by Piper Stone
I would enjoy putting a bullet between his eyes.
“You want to try, asshole? Bring it.” While I knew I was goading him, I needed to see just how much muscle he had. The sound of four vehicle doors opening and closing meant there were at least four others, too many to take on by myself. “Get inside, Mitch,” I huffed under my breath.
“I’m not leaving you,” she said almost casually as she moved from behind me, avoiding my protection.
The asshole’s snicker was almost too much to take.
“I’m going to give you a single warning, Giordani. Get the fuck off this property or you’re going to regret it.”
He continued laughing, as if I would hesitate to shoot.
I knew the sound of soldiers preparing to fire, the split second when their minds questioned what the fuck they were doing.
I also realized I had no time to second guess my decisions.
Firing two shots, cutting out the first two headlights, I dove in front of Mitch, knocking her down to the deck. Then I was prepared to fire in Dante’s direction. I yanked the gun from her hand, tossing the rifle and shifting toward the railing, able to knock out the other two headlights as two shots were fired in our direction.
There was no hesitation on my part, popping off almost an entire round.
Everything seemed to shift into slow motion as another series of headlights erupted in my field of vision.
The motherfucker had friends.
Pop! Pop!
Another round of shots was fired, vehicle doors opening and the gruff sound of men rushing in our direction echoing in my ears.
When a hard thud occurred followed by a yelp, I rolled in the opposite direction on the porch, preparing to shoot again.
The angry cries of at least two men were followed by the sound of an intense scuffle.
“Reaper.”
Hawk. I would know his voice anywhere. Still in slow motion, I shifted a quick gaze in her direction. “Stay here.”
The range of headlights allowed me the first illuminated view of Dante’s form, a gun in his hand, doing nothing but igniting another round of rage. When the worthless bastard took off running, there was no hesitation on my part.
I utilized the training that had provided experience as well as expertise, racing after him into the ugly shadows of the forest.
As dawn began to break over the horizon, the sliver of moon continued to glow, allowing me to see the bastard just as he neared the bank of trees. The snow was no hindrance, my adrenaline flowing. I lunged forward, tackling him to the ground.
He refused to surrender, able to crawl a few feet.
The asshole managed to shift his arm from beneath him, his weapon still firmly planted in his hand. As I wrestled the bastard, huffing as I tried to grab his gun, he managed to push me off. I slammed my body against his a second time, but as he elevated himself to his knees, he used the power of his upper muscles, snapping his arm against my head. I straddled his lower torso, pinning him to the ground, taking gasping breaths as I continued to fight him.
The sound of voices erupted behind us, booming against the quietness of the early morning. Nothing was going to stop me. I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, digging my fingers in and slamming his head into the snow several times.
Every grunt I made was like music to my ears.
Die, you asshole. Die.
When he stopped moving altogether, only then did I ease away, dragging him onto his back.
“The sheriff arrived.”
The sound of Mustang’s voice did little to calm my nerves or my anger. “So the fuck what?” I shoved the Glock under his chin, still trying to control my breathing.
“Go ahead. Pull the trigger, Marine. That’s what you want to do. Isn’t it?” Dante laughed and even in the slender amount of light, I could see the look of contempt on his face. “You’ll be the one arrested.”
“You’re a piece of trash,” I growled, rising onto my knees.
“Don’t do it, Reaper. He’s not worth it.” This time it was Scorpion’s voice, the tone almost pleading with me.
I didn’t give a shit.
This asshole wasn’t going to torture another human being. Not for any reason. Not on any level.
“Let him go, Nash.”
This time, the voice of the sheriff was pleading with me. And the fucker was still laughing. I thought about Mitch, the crap she’d been forced to endure and what was likely to happen in the future.
“Yeah? Not this time.”
Pop!
One week later
“I think we have all we need, Ms. Donovan. At least for now. We appreciate your cooperation.”
I could tell by the look on Mitch’s face that she was exhausted, her eyes glassing over. She held out her hand to the FBI agent, shaking it in earnest even though she remained tense.
“Thank you. I’m glad I could help,” Mitch said, her tone full of bitterness.
Everything had been a whirlwind, days turning into nights.
Agent Wells turned his attention in my direction. “I will guess we’re going to have additional questions for both of you at some point as the investigation continues, but you’re free to go. We know how to contact you.”
Additional questions. What the hell else did they need from us? We’d spent almost a week answering hundreds of questions from multiple jurisdictions, including federal agents. The press had camped outside of the sheriff’s office for three days in hopes of obtaining a piece of breaking news.
I’d seen my face on various news stories more than I could count and every time, it pissed me off.
Just like allowing the bastard to live had.
She’d been far too quiet, although we’d been able to spend a certain amount of quality time together. I knew Mitch was attempting to handle the kind of feelings that she had no understanding of how to deal with.
“We’ll be available if necessary, Agent Wells, but do me a favor. Try not to need anything else. It’s been one fuck of a week. The asshole was lucky. If for any reason the system doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, trust me, he won’t get a second chance.” My words were gruff, more so than I knew the guy was prepared for.
But I didn’t give a shit.
Agent Wells opened his eyes wide, his gaze falling to my boots and holding for a solid twenty seconds before returning. “I understand, Nash. I really do. I assure you that Dante Giordani is going away for a long time.”
Uh-huh. I wasn’t in the mood to fight him on his statement, but I knew better than to think the guy would stay in prison for long. He had a shark for an attorney, the jerkoff getting him out of lockup after the first night. We’d sequestered at Hawk’s during that time, a half dozen of Hawk’s ranch hands keeping watch as well as several feds assigned to protection detail. That wasn’t living.
That was merely waiting to die.
I had no intention of spending the rest of my life that way.
“You’ll be happy to know that Giordani was caught attempting to leave the jurisdiction. He’s being held without bond this time and he’ll be returned to Chicago by the end of the day.” Agent Wells had a twinkle in his eyes after issuing the statement.
That would provide some sense of relief.
As well as freedom.
I took her by the hand, leading her out of the building and toward the borrowed truck. Soon I’d have to find a damn vehicle of my own, and another place to live.
Mitch glanced up at the mountains, taking a deep breath. The bright sun was a welcome relief to the gray and cold days we’d been experiencing.
“You feel like going for a ride?” I asked as I leaned against the side of the truck.
“Where ya thinking about, cowboy?”
Shrugging, I slid a strand of hair from her face as I thought about why I wanted to take her somewhere I hadn’t intended on visiting. At least not for a few weeks, maybe months. “Somewhere that will help you understand what I’m made of.”
A smile c
urled across her lips, her eyes lighting up. “I’d like that.”
She remained quiet on the drive, but in truth, I had nothing I wanted to say. I’d spent far too much time reminiscing over the past, details of events that I couldn’t change. Peace. That’s what Hawk and Scorpion had tried to tell me I needed. Maybe they were right and I was just too hardheaded to accept that none of us were to blame for what had occurred.
As I drove into the cemetery, it was impossible to control my breathing. Mitch seemed to notice, shifting her hand to my knee. The slight squeeze created a smile.
Scorpion had given me an idea of where Snake’s gravesite was located, yet after parking the truck, I found it difficult to turn off the engine.
A full minute passed.
Then another.
“I lost my grandfather while I was overseas. I wasn’t here for him,” I said quietly.
“I’m so sorry. Were you close?”
Sighing, I rolled my hand over the steering wheel. “Yeah. We were close.”
“Is that why we’re here?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “My grandfather was cremated, his ashes strewn off the mountain, which is so like him.” I’d spent a full afternoon with my parents, catching up and reminiscing about my grandfather. It had been more healing than I would have imagined.
“Then why are we here?”
“I wanted you to meet someone special.” I still hesitated, my head aching.
“Your friend will always be with you,” Mitch said in a hushed voice.
I thought about her few words, a moment of sadness settling in. “I know. It’s just difficult to accept that he’s gone.”
“What is the one thing that he’d want to say to you?”
A slight chill shifted down my spine as I thought about all the interactions I’d had since I was fifteen years old. One thing came to mind, allowing a moment of utter clarity. “He’d tell me to live my life as if every day was my last.”
She squeezed my hand again, intertwining her fingers in mine. “Then that’s what you need to do. What this experience forced me to realize is that life can be taken away in a heartbeat. We have to learn to find joy in everything we do.”
Her words were wise, her strength giving me courage to face the past as well as the possibility for a future. I pulled her hand to my mouth, rubbing my lips back and forth across her knuckles. There were no additional words that needed to be said. After taking a deep breath, I was able to open the door and climb out, the chill in the air filling my lungs. At least the location was beautiful, located near the precious mountains Snake had always loved.
As she joined me, flanking my side, I took a few seconds to gaze up at the snow-covered mountains. I’d never really noticed just how beautiful they were, the view majestic. I’d never felt like Montana was home, even though I’d grown up in Missoula.
Today, I realized that I never wanted to leave.
She reached for my hand, her comfort and support something I desperately needed. As I headed for the location of his grave, a sense of peace finally washed over me. When I found the headstone, I struggled to hold back the anguish that gripped my heart.
The only sound for a few seconds was the whistling wind, but I could swear I heard Snake’s laughter.
“How did the mission end?” she asked a few minutes later.
I wasn’t certain I was prepared to fall into that realm, yet the images came fast and furious, filling my mind with the same angst and anger I’d experienced for months. “Hawk was determined to get Snake away from the insurgents. Sadly, the man we’d looked up to and respected for years didn’t think we’d have a chance. But that didn’t stop Hawk. He refused to allow any single member of our unit to languish in some prison cell.” I could barely get the words out, my heart aching.
She stroked my arm, the gentle and loving gesture allowing me to continue.
“Hawk devised a plan how to get him back, also freeing so many other soldiers who’d been held captive. We thought we were prepared, moving into the enemy’s territory late one night. We knew exactly where Snake was being held, the conditions deplorable. The five of us were on board, prepared to strike no matter the conditions. What we hadn’t anticipated was that the same damn informant had obviously tipped off the Afghanistan soldiers.”
I heard the ugly glitch in my voice, could barely get the rest of the words out.
“We were so close, so damn close. Then I detected a fucking asshole, the goddamn enemy soldier approaching. I was prepared to shoot, but something…”
Her slight sigh was ragged, filled with the same anxiousness that I wasn’t able to push aside.
“I couldn’t fire. I have no idea why. But that soldier… that enemy tossed a grenade into the hellhole of a prison. The building exploded. We couldn’t do anything, the fire too hot. Too fast. Too…” A single tear slipped down my cheek as I stood staring at his gravesite. Every part of me shook from the ugliness of the memory, my mind trying to accept what had happened.
What I hadn’t been able to do.
Mitch did nothing but hold my hand, clasping her fingers around mine.
And for a few seconds, I was able to hear in my mind one of the last things Snake had said to me.
“You know, it’s funny about this war,” Snake said as he took another sip of his drink.
“What’s that?” I asked, knowing there wasn’t a single thing that had brought any levity.
“You learn who your friends are. You realize that without people by your side, nothing in life matters. I’d so grateful that I have such good friends. And if you’re able to find love somewhere along the way? All that much better.”
The words would forever remain haunting, but Snake had been a wise man.
“My mother told me once that the only thing in life that matters is finding somewhere you feel safe and loved. You and your buddies were there for each other when you needed it the most. You also gave that to me when I had no idea whether I’d live or die. You are a very special man and one of the most giving individuals I’ve ever met. Never forget that, Reaper. Now, you need to allow Nash to live.”
Her words were heartfelt, more so than the majority of what I’d heard since the failed mission. As I turned to face her, cupping her cheeks in my hands, I felt Snake’s warm smile from the very heavens where I knew he rested, hopefully in peace. “I adore you, Mitch Donovan. I don’t know why you were sent to my woodshed, but there is no doubt in my mind that you were. You’ve brought me more joy than any woman ever has.”
As I lowered my head, I could see a glisten forming in her eyes, could sense such sadness. When I pressed my lips over hers, she gripped my arms, digging her fingers into my skin.
The kiss was bittersweet, the taste of her just as I’d remembered. My hunger would always be just under the surface, my longing to possess her something that I would never be able to deny. I slipped my tongue inside her mouth, moving it back and forth across hers.
The single whimper pushing past the kiss was telling.
The woman I’d fallen in love with was leaving.
“You’re now a wealthy man, Mr. Carter.”
I eyed the attorney, taking a deep breath before signing the last of the paperwork involving my grandfather’s will. Maybe I remained in shock that he’d left me his entire estate, which included proceeds from his winnings at high stakes poker games. Even my father had been shocked to learn just how much my grandfather had squirreled away over the years. While he’d left his small ranch to my dad, the amount of money in my grandfather’s accounts precluded the need to work.
For one hell of a long time.
But I wasn’t that kind of man.
So I’d already made a down payment on a working ranch, one where the owners had fallen on hard times. I’d even purchased their livestock, hoping that I’d figure out if ranching could be my calling.
As I moved to a standing position, immediately holding out my hand, my grandfather’s attorney gave me an awkward smile befo
re standing. His shake was firm. Then he handed me the check for six million dollars. What the hell was I going to do with all that money?
“I hope you don’t mind me telling you this, but your grandfather was very proud of you.”
I thought about the attorney’s words, a few memories of my grandfather floating into the back of my mind. “Mr. Sanders, my grandfather was one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met.”
He nodded several times as he stared into my eyes. “That’s exactly what he said about you. Be proud, son. From what I know about you, you’re an honorable man.”
Honorable. The word continued to furrow in my mind, my inability to accept that as a reality something I’d have to deal with.
“You need to stop sulking,” Hawk growled.
I glared at my buddy as he pulled into a driveway, rolling up the gravel at a clipped pace. He’d insisted on taking me for a final look at the very ranch he’d introduced me to barely ten days before. A place of my own. A location to settle down with, making a new life.
What the fuck was I supposed to do with my life without the woman I loved?
“I’m not sulking,” I huffed, although in the week since Mitch had left town, I hadn’t been able to sleep. Every action had been perfunctory, even the act of eating food something I’d barely been able to do. While I’d certainly understood her requirement to return to Chicago, her testimony regarding the information she’d collected necessary, there’d been a single phone call shared between us.
She wasn’t coming back.
“Uh-huh. You’re buying a freaking ranch. I think you need to concentrate on what it’s going to take to keep it up and running. At least you have the money to do so.”
“As if that matters.”
Hawk pulled up to the house that had already been emptied. As I glared at the pretty little house, with a front porch that already had a swing attached and empty flower boxes lining the front windows, I cringed. How the hell was I supposed to use all the space inside the house? Three freaking bedrooms, a huge stone fireplace, and a glistening stainless steel kitchen. What the fuck did I need with all that room?
