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She’s visibly shaking when I turn back around to face her.
“It’s just work,” I cajole.
“But it’s dangerous.” I crawl across the bed, cupping her slender face in my hands. “I’m going to miss you.”
I kiss her, a kiss that can’t lead to anything but has the message that I want it to. Fuck, I don’t want to leave this room.
“Get some rest,” I tell her, swiping my thumb over her swollen lips before climbing off the bed and leaving the room.
None of us are happy to be gathering in the conference room. Yeah, we’re proud of what we do, and none of us will speak up and admit to how much having our evening interrupted sucks, but the fact that there are evil people in the world ruining our plans pisses us all off.
Max and Tug are still eying each other across the room, lips swollen from whatever they and Jasmine were doing when they were interrupted. Rivet looks ready to spit nails, her short hair a mess on her head. It seems like the party broke up very quickly after April and I said our goodnights.
“We have the information we were waiting on,” Kincaid says the second he steps into the room. “We’re heading back to Nicaragua.”
“The Rios case?” Rocker asks.
Dominic nods. “We’ll have more information on the jet, but we need to go now.”
“Thirty minutes until we take off,” Kincaid adds.
We all pile out of the conference room, every one of us grumbling. Thirty minutes means until the wheels of the jet leave the ground not thirty minutes until we leave the clubhouse. It takes twenty to get to the fucking airport.
Thumper stays behind to talk to someone, and leaves Cara in the hall waiting for him, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She’s still getting used to saying goodbye to him, and I finally understand exactly where the guys are now that I have someone I’m leaving behind as well.
“April is a little freaked out. I haven’t had enough time to prepare her for this.”
Cara nods in understanding.
“I know you don’t like me much, but please look after her.”
My throat threatens to seal up. We know each time we walk out of the clubhouse for work that it could be the last time. Shit goes sideways fast when you’re up against men who have nothing to lose. It hasn’t really bothered me much until right now.
“I don’t dislike you, Apollo. Be safe out there and tell April I’m coming over in a few minutes for a sleepover.”
“Hey,” Thumper says behind me, and I’m forgotten by my wife’s sister as she moves around me to tangle herself around her man.
Chapter 19
April
Of course I’m crying when he comes back into the room. At least I’m past the jagged sobs by this point, but I know the redness on my face can’t hide the pained reaction I’ve had to hearing that he’s going to be leaving.
“Can’t you tell them you have a stomachache?”
He chuckles as he walks to the closet and pulls out a huge, black duffel bag. It looks heavy, meaning he already packed it, or maybe it’s always packed and ready to go.
“My job is important. My duties on my team are important. Not going puts others in danger because they have to make up for my slack. I can’t do that.”
“W-we just got married yesterday,” I stammer. “I can’t lose you.”
He’s in front of me in a blink. “You aren’t losing me. Do you really think I’d marry the greatest woman in the world and then disappear?”
I swallow hard, feeling like a big baby for getting upset.
“You’re safe here, April. Now I have to go make sure that others are safe, too.”
That makes me feel selfish. He explained a little of what he does, and I felt such pride for him, but right now with him having to go, I wish he was a manager at a furniture store that’s closed on Sundays rather than a real-life hero.
“Can I steal one more kiss from you?”
His lips are pressed to mine before I can finish nodding my head, and I give him the best kiss I can manage with tears running down my face and congestion blocking my nose. He nips at my bottom lip, sending thrills through my body, and I cling to him, my fingers tangled in his shirt.
A throat clearing interrupts us once again, but I’m a fool to have thought that distracting him with a kiss could keep him here longer. A flush of embarrassment washes over me when I see it’s Cara standing in the doorway, holding a pillow. I’m sure all the guys kiss a lot, and I have no doubt that my sister does as well, but she knows better than anyone that it’s shameful for those types of displays, even between married people.
