Page 95 of Tactical Lies

August 24th

12:44 A.M.

It was almost time to shut this down.

Connor knew his family wanted to rally around him and Becca, wanted to make sure they were doing okay physically and emotionally, and make sure they knew they were safe now and no one was getting to them, but it was reaching the point where Becca had had enough.

It had been a really long day.

While at the time it had felt like their ordeal had gone on for hours and hours, not quite two hours had passed from when he first woke up to find the room dark, to when his brothers had come bursting into the cabin saving his and Becca’s lives. Even after they’d piled into the car and waited for cops and paramedics to arrive, there had been no time for rest.

Hour after hour of giving statements to the point where he was ready to start ripping throats out of any person who kept pushing Becca so hard, she was shaking and doing her best not to cry. He knew the cops weren't trying to upset her, they were trying to gather as much intel as they could to identify the men who were determined to see his family dead.

They had been checked over by medics and doctors at the hospital. Scans and poking and prodding he’d tolerated only because he knew that Becca wouldn't settle until a medical professional assured her that he was okay. And he was. The gunshot wound had been stitched closed, and he had no other injuries aside from bruises from his fights with the men who had attacked the cabin.

Likewise, Becca had bruises and a few scrapes and cuts from running through the woods, but her most serious injury was the dislocated shoulder. He and Cole had gotten it back into place so aside from resting the joint there wasn't much more to do for it.

They were okay, but he knew Becca needed some time just the two of them. The way her fingers twitched as they rested on his thigh, snuggled beside him on the couch. The way she clutched that silly penis plushie in her hand, raising it often to brush across her cheek. The way she kept sneaking gazes at his lap while trying to pretend she wasn't.

His girl had done amazing last night, he couldn’t have asked her to do any more than she had. But she was human, that last couple of weeks had been trauma on top of trauma on top of trauma. From his reappearing in her life, to everything that happened in Cambodia, to what happened at Cade’s cabin. It was a lot for her to shoulder, and she was trying to hold it together as best as she could, but he knew what she needed.

And for that they needed privacy.

“Okay, guys, I hate to kick you out at midnight, but …” he trailed off, hoping his brothers would take the hint.

“But you and Becca want some alone time,” Willow said, and he shot the woman a grateful smile. Both she and Susanna had fitted in so seamlessly with their family that it was hard to believe they hadn't been around forever.

“We appreciate you all hanging with us,” Becca quickly added.

“It’s okay, pipsqueak, we get it, you want time with my twin and his penis,” Cooper teased with an exaggerated shudder.

“Cooper,” Willow rebuked her boyfriend, swatting at him.

Although her cheeks were pink, Becca met his twin brother’s gaze and gave him a lazy smile before looking over to Willow. “We’ll have to trade stories one day, compare notes, see who got the better-endowed twin.”

Everyone laughed and Cole slapped Cooper’s back. “Burn, dude.”

Cooper rolled his eyes but grinned at Becca. “All joking aside, you did awesome last night. You're a fighter and you’ve always been a part of this family. If my jerk of a twin messes up again, you let me know and I’ll set him straight for you.”

“I don’t think he’s going to mess up again,” Becca said, and honestly no words she could have said would have meant more to him.

“He better not,” Cade said, shooting him that big brother frown he’d gotten used to when they were growing up. As the oldest of all seven of him and his siblings, Cade had taken on a parent figure role even though he wasn't much older than them. Taking Cassandra out of the equation since she was six years younger than Cole, between Cole and Cade there were only four years, but back then it had felt like that was a bigger gap than it was, and Cade had stepped up and looked out for all of them.

“I won't,” he assured his brothers.

“Good, because it would be stupid to mess up something like this,” Jax told him.

“It would,” Connor readily agreed.

“Here, let me take her,” Cade said to Gabriella who had gathered up a sleeping Esther into her arms.

“Thanks, she’s getting so big and heavy,” Gabriella said, her gaze lingering on Cade as he lifted his daughter, settling her against his chest with her head using his shoulder as a pillow.

It was the worst-kept secret in the family that Gabriella was in love with her boss. Cade was either blind to it or it was unrequited love, but whatever wound up happening or not happening between the two of them, Gabriella had been Essie’s nanny for years and she was a part of their family.

“Can’t believe she’s going to be starting kindergarten in just a few weeks,” Cade murmured as he snuggled his daughter closer. It was a shame his big brother couldn’t see what was staring him in the face. Just because he’d lost the wife he’d loved didn't mean he didn't have another chance at happiness standing right in front of him. All he had to do was get out of his own way and reach out and take it.

Something Connor, unfortunately, knew all too much about.

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