Authors: Marliss Melton,Janie Hawkins
Long Gone (10 page)
“Hey, Dad,” he said as Connor picked up on the first ring. He met his mother’s gaze and said, “Mom says this was your idea.”
“Yeah, well, don’t thank me yet,” his father cautioned. “I’m sending you overseas as a precaution. Of course, she can go with you.”
Drake had thought he’d be working at Headquarters for the next year. “To where?” he asked, dreading the answer.
“Somewhere in Spain.
You’ll be briefed on Monday.”
He heaved a sigh of relief. Spain was good. No wonder
Skyler’s
hair had been died black; it would help her fit in better in that Mediterranean region. “
Skyler
tells me you’ve nailed all of Milton’s favorites.”
“Yes, I have. And every one of them is looking at life in jail,” Connor assured him. “I’ll tell you all about it over supper tomorrow.”
But tomorrow was Thanksgiving. “Wait…” Drake glanced at his mother in surprise, but she turned away just then, slipping back into the kitchen. “You’re having Thanksgiving with us?”
“That’s what your mother wants.”
“Oh.” He had no idea what this meant, but his parents were old enough to figure out their own lives. “Okay. See you then.”
“Yep.”
As he put his phone away and reached for
Skyler
, he couldn’t fathom ever being estranged from her. But, love, he realized, had many different stages, and he couldn’t wait to go through them all with her and for them to know each other the way his parents did.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her.
She drew a shaky breath and let it out again. “Like this is all a dream? I don’t know, I’ve been so excited, so scared that I can’t keep anything down.” She laid a hand on her flat stomach.
Drake glanced down as a thought skewered his consciousness. But her waist looked as trim and narrow as it always did.
Nah, it couldn’t be.
Still, anything was possible as evidenced by the fact that she was suddenly in his life again. It was like a shooting star had landed in his lap.
He shook his head, marveling. “Wow. Thanksgiving might not be here until tomorrow, babe, but I’ve never been more thankful than I am right now.”
Her wide smile mirrored his sentiment. “I love you,” she said.
“I love you more.”
He sealed his assertion with a kiss.
Click here if you enjoyed LONG GONE
Any kind of publication, even a short one, takes a group effort.
Many thanks to my co-author, Janie Hawkins, who helped—not just with this work—but with the whole second half of my Navy SEALs series.
At last you get the credit you deserve, lady! Thanks, also, to Sydney Baily-Gould, my developmental and copy editor, and to Rachel Fontana, my associate editor for their time, insight, and devotion. I can’t forget my loyal proofreaders, Marilyn Harper and Don Klein, or my cover artist at Wicked Smart Designs, Dar Albert. Still, this story wouldn’t have been written at all if not for the support and enthusiasm of you, my readers. You’ve begged for years for
Skyler
and Drake’s own happily-ever-after. Well, here you have it!
COMING SOON FROM
MARLISS MELTON
LONG GONE
, A Novella Based on the Characters from TOO FAR GONE
(Nov 2012) ISBN: 978-1938732065
It’s been four years since FBI Special Agent Drake Donovan fell in love with the daughter of the mob boss he put behind bars. In spite of his efforts to move on with his life, one desperate phone call from the blue-eyed beauty pulls him right back in to the fight for her future. Drake will assume any risk to keep
Skyler
from being lost to him again, but will it be enough to free her from the mob-ties that bind her?
THE ENFORCER
,
Taskforce
Series
Book #3 (Summer 2013)
When the Taskforce suspects a militia in
West Virginia
is behind the bombing of federal buildings, Special Agent Tobias Burke goes undercover with his bomb-sniffing dog to incriminate the militia’s leader. Toby is prepared to play the role of a disgruntled veteran and to seduce former Army Captain Dylan Connelly, if that’s what it takes to prove her guilt. But fiery-haired Dylan is unlike any woman Toby has ever encountered. Determined, intelligent, and achingly vulnerable, she sparks a white-hot desire in Toby to posses her, body and soul. As the evidence against the militia stacks higher, Toby must choose between loyalty to his country and attempting to prove Dylan’s innocence.
DANGER CLOSE
, A Navy SEAL Book
(2014)
When Lt. Sam
Sasseville
rescues do-gooder Madison Scott from drug-infested
Matamoros
,
Mexico
, he expects never to see the lovely humanitarian aid worker again.
Boy,
is he mistaken. The woman appears in every God-forsaken hot spot to which Sam is deployed. Furious with her, Sam insists he has better things to do than rescue
Madison
’s sweet ass every time the shit hits the fan. In the end, though, it is Madison who must rescue Sam from an enemy he has never before encountered.
Rave Reviews for
MARLISS MELTON
THE PROTECTOR
“…the kind of intrigue I enjoy, much like Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, and
Steig
Larsen. In my opinion they have nothing on her.”
- Lt. Col. John Lund, U.S. Air Force, ret.
SHOW NO FEAR
“If you enjoy good suspense, lots of action, plenty of plot twists and realistic romance, then Marliss Melton’s
Show No Fear
is
for you.
- Novel Reviews, Book Reviews
TOO FAR GONE
“Likeable and honorable characters who elicit sympathy and/or empathy…
- RomRevToday.com
DON’T LET GO
“4 Stars!
Another winner in a top-notch series! …
- Romantic Times
BOOKreviews
Magazine
NEXT TO DIE
“Melton brings her considerable knowledge about the military and intelligence world to this Navy SEAL series.
- Freshfiction.com
TIME TO RUN
“Melton…doesn’t miss a beat in this involving story.”
- Publishers Weekly
IN THE DARK
“Hooked me from the first page…
- Lisa Jackson,
NYT Bestselling Author
FORGET ME NOT
“A wonderful book, touching all the right heartstrings.
I highly recommend it!”
- Heather Graham,
NYT Bestselling Author
Novels by
MARLISS MELTON
THE TASKFORCE SERIES
THE PROTECTOR
(June 2011)
THE GUARDIAN
(July 2012)
THE ENFORCER
(Summer 2013)
TEAM TWELVE NAVY SEALs SERIES
FORGET ME NOT
(Dec 2004)
IN THE DARK
(June 2005)
TIME TO RUN
(Feb 2006)
NEXT TO DIE
(August 2007)
DON’T LET GO
(April 2008)
TOO FAR GONE
(Nov 2008)
SHOW NO FEAR
(Sept 2009)
Meet the Author
Marliss Melton is the author of nine gripping
romantic suspense novels, including a 7-book Navy SE
ALs series and continuing with The Taskforce Series.
She relies on her experience as a military spouse and on her many contacts in the Spec Ops and Intelligence communities to
pen
heartfelt stories about America's elite warriors and fearless agency heroes.
Daughter of a
U.S.
foreign officer, Melton grew up in various countries overseas. She has taught English, Spanish, ESL, and Linguistics at the
College
of
William
and Mary, her alma mater.
She lives near Virginia Beach with her husband, young daughter, and four college-aged children.
You can find
Marliss on
Facebook
, Twitter and
Pinterest
.
Visit
www.marlissmelton.com
f
or more information
.
