by Anna Blakely
“We appreciate you coming by, Boss, but you don’t have to stay. Against much prodding on my part, we’re going to head out soon. Plus you have that new baby at home. I’m sure you’d rather be at home with her and Liv.”
“Actually”—Jake shoved his hands into his jeans pocket—“there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh.” Zade looked at Gabby. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“Both of you.”
Gabby’s brows scrunched in that adorable way they did when she was confused. Almost instantly, the skin on her forehead smoothed and she shook her head. “Zade did nothing wrong. He tried to tell me not to drink the champagne, but I didn’t listen. If I had, I wouldn’t have been drugged, and we never would’ve been taken to Andino’s office, and—”
“Gabby.” Jake put a hand up to cut off her cute as fuck rambling.
Jesus, she was trying to protect him.
“Sorry.” She gave the man a chagrined smile.
“I’m not here to reprimand Zade.”
Thank fuck.
“I’m here because I’d like to know your thoughts on joining Bravo Team in a more…professional manner.”
It was Zade’s turn to be confused. “You’re offering her a job?”
“It would be an as-needed basis. You know as well as I do there are certain instances when having a female on an op is not only beneficial but necessary.” The man’s blue eyes shifted to Gabby’s. “Alpha Team has Mac, but Bravo is an all-male team. Gabe and the others told me how cool you were under pressure, Gabby. Ghost and his men relayed the same sentiment. They all said you were quick on your feet, fell into an alternate persona flawlessly, and, other than maybe the part with the champagne, were as good as any seasoned operatives they’ve worked with in the past.”
Holy. Shit.
“I’m sure you’ll want to think it over,” Jake continued. “Talk with Zade and your family, but just so you’re aware, R.I.S.C. operatives are paid well for the work they do. We’ll also make sure you get the proper field training.” Jake paused as he studied them both for a few, awkward seconds. “From everything I’ve heard, you two make one hell of a team.” He moved toward the door. “Think about it, and when you decide, let me know your decision.”
With a nod, the man was gone.
“Holy shit.” Gabby parroted Zade’s thoughts.
He looked away from the door and back at her. “I know.”
“I-I don’t even know what to say.”
“There’s a first,” he muttered teasingly.
“Hey!” Gabby smacked him on the thigh for his trouble.
Chuckling, Zade sat back down next to her and took her hand like before. “What do you want to do?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I hadn’t thought past staying with you tonight. I mean, Sam’s parents are supposed to be here soon. I think they were going to get a hotel room tonight and take her back to Chicago. She seems to be doing surprisingly well for what she went through, but I’m sure she’s going to need some serious counseling over the next few months. If not forever.”
On the plane ride back to the States, they’d learned Sam had been taken by a boy she’d recently started to date. Sam said it was still in the early stages and nothing too serious, which was why she hadn’t mentioned him to Gabby or her parents. At least, she thought they were dating. In reality, he worked for Hector Andino.
He’d pick out a girl he thought could bring in good money, meet them somehow, and turn on the charm. After a few weeks of dating, he’d arrange to have them meet him someplace secluded, which wasn’t hard to do in a city like Chicago.
The punk would drug them, put them in a van, and drive them to New Orleans for transport out of the country.
Homeland agents stationed in Chicago had already picked the asshole up, and the agency was working a joint investigation with the DEA and the FBI in order to bring down all of Andino’s customers.
Most of the heavy hitters were caught and brought in the night of the auction. The others were well on their way to spending the rest of their lives behind bars.
See how you like it, fuckers.
“What about you?” Zade suddenly felt nervous. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk about us or where we go from here.”
“Well.” Gabby sighed. “I guess that depends.”
“On what?”
“On you.”
“Me?”
She nodded. “I know I can handle it, but do you really think you’d be okay with me working side-by-side with you and your team?”
He blinked. “You’re considering Jake’s offer?”
“Why not? Champagne debacle aside, I think I did pretty well. Like Jake said, I can put on almost any mask I need to in a given situation. And, minus thinking Kole was dead and being strapped to that creepy torture table, I sort of…liked it.”
“You liked it.” The statement was one of disbelief.
One corner of Gabby’s mouth rose. “Mostly I liked being with you.” When he didn’t say anything right away, she quickly added, “But if you don’t want me to, I understand.”
“No.”
Disappointment crossed over her. “Oh. Okay. I guess that settles it.”
“I mean, no, I don’t not want you to.”
“So you…do want me on your team?”
“I suppose having you there on an as-needed basis wouldn’t be so bad.”
Excitement flared behind her green eyes. “Really?”
“That look you got when you thought I didn’t want you to join R.I.S.C. tells me you really want this.”
“Yeah.” She smiled wider. “I guess I do.” Gabby sat up straighter, leaned in toward him. “There’s something else I want even more.”
“Oh, yeah?” Zade brushed his lips against hers. “What’s that?”
“You.”
Zade carefully cupped her head, watching so that he didn’t hit the bump there, and kissed her more thoroughly. The way a man kissing the woman he can’t live without should.
When it ended, he smiled against her lips. “I bet you’re wishing you hadn’t made me that deal before.”
“Deal?” Gabby pulled back in order to look at him more fully. “What deal?”
“You know, the one where once you become an official member of Bravo Team I get to boss you around.”
Gabby’s jaw dropped. “That doesn’t count.”
“I’m pretty sure it does. I have Kole as my witness. In fact, the entire Bravo Team, plus Ghost, Truck, Fletch, Coach, and Hollywood, were all listening, so—”
Gabby pulled on his shirt and kissed him again. Zade knew it was to shut him up, but he couldn’t care less.
This time when the kiss ended, he was the one who pulled back enough to look into her eyes. He needed to be looking there when he said this next part.
With a little wiggling, he managed to keep hold of her hand and pull a piece of folded paper from his pocket with his other one. He smoothed it out on his denim-covered thigh and read part of it aloud.
“You gave me hope at a time when I thought there was none. I’ll never forget that or you.”
Gabby gasped. “That’s the note I left you in Grand Isle.”
“I kept it. I’ve read it probably a hundred times. Maybe more.”
“You have?” She sounded stunned. “Why?”
“Because, Gabriella.” He brushed the back of his knuckles down her cheek. “You did the same for me. I went to that island in search of something. I had no idea what until I met you. Like you said to me in this note, you gave me hope when I thought there was none. And baby, I will never, ever forget that.”
“Oh, Zade.” She was smiling, even as more tears fell.
“Marry me, Gabby.”
She didn’t hesitate. “Okay.”
They laughed because neither one needed to take more time to think about it. Zade knew exactly what he wanted. What he needed. And she was right there, staring back at him.
; His love.
His life.
My future.
Epilogue
Two weeks later…
“And then there was one.”
Gabe Dawson glanced up at the figure walking toward him. The sun was behind the guy making his face appear dark and mysterious. He didn’t need to see his face to know who it was.
“What’s up, Ghost?”
“Not much, man. Wanted to come over and say thanks for inviting my team to this little shindig.” The Delta Force operator took a seat in the empty lawn chair next to his.
“Least I could do after the help your team gave Bravo Team in Mexico.”
“I’d love to take the credit for that, but if memory serves me correctly, we came to you guys for help.”
“Oh, shit.” Gabe smiled. “That’s right. In that case, you’re welcome.”
Ghost laughed. “Thanks. I have to admit, our teams work pretty damn well together.”
“Yes, we do. You ever get tired of living the easy life with Delta, I’m sure McQueen would take pity on you and put you with us.”
“Not gonna happen, brother.” Ghost grinned as he watched Truck and Fletch play a game of cornhole with Zade and Gabby. “They seem to be doing well.”
“They are. Engaged, if you can believe it.”
“I heard. Also heard they’d only known each other for a few days before all that shit went down in La Paz?”
“Yep.” Gabe took a long draw from his beer. “Three days of fun there, three days of hell in Mexico.”
Gabe looked over at the pair who were laughing hysterically at how forcefully Truck tried to throw the beanbag on his turn.
Ghost swallowed a drink of his beer. “Clearly it wasn’t all hell. At least, not for those two.”
“No.” Gabe sighed. “Apparently not.”
“I’d say three days isn’t near enough time to be sure enough for marriage, but I pretty much knew after that first night with my Rayne that she was the one. Took my stubborn ass a little longer to admit it, but yeah. I guess when you know, you know.”
“Yep.” Gabe took another drink because, fuck. He did not want to delve into this particular conversation.
“What about you?” Ghost looked over at him. “You ever think about tying the knot?”
“Nope.” He swallowed another gulp. “Like my life exactly how it is. Don’t see any reason to change it.”
Liar, liar, pants on fucking fire.
“I used to think that, too. But I’m tellin’ ya. You have no idea what you’re missing by staying single.”
That was the problem. Gabe knew exactly what he was missing. He also knew he’d never find that kind of happiness with anyone else but her.
So he decided a long time ago not to even bother trying to look for it.
“Well, I think I’m going to call it a night.” Gabe stood and folded up the lawn chair.
“Already?” Ghost looked at his watch. “Dude, it’s not even ten-thirty.”
“I know, but I was up late last night going over some intel on the next case Ryker wants us on. Plus I’ve got an early meeting at the office with a potential client McQueen wants me to meet. Some big, corporate guy, so I need to look sharp.”
There was no intel from Ryker. There was no early meeting in the morning.
“Fun times.” Ghost stood and held out his hand. “All right, man. Take it easy. Hopefully we’ll get to work together again, soon.”
“Looking forward to it.” Gabe returned the gesture.
As Ghost headed over to the table to join a few of his teammates, Gabe glanced around at the others spread out around Kole and Sarah’s large back yard.
The team had been spending more and more nights over here, lately. Between impromptu barbeques or having drinks and hanging out to watch a ballgame or race, there was one thing that had really started to gnaw at him.
The single guys were dwindling, fast. Now that Zade found Gabby, they weren’t even dwindling anymore. Gabe was it.
And then there was one.
Ghost’s words rang through him like a painful spur.
Not that Gabe wasn’t happy for his teammates, because he was. He simply wasn’t as good at hiding his other emotions as he used to be.
Whether it be his age and the fact that he found himself reflecting more and more on his past, or just good old-fashioned jealousy, Gabe had begun to dread their off-hour get togethers.
And he fucking hated it.
He’d chosen this life. Chose his job and his duty over her. And he was perfectly fine with that decision.
Forget the pants, man. Your entire wardrobe just went up in a giant-ass ball of flames.
Ignoring that tiny voice, Gabe made sure the others weren’t paying attention and snuck out of the party like a fucking coward.
By the time he got home, he was in an even more sour mood than when he left. Distracted by ghosts of his past, Gabe opened his door, almost missing the fact that the light he’d left on in his apartment—that he always left on so he had a clear view of the space when he returned—was off and the place was pitch black.
Almost.
In one fluid motion, he pulled his gun from its place at the small of his back and flipped the safety. After several years as a Navy SEAL and Bravo’s team leader, the weapon was like an extension of his body. And even better than his American Express.
Never fucking leave home without it.
“I’m armed, and I will not hesitate to shoot,” he warned whoever was there.
“I know,” a man’s voice rumbled low from the right side of his living room. “That’s why I turned off your light.”
“You picked the wrong apartment to rob tonight, my friend.”
“Oh, we’re not friends, Dawson.” The man chuckled. “Not even close.”
Gabe’s lamp turned back on, and it took him a millisecond for his eyes to adjust. Even then, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Sitting in his favorite recliner as though he didn’t have a care in the world was the one man Bravo Team had been itching to find.
“Hello, Gabriel.” Adrian Walker tipped his head. “It’s been a while.”
What the actual fuck?
Gabe’s finger slid down to his trigger as he took a large, advancing step toward the traitorous bastard. “What the hell are you doing in my apartment?”
“Now that was almost exactly how I imagined this little reunion playing out.”
Arrogant bastard. Gabe took another step closer. “I’m about two seconds away from putting a fucking hole in the middle of your forehead, so I suggest you cut through the bullshit and tell me why you’re here.”
“Ellena.”
The name was like a physical blow. One that nearly sent Gabe stumbling backward. Terror for the only woman to have ever owned his heart filled his veins with an icy cold like none he’d ever known.
His trigger finger twitched. His voice held a deadly tone. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me, Dawson.”
Walker pushed himself to his feet slowly. The second he did, Gabe took two, large strides across the hardwood floor, nearly covering the distance between them.
With his jaw clenched together tightly, Gabe’s next warning came as a deadly hiss between his teeth. “Don’t you fucking move, or I swear to God I will pull this trigger.”
“Easy, Dawson.” He put his palms up. “I’m not here to hurt you. On the contrary, I came because I have information that I know will interest you.”
“Why did you say her name?” Gabe bit out sharply.
“Because she’s in trouble. And the man after her, well…he plays for keeps.”
Another unexpected blow.
“Why should I believe you? You’re a goddamn traitor. A killer for hire, and you’ve aided in the abduction and near murder of two of my teammates’ wives. Now you break into my apartment and try to tell me my—”
“Guilty on all counts.” The man interrupted with a shrug. “I can assure you, it
was pure coincidence that my professional path crossed with your teams on those other two occasions. This time, it’s different.”
“Different how?”
“The man after your Ellena? He’s a special kind of twisted.”
The ice in his veins melted as a heated fury took over. “I want a name.” Gabe schooled his expression and swallowed that damn fear.
“Go to her, Dawson.” Adrian ignored his question—and Gabe’s gun—and started for the door. “The doc needs protection.”
Mind filled with a whole slew of what-the-fucks, Gabe’s reaction to the other man walking away was slightly delayed. He turned around, his gun following Walker’s movements.
“I said don’t move!”
“You won’t shoot me.” The cocky fuck was almost to the door.
“What makes you so sure?”
Walker sighed loudly, his body shifting to face him even as he was reaching for the doorknob. “One, you’re a fucking Boy Scout. Yes, I’m in your apartment uninvited, but I haven’t touched you or made any threats toward you. Hell I’m not even armed.”
“My ass.” No way a guy like Adrian Walker goes anywhere without at least one gun.
“Do you see a weapon?” The man smiled. “I know you, Dawson. You won’t shoot an unarmed civilian. Not even me.”
The fucker was right. Goddamnit, he was right.
“And two,” Walker continued, “I still hold the answers to all those questions running around inside that brilliant brain of yours. Like how I even know about the gorgeous doc with the long, blonde hair and adorable dimples.”
“You son of a bitch!” Gabe took a step forward. He’d never had to work so hard at not pulling the trigger as he did in that moment.
Walker glanced down at the gun now pointed at his heart and smirked. “See? I know you won’t shoot me, because you’re a smart man. As the great English writer, Samuel Johnson, once said, curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect. And you and your team are some of the most vigorous men I know.”
“Why bother to even come here if all you’re going to do is speak in fucking riddles?”
“You a card player, Dawson? First rule of poker, never show the other players all of your cards.” Walker opened the door and faced him again. “I give you everything now, you probably will kill me. At the very least, you’ll turn me over to the authorities. Not that I could blame you. But either one of those happens before we talk again, you’ll lose your chance at ever learning what I know.”