Extended Epilogue

“Isyour Mace where you can reach it?” Mason asked, his chest tightening.

Jozi patted the small handbag slung across her body. “Yes, sir.”

He surveyed the chaotic, yet organized, mess that was Freshman Move-In Day at Duke. Vehicles rolled in at designated times, enthusiastic volunteers helped unload mountains of belongings that would later be stuffed into sardine-sized dorm rooms, wide-eyed freshmen took in everything with varying degrees of wonder, excitement, and terror, and conflicted parents waved off their kids with an odd sense of relief, hope, and anxiety.

“You’ll take it with you wherever you go,” Mason pressed.

“Even the bathroom,” Jozi said, finishing his mantra. She grasped his forearm. “Don’t worry, Dad. I got this.”

He’d done his best to prepare her for the world, to give her the tools needed to fend off predators. He’d taught her every self-defense move he knew, even the dirty ones. Now, he had to set her free on a campus the size of a small town. A place where she would become a woman.

“If you need me, text, call, whatever.” He noticed the ache in his teeth and worked to relax his jaw. “Day or night.”

“I know.” She smiled.

“Emergency phrase?”

“It’s Grandpa’s birthday.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I got this.”

He swallowed hard, then pulled her in for a hug. “Your mom would be so proud.”

She tightened her arms around him. “I’ll see you at Thanksgiving.” She lowered her voice. “Stay alive.”

He stilled, then set her at arm’s length. In her eyes, he saw an understanding of him that he never wanted his daughter to have. Something cracked inside his chest.

She threw her arms around his neck and whispered, “I love you, Daddy. All of you.”

Mason snapped his eyes shut before any passersby could see the gathering moisture. He knew in that moment she would be all right. His strong, intelligent, beautiful girl.

When he had control again, he sensed eyes on him. He scanned the crowd once more, and froze. Two familiar figures leaned against a low stone wall, watching them.

Detecting his mood shift, Jozi stepped back and searched his face. “What’s wrong?”

He tore his gaze away and looked down at his too-smart daughter. “Stay here.”

“Where are you going? The family farewell event starts in fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll be back in five. Don’t move, Jozi.”

His daughter, like the men and women he’d served with, recognized his we’re-in-danger tone. After another visual recon, he strode toward the pair who had the power to destroy the one person in the world he cared about.

“He looks pissed,”Ash said, as he pushed off the low stone wall and anchored himself in a defensive position.

“As far as he’s concerned, we’re the enemy—and far too close to his daughter.” Kayla flicked a glance at Ash, standing between her and Mason. “Please sit. Your battle stance isn’t helping to dispel the illusion.”

“Not yet.”

Stubborn men.

The tension in her shoulders eased though, when she noted Ash shifting his weight to one leg and uncurling his fingers from their fisted position.

Mason halted six feet away. His attention slashed between the two of them. “What are you doing here?”

“Checking in on an old friend.” Kayla still didn’t know what to do with her conflicting emotions about Mercenary Mason. But the man who’d always anticipated her needs, made her laugh, and never judged her, him, she missed.

“How did you know we’d be here?” When neither of them spoke, Mason’s attention fixed on Ash. “Let me guess. Rohan.”

“He’s a marvel,” Ash said without inflection.

“What are your intentions?”

“To meet the young woman you would kill for,” Kayla said.

Mason flinched.

“An introduction is the least you could do.”

“If you recall, I paid my debt. My daughter is off-limits.”

“What I recall,” Ash said in a low, intense voice, “is the mess you left for us to clean up.”

Mason glared at Ash. “I did more than my share of the cleanup.”

Kayla thought of the shallow graves scattered around Sybil’s neighborhood and had to agree with her old friend.

“But if you’re talking about the ladies,” Mason said, “I did what you couldn’t.”

Ash’s hands curled into hard knots at his side, and he took a step toward the mercenary. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

Kayla pushed off the wall and stepped between them. “None of that.”

“It wasn’t an insult, Feeb,” Mason said in an even voice. “You’re law enforcement. Your integrity wouldn’t have allowed you to do what needed to be done to preserve HCVS.”

“How long have you known?” She understood he’d identified his anonymous employer and linked Sybil to Service, but she never imagined he’d penetrated their mission.

His unflinching gaze met hers. “Day One.”

Ash waveredbetween respect for the mercenary and flat-out hatred. He had yet to fully understand why they were crashing Jozi Wade’s move-in day.

Part of it was probably to do with Kayla shutting the door on a painful time in her life—the moment she’d lost not only her beloved aunties but someone she called friend. Ash knew there was something more to this visit than hashing up months-old pain, yet all he could do was go along for the ride.

Not that he was complaining. He enjoyed watching Mason Wade squirm.

“One last time, Kayla,” Mason said. “Why are you here?”

“Dad?”

Mason closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds before turning around to find his daughter at his shoulder.

The auburn hair, freckles, and average height must have come from her mother. But the suspicious hazel eyes were all Wade.

“I told you to stay put,” Mason gritted out.

“You also told me five minutes. It’s been ten.”

Ash smiled. He liked this young woman. A lot.

Jozi’s attention skidded to Ash, then Kayla. The latter held out her hand. “I’m Kayla Krowne.”

The younger Wade looked to her father, who nodded, before accepting Kayla’s hand. Somehow Ash didn’t think Jozi asked permission for much, but Wade must have indicated in some way to his daughter that he and Kayla were potential threats.

“This is my partner, Ash Blackwell,” Kayla said.

Ash kept his hands loose at his sides and nodded, choosing the de-escalation route rather than riling the mercenary further.

“Business or romantic?” Jozi asked.

Mason groaned.

Kayla smiled. “Very romantic.”

Jozi grinned. “My dad used to work for you.”

“That’s right. He was an indispensable part of my team.”

“If he was so indispensable, why is he no longer on your team?”

“Jozi, for chrissake?—”

“It’s a legitimate question, Dad.”

“A rude one.”

“No worries,” Kayla said. “I like a young person who isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions.”

Jozi lifted a brow, and waited.

“Business relationships are like personal relationships,” Kayla said. “Sometimes they have an expiration date.”

“Which doesn’t really answer my question.”

“Enough, Jozi. Why I no longer work for Kayla is between her and me. Just like why you and hippie-boy no longer hang out is between you and him.”

“For the hundredth time, his name is Bodhi.”

Wade leveled a look her way, as if to say, Your point?

A note of frustration rumbled in Jozi’s throat.

Ash couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so entertained.

“I understand you’re majoring in environmental science,” Kayla said.

“That’s right.”

“Do you have an internship lined up?”

“Not yet.”

“I’ll be losing my longtime intern, who dealt with environmental issues, at the end of this school year. I’m looking for someone to replace her, someone who could shadow her over the next year and learn the ropes. Someone unafraid of big personalities.”

“Are you offering me a job?”

“If your dad approves, of course.”

Jozi turned excited eyes on her father.

“What’s the pay? My daughter isn’t working her ass off for free.”

“Dad!”

“No,” Kayla said, “it’s okay. This is a business arrangement, and you should always hear what’s on the table.” Kayla fingered a card out of the front pocket of her purse and handed it to Jozi. “I pay ten dollars over minimum wage?—”

“Ten dollars?”Jozi interrupted, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Plus expenses, including mileage. If you don’t have a vehicle, you can use a company car. My employment package also covers full tuition, room, and board.”

A stunned silence swept over their small group, and all the color leached from Wade’s face.

Ash now understood the reason for Kayla’s visit, and he fell in love with the daft, big-hearted woman all over again.

“Yes!” Jozi said.

“No,” Wade said at the same time.

“Dad, why not? What she’s offering is unbelievable. Much better than being a server at a restaurant.”

“Exactly.”

“But if I accept, you won’t have to take that job in the Philippines.”

“How do you know about—?” He clamped a lid on the rest of what he was going to say. Seemed to count to three. “Dammit, Jozi.”

Jozi swallowed hard, but she didn’t back down. Simply stared at her father and waited for his decision.

Kayla said, “The package is the same one I offer all my interns. I’ll give you their contact information, if you’d like to verify. I ask a lot from my staff and can’t afford to have their attention diverted because they’re worried about finances. My motivation is purely selfish.”

“Selfish, right.” Wade studied Kayla a long while before turning to his daughter. Took in her hopeful face. Blew out a defeated sigh. “If you don’t like the work, you quit. And the job can’t interfere with your schoolwork. Deal?”

“Deal!” Jozi hugged Wade, then Kayla, before tugging on her dad’s arm. “I’m sorry, but we’re late for the family farewell.”

“I’ll see you at holiday break,” Kayla said.

“Thank you,” Wade said in a tone that conveyed regret and gratitude at once.

“No need. I’m always on the lookout for tomorrow’s leaders. Jozi’s name popped up.”

“Right.” Wade appeared as though he wanted to say something more, but merely nodded at them and strode away.

“Mason,” Kayla said, her voice soft.

He glanced back.

“Stay safe.”

A hint of a smile. “Always.” Then his hard gaze turned to Ash. “Feeb.” His gaze shifted from him to Kayla and back.

Understanding his silent message, Ash said, “I will.”

Once the Wades disappeared into the crowd, Ash turned to Kayla and pulled her into his arms. “You’re amazing.”

“Military kids sacrifice a lot of things for this country. Their education shouldn’t be one of them.”

“Yet you still wanted to make sure she was a good fit.”

“Of course, I’m a businesswoman.”

“Probably didn’t have anything to do with honoring an old friendship or wanting to protect the Krowne team you’ve created, right?”

Ignoring the first part of his comment, she said, “Everyone deserves to enjoy going to work.”

“Will you be this fiercely protective of our kids?”

She jerked in his arms. “Is that a marriage proposal?”

“You do have a wedding gown ready to go.”

Kayla groaned. “Who told you?”

He kissed the sensitive area behind her earlobe. The place that melted her defenses, every time. “Would you like to hear what’s on the table?”

“Oh.” Her hand traced down his torso as she tilted her head, giving him more access. “I’m intimately aware of the full package.”

“Hmm, is that a yes?” he whispered.

She straightened until her lips met his and sealed the deal.

Thank you for reading our Steele Ridge: The Blackwells series.