had, Marcus might still be alive. Fuck orders from the top. The top didn’t always know the best course of action for an op.
“You haven’t had a serious girlfriend in years. Actually, no girlfriends since I died.” Marcus opened his eyes and slowed his rocking, his brown gaze meeting A.J.’s. “I’ve been worried about you. But based on that kiss I saw you lay on your FBI hottie, maybe you’re finally coming to your senses.”
“Have you been watching us? Spying?”
“I’m not so sure you have room to talk. Weren’t you spying on her?”
A.J. pinched the bridge of his nose. “We should be talking about you, not her right now. You’re here, and I have stuff to say.”
“If you even think about dropping a lo siento, I’ll get up out of this chair and knock the shit out of you. Understood? Terrorist motherfuckers killed me. They’re now toast. Justice served. What happened to me ain’t on you. Or Luke or anyone else. You would’ve died, too, if you’d been with me, and that would’ve killed me.” He grinned. Dark humor even in death. “But I’m here because I’m worried about you, brother.”
“Because of my lack of a love life?” he questioned. A spiral of guilt that Marcus was gone still clung to him like the humidity after an Alabama afternoon rainstorm.
“Trusting a traitor is dangerous, but not letting yourself fall for the woman of your dreams is the deadliest sin of all.”
A.J. jerked his head back in surprise. “Did you just paraphrase my made-up fortune cookie message?”
Marcus cracked a smile, showing his white teeth, then brushed back a lock of dark hair from his tan skin, pushing it away from his forehead. “Seriously, bro, I just want to make sure you’re good. It’s time to move on. Be happy. Stop being so guilty and stubborn.” His tone grew more serious. “No more letting your dick take the lead to avoid feeling anything in your heart or head.”
“My dick is just fine.” A.J. muttered an amused curse under his breath. “And so is my head.” Another curse. “This head,” he said while tapping at his skull.
“So, once you fall for this woman, you’re not going to freak out and take off? Feel guilty when you start to experience some happiness?” he challenged. Typical Marcus. “Because this woman is different, I can tell. I think she’s the one for you. And I don’t want you giving her up because of some bullshit notion that you shouldn’t have happiness because I’m dead.” He was quiet for a moment. “You have to stop blaming yourself for my death. It wasn’t your fault.”
“But I—” A.J. dropped his words at the sound of a woman’s voice.
“I better go, brother. Someone is here for you.” Marcus tossed a hand in the air, waving goodbye. “And, A.J., be careful. I don’t want to see you on the other side anytime soon.”
“A.J.?” Someone was patting his cheeks. Saying his name.
A.J. jerked his eyes open in surprise.
So, he was on the porch. Marcus wasn’t in the chair anymore. But what did it mean that it was still rocking?
“Hey, what are you doing outside?” Ana asked.
A.J. blinked slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the floodlight she’d turned on.
“You were talking in your sleep.” She was on her knees next to where he sat.
His eyes darted back to the rocking chair that was no longer moving.
Was it ever moving, or am I really losing it?
“I haven’t sleepwalked since I was seven,” he confessed. “I don’t remember coming out here.”
“I came downstairs to get water, then realized the back door was open. I looked outside and saw you out here.”
“Shit, I’m sorry if I startled you.” He was too tired, too confused, too embarrassed. “What was I saying out here?”
“Something about a fortune cookie.” She stood and offered her hand for an assist. “No American flag boxers this time?”
He followed her gaze down his nearly naked body to his black boxer briefs. “Nah, I save those for special occasions,” he managed a joke somehow, still trying to shake off the weird dream where he’d had a conversation with his dead best friend. “Like a first kiss.” And he hoped it was the first of many.
A.J. stole another look back at the chair, the memory of Marcus still so fresh in his mind he was struggling to believe what was real right now. When he faced Ana again, he set a hand to her shoulder. To make sure she was really there.
“You okay?” she asked,