by Raven Gale
“Wolf, come out, man,” he calls out, and the man in question appears like a spirit from the trees.
“Come on. My place is right over here.” Mark points and they notice the shelter. It is a textbook evasion shelter right from training school, totally blending into the surroundings.
They slip inside and sit on the makeshift chairs.
“I called Carter,” Wolf says while making sure he is closest to the exit, not giving Ruby’s brother a chance to run.
“I’m not going back.” Mark tenses, staring into Wolf’s dark eyes.
“Didn’t say you are.”
“She just wants to know that you are alive,” Bot offers. “She doesn’t think you’ll come back. I know you can’t, at least not right now. Maybe never. But she deserves some answers. You are killing her slowly.”
“I thought you just met her.” Mark studies Bot, looking every bit the big brother he is.
“I care about her.” Wolf chuckles at Bot’s words. “Shut up, asshole.”
“So if you care about her so much, why aren’t you with her?”
“Too much like you, I guess.” Bot shrugs.
“She deserves better than us both.”
Bot nods. That she does.
“Maybe she could come here, meet you in town,” Wolf offers, causing Mark to look around his shelter.
“She won’t care about any of this; she just wants to see you.”
Mark nods but still looks like a wild animal about to bolt. “I can’t hurt her again, can’t hurt her anymore.”
The two men watching him ignore the tears they hear in his voice and the demons in his eyes.
Minutes later, the sounds of a helicopter shatter the silence.
Chapter Sixteen
Mark’s jaw clenches and unclenches in anger and fear.
“What did you do?”
“I told you I called the others.” Wolf shrugs. “They are here. You can run or you can treat your sister with the respect she deserves.”
Bot grimaces at the words. Mark frowns, glancing at the exit. The night grows quiet.
“You aren’t a coward, Mark. If you were, you would have ended it instead of coming out here alone.” Bot draws his gaze for a moment before it flicks back to the door. “She loves you and she’s tougher than you think.”
Mark raises a brow at the words.
“We can help, if you want it,” Wolf offers again.
Mark’s head shakes, almost involuntarily. “I’ve done all the programs, and they don’t help.”
“We aren’t a program, brother. We are a family,” Colin murmurs, looking at Wolf, who nods. “You don’t need to decide this minute but just know we’ve got you tonight. We will get you through this.”
Footsteps alert the three of them to the arrival of the others. Standing, Wolf steps out, leaving Bot to stay with Mark.
“Don’t hurt her. Don’t be like me. Be a better man.” Mark stares at Bot, emotions skating over his face.
Bot jerks his head once, unwilling to voice a promise he’s not sure he can make.
“Mark!” Her voice cuts through the night as she stumbles in, her momentum carrying her straight into her brother’s body.
His arms come up and wrap around her, and Bot slides out silently. His team is spaced out, forming a perimeter around the small clearing. Erik is standing a few feet away from him, and Bot points to the right. The man follows him, a worried look in his eyes, eyes that are darting around trying to make sense of the situation.
As soon as they are out of earshot, he whispers, “How long has he been out here?”
Bot shakes his head. “From the looks of the shelter… Months.” He glances back at Wolf, whose head in bent close to Joe’s. “He’s not coming back, at least not right now.”
Erik’s lips purse and his eyes fall shut for a moment.
“I’m not going to lie -- it’s bad. He’s bad but maybe one day, he will be ready for help.” Joe’s eyes lock on his at his words and his eyebrow raises.
Bot flips him the bird, pissed that he fell into this perfect trap.
“Did you two come up with this together?” He growls at Erik.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Bot?” He glances around before looking back at the young man he’s come to call friend. “I didn’t do anything but try to help Ruby. I knew if anyone could find him, you could.”
“Sorry, man. I just…” He stops when Ruby steps out, tears running down her face.
He and Erik both move to her and he tries not to feel any jealousy when she turns to the other man for comfort.
“He won’t come home.” Her sobs are breaking his heart.
“We knew it wasn’t likely, Red. I had hoped maybe, but at least we know where he is.” She nods against his chest, trying to get control of herself. “Let me go talk to him and at least convince him to stay here where we can find him.” He motions for Bot to take her.
Stepping away from her, he shoves down the anger he has for his friend and remembers it could have been him in these woods.
His ghosts are standing around the clearing, glaring at him like they do every minute of every day. He doesn’t miss the knowing look on Wolf’s face or the one of sympathy on Joe’s. He hates that they can see through him so easily. They just nod, offering support if he needs it as he walks through the images of those he’s lost or killed.
So much blood on his hands. On all their hands.
Chapter Seventeen
Six months later.
Ruby sits at the small coffee shop. Bot watches from across the street as a smile lights up her face. His head turns to look just as Mark looks at him and nods. They have met once a month since that night.
Mark still refuses to come home or take their offer but once a month, he will come see her for as long as he can stand it. She takes what she can get. As he walks toward her, she looks at the other man from whom she’s taking what can be given. The man she loves, the one she knows loves her.
He hasn’t said it but he shows her every night. Ember was right -- it is a hard love that is scary but it is also amazing. She blows him a kiss, and he grins, then she looks back at her brother.
He sits and they talk until he suddenly shakes his head. “I love you,” she whispers as he bolts up and is gone, disappearing around the corner. She has learned not to chase him and so she sits and clings to what little control she has on her emotions.
A warm hand on her shoulder makes the tears fall. It is the same every month. He comes and leaves. She cries, and Colin holds her together.
“I’ll be alright in a minute.”
“I know.” He draws her up and hugs her tight.
“Thank you for doing this with me. For keeping me from falling apart.” She wipes her tears on his shirt and smiles because he never says a word about her using him as a tissue.
“I love you. I will always keep you together and if you do fall, I will be here to catch you.” His voice is barely a whisper, but his arms are like steel bands.
Hard love. Is there any better?
Epilogue
It’s been another six months. Mark still won’t come home, and Ruby has quit asking. She’s beginning to understand why he stays away. Still breaks her heart, but she at least knows he’s alive.
She and Bot are still loving hard, splitting time between London and Colorado. She has sleepless nights when the team is out on a job and more sleepless nights when he gets home.
Ember is becoming a very good friend, and so are Joe and Wolf. She really likes the quiet Frenchman.
Bot still has moments where he wants to run but he loves her, and that’s enough.
Each day, the shadows in his eyes fade a little, and he holds her a little tighter.
They are all fighting to find the person running the trafficking ring.
Coming Soon
SINNER PROTECTED
Prologue
The fire crackles in the small fireplace, its light bouncing off the walls of the darkened room
. Jacques shifts gently in the worn rocking chair, trying to find a comfortable position. The stitches pull tightly at his irritated flesh; the last job had almost ended very badly. The client had been saved but barely.
He had let someone get too close, he had been sloppy. Distracted.
Old skeletons are surfacing.
His eyes turn to the picture on the mantle. He can’t see the image clearly but then, he doesn’t need to. He can see every detail in his mind. Her dark, curling hair and beautiful green eyes, rosy pink lips curved into a big smile. He can smell her perfume just like he had that day.
They had spent the entire day doing all the things they normally were allowed. Eating ice cream, visiting the village, so many things just the two of them. Until he had found them. Papa. He had brought them home and sent Jacques to his room. The walls of their home, no matter how beautifully painted, did not block the sound of his fist hitting her or her quiet cries.
Jacques squeezes his eyes tight, trying to stop the next memories… But they come.
It had been evening, the setting sun turning the sky the color of flames. She had called him to her room. Father had gone long ago. She had hugged him tightly, whispered so many words of love.
Of despair.
Of regret.
Of hope.
Then she had led him out onto the balcony. He watched as she climbed onto the ledge and turned to face him.
“je t'aime ma chère, mon bébé. Etre en sécurité, être fort.”
He saw a moment of true peace right as she let herself fall.
He had been six. That was the day Wolf was born.
Afterword
There are at least 20 Veteran Suicides Every Day
And that’s just the official number. We think the number is more likely 24-25 Veterans a day. That is over 9,000 former service members each year we are losing to Veteran suicides. And the rate of active-duty suicides has increased over the last five years.
For every suicidal Veteran out there, there are 5-10 Veterans who are at risk. These Vets may be suffering from PTSD or Traumatic Brain Injury. They may be unemployed or suffering from other problems. They are often dealing with multiple issues that put them at risk for becoming suicidal.
Please consider supporting a veteran suicide program such as:
https://www.mission22.com/
https://nvf.org/stop-veteran-suicides/
Or any of the many others you can find.
Also by Raven Gale
Coming soon
Sinner Protected: Sinner Security Series 2
Stay tuned for Jacques story, learn all about the Wolf.