Artful Dodger (SEAL Team Alpha #13) - Zoe Dawson Page 0,79

armor and several shelves. She walked over to the area and was surprised to see several snapshots of Dodger with the Queen and the Royal Family. The photos were candid’s, and she wasn’t surprised that he was making them all laugh as easy with them as he was with people on the street or his friends. There was a medal displayed in a beautiful shadow box along with two sets of badges pinned to sashes displayed as well. She wasn’t sure what it all meant. Dodger had said he was knighted, but with his unique sense of humor, she hadn’t been sure if he was actually being sincere. Now she had to rethink it.

“It’s all very confusing, I’m sure,” his father said from behind her. She turned to find him looking impeccable as usual.

“I hope I’m not out of line.”

“Certainly not. This room is not off limits to family members. He gave her a smile that was so reminiscent of Dodger she couldn’t help but smile back. It was clear where Dodger had gotten his high dose of charm. He moved in closer. “Are you curious about all this pomp and circumstance?”

“Yes, very. Dodger is never serious.”

He chuckled. “My boy is humble, quite the hero, but he would never admit to any of that. To him, he still says he was in the right place at the right time. But when it came to receiving the respect of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, it was a harrowing tale.”

“Is it too much to ask how he received his knighthood?”

“Knighthoods.”

“What?”

“He was bestowed the honor twice for the same battle.”

“I see. I had no idea. I don’t think anyone who knows him does.”

“When he was in Afghanistan serving with SBS, he saved a village of civilians, women, children, and old men, a battalion of NATO forces, and the Prince. It wasn’t made public due to the sensitive nature of why everyone was there, so I don’t have those details, but that’s the gist of it. Due to his heroic action and performance in the face of overwhelming odds, he was bestowed both the Knight Grand Cross for the Royal Victorian Order and the gold medal from the Queen and the Knight Commander of the Order of Bath from the Monarchy.”

He pointed to a white enamel cross edged in gold, surrounded by an eight-pointed silver star pinned to a blue and red sash. Beside it in the same shadow box was another white enameled cross. In the center was a blue and red oval with Victoria curved around the bottom of the base in gold, oak leaves at the top, and flowers with a stylized R in the center of red, a crown in gold and red attached the cluster to a blue, red, and white ribbon.

“The one on the sash is the badge of the Royal Victorian Order and the other cross is the medal. It’s bestowed by the Queen at her discretion for service to her and the Royal Family.” He moved slightly and pointed at the second box with the sash. It was done with gold metal, an eight-point Maltese Cross in white enamel and embellished with a small gold ball with lions. In the center of the cross there were three crowns surrounded by a red ring with the motto Ich dien in gold letters. “This is the one for the Order of the Bath bestowed for military service.

“Wow. How did it happen?”

“As you know, Oliver has a gift when dealing with people.”

She slapped her forehead. “Don’t tell me. He knew a guy.”

His father laughed softly. “Indeed. He did. A warlord he had met and enthralled. Dodger was instrumental in turning the tide of the battle out there alone and wounded.”

She shook her head, seeing Dodger in a whole new light and everything that he had become. It was easy to see why he garnered Mouse’s loyalty, and the loyalty of people he met and then they turned around and rewarded his dedication with their own devotion as a tribute to his character and honor as a man. There was no doubt he belonged in the SEALs as much as he was now embedded in her heart. Whatever was she going to do with him?

Love him was all she could come up with and it was enough.

16

The three of them landed at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, again flying separately. Mouse secured them a flat not far from the Vatican. As soon as they were settled, Dodger

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