Two hours later Lainey didn’t know why she’d been worried about meeting Reese and Colt. They’d made her feel comfortable right away, and within minutes, she felt as if they’d been friends for years. Ash had beamed as the two seemed to hang on every word she said, and he leaned over from time to time to brush his lips against her cheek.
The stories they’d told of harrowing adventures in the military scared her, but they made her proud that Ash was so highly regarded. As they talked, she let her gaze travel from one to the other and decided if there had ever been any group that could truly be called three musketeers, these men were the ones. With their collective good lucks and military bearing they could very well have served as models for military recruitment posters.
She’d been so lost in studying them that she’d missed what Reese had said. “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”
He laughed. “I told Ash that Colt and I got our tattoos.”
Puzzled, she looked at Ash. The muscles in his throat constricted as he swallowed. “Really?” he finally said before he picked up his water glass and took a long drink.
She turned to Reese. “What kind of tattoo?”
“Our Firebrand tattoo. Didn’t Ash tell you?”
She shook her head.
Before she knew what was happening, Reese and Colt had both shrugged out of their dinner jackets and had pushed up the right sleeve of their shirts. Lainey leaned closer to get a better view of Reese’s tattoo. It looked like a flaming torch and a sword crossed in an X shape.
She looked back up at Reese. “What does it mean?”
Reese chuckled as he and Colt pulled their sleeves down and slipped back into their jackets. “When I was a kid,” he said, “my dad gave me a comic book about a mythological god named Heracles who was strong and courageous and very brave in battle. Because of his reputation, he was sent to slay a water serpent called the Hydra. This reptilian creature had many heads and was invulnerable as long as it retained one head.”
Lainey wrinkled up her nose. “Sounds lovely.”
“Yeah, it was.” Reese took a breath. “So Heracles takes a sword and starts to cut off each head, but every time he does, two grow back in its place. Finally, he discovers the only way to kill the beast is to cut off the head with a sword and cauterize the wound with a firebrand. When he does that, he kills the Hydra.”
“Interesting story,” Lainey said. “So this is the basis for the tattoo?”
Colt nodded. “When we were approached about forming a group dedicated to government covert missions, we knew we only wanted to recruit and train men who had the characteristics of Heracles. So Reese came up with the idea of the crossed sword and flaming torch. Anyone able to pass the requirements for entrance into the Firebrand brotherhood has earned the right to wear the tattoo.”
Lainey cut her eyes around at Ash.He was staring at his plate. “You don’t have a tattoo, Ash. If you helped Reese and Colt with the plans for Firebrand, why didn’t you get one on your arm?”
He glanced up, and her breath hitched at the empty stare he directed at her. “Only those who serve in Firebrand get to wear it.”
Reese chuckled. “We three made ourselves eligible for the tattoo because we knew once we were in there was no backing out. Now the guys who want to join us have to prove they can come up to our standards.”
Lainey smiled. “It sounds like you three have mighty big egos.” She reached over and patted Ash’s hand. “I know Ash does.”
A small smile curled the corners of Ash’s mouth, and Colt and Reese laughed. “It looks like she’s got us pegged.” Reese said. “Truth is, Lainey, we’ve been together for years. We’ve fought battles, seen men die, and saved each other’s lives. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we know we can count on each other. The new guys coming in are unknowns. They have to show us they’ve got what it takes to come up to our standards.”
Lainey mulled that over. “Ash told me that you three are like a band of brothers. I don’t think I understood what that was until I met you.” She picked up her water glass and took a sip before she continued. “There’s something I don’t understand, though. From what I’ve heard tonight, Firebrand sounds like the government has big plans for keeping you busy. Why are they sending you to South America to train? Why not at a military base?”
“Because,” Reese said, “we aren’t in the military.Sometimes, politics get in the way of solving American problems. That’s where we come in.”
“That sounds like a mercenary group to me.”
Ash jerked his head up and glared at her. “That sounds like something my father would say, but it’s not true. A mercenary is someone who hires out to the highest bidder to do whatever dirty work is required. Firebrand’s only purpose is to protect the rights of American citizens at home and abroad.”
Her breath hitched. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound critical. I was only trying to understand.”
His features relaxed, and he brushed his hand across her knuckles. “I know. I didn’t mean to sound harsh.”
A wobbly smile pulled at her lips, and she looked back at Reese and Colt. “So Ash tells me you’ll be in South America for fourteen months. What about your families during that time? Will you get to see them?”
Reese shook his head. “All we’ll do for the next fourteen months is eat, sleep, and breathe Firebrand. We’re leaving all cell phones stateside and will only communicate with our operative at the CIA. As for families, most of the guys going don’t have anyone.” He waved a hand back and forth between Colt and him. “The two of us both lost our parents, and we’ve steered well clear of women.”
Colt slapped Ash on the back. “And that’s why we’re willing to give up the best strategist I’ve ever worked with. Nobody can figure out how a mission should be planned like Ash can. He has a gift for it.” He turned and smiled at Lainey. “But Reese and I are happy that he’s found you, and we want the two of you to be happy.”
Reese glanced at his watch. “Hey, it’s getting late.” He nodded pointedly to two waiters, who stood against the far wall with arms crossed. The rest of the diners had left, and aside from their table, the dining room was clean. “Why don’t we go back to our hotel? The bar’s open for a few more hours, and we can sit and talk for as long as we want.”
Lainey shook her head and stood. “Not me. I’ll let the three of you have some guy time, since it’s your last night.”
Ash pushed to his feet. “I’ll go with you.”
She put a hand on his chest and smiled. “Stay with your friends. I’ll call Richard to come get me.”
He nodded. “We should only be a few more hours. Can I come by on my way home?”
She smiled. “Please do. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’ll do it.” He turned back to Reese and Colt. “I’ll walk her out and wait until Richard gets here.”
Reese and Colt rose and walked around the table to where Lainey stood. Reese extended his hand. “It was good to meet you, Lainey. Take care of this guy for me. He’s one of the best.”
Lainey blinked tears from her eyes, and, ignoring his hand, reached up and gave him a hug. “I will, Reese. And be careful in South America.”
Next to him Colt grinned at her. “Do I get a hug, too?”
She laughed and reached out for him. “You do. Take care of yourselves, and let us hear from you when you get back to the states.”
Ash touched her elbow, and as she glanced at him, she saw him slip his cell phone back in his pocket. “I called Richard. He’ll be here in a minute. I’ll wait with you at the front door.”
He put his hand in the small of her back and guided her toward the restaurant entrance. They didn’t speak as they walked through the restaurant and out the front door. Once outside Lainey turned to Ash. “I like them.”
He nodded. “They’re great guys.”
The silence hung heavy between them, and Lainey clutched h
er purse tighter. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
“Not long. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Okay.”
When he didn’t say anything else, she turned to him. “Ash, is something wrong? You seem like something’s on your mind.”
He shook his head. “Just tired I guess.”
She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “Please. . .”
He stared down at her hand and then covered it with his. A sad smile pulled at his lips as he pressed her hand to his mouth and kissed her engagement ring finger. “I said I’m fine.”
They stood without speaking until Richard drove up. Ash opened the door for her. She slipped into the car, and he reached around her to buckle her seatbelt. When it snapped into place, he glanced at his brother.
“Thanks for taking her home.”
“No problem,” Richard said. “I’m glad to do it.”
Ash straightened and put his hand on the door but seemed to think better of it. Bending down again, he put his hand at the back of Lainey’s neck, pulled her to him, and pressed his lips to hers. There was urgency in the feel of his mouth on hers, and then the contact was broken. He touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.
“You know I love you, don’t you?” he whispered.
“Y-yes,” she stammered.
“Don’t ever doubt that,” he said as he stepped back and closed the door.
Lainey swiveled in her seat and watched him stand in front of the restaurant as Richard pulled the car into the street. An overwhelming feeling of loss rose up from the depth of her soul.
In that instant she knew her life was about to take an unexpected detour. Ash’s lips on hers had felt too much like a goodbye kiss.
Chapter 10
Ash glanced at his watch as he opened the front door of his home. Two a.m. He hadn’t intended to stay out so late with Reese and Colt, but he’d let the time get away from him. It was too late to go by Lainey’s. She’d probably been in bed for hours. He’d have to explain everything to her in the morning, and there was a lot for them to talk about. He only hoped he could make her understand what he’d done.
For now he hoped he could make it up to his room without waking his father or Richard. That thought went up in smoke when he started up the stairs and heard his father call out.
“Ash, is that you?”
He released the breath he’d been holding and gripped the bannister. “I thought you’d be in bed.”
“Can’t sleep tonight. I want to talk to you.”
With a sigh Ash released his hold on the railing and walked toward the den. His father sat on the sofa, a book in his lap and a cup of tea beside him. “What’s wrong?” Ash asked. “Why can’t you sleep?”
His father closed the book and waved his hand in dismissal. “It’s that deal with Dexter Electronics that’s keeping me awake. The owner’s dragging his heels on this one, and I’m ready to finalize the paperwork. Dexter’s never going to have the money to enlarge his operation and improve his products. Besides, our engineers already have ideas for new technology and software that we can add to their present list of products. What did Dexter say the last time you talked to him?”
Ash dropped down on the sofa and searched his mind for the last conversation he’d had with Gerald Dexter, but that had been over a week ago. After a moment he shrugged. “Just that he was thinking about our offer, and he’d be in touch.”
“Did you tell him the offer is negotiable?”
“I think so.”
His father’s eyebrows arched. “You think so? I gave you this deal to close because you said you wanted to prove yourself to me.” He moved to the edge of his seat. “Maybe it’s not Dexter dragging his heels. Maybe it’s you.”
Ash ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve tried to do what you asked, Dad. But you know as well as I do that you and our lawyers are going to close the deal with Dexter. What difference does it make what I do?”
His father stood. “It makes a difference because to Dexter, you’re the face of our company. If you appear incompetent, then he’s going to be hesitant about selling to us. Nobody who’s built a company from the ground up wants to see it fail if it’s sold to the wrong person. Richard would have taken the chance I’ve given you with Dexter, and he would have been like a bloodhound. He wouldn’t have rested until he had that company signed, sealed, and delivered to me.”
Ash wanted to put his hands over his ears and block what his father was saying, but he’d heard it too many times in the past. He was never going to be as good as Richard, and he was never going to make his father happy.
Ash gritted his teeth. “I’m not Richard,” he muttered. “I’ll never be like him. I don’t have a clue about what I’m doing at the company, and I hate working there.”
His father clenched his fists at his sides. “Well, that’s too bad because, you’re in it now, whether you like it or not. I’ve worked all my life to leave you a legacy, and I’ve built a fortune for you. Why do you insist on throwing it back in my face like it’s something contemptible?”
Ash let out a long breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not contemptible, Dad. You’ve done a wonderful thing for Richard because he loves it, but it’s not for me. When I went into the army, I was happy for the first time in my life. I knew what was expected of me, and I did it.”
“Yes, yes. You were a fine soldier. You think I don’t know that? That’s not the life I want for my son. I want you to make sure what I’ve built only gets stronger for the children you and Lainey will have.”
“What we give our children has to be a life that Lainey and I choose. Not one you’ve picked out for us.” He took a step closer to his father. “I’m just a soldier. That’s all I’ll ever be, and all I want to be.”
His father’s eyes grew wide. “You’re not going to reenlist, are you?”
Ash shook his head. “No. I’m going to do what I’ve wanted ever since Reese first brought up the idea of Firebrand. I’m going to join them.”
“No! You can’t do that. What about what I want for you? What about Lainey?”
“Lainey loves me. She’ll want me to do what I think is best. I’ll only be gone fourteen months.”
“B-but those missions you told me about. What about them? You’ll be all over the world.”
“Soldiers’ families learn to adjust, and she will, too.”
His father’s eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth. “Ash, I won’t let you destroy everything I’ve ever wanted for you. You can’t do this.”
“Don’t make this harder than it already is. I’m leaving in the morning, and you can’t stop me.”
His father stepped closer and jabbed him in the chest with a finger. “If you walk out of this house, don’t you ever bother coming back. You won’t be welcome here.”
Ash had been expecting to hear those words for half his life, but he hadn’t realized how they would hurt when they finally came. He blinked back the moisture in his eyes and nodded. “If that’s the way you want it, I guess that’s the way it’ll be. I know now I could never live in St. Claire. I don’t think I’ll wait until the morning. I’ll grab a few clothes and stay over at Lainey’s until it’s time to leave tomorrow.” He started to walk from the room but stopped at the door and turned back to his father. “And for the last time, Firebrand is not a group of mercenaries. It’s a group of patriotic soldiers wanting to help their country.”
Ash trudged up the stairs to his room and walked inside. He sank down on the side of the bed, clasped his hands between his knees, and took a long look. Nothing much had changed in here since he was in high school. He’d never really thought about it before, but now he recalled how every time he’d ever thought of home, it was this room. His sanctuary. A place that was his alone. And now he was leaving it.
He didn’t know how long he sat there. He heard his father come upstairs and listened for his footsteps in the hall. The soft pad of his father’s shoes on the ca
rpet stilled as he paused outside the door, and Ash wondered if he would come in. He held his breath, wanting him to come in one minute, willing him to walk on the next.
After what seemed an eternity, the footsteps resumed, and Ash heard the door to his father’s room close. He exhaled. The message had been delivered loud and clear. His father wasn’t going to take back what he’d said, and neither was he.
He’d been trying to earn his father’s approval all his life, and it had always been just out of reach. Working at his father’s office was supposed to bring them closer, but it hadn’t worked out that way. He was a soldier, and that’s all he’d ever be.
Sighing, he got to his feet, walked to the closet, and pulled out his suitcase. He threw in a few clothes and then snapped it shut. He wouldn’t need much where he was going. Everything like food and clothing would be taken care of. The only thing he dreaded was the loneliness.
He jerked his desk drawer open and grabbed his passport. Holding it in his hands, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. He wouldn’t be chained to a desk anymore. He’d be doing what he was born to do.
The only thing remaining was to tell Lainey. He had to make her see that he wasn’t deserting her, but he couldn’t abandon Firebrand and his brothers either. There had to be room in his life for both. Now he had to make her understand that. He prayed he could do it.
He pocketedhis passport and grabbed his suitcase. After a long look at the room, he walked downstairs and out the front door of the place he’d always called home. Would he ever see it again? He stopped on the front porch and tried to memorize the way everything looked before he headed to his car and to Lainey’s house.
Chapter 11
Lainey woke to pounding on her front door. She jumped out of bed and grabbed her robe before she ran into the living room. Who could be banging on her door at three o’clock in the morning?
Igniting the Flame (Firebrand Series) Page 6