Page 29 of Sworn to Lead
“The guys will be back with Jacob soon, won’t they?” She stretched her hands over her head, arching her back so her bare breasts pressed into the material of his T-shirt. His cock flexed, but he ignored it, opting to tickle her right below the ribs instead. She shrieked and dissolved into laughter. His heart stretched, so fucking full, he imagined light seeping through the cracks of the underused organ.
“Probably soon.” He rolled, taking her with him so she was positioned on top of his chest.
“I should get dressed.” Her hair curtained around him, the connection between them deepening when she touched the side of his face with tender hands and soft, dazed eyes.
He leaned up and kissed her on the forehead. “I would vehemently reject that idea in nearly any other scenario.” He planted two quick kisses on her lips and gave her bottom a teasing tap. “Up you go.” He sat with her in his arms then placed her on the bed and went in search of her things.
“No sense in being uncomfortable.” He retrieved yoga pants, a pair of panties, and a shirt. “I watched when you unpacked.” He grinned at her in the mirror, laughing at the way her brow rose in question at his perusal of her things. He’d never been playful with anyone before. Not until Brynn. The back and forth teasing and light-heartedness was new for him. He constantly had the urge to wrap his arms around her and make her laugh—even if that resulted in a tickle attack. The guys would get a kick out of hearing that, but he didn’t give the first fuck. If his teammates knew what it felt like to have their whole world shift, for their heart to catch fire with the most beautiful burn, they’d be envious.
A half hour later, they crowded around the living room after finishing the pizza the guys had brought home. Oscar lay on the rug, occasionally army crawling up to one of them looking for discarded pieces of crust. He’d already eaten enough pizza to fill a grown man. An oversized beanbag chair that hadn’t been in the apartment before was cushioning Jacob like a nest. They were spoiling Jacob rotten any chance they got, including the colossal chair that they had seen in a shop on the way to the park. Silver and Joker flanked him, sitting on either side of the beanbag. Branch sat adjacent from the couch where he and Brynn were settled. He kept his arm around her, wanting to feel her close. There would be no mistaking his intentions toward her, but since the day his team picked them up at the airport, they’d known she was important.
“The VR headset was a great idea.” Brynn’s eyes softened as she watched Jacob’s head turning from left to right, the virtual reality goggles strapped to his head. He had the same wide smile that he got when they went running. Just soaking in the experience. Despite Jacob’s significant obstacles, he embraced life and savored everyday activities that others might take for granted. The bumper sticker he bought was no lie. His brother was his hero. To go through so much and still radiate light and joy was no small feat. He made those around him better by sharing that enthusiasm and quick acceptance. Jacob and Brynn were everything good in this world. Everything he fought to protect.
Joker shrugged, brushing off the compliment, but he sat a little straighter. “It’s nothing. Sometimes I don’t like to leave my place after a mission. These help me explore without setting foot outside.”
“What’s he watching?” Brynn asked, sinking into his side. God, he loved having her close. Loved when she sought out his touch.
“It’s appropriate, Mom.” Silver chuckled and shot Brynn a wink. He liked how his team had drawn Brynn into the fold. Even Joker had relaxed around her.
“A tour of Grand Teton National Park. Seems like he’s loving it,” Joker said.
“We’ll go there for real someday.” There was a vibration against Neo’s hip, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Oscar was on alert, sitting up with his head tilted to the side. Neo glanced at the screen, and suddenly his limbs hardened and grew heavy. “It’s the commander.” His voice was flat and empty. The usual adrenaline rush of an upcoming mission was absent.
“Lieutenant Commander Richardson, sir.”
“Ransom, wheels up at oh seven hundred hours. We have a confirmed location and we’re ready to move.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Get some rest. The stakes are high. There is no room for error on this mission.”
They disconnected, and he slid his phone onto the coffee table. He wasn’t in a position where he could leave, but he didn’t have a choice.
“That was the call,” he told the team.
Joker slid the VR headset off of Jacob. “Wheels up, man. Mission time. I’m sorry we have to leave so soon. It’s been fun getting to know you, kid. I’m gonna give this headset to Brynn, so you can keep it safe for me while I’m gone.” Joker squeezed his brother’s shoulder, and a pang settled in his heart.
There were so many things Neo had wanted to see through before he got called out on his next mission. Wanted to be moved into the new house, have the security system installed there, take Jacob to do some back-to-school shopping, and drive him to his first day of school. Brynn’s new van would be available at the dealership in a week or so, and he’d wanted to surprise her. If they had discovered Fergus was in the US, but not in prison, he wouldn’t know what to do. He’d be scared sick that he would find Brynn and Jacob. He took in the trio of concerned expressions on his teammates’ faces, as one by one, they received the same call to report for their mission.
He had wanted to push back, tell the commander he couldn’t leave the United States, but if they placed someone new in their unit and shit went sideways, he’d never forgive himself. After all of these years, Scooter’s sacrifice was still an empty hole in his gut. He couldn’t go through that kind of loss again. Still, the pizza he’d just eaten sat heavy in his churning stomach at the thought of leaving Brynn alone.
He breathed in through his nose, held it, then exhaled. The move to the new house would have to wait. Brynn and Jacob would be safe in the apartment. He would email the Realtor to complete the sale, so when they returned from their mission, they could start packing and move right in. He felt a small squeeze right above his knee. Brynn was gazing up at him, her eyes soft with understanding. She was brave. Reliable. There was no way she would take any kind of chances with Jacob in her care.
Branch cleared his throat. “Sucks, man. Couldn’t be worse timing for you. Anything we can help square away, Ransom?”
He shook his head. “Appreciate it.” He’d text some of the Teams that would be staying on base. Ask them to drive by occasionally to check on Brynn and Jacob. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he’d been given such a gift by having them enter his life. If they were taken from him, he wouldn’t survive it.
Silver shifted, taking his elbow off of the beanbag chair as he sat up. He locked eyes with Neo, and dipped his chin in understanding. “Our intel suggests this mission should be cut and dried. I’m guessing two weeks at most.” His gaze drifted to Brynn. “If there is anything you or Jacob need, don’t hesitate to call the commander. You’ll leave the number, yeah?”
He loved his team for worrying about them, too. They were Neo’s, but if anything happened to him on a mission, he had no doubt that the rest of them would step up and make sure Brynn and Jacob were well cared for. “Yeah.” He took Brynn’s hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “And some of the guys on base. If you need anything or something is bothering you, call one of the numbers I program into your phone.”
“Jacob, you’re the man of the house while we’re gone.” Joker ruffled his brother’s hair. They had become close in the past week. “That pretty much means listening to whatever Brynn says.”
Jacob released a long exasperated sigh, but the pinched expression on his face told him the news was weighing on him. He’d have a heart-to-heart with him when the guys left.
“Guess we should clear out.” Branch stood from the recliner. “I want to get a few hours of sleep in before we leave.”
The others grunted in agreement and they all rose to their feet.