Hellbent on Saving Her

by Vonnie Davis

  Unease sent a shiver of fear through Ivy’s system. “Why what? Where’s my son?”

  “He sneaked onboard the helicopter.”

  Ivy stood, shock claiming her. “What do you mean? Go get him off before he starts messing with the controls.”

  “ZQ was knifed with a blade dipped in some exotic frog poison. Grey called JJ for advice. Junebug overheard and took the phone, telling Zane she was coming along to help him. That families stick together. Quinn must have been eavesdropping and got a wild idea to go along, too.”

  “That nosy stinker. How much danger is he in?”

  “He should be okay. No one thought to check for him. He’d evidently hidden among the stuff they’d loaded onboard the helo last night so they could take off before dawn this morning.”

  Ivy dropped her face into open hands. “I don’t believe this. How did he get the door open?”

  “Damned if I know. When I couldn’t find him in his room, I searched the stables and the shed where the goats sleep. I called and called for that boy. A sick feeling came over me and I pulled out my cell. I asked Dust if Quinn was with them. They’d discovered him a couple hours earlier. His giggling gave him away.”

  “Couldn’t they turn around and bring him back? I want my son!” Tears prickled at the backs of her eyes. Good God, would this nightmare ever end? Was a measure of normalcy too much to ask for?

  “Ivy, honey, ZQ’s in trouble. JJ was able to get some strong antibiotics an online article suggested. He went through Clint, the U.S. Marshal they all know. Clint used his influence to get a doctor to write a prescription and call it in to an all night pharmacy. Girlfriend, you have no idea what all went on in this household while you slept. It was crazier than a two-for-one bra sale at Victoria’s Secret.”

  “I have to admit, they’re a good group of guys.” Ivy pulled back her bandage and examined her wound for something to do while she thought over all Athena had told her. “With all that commotion, it made it easy for Quinn to slip away and hide. He just met his father. I can understand he’d want to make sure he was fine, especially after worrying over me for days.” Ivy reached for a clean bandage and covered the bullet wound, wrapping gauze around her leg.

  “This was a shock I wasn’t expecting. You know how I dislike surprises, Athena. I’ve only ever had two I’ve come to love. The second best one was meeting you. The first was finding out I was pregnant.”

  Athena hugged her. “I love you, you know. I was so worried when I realized you were gone. Abducted by who knows who. I went on a rampage and scared Grey. Most of our men are out on other missions, so he called ZQ. We had no clue about the connection.”

  Ivy pulled back to stare at her best friend. “How many adults do you know who date and don’t tell each other their full names? Or share any deeply personal information about each other? We were so crazy in love, we were plain stupid with it. I couldn’t reach him, even though I knew he was a SEAL on a mission. He couldn’t reach me even though he knew I’d passed the bar. We hadn’t been honest about our real names. What a couple of morons.”

  Athena nodded. “I agree. That was pretty stupid.”

  “You said a mouthful, sister. Tell me, what do you think of this place?” She was finally dressed and had begun the process of brushing her hair.

  “It’s quiet and beautiful. Everyone’s friendly. Junebug is a trip. Talkative. Sweet. Dotes on Quinn. Man, can she cook. She told me she’s been begging ZQ for grandchildren for years, but he told her it wasn’t happening. She had a feeling it had something to do with the picture of you he kept under his ink pad on his desk. From time-to-time, she’d find him passed out in his office chair a glass of whiskey in one hand and your picture across his heart.”

  Ivy wiped at a tear. “Don’t tell me things like that. We’ve been apart for so long. Surely his love has faded.”

  “Oh? And how about yours for him?”

  Seeing him again, being held in his arms, and hearing his voice had stirred so many old emotions. Her love for him had always been there. That’s why she never dated. Who could ever measure up to her giant warrior? Where he was concerned, this intelligent, logical woman had been blinded by love. “I need coffee and toast. Show me to the kitchen.”

  Athena smiled. “Don’t have an answer for that one, hunh?”

  ****

  ZQ was punching out ten push-ups, using the last of his energy to make them somewhat passable. He was in such a sour mood, he could skin the scorpion that skittered across the ground in front of him. Off in the distance, he imagined the whoomp, whoomp, whoomp of a helicopter.

  Grey stood and watched. “Here comes our ride, man.” He waved a red shirt to alert them.

  ZQ collapsed and rolled over, trying his best to stand. The poison’s fire still raged through his system, but not as hot. His vision, though, was blurry. And, damn, the weakness.

  The helicopter landed and his crew circled the bird, weapons at the ready watching for the enemy while JJ ran for him. The medic picked him up and carried him over his shoulder to the helo.

  “Daddy! Daddy! It’s me, ZQ2!”

  He rotated in JJ’s grip and got a blurred glimpse of his little boy. “What the fuck is my son doing here? Make him stay back out of danger!” Was he really seeing him or had he progressed to hallucinations?

  “He snuck on board sometime during the night, hid and didn’t reveal himself until after we were in flight. Oh, by the way, your mom’s shit-faced. She and her old buddy Jack had a hell of a ride.” JJ and Grey situated him on the medic’s padding. The rest of the team jumped onboard and Dust got in the pilot’s seat. The helicopter was airborne within a couple minutes of landing.

  His son dropped on top of his chest and ZQ enveloped him in his arms. Right now, his vision was a little too blurry to clearly see his boy, but the feel of him was soothing.

  “I had to come help. Don’t be mad, Daddy. I was worwied. I weft Spidey to look afta mommy. I came fow you.” The little stinker pressed kisses over his face. “He’s got a tempatuw, JJ. He needs watah.” He extended his skinny arm for a bottle.

  “Can you get him to swallow two of these big pills with the water, ZQ2?” JJ opened a bottle and shook two big capsules into his little palm.

  “Yup. Got it.”

  Damned if the kid didn’t. He moved off him so JJ could check his vitals. He pulled a wet wipe from a box and started wiping off ZQ’s face and neck. “Feel good, Daddy?”

  “Yes, son. You’re a big help.” He wanted to smile. What a kid.

  His little chest puffed out. “Gwandma says families stick togethew. That’s why I comed.”

  He ought to be pissed. Mad as hell. Over to his left sprawled his mother, passed out, hugging a bottle of whiskey and snoring like a chain saw. His son was hopping from one side of him to the other to bathe his head and shoulders. But damn if the whole situation wasn’t comical as hell. One of those stories you’d tell over and over as the years went by.

  “Hey, what’s with your new name? ZQ2?”

  “It’s my nickname ‘cause I wook wike you.”

  “Little man, use this sterile wipe to clean your daddy’s hand really good. Then go over it with another one. I need to stick an IV stent into it. And if you’re quiet, you’ll get to watch.”

  ZQ woke when they stopped at an airport for refueling. He raised on his elbows and glanced out the window. He smiled; his vision had cleared. His son marched in the middle of his men and Grey, just as badass as any four-year-old could be. His mother was hurrying to the restroom, definitely on a pottie run despite the stagger in her walk.

  Had anyone thought to tell Ivy they were on their way home? He dialed Athena’s number. “Is Ivy nearby?”

  “Hold on. Is Grey okay? I want him healthy when I kick his ass.”

  “He’s fine, hon. Let me talk to my beautiful woman.”

  “Zane? Are you okay?” Jesus, how many times had he longed to hear Ivy’s voice?

  “Well, I’ve had a special short medic wor
king on me. He’s fine and I wanted you to know.”

  She started crying.

  “Baby, don’t. Our son’s okay.”

  “What about you, you big dummy?”

  “I did what I needed to do. I took out any future danger to you or Quinn.” He chuckled.

  “Or ZQ2, as he tells me he’s called now. We’re at an airport getting refueled and he just paraded to the restroom with the team as if he were one of them. You’ve done such a good job with him. JJ put him in charge of giving me antibiotics and pouring water down my throat to swallow them. Hell, I’ve nearly drowned twice. We’re fine. Tell me about you.”

  “A little limp. My back’s still sore, but getting better. I had Quinn by c-section so the pain’s not as bad as the aftermath of that. Nothing I can’t handle.”

  And everyone claimed women were the weaker sex.

  “Ivy, will you stay at the ranch for a few weeks so we can talk? Get reacquainted. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you over the years. Consider it. Tell me what I have to do to convince you to stay on in my life.”

  “I’ve changed. I’m not the same woman you knew in Coronado.”

  “Same here, baby. Age, circumstances, experiences can’t help but change a person. That’s why we need to talk, reminisce, and share what we want for the future. Think on it. Please?”

  “First off, what do I call you? Quinn? Zane? ZQ?”

  She had a point there. “We really screwed up, didn’t we? By being so focused on protecting our security levels or our future professions, we were never really honest with each other about our names. Sounds so damn silly now. Call me Zane or ZQ. Honey would be nice.”

  “Honey? Oh, you’re pushing it, buster.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  In anticipation of the helicopter’s arrival, five women sat near the landing pad in lawn chairs, doing a little male bashing. Ivy could tell Athena was building up a case of steam by the set of her jaw. Grey would have some major sucking up to do with his lady.

  Meeting the wives of Dust and Steelhead was a treat. Only Dust was really Dustin and Steelhead was Reece. Ashley’s romantic interest was JJ or Jerryl Jacoby. And Titan was Bo, of all things. Lord, how did anyone keep track? From what she could gather, the nicknames were only used during missions. Real names were for real life, except for ZQ who went by his nickname all the time. Maybe she’d call him Zane just to be difficult.

  “Usually they aren’t gone this often, especially back-to-back. We understand this extra trip though. ZQ was so sick because of that poison. At least I got to see Jerryl for a little bit. He hugged me, which is all I can handle except for a kiss on special occasions.” Ivy could see the vulnerability in Ashley’s expression. JJ was right, she was still working through the days of gang rapes she’d suffered.

  Steelhead’s wife Gina patted Ivy’s arm. “They were gone during the flood of Hurricane Harvey, rescuing people in the lower part of the state. Ashley went along because she was once Navy and has training. We were real proud of all their work there. Boy, were they grungy when they got home.”

  “I had to wash Dustin’s clothes three times,” Kelcee chimed in.

  Ashley laughed. “Yeah, I smelled like swamp water for days even after baths and showers. I still think of the people who lost everything. I cry for them at night sometimes.”

  Ivy sat back and listened to what their lives were like married to these warriors. Men who couldn’t seem to lay down their guns. “How often are they gone?”

  “Depends.” Gina swung an open hand at a group of gnats. “It seems like three or four times a year, unless there’s a home emergency like that awful hurricane. Sometimes it’s more. They deal with terrorist cells here in the States. By the time they leave, they’ve memorized the intel and run through several scenarios in case things go belly-up.” She looked at Ivy. “I was a real bitch when I found out Reece was joining Black Eagle Ops. I wanted him home with me and Piper. Safe.”

  She glanced away. “I broke things off. Made us both miserable.” Then her eyes connected with Ivy’s. “I’m glad I came to my senses. Being with a man you love and who adores you in return brings the deepest kind of happiness.”

  Is she trying to send me a personal message? There are things I have to know about ZQ’s life..

  Ivy watched Gina’s reaction. “Still, it must be hard on you and your daughter. How much advance notice do you get?”

  “You learn to recognize the signs. They spend more time here practicing. They’re pre-occupied. More sexual.” Gina laughed.

  Kelcee piped up. “That’s not a bad thing when you’re trying to conceive. We stopped using birth control five months ago and nothing. Two days ago, I peed on a stick and got a plus sign. Dustin hasn’t been home to see me so I can tell the big jerk he’s going to be a Daddy. If he wasn’t so good in bed, I’d cut him off for a day or two.” She glanced at the sky. “Yeah, as if that’ll happen.”

  All of them laughed as they jumped to their feet to hug Kelcee and pat her flat tummy. Ivy liked Ashley, Gina, and Kelcee. They were each genuine in their own way and eagerly accepted her into their private group. The sounds of the bird grew louder. “Okay, which one of us is gonna cave and hug her man first?” Kelcee glanced around.

  “Doesn’t Bo have a girlfriend or a wife?” Ivy couldn’t forget how kind he’d been to her. Ashley shook her head. “Then I say we punish our guys a little by hugging Titan…er…Bo first.”

  Athena spoke up. “Girlfriend, I always did like the way you think.”

  Their hair blew back as the helo landed. Ivy’s son was at the window waving. She still wasn’t sure how she was going to punish him for sneaking off. Maybe it was something she and ZQ should talk over.

  Her stomach cramped. That didn’t sit so well, to be honest. The boy was her son; she’d born and raised him alone. No, she’d have a long talk with Quinn and take his Spiderman away from him for a few days. Suddenly she felt possessive of him. What if he came to care for his daddy more? How would she handle the pain of that?

  “Team Titan, are we ready?” Gina looked from one woman to the other. They all nodded and laughed in unison.

  The door slid open and little Quinn jumped out. “Mommy, don’t be mad! I had to help save Daddy.” He ran to her and she leaned over to hug him.

  “We’ll talk about your punishment later. You scared me really bad when I didn’t know where you were. You know the rules. Tell Mommy before you go anywhere. I love you and I was scared.”

  Quinn hung his head. “Sowwy, mommy. But I just got my daddy. He’s bwand new.”

  Ivy wrapped her arms around him and hugged. “Yes, sweetie, I know. But sneaking onto a helicopter by yourself was a dangerous thing to do.”

  Steelhead handed Junebug out. She could barely stand. “Someone turn the sun off. It hurts my eyes. She pivoted and clung to the helicopter. “The earth is spinning so fast. I’m holding onto this big thing so I don’t fly off.”

  “Oh. My. God. She’s drunk!” Kelcee’s jaw dropped.

  The rest of the men jumped out except for JJ who helped ZQ. All the women ran for Titan, shouting his name, their arms out-stretched. The shocked redhead glanced around obviously at a loss as kisses were pressed to his face and neck.

  “Ah…ah…what the hell’s going on, ladies?”

  It was fun to see the rest of the men’s reactions. Normally cool and calm Dust went all batshit. He pulled Kelcee away and put her in a fireman’s carry, storming off. “Did you forget you’re my wife?”

  “Yeah, well, your wife is carrying your child, so put me down.”

  Dust suddenly turned to mush, treating her as if she were precious glass.

  Steelhead took one look at his wife kissing another man’s face and scowled. He grabbed her by the waist, slipped his fingers in her hair, and yanked her head back. “Last time I looked. Those lips belonged to me.” Just to prove his words, he kissed her thoroughly.

  Grey glanced at Athena. “Now, woman, I know you’re pissed. But I deserve
a better welcome home than this. Now if you don’t quit kissing Titan, I’m going to have to whip his ass.”

  Titan’s eyes grew wide. “Hey, I didn’t ask for any of this. It’s the magnetism of the red hair. It can’t be helped, man.”

  Grey didn’t say anymore. He just walked on. Athena stormed after him and the two had a few words before they were in each other’s arms.

  The only two females snuggled against Titan now were Ashley and Ivy. JJ helped ZQ off the bird. God, he looked so pale. Ivy couldn’t help herself. She hurried to ZQ’s side opposite the one JJ was holding up. Her arm slipped around him and she kissed his neck. “Welcome home, Zane.”

  JJ glanced at Ashley who’d stepped away from Titan now that she was the only woman remaining. He smiled wide. “Hi, beautiful.”

  She blushed and winked. “Hi, handsome.”

  Their interaction was so sweet, Ivy was full of hope the two would get together.

  “Titan,” Zane ordered. ”Now that you’ve used up your testosterone supply, help my mother into the house. Make sure she can’t find anymore whiskey.” He glanced at Ivy. “Getting poison in my system was worth it so I could come home to you.”

  Their son was skipping along beside them. “I was a big help, wight Daddy?”

  “Yes, you were, but I imagine your momma’s a little upset about your sneaking off like that. Whatever punishment she gives you will be something you’ll have to take like a man.”

  JJ and Ivy helped Zane into his bedroom. “You need a shower, boss. You have a bad odor after sweating out those toxins. I’ll get you undressed.”

  “No. I will. Can he get his bandage wet? Or should we cover it with something?” She was taking charge of his care now that he was home. Why, she couldn’t explain. Well, she could, but she didn’t want to analyze it.

  JJ’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ll make a waterproof pad to place over his bandage. If you’re going to undress him keep his prosthesis on until he walks into the bathroom. He’ll take it off then.”

  She didn’t want JJ to think she doubted his medical skills by pushing him away. “Oh, JJ? You did a great job removing the bullet from my leg. It still hurts, but I can manage with over the counter stuff. I’m moving well in short spurts.” She laughed. “No long walks for me for a few days though. I’m sure you did just as well with Zane. Thank you.”