Page 103 of Out of Control

Gray Hair fell silent.

An anonymous man spoke from the far end of the table, his voice thin with age. “You have done us all a great service. On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank you.”

Drago leaned forward. “Is that it? Can we go now?”

Gray Hair nodded. “You may.”

“C’mon, Spence. Let’s blow this Popsicle stand. Together.”

His gaze snapped up to Dray’s smiling eyes. He stood. “Together.”

They walked out of the room, their heads held high, their backs straight. They walked all the way outside that way, shoulder to shoulder.

Spencer looked around at the green grass and bright blue sky. It was a good day to be alive. “It’s a brand-new start. A new life for us. What in the heck are we going to do with it?”

“I might have invited a few of your guys to help me answer that question.”

“What have you done, Drago?”

“Oh, look. Who’s that waving to us over there?” Drago replied breezily.

Spencer looked up and spied at least thirty men clustered around several SUVs. His men. All the guys in his platoon and most of the rest of Team Ten not currently deployed overseas.

Spencer limped toward his teammates, and Drago matched his stride patiently. “Why are they here?”

“I believe the plan is for them to escort us to the courthouse.”

“Why?”

“To act as witnesses at our wedding, Einstein.”

He stopped and gazed at Drago. “Did you arrange all this?”

“I might have. Although I left it to your guys to figure out who gets to stand up as best man and who has to be the maid of honor.”

Spencer spun the wedding ring already clasping his third finger on his left hand. Drago wore a matching band on his left hand as well. They’d traded private vows with each other right after they’d gotten out of the hospital, while they waited for this hearing to be called.

He walked the rest of the way to his men in silence, and accepted their condolences on the early out and congratulations on making it to the end of the road in one piece. Drago lifted a hand for silence and got it immediately.

He turned to face Spencer. “With both of us officially unemployed, I figure there’s nothing standing in the way of making things official. Whaddaya say, Spence? Wanna get hitched?”

“Hell yeah.”

A huge cheer went up, and his guys all but knocked him off his feet with backslapping and hugs. When the hubbub finally calmed down and he’d regained his balance, he said, grinning, “I can’t wait to be officially your husband, and vice versa.” He looked around and asked soberly, “But then what?”

Drago smiled back. “I have an idea about that.”

“Do tell.”

“How do you feel about going into business together?”

“What kind of business?”

“What we do best. Problem-solving. Out-of-the-box thinking.”

“Like a private security business?” Spencer blurted.

“That and more. The kind of stuff you and I bring to the table.”