Taking a Risk Part Two Read online

  Taking a Risk, Part Two

  R.I.S.C. Series

  Anna Blakely

  Copyright © 2019 Anna Blakely

  All rights reserved.

  All cover art and logo Copyright © 2018

  Publisher: Anna Blakely

  Cover by Lori Jackson Design

  Content Editing by Trenda London

  Copy Editing by Tracy Roelle

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduces in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, and places portrayed in this book are entirely products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.00.

  If you find any eBooks being sold or shared illegally, please contact the author at anna@annablakelycom.

  Other Books by Anna Blakely:

  R.I.S.C. Series:

  Taking a Risk, Part One

  Beautiful Risk

  Intentional Risk

  Unpredictable Risk

  R.I.S.C. Bravo Team Series:

  (Special Forces: Operation Alpha World)

  Rescuing Gracelynn

  Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Beautiful Risk

  About the Author

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to the men and women who serve, or have served in the military, EMS, fire, and/or law enforcement. You are the true heroes.

  Prologue

  “What the fuck are we waiting for?” Marcus asked him impatiently. “Let’s just take her now and get this shit over with.”

  He wanted to snap the man’s neck like a twig. “It is not the time.”

  “The fuck you mean, it’s not time? The bitch is alone, man. There’s no one around. It’s the perfect time. Besides”—the shorter, African-American man hugged himself closer—“I’m freezin’ my ass off out here.”

  He wanted to kill him, but couldn’t. Not yet. There was still much to do, and though he hated to admit it, he needed both Marcus’s and Carlos’s help.

  He hadn’t had any trouble from Carlos, which was why he’d entrusted him to wait in the car as a lookout of sorts. Of course, Carlos was so desperate to please him, the guy would probably suck his dick if asked.

  Marcus, on the other hand, had been a pain in the ass since the day fate had joined them.

  The man had a mouth that never stopped. His constant questions and second-guessing made him want to put a bullet through the idiot’s brain.

  That time would come. For now, he’d settle for making sure Marcus understood how things worked in his world.

  He moved fast, not giving Marcus time to react. His fingers wrapped around the imbecile’s throat, and he began to squeeze.

  “W-what...the...?” Marcus could barely get the words out as he tried to fight back.

  “We will take her when, and only when, I say it is time.”

  The fool still tried to argue, so he tightened his grip even more. This time, he completely cut off Marcus’s oxygen supply. “I told you before, I am in charge. Do you understand?”

  Marcus’s face turned an ugly shade of purple, and his eyes were beginning to bulge. Unable to speak, the man’s lips finally moved, mouthing his silent agreement.

  “Good.” He released his hold roughly.

  Stumbling, the idiot coughed. “Jesus, man...take it easy. I was just...askin’.”

  “Your job is not to ask questions. Your job is to do what I say, when I say it. Is that clear?”

  Marcus rubbed his hand over the red marks on his neck. The other man wisely answered, “Yeah. Sure.” He coughed again. “What the fuck ever, man.”

  He turned back toward the house and looked through the trees. The front door opened, and his heart rate increased as he watched with anticipation.

  Dressed for work, the woman stepped outside with so much haste, she almost stepped on his little surprise. Even though they were hidden in the thicket at the edge of her property, he could still hear the scream she let out when she saw it.

  He smiled, enjoying the fear he knew she was feeling. Felt himself go hard as he watched her slowly bend down to study the very personal gift he’d left for her more closely. He wondered if she would even realize its significance. If she didn’t yet, she would.

  Olivia Bradshaw was smart and clearly resourceful. He had no doubt the bitch would figure out just how important his little surprise was. The only question was, what would she do about it when she did?

  Visibly upset, she quickly went back inside. To call the police? Possibly, but he wasn’t worried. He and Marcus had prepared for such an occasion.

  Soon, she came back out onto the porch with something long and metal in her hand. After taking a picture of his gift, she slid her phone into her scrubs pocket. Then, using the pincher end of the tool, she poked his surprise a few times.

  He nearly laughed out loud when she used that same end to pick up his gift and walk it over to the field on the west side of her driveway.

  She threw it into the weeds, nearly dropping the tool in the process. Satisfaction rolled through him when he saw her whole body shiver.

  The bitch took the tool back into her house, and then nearly ran to her car. Her head swiveled as she moved, scanning the area for anyone who might be there. She couldn’t see him, of course.

  He continued to stare at the tiny, white house, even after she was gone. He’d been in it several times, now. Knew the place inside and out.

  It was ridiculous how easily he’d been able to break in. Her only form of security was a deadbolt and a shotgun by the back door.

  He’d found the gun the first time he’d been inside. For a moment, he’d considered removing its shells, but in the end decided to leave them. Give her a fighting chance.

  The thought made him smile. She’d have no chance. Not this time.

  When he finally did make his move, Olivia Bradshaw would pay for what she’d done to him...with her life.

  Chapter 1

  Olivia parked her Honda Civic in the gravel driveway. She turned off the ignition and, with an exaggerated sigh, let her head fall back against the headrest.

  Closing her eyes, she allowed herself a moment of peace before re-opening one eye to look down at her watch.

  Seven forty-five a.m. She grimaced before getting out of her car, not wanting to stay out in the open alone for too long. Just in case.

  Yawning, Olivia put her hand over her mouth. She barely noticed the slight chill in the air as she walked up the small sidewalk, wishing she hadn’t covered the night shift. Again.

  She’d been doing that a lot the past few weeks...covering for nurses who couldn’t make it in for one reason or another.

  Olivia was pret
ty sure everyone thought she was just trying to prove herself since having come ‘back from the dead’. The truth was, she needed to stay busy.

  The hospital here wasn’t as non-stop as Dallas Regional—where she used to work—but the minor injuries and illnesses seen in the ER here were enough to provide the distraction she desperately needed.

  So, for the past month and a half, Olivia had signed up for every available shift she could. It helped...or, at least it used to.

  She’d moved to Northern Falls six weeks ago. It was a small city located half an hour northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

  Its population of nearly 6,000 made it a tiny spec compared to DFW’s three million. It was exactly what Olivia had been looking for.

  Northern Falls was quiet. Peaceful. After the chaos that had become her life, Olivia felt she had no choice but to leave the city for somewhere smaller and more secluded.

  Now, that same seclusion she craved just a few short weeks ago was becoming yet another source of heightened anxiety.

  As she made her way to the quaint porch, Olivia studied the small house she’d rented. It was the only one around for miles.

  Before, she thought she’d never want to leave the city. After barely surviving what Olivia now referred to as “The Volunteer Mission from Hell”, that changed.

  Everything changed...after.

  Her life was like that now, clearly divided into two halves—Before and After. God, how she longed to go back to Before.

  Before she’d ever stepped foot in Madagascar. Before her new friends had been ruthlessly murdered right in front her. Before some idiot had decided to fixate on her.

  Before Jake. An invisible weight fell on her heart as his name entered her mind.

  For years, Jake had been her best friend. For one magical night, he’d been so much more.

  Then, the big jerk left without so much as a word. Two freaking months ago.

  Olivia quickly shut the door on those thoughts. At least, she tried to.

  Even on mornings like this, when she was so bone-tired she could barely make it up her porch’s four steps, thoughts of Jake somehow managed to push their way through.

  She’d tried everything to keep from thinking about him, including nearly working herself to death. Some days it worked, but lately, even the double-shifts weren’t enough.

  No matter what, Jake always seemed to be there. Drifting around in the back of her mind.

  Olivia would be in the middle of completing a patient’s chart or stocking a room’s cart with various medical supplies, and she’d find herself wondering where he was and what he was doing.

  Day after day, no matter what she did to avoid it, the same questions would roll through her mind.

  Was he ok? Had he been hurt on the job? Was he ever coming back? If he did come back, would he even bother to come see her?

  Then, she’d start to worry he would show up, which created a whole new set of questions.

  What the hell would she say to him? Would he still want to be her lover, or would they go back to being just friends?

  Could they even be friends after the way he’d left her? Did she even want to be his friend anymore?

  It began to consume her. So much so, Olivia hadn’t been able to resist contacting Homeland Security Agent Jason Ryker—Jake’s handler and one of the agents who’d questioned her about her abduction—more than once to try to find out what she could.

  Olivia had only recently learned that Jake left his Delta Special Forces team—and the Army altogether—a few years ago to start R.I.S.C., an elite, private security company.

  The acronym, which stands for Rescue, Intel, Security, and Capture, pretty much sums what Jake and the other members of R.I.S.C.’s Alpha Team do.

  While running for their lives in the Venezuelan jungle, Jake explained his team often worked with Homeland Security, and sometimes even the FBI and CIA.

  R.I.S.C. sometimes took on private citizens as clients, depending on the people involved and the situation.

  Thanks to the very limited amount of information Jason had been willing to share with her so far, Olivia knew Jake and his team were on some big, important job. Supposedly, they had been since their questioning that first day back had ended.

  Not every job R.I.S.C. took on was dangerous, but from what Olivia understood, most were. This explained why, even though she was beyond ticked at the man, she was still worried about him.

  The last two times Olivia spoke with Agent Ryker, he’d assured her that he’d been in contact with Jake, and that he was fine. Each time he told her that, she’d had the same, roller-coaster reaction.

  She felt immediate relief in knowing that, at least for the time being, Jake was safe. Then, just as quickly as her relief hit, the anger and pain would start to slide in.

  When this part of the cycle came, Olivia’s mind would conjure up all sorts of mean-spirited—and very colorful—things to say to her good buddy, Jake. Words that would make a sailor blush.

  Because the obvious question was, if Jake really was okay, then why hadn’t he contacted her? He’d obviously spoken to Homeland, so why hadn’t he called her?

  The night they spent together aside, he was her best friend. He should have at least found the time in the last two months to pick up a damn phone and let her know he was okay.

  Olivia would then start to think that maybe it was a good thing he hadn’t called. Jake was always so intuitive. The minute he heard her voice, he’d know something was wrong.

  He’d worry. Probably catch the next flight home from wherever he was and swoop in to try and save the day. Olivia didn’t want that. She just wanted...him.

  Yawning again, she didn’t even bother to cover her mouth, this time. Okay, so she wanted Jake and a good night’s sleep. It had been far too long since she’d had either one.

  After returning from South America, Olivia had started to dream about her late brother again. The dreams were different each time, but they were always terrifying.

  She’d see her brother, Mikey, in the midst of various training exercises. The dreams would then cut-scene and change.

  Mikey would be hurt and, despite knowing what needed to be done to save him, she’d just stand there, watching helplessly as he suffered and died.

  Olivia and her father had never been given the exact cause of Mikey’s death. The only information the Army had shared with them was that her brother had died during a training accident. Which probably explained the multitude of ways her mind had imagined him dying in her dreams.

  Lately, however, the nightmares had started changing mid-way. Instead of Mikey dying, it would be Jake.

  As if that wasn’t enough, her dreams would morph, again. She’d find herself back in the jungle with Jake and, like before, they’d be running for their lives.

  No matter how the dreams played out, Jake always ended up dead, and Olivia was always awakened by her own screams.

  Both physically and emotionally exhausted, Olivia knew she couldn’t keep going like this. Something had to give, and soon.

  As for Jake, Olivia was also starting to realize that if he truly wanted to be with her, he would have found a way to call or text. Plain and simple.

  With that in mind, she unlocked her door, stepped inside, and closed it before securing the two deadbolts, and entering her alarm system’s code.

  She was starting to get used to this new routine. She hated it, but after everything that had happened, Olivia wasn’t taking any chances.

  Removing her Glock 43 from her purse—something she never thought she’d carry on a regular basis—she headed down the narrow hallway to her bedroom at the back of the house.

  Her eyes did a quick sweep as she moved, making sure nothing was out of place. A habit she couldn’t seem to break. Thankfully, everything appeared as it had when she’d left for work yesterday morning.

  Breathing easier, Olivia placed the gun in her nightstand drawer and began getting some things together. She’d just pulled a c
lean pair of panties and a short pajama set from her dresser drawers when the doorbell rang.

  Although it had been over a week since her break-in, adrenaline immediately began pumping through her system. Suddenly, she was very much awake.

  Common sense told her if whoever was on the other side of the door wanted to hurt her, they probably wouldn’t have bothered ringing the bell.

  Even so, it was pretty early for someone to just drop by. And, with the way her life had been going lately, Olivia wasn’t about to risk everything on another person’s common sense.

  Grabbing her gun again, she walked back into the hallway and toward her front door.

  She drew in a deep, calming breath before lifting up on the balls of her feet and looking through the tiny peephole. In that same instant, every ounce of air she’d just put into her lungs came rushing out with a loud whoosh.

  Dropping back to down her heels, Olivia didn’t move. She just stood there like an idiot, staring at her door and wondering what she should do.

  Open it? Ignore it? The choices bounced back and forth through her mind like a ping-pong ball.

  The doorbell’s second ring snapped her out of it and she shook her head in disgust. Why was she hiding like a guilty person? She’d done nothing wrong. He was the asshat who’d left without saying a word. He was the one who should feel badly. Not her.

  With new determination, Olivia quickly tucked her gun into the waistband of her scrub pants. Resting it against the small of her back, she pulled the hem of her shirt down to cover it.

  The fitted scrub top hugged the contour of her waist, but the back was loose enough to keep the gun hidden. She hoped.

  Entering her security code with more force than necessary, Olivia then unlocked the deadbolts. With one more deep breath, she lifted her chin and opened the door.

  Jake looked as sexy as ever as he stood there, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. He’d cleaned up since the last time she’d seen him. His dark brown hair was fixed in that messy, yet amazingly sexy way some guys did theirs, and his scruff of a beard had been neatly trimmed.