Justice for Erin (Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Book 9)

by Susan Stoker

  Erin put a finger over his lips to shut him up. “Yes.”

  “Yes?” Conor asked, pushing up to his hands over her.

  She smiled shyly. “Yes.”

  “When?”

  “Whenever you want.”

  “Tomorrow,” Conor declared.

  Erin laughed and he felt it in his dick. He was still buried inside her, and feeling her movements against him made him start to get hard again.

  Her eyes widened. “Is that normal?”

  “Around you? Absolutely.” As he hardened, Conor began to slide in and out of her, his way made easier by both his come and hers. “Are you protected?” he asked.

  Her brows came down in confusion.

  “Birth control, bright eyes. Are you on the pill?”

  Her eyes widened a little. “A little late to ask now, don’t you think?” she asked with a smirk, but let him off the hook when she continued. “I was, but with everything that happened and being in the hospital…I haven’t even thought about them.”

  “Are you opposed to children?”

  This time, her eyes filled with tears, and Conor froze above her. “Erin? Shit!” He started to pull out, but she grabbed his ass and held him to her.

  “I’ve always wanted kids. I wanted to be the kind of mother I never had. I wanted to show them unconditional love.” She chewed on her lip for a second, then blurted, “Are you opposed to kids?”

  Conor smiled and renewed his slow thrusts. “I am definitely not opposed to having babies with you. Erin Dallas Gardner. Will you marry me? Let me give you children who will love you fiercely and unconditionally? A little girl we can share the joys of camping with and a little boy I can teach my love of the outdoors to?”

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  Conor leaned down and kissed the side of each eye, absorbing her tears. Taking a chance, he pulled out and turned onto his back. “Make love to me this time, bright eyes.”

  When she hesitated, Conor worried he’d ruined the moment, but then she got a look of determination in her eyes and she swung one leg over his hips.

  For the first time, Conor looked fully upon the naked body of the woman he loved. He’d been in too much of a hurry the first time to really see her.

  She was beautiful. She wasn’t perfect, he could see the scar across her belly where she’d had the tummy tuck to get rid of the excess skin there. She had them on her inner thighs and under her arms too. But to him, every inch was beautiful.

  He took the time to run a finger over every scar he could see, whispering words of love and how beautiful he thought she was as he did. She’d stiffened when he first touched them, but with every word out of his mouth, she visibly relaxed.

  “Put me inside you,” he begged. He could see her inner thighs glistening with their combined releases as she lifted above him. She took his cock in her hand and fit it to her, then sank down with one fast move that made him groan in ecstasy.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed. “You’re so deep.”

  “Fuck me, bright eyes.”

  And she did. She bounced up and down on his cock, taking her pleasure, and Conor beamed throughout. Women were way too concerned about every little roll and wrinkle. In his eyes, his woman was perfect.

  After she’d brought herself to orgasm, Conor took hold of her hips and held her still as he fucked his cock up and down inside her. Once again, he came way too fast, but same as last time, he came with a feeling so intense, it made stars swim in his eyes.

  This time, she lay herself over him. “I’ll go tomorrow and get the application so we can get married as soon as possible,” he told her.

  Without lifting off his chest, she said, “I want to do it at the campsite.”

  Conor stiffened, but she went on before he could protest.

  “I don’t want that place to haunt either one of us. What better way to do that than to change bad memories into good ones?”

  Conor relaxed under her. She was right. “Okay, bright eyes, whatever you want.”

  She lifted her head then and smiled down at him. “I love you.”

  “And I love you back.”

  They slept then.

  The contented sleep that only two people who know they’re loved can.

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later, Erin Gardner officially became Erin Paxton. They stood in the exact spot the picnic table had been when she’d been abducted. The bluebonnets had mostly died off in the field, but the birds were singing and there was a light breeze.

  Erin looked around after the ceremony was over and marveled at how, for a girl who’d never really had any friends, she suddenly seemed to have more than her fair share.

  There were dozens of people there. All Conor’s law enforcement friends and their significant others. All of the firefighters and their girlfriends. Juliette Winston, the game warden who’d been such a help when she’d gone missing. Conor’s parents and sisters. She’d even invited Alex, Chad, Matthew, and Jose, the young men who’d been on the canoe trip with them.

  They hadn’t planned on a wedding this large, but in the end, couldn’t not invite anyone. There were tables set up in the small meadow nearby and they’d hired a company to make burgers and hotdogs. They wanted to keep it laid-back and casual, just like them.

  Erin wore a white dress…and her hiking boots. Her lucky flint, still attached, having more meaning now and somehow it seemed appropriate to have the flint her dad had given her, and which had ultimately saved her life, on her feet.

  She even managed to eat a couple bites of their wedding cake. All in all, the wedding and reception had been perfect.

  “Hey, Mrs. Paxton.”

  Erin smiled as Conor’s arms wrapped around her waist and settled on her belly. She relaxed against him. “Hey, Mr. Paxton.”

  “Happy?” he asked.

  “Blissful. You?”

  He turned her then, and put his finger under her chin. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive. Thank you.”

  “I think that’s my line…well…except it’s woman and not man. Thank you for humoring me and having our wedding here.”

  “You were right. This was the perfect place to do it. I love this area, but I’m not sure I would’ve ever come back.”

  Erin smiled up at him. “I know it’s early…but I’m late.”

  “For what?”

  She giggled. “My period. I’m late.”

  Conor went stock-still in her arms and stared down at her.

  “It’s possible it’s just the stress of setting up the wedding, but I’m usually pretty regular.”

  “And…you’re good with it?”

  “Yeah, Conor. I’m ecstatic.”

  He breathed out a sigh of relief, then a huge smile crept across his face.

  “But we can’t say anything yet. Not until I’m sure and it’s been at least three months. With my history, I want to make sure my body accepts the fetus.”

  “We’ll go to the doctor as soon as we can,” Conor reassured her. “You’re going to have to work harder at making sure you get the right nutrition,” he said hesitantly.

  Erin grabbed his palm and rested her cheek on it. “I know. I’m not saying being pregnant will be easy for me. The last thing I want to do is gain weight, but you’ll help me keep things in perspective.”

  “You know I will.”

  “I’m excited and scared at the same time,” Erin admitted. “I want a baby, but I’m afraid what it’ll do to me mentally.”

  “We’ll find a good counselor you can talk to. One that specializes in people who have had a gastric bypass.”

  “Is there such a thing?” Erin asked, scrunching up her nose.

  “I have no idea. But if there is, we’ll find him or her.”

  She smiled at that. “Deal. I might have ups and downs, but I want this baby, Conor. I want children with you. If it’s a boy…do you think we could name him Dallas…after my dad?”

  “I think that’s an amazing idea. And if we don’t have a boy,
we’ll just have to keep trying until we do. I love you, bright eyes. You’ve made the best day of my life even better.”

  Erin smiled up at him. “Dance with me?”

  “Gladly.”

  The newly married couple began to sway back and forth right where they were standing. There was no music, but neither needed it.

  “I’m going to head out,” TJ Rockwell told Quint and Corrie. They were standing off to the side talking about nothing in particular.

  “Everything all right?” his friend asked.

  “Yup. I’m on at seven in the morning, so I thought I’d head home and get some sleep before then.”

  “Drive safe,” Corrie said softly.

  TJ looked at his friend’s woman and smiled. “Of course. It’s what I do.”

  She smiled at him.

  Quint shook his hand. “See you later this week at The Sloppy Cow?”

  “Definitely. Let me know when,” TJ told him.

  They nodded at each other and TJ made his way through the crowd, stopping every couple of feet to say goodbye to his friends. When he’d left the Army, TJ never thought he’d be able to find a group of people he’d be as close with as he’d been with his Delta Force team, but he’d been wrong.

  It was a different kind of friendship with his fellow law enforcement and firefighter friends. More mellow, less intense. But that was okay.

  But as each one of his friends found women to spend the rest of their lives with, TJ got more and more depressed. He’d seen bad marriages all the time in the Army. Women who couldn’t handle being married to soldiers. Not able to deal with the stress of having them always gone and in danger.

  But it was obvious he’d just been around the wrong kind of women. The ones who were with his friends were amazing. Tough, strong, and loyal down to their bones. He wanted that. Wanted to have someone to come home to after a long shift patrolling the roads of Texas. Wanted someone to lean on when he had a bad day. Wanted to be there for someone else when she had a bad day.

  Unfortunately, he’d had that, but hadn’t realized it at the time. He wasn’t sure he’d ever find a woman like the one he’d left behind again.

  He’d barely made it out of the Natural Area when his phone rang. TJ didn’t recognize the number, except that it was from the Fort Hood area. Thinking it might be one of his Delta Force friends, he answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this TJ Rockwell?”

  “Speaking. Who is this?”

  “My name is Captain Chase Jackson. I’m Rayne Jackson’s brother.”

  TJ knew who the man on the other end of the line was. He hadn’t ever met him, but knew of him from Ghost. He’d heard the story about how his friend had met his girlfriend’s brother, more than once. But he had no idea why the captain would be calling him.

  “Is Rayne all right?” he asked quickly.

  “Yes. Everyone is fine.”

  “What can I do for you, Captain?” TJ asked uneasily. If it didn’t have to do with his friends, what did it have to do with?

  “I’m currently looking into reports of a school down your way that may or may not be a front for some sort of cult.”

  “Looking into?” TJ asked.

  “It’s a long story.”

  TJ pulled over to the side of the road so he could concentrate on the conversation. “And you’re calling me because…” He let his sentence trail off, hoping the Army captain would fill in the blanks. He heard the other man let out a big sigh before he spoke.

  “I got a call from a man I know and respect. He works for McKay-Taggart.”

  “Isn’t that a security company out of Dallas that specializes in undercover shit?” TJ asked. He’d heard of the notorious McKay-Taggart group. They were badass. If they were calling Captain Jackson, something big was up.

  “Yeah, that’s them. Anyway, one of their nieces, Sadie, went down to San Antonio to visit a friend. They got a call from her recently, and she has some suspicions about the school her friend’s working at. She was worried enough to call her uncle, and he in turn called me after finding out the guy who runs the school is ex-Army. We’ve communicated in the past, and they thought the Army might be interested in looking into his operation. Unfortunately, without any hard evidence of any wrongdoing, my superiors won’t get involved. You know…they don’t want any bad press since the guy in charge is a former soldier. Anyway, after Emily’s kidnapping when you stepped in to assist, and you being from San Antonio, I thought you might check in on Sadie and her friend Milena, see if there’s anything to Sadie’s concerns.”

  TJ hadn’t been terribly alarmed at anything Chase was saying—until that name at the end of his explanation. His heart seemed to stop beating for a second before starting up at double its former rate.

  It couldn’t be.

  “What’s her last name?” he asked.

  “Who, Sadie? Jennings,” Chase said.

  “No, the friend. Milena.”

  “Oh, uh…hang on…”

  TJ heard papers shuffling, then Chase said, “Reinhardt. Milena Reinhardt. Twenty-seven years old. Blonde hair, blue eyes, five-five or so. Why?”

  TJ ran his hand over his head. Milena Reinhardt. Holy shit.

  He’d thought about her every day over the last three years. Ever since he’d made the worst decision of his life.

  “No reason. I’ll find out what I can. You have a file on the women and the school?”

  “Yup. I’ll send it over a secure link. I’m your contact on this, Rock,” Chase said, using TJ’s old Delta Force nickname for the first time. “Do not involve Ghost or the others on his team in this. Your job is recon only. Got it?”

  “Yes, Sir.” The title rolled off his tongue with ease, as if he were back in the Army. Reporting to superior officers again.

  “Thank you. I’ll contact Sean Taggart, he’s Sadie’s uncle by marriage, and tell him to cool his jets and not to send his undercover army down to San Antonio just yet. I’ll be in touch.” Chase hung up.

  TJ clicked off the phone and stared into space for a long moment. Milena Reinhardt. Fuck. He shook his head. He’d met her three years ago, right when he’d gotten out of the Army. He’d been a mess back then…and a complete ass. But she hadn’t seemed to care. She’d somehow seen past the hurt he’d been feeling to the man he was underneath. She’d only been twenty-four, but she’d been so mature…even more than he’d been at twenty-eight.

  He’d hurt her. Bad. Even when he’d done it, he knew he was making a mistake, but he didn’t think he was good enough for her. She’d needed to live her life. Twenty-four had been too young to tie herself to an asshole like him.

  He’d tried to put her out of his mind, but it was impossible. And now she was in trouble. Well, Chase hadn’t come out and said it, but if he thought Sadie was down in San Antonio hanging out with her friend who was involved in a cult-like organization, it was implied.

  “What have you gotten yourself into?” TJ whispered to himself as he put his car in gear and pulled back onto the road.

  She might’ve been too young three years ago, but she wasn’t any longer. And he was a different man. Better. His past would always be there, but he’d learned a lot over the last couple of years from watching his friends settle down.

  The right woman could not only overlook the things he might’ve done in his past, she could make him an even better man.

  His resolve strengthening, TJ made a vow. “I’ll get you out of whatever you’ve gotten yourself into, Milena. Mark my words.”

  Find out what Milena has gotten herself into in Justice for Milena. Order it Now!

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  Also by Susan Stoker

  Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series

&n
bsp; Justice for Mackenzie

  Justice for Mickie

  Justice for Corrie

  Justice for Laine (novella)

  Shelter for Elizabeth

  Justice for Boone

  Shelter for Adeline

  Shelter for Sophie

  Justice for Erin

  Justice for Milena (Mar 2018)

  Shelter for Blythe (July 2018)

  Justice for Hope (TBA)

  Shelter for Quinn (TBA)

  Shelter for Koren (TBA)

  Shelter for Penelope (TBA)

  Delta Force Heroes Series

  Rescuing Rayne

  Assisting Aimee - Loosely related to DF

  Rescuing Emily

  Rescuing Harley

  Marrying Emily

  Rescuing Kassie

  Rescuing Bryn

  Rescuing Casey (Jan 2018)

  Rescuing Sadie (April 2018)

  Rescuing Wendy (May 2018)

  Rescuing Mary (Oct 2018)

  Ace Security Series

  Claiming Grace

  Claiming Alexis

  Claiming Bailey (Dec 2017)

  Claiming Felicity (Feb 2018)

  SEAL of Protection Series

  Protecting Caroline

  Protecting Alabama

  Protecting Fiona

  Marrying Caroline (novella)

  Protecting Summer

  Protecting Cheyenne

  Protecting Jessyka

  Protecting Julie (novella)

  Protecting Melody

  Protecting the Future

  Protecting Alabama’s Kids (novella)

  Protecting Kiera (novella)

  Protecting Dakota

  Stand Alone

  The Guardian Mist

  Nature’s Rift

  Special Operations Fan Fiction

  http://www.stokeraces.com/kindle-worlds.html

  Beyond Reality Series

  Outback Hearts

  Flaming Hearts

  Frozen Hearts

  Writing as Annie George: