OUTCAST: Trust, Friendship, And Injustice (Beauty 0f Life Book 9)

by Laura Acton

  Closing his eyes, expecting an explosion, Blaze said, “We’re in Kandahar. The general reactivated Blondie for a special assignment.”

  “What the Hell! When? Why the fuck would he do that?” Jim yelled as he bolted out of the chair.

  Heather rushed in, worry etching her features.

  “Yeah, about my reaction too. I can’t say much, but Pouffy screwed with the kid again … fairly certain he altered the Blockhouse AAR and deleted critical info only the kid possessed.”

  Jim landed on his butt in the middle of his kitchen. “No … not that one. Jesus Christ, Dan never gets a fucking break. Is he okay … or FINE?”

  Heather only stared, waiting patiently, understanding Jim would explain when and what he could, but her heart pattered rapidly at his words.

  Blaze exhaled heavily. “He’s FINE, but moving in the right direction. Yesterday was rough on him … with Brody’s death and recalling the mission in which Ripsaw, Buzz, and Dutch died. However, General Broderick might surprise you. He is doing all in his power to ensure Blondie is well taken care of, and making no bones about the fact he loves his son. He even arranged for special quarters for him, with air conditioning.”

  Calming a bit, Jim asked, “So is Winds with you too?”

  “No, he’s in training. I’m staying here with Blondie until he can travel.”

  “How long will he be required to serve?”

  “The general didn’t say, but since Blondie fulfilled the reason he was recalled, I expect he will be deactivated before he leaves.”

  “When will that be?”

  “Unsure. His liver abscessed and he is still fighting an infection, though the fever is mostly gone … only low-grade. I expect it will be a few weeks. The kid wants to be back in shape when he returns so he can go back to work right away.”

  Disbelief showed on Jim’s face. “He’s going back to Alpha Team after what Jon did?”

  “Yeah.” Blaze spent the next ten minutes explaining Blondie’s thinking to Jim, knowing the kid would need additional support upon his return. Blondie calling his name, caused Blaze to say, “Gotta go now. Blondie needs me.”

  After hanging up, Jim let out a deep sigh. He pushed up from the floor and met Heather’s gaze. Putting his arm around her waist, he guided her to their room as he began to explain, “They’re in Kandahar.”

  Shared Dream and Vengeance

  55

  June 2

  Toronto - Muerte por Chiles – 8:35 p.m.

  Lexa sipped her virgin margarita in the karaoke bar, surrounded by strains of someone singing off-key to Air Supply’s Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was over You) as Amy and Hailey chatted about Hailey’s newest conquest. She attempted to engage and be happy for her friend, really she did, but the song intruded on her thoughts … bringing images of Dan’s face to her as he said, ‘You are not just a one-night stand.’

  The lyrics spoke to her, even if the voice grated on her nerves. She missed everything about Dan and memories of him crashed through at all times of the day. During her physical therapy, his lopsided grin encouraged her to lift one more. His laugh as they danced around her living room naked. His gravelly morning voice saying, ‘Morning, Beautiful.’

  Her heart was not mending … despite renovating and fortifying her walls with brick and mortar. There was an emptiness and aching inside, which refused to be satisfied, even by chocolate. She tried … consuming pint after pint of double-chunk chocolate ice cream. It was a damned good thing she exercised so much during therapy and worked on her remodeling project, or she would’ve put on ten pounds.

  “So, what do you think?” Hailey beamed at Lexa.

  “Um, sorry, what did you ask?” Lexa focused on her friends across the table.

  “If Magnus proposes, should I tell him yes?”

  Having spaced Hailey’s entire dialog after the first words, Lexa’s gaze shifted to Amy, seeking help, surprised by Hailey discussing marriage.

  Amy understood Lexa’s inability to concentrate lately, and she kept her word not to tell any of their other friends about the situation with Dan. “I already told you, Hailey … if you love him, go with your heart.”

  “But I want Lexa’s opinion. She reads people so well.” Hailey turned eager eyes to Lexa. “So, do I say yes?”

  Lexa inhaled and wished she had listened closer. She thought a moment and then requested, “Tell me your pros and cons.” Lexa paid close attention as Hailey rattled off dozens of pros, but not one con. When her girlfriend peered at her expectantly, Lexa managed a smile. At least someone is lucky in love and can have her heart’s desire. “Sounds as if you know what your answer will be … don’t need me to tell you what to do.”

  Hailey sighed. “Never thought I would find a man as wonderful as Magnus.” She took a long drink of her tequila sunrise. “Now … we just need to find you the right guy so you can date someone more than two times before dumping him.” She scanned the men in the bar and pointed. “Him … I think you should go talk to him.”

  Lexa sucked in a breath as she viewed the back of the man Hailey selected. The golden hair, cut in the same style as Dan’s, caused pain to lance through her shattered heart. “No … not into blonds.”

  Amy tried to intercede, “This is a girls’ night out … no boys allowed.”

  “But Lexa needs a man, and it’s our duty as her friends to help her find happiness,” Hailey declared, alcohol making her less than aware of the emotional undercurrent at their table. “Okay, not golden boys … someone different … found him. Right there, the dark-haired guy next to him. Oh, he has beautiful blue eyes and those biceps … yummy.”

  Lexa’s eyes landed on the blond’s buddy, and recognition lit both sets of eyes as their gazes connected. Before she could say crapola, he arrived at her table wearing a grin.

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “Hi, Duke. I’m out with my friends. This is Amy and Hailey. Girls, this is Duke Bishop. We went to high school together.”

  “Pleasure to meet you. This is my buddy, Simon.”

  Hailey chuckled softly. The blond has no chance … his name begins with S. But Duke … new letter, old friend … he’s a possibility. “You should ask Lexa to dance,” Hailey boldly said and raised an eyebrow.

  Duke recalled the last time he saw Lexa. One of her teammates was trapped in the cave. “Um, you still seeing that guy?”

  Hailey butted in, “Lexa … no way, she’s as free as a bird.” She winked at Lexa and smirked like the cat dining on a captured canary.

  Duke’s grin grew. “Wanna dance? If I recall, you are fantastic on the floor.”

  Lexa managed not to groan out loud. Hailey tended to be a bit pushy when she drank too much. With no graceful exit, not wanting to hurt Duke’s feelings, Lexa nodded and stood. Later she would have words with Hailey, but for now … she would dance and try to put Dan out of her head.

  Lexa’s Home – 11:30 p.m.

  Hitting the remote, Lexa sat in her Jeep as the garage door closed. As tonight’s designated driver, she dropped Amy off first, then Hailey. She typically enjoyed girls’ night out, but tonight had been a chore. Hailey consumed more alcohol than she should’ve and kept pushing Duke on her.

  He was a decent guy, but she couldn’t consider dating anyone yet. She came clean with Duke before they left the bar, sort of, and told him she recently went through a breakup and didn’t want him to be a rebound. Duke only smiled and said he wouldn’t want to be her rebound either. Then he ruined it by saying to call him when she was ready for something more meaningful.

  When the door clicked into place, Lexa exited her vehicle and slammed her door harder than she should. “Men! I don’t need one to make me happy. I’m strong, confident, and quite capable of living without one.” She huffed into her house, dropped her purse and keys on the island, and stomped up the stairs.

  By the time she was in the shower, the hot water cascading down her back, most of her bad mood dissipated. Melancholy set in. Her emotions s
eemed to run the gambit these days. She refused to acknowledge the tears sliding down her cheeks, telling herself it was only water. Grabbing her jasmine shampoo, she poured some in her hand and began to apply it.

  The fragrance brought forth a memory. Her face contorted in a pained smile as Lexa recalled all the times Dan insisted on showering with her and how he enjoyed washing her hair. His fingers would massage her scalp, and she would want to melt into the floor, but usually found herself resting her cheek on his broad chest as his strong arms held her up.

  All the innocent, non-sexual things he did … things to make her happy. Things no man had ever done … like running her a bath, carrying her upstairs, and bringing her chocolate on a bad day, caused her to miss him more. She couldn’t deny the chemistry between them. Dan made her zing with electricity at a mere brush of his fingertips on her skin. But what they shared was more than sex … they had been friends, real friends.

  After rinsing the soap out, Lexa shut off the tap and grabbed her towel. She briskly rubbed herself dry and rehung the towel before striding to her dresser. She opened a drawer and stared at her PJs. Shutting it, she strolled to her bed au naturel … the way she slept with only Dan.

  Tugging the covers over her, she turned to face Dan’s side, and pulled his pillow to her, hugging it for some time. Beginning to drift off to sleep after a long and tiring day, she repositioned the pillow and lay her head on it as if it were his chest, as her fingers traced ever smaller circles. Slipping into a dream world her hand moved lower, encircling him and began to stroke him … wanting to give him pleasure and hear him moan her name … ‘Lexaaaa.’

  June 3

  Kandahar – VIP Quarters – 0830 Hours

  A smile graced Dan’s face as he dreamed. Lexa cuddled next to him, the scent of jasmine strong in her freshly washed hair. His fingers glided over her back as she listened to his heartbeat. Bliss is how he would describe being close to her as her warm, soft exhales tingled his bare chest and filled his heart with joy. Beauty does exist for me. She is in my arms.

  While she lightly drew circles, something he enjoyed, Dan sighed as he fondly remembered her services as Isobel, his personal masseuse at Relax Now in Ottawa. He could live his whole life merely lying beside her … he didn’t need sex. Well, a bit of an understatement, but he could remain celibate if it meant she would always be by his side.

  Dan sucked in a breath when her hand wrapped around him. Ah hell, yeah … intimacy is a must … Sexy Lexie knows exactly what I like. He hardened as her fingers worked their magic … up, down, a light squeeze, fingertip brushing over his tip, increasing the pace, slowing down … teasing him, bringing him almost to release … stopping, beginning again … elongating his ecstasy.

  His breaths came in rapid pants … his hips moved, wanting, needing, seeking the release his body craved. Reaching the pinnacle, he shuddered as he moaned, “Lexaaaaaaa!”

  When Dan’s dream became reality, warm liquid spreading down below, he bolted awake. Sucking in a ragged breath, heart thundering, his eyes darted around the room. Upon finding himself alone, he exhaled heavily with relief. Thankfully, neither Blaze, Wilson, or god forbid his father, had witnessed him having a wet dream like a hormonal, untried teenager.

  He raked a hand through his hair as he closed his eyes, pondering how real the dream had been. Almost like Lexa was truly here and touching me. Dan sighed, enjoying the satisfying aftershocks and reliving the sensation.

  As the tangible proof of his pleasure began to cool, leaving him sticky, Dan was grateful he had been granted permission to be out of bed to use the facilities as of yesterday. His dad had also procured a shower stool and a handheld sprayer for him. He pushed up and swung his feet to the wood flooring.

  Though still sore and achy, moving became easier over the last few days, so he quit taking pain meds last night. Shuffling towards the dresser to grab clean boxers, Dan mulled over how to hide the evidence, not wanting anyone to discover his … well, the culmination of his dream. He decided to rinse them in the shower and shove them under his bed while they dried.

  Once the water was warm, Dan took care of washing … the jasmine soap bringing memories of showering with Lexa to his mind. He sighed as a tear escaped. Loving her from a distance will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

  Forty minutes later, showered, shaved, teeth brushed, and dressed in jeans and one of the light blue Henley shirts his mom bought him last autumn Dan sat on the bed. Going stir crazy, he stared at the blank wall.

  He read all the books Wilson brought him … twice, completed the entire booklet of number puzzles, and played solitaire until he was sick of cards. He hated being confined to bed but gave his word to stay put, so he didn’t end up back in the hospital again. He would do almost anything short of murder not to be sent back there.

  Wilson, Blaze, and Dad broke up his days with visits when he wasn’t sleeping, which he did a lot of the last eight days. He itched to move, take a walk. Hell, he might even agree to be pushed around the base in the wheelchair. He turned to the door when someone knocked. “Enter.”

  Blaze grinned when he found Blondie reclined on the mattress almost entirely dressed … only bare-footed. “Got news.”

  “Yeah, what?”

  “Doc wants to check you out but wants you to come to him this time. He said if your liver scan is good, he may allow you to take short supervised strolls so long as you promise not to bump into anything else. I’m here to wheel you over. Figured you might like that better than climbing in one of the vehicles and driving over the bumpy roads.”

  Dan shifted and stood. “Let’s go.”

  Blaze chuckled. “How about putting on shoes first? In case you are cleared for a walk.”

  A lopsided grin flashed as Dan carefully bent over to retrieve his favorite soft boots. Blaze tossed him a pair of socks, and in quick order he was ready. With little reluctance, he sat in the damned wheelchair and humor laced his tone as he said, “Mush husky.”

  Glad Blondie was in a cheerful mood, Blaze only laughed as he pushed the kid out the door.

  Base Hospital – Exam Room – 1245 Hours

  Dr. Chakram faced the four men, understanding the master corporal would be released from the service soon, having only been called back to handle a specific situation. “The scan shows the area of the abscess is healing well. I will approve travel, but you will require a few more weeks of limited activity. Nothing strenuous or jarring. Walking is okay, but no running, jogging, bicycling, or lifting weights. Your primary physician can judge when normal physical activities are safe to resume. I would prefer you to stay here for at least three more days to finish out the course of antibiotics, but after that, you are free to leave whenever you are deactivated.”

  Happy to be allowed to walk by himself, Dan turned his gaze to his dad. “Sir, I would like to request to stay on base until I’m fit to return to work.”

  Surprised, and hopeful, William inquired, “Why?”

  Dan glanced at the doctor. “Can we have the room a moment?”

  Chakram nodded. “If you don’t have any questions for me, I’ll be on my way.”

  “Thanks, doc … none I can think of now.” When the door closed, Dan took another moment before he said, “Sir, my condition is my fault … and frankly I don’t want to worry Mom and Bella. I would rather be fully healed when I go home than confess to them I’m an idiot and didn’t tell Wilson I felt lightheaded when I exited the jet. If I had done as Mom requested instead of being pigheaded, I wouldn’t have tripped and ended up in the hospital.”

  Wilson shook his head. “Now, wait a minute. I’m to blame for this. I failed to recognize you were feverish and unsteady on your feet. I should’ve examined your abdomen before we left the plane, especially since you told me you hurt and took a pain pill without hesitation. You were too out of it to be the one to make the call on your condition which is why the ladies sent me to care for you. They will surely make their displeasure known when I return.”


  “You’re both wrong. I’m responsible for this whole debacle,” William asserted, donning his general persona, assuming accountability. “I’m the one who recalled Daniel and insisted he travel. I put his life at risk.”

  Dan met his father’s eyes … stubbornness reflected in both sets of sapphire orbs. His voice as commanding, “Which would’ve been a better outcome … me coming, tripping, and getting better or letting those bastards kill hundreds in their planned attacks?”

  Taken aback at his son’s vehement tone, William’s voice came out soft, “But you could’ve died, and I would’ve had to tell your mother I caused your death. Both events would kill me.”

  Blaze broke the tension by chuckling. When three pairs of eyes pinned him with a glare, he said, “All three of you are scared to death of two ladies.”

  A lopsided grin broke out on Dan’s face. “Damn straight. No one likes triple funerals.”

  Despite his concern, Daniel’s humor tickled William’s funny bone, and he chuckled. “Okay, you can stay until you are ready to leave and we all will live to view another sunrise. We keep this between us, and what Yvonne and Bella don’t know won’t hurt us.”

  Wilson smiled as he nodded. “I’m fine with a bit of omission for the sake of self-preservation.” Considering they only packed for a short period, Wilson said, “I’ll head to the PX and pick up a few things we’ll need.”

  Dan hopped off the table. “Can you grab me some power bars, the ones with nuts, not chocolate?”

  “Where are you going?” Wilson fixed a protective eye on Dan.

  “You heard the doc. I’m cleared to walk … gonna take a stroll.”

  William peered at Daniel a minute, his smile growing as he recalled watching his transformation as he recovered after being taken captive. His boy was a true Phoenix, continually rising from the ashes. With Daniel choosing to remain here to recuperate, it gave him an opportunity to show him how much things had changed since Plouffe left. Perhaps he could tempt Daniel to stay in Special Forces. To that end, he said, “Hicks’ unit is back. Would you like to sit in on the AAR briefing?”