That was handy.
Sarah showed her the gun.
Well, they had backup, only…Maxine had a gun pointed at Zayn’s chest. He wouldn’t survive the shot.
Stella knew she was going to have to be an active participant in saving her man’s life.
She got it.
Normally, he’d place his body over hers, and he had before. Now she was going to do the same.
She couldn’t let him die.
Getting the picture, she nodded at Sarah and held her hand where her mother couldn’t see it.
She began the countdown.
“Hit send. I want all of that money and yours too.”
Zayn went to hit the key.
Three.
Two.
One.
Stella had to move.
With everything she had in her much smaller body, she slammed her arm up, forcing the gun to go off over Zayn’s head, and then she was moving.
She threw all of her body against him, hoping he got the idea.
The chair flipped over as the door broke in. All Stella heard was a shout, two more gunshots, and she began to pray.
For their lives.
Epilogue
Saturday
Three days later
Well, it had been one hell of a week. After Sarah saved their bacon and killed Maxine, they had to bail on that home. Thankfully, Zayn had paid cash for it, and there wasn’t really anything there that was personal.
The bad part of it all?
When the shit went down, Danforth made a break for it, escaping into the city with his gunshot wound.
Worse? Chesky was gone too.
He was in the wind, bailing on his partner.
Oh, Zayn knew it wouldn’t be for long. He didn’t get that one big score of the millions. He would be hungry for more, and they were going to find him.
No matter what.
Now, as the week was coming to a close, they were taking a day to themselves.
Sarah had promised Charlotte a night off, and she was going to be working the bar, but first…
It was Christmas Eve.
While most people were at home with their families, having that holiday cheer, they were kind of doing the same.
In ‘Purgatory’.
Oh, the irony.
It didn’t matter to them because it was the holiday, they were one step closer to finding Chesky, and none of them were going to give up.
They were a family.
They had each other’s backs.
It was good to be taking some time off for good behavior.
“Merry Christmas,” Rogue said, entering the bar. He’d waited until he’d seen Charlotte leave. While he wanted to be with his family, he didn’t want to be near her.
Memories were enough.
He wasn’t going back.
“Merry Christmas!” they all said, as he pulled over a chair.
Rogue had a bag with him.
“Yo! Santa, what’s in the sack?” Zayn asked.
“Well, as a matter of fact, I have a few gifts for the family. I was over at my mom’s, and she helped me wrap them.”
“You should have brought her,” Stella said.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “That’s sweet, but she’s not a bar kind of woman, but she did offer up Christmas dinner at her place.”
“I’m in,” Dakota stated.
“Me too,” Sarah offered.
“Count us in,” Stella said.
Rogue pulled out a few gifts and handed them out. First, he handed two boxes to the ladies.
They opened them.
In them were two pretty silver bracelets with turquoise stones embedded in the cuff.
“Open these,” he said to the men, handing them boxes too.
When they did, they found two belt buckles with the same stones, but one had a steer head and one a sheriff’s star.
“For the ladies, something pretty to remind them that they have a family that loves them, and for the men, a buckle. You belong.”
It wasn’t lost on Dakota that the star was from his badge that he’d hung on the tree. He’d had it remade into the buckle.
“So pretty!” Sarah said, giving him a hug. “I’m going to wear it tonight.”
Zayn pulled out a few boxes from his bag too. “Well, since you started with the presents, I have something symbolic for you too,” he offered.
They all took the thin boxes he handed them.
“Stella and I thought long and hard on these.”
They opened them.
Inside, they each had a feather—a genuine eagle feather.
“We thought that every family has a war bonnet that they call their own. We come from different families, but maybe, we can earn some of that atonement and make our own. We are a family, and we need a symbol.”
That was a beautiful testament to all of them. The three misfits who walked into that courtyard had come together, against the odds, and created…
Love.
“Zayn, thank you,” Sarah said, giving him a hug.
Dakota held out his hand.
“Iginvtli.”
Tears filled his eyes. “Yes, my brother. We are one,” Zayn said, taking his hand.
Rogue put his hand over theirs, and the girls did the same.
“We have a gift too,” Sarah said, pulling two wrapped boxes from her bag. “What do you buy the men who have everything?” she asked.
Zayn and Rogue opened them.
When they did, they each held a beautiful silver frame with ‘FAMILY’ engraved on it.
In the picture, the three men were standing in the kitchen at their base, laughing.
Sarah had gotten the picture.
“We hope you’ll put these in your secret homes. We hope you’ll see them and remember that even though we’re all different, we are still stronger as a family.”
Rogue kissed her, and then kissed Dakota.
“Jesus! Get a girl! Not a guy!”
Zayn laughed until the man moved toward him. “I’ll break your pretty boy face, Iginvtli.”
He laughed.
“Tough crowd.”
“Oh, and we have one thing left, and it’s for Mrs. Thundercloud,” Sarah said, pulling the frou-frou box from her bag and handing it to the woman.
She opened it.
And squealed.
“What the hell?”
She held up the pink gun encrusted with sparkly gems.
Sarah grinned.
“I have a matching one. Sometimes, you have to be sexy.”
After all, girls were going to be girls.
“Yeah, no one will see that coming,” Zayn said, as his wife pointed it at him.
He moved it away from his direction.
“Uh, lessons starting tomorrow.”
“But tomorrow is Christmas. We’re going to be too busy to be shooting.”
And they were.
“The day after Christmas, we go back to work,” Zayn said. “We have to find Mercedes, no matter what’s been done to her. We have to save her.”
The men all agreed—especially her sister.
Dakota took out his phone and rattled off a text for Elizabeth Blackhawk.
You know…since it was Christmas.
‘We lost Chesky, but we aren’t done. The mission isn’t over. Send intel. We’re going to break up this sex trade. Merry Christmas, Lyzbeth. Thank you for breaking my heart all those years ago. You did it so I’d wait for the right girl. I’ll still love you, but this time, like a sister. I see that you knew best.’
He didn’t have to wait long to get his reply. Apparently, someone wasn’t taking a holiday.
‘You’ll get him. We have faith in you. We are heading to Vegas to fight that same sex ring fight. As for the last part, darlin’, I have no idea what you’re talking about--maybe. Love from our family to yours. We have your back. Invite me to the wedding. I’ll show. Love you, too, Dak. Family can never be too big. Blackhawks out.’
&nbs
p; Yeah, she was right.
His family grew, and he was lucky.
“Here’s to staying in New Orleans to build a new life,” Dakota said, holding up his beer.
They all joined him.
“Merry Christmas, family. God bless us one and all!”
And he had.
As Sarah drank her beer, she saw Julius waving to her. She was up to bat.
“Okay, fam, buckle up. I have to earn that intel from Charlotte. I hope I entertain.”
She kissed Dakota, pulled off her sweater to reveal a tank top covered in bells.
He began sputtering.
Then he saw the rock on her hand.
No need.
She was his and always would be. That was for damn sure.
“The next round is on me. AFTER we watch Sarah do her thing,” he said saluting his girl.
At the bar, two big criminals boosted her over the top. They were about to enjoy ‘The Bunny Show’.
And it began.
People laughed.
They sang Christmas carols, and in that moment, no one in ‘Purgatory’ was anything more than a human being, enjoying the holiday.
This felt right.
From the bar, Sarah pointed at Stella.
“Me?” she asked.
She nodded.
“Be right back! I have some tending bar to do,” she said, kissing her husband before heading off.
Before they knew it, Sarah and Stella were both dancing on the bar.
It was fun to watch.
“About our partnership,” Dakota said, glancing over at his friends.
“Yeah?”
“We make a damn good team.”
“HEADS UP!” Sarah yelled.
Dakota was up and he caught the three beer bottles, caps still on. He was amused by his girl.
“She’s…something.”
Yeah, she was, and so were they. Handing the beers to the men, he finally felt at home.
Ironic?
Hell yeah.
Perfect?
Yeah.
“To our family,” he said, as they clinked bottles. “May we have a long life, find those we chase, and not evade love.”
“That was for me, wasn’t it?” Rogue asked, uncapping his beer.
Both men began laughing, as they chugged their Christmas brews.
“Yeah, my brother, it was.”
Rogue shrugged. He didn’t need a woman.
He found a family.
And in the end, that was all that mattered. No, they didn’t get everyone, but it wasn’t a bad week.
They would win.
He would bet on his family each and every time. They were unstoppable.
And in New Orleans, that was one hell of a thing.
* * * H U N T E R * * *
Across Town
She was using her precious day off to handle some business. While she’d rather be home, she knew what was at stake. The whole city was stirred up.
Sex dealings.
Bad guys gone good.
And a serial killer making her mark.
New Orleans was waking, and that might not be a good thing. It was time for Charlotte to hedge her bet, and pick her side.
This meeting would do just that.
Still, when she arrived at the site, she has a bad feeling brewing in her gut.
All she really wanted was to get home to her family.
To her little girl.
But she has bills to pay, and tomorrow was Christmas day. She’d see her daughter then. For now, she had to secure their future. New Orleans was changing.
And she was trying to hold on.
As she headed into the building, the men were already there.
“Why did you call this meeting here?” she asked.
“Have a seat.”
“Chesky, what gives?”
He pulled out a gun.
“My girl died because you helped them. I just heard from a little birdie that you were the one who procured their invite to the boat. Is that true?”
She tried to play confused.
It was all that would save her ass.
“What?”
“We let you into our business. We trusted you, Charlotte, and you turned on us.”
“Hey! I didn’t tell them anything about you,” she said. “I knew right where to find you, Chesky. I didn’t give them your address. I kept my mouth closed.”
“Yeah, and that’s exactly why I didn’t take your daughter and sell her off. Do you know how many men love children?”
She wanted to puke.
“If you touch her…”
He grinned. “Well, time will tell.”
“I didn’t do jack to your operation, and you know it. I’m sorry your girl got hurt, but that’s how it rolls in New Orleans. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. I’m leaving.”
Her heart was pounding, and Charlotte knew she was three days past screwed.
She watched the gun and was glad she wore Kevlar. She knew she’d survive the shot to her chest.
Then she watched the gun track higher.
And him pulling the trigger.
It all moved in slow motion, and she couldn’t believe it. She was about to die.
As the bullet hit her in the throat, her ability to breathe stopped, and she was left gasping for air. As she grabbed her throat, the blood pouring out of her body and down her windpipe, she began drowning.
Charlotte dropped to her knees.
“You’re a snake, Charlotte, and now you have to pay. You don’t fuck with the big dogs.”
The men walked away, leaving her to slowly suffocate in her own blood.
Charlotte struggled to pull out her phone, the room going gray around her.
She sent off one text message.
‘I’m shot. Temporarily hide her and then when the coast is clear, get her to her father. They will come for her!’
As soon as she hit send, the phone dropped from her weakening fingers, and she followed it to the ground.
She had to hope for the best.
Charlotte had to pray he’d take her in.
Rogue may hate her, but the man who never knew his daughter existed was going to be surprised.
And she prayed he’d take care of her.
Because Charlotte Shaw was out of time.
And soon, so was the rest of New Orleans.
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Dakota Rakin’s new adventure! Stay tuned for his next one! Absolution, book 2, coming in May 2018!
Stick around for some fun, and weigh in. In your review, tell me if I should make this a series or keep it a trilogy. Did you like the mercenaries behaving badly?
Much love, mayhem, and murder,
Morgan.
Coming Next:
Dawn of Evil
Book 21 in the FBI series #3 flashback
Jan 2018
Other books by Morgan Kelley:
Standalone books
The Junction (Out of Print)
Serial Sins (Out of Print)
The Blood Betrayal (Out of Print)
Romance/FBI Thriller Series
Elizabeth, Ethan, and Callen
The Killing Times (book 1)
Sacred Burial Grounds (book 2)
True Love Lost (book 3)
Deep Dark Mire (book 4)
Fire Burns Hot (book 5)
Darkness of Truth (book 6)
Devil Hath Come (book 7)
Consumed by Wrath (book 8)
Redemption is Here (book 9)
Dead Shall Speak (book 10)
Pledging to Die (book 11)
Slay Bells Ring (book 12)
Past will Haunt (13) Flashback Book #1
Choices will Destroy (14)
Blood shall Run (15)
Act of Blood (16)
Stalked by the Past (17) Flashback book #2
Dying to Love (18)
Kiss of Souls (18.5) a Littlemoon/FBI crossover.
Revenge h
as Come (19) June 2017
Discarded by Fate (20) Oct 2017
Dawn of Evil (21) Flashback book #3 Jan 2018
Dead are Forgotten (22) Jan 2018
Love Knows No Bounds (23) Valentine’s Day 2018
Blood of my Enemies (24) June 2018
Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Series
Greyson and Emma Croft
Celestia is Falling (book 1)
Vegas is Dying (book 2)
Christmas is Killing (book 3)
Love is Bleeding (book 4)
Heaven is Weeping (book 5)
Hell is Burning (book 6)
Justice is Dying (book 7)
The Croft Mob Series
Greyson and Emma Croft spinoff series
Dark Justice (1)
Lost Justice (2)
Paid Justice (3)
Wedding of our Dreams Novella (3.5) Steele and Dante
True Justice (4) March 2018
Mob Justice (5) August 2018
All Justice (6) March 2019
Wedding Day Blues Novella (6.5) March 2019
No Justice (7) August 2019
City Justice (8) March 2020
Bad Justice (9) August 2020
Sold Justice (10) March 2021
The Littlemoon Investigations Series
Julian and Tori Littlemoon
Blood Red Rage (book 1)
Lost & Broken (book 2)
Unthinkable Games (book 3)
Truth is Found (book 4)
Haven of Nightmares (book 5)
Forbidden Secrets (book 6)
Kiss of Souls (book 7)
Lost Souls (book 8) Sept 2017
Found Curses (book 8) April 2018
The Hunter Trilogy
Dakota Rakin
Atonement (1) December 2017
Absolution (2) May 2018
Amends (3) December 2018
Atonement: The Hunter Mercenary Series (Book One) Page 42
