DEADLY HOLIDAY

A SCVC Taskforce Worlds Novella

by

Misty Evans

& Amy Manemann

Deadly Holiday, A SCVC Taskforce Worlds Novella

Copyright © 2017 Misty Evans

Cover Art by Sweet & Spicy Designs

Formatting by Author E.M.S.

Editing by Cheryl Giebel and Elizabeth Neal

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Please Note

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Table of Contents

DEADLY HOLIDAY

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

About the Authors

Books by Misty Evans

Books by Amy Manemann

Acknowledgments

I’m ever grateful for my editing team, Janelle and Lynn, for taking the time to help polish my work. Also for Sam, Tasha, Melissa, and Misty, four of my dearest friends and women I couldn’t imagine not having in my life. And as always, to my fans. Much love to you all! ~ Amy

Thank you to all the fans of the SCVC Taskforce for embracing these characters and loving them as much as I do! To Amy, my writing partner, you rock! It’s so fun doing these novellas with you and I hope we do many more. ~ Misty

A special thank you goes to Jeanie Jackson for her sharp eye to details and her timely help with the final proof. Much appreciated, Jeanie!

Chapter One

“This damn beard itches.”

Celina Davenport stifled a laugh, knowing her fiancé, Cooper Harris, wouldn’t appreciate it. The beard he referred to was white with elastic bands that held it in place. Underneath the brim of a red velvet cap she could make out a set of white bushy eyebrows they’d had to tape on, which, at the moment, were slanted down in a scowl.

A DEA Special Agent for the Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce, Cooper was used to dealing with drug kingpins, gunrunners, and human traffickers. He had been on countless undercover operations, and witnessed some of the worst possible things one could ever imagine, but it was today’s event that had him sweating in his boxer briefs. Today Cooper would be playing Santa Claus for the Aslan Children’s Hospital holiday party.

“Well, I think you look sexy.” Celina wiggled her eyebrows, flashing a full on grin. Sexy was an understatement. He looked damn hot wearing that suit. Was it wrong to be turned on by Santa Claus? Well, if it was, then she didn’t want to be right.

Celina was well versed in the man beneath the costume. Cooper was always primed and ready for action. Thank God for that. He stood at well over six feet, with a broad chest and tanned complexion. When he wasn’t wearing a red velvet hat, his coffee-colored hair showed lighter, sun-kissed streaks from hours spent surfing and running on the beach. Known simply as The Beast to many, Harris exemplified the typical DEA agent—big, bad, and machine-like in his takedowns and arrests.

“Princess Via thinks so too,” Celina added for good measure, her hand taking a trip down the front of his red velvet coat. “She loves her daddy no matter what he’s wearing.”

As if she knew they were talking about her, their seven-month-old-daughter, Novia, cooed from the backseat of their SUV, her chubby legs kicking the bottom of her car seat. Cooper’s features softened at the mention of her name, and he leaned over the seat to wiggle his fingers at her. Celina inwardly sighed, her heart going soft. Cooper may be a big bad DEA agent, but one look from his daughter and the man was putty in the girl’s hands.

When Celina had first found out she was pregnant, she had been terrified to tell him. He already had a son, Owen, from a previous marriage, and she knew how much he hated that the dangerous aspects of his job sometimes spilled over and endangered Owen’s life. Introducing another child into their chaotic world was a huge risk, but in the end, he’d been thrilled by the news, and in true Cooper fashion, promptly proposed.

“Princess Via always thinks I look great.” He grinned when Novia grabbed on to his finger, promptly shoving it into her mouth. These days, pretty much everything went in there. “She’s a daddy’s girl, aren’t you, chica preciosa?”

“She’s a smart girl.” Celina’s wandering hand took a road trip south, skirting the fluffy white embellishments on Santa’s coat to the pants underneath. A grin curved her lips when she found what she was looking for—his impressive package hidden beneath yards of red velvet. She gave him a squeeze, receiving a throaty groan for her efforts. “I just hope Santa will pay me a visit later. If he isn’t too full on milk and cookies, that is.”

“No worries, my lovely soon-to-be-wife.” Always up for playing, Cooper found her mouth greedily, adding a bit of groping of his own by slipping his massive hand beneath her jacket to palm one of her full breasts. Celina arched into his questing hand with a sigh, her body instantly heated by his touch. That’s how it always was with them; all fire with no ice. Even with a seven-month-old, the desire between them burned as brightly as ever, if not more so. “Santa will come down your chimney and fill your stocking tonight no problem.” He paused to nibble her lower lip, sending a delicious shiver through her. “He’s got a package that requires a more ‘hands-on delivery.’”

“Mmm,” Celina drew back, licking her lips. A few more minutes of this and they would be late for the party, which would probably get them a whole lot of crap from the others on the team. “I’m counting on it.”

While Cooper grabbed stuff from the back of the SUV, Celina hopped out to unbuckle Novia from her car seat, easily lifting the child into her arms. She nuzzled the side of her neck, inhaling the sweet scents of lavender and baby powder. “Hey, Baby Girl. What do you say we go to a party, huh?”

Novia pumped her legs excitedly. She took after Celina’s Cuban-American side with her smooth, mocha skin, though her large brown eyes and dark hair came from them both. She wore a red holiday dress with white tights and black dress shoes for the party, complete with a red bow tied into her thick hair.

Celina laughed at her enthusiasm, brushing her lips over the little girl’s cheek. A sense of absolute happiness washed through her. She hadn’t thought it possible to love anyone as much as she did Cooper and Owen. Then Novia came along, and everything changed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“She’s a party animal already.” Cooper’s bushy white eyebrows slanted down even further. “I can feel the gray hairs starting to come in.”

“Oh shush,” Celina laughed, shooing him towards the front door. “She wouldn’t dare, not when she has you, her big brother, and the rest of the SCVC taskforce watching over her. The poor girl will be lucky if you guys even let her date.”

“Date?” his eyebrows went skyward in horror. “Jesus, I didn’t even think about that yet. Better keep my guns next to the front door until she turns twenty-one.”

“Only if you want my foot up your ass.”

The glass doors parted for them to enter, and they followed the signs to the cafeteria where the party was being set up. Because of a last minute ‘frisking’ Cooper gave her at the house, they were running late as usual. Celina just hoped everyone else was on time.

“Speaking of a foot being up my ass,” Cooper began slowly, as if he were measuring his words. “Got a call from that hotel we looked at, wondering if we were still interested in booking it for our reception. Have you thought any more about the wedding?”

Celina’s stomach tightened at the question. The hotel’s banquet hall was beautiful and would be perfect for a reception. She just couldn’t seem to bring herself to commit to it. She loved Cooper without question, and after everything they’d been through, they deserved to find happiness and finally get the chance to settle down. Only, she couldn’t seem to decide what kind of wedding she wanted, which held her back from making any final decisions. The little girl in her wanted the full-blown Cinderella experience with their friends and family to celebrate with. But most of Celina’s family was still in Cuba, specifically, her cousins and favorite aunt—Aunt Charo. There was no way they could make a trip to America to attend the wedding, and it broke Celina’s heart to not include them.

“Not yet. I will, soon,” she promised. God, she was beginning to sound like a broken record. How many times had she said those exact words to him in the past year? Too many to count.

In true Cooper Harris fashion, he wasn’t ruffled by her noncommittal answer. In fact, he almost seemed to expect it, which saddened Celina all the more. She hated that she couldn’t move forward with their plans. She hated even more that he was so damn understanding about it.

They stopped outside the cafeteria doors, and Cooper stole a look around to make sure they were alone before leaning forward and tugging his beard down to fully capture her mouth. “I’m a patient man, Celina Davenport. For you, I can and will wait.”

Before Celina could take full advantage of the beardless smooch, Novia squealed and grabbed hold of Cooper’s beard, giving it a good tug then letting go. The elastic snapped back against Cooper’s face, and he yelped, rubbing his cheek.

Their daughter’s untimely interruption was just the distraction Celina needed, and she burst out laughing. Novia, on the other hand, looked quite proud that she had made her momma laugh so hard.

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” Cooper fixed Novia with his most intimidating stare, but the infant wasn’t fooled. Her drooly, toothy grin said she knew she had her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Celina was pretty certain everybody knew it.

“I don’t think she’s afraid of you,” Celina laughed, moving Novia to her other arm so she could pull open the door to the cafeteria.

They paused at the threshold, taking in the winter wonderland in front of them. Snowflakes hung from the ceiling, garland and white lights twinkled from every post and eave, and in the center of the room was a large Christmas tree, the branches ready for the handcrafted decorations the children would be making at the crafting stations. Santa’s workshop and sleigh rested in the corner, brightly colored packages already being loaded on it. Every guest was to bring a toy for a child, which would then be placed into Santa’s sleigh. Later, Santa would visit the children and leave a present in their room.

A silent auction table was set up along the far wall, the table practically overflowing with gift baskets, floral arrangements and weekend getaways that had been donated for the event. This year’s theme was “giving back,” and the extra money raised would go towards families to help offset travel, food, and hotel costs incurred while their child was staying at the hospital for treatment.

Celina’s eyes bounced around the room, a smile curving her mouth as she recognized a few familiar faces. The entire SCVC taskforce had showed up to help, probably more due to Cooper’s ‘if I have to go, than you have to’ order than anything else. No one dared to argue when The Beast put down an order.

“I wish Owen could have come with us,” Celina said, bouncing Via on her hip as the little girl took in the surroundings with big eyes. Owen lived with his mother, but spent many weekends and several weeks during the summer with them.

“Me too,” Cooper said, wrestling with the diaper bag. “But I’m sure he’s having a good time with his friends at the basketball game.”

Across the way, FBI Agent Ronni Punto, Celina’s best friend and former partner, hailed them. She had amazing chocolate colored skin, dark expressive eyes, and hair that hung shiny and black around her elegant jawline and neck. When a psychopath had gone after Celina several years ago, Ronni had been put on her protection detail and ended up being stabbed—literally—in the back. It was nice to see her laughing and smiling again without the haunted look in her eyes, thanks in large part to the man standing next to her.

DEA Agent Thomas Mann, Cooper’s best friend and surfing buddy, had blond hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin from hours spent outdoors. Ronni had promptly nicknamed him Boy Scout after their first meeting. Thomas, no slouch in the sarcasm department, had dished the name-calling right back at her by using Ronni’s FBI creds to label her as Fabulous But Irritating. Unlike his nickname, though, Mann was no Boy Scout. He was two-hundred-pounds of tough male with the West Point cred and off-the-books special ops training to prove it. He’d been there for Ronni during her recovery, and was the only reason her friend hadn’t completely fallen apart during the aftermath.

With a rope of twinkle lights wrapped around his upper arm, ICE Agent Nelson Cruz stood in front of a large window, patiently helping Sophie hang white lights. Nelson was quick on his feet and didn’t miss a thing. He was what Ronni classified as the ‘dark and broody’ type. Celina had to agree. Sophie swore all the time that Nelson had put her under a spell, but Celina suspected it was probably the other way around.

Raised by her grandmother, FBI Agent Sophie Diaz, was often undercover in Mexico. Her long dark hair and beautiful skin spoke of her Hispanic heritage, and her big hazel-green eyes reflected her keen intelligence. The most fiercely independent agent in the FBI, Sophie had never considered herself a team player and preferred to work alone. Only known to a certain few, Sophie had occasional visions that always ended with a terrible headache.

Celina watched them all moving in unison, busy preparing the room for tonight’s event. It warmed her heart to have them here. Even though they grumbled about being ‘ordered’ to attend, she knew they would have come to help anyway. The taskforce was a tight knit group. They looked out for each other.

Cooper set his packages down and took Novia while Celina shed her coat, passing the baby back so he could help remove the wiggling infant’s parka. His dark eyes traveled the length of Celina’s elf costume, stopping at her pointy toes before traveling back up. She shivered at the hunger in his gaze, suddenly wishing they were alone right now. “You expect me to play Santa when you’re dressed like that?”

Celina grinned, doing a twirl so her skirt flared out around her green tights, thoroughly enjoying his reaction to her getup. “What’s wrong with how I’m dressed?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Cooper groaned, discreetly adjusting his pants against the tent his erection was creating, “except I’m going to have a hard-on all fucking night.”

“Poor baby.” Celina blew him a kiss and walked toward Ronni, knowing full well he would be staring at her ass as she went. After accepting hugs from Ronni, she took Via to the crafting table where Dr. Emma Collins sat with her four month old, Jett. A criminal psychologist, Emma always wore her dark blond hair in a long braid, and had brown eyes with green flecks that were usually hidden behind a pair of librarian glasses. Tonight she looked lovely in a dark green dress with red cardigan sweater, and Celina leaned in for another quick hug.

“Hey, Emma. You look beautiful! Hello, Mr. Jett.”

“Look who’s talking.” Emma rose, Jett in hand and the two babies reached for each other. “Seriously, Princess Via is only seven months and you have your figure completely back. You look amazing.”

Celina doubted that, but given Cooper’s reaction she felt pretty damn good. “So do you. I’m so glad you and your family made it tonight.”

Special Agent Mitch Holden hovered close by, as always keeping a wary eye on Emma and Jett, while he arranged crafting paper, glue sticks, and baggies full of sparkles in the center of the table. They were in charge of the crafting table for the evening, and Celina wondered if Mitch realized yet that he would be supervising a bunch of kids as they created ornaments for the Christmas tree. It would be chaos at its finest, and the perfect job for a guy used to working in threat management analysis.

“Hey, Mitch.” Celina gave him a wave. “Thanks for helping out.”

Mitch snorted. “Like I had a choice.”

“What he meant to say is ‘Hi Celina, thanks for inviting us.’” Emma rolled her eyes, though they sparkled with laughter. “Don’t mind him. He’s just grumpy because Jett kept us up last night. We’re happy to be here, just a bit tired.”

Aslan Children’s Hospital was a non-profit organization that relied heavily on generous donations from the public to support the families who come there. They were never charged for the treatments their children received, a feat in itself when healthcare costs continued to soar on a yearly basis.

“Sorry about that.” Properly chastised, Mitch’s face softened, and he moved to the other side of the table to give Celina a hug. “Em’s right, we’re happy to help.”

Emma smiled serenely, leaning into his side when he curled a protective arm around her shoulders. They were a great couple, their relationship having the same ups and downs Celina and Cooper faced. Dangerous drug cartels, undercover ops, and then the inevitable sleepless nights…she supposed anyone in their line of work was probably doomed to have a complicated relationship. Yet somehow, they still made it work.

“And we are happy to have you.”

Celina turned with a smile to greet her long-time friend, Amber Reynolds. For once the oncology nurse wasn’t wearing her work uniform of scrub pants and top. Instead she wore a form fitting red dress that sparkled under the twinkle lights overhead, her hair piled high on top of her head in a mass of curls. Amber was the reason Celina had gotten roped into the event in the first place, not that it had taken much arm-twisting. “Amber, thanks for inviting us.”

Amber returned Celina’s hug, her blue eyes shining brightly. “It’s you I should be thanking.” She cooed and made faces at baby Novia, who giggled, trying to grab on to her wiggling fingers. “And Princess Via is adorable as always, aren’t you, sweetie?” Novia gurgled her agreement and everyone laughed. Amber stepped back to survey the room again, looking pleased with how everything turned out. “Really, this place looks amazing. The kids are going to be so excited.”

“God I hope so, we’ve got enough glitter here to decorate the entire hospital.” Mitch held up a baggie, grimacing.

The women laughed, and Emma patted him consolingly on the shoulder. “It’ll be alright, Tough Guy. I promise not to tell anyone you were in charge of the glitter.”

Jett wailed in his mother’s arms, and both parents turned to comfort him. Amber and Celina stepped away from the table to give them room to calm the baby.

“Is everything set to go, then?” Celina asked, bouncing a wiggly Via. The baby wanted to get down and test out her crawling skills, but there were far too many people in the room for that to happen. Celina just hoped she could keep her occupied enough until the event started, then she would be hanging out with Jett in his playpen by the crafting table.

A flicker of worry crossed Amber’s face. “Yeah, I think so. Just a few loose ends I need to tie up.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Amber hesitated, and the worry knotting her brow deepened. “It’s not about the party. Just a patient, or a former one I should say.”

Celina swallowed, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. “Did the child…pass?”

“Not yet, but she has acute lymphoblastic leukemia and was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant tomorrow.”

Why did she get the feeling there was a ‘but’ to this story? “Was scheduled?”

“Her father took her out of treatment a few days ago.” Amber blew out a sigh. “She’s only six and was undergoing the pre-surgery regimen when he checked her out AMA. There wasn’t anything we could do to stop him, and I fear without treatment, she could be in grave danger. I’m really worried about her—I’m wondering if she’ll even make it through Christmas.”

The doctors at Aslan worked tirelessly to deliver the very best care to their patients, and it burned Celina to hear a parent would endanger their child by checking them out against medical advice. Amber wouldn’t be able to tell her specific patient details due to privacy laws, so she didn’t even bother to press for more.

Celina put a hand on her friend’s shoulder, giving a squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Amber. I know how much you love each and every one of your patients. If there’s anything Cooper and I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Amber covered her hand, squeezing back. “Thanks. Sorry for putting a damper on things, I just can’t shake the disappointment over losing her.”

The cafeteria doors swung open and the West Coast Director of the FBI stepped inside. Victor Dupé was as charming as he was imposing. His jet black hair was always combed perfectly, he had a trim goatee that emphasized a strong jaw and cheekbones, and wore a suit like a second skin. In charge of all of the California taskforces, he personally handpicked his teams, all the way down to the support staff. He was also the only person Cooper hadn’t arm twisted into helping out tonight, so Celina was happily surprised to see him there. He closed the distance between them, nodding and speaking to various folks on his way to see Via.

“Victor, so nice you could come.” Celina smiled serenely as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and smiled wide at Novia. She stared up at the large man, her little eyes wide in her angelic face. Celina had to bite back a laugh, well imagining how imposing a man like Victor must seem to the seven-month-old.

“I heard the hospital was in need, so I came with checkbook in hand.” He patted his front suit pocket.

Celina introduced him to Amber, and though her sadness still lingered as she shook Victor’s hand, she managed a smile. “That’s generous, thank you so much.”

The fake smiled faded and Celina followed Amber’s gaze to a well-dressed, middle-aged woman across the room. “Um, Celina, would you mind showing your friend to the raffle table? I think Olivia is handling monetary donations. There’s someone I really need to speak with.”

Sensing her friend’s urgency, Celina nodded, shooing her away. “Go, do what you need to. I’ve got this.”

Olivia Fiorelli was next to the raffle table, and her eyes instantly lit up when they turned Celina’s way. Celina had recently met the US Marshal over lunch with Amber and had taken an immediate liking to her. She had a smile that lit up her chocolate brown eyes, and a voice that held a touch of New Jersey accent. According to Amber, Olivia’s Italian-American family had mob connections, but she had broken ties with them a long time ago.

With Novia once again wiggling in her arms, Celina leaned in to give the woman a quick hug. “Olivia, it’s so nice to see you again.”

“You too!” she exclaimed, though her eyes were on Victor.

The director seemed captivated by the pretty brunette as well, which was surprising since she couldn’t remember the last time Victor had looked at anything but work with that much interest.

“Victor Dupé, I’d like to you meet Olivia Fiorelli.”

Victor’s larger hand swallowed Olivia’s, and the pair mutely stared as though the only thing they could see was each other.

Hmm.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Director Dupé,” Olivia said. “I’ve heard a lot about you through the grapevine.”

“I hope it wasn’t all bad.” Victor flashed a most charming grin, propping a hip against the table so he could lean in closer. “I do have my good moments.”

Celina blinked. Was he flirting? It was hard to imagine the hardass director even knew how to. Had Celina not seen it with her own eyes, she never would have believed it.

Where was the mistletoe when you needed some?

“It was actually quite good, promise.” Olivia laughed softly. As if suddenly remembering Celina and Novia were still there, she tore her gaze from Victor’s, her cheeks turning slightly pink. “Amber told me you were helping out tonight, Celina. I’m so glad you guys could make it. Princess Via looks absolutely adorable.”

Novia gurgled her approval of the compliment, babbling something at Olivia no one could understand. Celina laughed, brushing the top of the baby’s silky hair with her lips. “I think Via said thanks.”

The doors to the cafeteria opened again, and more people streamed inside. Celina glanced at the clock. Yikes, it was almost time for the party to start. “Looks like I better get Via over to Emma and Jett before the kids start coming in.” She paused, looking between the pair. “Victor was interested in giving a donation, so I’ll leave him in your capable hands. Can we catch up later?”

“I’d love that.” Olivia nodded, her cheeks still pink as she smiled at him. Knowing when she wasn’t needed, Celina decided that was definitely her cue to go.

“Director.” Celina nodded to Victor and gave Olivia a little finger wave before making her way to the crafting table to get Novia settled in for the night.

It was time for the fun to begin.

Chapter Two

Cooper hungrily tracked Celina’s every movement.

She and Ronni were playing Santa’s helpers, passing out candy canes and keeping the kids in line occupied while they awaited their turn to see Santa. Via contentedly played with Jett in his playpen. With every twirl of Celina’s skirt and flirty smile she sent his way, Cooper was tempted to say the hell with it all and find a private room somewhere. Judging from her sexy response earlier, Celina would likely be up for a repeat of their ‘frisking’ session at the house.

Instead of mapping her luscious curves, however, he was relegated to sitting in Santa’s large, ornate chair and ho-ho-hoing his way through the long line of kids waiting to see him.

He was miserable as hell, but he could be patient. He was, after all, the man with a plan, and Operation Wedding Ceremony was a go. Cooper had called in a favor from his Homeland Security buddy, Roman Walsh, and Aunt Charo and the cousins were in America for a visit. They had arrived late the previous night.

It hadn’t taken much convincing to get Celina to leave early for the party and they were blocks away from the hospital when Cooper got a text from his old partner, Bobby Dyer, with a thumbs up. While Cooper kept Celina occupied at the party, Bobby, his wife, Eliza, and Celina’s family were at the house getting everything ready for the ceremony.

Even the taskforce was in on it. Thomas would be sneaking out early to pick up the cake, Mitch and Emma were taking Novia with them for the night, and since she was Celina’s closest friend, Ronni had been ordained by an online ministry so she could perform the ceremony, which would be at Cooper’s house. Everything was falling into place. All that was left was to convince the woman of his dreams to marry him tonight instead of kicking him in the balls for planning everything behind her back. It was a fifty-fifty shot. Celina had a temper that was often accompanied by some impressive hand gestures he didn’t know the meaning of. He was fairly certain none were flattering.

A little girl cautiously approached his chair, and Cooper forced his brain back into Santa mode. Her frail hand was tucked into her mother’s, and she moved slowly, as if each step took a tremendous effort. She wore Christmas pajamas with a hat covering her head. Her grey eyes were solemn and serious as they peered at him. Cooper recognized the look—it came from someone who had seen and experienced far too much. He had seen it in the hardest of criminals, and in the eyes of the victims they left behind, but seeing it in the eyes of someone so young pierced his heart.

Cooper cleared his throat, forcing his best Santa voice. “Well hello, little girl. Do you have a request for me?”

She looked up at her mother, eyes doubtful. “Are you sure this is the real Santa?”

He smiled behind his beard, liking her boldness.

Her mother sent him an apologetic look, dropping to her knees next to her daughter. “Avery, remember how we talked about Santa having helpers all over the world who took requests from little girls and boys?” The girl nodded. “I’m sure this Santa will be happy to hear what you want for Christmas and will try his very best to see that it happens.”

That seemed to satisfy her because the girl smiled, and with some help from her mother, climbed onto Cooper’s lap. She leaned close, studying his face through the beard and fake brows. Years of training made him stay still under her close scrutiny, and when she finally drew back, he wondered if he’d passed inspection.

“You’ll do,” she quipped, and Cooper couldn’t hold back the laugh that rumbled from his chest.

“I appreciate that. So tell me, Avery, what is it that you would like for Christmas?”

What he heard next chased away all of his humor.

“I don’t want it for myself, I want it for my best friend, Jana,” Avery explained, looking worried. “She’s really sick and needs to have her treatment, but her daddy took her away from the hospital. I want Santa to find her and bring her back. Her full name is Jana Ortega. Got it? You can find her, right?”

The air became trapped in his lungs like he’d been sucker punched in the chest. Of all the things he expected to hear tonight, that wasn’t one of them.

“Why did her daddy take her away?” he forced himself to ask, noting that Celina had inched a step closer. She must have overheard Avery’s request.

“I don’t know, but she won’t get better if she doesn’t have her surgery. Look,”—she lowered her voice—“I know you aren’t the real deal, but I’m desperate. Jana needs help, and no one else can do it.”

Throat tight, Cooper slowly nodded, already knowing he was going to do everything he could to help this little girl’s friend.

But warning bells were going off in his head. Jana Ortega—the name rang a bell.

Could Jana be the daughter of Basilio Ortega? The cartel leader was on the run from US authorities, and had only recently been moved to the top of their priority list. Basilio’s wife had been killed a week prior by a rival gang looking to take over in Basilio’s absence, and the SCVC Taskforce had been briefed by Director Dupé to be on the look out for the man. Bas had a daughter—a sick one, from what Cooper remembered.

Fuck. If Jana Ortega was the man’s daughter, it would make sense he would fear she would become a target as well and pull her from treatment.

Adrenaline spiked in Cooper’s veins. He needed to talk to Celina, and now. “I promise, I’ll do everything I can to help Jana. Now you do me a favor and enjoy the party, okay?”

Avery threw her arms around his neck, squeezing as tightly as her weak arms would allow. “Thank you, Santa. Thank you so much!”

Her mother helped her hop down and Cooper stood from his chair, making a big show of stretching his arms over his head. “Boys and girls, Santa needs to take a break and check on his reindeer. If you promise to be good, I’ll come back soon and hear all of your Christmas wishes.”

There was an audible groan, and parents led their children away, heading towards the crafting tables. Mitch’s face morphed into a look of sheer panic as he was mobbed by kids. If he didn’t already have a fire to put out, Cooper probably would have stopped to enjoy the other man’s distress. Instead, he cupped Celina’s elbow and steered her into the kitchen, letting the doors swing shut behind them.

“Does Basilio Ortega, the cartel leader, have a daughter? He does, right?”

Celina frowned, wracking her brain. “I don’t remember. Why?”

“Because Jana Ortega was recently an inpatient here and was pulled from treatment. I think Basilio may be her father.”

“I wonder if that’s who Amber was upset about?” Celina’s eyes widened. “She was just telling me about a patient who was checked out AMA several days ago. She’s worried sick about her. It could be one and the same. If it is Basilio’s daughter, he’s probably protecting her.”

“Hey, are you really taking a break or just making out in here? I’ve got a bunch of kids who aren’t too happy that Santa skipped out.” Ronni pushed her way through the kitchen doors, hand on hip. She had a slightly frazzled look that said it was probably a good thing she wasn’t packing tonight. All the taskforce members had been asked to not carry weapons under the circumstances, though Cooper was fairly certain they had something hidden on them. They were his agents, after all.

“We think Basilio Ortega’s daughter was an inpatient here, and that he recently withdrew her from care.” Cooper waited while Celina filled Ronni in, watching her eyes turn from frazzled to serious in a heartbeat.

“Have we confirmed this?” Ronni whipped her cell phone out, thumbing through her contacts and pressing a number.

“Not yet,” Cooper admitted.

Ronni spoke in clipped tones to the person on the other end of the phone. A few tense seconds later, they had their answer—Jana was Basilio’s daughter. She suffered from a rare bone cancer and had been undergoing pre-surgical treatment in preparation for her blood and bone marrow transplant that was supposed to take place the following morning. Only Ortega had pulled her from treatment after his wife was murdered, and the girl hadn’t been seen since.

Cooper’s gut twisted. If there was anything he couldn’t stand, it was a case involving a kid.

“Do you think we need to alert the team?”

Cooper knew what Celina was really asking; did he think this was a threat. Novia was there, as was baby Jett, along with a room full of guests. If there was a chance that these people could be in trouble, they would need to act quickly.

“I need to talk to Amber, find out the details, and then bring the director up to speed since the Ortega case has been high-priority for the past week, but yeah, the team also needs to know so we can follow up.” He rubbed at his fake belly, nerves in his stomach making it cramp.

What he really wanted to do was grab their daughter, clear the room and make sure no traces of Ortega were left behind. The man was bad news times a thousand.

But he couldn’t do that, not when they had no evidence of a clear threat. Jana was no longer a patient there. In theory, Ortega would have no reason to come back to the hospital. It was just the idea that he had been here, around all these innocent kids. “Just be discreet, we don’t want to cause unnecessary panic. There’s no threat, I just need to find out the details from Amber and see if we can get a lead on—”

A scream sounded from the other side of the door and an icy chill ran down Cooper’s spine. What the hell…?

Celina’s face paled as more screams split the air, followed by yelling. “Oh God. What’s going on?”

They raced to the metal door and Cooper’s heart dropped to his still cramping stomach as he peered through the round window. Celina gasped and he grabbed her before she could barrel into the main room. Ronni crowded in to peer out the window too, nearly pushing them both aside.

Men dressed in camo pants and dark colored shirts were everywhere, herding frightened guests to one side of the room. Semiautomatic weapons hung at their sides, occasionally shoved in the face of a guest when they refused to do as they were told. Who the fuck were these guys, and what did they want?

Amid the chaos, one man stepped forward, and Cooper instantly recognized him from the mug shots in the folder sitting on his desk; Basilio Ortega.

“Ortega’s here.” He jerked back before he was seen. If that son-of-a-bitch so much as touched a single hair on Novia’s head…

“Holy shit.” Eyes wide, Celina batted his restraining hand away, her voice a piercing whisper. “What the fuck is he doing here? Cooper, Novia’s in there.”

Ronni and Cooper both reached for Celina’s arms, once more stopping her from flying into the room in full battle mode.

“We can’t go in there half-cocked.” Cooper fought to keep his shit together. He couldn’t lose it, not when Celina and Novia needed him the most. “Let me think for a second, will you?”

The Beast in him rose up and he welcomed the calming, methodical presence it brought. As The Beast he could handle anything. He would handle anything.

It didn’t take two guesses why Ortega was here. Jana. The little girl was sick and possibly dying.

As if the man needed even more reason to be dangerous. “Are you both packing?” he asked the women.

“Really, boss?” Ronni slipped a hand beneath her skirt and withdrew a gun. “I’m always packing.”

“I’m covered too.” Celina confirmed, patting her upper thigh. “And I’m going to kill every one of those bastards.”

God he loved her.

Cooper toed off a black boot and withdrew the gun he had stashed there, shoving the boot back on. What he wouldn’t give for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt about now. “Okay, so we’ve got fire power. Now we need to be smart and get help in there.” There were highly trained agents in that room who wouldn’t go down without a fight, but they wouldn’t take a chance when there were so many innocent people involved.

There was a back door next to the walk-in freezer, but Cooper stopped Ronni before she could open it. Already he could see men up and down the hallway through the small window on the door, and he pressed the women against the wall to keep them from being spotted.

“We can’t get out this way. We’re going to need a Plan B.”

Carefully avoiding the window on the door, they returned to the middle of the kitchen.

Three windows, but they only opened part way, not nearly wide enough to accommodate any of them to fit through. Frustrated, Cooper’s eyes traveled over the ceiling and walls, landing on a large ventilation duct half hidden behind a prep table. He quietly moved the table out of the way, and began to pry the cover off the vent. “Celina, you’re on lookout. Punto, find something to get these screws out.”

Ronni handed him a butter knife. The tip just barely fit into the screw head, making the process possible, but slow going. After several tense seconds, he finally managed to get the last screw off and removed the cover, setting it aside.

“Ladies first.” He motioned for Ronni to climb in, scowling when she shook her head.

“Celina first.”

“We don’t have time to argue, Punto. Get in.”

She hesitated a second longer, her eyes darting to Celina, but she gave him her hand and allowed him to help her squeeze inside and out of sight.

One down, one to go. With Ronni safe, Cooper turned to Celina.

Her eyes were serious, and his stomach bottomed out. “We’ve got incoming,” she whispered.

Shit. They’d run out of time. “Davenport, get the fuck in there now.”

Her eyes widened before narrowing dangerously and he knew he would pay for that later. Fuck it. If it got her moving, then he would say it ten more times. Getting the women, especially his woman, to safety was a top priority, even if Celina didn’t agree. She hated it when he got all overprotective on her, but tough shit. She was the mother of his child and the woman he would be marrying tonight if they got out of this goat fuck alive. Until then, she could just be mad at him.

He was already going over a myriad of possible situations when he saw the firm set of her jaw, the determination in her gaze. No. No. “Goddammit, Celina, don’t you dare.”

“I love you.” Her face wavered, and she swallowed hard. “Get Ronni out of here and get some help. I’ll keep them off your back.” Celina was gone before he could argue.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was not happening, not now.

A shout came from the other side of the doors and he caught Celina’s calm, clipped tone as she claimed she was the only one in the kitchen. Her lie would buy him a few extra seconds before they checked things out for themselves. He needed to get his ass moving. Cooper backed into the ventilation shaft and pulled the table over as close as he could manage before setting the cover back into place.

“Where’s Celina?”

Cooper winced at the accusatory tone of Ronni’s voice. “She’s covering so we could get out. Let’s make this count, Punto.”

Chapter Three

Cooper was going to be pissed when she saw him again.

If she saw him again. Celina swallowed the lump in the back of her throat. She couldn’t think like that, not now.

With Novia nestled on her lap, she settled next to Emma and Jett, who were flanked on either side by Mitch and Thomas. Blessedly, Via had fallen asleep earlier and stayed that way through the commotion, completely oblivious to the drama unfolding.

Behind their row of chairs and huddled in the corner were the rest of the children, parents, and staff members who were doing their best to keep the children calm and quiet. A few were hooked up to machines, their vitals being closely monitored by nearby nurses. It infuriated Celina to see these families being so mistreated when they had already been through so much. These children should be tucked into bed, anxiously waiting for Santa, not dealing with dangerous men like Ortega and his goons.

“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” Ortega directed a menacing stare to Celina, who returned it unflinchingly. She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he scared her. Dressed in an impeccable suit, his jet black hair slicked back from his face, the cartel leader’s voice was low and menacing in comparison to his handsome features. “I am looking for Dr. Juanita Kyan. I know she’s here, so there’s no need to pretend she isn’t.”

He reminded Celina of Enrique Londano—the cartel leader who’d hunted her. The thought prickled under her skin with icy awareness, and she inwardly shivered. A low murmur passed through the crowd, but no one moved. A few rows over, Celina noted Amber fidgeting nervously, her eyes covertly darting to the middle aged woman she had been in such a hurry to speak with earlier. Something told her the woman was Dr. Kyan, but what did Ortega want with her?

“You will give me Dr. Kyan,” Ortega growled, snapping his fingers. The doors to the cafeteria swung open and a woman in a nurse’s uniform wheeled a little girl inside.

Jana Ortega. The girl’s face was flushed, her eyes glazed and feverish. She was obviously quite ill, and Celina’s heart broke for her.

“Jana!” The little girl in Christmas pajamas who’d asked Santa for help stood up and waved excitedly. The girl’s mother quickly shushed her, growing fearful when an armed man made a move towards them.

“Leave them alone.” The woman rose from her chair, chastising the man with the gun. To Ortega, she demanded, “What is it that you want?”

“Juanita, please don’t.” Amber shook her head, face stricken.

“Ah, Dr. Kyan, I presume?” Ortega’s mouth curved into a smile that didn’t quite reach his fathomless eyes. “I am Basilio Ortega, Jana’s father. We’ve not had the pleasure of meeting, though I have been informed you have been taking excellent care of my Jana.”

“I was until you decided to check her out against medical advice.” Dr. Kyan’s gaze swept over the young girl, her face wavering between sorrow and anger. “Do you realize you have endangered your daughter’s life by doing something so stupid?”

Even in an evening dress and heels, Dr. Kyan’s shoulders were ramrod straight, her chin raised defiantly as if she didn’t care who she was addressing. Celina admired her for that, even if she was somewhat afraid for her. A man like Basilio Ortega didn’t give a damn about human life other than his own. He could, and would, end a person’s life at the snap of his fingers. The cartel leader was not a man to mess with.

“Shut up, doctor. I do realize my mistake,” Ortega begrudgingly admitted.

Dr. Kyan knelt before Jana’s wheelchair, her scowl replaced by a warm, gentle smile. “Hello, Jana,” she said softly, “it is so nice to see you again.”

“Hello, Dr. Kyan,” Jana answered shakily. “I…I’m sorry I had to go away, but you said to tell you if I didn’t feel good, and I don’t feel good. My body hurts. So much.”

Dr. Kyan pressed a gentle hand to Jana’s forehead, lips curving downward. “Oh Jana,” she sighed, true regret shining in her eyes. “You’re running a fever.”

“It started yesterday,” Ortega acknowledged. For a moment, his face morphed with distress, and he actually appeared like a concerned father. “That’s why we’re here. You will come with us to Mexico and complete the bone marrow transplant. Bring whatever equipment you need.”

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. Celina met Mitch’s hard stare and he nodded. Ortega should have checked the guest list before he busted in on their party. There was no way the agents in the room were about to let him abscond with the doctor, not when he had a one-way ticket behind bars waiting for him. It was ballsy of him to have crossed the border at all, a testament to how well protected he was. Celina could only hope Cooper and Ronni arrived with backup soon.

Dr. Kyan rose to her full height. She regarded Ortega coolly with the practiced experience of one used to dealing with demanding parents.

“I will do no such thing,” she informed him icily. “Because you pulled her from treatment, she didn’t finish the needed pre-op conditioning. If we do the transplant now it will fail.”

Enraged by her refusal, Ortega withdrew a gun, firing into the air. Children and adults alike screamed, cowering beneath tables and each other for protection. Mitch threw himself in front of Emma and Celina, while Thomas, Sophie, and Victor put themselves in between the guns and the frightened guests.

“Perhaps I’ve not made myself clear,” he snarled, leveling his gun on the nearest person—Olivia Fiorelli. The woman stiffened in her chair, color draining from her face. “If you don’t do what I ask, then I will start killing hostages, one by one.”

Celina inhaled sharply, holding Via tighter. From the corner of her eye she saw Victor move with cat-like ease, effectively putting himself between Olivia and the gun. Jaw clenched, fury rolled off his large frame in waves. Ortega was lucky he held the gun, because Victor looked ready to tear the man apart.

“Please, don’t hurt anyone.” Left with little choice, Dr. Kyan reluctantly nodded. “There’s no need for violence, Mr. Ortega. Of course I’ll do everything in my power to help Jana, but she can’t be transported. She’s too sick.”

Ortega slowly lowered the gun. “But we have to go. We’re in danger here.”

“She’s in more danger if you take her on the road. She needs immediate medical attention and I have all my equipment and the bone marrow that was harvested from you here. She won’t make it if we don’t start on her right now. Traveling at this point is out of the question if you want her to live.”

The room was eerily quiet as everyone waited for Ortega’s response. Jana’s troubled breathing was the only sound, her sad eyes big in her face, pleading with her father. It was a risky gamble, but the alternative wasn’t pretty.

“Please, Mr. Ortega,” Dr. Kyan said. “This is Jana’s best chance. It may be her only chance.”

He reluctantly stowed the gun in his waistband. “Fine, but no tricks. This hospital is under my command. There is no way in or out without me knowing it.”

Worry for Cooper and Ronni rose up sharp, but Celina couldn’t think about that right now. She had to have faith they would figure out a way around Ortega’s men to get help.

Two nurses rose to their feet and slowly approached.

“Dr. Kyan, Megan and I will assist you with the surgery,” one of them spoke, motioning between herself and the other nurse.

Dr. Kyan smiled, somewhat relieved. “Thank you, Zoe, I appreciate that. Why don’t we take Jana to the surgical ward and get her prepped.” She glanced at Basilio. “That is, if it’s alright with Mr. Ortega.”

“Yes, do it. Ramone,” he snapped his fingers, and a large man jumped to alert. He wore the same camo pants and black shirt as the rest of the group, but there was a smug confidence about him that said he was used to being left in charge. “You know what to do.”

The nurses wheeled Jana from the room, followed by Ortega, two other guards, and Dr. Kyan. Celina watched them go, frustrated that she was helpless to do anything to stop them. She was a seasoned agent capable of taking a man down with her bare hands, but at the moment, they were tied. She wouldn’t risk Novia’s life, nor the lives of the others. There were too many armed guards. If they were going to take control of the situation, then they would need to do it in one solid strike.

Thomas seemed to have the same idea because he nudged her side. He continued to face forward, but from the corner of her eye Celina caught a hand movement she was quite familiar with. Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Everyone on the taskforce was trained for situations when they weren’t able to verbally interact and had developed their own line of communication by using a series of covert hand gestures and eye signals. Dupé caught on to Thomas’s idea, and soon, Celina, as well as the other taskforce members, knew what to do: distract the guards. Hopefully, Cooper and Ronni would bring the cavalry soon.

Now for the hard part—putting the plan into motion.

Celina drew in a deep breath, heart hammering in her chest. She knew better than to wake a sleeping baby, especially one with a formidable temper like Novia’s, but if they were going to do this, than they would need the little Princess’s help. Praying this would work, Celina gently jostled the baby awake. Novia blinked her eyes open, staring up at Celina for a moment before her little mouth puckered and opened on a wail.

“Shut that fucking kid up.” Ramone snapped, eyes narrowed. As if on cue, Jett joined in, and soon the rest of the children were whimpering. So far, so good.

Ramone jammed a hand through his hair, now thoroughly irritated by all the noise. “Jesus fucking Christ, do something to shut them up already!”

The guards shifted uneasily, unsure how to handle a roomful of crying children. Perfect. That’s what they were counting on. Celina lifted Via in her arms, bouncing on the balls of her feet to calm her daughter down.

“They’re kids, and they’re scared.” She swallowed the lump of fear in her own throat when Ramone swung his gun in her direction. “Maybe the crafting table will keep them occupied for a while. If we add another table, everyone can fit, and the kids will have something to do.”

“Fine,” Ramone waved dismissively, pinching the bridge of his nose, “anything if it gets them to shut the hell up.”

Nelson and Thomas pushed tables together, Sophie spread materials out across the surface, and Olivia quickly ushered everyone over. The children looked wary, but appeared happy to be doing something active and their parents also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Novia and Jett were calmed and carefully placed into the playpen, which Celina and Emma pushed behind the tables to keep them out of harm’s way.

Seven of us. Eight armed guards. Not ideal, but not terrible odds either. Celina had been in far worse situations, only not with so many innocent people around. More signals from Victor and the taskforce members fanned out, strategically placing themselves near each armed guard under the guise of helping out at the crafting tables. One guard eyed Mitch suspiciously as he inched closer and Celina knew the ruse wouldn’t last much longer.

“Dios mio!” As if on cue, Sophie collapsed to the floor, and Nelson fell to his knees next to her. “Someone help her!” he urged the guards nearest him, who stepped closer to see what was going on.

It was all the distraction they needed. Everyone acted at once.

Mitch swung a heavy fist into the jaw of the guard eyeing him, toppling him backwards into Santa’s sleigh and sending presents scattering everywhere. Thomas bashed two guards’ heads in with a heavy silver tray—bam, bam—cookies flying everywhere. Nelson and Sophie took out the guards coming to her rescue, and Victor sent another flying over Santa’s throne. Almost home free…

“Enough!” Ramone fired shots into the air and everyone froze. Seven of the guards were down and out for the count, but they hadn’t been able to reach Ramone in time.

Shit. They were sitting ducks.

A shadow rose up behind Ramone and before Celina could blink, the large man was picked up and thrown WWE style across the room, whacking his head on the edge of the sleigh and landing in an unnatural heap on the floor.

Standing there in what had once been a white tank top, red velvet pants with suspenders, and a pair of black boots that had lost their shine, Cooper’s grimy face was pinched in a mixture of worry and pissed off-edness.

To Celina, he’d never looked so good.

Celina hurdled herself into Cooper’s arms, burying her face in his neck. “Thank God you’re all right.”

“Where’s Ortega?”

“His original intention was to kidnap the surgeon assigned to Jana’s case and take her to Mexico to perform the bone marrow transplant. Dr. Kyan convinced him to let her do it here. They went to the surgical wing, I think. Ortega took two guards with him. Amber can probably tell us more about what Dr. Kyan is doing.”

The taskforce members were quickly securing all the guards’ weapons and incapacitating their hands, lining the men up against the far wall. Only a few were still conscious.

Cooper’s large hand captured the back of her head, pulling her close, as if afraid he would lose her. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. What the fuck were you thinking?”

Celina looked up to meet his eyes. “I needed to protect Novia and you needed to get out and bring help. Partners, remember? We work as a team.”

His mouth curved in a pained smile. He may not have liked that she put herself in danger, but he knew she was right. “True, but I’m supposed to protect you both.” His mouth crashed onto hers and he poured all of his anger, worry, and love into that one kiss. She gave right back, too relieved to be back in his strong arms to care who was watching.

By the time they parted, Victor informed them SWAT was still fifteen minutes away. “We need to secure the premises and make sure Ortega doesn’t escape.”

They didn’t want Ortega to get wind of what was happening, although Celina knew he must have heard the gunfire and was wondering. As Victor and Cooper walked with her toward Via, they batted around ideas.

Emma and Sophie were trying to calm everyone back down and Celina lent a hand, leaving Cooper to pick up Via. He lifted his daughter from the playpen, snuggling her against his massive chest, and even Victor stopped talking to let The Beast reassure himself she was okay. Via giggled and patted her daddy on the cheek, babbling unintelligible words that made him grin.

“My Princess,” he breathed, feathering a kiss over her forehead. Celina paused, heart in her throat as she took in the tender scene between father and daughter. Oh how she loved them both, so very, very much.

“Who the hell are you people?” a man asked, holding a crying child tightly against him.

“We’re the Southern California Violent Crimes Taskforce.” Thomas tipped an imaginary hat. “At your service.”

“Speak for yourself, Mann.” Sophie grumbled. “I’m FBI, and I work alone. Usually.”

“And you all just happened to be here tonight?” the man looked confused and a touch skeptical.

Celina couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t everyday a cartel leader fell into the taskforce’s lap. In fact, she was sure this was one for the record books. Right time, right place for them, not so much for Basilio Ortega.

“We’re like the Avengers,” Nelson offered dryly, grunting when Sophie’s elbow found his ribcage. “What? We are pretty damn impressive.”

“I second that,” Thomas agreed, and then shared his favorite quote from one of the movies. “You get hurt, you hurt back. You die, walk it off. It’s like, our motto.”

Mitch rolled his eyes as Nelson and Thomas exchanged a fist bump.

“The guards in the hall are taken care of.” Ronni breezed through the cafeteria doors like she owned the place. Her elf costume was slightly skewed, and her red and green striped tights were covered in grime, probably from crawling through the air ducts. “All we need is Basilio.”

“What, no gun?” Thomas asked, giving her a crooked grin. “You never leave home without a weapon.”

Ronni arched a sculpted eyebrow. “Some of us don’t need a gun to take down a bad guy, Mann.”

Shaking his head, Thomas laughed. “That’s my girl.”

Victor nodded at Cooper and Ronni. “Nice work you two.”

“Sorry it took a bit,” Cooper said, handing Via to Celina. “Those air vents are a bitch to maneuver.”

Celina tried to picture Cooper’s large body twisting through the ductwork and failed. “Where did you guys end up?”

“Not far.” Cooper admitted. “We made it to an office a few doors down and called for backup.”

Victor’s gaze traveled over the dozens of heads to Olivia who was talking to several parents. “We need to move the kids back to their rooms and get to the surgical floor to help Dr. Kyan.” He paused to meet Cooper’s solemn stare. “Ortega has a surgeon and two nurses under his control.”

“Celina told me. We need to get them out of there.”

Amber sidled up alongside Celina, stroking Via’s back. “How are you going to do that? Especially without compromising Jana’s health?”

Cooper jerked a hand through his disheveled hair. “Okay, Plan C. Mitch, you and I will stake out the surgical wing to determine the best way to apprehend Ortega without jeopardizing Jana. First, we need to get the kids to the safety of their rooms. How do we get to the surgical wing, Amber?”

“It’s on the second floor.” Amber’s voice wavered, and she paused to clear it. “If you take the back staircase you should be able to get to that floor without being seen. The stairwell is only used by staff, so they’re probably not guarded. When you exit the stairwell, find the lines painted on the floor to help patients find where they’re going. The bright blue line will take you right to surgical. The safest way to get the kids to their rooms is by using the service elevator.”

“Thank you.” Cooper slipped an arm around Celina’s waist to draw her off to the side. Her stomach flip-flopped at his serious face, and she almost dreaded what he was about to say. “I want you to stay here,” he said softly, playing with one of Novia’s soft curls. “Please.” The fear in his eyes when he lifted them to hers took her breath away. “Sophie and Victor will handle the prisoners. All you have to do is take care of Via, okay?”

She mutely nodded.

“You scared the hell out of me when you walked out of that kitchen earlier, and it took everything I had to not go after you.” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to respond, pressing a finger firmly over her lips. “I want you to stay here with our daughter where I know you’ll both be safe. I love you so much, Celina. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself.”

Tears pricked the backs of her lids and she blinked several times to keep them from spilling over. Damn. When he asked like that, how could she possibly refuse him? She hooked an arm around his neck, careful not to smash Novia as she dragged his mouth down to hers. “Then come back to us, because if you don’t, I’m going to seriously kick your ass.”

He grinned against her mouth, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Deal.”

Chapter Four

True to Ronni’s word, the hallway was clear of guards when Mitch and Cooper stepped out of the cafeteria with the entire group in tow. Normally, Cooper would be clearing the building, not leading those in attendance deeper inside, but the children were worn out from the ordeal, the patients in the group no longer able to even walk. Amber and Olivia helped staff members snag as many wheelchairs as they could quietly find, while the rest of the children were carried by their parents.

Ronni and Thomas had gone on ahead to the oncology floor to make sure the patient rooms were clear. The plan was to move everyone out of harm’s way with Thomas and Ronni standing guard until the hospital was threat-free.

Gun in hand, Mitch led the way down the hall while Cooper brought up the rear, eyes alert for any sign of trouble. An occasional whimper rustled the group, but for the most part, everyone remained quiet, well aware of the danger they were still in.

Where is that SWAT team?

Rounding the corner into the back hall, they stopped outside the service elevator doors, squeezing as many people into the tight space as would fit. Due to the bulky wheelchairs, it wasn’t nearly enough, and tension rode Cooper’s shoulders hard. He hated being so exposed. Anyone coming around the corner would spot them for sure, and if they decided to apply deadly force, they were screwed.

Finally, the cell phone at his hip vibrated with a message, and he breathed a little easier when he saw Ronni’s thumbs up text. “We’re good to go.”

Mitch pressed the button for the service elevator to bring it downstairs. They loaded the first group in as tight as they could fit before Mitch squeezed himself inside. “Be right back.”

The doors slid shut, the silence that followed deafening. Already on edge, Cooper jumped at the slightest noise, keeping a wary eye on the hallway.

Seconds ticked by and became minutes. Come on, Holden. Get your ass back down here already.

A few more agonizing seconds passed, then finally the light over the doors lit up, indicating the elevator was returning. About fucking time.

“Miss me?” Mitch asked when the doors slid open.

Cooper had never been so happy to see Holden’s ugly mug, but there was no way he was going to tell him that. His man card would get revoked.

“About as much as a toothache,” Cooper lied, hustling people inside.

Holden chuckled, squeezing in between a wheelchair and a nurse. “That’s what they all say.”

He winked as the doors slid shut, and the silence returned. Fucking guy lived for this kind of risky shit, but that’s what made him perfect for the taskforce.

It took them several more tense-filled trips, but they finally managed to get everyone upstairs. Ronni and Thomas worked quickly to get the children settled into their rooms again, helping the nursing staff in any way they could. For the guests who didn’t have a patient room to hang out in, they were put in the family lounge down the hall. Doors were locked. People were safe.

Relief flooded him. He caught Thomas’s eye and waved him over to where he and Mitch stood, ready for the next phase. “Are you guys good here? Holden and I need to book it to surgical.”

“Sure you guys don’t need a hand?” Thomas didn’t look happy about being left behind, not that Cooper blamed him. He and Thomas were cut from the same cloth, and sitting idle was never a good thing. Being forced to babysit a group of uneasy partygoers? Yeah, that definitely fell to the bottom of the list.

Still, much as he was tempted to have Thomas tag along, Cooper decided against it. If any of Ortega’s men decided to do a sweep, Ronni would need the extra firepower. It might suck to stay behind, but these people needed protection.

“Nah, we’re good. We’ll holler if we need backup.”

“Ten-four.” Thomas shrugged, conceding he was stuck. “I guess being left behind could be worse.” His eyes roamed over Ronni’s bedraggled length, and she plopped a hand on her hip, lifting an eyebrow.

“Don’t even think about it,” she said in a low voice that sounded more breathy than an actual warning.

Something unspoken passed between them, and Cooper stepped back, pretty certain that was his cue to go. “Good luck.”

They found the back staircase and took the stairs two at a time to the third floor, pausing on the top step. There was no window on the door to see onto the surgical unit floor, which meant once they opened it, they would be walking in blind. If he got shot, Celina was going to kill him.

“What do you think, slap and tap?” Mitch suggested, and Cooper grinned. Why hadn’t he thought of that? The slap and tap was a technique employed when they were trying to draw out an enemy. He and Holden had used it on more than one op assignment and it had always served them well. Why not now?

“Absofuckinglutely.”

Mitch slapped his bare palm on the door, followed by a tap from the end of his gun. He and Cooper then stood on either side of the doorframe, waiting with baited breath to see who might open it.

Waiting. Seemed like he’d been counting the minutes all night. When he couldn’t take it any longer, he nodded at Mitch. Get the show on the road.

Slowly, Mitch opened the door while Cooper flanked his rear, gun raised and ready. The door opened across from a storage room with a solid bare wall to their right. To the left, the hall led to a nurses’ station, which thankfully was empty. The coast was clear. Soundlessly, they left the stairwell.

While Cooper stood guard, Mitch raided the storage room, returning with a metal tray. He crouched down and crept to the end of the hall and tipped the edge, using the reflective surface as a mirror to allow him to see around the corner.

“Three men standing outside an exam room, and one farther down in front of a set of double doors,” he reported quietly.

“Four guards?” Apparently Ortega had added two to his entourage after leaving the cafeteria. Cooper rubbed his jaw. Yeah, they could handle that. If there weren’t more hiding somewhere. “What about the doctor and her staff?”

“Negative.” Mitch shook his head, rocking back on his heels. “My money is that they’re all in the first room.”

They needed a distraction. The guards were too far away for them to take out. The minute he and Holden stepped around the corner they would be sitting ducks.

“I’ve got an idea.” Mitch pushed to his feet, rising to his full height and motioning for Coop to follow him. “But you aren’t going to like it.”

Back to the stairwell, Cooper felt apprehension clenching his gut. Holden’s constipated grimace didn’t exactly leave him with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

What they found waiting for them made him even more agitated.

“Before you start yelling,” Celina whispered from her spot on the stairs, “Victor sent us. You weren’t answering your phone, which by the way, made me extremely nervous.”

Next to her was Olivia, gun drawn and looking pissed.

“I turned my phone off because we’re on a sensitive op here.” Cooper gritted his teeth, realizing his whisper echoed off the walls it was so loud. “What the fuck is so important?”

“SWAT’s been delayed,” Celina whispered back, laying a hand on his arm. “There was an accident on the freeway, the whole northern lane is out of commission and traffic is backed up for miles. They’re taking a detour, and Victor tried the local cops, but they’re up to their eyeballs with the holiday scrambles and the accident too. They’re going to be later than anticipated, and Victor thinks you should stand down and wait.”

“Wait and leave all the kids and their families in danger?” He shook his head. This could not be happening. “Tell me that was not a direct order from him.”

Celina exchanged a look with Olivia. Olivia sighed and looked at Cooper. “It was not,” she said. “But I think he believes you will follow his wishes.”

Cooper was in hell, pure and simple.

And then it got worse.

Mitch shrugged. “There’s still my idea.”

Celina and Olivia’s gazes swung to him. “Which is?” Celina asked.

Ten minutes later, pressed against the wall of the surgical ward, Cooper and Holden watched as Celina and Olivia, dressed in nursing scrubs, pushed a lab cart ahead of them down the hall towards the guards. Their task was to distract them long enough so the men could move to a closer position.

Kill me now.

Cooper had tried everything to talk Celina out of it, but she’d insisted. “I want this night over so we can take our child home and scrub this awful memory from our minds.”

Nothing he said would dissuade her, and Olivia and Mitch told him to stop worrying about a dozen times.

Seeing the women approach, the guards came alert and turned their guns on them. “Hold it,” one man said.

Fear seized Cooper, the breath stealing from his lungs. Celina was a highly skilled agent like Olivia, who could take care of herself, but seeing a gun pointed at her set off all of his natural instincts to protect her all over again.

“We gotta move. Now.” Holden shoved him hard, snapping Cooper back to reality. Forcing his emotions aside, Cooper turned on his training, knowing it was the only thing that would get him through these next critical moments.

“Dr. Kyan requested labs to be drawn on her patient,” Celina was explaining as they moved down the hall, getting into closer position. They had maneuvered the guards around so their backs were to Mitch and Cooper, giving them a chance to get near.

“Nobody told us you were coming. We need to check with the boss first,” the guard said, his eyes narrowed.

“Fine by us.” Olivia lifted a shoulder in a shrug, appearing unconcerned. “Delaying the patient’s surgery won’t hurt us any. We can just come back when you get this all straightened out.”

“Wait.” Another guard grabbed Celina’s arm when she made to wheel the cart around. “I don’t want to be the one who delays this surgery, do you?”

“Hell, no.” The third lowered his gun. “Pat them down for weapons. Then we’ll check with the boss.”

Cooper met Mitch’s hard stare. This was the part of the plan where things could take a detour. If Dr. Kyan denied having called the lab they were screwed, plain and simple.

Celina put her arms out at her sides while a guard patted her down, jaw tightening when he hovered a bit too long over her ample breasts. White hot rage beat at him, and Cooper swallowed, forcing himself to look away before he did something stupid.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Celina spoke with a deadly calm that could only mean one thing, and Cooper groaned.

She was beyond pissed.

The guard squeezed her breast again, and rage clouded Celina’s vision.

“Or are you still searching?” she added when he didn’t respond to her question. Deep breaths, deep breaths. They can’t afford to slip up now, but if the bastard copped a feel one more time…

“Did you want me to search more, baby?” he asked, and this time both hands moved to cup her breasts. “You look like you’re up for some fun tonight.”

That did it. Celina grabbed his wrists and inverted them, applying enough pressure to force his hand open, the MK4 falling to the floor right before he followed. Her knee came in contact with his face, which made a satisfying crunch, before he dropped like a sack of rocks.

“Get down!”

Celina hit the ground as the suppressor on Cooper’s gun went off, dropping two more while Olivia wrestled the fourth guard to the floor, subduing him with Mitch’s assistance. Cooper reached Celina’s side, his face thunderous. She wasn’t sure if it was because she had deviated from the plan or got to knock the handsy guard out first, but she was happy he was there all the same.

“I thought you were going to play nice and get into the room without any trouble?” He held out a hand, helping her to her feet.

Celina brushed a hand down her scrubs. “I didn’t like the way I was being handled. Besides,” she stood on tiptoe, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “now you have less work to do.”

With a sigh, Cooper scrubbed a hand over his face. “Woman, you drive me insane.”

“And you love every minute of it.” Celina laughed huskily.

“You all right?” Olivia asked, giving her a quick once over.

Celina nodded. “Yeah, but we need to hurry before Ortega suspects something’s gone wrong. Ready for part two?”

“There was only supposed to be a part one,” Mitch reminded her, which only made Celina grin.

“That’s what I like about you, Holden. You’re easy to surprise.” Celina grabbed the cart, pushing it towards the door. “Let’s go.”

Jana was lying in the hospital bed, her pale face the only color against the stark white of the room. Beside her sat Ortega. Had Celina not known what a sadistic psychopath he was, he would almost appear the doting father holding Jana’s hand, running a gentle hand over her hair. Celina forced herself to look away.

“Who are you?” Ortega demanded, rising from his seat and pulling his gun. Celina and Olivia cowered together, more to hide their faces than anything else. They didn’t want to risk Ortega recognizing them from downstairs before they had the chance to get close enough.

“They’re…from the lab, Mr. Ortega.” Having seen the lab cart, Dr. Kyan fumbled for the right words, confusion knitting her brow. Celina tapped a long finger against an instruction sticker on the side of the cart where the word ‘Help’ was printed in big bold letters. Understanding dawned, and Dr. Kyan quickly righted herself. “They’ll need to draw blood to make sure Jana’s body is prepared to receive the transplant.”

Ortega’s hand wavered, than he slowly lowered the gun.

“Fine,” he said briskly, already turning back to Jana. “Make it quick.”

With Dr. Kyan on their side, Celina pushed the cart towards the bed, keeping her eyes down.

“How much blood will you need to take?” Ortega wanted to know, and Celina gripped the cart tighter, careful to keep her head lowered. They only had one chance to get this right.

“Not much, sir.” Olivia assured him, her hand slipping into her pocket. “Just a few vials. Sarah, can you get her prepped?”

Celina nodded and pushed the cart in front of Ortega, forcing him to step out of the way. It was a tight space, and Celina was unable to avoid making eye contact with him over the top of the cart. He stared at her for a heartbeat, his eyes widening.

“You! I know you!”

Olivia blindsided him from the right, ramming a needle into the side of his neck and injecting the sedative.

“What the fuck?” Ortega swung his fist, clipping Olivia on the side of her head and knocking her off her feet. She pitched to the floor.

“Guar…” The word slurring, Ortega’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body pitched forward, landing on top of the cart. The two nurses rushed to Olivia’s side while Dr. Kyan helped Celina roll Ortega’s body off the cart and into a chair, drawing a curtain shut around him.

“Olivia,” Celina breathed, dropping to her knees beside her friend. Dr. Kyan followed, gingerly touching the wound with probing fingers. Olivia groaned, her eyes fluttering. “Talk to me, Olivia. Are you all right?”

“Ouch.” She grimaced, struggling into a sitting position. “I’m going to have one hell of a headache in the morning, but yeah, I think so.”

The door burst open and Cooper and Mitch scrambled in, followed by armed men dressed in SWAT combat gear.

The cavalry had arrived.

The next few minutes were a complete blur, but somehow Celina found herself downstairs, Novia safely in her arms as she watched Ortega’s men being hustled outside. Basilio followed shortly behind, under the watchful eyes of the taskforce, and the glittering rage in his eyes as he passed made Celina turn away.

“So, what happens now?” Olivia asked. She stood with Victor in the hallway, her eyes following the flurry of activity. The normally stoic FBI Director had gone from cool as a cucumber to coming completely unglued when he’d learned Olivia had been injured. He’d practically knocked Cooper out of the way just to get to her. Other than the likely bruise she would have in the morning, Dr. Kyan said Olivia would make a full recovery. Victor had been hovering over her ever since.

“With what?” Celina asked, snuggling into Cooper’s side. Novia was wide awake and mystified by the activity going on, her little eyes bright and curious.

“Jana. What will happen with her now?”

“Child Services will be coming in to handle Jana’s care and medical treatments.” Dr. Kyan approached, looking weary but determined. “I also give you my word that she will receive the bone marrow transplant she so desperately needs. She’s been through a lot, but I want to make sure she gets her very best chance at life. She deserves that much.”

Victor withdrew a business card from his suit pocket, handing it to the doctor. “Can you give this card to Child Services and have them contact me? Once she is well enough to be released, I would like to help find her a stable home.”

Dr. Kyan’s eyes widened, sparkling suspiciously. “That’s very kind of you, Director.” She blinked rapidly for a moment, pausing to clear her throat. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

Ronni and Thomas came through a set of swinging doors, the last of the taskforce to give their statement for the evening.

“Phew, what a night!” Ronni fanned her face for effect. “The lead detective said we’re done for now, and he’ll call if he has any other questions. I don’t know about you guys, but I sure could use a drink.”

“That’s actually a great idea. Why don’t you all come over,” Cooper agreed, much to Celina’s surprise. Since when was Cooper the after-party type? He caught her look, and his smile faded. “Is that okay with you?”

Celina nodded, shaking off her suspicions. Of course everyone should come over for a drink, it’d been a long night. “Absolutely. Everyone is invited,” she added, nodding towards Olivia, who blushed when Victor leaned down and whispered something in her ear.

Celina buttoned a gurgling Novia into her coat while Cooper gathered their things. The baby wasn’t keen on leaving all the action behind to go outside, but a few minutes in the car and she was out like a light. Celina leaned her head against the headrest, closing her eyes. What a night. She was exhausted, and every bone in her body ached. She couldn’t wait to get home and soak in a nice, hot bath.

“Are you sure it’s all right everyone comes over? I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have asked.”

Celina opened an eye to look at Cooper, cracking a smile. “Of course it’s fine. I was just surprised. It’s not like you to invite everyone over at the spur of the moment.”

A grimace passed his face, replaced quickly with a grin. “Who knows, maybe I’m turning over a new leaf. You’ve been telling me The Beast needs to lighten up a bit.”

“Yes, but since when does he listen to me?” Celina laughed.

“It is the holidays,” Cooper said. “Miracles can happen.”

They pulled into their driveway a few minutes later, and to Celina’s surprise, all the lights in the house were on. And after the night they’d just had, it put her on high alert. “Coop? Why are the lights on?”

“Don’t worry.” Cooper winked, climbing from the driver’s seat to unbuckle the sleeping baby in the back. Wordlessly Celina followed him up the front walk, stopping dead in her tracks when a mini-version of Cooper threw open the door, shouting, “Welcome home!”

Chapter Five

With a wide grin that was achingly similar to his father’s, Owen Harris stepped back, holding the door wide for them to enter.

“Owen!” Celina exclaimed, gathering the boy in a tight hug. He was nicely dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt, his blond hair slicked back from his face. “I thought you were with your mom. What on earth are you doing here alone?”

“I’m not.” Taking her hand, Owen led her through the foyer into the living room, where a large crowd was gathered.

Among them, in the center of the room, was a familiar face. Her dark hair, streaked with silver, hung heavily over her shoulders and back. Her dark eyes lit with happiness as they connected with Celina’s, and tears sprang to Celina’s eyes. She lifted a trembling hand to her mouth, unable to believe it. “A-Aunt Charo?”

“Surprise, mi corazón.” She opened her arms, and Celina fell into them, breathing deeply of the familiar scent of cinnamon and sugar. Celina hugged her fiercely, only stopping when she turned to greet her cousins. From the kitchen emerged her parents, and three of her four brothers. “Matt’s in surgery,” Mark told her, pulling on a lock of her hair like he always did. Their older brother was a cardiac specialist in Seattle. “He’s flying down first thing in the morning.”

Her mother, beautiful and elegant in a red dress with a fresh orchid clipped in her hair, clapped her hands together. “We all wanted to be here for Novia’s first Christmas.”

Celina was laughing and crying at the same time. It was too good to be real. When she’d finished the circuit of family, she went back to her aunt and wrapped an arm around her, needing to make sure this wasn’t a dream. “But…I don’t understand. How did you get here?”

“That would be my doing.” Cooper cleared his throat, raising a hand in the air. He handed Via to her brother, Luke. It was then that Celina noticed the rest of the taskforce had arrived and were filling the entryway, stupid grins on their faces. Had they all been in on this?

“See, I knew you wouldn’t marry me unless you had all your family here,” he walked towards her, so much love shining in his eyes that it made her heart ache. “So I pulled a few strings with the help of Roman Walsh and Homeland and brought those in Cuba for a visit.”

He had done all of this for her? The overbearing, lovable hunk of a man had better be careful or everyone was going to know The Beast had a soft side. “So, you think I’ll marry you now, do you?”

“I don’t think it.” A sexy grin curved his lips, the one that did funny things to her insides and made her girlie parts go into meltdown. “I know it.” He grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. “Celina Davenport, will you do me the honor of marrying me, tonight, in front of all our friends and family?”

“Yes.” She said it without hesitation or a trace of fear. She had loved him from the moment they first met a lifetime ago, had browbeat him into admitting his feelings for her, and had fought tooth and nail to stay by his side. She wanted to spend every waking moment looking into his handsome face, and fall asleep wrapped in the safety of his arms every night. There was nothing she wanted more. “Yes, yes I’ll marry you right now.”

A cheer went up as Cooper pulled her into a kiss that said there was a lot more where that came from.

“But wait.” Breathless, Celina drew back to find his face. “Who’s going to perform a ceremony this late at night?”

“What are best friends for?” Ronni strode forward, no longer in her elf costume but a beautiful flowing emerald dress. “You’re looking at a newly ordained wedding officiant, fully capable of performing your ceremony. I say we get this shindig started.”

The taskforce filed in, taking off their coats and shaking hands with her family, and Celina received another round of hugs.

Celina looked at Cooper’s clothes, then at her own. He was still wearing what was left of his Santa outfit while she wore her bedraggled elf costume. Not exactly what she pictured when she thought of her wedding day, but she realized it really didn’t matter. Her clothes didn’t matter. She was going to marry the man she loved.

“If you want to change,” Cooper murmured in her ear, “Ronni and Sophie brought a white dress for you and a tux for me. They’re laid out in our bedroom.”

“Really?” Celina thought about The Beast in a tux—damn, wouldn’t that be a fantasy come true? “I would love to be traditional, but seriously, when have we have ever done anything the normal way?”

He kissed her forehead. “We can always play dress-up later.”

“You’re on.”

A wail sounded from Via, who was being passed around between her family members and receiving lots of kisses and hugs. Celina laughed, going to retrieve her daughter.

“Princess Via can be your maid of honor,” her mother suggested.

Celina’s eyes widened, falling on her aunt. “And Aunt Charo can be my matron of honor.”

Tears sparkled in her aunt’s eyes. She pressed a kiss to Celina’s cheek. “I would be honored.”

With Owen and Thomas as Cooper’s best men, and Aunt Charo holding Novia, they all stepped onto the back patio where twinkle lights had been strung. The romantic transformation was breathtaking, white lights sparkling overhead and around the pool area. An arbor had been placed in the center of the yard, more lights outlining it. It was absolutely gorgeous.

“I can’t believe you did this.” Celina was touched, she truly was. She only wished Cooper’s parents were still alive to be there too. In her heart, she knew they were in spirit.

“We had a little help,” Aunt Charo said, gesturing towards a couple off to the side; Bobby and his Eliza. Of course Cooper’s old partner would have a hand in all of this. Bobby kicked his electric wheelchair into gear and Eliza looked like the cat that ate the canary, laughing as Celina hugged them both. She was so choked up with gratitude she could barely speak.

“All right, everyone take a seat and we’ll get started.” One of Celina’s eldest cousins, Alberto, began leading the crowd of people towards the arbor. Ronni stood beneath it, a grin splitting her face. Cooper, Owen, and Thomas took their places, and Aunt Charo, holding Novia, did the same.

Silence filled the air, then the gentle strings of a violin began the wedding march. Overwhelmed with joy, Celina walked down the aisle, her gaze locked solely on Cooper’s as she moved towards the man she loved. The last strands of the violin faded into the night as Celina stopped in front of him, heart in her throat. With a smile, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, turning them towards a beaming Ronni.

“Folks, we’re gathered here tonight to unite these two in marriage, because let’s face it, they should have done it a long time ago.”

A chuckle rose up in the crowd.

“Seriously though, I can’t imagine a couple more in love than these two,” Ronni continued. “They’ve endured so much, yet through it all their bond has only grown stronger. I’m truly honored to be the one who gets to unite them forever.”

She paused to clear her throat, and Celina smiled. It was a rarity when Ronni Punto got choked up. The tough ass agent wasn’t prone to tears unless she was causing them.

She cleared her throat again and set her tough gaze on Cooper. “Cooper, do you take Celina to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, until this day forward so long as you both shall live?”

Cooper didn’t even hesitate. “Absolutely.”

“Yeah, you’d better say that.” Another laugh from the crowd and Ronni grinned, turning to Celina. “Celina, do you take Cooper to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, until this day forward so long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Celina answered, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.

“Do you have the rings?” Ronni asked Cooper.

Cooper turned to Thomas who withdrew two shiny objects from his jacket pocket, handing them over.

The diamond wedding band matched the engagement ring Cooper had given her the previous fall. Cooper held it over her ring finger, waiting for Ronni to continue.

“Repeat after me,” Ronni instructed. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

“As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you.”

Cooper repeated the words, his voice growing husky with emotion.

Ronni’s voice grew heavier with emotion as well, as she fed him the next line. “I choose you to be my wife, this day and forevermore.”

“I choose you to be my wife, Celina, this day now and forevermore.” Cooper’s eyes locked on to Celina’s as he slid the ring into place.

“Close enough,” Ronni remarked dryly. “All right, Celina’s turn.”

Cooper handed her a solid silver band and she repeated the same vows, sliding the ring into place.

“By all that is vested in me by the great pastors who ordained me online, I now pronounce you husband and wife. The Beast may kiss his Beauty.”

Overjoyed with happiness, Celina threw her arms around his neck as his mouth captured hers, and she poured every ounce of love she had into that one kiss. By the time they pulled apart they were both breathless.

“God, I love you,” Cooper ran his knuckles over her jaw, staring at her reverently as if he couldn’t believe they had finally done it. “Mrs. Harris.”

Mrs. Harris. She would never grow tired of hearing that. “I love you too, Mr. Harris.”

Cheers and clapping sounded all around them.

“Celina, there are babies here who have not yet been blessed. Perhaps your friend could perform one tonight?” Aunt Charo suggested as she handed Novia into Cooper’s outstretched hands.

“That’s a great idea, Aunt Charo.” Celina nodded excitedly, motioning for Emma, Mitch, and Jett to come up. “If Ronni doesn’t mind, that is?”

Ronni slowly nodded, her cell phone in hand. “I got this. Just a second,” she murmured, scrolling. “Yes! We can do that.”

They rearranged the arbor to fit Celina, Cooper, and Princess Via on one side, and Mitch, Emma, and Jett on the other. Aunt Charo took Owen and they disappeared inside.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Ronni said in her loudest voice to get everyone’s attention. The group settled. “Tonight we’re also going to bless babies Novia and Jett in baptism.”

Aunt Charo and Owen returned, Aunt Charo carrying two small bowls of water. She handed one to Owen, saying gently, “It is your job to protect Novia, Owen. Make certain you always lead by example and keep her safe.”

The young boy nodded, holding the bowl tightly in his little hands.

Ronni held her phone up so she would be able to read from the screen. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here not only to celebrate the union of Celina and Cooper, but to christen and baptize Novia Harris and Jett Holden.”

She motioned Owen forward, dipping her fingers in the water. “Lord, sanctify this water, and grant that this child may receive the fullness of thy grace.” Ronni then placed her hand over Novia’s head, sprinkling a few drops on her. “I baptize Novia Harris in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

While Ronni moved on to Jett, Celina noticed Aunt Charo dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. Her heart swelled. She was so thankful her family was here, which wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing man standing next to her.

Celina found Cooper’s gaze over the top of Novia’s head and she mouthed, “I love you,” blowing him a kiss. He smiled, mouthing back, “I love you too,” waggling his eyebrows. She swallowed a laugh, not wanting to interrupt Jett’s baptismal moment.

“And now I pronounce you…uh, baptized babies?” Ronni guessed, and everyone laughed.

“I’ll drink to that.” Nelson lifted a wine flute and the party guests moved indoors for drinks. Bottles of wine, juice, and sparkling water had been laid out in the kitchen on the breakfast bar with an assortment of cakes and cookies.

Cooper and Celina were given a special cake that Thomas had nabbed just before the bakery closed. Holding the knife, they cut it and gave each other a taste, sealing the sample with a few heated, sugary kisses that sent everyone away.

Celina noted Sophie sitting near the bar, a glass of sparkling water in her wine flute. She hadn’t had a chance to get to talk with her much, and she was making her way over to her when Nelson stepped forward, tapping a knife on the side of his own to get everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, Sophie and I have an announcement to make.” He paused, flashing Sophie an adoring look. “This time next year we’ll have two additions to our group.”

Confusion crossed the faces all around.

“What?”

“Are you kidding?”

“What are you talking about, Nels?”

The comments came in a flood.

Sophie shook her head, seemingly exasperated with Nelson.

He bounced on the balls of his feet, his smile a mile wide. “Sophie and I are expecting. We just had the ultrasound yesterday. It’s twins. Our due date is in June. And by then…our adoption of Lexie should be complete too.”

There was shocked silence, than a burst of cheers as more hugs were passed around. Alexa Morales, the blind sister of a cartel leader who had bonded to Sophie strongly during an undercover operation, had been living with an aunt. Sophie, however, had been on a quest for the past year plus to adopt the girl, because she, too, wanted Lexie to be part of her and Nels’ family. Nels had been by Sophie’s side every step of the way, and Celina chuckled at the fact that the FBI agent—Miss I Work Alone—was about to find herself in charge of three children.

“Jeez, remind me not to drink the water around here,” Olivia joked, and everyone laughed. Even Victor, standing next to her, cracked a smile.

With her arm wrapped around Cooper’s waist, Celina stood back to soak in the happiness as everyone took turns congratulating Sophie and Nelson. The expectant parents beamed.

A little while later, Celina noticed Ronni and Thomas were necking down the hallway, Emma and Mitch were snuggling with baby Jett in the living room, and Victor and Olivia were looking at one another at the breakfast bar like they wished they could be alone. Celina had a feeling about those two and looked forward to seeing what happened between them.

With so many celebrations in one night, Celina couldn’t even remember a time when she felt so completely happy and at peace. Even Princess Via was being loved on by Aunt Charo and all the cousins, the lullabies coming from the other room sending Celina back to her own happy childhood. She loved this, loved all of them. If only she could bottle this night up and replay it forever.

“Come with me.” Cooper’s lips brushed the lobe of her ear, sending delighted shivers over her skin. Slipping her hand into his, she followed him out the back door and to the patio.

“I love you so much, Celina.” His arms slipped around her waist, and he nuzzled her head as he drew her into the circle of his arms. “Are you happy?”

“I love you too,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his strong jaw, “and I think it’s safe to say I’m deliriously so.”

“Good, because I asked your aunt and cousins to stay with us while they’re visiting.”

Celina drew back, eyes going wide. “You…really?”

He nodded, chuckling softly. “I know how much they mean to you, and I don’t want you to miss a minute of their time here, so Bobby canceled their hotel reservation and their luggage will be delivered in the morning. We can push back all the living room furniture and make beds on the floor, and Owen even gave up his room so your Aunt can…”

Celina cut off the rest of what he was about to say by silencing him with a kiss. He growled against her mouth, lifting her against him, then swinging them around and pressing her against the side of the house. Her legs wrapped around his hips as his large hands roved beneath her elf skirt, finding the edge of her tights and slipping beneath them. He groaned, and she smiled against his mouth.

“You’ve been pantyless all fucking night? Good God, you slay me, woman.” He suckled her lips, his tongue tracing the seam.

“Speaking of ‘sleighs,’” Celina purred in between hot kisses, “I do believe Santa promised to come visit me tonight, though I already feel like I’ve gotten so many presents already, and Christmas is still two days away.”

Cooper traced his fingertips over her face, as if committing every detail to memory. Celina sighed, leaning into his touch. This man, and their life together, she would never get enough of it, of him. And she couldn’t imagine any place she’d rather be than right here, right now.

“Don’t worry, wife,” he said with a wink. “Santa has plenty more presents to put in your stocking. Just you wait and see.”

About the Authors

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Misty Evans has published over forty-three novels and writes romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. She got her start in 4th grade when she won second place in a school writing contest with an essay about her dad. Since then, she’s written nonfiction magazine articles, started her own coaching business, become a yoga teacher, and raised twin boys on top of enjoying her fiction career.

When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, movies, and hanging out with her husband, twin sons, and two spoiled puppies. A registered yoga teacher, she shares her love of chakra yoga and energy healing, but still hasn’t mastered levitating.

Get your free Super Agent story and sign up for her newsletter at www.readmistyevans.com. Like her author page on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Bloggers and reviewers, if you’d like to join Misty’s Rockin’ Readers review group, send her a message at misty@readmistyevans.com and she’ll hook you up!

Amy Manemann is an International Best Selling Author. She writes sexy and intriguing romantic suspense, young adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and dabbles in children’s books. She resides in her hometown along the Mississippi river with her husband and their two children. When she isn’t plotting her next book, Amy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and diving into a good book.

You can connect with Amy at www.amymanemann.com.

Romantic Suspense and Mysteries

by Misty Evans

The Super Agent Series

Operation Sheba

Operation Paris

Operation Proof of Life

The Blood Code

The Perfect Hostage, A Super Agent Novella

The SCVC Taskforce Series

Deadly Pursuit

Deadly Deception

Deadly Force

Deadly Intent

Deadly Affair, A SCVC Taskforce novella

Deadly Attraction

Deadly Secrets

Deadly Holiday, A SCVC Taskforce novella

The Justice Team Series (with Adrienne Giordano)

Stealing Justice

Cheating Justice

Holiday Justice

Exposing Justice

Undercover Justice

Protecting Justice

Missing Justice

Shadow Force International Series

Fatal Truth

Fatal Honor

Fatal Courage

Fatal Love

Fatal Vision

Fatal Thrill (January 2018)

The Secret Ingredient Culinary Mystery Series

The Secret Ingredient, A Culinary Romantic Mystery with Bonus Recipes

The Secret Life of Cranberry Sauce, A Secret Ingredient Holiday Novella

Read more from

Amy Manemann!

Taci Andrews Mysteries (Cozy Mysteries)

Deadly Reunion

Deadly Science

Deadly Politics

SCVC Taskforce Novellas (Romantic Suspense)

Deadly Affair

Deadly Holiday

Secret Agent Series (Romantic Suspense)

Don’t Know Jack

Lightkeeper Series (YA Paranormal Romance):

Into the Light

Through the Darkness

The Hartley’s (Contemporary Romance)

Love on the Slopes

Saddle Creek Sisters (Contemporary Romance)

Going All In

The Remingtons: Kindle World Novellas (Contemporary Romance)

Pulled by Love

Pitching for Love

Catching up with Love

Illustrated Children’s Book

Dracula’s Party