Page 44 of Inevitable Dream

“Where’s Wire?” Archer asks.

“Not in yet,” Phoenix replies.

“Is he sick? That guy’s always the first one in.” Archer chuckles.

“Nah, but he’s got his mind on Remmi,” Falcon answers with a laugh.

“Life’s too short. Tell him to pull the trigger and do something about it. If you get your shot at happiness, take it. Tell him I need a favor. I’ll call him direct in two days. Tell Wire to look for my call.” There’s a slight change in his tone. Enough that I can hear the difference, and I’m not alone.

“Anything wrong?” Falcon asks in his commander tone.

“Not wrong, just missing,” he replies. “We’ll talk later. Eyes and ears open, brothers.” It’s his line. He used to say it whenever we had to move out as a unit. It means he’s got to go, and I hate that I’m not with him to help him through this last leg of his tour.

“No man left behind. Get back safe. And no worries about the package. I’ll be watching for it and will keep it safe,” Falcon tells him. And just like that, Archer’s gone. There’s a silence for a brief moment. For me, it’s a reminder of what I left behind in the army. The bombs going off in the distance, the villagers who have been so terrorized that the mere sight of a uniform would send them into a panic. The lives I took and the lives I saved. The weight of what it meant to be a soldier following orders, some of which, to this day, I still don’t understand.

“It was good to hear his voice.” Phoenix breaks the silence.

“He sounded good,” I add.

“He’s coming home soon. He’ll need us more than he knows. We’ve all been through the transition, and we’ll guide him through too,” Falcon states firmly. He’s made it his personal mission to make the change into civilian life for all of us as easy as possible.

“What’s on for today?” I ask, at the same time that my phone rings. At a glance, I see it’s Sadie. It’s early; she should still be asleep. I pick up quickly. “Everything all right, babe?”

“Hey, Rebel, sorry to bother you so early, but I kind of need a favor. Are the rest of the guys with you?” Her soft, sleepy voice comes through the phone. Wire is walking by when I ask him to get Bull.

“Okay, Sadie, we’re all here. I’m putting you on speaker,” I tell her as we gather around.

“Do you remember the guy I was telling you about yesterday?” she asks.

“The guy the cops thought killed some other guy in the alley?”

“Yeah. His name is Kane. Well, the doctor definitively proved there was no way he could have done it.”

“That’s good.”

“Okay, well, when I spoke to the police officer, he said that when they first asked him his name, he told them he was Sargeant Kane Barret.” There’s a pause. “He’s lost. I don’t know enough about how to get him help. I sort of told him that I knew some great men who would understand more than I ever could. Kane looked hopeful, and I’m wondering if you could–”

She doesn’t get to finish her thought before Wire replies, “No man left behind. What’s his room number?”

Sadie gives us the room number and adds, “I promised to visit before my shift. I can meet you there and introduce you.” We firm up the plans, and I take the phone into my office for privacy.

“You didn’t get much sleep,” I say.

“No. It’s a new routine. I’m going to try to nap again in a few hours. The first few times are difficult, but I’ll adjust,” she says. “I miss waking up next to you.”

“Me too. I wanted to wake you this morning. You’re so beautiful sleeping beside me. I was so tempted to wake you with my mouth between your legs.” Even imagining her in our bed, with her legs splayed open, her head thrown back, panting my name while I make her come, makes me hard. I won’t be able to walk out of my office until my boner subsides.

“You should have.” Her voice is husky and needy. “I’m not going to be able to go back to sleep. I may have to satisfy my urges with my toy.” Sadie is always sexy, but when she’s saucy, it makes me want to rush home and throw her on the bed and make love to her until she begs me to stop.

“Don’t you dare. That’s my pussy. Tonight, no matter how late it gets, I’ll make sure my girl gets what she needs,” I tell her.

“That’s hours away.”

I can just imagine her pout. It’s as adorable as her grin. “I’ll make it worth your while, baby.”

“See you at the hospital later?”

“Count on it. Try to get some more sleep. You don’t want to get caught napping on the job,” I tease.

---