in bearer bonds to Russia via lesser paintings,” Nate explained.
“Hey!” Jennifer crossed her arms over her chest.
“Nathan knows nothing about art, love,” Stef said, kissing her
neck. He loved the nape of her neck. It was soft and always smelled
so good. He felt himself getting hard, but then he was always hard
around her. “You have to discount his opinion.”
“Sorry, Jen, but he was planning on using your painting.
Apparently, he refused to ship twenty million dollars across two
continents. Alexei and the dead guy were supposed to fly back with it.
They couldn’t just put it in a suitcase because airport security does
random checks. This was the way he’d found to work it. He just
hadn’t counted on you changing the paintings.”
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“And that’s why he had me arrested.” Jen put two and two
together. “He panicked. He had me arrested so he could search my
place and take the bonds back.”
Stef knew what had happened. Renard had waited too long. “But I
got there before he could. The minute I heard she’d been arrested, I
had people at her place, packing her up to get her back to Bliss. Nate and I were there just a couple of hours later. Renard tried to be
clever.”
He didn’t like to think about what could have happened to her. He
was damn grateful Renard had chosen the path he had. He could have
just killed her and taken the untraceable bonds the mob required as
payment.
“It’s all right,” Jen said, as though sensing his thoughts. Her hand
came up and smoothed across his cheek. “Everything is fine now.”
“The feds are coming for Alexei tonight.” Nate leaned against the
wall. The long hours he’d put in the last few days showed on his face.
Callie reached for his hand, and he pulled it up to his heart. The three of them were connected and content to be so. “They’ll take the bonds
into evidence and clean out our makeshift morgue. Is our doctor
staying, or did we run him off with our latest clusterfuck?”
Max’s eyes came open, and he put a hand over his sleeping
daughter’s head. “Will you watch your language, Sheriff? There is a
child in the room.”
“Sorry. After the way I heard she came into the world, I didn’t
suspect she would have delicate ears,” Nate shot back.
Rachel wasn’t at all embarrassed. “I did cuss a blue streak.”
“And threatened grievous bodily injury on me and Max,” Rye
added.
“Well, I was in a touch of pain. But the next one, I doubt I’ll even
go to the hospital. I’ll probably just squat, have the baby, and then get back to work. I’m like a pioneer woman. I don’t need a hospital. I’m
only here because Caleb made me.”
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Rye and Max had both gone sheet white. “Don’t you even think
about it, Rachel Harper,” Rye said.
“You’re going into the hospital the minute you get pregnant. I
won’t have our next baby born in Stella’s,” Max said, patting the
baby’s back. “My poor little princess.”
“I see Max got over the shock of having a daughter.” Jen chuckled
as she watched the huge badass man with a tiny baby girl.
“No, he hasn’t,” Rachel said with a sigh. “He’s just moved on to
paranoia mode. He’s talking about setting up a defensive perimeter
around our place.”
Max gestured toward his daughter. “Well, look at her. She’s
gorgeous. Men are going to come sniffing after her, and I have to be
prepared to kill them all.”
Callie was grinning at the sight, too. “Wouldn’t it be great if we
had a boy and he and little Paige Stephanie got married?”
“That is not going to happen, Cal,” Max shot back. “Paige is
going to be a nun.”
“We aren’t Catholic, Max.” Rachel turned to look at her more
reasonable husband. “Tell him, Rye.”
“Max and I talked it over, baby. We’re converting. Paige is
definitely going to a nunnery.”
Rachel shook her head and sighed. “And, I don’t think we can
scare Caleb off. He’s too interested in a certain someone to leave.”
Stef thought about the way Caleb had saved Alexei. His efforts
had been heroic. He simply wouldn’t give up on the big Russian.
Alexei was alive because Caleb had willed it so. Stef had a bad
feeling that Caleb might rue the day. Alexei seemed crazy about
Holly, and Holly was obviously grateful, if not simply interested in
him. Alexei had a long road to walk, though. He might be in prison.
Stef had promised to do what he could to help. He owed the man his
and Jennifer’s lives. Alexei would go with the feds and answer their
questions, but Stef would try to make sure the man didn’t spend the
rest of his life in prison. If he wanted to go home, Stef would try to
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get him there. If he wanted to come back to Bliss, well, there was
always room for one more.
“I’m glad the doc is staying. But Callie needs to beware. Don’t let
Doc do a sonogram,” Max complained. “He can’t tell the difference
between girl parts and boy parts.”
“And how is Logan?” Rachel asked, changing the subject.
“Healing,” Stef said carefully. Logan’s body was starting the
process, but Stef didn’t like where his head was at. He’d been silent
and sullen and utterly unlike Logan. He hadn’t flirted with the nurses.
He’d sat in his bed, and Stef could see he was building a wall around
himself, letting no one, not even his moms, inside. Zane had tried to
talk to him, but he’d been rebuffed. Stef would have to keep an eye on him.
King Stef. He was doing it again, but now he didn’t feel bad about it. Jennifer could tease him all she liked, but he was the King of Bliss in some ways. What he’d come to realize was that he hadn’t earned
the title by throwing money around. He’d earned it by loving this
town and all of her citizens. He loved them even when it was hard. He
would love them until the day he died, right here in Bliss.
“I’ll make sure he has a nurse on call when they’re ready to
release him. And Nate, don’t forget to have Hope file his paperwork.
Anything he needs outside of what the county can pay for, just send
me the bill.”
Jennifer turned her face up, and he knew what she was going to
say. “You really are good, King Stefan.”
“And I’ll be even better with a queen at my side.”
“Forever,” Jennifer said, going up on her toes for a quick kiss. “I
think I’ll like being queen.”
“So, let’s plan a wedding!” Rachel said with a happy smile on her
face.
Jen joined her friends and started planning the biggest day of his
life. He would have his father at his side, and the woman who was his
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true mother would be there, too. He would have his family and all of
Bliss.
The women planned, the baby slept, and the men talked about the
events of the day. Stef sat back and watched, utterly content.
All was right in his k
ingdom.
THE END
WWW.SOPHIEOAK.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prior to becoming a novelist, Sophie worked in theater and comic
books. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband and three
precocious children, who wonder when Mom is going to write a book
they will be allowed to read. Her answer: probably never. Sophie
believes in happy endings for everyone, no matter how extreme the
story. Her stories may feature some of the fringe elements of
sexuality, but at heart they are always about love. Small Town Siren, Siren in the City, Siren Enslaved, Three to Ride (Nights in Bliss, Colorado 1), Away From Me and Two to Love (Bliss, Colorado 2) are
available now. Sophie loves to hear from readers. Please feel free to
contact her at www.sophieoak.com.
Also by Sophie Oak
Ménage Amour: Texas Sirens 1: Small Town Siren
Ménage Amour: Texas Sirens 2: Siren in the City
Ménage Everlasting: Texas Sirens 3: Siren Enslaved
Ménage Amour: Nights in Bliss, Colorado 1: Three to Ride
Ménage Everlasting: Nights in Bliss, Colorado 2: Two to Love
Siren Classic: Away From Me
Also by Sophie Oak and Chloe Lang
Siren LoveXtreme: Playing the Field
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Document Outline
ONE TO KEEP