Please let him be all right.
Caleb had split away from Bronco and found another ladder which led to a hatch to the surface. Swiftly, he’d gone up the ladder and opened the hatch. He had to trust in Arielle. That she could take care of herself like all agents had to.
Crawling out, he saw he was on the train tracks. Not too far ahead, was Bronco standing off with Sam Meredith who aimed a pistol at him.
“Why couldn’t you just leave this alone?” Sam yelled at Bronco. “You had to go put your nose where it wasn’t needed.”
Easing up behind him, Caleb waited for the right moment.
Bronco said in a deadpan voice, “We probably wouldn’t have found out if you hadn’t taken my wife.”
Caleb took a few more steps closer.
“She wasn’t supposed to come back. You were headed to the Governor’s house. And then that colored girl had to get in the way.”
“That colored girl happens to be MY wife.”
Sam turned, looking like a small boy. A second later he screamed as Bronco’s knife landed in his thigh. The gun dropped from the man’s hand, going for the blade sticking out of his body. Caleb kicked the gun away and then tackled Sam to the ground, knocking the man unconscious.
Soon, the area swarmed with people as Bronco helped pull the missing women up from the tunnel. Caleb raced over, his heart in his throat. Arielle came out of the hatch. Right behind her was Bronco’s Claudette.
Arielle’s head went this way and that. Caleb knew she was looking for him.
You’ve found me, love, he said silently to her. You found me.
When he neared, he heard Claudette speaking in French as she gave Arielle a quick hug. Arielle’s eyes met his own just as Bronco reached for his wife and dragged her into his arms.
“What does that mean?” Bronco asked.
Arielle nearly leapt into Caleb’s embrace as she answered Bronco’s question. “She said, I told you they would find us.”
Caleb’s mouth found hers before she finished speaking, kissing her with everything that was inside of him. His pain from the past and his desperate, desperate hope for the future. All of it disappeared under the sweetness of the love he felt for her. What mattered was this moment here, that Arielle had given him the meaning of what true freedom was.
To love and be loved.
Chapter Nine
“We may have not found who was trying to kill me, but I’m glad the governor has a smile on his face again.” Matthias sat with Arielle the next day as they relaxed in the gardens.
“We’re still on the case, Matthias,” Arielle stated. “Until my husband and I are satisfied that no threat exists any longer.”
Last night, in the small cottage, Caleb had held her for a long time. Wrapped in his arms, she knew nothing would drag her from them. He whispered that he loved her and she said it back. Then they kissed for a long while until the kisses ignited into a full flame.
No matter what happened, they were man and wife till death.
“I don’t know.” Matthias picked a flower and held it to his nose. “All of my suspects are gone but that doesn’t mean they won’t return.”
“It’s a dangerous thing you are doing,” Arielle said with a worried look. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
Matthias laughed. “Tell me, Mrs. Smith, are you going to stop being a Pinkerton agent?”
“Not at all. My husband and I will continue being agents for now.”
“Not for long.”
She and Matthias jumped up at the new voice that entered their conversation.
Captain King stood there, a rifle in his hand, aimed at them. Icy fear drenched her body.
“Get up, both of you.” He gestured with the rifle. “I’m going to take care of you like I should have two years ago.”
“Captain King, why do you want to kill me?” Matthias asked, his hands splayed out.
“Because it ain’t right for the world to be this way,” he yelled. A mad light entered the man’s cold eyes. “Look at ya’ll. Sitting there in these gardens when you supposed to be tending to them. Now that idiot governor is going to try to put your name on the ballot. This ain’t the way it’s supposed to be.”
“You are a sad, sad little man,” Arielle said scornfully.
“Arielle!” Matthias yelled.
“What did you say to me, gal?” Captain King appeared just as shocked.
“You stand there with your gun, threatening to kill a man simply because his skin is darker than yours.” Her voice dripped with disdain.
“Arielle, please!”
She turned a deaf ear to Matthias. Despite the fact the captain was volatile, twitchy even, she refused to back down.
“Times are changing, Captain King. You better look around and get used to it. Kill Matthias. Kill me and my husband and more of us will rise up. You can’t kill us all.”
“You shut your mouth, you little— “
A long dark hand snatched the rifle out of his hand from behind. “What the—”
Arielle blinked and the captain was flat on the ground, dazed while Bronco stood over him, twirling the knife on his finger. Caleb tossed the rifle to Matthias who caught it and emptied it out.
“It took you long enough,” Arielle pouted.
Caleb grinned at her, his eyes full of love. “Are you complaining, Agent Smith?”
Her heart almost burst with joy. “No, not at all.”
Epilogue
Denver, Colorado
“Come in,” Archie called out in response to the knock on his office door.
It opened and he looked up and grinned. “Well, I’m surprised to see you here again. I thought everything had been settled.”
The man went to open his mouth when Archie snapped his fingers. “Wait! Are you here to see Arielle and Caleb? If so, you’ve missed them. I’ve assigned them to another case a few days ago.”
“That’s good to hear,” his visitor said. “But I was coming to you for a more personal reason.”
Archie’s eyebrows drew in. “Oh?”
“Yes.” His visitor slid into the chair. “I’m wondering…are you looking to add on more recruits?”
“You! You want to be an agent?”
“I’ve thought about it and yes, I do. If you’ll have me.”
Archie stared across the desk for a long moment. “Usually, my agents go through a rigorous examination, and evaluation. You’ll be subjected to all that but…I don’t think it would be wrong for me to say this.”
“Say what exactly?”
Archie smiled and stretched out his hand. “Welcome to the agency, Matthias Blackburn.”
.
Author’s Note
If you’d like to read more novels regarding some of the African American struggles after the Civil War, feel free to browse any of my good friend, award-winning author, Piper Huguley’s books. A professor of United States Literature at Spelman, Mrs. Huguley’s inspirational books give the reader soul stirring plots, historical fact, and of course, romance flourishing through all obstacles.
Brutus Bradford and Roseline, though not a story of their own, were inspired by the writings of Vanessa Riley. Writing historical romance featuring interracial couples is her forte and I know you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
The Pinkerton Matchmaker Series
An Agent for Lucy – Amelia Adams
An Agent for Regina – Marianne Spitzer
An Agent for Wilhelmina - Sophie Dawson
An Agent for Claudette – Christine Sterling
An Agent for Audrey - Laura Beers
An Agent for Victoria - Kate Marie Clark
An Agent for Elizabeth - Julia Ridgmont
An Agent for Cecily - Marie Higgins
An Agent for Charity - Patricia Carroll
An Agent for Diana - Rebecca Connelly
An Agent for Belle - Nerys Leigh
An Agent for Arielle - Parker J. Cole
Plus, many more books being released
in 2019!
Join the Pinkerton Matchmaker’s Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PinkertonMatchmakerReaders
About the Author
Parker J. Cole is an author, speaker, and radio show host with a fanatical obsession with the Lord, Star Trek, K-dramas, anime, romance books, old movies, speculative fiction, and knitting. An off and on recovering Mountain Dew and marshmallow addict, she writes to fill the void the sugar left behind.
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Works by Parker J. Cole
Edgy Christian Romance Novels
The Sins of the Flesh Series:
Many Strange Women (Book 1)
The Other Man (Book 2)
Vengeful Vows (Book 3)
Sweet Inspirational Novels
Michigan Sweet Romance Series:
The Cure
Time to Say Goodbye
Contemporary Romance
Java Cupid Series
Java Blend
Sweet Historical Romance Novels
Silverpines Series:
Wanted: Man of Honor
Wanted: Stonemason
Wanted: Fire Chief (April 2019)
Lantern in the Window Series:
Lantern of Hope
Lantern of Charity
The Proxy Bride Series
A Bride for Sterling
A Bride for Valentin (May 2019)
Short Story Collection
Wish Upon a Strawberry Shortcake
Dream About an Apple (February 2019)
Thriller Novel
Dark Cherub
Anthology Works
Birds of Passage Anthology: April and Mr. Grim
Realms of Our Own: Godforsaken
WRITING AS PARKER PAYNE
Ascent of the Gem Bearers Series
The Druid’s Spear (Book One) with Lee Thornton III
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An Agent for Arielle (The Pinkerton Matchmaker Book 12) Page 8
