Chapter 9
Alec
I was silent for a multitude of reasons.
Had I scared her?
Frightened her?
Did she not want kids?
With me?
Fuck, but my head was fucked up.
I pulled into the driveway, and she didn’t unbuckle her seat belt.
She just stared out the window.
I was happy to let her process her thoughts.
Yes, I wanted to know right then and there, but this was my Cassie.
My Cupcake.
Waited my whole life for her, and I’d keep on waiting.
Then finally, she said, “You know I was fostered in a few homes before my dad got custody of me, right?”
I nodded.
Then she sighed, “Didn’t think they would let a drunk get custody of a child. But they did. I was twelve, caught an infection. He cared more about his bottles of alcohol than he did medicine. So, I didn’t get it.”
I inhaled a breath. Fuck me.
No.
Not my Cassie. Not my Cupcake.
“By the time I really started to get sick, my teacher saw it, panicked, and called 911. He didn’t even come to the hospital because he was passed out drunk.
A social worker was called in. And because they couldn’t reach my father, they did the only thing they could do.
They removed my ovaries, where the infection had settled. ”
Fuck. Now I feel like a dick.
And for the first time since I met her, I allowed her to open her own door.
But in a second, I was vaulting out of my truck, slamming the door, rounding the hood, and in three long strides I wrapped my arms around her waist and twisted her, so she was facing me.
Then I placed my hands on either side of her face, “Don’t give a fuck. You want to adopt? Okay. You want to use a surrogate? Okay. You want a herd of cats? Okay. Long as I have you, I’m golden.”
And when she opened her mouth to protest, I silenced her by slamming my mouth down atop hers.
She gasped into my mouth, but quickly, her body melted into mine.
Moments later, when we pulled apart, she headed to her place. I shook my head and tightened my hold on her, “No.”
She lifted a brow, “What do you mean, no?”
“Haven’t slept apart since we got together, I ain’t starting now. You're my woman. But Cupcake, I’m your man. Where you go, I go. Where I go, you go. And I’ll be damned if you go inside your place and let your thoughts take off.”
She opened her mouth, but I shook my head, “No. You’ve been wondering your whole life where you fit. Looking for a safe place to land. I’m your safe place, Cupcake. I’ll be your anchor. Trust in me.”
Cassie
We were tangled up in a blanket on his back porch the next night as rain came down in sheets.
And he was telling me things that I couldn’t believe.
“So, the girl and her mother?” I asked.
He shook his head, “Not true.”
I gasped.
“Yeah, I’ve treated women like they were fuck toys, but half the shit I told my family, the rumors I purposefully spread, all lies.”
“But why? Why would you let them think that about you? Why would you let everyone think that?”
He winked, “Needed a cover for when I wasn’t around. That just seemed like the best way to do it.”
“And none of them knew?”
He shook his head. “No. At least I didn’t think so.”
Then he shook his head, “I didn’t find out that Garrick somewhat knew about what I did about a week after Sage was born.”
“So, what can I know, exactly?”
He sighed, then ran his hand through his hair, “I can’t tell you much.”
I nodded, “I get that.”
Then he sighed, “Went in to be a ranger. Got selected. I’m now a part of a secret high-level organization. I’m a Delta operative.”
I leaned further into his side, “How is that different?”
He took a pull from his beer, “We’re sent in when the public can’t know things. Like Seals. But we’re the Army’s special forces brand.”
I knew that was the most he was going to say, so I nodded, then I whispered, “Thank you for telling me.”
He pressed a kiss on my temple.
Then he said, “Sucks. But can’t have pictures of my face on social media.”
I nodded, “Since I don’t do social media, not a problem.”
He chuckled.
Then he tipped his beer bottle to the rain, “You know, a buddy of mine, he calls this the sins of our father weather.”
I looked at him, “What do you mean?”
“He used to say that when it rains heavy like this, it’s the ones who have passed, their tears. Crying over the misdeeds that they did. In a way, it’s in the belief that they are saying sorry.”
I looked out at the driving rain and thought about it for a few moments.
Yeah, I could see this.
“Your buddy sounds like a smart man,” I told him.
He winked, “Cause he is. His name is Dalton, just so happens to live over in Clover Valley. He’s Smoke.”
I nodded, “Ah. Gotcha.”
Even though I technically didn’t.
I would find out about Smoke, though, and his team.
Later, the next day, while Alec was in the shower, his phone had started pinging with text messages.
He asked me to check the text thread.
When I told him it was Operation Fubar, he nodded, then he said, “Show me the screen, but don’t read anything.”
I did as he asked.
Then he read it, swiped, and chuckled. Then he said, “Read it out to me?”
I did.
Wolf – My balls are on fire. What the fuck?
Smoke – Got something you want to share with the class?
Ice – No, I won’t put ice on your nuts.
Hyde – Should have double wrapped it.
Jekyll – Warn us on what not to do.
He told me what to say, and I texted back.
Me – Share with the class, Wolfie.
Wolfe – You didn’t.
I snickered.
Then I texted them.
Me – Sorry. I would never. Alec told me to say that.
Wolfe – Oh, well, you're forgiven.
Smoke – Hi, doll.
Smoke – Send us a picture.
Ice – Yeah, we need to see if you're real.
Jekyll – Agreed.
Hyde – Have you fuckers never said the word PLEASE?
Smoke – Please.
Ice – Please.
Jekyll – Please.
Wolfe – Please. There. Are you happy, fuck face?
I laughed, then took a picture with Alec in the background, showering, and sent it to them.
Wolfe – You are real.
Ice – Fuck me.
Hyde – Tell Alec I’m stealing you.
Jekyll – I’m kidnapping you.
Smoke – I just happen to be in the next town.
Smoke – Pack a bag.
Wolfe – Too pretty for his ass.
Alec was laughing as I told him what they said, then I asked, “Want me to delete it?”
He shook his head, “Nah, we delete the group chats before we go to sleep each night.” At his words, I nodded.
Then his phone rang in my hand.
I looked down at it and said, “Tyron is calling.”
He nodded, “Close the door.”
I did as he asked and closed the door behind me.
He came out moments later, and he sighed, “Gotta go. The rest of the team just got the word, too.”
At my nod, I asked, “What can I do?” I asked him.
He winked, “Keep my cover for me?”
I nodded, “Always.”
It was about half an hour after dinner, and I was in the hoodie he had on earlier.
My nose was buried in his hoodie, and yes, he caught me sniffing it.
He winked, “Keep that. Got a little bit left in a bottle on my dresser. It starts to fade before I’m back, spray it down.”
I smiled, and then stood up, walked over to him, and buried my face in his chest.
Those strong arms of his wrapped around me, and he hummed to a song as we swayed in his kitchen.
He made sweet, sweet love to me last night, and then when I woke up the next morning in his bed, it was to see a note on his pillow.
Cupcake,
Garrick is bringing my truck back. Had you gone with me so I could leave my truck with you, I wouldn’t have gotten on that plane. Garrick will hand you the key. Keep yourself safe for me. – Alec.
I got the key from Garrick and a side hug from him, then he left.
Since the weather had gotten colder, we had all agreed to meet at Tatum’s house for our girls’ night.
I was on my way to her house in his truck when my phone pinged.
At a red light, I read it.
Soldier Boy – Going dark. Text you when I have the all clear.
Soldier Boy – Miss you already.
Me – Miss you too.
Me – Stay frosty.
I knew what going dark meant. He told me the other night.
Going dark meant he couldn’t have any contact with the outside world. And to not message him or call him.
He had programmed a number into my phone.
It was an in case of an emergency number.
I pulled the truck into her drive and then climbed out, tagging the bags of chips and bottles of wine spritzers I bought.
We were in their living room, she was showing me her pictures from her wedding, when Tatum said, “Huh, that’s weird.”
I looked up at her and asked, “What’s weird?”
Harlee lifted a brow, as did Everly, Lila, and Talia.
“I don’t see Alec. We all know his face, but it’s not visible in any of these photos.” She said.
Shit.
Harlee nodded, “Yeah, that’s weird. Right? Same with mine. I honestly thought it was just one of those things.”
Talia leaned back in her chair and thought about it for a moment, “Okay, so that’s weird, but what’s weirder is that I can’t recall a single photo of Alec where you can see his face since before he turned eighteen.”
I shrugged, “For us, he hates having his picture taken. He said it’s just one of those things.”
They all shrugged, then nodded.
Okay, his cover was intact.
Shit. I had no idea how he did this, and if I was answering the questions correctly, but I did my best.
That night, I looked at the photos he had shown me that were taken years ago.
I took in each member of his team and sent up a prayer that they would have his back, that he would have theirs, and they would all come back home.
***
It was two days before Thanksgiving when I got the text.
Soldier Boy – Fuck. But I’m tired.
Soldier Boy – *address*
Soldier Boy – Pick me up on Thanksgiving morning?
Me – Yes. I can.
Me – I missed you.
Soldier Boy – Fuck. But I missed you, too.
Alec
Seeing her standing there as I stepped off the plane, her pretty dress, her hair down, the wind picking it up, I was tired, but I wasn’t too tired to haul my ass across the tarmac.
She had the same idea as she raced toward me.
I had her in my arms, my face buried in her neck, and whispered, “Home.”
She giggled, “Home.”
Then I pulled my head back, slanted my head, and claimed her mouth.
Against her lips, I whispered, “Tell me what you want.”
She winked, then she said, “I want the one thing you haven’t given anyone else.”
I lifted a brow at her, “And that is?”
Her lips smiled against mine as she whispered, “Your heart.”
“Didn’t you know? You claimed it the very first time you smiled at me.”
That was when she locked those cheshire-colored eyes with mine and whispered, “I love you, Alec.”
I winked, “I love you too, Cupcake.”
And yeah, I broke the speed limit getting us home.
And my woman, my fucking woman, got in the shower with me and helped me get cleaned up.
But not before I dropped to my knees and made her come.
Also, not before she had wrapped those perfect lips around my cock and wrung me dry.
But she hadn’t missed the stitches on my abdomen.
She kissed along the mark, and I brushed a tear from the corner of her eye.
She smiled up at me and said, “Did you kill the bastard who did this?”
I wasn’t supposed to tell her.
But for this woman, I would tell her this.
I nodded.
She said one word, “Good.”
Then she went through the process again of getting ready so we could head to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving.