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“No, that’s not what I mean,” Mac said. “We snuck in right under his nose, made him look like a total asshole in front of the entire country. There’s not a chance he’s going to take this lying down.”
“What do you mean?” Adam asked.
“What, you think he’s going to come after us?” I asked. “As in, all the way to Maryland?”
As soon as I said the words, a rage that I’d never known before boiled inside of me. I thought about Aubrey, thought about the twins, thought about the possibility of Balaban even coming near them. My heart rate quickened, and my hands instantly formed into tight fists. If Balaban had appeared just then in the plane, I would’ve ripped the shithead to pieces with my bare hands right then and there.
“Easy, brother,” Mac said, seeming to sense my anger. “I’m just thinking out loud. Coming to Maryland to cause trouble would be a hell of a tall order, even for someone like him. I’m talking more about spending some money to have some contacts here in Europe to keep tabs on him.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Good idea.”
I took some deep breaths, working through the anger.
“There’s something else, too,” Mac said. “Got this as soon as I reconnected our cell phones.”
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed us the screen. It was a picture of the twins, the message “WE MISS YOU” with a bunch of emoji hearts on it. I hadn’t seen a picture of them since we’d left Europe, and I smiled like an idiot at the sight of our little family.
“Another one,” Mac said.
He swiped the screen one more time, a picture of Aubrey with the twins. God, it made me feel so damn good to see a picture of her with the twins, looking beautiful as ever. One more swipe revealed a picture of what appeared to be a Christmas ornament up close, the caption, “we have a surprise for you all.”
“Surprise?” I asked. “What kind of surprise?”
“That’s what makes it a surprise,” Tyler said.
“Funny.”
“We’ll find out in less than a day,” Mac said. “Until then, get some rest. I’ll keep you all posted if Aubrey sends anything else.”
His words reminded me just how damn tired I was. I headed back to my seat, settling in and closing my eyes. Didn’t take long at all before sleep began to beckon me, the last thought on my mind was of Aubrey and the twins.
Chapter 22
Tyler
The sight of Thousand Acres just ahead was almost too good to be true. I grinned like an idiot as I laid eyes on the place, knowing who awaited all of us inside. The snow had mostly melted, a few patches of white here and there on the ground.
The front was covered in tinsel and lighting, even a little bit of Santa stuff here and there.
“Did she decorate the place?” Marcus asked.
“Looks that way,” Adam replied.
“Just texted her,” Mac said from the front seat of the truck. “Should be out in a sec.”
He pulled to a stop in front of the house, my stomach so tingly with anticipation that I could hardly think straight. I was going to see the kids again, going to see the woman I was crazy about. Coming home safely from a mission was always a joy. There was something about coming home to a family, however, that took it all to another level.
We climbed out of the truck, making our way to the back to unload our gear. We didn’t get much of it out before the front doors opened and the three people that I’d been thinking about non-stop for the last nearly two weeks came bounding out.
My damn heart melted at the sight of them. I set down my bag and hurried toward the house. Aubrey and the kids were all dressed in warm winter clothes, big sweaters and jeans and comfy slippers.
“Uncle Tyler!” the twins said in unison, and I couldn’t resist scooping them up and bringing the pair into my arms, covering their little faces with kisses.
“There are my dudes!” I said, all smiles as I gave them squeezes then set them both down. I couldn’t believe it – it seemed like they’d grown so much in such a short period of time.
“Welcome home,” Aubrey said, warmth on her face and in her voice.
“Thanks. I mean it.”
