From War to Forever

by Andria Large

  “Tucker!” he shouts firmly before giving my face a sharp smack.

  I blink and Iraq fades, revealing Duke’s kitchen. I frown in confusion. What the hell happened?

  “Hey, you with me?” Duke asks, his hazel eyes studying me with concern.

  I swallow hard and nod. “Yeah. I think so,” I rasp.

  I hear Dennis groan and curse. I glance past Duke to see him on the kitchen floor, lying on his side, his hand pressed to the side of his face.

  “Dennis?” I croak.

  “I’m okay,” he grunts. “Just smacked my face on the floor when you took me down.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper shakily.

  Dennis pushes up to a sitting position. His right cheek is red. “What happened? Flashback?”

  I nod. “Yeah. It was like a switch flipped and I was back there.”

  Dennis nods in understanding, and I know he does actually understand. He used to get flashbacks too.

  “I guess not being able to hear prevented loud noises from being a trigger,” Duke murmurs. He’s still squatting in front of me. “I dropped a pot. That’s what made the noise.”

  I run a shaky hand down my face. Damn, that was rough. Duke stands and holds out a hand for me. I take it and let him help me to my feet. I then go and do the same for Dennis. Once he’s standing, I take his chin in my hand and turn his face to the side to look at his cheek.

  “You don’t think it’s broken, do you?”

  He takes my hand from his chin and kisses my knuckles. “No. It’ll probably be bruised, though.”

  I bite my bottom lip and shake my head.

  “Come on, sit down.” He uses his hold on my hand to pull me over to the table and pushes me down into a chair. Duke hands me a glass of water, which I accept gratefully. My whole body trembles as the adrenaline starts to wear off. Dennis and Duke sit down with me. Dennis scoots his chair close to mine so he can rub soothing circles on my back.

  “What mission was it?” Duke asks quietly.

  “The one when we got stuck in that air raid.” I swallow.

  Duke bites out a nasty curse. “Shit, that was a bad one. Pure chaos was what it was.”

  I agree. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to try to calm my racing heart.

  “It was so fucking real,” I breathe.

  “Yeah, they can be,” Dennis murmurs sadly.

  I open my eyes and look at Dennis again. His cheek is already starting to bruise. “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize to me. I almost shot Beau in the head during one of mine, so I think you tackling me is fairly mild.”

  “You what?” I blink at him. Is he for real?

  “Yeah, it was bad. Luckily I didn’t keep my gun loaded. That was what landed me in the hospital when I met you,” he says softly.

  I shake my head. “I didn’t know.”

  He gives me a sad smile. “It’s really not something I like to rehash.”

  “I understand.”

  I lean in and kiss him softly on the lips.

  “What the hell? Am I chopped liver?” Duke teases.

  I smirk and pucker up as I lean toward him for a kiss. He facepalms me and shoves me back.

  “Get the fuck outta here with that.” He laughs.

  Dennis and I laugh too. Leave it to Duke to ease the tension.

  Chapter Seventeen

  DENNIS

  DUKE FOLLOWS us back to our condo in New York the next day. We all agree he needs to stay with us for a bit to pull him out of his funk. He’s also taking some time off work to straighten himself out.

  “I think I’m going to find an apartment here in New York,” Duke murmurs later that night while we’re all sitting and watching TV.

  I see Tucker’s eyebrows shoot up as he glances over at Duke. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Besides my family, Baltimore is nothing but bad memories for me. I think I need to start over.”

  “Well, I know I’d love to have you live closer,” Tucker says and glances at me.

  “Why are you looking at me? I don’t want his ass closer,” I tease.

  Tucker rolls his eyes, and Duke chuckles.

  “Nah, it’d be cool to have you live closer,” I amend.

  I move to stand so I can get a drink from the kitchen but am stopped by a sharp pain shooting up my right leg when I put pressure on it. I grimace and hiss. Stupid prosthetic. It’s been bugging me more and more lately. I really need to get it adjusted. One side has been rubbing and causing some chafing on my stump.

  I push through the pain and get to my feet. I suck in a sharp breath as I take a step. Fuck. I can feel two sets of eyes on me, so I glance over at Tucker and Duke, who are sitting next to each other on the couch, both watching me. Duke seems concerned, but Tucker actually looks pissed.

  “I think it’s time you got a new prosthetic,” he says, his tone hard.

  I huff. “Yeah? With what money? My insurance only fully covers the first one I get. If I want another one after that, they only pay half the cost.”

  “I’m sure Lizette and Beau will be more than willing to give you the money,” he replies.

  “Oh, it’s that simple, is it?” I laugh bitterly.

  “Yeah, it is that simple. After all you’ve done for Lizette, I’m sure she’d be ecstatic to do something like this for you in return,” Tucker argues.

  “No. I will not ask her for money like my parents always did.” There is no way in hell I’m asking my sister for money. If I’m going to get a new prosthetic, then I will save up my own damn money for it.

  “That is completely different and you know it,” Tucker bites out.

  “It’s not going to happen, so let it go,” I snap.

  Duke is looking like he just got his bare ass stuck to a block of ice as his eyes ping-pong between us as we argue.

  “No, I’m not going to let it go. You’re in pain almost every day because of that shitty prosthetic,” Tucker barks. “I got my hearing fixed for you. The least you can do is ask your sister to help you get a new prosthetic.”

  I flinch as if slapped. “Did you really throw that in my face?”

  Tucker tosses up his hands. “What do you want from me? I’d like you to get a new prosthetic, just like you wanted me to get my hearing fixed.”

  “Well, then, I will have to save up the money to get a new one.”

  “Dennis….”

  “Drop it, Tucker.”

  “You and your fucking pride. Why won’t you let anyone help you when you’re in need?” he continues.

  “Because the only person that I can ever depend on is myself!” I shout.

  Hurt settles in Tucker’s eyes. He stands and walks over to me, getting in my face. “Fuck. You. Stay in fucking pain, then. I don’t give a shit,” he spits out before storming off down the hall, where he walks into our bedroom and slams the door.

  I make an aggravated noise and shove my hand through my hair. Of course, that came out wrong.

  “That was a pretty shitty thing to say, my man,” Duke murmurs.

  I send him a glare. “Like I don’t know that?”

  “So why did you say it, then?”

  “I…. It came out wrong.”

  “Obviously.”

  “I don’t need shit from you too, Duke,” I snap.

  “I don’t see what the big deal is. Your sister and her husband have plenty of money, and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to help you out, like Tucker said.”

  “Listen, I’m not going to argue with you about this too. I’m not asking my sister for the money, end of story.”

  “You’re a stubborn fucker when you want to be, aren’t you?” Duke muses.

  I sigh in irritation and limp my way to the kitchen. “Just shut the fuck up, will ya?”

  “Fine, but you better make shit right with your boyfriend. Otherwise, I’ll have to kick your ass.”

  TUCKER

  I’M SO fucking pissed at Dennis right now. I can’t believe he would flat-out re
fuse to even consider asking his sister for the money for a new prosthetic. I know Lizette would be honored to help him. He’s her big brother, who pretty much raised her into the woman she is today. Shit, if he isn’t going to ask her for the money, maybe I will.

  It kills me to see the constant pain etched into Dennis’s face. I keep quiet about it because this is where it leads. Arguing and saying shit we don’t mean. I know Dennis didn’t mean what he said or the way it came out. Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt, though. He knows I love him and would do anything for him. He can always depend on me. Always.

  I pull out my phone. He’s going to be so furious with me, but I don’t care right now. He needs a new prosthetic badly. If he thinks I haven’t noticed his skin is raw, then he must think I’m blind. I pull up Lizette’s number and hit Call.

  “Hello?” she answers excitedly on the second ring.

  “Hey, Lizzie.” I smile. I love Lizette. She’s a beautiful person, inside and out.

  “Oh my God, Tucker! It’s so great to actually talk to you on the phone now!”

  I laugh. “I know. I agree.”

  “So what’s going on?”

  “I need to talk to you about Dennis.”

  Her breath catches. “Is he okay?”

  Shit! I didn’t even think of how she would take that. “Damn, I’m sorry, Lizzie. Everything’s fine. I just wanted to talk to you about his prosthetic.”

  “Oh, thank God,” she breathes. “You scared me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

  “It’s okay. So what about his prosthetic?”

  “He’s going to be livid that I’m even talking to you about this, but it needs to be done, and he won’t do it.”

  “Okay,” she says slowly.

  “He needs a new prosthetic. I mean desperately. He’s constantly in pain, and one side of his stump is rubbed raw because the fit is so bad. He hasn’t had it adjusted in forever, which doesn’t help either.”

  “And he refuses to ask me for the money, doesn’t he?” She sighs.

  “Yes.”

  “He’s such a stubborn ass sometimes,” she says.

  “Yes, he is. We’re actually having an argument about it right now.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to him. See if I can make him take the money for a new one. No promises, though.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. And thank you for looking out for him,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you later, Tuck.”

  “Good night, Lizzie.”

  I hang up. I feel better knowing that at least Lizette is aware of the situation, but I know as soon as she brings it up to Dennis, he’s going to know I talked to her. Oh well, he’ll have to get over it.

  I pull off my T-shirt and sweats before climbing into bed. It’s only 10:00 p.m., but I’m tired from the pain medicine. Plus, who couldn’t use some extra sleep?

  DENNIS

  I STOP in front of our bedroom door debating whether to sleep in my old room. My mind is made up for me when I hear a pained cry come from behind the door. Heart pounding, I open it and step into the dark room. Tucker is lying on his back, his legs thrashing under the sheets. I rush over and crawl onto the bed next to him. As soon as I place my hand on his chest, his eyes flip open and he sucks in a sharp breath.

  It takes a moment, but his eyes finally focus on me. “Hey, you okay?” I ask quietly.

  Tucker nods. “Bad dream,” he croaks.

  I pat his chest a couple of times before I move to make my way off the bed. Tucker grabs my wrist.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I… uh… I was going to go sleep in the other room,” I mutter, unable to look at him.

  “Really? You’re that pissed that you can’t even sleep in the same bed as me?” he asks incredulously.

  “It’s not that. I didn’t know if you wanted me here or not.”

  “Of course I want you here, Dennis. Just because we argue doesn’t mean that I don’t love you anymore.” He sighs.

  “I know that. I thought maybe you needed some space after what I said.” I shrug.

  “No, I don’t need space. What I need is you in bed with me.”

  “Okay,” I reply softly.

  I sit on the edge of the bed and take off my prosthetic. I sigh in relief as I set it next to the bed in front of the nightstand. I pull my shirt off and toss it on the floor. As I wiggle out of my pants, the bed moves behind me. Tucker’s hands slide over my shoulders and down my chest as he leans down to kiss the side of my neck. I blow out a breath and lean back against him.

  “I’m sorry. I hate arguing with you,” I say quietly.

  “I wish you would consider talking to your sister,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my neck.

  “I don’t want her to think I’m like my parents. And it’s not a small sum of money I’d be asking for.”

  Tucker’s fingers flex on my pecs. “You are nothing like your parents. She knows that. And Beau is loaded. What’s a few thousand dollars to help out his brother-in-law?” he whispers against my neck before leaving a trail of hot kisses to my shoulder.

  “Are you trying to seduce me into agreeing to talk to Lizette?” I smirk.

  I can feel him smile against my shoulder. “Maybe.”

  I shake my head. “I can’t do it. I’ll save up the money myself.”

  “Want me to talk to her?” he asks. Something in his tone bothers me.

  “No, I do not,” I state firmly.

  Tucker groans and drops his forehead to my shoulder. “Too late,” he says softly.

  My whole body tenses at his words. I really hope I heard him wrong. I pull away and turn to face him. His expression is hard and unwavering. He totally went behind my back.

  “You fucking bastard! You already talked to Lizette about this?”

  The rage rolling through me has me clenching my fists. For the first time ever, I want to punch Tucker in his face.

  “It needed to be done, Dennis. You have wounds on your leg that aren’t healing because there is no relief from the rubbing. You’re lucky you haven’t gotten an infection yet,” he says calmly despite the anger in his eyes.

  “How dare you! How dare you go behind my back and talk to my sister about this!”

  “Maybe if you would just think about this for a moment and realize this is something you need, you wouldn’t be so angry.”

  “Maybe if you wouldn’t have gone behind my back, I might have thought about it! You fucking betrayed my trust, Tucker!”

  I hastily pull on my pants and put on my prosthetic, then shove to my feet. I swipe my shirt off the floor and start for the door.

  “Stop being such an asshole, Dennis. Come back here and talk to me like an adult,” Tucker snaps.

  “Fuck you. I’m not fucking talking to you right now,” I growl and walk out the door, then slam it closed behind me.

  That dick! I can’t believe he did this to me! Now Lizette is going to be up my ass about taking the money for a new leg. Goddammit! I storm into the living room, where Duke is still awake. He’s lying on the couch, propped up at one end, writing in a notebook. He looks up at me and frowns.

  “Are you two arguing again?”

  “Your fucking friend went behind my back and talked to my sister about my leg!” I bark as I pull my shirt over my head. I grab my coat off the hook and shrug into it.

  Duke huffs. “Man, where are you going? It’s one o’clock in the morning.”

  “I’m going to drive around for a while. I can’t be in the same space with him right now.”

  With that, I grab my keys and walk out the door.

  Chapter Eighteen

  TUCKER

  I WAKE to my phone ringing. It’s still so weird to me that I can actually have the ringer on now. I glance at the clock—4:00 a.m. Who the hell is calling me at four in the morning? I fumble for my phone on the nightstand and try to focus
on the name on the screen. Lizette. What the fuck? I quickly answer.

  “Lizette? Are you okay?”

  She sniffs. Obviously she’s crying. “Tucker, I just got a call from Mt. Sinai Hospital a few minutes ago. Dennis has been in a bad car accident and is in serious condition. Beau and I are on our way over right now.”

  I can’t breathe.

  “Tucker? Did you hear me?”

  “Y-yes. I’ll meet you there,” I manage to get out.

  “Okay,” she croaks before hanging up.

  I’m so confused right now. I didn’t even know Dennis left the condo. I lurch into action, pulling on sweatpants and a T-shirt. I shove my feet into my shoes, then barge into Duke’s room. He startles awake.

  “What? What is it?” he asks, looking around frantically.

  “Dennis was in a car accident. I need to get to the hospital. Can you drive me? I don’t think I can do it without getting myself into an accident,” I say, my voice shaky.

  “Shit! Yeah, let me get dressed.” Duke whips off his covers and starts pulling on clothes.

  We’re out the door and on the way to the hospital in under five minutes.

  “Did you know Dennis left?” I ask Duke when we get into his car.

  “Yeah, he said he just needed to get out for a little bit.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I snap.

  He glances over at me, giving me an incredulous look. “Seriously? Why would I tell you? He’s a big boy and can come and go as he pleases,” he snaps back.

  I roughly scrub my hands over my face and make an aggravated noise. “You’re right. Sorry.”

  Duke just hums his acceptance of my apology.

  When we get to the hospital, Lizette and Beau are in the ER waiting room. Lizette is pacing back and forth, her pregnant belly visible even with her coat on. Beau is sitting in a chair near her, his head resting in his hands as he leans forward, his elbows propped on his knees.

  I rush over to Lizette. “Hey, any news?”

  She stops her pacing and shakes her head. “Nothing other than that they are trying to stabilize him. It was a head-on collision. Some asshole high on drugs hit him.”