5. Adoration Station

5 ADORATION STATION

Koen

Waking up rock-hard and alone was my new version of normal. Nevertheless, until I could convince Jade what we had was real and permanent, my right hand would be getting a thorough workout in the shower. I didn’t give a fuck how long it took, or how many mountains I had to climb; she was worth the effort.

Eight days ago, we said our vows and since then, when I wasn’t at work, I was with Jade. Each night, we worked side by side, transforming her house into a home she could be proud of. I laughed to myself when I thought back to the first night I showed up unexpectedly.

“What are you doing here?”

She answered the door wearing paint-splattered overalls with her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail. She’d never looked more beautiful.

“Hello to you too, Angel.” She raised a brow, but didn’t otherwise move. Relenting, I explained, “I told you I wanted to help, so I’m helping.”

I raised my hands to show her the six-pack of beer in one hand and the bag filled with supplies I’d nabbed from the hardware store in the other.

“Well, since you brought refreshments, I guess you can come in.”

Stepping back, she waved me through, leading me toward the living room where she had a drop cloth spread out on the floor. A large bucket of blue paint sat open in the middle with a silver pan and one of those roller pans inside.

Once I emptied my hands, I snagged the opportunity to reacquaint myself with my wife’s heavenly lips. The kiss was meant to be innocent and brief, a reminder of sorts, except it spiraled straight down Carnal Street in a hurry. Her back was against the wall and her shapely legs were wrapped around my waist in an instant. My hunger for her knew no bounds and if it hadn’t been for Jett’s untimely entrance, my hands may have gotten to explore more than her fine ass.

As it was, my dick was trying to break through the zipper of my jeans, which made for a rather uncomfortable few minutes.

“Don’t stop on my account.” The cockblocker smirked.

“Jesus, Jett.” Her legs untwined and she slid down the front of my body, undoubtedly feeling how much she’d affected me. “I thought you were studying.”

“I heard the doorbell and thought maybe you’d ordered food.”

“You already ate dinner.”

He patted his stomach. “I’m a growing boy.”

“I’ll order pizza,” I offered.

“Awesome.” He grinned at the same time Jade said, “That’s not necessary.”

Two large, extra pepperoni pizzas later, the three of us had worked in tandem to finish painting the largest wall.

“Uh, babe?” I snickered, pointing at the blue dots littering her exposed arm. “Did you get any on the actual wall?”

“Oh, you think it’s funny, do you?”

I should’ve known she was up to something when she moved toward me. In my defense, I was too busy staring at the way her hips swayed sensually from side to side to notice the paint roller in her right hand. Looking down in disbelief at the perfect line of cerulean blue from my crotch to the neck of my old AC/DC T-shirt, I moved on instinct, snagging her around the waist and taking us both to the floor. She bucked and kicked out as I straddled her hips, then squealed to the heavens when I tickled her mercilessly.

“I’m outta here,” Jett grumbled, tossing his paintbrush into the nearest can.

It was the best night I could remember in my twenty-five years.

Strolling into the office on a Saturday morning wasn’t how I pictured spending Jett’s sixteenth birthday. We had plans later in the afternoon to celebrate and I prayed whatever dragged us into work on our day off would be finished by then. That said, when Duncan sends a group text stating “Office, 9 sharp,” you got there fifteen minutes early.

So there I was, back against the counter, slurping down my second cup of coffee, waiting for everyone else to arrive with my wedding ring blazing a hole in my front pants pocket. All week, I’d reluctantly taken it off after my shower, but for some reason could never bring myself to leave it at home. While Jade’s resistance was understandable, I despised lying to my team…my best friends. She was new to our circle and hadn’t fully learned to trust in their loyalty. It would come eventually.

Keaton and Noah walked through the door next, followed by Lanie minutes later. I didn’t realize Duncan had been in his office the entire time until his door swung open at nine o’clock on the dot, scaring the hell out of all of us.

“Seriously? Gonna buy you a bell to wear around your neck,” Lanie grumbled.

At six foot six and two hundred sixty-five pounds of solid muscle, Duncan Parker moved fast as lightning and silent as a ghost. His hand-to-hand combat training exceeded anything we’d learned in Quantico, making him both the perfect mentor and a lethal competitor. The circumstances surrounding the years before he joined the FBI were a mystery and had mostly been redacted. What we did know was he’d been working undercover on a huge international case when his cover was blown. Hell, for all we knew, Duncan wasn’t even his real name.

“Bell or not, you’d still never hear me coming,” he quipped.

“Sorry I’m late.” Waverly rushed through the tempered front doors carrying an iced coffee. “Remind me to steer clear of the coffee shop on West 3rd. I couldn’t get the Mayor to stop yapping his jaws long enough to pay for my order.”

I coughed into my fist, covering up a laugh. For some reason, Waverly had a major bone to pick with most politicians, which made zero sense considering her family name was synonymous with high-powered government leaders.

“Our friends at the DEA are getting anxious,” Duncan announced without warning. “They want to get Lanie on the inside soon.”

“How soon?” Noah probed, his hands fisting at his sides .

“Monday.”

“Jesus Christ. We haven’t even come up with a believable cover story yet.”

“Lanie?” Waverly swiveled to face her. “You’ve been surveilling Little for the past two days. What are your thoughts?”

The woman in question began to pace back and forth, seemingly lost in thought. No one rushed her though. It was her ass on the line. Finally, she folded her arms across her chest and addressed the room.

“He’s a creature of habit; leaves for work at six-thirty each morning, stops at the same coffee place on the way. The barista knows his order by heart because he doesn’t veer from it. Large black with almond milk and a toasted bagel.”

“What self-respecting man orders almond milk?” Keaton snickered, earning himself a heated glare from Lanie.

“So what I’m saying is,” she continued, “I shouldn’t have any problem accidentally bumping into him at one of his usual haunts.”

“All right, we have the meet-cute taken care of.”

“This isn’t a fucking romance novel, K.”

Keaton’s head snapped to his partner. “You think I don’t know that, Noah?” He sucked in a harsh breath through his nose in an effort to soften the blow his next words might deliver. It didn’t work. “If you’d dislodge your big head from your tight ass for a minute, maybe you could find a solution rather than being blinded by your own bullshit.”

Harsh? Possibly. But he wasn’t wrong. It had become glaringly obvious to everyone, except Lanie, Noah’s train was parked at adoration station.

“Enough,” Duncan boomed. “Let’s get to work.”

It took until late morning before we had a solid plan in place. Instead of creating a whole new existence, we decided Lanie should stick as close to the truth as possible. When asked, she’d admit to being a federal agent. The idea of a romantic entanglement was never discussed, nor would it be if Noah had anything to say about it. This was simply two old friends reconnecting, nothing more nothing less.

From what we’d gathered, Brandon Little was a fan of flashing stacks of cash around town to impress his followers. For this reason, the DEA wanted Lanie to appear disgruntled; make him believe she wasn’t opposed to crossing the line if it meant a big payday. Obviously, we nixed their idiotic idea in the bud. Too many variables and too many old connections between them to risk him becoming suspicious and deciding to ask around about her in their hometown. No, it was safer for her to live in reality rather than fantasy.

Waverly pushed back from the table we’d gathered around. “We’ll reconvene Monday. Any last-minute questions or concerns, Lanie?”

“Nope.”

“All right. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, people. It’ll be all-hands-on-deck until this op is over.”

She and Duncan went into her office, closing the door behind them. As I rinsed out the coffee mug I’d used, my cell vibrated in my back pocket. Pulling it out, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw who was texting.

Jade: Any chance you could pick up a cake from Treats and Eats?

Me: Of course, but I thought you were baking him one? What happened?

Jade: The oven crapped out .

The amount of restraint it took not to haul every single one of her appliances to the nearest junkyard was overwhelming. She deserved the best, and that didn’t include the ancient pieces of shit currently taking up residence in her kitchen. Part of me—a huge part—longed to race to the nearest home store and put my credit card to good use. But since I preferred to keep my balls attached to my cock, I’d have to navigate around her pride rather than steamroll over it.

Me: No problem. Do you need me to grab anything else?

Jade: Henley is bringing an air fryer for the wings, so I think I’m good.

Me: Okay. I’ll see you in an hour, Wife.

Jade

I should’ve listened to my inner voice when she begged me to roll over and go back to sleep this morning. The oven going tits up was just the latest cluster in a string of fucks to fall upon the Trumble household since o’dark thirty.

It started when I slammed the bathroom door into my pinky toe—which I’m pretty sure was now broken if the swelling and bruising were any indication. Then the smoke detector went off when I was frying up a pound of bacon to go along with the pancakes I made for Jett’s birthday breakfast. So the oven catastrophe came as no surprise.

Luckily, the rest of the food we were having didn’t need to be heated, except the wings which—thank baby Jesus—could be put in an air fryer. Otherwise, we’d be screwed. Of course, Jett and Phoebe, who’d spent the night, found it all to be hysterical.

“Anything we can help with, Miss Jade?”

“Yes, please. If you two could chop the veggies and cheese for the charcuterie boards while I straighten the house, it’d be a huge help.”

“Wait a second. It’s my birthday. Isn’t this supposed to be a day of rest?”

Phoebe rolled her eyes at my brother. “As far as I’m aware, you’re not an all-powerful deity.”

“What the fu—” He peeked at me. “udge does that have to do with anything?”

“Nice save.” I knocked his shoulder with mine.

Limping toward the hall closet to grab the vacuum cleaner, I left the two of them to argue over whether God was the only infinite being who deserved a day of rest. Without a doubt, Pheebs would win him over to her way of thinking. She always did.

That girl had my unwavering gratitude. She was, by far, one of the bright spots in both of our lives. Jett had been withdrawn when we first moved, to the point Gran and I considered seeking professional help. We yanked him out of Chesapeake Middle and tried the homeschooling route, thinking a break from society would do him good. When he started dropping weight he couldn’t afford to lose, we switched tactics, immediately enrolling him in Huntington Middle. Two days later, she followed him home from school and they’ve been plastered to each other’s sides ever since.

Jett would be hard pressed to find a more sincere, more loyal friend than Phoebe Jenkins. She reminded me a lot of Henley and Lanie.

Speaking of Henley…

Me: Do you have an air fryer?

Henley: I’ve got two, actually.

Me: Why the hell do you have two?

Henley: Long story. Don’t ask.

Me: You’re still coming over early, right? Can you bring both?

Henley: Yes, and yes. Keaton hitched a ride with Noah this morning so I’d have his car.

Me: Thank you so much. This has been a morning from hell.

Henley: I’ll hop in the shower now, then be on my way.

Me: Perfect, see you soon.

My toe was freaking killing me. It throbbed in sync to the beat of my heart and rubbed against the side of my shoe with every step. I tried to go barefoot; however, it became quickly apparent my sneakers were actually helping to keep it secure. It was a worry for another time.

Tossing back two Motrin, I double-timed my efforts to tidy up, ignoring the pain to the best of my ability. It wasn’t as if this was the worst injury I’d ever had to endure.

“Jade,” my mother screamed, waking me from a fitful sleep. “Get your lazy ass down here.”

They’d been up late partying all night, which meant her being conscious at this hour didn’t bode well for me. Thankfully, Jett wasn’t due home from his friend’s until tomorrow. It was much easier to deal with their wrath when I didn’t have to worry about him trying to intervene.

On more than one occasion recently, my brother had tried to swing our parents' attention toward him when they were in a mood. While I appreciated his efforts, they were in vain. It was my job as the oldest to protect him. That would never change.

Shuffling down the half-broken steps in my pajamas, I nearly gagged as the stench of vomit wafted through the air.

“What took you so long?” Her speech was clearer than I expected it to be, given the number of empty liquor bottles covering the floor. She took a menacing step toward me, swaying a bit to the left with the movement. “You’ve got one hour to get this shithole cleaned up.”

“There’s no way.” I winced as soon as the words left my mouth.

Covering my head with my arms, I prepared for the repercussions of my snarky response, but the blow to my stomach was unexpected. It dropped me to the floor and knocked the wind from my lungs. When her booted foot slammed down on my shin over and over again, I couldn’t even scream.

The ring of the doorbell a short while later snapped me back to reality. Somehow, even with my trip down nightmare lane, I managed to clean the majority of the house. Not that it was ever dirty.

“The cavalry has arrived,” Henley announced when I opened the door to find two boxes stacked in her arms.

After the morning I’d had, my best friend’s smiling face was the perfect medicine to cure my ailing mood. She radiated confidence—something she lacked before Keaton came into her life. His dark and broody attitude fit her like a well- worn glove.

“God bless you.” I sighed dramatically, snagging the top box on her pile before kicking the door shut behind us.

“Was that a genuine God bless you or were you being extra feisty like one of those Southern belles from the western romance you told me you’re editing?”

Busting out laughing, I said, “First of all, the phrase is bless your heart , so no, I was not being feisty.”

“Potayto, patahto.” She rolled her eyes. “Where do you want these?”

Entering the kitchen, I saw the kids had done a decent job with the veggies, however, there was still so much left to do. While I busied myself filling and arranging the fancy boards with fruit, nuts, cheese, and sauces, Henley cut up loaves of Italian bread for the dill dip I made last night.

Henley checked her watch when a loud knock came from the front door. “It’s too early for everyone else.” When the knock became an incessant pounding, she said, “And they certainly wouldn’t do that.”

She trailed me as I stormed—well, hobbled quickly—toward the obnoxious sound, my belly churning with awareness. Everyone I knew was either here already or wouldn’t arrive for another hour or more. Everyone except…

Please. Not today.

I took a cleansing breath, which then turned into two before I flung open the door and took in the two individuals hovering on the front porch.

Bill and Trudy Trumble had done their damnedest to destroy our childhood with their nasty words and cruel hands. For a while, I thought they’d succeeded. Instead, I’d clawed my way out of the shadows with Jett at my side. They thought they’d won, but they were in for a rude awakening if they thought I’d cower like the eighteen-year-old girl they’d abandoned. Hell, I wasn’t even the same girl they tormented a few weeks ago. In that time, I’d learned a very important lesson.

I might be a little cracked, maybe even shattered, but nothing and no one would ever break me.

“What do you want?” I snapped.

“Is that any way to speak to your parents?” my father snarled, trying to peer around me. With anger on my side, I stepped onto the porch, quickly closing the door, effectively shutting off their view.

“If I had actual parents instead of used-up addicts, you might have a point. Now answer my question.”

Before Koen bowled his way into my life like a wrecking ball, obliterating my defenses, I never would have had the courage to stand up for myself. He showed me that strength came from the people you choose to surround yourself with. And since Henley had positioned herself at my side and was currently eyeing the assholes on my birth certificate like she was preparing to throw down, I’d say he was right.

“Koen and Keaton are on their way.” She spoke to me, though her gaze never left their target.

“This was my mother’s house. I have a right to be here.”

The crazy thing was, my mother believed the bullshit she just spewed. Needless to say, we weren’t getting anywhere, and I prayed with all my might Jett hadn’t heard the commotion. His presence would only serve to escalate an already hazardous situation.

“You don’t,” I scoffed. “Why don’t you just tell me what you want, I’ll say no, and then we can go back to what we were doing before you interrupted us?”

“You ungrateful bitch,” my father spat.

Nudging Henley out of the way, he latched on to my upper arms, slamming my back against the house. His grip was unyielding, and I knew there’d be bruises later .

Doors slammed in the distance, followed by the fast paced sound of heavy shoes hammering against the concrete, but it wasn’t until I heard his voice that I knew the jig was up…in more ways than one.

“Get your fucking hands off my wife.”