Tell Me No Lies: The Black Orchid, Book 1 (37 page)

“Good. And what about Asa?”

“He’s in training to be an agent. He’s graduating soon, and when he does, he’ll be assigned to shadow me for a year.

She gazed at me. “Is that weird for you? You two don’t exactly get along.”

“When it mattered, he had my back, even if his motivation was to get promoted.”

“And your pal Zelie?” Rain made a face. “I hope she’s not getting out in twelve months too.”

Laughing, I leaned forward. “She was recalled to Taiwan. They will handle her however they see fit. But enough about business, I’ve missed you.”

I leaned forward and wiped a smudge of powdered sugar from her face. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”

She blushed but returned my gaze. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small velvet-wrapped box. “That’s perfect, because I have something for you.”

Eyes wide, she watched as I opened the case to reveal a two-karat, princess cut diamond in a simple platinum band.

“You like it?”

She squealed and then clapped her hands over her mouth. “What about your job? I thought you weren’t supposed to—”

I brought a finger to her lips to silence her. “Mark told me if I found Il Morte, he’d give me my pick of assignments.” I removed the ring from the box and gently pushed it onto her ring finger.

“Though Asa is the agent on record for the delivery, Mark knows I had a hand in bringing him in.”

“So what did you select?”

She gazed at the ring, holding it up in the sunlight streaming through the glass window.

“I’m going to be working with a new group of agents with a new agenda. This time, I’ll be able to see who I want, when I want.”

Her lips tugged downward. “Will you have to move?”

“No. I’ll occasionally have to fly to DC for a meeting or two, but I’ll be working remotely from Raleigh, if you’ll have me.”

She looked at me, eyebrows lifting. “Tell me about this new organization.”

I paused for a moment, wondering how she’d feel about what I had to say. “It began with Luke’s idea to turn Il Morte into a group of operatives working to make real change, but it’s become much more. And when Luke gets out of prison…he’ll join us.”

Rain’s eyes widened but she didn’t anything.

“Mark is also on board. Apparently, he’s as tired of The Group as we are. Over the years, he’s made some powerful friends and allies, and with their assistance and guidance we’ll create a new organization run by real American patriots. Not to say that the CIA isn’t patriotic but I don’t like the way they do business.”

It had been like pulling teeth for Mark to get me away from The Group, but since he knew where all the skeletons were buried, he was able to break himself and me free. We would start with a small staff, all the better to be agile, flexible and strategic in our missions.

No more bureaucracy, just getting shit done and making real change.

“This new organization’s directives will not be based on diplomacy or politics, but the US Constitution and what’s best for the American people.”

While she took a moment to digest all of the news I’d given her, I gently removed the ring from her hand, got out of my seat and kneeled on one knee. “Can we stop talking shop for a moment?”

“Of course.” She looked at me, saw me on my knee and tears immediately sprung into her eyes. “Kael! Here? Now?”

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that everyone in the dining area was watching us. “Yes, baby. Here and now. I can’t wait another minute to make you mine.”

Tears ran down her cheeks and her lips trembled.

“I know I’m doing this ass-backwards. I’ve already shown you the ring.” I chuckled. I took her hand in mine and brought it to my lips. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife, Rain? Will you be mine forever?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I would love to be your wife. I would love to be yours. Forever.” I stood, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. The dining room broke out in applause and catcalls and Rain hid her reddened face in my chest.

I brought her to her feet, sealing the moment with a kiss. “No more lies, babe,” I whispered into her ear. “Do you hear me?”

Nodding, she slipped her arm around my waist as we headed to the front of the café. The door suddenly burst open and a new stream of customers streamed inside.

Suzette frantically waved her hands at Rain. “We’re going to have to hire another cook, Ms. Howard! The kitchen is slammed!”

Rain threw her head back and laughed. “A wonderful problem to have.” She raced behind the counter and shrugged into her apron, then looked at me. “Wanna do more than just look pretty?”

A laugh escaped my lips as I caught a red and green tartan apron she threw my way. I wrapped it around my waist and joined her in the kitchen. “Oh, I can cook too. Let’s make some beignets, baby.”

She gazed at me, her eyes shining and her lips lifted into a beatific smile. “Let’s make some beignets.”

About the Author

A native of North Carolina, Magnolia Smith is a military spouse and the mother of three boys. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, American history and Southern cooking.

Tell Me No Lies
is her first novel.

Connect with Magnolia on Twitter at
@HunterSmith01
or visit her website
www.magnoliasmith.com
where she blogs about her travels, good food and wine and her stories of course.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B

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Tell Me No Lies

Copyright © 2016 by Magnolia Smith

ISBN: 978-1-61923-089-7

Edited by Latoya Smith

Cover by Lyn Taylor

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: May 2016

www.samhainpublishing.com