12
REECE
A year ago—hell, two months ago—I would’ve felt like an idiot falling for a woman who was devoted to someone else. I sure as fuck wouldn’t have been interested in sharing.
I knew men who were in triads, soldiers on opposite deployment shifts who shared a girl. It worked for them, but in my mind, it was only a convenient arrangement, not love.
Witnessing the dynamic between Aurora, Jackson, and Ethan changed my perspective.
Commitment doesn’t align with our lifestyles.
Relationships have responsibilities, and women have expectations.
I considered dating a few times but knew it wouldn’t work, not in the military and certainly not while undercover.
If I’m being honest, I wasn’t interested in anyone for more than a night. Nobody sparked my fire, not even a flicker. No one awakened the emotions I’d lost during deployment. Before Aurora, I was dead inside, numb and cold, lifeless blue eyes staring back at me in the mirror.
I’ve struggled to adjust to civilian life. It’s disorienting not being in crisis mode, not having a gun at my side and the heavy weight of my gear on my chest. It feels…wrong, exposed, vulnerable.
I rarely sleep uninterrupted, or I sleep too much. To most people, I’m moody, closed off. My point is, I doubt I can function in a healthy, ‘normal’ relationship.
Jax and Ethan are the same. Without money and hockey, Jackson would likely be in prison. Aurora is the only woman who’d tolerate his erratic behavior and love him unconditionally.
Ethan is a workaholic, which means he’s always stressed the fuck out. He has to be in control, and modern women would consider him a chauvinist—except our girl, who seems to like a man who’s rough around the edges, who needs someone to take charge.
Even with their shortcomings, or maybe because of them, Jax and Ethan support one another. It’s not perfect, but that’s where I come in. I’m just foolish—or desperate—enough to believe I can make it work.
From my surveillance and texts with Aurora, they’re not a happy trio. As predicted, they can’t care for her during the season, no matter how hard they try. Their life is too chaotic.
I watch as Ethan and Aurora have a heated conversation in the hotel restaurant. He leans over the table, says a few words, and she hangs her head. Something is going on between them. He’s been staying with the team, and they no longer text or call each other.
I message her again— Answer me, princess —unable to resist the urge to soothe her.
Ethan slips a phone from his pocket, glares at it then at her, and I realize why she’s not answering: He’s taken her phone, which means he’s read my texts, and he’s not pleased.
He has to know how I feel—it’s been clear, even to Jax.
I need to get back to her, and since Ethan’s the more level-headed one, I text him directly.
It’s unsafe for her to go without a phone.
He returns her phone to his pocket and takes out his own. He reads my message, and his gaze darts across the restaurant, searching for me, but I remain hidden behind a security camera and a worthless firewall.
Ethan
You playing bodyguard or stalker?
Both.
Something like that.
Ethan
You in NYC? She wants you back.
Huh? Not at all what I expected.
What?
Ethan
She asked me to get you back in exchange for her not working.
As her bodyguard?
I haven’t a clue why I question it. Wishful thinking? Of course, it’s as her bodyguard. What else would it be?
He lifts his head to consider her downcast expression.
Ethan
You and I both know it’s more.
I’m not stupid. I understand she’ll never betray them, and I’m okay with that. I simply want to be there—or so I tell myself…repeatedly.
I’m in NYC. Let’s meet.
He rolls his neck and pays the check before answering.
Ethan
You try to take her from us or harm Jackson, and you’ll never see her again.
We meet at the hotel restaurant after the game. I have little time to plead my case, since the team is leaving tonight for Boston. If all goes well and we don’t kill each other, I’ll travel with them.
Jax slides into the booth across from me. He’s immediately agitated, his knee bouncing and his fingers dragging through his damp hair. “If this is about Aurora, the answer is no. We’re married.”
I guess we’re jumping headfirst into the bullshit. No longer hiding and knowing he’s not about to re-injure his hand with Ethan beside him, I say the first thing that comes to mind. “That’s fine. Doesn’t mean I won’t get down on one knee and propose to her someday.”
He tips his head back, a manic edge to his bark of laughter. “Why would you? You can’t marry her.”
Ethan inches toward Jax, resting his elbows on the table and subtly shielding his bestie, prepared to intervene if necessary.
Undeterred, I lean in. “Because she deserves it. People have commitment ceremonies without actually getting married. It’s symbolic.”
“Oh shit.” Jackson chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re crazier than I am.”
“Really? Tell me she hasn’t expressed wanting a proposal from you. Did you get down on one knee?” I turn to Ethan, whose expression is sour. “And an actual commitment from you. She wants the gesture, I guarantee it.”
They exchange a glance that wipes the smug grin off Jackson’s face.
“Are you fucking delusional?” he snarls, no longer snarky now that I’ve called them both out.
I kick back in the seat and cross my arms over my chest. “Calm down. I have no plans to steal her from you. I’m here to keep her safe—and you.”
His lip curls. “Like fuck you are. You can’t stay away. You’re here to weasel your way in.”
“What?” I smirk mockingly and shrug. “Your wife isn’t allowed to have friends?”
“Friends, my ass.”
My smile grows; I’m enjoying how easy he is to annoy. “Doesn’t matter. You need me.”
Ethan’s jaw clenches so tightly, his temples visibly throb. “This is your pitch? Talking in circles? Being manipulative?”
My body stiffens. If Jax thinks I’m manipulative like his father, he’ll never trust me. He needs to know I’m on his side, and a part of him must want what’s best for Aurora—even if that includes me.
“I’m not trying to manipulate you. I was with her when neither of you were.
First, it was hockey and her modeling, then it was your relapse.
I’ve always been there for her. I was by her side when she was anxious about seeing Ethan again, standing outside his door, taking deep breaths.
I listened to her cry herself to sleep night after night in New York.
I was the one who held her after she saw the pictures?—”
“Enough,” Ethan growls. “Stop with the guilt trip.”
I inhale deeply, allowing the air to expand my lungs as I recall my reason for being here. “All I’m saying is, she’s my priority, and she deserves to be cared for. You struggle without me.”
Jax rolls his eyes, unconvinced, and I snap.
“Kyle had someone watching you, watching us all. You have evidence, right? Evidence worth harming you for—or her ? I’ll protect you. She loves you. She’d never leave you. Why the fuck are you so worried?”
Ethan skewers me with his intense gaze, his body looming over the table, his tone dropping to a lethal level. “Don’t think I’m replaceable. You have no idea what I’m capable of. I’ll go to great lengths to protect what’s mine.”
What’s mine , as in Jackson too. They’re fiercely loyal to one another, far more than so-called friends. If I hadn’t let Jax kick my ass, if I’d defended myself and wounded him, Ethan would’ve slit my throat. I’d be lying next to Kyle.
“Believe me, I know. I’m not trying to be killed. I’m on the job, but I can protect you. I can protect her.” My attention shifts to Jackson. “Aurora’s safety is still a priority, right? We need to go over what I found at Kyle’s, including your iPhone.”