Page 107 of Deserving Lara
“Don’t be sorry for caring about me. The time will come when the roles are reversed and you’re big with my baby, irritable, and I’ll love every second of rubbing your feet, bringing you whatever it is that you’re craving, and spoiling you rotten.”
“I don’t like my feet being touched. That’s gross.”
Owl chuckled. “Right. Noted.” He stood and pulled Lara closer. “I love you, wife.”
“Wife…I love the sound of that. And I love you too, husband.”
“Take me to bed,” Owl said with a grin.
“With pleasure.”
* * *
An hour later, Owl lay in bed with his wife snoring against him. But he couldn’t sleep. He was mostly content. He was married and had a baby on the way. Lara was finally safe, and she was everything he’d ever wanted in his life that he never thought he’d have.
But…even through all the good things that were happening, even after spending the evening with his friends, he felt guilty. He was happier than ever, but Stone was still missing. Being held against his will, possibly dead. It hurt. Badly. The only reason Owl had gotten through being a prisoner of war was because Stone had been by his side.
And now he was out there somewhere. Probably hurting. Maybe scared. And alone. It sucked. He couldn’t imagine being here at The Refuge, flying that damn helicopter, without him.
His teeth clenched and determination rose within him. He’d do whatever it took to find Stone. They’d get him back. There was no other option.
Hang on, brother. We won’t stop looking until we find you.
Somehow, just thinking those words made Owl feel better. Stone would know his friends were doing everything possible to find him. He’d stay strong until they did just that. The alternative was unthinkable. Owl needed his friend. He felt as if there was a hole in his heart with Stone missing.
Lara shifted against him, and Owl tightened his arms around her as he felt his eyes finally get heavy. Not sleeping through the night had tired him out more than he’d ever admit. He’d gotten very used to a full night’s rest since he’d started sleeping with Lara in his bed.
His wife.
It was almost unbelievable that he, a broken former POW, had found what he’d always wanted without even really trying. It gave him hope that everything would turn out all right in the end. Stone would return, and everyone would live out their lives happy.
Owl fell asleep with a small smile on his lips, thinking that his wife had infected him with her romantic heart. But he wasn’t ashamed; she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
* * *
Ryan sat at Tiny’s table and tried to ignore the daggers she could feel digging into her back from his gaze. He’d insisted she move into his cabin because he didn’t trust her…didn’t trust she wouldn’t up and leave in the middle of the night.
But she wasn’t leaving. Not until she’d done everything she could to find Stone. She felt responsible. No, she hadn’t kidnapped him. She didn’t have anything to do with what happened in Seattle. But she couldn’t help but feel that if she’d acted on that niggling feeling she’d had that something wasn’t right, she could’ve figured out earlier that Carter Grant had hacked into Brick’s email and found out all about the purchase of the helicopter and their plans.
But she hadn’t…until it was almost too late.
And her spilling the beans about who she was, and everything she’d been doing for her new friends at The Refuge, was all for nothing. By the time everyone had arrived in Washington, Lara had rescued Owl by herself and Stone was gone.
Gritting her teeth, Ry concentrated on the screen in front of her. Her days here in New Mexico were numbered. It was only a matter of time before her father located her. She’d used Brick’s unsecured laptop to hack into the microphone on Owl’s phone, knowing it would open herself up to being found.
Her father had taught her everything she knew, and while she was very good at what she did, her dad was even better. And he had thirty million reasons to track her down.
So she had to find Stone, then get the hell away from The Refuge before her dad did what he did best—ruined everything he touched.
“So…Ryleigh…I’ve been dying to ask you something…” Tiny started.
Ry tensed. After learning her name wasn’t Ryan—a name Tiny admitted he’d never liked—he’d decided to call her Ryleigh. Not Ry…the name she’d asked everyone to use. It was like he was purposely baiting her. Trying to annoy her. And it was working.
She felt like crying. She liked Tiny. He was untrusting, paranoid, and a little rough around the edges, but he was loyal.Extremelyloyal. And she understood that his anger toward her was coming from that feeling of being betrayed and his worry for his friend.
It wasn’t her fault Stone had been taken, but she was a convenient target for Tiny’s frustration and concern, and she felt enough guilt to suffer his attitude.
Besides…she was used to others taking out their anger and emotions on her for no good reason.
