Page 101 of The Marine

“Hmmm. About that.” He pushes off the wall, takes my hand and leads me over to the sofa.

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AIDAN

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WE AGREED IT wouldbe better if Briar didn’t know about her husband yet.

She’s not an operative, but tomorrow at Ryder’s wedding, she’s going to be an unsuspecting one.

“No fucking way.” Ryder growled when we told him about the plan.

I felt the same way, but I also trust our team.

There is no way I would put Briar in harm’s way, but their small, private wedding is going to be so well-guarded it’s the perfect opportunity.

“Nothing is going to happen before or during the ceremony.” I told him.

“We’ll grab Johnny Trevis afterward. I’ll brief the police once you’ve said yourI dosand they can pick him up.”

“Let’s grab him now.” Ryder shook his head.

We would if we knew where he fucking was.

But we don’t.

“We can’t find him. If we do, of course we will. But we know he’s going to attend the wedding as Briar’s date. So assuming he turns up, this is the best plan.” Josh said earlier tonight.

Now I’ve got my girl in my arms, even if she is sitting stiffly beside me. She was ready to give me a speech and say goodbye.

Wrong.

That is not how this is going down. I just shoved a strawberry inside her pussy and ate it. Then fed it to her. I don’t do that shit with a woman I am not in love with.

I don’t want to touch another woman.

Briar is mine.

But once she learns the truth about Kael, it’s going to be another blow. Another person she couldn’t trust. No matter how she feels about him now.

I don’t know the answer to that last one and I’ll admit it’s been eating away at me.

Their marriage will be dissolved. You can’t marry someone with a fake identification, and it be legit. The law doesn’t allow it.

Not in any fucking state.

Tomorrow she’ll watch us have him arrested and then I’ll tell her everything we know about him.

When she’s safe. Until then, she’s not leaving my side, or she will be guarded by someone in the Black Hawke Security team.

“Listen, I know how this looks—” Briar starts to explain her infidelity.

“Stop.” I lean my arm along the cushions behind her as she sits on the edge, facing me. “I’m not looking for any bullshit excuses, Briar. I came to your house. I let you in last night. We’re both two consenting adults.”

She nods and guilt lines her face.

I grab her hands. “Tell me. Do you love him?”

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