Rory’s Rose

  RORY’S ROSE

  Heroes for Hire, Book 12

  Dale Mayer

  Books in This Series:

  Levi’s Legend: Heroes for Hire, Book 1

  Stone’s Surrender: Heroes for Hire, Book 2

  Merk’s Mistake: Heroes for Hire, Book 3

  Rhodes’s Reward: Heroes for Hire, Book 4

  Flynn’s Firecracker: Heroes for Hire, Book 5

  Logan’s Light: Heroes for Hire, Book 6

  Harrison’s Heart: Heroes for Hire, Book 7

  Saul’s Sweetheart: Heroes for Hire, Book 8

  Dakota’s Delight: Heroes for Hire, Book 9

  Tyson’s Treasure: Heroes for Hire, Book 10

  Jace’s Jewel: Heroes for Hire, Book 11

  Rory’s Rose: Heroes for Hire, Book 12

  Brandon’s Bliss: Heroes for Hire, Book 13

  Heroes for Hire, Books 1–3

  Heroes for Hire, Books 4–6

  Heroes for Hire, Books 7–9

  Books in the SEALs of Honor Series:

  Mason: SEALs of Honor, Book 1

  Hawk: SEALs of Honor, Book 2

  Dane: SEALs of Honor, Book 3

  Swede: SEALs of Honor, Book 4

  Shadow: SEALs of Honor, Book 5

  Cooper: SEALs of Honor, Book 6

  Markus: SEALs of Honor, Book 7

  Evan: SEALs of Honor, Book 8

  Mason’s Wish: SEALs of Honor, Book 9

  Chase: SEALs of Honor, Book 10

  Brett: SEALs of Honor, Book 11

  Devlin: SEALs of Honor, Book 12

  Easton: SEALs of Honor, Book 13

  Ryder: SEALs of Honor, Book 14

  Macklin: SEALs of Honor, Book 15

  Corey: SEALs of Honor, Book 16

  Warrick: SEALs of Honor, Book 17

  SEALs of Honor, Books 1–3

  SEALs of Honor, Books 4–6

  SEALs of Honor, Books 7–10

  SEALs of Honor, Books 11–13

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  About the Book

  Complimentary Download

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Complimentary Download

  About the Author

  Also by Dale Mayer

  Copyright Page

  Back Cover

  Reconnect with unforgettable secondary characters from SEALs of Honor in a brand-new spin-off series. Previously Levi and his team were caught unaware by a cartel in Mexico and suffered the consequences of betrayal. That event drove Levi to establish his own company, Legendary Securities, on property inherited from a reclusive uncle. In the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he employs former SEALs he trusts implicitly to work with him on dangerous, covert private missions.

  Book 12: Rory’s Rose

  Rory is an animal lover. In his mind, any veterinarian who does as much pro bono work as Louise, the local vet, deserves his help when she gets into trouble…

  Louise works long hours at her own veterinarian clinic. When she receives an unexpected delivery one day, complete with a dead deliveryman, a domino-series of events puts her and her clinic full of precious animals in danger.

  Rory is the first to volunteer to keep her safe. Professional reasons quickly become personal. Louise is everything he’s ever wanted and never expected to find in a single woman. He’s looking forward to a future together, and the only way to ensure that is to stop whatever’s endangering her and her animals.

  Unfortunately, the killer isn’t leaving a witness to his crimes. At first, Rory and the team at Legendary Securities make headway in discovering what’s going on, but the tables turn in an instant and, for the first time since he joined the team, Rory’s vision of a satisfactory resolution—and happily-ever-after—may not be in the cards.

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  KILL OR BE KILLED

  Part of an elite SEAL team, Mason takes on the dangerous jobs no one else wants to do – or can do. When he’s on a mission, he’s focused and dedicated. When he’s not, he plays as hard as he fights.

  Until he meets a woman he can’t have but can’t forget. Software developer, Tesla lost her brother in combat and has no intention of getting close to someone else in the military. Determined to save other US soldiers from a similar fate, she’s created a program that could save lives. But other countries know about the program, and they won’t stop until they get it – and get her.

  Time is running out … For her … For him … For them …

  DOWNLOAD a complimentary copy of MASON? Just tell me where to send it!

  Prologue

  As he drove toward the property, Rory Bellamy knew he should have told Jace and Tyson outright he wasn’t interested. Nothing about the look of the massive cement compound, rising in the darkness of night before him, could make him feel this was his place, not even temporarily.

  It wasn’t the most welcoming sight he’d ever seen. Nothing like the family ranch.

  But was that important at this stage of his life? Besides, it wasn’t like he wanted a ranch for himself. So that whole scenario—while great to step back into his roots a bit to help out—wasn’t his future.

  Hell yeah, like the other men in his unit, he’d been lost this last year. Maybe more lost than they’d been. Michael had his own place where he’d holed up, and Jace had come to the ranch to help Rory’s family for a few months. Rory greatly appreciated it, considering he had kept the family ranch afloat while his brother recovered from a bad tractor accident.

  Rory would have gone to the ranch sooner if he’d known he was needed. But, damn it, how was he supposed to know if no one said anything? He didn’t live in Texas anymore. He’d stuck to California, even after leaving the military. Mostly because he didn’t know where else to go. Having a reason to come home made it seem less like an excuse and more like a purpose.

  How could he tell his father and brother how lost he’d been? That he wanted—no—needed to return to his roots? That line of conversation would bring up a mess of questions he had no intention of answering.

  Thankfully his father had called and told him what happened. Rory had flown home immediately to help until Dennis was back on his feet. Rory had intended to be there for only a few months but had ended up staying almost nine. He’d enjoyed those months, and then it was time to go.

  His brother was strong enough to take over again. The ranch had the boss back, and Rory was an unpaid ranch hand, getting in the way and struggling to let go of the reins and to return control to Dennis.

  After one particular argument, he realized the problem was him. This wasn’t his place. He was always welcome to visit, but it wasn’t his home.

  He didn’t have one.

  The sense of being lost returned in a vicious wave.

  He turned off the engine and stepped from his battered pickup truck. He tilted his beat-up cowboy hat off his forehead and looked at the imposing structure. The longer he looked at it, the better he felt. It was massive, ugly and cold-looking, but it had timelessness to it. It was solid. It had been built to withstand the world, the elements, time and anything Mother Nature could throw at it. It no longer looked ugly as much as it looked immovable. A certain comfort existed in that.

  But he had to remember it wasn’t his home either. Michael m
ight have bought the property bordering it, but that was Michael. Not Rory. Michael had put down roots.

  Rory was afraid he didn’t have any to put down.

  A nearby door opened suddenly, and he could see shadows as several people walked out. A security lamp turned on, highlighting the men standing in front of him.

  Jace, Tyson, Michael. Easy men to identify. So many more stood beside them. And women …

  Suddenly shy, he tipped his hat and in a husky drawl said, “Good evening.”

  “About time you got here,” Jace said, stepping forward to slap him on the shoulder. “I was hoping you’d make it. How’s Dennis doing?”

  “He’s back on top, so I figured maybe you guys could use a hand.” Rory stepped forward, only now seeing Ice and Levi.

  Ice’s face lit up. “Rory?” She raced toward him and threw her arms around him. “I’m so happy to see you. Levi told me that he’d offered you a job, but he didn’t say you’d accepted.”

  “I didn’t. I just arrived,” he apologized and dropped his arms from Ice, smiling at her. Ice had adopted him into her friend group a long time ago. He studied her face. “This suits you.”

  She beamed. “It does indeed.” Her gaze was intense, searching, and she wouldn’t let him evade her focus. Ever since she’d heloed in and picked him up, badly injured from a mission gone wrong, she’d kept an eye on him. She’d dragged him out for a few beers with her friends time and time again.

  Levi stepped forward and shook Rory’s hand with a grin on his face. “About time you got here.”

  Some of Rory’s initial uneasiness dropped away.

  Ice turned to look at Levi. “You didn’t tell me he was coming.”

  “I didn’t know when he’d get here. I just told him the door was always open. I figured he’d find his way eventually.”

  Ice’s smile was so damn beautiful as she stared at Levi that Rory suddenly wished someone was in his life who looked at him the same way. But he needed to get his own shit together first.

  Levi swung his arm toward the doorway. “You’ve got a lot of friends here. Welcome home.”

  The wording stopped Rory for a long moment. How did Levi realize exactly what Rory was missing? A sense of home and someone in it to share his life with.

  Then a series of odd yips filled the air. He glanced down to see a fat puppy barely walking with several siblings behind it, all waddling toward the group.

  “Sorry,” a tall brunette woman said. “They’ve had their bottle, and now they need to go to the bathroom, so I brought them outside. I didn’t realize you were all out here.”

  “No problem. Louise, come meet Rory, the newest member of the team,” Ice said.

  Rory squatted down as one of the puppies struggled to make it to him, its nose quickly pushing into Rory’s hand. He chuckled and scooped up the pudge. “What’s this guy’s name?”

  “We’re trying to come up with some,” Levi said. “These guys are from Anna and Flynn’s place. The mother has no milk, and Anna needed help feeding them, so we’re fostering them until Anna can find homes.”

  Louise laughed. “Good luck with that.” She smiled at Rory and reached out to shake his hand. “I’m a vet. I came to check out these little guys.” She walked to her car as she said, “I can see they are all well looked after. I’ll come back in a few days.”

  Rory, his arms full of adorableness, watched her drive away. When he turned to the others, he found a speculative look on Ice’s face. He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”

  Jace snorted and said, “Don’t worry about it. Give in now. It’ll happen no matter what you do, so surrender to it from the start. It’s easier that way.”

  Rory stared at him in confusion.

  Levi grinned. “Come on inside. Looks like you’ll fit right in.”

  Chapter 1

  Weeks later Rory walked back into the compound, surprised at how easily he had fit in. He had a duffel bag over his shoulder and a second travel bag in his hand, his trusty hat perched on his head. He’d been looking forward to getting back since he left. Some jobs were like that. And it had taken way less time than he’d expected to look at the compound as his place. Everyone had been open, friendly. Accepting. After an initial few days of wandering the compound, he’d been put to work with a vengeance. And he’d loved every minute of it.

  He’d been part of a dozen jobs since he’d arrived. He loved the diversity, the change of pace, and, most of all, he loved being busy. It had helped put his time on the ranch in perspective.

  Somehow in the last few weeks he’d found another calling, showing him once again the adaptability of the human spirit. Thankfully …

  Still, he looked forward to walking inside and seeing the puppies. One in particular. That dratted puppy had found the hole in his heart and had filled it with her saggy jowls and her face washes with her huge tongue and her loving acceptance. He’d named her Rose without realizing it.

  She was just too incredibly sweet to be believed. She still slept with her mom, and, so far, Alfred, Levi and Ice had managed to keep the puppies on the main floor and not up in the bedrooms on the second and third floors. But he wondered how long it would be before that changed.

  They were trying to avoid having all six adopted away from the compound. Anna, who ran the rescue center around the corner and had brought the puppies here, had been by a couple times, and Rory had had a chance to meet her. So many people were in this compound—it was not only a family, it was an extended family. He likened this group to the big Italian and Greek families. Except all the members of this family were relatively the same age, which made it a unique experience.

  They could set up their own baseball team or soccer team or football team. Considering a recreational spot in the backyard had been mapped out as part of the new development, Rory wondered if they should form a water polo team. He loved water sports himself. Ice and Levi were putting in tennis courts and a swimming pool, plus a hot tub and a field for a good scrimmage. He laughed at the term. Maybe it had more to do with the thought of taking Rose out there. He had to stop thinking in terms of her being here permanently.

  He knew she would be adopted. She was too adorable not to be. He walked into the kitchen area and smiled. Alfred caught sight of him just as he set a big platter of muffins on the table. With a scolding finger, Alfred said, “Don’t touch.”

  “Oh, you’re a cruel man, Alfred,” Rory said with a smile. He glanced around. “If nobody needs me right now, I’ll head upstairs and grab a shower.”

  “Good idea. Coffee and muffins in thirty minutes.”

  “I’ll be back.” He walked through the kitchen to the big hallway leading to the elevator but stopped and turned to look at Alfred. “How are the puppies?”

  Alfred’s face beamed. “They’re doing great. And, yes, Rose is wonderful.”

  “I’m sure she is,” he said with a smile. “I know I shouldn’t get too attached, but it’s pretty hard not to.”

  Alfred nodded. “I’m feeling that way myself.”

  “Any word from Anna as to their futures?”

  “Not yet. But she’s done pretty well adopting out most of the animals that come through her place.”

  “I know. Sadly, I know.”

  Refusing to look in on them yet, Rory picked up his bags and headed to his room. Once there he stripped down to his skin and stepped into a hot shower. By the time he was cleaned, shampooed, shaven and dressed again, he’d used up all of his thirty minutes before breakfast. He looked at his dirty laundry and shrugged. It would wait until later. He stepped outside his room and saw several women who lived in the place walking down the hall. They stopped and smiled at him.

  “Are you back in Houston for now?” Sienna asked.

  He nodded. “I think so.”

  “Have you seen the puppies since you got back?” Katrina asked.

  “Not yet. I’m just about to head there,” he admitted with a sideways grin. “It’ll be hard to let them—Rose in p
articular—go.”

  “I know. We’re working on Ice and Levi to let us keep two.”

  “Like anybody can agree which two,” he scoffed. Inside, he had to admit it was a hell of a good idea—as long as Rose was one of them. “If you convince Alfred that he needs them, you know they would give in then. He’s the one who looks after them the most anyway.”

  “Not to mention they’d be good company for him.”

  “Right, like he’s alone at any point,” Merk said, joining them. He smacked Rory on the shoulder. “You’re getting all the easy jobs lately.”

  “I am,” Rory said. “Not a bad way to get my feet wet though, I suppose.”

  “This is small stuff,” Sienna said. “He’ll get hit with some of the tougher ones. I know a lot of different jobs are coming across our desk right now. Not exactly sure what’s happening, but I suspect people will be leaving today or tomorrow.”

  Merk looked at her with interest. “Anything I might want to snag?”

  “It’s not like you get your choice,” she said gently.

  Merk just gave her that grin. Rory knew Merk did get his choice. That was the benefit of having been here since the beginning. Merk, Stone, Rhodes and Levi. They were Legendary Security. By now Levi and Ice had to have at least sixteen to eighteen men working for them. Every one of them had a life partner—except Rory. That really sucked. But, if his partner could be little fluffy Rose, he’d be good.

  Instead of taking the elevator, they all walked down the big wide staircase and arrived on the main floor together as a boisterous happy group. That was what Rory liked. As they all walked into the dining room, the puppies came out from the kitchen. Instantly they were picked up and cuddled. Their little yelps filled the room.

  Levi walked in, straight to the coffeepot, poured himself a cup before looking at Rory. “It was a really bad idea to foster these guys, wasn’t it?” he asked.

  Sienna chuckled. “Not necessarily. Everybody needs love.”