“Go ahead,” she said.
“Your father.”
Ava nodded. “Who is he, Tabon?”
When he finished telling her what they’d suspected and confirmed about her dad, she felt sick to her stomach.
“What about my mom? Is she involved?” she asked.
“We don’t have any proof indicating she is or was. She has her own detail, not that she knows it.”
“Do you think she’s in danger?”
Tabon shook his head. “No, but we aren’t taking any chances. Not with any of you.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’ll have a lot of company, around the clock. Not just Monk, but others.”
“That woman?”
Tabon smiled. “How many times do I have to tell you that I didn’t have sex with Alegria?”
“Not because she didn’t want to.”
“You better not let Onyx hear you say that.”
“Really?”
“No. I’m kidding. At least I think I’m kidding. You know what? I really don’t care. My primary concern right now is your safety.”
“What about my sister?”
“Aine, Penelope, and Tara won’t be alone either.”
“Have that woman watch them.”
“You’re jealous.”
“Damn right I am.”
“I don’t think anyone’s been jealous over me before.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think you should rethink your chosen career field.”
“That’s something Gunner would say.” Tabon laughed out loud and then winced again, holding a pillow to his side.
Ava stood and tucked another pillow under his head. “Be careful,” she murmured. “He was so worried about you.”
“He called me Tabon last night.”
“Maybe everyone will start calling you Tabon.”
“Nah, I told him I only let you do that.”
She sat in the chair again and held his hand in hers. “I love you so much. When you were…you know…on life support, I came and talked to you.” She felt her eyes fill with tears, but there was nothing she could do to stop them from falling. “I told you I couldn’t live without you, Tabon. I told you not to leave me.”
“Does it sound crazy that I think I knew that?”
“One of the nurses told your mom, Saylor, and me to keep talking to you.”
Razor nodded and closed his eyes. “It wasn’t any different for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“When Petrov had you…”
“My dad.”
“I can’t think of him that way.”
Ava nodded. It was hard for her too. Merrigan warned her that what she’d gone through truly hadn’t hit her yet, and it would be hard to know when it would.
“I’m here for you,” she’d told her. “And if you don’t feel comfortable talking to me, we’ll find someone else.”
Ava remembered thinking at the time that Merrigan was going to make a great mother. The comfort she felt with her was something she’d never experienced with her own mom.
“Hey,” Tabon said, pulling her arm so she came closer to him.
She sat on the side of the bed and rested her head on his chest. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she murmured.
“I don’t want you to hurt,” he said, stroking her hair.
—:—
“They’re moving you to a regular room, Bro,” said Saylor. “The doc said you’re a damn superhero.”
“I’ve been telling you that since we were kids.”
Saylor slugged him, and then sat in the chair by his bed. “How’s Ava?”
“Fragile.”
Saylor nodded. “Understandably.”
“How much do you know?”
“More than you want me to.”
“Monk decided now would be a good time for him to start talking?”
Saylor laughed. “No. Merrigan. How badass is she, by the way?”
Razor nodded. He guessed that Saylor actually had no idea just how badass Merrigan “Fatale” Shaw-Butler actually was.
“Ava’s father remains a threat.”
“What can I do?”
Razor shrugged. There really wasn’t anything anyone could do but keep her safe until they found him.
“When this is all over, I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
“Don’t wait, Raze.”
“No?”
Saylor shook her head. “You, of all people, should know just how precious life is. Ask her today. Hell, marry her today if she’ll have you.” She winked.
“Hey, how’s Mom doin’?”
“Fine. Didn’t you see her a half hour ago?”
“Yeah, but you know how she is.”
“She’s been a trooper. I have to admit, I was a little surprised.”
Nothing their mom did ever surprised him. Talk about badass, his mahjong-playing mom would’ve given Fatale a run for her money in that department if she’d decided to be an operative when she was younger.
“She likes Ava, right?”
Saylor’s eyes filled with tears.
“What?”
“She asked her to be here with us when they took you off life-support.”
“Wow.”
“I know.
“Just to confirm, that means she likes her. Right?”
Saylor slugged him. “You’re such a dork. How’d you ever become a spook?”
“Why do people keep saying that to me? And, by the way, we refer to ourselves as officers, not spooks.”
“The plane is at the airfield,” Onyx reported to Razor.
“Who’s flying with you today?”
“Mantis.”
“He’s back?” The last Razor had heard, Mantis was deep undercover in Afghanistan.
“Yes, sir. Ready to do nothing but fly planes for a while.”
“I hear that. Did my sister get everything ready?”
Onyx laughed. “Yes, sir. She sure did.”
“Good.”
Razor checked his bag for a second time, while he waited for Ava to come back with the wheelchair. He could damn well walk out of here on his own, but they insisted it was hospital policy that he didn’t.
“I heard you were leaving today,” said the ICU doctor. “Best of luck to you. You’re definitely one for the record books.”
“I had a lot to live for,” Razor said when Ava walked in.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Never more ready.”
“Tabon,” Ava said when they walked out the front door, “is this really necessary?”
Based on the line of black SUVs parked near the hospital’s entrance, one would think a foreign dignitary was coming or going. Razor didn’t care. As long as Petrov eluded them, he wouldn’t take a single chance with Ava’s life.
He stood and winced. How was it that when he was confined to his hospital room, he felt fine, and now he felt like he’d been shot all over again?
“Are you okay?” Ava asked. “Do you need help?”
“Slide in ahead of me, baby,” he told her, and motioned for Monk to come closer.
“Just in case,” Razor muttered to him.
Thankfully they had more than adequate people working this detail, because Razor wouldn’t be good for shit for quite a while, and he wasn’t too proud to admit it.
“What’s going on?” Ava asked when Razor led her to the back of the airplane.
“There are privacy rooms back here,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
He opened the door and Ava gasped.
“Oh my God,” she said. “It’s so beautiful.”
His sister had really outdone herself. There were strands of twinkle lights hanging in rows from the ceiling, the bed was strewn with red rose petals, and there was a bottle of Champagne on the table, chilling in a bucket.
Razor led Ava inside. “Have a seat,” he said, motioning to a chair by the table.
It wasn’t easy, but he was determined to do
this right. He put one hand on the bed, the other on the second chair, and lowered himself to one knee.
Ava gasped for a second time. “Tabon?”
He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small box. “I never dreamed I’d find anyone who I loved even half as much as I love you. I can’t live without you, Avarie. What’s more, I can’t live without you by my side. I’m asking, begging, pleading, imploring—will you marry me?”
Ava slid off her chair and put her arms around him. “Yes. A thousand times, yes,” she said, scattering kisses all over his face.
“I wish I could say we should make good use of this bed, but I think all I’m good for is holding you, baby.”
Ava smiled and helped him up. “I’m good with that.”
“I didn’t screw this up, did I?”
“Tabon, you asked me to marry you. There’s literally no way to screw that up.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“I’m pretty good at lying on a bed,” he said as she propped pillows behind him and then snuggled close.
“Hey, Tabon?”
“Yeah, Avarie?”
“Do you have a ring in that box, or was it just a prop?”
21
Every time she thought about it and looked down at the beautiful ring Tabon gave her, Ava smiled.
He’d been mortified that he’d forgotten to give it to her, but when she dissolved in a fit of giggles, he eventually laughed too.
“What are you thinking about?” he said, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.
“How much I love you.”
“Saylor called to remind us that she’s bringing the girls over today.”
Ava clapped her hands. “They’re going to be so excited.”
“Do I…uh…have to do anything?”
“No,” she laughed. “In fact, it would be best if you made yourself scarce for a while.”
He pretend pouted and kissed her neck again. “They won’t be here for another hour.”
Ava slid off the barstool and took Tabon’s hand. “Oh, look.” She stopped on the way to the bedroom, and pointed at the whales whose blow she’d just spotted.
“I think you like it here.”
Ava turned around and studied him. “I love it here, Tabon.”
“Do you think you could live here?”
“Where else would we live?”
He shrugged. “It isn’t New York City.”
“We wouldn’t be able to have sex in the middle of the afternoon with all the blinds and windows open if we lived in New York City.”
“You make a good point.”
Tabon lowered her on the bed. “I want these off,” he said, unfastening the buttons on her shorts.
Ava lifted her bottom off the bed, and he pulled them off along with her panties.
“These are my favorite,” he said, dangling the sea-foam-green scrap of lace on his finger.
Ava slowly unbuttoned her shirt and shrugged it off her shoulders.
“I like this too,” he said, lowering himself over her and running his tongue where the lace of her bra met her skin. When he yanked on the cup so his mouth could reach her nipple, Ava’s fingers twisted in his hair, holding him close.
“I do too,” she breathed, arching her back when he moved to her other nipple.
“I can’t wait, baby,” he said, standing to take off his shorts and shirt. “Close your eyes,” he told her, knowing the sight of his scar still worried her.
“Open,” he said once he’d lowered himself above her again. “I want you to see the look on my face, so you know exactly how good I feel when I’m inside you.”
Ava whimpered when Tabon’s eyes practically rolled back in his head.
“God, I love that sound,” he shuddered, thrusting deeper into her. “Almost as much as I love how it feels to have you wrapped around me.”
He reached down with his fingers and toyed with the bundle of nerves at the top of her sex.
“Tabon, I—” She couldn’t say another word as an orgasm swiftly overtook her.
“What was that?” he said, smiling down at her.
“I love you.”
“Mmm. I love you, my sweet Avarie.”
He started moving again, slowly at first, and then faster and harder. “Come with me, baby,” he said, thrusting one more time and then pulsing inside her. Ava clung to him as the look on his face brought her back to the brink, and then let her pleasure spill over them both.
“Have you thought about where you want to get married?” Tabon asked her as they lay naked in each other’s arms.
“Do I have a choice?” she asked.
Tabon moved her off of him and sat up. “Why wouldn’t you?”
“I guess we could get married here.”
He smiled. “Please hold back your enthusiasm.”
“It really doesn’t matter to me, Tabon. All I care about is being your wife; where and when we have the ceremony is inconsequential.”
Tabon rested his forehead against hers. “Close your eyes.”
She smiled and closed them.
“Think back to when you were a little girl. Tell me what your dream wedding looked like.”
“On the beach,” she answered, and then smiled and opened her eyes.
“Well, there you have it.” He motioned out the window. “What?” he asked when he saw her face fall.
“I think we should wait, Tabon.”
“When I was still in the hospital, I told Saylor that when all of this was over, I was going to ask you to marry me. She told me not to wait. We aren’t going to wait either, Avarie.”
“I know I just said that I didn’t care where or when, but I do care who’s with us. That’s why I want to wait.”
“Okay…” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“Not my father, obviously. But I would like my mother to be there, and Quinn.”
Tabon nodded. “That can be arranged.”
“Have you talked to her?”
“Quinn or Peggy?”
“You just gave it away.” She smiled.
“To be honest, I’ve talked to both of them.”
Would it be terrible of her to say she wished he’d let her talk to Quinn too? She just missed her so much.
“What?” he said again.
“Nothing.”
“You’re mad you didn’t get to talk to Quinn.”
“I’m not mad.”
“You’re not going to start calling me Razor?”
Ava swatted at him. “No, but I do miss her. Maybe next time, I could talk to her too.”
“Yeah, I can arrange that.”
Tabon picked up his phone. “As much as I’d rather stay in bed naked with you for the rest of the day, we need to get dressed, baby.”
“Right, your sister is coming over with the girls.”
“That’s right.”
—:—
“Now,” he mouthed to his sister who was sitting facing him.
She and Ava, who had her back to him, were head-to-head looking at what he guessed were flower girl dresses.
“Do you know where Razor might have a tape measure?” he heard Saylor ask her.
“Maybe in his office.”
“Can you go look?”
Razor peeked around the corner and saw the look of confusion on Ava’s face, and then heard her say, “Uh, sure.”
“Perfect,” he whispered, coming around the corner to open the front door. He kissed Quinn’s cheek when she stepped inside.
“Hi,” she smiled and whispered back. “Over there?” She pointed to where Saylor sat at the bar.
Razor nodded and went outside, closing the door behind him.
“How the hell are you?” Mercer asked.
“Crazy in love, and thankfully, not dead.”
“I heard you came pretty damn close.”
“Yeah, but I’m a superhero.”
“That’s what I always say about you.” Mercer clasped his shoulder. �
��Seriously, I’m glad you’re okay, and I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.”
“Do you think for one minute that if you get into trouble, I’ll come back from my honeymoon to help you?”
Mercer laughed and shook his head. “Nope.”
“Damn straight.”
—:—
“His office was locked,” Ava said, padding back up the stairs. “But Monk said there might be one in the garage.”
When she got to the top, Ava looked up and screamed.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here!” She ran over to Quinn and hugged her as hard as she could. “Have you seen the rest of the tribe?” she asked.
“No. Razor asked us to stop here first.” Quinn smiled and grabbed Ava’s hand. “Let me see it.”
“Isn’t it beautiful?” said Saylor. “It belonged to my father’s mother.”
“Wow,” gushed Quinn, studying the oval-shaped diamond surrounded by tiny rubies. “It’s gorgeous.”
“I know,” said Ava, gazing at it “He almost forgot to give it to me.”
“What?”
Quinn laughed when Ava told her about Tabon’s proposal.
“I can’t believe you waited that long to mention it. Actually, I do. It’s so like you.”
“We’re talking a minute or two, but the look on his face…oh my God, I laughed so hard.”
“It’s so great to see you happy,” said Quinn, hugging her again.
“Who would’ve thought we’d be first?” Ava laughed.
“Not me. I mean, I never thought I’d be first.”
“You’re back so soon. I hope it isn’t because of me.”
“Nope, not because of you. I wasn’t doing very well traveling.”
“Why not? You love to travel.”
Quinn patted her belly. “Morning sickness is kicking my butt.”
Ava squealed and jumped up and down. “Oh my God! I’m going to be an auntie!”
“What?” shouted Aine, coming through the front door with Penelope and Tara on her heels.
Ava embraced her four best friends at the same time, just like they always had when one or more of them had been gone for a while. This was the way it had been since they were all seven years old. Thank God they’d always had each other because, for the most part, their parents weren’t worth a damn.
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