good job on that part of the film. She wanted Jax to be happy with the way they were portrayed. And while Jax had been there for some of the filming, he had yet to see the film in its entirety. Tonight would be the first time.
Finally, it was their turn to walk the red carpet. She answered questions from the press, keeping Jax at her side, even though he was happy to let her have the spotlight. That was one area where she differed from her grandmother. She didn't need the spotlight alone; she wanted everyone she loved to be in that light with her.
They were the last to take their seats in the theater. The lights dimmed, and she tightened her grasp on Jax's hand.
"This is it," he whispered.
"Wish me luck."
"You don't need it. It's going to be great."
The movie opened with a small, dark-haired girl with sad green eyes standing by a grave, very much alone and separated from the adults around her. She was looking to the horizon, to her future. There was a yearning for more in her eyes, and she was going to get more than she ever imagined.
Maya lived every line, every scene in the movie. Even though she'd seen it a thousand times already, it still touched her heart. And when the lights came on, she was crying.
Jax gave her a hug and a kiss. "You did it, Maya. It was amazing. You captured Natasha's true spirit, her complicated life, and her contradictory feelings. You made her come alive again. It was beautiful."
"And your parents?"
He nodded. "You did right by them."
"You mean that?"
"I do. But I wasn't worried."
"I love you so much, Jax. I couldn't have done this without you."
A tender smile curved his lips, "I love you, too, Maya. Now stand up and take a bow. This is your moment. We'll have ours later, I promise."
She smiled and got to her feet as the applause bathed her in light and warmth. In those few moments, the last little piece of the puzzle fell into place. She realized that this was the love that Natasha had lived for and had never been able to get enough of.
But when the applause stopped, and she looked into Jax's blue eyes, she knew that it wasn't the fame she wanted—it was him. He was her life. And she was his.
I hope you enjoyed Jax and Maya's exciting romantic mystery! Next up in the Off The Grid: FBI Series is Caitlyn Carlson’s story in DARING DECEPTION.
What to Read Next
Don’t miss Caitlyn’s story in
DARING DECEPTION
Release date January 26, 2021
He didn't just break her heart, he broke her soul. He is the last person she wants to see again. And the only person who can help her solve a deadly case.
When a bomb exploded at her college, Caitlyn Carlson's life changed in an instant. Ten years later, she's no longer a vulnerable, trusting girl, but a tough, ruthless, FBI agent. But her hard exterior covers a deep, aching hole in her heart.
Brodie Gallagher has changed his life, too, trying to make up for the horrific mistakes of his youth. But some mistakes can't be outrun or forgiven. Some feelings don't stay buried, no matter how hard you try.
An explosion at a local university takes them back to the past, to the one place they never wanted to go again…and to each other. They barely survived loving each other the first time around. The secrets and lies almost killed them. Will this be their second chance, or will this be the end of everything?
PREORDER DARING DECEPTION
SILENT RUN
While you’re waiting for the next FBI book, check out an excerpt from SILENT RUN, the first book in a romantic suspense duo. SILENT FALL is the second book in the Sanders Brothers Series.
SILENT RUN - EXCERPT
PROLOGUE
Large raindrops streamed against her windshield as she sped along the dark, narrow highway north of Los Angeles. She’d been traveling for over an hour along the wild and beautiful Pacific coastline. She’d passed the busy beach cities of Venice and Santa Monica, the celebrity-studded hills of Malibu and Santa Barbara. Thank God it was a big state. She could start over again, find a safe place to stay, but she had to get there first.
The pair of headlights in her rearview mirror drew closer with each passing mile. Her nerves began to tighten, and goose bumps rose along her arms and the back of her neck. She’d been running too long not to recognize danger. But