Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“Yessir,” they answered.
Danny became broody like the flip of a switch, so I was glad I’d decided to send the twins downstairs for target practice. I needed a moment alone with my boy.
I turned to the twins. “I reserved the shooting range for you two at noon. I don’t know if you have plans after, but I’ll order pizza for dinner at seven. That okay?”
“Yeah, of course. We’ll be there,” Reese said. He nodded toward the exit. “We’re just gonna grab a smoke.”
Meanwhile, I caught Danny’s gaze again. “You and I are going home.”
“Okay.”
Danny didn’t say much on our short ride back to my place, and I let him be until we were alone.
I locked the door and threw the keys on the hallway table. “You wanna talk about this, little one?”
Calling him that hopefully served as a reminder. He didn’t need his walls up for this conversation; we were no longer at Hillcroft, and I could be both his Daddy and his partner. Whatever he needed.
What I needed was him in higher spirits.
He let out a breath and kicked off his shoes, then trailed toward the couch in the living room. “It’s just something to get used to, right? This is the job. We’ll be away from each other during assignments.”
Right. That was the job. And fuck me if that didn’t pack a harder punch than I’d expected. I’d been in a shitty mood since I’d left my meeting. Hell, since the words “we need a pathfinder in Kabul. You and Paul are heading north.”
On paper, it was a single meeting. I’d been part of countless before. They were usually over in a few hours. First, you talked and negotiated terms. Then you split up for an hour or two for deliberation, and then you came to an agreement. That was that. An in-and-out gig.
It was the way there and back that posed dangers and took a lot of time.
I suspected the CIA was on the other side of the contract.
Joining Danny on the couch, I couldn’t describe the relief when he immediately dove into my arms. Fuck me, it almost shook me to the core. I swallowed hard and squeezed him tightly, and I closed my eyes and buried my face against his neck.
It wasn’t the easiest, balancing our dynamic with work. The two were like night and day. I couldn’t be doting and fuss over him at Hillcroft. But as soon as we got home, something broke within me, and I could no longer hold back my cravings.
“It’s too soon,” he croaked. “That’s my problem. I’m scared you won’t come back.”
Aw, bloody fuck.
I tightened my hold on him and kissed the side of his head. “For you, I will always come back.” The truth of those words hit me squarely in the chest, and I knew I was screwed. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
He sniffled. “Promise.”
“Hey.” Time to let him know a thing or two about where I stood. I sensed he needed a reminder. I eased back and cupped his cheek, and I waited till he locked eyes with me. “I’ve never been so serious about anything as I am about us, Danny.” I brushed my thumb over a few faint freckles on his cheek. “You were different from the moment I saw your punk ass at Fort Campbell. You always stood out. I couldn’t show you, but damn if I didn’t show others.”
He knitted his brows. “What do you mean?”
I smiled a little. “You don’t know how many times I’ve told other soldiers a story or two about a certain Danny Rose. I even recruited someone to Hillcroft after I told him about you.”
That one earned me a rueful little grin. “Because of my temper?”
“No, you brat,” I chuckled. “I told you. You’re one of the best soldiers I’ve ever met.”
He was thawing.
“The difference now is,” I murmured, “I wanna be part of that story. Decades from now, when they talk about your accomplishments, I want someone to at least say something like, oh yeah, and he was with that Payne bloke, wasn’t he? And someone else will confirm we were inseparable.”
His eyes welled up a bit, and he threw his arms around me, so I took that as a good sign.
“You idiot,” he whimpered. “It’ll be our accomplishments—and they won’t talk about them, because PMCs never get credit.”
I choked out a laugh and squeezed him to me.
“Inseparable,” he said, sniffling. “I like that, Daddy. I want us to be inseparable.”
Fuck, me too.
I kissed his temple and rubbed his back. “Let’s shoot for that then, huh?”
He nodded. “I’m still gonna miss you, though. If you get hurt, I will kill you.”
I smiled against his skin. “I’ll do my best not to get a single scratch.”
He shuddered. “Good. So…now what? You just pack, and then you’re off to wherever? When do you leave tomorrow?”