Page 64 of All of Me

I shrugged. “He’s been dead to me a long time,” but then I frowned in confusion. “How do you know?”

“Because up to ten minutes ago Rawlings was sitting in that corner.”

I hesitated. “So, you know everything?” His dad?

“Yeah, baby.” He blinked, and I knew he must be tired.

“Why don’t you shut your eyes?”

He grunted. “Only if you promise to stay.”

“I love you,” I whispered. It was the same promise to stay and a different one all at the same time.

He smiled lazily. “I know. Which is good, because you’re stuck with me. We’re going to go home and rescue all the dogs.”

I nodded because I couldn’t speak, and when his eyes closed, I stayed exactly where I was.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Seven days later

Drake

Because I was a stubborn bastard, I’d insisted on being present at Shae’s cardiologist visit. Technically, I still hadn’t been discharged because taking a bullet to the chest was apparently a big deal, so because Dr. Brown wanted to perform stress tests—which I hated the sound of—he was actually happy to see Shae here at Grady Memorial rather than at his own clinic. I was being very growly because Shae was pushing me in a goddam wheelchair, and he’d stayed the last two nights at Pink’s so he could see Tammy. I’d missed him like crazy and I think all the nurses were very relieved when he came back.

I waited and watched while Shae got on the treadmill, and bullet wound or not, if he showed any sign of even mild discomfort I would be out of this fucking chair and would turn the machine off myself. I glanced up as Diesel let himself in and sat down. He’d driven Shae back this morning, but he’dleft again to see Moira and Albert to report on my progress and generally check they were okay.

“She’s baking, and I’m guessing you two might need another house just for all the storage. She’s given me a shit-ton of stuff to take home, and Jay says he’s put on twenty pounds.”

I chuckled, then hissed as the movement pulled at my scar. I was still three days away from taking the stitches out, or staples I guessed.

“He looks good.”

I grinned. Shae looked very good. He was running with a smile and getting up to a speed where he was starting to blur.

“You recovered from that tech hitting on him?” Diesel asked, trying not to laugh.

I grunted, remembering the tech that visited Shae and me yesterday, and my immediate jealousy. Shae was mine, and I didn’t like the tech who came to prepare him for the tests he would have today. Diesel arrived just as I was about to bodily throw her out. Turned out to my chagrin and Diesel’s obvious delight at my subsequent apology that Masie was married and deeply in love with her wife. She was just very demonstrative and touched people all the time. Maybe I should ask Danny if he could get Shae a personal forcefield or something. Fuck, I might just put a sold sticker on his forehead. “How’re the new hires working out?”

One of the times Diesel had visited, he’d brought a ton of resumes with him. He’d gotten a second contract via the Marshals’ Service and he wanted my input. It was a first for us both, but then I’d spent so much time travelling, I had little time for training new recruits. I knew Diesel and I had to talk. No time like the present, I guessed.

“I’m gonna cut back,” I continued. “On jobs, that is. No long contracts.” I winced. What I actually wanted to say was no contracts at all.

I caught the smirk before Diesel straightened his face and I grunted. “Okay,” he said. “But you’re fine with, say, a month-long contract? That isn’t long. Not like the four-month one you had last time.”

“I can still shoot you, you know,” I replied in disgust, and he put his head back and laughed so loud and for so long, Shae noticed. It wasn’t that fucking funny.

He grinned. “Why did you think I’m choosing the new guys?”

“The new contract through the marshals.” I pointed out, still smarting a little.

He sighed. “I’m selecting them for field work. I want you to be our close combat specialist trainer. Gray is going to do the same, but weapons. I’m going to need you for maybe a full week, initially, but then you can make your own program and train around them having jobs.”

I opened my mouth to argue for some stupid fucking reason, but then I processed what he was saying, and begrudgingly, I smiled. I wanted to keep in shape and be sharp, skills-wise, for as long as possible, but I wanted to wake up with Shae wrapped around me, not alone in some hotel room. I wanted to see to Tammy while Shae went to the rescue. I wanted Sunday dinners with Albert and Moira, and barbecues with the team. I wanted to go down to Tampa for Thanksgiving and not worry about being pulled away for some job. I swallowed down my tight throat.I wanted to be with my family.

Shae was an absolute gift. I wasn’t stupid. I knew problems might crop up with my age, but then when I was in my twenties, I’d spent months in combat zones, and I was so lucky to come home when many hadn’t.

You never knew what the next day would bring.

---