The Marine (Black Hawke Security #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY

AIDAN

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I rip off my tie as I walk into the BHS conference room and take in the team. It’s a stark contrast to the suited up meeting I just left.

Ryder has his feet up on the table and is wearing a pair of blue jeans and a short-sleeved black BHS polo shirt.

I walk past and knock his feet off the table.

He glances at me and puts them back up.

Josh is half naked.

“Can you please get dressed in your office before coming to a meeting?” I frown. “No one wants to see your fat ass.”

Ignoring me, Josh pulls on a light blue T-shirt, picks up a bottle of water, chugs it down, and stares at me blankly.

Then he says, “Aidan has his period, everyone.”

“Oh, fuck off.” I toss my necktie onto the table and shrug off my jacket. “Someone has to be the professional one around here.”

“Can you do it more quietly?” Ryder mutters and lifts his eyes, smirking at me.

“Don’t make me kill you the day before your wedding.”

“Like you could take on a Delta.”

Every opportunity he gets, Ryder reminds us he was a member of the mysterious Delta Force team, which technically doesn’t exist. At least as far as the US government is concerned.

Josh and I both snort.

Thomas walks in and interrupts what could have broken out into an all-out inter-military battle in our office.

Not the first one.

I’m tired, grumpy, and want to get home to Briar. The lack of sleep and all the questions running around in my head have me on edge and impatient.

Penny follows Thomas in and asks, “Do you need me?”

“I don’t think so,” Josh says. “We’re just going over the final details of the wedding security tomorrow.”

“Got your dress, Penny?” Ryder smiles over at her.

“Yes. The day after you invited me. I’m so excited.” She claps her hands together. “I do want to get my hair done, though. I forgot to book.”

“Take the rest of the day off.” Josh tells her. “There’s only another hour left on the clock.”

“I was leaving now, anyway.”

“Of course you were.” I mutter grumpily.

Damn staff just doing what they want around here. The fact we let them self-manage—for the most part—is beside the point.

God, I need sleep.

“Does Aidan have his period?” Penny asks, glancing from me to Josh.

He nods.

I shake my head and snap open my laptop.

“Go before I give you some typing or data entry.” I threaten and she laughs.

It’s good she has sass, otherwise she’d get eaten alive in this office. But still...rude.

“Hey Pen-ster!” Marshall walks in and brushes her hair.

“Would you stop that?” she slaps at him.

I chuckle.

“Oh, now you’re happy,” she snaps and walks out.

The others start to pile in and finally my last meeting of the day is about to begin, so I can get home.

“Can I speak with you?” Thomas asks behind me.

I swivel in my chair. “Sure, what is it?”

He nudges his head, indicating I should follow him outside. My heart skips a beat as a bad feeling rushes through me.

This can’t be good.

I know immediately it’s about Briar’s husband and it confirms my instincts were right.

Just how right I was about to find out.

“I found something,” Thomas says when we are a few steps out into the hallway.

“Carry on.”

“Kael West. That’s not his real name.”

My brows shoot up to the top of my forehead.

The fuck?

I was not expecting that. Not in a million years.

“Who is he?”

“Johnny Trevis,” Thomas said. “I had to go dark on this. There were some strange indicators in his background, so I followed my gut.”

Holy fuck.

“Good.” I take the tablet from him and start scrolling.

“He’s American and grew up in Atlanta. Pretty long rap sheet, including armed burglary and attempted rape,” Thomas says as I scroll.

“Shit.” I rub my forehead as I gaze down at his arrest photo.

“Then the last charge for rape and murder. He got out on bail—how I don’t know—and then disappeared.”

“Jesus.”

My heart is pounding like a rock-and-roll drum inside my chest.

Where is Briar?

“Got a new identity and has been living in LA for the past ten years.”

Yeah. He has. And he married the woman I love and has been raping and abusing her.

I should never have fucking walked away from the park that day.

God fucking damn it.

“What’s going on?” Josh asks, walking up behind us.

I’m not surprised.

The man has the instincts of a lion. He’d have seen the look on our faces as we left the room, and because he knows what Thomas has been looking into for me, there’s no way he’s going to let me deal with this on my own. It's not what SEALs and Marines do. And best friends.

We are a team.

“Send me the file,” I say to Thomas. “Send it to both of us.”

“Got it,” he says and disappears down the hall to his office.

“Kael is an escaped criminal.”

“Of course he fucking is.” Josh throws his head back, then rubs his forehead. “And he’s coming to Savannah and Ryder’s wedding. Excellent.”

I place my hand on his shoulder, feeling inappropriately happy about this news. Kael is not Briar’s husband.

Not really.

Marrying someone under a false name nullifies the marriage.

Today is a good fucking day.

“No, he’s not. We’re sending the cops to pick him up.”

Josh nods and then reaches out a hand to stop me.

“I know you want the husband out of the way, but let’s talk this through first.”

He’s right.

I don’t know where Briar is. She might be with him for all I know. I need to check in with both security guys who I have tailing them.

Kael, now known as Johnny Trevis, could run if he gets even a hint that we are onto him. The guy has been on the run for over ten years. He’s smart.

“Tell me everything.” Josh slaps me on the shoulder. “In fact, we need the team on this. So let’s go brief them.”

“I’m going to need a Red Bull.”

––––––––

“P IVOT TIME.” JOSH says as we walk back into the boardroom. “We have a situation.”

“Of course we do. It’s my wedding day tomorrow.” Ryder lowers his tablet and sighs. “What’s happened?”

“Actually, it sort of involves your wedding.” I tell him.

“The fuck it does.” He growls and glances back and forth between Josh and me, then pushes his chair back. “No. Whatever you’re thinking, no. Savannah has been through enough. I’m not doing this to her.”

A sense of guilt hits me.

Neither of them deserves this, but I need to stop taking responsibility for stuff that’s not my fault. I didn’t bring Kael into our lives. It was my sense of mistrust that had us find out about who he was.

It’s true, he might just attend and none of us would be any wiser.

But the look I saw in his eyes when he watched Briar drive away with Trina the other day tells me he’s a man on the edge.

Josh holds up a hand. “Hear us out first. We have a plan.”

The rest of the team is frowning as they stand around in different spots of the room. They can sense our tension and are ready for instruction.

They are some of the best paramilitary operators in the United States.

We are the best people to handle this. Not the cops. We are not going to let this fucker slip through our fingers.

Unfortunately, it means letting him attend the wedding.

Beep.

“Fuck,” I curse. James, who I’ve had tailing Kael/Johnny for the past two days, has lost him.

I dial his number and put him on speaker.

“I’ve circled around and gone to his house, place of work, and gym.” James curses. “I don’t know how he slipped away from me, but he’s gone.”

“Can someone please tell me what is going on? Who is James following?”

Josh updates him while I keep talking.

“Keep looking for him. He’s been on the run for a damn long time. He knows what he’s doing.” I tell James, a former Ranger.

“Roger that,” he says, ending the call.

Then I call Briar.

“Hello.” I hear her sunshiny voice and my shoulders relax.

“Hey.” I rasp, and the guys all glance at me. “You good?”

“Yes. Why?” I can hear the smile in her voice and glance down in case my lips react, and I do the same.

God I love her.

“Just checking.” My voice is low and rough, and I put the phone up to my ear, taking it off speaker.

“So, what are you making me for dinner tonight? I could stop and get something on my way over,” Briar says, and I can imagine her swinging in her chair.

I would sit here and talk to her for hours. Problem is, I just needed to know she was alive and safe. I’m not here for a chitchat.

“I’ll cook. See you tonight.” My eyes dart around the room. If any of them say a fucking thing, I’ll pull out my Glock.

“Okay, Mr. Chatty. See you later.” She teases.

I end the call and walk around the table to sit down. “He’s not with her.” Then I message Trent, who is tailing Briar, and tell him to stay close and call in support if he needs.

Consider Kael West dangerous and advise us immediately.

He doesn’t need to know names or details right now.

Got it. Trent replies.

“Okay, so what the fuck is the plan?” Ryder asks now that Josh has updated him and the rest of the team.

I’m far less stressed about it now I know Briar is safe. I send additional men to Briar’s house to make sure she arrives at my place safe and sound.

I’m not risking anything.

But I also don’t want to alarm her.

In fact, our plan is not to tell her a thing.

“Okay, listen up. Here’s what we’re going to do.” Josh says, pulling the lid off a marker pen.