Page 57 of Wild Card (Men of Action #4)

“Stacy,” she pauses, “my mom. She looks at Dad with so much longing and love. It’s beautifully heartbreaking.”

Willow’s relationship with her mom has been on the mend, and to her credit, Stacy’s worked hard to heal the rift with all the Richards. Chase is tentative, stuck in his loyalty to Willow, but he’s slowly letting her back into his and Wyatt’s life.

“Your mom has to deal with the consequences.”

“She made a mistake, albeit a huge one. How long should she be punished? Dad still loves her. He won’t talk about it with me, but I sense it.”

“Make him talk to you.”

Her eyes and nose crinkle as if I’ve suggested something outrageous. “Have you met my dad? He isn’t very forthcoming when he doesn’t want to discuss something.”

“You’re his daughter and he loves you. If he knows it’s important to you, he’ll listen.”

She seems to think about this, her mouth splitting into a smile. “Manipulative mind. Use his affection for me to make him open up?”

“Not manipulation if you play it right.”

“You are exceptionally cunning, Mr. Simms. Even trying to help me reunite my parents.”

“No joke, Stacy isn’t my favorite person, but Sterling is growing on me. Or maybe it’s the wedding vibe going on.”

“Did you go with Ford today to get his tattoo?”

“We all did.”

“Do you think it hurt?”

“Babe, he didn’t even flinch.”

“Do you think that’s something you’d want?”

Her question is laced with apprehension. “You want me to wear a ring, not an issue, but your ink will be under it.”

Her gaze fills with excitement. “I like the ink.”

I hold back telling her I already spoke to our guy at the shop with a design in mind.

The song ends with another roar from the guests as Sayge gives the stage back to the band.

The hair on the back of my neck prickles and my eyes find Robbie and Finn across the room by an exit. My blood runs cold.

I steer Willow to Sterling. “Princess, now’s a good time for that talk.”

Her eyes glitter with amusement. “How about a dance, Dad?”

He glances between us, taking her hand.

“Be back in a few.” I kiss her quickly, taking off in the direction of the bar, and slip into the hall.

Robbie, Finn, James, Major, and Ace are all waiting.

Their grim expressions tell all.

All thoughts of the day vanish, knowing what this means.

“He made contact?”

Robbie gives a nod, his face sharp as stone.

Finn crosses his arms, his voice harsh. “They’re in Mexico, hostages taken. That was yesterday. He’s gone dark.”

Fuck!

Here we go again.

“What happened to fucking stepping back?” Dad lashes out.

“We’re going in as intelligence. Robbie’s working on a team for recovery,” I calmly reply, keeping a blank face.

He glares at me, doubt and suspicion scoring into my skin.

Major and Ace stand at my side, taking similar glares from their fathers.

“Do I need to remind you that things have changed since your renegade days?” Jim’s voice is strained, barely disguising his anger.

“No reminder necessary, Dad,” Major grouses.

“And you, Achilles? Maverick isn’t even a month old. You want to risk this?” Pete asks cautiously.

Ace growls, “There is no risk here. My son will always have me.”

Pete goes pale, the remark like a physical strike.

All of us feel the pain of the blow Ace delivered to the father who neglected him for years in favor of a bottle.

“Son, that was a cheap shot,” Rich intervenes, knowing more than anyone about the history between Pete and Ace.

Ace blows out a breath. “My family is the most important thing in the fucking world.”

“We’ve all gone through hell to get here. Do you think we’d ever jeopardize any of that?” Major asks diplomatically.

“What about Ford? You gonna read him in on this?” Doug looks through all of us.

“Shit no. We do this right, it’s over before he returns from his honeymoon,” I respond.

Doug nods his approval. “Boy will be pissed you kept it from him.”

“He’ll get over it.”

“And the women?” Dad counters.

“Just like everything else, this info stays tight. We plan to tell them tomorrow morning what they need to know.”

At this, I’m done with the conversation. “Headed to bed.” I jut my chin to the group and walk around to my entrance to avoid running into anyone still awake in the house.

Wolf’s head pops up and his tail thumps twice before he curls back into a ball on his bed.

Willow steps out of the bathroom, her grin growing. “One good thing about your testosterone-filled meeting, I saved my dress.”

The heaviness of the last few minutes disappears at the triumph in her expression.

“It will never see the light of day again.” I bend to kiss her, squeezing her ass. “Meet you in bed.”

I strip off the custom-made tux, tossing it into the hamper Willow dubbed as ‘dry clean only’. Next to it sits another basket for our ‘everyday items’.

My life is about order, but I’ve never separated my shit before she moved in.

Her clothes are organized in sections, her shoes, handbags, and accessories all lining the shelves.

Her replenished Lulu collection—bras, tanks, shorts, pants, jackets—all methodically arranged in colored clusters.

More evidence of her touch is spread throughout.

Cosmetics, lotions, and perfumes are arranged on the vanity.

Her toothbrush sitting next to mine…

I step into the shower, noting the multiple bottles of shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, body washes, the bright pink loofah sponge that stands out in the otherwise basic space.

Her presence is everywhere.

The scalding hot water does little to ease the tension coiled tight.

I shut off the water, wrapping a towel around my waist, not bothering with the pajama pants Willow laid out.

Fuck the fact the house is full of people.

She’s giggling at something on her phone when I enter the room, and her eyes dart up, her laughter halting.

Even with all the shit in my head, my cock reacts to the way her eyes heat, roaming over my form.

I give myself the time to memorize her sitting in the bed, wearing one of my tees, looking straight out of a dream.

“The first time I saw you at Tom’s, you were wearing jeans and a plain black shirt.

My heart skipped a beat.” She raises her gaze to me.

“Then at the park, running with a dog you borrowed, I didn’t think you were real.

My graduation, you wore a navy suit. When you dress for work, the gym, the pool—all of it is burned in my brain. ”

“Baby, where you going with this?”

“Today, when I saw you in the tux, my breath literally left my lungs. And now, it’s a reminder you are the most beautiful man in the world.”

I stalk to the bed, dropping the towel and lifting her so when I lean against the headboard, she’s straddling me.

“Came around that corner, Bex spouting some shit. The next second, my world shifted. The gorgeous brunette with striking green eyes captured me. My heart didn’t skip a beat—it stopped altogether. Just like it has every day since then.”

Her face softens, her fingers mapping the ink on my chest. “I love you.”

Guilt burns through my veins, my conscious screaming at me. “Which is why I hate to do this.”

Her light brushes stop, her body going stiff. “No.” The whisper is torment.

“We got word Max is involved in a hostage situation.”

“Is he okay?”

“Not sure of the details. Robbie is assembling an intelligence team.”

“What does this mean?”

“Means we are joining Hayes Security again. The rest in uncertain right now.”

“Uncertain?”

“Yeah.”

“But an intelligence team is like a command center, right? Like the movies?”

I don’t correct her about the Hollywood version of ITs. Nor do I confess my place in the team.

“Are other police units joining this team?”

Fuck! I hoped to graze over this part. She picks up on my hesitation, shaking her head.

“Don’t do that. Don’t keep anything from me.”

“This isn’t with the force. I’m going in as a Marine.”

“But you’re not an active Marine. You’re not even an active reservist. You’re in a specialized training role!”

I remain quiet, holding back all the connections and backways Robbie and James can construct their operations.

Her hand flies to her mouth, realization washing over her. “This isn’t just intelligence. You’re going after Max, aren’t you?”

“We don’t know what my role will be yet.” This is partially the truth, since the intel on Max’s situation won’t be fully known until Robbie breaks about a dozen National Intelligence Laws.

“But you could be going directly into danger?”

Another bout of silence from me.

Her body bucks, and I knife up as she collapses into my chest. Her tears soak my skin, each one piercing like a blade to my heart.

As much as I want to comfort her, soothe her fears, stop the overactive imagination, and make all the promises she needs to hear—I can’t.

Willow’s trust was broken once by a man who lied and deceived. I won’t be that asshole.

Each quake of her body and round of sobs reach deep in my soul, tearing it apart.

After what seems like an eternity, her wails die down and she clutches to me.

“What about Ace, Major, and Ford?”

“Ford is on his honeymoon. Ace and Major are in.”

“They have babies.”

“Princess, you are letting your mind go awry. We are fucking good at our jobs.”

Her head pops up, her anguished eyes flicking with irritation. “I know that! You’re the best. You take down cartels, save ships, scale buildings to save abducted women… you shut down illegal operations moving drugs through the country!”

Pride slithers through me at the resolution in her rant.

“You should also believe in us.”

Her flushed complexion pales to ash. “I-I-I do. Oh my God… I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I’m being a selfish bitch. This is the man you are. Hero, warrior, loyal friend, and intelligence genius. Robbie would be stupid not to recruit you.”

I press her head back to my chest, needing to cradle her close. Her speeding heart eventually slows as my hand moves up and down her back.

“Tell me what you were giggling about?”

“What?”

“When I came out of the shower, you were laughing at your phone.”

“I’m not sure it’s relevant right now.”

“Everything is relevant. It’s been a great day. Don’t ruin it by falling asleep with all this on your mind. Tell me what was funny.”

“It was a text from Rowan.”

I can’t stop the bark of laughter that rumbles from my chest. “Rowan’s messaging you from her hotel on her wedding night? That shit is too good. Wait until Ford gets back.”

“It was a text thread with the bridesmaids with a thank you note.”

“He should have his wife busy.”

“It was really nice.”

“Sure it was.”

“Seriously, Talon, she included pictures.”

“Oh fuck, this gets better and better. She has the time to text and shoot off shots? Ford will never live this down.”

“They were pictures of Tom shielding Maverick all night like he was a hired guard.” She pinches me. “It was sweet.”

“Yeah, sweet. You message people on our wedding night, I deserve to lose my man card.”

“Don’t say anything to him.”

“Princess, this is too good to pass up.”

A calm quiet settles over us before she whispers, “When will you know more?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I love you, Talon.”

After a few minutes, her breathing evens out and her grip loosens. I click off the bedside lamp and give myself a few more minutes.

Darkness coats the room, my mood changing with every second ticking by.

When my time is almost up, I slip out from under her. In less than five minutes, I’m dressed, my bag packed, and I’m standing over Willow’s sleeping form.

My phone buzzes with the text I’ve been waiting for.

The guys are read in. Team is aligned.

She doesn’t stir when I fasten the necklace around her neck and kiss her lightly.

“They need me, baby. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Tomorrow, when she realizes what’s happened, hopefully she’ll understand.

And that may be the only thing I have going for me.

Because in the end, when I return, I can say I didn’t lie to her.