Chapter 11

Aaron scrubbed a hand over his jaw as the team boarded a C-17 plane in Texas on Monday morning. The quick op in Mexico had lasted longer than initially anticipated. After escorting Kim Burgess to a military base in Texas, the team had remained stateside in case Wilder was located. There'd been a sighting of a man fitting Wilder's description at another popular resort in Cancun, but it had been deemed false after reviewing surveillance footage. Then the team had to wait out the tropical storm that moved through before being cleared to fly out.

After a weekend in Texas, they'd finally been given orders to return to Honolulu this morning.

Wilder's disappearance after the initial kidnapping was highly concerning given what his fiancée had told authorities. She'd been wary of meeting the man Wilder wanted to see, and it had nearly cost Kim Burgess her life. Lopez hadn't liked her from the start. While she and her fiancé had been initially held in the same room, she didn't know where he'd been during his absence and was nearly hysterical when they'd left the country without him.

"That was fucked up," Sawyer said, grabbing a seat across the aisle from Aaron and stretching out his long legs, crossing his boots in front of him.

"No shit," Aaron said as he sat down. "An IT guy heads to Mexico and tries to meet with a drug lord? Dude was in way over his head before he even got there."

Wyatt glanced back at them from two rows up as he slung his rucksack to the floor. "Some guys are book smart but lack any shred of common sense, Wilder being the prime example. He seriously seemed to think Lopez wouldn't screw him over. He got himself and his fiancée kidnapped, is still missing, no doubt will lose his job at DEA and any clearances he holds, and then he'll probably end up arrested."

"Not bad for a weekend's work," Sawyer said with a smirk. "It takes some guys their entire careers to pull off that magnificent of a downfall."

Aaron shook his head. "He's lucky his fiancée wasn't assaulted or killed while being held by the cartel. As it stands right now, if the U.S. can't locate Wilder, he won't have any worries because he'll end up with a bullet in his head. They're not going to work with him forever."

"The intelligence about him allegedly being at another hotel was bullshit," Austin said as he strode toward them. "There was a low probability of the sighting even being credible, and the surveillance footage proved it was false. Nothing like being stuck in Texas a few days during a damn tropical storm thanks to a case of mistaken identity."

"You're just missing Alexa," Sawyer said with a knowing look.

"Damn straight I am," Austin said, a smile growing on his face. "And I have no problem showing her exactly how much I missed her tonight when I'm back home," he joked.

Wyatt flashed him a grin. "You're such a goner. But hell, now that we're finally heading back to Honolulu, I plan to pop the question to Callie. That ring's been burning a hole in my nightstand drawer, and I can't wait to ask her to marry me."

"What if she found it while you were gone?" Sawyer joked.

Wyatt lifted a shoulder. "She's not really the type to snoop, and we designed the ring together. It was originally her grandmother's, and we switched a few things around and resized it. Callie knows a proposal is coming, just has no idea that I already picked it up."

"Well, congrats in advance, man," Austin said, slapping him on the shoulder. "You two are good together. I guess I'll be hearing all about your wedding planning from Lex."

"No doubt. Callie wants her to be the maid of honor but also wants her to photograph the wedding," he said with a wry smile. "I think we'll have to hire a photographer, but that's fine by me. We'll hire whatever vendors we need to have our friends be in our wedding."

Aaron shook his head, glancing at his team leader. "That sounds exactly like something my sister would do. She'd want her best friend in the wedding and also for her to be running the show."

"She's single," Ryan pointed out.

Aaron bristled slightly. "She is," he agreed, shooting his teammate a look. He trusted Ryan with his life, but the idea of his buddy with his sister didn't sit well with him. Avery needed someone stable and safe. Aaron and his teammates deployed all over the world and led dangerous lives. It was a risk every time they got on a damn airplane. Of course, Avery still hadn't gotten back to him. For all he knew, she'd left on a dangerous job herself. "I just mean women are all the same. They want their friends involved in every single thing."

"Speaking of women, you gonna call Emersyn after we land?" Austin asked.

"Sure thing," Aaron agreed. "She's starting her new job today with DEA's Honolulu office, so it's perfect timing. I can see how things went for her on day one and ask her out."

His mood instantly brightened at the thought of seeing Emersyn again and hearing her sweet voice over the phone. They'd only spoken briefly before on their cells, preferring to text, but damn. It had felt all kinds of right to connect with her.

"Where are you taking her on a date?" Sawyer asked.

"Somewhere romantic as hell," Aaron said, listening to his teammates whoop and chuckle around him.

"Sounds like a good way to score," Sawyer joked.

Aaron flipped him the bird, listening to his teammates razz Sawyer for always thinking with his dick. Not that Aaron would mind eventually taking Emersyn to bed. He'd meant exactly what he'd told her about wanting her body beneath his again, albeit this time under entirely different circumstances. Her blonde hair and sexy, feminine curves made his body take notice. She was soft and sweet beneath the sass she sometimes tossed his way, and he wanted all parts of her.

It was going to be a damn long flight home.

***

Eight hours later, the C-17 was finally touching down in Oahu. It was still afternoon Hawaiian time because of the time change. No doubt Emersyn would be getting off work in a couple of hours. Aaron and his teammates would need to haul their gear into their storage lockers, unpack, and debrief with their CO before leaving base. Normally he didn't mind that type of thing, but right now, he was eager to get home.

He hefted his rucksack onto his back and slung his gear over his shoulder, striding down the ramp with his teammates, their boots thumping on the metal. The soft, fragrant breeze that immediately smacked into him was a reminder he was back in Hawaii, not stuck in Texas any longer, and for that, he was extremely thankful. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, not a cloud in sight, and he immediately felt at peace being home, knowing he could check up on Emersyn.

Funny that he'd never had anyone to worry about before. Sure, he was somewhat of a protective older brother to Avery, but she didn't live here. And while Aaron had dated, he wasn't usually this antsy to reconnect with a woman. He wondered how Emersyn's first day was going, if her sister had gotten off safely, and how Emersyn was feeling given the bump that had been on her head when he left.

As they moved into the large storage area on base to drop off their gear, Wyatt was already pulling his phone from his locker and texting Callie.

Aaron opened his own locker, slinging his belongings to the ground. He heard laughter as Hudson riffled through his gear and a pair of hot pink panties fell out of his duffle bag. "Hoorah!" Sawyer whooped. "Our boy here got lucky before we deployed."

"Hell. We were looking for those," Hudson said with a chuckle, shoving them back into his bag. The pink satin material looked almost comical in his big hand, and Aaron was more than a little curious about the woman they belonged to.

Aaron raised his eyebrows, and Hudson shrugged. "Not much to tell. She's gone."

"Tourist," Sawyer said knowingly.

Hudson ignored him, continuing to unpack his other gear. It was a hazard of being stationed in a tourist hotspot. You might meet a woman you were interested in, and she'd be there and gone. Of course it worked well for guys like Sawyer who wanted an easy lay.

Aaron grabbed his cell phone, shooting Emersyn a quick text.

Aaron: Happy Monday. Guess who's back in sunny Honolulu? Hope your first day goes well.

Emersyn: Yay! Happy you're back, sailor boy.

Aaron smirked. She was a tiny little thing, but something about the way Emersyn teased him was all sorts of arousing. She'd saluted him that day in her apartment, jokingly saying, "Yes, sir!" He'd love to have her crying out "yes" when she was beneath him, her naked body writhing under his. He licked his lips. Aaron wasn't into dominating a woman, but having Emersyn submit to him in bed, crying out his name as Aaron drove her wild, was something he'd love to make happen. Sooner rather than later. He'd never pressure her, but hell. Even the idea of Emersyn whimpering and begging to come was enough to fuel his fantasies. He knew without a doubt that the real thing would blow his mind.

His phone buzzed as she texted him again before he could reply.

Emersyn: First day is crazy. Talk later?

Aaron: Sure thing, honey. Got to head to a briefing now anyway. Stay out of trouble. :)

Emersyn: Easier said than done. ;)

She was messing with him, but he swore his dick twitched. Emersyn's little taunts were intriguing as hell. Would she be playful when he eventually took her to bed? Shy? It was tough to say. She'd been vulnerable after he rescued her because of her head injury, but he could see a night with her playing out either way. She loved to tease him, and any and all sides of Emersyn were captivating. Of course, he needed to take her out several times before things progressed, which was more than fine with him. He had a feeling Emersyn would always keep him on his toes, and he loved the challenge in that.

A locker slamming beside him had Aaron jolting. "The CO wants to brief soon," Hudson said. Aaron nodded, wondering for a beat who his buddy had slept with. Hudson hadn't even mentioned any women recently save for Emersyn's sister, but she'd left when the team had been gone. Still, those hot pink panties sure as hell weren't Hudson's, Aaron though with a smirk.

"You get a hold of Emersyn?" Hudson asked.

Aaron smiled. "Yep. We're going to talk later tonight. She said her first day is crazy. No surprise. If she was sent here on TDY, she'll have to hit the ground running given all the drug problems in Hawaii."

"Well shit. Too bad you can't tell her we were dealing with cartel assholes ourselves."

"I know. She'll be researching the Sinaloa Cartel, too, since they're prevalent in Hawaii. I wonder if she knows about the missing DEA contractor," he added in a low voice.

"Probably. If she didn't before the weekend, she will soon."

"I don't want her doing anything dangerous," Aaron said.

"She's sweet," Hudson said with a chuckle. "She's an analyst though, not a DEA Agent. It's not like she'd be out there arresting cartel members in a sting. Emersyn seems independent," he added. "Does she know how protective you are?"

Aaron ground his teeth, knowing he could be overbearing at times. "I think she has some idea given I showed up at the hospital. I had to make her sit down and rest with an ice pack in the middle of the move."

"Uh-huh. Guess it's a good sign she hasn't gone running for the hills yet," Hudson joked.

"I'd chase her anyway," Aaron said with a smirk, closing his own locker. "She's no doubt too good for me and smart enough to know it. Doesn't mean it'll stop me."

"Didn't expect it to," Hudson laughed.

Wyatt clapped his hands together, getting the team's attention, and the men gathered around. Austin was grinning from ear-to-ear, no doubt having already texted with Alexa, and Aaron felt chuffed himself. He might have to wait a few hours, but he'd talk to Emersyn tonight. Make plans for the weekend. The op to Mexico might've temporarily derailed his plans, but he'd finally get to see the pretty blonde he couldn't get out of his head soon.

"The CO's ready for our debrief," Wyatt said to the team. "Kim Burgess is safe in Texas and cooperating fully with investigators. Let's roll. The sooner we meet with Commander Madden, the sooner I can get home to my girl."

"You're fucked," Sawyer smirked, sauntering past him.

"He's already planning to propose, Saint," Aaron razzed him, calling him by his nickname. "Wildcard seems happy as hell to me."

"Yeah, yeah," Sawyer complained. "Don't get me wrong, Callie's a total catch. I'm just saying I'd never let a woman have that much of a hold over me. Hudson's carrying panties around," he said as the men howled with laughter. "And the rest of you are already smiling like damn fools. I'm fine on my own, thank you very much."

"Famous last words," Wyatt quipped, and then he shoved open the locker room doors, heading toward the building their CO was in, the rest of the team hustling behind him.