There was a round of laughter, and even Izzy found herself grinning. "You do have a bit of a hero complex, don't you? Have you now filled your quota for the night?"
He glanced down at her, his eyes narrowed with laughter. "More like for the year," he admitted.
The younger men wouldn't leave until they'd heard what other mischief he'd been in that night. Izzy reported what had happened, but left out the juiciest bits. The men seemed to understand that though too. Their eyes sparkled and they shared grins and shoulder bumps. It was obvious they knew their mutual hero had gotten some other action tonight as well.
By the time they pulled away from his younger teammates, it was obvious Drake's reputation had grown. Within minutes, it seemed like a large portion of the reception guests had also heard. Kiko waved Izzy down at one point, pulling her into a semi-quiet corner.
"Are you okay?" she hissed. "What happened?"
Izzy winced. "Nothing you need to worry about right now. I was really trying not to disrupt your wedding."
"Well, it's done," Kiko told her, making a flat hand motion. "Now tell me so I know everything is good before I escape to the islands."
Izzy told her everything. Ginny joined them about halfway through, her mouth dropping open incredulously as she listened. “Brendon was so nice at first. What happened?"
Izzy shrugged. "Drake and the security guards seem to think he's on something."
Ginny hummed in her throat. "That makes sense. Obviously he’s taken something.”
All three nodded. They'd seen irrational behavior on drugs before, many, many times.
"And I don't know if it has any bearing on the situation," Kiko said thoughtfully, "but he was also in the Navy a few years. His family and mine were neighbors in LA."
Izzy frowned. Was it a stretch to wonder if being around Navy SEALs would set him off?
"I'll let Drake know,” she murmured. “It sounds a little far fetched. I mean, Kiko set this date up a few days ago and everything seemed fine. He was personable on the phone. I met him last night when he picked me up at the airport and took me out to dinner. We had a decent time. He's a little intense, but not too bad."
Kiko nodded. "Yes, he was always like that. I thought the two of you would get along well though."
Izzy shrugged. "Oh, well."
The wedding planner called Kiko's name and she glanced over her shoulder at her with a bright smile. "This woman is driving me nuts," she murmured out of the side of her mouth. "I'm so glad the wedding is over."
Laughing, Izzy pulled her in for a hug. "Glad we're not the only ones who hate her."
Kiko squeezed her hard. "I think we're going to make our escape soon. I love you girls. Keep things under control till I get back in a couple weeks."
They nodded, and Izzy was struck with the sweetness of the moment between them. "You're married now. What the hell? Things are going to change."
Kiko winced, brushing Izzy's hair from her cheek. "Not if I can help it," she promised. "We'll talk more when I get home."
With final hugs and kisses, the three friends parted.
"She's going to leave us," Ginny whispered.
Izzy thought so too, but she wouldn't vocalize it just yet. There was a chance the three of them would stay together at Ft. Carson. It just wasn't great.
6
Drake watched the three women together. It was obvious they had been friends for a very long time. He could almost hear Izzy's words in his mind as she explained the situation to the bride. He expected anger from Kiko, but he didn't see it. She nodded her head and frowned, and at one point her mouth fell open, but she didn't appear aggravated, like he would have been.
No, she seemed to take everything in stride, even reaching out to comfort Izzy. She could have been a real bitch about everything. Drake appreciated that her light was too bright to dim today.
Tyler stood hipshot across the courtyard with a group of buddies, but the entire time he watched Kiko. There was an emotion in his eyes that spoke of heat and need. He seemed to be biding his time until he could steal Kiko away, nodding absently to those talking around him.
If he were newly married, Drake supposed that he would be entranced by his new wife as well.
He turned to look for Izzy. The three friends were hugging and separating. All three were beautiful in their own way, but Izzy drew his attention like no other woman. She was a few inches taller than the other women and more fairly complected, and that hair...
