by KaLyn Cooper
Unending Love
Black Swan Book Seven
KaLyn Cooper
Contents
Message to the Reader
Acknowledgments
About the Black Swan Series
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
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Also by KaLyn Cooper
About the Author
Unending Love
KaLyn Cooper
Cover Artist: Drue Hoffman
Editors: Trenda London, Rebecca Hodgkins
ISBN: 978-1-970145-17-5
Published 2020 by Black Swan Publishing, LLC
Copyright © Published 2020 by Black Swan Publishing, LLC
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Message to the Reader
Welcome to Unending Love, the seventh book in the Black Swan series. Although all my books are stand-alone, you may wish to read the entire series so you are familiar with all the characters.
If you are a fan of the Black Swan series, then you’ve seen Katlin and Alex from the very beginning. Unending Love concentrates on the tenuous relationship between them after she suffers a traumatic brain injury. Parts of Unending Love were written at the same time I wrote Unrelenting Love, but I decided to end the book when they committed to each other and write the other members of the Black Swan team. Look for more of Katlin and Alex’s story in Undefeated Love.
Thank you for purchasing Unending Love. If you enjoy this book, consider purchasing the other books in the Black Swan series as well as the related Guardian Security series.
Always,
KaLyn Cooper
Other books in this series by KaLyn Cooper:
Black Swan Series
Military active duty women secretly trained in Special Operations
and the men who dare to capture the heart of a Woman Warrior.
Unconventional Beginnings Prequel (Black Swan novella #0.5)
Download FREE https://dl.bookfunnel.com/uec4utb66d
Unrelenting Love: Lady Hawk (Katlin) & Alex (Black Swan novel #1)
Noel’s Puppy Power: Bailey & Tanner (A Sweet Christmas Black Swan novella #1.5)
Uncaged Love: Harper & Rafe (Black Swan novel #2)
Unexpected Love: Lady Eagle (Grace) & Griffin (Black Swan novel #3)
Challenging Love: Katlin & Alex (A Black Swan novella #3.5)
Unguarded Love: Lady Harrier (Nita) & Daniel (Black Swan novel #4)
Choosing Love: Grace & Griffin (A Black Swan novella #4.5)
Unbeatable Love: Lady Falcon (Tori) & Marcus (Black Swan novel #5)
Unmatched Love: Lady Kite (Lei Lu) & Henry (Black Swan novel #6)
Unending Love: an Alex & Katlin Saga (Black Swan novel #7)
Guardian Elite Series
Former special operators,
these men work for Guardian Security (from the Black Swan Series)
protecting families in their homes and executives on the road,
but they can’t always protect their hearts.
Double Jeopardy (Novella #1 Guardian Elite series crossover with Hildie McQueen’s
Justice for Gwen (Novella #2 Guardian Elite series crossover with Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World)
Rescuing Melina (Novella #3 Guardian Elite series crossover with Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World)
Snow SEAL (Novella #4 Guardian Elite series crossover with Elle James Brotherhood Protectors World)
Securing Willow (Novella #5 Guardian Elite series crossover with Susan Stoker’s Special Forces World)
SEAL in a Storm (Novel #5 is part of the Suspense Sisters new wave of connected books, Silver SEALs featuring a seasoned hero and heroine, second chances, and edge of your seat suspense.)
I dedicate this book to the men and women who spend time in a military hospital.
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank the Ladies of Black Swan Book Club who encourage me, make me laugh, and suggest names. A special thanks to Beverly Blank and Alli Kay.
Many thanks to my Beta reader, Teresa Christianson for catching several items I missed.
I couldn’t have written this book without the help of my friend and fellow author Rachel Rivers. She shared her first-hand experiences with me so I could get the details of IVF accurate.
A sincere thank you to Drue Hoffman for my wonderful cover, Trenda London for her story guidance and insistence on changing the ending, and Rebecca Hodgkins for cleaning up my mistakes.
I want to thank my husband who was learning how to be retired, sequestered at home thanks to COVID-19, and ignored by me most of the time as I wrote this book.
My heartfelt thanks to all of you!
About the Black Swan Series
Rara avis in terris is Latin for “a rare bird in the lands.”
In the ancient world, it was believed that the landing of a single black swan
created a change that would affect the entire world.
Fact: A woman can get a man alone within hours ...and kill him in seconds.
Fact: Men always underestimate beautiful women.
Fact: There are a lot of entities in our military that very few people know about.
Fact: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has made amazing strides in Traumatic Brain Injuries.
1
“Be safe, Kat.” Alex Wolf put his heart and soul into the kiss, keeping it sweet and gentle. It could be weeks or months before he held his fiancée, Katlin Callahan, in his arms again. He refused to think about the possibility of her being hurt, or worse. He never knew how long she would be gone and since all her missions were top-secret, she couldn’t tell him even if she knew.
Breaking the kiss, he took her hand and laid her palm on the middle of his broad chest. “You’re taking my heart with you. Bring it back whole, and safe.”
Katlin took his hand and pressed it between her breasts. The diamond ring he’d given her punched into his palm. She’d already taken it off her ring finger and secured it on the titanium chain where she wore it while on duty.
He loved the idea that his gift lay between her large rounded breasts, the exact spot his head had rested a few hours ago as he listened to her heartbeat slow down. They’d made love twice before she had to crawl out of bed and shower, where he’d had her once again. Then she shrugged into the black flight suit, morphing into Lady Hawk, team leader of the Ladies of Black Swan.
Two black unmarked SUVs pulled into the parking slots next
to them.
Katlin let out a heavy sigh. “Time to go.” She pulled him in tight, staring into his eyes. “I love you.”
Five men poured from the newly arrived vehicles, loudly kidding each other as they brought their bags to the only door on that side of the faded green hangar.
“I love you, too.” Alex briefly kissed her, then forced himself to pull away and open the vehicle door on his side. As he made his way to the back of the Guardian Security SUV, he reined in his emotions. Each time she left, it was harder and harder to say goodbye. Maybe someday he wouldn’t have to make this trip to Marine Corps Base Quantico and let her fly away with his heart. Damn. He loved her.
As a former Marine Raider commanding officer, he understood her commitment to her country and the U.S. Navy as an active duty Lieutenant Commander. He accepted the fact that she and her team had been assigned to Section 7 of Homeland Security. He hated the control her boss had over her.
Fuck it. He had to be honest with himself. He hated Jack Ashworth, not just because he was Katlin’s boss and could send her anywhere, anytime with minimal notice, but because the man controlled Alex’s ability to be with Katlin.
Alex glanced toward the door where the men—who would be on this mission with her—gathered their gear. Katlin wasn’t happy about this coed mission. Alex was a tiny bit jealous of the time she would spend with these men over the next few weeks, perhaps even months.
He had no doubt his woman would be faithful, as would the other four women on her team. Each had found the love of a good man over the past two years. No. Alex was more concerned about how these men would treat Katlin and her team. More than once, she had referred to the male team leader as a misogynist. He hoped she didn’t have to put up with too much of his shit.
Alex handed Katlin her bags then glanced around to see who was watching. He’d been through this drop-off procedure often enough that he knew he couldn’t approach the hangar without the possibility of being shot by the armed Marine guard.
Pulling her into his arms, he gave her a quick peck before quickly releasing her. “Call me on your way back home. I’ll get to D.C. as soon as I can.” As the managing partner of Guardian Security, he could be at any of their ten locations spread across the United States.
“I’ll try to contact you whenever I can.” Katlin scowled as she looked at the men who were digging out official IDs for the second guard who showed up with a clipboard. “Johnathan is such a pain in the ass for protocol. He has no clue how deeply encrypted Lei Lu has made our computers.
“I’m not sure why they’re even on this mission.” She returned her gaze to Alex, then grinned. “Except Jack is so jealous that you and I are together.” She wound her arms around his neck. “And I’m so madly in love with you it drives him fucking nuts.” She kissed him, obviously not caring who saw her public display of affection. “That he wants to keep us apart as much as he possibly can, even if that includes a bullshit mission.”
“Callahan,” one of the men bellowed. “Quit fucking around and get over here. Little Johnny soldier won’t let Will into the hangar.”
Alex cringed at the man’s insult. No Marine ever wanted to be called a soldier. Soldiers were in the Army, just like sailors were in the Navy. Marines were…well…in the Marine Corps.
“Is that Jonathan?” Alex’s eyebrows drew together.
“Oh, yeah.” Katlin stepped out of his arms. “This is going to be so much fun. Not.” She inhaled slowly and let out a deep breath. “This mission can’t be over soon enough as far as I’m concerned. Love you.”
A heavy duffel bag over each shoulder, she sauntered toward the hangar where her team was preparing their sleek black jet to fly to…wherever.
As he crawled behind the wheel of his company SUV, Alex pulled out his phone to check his secret Kat app. He smiled as he looked at the screen. A green dot pulsed on a map of the Washington D.C. area. When he homed in on the view, he could see that she was a hundred fifty feet away. Satisfied the phone application created by his computer genius to show Katlin’s embedded tracking chip was working perfectly, Alex turned the key and headed out the Marine Base’s front gate.
His phone rang as he merged onto Interstate 95. No phone call at one o’clock in the morning is ever good. The caller ID flashed on the screen, containing only the number with a southern California area code. It couldn’t be too bad since it was only ten o’clock in California. He pressed the button on his steering wheel to answer. “Alex Wolf.”
“Alejandro, I need your help,” the woman said in staccato Spanish. “He…he’s going to kill me.”
The blast from his past hit him like stepping out of an air-conditioned house into a warm gust on the leading edge of a tropical storm. “Jae, slow down. Who is going to kill you?” He returned in the same language they had both spoken as children back in the seedier side of D.C.
Jael Jimena Martinez had been his first love in kindergarten; his first lust at twelve; his first kiss when they were thirteen; and his first virgin the day after her sixteenth birthday. They’d briefly reconnected in every way possible right after he’d purchased what was now Guardian Security Los Angeles Center.
“I don’t know.” Her voice shook on those three little words. “That’s why I need you.”
“Are you in a safe place, now?” Alex’s anger wanted to explode at just the thought of someone hurting his beautiful friend.
“Yes. I’m staying with my friend, Payton.” Then she quickly added, “A girlfriend.”
“Good. Now tell me, where are you?” Since Jae’s acting career skyrocketed a few years ago, she could be anywhere in the world. No matter where, though, he would go to her. He owed this woman his life.
“I’m in Irvine.” She rattled off the address that Alex instantly memorized.
“I’m going to send a guard over there right—”
“No!” She interrupted. “Alejandro, I want you to come.”
“Jae, take a deep breath. I’m coming but it will take me several hours to get there. In the meantime, I want you to be safe.” Alex wasn’t even sure he could catch a flight yet that night, but he was sure as hell going to try. For her, he would charter a fucking airplane.
“Oh, okay.” She dragged in a shaky breath. “How soon do you think you can get here?”
“As soon as I make arrangements, I’ll call you.” He pulled off the exit toward Guardian Security D.C. Center. “In the meantime, what makes you think someone wants to kill you?” Jae had always been dramatic, which made her an excellent actress. It might turn out to be nothing to worry about, but he would go to her and soothe her worries.
“Because he’s sending the fucking notes, pictures of me everywhere I go.” Her voice was getting louder and shaking harder with every word. “He took a picture of me…naked…with Jon Michelson.” She sucked in a breath. “We’re…fucking. He scribbled over Jon’s face, and across the whole picture wrote ‘You are mine. Fuck him again and I’ll kill you both.’” She was in tears, gasping in breaths to finish. “He tried to kill Jon this morning.”
Alex pulled into the ground-level parking garage. So, he supposedly tried to kill her latest man. Fortunately, all of his centers had good relationships with the local police. It should be easy to get more details on the incident.
“Stay with me, Jae. I’m walking into my D.C. office and I need to talk to someone in the control room to get a man sent to your house.” Alex got out of the SUV and headed into the stairwell.
“You’re going to send someone to my house, too? As well as here?” She had a little more control of herself.
He needed to get his shit together. Why hadn’t he thought about sending someone to her home and searching it? Unless she’d moved, again, Guardian controlled her security system.
“Yes, I intend to send somebody to both places.” On the second floor, he strode into the control room. After giving the shift manager specific instructions for the Los Angeles office, he put the phone back to his ear as he took the eleva
tor to his penthouse apartment.
“Jae, one of my men is going to call you as he pulls up outside your friend’s house. Please let him in.” Once in his apartment, Alex went straight to his computer to look for a West Coast flight. “Now, Jae, where are the notes and pictures this fucker has been sending you?”
“The latest one, with me and Jon…you know…should still be in the kitchen wastebasket.” She hesitated a long few seconds before she confessed, “It’s in pieces. I’m sorry. I tore it up.”
“Understandable. At least you still have it.” A thought flashed through Alex’s mind. “Have you reported this guy to the police, yet?”
During her silence, Alex scanned the list of flights on the executive jet service his company used. If he hurried, he could make the three a.m. express to LAX. The four-hour flight was nonstop. He could be there before she woke up.
“No.” Her quiet word interrupted his travel thoughts.
Realizing she answered his earlier question, he couldn’t stop himself from blurting, “Why not?”
“Alex, I get threats almost every day.” Her tone called him an idiot. “My PR staff handles all that. If it looks serious, they bump it up to Ivee. If she thinks I’m genuinely in danger, she talks to the security on the lot where we’re filming.” She sniffed. “But we won’t be filming for at least a week. Maybe two. Jon got so banged up in the accident. If it was an accident.”
