Extracting Honey: The Honey Saga, #3

By J. L. Brandenburg

They were supposed to be safe!

Three years ago, Adam and Joni Carmichael were declared legally dead. With the help of the Witness Protection Program, the couple relocated to a secluded ranch in Montana, where they have crafted a quiet existence for themselves.  

But the disappearance of a guest from their bed and breakfast, a wounded FBI agent, and his wife's kidnapping, dashes any plans for a normal life. Retired CIA agent, Tony Jefferies, aka Adam Carmichael, doesn't believe in coincidences. These events confirm someone from their past has entered their present.

A terrified and desperate, Agent Jefferies will need to follow a convoluted trail of evidence, buried secrets, and hidden agendas to bring his wife home and the kidnappers to justice.

What follows in this suspenseful romantic story is a series of events that can only be endured by the powerful bond of love. Extracting Honey is an enthralling and thoroughly satisfying read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. L. Brandenburg
• Release date: Sep 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9780998802459

J. L. Brandenburg

J.L. Brandenburg was born in Vincennes, Indiana in 1960.  She married a military man and moved around the US, living in seven different states, but visiting thirty-eight.  After spending thirteen years in Virginia, it became her new “home.” Before retiring, she earned her living as a social worker.  Her background gives her an understanding of the emotional devastation that can result from broken families, regardless of the cause. Her passion for writing began when she was young, but her style of writing is inspired by Tom Clancy, Len Deighton, Steve Martini, Patricia Cornwell, Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele. Ms. Brandenburg currently resides in Illinois.  She shares her home with her two grandchildren, two dogs, two cats, and fosters an adult with disabilities.

Book preview

Prologue

Tonight, is the annual Better Business Bureau Owner’s Association Recognition and Awards Gala.  It is the largest and most exclusive event in this town.  This year it is being held at the Bank of America Conference Center, Ballroom 1, in the town of Great Falls.  Every local business owner is officially invited and everyone is expected to pay the three-hundred-dollar fee. Attendance is optional but is strongly suggested if you want others to promote your livelihood.

It is a rare opportunity to gussy up.  This will be our first semi-formal engagement since our wedding reception.  We’ve spent most of our time in swimsuits and shorts, or jeans and boots.  Though I’m not one who typically likes to dress up, I have a hunk of a husband, so seeing him formally dressed is a special treat. 

My sweet husband is Tony to a select few, Jefferies to most, but Adam to me.  Adam lived a life of sin and risky escapades until he settled down. Now he says he gets to experience a different type of adventure every day because he’s married to his soul mate and best friend. 

He is the epitome of a man’s man.  Mind you, he seems to exude masculine sexuality from his pores. And yes, he loves all the guy stuff.  You know, race cars, hunting, fishing, poker, guns, tailgate parties, smoking cigars, beer, talking sports statistics, and telling dirty jokes without blowing the punchline. Adam throws a mean football, is handy with tools, and is unafraid to lend a hand in the kitchen too. 

My husband is a come in and take-charge kind of guy.  When present, he takes control and leads with moxie.  Or if appropriate, he leads indirectly by setting a strong example.  Every man wants to know him because his presence breathes a bit of life into those around him. 

Oh, and of course, the women love him too. I believe he was the man they were looking at when they coined the phrase tall, dark and handsome.  Standing 6’4", everyone notices him when he walks into the room.  Adam’s body leaves nothing to the imagination. He has the build of a boxer; broad at the shoulders, narrow at the waist with six-pack abs. His jet-black hair, goatee, and mustache are only recently becoming flecked with gray. 

But for all his attractive physical attributes, it is his smile that makes him the most wickedly handsome.  Adam is blessed with straight and brilliantly white teeth. His smile goes all the way to his eyes, causing crinkles on his cheekbones and his baby blue eyes to twinkle.  This beaming grin invites you in and makes you want to know what he’s thinking and can convince even the strongest adversaries to change their mind.

I am a shapely, but slender 5’8", yet lack confidence about my looks.  Chiefly, my doubts exist because of the scars on my face, back, and legs. Reminders of a car accident that mangled my heart and body some years ago.

We are the newcomers at this shindig.  The new owners of the At Last Ranch, located twenty miles southwest of Great Falls.  Our time has been spent learning to run a ranch, setting up our bed and breakfast business, and being newlyweds.  Tonight, we work our way around the room.  Adam is so engaging, people freely make introductions and call over the other guests.

It is here we finally meet Nick’s father, Benjamin Mauro. His son works full time at our ranch.  Nick is a hard-working young man of twenty-three. He is always coming in early and staying late, so we had a portion of our bunkhouse converted into an apartment for Nick. 

Through chit-chat conversations, we learn Mr. Mauro is the guest of Ms. Betty Lou Lassiter, owner of the Castaway Consignment shop.  After our initial introduction and some sincere words about his son, it feels as though he is watching us. Several times I catch him staring, but he looks away when I smile in his direction.

As the pre-dinner cocktail hour begins to wind down, I decide to use the ladies’ room.  While seated in a stall, I hear three women enter talking about the sculpted, god-like man, which I know describes my Adam.

Oh my god. That man looks delicious.  I absolutely am making plans to get a taste of him, and soon. Dessert, here I come. One voice pants and begins laughing.

Yes, it will be fun to have a new man to play with on cold evenings. I bet he would love to have something new and improved to curl up with. Another voice chimes.

Well, I wager twenty bucks I can get him in my bed within a week.  Any takers? Taunts the third voice. The smell of cigarette permeates the room as they joke and laugh.

Well, usually I ignore this kind of gossip because I don’t have to face it directly. But not today. I will not avoid this kind of threat. So, I straighten my dress and pull myself up to my full height as I exit the stall.  All three are speechless when they realize who I am and what I have overheard. Shaking on the inside, I march to the sink where they stand and calmly wash my hands.  After checking my lipstick and mascara, I say as though I have just noticed them, "Oh, hi ladies. My name is Joni Jefferies.  I’m afraid I overheard your little joke about my husband.  It’s about time someone taught you three about class, because you ladies have none.  You are right, he is absolutely gorgeous. But you can forget about playing with him.  I lay down and wake up in his arms every day. 

And although he is stunning to look at, do you want to know the most incredible thing about him? I’m grinning ear to ear when I add, He tells me every day I’m all the woman he needs to make him happy.  And that he loves me just the way I am.  My Adam has never wanted to change anything about me.  Well, except my last name, that is."  I waggle my left hand for them to gaze upon my magnificent diamond wedding rings and then saunter out of the bathroom. 

Adam is waiting outside the door. It’s like he picked up on a secret vibe. He said I was absent from his arm for too long.  When I exit the room, he blocks my path, walks me backward toward the wall, and then leans me back, looking me squarely in the eyes.  He pulls me into an embrace and then begins nibbling at my bottom lip. Oh, I know this twinkle in his eyes and his plans for me. 

You looked irresistible sashaying away from me in this dress, Mrs. Jefferies.  I’m ready to take you home and peel it off of you.  Please tell me you have had enough of this party. Do we really have to stay for the dinner? He is panting with desire, while caressing my neck with one hand and my butt with the other. 

This is my opportunity to show off some of my bold and brazen moves to these women.  I kiss him deeply and passionately, holding the kiss long enough for the threesome to witness.  Neither of us acknowledges their presence, as we would have to end our embrace.  After I was certain they had almost tripped over our public display of affection, I take his hand, wrap it around my waist, and lead the way to the door, knowing we are going home to enjoy a sexy romp in the hay.

1.  Joni

The sun is creeping over the horizon.  Most of the sky is a dove gray, but some rays from the fledgling sunrise cast pink, yellow, and opal streaks as far as I can see from my bedroom window.  This is the time of the morning I adore. The weather is clear, but chilly, because it is a September morning in Montana.  I choose a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, then throw on a flannel shirt too; it will help until the warmth of the sun heats up the air. 

Downstairs, skillets clang and clack as I place them on the stove to cook eggs and bacon. It’s a few minutes before I realize I haven’t heard him stirring yet. I scoop the coffee into the machine and add the water. It’s unusual for him not to be right behind me. He must be having trouble with the stairs. I’m surprised he hasn’t fussed for help.

Nope, he’s not at the top of the steps.  I move down the hallway, peeking into the rooms, but find him in bed.  His hearing is minimal, so maybe he hadn’t heard me get up but, when I reach to wake him, his body is cold. He is stiff and his limbs unyielding in my attempts to flex them.  I am panic-stricken when I realize there is no rhythmic movement of breathing. A new sense of urgency rushes into my thoughts as I gently jostle him.  But my shaking fails to get a reaction.  My stomach winces when my brain sends the message to my heart.

My beloved friend and constant companion, Bandit, won’t be getting out of bed today.  He died in his sleep. My heart heaves, my throat tightens, and tears instantly spill from my eyes.  I’m motionless, unable to lift my hand away.  Years of memories flood my brain and I catch myself reliving my fondest memories, as if the life we shared was a movie.  Visions of Bandit as the puppy I didn’t want in my home, my son, Jack, and a young Bandit playing fetch in the backyard, and the walks we shared along the Chesapeake Bay come flowing back.  The image of Adam carrying a very sick dog into the vet office, and Bandit bounding down the beaches of Jamaica on our honeymoon, are spliced in my thoughts too.

I feel his presence.  Slowly, I turn to see the face of the man I love more than life itself. Adam is wearing a surprised look on his face when he finds me sitting on the floor. 

Hey, you. What are you doing sitting there?  I thought you were downstairs.

When I fully turn with tears streaming down my face, his expression darkens.  He hurries around the bed to confirm what I already know.  Adam drops to his knees and begins checking for vitals.  My husband grimaces when he shakes his head no, arriving at the same conclusion I had minutes earlier.  Adam reaches to envelop me in his arms, trying to protect me from the pain. 

Oh, honey.  I’m so sorry. We sit on the floor, next to Bandit, in complete silence.  His usual steely composure is shattered. This death will forever change our lives.  I know Adam remembers my past because my mind is recalling it too.

I’ll call Nick and have him start digging out in the meadow, by the oak tree.  Adam shares, choking on the words.

My mind cannot bear the thoughts of Bandit alone and outside.  This dog has always been right beside me. He slept beside my bed or in it, after my family died tragically in a car accident, ten years ago.

All my memories of Bandit are happy.  The space he fills in my heart is enormous. Deep down I know he has lived a wonderful life, but I feel selfish.  I’m not ready for our time together to end.  Or for the massive void his departure will create.  How many times had I joked that if there was such a thing as reincarnation, I wanted to come back as Bandit, because I know he has lived a long, full, loved, and happy life? 

The tears cause my body to shake.  Did he know he was loved, Adam? I speak the words into his shoulder.  Surely he knew how much he was loved. That I loved him with all of my heart.

He strokes my hair and holds me close.  Oh, honey.  He knew, and he loved you right back.  You remember how he would get that twinkle in his eyes just before he would run off and play chase?  Bandit knew you would come for him because he knew you loved him.  I know it doesn’t make it better, but he was right beside the person he loved most: you.

Adam releases me, just long enough to grab his cell phone.  I watch him punch in the numbers and wait for an answer. Nick picks up right away.  Briefly, Adam shares the bad news and the location of the burial site.

‘Of course, I will help,’ I can hear Nick reply.  He knows the exact spot and will head out to the meadow. Before Nick clicks off, he offers his condolences.

Adam kisses the top of my head but leaves me to finish dressing.  The look on Adam’s face confirms he is frightened. My rugged mountain of a man is scared by the passing of a dog, and the potential consequence for me...well, for us. Yes, my heart is broken, but a small piece of my mind is awake and set on reassuring Adam that he will not lose me too. 

Once he is fully dressed, Adam walks back to me and kneels next to our lifeless friend.  When he begins reaching past me, to scoop up Bandit, my emotions leap into high gear.  I quickly reach my arms over Bandit, preventing Adam from taking possession of the body. Through my tears, I shout, What are you doing?

Joni, I’m going to carry him downstairs.  Then I’m going to take him to the meadow.  I want to get him out of this room. The apprehension in his facial expression is evident.

I am on my knees, leaning entirely over Bandit, blocking any attempt to move him. No. You can’t have him.  I’m not ready.  Please, he can stay here until we have to put him in the grave.  He hates the outside, Adam.  Please, don’t take him, not yet.  I sound hysterical, even to my own ears.

He strokes my cheek. Joni, he won’t know he is outside. 

But I will.  Please, don’t take Bandit.  Sobs rack my body as I kneel, pleading, in front of my husband.

Shaking his head in agreement, Adam strokes my cheek again.  Fine. I’ll help Nick. But this won't take long.  You know we have to do this. He cannot stay here.  Or if you would rather him not be buried, not be outside...I can take him to the vet’s office.  We could have him cremated.

My eyes grow wide in horror, and my head shakes an emphatic no.  Adam pulls me up, embraces me, kisses my cheek, looks me in the eyes, then turns to leave the room.

I slip back to the floor, next to Bandit.  Our memories are etched on my heart.  As I again stroke his ear, I think about our ambivalent first days.  How I had not welcomed Bandit into my home. Jake and Jack had begged for a dog, but it was just one more job for mom in my thoughts. 

The day they came home with this six-week-old puppy, I was hostile to all of them.  My husband was in the Air Force and worked shifts.  Jack was in the fourth grade.  Now I had to find time in my day to housebreak a dog.  Jake insisted I name the puppy.  Of course, I refused, because I didn’t want a dog.

Jake and Jack did their fair share to care for the puppy - when they were home. But even with their effort, it left eight or nine hours a day that Bandit’s care fell on me.  Regardless of how little attention I tried to give him, this little mop of hair followed me around. After four days with this gorgeous, black and white, strong-willed, mischievous, roly-poly, bundle of puppy-breath kisses, I surrendered to the affection developing between us.  While he was sleeping at my feet, with complete disregard for my disdain for him, I chose to name him Bandit. Not because of his facial markings, but because he won me over. His beautiful eyes, playfulness, and innocent love for me stole my heart. 

From the first day, Bandit and Jack were inseparable.  I smile when I recall the sound of Jack’s laughter when they played tug of war or fetch.  Bandit was always tolerant of Jack pulling his tail and allowed Jack to handle his dog bowl, even while eating.  I found his temperament appealing, which aided my falling deeper in love with Bandit.

As they grew older, Jack and Bandit’s adventures were bolder.  They would frolic in the waves and explore the adjacent beaches and woods together.  Bandit never ran off to chase rabbits or squirrels, but stayed next to Jack, keeping watch over him. I imagined Bandit sensed I wasn’t there to protect my son, so the job fell to him.

The happy scenes of Jack with Bandit fade and give way to the most intense feelings of sorrow and loneliness.  Jake and Jack were killed in a car accident when Jack was 13 years old.  This dog became my sole reason for getting out of bed.  Grief smashed down on me with unimaginable and terrifying force.  The tide of sorrow swept me into its darkness, where I crashed against unidentifiable surfaces. Only after years of pain, was I thrown out on an unknown beach, bruised and reshaped.  Bandit was present for every moment, waiting for, and loving me.

I cared for him like I would have cared for Jack.  When Adam came into our lives, it had been just us for seven years.  Looking back, until Adam, my heart was numb.  Sealed almost completely shut from the death of my family. I guess loving Bandit kept my heart open a crack.  It was when Adam rushed a gravely ill Bandit to the vet, I realized my heart was open to loving another.

Adam did get in, and he loves me unconditionally, passionately, and faithfully.  With that love, Adam graciously accepted Bandit as a part of our new life together.  I remember him referring to Bandit as ‘my dog’ once to someone.  When we were all home, Bandit always chose me.  But well, we had a history. 

Adam and I had a strange start.  Adam is the only man that showed any interest in me after Jake died. Adam was an undercover CIA operative in the midst of an ongoing case when I met him.  But I knew and fell in love with his undercover alias.  Adam was kind, patient, and tender with me while I wrestled with my feelings of guilt and learned to love again.  It was an easy decision to forgive his deception because I love the man, not his name. 

After months of trials and tribulations, we married.  Adam wanted out of his undercover role, to lead a life without lies and guns, so the CIA helped stage his death.  Adam and I spent six glorious months exploring many of the Caribbean islands while deciding where we wanted to live under the auspice of the witness protection program.

Once we limited our choice to the mountains in the west, we decided to buy a ranch in Montana. We were excited to begin our married life on solid ground and quickly went through the process of selling our boat and making travel arrangements for our adventure across the country. 

Bandit ran the grounds when we first moved into our new home. He knew the common area of the cabins and main house well.  These days, he only meandered around the house and barn. 

It was early last year when snow was still on the ground when we noticed his hearing failing.  He would be standing, looking lost, and obviously relieved when we came for him.  After learning that predators would portray Bandit as an injured animal, I insisted someone be with him outside at all times - for his safety and my sanity.

Ah yes. The young Nick Mauro. He is our hired hand and a surrogate son. Adam hired him ten months ago when he came looking for work.  Nick must have presented a convincing argument, because Adam hired him on the spot and told me about his decision later.

I was upset to have a stranger living among us. We are in WitSec I remember barking at my husband.  Adam persuaded me that Nick needed a decent break in life or there was a good chance he would find himself involved in criminal activities. Nick’s mother died from a drug overdose when he was nine.  Adam’s argument for hiring him was Nick needed a mother role model and I needed a son to care for, then he turned on that smile.

The thought of Jack brings me to the beginning again. I think all of my memories with Bandit are happy, but all the time we spent together was not.  His presence carried me through the darkest time of my life. Time I never want to encounter again. Time no one should have to endure.  We had sad memories that thankfully, only we shared.  Now, I have lost the precious connection between my present and my past.

Today is like losing Jack all over again, and my tears are falling full force. Bandit has been a chunk of my entire married life as well.  Adam and I will shamelessly grieve this loss. But he has left us, more specifically, me, behind.

My brain tries to reel