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Slater
Slater went into the casino to get things set up for him to work remotely, and to update his team on the changes that were about to happen. He was thankful as hell that Knox was good with him working from home. That would allow him to move Rainey and the kids up to the cabin and get them settled while she recovered. Beck wasn’t very happy with the news that he was taking her sister four hours north, but then, Knox promised her lots of trips and he even dropped a hint that he’d be willing to buy a cabin near Slater’s place so that they could all spend holidays and special occasions together.
Beck had taken Link into the hospital every day that Rainey was cooped up in there, to hang out with his new Aunt. Rainey was so in love with her new nephew, Slater worried that she might change her mind about moving up to his cabin, to stay closer to her sister, but Knox’s promise seemed to fix all of that for them. Slater would move anywhere and live in any damn house she’d want, as long as he got to be with her and the kids, it didn’t matter to him.
After he was finished at the office, he was going to head down to the Smokey Bandits to say his goodbyes. He promised Ryker that he wouldn’t be a stranger and that he’d stop by every time he was in town, which would be frequently, due to his responsibilities at the casino and keeping Knox’s little family safe. This new start was going to be hard on everyone, but the kids were being resilient, and he and Rainey would find ways to adapt—together.
He was having one last beer at the bar when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to find his old buddy, Sargent Declan, standing in his full uniformed splendor behind him. Slater stood and pulled the guy in for a side hug and then asked him to have a beer.
“You know I can’t drink on duty,” Declan said, “but I have the news you asked for and my intel has you leaving town in a few days.”
“Wow,” Slater said. “That was quick.”
“Well, unfortunately, the bad news is easier to track down than good. I’m afraid that’s what I’m here to deliver, man,” Declan said.
“Shit,” Slater grumbled. “Let’s have it.” He’d decide if or when he’d tell Rainey that he’d gone behind her back to find out if Steve Angel’s story about her husband was true. She was in and out of consciousness all week, due to the medicine that they gave her, so what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
“The story that Steve Angel told Mrs. Nolan was true. The order was given for her husband to turn around and not to enter hostile territory, but he told them that they were already there. That was only partially true. They were about two miles from the entry point that he was ordered not to go into. I guess he thought that they were close enough, that turning back wasn’t an option. We’ll never know now since everyone in that Humvee is now dead and all we have to go on is a criminal’s word, and now he’s dead too.”
“I appreciate the intel,” Slater said. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it, but he knew that sooner or later, he’d have to tell Rainey. She had a right to know what really happened with her husband, even if it wasn’t exactly the news she’d be hoping for.
“You sure I can’t buy you a beer?” he asked. Sure, he was stalling, but heading over to the hospital to tell his woman the bad news wasn’t exactly what he was hoping to do tonight.
“No, I’m good. It was great to see you, man, but I need to be going,” Declan said. He slapped Slater’s shoulder and disappeared through the side door. It was time for him to head out too if he was going to get over to the hospital to spring his woman. The doctor promised to release her this evening if she promised to stay in town for a few more days. They were going to stay at the penthouse, and he knew that Rainey was looking forward to spending some time with her sister and new nephew, Link. He just hoped like hell that would help lessen the blow of the news he was going to have to deliver. Waiting to get to the penthouse before telling Rainey what he had just heard might be the best way to go.
He had gotten to the hospital just in time to meet with Rainey’s doctor and go over her discharge information and the medications she would need to take. She was so excited about spending a few nights with her nephew. The nurse had to remind her that she’d need to take it easy and not use her bad arm when trying to hold the baby.
They got back to the penthouse in time for dinner and then, she even helped the kids with their baths. It was good to see the five of them together again. The kids missed their mom, even though he had taken them by the hospital daily to see her. When they got back to the penthouse, Sarah would break down in tears, telling Beck that she was worried that her mom was going to die, and he’d promise to take them all back the next day. He wasn’t sure if he was doing them more good or harm by dragging them to the hospital day after day, but he noticed that their visits really helped light a spark in Rainey.
They got the kids settled down and it was sweet that they each asked if she would be there in the morning. Rainey assured them all that she would be. “I’m beat,” she whispered, leaning into his body. He wrapped an arm around her. Slater hated that he was going to have to be the bearer of bad news, but what choice did he have? Rainey deserved to know the truth about her dead husband, even if he had to be the one to deliver it.
“We’ll head to bed, but your sister and I need to talk to you first,” Slater said. He took her good hand into his and led her back to the kitchen.
“Why do I feel like I’m in trouble?” she asked.
“You’re not in trouble,” Beck insisted. She handed Link to Knox and sat down next to her sister. “We just need to talk about Jack.”
“I feel like I talk about him more now than I did when he was alive,” Rainey grumbled.
“Well, this can be the last time we bring him up for a while, but you should know the truth,” Slater said.
“What truth?” Rainey asked. “The government’s truth or Steve Angel’s truth?”
“Both,” he admitted. “I had a buddy of mine check into Angel’s story and I’m sorry to tell you that he was telling you the truth. Apparently, Jack was told to turn around about two miles out from their targeted drop. He told his commander that they were already in range and that it was too late to kill the mission.”
“If he would have listened, then my husband might still be alive?” she whispered. Slater wanted to point out that if that was the case, then he wouldn’t have had his chance with Rainey. He would have never gotten to know her or love her and the kids.
“Right,” he agreed. “I’m sorry, Rainey.”
She nodded, “Not your fault. I appreciate you telling me all of this, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s gone. He made the decisions that he did, and it ended up tearing apart so many families. Seven lives were lost—well, eight if Steve is included in that number. So much senseless loss and thinking about what-ifs won’t get us anywhere.”
“Agreed,” Beck said.
“I want to concentrate on us and moving forward,” Rainey said, taking Slater’s hand into her good one. “I can’t wait to move up to the cabin and begin our lives—the six of us.” He knew that it might take her time to adapt to everything that he had just told her. She had been through so much over the past few months, it was going to take Rainey some time to process everything, but he’d be right there by her side when she did, and he’d help her through every step of the way.
* * *
Slater sat in the kitchen, enjoying the quiet of the cabin with the kids all off at school. He considered getting all four kids off to their schools on time, a success, even if he forgot Sarah’s lunch and had to give her five dollars to buy food. She grumbled something about him not being her mother, because she would never let her buy lunch, and he shouted back that he knew. Hell, he was well aware that he wasn’t her mother, because Rainey would have never left Sarah’s lunch box behind at the cabin.
