Justice for Daesha

by Deanndra Hall

  “So we did it. We found Dorinda’s murderer,” Amos whispered.

  “You did. You most certainly did. I’m proud of you, agent. I hear there’s a commendation coming down from the AG. Good work.”

  Amos closed his eyes and nodded. At least there was that. Then he lifted his head. “I’ve got something I’ve got to do if you’ll excuse me.” Standing, he made his way to Lawrence. “I think there’s somewhere you and I need to go.”

  The sun was warm and a breeze had picked up when Jack parked the cruiser and the three men got out. Instead of accompanying them, he leaned against his car and waited.

  Amos and Lawrence made their way across the grassy area, wandering here and there, not speaking but both knowing what the other was saying. They had a message to deliver.

  They stopped in front of the huge, white granite stone and Amos motioned Lawrence forward. “Hey, my girls. I’ve got some news. Dorinda, we know who did it. And I’m so sorry, honey, that somebody betrayed you like that. She was supposed to be somebody you could trust, and she hurt you. For that, I’ll never forgive her. And I want you to know that Ainsley, Benson, and Chance still love you, honey. I think they’ll always love you. None of them have moved on, but I’m going to talk to them about that. They deserve to be happy for all the happiness they brought you.” He pressed his fingers to the inscription on his wife’s side of the stone. “Baby, we’re at peace, but whoever you know up there, please, ask them to give us a little more time with Daesha. This young man over here, he’s a fine guy, and he really, really loves her. I want them to have a long time together to have the kind of relationship you and I had. I was a happy man, baby. They deserve to be happy too. Amos over here found out about Lucy. Now you and Dorinda can have the peace you deserve.” When he finished, he motioned for Amos to step forward, but the younger man was rooted there, staring at the stone. In a few days, there could be another name there, and the thought was a horror he couldn’t fathom. Lawrence’s hand on his arm brought him out of his thoughts. “Thank you, son. What you did? It wasn’t just about loving Daesha. You showed your love for Dorinda, for Alice, and for me too. You gave our family peace that we needed. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

  Amos couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t think. He was numb with fear. Then he heard a whistle from behind him and turned. From across the cemetery, Jack held up something and yelled, “Hey! You left your phone in the car! Get over here!”

  Running as fast as he could, he slid to a stop in the gravel beside Jack and reached for his phone. There was a text from his mother and when he opened it, he found a video. He touched it and it began to play. And Amos fell to his knees.

  There, on the screen, were Ainsley, Benson, and Chance, and they were gathered around the head of a hospital bed. She smiled up at the camera and waved. “Hey, babe, where are you? I need you here with me. Hurry, Amos. I don’t want to lose another second with you.”

  “Get me to the hospital?” he asked his younger brother, tears rolling down his face.

  A lone tear escaped Jack’s eye as he smiled. “Buckle up. We’re about to find out just how fast this cruiser can go.”

  Amos could hear her when he got to the swinging doors. “But I wanna go home!”

  “Ma’am, you need to stay here for at least a couple of days. We need to monitor your fluid intake and output, and keep an eye on your brain in case there’s some swelling.”

  He threw back the curtain and glared at her. “Are you giving them a hard time?”

  “You weren’t here to do it for me, so I had to take up for myself!” she shouted back.

  Before she could blink, he had her wrapped up in his arms. “You’re going to stay right here and let them take care of you, and I’ll be here the whole time. Stop arguing with them. You’re hard-headed, woman.”

  “I love you, Amos. I was so scared.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t find you faster. I was doing all I could.”

  “I know.” She pressed him back and smiled up at him. “But you found me!”

  “Ainsley was the one who figured it out. Thank god for him.”

  She laughed. “Bet you never thought you’d say that!”

  “Nope. Honestly, I never did. And before you say it, I know―you never dreamed Lucy would harm you in any way. I didn’t either. Nobody did. So this wasn’t carelessness. It was misplaced trust in a person you’d never had a reason to distrust.”

  “The boys were here. They’re brokenhearted, Amos. I feel so bad for them. But at least their dad is going to be okay and they can make up with him for all the horrible things they thought about him.” Amos pulled up a chair, but he’d barely sat down before Daesha cried out, “Daddy!”

  “Hey, sweetheart!” Lawrence leaned down to hug his daughter, then gave her a big kiss on the forehead. “How do you feel?”

  “Okay, I guess. I’m hungry, but they won’t let me eat.”

  “They’re afraid you’ll get sick and throw up, honey, and you don’t need to lose any fluids.”

  “I know, I know. But I want to get out of here. I want to go home with Amos.”

  Amos thought of something. “Hey, how did she get you into the cooler?”

  “She told me Marshall had gone in there and fallen, and wanted me to help get him up. She said if she called an emergency crew, it would be all over the news, but she knew I had enough medical background to help him. When we got there, I followed her to the cooler and she pointed in. She told me to go on in and she’d get a light from the car and be right back. As soon as I was about five feet in, the door slammed shut behind me. I didn’t know what had happened. I thought something had happened to her, and I was really worried.” She held up her hands, and Amos could see the bruising on their outer edges and the heels of her palms. “I pounded and pounded on the door, but nobody came. Marshall was there, right?”

  “She had him elsewhere in the plant, tied to a chair.”

  “That’s what the boys told me. And they told me about them and Dorinda too. I feel bad for them. They loved her. They still love her.”

  “Yes, they do. But not as much as I love you.”

  “And not as much as I love you.” Daesha pressed a palm to his cheek. “You really are my knight in shining armor.”

  He smiled. “And you’re most definitely my warrior princess!”

  “Well, we finally got to do this!” Denise exclaimed as she set dishes on the table.

  “What can I do to help?”

  “You go sit down, girl. You just got out of the hospital,” Jack and Amos’s mother ordered and pointed toward the living room.

  Daesha moped in and sat down beside Amos. “I’m not an invalid, but everybody’s treating me like one.”

  “Everybody wants you to get your strength back,” Amos said and kissed her temple.

  “So you’re off work this week?” Lawrence asked.

  “Yeah. We are. I’m off because of, well, obvious, but they gave Amos the week off too so he could stay with me.” Daesha took his hand and smiled. “We get to spend the whole week together.”

  “Yes. We. Do.” Amos smiled and gripped her hand tightly. No way was he letting go.

  “Time to eat!” Denise called out as she and Aleta put the finishing touches on everything.

  Two hours later and the kitchen cleaned up, Denise reminded Lawrence that she’d made a plate for him to take home, and they were all sitting around the den in the Fletcher’s house. “So, Jack, you two doing okay?” Henry asked.

  “Yep. Still hoping. And hey, the practicing is fun,” Jack said, and Aleta slapped his arm. “Well, it is! You’re not complaining!” She blushed and everybody laughed.

  “And what about you two?” Henry asked and pointed to Amos and Daesha. “What’s next for you?”

  Amos’s face was one huge grin. “Well, we’ve got some shopping to do.” Daesha stared up at him. “I mean, if you want to.”

  “Shopping?”

  “Yeah. Ring shopp
ing. Would you like that?”

  She nodded and leaned into him. “I would. Can I get anything I want?”

  “No. I’m not made of money. But I would like to know what styles you like so I know what to choose from. That would make it easier.”

  “Oh! I can definitely show you some I like. But you need to pick.”

  Amos grinned. “I intend to. I’ll pick what I want you to have and you’ll like it or else.”

  There was that giggle he loved so much. “Or else what?”

  “Or I reckon I’ll have to spank your butt,” he said and kissed her lips lightly.

  “I think that’s my cue to leave,” Lawrence said with a laugh and stood. “Listen, thanks so much for the hospitality. It’s great to spend time with all of you. Jack, you take care of that little lady there. She’s a keeper.”

  “Don’t I know it! Thanks, Lawrence.” Jack extended his hand and Daesha’s dad shook it heartily. Amos was thrilled. Everyone in the two families seemed to genuinely like each other and they were going to be very, very happy together. If they could just get Aleta’s family on board, it would all be fine. They were still disappointed Jack wasn’t a minister, but they’d have to get over that. Amos knew a lot of ministers, and Jack? Nope. That was never gonna happen.

  As they drove home, they chatted about the weather, the animals, their jobs, and what they’d do the next week. “I’d like to go to the cemetery sometime,” she announced.

  Amos gave her the side-eye. “You do realize that’s where your dad and I were when you woke up.”

  “No! Really? That was so kind of you, babe.” She gripped his hand as it lay on the gear shift knob.

  “I’m going to try to be a kinder, gentler version of Amos David Fletcher from now on. It’ll be a herculean task, but I think I’m up to it.”

  “I think you are too.”

  As soon as they were inside, she dropped on the sofa. “Wow. I’m beat. I guess maybe I do need to take it easy this next week. I didn’t realize how tired I was.” She looked up to find Amos carrying a big box. “What’s that?”

  “A present for you. I ordered it while you were still in the hospital. Open it.”

  He grinned and watched as she tore the tape and started pulling out paper and bubble wrap. “What is this? It looks kinda like … What the … Oh my god. Amos David Fletcher. You didn’t!”

  “I did.”

  “Where did you find this?”

  “At a costume shop online. I saw it and I had to buy it.”

  She pulled pieces out and laid them out on the floor. “Oh my god. A helmet, a breast plate, shoulder plates … Holy hell, it’s a whole damn suit of armor!”

  “For my warrior princess,” he said and winked at her. That set off a fit of giggles.

  “And where exactly am I supposed to wear this?” she asked with a knowing look.

  “It’s not where you’re supposed to wear it, babe. It’s where you’re supposed to take it off.”

  She barely got a chance to laugh before they were deep in a scorching, tongue-filled kiss. She’d proven to him over and over again that she was indeed his warrior princess, strong, capable, proud, and beautiful. And now?

  She had the armor to prove it!

  About the author …

  Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).

  On the Web: www.deanndrahall.com

  Email: Deanndra@deanndrahall.com

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  Stay in touch. For all the latest news, contests, exclusive content and more sign up for my newsletter: www.subscribepage.com/deanndrahall

  Also by Deanndra Hall

  Bluegrass Bravery

  Shelter for Sharla (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha)

  Justice for Aleta (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha)

  Shelter for Martina (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha)

  Justice for Daesha (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha)

  The Love Under Construction Series

  Laying a Foundation with prequel, The Groundbreaking

  Tearing Down Walls

  Renovating a Heart

  Planning an Addition

  The Citadel Series

  One Simple Mistake

  One Broken Promise

  One Poor Choice

  One Wrong Glance

  The Legacy Series

  Atonement

  Legacy of Freedom

  Legacy of Faithfulness

  The Witch of Endor Series

  Laid Bare

  Ripped Open

  Torn Apart

  The Harper’s Cove Series

  Karen and Brett at 326 Harper’s Cove

  Becca and Greg at 314 Harper’s Cove

  Donna and Connor at 228 Harper’s Cove

  Savannah and Martin at 219 Harper’s Cove

  Cheryl and Samuel at 323 Harper’s Cove

  Tasha and Davis at 333 Harper’s Cove

  Lily and Brock at 343 Harper’s Cove

  Siobhán and Gabhain at 241 Harper's Cove

  The Me, You, and Us Series

  Adventurous Me

  Unforgettable You

  Incredible Us

  The Celtic Fan (independent novel)

  Rough Stock (part of the Bad Girls of Romance Series)

  The Silent Cove Series

  Awakening

  Retribution, by Anne L. Parks

  Banishing, by Jax Jillian

  There are many more books in this fan fiction world than listed here, for an up-to-date list go to www.AcesPress.com

  You can also visit our Amazon page at:

  http://www.amazon.com/author/operationalpha

  Special Forces: Operation Alpha World

  Christie Adams: Charity’s Heart

  Denise Agnew: Dangerous to Hold

  Shauna Allen: Awakening Aubrey

  Brynne Asher: Blackburn

  Linzi Baxter: Unlocking Dreams

  Jennifer Becker: Hiding Catherine

  Alice Bello: Shadowing Milly

  Heather Blair: Rescue Me

  Anna Blakely: Rescuing Gracelynn

  Amy Briggs: Saving Sarah

  Julia Bright: Saving Lorelei

  Victoria Bright: Surviving Savage

  Cara Carnes: Protecting Mari

  Kendra Mei Chailyn: Beast

  Melissa Kay Clarke: Rescuing Annabeth

  Samantha A. Cole: Handling Haven

  Sue Coletta: Hacked

  Melissa Combs: Gallant

  Anne Conley: Redemption for Misty

  KaLyn Cooper: Rescuing Melina

  Liz Crowe: Marking Mariah

  Sarah Curtis: Securing the Odds

  Jordan Dane: Redemption for Avery

  Tarina Deaton: Found in the Lost

  KL Donn: Unraveling Love

  Riley Edwards: Protecting Olivia

  PJ Fiala: Defending Sophie

  Nicole Flockton: Protecting Maria

  Michele Gwynn: Rescuing Emma

  Casey Hagen: Shielding Nebraska

  EM Hayes: Gambling for Ashleigh

  Desiree Holt: Protecting Maddie

  Kathy Ivan: Saving Sarah

  Jesse Jacobson: Protecting Honor

  Silver James: Rescue Moon

  Becca Jameson: Saving Sofia

  Kate Kinsley: Protecting Ava

  Heather Long: Securing Arizona

  Gennita Low: No Protection

  Kirsten Lynn: Joining Forces for Jesse
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  Margaret Madigan: Bang for the Buck

  Kimberly McGath: The Predecessor

  Rachel McNeely: The SEAL’s Surprise Baby

  KD Michaels: Saving Laura

  Wren Michaels: The Fox & The Hound

  Kat Mizera: Protecting Bobbi

  Mary B Moore: Force Protection

  LeTeisha Newton: Protecting Butterfly

  Angela Nicole: Protecting the Donna

  MJ Nightingale: Protecting Beauty

  Sarah O’Rourke: Saving Liberty

  Victoria Paige: Reclaiming Izabel

  Anne L. Parks: Mason

  Debra Parmley: Protecting Pippa

  Lainey Reese: Protecting New York

  TL Reeve and Michele Ryan: Extracting Mateo

  Elena M. Reyes: Keeping Ava

  Angela Rush: Charlotte

  Rose Smith: Saving Satin

  Jenika Snow: Protecting Lily

  Lynn St. James: SEAL’s Spitfire

  Dee Stewart: Conner

  Harley Stone: Rescuing Mercy

  Jen Talty: Burning Desire

  Megan Vernon: Protecting Us

  Police and Fire: Operation Alpha World

  Freya Barker: Burning for Autumn

  KaLyn Cooper: Justice for Gwen

  Aspen Drake: Sheltering Emma

  Deanndra Hall: Shelter for Sharla

  Barb Han: Kace

  CM Steele: Guarding Hope

  Reina Torres: Justice for Sloane

  Stacey Wilk: Stage Fright

  As you know, this book included at least one character from Susan Stoker’s books. To check out more, see below.

  SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series

  Securing Caite

  Securing Brenae (novella)

  Securing Sidney

  Securing Piper

  Securing Zoey (Jan 2020)