Page 50 of Relentless Hearts
“So,” Honor said when the laughter died down, “on a scale of one to ten, how good was—”
“I’m not answering that!” Willow cut her off, her face flaming.
“That good, huh?” Layne gave her a teasing look.
Navy clapped her hands as if she understood the joke, and even Willow had to admit that the sound of feminine laughter filling the kitchen was exactly what the old house was meant for.
Great as it was though, Willow would completely skip her morning routine if it meant having more mind-blowing time in bed with her gorgeous SEAL.
* * * * *
The therapy lodge was bustling with activity despite the early hour. He nodded to a couple of the residents heading toward thedining area, their conversations a low hum of camaraderie he’d grown accustomed to over the months.
He spotted Vander Pope, one of the newer veterans in the program, near the main entrance. He lengthened his strides to catch up with him. “Hey, Pope.”
“Dutch.” Ever since he entered the program, Pope had kept to himself. Didn’t say much, didn’t bother anybody. But he seemed to come out of his shell during card games.
They kept pace for a few steps.
Pope glanced Decker’s way. “Haven’t seen you around lately.”
He gave Pope a crooked grin. “You mean I skipped art therapy.”
The scar near the corner of Pope’s eye tugged when he gave him a faint smile in return. “I hate those damn bead projects.”
Decker snorted in commiseration with Pope. He clasped his shoulder like he would one of his brothers on his SEAL team. “How are things going?”
The vet moved in a month ago. And his screams echoed through the halls every night since.
He shifted his shoulders in a noncommittal shrug. “It’s going. Poker tonight if you aren’t busy in the barn.”
Decker threw him a look. “What would keep me in the barn?”
“Everyone knows you have a thing for Willow.”
Decker chuckled, feeling lighthearted. “You got me there. But I’ll try to make it.” The words felt wrong somehow, like he was agreeing to something that no longer applied to him.
Pope nodded. “See you there.” He took off in another direction, but Decker remained frozen in the hallway, realization hitting him with uncomfortable clarity.
He wasn’t in the program anymore. Rhae had cleared him, Carson had welcomed him to the team, and yet here he was, still occupying a room in the lodge like nothing had changed.
Someone else could use that space. Someone who actually needed the structured environment, the daily therapy sessions. Someone like him when he first arrived—broken, silent, barely holding on to his sanity by his fingertips.
The thought sat heavy in his chest as he made his way across the yard toward the main house. He’d been so focused on passing the tests, on proving himself worthy of joining the team, that he hadn’t considered the practical implications. Where would he live now? What was the protocol for transitioning from patient to employee?
The security office was located in the renovated wing of the main house, accessible through a side entrance that kept business separate from family life. As Decker approached the door, he could hear the voices of his new teammates discussing the day ahead.
He drew in a deep breath. His first official morning meeting as a member of Black Heart Security.
The weight of that reality settled over him. He was no longer Dutch, the SEAL who went in alone. He was no longer the broken veteran who couldn’t string two words together. He was part of a team that had chosen him, not despite his scars but because of how he’d learned to carry them.
As he stepped into the office, ready to begin this new chapter, he caught Willow’s scent clinging to his coat like she was with him every step.
The Malone brothers greeted him with nods or grunts. Colt gripped the back of the chair beside him and dragged it out in an invitation to sit.
Decker glanced around the table. Every brother was injured but Denver.
“Looks like you all had an adventure after I got the ladies out of the Rusty Spur.”
