“Not something you have to worry about, baby, because I am yours for eternity.”
My heart constricted in my chest, looking down at the love of my life, sending a silent prayer of thanks for the second chance at her love.
I got it wrong with the three thrusts, I managed to prolong it to six, but who’s counting.
***
PEYTON
“Remember to set the alarm system every night,” Rafe ordered. “In fact, you should set it any time you are in the house, no matter what time of the day.”
“I won’t forget,” I promised, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
“Don’t forget to send me a photo of your belly every day,” he added, walking with me slowly to the car that was waiting to take him to the Point Cook military base. “I don’t know how long I will be gone, so I need constant updates on how the baby is going.”
“I will, but I am not taking photos of my tits. I’m sorry, Rafe, but I don’t trust technology enough for them not to go viral.”
His long list of demands had pros and lots of cons, tit pics and a 24/7 video feed of our bedroom on the con side. I love him, but he is not having a live stream of me sleeping.
“If you need anything, Bunny, the club is here for you. Shiloh and Booth will be keeping an eye on you, the detail at our place will continue while I am away—”
Pulling him to a sudden stop, I covered his mouth with my lips and kissed him. Rafe needed to be focused on everything except my safety right now. Justin was dead, sad as that was for his family, and traumatic for Charlotte and I, and for the entire club who witnessed his demise. What was done was done. The funeral for him had taken place two days ago, Rafe and I attended out of respect for Jason and Kelsey. My heart went out to them both but especially for Kelsey, having already lost a child, the circumstances different but the outcome the same, I understood her pain. I tried to talk to her about it, but she begged off. She wasn’t ready to face the evilness in her son yet. First she needed to grieve and find a way through the pain. Maybe she would never be able to accept that Justin’s path to destruction was his own fault and that was okay. Being a parent was hard at the best of times, knowing and acknowledging your child’s bad side was a thin line.
Moaning into Rafe’s mouth, I welcomed his warm tongue, tangling with mine. Kissing him and remembering every moment, for those long, lonely nights ahead.
“Be safe honey, and come home to me,” I begged against his lips, not able to keep the desperation out of my tone. I knew the rules for saying good-bye. Devon, Wren and Addy gave me some great advice, and I intended to follow it no matter how much my heart was breaking.
If Rafe’s tales about his ex showed me anything at all, it was support and understanding were the tubes of glue in a relationship. Rafe didn’t need unnecessary worry, not when I was going to be all right, just going to miss him.
“There isn’t a place I want to be more, Bunny.” His hands cupped my flat belly, “With you and our baby, that is where my world starts and ends.”
With tears in my eyes, I kissed Rafe one more time, then stood back and watched him fold his huge frame into the smallest Jeep made and bravely waved as he drove away. Not knowing when I would see him again, but happy that true love was so forgiving.
Giving Rafe a second chance … the best choice I ever made in my life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
RAFE
“We can’t fucking leave without him!” Kodah roared over the noise of the helicopter landing behind us, sand whipping up around all the group of men I was standing with.
“This is the last chance to get out of here. You don’t get on the Chinook you are walking out, soldier,” the commanding officer of the US SEAL team shouted.
“We don’t leave a man behind. Fuck you for this, Sullivan!” Gabe growled, but still, he made his way to the helicopter. His body language was pissed off, but I could see that my captain knew the American was right. The FOB was a three-day walk, our ammo was low and the enemy was surrounding the LZ fast. Pops of gunfire and blasts of light filled the night, signalling we had a shit storm coming if we didn’t get out of here.
Our mission had been simple. Find the building where weapons and ammunition were being housed and blow it to kingdom come. The intel had been clear that no one was in residence, that the whole compound had been evacuated days before.
Somehow the intel was wrong.
We arrived, teamed up with another Aussie unit, and a SEAL team to find we’d walked into an ambush. Team FIVE and 1st Commando Regiment, took the back while the yanks and a regular unit went in from the front. FUBAR ensued when we met with a fifty men strong barrage of gunfire. I still couldn’t believe what had happened, but it did.
Deke wasn’t on the helicopter, and we didn’t know where he was or if he was alive.
We had to leave him behind.
There was no other choice, a five-hour gunfight, minimal ammo supply, and we knew it was stay and likely die, or leave to re-fit to come back and fight and get him.
“Tank, we can’t leave him there. We don’t do that shit!” Bastian growled, pointing his gun into the darkness and unloaded a full clip.
“You think I don’t know that! I fucking have no other recourse, we stay and we end up with a tag on our toes. Now, get in the fucking Chinook, Ammo,” Gabe ordered, throwing his machine gun onto the deck of the Chinook in disgust.
Jumping in, I dropped down into a seat with a heavy sigh. Kodah, doing the same, only he threw his weapon against the cargo wall.
“What the fuck was he thinking going in without a man at his back? Fucking Deke knows better than that!”
Kodah was right, Deke went rogue tonight. The whole firefight, he was like a man possessed, storming through closed doors without using a flashbang or waiting for backup. It was like he was taunting the enemy, not using his training or his brain.
The Chinook lifted off the ground amidst a trail of bullets, the night sky lighting up enough for us to see the compound, our teammate and friend somewhere inside.
Hopefully alive.
“Major!” Gabe yelled, giving a quick motion of saluting our commanding officer as he ran up to him.
“Deke is still back there. We have to go back inside and get him. The 1st is ready to get back on the Chinook after we re-fit to fight and grab some supplies, food and—.”
“Captain Booth, I’m sorry, but that isn’t going to happen. The news of the mission has gotten out, and every enemy fraction will be there waiting for you.”
Grill and I started to protest at the same time.
“We can take out as many as we can to get better access to the compound,” Grill insisted, looking at me for confirmation.
“Absolutely,” I readily agreed, “I clocked a good place for Grill and me to set up. We can hunker down and pick them off one at a time.”
“That isn’t going to happen,” the major replied firmly, “our cover was blown with the faulty intel. Every news station will have it plastered all over the TV before morning breaks. Private Williams is a trained special forces soldier, and he knows the risks.”
“He knows that his team will do anything to get him out!” Bastian bellowed, the big man practically frothing at the mouth.
“Yes, and there is someone going to get him out—just one. Team FIVE, you are heading back home. Your three-month deployment is up.” And with that, he turned on his heels and walked back to the operation building, leaving us standing there in the middle of the dark compound, our mouths gaping.
“Role call!” Gabe demanded, in the darkness only the fluorescent marking on his flack jacket noticeable.
“Grill.”
“Rafe.”
“Kodah.”
“Tank.”
I waited for the next name to call out, but it didn’t come.
Fuck me.
Ghost went back in.
Alone.
Fuck.
***
Creed didn’t say a word. While Gabe
told the original Team Five the story of what we now knew was Deke’s capture, he sat at the large wooden table, his face passive but his body ridged.
“What happened, Gabriel?” Booth asked from his position at the head of the table, “since when does the army leave a man behind?”
“Since we received bad intel and the portrayal of the squad in the news is more important,” Bastian growled, thumping his fists down on the table.
“No matter what Gabe and I said, no permission was given for us to go back in and get him.”
“Then tell me how my son managed to by-pass orders,” Creed demanded, in a quiet and dangerous tone.
I looked at Gabe and saw his jaw clench. On the flight back to Australia, we all wondered that ourselves. It wasn’t until we got back to the base and met with the brass, we found out Cole had not even gotten on the Chinook. Defying the orders from the Americans, he radioed back to the major and told him his plan. Deke was not the only reason for him to do what he did, Cole was in there at the major’s orders to find out who was feeding the bad intel and why. It was his speciality, but it didn’t stop the anger and the fear that one of our own was going it alone when there were good men to back him up.
“It came from higher up than the base in Somalia, Creed. We weren’t aware of it, but it seems they knew about the infiltration from the friendlies. Feeding us wrong information was their plan, and apparently, our side knew it.”
“So, you got sent in, and they knew it was most likely an ambush. Using Cole but didn’t figure in that the enemy would take Deke.”
“Exactly. His orders were top secret, not even I was informed,” Gabe scoffed, pissed off and obviously worried about his cousin.
The room fell silent. After three months away from Peyton, this wasn’t exactly the welcome home I expected. She didn’t even know I was home yet. The flight from Africa happened so fast, our orders not to contact Australia or family. We had to brief the commanding officers at Point Cook, head to Queenscliff, where another briefing took place. By the time we packed into two cars to head to Ballarat, it was too late to ring Peyton and tell her I was on the way home.
Knowing she would be asleep, I thought it best to suggest we head to the compound and meet with the Souls because once I got my arms around Peyton, I wasn’t leaving the house any time soon.
Creed pushed back from the table, getting slowly to his feet.
The similarities between father and son so uncanny, it kind of hurt to look at him. Ghost wasn’t the easiest person to get to know on a deeply personal level, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a big part of my life. Deke as well.
“I have to tell Memphis,” he muttered, his black eyes stony, “thank you for trying to go back, you’re all doing a great job living up to the Team Five name.”
With a chin lift, Creed left the room, his heartfelt thank you appreciated but somehow didn’t feel deserved.
Two of my closest friends weren’t sitting here with me, and that was completely unacceptable to me.
One thing that I did accept, though, Cole Stephens would not fail. His DNA would not allow it.
EPILOGUE
RAFE
The room was dark when I stepped inside, the only light was a sliver of moonlight coming from the gap in the curtains. I could see Peyton, sleeping on my side of our bed, positioned on her side with her hands tucked under her cheek. The moonlight was shining on her beautiful face, highlighting her darker blonde hair. Now she was pregnant, Peyton was giving the hair colour a rest, taking the advice from her obstetrician.
Removing my clothes quickly and quietly, I pulled back the doona and slipped in beside her, shivering as soon as we were skin to skin.
She told me during one of our Skype calls that she planned on sleeping naked every night, just in case I arrived home while she was asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her naked beauty in my mind, fuelling many jerk off sessions in the shower.
A low, happy sigh left her parted lips as she cuddled deeper into my bare chest.
“I knew you would be home soon,” Peyton mumbled, her lips tickling my chin.
“Did ya, Bunny, how’s that?” I asked, pressing kisses all over her face.
“My pussy started getting wet an hour ago.” Groaning at her sexy talk, I let my hand trail down her body, first stopping at her breasts to feel happily, they had grown by a fair amount, going down further, I stroked the bump of her belly. Our child was growing so fast, the daily photos the highlight of my day. I kept going until I finally reached the wet dewy fold of her pussy, delighted that she was indeed right.
“Hmmm, you are so wet, baby. You sensed I was on my way home, hey?”
“Yep,” Peyton murmured, still sleepy, but her hips were moving against my palm, eager to find her release. “Your daughter is making me so tired lately, I fell asleep waiting for you.”
My fingers stilled, one inside her hot channel, the other on her clit. Speechless, I looked down at her and saw her amber eyes now open and shining happily at me.
“Say that again.”
Smiling at me, Peyton wrapped an arm over my shoulder, her fingers going straight to my hair.
“We are having a girl, Rafe. I found out yesterday at my appointment,” Peyton told me breathily, her eyes half closed with desire.
Blinking back my tears, I took her mouth in a sweet, passionate kiss. Pouring all the love I had for my Bunny into it. Minutes passed, the kiss was slow and unhurried, just like we were. Our love started as a slow burn, there have been a couple of hiccups on our journey, but nothing we couldn’t overcome.
That’s the thing with finding the other part of your soul, not a fucking thing has a hope in hell of breaking us.
The End
ALSO BY LEAH SHARELLE
WOUNDED SOULS SERIES
His Sweetness
His Honey
His Beauty
His Lady
His Angel
His Man
Her Prince
FIREMEN DO IT BETTER
Into the Fire
Out of the Flames
From the Inferno
A LOVE DUET
Love Hurts
Love Heals
THE HOTT BROTHERS
Hott and Taken
Hott And Ready
Hott and Handled
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Some of the subject matter in this book was hard to put down. It is my great hope I managed to do it with sensitivity and kindness.
Thank you to Belinda, AKA Pirate, for constantly encouraging, nagging, badgering, and annoying me to get Rafe’s story done. I simply don’t pay you enough.
My beta’s Belinda, Sara and Amanda, you ladies rock.
Robyn, we got there in the end. Ha-ha.
Shout out to Lila Rose, I love you woman, but you ain’t getting anywhere near my office.
Kage, during the writing of this book you kept me going with fun messages, checking up that I was okay and gorgeous pics of your granddaughter, Olivia. I am so grateful to you, thank god you love me.
I would also like to welcome my new grandson, Opie, to the world. He is a cute little bugger.
Thank you to my Flock, I have the best readers group on the planet. I am blessed to have your support behind me.
Thank you Dusty once again for standing up and becoming yet another son. I adore you, and your muscles.
And finally, to my bestie Handsome. If I am thankful for just one thing, it is your friendship. Other than my kids, you are the one I turn to when times get rough and you never let me down. No one can make me smile and laugh like you do. xoxo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leah Sharelle loves the idea of being in love. Since her early teens, when she first discovered Silhouette Desire novels, her life has been all about reading. She would find herself rewriting scenes if she wasn’t happy with them and then would hide them under her bed. That led her to writing love stories of her own. They all ended up under her bed and are still there - where she says
they will stay.
Leah is a mum of three beautiful girls, Gigi to her adorable granddaughter, living in Australia, and she has what some say is a weird sense of humour. She spends her free time watching movies, having Sons of Anarchy and Friends marathons, and or course reading. She doesn’t do angst. In fact, it drives her crazy. She loves Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain. There’s that weird humour.
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Rafe (The Wounded Sons Book 4) Page 18