Chapter 36
“The sunset is beautiful,” Tatiana said from beside me.
We’d broken away from the crowd and had walked down by the water. I had something I wanted to talk to her about, but now that I had her alone, I wasn’t sure how to start.
“It is,” I agreed. “Do you know how much I love you?”
She turned in my arms, looked up, and her beautiful smile faded. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why would anything be wrong?”
“I don’t know. You sound so serious, and your face…”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
“Nothing. I mean, you just look thoughtful.”
“Thoughtful?” Damn. I was fucking this up. She’d gone from smiling and relaxed to on guard. Not the way I’d wanted this to go. “Tatiana…”
“Are you…breaking up with me?” she whispered.
“Fuck, no. I’m trying to ask you to marry me.”
“Marry you?”
I was such a dumbass. I’d ruined everything I had planned. I’d spent hours silently rehearsing what I wanted to say. I wanted this to be perfect for her.
“Yeah, I want?—”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
“I had this whole speech prepared. I was going to get down on my knee and everything.”
“I don’t need you to get down on one knee. I don’t need a speech. I already know. I don’t need words from you, Brooks. You show me every day how much you love me. So, yes, I want to marry you.”
My lips twitched at the vehemence of her statement. I was happy she knew how much I loved her. I’d spend the rest of my life making sure she never forgot. “Would you even like the ring? Or is that not necessary, either?”
“Oh, I want the ring.” She smiled.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the jewelry box. The guys had helped me pick it out. When I opened the box, I heard her swift intake of breath.
“Oh my God, Brooks, it’s perfect.”
I contemplated going bigger, but knowing Tatiana, this was pushing what she’d wear.
“The guys helped,” I admitted, pulling the ring from the box.
I reached for her left hand and started to slide it down her finger.
“The center diamond is us, me and you. But there are four sapphires surrounding us. Our team. They’ve promised to have our back.
Through thick and thin, they’ll be there. Always watching.”
“I love it. All of it.”
I heard the clapping and shook my head. They just couldn’t stay away. I should’ve known better.
“Congrats,” Declan started.
“Damn, lucky man,” Max said.
Kyle patted my back and Thad pulled Tatiana in for a hug.
I should’ve been irritated I hadn’t even had the chance to kiss my soon-to-be-wife before the guys interrupted.
But I wasn’t. These were my brothers. They’d been there for every important event in my life.
It was only fitting they were here for this, too.
“Do you like your ring? I picked it out,” Thad told her.
“No, you didn’t, asshole. I found it,” Max corrected.
“It was my idea in the first place,” Kyle put in.
I gave zero fucks the guys were all taking credit for what was my idea.
Not when she was standing in the middle of four men who had taken her in and loved her damn near as much as I did.
I knew how they all felt about her. Declan had breathed life into her.
Thad and Kyle had all given their blood to save her. She was a part of all of us.
“I thought that was you.” I heard a male voice from behind me.
I didn’t bother to turn, Tatiana’s face said it all. She was red-hot pissed. I debated whether or not I should pull her behind me and tell the dickwad to get lost or if I should let her. She squared her shoulders and set her jaw.
Alrighty then, she’d handle it.
“James. How nice to see you.” The sarcasm couldn’t be missed.
I finally turned and there was James Monroe. He had a pretty blonde girl who had on far too much makeup standing next to him. He was holding her hand and smiling like he’d won some sort of prize.
“I didn’t know you moved back.”
“I haven’t. Listen, Monroe, great of you to come over and say hello but we’re a little busy if you wouldn’t mind.”
“I see you’re the same bitch you’ve always been.”
“The fuck you just say?” I growled.
The rest of the team closed ranks. Tatiana put her hand up and shook her head.
“Baby, he’s so not worth it. For years, I stupidly put up with him taking his insecurities and failures out on me.
It took him a long time and a good amount of verbal abuse and cheating to convince me I was the person he’d said I was.
A stupid, good-for-nothing bitch who didn’t know how to please her husband.
But it took you only minutes to remind me I am none of those things. ”
I took in her words and let them soak deep. Minutes. That was all it had taken.
“Verbal abuse? Sorry if your sensitive panties bunched when I told you the truth about yourself.”
“Right. Well, I’d love to say it was nice seeing you, but that’d be a lie.
You should probably take your woman and be on your way.
There’s only so much I’m going to be able to do for you before Brooks decides he’s had enough of breathin’ your filth.
I’d advise you to go now before you’re embarrassed. ”
I’d already decided I’d had enough of her breathing the same air as her ex. She was putting on a good game, but I knew it still hurt seeing him.
“Brooks? Is that your new victim? Sweet as apple pie until you nail her down. But once she’s in your bed, you’ll learn you better look elsewhere, you wanna get off.”
Before I could beat the holy fuck out of this douchebag for disrespecting my woman, a new voice boomed.
“Monroe!”
It was comical the way James dropped the girl’s hand and snapped to attention. The icing on the cake was watching all the blood drain from his face as Commander North stepped in front of him.
“Sir. I was?—”
“I heard what you were doing. And believe me, nothing would make me happier than turning my back and allowing these five men to teach you some respect. The only reason why I’m not is because I don’t believe the lesson would stick.
You’re a pompous prick and a disgrace not only to the uniform but the Budweiser.
I’m going to rectify both of those immediately. ”
“I haven’t?—”
“Listen up, boy. There are a lot of things that can be overlooked. A man disrespecting a woman, no. A man cheating on his wife, never. A man belittling his wife, absolutely not. You’ve done all three.
I proudly command the finest group of men the United States Navy has to offer.
You are not a man, you are a cowardly pissant.
I don’t command those. I will not allow you in my ranks.
Consider yourself court martialed. I’ll have your article 15 drawn up this evening.
The only choice I’m giving you is to turn and leave.
You don’t, you’ll spend the night in the brig. ”
Unfortunately, Monroe decided to leave without the lesson I was hoping to dole out.
“I’m sorry, Tatiana,” Commander North said. “I wish you would’ve gone to the chain of command so we could’ve taken care of this.”
“I don’t believe in meddling in a man’s career, sir. I just wanted out, so I left.”
“Believe me when I tell you, you would’ve been doing the Training Command a favor.
They’ve been looking for a way to chapter him out for a long time.
It is men, and I use that word loosely as I am in polite company, like him, that can ruin a platoon.
Real men don’t like liars and cheats. And if he can stab his family in the back, he can sink one into a teammate.
You’re a lovely woman, you’ve found yourself a real man. ”
It was a little funny listening to Commander Storm North trying to check his vocabulary in front of Tatiana. I knew what he really wanted to call James Monroe. But he was old school. A gentleman. A great commander. He would never use coarse words in front of a lady.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
The commander left, and before I could speak, Tatiana did.
“That felt great.” She beamed. “Nothing like taking out the trash. Thanks for letting me handle it. Though I admit, I was hoping he was going to disobey Commander North. I really wanted to watch you beat him up, baby. I was gonna cheer you on from the sidelines and everything.”
Well, I had been wrong. Just when I thought there was nothing Tatiana could say that would surprise me, she went and did it.
I’d thought there would be some residual hurt, but there was nothing.
Not my woman. She was strong, and tough, and courageous, and so damn beautiful I couldn’t wait to get her home.
But that would have to wait. There was a party going on and I wanted to show off my future wife.
“How long you gonna make me wait before I get to slip my wedding band over that engagement ring?” I asked as we walked back to the party.
“A few years, at least,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.
“Years?” I pulled us to a stop.
The mask of innocence she was wearing started to slip and a wicked smile tugged at her lips. “Damn, you’re easy to rile up. I’d marry you tonight, baby.”
“Is that so?” A plan was forming. “When are we leaving for Mexico?”
“Forty-eight hours,” Declan answered.
“Righteous. Who’s up for a road trip?”
“Vegas?” Kyle asked.
I nodded but never took my eyes off Tatiana’s face. I wasn’t calling her bluff. I was a man who knew what I wanted, and if she was serious, she’d be my wife before the end of the night.
“I vowed never to take another road trip with you all. Last time it was a near-death experience for me.” She smiled.
“Nothing bad happened,” Max complained.
“You and Thad talked about sports for seven hours. The only thing that stopped me from throwing myself from the car was I hadn’t updated my will and I was afraid my bank account would go to fuckstick Monroe.”
“Who’s going to Vegas?” Zane cut in.
“We are. We’re getting married,” I told him.
“Christ. I better expand the fucking daycare center I’m being forced to build at the office. Can’t anyone just use regular babysitters? Or better yet, birth control?”
“You are so full of shit, Zane Lewis, I’ve seen you with your nephews. And what about you? You ever heard of birth control?” Tatiana gestured to a pregnant Ivy.
“Ouch,” Zane mumbled and looked down at his wife. “Mark this, woman. I’m keeping track, and after you pop my son out, I’m bending you over my lap and spanking you for every time you’ve pinched me over the last six months.”
Holy shit, Zane was having a boy. The world better brace. There was no doubt Lewis genes would prevail.
“Well, what are we all still standing around for? You wanna get married or what?” Zane tapped his foot with impatience.
“You ready to become Mrs. Miller?” I asked Tatiana.
“Hell, yes.”
“Let’s roll.”