Save Me If You Can (23 page)

He’d been haunted, for a while, at the knowledge that he hadn’t been the one to take Terry King down. But privately, Savi was glad. Either way, the man was dead now, and Harrison didn’t have that shadow hanging over him, the lingering guilt that sometimes came with taking a person’s – however horrible they were – life. No more death. No more destruction. That part of their lives was over now, and the only emotion she could bring forth was happiness.

She’d been married before, yes. To a man who treated her with nothing but respect and love. It had been a good three years of her life, to spend with someone without having to hide, and she loved him, really. Not a passionate, consuming love, but companionable, and pleasant. She was content. She’d even been heartbroken when he became sick, and more so when he died. But she’d lying if she said that at any point, the love she’d shared with Harrison had ever left her mind.

She smiled at him when he opened the door to deposit the bag on the backseat, and then climbed into the driver’s side.

“You ready to head over there?” he asked, returning her smile as he started the car, and pulled out of the parking lot.

She nodded. “Yes. Let’s go get these two married off.”

&

“Jab. Jab. Jab. Kick. I said KICK. KICK, Inez. What the fuck was that?”

Sweat poured off Inez’s body as she took a step backward, then dropped onto the mat, exhausted. Everything on her ached, and her shoulder screamed in protest as she raised her arm to wipe her face, trying to keep perspiration out of her eyes.

A moment later, Kendall’s face appeared over hers, pulled into a scowl even though there was a smile in his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up. No pensé que eras un cobarde.”

“I’m not a quitter, Estúpido.”

Kendall grinned as Inez shoved him away, then climbed back to her feet. “I know that,” he said, grabbing her by the shoulders. “I’m messing with you. You did good today.”

Inez shook her head, then glanced over at the heavy bag, still swaying from her last blow. “I don’t know… not really.”

“What?” Kendall frowned. “Yes, really. You’re coming along really well.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

Kendall shrugged. “Do
what
?”

“Mollify me. It’s been a year, Kendall. I should be back at the same physical ability by now, and I’m not, and it’s…”

“Something to keep working on. Your leg was shattered. Punctured and collapsed lung. Broken ribs. All of that takes time, and you’ve been pushing yourself to the limit. Honestly… maybe
that’s
why. Maybe you’re pushing yourself too hard. I wanted you to take a longer break before you started training again… remember?

Inez rolled her eyes.
Of course
she remembered. A month after the accident, he’d found her in the gym with her leg brace on, doing as much as she could with her vastly limited motion. He’d begged her to sit down, give it a few
months
before she started full training again, but she never would have lived that down.

She
belonged
in the action. Not in a wheelchair, not on crutches, but in the middle of the fight. And the sooner she got back into training, the sooner she got back into shape, and the sooner the agency would call her with another mission.

But she couldn’t pass the fucking physical.

“Listen to me,” Kendall said, holding her face between his hands and tipping her face up to his. “I want to see happy. And if that means going back to your job at the CIA, so be it. I’ll help you with that, but you have to
listen.
It’s not enough to just follow what I say
at
the gym. I know what I’m talking about when I tell you that your body need
rest
.”

Inez narrowed her eyes at Kendall. “And how do I know you’re not trying to sabotage me? Keep me weak so I can’t go back? Waiting me out, until I give up the dream?”

Kendall’s expression changed, from sympathy to veiled anger. “Inez… do you
really
believe that? That I would do that to you?”

She swallowed hard, then gave a subtle shake of her head. “No.”

“Good.” He nodded, then released her face from his grasp and took a step back. “Cause even if I
wanted
to disrupt you, I wouldn’t have to do anything. You’re doing a great job of sabotaging yourself.”

Disappointment practically oozed off him as he walked away, leaving Inez standing alone in the middle of the gym. Around her, people continued working out like it was nothing, as if Kendall hadn’t just put a verbal knife through her chest. She pretended to inspect the heavy bag, but really watched Kendall in the mirror as he headed for the back. Before he could make it, he was stopped by TJ, who now served as Kendall’s assistant MMA trainer in the gym.

She had to fight back a smile.

The close – nearly father/son – relationship between TJ and Kendall had developed rather quickly, and was actually a recent turn. She’d thought Kendall was crazy when he reached out to TJ and – with permission from the others – told the young man everything… including the fact that he’d fired the fatal blow against his father. TJ was a very different man than his father, so none of them were really concerned about retaliation, but still… it was a risk.

At first, TJ had been understandably confused, and angry, but armed with proof of King’s misdeeds, and TJ’s own long-held suspicions about his father, he’d come around. Maybe because he needed a friend, maybe because he needed someone to fill the void left by Terry… no one except TJ
really
knew. But Kendall had made it clear that he was available if needed, and now… here they were.

The two men shook hands, and TJ headed back into the main area of the gym, smiling as he stopped to talk to one of their new trainees. Kendall looked up, as if he felt Inez’s gaze on him. Their eyes met, his still full of frustration, before he turned to continue towards the locker rooms.

Cursing under her breath, Inez turned her back on the bag, moving stiffly to make her way to him. She found him in the men’s locker room, shirtless, sitting on a bench to remove his shoes.

“I’m sorry,” she said, stepping into the room, ignoring the other men in various states of undress. Kendall looked up, wearing a blank expressions.

“Not supposed to be any women back here.”

“I don’t care.”

Her limbs ached as she closed the last of the distance and then lowered her body toward his. Kendall didn’t offer any hesitation, but he groaned, sullen, before lifting his hands to help her into his lap.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, dipping her head to place a soft kiss against his lips. “It’s just… mi amor… this is hard for me.”

Kendall nodded, pulling her closer against him. “I know.
I know
. But... Inez, you have to understand that I would never do what you just accused me of. Do I want to take a step back from the fast lane, and have a normal life with you?
Absolutely
. Yes. But I don’t want you to do it because
I
want you do it. So I’m…”

“Waiting for me to be ready,” she finished for him, shaking her head. “And I don’t think that’s fair to you.”

“But it’s not your decision, is it? Inez, when I tell you that I am content with letting you chart the path for your life, I mean that. Eventually, I’d like us to do the Savi and Harrison thing. Go away for six months and come back married with a baby. But I’m not in some big rush. There’s no hurry. I love you, and I’m happy to continue exactly what we’re doing, until one of us decides it’s either too much, or not enough.”

“But what if I break your heart?”

Kendall shrugged. “Then… that’s life. It happens. What if
I
break
yours
? We move on, find another love. But… lets hope that’s not what happens for us.  Right?”

She nodded. “Right.”

Inez buried her face in Kendall’s neck, not caring about the salty taste of his sweaty skin on her lips. She was happy just to be in his arms, happy that he hadn’t given up on her, happy that he was content not to rush a decision out of her. Happy that she could decide on her own. Happy that we was willing to just be hers, and have her be his, and just let them be…
them.

“We have to get cleaned up,” he said, pulling away to meet her eyes. “So you can go help the bride get ready.”

Inez nodded. “You’re right. I do.”

“Don’t the bridesmaids usually stay overnight with the bride, so they’re already there, ready to get started?” Kendall said as he stood, then gently eased Inez down to the floor.

Smiling, Inez shook her head. “Usually… yes. But… our bride decided to do a little different. She spent the night with her future husband.”

&

“
Gahdammit,
Mrs. LaForte. You sure are making your husband a happy man,
cher
.”

Quentin hooked an arm under Renata’s leg, angling himself to plunge deeper, turning her giggle into a moan as it left her throat.

“Not quite yet,” she mumbled against his lips, then kissed him before she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer, so they were chest to chest. “Four more hours.”

“So what should I call you until then?”

Opening her eyes, she met his gaze with a wicked little smile. “How about… painted pixels?”

Quentin laughed, then groaned a little as he stroked her even deeper, pressing her back against the wall. He wasn’t even supposed to be here in her dressing room, making love to her just hours before their wedding, with her gown hanging just a few feet to their left.

But… he couldn’t stay away.

The last months had been a whirlwind of activity. Getting Kennedy and Taylor enrolled in school, getting engaged, planning a wedding, looking for, and then buying a house. But every single step had been worth it, if for no other reasons than the many smiles the past year had put on Renata’s face. And… damn. He would endure pretty much
anything
for that.

It wasn’t only happy for
her
though, not at all. With everyone around him relatively at peace, Quentin was sure this was the happiest he’d ever been. His friends were in a good place. Kennedy and Taylor were still adjusting, but with the help of Dr. Alexander, they were coming along too, especially Taylor. Much of that had to do with his new position teaching coding at her high school, and the popularity boost that came with that.

Sure, he’d had to do a little lightweight hacking and fudge his identity a little bit to pass the background check, but it was well worth the reward. He didn’t even know he
liked
kids, until he remembered that he’d once been one, with a passion for technology, and what better contribution could he make, than cultivating that passion in others?

Most importantly though, his soon-to-be wife was happy. So damned happy that she actually
glowed
, and there was nothing that made him feel better.

She threaded her hands behind his neck, pulling his head down to hers, moaning when he pushed her lips apart with his tongue. He gripped the soft flesh of her ass in his fingers as he stroked her harder, swallowing her whimpers of pleasure in a kiss.

They both flinched, startled, when someone knocked sharply on the door. Quentin didn’t stop, only moved a little faster as the doorknob turned a little, then a little more, and then caught on the lock, keeping the door closed.

Renata’s nails dug into his back as she clenched and contracted around him, her body tensing and trembling as she came. He ignored the background music of ringing phones and knocks at the door and kept moving, pumping faster, harder, until he exploded as well.

The couple grinned at each other as he slid out of her, then slowly lowered her legs back to the ground. They laughed together as they went to the bathroom, washing up enough to face their friends, knowing that before they dressed for their nuptials, there would be time to shower.

“I love you,” he whispered against the side of her head, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’ll see you later... PaintedPixels.”

“I love you too, CrawDaddy,” she said, smiling as he unlocked the door and stepped out. She blew him a kiss and he caught it, shaking his head before he turned to face the crowd – Kendall and Inez, Naomi and Marcus, and Harrison, standing next to a very pregnant, and
very
annoyed looking Savannah.

The guys laughed as the women brushed roughly past Quentin, hurrying into the dressing room and closing the door.

“Don’t mind Savi,” Harrison said, chuckling. “She’s on edge because we can’t do anything until after the wedding.”

Quentin laughed. “Oh
she’s
on edge, huh?”

Harrison shrugged. “Okay, maybe both of us. You’d better be glad you’re marrying my sister man. Anybody else, and I wouldn’t be worried about missing a wedding cause I put my wife in labor.”

The men laughed, and Quentin stepped forward, shaking Harrison’s hand. “Well I appreciate it man. It means a lot to me, and I know it means the world to Ren.”