by Laura Acton
“Oooh, yeah.” Dan yawned as the heavy-duty pain meds kicked in and coupled with his now relaxed and spent body.
Hearing the yawn and recalling how exhausted Dan appeared at headquarters, Lexa realized he was on the verge of sleep. “Sweet dreams. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Mm mm.” Dan’s phone felt like a hundred-pound weight in his hand. “Niii…” Dan slipped into sleep as his phone tumbled out of his hand.
Lexa listened to Dan’s soft regular breathing as she inhaled deeply, wishing he was next to her so she could lay her head on his chest and count his heartbeat. Finally yawning herself, Lexa ended the call and hugged the pillow Dan used the one night he slept at her home. As sleep pulled her down she smiled. Yeah, we’re more than friends with benefits now.
Invitations and Friendships
39
December 21
TRF HQ – Briefing Room – 6:30 a.m.
Staring out the window of the briefing room because he was not allowed to do a workout today, Dan wondered what four days of light duty would do to him. He hated being stuck in the truck, and he sucked at negotiation, but Dr. Fraser had been extremely blunt with him last night—no physical engagements. He promised to abide by his rules, so restricted duty was the order of the day. Otherwise, he’d be looking out his apartment window rather than TRF’s.
Commander Gambrill entered the briefing room and stopped near the table, assessing his godson who seemed focused on the clouds outside. So much had changed in the last year. Dan persevered through a rough start, but Walter was now convinced he did the right thing—Alpha Team is where Dan could begin to heal. Although, heal being a relative term given the past few days.
Walter knew how much his godson disliked limited duty, but injuries, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, came part and parcel with this job. He wished there was something he could offer him other than working in the command truck, witness interviews, or coordination with officers doing crowd control which would still meet the restrictions and not bore Dan to death. But in the end, the job is what it is, and even if Dan must be on modified duty, he would still be able to support his team.
So far, Walter had maintained a professional distance with Dan—necessary at work. Greatly relieved there had been no problems for Dan when it became known he was Dan’s godfather, he was about to break the rules he set out for himself not to socialize with Dan outside of work functions to maintain both the perception and reality of no favoritism. Walter hoped for both their sakes this didn’t backfire on them, but for Harriet and Yvonne, he would do this one time. The women ganged up on him and badgered him. To restore peace in his home, he agreed to ask Dan.
Walter cleared his throat to make Dan aware he was in the room, then said, “Harriet would like you to come to dinner tonight if you don’t have plans. I understand this is short notice, but after the party, she got it into her head you weren’t eating properly and needed a home cooked meal.”
Dan swiveled his chair and peered up at the commander. “I have no plans, but is it prudent for me to come? Appearances?”
“I don’t believe there will be any issues so long as this is infrequent. Harriet implored me to ask, and I would like it as well.”
“Thanks, I’ll come if we end shift on time.”
“Great! I’ll call Harriet, she’ll be pleased. Sergeant Pastore informed me you would be on light duty for the next four days.”
Dan took a moment before he sighed. “Yeah.”
“We’ve all been there. Don’t stress too much about it. Use the time to improve your other skills. You understand how important cross-training is to a team.”
“Yes, sir. I do. Had a great role model in that. Something Blaze insisted on. Saved our butts numerous times.”
“Same at TRF. Do you need a ride this evening?”
“No, I’ll take a cab. What time should I plan on being there?”
“We’ll expect you about eight if that works for you.”
“Eight’s good.”
“See you tonight after shift.” Walter pivoted and strode from the room.
Dan nodded and watched the commander leave. Tonight, he would thank him. When his godfather arranged a position for him here he had not been too appreciative, especially in the beginning when things were stressful with Alpha Team, but things had worked out. He found a place to make a real difference, gained a family, and found his beauty. Dan checked the time and stood. If he was fast, he could do something for the team. A small token of appreciation for all they did for him.
TRF HQ – Women’s Locker Room – 6:45 a.m.
Lexa stood in the shower, letting the warm water cascade down her back as she washed her auburn hair. A smile graced her face as the previous evening’s amorous figment of her imagination resurfaced. Dan was right, hard not to think about the fantasy, but it must remain in the realm of make-believe since acting on it was career suicide if they were caught.
Though, the small amount of time she spent on the phone with Dan had gone a long way in helping her sleep. It was the first decent night’s sleep she had in over a week. Most nights she was plagued with bad dreams and awoke feeling unsettled.
The dreams, nightmares really, started the night of their undercover assignment. Dan taking another bullet to the chest in Tourterelle Boutique affected her more deeply than she realized at the time. Every night, except last night and the night she accidentally slept at Dan’s place, she dreamed of Dan dying in a myriad of different ways.
As Lexa rinsed the shampoo out, a bizarre thought popped into her mind pushing out the disturbing ones. Lexa laughed and would blame Loki for the image—he was the one who forced her and Ray to watch South Pacific at last month’s movie night. Dan invaded her thoughts so much that she began to energetically sing, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.”
Ten minutes later, Lexa stood staring at her reflection in the mirror after pulling her hair into a ponytail. She noted that she didn’t need to apply concealer to hide the dark circles which had been present all week. She sighed. I’m not gonna be able to wash Dan out of my heart. As much as having a relationship scares me, I can’t deny my attraction to him. Take it slow, don’t rush.
TRF HQ – Briefing Room – 7:00 a.m.
Loki was the first one in the room after workout and was followed shortly by Lexa. He sat down and reached for the Timmy’s coffee. “Where did this come from?”
Dan cautiously stretched his stiff muscles. “To break the boredom of just sitting here while you all worked out, I did a Timmy’s run.”
Lexa picked up her double-double and sipped. “Thanks, Dan. You’re a lifesaver. I needed a decent cup of coffee.”
Glancing at Lexa, yesterday’s lusty call played in Dan’s head. This woman fascinated and lured him in more every day. Studying her, he perceived the shadows under her eyes lessened. She wasn’t wearing concealer today. She must’ve slept well just as he did. He couldn’t resist teasing and barely managed to repress the innuendo in his tone as he said, “You look tired. Did something keep you up, last night?”
That comment was unexpected. Lexa narrowed her eyes on Dan but glimpsed Loki in her peripheral vision as he turned and eyeballed her. Oooh, Broderick, I’m going to get you for this. She improvised with a tease of her own. “Yeah, the shower pipe downstairs sprung a leak.”
So, I’m a leaky pipe. Repressing a laugh, Dan lifted his brows. “Good thing you’re Queen of the Hammer. Your hands know exactly how to handle a pipe.”
Lexa bit her lower lip as her eyes lit with mirth. “Yes, I do. Takes a deft hand and just the right amount of pressure to get the pipe off.”
His eyes fixated on Lexa’s, he quipped, “I hear talking to pipes helps reduce a plumber’s frustration, so they sleep better at night.”
Wholly lost by their conversation, Loki’s eyes bounced between his friends. “Why would the Queen be bothered by a simple repair job?”
Lexa and Dan both suppressed a smirk and were saved from answering
as Ray sauntered in and asked, “So Dantastic, tell me, how did you meet a prima ballerina?”
Dan grinned. He remembered Clara fondly. She was one woman he had once thought might be the one, but she had a dream, and he was in the military and slated to go to Guardian Unit training—not that he could tell Clara, so he let her think he was deploying. She definitely was not the one. His heart and soul became aware the instant he first kissed Lexa. Though, his mind took longer to grasp the fact she was his beauty.
Needing to distract his thoughts of Lexa—dangerous territory when working—he decided to share a bit of his past. “Clara is a sweet woman. Ballet is her life. I met her when Brody and I were in Special Forces training in Ottawa. On a rare night off, a bunch of us went to a local bar where Clara and a couple of her friends celebrated their selection by the dance academy they wanted.
“We happened to be leaving at the same time as Clara. Five local guys followed her out of the bar and began to accost her near her car. When she made it clear to them there was no interest, one of them insulted her calling her a cold bitch. Shoving her up against the car he tried to take advantage of her.”
Loki interjected, “Dantastic to the rescue. A knight in shining armor.”
Dan snorted. “Something like that. The man who assaulted her ended up losing three teeth when I punched his lights out. Witnesses corroborated our statement about helping Clara, so no charges of assault were levied when the MPs showed up to break up the fight. We dated for a while, but she was laser-focused on her ballet, and I was graduating, so we lost touch.”
Ray’s phone rang and a colossal grin grew on his face. “Hello, Maurita. How was your flight home?” He stood as she responded and walked out of the briefing room wanting a little privacy to talk with the exquisite woman he couldn’t wait to meet up with again when he went to Jamaica in a few days.
Watching Ray exit, knowing his best friend was smitten with Maurita, Loki’s eyes took on an eager look as he turned to Dan. “We ought to double date. I’ll call Sylvie or Bianca, and you can call Clara.”
The green-eyed envy monster reared its ugly head in Lexa, but she bit back anything she wanted to say. It was not her place. Dan could date whomever he pleased since she had made it clear they were only friends with benefits. But by God, it hurt thinking of him kissing someone else like he kissed her. She turned and lifted her coffee as her eyes sought anyplace other than Dan, not wanting him to read the conflict in her eyes.
Dan answered noncommittally, “A bit busy through the end of the year. Perhaps after the new year when things slow down.”
“Sure, no problem.” Loki thought that perhaps Dan might hang out with him. With Ray gone, the holidays would be a bit on the dull side. Guess I can always catch up on my technical manual reading.
Dan hated Loki’s rare dejected mien—causing that didn’t feel good. He recalled his quick chat with Jim last evening when he called checking up on him after his shift ended. “Hey, I spoke to Jim, and he wanted me to invite all the guys to his bachelor party on New Year’s Eve. You interested?”
Loki beamed. “Heck yeah! Who’s planning the details?”
“Me. Got any ideas? Not sure if Blaze, Mason, and Winds will be there or not. They’re trying, but they never know if they will be called for a mission.”
Rubbing his hands together, Loki perked up. “I have some ideas. Though, Ray is the best at picking places. We should talk to him. We all could grab dinner tonight and discuss.”
“Sorry, no can do. I have dinner plans elsewhere tonight.” Dan covertly peeked at Lexa and glimpsed the stiffening of her shoulders. She probably thought he had a date. He would need to tell her later what his actual plans were, but it was best if the rest of the team thought he was going out with a woman.
“How ‘bout tomorrow after shift?”
As Jon walked in, he heard Loki’s question. “What about tomorrow night?”
“Dinner to plan Jim’s bachelor party,” Loki said.
Jon turned to Dan. “You still planning on going to Kent’s concert? If not, that’s okay. Your ears don’t need the abuse of the first and second-year orchestra students.”
Dan chuckled. “You’re real enthused about going.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I love listening to Kent, but the others … like claws on a chalkboard. And I’m going to have to put up with Joey banging on drums for years before it sounds like actual music.”
Loki laughed. “You’re the one who bought him the drum set.”
Crossing his arms, Jon leaned back. “I blame Kent. He gave Joey the bongo drums in the first place.”
Bram sauntered in and chuckled. “Um, you told me about that. Perhaps if you didn’t kiss Jen in the kitchen and drive Kent out dragging Joey with him so you two could be alone, Joey wouldn’t be into drums.”
Jon pursed his lips. Yeah, my fault all right. Though, I would do it again in a heartbeat to spend the afternoon making love to Jen.
Sitting down in his usual chair, Bram picked up his coffee and gave Dan a nod of appreciation. “So what brought up the drums discussion?”
“Jon wanted to know if I was still going to Kent’s recital. Yes, I am. Music was an essential part of Brody, and it’s important to Kent. I’m honored he asked me to come. I’m looking forward to hearing him play with his quartet.”
A grin played on Jon’s face. “Plan on me giving you a ride then. Bring what you need to headquarters, and we can go straight to my house and grab a bite to eat before.”
When Ray returned, Loki said, “Buddy, Dan and me need your help with something. We gotta figure out the best place to take Jim for his final hours as an unmarried man.”
“There’s that Mexican bar, with karaoke,” Ray suggested.
Dan snickered. “Doubt I could get the unit guys to sing karaoke.”
Smirking, Jon leaned forward grabbing his double-double. “Ply them with enough alcohol, and I bet you could. Would be damned funny seeing Blaze let loose.”
Chuckling, Bram said, “As funny as watching you. I still remember you at Colton’s bachelor party.”
Groaning, Jon took a drink of coffee. Not proud of his drunken behavior that night. “So when is his party?”
“The thirty first. All the guys are invited if you don’t have plans. Sorry, Lexa, guys only.”
She rolled her eyes. “And what do I want to be doing with a bunch of drunken guys? Besides, Heather invited me to her bachelorette party the same night, and none of you can come to that.”
Loki’s eyes twinkled. “Hey, what if we crash their party?”
Fisting her hand and showing it to Loki, Lexa said, “Don’t you even consider that or your arms will regret it, Mister.”
Nick strolled in and sat down, having overheard the conversation. He picked up the paper cup and tipped his head to Dan. “Thanks for the coffee. I’m taking Christiana out, or I would attend Jim’s party.”
Grinning Bram said, “I’ll be there. Was going to stay with my girls so Kellie could go to Heather’s party, but now, I’ll just ask the in-laws to keep the girls overnight.”
“Count me in. Jen’s going to the ladies’ party too. I was only planning on going to a party at my brother’s home. I’m certain he won’t mind if my boys spend the night.” The corners of Jon’s mouth turned up. Getting out of going to Jackson’s dull party is a godsend. I love my brother but spending the evening stag among couples is as desirable as having a tooth pulled.
Ray almost wished he would be here. “Sorry, I won’t be back from Jamaica in time. Though, I’ll help you find a place to celebrate. If karaoke isn’t the thing, I can think of several other places.”
Noting the time, Nick called the start of shift briefing to order. He provided them the rundown on various criminal elements and an update on the latest Barton brothers bank robbery, which put a dampener on the entire team when he relayed five people were gunned down inside the bank in Vancouver.
The team then spent a half hour debriefing yesterday’s call b
efore being dismissed to do inventory, restocking, and general maintenance of their gear. Since it didn’t require any physical effort, Dan was relegated to counting ammo. Upon assignment of the task, Dan’s soft groan made Nick smile, and he gave Dan an option of doing inventory or studying the negotiation manual.
His smile grew when the rookie asked if he could review real scenarios with him stating he learned better through discussion than dry textbook reading. It was a win-win for them both because Nick loved to teach via dialog. As the rest of the team left to do their assigned tasks, Jon taking over the ammo counting himself, Nick settled in to begin Dan’s negotiation training in earnest.
TRF HQ – Gun Cage – 9:00 a.m.
Jon finished the official count of ammo, having lost count only twice this time. He chuckled. This is a self-imposed penance for my rash actions yesterday. After writing the tally on the inventory sheet, Jon set the clipboard down and checked the room. Only he and Bram were in the cage. A prime opportunity to ask Bram some questions. “How is he really?”
Marking the number of flashbangs, Bram glanced at Jon. “You mean Dan?”
“Yes.”
Bram turned to Jon, his expression serious. “Do you want to know as a friend or tactical lead?”
Jon fought the desire to snap, ‘what’s the difference?’ and kept his voice even. “Both, actually. I care about Dan, and I have a duty to him and the rest of the team. If he isn’t up to light duty, I need to be aware. You read him so well, and he opens up to you.”
“I’m not the only one anymore. I do believe Lexa reads him better than me and he seems to accept her help with little resistance. And the funny thing is, she accepts help from him too. Friendship is blossoming between them as it did between Lexa and Loki. Anyway, to answer your question, the meds Dr. Fraser gave Dan knocked him out a little after nine. He slept straight through the night. Kellie checked on him a couple times. This morning he moved a bit slower, but with rest and no more injuries, Dan will be fit as a fiddle soon.”