“I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” Aiden asked that night.
Drake looked at Aiden. It took a moment to process his words. Get your head in the game, Avery, he admonished himself. Quit thinking about the woman sleeping upstairs.
“Give me the bad,” Drake said.
“Company’s coming.”
Drake gave Aiden a hard look. “Explain.”
“I had no idea it was happening either. They called me when they landed, I gave them directions here.”
“So, that’s why you’ve been stalling me,” Drake said disgustedly. He threw down his gloves. “Your team or mine? And you better fucking say your team because mine needs the down time.”
Aiden looked him in the eye and didn’t say anything.
Drake sighed. They were in the study. He could swear because Bella was in bed and the door was closed, he was doubly safe. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. It’s Mason. That asshole. He’s as bad as an old lady.” He replayed what Aiden had said. “You said they. Who else?”
“Darius Stanton.”
“For God’s sake, the man has ten kids. He can’t possibly be here.”
“Ten? I thought his fiancée just moved to San Diego, she’s too young to have ten kids. Did they adopt an orphanage?”
Drake raised an eyebrow.
“You’re so full of shit, Avery. But what’s the deal?”
“She has three younger siblings. Of course, one’s graduating high school this year. Sawyer’s joining the Navy, he wants to be a SEAL. Dare thinks he has a shot. The girl is fifteen. But the seven-year-old boy is autistic. He adores Dare. Seriously, Georgie goes downhill when Darius goes on missions. Rylie is fantastic with him, don’t get me wrong, but since Darius has come into the picture, Georgie has improved.”
Aiden’s phone vibrated. “That’s them.”
Drake left the gear on the couch and went to the console to let them in. As much as he was bitching, he couldn’t hide his grin when he saw his teammates faces on the screen. He pressed the button to open up the gate, then turned to Aiden.
“Mason just got married, but he won’t do babysitting duty. So, Dare is going to stick with the women. Got it?”
“Thank God. Not that I don’t love your sisters and Karen of course, but I need out of this place!”
“What do you mean love?”
“It’s a figure of speech. You need to chill.” Aiden damn near ran up the stairs. Drake knew he was getting his gear. He couldn’t blame him.
He threw on his coat and went out on the porch to wait for his friends. It had stopped snowing for just a moment.
How did they manage to get a truck? Plus, it wasn’t red. Score! Drake stopped short. He realized he was focusing on the truck because he was nervous. He’d been lying to these men for years.
“To hell with it.” He blew out a breath and watched it condense in the cold air. “Time to pull up the big girl panties.”
Mason Gault got out first. He was big and lean. Drake could take him in a fight, but it would never come to that because Mason was always a step ahead of him, that’s why he was in charge. He was carrying his duffel and a suitcase. Obviously, he had checked baggage which meant he had some firepower with him.
Darius Stanton got out next. His gaze missed nothing. Drake remembered when he’d played the role of superspy. He had the look of a pretty boy, but his early years in foster care made him a sneaky bastard. He was going to be pissed when he found out he was the babysitter. Drake would bet his bottom dollar that Dare would have Bella eating out of his hand, and he wouldn’t have to pay her.
Dare walked up the stairs first.
“Six baby sisters, huh?” Darius said as he held out his hand, and clapped Drake on his back. “Are any of them like you?”
“They’re all pretty and nice, so no.” But then Drake paled. “Holy shit. I think one of them is kind of like me.”
“Awesome.” Darius smiled. “Hopefully she gives you hell.”
“She does, every time I turn around.”
Darius stepped back, and Drake turned to look at his lieutenant. It was hard to read Mason’s face. Was he disappointed?
“It’s freezing. I grew up in San Diego. Is O’Malley inside?” Dare asked. He was already opening the door. Then he was gone, and it was just him and Mason.
“Drake, quit it,” Mason said quietly. “Everything’s good.”
Drake swallowed, then smiled. “Sure, it is,” he quipped. “I lie to my best friend for years, and everything is right as rain.”
“You’ve taken a bullet for me. You’d literally die for me, and not just in the heat of battle. This is petty little shit that I’ve known about forever.”