“Vazquez, we called Lupe. Carson, we called Viper. And Franklin, we called him Shooter.” His voice stuttered when he said Franklin and then again when he said Shooter. He may have been close to the other two, but I knew he was the closest to Shooter.
“Is that where you got the scars on the left side of your body?”
“Yeah, pulled them out of debris after the rest of the convoy took out the insurgents and provided cover fire.”
“I’m not going to say thank you for your service. But I am going to say that I am one lucky woman. I get to call you mine.”
“And I am all that and more to you.”
Just as I rolled over on top of him, my phone started ringing.
Pressing my lips to his cheek, I said, “I want to ignore that, but it could be the hospital.”
He smirked at me and then reached for my phone, checked the readout, and then he smirked, “My woman has superpowers. That’s for sure.”
Hitting answer I asked, “Hello?”
If it were possible, I could hear the smile in his voice, “Ms. Winter. I need to see you in my office. And this time, I bear good news.”
With a whoop, I hung up the phone, pressed a gigantic kiss on his lips, and said, “Get ready. Doc’s office. Said he has good news.”
Racing through a shower, I toweled off and got dressed. Stepping out of my bathroom and closet, it was to see that Gage was already dressed and was lacing up his boots.
When I emerged into the bedroom, he lifted his head, looked at what I had on, and licked his lips.
“Seriously? I’m wearing leggings and a t-shirt. Definitely not licking your lips worthy.”
His eyes were smoldering when he said, “To you, maybe. But to me? Hell yes.”
Shaking my head, I pulled my hair into a messy bun atop my head. “You're such a goof.”
He laughed softly, then said, “Got something planned, Baby girl. If they spring our girl, shoot me a text when they are releasing her, me and the boys will be outside the hospital waiting.”
Since he wasn’t coming with me, I poked out my bottom lip and quivered it a little.
“Don’t fucking do that. You’re not playing fair, my love.” I could see the indecision in his eyes. Hear it in his tone.
And when he called me his love? I fucking swooned.
Stuttering on those words still, I asked, “Wait… what?” Then that’s when it hit me about what we were even talking about. “How am I not?”
He was shaking his head, “Got you with calling you my love, didn’t I?” He was shaking his head still while laughing. “You know that I have something to do and that something is to make our girl smile.”
“Our girl?” I asked him as I took all that was him in, all that was mine.
“Yeah, laying all my cards on the table so you know where I stand. I’ll be adopting her soon if I have the right from you.”
“Then I guess you better get on getting me a property kutte and a ring on my finger.” I tossed over my shoulder and as I grabbed my bag and keys, I felt his arms come around me.
“Your property kutte is almost finished already. Got one thing to do before I put a ring on your finger.”
And before I could ask him what that was, he kissed me silly and then walked out of my house.
On autopilot, I locked up the house, got in my car, and drove to the hospital.
Then again, on autopilot, I locked up my car and headed to her room, stopping at the nurse’s station when I saw her doctor.
Smiling, I asked, “And this good news?”