Chapter 16

“Wait, so you’re like…actually living with Lucky?”

Ellie chuckled as she finished zipping up the delicate zipper at her side. “It’s not like that,” she answered Natalie from the privacy of her dressing room.

Okay, so it was kind of like that. But her tentative relationship with Lucky wasn’t something she was ready to share with anyone. Not even her closest friends.

“Then what is it like?”

That question had come from Cassie, who was in the larger dressing room across from her, along with the bridal shop’s assigned Personal Gown Assistant.

“He’s just letting me stay there until I find a new apartment.”

“Right, but…isn’t that weird?” the bride-to-be asked. “I mean, you don’t even really like the guy, so how is your staying at his place long-term going to—”

“I like Lucky,” she argued back a little too quickly.

It was a truth Ellie couldn’t bring herself to deny.

“You…do?” Natalie’s surprise was obvious even without seeing the petite brunette’ face. “Since when?”

“Since I was practically forced to let him stay at my place by Cassie and Archer, and…I don’t know.” Ellie gave up trying to blame the almost-newlyweds for the one-eighty change in her opinion of the sexy tech god. studied herself in the tiny room’s full-length mirror. “I guess he sort of grew on me during my time holed up with him this past week.”

Silence filled the entire dressing room area, and for a moment, Ellie was fearful she’d said too much. She and Lucky had both agreed not to make their burgeoning relationship public knowledge until they could see for themselves whether it was even going to work.

But as she opened the door to get a better, more well-rounded view of the dress Cassie had picked out for both Ellie and Natalie to wear, the bride-to-be chose that exact same moment to step out of her nicer, much larger dressing room.

Both women stopped in the middle of the wide-open, mirrored space and smiled.

“Oh, Cassie,” Ellie gushed over the woman dressed in white. “You look absolutely stunning.”

The strapless ballgown-style dress her friend had chosen was long and white. With a sweetheart neckline, the gown’s bodice was embellished with beaded embroidered appliques while the full, sleek skirt was left plain.

A pearl-lined, fingertip veil attached to a hidden comb finished the look with perfection.

Simple.

Elegant.

And when Cassie moved just right, the gown’s peekaboo slit exposed just a touch of the woman’s left thigh.

Archer’s going to lose his mind when he sees her.

Without conscious effort, Ellie imagined she was the one in the white dress and veil. That it was almost her wedding day, and the face she pictured standing at the end of the aisle waiting for her…

Lucky.

Jason.

It was amusing, the way her mind bounced between the two names. Lucky. Jason. The two names were usually as interchangeable as the man’s ridiculous dad joke punchlines.

But there were some moments, like the one she was living in now, when calling him by his military nickname seemed a bit…unfitting. Less personal.

And when she’d called for him in the throes of passion countless times the night before, she hadn’t chosen the name she’d used. It had simply fallen from her lips like a desperate prayer, and he was her own personal savior.

Jason.

“Are you being serious?” Cassie turned and studied her reflection in the massive three-way mirror.

Ellie blinked, her heart pounding with fear that she’d just said his name aloud. Feeling like a deer caught in a set of shiny, bright headlights, her wide eyes immediately flew to Cassie’s.

Much to her relief, the other woman’s focus wasn’t even on her, but rather Cassie’s own reflection.

“Of course, I’m being serious,” Ellie belatedly answered her friend’s question. Forcing all thoughts of Jason—and Lucky—away, she hollered at Natalie from over her shoulder. “Hey, Nat? Will you please come out here and tell our dear friend how incredibly amazing she looks in her dress?” Looking back at Cassie, she added a small smirk and a sarcastic, “Apparently, she’s decided my opinion is no longer trustworthy.”

“Whatever.” Cassie brushed the teasing comment away. “You know I value your opinion. And as far as trust goes, I would hope that you know I trust you with my life.”

Ellie’s smirk turned into a genuine smile. She did know her best friend trusted her complicity. And she trusted Cassie right back. And Nat…along with the entire Eagle’s Nest family.

Especially him.

Smiling inwardly at her own secret thought, Ellie pushed aside all thoughts of her handsome man to once again, focus on the present. Today was about Cassie, not her. She needed to remember that, as well as her recent resolve to live not for the past or the future but in the moments as they were happening.

“You look amazing, too.” Cassie caught her gaze in the mirror. “I told you that color would look amazing with your skin tone.”

Stepping up next to the beautiful bride, Ellie took a moment to study her own reflection. She had to admit, the navy blue dress Cassie had chosen for her bridesmaids was very pretty. And it’s style was the perfect compliment to the bride’s gown.

The one-shoulder, A-line gown was made of simple blue satin with a sewn-in tulle underskirt for added fullness. Unlike Cassie’s bodice, Ellie’s held no beads or sequins embellishments, but the gown was pleated, and there was a nice, long slit at its side. And the best part?

Pockets.

“You and Natalie both look amazing in blue,” Cassie commented beside her. “So when I had to pick a color for the wedding, it was a no-brainer.”

Right on cue, the door to Natalie’s dressing room opened, and the beautiful CPA appeared.

“She’s right,” Ellie told her sweet friend as her fellow brunette came to a stop to Ellie’s left. “You look fabulous.”

“Thanks.” Natalie grinned. “You, too.” Her brown eyes slid to Cassie. “You both, do.”

For the next few seconds, the three friends stood in front of the massive mirror, taking a stretch to assess their gussied-up appearance.

“Damn, El.” A deep male voice had all heads turning to Ellie’s left. “If you don’t buy that dress for yourself, I will.”

Recognizing the voice immediately, she did everything in her power not to outwardly cringe. “Hey, Neil.” She shot the man she’d had a brief fling with a forced smile from her reflection. “What are you doing here?”

“Returning a tux.” He held up the garment back draped over one of his forearms. “A buddy I went to college with got married over the weekend, and I was the best man.”

I highly doubt that.

“I see.” Ellie nodded, unsure of what else she should say.

Thankfully, Cassie’s personal gown assistant chose that moment to return their attention back to the whole reason they were there in the first place.

“So.” The forty-something, sharply dressed woman clasped her hands together as she stood to the side. “Do you ladies feel as though the dresses fit like they’re supposed to, or do you see any last-minute changes that need to be made? Our seamstress will be available the next few days, but after that, I’m afraid any alterations done through us would be virtually impossible. Just so you’re aware.”

The three friends dutifully studied their respective gowns with purpose. Turning this way and that, Ellie told the woman, “Mine’s fine.”

“Mine, too.” Natalie nodded.

“Is it bad that I never want to take mine off?” Cassie beamed with pre-wedding joy.

Both Ellie and Natalie chuckled as their assigned assistant smiled wide. “That’s exactly how you’re supposed to feel.”

“Well, I’ll let you ladies to it.” Neil offered El a friendly nod. “You look beautiful, Eloise. As always.”

“Oh, um…thanks.” She gave him a parting smile.

Not waiting for him to leave, she spun on her socked feet and headed back toward the dressing room to change. Her inner girlie girl did a little dance when the gown’s skirt twirled in a wide arc around her ankles.

Within minutes, she was out of the dress and back into her borrowed jeans, sneakers, and baby blue, lightweight sweater. And when the other two women were ready, the three close-knit friends walked out of the formalwear shop with smiles on their faces and bagged gowns in their arms.

“What’s on the agenda for you ladies today?” Ellie asked as they made their way down the sidewalk toward the building’s nearby parking garage.

“I’m going home to drop off my dress, and then I’m headed back to the office,” Cassie responded first. “I have court in two days, and with all the wedding planning, I’ve gotten myself a bit behind. It’ll be a couple of late nights, for sure, but after that—”

“It’ll be six whole days in the land of sun and sand,” Natalie finished for the other woman.

“Oh, that’s right!” Ellie looked over at a smiling Cassie. “I forgot you and Archer are taking off right after the reception.”

“We’re staying the night at a hotel near the airport,” the almost bride nodded. “Our flight to Hawaii boards at an ungodly hour the next morning, so we wanted to make sure we were close, just in case.”

“Eh, who needs sleep, anyway?” Nat teased. “I’m sure the two of you will have plenty of time to, ahem, relax in bed during your honeymoon.”

Both Ellie and Cassie laughed at their friend’s use of air quotes.

“Yes, well…” A pink hue filled Cassie’s cheeks as she smiled with an almost bashful, “I can’t argue with that.”

The light-hearted conversation continued as they covered the distance between them and the garage. As they walked, Cassie talked about Archer some more, and it was so incredibly easy to see she was head over heels for the man she was about to marry.

The conversation soon shifted to Natalie, and the other woman mentioned she was heading to the Eagle’s Nest office to fill in at the front desk so Hannah could attend a funeral. When Cassie asked for more, all Natalie knew was that the young woman who’d died had been a close childhood friend, and her death was very unexpected.

“That’s so sad.” Ellie frowned. “Hannah’s only like, what…twenty-five?”

“Twenty-eight,” Natalie correct. “And yeah. That’s way too young to die.”

For the next few steps, the friend walked in silence. They were less than a block away from where the garage entrance when the sound of rushing footfalls reached Ellie’s ear.

She turned to see Neil—freaking Neil—jogging toward her.

“So, El.” The annoying man sidled up beside her. “You, uh…you got a date for this shindig you’re getting all dressed up for?”

Her heart kicked into gear as Lucky’s gorgeous face filled her mind’s eye. “Not yet,” she didn’t technically lie. “But I’m not—”

“Great! Tell me when and where, and I’ll go right back in that shop and reserve another tux. Think about it.” He gave her shoulder a playful nudge. “You and me, dressed to the nines…we’d be the best-looking couple in the joint.” Neil’s brown eyes slid to Cassie as he added an insincere, “No offense.”

“Um…non taken?” Cassie’s response came out more like a question.

Please, please make him go away.

“I appreciate the offer, Neil,” Ellie did lie then. “But I’m good. Thanks.”

“Come on, El. You and me…it’ll be just like old times.”

She didn’t want old times. She wanted…

Just say it. Lucky already told you he didn’t care who knew about the two of you, and it’s the only way you’ll get this guy to leave you alone, so just…freaking…say it!

“Actually, I will be with someone at the wedding.” Ellie stopped walking altogether. Her gaze bounced between her two friends and the man she was desperately trying to cut ties with, once and for all. “His name is Lucky. Well, that’s his nickname, but his real name is Jason Lucas. He’s a former SEAL and a security specialist with Eagle’s Nest, and we’re…” She looked at her friends rather than Neil as she confessed, “We’re dating.”

Dating.That was a good label for where they were with things. Technically, there’d been no actual date yet, but there would be. Tonight, as a matter of fact. After they both finished working for the day.

He’d asked her out over another homemade breakfast, and Ellie had easily accepted. They were doing things a bit backward, she knew. But so what? Wasn’t it more important that they were trying to give this thing between them a go?

She sure thought so.

“Wait, what?” Cassie stopped mid-stride, nearly stumbling when Natalie bumped into her.

“You and Lucky are…” Natalie was so stunned, she could barely speak. “When? I mean…you never even…h-how did this even happen?”

“Do you really have to ask?” Cassie shot their other friend a smirk. “Think about it, Nat. You and Logan…me and Arch…”

“Ohmygod!” Natalie threw herself into Ellie’s unprepared arms. “This is so great! Lucky’s such a good guy, and I’ve always said, he just needed to find the right woman to settle his wild ass down. And you…” The woman’s brown eyes beamed with genuine happiness. “I’ve always thought you two would be perfect together.”

“You have?” Both Ellie and Cassie asked at the exact same time.

“Oh, sure.” Natalie waved their shocked expressions away. “I mean, I know he always teased you, and you always said he annoyed the hell out of you, but I also know what a big heart the guy has, and I just…” Her shoulders fell with a satisfied sigh. “Well, I just think this is the best news I’ve heard all day.”

“Really?”

Natalie went in for another hug and a soft, “Really.”

“Cass?” Ellie shot her other friend a hesitant glance. “What about you? Are you good with this?”

“Are you?”

“What do you mean?” she frowned at the unexpected question.

The woman shifted the massive garment bag from one arm to the other. “I mean, does he make you happy?”

“Oh. Um…yeah. I mean, it’s all still very new, but…” She thought about all the times he’d made her laugh over this past week and smiled. “Yes.” Ellie gave a confident nod. “He does.”

“Then that’s all that matters to me.”

“Yeah?”

Cassie nodded her pretty blonde head. “Arch might be a different story, but you let me worry about him.”

Now that comment really left her feeling puzzled. “You don’t think Archer would be okay with me dating Lucky?”

“My well-intended fiancé worries too much. And, as it comes with the territory of their profession, he’s very protective of women. Given Lucky’s reputation as a ladies’ man…you can see where he’d be a little big-brother where you’re concerned.”

Oh. That.

“Well, feel free to tell Arch he’s wrong about his teammate. Lucky’s not…” She shook her head from side to side. “He’s not really like that. I know he puts on a good front, but—”

“She’s right,” Natalie quickly came to Lucky’s defense. “I’ve known him a long time, and while he’s definitely had his fair share of women over the years, Jason’s not as big of a player as he pretends to be.”

“No.” Ellie shared a look with the other woman. “He’s not.”

“And you figured all this out in less than a week?”

With an ornery grin lifting one corner of her mouth, Ellie turned to Cassie and asked, “How long did it take for you to fall in love with Archer, again?”

“You’re in love with him?”

Her gaze flew to the man still standing in the wings. Crap. She’d been so caught up in her unplanned confession, she’d all but forgotten he was still there.

“That’s not what I said.” Ellie gave her head another quick shake. “But we are seeing each other, and it is exclusive. So I would really, really appreciate it if you’d stop trying to ask me out because…and I don’t mean this bad in any way, but…it’s just never going to happen, Neil. I’m sorry.”

There. She’d cut ties with the man the best way she knew how. Even so, she half-expected him to make some joke or toss out one of his lame pick-up lines. Thankfully he didn’t.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to leave, then.” Neil plastered on the same camera-ready smile he was known for in the courtroom. “You ladies have a wonderful rest of your day.” He turned to leave, but only made it a few steps before stopping to add a belated, “Oh, and Eloise?”

“Yes?”

His expression softened and his smile grew a bit more genuine. “I’m happy for you. Truly.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t bother trying to decipher whether or not he meant it. Mainly because, she didn’t care.

“Well, that was fun.” Cassie’s tone was drowning in sarcasm.

“Right?” Natalie huffed out a breath as the three women began walking once more. “I thought that guy was out of the picture a long time ago.”

“He was,” Ellie told them both. “Neil’s not kind of guy who’s used to hearing the word ‘no’.”

“Pretty sure he heard it that time,” Cassie snorted. “Poor guy looked like someone had just stolen his favorite puppy.”

“Oh, don’t worry about poor Neil. He’ll find a new flavor of the week before the day’s out, I assure you.”

Several chuckles filled the afternoon air as they approached the parking garage entrance. Their voices echoed off the concrete walls as the three women walked past several parked cars on the way to their own.

The sound of tires squealing cut through their casual conversation. Before any of them could even register what was happening, a dark blue panel van with some sort of satellite service logo on the side flew into the parking garage before coming to a screeching halt beside them.

“What the hell?” She instinctively reached for Cassie’s arm to stop her.

Like them, Natalie stopped dead in her tracks.

Ellie opened her mouth to give the erratic driver a piece of her mind when the vehicle’s side door slid open, and a man wearing a mask appeared. He was dressed in head-to-toe black, just like the man she’d seen in the security footage, only this time, he wasn’t carrying a jar of accelerant.

This time, he was carrying a gun.

“Get down!” She turned and shoved Cassie to the side in hopes of getting her to safety.

At the same time, the bride-to-be dropped the garment bag she’d been carrying to try to do the same to Natalie.

A round of deafening gunshots blasted. One right after the other. Panicked screams echoed off the concrete walls, and Ellie and the others ducked and ran for shelter.

The only option they had was to try to hunker down behind the other vehicles parked next to where they’d been standing. Her heart raced with fear for herself and her friends, and when she saw Natalie fall while running between two cars—and then Cassie dropping to the ground beside her—she was afraid both women had been hit.

Please no!

“Stay down!” Ellie screamed with all her might, praying with all she had that her friends were okay.

The man fired again, his next shots appearing to go wild. The back windshield of one of the cars shattered into a million tiny shards. More screams echoed around her—she wasn’t sure if those were coming from her or someone else—and Ellie was racing to to make sure her friends were out of harm’s way when—

No!

A meaty hand gripped her upper arm and began pulling her back toward the van. On instinct, Ellie began kicking and hitting and screaming with all her might.

“Let…me…go!” She punched and clawed at the man’s unwavering hold.

He shot the gun again, the bullet flying in the direction of her friends. Ellie’s heart flew into her chest as she split her focus between trying to break free and doing her best to asses Cassie and Natalie’s conditions.

Though it was hard to see from here, it seemed Cassie was okay. But she was hovering over an unmoving Natalie, and when she looked back up and shouted Ellie’s name, the woman who’d been glowing with prenuptial bliss minutes before looked utterly terrified.

“Ellie!”Cassie screamed for her again.

“Call the guys!” Ellie shouted back.

Because she knew exactly what was about to happen.

The man hadn’t been shooting at her. He’d kept his bullets for her friends. But her…

He isn’t trying to kill me. He’s taking me with him.

And no matter how hard she fought to prevent that very thing from happening, Ellie realized her efforts were all in vain. The man was too strong, and his hold was too tight. Yet, she continued using every ounce of strength she had to try her damnedest to rip her arm free.

“Help!” Ellie shouted to anyone else who might possibly hear. “Please! Somebody—”

The man picked her up as if she weighed nothing and threw her bodily into the van’s bare metal interior. Ellie cried out in pain when she landed on her side with a dull thud. Her hipbone and shoulder taking the brunt of the fall.

She’d no more hit the van’s uneven floor when she pushed herself up in a wild attempt to escape. Ellie’s gaze met with Cassie’s for only a second, the other woman’s frantic, tear-filled eyes wide with agonizing fear.

And still lying on the ground beside her was Natalie. Her eyes were closed, and she still wasn’t moving. From here, Ellie couldn’t even tell if the woman was breathing. But what she did see—what was plain as day, even from here—was the blood.

Ohmygod, no! Please not Natalie! Please!

The man’s gloved fist came out her so fast, she didn’t have time to even think about ducking. And it struck the side of her face with enough force, she was out cold before her body ever hit the metal floor.

Seconds later, the van was gone…and so was Ellie.