Page 48 of Silver Sanctuary
“Copy, charlie six thirteen,” Gunner repeated as he clicked through the menu options.
“Correct.”
“Don’t think this crew being here is getting you out of talking,” Gunner pushed.
“Since when did you become such a chatterbox? I swear, the only time I normally hear you speak is when you’re chewing one of us out for screwing something up out here, or Lily and Sage are around.”
“Yeah, well, this concerns all of us, doesn’t it?”
“Wings, start recording cameras five through twelve.”Gage’s command came through the headset. He clicked over to the screen with the computer commands and pressed record.
“Tracker, cameras five through twelve are recording. We’re ready in the booth for you to start the scenario,” he replied.
“Copy that.”
“So?” Gunner pressed again. What the fuck was his problem?
“In what way does my marriage concern you?” Nash snapped. Gunner’s constant push back was really starting to piss him off. “Didn’t I already survive your fucking third degree the other day when I told you I was marrying her?”
“It concerns all of us. She’s becomingourfamily.”
“Reap, you’re going to want to be very careful about what you say next, because if you are about to insinuate in any way, shape, or form that Lacy is anything other than a goddamn gem and adding her to our group is anything other than a fucking blessing, I’m going to knock you on your ass.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Gunner grumbled as he picked up his coffee cup. “Look, I’m not saying those things. I think Lacy is nice, I just… where’s your head at? Is this because of what happened with Sloane and Gage?”
Fuck. “No.”
“It has to be, even just a little. So, cut the crap and level with me. We’ve worked together long enough that I know you think that night was a failure on your part.”
The night Sloane and Gage were taken. Yeah, he’d give Gunner that. He had failed to keep his friends safe.
“Is that what she is to you? A way to redeem yourself?”
Gunner just would not quit.
“Fuck. Yeah, you know what? In a way, she is,” he finally admitted. “But it’s so much more than that, Reap. They have no one. Nothing. You were there when we went to see the trailer. You saw the look in her eyes. The way the only thingthat seemed to keep her tethered to the earth was holding on to me. I can’t… I fucking hate seeing her like that. She’s it for me. I know it. That first time I went into Petals, fuck, even then she was being harassed. But whatever lit up inside me wasn’t just about protecting her. I’ve found my person; I’ve found my family. These issues she’s having are going to be a distant memory soon, but you know what? After all is said and done, I’ll still be by her side.”
Gunner nodded, his eyes laser focused on Nash. “I’m happy for you, man. We’re all… we’re all happy for you.”
Gunner turned to the monitors and silence fell in the control room, except for the infrequent call out of simulator command codes that needed to be manually started in the training scenario they were running.
His mind wandered to what Lacy was getting up to with the girls. If she was having fun shopping with them. God, he hoped so.
And just when he was about to lose his fucking mind and check in with her, a message from Lacy finally popped up on his phone.
Wifey:
Apologies in advance.
Are you okay? Did you get stuff for Embrie’s room? Don’t hold back, Lace. I want her to love it.
Wifey:
Yes. We picked out some really cute things, and I only looked at the price tag half of the time.
Naughty girl. I’m going to have to punish you for that. I made Lily promise that she wouldn’t let you look at any.
Wifey:
