But he couldn't stop. He couldn't leave Lana in the dark any more than he could walk away from her now.
"I was so in love with you that I blew off my best friend, Lana. If I had taken Michael home that night—like we had planned—he wouldn't have died. His death is my fault. I'm the one responsible for taking your brother away from you."
Lana gave a cough. He didn't know if it was a sob or a hard outtake of air.
"And when I went after the driver . . . everyone thought I stopped short of killing the man. But I didn't. I thought I had killed him. I had wanted to do it with all my heart." Hank clenched his hands into fists as if he could imagine them wrapped around the other man's throat, even now. "They never should have let me out of prison. And I never should have thought I could come here. I have no place in your life."
Lana's eyes steeled suddenly, and Hank thought he knew what was coming. She was going to slap him. His cheek already tingled from the impact that was about to occur. He waited. He wanted it. He wanted whatever punishment she of all people could hand down to him. It would absolve him of nothing, but maybe he could finally stop punishing himself, every day of the week he woke up without Michael, without her, in his world . . .
Lana reached for him, grabbed his collar, and pulled him in against her. Hank went. Her arms were slim, but he was already falling into her before he could think to do otherwise. He let the circle of her embrace cradle and enfold him. He shut his eyes, not believing in the moment that it was happening, but surrendering to it all the same.
"I forgive you, Hank," Lana said. Her voice couldn't have been anything above a whisper, but it drowned out the clanging in his head, the maelstrom of feeling that he couldn't take on his own. It all went away, as if Lana's whisper was the much-needed gust of strong wind to disperse the storm. "The past is the past. We need to move on from it. All three of us. Together." She pulled his hand between them and placed it on her belly. "It's what Michael would want. I know that you love me, and that you loved Michael. Neither of us would ever want to see you suffer this way. It's time to let go."
A sob hitched in his throat. The noise startled him. He tried to tamp it down, but it was no use; it came again, and this time he didn't fight it. He let his suffering pour out of him, and Lana shouldered it—as she shouldered him. He clung to her as if he wasn't half a foot taller than she was. He clung to her like a child, crying like a child, and the hands that held him made gentle circles on his back. Tears he didn't know he was capable of streamed down his face, and . . .
Water. Drops of it, falling from the sky, catching in his hair and running beneath his shirt collar.
It was raining. The sensation was so extraordinary that Hank took a step back, and so did Lana, although their arms never left each other. The roiling sky opened up above them and poured forth a rain like he had never seen before. The deluge was almost biblical. It felt like standing beneath a waterfall with barely a break in the stream.
"The fire! Hank!" Lana tugged at him earnestly, and Hank diverted his attention to the burning houses behind them. The fire hissed beneath the onslaught of rain. It shied away, and looked to be retreating beneath the burning rafters of the roofs.
"My God. It's going to put the fire out," he breathed.
And just like that, he knew the rain had done something more. It had washed away him, and all that had made him Hank Logan for the past tormented decade: washed away his fears, his worries, and his guilt. The feelings bled away from him like rainwater runoff, until all that remained was the present. He was cleansed of the past, gifted with an unexpected, extraordinary future.
He was going to be a father. He was going to be with Lana.
"Forever," he said as he turned back to her. "Lana, I want to be with you forever. Even that won't be enough time. Lana, I want you to marry me."
"Yes." The tears streamed anew down her face, or was that just the rain cleansing her, as well? Hank folded her in his arms and she kept saying the word: "Yes. Yes."
They stood together as one in the rain. All thoughts of leaving, now or in the future, vanished from his mind.
He didn't know how long they stood there.
The people of Cedar Springs began to trickle back slowly, one by one, to watch as the rain put out the fire and washed the air clean.
Epilogue
LANA
”Lana?" Sookie leaned in over her shoulder. Lana could see her scrunched face reflected in the mirror as she analyzed the contents scattered across the vanity. "Can I borrow your lipstick? That one, there?"
Lana smiled. "Of course." She handed her soon-to-be sister-in-law the coral red tube.
"Thanks." Sookie withdrew like a furtive raccoon. Lana wanted to laugh at the other woman's behavior. Of course, she knew Sookie was almost a complete stranger to using makeup; that was partly why Lana had bought so much to choose from in the first place.
But maybe the raccoon comparison was unfair. Sookie looked radiant in her taffeta wedding dress; her dark hair was pulled back and pinned with gorgeous off-white lilies. Admittedly, she had looked like she was sporting two black eyes when she’d showed up to the wedding venue, until Lana gently dabbed away her overshadowed lids and helped her reapply a more flattering shade.
Alex leaned over from her own vanity. "Oh, Sookie, I don't know about that one." Alex was draped in an A-line gown a shade lighter—and several inches longer—than Sookie's.
"It's the one Lana used. It looks fine on her!"
Lana grinned and decided to stay out of this one for now. She enjoyed sitting back to watch her two best friends argue and waiting to lend a hand with putting the finishing touches on their makeup if required.
A year after the fire, and it was their wedding day. The three friends had agreed to be married on the exact anniversary of the wildfire being extinguished, and all three of their firefighting fiancés had agreed there would be no date more fitting.
And speaking of fiancés . . .
Lana glanced at the clock. "Come on, you two. Time to go. No sense in keeping the menfolk waiting." Lana dragged them both out of their chairs. They paused for only a moment, standing together, to admire the gradation of their gowns in the mirror. Lana, on the end, and getting married last in today's ceremony, was dressed in traditional white.
The three brides filed out of the tent and into the open summer air. A gorgeous yellow sun streamed down, and the blue sky was unmarred by haze or clouds. I almost wish it would storm, Lana mused, but pushed the thought quickly from her mind before it could become a reality. A summer rain would really drive home the memory of the date's significance, but it would get everything soaking wet as well.
And Sookie spent so long trying to perfect her makeup, and it would be a total waste, Lana thought as she glanced sideways, but it was already too late. Her future sister-in-law was already crying silently, her eyes fixed straight ahead. On her other side, Lana heard Alex choke a little. She watched as the nurse brushed, needlessly, at her already impeccable blonde locks.
Lana looked, and finally saw what they were seeing. Up ahead, the three grooms were ranged along the steps of the platform that had been brought into the park for their wedding. Behind them, the burned foliage was already starting to regrow. It was one reason they had chosen this spot in the park for their ceremony.
Lana's eyes locked with Hank's, and they barely looked away from one another. Even as Sookie and Chase stepped together, even as Landon and Alex traded rings and linked hands . . . Lana knew that all the while, her own moment crept closer to reality. Her heart beat like a wild bird in her chest. As Hank held his hand out to her, she lifted the hem of her dress a little higher and mounted the steps to join him.
The local fire chief presided over their vows. He spoke, but Lana barely heard him. Hank gazed into her eyes, and when the moment finally came, he gave her hands a gentle squeeze to let her know that they had arrived.
"I do." She could barely get the words out. Tears gushed down her face as she looked into Hank's
eyes and saw that they were wet. It was the second time she had ever seen him cry.
"Then by the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Hank swept her up in his arms, and Lana shared her first kiss with her husband. She heard the cheering of the guests only distantly. She lost herself in the strength and warmth of his arms, in the complete and utter perfection of the moment. It had been a rough road, finding their way back to each other . . . but she couldn't imagine a better finish.
They grabbed hands, both grinning from ear-to-ear, and ran back down the aisle as their friends and neighbors showered them with petals. Lana had never seen Hank Logan’s smile so big. She thought his joy was bright enough to blind them all.
And there was Dyna, already waiting for them, cradling their baby in her arms. Lana put her hands out, and the precious life traded hands from old friend to mother. "You're so good," Lana cooed as she rocked the baby back and forth. A few rose petals had landed on the blanket-bundled three-month-old; the boy struck out with a plump, pink hand, and Lana laughed gently as she brushed him clean again.
Hank bent, near enough to her ear that only she could hear him. "I think it's time we made another one. What do you think? Maybe a girl?"
Lana laughed and elbowed him playfully. "Take it easy there, Chief. How about we wait until this little guy is at least two. Let me catch my mommy breath, will you?"
Hank chuckled. "Deal. But just letting you know, I want at least five."
"Stop it!"
"You don't believe me?" His eyes smoldered with the look of intense, unrelenting love he reserved only for her. "Why don't you try me on our honeymoon? I intend to make up for lost time."
Lana tried to elbow him again, but he wedged her arm beneath his own. He drew their family into an embrace, and kissed her just above the baby's head.
Their baby, Michael, giggled.
End of Burning Flame
Californian Wildfire Fighters Book Three
Lighting Fire, August 16 2018
Blazing Hot, August 23 2018
Burning Flame, August 30 2018
PS: Do you love alpha males in uniform? Then keep reading for exclusive extracts from Ride with the SEAL.
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About Leslie
Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.
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BLURB
When ex-SEAL Camden Thursday enters the garage at two in the morning, he’s intent on grand theft auto. Instead he’s confronted with more than a hot car—there’s a sexy mechanic too. His high school crush, wrench in hand, projects a “Dangerous Curves Ahead” warning far more tempting than any joy ride, but Camden isn’t here to try the road less traveled. He’s here to jack a car and prove he can do more than manipulate computer code for the black ops service he works for: Norse Security. So while Camden is looking to get physical on this job, he was hoping for someone to punch, not someone to plunder...
Everly Knight is the baddest bad girl in town. As the daughter of a mobster and a name in the auto industry for hot cars, she could rest on her laurels and let her reputation proceed her. However, Everly has a deep dark secret: she wants nothing more than a shiny, new, legal garage all of her own. She’s just a few thousand away from cashing in and figures that one last illegal car theft could finance her legal dreams. That is until the geek from her past shows up as a hunky hero; letting Everly see that it’s possible to become more than just a tough girl.
Camden may be all muscle, but it’s Everly who can stall the entire operation. She holds him hostage and offers an ultimatum: Take her on the ride or find himself a sitting duck for the mob. It’s not a hard choice when the bombshell revs his engine. But with warring goals and secret missions, they’ll find themselves fighting for their futures and racing toward a love they never saw coming.
Grab your copy of Ride With The SEAL (Norse Security Book One) from
www.LeslieNorthBooks.com
* * *
SNEAK PEEK
CHAPTER 1
Camden Thursday was over-prepared, as usual.
Still, despite hours of memorizing code and enough binary hacks to make his eyeballs explode, nothing could have prepared him for what he was looking at now. Sure, he’d expected the tech in the Aeon Turbo G90 to be mind-blowingly impressive—given it was the most advanced vehicle on the roadways today and the federal government had the only prototype in the world. Or at least they had until the damned thing had been stolen and ended up here at Knight’s Body and Repair—quite possibly the seediest garage in Washington, D.C. What he hadn’t expected, however, was the female mechanic apparently trying to hijack the thing out from under his nose at two in the morning.
Luckily, Cam wasn’t just a computer whiz Brainiac—as the other guys at Norse Security seemed to think. He was also a former Navy SEAL with the brawn and physical training to handle any situation. Breaking himself out of that geek hacker box they’d put him in was the main reason why he was here. Well, that and this was his first mission for his new employer, a chance to prove to himself and the other guys he was just as GI Joe as the rest of them, that he was more than the resident “tech guy” on their team, more than a brain on legs.
Silently, he waited until the woman was busy fiddling with something under the vehicle’s hood, then crept over to grab her from behind in a bear hold, preventing her from using that nasty looking wrench in her hand on his skull.
“What the fuck?” she gasped, struggling to escape from his hold. “Let me go!”
He managed to corral her kicking legs between his own muscled thighs and pinned her against the car, holding both the woman’s wrists behind her back in one hand while reaching for her utility light with the other. Cam aimed the light at her face to see her better and—
Holy shit!
Of all the people to run into tonight, it would have to be his high school crush.
Everly Knight still looked as beautiful as he remembered—all long, thick dark hair and big, brown doe eyes. She seemed to recognize him too, if her disdainful once-over was any indication. That surprised Cam, since he looked a lot different than he had twelve years ago. Adding one hundred pounds of new muscle would do that to a guy.
“Well, if it isn’t Geek Squad. All grown up and looking for trouble,” she said, her gaze narrowing. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“The name’s Camden. Camden Thursday.” He stared down at her, noticing a slight bump on the bridge of her nose that hadn’t been there before, like maybe she’d been in a fight or broken it. He frowned. “And I can ask you the same thing. This doesn’t belong to you.”
“Not yours either.” She squirmed against him and damn if it didn’t set off an array of interesting sparks through his bloodstream. He’d been without a woman for too long, that had to be it. The last thing he needed right know was to starting thinking with his cock instead of his brain. He was more than capable of handling a mission on his own, same as Kevin and Hunter. And he wouldn’t prove his point by screwing an old flame. Even if she’d been up for it, which judging from the glare she was shooting him right now, she wasn’t.
Cam took the wrench from her hand, just in case she got
any ideas about whacking him with it, then released her. He stepped back but still kept a wary eye on Everly. From her grease stained jeans and rumpled black T-shirt, it was pretty apparent she’d been working on the Aeon, but why? There’d been nothing wrong with it when it was stolen. At least that’s what he’d been told. “What do you want with that car?”
“What do you want with it?” she countered, crossing her arms over her chest and highlighting her magnificent rack.
“You gonna answer all my questions with more questions?” Cam slapped her wrench against his palm, hoping to dispel some of his nervous energy. “It’s two in the damned morning.”
“Maybe.” She picked up a nearby rag and wiped her hands. “And thanks for update.”
Cam exhaled slow and prayed for patience. They’d grown up in the same tough neighborhood, both from the wrong side of the tracks. Her dad had owned this auto body shop back then too, Cam remembered. Rumor had it he had ties to the mob and they ran a chop shop on the side out of this hole in the wall garage. Cam glanced around the grungy place, through the stacks of ragged tires and used vehicle parts scattered about and noticed the crooked, rusted metal sign tacked to the wall proclaiming “Knight’s Body and Repair. We pay for scrap metal.”
He’d bet good money they were still in the “salvage” business now, if Everly’s peeved glare was any indication. She gave a dismissive sigh then tossed her towel aside and went back to poking around under the hood of the Aeon. Was she stripping it for parts already? He couldn’t let that happen. Norse Security’s contract with the feds was for the car returned intact and in good working order. And with the software working, of course. For that’s where the Aeon’s real value was—the high-tech computer chips inside the car. Which made this the perfect mission for Cam.
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