by Susan Stoker
The men smiled at each other, and Blade felt the tension drain from his body. They were back. The team was together again—and it felt fucking amazing.
“I’m not sure it’ll be as easy for our women to fix their relationships,” Ghost said. “What you did really hurt Rayne.”
Everyone looked over at the women where they were standing behind the bleachers. Mary and Rayne were at opposite ends of the little group, and both had their arms crossed over their chests. Wendy and Casey were talking quietly, and Emily was standing next to Rayne with her arm around her waist. Kassie and Harley were standing closer to Mary and talking to each other.
“I’m going to fix this,” Truck told his friends. “I don’t know how, but I will. Mary is the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met, but she’s also one of the most compassionate and loving as well. I know you guys think she’s a bitch, but you don’t know her like I do. She’s torn up inside that Rayne is mad at her, and she hates that the group has been broken because of what we did. Will you guys help me?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Ghost said.
“You got it,” Hollywood agreed.
One by one, the men vowed to do whatever was necessary to bring their group back to where it had been.
“Are you gonna let her have a divorce?” Fletch asked.
“No,” Truck answered. “I love her. She’s prickly as all fuck, but she’s learned to be that way because of her past. I’ve seen her caring, loving side, and I know you will too. Eventually.”
“Anyone got any more secrets they’ve been keeping from us?” Ghost asked dryly. “Figure we might as well get everything out now.”
Everyone chuckled.
“I’m going to officially ask Wendy to marry me soon,” Blade piped up. “Her and Jackson have moved in, and I want to give them both the stability they didn’t have in the last decade.”
Beatle put his hand on Blade’s shoulder. “Congrats.”
“Thanks.”
“What about you?” Hollywood asked Beatle. “If Blade and Wendy get engaged, you and Casey are going to be the only ones not married or engaged.”
“What, I don’t count?” Ghost asked grumpily.
Hollywood rolled his eyes. “We all know you’re going to marry Rayne the second she says the word. It’s only a matter of time. So? Beatle?”
He smiled at the group. “I don’t have a ring yet, but she agreed to marry me the other week.”
Everyone slapped Beatle on the back in congratulations.
“Anyone else got anything to say?” Ghost asked the group.
“Mary and I got married at the courthouse, but I want the white dress and the walk down the aisle and a big-ass party,” Truck told Ghost, looking him straight in the eye. “She might protest and say she doesn’t want a fuss, but fuck that. She beat cancer, twice. I want to throw her the biggest party this town has ever seen.”
Ghost looked at Truck, then turned and met both Blade and Beatle’s eyes before saying slowly, “What if we had four weddings in one, then had the town’s biggest fucking party afterward? You think your women would go for that? Or do they want their wedding days all to themselves?”
“Wendy would love that,” Blade said immediately. “She’s never had close friends, and without family other than Jackson, I know she’d feel awkward if all the guests were mine. So, hell yes for me.”
“Beatle?” Ghost asked with a cock of an eyebrow.
“I can’t speak for Casey until I talk with her about it, but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t object. She’s been really shaken up and depressed over the last month everyone’s been fighting. I think if they could all make up and work together to make this happen, it would be epic.”
The men all nodded their heads at each other.
“If I can make a suggestion?” Fletch asked.
“Sure,” Ghost said.
“Maybe we can wait until after Em and Kassie have their babies. I know they’d love to stand up with their friends, but I have a feeling Em would hate to be nine months pregnant in all the pictures,” Fletch said.
“Not a problem for us,” Hollywood agreed. “Kassie’s about to pop any day now.”
The others chuckled.
“No worries. We aren’t going to have everything planned in the next three months anyway,” Ghost said.
“Hell, it might take that long to get the girls talking to each other again,” Truck mumbled.
“We’re all on the same page, right?” Ghost asked.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Okay. After the debrief with the MPs, we’ll head home with our women and make sure they’re good. But starting tomorrow, Operation Fix This Shit will commence. Yeah?” Ghost ordered.
Everyone agreed and headed across the field toward the women waiting anxiously.
Ghost put his hand on Truck’s shoulder before he could leave. “I was pissed at you, Truck, but I get it now.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah. I’d pick Rayne over all you assholes every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”
Truck gave his friend and team leader a lopsided smile. “’Preciate that.”
Ghost punched Truck in the arm. “I can’t believe you convinced Mary to marry your ugly mug.”
Truck chuckled. “Don’t get too excited yet. It’s not like we have a normal relationship.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. We sleep together every night, but we haven’t slept together, if you know what I mean. At first, it was because she was nauseous and sick, but she’s still being stubborn now that she’s all better.”
“Well, if anyone can break down her barriers, it’s you,” Ghost said with one hundred percent conviction. “I can’t wait to watch this.”
“A little compassion would be nice,” Truck mumbled. “I’ve got the worst case of blue balls in the history of man.”
Ghost barked out a laugh. “Serves you right.” Then he got serious. “I need to fix Rayne’s relationship with Mary, Truck.”
“I know. We’ll fix it.”
“Swear?”
“Swear. One way or another, those two are going to be thick as thieves again, and they’ll get their double—no, quadruple—wedding.”
Ghost smiled. “That, I’ll take. You’re a good man, Truck.”
“Not all the time. I’ve found that I’m selfish as fuck.”
“We all are in our own ways. Come on, our women look like they’re going to burst. We’ll talk tomorrow and put together a plan to get those two back on track…and to mend the rest of the women’s relationships too. Glad you were here today, Truck. As usual, your size made taking that guy down easier.”
“My pleasure,” Truck said.
Blade watched from the side as Ghost and Truck shook hands then went to collect their women.
“What’s going on with you guys?” Wendy asked Blade when they were headed toward the parking lot. “You were all mad at each other, and now you’re not?”
“Sometimes all it takes is a little danger to put things in perspective,” Blade told her. “Now come on, I want to get you and your brother home. I think we all need a little ‘us’ time. I was scared as shit that you’d get hit by a stray bullet.”
“I love you,” Wendy told Blade as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him.
His eyes lit up. “That’s the first time you’ve said it.”
“Uh uh. I’ve said it before,” Wendy protested. “That night you asked me to marry you, in fact.”
“No, sweetheart, you haven’t. Believe me, I should know. You oohed and ahhed and screwed my brains out, but you never came right out and said the words. I’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks. And you can’t take it back now.”
“I don’t want to take it back,” she reassured him. “Now take me, Jackson, and Jenny home. I’ll feed you, then when Jackson takes Jenny home, I’ll show you how much I love you.”
“Oooh, baby, I love it when you talk dirty.”
Blade put his arm around We
ndy and led her to his Jeep. Things weren’t perfect with the team, but they were well on their way to getting there. The next few weeks and months would be interesting, but he’d put his money on Truck every time.
* * *
Truck opened his apartment door and waited for Mary to enter before following then shutting and locking the door behind them. She’d been quiet on the way home, and he wanted to ask what she was thinking, but wanted to do so when they were in his apartment and she couldn’t run from him.
He made her a cup of tea, with a liberal splash of bourbon, and got her settled on the couch. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms and they sat in silence.
After a while, he asked, “You okay?”
“Of course.”
Truck resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course she’d say that.
“Did Rayne say anything to you today?”
“No.”
“Did you say anything to her?”
“No. There’s nothing to say. I hurt her.”
“If you talked to her and told her why, she’d understand.”
Mary shook her head. “No, she wouldn’t. She was there throughout every step of my first bout of chemo and radiation. She wouldn’t understand why I didn’t want her there a second time.”
Truck didn’t exactly understand it himself, so he let it go. When she reached forward to put the empty mug on the coffee table, he asked, “Ready for bed?”
“Yeah. Truck?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Are things okay between you and your team now?”
“You saw that, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re not perfect, but we’re getting there.”
“Good. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble with your friends.”
Truck kissed the side of her head and left his lips there as he said, “You didn’t get me in anything. Whatever consequences my actions have are on me. Not you. Understand?”
She stared at him for a long moment, and again Truck tried to figure out what she was thinking, without luck. “I know you mean that, but I also know it’s not true.” She looked away. “I need to get ready for bed.”
“Need help?”
Mary stilled and glanced over at him. “What?”
“Need any help?” Truck repeated. Throughout their marriage, he hadn’t ever crossed the line between being a friend and being more. But the longer he spent around her when she wasn’t sick and hurting, the more he wanted to cross that line. It was time he started pushing a bit more.
“No.”
“Are you sure? I’d be happy to help get you out of those clothes.”
“Truck!” Mary exclaimed and smacked him on the arm. “No!” Her cheeks were flushed and she didn’t meet his eyes. If he was a betting man, he’d say she was open to the idea, but needed a bit more convincing.
“Just thought I’d make sure. I’ll be up to join you in our bed in a bit,” he said, emphasizing the “our” a bit more than usual. Then he put his palm on Mary’s cheek and turned her to face him. He leaned down and covered her lips with his own.
Using his tongue, he traced the seam of her lips until she gasped, and he took the opportunity to taste her for the first time.
Every other time they’d kissed, it had been a closed-mouth, chaste thing, but Truck was done with that. Mary was his. In every sense of the word. She was skittish, but he could work with that.
When she didn’t pull away from him in shock or slap him in the face, Truck continued his lazy exploration. Her tongue shyly twined with his, and he nearly groaned. His cock was hard as steel and he could feel himself leaking precome.
Jesus, he was ready to blow with just the feel of her little tongue playing with his own. He reluctantly pulled back, satisfied for now with how things had gone, and kissed her forehead. “Go on, baby. I’ll be right there.”
Without a word, and with a stunned look on her face, Mary stood and headed down the hall to the master bedroom.
Truck knew her complacency wouldn’t last. It was one of the things he loved most about her. That she gave as good as she got, and that she’d never sit back and let him dictate everything in their relationship. She was a challenge, and a man like him needed that. He needed her.
She might not realize it, but the day she’d said “I do” had changed her life forever.
She was his, just as he was hers.
They’d fight and make up and fight again. And Truck looked forward to every single second of their give and take. Eventually, she’d give him everything he wanted, and he’d take on the responsibility for making her happy for the rest of their lives.
He couldn’t wait.
* * *
Make sure to pick up Rescuing Mary, the final installment of the Delta Force Heroes series (or IS it?!? :) ) Truck and Mary have been through a lot, but their trials and tribulations aren’t over. Find out what happens in their story!
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Also by Susan Stoker
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Delta Force Heroes Series
Rescuing Rayne
Assisting Aimee - Loosely related to DF
Rescuing Emily
Rescuing Harley
Marrying Emily
Rescuing Kassie
Rescuing Bryn
Rescuing Casey
Rescuing Sadie
Rescuing Wendy
Rescuing Mary (Oct 2018)
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Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series
Justice for Mackenzie
Justice for Mickie
Justice for Corrie
Justice for Laine (novella)
Shelter for Elizabeth
Justice for Boone
Shelter for Adeline
Shelter for Sophie
Justice for Erin
Justice for Milena
Shelter for Blythe (June 2018)
Justice for Hope (Sept 2018)
Shelter for Quinn (TBA)
Shelter for Koren (TBA)
Shelter for Penelope (TBA)
* * *
Ace Security Series
Claiming Grace
Claiming Alexis
Claiming Bailey
Claiming Felicity
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Mountain Mercenaries Series
Defending Allye (Aug 2018)
Defending Chloe (Dec 2018)
more to come!
* * *
SEAL of Protection Series
Protecting Caroline
Protecting Alabama
Protecting Fiona
Marrying Caroline (novella)
Protecting Summer
Protecting Cheyenne
Protecting Jessyka
Protecting Julie (novella)
Protecting Melody
Protecting the Future
Protecting Alabama’s Kids (novella)
Protecting Kiera (novella)
Protecting Dakota
* * *
Stand Alone
The Guardian Mist
Nature’s Rift
A Princess for Cale
A Moment in Time- A Collection of Short Stories
Lambert’s Lady
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Special Operations Fan Fiction
http://www.stokeraces.com/kindle-worlds.html
Beyond Reality Series
Outback Hearts
Flaming Hearts
Frozen Hearts
Writing as Annie George:
Stepbrother Virgin (erotic novella)
About the Author
New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives, b
ut this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Texas. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.
She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.
If you enjoyed this book, or any book, please consider leaving a review. It’s appreciated by authors more than you’ll know.
www.stokeraces.com
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