“I know, Jules. You don’t have to talk about it tonight.”
She swiped a hand down her face, studying his. “You were there, weren’t you?”
“Yes, sweetheart. If Armando hadn’t arrived, we would’ve gotten you out.”
“Did you see what happened?”
Tightening his arms around her, he leaned down to whisper into her ear. “Yes, I saw. How about we get you inside.”
“I don’t know what to think.”
“Don’t think about anything right now, Jules. There’ll be time to talk it all through tomorrow.” Shifting, he rested an arm over her shoulders, guiding her to the house.
Behind him, Rock spoke with someone. He suspected it was Armando or Diego. Entering the house, he glanced over his shoulder, seeing Gunner with his arm around Tori, following a few feet behind. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the Quinteros joined them.
Right now, all he could think about was Julia. Gunner would take care of getting Tori settled, then he and Rock would plant themselves in the living room. Fuse, Fargo, and Banner would return to the truck, staying until Wrath called them off.
He didn’t care what the Quinteros did, but Tracker had no intention of leaving Julia’s side anytime soon.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tracker sat in Wrath’s office, Fuse next to him. He hadn’t been thrilled when the prez had called early that morning, ordering him to the clubhouse.
Julia hadn’t gotten to bed until close to two in the morning and hadn’t slept well. Murmuring in her sleep, legs and arms flailing, the only way he’d been able to calm her was to clasp his strong arms around her chest and stomach. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d whispered how much he loved her, how everything would be all right. Tracker would say it a million more times. Whatever it took to help her get over what she’d seen.
At six o’clock, Rock had knocked on the bedroom door, poking his head in enough to announce Wrath’s order to report to the clubhouse. Rock would be heading home, leaving Banner and Fargo inside the house to guard the women.
Brushing a kiss across Julia’s forehead, he’d dressed then checked on Tori before leaving. Gunner slept in a chair by the bed. If it weren’t for his interest in Lieutenant Commander Sage Montero, a badass helo driver, Tracker would’ve thought his teammate might rival Moses for Tori’s affection.
Sitting in Wrath’s office, thrumming fingers on the arm of the chair, he spoke before his commander could address the reason for the summons.
“How is Moses?”
Leaning forward, Wrath rested well-muscled arms on the desk. “Doing as well as you’d expect after being beaten by four men. He’s been transported to the VA hospital in San Diego for additional tests and treatment. There’s a possibility he won’t be back.”
The last stunned Tracker and Fuse.
“His left leg is broken in two places, as is his left ankle. His left eye is damaged and spleen lacerated. Both wrists and at least two ribs are broken.” Wrath swallowed the bile rising in his throat before slamming one fist on the desk. “His knuckles are bruised, which means he tried to fight back.”
“How’d they get inside?” Fuse asked.
“There’s no sign of forced entry, which means he or Tori let someone in. Ethan’s going to speak with her today. He’ll bring a deputy, probably Vela Bettencourt, with him.”
“She’s good,” Tracker muttered, still grappling with the news about Moses and the possibility he wouldn’t return to the team. Standing, his arms hung loose at his sides. “I’d like to request leave to visit him.”
“Denied. You’re needed here.”
“Rock said the Quinteros flew out last night. Burn is dead, and I got a message from Delphine saying the task force has been suspended. Seems the potential theft of narcotics is removed, at least for now.”
“Grayson believes so,” Wrath said.
“All I’m asking for is a couple days, Prez.”
“Sit down, Tracker.”
Wanting to get back to Julia, needing to be anywhere other than with the two men inside the office, he lowered himself back into the chair. He’d been fighting conflicting thoughts when it came to Wrath and Fuse, the two men who’d stepped between him and Julia, keeping them apart.
“Moses is in and out of consciousness. He doesn’t remember much about what happened. The doctors are requesting no visitors, except family, for the next several days. Even then, they might not let anyone but family near him.”
“Not even Grayson?” Tracker asked.
“That’s my understanding.” Wrath studied him as if making a decision. “We have to clear the air about what happened six years ago.”
Tracker didn’t respond.
“If we don’t, it will hang between all three of us. Anything that impacts how you act on a mission is a problem.”
Again, Tracker didn’t respond.
“You’re wrestling with a trust issue. I don’t blame you. The decision not to pass your information to Julia was a mistake.”
Tracker’s only response was a derisive snort before crossing his arms over his chest. So far, he’d heard nothing to put his doubts about the two men behind him. A full minute passed, Wrath saying nothing more.
“Are we done here?”
“Can you put the mistake I made behind you?” Wrath asked.
“Sure.” Standing, Tracker moved to the door, then turned. “What would you think if the situation were reversed? How long would it take to put it all behind you?”
Wrath remained silent.
“That’s what I thought.”
“The base commander ordered it, Tracker.” Fuse stood, closing the distance between them by a couple feet. “Wrath isn’t going to say it, but I am. The prez wanted to pass on the information. The base commander denied the request.”
Incredulous, Tracker turned his attention on Wrath. “Why would the base commander have any say in such a trivial matter?”
Blowing out a breath, an expression of disgust passed across Wrath’s face. “I was ordered to pass any communication requests between you and Julia along to him.”
“But why? Who cared whether Julia and I got back together?”
“I never got an answer to the same question. Looking back, I should’ve pushed for more information.”
“And possibly lost your position as team leader.” Setting fisted hands on his hips, Tracker stared at the floor a moment before lifting his gaze to both men. “It’s over. I’d rather forget it ever happened.” Taking a step closer, he held out his hand to Wrath.
Grasping it, Wrath met his gaze. “We’re good?”
“Yeah. We’re good.” He did the same with Fuse. “You’ll let me know when Moses can have visitors?”
Wrath nodded. “You’ll be the first.”
“I’m fine, Julia. It’s been two days and I need to get back to work.” Tori sat in her sister’s living room after eating the dinner Tracker had brought from Hawthorn’s. “I’ll go crazy if I don’t do something more than pace around my house or yours.”
They’d talked briefly about what happened a couple nights before, spending little time on their father’s and brother’s involvement. It was still too fresh, too difficult to address.
“Nate, I want to know when I can visit Dylan.”
Tori’s question caught him by surprise. She hadn’t mentioned him since the evening of the beating and her abduction.
“I don’t know. It could be weeks.”
“What have you heard from Wrath?”
“Nothing, except the doctors are only allowing family for now. He’ll let me know when that changes.”
Rising, she walked to the front window, staring outside. “It’s my fault.”
Julia glanced at Nate, shaking her head. “How could it have been your fault?”
“I let one of them inside.” Tori covered her face with both hands, shaking her head.
“You recognized him?” Julia asked, walking to her.
“No. He
handed me a card and said you’d ordered electrical work. The card looked legitimate, there was a van with the company name on the side, and he wore a blue shirt with a logo.” She swiped away a single tear falling down her cheek. “I’ll never forgive myself for what they did to Dylan.”
“What happened when he came inside?” Nate asked, walking toward them.
Pressing a finger to her temple, she closed her eyes for a moment. “It all happened so fast. Dylan was in the kitchen, so I opened the door.” Tori looked at Nate. “He yelled at me not to, but it was too late. The one who handed me the card was Carl. He didn’t wait for me to step aside, just walked in at the same time Dylan joined me. That’s when Carl swung, but Dylan ducked away. He landed a blow to Carl’s jaw, then one to his stomach before two more raced inside. It was awful.” Her voice broke on the last. “Then the oldest, Able, came in. He grabbed me around the waist, then covered my face with a rag. I knew it was soaked in chloroform, but it didn’t matter. The last I remember, they had Dylan on the floor, kicking and punching him. When I came to, I was in the back of the van.”
Nate looked behind him at the spot where they’d found Dylan. The blood had been cleaned up, furniture put right, but he’d never forget the sight of his friend’s broken body on the floor. He’d hoped to exact his own revenge on the four, but the Quinteros did it for him.
“Julia’s right, Tori. It wasn’t your fault or Dylan’s. He might’ve been able to take out two or three. Four would’ve been pretty much impossible. Be thankful they didn’t shoot or stab him. What they did was vicious, but he is going to recover.”
He had no intention of explaining the injuries or mentioning Dylan might never return to the team.
“It’s only a seven hour drive to San Diego. I’m going to drive out there Friday night and return late Sunday.”
Julia clasped her sister by the shoulders. “Did you hear what Nate said? They aren’t going to let you see him.”
“Then I’ll return every weekend until they allow me into his room.” Tori shot a determined look at Nate. “Don’t even consider stopping me.”
Holding up both hands, palms out, his features softened. “I hope they will let you see him. Your presence might be just what he needs to recover.”
“Do you think so?” The hope in her voice tugged at his heart.
“I truly do, Tori.”
Tracker followed Tori to her house, checking out the inside before letting her enter. Asking her once more to stay at Julia’s another night, she’d refused, ready to be back in her own bed.
He drove back to Julia’s, his thoughts on Moses and what he intended to do next. What had been planned a week ago no longer seemed right. One of his closest friends lay in a hospital, fighting for a life he might never return to. The thought sickened him.
Moses was one of the good guys. Not that they all weren’t good in their own way. Honest and loyal, they had each other’s backs and never gave up. Traits many men didn’t possess. Moses, though, had always been the best of all of them.
Parking in front of Julia’s, he turned off the engine, not budging from his spot. He’d always believed life wasn’t meant to be easy. Hard work and a strong sense of ethics defined a man. They defined Moses.
Even those didn’t protect him from people who took the easy path. Men who didn’t respect others, didn’t value life. Four brothers had changed Moses’s future forever. The same as Jaeger Delphine had changed Tracker and Julia’s.
If you didn’t carve out your own future, others would do it for you. Men like the Battens, Abernathy, Burn. And they didn’t care what was important to you, only to them.
Glancing at the house, he saw Julia standing in the doorway, a look of concern etching her beautiful features. After all they’d been through, he never wanted to see her suffer again.
Climbing out of the truck, he strolled toward her, the tension of the last couple weeks easing at her tentative smile. Approaching, he held out his hand, taking hers in a firm grasp.
“Is Tori going to be all right?”
Tugging her into his arms, he held tight, placing a soft kiss on her lips before leaning away. “She’s going to be fine, sweetheart. The same as you, it will take time to learn how to live with what you saw.”
“How long, Nate?” She rested her cheek against his chest.
“There’s no way to know. Weeks, months, years. Everyone deals with traumatic events in their own way. It will get easier, sweetheart, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
She leaned back, her somber blue eyes searching his face. “Will you?”
Her question stunned him. Did Julia doubt what she meant to him? Hadn’t his love been obvious?
Cupping her face in his hands, he lowered his mouth to cover hers. Tracing his tongue over her lush lips, he deepened the kiss, feeling her melt against him. A minute, then two passed, their hands groping as they made love with intense kisses and ragged moans.
He knew they had to stop. There were things he needed to say. Answers he wanted to hear.
Raising his head, he kissed her forehead, breathing deeply. “Let’s take this somewhere else.”
Threading his fingers through Julia’s, he led her inside. Instead of walking down the hall to the bedroom, he headed toward the sofa.
“Sit down, sweetheart.”
Her face scrunched into a puzzled expression. “Don’t you want to…” She didn’t finish, sweeping her arm toward the bedroom.
“Oh yeah. We’re definitely doing that. There’s something we have to do first.”
Eyes wide with curiosity, she sat down, scooting over to allow him room. Instead, he crouched in front of her, taking her hands in his.
“Do you love me, Jules?”
Her brows drew together. “You know I do.”
“You’re certain?”
A tentative smile tilted the corners of her mouth. “Is this a test?”
“Of sorts.” He squeezed her hands, encouraging a response.
This time, she took a moment, studying his face, seeing how much her answer meant to him. “I love you with everything in me, Nate. Being without you nearly broke me. This is a second chance I never thought to have and never want to give up.”
Her answer seemed to satisfy him as his shoulders relaxed. He brought her hands to his lips, kissing each finger before resting their joined hands against his heart.
“I love you, Jules. You’re the only woman I’ll ever want. I know you deserve better, but I’m selfish and refuse to let you go.”
His words lifted the tension tightening her chest. Before she could reply, he let go of one hand, reaching into a pocket to retrieve a small, royal blue velvet pouch. Her gaze flashed between the tiny bag and Nate, gasping when he opened it to draw out a white gold band with a solitaire diamond.
When she didn’t reach out to take it, he swallowed. “If you don’t like it—”
Julia’s fingers against his lips stopped him. “Is there a question you want to ask me?”
A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. “Maybe I should start again.”
She shook her head, leaning close to kiss him. “Ask me, Nate.” She whispered the words, her warm breath fanning his face.
“I want you forever, Juliana. Will you marry me?”
She held out her hand, an unshed tear glistening as he slipped the ring onto her finger. “Always and forever, Nathan.”
Epilogue
Two months later…
Freedom Meadow Ranch
Tracker held Julia’s hand, watching as Wrangler and Becca exchanged their vows. Following tradition, they’d wanted the wedding to take place at the McCord family ranch. Wrath, Ethan, and Rock stood with Wrangler, while a very pregnant Cara, Tessa, and Dani stood with Becca.
The bride was also pregnant with their second child. Their son, Jamie, stood between them, beaming up at his parents. Similar to Tracker and Julia, Wrangler and Becca had taken a long, tortuous route to marriage, but for a different reason.
&n
bsp; Tori sat next to them, Gunner on her other side. They all knew his affections were with another woman, as Tori’s were with Moses. Over the weeks, they’d become friends, driving together several weekends to check on Moses and for Gunner to see Sage Montero.
For Tori, the visits had been bittersweet. His parents had explained his progress, apologizing about his insistent request Tori not see him. They’d been wonderful, letting her sit with them as the various doctors provided their prognosis for different stages of his recovery.
After two months, they still didn’t know if he’d recover enough to return to Liberty Lake. Undeterred, Moses focused on healing, believing in his heart God hadn’t meant this to be his last rodeo.
With each trip, Tori had returned a little more disheartened. After two months of his refusing to see her, she’d made the decision to stop going for a while. His parents assured her his refusal was temporary. Tori wasn’t as certain.
Squeezing her hand, Tracker leaned closer to Julia. “Are you ready for our wedding, sweetheart?”
It had been a running discussion. The Quinteros insisted the wedding take place at their home in Monterrey. Julia and Tracker wanted to marry at Freedom Meadow. They briefly considered running off to Vegas, a plan Tori firmly rejected.
“More than you know,” she whispered back, standing to watch as Wrangler, Becca, and Jamie turned to face those present. “They are such a beautiful couple.”
Tracker stood next to her, wishing it had been them walking down the aisle to a new life. “No more beautiful than you and me.”
Following the others to where the reception would be held, he wrapped an arm around her waist. Leaning down, he nibbled her ear, getting a surprised gasp for his efforts.
Stopping, Julia faced him, moving her arms up so they encircled his neck. “Let’s marry in Monterrey and have a reception here at the ranch.”
Face twisting into a scowl, he lifted it to the sky. “If it’s what you want, I’ll do it.”
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