36 Ford

Ford

It was over.

Holy shit. It was fucking over.

Lipton was going away for a long time. We’d turned over a mountain of evidence that even the best team of lawyers wouldn’t be able to dig him out of.

I’d spent twelve hours locked in an interrogation room. I had to give my statement, over and over again. As much as I hated it, I understood why. Hell, that was my life, being on the other side of that table. I knew the point of getting someone to repeat their story multiple times was to poke holes in it. Just like asking them the same question in three different ways was designed to trip them up.

SAIC Silva ended the interrogation saying I was “in the clear, and free to go.” I’d actually gotten quite a few handshakes and pats on the back as I made my exit.

It left me feeling… well, I wasn’t sure I could say.

I didn’t regret my decision. It wasn’t that. I guess I should have just been happy that I went out on a high note and I’d aided in taking down one of the biggest child pornography and sex trafficking rings the FBI had seen since the late eighties.

It would be a long process of cleaning up the group once it folded in on itself, but I felt safe turning it over. The case was in good hands.

I paused at the door to leave the FBI office building in Atlanta. A smile spread on my face when I saw Austin outside. He was pacing like a caged lion, looking about ready to come charging in here. His face was still bruised, but it didn’t take away from how fierce and beautiful he looked.

After getting filled in about Lipton’s capture by Keller, I’d decided to turn myself in before Austin returned to Atlanta. I was hoping it would cut down our time apart, but I had to wait for SAIC Silva to make it down here to interrogate me. I’d asked about Austin, and Silva told me he and the others had been cleared.

To say I wasn’t pissed at Austin would have been a lie. I hadn’t talked to him in days. He’d left without even telling me. All I knew from Reed was that Austin came up with an idea and he was working on something. Austin was gone and he didn’t answer his phone. And it wasn’t like I could leave the penthouse to even attempt to track him down. He could have been dead for all I knew. So, yeah, I had every right to be pissed.

But… I couldn’t stay mad at him.

I pushed the door open and it caught his attention. He froze, eyes staring at me like he had to make sure I was real.

The relief was instant the moment our eyes locked. I’d been worried about him just as much as he’d been worried about me. After all he did to keep me safe and clear my name, the least I could do was not be mad at him over it.

The last few days had been even more exhausting than the nearly two weeks I’d spent on the run. But having Lipton in custody certainly made it less terrifying.

We could finally breathe.

I walked right up to him and stopped once the tips of our shoes were touching.

“Well, hello, Mr. Agent Ford Priestley,” he teased with a crooked smirk, causing me to snort and shake my head.

“Call me Ford.”

“Just Ford?” He tried to bite his lip to hide a smile, but it slipped out anyway. “How about I call you mine?”

This time, I was the one who couldn’t hold back a smile.

“Is that supposed to be a pick-up line?” I asked.

“You know,” he said, his eyes rolling skyward like he was taking a moment to think. “I’ve never really used one of those before.”

“I don’t think you should start now,” I told him teasingly.

“I suppose I don’t really need to.” He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me into his body. His lips brushed against mine, but he didn’t kiss me. “I got what I want.”

He kissed me quickly. We were awkwardly standing outside of a federal building, so I appreciated it. Then again, part of me didn’t give a fuck.

“So you’ve got me and that’s it?” I teased.

“What?” His head reared back. “Hell, no. Now I get the pleasure of keepin’ you happy for the rest of our lives.”

My brows went up in surprise and I was stunned into silence.

“Too much?” he asked, pulling away.

“No,” I snapped as I grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pulled him back into me. My hand went flat against his chest and his heart was kicking under my palm. “I like your plan. I want in. I want to keep you happy—”

I didn’t get to finish that statement because his mouth was on mine, and this time, the kiss was… well, intense and not appropriate for the setting.

But did I care?

Not one fucking bit.

“So… what now?” I asked after I pulled away and got my wits about me.

“First, I want to stop by and see Reed. Fill him in.” He slipped his hand into mine before turning and walking toward the parking lot. My legs easily kept up with his quick pace.

“Okay,” I said. I needed to thank Reed for everything he’d done and let him know I was alright. “Then what?”

“Uh… whatever the fuck we want?”

“You don’t sound so sure,” I teased as I gave his hand a squeeze.

“I’m not sure of anything,” he answered with a long sigh, coming to a halt between two cars. “I gotta be honest, Ford.”

“What is it, honey?” I asked with a tone that was meant to set him at ease.

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” His cheeks tinted pink as he looked down. “What is this? Um, we… uh, I mean… us? What is us?”

I rolled my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing. He was really fucking adorable when he wasn’t sure, and so amazing because he didn’t let that stop him from saying what was on his mind.

“What is us?” I said back but kept the teasing tone to a minimum. “I think this is just the beginning for us. We’re real, Austin. As long as you’re in this with me, I’m not fucking letting you go.”

“So… if I called you my boyfriend, that would be okay?” he hedged slowly.

I popped a kiss on his mouth. A loud smacker that would have drawn the attention of anyone in a twenty-foot radius.

“Yes, boyfriend is good. Or partner. Or whatever you want to call me. I’m your’s, Austin.”

“I’m your’s too.” His smile was blinding. “Glad we got that settled. Now let’s get out of here.”

His eyes flashed with excitement, making me desperate to know what was going on in his head. But he didn’t move, which had me a little confused. I checked my surroundings, and was unable to stop my face from dropping when I saw the car right in front of me.

“Wait, tell me this isn’t yours?” I pointed to the hatchback with zero legroom as flashbacks struck me like lightning.

Not again.

Austin snorted.

“Fuck no.” He reached around me and opened the door to a matte black truck. “This is. You like it? I just bought it like two hours ago, then I drove it here and waited for you.”

“Um, why?”

“Because… I can’t take you on our real truck bed date if I don’t have a truck.” He stared at me like he couldn’t believe I didn’t know that.

“Right…” I drew out, head spinning. I opened my mouth, but he started speaking before I could say anything else.

“And for the record, it’s in my name. Not some dead persons. It’s ours.” His smile was wide and proud. “Up you go, baby.”

“I’m not driving that thing,” I said, blinking at him.

“Of course you’re not.” He continued standing there with the driver-side door open while I pointedly looked from him to the seat. “You have to get in and scoot to the middle, so we can be close while I’m driving.”

I had nothing to say back to that.

With a sigh and a shake of my head, I climbed up into the truck. And I wasn’t exaggerating when I said up.

He climbed in behind me, settling himself behind the wheel, looking like he was right at home as he rolled the window down and tossed his arm out. He pressed his leg against mine, and I suddenly didn’t hate sitting in the middle so much, even though I felt way too old for this kind of thing.

“You need a cowboy hat,” I teased as I grabbed the brim of his ball cap and turned it to the front.

“I might have one somewhere.”

Even if he didn’t, I’d get him one. Hell, I’d buy him a hundred. And then he could wear them while he rode me.

“What are you thinking about over there?” he asked, and I might have blushed.

“I just can’t wait until I get you alone without anything hanging over us,” I told him honestly.

His smile said how much he was on board with that idea.

He drove me to the Willis Security Tech building, his hand curled around mine the entire time. We rode the elevator to the top floor, and though I’d been here before, something about this time felt different.

Austin was practically vibrating beside me.

When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and stopped short. The open office floor was full of familiar faces. Some a little less than others. I was pretty sure Milo was hanging in the back, studying me over the top of his glasses.

And it wasn’t just Reed’s team.

I counted a handful of my team too.

“So, what now, boss?” Harlow asked as he stepped up and gave me a respectful nod.

“I don’t know,” I said with a look of panic on my face. A few laughs rose up. I took a deep breath, and then cleared my throat, which suddenly felt clogged. “I can’t ask you to give up your jobs. The team is dead, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for you at the FBI. Or even—”

“No need to give that speech,” Carver said. His face held no emotion, but there was a twinkle in his eye. “We’re with you.”

I felt pride and happiness welling up inside, it burst out in a smile I couldn’t contain.

“Or if your sad ass is done,” Harlow said, shifting his focus from me to Reed. “I’m just gonna put it out there that I’m available.”

“Yeah, Harlow’s at your service, huh?” Keller said teasingly, which earned him a backhand to the stomach from Carver. Keller doubled over and coughed. Carver might have been tiny, but he packed a hell of a punch.

I shifted my focus to Reed, easily reading the look on his face. He cut through the crowd and tipped his head at me.

“What do you say?” He held his hand out. “Want to team up?”

I glanced at Austin, who was proudly beaming at me.

“Sure,” I said, giving my attention back to Reed. I gripped his hand and gave it a good shake. “But I’m going to need a long vacation first.”

Reed smiled at me and winked.

“You should get on that now, sir,” Keller called. “It’s well overdue.”

I smiled and gave him a nod.

“We’ll figure it out when you get back,” Reed said, reaching out to shake my hand.

“Keep them busy while I’m gone,” I said to Reed as I eyed Harlow and Carver like they were mischievous children who’d get into trouble if they didn’t have anything to do. It wasn’t a second later that we all broke out in laughter.

“Come on,” Austin said, slipping his hand into mine and pulling me away.

The elevator doors slid shut, and it was just the two of us. I squeezed his hand. My skin buzzed and hummed with the excitement of what was to come.

“Hey,” I said as I turned to him.

“Yeah?” His face was full of concern.

“I love you,” I said, feeling rather silly that I hadn’t said it since seeing him again.

The smile that split his face was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“I love you. With everything I am,” he whispered softly.

Of course he had to take it a step further. My heart went all fluttery, even if his cheesiness made me want to roll my eyes.

“Now I’m going to take you home,” he said with a pump of his brows, “and I want you to give me a reason to stay there.”

His head tilted to the side, eventually coming to rest on my shoulder. I stared at our reflection in the mirrored door of the elevator, smiling softly. Austin stared back at me, a matching smile on his lips.

“Better yet,” I started, feeling the need to one-up him this time, especially knowing this was the real thing he needed to hear. I squeezed his hand, grounding both of us. “I’ll give you a reason to always come home.”