Epilogue

Diego

The sun shining on my face felt like heaven. There was something about the open water that brought most of our group peace. Every time we got together, without it involving a mission, we tried to do something outdoors. Now that our group was so large, it was even more important to find the perfect vacation spot. This year, they let Roni pick—and man, she didn't disappoint.

I had no idea that her dad owned a yacht with its own staff, but I should have known. We all laid out in our bathing suits, basking in the sun and drinking the fruity drinks and beer that the yacht's waitress brought us. With a private chef, two waitresses, and the captain, we were spoiled.

"You know, I could get used to this," Natalia said as she sipped her drink.

"Could you?" Yates asked. He looked over at Christine. "I think you know what Natalia wants for Christmas." He snickered, and the rest of the group laughed at how ridiculous he was.

"I don't know, I'm kind of hot. I don't know if I could get used to the constant heat. It was uncomfortable in Vegas, and it was uncomfortable in Syria. The water amplifies it even more," Jasmine said.

"Need help cooling down?" Jones asked her sweetly.

She nodded. "Yes, could you get me an ice pack or something?"

"No need," he said as he stood up and leaned forward.

Christine and Abbi cackled, already knowing what was about to happen. Jones had a mysterious twinkle in his eye as he stepped toward Jasmine.

"Don't you do it," she warned.

He closed the distance between them and shoved his arms under her, cradling her in his arms.

"William Jones! You put me down right this second!" Jasmine screamed.

"You got it, boss." He smirked as he took a running leap over the side of the yacht and into the water.

Her squeal when she hit the water had us all laughing. The rest of the guys made eye contact with each other, all on the same page. The girls were smart; they immediately stood up and ran toward the center of the boat, down toward the cabins.

I wrapped my arms around Roni's middle and threw her over my shoulder. I looked out at the water surrounding the yacht. Two separate boats kept their distance, the Secret Service detail keeping a watchful eye. None of the agents moved a muscle as I took a leap, and Roni and I went over the side of the boat.

The water was refreshing as we plunged ten feet below the surface of the water and then surfaced. She looked sexy as sin as her face slowly raised above the water's surface.

"That was evil," she said with a grin.

"Did you expect anything less from your high school bully?" I teased.

She shook her head. "No, how could I?" Her sexy smile made me feel like the luckiest man, because I put that on her face.

The rest of our friends swam over, and we all treaded water in a large circle.

"I don't want to leave," Christine whined. Our vacation came to an end tomorrow. "I'm going to miss you guys. I hate that we are so spread out across the country."

"Are you kidding me?" Yates asked. "I'd get sick of you all if it weren't for the distance."

Wells put a hand on Yates head and pushed him under. Yates fought and came up for air laughing.

"I wish it didn't end, either, but we've got to finish the wedding planning," Jasmine said with a sigh.

"Only two more months to go. Are you excited?" Abbi asked.

Jasmine and Jones both looked at each other with a smile before they turned their heads our way and nodded. "Can't wait to make it impossible for her to leave me. I'm just waiting for the day when she realizes she can do better," Jones teased.

"I might be able to do better than you, but I won't ever get a better shower than that custom one you designed. It's Heaven on Earth."

Roni snorted.

"Attracted her with my looks, kept her around with my shower. What do you know?"

We all laughed at how ridiculous that sounded.

"What about you two? What are your wedding plans?" Mendez asked me and Roni.

"Besides our date and location, we don't have much planned. I think my mom wanted to take that over for us, and I'm more than happy to let her. I'm up to my eyeballs in cases. I don't have time to think about what I'm going to wear for a normal day of work, so planning an entire wedding day seems overwhelming," Roni answered.

"If you need any help, you have the four of us," Abbi offered.

"You might regret that offer," I teased.

I watched Roni as she floated, carefree, surrounded by our friends, enjoying life in a way she never had before. It filled me with a sense of ease and happiness I'd never felt either.

I couldn't wait for our surprise vacation to my cabin in Alaska. Her father refused to take his money back. In fact, he insisted that I keep it.

After a week of brainstorming what I wanted to do with it, I decided to invest it into remodeling the cabin. Roni had no idea, but the contractor just finished up work, and she was going to be surprised by all the changes. She'd have luxury in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, with indoor plumbing, a sunroom addition, and a nice modern kitchen.

"What are you thinking about?" Roni asked. Our friends had all coupled off, floating in blissful peace.

"Just about my wedding gift to you," I teased.

"Oh, come on, you know I don't like surprises. Now you've got to tell me," she countered. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I treaded water, keeping our heads above the surface.

"No. You'll just have to wait and see." I placed my lips on hers.

She pulled back with a smile. "Is this just a ploy to make sure I don't change my mind and I walk down the aisle?"

I pretended to look offended. "Me, bribing you? Never!"

She laughed and kissed me again. Her lips formed a smile against mine.

"Good, because it's illegal to bribe a government official," she teased. "I've got a set of handcuffs back in the room to arrest you if need be."

"Don't tempt me with a good time," I countered.

She smiled as she put her hands on my shoulders and pushed me under. Little bubbles of oxygen escaped my mouth as I laughed and pulled her down with me.

Together we'd have a lifetime of playfulness and laughter, and I couldn't wait to make it official.