Anything for His Son

Was it a trap?

The air felt different, smelled different. Ethan hesitated a moment, then opened the door to the empty condo. The explosion shook the floor, shattered glass. Instinctively he threw his arms over Rebecca to protect her from the debris, as fire exploded inside the room.

“Bec, are you hurt?”

“I’m all right,” she managed. “But what if…what if Jesse was in there?”

He pushed to his knees. “I’ll find out.” Fear darkened his eyes; then he turned and ran into the blazing condo, yelling Jesse’s name.

Rebecca’s heart clenched. Ethan would do anything for his son. She couldn’t lose him or Jesse.

Heat seared her as she darted into the condo behind him. Flames clawed at the walls and filled her nose with smoke. Still she dug through the splintered wood. Her breath caught as she spotted something red beneath the mess. She dug it out and screamed in horror.

It was Jesse’s baseball cap.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Rita Herron wrote her first book when she was twelve, but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former teacher and workshop leader, she traded her storytelling for kids for romance, and writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romantic hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers so please write to her at PO Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, USA or visit her website at www.ritaherron.com.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Ethan Matalon – This former Eclipse operative is about to lose it all – unless he can save his son from a sadistic kidnapper hell-bent on revenge.

Rebecca Matalon – Her son is missing, and the only man who can save him is his father – the man she once loved, but now is about to divorce.

Jesse Matalon – The five-year-old son of Ethan and Rebecca.

Ty Jones – Eclipse operative who discovers that the kidnapping is part of a much bigger plan to bomb Boston.

Liam Shea – The mastermind behind the revenge scheme against the Eclipse team, he’s targeting them one by one and has a grand finale planned that will rock the city.

Finn Shea – Liam’s son used Rebecca to get close to her son, and will do anything to destroy the man who betrayed his father.

Grant Davis – The vice-president is still missing. Will the team find him in time to save his life and keep the Sheas from blowing up the city?

Anything for His Son

RITA HERRON

MILLS & BOON

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To Adam, my own son who I would

do anything for.

Prologue

2:00 p.m., August 2

Seventeen hours into the blackout.

Finn Shea smiled as the afternoon temperature in the city began to climb. People were frantic. Traffic jams clogged the streets; subways were stranded. A half-million people were without power. Businesses had closed or were trying to run on auxiliary sources. Tempers had flared and violence had broken out, escalating crime.

His father, Liam, had set his plan in motion last night, now it was in full swing. The target—the men who once belonged to a select coterie of Special Forces servicemen.

The so-called band of brothers had performed highly classified, highly dangerous missions for the military, all flawlessly.

Except for their last.

Ten years ago their mission had been to rescue hostages in civil war-torn Barik, a small Middle Eastern nation.

A mission that ended his father’s brilliant career.

And ruined his life.

Now his father was out of jail, back in control. And ready to mete out punishments to the men who had betrayed him and stood idly by while he alone took the fall for the disastrous mission.

Tom Bradley, who had been in command of the mission, was dead now. But the other six men had moved on, had lived good lives while his father had suffered.

Shane Peters, security expert. Chase Vickers, engine expert. Ethan Matalon, computer ace. Ty Jones, demolitions man. The only non-American, Frederick LeBron, a language specialist and a prince from the tiny alpine nation of Beau Pays. And last but not least, Grant Davis, then the tactical expert—now the damn vice-president.

Thanks to his brothers, Finn knew actions had already been taken against Shane Peters and Chase Vickers. As for Vice-President Davis…well, Finn knew he’d soon come to an explosive end. Ethan Matalon was next on the hit list. Finn’s target.

Yes, his father was finally exacting his revenge.

Because Liam Shea had been innocent. Nevertheless he’d been court-martialed, dishonorably discharged and incarcerated anyway. And his family’s life had been destroyed. His wife had filed for divorce. Hoping to escape the publicity and shame, she’d dragged her sons from their Massachusetts home to that god-awful small town in Oregon.

But they hadn’t escaped at all. Liam had been tormented every day in prison. And Finn and his brothers had paid the price, as well.

Liam’s team was to blame.

And now each of them had to face the consequences.

Finn stared at the photo of Ethan Matalon’s son, Jesse. Five years old. Without a full-time father. Scared of the dark.

Finn forced a steel wall around his heart. He couldn’t care about the kid. Wars caused casualties, he reminded himself.

And Ethan’s Achilles’ heel was his son.

It was only fair. Finn’s father had lost years with his boys. Now Ethan would lose his own, too.

And his pain would be their revenge.

Chapter One

Jesse hated the dark.

Rebecca Matalon had learned to hate it, too. Her five-year-old son’s cry in the night had woken her the evening before, and she’d spent hours trying to convince him that no monsters lurked in the shadows.

The insufferable sudden blackout that had hit Boston last night had continued into the day. So had Jesse’s crankiness.

She stared outside through the fifth-story window of the Ritz-Carlton, stunned that it was already 2:00 p.m. and the power still had not been restored. Never had she seen the city such a madhouse of chaos and ill tempers. Useless air conditioners, accidents due to nonfunctioning traffic lights and vandalism had turned normal decent people into irritable, aggressive, paranoid, violent citizens.

If she were in L.A., she’d be at work reporting the mess.

Instead, she was trying to keep her five-year-old son entertained and happy without the joys of television, electronic games…or his father.

Ethan hadn’t even been able to go to the Red Sox game with her and Jesse yesterday. And Ethan and Jesse’s common love of baseball had assured her they’d always remain close.

In spite of the fact that she’d moved thousands of miles away.

She dressed in the coolest linen skirt and cotton blouse she’d packed, swept her long blond hair into a chignon and clipped silver loops in her ears. A simple assessment in the mirror assured her that she looked fine. Not that she was primping for this dreaded rendezvous with Ethan, her soon-to-be-ex, but she hated to face him looking like a bedraggled sleep-deprived maniac. After all, she was the mother of his child and had been his lover.

And they had had a solid marriage once. Truth be known, they still remained friends. They just couldn’t live together.

Memories assaulted her, launching her back to a time when they’d first met. They’d shared an instant attraction, fallen in love overnight and married a year before he’d enlisted in the military. She’d survived the separation, but when he’d returned he’d been wrapped up in building his now-megamillion-dollar computer software company. On top of that was the covert work he did for Eclipse. Secret missions that he couldn’t talk about. Dangerous jobs that sent him all over the world. She’d never quite known if he’d come home dead or alive.

Her heart raced at the realization that she had liked that dark, dangerous side of Ethan. The mystery, excitement, suspense had been a turn-on. But it was no way for a family to live.

Besides, she’d put her own career aspirations on hold for too long. After having Jesse and practically raising him alone, then working in menial jobs, she hadn’t been able to turn down the L.A. job. A TV journalist—her life’s dream.

In a bicoastal marriage, she and Ethan had drifted apart till she’d filed for divorce.

Now it was time to sign the damn papers and finalize the end of their marriage.

“Mommy?”

Rebecca’s heart squeezed at the sight of Jesse’s big brown eyes staring up at her. Ethan’s eyes.

Could she really do this today—sign those long-awaited papers and put Ethan out of their lives for good?

No, Ethan would always be a part of Jesse’s life. Just not hers.

“I’m hot.” Jesse shoved his hand through his short blond hair, which was sticking out in a thousand directions. In his other hand, he held the glow-in-the-dark lighted wand that she’d bought him at the ballgame. Jesse had held on to it for dear life during the night, using it for light when he’d awakened in the dark.

“I know, sweetie. Maybe the electricity will be restored soon.”

“I don’t wanna stay in the hotel anymore. I wanna go play.”

Rebecca knelt in front of her son. She hadn’t explained about her meeting with Ethan yet, but eventually she’d have to. Jesse would be upset. Apparently half the kids at school came from divorced homes, and Jesse had already announced quite vehemently that he didn’t want to be one of them.

His declaration had broken her heart.

“Tell you what.” She took his hand and guided him to the window, then lifted him so he could see outside. “See over there in Boston Common. That’s Frog Pond. There are a lot of kids out there. Would you like for Miss DeeDee to take you wading in the pond while I’m at my meeting?”

“Uh-huh.” He bobbed his head up and down, and she gave him a hug. Outdoor exercise would do him good. Maybe put him in a better mood and help him expend some of his restless energy.

She had to tell him the truth when she returned. She just prayed that one day he’d forgive her for tearing apart their family.

THE PAST NIGHT AND MORNING had been a virtual nightmare.

Ethan Matalon let himself into his prized Beacon Hill brownstone, wiping sweat from his brow and cursing the damn blackout that plagued the city.

At 9:00 p.m. the night before, life as Bostonians knew it had crashed to a halt. Then chaos had reigned.

Ethan had spent countless hours fending panicked calls about the problems with security systems related to computer software he had designed. Major businesses and high-end clients who felt unprotected without the modern edge of technology to keep the evil-doers at bay had turned to him in their hour—hours—of need and he had done his best to comply. His technical skills had earned him millions of dollars, and helped him reach the pinnacle of success he enjoyed today.

Only that money didn’t keep him warm at night. And it certainly didn’t assuage the pain of knowing that he’d failed at other areas in his life.

He glanced at his watch and cursed. At least work had distracted him from his meeting today. The one he’d stalled for the past two years.

The one with his wife.

His estranged wife. Rebecca. The one woman he’d loved with all his heart. The one he’d married in good faith. The mother of his child.

The woman who’d finally called and insisted that they meet to sign the divorce papers.

Pain knifed through his chest, and he climbed the plush carpeted steps to his bedroom, his breathing labored. Closing his eyes to shut out the image of his son’s small face and the disappointment that had shadowed his eyes the last time they’d spent the weekend together and he’d said goodbye at the airport, Ethan shucked his sweaty clothes and jumped into the shower. The cold water revived him physically, but mentally he was a damn basket case.

Five years ago, he thought he’d finally overcome the haunting remnants of his past, of his childhood. He’d believed he had it all. A beautiful wife who loved him. A new son. Fortune. The prestigious address in Beacon Hill he’d always dreamed of. And the hottest company in the United States.

Then Rebecca had left him.

He scrubbed his body, wishing he could wash away the memories of their time together. But they were embedded as firmly in his head as her touch was imprinted on his body. He pictured Rebecca smiling and laughing when they’d gone sailing in the harbor. Her golden skin glowing with water droplets when they’d skinny-dipped in the bay. The graceful way she’d moved like a ballerina when they had danced in the moonlight. The smile lighting her eyes the night he’d proposed. The romantic honeymoon in Nepal.

Rebecca’s silky honey-blond hair spread across his chest. Her sultry hazel eyes, eyes that turned smoky when they made love. And those mile-long legs wrapped around his waist.

His body hardened with desire at the mere thought, and he cursed again. How the hell was he supposed to get through this meeting today? How was he supposed to get over her?

And why now, after two years of separation, was she insisting on this meeting? Determined to finally sever their marriage?

Suddenly, the grim possibility that she’d met someone else, that she was ready to move on, that another man had ensconced himself in her life, and maybe in her bed, hit him like a fist to his gut.

He leaned against the counter and stared into the mirror at his bloodshot eyes. He’d always known the possibility existed that she’d find someone else, but he’d shoved the thought into the back of his mind, choosing to live in denial.

Today he had to drag his head out of the sand and face reality. Rebecca was not only devastatingly beautiful and sexy, but interesting and damn smart. And her job as a TV journalist certainly had given her exposure across the U.S. Half the men in the world probably ogled her from their living room while she reported the news.

So whom had she met? Who had interested her enough to make her insist on finalizing the divorce?

Someone from TV? Another journalist? Some L.A. producer who’d swept her off her feet? Or maybe a Hollywood star?

He groaned and forced himself to dress. She would probably be waiting when he arrived at the Ritz-Carlton for their meeting. Would she be alone? Or would her lover accompany her? Would they sip champagne afterward and celebrate the end of him, and the beginning of them?

He balled his hands into fists and had to bite down on one to keep from slamming it into the mirror and breaking the glass.

If she had found someone else, what did his son think?

A choking sound erupted from deep inside him. The thought of losing Rebecca hurt. But he would handle it. After all, he’d grown accustomed to being alone the past two years. His business and the missions he did for Eclipse kept him occupied. He had a full life.

Dammit. He did.

But the thought of another man playing father to Jesse nearly drove him to his knees.

REBECCA WAVED TO JESSE AS HE slipped his hand into DeeDee’s. The young nanny had worked for her for six months now, and seemed responsible and appeared to genuinely care for Jesse.

Sometimes she felt bad for the time she spent away from her son and for leaving him with a nanny, but a single mother had to have help.

A single mother. Ethan would say that she’d chosen the role.

But that wasn’t entirely true. Hadn’t she been alone before she and Ethan had actually parted?

It wasn’t as if she’d gotten involved with another man right away, either. She’d only wanted to pursue her career, and take advantage of the opportunity she’d been given in L.A.

Jesse waved the small wand in the air as if it were magic. “Bye, Mommy.”

She gave him a peck on the cheek. “Have fun at the pond, Jesse. Later, um…your dad may come over.” Now, why had she said that? This trip was supposed to be quick. Sign the papers. Accept that their relationship was over.

Move on.

But Ethan had a right to see Jesse. And she would never deny him that right. Or deny Jesse time with his father.

Jesse’s big brown eyes lit up with hope. “Really?”

“Sure, honey.”

He perked up and skipped toward the door with a grin. DeeDee waved as the two of them bustled out the hotel door. Rebecca waited until they’d left, then applied lipstick, grabbed the divorce papers and her purse and headed to the elevator. A couple stepped from the stairwell, reminding her that the elevator was out, so she inhaled a deep breath, then took the stairs. Five flights. Thank goodness she worked out regularly.

Due to the blackout, though, the stately hotel was hot, filled with complaining customers and not running at its normal model of efficiency. The dark stairwell was claustrophobic and suffocating. When she exited and made her way to the salon, where she’d asked Ethan to meet her, her legs felt heavy and weighted.

Exhaustion from the sleepless night added to the fatigue. A case of nerves clutched her stomach in a viselike grip.

Everybody experienced a case of jitters before the wedding. It only seemed right that an anxiety attack would strike before the divorce.

Thankfully, the salon was empty when she entered, giving her a brief reprieve. In an effort to calm herself, she studied the fabulous brocade wall coverings, the striped damask wingback chairs, the intimate seating areas meant to invite conversation. It was a beautiful, peaceful place, one that held no sentimental meaning for them so she didn’t have to be haunted by memories of the two of them reclining in front of the fireplace or cuddled together sipping sherry on one of the loveseats.

She sensed Ethan had arrived before she even pivoted toward the door. His masculine scent permeated the room, and she felt his dark eyes skating over her, making her skin burn with need.

Shaken already, she turned to face him.

He looked massive and intimidating, mysterious and dark, a man who stood out in a crowd. A man who took control. A man who lived on the edge. One who snuck away in the night to save the innocent with no regard for his own life. Born with an adventurous soul, Ethan led others in the fight against terrorism and evil.

And he loved his son fiercely.

She remembered the tears glinting in his eyes when Jesse was born. At the memory, emotions crowded her chest, led by a sudden rush of affection she hadn’t expected to feel.

“Rebecca?”

His gruff voice sent a tingle down her spine.

“Hello, Ethan.” Her throat barely worked. Her dry hands itched to touch him, to pull him to her once more. To kiss him hello.

To kiss him goodbye.

To stop this madness they’d started two years ago.

Heat suffused the room, the tension palpable as he moved toward her, like a panther stalking his prey.

His dark look consumed her. Resurrected memories of erotic touches and whispered promises long into the night. Of lovemaking and marriage vows and total possession of body, mind and soul.

Of being a couple and a family. Of wanting their marriage to last.

But there had been so many nights alone.

“We missed you at the Red Sox game.” Darn it. She hadn’t meant to say we.

“I wish I could have been there. I…hate to disappoint Jesse.”

Jesse. Always Jesse. But what about her?

Guilt tugged at her. She had to put Jesse first and forget about her selfish needs. She hated to hurt their son. And they were both letting him down now, taking the easy way out.

But really, their marriage had ended some time ago.

And now she had the possibility of someone else in her life. In their lives. Someone in L.A. Someone stable. A man who’d taken enough interest in Jesse to volunteer to be his Little League coach.

Ethan couldn’t even make a Sox game on the rare occasion when she and Jesse flew to Boston.

“Is Jesse okay?” Ethan asked.

She nodded. “A little grumpy from the heat. He didn’t sleep well last night.”

A pained look crossed Ethan’s face. “Still afraid of the dark?”

“Yes. He thinks monsters are hiding in the corners.” Her voice wavered. “I tried to convince him there aren’t.”

“I’m sorry…” His voice trailed off, but his words held a wealth of meaning, and she knew he meant it to be a blanket apology.

She had to cut him a break. Ethan never meant to disappoint or hurt them. He had important work, was almost obsessive about achieving success, and was driven by the pain of his childhood. A pain he refused to speak of or share. Maybe if he had, they wouldn’t be here now; they’d still be together. “I guess the blackout created a multitude of problems for you.”

He gave a clipped nod. “I spent all night doing damage control.”

Instead of comforting their son. Or her.

She didn’t want to blame him anymore. Ethan was who he was. His work ethic was one thing that had attracted her to him. She admired his commitment to his software company, as well as his work for Eclipse.

It was time to move on for all of them. Better not to drag out the inevitable. She and Ethan could be friends for their son’s sake. But anything else… The chemistry, the heat, the sex had always been explosive, but it wasn’t enough to sustain them for life.

Sucking in a sharp breath, she removed the divorce papers from her purse and spread them on a table. Ethan’s dark eyes met hers, turmoil clouding the depths.

She would survive this day and the divorce. And so would Jesse.

Then they could all go on with their lives.

IT WAS TIME TO TAKE THE BOY.

Finn’s mouth watered as he watched Jesse Matalon approach Frog Pond, intent on wading in the water. Child’s play.

Finn didn’t remember ever being a child.

All he remembered was the pain of his father’s arrest. The shame. The move. The bitterness. The need for justice and revenge.

He studied the crowd of people hovering nearby. Mothers and fathers who’d left work for the day to venture outside in the light. Babysitters and nannies of Boston’s elite who talked among themselves. Teenagers who strolled hand in hand, grateful for the summer break and unconcerned about who saw them making out in public or sneaking a smoke.

Jesse kicked off his shoes and jumped in to play chase in the water with the other kids as if he’d been penned up for days. He was a precocious kid who Finn might have liked had he not belonged to the enemy.

The nanny was distracted. Rebecca was nowhere to be found. Off to meet Ethan, the man who’d let her down.

Rebecca was such a babe. He wanted her, too, wished he could kidnap them both. It would be double torture for Ethan to know that his former wife had been in Finn’s bed.

But kidnapping her didn’t fit into the plan right now. And he had to stick to the plan with no variations. Variations might mean mistakes, and Finn couldn’t fail. He’d waited too long for this moment.