Page 15

The fire alarm continued its piercing wail as Noah held Jennifer’s hand tightly. She held her jacket tightly in one hand, ready to place it over her nose and mouth once the gas was deployed. He’d removed his own jacket, ready to do the same. Caleb did too, positioning himself by the door, ready to move. Stomach tied up in knots, he realized they’d only have one shot at this. Everything was on the line. If Skinner figured out what they were about to do, they were screwed.

“Fourteen…and fifteen,” Noah counted under his breath. “Now.”

A faint hissing sound emanated from the vents overhead. From beyond the door came confused shouts, followed by thuds and the clatter of weapons hitting the floor.

Noah gave it another ten seconds before nodding to Caleb, who threw open the door, keeping the lower half of his face covered by his shirt. The scene that greeted them was surreal—a courtroom frozen in chaos. Several mercenaries were already unconscious on the floor, while others staggered drunkenly, fighting to stay upright as the colorless gas did its work. Jurors and spectators had instinctively covered their faces at the fire alarm, many crouched low, giving them some protection.

Jakob Skinner was still standing, a handkerchief pressed to his face, but his movements were sluggish. His eyes widened with rage when he spotted Noah.

“Temple,” he slurred, raising his weapon with a trembling hand. Noah moved fast, crossing the distance between them in three long strides. One precise strike to Skinner’s wrist sent the gun clattering to the floor. A second blow to his solar plexus doubled him over. The mercenary leader fought back, landing a glancing blow to Noah’s jaw, but the gas was working against him. Noah caught his next wild swing and used Skinner’s momentum to drive him face-first into the defense table.

“Stay down,” Noah growled, coughing as the gas began choking him. Securing Skinner’s hands behind his back with zip ties from his pocket, he lifted his jacket, blocking the smoke as best he could, his eyes scanning the courtroom for Jennifer.

Across the room, Caleb was methodically neutralizing the remaining mercenaries, while Jennifer moved swiftly to where Judge Harriman was slumped in her chair, checking her pulse.

“She’s okay,” Jennifer called, her voice muffled by her jacket. “Just unconscious.”

Noah scanned the room for his targets. Sayifa and Rashid sat side by side at the defense table, both conscious but clearly affected by the gas. Sayifa’s cold, hate-filled eyes tracked Jennifer’s movements with undisguised hatred.

“Uncle Gator, we’re clear,” Noah spoke into his phone. “Ventilate the room.”

Within moments, powerful fans hummed to life, drawing the knockout gas from the courtroom. The doors burst open as tactical teams flooded in, securing the room with practiced efficiency. Noah spotted his uncle among them, his weathered face split in a grin despite the gas mask covering most of his features.

“Nice work, nephew,” Gator said, clapping Noah on the shoulder. “You always did have a flair for the dramatic.”

“Where were you?” Noah demanded. “I was worried.”

“Skinner’s men took out my security detail at the entrance,” Gator explained. “I managed to slip away in the ensuing craziness, then worked my way to the HVAC control room. Figured you’d need an ace in the hole. You know I like to stay one step ahead.”

Noah chuckled at Gator’s words. His uncle was always more than one step ahead, more like six. “Good call,” Noah admitted, watching as paramedics began attending to the civilians.

Across the room, Jennifer stood straight-backed and dignified, despite the chaos around her. Noah felt that familiar tug in his chest seeing her there, brave and unwavering. When her eyes met his, something passed between them, an acknowledgment of what had happened in that witness room moments before. They needed to talk. He was tired of hiding from his feelings. No matter what happened, what she decided, he would tell her how he felt—that he loved her.

Three hours later, the courtroom had been cleared, the civilians evaluated and released, the unconscious mercenaries removed to nice cozy jail cells. He’d let Gator and the authorities deal with them. Only a skeleton crew remained: two U.S. Marshals, the judge, the prosecutors, Noah, Caleb, Jennifer, the defense attorney, and the Amirs.

Judge Harriman, recovered from the effects of the gas but still visibly shaken, gaveled the impromptu session to order.

“In light of today’s events,” she said, her voice steely with controlled anger, “I am denying the defense motion for continuance and dismissing outright the claim of diplomatic immunity. The evidence of attempted kidnapping and armed assault in my courtroom renders such claims moot.”

Sayifa’s attorney began to protest, but the judge silenced him with a withering glare.

“Furthermore,” she continued, “I’m adding additional charges of obstruction of justice, attempted kidnapping, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. Multiple counts, one for each person present in the courtroom at the time of the armed assault. Until these new charges can be processed, we will proceed with the initial charges, because I want this case handled promptly. And since this is a bench trial, we don’t have to worry about empaneling another jury. Ms. Baptiste, I understand you’ve been through a trying experience, but are you prepared to give your testimony now, or would you prefer to wait until tomorrow?”

Jennifer squared her shoulders, her gaze fixed on the Amirs. “I’m ready now, Your Honor.”

Noah stood at the back of the courtroom, watching with admiration as Jennifer took the stand. For hours, she detailed the Amir family’s conspiring to abduct Chloe from her biological mother. She outlined every detail of how Tarik had used her to find Salem Hudson, his ex-lover, who’d escaped his abuse and gone into hiding while she was pregnant. How Tarik had convinced Jennifer that she was helping him find the woman he loved, to help him make amends and bring her home again. She outlined how after Tarik’s death, Sayifa and Rashid had contacted her, played upon her emotions of wanting to be part of her biological father’s family. Once they were convinced she would help them, they’d told her of their plan to bring Chloe back to their home in Dubai—where they belonged, she claimed. It was only after she’d agreed to help that Jennifer found out Sayifa had no plans to bring Chloe’s mother to Dubai too. No, she had a much more insidious plan for Salem, she wanted her dead. Her voice never wavered, even as Sayifa stared at her with undisguised malice.

When the prosecutor finished his questions, the judge called a brief recess before cross-examination began. The defense attorney seemed defeated, though he asked questions he obviously already knew the answers to. None of which helped his clients. Noah approached Jennifer as she stepped down from the witness stand.

“You were incredible,” he said softly, resisting the urge to take her hand in full view of the courtroom.

A small smile curved her lips. “I simply told the truth.”

“Sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do.”

Their moment was interrupted by a commotion at the defense table. Rashid had slumped in his seat, his face ashen. His attorney frantically called for medical assistance, and the judge ordered paramedics be summoned.

In the confusion, Jennifer found herself momentarily alone near the gallery railing—with Sayifa just feet away, her guard distracted by Rashid’s condition.

“You think you’ve won,” Sayifa hissed, her accent thickening with rage. “You are nothing. A mistake my husband made with your whore of a mother.”

Jennifer’s spine stiffened, but she said nothing.

“Did you know he regretted you? That he told me you were his greatest shame?” Sayifa continued, her voice low enough only Jennifer could hear. “Why do you think he never acknowledged you publicly? Why do you think when he died, we turned our backs on you?”

“I don’t care anymore,” Jennifer replied, her voice steady. “Whatever my father thought of me, I’m not defined by his choices or his family.”

Sayifa’s laugh was brittle. “So noble. So ignorant. Did you never wonder why we needed you in Dubai so badly? Why we didn’t simply eliminate you like I should have the moment you were born?”

Something cold settled in Jennifer’s stomach. “What are you talking about?”

“The fortune,” Sayifa spat out, each word laced with poisonous intent. “The one Muhammed left you in his will. Twenty-seven percent of the Amir holdings—nearly two billion dollars. His guilty conscience at work, I suppose. Money that should have remained with his true family.”

Jennifer felt as though the floor had dropped away beneath her. “You’re lying.”

“Am I? It’s why we needed you alive, needed to bring you to Dubai. Once there, you would have signed it all away—willingly or otherwise. The family lawyers had the papers ready.”

Noah appeared at Jennifer’s side, apparently noticing her agitation. “Everything okay here?”

Sayifa’s eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction. “Ask her about her inheritance, Mr. Temple. Ask her about the fortune my husband left her—the money she’s always been after—just like her greedy whore mother.”

Jennifer’s mind reeled. Her father had remembered her, had cared about her after all? So many years believing he’d forgotten her, that the modest financial support during her childhood had been the extent of his acknowledgment…

“Jennifer?” Noah’s concerned voice broke through her thoughts.

“She’s lying,” Jennifer said automatically, but uncertainty colored her tone.

“Why would I lie now?” Sayifa countered. “It’s over. Your testimony has destroyed us. The shame on the family will cause everything to crumble. But I want you to know what you’ve truly lost—not just a father who wanted you, provided for you, but a birthright. The perfidious idiot wanted you acknowledged before the whole world. He was a fool. I could never allow that to happen. I thought when he died, all his indiscretions would go away, but no…he acknowledged you in his will. You, a by-blow of a French woman unworthy of being the cleaning lady for our family, and he left you billions of dollars simply for existing. I refused to allow that to happen. Fortunately, there’s a clause in the will that says you have to come to live with the family to inherit. I assure you, that will never happen.”

Noah’s hand closed protectively around Jennifer’s arm. “Whatever game you’re playing, it’s not going to work. Jennifer made her choice—justice over money.”

“A choice made in ignorance,” Sayifa replied coldly. “She chose without knowing what she was giving up.”

“No,” Jennifer said, finding her voice again. “I would have chosen exactly the same way.” She stepped closer to Sayifa, no longer afraid of the woman who had terrorized her for months. “My father may have left me money, but he also left me his strength. And unlike you, I don’t need to destroy others to feel powerful.”

Sayifa lunged forward suddenly, her manicured nails aimed at Jennifer’s face. Noah moved instantly, placing himself between them as the marshal rushed to restrain Sayifa.

“You are dead to us!” Sayifa shrieked as she was pulled away. “You will never see a penny of that money! Never!”

Jennifer watched her go, a strange calm settling over her. She turned to Noah, whose face reflected concern, admiration, and something deeper that made her heart race.

“Is it true?” he asked quietly. “About the inheritance?”

“I don’t know,” Jennifer admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. I didn’t testify for money. I did it for Salem. For Chloe. Because they deserved justice.”

Noah’s hand found hers, their fingers intertwining. “For what it’s worth, I think your father would be proud of the choice you made today.”

Jennifer felt tears burning behind her eyes—not for the money she might have lost, but for the father she’d never truly known. “Do you think he really did care about me?”

“Two billion dollars says he did,” Noah replied with a gentle smile. “But I think the real testament to his love is the strength he passed on to you. That’s worth more than any inheritance.”

Jennifer leaned into him slightly, drawing strength from his solid presence. “What happens now?”

“Now,” Noah said, his voice low and intimate, “we finish what we started. You continue giving your testimony, the Amirs will be sent to prison, and…”

“And then?” she prompted when he paused.

Noah’s eyes held a promise that made her breath catch. “You and I are going to have a long talk and figure out what comes next. Together.”

The judge’s gavel sounded, calling the court back into session. Jennifer squared her shoulders, ready to face whatever came next—the cross-examination, the legal battles that would surely follow, the possibility of a fortune she’d never known existed.

But for the first time since this nightmare began, she wasn’t facing it alone. She glanced at Noah, drawing strength from his unwavering support, and knew with sudden clarity that some treasures were worth far more than billions.

The setting sun painted the sky in brilliant hues of orange and pink as Jennifer sat on Gator’s deck, watching light dance across Lake Pontchartrain. The gentle lapping of water against the pilings beneath them created a soothing rhythm that should have calmed her racing thoughts. Instead, she found herself replaying everything that happened in the courtroom over and over again.

“Two billion dollars,” she whispered, still unable to comprehend the figure.

Noah sat beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers, a glass of bourbon held loosely between his fingers. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of danger, revelations, and unexpected connections. The district attorney had reported they’d arrested a paralegal in their office for leaking the information on Jennifer’s safe house locations to Karim Amir. Now, in the aftermath of the trial, everything was suddenly…still.

“You okay?” Noah asked, his voice low and gravelly, full of concern that made Jennifer’s heart flutter despite everything else swirling through her mind.

She turned to look at him, studying the profile she’d come to know so well. The strong jawline, now relaxed without the constant tension of watching for threats. The slight crinkles at the corners of his eyes that deepened when he smiled. The scar through his eyebrow that she now knew came from an accident years ago when he’d been in bootcamp.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “It doesn’t feel real. Sayifa and Rashid are going to prison. Abdullah doesn’t blame me for testifying against his family. And apparently, I’m an heiress—a freaking billionaire.” She let out a shaky laugh. “Just your average Tuesday, right?”

Noah’s lips curved into a smile before he took a slow sip of his drink. “Nothing about you has ever been average, Jennifer.”

The wooden deck creaked as she shifted in her chair to face the water again. Through the glass doors, she could see Gator moving around his kitchen, giving them privacy while remaining nearby—a habit from years working for the Agency that he couldn’t quite shake, she was sure.

“Do you think Abdullah is telling the truth? About protecting me from the rest of the family?”

Noah was quiet for a moment. “Gator trusts the source who’s working with Abdullah. I don’t know the man personally, but I know him by reputation, and his word is gold. And from everything we’ve learned, Abdullah was as much a victim of Sayifa and Rashid as you were. Different circumstances, but the same manipulative cruelty.”

She nodded, remembering the testimony about how Sayifa and Rashid had drugged Abdullah and confined him to a mental institution to prevent him from interfering with their plans. “It’s strange to think I have family out there, people connected to me by blood. Who I’ve never met. Who my father wanted me to know.” She still had trouble wrapping her head around that, after craving a family for so long. Muhammed Amir had proven he cared about her, and she’d never known—until now.

“Are you thinking about going to Dubai?” Noah asked, his tone carefully neutral, but Jennifer caught the subtle tension in his tightening of the skin around the corners of his eyes.

“I don’t know.” She grimaced, starting to feel like those three words had become her mantra. “Part of me is curious about the life my father led, about the half-siblings I was never allowed to meet or talk about until a few months ago. But another part of me…” She trailed off.

“Another part of you what?” Noah prompted gently.

Jennifer turned to face him fully. “Another part of me is terrified the moment I step off a plane in Dubai, this will all start again. Different players, same game.”

Noah set his glass down on the small table between them and reached for her hand. His fingers were warm as they entwined with hers. “Whatever you decide, you won’t be alone.”

Something in his words made her breath catch. For the past few weeks, he had been her shadow, her protector, her bodyguard. They’d developed a connection that transcended professional boundaries, but they’d both been careful not to define it, though neither could ignore it, even when danger lurked around every corner.

“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” she said softly. “It’s over. The threats, the danger—it’s all finished. Abdullah Amir has ensured Sayifa and Rashid have been cut off from all their personal money, as well as any family money, their accounts emptied. He’s also promised they will not be a problem from behind bars because my father’s inheritance to me has been exposed. No more secrets. You don’t have to be my bodyguard anymore.”

The implications of her statement hung in the air between them. Without their professional obligation, what were they to each other now?

Noah’s thumb traced slow circles on the back of her hand. “Is that what you think? That I’ve just been fulfilling a contract this whole time?”

“No,” she whispered, her voice barely audible above the sound of the water. “But I need to hear you say it.”

The last rays of sunlight caught in his eyes as he looked at her, and Jennifer saw something there that made her heart race.

“Jennifer, I crossed the line from professional to personal a long time ago. When I thought I might lose you in that bombing in New Orleans, when I saw what Skinner had planned for you…” His jaw tightened at the memory. “I’ve never been more scared in my life, not even when I stood in the middle of a firefight in Kabul, not when I faced a dishonorable discharge, and the threat of losing everything I thought was important. None of those things terrified me like the thought of losing you.”

She felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “Where do we go from here?”

Noah shifted closer, his free hand coming up to cup her cheek. “That depends. What do you want? Not what your father wanted, not what your inheritance demands, not what anyone else thinks you should do. What do you want?”

The question was so simple, yet so profound. For so long, it seemed her life had been defined by pretending, by reacting, by surviving. She hadn’t had the luxury of wants and desires beyond trying to please everybody else.

“I want…” she began, then paused, gathering her courage. “I want to find out who I am without fear shadowing my every move. I want to use this money to do something meaningful. And I want…” She swallowed hard, looking directly into his eyes. “I want to find out what this is between us, without danger pushing us together or professional boundaries holding us apart.”

A slow smile spread across Noah’s face, transforming his features in a way that made her heart skip. “I want that too,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “All of it.”

“Do you think you could…love me?”

“Sweet Jen, I think I fell in love with you the minute I saw your picture, in a file asking me to watch over you. I think that old man in there,” he gestured toward Gator, still surreptitiously watching them from the kitchen window, “set this whole thing in motion, because he knew I wouldn’t be able to resist you.” Taking both of her hands in his, he gazed deeply into her eyes. “Jennifer Baptiste, I love you. I love your strength. I love that no matter what life has thrown into your path, you keep going. When you’re knocked down, you get back up, ready to face whatever challenge is thrown into your path. You’re strong in ways you don’t realize, and you’ve got a heart that cares about others.”

She shook her head. “I wish all that was true. Noah, you’ve only seen the me that’s trying to make amends, the me who’s trying to do better. I’m not a good person. I let Tarik—”

He placed a fingertip against her lips. “The person you were before isn’t important. The person you are now, the person you’ve grown into, that’s the woman I love. I am so in love with you I can’t see straight. I don’t care who you were. I love you.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks at his words. “I love you too, Noah. I was so afraid once your job was done, you’d realize the truth about me, about the person I’d been, walk away and never look back. And I think it would have broken me. Broken my heart. Broken my spirit. I’ve never felt like this, never loved anybody. It’s overwhelming. I…I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” Her words broke off with a ragged sob.

Noah leaned forward, his intentions clear in his eyes. Jennifer met him halfway, their lips coming together in a kiss that felt like both an ending and a new beginning. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer, and for the first time in months, she felt completely safe.

When they finally broke apart, breathless and smiling, she rested her forehead against his. “You know,” she whispered, “I think I might know what I want to do with at least some of that inheritance.”

“Oh?” His eyebrows lifted in question.

“Buy a place like this,” she said, gesturing to the peaceful waterfront setting around them. “Somewhere quiet, somewhere beautiful. Somewhere I can finally stop running.”

“Will I be with you at this place?”

She nodded, not bothering to hide her grin.

Noah smiled, his fingers threading through her hair. “Then it sounds perfect.”

“Except…maybe in the mountains? Think you might know someplace like that?” She watched his smile grow huge before he laughed, and she joined in, letting the peacefulness of the moment fill her with a quiet joy.

As darkness settled over the bayou and the first stars appeared in the sky, Jennifer felt a sense of peace wash over her. The nightmare was finally over. Sayifa and Rashid would spend the rest of their lives in prison. The family that had hunted her would no longer be a threat. And the man beside her—the man who had protected her, fought for her, and ultimately fallen in love with her—was no longer bound by duty to stay.

Yet he was still here, his hand in hers, his future entwined with her own by choice rather than obligation.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges: decisions about the inheritance, potential trips to Dubai, figuring out what normal life even looked like after everything they’d been through. But tonight, sitting on Gator’s deck with the sounds of the bayou surrounding them, with Noah’s steady presence beside her, Jennifer allowed herself to simply be.

For the first time in longer than she could remember, she was not afraid of what tomorrow might bring. Because she’d found her forever home. In Noah.