Page 45 of Gunner

Chapter 20

Gunner was surprisedto have got a call from Jack early this morning. He’d been lying awake in bed with Lacey draped over him like a blanket, her naked flesh making his body ache to be inside her again. It had been three days since the fire that almost took her from him, and he knew it would be a long time before he got the picture of her unconscious body out of his head.

They’d made love, and he’d shown her with his touch and his body how much he cherished her loving him and what she meant to him. He wasn’t sure he’d ever have the words to make her understand just how she’d saved him.

He’d gone from a man almost begging for death, so tired with the world, to one who woke up every morning feeling blessed beyond what he could comprehend.

His phone had vibrated on the nightstand, and he’d seen it was Jack wanting him to meet him an Eidolon. Slipping from the bed and leaving Lacey spread out like a feast was hard but making her safe was more important than anything.

Dressing quickly, he’d sent a text to Kanan next door and told him Lacey was alone and he had to go out for a meeting with Jack and would be back as soon as he could. He’d no intention of stealing into the new father’s time with his wife and family if he could help it.

He wrote a note to Lacey and left it by the bed and then filled the kettle for her and laid out her favourite tea mug. He got a text back from K, saying Roz was sending one of her girls over and he relaxed even more.

Gunner locked the door and sat in his vehicle until he saw Bebe, drive into the spot beside him and give him a jaunty salute. He lifted his chin in greeting and pulled out, glad that he was only a few minutes down the road now, instead of miles away. This place had been a godsend, and he was very tempted to make Zack an offer on the place.

Lacey hadn’t said much, but he got the feeling she wasn’t all that keen on going back to her old place. Which was a shame because it was a wonderful home, and perhaps when it was gutted and decorated, she would feel differently.

They hadn’t discussed the future, but he knew for a fact his lay with her, he just hoped she felt the same when all this was over, and she didn’t decide he was more hassle than he was worth.

Jack’s black Audi Q8 was parked in his spot, and so was Lopez’s Ford and Decker’s Ducati Black Star. Gunner left the Volvo he’d been driving beside Jack’s car and entered the building. It was barely seven in the morning, but he could already feel the hum of life from the place—familiar smells of cooking mixed with the sweat from the gym and the cleaning solution.

It was almost surreal to be there and the feeling of belonging restored to his psyche. So many times he would’ve done anything to be back here, and now he was, he knew why it’d had such an impact on him.

He headed to Jack’s office and knocked on the open door, seeing Decker seated in front of the desk and Jack behind it.

Jack sat forward and Decker turned toward him. “Gunner, come in and take a seat.”

“Everything okay?”

Jack nodded. “Yes, we just wanted to run something by you and see how you felt about it.”

Gunner rested his arms on the arms of the chair and leaned back. “Yeah, what’s that?”

“Well, as you know, Lopez connected the men from the attack on Lacey to Carmine Russo, but I confirmed Osbourne signed the papers for his release. Has he contacted you at all?”

“Bás has, says Osbourne is impatient to get his hands on the details of the tour. I think I’ve probably strung him out as long as I can now.”

“Okay, that works into our plan.”

“Your plan?”

“Yes, I have a meeting with the Queen and James Fitzgerald in two days. I want to meet her away from Buckingham Palace. There are too many eyes and ears there but I want you to be with me for the meeting as well as Decker and Blake. Afterwards, I’m going to have James leak it so it gets back to Osbourne that you were there.”

“He’ll think you trust me completely again, so when I give him the tour, he won’t question it.”

“Exactly.” Decker looked at Jack and then back to Gunner with a cunning smile. The man was a shark in a suit, and probably more deadly than anyone else. He may not be the quickest on the assault course, although he was probably faster than most Marines, but he could get in your head and have you turning a gun on yourself before you’d even realised what he’d done.

“What’s the plan for Osbourne?”

“That’s what we’re going to meet with HRH about. This is something she needs to make the call on, but I’m going to suggest she eliminates the threat at the source and brings in a new Deputy Director and cleans house of all the men Osbourne put in place.”

“I think that’s the only way to ensure her safety.”

Gunner didn’t want to ask, but he knew things unsaid did more harm than those spoken of. “What about your father?”

“As soon as I have the evidence I need, he’ll be arrested and charged with treason among other things.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. That’s tough.”