by Wilder, L.
I grabbed the extra-long charger that I’d stored in my luggage, then went downstairs to charge it up. I hadn’t used it since I’d gotten a new one from my job, so I wasn’t sure if it would even work. When the screen came on, I smiled and said, “Here we go, sweetie. Let’s pick you out a movie to watch.”
I was searching through the old movies when Murphy asked, “Where’d that come from?”
“What?”
“The iPad?”
“It’s an old one I had. The stupid thing only works half the time, but it will still play the videos I downloaded.”
“You need to let Riggs check it out.”
“I will when he finishes his shift.”
“Good.” He leaned back in his recliner and asked, “Hey, sport. You wanna watch something with me?”
Tate nodded in excitement. I chose one of the movies he used to love, then lowered him onto Murphy’s lap. As soon as they were settled, I started the movie and gave the iPad to Tate. And just like that, they were both zoned in on the screen. Seeing that they were both content, I went back into the kitchen and started cooking. I didn’t hear a peep out of either of them as I fixed a big pot of chili and corn bread. Since they were both doing so well together, I decided I’d go ahead and make banana pudding for dessert. Once I had everything ready, I went to check on the boys. When I walked into the living room, I found Murphy sound asleep in the recliner with his head resting on his shoulder as he snored like an old man. Seemingly unbothered by the racket, Tate was still sitting in his lap watching his video. “Hey, sweetheart. You ready to eat some super? I made you some chicken nuggets.”
“Um-hmm,” he replied with a nod.
I reached down, and as I lifted him into my arms, I noticed that the iPad was no longer playing the movie I’d put on. Apparently, Tate had opened several tabs, and my screen was filled with notifications requesting updates for this and for that. Tate started to wiggle and whine, so instead of taking the time to go through every tab and close them out, I simply powered the whole thing down. I set it on top of the sofa and went back into the kitchen. I put Tate in his highchair, and as soon as I had his plate ready, I called the guys in for dinner. Seconds later, T-Bone and Crow came rushing into the kitchen with Murphy lagging a few seconds behind. T-Bone lifted his nose in the air as he asked, “Cornbread and chili?”
“Yep. With banana pudding for dessert.”
“And that’s why you’re awesome.”
“Thanks, T-Bone. I hope you enjoy it.”
“You know, you’re gonna spoil us with all this good food, Reece. I don’t know what we’re gonna do when we have to go back home,” Crow told me, then put a big smile on his face.
“I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.”
I watched as they all filled their bowls with chili and started eating. It was hard to believe how much they’d come to mean to me over these past few weeks, and while I wanted to go home so very desperately, I knew I would miss each and every one of them. They made me feel like I was a part of their family. I just hoped that when this was all said and done, they’d still feel that way.
CHAPTER 19
Riggs
The last month and a half had taken its toll on everyone, making us all feel on edge, but nothing like the effect it was having on Reece. With the trial date inching closer, she was becoming increasingly more anxious. When I asked her about it, she told me she this strange feeling that something was wrong. At first, I thought it had something to do with the weather. It had been snowing for days, and with the freezing temperatures, she hadn’t been able to go outside or even visit with Sue Ellen. I figured she was just dealing with a case of cabin fever, but she didn’t agree. Hoping to settle her nerves, I had her call and talk to Detective Rayburn, and when that didn’t help, I suggested that she call the prosecutor. Even though neither of them had any pertinent news, she was still feeling off center, so I decided to try a different tactic all together. While she took a hot bath, I went into our bedroom and made us a spot in front of the fire and turned on some soft blues music. A surprised look crossed her face when she walked back into the bedroom and noticed the blankets and pillows on the floor. “What’s all this?”
“I thought you could use a little break.” I offered her a glass of wine and asked, “Is Tate asleep?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s been out for hours.”
“Good.”
I reached for her hand and led her over to the spot I’d made on the floor. With the music quietly playing in the background, I lay my head down on one of the pillows as Reece curled up next to me. We both watched the flames dance in the darkness as the snow blanketed the ground outside. Having her lying next to me was the perfect way to spend the night, and I was glad to hear that she felt the same. “Thank you, Jackson. This is just what I needed.”
“No need to thank me, Reece. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
She leaned towards me and gave me a brief kiss before saying, “I know that.”
I wondered if she knew just how serious I was. Hell, I’d move heaven and earth for her. She and I just seemed to fit, like two puzzle pieces who’d finally found their place. She was everything I’d ever wanted and more, and on top of that, she given me a son—a family that I could call my own. I didn’t know how I had gotten so lucky to find her, but now that I had her, there was nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to keep her. “I’ve been thinking …”
“Oh, yeah? What have you been thinking about?”
“Do you remember me telling you that Alejandra was Shadow’s ol’ lady?”
“I do.”
“Do you have any idea what that means?”
She shrugged as she answered, “I figured it meant she was his girlfriend.”
“It means a lot more than that. It means they are completely committed to each other, that he has devoted his life to her in every way. I want that for us.” I reached for her hand, and as I slipped a ring on her finger, I said, “I knew the minute I saw you that you were someone special … someone I wanted … the one I needed in my life. I knew it then, and I know it now. You and Tate mean everything to me, and if you give me the chance, I’ll do everything in my power to make you both happy. So, I’m asking you, Reece Winters … will you let me have the next fifty or sixty years to show you just how much I love you? Will you be my wife?”
As if in shock, she slowly lifted her hand and stared at the diamond ring on her finger. Sue Ellen had been kind enough to help me find the perfect ring, which wasn’t easy considering the closest jeweler was two hours away. The ring was an antique with a two-carat diamond in the center and two single-carat diamonds on either side. Just as I hoped, it looked amazing on her hand. After several seconds, Reece faced me with her glittering blue eyes locked on mine as she answered, “Yes, Jackson. I’ll be your wife.”
Unable to put my feelings into words, I slid my hand behind her neck, savoring the feeling of her soft skin as I crashed my mouth down on hers. My tongue swept across her full, supple lips, and she opened her mouth, welcoming my kiss. A small moan escaped her lips as I delved deeper, tasting her, teasing her, making her squirm impatiently beside me. She inched her way closer, tipping her head back in invitation, and the velvety touch of her tongue against mine unraveled my self-control. I swiftly rolled my body on top of hers, and her thighs spread as she wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me close and grinding her hips against mine. Her nails raked down the skin of my back in a perfect balance of pleasure and pain. I rocked my growing erection against her, feeling the warmth of her center through her pink lace thong. My mouth moved to her neck, kissing and nipping gently at her soft skin before traveling to her collarbone. I hooked the satin spaghetti strap of her nightgown around my finger and slowly, tantalizingly pulled it down, freeing her firm, heavy breast for my mouth to devour. I rolled my tongue around her nipple and watched with satisfaction as her back arched off the floor, silently pleading for more. “You’re so damn perfect.”
I s
lid my body downward, settling between her thighs as I lifted the nightgown up to reveal her trembling stomach. Like mine, her desire was growing by the moment, and I relished the torment building up inside of her. I glided my tongue along her stomach ever so softly, trailing kisses here and there as I worked my way down to her panties. The thought of my mouth clamped around her, sucking and teasing her to ecstasy made my cock throb with need. I slid my hands down to the waistband of her panties and had just begun to tug them off when Crow’s voice came over the two-way radio. He was clearly distressed as he whispered, “Guys … I think we’ve got company.”
I was already up and reaching for my radio when Murphy responded, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m out here on the west bank of the creek, and there’s an UTV parked back here in the woods.” I felt like the rug had been pulled out from beneath my feet as I stood there listening to the sounds of him tromping through the snow. While we’d prepared for it, I’d prayed that this night would never come, but it was clear that my prayers weren’t answered when Crow said, “And the engine’s still warm. Whoever is out here …”
His voice suddenly trailed off, and a chill ran down my spine when I heard faint gurgling sounds in the background. I engaged the radio’s receiver and shouted, “Crow … Crow! You there, brother?”
T-Bone’s voice came over the line and said, “Murphy’s Law.”
Since there was a chance that Crow’s radio might’ve been compromised, we all changed our radio frequencies from channel six to eighteen. It was something that Murphy had implemented during one of our preparation discussions. He didn’t want the enemy listening in, so every five minutes, we’d change frequencies. Once we were all on the same channel, I ordered, “Everyone to their posts.”
Reece came up beside me, her eyes filled with panic. Her voice trembling, she asked, “What’s happening?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m going to find out.” As I glanced over at Tate’s bedroom door, I told her, “I need you to go get Tate.”
“Is this them? Are they here because of me?” she cried.
“Get Tate, Reece. Now! Now.” Without any further hesitation, she rushed into Tate’s bedroom, and seconds later returned with him nestled against her chest. I could see the fear in her eyes when I motioned her towards the closet. As I opened the door, I told her, “I need you both to get inside, and no matter what happens … no matter what you hear, I need you to stay right here until I come for you.”
Reece did what she was told, although reluctantly, and stepped inside. Still holding Tate protectively in her arms, she lowered herself to the floor and whispered, “I’m scared, Jackson.”
“I know you are, baby, but everything’s going to be okay,” I assured her. “I just need you to stay put.”
When I started to close the door, she whispered, “I love you, Jackson Reed.”
“And I love you, Reece. It’s going be okay.” After I closed and locked the door, I told her once again, “Don’t move.”
Once I knew they were secured, I grabbed my gun, and with my adrenaline rising by the second, I raced downstairs to meet up with the others. When I got to the living room, I found Gunner and Murphy at the side closet, stocking up on artillery. “Do you think it’s them?”
“Got no idea,” Murphy answered me flatly.
Anger boiled inside of me as I asked, “How in the hell did they find us?”
“No way of knowing. You gotta remember who we’re dealing with here, brother. If Navarro hired someone to take us out, he’d hire the best. Someone who knows how to watch for mistakes. One fuck up is all it would take.”
“We were careful … We played everything by the book.”
Murphy took out two M249’s, and as he handed them over to me, he said, “Keep one of these for yourself and give the other to T-Bone. He made need something with a little more punch. He’s out on the front porch.”
As I took it from his hand, I asked, “Where’s Rider?”
“He’s out back.”
My voice was strained as I told him, “Reece and Tate are up in the closet.”
“Good.” He turned and gave me a stern look as he said, “I know you’re worried and I get that, but brother, we’ve prepared for this. We’ve just got to stick to the plan. It’s the only way we’re going to get out of this thing alive.”
I nodded, then turned and headed for the front porch. When I opened the front door, T-Bone was looking out at the woods through his night vision googles, and it was clear that he was rattled when he shouted, “Fucking hell. Where are these motherfuckers?”
“Any sign of Crow?” I asked as I handed him the M249.
“Fuck no,” T-Bone barked as he took the automatic rifle from my hand. “If these motherfuckers hurt him, I will kill them with my own two hands.”
“We’ve gotta find out if he’s okay …” My train of thought was thrown off when I noticed a familiar tiny red glow bouncing around on T-Bone’s chest. I lunged towards him, tackling him to the ground as I shouted, “T-Bone!”
But it was too late. The shot had already been made, and the bullet pierced his chest, causing him to wince in pain. His hands clung to his chest as he groaned, “Fuck! The motherfucker shot me!”
Bullets sailed past me as I scurried to my feet. T-Bone was too big for me to lift on my own, so I grabbed his leg and started dragging him towards the front door. “We’ve gotta get you inside.”
“You’re gonna get your ass shot! Leave me here!” he demanded.
“That’s not gonna happen, brother.” T-Bone’s blood stained the freshly fallen snow as I continued to pull him towards the front door. I hadn’t gotten far when I felt a searing pain radiate through my bicep. I glanced down at my arm, and just as I had feared, I’d been shot. Thankfully, it was just a graze, but it didn’t matter. Nothing was going to stop me from getting T-Bone out of the line of fire.
Gunner opened the front door, and when he saw me pulling T-Bone across the porch, he shouted, “Murph! Need a fucking hand, brother.”
Bullets continued to whiz past us, breaking windows and plowing into the logs of the house as we worked together to get him through the doorway. Once we were inside, I kicked the door shut and locked it behind me. I glanced down at T-bone and grimaced when I saw that blood had already seeped through his thick winter coat. As I reached for his feet, I told them, “Let’s get him over to the sofa.”
Even with all the adrenaline I had pumping through my veins, it was a struggle to lift him off the ground and carry him across the room. When we lowered him to the sofa, I heard something drop to the ground. I leaned forward to see what had fallen out and was surprised as hell that an unfamiliar iPad was lying there. “Who’s is that?”
Confused, Gunner looked around and said, “What?”
“The iPad. Who’s is it?”
“I don’t know, man. It’s Reece’s, I think.”
While I didn’t have time to process it all, I knew in my gut that I was looking at the very thing that brought Navarro’s hitman to our front door. “Fuck!”
Murphy was helping Gunner remove T-Bone’s coat as he said, “We’re gonna have to do something to stop the bleeding.”
T-Bone reached for Murphy’s arm, and as he held on to it tightly, he ordered, “Get me a fucking towel, and then go. I’ll be fine. You gotta end this fucker before he gets to Reece and Tate.”
Murphy gave him a quick nod, then motioned over to Gunner. “Grab a few towels out of the hall closet.”
Once he was gone, T-Bone looked over to me and said, “I’m sorry, brother. I should’ve been more careful.”
“Not your fault, T-Bone. Don’t think that for a second.”
“Just promise that you’ll get that fucker,” T-Bone pleaded.
“You know I will.”
Gunner returned with the towels, and once we’d gotten T-Bone sorted as best as we could, Murphy grabbed two of the rifles and started for the back door. “I’m going to the roof,” he a
nnounced. “Gunner cover the front, and Riggs … get upstairs with Reece. We need you to be the last line of defense if this motherfucker gets in.”
I gave T-Bone one last look before I followed Murphy’s order and headed upstairs. My heart was pounding like a drum as I opened the door and stepped inside. I could hear Tate’s whimpers, so after I turned out all the lights, I quickly walked over to the closet and whispered, “Don’t worry. It’s just me.”
“Can we come out?”
“Not yet. I need you to hang on just a little longer.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
When I heard gunshots outside, I walked over to the balcony door and peered out the window. At first, I couldn’t see anything, only snow and trees, but then I spotted Crow. He was out by the back fence, just on the edge of the woods, and he was lying face down in the snow. It was clear from the way his body was positioned, and the amount of blood that surrounded him, we’d lost him. Fuck. I was still standing there staring at him when I heard more gunfire. I had no idea what was going on, so I reached for my radio, and after tuning to the next frequency, I asked, “What’s happening out there?”
After several seconds, Murphy answered, “I just got him.”
“You sure?”
“He’s got a bullet between his eyes, so yeah, I’m sure,” Murphy replied, clearly proud of himself.
I felt a sudden sense of relief and walked back over to the closet. “Did you hear that?”
“He really got him?”
“He did.”
“Thank, God. Does that mean we can come out now?”
“Let’s give the guys a few minutes before—”
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence. Before the words could leave my lips, a round of gunfire exploded through the balcony door, slamming me against the closet door as the bullets impaled my flesh. I was stunned, unable to process what was happening, as my knees gave way and I fell to the floor. Everything stilled as the searing pain burned through my chest and abdomen, and with a ragged breath, I watched as a man dressed in all black entered the room. With every beat of my heart I could feel the blood gushing from my wounds, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d black out. In a blink, he was towering over me. He kicked my rifle out of reach, and with a wicked grin, he sneered, “Josue sends his regards.”