Epilogue
TWO WEEKS LATER
Sam wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts. She had never felt so free and light in her life. She glanced out into the audience of Orange Street Church and found Liam in a mint-colored polo and khaki slacks, seated next to Bella and Sophia in matching floral dresses.
Behind them, Cass sat with the boys and her parents.
Sam’s friend had been as surprised as everyone else over what Dean had been doing, but Sam hadn’t wanted Cass to pull away as if she was responsible for any of it.
They’d determined to support each other like family should and were working on forgiveness together.
It was going to be a long road, but they would get there.
Like God would want her to do—showing love to others.
“Next, we have Samantha Williams.”
The preacher looked to her and held out his hand.
Sam stepped out from behind the partition and took his hand.
Warmth started at her toes and worked its way up until she was waist-deep in the baptismal.
“Sam and I have had quite a few long discussions in the last couple of weeks. Haven’t we?”
She nodded.
“You told me you had something you wanted to share with the congregation?”
She nodded again.
The preacher handed her the mic.
“Um.” Her neck warmed. “I had a rough childhood and a past I’d rather not talk about.
Although I became a Christian when I was younger, because of everything I’ve been through, I came to the conclusion that God didn’t care about me.
That maybe He wasn’t as good as people said he was.
Then I met a man who told me about the God he knew.
” She looked at Liam. “He said that God was always with me and that He would work everything out. I have seen how God has worked in my life in the last several weeks, and now I know that God is good. I know that I am a sinner and don’t deserve His grace, but He’s freely given it to me through His son Jesus Christ.” She handed the mic back to the preacher as the congregation clapped.
“Because of your profession of faith to make Jesus Christ Lord of your life, and in accordance with the walk of a disciple, I baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The preacher lowered her into the water and raised her back up.
She emerged from the water with tears flowing from her eyes. She was new. All the old life, Madison and Samantha, had been washed away, and she was a new creation.
The congregation clapped.
She stepped from the water and into the arms of Barbara, who had been meeting with her twice a week since the fire. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. For everything.” Sam gave her a hug.
Sam had been studying Barbara’s Bible, and the notes had intrigued her enough that she’d asked Barbara if she’d be willing to meet with her and help her grow in her understanding.
Sam dried off and changed clothes before joining Liam and the girls in the sanctuary.
Liam immediately grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’m so proud of you.” He smiled the smile that melted her heart a little more every time, then slid his arm around her waist. This was home.
Sam knew that Liam was the man God had made just for her, and she would be spending the rest of her life with him. She just had to wait for him to catch up.
“Ready?” He squeezed her hand.
She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “For anything.”
His arms slid around her waist. “Anything?”
“Anything.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.
THE END
Thank you for reading Protector. We hope you loved the story. The action, adventure, and romance continues with Guardian, the next thrilling adventure in the Heroes of Renegade series.
★ When your past refuses to stay buried, love becomes your strongest weapon. ★
Aubrey Richardson survived a killer’s vengeance once. She won’t get a second chance.
After twenty years of hiding, Aubrey finally has everything she’s dreamed of—a job she loves with the US Marshals, a reunion with her estranged family, and most importantly, the love of Deputy Ethan Butler.
But when a federal prisoner transport plane crashes outside of Renegade, Aubrey realizes her nightmare isn’t over.
Someone from her past has found her, and this time, they’re not just coming for her—they’re targeting everyone she loves.
The past never forgets. And it never forgives.
Ethan Butler has faced down killers, survived ambushes, and protected countless witnesses, but nothing has prepared him for this.
When the woman he loves becomes the target of a methodical killer with a twenty-year grudge, Ethan must navigate a deadly game where every move could be their last. The attacks are personal, calculated, and designed to destroy not just Aubrey’s life, but her faith, her sanity, and everyone she holds dear.
As bodies pile up and the killer’s true identity emerges from the shadows, Aubrey faces an impossible choice: continue running and let innocent people die, or stand and fight against an enemy who knows her every fear, her every weakness, her every secret.
When love means risking everything, how far will you go?
From deadly snipers to midnight chases through Colorado’s mountain wilderness, Aubrey and Ethan race against a killer who’s had two decades to perfect their revenge.
But when the final confrontation forces Aubrey to choose between her own survival and saving the lives of everyone in Renegade, she’ll discover that sometimes the greatest guardian isn’t the man with the badge—it’s the God who’s been protecting her all along.
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