The Navy SEAL’s Holiday Fling: Ballybeg Bad Boys, Book 3 (7 page)

The person on the ladder was getting closer.

Taking a deep breath, Jill extracted her makeshift weapons and waited.

When fingers appeared on the uppermost rung of the ladder, she reached out and whacked them with the Magick Wand. A surprised grunt was followed by a shout. Her uninvited guest fell from the ladder and landed with a yowl. Jill grabbed her mobile phone and hit the number for emergency services.

He was coming up again, shouting this time. When the strange man climbed into her bedroom with his eyes blazing and his fists clenched, Jill backed up against the wall.

Oh, fuck.

L
iam pressed
the gas pedal to the floor, not caring if he racked up ten speeding tickets on the journey from Cork to Ballybeg. He hit Jill’s number but got her voice mail again. Ditto with the police stationed outside her house.

Come on, one of you. Answer the damn phone.

He passed the sign for Ballybeg and swerved into the narrow road that led to Jill’s house, dimming his lights. In the distance, he spied the upstairs light on in her house and the police car parked outside. No other vehicle was in evidence. His breathing steadied. At least the police were still there, but the fact that they weren’t answering their phones bothered him.

Liam pulled up behind the police and killed the engine. After a quick check of his weapons, he slipped out of the car. He scanned the terrain while he padded toward the police vehicle, his ID card held high.

No reaction. An icy prickle made the hairs on the nape of his neck stand to attention. Something wasn’t right.

And then he registered the blood all over the police car and the two slumped figures inside.
Fuck.
He wrenched open the car door and the lifeless body of a young policemen tumbled out. A woman in the driver’s seat had been shot in the forehead. Liam checked both bodies for a pulse, but it was too late.

Liam hit Tobin’s number. “Get your asses over to Jill’s house,” he said before the man could say a word of greeting. “He’s here.”

Cocking both guns, Liam leaped over the garden wall and sprinted to the front door.

He had to reach Jill before the Ghost did.

T
he man reached
for Jill’s phone and hurled it against the wall. Then he reached for her.

Her breathing labored, she sidestepped him with more luck than finesse, and used every ounce of strength in her body to strike him across the face with the sex toy. Stunned, the man took a step back and whacked his head against a low beam, just as Liam had done last night. Clutching his head, he slumped to his knees.

“What the fuck are you doing to me?” he moaned in excellent but accented English.

Jill wasted no time. She hit him again and again until he lay prostrate on the floor. When she was certain she’d knocked him out, she seized his wrists and secured them with the handcuffs. Then she rooted through her box of tricks, located leather restraints, and used them to bind his ankles.

Downstairs, someone banged on her front door. “Jill? Are you in there?”

“Liam?” she shouted. “I’m coming.”

She scrambled down the ladder and hobbled across the living room to the front door. She slid the bolt to the side, turned the key in the lock. When he burst in, she threw herself into his arms.

“Jill,” he murmured, stroking her soapy hair. “Thank God you’re okay.”

“How did you know I was in trouble?”

“Someone shot the two police officers outside in the car. I’ve already notified Inspector Tobin and emergency services.”

Jill covered her mouth to stifle a scream. Sergeant Walsh and Garda Toomey were
dead
? “The Ghost is up in my bedroom. He broke into my house and wrote a Bible quote on my bathroom mirror.” The words tumbled out in a mad jumble, sounding crazy even to her ears.

Liam moved past her and scrambled up the ladder. “Whoa,” he said halfway up. “What the hell went on up here? A Blush Shoppe product demonstration?”

“I’ll have you know that Blush Shoppe products make excellent weapons,” she said between tears. “I took him out with a Magick Wand.”

“Are those
pink fluffy handcuffs
on his wrists?”

“Yes. I had to improvise.”

Liam whistled and peered down from the ladder. “You did well, girl. Remind me never to piss you off.”

Jill shivered, realizing she was still wet and naked. She reached for her coat on the back of the door, and her fingers turned numb. A red backpack lay on her sofa. A red backpack that definitely hadn’t been there before she’d gone upstairs to have a shower. “Liam?”

He came back down the ladder, an eyebrow raised in question. “Yes?”

She pointed to the sofa. “Is that your backpack?”

His gaze fixed on the object in question and his eyes widened. “Oh, fuck.”

He sprinted across the room, grabbed Jill by the waist.

“What are you doing?” she asked with a gasp, realizing the stupidity of her words as she was uttering them.

Liam sprinted down the garden path with her in his arms, hurling them over the wall and racing down the lane. Police sirens sounded in the distance, and flashing lights followed a few seconds later.

“Protect your head,” Liam shouted, and dove to the ground, sheltering Jill in his arms.

Seconds later, her house exploded in a fiery inferno.

T
he debriefing
after The Ghost and Jill’s house were blown heavenward stretched into Christmas Day. While no positive I.D. had been made, international intelligence agencies were of the opinion that The Ghost was a lone wolf with a past affiliation to a Russian religious cult. Liam wasn’t entirely satisfied with this conclusion, but then, neither was anybody else. A terrorist with a name and a clear motive was easier to classify and analyze than a nameless lunatic. He and Cash would continue to dig for info but their hopes weren’t high.

When Liam and Jill were finally allowed to leave the Emergency Response Unit’s HQ, Liam called Meggie via video chat in the lobby. She was adorable in her red Christmas dress and matching Santa hat. She’d even tied a lopsided red bow around Barnabus’s head.

“I miss you, Daddy.”

Tears stung Liam’s eyes as he watched his little girl blow him a kiss. “I miss you, too. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it on time for Christmas. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”

His little girl nodded and adopted a stoic expression that no child her age should have to wear. “It’s okay. I know you were doing your job. Mommy says you’re a hero.”

Liam’s laugh caught in his throat. “I don’t feel much like a hero, baby.”

“I saw your picture on the news. The lady you saved is real pretty. I like her hair.”

Now he laughed in earnest. “So do I.”

Silence.

Liam could see the wheels in Meggie’s head turning. “Is she your girlfriend?”

He glanced in Jill’s direction. She was pretending not to listen in but the curve of her mouth gave her away. “I hope so, baby. How would you feel about her visiting us in January?”

Meggie considered this proposition. “Does she like dogs?”

Liam turned to Jill and raised an eyebrow in question.

“Yes,” she mouthed.

Liam grinned at Jill and turned back to the display. “Yeah. She likes dogs. And I’m sure she’s going to love Barnabus.”

Meggie nodded. “Well, all right then. She can come visit. But if you guys get married, I want to wear a glittery dress.”

“A…what?” Was this a fashion trend he’d missed?

“Hang on a sec.” Meggie vanished from the screen. When she reappeared, she was holding up a Barbie doll that was wearing a hideous pink glittery dress. His little girl beamed. “I want a dress just like this one.”

Liam opened and shut his mouth, fishlike. “Uh…sure.”

In the background, the doorbell chimed.

“That’s Grandma,” Meggie said. “I gotta go say hello.”

“You do that.” Much as he’d miss chatting to Meggie, Liam had no desire to encounter his former mother-in-law, on screen or anywhere else. “Enjoy your Christmas.”

“I will. See you.”

When Meggie ended the call, Jill slipped her arms around Liam’s shoulders. “I’m sorry you won’t make it home in time to collect your daughter.”

“So am I. I hate disappointing her, but staying in Ireland meant saving you.”

In the background, a man cleared his throat. Darko Dunne, Liam’s former boss, appeared in the doorway of police HQ, grinning from ear to ear. “Ballybeg gossip tells me you’re in need of a plane.”

Liam’s eyes widened at the sight of his former boss. “What are you doing here?”

“Without Jean-Baptiste’s culinary skills, Christmas dinner on Inish Glas wasn’t particularly appealing—” Darko winked at Liam, “—so Muireann, James-David, and I opted for a restaurant in Cork City and invited her family. We heard the whole story of your adventures from Muireann’s Aunt Bridie.”

“Yeah.” Liam flashed him a rueful grin. “My plan to make it home for Christmas didn’t quite work out.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Darko’s expression grew serious. “I owe you a favor after your help on the island. When do you need to be in the States?”

Jill reached across and squeezed Liam’s hand. “Now. He missed the last possible connection to make it to home in time to collect his daughter for their Christmas vacation.”

A grin spread across Darko’s tanned face. “I can help with that. I keep a private jet at Cork Airport. It can be staffed and ready to fly in one hour.”

Liam’s heart leaped. “Seriously? That would be fantastic.”

“And I can drive you to the airport.” Jill glanced at her watch. “If we leave now, you’ll be home in time to collect Meggie.”

“I need to get back to the restaurant,” Darko said, “but I’ll call my pilot on the way and set everything in motion.”

Liam shook his hand. “Thank you. I really appreciate the gesture.”

“No problem. I hope you enjoy the holidays with your daughter.”

After Darko left, Liam took Jill into his arms and kissed her. “I’ll miss you. I don’t want this to be a permanent goodbye. Have you decided if you’ll accept my invitation to visit me in New York?”

“About that…” Jill bit her lip. “I kind of have a confession to make.”

Liam’s breath caught in his throat. Had she changed her mind about giving their relationship a shot? The idea of never seeing her again crushed him.

“The CEO of Blush Shoppe has offered me whatever position I want in her company,” Jill continued. “I hope you won’t think I jumped the gun, but…”

“But?” he prompted.

She bit her lip and averted her gaze. “I suggested the store in Manhattan.”

“Seriously? That is awesome news.” He touched her cheek and her eyes met his. “Are you sure you want to leave Ireland, though? Your whole life is here.”

“Yes. And I want to change that.” She took his hands and dropped a kiss onto his wrist, sending an electric awareness shooting up his arm. “After what happened over the last two days, I want to embrace life. Quitting my staid and sensible job to manage the Blush Shoppe store was the first time I’d ever taken a risk. I always wanted to travel, but it somehow never happened. I don’t want to put off the things I want to do anymore. And I don’t intend to live a risk-free existence. The CEO of Blush Shoppe Enterprises has offered me a great job at a fantastic salary. I’d be mad not to take it.”

“Then you should accept.”

She searched his face. “You don’t feel pressured by me moving to New York?”

“Quite on the contrary. I’d love to have you nearby. As it happens, I have job news, too.”

Her eyes widened and he read hope and trepidation in their inky depths. “Are you off on another undercover mission soon?”

Liam shook his head. “When I spoke to Cash this morning, I accepted a desk job at Trident Securities. They need a guy on the ground, and Cash is itching to get back in the field.”

Jill raised an eyebrow. “Will you be content with an office job?”

“I’m thirty-five. I’ve led a life of adventure since I was eighteen. My main priority now is being able to see Meggie every weekend and you every day. Beyond that, I’m easy.” He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “I’m serious, Jill. I’ve put my job first for too long. That was the mistake I made after Meggie was born, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. I took the position with Trident Securities after I left the Navy because I wasn’t sure I could hack it as a civilian.”

“And you think you can now?” Her voice was low, tentative.

“Absolutely. Seeing the woman I’m falling for in danger put it all into perspective. I don’t care what I do to earn money as long as I can spend time with the people I care about. That’s what matters in life after all. I don’t want to be one of those guys who turns around and realizes his kids are grown and gone and he barely knows them. I don’t want another failed marriage. Next time I tie the knot, it’s forever.”