V.R. Marks delivers with a brand new mission from the RC Investigations team. You first meet Ross and Allie in The Thief, but this short story gives you a glimpse at their first Christmas together:
Special Agent Dale Nichols needs an assist from Ross Carpenter, leader of the RC Investigations team, to save both a child and an important witness on Christmas Day.
Here’s an excerpt:
Chapter One
Haleswood, Christmas Day
The seven foot tall Christmas tree filled the corner, sparkling with color and light and scenting the room with holiday spirit. Outside, the sunlight glinted of a light blanket of fresh snow. It would melt by the afternoon, but it made for one gorgeous morning.
Ross Carpenter sat on the couch enjoying the morning, his feet propped on the coffee table, marveling at how quickly things could change.
Since leaving home right out of high school, he’d never bothered decorating a tree. There hadn’t been a place that felt enough like home to try. When he’d been deployed over the holidays, someone had always put up something better suited to a Charlie Brown special, but he’d done his best to ignore the traditions of the season.
Even after leaving the Army, he hadn’t bothered. Hell, he hadn’t bothered with the house until Allie Williams re-entered his life unexpectedly, needing a safe place to ride out the crisis that had chased her back to Haleswood just a few weeks ago.
“You’re thinking,” Allie said, handing him a mimosa as she joined him on the couch. “About Eva?”
“No,” he admitted, feeling a little guilty. He hadn’t given the tech and data expert on the RC Investigations team much thought at all after she successfully wrapped up her mission, corralling an international criminal last night with the assistance of both the FBI and local law enforcement.
Allie tucked herself next to his side, champagne flute in one hand and a bridal magazine on her lap. “I could get used to mornings like this.”
“One a year isn’t enough for you?”
“Probably not.”
He sipped, marveling at the tree. They’d chosen it together, but she’d found the decorations on her own and they’d made an evening of it, complete with hot chocolate and an eclectic blend of traditional and remixed Christmas carols. Somehow she’d turned a chore he dreaded into a fun, romantic evening. Oh, yeah… things changed quickly.
“I’ll prep an update for the website,” she said, tagging the open pages in the magazine with different color-coded sticky notes. “Other agencies will sit up and take notice that RCI was involved with that takedown.”
He smiled at her. His Allie. His fiancé. The thought brought a smile to his face every time. She made things happen, working wonders on his heart and spirit and now his business as well. Thankfully, he wasn’t expected to break her pastel-hued codes.
“We could elope,” he offered, not for the first time.
She tipped her face up and gave him her most ferocious scowl. “We’ve been over this.”
He laughed. “Worth a shot,” he said. “What if –”
“What if you be quiet about it,” she cut him off, kissing his cheek to soften the blow. “I’m having fun.”
“Good. I’m all for that as long as it stays fun. I don’t want you to stress out.”
“Not a chance. That’s my mother’s job,” she replied. “And I am going to have a grand time making her panic between now and the big day.”
“Your mean streak is wider than I remember.”
“Ha. Must come from spending too much time with you.”
“Seriously.” He set aside his mimosa and cautiously separated her from her glass and the paraphernalia in her lap. Then he kissed her, slow and deep. “Merry Christmas, Allie,” he murmured against her lips.
“Mmm, that’s nice. And a very Merry Christmas to you too.”
“What should we do with an entire day to ourselves?”
“You don’t have any ideas?” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows. “That’s so unlike you.”
He was about to show her a few of his more recent ideas when his phone let out a banshee-like scream.
“That’s obnoxious,” Allie said, wincing at the sound.
“It’s the FBI,” he said, sitting up and following the obnoxious noise until he found his phone. “Seemed appropriate.”
She laughed softly as he answered.
“Carpenter.”
“I’ve got a potential Amber Alert I could use some help with.”
Ross wasn’t surprised the caller hadn’t bothered to introduce himself. Special Agent in Charge Dale Nichols frequently relied on the technology of caller ID as well as his longstanding acquaintance with Ross. In a crisis, Dale didn’t waste time – not for a few seconds of pleasantries, not even on a day like Christmas.
Ross sent Allie an apologetic look and headed for his office. “Potential?”
“One of my non-violent offenders has apparently been overcome by the Christmas Spirit.”
“The Christmas spirit doesn’t typically prod people into kidnapping.”
“You know what I mean. Based on the call, I can tell you he’s emotional, missing his kid, and not happy about facing jail time. It might be nothing, or it might be tragedy waiting to happen. Being a holiday, I’m short staffed and could use an assist keeping an eye on him.”
“Why not reach out to the local police department?”
Dale sighed. “Under normal circumstances I’d do that. But he’s an important witness for one of my cases and I want this kept off the record. Isn’t that what your team does?”
Ross bit back the gut reaction to Dale’s arrogant tone. “Yeah, that’s what we do.”
“Great. His mother has custody of the kid and they live in the sticks. Closer to you.”
The joys of owning the business, Ross thought, without a single regret. This was why he developed his team, why they’d formed the company. Sure Rick and Eva were partners in RC Investigations, but they’d both just wrapped up intensely personal cases, and they deserved a break.
“Give me an address,” Ross said. “Too bad you’re too much ‘special agent’ for the Florence office.”
Dale snorted. “Too bad you like it out there in the middle of nowhere.”
“Easier to see what’s coming,” Ross shot back. He might not have planned on living in Haleswood again, but with Allie here, it felt right. It was home, the first happy one he could recall as a civilian.
“Just help me out. You’ll have an email with the details shortly and I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”
“Fine.” He felt a little guilty about leaving Allie on Christmas morning, but she took it with a sweet smile, which only made him fall a little deeper in love with her.
“Don’t worry about me,” she said as he changed clothes and gathered his gear. “I wanted to go running anyway.”
“In the snow?”
“It’s not like it’s deep,” she teased. “And the cold air feels good. In short doses.”
“Better you than me. Thanks for understanding.” He gave her a kiss full of unspoken promises that he would make this up to her when he got back. “Have fun and do me a favor?”
She arched her eyebrows and waited.
“Keep your phone with you.”
She rolled those gorgeous blue eyes at him. “For my safety?”
“No, mine. Dale wants me to check on a witness for another one of his cases. The guy is flaking out and there’s a child involved. I might need backup.”
“I get to be backup?”
“Yes, but I’m allowed to hope that won’t be necessary.”
Smiling, she made an X over her heart. “I promise to keep my phone with me. Be safe.”
“You too,” he said and with one last, quick kiss, he was out the door.
* * *
To read the rest of Saving Christmas Day, pick up your copy of Heroes for the Holidays – currently on sale for only 99 cents!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
~V.R.