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  “Cover me,” Lee ordered.

  Harris and Chance opened fire. Lee raced to the back of the couch, and lined Katrin in his sights. She yanked one of the guards in front of her and used the man as a shield while she moved back into a better protected spot. He fired on the man to remove the shield just as she dove for the recliner.

  Lee whirled at the thump near him and found Viktoria had taken out the man creeping up on him.

  At last, the gunfire died and only their breathing remained. They’d taken out all the guards.

  “Give it up, Katrin,” Lee shouted. “You’re outnumbered.”

  Viktoria stormed from behind the bar, her eyes blazing and her expression full of death.

  Lee lurched to his feet to stop her, but before he could take a step, Katrin ripped a rapier off the display on the wall and lashed out at Viktoria

  Lee fired, but his gun locked open. Out of ammunition.

  Viktoria jumped out of the way.

  “Harris and Chance,” Lee snapped.

  “I don’t have a clean shot,” Harris answered, moving his hands in an attempt to find an opening.

  “Me neither,” Chance replied, standing near the bar.

  “She’s mine,” Viktoria barked, running. She yanked the other rapier from the display on the wall and met Katrin’s next thrust.

  The swords clashed, metal against metal sparking.

  “No one ends her but me,” Viktoria snarled and Katrin wailed like a banshee.

  The memory of him claiming to hide behind her in a sword fight trickled through his mind and he shook his head. He’d never expected that to become reality.

  Then they went at it. Thrusts, parries, dodges, and blocks. Viktoria’s hair danced around her like that Valkyrie movie poster as she displayed a breathtaking balance between beauty and lethalness.

  Goddamn, this woman could not be any more perfect if she tried.

  In seconds, Viktoria dominated the fight, constantly forcing Katrin into defense instead of offense. They maneuvered around the library, climbing over furniture and destroying whatever got in their way.

  “Damn, Lee,” Harris breathed, awe on his face. “I like your woman too.”

  She wasn’t his woman, but he couldn’t speak at the moment to correct the assumption.

  Viktoria jumped over a downed end table and slashed, striking both Katrin’s calves.

  Katrin screamed and fell, clutching her profusely bleeding legs.

  Viktoria marched across the room until she stood before Lee. Stabbing the rapier into an oversized chair’s cushion, her chest heaved as a fire shone in her eyes. “You and I need to talk.” She grabbed his face and claimed his mouth in another savage kiss.

  His mind reeled. Questions flooded his brain at the same time his heart swelled with so much love he wanted to haul her off like the heathen she accused him of.

  She nipped his bottom lip. “You’re going to listen to me, you stubborn—”

  Harris shouted and Chance lunged forward.

  As if in slow motion, Lee watched Katrin roll next to a guard. She lifted a gun and Lee wrapped his arms around Viktoria, pivoting and covering as much of her as possible.

  Multiple gunshots filled the room and Lee bowed at the sledgehammer nailing his back. He fell to the floor like a rock.

  21

  “No, no, no,” Viktoria whispered over and over, dropping with Lee to the floor. The blood drained from her head and she blinked at the darkness trying to impede her vision. “Lee!” she shouted, squirming to free her arm and leg trapped under him.

  Lee groaned as two men who looked so similar to him they had to be his brothers, knelt beside him. The one with the longer hair ripped the black spandex shirt from Lee’s pants and forced it up. The other man with a military crew cut, roved his hands over the black armor covering Lee’s back.

  Lee coughed. “Goddamn, it hurts,” he wheezed.

  Crew Cut moved the shirt higher, revealing a bullet hole right over Lee’s shoulder blade. “You’re fine,” he declared, exhaling. “Bullet’s lodged in the Kevlar.”

  Longer Hair slapped Lee’s bicep. “Stop being a wimp in front of your woman.”

  Lee coughed again and planted his hands onto the rug. “Shit. That’s going to leave a mark for at least a month.” Sitting up gingerly, he rolled his arm, grimacing. “Don’t call Viktoria ‘my woman.’” His amber eyes flashed, landing on her. “After witnessing her skill, I’m afraid she’ll cut off something I prize. She’s made it clear my proper place is—”

  “At my side,” Viktoria interrupted, leaning inches from his face. “If you’d stop hurling accusations at me for one minute and let me talk, I’d finally be able to tell you that I’d love to be your woman, but only if you’d be my man.”

  “What?” He blinked, flattening his feet on the floor, then resting his elbows on his knees. “Did Katrin give you a drug? Did you get hit in the head? You’re not making any sense.” He gripped his hands together. “On the plane, you made it very clear I’m the lowly help who doesn’t know you.” He shot her a look. “I call bullshit on that, by the way, I know you better than you think.”

  Remorse shot through her. “I know you do,” she answered softly, inching closer, forcing her legs between his. “You’ve always seen me. I was scared and lashed out.” Time to just put it all out there. “I’m falling for you, Lee McCallister. It feels right when I’m with you, and I don’t want to you to walk away from me.”

  His jaw dropped open. “But I heard you and Katrin—”

  “No,” Viktoria snapped, shaking her head. “You heard Katrin. I never agreed with anything she said, but I couldn’t say anything during the party.” Fury whipped through her. So many horrible things had happened thanks to that stupid show. “While a lot of high-powered people attended, they’re all a bunch of gossips at heart.” She bit her lip, pushing the betrayal and loss to the side, needing to focus on the one positive thing she had left. “I didn’t know how you felt about me, and what we had was so new, I didn’t want to put you in a position that made you uncomfortable—”

  He pulled her forward by the back of her neck and kissed her. Softly. Slowly.

  She answered his gentle kiss with her own. Telling him with her mouth how much she meant her words.

  Breaking the kiss, he breathed against her lips, “Tell me again.”

  It took a second to figure out which part, then she grinned. “I’m falling for you, Lee McCallister. My beautiful heathen. My perfect match. I’m trying to be courageous enough to hold on to you with both hands.”

  The smile that spread across his face lit him up completely and melted her thoroughly. “And I’m falling for you, Viktoria Jonsdottir. My gorgeous warrior woman. I want you to own me as much as I want to own you.”

  Peace descended over her and she sat back. Her entire world had imploded, but she knew she’d be able to handle it with this amazing man at her side.

  Movement out of the corner of her eye reminded her they weren’t alone, and heat flamed her face. She’d forgotten about the brothers. Peering up, she found them grinning like Cheshire cats. “Um,” she stated, getting to her feet as regally as she could. “Hi. I’m Viktoria Jonsdottir.” She smoothed a hand over the T-shirt and grimaced. She didn’t want to know how disheveled she was.

  “We know,” Crew Cut chimed, sing-songy. “I’m Harris McCallister, Lee’s wiser and cooler older brother.” He shook her hand.

  “Oh!” Viktoria clasped his hand. “The brand new, soon-to-be daddy. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” The light radiating from his grin screamed the man was over the moon about it.

  “Chance McCallister.” The longer-haired one thrust his hand toward her. “The oldest of the bunch and the most sane.” The handshake was quick and firm. “I hate to break this up, but I told Brady to call the cops. We want to be gone before the tranquilizers wear off or more guards show up.”

  Harris helped Lee to his feet.

  A devilish light sparked in Le
e’s eyes as he gathered the tranq gun she’d dropped to fight off Katrin. “I think I’m having second thoughts.” He motioned to all the unconscious bodies littering the floor. “If this is what life with you is like, well…”

  Viktoria shrugged and played along. “I’d say this is no more than a bi-annual occurrence.”

  Everyone laughed like she’d hoped. Today had not been normal by any means and she prayed she never had another day like it, save one detail. Entwining her hand with Lee’s, she allowed him to lead her through the French door to the pool deck.

  Keeping to the shadows, she followed the brothers as they stole through a meadow, then between fence rails.

  Running up the hill toward an SUV some man named Brady had waiting for them, Viktoria squeezed Lee’s palm. “I want you to meet my father.”

  Lee shot her a double look and slowed to a jog. “I’m not sure now is the time. Besides, your father kind of hates me for allowing you to be kidnapped.”

  Too many emotions warred for dominance. “I need to fill you in on the details, but now is the only time we have. Father might be going to jail.” She couldn’t believe she had to utter those words.

  Lee tripped. “What?”

  “I’ll explain, I promise. I just don’t think you two should meet for the first time in a prison visiting room. It’s just wrong.”

  “If that’s what you want,” Lee answered, confusion, skepticism, and protectiveness showing in his expression. “But even in prison, I can guarantee I’m not the kind of guy Jon Aronsson had in mind for his daughter.”

  “No, you’re not,” she truthfully answered, so glad she had never followed through with her father’s expectation. “But I couldn’t care less what he thinks anymore. I no longer want to be the perfect daughter or live by a rigid ideal. No one’s perfect and I shouldn’t hold myself to an unachievable standard.” Warmth rose inside her and she embraced the growing feelings for this man. “But someone taught me a valuable lesson. From now on, I’m filling my life based on what makes me happy, not just based on responsibilities.”

  “One of the best things I’ve heard all day,” Lee answered as they plunged through the small copse of trees.

  A big black SUV waited on the shoulder of a quiet road. Chance climbed into the front. Harris took the left passenger seat while Lee helped her up to sit between him and Harris.

  Viktoria assumed the big black man winking at her to be Brady, but he didn’t say a word. Just floored the vehicle. Seconds later, sirens filled the night as cop cars raced past them on their way to the mansion.

  “I swear,” Harris bitched with a grin, “we can’t take Lee anywhere.”

  “Tell me about it,” Chance grumbled, turning in his seat, his eyes sparkling. “His dates always end up like this.”

  “Ha. Ha.” Lee shot each of them the finger.

  “True.” Harris pointed at Chance. “But the sword fight was a new touch.”

  “I did appreciate you changing it up, Ranger.” Chance slapped Lee’s knee. “Usually it’s just boring ol’ gunfights…”

  Viktoria placed her lips close to Lee’s ear. “Thank you for coming to get me. Seriously. Thank you.”

  Turning to face her, his exotic eyes darkened. “Always. I promise.”

  Epilogue

  One year later…

  “Chance, you’re burning the hot dogs!” Lee yelled, closing the door to his childhood home, then grabbing a cold beer out of the cooler while balancing a glass of wine in his hand.

  His oldest brother snapped his head up from snuggling his five-month-old niece in the middle of the backyard. Jennifer (in honor of their mother) Ava McCallister had every single McCallister brother wrapped around her tiny fingers, and none of them minded a bit.

  “He’s going to be demanding to have kids soon. I just know it,” Mandy, Chance’s wife, chuckled. She skipped down the covered deck’s steps, onto the freshly mown grass, and joined in the cooing. Chance and Mandy had had a simple wedding ceremony three months ago and threw a huge party, inviting the whole town to the Lunar Brewing Company, the pub that held many memories for the couple who got a second chance.

  “It’s my fault,” Harris shouted, appearing from the side of the house, running. His fiancée, Rachel, lagged behind him, straightening her tank top and denim shorts. “I told Chance I’d take over, then, uh,” he cleared his throat, grinning unrepentantly as he jogged up the steps. “I got sidetracked.”

  Harris popped the grill top up and worked on flipping the hot dogs and hamburgers while Rachel stopped close to her daughter currently laughing at Uncle Chance’s funny faces.

  “You couldn’t have waited to yell another thirty seconds, Lee?” she muttered, the brand-new solitaire diamond engagement ring sparkling in the sunlight. With hair freshly dyed rainbow colors—pink, purple, teal, and blue—and a body full of colorful tattoos, she was not the type of woman Harris used to date, but after five seconds in her presence, Lee understood why Harris fell hopelessly in love with her almost instantly. She was perfect for him. Ever since the baby was born, Harris had been asking Rachel to marry him, but she kept saying no. Lee wasn’t sure of the whole story but something about Harris once accusing her of trapping him in marriage had her refusing. Then, yesterday, on their way to the McCallister brothers’ family reunion in Springwell, Georgia, she finally said yes. To say he’d been celebrating every chance he got was an understatement.

  Lee snickered at Rachel’s snarky response. He hadn’t known what to expect from his soon-to-be sister-in-law, but he really liked the sassy woman. And so did Viktoria. The two women looked like they’d be enemies between Rachel’s punk appearance and Viktoria’s ultra-chic, expensive clothes, but they had bonded instantly upon meeting.

  Viktoria swung her feet off the chaise lounge and moved to Rachel’s side, but her vivid blue eyes landed on Lee as she spoke, “I love how you drive your fiancé so wild. He can’t think of anything else but you and he wants the world to know it.” Viktoria tapped Rachel’s left hand.

  Lee stopped at the top of the steps, cocked an eyebrow, then leaned his hip against the railing. “Something you want to say to me?”

  “I think I just did.” Viktoria blanked her expression, but he saw the challenge dancing in her irises.

  “Come here and say it again.”

  “How about you come here and I’ll tell you since you’re not smart enough.” Viktoria crossed her arms, pushing her breasts in the designer sundress up, making him salivate.

  “The sparks flying off you two are going to ignite the house if you don’t cool it,” Chance laughed, then jumped up the steps after handing Rachel the baby. He clapped Lee on the back, then leaned in to whisper, “When are you going to ask Viktoria to marry you?”

  Lee peered at his brother and murmured, “The second the trial is over.”

  Viktoria had taken over as CEO for the company shortly after Lee helped free her from Katrin. Brady had driven them to the closest FBI office, and they’d spent the rest of the day giving statements (then more time at the hospital for their injuries). The police had arrived at the mansion and arrested everyone on sight. Aleta, Katrin, and her thugs had woken up in holding cells and found themselves charged with a long list of offenses including kidnapping and murder. Jon Aronsson was also arrested along with Katrin’s father, but Aronsson was given a plea bargain that had him avoiding jail time in exchange for testifying against Katrin and her family. Not surprisingly, the scandal had been so great, he had been forced to retire from the company effective immediately. Otherwise, the negative press would have driven the company under completely.

  Viktoria took over, but the fallout in the news still hurt the company’s image. She’d been working hard the past year to restore the public’s trust and regain the profits they once had with Lee at her side. He’d followed her to Iceland the second the FBI released her to travel, though he had returned to the U.S. for events like the Valorous Unit Award commendation (the second Viktoria found out about the ceremony,
she had been relentless in talking him into attending), Chance’s wedding, Jennifer Ava’s birth, and then whenever she had meetings with her U.S. business partners.

  As the head of her company’s security, and the lead on her personal security (because her safety was his top priority and always came first), Lee’s life had taken a turn he never expected. When he left the Rangers, he thought for sure he’d left the best career behind, but this past year with Viktoria had been amazing. He’d found where he belonged and it had been richly rewarding, not only financially, but emotionally. Viktoria completed him…as corny as that sounded.

  “Katrin’s trial is ending next week,” Lee tacked on. Everyone expected the heartless bitch to get consecutive life sentences to be served in the U.S., along with her father and Aleta who were being tried at the same time. “So, you’ll be getting a call soon with an engagement announcement. I hope.”

  “Just what I want to hear,” Chance rumbled.

  “Meat’s done,” Harris called. “Who wants what?”

  A line formed and when everyone’s plates were filled, they trooped inside to take a break from the heavy August heat and humidity. Lounging in the kitchen and the living room, talk of the brothers’ growing-up years entertained everyone.

  The small three-bedroom rancher still had worn spots on the dark-green carpet, and the pale yellow walls looked tired and faded. The view beyond the bay window showed a For Sale sign in the front yard. None of the brothers knew what to do with their parents’ house. Chance had moved into Mandy’s. Harris lived in South Carolina with Rachel, and Lee set up residency in Viktoria’s mansion in Iceland.

  When Lee and his brothers talked last month about getting together, they’d agreed to put the house up for sale. Since their father had used all his savings on their mother’s medical bills before she’d died from cancer, the house had become the inheritance with the sale to be split among them equally.

  Viktoria threw her empty paper plate away and wandered to the framed pictures still hanging in the hallway. Their parents’ wedding photo along with the brothers in various stages of childhood lined the hallway. She paused in front of the one containing a Polaroid picture.