by Kaylea Cross
His arm tightened around her. “You won’t lose me. Not ever,” he murmured against the top of her head. “I’ll always come home to you.”
He meant it; she could hear the conviction in his voice. But there was no way he could guarantee that promise.
They were both quiet as Maya and Jackson drove them back to the resort, Candace snuggled in as close as she could get. Thankfully the cops and FBI agents had all left except for the ones staying for security purposes with MacKenzie’s crew, so they didn’t have to do any more interviews.
She held Ryan’s hand on the way up to the new room they’d been given on a different floor where there was no smoke or water damage, relieved to be alone and have this nightmarish night over with. All she wanted was to curl up against her husband and spend the rest of the night in his arms. Or arm, as it were.
The air in the hallway still smelled faintly of smoke but fortunately the sprinkler system and the fire crews had long since managed to put the fire out on the first floor before it had damaged more than the lower two floors. Erin and Wade still wanted the wedding to go ahead as scheduled at eleven in the morning, so they all needed to get some rest.
After gingerly peeling her T-shirt off, she paused before the mirror and angled so she could see her bandage at the edge of her left shoulder blade. Dark blue and purple bruises were already spreading out from under the edges. At least the pills they’d given her had taken the edge off the pain.
“Do you think my gown will hide this well enough?” she asked Ryan, who had stripped and was already lying in bed on his side, watching her, his wounded arm bound up in a sling across his wide, muscular chest.
“Yeah, probably. Come lie down with me.”
She loathed the thought of everyone staring at her while she was up there, whispering about what had happened, but she’d do anything for Erin. Including standing at the altar in a few hours while nursing a bullet wound that hurt every bit as much as she’d imagined.
Exhausted, she crossed to the bed, climbed in beside him, and lay facing him on her uninjured side. He looked just as tired as she felt and she could tell he was hurting a lot more than he let on.
Reaching out, she cupped the side of his face and rubbed her thumb over his cheek. She would have leaned forward to kiss him but it would hurt too much so she stayed put. Searching his eyes, she sighed. “We look like the saddest bookends in the world right now.”
He snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, we sure do.”
And it said a lot that he wasn’t trying to initiate anything. She traced her fingers over his face, wishing she could take his pain away. “Who knew the mountains in Montana could be even more dangerous than the ones in Afghanistan?”
“I know.” His face grew serious and he slipped his left hand beneath her to wind it around her nape, fingers gently digging into her sore muscles. “Do you know how much I love you?”
A smile tugged at her mouth and her heart squeezed. He’d obviously been thinking about what she’d said at the hospital. “I think so, yes.”
He stared into her eyes, the raw emotion there making her throat tighten. “I could have lost you tonight. Until we talked earlier I never realized how much I’ve been taking you for granted, even though I didn’t mean to. I don’t ever want you to think I don’t love you or appreciate every single thing you do for us, whether I’m here or away.”
Her throat tightened. He was such a ham all the time; this level of seriousness and his heartfelt words showed just how much tonight had scared him. How the thought of losing her scared him.
With a soft smile she slipped her right arm beneath him and around the back of his neck. She snuggled in close to his body, savoring his warmth and strength, the feel of his love surrounding her like a healing balm. “Nobody’s perfect, but you come pretty damn close to being perfect for me.”
The corner of his mouth tipped upward. “Good. Now let’s try to get some sleep, huh?”
“Okay.” She doubted either of them was going to get much of it, but it was a huge comfort just to be able to curl up with him for the rest of the night.
Planting a slow, firm kiss on her lips, he grimaced as he reached past her head to turn off the wall sconce beside the bed. Then he pulled her close with his good arm and held her, their hearts beating in unison in the darkened room.
Chapter Fourteen
The morning of the wedding was cool and bright, barely a cloud in the sky. Ryan glanced away from the window in their room and winced as he draped the right side of his jacket over his sling, the motion pulling at his stitches.
It had been an uncomfortable few hours of rest for both him and Candace. Neither of them had wanted to stop touching the other, so it meant a lot of awkward positioning to make it work. He hadn’t slept much and neither had Candace, but she’d had to be up and gone by nine to get ready with the rest of the bridesmaids, no matter how sore and shitty she felt.
He felt bad that she had to soldier through a wedding when she should have spent the day in bed resting and letting him pamper her with cuddles and room service. They’d do that as soon as the reception was over, he decided.
His entire right shoulder and side hurt and he was damn glad he didn’t have to stand up there in front of everyone during the wedding. In the shower earlier, he’d been covered in bright purple and magenta bruises. He’d refused to take the pills he’d gotten at the hospital, because they made him feel woozy and sick to his stomach, so he had to get through this cold turkey.
When he got downstairs a few minutes later, the lobby was already filled with wedding guests. Around the perimeter he spotted several of the security guards MacKenzie had brought in to watch the place, but they were doing a good job of blending in. Declan was personally seeing to the security of the wedding party and guests, as well as keeping the media away from the resort.
Not surprisingly, news outlets across the country were already streaming stories about last night’s attack by an apparent domestic terror cell, and that a senator’s daughter had been among the victims. Thankfully Candace’s name and family hadn’t been leaked yet, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
Jackson stood near the entrance and nodded when he saw Ryan, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Hey, big guy. How you feeling?”
“I feel awesome.”
“Uh huh.” He gestured outside. “Want to go get our seats before this gets rolling?”
“Yeah.” He slipped on his shades as they stepped outside into the bright, late morning sunlight. “Maya hear anything yet?”
“She’s been in contact with her people at the Bureau. Apparently March had been building a militia with the hopes of attacking government targets in Montana and elsewhere, eventually planning to hit D.C. His big plan was to have his followers rise up and topple the government, thought the country would rise up against the so-called ‘tyranny his ancestors and fellow brothers and sisters in arms’ had fought against.”
“Wow, he wasn’t into small potatoes, was he?”
“Nope. The Feds aren’t releasing March’s name just yet, but it won’t be long. Not sure if they’ve got him talking yet but they’re tracking down all his followers as we speak, and apparently there’ve already been a fair number rounded up. March Madness is dead.” He shot Ryan a sidelong glance. “How’s Ace holding up?”
“So far so good. Looking at her right now, you’d never know she was shot last night.” He broke into a smile when he saw her standing off to the side of the white gazebo set into the middle of the garden, talking to Devon and Maya, all in their bridesmaids dresses.
“Yeah, she looks good.”
She sure as hell did. The soft peach gown made her skin glow, and the sunlight glinted off her golden-blond hair. She’d carefully tucked the bandage beneath the edge of the fabric where it crossed her shoulder blade, and what the dress didn’t hide of the bruising she’d managed to cover with makeup.
Watching her now, a powerful tide of love and protectiveness flowed through him. She meant ev
erything to him, and as much as being wounded sucked for them both, it meant he’d have more time stateside with her while he healed up. After all this he wanted time alone to reconnect with her without any interruptions or distractions. To show her how much he loved her, how much she meant to him.
“Went, Thatcher.”
They both turned their heads to find Liam and Honor Magrath heading their way across the lawn. Liam wore a dark suit and Honor had on a pale green dress. “Hey, you guys made it after all.”
“Just in time.” The Night Stalker pilot took in Ryan’s sling and offered him his left hand to shake.
Apparently not satisfied with a mere handshake, Honor wrapped her arms around Ryan’s waist instead, her pale blue eyes searching his. “We just heard what happened. Are you all right?”
“I’m okay.”
“And Ace?”
“See for yourself.” He nodded toward Candace.
Honor’s strawberry-blond hair swished around her shoulders as she turned her head toward Candace, then back to him. “Okay, now I feel better.”
Liam set an arm around her shoulders, looking at him and Jackson. “Sorry I missed out on the action. I hear you guys had one hell of a hunting expedition last night.”
“Yeah, we did.” Ryan looked around. “Where’s Cam?”
“He’ll be here in a sec.” Jackson nodded toward the neatly-arranged rows of white folding chairs set out on the lawn in front of the gazebo. “Shall we?”
Violin music started up a minute after they’d sat down, signaling the start of the ceremony. He half turned in his seat to watch Wade stride down the grassy aisle with his groomsmen and stand at the entrance of the gazebo dressed in a black tux and Stetson to await his bride.
Next came the bridesmaids. He couldn’t take his eyes off his wife. She glowed up there at the front of the line of bridesmaids, tall and gorgeous and strong, giving no sign of the pain he knew she was in.
Damn, she amazed him. When this was over, he was going to take her away someplace to relax. Somewhere with a white sand beach and their own private hideaway within sight of the ocean, where they could be alone and enjoy each other’s company.
When everyone was at the altar, Maya appeared at the top of the aisle, looking shockingly soft and feminine in her matron of honor gown. She walked down to take her place directly next to the altar, and faced front to await the bride.
After a pause the violinist began a new song and Erin stepped into view, her arm linked through her father’s. Even through the veil Ryan could see the tears in her eyes and the tremulous smile on her mouth as she walked toward Wade.
He smiled. Those two had gone through hell together too. Ryan was damn glad they were getting the chance to have a happily ever after.
During the vows, Ryan watched his wife, reminded of their own wedding last year. There had been hundreds of guests there, most of whom he hadn’t even known, and the whole thing had been over-the-top in his opinion, but he still remembered the important things. The way Candace had looked in that gorgeous ivory gown, the way her hand had gripped his during the vows…and every single promise they’d made to each other that day.
Even though she knew he loved her and he’d tried to show her how much, Ryan had to admit he hadn’t been the greatest husband so far. Like she’d said, he’d let her down, and that still bothered him. He’d never meant to make her feel alone or insignificant. He was going to work way harder to be there for her emotionally going forward.
She’d known what she was getting with him and his job when they’d gotten married, and she’d stood by him. His career meant he was away from her for long stretches at a time, but from now on when he did have the chance to talk to her, whether by phone or computer, he would try harder to love her the way she deserved.
A second honeymoon was exactly what the doctor ordered for them. Now that they were both recuperating from gunshot wounds, getting away for an extended trip was even more important. Time to heal and have the chance to fall in love with each other all over again. He’d romance her so much she wouldn’t even know what hit her.
Sounded like a hell of a plan to him.
Erin and Wade finished their vows and sealed them with a long, definitely not PG kiss that had the audience whistling and cheering. As soon as they disappeared up the aisle, with Maya, Candace, Dev and the others trailing behind, Ryan followed.
When the blessedly short receiving line wound to a close, he snagged his wife’s hand and took her to a private corner around the side of the main building. He wanted to be alone with her for a few minutes.
“What did you think?” she asked him, eyes glowing with happiness despite the fatigue and discomfort he could see lurking there. “Wasn’t it great?”
“What I think is that you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Her expression softened as he took her face in his hand and brought his mouth down on hers. He nibbled at her luscious lower lip for a moment before delving his tongue inside to stroke hers, unable to get enough of her.
“I can see you two necking over there,” said a scratchy voice from behind them. “Don’t make me come over there and slap you for public indecency, Ryan, because I will if I have to.”
Breaking the kiss, Ryan sighed and rested his forehead against Candace’s. “She’s like a bad smell that won’t go away.”
Candace giggled and wound her right arm around his waist. “Don’t let her hear you say that.”
Not in a million years.
Straightening, he turned slightly to face Ruby, who stood near the front entrance of the main building in her bright purple dress, puffing on a cigarette, her right wrist still wrapped up. “And here I thought you had to be all slapped out after last night.”
Ruby exhaled a mouthful of smoke and grinned, her expression delighted as she dropped the cigarette and crushed it into the grass beneath the toe of her high-heeled shoe. “Not quite.” Chuckling to herself, she turned and disappeared back inside.
He looked back at his wife. “I guess this means we’re finally buddies?”
“I think it must,” she answered, sounding impressed.
“Guess being teammates on a little covert night op is all it takes to win her over. Who knew?” Candace’s husky laugh filled him with warmth. Slipping a hand around the nape of her neck, he kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you so much. More than you’ll ever know. And I’ll even risk bodily harm by dancing with your bat shit-crazy grandma later on to prove it.”
She laughed again, softly this time, leaning her body against his. “She’s in her late eighties, Ryan. Chances are she won’t be around that much longer. We should embrace her quirkiness and enjoy her while we can.”
More like she’ll live to be over a hundred with the way she’d already pickled her internal organs with a lifetime of rye. “Like I said before,” he said, wrapping his left arm around her waist to escort her back inside. He’d do anything for her. “She’s growing on me.”
Epilogue
Eight days later
“Okay, Maya and Jackson were right. This place really is paradise on earth.”
Candace turned her head on the chaise lounge to look at Ryan, also stretched out on his back, enjoying the warm, tropical sun from the privacy of the back lawn of the beach house they’d rented in Poipu, on the island of Kauai.
The private property was a luxurious and insanely expensive accommodation that they were loving way too much. It wasn’t something they ever would have shelled out for with their finances, but given everything that had happened at the resort, her grandmother had insisted upon paying for their second honeymoon, and for once, Ryan had accepted her generosity.
“I know,” she murmured, basking in the heavenly combination of the warm sun and balmy breeze that rustled through the coconut palms ringing the sides of the yard and the birds of paradise that grew along the stone foundation of the house.
“Remind me to thank your grandma again when we get home.”
She lau
ghed at him. “Whatever, like you haven’t already talked to her twice a day since we got here. I know you guys are texting buddies now.”
Ryan’s lips twitched, his eyes hidden by his shades. “I think I’ve grown on her.”
“I think so too. Never in a million years would I have ever thought you two would wind up bonding so tight.”
“Seriously. I’d have taken her on a mission a year ago if I’d known that was the key.”
Chuckling under her breath, she settled back against the padded headrest and let out a contented sigh. Before them, the endless blue of the Pacific Ocean stretched out, ending in turquoise waves that exploded into white foam as they crashed against the lava rock on the shore. “We stopping by that acai bowl place on the way back from the clinic?” They had to get their stitches out.
“Heck yeah. I love those things.”
She picked up her phone, checked the time. “We’d better leave in ten minutes or so.”
He grunted, appearing in no hurry to ever move again. She didn’t blame him. This time away together was exactly what they’d both needed. His right hand and arm were a little swollen, and he still had some numbness and reduced grip strength. The doctors thought he’d get most of it back though.
Things had changed so much for them since the wedding last week. She’d officially become a civilian again as of two days ago, and it felt fantastic. She had several irons in the fire as far as job applications were concerned, all private sector, but one she had her fingers and toes crossed for. Ryan planned to stay in the Air Force for at least another few years, but for the next three months at least, he was all hers.
A lot more had happened over the past week as well.
The media had thankfully lost interest in her story and what happened at the resort, except to report about Eric March’s legal case. He was currently in prison awaiting trial for charges that would either keep him locked up for the rest of his days, or the death penalty now that the government had uncovered everything he’d been planning. The majority of his followers had been tracked down and charged with various crimes.
