CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Although most of the jets owned by the team were able to make the trip to Europe in about half the time as a commercial airliner, the converted commercial jet they were on was too big to have all the speed as the others. It did, however, have all the gadgets, weapons, and technology.
When daylight began peeking through the windows of the plane, members began to stir, taking turns in the five luxury bathrooms to wash up and change their clothes. Suzette, Rachelle, and Adele sat with their husbands enjoying some breakfast, talking about all the beautiful things they would see.
“In a lot of ways, I guess we’re like the babies of the group,” said Suzette.
“You are the babies,” laughed Antoine. “Outside of Alec.”
“We know that,” teased Rachelle. “Listening to all of your stories last night had me remembering.” Mac reached for her hand, squeezing.
“Don’t go there, baby.”
“No, it’s okay. It was mostly good memories. After. After the attack happened, Adele and I traveled around Europe and saw so many amazing things.” Antoine tried not to look directly at his sister.
“Wait,” said Rachelle, staring at her brother. “You followed us.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No, not really. I mean. Yes. Okay, yes. We followed you. When we could, when we were stationed near where the two of you were travelling. If we couldn’t do it, we called one of the cousins to follow you.”
“Antoine!” screeched Rachelle.
“Honey, listen to me. Y’all are our sisters. We hated that we weren’t here when the attack happened. We blamed ourselves.”
“How could you possibly have changed the outcome?” asked Rachelle. “We were in college. You wouldn’t have been there either way. You came when you could, and that mattered more to me than you could possibly imagine. I only wish someone would have forced Adele to go home.”
“No. No way,” said Adele, shaking her head. “You needed me. You needed me, and I needed you. It’s what twins do for one another.”
“You gave up a lot for me, Adele. More than a sister should have to.”
“Says who?” frowned Suzette. Rachelle and Adele looked at their younger sister. “I would do anything for the two of you or anyone here, for that matter. We’re family. Mama and Pops taught us that. You do anything for family. Anything!”
“Suzette, I…”
“Don’t,” she said, shaking her head. “You were all there for me when Sly was sick, when I thought I would lose him forever. It’s what we do.”
“She’s right,” said Mac. “I know it was hard for all of you, but you were so lucky to have one another, just like I was lucky to have Sara and Tobias. I’ve been a part of this family long enough to know that you wouldn’t have been able to do it any other way. It would have killed you to not be there. Not just for Rach, but for each other.”
“I wouldn’t have changed anything except what happened to you, Rach,” said Adele.
“I know,” she said with a sad smile. “I would have changed your stalker if I could have. Who knew that she would confuse you and me.”
“Once again, things happened in such a strange way,” said Clay. “I mean, Mac was saved by Miller, Bull, and the others and brought into the family fold. I was visiting Kari because she was handling my case against the Army and the VA, which only led me to Miller, which led me to Irene. I remember your parents inviting me for Christmas that year and telling me that anytime I wanted to come out there, I was family, and I should come.”
“That’s Mama and Pops,” smiled Adele. “I also seem to remember calling you clumsy after we tripped over one another.”
“I was clumsy,” laughed Clay. “I was still getting used to my new prosthetic, and you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Knocked me off my feet. Foot.” He laughed, and the others groaned at his own joke.
“Rachelle and Mac had just announced their engagement, and I was so excited for them and yet sad at the same time. I was going to be alone for the first time in my life.” Adele reached for her sister’s hand, squeezing it.
“We’re twins. You’ll never be alone.”
“I’ve learned that since then,” she laughed. “I am, literally, never alone. There is always someone tripping over the other.”
“I love that,” said Antoine. They all turned to look at him. Antoine was the one sibling who wanted privacy more than any of the others, except perhaps Jean.
“You? Mister I want my space?” laughed Suzette.
“I do want my space, with my wife. I remember being so confused after that mission, where we rescued Luke, Carl, and the rest of the kids. I’d been on the team that got Ella and Ryan. That poor kid was too small for his age, terrified of everything and everyone, and she was like a mama bear protecting her cub.”
“He was my cub as far as I was concerned,” smiled Ella.
“All I remember is that you couldn’t keep your eyes off of her,” laughed Rachelle. “We knew she was the one for you, but it took you some time to realize it.”
“It didn’t take me any time at all. She’d been kidnapped, stripped, forced onto a stage to be sold. I wasn’t about to be an asshole and come onto her. During that entire time that Gaspar and Alexandra were settling in with the kids, I was tiptoeing around having her and Ryan in the house, trying to figure out how to not embarrass myself.”
“You were a gentleman, and I was absolutely in love with you from the moment I leaped into your lap on that plane.” Ella kissed her husband as the others chuckled, watching them.
While eating breakfast, the pilot let them know that they had about ninety minutes left in their flight before arriving in Rome.
“Ninety minutes,” smiled Suzette. “Just enough time to hear the last five stories.” She looked at her oldest brothers and smiled as he stared at his friends, Ian, Ghost, Nine, and Trak.
“Alright, baby sis,” he grinned. “But you all know our stories.” Adele smiled at her brother. The historian of the group, she always wanted to relive history if it was healthy to do so.
“We know your stories, but it seems appropriate to relive them in the most romantic place in the world.”