Page 164 of Javier

I played it cool. “You would’ve done the same for any of us.”

“But it was you who acted,” he said evenly. “You who got bit in my stead. You who bore the brunt of the consequences. And for sparing me the pain, I must thank you.”

“I don’t know what to say.” I squirmed in my seat. “You’re welcome, I guess?”

“That’ll work. However…”

Ah, yes, here came Dagger’s “but,” thank the universe, because there was only so much praise a guy like me could take from him. Hearing these compliments from Omega was good for my self-esteem, but somehow, my ego didn’t have much of an ego anymore.

“If you ever do that shit again,” Dagger rumbled. “If you ever take a hit for me or endanger your life on my account, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“There you are, boss.” I exhaled a sigh of relief. “I figured you couldn’t go too long without riding my ass. I get what you’re saying, but I guess I’m gonna strut around with a bruised ass. You’re my CO. My job is to protect you. I’m not gonna let you down.”

“Guzman—”

“Just saying.” I lifted my shoulders then dropped them. “Although, I’d be cool if you kept your distance from venomous snakes. The zoo is out of bounds. I don’t wanna have to see another one of those for the rest of my life.”

“I’m with you on that one.” He paused, and looking down on the women, murmured. “However, the mission is not complete yet.”

“I know, and I promised Missy we were gonna find Cece and Affie.”

“And that’s exactly what we’re gonna do,” he agreed.

An awkward pause ensued. We both trailed our women with our gazes as they stopped by the recently planted roses in the back of the garden, scrawny bushes without flowers yet. Thena had planted them in memory of their mother and now Missy was gonna be around to help her care for them.

“You and I,” Omega muttered. “We’re a pair of lucky bastards.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” I couldn’t argue with truth.

“Very well, that’s all for now.” Dagger pushed up from the chair and ambled across the room. He paused at the door and turned to me, his face pensive. “You went and proved it.”

I cocked my eyebrows. “Proved what?”

“That you love her.”

“How can I not?” I glanced out the window. “She’s the light to my darkness. The dream I never dared to dream. The solace I never had. The guardian of my nightmares. The owner of my heart and the only person in the world who knows my soul. Hell, the only person who believed I had a soul when I wasn’t sure, and the only woman who found it salvageable.”

Dagger lifted his eyebrows. “I never knew you were into poetry.”

“I’m not, but Missy, she makes me wanna say shit like that out loud.”

“She’s the center of your world indeed.” Dagger smiled painfully. “I know how you feel.”

“Then you understand how my life has changed… for the better.”

Our eyes drifted to find the women we loved one more time.

“Sisters.” Omega cleared his throat yet again. “I guess that makes us brothers.”

“You mean brothers in arms?”

“We are that, were that, since the moment you came to Tracker Team, even though it took you a while to accept it.”

He wasn’t wrong about that.

“But now, we’re brothers through sisters.” His powerful chest rose with a breath. “Kin by choice.”

“Brothers through sisters.” Holy shit. He was right. “Kin by choice.” The magnitude of what he’d just said had me pushing off the chair and standing at attention. “It’s an honor I don’t deserve, sir, but I’m committed to earning it.”

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