by Wade, Maddie
“I take it you have a plan?” Condor looked to him and Waggs nodded.
“If Laverne covers the back exit for the warehouse here,” he pointed to a crop of trees that covered the back door, “Decker and I will breach the warehouse where Willow and Bebe are being held. If your team can cover the rest of the warehouse and the front gate with Liam, that would give us enough time to get them clear.”
“Are the local feds involved at this point?” Condor was by the book, unlike Eidolon who had a lot more discretion.
“We have a contact that will put in a call as soon as we breach. Liam is going to provide some fireworks to throw them into chaos, which should give you the element of surprise.”
“Weapons?”
“Semi-automatics and handguns. You should know at least two of the men in there are active-duty Green Berets stationed out of Fort Campbell.”
“Fuck. This could make things tricky for jurisdiction.”
“No. It shouldn’t. The military might want to be involved in the investigation, but they won’t be turned over. This will be handled by the local PD unless they want the FBI involved or if they think your case isn’t strong enough to convict.” Waggs had a feeling they’d get involved but not at this level.
“Well then, let’s roll. We have weapons in the trunk.”
Liam handed out mics, comms, and equipment before he got in the driver’s side of the car and Condor and his team went with him.
Waggs and Decker took the other car and followed them. Once they were one click out, they hiked the rest of the way using night vision goggles.
Liam and Condor broke off with the rest of his team while Waggs and Decker moved silently towards the warehouse. They were all on the same channel and Laverne was brought in so they could hear her too.
“Doc, I have eyes on the four targets in the office.”
“Roger that, Condor.” Decker responded.
Waggs wanted him taking the lead on this so he could focus on Willow.
“Pyro in position.”
Liam had set up plastic explosives near the front gate that would go off at the same time as the flash bangs were thrown into the office.
“Laverne, are you seeing anything?” Decker asked.
“All quiet here but there’s movement at the gate. I’d suggest you get moving before the delivery arrives and we have more of them to deal with.”
Waggs was doing everything possible not to think about Willow being involved with this, and the thought that she could be hurt almost made him lose his focus. Almost but he’d been training for all his adult life, and Eidolon had only taken that training and honed it until he was in the best physical shape he’d ever been in, and his skills were faultless.
He trained for this every day, but nothing could have prepared him for having the woman he loved in this situation. It made him have a much better understanding for how Reid and Alex had felt when they’d been through similar things.
“You good, Waggs?”
“Yeah. I can do this.”
“We have this, brother. We will have her home and safe in the next hour.”
“Thanks, Deck.”
“On my order.”
The tension ramped up as Waggs and the team readied to move.
“Go.”
The one hushed word was all it took and in seconds the front gate blew and the sound of pops from firearms went off. Waggs ran silently, his head down, weapon at his shoulder and poised for action, the adrenalin biting through his blood stream and clearing his mind. Opening the door of the warehouse, he threw in a smoke bomb and waited as it blew. The room filled with grey smoke and he entered with Deck at his back.
Sudden gun fire had them ducking behind a van that was parked inside as they returned fire. He heard a grunt as someone went down and then kept moving, his target the office which was the only conceivable place that the girls could be.
“Guards at the gate down but we lost Green. Repeat, Green is gone,” Condor reported. Waggs glanced at Deck and they both knew he wasn’t gone. He was coming for Waggs. He was a loose end and Green wouldn’t tolerate that.
Explosions and gun fire continued from outside and Waggs knew it was their guys facing off against the other two Special Ops guys. He could hear the commotion, the movement familiar to him as his team worked together.
Rounding the van, he saw the office door standing open and motioned for Deck to cover him as he ran for it. He pushed through and closed it behind him, and then she was there. Willow, her face bruised but smiling at him with so much trust and love and he didn’t deserve it, not after he’d left her alone but now wasn’t the time.
Her arms gripped his neck as his hands patted her down searching for an injury. Pulling away, he looked her over in the dark room, shoving the goggles off so he could evaluate her better. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, fine, just a sore cheek.”
Relief sharp like a blade blew threw him and he sighed, turning his attention to Bebe. “Bee?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Decker was watching the door. “We need to get out of here.”
“This is Condor, we have a truck arriving. Preparing to intercept.”
“Copy that, Condor.”
Waggs’ eyes returned to Willow, to assure himself she was okay but the dragging need to get her away from there and safe pulled at his gut like thorns. Decker handed Bebe a spare gun as Waggs tucked Willow in behind his body. “Hang on to my belt and do exactly what I tell you.”
“Let’s go.”
They moved back toward the way they had come, Decker in front and him and Willow next, with Bebe covering their six. The sound of shouting and screaming followed by more gunfire had them pause at the door and wait while Decker checked that the coast was clear.
The smoke was clearing now, and Waggs saw the dead man and the open door of the van where he’d been waiting or sleeping, if his slow reaction time was anything to go by.
“Wagner!” Waggs spun, putting Willow behind him as he levelled his gun on Nick Green, but the man was fast and already had Bebe with an arm around her neck, using her as a shield.
Waggs bit back the snarl, not wanting Nick to see that Bebe meant something to him.
“What the fuck do you want, Nick?”
Nick cocked his head mockingly. “Nick? What, no respect for your commander?”
“You lost all right to my respect when you murdered my brother.”
Nick moved back slightly so he could see the open door behind him that faced the back and the trees. “Aaron was a fool. I offered to cut him in. We could’ve taken Ralph out and taken over, but he was too much of a fucking boy scout.”
“He was ten times the man you are.”
“Maybe. And what of you, Aiden? Moving in on his little slut.” The chuckle was humourless and twisted.
Waggs felt the rage inside him burn like fire in his veins. How dare this man denigrate Willow and what he had with her. He could feel the bite of Willow’s fingers at his waist. Keeping her safe his priority above all else—even Bebe, his friend. He was looking for a shot, if he had one opportunity, he wouldn’t think twice about killing Nick Green. Moving slightly to the left, Nick followed, the men mirroring each other with their weapons poised.
“Leave Willow out of this.”
“How can I when she’s the one who brought you here.”
“I thought Ralph trapped you.”
“He did but I’m a man of opportunity and I can a see a good one here. Make no mistake, I’m not going to prison for this. I’m a National fucking hero and how do I get treated? Like fucking hired muscle. I made some errors in judgement but now it’s all clear.”
“Was killing Aaron an error in judgement? Or you being a greedy piece of scum? Which choice was it that made you have that child blow himself up and kill my brother?”
“Aaron was a good soldier, a good man, but he had a weakness. He’d do anything to protect you.”
“What the fuck do you mean?”<
br />
“Don’t listen to him, Waggs, he’s trying to get in your head.” Bebe locked eyes with him and motioned with her three fingers.
Nick tightened his hold on Bebe’s throat. “Shut the fuck up, bitch.”
Waggs wanted answers but ultimately, he knew it didn’t matter in the end what this man said, he was nothing to him but one more bad guy.
Bebe indicated two fingers and Waggs readied for whatever she’d do, his muscles tensed to move at the slightest indication.
On one she dropped forward fast and Waggs didn’t hesitate to take the shot, his finger squeezing the trigger as blood splattered from Nick Green’s head and he fell to the ground dead from a kill shot to the forehead.
It was over. It was finally over.
Chapter 22
Waggs once again checked her over, making sure her cheek bone wasn’t broken, and she was healthy before he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She wrapped her arms around him as the commotion surrounding her faded away. His scent, the familiar smell of him even mixed with smoke and gunpowder, calmed her nerves.
Waggs hadn’t left her side for a second, and she clung to him, needing him beside her, frightened that he’d disappear if she closed her eyes.
Decker stepped up to them and smiled at her. “Glad to see you’re okay.”
“It could have been so much worse.” Waggs’ arms tightened around her at his words, and she welcomed the feel of it.
“But it wasn’t and it’s all over now.” Her voice sounded stronger than she felt, and she was glad of it. She still had no clue where they stood or if he’d forgive her for what she’d done.
Decker glanced at the police who were talking to Condor and his men. “Ralph and Jerry are going away for a long time.”
The two men had been found tied up in the main office. It seemed Nick Green had made his play to seize control of the operation.
Lopez had apparently called it in and said he had friends who happened to be passing when they’d seen the commotion and gone in to see if they could help. Apparently, working for the Queen gave you diplomatic immunity and they were free to go after they’d been questioned and provided addresses.
“I can clear up here. Get her home.”
“You have both of the thumb drives with all the information on them?”
“Yes. I have all that and will give it to Condor to deal with. Now go, take Willow home.”
Waggs looked down at her with so much love in his eyes and she felt hope unfurl in her belly that perhaps she hadn’t ruined things for them. With his arm around her shoulders, he guided her to the car and settled her in the passenger seat before buckling her in and dropping a tender kiss on her head.
Tears pricked at her eyes at the casual gesture and she watched him move around the car before getting in and driving them home. A place that no longer felt like home to her and she realised it was because home was never a place but a person. Aiden was her home and without him she wouldn’t feel that again.
Willow was out of the car before he could help her, her legs shaking, painful cramps of nerves and anxiety filled her belly as she marched to the door. Behind her, Aiden was a formidable presence and the anger she felt earlier returned as her world shifted.
Slamming the door behind him, Willow grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and pulled it around her shoulders, fighting the shivers that had nothing to do with being cold. Spinning she faced him, ready to give him hell and then beg him to forgive her, all shame gone now as she fought for her life.
Pointing a finger at him, she saw shock cross his handsome face. “You were wrong.” Willow began to pace the small living room. “Yes, I should have told you, but I never kept AJ from you. That was all on you. You were the one who ran, not me. Had you given me the chance or the slightest indication that you wanted any kind of relationship with AJ, as either an uncle or a father, I’d have fought harder, but you left. When I was broken and grieving for a man I loved, you took the one thing from me that could have got me through—you. You took yourself away and then I was left grieving for two men I loved.”
Waggs stepped forward and lifted a hand to her but she was too angry, to upset to let him soothe her. “You left me, Aiden, when I needed you. I had my son with your mother by my side, not you or Aaron but your mother. When I needed your arms to hold me, you didn’t even know I was alive.”
“No, that’s not true. Not a day went by I didn’t think about you.” He gripped her upper arms firmly and she looked up in anguish, to see his eyes were full of regrets. “I’ve loved you from the minute I met you, Wills, and that never changed. I was wrong to leave, wrong to run. I should’ve been here by your side, how you needed me to be, and I’m so fucking sorry I wasn’t.”
A sob tore from her throat as hope bloomed in her chest. His hand lifted to her face, his thumb swiping the tears that fell. “I love you, Wills, so much and if you’ll let me, I’ll spend eternity making it up to you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I want us to be together, wherever that may be. I want us to be a family. To get married one day and give AJ brothers and sisters and live our lives together.”
Willow wanted desperately to fall into him and tell him she wanted that too, but she needed to know he forgave her first. “You forgive me for not telling you about AJ?”
He kissed her eyelids and she reached up to cover his hand with her own. “There’s nothing to forgive. We both could’ve done things differently, but the past doesn’t affect the future. I love you and that’s all that matters.”
“What about AJ? Do you want to find out if he’s your son?”
Willow saw a shadow of doubt cross his features. “I don’t know, but to me, it makes no difference. I love him as if he was my own, and in every way that matters, he is mine—ours.”
“Are you sure? Because as much as I love you, AJ is, and will always come first, no matter what.”
Aiden dipped his head, closing his eyes as his forehead rested on hers and he showed her his vulnerability. “It’s one of the things I love most about you. Your desire to protect those you love. I would never expect anything different. AJ will, and should, always come first for both of us.”
It was the words she needed to hear and as they penetrated her mind, she crashed into Aiden. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her lips found his. She initiated the kiss, showing him how she felt, taking control as emotion overcame her.
In seconds, the emotion turned to white hot passion and she found herself in the air as Aiden carried her to the bedroom they shared, his lips never leaving her own as he made love to her mouth with his tongue. Seducing her with every brush of his lips over hers and she felt drugged by it.
Dropping her on the bed, she watched with carnal hunger as he stripped away his clothes until he was gloriously naked in front of her, his hand palming his straining cock. Willow squeezed her legs together as an ache to feel him inside her blossomed.
“Look at me, Wills.”
Her eyes moved to his and she saw all the love and passion he felt for her with no filter, or hiding from the truth, just bare, naked emotion. Aiden stripped her slowly, kissing every mark on her skin from the man who would’ve taken her from him. He soothed, kissed, licked, and sucked until she was swimming in a pool of need and sensation.
“Please, Aiden, I need to feel you inside me.”
As he settled between her thighs, she wrapped her legs around him, feeling the head of his cock at her entrance and wanting more.
“You’re so beautiful.”
“I love you, Aiden Wagner.”
“I love you, Willow Yates.”
Then he was pushing into her and her body sang as he rocked into her again and again, his hands and mouth marking her as his, and pleasure became a wave she rode higher and higher until she knew she’d crash.
“Let go, baby.”
As she locked eyes with him, she did, and pleasure crashed over her until she could hardly see and then she felt
him spill his seed inside her, and her climax peaked again as she let go because she knew Aiden would always be there to catch her.
Epilogue
The door opened and the light of his life walked through, a grinning AJ at her side. Waggs felt the ever-present grin slide over his face, the ache in his cheeks from smiling so often a constant reminder of how empty his life had been before Willow and AJ changed it forever.
“Hey, how was training?” He stood and kissed Willow’s upturned lips as he brought an arm around her waist, needing her close as he ruffled AJ’s hair.
“Good, we practised penalties and I was in goal.”
Waggs focused on the boy who now called him Dad and his heart almost burst with pride. The move to the UK had been Willow’s idea. He’d been prepared to give up everything for her and AJ, but she knew how much he loved his job and said, apart from his parents, she had no reason to stay in the States.
Leaving his parents had been harder than he’d thought but now they were back in regular contact, face timing weekly, it was easier especially with the surprise he had planned for Willow and AJ. He had flown them in just in time for them all to spend Christmas together. The first since Aaron had died, but not the last.
“He was great, weren’t you, buddy?”
“I was and coach says I can start the next game in goal.”
Waggs crouched, running his fingers down Willow’s side until they wrapped her hip, but his focus was on AJ. “That’s great, buddy. I’m so proud of you.”
“Can I go play with Riley later?”
Waggs had introduced Willow and AJ to all of the Fortis team and their wives at the bonfire night party Liam held, as well as all of the kids they had between them. He’d been pleased to see AJ and Zack’s son Riley hit it off and they now had regular playdates.
“Not today, buddy. We’re going to get the tree, remember?”
Waggs had wanted the full Christmas experience for them all this year and that included picking out a real tree for the lounge. AJ already had a mini fake tree in his room which he’d decorated with the things he’d made with Willow, Autumn, and Maggie.
