Page 45 of Signed, SEALed, Delivered

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Zach

“Hey, man, you made good time.” I hollered as I closed my truck door after dropping off Kennedy. I hated the doubt in her eyes, especially since yours caused it truly, but Ethan needed to be dealt with. From what I knew about him, no piece of paper signed by a man in a robe is going to keep him away from her.

Reaper stood in my driveway, leaning against the hood of a massive truck, his arms wrapped around a beautiful, dark haired girl. I expected him to look different; several months out of the military will change a man. Even in the dark of the night, I could see something new in his eyes; something good had come into his world.

“How fucking far away do you think Charleston is, Viper?” His voice was different, or maybe it was the smile on his face, no doubt a result of the girl he still hasn't let go of.

“You kidnap this beautiful creature?” Extending my hand out to Reaper’s girl. She is shy, which is evident in the way she ducks her head into Reaper’s neck.

“This is Rayne Winters, the woman who single handedly saved me from myself.” Reaper pulls her closer, reaching his hand up into the back of her neck as he leans over to place a kiss to the crown of her head.

“Well, Miss Rayne, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Zach Michaels and please, forget everything this guy here has told you about me.” I teased in an attempt to coax a smile out of her.

“Pleased to meet you,” she responds, her eyes on the cement of the driveway as her shaking hand extends in my direction. “Matt told me you saved his life, and I thank you for that.” A chill crawled up my spine as the memory of the single incident where I questioned if I was going to make it home rushed to the forefront. Drifting my eyes from Rayne to Reaper, I wondered how much of the story he shared with her.

“No need to thank me, he saved me a few times since then.”

We had been three miles on the wrong side of enemy lines when all hell broke loose. As I went to jump across two large boulders, my boot slipped on some loose gravel, causing me to smack the shit out of my knee and sending my gun to the ravine below. With the amount of bullets flying, we were trapped against the side of the hill. Reaper stayed at the top of the boulders while I crawled the forty feet to the bottom. With all of the commotion going on, neither one of us noticed the lone shooter to the left of us. Reaper had his attention focused around the edge of the bolder he was hiding behind, while the man with a gun took his time aiming at Reaper’s back.

“He’s right Rayne, we’ve saved each other plenty of times.”

I took a single shot with the pistol I kept, ending the man's life before he could take Reaper’s. We sat behind the boulder for nearly ten hours, under near constant barrage of bullets, waiting for the enemy to run out of ammunition.

“Let's go inside and talk about this problem you need my help with.” Reaper nods toward the house. Agreeing, I move to help my friends get their things inside. Rayne stays close to Reaper and I wonder what her story is. Last time I spoke with the guys, Reaper had been adamant when it came to relationships. Unlocking the backdoor, and silencing the alarm, I hold the door open so Rayne and Reaper can enter.

“You live in this big ass house alone?” Setting the pink duffel bag on the kitchen island, Reaper turns around to face me. Rayne takes a long look around my kitchen, her fingers drifting to the hard surface of my granite countertop.

“Not by choice. I have a girlfriend, Kennedy, I’d like her to live with me, but she...it’s complicated.”

“The good ones usually are.” Reaper pulls Rayne into his embrace, placing a kiss to her lips. She raises her hand to caress his clean shaved face, something I’m shocked by. I was assuming he would have continued to hide behind the mask of his beard.

“Which is why we’re here.” I begin, knowing what I’m about to ask could blow up in our face, and quite frankly land us in jail. “Earlier today, I went to court with Kennedy and her father in hopes of an order of protection being granted. Ethan, has been stalking her, coming by her work and generally harassing her. Today, he had the audacity to threaten her.”

“Is this an ex-boyfriend or husband?”

“Neither, according to Kennedy. They had one date and she gave him the cold shoulder. She moved from Colorado Springs to Atlanta and the fucker followed her.”

“Has he touched her?” Reaper leans against the counter, his grip on Rayne a little tighter, leaving no doubt in my mind he’s battled something similar with her.

“No, but I’m not willing to let this shit go any further. You and I both know a piece of paper isn't going to keep him away from her. Hell, she told him about me and that did nothing to deter him.”

“All right, but where is she?”

Taking in a deep breath, I know this has all the ingredients for being a disaster. “At home, most likely in bed, or contemplating driving by the house to see if I’m really at home.”

“In other words, she doesn't know about this little plan of yours.”

“No.”

“And if she comes by and you're not home, she’s gonna think the worst.”

Taking a deep breath, I brace myself against the counter, “Then at least she’ll be safe.”

***

I’d given Rayne a tour of the house, welcoming her to anything she wanted. I also warned her Kennedy had a key to the house, and not to be surprised by a late night visitor. After securing my truck in the garage, I climbed into Reaper’s and we headed off toward Ethan's hotel.

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