Without warning, the stern man at the head of the table broke into a big smile and stood up. “Welcome to my home, gentlemen. I am in your debt for your protection of my Kamiko.”
Well, then. Despite any differences with his son, Grandpa wasn’t immune to his adorable granddaughter, apparently. Gunner glanced down at Chas, who raised his eyebrows in response.
“Which of you is the teacher who rescued my daughter?” Kenji asked.
“Umm, that would be me,” Chas said, stepping forward. “I’m Chasten Reed.”
“It is a great honor to meet you, Mr. Reed. And the soldier who helped you?”
Gunner hated the attention but cleared his throat. “Master Chief Gunner Vance, Mr. Tanaka.”
“Kenji, please. It would be my honor if the two of you would consider yourselves part of my family henceforth.”
Gunner didn’t know a lot about Asian culture, but he suspected this was a rather big deal. “I’d be honored,” he replied.
“Me too,” Chas responded. “Especially if that means I get to be Poppy’s—sorry, Kamiko’s—Uncle Chas.”
“It does indeed,” Kenji said, smiling. “And you? Do you wish to be Uncle Gunner to her?”
“I do,” Gunner answered without hesitation.
Cheers went up around them.
Into the general joviality, Kenji said, “Breakfast will be served shortly. Please stay and dine with us.”
There was more laughter, and the Japanese men at the table mostly excused themselves from the room. Gunner suspected that if they were the local Yakuza bosses, they would rather not hang out with a bunch of SEALs, some of whom were likely cozy with local law enforcement agencies.
It took a while, but the local SEALs cleared out, leaving only Gunner, Chas, Spencer, and Drago sitting on the lanai with Kenji. Kamiko was fast asleep in his arms, but Gunner didn’t blame the guy one bit for not wanting to let go of his daughter after just getting her back.
Kenji asked Spencer, “So what are your plans now that you’ve rescued my daughter and restored my reason to live?”
“Drago and I are starting a small private security business. Gunner here is considering coming to work for us. We hope to grow the business over time with more people of his skill.”
“How can I help you?” Kenji asked. “You’ve already turned down a reward. May I at least help you launch your business?”
Spencer and Drago looked startled. Spencer murmured, “What do you have in mind?”
“I’m an architect. I would be honored to design and build you an office. Perhaps a training facility? Maybe some living quarters? You’ll need cash for equipment, of course. And a few high-profile clients to get you started. I have extensive business contacts to whom I will recommend your firm in the highest possible terms.”
Gunner grinned as Spencer and Drago gaped. Spencer finally managed, “That’s more than generous. Really. It’s not necessary—”
Kenji waved a hand. “I’ll hear no protests from either of you. I insist.”
Drago said, “How can we ever thank you?”
Kenji grinned. “Name the business after me if you must.”
“Tanaka Security?” Spencer murmured.
Kenji laughed heartily. “My father would never stand for his name being attached to such an honorable endeavor. How about my nickname within my family? I’m known as the Black Dragon. The bad seed within my clan, as it were, because I refused to join the family business.”
Spencer and Drago exchanged nods. Drago replied, “Black Dragons Incorporated it is.”
“And as for you two,” Kenji said, turning his attention on Chas and Gunner. “What can I do for you?”
Gunner was shocked when Chas reached for his hand and grasped it. He clasped Chas’s hand right back. “We’re alive, and that’s all I could hope for. When we were up on that mountain last night and it looked like we were all going to die, I knew that all I wanted in life was a little house with Gunner and a family of our own someday.”
Kenji smiled down gently at his daughter. “I can’t give you children, but I can give you that house, and it will be my pleasure to do so. Also, I believe teachers do not make much money in your country. I would like to provide a retirement fund for you, Chasten. You should never have to worry about your future again.”
Chas protested, “No, we couldn’t accept—”
Kenji cut off Chas politely. “You two gave me my life, my future, back.” He glanced down at Kamiko. “I insist on doing the same for you.”
Chas looked over at Gunner helplessly.
Gunner responded, “You heard the man. I guess we’re stuck sharing a house together and raising a family. Are you okay with that? I’m still going to be working with the guys and doing violent stuff now and then.”
“If it means I get to have you, I’ll find a way to tolerate it. Last night was… an epiphany for me.”
Gunner asked cautiously, “How so?”
“You guys used your skills last night to save lives. Specifically, mine and Poppy’s. I saw how intent the Oshiro men were on killing us. They had no care whatsoever for our lives, which begs the question of why we should show concern for theirs.” He frowned, searching for words, and Gunner waited him out.
Finally, Chas said, “I guess I had to experience a situation where it was a choice between you guys killing or Poppy and me dying for it to really register why you do what you do.”
Never in a million years did he think he would ever hear those words come out of Chas’s mouth. But then, he’d never in a million years thought he and Chas would find their way back to each other again either. “You sure about that? You’re not going to change your mind in a few months when I have to go on a dangerous job?”
“I have so much to live for now,” Chas replied, squeezing Gunner’s hand. “In the end, I didn’t want to die. I want to see Poppy grow up, I want to live a long, happy life with you”—he smiled at Gunner—“and I want to have a family of my own. With you.”
Gunner stared back, his heart so full he wasn’t sure he could speak past the lump it made in his throat. He choked out, “I want all of that too.”
Kenji laughed. “There you have it. I’m building you two a house. Your happily ever after home. Oh, this is going to be fun. I can’t wait to get started.”
Gunner smiled at Chas, so happy his heart hurt with joy. They leaned in simultaneously on the sofa to kiss each other. He murmured against Chas’s lips, “I can’t wait to get started either.”
Chas mumbled back, smiling and still kissing him, “Count me in, big guy. Count me in.”
More from Cindy Dees
A Black Dragons Inc. Novel
Hot SEAL. Hot spy. Hot reunion. Can they work together to find a notorious terrorist without killing each other first?
When SEAL Spencer Newman accepts a dangerous mission to bring in CIA agent Drago Thorpe—the only man he’s ever loved—he expects things to get FUBAR. He doesn’t expect Drago to convince him to go rogue too.
Drago regrets ending their torrid affair by pressuring Spencer to acknowledge their relationship publicly, and he wants a second chance. It’s always been a challenge to get the uptight SEAL to break the rules, but to eliminate a supposedly dead terrorist, they’ll need to operate outside the law. Tension heats up as they track their target, but can they find him before their attraction explodes out of control?