“I’m trying to talk the boss in to coming for a few drinks, but he isn’t having any of it.”
“I’ll work my magic. Give us an hour and we’ll meet you there.” Shay smiles and bats her eyelashes, something she does with all our team to get her own way.
“We all know who wears the pants around here,” Josh mumbles to himself and leaves my office, chuckling.
Shay closes my door and turns toward me. “Who does wear the pants… boss?”
“Certainly not me, by the sounds of things. What are you doing here, short stuff? I thought you’d be out painting the town red on your last night.”
She shakes her head and creeps over to me slowly. “Why would any of us want to do that without the one man who got us through this hellish tour?”
“I did no such thing. You’re all more than capable of getting through anything. I just call the shots and hope for the best.”
“You deal with all our shit. You’re like an overprotective father making sure his kids get home safe. Don’t lie. You’ll be counting every head as we walk off that plane tomorrow.”
I nod. Shay wraps her arms around my neck.
“You’re all my responsibility out here, Shay.”
“Only out here?” She runs her fingers up and down the nape of my neck. She knows it drives me crazy.
“Yup! I get to go home for six week’s peace and quiet.”
“And you’ll miss us like crazy.”
“Debatable.” I wrap my arms around her waist and draw her in to me. “Will I get to see you before we come back to work?”
I know we have this whole friends with benefits relationship going on—it saves us going to strip clubs to satisfy our needs when we’re working for months at a time—but we both know that we mean more to each other than that, even when we don’t say it out loud.
“Do you really want to see me? Won’t I disturb your peace and quiet.”
“I think time away from here, just me and you, will do us the world of good, short stuff.”
“Hmm, we’ll see. Now, move your ass. The guys are waiting for us at the bar.”
“One drink and I’m out of there. Our flight is at six a.m., and hangovers and long flights aren’t my idea of fun.”
“Party pooper.” She leans in and pecks my lips so softly that I barely even feel it. “Meet me out front when you’re ready.”
“Why don’t you just come with me?”
She smirks. “As tempting as that sounds, I know what we’re like, and we won’t make any farewell drinks if I follow you.”
“Party pooper.” I fire her own words back at her, and we both laugh.
“Save that thought until later, boss.”
And just like that, she floats out of my office just as quickly as she entered it, leaving her signature coconut and vanilla scent behind.
A punch to my arm breaks me out of my own head. “Clay!”
“What!” I snap and rub my arm.
“Caleb is meeting the mayor out front. He’s early. Get a move on,” Chris barks out at me.
I look down at the unmade coffee cups and growl at myself for being transported back to a happy time. A time when I was looking forward to being home for a while, meeting Shay out of work hours, and having some fun. Now, I can’t remember the last time I had fun.
“Clay!” I hear bellowing from the square, and I move delicately through the space.
I growl at Chris for his impatience, but really, I’m just pissed off at the world because these memories are getting me down. The happiness behind them is welcomed, but the crash after they fade is soul destroying. I remember everything I don’t have now, and it knocks me into the abyss. A place I need to claw my way out of all over again.
“Here.” Amber thrusts a takeaway coffee cup at my chest. “I’m gathering that look on your face is down to the lack of coffee this a.m.”
“Thanks.”
The door bursts open, and Caleb walks in with the mayor and his assistant. I don’t know his name, and I don’t really give two shits either. He looks like a stuck-up fucker.
“Boys.” The mayor steps into the middle of the room and shakes his head at me.
“Sorry, Mayor, but I don’t think I look like a boy.” Amber looks up from her iPad screen.
“My apologies, ma’am. So, who wants to start talking? Because right now, I am pissed off with you all. Why couldn’t you wait to speak to me first? You’re all aware of damage control, yes?”
“Caleb tried several times to call you. We either got fobbed off by your monkeys, or you didn’t reply. What else were we supposed to do? Trust me, we tried every avenue before we took the next step.”
“You mean you did every possible thing before you bad-mouthed the U.S. Army?”
“Yes, sir,” I state proudly. I’m not backing down now.
“All of this for a woman.”
“I beg your pardon.” I stand up and Amber follows me, puts her hand on my chest, and pushes me back. “How fucking dare you, Mayor! Would you do everything in your power to save your wife? Your daughter? I’m damn sure you would. So, if you have nothing to bring to the table, get the fuck out of my compound!”
“Hold on!” Caleb jumps in and waves his hands around. “Emotions are running high here, Mayor. My brother is just concerned about Shay. We all are. The army left us no choice. Shay and Josh are out there somewhere, and their families deserve to know where. They deserve to either get their son and daughter home to love and care for, or to lay them to rest. So far, the army has blocked us all out. Shay’s family is getting no answers. Everyone is in the dark.”
The mayor looks me up and down and shakes his head. “You know I’ve invested a lot of time and effort in your company. I have always been on Team Shawland’s side, but I’m not sure what you want from me this time.”
“I want someone to help find the woman I love,” I say, sounding weaker than I did five minutes ago when I wanted to strangle the Mayor of Chicago with my bare hands.
All eyes turn to me and goosebumps rise on my arms. It’s roasting in here, but my body is feeling the effects of losing Amber’s contact.
“The whole country is talking about this. Clay, you know better than any of us how the army works. Are you telling me that, if Shay wasn’t missing, you’d be accusing the army of neglect and poor conduct?”
“If anyone came to me for help and I found out what I know now, yes, I would. This isn’t just about Shay. This is about the thousands of men and women out there fighting for this country. They deserve to have people on their side that have their back. When I was out there with my team, I never settled until I knew where every single one of them was. This wouldn’t have happened on my watch. I would have torn up that fucking warzone until I found them that week. Your men in the army are lazy now. In fact, let me rephrase that. Your men and women that work the field are not lazy. They’re dedicated to their jobs. The goons that sit behind desks, barking orders, they don’t give a shit as long as their monthly salary hits their bank account. Is that the type of people you want running the show?”
“I’ll look into your claims myself, Clay, but in the meantime, I ask that you don’t publish any more stories. You don’t talk to the press.”