Link stepped under the spray of water, letting the warmth sink in. He knew the whole thing had been televised. He had little doubt it would be played over and over again, picked apart, and armchair do-gooders would detail every wrong move they made, telling the audience no one had to die. The military had made mistakes, the fire and explosions had been the military's fault, and not the fault of the terrorist. It was all part of the ratings games the media played. Anything to get clicks and views, the truth be damned.
But he wasn't on earth to set people straight. He would ignore it all, like he usually did, and go home to his lover. That brought a smile to his lips. He had a lover, and all he wanted to do was just get home to Ansley and let the world keep turning.
He shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. Chase bumped his shoulder and lifted his chin. “You’re thinking of Ansley, aren’t you?”
“Of course he is,” Scott said. “He’s got a good woman to go home to. She’s going to wrap you in her arms and hold you tight. No question, you’re going to be one happy man this weekend.”
Link chuckled. “I’m not going to lie, I’m very happy she’s waiting at home for me.”
"All I've got is my lumpy couch and microwave meals," Stanley said. "Gotta say, being on missions with you guys is more fun than being home alone."
“Gosh, Stanley, you could buy yourself a new couch,” Keel said.
Stanley rolled his eyes. “I’ll get new furniture, eventually. I just don’t see any reason to spend money on furniture when I don’t have to.”
Bean moved to stand in front of Stanley and put both hands on his shoulders. “Trust me, brother, you need to get a new couch. That one is crap. Just go out and buy a new one. You’ll be much happier.”
The door opened, stopping the conversation. It was an officer asking them to come talk to other officers before leaving. Something about the ambassador wanting to extend his thanks.
“Sure thing,” Chase said as he pulled up his pants, zipping them.
They would head home. Mick would take a few days to allow the blisters to heal, then they would be back at it. He wanted to take Ansley to the beach and spend the day sitting around doing nothing other than holding her. He would make sure she never lacked in love. He would spend his life showing her how much she meant to him.
Chapter 42
Ansley’s gazeswung to the kitchen. There were butcher knives and heavy pots she could use. Her gun was in the bedroom, but Pete moved closer, cutting off her path to the gun.
She made a dash for the knife block, but her feet got tangled up in the pillows she’d knocked off the couch and her shoes she’d not put up.
Her knee came down hard, and then her hands slapped the floor. The sound of Pete's laughter filled the air. The bastard was laughing at her.
Ansley tried to stand, but Pete's foot swung back and connected with her side, the force knocking her sideways. Her arm buckled, and her left shoulder crashed into the floor.
What was wrong with her? She needed to fight, but she felt sluggish, like she hadn’t woken up well from the nap.
Pete was on her, his hands holding her down. She bucked her hips up, and he laughed even more. He placed his forearm on her neck as he struggled to get something out of his pocket.
She was almost away from him when the bastard struck her with something, ringing her bell. She didn’t pass outimmediately, but she couldn’t concentrate enough to fight him off as he cuffed her hands together.
“I’m going to make you pay for what you did to my brother. You killed him, and you’re going to admit it on camera before I make turnabout fair play.”
What the hell did he mean by that? She tried to fight back, but it was useless. Ansley knew she was down for the count.
Link hatedthe dog and pony show that happened when the brass wanted to show off. It didn’t happen often, but sometimes, when certain politically connected individuals were rescued, they wanted a performance.
They all shook hands and behaved while meeting the political appointees, doing their best to say as little as possible while smiling like idiots. There were no photo ops. They drew the line at photos. They would remain anonymous. No exceptions.
They got their pizza before hopping on a flight back home. Everyone was quiet as exhaustion extended its grasp, taking them into sleep.
When he woke, they were still a couple of hours out from their base. He was thrilled they weren’t heading to a different base before landing at home. All he wanted was to get home and hug Ansley.
If he asked her to marry him, would she say yes? They’d not been together long. He didn’t want to rush her, but he knew what he wanted.
There was money in his savings account, and he had a couple of CDs coming due, plus he had a good-sized investment account he was saving for retirement. He didn't want to touch the investments, but they were there.
“You look serious,” Chase said.
“I’m thinking about buying a ring for Ansley.”
