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  “Sounds like a movie,” Grace sniffed. She knew she sounded like a petulant child, but the experiences she’d lived through were overwhelming her mind as it realized she was no longer in danger. “When can we go home?”

  “Soon.” Joshua smiled at them. “We’d like to interview you before you go. We want the whole story, from start to finish. The more information we have, the easier time we’ll have prosecuting these men.”

  “In the US?” Tony asked. “The crimes we know about were committed in Mexico.”

  Joshua smiled. “I’m not at liberty to share all of my information with you, Tony.”

  “But we have to share with you?” Grace replied. “Doesn’t seem fair.”

  “Fair or not, that’s the way it is,” Joshua told them. “We’d prefer you cooperated.”

  “We’ll cooperate,” Tony murmured, taking Grace’s hand again. “As long as you can guarantee our safety.”

  “Of course,” Joshua acknowledged.

  “Will de Velazquez and Guapo go to prison?” Grace asked.

  “That will be up to the courts,” Joshua answered, frowning. “They have been arrested and will be tried here in Mexico for their crimes.”

  Grace frowned. “Will they go to prison?” she asked again, more emphatically.

  “I really don’t know. If we were trying them in the US for these crimes…maybe.” Joshua shrugged. “I never know what will happen after I’ve delivered them.”

  “Can I get a message to the pilot who’s supposed to pick us up? He’s supposed to be there at noon, but if I get it to him quickly, he won’t leave the US,” Tony explained.

  Sheepishly, Joshua told them, “Your pilot has already been contacted.”

  Tony lifted a brow at him, but Joshua shook his head. Tony lifted his hands in surrender. “You can’t tell me, so don’t ask. I get it.”

  “I don’t,” Grace grumbled, folding her arms over her chest. “I’d like some decent clothes. I look like a damn prostitute.”

  “Done.” Joshua turned to the female agent who had spoken earlier. “Do you have some extra clothes Grace can wear?”

  The woman looked her up and down, shrugging. “They won’t fit, but she won’t look like a whore.”

  Grace snorted. “My wish come true.”

  After what felt like four hours but was really only a little more than one, Joshua had all the information he needed and released them. They were driven to the airstrip, where their pilot waited, and seven days after she arrived in Mexico, Grace was headed home.

  As she settled into the seat next to Tony, a thought struck her and she jerked upright, her hands on her belly. “Oh, my God.”

  “What?” he asked slowly. He’d settled in much more quickly than she had. He looked at her lazily and smiled when he saw her hand on her stomach. “Did you forget?”

  “No, not really,” Grace said with a chuckle. “I mean, he was always in the back of my head.”

  “He?” Tony quipped, lifting an eyebrow.

  She half-smiled at him, winking. “Yeah. I think it’s a boy.”

  “So you think you’re really pregnant?” he asked with feigned suspicion. “Because you kept reminding me the test could be wrong.”

  “It still could be,” she replied, “but I don’t think it is.” She sighed and leaned back in the chair. “You know, I kept telling myself not to get attached, but I can’t help it. Once I saw the positive, I had to get out alive.” She ran her hands over her belly. “He saved me.”

  Tony cleared his throat loudly and pointed at himself. “And I did nothing?”

  “Well, he didn’t do it alone,” she conceded, winking at him when he glared playfully at her. “As soon as we land, I want to get another test. Just to be sure.”

  “Where do you live again?” he asked.

  “New York, but aren’t we landing in Texas?”

  “In Houston,” he told her. “I have an apartment in Bay City. We could stay there for a couple of days.”

  “That would be nice,” Grace agreed, sighing in her exhaustion. “Where do you live?”

  “I think I’m moving to New York,” he stated matter-of-factly. “If that’s where you’ll be with my son, that’s where I’ll be.”

  “And what if he isn’t in there?” Grace asked, a little fearfully.

  “I still want to date you.” He smirked at her when she narrowed her eyes.

  “Ass.”

  “Get some sleep,” he ordered.

  “We aren’t in Mexico anymore. No more orders, Mr. Romano,” she sassed.

  “Sure thing.”

  Epilogue

  Two years later…

  “Come here, you little booger,” Grace called, chasing after her toddling son as he tried to escape the bathroom. His naked body slipped through her fingers, and he ran gleefully at a full sprint down the hall, squealing for his daddy.

  Tony, who’d been in the office responding to fan emails, heard the commotion and rose to walk to the door. He scooped up his son, who screamed with laughter, and tickled him, teasing him. “Are you trying to get away from Mommy? You don’t want a bath?”

  “Little toot’s had a bath, or part of one,” Grace said as she appeared next to them. “I turn for one second, and he escapes the bathtub and gets water everywhere.”

  “Were you in the bath with him?” Tony teased, taking in her wet shirt and soaked shorts.

  “You’d think so, huh,” she replied, reaching for the boy. Tony kissed his son’s head and passed him to Grace. “Trevor, you little monster. Your namesake would love you!” She twinkled at Tony as she wrapped her son in the towel she’d carried with her and began drying him off. “What are you doing in there, Daddy?”

  “Answering some of the fan email,” he reminded her. She hated doing it, so the chore had fallen to him. He didn’t mind it and had actually enjoyed the back and forth with some of their readers, who were both civilians and ex-military.

  “I still can’t believe how successful the book was,” Grace said in wonder. She finished drying Trevor and swatted his naked booty gently. “You get in your room and we’ll get you dressed.”

  “Good night, Trevor!” Tony called, but the little naked butt disappeared into his room without looking back. “Almost bedtime?”

  “Yes, thank God!” she whispered, giggling. “He’s worn me out today.”

  “Hopefully not too much?” he asked with a lascivious look at her wet tee shirt which clearly outline her breasts and slightly distended nipples.

  “Never too much for that,” she said, leaning up to kiss his lips quickly. “I’ll get him to bed while you finish.”

  Tony watched her as she turned and headed into their son’s room, which was between their shared office and their master bedroom. Once they’d returned to the States and confirmed the pregnancy, Grace had agreed to move to Virginia, where he had a condo. Together, they had decided to find a house together, though neither had discussed the idea of marriage. While living together, they had dated, which everyone had thought was strange, but they had loved it. Their relationship grew stronger every day, and by the time their son arrived, the two of them were so in love they couldn’t imagine living any other way.

  Grace had decided on therapy, though after only a month, she felt as if she no longer needed it. Her mind, her will, were too strong for such an experience to drag her down. And writing the book together, a nonfiction memoir of their experience, had been more cathartic than any counselor could have been. The book had been an enormous success, and they were working on an outline for the novels Tony had been wanting to write, having retired to do so.

  He plopped down in his chair and finished an email to a fan who also happened to be Grace’s brother-in-law, Ethan. Tony had met all of them when Trevor had been born, and they’d been to Texas a handful of times since then. The last time they’d gone, Tony had spoken with Grace’s mother and two sisters about marrying her, and Elaine had helped him pick out the ring.

  Ethan had actually e
mailed to ask what the holdup was, claiming Elaine was driving him insane asking when he was going to do it. The email had been the push he needed. He’d had the ring for nearly two months but couldn’t find a time. He sent an email saying, Expect pics of her left hand tomorrow, and shut down the computer. Inside the drawer to his left, which was deemed his drawer while Grace’s was on the right, was a velvet box containing a simple band with a single diamond. He grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket.

  Quickly, he went to Trevor’s door and listened as Grace read him a bedtime story. Rather than interrupt and get Trevor all riled up again, he let his earlier kiss be the good night kiss. He hurried to the kitchen and grabbed two wine glasses, filled them with Grace’s favorite red, and carried them to the back porch, which overlooked a pond on the ten acres they’d bought. In the living room, he grabbed two candles and carried them outside, lighting them and placing them on the table between the wine glasses.

  He waited for another fifteen minutes before he heard Grace quietly close the door to Trevor’s room. She met him at the back door and kissed him, and they stepped outside for their nightly ritual. With a groan, she fell into the chair she always sat in, then smiled up at him.

  “Candles? Is tonight special?”

  “I hope so,” Tony said, his stomach lurching. He could stare into a gun barrel and not break a sweat, but confessing his love to this beautiful woman made him nauseated.

  “I hope I’m not supposed to remember,” she asked, clenching her teeth and making a funny face.

  “No, but you will,” he whispered as he dropped to a knee and pulled the little box out of his pocket. “Grace, I can’t begin to explain how much I love you. I honestly think I fell for you the day I watched you climb out of a Mexican drug lord’s window.”

  Grace chuckled around the hands she’d lifted to her mouth. “Tony…”

  “You have given me a beautiful son and a wonderful life, and I’ve only known you for three years. I can’t imagine my life without you in it,” he said, smiling as a single tear slipped down his cheek. “Please marry me.”

  A sob tore from Grace’s throat that might have been a yes, but she threw herself in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. He landed on his back, with her on his chest, as she kissed his face over and over. She kissed his lips long and hard, smiling into his eyes.

  “Yes, Tony! I love you so much!” She kissed him again, a watery, teary kiss, and he sat up, taking her with him.

  “Want me to put the ring on?” he asked jokingly.

  “Oh, my God!” She laughed, extending her left hand. As he slipped the perfectly sized ring on her finger, she laughed again. “I…” She looked at him, the broadest smile on her face. “Tony, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Tell me you love me. That’s all I need.”

  “I do love you,” she whispered as she put her arms around his neck again. “So much.”

  HARD

  HARD

  Daniel

  The blue International bus bounced and creaked as it roared across the airfield. Daniel Thames relaxed against his seat. He was home. He was part of the 48th Rescue Squadron, 563rd Rescue Group, based on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. He’d been gone for two months, attending a hush-hush evaluation. For what, he still didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. Anything was better than what he was doing before he’d been invited to participate. He used to take enormous pride in what he did, but now he was simply waiting for his tour to be up. Being selected for this—whatever this was—would give him a change of scenery for the next three years. And, perhaps, give him some peace.

  “Hey, Pajamas! Is it true the Air Force has the finest looking bitches in the services?”

  Daniel smiled. He’d picked up the nickname Pajamas during the two-month evaluation at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was part of the PJs, short for Para jumper—also known as Rescue Rangers or Air Commandos—but his title was officially designated as Pararescue. He and others that wore the coveted maroon beret dove deep into the shit to rescue downed pilots, following their motto of These Things We Do, That Others May Live. He took his role seriously. Or thought he had.

  He twisted in his seat and smiled at Derrick. Derrick Long was a Navy SEAL. He’d also made the cut. He had a quick, scathing wit that could sometimes get under the skin, but he was a good guy. The three other men on the bus were good guys as well. With two SEALs and an Army Ranger, they gave him plenty of hell about being Air Force, but they also gave each other hell for not being Navy or Army.

  “Compared to what you’ve got in the Army and Navy, goats would be fine-looking bitches.”

  Derrick looked at him a moment, his face stern as he held his fist up in front of him, then quickly turned a tiny imaginary crank beside his hand, his face gradually breaking into a surprised look as his middle finger slowly rose.

  “Hey! Maybe you can hook us up. We’ll show these airwomen what a real man looks like,” Richard Tesley, the other SEAL, suggested.

  “Pfft,” Dan spluttered. “Anyone who would find a Squid attractive would get washed out in basic.”

  “More for me, then,” Thomas Gregg responded with an evil grin.

  Dan turned his attention to the Ranger. “A knuckle dragger? They’d never be able to pass the entrance exam.”

  The SEALs laughed as Thom gave Dan the finger. “They’re probably a bunch of frigid bitches anyway,” he said with a grin.

  “Not at all. They merely have taste.” Dan smiled. He could dish it out as well as take it.

  “So, they like the nerdy, professor type?” Thom asked. “That’s only because they haven’t been fucked by a real man before.”

  “Maybe,” Dan allowed, his lips twitching as he fought back his smile. “Sure, I’ll set you up. It’ll be up to you to talk to them, though. Think you can handle words with more than two syllables?”

  The other three men laughed. The traditional rivalry between the services was alive and well, but each of them knew any of the others would be right there in the thick of it with them when the chips were down.

  The bus rocked to a stop in front of the visitors’ quarters. He had a house on base, but he would make sure his ‘guests’ were settled in before he went home.

  “Here you are, gentlemen!” the airman driving the bus said cheerfully as he opened the door. He nodded at the woman standing at the curb. “The airman will take care of you.”

  The four men gathered their duffels and stepped off the bus. They weren’t in uniform, so the young airman waiting at the curb didn’t salute them.

  “Gentlemen, I’m Airmen Fug. I’m here to get you settled in.”

  Airmen Fug—she pronounced it Foog—appeared to be right out of basic and had only one stripe on her sleeves. She was wearing crisp blues and filled out her blouse nicely. Dan smiled as his companions sized the airman up. He took charge.

  “Airman, Petty Officers First Class Long and Tesley, U.S. Navy.” He could see the panic in the woman’s eyes. “That’s the equivalent to an E-5, a Tech Sergeant. This is Army Sergeant Thomas Gregg. He’s an E-4.”

  The woman snapped off a crisp salute. She wasn’t required to salute since they weren’t in uniform, but she probably did it as a sign of respect. “Welcome to Davis-Monthan.”

  He smiled. She didn’t say gentlemen, a title unofficially reserved for officers. Airman Fug was going to go far. The three men crisply saluted in return.

  “That dope is one of yours. Sergeant Daniel Thames, U.S. Air Force,” Rich said with a nod at Dan.

  Fug fired off another crisp salute and Dan returned it. “If you’ll follow me,” she said, leading the men inside. “Sergeant Long, this is your room.” She opened a door and stepped aside. Derrick stepped in as Fug moved across the hall and opened another door. “Sergeant Tesley, your room.” She repeated the procedure for Gregg, then opened the last door for Dan.

  “I won’t be staying here, Airman. I’m stationed here and have a house.”

  Fug shut the door. �
�Yes, Sergeant. Can I give you a ride?”

  He heard the other three men burst into laughter, and she blushed furiously but said nothing. “That’s all right, Fug. I can make my way. Take good care of our guests.”

  She nodded with an abrupt jerk of her head. “Very good care, Sergeant.”

  He raised his voice slightly. “Show her the respect she’s due. This isn’t the fucking Navy or Army.”

  The three men stepped into the hall. “At ease, Airman,” Derrick said, and Fug settled into a parade rest. “Thank you for your hospitality,” he added seriously.

  “My pleasure. Call on me if you need anything.” She paused then cracked a tiny smile. “Anything at all.”

  Dan shook his head. Fug obviously knew how to handle herself. He knew none of the men would do anything out of line, but before the training was over, he was pretty sure Fug would offer at least one of the men a ride, and it wouldn’t be in a car.

  “Our first meeting is at fifteen hundred. Do you know where these men need to be?” Dan asked.

  “Yes, Sergeant. I’ve been briefed. I’ll have them there on time.”

  “Very good. Carry on,” he said before he picked up his duffle.

  -oOo-

  “Thank you,” Dan said as he stepped out of the hummer in front of one of the large buildings spotted around the desert. They were meeting in the boneyard, the huge expanse of desert inside Davis-Monthan where military aircraft came to die. Why they were meeting way out there was a mystery to him when they had plenty of classroom and office space in the main part of the base.

  He walked into the cream-colored metal building. It was one of several similar buildings scattered around in the boneyard used for various purposes during the disassembly or restoration of the airframes stored there. The building had been emptied, leaving a vast, open area several hundred feet on a side. He frowned in confusion.