The Ties That Bind

by Liliana Hart

  Marriage was a different kind of battlefield. One he wasn’t experienced with, and if he was honest, one he didn’t really know how to navigate. He was closer to Claire than he’d ever been to anyone. She knew things about him—and he’d freely given her the information—but there were those pockets inside his soul that were so dark and dank that he didn’t want anyone to breach the interior.

  “You’re right,” he finally said. “It wasn’t my decision to make alone. I should have talked about it with you before I started working with the DEA again.”

  “Do you need the extra rush that bad?”

  Cooper sighed and dropped down on to the bed. He was exhausted. Three sleepless nights, the terrifying spikes of adrenaline, and unbelievable sex were starting to take its toll on his body. He leaned against the pillows and steepled his fingers of the taut muscles of his abs.

  “I don’t think about it like that.” He had no idea how to explain it to her. “It’s not that I need the rush or that I’m addicted to the danger. I’m a cop. Even in a place like Surrender that means I’m always putting my life on the line. It’s my job. And one I love. When Cade and the DEA came calling and asking for help I saw it as an extension of the job. Another way I could serve and protect. I don’t particularly like being shot at. There’s not much of a rush in that—at least not the good kind. But knowing I’m part of the process of pulling those evil men off the streets makes it worthwhile.”

  Claire sat down next to him and she twined her hand with his. Her skin was soft and smooth where his was hard and calloused. And he wondered not for the first time why she’d chosen him.

  “I love who you are, Cooper. And I love that that’s the kind of man you are. I’d never ask you to change that if it’s what you love. But I’m your partner. I should be sharing the burdens and the worries, not left in the dark to wait and wonder. I don’t need details. I just need you to trust me enough to tell me the truth. And I need to be able to trust you unconditionally. That trust is a leap of faith on my part.”

  He could see something else worrying her. Something deeper to the root of the problem, but he didn’t press. Not yet.

  “I’d already decided on the way back to you that I’d tell you the truth. And I’ve already given my notice with the DEA that I’ll help them however they need from my office and resources, but my days of undercover work are over.”

  He felt her sigh of relief, but still she hesitated.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “The clubs—” she said, pausing. “It was one of the first things I noticed when you told me your fishing story. You were wearing all your piercings and your clothes were gone from the locked drawer.”

  She bit nervously at her bottom lip and he realized in all the years he’d known her he’d never seen her unsure of herself.

  “I know that the clubs were part of your lifestyle before you ever met me. But sometimes the line is blurred with your work with the DEA and your personal time. I just wanted to know—” she pulled her hand from his and placed it on her leg. “Are you there for work or because I’m not giving you what you need?”

  The floor dropped out of his stomach and he sat up straight, pulling her across his lap so she sat cradled there.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? If you gave me any more of what I need I’d never be able to walk again. I made a promise to you the day we got married. My past is the past. You’re my future. It’s you and only you. I was there for the job. And it didn’t take me ten seconds to realize as soon as I walked through the doors that I no longer belonged there. You’re my fantasy. My equal in every way. No one else will ever match up.”

  Tears formed on her eyelashes and she dropped her head against his chest in relief. “Thank God,” she said with a laugh. “I’d have hated to have to kill you.”

  Cooper pinched her bottom and she yelped, and the he rolled them so he was leaning over her. “Don’t start something you can’t finish, sweetheart.”

  “Oh, I’ll finish what I start. It’s my turn to be the boss. Remember?”

  The cold snap of a handcuff encircling his wrist caught him by surprise. He looked at the determination in her face as she straddled his body and attached the cuff to the hook on their headboard. His worn out body went rock hard in an instant and he lay back on the bed to see what she’d do next.

  “Give it your best shot, baby. We’ll see who comes out on top.”

  “You’d better watch that mouth of yours or I’ll find something to occupy it.”

  He hooted with laughter as she gave the words he’d said earlier back to him. She tugged at the drawstring of her pants and pushed them down, and then pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. And then she crawled up his body until her knees straddled each side of his face and the little gold hoop in her clit was just above his lips. He flicked it once with his tongue and watched the pleasure come over her face.

  He had a feeling he was going to enjoy her being the boss very much.

  Epilogue

  Three Years Later…

  There was comfort and consistency in family. They could always be counted on.

  Generations of those who shared blood had lived and loved and prospered and died on MacKenzie land. And still the bond was strong, even after more than a hundred years had passed. It didn’t matter how far those who shared the blood strayed from home—how long they wandered or where life might lead them. Like a beacon, family always called them home.

  So on Thanksgiving Day, the MacKenzies young and old gathered around the large oak table. Built by Cooper’s grandfather when the family started to expand exponentially, it was scarred and stained beneath the neatly pressed tablecloth. Heads were bowed, eyes were closed, and hands were held.

  “—And continue to bless this family,” James MacKenzie prayed. “Amen.”

  “Amen,” everyone repeated.

  As patriarch of the family, James took his role seriously. He’d raised five children, and all of them had made it to adulthood to become respectable citizens of the community. Though there had been a time or two he’d worried about his boys. Wild didn’t begin to describe them.

  None of his children had settled down yet, which was something he and his wife Mary discussed often, but they were still young yet. His daughter was still in graduate school, and his boys—well, his boys were all over the world. He’d raised men who knew the true meaning of serve and protect, and their duty to their jobs and their country would make any father proud. No, there was plenty of time for them to settle down.

  In the meantime, he’d had the privilege of watching his brother’s sons become men and start their own families. His brother John had lost his life much too young, and even more than fifteen years later he missed him like he would a limb. James had always planned to raise those five boys himself, even though Cooper had been a grown man and the other three had been close behind him. But then September 11th hit, and James’s life changed in an instant since he’d been a colonel in the Marines at the time.

  And while he was overseas, Mary was left to raise their five young children and do what she could to help Cooper keep those boys in line and the farm running. He’d felt guilty for years and when he’d returned home his brother’s children had scattered like leaves in the wind.

  But one by one they’d returned home.

  Dane had found the love of his life early, only to lose her because of rash decisions he’d made in his youth. But he’d returned to find out he not only still loved Charlotte, but that he had a son he’d never known about as well. That none of them had known about.

  He looked down the length of the long table at Dane and Charlie—their heads close together and secret smiles on their lips. Their oldest son Jayden sat beside Dane and their toddler Rose sat in her high chair eating small pieces of bananas. Dane was still working on the book he’d started about James’ grandfather, Cole MacKenzie, and his life as a US Marshal.

  James remembered his grandfather well, though he’d been
a child when Cole had passed on. But Dane was bringing him to life with his talent with words, and everyone was chomping at the bit to get a look at the story when it was finished.

  Thomas and his wife, Cat—who was so round with child he wondered if they’d be delivering a baby along with dessert later on—sat on the opposite side of Dane and Charlie. Despite the entire family trying to step in and help, Cat had done most of the cooking for Thanksgiving. And though he’d never say it to her face, thank goodness she’d become a better cook than she had that first year of their marriage. But Cat had missed out on having a normal life growing up, and she was doing everything in her power to get those experiences now. Besides, the turkey was delicious and he’d been eyeing the pecan pie sitting on the sideboard all day.

  Thomas had always been the steadiest of the four. He’d always known he wanted to be a doctor, and the only time he’d ever left Surrender was to go away to medical school. But now he was back and always had a full patient load, though it was considerably less since Thomas had gotten married and the single ladies in town no longer found themselves with manufactured ailments.

  “Don’t you dare throw that roll at me,” Riley said, spooning mashed potatoes onto his plate.

  “I wasn’t going to do it, Uncle Riley. I swear,” Jayden said, wide-eyed.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, kid. I was talking to your mom. She’s still mad about the Saran-Wrap.”

  Everyone at the table groaned, well used to Riley’s pranks by now, though everyone knew he deserved whatever payback Charlie could come up with. But Riley just grinned and winked at his sister-in-law, and then passed the potatoes to his wife.

  Maggie shook her head and took the potatoes. “You are asking for trouble,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Don’t I know it. Want to give me a little trouble later on?”

  Riley’s brothers and cousins hooted with laughter as Maggie turned an interesting shade of pink. And then her brow arched and a look came into her eyes James knew was nothing but trouble. After being married more than forty years he recognized that look well.

  Maggie smiled sweetly. “Oh, I insist upon giving you trouble later on. But first I’ve got a meeting with my dear sisters-in-law and Darcy. That doesn’t worry you, does it?”

  It terrified him, and Riley’s teasing grin disappeared. It was never good when all the ladies got together to plot.

  “Don’t forget me,” Mary said. “I may be old, but I still enjoy putting my boys in their place when they deserve it.”

  James grinned and patted his wife’s hand. That was the truth. She’d ruled the roost over nine kids without losing her sanity and was still as beautiful as the first day he’d met her.

  Riley leaned over to whisper something in Maggie’s ear and her blush intensified. Those two enjoyed their adventures, and he was sure they’d have many more in the future.

  And then at the opposite end of the table sat Cooper and Claire. Their infant son, Colin, nursing while Cooper filled Claire’s plate with food. James had to admit he’d always been the most worried about Cooper. There’d been an emptiness—a bleakness—inside of that boy from the moment his father had died and left him responsible for his brothers and a ranch.

  Cooper had never really been happy his adult life, and it was a topic of conversation he and Mary had often. They didn’t know what to do for the boy. Had never known. But ever since Claire had come into his life they’d seen the change in him. There was a contentment and happiness there they’d never seen before. Cooper would never be tamed. He was still wild as the wind. But that energy was channeled toward his family now, and the boy had something all his own for once.

  Yes, James sighed. His nephews were all content in their lives. They had wives who adored them and didn’t let them get away with anything. And at the rate children were being born in the family, things seemed to be going well in the bedroom department too. He was happy for them. Happy he could watch over them for his brother.

  Now if only he could see the same contentment with his own children. Maybe all they needed was a nudge in the right direction. Everyone deserved a happily ever after.

  Read on for a sneak preview of CADE, the first full-length novel in the MacKenzie series!

  Prologue

  Miami, Two Years Ago

  Cade MacKenzie knew fear.

  It pressed against his chest and squeezed at his heart every time his lover screamed in pain. She stared at him out of wild eyes that had melted like dark chocolate when she’d climaxed in his arms only a few hours before. She’d been soft and pliant against him, his name a chant on her lips, as he buried himself inside her.

  But now those eyes were full of terror, the bruise on the side of her face already discolored and her lips swollen and bleeding where Miguel del Fuego had taken his fist to her—a man who never showed remorse or guilt over terrorizing women or children. Carmen had been caught giving the location for del Fuego’s next drug shipment to the DEA, and there were no second chances with the cartel leader. Not even for his own daughter.

  Cade and Carmen had been dragged from bed in the middle of the night, both of them naked, the evidence of their passion still evident on their damp skin. They’d been blindfolded and beaten, and Cade knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was no one’s fault but his own. He’d been so wrapped up in the woman, so desperate to be inside her, that he hadn’t swept his room for bugs. He hadn’t found one in over two years. Miguel had begun to trust him, to groom him to take over the cartel. But Cade had let his guard down and taken that trust for granted, and now they would both pay the price.

  Cade knew the warehouse they’d been taken to well—the large wooden crates stacked against the walls, the oil-stained concrete, the black panel vans parked in the center of the space. He’d spent the afternoon there himself, making sure everything was in place for the shipment of Miguel’s new date rape drug to come into the US from Colombia. Its street name was Rabbit, and it was particularly dangerous because it could be administered through the skin. One touch of the powder against a hand or the back of the neck, and the person it had been given to wouldn’t care where, who or how many they were fucking. Man or woman. Even as their minds screamed no, their bodies would betray them and beg yes. If it was injected into the bloodstream, there was no chance for survival.

  There had been too many deaths over the last several years because of the drug, and Cade had been selected to infiltrate del Fuego’s cartel and take them down once and for all.

  The warehouse was bugged and his team was aware of the shipment coming in. It would be unloaded at the docks and brought to the warehouse for safekeeping until it could be distributed to del Fuego’s suppliers. But the shipment wasn’t supposed to happen for another four hours, and Cade knew there was a chance he and Carmen could be shit out of luck as far as having anyone in place for a rescue.

  Cade’s own wounds were severe and made it difficult to stay conscious. The gunshot wound to his shoulder bled freely—too freely—and he had at least three cracked ribs. But with every blow he received, he kept his eyes steady on Carmen’s, hoping his courage would be her strength. He was proud of her. She didn’t beg for mercy as she was beaten. She stared at her father with all the hatred and loathing she’d always felt for him. She’d spent twenty-two years being his prisoner, and she’d known it was only a matter of time before she became his guinea pig for the drug he was so proud of.

  When Cade had gone undercover in del Fuego’s cartel three years before, he’d had every intention of seducing Carmen into giving him the information the DEA needed to shut down the cartel. He’d had no problems lying to her, or spinning a future together he had no plans of delivering. But Carmen had surprised him. Her sweet, shy smiles, and her need for love had broken through every plan he’d made. The last thing he’d expected was to fall in love with her.

  “I’m disappointed in you, Carmen,” Miguel said, caressing the side of her swollen face with his pistol. “You’ve been telling my s
ecrets to this gringo. To the American authorities. Your loyalty should always be to your family. Sí?”

  Cade jerked against his captor’s arms as Miguel struck Carmen again, and he fought to stay conscious as fingers dug into the wound at his shoulder.

  “Stop it, Papá,” Carmen cried, crawling toward Cade. “They’re hurting him. Please don’t hurt him.”

  “Would you have me spare this man, Carmen? A man I trusted? One I hoped would take over my business and give me strong grandchildren so I could see my legacy continue?”

  “Yes. Please, Papa,” she begged.

  “Would you die for him, Carmen?”

  “No!” Cade shouted. “This is between you and me, Miguel. Carmen’s loyalties are divided. Let her go.”

  Cade fought again to break free of the hold they had on him, knowing what was coming, desperate to stop it. Two men weren’t enough to hold him down, and two more came from somewhere, getting in punches to his cracked ribs to slow him down. He strained against their hold, sweat and blood running into his eyes, but he couldn’t get to her.

  “Answer me, Carmen. Is this traitor’s life worth your own? Do you love him that much?”

  “Yes,” she whimpered, her hand reaching out to Cade as she crawled closer, her arm wrapped around her middle.

  God, where was his team? They should know something was wrong. Know he needed them. Cade used the last of his strength to work his arm free and hold his hand out to Carmen, praying for a miracle. He needed to touch her, to hold her. She placed her smaller hand in his, her slim fingers bloody and broken, and Cade looked up at Miguel, ready to do whatever it took to save her. To bargain his soul if the monster in front of him would take it.