Epilogue
“Harder,” Ember moaned as Doc gently made love to her.
“No,” he said between clenched teeth. He knew it was probably too soon to be doing this, but he couldn’t resist Ember when she pleaded with him.
She’d said she wasn’t in any pain, and when she’d begun to finger herself, he’d given in.
But he was going to do this his way. Slow and gentle. Even if it killed him.
Looking down at Ember, he internally flinched at the mark on her cheek. The plastic surgeon had done a good job of sewing it up, but she still had a few months before the scar would fade. It would probably never disappear, but to Ember’s credit, she didn’t seem to care one whit about it.
She’d told him a week ago when she’d been released from the hospital that she looked at it as a badge of honor. She’d met evil face-to-face and survived. She wasn’t going to let a scar on her cheek get her down when she was alive to see another day.
Doc had been able to keep her home for twenty-four hours before she’d put her foot down and insisted on going to her gym.
She was as determined as ever to make The Modern Kid a success.
The security guards she’d hired were keeping the press at a distance, and even now, another scandal in Hollywood was going viral, taking the attention away from what had happened to Ember.
But the media frenzy did have one benefit—she’d already doubled the amount of kids who’d signed up at her gym.
Now she was finalizing the purchase of the land she’d been shot on.
Doc hadn’t liked the idea of her ever going back there, but he’d been overruled by Ember’s practical side.
Her parents had just left the day before, and she’d been surprised and pleased by their encouragement of what she was doing.
They hadn’t been that supportive of her moving and opening the gym in the first place, but after seeing what she’d done in such a short period of time, and visiting with the children who were participating in her program, they’d changed their minds.
His parents, Mama Luisa and Jaime, were planning a trip to Texas to meet her soon. Ember was nervous about meeting them, but Doc had no doubt they’d love her…just as most people did.
Having Samer take over her social media accounts had been one of the best decisions she’d made.
She didn’t have to worry about reading the hate people posted there, and Samer had no trouble passing along any threats to Doc.
He’d been just as appalled by what had happened to her as everyone else, and he promised to do all he could to help keep her safe.
Doc had talked to Ember’s security team as well. He wasn’t going to take her safety for granted again. He’d learned his lesson.
“Craig, if you don’t let me come anytime soon, I’m gonna have to hurt you.”
Doc chuckled and brought his focus back to the woman under him. He loved that she was demanding in bed. That she had no shame when it came to wanting to get off. Moving his hand between them, he began to thumb her clit just how she liked it. Hard and fast.
He knew he was on the verge of coming himself, and he’d be damned if he came before her. “That’s it, Em, slow and easy. Don’t hurt yourself.”
But she ignored him, thrusting her hips up as best she could, despite him holding her down.
When she finally went over the edge, Doc couldn’t help but follow her.
She was so damn beautiful, and she was all his.
Before he could control himself, he’d exploded.
Filling the condom—and already looking forward to the day when he could fill her with his come and they could make babies.
“Oh my God, Craig, yes!” she moaned.
He couldn’t speak as his passion overwhelmed him.
When he was done, Doc eased out of her body and headed for the bathroom.
He wanted to eat her out, to make her come again, but he needed to take it easy.
It wasn’t that long ago that she’d been shot and had almost died.
He wet a washcloth with warm water and brought it into the other room to clean her up.
Then he eased under the covers next to her and held her in his arms.
“Love you,” he said quietly.
“Love you too,” she returned. “I feel as if I’ve known you forever, but if I look at the calendar, I’m shocked at how little time has passed since the Olympics.”
“I’ve never been as happy as I am now. I don’t care if it’s been a day or fifty years. I’ll always love you. One day—not today, but one day soon—I’m gonna ask you to marry me.”
“And I’ll say yes,” she returned immediately. “But I’m happy with the way things are for now. I think if the world hears that Ember Maxwell is engaged, two seconds after learning that I was shot, they’ll never recover.”
Doc chuckled. “That’s probably true.”
“I’m sure people are gonna want wedding details,” she warned him.
“They can see a picture of your ring, and one picture of you on our wedding day, but that’s it,” Doc told her.
“I want everyone to see how handsome the man I love is,” Ember pouted.
“I can’t,” Doc said a little sadly.
“I know. But I still want to show you off.”
“How about we take a picture of when I see you in your dress for the first time?” Doc compromised.
“You can be the focus of the shot, and it can be taken from behind me. So I’ll be in the picture, but no one will see my face.
” He’d do whatever it took to make this woman happy.
Including letting her post his picture on social media. Sort of.
“Deal.” She chuckled. “Is it weird that we’re talking about our wedding when neither of us are ready for that yet?”
“Nope. Because we’ll get there. We both know it.
You don’t need to marry me for the benefits.
You’ve got enough money to take care of yourself.
And if, knock on wood, something happens to me, my team’ll make sure you’re taken care of.
So there’s no need to run off and get married.
But…again…I am gonna ask you one of these days. ”
“And again…I’m gonna say yes,” Ember told him.
Doc tightened his arms around her. He was more satisfied and content than he’d ever been in his life.
They lay there satiated and replete, reveling in the feeling of love between them for several minutes, when Doc’s phone vibrated on the nightstand.
Because it was so late, he didn’t hesitate to reach for it.
“Doc here.”
“It’s Trigger. We’re going wheels up in the morning. O-six hundred. You need to be here at five.”
“What’s up?” Doc asked, alarm filling him at Trigger’s tone.
“It’s Grover. The damn fool’s only been in the country a few days and he’s been taken. There’s video evidence from Shahzada’s followers showing him being beaten. The Army’s officially labeled him a POW. We need to go find him and bring him home.”
“Fuck. All right. I’ll be there. Keep me updated if you get any new info before tomorrow morning.”
“Will do. See you soon.”
“Later.”
Doc hung up, and Ember asked, “What’s going on?”
“It’s Grover. He’s missing.”
“Missing? But…that doesn’t make sense!”
“I know,” Doc agreed. Grover was a damn good Delta. If he was a POW, there was a good chance he’d let himself be captured…because Doc couldn’t think of any other way the man would be taken prisoner.
“When do you leave?”
“In the morning.”
Instead of getting upset, Ember immediately nodded. “What do we need to do tonight to get you ready to go?”
Her reaction was just one more reason Doc knew he’d lucked out in finding her. Reluctantly, he threw the covers back. He needed to make sure he had what he needed and was all packed. Ember followed a little more slowly.
“I hate to leave you,” he told her.
Ember merely shrugged. “Grover needs you more than I do right now. Besides, I have a feeling this was all part of his plan.”
“What plan?”
“The plan to go overseas, find out where Sierra is, and get himself taken so you guys could then go and find them both.”
Doc stopped in his tracks and stared at the woman he loved. He wasn’t surprised she was on the same page he was.
“But don’t you guys get taken too, all right? Because I’ll fly over to Afghanistan and drag all your asses out of there if I have to.”
Doc couldn’t help but chuckle. “You would, wouldn’t you?”
She walked around the bed naked as the day she was born, and Doc couldn’t help but admire her. She was muscular and curvy at the same time, and he felt his cock twitch.
She hugged him, then looked up and met his gaze. “I’d do whatever it took to bring you home. You and your team. And their women. This is our tribe, and I’ll spend every cent in my bank account to protect it if I have to.”
“God, I love you.”
“And I love you. Now, let’s get you packed so you can get some sleep before you have to leave.”
Yup. She was perfect. Practical and caring.
Doc kissed her once more, long and deep, showing her without words how much he loved her. When he lifted his head, he whispered, “Nothing will keep me from coming home to you.”
“Good,” she said softly. “Find Grover, and his woman, and come home soon.”
“We will.” It was a promise he had no problem making.
Sierra sat at the back of the cave she’d been thrown into a month ago…or was it two? She couldn’t seem to keep track of the days anymore.
Her captors had dug out quite the complex in the side of the mountain.
Even carved small niches in the walls and managed to attach bars in front of each one.
At times, the four niches each held prisoners, but until this morning, it had been just Sierra for a while.
She preferred it that way. The guards mostly ignored her when she was there by herself.
It was only when they’d captured someone new that they seemed to remember how much fun it was to mess with her.
And by the sound of the beating going on in the small alcove next to hers, they were having a grand ol’ time perfecting their torture techniques.
They’d dragged a new prisoner in earlier, but she didn’t get a good look at him.
His head was hanging forward, and there had been too many men surrounding him.
Sierra dreaded them turning their attention to her after they were done with the new prisoner. But then again, considering how long they’d been going at this new guy, she thought maybe she’d escape their notice after all.
Staying very quiet to avoid bringing attention to herself, she was extremely relieved when the three men—along with Shahzada himself, the asshole—had left the cave. She heard Shahzada giving orders to one of his men to make sure the video they’d taken was sent to as many news stations as possible.
She felt bad for whoever had been captured. She didn’t think it was a contractor because in the past, they hadn’t been important enough to be videoed during a beating.
Sierra was still wondering who the poor bastard was when she heard the man groaning from the cell next to hers.
She crawled toward the front of her cage and listened quietly. She couldn’t see whoever it was, but if she lay down on her side and put her arm through the bars, and the person in the niche next to hers did the same, they could actually touch hands.
She’d done that with another captive once. She’d held hands with the man, trying to comfort him as he lay dying. He’d been a construction contractor with diabetes. And since he didn’t have his medications, and because of the beating he’d received, he knew he was dying.
Sierra had felt horrible at the relief when he’d finally passed. But at least his suffering was done.
But hers continued.
“Is anyone there?” the man next to her asked quietly.
“Yes,” Sierra responded. Her voice cracked, as it had been so long since she’d spoken.
“Do you know a woman named Sierra Clarkson? She’s been missing for over a year.”
Sierra blinked in surprise. The man’s voice was slightly garbled, as if his face and mouth were swollen. He’d most likely been hit in the face over and over. Shahzada’s men loved to punch people in the face.
“Hello? Are you still there? My name is Fred Groves, and I’m looking for Sierra Clarkson. Have you seen any other women being held captive?”
“Grover?!” she gasped.
“Sierra?” the man next to her said, sounding just as shocked as she was.
Sierra could only nod. Her throat had closed up and it was impossible to speak.
“I knew you were alive! I knew it!” Grover said. “My team’ll be here to get us out soon. Just hold on.”
Sierra had a million questions, but for now, all she could say was, “Okay.”
Grover found Sierra, but can they both get out in one piece? And if they get out, will Sierra be able to resume a normal life? Read on to finally read Shielding Sierra to find out how it all goes down!