ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (96 page)

“We feel this is directly related to the assassination of Aaban Hanif.” 

“You used a source, is that correct?”

Vince nodded.  “He was a trader that had clearance to come on base.  He sold a lot of junk.  Trinkets, used DVDs, stuff like that.  He cued me in on Hanif.  He said there was a high ranking member of the Taliban who was planning on bombing not only our base but an entire town.” 

“Aaban Hanif was a relation?”

“Son.” 

Captain Tillman blew air through his cheeks.  His eyebrows shot upward, but he quickly composed himself. 

“Both of your phone lines will be tapped.  Probably every member of your team’s just to be safe.  I’ll let you know when the formal inquiry will happen.”  He smiled lightly as Vince and Stanley looked at each other.  “Don’t worry, it will be more informal than anything else.  It’s not like we’re going before a Congressional Committee.” 

Sydney laid across her bed, feeling fatigued yet strangely alert and wide awake.  She had only managed a few hours of sleep.  Annette had arrived shortly after Vince had left to offer to take Dakota for the day.  She had gratefully accepted. 

Her mind kept going over the call from the night before.  Feelings of guilt were eating away at her insides and making her feel queasy. 

I haven’t been fair. 

She heard the front door open, then close, but didn’t move.  Vince appeared in the doorway moments later.  He looked haggard. 

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Where’s Dakota?”

Sydney sat up, bending her legs into the cross legged position. 

“Annette offered to take her for the day.  She’s taking her to the playground and promised her a fun filled day of movies and cookie baking.” 

Vince nodded, a half-smile curling one side of his lips.  “Nice.” 

He walked to the bed and sat on the edge.  He wanted to speak to her about her declaration of wanting a divorce.  He just wasn’t sure if he really wanted to hear her say it again.  Before he could decide whether or not to open his mouth Sydney burst into tears, holding both hands over her face. 

“Hey.”  He said gently, sliding his body closer to her.  He wrapped his arms around her, grateful she didn’t pull away.  “It’s going to be fine, Syd.  We’ll get it sorted out.” 

“It’s not just that.”  She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.  “I haven’t been fair to you.” 

“What do you mean?”  He asked cautiously.  He had no idea what she might say next, and the thought of it being another man, or her reiteration of wanting to dissolve their marriage gave him a sweaty shaky feeling. 

“I mean you, your role in the military, all of it.  I haven’t been a good wife.” 

Vince bit back an acrid response, knowing it wouldn’t help anything.  He didn’t need to affirm that she had hurt him. 

“I’m sorry.”  She whispered. 

Vince felt stinging regret take the wind out of his sail of justification.  He hadn’t done his part either. 

“I’m to blame here too, Sydney.  I should have been more attentive to you and Dakota.  I shouldn’t have kept on trying to go back over there.”  He hesitated, running a hand along the side of her wet face.  “Do you even love me?”

“Yes, Vince, I love you.”

Relief washed over him.  At least they were on the same terms in that aspect. 

“Then why get a divorce?”

Sydney dropped her eyes.  She plucked at the front of his shirt, tilting her head. 

“I don’t…I don’t want a divorce.  I just want my husband back.” 

“All of me?”

Sydney knew what he was asking.  He should have never been put in the position of needing to ask.

“Yes, all of you.”

Vince lowered his head and kissed her trembling lips.  After so many months of no physical contact with her, it was like a time bomb had finally exploded.  He opened his mouth, forcing her lips to follow his lead.  His groin ached immediately. 

“I want you.”  He grabbed both sides of her head and growled his words near her ear.  He felt her shudder, and her back arched slightly.  He smiled.  Her reaction reminded him of old times. 

Sydney pulled at his shirt, taking it over his head and throwing it to the floor.  She traced his muscles rapidly, sucking in air as her fingers ran over a rough scare just below his collar bone over his heart.  Her eyes sought his frantically.

“It’s nothing.”  He whispered, unbuttoning his pants. 

Sydney kissed the still healing wound, finishing by tracing a wide circle with her tongue around it.  She hastily came out of her shirt and shorts, and laid back on the bed. 

Vince looked at her, enjoying seeing his wife laid before him.  Her athletic build was a little softer in a few places, but she still had a small waist and well defined rear end.  He lifted her sports bra, and lowered his head to kiss and suckle each small breast.  He never understood other men’s obsession with large breasts.  For him, Sydney was perfect just the way she was. 

“You’re so beautiful.” 

Sydney was speechless from his compliment.  She couldn’t remember the last time he had called her that.  Fresh tears began to leak from her eyes, but she brushed them aside and dismissed his worried expression by sitting up and springing his massive manhood free from the confines of his jeans. 

All thought Vince had of asking her what was wrong vanished as she took him into her mouth.  In less than a minute there was no thought for him but the blinding pleasure she so deftly coaxed from his body. 

Vince ran his fingertips lightly up and down the arm Sydney had draped over his chest.  He wished that moment would just stretch on for eternity.  Their bodies were spent, and they both languished in the soft afterglow.  He would never go that long again without having sex with his wife.  It was too good to go that long without it. 

“Once we get things straight here at the base, I want to take you and Dakota on a trip.” 

“Where?”  Sydney asked sleepily. 

“I thought maybe the Grand Canyon or somewhere like that.” 

Sydney smiled into his chest.  “I think that’s a great idea.”

“Do we have funds for stuff like that?” 

“Oh yeah.  I’ve been saving for a family vacation for two years.”  She sat up and looked at him teasingly.  “I never thought I’d get one, so I figured if I saved until Dakota was eighteen I could either pay for her college with it, or buy myself a Porsche.” 

“That’s evil, but very smart.”  Vince laughed. 

“Yeah, I thought so too.”  Sydney slid off the bed, stretching her naked body like a cat.  “I’m going to take a shower.”  She turned to him coyly.  “You should make us a snack.” 

“I was thinking we should pick up Dakota and go out to eat.” 

“Even better.”  She said and sauntered into the bathroom. 

The afternoon sunlight dappled Vince’s body.  He hadn’t felt this peaceful in a long time.  The silence at home was a challenge, but in that moment everything was good.  His mind only saw images of Sydney beneath him, on top of him clawing at his chest; and with those images, he fell into a peaceful slumber with a small smile on his lips.

Captain Tillman popped two more Tums in his mouth and chewed nervously.  The man on the other side of his desk was small and dark, and had never completely lost his native accent.  He was an American, but there was doubt whether his veins ran good old red white and blue.  He was, after all, still a native of Kandahar.  He had come to the United States with his parents as a refugee when he was twelve years old. 

The man regarded Captain Tillman with still black eyes.  “Why was our military doing such a foolish thing?”

Captain Tillman grabbed the bottle of Tums angrily and jerked a desk drawer open to toss them inside. 

“I’ll tell you what’s foolish, Aalem, is you coming here!”

“Your wife seemed very happy to have me.” 

Captain Tillman’s eye twitched.  “She’s happy to see anyone.  She’s a lonely woman.” 

“Really?”  He crossed his legs and delicately cupped his hands over the knee.  The white linens he wore made a shushing noise that grated Tillman’s already frayed nerves.

“No, not really!” 

“Captain Tillman, I want to understand what happened out there so when my…family…calls and ask again, I may better explain.” 

Captain Tillman’s eyes bulged from their sockets.  “What’s to explain?  We’re still fighting the war on terror, for God’s sake!  It was a spec op mission, no more, no less.” 

“Aaban Hanif was not a weapons provider.”  He spoke quietly, but as usual when anger was rising, his accent became heavier. 

“No, but he was a known terrorist, and was possibly directly responsible for hundreds of soldiers deaths.”  He leaned forward, lowering his voice.  “Not to mention several coordinated car bombings in Israel.” 

Aalem flicked his fingers in the air at the mention of Israel, as if a bothersome gnat was buzzing about.  “Surely those things alone didn’t justify what happened to him.” 

“And what would have justified it?  A few more innocent lives being lost?  His passenger had a package of enough explosives to blow Washington DC off the map!   ”

“A soldier becomes a soldier knowing his life is no longer his own.”  Aalem stood.  “I believe he was killed in Kandahar not Washington DC.  Your analogy is poor.”  He bowed slightly.  “I will be in touch.  Perhaps a gift proving good faith could balm this…explosive situation.”  His eyes twinkled in mirthless amusement.  “No pun intended.”   

Captain Tillman heard his wife cooing over Aalem and asking him to reconsider staying for dinner.  He breathed a sigh of relief when he politely declined.  Maybe his wife was lonely.  Maybe she would like to wear a Burka and live with Aalem instead.  He closed his eyes, wondering if his mind was still right. 

Sydney hung up the phone and smiled at Vince.  “It’s all set!  Bridgette is going to come and visit for sure tomorrow!” 

“That’s great, babe.” 

Sydney was picking up on his low vibe.  “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.  I just thought I would have heard something by now.  I don’t even think the phone lines were tapped!” 

Sydney ran a hand along his shoulders, before hugging him from behind.  “It’s only been three days.  I’m sure their working on it.” 

Vince nodded, keeping his head forward.  He didn’t want her to see the worry that still lined his face.  He couldn’t explain to her what it was like to be part of special operations.  They’re relationship was on the mend.  The past three days had been a glorious happiness accentuated by really hot sex.  He wasn’t about to put a damper on it just yet. 

“Hey, I think Stanley and I will go to the range while she’s here.  Maybe Annette would like to come over too.” 

Sydney let go of his shoulders.  “Yeah, I was going to call her.” 

Dakota ran into the room with a paper in one hand and Pickles pressed firmly to her chest with her other hand. 

“Daddy!  I drewed this for you!”

“I drew this for you.”  Sydney corrected.

Vince took the paper and smiled.  “Wow, pumpkin, this is really good.”  He turned it to the side and studied it more closely. 

“Do you know what it is?”  She beamed up at him.

“Well…of course I do, don’t I honey?”  He held the paper out to Sydney, his eyes begging for help. 

Sydney shrugged lightly, looking as helpless as he did. 

“You tell me what it is, and I’ll tell you if it’s right.” 

Sydney made a face and mouthed ‘What?’  Vince shook his head slightly.  Dakota seemed to be mulling this proposition over, and decided with a grin that it was a good idea.

“Ok.  This is you on a high cliff.”  She put her little hand in the air for emphasis.  “Down here is the bad guys!”  She growled and squinted her dark eyes. 

Vince took the paper and looked at it again.  What he thought were scribbles now had a more definite shape.  They were stick figures laying on the ground.  She had covered them with another color: red. 

Vince looked at his daughter, careful to not belie what he was feeling.  “Tell me, Pumpkin, how did you come up with this picture?” 

She raised a finger to her lips and made a shhh sound with puckered lips.  “Can’t tell you.”  She whispered.

Vince glanced at Sydney’s still frame standing by the sink. 

“Why not?”

“I mades the promise.”  She patted Pickle on the head. 

“To whom did you promise?”

Dakota let her little arms flop at her sides, Pickles nearly dragging the floor.  “I promise the man.  He said my daddy sat on a mountain and killed the bad guys.” 

“Where did you see this man?”

“Aunt Annette took me to the park.  He was there, but she didn’t want him to talk to me.”  

“What did he look like?”

“Like you!”  She giggled.

Vince fought bile and panic rising in his throat.  “What do you mean like me?  Was his hair very short like mine?  Was he tan like me?”