Chapter 31

I was in the conference room grabbing a file I'd left after the team briefing when my cell vibrated in my back pocket. I pulled it from my jeans and looked at the screen.

I was smiling when I answered, "Hey, Dutch."

"I've lost you to Silver."

He wasn't wrong.

In the two weeks since my father had been shot, I'd redecorated—or I should say decorated—Easton's office, making it officially our office. I liked working at Headquarters, which was how I thought of the Annapolis office since the cat was out of the bag so to speak and everyone knew of Black's existence and about The Ranch.

"I'm still on call when you need me."

"No, Dove. It's time."

"Dutch—"

"I want you free and clear. No more shadows."

I stared at the table, unseeing.

I'd had two weeks of constant reminders. Two weeks of building friendships that didn't need building as such. The foundation was already there, rooted in family. It was the trust and loyalty we were building. Two really great weeks with Easton, with no trauma, no secrets, no lies, nothing big being revealed other than he was a neat freak. And that wasn't so big as much as it was worrisome. I wasn't a slob but I wasn't big on living in a showplace. I'd grown up with that and as soon as I had my own place, I went for a lived-in look. Comfortable, inviting even, if I'd ever had any intention of inviting anyone into my space.

Even with the reminders, all the good I'd had, I still wasn't prepared. It wasn't what Dutch said, it was how he'd said it. Which made me realize he cared about me. All these years I'd had a version of what Zane gave his men, I'd just been too blinded by the need to guard myself against everyone that I'd missed it.

"Dutch," I whispered.

"Been waiting a long time for this. Pleased as fuck you found it. More pleased you found it with a good man I didn't have to investigate and find he wasn't good enough for my girl, then send Badger out to disappear him."

Dutch would totally do that. And Badger would happily disappear someone if that someone wasn't good for me.

Yeah, I'd missed it.

But I sure as hell wasn't missing anything now.

My eyes were wide open. And that came with my mouth now running away with itself.

"Am I allowed to come visit you?"

"I'd be pissed if you didn't."

Translation: he'd be hurt.

Hell, yeah, I wasn't missing a single thing.

"Once things settle down, Easton and I will come out."

"Heard your father's being released soon and Pidge is taking him home."

"You heard right."

Tomorrow was the day and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Easton and I had visited every day after work. Every day my mother was sitting vigil at my father's side. Every day I saw a side of my dad I'd never seen. He stared at my mother like he couldn't believe she was real. And she looked at him with regret and yearning. I wanted to see more of that but my father was chomping at the bit to get out of the hospital, and bitched about it insistently.

I also wanted Charlie to spend more time with Easton now that Easton had warmed up to him. It was strange, in the sense I never thought I'd have my mom and dad in the same room as my man. Seeing as I thought my mom was dead, that would've been an impossibility. But in a plot twist I didn't see coming, I had that now and I wasn't ready to give it up.

I couldn't say all was right in the crazy world of the Bauer-Michaels family but Anna and Charlie were putting in the work to repair what had been broken with all of us. This included admitting that they'd been deeply in love (something I knew) and had been in a relationship for many years without me knowing. Around the time Anna caught wind Zenith was looking for her, Anna and Charlie had decided it was time to tell me about the relationship in preparation for us becoming a family. That broke my heart. But Easton, being Easton, giving me everything I needed held me while I cried over two people I loved losing so much. I cried for all that I could've had, all that I lost, and all I would never have. Thankfully Easton was generous with his soft, gentle wisdom reminding me I had it now and I had a choice—look back or look forward.

I choose the future.

"Got some business to discuss," he went on.

"Hit me."

I heard him chuckle and through that he muttered, "Those people have ruined you."

Translation: Those people fixed what was broken inside you and I'm all kinds of happy.

Okay, the all kinds of happy wasn't a direct translation, but that was my interpretation.

"Are you going to tell me what you need to tell me or hand me shit?"

"I'm gonna tell you, darlin'. We got nothing on Patricia. She managed to keep herself clean."

"Kira didn't find anything either."

"If Kira didn't find it, I know she'd punt it to Garrett. If neither found anything there's nothing to be found. Can't send a team out with proof."

He was correct. Black might work in the morally grey but the morality part of that didn't waver. If there wasn't proof, no action would be taken.

"So she walks," I noted. "What about Wentworth? Bishop have any luck getting him to talk?"

"When hasn't Bishop gotten the intel we needed?"

That would be never. The difference between Kira and Bishop was he gathered his intel up close and personal.

"Never," I answered. "What'd he get?"

"Black's handling this."

I didn't like that. I wanted to know the full scope of what Maddon had done and what other connections he had.

"Maddon is mine."

"Maddon is dead. It's over. Wentworth is supplying everything we need to get Badger and the team ready. He's doing that hoping at the end he'll remain breathing even if it means he does that with an extended stay in Bogota in the less than luxurious accommodations he's not used to but currently occupying. We've funneled his money into our accounts. He has nothing but a pipedream Bishop is feeling friendly when he's done."

Bishop never felt friendly.

"Fine," I snapped, knowing I wouldn't get more out of him. "But I want you to know I'm not happy you're cutting me out of all the fun. Easton selfishly took Maddon from me and now you're taking the rest. Just because I have girly parts doesn't mean I can't handle business."

There was a beat of silence that stretched into seconds.

Then my old boss busted a gut with his roaring laughter.

"Good thing that mediator gig is done for you, Dove. That attitude you've found isn't conducive to swinging deals."

Whatever.

"You should give Stella a call. Maybe she's ready to settle down."

"That woman has the disposition of a Rottweiler. A snarling, slobbering one just waiting to take a bite out of you. And she's not the type of woman a man can settle down."

Um…what?

Dutch sounded like he wanted to be the man who tried to settle her down.

Unfortunately, he was right. My friend-slash-enemy would take a bite out of anyone who tried such a thing.

She was missing out.

Totally.

"I'll let you get back to work, Nebraska. Just one favor."

There was no hesitation when I answered, "Anything."

"Give Zane hell."

Since I was already doing that, the favor was moot.

"Done."

Dutch disconnected and I got back to work.

But not before I found my man in a gym down in the basement and gave him a sweaty kiss—him being shirtless and sweaty led to the door being locked and the kissing moved to other more pleasurable parts of my body, before I gave him a mid-afternoon blowjob.

One could not say there weren't a lot of perks working at HQ with your man. And afternoon orgasms were only part of that.

A month later

I was in the kitchen with Easton. That was to say, I was keeping him company while he made supper. He was a far better cook than I was. He also insisted he did most of the cooking and this wasn't because he was a better cook. It was one of the many ways he took care of me. Who was I to complain if my guy wanted to feed me, and while in pursuit of that endeavor he looked hot wearing an apron? He had many. They all had graphics on the front that varied from silly to raunchy but they all were hilarious.

Easton was pulling the chicken parm that the smell of had my mouth watering when my phone rang.

As an unspoken rule, neither of us answered our calls or texts after dinner. That was our time. If work needed one of us, they knew to hang up and call back and the phone would be checked. That had only happened once in the last month and it was Zane calling Easton in to back up Jasmin on a case she'd been working on. That was the only night I'd gone to bed without Easton next to me. He'd come home in the middle of night. I'd woken up long enough to ascertain he didn't need medical attention then fell back asleep. Meaning he was there when I woke up. One night without, but not a single morning.

Since dinner hadn't been consumed I checked my phone.

Stella.

That could mean anything, and some of that not good.

"I have to take this," I told Easton and tapped the screen. "Everything okay?"

At my greeting Easton gave me his attention.

"You tell me. I heard you're out and all loved up, living in domestic bliss."

She sounded absolutely disgusted. I felt my lips curve up into a smile.

"Word gets around."

"It does when your badass man and the Viper King spread that shit far, making sure no one forgets you're under their protection and if anyone breathes wrong in your direction they'll be picking their balls out of their teeth."

That was oddly detailed and I wondered if that had been the exact message Zane had sent. Knowing him, it was. He could get creative with his promises. And I say that because Zane doesn't threaten, and neither did Easton.

I kept my gaze on Easton when I told her, "It's good to hear my man has my back."

"So it's true. You're shacked up with Easton Spears."

She didn't sound disgusted now, just curious.

A few months ago, I never would've confirmed my location or something so personal.

But I was a new me and I was shacked up with Easton—sort of. It wasn't official that I was living with him. He hadn't asked, but when Anna had sorted my condo and packed my stuff she'd mailed some boxes to Maryland and stored the rest, including my furniture in one of my father's big garages. Those boxes, minus the clothes I needed out of them, were stacked in Easton's basement. He hadn't invited me to unpack them, so there they stayed.

But still, I gave her an affirmative answer even if I didn't know if it was true.

"I am."

"When I get back to the States you owe me a drink."

"You know you can no longer get me drunk and torture intel out of me. The Prince of Pussy was the last of that."

Easton's eyes narrowed.

It was cute.

A look I didn't see on him often. Hot—always. Sexy—all the time. Badass—it was his nature so it poured out of him. Cute—only on a rare occasion, usually in the morning after he'd given me soft and gentle and sweet.

"So dramatic," she huffed. "I didn't torture you."

"It wasn't you hugging the porcelain the next morning."

"Just wait until you've got mini-Eastons planted in your belly and you're worshiping on the throne of the porcelain goddess, pondering the error of your ways letting his inherent badass sexiness inject you with his badass swimmers."

Ew.

But there you go. Easton's badassness couldn't be denied, neither could his sexiness.

"If the time comes I've been impregnated by Easton's super sperm, I'll make sure to let you know how that's going."

"If? You mean when."

That was not from Stella.

"If I tell you your man has a sexy voice, would you shoot me?"

"No, I'd slice your throat."

"Good to hear my Dove's still in there, even if she's buried under happiness and shit."

With that, Stella disconnected.

My Dove.

Translation: I'm happy for you, sis.

It would seem my frenemy wasn't so much an enemy as she was a friend. Not that I had any notions Lore wasn't Lore and she'd take care of herself above all else.

I put my phone down on the counter but didn't have time to do much else before Easton was in my space.

"Did you hear me?"

"Hear what?"

"Not if. When," he repeated

My heart rate ticked up.

I didn't know what to say so I said nothing, hoping my heart would stop pumping over time, making my head fuzzy, so that I could think of what to say.

"If you don't want kids, we'll talk—"

"I want kids," I blurted out.

His hand came up and cupped my jaw. His thumb glided over the apple of my cheek. The gentleness of it did nothing to slow my now erratic breathing.

"Then why'd your face go pale?"

Was he serious?

"Maybe because you just told me you wanted to have babies with me and that freaks me out."

"Why does it freak you?"

Again, was he serious?

"Um." I didn't get any further because I couldn't string a sentence together that was long enough to explain why him telling me he wanted babies with me would freak me the hell out.

"You love me?"

I felt my body jerk and my neck snap back. The movements were painful.

Terror leaked in.

Not fear that I loved him but bone-deep fear he didn't love me back. Rationally, I knew he loved me. He'd never said it but he showed it. But there was nothing rational about my lungs burning and my heart thumping. There was nothing rational about worrying about those boxes in the basement. Every once in a while—not often, but sometimes—the irrational, scared part of me I'd yet to eradicate reared its ugly head.

"Why?" I stammered.

"Because I want you to say it so I can tell you how crazy in love I am with you. I want you to say it so I can feel it and lock it down deep so I'll never forget the first time you gave me the words. I know you love me. But still I want the words, baby."

If it was possible for a heart to explode with happiness and still keep pounding in a chest—that was what was happening to me.

Right there in Easton's kitchen I felt like I'd died from happiness and had been resurrected by love.

Which only seemed fitting. It was because of him I laid Dove to rest, only keeping the parts of her I wanted. And with that, the real me was born.

Nebraska.

Easton's Nebraska.

Zane's Nebraska.

The Nebraska who belonged to a huge, obnoxious family that loved so hard it was scary to comprehend the enormity of their love.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, baby." Easton did not whisper.

And now I knew why he wanted the words. They were soft and warm and blazed a trail to my soul.

"Unpack."

He was talking about the boxes.

Of course he'd bring those up now.

He took care of me.

"Babies—" he started.

"When we're ready I want that," I cut in, perhaps too eagerly.

Easton's smile refuted that thought. Not too eager.

"Now, about Greece…" He let that hang.

So I gave it to him straight.

"Greece is still on the table with a slightly modified plan. Instead of a cute one-bedroom cottage, I want a house big enough for a family. I want a place for us to take our family and disconnect from the outside world. When we're not using it, the rest of the family can. It'll be a family retreat for us and our extended family."

"Not sure those broke dicks can pony up to help pay for a seaside retreat."

He was full of shit. I knew from personal experience what Zane paid. It was more than generous and not a single person on the team was broke. If I had to guess they were wealthy.

"Then it's a good thing I'm loaded."

"Yeah, baby, good thing."

Easton stepped back, tagged my hand, and started pulling me out of the kitchen.

"Where are we going?"

"You love me?"

"Yes."

"Then we're celebrating. And as hot as fucking you on the kitchen counter is, and you riding me on the couch is on my top-ten spots to watch you fuck me, neither of those places say celebration. I want a bed, our bed, the place where I hold you when you go to sleep and wake up next to you, to be the first place you tell me you love me while I'm inside of you. After dinner, you can fuck me on the couch and scream it. Tomorrow, maybe the kitchen, though likely it'll be the shower; the way your breath hitches when I bang you against the wall drives me crazy. I reckon hearing that hitch and you telling me you love me will make me lose my mind."

Easton losing his mind meant good things for me.

"I love you," I told him.

Easton quickened his pace.

"Quiet."

"I love you."

We were in the middle of the living room when he abruptly stopped.

"I love you."

That did it.

With a growl that sent excitement drenching my panties, Easton spun me to face him.

His hands went to my cheeks. He yanked me forward. My hands went to his chest to stop my fall and in all that Easton had given me, he gave me better.

"I fucking love you."

His lips hit mine and he sealed his words with the best kiss of my life.

A kiss that reached my soul.