Coming ine box set, p.93
Coming in Hot: Rescue Me Box Set, page 93
The explosion rocked the marina. Shrieks and screams went up from all along the square as people rushed to the pier to get a look at the fireball sitting on the water about five miles out from the docks, past the breakwall. Only moments later, the self-destruct sequence on the computer system at Jeremiah’s warehouse apartment reached zero. It exploded, frying its own circuits and completely disintegrating the hard drive there, and on the computer in his car.
Chapter Ten
Six Months Later
Bartholomew walked into the elegantly decorated great room, and Hezekiah looked up from his seat on the couch, lifting his chin in a silent greeting as he motioned for his wife and teenaged children to leave the room.
“You, too.” He pointed to his enforcers. “Everyone out.”
He reached over and picked up the remote to turn off the large screen TV, as he waited for everyone to clear the room. Then he looked at his brother.
“What’s this about, Bart? You said it was important.”
“And it is.” Bartholomew sat down beside him on the couch and pulled an envelope from the inside chest pocket of his jacket and handed it to his brother. “Found this in my mailbox this morning.”
Hezekiah frowned as he took the envelope and opened it up. He pulled out a single sheet of paper and a cashier’s check for four hundred thousand dollars. He looked up at Bartholomew in shock.
“Read it.” Bartholomew motioned to the letter with a nod of his head.
Hezekiah handed his brother the check and opened up the letter. His breath caught in his throat at one glimpse of the handwriting, and he held his breath as he started reading…
Hey Bart,
I’m sure by now you’ve already used the insurance money to get another boat, but a deal is a deal, and I promised to buy it if I broke it. Well, here’s a check for that. Sorry it’s taken so long, but we had to get settled first. And I’m sure I don’t need to say this, but don’t bother coming to Cartagena. By the time this letter reaches you, we’ll be long gone, and S. America is not our destination, so don’t waste your time. This was just one stop along our journey to freedom.
I am sorry for slipping out the way I did without saying goodbye, but tell Hez not to worry, all right? I’m great. You both know life in the family business was never what I wanted. What I’ve finally found is a life worth living. A life that means everything to me. M and I are happy. Life is good.
Don’t look for me. I’ll reach out and say hello from time to time. Do me one last favor and burn this letter after you’ve read it, ok? I love you, brother. Tell Hez the same for me.
~ J
Hezekiah let go of a labored breath and began to reread the letter a second time. He rubbed a hand over his forehead for a moment as he stared at the paper. Then he quickly wiped his face, getting rid of the few silent tears that had betrayed him and dampened his cheeks.
“I had the same reaction.” Bartholomew’s voice was quiet and understanding as he looked down at his shoes. “Hell of a thing to show up out of the blue, six months after his funeral.”
Hezekiah folded the letter and returned it to its envelope. Then he studied the postmark and frowned. “Cartagena, Colombia. No return address.”
Bartholomew nodded and folded his hands together as he continued to look at the floor. “Makes sense, I suppose. It’s just a two or three hour flight from Florida, not to mention that we have loyal contacts there. It would be a good place to lay low for a few weeks until they put a real destination into play. How he rigged that boat explosion and got the two of them from the water to the airport without being spotted is a mystery to me though.”
“Assuming they flew.” Hezekiah shrugged a shoulder as he thought about the possibilities. “They may not have. He could have booked passage on some other boat, or even taken a train. You know Jeremiah. He is nothing if not resourceful. Add that to his tech skills and his combat training, and Jason Bourne ain’t got nothing on our little brother. He’s right though. Even with all his skills, this life was never for him. It just wasn’t what he wanted. He’s one of those crazy bastards who actually believes you can create the life you want, instead of learning to thrive where you’re planted. I’ve always envied that about him.”
Hezekiah turned the envelope over in his hands for a moment as he took a deep breath. Then he reached to the coffee table in front of them and picked up a book of matches.
“What are you doing?” Bartholomew frowned at him.
“What do you think I’m doing? I’m doing what he asked.” Hezekiah lit a match and then watched as the flame kissed the corner of the envelope. “Jerry took a huge risk sending this letter, Bart. Just to let us know that he’s alive and okay. But he asked us to burn it for a reason. That female doctor he’s with … Duff O'Shae may not give a damn about her, but you and I both know that his old man, Cullen O'Shae, in New York … he is the real boss of that family, and if he ever got wind that his grand-daughter and Jeremiah didn’t die in that boat explosion, he would hunt Jeremiah down like a dog.”
He dropped the remainder of the letter onto a small decorative pewter dish that sat on the table and watched as the flame destroyed it. Then he looked at Bartholomew. “Our brother is alive and he’s good. That’s enough for me. But you and I need to take that knowledge to our graves, do you understand me?”
“Absolutely.” Bartholomew nodded his head in total agreement. “No one else ever needs to know.”
***
Over eight thousand miles away, on one of the smaller islets in the tiny island nation of Vanuatu, Monique looked around at the outside of the building. Hands on her hips she surveyed the location with great care, taking the building’s proximity to the surrounding villages into account. As she ran all the pros and cons through her mind, two strong arms slipped around her waist, and she smiled.
“Well? This is the third property we’ve looked at, Doc. What do you think?”
His voice was soft and caressing as his lips lightly brushed over her ear. The sensation made Monique shiver, but she didn’t respond.
“This one’s got more rooms for office space and supply storage.” Jeremiah gently rocked back and forth as he held her and pointed out the building’s amenities. “Not to mention that space in the back that could be a dedicated surgical bay. There’s probably enough space to divide it into two separate surgical suites, don’t you think? And the big open area out front, with a little light construction we could divide that up into separate exam rooms. Probably get at least six exam rooms in there, maybe eight. Not to mention a front desk of some type.”
“You know, you almost sound more excited about this idea than I am.” Monique tilted her head to the side to look at him.
Jeremiah grinned at her. “I just want you to be happy here. I want you to be able to do what you love and help people. I mean, if you want to go to work at the hospital on one of the big islands, that’s cool with me. We’ll move to one of the big islands and make that work. But you said yourself that what this islet needs is a dedicated clinic that the locals have access to so that they won’t have to travel to one of the big islands if they need serious medical attention.”
Monique nodded. “I did say that. And it’s true. I really do believe they could benefit from it. But I’m just one doctor. I would need a small staff to run a place like you’re describing, with nurses and at least one other surgeon.”
“To paraphrase a very famous movie line … if we build it, they will come.” Jeremiah leaned in close and whispered in her ear. He smiled as he looked down at her. “Baby, if we build this place, there’s no question that the patients will come. But if we let the hospitals on the big islands know what we’re doing, they might point us in the right direction to find the extra help we’ll need to staff the place. You never know, they might even welcome the opportunity to work with us in getting the place up and running.”
Monique smiled and turned around in his embrace so that she could look into his eyes. “Us and we?”
“Hmm?” Jeremiah frowned at her.
“You keep saying us and we.” She searched his eyes as he held her.
A slow smile parted his lips. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
She cocked her head as she looked up at him. “Do you want to be my partner in this new adventure, Mr. Tobin?”
He suddenly gave her a stern look. “It is Mr. Tisdale now, thank you.”
“Yes, I know. I’m sorry.” Monique sighed and looked down as a soft blush stole over her cheeks. They were now Monica and Jacob Tisdale, a wealthy couple from California who were looking to relocate and start fresh in the little-known island paradise. They’d even had a small civil ceremony back in Colombia, so their marriage license was genuine even if their identities were not. She needed to make herself start using those names at all times.
“Hey.” Jeremiah placed his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to his. “It’s all right, love. It will get easier. I promise.” He kissed her forehead, then he smiled at her. “And the answer to your question is yes. I do want to be your partner in this new adventure. I want to be your partner in all your new adventures.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I know I don’t have any medical experience, and I’ve never run a clinic, but I think between my singular skill set and my training I can figure out the wherefores and whys of the administration end of things. Not to mention navigating us through all the business red tape to get this project started. That is, if you want me to be your partner in the clinic?”
Monique threw her arms around his shoulders and practically squealed, and Jeremiah laughed as his arms tightened around her. “Yes, I want you to be my partner! I couldn’t do any of this without you. I can’t believe we’re really doing this. That we’re really here and we made this happen! That we’re really, truly free. Finally.”
“Well, I promised you a whole new life, didn’t I? That’s a promise I intend to keep, Doc. Forever.”
“Do you have any idea how much I love you, Mr. Tisdale?” Monique whispered just before she kissed his lips.
“If it’s half as much as I love you, Mrs. Tisdale, I think we’ll be okay here.”
THE END
About the Author
Lashell Collins is an American author of paranormal romance and rockstar romance. She walks to the beat of her own drum, but that’s okay ’cause she’s got a pretty good sense of rhythm. Basically, she’s a geeky, quirky, laid-back, rocker-loving kinda girl who’s married to a retired cop, motorcycle-riding, bad-boy alpha all her own, and she likes to write about sexy police officers, werewolves and rockstars, or some inventive combination of the three. Between her book characters and the ones she knows in real life, her plate stays pretty full. But she loves to hear from readers, so drop her a line sometime.
Where to Find More Lashell Collins
Website: http://www.lashellcollins.com/
Newsletter: http://www.lashellcollins.com/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LashellCollinsAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LashellCollins
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lashell-collins
Other Titles by Lashell Collins
The Kelly Family Series (Romantic Suspense)
The Smoking Gun: A Kelly Family Novel
The Lunar Falls Trilogy (Paranormal Romance)
Secrets of Lunar Falls
Lies of Lunar Falls
Redemption of Lunar Falls
The Rock Shifter Fairytales (Rockstar/Paranormal Romance)
Soul Stealer
Lion Tamer
Rogue Moon Series (Paranormal Romance)
Rogue Moon
Fated Moon
True Romance Rocker Series (Rockstar Romance)
True Romance
All Fired Up
Behind the Bench by Linda O'Connor
BEHIND THE BENCH
(In the Game Hockey Romance Book 2)
Copyright© 2018 LINDA O’CONNOR
Cover by EmCat Designs
Edited by Jenny Govier
Dedication
To Brad Kratky with love
Dr. Danni Angelo is the team physician for the Clarington Quakes hockey team. She’s worked hard to earn the players’ respect, but the new coach, Trey Mason, is stirring things up, and Danni’s worried her job may be in jeopardy.
Trey finds Danni…distracting. Beauty, brains, and sexy moves on the ice have him uncomfortably attracted. He’s the new guy on the block. He has a reputation to build and a standard to set. The last thing he needs is a complication.
When the team spirals out of control, and Danni and Trey get caught up in a possible drug scandal, things heat up on and off the ice. It’s a whole new game plan…Behind the Bench.
Chapter One
Trey Mason strode into the press conference room. He glanced over at the players’ pit and, without turning his head, barked at his assistant. “Who’s the queen bee in the pit?”
Rudy Stock, a full head shorter and a greater deal rounder than the man he was trying to keep up with, looked over. Dr. Danni Angelo, wearing black slacks and a snug yellow and black floral sweater, stood casually with a group of Clarington Quakes hockey players, laughing at something one of them said.
“Danni Angelo. She’s–” he said, trying to catch his breath at the effort of keeping up with his new boss.
“Get rid of her,” Trey interrupted, and without a backward glance, he strode to the podium set up at the front of the room.
Rudy stopped in shock and, mopping his brow, walked reluctantly over to the group gathered in the roped-off section.
“Hi, Rudy,” Danni said as he approached. Her welcoming smile reached the depths of her green eyes.
“Hi, Danni. Ah, can I speak to you for a moment?”
“Sure. Excuse me, guys.” Danni and Rudy moved to a quiet corner. “What’s up?”
“Well, Trey is about to start the press conference, and he asked that only players be in the pit.” Rudy shuffled from one foot to the other.
“Really?” Danni raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the new coach.
“Well, yeah. He’s concerned about appearances, what the press might think…” Rudy rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. Danni had been an integral part of the medical staff for the past three years and had an easy camaraderie with the players. They were all anxious to hear what the new head coach had in mind for the team.
“That’s ridi–”
A flush crept across his cheeks. Danni stopped short and blew out a breath. “No problem, Rudy. I was just heading out anyway.”
Rudy nodded gratefully at the lie.
Danni waved to the players. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Three of the players smiled and saluted in return. Danni turned and caught Trey Mason watching her from across the room. She seared him with a look, then turned on her heel and strode out.
Rudy sighed in disappointment and hurried to join his boss.
***
Who the hell is she? Trey’s eyes narrowed as he watched her leave with sexy grace and arrogance. He hadn’t expected the jolt when she’d glared at him across the room, and he worked to keep his face impassive. He was in front of a room full of reporters, for chrissakes. That was exactly the kind of drama he didn’t need on his first encounter with the press. He had a reputation to build and a standard to set. The team needed to focus on winning, not some hot, raven black-haired beauty.
He sipped his water. He’d have to deal with her later. Right now he had a press conference to run.
He waited until the noise level in the room subsided. “Good morning everyone and welcome. Let’s get this started.” Two days before, the owners had announced that Trey would be the new head coach for the Clarington Quakes. He’d met briefly with the players and the rest of the coaching staff. The press conference was a chance to introduce himself to the fans.
Trey fielded questions from the reporters and relaxed into the rhythm of it. This was something he had done countless times before.
Yes, he was young to be a head coach, but he’d been around hockey all his life. He’d played in the minors, had been drafted at a young age into Ontario’s premier hockey league, and had a few years of professional hockey under his belt.
“Look where I’ve played. I’ve been in three hundred different cities. Even as a healthy scratch, I wasn’t just sitting up in the box eating popcorn. I was following the plays, watching the coaches, and taking notes.”
His reputation as a coach had built as he’d moved from the minor teams to varsity level hockey in both Canada and the United States. Players liked his style and bought into his vision. He could get them to do what other coaches couldn’t.
“It’s not just about the team. I often hear, ‘That’s a hell of a team you coach’, and I always correct them. I coach individuals. Each player is unique. Each one is wired differently and has his own set of skills. I treat them all the same when it comes to discipline and work ethic. That’s a given. But when it comes to their motivation, their goals, I want to know what makes each one tick.
“Right now my job is to get to know thirty players. The way to do that is to get them one on one. Grab them for coffee. Catch them when they arrive at the rink for a practice. It’s every day. At every opportunity. It’s even about following the media. What are they reading about themselves in the news? Are they going to be the guest of honour in the next parade? Are they getting hammered? If they say they don’t listen to the media, they’re lying. And what they’re hearing affects their game, so I need to know.
