by Cara Carnes
“Good.” Mary smiled. “She’s really good.”
“She is,” Ellie confirmed.
“She thinks I need a couple weeks off to decompress,” Bree said. “I don’t necessarily agree, but I promised I’d give it a try—assuming you’re all okay with me being gone awhile.”
“Of course. You’re more important than anything you do here,” Vi said. “You’re our friend. Always, always put your health above your job.”
Addy admired Bree for stepping up and diving headfirst into a treatment plan. She wondered how far down her friend had spiraled but knew Sinclair would get her on safe ground.
“I think I’m going to go visit family for a couple of weeks. Catch up.” Bree smiled at Rhea. “You and Fallon inspired me. And you’re going to be away for a bit longer, right?”
“Yeah, we came back for a bit when he heard about Spade being with Mandrake. He was worried.” Rhea smiled. “Now that that’s handled, he wants to spend a little longer with his friends.”
“How’s that going?” Addy asked.
“Well. They’re an interesting crew,” Rhea said with a laugh. “I had a stereotype of partying, drunk druggies playing music in my head. I know that’s bad, but I sort of expected at least a few of those stereotypes to be there.”
“But they aren’t?” Riley asked.
“So far from that,” Rhea said. “They might be relocating to Resino. Digger contacted a realtor, found some property between Resino and Marville that they’re thinking about buying.”
“That’d be great for Fallon,” Ellie said. “Not sure that’s really the best location, though. Internet’s spotty and cell reception is terrible.”
“We could help ensure they have what they need,” Mary commented. “I’m happy for Fallon. And you.”
“Is Bree and me both being gone going to be a problem?” Rhea asked.
“Not at all. Vi’s right. Your health and happiness are what matters. We’ve all been on fast forward for a long time. You both need some time off.”
“What about Mandrake?” Bree asked.
“We’re going to keep investigating off the record,” Mary said. “Mia kept extensive records of what all she’d done for them and everything she’d learned while there. From what she shared and what Spade gathered and HERA, we’ll have a firm idea of who else may be left standing from the biochemical weapons mission.”
“And Bob?” Addy asked. “I was under the impression that relationship is strained right now. I never heard what the fallout was for Russia. We took out more Mandrake even though he’d ordered us to stand down.”
“Bob’s not happy,” Vi said. Lips thinned. “But we aren’t either. We’re in a stalemate at this point because we secured the weapons, which leaves Bob with no wiggle room on how to proceed with his political dilemma.”
“So, it is political red tape then?” Riley asked.
“We’ve tracked his movements and connections. He’s recently made some sticky maneuvers that have him aligned with a few of the same people affiliated with Mandrake. They’re upper level government.”
“He’s the Secretary of Defense,” Ellie said. “Higher than him?”
“No, but very connected. Committees. Influence.” Vi shrugged. “Bob’s got to dig himself out of that. We were hired to do a job and we did it. We’ve turned over what intel we’ve gathered about Mandrake’s involvement. It’ll be up to Bob what he does with that, if anything.”
“It’s a political cat and mouse game. We aren’t the cat or the mouse,” Mary said.
“As long as we aren’t the cheese, I’m good with that,” Bree said. “Okay, I have to go pack.”
“You’re leaving now?” Ellie asked, voice high, eyes wide.
“Tomorrow afternoon,” Bree said. “I’m just a really slow packer.”
Addy stood and waited as everyone hugged Bree. Plans were made for a happy hour later in the evening. She made a mental note to attend. By the time everyone filed out, tears shimmered in Bree’s eyes.
Addy touched her friend’s face and smiled. “I’m proud of you.”
“You are?”
“It’s not easy staring your problems down and taking them out.”
“I saw Mary and Vi and Kamren and Ellie and Jesse and Zoey do it.” Determination settled in Bree’s voice. “I can too.”
“Damn straight. Are you going to tell us where you’re going?”
“To visit family,” Bree hedged.
“Thinking you know we’ll want more,” Addy said.
“I’ll send it to you and Mary, just in case.” Bree smiled. “You’d better go track Kristof down. I bet he’s missing you by now.”
Addy laughed. Yeah, she was definitely going to miss Bree.
Kristof entered the recreation room and scanned its inhabitants. Olaf was with Doctor Sinclair. Where was Addy? A group clustered on two sofas and several chairs spread out in front of a massive television toward the back of the room. Loud catcalls and cheers sounded from the group as one of their makeshift teams won whatever video game they were playing.
Two pool tables filled the area to the left. A cue striking a break echoed from the area. Kristof chuckled when he noted the players. He approached. Time to make nice with Addy’s team. If he wanted his stay at The Arsenal to last, he needed to have their approval because they were the most important people in her life—aside from him (he hoped).
Beast struck the cue ball and stood up. Curiosity glinted within his dark eyes as he offered a chin lift. “Lavrov.”
“Beast.” He looked around at the rest of Addy’s team. Johnny sat in the corner behind the table. Shep and Thunder stood beside Beast. Both leaned toward their sticks. Cracker was on his cell in the corner.
Riley and a dark-haired, muscular man stood on the opposite side of the table. Tattoos covered the man’s arms. He scowled at the blonde as she rounded the pool table.
“Kristof.” She smiled. “You’re just in time. Shep and I need a third. Johnny and Cracker can’t play worth a damn. Wait.” Her bright blue gaze narrowed. “Can you play?”
He shrugged. “I can handle my own.”
The stranger grunted. “Sounds vague. I’m Dominic, but everyone calls me Dom. My brother, Raul, mentioned you were Addy’s dude.”
Amusement rolled within him. “Guess you could say that.”
Beast grunted and glared at Riley. “Are we doing this or not?”
Riley shoved a cue stick at him. “You’d better hold your own. The stakes are high.”
“You aren’t getting my ride for the weekend,” Dom growled.
“If I win, she’s mine for the weekend.” Riley rolled her eyes. “He’s so possessive.”
“Woman, you’ve got damn near twenty rides you can use on the compound. Mine isn’t an option.”
“Please. You know damn well I can’t roll into Marville under the radar in an Arsenal truck. Those big, black vehicles send everyone in the area scattering like cockroaches when the lights are turned on.” She leaned over the table and shot. “We’ve got a case that can’t wait.”
Dom’s gaze narrowed. “Your brothers know about this case?”
“My work isn’t their business unless I think they’re needed.” She glanced up. “That’s not ever happening. Jud’s got my back.”
So this was the spitfire Mason, the youngest and only sister of Addy’s bosses. Interesting. He’d likely have her back soon as well. The fact she’d welcomed him so openly even though they’d never formally met or spoken was a good sign.
“I’ve heard Kristof here might be having your back, too,” Shep said. “You okay with that?”
“Jud said he’s cool. Who am I to argue with my mentor?” The second ball went in. The third missed. “It’s not like it matters. We’ve got my brothers and all you real commandoes to call on if we get into trouble.”
Dom took his turn, slamming one in and missing the next.
“Real commandoes?” Kristof asked, amusement in his voice.
“The
little Mason here hasn’t ever asked Jud about his past,” Thunder said with a smirk. “She thinks he’s a private dick.”
“Why would I? He’s got a license. I know he can kick ass. I saw him kick said ass when he helped secure the compound. Dallas said that’s all I needed to know.”
Either she didn’t know he was a former assassin or ignored that fact for some reason. Interesting. Beast chuckled. “By the way, solid work out there. Appreciate you having Addy’s back. And the others. Heard you did a great job sniping.”
“It was better than good,” Johnny said. “Not sure I could’ve done better.”
Admiration sounded in the sniper’s voice. “Appreciate it. I’m up for helping out wherever I can, Riley. And I’ll always have Addy’s back.” Against anyone. The unspoken words loomed between him and Addy’s team.
“If you get tired of playing private dick with Jud and his sidekick here, we’ll make room on the team for you,” Thunder said. “We’ve all agreed. You’d be a good fit.”
Warmth spread through him. Acceptance. “Appreciated. You all have Addy covered. She deserves her space to do her thing without me.”
Shep crossed his arms. “I didn’t expect that, but I’m pleased as hell you trust us with your woman.”
“Not sure she’d appreciate being called my woman,” Kristof commented.
“You’re right,” Beast said. “She wouldn’t. Offer’s open, if you want on a team.”
“If he wants on a team, you’ll need to fight Raul for him,” Dom said. “And Sanderson.”
Surprise filled him. He hadn’t expected The Arsenal to welcome him so quickly.
“Risking your ass the way you did to get Spade out vetted you,” Johnny said. “But you were already in. Jud vouched for you.”
“Get real. He was already in because Red vouched for him,” Thunder said. “Sanderson too.”
“And Nolan,” Beast said.
“If y’all are done stroking his ego, can he please take his shot?” Riley asked.
Kristof chuckled. He glanced at the youngest Mason. “You want this over quick or slow?”
“We’re doing best of three. This is round two and we’re down because someone over there couldn’t hit for shit,” she answered. “You’d have to clear our three left and then another rack. If you’ve got what it takes, go for it.” She glanced at Dom. “I need my girl for the weekend to do some surveillance.”
“She’s not your girl,” Dom growled. “Leave my ride alone, you hellion.”
Riley grinned. “That’s not happening.”
Kristof laughed and got into position. It’d been a while since he played, but the dust sloughed off his memory after the first hit. He’d already won what he’d set out to get—the approval of the team who’d had Addy’s back when he couldn’t.
Silence descended as he cleared the table. Riley whooped her delight and racked the final set.
“I’m thinking we should’ve asked a few more questions about his experience,” Thunder said.
Kristof laughed outright as he finished off the game. He set the cue on the table and looked at Beast, then the rest of Addy’s team. “I appreciate you all being there for Addy when I wasn’t. You don’t know me, but she means the world to me. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt her again. Ever.”
“Neither will we,” Johnny said.
“Good.” Kristof glanced at Riley, who was hopping circles around Dom.
The man growled when she held out her hand. “You get one scratch on her and I’ll spank your ass.”
Riley batted her eyelashes. “You promise?”
Kristof laughed as she headed out of the rec room, keys in hand. Dom approached. “She’s spirited.”
“She needs a damn babysitter.” Dom clapped him on the back. “I hope you’re going to work with Jud. He needs the help. You need anything, let me know.”
“Thanks.”
“Should I ask what’s going on? Riley was way too happy when I ran into her just now.” Addy smiled at Dom. “She stole your ride again.”
“Yeah. She’s a menace.”
Addy laughed and wrapped her arms around Kristof when Dom left. “How’s it going?”
“Great.” And it was. “I’ve got to go pick Olaf up from Sinclair’s, then get his meds from Logan, though.”
“I’ll get the meds,” she offered. “Then we can grab some food from the mess hall and…visit.”
Blood surged to his cock. Yeah, he was fully down with a “visit.” He loved her more than he could’ve ever imagined.
Love.
It’d gotten easier to admit the sentiment to himself. Now all he needed to do was find the guts to tell her.
31
Ellie Mason glanced at the clock and silently cursed her stupidity. She should’ve waited. Bree would be leaving The Arsenal for a vacation in a few hours. Ellie still had a cake to ice and decorations to hang and….
Exhaustion plagued her as the list appeared in her mind. The tiredness had finally forced her hand and now she was in Medical. She sat on the examination table and willed the terrifyingly dark thoughts away. She twirled her wedding band around and around. She’d seen Johnny do that whenever he was nervous about something. If it helped a kickass commando, maybe it’d give her enough courage to face this monster head-on.
Tears pooled in her eyes as she silently cursed the possibilities listing in her brain. As much as she wanted to ignore the symptoms that’d been bothering her the past few weeks, she wouldn’t make the same mistakes her mom did.
How many times had she wished her mom had sought treatment sooner? How many times had her mom shared the regret she carried for ignoring the signs and not going to the doctor sooner?
God.
It’s not fair.
She’d rode the waves of anger to get her into Logan’s examination bay. She should’ve gone into Nomad and seen a stranger—a doctor who wouldn’t be as torn up about the likely diagnosis as she would.
Brant wasn’t a possibility. That man had seen her mom through so much over the years, as his father had before he’d taken over. So, yeah. Here she was. In Logan’s examination bay waiting for him to walk in and…
As if summoned by the terror running through her veins, he entered. His semi-unruly hair gave him a rakish look. If he’d chosen acting over medicine, he would’ve given Doctor McDreamy a run for his money.
“Ellie. This is a surprise.” He glanced down at Ariana, where she slept in her carrier. “Is Ariana sick?”
Ellie blinked away the tears and wiped at her cheeks. “No. I-I think I am.”
He sat on the small stool and took her hand. “Take a deep breath, honey. Where’s Jesse?”
“He’s working with Mary and Vi and Zoey and Cord and Jacob on the intel Mia and Spade provided.” She forced a watery breath. She could get through this. Really, she could.
“Let me give him a call.” He reached for the phone.
She snagged his hand and squeezed. “No. Please. I-I need to know first. I have to be strong. Please.”
“Honey.”
“She ignored her symptoms.”
“Ellie.”
“I’ve had them a few weeks now. They weren’t too bad at first. I figured I was just eating too much or had gotten a stomach bug. But I’m so tired. All the time. I figured it was just because…”
“You’ve had a lot on your plate. You both have.” He glanced down at Ellie. “Being a mom takes a toll.”
“It does.”
“And your mom hasn’t been doing well.”
Mom didn’t have much time left. Ellie cherished each day they had together because it could be her last. Ariana and Jesse were new joys in her mom’s life.
And Ellie’s.
“If you’re stressed and need more help, you should talk to Jesse or one of the girls. We can get you more help for the office. A sitter.”
“No. I love everything I do,” Ellie said. “Ariana’s perfect. Jesse’s perfect. I’ve never been this happy.” Elli
e let the tears flow. “I don’t want to be sick, but I’ve got the nausea and the fatigue and a bit of pain.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “When was your last cycle?”
“I can’t remember. I spotted for a couple days two weeks ago. My cycles haven’t ever been regular, though.” Her gaze darted about the small room. She looked down at her lap and kicked her legs back and forth. “I’m sorry. I should’ve gone into Nomad. You came here to treat commandoes, not…” Potentially cancer-ridden women.
“Ellie.” Logan squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you came here. We’ll figure this out, okay?”
She nodded as he stood. She sat through the routine checking of the pulse and blood pressure—both unhappy given her current emotional state—and suffered through the embarrassment of providing a urine sample.
She trekked into the bathroom and did what needed to be done and washed her hands. She set it down on the tray and got back onto the table.
“Now what?” Fear softened her voice to a barely audible volume.
“Now I’m going to draw some blood and we’ll see what we find out.” He offered a smile, but it didn’t hit his eyes. She recognized that smile. He gave it to her mom all the time.
He was worried.
Ellie kept her attention on the clock as he drew the blood. She wasn’t afraid of needles or pain. This involved both. “You should have pictures in here. Or a television.”
“Thinking I’d get more visitors if I had television in here.”
“You’re probably right, though I’m not sure how many of the commandoes actually watch television.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Right. He was a commando, too. Jesse had mentioned he was a former CIA spook. Or was it Mary who’d mentioned that? Huh.
Her mind wandered down the various possibilities about what Logan had done before he came to The Arsenal because it kept her mind off why he was drawing her blood.
Ariana cooed softly a moment, then fell back asleep. Such a sweet little girl. She and Jesse would be okay if…
