Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Asher grinned at Marlowe's grumpy growl, fingering the diamond ring in his workout pants pocket. No doubt about it. Today was the day. After she checked the peephole and deactivated the alarm like they'd agreed they'd do from now on, she opened the door and politely said, "Good morning. It's so nice to see you again." The little liar. She wasn't happy to see anyone. Especially after yesterday, when the entire TEAM family had shown up on their front doorstep.

In came Alex with two puppies on leashes, Darling, excited to see Marlowe, and Walter, as anxious as ever. Kelsey came in with another pup on leash, an alert, bright-eyed, long-haired GSD. Asher recognized the little guy. He was one of the new additions to Alex's family. Hmmmm. Why was he there?

"Hey, Boss." Lifting to his feet from the couch, Asher stuck his chin at the little guy. "What's up?"

"I know this is asking a lot, but—" Alex crouched down and unleashed Darling, who headed straight for Marlowe. Of course. "I've got a little boy at home who's—"

"Fallen in love with your Walter," Kelsey interrupted, her eyes glimmering. "And, umm…" She looked at Alex.

Asher smiled to see these two hemming and hawing. "You want to keep Walter, is that what you're asking? For Bradley? Sure. Love at first sight conquers all." His gaze strayed to Marlowe. "That okay with you, honey?"

With her hands on the wiggling puppy on her lap, she nodded from the floor where she was sitting. "Sure. Walter isn't nervous with Bradley like he is with us."

"You do know Walter's deaf, right?" Asher asked the Stewarts.

Alex nodded. "We can deal with that. What I can't deal with is my son's broken heart."

Damn it. Now Asher's eyes were watering. Totally non-threatening, puppy-sized Bradley was the perfect companion for that skittish pup. He brushed a quick hand over his face, just as Kelsey leaned into him and gave him a very cautious, one-armed hug. "I can never, ever, thank you enough for what you did, Asher," she whispered. "I didn't get a chance to tell you yesterday, but you saved my life when you saved Alex. You saved Lexie's and Bradley's lives, too. You made sure Alex came home to me and—" Her voice cracked.

Blinking furiously, Asher squeezed her as tightly as his injured shoulder allowed. Man, she was a tiny thing. Just like Marlowe. "I just did what anyone else would've done, ma'am. I did my job and—"

"Like hell," Alex growled, his blue eyes as bleary as Asher's. "I owe you a debt I can never repay, Ash. And now I'm here, asking for one more son of a bitching thing."

"Walter," Asher answered, needing a diversion from the drama. He hadn't saved his boss for praise or glory. Only did what any decent man or woman would've done in the same circumstances. He'd put his teammates first, above the mission and above himself. That was all. Brotherhood was what launched him down the stairs that day. Nothing more. Nothing less.

With a deep breath, Kelsey stepped back. "Yes, Walter. We hated to ask, especially after what happened in Syria, but—"

"But Bradley's crying because we took Walter and left him behind, damn it," Alex continued gruffly. It was uncanny, watching the way these two finished each other's sentences. "He and that puppy have been inseparable. He's been sleeping in Walter's crate with him when he can get away with it, and I—"

Asher held his palm up. Alex didn't have to say more. "No problem, Boss. I know you'll take care of Walter. He's yours."

Kelsey ran a slender finger under her eyes. "We brought one of our new boys if you're interested." She dropped the newcomer's leash. "This little boy is Hercules, Herk with a ‘k' for short."

"Awww," Marlowe murmured from where she sat cross-legged on the floor, snuggling Darling. "I've never seen a German Shepherd with long fur before. He's fluffy."

Herk was a long-haired, extra-fluffy, tan and black GSD. Intelligence shone in his bright, brown eyes. Then the little guy cocked his head, those big, furry ears flopped to one side, making him adorably hard to resist.

Asher snapped his fingers and commanded, "Come."

Herk trotted straight to Asher and sat, looking quizzically up, his head cocked again and those ears way too big for the little guy.

"You can't go wrong with any of Harley's dogs," Alex said.

"Did we hear anything back on Ambassador Clark?" Asher asked, still watching Herk and falling in love with him.

"Yes, he's fully recovered and back on the job. Turned out Jamah had a harem. Six women." Alex counted off on his fingers and thumb. "Veronica Tippetts, Sariah Sayeed, Khadija Bashir, Aziza Marabi, Zorah Hanan, and Kamisha Ramani. You already know what happened to Tippetts. As for Sariah, she was an American citizen, the granddaughter of a Lebanese couple who migrated to America in the 1950s. When she was in her early twenties, she embraced ISIL and personally sought out Jamah after he proclaimed himself to be caliph."

Asher motioned for Herk to lie down. The pup dropped to his belly, his eyes still on Asher.

"Khadija is the driver who broadsided Beau. She's now in FBI custody, pending DOJ's final determination. Aziza Marabi was intercepted by Scotland Yard at Heathrow, with three metal cylinders of anthrax in her checked baggage. Among other things, she's been charged with transportation of a Category A bioterrorism agent. Scotland Yard has her in custody at an undisclosed location outside of London. And the last two…"

Alex took a deep breath. "Zorah and Kamisha were in Jamah's bedroom, if that's what you want to call that shithole."

"I'd call it a torture chamber," Asher said.

"Yeah, well…" Alex ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm damned thankful we took him out before he hurt my family. Bastard. Just sorry it happened in Kelsey's kitchen."

"I'm glad it did, Alex," she murmured. "Wasn't too long ago Beau flatlined on my kitchen floor, after he nearly bled out, remember? Your people took care of everything that time, too. Trust me, I'm not squeamish. I'm proud. Your agents brought down a brutal terrorist." She waved her hand over her head. "I might just have a plaque mounted over my stove that says: Don't Mess With Mom. "

A real smile finally tweaked the corners of Alex's stern mouth. "I'm building you a new house, woman. We're moving."

Asher signaled Herk to rollover. No sooner given than done. Flicking his fingers, he then signaled Herk to go to Marlowe. The little guy went straight to her and Darling, sat beside her, but kept his eyes on Asher.

Kelsey laughed in Alex's face. "We are not moving. You proved it, sweetheart. Our home is our castle, and your men defended the keep. We won, so shush."

Watching Kelsey stand up to her badass husband was comical. Alex was as whipped as Asher. He took a seat on the couch nearest Marlowe. "So, Boss, who did you think you were texting if Marlowe never revealed her true identity?"

Alex glared at the woman in question.

Man, if looks could kill, he would've been dead on the spot, as lethally as she glared back at him. "I told him I was John Wayne Smithson," Marlowe muttered. "Don't laugh, Asher. It was the first name that popped into my mind."

Asher didn't dare laugh, but he did grin like a lunatic. "And you fell for that, Boss?"

"Even set up a holding account for her, in my name, at my bank." Alex turned to Marlowe. "Plus a bonus. You went above and beyond every son of a bitching order I sent, and you saved scores of endangered women and children in just two months. I'm damned proud of you. No one could've done better. That money is all yours. Let me know when you're ready to collect it and I'll sign it over."

The glow suffusing her pretty face was telling. Alex's praise meant a lot.

"And another thing—"

"What do you want to know now, Asher?" she snapped, her head bobbing like she was ready to fight.

Man, he loved this feisty woman. Marlowe met everything she did head-on with a do-or-die intensity that might be off-putting to others. Not Asher. Her defensive streak was part of her charm. "Just asking questions, that's all. Why didn't you leave on one of the helicopters Alex sent? You could have, you know."

"Already told you. Those women needed me." She turned on Alex next. "And what about the ones I didn't save? Who's doing my job now, huh?"

Ah, that great big attitude of this tiny woman was impressive. She was the female version of a cocky, bantam rooster, ready to fight at a moment's notice. Just as ready to attack when a guy least expected. Marlowe was small but she led with her spurs, every time. A featherweight in comparison, yet she'd taken him down swiftly and without remorse at their first meeting. He was pretty sure she'd f-bombed the hell out of him then, too, but his ears had been ringing and he hadn't heard much after that lethal kick.

"My senior agents are handling those retrievals now, Marlowe. Thanks for asking." Alex was enjoying her spunk. Wasn't often he smiled like he was. "Agents Mark Houston and Murphy Finnegan are in charge, as well as two private companies I contract with. Would you like their names and numbers?"

She shook her head, biting her bottom lip, cowed for the moment. "No, I just… I want to make sure we don't forget. They trusted me and…" Her shoulders lifted. "I want to do the right thing."

Alex beamed with pride. "You should've been a Marine. With fighters like you, that son of a bitching war would've been over long ago."

"Uh-uh. I don't like guns, and I'm not a good shot."

"Practice," Alex bit out.

"Here, Marlowe, this is for you." Kelsey interrupted, handing over a small paper bag. "A little something in case, well, you know. Don't open it until we're gone."

"I brought more puppy chow if you need it," Alex offered.

"We're stocked up," Asher replied, "but thanks."

"Time to go," Alex said. "Say goodbye, Kelsey."

Marlowe obeyed. "Goodbye, Kelsey."

Damned if Alex didn't grin. Jerking his head at his wife, he said, "Not you. Her."

Clamping a hand over her mouth, Marlowe cringed. "Oops, sorry."

"It's okay." Kelsey chuckled. "Judy and Harley are with the kids, but Bradley's pretty upset so we have to get back. Thanks again for understanding. Good luck with Hercules. Bye!"

And off they went with timid Walter trotting behind them.

Asher lifted to his feet and walked to his open front door where Marlowe was watching them go. "What's in the bag? Is it chocolate?" What else could it be?

She shrugged, then looked at the note stapled to the folded top. "Hmmm. ‘For a rainy day.' Wonder what that means."

Yup, it's chocolate. Marlowe likes chocolate. Paige must've told Kelsey.

"Open it and find out."

"You're sure bossy this morning."

"Noted. Now open the bag."

Marlowe did, then, peering into it, her eyes widened. "Oh, my. It's…"

"Chocolate! I knew it!"

"Nope." She stuck a box of pregnancy test strips in his face.

Asher tipped his head back and laughed. "Oh, my hell? This is so much better than chocolate. I told you. Everyone knows what we've been up to, but most especially Kelsey would know."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?"

He snagged his good arm around her waist. The other would be in a protective sling for weeks to come. "Eventually. Women are intuitive. Us guys aren't. Come on. Let's go to the bathroom and—"

"You are not going in there with me."

"Nope, not unless you want me to. But be ready to howl at the moon if we're pregnant."

Marlowe shook her head all the way down the hallway until she closed the bathroom door behind her. No matter which way that test went, he was a lucky son of a bitch, and the ring in his pocket wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't time, not now, not with a possible pregnancy between them. He'd know when the time was right. Or would he?

Oh, hell. What was he thinking? Now was the perfect time. Before, not after. Hurrying down the hall, Asher waited for the toilet to flush before he knocked. Excited to know what that test strip revealed, he didn't wait for an answer, just burst in like the overbearing ass he usually wasn't.

Pulling his grandmother's ring out of his pocket, he dropped very carefully to one knee and extended the ring between two fingers on his left hand. "Marlowe Rich, will you please marry me? I don't need to know if we're pregnant to know I love you. A baby will only make the frosting on our wedding cake sweeter."

His eyes filled with tears. Asher hadn't realized proposing to the woman he adored would be so emotional or mean so much. He could feel Grandma Downey's spirit there, in his bathroom, with him and Marlowe. He could smell her lilac cologne, and he knew, he just knew Gram was smiling down at him.

Marlowe stood at the sink, obviously shell-shocked by his question, the test strip in her trembling hand, and her eyes bright with emotions he couldn't interpret. "Umm, what?"

The warning lights in his all-male brain started flashing. This might not have been the smartest move or the right time, damn it. Asher licked his lips, his arm still extended, waiting. Hoping he hadn't screwed up what should have been a momentous occasion. What kind of man proposes to the woman he loves in a bathroom?

Apparently, an idiot, that's who.

"Umm, sure," she whispered, mostly to herself. "Okay. I guess. If you want to."

Not the response he wanted. Yup, he'd scared her, and Marlowe was doing what she did best, retreating before she attacked.

Lowering his arm, Asher regrouped, swallowed his pride, and tried again. "I know this might be too soon and too fast, but, honey, I'm—" Stupid . He went with that. "I messed this up. Guess because I'm stupidly, hopelessly, in love with you." The ring went back into his pocket. "Never mind. When you're ready, you'll know."