Rolling my good eye at him, I say, “Don’t be ridiculous. Have you seen me? I look like I’ve been put through a meat grinder.”
Cole extends a hand and gets to his feet, pulling me up. He doesn’t let go as we make our way outside. “You, my little wood nymph, seriously underestimate your appeal. There could be a paper bag over your head, and these guys would still salivate. That body,” he growls, side-eyeing me. “If I wasn’t hurting so bad, I’d fuck you right here.”
I giggle, the first genuine sound since Jason got hold of me, as we join the others. Thankfully, there’s no sign of my ex, and even though I don’t feel a shred of remorse over his death, I did love him once and can’t help but grieve the memory of the boy I once knew. I really didn’t want to see his lifeless body, and I’m glad someone has already taken the time to erase any trace of him. We approach Spencer, who’s set up a little space for Cole as he waits beside his medical bag.
“There he is,” he calls out. “The man of the hour and the bravest girl in the world.”
Cole arches an eyebrow and shoots me a what-did-I-tell-you look. The younger man pats a large rock, inviting Cole to sit so he can look him over.
“First things first. Pick your poison,” he says, waving a hand at an impressive variety of pill bottles and vials. “You must be hurting like a son of a bitch by now. I can give him a dose of the good stuff,”he drawls, throwing me a cocky wink. “Knock him out for a couple of hours so you and I can get to know each other better.”
“Jesus Christ,” I hear Maddox mutter. “I swear to God, this kid has a death wish.” He shakes his head at the young medic while the rest of his team chuckles around us. “Please don’t kill him. He can’t help himself. I think it might be a condition. We recently captured a well-known terrorist, and the guy hadn’t even been escorted from his compound, when lil’ Spence over here starts chatting up the wife. I mean, fuck. His side of the bed wasn’t even cold yet.”
“Hey, she looked severely dissatisfied, and she was eyeing me up like a goddamn treat. I’m working off assumptions here, but I’m ninety-nine percent sure she wasn’t happy in her marriage. And it’s not like her hubby was ever coming back.”
“Like I said,” Maddox counters. “He can’t help himself. He might be a horny little asshole, but I need him. So, if you could please ignore everything that leaves his mouth over the next twenty minutes or so, I’d appreciate it.”
Cole grunts, and Spencer gives him a sheepish look before he turns serious, giving us a glimpse at the capable operative he obviously is, considering his position within his team. For the next half hour, Cole sits stoically as Spencer goes to work, cleaning, prodding, and suturing until he leans back with a satisfied smile.
“There. All done, big boy. I’m fairly certain there’s no internal bleeding or organ damage, but as I said earlier, it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion.”
“Alright, guys,” Maddox booms, clapping his hands together once. “I wish I had time to hang out and catch up, but I have a date with a huge Russian motherfucker, so, unfortunately, it’s wheels up for us again.”
I watch Cole embrace his best friend and try not to get emotional as the two men talk in hushed tones before they draw apart. Maddox steps up to me and gives me an affectionate smile. “Charlie, take care of each other, alright?”
“I will,” I promise as I’m treated to a fierce hug myself. “Thank you so much for what you’ve done for us.”
“Don’t mention it. This prick has saved my ass countless times. It’s only fair that I return the favor. Say hi to Dee for me, would you? Tell her I’m sorry I missed her this go-around.”
He gives his team a hand signal that has everyone scurrying away and lifts his chin toward us as he walks backward.
“Go home. Rest and get some sleep. Come up with a believable story for the authorities, but give my clean-up guys a few hours to scrub the scene first. They should be here any minute.”
And with that, Maddox and his team disappear into the woods. But not before Spencer turns our way one last time, raising hishand in a wave and flashing us a glimpse of his teeth as he shouts, “Goodbye, Charlie. Call me if things with this one don’t work out.”
It’s a quiet night, and the only thing that can be heard is the deep chuckles of his fellow soldiers and the popping sound of Cole’s jaw.
When it’s just the two of us left in the dark, Cole extends his hand and I take it, intertwining my fingers with his. He turns his head and waits for me to meet his gaze before saying, “Let’s get you home. The faster I deal with the fallout, the faster we can leave this shit in our rearview and start our life together.”
“Take the lead, Agent Foster. I’ll gladly follow.”
Epilogue
Cole
Two years later
Standing on our brand-new wrap-around porch, I glance over my shoulder while I give the sizzling burger patties a flip and marvel at the absolute vision that is my wife. We’ve been married fourteen months now, and some days, I still can’t believe that this is my new life. There was a time when I thought I’d never have this again. That I’d never again experience this level of contentment, let alone this all-consuming love that only seems to burn hotter with each passing day. Somehow, the gorgeous womanstriding toward me with a soft expression on her ethereal features has managed to take this jaded shell of a man and change him on a cellular level.
Charlie stops next to me, and I throw an arm out, inviting her to snuggle into my side, where she rests her head on my chest with a contented sigh. I press a kiss to the top of her head and give her a squeeze, careful not to knock the salad bowl out of her hands.
“I hope you’re almost done, because I’m starving.”
I chuckle at the longing expression that matches the one her mooch of a dog has been wearing ever since I first lit the grill.
“What else is new?”
“Hey,” she whines, smacking the back of her hand into my stomach hard enough to pull a grunt out of me. “You try growing a whole ass human, let alone two, and then we’ll talk. I swear, everything I eat goes straight to your greedy babies. I feel like I’m never full.”
