Page 121 of What I Should Have Done

But Duncan didn’t.

“Hey, Scotch, baby,” Mikey’s familiar voice pried my head up. Opening my eyes, I found him squatting beside me with a tight smile on his face.

“We won. So why do I feel like shit?” I whispered. He reached forward, brushing a thumb against my cheek. I didn’t even mind the crusty blood and grime because it was his touch. Not a word slipped from his lips. There was nothing that could console me. The same pain floating like driftwood behind his eyes danced in mine.

His jaw knotted and his brows pulled together as he slowly stood upright.

I inhaled deeply. “Platoon will be here soon, won’t they, and we’ll be shipped off with a new mission and target in mind?”

He nodded and pulled his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Did you bite someone’s ear off again?” I asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

A strained smile slid across his lips. “Nah. It was a dude’s finger this time. Not as cool.”

“You’ll have to wash that mouth before I kiss it again,” I replied, sitting upright.

Mikey chuckled lightly. “Well, we better hurry up then. I want that kiss soon.”

Grabbing my rifle, I braced a hand against the railing and rose to my feet. “What happens now?” I asked.

Our boots clunked lightly against the metal as we made our way across the balcony.

“Now?” Mikey paused and glanced over the side. “Now, we finish out this tour and you accept the permanent position on our team as our sniper.”

“But then that means we’re really breaking the rules of fraternization.”

“Nah. Technically, you’re still a soldier. Besides, nobody on the team is going to say anything.”

“And what about Rachel?”

He immediately stopped walking, his back facing me. “What about her?”

“What if she shows up at your house again or something?”

His head tipped forward and he rolled his shoulders. “Well, I guess what happens depends on how my girlfriend reacts.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as he finally started walking again. A chuckle bounced from his chest.

“I’m just saying, I really hope I’m at least home when she ends up face to face with you, ’cause that’s a show I wanna watch,” he replied.

And I smiled. Butterfly wings danced within my stomach.

The future. He was talking about the future.

A future with me.

Despite all of the anguish, despite the death, despite losing Duncan, at least we’d face the next chapter in life together. Glancing down at the three other men in our team who were gently helping the women and children move toward the exit, my grin widened. I’d be heading into the next stages of this crazy journey with them too.

“Blondie?” I asked as we began to descend the staircase.

“Hmmm?” Mikey asked.

“I think I’m going to try and get in contact with my brother,” I hesitantly said.

Mikey glanced over his shoulder, his eyes sparkling. “I think that sounds like a good plan. Let me know if I can help.”

“I love you, Mikey.”

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