Chapter 8 #2
Colt couldn’t get upset with the men for that.
Besides, the more people he had looking out for Macie, the better, in his opinion.
So he’d outlined what had happened at her apartment complex and who Teddy was.
He explained that Macie was staying at his house, and hopefully would be moving in with him permanently, if he could convince her.
He told his men about the Lampasas police not being able to find Teddy or the men who’d broken into Macie’s apartment, and he finally touched on the anxiety that Macie fought on a daily basis.
Like the good men he knew they were, not one of the guys in front of him looked discomfited with that last revelation. In fact, Trigger asked, “That’s what happened at the reception, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Colt said.
Lefty nodded. “Brain noticed that she didn’t look well and was going to deal with it when you beat him to it.”
Colt turned his attention to Brain and eyed the younger man.
Brain smiled and held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “I knew she was Truck’s sister and just wanted to make sure she was okay. That’s all.”
Colt nodded and tried to calm down. Brain wasn’t going to hit on Macie. He was being polite, that’s all.
“Yeah,” he said, answering Trigger’s question. “The wedding and reception were hard for her. Social situations generally are, so I took her home and made sure she was all right.”
The men all nodded. “So what’s the plan?” Oz asked.
“Brain, I’d like you to see what you can do to find Teddy. Figure out where he likes to hang out, who his dealer is, and who his friends are.
“Doc and Grover, if you can watch her apartment when you can, and see if you notice anyone lurking around, I’d appreciate it.
We don’t know who the assholes were who broke in and threatened Macie, and I don’t like that they’re still out there somewhere.
Lucky and Oz, I’d appreciate you doing surveillance of my neighborhood.
There’s no evidence that Teddy or his friends have been to Killeen, but I don’t want to take any chances.
We don’t know what it was that Teddy was looking for, so he might decide to try to get to Macie directly. ”
“And us, sir?” Trigger asked, referring to himself and Lefty.
“I want you to come over after we leave here and let me introduce you to her.”
“Sir?” Lefty asked.
“I told you that she suffers from anxiety. She eventually needs to meet all of you. Needs to get comfortable with you. She’s already comfortable with Truck and his team, mostly because of the fact he’s her brother.
But I want her to get to know all of you, as well.
If I have my way, she’s going to be around for a hell of a long time, and the last thing I want is for her to feel anxious about seeing any of you.
I’m going to need your help in social situations to keep her calm.
I won’t be able to be by her side at all times, and if she knows you reprobates, then we can both relax. ”
“Done,” Trigger said immediately.
“It’s not like I have plans,” Lefty added. “I’d love to get to know her.”
“What about the rest of us?” Grover smirked. “I want to meet the woman who has our commander wrapped around her finger.”
Colt stood and leaned over his desk and glared at his soldier. “Damn straight, she does,” he said in a low tone. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. Remember that, soldier.”
Grover immediately nodded. “Of course, sir. I didn’t mean anything by that.”
Colt tried to get his temper under control.
He knew Grover didn’t mean to be disrespectful, but his comment still rubbed him the wrong way.
“She’s smart as all get out,” he told his men.
“Beautiful. Resourceful. And she’s been through hell in her life.
She’s sensitive about the things people say.
She assumes they’re talking about her, even if they aren’t.
Watch what comes out of your mouth, and be respectful at all times. Got it?”
A chorus of “Yes, sir” rang out in the room.
“Good,” Colt said with a nod. “If you have any concerns, anything at all, you call me first and the cops second. I don’t expect you to protect her with your life, that’s going a bit far, but I do expect that you’ll look after her as you would each others’ women.”
“Sir,” Trigger said, “you don’t need to tell us that.
We may not have wives like everyone on Ghost’s team does, but that doesn’t mean we don’t respect their women, and even want our own at some point.
It’s obvious that Macie is important to you, and therefore she’s important to us too.
She’s as much a part of this team as you are.
You can count on us to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe. ”
Colt relaxed even further. He hadn’t realized he wanted and needed their support so much. “Thank you. Dismissed.”
The team headed out of his office and Colt took a deep breath.
He had a bad feeling about the entire situation.
Too much time had passed since Macie’s apartment had been broken into.
Men like her ex didn’t have a lot of patience…
so why hadn’t he made a move before now?
Every day that went by was another day that his anger could fester and grow.
The situation made Colt uneasy, and if he could, he would bring Macie to work with him every day, just to make sure she was safe.
The only thing making him not lose his mind was the knowledge that Macie wasn’t the kind of woman to take risks.
That was one of the one million and two things he loved about her.
He dealt with enough risks and danger at his job.
Knowing she had no intentions of leaving his house when he was at work made him feel better about the situation.
He hadn’t ordered her not to. Hadn’t told her of his suspicions about her ex.
She’d actually brought it up one night when they were lying in bed together, replete and relaxed after making love.
She’d told him that she felt safer holed up in his house when he was at work because Teddy still hadn’t been found.
She volunteered to stay safely behind his locked doors during the day and only leave when he was with her.
He hated that she felt that way, but he hadn’t argued with her. Hopefully, after they figured out where Teddy was and he was dealt with, he could work with her on feeling more confident about going out on her own.
Taking a deep breath, Colonel Robinson got back to work.
Later that night, after he’d reassured himself that Macie was doing well, he told her that Trigger and Lefty would be stopping by. She looked unsure, but nodded.
“These are my men,” Colt told her. “Do you think I’d let them into your life if I thought they would do or say anything that would cause you one iota of mental anguish?”
“Well, no, but…that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous about meeting them.”
“Hon, every single one of my men would do exactly what I did all those years ago if something were to happen to me. If I was captured by the Taliban, I know with a bone-deep conviction that they’d move heaven and Earth to free me…
just as I’d do for them. But it’s more than that.
Just as your brother would do whatever it takes to keep you safe, I’d do the same for him.
And for Mary. And for Ghost and Rayne, or Casey and Beatle…
or any of them and their wives and children.
The bond we have goes deeper than simply soldier and commander.
It’s because of what we do. How we rely on each other to have our backs in the most intense situations of our lives. ”
They were standing by the kitchen, and Colt reached out and pulled Macie into his embrace until they were touching from thighs to chest. One hand spanned her lower back and the other buried itself in the hair at her neck.
He rested his forehead against hers and continued.
“I love you, Macie. It’s scary how much.
Now that I’ve experienced life with you, I don’t want it any other way.
Now that I know how it feels to come home from work to you, I never want to come home to an empty house again.
Now that I’ve been lucky enough to hold you in my arms every night for over a month, I can’t go without it.
And now that I’ve been inside you, felt you come on my cock, I can’t imagine being intimate with another woman for as long as I live.
You’re it for me. I’m putty in your hands.
My men know that—and they’ll do whatever it takes to protect you because you’re a part of me. ”
By this time, Macie was crying. She wasn’t making a sound, but tears coursed down her cheeks.
“You do not have to be nervous about meeting Trigger or Lefty. Or Oz, Doc, Brain, Grover, or Lucky. They will treat you with respect. They will love you. They will be your brothers in every way that matters. They’ll have your back and your side and your front.
You can trust them to be there for you when you need them, no matter what that means.
Eventually, when they find them, their women will be your friends too.
I don’t know what’s in store for them, who they’ll find to complete them, but I know those women are out there, waiting.
And they’ll love you just as much as I do. Want to know how I know that?”
She didn’t answer verbally, but looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes filled with tears and nodded.
“Because you’re you,” Colt said. “You’re considerate, kind, compassionate, down-to-earth, and so damn likable it’s hard for me to understand how you don’t see it yourself.”
“I love you too,” she said softly, and Colt closed his eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. He knew how hard it was for her to say the words, and he swore right then and there to never take them for granted.
He opened his eyes again. “I’m the luckiest man in the world,” he told her before using his thumbs to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.
Then he leaned down and kissed her. It was a slow kiss that started out tender and sweet, but by the time he pulled back, his cock was hard and she was pressing herself into him eagerly.
“As much as I’d like to lift you onto the counter, pull down your jeans and bury my face in your delectable pussy, I don’t have time. Trigger and Lefty will be here any minute.”
“Rain check?” she asked with a small smile.
Colt grinned. “Fuck yeah. You want to go freshen up before they get here?”
She nodded, but didn’t pull away from him. “Colt?”
“Yeah, hon?”
“I can’t imagine my life without you in it either.”
He couldn’t stop himself from kissing her once more. After several moments, he forced himself to stop touching her, and he took a step back. “Upstairs with you, woman.”
She giggled at him and nodded, turning and heading for the stairs.
Colt watched her every step of the way. He stood where he was long after she’d disappeared from view, wondering how in the world he’d gotten so lucky.