Love Under Two Navy Seals (33 page)

BOOK: Love Under Two Navy Seals

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“What is it? What’s happened?”

Adam went over to her and took her hands in his. He looked at her, and when she met his gaze, he said, “You know that you’re safe here, don’t you? That Jake and I will do anything and everything in the world to keep you safe?”

“Adam, you’re scaring me.”

Adam looked over at Jake, who came to stand next to them. Morgan and Henry, as well as Jordan and Peter took a few steps closer to her, too. They might not know what was going on—none of them did—but the Kendall brothers looked as if they intended to champion Ginny Rose against the devil himself.

“I’m sorry for it, Ginny,” Adam said. “More sorry than I have words to say. But you need to know what’s happened.”

“I need to know what?”

Adam brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. Then he lowered them, but held on to her.

“Deke Walters escaped custody about a half hour ago.”

“
What
?”

Julia had no idea who Deke Walters was, but she didn’t need to. Ginny Rose had turned sheet white, and a look of terror twisted her mouth into a frightened “O.”

Walters must be really bad news
.

“Oh my God! How could this happen? Where…where did this happen?”

“We don’t have all the details yet. He was in Abilene when he got away from the police.”

“He’ll come here. Adam, you know he’ll come here. He threatened to kill Benny, to kill me, when you charged him.”

“I know, baby. But he’s not going to do that. We’re not going to let him do that. We’re going to do everything we can to keep you both safe. Do you trust us? Do you trust Jake and me?”

“Yes. Yes, of course I trust you.”

Julia reached for the hands of her men, feeling just that much better when each of them laced their fingers with hers.

She let her gaze roam the room and saw that every man present, Benedict and Kendall and Jessop alike, was of one accord. Every single one of them would do whatever it took to keep Ginny and her son safe. They’d truly become a part of Lusty, and Lusty took care of her own.

Then Julia looked at the women and knew something else, as well. They, too, would stand with the young waitress, and keep her safe. She
was
one of them.

But they saw more when they looked at Ginny Rose, when they looked into her eyes and read the fear mixed with determination that had descended upon her like a cloak.

They saw her faith, most certainly, but they also saw and recognized the soul-deep knowledge that sometimes, faith and trust and standing tall simply wasn’t enough.

THE END

WWW.MORGANASHBURY.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Morgan Ashbury writing as Cara Covington

Morgan has been a writer since she was first able to pick up a pen. In the beginning it was a hobby, a way to create a world of her own, and who could resist the allure of that? Then as she grew and matured, life got in the way, as life often does. She got married and had three children, and worked in the field of accounting, for that was the practical thing to do and the children did need to be fed. And all the time she was being practical, she would squirrel herself away on quiet Sunday afternoons, and write.

Most children are raised knowing the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. Morgan’s children also learned the Paper Rule: thou shalt not throw out any paper that has thy mother’s words upon it.

Believing in tradition, Morgan ensured that her children’s children learned this rule, too.

Life threw Morgan a curve when, in 2002, she underwent emergency triple bypass surgery. Second chances are to be cherished, and with the encouragement and support of her husband, Morgan decided to use hers to do what she’d always dreamed of doing: writing full time.

Morgan has always loved writing romance. It is the one genre that can incorporate every other genre within its pulsating heart. Romance showcases all that humankind can aspire to be. And, she admits, she’s a sucker for a happy ending.

Morgan’s favorite hobbies are reading, cooking, and traveling—though she would rather you didn’t mention that last one to her husband. She has too much fun teasing him about having become a “Traveling Fool” of late.

Morgan lives in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a mysterious cat, a dog that has no dignity, and her husband of thirty-nine years, David.

Also by Cara Covington