Page 190 of Guarding Grace

“No, I mean it. Lucas and Duke filled me in, and I can’t thank you enough for what you did to keep her safe.”

I nodded. “She’s special.”

He waved a finger at me. “Don’t you dare hurt her.”

“Not a chance, brother. She’s it for me.” I’d expected the warning. We were friends, but she was his blood. “You look pretty good for what you’ve been through.”

He had a scar on his face, and he wasn’t as buff as when he’d left, but he wasn’t as emaciated as the average rescued hostage.

He shrugged. “They were negotiating to trade me for Al-Hamadi and joked that a skinny goat doesn’t bring a good price.”

Al-Hamadi was a leader of the terrorist cell the US captured last year.

“Want to hit the range next week and see how badly you can lose to me?”

When he accepted, I knew I had my friend back.

Grace waved me over.

“Anyway,” Pete said as I turned. “I gotta say I’m glad she chose somebody honorable. Semper Fi, man.” He gave me a one-armed hug.

I bro-hugged him back. “Semper Fi.” As Marines, we knew honor came above all else. I was glad to have my best friend back in one piece.

Grace arrived to pull us apart. “Give me back my man.”

Duke called out to Pete for a game of pool, and he headed over.

Grace rose up on her toes to whisper in my ear, which probably wasn’t necessary with all the noise in the bar. “I think it’s time you took me home.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Not before I beat you at a game of darts.”

“Dream on, big guy.”