Page 84 of Fourth Point Of Contact

“No. We will sit in the front just as we did when you were a child. You will know the entire congregation and God are watching.”

I rolled my eyes and followed her lead, nodding to the many people who watched us like we were pariahs. Yes, we were all dressed in tactical gear, but that’s what we wore. The pastor stood from his seat, his eyes wide as he counted all of us walking in.

My mother stepped aside and allowed me to enter first, just as she did when I was a child. I knew better than to try and scoot to the end of the pew. I didn’t need her grabbing my ear and dragging me back in front of the whole congregation. She turned to the rest of my teammates and their families, smiling with those eyes that said,Don’t screw with me. I will scold you in front of everyone.

One by one, they filed into the pews and sat down, the men all looking irritated as hell, and the women all delighting at the fate of their husbands. As soon as my mom sat down, I prepared myself for the longest hour of my life. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable as hell, but then my mother reached over and squeezed my leg just as she did when I was a kid.

That was all she had to do and I knew exactly what it meant.

Stop moving or I will embarrass you in front of everyone.

It didn’t matter that my leg was bothering me or that I couldn’t sit comfortably. We were in church, and she would ensure that I gave my full attention to the pastor. If I didn’t, I would hear about it for the rest of the day and most of the week. My mom’s mission was clear, and the sooner I complied, the faster I would get her out of my hair.

“Bet you didn’t think you’d ever be dragged in here like I was,” Max hissed from behind me.

Leaning over my shoulder, he wiggled a small flask that I knew, if I took it, would get me smacked in front of the church. I gave a minute shake of my head and prayed my mom hadn’t seen the flask.

“It’s about time someone else has to suffer with me.”

“Don’t let your wife hear you say that,” I hissed, earning me a smack from my mother.

I glared at Max over my shoulder, to which he grinned as he leaned back in his seat and took a long sip. That bastard was lucky as hell. He might have to be here, but at least he could drink his way through it.

I stood when I was supposed to, recited the words in the bulletin, and even bowed my head when it was time to pray. Hell, the last time I’d asked God for anything was when I was overseas and about to be shot at. Since returning, I hadn’t felt there was much need for church or prayer—something my mom took great offense to.

When it was time for the offering, I planned to put a ten in the plate and call it a day, but my mom scowled at the money in my hand and discreetly leaned in. “Don’t you think ten dollars is a little small to atone for your sins?”

Sighing, I pulled out another ten, but that didn’t satisfy her. “How much do you want me to put in?”

She took the wallet from me and pulled out all the cash I had, grinning when she gave it back to me. “That should do it.”

I counted it out and nearly choked on my spit. “Mom, that’s two hundred twenty dollars!”

Pursing her lips, she gave me her best mom look. “How long has it been since you attended church?”

I didn’t answer her. I just shoved the money into the plate as they handed it to me. And when she turned and looked knowingly at my teammates, they all reached for their wallets and reluctantly pulled out all they had, dropping it in the offering.

I knew she was loving this, being able to insert herself into my life again. That damn DVD gave her all the ammunition she needed. Thankfully, the service ended sooner than expected and I stood to leave.

Except, Mom had other ideas, immediately grabbing my arm and stopping me from hopping away.

“Dear, aren’t we going to attend the fellowship lunch?”

The pointed look she shot me said there was no room for any arguments. So, I smiled at her and nodded. “Sure.”

I knew where she was headed with this. She was on a mission to save my soul, and I was taking the whole damn company with me. “Hey, we’re going to the lunch afterward.”

Nick glared at me, but FNG grinned, rubbing his hands together. “I won’t say no to food.”

“They don’t have any alcohol there,” Max sighed. “Trust me, I’ve been to enough of these.”

We waited for nearly everyone in the church to head outside before we made our way back down the aisle. The pastor was waiting for all of us, and smiled at his son-in-law.

“I see you brought friends with you to church.”

Max snorted. “Nope. That was on the porn king.”

“I’m not a porn king,” I hissed. “It was a mistake!”

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