25. No Man Left Behind
Marcus watched the FBI agents drive away with Aazar, handcuffed and shackled in the van. Over the past week, there had been an investigation into Faadir’s organization and its business in the States.
Aazar had broken down and confessed to everything. Finding Elina by accident in Seattle. Following her and harassing her at her business and home.
At the time, he’d thought he had some hopes of regaining his uncle’s trust. He hadn’t escalated the situation with Elina because he hadn’t wanted to risk his position.
Almost a year later, he’d seen her again in Albany. He hadn’t been promoted by Faadir, and that possibility grew more and more remote with every passing day.
Aazar’s anger had grown over those months, and he’d focused on Elina. He’d blamed her for having to leave his family behind, for being demoted, for having to work in the States. For everything that had gone wrong in his life.
He had photos of her from his stalking times in Seattle. He’d used facial recognition to troll for her online. When Nina and Piper had posted about meeting Paxi on Elina’s first night in Phail, he’d found her.
He’d had to do his job for Faadir, so he hadn’t been able to stay in town. He’d come in and out, trying to torment her every time.
The breaking point had been when a drug shipment had been lost because he’d been in Phail instead of Albany. Faadir had told him he would never regain his status. Aazar blamed Elina for that as well and had returned to Phail to make her pay.
Faadir was far scarier than a US jail, so Aazar had willingly given the FBI a ton of information they could use to shut down the drug operation. In exchange, he would be locked up in a jail where there were no prisoners with connections to his home country.
The thought of what could have happened still gave Marcus nightmares. Waking every morning with Elina in his arms helped soothe those away. She was safe and happy. And she was here.
Currently, she was sitting in the park on her favorite bench. Instead of working on her tablet or in her notebook, she watched the FBI van drive away. And she watched him.
He crossed and sat beside her. “How does it feel to watch him leave?”
She smiled at him and leaned up to brush a soft kiss across his lips. “It feels great to know we’re safe from him. It feels even better to know that one drug operation is going to lose its access to the States.”
They both knew it was a stopgap measure. Either Faadir would build a new set of connections here, or another group would take their place. But they’d stopped this one, and that was no small feat.
Elina squeezed his hand. “How are you feeling? Is it great to have Phail Jail empty again?”
“Sure is. I’m glad he’s gone. I’m glad it’s over. And I’m so glad you’re safe from him forever.”
Her eyes warmed at that. “I’m always safe with you.”
The things this woman did to him. Her faith was humbling.
His phone beeped, and he checked the notification. “Someone else has put in an application for the job.”
She grinned. “How many is that now?”
With all the work involved in Aazar’s case, he hadn’t put the application online until the previous day. “This is the sixth person.”
“Have you checked out their letters and resumes yet?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. I wanted to have Aazar gone first. That mountain of paperwork has mostly shifted to the FBI, so I can put my focus on growing our force now.”
“I know I can’t read confidential details, but if you want to talk it out, you know I’m happy to help.”
He knew that. He knew he could count on this amazing woman for anything. It was a heady feeling. He doubted he’d ever been so content in his life. “You going to marry me, Elina?”
Her bright laughter filled up the park and his heart. “You’re such a romantic, Arrow.”
Her eyes twinkled, and he had his answer with no words, but he dropped to one knee anyway. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Elina Vasquez. You make the world a better place. Your kindness and empathy have helped people across the world. I’m in awe of your creativity, and your resiliency. You make my pulse race, my heart fill, and my happiness complete. I love you with my whole heart. Will you marry me?”
Her eyes misted but her smile only got bigger with each word. She took both of his hands. “Yes. Of course, yes. You’re the best man I know, Marcus, and I love you so much.”
She flung her arms around his neck, and he squeezed her to him. “I’m going to make sure you never regret this, Elina.”
She laughed again. “We’re going to have the best life.”
He leaned back from the hug enough to cup her face and kiss her. He tasted her smile and her joy.
“Hey, Mom. I think Deputy Ramirez has a girlfriend.” Owen’s voice interrupted their kiss, making them both laugh.
He rose to his feet and tugged Elina to hers. Then he grinned at Owen. “Much better than that, Owen. I’ve got a fiancée.”
And then he had to kiss her again.
M arcus wanted to take Elina home to consummate their engagement in the very best of ways.
Instead, he accepted hugs from Owen and Rachel with good grace. Then, he helped Elina gather her tablet and notebooks. They only made it halfway before his phone beeped. Twice. He pulled it out of his pocket, and peeked. He dropped his chin to his chest with a sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
That made him chuckle. “Nothing, really. Other than we have to put aside the plans we had.”
Her eyebrows shot up but her eyes twinkled. “We had plans?”
He lifted his thumb to brush against her cheek. “We did. You and me. Alone. For hours. But we’ll have to put them on hold for a bit.”
“Why? I like those plans? What’s happened?”
Her phone beeped this time. Then his again.
She pulled hers out, and he checked his.
Congratulations!
You’re engaged! Congrats!
Party at the Saloon! Now!
Laughing, Elina looked up at him as more texts came in on both their phones. “I’m guessing we should have told Rachel to keep it quiet for a few hours.”
He grinned. “Hindsight is always perfect.”
She patted his chest. “That’s the adjective I’d use for you.”
That made him roll his eyes as he leaned down to kiss her. When he pulled back, he whispered against her lips. “Not even close. Let’s go have a celebration with our friends. Then we’ll get to our own private celebration.”
He eased her up on her toes and took her mouth again. The woman was irresistible, and he couldn’t be happier that she wanted to be his forever.
He wasn’t sure how long they’d stood there when he heard the horn of Garrett’s truck and then Heath’s car. With a sigh, he broke off the kiss to rest his forehead on Elina’s. “Sounds like our cue to join them.”
Elina smiled, and they headed to the Saloon. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Walking across the park like this reminds me of my first day here. I couldn’t believe you were real and that I’d finally found you.”
He laughed. “I wanted to kiss you from the first moment I saw you.”
She bumped his hip with her own. “I wouldn’t have objected. Not sure I would have believed it was real. I’d convinced myself I was trying to find you to ensure saving me and the girls hadn’t cost you everything. In reality, I wanted to see you again. Wanted to see if the connection I’d felt in Suraih was real.”
“As real as it gets. I’m so glad you made the trip. Still can’t believe you found us.”
“Me neither. I definitely had a dose of good luck on my side.”
Or fate. Marcus wasn’t sure he believed in it, but something had brought Elina here.
Inside the Saloon, his guys had pulled tables together, and they were all taking seats. It hit him right in the heart to see them all there together.
Troy and Piper.
Sean and Branna.
Levi and Isla.
Heath, Addy, and Nina.
Garrett and Kimi.
His family.
When the group spotted them walking in, they jumped up from their seats and surrounded them with hugs, backslaps, and congratulations.
Branna’s whistle brought everyone’s attention to where she stood at their table with a tray full of draft. “This seems like the best day to unveil the latest beer from Phail Brewery.”
The glasses on the tray held a dark brew. His stout. He braced himself for whatever ridiculous name they’d concocted for it.
As if sensing his thoughts, Sean slapped him on the shoulder and then helped Branna pass out the glasses, including a milkshake for Nina.
Sean lifted his glass. “For our team leader, we had to have a special brew.”
“With a special name.” Troy’s grin had Marcus gritting his teeth.
Levi chuckled. “No worries, Arrow. We have your back.”
That helped.
Heath nodded. “You got us through situations we should never have survived.”
Garrett agreed. “Between you and Shaggy, we had the best leaders in the forces. We were proud to be part of your team then, and we’re proud to be part of it now.”
Elina slipped her hand into his and squeezed. Marcus swallowed hard to keep the emotions locked down.
Troy lifted his glass. “The Straight Arrow Stout, a tribute to the best man we know. To Arrow.”
The room echoed as his team and their families repeated the words. Even the people at the other tables joined in.
Marcus closed his eyes and squeezed Elina’s hand to ground himself. When he looked up, he knew his eyes shone but he didn’t care. These people were his family.
“To our team. To us all.”
They all lifted their glasses and then sipped. To his relief, the beer was really good. “Nice.”
Elina laughed. “Better than nice. It’s perfect.”
Troy lifted his glass again. “Another toast. To Arrow for finally snagging the woman he’s been in love with for years. To Elina for helping Arrow find a life outside of his job. We’re glad you found us. And you’re all welcome for having a town name that drew Elina here.”
Everyone laughed and groaned.
“To Elina and Marcus.”
The room echoed with the words and he raised his glass to his family and then turned to the woman he adored and tapped his glass to hers. They sipped, and she reached up to kiss him. “To us.”
When everyone started to sit, his guys called for him to make a speech. Because, of course, they did.
Marcus helped Elina into her chair, and then looked around the group. “I have so much to be grateful for. Friends who’ve become family. A wacky town filled with amazing people. We’ve all been through some serious shit. We’ve lost people and animals we loved. We’ve learned to be strong and resilient. We’re working together to make the world better. Kinder and more fun.”
He swallowed again and took Elina’s hand. “I’ve been watching these guys fall for these amazing women over the past year. I’ve been happy for them, but I never expected it would happen to me. But it has because you were strong enough to do what I thought was impossible. Out of all the people in this huge country, you found us. You found me.”
Troy laughed. “All because of the great name of this town. I repeat, you’re welcome.”
He grinned and then lifted Elina’s hand to kiss it. “You’re amazing. I’m completely in love with you, and I’m going to spend the next bunch of decades proving it.”
Eyes misty, Elina stood and framed his face. “I love you so much.”
He kissed her but kept it far shorter than he wanted to. Not only were they in public, but Nina was watching every moment.
For the next while, they shared stories and laughed. Branna and Sean brought out appetizers, and they laughed some more.
Nina looked at them both. “So, when are you going to get married?”
Marcus laughed. “We were only engaged for about five minutes before we came here. Haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet.”
“Soon?”
He grinned at Elina. “As soon as we can.”
She nodded with a smile. “Agreed.”
Nina held up her phone. “You have to get a license and stuff, so you can’t do it tomorrow.”
He would if he could. He wanted this woman to be officially his at the first opportunity.
His phone beeped again, and Marcus pulled it out. His buddies were mostly here, so it might be an emergency.
He read the email twice before Elina nudged him. “Everything okay?”
He nodded and handed her the phone. Her eyes widened as she read the email, and then her smile did, too.
She reached up to kiss him. Then she turned to the group and lifted her glass. “I’d like to propose another toast.”
The group quieted, and everyone lifted their glass.
Elina smiled at him. “I’d like to announce a promotion. Everyone, welcome Police Chief Marcus Ramirez to his new position.”
The room exploded into more cheers and congratulations. He couldn’t stop his smile. Life was pretty damn perfect.
And it was only going to get better.
E lina grinned as she opened the back door of her Accord for Finch to fold himself into the back seat. “I may need to upgrade to an SUV for you, bud.”
She put the cat carriers onto the floor. The protesting yowls ceased when Finch lowered his head and softly woofed to his buddies. “Thanks, Finch. I’d hate to take the trio anywhere on my own.” The Great Dane was an amazing kitty-sitter.
Once they were on the road, she kept talking to Finch, a habit she couldn’t break as the dog appeared to not only enjoy it but he often seemed to understand. “We’re going to Kimi’s for a checkup. She wants to see how the four of you are doing.”
She didn’t mention any shots as she wasn’t sure if any were in the works for the day. Because they’d been abandoned, Kimi was assuming they’d had none of the regular shots, and was catching them up as quickly as she could. So far, none of the animals had bad associations with the vet. She and Marcus had taken them all out to the combined petting farm, vet office, and therapy center many times.
It was easier with Finch on his own as the dog loved tramping around the property with Olaf and the other dogs. The kittens generally got into more trouble, but it was still fun to watch them react to the other animals.
When Elina pulled into Kimi’s lot, Finch barked. His tongue lolled out as he waited for her to open the door. “You’re ready to go see your buddies? Be good.”
She laughed as the still-gangly puppy loped off, announcing his presence to the others. Snoops brayed in annoyance, and the goats bleated their welcome. “It’s such a happy place. Okay, kittens, let’s go.”
Marcus’s cruiser pulled into the lot beside her, making her grin. When he exited the car with a grin, she smiled. “Showing up after the hard work of wrangling kittens into carriers is done?”
He smiled and kissed her. Even though they’d been together for weeks and had made slow, sleepy love that morning, her body revved at his touch, and his nearness.
He took the carriers for Jem and Boo, leaving her with Scout. “The meeting wrapped up early, so I thought I’d join you and offer an extra set of hands to corral these three after the appointment.”
“Appreciated. I almost called Carl and Jim to help.” The two men still enjoyed visits from the animals, but they’d decided to be favorite uncles rather than part-time foster parents.
Marcus laughed. “Next time, we’ll be more careful scheduling the visit.”
As they walked through the yard, the peafowl, Pretty and Awesome strutted by. Goats bounced in several paddocks with horses, cows, and sheep. “I’m so happy I came to Phail. And that still sounds terrible.”
Marcus laughed with her. “It does, but you get used to it. I’m glad you came to Phail, too.”
When they were almost at the door to the vet’s office, Marcus whistled. Finch boomed a bark in response and raced around the corner, skidding in the dirt as he tried to avoid knocking them over.
He shook himself off and pranced his way into the office.
“Surprise!”
“Happy Gotcha Day!”
Voices filled the space, and Finch let out another happy bark, pleased to see so many of his friends.
Elina battled emotions as she looked around the room. Kimi and Garrett. Heath, Addy, and Nina. Troy and Piper. Sean and Branna. Isla and Levi. Along with all of their dogs. This wasn’t a vet appointment, after all. It was their Gotcha Day.
Marcus set the cat carriers on a table and put his arm around her shoulder. His eyes shone with the same emotion she felt.
These six men had been heroes overseas. They saved countless lives and helped communities in very challenging areas of the world. While they’d lost Shaggy, the humans had all survived. And now they were together.
Not just surviving, but thriving.
In a town named Phail.
She knew the next poster she’d make, like the one in Marcus’s office. But in this one, she’d draw them as they were now.
Troy in one of his flannel shirts. Sean with his tool belt. Levi and Garrett in their Stetsons. Heath, not in a suit, but in his new uniform of jeans and a sweatshirt. And Marcus in his police chief uniform.
She’d add in their dogs because the animals had helped them change their lives for the better.
And maybe she’d do another, including herself and the other women in the room.
Their family.
Her family.
She sent a quick thank you to her parents. They’d given her so much before she’d lost them. Love. A way to make a difference in the world. They’d be so happy to see her with a new family.
Marcus squeezed her shoulder. “You okay?”
She nodded and swallowed the tears. “I am. I just never thought I’d be so happy or that my life would be so full.”
Marcus kissed her hair. “You deserve it.”
Troy clapped his hands. “No sappy stuff. No red eyes for pictures. You can’t embarrass Finch like that.”
Of course, that had her laughing and the tears dried up.
Kimi directed her and Marcus over to the photo area. Marcus sat on the stool and tugged her onto his lap. Finch came to pose at their side, sitting regally as if he knew exactly what was happening.
The kittens weren’t nearly as dignified. Kimi laughed as she snapped a dozen pictures. “I hope at least one of these is printable.”
While she was in the back printing the photo, Nina set out plates of various colors of paint on the table. They went through the familiar routine of letting the animals choose the paint colors for their paw prints. They put the kittens on the table one at a time with lots of hands ready to help if they decided to roll in the paint.
Nina laughed and snagged Scout. “Green it is. But only on your paw. No messing up your fur.”
The paint was pet-friendly, but no one wanted to bathe the cats. Jem chose yellow, and Boo chose black to match his fur.
Finch watched the entire proceedings with curiosity. He followed each kitten to the wall and watched their paws get pressed, leaving tiny paw prints in a small cluster.
Marcus patted his head. “Your turn, bud. But once you choose a color, we’ll take the paint over here.”
The dog followed him back to the table and sniffed. He looked at her, and Elina patted him. “You get to choose the color. Which one would you like?” She led him around the table, stopping at each color to tell him about it.
He watched her, then studied the table, walking around it on his own. Finally, he stopped at red and waited.
Marcus took the plate, and Finch followed him to the wall. The puppy heaved out a sigh as if at the foolishness of humans. But he set his paw in the paint and then on the wall right beside the kitten prints.
Elina washed his paw in a tub of water Kimi provided. Finch looked confused with the entire process but accommodated them all.
Kimi held up several photos. “I narrowed it down to three. You guys choose which one I put up.”
Marcus squatted down beside where Elina sat on the floor to check out the prints. The first had Scout climbing up Elina’s arm. In the second, Jem was licking parts better not to lick on camera. In the third, Boo looked ready to take a bite out of Marcus’s ear.
She and Marcus laughed and looked at Kimi. “These are the best ones?”
The veterinarian grinned. “They are. To be fair, Finch looks like a prince in all of them. Definite royal blood in him.”
They looked back at the photos. “Let’s eliminate this one.” Marcus handed back the one with Jem cleaning himself.
Elina pointed at the one with Scout climbing. “I like this one best. We can’t have the chief of police under attack on the Gotcha Wall.”
He grinned. “Agreed.”
When Kimi had the photo up, Elina looked around the group. “I think we should take a picture of all of the guys with the animals.”
Marcus nodded, eyes shiny. “That’s a great idea, but I’ve got a better one. Kimi, do you have a timer on that thing?”
“I do.”
Marcus nodded. “Let’s get all of us in the picture. All twelve of us. And the animals. At least as many as we can corral.”
It took ten minutes to get everyone into some semblance of order. Kimi explained. “I’ve got it set to take pictures every five seconds. We can’t see what the animals are doing, so it’s better to have more. Hopefully, we’ll get one good one. The red light’s going to flash five times, and then it’ll take a picture. And then repeat. When it’s on the fifth flash, I want everyone to say To Phail .”
They were all laughing when the camera flashed.
Shouts of To Phail! filled the room.