Corps Security: The Series (36 page)

I shiver when my skin touches his.

“Hey, you. I missed my boys today.” I kiss his back before looking over his shoulder at Nate. “Ax, you can’t keep letting him chew on that! It’s so dirty!” Reaching around, I gently remove Axel’s dog tags from Nate’s chubby fingers and gummy mouth. “There’s mama’s handsome little man.”

Nate starts squirming in Axel’s hold to reach me, clearly growing impatient with his father’s slow transfer.

“One of these days he’ll be happy just hanging out with his old man.”

“Don’t be such a baby,” I tease, “You know he loves his daddy. His mommy just happens to have his endless food supply.”

Axel shifts his position so he can pull me into his lap—holding both of us within his arms. The instant rush of safety and love that always pours out of him wraps around us, blanketing me in the world’s best feeling.

I cradle Nate in my arms before bringing my shirt up so that he can reach my breast. He doesn’t waste a second before latching on. I lie my head down against Axel’s shoulder, and he brings his hand up to caresses Nate’s soft cheek.

“I love you, baby, but right now, I’m insanely jealous of our boy.”

“I can tell. And if your jealousy doesn’t stop poking me in the rear, I’m taking our boy inside.”

The vibrations of his laughter tickle my skin before his lips press lightly against my neck.

“I missed you today, Princess,” he whispers against my skin, “What kept you away for so long?”

“Ax, I’ve been gone for three hours,” I laugh.

“Three hours too long. I thought we decided weekends were spent at home—just us.”

“We did, but you know I had to take care of some wedding stuff and Dee is always so busy that this was the only time we could get together. Then Greg came over and we just lost track of time.” I turn my head, making sure he really isn’t upset. Seeing the small smile on his full lips puts me at ease.

“I got it, babe. That doesn’t mean I don’t miss you when you aren’t around. Plus Nate missed you so much he wanted to skip his nap and wait up.”

“Oh? He came up with that all on his own, huh?” I laugh.

“Yup. He said he would rather pass his time building block towers.”

“Ax, baby, you are ridiculous sometimes,” I rush past my giggles.

“I know. So, you ready to be my wife yet, Princess?” His question warms my ears right before he nips my lobe lightly between his teeth. “You ready to
finally
be all mine?”

“I’m already yours and you know that.” The argument, even playful as it always is, seems to be a daily conversation.

“Not until your last name matches mine and Nate’s.” His voice is firm, and I know he’s losing his patience.

“I don’t need to have your last name to prove anything. Especially not that my heart is yours.”

“But you will,” he stresses with all playfulness gone from his tone.

I know this is a sore subject, but we both agreed that it would be best to wait until Nate was born. Then we started planning and things just started taking longer. With Nate just turning nine months old, I know he’s getting frustrated.

I ignore him and lift Nate up to my shoulder.

“Da-da.”

“See, I told you. He only wants me to be his live-in walking refrigerator!” I joke.

We both laugh and enjoy a few quiet moments sitting down on the dock. It’s times like this when I realize just how lucky we are. Axel’s right—we are truly blessed. Time spent with my soon-to-be husband and this perfect product of our love really brings that home.

I shift a now sleeping Nate in my arms and snuggle more slowly into Axel. His strong arms tighten slightly, shifting us to a more comfortable position.

“Princess, I need you to be mine.” His softly spoken words break the silence.

“I know, Axel. I know. That’s what took me so long today. Dee and I finished everything up. Booked, paid for, and confirmed. Can you wait just one more month?”

“Izzy, what’s one more month when we’ve waited for this many years?” I can tell he isn’t thrilled but still happy-ish knowing that it’s going to be soon.

“Ax? The day I become yours will be right up there with the birth of our son as the best day of my life. I can’t wait, baby.”

His arms go solid for a second before he speaks. “I know.” The smug tone in his voice erases all signs of his earlier impatience.

Cocky bastard.

God, I love him.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my husband for dealing with my scattered mind and messy house while I was ‘dreaming.’ Thank you for all those times you watched our girls while I created this book. I love you.

To my girls, dreams can come true. Dream big and don’t ever stop! This is for you.

To my mom, the best damn mommager EVER!

To all the family and friends that helped me along the way. I don’t think I would have been able to make Axel what it is without!

To Angela- here’s to wine, cold pizza, and basement zombies. I love you! Thank you for answering my every text, email and call during this process! **Cheers to Dee**

To my ‘Bookettes’ for inspiring me to write this book and keeping me calm along the way. (The daily dose of half-naked men emails helped too!) If it wouldn’t have been for one email that said “you should write a book” I don’t know if Axel would be here. So, I owe y’all!

ALL the girls who read every single page that I wrote during this process. This book is what it is because of every single bit of help from you ladies! (A special thank you to Katie, girl I fear your frying pan skills! And Kelly for the support, hunky picture and your mad google image searching skills! You two girls, I heart you!)

Brenda, thank you so much for taking my book and making this process possible! <3

Sam, you made the editing process as painless as possible! Thank you for all of the reading, editing, and best freaking commentary ever!

My ‘second eyes,’ Angela Cetrangola and Dana Dean. Without y’all I might have pulled my hair out during the editing days! My brain loves you!!

SPECIAL THANKS TO: My BBG Pher (xoxo), Melissa (you perv . . . you rock!), Megan Williams, Wendy O’Hera-Perry, Allison, Tokies, Alisha, Tessa, LB, Nicky, Penny, Molly, Maria, Jolene, Andrea, Cathy, Misty, Felicia, Brittany, Deborah, Jen, Paula, Angel, Felicia, Ashley, Ruthie, Tarrinasha, Jenny, Amanda, and Ashleigh. To each and every one of my Goodreads friends and loyal supporters. Y’all never doubted me & in turn made it possible to not doubt myself. I have, hands down, the best GR friends in the world! Lastly, my IG mommas, I effin’ love y’all!

If I forgot anyone, this is for you—THANK YOU!

CAGE PLAYLIST

Sam Grow- Lay You Down

One Republic- I Lived

Luke Bryan-Country Girl (Shake it for me)

Buckcherry- Crazy Bitch

Robin Thicke- Blurred Lines

Daft Punk ft Pharrell Williams- Get Lucky

Walk Off the Earth- Red Hands

Will.i.am ft Brittany Spears- Scream & Shout

Flo Rida- Good Feeling

My Darkest Days- Casual Sex

Taylor Swift- Everything Has Changed

Boys Like Girls- Two is Better than One

P!nk- The Great Escape

Hunter Hayes- I Want Crazy

Josh Turner- Time is Love

Christina Aguilera- Fighter

ACDC- You Shook Me All Night

The Band Perry- If I Die Young

Mariah Carey- #Beautiful

Foghat- I Just Wanna Make Love To You

Sarah McLachlan- Angel

Plain White T’s- Rhythm of Love

The Black Keys- I’ll Be Your Man

Playlist can be found here

Cage Playlist

To my parents.

For teaching me to dream and showing me how.

Love you both.

More than you will even know.

And to my Dad.

First man I ever loved and ½ of my biggest cheerleading duo.

For supporting me and pushing me to be the greatest I can be.

PROLOGUE

“Greg Cage.” I bark into my phone. I’ve been sitting outside of the damn ultrasound place for the last thirty-minutes. Of course, the actual parents are running late. Those two can’t keep their hands off of each other.

God, I want that.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, Cage. It’s Derrick.” The knot in my stomach grows. This motherfucker has been nothing but a headache for the last two years.

“News?” I don’t have time for this bullshit today.

“Um, yes?”

“Derrick, I do
not
have the patience for this right now. You called me for a reason, and I swear to Christ, it better be a good one. Has that slimy motherfucker finally slipped up?” I’ve had Derrick, a local cop, keeping tabs on my ex-brother-in-law for the last two years, ever since Simon married another innocent woman. I know there is something going on there, but I haven’t been able to get a speck of dirt on that asshole. Grace would be sick if she knew how deep my need for vengeance runs.

“Um, yeah . . . that’s why I’m calling, Cage. I just don’t know how you’re going to handle this news.” Derrick might be a stand up kind of guy, but in times like this, I just want to punch him in his pretty boy face.

“What. Is. It?” I see Axel’s truck pulling into the parking lot, and I know I need to be off this phone before Izzy sees me. I love her, but the second she senses my stress, she won’t stop until she has some answers. I refuse to cloud her happiness right now.

“It’s about his wife Sofia. Well, you see . . . there was an accident last night.”

“Fuck . . .” I hiss.

Just like Grace. Just like my beautiful sister.

“Please fucking tell me that there is something that ties his ass to this.” There has to be. The coincidence is just too fucking much.

“That’s just it. The accident. I wasn’t on call last night, so this is all second hand until I get into the station . . . shit.” I know this won’t be good, I just know it. “Sofia made it long enough to be transported, but they called it shortly after she arrived at the hospital.” He talks a deep breath before continuing, the whole time my stomach turning to stone. “She was DOA, Cage.”

I see Izzy’s big, blinding smile through the window of the car, and my heart lightens a little.

“I need to go. You keep me fucking posted. I don’t mean every now and then either. I want to know every fucking detail, you got that?”