Tagged For A New Start

by Sam Destiny

  Table of Contents

  Also by Sam Destiny

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  TAGGED FOR A NEW START

  (Tagged Soldiers Book 3)

  AMAZON EDITION

  First published in Germany in 2017 8

  First Edition, 2018

  Copyright © 2018 by Sam Destiny

  Cover Design by Melissa Gill of MGBookcovers

  Interior Design By Sloan Johnson of Sloan’s Design Shop & Aimie Jennison

  Editing by Theresa Schultz

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the expressed written permission of the author.

  www.samdestiny.com

  Also available in paperback.

  Contents

  Also by Sam Destiny

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Sam Destiny

  Romances

  AJ’s Salvation

  Call Me Michigan

  Tagged Soldiers Series

  Tagged For Life

  Forever Girl

  Tagged For A New Start

  Forever Try (Coming Spring 2018)

  Morningstar Series

  Set In Flames

  Set In Sparks

  Set In Burns

  Set To Start (Morningstar Novella)

  AngelBond Trilogy

  Raise The Fallen

  Raise The Hopeless

  Raise The Damned (Coming 2018)

  Second chances exist. This is for you.

  Never give up hope.

  Women don’t want grand romantic gestures, son, they want to be taken and have the feeling they have to fight for you, and that they deserve you because they won you. Roses, candles… no woman needs that. Don’t be a softie.

  His mother’s words turned over and over in his head as Tank turned on his laptop for the Skype date he hopefully had. It was barely ten at night, but would be six a.m. in England now.

  It rang and rang, then suddenly a small window opened and hazel eyes appeared so close to it, Tank had to smother a laugh.

  Damn, he wasn’t that guy. He knew better about women.

  Or maybe he knew better now?

  It didn’t matter. He shook his head, forcing his mind to stay on the talk that hadn’t yet started.

  “Sorry, it’s a mess,” Evy explained, stepping back so he could see her and her beautiful baby girl.

  “You always say that, and it never is,” he replied, wanting to ease her mind although he was, most likely, the last one who could.

  He’d learned that much by now. They’d been Skyping rather regularly since she’d left the US after her first visit.

  “Tank, did Jazz say anything about the wedding?”

  His best friend Jazz had gotten engaged not three weeks ago, and Tank still couldn’t believe it. Not even two years back they’d started the new year with the promise of making it big, becoming the soldiers everyone wanted to be.

  It had been Jazz’s goal all along, but Tank had agreed to aim for the same just so his best friend knew they’d do everything together.

  “Not yet. It seems he wants to push it out. First, because they want to make it somewhat big, and second, because he wants to be utterly sure he’s okay. You know, with all the PTSD and everything.” Tank swallowed, remembering the horrible months after his best friend had come back.

  Leila, Evy’s daughter, squealed and Evy laughed, but since she knelt down, Tank couldn’t see what the two were doing.

  “Well, I hope I can make it over eventually, so they better tell me on time.”

  “You’ll be maid of honor,” Tank pointed out and silence greeted the comment. “I cannot see you, Ev, so please, say something.”

  He knew her silences by now, knew exactly which words caused which feelings in her. He’d realized that over Christmas when she’d been there for five days.

  He could read her like a book and damn if it didn’t freak him out majorly.

  The chair he could see the back rest of moved, and suddenly she sat with her beautiful daughter on her lap. The little girl had her mother’s hazel eyes, but so far sadly her father’s lighter hair.

  “Hey Lei,” he greeted her and the girl giggled before waving. She always did that and then turned into her mother, hiding.

  “I’m not sure if Tessa will still make me maid of honor,” Evy finally muttered.

  Tank shook his head. “Of course. She loves you, Ev, and you know that. Hell, if it wasn’t for Jazz, I’d say she almost agreed to marry you.”

  It was an exaggeration, but when he’d first met Tessa, the woman had been on the phone with Evy, and had dropped everything to get her best friend from the airport. However, he wanted to make Evy smile and it worked.

  “It’s been more than a year since then,” she whispered softly, lowering her eyes to her daughter’s small fingers curling impatiently into her shirt.

  “I don’t think much changed,” he confessed, almost sure. After Jazz finally let her close again, Tessa and Tank hadn’t spoken as much anymore.

  He’d never admit it out loud, but he missed talking to her sometimes, sharing worries with her.

  Actually he just missed sharing his worries with someone, period.

  An insistent vibration made Evy turn half way away from the screen and Tank stared at her profile: the long lashes, the pale skin, her dark curls.

  He didn’t even know what he was feeling when watching her.

  Leila turned to him, grinning, and then struggled to get down.

  “I need to run,” Evy announced, turning back to him and Tank glanced at the clock on the bottom corner of the laptop. They’d spoken less than ten minutes.

  “Yeah, I figured, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. You were kinda down when leaving after Christmas.”

  And he knew it had gotten worse because although Tessa had cried about having to let her friend go, she’d still beamed overall. Hard not to when your life was fucking picture-perfect.

  “I’m perfectly fine. It’s just hard being on the other side of the world, so far away from everything you want.”

  He knew she meant being around Tessa and away from her fucking boss, but he felt a stab in his heart; something that felt incredibly much like hope. Hope that maybe she could see more in him. Hope that she wanted to be by his side, too.

  And hope was fucking deadly.

  It always broke you.

&
nbsp; Hope was a fucking liar.

  “I’m gonna let you go then. Catch you soon and take care.”

  He closed the laptop before she caught something in his eyes he didn’t want her to see.

  Something like regret about not being on the same continent—or the same page.

  Evangeline Jackson sat at her desk, her head a million miles away.

  Two weeks had passed since she’d returned from the US and her Christmas break, and yet it felt as if she wasn’t fully back.

  She might not be in love, but she’d left her heart in the US. Heck, it had gone back to California when her best friend had left for that award show. Tessa and she had been like sisters for most of their lives and now she was alone with no one but her mother there, and even that had come to a standstill when her mother had found someone new.

  Evy was happy for her, more than she could say, but she was also lonely and missed adult company.

  She missed Tessa more than she’d ever be able to say.

  “Miss Jackson.”

  She jumped at the harsh tone and knew the voice even before she looked up at the biggest regret of her life. Ian was handsome, no doubt; at least she’d thought so months ago. He had brown-green eyes and light brown hair styled to perfection. His suits fit him like a glove, but she no longer found anything appealing about him.

  After all, she knew now he was the biggest jerk on the planet.

  “Yes, sir?”

  Hard to believe they had a child together.

  “I promised you a promotion and I’m giving it to you. You’re going to be head of the new field office.”

  Her stomach dropped. She knew there was talk about a new sister location in Canada, and it would be the farthest location from where she currently was.

  “Oh?” It was all she said.

  “It’s going to be in Monterey, California. I hear you are familiar with the place?”

  Her heart thumped in her chest and she gaped at him. Had he said what she’d just understood?

  “Excuse me?”

  “There’s this new radio station… well, it’s not that new anymore, but it had a huge boom with one of their shows. Tagged For Life? Have you heard about it?”

  The way his non-descriptive murky brown-green eyes watched her told her all she needed to know. He knew she’d heard about it.

  “Tessa Rowan leads that show,” she said as a way of agreeing.

  He nodded, rubbing his hands together. “Your work visa is done; we’ll take care of your apartment here in three months’ time.”

  “Why in three months?” Would she leave so soon?

  “You’ll be arriving in the US in two weeks from now, and you’ll have until the end of March to secure the Tagged For Soldiers event planning and make the event great. If you succeed, you’ll stay there and keep that position. If not, you’ll return here. That’s why three months.”

  Evy felt like throwing up. It was one of California’s biggest events, co-hosted and presented by Tessa and her station, and organized by the United States Army.

  “And how in the world do you expect me to land that deal?” Especially because she was sure the planning had long started.

  “Well, isn’t Tessa Rowan your best friend?”

  She nodded, not even able to say anything anymore.

  “Then I suggest you get onto the phone and call her up. You know, ask her to actually do something for you.”

  He shrugged and left, only to return a second later. “Oh, and your info is at Cecil’s desk.”

  He couldn’t have brought it, could he? And how in the world was she supposed to organize a place to stay? And whatever else she needed to arrange?

  God, just yesterday she would’ve said that nothing could’ve ruined an offer like that, and she’d have been ready to pack up whatever she could fit in her suitcase and leave everything else behind, but that moment she couldn’t see it. She was tempted to just tell her boss to find someone else, but she had a feeling that wouldn’t only be the end of her America dream, but also the end of her working for Lanestrong Parties and Events.

  Evy stood, her legs shaky, and made her way over to the welcome counter and Cecilia, the person currently owning her future life—if she could use her best friend’s connections.

  “Ah, Evangeline! Isn’t it exciting? You and your daughter moving to the US…” She shook her head while handing her a huge manila envelope. “Everything’s in there. The only thing I couldn’t secure yet was housing… I wasn’t allowed to. Sorry.” She gave her an apologetic smile and Evy forced herself to mirror that expression.

  Cecilia was young and eager, still idealistic with too blonde hair and pink tips as well as too bright lipstick.

  She’d soon feel drained. It was what this office did to you, and although Evy hated working there by now, she couldn’t leave. Finding a new position when she had Leila was anything but easy.

  Then Cecilia’s words settled in. “I don’t have a place to stay?”

  Cecilia shook her head. “Lanestrong told me explicitly that you’d be staying with a friend of yours,” she reported. “However, I can still try and find something, but the office won’t pay for it.”

  Evy shook her head. “No, I’ll figure it out.”

  And that only because she didn’t want Ian Lanestrong to have the satisfaction of hearing through the grapevine that she struggled.

  And she knew that was going to happen because housing was hard enough to find for Americans. How would she do it as a British person not even there yet?

  She went back to her cubicle and opened the envelope, reading over everything in there.

  Sadly, she didn’t remember most of it even after she’d been through the papers once. Her mind was on the fact that her asshole of a boss expected her to ask Tessa to stay with her and to make it so that she could organize the event.

  The latter would be hell, and the former was utterly impossible. Yes, Tessa and Jazz lived together in a house, one that belonged to him since Christmas, but his sister and his mother were also still there, and while Evy knew they weren’t exactly imposing, she had no doubt that the small family would be happier without them there.

  They just had finally settled into a routine.

  Her heart heavy, she texted the only other American she could think of who could maybe help her.

  I need a place to stay in two weeks from now. As in… stay rather permanently… maybe… in Monterey.

  She put her cell down on her table, staring at the flight tickets she’d gotten. They were one way, and she knew without asking, should she fail she’d have to pay for the return tickets all by herself.

  She read over the papers again, this time more closely, and made notes of the most important things, like where she’d find the office—as if she needed to know that just that moment—and what the pre-budget was for the party. She planned on starting on notes and suggestions for the event although she was missing a lot of the info. She had some thanks to Tessa, but that was all she could go on. Truth be told, it wasn’t much, but hey, how much could you do wrong where soldiers were involved? People loved them anyway.

  Gathering her things, her cell vibrated on the tabletop and she picked it up, smiling as she spotted Tank’s name on the display. As much as she’d heard about him, and everything she’d witnessed when being with him and others, she couldn’t complain about him.

  Whenever she needed something, even if it was just a kind word, he was there.

  Tank: No worries, you’ll have a place. Text me your arrival times and I’ll make sure you’ll be picked up, too. Does Tessa know?

  No questions asked, he jumped in and promised to save the day. She wanted to tell Tessa, but wasn’t sure yet how much she’d say over the phone, so she pocketed her cell, deciding to answer later, when she hopefully knew what to tell him.

  It was barely eight in the morning and Tank already felt as if the day should be over. He was living in two different time zones at once and it was fucking crazy.

&
nbsp; The thing was, he had always felt the need to step in when guys were douches. He’d usually protected the girls from beatings and whatnot, and would walk away.

  Clearly he wasn’t the most romantic guy, but he never would hit a woman or otherwise put marks on them—unless they explicitly asked for it.

  And love bites didn’t count, either.

  Then Evy had come along and he couldn’t just leave her behind.

  “Care to share?”

  Jazz’s dark head popped from under a hood and Tank rolled his eyes. The guy hadn’t stopped grinning since he’d been allowed back on base, and even if he spent a night awake with his son Johnny, he was chipper in the morning.

  “I don’t share, and no, I’m not going to have emotional talks with you. We’ve had fucking enough because of Tessa.”

  Jazz rubbed his hands clean with a cloth and pushed it back in his pocket. “So it’s an emotional talk, and I assume about a woman. I’ve almost thought as much because you’ve had your panties in a twist since Christmas or so.”

  He sat down next to him and Tank got up, reaching for a screwdriver. “As if you notice anyone besides Tessa and your son.”

  He didn’t need to turn back to Jazz to see the smugness on his friend’s face. He could very well imagine it because the jealousy in Tank’s voice was hard to ignore.

  “You’re my brother-in-arms, Tank, closer to me than family a lot of times. I notice when you’re off. Especially when not seeing you with chicks anymore.”

  Tank swallowed. Yeah, that was something he should correct. He needed a woman under him, something warm to sheath himself in, and then he’d probably be better again.