Her Vigilant Seal (30 page)

She waited another moment then said, "Get a grip, Skye," and slowly reached out and touched him. He was huge, perhaps almost seven feet tall. Short black hair covered his head but the hair on the sides was cut shorter, revealing an intricate tattoo. She ran her finger down several of the lines then traced over the black swirls and other shapes between them before turning his head back toward her. Smears of blood covered his face and coated dark brows that curved above closed eyes outlined with thick, straight lashes. His mouth was beautiful with a full lower lip and a sharply sculpted upper lip. High cheekbones and a firm, stubborn looking chin led to a strong muscled neck.

He was dressed in an open black vest that left his massive, muscled arms and chest bare except for the blood that covered him. Wide gold and platinum armbands with bright red gems circled his upper arms. Black leather pants covered his legs and black boots protected his feet. A jeweled object stuck up behind his head and was probably the cause of some of his head trauma. She gently rolled his head to the side. It was beautiful, expensive and definitely the weapon of a warrior.

She'd just decided to lower the door and let his ship be his tomb when he shivered. A small cry of surprise left her lips before she could stop it. Eagerly she moved closer and examined him, identifying multiple broken bones and deep cuts over the parts of his body she could see. Dark red blood flowed from several long gashes on his chest and temple. She removed her gloves, laid her hands on his cheeks and felt his life force slipping away.

(Look for this in late August 2015)

ZARRONIAN WARRIORS series:

Valan's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors 1)

Thorn's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors 2)

Soren's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors 3)

(Zarronian Warriors 4) coming soon

THE DOMS OF CLUB MYSTIQUE series:

To Love and Obey

Jackson's Sub

Their Temporary Sub

Zane's Choice

Nate's Naughty Nymph

The Ramsey Doms

Find Mardi at:

www.MardiMaxwell.com

www.facebook.com/MardiMaxwellRomance

www.twitter.com/MardiMaxwellRom

http://www.mardismentionables.blogspot.com/

Chapter One

“Tornado on the ground in Mobile, Alabama.”

The words came out of Lauren’s mouth in a near monotone cadence. She’d been through this so many times that she no longer had an emotional reaction to emergency situations. She just accepted them and handled them. It made being an emergency management coordinator the perfect job for her.

“Contacting recovery out of Montgomery. We’ll have supplies readied and volunteers rolling by twenty-three hundred,” Jesse Kravitz responded just as calmly, his fingers flying over the keyboard in front of him.

“Verify with authorities where they’re positioning the command center before sending directions this time, Jesse,” she said gently, giving him a pointed look.

He flushed under the reprimand. “Yes ma’am.”

Just a week ago, their volunteers had been delayed in providing necessary help to the victims of a tornado emergency when Jesse sent them in the wrong direction. She’d quickly corrected the error, but the delay was a blight on the young man’s record. It was her job to ensure people got the help they needed, and the only way she could do that was if her employees were as efficient as she was. She liked Jesse as a person, and they’d become fast friends, but if he made another mistake like that she’d have no qualms about firing him.

In spite of their military-style manner, they weren’t owned or operated by the government. Fast-Aid was a private quick response team, fully funded by local corporations and philanthropic residents. She was the coordinator for the entire Southern region. Her base of operations was in Little Rock, Arkansas, but she managed volunteers in nine states.

When she wasn’t coordinating medical assistance and supplies, she was in her fully remodeled kitchen creating edible artwork for the handful of clients she regularly provided event catering to. Emergency management was her career, but cooking was her passion.

“Second tornado reported just outside of Montgomery. We may have to maintain the first team in stasis until we determine the extent of the need,” Jesse reported.

“Call in Birmingham unless the storms are continuing their trajectory. We’ll need Montgomery as home base most likely. I have to make a few calls to follow up on the Tulsa situation, but I’ll check in with you before I leave this evening,” she said, leaving Jesse to his work and securing herself behind her closed office door. She quickly pulled up her personal email to reread the invitation she’d received earlier in the day.

Drannon asked me to get your mailing address so that he could send you a written invitation for the wedding, but as usual, I forgot. Sorry. I promised him I’d give you the info personally since I screwed up. The wedding is on August 8 at seven. Your old room is ready and waiting for you. Let me know when you’re flying up, and one of us will meet you at the airport. Later-Hawke

Hawthorne “Hawke” Kapshaw was like a baby brother to her, but they shared no blood connections. They were both taken in by Abe and Sera Crawley as children, him as a foster son, and her as a stray. For whatever reason, they’d connected and become lifelong friends. She left North Dakota behind eighteen years ago as a young, naïve girl with a broken heart and a streak of stubborn determination a mile wide. She had no idea what path her life would take. She only knew that she had to escape the memories of her shitty mother’s fists, and put distance between her and the man who broke her heart.

An image of Vin filled her head, and she sucked in a deep breath, willing it away. She didn’t have time for reminiscing. Her fingers dashed across the keys, and she clicked send before she could reconsider. It was a big risk going back again, but she knew Drannon would be happy to see her. Perhaps, this time, she’d get the closure she needed.

Closing her email, she picked up the phone and called the Tulsa team, pushing all thoughts of Vincent Rhone and Crawley Creek Ranch out of her brain and focusing on her job.

****

Vin figured out he was screwed the moment Lacy started chattering about lilac-colored ties and flowers. He’d agreed to be Drannon’s best man because he loved the guy as if they were blood brothers, but that didn’t mean he wanted to make a fool out of himself.

“You look great, Vin!” Lacy gushed, hurrying across the store to adjust the purple vest and tie under his dark grey suit.

“You’re not seriously going to make me wear purple, are you?” he groaned. This was the last thing on his wish list for a Saturday activity.

She hesitated, and then patted his shoulder. “I just wanted to get a look at the suit with the lilac under it. I haven’t really decided. Drannon’s insisting on the cream color—”

The door beside them popped open and her fiancé, Drannon Russo, appeared wearing an identical charcoal colored suit, but underneath, he wore a vanilla ice cream colored satin vest. “Damn right. I told you I’m not wearing the purple one.”

“Oh, the cream looks lovely, too,” Lacy said, moving to her fiancé’s side and adjusting his tie as well. Unlike when she patted Vin, Lacy made more of an effort to caress her man’s chest through his clothes. “I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. It’s just clothes.”

“Exactly. It’s just clothes. So why do they have to be purple?” Vin grumbled.

“Lilac,” she corrected. “And the idea is for the groom and his best man to complement the bride and her maid of honor.”

“You don’t have a maid of honor,” Drannon said with a frown.

“Yes I do. I asked Franki to stand in for me. She was really touched by it because she won’t have the chance to stand with Vivienne now, and I think it assured her of her acceptance into the family.” Lacy reached for another vest that looked almost identical to the one Drannon was already wearing and held it up against his suit. “This one might look better. I like the fleur de lis pattern on it better than the pinstripe. I wonder if it comes in lilac.”

A shopgirl who was hovering nearby jumped to bring over a book of fabric samples, and Drannon and Vin were quickly relegated to wall decoration as Lacy and the girl discussed possible combinations for the big day.

“You realize she’s going to put us in purple, right?” Vin said, shoving his brother with his shoulder.

Drannon groaned, “Fuck.”

“You know, you could still try to convince her to go to Vegas.”

Drannon shook his head, looking dejected. “Already tried. She says it’s important for the community to see that Crawley Creek Ranch is here to stay, and that there’s a new generation running it securely.”

Vin nodded in agreement. “It’ll definitely make the old timers more comfortable with our little band of misfits.”

“Come on, let’s get out of these monkey suits. I think I’m allergic to this tie.” Drannon headed back into a fitting room. Vin laughed as he went back into his own space and changed his clothes.

He didn’t mind standing up for his brother because he could see how happy Lacy made Drannon. He knew the day Lacy showed up on the ranch that there was chemistry between the two, and it didn’t take them long to connect and build an unbreakable bond.

To her credit, Lacy was a beautiful woman both inside and out. With long, red hair and gorgeous chocolate-brown eyes, she reminded Vin of their foster mother, Sera. She had a strong core of beliefs and a wicked wit. The two would have been fast friends.

As it was, Sera had passed away a few years back, followed closely by her husband, Abe. The two had created a sanctuary for foster children, and Vin always knew he’d never be able to repay them for their kindness. It still hurt to think about them, but he was slowly healing.

Vin had been their first foster child, and he’d been with them the longest out of anyone. He couldn’t even remember his biological mother or a time when he hadn’t lived at Crawley Creek. At the tender age of three, he’d been dumped off on the state because the woman who’d given him life didn’t want him. Her rejection burned in his gut every day—a wound he was sure would never heal—even though he only knew it in a figurative way.

By the time they’d changed back into their own clothes, Lacy had made her arrangements with the shop attendant, and she was handing over a card for payment. Drannon shook his head when she asked if he wanted to see the receipt, and in that moment, Vin knew for sure he’d be wearing that lilac ensemble to the wedding.

Resigned to the humiliation for one day, he said his goodbyes and got the hell out of Dodge as fast as he could. There was more wedding shopping planned for the day, but he was by no means interested in joining in. He had work to do back at the ranch. In fact, he had more work than time these days, but at least he was working with his hands, and doing what he enjoyed. Not many people could say that.

Best-selling author, Lori King, is also a full-time wife and mother of three boys. Although she rarely has time to just enjoy feminine pursuits; at heart she is a hopeless romantic. She spends her days dreaming up Alpha men, and her nights telling their stories. An admitted TV and book junkie, she can be found relaxing with a steamy story, or binging in an entire season of some show online. She gives her parents all the credit for her unique sense of humor and acceptance of all forms of love. There are no two loves alike, but you can love more than one with your whole heart.

With the motto: Live, Laugh, and Love like today is your only chance, she will continue to write as long as you continue to read. Thank you for taking the time to indulge in a good Happily Ever After with her. Find out more about her current projects at
http://lorikingbooks.com
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