Chapter 9 #2
Max placed himself out of view where he could look out the window.
The women had moved to stand in the middle of his lawn.
He could hear their angry voices, but not their words, as they waved their arms around theatrically.
Was he going to have to call the police to get them to leave?
He hesitated to go out to speak to them again.
Escalating this further could be problematic.
Thank goodness he had a doorbell camera that had captured the entire interaction.
They turned to flip off his house and stalked back to their car when Saylor’s car pulled around the corner. The women squealed out of his driveway as she approached. As they passed Saylor, she slowed to park, drawing their attention. Immediately, the driver stomped on the brakes.
Max headed outside as they rolled down their windows to yell obscenities at Saylor. He memorized the license plate on the back of the car as he hurried to her door. “Sorry, baby. Let’s get you inside.”
Quickly, he helped Saylor out and maneuvered himself behind her to keep her protected from the pissed-off group. Shaking his head, Max hustled her inside and relocked the door.
“Fuck!” he swore.
“What’s going on, Max?” Saylor demanded.
“I’m sorry, little girl. That group pulled up next to me at a stoplight. I nodded to them when they waved to get my attention. For some reason, they took that as an invitation to follow me home and wouldn’t leave.”
Saylor propped her hands on her hips, assessing him. “Really? Three women chased you in their car and wouldn’t leave. Does that happen often?”
Max walked forward and pulled her stiff body into his arms. For the first time in years, fear burned inside him. “Baby? I promise you. I didn’t encourage them. Let me show you the doorbell footage.” He reached for his phone in his back pocket.
She wrapped her hands around his broad shoulders and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. Max crushed her against his hard body. He kissed her passionately as his relief exploded into need. She believed him.
He reined himself in several long, delicious kisses later. Ripping his mouth from hers, Max pressed his forehead against hers before dropping a soft kiss on her nose. “Thank you.”
“For saving you from the hungry-for-soldiers women?” she asked before adding, “You know I’m going to tease you about this for the rest of time.”
“As long as you’re around for the rest of time, little girl, I’ll welcome your reminders of this day,” Max told her, reassured that she planned to stay with him.
“Sorry, my meeting ran late. I got here as quickly as I could. How come they let you out early? Good behavior?” she asked with twinkling eyes.
“We’re alerted that deployment is coming. Jerico sent us home to get ready under the guise of letting us spend time with those we care about. I wanted to make a list for you of people to contact if you’d like to know the other women.”
She hesitated for a minute before answering, “Are they going to welcome me? I mean, I’ve never met any of them and we haven’t been together for too long.”
Max inhaled and confessed, hoping she’d understand as easily as with those women.
“The guys know I met you, baby. I should have asked first, but I let them know I’d found my little girl.
They would have checked in with you if we were simply dating, but I wanted them to know how special you are to me. ”
She studied his face carefully before asking, “You told them our personal business?”
Her crisp voice sounded pissed to him. He didn’t sugarcoat his response or make excuses. She deserved the truth. “Yes. I told other daddies who make up the team I rely on every day to survive the hell they send us into each time we’re deployed.”
“Is it always dangerous?”
“Risks exist even in the calmest situations, Saylor.” Max wanted to reassure her he’d always do everything to get back to her and to make sure the other men returned to the ones they loved. She had to know the truth. He wouldn’t lie.
“But you don’t go where it’s calm, do you?”
“Not usually.”
“On a small team, everyone has a role, right?”
“Yes. Our team has six members. Jerico is the team leader. He coordinates with upper management and keeps us supplied and as protected as possible. Caden is the team chief. With the most combat experience, he keeps our training honed to prepare us to face anything. Koa is the communications guy. Zale is our medic. Thanks to him, we have medical care immediately to keep us safe and active. Hank is our sniper.”
“What do you do?” she asked softly, almost as if she were holding her breath.
“I’m the EOD.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m the explosives expert. I place and disarm incendiary devices,” Max said quietly.
“Bombs? You deal with bombs?”
“Yes. It sounds much scarier than it usually is,” he reassured her.
“I don’t know what else would be more frightening than watching a timer count down with a pair of wire cutters in your hand.”
“I’ve had lots of training, baby. I’m very careful.
My life and my team rely on me. Just like I count on Zale to shoot me with antibiotics if I have an infection, or Koa to contact the good guys and not call in the enemy when we need an escape route.
We all have our roles. I told them because they would do everything to keep you safe if something happened to me. ”
A tear slowly slid down her cheek. His heart broke that he had to tell her the blunt truth.
Max wiped it away with his fingers. “I have a dangerous job, little girl. Finding you is the best motivation for me to get home to you. I want you to know that if something happens to me, I did everything humanly possible—probably a superhero level of effort—to hold you in my arms again. If I don’t come back, I needed to know someone would help you. Okay?”
Saylor wrapped her arms around Max and hugged him close. “I understand. Thank you, Daddy.”
Max lifted her off the floor and held her tight.
He wished he had time to make love to her, but he didn’t want to be interrupted.
Leaving her unsatisfied would kill him. Instead, he grabbed the pad of paper and a pen from the drawer before carrying her to the table.
He sat down with her on his lap and made his list. He also shared every contact in his phone with hers so she would have the information electronically at all times.
“Tell me who to contact in case of an emergency with you, little girl,” he requested when he’d finished his list.
“I don’t know? My parents maybe. You can just call my phone.”
“Share your parents’ contact with me, Saylor.”
She’d just opened her phone when his buzzed with an incoming message.
I’m outside. Grab your gear.
Koa had given him a few extra minutes with his Little by picking him up. Max looked up at Saylor. Tears filled her eyes.
“I don’t want you to go,” she whispered.
“I’ll be home as fast as I can, little girl. You’ve given me an unforgettable reason to survive.”