“Ryley,” my mother’s voice grabs my attention. She walks toward me with just a slight limp. We hug much longer than need be, considering I saw her last night, but I’ll never be over the fact that she almost lost her life because of the situation we were all put in. I’ve come to realize I’ll never have the answers I want or need for closure either.

  “Mom, you didn’t have to do all of this.” I look over her shoulder just in time to see Evan lift his recliner. He heaves it over his head, causing his shirt to ride up a bit on his stomach, showing off a small sliver of his abs.

  “Ryley!”

  “Huh?”

  My mom shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “You know I used to look at your dad like that. Sometimes I still do.”

  “Ew, Mom. Just… no.” She’s laughing while I’m mentally bleaching my brain. I do not need to hear about my parents, ever.

  She rolls her eyes and brushes me off. I can talk about men with my girlfriends, but not my mother. “Listen, Olivia and Lois will be here soon. Are you sure you want to stay? I could send you to the store to do shopping.”

  Shaking my head, I watch as Evan and Tucker come back into the room. They were close before they deployed, but they’re more like brothers since everything went down. More than Evan is with Nate. Evan’s lack of trust in Nate bothers me, but it’s not like I can sit him down and demand he forgives his brother. I see both sides of the argument and choose to stay neutral. I love Nate because he’s my best friend and was there for me when I needed someone the most. I’m madly in love with Evan but fear he doesn’t always see things this way. “No, I’m fine,” I tell my mother. “I’ll help or do whatever.”

  “It’s your bridal shower. You should relax.”

  I give her a soft smile. “I’ll relax when I’m…” I trail off, not willing to say the adage of relaxing when you are dead. My brush with death is all too real and something I hope I never experience again.

  Each time I try to help, someone pushes me aside, and I find myself doing odd things around the house. Opening and closing doors when people need to go in and out and helping Livvie and Lois carry food in. Originally, my shower was supposed to be a surprise, but Lois inadvertently sent a text to me instead of Livvie. From that point, I insisted it be at my house. I just didn’t count on my furniture being moved. I wanted a chance to show it off and figured having a housewarming party, and bridal shower would be overkill. I also insisted that this party be for Evan as well. I figured the guys could man the grill, drink a few beers, and have a good time while the wives played silly games and ooh’d over the blender we registered for. The only gift I know Evan’s curious about is whether or not I come away with any new lingerie, which, honestly, I’m hoping not. I can’t imagine opening a nightie in front of my parents.

  Justin arrives with a present in his hand. I greet him at the door, kissing him on the cheek. Since we’ve been back, he’s spent more and more time over here. His story saddens me. There have been times when I’ve picked up the phone to call his parents. To ask them what their issue is and why they don’t believe him? Why don’t they believe us? But know deep in my heart, it wouldn’t do any of us any good. They believe he’s dead, and there isn’t anything any of us can do to change that.

  “The guys are out back,” I say, pointing down the hall.

  “Thanks,” he says, but instead of heading that direction, he veers toward Livvie, where she’s setting up a table. From where I’m standing, I can tell he’s leaning into her, and if I’m not mistaken, her cheeks are flush. I know they spent some time together when Evan and the rest of the team returned because he had Justin guard Livvie and EJ, but by the looks of them now, I’d say something is going on, or maybe I’m a hopeless romantic, and I’m reading too much into a friendly gesture.

  Lois calls me into the family room. Everyone I love is standing there, under a sign that reads “Mrs. Archer”. My eyes land on Evan’s. His smile is beaming, and when he winks at me, my knees go weak.

  “Let’s get this party started,” Penny screams out. Only the women join her. The men look very uncomfortable.

  “Come on, guys,” My dad says as he motions everyone to leave the room. “There’s cold beer waiting for us.”

  “Sit here, Ry,” Livvie says, pulling me toward the seat that’s in the middle of the room. “Now, we know this isn’t a huge party––”

  “Everyone who needs to be here, is here,” I tell her. I don’t know if she’s talking about her mom missing out or what, but sometimes it's best my future mother-in-law stay home.

  “Right, well, let’s get right to the presents. This one’s from me.” Livvie hands me a box and steps back. Of course, I tear at the wrapping paper as fast as I can, rip the lid right off and push away the tissue paper, only to have my mouth drop open when I see the contents. Nestled inside are two dark purple garters. One has the name “Archer” dangling from it and the other a beaded heart. “One is for you to throw, and the other is for you to keep or give to Evan on your wedding night. I figured you’d want as many mementos as possible.”

  I stand, not worrying about the box and pull her into my arms. “Thank you, Olivia.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m just thankful you’ve forgiven me.”

  I nod into her shoulder before releasing her. Neither of us has ever brought up the fact that she was not so nice to me when I started dating Nate. I get it. She’s loyal to Evan. I should’ve been also.

  The rest of the afternoon is much the same. Sure, the things I had on my registry ended up as gifts, but each of my friends gave me something to remember the occasion. Penny bought my shoes, the pair I had been eyeing for a long time. Lois gave me the most exquisite pair of earrings. While I, in turn, gave my bridesmaids all matching pairs.

  “What are those boxes over there?” I ask, nodding toward the pile in the corner.

  “Those are for you and Evan to open tonight,” Penny says with an evil glint in her eye. “Each one of us picked something out for you.”

  “Each?” I ask as my eyes land on my mother.

  “Oh yes, Carole was the dirtiest of us at the stores,” Livvie says, much to my horror. My mom shrugs as if this isn’t a big deal.

  “Oh, God,” I say, covering my face while the women around me laugh.

  CHAPTER 3

  EVAN

  My therapist says I need to rebuild my bond with Nate, which I get. We’re twins, and the connection between us is unbreakable. Not to mention, he’s my right-hand man when it comes to my security business. I get why things happened the way they did, but that doesn’t make facing him any easier. When it comes to combat and protecting our families, Nate and I see eye-to-eye, but when Ryley and EJ are in the mix—that’s when I have an issue. I don’t want to share them with my brother, even though he’s very much been a part of their lives. It’s a hard road to travel right now.

  I’m staring at the brown, nondescript clapboard building of a shooting range where the guys and I are meeting today when Nate pulls into the parking spot to my right. This is part of my bonding exercises with my brother—shoot guns and play GI Joe for a few hours. Honestly, after the bridal shower the other day, I need this. As much as I loved being at the shower for Ryley, I need to recharge my man card.

  Nate and I get out of our respective vehicles at the same time and meet in front of my truck. We don’t hug. It’s not because I don’t want to because I think part of me does. It’s because hugging him seems awkward right now. Instead, I say. “Hey, how was your flight?”

  Nate splits his time between here, Washington D.C., where my security firm has a field office set up, and Las Vegas, where Cara is on assignment, likely trying to take down some mafia syndicate or infiltrate some underground gambling operation. She’s reticent about what she’s doing, and if Nate knows anything, he doesn’t say. Personally, I think Cara has the coolest job and one I wouldn’t mind having.

  “Not too bad,” he says. “I flew to Vegas to see Cara and then drove here. The drive is nice. I find it peaceful.”

  “So, I take it Cara didn’t come back with you?” Ryley expected to see Cara at the bridal shower even though her RSVP came in as a maybe. We knew Nate wouldn’t make it, and I can’t really say if I missed him or not. This situation we’re in is odd. Technically, I’m his boss, and I trust him with my business. But when it’s personal, my feelings toward my brother are all over the place.

  Nate shakes his head and looks away from me. The temptation to ask him if everything is okay sits at the tip of my tongue, but I bite back my question. Do I want to know if they’re having trouble? No, I don’t think I do, but only because I don’t want Ryley to know. The jealousy I feel when it comes to my fiancée and my brother is genuine and uncomfortable. As Nate’s brother, though, I should ask him and offer some advice if it's warranted. Not that I have much to offer, but it’s the brotherly thing to do.

  “Cara’s working,” he says as he shuffles his foot over a pebble. “This case she’s on . . . it’s a tough one. I wish I could help her.”

  “Can we help her?” I ask. Cara did a lot for us after my team returned from Cuba and was instrumental in helping us figure out what the hell had happened in the six years I was gone.

  “Possibly,” Nate says. “I’ll ask her and see what we can offer. I suppose having access to a couple of CIA liaisons isn’t a bad thing.”

  “Can’t hurt.” I turn at the sound of someone pulling in. Justin Rask waves from the passenger side of McCoy’s truck. I glance back at my brother and lean closer. “Ry seems to think Rask and Tink have something going on.”

  Nate blanches and then pales. We make eye contact and stare at each other. His thoughts are probably the same as mine—we need to put a stop to this—but then I remember she’s not the teenage girl we used to chase boys away from. However, this situation might be different. The man in question is Rask, and I know what he’s been through. Life has not been easy for him since our return, and he still struggles emotionally. I don’t want my sister involved with that kind of shit.

  “She’s not old enough to date,” Nate says as he stares into the cab of McCoy’s truck.

  I laugh. We used to say this all the time when someone dared to ask Livvie out. “Sadly, she is.”

  “Lies.” Nate shakes his head. “We can finish this later.” He nods toward McCoy’s truck, where the guys are heading toward us with their carrying cases slung over their shoulders. McCoy and Rask hug Nate, making me feel two feet tall. Nate and I should’ve made a better effort.

  The four of us make our way into the range. McCoy tells us this place has gone through a massive renovation and has been expanded to include an obstacle course. It just so happens that the four of us are dressed in tactical gear—it’s almost as if we don’t own any other clothes.

  Inside, Nate and I stop and take everything in while McCoy and Rask continue toward the counter. “Holy shit,” I mutter while Nate replies, with “Uh huh.”

  The central part of the store is laid out with pistols, dozens of rifles (even pink ones), ammunition, holsters, and targets. My eyes land on the section called tactical gear, and I feel a little joy in my heart. I elbow Nate and nod in that direction.

  “Nice,” he says quietly. I don’t need any new gear, but that won’t stop me from buying it.

  McCoy motions for us to follow him to the back. A buzzer sounds, and the door clicks, signaling us to go in. We step into a room, and we’re told to wait until the red light comes on before entering the range. Once it does, we walk in, and each of us finds an empty station. Nate and I end up next to each other, which is fine. Being twins means we end up gravitating toward each other, even if we don’t mean to. It takes me a few minutes to set up my rifle and make sure my ears are covered, before the light turns green. I fire at my target in rapid succession until I’m satisfied. I press the button to bring my target toward me for inspection and marvel at my work.

  After a couple of rounds, the owner comes in and asks McCoy to come with him because he has something to show him. The rest of us tag along. It’s mostly out of fear. We trust no one these days.

  The owner takes us to the end of the corridor and through a private door. We’re outside, and the obstacle course is before us. “No live ammo out here,” he says.

  I almost want to say duh, but I hold back my sarcastic remark.

  “It’s not open to the public yet, but a couple of your buddies have been here to give it a test run. When I bought this land, I knew I wanted a course back here that would be worthy of the military.”

  “When can we take a stab at it?” Rask asks.

  “Anytime you want. I think, for now, it’s going to remain private,” the owner says. It makes me wonder why he wants to do that. With his setup, one would think people would clamor to come here and pretend.

  “We’ll definitely try it out next time,” Tucker says. I open my mouth to say we want to try it now, but this could be one of those foot-in-mouth situations. We follow the owner back in, grab our gear, and take care of the necessary ammo checks before heading out to our vehicles.

  “Magoo’s?” Tucker asks.

  “Hell, yes,” I say, thankful I didn’t push for the course. “Damn, I haven’t been there since you moved into your little yellow house.” I direct my statement at McCoy.

  He smiles. “I love that little house. It’s fucking crowded but perfect.”

  I suggest Nate ride with me, and he agrees. I never asked him where he is staying but know it’s not at our house. Ryley would never decide to have him stay there, especially without my knowledge. He stores his gun in my back seat and jumps into the cab of my truck.

  We follow McCoy and Rask to our favorite bar and make a scene when we get inside. Slick Rick is working, which makes today even better. He brings over two pitchers of beer and four glasses within seconds of sitting down.

  I stand and hug the man. He does everything he can to support the SEALs and sailors stationed in Coronado, even removing our images from his dead wall as soon as he found out we were alive and made sure everyone knew it. His most courageous act was making sure we knew an FBI Agent was asking questions about us. And while that turned out to be Cara, Slick Rick protected us when we needed it the most. “How ya’ll been doing?” he asks.

  “We’re good. Ryley and I just moved back. It looks like we’re here to stay.”

  “And you?” he asks Nate.

  He raises his full glass to Rick. “Splitting my time between here, DC, and Las Vegas.”

  Here? I mean, I get it. Business headquarters is here, Livvie’s here, but aside from the occasional visit, does he need to be here?

  Why am I so jealous of my brother? I pull out my phone, type the question and stare at it. There has to be something deeply rooted within me on why I feel this way about Nate, and it’s something I need to get to the bottom of. Of course, he should be here.

  “We need to look for an office space or something,” I blurt out. “I’m sure the last thing Ryley wants is for me to work from home. That equipment takes up so much space.”

  “I’ll be here until after the wedding,” Nate says.

  “Where are you staying?”

  “At the base hotel,” he says. “I have a couple of meetings there, and it’ll be easier for Cara when she arrives.”

  “Makes sense. I'll take you by the house before we head back to your car.” I want to finish the sentence with E.J. would love to see you. I know he will but saying it aloud stings. Everything that happened is not Nate’s fault, yet I blame him.

  We’re a couple of beers in when McCoy mutters “holy shit” and puts us on high alert. I look toward the door and see River striding toward us. The beast of a man looks nothing like he did the last time I saw him. Killing his estranged wife has done a number on him. He grabs a chair, flips it around, and sits down without a word.

  “Long time no see.” We don’t shake hands, hug, or even high-five.

  River looks down at the table. “I heard you moved back.”

  “Yep, a couple of days now. We’re over on San Luis Rey Ave. You can stop by anytime.”

  River nods.

  Slick Rick brings over another two pitchers and an additional glass. Rask pours River a beer and sets it in front of him. After everything we went through, River took the brunt of it. For the most part, we’ve been able to rebuild our lives. Even Rask has found some purpose by staying in the Navy—although McCoy and I think it’s because he’s spying on them—but River has been lost ever since we rescued McCoy’s family in Vermont. I’d probably be the same way if I found out my wife destroyed lives.

  We act like things are normal—that River is normal—and chat about whatever comes up. I prod Rask a bit, asking if he’s seeing anyone, and surprisingly, he blushes and ducks his head while muttering out that he’s single.

  “Well, maybe there will be someone at the reception for you,” Nate says while stifling some laughter. I feel bad for the kid, but not bad enough that I want to bring up our sister. Nate and I will let Rask wait us out a little bit before we broach the subject.

  Ryley texts and tells me that everyone is coming over for dinner and to make sure the guys know. I tell them, and we throw some money down onto the table, even though Rick doesn’t charge us. He said after our ordeal, our money isn’t any good in his establishment. We appreciate the courtesy but still pay our tab.

  I pat River on the shoulder, and he finally looks up at me. “Come on,” I say. “Dinner at the new place.”

  “I shouldn’t.”

  “But you are, come on. Let’s go.”

  Nate steps in front of River and me behind him, sandwiching him in. We’re a team, and a team sticks together, regardless of what his crazy ass wife did. River had no idea who or what she was when they married, and I’m not going to hold that against him.

  CHAPTER 4

  RYLEY

 

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