“And the beets. There are so many beets.” Tag shook his head. “And the nudists. Whole lot of junk on display on the mountain, if you know what I mean.”
It was starting to come back to him. Maybe he should rethink this.
Kim’s hand found his. “Stop scaring him. We’re going to love it there. And thank you for everything.” She went on her toes and kissed him. “Let’s get our son and pick up Ezra. He only has a couple of weeks before he’s got to get back to Malta.”
He was road tripping with his wife and son and brother. It would be bliss.
He followed his wife out and into their new lives.
Epilogue
Later that afternoon
Hutch sank into the chair in front of Ian’s desk. “Hey, boss. How is the family?”
The office had been oddly hushed the last week out of respect for what the Taggarts were going through.
“We’re good,” Tag said solemnly. “I find myself walking the edge a lot of parents do. I have to find a way to keep my kids safe while not breaking everything that’s good about them. They were being loyal. They were trying to be brave. They were being stupid because they’re kids and not spies. But they were emulating me and their mom. I thought I would be more angry. I just find myself…I don’t even know. Wear a condom, man.”
He wasn’t used to contemplative Tag. “I do, boss. Every single time.”
He wasn’t even close to being ready for kids. He’d barely had a real girlfriend. He’d lived with a waitress from Top for a couple of months, but it hadn’t worked out. He wasn’t sure there was some mystical one for him out there. He’d managed to be good friends with some of the women he’d shared a bed with, but he’d never felt that spark his friends with wives talked about.
But he was about to be an actual homeowner. It was a first step in trying to move into real adulthood.
“I called you in because I want you to work on a case for me.” Tag handed over a file. “It’s probably nothing, but I got a call from an old friend and I promised him I would look into it.”
“I’m going in the field?” He almost never went in the field. He was a desk jockey. He was the computer nerd.
“Sort of,” Tag replied. “Though you won’t be going far. The client is here in Dallas. She works for a biotech firm, and she’s worried there’s some corporate espionage going on.”
He opened the folder and found a picture of a pretty woman, likely in her early to mid-twenties. She had brown hair and glasses, a ready smile on her face. She wore a white lab coat that hid her figure. But there was something odd in her hands. “Are those crutches? Did she get hurt?”
“She was in a car accident when she was a teenager,” Tag explained. “She can walk, but she typically uses a cane or braces. She’s a chemist and the daughter of a sheriff friend of mine. He’s worried about her. Says since she started working on this project some weird things have been happening. I want you to study up for the meeting tomorrow.”
He closed the folder. “Will do, boss.”
Likely it was nothing. He would look through some computers, make sure her house was secure, and then he would be right back at his desk. Right back to his life of playing video games and being everyone’s fun uncle.
It was starting to feel a little hollow. He was starting to crave responsibility.
It was weird.
He stood.
“And Hutch,” Tag began. “I’m sending someone out with you. I need you to take care of him.”
“You’re sending a bodyguard?” Sometimes he got paired with one of the guards. He could get deep into an investigation and focus so much on a screen that it was good to have someone watching his back.
“I want you to walk Kyle Hawthorne through his first time in the field.” Tag’s expression had gone distinctly serious.
Hutch stared at him for a moment. “You want me to take your brother’s stepson out in the field? Maybe you should pair him with Erin or Michael. Boomer isn’t doing anything this week.”
Kyle Hawthorne was Grace Hawthorne’s baby boy. Baby? Hell, Kyle was slightly older than Hutch and had recently gotten out of the Navy. He had a ready smile, but Hutch saw a bit of darkness in the man that made him worry. He knew all about darkness and the things it could make a man do.
“He can take care of himself.” Tag’s lips kicked up in an amused grin. “Mostly. But I do want you to look out for him.”
And if he got Kyle killed, Sean Taggart would fillet him.
Still, like Tag had said. It was probably nothing. “Sure thing.”
Famous last words. He hoped Noelle LaVigne was worth it.
He walked back out to his office and read through her file. Tomorrow he would go to work.
Hutch, Noelle, and the McKay-Taggart crew will return in Submission Impossible, coming February 16, 2021. Click here to purchase.
Author’s Note
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Submission Impossible
Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded, Book 1
By Lexi Blake
Coming February 16, 2021
Click here to purchase.
He loves the sweet life
Greg Hutchins is reluctantly adulting these days. He’s settled in his job, recently bought his first house, and has a network of friends he can call family. But there’s something missing in his life, and he can’t quite put his finger on it. When he’s assigned to a case that involves investigating a biochemical company, he meets a woman who’s sweeter than any candy. Maybe she’s just the thing to make him feel complete.
She’s ready for the future
Noelle LaVigne has faced plenty of tragedy in her life, but she’s on the right path now. Between her new job and settling into a new city, she’s got no time for dating or relationships. She’s worked hard to get where she is, and no man is going to push her off track. Except the minute Hutch crosses her path she can’t seem to think about anything but the handsome security expert. He’s there to find a corporate spy, but late-night work sessions make her think they’ve both found something much more meaningful.
A twist they never saw coming
When the case becomes dangerous, both of their futures are on the line. And when the bullets start flying, they will have to learn to trust in each other if they hope to survive.
Treasured
Masters and Mercenaries, Book 21.5
By Lexi Blake
Coming June 29, 2021
David Hawthorne has a great life. His job as a professor at a prestigious Dallas college is everything he hoped for. Now that his brother is back from the Navy, life seems to be settling down. All he needs to do is finish the book he’s working on and his tenure will be assured. When he gets invited to interview a reclusive expert, he knows he’s gotten lucky. But being the stepson of Sean Taggart comes with its drawbacks, including an overprotective mom who sends a security detail to keep him safe. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, but when Tessa Santiago shows up on his doorstep, the idea of her giving him close cover doesn’t seem so bad.
Tessa has always excelled at most anything she tried, except romance. The whole relationship thing just didn’t work out for her. She’s not looking for love, and she’s certainly not looking for it with an academic who happens to be connected to her boss’s family. The last thing she wants is to escort an overly pampered pretentious man-child around South America to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble. Still, there’s something about David that calls to her. In addition to watching his back, she will have to avoid falling into the trap of soulful eyes and a deep voice that gets her heart racing.
But when the
seemingly simple mission turns into a treacherous race for a hidden artifact, David and Tess know this assignment could cost them far more than their jobs. If they can overcome the odds, the lost treasure might not be their most valuable reward.
About Lexi Blake
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.
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Facebook: Lexi Blake
Twitter: authorlexiblake
Website: www.LexiBlake.net
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Other Books By Lexi Blake
Click to purchase
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Masters and Mercenaries
The Dom Who Loved Me
The Men With The Golden Cuffs
A Dom is Forever
On Her Master’s Secret Service
Sanctum: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Love and Let Die
Unconditional: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Dungeon Royale
Dungeon Games: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
A View to a Thrill
Cherished: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
You Only Love Twice
Luscious: Masters and Mercenaries~Topped
Adored: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Master No
Just One Taste: Masters and Mercenaries~Topped 2
From Sanctum with Love
Devoted: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Dominance Never Dies
Submission is Not Enough
Master Bits and Mercenary Bites~The Secret Recipes of Topped
Perfectly Paired: Masters and Mercenaries~Topped 3
For His Eyes Only
Arranged: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Love Another Day
At Your Service: Masters and Mercenaries~Topped 4
Master Bits and Mercenary Bites~Girls Night
Nobody Does It Better
Close Cover
Protected: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Enchanted: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Charmed: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Treasured: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella, Coming June 29, 2021
Masters and Mercenaries: The Forgotten
Lost Hearts (Memento Mori)
Lost and Found
Lost in You
Long Lost
No Love Lost
Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded
Submission Impossible, Coming February 16, 2021
Butterfly Bayou
Butterfly Bayou
Bayou Baby
Bayou Dreaming, Coming December 1, 2020
Lawless
Ruthless
Satisfaction
Revenge
Courting Justice
Order of Protection
Evidence of Desire
Masters Of Ménage (by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake)
Their Virgin Captive
Their Virgin’s Secret
Their Virgin Concubine
Their Virgin Princess
Their Virgin Hostage
Their Virgin Secretary
Their Virgin Mistress
The Perfect Gentlemen (by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake)
Scandal Never Sleeps
Seduction in Session
Big Easy Temptation
Smoke and Sin
At the Pleasure of the President
URBAN FANTASY
Steal the Light
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper
Addict
Sleeper
Outcast
Stealing Summer
LEXI BLAKE WRITING AS SOPHIE OAK
Texas Sirens
Small Town Siren
Siren in the City
Siren Enslaved
Siren Beloved
Siren in Waiting
Siren in Bloom
Siren Unleashed
Siren Reborn
Nights in Bliss, Colorado
Three to Ride
Two to Love
One to Keep
Lost in Bliss
Found in Bliss
Pure Bliss
Chasing Bliss
Once Upon a Time in Bliss
Back in Bliss
Sirens in Bliss
Happily Ever After in Bliss, Coming Fall 2020
A Faery Story
Bound
Beast
Beauty
Standalone
Away From Me
Snowed In