“Well, hot damn!” She pulled Talia in for another hug. “Knowing you’ll have our husbands’ backs out there is even more cause for celebration.”
“I second that notion!” Gwen chimed in from where she stood next to Emmett. “It’s nice to know I won’t be the only female R.I.S.C. operative on this side of the country.”
Alpha Team had Mac, Echo had Gwen, and now Delta was going to have Talia on their team.
Emmett’s dark gaze met Jagger’s with an outstretched hand. “Congrats, man. I’m happy for you both.”
“Thanks, man.” Jagger returned the gesture. “And thanks for coming. It would’ve been great if the whole team was here, but I understand why the others had to stay back.”
Draven, Blake, and Lucas each had various prior commitments that couldn’t be avoided.
“Maybe, once we finally get our shit together and get the office up and running, our teams will work a joint op again.”
“Never know.” Jagger shrugged. “But I’d be happy to help out any time you need me.”
“Same goes for me.” Talia gave the other man a friendly hug.
“And hey!” Jagger slapped a hand against Emmet’s muscular bicep. “You do know it’s only a matter of time, right?”
Emmett frowned. “For what?”
“For your turn at the altar.” Jagger wrapped an arm around his bride and pulled her in close. “May as well accept it now, my man. I mean, workin’ for R.I.S.C., it’s pretty much an inevitability at this point.”
Emmett smiled but there was something keeping it from reaching the man’s eyes.
“I think I’ll leave this sort of thing up to you and the others,” Echo Team’s leader rumbled.
Emmett quietly excused himself when someone else came up to greet the happy couple. Jagger watched him go, hoping the other man would, someday, blessed same kind of happiness and love he’d been lucky enough to have found with Talia.
Because finding her had changed his life in the very best of ways.
The restof the afternoon was spent enjoying cake, champagne, and a barbeque buffet behind the secured gates ofthe Hunt’s private—and quite expansive—property. It wasn’t that long ago that they’d stood together on this very same land.
Jagger often thought about that day when he and Talia had stood near the team’s outdoor range. He’d purposely pushed every button the woman possessed, and she’d called him on his shit.
He was fairly certain that was the moment he fell in love. He smiled to himself, remembering the way Talia had seemed so determined to prove herself as the capable leader of the op.
To him. To his team. And to the members of Echo.
And the highly trained woman had done so in spades.
There wasn’t a single person here who would ever question her abilities or loyalty to the team. So when it came time to vote on whether to accept her as an equal member, every Delta Team member had instantly agreed.
Talia would be an incredible asset to R.I.S.C.’s Delta Team. Jagger knew it. They all did. But most importantly?—
She’s going to be an incredible wife.
Wife. Life partner. Mother of his future children. When Jagger looked at his bride, he saw all those things and more. And he couldn’t wait for the rest of their lives to finally begin.
“You look awfully deep in thought, Mr. Brooks.” Talia broke away from a conversation with the girls to sidle up to his side. “Anything you want to share?”
“Just wondering if these jokers would notice if we skipped out of the party early, Mrs. Brooks.”
His entire being grew warm with an overwhelming sense of love and peace, knowing he’d never, ever get tired of hearing his name joined with hers.
With a laugh, Talia reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jagger’s hands went to her waist, his fingers gently clutching her hips. Rising up on her tiptoes, she closed the distance between their mouths.
The kiss she gave stole his breath the same way she’d stolen his heart.
