Page 111 of Oathbreaker

“And do you love Frankie?”

Those blue eyes cloud. “Of course, I do. How could you think?—”

“I don’t think anything except that because of that, you can’t bury what happened to you.”

His inhale is sharp.

“You need to be your best self for me and Frankie.” A beat. “And for yourself.”

He nods but his expression is agonized. “I know. I just…I’ve always handled this shit on my own or with Dash.”

“Then start by talking to him, honey.”

“I don’t know if he’s ready for that.”

I squeeze his fingers. “Honestly, I think he needs you to need him. I think after all that’s happened that will heal him in a way you can’t even imagine.” I draw him back down into bed beside me. “But I get if that’s too much for you after all this time. So, if it’s not Dash, we need to find you someone else you can talk to.”

I wrap my arms around him, hold him tight.

He’s still, stiff. Hurting and scared and haunted by nightmares.

But he’s also Colt.

The man I love, the one who will do anything for Frankie and me.

His body softens and he hugs me back, lips coming to my ear.

“I’ll talk to Dash in the morning.”

Thirty-Four

Colt

Engagement rings are expensive. I don’t give a shit about the money, but I didn’t realize I could buy a house—somewhere other than Los Angeles—for the money I’m about to drop on Briar’s ring. Atlas is haggling with the jeweler, someone he uses exclusively, and they seem to enjoy the back and forth.

The prices are making my head spin, but I want Briar to have the most beautiful ring imaginable. In fact, I want her and Frankie to have everything I can possibly provide, which is why I’m considering becoming a partner in Dash’s security business. He protested when I told him I wanted to give him cash for half the value of the company, and we did a bit of haggling too. Next week, we’re going to see a financial planner that Atlas recommended to sort out the details.

Deep down, I think it will be good for us. He feels like he’s helping me, even though I’ve had more private security job offers in the last two weeks than most people have in their entire lives. Word got out through the marine grapevine, and my phone hasn’t stopped buzzing.

Working with Dash feels like the right move, though.

He’s family.

The brother I chose and soon he’ll be my brother-in-law legally too.

Things are finally falling into place, both personally and professionally.

My body is still healing, but I’m a lot better and I’ve started gaining stamina and rebuilding the muscle I lost in that Russian hell hole. That’s another thing that Dash and I have been sharing lately. As usual, Briar was right; he just needed to feel needed. Now that he does, we’re back on an even keel.

It won’t always be like this, but short-term, it’s turned out to be a good thing for both of us.

I’m also seeing a therapist.

I was resistant at first—tough guys don’t go to therapy—but Briar’s words resonated in a way that nothing else had.

“You need to be your best self for me and Frankie.”

Yeah, I absolutely do, and if therapy is one of the ways I get there, I’m all in.