Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Beauty (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros. Book 5) by MJ Nightingale Page A

and DMV connections, he was able to see that John Keegan indeed was former FBI, and a former Navy SEAL with a spotless record and that the man in Tampa and the former were one and the same person. Melody was indeed his wife of nearly two years, and they had an adopted daughter who was staying with friends in California. He felt comfortable taking his wife to meet Melody and told her so.
    She smiled at him and said the arrangements had been made for 12:30 and he shook his head and picked up the keys to his car and glanced at the clock. Just enough time to get there.
    Immediately upon entering the hotel lobby, Andreas recognized the woman with whom they were meeting from his quick investigation and pointed her out to Cat. She nodded when she saw her and they began to cross the large open expanse that made up the luxurious grand entrance of the Clearwater Palisades.
    When the blonde woman spotted them, her smile was broad and she began to approach from her direction and met them half way. She recognized both from her search on the Internet. But for Cat it was the first time seeing the buxom blonde with whom she had spoken on the phone only briefly to make these quick arrangements. She was a pretty woman, Catarina thought. Her hair was gold and she had a nice figure. She looked like the girl next door type, although a woman. The John Keegan she remembered from a decade ago was a lucky man. He had been massive, tall and broad, and this woman would complement his strength and coloring very well. His hair had been a dark brown and his eyes warm.
    Melody smiled at Andreas and Cat, so grateful that they had agreed to meet with her on such short notice. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I know this has come out of the blue for you and well, I just really appreciate it.” Her words came out in a rush but both Cat and Andreas could tell they were sincere.
    Andreas nodded, and allowed his wife to take the lead. “Not at all. I was very curious to meet you and hear more. My wife filled me in as best she could, and for her safety we did check both of you out.”
    Melody flicked her long blond mane of hair behind her. She had picked up on the woman’s subtle accent. Definitely European. Tex had mentioned she had spent her childhood in Amsterdam. “Completely understandable. But come on, I’ve reserved a table at the café here and we can talk at the bistro. I’ll fill you in on the rest and what has me worried.” Both Cat and Andreas followed Melody into the bistro where she led them to an area secluded from the rest. “I hope this is okay. I asked for a good seat that would give us some privacy.”
    “This is fine,” Andreas put in, appreciating Melody Keegan’s attempt to keep their conversation private. They were a well-recognized couple in the area ever since their near brush with death last year, but most locals respected their privacy.
    Once they were seated and their drink orders taken, Cat saw the woman twisting her napkin in her lap nervously. It looked like she didn’t know where to start. She knew this must have been awkward if not difficult for the woman, calling a total stranger out of the blue like this, so Cat put the woman out of her misery. “I know you expressed in your message that your husband felt some guilt about his role in my past, and that this worry was eating at him, but let me assure you right away, Mrs. Keegan, I am very happy. Very happy.”
    “Oh, please, call me Melody. Tex, or John, as you knew him, well, his mind will be put at ease to hear that. And I know it is asking a lot, but I’d love if you could tell him yourself. He. . . has been living with this guilt for a long time, and it will do him wonders to know that you are doing well. To hear it from you . . .” she let her words trail off.
    “I am happy. I assure you. I admit it wasn’t an easy road, but I did what I knew how to survive. He has no reason to feel guilty for following orders. It’s what we all must do at