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Jeff nods at Tim. “He’s better hand-to-hand. I’m the better shot.”
Duke considers this, then says, “Presumably, you’d be reluctant to use your firearm.”
Jeff nods again. “Out on the water, if we hear some commotion and go check it out and find some shit going down, we’re well within our rights to get involved. We have an alibi, a reason for us being there, but unloading it here looks like we’re doing private work. Or doing exactly what we are doing—police work off the clock.”
“Okay then,” Duke says. “Tim, you stay here. I’ll head to the meet. Jeff, Ethan, you’ll help me if I need it. Hopefully, I won’t. Maybe this is a scare tactic. They want money. Or maybe they just want to take a finger or two, some sick punishment for beating their little rat friend.”
I try to keep my exterior calm and not let him see how his words affect me.A finger or two… He says it as if nothing could ever shock him. He says it like it wouldn’t even be a big deal, these creeps maiming him.
“I still don’t like it,” Ethan says.
“Let’s go to your superiors, then,” Duke replies. “Let the whole station find out. How long until these criminalfucksget wind of that and decide to take it out on my son?”
When he saysson, there’s so much passion in his voice. Like every other time, I think of the future when we have a child together, the passion he’ll feel, the love, dedication, and protective instinct. My hands are smoothing across my belly, holding tightly.
“Point taken,” Ethan says, “but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“It’ll be time to get moving soon,” Duke says, standing. “Molly, I’ll show you where you can stay.”
He walks toward the hallway. I follow him into the next room. He leads me into the dining room, closes the door so we’re alone, and pulls me passionately into his arms. I collapse against him, wrapping my arms around his solid body and feeling his hard chest against my cheek.
“Your heart is nearly beating out of your chest,” I whisper.
“It always does that before a fight,” Duke replies, moving his fingers through my hair. I’m not sure if he’s trying to comfort me or himself. “Even if I don’t feel nervous and ready, the heartbeat is the same. This isn’t exactly a normal fight.”
“It could be anything,” I whisper, desperately clutching his sides tightly. I don’t want him to go. “You could walk in there and…” I can’t even say it, but my mind isn’t as reluctant as my mouth. My mind shows me a vivid image of Duke walking into the meet, only for a bullet to tear through his head immediately.
“I wish you could st—”
“Don’t,”he growls, almost roaring. He pushes his hand down on the small of my back. “If you ask me to stay, I just might. Do you think I want to go? I wish I could be here and stay with you forever, but a man takes on a duty when he has a child. He always has to do his best, whatever shape that takes. It’ll be the same for our children. I know Ryan isn’t perfect, but…”
“He doesn’t deserve this,” I say.
Duke leans closer, his lips near mine, his eyes tempting me to get lost in them. Damn the cliché. “Do you really mean that?” he asks.
I swallow. I can tell he needs me to mean it. Perhaps it will make this easier for him, knowing we have the same goal and desire, but I don’t want to lie to him either. “Ryan wasn’t kind to me. He was cruel, honestly, but I don’t think he’s irredeemable. I don’t think he’sevil. I think, one day, he could be a good person. A good brother to our children, even if that sounds insane.”
“Insane, us?” Duke smiles sadly, kissing my cheek. “I can’t wait to have a family with you. I can’t wait for that future.”
If you come home… If they don’t kill you…
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he says, kissing me again. “Then the rest of our life can begin.”
I pull myself into a proper kiss, standing on my tiptoes and throwing my arms around his shoulders. I make it count, committing every steamy moment to memory, etching the pressure of his solid muscles into my mind, his presence,him. As the kiss deepens, I try to convince myself it won’t be our last.
* * *
“I’m sorry, Rach. I can’t explain,” I tell her, sitting on the edge of Duke’s bed. “I wish I could.”
“But you’re with Duke?” she presses.
“Uh, sort of,” I say. Duke left ten minutes ago. It’s eleven p.m. now. Soon, he’ll be at the meeting, awaiting whateversurprisethese kidnapping asses have in store for him.
“But you’re safe? You can tell me that, at least, right?”
I think of Tim downstairs. He’s a police officer with twenty years’ experience, and after some questioning from Duke, he revealed he was an experienced martial artist, too. But really, what good will that do if they attack us now? Duke wouldn’t have left me if he didn’t think I’d be safe, buthe’snot safe.
I don’t enjoy lying to Rachael, but I say, “Yeah, I’m okay.”
