“My brother started it all. Now that he is dead, I took over the family business.”
“They are just children.” Each step Weatherford took, I took a step backwards, keeping as much distance as I could between us. Each step caused pain to shoot through my body. Everything around me started to morph and spin. I had to stay awake. So I did what I do best, I put my brain in overdrive and thought about whatever I could to keep myself awake. Passing out was the worst situation I could put myself in. A soldier, who I thought was a friend, was the man responsible for everything. How in the world could a soldier do this? He took a pledge to defend our country. At that moment Ryan’s words played in my head, ‘life is full of evil, sick bastards. It’s my job to save the people who cannot defend themselves. I rescue the innocent and punish the wicked.’
That’s a tall order for just one man, but if someone was meant for the job, it was him. Maybe I could be a part of it, too?
“Doesn’t matter to me. More can be made.”
Oh, hell no. Think Brianna, think. What would Ryan do?
“I suggest you lower your fucking gun and get the fuck away from my woman.” Ryan emerged from the trees with John in tow. Both held 9mm’s and kept their attention firmly on Weatherford. John kept his body facing Weatherford, but headed my way.
Blood continued to pour out of my wound. The ground started to morph into weird shapes. Looking at Ryan, standing between me and Weatherford, my world started to tilt. My head was inches from the ground, when strong arms wrapped around me, to stop my fall.
“I’ve got you, Bree.” John’s face came into view and I couldn’t be happier to see his ugly mug. They came for me.
“John-“
“What happened, Bree?” John asked, moving his hands all over my body, trying to see what was injured. When he pressed on my stomach, I screamed.
“AH! God dammit, you fucking asshole.”
“Shit.” John dropped his gun on the ground and grabbed his knife. I heard something rip, then his hands removed the patch and went to work.
“This is going to hurt, but I need to do something to stop the bleeding.” He cupped my cheek and gave me his annoying smile. “You can’t die on me. Ryan will kill me.”
Chuckling softly, which caused another bolt of pain to ricochet through my body, I turned away from John, waiting for whatever he was about to do.
Ryan and Weatherford were in a standoff and yelling at one another. I couldn’t make out the words, but a slight breeze hit my wound and then something blazing hot hit it, causing me to scream.
Darkness started to cloud my vision. Shots fired and someone fell to the ground. Trying to focus on the scene before me, Ryan plopped in front of me.
“Hold on, Bree. Hold on.”
At those words, my world fell into darkness.
CHAPTER 20
Loud beeps rang in my ears. My eyes struggled to open at first, but when the first beam of light hit, I flinched. It took awhile for my eyes to adjust to the light. When everything came into view, I was in a small room. Looking around, there was a small T.V. in front of me, playing ‘The Hobbit’, and several bouquets of flowers surrounding the entire room. Two small chairs were against the window to my right and a recliner chair was flush against my bed. Both chairs were occupied with two men that made my heart swell. Kangaroo Legs, a.k.a. Lawson, and John were out cold and laying in weird positions. Kangaroo Legs had one leg over the arm of the chair and the other resting on the wall, while John looked like he was about to fall out of the chair with his legs wide open and butt hanging off the edge of the chair.
Trying not to wake them, I watched them with utter amazement. Using my arms, I attempted to push myself up, but a sharp slicing pain shot from my stomach to my back.
Oh, right. I was shot. I was shot! Oh bloody hell. What happened? Is Ryan ok? Weatherford?
The door to my room opened slowly, and Mike walked in with a large box in his right hand. He surveyed the room and when his eyes landed on mine, his face broke out into a massive Cheshire grin.
“You’re awake!” Mike set the box down on the table near the T.V. and sat in the open recliner chair. “How are you feeling?”
“I woke up to these two knuckle heads passed out in my room, and my favorite movie on the T.V. I’d say I’m pretty good at the moment.” The problem was, I didn’t know how I felt. I didn’t know how long I was asleep for, or if Ryan was okay.
“Is Ryan-“
Mike put his hand in the air and stopped me mid-sentence. “Ryan is fine. You have been asleep for three days, and the man was starting to get ripe. We told him to go home and get some rest, so when you woke up, you wouldn’t gag from the stench. He also wanted to check on our business and make sure Weatherford and his men were captured. You did a brave, but stupid thing, the other night. You saved countless lives.”
Weatherford was responsible for the capture of all the children since his brother was killed. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he did this. He was a great guy and we got along well. I wonder what makes a person do such a thing. I mean, they are kids, for crying out loud.
“Yeah well, you caught the guy and now the kids can go home. By the way what happened to you guys?” I said sarcastically, but knowing Mike meant well.
“Bree, Weatherford was captured, but several of his men got away. We were able to rescue the kids, but they can’t go home for awhile. We will relocate them to safe houses all around the world and make sure they have a great life. Lemley warned me about Weatherford, but no one listened. I guess in some ways, this is all my fault. Jason and I thought everything was all clear, so we left the house and went to check the grounds. We set the alarm, so if anything happened, we would know. FUCK!” Mike dropped his head into his hands, and sighed. “That guy gave me nothing but red flags, why the fuck didn’t I listen to them? I mean look what happened to you.”
Shifting myself as careful as I could, I scooted closer to Mike and grabbed both his hands. “You can’t blame yourself for this. No one knew. We will find who did this and make them pay.”
“We?” Mike lifted his head and looked me dead in the eye. The guys told me since I arrived that they wanted me to stay, not to mention Mike’s baking gave me a pretty good reason. Each and every one of them has given me good reasons to stay, but I needed to make the decision on my own. I told Ryan I loved him before the attack, and I meant it. I never stopped loving him. I always compared every man I met, to him. He was the love of my life and fate has a funny way of bringing two people back together. I guess, in some ways we were not meant to be at the time, but now that we are older, it seems that now is the right time. I just wasn’t sure what I was going to do about my job back home, all my things and my cat.
“Yes, we. I planned to tell Ryan when I saw him next, but well… This happened.” I said, pointing to my body in the hospital bed, with the biggest smile on my face. Mike yelled loudly, and started talking about ideas of what I will do around Whitetail, and what new inventions he would make for the bakery. For a big dude, it never occurred to me how much I touched his life.
John and Lawson jumped into action thinking we were in danger, when it was the complete opposite.
“Bree! You’re awake.” Lawson walked over to me and wrapped his arm around me, avoiding my bandages. He gave me a gentle hug, and placed a kiss on my temple. “How are you feeling?”
“Don’t let Ryan see you doing that to his girl, he will castrate you.” John said pulling out his phone. No doubt calling Ryan to let him know I was awake.
“He wouldn’t dare. Bree is like family, and our sister. So he can try, but I’ll kick his ass to Timbuktu.” Lawson said.
Shaking my head, I tried to imagine life without these guys, and there was no way I could. I was stuck with them, but in a good way. Turning to the T.V. a thought occurred in my head, these men hate Lord of the Rings, why are they watching it?
“So, I have to know. Why are you guys watching the Hobbit?”
All
three of them wore the same look, but John was the one to answer. “After Ryan told us about your Lord of the Rings fantasy night, we wanted to watch the movies and see what all the craziness is about. We actually love the movies. A few of the guys started to read the books, too.” John said, with a hint of red tinting his cheeks.
Well what do ya know, it takes a girl who embarrasses herself to make these men watch her favorite movies. My heart swelled with joy, they really are just a bunch of teddy bears. I could never say that to them out loud, because they would bite my head off saying they are burly, buff dudes, blah, blah, blah.
Mike smacked John on the back of his head. “Jackass. That is not the reason. Ryan thought if he played your favorite movies, it would help wake you up.” Mike said, glaring at John. “Bree hasn’t even been awake for ten minutes and you are already giving her shit. At least let the girl eat first.”
John shrugged his shoulders and headed out the door. “Gotta let Ryan, and the rest of the crew, know she is awake. I’m sure the hospital wants us out of here.”
Lawson and Mike told me everything that happened the past few days. Ryan shot Weatherford in the shoulder to subdue him. The guys raided his house to find documents about all the kids they have taken and sold. Weatherford was interrogated to the point of death; the guys refused to tell me why they did it or who did it. Everyone from the VA and my girls were either at the hospital or helping locate the rest of Weatherford’s men. Taylor and Leigh Ann were told Cam went crazy and shot me. They told me I couldn’t breathe a word of this to them.
I protested, saying they could be trusted, and would jump at the chance to help, but Lawson told me it was out of the question. It was up to Matt and John to decide whether they wanted to tell them or not. They both were head over heels for each girl, but didn’t know what to do about it. John wanted to be with Taylor, but his past haunted him and he doesn’t think a woman would love someone who kills for a living. Then Matt is a dumbass, Mike’s words, because he can’t make up his mind.
In some ways, I was glad I was out cold for all this. I thought women were bad when it came to relationships, sounds like the soldiers are worse.
“When are you going to tell Ryan?” Mike asked, bouncing up and down in his chair.
“I don’t know who is more excited, Mike or you.” I said looking at Lawson, who was already on his phone looking at apartments for me. I told them I decided to take Ryan’s offer and move back to Montana. I always wanted to move back here and make this my permanent home and now I have a reason. The only problem is, the guys are going to freak when they see my collection.
“Tell me what?” Ryan entered the room in a white t-shirt and faded jeans. His hair was still damp and his face was flush. Looks like he took a quick shower, changed and raced back here, to be by my side. My heart stuttered when I saw him. He was my beastly soldier.
“Let’s leave you two alone.” Lawson and Mike left the room and gave me two thumbs up each. Knowing those two, they will tell everyone the big news before I tell Ryan.
Ryan walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He grabbed both my hands and kissed each knuckle. “How are you, Bree?”
Entwining our fingers, I tugged him gently towards me and kissed him like it would be our last. Every emotion I felt about him poured into my kiss. Pulling back, I prepared myself for what I was about to do. “Couldn’t be better.”
“What were you guys talking about? Why is Mike acting like a three year old at a candy store?” Ryan asked, confused.
Clearing my throat, I placed a kiss on his hand and went for it. “Do you remember when you asked me to stay and I told you I needed to think about it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I never needed to think about it.”
Ryan shifted closer to me, with a skeptical look on his face. “And?”
“You’re not going to like me too much when you see my collection. It’s pretty massive. Then there is my cat.”
“Collection? Cat? What are you saying?” Ryan pulled me closer to him, with hope shining in his eyes. My body protested, but I ignored the sharp pain shooting down my back and focused on him.
“Yes.”
Ryan leaned forward to kiss me, but the crew poured into the room, shouting their excitement.
“Dude, she is going to kick your ass every night at Battlefield.”
“As if, Bree is going down next match.”
Williford and Smith went to sit by the window and talk about who was going to beat whom, when everyone else surrounded my bed. Mike, Jason, Lawson, Maslanik, Prosser, Everett, Lemley, John, Matt, and my two best friends.
My room was packed full, but I didn’t care. My family was here.
“So is it true, are you staying?” Jason asked, trying not to squeal.
“Yes, I just told Ryan and he was about to kiss me, when y’all came barging in.” The thing is, I didn’t mind, back home, it was just my mom and I with my two best friends in Seattle. But here I had all the soldiers and my best friends. Trying to convince them to move would prove to be a problem, but I was up for the challenge.
“Yes, Mike let’s get the computer loaded and start looking for apartments. I can’t wait to decorate it for you.” Jason took out his phone and no doubt was looking at everything he thought I needed.
“That won’t be necessary.” Ryan chimed in.
“Oh?”
Ryan looked at everyone in the room and seemed to hesitate for a moment. “She doesn’t need to look for an apartment. She will be living with me. That is… if she will have me?”
Ryan produced a small white gold ring, with a single princess cut diamond in the center. He slipped it on my finger, causing everyone in the room to gasp.
“Bree, you are the one person in my life who has seen my demons and witnessed a world full of people that worship the devil. You never judge, or give up on the things you want the most. Your heart is full, and I can’t let you slip through my fingers again. You are the light in my life and the one person I cannot live without. Will you do this soldier this greatest honor, and become my wife?”
Did he just propose to me? Staring at the man I love, and fell so hard for three years ago, I knew in my heart I wanted to marry him. But do I want to do it this soon? For crying out loud, we just got back together.
“And before you ask, we already called your mother and she gave me her blessing.” Ryan seemed to have read my mind.
Taylor pulled out her phone and turned to show me that my mom was on the line. “Hey, baby girl.” My mom said. Tears filled my eyes and I wished more than anything that she was here.
Wiping the tear that escaped, I turned my attention to my mom. “Hey, mom.”
“I know what you are thinking, this is too soon, how can he want to marry someone like me, he is going to hate me when he sees my nerd collection, etc. Bree, take a leap of faith and be with this man. You talked my ear off for months about him. He is your spriaznená duša.“ Why do mom‘s always have to make sense? It drives me nuts how she is always right.
“Um… someone gonna tell us what sprazina doosa means?” Lemley raised his hand and asked the room.
“Spriaznená duša means soul mate in Slavic.” Mom said, answering Lemley‘s question. Leave it to the knucklehead to interrupt a romantic moment.
“So what do you say, Bree?” Ryan asked, bringing me back to the beautiful ring on my finger and the man who was breaking out in a sweat.
“Yes. But I must warn you, you may change your mind when you see my place.” I warned. I owned over a thousand movies and eight hundred books and counting. If he loved me, then he needed to love my addictions as well.
The room erupted in cheers and congratulations. Ryan sat next to me on the bed while everyone was careful to hug me. Everyone talked about a winter wedding or spring. But in all honesty, I didn’t care when it was. I was with the man who owned my body and soul.
Ryan was talking to John about something, when he got a weird look on his face and turned his
attention to me. “What do you mean by I’m going to change my mind when I see your place?”
EPILOGUE
~ Ryan ~
“Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell, woman?” I shouted the moment we walked into her apartment. She warned me on the drive up here, saying we would need a large moving truck to house all her belongings. But this was outrageous. We have six trucks, with extended cabs. How the fuck are we going to fit all her stuff now? Hopefully we can fit most of her stuff in them, but that would be cutting it close.
“I warned you.” She snapped. Making her way to the kitchen, a tiny black and white feline started weaving in and out of her legs. Meowing softly, the cat jumped into Bree’s waiting arms. That must be Aurora.
“Hey, pretty girl. Did you have fun with Jack?”
“Meow.” Aurora head butted her face and was now licking her. Bree giggled and scratched Aurora’s chin. Seeing her like this was a sight to see. Three weeks ago, she stumbled back into my life, causing nothing but chaos in her path. By chaos, I mean she pulled every soldier’s head out of their ass and things started to get better. Most of the men started to integrate back into society and Williford demanded a rematch every night. She was the reigning champion of Battlefield, next to Lawson.
The darkness inside me still lingers, waiting to rear its ugly head. The night I found her shot, with blood staining her clothes, and the look of fear clouding her eyes, I almost lost control. Red tinted my eyes and the beast was ready to rip apart the man responsible.
“JACK!” Bree yelled, bringing me back to the present.
A man who looked just like Jason, but with skin a little paler and black hair with purple highlights, walked into the room. “Hey Bree, who’s the beefcake in the living room?” Jack asked, nodding in my general direction.
“That would be Ryan, my fiancé.” Bree said holding her hand up to show him the ring.
Nerdboobs Page 17
