LITMIR.BIZ

       SIX

      Marco finally got Candace and Tracy into his truck and on the road. Tracy fell asleep almost immediately with her arm curled around Bear in the backseat. He rewound the tape in his memory.

      My girls. He’d actually said that and noticed the startled flicker in Candace’s eyes.

      It’s a mission, he reminded himself, like all the others. During the course of his career, he’d gone on too many missions to count, from counter narcotics operations in South America to dismantling enemy compounds in the Hamrin Mountains in Iraq. He’d stood side by side with brave men in sniper squadrons and assault teams, and his resolve to succeed and keep his military family safe had never wavered. The same determination flooded him now. That was it—resolve, nothing more.

      He blinked back to the present at Candace’s question.

      “Where are we headed?”

      “To a beach house. Buddy of mine owns it.”

      “A beach house where?”

      “Angel Vista, a village up the coast. North of Long Beach. Angela’s coming, too, to help with Tracy. Brent and Donna are staying with your mom to run the office and keep an eye on her, since the first threat was delivered there.”

      “And how many SEALs will be joining us?”

      He cocked an eyebrow at her. “How many would you guess?”

      “I don’t know, twenty?”

      “Doesn’t take twenty SEALs to get a job done.”

      “Oh, right,” she said. “I forgot you are all invincible.”

      “I prefer to think of it as well trained and outrageously skilled.”

      She laughed and he was thrilled to hear it. It’s what they needed to do, keep the conversation casual, light, away from his earlier remark in front of Ridley.

      “Lon will stay and protect my mom?”

      “Yes, and he’s going to eat well, for sure.”

      Candace nodded thoughtfully, peeking behind her to check on the sleeping Tracy. “Marco,” she said.

      He knew what was coming and kept his gaze riveted out the front window. “Yes?”

      “We love you, Tracy and I—you know that, don’t you? I mean,” she added quickly, “you’ve been amazing to us, through Dad’s death and with my mom and sisters. All of the Gallaghers love you.”

      He nodded, breath held.

      “But I need Tracy to remember Rick as her father and I need...” She twisted a finger in the hem of her shirt. “Well, that’s just the way it is. Do you understand? I don’t want her to be confused.”

      He nodded. “I did not mean to overstep. I’m going to take care of you, that’s all I meant.”

      She seemed to relax a fraction. “Thank you.”

      Since he didn’t want to deal with the pang of embarrassment, he focused on the road. They aren’t your girls, Quidel. Don’t get it confused. Candace was a spirited, stubborn, intelligent woman who needed him only for protection and nothing more.

      So why did his skin prickle when her arm brushed against his? And what was the reason he wanted to run his fingers through her curly hair and feel the weight of it?

      He blinked. You had that once, remember? Marco believed marriage was a forever commitment, and he’d had his one chance with the love of his life. It ended in disaster because he had failed Gwen.

      But he wasn’t going to fail Candace.

      Checking the rearview for the dozenth time, he reassured himself that Rico’s men had not followed them. There had been a car some three miles back, but nothing further.

      His Bluetooth signaled a call.

      “Chief.”

      “Retired, Dev. You can call me Marco.”

      “Once a chief, always a chief.”

      Marco smiled. “Got something for me?”

      “Yes, sir. Waiting at the Party Palace to brief you.”

      “See you in ten.”

      “The Party Palace?” Candace said, when he disconnected. “Isn’t it more like a safe house?”

      “Dev has a keen wit.”

      “Keener than yours?”

      “You always say I have no sense of humor whatsoever.”

      “Could be I’m wrong about you.”

      “Could be.” He was pleased that she could still smile, even after the grenade incident. Candace Gallagher was an incredible woman.

      They rolled up the steep drive and he noted the beach house was all but hidden from the road by a grove of enormous trees that had been left to grow without the benefit of trimming. It was a two-story structure, with a basement, and a covered garage so full of his buddy Pete’s boats and Jet Skis that there was no way to get Marco’s truck inside. He didn’t see any sign of Dev’s vehicle, but that did not surprise him. Dev rode a fast motorcycle and it was undoubtedly concealed somewhere nearby.

      Tracy had awakened and she and Bear catapulted from the car.

      “Where’s the beach? Can we go find shells?”

      He laughed. “Let’s get you settled in right now, okay? We’ll talk about the beach tomorrow when it’s daylight.”

      Tracy raced Bear to the front door and Dev let them in. Marco introduced them. Tracy went wide-eyed at the sight of Dev, a tall African American with a monstrous beard and a set of shoulders almost as wide as Marco’s.

      He greeted them with hearty handshakes. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Gallagher and other Ms. Gallagher.”

      Tracy giggled.

      Candace smiled. “You can call me Candace.”

      “Sure thing, Ms. Gallagher,” he said, still grinning.

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