Chapter 30
Link ordered security cameras and had them set up before Sunday. He liked being able to see his front and back yard without leaving his bed. Maybe it was overkill, but he felt better knowing Ansley would be safe.
“Hey, new camera out front,” Bean said when he stepped into the house.
“Yeah. With Ansley living here and that mess with Pete, I wanted her protected.”
Bean flashed a crooked smile. “So she’s living with you now?”
“Sure is.”
"Damn, I'm happy for you, man. That's great that you have a girlfriend now."
“She’s a good person. I couldn’t have found anyone else better for me.”
“That’s awesome.”
The door opened, and Stanley and Keel came in. They shook his hand before heading into the kitchen. Chase and Scott were next, followed by Mick. It was a full house, and based on how Ansley was greeting his friends, she loved having them over.
He put the burgers and hot dogs on the grill as the guys got the rest of the food ready, heating some of it in the microwave. Ansley had made cookies and a cake, which the guys were excited about.
Hanging out like this brought them closer together. He knew some guys didn’t spend time together outside of work, which was good if that’s how you liked it. He was glad the group of men he worked with the most were all friends.
They were inside, about to cut into the cake, when Mick's phone rang. He looked at the screen, then met Link's gaze.
“It’s Ryan. Are you both okay with the guys hearing?”
Ansley nodded. “Sure. Answer and let’s see what he has to say.”
Mick answered. "Hey, Ryan. What's up? Is it okay if I put you on speaker? I'm here with Ansley and Link." Ryan said something, and Mick nodded. "Okay, you're on speaker now."
“Hello, I’m Agent Ryan Lane with the FBI. I planned to introduce myself in an email, but I wanted to call.”
“Hello, Ryan. I’m Ansley.”
“Link here, too.”
“So I have some news. We had Pete’s social media shut down, but not before he gathered enough of a following to ask his followers to find you.”
“What?” Ansley sounded shocked.
“They tracked you to a beach town in North Carolina. Pete is being charged with fraud, but he’s not shutting up. There are social media accounts pushing back, showing that the video he spread around to his followers is a fake, but it’s social media, and the lies spread faster than the truth.”
“Shit. Sorry, didn’t mean to curse,” Ansley said.
"It's understandable in this situation. I'm flying out to California tomorrow to talk to Pete in person. He's being held in the Los Angeles County lockup. There are other things we can charge him with, but the fraud charges and threats against you are the ones that will stick."
“Thank you for helping me,” Ansley said.
“Anytime. I understand you just left the Marines and have an interview with the State Department. I want this cleaned up before you go in for your interview with State. There is no reason someone like you should be punished because of a jerk like Pete.”
“Thank you.”
The call ended with Ryan promising he would call once he finished in LA. Link felt better. Maybe this dude would stop harassing Ansley, and they could focus on living their lives.
After the call ended, the guys were a little quiet while she cut the cake. Bean was the first to speak up.
“So you’re planning on working for the State Department? Wouldn’t that mean you’d be in DC?”
She met Bean's gaze. "I'd only be working part-time and from home.
I'd head to DC a couple of times a year.
They need people to check translations. So they hire multiple people to look at the same documents to make sure nothing is weird.
I'd be working at most twenty hours a week and from home here. "
“Oh, so you would still be here with Link?” Stanley asked.
She smiled, glad that they cared so much for their friend. "I'm not leaving here to live in DC. If they want me there full-time, I won't work for them."
“So you and Link are doing this?” Keel asked.
“We are. We spent a lot of time talking last week at the beach,” Ansley said.
“We’re a couple,” Link added.
Keel’s eyebrows knit together. “So are you going to get married?”
Link took her hand. “I haven’t popped the question or bought a ring, but we basically voiced that intention. We’re serious about this relationship.”
Chase grasped Link’s shoulder. “Congratulations. I’m happy for both of you.”
The guys each hugged her, telling her they were happy for her.
These men were like brothers. Serving as a Marine, she'd seen the difference up close and personal from the men who saw her as a sister or friend versus the ones who were predatory.
She hadn't caught any of these guys acting inappropriately or trying to assert some weird dominance over her.
Stanley held her shoulders and her gaze. “When you guys get married, if there isn’t anyone who can stand up for you, I get to be your bride’s man or whatever you want to call me, bride’s maid.”
Laughter bubbled up, and she hugged Stanley. “You got it. I’d be honored to have you walk up with me.”
Link shook his head as laughter spilled out. “Dude, thank you. Thank you all for supporting us.”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way,” Chase said.
Ansley had heard horror stories of the husband's friends not accepting the wife and things going bad fast. If you didn't have the support of your guy's friends, it made everything much more difficult. Thankfully, everyone, even Keel, seemed supportive.