“You know it’s early as hell, right?” he grumbled.
“I think that I need your help,” Rocco said.
“Why, what’s happened?” Tony asked, sounding more alert now.
Rocco stared out the apartment window again as he spoke. “Remember when I told you and Luca about my best friend, Gunner?”
“Yeah, he was one of the guys in your platoon, right?” Tony asked.
“Right, well, I think that he’s alive,” Rocco said. Dead silence met him, and for a second, he thought that the call had dropped.
“Hello,” Rocco said.
“Yeah, I’m here,” Tony said. “What the fuck, man?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I said when I realized that he might still be alive,” Rocco admitted.
Tony exhaled. “Okay, start talking.” Rocco gave him the short version—the sighting, the photo, and eventually, he got to the part about the text. By the end of it, Tony sounded fully awake.
“Have you called Luca yet?” Tony asked.
“No,” Rocco admitted.
“I will.” Tony’s voice turned hard immediately. “You and Luna stay put until we get there.”
Rocco’s jaw tightened. “I think I should get her out of here.”
“No shit,” Tony snapped. “But you’re also not handling this alone. So, stay put and text me her address.” That hit harder than Rocco expected, because handling things alone had become second nature after the military. Isolation was easier—safer. But now, he had Luna standing in the next room packing a bag because someone connected to his past was stalking them. Nothing felt safe anymore. Now, he realized that this wasn’t just about him anymore because they were sending her messages now, which meant that she was a part of this mess.
“You hear me?” Tony demanded.
“Yeah, I hear you,” Rocco grumbled.
“We’ll be there in twenty,” Tony growled into the other end of the call, quickly ending it before Rocco could protest.
He immediately checked the locks on Luna’s apartment without even thinking about it—front door, windows, and the back balcony were all secure, but he still didn’t feel any better about things. His body moved automatically while his brain tried tocatch up. All he could think about was the fact that Gunner was alive. The idea still felt impossible, but the message wasn’t random.
You should’ve died with the rest of us.
Not them, but us. That was what had stuck out most to Rocco. He leaned heavily against the counter as memories crashed into him hard enough to make his chest ache. Gunner laughing in the barracks, and Gunner shoving him toward the mess hall. But the one memory that hit him hardest was Gunner promising they’d see him soon, because he didn’t keep that promise. Instead, there were body bags and funerals to attend, followed by years of guilt and grief—and now this.
“What’s the plan?” Luna’s voice pulled him back to reality instantly. He turned and nearly lost his train of thought completely. She had changed quickly into jeans and a hoodie, but she still looked rattled—scared, even, and seeing fear on Luna’s face did something ugly to him.
Rocco crossed the room immediately, his hands settling on her shoulders. “You okay?”
She gave him a look like, “Seriously,” and he couldn’t blame her. “No,” she admitted quietly. “But I will be.” Even scared, she stayed steady, and that made him love her a little more. The realization hit so suddenly that it almost staggered him. He had been seeing her as his therapist for months, but all the while falling for her. It made sense to him now—he was in love with her. Not lust, not attachment, but love. And the terrifying part was that he didn’t even want to deny it.
A loud knock at the door snapped both of them back to their present problems. Rocco moved automatically, stepping in frontof Luna while reaching behind the door for the aluminum bat she kept there.
Her brows lifted slightly. “This is what you use for protection?” he questioned.
“A girl can’t be too careful,” she muttered. “Plus, you should see my swing. All those years playing softball really paid off.” Despite everything, he almost smiled. Another knock sounded—three sharp taps followed by Tony’s voice.
“Open the damn door before Luca breaks it down,” he shouted. Rocco exhaled roughly and unlocked it. Tony shoved inside first, his dark eyes immediately scanning the apartment. Luca followed behind him, looking just as tense, his broad shoulders filling the doorway. Then came Jonesy, and the older trainer looked furious, not panicked, but mad as hell.
“What the hell did you drag these boys into now?” Jonesy barked. That almost felt normal enough to ease some tension, because he was always giving the three of them shit.
Rocco introduced them all to Luna, who stood next to him, her mouth gaping open. Tony immediately asked to see her cellphone, and he looked through the text. His expression darkened instantly. “That’s not a coincidence. This person knows you, Rocco.”
