length of her legs beneath her black Army PT shorts.
Twenty minutes later, Rucker’s team won the match. The teams broke up and scattered to get showers or breakfast in the chow hall.
“Can I buy you a cup of coffee?” the pretty blonde asked.
“Only if you tell me your name.” He twisted his lips into a wry grin. “I’d like to know who delivered those wicked spikes.”
She held out her hand. “Nora Michaels,” she said.
He gripped her hand in his, pleased to feel firm pressure. Women might be the weaker sex, but he didn’t like a dead fish handshake from males or females. Firm and confident was what he preferred. Like her ass in those shorts.
She cocked an eyebrow. “And you are?”
He’d been so intent thinking about her legs and ass, he’d forgotten to introduce himself. “Rucker Sloan. Just got in less than an hour ago.”
“Then you could probably use a tour guide to the nearest coffee.”
He nodded. “Running on fumes here. Good coffee will help.”
“I don’t know about good, but it’s coffee and it’s fresh.” She released his hand and fell in step beside him, heading in the direction of some of the others from their volleyball game.
“As long as it’s strong and black, I’ll be happy.”
She laughed. “And awake for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Spoken from experience?” he asked, casting a glance in her direction.
She nodded. “I work nights in the medical facility. It can be really boring and hard to stay awake when we don’t have any patients to look after.” She held up her hands. “Not that I want any of our boys injured and in need of our care.”
