plan drawn up by the end of the summer, Porter had said. I’ll look at it and we’ll have you up and running by the fall.
The speed at which Steven operated made even his head spin. For a guy like Tony, who’d been raised in a trailer park, avoided prison, earned a Trident, dodged several bullets, married the sexiest, smartest woman on the planet, and had two incredible sons of his own, he counted every day as a blessing, still uncertain if one day he’d wake up to see it had all been a dream.
Tony parked in their garage. They each picked up one of the boys and carried them to bed.
Thirty minutes later when Lumin shut off the bathroom light and strolled across the carpet bare-assed naked and crept across their king-sized bed with that sizzling look in her eyes, he knew he’d be shouting God’s name and oh-so-fucking-thankful that he’d married a younger woman with the skills of an aerialist.
****
“Tony, wake up!”
His eyes flashed open with Lumin’s clipped tone. “What’s wrong?”
He vaulted out of bed, staggered, and cleared his eyes. The boys?
“I have to go,” Lumin said as she quickly dove into a pair of slacks she snatched from the bench at the foot of their bed.
“Go where?” He looked out the bedroom window and blinked at the bright sun. With a quick glance at the clock on his night table, he saw it was seven o’clock.
Lumin disappeared into their walk-in closet. A second later she appeared again with a blue silk shirt, buttoning the front. “I have to go down to the police department.” She shoved her feet in her red pumps and swept her hair up into a bun.
“Why?”
“Daddeeee!” Cash appeared at the doorway wearing his Superman PJ’s and his usual grumpy scowl when he first woke up, unlike Troy, who always woke with a smile. Tony picked up his son and strode to the bathroom.
“Can you stay home with the boys until the sitter comes?” She quickly pinned her hair into place.
Usually Lumin went to work after him. “What is the damn rush?”
“I’m hungry,” Cash whimpered.
“Okay, buddy. Yeah, we’ll have breakfast.”
Lumin finished fixing her hair and turned to him. “It’s Dixie. She’s been held under suspicion of murder.”
“What the f—rig. How? Why? Who’s dead?”
Lumin took one last look at herself. “Chandler Kallis.”
Tony’s mouth dropped open. “Did she do it?”
“For God’s sake, Tony. Of course not. I just got a call from CDR Hunter. They won’t allow him to speak with her. I told him I’ll be down there in under thirty minutes. I have to go.”
“Yeah.” He saw himself in the bathroom mirror that ran from wall to wall. “Once the sitter’s here, I’ll be right behind you.”
She pecked his cheek. “There’s nothing you can do except keep CDR Hunter calm. He sounded pretty shaken up.”
“Go.”
Troy wandered into their bathroom. “Momma?”
Lumin knelt and kissed her son. “I gotta go, sweetie. Daddy’s gonna make you breakfast today. Okay?”
Troy tilted his head and stared up at him, as if uncertain whether that was a good idea or not.
“How about scrambled eggs, buddy?”
Troy still didn’t look convinced. “With cheeeese?”
He swept up his other son with his free arm. Locked and loaded with kidlets, he had the situation under control. “Of course with cheese.” They followed Lumin to the front door. “Give me a SITREP when you can, okay?”
“I will.” She plucked her purse from the wicker table in the entry hall and dug for her car keys.
“Hey.” She quickly turned in the doorway. “Go get ‘em, baby. I love you.”
She blew him a kiss before leaving.
Plunking the boys down at the kitchen table and giving them a cup of orange juice to keep them busy, he had a few seconds to figure out his plan. His first text was to the commander.
Lumin is on her way. What can I do?
Tony and Mace had a mandatory, must-attend, bullshit course this morning. Some touchy-feely-flavor-of-the-day crap. Every six months the DOD’s nuts were lassoed by someone higher-up the food chain, convinced it was imperative that every Tom, Dick and Jane serving in the Forces needed enlightenment. Today’s load of bullshit was no doubt served by some fucktard wanting to earn his stripes into a higher managerial position. The course title: Best Tools and Strategies to Deal with Conflict.
He chuckled. Tony imagined the impending train wreck, teaching a room full of veteran Navy SEALs how to politely deal with conflict.
CDR Hunter responded.
Nothing. Time you men backed away.
Was he serious?
“Daddy. More juice, please.”