by Wade, Maddie
After the wedding was finished, it was time for photos, and he smiled until his face hurt. He went around ordering people into groups for the photographer, and felt it was more of a military operation than a wedding at that point.
It was late afternoon, and he’d just sat down after giving his best man’s speech when Lopez tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at his friend, just wanting two minutes to down his pint and take a piss before he had to start again.
“Chick at reception is asking for you.”
Waggs frowned. “Asking for me?”
“Well, she asked for Aiden, and as you’re the only Aiden I know, I figured it’s you.”
Waggs felt his heart beat wildly in his chest for just a second until he wrestled it under control. It couldn’t be her, surely, but she was the only person who called him Aiden. Certainly, none of the handful of women he’d been with since he’d hit the UK five years ago knew him by that name.
Lopez lifted his pint and drank. “You going or what?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Waggs stood and hurried to the reception area and stopped dead. There, dressed in faded jeans, a pink t-shirt, and a grey cardigan was Willow. She had AJ in her arms, and he looked as if he were asleep.
Panic assailed him, and he rushed toward her as she looked up, and he swore he saw relief on her face. “Willow, what’s going on?” He took her elbow and guided her to a bench seat at the side, sitting down beside her and feeling the heat coming from her body. She looked exhausted, like if she didn’t sit down, she’d fall down. His hand rose, and he stroked the soft curls of AJ’s head.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.”
He saw her lip wobble, and it was so unlike her, he felt worry crowd out the surprise. “Talk to me, honey.”
She looked up at him with big brown eyes, and he saw fear, real fear. For herself or her son, he didn’t know, and he didn’t care. He’d protect them both with his life.
“I’m in trouble, Aiden, and I didn’t know where else to go.” Her lip trembled, and he saw tears flood her eyes, and he could no more stay remote from her than walk to the moon.
Reaching out, he gently pulled her towards his chest and wrapped her and AJ in his arms. The second his hand touched her skin, he realised she was burning up. “Jesus, Wills, you’re burning up. Are you sick?”
“It’s just a cold. I’ve been a little stressed lately.”
“Hmm, we’ll get to that in a bit but first, let’s get you home and into bed.”
Willow pulled away and looked up at him with big doe eyes. “But it’s your friend’s wedding, and I really don’t want to spoil it. I can wait here for a while until you can leave.”
Waggs cocked his head. “Gunner will understand.”
“Gunner will understand what?” Gunner appeared at his shoulder with Lacey and blinked when he saw Willow.
“This is Willow, my brother’s fiancée, and my nephew.”
Gunner looked at him with a thousand questions but not surprise, and he wondered how much his friend knew. “I didn’t know you had a nephew, Waggs.” Lacey slapped his arm and sat down on the other side of Willow. “Hi, I’m Lacey and this is my husband, Gunner. It’s so good to meet you.”
Waggs watched as Lacey took Willow’s hand in her own and shook it, and it felt like all his worlds were colliding.
“I’m so sorry to barge into your wedding.”
“Nonsense, the more, the merrier, and if it weren’t for Waggs, there wouldn’t be a wedding. So a friend or family of his, is friends of ours.” Lacey looked back at Gunner. “Right, sweetie?”
Gunner observed him as if asking him what he needed him to do, then nodded.
“Of course. Please stay and have some food and drink. Feel free to dish all the dirt on Waggs that you want.”
“I was actually going to take Willow home. I think she has a fever.”
Lacey lifted her hand and placed the back of it on Willow’s forehead. “Oh, honey, you’re burning up.” She looked up at Waggs. “Take her home and call us if you need anything. You’re officially off the hook.”
Lacey stood and moved back to Gunner’s side where he instantly pulled her into his arms, as if even that tiny amount of time apart was too much.
“Is anyone in there sober? I need a ride.”
“No, please. I don’t want to cause problems.” Willow stood, and as she did, she swayed so hard Waggs had to grab both her and AJ to stop them from hitting the floor.
Waggs looked to Gunner for help even though it was his wedding. “Decker doesn’t drink. The health freak doesn’t like toxins in his body.”
“Can you get him for me?”
Gunner nodded and went to pull Lacey away, and she stopped him.
“I’ll stay and help Waggs. She looks ready to drop.”
Gunner nodded and hurried off to get back up.
“Give me the child, and you hold on to Willow.”
Waggs pulled his sleeping nephew from Willow’s weak arms, and the fact she let go so quickly told him how bad she felt because she was like a lioness with her son. Waggs checked his nephew for a fever and found his temperature was fine; he was just exhausted by the looks of it. He passed the boy to Lacey, who cuddled him into her side.
“I don’t want to die.”
Willow was slurring her words and obviously hallucinating, but the way she said the words struck him as real and made his gut clench. He held her tight and kissed her head. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Wills.”
Gunner came back with Decker, who quickly weighed the situation and took in every single mannerism, reading their body language, and most likely coming up with the exact right conclusion, knowing his luck.
“She sick?”
“Yeah, fever. I need to get them to my place so I can take care of them.”
“I’ll get the car.”
Waggs nodded and waited impatiently. He needed to get Willow and AJ safe so he could find out just what the fuck was going on. She sure as hell didn’t fly halfway around the world for help because she was sick. Or did she? Was Willow dying? Had she come because she was going to die and wanted his help with AJ?
“Don’t borrow trouble, brother.”
Waggs looked up at Gunner, who was watching and nodded briefly, not able to articulate his thoughts and fears and knowing his friend was right.
Decker came back and took AJ from Lacey as he carried Willow, who was almost out of it now, and got them in the back of the car. He climbed in after them, and after making sure they were secure, buckled in.
The drive home was less than twenty minutes, but in that time, Willow had got even hotter and was groaning. He managed to get her out of the car as she vomited all down his jacket. Ignoring the sour smell, he took her straight to the bathroom as Decker carried AJ through to Waggs spare bedroom and laid him on the bed.
Decker stuck his head in the bathroom. “Is it normal for him not to wake up when he’s moved around like that?”
“Yeah, his dad was exactly the same as a kid.”
“Do you want me to stay?”
Waggs shook his head. “No, thanks. I got it from here, and thanks, Deck.”
“Any time.” Decker paused, and Waggs looked up. “This the one who has you so fucked up?”
Waggs went silent, not able to admit it even to himself.
“I’m going to take that as a yes. Call if you need anything and when you find out what’s going on with her and why she flew around the world to see you suddenly, let us know. We have your back, Waggs.”
“Thanks, Deck.”
Decker left, and Waggs quickly stripped his ruined jacket and shirt off and took off Willow’s tee and jeans, tossing them in the laundry. With her wearing less, he checked her over, looking for any bruising or signs of infection or sepsis, and found none. He picked her up, noticing how light she was and how much weight she’d lost, and worry hit him anew.
Placing her in the middle of his bed, he got some fever re
ducer and lifted her head.
“Come on, Wills, drink this for me and it’ll make you feel better.” It took several attempts, but eventually, he got the medicine into her. Within half an hour, her fever was coming down, and she was sleeping soundly. Waggs checked on AJ and saw he was still sleeping, so he went to clean the bathroom.
As he picked up her clothes to put them in the wash, a thumb drive fell out of her pants pocket. He looked at it wondering what was on it that was so important she’d carry that and nothing else, not even luggage.
One thing was for sure, he was going to find out.
Chapter 2
Waggs had taken a quick shower and thrown a load of laundry into the machine before he checked on Willow again. Her chest was rising and falling steadily, but she still had some redness to her cheeks, so he pulled the quilt off her and left the sheet. It was strange seeing her in his bed.
He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t, in his wildest dreams, imagined it as some sort of secret fantasy he knew wouldn’t come true. A bit like fancying a celebrity you knew you’d never meet. It was safe and untouchable, and yet, he was standing over her now, watching her sleep. It made him feel like a creeper, so he backed away and pulled the door almost closed so he could still listen out for her.
It was almost seven pm, and his stomach rumbled as he realised he hadn’t eaten since the wedding breakfast. Walking down the stairs, he was glad he had a three-bedroom home. Sleeping on the couch wasn’t his idea of fun, and he’d done his time sleeping in shit places.
Poking his head in the fridge, he found some bacon and slapped it under the grill. He toasted some bread to make a sandwich, adding a layer of brown sauce. With the plate and a mug of coffee in his hands, he went into his living room and sat on the couch, turning the TV on low.
His home was comfortable, if that was a style. Two large comfy couches, an armchair, coffee table, and a big TV on the wall made up the central portion of the living space. His apartment was in a shared house with Mitch and Autumn, and Bebe, who lived across the hall. It was an open plan, where the kitchen flowed into the dining room and then the living room. Waggs preferred it; perhaps it was the open sight-lines, or maybe just that he hated to be cramped.
He was finishing his sandwich and feeling more human when he got a text from Jack asking if everything was okay. He’d known news would travel fast between the Eidolon team and their wives and girlfriends. Pax and Blake had married the end of last year, and so had Alex and Evelyn, but Will and Aubrey had put their wedding off until Eidolon had sorted things with Frederick Granger.
Jack and Will’s father had been partly behind the threat, not only on them but the monarchy too, and was now on the run. Jack was hunting him, and when he found him, the entire team would be there to take him down.
Waggs knew his friends would be curious about the fact he’d never mentioned Willow and AJ to them, that in itself was unusual, and he understood that, but talking about Aaron was still hard for him.
Jack and Will knew about his brother and his family, but they let him keep that private. It wasn’t a secret as such, but he knew it would bring questions he wasn’t prepared to answer because it would’ve meant holding a mirror to his own behaviour.
A sound in the hall caught his attention, and he stood, moving to the door leading to the hallway. Waggs stilled as he saw AJ standing halfway down the hall. Waggs felt his breath catch in his chest, pain so awful he felt like he could hardly breathe for it. He looked so much like Aaron that it was like looking in a mirror of time.
Waggs moved slowly making his way toward the child, knowing this must be frightening for him. “Hey, AJ.”
AJ had his thumb in his mouth and was eyeing him warily but what he said next was like a sucker punch. “Are you my daddy?”
Waggs closed his eyes to ward off the pain and anguish rushing through him. Grief for his brother, regret that he wasn’t there, but also, he was ashamed to admit envy that he couldn’t say yes. He forced his eyes, which were surprisingly wet, open and shook his head. “No, I’m your Uncle Aiden. Your daddy was my twin brother.”
AJ cocked his head and frowned. “How come you don’t visit? Uncles are meant to visit and come for vacations, right?”
Waggs smiled at the astute boy. “Well, I’ve been very busy with work and stuff but you’re right, I should have visited more.”
AJ looked around. “Where’s Mommy?”
“Your mom wasn’t feeling well, so she’s sleeping down the hall. Would you like me to show you?”
AJ nodded his head so hard it was a wonder he didn’t get whiplash and Waggs smiled, offering his hand, but AJ reached up as if he wanted Waggs to carry him. Waggs bent and lifted the little boy into his arms, his heart settling as the tiny arms came around him with so much trust. He knew at that moment he’d die to protect this boy. His life was so much more important than any shame he carried for his own actions.
He carried AJ toward the bedroom and held his finger over his lips and whispered. “Let’s not wake Mommy, she needs her rest.”
AJ nodded as Waggs made sure he was happy his mom was safe. His nephew had the heart of a protector, just like his dad. Waggs backed away and carried him back to the living room, not sure what his plan was now. He didn’t have a lot of experience with kids. Oh, he could make sure they were well, but the day to day caring thing was a bit out of his comfort zone.
Placing him on the sofa, he sat beside him and turned the TV to a kid’s channel that looked acceptable. “Are you hungry, AJ?”
The boy nodded, but his eyes were tracking around the room, taking everything in, especially the pool table, which doubled as his dining table. “What do you like to eat?”
“Peanut butter and jelly.”
Waggs grinned, feeling the first genuine smile since this began. “Now, that I can do. You good here while I make it?”
AJ crossed his legs and began watching a TV show with a little lion cub and his detective friends. Waggs rushed to make his food and got back to find he hadn’t moved a muscle but was giggling at something on the television. It was a surreal moment he’d never expected, and although it hurt a little, it also brought him more joy than he’d expected. It was a surprise gift that he’d cherish.
AJ ate the sandwich and drank the milk Waggs gave him but left the crusts.
“You don’t like crusts?”
AJ shook his head. “Mommy always cuts them off for me.”
Waggs had never experienced Willow as a mother, seeing AJ when he was sleeping and then only briefly. It was a role he knew she’d be fantastic at. Her natural caring was one of the things that drew everyone to her.
Waggs sat back to watch television with his nephew and was surprised when he cuddled into his side, laying his head on Waggs as he laughed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Wrapping his arm around the child, he settled back and thought what an extraordinary day this had been.
It began with him settling his friend’s nerves as he married the woman he loved and ended with the woman he loved, and could never have, in his bed and his nephew cuddled up beside him. If anyone had asked him if this was a possibility, he’d have laughed his socks off, yet here he was.
He picked up his phone and read the text from Jack again that he had yet to respond to. Was everything okay? He didn’t know the answer to that. In this very moment, things were more than OK, but he knew it couldn’t last. Willow was in trouble, and he had a suspicion that it was big for her to have run halfway around the world to him.
The fact she’d run to him made him happy. That she’d think of him as her and AJ’s protector made him feel less of an asshole for the last five years. The fact she was in trouble did not.
He sent a reply to Jack that they were at the moment but that he might need a few days off, as he had a feeling something was going on with Willow that he might need to handle. He got a quick reply saying to take all the time he needed, and the Eidolon team was there if he needed them. Waggs knew that, he’d seen t
he team come together multiple times to help their own, but it was good to hear it nonetheless.
An hour later, he saw AJ yawn and figured it was probably late for him, the jet lag from the flight messing with the child’s body clock. “You ready for bed, little man?”
AJ nodded, and Waggs picked him up and carried him to the room he’d been in before. Placing him down, he wondered if they had any luggage anywhere.
“Did you and Mommy bring any bags or stuff with you, buddy?”
AJ lay down on his side with his hands under his face in a prayer position. “Yes, we did, but Mommy said we had to leave it ’cos the bad man was there, too.”
Waggs hand clenched as AJ confirmed some of his suspicions. “That’s okay. We can buy you some more clothes tomorrow. Would you like that? To go buy some new stuff?”
“Will we get some toys too?”
Waggs hid the grin as the child began to negotiate. “Perhaps a few.”
“Okay, we can do that, but who’ll look after Mommy? I don’t want the bad man to get her while I’m not here to protect her.”
Waggs ruffled the boy’s head. “I have some friends who can look after Mommy.”
“Okay.”
Waggs stood to go, and AJ sat up. “What about my story?”
Waggs blinked and looked around helplessly he didn’t have any children’s books. “I don’t have any books here.”
“What about the ones in your head? Mommy tells me the ones from her head sometimes.”
He sat back down feeling slightly panicked. “Okay, let’s see what I have in my head.”
Waggs began to tell AJ a story his mom used to tell him and Aaron when they were little. He hadn’t thought about it for years, but as he spoke, it all came back—the memory of him and Aaron sharing bunk beds even though they’d been offered their own rooms. In the end, his mom and dad had put bunks in both rooms, and they’d switched but had always stayed together, at least until they were teens and wanted a bit more space.
