Page 83 of Enemy Within

He spoke after Anderson, repeating the vows that would bind him to Ethan. “I, Jack, take you, Ethan, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. I promise my love to you forevermore.”

As he spoke, Ethan seemed to stop breathing. He stared at Jack, his lips parted, his eyes filled with tears. His hands squeezed Jack’s, and when Jack finished, he burst into a glowing smile as the first tear slid down his cheek.

“Ethan, please repeat after me.”

It was Ethan’s turn next, and he spoke after Anderson, his low voice gravelly and grinding on the words. “I, Ethan, take you, Jack, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. I promise my love to you forevermore.” Jack mouthed the words along with Ethan, around his smile. When Ethan finished, Jack leaned in and sneaked another quick kiss.

“Whatever lies ahead, good or ill, you both will face it together, and together, nothing will ever stand in your way. Remember, always look to each other first. The tides will rise with your love, and carry you ever onward, away from the rocks and the shoals, and out of troubled waters.” Anderson smiled wide. “In all the days to come, from this day forward, you each will take your place at the other’s side as husbands.”

Ethan beamed and Jack laughed again, a happy, bright, ringing laugh.

“Let the ship’s log record that at this date and time, and by the power given to me by the United States government, I now pronounce Jack and Ethan Spiers-Reichenbach married. You may now kiss your husband.”

They came together, hands on faces and lips sliding over lips, capturing each other, holding fast as the clapping started. Ethan twisted and dipped Jack, holding him low as he kept their kiss going. Laughing around the kiss, Jack twined his fingers through Ethan’s hair, sliding his hand up the back of Ethan’s neck. They kept kissing; they could keep kissing until the sub went sailing off the edge of the world, as far as Jack was concerned.

“All right, all right,” Scott groused. “Take that back to your cabin. Jeez.”

When Ethan pulled Jack up and finally broke their kiss, all Jack saw were smiling faces. Anderson held out his hand, giving them both a firm handshake. Ethan turned to Scott, and the two of them bear-hugged, a fierce grapple that looked almost painful.

Jack turned to Sergey.

Sergey’s eyes were wet, but he smiled wide at Jack and held out his arms. “Jack,pozdravleniya! Congratulations! You two are made for each other.” He kept smiling, but his gaze hollowed out, and Jack saw him glance sideways at Sasha.

Sasha smiled tightly and grunted his congratulations, shaking Jack’s hand. He kept his distance from Sergey, not even looking his way.

And then, Ethan was back at his side, slipping his arm through Jack’s. “Hey, husband,” he breathed into Jack’s ear. “Want to get started on our honeymoon?”

35

USS Honolulu

SASHA STORMED OUT OF Captain Anderson’s cabin as soon as Jack and Ethan ducked out, laughing their way down the hall to their borrowed cabin. Scott and Anderson were cracking open a bottle of bourbon and joking about how it was about to get noisy in Officer’s Country, the part of the boat with the officers’ cabins. The executive officer, still looking shocked as to why he was even in the cabin, much less at sea with the formerly dead—now married—American president, finally opened his mouth, cracking a dry joke about checking trim levels with the diving officer to make sure they stayed at even keel for the next hour or ten, what with the pounding the forward section was about to get.

Roaring laughter followed, and Sasha fled.

Sergey followed, shoving past Scott on his way to the door.

In the passageway, Sasha turned away from their shared cabin, heading for the rear of the boat. His shoulders were tight, taut beneath his borrowed uniform, his broad frame almost filling the width of the empty passage.

“Sasha!”

No response, aside from the stiffening of Sasha’s spine and the quickening of his steps.

“Sasha, damn you! Stop!”

Sasha came to a perfect halt, falling to attention in a half second. His jaw thrust out, sharp enough to cut, and he stared straight ahead, not blinking. When Sergey stopped at his side, he watched Sasha’s nostrils flare and heard the heavy hiss of his angry breaths.

He swallowed. They hadn’t said a word since the beach, since Sergey had woken up alone in the cold sand after falling asleep in Sasha’s arms. Part of him was furious, again. He was more than tired of Sasha’s love of leaving, his constant disappearing act.

Another part of him just wanted Sasha back.

“What can I do for you, Mr. President?” Sasha growled. He kept his eyes averted, staring straight down the passageway.

“Sasha—”

“Lieutenant Andreyev, sir,” Sasha spoke through gritted teeth, practically spitting his words. His shoulders shook, and his hands made fists at his sides. “I serve the Russian Federation, Mr. President. I will do what is best for Russia—”

“Damn it, Sasha, stop! Stop this!” He stood in front of Sasha, forcing their gazes to meet. Sasha closed his eyes. “Did you see what just happened in there? Jack and Ethan, theymarriedeach other!”