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  RUNNING STRONG

  An LCR Elite Novel

  by

  Christy Reece

  Published by Christy Reece

  Cover Art by Patricia Schmitt/Pickyme

  Copyright 2019 by Christy Reece

  ISBN: 978-1-7337257-0-5

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].

  RUNNING STRONG

  When passion meets destiny, the consequences can be fatal

  Having seen the worst of humanity, Raphael Sanchez has always wanted to make a difference in the world. Years ago, Last Chance Rescue saved him from certain death, and from that moment, his primary goal was to become an LCR operative. Now an Elite operative, Raphael lives his dream daily, rescuing victims from horrific circumstances.

  Giselle Reddington barely remembers the life she once lived and desperately wants to forget the life she chose. She lives for only one goal, has only one focus. Last Chance Rescue is her last hope, her only hope. Though terrified of the secrets that will be revealed, she has no choice but to ask for their help.

  Raphael and Giselle were once in love, but fate ripped them apart. Now they must reunite for a mission neither of them imagined. To Raphael, this is the most important rescue mission of his life. For Giselle, there is no life if the mission fails.

  The forces of evil can carry deadly consequences, and innocence can be lost beneath the heavy load. But Last Chance Rescue was created for times such as these, and there’s no one better to rescue the innocent and wreak havoc on the wicked.

  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

  ~Edmund Burke

  Prologue

  Charlottesville, Virginia

  Dear Raphael, I’m so very sorry.

  Ugh. That was a terrible way to start a farewell letter—even a fake one. But she was sorry, so very sorry.

  Dear Raphael, by the time you read this I’ll be gone.

  Even worse! And she wanted to be a journalist? She could practically hear the sarcasm in Professor Sanderson’s smoke-graveled voice. Speak from the heart, Giselle, but use cool, sound logic to make your point.

  Cool, sound logic? In the face of disaster? Of heartbreak? Not possible.

  Raphael, I can’t be with you.

  Okay, a little better. But tell him what you’re really feeling.

  I’m dying inside. My soul is crushed, my heart is broken. There aren’t enough tears in the world to overcome this pain.

  And then: Oh, Raphael, please don’t hate me!

  Giselle Reddington blew out a frustrated sigh. That might be exactly how she felt, but revealing the truth would do no one any good. She had to end things quickly, cleanly. The thought of causing Raphael pain sliced her heart open, shredding it to pieces. Doing so in a letter was a coward’s way out, but she had no other choice. If she told him the truth—what she was doing and why—he wouldn’t let her do it alone. It was as simple as that. He would, in fact, do everything to prevent her from leaving without him, even sacrificing himself to do so. She could not, would not, allow that. He was the love of her life. It was time to show him that love by letting him go.

  A quick glance at the clock told her she was running out of time, she had to get this done. Her pen slashed across the paper, and as the words spilled out in a gush of emotion, she gave him everything.

  Exhausted from pouring her heart and soul onto the pages, she folded the letter and slipped it into an envelope. Scrawling Raphael’s name on the front, she slid the small packet into a cubbyhole on the desk.

  And then she did the right thing, the noble thing. She wrote another letter. This one was easier. Who knew she was such a great liar? Maybe she should try her hand at fiction, since not an ounce of what she’d written was real.

  She sealed the letter, wrote Raphael’s name on the front, and placed it beside the thicker envelope. She would retrieve them later.

  She looked at the clock again. Dread and giddy anticipation were incongruent emotions but fit this moment perfectly. He would be home soon.

  Not a day went by that she didn’t want to hug herself in sheer joy for being with a man like Raphael Sanchez. Honorable. Disciplined. Compassionate. Courageous. All the things she’d always wanted in a life partner were embodied in the man she loved. That would never change.

  Other things were changing, though, and she’d had a decision to make. A painful one. One she’d never thought she’d have to face. If she made the choice she wanted—the selfish one—it would destroy his dreams, completely annihilate every plan he’d made for his future. If she made the choice based on love alone, she would let him go and never see him again.

  Heaven help her, she didn’t want to let him go.

  The last year and a half had been both nightmarish and glorious. The father she had adored, had always looked up to as a man of strength and integrity, was a monster. Everything she’d thought she knew about him had been a lie. Stanford Reddington was a human trafficker, responsible for the kidnapping and selling of humans as if they were merchandise. That knowledge alone made her hate him, but she had learned so much more…much more than she thought she could bear. Her mother had been his first victim.

  Sarah Reddington was the strongest, most courageous person Giselle knew. How she had been able to maintain her sanity was a miracle. The fact that she had raised four children and had done everything she could to shield them from the fiend was nothing short of phenomenal.

  Justice had finally caught up with Reddington. He had stood trial and been convicted of a plethora of vile deeds. Nothing could make up for the pain he’d caused, but it was a good start—a new beginning.

  Her mother was a changed person. Finally free from the monster who had raped and abused her for years, she had a new light in her eyes. No, not everything had turned out as they’d hoped. Sarah had gone back to her childhood home to find that both her parents had died years ago. At first, her grief had been inconsolable, but she had come a long way in recovery. She had been living a new life, with a bright, new future ahead of her.

  And now this.

  It should have been done, finished. Evil should have been conquered. Good should have triumphed.

  But Giselle was coming to realize something. Evil never died. It might be suppressed for a while, diminished for a time. But then evil bloomed again, reborn into a different shape, a new way to cause destruction.

  Evil continued to thrive.

  Raphael had been her light in the darkness. Falling in love had always seemed like a nebulous, far-reaching goal. She, like her mother, younger brother, and sister, had been locked away on Reddington’s island. Meeting anyone remotely eligible should have been impossible. If she had one thing she could thank Stanford Reddington for, it was bringing Raphael to the island. Reddington had believed Raphael wanted to learn about business from him, but Raphael had instead orchestrated the entire scenario to bring Reddington to justice.

  From the moment Giselle had set eyes on Raphael, she had been entranced. Yes, he had been one of the few young men she’d ever met, but that hadn’t been the reason. And yes, he was tall, broad-shouldered, and unbelievably beautiful with golden-bronzed skin, thick, ink-black
hair, and eyes the color of rich, dark chocolate with just a hint of gold in their depths. His looks had drawn her to him, but his character, the man he was on the inside, made her fall in love with him. In her world, strength, courage, and gentleness were rare combinations. Raphael embodied those and so much more.

  Their connection had been instantaneous. Behind his handsome face and gorgeous smile, she had recognized a kindred spirit. What had begun in deception had developed into the deepest and most heartfelt emotions she had ever experienced.

  After Reddington’s arrest, Raphael had been there for her. Every step of the way, he had been the hero she’d often dreamed about.

  She understood so many things that were once a mystery. Love overwhelmed her, swept through her in a tidal wave of feelings and emotions she’d never known existed. Poetry now made sense. Songs that once seemed a mass of sentimental silliness now touched her heart.

  Love did that, she supposed. Made the incomprehensible easy to understand. She also understood that Raphael’s happiness meant more to her than her own.

  She tried to console herself that the happiness she had experienced had been unexpected and therefore all the more special. She had never believed she’d be able to attend a university. To see other cities, other cultures. She had thrived, glorying in the new and different.

  Thanks to Noah McCall, leader of Last Chance Rescue, she and Raphael were in college together. They were experiencing life, learning and growing. Each day was a new adventure, and they were living their best lives. Together.

  And now all of that was about to end.

  Headlights swept across the window, and despite all the pain of tomorrow, her heart leaped for the now. He was home.

  She barely breathed as she waited. At last, the door opened and he walked inside. Spotting her by the window, he gave her the look—the one that melted her insides and caused her heart to pound uncontrollably. His smile…his smile reflected all the things she felt. She wanted to jump into his arms, wrap herself in his warmth, in his strength. He was everything to her. She loved her family dearly, but Raphael…Raphael was her heart.

  She ground her teeth until her jaw ached. Raphael was so good to her. When her life became a tumultuous sea, he was her rock. She leaned on him, and he was her strength. Now it was time for her to be the strong one. She was coming to realize that love often meant sacrifice, and she was about to make the biggest one she could ever imagine making.

  A gentle, teasing light twinkled in his eyes. “Something smells good.”

  “Just a little something I cooked up in between poli sci and English lit.”

  He grinned. “Crock-Pot?”

  “Best invention ever.”

  Needing to be in his arms every second until she had to leave, she ran to him and threw herself into his embrace. As his arms closed around her, she breathed a sigh. This was home. She might go far away, but Raphael’s arms would always be where she belonged.

  For several seconds, they held each other. What they had was special. Even without having had any previous relationships, Giselle already knew that. Love didn’t always have to grow through months or years. Sometimes, love was love from the very beginning.

  And in just a few hours, she would have to say goodbye to that love forever.

  Holding her close, Raphael blew out a silent sigh as his tense muscles relaxed. For some reason, he had been worried about her today. His concentration skills were excellent, but today he had been distracted…something hammered at his subconscious. His gut was usually right on the money, but seeing Giselle, having her in his arms, right where she belonged, erased the worry. She was here, with him. Everything was fine.

  Her head on his chest, she snuggled against him. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Five hours since you’ve been in my arms. That’s too damn long.”

  “Much too long,” she agreed.

  He frowned as he felt the faint tremble in her body. “You’re shivering. Everything all right?”

  “You make me shiver.”

  “In a good way? Yes?”

  Pulling away, she smiled up at him. His Giselle, the love of his life. How had he gotten so lucky?

  “A very good way.” Stretching up on her toes, she gave him a quick kiss and tried to pull away.

  “Uh-uh, not enough. Not nearly enough.” Bringing her back to his mouth, he spoke against her lips. “Let’s see if I can make you shiver even more.” He kissed her then, the way he’d been dreaming about all day. The way he’d been dreaming about since the last time he’d kissed her. She tasted delicious, like strawberries, cream, and a touch of honey.

  While his mouth was busy with her taste, his hands roamed over the soft, gentle curves of her body. At one time, he’d never dreamed he’d have a chance to even kiss her, and now his hands were filled with her, and his lips had kissed every luscious inch of her body. He wanted to devour, relish that he could, savoring that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  Her body pressing into his told him she was his. Giselle gave freely, loved with all her heart. That she loved him was a miracle. His miracle.

  Pulling away, he grinned down at her. “Crock-Pot meals can keep. Right?”

  “Like I said, best invention ever.”

  Tugging on her blouse, he pulled at the buttons, all the while kissing her as if his life depended on it. Sometimes at night, when he was holding her, he felt an odd sort of desperation, as if she couldn’t be real. As if this couldn’t last. Nothing and no one had ever meant more to him than this one beautiful woman.

  Stupid, really. This wasn’t like him at all. He was sensible, pragmatic. He had a plan for his life, knew exactly where he was going and what steps he had to take to get there. There was nothing whimsical or fanciful about him, but when it came to Giselle, all of that flew out the window.

  With a heart as big as the sky and a spirit as sweet as a summer breeze, Giselle had swept him off his feet. He fell hard the moment he met her and was still falling.

  Need washed through every cell in his body, wiping away coherent thought. This was Giselle, his love. His future.

  Keeping his mouth on hers, he pushed her toward the bedroom. She giggled softly when she accidentally stepped on his foot. Once they reached the edge of the bed, he stopped, stood back, and just looked at her. From the silky dark fall of her hair to her long, narrow feet, and everything in between, she was pure perfection. Slender, curvy, soft, luscious. He wanted to devour every inch, savor and enjoy her. At the same time, he wanted to take her quickly, the need inside him almost more than he could control.

  He slid his hands beneath her shirt, almost groaning at the warm silkiness.

  “Raphael?”

  “Yes?”

  “I love—” She swallowed, tried again. “I love how you love me.”

  Humbled at the adoration in her eyes, Raphael tamped down the urgency in his body. He wanted to cherish every single inch. With that thought in mind, he gently removed her clothes, tenderly kissing every inch of skin he bared. When she lay before him, beautifully nude and almost squirming with need, he slid his fingers inside her, rolling her gently into and over her first climax. Before she could recover, he quickly pulled his clothes off, hurriedly slid on a condom, and slipped into her warmth.

  She wrapped her arms around him, and they moved together as one. Slowly at first, until hot need consumed them both. As she gave herself totally to him, he thought about how lucky he was. He had never believed in luck, but he couldn’t deny its existence now. They were together, the way they were meant to be.

  Nothing and no one could ever tear them apart.

  ***

  The honking of geese doing a flyover above the apartment pulled him from the deepest sleep he’d had in a while. Even without looking at the clock, he knew it was late. Throwing his feet to the floor, Raphael stood and stretched. He’d overslept. The memory of why made him smile. After dinner, they’d returned to the bedroom, where they’d stayed awake most of the night—laughing, t
alking, making love, making plans.

  Something was bothering Giselle, though. She had explained it away with the excuse of being tired. That hadn’t been it. He believed he knew what it was and had every intention of fixing it soon. Neither he nor Giselle were the type of people to sleep with someone they weren’t committed to long term. Even though he had told her he loved her, and she had said the same, he knew she wanted more. So did he. They hadn’t talked about the future. With both of them still in college—she was a freshman and he was a sophomore—getting married wasn’t the most sensible thing to do. And while he prided himself on being practical, practicality in this went out the window. This was Giselle—he loved her, body and soul. He wanted a permanent commitment. This weekend, he was going to propose. He was one hundred percent sure she would say yes.

  After he graduated college, he would fulfill his dream and become an LCR operative. He and Noah had already had the discussion. That part of his future was securely mapped out.

  Giselle had shown an interest in journalism right away. Maybe it was because of her upbringing. She had been denied the basic right to be informed, to know the truth of what was happening in the world. It only made sense that she would want to pursue what had previously been kept from her.

  They had separate career goals, but when it came to each other, they had the same goal—they wanted to be together. Forever.

  Noting Giselle’s purse that she normally left on the dresser was gone, he thought about how tired she must be. She had an early class today, but could hopefully come home after it was over and take a nap. It was his turn to make dinner tonight, and he was planning to go to the grocery store before he went to his afternoon class.

  After showering, he threw his clothes on from last night and headed to the kitchen. Coffee first, and then he’d—