Silver Shield Security Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  She went into his arms and wrapped her arms around him. She heard his harsh intake of breath and drew back.

  “Ace?”

  He saw the frown on her face and grimaced. “I’m still bandaged up,” he admitted.

  “Are you not supposed to be at the hospital?”

  His smile was sheepish. “I discharged myself.”

  “What!”

  “I had to see you. I got a visit from Alicia today and she said you were leaving.” He framed her face with his hands. “I love you so much, Sierra Newman. I never want to go another day without you.”

  Sierra reached up carefully and kissed him.

  “Oh, Ace! Now let’s get you back to the hospital.”

  He waved a hand around the room. “Where will you stay now? Alicia said you’ve sold the house.”

  “I’ll probably rent somewhere close to the hospital. Why?”

  “Well, if they’re sure there’s someone who can take care of me, the doctors will let me go home.”

  “Are you asking me to move in with you, sailor?”

  “If I could, I would go down on one knee.”

  Sierra’s heart began to race. “What are you saying, Ace?”

  He caressed her hair. In his gaze, she saw so much love that it brought a lump to her throat.

  “I don’t want to live without you,” he said. He waited a beat then, “I don’t want to rush you or anything, but I really need to know how you feel about me.”

  Her smile was bright and for the first time since he stepped into her house, Ace saw the sadness disappear from her eyes. He held his breath, wondering if she would say what he could read clearly in her eyes.

  “Ace Moreno, I love you with every fiber of my being.”

  His breath came out in a whoosh as he closed his eyes in relief. He drew her to him and hugged her, ignoring the pain from his chest.

  Holding Sierra in his arms, Ace finally felt like his life was complete.

  BOOK TWO

  Chapter One

  Janey Moore knew what it meant to live life on the edge. After a week spent running for her life and dodging bullets in Chicago, she decided that the slow paced life of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was just the right life for her. She was never going to leave.

  She unlocked her store and stepped in, taking a moment to inhale the wonderful fragrance from different flowers. She loved everything about her store including the sound of the wind chimes that tinkled as soon as she opened the door.

  She had built it from nothing and was incredibly proud of all her work.

  She had not always been proud of all she’d achieved. She guessed that was one good thing that came out of going to Chicago.

  Along with the best love-making she had ever experienced.

  She paused and shut her eyes. She could still remember his scent, the feel of his skin against hers, and his taste…

  The sound of the wind chimes above the door shook her out of her reverie. She looked back as a young woman with a short pixie cut hurried in.

  “Hey, Janey. Damn, it’s cold out there!”

  Riley Sommers was only twenty-two, but she had already been married and divorced. She was a small woman, about five feet four or less, but she more than made up for that with a sparkly personality.

  She stamped her feet as she hurried in.

  “Hmm, we’re expecting snow later today,” Janey said, walking into the small room at the back of the store that served as her office.

  Riley stuck her head around the corner. “I’m making coffee. Can I get you a cup?”

  Janey felt her stomach roll at the thought. “Uh- uh, thanks,” she said with a grimace. “Maybe some green tea?”

  Riley frowned. “Are you okay, Janey?”

  “Why?”

  “You’ve been acting funny lately. I didn’t want to mention it, but you look like you’re coming down with something.”

  Janey knew she was coming down with something alright. And it had everything to do with the gorgeous man she’d met in Chicago. Even though she had neither seen nor heard from him in the past three months, she could not seem to stop thinking about him.

  Yet she knew that thinking about him this way was an exercise in futility. Even if he did show up, she could not have anything to do with him. They were incompatible in every possible way. Nothing like her and Mark, who had been her boyfriend since high school. They’d been planning to get married, but he called off the engagement and then she met him. The man in Chicago.

  “You’re doing it again.”

  Janey blinked as she realized that Riley was still standing there. She had spaced out.

  “I’m sorry, Riley. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I have been feeling a little off lately.”

  She was tired all the time even though she had put it down to the fact that her sister, Diane, had gone missing nearly three months ago and no matter how hard she’d looked she hadn’t been able to find out anything about her. The police had been little or no help. It was almost as though Diane had vanished into thin air.

  “Maybe you should see a doctor?”

  She saw the concern on the other woman’s face and felt bad.

  “Don’t worry about me. Valentine’s Day is around the corner; it’s going to be really busy around here.”

  “Yeah. Mark the Moron is still hanging around. You sure you won’t give him another chance?” Riley wriggled her eyebrows and laughed when Janey made a face.

  She left and returned a few minutes later with a steaming cup of tea. Janey sipped it gratefully, enjoying the calm. She was truly, genuinely grateful for Riley. When Janey was away for a week, she had kept the store running and taken care of all the plants to boot. Getting good people was hard, so Janey did whatever she could to make the other woman happy.

  Janey turned on the computer. She liked to check for online orders first thing in the morning, before the walk-in customers began to troop in. The thought had barely formed when she heard the wind chimes signaling that someone had come through the front door.

  Barely seconds later, she heard the sound of the chimes again, then the phone began to ring. It was almost as though someone had blown a whistle. The phone was ringing off the hook and at one point, she had to move to the front of the store to give Riley a hand because of the number of people that needed attention.

  They were on their feet, filling orders for several hours. By the time there was a lull, Janey was exhausted.

  “Thanks for coming, have a nice day.” Janey saw off the last customer in the store with a sigh. Riley was on the phone.

  “That’s three dozen roses, and a rainbow Baby’s Breath bouquet. Got it. Delivered where…? Hmmm…on Valentine’s Day. Great. Thanks.”

  She dropped the phone and groaned. “Oh Lord! It’s always crazy this time of the year, but this year…”

  Janey smiled tiredly. She could feel a headache building behind her eyes. “What’s the time?”

  “Ah, it’s past lunchtime already. Have you eaten anything today?”

  Janey shook her head. She did not feel hungry much these days. She knew she needed to eat something, but…

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get you a sandwich.”

  Riley shrugged on her coat and grabbed her purse. She paused at the door, a frown on her face. “Will you be okay?”

  “Sure. You go on.”

  Janey stood staring after her. She looked around the store and sighed. Usually, she loved her store. It was her second favorite place in the world. Her favorite place was the small cottage she rented. But lately, everything just seemed so… she searched for a word and could not come up with one.

  She loved her store. She really did. She loved the flowers she grew personally in the greenhouse behind her cottage. The wild mix of colors from the flowers brought so much joy to her heart and the scent from so many lovely plants was enough to calm the most unsettled nerves. She loved the pale pink and mint green walls and the pots she had specially sourced. The Janey’s Blossoms written in
silver calligraphy on the wall behind the counter. She loved everything about the store.

  The store was almost like a marriage between antique and simple modern. Well, more like shabby chic.

  Usually, she was able to forget everything else and just focus on the plants. But not today. Today, there were so many things vying for attention in her already crowded mind.

  She was worried about her sister. Until a few months ago, Diane had worked for a corrupt senator. She had also been his mistress. A thumb drive Diane had sent to Janey had helped to expose the corrupt practices of the senator and criminal proceedings were brought against him. He died in a car crash before his case had gone to court, so Janey never got the chance to ask him what had happened to her sister.

  Each time she thought about Diane, her heart missed a beat. She feared that her sister was already dead, but she had no way of knowing. She needed desperately to find out what happened to her.

  Then there was the other problem of the man she’d met in Chicago… Janey shook her head. She was not going to think about that.

  She decided to straighten up a bit before Riley got back. Once the Valentine’s Day madness was over, she would take stock, just to know what they had and what needed to be replaced.

  She reached for a notebook and knocked over a pen to the floor. She bent down to pick it up, it had rolled beneath the table which had the cash machine. She stretched her hand, using the tip of her fingers to coax the pen to roll back out. The door chimed.

  “Hey, that was fast. Just put the sandwich on my table and I’ll be there in a minute,” she called out, still reaching for the pen.

  Aha! Finally, she was able to get her hands on the pen. She grabbed it and stood up. The room tilted. She quickly shut her eyes and grabbed the edge of the counter. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then opened her eyes.

  “Are you alright?”

  Janey froze and turned towards the person that just spoke. Her face became stiff when she saw who it was.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Janey, how long are you going to keep this up? You know we belong together. Why are you refusing to see reason?”

  Janey stared at the man standing before her. Mark Sweeny used to be her fiancé. They had dated since high school and even though she’d noticed the lackluster passion between them, she’d been willing to live with that because she loved him. Then he had called off the engagement…well, he’d given her an ultimatum. If she left Broken Arrow to look for her sister, the wedding was off.

  She’d left Broken Arrow.

  What had really shocked her, though, was the fact that she was not even a bit broken hearted about the broken engagement. In fact, she had felt relief. And that feeling alone had told her all she needed to know about the relationship she’d had with this man.

  “Mark, what exactly is your problem? You were the one who said the engagement was off.”

  “Yes, and I’m saying it’s back on again,” he said impatiently.

  Janey could not believe the nerve of a man. “Sorry, Mark, but I’m not interested.”

  He laughed.

  He actually had the nerve to laugh, the jerk.

  “You really want me to believe that? We’ve been together too long. Where are you going to find a man to marry in Broken Arrow? Please, be realistic.”

  His words stung. They snuck past her defenses, reached deep down inside and pierced her heart.

  She couldn’t believe that she had once looked forward to walking down the aisle with such an insensitive person. She looked at him properly now.

  He was about an inch or two under six feet, but he made up for those inches in bulk. He had short dark hair, which was neatly arranged in waves. He was considered by most to be handsome, at least she had thought so once. But she noticed the softness in his chin, the beer gut and the eyes that lacked a firmness to them. He was not someone that could be relied upon.

  “What’s this really about, Mark?” Janey folded her arms over her chest. “You can get any woman you want, can’t you?” She saw him preen at that statement. “So why do you bother yourself with me.”

  He smiled, believing that he was finally going to have his way.

  “Janey, dear, I know you appreciate what it means to have a man like me.” He sidled up to her as he spoke. “I forgive you for leaving. We go way back; I can’t leave you hanging. I know you want kids, right? Only God knows how long you would have to wait for that if I didn’t marry you, and the clock is ticking, eh…” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

  Janey closed her eyes and counted to ten. When she opened her eyes, she felt calmer.

  “I think you should leave now, Mark.”

  He frowned, obviously not expecting that reaction. “What is this? It isn’t like you to be coy, Janey.”

  “I’m not being coy. I just told you, I am not interested in getting married to you.”

  “Did you meet someone else? Is that it?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  Janey wanted to remind him about his earlier conviction that she could not meet anyone else, but she was suddenly very tired.

  “Just leave.”

  Mark grabbed her arm in a tight grip.

  “I will not be dismissed!”

  She winced in pain. “You’re hurting me, Mark.”

  He tightened his hold. Just then, the front door opened and the wind chimes tingled. Mark let go.

  “Janey, are you okay? Should I call the cops?”

  Janey kept her eyes on Mark. “It’s fine, Riley. Mark was just leaving.”

  His eyes flashed hatred at her. “You are going to regret this.”

  “I already do. I have no idea what I ever saw in you.”

  She noticed his fist clench.

  “I’ll call nine-one-one,” Riley said, heading for the phone.

  “Hold your horses, I’m leaving.”

  He shot Janey another venomous look and then walked out angrily.

  After he left, Janey sagged against the wall.

  “Janey, are you okay?” Riley hurried to her side.

  Janey nodded, but allowed the other woman to lead her to the small loveseat in her office. She left and returned with a cup of green tea.

  “Here.” She placed it in Janey’s hands.

  “Thanks,” Janey murmured.

  She took a sip and sighed as she felt the warmth hit her suddenly icy insides.

  “That was weird,” Riley said.

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I didn’t like the look of it. You should file a complaint at the police station.”

  Janey shook her head. “Nah, it’s Mark. He’s a jerk, but he isn’t violent.”

  “He looked pretty violent to me,” Riley said.

  “Don’t worry about it, Riley. He will soon realize that we’re never getting married and leave me alone.”

  Riley nodded slowly, though Janey could tell that she was unconvinced. Oh well, she didn’t know Mark. He ran away from physical confrontations. He might harass her, but he would never hurt her. She was sure of it.

  Chapter Two

  Janey flipped the sign at the door, so that the CLOSED sign was facing outside. Then she turned the locks and went back to her office. A week had passed since the Valentine’s rush and her horrible encounter with Mark.

  His hateful remarks had affected her more than she wanted them to. She sat alone in her office and realized that she had been that way for some time.

  Alone.

  Her sister had been her best friend, but when she started working for the senator in Washington D.C., she changed. She stopped returning Janey’s calls and did not encourage communication of any sort. She also stopped coming home and after trying so hard, Janey had stopped trying. The last time she saw her sister was ten years ago.

  Oh God. Diane!

  Just thinking about her caused a sharp ache in her chest. She needed to find her sister with a desperation that was slowly taking over her life. She came back home when her dad had
a heart attack. She knew that her mom would not be able to care for him alone, and she was right.

  Her life was spent between her store and her parents’ farm a few miles outside the town. Thinking about her mother made Janey sad. Being the only daughter close by, they should have been close, but they were not. Her sisters-in-law got along better with her mom than she did. They were the sort of daughters Daphne Moore had always wished she had.

  Diane had been that sort of daughter as well, but she had looked out for Janey and shielded her from their mother’s criticism.

  Mark had been more than just her boyfriend. He’d been her best friend. Which was why she could not understand why he was being so nasty and mean to her.

  Janey realized that she had been staring at the computer screen, but she had not done any work. She needed to update the blog and the online inventory as well. There was no point having a customer order a flower that was not in stock.

  Just then an email came in. She clicked through to read it and frowned.

  The email contained just one sentence:

  Leave town or else…

  Leave town or else? What did that even mean? She looked to see who the sender was. Comi N.G. Foru.

  What sort of name was that? Probably spam. She needed to check the anti-spam software she was using. This should not have come through to her inbox.

  With a frown, Janey moved to mouse to the delete button and paused. On second thought, she would leave it so that she could lodge a complaint with her anti-spam provider.

  She flipped through to other mails and made notes beside the orders. She was going out to the farm in the morning, so Riley would need to fill the orders.

  She glanced at the thin silver watch on her wrist. It was past nine p.m. The other stores around would have closed. She needed to get home. She could do the rest of the work on her home computer.

  She had already packed her stuff and put on her jacket when the phone rang. She hesitated, reluctant to pick it up. She contemplated just walking out and ignoring the phone, but she knew she was going to answer it in the end. She played by the rules. Always.