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“Oh, just kiss and make up, why don’t you two,” a deep, scratchy voice says from the doorway, and I whip around with my gun out and aimed to kill.
“Fuck, Striker, knock from now on, and that ain’t fucking happening. That’s like making out with my sister, so nope.” Gambit laughs and sits back down.
“Striker.” He moves toward me and pauses, which I like. I move the last bit of distance so he can hug me. “What the fuck are you doing around here? You’re hanging out with this cradle robber?” I throw a hand up to indicate Gambit.
He shrugs, and I can’t help but take in how much he’s changed over the years. He was already a part of the unit when Gambit and I were recruited. He was Commander’s second in command. He’s taller than Gambit and just as bulky, but he’s got long black hair about to his chin, striking blue eyes, and muscles that are long and lean. You’d think that’s how he got his name, but it’s not. He has the nickname Striker because that was his position in soccer. Striker used to play and was destined to go to the Olympics or professional, but for some reason he decided to go into the military. He was good at what he did, so he became a part of the Black Unit. Like all of us, he was cross-trained in all fields, but he was our team medic mostly.
“You know she’s legal, and there’s no way this fool would go after her just for tail. He wouldn’t do that to you.”
I pause at his words and realize the truth of them.
I turn and look at Gambit. He was there with me for so much, but when I needed these men the most, I didn’t bring them in. I turned to Ryan and away from everyone else.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Striker asks as he takes the chair next to where I was sitting.
I watch as Gambit pulls out a drawer and lifts a bottle of bourbon. I know it’s his favorite, Stagg. He pulls out three glasses and pours us each a couple fingers. I take the glass and tip it slightly at them.
“Open up, take a swallow, before the Blackness overtakes you,” we all say the toast one of our idiot friends made up one night. It was before all hell broke loose and he was killed.
When I take that first taste, I can’t help but think of him. I close my eyes, remembering that loss like it was yesterday. After that mission we were benched, and I was sent to Thant. If Deere boy hadn’t died, where would I be now?
“Don’t go there, girl,” Striker says before he throws back the whole two fingers of his drink. “Regrets are for wimps, and we all know you ain’t one of those. Now, what are we up against?”
“Nothing.” I stand and set down the tumbler with the remaining whiskey still in it. “I don’t need your help.” I look at Gambit. “Don’t hurt her, or I’ll bury you. They won’t find your body because the sharks will be your last witnesses.” I turn to walk out.
“Rogue, we are here. You call, and we are there for you. You don’t call again, we’ll still be there,” Striker says, and I nod. In other words, they are going to be there with me for the remainder of this. I can’t let them get in trouble, so I’ll figure things out on my own.
As I drive away from them, I remember how we each used to have each other’s backs. Until Deere died and reality set in for all of us. It was fun and games. Oh, sure, we fought, got dirty, but none of us had died. That was a fucked-up mission that we all had thought was a shitstorm before it even started. I’d tried telling Commander the intelligence wasn’t correct, but he told me there was no option. We had to go. So, we did, and Deere died, and we were all separated. The higher-ups said we had gotten complacent with each other and weren’t mission ready anymore. That the Black Unit wasn’t functional anymore.
I was farmed out to Thant, and he used me. It was only a week after I met him that he wooed me into his bed. I thought I was in love because my heart was so hurt from losing Deere and my team. I’d been with them since I was eighteen and fresh out of boot camp. I was in training when I met Gambit. We both loved comics and were nicknamed after a couple of our favorite characters. It also didn’t help that Gavin was from the South and had a thick accent. Gambit fit him perfectly. Over the years he’s lost his accent. Striker was from this area, if I remember correctly. He was the one who talked Gambit into coming back here and settling down.
I push all the memories of the past behind me and head home, where I know that Leif is going to come see me for the night. Franci is spending the night with Babushka at Erika and Gray’s place. I’m going to get to meet his dog DaVinci too. I’m excited to spend some time with Leif and us getting to know each other.
Eleven
RIDLEY
“Ryan,” I holler his name to be heard over all of the people milling around the scene. Emersyn, his doctor friend, is being held hostage in the ER. My men were supposed to be keeping an eye on her.
“Ridley.” Ryan turns to me, and I see the stark fear on his face.
I reach out and touch his shoulder. I’m able to touch people more and allow them to touch me. Leif and I have been together for almost two months as a couple now. Still not many people know because I don’t want my brothers to freak out.
“The guys couldn’t get in there to help, but we can try to sneak them in before the cops act.” I move him away out of earshot from the police and inform him. I know what’s going to happen. The cops are going to try to negotiate, and it isn’t going to work. This man wants to kill Emersyn. Now that I know about her and Ryan’s relationship, it means she’s family too, so I have to at least try.
“Trevor, this is my friend Ridley.” Ryan introduces us. “She’s in charge of the security team that’s been on Emmy.”
I reach out to shake his hand, but he just stares at it. I know that Trevor and Emersyn are in a relationship, so he’s going to react badly to the fact my team didn’t stop this from happening.
“Why didn’t they stop this?”
I pull back my hand and shake my head.
“We can’t operate on the hospital premises. He was already in the ER before they could get in there. But I’m willing to break the rules and go in if you say you want me to.” I stand tall and stare him directly in the eye.
He looks over to where the police are trying to get in contact with the ER, then he looks back at me. They are moving around in a hurry, and I’m calm as a cucumber. I have a general idea of what I need to do. What my team will do. This won’t be too difficult for us.
“That’s a dumbass question. Fuck yes, I want you to get her back.” He clenches his jaw hard. I move out of view of the news cameras.
