I smiled at that. “She brings out the protector streak in a lot of men.”
“It might take me a day or two to get in touch with him, and even then, I can’t promise he’ll help.”
“Understood. She’ll be out of state for a couple of weeks, so that should be good enough for now. But I can give him her phone number if he wants to speak with her before she returns. Thank you, sir.”
I turned to walk out the door, but his words stopped me.
“Forbes! Your head needs to stay in the game.”
With a nod, I replied, “Yes, sir. She’s strong. I need her to have the tools to help her so she doesn’t break.”
“Get some rest. I’ll let you know when I have information.”
“Thank you again, sir.”
As I walked back to my bunk, I dialed my brother’s phone. Hardly surprising, it went immediately to voicemail. I hadn’t heard from him in almost three months. The Marines tapped him for a special project—he couldn’t tell me what he was doing,or where he was—but I knew whatever and wherever it was, it was dangerous.
“Jamie. We need to talk. Dad went after Lyrical. She’s okay, and my captain is helping me get her some legal counsel, but we need a plan.”
Chapter Twelve.
Lyrical – Ten years later
“Is that the last of them?” Jesse asked.
I look around the living room, hands on hips. “Unless you have some boxes in the truck, I think we’re good.”
Jamie came down the hall with Keys, the newest member of the team, right behind him. The poor guy. Unfortunately, being the FNG made him easy pickings. Apparently, Jamie had yet another conquest from the local bar, and he was giving a blow-by-blow account of last night’s adventure, mimicking a slapping motion in the air, demonstrating his spanking prowess on the girl’s behind.
When he caught me out of the corner of his eye, he immediately stopped his retelling, coughed into his fist, and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Lyrical.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “I have no tender sensibilities left after thirteen years of your playboy ways.”
He picked me up, swung me around in a circle, making a “grr” noise as he did so. “Sweet sister-in-law, you’re too good to me!”
“Put my wife down, you neanderthal,” Jesse grumbled good-naturedly from the doorway.
“Aww… He’s jealous. How sweet.” Just to taunt his brother, he gave me a loud smack on the cheek and a smack on the butt.
Rubbing the stinging cheek, I frowned at him. “I’m not one of your barflies, Jamie.”
He winked and headed for the deck out back. “Time for the obligatory beer and pizza.”
Keys was still standing in the hall’s archway, looking slightly dazed.
“Thanks for helping, Keys,” I offered. “Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with him too often.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”
I smiled. “It’s Lyrical, Keys.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Shaking my head and smiling, I shooed him out onto the deck. “Go on. Eat. Drink. Moving ten years of stuff is hot, sweaty work. And don’t set yourself on fire if you stay for the firepit antics!” I reminded him.
Closing the door on the team outside, I stood there, watching them act like hooligans, and let out an enormous sigh of relief that everything was inside that should be, and that I got a moment’s peace before heading out there with them.
Jamie was in a different battalion of the Raiders than Jesse. His being home was a lucky coincidence timed with the move to the new house. He’s still off on his super-secret missions, although Jesse implied their paths cross from time to time. That worried me, because while my husband is a Raider, it took little to know Jamie was something above and beyond my husband, which meant when they crossed paths, those missions were extra dangerous.
