Guarding Antonia

by Nicole Flockton

  For supposedly being a cool Navy SEAL, Robot was displaying none of that coolness right now. His steps were jerky and he kept thrusting his hands in and out of his jeans pocket.

  Why did the thought of her being hurt and taken distress him so much?

  Could he possibly—no so not going there.

  She jerked her thoughts back from the track they were hurtling down. Nothing came of making assumptions, and she was on her way to making a huge one.

  What she could do, was ease his agitation.

  She went over to him, halting his pacing. “It was just a dream, Brendan,” she said softly. “Dreams don’t come true and I’m standing right here in front of you.”

  “Yeah, you are.”

  They stood there gazing at each other, his blue eyes mesmerizing her with their intensity. Without even being aware of what she was doing, her reach out and cupped his cheek, the bristles tickling her palm. “Right here,” she said again as she went up on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his.

  Kissing him could easily be a habit she could fall into. The whole team knew about their marriage now so all her efforts to keep him at a distance in effort to not give away their past knowledge of each other wasn’t needed anymore.

  She was free to touch him. Kiss him. Hug him, whenever she wanted.

  I thought you were going to speak to a lawyer?

  Her subconscious taunted her but she ignored it. All that mattered now was reassuring Robot it was just a dream and whatever he’d seen hadn’t occurred.

  She pressed her body closer to his, his arousal pressed against her stomach and a rush of heat coalesced between her thighs.

  “Damn,” she muttered as she broke the kiss.

  “What?” he asked as he nuzzled her neck with his nose before kissing it, causing more ripples of desire to course through her.

  “I really have to go to work and so do you.” She pushed against his shoulders and with one last nip at her neck he released his hold. Immediately, she wrapped her arms around herself to hold his heat within her.

  “Can I drive you to work?” he asked rubbing the back of his neck.

  “No, it’s fine, but thank you.”

  “Right. Well, I’ll wait and follow you.”

  Geez, they’d gone from kissing passionately to having a conversation that could’ve been between two strangers. “My work is in the opposite direction of the base. I don’t need an escort, Robot. Thank you, but I will be okay.”

  He looked like he was going to argue but she placed her fingers on his lips. “Seriously. I will be okay. But I’ll text you when I leave here and when I get to work. How about that?”

  “You can text me when you get to work, but I’ll leave when you leave.”

  Okay, she could live with that, and her anxiousness that he’d keep pushing alleviated a little. Who knew compromising could be so easy? Although, not all situations were going to be as smooth to sort out like this one. “That works. I’ll be back in ten.”

  She raced off to her bedroom, she was going to be late, but hopefully work would understand. They’d told her yesterday to take as much time as she needed, but one day off was enough. If she didn’t keep busy, she’d remember, and she’d rather not recall what she’d seen. Hopefully with the brief description she’d given the cops yesterday and maybe there was video footage from building security, the perpetrator would be caught, and her life could go on as normal. Question was, did her normal include Robot or not?

  More to the point: was she going to end her marriage to him or was she going to try and make it work?

  Chapter 8

  Robot paused outside of the one meeting rooms on base, he could hear the low hum of the conversation the guys were having. He’d just come from Commander Black’s office, explaining all he knew about the situation he’d gone through with Antonia the day before. He also asked for the necessary paperwork to amend his next-of-kin.

  The sheets burned a hole in his back pocket. Was he really going ahead with it? Was there any point? He and Antonia still hadn’t discussed how they were going to move forward with their marriage.

  “Fuck,” he muttered, so many unanswered questions. He liked to think with the way she’d compromised with him about letting him know she got to work safely, that thoughts of her contacting a lawyer had disappeared, or at least were beginning to. He wouldn’t know unless he asked her, which he planned to do tonight when he arrived at her place after he finished work.

  He straightened his shoulders and took a fortifying breath before he stepped into the conference room. He’d withstood and survived being tortured, he could surely deal with barrage of questions the guys planned to throw at him concerning his marriage.

  He pushed the partially closed door open and strode in. Italy was the first to notice him. Then one by one the rest of the guys looked over.

  “I suppose you all have questions?” Heading them off before they could strike was a good battle plan, and one they’d used on many occasions.

  Joker nodded, a wry smile on his face. “If Emma hadn’t been fussing last night, I’m pretty sure Suzie would’ve made me take her over to Italy’s place once she heard you guys were there.”

  “Thank goodness for fractious babies,” Robot responded before pulling out a chair.

  “Did you really do a Ross and Rachel from Friends?” asked Red.

  First Antonia, and now Red, referring to an episode of a show he’d never seen. From the description gave the previous evening, it sounded pretty accurate. “I’m surprised you know about that show, Red.”

  The other man laughed. “One of my sister’s best friends is a screenwriter, she and Jenny would watch that show over and over and sometimes I watched it with them.”

  “Oh? Is that the chick who was texting you at T-Rex and Brielle’s party the other day? The one you insist you’re just friends with.” Cowboy teased while using air quotes.

  “Did you just air quote me?” Red asked.

  “Correct. Is she one and the same girl,” Cowboy persisted, and Robot was glad the heat was off him.

  “It’s the same person and she’s my sister’s best friend. I’ve known her most of my life.” He shrugged, but Robot noted he didn’t look directly at any of the guys.

  “Well, you know what they say,” T-Rex teased.

  “They say never tap your sister’s friend,” Red responded. “And this isn’t about me, it’s about Robot and the fact he’s married to Antonia.”

  Shit, he’d thought for sure the guys would continue to razz Red, but he supposed they deserved an explanation. These men were brothers to him. The shit they’d been through together forged a connection that was stronger than blood.

  He drummed his fingers on the table. If he kept everything short, concise and to the point, it should keep the questions about his marriage to a minimum. “Yes, Antonia and I got married two years ago. Yes, it was in Vegas. Yes, we’d had a lot to drink. Yes, in the morning we decided to end it. Yes, my former lawyer fucked up and didn’t file the papers, so we’re still married. As to why I didn’t mention it, recall former point about lawyer. Anything else?”

  “Notice he didn’t say anything about going to a lawyer now to end it.” Joker threw into the small silence that had settled over the group.

  “He didn’t, did he?” said Cowboy.

  “What I want to know is...” Interjected Italy who’d been sitting back and not saying a word.

  Robot had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what Italy was about to say next. He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow in query.

  “Who asked who to get married?” Italy sat back, a smug little smile on his face.

  Of course, that would be the question his friend would ask. “It was a mutual decision.”

  He wasn’t lying with his answer. The scene replayed in his mind.

  They’d left the casino and were walking down the hallway when he pulled her in tight to avoid a group of people, including a woman wearing a wedding dress. He looked down at
Antonia as she looked up at him. He had no idea who moved first, but they exchanged the hottest kiss he’d ever experienced.

  A guy staggering behind the group, saw them and joked that the wedding chapel was just down the hall and they should go make it official.

  They’d laughed at his suggestion, but the idea wasn’t that abhorrent to him. For a guy who liked his life in order, not to mention extremely meticulous in planning his team’s missions, the fact he considered marrying to a woman he’d known only a few hours and kissed once, was completely out of character.

  Then Antonia had said, I always loved the idea of a Vegas wedding. It had sealed the deal and so he got down one on knee and asked her to marry him. She laughed and surprisingly said yes. Twenty minutes later, she sported a diamond solitaire engagement ring, with accompanying filigree wedding band, and he wore a matching band. The chapel had everything they needed.

  When he woke the next morning, she was standing by the bed, rings off and holding them out to him. He’d agreed to what she wanted, even though part of him wanted to try and suggest they make it work, but he hadn’t told her what he did for a living. Considering how dangerous his job was, ending the marriage seemed the best way to go.

  He still had the rings, tucked away in the bottom drawer of his dresser.

  A clap on his shoulder brought him out of his memory daze. He looked to his left and spied Italy standing there. “You all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “You’ve been standing there for the last five minutes looking at the far corner of the room while everyone else has bugged out.”

  “I was just remembering,” he said quietly, as he took in the empty room.

  Italy’s eyes widened as if surprised Robot would admit something so personal out loud. Hell, he was too, but it was out there, and he didn’t care. “You remember the night clearly?”

  Robot scrubbed a hand down his face. “I do, and I’m pretty sure Antonia does as well. We were drunk, but as you know, even drunk, some things stick in your mind. How we got married is one of them.” He definitely wasn’t going to mention he remembered how hot the sex between him and Antonia was, and he was grateful his mind hadn’t blocked that out. It was still the best night of his life. Closely followed by the weekend they’d spent at his place when Erin and Antonia first came to town.

  Fuck, he was really losing it.

  “I think there’s a reason why you don’t seem angry at your former lawyer,” Italy said.

  “Oh really, why is that?”

  “You want to stay married to Antonia. I’d even go so far as to say that you have feelings for her. You’re a guy who doesn’t do spontaneous things so for you to get married on whim, she had to have struck something in you. Question is, how does Antonia feel?”

  Out of all the guys on the team, he was closest to Italy. They’d saved each other’s asses on more than one occasion. Normally, he wasn’t one to share his inner thoughts with anyone, but Italy had gone to school with Erin and Antonia. He knew her well, just like he knew Robot.

  “I don’t know how she feels. She was talking about contacting a lawyer this morning after I’d pissed her off.”

  “Fuck, dude, you two are always sparking off each other. Erin was right last night, you two are perfect together.”

  “When did she say that?” Robot recalled most of their conversation and he was pretty sure Erin didn’t say that in front of him and Antonia. If she did, both of them would’ve denied it. Well he would’ve done so anyway.

  “After you’d gone. We were talking about you two, your Vegas marriage, and how you’ve been acting since she arrived back in your life. Erin’s convinced you both secretly love each other but are too stubborn to admit it. Not to mention, she’s excited you and Antonia are hitched.”

  Deep down he was beginning to believe his feelings for Antonia had strengthened and solidified in him, but like hell he’d been shouting it out loud of all to hear.

  “Of course, she is. Your woman is nothing but a romantic since the two of you hooked up again.”

  Italy smiled smugly. “What can I say, I’m her Romeo and she’s my Juliet.”

  Robot faked gag. “That deserves an extra hundred push-ups tomorrow during PT.”

  Italy punched him in the arm. “Seeing as you have to do an extra one-fifty for missing two days of PT then you can keep me company.”

  “Robot, Italy, grab the rest of your team and get in my office now. We’ve got a situation.” Commander Black’s voice boomed into the room and any humor lingering in Robot drained out. That tone could only mean one thing—they were going to be wheels up in about thirty minutes.

  Pulling into Erin’s driveway, Antonia noticed two other cars already there. She’d resisted the urge to drive a little further down the street to Robot’s house. The guy wasn’t there, but he’d called her to tell her they were leaving on a mission and he didn’t know how long they’d be.

  Two minutes later, Erin had called her and told her, in no uncertain terms, she expected Antonia at her place after work for the usual girls’ night they had when the guys went on a mission.

  Normally, she was the extra, the one not associated with anyone on the team, but now she was very much one of them. She was Robot’s wife.

  Unconsciously, she rubbed her ring finger on her left hand. The rings he’d chosen for her had been beautiful and she remembered tearing up when he slipped them on her finger. At the time she’d blamed the alcohol, but now she wondered how it was possible to feel such emotion with a guy she’d only just met. Was she the same as her parents? Always falling in love in an instant, only to find out later it wasn’t love at all, but infatuation? Was what she was feeling for Robot only infatuation though? Could what they had be different to what her parents had with each other?

  “Not going there, Antonia. Not going there,” she muttered to herself as she opened the car door. She was a little late since she was held up at work, but no doubt, the girls had gossiped about her and Robot’s marriage and had a list of questions ready to fire her way.

  She hoped to God, Erin had a good supply of wine. Antonia had an idea she would need the fortification of a good white to get her through this evening.

  Her cell phone buzzed in her bag, probably Erin wondering where she was. She dug the device out of the depths of her purse. The number flashing up wasn’t one she recognized and normally she’d send it to voice mail, but now things were different. Robot had left to go on a mission, but it was possible he could be calling her. Not that she expected him to, but occasionally Carlos would call Erin.

  She swiped to accept. “Hello.”

  “Bitch, you better keep your mouth shut or you’ll pay.” Spit out a deep, harsh voice.

  The call disconnected before she could say anything. Shock rooted her to the spot. Blood rushed through her system, pounding in her ears as her heart thudded rapidly in her chest.

  That wasn’t…

  It couldn’t be.

  She shouldn’t be here. If they had her number, they could trace her to Erin’s place then everyone would be in danger. She couldn’t put the girls at risk.

  “Toni, are you gonna stand out there all night? Get your butt inside.”

  Antonia looked up and saw Erin standing in the doorway. Fuck, what was she going to do and why did the call have to happen when Robot had just left on a mission?

  Her phone rang again in her hand, but she ignored it. She didn’t want to pick it up in case it was another threatening call. The ringing stopped, and she breathed out in relief.

  Okay, now she could think and come up with a plan to keep everyone safe. She just needed to feign some sort of sickness. With two young babies in the house, neither mother would want their child to get sick. Then she could go home

  No. Not home. She wouldn’t be safe there.

  A hotel.

  Yes, a hotel was the perfect place. She didn’t care how much she’d have to pay for a room, it was worth it if it meant k
eeping Erin and the others safe. Brielle didn’t need to be embroiled in another drama. She was still recovering from being kidnapped twice. Once by herself and the other time with T-Rex.

  She looked up again, Erin had her hands on her hips now, a sure sign she was getting pissed off. Plastering a smile—oh no, no smile, she was faking being sick, she needed to look miserable.

  Her phone started ringing again.

  Fuck.

  She hit decline and squeezed her fingers tighter around the electronic device.

  Taking her time, she stood a few feet away from Erin, hoping her friend couldn’t see the look of distress on her face.

  “Hey E, I’m gonna have to bail on tonight.”

  Erin’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  “I almost threw up twice on the way over. I must be coming down with the bug that’s going around the office. I don’t want to make Kieran or Emma sick. I think it’s best I go home.”

  “Are you really sick or just faking it because you know we’re going to ask a million questions?”

  She knew Erin would think it’s an excuse, but she couldn’t crumple under her friend’s scrutiny. For their safety, she had to be strong.

  “No, I’m not. Really, I’m feeling like shit.”

  Before she could say anything, Suzie appeared next to Erin. “Antonia, Tex has been calling you. He said to get your butt inside and pick up your phone.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “What the hell?”

  She and Erin spoke at the same time.

  Suzie shrugged. “I don’t know. He just rang my cell and told me I needed to tell you both to get inside.”

  Antonia looked around to see if there was some sore of surveillance van lurking in the shadows of the street. How else would Tex know they were both standing outside? It didn’t matter anyway, she was still going to stick with her sick story. Tex getting involved only reinforced her decision.