by T. K. Leigh
“I love you, Tyler.”
“Even with my stank ass hospital breath?” he joked.
“Especially with your stank ass hospital breath.”
He let out a content sigh as a small smile crossed his face. “Stay,” he murmured in a lazy voice.
“For how long?”
“Forever.”
I took a satisfied breath and held onto his hand, remaining by his side throughout the night. Forever sounded like a good plan to me.
~~~~~~~~~~
LOW VOICES ECHOED AROUND me, but I tried to tune them out. A sort of glow filled me and I didn’t want to wake up only to find out it had all just been a dream.
“You can’t really think it was someone on the inside,” a voice said softly.
Tyler.
“I don’t know what to think,” Alexander whispered in response. “Who knew what you were doing?”
“Just Benson, Maxwell, Eli, Martin, and me. Hell, Benson and Maxwell had just tracked down the lead. We hadn’t even contacted either subject to let them know we were coming.”
“And Martin already did a sweep of your house for bugs.” He sighed loudly. I could sense his frustration.
It was silent for a moment before anyone spoke again. “You said Maxwell hacked into some army database and that’s how he found out about the mission in Bosnia, right?” Tyler asked, his tone growing urgent.
“Yes. You don’t think…?”
“What other explanation is there? Maybe whoever did this is just as talented, or more so, than Maxwell is. Mackenzie’s friend, Damian, has been missing for months now, and he just happens to be one of my most skilled hackers out there. Maybe he was taken, like his FBI colleagues think, and is being forced to do this guy’s dirty work. From what I’ve read about him, he’s more than capable of putting a trace on the file, and maybe when Maxwell hacked into it, he could have stirred up something that had been left dormant for years. Think about it… The members of the team who had died or gone missing did so years ago. And now, all of a sudden, the remaining two, who had been practically impossible to even track down, end up dead, their houses wired to explode. I think we may have found out the link as to why Galloway was set up. I have a feeling it has something to do with the mission in Bosnia and how two of his men ended up not coming home from that mission.”
“Well, in light of recent events, there’s an unfortunate reality we need to face,” Alexander said.
“That Galloway is the only remaining member of his Ranger team still alive,” Tyler responded, dejected.
“Precisely… Suspicious or just a coincidence?”
“I know. I just…”
I began to stir, not wanting to listen to any more. I didn’t want to hear anything else that could taint the picture of my father I had in my head.
“There you are,” Tyler crooned, meeting my eyes as they adjusted to the light in the room. “I hope we didn’t wake you.”
“No, you didn’t.” I sat up in the chair, rubbing my sore neck, my entire body aching from whatever position I had fallen asleep in.
“Well,” Alexander said, eyeing both Tyler and me. “I’ll give you two a bit of privacy. I’ll be back sometime this afternoon with Olivia and Melanie.” He placed his hand on Tyler’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “I’m glad you’re okay, Ty.”
Tyler met his brother’s eyes, placing his hand over his. “Me, too. See you in a bit.”
“You bet.” Alexander released his hold on him and retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.
“Good morning,” I said, grabbing his hand in mine. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I jumped off a deck.”
I smiled warmly at his ability to make light of what he had been through.
“How’s Eli doing? Have you heard?” I asked. I had been so concerned with Tyler’s well-being, I had completely forgotten about Eli.
“He’s actually doing a lot better than I am. From what they said, they figure I pushed him out of the way and took the brunt of the explosion. He dislocated his shoulder and has a mild concussion, but he’s up and walking today.”
“What happened?” I asked now that he seemed much more coherent than he did just twelve hours earlier.
He sighed. I could tell he was tired of repeating the story over and over. I had heard the basics from Alexander, but I wanted Tyler’s point of view.
“Friday, Benson came to me with a potential lead,” he began, repeating what I already knew about a link between my father and a classified mission in Bosnia. “When we got to the guy’s house, there was no answer. We peeked in and saw signs that struck us as odd, so we decided to break in, just in case something was amiss. That’s when I got the phone call from Benson about the explosion at the house of the guy they were supposed to question. Just as Eli turned the knob, I heard a click and pushed him out of the way. Everything after that was kind of a blur. I remember hoisting myself over the railing of the deck and landing on the beach below. The last thing I could recall before waking up here was seeing your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
He nodded. “I was so worried I wasn’t going to make it and you’d have to raise our son without me. I began to regret so many things, Mackenzie…missed opportunities, missed moments, missed kisses. And I swore, if I survived, I’d do everything to make up for all of that lost time with you. I’ve been so focused on finally figuring out what happened with your father all those years ago. I lost sight of what’s really important.” His voice had an urgent and demanding quality to it. I was lost in his words and eyes as his hand caressed my knuckles, a yearning coursing through me.
“And what’s that?” I murmured.
“You,” he exhaled, a peaceful smile on his face. “The doctor said I’m stuck here for at least two weeks while they treat my burns. After that, let’s go somewhere and get away from everything for a while. I want to go somewhere different, somewhere fresh, somewhere we can get the new beginning we both need. We’re already in Florida. We’ll go rent a house in Palm Beach for a few weeks. We can wake up every morning and watch the sunrise. We’ll spend our days watching the relaxing waves. Every night, we can make love like it’s the first time. Hell, we can even get married while we’re there.”
“What?!” I exclaimed, pulling away and staring at him, wide-eyed.
He reached for my hand, caressing it once more as my spine remained taut. I wondered if this was simply the pain meds talking. “I know it may not be entirely conventional, but since when have we really followed any rule book?”
“Never,” I replied, laughing through my nerves. Everything about this was completely unexpected. But, then again, everything about my relationship with Tyler had been that way from the very beginning.
“Serafina Galloway,” he began, surprising me with the ease he spoke my real name, “I know things haven’t always been easy between us, not to mention the fact our entire relationship early on was based on lies. But I’d rather be completely exasperated by your thick-headedness than have it easy with someone else. I’d rather fight my way through every jungle, desert, and stormy ocean to hold you than to never feel my heart race with adrenaline like it does when I think of you. I’d rather wake up to an empty bed without you in it than wake up next to the wrong person every day for the rest of my life. You are it for me. You’re my turtledove, my lightning strike.”
I remained speechless, holding my breath. This proposal seemed different than his first one. That one was tainted with his lies and deception. I had been hesitant to consider marrying him back then, concerned with the fact that it was too soon, that people didn’t just meet and get engaged a few weeks later. But now, after everything that had transpired between us, there was no hesitation on my part. I knew what my answer had to be.
“Tyler, I…”
Before I could finish what I wanted to say, he reached into the neck of his hospital gown and pulled out his dog tags.
“Since when do you wear those?” I asked.
> Shrugging, he lifted them over his head, cringing a bit from the pain in his ribs. “Usually only when I go somewhere that could be dangerous. It’s always good to have them as a form of identification, just in case. I wore them every day while I was over in Sudan.”
“Was it dangerous there?”
He shook his head, toying with the chain a bit before breaking it open. “No. I wore these to keep a reminder of what I lost close to my heart.”
I followed his hands and saw him slide off a brilliant diamond solitaire, the stone easily at least three carats, surrounded by a double band of smaller stones. “Serafina Galloway,” he said, his voice steady, his expression serene, “I’ve lived every day with the pain I caused you. I know we still have a long way to go, but I promise I will do everything I can to make you smile more than you frown. I promise to love you and our son more than words can even express. I promise to always be honest with you. Please, marry me.” He raised the ring to my finger, his eyes eagerly awaiting my answer.
Ever since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of what my proposal would be like. I had envisioned a handsome man clad in a suit kneeling before me, asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. I never imagined sitting in a hospital room, my Prince Charming covered with burns and scars, holding a stunning ring up to me, begging me to give him a chance to prove his words were true. But I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. It was perfect. It was meaningful. More importantly, it was us.
“Yes, Tyler. Of course I’ll marry you!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him and kissing him fully on the mouth.
He let out a low groan and I pulled back to see a look of discomfort on his face.
“Sorry,” I said, cupping his cheek. “I keep forgetting.”
“It’s okay. Feeling your lips on mine is certainly worth the pain. Don’t worry. Doc said I’ll be back to my fighting shape in a few weeks, and I plan on making up for lost time, if you know what I mean.” He raised his eyebrows in a lascivious manner, and a heat radiated through me from his intense gaze.
“Oh, really? And how do you intend to go about that?” I asked, my mouth hovering over his.
“It’s a surprise.”
I shook my head. “You don’t get off that easily, mister. I want a sneak peek at your hand.” I tugged at his hair, running my tongue across the stubble that had grown on his cheek.
“You don’t play fair. If a nurse came in right now, do you know how hard it would be to hide what you’re doing to me?”
I glanced down and saw his excitement through the hospital sheets. “Good. I want them to be jealous of what’s mine,” I murmured in a sultry voice.
“Yours?” he raised his eyebrows.
“Yes. Mine.”
“Mine,” he repeated, running his tongue across my lips. “I would start slow,” he breathed, caving in to my request that he give me a sneak peek. His chest began to rise and fall faster, his tone becoming more raspy with each word he spoke. “And by slow, I don’t mean gentle. I know you, Serafina, and I know you like it just like I do.”
“And how’s that?” I asked, my voice seductive.
“Rough, hard. You like to feel every thrust and push. And I like the way you feel around me when I bring you closer and closer to the brink.”
I moaned, my body on fire. Just picturing how he wanted to seduce me was setting me off, every nerve in my body sensitive. “More,” I exhaled. “I want more.”
“I’ll push you against the wall and make you feel how much I want you. You’ll plead with me to get on with it already, but I’ll make you wait for it, beg for it. I won’t even kiss you, not yet. I’ll be so close, yet just far enough away that you’ll be on edge, ready to fall apart the first time I touch you…and I will touch you.”
“Where?” I moved toward the edge of my chair, wishing I could crawl into the hospital bed beside him and feel his skin on mine. The next few weeks would be torture.
“I’ll start by running my fingers through your hair,” he said as he grabbed my ponytail, forcing my head back. “I’ll have you trapped, unable to see anything I don’t want you to. Then I’ll take my time exploring the rest of your body. Your lips. Your neck. Your chest. Your stomach. Your nipples. I’ll push against you as I take them in my mouth, sucking on them. Your entire body will be on edge, your mind a blank slate as you fight against coming from that alone.”
I kept my eyes closed, moisture pooling between my legs. I squeezed them together, praying for some sort of release. I didn’t care that we were in a hospital where his nurses or doctor could walk in at any minute. I needed something to ease the tension.
“Then, just when you’re about to let go, I’ll release my hold on you, leaving you a panting mess. This is when I’ll ask you one question.”
“Yes?” I breathed. “What’s that?”
“Do you want more, Serafina?”
“Yes,” I responded almost immediately. I lowered my head to his and nibbled on his earlobe. “I need more.”
“That’s my girl,” he crooned in a sly voice. “I’ll lift you onto the desk and tell you to spread your legs, and you’ll obey like the good girl you are.”
My legs were on autopilot, obeying his demand as if we were acting out the words he spoke.
“Good.” He ran his hand through my hair before traveling the length of my body, down my torso, over my hip, stopping at my thigh. My stomach clenched, anticipation rushing through me. I felt light-headed, my skin tingling with each passing moment.
“I’ll run my tongue up and down your inner thighs, keeping my eyes glued to that perfect pussy of yours, and I’ll get so fucking hard when I see how wet you are. I won’t be able to take it anymore. I’ll need to taste you, to feel you, to watch you come.” Instantly, his fingers found their way beneath my skirt, pushing my panties to the side, and he began to circle me. I bit on his neck, trying to muffle my screams.
“We wouldn’t care that we were in front of the window where anyone could see us. We would only get louder and louder as we put on a show for all the miserable couples outside. And we would vow to never become one of those people. We would promise to never let life and commitments come between us. I couldn’t imagine going more than a day where I couldn’t listen to your moans, where I couldn’t watch you move against me, where I couldn’t feel this beautiful pussy as it comes around me.”
His motions grew more frenzied and before I could stop it, I was reenacting his words, releasing around his fingers, the orgasm ravaging through me as I fought to contain my screams. It was euphoric, the fierceness of the pleasure never seeming to end.
Finally, my tremors began to subside, but I remained in place, keeping my head snuggled against his chest. The room was still, except for our breathing.
“I hope that all sounds good to you,” he said, breaking the silence.
All I could do was nod, desperately trying to get my heart rate under control as I heard a familiar thump echoing, thinking it was simply Tyler’s heart. Then it grew louder, slowing to a stop in front of the door. I shot up and quickly readjusted myself, my mind racing.
“What is it, Mackenzie?” Tyler asked in a low voice.
Before I could respond, the door opened and I snapped my head in that direction, unsure of what to say.
Tyler
“DAD…?” MACKENZIE SHOT UP from her chair and rushed toward the older man limping into the hospital room, his eyes studying me in an unnerving manner. This wasn’t the first time I was meeting the parents but, considering I had only started dating his daughter to get close to him and he knew about it, I couldn’t help but be on edge. Not to mention, I had a million questions I needed answered, the most important being whether it was merely a coincidence he was now the only remaining team member alive.
“What are you doing here? It’s not safe for you!” She ushered him toward the chair she was just sitting in, glancing over her shoulder for any perceptive hospital staff members. “And how did you find out where I was?”
She followed his line of sight to see him staring at her ring, a warm smile crossing his face.
“Of course.” She appeared to be a bit on edge at the surprising turn of events. “Dad, this is Tyler Burnham,” she said hesitantly, looking between the two of us, almost unsure of how this was going to play out. “Tyler, this is my father.” She took a deep breath. “Francis Galloway.”
“Tyler,” he began, taking my hand with enthusiasm. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Likewise, Colonel,” I responded, wanting to show him the respect he deserved at one point in his life. The respect he may still deserve.
He sat back in the chair, his stature relaxing. “Please, call me Francis.”
I smiled slightly. “Very well, Francis.”
A heavy silence fell and I looked at Mackenzie. I had no idea what was going on, but that seemed to be par for the course lately.
“Well… I guess I’ll go to the ladies room and allow you two to get to know each other better,” Mackenzie said, practically running toward the door.
“Mi bichito?” Francis called as she was about to leave.
“Yes?”
“I think it best you stay. I have a feeling Tyler has many questions for me, and I’d like you to hear all the answers, as well. We promised each other full disclosure. I kept you in the dark for years, and I can’t do that anymore. It’s time I stop hiding and finally confront the past. Too many people have gotten hurt, your mother and Tyler included, trying to find out the truth of what really happened. There’s too much blood on my hands and it needs to stop, even if I can’t save myself.”
Her brow furrowed as she listened to his words. She slowly returned to the bed and pulled up another chair, sitting down. They both looked at me with eager eyes and I could see the resemblance. Even through the burns that had scarred the entire left side of Galloway’s body, there was no mistaking the similarity between the two.