Labor of Love Anthology: 10 Anecdotes of Love and the Struggles Within

by Aliyah Burke

  “We are but her mother thought she should have a big wedding so the town could participate.” He shook his head. “And so the news could be broken about us and we’re not living in sin any longer.”

  Jeb laughed. “I remember that from small towns. Think she’s going to call off the wedding?”

  “I think she may be serving me with divorce papers. When I left, she and her mother weren’t seeing eye to eye on anything. From the lack of communication from her I’m thinking it’s either that or she’s planning some kind of mission to castrate me.”

  More laughter. “Why would she want to do that?”

  “Because I was the one who said we should go along with the wedding instead of taking her side.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re fucked. And not in a good way.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He wadded up the trashed wrapping. “Appreciate it.”

  “Anytime. Come on, grubs on. It’s going to be a long night.”

  He followed him from the room and saw the guys he was here with, Merlin and Maverick setting the table and dishing up the food.

  Grey enjoyed a good deal of ribbing from them all once Jeb relayed the circumstance he found himself in. Not much after that, Cade returned and Grey got ready for his part of the op. It was going to be his job to break in and steal the information the man they were working on bringing down had on his computer in his office. The asshole was into trafficking young children to sate the sadistic and disgusting sexual needs of predators. Yeah, he was going down but given his proclivity and the men who he supplied, the law had been looking the other way. That was going to stop as soon as he got what they needed.

  Baby Boy was still out there, watching over the house to relay any pertinent information needed. They’d had eyes on him for the past week.

  He finished his food and climbed in the passenger side of the truck. Maverick slipped behind the wheel and took him to his drop-off point. The quiet Native American didn’t speak and Grey was grateful, he was putting his mindset on his mission.

  Scouting the area, he hopped over the back wall, keeping to the shadows once more as he avoided the security cameras posted around. On the off chance that their tech guy hadn’t hacked all the feeds, he didn’t need to give an advanced warning. He adjusted his gloves and snuck up to the back where the second story window was left unlocked.

  With an easy jump, Grey hauled himself up and in. crouched low on the floor, he scanned the room with his NVG. Alone in the room, he pushed to his feet and went to the wall panel where the file he needed was kept. Grey pushed his NVG’s off and held them in his left hand.

  Exposing the key pad, he punched in the needed and leaned forward to allow the eye scanner to run over his contact designed to read identical to Richard Pullimen, the man who lived in this house.

  The square panel slid soundlessly into the wall, showing him stacks of money, some gold items and the drive he was after.

  “Tango is inbound, bastard is home early. Get out of there.” Baby Boy’s tone was calm and matter of fact.

  He clicked his mike once, not bothering to give a verbal reply, confident they would understand his affirmative. Taking the drive, he secured it against his leg, in a pouch that hid any tracking signal it may emit. Just in case.

  “In the garage, he will be there in moments. I don’t see your ass heading out of that window.”

  He smiled and made his way out, ensuring the panel had shut behind him. “Didn’t know you were that interested in my ass.”

  “Only one I’m drawn to is that of my wife, but I don’t want to tell yours you were shot pussyfooting around.”

  He scanned the ground and jumped landing with a tuck and roll. “Out, heading for the wall now.” Grey ran. “See my ass now?”

  “Yep, oh wait, my bad, that’s your face.”

  “Suck this,” he said as he bounded up for the top of the wall to haul himself over.

  “As soon as you find it. I’ve heard that’s a common complaint of your wife, she can’t find your puny little dick.”

  With a soft thud, he landed in a crouch. Two swift glances up and down the street before he jogged off into the night. “I’ll show you a little dick,” he said as he slowed to duck in the shadow of another tree as a slow-moving car went by.

  “I’ll be there in five,” Maverick’s low tone came over the comm. “That is unless you two would like to be left alone for a while.”

  “Just come get me,” Grey replied.

  While it hadn’t been his most dangerous mission by a long shot, it was one of his most important. Any slimy fuck who would exploit children like that, deserved a long stay in a jail in a country that didn’t exactly have the rules like they had in the States.

  He’d done his part now it was up to the rest of the Tungsten Protective Services to make the news public and serve this fuck with what he deserved. For him, he was heading home to make sure he still had a wife.

  Chapter Four

  “You’ve pretty much become the face of Bridezilla.”

  Sarah swore and tossed the Coke can before her at the guy sitting across from her. He snatched it out of the air without even looking at it and crushed it.

  “Don’t try to take it out on me, you’re the one who’s terrorizing the entire town of Cottonwood Falls.”

  “Army training or not, Chase Ellery, I’ll still kick your ass.”

  Her best friend from childhood snorted, leaned back, and crossed his arms. “Pretty sure I can hold my own over a highly emotional female Marine.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you implying that—”

  “I’m not implying anything,” he interrupted. “I’m stating it flat out. You’ve been behaving like a bitch.”

  “Explain to me again why I like you?”

  “Because I don’t bullshit you. When you act like an ass I call you on the carpet about it.”

  “I’m not acting like an ass.”

  He cocked a dark brow at her and she sighed heavily.

  “It’s my mother, she’s making this about her. It’s supposed to be my day.”

  “And now we’re whining,” he commented offhandedly, reaching for her glass that held the Coke from the can she’d chucked at him. Chase took a large drink and put it back before her.

  She opened her mouth only to shut it again. Sarah had no comeback to that for he was absolutely correct. She’d been horrible.

  Head on the table, she moaned in embarrassment. “I’m a fucking Marine and I was acting no better than any of those fucking pussies who make a horrible spectacle of their wedding planning. And the day.”

  “That’s why you have me.” He pushed up from the booth seat. “Make it better before no one here wants to come to your wedding.” Chase walked off without a look back.

  She paid for her lunch and stepped outside to find her mother there, expression as black as she’d ever seen it.

  “I told you to deal with Mrs. Carole but you’ve not done that. And Cassandra said you didn’t stop by for any alterations to the dress I chose.”

  Her embarrassment at hearing Chase’s words, vanished in the blink of an eye. Staring down at her mother, she shook her head.

  “Do you even hear yourself? The dress you chose. The frosting you wanted. I’m sorry but I swore this was supposed to be my wedding, not yours.”

  The pain in her mother’s face nearly broke through but her anger was to high and forward in her mind. Pushing by her, she paused at the edge of the sidewalk and turned back. Words were on the tip of her tongue, but she never let them fall. Whirled back around and headed for her bike.

  Straddling the machine, she slapped on her helmet, turned over the engine, and gunned it toward the edge of town. She went tearing by one of the few cop cars in Cottonwood Falls. Sarah didn’t even bother to slow, in fact, she asked her bike for more speed.

  The town limit neared and she yearned for the open road. What she wouldn’t give to have Grey home so she could have gone and talked to him ab
out this. And made him pay for agreeing to this.

  “Should have just done a mother fucking reception.” She headed toward Turbin Park.

  The heavy rumble of her motorcycle eased away her irritation and flat out anger. She wished she could enjoy the ride without a helmet on but she knew she had to have one on per the Marine Corps.

  She began to slow to turn into Turbin Park but at the last moment, decided to keep going and get even further away from Cottonwood Falls. Right now, she just needed space away. Away from the wedding planning, from the stress, and most definitely from her mother.

  Sarah frowned and checked her side mirrors, an unpleasant feeling skating up her spine. Nothing was there but her intuition hadn’t failed her yet. And she didn’t like feeling exposed. Continuing on as if she was still blissfully unaware of whomever or whatever watched her, Sarah revved the motor and took a deep breath.

  For the next five miles, nothing yet that feeling wouldn’t let her free, it continued hanging around and pestering her to no end. Maybe it was just her exhaustion and stress that was making her think something was there when nothing was.

  Shaking her head at herself, she took a deep breath and screamed as a vehicle hit her back wheel, sending her end over end to skid along the ground. Her world slowed to slow motion.

  I wish I hadn’t left my mother with anger now that I’m not going to see her again. I love you, Grey, so much. Those were her final thoughts when darkness enveloped her.

  Chapter Five

  Grey leaned against the table in their situation room, listening to Harrier go on about this next mission. He’d done his part for the previous one and now it was time to move to the next. They weren’t lacking for work, that’s for sure. As he listened he gripped the table edges with his fingers and blew out a slow breath. His trip home had been delayed but Sarah was a Marine, she would understand all about how that worked.

  The door swung open and in walked Ethan who used to be part of the feds but was a friend of Tyson, so he’d left the public sector and had come to work at Tungsten. His knowledge of tech scared the shit out of Grey. Ethan skimmed the room and focused in on Grey.

  “There’s a call for you from some guy who calls himself Mucker.”

  Instantly his heart dropped to his belly. Harrier fell silent.

  Grey rubbed his palm on his thigh. “Mucker is the tech guru in Sarah’s team. Maybe something happened to her.”

  “Take the call,” Harrier said.

  Ethan handed him a phone with a secure line. He nodded his thanks and took it.

  “This is Grey.”

  “Based on the fact you’re there, I’m going to assume you’ve not heard.”

  Honestly, he didn’t think his heart could sink any lower. “Heard what?” Part of him realized that the rest of the room had tuned into his side of the conversation.

  “Bug was in an accident. She’s laid up in the hospital and they’re not sure she’s going to make it.”

  His legs wouldn’t hold him and he sank to a chair. “What the fuck happened?” There wasn’t a world where he wanted to imagine life without Sarah in it with him.

  “We’re still learning but they’ll know more by the time you get there. You are going, right?”

  “Hell yes, I’m leaving now.” He pushed back to his feet, knees still not that solid.

  “Keep us updated.”

  The call ended and he dropped the phone on the tabletop. “Sarah was in an accident and they’re not sure if she’s going to live.”

  His words sounded so wooded and not at all like himself, but then, he was viewing the world from a grayscale view currently. So perhaps there was feeling and he just couldn’t hear it for the roaring in his own ears.

  “What happened?” Cade demanded, getting to his feet while Harrier picked up a phone beside him.

  He shook his head. “Mucker didn’t have details.”

  “Head to the airfield,” Harrier told him. “Davies has the plane and will take you home.”

  Tears burned the backs of his eyes. Not going to make it wouldn’t stop rolling around in his head. “Thank you,” he said.

  “Let us know if you need anything,” Harrier added as Cade got to the door and waved him through.

  “I’ll drive.”

  Everything blurred into one long endless time of being suspended in a tacky substance. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it. All he knew is he owed those men a case of whiskey when he was done, they’d set up for a car service for him as well. The driver didn’t make small talk, just got him on the road and headed for the lone hospital in Cottonwood Falls.

  He ran inside and stopped at the front desk. Lucille Jackflin another girl he had gone to school with sat there. She gave him a small, sad smile.

  “Room three-twelve.”

  “Thank you,” he muttered before dashing off again.

  He didn’t wait for the elevator, just took the stairs needing to get there as soon as he possibly could and the thought of needing to have the elevator come down then go back up seemed like an awful waste of time to him.

  Grey burst into the room and his heart clenched. Sarah lay there hooked up to so many tubes with white bandages covering a good portion of her body. Her mother sat beside her, holding her hand as she slept with her head on the bed.

  “Mrs. Mallery,” Grey said softly not wanting to scare her.

  It took him two more times of calling her name to get her to stir. She looked up at him, dark eyes sad and bloodshot. However, she rose instantly when she saw him there and pulled him into a huge hug. Grey wrapped his arms around her, holding tight.

  “My baby,” is all she said.

  The tears soaked through his shirt but he didn’t give a damn. After she stopped crying, he drew back enough to gaze in her eyes.

  “Tell me what happened,” he implored.

  Mrs. Mallery glanced over her shoulder to where her daughter lay on the bed, then guided him to the other side of the room.

  “Tina Dobet, do you remember her from school? Anyway, she witnessed it. Told Vicki that she was coming home from a friend’s house and saw Sarah coming toward her. Out of nowhere this black car shot out and hit her back tire,” her voice hitched, “sending Sarah spiraling head over heels and skidding along the road until she finally stopped. Her bike was destroyed.” She rubbed her arms and took a deep breath. “Tina said three men were out there around her when she screeched to a halt and jumped out. She said she’d told them she’d called the cops already so not to worry. Not long after that they took off and she waited until the ambulance and cops arrived.”

  He needed to talk to Tina.

  Grey walked over to Sarah and sank to his knees beside her. Staring at her bruised and battered face, he reached out carefully to touch skin. He knew she’d been wearing her helmet, she refused to ride without it but for there to still be damage to it, means she hit hard as fuck and was lucky to still be alive.

  “I love you, Sarah. Don’t you fucking dare leave me.” He glanced to Mrs. Mallery. “I’ll stay with her for a while. Go home and get some rest.”

  Sarah’s mom walked back over and pressed a kiss to Sarah’s cheek. “She was so mad at me because I was making this wedding all about myself. That’s why she went off on her bike. This is my fault.”

  “No,” he said, tone gentle but firm. “This isn’t your fault. It’s the fault of who hit her and ran off before the cops could arrive.” He touched her hand. “Go home. I’ll be here with her.”

  “I’ll be back soon.” Another kiss to Sarah and she walked around the bed to give him one as well before she left.

  As he sat with her, he updated Mucker and also called Tungsten. He spoke with the doctor and put in a call for Vicki to come see him when she got the chance. His parents stopped by and so did Vicki who didn’t give him anything he wanted to hear. They had no leads and not much to go on.

  When Mrs. Mallery returned, he got up and told her he’d be back. Then he went to the hardware store where Tina work
ed. Pushing into the shop, he waited for his eyes to get acclimated to the darkened interior. He walked along the aisles until he found her restocking nuts and bolts.

  “Tina.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at him, her light brown hair up in a ponytail. “Grey,” she said putting down the boxes she held to give him a hug. “I’m so sorry about Sarah.”

  “Thank you.” He held her arm. “They said you were there and you were the one who called nine-one-one after witnessing the incident.”

  She nodded, her creamy skin going paler. “I was. Never seen anything like it before. I swear, it was out of a movie or something.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I was heading to town, she was heading away, coming at me. We were out past Turbin Park, then it was just there. Shooting out of nowhere to hit her back wheel and knocked her over. I punched the gas to get there to do what I could to help, and called the cops on my way.”

  “Then?” He strove to keep his tone modulated so he didn’t scare her but deep within, anger grew and stirred to life.

  “The three men got out and walked to where she lay.” She put her hands on her hips. “I don’t think they wanted to help her.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “One guy had a gun in his hand that he hid when I pulled up and jumped out. Plus, they weren’t even attempting to help stop all the bleeding.” She sighed. “When I told them I’d called the cops they looked uneasy. Then they said they would grab some things from their vehicle but the tore out of there.”

  “What type of vehicle?”

  “Black and silver Cadillac DeVille with tinted windows. Mid to late nineties.”

  “Anything on the plate you remember?”

  “No.”

  His face fell and she held up a hand.

  “Not because I didn’t look, but because they didn’t have any plates on the vehicle. I tried to get as much as I could because I wanted to be able to help find them. I gave sketches to Vicki as well for the three of them. Not men I’ve seen around here before.”

  “If you remember anything else, let me know Tina.”