Page 11 of Engaging his Enemy
His eyes roamed the space one last time. He wasn’t closing the door shut behind him, Jax and Cowboy had been clear. This was a leave of absence, not a permanent resignation, but as Mac hefted his meager belongings onto his hip, he knew it wasn’t likely he’d be back here any time soon, and if he was being honest, he doubted he’d come back at all. He needed something different now.
A bridge to a new beginning. A final battle to find his love, so perhaps one day he could find peace. He could see now that might be possible for him, a happy ending that had once been as elusive as rainwater through a paper bag. He stood, throwing the empty bottle in the trash beside his desk and leaving the box with his belongings on the floor.
It was time for his announcement.
He made his way to the conference room, pleased to find the men all present and accounted for, recessed lights illuminating them like actors on a stage, and his throat clenched at the sight. Razorback was the only one who knew what this was about, his promotion requiring Mac to prepare him for this day long before now. “Thanks for coming.” He sat down. “You may be wondering why I called you all here on a Friday at four o’clock.”
He looked around the table. Sloan and Trace, partners in crime, with their rich senses of humor and deep-running loyalty to the pack. Gavin and Asher, two of the best tactical minds he’d ever had the privilege of working with. Brett Champion, the sharpshooter, a lone wolf and consummate ladies’ man. They were a solid team of soldiers, and while it pained Mac to leave, he knew in his heart they would get on fine without him. “I’m leaving HERO Force.” A collective gasp went up in the room, the words seeming to hang in the air around them.
He cleared his throat. “It’s time I move on, get busy doing the things that need doing in my own life. See if I can’t find that bride of mine.” His eyes went from man to man, soaking up the understanding he saw there. “And my kids.” His voice cracked on the last word, and he hung his head to regain his composure.
“You’ll be missed, man,” said Sloan. “I sure hope you find her.”
“Yeah, I hope you find her,” agreed Asher.
Mac raised his head. “Thank you.”
Champion leaned back in his chair. “You deserve to have her back, Mac. Never doubt that for a second.”
Jesus Christ, he was going to bawl like a baby if he didn’t put an end to this shit. He cleared his throat and gestured to Ian at his right. “Razorback here’s going to be in charge from now on. He’s a strong leader who will look out for the team. I know you’ll be in good hands.”
Gavin stood and crossed to Mac and held out his hand. “It’s been an honor to serve with you. I’ve never had a better commanding officer.”
Mac shook it. They were no longer in the military, yet they were still part of that same team, their brotherhood knowing no bounds. “You’ll make a good one yourself, someday.” His cell phone rang. “It’s Moto. May as well get this over with in one fell swoop.” He answered it. “O’Brady.”
“We have a problem,” said Moto. “My brother’s up to his eyeballs in shit, framed for murder by his real estate client, who was using him to buy property as part of a money-laundering scheme. You’re not going to believe who the client is.”
Mac’s brows drew together. He knew Moto’s brother was in trouble, but this was bigger trouble than he’d imagined. “Who?”
“DeRegina.”
“Archie DeRegina? One of Interpol’s most wanted criminals?”
“The one and only.”
“Holy fuck.” The hair on Mac’s arms went up. “You’re sure?”
“Positive. I need permission to bring Logan in on this case.”
Every bone in his body wanted to take on the case, to help Moto go after this bad guy and defend his brother, but his eyes shot to Razorback’s. This wasn’t Mac’s baby anymore. He wasn’t the leader of this organization. “That’s not up to me anymore. I’m leaving HERO Force, effective immediately. I was just sharing the news with the team.”
“Jesus, Mac, I’m sorry…”
“No apologies. I’ve got to find my wife. There’s a time for everything on this earth, and the time has come for me to focus my attention on looking for her.”
“I understand. I wish you the best. Godspeed, brother,” said Moto.
“Thank you. Let me put you over to Razorback. He’s in charge now.” He held out his phone to the other man, their eyes meeting, the import of the exchange lost on neither of them.
“Moto, what’s going on?” asked Razorback into the phone, turning away from Mac.
Mac’s throat tightened. It was as it should be, the passing of a baton, but that didn’t make it easier. He lifted his chin, nodded to each man seated at the table, and slipped quietly out of the conference room. The phone didn’t belong to him any more than the responsibility he’d just left behind. “Godspeed, my brothers,” he whispered to the closed door, then turned and walked away.
7
It was almost ten thirty, the humidity after the storm hanging in the air like fog, the scent of ozone heavy as Davina stood in the doorway to her house, Piggy in her arm and one hand on her hip, angrier than she could remember being in her life.
She pointed her finger at Zach. “This isn’t how this is going to be. You’re not going to walk into my son’s life just to let him down. You’re not going to bethat guywho forgets shit that’s important to him or bails on him at the last minute or is supposed to show up for dinner and finds something better to do. You got that?”
