Max and Hope_A Red Team Wedding Novella_The Red Team, Book 13 Read online

  Max and Hope: A Red Team Wedding Novella

  The Red Team, Book 13

  Elaine Levine

  Contents

  Other Books by Elaine Levine

  A Note from the Author

  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

  Other Books by Elaine Levine

  About the Author

  MAX AND HOPE: A RED TEAM WEDDING NOVELLA - BLURB

  The Red Team, Book 13

  The holidays have come fast to the team at Tremaine Industries. So much has happened since spring—families destroyed and reunited. Several threats have been terminated and others are just beginning.

  * * *

  Max Cameron finally has time for a breather, something he hasn’t had since he found Hope in the midst of a violent biker gang, hunting for her brother. He's worked the last several weeks to turn an old hunting cabin, out on the fringes of the team’s property, into a romantic retreat…the perfect spot to pop the question.

  * * *

  Unfortunately, they aren’t alone in those remote woods. Something unseen stalks the team in the long winter nights, a threat that wasn’t discovered until Max and Hope were already outside the wire.

  * * *

  Will they have a shot at true happiness? Or will they have to shelve their dreams in order to fight a new and terrible enemy?

  * * *

  Length: Approximately 190 pages

  Ages: 18 & up (story contains sex, profanity, and violence)

  * * *

  Max and Hope: A Red Team Wedding Novella (The Red Team, Book 13) is part of a serialized story that includes nine full-length novels and nine wedding novellas. This series is best read in order, starting with The Edge of Courage.

  * * *

  Join the conversation on Facebook: Visit Elaine Levine’s War Room - http://geni.us/hxFk to talk about this book and all of her suspenseful stories!

  Other Books by Elaine Levine

  Red Team Series

  (This series must be read in order)

  1 The Edge of Courage

  2 Shattered Valor

  3 Honor Unraveled

  4 Kit & Ivy: A Red Team Wedding Novella

  5 Twisted Mercy

  6 Ty & Eden: A Red Team Wedding Novella

  7 Assassin’s Promise

  8 War Bringer

  9 Rocco & Mandy: A Red Team Wedding Novella

  10 Razed Glory

  11 Deadly Creed

  12 Forsaken Duty

  13 Max & Hope: A Red Team Wedding Novella

  Sleeper SEALs

  11 Freedom Code

  * * *

  Men of Defiance Series

  (This series may be read in any order)

  1 Rachel and the Hired Gun

  2 Audrey and the Maverick

  3 Leah and the Bounty Hunter

  4 Logan’s Outlaw

  5 Agnes and the Renegade

  Dedication

  For Barry, who always knows when a cup of tea or a spontaneous hunt for wildflowers is just the right motivation.

  A Note from the Author

  We begin Max and Hope at the point where Forsaken Duty left off. To maximize your enjoyment of this serialized story, I highly recommend reading the series in order, starting with The Edge of Courage and including the Red Team wedding novellas, before beginning this book!

  * * *

  And make sure you never miss a book from me by signing up for my new release announcements at http://geni.us/GAlUjx.

  * * *

  —Elaine

  WHEN WE LAST VISITED THE RED TEAM…

  Here’s a refresher for those of you who have read the previous Red Team books (skip this and go read them if you haven’t yet!). This is where we left our heroes…

  * * *

  * * * * * Spoilers! * * * * *

  Owen has found

  Addy Jacobs, his long lost love.

  Owen has met the son he never knew about, as well as Addy’s second son.

  Addy and the boys are living with Owen at the team’s headquarters.

  Owen has reconnected with his childhood friend and recent nemesis, Wendell (Jax) Jacobs.

  Lion and his pride are with the team at Blade’s house.

  Ivy and Mandy are about five months pregnant.

  Jason Parker and Cecil Edwards are dead.

  The Omnis have temporarily been run to ground.

  Wynn’s parents, Joyce and Nathan Ratcliff, and Owen’s dad, Nick Tremaine, have all been altered by gene modification procedures, as has Addy.

  It’s December, and the families at the Tremaine Headquarters in Wyoming are preparing for Christmas.

  * * *

  And now, we continue with Max Cameron and Hope Townsend’s wedding novella…

  1

  Max ran to open the front door at the team’s headquarters before the delivery guy could ring the bell. It was late on a Thursday evening, a week after Thanksgiving. He’d thought the delivery would have come hours ago, but apparently the driver got lost on his way to Wolf Creek Bend.

  None of that mattered now; the package was here. And even better, since it was so late in the evening, everyone was already down the hall in the game room and didn’t know a delivery had been made.

  Max showed his ID to the delivery guy, then opened the envelope and took out one of the three small boxes it contained. Greer had followed him out and now held his phone’s light on Max’s hands. Inside the black box was a velvet-lined compartment that held the engagement ring Max had worked long-distance with a jeweler to design. It was a simple platinum band with two small, round inset diamonds, flanking a larger emerald-cut yellow diamond.

  It was exactly as he’d wanted it. In the envelope were two more boxes with his and hers matching wedding rings, made to complement the engagement ring. He’d spent months working on the design, and now he held the rings in his hands. He checked to make sure the envelope included the proper certifications and appraisals, then signed for the delivery.

  He and Greer stood outside another minute, admiring the rings. “So, what’s the plan?” Greer asked.

  “I’m going to ask Hope this weekend. I can’t believe no one’s spilled the beans yet. Even I had to keep busy to avoid ruining her surprise.”

  “Good. I was with Owen up at the cabin when his snowmobiles were delivered. Looks like everything’s set for your staycation weekend.”

  “I’m going to tell her about it tonight.” Max gave Greer a nervous look. “I think she suspects something’s up. It’s taken everything I had not to tell her.”

  Greer held the door for Max. “You coming to the game room?”

  “Yeah. Just need to hide these upstairs.”

  * * *

  Hope watched Max come into the game room. He searched for her, then gave her a nod, staying near the pool table. He’d been working late yet again. It almost felt as if he was avoiding her. He’d break for supper, then go back to work late into the night. And just now, though he was not banging away at a computer in the bunker, he stayed on the opposite side of the room from her.

  Something was up with him. And she was terribly afraid it wasn’t something good.

  He took a cue when the current game finished and challenged Selena to a game. Val and Ace were standing nearby, watching the game. S
elena was ruthless. Max looked like he wanted to rip the felt right off the table. Selena was making full use of his lack of focus.

  Hope frowned.

  “What’s the matter?” Mandy asked.

  “Something’s up with Max, and I don’t know what it is. He’s been a bear lately, growling at everything.”

  “Has he?” Ivy asked, not looking as worried as Hope felt her observation warranted.

  “I’ve tried talking to him,” Hope said, “but he shuts me down. Says he’s not a feelings kind of guy.” She looked around at the girls sitting with her on the sofa and armchairs. She held up her thumb and forefinger, indicating a short distance between the two. “I’m this close to giving him a piece of my mind.”

  “Oh, you should do it,” Mandy said. “It’s never good to let things fester.” She looked over at Rocco and a few of the guys who were sitting in the corner near the bar, playing a game of cards. “They have such intense minds, you know. They get themselves twisted up and don’t know how to get out of the tangle.”

  Hope nodded. “I would do it, except we’re so close to Christmas—I just don’t want to ruin the holiday with a big fight.” She sighed. “And maybe it’s me. Sometimes I dig in and don’t let things go, things I probably shouldn’t take personally.”

  “Hey—speaking of Christmas,” Eddie said, “we should figure out what we want to do here at the house. I know nothing is like it used to be for any of us, but who knows where we’ll all be next year. Let’s make this one special.”

  “I agree,” Remi said. “We didn’t celebrate the holiday with gifts when I was in the Grummond Society. It was a time for stern reflection and silent contemplation. When my mom and I got out, she tried to celebrate the way everyone else was, but we never had much money. We only had enough decorations for half the tree. And we always got small trees. She would shove that little tree deep into a corner so our decorations covered the part of the tree we saw.” She went silent for a bit. “We always stood back and laughed at how we pretended not to see what was clearly there. Never mind gifts. We didn’t do those. But Mom always made us a wonderful feast.”

  Hope felt a little raw from that confession. Her childhood holidays had left their own scars. “I know the holidays aren’t about gifts,” Hope said, “but it’s Lion and the pride’s first Christmas. I don’t know if they celebrated the holidays before they were taken from their families—or even while they were together. But they’re with us now, and may be here for a while. Do you think we could draw names, matching each couple with a boy?”

  “That’s a great idea,” Ivy said. “But there are more of them than there are couples. What if we each drew a boy’s name? We could set a max value for our gifts.”

  “That math doesn’t work out either,” Hope said. “There’s more of us than there are boys, so some would get two gifts.”

  “Two gifts is nice—Owen and I can take the extra boys, so everyone gets two,” Addy suggested.

  “I like that, but the thing is that I’ve always spoiled Casey at Christmas,” Ivy said. “I mean, I go overboard. How would that mesh with what we’re doing for the boys? It’s not fair.”

  Casey brought Zavi, Troy, and Augie into the room to say goodnight. The boys ran to the card table where Owen and Rocco were. Casey came over to the women and sat next to her mom. “What are you guys talking about?” she asked. “You look so serious.”

  “Just figuring out Christmas,” Ivy said, putting a hand on Casey’s back. “We’re going to do a name draw so that each of Lion’s boys gets two presents from a secret Santa.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Casey said.

  “Will we have a group Christmas and our own private Christmases?” Ivy asked the group.

  “Whatever you want to do,” Mandy said. “You could have your own tree in your suite.”

  “I don’t want to miss the pride’s Christmas,” Casey said. “Can you put my two presents with theirs?”

  Ivy looked shocked. “You’re okay with that?”

  “Of course. I’m not a little kid anymore, Mom. And I don’t want more gifts than Lion’s getting…and his boys.” A telling flush colored Casey’s cheeks.

  Hope smiled to herself. Casey’s crush was growing deeper every day.

  “Zavi’s never had a Christmas, so he has no expectations yet,” Mandy said. “His two gifts can be with everyone else’s.”

  Addy agreed. “Augie hasn’t had Christmas in years—I don’t think. I know he’ll want to do what the cubs are doing. And Troy will want to do what Augie’s doing. I like the idea of the kids being all together Christmas morning.”

  Ivy looked at Casey. “This is a secret, Casey. Don’t tell the boys a whisper of this.”

  “I won’t, Mom, but it’s not like they believe in Santa Claus,” Casey replied.

  “Maybe not Santa,” Ivy said, “but perhaps they can believe in the spirit of Christmas—the joy and magic of the season.”

  “That’s what I like best about it. Night, Mom.” Casey kissed Ivy, then hurried the boys along with their hugs for their moms. Addy’s face relaxed as her boys hugged her. Same with Zavi and Mandy.

  Hope couldn’t help wondering if she’d ever have kids. She wanted them—wanted them with Max. He’d be a terrific dad. She looked over at him standing on the far side of the pool table. His hands were folded and tucked high under his arms. Was it just her imagination, or was he truly avoiding her?

  Their eyes met, sending a wave of heat rolling through her. It was so unfair that he could do that to her when she was ticked at him.

  “We need a tree,” Eddie said. “I wonder if there are any decorations stored up in the attic? Ty’s awful stepdad was known for his elaborate parties. I can’t imagine that he doesn’t have something stored somewhere. We should go hunting for whatever we can find. Too bad Tank can’t sniff them out for us.” She laughed.

  “It would be wonderful to do a big tree in the living room,” Ivy said.

  “And garlands on the bannister on the main stairs,” Wynn said.

  “Maybe Jim can pick out some runners for the table,” Remi suggested.

  “My mom used to have special hand towels in our hall bath,” Fiona said, her eyes lighting up. “She’d change them out every season.” That joyful memory was chased away by darker thoughts. “None of that survived my mom’s marriage to Alan.”

  “It’s a great suggestion and one that’s easy to do,” Eddie said. “Why not pick some out for the two powder rooms down here?”

  “Russ and I can work on the Christmas dinner menu,” Ivy said. “It would be great to have some staples throughout the season, like hot mulled wine and cider.”

  “Mmmm,” Fiona moaned. “Maybe Casey and I can help Russ make some cookies. We could find out everyone’s favorites.”

  Addy smiled as she looked around at the group. “We’ll make this the best Christmas ever.”

  “Yes, we will!” Eddie agreed.

  “Do you think our sitting rooms would fit a small tree?” Mandy asked. “My grandparents had an artificial one that I was hoping to put up—along with all of their decorations that they collected over the years.” She winced and looked at Eddie. “No offense, but I didn’t want to contribute them to the communal tree because I don’t want to lose them. I have memories about each and every one.”

  Eddie smiled. “No offense taken. You should do your own tree. You have the room, either in your suite or at your house. We might have to move stuff around, even if the only presents under the tree are for the kids. And I think, if any of you have something you want to do on your own, then you should do it. Living here the way we do isn’t always easy. We don’t have any boundaries in a lot of ways, and we need those from time to time. So yes, do put up your own tree. Do whatever you want. And for the communal tree, we’ll find decorations or we’ll go get some.”

  “But what about the tree itself? Should we do artificial or cut one down?” Hope asked.

  “Well, to get a tree proportionate t
o the size of the living room, we’d have to cut a really old one,” Eddie said. “And that would be kind of sad. The trees grow so slowly out here in the dry weather.”

  “So let’s look into doing an artificial one,” Remi said. “Maybe there’s already one here in storage.”

  “Let’s find that out before we buy one,” Eddie said.

  “So are we going to have Christmas dinner in shifts, like we do our regular meals?” Fiona asked. “It’s already too cold outside to eat out on the patio, like we did for Thanksgiving.”

  “With the construction finished in the basement and the boys moving in there on Monday,” Wynn said, “the basketball court will be freed up. We could set up tables in there.”

  Eddie nodded. “I like that idea.”

  “Then I think we’re all set,” Ivy said. “I’ll work with Russ on menu choices. We’ll do a drawing for the cubs’ presents, the big tree will go in here, and Eddie—you’ll lead the hunt for decorations.”

  Hope smiled at the group of women. Sometimes, their communal living worked out nicely. Nothing was too much of a burden on any one person.