32. Edu

32

EDU

"Don't get hurt," Lock muttered. "I believe those were the words she said to you."

I winced as he poured alcohol over the wound on my side, then took a pair of tweezers and dug into my body. I gritted my teeth, grabbing the alcohol to numb the pain as best I could. We were in a dirty shack in the middle of Mexico. I was bleeding out, and the rest of the team was hunkered down across the fucking field. What should have been an easy job was ruined when Fox got the brilliant idea to start dancing with Scottie. Yes, it was enjoyable to watch. It also pulled our focus for just long enough to get me stabbed with a fucking stick.

A very sharp, pointy stick. Splinters of wood filled the hole in my side, and that's what Lock was currently trying to remove. I looked down, nearly puking when I saw blood dripping from my skin as he dug the tweezers in again.

On the plus side, we took out the last of the cartels that functioned as a part of The Syndicate. We went in to end this for Cash and succeeded. Down side? Yeah, I had a fucking hole in my body. It was a small price to pay.

"Actually," I panted, "she told me to be safe and then reminded me not to stick my dick in anyone else. "

He snorted. "Well, I can see why she gave you that advice."

"Hey, I'm not that much of an asshole that I would do something like that to her."

He stopped digging and looked up at me with a cocked eyebrow. "Clearly, she feels the same way."

Snarling, I took another swig of alcohol. "Fucking hell, just knock me out."

"How would I get you out of here then? Lay back."

I dropped to my back and stared up at the ceiling as he dug further into my side. The alcohol was doing shit to actually help the pain, but it was enough to make me seriously reevaluate my life choices.

"Do you think she loves me?"

"I think she's stupidly making a choice to be with you when you keep telling her you don't want more."

"Yeah," I nodded. "But do you think she loves me?"

He sighed, pausing his work to look at me. "Are you going to leave her if I say yes?"

I shook my head. "Can't. I think I'm in love with her too."

"I'll remember you said that."

Everything was growing dark around me, and I was pretty sure it wasn't because of the alcohol. I hadn't drunk enough to black out. "Please don't. I'm pretty sure I'll regret this when I wake up."

"What?"

My eyes drifted closed and I saw the concern on Lock's face as he grabbed me by the face, forcing me to look at him. I smiled—well, I thought I did. Who the fuck really knew?

"Hey, don't pass out on me. We still have to get you out of here," he yelled. "You better not kill me for this."

I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but then I saw him pull the packet from his bag. I knew it would fucking hurt, but my brain wouldn't accept what was about to happen.

I felt the jab to the chest before the rush of adrenaline hit. Then I really fucking felt the pain in my chest. The needle was fucking huge. I sat up with a gasp, my eyes wide as saucers as I tried to regulate my heart rate.

"Fucking hell," I grumbled. "That hurt. "

"Well, I need you awake. We have to get to the plane." He slapped a bandage on my side and taped it down. Then he shoved his hands under my arms and hoisted me to my feet.

I grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. "Do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"When we get home, remind me that I said I loved her."

"So you can tell her?"

I shook my head. "No, so I can remind myself how fucking stupid I am."

"We don't need to wait until we get home for me to remind you of that."

I hobbled along beside him as we made our way to the door. "You good?"

"Fucking peachy."

"Good," he said, shoving my gun in my hands. "Because it's gonna be close, and I would really appreciate it if we could get back to Juliette in one piece."

"And without my dick in another woman."

"Hey, I make no guarantees," he chastised. "I have no control over your dick."

He shoved the door open and light pierced my eyes. With the adrenaline coursing through me, everything seemed sharper, clearer. I moved with a speed I hadn't thought possible, letting my body do what came naturally. With my weapon in my hand, I fired at anyone who dared come near us. Lock got us moving to the extraction point, keeping me upright along the way.

"Nine o'clock!" he shouted.

I turned and fired without thinking. Chaos swirled around us, but half of that was the medicine pumping through my veins. I didn't think as I fired at the men charging us. Their numbers were dwindling by the second—half of them fled after we took out their leader. All that was left now were the few members of the cartels who were still hopeful they could rebuild and take over, but that wouldn't happen for years.

"Up ahead!" Lock shouted.

I nearly shot my the wrong guys at Lock's words. Thankfully, I had my wits about me enough to realize the men ahead of us were my own teammates.

"Jesus, Lock, I nearly shot them!"

"Stop bitching. You didn't."

We stopped running about a half mile from the extraction point. My legs were shaking and blood was still seeping from my wound. I gave myself another ten minutes before the adrenaline wore off. I could already feel the effects slowly dimming.

"How long until Max gets here?" I panted.

"He's still five minutes out."

I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut as the pain started to become more pronounced. Brock ran over, taking up my other arm. I was more than grateful for the help. Conserving my energy would help before I crashed and everything started coming back.

"What the fuck, Edu? Do not get shot. They were simple fucking orders from Harper. Now we're all going to have to hear about it."

"Actually, it was stay safe," I muttered.

"And don't stick your dick in another woman," Lock added.

"At least we can say he kept up one end of the bargain."

As they lowered me to the ground, I laid back, thinking of all the ways I could spin this. "You know, it's really not that bad. I can spin this in my favor."

"How do you figure?" Brock asked.

I lifted my head and looked down at the blood-soaked bandage. "I'll tell her it's just a scratch."

"That's leaking half the blood from your body?" Lock asked.

"It's not really that bad."

"No, you're right," he nodded.

I screamed as he pressed down hard on the wound. It felt like he was tearing my insides out. "Fucking hell! What are you doing?"

"You said it was just a scratch," he countered. "I'm sorry, did that hurt more than a scratch?"

"A fucking paper cut feels worse than this, but you don't see me pressing down on them," I shouted.

"You know, it's not a bad idea," Brock said to Lock. "We'll just cut him all over the place with paper. Then she won't notice the massive hole in his side."

"It's not that big," I panted, pressing my hand to the wound. "It's like…what, maybe an inch wide?"

"Yeah, I know when I walk around with an inch-wide hole in my side, I'm completely fucking fine!" Lock ended with a shout.

I winced at how loud he was being. "You know, you're usually supposed to be nice to the guy with the hole in him."

"Sure, I'll be nice. Meanwhile, we have to find a way to return you to your woman without her flipping the fuck out," Lock snapped.

"It's part of the job," I argued. "If she can't handle it, then she has no business being with a guy like me."

"Right, that'll go over well," Brock snorted. "While she has tears streaming down her face and is freaking out over the fact that you've got a hole in your side, you can reprimand her for showing her true feelings. That she actually cares," he reiterated.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You know, you're so fucking dramatic. She won't cry."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I want you to think of something. Remember what it felt like when you found out she was in an accident? Remember that churning feeling in your gut, like you were going to throw up because of how much pain she was in?"

I did remember that.

"Remember how upset you were and how you stayed by her side for weeks because she was hurt? Do you really think she's not gonna fucking cry?"

I dropped my head to the ground. "Shit. I'm in trouble."

"You're worse than in trouble," Lock nodded. "You're fucked."

"How ya feelin'?" Lock asked. "Is the bandage holding?"

I nodded, pressing my hand to it again. "Yeah, it feels good."

"The limp is mostly gone," Brock said, watching me walk. "You're going to have to do better if you want to fool her."

I blew out a breath, trying to stay calm as she pulled into the drive at OPS. "I just have to get her to leave. I'm gonna tell her that the team has to be briefed first."

"That's a good plan. What about tonight?"

I shook my head, unsure how I was going to want to handle that. "She's gonna want to have sex. It's gonna be hard."

"You hope so," Brock laughed.

"Go for the blow job," Lock said, ignoring Brock's comment. "You don't have to take off your shirt and she'll never see the bandage."

"That's a good idea," I nodded. "I like that."

"And don't forget the cream," Brock said, shoving it in my hands. "Keep the area numb so it doesn't hurt so much."

"I could use a fucking pain pill right about now," I muttered.

Lock jerked me around by the arm, slapping me on the face. "Hey, are you a pussy? Do you really need a fucking pill for the pain?"

"I—"

"No, you don't. You're a badass warrior. Your woman is here and she's going to cry if she sees you in pain. Are you gonna let those tears fall?"

"Um…"

"No, you're not. You're going to go home, fuck your woman through the pain, and then get some fucking rest so you can do it all over again tomorrow. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Brock snorted behind me. "He guesses so. Amateur."

"Yeah, we'll see how much he can take when he sees the tears dripping down her face."

"And it's not just the tears," Brock added. "When they get all weepy and worry about you dropping dead…that'll tear your fucking heart out."

"But he'll be fine," Lock scoffed.

I was about to argue that I wasn't exactly saying that when Harper walked up to the truck with a big grin on her face. She didn't know about the silo yet, and with the building burnt down, there was nowhere else to go.

She flung her arms around me, nearly knocking me to the ground. I felt Lock and Brock steadying me with hands on my back. This is what it took. Teamwork.

"Hey, Pookie! I'm so glad to see you in one piece. You listened to me, right?"

I cocked a grin at her. "My dick stayed firmly in my pants."

"And the other thing?"

"Am I here?" Her smile slipped slightly as her eyes narrowed. But I grinned wider at her and laughed. "Of course I'm safe. It's all good."

She bit her lip, leaning in closer. "Good, because I have a welcome home present for you," she said, giving me a peek through her shirt that was unbuttoned just a little more than necessary.

Brock choked out a laugh that he quickly covered up, and Lock groaned at my luck.

"Fantastic. I can't wait to see it."

"In private. It's not the kind of gift you want me to share with anyone else."

"Yeah, I got that," I muttered.

"So, shall we go to your house?"

"Uh… definitely."

She slid her arm through mine and started dragging me away, but it was faster than I was hoping we would move. Plus, I'd been standing for too long and the pain was starting to ramp up. My legs started wiggling as I walked and I panicked that I was going to fall to the ground.

"Lock!" I shouted, not thinking clearly.

He was by my side in a second, wrapping his arm around me to hold me up.

Harper cocked her head at me, giving me a strange look. "What's going on?"

"Uh…nothing," Lock laughed. "It's just…we're so close. And…after a mission, we like to…stick together."

She laughed, but I could tell she thought this was weird. "You guys grab beers or something?"

"And just hang out," Lock said, gripping me tighter.

"Yeah," Brock laughed, taking up Lock's other side to make it look less weird. "We stick together. We're one big happy family. "

"Great," she chuckled. "But you're not going to be around the whole night, are you?"

Lock looked at me and laughed nervously. "Who knows?"

Before long, we were back at my house. I was sweating hard, but I covered it as best I could, gripping the couch hard as I struggled to stay on my feet.

"Maybe you could get us some beer," I called out to Harper as she set down her stuff.

"Sure." She looked at me weirdly.

Yes, I was putting off sex, and she knew that wasn't like me. As soon as she was gone, I nearly collapsed on the floor. Brock grabbed her purse, digging through it.

"You look like shit. Does she have any makeup?"

"I'm not putting on makeup," I hissed.

"Would you rather her see how pale you are?"

I cursed under my breath as he grabbed the powder compact and took out the pad in the case. He quickly dabbed the makeup across my skin, hopefully making me appear less like the zombie I felt like. Lock cleared his throat and Brock stepped back, hiding the compact in his hands behind his back.

I grinned at Harper, taking the beer with a shaky hand. "Thanks, Pookie."

"Pookie," Lock chuckled under his breath.

I would have hit him if it weren't for the fact that I was barely standing. "You wanna watch a movie?" Please, God, let her want to watch a movie.

"I was actually thinking we could…move this into the bedroom."

I had no words to explain to her how bad an idea that was. The seconds ticked past, and thankfully, Lock rushed around me, grabbing me by the arm. "Actually, the uh…evening rituals haven't concluded yet. We still have to…perform the…nightly ceremony."

"The nightly ceremony," she repeated.

"Yeah, we uh…sit on the couch together and…" His eyes flicked to Brock.

"We massage each other's feet," Brock continued. "I have a special lotion we use. It helps promote healing." He pulled the numbing salve out of his pocket and jiggled it slightly in front of her face. "See?"

"You…rub each other's feet?"

Yes, it was creepy as hell, but I had no other ideas right now. They were giving me a way out, and I was damn well gonna take it. "It's a tradition," I smiled. "Maybe you want to give us a few minutes alone."

Her eyes widened as she stared at me in horror. "You want to be alone? Rubbing each other's feet?"

"Just for a few minutes. It's sort of a…personal thing."

She stumbled back a step. "I had no idea." She looked at Brock and Lock, then lowered her voice. "Do…the other wives know about this?"

"Oh, yeah," Brock nodded. "They're totally cool with it."

"Um…Edu, I'm not sure I'm okay with this. It's a little creepy."

"Creepy?" I laughed. "What's so creepy about—" And then I realized that she thought we were taking a few minutes to do other things than…massage each other's feet. I cleared my throat, and that's when I got caught.

"Is—is that makeup on your face?"

My eyes widened and I took a step back, tripping over my own feet. "What?"

"Are you wearing makeup?"

The nervous chuckle that left my lips was almost my undoing. "Why would I wear makeup?"

"Why would you massage another man's feet?" she retorted.

I licked my lips nervously. There was no way out of this. I was going down with the ship, and it was going to be an icy cold death. "Look, it's not what it looks like."

"I certainly hope not," she snapped.

"Uh…I think that's our cue to leave," Lock said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"Don't you go anywhere," Harper ordered.

I felt my own balls crawl up inside my body. I was pretty sure they felt the same way. "Pookie."

"Don't you dare call me Pookie. What's really going on?"

"I—" I had no excuse. No good way to break it to her. "Before you get upset, just hear me out. "

She gave a swift nod.

"I may have broken my word to you."

She exploded in anger. "You fucked another woman?"

"What? No! I…" I lifted my shirt, showing her the bandage covering my wound.

Silence filled the house and I glanced at Lock. He shot me an unknowing look, shrugging slightly. There was no telling how hard she would cry or how long it would last. All I knew was that whatever happened, I had to be sensitive to her feelings. After all, this was all new to her.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"It's a long story, but…basically, I was stabbed."

She covered her mouth, staring at me in horror. "Stabbed?"

"Pookie, I'll be okay with a couple of days of rest."

The silence was unbearable. I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her as she wept, but there was something odd about her face. There were no tears.

"Pookie?"

Her eyes flicked up to me and then she unleashed her anger on me. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I gave you two jobs! You were supposed to stay safe and not stick your cock in anyone. You could only manage one of those things? I think between the two, you should have managed to stay safe a hell of a lot easier!"

I shook my head in confusion. "You…would have rather me slept with another woman?"

"It would have been a hell of a lot easier to deal with. Seriously, I can't believe you suck this much at staying safe. Didn't they teach you that in the army?"

"I was a Marine," I said stupidly.

"Then you'd better go back to boot camp because you suck at this whole protecting yourself thing."

She marched out the door, slamming it hard behind her. I winced at the noise, turning to the others. I didn't know what to say.

It was Brock who finally spoke. "Does that mean you get to fuck other women?"