Page 13

11

Skull sat on the edge of his bed, cellphone pressed to his ear with a white-knuckled grip. Ten missed messages from his mom. His gut clenched, filling him with dread. The line crackled for a moment before her trembling voice came through the hushed messages. Her voice shook. She didn’t have to say anything. He could already sense the weight of her words. His father had taken a turn for the worse.

His childhood trauma came rushing back, not the relief he’d felt when his father had been shot, yet recovered so well, while doing his duty for Norfolk where he was a SWAT officer. It was a small child’s panic at the thought of losing such a significant person in his life, and like a ghost filled with pain, it dropped a shadow over him that filled him with dread until he almost couldn’t breathe.

He remembered another hospital, years ago, when he’d been just a boy. His father lay stretched out on a gurney, a gunshot wound staining his clothes a deep red. The fear back then had been overwhelming, but his father had forced out a single breathless command. “Be strong for your mom. Be our little rock.” Skull never forgot those words. He heard them in every scrape and scuffle growing up, molding him into the unyielding man he was now. For Skull, it had always been about survival. If he didn’t harden himself, how else could he make his dad proud?

The phone rang in his hand, a jarring sound in the dim quiet of Skull’s room. His mother’s familiar, trembling voice filled the space, and for a moment, time seemed to slow as she spoke.

“Cooper-trooper,” she began, her voice wavering, and he shifted at her nickname for him. “Your dad…he’s not doing so well.” Her voice broke. “I’m terrified of losing him.”

Skull’s throat tightened as he gripped the phone, his heartbeat drumming in his ears. His mind raced with images of his father who had once been the epitome of strength, both on the dangerous streets and at home. He remembered how, as a boy, he’d watched his father display a steadfast resolve even in his most vulnerable moments, bringing flowers for his mother’s birthday, surprising them on Valentine’s Day in crazy, unconventional ways, and celebrating anniversaries, and all his milestones in life with gestures of quiet, heartfelt love. Those were the moments when his father was not just a rock, but a gentle soul who had taught Skull that true strength was as much about tenderness as it was about fortitude.

His mother’s quiet sobs on the other end of the line pulled him out of his thoughts. “They said it’s touch-and-go,” she whispered. “You know your dad, how stubborn he can be… but it’s really bad this time.”

Skull’s throat tightened. He wanted to be that rock again, to be calm, confident, unshakable, but the fear of losing his dad was jackhammering through every wall he had spent a lifetime building. He recognized that fear, that familiar ghost he’d battled since childhood. It had always driven him to take risks, to prove to himself and everyone else that he was strong, that he could handle anything alone. But hearing the ragged edge in his mother’s voice, he realized that even a rock could fracture under enough pressure.

“I—Mom, I…” Skull’s voice cracked, the weight of guilt pressing down on him. He was supposed to be the unbreakable SEAL molded by years of duty and the hard lessons his father had instilled in him. Yet now, his facade was shattering. His mind churned with regret. How had he, who fit so perfectly into the SEAL world with his relentless determination, been so blind to the tenderness of those moments? His thoughts roiled. I was always too tough, too stubborn to let him know the truth. And now… now it might be too late. “I’m sorry I’m not there…this op it’s time sensitive, so much at stake.” He got up and paced, not able to contain all the emotions that were exploding through him. He squeezed his eyes closed as his exhausted body coiled from even more regret. The timing of this mission was terrible…choosing between his dad and his brother SEAL, and Leigh Waterford, one tough, dedicated woman who was the love of Hazard’s life… How was he supposed to make that decision? The team needed him and Bones, but his mom and dad needed him as well.

There was a pause as his mother inhaled deeply, steadying herself. “My tough trooper, listen to me,” she said gently. “I know you feel very strongly about being there for your team, to be unyielding just like your dad. But your dad, our rock, isn’t just about strength in battle. He was about love. He showed it in the little things, in caring for us, in the way he celebrated life with quiet gestures. I need you to remember that it’s okay to feel this pain, to let love and fear mix together. It doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”

Skull’s eyes glistened with unshed tears as he leaned his back against the cool wall, the phone clutched tightly in his shaking hand. “I’m sorry, Mom. I should have told him more, told him that he was the best father in the world, that his way of being a rock meant more than I ever allowed myself to say.” His voice faltered, burdened by the realization that his duty as a SEAL, his relentless, chiseled resolve had left him with a hidden chamber of emotions he’d never allowed himself to explore.

“I’ve always done what I had to,” he murmured, each word a struggle against the tide of guilt and longing. “I was raised to be tough, to never falter. But tonight, I’m not sure how much longer I can hold it all in. I’m scared… so scared of losing him.”

His mother’s response was soft yet imbued with a fierce tenderness born of a lifetime of shared love and loss. “You carry his strength in you, sweetheart. He is aware that you love him. How can he not see that, even if you never said it out loud? Let your heart speak now, even if it’s hard to do so. It’s okay.”

Inside, Skull’s mind was a whirlwind of memories of the proud, unyielding man he’d idolized during childhood, the father who had been both invincible and tender, and the harsh reality that his own vulnerability was now the price of love. He’d been all about determination, that hard resolve anchored him with a sense of invincibility. But now faced with a quiet reckoning, a truth he had long buried beneath layers of duty and hardened resolve. I must be strong, but I must also be honest with my heart, he thought. I need to tell him, even if it’s too late, that I love him more than words could ever express.

He took a shaky breath. “What can I do?” he managed. The moment the words left his lips, he felt his armor slip. His mother told him to keep praying, to stay strong. She promised she’d call with any updates. He told her he loved her, words that rarely found their way into conversation.

As the line went dead, Skull remained rooted to the wall, feeling both the crushing weight of duty and the uncomfortable, finally acknowledged vulnerability. In that fragile moment, he understood that being a SEAL, a son, and a man who longed for love were not mutually exclusive. They were threads in the tapestry of his being, a tapestry that now, more than ever, needed the truth. His father was irreplaceable, that the man he had always aspired to be was defined not only by strength but by the capacity to love and feel deeply.

His mind flashed back to the last time he’d visited, bustling hospital corridors, antiseptic smells, the steady beep of monitors. His mom’s voice had quivered as she explained that his dad was on a ventilator, barely conscious. Skull’s pulse roared in his ears. He wanted to talk to his father, to say what had been trapped inside him all his life, trying to live up to his interpretation of strength that had gotten him through a lot, including BUD/S. But he couldn’t leave. Things were heating up, and Hazard and Leigh were running out of time. He just had to pray that his dad would pull through and he would be able to tell him how he felt.

His mind drifted to Walker and all his bullshit up to this point. She had gotten under his skin because he had let her. That was the bottom line. He loved the way she teased him, tried to handle him in her special way, worked him over when she got way too close, and his deep desire to form a bond with her, something deep and abiding just like his parents enjoyed.

The way she smiled at him, gentle yet piercing, like she could see into the parts of his soul he tried to hide. He was falling for her, and that alone rattled him more than anything he’d ever had to endure.

Being vulnerable was never easy for him, and the memory of how he’d felt as a boy overwhelmed him. He’d spent too long building defenses, fueling that instinct to stand firm against any threat. But Walker made him want to share more, be more. And yet, that part of him, the one still answering to the old command “Be a rock,” fought tooth and nail to keep from cracking wide open.

With his father’s life hanging by a thread, Skull felt torn in two directions. The man was determined to be invincible, and the son terrified of losing the person who’d once told him he had to stand strong. This was the real test, he realized. Being a rock didn’t mean closing off all feelings. It meant enduring the pain that came with those feelings and carrying on despite it.

For a long time, Skull sat there in the quiet, memories, and hopes colliding. He pressed his phone against his chest as if clutching a lifeline. If his father pulled through this, Skull promised himself he’d do better. He’d stop letting that childhood ghost scare him away from what mattered. He’d stop pretending he was impervious and accept that love and vulnerability weren’t weaknesses, but signs he was finally standing on his own two feet, strong enough to handle whatever came next.

Skull’s grip on the phone slipped from his fingers as if it weighed a ton. His vision blurred and his knees suddenly buckled beneath him. Before he knew it, his back hit the wall, and he slid down to the floor in a slow, defeated collapse. Every breath shuddered as tears spilled over his cheeks, hot and unyielding. He didn’t even fight them this time. The fear for his dad had built to a tidal wave that refused to be contained.

In his mind, the image of his father who had always been so strong, so full of life flashed and faded. Those large hands that had once ruffled his hair or gripped his shoulder in reassurance, the deep voice that had boomed with laughter or gentle encouragement. His dad was the living embodiment of the rock he’d always told Skull to be. And now he was powerless on a ventilator, a cruel twist in the story of a man who had never bent beneath life’s hardships.

In that mix came his feelings for Hazard, Archer , a man he’d spend untold training hours with, fought alongside on the battlefield, laughed with through all the team’s crazy antics, bled and sweated with, faced untold danger, and all those unbreakable, life affirming moments of sheer friendship, an unshakable brotherhood, a bond that could never be broken. Then there was Leigh, mouthy, strong, a fearless proponent for justice who had gone through hell to apprehend Alzate. It was a slap in her face to trade the bastard for their lives, their happiness, their future. All of those emotions coalesced into a hard ball of fear, grief, resolve, and hope inside of him.

The tears came faster. Skull tried to steady himself, but his heart felt like it was splitting under the stress of everything. His father’s life hanging by a thread, the weight of his responsibilities as a SEAL, and the sudden awareness of his own vulnerability. All those years, he’d relentlessly clung to the rock mindset, fearless, strong-willed, determined never to show weakness was a study in isolating himself from everything that mattered, blinding him to how much he needed others, how much he needed the love and reassurance he usually shrugged off.

Now, though, he couldn’t pretend. Couldn’t keep up the act. If there was even a small chance his father might not make it, no show of bravado would ease the ache in Skull’s chest. He buried his face in his hands, sobs shaking his shoulders, feeling like a small boy again in that hospital corridor from years ago. Only this time, his father wasn’t there to say, “Be a rock,” and somehow that made it hurt even more.

A soft sound at the door. Skull blinked through his tears to see Walker standing there, her eyes wide and full of concern. Her presence washed over him in a wave of both comfort and fresh anxiety. He didn’t want her to see him like this—raw, undone—but the lie of pretending he was fine felt more painful than the truth of his anguish.

She crossed the room in a quiet rush, kneeling beside him, her hand gentle against his shoulder. He looked up at her, his face streaked with tears, and for the first time he didn’t hide behind a mask of toughness. He let her witness every fractured piece of his heart.

“Walker,” he rasped, voice thick with sorrow.

“What is it?” she asked.

For so long, he’d seen vulnerability as a crack in his armor—a weakness best hidden. He’d fended for himself, refusing to lean on anyone. But as he felt Walker’s heartbeat against his chest, Skull realized that the connection he’d always resisted was exactly what he needed. In that moment, the iron-willed man saw past his own blind spots, understanding that lowering his guard to someone who cared wasn’t a betrayal of his strength. It was a new kind of power, born from trust rather than solitude. And maybe—if he dared to let himself feel it—it could lead to the love he’d never quite believed was possible.

“My dad…I’m losing him,” he choked, the admission ripping more tears out of him. “He always told me to be strong…and I don’t know how to be strong without him.”

“I’m here,” she whispered, her own eyes glistening. She eased herself closer, sliding her arms around him until he could rest his head against her shoulder. He hesitated, but only for a moment, then he let the tension go, sinking into her warmth. Walker tightened her hold on him. “You’re strong in ways you don’t even realize,” she said softly. “Didn’t you just tell me I didn’t have to do everything alone…how about you? Don’t you need to hear the same words?” She turned to him, cupping his face in her hands, her voice fierce. “You’re not alone.”

He clung to those words, letting them settle into the cracks of his battered spirit. He was a man whose life was defined by duty and unflinching resolve, but here, tonight, he allowed himself to be simply a son fearing the loss of his father. A man on the cusp of taking steps toward something uncertain, scary, with the possibility of so much reward if he could find a way to show her that together they had something very special, and at the same time, desperate to show the woman in his arms that he could be a safe place for her, too.

“Walker,” he whispered again, lifting his head just enough to look her in the eye. “I need you….”

She brushed a tear from his cheek with gentle fingers. “I’m here for you,” she murmured.

And so, in the hush of that bedroom, Skull let the tears fall. He embraced the tremors of fear that wracked his chest, and in doing so, found a deeper courage than he’d ever drawn on before. He was a rock, just not the cold, immovable monolith he once believed he had to be. Instead, he felt himself become something different, a man strong enough to reach for what he wanted, strong enough to break, and strong enough to heal.

Skull sat in the dim glow of his room, the echoes of their chase for Blade still ringing in his ears, the legitimate fear and concern he had for Walker burst through him, having to be suppressed so he could do his job. His thoughts churned with another kind of fear, one sharpened by the memory of Bones, that damn amazing dog, a loyal partner, and the mission that had pushed him to the edge. Amidst the chaos, pursuit, and heart-stopping danger, Bones had protected Walker with the kind of unrelenting courage Skull knew was there. As the dog handler, he and Bones had been the silent, determined force behind the successful chase of a high-value target. In that relentless pursuit, he had proven his worth to his team, to his country, and to himself. Yet all of it felt laced with an unbearable cost.

He replayed the moment when he had thought he should go home to be with his family. A single, paralyzing thought had frozen him in place. What if he’d given in to his fear and left and had rushed back home to his ailing father? The decision he made to continue with this mission was more than a tactical choice. It was a sacrifice that carved deep into his soul. Serving his country meant he might never get the chance to see his father again, never tell the man who had always been his rock just how much he meant to him.

Skull’s thoughts pounded as fiercely as the mission’s adrenaline. My brothers needed us. We had our roles to play. But at what cost? He had always been a tough, unyielding force who never admitted vulnerability. Yet tonight, that hardened exterior began to crumble under the weight of his responsibilities, his duty, and the searing, aching possibility of not being there when his father died. His heart whispered confessions he’d long kept buried. “I never told him I loved him. I never said he was the best father in the world.”

Her presence was a gentle balm to his raw, exposed emotions. As she tightened her arms around him, drawing him into a tender embrace, his eyes, red from unshed tears, met hers. Her gaze was warm and reassuring, an anchor amid the storm of his guilt and despair.

“Cooper,” she murmured, pressing her forehead against his, “I can’t imagine what this is doing to you. Torn between serving your country and holding on to the love you have for your family. It must be devastating.”

He swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “I… almost left. I was terrified of what would happen if I didn’t go. But leaving would’ve meant abandoning everything I stand for, and everything I love. I might never get to tell my dad how much he meant to me…how he shaped who I am.”

Her hand gently stroked his cheek as she replied, “Your father would understand, Cooper. You honor him by living every moment fully, even when it hurts.”

As her words seeped into him, Skull felt a flood of emotions, guilt, sorrow, and a fierce tenderness that he could no longer hold at bay. Their eyes locked, and in that suspended moment, the pain and passion mingled. Walker leaned in, her hand came up to his face, the warmth seeping into him as her thumb swiped at the moisture on his cheekbone, and in the past where he would feel humiliation for showing so much of himself, he now felt nothing but tenderness at her attempt to not only soothe his pain, but show him that something had also shifted in her.

“What happened with Blade,” he asked, his sense of duty warring with the passion that was rising between them.

She pulled a face. “He’s willing to talk, but on the condition that his family is brought here, so that he can see they’re safe. We have to go back to Lealtad and get them out. I volunteered you and Bones. We make a great team,” she whispered, her hand slipping into his hair, her eyes went over his face as if she couldn’t get enough of his features, the light of desire warming those beautiful blue depths, all amusement gone. Her lips grazed the skin just below his ear as she inhaled deeply, taking in his scent with a soft growl.

The feel of her hot breath sending a sizzling tingle all throughout his body. His dick twitched, thickening, hardening.

Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched as her thumb slipped to his other cheekbone, gently rubbing at his damp skin, kissing him there. “Before I came up here to clean up, Iceman was still waiting for the brass to approve this op. Word is Justice is still dragging their feet on releasing Alzate. We’re their only hope, and I’m not stopping until we have them safe and sound. I intend to dance at their wedding.”

Skull swallowed hard. “How much time do we have?”

“Thirty minutes. It’s not much, but I don’t want to go back there and run the risk of not having you the way I want you. I think thirty minutes would last me a lifetime if something were to happen?—”

“Fuck that,” he said. “When we get back here, I’m going to fuck you all fucking night.”

Her breath went shallow, her breath hitching, and she groaned softly as he leaned in and nuzzled her neck. “Then this will be just a taste, a preliminary fuck then?”

“Yeah, even though this has to be quick, nothing says I can’t go as deep as I want.”

“Ooh, promises,” she whispered with a soft smile. “I’ll have to wait, then, to get my mouth on you again.”

It was his turn to groan. “Damn, woman,” he muttered. “Don’t kill me before we even get started.”

“We’ve been dancing around this way too long, Cooper. You are doing something to me, and I feel helpless to fight it.”

“Then it’s not just me. It’s happening to you too.” There was a flash of something in her eyes that resembled anguish, and it aroused such fierce protectiveness in him he had to fight to keep from reacting to give her some space to understand how she was feeling about him.

There was a quiet, almost desperate seriousness about her as she slowly stroked his lips with her thumb.

“Yes, it’s happening to me, too.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Maybe,” she murmured. “This is new ground for me, but you do something to me that I can’t fight. I—I—don’t want to make any promises, but I also can’t seem to help myself from wanting…more, even though it scares me.”

He closed his eyes and nodded. “I—I—know that feeling, babe.” Her features evened out, and she sighed softly. “Walker…I,” he started, then gave up and simply lowered his mouth to hers. There was nothing to say, not right now, not when all he wanted, all he needed was to touch her, to slide his tongue in her mouth and taste her, to fill himself up with her.

Their lips met in a kiss that was both desperate and soothing, a silent vow that no matter the sacrifices demanded by duty, his heart would not remain guarded. There was no way he could resist anymore. Hers parted, and a hundred emotions flooded through him. He’d expected pleasure, electrifying pleasure, but he also got relief, bone deep. This was where he wanted to be with Walker, their bodies touching.

He pulled her top over her head, breaking the kiss just long enough to free her. His hands went behind her, undid her bra, a sheer black nothing that felt like lacy air in his hands.

Before he could do anything, she stood and got rid of her jeans and underwear, then knelt, making quick work of his boots and socks. Her hands went to his vest.

After a moment, frustrated, she growled, “Help me, Skully, baby,” so softly, his whole body quickened. He found the tabs, loosened the vest. She went to tug it off, then said, “What the hell? That weighs a freaking ton.” He chuckled, then moaned when her hands went to his waistband, moving aside as he lifted himself so she could remove his pants and underwear. Before he could catch his breath, her hand ran over his erection, his hips thrusting upward, pleasure exploding along his shaft.

Her hands traveled up to his torso, spending a few seconds sliding over his abs, then with one clean move, she shoved his T-shirt over his head, then she straddled him, the sweet hot, wet center of her gripping his dick. Her mouth latched onto his, hot and demanding, her hands going to his shoulder, and he slid his palm down her silky back.

In their kiss, Skull realized that the strength he’d built all his life wasn’t in his ability to be unbreakable. It was in his willingness to be tender, to share everything, including soft emotions as well as painful ones. His role as a SEAL, the sacrifices he made for his country, and the guilt of possibly losing his father were part of a larger tapestry of duty and love. And as Walker’s warmth enveloped him, he understood that vulnerability might just be the truest form of strength, one that could, perhaps, honor both his past and the uncertain future that lay ahead.