Breathless: A Stalwart Security Series Military Romance: (Follow-up to The Alpha Company Women Series)

by Beth Abbott

  How in God’s name were they ever going to get over this?

  Chapter 48 – Danny

  Danny stared at the burning house, unrecognisable from the family home where they’d enjoyed so many celebrations, and which held so many wonderful memories.

  If only they’d realised Lucky Vega’s plans ten minutes sooner. If only they’d thought to leave the house protected before rushing off to help Gregor defend himself.

  He closed his eyes, seeing Hannah’s face in front of him. Five feet nothing, one hundred and five pounds of the most beautiful, craziest, most loving, loyal wife a man ever had. She was the steel in his spine, and the most courageous Queen of Badass that had ever walked the earth.

  Danny doubted whether they’d gone more than two waking hours in the more than ten years he’d known Hannah, without one or both of them saying ‘I love you’.

  She wasn’t just the love of his life, though. She was his best friend, his partner, and the best god-damned mother his children could ever have had.

  Danny heard a sniff, and glanced to his side, to see Charlie sitting on the floor not ten feet from him.

  Joel! Danny closed his eyes, the extra layer of pain washing over him.

  The most beautiful, sweet, and gentle boy you could ever meet had been in the house with Hannah, Candy, Sara, and the Mazur sisters. He could see why Charlie’s heart was breaking every bit as much as Danny’s.

  “Danny?” He recognised Cole Arthurs’ voice. “Are you Ok, son?”

  Danny glanced up at him, not knowing what to say.

  “I mean, can you walk, Danny?” Cole blushed. “The fire department are here, but they can’t get close unless we can clear all the vehicles out of the way.”

  For the first time, Danny heard the sirens in the distance.

  Almost on autopilot, Danny climbed to his feet, his legs barely carrying his weight. He took the few steps over to Charlie and reached down, grabbing him by the arms.

  “C’mon Charlie, we gotta get out of the way.” He pulled the younger man to his feet, and led him towards JT, who was sitting off to one side on the grass, only a few feet away from Tuck.

  He turned and spotted Tony and Brandon sitting close by, right in the middle of the drive. He walked over to them and pointed to the gate.

  “Fire trucks need to get in.” He said quietly. “They need us all to get out of their way.”

  One by one, he gathered up his team-mates, and helped Zach pick Marcus up off the floor. They made their way to where he’d left Charlie with JT and Tuck, and flopped down onto the grass, unable to make it a step further.

  He watched Cole get the vehicles moved, and the fire trucks make their way closer to the house. There didn’t seem to be much point in putting the flames out, as the house was virtually burned to the ground, but he supposed they had a job to do.

  As he sat quietly, trying to get his thoughts together, Danny was disturbed by an annoying buzzing in his ears. He tried to shake the noise away, but it just wouldn’t go.

  After a few seconds, he realised that the noise wasn’t in his ears at all, but was coming from Charlie’s pocket instead. The guy was sitting staring into the distance and didn’t even seem to have noticed it was ringing.

  “Charlie?” He nudged his friend. “Your phone, buddy.”

  Charlie shook his head.

  “It’ll be my mom.” He whispered. “I don’t know what to tell her.”

  “She’ll worry if you don’t pick up.” JT pointed out.

  Charlie sniffed loudly, before reaching into his pocket for his phone. He pulled it out and tapped the answer icon.

  “Hullo?” He said quietly.

  Danny watched as Charlie started to frown.

  “I’m sorry, I can barely hear you.” He started to stand. “Can you speak up?”

  Charlie took a few steps away from the team before stopping and spinning around.

  “Say that again.” He yelled into the phone, immediately getting everyone’s attention.

  When the caller had finished speaking, Charlie glanced around to find Tuck staring at him.

  “It’s Joel!” He said pointing at the phone. “He said something about being stuck because the tree won’t open. Does that make any sense to you?”

  Danny glanced at Tuck as they both came to the same conclusion.

  “The fake tree!” Danny yelled, pointing to where Lucky Vega’s burnt out helicopter was balanced on the edge of the treeline.

  “What fake tree?” Charlie yelled, but his words got lost as the rest of the men scrambled to their feet and started running as though Satan himself were nipping at their ankles!

  Charlie obviously didn’t know why they were running, but like Gregor, he sure as hell wasn’t being left behind.

  Once they were beyond the chopper, Danny followed Tuck to the third tree along the line. It was only when they got close that you could even tell it wasn’t real.

  He glanced beyond it to see several branches had been brought down by the helicopter’s rotors.

  “Look!” He pointed. “They’re jammed against the tree.”

  He grabbed a branch and pulled, feeling it give way when Zach and Marcus joined in.

  It only took a minute to clear the rest of the branches, but it was probably the longest minute of his life.

  Eventually it was clear, and Tuck slid a false panel of bark to one side to reveal a handle. He pulled it, and miraculously, the door creaked and then flew open to reveal a steep flight of steps.

  Danny poked his head through and was amazed to see Joel sitting patiently on the bottom step.

  “Hey Danny!” Joel stood up and grinned at him. “I’m sure glad you got the door open. Miss Candy reckons we need to get Miss Sara to the hospital soon, or her baby is gonna arrive in a tree stump!”

  Danny stared down in shock.

  “Are all the ladies with you, Joel?” He asked hesitantly. “Are they all Ok?”

  “Yes sir, they’re all down here, but Miss Hannah has a bump on her head. She’s still asleep.”

  Danny turned to Brandon and started issuing orders.

  “We need ambulances! At least two!”

  With that he climbed into the tree and scrambled down the steps, quickly followed by Marcus, Tuck, and the others.

  As soon as he reached the bottom, it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the low lighting, but only a few seconds more before he saw the half a dozen women hiding in the tunnel that led from the house.

  All but his Hannah were staring at him.

  He rushed forward and grabbed her out of Tulli’s arms into his own.

  “She’s had a nasty bump on the head, which knocked her unconscious, but her breathing is good, and her pulse is strong.” Tulli reassured him.

  Danny didn’t hear a word. He wrapped his wife up in his arms, buried his face in the crook of her neck and just breathed in her scent.

  She was alive. Hannah was alive! She was fucking alive!

  He felt Marcus rush past him rather than saw him, but knew when the man reached his wife, because the cry of relief was so understandable.

  “About time you showed up.” Sara grumbled. “There’s only so long a woman can keep her legs crossed when a baby tries to put in an appearance!”

  Tuck and Candy were only slightly more restrained, because Candy was immediately trying to help Sara through what sounded like another labour pain.

  “We’ve got to get everyone out of here.” Tuck said quietly. “Tony, can you and JT help Lara and Mischa out? Charlie, you take Joel, and Zach can help Marcus get Sara out of here.”

  Danny rearranged his arms around Hannah and lifted her gently. As soon as the way was clear, he carried her up the stairs.

  Once everyone was clear of the tree, Danny noticed what looked like paramedics running towards them.

  Gregor and Tulli were standing to one side, and Danny almost smiled, wondering if the Russian realised he was holding his woman tight enough to snap her spine.

  They man
aged to find their way to the ambulances, where despite the protests of the paramedics, Danny climbed aboard with Hannah still in his arms.

  When they tried to insist that he put her down, Danny just smiled.

  “You take care of her head, and I’ll hold onto the rest of her.” He said quietly. “Non-negotiable!”

  Tuck leaned in to let him know that they’d meet up at the hospital.

  Danny glanced at his long-time friend and met his eyes.

  They’d both been to hell and back in the last hour, and it was an experience he didn’t think either of them would ever forget.

  “Go and see to your wife, Major.” He nodded reassuringly. “My girl and I will be right behind you. I just need to give her a bit of a talking to for putting me through all this shit.”

  Tuck grinned at him.

  “Don’t be too tough on her. I think she’s had a rough morning.”

  Danny shrugged.

  “If I don’t get it all off my chest now while she’s unconscious, I’ll never get the chance.” He pointed out. “Because you just know that when she wakes up, I won’t ever get a word in edgeways!”

  Tuck stepped back, and the driver slammed the door shut, ready to get them to the hospital.

  Danny stared down at Hannah’s sleeping form.

  “Now! Where shall I start?” He growled.

  Chapter 49 – Gregor

  Gregor sat in another hospital waiting room, his eyes closed, repeating every prayer he’d ever learned as a child, in both Russian and English, just in case it made a difference.

  He’d been to hell and back this morning and thanking God for his blessings was the least he figured he could do.

  In his hand he could feel Tulli’s soft slim fingers, her thumb rubbing a comforting circle on the back of his hand. She was comforting him!

  He opened his eyes and glanced down into those beautiful grey eyes he loved so much.

  “I thought I’d never get to hold you again.” He said quietly. “When we saw Tuck’s house on fire, and all the guys convinced you’d all perished in the flames, my heart cracked into tiny pieces.”

  Tulli turned so she could face him.

  “When I saw your house come under attack, I thought exactly the same.” She touched her fingers to his cheek. “I thought I’d never see you again. It was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever experienced.”

  Gregor nodded. It wasn’t easy to describe the way he’d felt, so knowing she’d felt something similar was comforting.

  “When we get out of here, I’m going to have to start from scratch, building a new home.” Gregor shrugged. “At the moment, I reckon I have as many clothes to my name as you do.”

  Tulli glanced down at their dirty clothing and realised that they probably did only own the clothes they were wearing.

  “I think I left my deck shoes by Tuck’s pool, yesterday. So, if someone could retrieve them for me, I’d have twice as many shoes as you.” She smiled, obviously trying to lighten his mood.

  “I’ll buy you a hundred pairs of shoes, Tulli. Whatever you want.” Gregor reassured her.

  Tulli squeezed his hand.

  “Do you know what I want more than anything, Gregor?” He watched her eyes fill with tears. “I want our new friends to be well, my sisters to recover, and I want to be with you. Nothing else matters. Not houses, not clothes, nothing.”

  “I’m so glad you said that.” Gregor smiled. “Because it saves me having to tell you that I’m never letting you go. I was worried it would sound too presumptuous or boorish.”

  “I don’t want you to let me go.” Tulli leaned forward and touched her lips to his, in the softest kiss.

  Gregor’s heart almost shattered all over again.

  When she moved back, there were tear tracks down Tulli’s cheeks.

  “I never want to see you cry again.” He whispered. “I want to make you happy. I want you to smile every day for the rest of our lives.”

  “As long as you’re with me, I can’t see there being much chance I won’t be smiling.” Tulli flashed him a bright smile, but there was still a cloudiness to the grey of her eyes.

  They sat quietly for a moment, before Tulli turned to look at her sisters.

  Lara and Charlie were holding hands, Lara’s head leaning on Charlie’s shoulder, and Mischa was sitting quietly with Joel, who was still telling jokes as though absolutely nothing strange had happened that morning.

  “They’ll live with us wherever we go.” Gregor read Tulli’s thoughts. “Lara until she’s ready to move out, which may not be so far away as you think, judging by the way she’s clinging on to Charlie. And Mischa for as long as she needs you, with whatever care she needs.”

  “Really? You wouldn’t mind that?” Tulli wondered.

  Gregor shook his head.

  “First of all, in case you haven’t been hearing what I’ve been saying, let me clarify something for you.” Gregor held her gaze as surely as he held her hands. “When I said I wanted you with me for ever, I meant it. Marriage, kids, if you want them, everything, eventually. I’m not asking you to marry me right now, not because it’s not what I want, but because I want you in a position to make a decision on your future when you don’t feel so displaced. So helpless.”

  He watched Tulli take a deep breath and then let it out slowly, as though she was trying to calm herself.

  “So, if we work on the basis that one day you’ll be my wife, then it’s only natural for me to feel like your sisters are my sisters. My family.” Gregor continued. “What sort of big brother would I be if I didn’t take care of my family, hmm?”

  Tulli stared at him for long seconds, and Gregor began to wonder if he was pushing her too fast.

  “I want a job.” She said suddenly, surprising him. “I’ll work for nothing, to repay you for my share of the household bills, but I want to do something with my qualifications. I have a law degree and have made precious little use of it yet. There must be something I can do for your company.”

  Gregor was just going to argue that she didn’t need to pay towards the bills, when he realised what she was saying.

  Jointly paying bills was what couples did, he supposed. Or, at least, couples in the world Tulli had lived in.

  “I think we can come to some arrangement.” He nodded, trying to keep the grin off his face. “And I’m sure we can find some work for you. Maybe working for one of my charitable foundations, if you think that would suit you?”

  Tulli’s smile was priceless, and if the door hadn’t burst open at that moment, he would have gathered her up and hugged her.

  Everyone in the room jumped as the door flung open, and Marcus stood in the doorway.

  “I have a baby!” He announced, his grin wider than Gregor had ever seen it, which was surprising as Marcus was always a smiler.

  Candy stood and rushed up to him, wrapping her arms around him in a huge bear hug.

  “What sort of baby is it?” JT grinned. “Have we got ourselves a future Alpha company operative or maybe another doctor?”

  Marcus looked at JT in obvious confusion.

  “It’s a bit soon to be thinking of a career path, don’t you think?” He pointed out.

  “Marcus, focus!” Tuck instructed. “What JT and the rest of us want to know, is whether the baby is a girl or a boy.”

  “Oh!” Marcus grinned, as if realising his omission. “A boy! I’ve got a son!”

  Gregor and Tulli jumped up and joined in the general hugging and backslapping.

  “He’s still little, only four and a half pounds, so they’re going to keep him in the NICU for a day or two. But everything seems fine with him, and they’ve said it’s purely precautionary.” Marcus grinned. “My wife, as always, was an absolute rock star! Totally nailed this childbirth shit. Of course, I have absolutely no feeling in the fingers of my left hand where she squeezed them so hard, but it’s a small price.”

  Gregor couldn’t help but smile at the guy.

  Twelve hours ago, Marcus
had been lying in Zach’s arms thinking his world was ending, and here he was, happier than any man Gregor had ever met.

  Undoubtedly the two extremes were linked.

  “Is there any news about Hannah?” Marcus asked, a slight frown appearing on his brow.

  “Hannah is absolutely fine.” Tuck reassured him. “Sacha and Abbey are with her, trying to stop Danny from smothering her. Since she woke up this afternoon, he’s treating her like she’s a china doll. It’s driving her nuts already.”

  “Can’t blame the guy, after what we all went through this morning.” Marcus shuddered.

  “Well, luckily for Hannah, she can’t remember anything about it, so the only thing that’s got her all riled up is that she lost two of her favourite laptops in the fire.” Candy smiled. “She had some new programmes on them that she hadn’t backed up anywhere yet.”

  “Trust me, Luciana Vega is lucky she died in the helicopter!” JT nodded. “It was far less painful than what Hannah would have done to her.”

  Marcus was just about to head back to his wife when he stopped and turned back to Tuck.

  “Is this over?” He asked. “Or are there any more cartels going to come after us now.”

  Tuck looked around the room at all the assembled friends.

  “Actually, I hadn’t had a chance to tell everyone the latest news.” He admitted. “The two men with Lucky at my place were the last of the Castille family. They died with her, so there’s nobody left to care how they died. One of them had a couple of daughters, but they’re still only toddlers, so I think we’re safe from them for a good long time. Hopefully, they won’t turn out like Luciana! And what’s left of the Castille cartel will be too busy fighting over the business assets and hiding from the Colombian authorities to worry about heading north. They number less than thirty now and were all pretty low ranking anyway.”

  “And Hector Vega?” JT asked. “Will he want revenge for his wife and brother?”

  Tuck chuckled and shook his head.

  “Unlikely! According to Cole Arthurs, while Hector was out in the exercise yard this morning, someone pulled a shank and stabbed him repeatedly. He bled out in the yard.” He explained. “But the most surprising part is that the guy who did it claims the order came from Jesus Vega, who had plans to kill Lucky this morning, and take over the Vega cartel himself.”