Chapter 29

TWENTY-NINE

Two weeks later, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Takeback office

“So that’s it?” Reese inquired. “IA’s done?”

Detective Jet Brasco frowned.

“Circumstances being what they are, no charges are being filed,” Brasco reiterated. “Blake and Johnson have been terminated, Mealer quit months ago, all three of them cooperated, and Phillips is dead. IA has sealed the investigation.”

All four men had been caught up in one of Trevor Lawrence’s—better known as Zeus, the dead president of the Horsemen—blackmail schemes. Zeus had this bright idea to send underage girls with fake IDs into bars to seduce police officers and have the girl record the encounters. Zeus could then use the recordings to blackmail the cops. Unfortunately, Zeus’s fucked-up plan had worked. The girls didn’t look underage, they were in bars drinking, and the unsuspecting officers took the bait, resulting in one of the girls taking her life and one of those cops kidnapped Zeus’s sister, Jane, for ransom.

“I’m uncertain how I feel about them not being charged,” Cole muttered.

“That makes two of us,” Brasco returned. “It’s screwed up all the way around. If it makes you feel better the girls’ parents were interviewed. None of them wanted to press charges.”

“Not sure if that was my daughter I’d be so understanding,” Davis put in.

I glanced across the table at River Kent. The big man looked torn just like the rest of the men in the room.

Girls had been taken advantage of; there should be swift and harsh punishment for that. However, the men who had committed the crime didn’t set out to harm. They didn’t seek the girls out. They hadn’t even approached them. What man asks a woman for her ID to check her age before he takes her home when he met that woman at a bar where she was drinking? On some level, albeit small, they, too, had been taken advantage of.

It was one of those fucked-up situations where there was no clear-cut right answer.

“It feels weird being in here without Jack,” Rhode said from his end of the table.

My gaze went around the room.

Rhode, Reese, Asher, Cole, and Davis.

The six-man team that now made up Takeback.

How things had changed from the seven of us working jobs out of Arizona. There had been a time when we’d been out in the field more than we were home. Now Jack was gone, and the rest of my team were married, or happily shacked up in Asher’s case.

“Jack get off alright?” Brasco asked.

“His flight doesn’t leave until tonight,” I answered.

“The man’s not stupid, he knew we wouldn’t let him leave without a hangover,” Reese added.

“Says the only man who wasn’t hungover this morning,” Asher griped.

“One last thing before we go,” River started with his eyes firmly on Reese. “Got word Josh Pierce is in Bend, Oregon.”

Josh Pierce, or Grinder, was a member of the Horsemen. He was also Sadie’s brother. The man had been a pain in Reese’s ass since he’d hooked up with Sadie.

“Good,” Reese grumbled.

“That’s all we’ve got.” Brasco stood.

“Appreciate you coming in.”

After a round of goodbyes the detectives left.

Five men remained, all eyes on me and not because they were waiting for a case briefing. Though I had one of those to give.

I leaned back in my chair and waited.

Unsurprisingly, it was Rhode who started. “How’s Atlee?”

Not how I thought he’d start.

“She’s fine.”

And she was as of an hour ago when I’d last spoken to her.

That was, spoke to her on the phone. I hadn’t seen her since I’d left Vegas ten days ago.

“Is there a reason you’re here and she’s there?” Asher asked the same question he’d asked fifty times in the last week.

“She asked me to leave.”

“And you left.” Asher shook his head.

I wished Jack was here to back me up. He’d been there, in Atlee’s condo, when I told her I was staying in Vegas with her and she told me to leave. He’d been there when I reminded her she said she’d loved me and she still kicked me out. He’d also been there when Atlee squared her shoulders, pulled up all that attitude I loved, and told me she needed time and I was going to give it to her.

“She wanted time, I’m giving that to her.”

“Some asshole once told me women take on shit that is not theirs to bear and they do it quietly until the weight’s so heavy they can’t see their way out of it. That same asshole told me not to let it fester and to dig it out,” Rhode smoothly rejoined. “Wait, that was you. You’re the asshole who gave me that advice.”

My teeth clenched.

“I think I remember someone once telling me to love my woman harder than the memories that weighed her down,” Davis threw out and looked at me. “So the new question is, are you going to let Atlee love you harder than your memories?”

“Yes.”

My answer was met with silence.

“She has until this weekend, then I’m going back to Vegas,” I told them. “She wanted time, I gave it to her. I also gave it to myself. I needed to make sure when I went back to her I was free and clear.”

The last ten days had been an excruciating exercise of self-reflection. It was an uncomfortable feeling having to admit to myself that over the years I had deluded myself thinking it was the truth. I was guilty of a lot of things, but Barb’s depression wasn’t one of them. Her illness was no one’s fault and the fact that she and her family had hidden it from me would never stop being a course of pain. I’d loved my wife and part of me loving her meant I wanted to give her what she wanted—that didn’t mean I’d failed her.

I’m sorry I never told you. I know you would’ve helped. I just wanted to be normal.

It was the “normal” part that was burned into my soul. Barb thinking she wasn’t normal because of her depression. She was perfect as she was. When I let the guilt slip away, the real memories filtered back in. The good ones. How her kindness and soft heart drew me to her. How funny she was. How sweet and generous. The woman loved unconditionally.

That was who I now remembered.

The tragic end of her life was not the sum of it.

I hadn’t failed her any more than she’d failed me.

That was the hardest pill to swallow—understanding that part of my guilt was really anger at her for leaving me like she had. I couldn’t say my guilt had vanished, but I was no longer feeding it. I wasn’t going home at night and reading Barb’s last letter to me. Not that I needed to read it, I’d long ago memorized every word, but seeing her handwriting was the device I used to torture myself. Kept it fresh in my mind. Made sure I never forgot. Watching that letter burn was my final act of letting her go. It was agonizing watching the words disappear into smoke as much as it was cathartic.

She was at peace.

I was learning how to be.

And now I was ready to fall to my knees and beg Atlee for a chance to prove to her there was no man on this earth who could love her the way I did.

Ten days of torture was a small price to pay for a lifetime of making my woman happy.

“Well, that wasn’t as fun as I thought it’d be,” Davis snickered. “I had some good shit ready to throw at you to make you see reason.”

“You mean you were prepared to plagiarize a bunch of dead philosophers.”

Davis looked at Asher and smirked.

“Don’t be salty. It’s not my fault you can’t read big words and comprehend subtext.”

Asher flipped off Davis and turned back to me.

“You need anything from us?”

For the first time I actually considered an offer of help.

My go-to was to wave off support from my team.

I was done with that shit, too.

“Not right now, but I’ll reach out if I do.”

Asher tipped his head and eyed me.

“What? I told you I was giving Atlee time and taking some for myself. I know I’m quick to throw out advice and quicker to turn it away when it’s offered to me. Introspection sucks, my friend. It forces you to come to terms with all your flaws, not just the ones you want to get rid of.”

The room fell silent again.

I’d known these men for a long time. They were my brothers. Their silence spoke volumes as to how closed off I’d been.

The reminder didn’t feel good. The old me would’ve used that to reinforce my notion I was a failure. Atlee’s Wilson was taking it as an opportunity to do better.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Mia said from the conference room door. “Wilson, you have a call. Jasmin Parker.”

“Thanks, Mia. I’ll take it in my office.”

A few moments later I picked up the phone and answered.

“Jasmin, how are you?”

“I’ve been better.”

That was a loaded statement coming from Jasmin Parker. It could mean anything from one of Z Corps teams was neck-deep trying to prevent a hostile takeover of a small country to fighting warlords in South Sudan, or that her twin boys were up to shenanigans.

“You asked me to call if I met with Catarina Keys,” she went on.

Catarina had taken off the night of the auction rescue. She wasn’t answering my calls and she’d ghosted Jack. I knew from Joan the next morning Cat had quit SOIB, effective immediately. But since then it’d been radio silence.

“How is she?”

“She’s fine. What she’s not is an employee of Z Corps. She turned down my offer.”

Fuck.

I was hoping she’d join Jasmin’s team. Word was Zane Lewis treated his teams like family. Catarina needed that after the shit she’d been through.

“Did she tell you why?”

Jasmin didn’t answer right away. Instead, she blew out a breath. When she spoke again her tone was soft.

“She’s not ready.”

“What’s that mean?”

“She said she had unfinished business she needed to see to.”

That didn’t sound good.

“What aren’t you telling me, Jasmin?”

“A lot,” she admitted. “I get you care about her or you wouldn’t have asked me to check on her. So I’ll give you this to put your mind at ease. She’s strong, and a pissant like Martin Jackson doesn’t have it in him to break her. I want her on my team. She’s smart, her instincts are spot on, I can give her the freedom she needs to utilize her skills. She knows that but still she turned me down. She’s got other ideas for her future and moving to Maryland isn’t in the plan for her. The best I could get from her is she’d contract with us on jobs.”

That didn’t tell me shit.

“She beat the fuck out of Martin. And the way she did it says something different than you implied.”

“Yeah, I bet she did,” Jasmin said. “I can’t think of a woman who would enjoy sitting on a man’s lap while he was sporting an erection she had no desire to feel. But that’s as far as he got with her.”

Thank fuck.

“I appreciate you making the time to call me.”

“I’ll leave you with this, Wilson; Catarina Keys is not a woman who will be kept down. She’s got fire in her belly and the intelligence to outthink most people. She knows what she wants and she’s determined to get it.”

“You’re talking in riddles, Jasmin.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see if your man’s smart enough to solve them.”

With that, she ended the call.

I hung up the phone and leaned back in my chair wondering if it was better to warn Jack or let Cat make her plays without me intervening. Jasmin was correct; Cat was smart, she had good instincts, she didn’t need me getting involved.

But Jack was in over his head.

He didn’t need to be blindsided by a feisty pixie.

* * *

“You’re staringat me like you wanna kiss me, Wilson,” Jack quipped from his spot across from me at the resort’s bar.

I was in the midst of a flashback.

It wasn’t too long ago I’d been sitting in this very seat talking to Pete and Beckett about Jack going to work for Pete in San Diego. And here I was saying goodbye to Jack one last time before he left for the airport.

“I’ve been debating this all day,” I started. “I’m still not sure it’s the right thing but keeping it from you doesn’t feel right.”

“Keep what from me?”

“I talked to Jasmin Parker today.”

Jack came alert.

“She met with Cat. Offered her a job, but Cat turned it down and told Jasmin she has some unfinished business.”

“She quit the SOIB,” Jack bit out.

“Jasmin made it sound like you might be the unfinished business.”

The change in Jack was immediate. His frame went solid, his brows pulled together, and those freakishly dark eyes of his squinted.

“How am I unfinished business?” he grunted. “She fucking ghosted me.”

“I don’t know. The situation in Vegas was intense. Maybe she needed to get her head straight. Maybe she needs time to sort her feelings. Her taking time as such isn’t a bad thing. I don’t have answers, but I didn’t want you blindsided in case she does approach.”

At least that was what I was telling myself. I just hoped I wasn’t making a mistake and leading my friend astray.

Jack looked down at his watch, clearly not wanting to carry on with the topic.

“You have a flight to catch, I’ll let you get to it.”

I stood and offered my hand.

Jack did the same.

“You’ll be missed,” I told him.

“Appreciate all you’ve done for me.” He cleared his throat then added, “I’ll be in touch.”

Yeah, we’d all be in touch. Jack going to work for Pete didn’t mean our friendship would end.

“Call us if you need anything.”

“Will do.” Jack dropped my hand but kept his gaze locked on mine. “Time for you to go get your woman.”

I opened my mouth to tell him the same thing I’d told the others but stopped when his head jerked toward the bar and my gaze followed.

Brunette, pretty face, full lips, curvy in all the right places, long legs, and all mine.

Atlee.

“See ya around, Jack,” I muttered.

Jack’s laughter told me he took no offense to me ditching him in favor of claiming my woman.

The bartender was standing in front of her when I made my approach.

“Boulevardier. Makers,” she told the man. “And whatever he’s having.”

I tried to quell my smile to play along.

“Hibiki,” I added when the bartender looked at me.

I waited until the man turned to make our drinks before I greeted her.

“Princess.”

Those pretty brown eyes I’d missed so damn bad stayed staring straight ahead. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a playful smile.

“What are you doing here?”

She didn’t answer until our drinks were placed in front of us. Then she finally turned. That alluring smile I loved so damn much hit me full force.

She held up her tumbler.

“To a night full of orgasms,” she offered.

I shook my head and amended, “To a lifetime full of really great orgasms.”

“Really great ones,” she drawled.

I leaned in closer, brushed my lips over her cheek, pausing to enjoy the feel of her soft skin under my lips. When I reached her ear I whispered, “I’ll make you a deal, princess.”

“What kind of deal?” she whispered back.

“Say yes and I’ll tell you.”

“Yes.”

I pulled back and saw the anticipation swirling in her eyes.

It was going to suck to deny her what I knew she thought she was getting.

But there were things to talk about.

“Finish your drink, Atlee.”

She slugged it back and set the glass on the bar.

I left mine untouched.

Tonight I’d lost Jack to California.

But Atlee was home and I was never letting her leave.

* * *

Atlee tossedher purse on the couch, her hands went to her hips, and she declared, “Well, that didn’t go as planned.”

Her display of displeasure at not getting her way, especially when what she thought she was getting was orgasms back at her room as the resort, was cute.

I thought twice before I did it, but her pout was more than I could handle, so it didn’t stop me from smiling.

“You think you’re funny?” she asked and kicked off her heels.

“I’m not but you are.”

“So you find it amusing that you haven’t kissed me and I’ve been home for twenty minutes now.”

Home.

Good Christ.

“I’m not going to touch you until we talk.”

Her devilish grin didn’t bode well for me as she made her way across the room.

“What about me touching you?”

She didn’t wait for an answer before her hands went to the buttons of my shirt. And just like that my dick stiffened.

One of my hands went to capture her wrists. The other went to curl around the back of her neck. My dick twitched in my slacks when she trembled.

“I need to tell you something.”

Her gaze lifted and now that I had her attention I swallowed, not knowing where to start.

First things first.

“I love you.”

Her face softened. My girl, so damn pretty.

“I won’t let you leave,” I added.

“Well, that’s good news seeing as all of my belongings are right now in a shipping container on their way to Idaho.”

Well, fuck me.

“No, Atlee, I won’t let you leave here. I want you leaving here with me.”

“Then it’s a good thing I gave the moving company your address.”

My hand around her neck involuntarily flexed.

“I don’t know why you look so shocked. I told you on the plane I was going to fight for you. I can’t very well do that while I’m in Vegas and you’re here.”

“You kicked me out—”

“We’ve talked every day, multiple times a day,” she cut me off. “I needed to pack up my life in Vegas, and, honey, you needed a moment to catch your breath before I barged in and knocked you around until you saw reason.”

“When it comes to you I will never see reason,” I admitted.

“Wilson—”

“I am completely powerless when it comes to you. My love for you is unreasonable and uncontrollable.”

She smiled and nodded.

“I’ll accept that.”

Fuck, but I loved her.

“Now what’s a girl gotta do to get an orgasm around these parts?”

Her quip took me by such surprise I barked out a laugh.

Atlee froze and stared at me.

“I’ve never heard you laugh,” she whispered.

My laughter waned but my smile remained. We’d deal with me loosening up and laughing more after I gave my woman a few orgasms.

“All you have to do is say yes, Atlee.”

“I believe I’ve already said yes. Yet here I stand fully dressed, orgasm-free.”

“You haven’t heard the question.”

“Then spit it out, McCray. I’m dying here.”

I pulled her closer, trapping her hands between us, her lips nothing more than a breath away.

Christ, I’d missed her.

“Marry me, Atlee.”

The rush of her inhale against my lips stole my breath.

Or was it her whispered “Yes” that breathed life back into me?

* * *

I watchedAtlee walk back into the room, wearing my discarded dress shirt. She hadn’t bothered buttoning it, which would’ve been a waste of time. Though she’d found time to put her panties back on.

“Come here, Atlee.” Then I added. “And lose the panties.”

“You need to get ready for work,” she noted but set her mug of coffee on the nightstand before she shimmied the lace down her legs. “Won’t you be late?”

“I’m the boss.”

“Right,” she cooed and climbed on the bed to straddle me. “How could I forget?”

My dick sprang back to life when her bare pussy settled on top of me.

“Seems you have. Lean forward so I can remind you.”

“You’re lucky you have a big dick,” she muttered as she complied.

I was chuckling when I pulled her nipple into my mouth. She was moaning when I released it and moved to the other side to tease the other one with a flick of my tongue.

Before I could tell her to, Atlee’s hand wrapped around my shaft. She shifted up and sank down.

My eyes closed as the feel of her washed over me.

When I opened them she was staring down at me, brown silky hair blanketing us in.

It was just me and her in our own world.

“Love you, Wilson,” she whispered before she sat up.

Her head tipped back, exposing the delicate column of her throat.

My eyes zeroed in on the mark I’d given her last night.

A new kind of possession took hold as she slowly rode me.

“Stop playing around, princess, and fuck your man.”

With her eyes closed and a sexy smile tugging at her lips she rightly responded, “My future husband is bossy.”

After that, my future got down to the business of riding her man.