A Small Break
Travis
It was good to have a break. We really hadn’t had one since before Creed left for Jordan. Creed couldn’t leave Morgan, but the rest of us had a break in missions so we decided to take a road trip on the bikes. Bolton stayed back with her new boy toy, Darren. They were going pretty hot and heavy, and I was sure we’d have another wedding at Creed’s Lake soon. Melissa was staying with Granger’s kids so him and Steph could come along, but it was too cold for Steph to ride from the north, so they trailered their bike down. It was me, Patrick, Magnus, Drakos, and Jennings, who left his wife and kids at home.
I was sitting at a bar in New Orleans, and constantly checking my phone for a message from Creed about Wrenly.
I felt a slap to my back. “What’s up?” Drakos, who was drunk, almost missed his stool. The freak of nature was 6’10” of solid muscle and looked like an average man standing when he was sitting.
“Just a beer.”
He chuckled. “You’re blind?”
I looked at him. “What?”
He nodded his head to the other side of the bar where I saw a cute red head. “She’s been trying to get your attention.”
I took a swig of my beer. “Not interested.”
“How the fuck do you do it? No girls back home…” He leaned in. “Come on now, I have to know. Are you a fucking virgin?”
I had to laugh because he was serious.
“Seriously, dude. When was the last time you got any tail? This happens all the time. The hottest chicks in the bar try to get your attention and you ignore them. Its bullshit, the only time I see action is when you, Magnus, and Axton aren’t out with us for the girls to drool over. Come on, seriously when was the last time?”
I shook my head. “None of your business.”
It had been about six months, but that wasn’t his business. I wasn’t like the other guys. When I was young I was different, but I had other priorities. I was running the bike business without a vice president, commanding units, and I had obligations to the community. Not to mention the fact that Addie was pissy if I didn’t stop and see her once a day. She was like that with me and Magnus. I had a family now, and I wanted to keep it that way. If Creed was spending the night working at the command center, Magnus and I took turns staying with the girls. Morgan was way too pregnant to be staying home alone at night. I also helped Steph out with the kids, and I didn’t find the women at Club X all that attractive. Shit, I had zero desire to fuck a woman Magnus or Drakos already fucked. I never once touched any of the girls at Creed’s Lake.
I dated a woman from Clarity for a few months, but when we went into lockdown she thought I was blowing her off. She was a nurse and a pretty hot one at that, but she wasn’t meant for our lifestyle. Besides her, I had my moments here and there with a few quick fucks but not many. I was also struggling with a few issues after what happened to Bolton. Quick hookups weren’t much of an option for me.
I wasn’t the same person that I was as a kid. I spent two years locked up, then went to Nebraska and there really wasn’t any girls my age around that small town and I had already graduated school. Then I went to basic training in Fort Sill and didn’t have sex again until I got to Fort Bragg and had a hell of a great time with the girls. Once I got to Delta Force and was stationed at Fort Liberty, I met someone and was in a relationship for about a year. She couldn’t handle my deployments, and it took its toll on our relationship. I didn’t understand how Granger and Steph made it work. Most special ops were either divorced or single. It was a well-known fact that it was nearly impossible to have a girl and keep her as a member of an elite military unit.
I heard my phone buzz with a text, and I quickly picked it up.
Creed: She accepted the invitation. Are you okay with it?
Me: When is she visiting?
No, I was not okay.
Creed: She will be arriving Monday with Stone.
I honestly think my heart stopped.
Me: I leave Monday morning for Sydney.
Creed: I don’t want you here because you might sway her decision. If she accepts our offer, I want it to be because it’s what she wants for a career. Not because you’re here.
Me: That’s probably for the best.
Creed: Relax and enjoy the break. I’ll take care of your girl. I’ll make sure she knows you are the only Original not included in this decision because you travel. Maybe that way it’ll take some of the pressure off.
Me: She’s not my girl.
Creed: Just chill, it’s handled. She won’t walk away from this offer.
I shut my eyes and let my head fall in defeat. It wasn’t that I hated the idea of Wrenly. It was because she saw me at my weakest. Yes, we were just kids, but I could never forget the look on her face all the times my actions caused her pain. I also wasn’t sure if I could face the fact that she saw and did the things I did as an operative. How much damage did it do to her?
“What’s that about?” Drakos asked.
I shook my head as I laid my phone face down on the bar. “Nothing.” I took a swig from my beer. Creed agreed not to tell the others about Wrenly. I didn’t want our childhood history to give the guys any ideas, and also to make sure she got the job on her merit instead of our past. She didn’t need to be treated the way we treated Morgan, Steph, and Heidi either. We treat them like China dolls. Wrenly was a soldier like Bolton and deserved her respect to come from her achievements, not mine. Jesus, what the hell will happen when I see her in person? I just about had a heart attack when I looked at just a photo alone. I had truly hoped to leave my past in the past.
“Bullshit it’s nothing.” Drakos was pushing my buttons.
“Hey, I think that brunette over there was just looking at you.” Magnus had his hand on Drakos shoulder. “You should go say hi.”
“Really?” There was a hint of excitement in Drakos’ voice.
He hopped off his stool and Magnus took his place. He ordered another beer and just sat next to me without saying a word. I could sense it every single time he glanced at me.
“Creed told you?” I asked and pressed my beer bottle to my lips to take another swig.
“Nah man, I’ve known since I saw your face when her picture popped up. I looked at her history and it didn’t take much to figure it out. You always talked about Wrenly when you talked about your best childhood memories. The other guys haven’t added it up yet. So, you’re staying out of it, huh?”
“What do you suggest I do?”
I had spent way too much time locked up in small spaces with my team when we were on missions. After a while we began talking about our biggest regrets. Shelby and Wrenly were mine. I almost killed Shelby, and she endured quite a bit of physical pain because of me. Despite all that, I still thought I hurt Wrenly more. Sometimes when we were sitting around having a beer, we all shared stories about our childhoods. All my happy memories from those days included Wrenly.
“You’re doing the right thing for her, but what about what’s right for you?” He asked.
I turned and looked at him. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged then took a swig of his beer before he looked at me. “You’re happy leaving that life behind. What toll will having her around take on you? She brings back bad memories.”
“She brings back my best memories, not just the bad ones. At first I avoided her because I didn’t want my bullshit to harm her, but then it was my shame, I guess.”
He nodded as he swallowed a swig and set his beer down. “I know all about that, and eventually the shame fades. I missed out on visiting my mom from the time she first got sick, because I knew coming home would bring them more shame. If I just would have faced it earlier, I would have realized it doesn’t fucking matter. I saw her before she died, but we could have made more memories together if I would have faced it head on instead of avoiding it.”
I shook my head. “Your situation is different. You were completely innocent. I was guilty of more than what I was convicted of, and I can’t take any of it back. I almost killed a girl.”
“Jesus, Irons. You were barely fifteen years old, just lost the only adult you trusted, your parents neglected you, and they even forgot you at the funeral home the night of your Uncle’s visitation. Of course you acted out. What happened that night was a result of your parents behavior. Your girl knows that, seriously. I haven’t even met her and can say that with confidence.”
I thought back to those days and it almost made me sick. I was fourteen years old and having sex. Jesus, there were boys at Creed’s Lake that age and they seem like just babies. It’s still hard to believe I was that bad at such a young age.
“I guess I’ll soon see for myself since Creed is pretty much offering her the world if she takes the job.” I was only being realistic. Nobody in their right mind would turn the offer down.
“That’s only because she’s exactly what we’ve been searching for all these years. It has nothing to do with you and I hope Creed makes that clear.” Magnus said.
He was right. We hadn’t had much luck finding someone like Wrenly. We needed more women operatives. Not to boost any numbers for the sake of political correctness, it was because we truly needed them. When we rescue females from such terrible places they don’t always need to be surrounded by strange men. They need women that can provide just as much protection but also be a source of comfort until we got them home. I couldn’t count how many times I tried to comfort them, and they flinched from my touch. Not only that, but women have a fierceness about them when it comes to such things. They will not back down against the evil men that commit such horrible crimes against other women. According to her profile, Wrenly is just as badass as Bolton.
“He’s going to play it off as if he doesn’t know our past, since it’s not a deciding factor in making the offer.” I assured him.
I decided to change the subject. “Have you gotten any other threats?”
He gave me a short nod. “Yeah, they left one on dad’s porch. It was in the form of a drawing against Morgan. It looked like it could have been drawn by a kid because it was stick figures. Morgan was laying on the ground as someone stabbed her. Creed had it sent to the lab but there wasn’t one fingerprint on it. The scary part was that it was hung on the front porch with a small knife in the wood.”
“It’s amazing how insane these crazed fans really are about someone they don’t even know.” I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.
His phone rang, so he excused himself to take the call. He said it was Creed, so I was pretty sure he had a good reason for calling.