Chapter 38
Thirty-Eight
Colt
One look at Briar’s face and I know she’s had a rough week.
And it’s my fucking fault.
But that ends now.
“I’m here, baby,” I say, reaching for her and yanking her into my chest. She melts against me at first but then gently pushes at me.
“Daddy!” Frankie’s voice is filled with excitement, and she vaults herself into my arms the moment I turn.
“Hey, tater tot. Did you miss me?” I lift her up and spin her around.
Her eyes dance with delight. “I did! But you said you weren’t leaving again!”
“I’ll never leave you forever, but sometimes I have to work or travel. It’s a grown-up thing.”
“I don’t like when you travel,” she whispers.
“I know, but I’ll always come back.” I pop a kiss on the tip of her nose as I meet Briar’s eyes.
She’s upset, and I can’t let this fester.
“How about you help get dinner going while Mommy and I talk for a minute?” I say, putting her down.
She frowns. “You’re not going to do that thing where you take your pants off, are you?”
Jade presses a towel against her face to keep from laughing, and Willow hides hers in Dash’s back. Even Briar has a half-smile going, so I take the opportunity to grab her hand and tug her out of the room.
“What the—” Dash yells out.
“Give us five minutes!” I call over my shoulder.
“Colt, what are you doing?” Briar asks in a heated whisper.
“We have to talk.”
“I know, but this isn’t—”
“Shh.” I press a finger to her lips. “I don’t want to fight.
I need you to listen to me.” We stop in front of the guest room.
“Stay right here, okay? Give me ten seconds.” I walk into the bathroom and dig the ring out of the back of the cabinet where I hid it.
I take the ring out of the box, stuff it in my pocket, and then join her again in the hallway.
“Colt.” Her eyes are filled with confusion, and I hate that I’ve done this to her—again—but it’s truly the last time. I just have to make her believe it.
“Listen to me.” I put my hands on either side of her face. “I love you and I am never leaving you. Do you hear me? Never, ever.”
She blinks, more composed now.
But I’m not giving her a chance to dump me.
“Colt, I have to tell you—”
“Let me finish. Please.” I hope she can see how important this is.
“I’m back, just like I promised. I explained to you about Igor.
This was a one-off and there won’t be any more.
There were some mini-missions toward the end of training, but I only really ever went on the one—the one where I was captured.
Igor, who was my friend long before Russia, got me out.
That’s it. There are no more debts of honor or any other loose ends.
All that matters now is us. You, me, and our family. Do you understand?”
She’s gazing up at me, her expression filled with love and…understanding. I see it in her composure, her body language, and most of all—in her gorgeous green eyes. “I do and—”
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” I interrupt because the damn ring is burning a hole in my pocket.
She almost seems amused as she says, “Surprise me.”
“The good news is—I finalized all the paperwork, so I am officially out. Done. Finished.” I watch her face, spotting the first hint of a smile, before continuing. “The bad news”—I pull out the ring and slip it on the fourth finger of her left hand—“is that your fiancé is an unemployed freeloader.”
Her mouth opens but she doesn’t make a sound as she stares down at the ring.
For the first time ever, I think I’ve shocked her speechless.
Then her gaze sharpens, and she arches her brows. “Well, my good news is—” She holds up her left hand. “—the answer is yes. But the bad news is that you better figure out what you’re going to do for work because newborns are expensive.”
“Newborns? Frankie’s almost five.”
She doesn’t reply, merely stands there watching me watch her.
“Babe, are you saying…oh shit!”
Everything suddenly snaps into place and excitement fills me.
She’s pregnant!
Hot damn, she’s pregnant. Again.
There must be some magic that happens when I’m inside her because we’re basically two for two.
“Are you in for this, Colt?” she whispers, as if suddenly worried.
Yeah, that’s not the mood I’m going for.
“Baby, I was always in. For anything and everything.” Then I crush my mouth to hers, kissing her like I was just gone another four years instead of a week.
“Colt.” She’s breathless when we finally pull apart and I press her against the wall.
“I’m right here, baby. For you, for Frankie, and for any other little ones who come along.
I love you, Briar. More than fucking anything.
I can’t say I’ll never spend another night without you, because life with me is always going to be an adventure—but you’ll be at my side and in my life until I take my last breath. ”
“When did you buy me the ring?” she asks softly, putting her left hand against my shoulder.
“The day I found out about Igor. I was going to plan something special and then…” I shake my head. “I’m sorry the big romantic event I was trying to put together kind of fell by the wayside. But I’ll make it up to you.”
She laughs, but it’s a soft, patient sound. “I don’t need grand gestures, Colt. I just need to know you’re coming home to me.”
“Always.”
“I was afraid history was repeating itself,” she admits.
“You already knew about the baby?”
“I’d just found out. I came home early to tell you and… you were walking out the door.”
“Dammit.” I press my forehead to hers. “Better communication on both our parts going forward. Okay? Promise?”
She nods.
“Are you still mad?”
“No. I was never mad, just hurt. But then—” She pauses. “I read the letters, Colt. While you were gone.”
The letters.
I’d forgotten about those.
“I think I understand you better now. The man you are.” She curls her hand around my shirt, making sure she has my attention. “And just so you know, you are so much more than a soldier. You know that, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what I am,” I say quietly. “All I know is that I love you.”
“You’re strong and brave and beautiful.”
Our foreheads are still pressed together, and she’s staring deep into my eyes.
“Colt?”
“I don’t think…anyone’s ever called me…beautiful before.”
“But you are. Inside and out. A beautiful human being with a big, beautiful heart. Who wants to right all the wrongs in the world, one bad guy at a time. That’s the man I fell in love with, so how can I love you the way I do and simultaneously ask you to be someone else?”
“I’m never going back to that life,” I say firmly.
“That specific life, no. You can’t. Not if you want to be Frankie’s daddy—and daddy to this new little one.
” She takes one of my hands and presses it against her stomach.
“But you have to be who you are, and we both know you need to be fighting off bad guys, one way or another. When you say life with you will be an adventure—I feel that in my soul. That’s partly why I love you so much.
Life with you is an adventure. The best kind of adventure. ”
“Yeah?” I pull in a deep breath. “I never want to hurt you again, Briar.”
“You won’t, as long as you’re honest. We both probably need to stop having knee-jerk reactions to everything.” She pauses. “And I do understand why you had to go get Igor. Is he okay?”
“He will be. He’s in rough shape, but we got to him in time.”
“Was anyone else…hurt?”
“No. My buddy Grim has a couple of broken ribs but nothing he can’t handle. We had a SEAL team with us, so that’s always a bonus.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Ready to go on the next big adventure with me?”
“Do you already have one in mind?”
“I do.” I wiggle my eyebrows, and she laughs.
“I’m ready, Colton Blackwood. Whatever it is, I’m ready.”
“Excellent.” I take her hand and lead her back to the kitchen. “Hey, Atlas! Fire up that jet of yours—we’re going to Vegas!”
“Wait, what?” She tugs my arm. “What are you talking about?”
“Show them your ring, baby.” I grin. “We just got engaged, and I’ve waited too long for this—we’re getting married. Today, tomorrow, but we’re not waiting.”
“You’re getting married?” Frankie asks, staring at us.
“You’re engaged!” Aspen says at the same time.
“I knew it!” Willow grins, clasping her hands together.
“Yay!” Jade squeals with delight.
“You’re serious?” Atlas asks when the girls immediately start hugging both of us.
“About Vegas? Hell, yeah.” I glance at Briar. “A Vegas wedding?”
“I don’t care where—I just want to do it.”
“We can’t do it without Banks,” Aspen says hurriedly. “I mean, he’ll be heartbroken.”
That gives me pause.
Because she’s right—all the guys have to be there.
“All right, hold off on the jet until Banks is back in town.” I slide my arm around Briar. “But we’re engaged!”
“Daddy?” Frankie’s soft voice penetrates that excited laughter and chatter in the kitchen, and I look down to see a somber expression on her little face.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I drop to my haunches so we’re eye level. “Don’t you want Mommy and me to be married?”
“I don’t…what does that mean?” she whispers.
“It means I’m going to love you and your mommy forever and ever and ever. I was going to anyway, but when we get married, it makes us an official family.”
“Oh.” She’s thoughtful and then she wraps her arms around my neck. “I’m glad you’re my daddy.”
She has no idea how much that means to me.
“I’m the luckiest daddy in the world,” I whisper against her hair.
Fuck.
I’m going to cry again.
But that’s okay—because they’re happy tears.
I’ve got everything I ever wanted. And more.
Briar. Frankie. Another baby on the way.
And my brothers. Who’ve also met the women who make their lives whole.
It doesn’t get any better than this. Hell, right now I can’t think of a single adventure or mission better than the one I’m living right now.
This is what makes life worth living. Everything else? It’s just background noise.
“Why are you guys whispering?” Briar asks, dropping down to our level, her eyes searching both of our faces.
“I was just explaining to Frankie what it means that we’re getting married,” I say.
“Can I get a new dress?” Frankie asks her mother.
“Yes, you can.” Briar grins. “All of us girls are getting new dresses. And your uncles are going to wear tuxedos.”
Frankie’s eyes round. “Uncle Atlas only wears those to the stuffy parties,” she stage whispers.
“And weddings,” I say with a laugh.
I get to my feet and scoop her up, holding out a hand to Briar. She takes it and leans into my side.
“So, what’s for dinner?” I ask.
“Wedding planning!” Willow and Jade say in unison.
Dash groans but there’s a smile on his face as he meets my gaze across the room.
“Thank you,” he mouths.
I should be thanking him for knocking me on my ass that first day of practice in Boston all those years ago. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here now. None of us would.
That was the very first adventure.
I look around the room with an appreciative smile.
More than a decade later, the Gamebreakers are still going strong. Still brothers. Still a family.
Now there’s just twice as many of us.
And I can’t think of anything better.