Colton waved a quick hello to Jack before he went back to his death grip on his seat’s armrests.

  Jack leaned back so Colton couldn’t see him. He motioned to Colton, mouthing the words “He okay?”

  Ace nodded and patted Jack’s shoulder before handing one of the headsets to Colton, who swallowed hard. He reached for it as the helo moved.

  “Oh Jesus.” He closed his eyes, and Ace put the headset on for him before he put on his own. Once he’d made sure Colton was safe and secure, he buckled himself into his own seat beside Colton and put a hand on Colton’s.

  “Hey.” Ace gave his hand a squeeze. “Colton, look at me.”

  Colton’s lips were pressed together in a thin line, but he did as Ace asked.

  “I’m here. I’m with you. It’ll be okay.”

  Colton swallowed hard, then nodded. The helo began its ascent, and Colton threw his other hand over Ace’s, his eyes shut tight. The lift off was smooth, but Ace remembered what it felt like the first time he’d gone up in one of these birds. Then the first time he’d had to jump out of one.

  “You know, the first time I made the jump, I was shitting myself.”

  Colton glanced over at him. “The jump?”

  “Yeah, out of one of these,” Ace replied pointing up. “Well, not specifically one of these. It was a combat helo. I made sure I was at the back. Red was first. He was nervous, but he’s the kind of guy who when he sets his mind to something, he does it. You can tell too. He gets this look on his face, like he’s concentrating real hard.” Ace mimicked Red’s stern pouty face, making Colton laugh. “Then he’s gone. Next up was Lucky, Mr. I’m-not-afraid-of-anything. Spoiler alert, he’s full of shit.”

  Colton laughed again, and this time it was joined by Jack’s husky laugh.

  “See, Jack knows. Right, Jack?”

  Jacopo “Jack” Lorenzo Constantino wasn’t overly big or muscular like Red or King. He was slighter and shorter than Ace, somewhat shy, and always smiling. People had no idea of the very dangerous, very talented man behind that boyish grin. The phrase “Jack of all trades” didn’t do him justice, because Jack didn’t just pick up new skills easier than anyone Ace had ever known; he mastered those skills in no time flat. Whatever Jack needed, whatever someone needed him to be, he made it happen. The number of languages he was fluent in was staggering, and along with Joker, the two proved how truly deadly the human mind could be. Unless the skill included cooking. Then the only thing that made Jack deadly in that department was the very real possibility his food might actually kill someone from how bad it was. Jack’s Italian grandmother had gotten on the phone with a priest to order an exorcism when she found Jack had used ketchup as a replacement for pasta sauce, or “gravy” as she called it. Ace had been there for the ketchup incident and had never laughed so hard in his life.

  “Remember the snake that almost choked him in his sleep?” Jack asked with a laugh.

  Colton’s eyes went wide.

  “Yeah.” Ace snickered, shaking his head. “It was actually a piece of old hose.” Ace waggled his eyebrows, and Colton gasped.

  “You didn’t.”

  “He’d been showing off again and needed to be brought down a peg or two. He’s my cousin, so I feel like the responsibility falls to me.”

  “What did you do?” Colton asked, smiling.

  “When Lucky lay down to sleep, Ace snuck up behind him and dropped it on him. I had never seen that guy move so fast. But wait, it gets better. He was so desperate to get away, he tripped over Red and fell into King, who were both asleep. They had no idea what the hell was going on and launched Lucky into the air, where he landed on Joker, who’s all of five foot six and a hundred and thirty pounds.”

  “Poor Joker,” Colton said, shaking his head in sympathy.

  Ace and Jack went silent at the statement before bursting into peals of laughter.

  “What?” Colton asked, bemused.

  “Poor Joker? Poor Lucky! Joker’s small, was the smallest in our A-Team.”

  “A-Team? I’m guessing that has nothing to do with Mr. T?”

  Ace chuckled. “No. That was what we called our ODA, Operational Detachment Alpha. Our unit. As you can imagine, Joker’s got major short-guy syndrome, and I don’t blame him. Our drill sergeant was a real asshole to him, but he was determined to make it through with the rest of us. He’s one of the toughest bastards I know. Man, when Lucky landed on him?”

  Jack let out a low whistle. “Joker gave him a dead leg, and if you’ve never had one of those, consider yourself fortunate.”

  Colton shook his head in amusement before turning his gaze to Ace. “So, you started the chaos, and your poor cousin paid the price.”

  “Oh, believe me, he had it coming.”

  As Jack regaled Colton with tales of their shenanigans during deployment, Ace absently placed his hand over his heart and the cards tucked inside his inner jacket pocket. How different would their lives have been had things not gone down the way they had that day? Would they have still come home and gone into business together? Would they have stayed and continued to serve? What if they had, and instead he’d lost Lucky, or Red, or King…. They’d come so close to losing him that day. Ace blinked away the wetness in his eyes, grateful for his mirrored sunglasses. Regardless, they’d all left a part of themselves behind, pieces that would always be missing.

  Colton’s laughter snapped Ace out of his thoughts, and he found himself smiling at the rich, infectious sound. Ace might not be able to replace those missing pieces, but as he watched Colton laugh, tears in his eyes, completely open and genuine, it occurred to Ace he had no reason not to fill those dark voids with love.

  Chapter 6

  As soon as they landed, Ace helped Colton out of the helo and thanked Jack, letting him know he’d call if there were any changes. Jack would be staying close by in Miami until it was time for him to pick them up. From the big smile on Colton’s face, it was clear he liked Jack, but then who didn’t? The guy was adorable. Anyone who spent any time around the man fell hard. Jack was a regular guy, or so he appeared.

  Ace finished checking in with Lucky and his team, then they split up as planned. The White Party was both an inside and outside affair, with the party starting inside, where guests mingled as they waited to be called for dinner, which would move the party outside. Beyond the glass doors and the balcony, a walkway led down to the beach, which was set up with tables, chairs, torches, strings of white lanterns, and several open bars.

  With Lucky taking care of the rest, Ace focused on Colton and his personal safety. He remained close but far enough to not be intrusive. Anyone who’d hired any kind of personal security would know why he was there. Despite his plain clothes, it was in his posture, his stoic expression, the earpiece, the way he continuously scanned the room and the people in it, and the way his gaze always ended back on Colton. Those who didn’t know him, smiled widely at him until it became apparent he wasn’t anyone important, and politely excused themselves. Ace never took it personally.

  Being a King earned him a certain amount of respect and clout, but he wasn’t one of them. If it wasn’t for his job, he’d never have crossed paths with the majority of these people. His being there sparked some curiosity from former and current clients in attendance. Colton was an expert at deflecting questions he didn’t want to answer, using compliments to steer the conversation away, which was genius, because not one person in this room wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to talk about themselves. The party’s host, Kurt Terrance, spotted Colton and headed straight for him. He was a very tall, handsome black man with kind eyes and a friendly smile. His hair and trimmed beard were interspersed with gray, and he looked stunning in the designer all-white suit.

  “Colton, it’s so good to see you.” He opened his arms wide for Colton, who didn’t hesitate in walking into the embrace, the two of them roughly the same height.

  “It’s good to see you too, Kurt.” Colton pulled back, his smile genuine and wide. “How have you been? Retirement looks good on you.”

  Kurt laughed heartily. “I can’t complain. Cecilia’s having the time of her life dragging me all over the world. Of course now that Shantel’s pregnant, Cecilia goes where her baby girl goes.”

  Colton gasped, his face lit up in sheer joy. “Oh my God, you’re going to be a grandfather?”

  “Yep,” Kurt stated proudly, chest puffed up and eyes a little glassy. “My baby’s having a baby. Can you believe it?”

  “Congratulations, Kurt!” The two men hugged and backs were patted. They gushed over the little bundle of joy that hadn’t even arrived yet. Ace could tell the kid would be spoiled rotten, and if Colton’s smile was anything to go by, not just by the grandparents.

  “Where is Cecilia?” Colton asked, scanning the crowd.

  Kurt rolled his eyes, but it was clear he was completely smitten with his wife. “Checking up on Shantel. Poor girl. Her mother loves her, but she’s driving her crazy. Checks up on her all hours of the day. She’s trying to convince Shantel to come down to Florida for the rest of the pregnancy.”

  Colton winced. “How’s that going?”

  “As well as you can imagine,” Kurt replied, a deep rumble of a chuckle rising from his wide chest. “After she found that gator in her pool, baby girl got the hell out of the state and never looked back. Can’t say I blame her.”

  Colton laughed, his smile fading when Kurt’s expression turned concerned. “And how are you these days, Colton? I noticed the added muscle, and as fine as that young man is, I’m guessing he’s not your plus one.”

  “A precaution,” Colton assured him, his smile warm. “You know how it is.”

  Kurt scrunched up his nose. “Yeah, sadly I do.” He shook his head and sighed before meeting Ace’s gaze. “You take care of my boy, you hear me, son?”

  On instinct, Ace held himself straight and gave a firm nod. “I will, sir.”

  “Military?” Kurt asked him.

  “Green Beret.”

  Kurt held his hand out to Ace, who took it. “Thank you for your service, son.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Ace couldn’t help the way his heart squeezed. “You remind me of our commander. He was a good man. Firm but fair.”

  Colton’s gaze turned sympathetic. “Was?”

  Ace cleared his throat and nodded. “He was killed during a special ops mission.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Kurt said, and Ace tried not to squirm under Colton’s scrutiny. It was clear he wanted to know more, but thankfully someone approached, but not before Kurt patted Colton’s arm. “You’re in good hands, Colton, but if you need anything, anything at all, you pick up the damn phone and you call me, okay?”

  Colton assured him he would, and then the two were swept up in conversation as several guests joined them. It was fascinating, this other side of Colton. The genuine side. Not that Colton wasn’t genuine with Ace, but until recently, the man had, understandably, shown mostly anger and frustration toward him. Now Ace was seeing his softer side. The way little creases formed at the corners of his eyes. His laugh was contagious, and his smile stunning. It was clear that everyone was charmed by him, and how could they not be? Anyone who spoke to him received his undivided attention. The men brought him in for tight hugs, and the women would touch his arm or shoulder as they spoke. He entertained them with humorous stories, seemed to know everyone to the point he complimented each and every one on specific achievements. He reminded them to dig deep into their pockets and donate generously to the children’s charity they were here to support.

  After an hour, Colton politely excused himself from the group, and Ace followed him as he headed for the bar. “I need a drink. Preferably one with a proof high enough to make me forget about Champ Chambers Jr. and his dick pic.”

  Ace chuckled, remembering what followed the incident. Chad had motioned Colton to one side and showed him his phone. The horrified expression on Colton’s face should have given Ace a clue, but his suspicions that Chad had just done something stupid were confirmed when Colton tilted his head and said loudly, “Oh my God, what is that? Is it dying? Why is it so pale and shriveled?”

  Chad’s face turned an impressive shade of purplish red before he gruffly excused himself and took off. Colton had resumed his conversation with the group as if nothing had happened, but Ace could tell the man was simmering beneath the surface. If Chad was a smart man, he’d be halfway across the country by now or booking a plane ticket to the other side of the globe.

  The color suddenly drained from Colton’s face, and Ace stepped closer. His movement seemed to be enough to snap Colton out of whatever trance he’d fallen under, and Colton turned to him, surprising him by closing what distance remained between them. He leaned in, his voice shaky.

  “I think I’d like to go for a walk on the beach, get away from the crowd for a while.”

  Ace was about to suggest against it, but the pleading in Colton’s blue-gray eyes was unexpected. He nodded and gently took hold of Colton’s elbow, escorting him toward a set of large glass doors that led out onto a wooden walkway they could take down to the beach. Someone moved quickly around them, and Ace placed himself between the man and Colton, a hand out in front of him, keeping the tall blond at arm’s length.

  “What the hell?” The man scowled at Ace before moving his dark eyes to Colton. “Colton, I need to talk to you.”

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Colton hissed from behind Ace. He placed a hand gently on Ace’s shoulder and spoke quietly. “Keep this man away from me.”

  “Are you kidding me with this?” The harsh laugh was unpleasant, and Ace blocked the guy when he tried to get around him.

  “Sir, I’m going to need you to keep your distance,” Ace warned.

  “Tell your rabid dog to stand aside before I have him put down.”

  Did Colton know he was squeezing Ace’s shoulder?

  “Don’t you dare talk to him like that.”

  Ace didn’t let his surprise show. Instead, he kept himself between Colton and the man he clearly didn’t want near him.

  “Are you sleeping with him?”

  “What?”

  “Is that what you’re resorting to these days? Sleeping with the help?”

  “Ace, this is Mick ‘the Dick’ Wellington III. The dick part has nothing to do with his penis and more to do with his being an insufferable asshole, as you’ve probably guessed.”

  Ooh, Colton really didn’t like this guy.

  “Damn it, Colton, can we please discuss this in private?”

  “There’s nothing to discuss. I’m pretty sure I made myself very clear the day I kicked you out and told you to go to hell. Go crawl back under whichever sugar daddy you’ve attached yourself to.” Colton leaned into Ace again. “He’s like a barnacle. Nothing short of a blowtorch is going to get rid of him.” He straightened and scrunched up his nose. He was adorable. “I watched a video on YouTube of a barnacle. Did you know they are absolutely hideous? Like something out of a science fiction horror movie. Their little beaks open up and these tentacle things come out, and oh God, it’s awful.” He shuddered, and it took a lot for Ace not to laugh, especially when faced with Mick’s scandalized expression at being compared to a barnacle.

  “Still a drama queen, I see. Colton, please. We were good together.”

  Colton’s brows shot up near his hairline, and he laughed. “Good together? Are you out of your mind? It was all a lie, Mick. You were a lie.”

  “I loved you. I still—”

  “So help me, if you say you still love me, I will use Ace’s Taser and tase you in the balls. I’ll—” Colton cut himself short, then cleared his throat. He smoothed down his vest, lips pressed in a thin smile. When he spoke, his voice was calmer. “I wish I could say it was nice to see you, but it wasn’t. I feel like I need to go bathe in bleach now. Excuse me.” Colton made to move, and Mick threw a hand out. Ace snatched hold of his wrist, twisted his arm, and brought the man to his knees.

  “I believe Mr. Connolly made it clear he wanted you to stay away from him.” Ace released him, and Mick pushed himself to his feet.

  He rubbed his wrist as he spat out at Ace. “You’re going to regret that.” Mick rushed off, and Colton let out a shaky breath.

  Ace immediately turned to him. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I think I’d like that walk now.”

  Ace nodded. He pressed his PTT button and spoke into the mic. “Lucky, I’m on the east side of the property escorting Colton down to the beach. He’s going to go for a walk. I’ll report back as soon as we get down there.”

  “Copy that.”

  They were halfway down the walkway when the sound of boots had Ace turning and instinctively pulling Colton behind him. He relaxed at the sight of suited security officers. One of the officers stepped forward, Mick on his heels.

  “This is the man who assaulted me. I want him out of here, and I intend to press charges.”

  “What?” Colton was all but spitting nails as he tried to get around Ace. “That’s absurd and a complete lie. But then why am I not surprised?”

  “Colton, stay out of this,” Mick hissed.

  Ace had to put his arms out at his sides and grip the banisters to keep Colton from rushing Mick and planting one on his face. As much as he would have loved to see that, he’d rather keep Colton away from the asshole. First things first.

  “Good evening, gentlemen. I’m going to have Mr. Connolly reach into my jacket pocket and pull out my ID. Is that all right?”

  They nodded, and Colton removed the wallet with Ace’s identification. He handed it to the officer closest to him. The man’s eyes widened, and he smiled widely at Ace.

  “Mr. Sharpe. It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I’m Jason Miller.” He held out his hand, and Ace shook it. “The work Four Kings Security did during that horrible storm last year was an inspiration. You all deserved every bit of praise the governor gave you. Thank you for your service.”