“I happen to like this look,” I whispered.
“Not to meet the leader of our country,” she hissed.
“Both of you shut up,” Cap growled.
The back door opened and President Hayes stepped out, buttoning his suit jacket as he walked toward us. “Sebastian, it’s great to see you again.” He held out his hand and shook Cap’s hand. “You did a fine job.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
“Please, call me John. I think you’ve more than earned that right.”
“Well, it wasn’t all because of me.”
The president turned to me and held out his hand. “You must be Michael Parker.” I shook his hand, speechless as the president stood before, calling me by name. It was fucking amazing. “I hear you and Ms. Collins played a vital role in uncovering the virus. Your country owes you a debt of gratitude, even though we can’t officially acknowledge what happened.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m just glad I could help.”
“As a thank you for what you’ve done, I’ve reviewed your military file and decided to pardon you.”
My eyes widened in shock. This was what I was hoping for, but it didn’t seem possible that it would happen. “Thank you, sir.”
“While looking over your file, I also noticed that you trained in military intelligence. I would like to offer you a special position on my staff.”
It was like whiplash. One minute I was the scum of the military and the next, the president was offering me a position on his staff. I cleared my throat as I considered how to answer. “Um…thank you, Mr. President. It would be an honor to serve you. But after my years of service, I’m ready to step back and find a new career path.”
He nodded, smirking slightly. “I thought you might say that. I can’t say I blame you after what happened to you.” He turned to Blake and held out his hand. “I would like to thank you for pushing back when you knew something was wrong. Not many would take on the FBI and risk what you did. It was a very noble move.”
“Well, very stupid,” Blake laughed, still uncomfortable standing in her workout gear.
“Maybe so, but you served your country well. I’ve asked that you be reinstated and promoted to Executive Assistant Director for Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch.”
Her eyes popped wide and she turned to me, completely speechless. “Um…thank you, sir,” she said, not knowing what else to say.
“Sebastian, I look forward to hearing more about that thing I asked you to look into,” he said, turning for his car.
“My report will be on your desk by the end of the week,” Cap responded.
We all stood there and stared at the president as he got into his car and drove off. Blake practically collapsed on me when he left.
“I can’t believe that he had me promoted. I don’t even know what to say or what to think.”
“Are you going to take it?” I asked. I didn’t want to ask her to give up a job she loved, but we had already made plans for when this was all over. I was still all in, but I was afraid that now she wasn’t.
She bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. “I can’t.”
“Good,” Sebastian said, slapping me on the back. “Because I happen to think the two of you would be a perfect fit here.”
“Sorry, Cap. That’s an amazing offer, especially considering all that you did for me, but I’m done with this shit.”
“What about you?” he asked Blake. “Tell me you’re not ready to hang up your weapon.”
“I would, but I have a cowboy to meet in Montana.”
“Wait. So, you’ve been offered a job working with the president,” he said to me, “and you’ve been offered a very high position in the FBI, and neither of you are going to accept?”
I looked at Blake, seeing my future in front of me. She was all I needed, and I wasn’t about to mess that up for anything. “You know, Washington isn’t a good place to raise kids.”
“Here’s a good place to raise kids,” Cap said incredulously. “We have the training center and a private school. Your kids will know how to handle weapons from an early age. What more could you ask for?”
“Blake’s got that covered,” I grinned. “She’s going to train the kids and I’m going to braid their hair. Well, the girls’ anyway.”
Cap just shook his head in amazement. “I can’t believe it. You’re giving up all this to go live in Montana.”
“No,” Blake grinned up at me. “We’re doing this for freedom.”
“And the sexy belt buckle,” I added.
“Well, that too. Plus, the sexy, tight jeans and the cowboy hat. I can’t wait to see that.”
“You’re going to have to learn how to ride a horse.”
“I have a feeling it won’t be too hard to learn that,” she said, trailing a finger down my chest.
“Ew, gross,” Cap said, shaking his head. “That’s just disgusting.”
“Oh, it’s gonna get dirty,” I grinned.
Cap turned and walked away, grumbling to himself about cowboys. But something struck me and I called out to him. “Hey, how did the president even know to look into my case?”
Cap grinned at me. “Knight took care of it all. It was one of his stipulations for taking care of Arrington.”
Cap walked away, leaving me alone with Blake. After everything we had been through, we were actually going to walk away with our freedom. And for me, an honorable discharge. My record would be wiped clean and I wouldn’t have to have that stain on my life anymore. Blake and I could just go live our lives and never have to worry about any of this shit again. I owed my life to Knight. If he hadn’t come and found me, I never would have gotten here. I never would have found Blake.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Cap
“Today’s the day,” Maggie said, wrapping her arms around me from behind.
I stood in the bathroom, dragging a deep breath into my lungs as I stared at myself in the mirror. Swallowing hard, I nodded in acceptance.
“Yeah.”
“You’re still going through with this, right?”
“Of course. I mean, it’s what’s best for everyone. We’ve had a good run, but this is something I need to do.”
She nodded and pressed her cheek to my back. “I know this is hard, but how much more can we take? We both know that this is something you need to do.”
“I know. I mean, I don’t want to do this, but I’m not sure either of us can take any more.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?”
“No, I have to do this on my own.”
She stepped back as I turned around. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her hard. I could do this. I would do this. It was best for not only our family, but for everyone at Reed Security. I stepped back, running the back of my hand down Maggie’s face. This didn’t change anything for us. If anything, it was better for us. We would definitely be able to fuck more, and more fucking was always a good thing.
“Go do what you have to do,” she said, pressing her hand over my heart.
I nodded and backed out of the bathroom. I grabbed my keys and headed out to my truck before I could second-guess myself. It didn’t matter if it was the end of an era. This was best for my family, and I was going to put them first. I was just getting into my truck when Sinner came pulling up, dust kicking up behind him as he screeched to a stop. Cazzo jumped out with him, an angry look on his face. Burg got out slowly, his hulking frame thrumming with anger.
“You can’t do this,” Sinner shouted, jumping out and rushing over.
“I have to.”
“No, you fucking don’t,” Cazzo growled. “If you do this, what do you think our wives are going to do?”
I rolled my eyes at their dramatics. “Look, just because I’m choosing to do this doesn’t mean you all have to follow me.”
“You know we would follow you anywhere,” Burg said dramatically.
“Well, that’s sweet, but this is something I have to do
on my own.”
“No fucking way. We’re a family and we do this shit together,” Cazzo growled.
I sighed, knowing there was no changing their minds. They would stand beside me through anything, and I appreciated that more than I could put into words. “Let’s do this then.”
We all piled in my truck, and on the way to the front of the property, four more trucks pulled up, blocking my path. Ice, Chris, and Jules all stepped out of their trucks, and Chance stepped out of his, followed by Gabe and Jackson. They all looked fucking pissed.
“Did you really think you could get away with this shit?” Ice shouted. I stepped out, hoping to diffuse the situation before it got out of control. They needed to respect my decision.
“Look, guys, I know this is hard for you, but I’m not asking any of you to join me on this.”
“It’s too late. Lindsey was talking with Maggie the other day, and then she pointed out how brave you were for doing this. She’s already asked me to join you and do this for our family.”
“Same here,” Gabe said. “I wasn’t ready for this. We’re a fucking team. Why wouldn’t you talk to us about this first?”
“Yeah,” Jules snapped. “You could have warned us first. Now all the wives are talking about how wonderful you are for putting your family first.”
“Guys,” I said, holding up my hands to calm them. They looked like a bunch of wounded animals right now. “I never meant for this to get around to the wives. This is just something I have to do for my family right now. I’m sure if you just talk to your wives-”
“It won’t do any fucking good,” Chris snapped. “Ali’s already made up her mind. She’s ready for the chaos to stop.”
“Guys, what do you want me to say? I can’t fight Maggie on this anymore. This is what I need to do to make her happy. She’s the love of my life. I would do anything for her. I’ve put myself ahead of her for too long. Now it’s time to do this for her.” They all seemed to understand, but I could tell that none of them were happy about it. “Look, you know how I feel about this shit, but this is the right time. After everything that’s gone down this year, this feels like the right move to me.”
“It’s just hard,” Sinner choked out from beside me. “It’s like asking us to give up who we are.”
“You don’t have to go through with this.”
Sinner snorted. “I’m with you all the way, Cap. Where you go, I go.”
“Alright, then let’s get this done and over with. Let’s let the younger generations move in and take over.”
“This doesn’t change jack shit about who we are,” Chris said, puffing out his chest. “We’re still the same men, no matter what happens today.”
“So, we’re all in on this?” I asked, checking to make sure that everyone really felt the same.
“We’re in,” Ice nodded.
I was drumming my fingers on my knee, waiting for what was about to happen. I had never been more nervous in all my life. This was it, the end of the line. What would I do from here? How would this all play out? Would Freckles look at me differently? Would everything change between us?
“What if they don’t look at us like men anymore?” Sinner asked, leaning over and sharing my own fears. “I mean, this is a huge part of who we are. Suddenly, that’s all gone.”
“They wanted this,” Ice snapped. “I better not hear any bitching when I get home.”
“We just have to keep our eyes on the prize,” Cazzo said as he rocked in his chair. “Focus on the big picture.”
The door opened and Hunter walked in with Derek and Alec. “So, I guess we’re all doing this,” Hunter sighed, taking a seat across from me.
“I gotta say, I’m not too happy about this,” Alec grumbled. “Why should we have to give up this piece of ourselves? It’s not right.”
“Because we love our wives,” I reminded him.
“Not this much,” Jules grumbled. Chris snarled at him. “What? Don’t give me any shit. I’ve given up a lot for Ivy already. I really don’t think it’s too much to ask that I can keep the one thing that makes me a man.”
“Oh, stop being so dramatic. You’re getting a vasectomy, not cutting off your dick,” I snapped.
“And part of being a man is having that semen shooting out of my dick,” Jules said just a little too loudly. The nurse at the front desk looked out at us with a raised eyebrow. I waved to her with a slight laugh and then slapped Jules upside the head.
“Way to go, dick. Why don’t you announce to the whole world why we’re here?”
“Like they don’t know,” he hissed. “They probably all have our files back there and they’re fucking laughing at us.”
I shook my head at his dramatics. “You know, I had planned on doing this on my own. I really hadn’t planned on doing this with all of you.”
“Well, you’ve got us and you’re stuck with us,” Alec said. “Face it, you put us all in this situation every single time you got Maggie pregnant.”
The door opened again and Tacos walked in with Craig, Rocco and Storm. “So, this is where the party is,” Tacos grinned.
“Don’t tell me you’re getting a vasectomy too?” Hunter asked. “You’ve barely procreated.”
Tacos grinned. “Nah, I’m just here to watch.”
“Fucking great,” Hunter muttered. “Another Gabe wannabe.”
“Hey, I don’t sit around watching other guys’ dicks,” Gabe sneered.
The nurse at the front desk cleared her throat and our gazes all swung to meet hers. The door to the back opened and a doctor stepped out, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise when he saw all the men sitting out here.
“Are all of you here today for the same procedure?”
“Not all of us,” I said, standing and holding out my hand to the doctor. “I’m Sebastian Reed. I have the original appointment. I don’t know about all these yahoos.”
He nodded slightly. “Well, I don’t think we have time to fit all of you in today,” the doctor said worriedly.
“Don’t worry about it, doc,” Tacos grinned. “Some of us are just here for moral support.”
“Ah,” the doctor said, nodding slightly. I saw him glance back at the nurse, probably for support, but she had disappeared. “Well, how about we go over questions as a group and then you all can decide what you want to do.”
“So, it’s kind of like group therapy,” Craig said. “Trust me, doc. I’ve been there before. I wasn’t really a fan of it, but we worked out our issues and things are going well now.”
Alec slapped him upside the head before I had a chance to. The door swung open again and Coop ran in followed by Florrie and Lola. I groaned, rolling my eyes to the ceiling. Could this get any worse?
“Don’t tell me you’re here for a vasectomy,” I said scathingly.
Lola smirked and pushed Coop forward. “Just delivering the last man to the group.”
“You said Cap was quitting,” Coop glared at her.
“No, I said that all the guys were meeting because of a big decision Cap was making. You came to that conclusion all on your own.”
“And I’m just here to make sure Alec actually gets the vasectomy,” Florrie smirked.
I cleared my throat and gave a shaky smile to the doc. “Let’s just move on.”
“Should we be expecting any more people?”
“No,” I flushed bright red. “That’s all of us.”
“Good, well then, let’s get started with what’s going to happen during the procedure. We’ll start out by making two small cuts in the scrotum to reach the vas deferens-”
“I’m out,” Cazzo said, standing and walking for the door.
“Yeah, you’re not putting a scalpel anywhere near my nuts,” Burg said, following Cazzo out the door.
The doctor raised an eyebrow and continued. “Anyway, from there, I’ll sear the ends of the vas, and then tie the cut ends with a suture.”
“So, let me get this straight,” Gabe said. “You’re going to c
ut us open, then sear our insides with some kind of welding machine, and then you’re stitching us up?”
“Well, not exactly-”
“No, no fucking way. I love ya, Cap, but I’m not having that shit anywhere near my balls.”
“I’m with Gabe,” Chance said, standing up and heading for the door. “There’s no fucking way that shit is gonna happen.”
They walked out of the room, the door slamming behind them. I turned back to the doctor, ready to get this over with. The more they all talked about it, the harder it was making it to stay. But Maggie didn’t want to get pregnant anymore, and I really didn’t want to wear condoms, which was a requirement if I didn’t go through with this.
“Doc, what are the side effects?” Chris asked.
“Well, there’s a small risk of bleeding into the scrotum-”
Chris stood and headed for the door. “Yeah, I’m out.”
“Me too.”
Half of the men filtered out, leaving only Ice, Sinner, Tacos, and Rocco with me.
“So, now it’s down to the men,” Sinner grinned, leaning back in his chair.
“It’s not a fucking contest,” I hissed.
“Hey, you can bet that after my balls get snipped, there’s no way in hell that I won’t walk around like a damn peacock showing off my feathers.”
I didn’t know what to say. There was so much wrong with that sentence.
“What about recovery time?” Ice asked. “How long before we can have sex again.”
“Well, that’s a fairly short time frame. However, you have to wait to have unprotected sex for up to three months, and even at that point, one in five men will still impregnate their significant other.”
“Wait, so you’re going to snip our balls, and then we still have to wait three fucking months to have sex?”
“No, it’s-”
“Doc, let’s be real. No man wants to fuck his wife with a condom. I’m out.”
Ice stood and walked out of the room, leaving only Sinner and the peanut gallery.
GoodKnight: A Reed Security Romance Page 29