Chapter Fifty-One Ryder
Chapter Fifty-One
Ryder
Washington, DC; four days later
“Looks like quite a lot has changed since we bumped into each other last.” Hudson parked his focus on Seraphina. She was standing by the front door of the bar, chatting with his brother-in-law, Enzo. “No longer single, huh?”
While we hadn’t made anything official, yeah, in my head and heart I wasn’t single. I was very much taken.
After two and a half days of nonstop lovemaking—before leaving Costa Rica post-mission, up until an hour ago—we’d only been out of bed for two reasons, other than our flight stateside and dinner with Hudson tonight.
The first time was to attend a meeting at the Pentagon to handle the aftermath of the op, and the second was this morning. A surprising call had come from the president, inviting us to the White House for brunch. Alex wasn’t about to let a GSW and nearly dying stop him from that meal.
Talk about things I’d never expected to happen in my lifetime. Brunch with Potus . Bucket list item, for sure. Not that I’d ever had a list, but I’d happily make one with Seraphina.
“You good, man?” Hudson asked in an amused tone, hauling me back to the present.
I dragged a palm across my eyes, trying to focus. He’d asked me something, right? “Not single, no. Also, I’m fantastic,” I finally answered, allowing my hand to fall to my side, my gaze shooting straight to the woman of my dreams.
“Seems like there’s something else you’d rather be doing than be here with me. I won’t hold you up any longer.”
He was right about that. But I really was thankful to have him as an ally in all this. Grateful he’d keep up the good fight securing our borders from traffickers and protecting our cities from drugs.
“Thank you again. For everything.” I shook his hand. “Keep me posted. Hopefully, something in that file helps.”
“ángel gave us quite a bit to sort through. With Carter and the others handling those supply routes in Asia,” he said as we started walking to the door, “it’ll take a while for anyone to regroup and start shit up again. Unfortunately, I’m sure they’ll try, though.”
Yeah, he was right about that. “Wild you’ve worked with Carter and those, uh, other teams before.” I kept my voice down since we weren’t supposed to know those Seal teams existed and worked for Potus .
Hell, I was still reeling from the fact the president had asked my team to work directly for him instead of with DHS from now on. I was game. Alex and Reed happily were, too. We’d decided we’d stick to a three-man team, though.
“Yeah, looks like all of us kind of run in the same circles,” he commented while we joined Seraphina and Enzo.
We said our goodbyes, and I went for Seraphina’s jacket on the coatrack and helped her into it. I pulled her long hair free, then stepped around to open the door for her.
The cold air hit me in the face, but it was seeing Lainey and Jeff standing in front of an SUV that slapped me even harder. You tracked my phone again? I have to get a new number.
Per my request, Lainey hadn’t been at the meeting I’d had with DHS when going over the AAR, the after-action report. So of course she’d sought me out against my wishes.
“What’s wrong?” Seraphina picked up on my change in energy, then dialed in on the problem standing there before us. Lainey and my former ride-or-die boot camp friend.
Talk about an ambush. Fuck.
She didn’t need to fill me in on the aftermath of my operation.
I’d been there myself for it, along with the cleanup.
Like ensuring the director, Nina, Beth, and her team were met with the appropriate consequences for their actions.
Also, Beth and Ezra’s $47 million rainy-day funds were now being donated to a nonprofit that helped those suffering with addiction get the help they needed.
“Why are you here? What do you want?” I swiftly pulled Seraphina to my side, protectively drawing my arm behind her back.
Lainey zeroed in on the detail of my hand placement before clearing her throat and saying, “Who would’ve thought everything would turn out like this?
” She wasn’t just talking about the op, that was for damn sure.
No, she was looking right at Seraphina. And she was jealous.
Now you want me, huh? Of course. “I’m Lainey.
” She offered her hand, and Seraphina left her hanging.
That’s my girl. As protective of me as I was of her.
Lainey lowered her arm, then tipped her head toward the SUV and away from pedestrian traffic. “I thought you’d want to know”—she directed her words to Seraphina—“that there was no insider who betrayed you from the DEA or the task force. No one sold you out. Lev made a lucky guess.”
Seraphina didn’t say anything, but from my peripheral view, I caught her nodding her okay.
“Beth was the only one who truly ...” A flash of unexpected emotion cut across Lainey’s face.
That had to be the baby inside her taking over, warming up her heart a bit.
She was nowhere near as cold as Beth, but still.
“You could say that I’m kicking myself for not seeing the signs about Beth.
I still can’t believe what happened. She’ll be spending her days in a black site prison, not a regular penitentiary.
” She kept her voice low to avoid broadcasting to eavesdroppers walking by.
A CIA black site was much worse. Good-fucking-riddance. The woman deserved to rot in hell (on Earth, for now).
“I was her friend, and I missed this. Talk about feeling blindsided,” Lainey went on since we both kept quiet.
“Yeah, nothing like being blindsided by someone you thought was a friend.” And that was for Jeff.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes falling to the sidewalk. Yeah, don’t look me in the eyes. Don’t man up. Not a shocker.
“I just wanted to say—”
“Nope,” I cut her off, waving my free hand in the air.
“I won’t be working cases for Homeland anymore, so you and I have nothing to say to one another ever again, in fact.
” Feeling like a douche, even if they deserved it, I went ahead and tossed out the best I could offer them: “For what it’s worth, I hope you two have a great life together.
I just have no plans to be in it.” I looked over at Seraphina, and a feeling of calm settled over me at the mere sight of her. “Ready?”
“More than ever,” she whispered.
We left the two of them behind—in the past, where they belonged—and we walked the three blocks to our hotel.
The second we were in our room, she tossed her coat and turned to face me. “Give me one second, okay?” She pointed to the bed. “Get comfortable while you wait.”
She sauntered into the bathroom, wearing a fitted red dress that made it damn difficult to not bend her over and take her with that on, but I gruffly responded, “Roger that, ma’am.”
Once she was in the en suite bathroom, I stripped down to my boxers and checked my phone to see if Alex had responded to my last message.
Alex: I’m fine. (A legitimate fine, not like when a woman tells you she’s fine.)
Alex: I also feel decent despite being shot and briefly seeing what the other side looks like.
I wasn’t ready to believe him, so I sent a follow-up while I waited on Seraphina.
Me: It’s okay not to be okay.
The bubbles came and went. Then he finally answered.
Alex: You trying to Freud me? My job, remember?
Alex: And I’m F.I.N.E. (Better than okay.) Once I can operate again, at least.
Alex: And even if I’m not (fine) ... I will be.
Me: Fine. (See, that word sucks even when a guy uses it.)
Alex: Lol
Alex: So ... you tell her yet? (That you’re obsessed and in love?) Although, I think she already knows. You’re not the best actor. Told you, being obsessed is a good look on you, brother. Now, go be happy.
Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
At the door opening, I set aside my phone, and my breath hitched at the sight of the goddess before me wearing my dress shirt. The shirt. The one from the night we met.
Her eyes skated to the bruises on my chest, the ones that were there thanks to what went down in Costa Rica.
“No puppy-dog eyes allowed.” I lifted my brows a few times. “Just your fuck-me ones.”
“Ohhh, is that so?” she teased in a sultry voice, her hand flying to the buttons as she began to kill me just as she had that morning after I’d Edward Norton’d my way through a real-life Fight Club .
“That shirt. On you. Damn.”
“I love how you growl words like that.” She licked her lips. “Feels so primitive.”
“Trust me,” I said, shoving down my boxers and stepping free of them, “the things I want to do to you are very much raw, dirty, and all kinds of fucking primitive and naughty.”
“Mmmm.” She freed the last button, allowing the shirt to part to show me her tits along with her red silk panties. “So do them to me.”
I stood like a statue by the bed, taking one long look at her as every moment we’d spent together rolled through my mind in 4D.
From the first time I’d set my mouth between her legs in the shower to the first time we’d made love missionary-style in the bed in the villa before packing up to fly to the United States a few days ago.
And all the other times since then up until now. All perfect. All otherworldly.
I finally erased the space between us and parked my hand at her side and the other beneath her chin. “There’s something I want to tell you first.”
A gorgeous smile touched her mouth. “Me too.” She flipped her tongue up, covering her teeth as my mind played catch-up to what she was saying.
“Is it too soon?”
“Not for two people destined to be together.” She drew her arms between us and held the sides of my neck. “Remember, lightning doesn’t just strike the same place twice for everyone, now, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t.” I kissed her forehead. “But just so I’m crystal clear here, it did for me. Love at first sight.” I slowly lifted my head, parking my eyes on hers. “I love you, Seraphina Torres.”
Her bottom lip caught between her teeth for a brief moment. “I love you, too, Ryder David Lawson.”