Drake snorted. “You’d hope. But it seems he’s fallen into his role as host.” He nodded at Ember and Joseph as they moved from group to group and visited.
“I don’t trust it. When was the last time you saw him this happy and this social?” Jacob glanced at Drake. “Be on your guard. He’ll spring it when we least expect it.”
“Roger that, Skipper.”
Mike nodded and glanced around the growing gathering. “I concur. Where are Dixon and Doc? We need to advise them, too.”
Zane tossed his napkin into a trash bin at the edge of the deck. “He’s working this like a mission, isn’t he? Damn it. He has something up his sleeve. I’ll find Nic and Jared. I doubt Chad would be part of the payback, but I’ll give him a heads-up just in case.”
Jacob put a hand on Zane’s arm, stilling him. “I’ll let Justin and Jason know, too. Drake, you inform Dixon. Chief, you’ve got Doc.”
“Roger that.” The men echoed the affirmation and casually strolled away from each other.
Joseph knew when the group in the corner broke up and he tracked them as they made their way through the crowd. Their surreptitious warnings would have been missed by someone who wasn’t trained or, for that matter, currently training people on covert operations. He wrapped his arm around Ember’s waist as she chatted with Anna. An added benefit to the plans he initiated. Being on alert the entire vacation for retribution that would come, but not in a way they would ever anticipate. Fools. Fuck around with a sharp knife and there was no doubt you’d get cut. Oh, he’d make them bleed, but not the red stuff in their veins. Nope, they’d be jumping through hoops.
Gabriel cleared his throat, bringing Joseph’s attention back to him. “Thanks for the heads-up on that… operation. We took care of business this morning.”
Joseph nodded his head. “Good.” He glanced at the women as they held an animated conversation. Gabriel nodded to the corner. Joseph kissed Ember’s temple. “Be right back.”
She glanced at him and smiled. “Okay.”
He and Gabriel moved out of earshot. “You know they know something’s up.”
Joseph’s low, evil chuckle confirmed that he in fact knew.
“When are you going to tell them?”
“Tonight at dinner I’m going to tell them I have a private yacht hired for a day of deep-sea fishing. I’ll drop the bomb when I have them as a captive audience. We will dock exactly twenty-four hours before the event.”
Gabriel frowned. “They’ll be able to find what they need.” He lifted his drink to his lips.
“I don’t doubt it. However, that day there will be four cruise ships docking at dawn.”
Gabriel coughed, choking on his drink. Joseph patted him on his back until he could breathe. He accepted a napkin from a passing waiter and wiped his mouth. “You are one devious son of a bitch.”
“They wanted to wedge their way into my vacation. Seems only appropriate that they experience everything with me. Right?”
“And the ladies?”
“I have that covered. It cost a fucking fortune, but I have everything in place. I swore you and Frank to secrecy.”
Gabriel gave a firm nod before agreeing, “You have our word.”
“I do, and for that, I thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go be social and happy.”
“Fuck, you’re going to scare them to death before you run them to death, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yeah.” He laughed again. Maybe this vacation had potential after all.
Joseph tapped his spoon against his wineglass, stilling the babble of conversation around the table. “Thank you all for coming to Aruba on such short notice.” There was laughter and clapping from the women and children. The men smiled but glanced around at each other. “I know everyone has plans, but I wanted to let you know that I’m giving most of my Christmas presents early this year. First, gentlemen, we have a full day on a luxury yacht, deep-sea fishing on the tenth. Ladies, I’ve hired the services of a local spa for you on that day. Hair, nails, facials, massages, the works. My staff has arranged to take the older children on ATV rides around the island with a picnic lunch at one of the beaches. The younger ones will have childcare here at the house.” He glanced down the table to where the children were sitting. “Don’t worry, many, many more presents will come on Christmas morning.”
A loud happy choir of voices rose, and he lifted a glass of wine, speaking above the din. “A toast to family, by blood or by choice.”
Everyone lifted their glasses in unison. Joseph took a sip and sat down, smiling at Jacob, who stared at him. Damn, he could see the wheels working in the little man’s brain. He was having fun with this payback.
“What a wonderful gesture. I really thought you’d be upset that they came down.” Ember leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“No, actually, I am enjoying having everyone here.” He covered her hand with his. “Don’t tell a soul that I just admitted that.”
Ember laughed and smiled at him. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Chapter 11
Jasmine watched her husband as he sang. The meal finished and children put to sleep, most of the adults had congregated on the beautiful balcony of Joseph’s home. Her family enticed Chad to sing a couple songs, which he was happy to oblige. As the last notes of a haunting new melody faded, a warm and peaceful mood seemed to settle around the couples.
Jade leaned against Nic. “Hey, Jazz, do you ever miss being a PSO?”
She shook her head, her answer immediate. “Not at all. I mean, it was an exceptional experience, and it gave me Chad, but being in charge of his and our security is a full-time job. We’ve got a world tour coming up. Limited stops, but still enough to keep me more than busy. I’ve found my place in life and I couldn’t be happier.” She smiled at Chad, who dropped his arm around her and kissed her temple.
“Guardian has changed, hasn’t it?” Jewell sighed. “Big changes, fast growth, exponential potential.”
“It has,” Jason agreed from across the balcony.
“Jason, where do you see Guardian in the next ten or twenty years?” Justin asked from where he and Dani were sitting by the railing.
Jason blew out a lungful of air and took Faith’s hand in his. “Well, with twenty-six Alpha teams and thirty Dagger teams now trained and through the Rose, I’d say we are as big as we are going to get for the foreseeable future. Training at the Rose and at the complex will continue. The rehab center at the complex is as big as it is going to get, and we are going to work on building up the Rose for those who need long-term medical and mental health care. Of course, our Dom Ops side continues to grow as clients seek us out to ask us to investigate more. So, in twenty years, I imagine I’ll hand the reins over to one of Gabriel’s children, or perhaps one of ours, and they will take it into the next generation.”
“It has been a spectacular ride up to this point, hasn’t it?” Jacob asked to nobody and everyone. Heads nodded up and down.
“Hey, Skipper, I’m damn glad you showed up for that date with Tori, aren’t you?”
Laughter erupted. “Oh, hell yeah. If she didn’t show, I would have found her. Somehow. It was meant to be.” Tori was sitting in Jacob’s lap. She twisted and kissed him, whispering something quietly to him.
“Who would have imagined Guardian being such a huge part in all of our lives?” Jasmine chuckled. “Even Justin.”
“A high-class thief,” Dixon threw out.
“Cat burglar,” Drake added.
“Information Extraction Specialist,” Justin and Dani said at the same time, causing another round of laughter.
“Dude, you shocked the shit out of all of us,” Jared chuckled.
Justin flipped his brother the finger, getting another round of laughter for his efforts. “For all the shit I get, I’d rather you still didn’t know.”
“Was that your choice or the organization’s?” Joy asked from the dark corner where she and Dixon were sitting.
“Both,” Justin admitted. “Gabriel channeled my extreme thrill-seeking into a profession that provided me the outlet and kept me away from guns. Which I still hate.”
Jillian reached out and high-fived Justin. “You and me both.”
“His skill set is impressive and no matter what you call him, he is damn good at what he does.” Joseph pushed his foot against the floor, setting the double rocking chair he and Ember shared into motion.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Faith cleared her throat. “What do you think about the children eventually joining Guardian?”
Tori shrugged. “That will be their call. It is a damn good organization, but the risks in the field? The mother in me says hell no. I don’t know how Amanda dealt with it.”
“She is a strong woman,” Taty agreed and leaned into Mike. “Both her and Anna. They had to be.”
“What do you think they are doing over at the other villa?” Jade asked. “You think they are letting their freak flag fly?”
Jewell clapped her hands over her ears. “Ew!”
Nic’s head dropped back. “Please, stop!”
Jacob groaned, “Damn it, Jade!”
Jasmine shoved her twin. “Gross.”
“What? They’re old, not dead! Why wouldn’t they get busy? We are all going to do the horizontal mamba every chance we get while we’re here. Right?”
“Well, now that makes it awkward to go to the villa.” Mike stood up and offered Taty his hand. “But we do need to go.”
“You’re our ride, so we need to bail, too.” Dixon and Joy stood.
Jasmine leaned against Chad as each of the couples made their way to their rooms. Chad put his arm around her. “You’re sure you don’t miss Guardian?”
She turned to look at him. “I’m positive. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. You and Chloe are everything to me.”
Chad lowered his lips to hers. “Have you told anyone yet?”
“No, we haven’t been to the doctor.”
“The home pregnancy test confirmed what we both knew.”
Jasmine smiled. “And here I was trying to convince myself I had the flu.”
“I knew. Your body was changing.” He pulled her against him. “You’ll be seven months pregnant when we finish the overseas leg of the tour.”
“I will be. But with you taking six months off between the overseas and U.S. dates, we can go home, I’ll nest, and we can both relax before he or she arrives.”
“Our mothers are going to be over the moon.”
“Like you aren’t?”
“I am. I think we should tell them.”
“When?”
“I’ll let the guys know on the fishing trip. You let the women know at your spa day.”
“That’s an awesome Christmas gift.”
Chad nodded. “Hopefully, your brother doesn’t sink the ship.”
Jasmine chuckled. “Joseph wouldn’t kill family. He might make you wish you were dead…”
“I was not in on the ‘Take Over Joseph’s Vacation’ game.” Chad chuckled and stood, grabbing his guitar with one hand and offering the other to her.
“And yet, here we are.” She stood and chuckled when Chad sighed dramatically.
“Well, it isn’t often we get to be with all your family at the same time. I thought it was an outstanding idea, especially since everyone said they could come down.”
“Thank you.”
“I’d do anything for you.” He lifted his hand. “See, I’m holding the moon and the stars in my hand for you.” Chad halted.
He hummed a tune and looked down at her. She smiled and nodded into the house. “Your notebook is in the bedroom.” She held his hand as they walked through the maze of Joseph’s home. She listened as the music quietly flowed from her man. She’d spend the night listening to him write the song that was growing in his mind. It never got old. Her husband’s talent and ability amazed her. His love and devotion to his family had put his career firmly in second place, but his talent didn’t know that. The songs and music flowed through his fingertips and filled their life. A perfect melody to accompany a lifetime together.
Chapter 12
“All right, he’s almost out of time. Do you think it will be today?” Adam stood beside Jacob on the dock as they watched the others getting onto the yacht.
He shook his head. “What is he going to do? Blow up the boat? He’s been the perfect host.” Not that they’d seen much of each other except for the elaborate dinners that happened every night. Tori and he had full days without the kids. He’d made love to his wife slowly. Which, with four boys and busy lives, didn’t happen as much as either of them would like. They’d decided to make time for long weekend getaways to reconnect and restoke the fires.
“That’s what scares me.”
Jacob snorted.
“Screw you, Skipper. I’m not stupid, that man has plans. He’s going to get us back, I just don’t know how. This is a nice boat.”
“She’s a ship.” The voice from behind them spun them both.
“Dan?” Jacob stuck out his hand. “What the fuck are you doing in Aruba?”
“Well, Joseph is my boss.” The dumb shit went without saying. Smoke clamped Jacob on the shoulder and laughed. “We’re on downtime. Charley, my partner, helped me get her down here but flew out to New York to visit family. I’m making a run to the airport tomorrow night to retrieve my partner from the city that never sleeps.”
“What have you been doing? You’re no longer partnered with Sage?”
“Nope, he had to punch. Family issues. And I haven’t been doing much, bumming around, getting a tan, waiting to take y’all out fishing. This is a friendly island. Love the people here. Has everyone boarded?” Smoke took off his hat and pushed his hair out of his face.
Adam blinked and did a double-take. “I think so… Hey, you know you look a hell of a lot like––”
“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Smoke laughed and perched his cap back on his hair. “We have a full galley and I have the frozen drinks spinning. Let’s get this party barge moving!” He strode down the dock and Adam looked from him to Jacob.
“That man is the spitting image of ––”
“Let it go, Doc.” He slapped his best friend on the back. “Let’s go fishing.”
Dan Collins jumped onto the deck and whistled. “Okay, my new best friends, my name is Dan Collins, this ship is my baby. Here’s the drill for the day. The tackle and gear are on the bottom level. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to drop a line. You don't need to cast. Just drop the line. Those hooks can cause a nasty scratch so be careful when you bait up. If you cross a line you move, the line you crossed doesn’t. We are going after White Marlin, Kingfish, and Wahoo, but you might get bites from Sailfish on the tackle we have. If you snag a bite, let everyone know by yelling, ‘Fish on’. Everyone who has nothing on the line will clear out of your way. These fish are powerful and hard to land. All of you look in good enough shape, but if you tire out, let someone else reel them in for a while. They will fight and fight hard.” He rubbed his hands together. “What else? Oh, latrines are through the main cabin to the right. Galley is on the other side of the main cabin to the left. Plenty of food for you to eat in there, but I’m not playing servant. I have beer, water, and soda in an ice chest downstairs and there are frozen mango and strawberry daiquiris in the machines on the main level. Believe me, the heat will sneak up on you. Remember, shade is your friend.” He turned to Joseph. “I’ll need someone to cast off when I get her fired up.”
“I’ll take the bowlines.” Zane headed to the front of the ship.
“I’ve got the stern.” Justin headed to the back of the craft.
“Well, look at that, an instant crew. Explore the boat, we’ll be in fishing waters in about an hour.” Dan laughed and headed up the ladder to what Jacob assumed was the bridge. He scanned the deck until he found his oldest brother. The sneer that crept across his face was enough to send a shiver of apprehension down his ba
ck.
“He is up to something,” he said to Jason, who was standing next to him.
Jason grunted. “He can’t blow up the boat.”
“You sure about that?” Jacob asked as he headed down to the beer. It may be early, but if he was going to be blown to smithereens by his own brother, he was going to do it with a buzz on.
Joseph scanned the men on the deck of the ship. If he’d been forced to admit it to anyone, he’d have to acknowledge that today had been a total kick in the ass. Chief had caught the biggest Wahoo and both Dixon and Drake had landed a Kingfish, but the battle of the day was his. He’d snagged a sailfish and had reeled that bastard in all by himself. It took over two hours of give and take. They hauled him onto the deck, took a picture, and let the son of a bitch go. They released all the fish. They weren’t going to eat them, so it was the right thing to do. As the men stowed their rigs, he cleared his throat. Every eye turned his direction. Even Dan Collins stopped talking, which hadn’t happened all day.
“Thank you for inviting yourselves to my vacation. I’ve had a great time and I hope you have, too. Three more days left on the island. I know you’ve been wondering when—or if—I’d be taking a shot at you.”
“Definitely when,” Double D said together.
“Okay, stop that.” Joseph pointed to them. “I was coming down here with Ember to renew our vows since we found out we’re pregnant. So, knowing that you gentlemen would not want to be left out, I have included each of you in the vow ceremony. As I speak, the ladies are being hand-delivered invitations, which they believe are from their husbands, to renew their vows on the beach with Ember and me tomorrow night.”
Chief crossed his arms and stared at Joseph. “How is this retribution?”
“Ah, well… I’ve purchased Ember a ring to give to her when we renew our vows. In addition, the invitation they received indicates you have done the same thing.”
Promises (The Kings of Guardian Book 14) Page 8