5. Warner
WARNER
LIES CAME OUT MY MOUTH - OLIVER TREE
The rented SUV isn’t quite as bulletproof as I’d like, but the last thing any of us wanted was to borrow a car that could be traced straight back to the safe haven we’ve left. Willow and her family earned their peace. We’re not going to jeopardise it now.
In the spacious back seat, Ember is sandwiched between Blaine and Axel, granting her access to perform nursing duties if needed.
Doc loaded Axel up on pain medication before we left, but even so, he’s uncomfortable.
Though I’m still coming to terms with his deceit, I don’t want to see the man suffer.
He’s one of us.
Not even a life-altering lie can change that.
Next to me, Hyland glowers at the built-in navigation screen. He drove for a couple of hours until his yawning began to piss me off, and I took over.
“As much as I don’t like it, we need to refuel for the last leg,” he grumbles. “And Axel could use a break.”
“I know, I’m looking for somewhere to pull over. At least it’s late. The darkness will cover us.”
“I still don’t like it; we’re too exposed.”
“We’ve had no trouble. No one knows where we are.”
“That’s what you think,” Blaine mutters from the backseat.
Looking in the rearview window, I meet his flat black stare. “What?”
Though he’s naturally reclusive, scheming away from the sidelines, his silence during the duration of the drive has felt unnerving. The closer we get to London, the tauter his posture seems to grow.
“If my father truly is back in the country, you can bet he already knows too much. He still has loyal foot soldiers across every square inch of the UK. Your investigation didn’t wipe them out.”
An icy prickle creeps down the individual nodules of my spine.
“Do you trust your team’s intel?” I glare at the lit road like it personally offended me. “They went behind your back to contact our superiors, after all.”
“I don’t know what loyalty is like in your ranks, but my people know where their allegiances lie. Don’t think anything happens without my knowledge.”
“So you did send them to approach Sabre,” Hyland cuts in.
“I told them to make sure the information reached the correct people.”
“You’re lucky they weren’t tossed in a matching cell next to the pup’s insane brother.”
“Hah.” Blaine chuckles in sheer amusement. “I think your directors will understand the value of our help when we’re soon outnumbered by the army my father is amassing.”
“You don’t know that.” I flex my hands, aching from where I’ve been strangling the steering wheel. “It’s just a rumour. He might not even be back in the country.”
“Open your eyes. He’s here, and there are plenty of men on the street who remember Nolan Madden’s name. It won’t be long until he has rebuilt his ranks enough to strike.”
The thought that we failed so spectacularly to dismantle the Madden empire leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Now, it seems our failure has returned to bite us.
“Son of a bitch.” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“We spent years locking your precious gang members up,” Hyland snarls over his shoulder. “Fucking years. Now you’re telling us there are rats in the street singing your father’s goddamn name?”
“Without a shadow of a doubt.” Blaine doesn’t mince his clipped words. “Despite my best efforts, he still has many allies.”
“Then what the hell did we work so hard for?”
“Nothing,” he replies flatly.
“How can you say that?” I fire at him before Hyland can start yelling.
“Kill one soldier and another will take their place. Our organisation wasn’t wiped out. You simply scattered it into small enough pieces to disappear and rebuild when the heat cooled off.”
The atmosphere in the car reaches sub-arctic levels of deep freeze. I’d rather Hyland didn’t launch himself back there to strangle our unlikeliest teammate, so I indicate to take the next exit.
“Are you letting us out so I can smash his skull in?” Hyland speaks quietly enough for only me to hear.
“Can you two kill each other another time?” I sigh, utterly exhausted. “Fuel, food. Ten minutes, then we’re back on the road.”
“He’s treading on thin ice, Warner.”
“I’m aware, but we don’t have time to be bickering about the past. Not now.”
“We’re stopping?” Ember rouses from where she’s been resting on Axel’s bicep.
“Yes, love. Just a quick comfort break.”
She nods then gently wakes Axel, careful not to startle him too abruptly from his semi-lucid daze. Thankfully, the service station ahead appears to be open despite the late hour. I’d kill for a hot coffee.
We park in the most secluded spot, far from the street lights and any other customers refuelling or seeking a late-night pick me up. Hyland leaps out before the engine has cut off to skulk around the car and scan the lot for threats.
“Need a hand with Speed Racer here?” Blaine deadpans.
“Fuck you,” Axel grunts.
“Hard pass, Slaughter. I’m here for your girlfriend, nothing more.”
“Jesus Christ.” Ember facepalms. “A hand would be great, thanks.”
I rest my head back against the seat for a moment, allowing them time to scramble out. Axel begrudgingly accepts a hand from Blaine and his giant smirk, stiffly exiting the car before the door slams, and I’m left in blissful silence.
While I’m used to plastering on a calm mask for my team, it’s not always easy being an effective leader. This case has plucked every last nerve raw and left us exposed, bleeding out for the sharks to start circling.
Putting on a brave face isn’t the simple sacrifice it used to be. Not anymore. I can’t lie and pretend I know how this all ends. We thought wiping out Gael would be the last of it, not the start of a new bloody battle none of us were prepared for.
At the faint tap on the window, I startle, jerking upright in my seat.
“Are you coming inside?” Ember asks through the thin glass.
“Yeah, sorry. Just needed a sec.”
“Take your time. I’ve sent them inside to start getting snacks and drinks.”
Cracking the door, my prosthetic twinges when I awkwardly swing my limbs out. I’m not embarrassed to accept the arm Ember offers to help manoeuvre me up. We’ve seen each other in worse states than this, and driving always stiffens me up.
“They went in together?”
Ember shrugs. “Safety in numbers and all.”
“I’m not sure Hyland’s got another mile in him with Blaine in the same car.” I slam the door then lock up behind us. “They’re constantly at each other’s throats.”
She moves to take my hand, our fingers folding together. “Everyone’s exhausted and on edge. It’ll be fine once we’re back home in our own personal spaces.”
“It would help if they’d stop antagonising each other every five minutes.”
“I’ll talk to them. They’ll listen to me.”
“What makes you think that’ll work?”
“Because I’m not going to give them a choice. We’re a team, and fighting amongst ourselves isn’t an option. They need to put their egos aside for what’s to come.”
“Hell, love. You after my job as team leader, or what? You’re picking up all the pieces around here lately.”
“I’ve got enough on my plate with my current job.” She lets out a curt laugh. “Just trying to support my team a bit better. You’ve taken care of me plenty.”
I bump our shoulders together, leaning close to press a kiss to the top of her braided hair. “You hold us together more than you’ll ever know, Em. You’re our foundation.”
“Pretty sure I’m the one who almost tore your family apart.”
“Don’t even think that for a second.”
“It’s true.”
“Hard disagree,” I hotly deny. “If they’re not allowed to bicker and fight, you’re banned from the blame game.”
When she doesn’t respond, I scan around the fuel station’s empty forecourt then stop to push her up against the wall. Our bodies align, pelvis to pelvis, not an inch of personal space left to hold us apart.
“Ember,” I say more firmly.
“We really don’t need to talk about this here.”
“Look at me, Em. Now.”
Eventually, her storm-swept irises sear into me. “You don’t just have to stay stuff. I know I’ve turned your life upside down since I came home, and I’ve brought so much trouble to your doorstep.”
“You seriously think I care?”
“Don’t pretend like it’s not true.”
“You’re serious.” The disbelief I feel is clear in my tone.
“I’ve lied, Warner!”
“And I don’t care.”
“But I didn’t tell you about my seizures, the full truth of what happened in Mexico… All of it. I put the team in jeopardy on multiple occasions, and now, you’re in the fight of your lives because of me. Yes, I’m fucking serious.”
From the acceptance that paints her oval face in shades of sadness, I can see she believes every word. It’s ludicrous. My anger flares white-hot as I seize her chin, ensnaring her with a hard stare.
“Ember Lawson, you are the most stubborn, infuriating, self-deprecating yet wonderfully fearless creature I’ve ever met. I don’t give a good goddamn what you’ve put our team through because you’re ours. Mind, body and soul.”
“Look at us,” she whispers harshly. “We’re a mess!”
“I don’t care. I’d do it all over again to end up right here in this shitty place with you in my arms. You’re my heart and soul, woman.”
When she wriggles as if to slip away from me, I cling on tighter, clutching her face hard enough to sting. I won’t let her run away from me. I’ve lost her once, and we’ve come too far to risk throwing away the glimmer of hope we’ve found amidst all this chaos.
I didn’t intend to kiss her, but I don’t know how else to make her understand. Words aren’t enough. Not this time. If it takes teeth and tongue to convince her of my commitment, I’ll bruise every inch of her stunning body then kiss the pain away, one mark at a time.
Our exposed position in the open air is an insignificant distraction compared to how her body feels cradled against mine. Every glorious curve and supple angle fits with tailor-made perfection.
After so many years of painful longing, burying my feelings in a deep dark hole where they couldn’t hurt my relationship with her brother, denying myself the one thing I wanted… seizing her lips isn’t just a triumph. This is a homecoming, and I never intend to leave again.