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Fifty-Three
DELILAH
I couldn’t stop hugging them! And they couldn’t stop kissing me. The circle of affection between Julius, Duncan and I went round and round, getting more and more heated, while poor Liam looked on with a sheepish grin.
“Get the hell over here!”
I pulled him in and kissed him too, as long and as hard as the others. People were beginning to stare. I didn’t care one fucking bit.
“I can’tbelieveyou’re home!”
We’d gotten the call a few hours ago, and it had been a good one. Mrs. Whitney was happy to take care of the children on the fly. We could even take our time getting back home if we wanted to, but Julius and Duncan were too eager to see the little ones.
“That was a straight-up miracle,” said Liam, as we made our way back to the car. “From everything we’d received, every tip and piece of intelligence we’d gotten…”
“He should’ve been gone,” agreed Julius. “He should’ve never come out of that jungle at all, much less alive.”
The ‘target’ — what little I knew of him — had been a man in his early twenties. He’d come out of the whole thing bruised and beaten, but most important of all, breathing. Much to the delight of theirverywell paying client.
“C’mon,” said Duncan. “I need a shower.”
“You had a shower,” said Julius.
“Agoodshower,” Duncan reiterated. “Not like the ones you take.”
Julius smirked and muttered something under his breath. As he ducked into the car, I saw him wince in pain. Juliusneverwinced in pain.
“You’re hurt!”
“Not hurt, shot,” said Duncan.
“Twice,” Julius added.
“Where’d you get—”
“Once in the shoulder,” Duncan interjected. “Once in the pride.”
My eyes narrowed. “By pride… do you mean…”
“No, not down there,” laughed Julius. “Trust me, I’m fine. Bullets went straight through. Nothing a little rest won’t fix. And man, I can’twaitto sleep in an actualbedagain!”
“You could’ve slept in a bed by now,” said Duncan. “The hospital wanted to keep you, but you wanted to get home.”
“I really did,” Julius said solemnly. He turned to face me. “More than ever, this time around.”
I cuddled into him as we turned onto the parkway, being careful not to hurt his injuries. Eventually he showed me where the bandages extended to. It still left me plenty of room to do whatever I needed. And I needed alot.
“For a long time I’ve owed you one,” Duncan said, a little reverently. He was looking at Julius now, seated snugly on the other side of me. “But now, at long last, we’re finally even.”
“Even?” Julius smirked back at him. “And how do you figure that?”
“Ummm…” Duncan glanced at his watch. “Forty hours or so ago? You were about to be leopard food, if I recall correctly.”
“Maybe,” Julius shrugged. “Or maybe that guy was out of rounds.”
“Please,” Duncan laughed.
“I pulled you out of acage; bro,” Julius pointed out. “A cage underground!”
