“Kennedy, I know this all seems strange and a little scary. Trust me, when Matt told me what they had planned, I questioned my sanity for thinkin’ it was a good idea. The more I thought about it, the more it reminded me of the old west and how scores were settled. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not okay with cold blooded killing, but sometimes, when the laws of the land seem to benefit the criminal instead of the victims, someone needs to step up and do something.”
“You’re right.” I agreed, lowering my gaze to the pattern of the granite countertop. “I’ve trusted a few too many people who have only been out for themselves. Killing isn't always the answer, but neither is going to jail and then being released on a technicality.”
Zach and my father didn't know I was aware of just how sinister Ethan had become. Yesterday, I happened to stop by my father’s office to bring him a cup of coffee and say hello. As I stood in the elevator, I overheard two officers talking about the bodies dug up by park rangers in Colorado and Montana. When they mentioned how the guy who did it was found dead in a local motel, I started connecting the dots. My father wasn't in his office, but Lauren had been moved to a desk outside of William’s office. Her name was etched on a brass plate, proudly displayed in the center of her desk, which was unattended, giving me permission to slip into William’s office. A few clicks of the mouse later, I was able to see what Zach had saved me from.
“Kennedy, before I show you what you're about to get yourself into, I want you to know how this idiot here mooned over you. I was right beside him when he got your letter and watched the determination on his face when he tried to understand how someone could do such a terrible thing to a beautiful girl like yourself. Most of all, I remember the day he pulled us all aside and told us he was finished with the military and ready to really live. When he didn't like the way Ethan Porter stepped on his territory, he called in a few favors and had the team take a look at him. When we got to his hotel room, and I won’t give you any details, suffice it to say in the next several days the media is going to tell you just how bad this man was. What we did to Ethan isn’t a tenth of what he deserved.”
A lump formed in my throat as I realized how much he cared for me, even before we met in person.
“You are family, Kennedy. And no matter what happens, we take care of our own.” Matt never looks away as he turns the computer screen in my direction. The monitor is split into five smaller boxes, each one filled with a different face.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Kennedy Forrester, the love of Viper’s life. Kennedy, this is the rest of our family.” I expected everyone to speak all at once, but everyone remained smiling, but silent.
“Kennedy, when we were in the desert, I was the highest ranking officer, next to Doc.” A handsome man on the lower left nodded his head. With his uniform and haircut, he appeared to still be in the military. “Which made me the leader of this group. While we still have a few wrinkles to iron out, we may keep our responsibilities the same.” When I failed to say anything, Zach came around the bar to hold me. “No need to be afraid, Kennedy. They wouldn't dare hurt you.” He kissed the top of my head, as my attention remained on all the faces looking back at me.
“Kennedy is it?” A female voice severed the tension. “I’m Audrey Morgan. I’m married to this handsome man, Chase, or Diesel as the others call him.” She waved her hand at the screen, a tiny baby in her arms with a handsome man wrapped around them both. “Don't you let these guys scare you none, everyone of them would cut their hand off if they even thought they had hurt you. I can tell just by looking at you that we are going to get along just fine.” Audrey had a kindness about her and I found it hard not to smile with her words.
“Diesel?”
“Sir?”
“Anything to add or did Miss Audrey cover it?”
Diesel’s face broke out into a sly smile as he reached over to rub the face of the tiny baby. He was a handsome man. Hell, all of the faces on the screen would fit on any runway or magazine. “Just that I hope you’re doing all right after what happened with Ethan. Audrey had a similar situation not long ago, and it took us a minute or two, to get back to where we are now. I have two brothers, Austin and Dylan, who are busy with an issue here. I’m sure you’ll meet them when you come to Charleston.”
“Kennedy?” Zach prodded.
“Thank you...Diesel. I’m fine, no sleep lost over a man with issues.” Diesel nodded his head and then returned his attention back to his baby.
“Ghost?”
“Sir?”
“You’re up.”
Ghost has dark hair, with sunglasses sitting on the crown of his head. A scattering of stubble dusted his chin and jaw. From what I could see, he had a few tattoos on his forearms, but his sleeves kept me from being able to see what they were. He looked to be sitting in a park, the Washington Monument in the background.
“Name’s Ryan Biggs, or Ghost as these guys know me. Currently, I’m in Washington DC fixing a situation my mouth got me into. But I’ll be headed down south soon enough, to help these guys right some wrongs.”
“Havoc?”
“Sir?”
An olive skinned, dark haired man, sat up a little straighter. His uniform told me he was still in the military, but the background showed a white-sandy beach, the surf breaking in the distance.
“Hey, Kennedy. My name is Alex Nakos, I’m the good looking one in the group.” A rumbling of snickers broke out, with a few “you wishes” thrown in. “These guys all call me Havoc, mostly because I cause a lot of it. Especially when I mix a chemical or two together, just to see what happens. I’m also known for this big Greek family I have, with a mother who won't rest until I’m married with a dozen children.” Again the snickers filled the air. “I still have a few months left on my contract, but I’m always available for my brothers.”
“Chief?”
“Yes, Sir?”
While the man on the screen looked to be a little older than the rest, he certainly wasn't any less handsome. His hair blonder, eyes a little brighter, but it was his smile I found the most appealing. Where the others had shared their alluring or sexy grins, Chief was all about being genuinely happy.
“I'm the old guy in the group, Aiden Sawyer. My job is to study the area and people we’re dealing with. And may I add, Kennedy, keep an eye on that brother-in-law of yours. Your mother isn’t the only one with an agenda.” I didn’t dare ask what he meant, too frightened to know what he would say. I nodded my head. “I will, thank you.”
“Last, but certainly not least, Doc?”
“Viper?”
“I haven't heard from you in a while, you okay?” It didn’t get past me the lack of ‘Sir’, as Doc addressed Zach. As hard as I tried to keep the smile on my face, my concern showed through.
“I’m good, but Kennedy, honey, never play poker with me or any of these guys.” His index finger circled in the air to include everyone. “The second I didn't say sir, your face contorted. Technically, Zach and I are the same rank, so we don't call one another sir. Asshole maybe, but not sir.” This time my laughter joined the rest; I could see the invisible bond these men had formed.
“My name is Logan Forbes. I’m a flight surgeon and the last one of us still stuck in the Middle East. These guys call me Doc. I’m about five months out from the end of my contract. When I leave here, I have orders for Virginia Beach, but after that, who knows?” Doc had darker hair like most of them, but his expressive green eyes stood out against the tan of his skin and the khaki of his uniform. Just like the others, he was pleasing to the eye.
“Well, let us know when you do. I’ll try and keep these guys injury free until you get here.”
“Heaven help us, if Viper is in charge of medical.”
Zach moved around to join Reaper. “This is my team, five men who have put their life on the line, time after time. We’ve managed to get into some tight situations, but I’ve never had to question if any one of them has had my back. We may not have been born
from the same blood, but our bond is just as strong. Kennedy, Rayne, and Audrey, you have my word as the leader of this team, if you ever need us, no matter what time of day or how severe the reason, I will always be there for you. When you say goodbye to the man you gave your heart to, I swear to do everything in my power to return him in the same condition he left you in.” Heads all around the screen nod in affirmation.
“Kennedy, I think I speak for the group, when I say,” Doc starts, crossing his arms over his chest. “You couldn’t have picked a better man than Zach. He will stand by your side, keep you laughing, and never make a promise he can't keep. But if he ever screws up, give me a call and I’ll kick his scrawny ass.”
Matt covered his mouth, coughing an oath into his hand. Rayne squeezed my hand, pulling my attention back to her smiling face. “So what do you think, Honey?”
I feel slightly overwhelmed with the brotherhood and respect they have for one another, Zach’s pledge to keep his team safe and the unity they all had with what he swore.
“C’mon, Kennedy, what do you have to lose? Hell, I’ll have Reaper tell you an Uncle Ray story.” Whatever this uncle story was, it had to be plenty exciting as the cheers came for Reaper to tell a particular favorite of each member.
“Tell her the one about the snowstorm and frozen balls!”
“No, the one about the carmel corn and glow sticks!”
Zach slapped his hand on the counter, causing all the shouting to stop, and me to jump with a gasp. “Enough! We want her to agree to stay with me, not run away when she hears about a man freezing his nuts off on a guardrail.” His eyes return to mine, a silent plea hidden behind the authority. “As juvenile as we can be at times, we are equally as serious. Right now, I need to have an honest answer from you, before this goes any further.”
With All eyes on me, as they awaited my decision to stay with Zach. No matter what kind of allegiance he had formed, my choice had been made the moment I laid eyes on him. I loved him for saving me, for caring enough to let me find my voice and for letting me be silent. For showing me life was so much more than avoiding disappointing people in your life, it was for living it instead.
“I will agree, on one condition.” Zach crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. Matt leaned back in his chair, his face unchanged. “I get to hear this story about the man and the guardrail. And why the heck he would be naked in a snow storm.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Zach
"Jason, you got a minute?"
Growing up, I knew what my parents expected of me; try and do the right things, treat people fairly and bring out the good inside yourself. I also knew about honor, not just from my parents, but also from the military. Doing the right thing went beyond returning too much change given back to you at the checkout. It's one of the reasons I was standing with sweat running down my back, asking to speak with Kennedy's brother.
A few weeks ago, I was tattooing the name and picture of a man’s late wife on his bicep. He told me how she’d begged him to never place her name, or picture, anywhere on him as she had heard it was bad luck. Now that she had passed, he was making a memorial. He told me of all the good she had done for him, keeping him out of more trouble than he cared to admit and how she loved him, despite his many faults. As he left that afternoon, her high school graduation picture was a permanent reminder of her. Later that night, as Kennedy sat beside me watching a rerun of a popular sitcom, I made the decision to live without regret.
"Um, yeah," Jason answered. "My last client just left and Savannah is busy at her shop. What can I do for you?"
"Well, it’s about your sister." My voice cracked like it did when I was twelve. My nervousness was ridiculous. I was a former SEAL, I've taken on more men in combat and come out without a single scratch. It made no sense for me to be sweating bullets about a simple conversation. Jason took my nerves for something else as his eyes took in my shaky appearance.
"Oh, hell no! Tell me you did not get my sister pregnant!" He stood up, fists clenched, his posture resembling a cobra ready to strike.
"No...No! I'm...she...isn't pregnant.”
Jason stayed silent for a few seconds, maybe a minute, but either way he eyed me up and down trying to determine whether I was telling the truth. Finally, he sank back down in his seat, relaxing back into the leather of his chair, his posture still guarded.
"So, what’s wrong?"
“I’m thinking of asking her to marry me.”
"And you're talking with me first? I mean...she does have a father."
Speaking with John had been the easiest part of this equation. Like the gentleman my mother nurtured, I made an appointment, dressed in a suit and showed up on time. I imagined what it was like to be in his shoes, as a virtual stranger swore up and down he would always take care of his little girl. Using blind trust as a guide, testifying no harm would ever come to her and she would never shed a single tear at his hand. All great selling points, but complete fabrications.
I was honest with John. I told him not only in words, but also in bank documents showing I could take care of her financial needs. I swore I would be the first to admit to Kennedy when I was wrong, swallow my pride when it was warranted, and be the best man I could for her. I admitted I was going to mess up, make her cry and have her so mad at me that she could spit nails, but I was determined. She was all I wanted and would work hard to keep her my biggest priority.
John had sat back and commended me on my honesty. He was glad I hadn't sworn from the hilltops I would love her forever and allow him to beat my ass if she was unhappy for a single second. Real life is full of sad moments and promises made before God and man can be broken. John, more than anyone, understood this...he was living it.
"I've made several changes in my will, including giving Kennedy the brownstone I'm living in now. I know you have your own home and you both may decided to live there, but I need you to let her keep this just for her. She needs to have a place she can do with whatever she wants—sell it, rent it or whatever. Just, please, let her have this piece of independence."
***
With the blessing from both her father and her brother, my plan was set in motion. I was standing inside my bathroom, watching her as she caressed the silver key. For many, it was just a tool used to open locked doors, but to my girl this was the key to her past, to memories that gave her a reason to smile. It would open a place where she could travel and take refuge from the storms of life. While it complicated my desire to have her at my house, I would never make her choose between me and her independence.
"Come with me, please?"
From the first word I received from her all those months ago, I knew she would change not only me, but my entire world. Her dedication to being the best person she can, to making sure everyone around her felt comfortable and relaxed. Treating everyone the same, from the homeless that resided on the streets to the highest paid man in her father's office, everyone received a smile and genuine heartfelt greetings. There wasn't a single fake bone in her precious body.
"Is something wrong?"
Her voice was trembling and I hated that. Hated she was reconsidering her answer, fearing rejection would cause a butterfly effect, ending our relationship and severing the ties that bound us together.
"I have something I need to show you."
I tried my best to reassure her with my words and the warmth of my hand. We rounded the last step and I removed my jacket from where I left it on the banister, sliding my arms into the cold sleeves. Her face was drawn and sad, but she was trying so hard to put a smile on her lips. I could feel the fear emanating from her. She was thinking this was the end, that I was throwing her out.
Social media is full of shared moments, with a nervous young man showing the entire world how he gathered his friends and family while he asks the girl in his life to change her last name by taking his. I could have taken one of those ideas and made this special for her, but I wanted to go back to the way we met. A simple letter given i
n error and a soldier trying to get it to the right person.
Opening the door that lead to my back yard, the evidence of Reaper’s hard work stood proud on the freshly cut grass. Between the two massive oak trees shading the back of the house, stood a military issued khaki colored tent, looking out of place in this suburban desert. White lights hung from the tree branches, illuminating the yard and setting the mood.
Guiding a confused Kennedy into the tent, her body leaned away from me, her apprehension not allowing her to believe something good was about to happen. My grip on her hand tightened, preventing the retreat she most desperately wanted. Ignoring her questions of, 'what is all of this?' and 'what is going on?’ I closed the flap behind her. A single cot sat in the center of the tent, a laptop open with the screen as black as the night that surrounded us. I had saved every single letter she had ever sent me, printed off every email, and then placed them all together in a bound book. One single letter, however, was carefully placed in an envelope and sealed with hope and a prayer rested on the forgotten keyboard.
"This isn't anything close to what it was like for me when we first met." My mind's eye replaying my memories so perfectly, I could almost feel the heat from the intense sun. "That morning, all I wanted to do was get the medical convoy going and get the hell out of the heat."
Her bottom lip quivered, whether from fear or something else, I wasn't certain.
"You became so much more than any friend I have ever had. You've shown me true love and compassion are still very much alive in our society." Pulling her closer to the cot, I could feel her body quake with anticipation and worry. "In the first letter, you sought answers to the situation you found yourself in." Her eyes locked on the envelope, alone on the sea of black, random letters adorning the keyboard used to compose the same in such a unique fashion.
"This time, I need you to help me." Her eyes snapped to mine, her brow nearly bent in half with overwhelming confusion. My smile the only offering I could give that everything would be all right. "Read it, please." My words were soft as angel wings, the prayer they contained carried to her ears.
Signed, SEALed, Delivered (Trident Brotherhood Book 1) Page 21
