Epilogue
One month later…
Blade grinnedas Pat pumped his hand before turning to Lily and giving her a bear hug. “Congratulations. I couldn’t be happier for you two.”
After the last month, Blade knew without a doubt he wanted to make Lily his—forever. As it was, they’d spent every possible moment together since he’d returned, and the thought of her not being in his life wasn”t just unbearable. It was unthinkable.
That’s when he’d dropped to one knee.
A toast with champagne had barely settled, when Pat cleared his throat, a crafty glint in his eye. “Blade, I have a proposition for you.”
Blade looked weary. “What sort of proposition? If it involves a whiff of desert sand, I’m not interested.”
“Water, actually,” said Pat, laughing. “The Gulf of Mexico. There’s a security job on an oil rig...”
Both Blade and Lily stared at him like he was mad.
“We’re about to get married, Pat,” Lily began, her voice firm, protective even. “Blade can’t go anywhere right now.”
“I’m not talking about Blade,” Pat said mysteriously. “I was thinking Phoenix would be perfect for this job.”
“Phoenix?” Blade narrowed his eyes. “What are you taking about, Pat?”
“Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time at the DOD lately, and I’ve realized there’s a gap to fill—perfect for an off-the-books team with all the skills and none of the red tape. A ghost unit that can move where the normal guys can’t.”
Blade narrowed his eyes. “For example?”
“Hostage rescue, close protection, security… You get the picture.”
“A private security outfit?”
Pat nodded. “I pitched the idea today. They’re seriously considering it. Short-term, it would help them out of a sticky spot. Long-term, it would help them out of a lot of them. There are situations when they need prompt action and there isn’t time to go through the official channels.”
“We’d run our own unit?” Blade’s heart skipped a beat. Could this be the answer he’d been looking for?
Lately, he’d been pondering what the hell he was going to do with himself now that his military career was over. He’d have to work, that much was non negotiable. He was getting married.
Blade’s respect for Pat skyrocketed. He should have known the crafty former SEAL wouldn’t leave him out to dry.
Lily had already gone back to work, leaving him at loose ends. He wanted to earn a decent living, but most guys in his position ended up as glorified security guards. Or they joined the police force, which was a better option. There weren’t many other opportunities for trained killers.
“A shadow unit,” said Pat. “I was thinking of called it Blackthorn Security.”
“Blackthorn?” Lily scratched her head. “Isn’t that a tree?”
He gave a sly grin. “Yeah, known for its rugged resilience.”
Blade could tell he’d thought hard about this. “I like it.”
“Whoa! Hang on a minute.” Lily glanced between the two of them. “Are you saying Blade would be heading out on dangerous missions again?”
Lily, all protective fire, made his heart lurch. He loved that she cared so deeply about him. It was a novel experience. In the past, when he’d gone on operations, it was only his Commanding Officer who cared whether he came back or not—and not for any warm, fuzzy reason either.
Sure, it had been his own decision, his choice not to let anyone get too close. No strings. Except it was clear to him now that it hadn’t been by design. He just hadn’t met the right girl.
“I want Blade to lead it.”
He turned to Blade. “I’ll be the link with the DOD. You can pick and choose the assignments. Operate as a unit, or individually, depending on the requirement.”
Blade’s nod was like the closing of the deal, the kind that didn’t need paperwork. Pat knew he was in.
Lily’s gaze rested on his face. “You’ve already decided, haven’t you? You want to do this?”
Blade shot her an apologetic grin. “I have to work, love, and you heard Pat, we can pick and choose our ops. As the leader, I’ll mostly be involved in strategy and planning, and I promise you now, I’ll never set foot in Afghanistan again.”
Lily leaned over and kissed him hard on the lips. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Pat grinned and leaned back in his chair. “Fantastic. As soon as you get the others on board, we can set up shop.”
Blade looked up. “Others?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some guys in mind. I’m sure you have too. Ex-military, brave men. Out for one reason or another.”
“I know a few, yeah.” He met Pat’s gaze.
“Awesome. I’ll see to the paperwork, you start building our team.”
“After the wedding,” Lily cut in, shooting Pat a stern look.
He gave a happy nod. “Of course. After the wedding.”
“Nah.” Blade winked at Lily. “After the honeymoon.”