INTRODUCTION ________________________

Welcome To "VOWS & VALOR" Book 4 in The Red Bow Series

All of the stories in this series are written in a way that you can enjoy them as stand alone reads, but they are greatly enhanced if you have read the preceeding books first.

You can find them in my workshop.

They are... In Order...

"Finding Home" Book 1 and the start of it all. Jessa and Brodie's Story

"TOUGH ENOUGH" Book 2 Nicole and Axel's Story

"THE CLIMB" Book 3 Shaye and Max's Story

___________________________ VOWS & VALOR picks up from the end of THE CLIMB and is the story of Danielle and Kevin ___________________________

MAIN CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS __________________________

Danielle Hollis 24 yrs old Single

Kevin Dalton 31 yrs old Single Former Military

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VOWS & VALOR _________________________

Chapter One ___________________

April 9 Saturday _________________

DANIELLE ___________________________

Not that I wanted to be.

I would actually have rather been getting ready to go just about anywhere else.

That was why I had purposely been dragging my feet for so long. But my mom didn't ask a whole lot from me, and this was really important to her, so I had very reluctantly agreed to go.

She had been dating Det. Gary Cordeleone, a veteran detective with the Virginia State Police, for about four months now. That in itself was surprising enough, since she hadn't dated anyone in years, until the two of them had started talking one day, and ended up hitting it off.

I shudder when I remember the event that had originally brought them together to begin talking in the first place, but quickly try push it to the back of my mind.

It doesn't work though, because it was one of the biggest reasons why I didn't want to go with her tonight in the first place.

Checking myself over in the mirror one last time, I sigh loudly. I guess you couldn't go wrong with a little black dress. Not that I could really bring myself to care overmuch how I looked. The way things had been going lately, I was pretty sure Jake would still manage to find some kind of fault with it, and me, anyway. I grab my purse and my keys and head into the living room of my small apartment, where my mom was waiting.

I nod, smiling.

I bite back a laugh at her nervousness as she stammers.

She sighs, and I know what's coming before she even opens her mouth.

I shake my head, unwilling to talk about it right now, or ever, if I could keep avoiding it.

As we head for the door, she asks...

Again, something I have no intention of talking about.

*****

When we get to The Red Bow I feel my nerves kick in hard.

It was the hottest, most popular bar/club in Virginia, and the envy of bar owners in several surrounding states as well, known for its great atmosphere, high energy, and even better music.

My mom had worked there for nearly a decade now and was more than comfortable with being there. I however, was not. I could probably count on two hands with my fingers how many times I'd actually been inside its doors.

Of course mom didn't want Linc and I hanging around a bar when we were younger, so she kept us away. When I was older yes, I thought it would be cool to drink and party a bit, but NOT where my mom worked. I mean, come on. That wouldn't have been cool at all.

I had gone out to bars a few times in college, but one night I had went out with some so called "friends", and had had a... bad experience, which had turned me off from bars ever since.

When we walk inside, we're met with a couple of huge banner signs hanging down from the high rafters.

After a 35 year career in law enforcement, Mr. Cordeleone had decided to finally retire. And they were having a big party for him tonight, which was why my mom had asked me to come.

We find him up by the front of the bar, accepting congratulations from friends and chatting with everyone.

His eyes light up when he sees my mom, and he kisses her cheek when we reach him.

He gestures to the just emptied bar stools beside him.

I smile and shake my head, looking around at the crowd. They didn't need me hanging out in their way, anyway.

When I leave them and move further into the bar, my first instinct is to find a quiet corner to wait it out until I can respectfully make my excuses, and a hasty exit.

But then I see Jake, Lydia, and her husband Patrick are already there, and sitting together at a table while my brother Linc, and his friend Wes stand talking with them.

They see me coming right before I reach them.

I roll my eyes at my brother.

He pulls me in for a quick side hug, and I hug him back before he let's me go. Linc was three years older than me, and we had always been extremely close. He was some kind of tech specialist (I won't even pretend to know what he does) at a reputable security company in Langley now, after spending eight years in the Army and getting out the year before last.

He laughs and Jake stands up, leaning in to kiss my cheek, then scanning his eyes slowly up and down the length of my body.

Jake Jackson was 26, an up and coming software developer for a well known gaming company. Able to work almost exclusively from home online, he was the epitome of a typical young professional, smart, good looking, a smooth talker... and we had been casually dating for nearly six months.

I give him a smile, but see Lydia look away with an exaggerated eye roll. She didn't care much for Jake, and only tolerated him because of me. Her husband, Patrick, was the same.

I give her a quick warning glance, and she stops. It would only cause problems for me if he noticed.

Wes steps around to give me a quick hug as well.

Wes was one of Linc's best friends, and like my other big brother. He was also second in charge of security at The Red Bow under Axel Matisse, and one badass bouncer.

They both give me wide-eyed looks of mock innocence before moving on to talk to some of their friends, and I can't help but laugh.

I catch Jake watching me interact with them with an irritated look on his face. A look which I had been seeing more and more often from him lately. Then it's gone, and he motions to the chair beside him.

The four of us make small talk for a few minutes, then I see Lydia give Patrick a look and he stands up, motioning a hand to Jake.

Jake scrunches his eyebrows together as if the concept was completely foreign to him.

Reluctantly he gets up to follow.

As soon as they're gone Lydia turns to me, but I speak before she does.

She gives me a sympathetic look. Lydia had been my best friend since my mom had left my dad and moved here when I was around 12, and she knew exactly why I rarely went out to bars.

When my head snaps up in surprise she puts her hand over mine.

It was true he had been getting aggravated much more easily lately, with subtle put downs and innuendo, frequently trying to start arguments for no real reason. But I just hated confrontation and drama, so I did my best to try to ignore and overlook it.

She sighs but gives in, and I feel a rush of relief. It's short-lived though, when she brings something else up.

Now it's my turn to sigh.

If it sounds like my life is pretty messed up right now, that's because it is. But I guess you could say I was maybe living in a little bit of denial. Or a whole river of it, but whatever.

I look down at the table. Of course he hadn't. Why would he? We were dating, but hadn't made anything official. I wasn't willing to commit to more, or even really sure how I felt about him. And he wasn't willing to commit either, at least not until we... Well, let's just say I hadn't really given him any "incentive" to offer to help me out.

About then Patrick and Jake return with our drinks, cutting the conversation off, and I'm glad. I wanted to be mad at Lydia but I couldn't. She just cared about me and was worried. But she put everything I was trying to forget about and avoid right front and center back in my head, and it was not what I needed right now.

Patrick hands Lydia her drink, and Jake hands me mine, smiling.

Without even paying attention I take a long drink. It was pretty warm inside the bar with all of the people packed around, and I was actually pretty thirsty.

Immediately, I start to cough and sputter, as the distinctly sharp bite of alcohol hits my unsuspecting stomach, making it burn.

I look quickly over at Jake, and he raises what I could almost swear was a warning eyebrow.

A few minutes later she and Patrick head out to the dance floor, leaving Jake and I sitting at the table. I turn to him frowning, and ask...

He looks up, shrugging.

Leaning in closer, he smiles as he whispers in my ear...

I end up having the drink. And a few more after that one.

No, Jake didn't make me drink anything, even if he DID highly and continuously encourage me. It was my own choice, and I made it. I didn't have to listen to him. But I did.

About an hour and a half later, as soon as Lydia and Patrick leave to go home, and Linc and Wes take off to move their party time elsewhere, Jake hands me another, saying it's okay because it'll be the last one. Vaguely I start to wonder, as I finish the last one, if the drinks he's been giving me have more alcohol in them than he had been leading me to believe. Because my face is starting to feel oddly numb, my speech is slower, and I think I might just be slightly on the edge of drunk.

I look at him, close my eyes, open them and look again, because when I do I swear I see at least two of him there, even when I try to focus. And when I shake my head to clear it I nearly give myself the spins.

I feel his hand move to rub slowly up and down my back, as he watches me very closely.

I miss the smooth way his other hand begins to slip down and rub over the top of my upper thigh.

He nuzzles his nose into my neck briefly, squeezing my thigh.

When I stand up to leave he has to steady me, as I sway a little on my feet. Damn, this is definitely not what I expected to happen tonight.

I take a step their way, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.

I suppose "busy" was an apt description. They were cozied up together at a table, talking and laughing softly together, for the most part now oblivious to the party going on around them.

**********

KEVIN _________________________

Nodding at Axel, my best friend and head of security at The Red Bow, I pick up my drink and take a long swallow. His wife Nicole, who was like a sister to me, my cousin Chrissie, and The Red Bow's manager, Jessa, and her husband Brodie, lead guitar for house band The Phoenix, sit with me as everyone had gotten together for a big party to celebrate Mr. Cordeleone's retirement on a kick ass Saturday night.

I look over at the retiring Virginia detective and can't help remembering the night Axel and I had been with him nearly two years ago, when Nicole had been assaulted and nearly killed by some fúcking psycho, in her own apartment. I imagined after thirty-five years of seeing shît like that go down, I'd probably be ready to retire too. Hell, six years in the Army and several tours overseas had been more than enough for me.

I see him talking and laughing with a woman about his age, and they look pretty cozy. It surprises me because I'd never really seen him with anyone, but hey, go Mr. C, yeah?

Axel rolls his eyes at me, the fucker.

Nicole takes up for me, and I give her a wink.

That was an understatement. I had practically spent every waking minute since I'd signed the papers in January to buy the place working on remodeling, and upgrading the building itself, and handling all of the paperwork, and headaches of getting the business side in order.

Brodie looks at her, and grins.

It's a trip to watch all of them. Jessa and Brodie... Axel and Nicole... Damn, even newlyweds Max and Shaye, lead singer for the band and assistant manager of The Red Bow, over with Mr. Cordeleone, who was also Max's dad. They'd gotten married in December and were having a baby already. It was great to see them all happy, but at the same time crazy that all of the sworn to stay single guys had been dropping like flies.

Except yours truly, of course.

I wished them all well, but they could definitely keep that. I planned on having no part of it.

I look up at her, smiling, and shrug.

The owner of The Red Bow himself, Mr. Bill Wilson, walks over smiling and extends his hand. I shake it as I have another long drink, finishing the glass.

He nods excitedly.

An idea hits me, and I grin at him.

His enthusiasm is always contagious, and I really AM proud of the work that's been done so far. But when I reach in my pocket I realize I forgot to bring in my damn phone.

As I get up and move to start towards the door, I feel a hand brush my side lightly.

I smile at the blonde walking by.

Axel looks at me, cocking his eyebrow and smirking.

Everyone laughs, and I flip Axel off over my shoulder as I head outside. It's a bit chilly still at night in early April, but not too bad.

I always park my truck way in the back of the lot when I do come out to The Red Bow, or any bar for that matter because, you know, drunks sometimes. And this is no different. I'm almost to the driver's side door when I hear noise and raised voices. Not that unusual in a bar parking lot on any given night.

I almost ignore it, but something in my gut tells me not to, and then I feel a prickle run right straight up the back of my neck. Okay then...

I slip automatically into stealth mode, and silently follow the voices. There are lights over the parking lot, but they're pretty dim, and dimmer still the further back you go. The voices get a little clearer as I approach slowly. I had no intention of making myself known unless there was a reason to, and I hear them before I can actually see them.

SLAP!

They come into sight right in front of me when I come around the side of another large truck. And about that time I see this dumbass guy, with a girl I'd wager was drunk, trapped bodily against a car, draw back and slap her hard right across the face.

REALLY DUDE??

Well, FUUCK...

I really hadn't planned on beating anyone's ass today. But, hey, I'm flexible...

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New To Series Character Introductions _______________________

Lydia Mano 24 yrs old Danielle's Best Friend

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Patrick Mano 26 yrs old Lydia's Husband

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Linc Hollis 27 yrs old Danielle's Brother Former Military Tech Specialist

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Jake Jackson 26 yrs old Dating Danielle Software Developer

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