by Cara Carnes
She popped the top off a couple beers as she sat. Handing one to him, she motioned toward the mandala. “Go get her box of supplies from under the bed. I’ll help you so you don’t ruin it.”
“You aren’t pissed I’m violating her trust?”
“Did you steal this from her?”
“No, she gave it to me.”
“Then she was ready for you to know.” Addy shrugged. “She’s been quilling for years, ever since I knew her. I didn’t realize the significance until we moved into this place and I realized she only did it when she was having emotional problems. She quilled a lot right after we got Mary back.”
Jesus.
“I investigated one day, found the messages.” Addy’s gaze narrowed. “She doesn’t know I know. I doubt she’s ever told anyone, but she’s going to tell you soon if this is evidence. She’s never given any of her stuff away before. They’re all buried in the back of her closet in a locked chest.”
Jesus.
He looked down at the mandala and felt a moment’s guilt for not waiting for her to trek the rest of the road. She’d entrusted him with this much. It was time he manned up and went the rest of the way.
“Let’s get to work.”
Wyoming was a bust. Evidence of at least one child residing there was present—strewn toys and children’s clothing. The FBI had helped comb through the cabin and had swept a twenty-mile perimeter.
Whoever Marla had entrusted the child to was in the wind, but not for long. They would find DJ. For now, focus was on getting Danny and the other men back from their overseas nightmare.
Vi found her quarry in Command Central, which should have been her first place to look. Jacob was shoving his laptop into the backpack. He halted his efforts when she entered.
“Hey,” he said, his voice more a whisper than expected.
“You okay?” she asked. “Things have been pretty intense around here.”
Jacob nodded, too quickly. She sat, waiting him out. He fell into the chair beside hers.
“How do you keep control of the calm? You and Edge are always so calm.”
“I wasn’t very calm when I woke after they took your uncle,” she admitted. “I spent a lot of years thinking I needed to be perfect, collected at all times. Then I finally figured out the truth.”
“What’s that?” He looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes.
“It’s okay to feel, to react to what’s going on around you. It’s not possible to be stoic and calm all the time. We remain in control when it counts by giving the chaos to someone, letting them hold us up when we need a break. That’s what family does.” She smiled and took his hand. “I learned by watching Edge with Dylan.”
“You’ve got Uncle Jud,” he said.
“Yeah, and you have all of us,” she whispered. “You’re an amazing young man. You have no idea how well you’ve done, how strong you’ve been through all of this. I remember when I first started at Hive. Mary and I were a freaking mess.”
Jacob smirked. “I can’t believe that’s true.”
“Well, it was. Trust me. Heck, ask her.” Vi let the silence fall a few moments.
“I was so scared,” he admitted. “I cried like a baby after Jian called saying he had Dad. Uncle Jud held me, gave me the time I needed.”
Vi’s heart swelled. Jud was a good man, he’d be an excellent dad one day. The thought made her smile. “I was terrified when I woke up in the field and he was gone.”
“I felt helpless. I didn’t like feeling that way.”
“Me neither,” she admitted. “But we got through it because we have each other. It’s taken me too long to figure out we’re stronger as a team than we are alone. It took a long time for me to figure that out. I did because of your uncle. And you.”
“Me?” Jacob looked at her.
“You.” She squeezed his hand. “You and I are a lot alike, Jacob. I’m thinking it’ll take both of us to keep your uncle out of trouble.”
“Probably.” He grinned. Red tinged his cheeks. “I was thinking. Things keep going the way they are with you and Uncle Jud…”
Warmth spread in Vi’s stomach as her mind meandered down the trail Jacob’s words hinted at. She waited him out, let him form the words her heart already had.
“I’m glad you are part of the family,” he said.
“I’m glad, too.” She smiled. “I love you, Jacob.”
“I love you, too, Vi.”
She dragged him into a hug, and finally pulled away because she suspected there’d be a manhunt for them both soon if they didn’t get to the vehicles. “Come on, everyone’s waiting. I’m sure your dad’s anxious to see you.”
The one and a half hours to San Antonio had never felt so long. Thanks to Marshall and Nolan’s contacts in the Delta and SEAL’s squads, a good chunk of the red tape had been burned away. Vi suspected the phone call Marshall had made to Washington had a bigger impact, but she doubted he’d mentioned that to anyone. Dylan had taken his team and Jud overseas to handle security for the transfer. No one was taking any chances when it came to The Collective.
Either way, the freed prisoners were all in the military hospital in San Antonio under heavy guard, despite the fact none of them were military. An investigation would be underway to determine what role, if any, a certain government agency may have played in their imprisonment. Riley was sprawled out in the third row of seating. She’d insisted on coming along, but hadn’t slept much the past couple of days.
She was going to kick some serious Mason man ass when she saw them. They’d all dodged her. They didn’t have any idea how impacted she’d been by seeing two of their ops. Mary had finally managed to get Riley to catch a few hours’ sleep by dragging her out to the barn of all places. Vi had found both women snuggled under a blanket in an empty stall next to the adorable horse named Peanut.
She pulled up into a parking spot near the door and threw the vehicle into park. As planned, Jud was outside. Long legs crossed, he looked like a weary traveler in need of a few days’ rest. She was more than willing to keep him company while he did so. She moved into his arms and kissed him hungrily.
His whiskers rubbed her face, but she didn’t give a damn. He tasted like home.
Love.
“Missed you,” she whispered. Six days. He’d been gone six days.
“Missed you more,” he returned. “He wants to see you first.”
“But Jacob’s here and…” She halted when Jud put a finger over her lips.
“He’s still in rough shape, Viviana. He wants to talk to you first. Give him that play, for me.”
She nodded and looked over her shoulder at Mary, who was wrapped up in Dylan. They both nodded and Dylan did the man chin-lift thing in Jacob’s direction. They’d make sure he stayed clear until Danny was ready.
Vi couldn’t imagine what the man had endured. He’d yet to be debriefed. It’d likely take weeks, if not months for him to be fully cleared medically. Dehydration and malnourishment had been concerns for all the prisoners, but he’d suffered far more extensive torture than the others.
The doors to the hospital swooshed open. Cool air struck her face as the entered. Her boot’s heels clacked against the light-colored flooring. Each step took her closer to him.
“What’s this conversation about, Jud?”
“I’m not sure.”
Vi shook off the nervousness as he knocked on a partially open door. Nurses flitted about in the hallway. Their not-so-subtle gazes tracked Jud’s progression. No doubt they’d been drooling over him since Danny arrived.
“Hey, man,” Jud said. “I see you’re still playing the sick card to get extra pudding cups.”
The man’s lips cracked into a smile. Tubes came from his nose and both hands. Monitors beeped and chimed from both sides of him. Bile rose in her throat.
“I finally get to meet the infamous Quillery,” Danny said. He patted the bed. “Come. Sit. I don’t bite.”
Vi sat down on the side of the bed. He grabbed her hand and
squeezed.
“I never got a chance to thank you the last time.” His voice was low, barely discernible over the beeping monitors. “You saved me, changed my life. My boy’s life.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That’s all on you. You’re an amazing dad. You’ve raised a brilliant young man. In a couple years he’ll be giving me and Edge a run for our money.”
He laughed, held his sides and smiled through the obvious pain. “That’s my boy. Always told him if he wanted something he’d have to be tenacious, just like you.”
Danny had built up his memories of her, created a super hero to battle whatever troubles his boy came across. “Did Dylan and the guys tell you about the Warriors Path? I’m thinking you’d be a good fit. I know you aren’t military, but you may as well be.”
“Yeah, Dylan’s fitting me in. He thinks it’d be a good fit, a good chance for me to get on my feet. He said you and Mary gave my boy a job, a place to belong.”
“He’s a tremendous help. He’s shown us a lot, improved some of our coding.”
“I heard you got Jud away from The Collective and helped take them down.” Tears filled his eyes. His lower lip trembled. He thumped his chest. “You’re in here deep.”
She hugged him close and whispered her reply. “You’re the one in deep, so deep you healed me when I didn’t even know I needed it. Thank you.”
Danny had been the catalyst long ago, the one who’d returned the favor by thrusting Jud into her life. If he hadn’t remembered what she’d done so many years ago, Jud wouldn’t have intervened.
Vi sat up and swiped the tears from her eyes. “I’ve stolen enough of your time. We’ll have plenty of chances to catch up once you get to The Arsenal.”
She looked back at Jud, who nodded and leaned into the hall. “Come on, bud.”
Jacob ran in with the force of a hurricane, straight to his dad. The young man, the future back office operative, disappeared. Tears streamed down the two men’s faces. Vi stood, leaning into Jud’s weight as he wrapped a protective arm around her.
“Love you, Viviana.”
“Love you, Judson.” She looked over at the father and son. “Let’s go outside, give them some time alone.”
Jud led them outside and clicked the door shut. A man hovered nearby, shifting from one foot to another. His gaze moved from Vi to the floor, then down the corridor. Her grip on Jud tightened, but she offered a smile in greeting.
“Hi.” The man’s voice cracked. “Danny said you were coming. I wanted to thank you for coming for us. Dylan and his brothers tolerated my gratitude well enough, so I figured I’d wait out here. I’m Joe. Thank you for saving us, Quillery.”
He was younger than she’d expected in appearance. A light salting hair along the temples and atop his head of otherwise dark brown hair was the only hint of his age. Forty-three was far from old, but she figured the man felt at least thirty years older after what he’d been through.
Vi closed the distance and wrapped the man into a big hug. Tension radiated from him a moment, but he relaxed and returned the hold. “I’m glad you’re back and safe. I hear some of you are coming to stay with us at The Arsenal.”
He flashed a smile. “Yeah, Dylan said it’d be a good way to acclimate, find a new path in life. I got out of the service a few years back, thought contracting overseas would be a good fit. Guess I was wrong.”
“Sometimes it takes a few stumbles before the real journey starts. I’m glad you’ll be joining us.”
“See you around, Quillery.”
“Later, Joe.”
Jud smiled as he saw the group of people gathered outside the compound when they pulled up. Jacob smirked as he got out of the vehicle. Mary looked at them with narrowed eyes.
“You two are up to something,” she said.
He kept his focus on Viviana as she exited the vehicle. He’d spent the past several days planning the surprise. He hoped the woman wrapping her arms around him liked it. Nervousness swarmed his insides like an army of crazed bees. He’d been in thousands of deadly situations and never experienced the emotional rollercoaster assailing him.
“Jud?” She squeezed him. “Are you okay?”
“You always sense my mood swings. I spent decades as an emotionless machine. No one ever noticed my emotional shifts. They never cared.”
“Well, I do. What’s wrong?”
“Absolutely nothing, Viviana. For once, I’m looking ahead and seeing nothing but good. That’s because of you. I love you.” He kissed her lips softly, then smiled. “I hope you love me enough to forgive me quickly if this goes sideways.”
“If what goes sideways?”
“Holy shit. No way!” Mary declared from up ahead. She peered through a small space between Bree and Rhea. The two women were laughing and smiling so big their faces almost split in two. Even Addy was smiling. Dylan glanced in the same direction and laughed.
Jud’s parents and hers were there. Everyone was there.
The moment was upon him. Which surprise did he spring first? The one everyone knew about, or the impulsive one he’d made alone without anyone’s input.
Fuck.
He’d rather take on a third-world country’s army than have either of these things go sideways.
“I realized the other day I’d been looking at our pet debate the wrong way. It’s not about what you like or what I prefer, not anymore. I don’t want to go through life focused on differences, not when we live each second like it could be our last because we know it might be.” Jud looked at Bree and Rhea and nodded. The two women jumped up and down as they moved out of the way.
A solid white kitten and German Shepherd puppy bounced forward, as if sensing how important the moment was. Tears appeared in Viviana’s gaze as she looked at him, then them. Mouth gaping, she fell to her knees as the two shaking babies sniffed her.
“Judson.”
He laughed to himself at how the two surprises transitioned into one another so easily. Everyone surged forward. Bree and Rhea appeared in his vision. Mary joined them. Addy crouched nearby, not committing fully to the girly girl act of loving on kittens and puppies.
“Judson spoke with a very nice man in town, he was a doctor. Riley mentioned he’d helped patch Mary up a while back. He’s a rather handsome fellow. Brant. Isn’t that a lovely name?”
“I’m not sure she needs those details, Mom,” Jud said with a laugh.
“Well, we were eating at Bubba’s and he had a seat and we were telling him all about the stuff going on out here. Jarold mentioned you two were so cute, arguing about a cat versus a dog. Brant chuckled and said he could solve that problem. He told us about these two little cuties and we called Judson.”
“They’ve been raised together and are the best of pals,” Riley said. “They’re perfect for you two.”
“Yes, they are.” Viviana threw her arms around him. “Thank you. I love you, Jud.”
“I love you, too.” He kissed her gently, but was cut short by the puppy when he hopped up to get her attention.
Viviana squealed and started rubbing him down. Everyone’s attention was on Viviana and the puppy. The kitten was scampering toward her parents, who’d approached with cautious grins. He slid his hand into his pocket.
And locked gazes with Addy.
Ever observant, always protective Addy.
The woman’s eyes widened a bit. Her gaze turned watery and she smiled and nodded. The bees turned into buzzards cawing as the nervousness crawled into his throat and broke his voice.
Jesus.
He was going to fuck this up.
“I figure we’ll let them get a bit older before we have our first child. I want a boy first because I’ll need help kicking punk teenage ass when they try and mess with my little girl.” Jud opened the box. “There’s not any wine and roses, but you’ve got my heart and soul. I love you, Viviana Chambers. Marry me.”
“Holy shit!”
“Oh wow!”
“Yes!”
; Guffaws exploded around them. He smiled as Viviana leaped atop him.
“Yes, I’ll marry you, Judson Jason Jensen. Yes.”
Epilogue
Vi looked around the large dining room table with amusement. The Mason men weren’t very happy they’d been wrangled into a “conversation” with their little sister. If the glowers, glares and outright growls were any indication, they were less thrilled they’d been “escorted” to said “conversation” by Addy, Fallon, Gage and Jud. The latter chuckled and wrapped his arm around her. Life with a man at her side was awesome.
Mary slid into a seat beside Dylan as Riley entered from the kitchen. She was weighted down with a thick portfolio, rolled up documents and other stuff. Dallas was the first big brother to toss aside his supposed frustration and help her out. Vi exchanged a glance with Mary, who smiled back. It was about to get interesting at The Arsenal because little sister Mason was entering the fray in a huge way.
It’d been two weeks since their standoff with The Collective. Danny was faring well and had been unofficially enrolled in the Warrior’s Path Project with some of the other men they’d freed. Most of them had already returned home, a move Vi wasn’t sure some of them had been fully prepared for. Transitioning from something that horrid and back into a normal life wasn’t easy, or so Doctor Sinclair had assured her.
She and the doc had a somewhat amicable relationship now. Vi went once a week and had started opening up about some of the darker recesses in her skeleton closet. She’d talk about whatever went down with Jud afterward. That particular conversation always left her feeling loads better than the one with the doc.
He’d admitted he figured out the mandala messages. The fact he’d taken such care to read every notation and put it back together exactly how it had been made her love him even more. It was proof he loved her enough to treat every word, every thought she ever had with utmost care.
Jud had closed down his new operation and had moved in with her and Addy. Addy promptly packed and took up residence with Rhea and Bree next door.
The search for little DJ continued with little success. One lead opened another each time, though, so Viviana was optimistic. As long as there was a trail she’d follow it.