“The guys who ambushed us were all ex-military, all working for some private for-hire security company,” Asher says. “They were young. Too young to connect back to Tag or you and Max, but we checked for links anyway. Nothing showed up.”
“What about a connection to Jacob Allen, the ex-NSA director?”
“I saw nothing that linked to anyone involved—Tag, Candace’s father, or you,” Blake says, and after he finishes off a slice of pizza adds, “And while Max tells you he’s being blackmailed, I suspect it’s the other way around. I can’t prove that but my gut, based on what you’ve told me, is that he was looking for a payday. But the good news here is I can’t find a link back to you. We’ve scoured the black web, made contact with informants in the right places, and we’ve come up with nothing.”
“What about Max?” Adam asks for me. “Anything on him in all that digging around the web?”
“Nothing,” Blake says.
I grimace. “Yeah well, that’s like saying you didn’t see Jack go up the hill with Jill, but he rolls down a few minutes later, dead.”
“What the hell is it with Jack and Jill and you right now?” Adam asks. “Why do I think it’s some sort of pre-wedding nerves that has Jill not coming down the hill?”
I ignore him and continue on, though it was a good play on words. Well done, Adam. “I don’t run blind,” I say. “What if I’m a target and that makes Candace a target?” My lips tighten and I do what I never do. I toss my uneaten pizza back into the box. “We’re getting married in two days. We’re going on our damn honeymoon.”
“We will handle this,” Blake assures me.
“Yeah, man,” Adam chimes in. “Chill. Eat pizza. Have normal wedding nerves. We’ve got your back.”
“Like I can do anything fucking normal,” I say. “I’m a damn assassin getting married in a church. What the fuck is that?”
“Ex-assassin,” Adam reminds me.
“Not if someone hurts Candace,” I assure him. “I normally just get the job done, a quick kill, and move on. If she gets hurt, I won’t be quick. I will make the responsible person suffer.”
“Back to your question,” Blake says. “What is normal about an ex-assassin marrying the love of his life in a church? Nothing, but it’s good. Real damn good. What is this? Good. Real damn good. We got this. We are going to be monitoring the situation, looking for trouble. Get married. Go on your honeymoon. If you want backup when you’re in California, we can make sure Candace never knows.”
“I’m not going down the path of keeping secrets from Candace,” I say. “And I think it would be irresponsible of me to let down my guard without backup. But let me talk to Candace.”
“You want a drink, man?” Blake asks. “I’ve got the good stuff.”
“I’d rather have a box of donuts,” I say, scrubbing the back of my neck. “I need a clear head.”
“That I can manage,” Asher says, standing up. “We ordered this morning.” He heads out of the room.
Blake’s eyes meet mine. “You’ve changed, Rick Savage. You would never have suggested you need help in the past.”
Because I didn’t give a shit if I lived or died before I got Candace back, I think, but I don’t say that. I know enough about Blake’s past, before he met his wife, Kara, to know he knows.
“Did someone order donuts?”
At Candace’s voice, the room’s attention shifts to the doorway where she stands, looking like a brunette angel, holding the box of donuts. She grins at me. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in on the party.”
Just seeing her lights up the moment, every moment she shares with me. I still can’t get over how she affects me, every single time I see her. I stand up and cross to meet her, taking the donuts and kissing her. “Good timing, baby.” I set the donuts on the table, give Blake a look, and then turn back to Candace. “Come talk to me.” I capture her hand and lead her toward a private office, and then inside, shutting the door behind us.
“Oh God,” she says, turning to me. “What’s wrong, Rick? What is—”
I tangle fingers in her hair, maneuver her against the wall, and say, “Not a damn thing now that you’re here,” I murmur, and then I kiss the hell out of her. “God, woman, you taste like the woman I have to marry.”
She laughs. “And you taste like the man I have to marry.” Her hand flattens on my chest. “Tell me what you need to tell me, but I read that room. There’s a problem.”
She misses nothing. I force myself to let her go, backing up to lean on the desk where I can study her and read her reaction better. She steps behind a chair and grabs the back. “Is it bad?”
“No,” I assure her. “Not bad. In fact, Blake and Asher find no reason for us to be worried.”
Her fingers curl into the cushion at the back of the chair. “What do you think?”
“I’m uneasy.”
“That word,” she says. “That’s what that investor makes me feel. That’s what I felt when I thought I was being watched. Uneasy.”
I push off the desk and press a knee on the chair, my hands settling on her shoulders. “Our wedding will be safe. We’ll have Walker handling security. But I want to go on our honeymoon and feel just as safe.”
“You want to put it off? I mean, we could go to the Hamptons and look around instead? All I care about is being with you.”
“She’s so damn easygoing. “We’re taking our honeymoon, but Blake offered us security, a chance for me to let down my guard and just be with you. We won’t know they’re there.”
“Oh. Well, that’s very generous of everyone involved. But I feel bad for them to have to just hang out while we have fun. Don’t you?”
“Not bad enough to not want you to have extra protection. And I’ll pay them well. So will Blake, but I’ll make it extra worth their time.”
“And they’ll decline,” she says. “You know they will.”
“Maybe we can come up with a gift for each of them that they can’t turn down.”
Her eyes light. “I like that. Who would be coming alone? Because you know, Adam keeps talking about a Rolex.”
My brows shoot up. “Adam? A Rolex?”
“The Batman Rolex. He says he can’t buy it for himself. That’s just silly stupid, to spend that much on a watch. But damn it’s a beauty. His words, not mine.”
“He has boatloads of money,” I say. “Why doesn’t he buy the damn watch?”
“But have you ever seen him splurge on himself?”
“No, actually, I haven’t. And I don’t know who will be coming, but I almost bet Adam will be on board.”
“Because he’s a good friend. And he needs a Batman Rolex,” she jokes.