Page 21

Rico

“Did you hear from the doctor? I think we need to wake her. It’s been a little over twenty-four hours. She’s peed four times, but we’ve only gotten one glass of water down her. She’s so still and has barely moved.

“She might be sick.” I press my hand to her forehead. “Do you think she feels feverish? I think she does.”

“She’s not feverish. Doc said she might sleep a lot,” Kade replies. “After all the shock, the stress from the danger, the hours of debriefing. Her body and mind need down time to regenerate. We’ll give her another hour or so. If she’s not moving, we try to wake her.”

“She’s got to be starving. She needs fuel.”

“Vegetable Pad Thai, extra broccoli. Lots of vegetable samosas and two mango lassi-just for me. Get out of my way so I can shower before it gets here.” Fancy throws back the covers and heads to the bathroom.

Kade looks at me. “You order the food, get everything she wants and more. I’ll call Roja, she said she needed to be here when she woke up. Girl bonding or some such shit.”

We take turns standing outside the bathroom door, listening, making sure she’s okay. It feels like days, but when the water finally shuts off, it’s been less than an hour.

My phone app pings letting me know the food is arriving. I go to the door and accept delivery. Roja walks up as the guy is leaving.

“She’s been in the shower forever, but it just shut off. Kade is waiting for her.”

“You guys got a lot to learn. Get the food set out and make sure there’s fresh coffee.”

She heads to the bedroom and less than two minutes later Kade comes out followed by Roja.

“I’m gonna say this once more before I start knocking heads.

Give. Her. Space. She will talk or whatever she needs to do when she’s ready.

Act like normal. Put on a ball game, or a movie.

Turn the radio on. Ask her if she’d like to go for a run or maybe spar with one of you.

Kicking your ass would probably feel really good right now.

” Her gaze softens. “She’s strong. She just needs your love. ”

Lunch is filled with stories of how Roja first met Diego when they were both in the military which segues into her asking if the three of us are serious about applying to HARDCORE Security. The three of us?

“You seem to work well together. You’d make a good team. They have offices all over the country and offer training. You guys have already worked with some of us. I mean look how easy I am to work with.”

“Ball buster.” I shake my head, and she laughs.

Fancy looks at her, then runs her gaze over Kade and I. “I’d like to try something new, somewhere new.”

The three of us. In love, in bed, at work. Always watching each other’s backs. Keeping each other safe. It’s scary but somehow feels right. I glance at Kade. I see the same thoughts in his expression before he nods.

“Sounds like a win win to me. I’ll mention it to Diego. He was going to put in a word for us.” Shifting, I meet Roja’s gaze. “Will you do the same?”

“Already done. Our boss, lawyer, and the team’s leader are all in town helping with the clean-up of this situation since our tech team assisted.

They are also providing statements as to the leak in your department.

Some guy named Freddie. They’d like to meet with the three of you while they’re in town.

Say, dinner tomorrow night? Here, since it’s a generic location that no one knows about.

They may be bringing in their own chef, but everything will be taken care of. I’ll be the interface for now.”

The three of us look at each other and nod.

“Good.” She stands and glances out the patio door. “The deck has a really sweet view and a three-person daybed. Kind of romantic. You should check it out. I’m stealing your girl for five minutes, then I need to get going. I’ll text you the exact time for tomorrow.”

Night has fallen and we’ve just come in from prepping the deck for some star gazing. Candles are lit, champagne is chilling, fruit and cheese plated. Pillows fluffed on the circular day bed that will hold the three of us.

Fancy is sitting at the breakfast bar, laptop open, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Babe, what’s wrong?”

“Phil. He loved me. He loved me like I was his own.” Holding up a chain with dog tags she goes on.

“Where they found the laptop he intended for you, he also hid his dog tags and a small USB.

They found the laptop but missed the dog tags.

I found those the night Roja and I searched before you were taken.

“Her tech guy made sure the USB was clean. When they realized what they had she brought it to me.” She turns the screen so we can see.

A slideshow of photos is playing. All pictures of Fancy at varying ages, dates neatly written below each photo.

Some with gifts, some walking a sidewalk, some sweet ones of her sleeping.

Others are selfies of her and Phil throughout the years.

The most recent was our girl a week before we met her. She and Phil were out to dinner.

“There’s a letter he photographed. He said the original will be delivered in a couple weeks.”

“What does it say?” I ask.

She looks at us. “That he loved me. Always loved me. When he realized the true nature of my mother, he tried to adopt me, but Mom wouldn’t let him.

He admitted she used me to basically shake him down every time she needed or wanted something.

But his love for me, as the daughter of his heart, was always the defining factor.

When he found out he was dying it was too late.

He couldn’t tell me because he was already knee deep in exposing DeStefano and he didn’t want to risk anyone finding out and using his situation against one of us.

“He also didn’t want the end to be marred by sorrow. He wanted me to remember the good times. He left everything to me.” She glances up. “Well over a million dollars. He promised to keep watching over me until we meet again. He’s sending angels. He sent me the two of you.”

I scoop her into my arms, Kade comes up behind her and we all hold each other as she cries.

Thank you, Phil. We’ll always take care of her.