48. Brian
CHAPTER 48
Brian
I wipe my lips on my sleeve, still tasting the smudge of Angi’s lipstick, pretty sure nothing will get it off short of paint thinner.
Colby gives me a sharp look. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Trying to get this damn lipstick off. You got a belt sander?”
Angi’s quiet for once. Peaceful, even. It’s what happens when the high fades and you come crashing down. The aftermath of a storm, and the eerie calm before the next one.
The XO’s office is a symphony of rustling papers. He’s flipping through Angi’s file, shooting her glances like she’s a ticking time bomb. She’s passed out cold on the cot, handcuffed to it like they expect her to wake up swinging.
“Angelina Spenser,” he reads aloud, his voice clipped. “Arrested since eighteen. Coke, meth, possession, intent to sell.” The list goes on, the words tumbling out as if they don’t carry the weight they should. “Multiple suicide attempts. Recommended psych watch.” He pauses, staring at the scars on her wrists before his eyes flick back to me.
I clear my throat. We don’t need a full history lesson. “She’s here now. Three military flights, one helicopter, and a fight I won’t forget anytime soon. You asked for her. And here she is.”
Which, by the way, is more than I can say for my phone, currently sinking somewhere in the Atlantic after Angi came at me like a banshee for the third time. And Colby’s phone is so smashed to hell, I’m not sure why he’s still holding onto it.
“What more do you want?” Colby asks, his nerves frayed but with enough military bearing he’s holding it together.
The XO doesn’t flinch, his gaze like granite as it shifts between me, Colby, and finally lands on Angi, who’s starting to stir on the cot. “I need assurance she hasn’t compromised national security. When she wakes, we’ll interrogate her.”
“You’ll question her,” I snap. “With one of us in the room.”
His lips twitch, the barest hint of a concession. “Fine. We’ll question her. If and when we’re satisfied, she’ll be remanded back to civilian custody.” He leans back in his chair, expression unreadable. “Unfortunately, there’s a bench warrant out for her arrest.”
“Of course, there is.” Welcome to Angi’s world. One problem solved, and five more take its place.
Colby folds his arms, jaw set like stone. “Well, at least she’s consistent.”
“Is Captain Spenser cleared?” I ask, the words coming out more forcefully than I intended.
The XO sighs, rubbing his temple before letting his eyes fall back to the file. “Considering she took down half the MPs and all five-foot-three of her trashed a jeep on her way in...” He shuts the file with a decisive snap, the sound cutting through the room like a knife. His gaze meets mine. “If my little chat with your sister pans out, yes. You’re cleared, Captain Spenser. ”
He stands abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “I’ve got a meeting with JAG to prepare for our ‘questioning’ session.” He throws up air quotes, his voice dripping with disdain. “I’ll be back.”
“Can I use your phone?”
He deadpans. “No.”
With that, he strides out, leaving us in the heavy silence of the office.
I blow out a breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders ease just a hair. But it’s not over—not by a long shot. With Angi, nothing ever is.
Colby shakes his head, the weight of Angi’s latest shitshow pressing heavy between us. “I’m sorry about all this.”
I clap a hand on his shoulder, firm to ease the guilt clouding his eyes. “Don’t be. When your dad first hired me to keep an eye on her, I didn’t think I’d still be chasing after her ten years down the line.”
A tired laugh slips past my lips as I scrub the exhaustion from my face. But then, my fingers find my wedding band, and I give it a slow twirl. “And out of all this, I got Jules.”
I’d run through hell and back again for my girl, no questions asked.
My Peach Pop.
My wife.