Page 104 of Missing Marcus

Gabby giggled as she located a station with a good mix.

They rode in a comfortable silence for an hour and she laid her seat back.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Patch asked. “I’m a good listener.”

Gabby shrugged. “I’m stuck. I remember when we loved each other and things seemed easy. If we disagreed, we talked it out. When things grew to their lowest, we fought until one of us left or went to our room. Now, it feels like we stay on guard all the time.”

“Did you and butthead ever discuss what he did for a living?” he asked.

“He told me he worked as a SEAL.”

“Do you know what that entails?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Marcus didn’t discuss anything. I met his team and we went to a couple of dinners with his teammates. The men rarely spoke with him and the wives kinda iced me out. After the last time, I didn’t bother attending.”

Patch nodded. “SEALs undergo intense training and exercises. Sometimes, we see humans at their worst. You may lose your best friends while protecting others, as in my case and Leo’s. Some things you’re trained to ignore. While other things haunt you until the day you die.”

Gabby turned to stare at him. “Did Marcus see something? He mentioned I angered him because I saw the good in everyone. When we first met, Marcus taught me self-defense and how to watch my surroundings. He mentioned seeing women abused.”

Patch grunted. “He spared you the details.”

“Why did you bring this up? Do you want to tell me something?” she asked.

“You’re a smart woman. Do you know about Doc and Kassie’s hospital? What do they do there?”

Gabby pondered his question. “They help veterans and teens.”

“Yep,” Patch agreed. “I’m one of them. I suffer from PTSD. I watched my unit die and as the corpsman, I didn’t have the equipment to save them. I lost my best friend. He died in my arms. When I returned I suffered from survivor’s guilt and blamed myself for losing my team.”

“How awful.” Gabby reached out and rubbed his arm. “I’m sorry.”

Patch didn’t acknowledge her. “Doc and the team, Claire and Kassie, they helped me. I still attend sessions when I feel overwhelmed and lash out. You haven’t seen how fast Claire can shove me out a door and tell me to go to a meeting at the hospital. She can be vicious.”

Gabby giggled imagining the petite blonde shoving the heavily muscled man out the door.

“You think I’m kidding? Claire holds a mean punch when I piss her off. Which I’ll admit happens pretty often,” Patch said as he glanced at her as if to see if his words hit home.

“She hits you?” Gabby asked, surprised.

“She punches me in the arm.” Patch nodded. “More than a mosquito bite and less than Taco. Don’t tell her I admitted it to you. She’ll start working out with Kassie and Victoria and the next time you see me, I’ll walk funny and won’t be able to have kids.”

“Victoria seems nice. She’s very protective of Kassie’s family. Almost a grandmotherly figure,” Gabby reflected.

Patch slapped his knee and guffawed. “Don’t tell Victoria she’s a grandmotherly type. She knows more ways to hurt a man than the government trains us.”

“No,” Gabby laughed as she denied it. Upon seeing Patch’s raised eyebrow, her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Don’t let her fool you. She’ll protect this family with her life and if you cross one of them, heaven help you.”

“Marcus must love her then. He’s loyal to a fault. Trust seems to act as his Achilles heel.”

“Why do you think that?” he asked.

“Because his worthless father let his family down. Marcus’ mom gave birth to Bryanna and the man came to the hospital, refused to hold his newborn daughter, and handed his son ten bucks when he dropped him off at the neighbor’s. He left them. Their mom worked nonstop. I don’t think Marcus or Bryanna ever got over it.”

“It must’ve been tough growing up without a father. I imagine Marcus probably goes to the opposite extreme to make up for his father’s failings,” Patch said as he checked his rear-view mirror.

“When we first met, I worked at a diner. When he didn’t spin up, he met me on nights I closed to walk me to my car. If he discovered I skipped a meal between my job and classes, I returned to my car to find a sandwich, chips and a drink in my seat. Last year, it upset him when I planted a tree in the front yard and shrubs near the house because he deemed it a security risk. He made sure I never wanted for nothing.”

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