Redeeming Justice by Suzanne Halliday Read Free Book Online Page B

terms, the burdens he carried from his time with Special Forces
     didn’t play nice with the everyday world. How exactly did one explain the nightmares
     and the bloody dreams reliving moments of hell and agony? How did you justify a botched
     nighttime raid or the collateral damage it caused? How did you tell a young woman
     that her fiancé didn’t come home because of a crazed suicide bomber?
    “You do know a foot massage isn’t going to distract me, right?”
    Alex switched gear from deep introspection to lighthearted in a heartbeat. “It was
     worth a try, wasn’t it?” he grinned.
    “Out with it or I swear…Lacey…speed dial!”
    “I surrender,” Alex chuckled. “Her name is Meghan. She’s a teacher from Boston. As
     for why she’s not in the Casita, well…..she just isn’t.”
    Tori sat forward and planted a huge smacking kiss on his lips obviously in approval.
     “I love you Alex Marquez!” she trilled. Sliding off the chair, she slid her feet back
     into the flip flops and headed for the door. Apparently, now that she had her information,
     she was done with him.
    Waving over her shoulder she told him, “I’ll have Carmen set enough plates for a family
     dinner.” And with that she was gone.
    “Fuck my life,” he groaned as his eyes squeezed shut. A family dinner? Shit. How the hell was he going to explain who Meghan was and why she was here to Cam and
     Drae?

 
     
    The dining room was full of lively conversation and about a dozen people when Meghan
     made her way downstairs. Carmen had been in and out of her room multiple times throughout
     the afternoon, making sure she had everything she needed. When the housekeeper let
     her know that Family Justice would be gathering for dinner, she suspected she was
     about to be put on display.
    Luckily the Hispanic housekeeper was also a fountain of information, which gave Meghan
     a grasp on the immediate cast of characters. There were Alex’s two partners, Cameron
     and Draegyn, and their wives, Lacey and Victoria. In addition to Carmen there was
     the cook Ria, plus her husband Ben who was some sort of property manager. Betty, the
     woman who ran the business end of things, would also be there. Then there was Gustavo
     who took care of the horses and all the riding vehicles. Meghan got the impression
     Carmen had a soft spot for Gus. There was also Brody Jensen, the guy who trained the
     agency’s guard dogs.
    She also now knew that Brody was in residence all summer until the winter holidays;
     that Carmen lived nearby in town; that Cam and Drae lived on the property in their
     own houses; and that Betty had an apartment above the business center. Ria and Ben
     had renovated the old stable master’s house where they lived year round. One big happy
     family that Meghan was now in the middle of.
    The second she started down the steps, Alex appeared at the bottom to escort her in
     to the dining room. She was glad she’d changed into something less casual the minute
     she saw his eyes light up. Wearing a 1950’s style dress with a halter top, cinched
     waist, and full skirt, she skipped down the steps and pulled up at his eye level.
    “Major, you look dashing,” she told him as her eyes took in the crisp white shirt
     and black trousers he wore. He’d made some kind of effort with his hair but it was
     so out of control it was hard to tell. The beard however stayed. She’d never kissed
     anyone with facial hair before. Wait . What? Had her thoughts actually gone there? Good lord.
    He smiled into her eyes for a brief second before slapping a neutral expression on
     his face. “C’mon Meghan. Come and meet the family. You look fantastic, by the way.”
     She stumbled slightly at the sound of lusty appreciation in his voice but managed
     a quick recovery. When he put his arm out for her to slip her hand into, she almost
     died. Everything about his demeanor screamed gentleman .
    “Everyone,” he rumbled as soon as they got close to the