Romancing the Alpha: An Action-Adventure Romance Boxed Set (124 page)

“I didn’t think you’d want something that big,” I said, biting my lip with worry.

“Oh God! Of course I wouldn’t!” Mer said, looking incredulous. “This is
perfect
. This is everything I’ve ever dreamed about. The kids are going to be so excited when they see their rooms and that play set out back. I can’t even wait to show them.” Meredith’s eyes were shining with elation. There was also an in-law apartment for Meredith’s parents. From what I’d heard, they were planning on staying most of the summer.

Everything was finally working out. When we’d been up in
El Castillo
, I’d sworn to myself that if we’d made it out safe, I would give Matthew my blessing about his decision to leave the company.

But Meredith had other ideas.

“I’m so happy that you decided to stay. And that Matthew’s staying with the company,” I said. “And that we’re going to be neighbors!”

We’d built the house on a lot adjacent to our estate in Rhode Island; they were far enough away from us to pretend we didn’t exist, but close enough that their home would be protected by Quinn and Son’s security detail.

That was important to Matthew. He’d promised Mer that he’d never put her or the children in harm’s way.

“This is exactly what I wanted,” Mer said. The joy in her smile was infectious.

After my joy—and my relief—calmed down, I grabbed a barstool and motioned for Mer to join me.

“Are you still sure this is what you want?” I asked.

She nodded. And grinned at me. “Absofreakinglutely.”

After we’d gotten back from Mexico, Matthew and Meredith had returned to their home in Florida, where they had collected and kissed their children, and settled in for what Mer described as a lovely staycation. She told me that at the end of the week, when we would’ve been returning from Chichen Itza, she’d turned to her husband.

“I want you to go back to work for John,” she’d told him, matter-of-factly.

“Huh?” Matthew asked, confused.

She got up and made him some nachos and brought him a beer. “Eat,” she said. He ate the nachos. “Drink your beer,” she said. He drank his beer.

“I want you to go back to work for John,” she said again, her voice insistent.

“I thought you wanted me to quit,” he said, stuffing another nacho into his mouth. “That was your whole deal, remember? So I promised you I would. And then I told John I was leaving the company. And then you got kidnapped and almost got killed, and I began to see the wisdom in what you were saying.”

Meredith grabbed the nacho out of his hand and ate it. Matthew continued to look confused.

“I was wrong,” she said finally. “It took being kidnapped and almost killed to show me how wrong I was.”

“Huh?” Matthew asked again.

“Now I understand what you do,” Meredith said. “I understand why you feel you need to do it. Regular law enforcement can’t touch a man like Ramirez. And what he does is wrong.”

“Other people can take care of guys like that,” Matthew said. “I’m sure John has already hired someone to replace me.”

“First of all—you can’t be replaced. You are the original badass.”

Matthew smiled at that.

“Second of all—he knows you’re coming back. I called him this morning. So don’t worry. You still have your job.” Now she smiled back at him.

“Really?” Matthew asked.

“You have to save the world,” Mer said. “One bad guy at a time.”

“That’s how you do it,” Matthew agreed excitedly. But then he frowned. “I don’t want to be away from you and the kids anymore.”

Meredith grabbed his hands. “You don’t have to be. We’re coming with you.”

“Huh?”

Meredith smiled at me now, and looked around her new kitchen with wonder. “So here we are. Thanks to your loyalty and generosity, and my finally coming around.”

She paused for a beat. “Are you going on the next assignment?”

I shrugged. “I want to. I have to beg every time, though.”

“Do you think they’d let me come?” Meredith asked, looking nervous.

“No. Matthew would never,” I said. Mer looked crushed.

Then I had an idea. “Of course, you could always just show up for training tomorrow morning…”

Meredith grinned at me. “I’ll ask my parents to watch the kids!”

“You can run, and lift weights, and do shooting practice,” I said, and a mischievous grin settled on my face. “And then we can beg. Together. And threaten.”

“And plead,” Mer said. She held her hand out for a high five.

“Mer, I like you a lot more than I thought I did,” I said.

“Me too, Lib,” she said, grinning back. “Me too.”

—THE END—

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This anthology is published 2015 by Beaverstone Press LLC with the permission of the authors.

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