Under Pressure(49)

“Aw thanks, baby,” Bella said, completely unabashed. “Anyway, I just wanted to check in with my fiancé here before I left for my class. Who’s coming with me today?”

“Fiancé?” the men shouted as one.

Bella turned to Jason and smiled up at him shyly. “By the way, I love my ring. It’s absolutely perfect.” She could tell that he liked that by the heat that flared in his eyes.

“It belonged to my mother.”

Bella felt honored that Jason had shared a piece of his past with her. “I love it even more knowing that.” She gazed up at him, lost in the moment until her brother interrupted them.

Sal’s voice was hard. “Isn’t this a little quick?”

Jason’s eyes gleamed dangerously. Bella stepped between them, giving her brother a fierce frown of her own. “Sal, I love him, and he loves me. Please be happy for us. This is what I want. Jason is who I want. He makes me happy. I know you’re my big brother, but I love him and want to marry him.”

Jason felt an ache in his heart every time he heard those words. He could hear them every day of his life and never get tired of hearing her say she loved him.

Sal saw the way that Jason’s eyes softened when they fell upon Bella. Rolling out the tension in his neck, Sal was forced to concede. He stood to hug her close before shaking hands with Jason.

“Aw hell, welcome to the family, Mac.” Jason’s breath left in a whoosh when Sal’s fist plowed into his stomach. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.” He slapped Jason on the back before taking his seat again.

“Salvatore Moretti!” Bella slapped Sal on the head before Jason could reach out to strangle the man as she put herself between the two.

Sal’s face spread in a wicked grin. “Hey, this might not be so bad. Having Mac as a brother-in-law is like having an insurance policy against him killing me.”

“Don’t push your luck.”

Sal couldn’t help but rub it in. “Bella would be devastated if you hurt her favorite brother.”

Jason muttered something foul under his breath. Slade and Adrian coughed to cover their laughter.

“Stop while you’re still breathing, son,” Brett sighed.

“Favorite, ha!” Bella said, laughing. “I have a feeling all three of you are going to need protection.”

Sal thought about it for a second then nodded in agreement.

“You’ll get used to my brothers.”

“Not bloody likely,” Jason muttered. “Can’t I just shoot him and put him out of my misery?”

Bella just smiled.

Rock and Adrian congratulated them both, and Slade winked at Bella. “Can I be the first to kiss the bride?”

“Not if you want to live,” Jason growled, rubbing his stomach. Bella laughed gaily and reached out to stroke her hand down his arm as Brett leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Jason shoved him away, warning him that his beard was scratching Bella’s skin.

Brett ran his good hand over the stubble on his chin and cast Bella a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I’m…ah, well, I’m just off assignment. I don’t usually look like a serial killer.”

“Nah, serial killers look just like everybody else. You usually look like a crazed, drugged-out biker.” Adrian threw a paper clip at him.

Brett easily caught it and whipped it back at him in retaliation with his good arm. Bella waved away his apology, leaving the boys to their games. “I wanted to go grocery shopping after class for Tara’s dinner. Which one of you is on guard duty today?”

“I could go,” Brett offered.

“You still need to debrief,” Jason reminded. “And you need to take it easy.”

“I’m fine.”

Jason reached out and squeezed Brett’s shoulder, causing him to wince.

“Damn, you’re a mean bastard. You’re right, but I wanna go. I heard all about the goodies you guys get to eat.”

Bella tried to hold back her chuckle at the pout the dangerous man was sporting. “I’ll bring you back a sample,” she promised straight faced.

Brett immediately perked up. “Could you bring some for Lynx, too? I know you haven’t met her yet, but she was also ah…injured on our last assignment, and I know she would appreciate it.”

Bella assured him that she would bring some for both of them as the other men started to argue who would be taking her to school that afternoon.

Jason quickly cut them off, raising a hand for silence. “I’m going with you, love. Slade, for that shit about kissing, you’re stuck here with Sal. Continue with the search. Also look into that recon project that Blade and Sin are on. I want an update later. Rock, Adrian, you’re with us.”